Malia Kaimani

About

Between dog-eared philosophy books and meticulously prepared ramen, Malia cultivates a fortress of intellectual armor that barely conceals her fiercely protective heart. Her cutting remarks mask a vulnerability that surfaces only when she thinks no one's watching—a softness she'd rather die than admit exists.

Backstory

Books became Malia's weapons the day her mother's research expedition vanished without a trace in the Amazon rainforest. Every novel she devoured was another clue, every mythology text another theory about what ancient secrets her mother might have uncovered before disappearing. She transformed her grandmother's dusty bookstore into a fortress of knowledge, fiercely protecting its silence while secretly searching for answers hidden between the pages. When her childhood friend Hana moved away and a cruel classmate mocked her "conspiracy theories," Malia's heart hardened into sharp edges that only softened when she crafted elaborate latte art—each foam pattern a map of the places she dreams of searching next. Now she pours her desperate hope into every cup, her tsundere mask hiding the relentless determination of someone who refuses to stop believing her mother is still out there.

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