Something's different today.
I noticed it the second I saw Ren.
He's not staring at his phone.
He's not sighing every five minutes.
He's not standing at the pier like it's his full-time job.
He's… walking.
With purpose.
Yeah, I don't trust it.
—
"Where are you going?" I ask, catching up to him.
"Nowhere," he says.
"That's not a place."
Mio follows behind us, quiet but watching. She notices it too.
"You seem… lighter," she says.
Ren shrugs. "I just slept well."
I narrow my eyes.
Suspicious.
Very suspicious.
—
We end up at a small convenience store instead of the pier.
Progress?
Maybe.
Ren grabs a drink.
Just one.
Still weird.
—
His phone buzzes.
He looks at it.
Smiles.
Actually smiles.
Okay, now I'm concerned.
—
"What did she say?" I ask immediately.
"Nothing important."
"That's a lie."
"It's not."
Mio glances at him. "You don't smile like that for nothing."
He hesitates.
Then shows us.
Yuna: I got lost today.
I blink.
"That's it?"
Ren nods.
"That's the message?"
"Yeah."
I stare at him.
"You're smiling because she got lost?"
"She didn't panic," he says. "She figured it out."
Mio smiles softly. "She's settling in."
Ren nods.
And this time—
He looks… okay with it.
—
That's new.
—
He types back without overthinking.
No deleting.
No pausing.
Ren: Of course you did.
Simple.
Natural.
I stare at him like he just evolved.
—
"What?" he says.
"Who are you and what have you done with Ren?"
He rolls his eyes.
"I'm serious," I continue. "You didn't overthink that."
"I don't need to," he replies.
Mio tilts her head slightly. "You trust it more now."
Ren doesn't deny it.
—
That's when it clicks.
He's not holding on as tightly anymore.
Not because he cares less.
Because he's starting to believe it won't disappear.
—
His phone buzzes again.
Yuna: Rude.
He smirks.
See?
That right there?
That's normal.
That's them.
—
We step outside.
The heat hits immediately.
Summer doesn't care about emotional breakthroughs.
—
"You're different," I say.
"I'm not."
"You are."
Mio nods slightly. "You're calmer."
Ren looks out at the street instead of the ocean.
"I think I get it now."
I raise an eyebrow. "Get what?"
"That she's not leaving," he says. "She's just… somewhere else."
—
I pause.
Okay.
That's actually solid.
—
"Wow," I say. "Character development."
"Shut up."
"I'm proud of you," I continue.
"I didn't ask."
Mio laughs quietly.
—
Summertimes are coming.
And for the first time since she left—
It doesn't feel like everything's falling apart.
—
It feels like it's… adjusting.
Still not easy.
Still not perfect.
But not breaking.
—
Yeah.
I still don't trust it completely.
But this?
This is new.
And maybe—
New isn't always a bad thing.