Love's Redemption (Chris and Maddie)
Hello 492

Yuna's cheeks turned pink as she bit her lip. "... Yeah."

Yeah, right. She was totally lying.

I just looked around and shrugged, trying to sound casual. "This place is pretty nice, actually. Maybe I'll start coming here to procrastinate whenever work gets boring."

Yuna didn't answer, which was weird. Normally, she'd be all over the idea of us being study buddies.

So, she wasn't alone. And from the way she was acting, maybe she'd even been here with...a guy? Could it be Wade?

He'd mentioned he only came here sometimes, so maybe I was just overthinking.

"There's a lot of guys here reading," I said, testing the waters. "Kind of surprising, since I thought most guys these days were glued to video games or esports."

Yuna perked up immediately. "That's not true!"

“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow but I kept my tone light. “So you actually know a guy who likes to study?"

Yuna froze, totally busted.

This girl had no poker face.

"N-No," she mumbled, trying to deny it.

I couldn't hold back a laugh. "Did you meet some guy here you like?"

"What? No! Don't say stuff like that!" Her face flushed even darker, a little bead of sweat forming on her

nose.

I smiled. “Hey, no big deal. You're beautiful, and it's normal for guys to notice you. Actually, those guys over there haven't stopped staring since we walked in."

She glanced over, then quickly looked down, clearly embarrassed. “Not interested in guys like that.”

"Oh? Then what kind of guy do you like?" I asked, pushing just a little.

"Keira..."

“Yuna, I'm not trying to pry. I just don't want you to get hurt by the wrong person." I made my point clear.

She pressed her lips together, then grabbed my hand and led me over to a quiet corner. Once we were seated, she leaned in and whispered, "Promise me you won't tell Hayden.

"Why? Is Hayden against you dating?"

Yuna twisted her fingers, looking nervous. "With Hayden, I'm like... this blank slate. He's always afraid I'll get hurt."

"He's not wrong to worry," I agreed. "The world's a mess sometimes. Especially when it comes to guys." And I meant it. When I met Hayden, I'd thought he was different. But in the end, he'd turned out like every

1/2

other guy.

Maybe even worse.

"The person I know isn't like that," Yuna said softly, her eyes lighting up. "He's kind, he's helped me with my studies, and he says that if I keep at it, I'll definitely get into KRA."

The mention of "KRA" made me think of Wade immediately. I watched her carefully. "He knows you're aiming for KRA?"

"He's from KRA," she said, and my heart did a little flip.

Could it be? Did Yuna's crush really have to be Wade?

I knew his baggage-especially with Narelle. If Yuna had actually fallen for him, she might be in for a rocky

start.

"A guy from KRA, huh? He must be something," I said, leaning in with a grin. "Sounds like you really like

him."

Yuna's blush deepened. "It's not like that... it's just... just..."

She fumbled for words, clearly unsure herself.

Seeing her so flustered, I relaxed a bit. Looked like she hadn't spilled her heart to him yet or anything

serious.

"Maybe you just admire him? Think he's accomplished and look up to him?" I suggested.

She nodded quickly. "Yes, exactly! So don't get any weird ideas."