Your Hoodie still smells like me - What Did I Do?

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Episode 15 — Your Hoodie Still Smells Like Me

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“What Did I Do?”

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Kai knew something was wrong.

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The problem was—

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he had absolutely no idea what.

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For the past four days, Eli had been acting strange.

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Not angry.

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Not cold.

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Just...

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distant.

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And somehow that was worse.

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Much worse.

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Because at least when Eli was angry, Kai knew where he stood.

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Now?

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Eli barely looked at him.

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Barely texted.

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Barely spoke more than three words at a time.

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And every time Kai tried to figure out why, Eli changed the subject.

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It was driving him insane.

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—

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The first time Kai noticed it was during lunch.

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Normally, Eli would sit beside him automatically.

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Not consciously.

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Just habit.

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Instead, Eli sat across the table beside Asher.

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Kai noticed immediately.

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Of course he did.

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"You okay?" Kai asked.

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Eli didn't even look up from his food.

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"Mhm."

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That was it.

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One word.

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Kai frowned.

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Weird.

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—

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The second time happened later that evening.

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Kai sent a text.

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> Kai: Finished your project?

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Twenty minutes passed.

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Then thirty.

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Then an hour.

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Finally:

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> Eli: Yep.

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Nothing else.

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No emojis.

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No sarcasm.

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No random complaint about life.

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Just:

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Yep.

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Kai stared at the screen.

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Offended.

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—

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By the third day, everyone noticed.

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Especially Rowan.

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"Oh my God."

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Kai looked up from his laptop.

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"What now?"

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Rowan pointed dramatically across the student center.

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"There."

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Eli stood talking to Noah and Asher near the vending machines.

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Laughing.

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Smiling.

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Perfectly normal.

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Until Kai approached.

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The second Eli noticed him—

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his smile disappeared.

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Not completely.

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Just enough.

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Then:

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"Hey."

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"Hey."

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Silence.

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Painful silence.

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Kai watched Eli leave two minutes later.

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Confused.

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Very confused.

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Rowan looked delighted.

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"You've been boyfriend-demoted."

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"We're not boyfriends."

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"Emotionally you are."

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—

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That night, Kai finally lost patience.

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Because there was only so much emotional suffering a person could take.

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And he had reached his limit.

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So when he spotted Eli leaving the media building after sunset—

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Kai followed him.

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Immediately.

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"Eli."

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No response.

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"Eli."

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Still walking.

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Okay.

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Rude.

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Kai caught up quickly and grabbed the sleeve of Eli's jacket.

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Not hard.

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Just enough to stop him.

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"Eli."

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Finally.

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Eli turned around.

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"What?"

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Kai stared.

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There it was again.

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That distance.

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Like Eli was somewhere else entirely.

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"What did I do?"

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Eli blinked.

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"What?"

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"What did I do?"

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The question came out sharper than intended.

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But Kai was frustrated now.

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Really frustrated.

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"Eli, you've barely spoken to me all week."

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"I've been busy."

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"That's a lie."

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Eli looked away immediately.

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Which confirmed it.

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Kai crossed his arms.

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"Tell me."

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"No."

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Kai almost laughed.

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"No?"

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"No."

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"That's your answer?"

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"Yep."

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Kai stared at him in disbelief.

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The campus pathway behind them was nearly empty now.

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Just cold wind and yellow streetlights.

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Perfect setting for emotional damage.

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Eli shoved his hands into his jacket pockets.

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"I'm tired."

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"You're avoiding me."

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"No."

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"Yes."

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"No."

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"Yes."

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Eli rolled his eyes.

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And somehow that irritated Kai even more.

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Because it meant Eli knew exactly what he was doing.

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Finally Kai stepped closer.

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"What happened?"

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Nothing.

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Silence.

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Then:

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"Nothing happened."

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Lie.

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Obvious lie.

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Terrible lie.

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Kai knew Eli too well.

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So he tried again.

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"Did someone say something?"

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"No."

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"Are you upset?"

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"No."

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"At me?"

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Silence.

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And there it was.

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The answer.

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Kai's stomach dropped slightly.

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"Eli."

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The name came out quieter this time.

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More careful.

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Eli looked away.

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Which hurt unexpectedly.

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Because suddenly Kai realized—

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Eli wasn't just annoyed.

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He was hurt.

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Somehow.

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For some reason.

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And Kai didn't even know why.

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The thought made his chest tighten.

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"Eli."

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"What?"

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Kai hesitated briefly.

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Then asked softly:

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"Are you trying to punish me?"

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Eli froze.

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Just for a second.

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But Kai saw it.

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And suddenly everything made sense.

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Not what happened.

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But why.

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Because whatever the reason was—

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Eli wanted Kai to feel it too.

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Kai swallowed slowly.

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Then took another step forward.

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Close enough that neither could pretend this conversation didn't matter.

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"Eli."

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This time his voice was gentle.

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Dangerously gentle.

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"Please tell me what's wrong."

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For a moment—

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Kai thought Eli might actually answer.

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Instead, Eli laughed softly.

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Not happy.

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Not amused.

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Just tired.

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Then he looked directly at Kai and finally said:

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"If you don't know why I'm upset..."

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His voice cracked slightly.

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"...then telling you won't fix it."

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And before Kai could stop him—

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Eli turned and walked away.

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Leaving Kai standing alone under the streetlights.

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More confused than ever.

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And suddenly very, very worried.36Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ81WXq99jFO

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