love triangle

Love Triangle – Chapter 1: The Beginning of Everything

In a world where wealth and power shaped everyday life, three boys once shared something that money couldn’t buy—friendship.

Zeke Villians came from a powerful wealthy family. He was known in school for being cold, sharp-tongued, and intimidating. His beauty matched his reputation: fair skin, mestizo features, and eyes that always looked like he was thinking ten steps ahead.

His mother was Victoria Villians, a strict but elegant businesswoman who owned luxury brands across the country. His father, Alexander Villians, was a well-known international tech CEO who rarely stayed home.

Zeke lived in a mansion filled with maids, guards, and silence.

Kabuen Shitoshin was the opposite in personality but equal in status. He was intelligent, calm, and naturally kind—but distant. People admired him because of his father, Hiroto Shitoshin, a famous celebrity actor, and his mother, Celestine Shitoshin, a world-renowned fashion designer and model.

Despite having everything, Kabuen lived quietly. He preferred books, sports, and solitude. Only a few people ever got close to him.

And then there was Kaizen.

Kaizen was not born into wealth. He grew up in a simple life with his grandmother after his mother, Lira, passed away when he was young. His father, Marco, was just a hardworking man selling goods in the marketplace.

Kaizen loved flowers—just like his mother did. He spent hours in his small garden with his grandmother, who raised him with love and discipline. But deep inside, Kaizen always felt like something was missing… like a part of his past was erased.

Still, he never stopped being strong.

When they were younger, the three of them were inseparable.

They studied together, played tennis, trained in taekwondo, and sometimes even cooked meals after school. Zeke was always the competitive one, Kabuen the quiet genius, and Kaizen the hardworking cheerful one who kept everything together.

But there was something no one noticed back then.

Zeke always stared at Kabuen longer than necessary.

Not with hatred.

But with something deeper he didn’t understand yet.

One afternoon, while they were playing in Kabuen’s garden, Zeke stood still as he watched Kabuen laugh softly at something Kaizen said.

That moment stayed in his mind longer than it should have.

He didn’t know why.

He just knew he hated seeing Kaizen that close to Kabuen.

Years passed.

Kaizen moved away with his grandmother after they could no longer stay in the old house. Kabuen’s life became busier, filled with expectations and training. Zeke became colder, more distant, and more feared.

The friendship broke without a proper goodbye.

Until one day… they all met again at the same school.

Different now.

Older.

Strangers pretending they didn’t know each other.

But the past never really disappears.

It just waits for the right moment to return.

Love Triangle – Chapter 2: The Reunion

The school was bigger than Kaizen remembered.

Tall buildings, polished floors, and students who looked like they belonged in another world—this wasn’t the same life he left behind. Still, he walked forward quietly, holding his bag tighter as if it could anchor him to reality.

He didn’t expect anything.

Not recognition.

Not familiarity.

Not them.

But fate had a strange sense of timing.

At the grand hallway of St. Aurelius Academy, a familiar presence made the air feel heavier.

Zeke Villians stood near the student council board, surrounded by guards and students who didn’t dare come too close. His expression was cold as usual—controlled, unreadable.

Yet the moment his eyes shifted—

They landed on Kaizen.

Something inside Zeke stopped.

For a second, the noise of the hallway disappeared.

Kaizen.

He looked different now… older, sharper, but still the same person Zeke couldn’t forget.

Across the hall stood Kabuen Shitoshin.

Quiet. Calm. Observant.

But the moment he saw Kaizen too, his expression changed—just slightly. A flicker of something unspoken crossed his eyes.

Kaizen noticed them both at the same time.

And for a moment, none of them moved.

It felt like the past had just walked back into the present.

“Kaizen…” Kabuen said first, voice low.

Kaizen hesitated. “Kabuen…”

The name felt unfamiliar on his tongue, like it belonged to another lifetime.

Zeke stepped forward.

Slowly.

Measured.

“Tch,” he clicked his tongue, as if annoyed—but his eyes didn’t match his attitude. “So you’re here.”

Kaizen looked at him. “Zeke…”

Silence.

It wasn’t just awkward.

It was heavy.

