"Hey, Liam! Over here!"
I turned toward the voice echoing from the corner of the coffee shop—soft yet full of energy. And there she was: Rou.
She waved at me with that familiar playful grin, her white polo neatly tucked into high-waist jeans, sleeves rolled to her elbows. Her hair was pulled into a messy bun, with strands falling perfectly in place. Simple, but damn—she looked effortlessly stunning.
"Hi, Rou. Long time no see," I greeted her, flashing a small smile as I sat across from her.
It had been years since I last saw her. She had left for Canada to start a new life, and I honestly thought she'd never come back. But here she was—sitting right in front of me, sipping her iced latte like she'd never left.
My heart betrayed me the moment she smiled. How can someone make "just friends" sound so impossible?
"It hasn't been that long, has it?" she chuckled, twirling her straw. "Actually, I'm expecting another visitor besides you."
My smile faded. "Huh? Someone else? That's not fair! You know, I was hoping I could finally ask you out—just the two of us. Like a friendly date. But here you are, waiting for someone else. Geez."
Rou laughed—the kind of laugh that makes time stop for a second. "We can do that tomorrow instead. Promise. I just really need to wait for this guest. They're important."
"More important than me?" I asked, half-joking, half-serious—but she just laughed again.
And that's the thing with Rou. She never takes me seriously. Not my jokes, not my feelings—not even my attempts to confess.
"You're so dramatic, Liam," she teased. "It's just the daughter of my Dad's business partner from Canada. Total business meeting vibes. Anyway, what do you want to eat?"
"Nothing. Just coffee," I mumbled.
Rou stood up to order, but her phone suddenly rang. She fished it out and glanced at the screen; her smile faltered for a moment.
"Liam, wait a sec. I need to take this call," she said quickly before walking away.
"Sure, take your time," I said, forcing a grin.
And just like that, I was left sitting there—heart heavy, coffee untouched, pretending I was fine.
Liam, you idiot. How many years has it been, and you still can't tell her how you feel?
Alice's POV
"Bess, slap me please. And put some emotion into it, okay?"
I blinked. "Wait, what? Why—"
"To wake me up! I just want to feel that it's really over between me and Arjun!" Kianna cried dramatically, grabbing my hand and pressing it against her cheek.
"Kianna, don't. Maybe we should—"
"GO!"
SLAP!!!
"Owww!!! Bess, that was intense!" she squealed, nearly toppling over.
"Hey, you told me to slap you!" I defended myself, though I couldn't help but laugh.
"It really hurt! But... thank you. At least I'm awake from my own stupidity now!" she sniffled, rubbing her cheek, which now had a faint red mark shaped exactly like my hand.
"Sorry, I guess I hit you a bit too hard," I said, biting my lip to stop the laughter.
"A bit? It hurts like I got splashed with hot oil!"
I chuckled. "Okay, fine. I'll treat you to something to make up for it."
"Really?!"
"Mm-hmm. Let's go before that starts to swell."
We walked out of her house and headed to the small grocery store near the plaza. For a while, we were quiet—until Kianna sighed dramatically again.
"Bess, do you think... I'll ever get a boyfriend again?"
I stared at her. "What kind of question is that? Of course! You're beautiful."
"Then why does Arjun already have someone else?"
I groaned. "Do you want me to slap you again?"
She gasped, clutching her cheek. "No way! This one hasn't even healed yet!"
I smirked. "Well, it seems like you're still not awake! Maybe I really do need to hit you again!"
"Haha, no need, Bess," she pouted.
I was about to reply when—
AAHH!!
I tripped over a rock and landed flat on the ground.
"Ow ow ow... that hurts!"
When I looked up, I saw Kianna frozen—not helping, just staring. "Bess... there's someone under you!"
"What?!" I blinked and turned—and there she was.
A girl, tall and fair-skinned, her hair cascading over her shoulder, her lips slightly parted in surprise. She smelled faintly of vanilla and something... expensive.
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!" I blurted out, panicking.
She brushed off her skirt and smiled softly. "It's okay. Just be careful next time, okay? What if you bumped into someone else? Not everyone is that nice."
I nodded quickly, still flustered. "Y-yeah, I'm really sorry..."
And then—everything stopped. The world around us seemed to fade. No voices, no noise. Just her.
Her lips moved, but I couldn't hear a thing. Her eyes—gentle yet mysterious—caught mine, and I swear my heart skipped a beat. It was like a scene straight out of a movie: slow motion, flower petals floating in the air, my brain short-circuiting.
Wait a minute! Are you starstruck? You're not into girls, are you?!
"Hey, Bess!" Kianna snapped, shaking me. "Let's go!"
I blinked rapidly—the girl was gone.
"W-why?" I stammered.
"I'm hungry, let's go!" Kianna said, grabbing my hand.
As she pulled me away, my eyes wandered—and then I saw her again. She was entering a nearby coffee shop. Same posture. Same hair. Same calm aura.
And for some reason, my chest tightened. I don't know why.
Wait.