The first sound wasn't loud.
It was small.
A tiny, broken hiccup of breath that slipped past the door.
But Kia heard it.
He heard it like a punch straight to the chest.
Ryan was crying.
Not angry-shouting.
Not frustrated.
Not annoyed.
Crying.
Kia's entire body went still.
For a moment, he didn't breathe.
He didn't think.
He just stood there, staring at the door like it had suddenly turned into a cliff he was falling from.
Another quiet sob.
Kia's hand twitched—instinct screaming to break the door down and gather Ryan into his arms.
But he froze.
Because he realized something terrifying:
He was the reason Ryan was crying.
His breakup.
His decision.
His attempt to "protect Ryan" that had only shattered him instead.
Kia felt the ground tilt under him.
He pressed his palms against the wall, leaning heavily, breath shaking.
His heart was pounding so violently it felt like pain.
He's crying because of me.
He suffered for five years because of me.
He swallowed hard, chest aching with regret so deep it almost suffocated him.
He whispered through the door—barely audible.
"…Ryan…"
Another quiet, muffled sob from inside.
That was it.
Kia stepped back instantly.
If he stayed, he would break down the door.
If he stayed, he would force his presence into a place Ryan wasn't ready for.
And he couldn't—he refused—to hurt him one more time.
So he whispered, voice trembling:
"I'll… I'll give you space. Just… don't cry alone."
He wanted to say more.
He wanted to apologize.
He wanted to explain every horrible mistake he made that day.
But Ryan didn't want to hear him.
So he forced himself — forced his entire body — to turn around and walk away.
Every step down the hallway felt like knives dragging across his chest.
By the time he reached the living room, his hands were shaking.
He ran a hand over his face, eyes stinging.
He had broken Ryan's heart once.
He never imagined the damage went this deep.
He never imagined Ryan disappeared not because he wanted to, but because he had no choice.
Because Kia's breakup destroyed everything safe he had.
Kia sat down heavily on the couch, burying his face in his hands as guilt poured through him.
"It was supposed to protect you," he whispered to himself, voice cracking.
"Not destroy you… I'm sorry, bunny… I'm so damn sorry."
Author pov:
This would be the last chapter for today, have a wonderful night, sweet dreams 😘