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The clock was ticking and Kai was still nowhere to be found. Cole wouldn't mind waiting a bit, however there wasn't a single message updating him on the situation. He had no way of knowing whether they were just short on time or whether there was an issue somewhere or whether he just lost track of time…

And along with the fact that it was Kai who insisted on the date, it was becoming stranger and stranger as another minute passed by.

Deciding to stop standing restlessly at the corner, Cole pulled out his phone to at least ask how long it will take Kai to get there. He could just go meet him elsewhere if there was an issue. Why wasn't he texting him?

Did something happen?
You dont have to be afraid to tell me if theres any issue ill understand
Arew you okay?
I hope youre allright
❤️

Well, maybe he was now becoming a bit too much.

Cole put the phone back into his pocket instead and bounced on his heels, rubbing his knuckles absent-mindedly. People were passing by along with cars and buses but Kai was still nowhere to be found. His eyes kept glancing in every possible direction, his ears strained to catch his voice or name.

He couldn't stop checking his phone despite the screen never changing.

Still no message.

Part of him was worried that he might come off as obsessive. The other part of him, which was worried for Kai was stronger. So he called. And listened to the monotone rings.

“The number you're trying to call is currently unavailable. Please try another time.”

He tried two more times before he gave up, thinking it was pointless when in fact it was because the fear that he was obsessive intensified.

Surely there had to be a reasonable explanation for this whole thing and Cole was simply overthinking it all.

Cole paced back and forth, avoiding people that weren't Kai but had to walk through there and the phone in his pocket before he could do anything stupid and scare Kai off.

It's normal to be concerned, why is he overthinking this so much?

And it was normal to be late but   it was getting closer and closer to a 30 minute hold up and that was strange, right? Without any message?

Kai didn't even read them.

Delivered. What an awful word.

Cole tried calling for one last time only to be left with that same pre-recorded voice again.

Something simply had to happen, right?

What if Kai got hurt? Or maybe robbed in the middle of the day? Maybe he just lost his phone. Or forgot it. And maybe Cole just mistook the place they were supposed to meet at, Ninjago City was still hugely unexplored, he's been only in a few places…

Or maybe something terrible happened and that's the only reasonable explanation.

It was so hot. So dizzyingly hot and Cole's head spun. How was it so hot? He was fine moments ago.

“Damn it.”

He rushed to a nearby bus stop, catching a bus right before it's door could close. The air was even worse there but he only had to wait a few stops, he just had to get a little closer to Kai's place and then he can get off again and run the rest of the way.

Okay, maybe there was a chance he was overthinking the whole situation too much but he simply had to go check.

What if Kai won't be there? Well, that was a thought that occured to him just now and didn't help at all. He can't call anyone else Kai knows because he doesn't have their numbers.

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