As Aria and Zorvath sat on the rooftop, talking and teasing each other, her phone buzzed beside her.
A message had popped up — it was from Sona.
Aria unlocked her phone and began reading:
> "All the students have left after cleaning the Café Corner.
Some of them even sold the old furniture to second-hand shops and got a good sum of money — it's kept on the counter table.
Mirzand is dropping me home.
Sreya and Danvy left early; Danvy had a match or something.
We couldn't find you anywhere, and you weren't answering my calls, so I thought I'd text."
The message ended there.
Aria smiled softly to herself, her eyes warming as she read the line again.
She whispered under her breath,
"So… their love story begins here."
From behind, a quiet chuckle came.
She turned slightly — Zorvath was standing a few steps away, reading the same message on his phone.
Without looking at her, he said in a low, teasing tone,
"How's my buddy gonna tolerate her?"
Aria smiled, her voice light but teasing back.
"It was your buddy who made the first move."
Zorvath didn't respond — just gave a faint smirk, his eyes glinting in the dim rooftop light.
Aria turned away again, hiding the faint blush that had crept up her cheeks.
She walked toward the edge of the rooftop, where the cool breeze brushed her hair and the view of the narrow street stretched before her — the faint shimmer of the lake, the glow of small shops, and the scent of coffee lingering in the air.
Zorvath followed her silently.
The wind played between them, carrying unspoken thoughts neither dared to voice.
Then, without a word, Zorvath reached out from behind and gently held her hand.
Aria froze.
Her heart skipped.
She didn't turn — didn't even breathe for a second.
The warmth of his touch spread through her fingers, soft but certain.
The world around them seemed to fade —
the noise, the wind, the city below — everything turned still.
And in that silence, between them bloomed something unspoken,
fragile yet powerful
the quiet beginning of something neither of them could name.
Zorvath leaned closer, his breath brushing softly against Aria's neck.
"You know," he murmured, his voice low and teasing, "your
bestie and my buddy are gonna be a couple soon. So… when are you going to say yes?"
Aria's heartbeat stopped for a second.
Taking a deep breath, she replied without turning around, her voice calm but trembling slightly,
"You were so dominant last time… calling me yours. And now, you're waiting for my reply?"
Zorvath chuckled under his breath.
"Things change fast," he said, his tone playful but sure. "And of course, you are mine—whether you agree or not."
Aria couldn't hold it in anymore.
Her cheeks flushed a deep red, her face turning into what could only be described as a tomato with hair.
Zorvath noticed. He smiled faintly but didn't say a word—his expression said enough.
He slipped his hands into his pockets, turning slightly away but still facing her, his eyes soft yet unreadable.
"You're… so nice today," Aria said quietly, her voice barely above the wind. "What happened?"
"Just in a good mood," he replied with a small shrug. "Happy news came to me, I guess."
Aria nodded slowly, smiling faintly.
" good."
With that, she turned and began walking down the stairs in silence.
Zorvath stayed behind, watching her go, the wind ruffling his hair.
After a few quiet minutes, he finally followed—his footsteps echoing softly down the old stairway of Café Corner.
When Aria came downstairs, she froze.
The second floor — the one that had been covered in dust that morning — was now gleaming. Not a trace of dirt, not a table, not even a chair remained. The entire hall stretched out before her, silent and spotless — empty, yet glowing under the dim café lights.
She stepped down to the first floor. It was the same — bare and bright, everything gone.
All the furniture, the décor — everything had been sold.
On the counter lay a small stack of money, just as Sona had mentioned in her message.
Aria picked it up carefully, turning around — only to find Zorvath standing right behind her.
She gasped slightly, her heart skipping a beat.
Then, composing herself, she looked down and held out the money toward him.
He blinked in mild confusion.
"Isn't it your charge?" he asked.
Aria smiled faintly. "Yeah… but you're the leader of everyone, right? So, that includes me too."
Zorvath chuckled softly. "Nice try."
Without another word, he took the money from her hand and slipped it into her bag himself.
"Don't try to escape from responsibility," he said, shaking his head with a grin.
"You're crazy. Now go home."
Aria laughed — a light, free laugh — then turned and started walking toward the door.
Soon she was outside, humming, jumping a little, even twirling once as she disappeared into the night street.
Zorvath stood there, watching her until she was gone.
A small smile touched his lips.
"That was a good day," he murmured. "A really good day."
It was the kind of day he'd always dreamed of — simple, calm, but warm.
He sighed softly, his eyes drifting to the quiet café — empty yet full of memories already.
Something stirred in his mind, something he couldn't quite name.
And just then, he heard footsteps behind him.
He turned.
It was Rahan Das.
The headmaster of KHSS — Rahan Das — stood there.
Taller than Zorvath, broad-shouldered, with a presence that demanded respect even without a word. But his eyes… they were tired, rimmed with red. And when he spoke, a faint scent of alcohol lingered in the air between them.
"Did our students do this?" Das asked, his gaze sweeping over the empty café.
Zorvath replied quietly, "Yours."
Das gave a weary nod. "Yeah… mine."
There was a pause — the kind that filled the room heavier than silence itself.
"Did you have dinner?" Das asked suddenly, his tone soft but edged with something unreadable.
Zorvath didn't answer.
"Let's go outside," Das said after a moment. "Come with me. Let's have dinner together."
Still, no reply. But when Das turned and began walking toward the door, his footsteps slow and heavy,
Zorvath followed him — silently, without question.
The sound of their steps echoed through the empty Café Corner,
two shadows moving side by side — one burdened by age, the other by thought.
They ended up at a small hotel on the same street.
It wasn't anything fancy — a local place, cozy but a bit shady, with flickering yellow lights and old wooden tables.
Yet the air was thick with the smell of freshly cooked food — rich, warm, and mouthwatering, like something made by the world's best chef.
When the food arrived, neither of them spoke much.
The quiet between them wasn't awkward — just heavy, filled with unspoken thoughts.
They ate slowly, the clinking of spoons and plates blending with the faint sounds of the night outside.
Halfway through the meal, Rahan Das finally broke the silence.
"If you want," he said slowly, voice low and thoughtful, "you can reopen Room Zero."
Zorvath didn't look up.
He just replied quietly, "Not now."
A faint smile crossed Das's face — tired, knowing.
He didn't press further.
After a while, he spoke again, his tone softer this time.
"That girl with blue eyes… she's brought a lot of change, hasn't she?"
At the mention of Aria, Zorvath lifted his head.
His gaze drifted toward the moon outside the window.
"She's… special," he said quietly, almost to himself.
Das let out a small chuckle. "I know you, Zorvath," he murmured.
Then his voice grew serious again.
"But remember—don't wish for something we don't deserve."
Zorvath looked back down at his plate, expression unreadable.
He gave no answer — only continued eating in silence.
And with that, their conversation ended.
The rest of the night passed with the quiet rhythm of spoons against plates and the hum of the street beyond the window —
two men, one dream, and a secret between them that neither dared to say aloud.