“It’s good, isn’t it?” Ren asked, chewing through a mouthful of ramen.

“Yes… it’s really good,” Lyra replied, nodding slightly before taking another bite.

“A bit spicy, no?”

“Not really.”

A small pause settled between them, quiet but noticeable.

“You like spicy food?”

She paused for a second, then shook her head lightly. “Not particularly.”

“Then what do you usually like?”

Lyra lowered her gaze to her cup, watching the steam rise for a moment before answering. “I’m not really picky. Anything works.”

Ren hummed softly, watching her as he took another bite. She was answering him, but there was something missing in the way she spoke, like she was keeping everything at a distance.

“Lyra.”

“Y-yes?” She looked up immediately, a little startled hearing her name so directly.

Ren gestured slightly around them with his chopsticks. “You prefer eating out here, or inside?”

Lyra glanced around, taking in the view this time. The sunlight reflected off the water in scattered flashes, the warmth settling against her skin as the breeze moved lightly past them.

“It’s… nice out here,” she said after a moment. “Just a bit hot.”

Ren nodded, leaning back slightly in his seat as the quiet returned. His gaze lingered on her for a second, like he was trying to read something she wasn’t saying.

“So… you have an album coming out?” he asked, casually.

Lyra blinked.

Then suddenly—

She burst into laughter, the sound slipping out before she could stop it.

Ren stared at her, completely lost.

Lyra pressed her lips together, her shoulders tensing as she tried to hold it in, but the laugh broke through anyway. “Why do you think we’re even here?” she said between small laughs.

Ren frowned slightly. “I don’t know… I was asked to come here by my boss.”

“Your boss?” she repeated, still amused. “Who?”

“Myron.”

Her expression shifted instantly. “Oh—Myron.”

“Yeah. I’m his assistant,” Ren said, then added after a brief pause, “For now, at least.”

“What do you mean, ‘for now’?”

“I’m on semester break. Just working for him in the meantime.”

Lyra nodded slowly, the amusement settling into something lighter. “I see… he’s one of the sponsors for my album release.”

Ren paused, the words taking a second to register.

“…You’re releasing an album?”

Lyra looked at him, still half-smiling. “Yeah.”

She gestured around them, subtle but enough.

“This is the launch party.”

Ren stared at her, the realization landing all at once.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

For a second, they just looked at each other, the silence hanging there before it broke on its own—

Then both of them laughed. 

It wasn’t loud, just easy in a way that felt genuine. 

Ren shook his head slightly, still smiling. “I’m sorry. I really didn’t know.”

“It’s fine,” Lyra said, waving it off. “Honestly, that makes it funnier.”

The quiet returned again, but it felt different now—lighter, less guarded.

“Do you not listen to music?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.

“I do,” Ren replied. “Just… not the kind you make.”

Lyra raised an eyebrow, curiosity slipping in. “Oh?”

“What do you listen to then?”

Ren leaned back slightly, thinking for a moment before answering. “R&B, mostly.”

He hesitated briefly, then added, “Dark R&B, I guess.”

Lyra blinked, a little thrown off. “Dark?”

“Yeah.”

She studied him for a second, her earlier stiffness easing into something quieter, more curious.

“So… what, like sad songs?” she asked.

Ren let out a small breath, his gaze dropping to his ramen cup.

“Not just sad,” he said. “It’s more… honest.”

Lyra frowned slightly. “Honest?”

“The way they talk about things,” he continued, his voice a little quieter now. “The emotions, the mess, the contradictions… it doesn’t try to clean it up. It just lets it be what it is.”

He gave a small shrug.

“It feels real.”

Lyra watched him, her expression shifting slowly as she took that in.

“But what if it’s not?” she asked. “Sometimes people just say what works.” Her fingers traced lightly along the rim of the cup. 

Ren looked up at her.

“Then… fair enough, I guess.”

He gave a small, easy smile.

Lyra didn’t reply right away.

Something about the way he said it—calm, unbothered, not trying to prove anything—stayed with her. The warmth from the sun didn’t feel the same anymore. There was a quiet shift in the air she couldn’t quite explain, something subtle but enough to make her aware of it.

A faint shiver ran down her arms.

“You done?” Ren asked, glancing at her cup.

Lyra blinked, snapping out of it. “Yeah… I am.”

“I’ll throw it away,” he said, reaching over and taking her cup before she could react.

He stood up and started walking.

“Wait.”

Ren stopped and turned back.

“Yeah?”

Lyra hesitated.

For a moment, she wasn’t entirely sure why she wanted to ask, but the question stayed there anyway.

“What’s… your name?”

Her voice came out softer than she expected, but there was something steady behind it.

Ren looked at her.

Then smiled.

“Ren,” he said. “Ren Asher.”