That night's confession marks a turning point for everything.
They never admit anything to anyone, but that blazing kiss under the stage lights already says it all.
After that night, Mallow cuts off all contact with his ex. Reflecting on his reckless past actions, he finally realizes just how much he has hurt Raven.
When does he start liking her? After the breakup? Or is it when she quietly pulls him out of his heartbreak?
But maybe that doesn't matter anymore.
Because on that fateful Halloween night, he listens to his instincts—and has the courage to speak the truth he's long buried. In that moment, he feels cool.
Not the kind of cool that comes from leather jackets or rockstar swagger, but the kind that comes from finally daring to open his heart,
after five years of holding onto just one love.
And Raven... how many people has she been with?
Mallow loses count.
Then what is this tightness in his chest?
It's the same feeling he feels when he sees his ex holding hands with another guy.
Right—he is jealous.
Just like that time he sits in a bar, watching Raven laugh carefreely, casually chatting with the men around her. Or when she hands him a Blush & Bloom cocktail while a muscular bartender slips his arm around her waist right in front of him...
That's Raven—wild and free.
And that's who she is. He has to learn to accept that.
The same way she once accepted the shattered version of Mallow and still chose to stay.
"Impressive. Who's this guy?"
Mallow asks coolly, though his eyes betray a hint of suspicion as he stares at the friend list on Raven's dating app.
Empty—except for one name.
Raven doesn't avoid it. She calmly taps on the guy's profile.
One glance, and Mallow knows—it's the same bartender from the bar she once took him to.
Normally, he wouldn't care about past flings.
But why... why is she still in touch with him?
"Kevin. He and I..."
Raven starts, her gaze softening slightly.
"Raven, can you help me with this for a sec?"
Jun calls from the corner, fingers swiftly adjusting audio settings.
Raven walks off to check the setup with Jun. As she leaves, Mallow sighs and rubs his face.
His eyes fall on the black raven pendant she's left on the table. For reasons he can't explain, something compels him to pick it up, to roll it between his fingers.
Then, like a mischievous boy, he slips it behind his back, intending to tease her.
But all he feels is a wave of stupid, regretful nervousness.
After a while, Raven returns. The conversation picks back up.
"He... has always held a special place for me. I used to go to his bar often—and I only ever ordered drinks from him. We gradually got close. He was the first one who taught me how to mix cocktails.
And that night..."
Her voice slows.
"…he confessed with a Blush & Bloom."
◇◇◇
Beneath the warm glow of the bar, Kevin—with his sharp, chiseled features and European charm—places a pale pink cocktail in front of Raven.
The drink shimmers in the light, its rosy liquid catching every detail of his immaculate bartender uniform through the glass.
She looks at the drink and smiles subtly.
No clinking glasses, just a graceful, poised lift.
Her eyes drift away.
A gentle refusal, elegant but firm.
She sets the drink down without a word.
◇◇◇
"You know how I figured out what the Blush & Bloom meant? Because he told me,"
Raven says, catching the surprise on Mallow's face.
"And... I don't see a reason to cut ties. He's just a 'drinking buddy,' that's all."
Something twists in Mallow's chest.
Kevin's way of confessing—subtle, meaningful—is nothing like his own blunt Halloween declaration.
Sure, Raven said she liked him, but surrounded by so many men like that...has she really chosen him?
"Wait... where's my necklace?"
Raven suddenly looks around, her hand reaching for her neck.
"I just took it off—"
Rustle.
Mallow pulls something from behind his back and sheepishly holds it up.
"Sorry... I was just trying to mess with you."
Raven stares at him for a moment before breaking into a sly smile.
"Really now?"
She snatches the necklace and, without warning, loops it around his neck, pulling him a little closer.
"Were you jealous just now?"
"N-No, I wasn't—"
"I saw it all."
Her fingers brush the silver raven charm as she leans in. Then her lips meet his.
This kiss isn't like the first—it's fierce, urgent, and wholly hers.
Mallow freezes, then melts into her touch, into the taste he's already addicted to.
His fingers slip into her thick, silky hair as he kisses her back, deeper, drawing her onto the spinning studio stool until she sits cradled in his arms.
"I like you," she whispers between breaths."I've liked you for a long time."
The door bursts open.
Hiroki and Jun walk out from the studio, still glancing over the soundcheck list.
"The other four finished their check. If we—"
Jun looks up. Both freeze at the sight. Raven and Mallow are still locked in each other, the air practically simmering.
Silence. Awkward eye contact.
Jun points at the exit, expression blank.
"Motel. Across the street."
Then she and Hiroki turn and leave. On the way out, Hiroki mutters, "Since when?" only to receive a nonchalant shrug from Jun.
....
Only two remain.
Both Raven and Mallow are flushed, eyes darting away from each other.
Raven sneaks a glance at his lips, now smudged with her black lipstick.
She lets out a giggle.
Slowly, she reaches out and wipes the stain away, then leans in to kiss his cheek.
Just a soft touch.
A kiss that tastes like midnight.
╰⊰✧∘❉∘✧⊱╯