Like something left unfinished between them years ago.

Kabuen broke the silence.

“You transferred here?”

Kaizen nodded slightly. “Yeah… with my grandmother.”

Zeke’s eyes narrowed. “Still the same.”

Kaizen frowned. “What do you mean?”

Zeke didn’t answer.

Because even he didn’t know.

He just knew Kaizen still had that quiet strength… the one that used to make Kabuen smile more often back then.

And Zeke hated how he remembered that.

A bell rang, cutting through the tension.

Students began moving again, life resuming like nothing happened.

But for them—everything had already changed.

Kabuen glanced at Kaizen before speaking softly.

“Lunch break. Meet me on the rooftop.”

Kaizen nodded slowly.

Zeke watched the exchange.

His jaw tightened.

“…Tch.”

And just like that, he walked away.

But his eyes stayed behind.

On Kaizen.

As Kaizen turned to leave, he didn’t notice the way Zeke stopped for a moment in the crowd.

Didn’t notice the way Kabuen quietly clenched his hand before letting it go.

And he definitely didn’t know—

That this reunion was only the beginning of something none of them were ready for.

Love Triangle – Chapter 3: Rooftop Confessions

The rooftop of St. Aurelius Academy was quiet.

Too quiet for a school that loud.

Kaizen stood near the railing, wind brushing through his hair as he looked down at the city. Everything felt bigger from up here—buildings, noise, even memories.

Behind him, footsteps approached.

Kabuen.

He stopped a few steps away, not rushing, not forcing. That was always his way.

“You came,” Kabuen said softly.

Kaizen nodded. “You said meet here.”

Silence followed again—but this time, it wasn’t heavy.

Just… careful.

Kabuen leaned slightly on the railing beside him.

“You disappeared without saying anything back then.”

Kaizen looked down. “I didn’t have a choice.”

“I know,” Kabuen replied quickly, then paused. “But… it still felt like you were gone for good.”

Kaizen didn’t answer.

Because he didn’t know how.

A stronger wind passed between them.

Kabuen’s voice lowered. “Do you remember when we used to train together? Read together?”

Kaizen gave a small nod. “Yeah.”

“I missed that,” Kabuen admitted.

It was simple.

Honest.

And somehow heavier than anything else he could’ve said.

Kaizen finally looked at him.

“You changed,” he said.

Kabuen gave a faint smile. “So did you.”

A pause.

Then Kabuen added, quieter:

“But you’re still the only one who felt real back then.”

Before Kaizen could respond, the rooftop door slammed open.

Zeke.

He walked in with his usual cold expression, hands in his pockets, uniform slightly loosened like he didn’t care—but his eyes were sharp.

“I thought I’d find you here,” Zeke said.

Kabuen straightened slightly. “Zeke.”

Kaizen’s body tensed.

Zeke looked at Kabuen first, then at Kaizen.

“That’s interesting,” he said flatly. “Still doing your little private talks.”

Kabuen frowned. “This isn’t—”

Zeke cut him off with a glance.

“I wasn’t talking to you.”

Silence again.

Zeke stepped closer to Kaizen.

Not too close—but close enough to make the air feel different.

“You always end up near him,” Zeke said.

Kaizen blinked. “What?”

Zeke tilted his head slightly.

“Even back then.”

Kabuen’s eyes narrowed. “What are you trying to say?”

Zeke ignored him.

His gaze stayed on Kaizen.

Like Kabuen wasn’t even part of the moment.

Kaizen finally spoke, confused. “Why are you acting like this?”

Zeke hesitated.

Just for a second.

Then his expression hardened again.

“Forget it.”

But he didn’t leave.

Kabuen stepped forward slightly now.

“Zeke… what do you want?”

That question hung in the air.

Zeke didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he glanced at Kaizen—longer this time.

Something unspoken flickered behind his eyes.

Then he finally said:

“…Nothing.”

But his tone didn’t match his words.

The bell rang again from below.

Reality pulling them back.

Kabuen looked at Kaizen.

“Come down with me?”

Kaizen nodded slowly.

But before they could move—

Zeke spoke one last time.

Low.

Almost only for Kaizen to hear.

