Author's Note
Thank you so much for reading This chapter is a quiet, reflective moment — Ryu resting, Ravi stepping closer, and Rey beginning to feel the weight of his choices. Your support, votes and comments mean the world to me and inspire me to keep writing Ryu's journey.
BlurbOne day of rest. One walk outside. One laugh shared across a café table — and suddenly, the lines begin to shift. Ravi's kindness, Rey's silence, and Ryu's fragile heart pulled between what is safe… and what still hurts.
The next morning, Ryu didn't go to school.
She lay curled on the sofa, a blanket around her shoulders, her head resting on her aunt's lap.
"You need to rest," her uncle said gently from the kitchen, bringing her some juice. "No school. No stress. Doctor's orders."
Her aunt stroked her hair. "You scared us yesterday. Take one day. Just one."
She nodded.
But her mind... had already drifted far away.
To his eyes.
To the way he had looked away.
By afternoon, the house felt too quiet.
Too... heavy.
So she stepped out.
She told her aunt she was just going for a short walk. Maybe grab an ice cream.
She didn't know where her feet were going — only that the ache in her chest needed air.
She bought two soft cones from a roadside cart and sat on a bench near the park, eyes on the melting swirl of chocolate and vanilla.
Children played nearby.
Laughter floated through the air.
And then—
"Didi!"
She turned.
It was Rey's siblings — Aashi and Aman.
Her eyes widened. "You two...?"
"We're here for skating class!" Aman beamed. bhaiya dropped us."
Ryu smiled and handed them the extra cone.
"You're the best!" Aashi squealed, already licking hers. "Bhaiya says you're quiet but cool."
Ryu blinked. "He... said that?"
Before she could ask more, someone called her name.
"Ryu?"
She turned again.
Ravi.
He looked surprised, holding his phone, backpack slung lazily on one shoulder.
"Oh. Hey," she said, trying to sound casual.
"I was just heading to revise at the café nearby. Want to come along?" he asked.
Something in his eyes was hesitant.
She hesitated too. But nodded.
Scene: At a Small Café Nearby
The little café buzzed with the soft hum of a guitar track and quiet clinks of coffee mugs.
They sat by the window.
Ravi stirred his coffee absentmindedly, while Ryu sipped on a hot chocolate she didn't remember ordering.
"So," he finally said, "you feeling better?"
"Physically, yes," she replied. "Mentally? I'm not sure."
There was a pause.
And then they both laughed — small, broken laughter, but real.
"You're not like most people," Ravi said suddenly.
"Is that a compliment?" she asked, surprised.
He smiled. "Definitely."
(Ravi: She laughs so softly... like she's still guarding pieces of herself. And yet, it pulls me in. Is this... what it feels like to fall?)
Meanwhile...
Rey walked home.
His bag felt heavier than usual, and his head... was somewhere else entirely.
He passed the café window casually, eyes scanning out of habit—
And froze.
Inside, across the glass pane—
Ryu.
With Ravi.
Laughing.
Something inside him clenched.
She looked... happy.
(Rey: I knew someone would reach her. But why does it hurt to see that someone isn't me?)
His pace slowed.
He didn't realize his hands had curled into fists.
(Rey: I turned away. I told myself I had to. But maybe the devil isn't the one who looked away. Maybe it's just... me.)
He walked past without looking back.
Later That Night
Ryu sat on her bed, her phone glowing in the dark.
A message blinked from Maya:
"Tell me everything. Now."
She called her instead.
"I met your Ravi," Maya teased.
"He's not my anything," Ryu said quickly.
"Ohhh. You sound guilty. You like him?"
Ryu was silent.
Then softly, "No. He's kind. Gentle. But my heart... it's still stuck on someone else."
Maya paused. Then whispered, "Rey?"
Ryu closed her eyes.
"I wish it wasn't. But yes."
Ending Echo:
The devil had looked away.
But now, the girl was learning to turn too.
And someone else... was already walking toward her.