“Third Wheels and Secrets”

Bast shouted louder, his voice echoing in the room, "Are you trying to lie to me?"

Elina sobbed, her voice trembling. "I swear! His boyfriend came… he said Kai is his boy. It's true. Please, let me go!"

Bast sat back slowly, his expression dark and unreadable. "You have two days to leave the city. If you don't, I'll make sure your parents know exactly what their daughter tried to do to an innocent boy. Imagine what'll happen when the whole city finds out."

Elina's face went pale. Her voice broke. "Please… don't do this. I'll leave within 24 hours. I promise!"

Bast waved to the guard. "Untie her. Give her back her belongings."

The guard followed his orders, and Elina, crying and shaking, scrambled out of the room and ran.

Bast's jaw tightened. "I want the club's CCTV footage. I need to know who the hell that so-called boyfriend is."

The secretary gave a firm nod. "I'll take care of it, sir."

But Bast's mind was far from at ease. Confusion churned inside him. Who was that guy?

---

At college, after class, Miles and Kai sat at the café table, chatting.

Miles grinned and said, "Ethan proposed."

Kai's eyes widened in joy. "What?! Oh my god, finally! I'm so happy for you. My best friend's engaged—we have to celebrate!"

Miles laughed. "No club this time. Clubs are bad luck for you. Let's just have a fancy dinner."

Kai chuckled. "Yeah… good idea."

Miles pulled out his phone. "I'll call Ethan right now. He'll make the reservation—and we'll invite Bast too. It's been a while since all four of us were together."

As Miles made the call, Kai drifted into his thoughts. Was it really Rico at the club last night? Why did he help me?

Should I thank him? No… Bast would be furious if he found out. But then again… what does Rico even want? Does he still love Bast? Or is he playing some twisted game with us both?

The thoughts felt like needles in his brain.

"Kai!" Miles nudged him, pulling him back.

"Huh?"

"You okay?" Miles asked. "You were zoning out."

"Oh, yeah… I'm fine," Kai said quickly.

Miles smiled. "Ethan said he's booked a place already. He and Bast will pick us up after class."

"Cool."

Just then, Eden walked over to their table. "Hey, sorry—did I keep you guys waiting long?"

Miles shook his head. "Not at all. Let's get started."

The three of them began discussing their group project. But Kai, even while nodding along, couldn't stop the thoughts spinning in his mind.

Kai sipped his soda, silently watching Eden. Something in the way Eden looked at Miles made his instincts stir. Does he… like Miles? he wondered.

As they chatted about the project, Eden's eyes suddenly drifted toward Miles's hand. His gaze paused on the silver ring.

Eden hesitated, then asked casually, "Oh… your ring. It's beautiful."

Miles beamed. "Thanks. My boyfriend proposed yesterday."

Eden's face paled. The smile he forced looked tight and awkward. "C-Congratulations," he said.

"Thank you," Miles replied warmly, clearly over the moon.

Kai narrowed his eyes, silently watching Eden's expression.

Eden stood abruptly, picking up his books. "I just remembered—I have something urgent to do. Let's catch up tomorrow, okay?"

Miles nodded, cheerful as ever. "Sure! See you."

Kai raised his hand. "Have a good day."

As Eden walked away, Kai leaned closer to Miles. "I think Eden likes you."

Miles closed his book with a sigh. "Kai, don't ruin my mood. I'm really happy today. Let's just get dessert—we've still got 30 minutes before class starts."

"Alright," Kai said with a small smile. "Dessert sounds perfect."

---

Meanwhile, in Ethan's office…

After their meeting ended, Ethan leaned back in his chair. "You look distracted. Want to talk about something?"

Bast exhaled deeply. "It's about what happened last night."

"Bast told Ethan everything that happened to Kai last night, and Ethan was visibly shocked."

Ethan gave him a serious look. "And the girl?"

Bast loosened his tie. "Taken care of. Trash has been cleaned."

Ethan nodded slowly. "What about the guy—the one who claimed to be Kai's boyfriend?"

"That's the problem," Bast said, his voice tight. "There's no trace of him. The CCTV footage didn't show anything helpful."

Ethan frowned. "Are you going to ask Kai?"

Bast shook his head. "I want to, but… I'm not sure. He's still shaken. He was drugged—how could he even remember who that guy was?"

Ethan leaned forward. "There's only one person I suspect."

Bast's eyes narrowed. "Who?"

"Rico."

Bast's expression froze. "Shit… I almost forgot about him."

He stood up, fists clenched. "If it was him—"

Ethan cut in quickly. "Calm down. We don't have proof yet. Don't act without being sure."

Bast sat back down as Ethan poured him a glass of water.

"Let's stay smart about this," Ethan said calmly. "For Kai."

After college, Miles and Kai were waiting outside for Ethan and Bast. Miles playfully teased, "Your hair's all messed up again, Kai. Were you daydreaming or just trying a new style?"

Kai rolled his eyes, trying to fix it with his fingers.

From a distance, Eden watched them quietly. His eyes shimmered with sadness. His friend Henny walked up and stood beside him. Noticing the pair, she commented, "They look cute together."

She glanced at Eden. "What's wrong?"

Eden's voice was soft, broken. "He's engaged… and already has a boyfriend."

Henny gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry. You deserve someone better than Miles."

Eden blinked away tears. "But I want him."

Henny sighed and said, "Come on, let's get out of here. A drink will help." She grabbed his hand and led him toward the car.

Just then, Bast and Ethan pulled up.

Ethan rolled down the window with a grin. "Did we keep you waiting long, my milk?"

Miles laughed. "Not at all."

Bast stepped out, walked toward them, and offered Miles a warm smile. "Congratulations, Miles. I'm really happy for you both."

"Thanks, Bast," Miles replied cheerfully.

Bast turned his attention to Kai. "How are you feeling?"

Kai nodded. "Much better."

Miles coughed dramatically and said with a teasing grin, "I think I should congratulate you two as well."

Kai's eyes widened. "Wait—for what?"

Miles smirked. "Oh, really? You want me to say it out loud?"

Kai's cheeks flushed bright red. "Let's just go," he muttered and hurried into the car.

Miles chuckled. "Your cheeks are glowing."

"Shut up," Kai mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

Bast smiled quietly to himself as he got into the car.