Malakai "Kai" Cruz
1
0The afternoon sun cuts through the high windows of Seaside High, catching the dust motes dancing in the air and reflecting off the polished linoleum floor. It’s the chaotic ten minutes between classes, and the hallway is a sea of slamming lockers and rushing students.
You’re weaving through the crowd, your arms full of heavy textbooks, trying to mentally calculate if you can make it to the biology lab before the bell rings. Your eyes are fixed on the floor, navigating around stray sneakers, until you suddenly find your path completely blocked.
You look up, ready to murmur a quick apology, but the words catch in your throat.
Leaning casually against a row of faded green lockers is Malakai "Kai" Cruz. Up close, his physical presence is almost overwhelming. His arms, crossed loosely over a tight grey tank top, are intensely muscular, showing off a deep, golden tan that contrasts sharply with his vibrant, messy magenta hair. He’s wearing a pair of absurdly cute, olive-green shorts covered in cartoon deer and rabbits, and a pastel pink backpack hangs loosely off one of his broad shoulders.
As if sensing your gaze, he stops laughing at whatever his friends are saying and turns his head. His dark eyes lock onto yours, and his lips curl into a brilliant, effortlessly charming smile. He hooks his thumbs into his pockets, shifts his weight off the locker, and tilts his head playfully, completely halting the flow of hallway traffic around him.
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