<h4>Chapter 21: Reporting To Alpha Kaito</h4>


    With Hiro still echoing in her mind and her thoughts racing, Ang struggled to calm herself. Her chest tightened, her fingers trembled but then she felt a warm hand slide over hers.


    Taros.


    His touch was gentle, grounding her in the chaos. "Hiro won’t hurt you. I’m here," he whispered, his voice calm and steady like the eye of a storm.


    Ang tried to stay calm, but her body didn’t listen. Her head was full of the memory of yesterday’s game, the way Hiro cornered her this morning, how he spoke with that quiet warning. He was digging, threatening to uncover something she wasn’t ready to face. Her connection to Kaito. Her secret. Her fear.


    And it felt like he wasn’t going to stop until he tore her apart.


    "Hiro, man—stop it! You’re scaring the boy," Taros suddenly snapped, rising to his feet with tension in his voice.


    Hiro only gave azy wave and that sly smile before walking away, leaving behind a silence that seemed to breathe relief into the air.


    "He’s gone," Taros muttered, settling back down.


    Ang felt it too. That heavy pressure around her chest faded. The strange energy, the chill in her bones was gone. The air felt lighter and safer. But she couldn’t rest. Not yet.


    She needed to find Kaito.


    She needed to tell him what Hiro had said, what he had found out. Thest thing she wanted was the entire school knowing the truth about her admission—that it wasn’t earned, that it came from a favor. A secret deal with the Alpha of the West, they would say.


    "I need to see Alpha Kaito," she said suddenly, grabbing a napkin and wiping her mouth, barely tasting the food she had just eaten.


    Taros looked at her, caught off guard by how quickly everything shifted. "We can goter. Just... finish your breakfast."


    "No, I have to see him now," Ang said firmly, pushing her chair back as she stood up. She caught the expression on Taros’s face. He looked disappointed, and deep down, she felt a sting of guilt. She knew she was being selfish, but she couldn’t help it. This was important.


    "Thank you for the breakfast," she added softly. "I really do appreciate it. And I... I’d love to spend more time with you, Alpha Taros. You’re a kind person."


    Taros gave her a small nod, though his eyes held something she couldn’t quite read. "Thank you, but..." he sighed and stood too, brushing a hand through his hair. Without saying more, he paid the bill and they walked out of the mini-mart together.


    They followed the same path they came from, but this time entered a different building meant for the senior students. Ang noticed the difference immediately. Everything looked sharper and more serious. The halls were quiet, the air carried a strange calm. The students here didn’t slouch or talk loudly. Their uniforms were neat, fitted properly. The way they moved, the way they carried themselves, even their silence, it all felt different. Like she had stepped into another world.


    Ang walked a step behind Taros, and as always, eyes followed her every move. It made her skin crawl, but she kept her head high until they reached the second floor.


    They stopped in front of a ssroom near the middle of the hall. Through the ss panel, she spotted Hiro sitting by the window. His eyes met hers almost instantly, and he gave her a smile like he’d been expecting her. She didn’t return it.


    "Where is he?" she asked quietly, eyes scanning the room.


    "At the back. Do you want to go in?" Taros asked, ncing sideways at her.


    She shook her head. "No. I’ll wait out here."


    There was already enough chaos in her life. Thest thing she needed was to walk into a ssroom full of seniors and create more drama.


    Through the window, she finally spotted Kaito sitting in the far back. He was bent over his phone,pletely unaware that she was standing right outside the door. His seat was tucked away in a quiet corner...the kind of ce she always liked in ss.


    Taros stepped into the room, and just like that, the low murmurs started.


    "Isn’t that Kaito’s roommate?"


    "Is that the boy? He looks so small."


    Ang took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The disguise was still holding. No one suspected a thing.


    A small smile touched her lips as she looked away. They were so clueless. And that was exactly how she needed it to stay.


    The ssroom went quiet, and Ang turned to see what caused it. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Kaito standing right in front of her. She hadn’t even heard him approach.


    "Shit... you scared me," she muttered, pressing a hand to her chest.


    Kaito didn’t smile. He folded his arms, a pack in one hand, and stared at her. "What were you thinking?"


    She noticed the bag but couldn’t tell what was inside. Still, it didn’t matter. Her eyes flicked toward the window, checking to see if Hiro was watching. If he was, he could be reading her thoughts.


    "I came to tell you something," she said, lowering her voice. "Hiro came to my ss this morning. He asked how we’re connected. If I knew you beforeing to this academy."


    Kaito’s eyes narrowed. He turned and nced in Hiro’s direction, then looked back at her. "What did you say?"


    "I told him there’s no connection. That I don’t know you at all. He didn’t push further, just left... but he said he’d find out. A few minutester, I saw himing out of the principal’s office. I think he knows, Kaito."


    He didn’t say anything at first. His jaw tensed, but he kept himself calm. "Alright. Leave him to me. Just focus on your sses."


    Ang blinked, surprised by how gentle his voice sounded. She expected him to be annoyed, but instead, he handed her the pack.


    "Your phone," he said simply. "I picked it up from the academy block. If you don’t know how to set it up, Alex can help."


    She felt her cheeks warm. Of course. Her new tutor. Of course, the great Alpha Kaito thought she needed help with something as basic as setting up a phone.


    "Thank you," she said, clutching the pack to her chest.


    "What’s your next ss?" he asked suddenly, changing the subject.


    Ang paused. She didn’t know. All she remembered was that there was supposed to be a ss at eleven. But she hadn’t checked. And now Kaito was going to think she was irresponsible.


    "I don’t have my timetable because... well, I didn’t have a phone," she said, rubbing the back of her head.


    Kaito checked his watch, and the disappointment on his face was hard to miss. "That’s not a good enough reason. ss starts soon. Go."


    She didn’t say anything. Just turned and walked away, her stomach twisting. Maybeing to tell him about Hiro had been pointless. She did it for herself anyway... so it was fine. She’d deal with it. Like always.