221. The Morning After

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Kai slept soundly until the sun was high in the sky before he lazily opened his eyes.

He rubbed his temples.

He had underestimated the aftereffects of that fruit wine. At first, he thought the alcohol would wear off overnight, but even with its low alcohol content, drinking too much still left him feeling groggy and lightheaded.

Half awake, he reached out beside him only to find the bed empty.

Hmm? Where is she?

Yawning, he slowly sat up and glanced around the room, but Sabrina was nowhere to be seen.

Thinking back on last night, he realized he had acted on impulse. The combination of alcohol and emotions had pushed him to take things further than he ever expected…

After freshening up, he tidied the bedsheets and stowed them away in his bag, planning to discreetly dispose of them once they left the island.

After all, this was "evidence" of his crime he couldn't risk anyone else stumbling upon it and making fun of him.

Once everything was in order, he walked over to Sabrina's room and knocked on the door.

No response.

Frowning slightly, Kai turned and headed toward the banquet hall.

At this time, Ash, Misty, Tracey, and Delia were leisurely having lunch. As soon as they spotted him, they greeted him.

"Kai, you slept way too long! We've been up for ages!" Ash grinned, still chewing his food. "Once we finish lunch, we're heading off to our next Gym challenge. Misty even said if you didn't wake up soon, we were gonna storm your room and drag you out!"

Misty's face instantly turned scarlet.

"Don't make things up!" she huffed, giving Ash a sharp glare before delivering a well-aimed flick to his forehead. "That was your idea! Don't put the blame on me!"

Kai glanced at Ash's bag, which was already packed and stuffed full. It was clear they were ready to leave.

Smirking, he shrugged. "What can I say? I've been exhausted these past few days. Besides, I'd advise against barging into my room unannounced…"

Ash blinked in confusion. "Why's that?"

Spreading his hands, Kai replied with a teasing grin, "Well, lately, I've developed a liking for sleeping in the nude… If you two guys walked in at the wrong time, I'd be worried about your self-esteem."

Ash: …

Tracey: …

Chuckling at their reactions, Kai moved closer to the table, about to take a seat. But noticing a few familiar faces missing, he asked, "By the way, where are Professor Oak and Professor Ivy?"

Misty gave him a curious look. She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but something about Kai felt different more mature, somehow. As if overnight, he had changed in a way she couldn't quite place.

Shaking off the thought, she answered, "They took some diving equipment and went with Melody to the islands of the Legendary Birds. They mentioned something about studying the ocean currents to verify some research theories."

"I see," Kai mused. "That's dedication. I always thought professors like them stayed cooped up in labs, but it turns out they do fieldwork too."

At that moment, Tracey seemed to remember something and leaned in slightly. "Oh, right. This morning, Melody said that when she went to pick up Maren last night, she stopped by the Island to take a look. She didn't find that collector… not even his body. Just a wreckage of debris everywhere. It looks like he somehow survived and escaped."

Despite being struck by Lugia's aero blast, the collector still managed to survive and flee.

Kai raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Though unexpected, it wasn't entirely unbelievable. That man didn't seem like someone who would go down so easily.

Still, he wondered after this ordeal, would the collector abandon his obsession? Or would he continue his hunt for Lugia?

Either way, it was no longer Kai's concern. Once he left the Orange Islands, their paths would likely never cross again.

But Sabrina was still nowhere to be seen.

Kai scanned the hall, intending to ask about her when he heard footsteps behind him.

Turning around, he saw Sabrina and Maren walking in from the hallway.

Sabrina's hair was still damp, evidence that she had just taken a shower but hadn't dried it completely. Meanwhile, Maren was stretching and yawning, her eyes heavy with drowsiness clearly, she had just woken up as well.

Before Kai could say anything, Maren spotted him and immediately narrowed her eyes.

"You guys really did me dirty!" she huffed, crossing her arms. "I was nice enough to ferry you to Fire Island, and what do I get? You abandon me there without a word! I had to wait all night, freezing in the wind!"

In truth, Maren wasn't actually upset. She had already heard the full story from Melody and understood the situation. Her words were just her way of teasing them and breaking any lingering tension.

However, her slightly hoarse voice and stuffy nose made it clear that she had caught a cold from the ordeal. Seeing this, Kai felt a pang of guilt.

"Sorry about that. We were captured by the collector and didn't have a way to contact you."

Misty and Tracey also chimed in with sincere apologies.

Seeing how seriously they took it, Maren sighed and waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, don't worry about it! It's just a little cold. I already took some medicine, so I'll be fine after some rest!"

Once Maren sat down at the table, Kai finally had a chance to focus on Sabrina.

She looked… perfectly normal.

Neither her expression nor her demeanor gave anything away.

Of course, Kai knew that was just the way she was her emotions were difficult to read at the best of times.

Still, he hesitated before clearing his throat. "Sabrina…" He wasn't sure how to bring it up, so he simply asked, "Are you… alright?"

Sabrina glanced at him, her gaze softening ever so slightly. She knew what he was really asking.

With a small shake of her head, she replied, "I'm fine. The bed was just a bit too hard, and I sweated a lot last night, so I took a shower."

To the others, it sounded like an ordinary exchange, though perhaps a little vague.

But to Kai, her words carried another meaning.

She wasn't upset.

She wasn't going to hold it against him.

Relief flooded through him.

Now wasn't the time to talk about it in detail not in front of everyone. They'd have to find a private moment later.

But… there was still one thing lingering in Kai's mind.

Last night, caught up in the heat of the moment, he hadn't thought about restraint. And he definitely hadn't taken any precautions.

Now that the alcohol had worn off and his mind was clear…

Well, let's just say, that realization made him a little nervous.

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