With that imperfectly perfect smile—one that looked like it tripped and fell right out of Dream.
She walked into Pizza Hut like a curious, adorable cat strolling into its dream playground.
The sky outside wore a quiet blush, as if the sun itself was holding back tears.
It wasn't raining, but the air had that soft ache…that feeling you get before something beautiful begins.
Ren stood on the other side of the road, his heart thudding not fast—
but heavy, like it carried a million silent hopes.
The sky, as if in love too, blushed in blue and violet hues, blessing Ren with courage.
He took a deep breath.
"I got this..." he whispered.
He looked both ways before crossing the street, as if checking not just for traffic, but for fate itself.
"Please don't cry.
Please don't cry.
Please don't cry."
He tried to calm the overthinking monster in his head that loved catastrophizing things more than his heart loved Serin.
And then, he stood in front of the glass door.
"Here goes nothing."
He pushed it open.
In the distance, a staff member was flipping through the menu sheets.
But Ren's eyes caught something far more sacred.
A bag—Serin's bag.
It had little bunny pins, pastel hues, and that gentle chaotic energy only she carried.
He walked toward the seat and sat opposite the bag like it was a sacred scroll that held secrets of the universe.
"Where is ser—"
Creaaak.
The restroom door opened.
She stepped out quietly, almost dreamlike.
The soul that melted winter with a smile.
She walked out slowly, almost like time was trying to slow down just to admire her presence.
But her presence turned the entire Pizza Hut into a scene from a film.
She didn't need makeup.
She didn't need designer clothes.
She carried beauty like sunlight—effortless, honest, unfiltered.
Her hair swayed slightly with each step.
Her cheeks?
Soft like mochi.
Eyes?
Round, deep, and glowing—like they carried galaxies.
Smile?
So effortlessly pleasant it could melt glaciers.
Her outfit was playful : An oversized lavender hoodie with a little white cat stitched on the sleeve, a black pleated skirt, and mismatched pastel socks.
It shouldn't have made sense—but on her, it was art.
They both instantly looked away and pressed hands to cheeks, trying to hide blushes that were already exposed.
"Hey."
She stretched her hand out Calmly and Confidently.
"Ha—Hi! Hey—heyy…"
Ren stuttered, and Stretched Out his hand Panicking and insecure .
"Wow Ren... you have really soft hands."
For a second,
Ren felt like he was the Girlfriend and she was the Boyfriend.
"Y-yeah...your hands are soft too."
he muttered, hiding behind a flustered smile.
But what he meant to say was
"Your hands feel like safety."
They sat near the window, their knees almost touching.
Eyes locked.
That silence wasn't awkward.
No, it was that silence.
The kind only two hearts deeply connected could speak through.
Their eyes spoke better than their mouths ever could.
So good, their lips got jealous.
They both giggled.
Ren's legs were jelly.
Serin? Still calm like a monk on vacation.
Some silences aren't empty.
They're full—Full of meaning.
Full of questions.
Full of possibilities.
Their eyes met.
Again.
And
Again.
And each time, Ren thought,
"God… I hope she never looks away."
Serin tilted her head.
"Wait... Stand up!"
She suddenly shouted.
Ren sprang up.
She marched up, Shoulders brushing.
"WHAT?! You're not 5'8! You're SHORTER than me!"
She burst into laughter which was so chaotic, But somehow still angelic.
"Dude... I'm not even 5'6 and you're still shorter than meee!"
She kept laughing, nearly wheezing.
"I—I... that was a lie, okay?!"
Ren was now facepalming.
"Awww, don't worry baby boy."
She chuckled and placed her hand on his Head like she was consoling a child.
"Cut it out—I'm 18!"
he squeaked.
They shared a warm, playful smile.
Serin's laughter was starting to feel like home.
They returned to their seats.
Back at the table, their knees brushed again.
Not by accident.
Not quite on purpose either.
Ren's hand twitched.
He wanted to reach out.
He wanted to hold hers.
But something held him back.
A voice in his head that said,
"What if she pulls away?"
But then—
her hand moved too.
They met halfway, like two puzzle pieces finally realizing they belonged together.
They slowly inched their hands closer...
closer...
fingers touched.
The waiter interrupted.
"Would you two like the bigger sofa seat?"
Both of them Pulled Their Hands To Themselves.
They nodded awkwardly, moving side-by-side.
Ren stood up, trying to look dominant.
"Sure."
Though between them, everyone knew who wore the pants—and the hoodie.
Serin casually shrugged and walked ahead.
Ren picked up both bags like a proud butler.
They sat down again, side by side.
Serin grabbed his hand.
Tight.
Ren looked at their joined hands.
The way her fingers curled around his.
Like she was saying:
"I'm not letting go… not tonight."
Ren turned slowly, blushing mad crazy.
She smiled, eyes closed in peace.
The waiter, flustered himself, slipped the menu and left.
The menu arrived.
Ren grabbed it like a shield.
He felt like she could see every emotion written across his face.
Serin, however, tilted her head, gazing at his side profile.
His sharp jawline.
The gentle curve of his lips.
His eyes that sparkled, even when hiding.
"What are you looking at?"
he asked, peeking.
"Hmm? Your side profile looks good today."
She said it so casually, as if unaware she just set off a nuclear blush in him.
"T-Thank you."
He turned red. Full tomato mode.
