Somewhere Only We Know

XIV - Boy Talk

Kai threw his hands up in exasperation, his tone firm as he declared, "I swear on my grandma, I don't have a fucking crush on Max." His eyes scanned the room with a mix of frustration and emphasis to make his point clear.

Jesse, already knee-deep in unpacking, rolled his eyes and kept stuffing clothes into the cabinets. "Yeah, and I don't have a massive crush on Leah," he muttered under his breath, clearly not buying it for a second.

Edward, lounging nearby with a curious glint in his eye, perked up. "Who the fuck is Leah?" he asked, genuinely intrigued.

Chase, sprawled out lazily across Jesse's bed, lifted an eyebrow and grinned. "Whoa, that's the flight attendant you were eyeing, right? I actually spoke to her. She's nice. You should hit that."

Jesse, clearly wanting to dodge the topic, waved them off with a distracted hand. "Would you lot get up and put your shit away in your rooms? And by the way, you've all got assigned rooms now, so do me a favor and get the fuck out of mine."

Edward grabbed his suitcase with a bit too much eagerness and practically bolted down the hall to the bedroom directly opposite Jesse's door. As he reached it, he called out, "Kai, call dibs on the room next to mine, please," before closing the door with a decisive click.

Kai smiled slightly, the tension melting away as he maneuvered his suitcase toward the door at the far end of the hallway. "Oh, the room at the end's way bigger than the one Edward wants you to stay in," Chase called after him, his voice carrying down the corridor.

"Nice one, thanks, Chase," Kai replied, stepping inside the spacious room and closing the door behind him. Chase trailed right behind, tossing his bag onto the floor of his own room with a tired sigh.

An hour later

Kai sat on his bed, the soft glow of his laptop screen illuminating his face as he clicked to accept the call from his father. Adjusting his posture, he traced a finger absently over the bold Kanji tattoos on his forearm—his mother's and father's names inked there—a subtle comfort amid the conversation.

His father's warm, familiar voice filled the room. "Hey, kiddo. How are you? Your grandma's been practically ambushing me across every social media platform, asking if you're with me. Aren't you in New York?"

Kai smiled faintly. "Hi, Dad. I'm okay. Currently in Columbus for a friend's graduation and just taking a break from work."

He glanced down again, fingertips lightly brushing his sleeve. "Jesse's little sister, Max, is graduating. We only met last night but hit it off."

His father chuckled softly and remarked on the weather and trees of North Carolina. Kai nodded, thinking about the tall trees he'd seen since arriving.

When the subject turned to his new tattoo, Kai lifted his sleeve briefly, fingertips tracing the precise black strokes. "It's Mum's and your name in Kanji."

His father's voice softened. "I see that, kid. Lived all over Japan for 30 years."

Kai rolled his eyes playfully. "Oh, don't start, Dad."

The call ended with light teasing before Kai gently closed the laptop—only to be interrupted by his grandmother's call.

He answered quickly, muttering an exasperated "Oh, fuck," as he switched his camera off.

"Hello? Kairo? Oh, Linda, my laptop isn't working again," his grandmother fretted in the background.

"Hi, Granny," Kai greeted softly.