It all began on a quiet Friday.
A rare day off, the kind of break that felt more like the calm before a storm than a true moment of rest. The sky was overcast, but the city buzzed below, alive and indifferent.
Inside a sleek penthouse, Austin stood before the full-length mirror. He adjusted the jacket over his black shirt, smoothing down the front with practiced ease. His blue jeans were simple, worn, but paired well with the rest of the look. He stared at his reflection for a long moment—expression unreadable—then nodded to himself in silent approval.
Behind him, Sellzen leaned against the doorway, a bag of snacks in one hand, his posture relaxed but his tone anything but.
"Well, well, if it isn't the bastard forsaking my special day for some ice-cold flirtation with a dangerous woman," he said with theatrical flair. "You are low, you know that? I mean, how could you? I thought we had something special!"
He struck a dramatic pose—one hand pressed to his forehead, the other still holding snacks like a stage prop. Austin didn't flinch. He grabbed his keys and slung a simple bag over his shoulder, ignoring the performance behind him.
"I'll get you that PS5 if you stop being an ass about this," he muttered. Then, with a glance over his shoulder, added bluntly, "Also—where the hell were you last night?"
Sellzen moonwalked backward in mock victory, still chewing. "Me? At churc—"
"You're banned from every church in the city," Austin interrupted flatly. "And your defense was, 'forbidden fruits are always the sweetest.'"
Sellzen turned away slowly, taking one guilty step after another like a man running from the truth. "Ah… gotta run! Good luck on your date!" he called out, already disappearing down the hallway.
Austin sighed deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Nuns, you sick weirdo… Anyway," he muttered. "Time to meet Maki… though I'm really risking it."
He took a breath to steady himself and left the penthouse.
---
The city streets were packed, the late afternoon bustle turning sidewalks into slow-moving rivers. Austin weaved through the crowd with ease, but something gnawed at the pit of his stomach. A strange tension. The kind that screamed at him to look—move—now.
He turned.
A truck barreled toward him, completely out of control.
He barely had a second to react.
The sound of screeching tires was deafening. He dove to the ground, the massive vehicle missing him by inches. Lying flat on the pavement, heart pounding, he watched it speed past. But there was no time to catch his breath.
He was in the middle of a four-way intersection. The lights—all of them—turned green.
Trucks screamed from every direction.
"Seriously?" he hissed, scrambling to his feet.
He bolted for the nearest truck and used its front bumper as a springboard, leaping over it in a single bound. He hit the ground rolling, ignoring the pain, and sprinted toward a nearby construction site.
Steel beams, ladders, and unfinished walkways towered around him like an obstacle course from hell. He climbed and leapt his way upward, using the chaos below as momentum. Finally reaching a high point, he checked the time.
"I'm not late, right?" he muttered. "Still got a few minutes…"
Then the beam beneath him shuddered.
He looked down. Another runaway truck smashed into the base of the structure.
The building began to collapse in slow, horrible motion.
Austin ran forward, then back, calculating his escape. He reached into his bag, pulled out an umbrella, and snapped it open just as a powerful gust of wind swept through the collapsing site. Carried by luck and timing, he drifted—barely in control—toward the city's skyline.
When he finally touched down, tumbling to the ground in front of a small café, people stared at him in stunned silence.
He dusted himself off and straightened his jacket. "Excuse me," he said coolly, stepping inside like nothing happened.
He chose a quiet corner table and checked the time again.
Right on cue, Maki entered.
She wore a sunflower-colored dress that moved like sunlight when she walked. Heads turned instinctively, drawn to the effortless elegance she carried with her. She smiled softly as she took her seat.
"Hope I'm not late," she said with a small laugh.
Austin shook his head. "No. I just got here, actually. Order anything you want—it's on me. For the… treat you gave me the other day."
Maki blushed ever so slightly and nodded. The conversation that followed felt natural, easy. They laughed, smiled, and spoke like they'd known each other longer than they had. As the clock crept toward noon, the mood became more gentle. Hesitant.
Maki glanced to the side, then back at him.
"So… I was thinking," she began, her voice quiet, "if you might consider… doing this again. But next time, as a couple."
Austin looked at her for a long moment. The silence lingered—not awkward, but heavy. Finally, he took a quiet breath.
"I'm honored," he said. "Truly. You're an incredible person, Maki… and I'm lucky I got to spend today with you. To see your smile like this. But…"
He paused. Then continued, voice firm but sincere.
"I'm not ready. Not for a relationship. Maybe not now… maybe not ever. I understand if that hurts, or if you don't want to see me again. But this day… this was something special. Thank you for it."
Maki's expression was unreadable.
Austin placed money on the table and stood. Without another word, he turned and walked out.
Outside, leaning casually against the wall, Sellzen was already waiting.
"You know you're gonna regret that, right?" he said, not looking up. "You'll come back to her eventually. So why? Why walk away?"
Austin didn't stop walking. His voice was flat. Detached.
"Because I can't be attached," he replied. "You know why."
Sellzen watched him go in silence. Then, with a sigh, he stepped inside the café and took the seat across from Maki.
"Heya, Maki. Didn't expect to find you here alone," he said with forced cheer. "You look like someone carved you into a statue. Wanna talk about it?"
She didn't answer immediately. Then, slowly, she lifted her head and smiled faintly.
Sellzen shook his head and smiled back, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.
"You two," he said. "Idiots cut from the same cursed cloth. He didn't reject you, y'know. Not really. Which means… the ice melted the cube."
He chuckled to himself.
"Here's what's gonna happen, alright? Listen close…"
---
Elsewhere, in a quiet park under the night sky, Austin sat with his back against a tree.
He stared upward, watching clouds drift across the moon, expression grim.
"What's happening to me…" he whispered. "I should've said yes. I should've agreed. But why… Why didn't I? Was I… afraid?"
He exhaled shakily and shut his eyes.
"It's over."