Comatose

3. Fire and Fury

❝Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.❞

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TRES:

FIRE AND FURY

Her eyelids fluttered open as her phone went off for the umpteenth time, but Kaiya didn't move from her oddly-comfortable position lying over a pie of paper sheets and pens. With the back of her hand, she wiped the corner of her mouth and swore under her breath. Glaring at the ringing device as it played Comatose by Skillet, she debated on whether to answer or to block his number forever.

Walking into her small office to enjoy a well-deserved break away from the rumble in the gym, Kaiya had groaned upon noticing the amount of missed calls waiting for her. Whatever it was that Kise needed, however, he would have to suck it up because she was in no mood to deal with him after having spent the last couple of hours teaching her team how to mark.

Her break was something sacred — something she needed like the air she breathed. It put a pause to her erratic mornings and to the war her heart was at with her mind; during those minutes, Kaiya could sleep her pain away.

Finally picking up her phone, she straightened and rejected the call. Before her whiny stepbrother could attempt to agitate her further, she proceeded to block his number and sighed in relief. She probably had ten minutes until the blond idiot barged in, demanding answers and crying about how mean she was for ignoring him and making him run all the way there.

But the door was flying open not even one minute later, causing her to jump ten feet in the air and fall off of her chair. As her moment of peace came to an abrupt end and her head smashed on the hard floor, fury set a fire in her heart.

"Kaiya, this is not the time for jokes!"

Seething, the woman emerged from behind the desk and glared at Kise as if she could kill him with her eyes if she tried hard enough.

"Do you know the purpose of a door, fucking idiot? Knock before barging in next time!" she snarled while retrieving the fallen chair to sit down again.

"I figured you would've ignored me," he pointed out, and she rolled her eyes.

"Just tell me what you want, Ryõta. I'm in the middle of my break, and your face is the last thing I want to see right now."

Pouting, the man narrowed his eyes upon her flushed face before shaking his head in exasperation. "You were sleeping again, weren't you? There's ink on your cheek, Kaiya."

Shameless, she shrugged and ran a hand through her loose hair.

"I need my beauty sleep," she defended. "Now get to the damn point, unless you've come all the way here to be a pain in the ass."

Growing serious, Kise surprised her by fidgeting on the spot. She frowned, carefully taking in his unusual nervousness as suspicion spread in her mind like a virus.

"Have you heard from Aria?" he asked, voice torn between hesitation and concern.

Kaiya pursed her lips. "No. If you haven't noticed, I'm at work."

Losing the patience he never had, Kise stomped on the floor and shouted, "She isn't answering my calls and messages! And I thought that maybe she was sleeping, but she's not home and Momoi says she hasn't seen her either!"

As the man went on, shouting and pulling at his hair, Kaiya pinched the brick of her nose. There was only one thing in the world that would make Aria ignore him, so she let him explode without listening to a single word.