Liam and Sera sat on a wooden bench under a sheltered spot, shielded from the steady drizzle. The rhythmic patter of raindrops on the roof above was the only sound filling the heavy silence between them. The air felt thick with awkwardness, every second stretching longer than it should.
"I… how have you been?" Liam's voice finally broke through the quiet, low and hesitant.
Sera turned her head slightly, then shifted her gaze forward again, watching the small ripples forming in a nearby puddle.
"I'm fine," she replied softly.
Liam's eyes didn't leave her face. From the way he stared at her, it was clear he knew she wasn't fine at all. Her skin was paler than usual, her delicate features shadowed by faint dark circles beneath her eyes—silent evidence of sleepless nights and burdens she couldn't put into words.
"That's… good to hear," Liam murmured, though his tone carried more doubt than relief, as if he were trying to convince himself rather than her.
Sera straightened her back, taking in a deep breath as if gathering courage. "What did you want to talk about?"
Liam's hands tightened together, fingers lacing and unlacing as he tried to calm the storm inside his chest. His voice was heavy when he finally spoke.
"I want to apologize."Sera's brow twitched, her expression unreadable.
"Apologize? For what?"
His gaze fell to his trembling hands, shoulders tense.
"For being too much of a coward to speak up. I know I've lost the right to explain so many things, but… I need you to know one truth—Clara and I, we don't have anything between us anymore."
Sera's body went still. Her face remained carefully composed, her eyes fixed straight ahead, but her heart began to race violently in her chest.
"Then, what am I to you, Liam?" she asked, her voice low but laced with pain. "I know we were just two strangers who happened to cross paths, but…" Her words faltered for a moment before she forced herself to go on.
"You've been kind to me, protected me, done things for me that even a lover might not do. Was all of that just a distraction for you? A way to fill a void? You once said you wanted to learn how to take care of someone. Was I just your experiment, Liam?" Her voice cracked, breaking under the weight of emotions she had kept bottled up for too long. She turned to face him fully now, eyes glistening, caught between anger and the ache of unshed tears.
"Sera, no—please, don't misunderstand." Liam shook his head frantically, panic creeping into his tone. "Let me explain. Everything I did for you was real. It was sincere." His breath came ragged as he struggled to keep his voice steady.
"I like you, Sera. I've liked you for so long. But I was too much of a coward to make it official… even too much of a coward to simply confess it to you."
Sera froze, her breath hitching at his confession. Her heart throbbed painfully, each beat echoing with disbelief and hurt.
"A coward?" she repeated, almost in a whisper, the irony sharp in her tone.
"Then what was the point of all this? What was the meaning behind your smiles, your words, the way you looked at me like I was your world? I held on to those things, Liam, because I believed in you. Because I believed you were truly there for me."
Liam's head dropped, his fingers clutching his knees tightly.
"I thought if I didn't give our relationship a name… I wouldn't lose you," he confessed hoarsely. "I was terrified, Sera. Afraid that if I claimed you, if I called you mine, one day you'd leave—and the pain would destroy me. So I chose to keep everything hanging, selfishly hoping that would keep you close."
Tears streamed freely down Sera's face now, her shoulders trembling. She shook her head slowly, her voice breaking.
"You think by refusing to define what we are, you're protecting yourself? Liam, that's what hurts the most. You made me feel like I wasn't enough… like I was just a stop along the way, never a home."
Liam's head shot up, desperation burning in his gaze.
"You're not a stop, Sera. You're the home I've been searching for my whole life… but I've been too afraid to walk through the door."
His words hung between them, heavier than the rain still falling around them.
After a long pause, Liam's voice dropped to a whisper. "I've been having this strange, recurring dream… and you're always there," he confessed, eyes distant as if he were seeing the dream unfold before him.
"In it, we part ways. But before that, we make a promise… to find each other again."
Sera's breath caught, her entire body tensing. Her pulse thundered in her ears as she stared at him in shock.
"Liam…" she whispered, trembling.
When their eyes met, tears spilled from hers without restraint.