“Don’t trust everything that feels familiar.”

Kaizen stopped.

Turned slightly.

But Zeke had already walked away.

Kabuen noticed Kaizen’s expression.

“What did he say?”

Kaizen shook his head. “Nothing.”

But deep inside—

Something had already started shifting.

And none of them could stop it now.

Love Triangle – Chapter 4: The Distance Between Us

After that day on the rooftop, things changed—but not in obvious ways.

Kaizen returned to his normal routine at school, trying to ignore the strange tension between Kabuen and Zeke. But silence has a way of becoming louder when too many things are left unsaid.

Kabuen still acted the same—calm, composed, kind.

But now, he always seemed to appear beside Kaizen more often.

Zeke, on the other hand, became colder.

If that was even possible.

He stopped speaking directly unless necessary. But his eyes always followed Kaizen from a distance. Like he was watching something he couldn’t let go of… but also couldn’t reach.

One afternoon, Kaizen was in the library.

Reading.

Trying to focus.

Until a book was suddenly placed beside his table.

He looked up.

Kabuen.

“You always pick quiet places,” Kabuen said.

Kaizen blinked. “You too.”

Kabuen sat across him.

For a moment, it felt like old times again.

“You’re adjusting well here,” Kabuen said.

Kaizen shrugged slightly. “Trying.”

Kabuen studied him for a second.

Then softly said, “You don’t have to try so hard around me.”

Kaizen paused.

“…What do you mean?”

Kabuen smiled faintly. “I already know you.”

Across the library shelves, hidden between books—

Zeke stood still.

Watching again.

His jaw tightened.

Love Triangle – Chapter 5: Jealous Silence

The library felt different after Kabuen left Kaizen’s table.

Not because anything loud happened—

But because something unspoken stayed behind.

Kaizen kept staring at the book in front of him, but the words didn’t register anymore. His thoughts were elsewhere… on Kabuen’s calm voice, and the way he said “I already know you.”

What did that even mean?

On the other side of the library, Zeke finally stepped out from behind the shelves.

His expression was unreadable as always.

But his grip on the book in his hand was tighter than necessary.

He walked out without looking back.

Later that day, Kaizen was leaving school when he noticed a black car waiting outside the gate.

The window rolled down.

Zeke.

“Get in,” he said flatly.

Kaizen blinked. “Why?”

Zeke didn’t answer.

Just stared at him like it was obvious.

After a moment, Kaizen sighed and got in.

The car ride was silent.

Too silent.

Until Kaizen finally spoke.

“You’ve been acting weird.”

Zeke didn’t look at him. “No I haven’t.”

“Yes, you have.”

A pause.

Then Zeke clicked his tongue.

“…You’re annoying.”

Kaizen frowned slightly. “Then why did you even call me?”

Silence again.

The car stopped near a quiet street—not his house yet.

Kaizen turned to him. “This isn’t my way.”

Zeke finally looked at him.

Longer than usual.

“…Do you like him?”

Kaizen froze.

“What?”

Zeke repeated, slower this time.

“Do you like Kabuen?”

The air inside the car changed.

Kaizen looked confused. “Why would you ask that?”

Zeke looked away immediately.

“Tch. Forget it.”

He reached for the door handle.

But Kaizen grabbed his wrist.

“Wait.”

Zeke stopped.

Kaizen frowned. “You’re not making sense lately.”

Zeke didn’t respond.

Kaizen continued, softer now.

“Since we were kids… you’ve always been like this. Cold. Distant. But now it feels different.”

Zeke’s fingers twitched slightly.

For a second, Zeke almost spoke.

Almost.

But instead, he pulled his wrist away.

“Just go home.”

Kaizen stared at him.

Then slowly got out of the car.

As the car drove away, Zeke’s expression finally cracked.

Just slightly.

Like something inside him was getting harder to hold in.

That night, Kabuen stood alone on his balcony.

Looking at his phone.

A message typed.

But not sent.

> “Do you still trust me the same way as before?”

He stared at it for a long time.

Then deleted it.

Somewhere else, Kaizen looked at the night sky from his window.

Thinking about both of them.

