The night settles in, but there's no calm in it—only noise I can't escape.
Every whisper feels louder than it should, every thought sharper than it needs to be. Failure clings to me like it knows I won't fight back anymore.
I let out a dry laugh.
"Success?"
Yeah… right.
I just came from a room full of people who think they've figured life out. Smiles too perfect, voices too loud, lives too polished to be real.
And me?
I stand there pretending I belong.
Listening to them talk about stability, achievements, plans—like it's all so easy.
Like everyone isn't just… drowning quietly.
"Success," they say.
Bloody idiots.
"Fucking bunch of fools…"
"What did he say again?"
That idiot who kept hovering around me like some crawling insect—
Don't worry, if you need help finding a job, I can guide you.
I let out a short, bitter laugh.
Wow.
Now he's going to teach me how to build a "stable" life?
As if I asked.
As if I needed saving.
As if I haven't been trying every single day just to stay afloat.
Out of all places in the world, they had to choose my workplace for their stupid reunion.
Of course they did.
As if they weren't the same people who used to backstab each other back in high school.
Now look at them -
Laughing too loudly, hugging like they've been best friends forever, pretending none of it ever happened.
Pathetic.
And of course… Etsuko had to spot me.
Out of everyone here.
She saw me—clearly saw me—
so why the hell did she have to announce it like I'm some eighth wonder of the world?
I clenched my jaw, forcing a smile that didn't reach my eyes.
Yeah.
She didn't call me out to be friendly.
That bitch just wanted to humiliate me.
For a second, I almost smiled.
What if I just asked about her husband?
Her very wealthy, very elderly husband.
The one she married for comfort. For security.
Let's see how loudly she laughs then.
…
I exhaled sharply, the thought leaving as quickly as it came.
God, this is exhausting.
"Calm down, Erika… calm down," I whisper to myself.
I can't afford to lose this job.
Not because of them.
Not because of a bunch of fools who don't matter.The sharp click of my heels echoes as I rush off to my next job.
One shift ends, another begins.
…
At this rate, I'll probably drop dead doing this—running from one place to another for paychecks that can't even afford me a decent place to live.
Pathetic.
I let out a quiet breath.
Maybe this is what reality really looks like.
No one remembers how bright your past once was…
when your present is this miserable.
I turn before he can even look my way.
I just need to get out.
Now.
My steps quicken—but halfway to the door, my heel slips.
I stumble.
Damn it—
I barely manage to steady myself, my vision blurring as tears spill faster than I can stop them.
Not here.
Not now.
How am I supposed to face this?
"…Are you alright?"
A voice cuts through the noise—low, unfamiliar, laced with quiet concern.
I freeze.
Footsteps approach, slow but certain.
Closer.
And for some reason—
I can't bring myself to look up.
And then—
that night.
The rain hadn't stopped for hours, soaking everything in a quiet, endless rhythm.
We stood there, under the dim streetlight, completely drenched… yet neither of us moved.
I remember the way he looked at me.
Nervous.
Uncertain.
Real.
"Erika…"
His voice was softer than I had ever heard it.
"You mean everything to me."
A pause.
Like he was gathering courage he didn't know he had.
"So… don't go out with Kaito."
He lets out a breath, almost laughing at himself.
"Stay with me instead."
…
It wasn't perfect.
It wasn't polished.
But it was him.
And somehow—
that made it unforgettable.
And now look at us.
Of all the places, of all the moments—
this is how destiny decides to cross our paths again.
When he belongs to someone else…
and I'm nothing more than a forgotten piece of his past.
A quiet memory.
One he probably doesn't even think about anymore.
I let out a shaky breath.
I'm not that girl anymore.
Not the dreamy, beautiful Erika he once knew back in high school.
Just… this.
Tired. Worn out. Invisible.
God… just let the ground swallow me whole.
I can't face him like this.
I really can't.
Because somehow—
this feels worse than death.
And just when everything starts to blur—
when I'm sure I won't be able to hold myself together—
someone steps in.
"Let's go, honey."
That voice—
smooth, familiar, annoyingly calm.
Before I can even react, his hand is already at my side, guiding me forward like it's the most natural thing in the world.
I stiffen.
No.
It can't be—
I glance up.
And there he is.
Him.
Of all people.
The same man who walked into my life like a passing inconvenience—
now standing here, acting like I belong to him.
For a second, irritation flares.
I could trip him with my heels.
Punch him straight in the gut.
But then—
Akio.
The thought hits harder.
My fingers tighten slightly against his sleeve.
Right now, I don't care who he is.
I just need to leave.
And if pretending to be his… gets me out of this—
so be it.
He doesn't say a word.
Not even a glance at me.
Instead, he reaches for the first-aid kit, pulling out bandages and a small tube of ointment.
Only then do I notice—
the faint sting along my ankle… the scratches I didn't even feel earlier.
He kneels slightly, taking my foot with surprising care.
I stiffen.
"Stay still."
His voice is low, almost indifferent.
As if this is nothing.
As if I'm nothing.
His fingers brush against my skin as he applies the ointment, careful… precise… annoyingly gentle.
It doesn't match him.
Not the way he spoke earlier.
Not the way he carries himself.
And somehow—
that makes it worse.
I don't say anything.
Neither does he.
But the silence between us feels heavier than words.
His hand stills near my knee—
lingering just a second longer than it should.
I notice it.
Of course I do.
And for a moment, I almost pull away.
But something in me just… gives in.
Not to him.
To everything.
The exhaustion. The humiliation. The weight of it all.
Before I can stop myself, I lean forward—
and wrap my arms around him.
The first sob breaks out before I can hold it back.
Then another.
And another.
It's messy. Uncontrolled.
I hate this.
I hate that he's seeing me like this.
But I can't stop.
For once—
I don't even try to.
…
And strangely—
he doesn't push me away.
I pull back from him, the distance between us suddenly too real.
My gaze lifts, meeting his.
My face is still damp, streaked with tears I couldn't hold back.
My eyes burn—
not from crying anymore,
but from everything that still hurts.
For a moment, I just look at him.
Exposed.
Broken in ways I can't hide.
And somehow—
he sees it all.
Before I can think twice, my hand shoots out—gripping his collar, pulling him closer.
His breath catches.
So does mine.
"You want this, don't you?" I whisper, my voice unsteady but certain.
A pause.
Then, softer—
"Fine… let's be sinners. Just for tonight."
The words barely leave my lips before he closes the distance.
No hesitation.
No restraint.
And when his lips meet mine—
it's not gentle.
It's desperate.
Like neither of us is willing to stop.