"I've been having strange dreams too," she admitted, her voice nearly breaking. "And you're always there. But in my dreams… you leave me. You disappear, and no matter how hard I run, I can never catch up."Liam's eyes widened in shock, his posture snapping straight. Slowly, with trembling hands, he reached out and cupped her tear-streaked cheek, terrified she might vanish if he let go.
"Sera…" his voice was hoarse, on the verge of breaking.
"That must mean… we're connected. Even dreams can't keep us apart."
Sera's eyes fluttered shut as she leaned into his palm, a sob escaping her lips.
"But why? Why is there always a goodbye in those dreams? Why am I always the one left behind?"Liam leaned closer, his forehead nearly touching hers.
"If that's fate," he whispered fiercely, "then I swear I'll fight it. I won't let that dream become our reality. I won't leave you again, Sera."
Her tears flowed harder, but this time, a fragile smile appeared through her pain.
And there, under the fading drizzle, two wounded hearts found a thread of hope—a red string that had always bound them, whether in dreams or in reality.
From across the street, the old man who kept the antique shop watched with a knowing smile. He was their silent guardian, ensuring this meeting would happen, ensuring they would be tied together when the time was right.
The old man raised a hand as if to touch something unseen. Two faint red threads shimmered between Sera and Liam, intertwined.
But there were other threads crossing theirs—unresolved connections that he had no right to interfere with. His duty was simple: to make sure their bond never broke.
***
That night, after Liam's heartfelt confession, Sera allowed him to stay over. Her body had reached its limit, worn down by endless days of rain and countless sleepless nights. She fell ill, her strength dwindling.
Sera drifted into a deep sleep, while Liam remained by her side, holding her hand as if it were his lifeline.
His gaze wandered around her room. Soft pastel tones painted the walls, a faint scent of lavender candles lingered in the air, and sheer curtains swayed gently with the night breeze. Everything about the room reflected Sera herself—warm, gentle, and heartbreakingly fragile.
Then his eyes landed on a worn notebook resting on the bedside table, marked by a delicate ribbon tucked between its pages. A diary.
A strange pull stirred within him. He knew he shouldn't touch it—not without permission. But before he could stop himself, his fingers reached out, picking it up and opening it carefully. Sera's handwriting filled the pages, her words raw and unfiltered.
At first, Liam only intended to glance. But as he read, he found himself drawn deeper and deeper.
"…I dreamed again. Like before, he was there. Always there. His face is so clear, his gaze warm but filled with sorrow. In my dreams, he always leaves. I always run after him, but I never reach him…"
Liam's chest tightened painfully. Swallowing hard, he turned to the next page.
"Sometimes I think I'm losing my mind. How can I keep dreaming of someone I can't seem to truly reach, even in reality? But every time I wake, I know it's real. The feelings are real."
Another page. This one made his breath catch.
"Liam… I don't know why your name keeps appearing in my dreams. I'm even afraid to write it down, afraid that if you ever read this, you'd laugh at me. But whenever I close my eyes, it's always you. You protect me, you hold my hand as if the world could crumble and I'd still be safe. You leave, but there's always this unspoken promise that we'll meet again. Am I strange for starting to believe this isn't just a dream?"
Liam froze, his hands trembling as he held the diary. Each word pierced straight through him, revealing feelings he'd buried deep inside.
As he went to close the book, a thin piece of paper slipped free and drifted to the floor. Bending down, he picked it up—only to realize it wasn't paper at all, but a pressed, dried white lily.
Recognition struck instantly. It was the very first lily he had ever given Sera, back on the day when he had quietly shown his care for her, too timid to put his feelings into words.
On the page where the flower had been kept, a short note was written:
"I couldn't bring myself to throw this away. To me, it's more than just a flower. It's like a silent promise, one only I can understand. A promise that even without words, I can feel that his heart once looked my way."
Liam's breath caught, his throat tightening as his fingers cradled the fragile flower. Everything he had been too afraid to say…
Sera had understood all along.
He closed the diary gently, his vision blurring with unshed tears. His heart ached, caught between guilt for invading her private thoughts and overwhelming gratitude for the depth of her feelings.
The mysteries that had haunted his dreams now had answers. And the answer had been beside him all along.
Liam turned back to Sera, watching her sleep peacefully.
Leaning down, he pressed a tender kiss to her forehead—for the very first time.