After that day… things changed. Not in a way anyone else would notice. But Sofia felt it. Deeply. Quietly. It was in the way Kenzo stood a little closer when they walked. The way his gaze lingered a little longer. The way he… stayed. Even when he didn't need to.
And Sofia? She started noticing the silence between them. Not empty. Not uncomfortable. But… full.
That afternoon, the sky was heavy with clouds. Sofia sat alone again on the bench near the courtyard. This time, she was writing. Or at least… trying to. Her pen hovered above the page. Then stopped.
"Why is this so hard?" she whispered to herself. Because her thoughts weren't staying on the page. They kept drifting. To him. A soft sigh escaped her lips. She closed her notebook halfway. Rested her head against her hand. And just… waited.
She didn't realize she was doing it. But she was hoping. Minutes passed. Then—
"Waiting again?"
Sofia straightened immediately. Kenzo stood a few steps away. Hands in his pockets. Watching her.
Sofia blinked. "I'm not waiting," she said quickly.
Kenzo raised an eyebrow. "You were just looking at the path."
She hesitated. "…Observing," she corrected.
A faint hint of a smile crossed his face. "Right." He walked closer. Sitting down beside her again.
This time— there was less distance. Sofia noticed it immediately. And her heart reacted before she could stop it. "Do you always come here?" she asked.
Kenzo nodded slightly. "I thought you liked this place."
Sofia smiled softly. "I do." A pause. Then— "Now I like it more."
Kenzo looked at her. Like he was trying to understand the meaning behind that. "Why?" he asked.
Sofia looked down at her notebook. Then back at him. "Because you're here," she said simply. No hesitation. No overthinking. Just… honesty.
Kenzo didn't respond right away. But something in his expression changed. Subtle. But real. The air between them shifted again. Not tense. Not light. But something in between. Something neither of them fully understood.
Kenzo looked away first. As if grounding himself. "Don't say things like that," he said quietly.
Sofia tilted her head. "Why?"
A pause. "Because…" he started. Then stopped.
Because what? Because it made things complicated? Because it made him feel something he wasn't ready for? Because it sounded too much like something he didn't want to lose?
He didn't finish the sentence. Instead— he stood up.
Sofia watched him, slightly confused. "Hey—" But he didn't leave. Not completely.
He turned back toward her. His expression more serious now. "You shouldn't get used to this," he said.
Sofia frowned slightly. "Used to what?"
"Me."
The word landed harder than expected. Sofia's expression softened. "…Why?"
Kenzo looked at her. Long. Quiet. Because he knew. He knew something she didn't. That he wasn't the kind of person who stayed. That he wasn't good at this. That whatever this was… it wasn't something he could promise.
But instead of saying all that— he said something simpler. "Because I don't stay in one place for long."
Sofia held his gaze. Something flickering in her eyes. "And people?" she asked softly. "Do you leave them too?"
Silence.
Kenzo didn't answer. But his silence… was the answer.
Sofia felt something tighten in her chest. Not anger. Not fear. But something close to both. "I see," she said quietly. Her voice didn't break. But it changed.
And Kenzo noticed. That was the moment something shifted again. A distance forming. Quiet. Invisible.
Kenzo hesitated. For just a second. But it was enough. "I should go," he said. And this time— he walked away. Leaving Sofia behind. Sitting there. Still. Silent. With her notebook closed. Her thoughts tangled. And her heart… just a little heavier than before.
Because now she knew. He wasn't just quiet. He was temporary.
✨ End of Chapter 6