"…Ren?"
My name, spoken softly. Almost shy.
I turned,
and froze.
Ashe
She stood there in casual spring clothes, holding a book, her hair longer than I remembered.
We dated for six months back in high school. My first girlfriend. My first heartbreak.
"Ashe…?" I thought you transferred."
"I did. But I came back. Family stuff."
She hesitated. "Looks like we're classmate again."
Before I could process that, another voice cut in—
"Ren"
I turned.
Serena
Short hair. Piercing eyes. Her presence sharp enough to cut glass. She wore her usual deadpan expression, but her voice carried a subtle rasp of amusement. She held up a can of vending machine coffee.
"Still slow, huh? You still owe me my mechanical pencil in the second year. I told you not to lose it."
"Serena…? What pencil?"
We dated briefly in our third year. She dumped me after I missed our anniversary while playing this popular mobile MOBA game. In hindsight, fair.
Stupid me.
She shrugged. "Didn't expect to see you here. But then again, you always show up where I least want you to be."
"…Nice to meet you too?"
She smirked. "Didn't say it wasn't."
Two exes. One afternoon.
Both looking at me.
"Seriously," I muttered, "am I trapped in some dating-sim?"
"Oh?" Ashe tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
"Wait," Serena raised an eyebrow. "Is that light novel title? You weebs"