The rain was still falling.
But under that little awning, it felt far away.
The whole world could have collapsed around us, and I wouldn't have noticed.
You were there.
And for the first time in a long while, everything around me felt... in place.
— Do you often take shelter here?
My voice carried a slight tremor. Not fear.
More like... restraint.
You gave me a smile.
One I'd remember for a long time.
Not wide or exaggerated.
Just subtle. Honest.
Like you were inviting me to know you without revealing too much too soon.
— When it rains, yes.
You glanced toward the soft drops falling in front of us.
— I think rain makes people more real.
That sentence.
I hadn't expected it.
It struck me like a gentle slap to the soul.
— People… or feelings? I asked, more seriously than I meant to.
You looked at me.
And that look, in that moment, was anything but light.
— Maybe both, you whispered.
A silence followed.
But the kind of silence that speaks.
When two worlds barely brush against each other.
You tilted your head slightly, damp strands of hair sticking to your temple.
— Are you always this quiet, or is it just around me?
The corner of my lips curled slightly.
You had this strange gift — you lightened the air while leaving my heart in chaos.
— I don't talk much when I'm afraid I'll say something stupid, I confessed.
— So, you want to do things right.
You said it so simply. But it hit deep.
A soft breeze passed. Your coat shivered.
You crossed your arms, not from cold, but from that sweet, subtle awkwardness.
I looked at you for a while.
And for the first time, I dared say it.
— I'm glad you're here.
— Me too, Winner. Even if it's just by chance… it's a beautiful one.
A softer silence wrapped around us.
And this time, we weren't just two strangers standing side by side.
We were two souls... beginning to recognize each other.