They sat by the Han River just before sunset.
No crew.
No clients.
No scripts.
Just the golden hour stretching long across the water, casting shadows over their sneakers.
Noa hugged her knees. Ren leaned back on his elbows.
Neither of them said a word for a long time.
For once, silence wasn't awkward. It was intentional.
Necessary.
Soft.
"Feels weird," Noa said finally, voice quiet.
Ren turned his head. "What does?"
"This whole trip's almost over."
He didn't respond.
Because it was true.
And he wasn't ready for it either.
—
Across the river, city lights flickered to life one by one.
Traffic buzzed in the distance.
A couple nearby took selfies.
Noa stared at them.
"They look happy," she said.
"They're probably fighting over dinner in ten minutes," Ren replied.
She smirked. "You always ruin the moment."
"I try to keep things realistic."
"Then tell me something real."
He didn't hesitate.
"I don't want to go back."
Her chest tightened.
"To Tokyo?"
"To pretending this is just work."
She looked down.
Pulled at a thread on her sleeve.
"That's not realistic, Ren."
"Why not?"
"Because we have jobs. Expectations. People watching."
"So?"
"So…" She trailed off.
So what?
So they'd keep orbiting?
So they'd keep dancing around something already burning quietly between them?
She sighed.
"Say something dramatic," she said.
He raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"Like in a drama. Something ridiculous. So I can roll my eyes and pretend none of this matters."
He looked at her for a long beat.
Then said, simply, "I think I like you."
She froze.
Not because of the words.
But because of how calm he sounded.
Like he wasn't scared anymore.
Like he'd known this for a while.
Noa looked at the water.
Then at him.
Then back at the water.
"I think I do too."
They didn't move.
Didn't kiss.
Didn't even touch.
Just sat side by side, breathing in sync, while the sky dimmed slowly behind them.
No labels.
No promises.
But something shifted.
And maybe, for now, that was enough.
—
The question still hung there.
*What happens next?*
Neither of them answered.
But neither of them stood up to leave, either.