The group chat had been quiet for twelve hours.
Twelve.
Aio stared at his phone like it had personally offended him.
"This is unacceptable," he muttered.
Mio glanced up from her book at the café. "It's been half a day."
"Exactly. Suspicious."
Ren sat across from them, absently stirring a melting iced drink. He hadn't said much since morning. He kept checking his phone, then pretending he wasn't.
Aio leaned forward. "Did you two fight?"
"We didn't fight," Ren replied flatly.
"Did you almost fight?"
"No."
"Did you think about fighting?"
Ren shot him a look.
Mio sighed. "You're projecting your boredom."
Aio ignored her and opened the chat.
Aio: Emergency. I'm dying. Send help.
Three dots appeared almost instantly.
Yuna: Dramatic as always.
Aio grinned triumphantly. "See? I saved the timeline."
Ren tried not to smile, but failed.
Miles away, Yuna sat at her desk surrounded by half-unpacked boxes. Her new school uniform hung on the closet door. Orientation was tomorrow.
Her stomach twisted at the thought.
She wasn't scared exactly.
Just aware that everything was about to shift again.
Her phone buzzed.
Ren: What are you doing?
Simple.
Direct.
She liked that about him.
Yuna: Pretending I'm not nervous about tomorrow.
The café noise blurred around Ren as he read it.
Ren: You'll be fine.
She waited.
He typed again.
Ren: You're stronger than you think.
That made her pause.
No teasing.
No half-joke.
Just sincerity.
She leaned back in her chair.
Yuna: What if I don't fit in?
Back at the café, Aio tried to peek at Ren's screen.
Ren tilted it away.
Mio watched quietly, sensing the shift.
Ren: Then they'll adjust to you.
Yuna's chest felt lighter.
Sometimes his confidence in her felt steadier than her own.
Yuna: What if I change?
Ren stared at that one longer.
He could picture her saying it. Soft voice. Trying to sound casual.
He answered honestly.
Ren: Then I'll just have to keep up.
Across the city, Yuna smiled slowly.
Not because the fear disappeared.
But because the distance felt less sharp.
At the café, Aio slumped back dramatically. "You two are having a deep moment and I'm excluded. This is betrayal."
Mio smirked. "You created the emergency."
"Yes, but I didn't consent to emotional growth."
Ren finally laughed.
The sound surprised even him.
Maybe summer wasn't just about heat and fireworks.
Maybe it was about stretching.
Testing.
Becoming.
And maybe—
Even if things changed—
Some bonds weren't as fragile as they feared.
Outside, the sun dipped lower.
Tomorrow would come whether they were ready or not.
And this time, none of them were facing it alone.