Chapter 3: sniper

Kai knew he was supposed to keep things lowkey.

Invisible.

Forgettable.

But something about today refused to make sense.

Why would a total stranger — a loud one at that — decide his life goal was… that?

Of all questionable life choices, this one deserved its own TED Talk.

Someone was tagged a murderer.

The natural response should be: avoid, avoid, avoid, maybe say a small prayer.

But no.

This boy wanted to sleep with the supposed murderer.

Kai hated his life sometimes.

Right now he had the idiot pressed against the wall, knife kissing his throat. If Martin found out this escalated, Kai was dead. Not murdered-dead, but family-disappointed dead, which was so much worse. He’d be snatched out of this school by the end of the day and shipped straight to Antarctica to study penguins or something.

Yet the boy — whoever he was — didn’t even flinch.

Kai finally asked, “What do you want from me?”

The guy blinked like it was obvious.

“What do I want from you? You heard it in the cafeteria. I want to have sex with you.”

Kai actually laughed. “So you’re gay. Disgusting homos.”

Not his best line, but he needed distance, fast.

“Too bad I’m not that,” he growled. “You totally know that I killed some students and a teacher in my previous school. If you don’t want that to be your fate, avoid me. Don’t come close. Don’t say anything to me. Because trust me—” he leaned closer “—I don’t need a knife to get you killed. I can do it with words.”

Instead of fear, the boy looked… intrigued.

“Are you gonna use a gun?” he asked.

“Actually, I didn’t really follow the murder story, so how did you kill them? Arson? Did you burn them alive? I’m only on social media for memes.”

Kai snapped.

He hit him on the back, shoving him forward. “Avoid me or things are going to get ugly.”

Right then, his smartwatch buzzed.

His ride was here.

Perfect timing.

Kai dropped the boy like he was infected and sprinted out the back of the school, hoodie up, heart pounding. His cousin’s car waited near the gate, engine running.

Kai slid into the backseat.

Martin raised a brow. “Why are you running?”

"Nothing. Also why are you picking me up? couldn't the guards have done that?"

Martin scoffed. “Say that to someone who doesn’t require babysitting.”

“Whatever.” Kai stared out the window. “I don’t want to go home yet. It suffocates.”

Martin’s grin appeared instantly. “Then how about this? Last time I beat you at the arcade and you owe me a hundred bucks. Want a rematch? If you win, I’ll forget your debt.”

Kai’s competitive soul woke up.

“You’re on. No dime is getting into your hands, Martin.”

---

They played nonstop.

And Kai lost nonstop.

He glared at the blinking GAME OVER screen. “Wait. After this one… how much do I owe you now?”

Martin tapped his chin dramatically. “Calculating losses. Calculating…”

“Stop acting like an accountant.”

Martin smirked. “Eight hundred and fifty dollars.”

Kai’s soul left his body.

“That much?! You’re cheating.”

“Cheating is for cheetahs,” Martin replied proudly. “I, on the other hand, am a human.”

Kai stared at him. “What the hell? Why the old-man joke? You’re supposed to be Gen Z.”

“I’m Gen Z,” Martin said, “but I can and will be Millennial.”

Kai pointed at him like he was pointing at a demon in a horror movie.

“Stay away from me, you demon-possessed human.”

They left the arcade, still bickering, still shoving each other like siblings who couldn’t decide if they loved or hated each other. They grabbed snacks, walked out onto the sidewalk, evening breeze hitting their faces.

Kai was mid-sip of his drink when Martin suddenly froze.

“Kai,” he said quietly.

“Don’t move.”

Kai blinked. “Why?”

Martin swallowed. “Your left shoulder. There’s a red dot on it.”

The world narrowed into a thin, cold line.

“There might be a sniper somewhere.”

The red dot started sliding across Kai’s shoulder like some confused insect, and Martin’s whisper sharpened.

“Is this sniper bad at his job? Snipers don’t… wiggle.”

Kai didn’t breathe. His brain was already drafting his will. Then someone bumped straight into Martin’s back. A soft thud. A startled “oh!”

Martin snapped, “Kid, what are you doing?”

