Your Hoodie still smells like me - Then Ask Me

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Episode 22 — Your Hoodie Still Smells Like Me

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“Then Ask Me”

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Kai's question stayed with Eli.

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Can we stop making each other miserable?

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The annoying thing?

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The answer was obviously yes.

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The problem?

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Neither of them knew how.

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—

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The next few days felt different.

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Not fixed.

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Just...

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different.

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The jealousy games stopped.

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Mostly.

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The avoidance stopped too.

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Mostly.

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And for the first time in months, Eli and Kai actually started talking again.

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Normal conversations.

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Real conversations.

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The kind they used to have before everything fell apart.

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Which should've been nice.

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Instead, it made Eli realize how much he missed it.

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—

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Friday evening.

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The Winter Creative Challenge final presentations were only a week away.

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Every team was exhausted.

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Including Team 8.

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Including Team 14.

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Especially Eli.

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He had been editing footage for almost eight hours straight.

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His eyes hurt.

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His back hurt.

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His patience definitely hurt.

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So when he finally left the media building after midnight—

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he nearly walked directly into Kai.

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Kai was sitting on the front steps.

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Waiting.

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Eli blinked.

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"What are you doing?"

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Kai looked up from his phone.

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"Waiting."

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"For who?"

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Kai stared.

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"Eli."

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"Oh."

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A pause.

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Then:

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"Oh."

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Kai rolled his eyes.

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—

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The campus was nearly empty.

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Cold wind drifted through the trees while yellow lights illuminated the pathways.

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For once, neither of them seemed eager to leave.

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So they walked.

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Slowly.

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Side by side.

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Just like they used to.

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—

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After a few minutes, Kai spoke.

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"I talked to Maya."

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Eli looked over.

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"About what?"

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"Us."

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Eli nearly tripped.

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"What?"

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Kai laughed.

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"Relax."

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"I'm trying."

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"No, you're panicking."

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Fair.

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Very fair.

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Kai shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets.

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"Maya told me I'm an idiot."

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"She's correct."

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"Apparently."

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Eli smiled despite himself.

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Kai noticed immediately.

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And smiled too.

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Dangerous.

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Very dangerous.

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—

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Eventually they reached the small lake behind campus.

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A place they both avoided.

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Because they used to come here together.

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Back when things were easier.

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Back when neither of them knew how badly they could hurt each other.

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The memories sat between them quietly.

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Neither acknowledging them.

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Both feeling them.

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Finally Kai sat on a bench overlooking the water.

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Eli sat beside him.

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Close.

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Not touching.

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Close enough.

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—

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For a while they simply listened to the wind.

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Then Kai spoke.

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"I was scared."

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Eli looked over.

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Kai was staring at the lake.

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Not at him.

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"I thought if we got back together..."

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His voice lowered slightly.

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"...we'd just break each other again."

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The honesty hurt.

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Because Eli understood.

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He'd been scared too.

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Kai laughed softly.

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"I kept waiting for the perfect moment."

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"That's stupid."

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"I know."

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"You never do anything at the perfect moment."

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"I know."

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"You once cut your own hair at 2 a.m."

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Kai looked offended.

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"It wasn't that bad."

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"It was terrible."

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For the first time that night—

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both laughed.

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And suddenly things felt lighter.

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—

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Then the silence returned.

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Softer now.

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Warmer.

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Kai looked at him.

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Really looked at him.

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And Eli's heart immediately started behaving irrationally.

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Again.

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Always.

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Kai's expression became serious.

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"No more guessing."

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Eli swallowed.

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"What?"

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"No more pretending."

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The wind shifted around them.

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Neither looked away.

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Kai took a slow breath.

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Then said the thing he'd been avoiding for months.

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"I still love you."

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Silence.

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Complete silence.

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The world seemed to stop.

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Eli forgot how to breathe.

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Forgot how to think.

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Forgot everything except those four words.

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Kai smiled weakly.

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"See?"

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His voice shook slightly.

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"That wasn't so hard."

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Eli stared at him.

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Because after months of confusion...

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months of jealousy...

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months of acting like idiots...

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Kai finally said it.

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Out loud.

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For real.

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And somehow that made Eli laugh.

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Not because it was funny.

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Because he was overwhelmed.

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Because he was relieved.

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Because he loved him too.

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Kai looked confused.

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"Why are you laughing?"

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Eli shook his head.

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Then stepped closer.

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Close enough to see every detail of Kai's face.

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Close enough that Kai stopped breathing too.

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And finally—

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after everything—

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Eli answered.

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"Then ask me."

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Kai froze.

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"What?"

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Eli smiled.

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Small.

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Soft.

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Real.

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"If you want me back..."

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His heartbeat raced.

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"So badly..."

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He poked Kai's shoulder lightly.

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"Then ask me properly, idiot."

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And for the first time in months—

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Kai looked completely speechless.49Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXYkNtgOE7

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