More Than Just Us

Always His Lucky Charm

The presentation was scheduled for ten in the morning, but Kaye was already at the campus by nine. She sat on one of the benches outside the auditorium, flipping absently through her notebook. She had doodled flowers on the margins without realizing it, her mind drifting to Kiko.

She didn’t really understand why she was nervous. It’s not my presentation, she reminded herself. But her heart refused to listen.

Her phone buzzed. A message from him.

Kiko: Where are you?

Kaye: Outside the auditorium. Don’t tell me you’re late again.

Kiko: Relax. I’m already here. Look up.

Kaye glanced up, and there he was, walking toward her with that lopsided smile that had followed her through years of memories. His white shirt was a little wrinkled, his tie slightly crooked, but somehow he still looked—annoyingly—good.

“You’re early,” he said as he plopped down beside her.

“You’re late,” she countered automatically.

“I’m right on time.” He leaned back, stretching his arms. “You just can’t wait to see me.”

Kaye gave him a look, though her lips twitched. “You wish.”

He grinned, as if he’d won anyway.

For a moment, they sat there in comfortable silence, watching the flow of students entering the auditorium. Kaye could feel the weight of his presence, the warmth of his shoulder barely brushing against hers.

“You’ll do great,” she said softly.

Kiko turned to her. “You think so?”

“I know so.”

Something flickered in his eyes, quick and unguarded, before he looked away. “That’s why I need you here. You’re like my lucky charm.”

The words landed on her chest with a strange mix of sweetness and ache. Always his charm. His anchor. His safe place. Never the person he chose.

Still, she smiled. “Then I guess I’ll stay until you’re done. I can’t let you lose your luck.”

The auditorium was buzzing with chatter by the time they entered. Kaye slipped quietly into a seat near the middle while Kiko went to join his group. She watched as he spoke with his teammates, laughing, his confidence filling the space around him.

He was magnetic, always had been. People were drawn to him—the way he carried himself, the way he made everyone feel like they belonged.

Kaye opened her notebook again, unable to stop her pen from moving. She wrote fragments, unfinished sentences that mirrored the mess in her heart.

He belongs everywhere. But he always finds his way back here. To me.

Her eyes flicked up as Kiko glanced across the room, searching, until his gaze landed on her. For a second, his grin softened into something quieter, something just for her.

And just like that, her heart forgot how to beat.

When the presentation ended, Kaye was the first to clap. Kiko’s group had nailed it, his voice steady and his arguments sharp. He spotted her immediately in the crowd, his grin widening like he needed no other approval but hers.

“You did amazing,” she said when he found her outside afterward.

“Of course. You were here,” he replied, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

Kaye rolled her eyes. “So if I don’t show up next time, you’ll fail?”

“Exactly. So you’re not allowed to miss anything.”

She shook her head, laughing. But deep down, she wondered if he knew how much she meant every word. That she would always show up. Always.

“Hungry?” he asked suddenly.

“Always.”

“Let’s eat. My treat.”

They ended up at their favorite café just off campus, the one with warm yellow lights and worn-out couches. It had been their hideout since sophomore year, a place where hours slipped away unnoticed.

Kaye stirred her iced coffee absentmindedly while Kiko scrolled through his phone. He looked tired but happy, the kind of glow that only came when he was proud of himself.

“You know,” she said, resting her chin on her hand, “I think you’re more than capable without me. Lucky charm or not.”

Kiko looked up, a hint of seriousness crossing his face. “You don’t get it, do you? I like knowing you’re there. It makes me… braver, I guess.”

Her chest tightened. She wanted to say I’ll always be here, no matter what. But she bit her tongue.

Instead, she teased, “So basically, I’m your security blanket.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “No. You’re more than that.”

The words lingered, unspoken meanings dancing between them. Kaye’s pulse quickened, but before she could ask what he meant, his phone buzzed.

He glanced at the screen, his smile dimming. “Sorry, I have to take this.”

Kaye nodded, pretending not to mind as he stepped outside. But through the glass, she caught the way he smiled into the phone—soft, different.

And suddenly, her coffee tasted bitter.

When he came back, he was still smiling.

“Who was that?” Kaye asked lightly, hoping her voice didn’t betray the twist in her stomach.

“Just… someone,” Kiko said, scratching the back of his neck. “Her name’s Lianne. She’s in one of my classes.”

“Oh,” Kaye managed, her heart sinking. She forced a smile. “New friend?”

“Yeah. She’s cool.” He shrugged, but the little spark in his eyes told her more than his words.

Kaye stabbed her straw into her drink, her chest tightening. For years, it had only been the two of them. Now, for the first time, she felt the ground shifting beneath her.

She reminded herself of the role she had always played. The bestfriend. The constant. The safe place.

So she smiled, even as it broke something inside her.

“That’s nice,” she said softly. “I’m glad.”

But when Kiko looked at her, searching her face for something he couldn’t name, Kaye quickly looked away.

Because if he stared too long, he might see the truth she had been hiding all along—

That she wasn’t just his lucky charm.

She was in love with him.