The gentle morning sunlight streamed through the white lace curtains, warming Lina's cheeks as she lay in bed, a sleepy smile tugging at her lips. Her phone rested in her hands, the last message still glowing on the screen:
"Goodnight, my forever. I love you." – Ethan.
She read it one more time, just like she did every morning. His words had become a routine, like her heartbeat—calm, steady, familiar. In Lina's world, love wasn't something temporary. It was soft laughter in the rain, warm hands in winter, shared dreams, and whispered promises of tomorrow.
She got ready for school, her heart light. A pink ribbon in her hair, the one Ethan said made her look "like sunshine." They had been together for almost eight months now. Eight months of late-night phone calls and secret notes hidden in textbooks. Eight months of dreaming of a future—university together, a small apartment, maybe even a dog.
At school, Lina spotted Ethan by the hallway lockers. His dark hair fell over his eyes, and he looked perfect as always. She ran up to him, breathless but glowing.
"Good morning!" she chirped happily.
Ethan smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Still, he leaned down to press a quick kiss to her forehead.
"Morning," he replied.
She didn't notice the way he pulled his hand back too quickly. She didn't see the tiredness in his eyes, or the way he avoided looking at her for more than a moment.
To Lina, everything was still perfect.
---
During lunch, Lina sat across from him under the big oak tree in the school courtyard. She opened her lunchbox—she had woken up early to make extra snacks for him. Little kimbap rolls shaped like hearts.
"For you," she said proudly.
Ethan stared at them for a moment, then looked away. "Thanks," he muttered, taking one without meeting her eyes.
Lina laughed softly. "You're tired, huh? Did you stay up late again?"
"Yeah. Something like that," Ethan answered.
She wanted to ask more, but she stopped herself. Relationships were about trust, right? And she trusted him with every piece of her heart.
---
After school, Lina walked home, headphones in her ears, smiling as she thought about the upcoming anniversary they had planned. She was making a scrapbook of their memories—movie tickets, photos, his doodles. She called it "Our Forever."
She didn't know that Ethan had stopped answering her texts that night.
She didn't know that tomorrow would be the beginning of the end.
She didn't know… that forever wasn't always forever.