Your Hoodie still smells like me - Act Normal

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Episode 11 — Your Hoodie Still Smells Like Me

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“Act Normal”

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The kiss became a problem immediately.

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Mostly because neither of them knew what to do afterward.

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The second reality hit, Kai muttered a quiet “goodnight” and practically disappeared into the rain like he’d committed a crime.

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Eli stood frozen at the bus stop for a full minute afterward.

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Wet. Shocked. Emotionally destroyed.

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Then he walked back to the dorm in complete silence while replaying the kiss in his head approximately five hundred times.

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Bad decision.

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Very bad decision.

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Because now everything reminded him of it.

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Kai’s hand on his waist. The way he kissed like he’d been holding back for years. That tiny sound Kai made when Eli grabbed his hoodie.

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Eli buried his face into his pillow the moment he entered his room.

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Min Jun looked up from his desk slowly.

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“You look haunted.”

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“I might be.”

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“Did someone die?”

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Eli’s voice came muffled through the pillow. “Potentially me.”

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Min Jun narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What happened?”

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“Nothing.”

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Which technically wasn’t true.

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But Eli physically could not explain: Oh yeah, my ex kissed me in the rain after emotionally confessing unresolved feelings and now I’m losing my mind.

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Impossible conversation.

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Min Jun kept staring. “You’re acting weird.”

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“I always act weird.”

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“Not this aggressively.”

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Eli groaned louder.

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—

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The next morning at Westbridge University somehow felt even worse.

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Because Kai was avoiding him again.

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Hard.

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Not subtle avoiding.

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Professional-level emotional escape tactics.

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The moment Kai spotted Eli entering the campus café, he immediately turned around and walked back out.

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Eli stared after him in disbelief.

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“Oh, absolutely not.”

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Noah looked up from his coffee nearby. “What?”

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“Your friend is irritating.”

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Noah blinked. “That narrows nothing down.”

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Eli ignored him and stormed back outside.

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Cold wind hit immediately.

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Kai was already halfway across the courtyard before Eli grabbed the sleeve of his hoodie.

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“Seriously?”

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Kai stopped walking.

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Slowly, he turned around.

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And wow.

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Kai looked just as affected as Eli felt.

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Dark circles beneath his eyes. Hair messy. Expression tense.

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Good. Suffering together.

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“What?” Kai asked quietly.

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Eli crossed his arms. “You kissed me and now you’re running away?”

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Kai looked genuinely stressed hearing it said out loud.

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“Don’t say it so loudly.”

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“Nobody’s here.”

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“Still.”

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Eli stared at him in disbelief. “Kai.”

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Kai rubbed a hand over his face tiredly.

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The movement exposed the bracelet again.

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Still wearing it.

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Still unfair.

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Neither spoke for a second.

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Then Kai sighed quietly.

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“I don’t know how to act around you right now.”

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The honesty caught Eli off guard.

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“You seemed pretty confident yesterday.”

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“That was before I had time to think.”

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“And thinking ruined it?”

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Kai looked at him immediately.

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“No.”

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Too fast. Too real.

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Eli’s heartbeat sped up again.

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Kai glanced away afterward like he regretted sounding honest.

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Dangerous habit.

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Students walked through the courtyard nearby while cold wind pushed fallen leaves across the pavement between them.

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Everything suddenly felt awkward in a way it never used to.

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Because now they crossed a line they couldn’t uncross.

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Eli looked at Kai carefully.

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“So what are we doing?”

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Kai laughed weakly under his breath. “You think I know?”

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“You’re the one acting like kissing me caused a national disaster.”

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“It kind of did.”

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Eli rolled his eyes despite himself.

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Kai looked tired enough to collapse.

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And weirdly nervous.

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Kai Arden. Nervous.

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Eli almost wanted to laugh.

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Almost.

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Then Kai spoke quietly again.

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“I meant it.”

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Eli blinked. “What?”

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“The kiss.”

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Oh.

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Oh no.

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Eli’s stomach flipped instantly.

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Kai stepped closer slowly, lowering his voice.

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“I don’t regret kissing you.”

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Every intelligent thought disappeared from Eli’s brain immediately.

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“But,” Kai continued carefully, “if we do this again… it changes everything.”

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The tension between them tightened instantly.

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Because they both knew he was right.

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Another kiss wouldn’t be accidental anymore.

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It would mean something.

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And maybe that scared them both.

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Eli swallowed slowly.

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“What if things are already changing?”

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Kai looked at him silently for a long moment.

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Then Noah’s loud voice echoed across the courtyard suddenly.

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“KAI!”

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Both of them jumped apart instantly.

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Noah jogged toward them holding two coffees while Rowan followed behind looking suspicious already.

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Rowan narrowed his eyes immediately.

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“…Why do you both look emotionally compromised?”

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“No reason,” Eli answered too fast.

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Kai spoke at the exact same time.

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“Nothing happened.”

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Silence.

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Rowan’s eyes widened slowly.

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“Oh my God.”

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“No,” Kai said instantly.

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“You kissed.”

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Eli nearly choked on oxygen.

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“No we didn’t,” he lied horribly.

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Rowan looked deeply offended. “That was the least believable thing I’ve ever heard.”

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Kai looked ready to walk into traffic.

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Noah blinked between them. “WAIT WHAT?”

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Eli pointed aggressively. “Nobody kissed anybody.”

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Rowan stared at the tension between them dramatically.

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Then at Kai’s swollen-looking lips.

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Then at Eli’s flustered face.

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“…You’re both terrible actors,” he whispered.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiUZi8kInsS

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