Bound By Fate

Chapter 8: Bullies

I didn’t sleep much that night.

Kai’s jacket was draped over my chair, a silent reminder of our time together. Every time I glanced at it, I couldn’t help but feel this strange flutter in my chest. I had to give it back to him today, of course, but part of me wondered if holding onto it for a little longer would be so bad.

But no, that’d be weird, right? Besides, I was curious to see his reaction when I returned it. It was just a jacket, but with how much had happened between us last night, it felt like more.

The walk to school was uneventful, the usual flow of students bustling past as I made my way to the entrance. I spotted Kai almost immediately, leaning casually against one of the walls, talking with a group of guys. His posture was relaxed, but there was a sharpness to the way he carried himself that always seemed to command attention.

I swallowed, gripping his jacket tighter in my hands as I walked up to him.

“Kai,” I called out softly.

He turned at the sound of my voice, a slow smile spreading across his face. The others in the group gave me quick glances before resuming their conversation, leaving us with some space.

“Lina,” Kai said, his eyes flicking down to the jacket in my hands. “You kept it warm for me?”

I rolled my eyes, though my heart skipped a beat at the playful tone in his voice. “I didn’t mean to walk off with it last night,” I said, holding it out to him. “Here, take it.”

He grinned, reaching out and brushing his fingers against mine as he took it. “No rush. It looks better on you, anyway.”

I felt my face heat up, unsure if he was serious or just teasing. Before I could respond, a loud, obnoxious voice cut through the air behind me.

“Well, look who it is. The stray Alpha thinking she belongs here.”

I froze.

Slowly, I turned to face a group of guys who were standing off to the side. The one who had spoken was tall, with a cocky smirk plastered on his face. He was flanked by two others, all of them radiating arrogance and looking far too pleased with themselves.

Great. Just what I needed.

“Ignore them,” Kai muttered under his breath, his voice tight. But before I could brush it off and walk away, one of the guys stepped forward, blocking my path.

“You think you're something special, don’t you?” the first guy sneered, his gaze flicking over me like I was some kind of joke. “Walking around here like you belong with the big dogs. Newsflash, sweetheart, this place isn’t for people like you.”

My jaw clenched. I had dealt with jerks like this before, but today, it hit differently. Maybe it was because I was already on edge from everything with Kai, or maybe I was just tired of pretending like their words didn’t bother me.

I wasn’t going to let them get away with it this time.

“I don’t need to prove anything to you,” I shot back, keeping my voice steady. “So why don’t you take your insecurities somewhere else?”

The guy’s smirk faltered for a split second before his expression hardened. He took a step closer, crowding me, and I instinctively stepped back.

“What did you just say?” he hissed, his voice low and threatening.

Before I could respond, Kai was suddenly there, stepping between us in one swift motion. His eyes were sharp, the easy-going charm replaced with something much more dangerous.

“She said back off,” Kai growled, his voice cold as ice.

The group hesitated for a moment, clearly not expecting him to get involved. The leader sneered, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes now.

“And who do you think you are?” the guy challenged, though his bravado was faltering.

Kai didn’t even flinch. “You don’t want to know.”

There was a heavy silence as the two of them locked eyes, tension crackling in the air. For a moment, I thought there was going to be a fight, but then the leader scoffed, stepping back with a dismissive wave of his hand.

“Whatever. She’s not worth it.”

With that, he turned on his heel and stalked off, his lackeys following him like obedient dogs. The knot of tension in my chest finally began to ease as they disappeared into the crowd.

“Are you okay?” Kai asked, turning to face me. His expression softened as he looked me over, like he was checking to make sure they hadn’t hurt me.

I nodded, though my heart was still pounding. “Yeah. Thanks for that.”

Kai shrugged, his usual nonchalant attitude slipping back into place. “No problem. Those guys are just idiots looking for a fight.”

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, relieved that the situation hadn’t escalated further. “I should’ve handled it better.”

“You handled it fine,” he said, his tone reassuring. “Some people just don’t know when to shut up.”

Before I could respond, a group of students passing by caught sight of us and started whispering. I wasn’t sure if it was because of what had just happened, or if they were just gossiping like usual, but something in their tone made me pause.

“You know who that is, right?” one of them murmured to her friend, her voice low but carrying just enough for me to hear. “That’s Kai Igarashi. His family owns, like, half the city.”

My heart skipped a beat. I turned to look at Kai, but he seemed unfazed, like he was used to hearing that kind of thing.

“Igarashi?” I repeated slowly, the name suddenly clicking into place. I’d heard it before, of course. Anyone who lived in this area had. The Igarashi family was one of the wealthiest and most influential in the region, with connections to all kinds of industries and powerful people.

Kai looked at me, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Surprised?”

I blinked, trying to process what I had just heard. “You never mentioned that.”

He shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets. “It’s not exactly something I like to bring up. Most people treat me differently once they find out.”

I was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. I had never imagined Kai was connected to such a powerful family. He had always seemed so down-to-earth, so… normal.

But now that I thought about it, a lot of things made sense. The way people at school gave him a wide berth, the effortless confidence he carried, and the quiet authority in his words. He didn’t flaunt his status, but it was always there, beneath the surface.

“I’m still me, Lina,” he said softly, his eyes searching mine. “That doesn’t change anything between us.”

I wasn’t sure why, but his words hit me harder than I expected. I hadn’t realized it, but part of me had started to think of him as just… Kai. Not as someone with a prestigious family or a legacy to uphold.

Just Kai.

“I know,” I said, managing a small smile. “It doesn’t change anything.”

He looked relieved, his usual grin sliding back into place. “Good. I was hoping you’d say that.”

We stood there for a moment, the weight of the day still hanging between us but lighter now, like we had crossed some invisible line together.

And though we hadn’t talked about what had happened the night before—or what any of it meant—I could feel the tension between us growing. Something was changing, and I wasn’t sure what would happen next. But for the first time in a long while, I wasn’t scared of it.

In fact, I was ready.