"Hi, Miya."
Ren had spent the entire night thinking, and after tossing and turning, he finally understood it. He knew he had ruined it. It wasn't fate or someone else's mistake; it had been him. Standing now in front of Miya's door, he only wanted to try to fix it.
"Can I come in?"
Miya's eyes rested on him without emotion or interest.
"If I say no, would you leave?"
Dressed in simple house clothes, she observed him in silence, noticing how tired and drained he looked.
Miya sighed and stepped aside.
"Come in."
Inside, silence became a constant companion.
Nervous, Ren took a couple of clumsy steps and remained standing, not quite knowing what to do.
Then he spoke, hesitantly.
"Miya…" he began, swallowing hard. "I'm sorry."
Miya she didn't respond right away. She walked to the living room and sat on the couch, crossing her legs calmly, as if she had all the time in the world. Ren stayed in front of her, uncomfortable.
"I didn't think about you at that moment," he continued. "I was an idiot. No, more than that. I was a complete fool. I always am. I act without thinking and end up hurting the people I care about the most."
Miya watched him in silence until she interrupted him.
"You're good, Ren. I won't deny that. Your kindness is real, and that's something very valuable."
Ren lifted his gaze.
"Then…"
"But being good doesn't mean letting people walk all over you. It doesn't mean being a fool either. Can you care about others without forgetting about me, or without forgetting about yourself?"
Ren pressed his lips together.
"I know. Or at least now I do. I realized it last night. I realized that I ruined it myself. And I don't want it to end like this."
There was a brief silence. Miya looked away toward the window, thoughtful.
"If you want to get back together with me, come to my house later."
Ren's eyes widened in surprise.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"What time?"
Miya looked at him again, this time with a faint smile Ren couldn't quite understand.
"At night"
"At night?"
"Yes, Ren, but if you don't want to, then don't come and forget about me."
She paused and looked at him with firm determination.
"Forever."
Ren, afraid, nodded immediately.
"Alright. I'll come."
"Good."
At that moment, Ren remembered the warning he had received before.
With the doubt on his tongue, he asked:
"And your brother, Miya? Will he be here at that time?"
"My brother went on a trip," Miya explained. "He won't be back for a month."
That didn't calm Ren the way he expected. In fact, something in his chest grew uneasy.
"I understand…"
Miya stood up from the couch and walked closer to him. Up close, her eyes seemed different. They weren't cold, but they weren't warm either. There was something strange in them, something Ren couldn't describe, and it made his skin prickle.
"Relax, Ren," she said softly. "We're not going to have a bad time."
Ren hesitated for a second.
"Are you serious?"
Miya tilted her head slightly.
"Of course. Will you come?"
"Yes," he replied, a little nervous. "I'll come."
She stepped away and opened the door.
"Then I'll see you tonight."
"Yes."
Ren left with his heart racing. He walked back to his house, trying to convince himself that everything was fine, but that strange feeling didn't fade with those words.
We'll have dinner, talk, and watch a movie. That's all, I guess.
Chapter 20: Main course