The garden glowed under soft fairy lights. A quiet breeze rustled the hydrangeas as Hana stood near the koi pond, her heels sinking slightly into the grass. Everything was too quiet. Too calm.
She didn't flinch when she heard footsteps behind her.
"You're avoiding me," Mi-Ho said, voice low.
She stared at the reflection of the moon in the water. "I needed time."
He stopped beside her, hands buried deep in his coat pockets. "And now?"
"I still don't know what to do with you." Her voice was fragile, honest. "You confuse me."
Mi-Ho turned, eyes full of something she wasn't sure she was ready to name. "Do I scare you?"
"No," she whispered. "But you make me want things again. That's scarier."
He let that hang in the air.
No push. No demand. Just presence.
Finally, he took a single step forward. "I don't need you to say anything. Not yet. Just let me stay… here. Close enough to protect you. Far enough that you can still breathe."
The silence between them was louder than any declaration.
And yet, it held more weight than a thousand love songs.
She nodded—barely.
He smiled—softly.
And nothing more needed to be said.