Ren woke to the same pale sunlight he always hated—except today it felt emptier. The street outside was quiet, almost mocking. Yuna was gone.
He sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the spot she had always stood when they talked before school, her laughter still echoing in his mind. The memory was sharp and heavy.
Mio appeared at the door, coffee in hand, but didn't say much. "She'll be okay," she murmured.
Ren didn't reply. How could he? He felt hollow, like a part of him had left with Yuna's car down the road.
He pulled out his phone. Her name glowed on the screen. He wanted to call, to hear her voice, but he froze. Every word would feel like both a lifeline and a reminder that she was far away.
Aio barged in then, bouncing in with impossible energy. "Dude, you're moping like the summer's already over. She's just gone, not vanished."
Ren forced a tight smile. "Easy for you to say."
Aio shrugged, grinning. "You think too much. She's Yuna. She'll come back. But until then… man up, or the heat's going to melt your brain."
Ren laughed bitterly. Maybe Aio was right. Maybe he needed to face it. She was gone. And yet, every beat of his heart reminded him she wasn't truly gone.
He opened the window. The morning air hit his face. It smelled like summer—warm, heavy, full of promise and loss.
"I won't let this summer take her away," he whispered.
Even if he had to fight distance, longing, and the inevitable changes to keep her in his life, he would.
And maybe, just maybe, he could finally admit how much he truly needed her.