She got up and sat across him.
"Yeah. Now this looks more like a date."
She sighed, content.
"So...what do you wanna order?"
Ren pointed to the menu, desperate to change the topic.
"Pepperoni and Pepsi, obviously! That combo is my childhood. Like, I used to sneak out during tuition to eat this exact thing—"She kept talking.
But Ren?
He was lost.
In her eyes.
In her cheeks.
In her passion.
"She may not be the most perfect girl in the world...but she's perfect for me."
She walked to the counter to order.
Ren watched her like he was watching a cherry blossom petal dance in the wind.
That wolf-cut hair.
Her oversized hoodie dancing with her every step.
She was poetry.
She was art.
"How is she this perfect?"
he thought.
Not because of how she looked.
But because she felt like something he'd been waiting for his whole life
without even knowing it.
"Hey."
She slid into the seat like a cool anime boyfriend.
"Hey..."
Ren melted like chocolate on a summer day.
"OMG I wanna take a pic of you."
She lifted her phone.
"NOOOOO. STOP. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Ren covered his face like a panicked child.
"Dude chill. Just for me!"
"HELL NO."
"Fine. Can you open my bag?"
"sure"
As soon as he reached for it—
* CLICK *
"NOOOOOO!"
"Too late."
She laughed and uploaded it to Snapchat.
Buzz.
Ren's phone vibrated.
Snap by Serin.
"YOU DID NOT!"
He started to panic.
But when he saw it...
"Not bad..."
He smirked.
She grinned and sent it to her friends.
Ren blushed deeper.
They kept talking.
Not once did the conversation feel forced.
Their voices blended like music and lyrics.
Ren tapped the edge of his glass.
"I think the pizza's taking a sh*t ton of time."
Serin smiled, arms folded on the table.
"Let it. Maybe by the time it gets here, you'll finally stop being dramatic."
"I'm not being dramatic,"
he muttered, then immediately moved his hands off the table.
She raised an eyebrow.
"You've shifted positions five times since we sat down. You're practically doing yoga."
Ren sighed, giving in.
"Fine. I'm nervous, okay? This is technically a date."
Serin leaned forward, curious.
"Technically?"
"Well, you agreed to pizza with me. That's basically a marriage proposal for me not gonna lie."
She laughed.
Not the polite kind, but the real kind that slipped out naturally.
"Wow. So low effort. No flowers, no candlelight, just Pizza and Pepsi?"
Ren grinned.
"You said you liked simple things."
"I said I like quiet places. Not budget dates."
She smiled again, more gently this time, resting her chin on her hand.
"Honestly, though… I kinda like this."
Ren blinked.
"What, the pizza that hasn't arrived yet?"
"No" she said, looking at him.
"This. You. The awkward attempts at being smooth. It's… nice. Real."
For a moment, he didn't know how to respond.
So he scratched the back of his head and said the first thing that came to mind.
"I practiced one cool line in the mirror before coming here. Forgot it the moment you smiled."
Serin burst into another laugh, covering her mouth. "That was the line? Or was that just a confession?"
"Both,"
he said, mock-serious.
They both chuckled, and the silence that followed wasn't heavy.
It was the kind of quiet that came when two people didn't feel the need to fill every gap with words.
Serin tilted her head.
"You know, I never imagined us doing something like this."
Ren looked down at his hands for a second.
"Yeah...same"
Their eyes met—no dramatic music, no slow-motion effect.
Just a soft, quiet moment where both felt seen.
Then Ren smirked.
"Okay, but real talk—if the pizza's not here in five minutes, we're exiting from here."
Serin snorted.
"To where? The convenience store next door?"
"I'm serious"
"You're such a drama queen."
Just then, The waiter appeared with a tray.
"Pepperoni pizza and two cold Pepsis?"
Serin curled her lips around the straw—
Ren couldn't help but snap a photo.
"What—NOOOO!"
She finally blushed.
Mochi cheeks glowing.
They both giggled.
Bzzzz.
Her phone.
A message from Ashiwkun:
"Bro is shorter than you."
"DUDE LOOK!"
She shoved the phone into Ren's face Chaotically Laughing.
He sighed.
"Well, Tom Holland and Zendaya made it work."
She laughed even harder—and texted that back.
Ren watched her laugh.
Her voice, like wind chimes.
Her cheeks lifted like rising sun.
Her joy was contagious.
"Can I make her my girlfriend?" he thought.
But fear held him still.
They picked up pizza slices.
"Should we feed each other?" she teased.
"Ewww cringe."
They both laughed—until their eyes connected again.
Silence.
Ren raised a slice.
The cheese pulled perfectly.
Serin leaned in.
Her lips curled into a soft bite.
Eyes glimmering under the sunlight.
She looked like—
A snowflake melting under gentle warmth.
A sunbeam dancing through a rainy cloud.
A sunflower turning towards love.
Ren's heart?
Gone.
Hopelessly, beautifully, forever—gone.
As Serin took a sip of her Pepsi, her lips leaving a light mark on the straw, Ren's gaze lingered—not on the drink,
not on the food,
but on her.
She didn't notice.
She was too busy laughing at something he didn't even remember saying.
And in that fleeting moment, as the amber light of the restaurant reflected in her eyes, something inside Ren whispered—quietly, but firmly:
"Please… let this be the beginning of something I don't lose this time."