Chapter 18

But her mind kept wandering back to the biology assignment and the help Kaida had provided. "And if it's about the biology..." she started, before trailing off with a frustrated sigh. "I'm so stupid. Am I really trying to justify this foolish situation?" She shook her head, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside her.

"It's just one homework..." Upset at she self she slapped her cheeks a few times to get her thoughts together.

Finally, after a few moments of inner turmoil, Yuna resolved to go and thank Kaida for her help with the biology assignment.

But deep down, she knew it was just an excuse to see Kaida again, to apologize for her behavior. With a newfoundly determination, Yuna got up from the couch and made her way to find Kaida, her heart beating just a little bit faster.

As Yuna stood at the threshold of Kaida's room, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves before knocking on the door. But her knocks were met with complete silence. She knocked again, a little louder this time, but the stillness persisted.

Undeterred, Yuna placed her ear against the door, straining to detect any sound that might indicate Kaida's presence. But the room was eerily quiet, the silence so profound that it seemed to reverberate through the hallway. Concern began to creep in, and Yuna's mind raced with worst-case scenarios. With a sense of trepidation, she pushed open the unlocked door and peeked inside, only to find that Kaida was nowhere to be found.

"Where could she have gone?" Yuna wondered, her voice barely above a whisper, as she scanned the empty room with a growing sense of curiosity.

With a sense of urgency, Yuna instinctively reached for her phone and attempted to call Kaida, her fingers swiftly navigating to the messaging app where she had previously exchanged texts with her mother. She scrolled through the conversation, her eyes scanning for the message where her mother had shared Kaida's contact information. Finally, she found it and her thumb hovered over the digits before she decided to dial the number.

As she waited for Kaida to answer, Yuna's mind raced with questions and concerns.

"I wonder where she went" she murmured to herself, her curiosity and worry escalating with each passing moment.

The sound of Kaida's voice on the other end of the line startled Yuna, leaving her momentarily speechless.

"Hello?" Kaida repeated, her tone tinged with a hint of confusion. Yuna's silence was maintained, her mind struggling to form coherent thoughts.

Finally, Kaida broke the silence, her voice laced with a hint of curiosity. "Yuna?" she asked, her tone gentle.

Yuna's response was barely above a whisper. "Yes."

The silence that ensued was deafening, punctuated only by the sound of their breathing.

Kaida waited patiently for Yuna to speak, but the words seemed stuck in her throat.

Yuna finally found her voice. "Where did you... go so late?" she asked, her words laced with concern.

Kaida's sigh was audible, her response tinged with a hint of melancholy. "You don't have to care where I went, I'm just an employee." Yuna's interpretation of Kaida's words was skewed by her own guilt and anxiety, leading her to believe that Kaida was upset or angry with her.

With a sense of resignation, Yuna replied, "You're right." The weight of her words hung in the air, a silent understanding that she had indeed overstepped her bounds. Without another word, Yuna ended the call, the silence between them a stark reminder to Yuna of the distance between them.