And wondering why it suddenly felt like he was standing in the middle of something he didn’t understand.

And in a dark room, Zeke sat alone.

Not moving.

Not speaking.

Just thinking—

about Kaizen.

Love Triangle – Chapter 6: Cracks in the Silence

The next few days felt heavier than usual.

Not because something big happened—

but because everything was building up without anyone saying it out loud.

Kaizen noticed it first in small things.

Kabuen was still kind, still calm… but his attention lingered more than before. He would appear beside Kaizen at random times—hallways, cafeteria, even between classes.

Zeke, on the other hand, became even quieter.

But his silence wasn’t empty.

It felt… sharp.

Like he was holding something back too tightly.

One afternoon, Kaizen was walking to the sports field when he overheard voices near the lockers.

Kabuen and Zeke.

He stopped without meaning to.

“You’re always around him,” Zeke said coldly.

Kabuen’s voice stayed calm. “And you’re not?”

A pause.

Zeke clicked his tongue. “That’s different.”

Kabuen finally looked at him.

“How?”

Silence.

Zeke’s jaw tightened.

“…Just stay out of it.”

Kabuen didn’t move.

“I can’t,” he said simply.

That made Zeke’s eyes sharpen.

Kaizen stepped back slightly, unsure if he should stay or leave.

But then—

Kabuen said something that made him freeze.

“I’m not the only one who feels something here.”

Zeke went quiet.

For a second… just a second… his expression shifted.

But then it was gone again.

“Tch. You’re imagining things.”

Kabuen stepped closer.

“I don’t think I am.”

The air between them turned tense.

Kaizen finally stepped away before they noticed him.

His heart felt heavier than it should’ve.

Later that day, Kaizen avoided both of them.

But it didn’t last long.

Because after school, Zeke was waiting again.

This time, not in a car.

But at the school gate.

“Come with me,” Zeke said immediately.

Kaizen frowned. “Why again?”

Zeke didn’t answer properly.

“Just come.”

Something about his tone made Kaizen follow.

They ended up at a quiet rooftop of a different building.

Not school.

Somewhere private.

Wind strong.

Sky orange.

Kaizen turned to him. “Why are we here?”

Zeke didn’t speak right away.

Then finally—

“…I don’t like how things are.”

Kaizen blinked. “What things?”

Zeke looked at him.

And for once, there was no cold mask.

Just something frustrated… and real.

“You and him.”

Kaizen froze slightly.

“…Kabuen?”

Zeke didn’t answer directly.

But his silence said everything.

Kaizen frowned.

“You’re not making sense again.”

Zeke let out a sharp breath.

“I am. You just don’t listen.”

A pause.

Then quieter—

“Back then… it was always the two of you.”

Kaizen looked at him carefully.

“You were there too.”

Zeke laughed once—dry.

“Was I?”

Silence.

For the first time, Kaizen didn’t know what to say.

Because Zeke didn’t sound like the same arrogant boy anymore.

He sounded like someone who was left behind.

Zeke turned away.

“…Forget it. I shouldn’t have brought you here.”

He started walking.

But Kaizen spoke before he could leave.

“Zeke.”

Zeke stopped.

Kaizen hesitated.

“…What do you actually want from me?”

That question hung in the air longer than anything before.

Zeke didn’t turn around.

But his voice came out quieter than usual.

“I don’t know anymore.”

And then he left.

Kaizen stood alone on the rooftop.

For the first time—

he realized this wasn’t just a triangle of friendship anymore.

Love Triangle – Chapter 7: Hidden Truths

The distance between them didn’t decrease after that day.

It only became more noticeable.

Kaizen started avoiding long conversations. Not because he wanted to—but because every interaction now felt like it carried weight he didn’t understand.

Kabuen still acted calm, but his eyes followed Kaizen more often than before.

Zeke… stopped pretending.

He was still cold, still sharp—but now there were moments where his attention slipped. Like he was thinking too much about something he refused to say.

One morning, Kaizen arrived early at school.

The hallways were empty.

Quiet.

Until he saw Kabuen standing alone near the window.

“You’re early,” Kabuen said softly.

