Eternal Love

Chap 4: Kai

      Like the fortunate soul I am, I have the most wonderful best friend. Kai.

      I met him three years after Sebastien came into my life, which was back when I was still friend-zoned. In fact, Sebastien had friend-zoned me for three and a half years, which, now that I think about it, ended three months after Kai and I became best friends.

     Kai and I had been paired up for a group project. His first words to me were (I am so sorry for the comparison), "are you a triangle? Cause you're a cutie." I blushed the deepest shade of crimson but laughed anyway at his cringe pick-up line. He was no doubt a smooth talker, which young-me knew as soon as those words came out. Thus, I thought nothing about it.

     I was never disloyal to Sebastien, but Kai made no attempt to hide his *ahem* feelings for me. As he was my neighbor, literally living next door, I carpooled with him to school. My butt shape was molded to his passenger seat due to the years of forced proximity. Our fathers were best buds, apparently having met in Japan when Dad was studying there. Hence, while our mothers' endeavored to set Sebastien and I up, our fathers' would unwittingly put us together. 

      A character trait about Kai is that he's determined to get what he wants, and won't take no for an answer. Even though I've told him my heart is taken many times, he hasn't given up. Every time he sees me, he tells me a pick-up line, which more often than not, gets me doubled over in laughter and Sebastien fuming. However, he has never tried anything... untoward me.

      Once, we were having a Thanksgiving dinner. Mom invited Sebastien's family, while Dad invited Kai's. Awkward. Sebastien and his family came first, so when Kai and his mom came, Sebastien saw everything (our usual greeting). Kai kissed me on the cheek (as usual), but this time a bit too close to my lips for Sebastien's liking. Till today, I suspect that he did it on purpose, because he had seen through my feelings the first time the three of us hung out. In an hour and a half, he saw what Sebastien never did in all our years of friendship. After Sebastien left, Kai came up to me, the light in his eyes slightly dim, and asked flatly, "you like him, don't you?" Unprepared, I stuttered out the truth.

      Back to that Thanksgiving dinner. Kai smiled that toothy grin at me."I ought to complain to Spotify for you not being named the hottest single." Already prepared for whatever silly pickup line I knew would await me, I paid it no heed. However, I could see our parents' shock, apparently not used to our usual greeting, and Sebastien's emotions playing out on his face. Jealousy was the most prominent.

     A week later, during our family's weekly dinner, he asks me out.