He caught the faint edge of her shadow beside him, followed by the soft scent of her shampoo drifting through the air. His body stiffened slightly, his focus locking onto the water in front of him as if that alone could keep him grounded. He didn’t know what to do.

Lyra stood there for a second, steadying herself.

She knew she had to face this. She couldn’t just walk away again and pretend it didn’t matter. As much as she hated it, as much as she didn’t want to admit how easily things got to her, she couldn’t keep avoiding moments like this.

Not anymore.

So she stepped closer, right beside him.

Up close, she could feel how tense he was. His shoulders were set, his posture just a little too still, like he was holding himself in place. He didn’t turn. He didn’t even glance at her.

Still, she stayed.

“R-Ren Ashley…” she said, her voice quieter than she intended.

No response.

Her lips pressed together for a second, her hands tightening slightly at her sides before she forced herself to keep going.

“C-can I have another one of your ramen?”

The words felt awkward the moment they left her mouth, but she didn’t take them back. Asking for something like this, especially after leaving the way she did, put her in a position she wasn’t used to. But it was the only way she could think of saying anything at all.

Ren froze.

The tension in his shoulders eased just slightly as the words settled in, confusion replacing whatever he had been bracing for. He hadn’t expected that.

For a moment, he just stood there, then let out a small breath as something in him loosened.

“Hey… sure,” he said, pushing a faint smile onto his face as he stood up. “Give me a sec. I’ll go grab it.”

He walked a few steps ahead before pausing, turning back slightly.

“Oh—it’s Ren Asher, by the way.”

Lyra blinked, caught off guard for a second before a small laugh slipped out.

“Okay,” she said, and this time the smile stayed.

—

They ended up in the kitchen.

It was dim, the solar lights giving just enough glow to outline the space without fully lighting it. The quiet felt different here—closer, more contained.

Each of them held a cup of hot ramen, the steam rising faintly between them.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Ren leaned back against the counter, his gaze fixed on the surface of his cup. Lyra sat across from him, her feet drawn in slightly as she looked down, avoiding his eyes.

The silence stretched longer than he liked.

“Go on,” he said after a moment. “Eat it.”

“Yes… thank you,” she replied, her voice soft but steadier this time.

He nodded slightly, then hesitated.

“Lyra…”

Saying her name took more effort than it should have.

“Y-yes?”

She looked up at him, her expression open but cautious.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to be weird or anything… I just—” he let out a small breath, shaking his head lightly, “I can be a bit stupid sometimes.”

She didn’t interrupt. She just watched him, her expression softening, though something in her eyes still lingered.

“I won’t do that again,” he added, quieter now.

“…Yeah. Okay,” she said.

It wasn’t everything she wanted to say. She could feel it sitting there, just out of reach, but the words didn’t come.

And somehow, the way he held himself back—didn’t push, didn’t try to fix it too quickly—made it harder.

She took a small bite of the noodles, more out of habit than hunger, then paused.

“Look… it wasn’t your fault,” she said, a little faster than she meant to.

Ren looked up, surprised.

Lyra took a breath, steadying herself.

“I’m sorry. You were just being casual, and I misunderstood it. I shouldn’t have reacted like that.”

Ren didn’t respond right away. He could tell it wasn’t easy for her to say that, and that mattered more than the words themselves.

“I—I just had bad experiences befor—”

“I know,” Ren said gently. “It’s okay.”

He didn’t let her finish.

“Actually… it’s kinda my fault too,” he added, taking a bite of his ramen like it wasn’t a big deal.

Lyra watched him, unsure what to make of that.

He chewed, then swallowed before continuing.

“I almost forgot we’re around the same age. I’m always around older women, you know.”

“Wait, really?” she asked, a bit more engaged now.

“Yeah. I’m in my fourth year, but I’m only twenty-one. Most of my classmates are older.”

He gestured lightly as he spoke, his tone easier now.

“I wouldn’t exactly call that being surrounded by older women,” Lyra said, a faint smirk forming.

“Actually, it is,” he said. “Most of the guys don’t really hang out with me, so I end up sticking with the girls.”

Lyra smiled.

“And before Myron, I worked at an old folks’ home. Mostly older ladies there.”

She nodded, still watching him.

“And I’ve got three older sisters. My mom too. My dad… but that’s not really relevant,” he added with a small shrug.

Lyra let out a quiet breath, studying him.

He didn’t feel the same as before.

There was something different now.

“And you flirt with the older ladies too,” she said, a hint of a smirk returning.

“What? No—I mean, why would I?” he said, caught off guard.

“I see.”

She didn’t push it further.

After a moment, she stood up and walked over to the bin, tossing her cup away.

“Wait—you barely ate. Are you done?” Ren asked.

“I’m full,” she said, turning back to him.

Her expression was lighter now. Ren looked at her, not fully understanding what she meant, but he didn’t question it. She turned and walked out without saying anything else.

This time, it didn’t feel awkward.

Ren stayed there a moment longer, his gaze lingering on the doorway after she left.

“…You’re full… huh,” he muttered under his breath.