Ethan stepped inside the room quietly, closing the door behind him with a soft click. The sound was small, but in the stillness of the room, it felt louder than it should have. Yuna, who had been resting, slowly opened her eyes at the movement.
For a moment, she just looked at him.
There was something different in the way he stood there—still, but not distant. Like he had come in with something already decided.
The sudden shift in atmosphere was palpable, like a switch flipping from chaos to intimate stillness. Ethan's entire demeanor changed; the rigid defensiveness melted away, replaced by a raw vulnerability. His gaze softened as he stepped fully into the private space created by the cafe's dim lighting and rain-soaked windows.
"Yuna," he breathed, your name feeling different on his tongue now—heavier with meaning. He reached out tentatively, his fingers brushing against your cheek with surprising gentleness. The touch sent a shiver through him that had nothing to do with the cold outside.
Behind them, Sarah emitted an indignant squeak of protest. "Ethan! What are you doing? Get back here!" Her voice was shrill with panic as she watched him turn his back on her completely.
Ethan ignored her completely.
Ethan didn't turn around, didn't acknowledge the sharp edge in Sarah's voice or the way it cut through the room. His focus stayed exactly where it had shifted the moment he stepped forward—on Yuna. That alone made the tension rise, because ignoring someone like Sarah wasn't something people usually did without consequence. Yuna, however, had noticed everything. The tone, the urgency, the way that girl had called his name like she had a right to it.
Her brows drew together slightly as she looked from Ethan to the direction of the voice and then back to him again. "Who is she?" Yuna asked, her voice calm on the surface but carrying a quiet firmness underneath that made it clear she wasn't going to let it go. Ethan's expression didn't change immediately, but there was a pause—just long enough to show that the question mattered. Behind them, Sarah let out another frustrated sound, her heels clicking sharply against the floor as she took a step closer.
"Ethan, I'm talking to you," she insisted, her tone tighter now, more controlled but no less demanding. Yuna didn't look at her this time. Her eyes stayed on Ethan, waiting. That, more than anything, shifted something in the air. Because this wasn't about the noise behind them anymore. It was about his answer. Ethan exhaled slowly, like he was choosing his words carefully. "She's not important," he said.
It was a simple answer. Too simple. Yuna's expression didn't soften. If anything, it sharpened just slightly. "She seems to think she is," Yuna replied, her voice still steady, but now carrying a faint edge. Sarah let out a short, disbelieving laugh from behind them. "Not important?" she repeated, clearly offended. "Wow. That's new." She stepped closer again, coming into Yuna's line of sight now, her posture straight, her eyes locked onto Ethan with a mix of anger and disbelief. "Is that really what you're going with?" she asked him. Ethan finally turned his head just enough to acknowledge her presence, but not enough to fully face her. "Leave," he said.
Just one word. Calm. Final. Sarah froze for a second, clearly not expecting that. "Excuse me?" she said, her voice rising again. "You don't get to dismiss me like that." Yuna's gaze flicked toward her briefly now, taking in her expression, the way she stood, the confidence in her stance even in anger. Then she looked back at Ethan. "You're not answering me," Yuna said quietly. That mattered more than the noise behind them. Ethan's attention shifted back to her fully again. "She's someone from before," he said. Still vague. Yuna didn't look satisfied. "Before what?" she pressed. Another pause. Sarah scoffed loudly. "Oh, this is interesting," she muttered, crossing her arms. "You're just going to rewrite history now?" Ethan's jaw tightened slightly, but he didn't react to her directly. "Before you," he clarified to Yuna.
That made Yuna's chest tighten just a little, though she didn't show it openly. "That doesn't explain anything," she said. Ethan held her gaze. "It's not something that matters now." Yuna's lips pressed together faintly. "It matters if she's standing here calling your name like that," she replied. Behind them, Sarah let out another sharp laugh. "Finally, someone asking the right question," she said. "You want to know who I am?" she added, her tone shifting as she looked directly at Yuna now. "I'm—" "You're leaving," Ethan cut in, his voice firmer this time. Not louder. But sharper. It stopped her mid-sentence. For a moment, the three of them stood in a tense silence. Sarah's expression hardened, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked at him.
"You really think you can just shut me out like this?" she asked. Ethan didn't answer. Didn't justify. Didn't argue. That silence said enough. Yuna watched the exchange carefully, her thoughts moving quickly now, piecing together what wasn't being said. She could feel it—this wasn't nothing. This wasn't just "someone from before." There was history here. Something unresolved.
Something that hadn't been fully closed. And Ethan was choosing not to explain it. That, more than anything, unsettled her. "Ethan," she said again, quieter now but more serious, "I asked you a question." He looked back at her, his expression softer than it had been with Sarah, but still guarded. "And I answered," he said. Yuna shook her head slightly. "No," she said. "You avoided it." That landed. Because it was true. Sarah watched them both now, something almost amused flickering in her expression despite the tension. "Looks like she knows you better than you think," she said lightly.
Ethan ignored her again. But this time, the silence felt heavier. Yuna held his gaze for a few seconds longer, then looked away briefly, exhaling slowly. "I'm not asking to fight," she said. "I just want to understand." That changed the tone. It wasn't confrontation. It was honesty. Ethan's eyes stayed on her, and for a moment, it looked like he might say more. Like he might actually explain. But then— He didn't. "There's nothing you need to worry about," he said instead. That wasn't the answer she wanted. Yuna's expression tightened slightly, disappointment flickering across her face before she hid it.
"That's not the same as answering," she murmured. Sarah scoffed again, shaking her head. "He never answers anything properly," she said. "You'll get used to it." Ethan's gaze shifted sharply toward her this time, a warning in his eyes. "Leave," he repeated. This time, there was no room for argument. Sarah held his gaze for a second longer, as if deciding whether to push further. Then she exhaled sharply, throwing her hands up slightly. "Fine," she said. "But this isn't over."
Her eyes flicked to Yuna one last time, something unreadable passing through them. "You should ask better questions," she added, before turning and walking away, her steps echoing until the sound faded completely. Silence fell again. Heavier than before. Yuna didn't look at Ethan immediately. She was still processing, still holding onto the unanswered parts. Finally, she spoke, her voice quieter now.
"You could have told me the truth." Ethan didn't respond right away. Because this time— There wasn't an easy way to answer without breaking something. And he knew it.