Weekends in Alberta were… quiet. Too quiet.
In Tokyo, weekends were noise. Friends dragging me to karaoke bars, neon flashing from every corner, drama waiting around every corner. Here, it was snow and silence, the kind that pressed on your ears until you swore you could hear your own heartbeat.
So when Anna texted, "Mall? 1 PM. We need more hoodies," I jumped at the chance.
The mall wasn't much, but it was something to do. We wandered past racks of flannels and shelves of sneakers, sipping iced coffees even though it was freezing outside. For once, I felt… normal. Like I could blend in.
Until I saw him.
Tall. Dark hair. That scar across his jaw I knew too well.
My stomach dropped. The world tilted.
Yuri Hanamatchi.
I blinked hard, convinced I was imagining him. But no—the way he moved, the sharp cut of his eyes, the slight limp in his stride. It was him. In Alberta. Thousands of miles from Tokyo.
He hadn't seen me yet. My pulse hammered. Memories slammed into me—our last fight, the shouting, the way I'd shoved him so hard he hit the ground and didn't get up right away. His expression then, twisted with hate.
I swallowed hard, fingers tightening on my shopping bag.
"Ji A?" Anna nudged me. "You okay? You look like you saw a ghost."
I forced a laugh, too high-pitched. "Yeah. Just… tired."
But inside, I was unraveling.
Why was Yuri here? Why now?
And more importantly—what would he do when he saw me?
===
Brenton
I wasn't planning to be at the mall. Weekends were for hockey practice, hanging out with the guys, maybe killing time at the arcade. But Mason wanted new skates, so here I was, following him through the sports store.
And then I saw her.
Ji A.
She was standing frozen in the middle of the walkway, eyes locked on some guy across the floor. Her whole body went stiff, like she was staring down a ghost.
I followed her gaze.
The guy was older, sharper, carrying himself like he'd been through hell and back. He looked right past me—but Ji A? She looked like she couldn't breathe.
For the first time, I realized something:
Whatever secrets she was hiding, they weren't just rumors. They were real. And dangerous.
And suddenly, I wasn't just curious anymore.
I wanted to protect her.