In The Space Between

Chapter 2

Kaito woke up to the sound of loud banging on his bedroom door. "Lux? Wake up na, anak. Baka madatnan ka na naman ng daddy mo na tulog pa. Anong oras na, baba ka na ah," his stepmother called out.

He glanced at the bedside clock and saw that it was already 11:36 in the morning. With no other choice, Kaito got up and headed to the bathroom, despite still feeling lightheaded from the previous night.

Shit, hangover...

He made sure to scrub off the unpleasant smell of alcohol clinging to his body.

"Kuyaaa, you're late na naman po nagising... You didn't eat breakfast tuloy..." Akio jumped into Kaito's arms, and Kaito instinctively caught him. Between Kiera and Akio, Akio was the one really close to Kaito, though Kiera was also fond of him.

"Where's Dad?" Kaito asked as he sat on a vacant seat, with Akio still on his lap.

"Your dad is on his way home from his two-day meetings in Singapore," his stepmother replied, preparing their lunch.

"What about Green?" Kaito asked when he noticed Green was missing. "Akala ko hinatid mo siya sa province nila? Yun ang paalam niya when he called earlier," his stepmother responded, leaving Kaito confused as to what was going on.

He finished his meal—whether it was breakfast or lunch—and spent a few minutes playing with Kiera and Akio afterward.

"Tita, I'll be heading out for a while, but I'll be back before dinner. Can you tell Dad too?" Kaito asked as he prepared to leave.

"Sure, Lux. Take care, okay?" she replied.

As he walked out to the garage, Kaito spotted his siblings playing in the garden—with Green.

"You're home?" His voice startled them, the usual cold tone making them stop in their tracks.

"Kiera, Akio, go inside and take a bath." The kids immediately obeyed, their faces dropping as they left.

"I thought you're in your province?"

"Uh about dun Sir Kaito, s-sorry po kung di po ako nakapag-paalam nang maayos na uuwi ako ng probinsya po namin..." Green mumbled, staring at the ground, clearly guilty.

"Yeah, whatever. It's your life anyway. Do what you want," Kaito said coldly, his tone so harsh it made Green flinch.

"Sorry po talaga, di na po mauulit..."

"I told you, I don't care. It's your life, do as you please," Kaito snapped before walking off to his Ferrari, starting it up, and driving off—faster than usual.

Kaito’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel as he sped down the highway, the roar of his Ferrari drowning out his thoughts. He glanced at his phone, the screen lighting up with texts from Hugo, Cyrus, and Aero, reminding him about their meeting at the mall to plan the Halloween party.

Pulling into the parking lot of the high-end mall, Kaito stepped out of the car, adjusting his blazer. The sun blazed overhead, but he didn’t care—he needed the distraction.

Inside, he spotted his friends lounging at a café near the fountain. Aero waved him over, a grin plastered on his face. Hugo was on his phone, probably texting one of the girls, while Cyrus leaned back in his chair, casually scrolling through social media.

“Yo, Dude, ‘bout time you showed up,” Aero teased, kicking out a chair for him. “Thought you'll ditched us again.”

Kaito scoffed, sinking into the chair. “Not in the mood, man.”

“Whoa, someone’s extra cranky today,” Cyrus chimed in, raising an eyebrow. “Rough night?”

“Something like that,” Kaito muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn’t in the mood to explain himself.