Kaizen nodded. “Couldn’t sleep well.”

Kabuen studied him for a moment.

“…Because of Zeke?”

Kaizen hesitated.

That hesitation was enough.

Kabuen looked away briefly.

“I thought so.”

Silence followed.

Kaizen finally asked, “Why do you two always… clash?”

Kabuen didn’t answer right away.

Instead, he said something unexpected.

“It’s not new.”

Kaizen blinked. “What?”

Kabuen looked at him.

“We’ve always known each other longer than you think.”

That statement confused Kaizen.

Kabuen continued.

“Zeke and I… our families have history.”

Kaizen frowned. “History?”

Kabuen nodded slightly.

“But that’s not the real problem.”

He paused.

Then said quietly:

“The real problem is what he feels but refuses to admit.”

Kaizen’s heart tightened slightly.

“…What do you mean?”

Kabuen didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he turned toward the window.

And softly said:

“Zeke doesn’t know how to love without turning it into anger.”

That line stayed in Kaizen’s mind the entire day.

Later that afternoon, Kaizen found himself alone again.

Until a voice interrupted him.

“Hey.”

Zeke.

Leaning against the classroom doorframe like he owned the space.

Kaizen looked at him. “You again.”

Zeke ignored that.

“Come with me.”

Kaizen sighed. “Where this time?”

Zeke paused slightly.

“…Just walk.”

They ended up outside the school again.

This time, not rooftops.

Not buildings.

But near an old, quiet street lined with trees.

Familiar… but Kaizen couldn’t remember why.

He looked around. “Why here?”

Zeke didn’t answer immediately.

Then—

“You don’t remember?”

Kaizen frowned. “Remember what?”

Zeke stared at him for a long moment.

Then clicked his tongue.

“Tch… of course.”

He started walking ahead.

Kaizen followed.

At the end of the street was an old open field.

And something inside Kaizen shifted the moment he saw it.

A faint memory.

Three kids.

Laughing.

Running.

Training.

Kaizen froze slightly.

“…I’ve been here before.”

Zeke stopped.

Kabuen, who somehow arrived shortly after, also stopped at the edge of the field.

The three of them stood there.

Silent.

Kabuen spoke first.

“This is where we used to train.”

Kaizen’s eyes widened slightly.

Zeke didn’t speak.

But his expression tightened.

Kabuen continued.

“And where everything started.”

A pause.

Then softer—

“And where we slowly stopped being the same.”

The wind moved through the field.

And for a moment, it felt like time overlapped.

Past and present colliding.

Kaizen looked between them.

“…What exactly happened between you two?”

Neither answered immediately.

Zeke finally spoke.

Low.

Controlled.

“…Nothing important.”

Kabuen looked at him.

But didn’t argue.

Just said quietly:

“That’s what you keep telling yourself.”

Silence fell again.

But this time—

it felt like the truth was finally close enough to touch.

It was something deeper.

Something none of them understood yet.

Love Triangle – Chapter 8: The Unspoken Past

The old field stayed in Kaizen’s mind long after they left.

Even when he returned home, even when he tried to sleep, the image kept coming back—three kids laughing, training, and a version of himself that felt strangely distant.

Like someone he used to be, but couldn’t fully remember.

Love Triangle – Chapter 9: Fractured Truth

The next morning, the school felt different.

Not because anything had visibly changed—

but because Kaizen felt like he was the only one still missing pieces of a puzzle everyone else already saw.

Kabuen was back.

Zeke was there too.

But now, every glance between them felt heavier than before.

Kaizen couldn’t focus in class.

Even simple words in his notebook blurred together.

Until his teacher suddenly called his name.

“Kaizen Shitoshin.”

The room went quiet for a second.

He didn’t notice the slight pause in the classroom.

Not how Kabuen looked up immediately.

Not how Zeke’s pen stopped moving.

“Principal wants to see you,” the teacher said.

Kaizen stood slowly.

Confused.

The hallway to the office felt longer than usual.

And when he arrived, he wasn’t alone.

Kabuen was already there.

And Zeke arrived seconds after.

Three of them.

Again.

In the same space.

Silent.

