EPISODE 3.
1339 Words
The smoothie dripped down the front of his black designer hoodie like slow pink paint, splattering across his jeans and onto the polished marble floor.
Silence fell over the cafeteria.
Every whisper, every bit of laughter, every clinking spoon stopped.
I stood frozen, my hand still in the air, my brain refusing to believe what I’d just done.
“Oh my God…” I breathed. “I— I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
Before I could finish, Kai Qin looked down at his shirt, then up at me. Slowly. His eyes…cold, sharp, dark…met mine like a blade pressing against skin.
The look on his face could kill.
“Are you out of your mind?” His voice came low, tight, and dangerous.
“I_I didn’t see you, I swear, it was an accident, I—”
He took a step back, looking at the mess on his shirt, then back at me with disgust. “Do you even know how much this costs?”
“I’m sorry,” I repeated, my hands trembling. “Please, I can clean it, I’ll pay for it, I—”
He gave a short, humorless laugh. “You? Pay for it?” His gaze swept over me from head to toe…my scuffed shoes, my worn skirt, my cheap bracelet. The kind of look that stripped me bare in front of everyone. “You couldn’t even afford new shoes.”
The cafeteria broke into a low wave of whispers and gasps.
Meilin’s voice came softly beside me. “Cesca, let’s just go.”
But I couldn’t move. My chest burned, my face hot. “I said I was sorry,” I managed, trying to sound calm. “It was an accident.”
“Yeah, sure.” He tilted his head, eyes narrowing. “An accident, or maybe your way of getting attention.”
“What?”
He smirked. “Don’t play dumb. You girls always find new ways to make a scene. Throwing drinks now? Cute.”
“I didn’t—”
“Save it.” He stepped closer, lowering his voice but not enough that people couldn’t hear. “You think splashing juice on me is gonna make me notice you?”
I felt my stomach twist. “I said it wasn’t—”
He cut me off. “Pathetic. You could’ve just asked for a picture or something, you didn’t need to drench me for attention.”
And that’s when I heard Nicole’s laugh behind him. Sharp and mocking.
“Oh, look at that,” she said loudly from her table. “Guess Cesca didn’t need a dare to get his attention after all.”
The cafeteria erupted in a few giggles and murmurs.
My hands clenched. I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole.
Kai frowned slightly, turning halfway toward her. “What dare?”
“Nothing,” I said quickly, my voice shaking. “She’s just trying to—”
“Nothing,” Nicole echoed sweetly, twirling her hair. “Just a little game from last night. You should’ve seen her face, Kai. She couldn’t stop blushing when your name came up.”
That smirk on her lips made my blood boil.
Kai turned his full attention back to me, that icy glare back in place. “So that’s what this is about.”
“No!” I stepped forward, my chest tightening. “That’s not… I didn’t even—”
But before I could finish, he leaned slightly closer, his tone cutting through me like glass.
“You think this is how to play your little game? Throw a drink, say sorry, look innocent? Please. I’ve seen this kind of act before.”
I blinked, stunned. “You don’t know anything about me.”
He gave a dark chuckle. “I know enough. You’re just another desperate girl trying to climb out of her lane.”
Something snapped inside me.
“My lane?”
His lips curved. “Yeah. Maybe someone should remind you where you are. This isn’t California. It’s Beijing International. You don’t belong here… and you sure as hell don’t belong anywhere near me.”
That one hit harder than anything else he’d said.
It wasn’t just the words. It was the way he said it…like it was a fact carved into stone.
“Don’t talk to her like that,” Meilin snapped suddenly, stepping between us. “She said she was sorry. You don’t need to be a jerk about it.”
He ignored her, his eyes never leaving mine. “What did you think would happen? That I’d smile? Maybe say thank you? You think too highly of yourself.”
Something in me burned hot and bright. “You don’t get to talk to me like that.”
“Honestly, it’s pathetic. A black girl,no a slut, thinking she can get anywhere near my circle? What a joke.”
Gasps echoed all around us. Even Meilin’s jaw dropped.
“What did you just say?” I whispered.
He shrugged slightly, like it meant nothing. “You heard me.”
The air felt heavy, too heavy. My heart pounded against my ribs so hard I could barely breathe.
Then something in me just broke.
Without thinking, I grabbed a glass of orange juice from the nearest table and threw it at him.
It hit his face perfectly…cold liquid splashing over his flawless skin, dripping down his chin.
The sound it made was the only thing anyone could hear.
The cafeteria went dead silent again.
Kai blinked slowly, his face wet, his jaw locked. His friends behind him moved instantly, stepping forward.
“Whoa, whoa,” one of them said sharply. “You better calm down, pretty…”
“Don’t call me that,” I snapped. “And tell your friend to keep his damn mouth shut next time before I—”
“Cesca!” Meilin grabbed my arm. “Stop! He’s not worth it!”
“No,” I said, my voice shaking with fury. “He called me a slut.Who the hell does he think he is?”
Kai wiped the juice off his face with the back of his hand, still not saying a word. His expression darkened, like a storm building up behind his eyes.
“Say something!” I shouted. “Or what, did I finally make you speechless?”
His jaw tightened. “You really don’t know when to shut up, do you?”
“Maybe you should’ve thought of that before opening your mouth.”
His friend stepped forward again. “You better apologize right now—”
“Apologize?” Meilin barked. “For what? For defending herself? Your rich little friend insulted her in front of everyone!”
“You don’t know who you’re talking to,” the guy shot back.
“I don’t care who he is,” Meilin said fiercely. “He doesn’t get to humiliate my friend because he thinks money buys respect.”
A ripple of murmurs filled the air. People were recording now, phones up, eyes wide.
Kai finally raised his hand, silencing his friend. His gaze swept over me one last time, cold and unreadable.
“You should watch yourself,” he said slowly. “Next time you won’t get away so easily.”
He started walking away, his friends following. The crowd parted instantly, making way for him.
Nicole called after him with a mocking tone, “Guess she’s not your type after all, huh, Kai?”
He didn’t answer. He didn’t even look back.
But before he disappeared through the door, he stopped. Just for a moment.
And in that small silence, he said quietly…without turning…
“Pathetic.”
Then he walked out.
The door closed behind him, the sound echoing through the cafeteria like a slap.
I stood there, trembling, my hands sticky with juice, my throat dry. My heart was beating so fast I thought I’d pass out. It was the the feeling, that I'll see that asshole again.
- Writer
