During the rest of the walk home, Claire couldn't help but wonder if Kai was into her. She bit her lips, and once again decided not to dwell on it, and instead forget about that possibility. "Last time I thought like this, I ended up being hurt. He probably doesn't like me that way either, so don't think about it, and just focus on thesis. Yeah, that's how senior year will end. No romance or any other emotional events. No problem, you'll be happier that way."

However, Claire couldn't think like this for long. The next day, when she gathered with Sehun, Chanyeol, Kai, and their friends Kyungsoo and Baekhyun at Miller House for another thesis and gaming session, she noticed that Kai followed her nearly everywhere she went. At one point, Kai just stood to the side and watched her as she cooked noodles for the group. "Kai, aren't you going to play with the guys?" she motioned over to the guys in the next room over, who were all screaming loudly over the board game.

"It's okay, I'll stay with you," he smiled.

"Suuuuure?" she elongated the word.

"Yep!"

Claire chuckled, "Suit yourself." She proceeded to season the noodles and vegetables before turning off the stovetop and spooning the noodles into four separate bowls. Once the boys and her ate to their heart's content, Claire and Kai continued to work on their theses while the other four continued another round of gaming. At some point, Claire started yawning, which Kai noticed. 

He tapped her shoulder, "Claire?"

"Mm?" 

"Do you need a nap?"

She shook her head, "I'm okay."

"Sure? You can sleep in my room for a bit if you want."

Claire hesitated. This would be the first time she ever slept in a guy's room, and she didn't know if that was okay. "I don't want to intrude on your personal things though," she replied.

"Don't worry about it," Kai responded while gathering her bag, "my bed's pretty comfortable, especially my blanket. You can probably nap well on it."

She sighed. For some reason, she found herself giving in to his suggestion. "Okay, Kai, but you better not do anything fishy!"

He chuckled, "Of course I won't, I would never do anything to hurt you." Claire simply smiled in gratitude, and Kai patted her on the back. "Bed's all yours. You have my number, right? I'll be out here, so text me if you need anything," he mentioned as he opened the door and set her bag down on the side.

Claire squealed as she sat down on the bed, "This is so comfy!"

Kai laughed, "I'm glad. Nap well," He shot her one last smile and closed the door.

Claire then snuggled into the blankets and breathed in the scent. She felt a little weird that a guy she just got to know offered to let her sleep in his bed like it was nothing, but she somehow knew she could trust Kai. As she inhaled through the blankets and pillow, she somehow felt more comforted, and couldn't help but think that Kai's scent is one that she can go to bed with every day. 

"Oh my goodness, what am I thinking..." she thought. Not only did she think Kai smelled good, he also looked great, for he had a chiseled face, tanned skin, and a slim physique that most girls would be jealous of. On the other hand, Claire knew she looked larger than him, even though he was taller than she was. She thought there was no way that a guy like Kai would like someone like her. Their hobbies and interests were different, and she didn't know how to properly talk to him. So many factors seemed to conflict with each other. Despite these thoughts, Claire knew that his actions seemed to portray a different intention. It seemed that he liked her, and Claire didn't know what to do about it.

A few hours later, Kai entered his room, and found Claire completely buried under his blankets. Her feet stuck out from under the blankets, and only her hair poked out from the other end. He chuckled as he watched her snooze away. "Seems I'll have to sleep on my bean bag today," he murmured as he changed into his pajamas. Kai didn't mind though, for as long as she was comfortable, he was content. With these pleasant thoughts in mind, he took an extra comforter, adjusted himself on the bean bag, and relaxed into a deep slumber.

For some reason I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I hope you enjoyed it too! I also didn't expect to see so many views after only a few chapters, so thank you so much to everyone who's reading and keeping up with it!