The principal looked serious.

“Your families have been requested for a formal meeting tomorrow.”

Kaizen frowned. “Why?”

No answer immediately.

The principal placed a file on the table.

“Because of a long-standing matter between the Villians and Shitoshin families.”

Kabuen’s expression tightened slightly.

Zeke didn’t react—but his eyes sharpened.

Kaizen just looked confused.

“…What matter?”

The principal hesitated.

Then said:

“A case involving inheritance disputes… and a missing identity record.”

Silence.

Heavy.

Immediate.

Kaizen felt something drop inside his chest.

“Missing… identity?”

Kabuen looked at him briefly.

Zeke looked away.

The principal continued.

“Kaizen, your records are incomplete prior to your grandmother’s guardianship.”

Kaizen frowned harder. “What are you talking about? I grew up with her.”

The principal opened the file slightly.

“There are gaps. A missing parent record. A sealed birth document.”

Kabuen finally spoke.

“Sir… what does this have to do with him?”

The principal looked at all three of them.

And then said the words that changed everything.

“Because Kaizen’s past is connected to both of your families.”

Silence again.

But this time—

it wasn’t just heavy.

It was breaking.

Zeke’s expression shifted slightly.

Kabuen’s eyes widened just a little.

And Kaizen—

just stood there.

Like the ground under him wasn’t stable anymore.

After the meeting, no one spoke.

Not in the hallway.

Not outside.

Not even when they reached the gate.

Until Zeke finally said:

“…This is getting worse.”

Kabuen replied softly:

“It’s getting clearer.”

Kaizen turned to them.

“What are you two hiding from me?”

Silence.

Neither answered immediately.

Zeke looked away first.

Kabuen stayed still.

Then finally—

Kabuen said quietly:

“You were never just a third person in this story.”

Kaizen froze.

Zeke clenched his jaw.

“…Tch.”

But didn’t deny it.

And for the first time—

Kaizen realized the triangle wasn’t about love at all.

It was about something that started long before any of them understood what it meant.

The next day at school, Kabuen didn’t show up in the morning.

Zeke noticed.

Kaizen noticed too—but didn’t say anything.

Still, the absence felt loud.

During lunch break, Kaizen was sitting alone when Zeke appeared again.

This time, he didn’t sit beside him.

Just stood there.

“Eat,” Zeke said flatly.

Kaizen blinked. “I am eating.”

Zeke clicked his tongue. “Barely.”

Kaizen frowned slightly. “Why are you here?”

Zeke didn’t answer right away.

Then said, “Kabuen isn’t here.”

Kaizen looked up at him. “So?”

A pause.

Zeke’s expression tightened.

“…Nothing.”

But he didn’t leave.

After school, Kaizen decided to go to Kabuen’s house.

He didn’t know why—he just felt like he needed to.

When he arrived, the gates opened immediately.

Like they were expecting him.

Inside, the atmosphere was different.

Less formal.

Less guarded.

Kabuen was sitting in the garden.

Quiet.

Looking at something in his hand.

Kaizen approached slowly. “Kabuen?”

Kabuen looked up.

“…You came.”

Kaizen nodded. “You didn’t go to school.”

Kabuen looked away briefly.

“I had something to think about.”

Kaizen sat beside him.

Silence.

Then Kaizen asked, “Is it about Zeke?”

Kabuen didn’t deny it.

That was enough.

Kabuen finally spoke.

“You want to know something strange?”

Kaizen looked at him.

Kabuen continued.

“Zeke used to follow you more than anyone else.”

Kaizen blinked. “Me?”

Kabuen nodded slightly.

“He just didn’t realize it back then.”

A pause.

Then Kabuen added quietly:

“But I noticed.”

Kaizen felt something shift in his chest.

“…What are you saying?”

Kabuen looked at him directly.

“I think both of you have been pretending for a long time.”

Meanwhile, somewhere far away—

Zeke stood alone on a balcony.

Phone in hand.

Unread messages.

And a memory he refused to open.

A photo.

Three kids.

Smiling.

One of them—Kaizen—standing between him and Kabuen.

Zeke turned his phone off.

