A Love Beyond the Chaos

Chapter 3: The Slow Shift

The next morning, Aiah awoke with a pounding headache and the lingering confusion of last night's revelations. As sunlight streamed through her bedroom window, she groaned, pulling the covers over her head. She had hoped that by the time she woke up, the conversation with Mikha would seem like some strange, whiskey-induced dream. But no. It was real. Mikha had *actually* confessed that he liked her—had liked her for years, apparently—and she had no idea how to process it.

She tossed in bed, her thoughts swirling. How could someone who had made her life a living hell in high school, who had annoyed her at every turn in adulthood, suddenly turn around and claim it had all been because of *feelings*? It didn't make sense. And yet, in the quiet moments between their sparring, she had seen something in Mikha's eyes that she hadn't noticed before—something softer, more vulnerable.

Aiah sighed, sitting up in bed and rubbing her temples. There was no avoiding it. The whole dynamic between them had shifted, and she couldn't pretend it hadn't. The way Mikha had looked at her last night, the sincerity in his voice... it felt different. Genuine, even. But still—he was *Mikha*, the one person she had always considered her nemesis.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand, pulling her out of her thoughts. It was a message from Gwen:

**Gwen**: How's the hangover? You okay?

Aiah groaned again, picking up the phone to type a quick reply.

**Aiah**: I'm alive, barely.

**Gwen**: Good. Because we *need* to talk about last night. Colet's theory??? Omg.

**Aiah**: I'm not sure what to think. I need coffee. Lots of it.

**Gwen**: Let's grab brunch. Maloi's in. You can spill everything. 11 am at the café?

**Aiah**: Fine. See you there.

As she set the phone down, Aiah took a deep breath. She needed to get out of her own head and talk this out with her friends. Maybe they could help her make sense of Mikha's confession. Because right now, all it did was make her feel like her world had been turned upside down.

---

By the time Aiah arrived at the café, Maloi and Gwen were already seated at a small table near the window, sipping their lattes and chatting animatedly. The moment Aiah walked in, both of them turned to her with expectant grins.

"Oh no," Aiah said, sliding into the chair opposite them. "You're both way too excited about this."

"We've been dying to know what happened after you disappeared to the bar with Mikha," Gwen said, leaning forward eagerly. "Come on, spill."

Aiah sighed, taking a sip of the coffee the waitress had just brought over. "It's... complicated."

"That's what makes it juicy!" Maloi said, waving her hands dramatically. "So? What did he say?"

Aiah took a deep breath, bracing herself. "He told me he's liked me since high school. That all the teasing was just his weird, messed-up way of trying to get my attention."

Gwen's eyes widened. "No way."

Maloi nearly dropped her fork. "Seriously? That's... actually kind of cute in a messed-up way. But also, *what*? You mean all this time, he's just been flirting with you?"

"Apparently." Aiah's fingers tightened around her coffee cup. "And now I don't know what to do. I mean, how am I supposed to believe that after everything? He made my life miserable back then."

"But you have to admit," Gwen said thoughtfully, "he's different now, right? I mean, he's still annoying, sure, but he's not *mean* like he used to be."