The guy looked up from whatever he had been studying on the ground. Black. Dreads. Same school uniform as Kai. And the world tilted.

Because he knew this face.

“Oh, sorry, sir,” the boy said, holding up a tiny device. “I’m looking for a stray cat I feed around here. I’m using the pointer.”

Pointer.

Pointer.

Kai’s soul left his body.

Martin and Kai both stared at the red dot now dancing proudly on Kai’s hoodie.

Just a cat laser.

Not a sniper.

Not death.

Not a reason for Kai to be sweating through his clothes.

Every neuron in Kai’s brain snapped at once. Every unacceptable inch of anger surged up his spine.

And then the boy straightened—

Jaden.

The cafeteria demon.

Kai hissed, “You.”

Jaden blinked with fake innocence. “Oh, hi, new guy! Is this your brother?” He pointed at Martin with the friendliness of someone who had absolutely no interest in not being punched.

Kai opened his mouth to destroy him, but Martin beat him to it.

“This is my boyfriend,” Martin said loudly, gripping Kai by the shoulder. “Very taken. Thank you for asking.”

Kai choked on air.

Jaden giggled into his hands.

“You said you weren’t into guys,” Jaden mused. “Your boyfriend seems… very guy-ish.”

Kai’s sanity evaporated like hot steam.

He glared at Martin.

Martin saw the glare.

Martin understood the glare.

Martin wanted to live, so he cleared his throat.

“Think I saw your cat in that alley,” Martin pointed. “But hey, what are you doing out so late?”

“Oh,” Jaden said brightly. “I work at the arcade. Part-time.”

“Pocket money?”

“More like I love games. So it’s perfect.”

Martin smiled like a friendly uncle who did not know he was talking to the literal chaos spirit haunting Kai’s life.

“Honestly? Same choice I’d make.”

Jaden bowed slightly. “Respect.”

“Name?”

“Jaden Afolayan. I’m Nigerian-American, don’t get confused by the name.”

Martin nodded. “Nice. I’ve been to Nigeria once.”

“Not me,” Jaden sighed. “Born here. But I’ll go someday.”

“You should,” Martin said. “You’d like it.”

Martin held out a hand. Jaden shook it.

Held it one beat too long.

Kai looked like a cat about to hiss at a lemon.

“Baby,” Kai snapped, “let’s go.”

“Ah yes,” Martin said smoothly. “Darling, I'm sorry, let’s go.”

Once they were in the car and the door slammed shut, Kai slapped both hands over his face.

Martin burst out laughing. Loud. Unhelpful.

“Interesting friend you made on your first day,” Martin cackled. “Lowkey life is going great.”

Kai groaned. “Lowkey is impossible when that thing exists.”

“What even happened?”

Kai threw his head back. “That thing announced to the entire cafeteria that he wants to have sex with me.”

Martin’s jaw dropped. “What the—”

Kai wagged a finger. “You're the closest human I have. Do not tell anyone. Especially my dad. Or else, you're getting it... boyfriend.”

Martin grimaced. “Boyfriend? I'd like to keep the cousins status.”

Kai shot back, “Cousins fall in love sometimes.”

Martin gagged. “That only happens in those deranged dark romance books you read. Stop reading that nonsense.”

“They’re my therapy.”

“Get new therapy.”

Martin started the car but paused. “Ray… be careful of that kid.”

Kai frowned. “I thought you liked him like five minutes ago.”

Martin’s tone changed. Quiet. Serious.

“When I shook his hand, I saw a tattoo on his wrist. Not the whole thing, but enough to know it looked like that gang insignia. The one with the inverted triangle. I didn’t see the full bug symbol but… I swear I’ve seen something like that before.”

Kai went cold.

Very cold.

Martin continued, “Avoid him if possible. Your dad told you to live lowkey. That tattoo? That’s not lowkey energy.”

Kai didn’t answer.

He just stared out the window as the city lights blurred past.

Jaden Afolayan.

A problem wrapped in a smile.

A red flag wearing a school uniform.

A catastrophe pretending to be harmless.

And for some reason Kai couldn’t explain, the stupid boy was already tangled into his peaceful, careful, low-key life.

Like a match dropped into gasoline.