𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐍' 𝐈𝐂𝐄, kai hiwatari

──fifteen;

The morning sun cast its gentle glow through the window, gently coaxing Aanya awake. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, she found herself in a room shared with two other boys, their beds positioned in a way that made it seem like they were all part of the same adventure. Her eyes widened with momentary confusion, and she quickly sat up, rubbing her eyes to ensure she wasn't dreaming. To her surprise, she discovered that her roommates were none other than Kai and Ray.

"Did I oversleep?!" Aanya exclaimed, a hint of panic in her voice. Ray chuckled in response.

"Nope, it's only 6 AM," he replied nonchalantly, stretching his arms in a languid morning stretch.

"Oh? Okay," Aanya replied, her nerves easing slightly. She ran her fingers through her disheveled hair, glancing at Kai, who was already looking in her direction. His gaze shifted towards the window as she caught him observing her.

Kai broke the silence with a question, his voice measured and calm, "When are we leaving?"

Aanya considered for a moment before answering, "Around 9 AM. I'll go wake up Tyson, Max, and Kenny; otherwise, we might end up running late."

Ray nodded in acknowledgment, and Kai, seemingly in no rush, stood up, announcing, "I'll take a walk outside."

"Get ready, Ray. I'll be back in a few minutes," Aanya declared as she made her way out of the hotel room, determined to wake up the rest of the team.

All of them were sitting in the dining area of the hotel, at a six-seated table. Max on the left, Tyson in the middle, Kai on the right. On the other side, Kenny on the left, Ray in the middle, and Aanya on the right. She didn't know how, but she always ended up close to Kai. It was always a coincidence.

"Guys! I've got an idea!" Kenny exclaimed.

"Yeah?" Ray answered as Aanya raised her brows.

"I've searched online and found out that Las Vegas is way too big to explore in just a few days. Since the tournament isn't this week, why don't we explore Las Vegas?" Kenny said excitedly.

"YAYYY!" Max and Tyson squealed.

"Not a bad idea," Aanya smiled cheekily.

"But one thing," Kenny started, "Let's pair up in twos and explore different places. The pair that explores the most places wins, and they have to take pictures as proof."

"Good one!" Ray nodded.

"I'm not interested," Kai huffed, his demeanor chilly.

"Come on, Kai!" Max and Tyson whined.

"Pleaseee."

Kai sighed, relenting to their pleas, his interest piqued.

"Okay! So let's decide the pairs!" Kenny exclaimed.

Aanya was silently wishing that she wouldn't end up paired with Kai, her fingers secretly crossed. She was perfectly fine with Ray, but everyone else seemed fine to her except for Kai.

"These strips in my hand," Kenny held out six strips, "They have their lower part colored with three different colors, and the ones who get the same color are paired up."

Everyone gulped, a hint of nervous excitement in the air.

"Aanya, you'll start," Ray winked at her, and she pressed her lips together, feeling the pressure.

"Ahh," Aanya reached her hand toward Kenny's, selected a strip, and looked at it. It was blue.

"Blue one," Aanya announced.

"Please, God, give me blue," Ray whispered to himself, but it was loud enough for Aanya to hear.

Ray reached out and pulled a strip from the bunch. His face fell as he revealed the color. "It's yellow. Why?!" Ray whined.

Aanya giggled, and Ray half-smiled, finding her laughter contagious.

Next up, Tyson and Kenny both drew red strips. "Okay, so the first pair is me and Tyson! It's going to be hectic!" Kenny declared with a chuckle.

Aanya was biting her lip nervously, secretly wishing that Kai wouldn't draw a blue strip.

Kai reached his hand out, slowly pulling a strip from the bunch. As the color was revealed, Aanya's eyes widened in surprise. It was blue.

Aanya mentally slapped Kai, her annoyance palpable as she slammed her hand on the table.

Kai leaned back in his chair, a victorious smirk on his face.

Ray looked at Aanya and said, "All the best!"

"You too!" Aanya replied, her irritation with Kai adding a layer of tension to the competition. Ray was paired with Max, leaving Aanya and Kai to explore Las Vegas together, much to Aanya's chagrin.

As Aanya and Kai stepped out of the hotel, an awkward silence hung between them, but Kai wore a sly smirk that didn't escape Aanya's notice.

"Why do I always end up with you? Why?!" Aanya complained with a playful pout.

"Seems like fate wants us to be together," Kai replied, his eyes gleaming mischievously as he winked at her, provoking an eye roll from Aanya.

"Soooo bad," Aanya quipped, her sarcasm lacing the words with an undeniable charm.

As they walked down the bustling Las Vegas Strip, neon lights flashing all around them, Kai decided to tease Aanya.

"Hey, do you know what they say about Las Vegas?" Kai asked with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Aanya, rolling her eyes, replied sarcastically, "Oh, I don't know, Kai. Is it something like 'what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas'?"

Kai smirked, "You got it! And they also say it's the perfect place for romance."

Aanya scoffed, "Romance? In this neon jungle of chaos?"

Kai raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying getting under her skin. "Well, you know, sometimes the most unexpected places can be quite romantic."

Aanya glanced around at the dazzling lights and the endless crowds of tourists. "Yeah, right. Super romantic." she made a sarcastic comment.

As they continued walking, they passed by a beautiful water fountain show in front of a grand hotel. The fountains danced to a mesmerizing melody, creating a magical atmosphere. Couples around them began to embrace and enjoy the moment.

Kai looked at Aanya and said in a teasing tone, "See? Even Las Vegas is trying to be romantic today."

Aanya smirked back, "Well, Las Vegas can try all it wants, but I'm not falling for it."

But despite her sarcastic comments, Aanya found herself getting lost in the enchanting display of water and light. She felt a tug at her hand as Kai pulled her closer to the fountain, and she stumbled slightly. Aanya was about to make another sarcastic remark, but before she could, Kai gently placed his hand on her waist and pulled her closer, their bodies almost touching.

Aanya's eyes widened in surprise, and she stammered, "K-Kai, what are you doing?"

Kai smirked again, leaning in closer, "Isn't this what people do in romantic places like Las Vegas?"

Aanya blushed, her sarcastic exterior momentarily cracking. "Well, I... no way!"

As the fountain show reached its grand finale, Kai and Aanya found themselves caught in a moment of unexpected romance, their eyes locked. For a brief second, it felt like the chaotic world around them disappeared.

But then, Kai couldn't resist one last tease, "See? Even you can't escape the romance of Las Vegas."

Aanya rolled her eyes again, but this time, there was a hint of a smile on her lips. "Yeah, yeah, whatever, Kai. Let's go explore some more and see what other clichés Las Vegas has in store for us."