But the memory didn’t disappear.

Back at the Shitoshin mansion, Kabuen stood up.

“You should go home before it gets late.”

Kaizen nodded slowly.

But before he left—

Kabuen said something softer.

“If you ever feel like you’re in the middle of something you don’t understand…”

He paused.

Then continued:

“It’s because you are.”

Kaizen stopped.

But didn’t turn around.

And for the first time—

he started to realize this wasn’t just about feelings anymore.

It was about something they all buried years ago.

Love Triangle – Chapter 10: The Truth Beneath Everything

That night, none of them slept properly.

Kaizen kept staring at his ceiling, replaying the principal’s words again and again.

Missing identity record.

Connected to both families.

It didn’t make sense.

But it felt real enough to shake him.

The next day, Kabuen arrived at school earlier than usual.

Zeke was already there.

Waiting.

Not leaning. Not relaxed.

Just standing.

Like he knew this conversation was unavoidable.

Kaizen arrived minutes later.

And the moment he saw them both, he stopped.

Because this time—

it didn’t feel like coincidence.

It felt like a confrontation waiting to happen.

Kabuen spoke first.

“We should talk properly.”

Zeke didn’t argue.

“…Finally.”

Kaizen frowned. “About what exactly?”

Neither answered immediately.

They left school.

Together.

No guards.

No distractions.

Just the three of them returning to the old field again.

The same place where everything started.

But this time, it didn’t feel nostalgic.

It felt like the truth was buried under it.

Kabuen stopped walking.

“I’ll say it first,” he said quietly.

Zeke glanced at him. “Of course you will.”

Kabuen ignored that.

Then looked at Kaizen.

“You weren’t just someone we met by chance.”

Kaizen’s breath slowed. “What does that mean?”

Kabuen continued.

“When we were kids… you were placed near both of us intentionally.”

Silence.

Kaizen shook his head slightly. “That doesn’t make sense.”

Zeke finally spoke.

“It does.”

Kaizen turned to him sharply.

“What are you saying?”

Zeke looked away for a moment.

Then said, more controlled than usual:

“Our families… were tied in a deal.”

Kabuen added softly:

“A deal that involved protecting you.”

Kaizen froze.

“…Protecting me?”

Kabuen nodded.

“From what happened to your real parents.”

Silence.

The wind suddenly felt colder.

Kaizen’s voice dropped.

“…My real parents?”

Zeke finally looked at him directly.

And for once, there was no arrogance.

No attitude.

Just truth.

“Your mother wasn’t just someone who loved flowers,” Zeke said quietly.

Kaizen’s chest tightened.

Kabuen continued.

“She was connected to both of our families… and to something dangerous.”

Kaizen stepped back slightly.

“That’s not possible…”

Kabuen shook his head.

“It is. And when she died… everything shifted.”

Zeke’s jaw tightened.

“And your father disappeared from the system after that.”

Silence again.

Longer this time.

Heavier.

Kaizen’s hands trembled slightly.

“So what are you trying to say?”

Kabuen answered carefully.

“That you weren’t abandoned.”

Zeke added:

“You were hidden.”

Kaizen stared at them.

Like he couldn’t process the words fast enough.

“…Hidden from what?”

Kabuen looked at him.

Then said the final truth:

“From the same people who tried to destroy both of our families.”

Everything went quiet.

Even the wind felt like it stopped for a second.

Kaizen’s voice came out barely above a whisper.

“…Then why am I with you two now?”

Zeke looked at him.

Kabuen looked away briefly.

And then—

Kabuen answered.

“Because we were supposed to protect you.”

A pause.

Then softer:

“…And we failed to do it properly before.”

Silence.

Kaizen looked between them.

For the first time, the love triangle didn’t feel like jealousy anymore.

It felt like guilt.

History.

And something unfinished that none of them escaped.

Zeke turned away slightly.

“…This isn’t over.”

Kabuen nodded.

“It just started again.”

Kaizen stood still.

In the middle of everything.

Not knowing anymore if he was the center of a love story—

or the center of something much more dangerous.

And far away, someone watched their names being spoken again.

After many years of silence.

End of Chapter 10

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