chapter 3

Neo pov:-

Darin straightened his suit. “Alright, don’t panic, okay? My brother isn’t going to eat you alive. Relax. I need to go check things in the hall.”

I smiled faintly and nodded. “Thanks, Darin.”

For a few minutes, his presence had actually made me forget all the chaos swirling inside me. I watched him walk toward the door, reaching for the handle—

—but before he could open it fully, someone from the other side pulled it open too fast.

They collided, and the person almost fell backward, but Darin caught them instinctively, arms firm and quick.

It was kai.

My dear brother.

Wow. What a scene.

Darin holding kai in his arms, their eyes locking, air thick with awkward romantic tension—if that wasn’t straight out of a drama, I didn’t know what was.

If I had my phone right now, I’d totally snap a picture of them like this.

Not to “admire” it, of course.

Purely for blackmail purposes.

“Are they going to stay in this position for life?” I muttered under my breath, watching Kai and Darin frozen like mannequins.

Finally, they snapped out of it—straightening up, awkwardly adjusting their posture, too nervous to even glance at each other.

Darin cleared his throat. “I’ll… head out. You two can talk. Bye.”

He turned toward the door, relief written all over his face, but Kai voice stopped him mid-step.

“Wait… rin (darin)” he said, his tone softer than usual. “Can you wait outside for few minutes? I need to talk to you - But before that, I need to speak with Neo.”

Both Darin and I froze.

Wait—what? Kai wants to talk to me? The brother who treated me like I didn’t exist for years?

For a second, I actually thought I was dreaming. Maybe today isn’t cursed after all. Maybe this wedding… isn’t just about the pact.

Oh god, thank you. Thank you so much.

I was so happy I could’ve danced right there in my groom’s suit—even if the world thought I’d lost my mind.

Rin blinked in surprise, then gave a small nod. “O-okay,” he said, a faint, hesitant smile tugging at the corner of his lips before he stepped out.

The door clicked shut, and suddenly, the room felt too big. Too quiet.

Kai and I stood there, surrounded by thick silence. The air between us was heavy, awkward—like there were a thousand words waiting, but neither of us dared to speak first.

Finally, he broke the silence.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, his voice cold but careful.

You know, I thought I’d be tired of that question by now—everyone’s been asking it since morning—but hearing it from him… it hit differently.

For the first time in years, he was actually talking to me. He cared. Even if his tone didn’t show it, his eyes—those guarded eyes—gave him away.

Something inside me cracked open. My throat tightened, and warmth burned behind my eyes. I could barely speak.

“I–I’m fine,” I managed, my voice small, trembling.

He let out a soft, uninterested “Hmm.” But I could see his jaw clench, like he was holding something back.

Silence again.

Then, out of nowhere, He asked, “Do you love someone else?”

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