Ethan remained standing near the kitchen counter for a while after Yuna's words, his gaze lingering on her longer than he intended. Usually after emotional nights like yesterday, he expected distance. Silence. Maybe even hatred. But this version of Yuna—quietly trying to move forward instead of drowning completely—caught him off guard in a way he didn't know how to handle.
And somehow…
He preferred this.
Yuna leaned comfortably against the couch now, sunlight falling softly across her face and hair. Without the heavy makeup she once wore during public events and filming, she looked softer this way. Real. The oversized sweater hanging loosely around her shoulders made her seem smaller than usual, fragile but warm at the same time.
Ethan looked away first.
Because staring too long was becoming dangerous.
Yuna noticed anyway.
"You're doing it again," she said softly.
Ethan poured himself coffee calmly. "Doing what?"
"Looking at me like I'm something confusing."
That made him glance at her again.
Because she wasn't wrong.
Yuna smiled faintly at his silence before resting her chin against her knees. "You know," she murmured, "you're easier to understand when you're angry."
Ethan raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"No," she said honestly. "When you're angry, at least you say things directly."
His expression shifted slightly at that, remembering the cruel words he forced himself to say yesterday.
Yuna noticed the change immediately.
The small smile on her lips faded slightly. "I'm not talking about yesterday."
But they both knew she was.
A quiet silence settled between them again.
Then unexpectedly, Yuna stood up and slowly walked toward him.
Ethan watched her carefully.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing."
"That answer never means nothing with you."
A faint laugh escaped her again as she stopped right in front of him. Up close, Ethan could still see the tiredness beneath her eyes, but today there was something calmer there too.
Yuna looked up at him quietly for a second before speaking.
"You stayed."
Ethan's hand tightened slightly around the coffee cup.
"You could've left me alone after everything," she continued softly. "But you stayed the whole night."
His voice remained low. "You asked me to."
"Still."
Ethan looked away briefly before setting the cup down.
Yuna stared at him carefully. "You know… you say cruel things sometimes, but your actions confuse me."
That almost made Ethan laugh bitterly.
If only she knew how much he confused himself too.
Yuna slowly reached forward then, lightly fixing the collar of his shirt absentmindedly. The movement was small and natural, but it made Ethan freeze for a second.
"You really don't sleep properly, do you?" she murmured while looking at the faint exhaustion under his eyes.
Ethan caught her wrist gently before she could pull away.
"You're touching me a lot today."
Yuna blinked before looking down at their hands. "Maybe because you keep acting distant."
"I am distant."
"No," she said softly. "You pretend to be."
Their eyes met after that.
And suddenly the quiet atmosphere around them shifted again.
Not heavy.
Not painful.
Just intimate.
Ethan slowly loosened his grip on her wrist, but Yuna didn't move away. Instead she stayed standing close enough that he could smell the faint scent of shampoo still lingering in her hair.
"You know what I think?" she asked quietly.
"What?"
"I think you hate losing control."
Ethan's gaze narrowed slightly. "And?"
"And I think I'm the reason you keep losing it."
The honesty in her voice made something tighten in his chest again.
Before Ethan could answer, Yuna suddenly stepped around him and reached for his coffee cup instead. "Too bitter," she complained after taking a small sip.
"You drank my coffee without asking."
"You drank my peace without asking."
Ethan stared at her for a second before unexpectedly letting out a quiet breath that almost sounded like a laugh.
Yuna immediately looked at him dramatically. "Wait—was that a laugh?"
"It wasn't."
"It was!"
"It wasn't."
"You're getting softer."
"You're getting annoying."
Yuna smiled brightly for the first time in days.
A real smile this time.
And Ethan hated how much seeing it affected him.
Because for one dangerous second—
Everything felt normal.
Yuna moved toward the balcony again, sunlight wrapping around her figure while she looked outside quietly. Ethan watched her from behind, noticing how much lighter she seemed compared to yesterday.
Not healed.
But trying.
That mattered.
After a moment, Yuna suddenly turned back toward him. "Come here."
