Kinich stood in the cramped kitchen, wearing a pristine white apron that clashed sharply with his rugged appearance. The room was filled with a mix of savory and sweet scents, evidence of the baking disaster in the making.
He watched as you whisked ingredients together in a large bowl, the chaos growing by the minute. Splatters of various substances marked the countertops, and your hair was now dusted with a layer of flour.
"Can you even handle stirring that thing without making a mess?"
He asked, exasperated, unable to hide his scepticism.
You put down the whisk as you sighed, your face slightly covered in the raw batter as you had finally managed to mix the vanilla extract perfectly equally into the batter inside the bowl. You gave a playful glare to kinich as you huffed and put both your hands on your hips
"Fine! Since you're so smart, mister expert chef, how about you take over!"
Kinich only rolled his eyes at you and came over, gently moving you away by your waist as he came over to pour the mixture into the cupcake liners. After he set them into the baking tray, he turned on the oven and, while waiting for the batter to cook, he scooped a bite of the batter on your cheek and put it inside his mouth and looked away.
You were caught off guard, and your body flinched slightly from the unexpected action as you stared at his back, your cheeks dusting red as your hand was put over your chest.
Before you proceed to read, it is suggested you read part 1 first
The next few days passed in a blur. Kinich stayed relatively quiet during classes, though you couldn't shake the feeling that he was watching you more than you'd expected. His reserved nature only made him more appealing to the other students. You could practically hear the whispers echoing through the halls every time he walked by. The girls fawned over him, and even some of the guys seemed intrigued by his aloofness.
But Kinich paid them no mind. In fact, it almost seemed like he was deliberately distancing himself from everyone else—except you. He never failed to sit beside you in class, even going so far as to wait for you when the lecture ended so the two of you could walk out together. It was subtle, the way he stayed close, as though it was just a coincidence. But you were no fool. You noticed his lingering glances, the way his posture would relax ever so slightly when you were near.
It was confusing. You didn’t understand why he gravitated toward you, especially when he could have anyone's attention. Maybe it was just because you were the first person he spoke to, and it stuck. Maybe he found you less annoying than everyone else who threw themselves at him. You weren't sure. Whatever the reason, you were grateful for his quiet company, even if it was a little strange at times.
One afternoon, as class ended and students began filing out, Kinich lingered by your desk, waiting for you like always. You slung your bag over your shoulder, catching his eye as he motioned toward the door.
"Wanna eat?"
He asked, his voice low but steady. You could hear a hint of nervousness in it but decided to brush it off. It took you a second to process his words, though. Kinich had never asked you to hang out outside of class before. It was always just quiet companionship, nothing more. But today was different, very, very different..
"Sure, I'm free today after all!"
You chirped happily, and for a moment, you thought you saw a smile on his face before it disappeared, going back to his usual expressionless face. He then nodded and walked alongside you outside the campus. You, being the curious little birdie you were, decided to ask him a question
"Where are we going, if I may ask?"
You noticed his eyes glancing towards you for a moment when you asked that. He then looked back at the road in front, staying silent for a moment
"The new cafe that opened near here recently. I heard they sell a lot of pastries."
The moment you heard the word pastries spout out of your mouth, your eyes sparkled, clearly excited at the thought of sweets or desserts.
"What are we waiting for? Let's go, let's go!!"
You said excitedly, knowing where the cafe was anyway since you've been wanting to try it out for some time now. You grabbed his hand and practically pulled him along with you, causing his face to suddenly flush red. However, you didn't notice it, being too busy dragging him to the location as he silently followed you
After arriving there, before you could reach the door handle, his hand reached it first as he opened the door for you, causing a small bell to chime before he gestured for you to enter first. You were surprised clearly, giving a small smile before entering. A staff member immediately welcomed both of you, gesturing you over to an empty seat and handed both of you a menu.
After ordering, the staff nodded her head and took the menu back. Her eyes observed both of you for a moment before giggling.
"Cute couple, by the way. Hope you last long"
She winked before leaving, leaving me no time to protest that we weren't one. Your face was flushed red now. There was an uncomfortable silence between you and Kinich now. Physically, he looked normal, as if he wasn't at all affected by the staff's words, but mentally, he was dying inside, almost feeling like he could melt on his seat right now
As you ate, you couldn’t help but notice the way Kinich seemed more at ease than usual. Maybe it was because the cafeteria wasn’t filled with people trying to grab his attention, or maybe it was something else. Whatever it was, you found yourself enjoying his quiet company more and more.
At the entrance to the dorms, Kinich stopped and turned toward you. His expression was still calm, but there was something different in his eyes..something deeper, more thoughtful.
After finishing your meal, the two of you wandered out of the cafeteria and back toward the dorms. The sun hung low in the sky, casting warm rays through the trees, making the campus seem almost serene. You walked side by side, neither of you feeling the need to fill the silence with mindless chatter.
"Thank you," he said suddenly, catching you off guard. "For treating me like a normal person."
You blinked, taken aback by his words. "What do you mean?"
Kinich’s gaze softened, his lips curving into a faint smile, one that was almost imperceptible if you weren’t looking closely. "Most people only see me as an idol," he explained, his voice quieter than before. "But with you… I feel like I can just be myself."
Your heart skipped a beat at his confession, and you felt a warmth spread through your chest. There was a vulnerability in his words, something you hadn’t seen before. It was strange to think that someone as seemingly confident as Kinich could feel so out of place.
"You don’t have to thank me," you said, offering him a genuine smile. "I didn’t do anything special."
Kinich shook his head slightly, his gaze never leaving yours. "You did more than you realize. Both physically.. and mentally.."
He whispered the last word, barely audible before quickly walking off, leaving you confused until you soon realised what he meant by that.
