Kai Reyes

Kai had picked the Asusment park to celebrate his birthday that was in three weeks because it felt simple, almost nostalgic in a way he didn’t say out loud. No cameras, no gym, no pressure—just a day that was supposed to be his and about his girlfriend. His girlfriend Luna had agreed after a few reminders, brushing it off with a distracted. “Yeah, fine, we’ll go,” like it didn’t matter much to her either way which it didn't it never did.

kai didn't mistake the coldness and unimportant in her voice as he told ber where he wanted to go for his birthday and his expression couldncouldn't help but darkness with sadness and anger It hadn’t always been like that.

When they first met, it was quieter. Easier. She used to show up early, sit through his training sessions, tease him about how serious he looked even when he wasn’t fighting. Back then, it felt like she chose to be there. Like he wasn’t competing with anything.

The first time he met Drew, it was just a quick introduction— “We grew up together,” Luna had said, casual, like it didn’t need more explanation. Then came Mason, then Ty, then Evan, each one folded into her life the same way, each one already comfortable, already close. At first, Kai didn’t think much of it Then he started noticing things as the weeks and monthes went back.

The way Drew would throw an arm around her like it was natural. The way Ty would joke with her like there were no boundaries to cross. Mason always around without saying much, Evan never far from her side. And every time Kai said something—kept it calm, kept it simple—she shut it down the same way. “They’re just my friends.” “We’ve known each other forever.” “Why are you making it weird?” And before he knew it his worries and feelings about how he feels with her being so close to her male friends started turning into arguments. Then louder arguments. Then shouting that never actually fixed anything as he keep bring up how he feels with her friends and how he feels in their relationship that Luna ignored or dismissed

Eventually, Kai just... stopped pushing A few months after that, he met —by accident at first, through a random game queue that turned into a full session, then another, then streams, then late nights that didn’t feel forced didn’t push, didn’t dismiss, didn’t make things feel like a competition. Being around Them felt easy in a way he hadn’t realized he’d been missing.

Now a few weeks later he’s standing outside his girlfriend’s place on his birthday, waiting, keys in hand, already knowing how this might go—and still hoping it won’t.

The door opens Drew steps out first, talking before he’s even fully outside. “Yo, we ready or what?” Kai’s expression doesn’t change, but his grip on his keys tightens slightly. “We?”

Ty comes out behind him, laughing. “Don’t tell me you thought it was just you two.”

Mason’s already on his phone. “Hope the lines aren’t crazy today.”

Evan leans against the doorframe, casual as ever. “It’ll be fine.” Then Lums appears, like this was always the plan. “We’re not doing anything serious. They’re just coming with us.”

Kai looks at her for a second his expression darkening for a moment as he spoke “You could’ve told me.”

Luna shrugs already annoyed with Kai and his questions “Why does it matter? They’ve known me longer than you.”

Drew smirks as he nudged Kai in the shoulder a little to hard. “C’mon, birthday boy, don’t make it awkward.”

Ty adds as he crosses his arms and lean against the door as well, “It’s supposed to be fun.”

Kai exhales once through his nose. “...Yeah. Let’s just go.” He doesn’t argue Not today By the time they get to the amusement park, the place is already loud—rides roaring overhead, music bleeding into crowds, people moving in every direction at once. Drew’s talking about which ride to hit first, Ty’s already joking about dragging everyone onto something intense, Mason’s checking wait times, Evan walking like none of it phases him. His girlfriend stays close to them, not him Kai just walks with them Quiet Then he slows.

Because a few steps ahead, through the shifting crowd, he recognizes immediately.

They haven’t seen him yet. They focused on their own moment, completely unaware of what just walked into their orbit.

Drew notices first As he watch Kai stop walking and looked shock or caught off guard. “Yo, you good? Why’d you stop?”

Ty follows his line of sight to see who he was looking at and had him so shocked “Wait—who you looking at?”

Mason glances up following Kai's glaze and saw walking by minding their own business. “You know them?”

Evan narrows his eyes slightly as he glace a Kai and then at before back crossing his arms. “You’ve been staring for a minute.”

Luna tilts her head, finally paying attention as she notice him stopping and looking at something or someone. “Kai?” Kai doesn’t answer right away. His gaze stays on for just a second longer, like the noise around him dips out for a split moment. “...Yeah,” he says finally, quieter than before.

Luna frowns slightly as she looked over following Kai's eyes and landing on and her browns furrowed slightly as she watched minding their own business. “Who is that?”

Kai shifts his attention back, expression settling again, controlled like always as he's glaze continue on “Someone I know.”

And just like that, the day he didn’t want shifts into something he didn’t expect as he watched his friend from online at the same park he was planning on spending his birthday at some part of him was happy to see some he knew and that maybe he wasn't fully alone while some other part of him was confused About what was doing here and did they know it was his birthday today? or did they just happened to be at the same place he was coming to celebrate his birthday at? He thought to himself as he continued watching Walking around doing their own thing