Ethan frowned slightly. "Why?"
"Just come."
He stayed still for another second before finally walking toward her slowly. The moment he got close enough, Yuna reached forward and took both of his hands unexpectedly.
Ethan looked down at her immediately.
"What are you doing now?"
Yuna ignored the question and gently pulled him closer to the sunlight near the balcony doors. "Stand here."
"This feels suspicious."
"It's not."
Ethan allowed it anyway.
Yuna looked up at him carefully, studying his face under the morning light before smiling faintly again.
"What?"
"You look less scary in sunlight."
Ethan deadpanned immediately. "That might be the worst compliment I've ever heard."
"It's still a compliment."
She laughed softly again, and before Ethan could react, Yuna suddenly rested her forehead lightly against his chest.
The movement surprised him enough that his body stiffened briefly.
But only briefly.
Slowly, Ethan's arms settled around her waist automatically.
The warmth between them returned naturally, quietly, without either of them forcing it.
Yuna closed her eyes for a second, listening to his heartbeat again.
"It's peaceful today," she whispered.
Ethan looked down at her hair moving softly in the breeze. "For now."
"You always ruin good moments with realistic answers."
"That's because someone here lives entirely on emotions."
"I do not."
"You cried because I didn't compliment your nightdress."
Yuna immediately looked up in offense. "That is not why I cried!"
Ethan's expression finally softened again.
A small smile appeared at the corner of his lips this time.
Clear enough that Yuna noticed immediately.
"There!" she said triumphantly, pointing at him. "You smiled again!"
Ethan instantly looked away slightly. "You're imagining things."
"I'm not blind."
Before he could answer again, Yuna suddenly wrapped both arms around his waist fully and hugged him tightly.
The movement caught him off guard.
"You're clingy today," he murmured quietly.
Yuna's voice came muffled against his chest. "Maybe I just want to feel alive again."
That answer erased the teasing from Ethan's face instantly.
His arms tightened around her slowly.
And for several long moments, neither of them spoke again.
The sunlight stayed warm around them.
The city moved quietly below.
And despite everything broken between them—
Despite grief.
Despite lies.
Despite pain neither fully understood yet—
They stood there holding each other like two people trying to begin again from the ruins of what they lost.
Yuna stayed in his arms longer than usual, her fingers lightly gripping the back of his shirt as if she was afraid the moment would disappear if she let go too quickly. Ethan rested his chin lightly against the top of her head, his expression calmer now than it had been in days.
The silence between them no longer felt uncomfortable.
It felt needed.
After a while, Yuna slowly leaned back just enough to look up at him again. Sunlight reflected softly in her eyes, making them look warmer despite the sadness still hidden there.
"You know something?" she asked quietly.
Ethan looked down at her. "What now?"
"You look handsome when you stop acting like a criminal boss for five minutes."
Ethan stared at her blankly for a second before shaking his head slightly. "That's a terrible sentence."
"But true."
"You really recovered enough to annoy me again."
Yuna smiled faintly. "Maybe that's my talent."
Ethan's hand moved unconsciously to her waist again, holding her there comfortably. The closeness between them felt natural now, almost dangerous in how easy it was becoming again after everything they had said to each other.
Yuna noticed his silence and tilted her head slightly. "What are you thinking?"
"Nothing."
"Liar."
Ethan looked at her for a long second before answering honestly this time.
"I'm thinking you look different today."
Her expression softened slightly. "Different good or different bad?"
"Different peaceful."
Yuna's smile faded into something gentler after hearing that.
"I'm trying," she admitted quietly. "I don't want every day to feel painful anymore."
Ethan's thumb brushed lightly against her waist absentmindedly. "It won't stay like this forever."
Yuna looked at him carefully after that. "You sound very sure."
"I have to be."
"Why?"
Ethan held her gaze for a moment before answering in a low voice.
"Because if you fall apart again… I'll follow right after you."
The honesty in his tone made her heart stop for a second.
And before Ethan could look away or take the words back—
Yuna rose slightly on her toes and kissed him softly.