The next day,
After watching Katrina shoot hoops for a while, Kaiser decided to head ho. The gym had beco too boring for his taste.
Lewis Center’s municipal park, in the early afternoon, offered a relative haven of peace, though Kaiser didn’t have many good mories tied to the place. Century-old oaks cast dappled shadows on the green lawns, where children chased a ball and joggers weaved through pedestrians. A warm breeze carried the scent of freshly cut grass, and Kaiser, sitting on a graffiti-tagged bench, observed the scene with a detached air.
Dressed simply in a black hoodie, ripped jeans, and sneakers, he tapped an impatient rhythm against the ground. Chewing gum crushed between his teeth, phone in hand, he wore a smirk. Since their exchange at the barbecue, he and Katrina had kept ssaging, and today, they’d decided to et up. Just to pass the ti, to say so bullshit before heading ho.
Katrina finally arrived, her backpack slung over one shoulder. Her black hair, freed from its usual ponytail, danced in the wind. Her t-shirt bore the logo of an indie band, paired with jeans ripped at the knees. Spotting Kaiser, she raised a hand with a mischievous smile.
"Yo, junkie!" she called, sitting beside him. "You don’t look too dead, for a guy who sleeps in class."
Kaiser chuckled, tossing his gum into a nearby trash can.
"And you don’t look too nerdy, for a girl who studies on weekends."
She rolled her eyes, placing her bag between them. She pulled out a water bottle, took a sip, then fixed him with a raised eyebrow.
"So, what’s the plan? We just sit on this bench watching pigeons, or do you have sothing more exciting in mind?"
Kaiser shrugged, his tone apathetic.
"I don’t know. I figured we could just hang out, maybe ss with a jogger, or lie to each other for laughs. You seem like the type who’d enjoy bullshit."
Katrina burst into laughter, her eyes sparkling with amusent.
"You’re not far off. You’re the first person who’s upfront about lying."
"Well, I don’t really care."
She nudged him with her shoulder, still laughing.
"Smooth. Seriously, are you always like this? Playing the guy who doesn’t care about anything?"
Kaiser leaned back on the bench, staring at a squirrel climbing a tree trunk.
"Life’s easier when you don’t expect anything. And you, from what I see, you like writing, right?"
Katrina smiled, her expression turning slightly more serious.
"Yeah... I want to write stories. Stuff that makes people think, or just laugh. I don’t know, maybe a novel soday."
Kaiser looked at her, his cynicism wavering for a second.
"A novel? You’re ambitious. I barely read texts to the end, and you want to write a book."
She shrugged, playing with a strand of hair falling over her eyes.
"Gotta dream, right? And you, Kaiser, do you have dreams, or are you just here to criticize mine?"
He chuckled, but his gaze softened imperceptibly.
"I live day by day. I don’t really have dreams, just a goal to achieve no matter what."
Katrina nodded, vaguely touched by his honesty.
"That’s not bad, as vibes go. You’re weird, but I like it."
"You’re not bad either. You’re easy to talk to, unlike your sour sister."
"Ahaha, the pot calling the kettle black."
Their conversation was interrupted by the appearance of Hannah, jogging past on the trail. Her impeccably styled afro and tight leggings gave her a hotter-than-usual look. She slowed as she spotted them, shooting a venomous glance at Katrina before turning to Kaiser.
"Wow, she seems to hold a grudge against us... You two were pretty close, right?"
"Hm, you could say that... But it’s unexpected, she doesn’t usually jog," Kaiser remarked with a smirk.
Hannah pursed her lips, turned on her heel, and walked away muttering sothing inaudible.
Katrina raised her eyebrows, intrigued.
"Really? She’s stalking you?"
"How would I know? Just like you in class."
"What? It’s more like you’re the one staring at all the ti. I even thought you had a crush. Hehehe."
*’That’s one of the female tactics, isn’t it? Most of you don’t own up to your interest. In so cases, you even make us believe the opposite—that we’re the ones interested. Whatever, let’s play along.’*
"Hmm, you might be right... I love you."
Silence.
Kaiser stared at her, impassive, while Katrina held his gaze with an enigmatic smile.
"...Is that one of your famous lies? You should avoid lying about stuff like that, you know."
"And who says it’s not the truth?"
Katrina burst into laughter, tucking a strand behind her ear.
"Look at your face?"
She showed him her phone screen, where his tired, expressionless face was reflected.
"Soone saying that should look more nervous, or excited... Basically, more alive."
Kaiser chuckled.
"Oh, I’ll keep that in mind."
"Sounds like I just gave you a tactic to fool innocent girls. You’ve never done this before?"
"No, I’ve never been in love."
"Really!? Hm, then I hope you’ll discover that feeling in the future."
"I hope so too," he added with his usual smirk.
As they continued talking, Katrina’s phone rang. She looked at the screen and sighed.
[Where are you?] Kathy’s cold voice echoed on the other end.
[Uh, I’m at the park with Kaiser, we—]
[Never mind, Dad wants you ho... Now.]
[Okay...]
She hung up and grimaced.
"Well, we’ll continue by text?"
Katrina smiled, grabbing her own phone.
"Text works for ."
Before leaving, she extended her hand to Kaiser. He took it, but instead of just shaking it, he gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb.
"Huh? What are you doing?" she blushed, surprised.
—"Hm, sorry, it’s a habit. Touching soft surfaces."
—"Um..."
Kaiser withdrew his hand before stuffing it in his pocket.
—"Uh... Yeah, I’ll go."
She smiled slightly before walking away, her backpack bouncing against her shoulder.
Kaiser watched her go, a bitter taste in his mouth.
’My attempts at rizz are quite embarrassing. The lack of experience is crucial. I should ask that bastard Yuki. He’s pretty good.’
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