Chapter 13: The Curve of Truth (Part 1)

The morning sun rose slowly over Waffle Island, painting the countryside in warm shades of gold and amber. Dew clung stubbornly to blades of grass, sparkling like scattered diamonds beneath the first light of day. A cool Autumn breeze drifted across the farmland, carrying the scent of rich soil, fallen leaves, and the distant sea.

Kevin was already halfway through his morning routine. The animals had been fed, the crops watered, and the latest harvest sorted into neat crates waiting beside the shipping bin. His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, his boots dusted with dirt, and a thin layer of hay clung stubbornly to his shirt despite his repeated attempts to brush it off.

Phoenix, meanwhile, stood proudly near the pasture fence, her long neck held high as though she were the unquestioned ruler of the entire farm. She surveyed the fields with exaggerated dignity, occasionally tilting her head to inspect the chickens bustling below as if judging whether they were carrying out their duties to her satisfaction. The moment she noticed Kevin brushing hay from his sleeves, her sharp eyes brightened with recognition.

With surprising delicacy for such a large bird, Phoenix ambled over and nudged him lightly with the side of her beak, demanding his attention. Kevin glanced up at her and couldn't help smiling.

"You're not helping," he informed her with practiced resignation.

Phoenix answered with a smug little squawk, sounding thoroughly convinced that she was, in fact, indispensable. Kevin sighed the exaggerated sigh of a man who had long ago accepted that arguing with an ostrich was a battle he would never win. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out one of Phoenix's favorite treats and tossed it out into the pasture. The morsel bounced twice across the dew-covered grass before coming to a stop.

Phoenix immediately forgot Kevin existed. With an excited chirp, she sprinted after the treat, her long legs carrying her across the field in a blur of feathers and enthusiasm. Watching an animal capable of looking so regal one moment and so utterly ridiculous the next never failed to amuse him.

"Thought so," Kevin said with a chuckle.

Dusting his hands together, he turned back toward the barn, mentally sorting through the handful of chores he still had left before the morning was over. As he worked, however, his thoughts refused to stay on fences and feed buckets for very long.

The wedding had been only a few days earlier, yet the memories remained as vivid as if they had happened yesterday. He could still hear the chapel bells echoing across Maple Lake, still picture Jin's tearful smile as he watched Anissa walk toward the altar, and still remember the warmth of the lantern-lit celebration beneath the autumn sky.

Before long, those memories drifted naturally toward someone else. Toward a pink evening gown shimmering beneath golden light. Toward a tiny silver crown resting atop pastel hair. Toward a moonlit dance on an empty street where, for the first time, Luna had smiled without fear.

Without realizing it, Kevin's own smile slowly spread across his face. He caught himself a moment later and gave a quiet shake of his head.

"So much for concentrating," he murmured, though the smile refused to disappear.

Then he immediately forced himself to focus on the much safer topic of livestock management. Unfortunately, fate had other plans as a familiar voice drifted across the morning air.

"Kevin!"

He turned, surprised to see Selena walking toward him—confident, graceful, and unmistakably radiant. Her warm green dancing outfit clung to her curves like the ocean clings to the shore, and every movement she made shimmered with the practiced poise of a performer. Her violet eyes caught the sunlight, mischievous yet intense, and her crimson hair was swept into a loose bun, save for a single lock that curled down her cheek.

She stopped just short of him, resting a hand on her hip, smiling in that way that always seemed like she knew more than she let on.

"Selena?" Kevin asked, brushing his hands clean. "Didn't expect to see you out here."

Selena's smile softened into something almost secretive. She took a few slow steps closer, her violet eyes studying him as though weighing something carefully. The playful confidence she usually wore was still there, but beneath it lingered a seriousness that Kevin wasn't accustomed to seeing.

"I wanted to talk to you," she said. "Somewhere quiet."

Kevin raised an eyebrow. "That sounds strange. Not like your usual self"

"It isn't," Selena replied immediately.

The slight pause before her answer did not inspire confidence. Kevin folded his arms. "Now thats definitely sounds ominous. You're not planning on kidnapping me or something?"

A small laugh escaped her. The sound was light and musical, carried away by the Autumn breeze that stirred the leaves around them. For a brief moment, she glanced toward the distant hills as if gathering her thoughts before looking back at him.

"Meet me at Alan's Tree?"

Kevin blinked. "Alan's Tree?" Of all the places she could have suggested, that wasn't one he expected.

He knew the ancient tree well, overlooking the square like a silent guardian. Countless festivals, celebrations, and memories had unfolded beneath its sprawling branches over the years. It was beautiful, certainly—but it was also a place people usually chose when they wanted to discuss something important. A place where Kevin brought people to confess their feelings to someone. Which immediately made Kevin nervous.

Selena merely nodded. "Mhm." The smile returned to her lips, though this time it seemed strangely distant.

Before Kevin could ask another question, she turned gracefully. The fabric of her green outfit swirled around her as she started down the road toward town, moving with the same effortless elegance she seemed to bring to everything she did.

"Wait," Kevin called after her. "What exactly is this about?"

Selena glanced back over her shoulder and winked. For a moment, sunlight caught in her crimson hair, turning it almost copper beneath the Autumn sky. "You'll find out when you get there."

Kevin frowned. "That doesn't answer my question."

"Good. I hope you like surprises."

Kevin stood there for a long moment after Selena disappeared down the road, his gaze lingering on the empty path where she'd vanished. The Autumn breeze stirred the fence posts and rustled the nearby trees, carrying with it the scent of earth and fallen leaves. Yet his attention remained fixed on the road.

Selena was many things—confident, outspoken, flirtatious, occasionally dramatic—but mysterious was not one of them. If she wanted something, she usually said it outright. The fact that she had gone out of her way to be cryptic only made the knot of curiosity in Kevin's chest tighten.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "What are you up to, Selena?" The question vanished into the wind unanswered.

For a brief moment, he considered heading into town immediately. Then practicality won out, as it usually did. The farm wasn't going to take care of itself, and if Selena wanted to talk somewhere private, arriving too early would probably only make her accuse him of being impatient. Which, admittedly, would be fair. So Kevin returned to his chores.

The next hour passed in a blur of routine. He checked the livestock again, refilled feed bins as the hungry animals chowed down, collected the eggs he missed under a nest, and made one unsuccessful attempt to convince Phoenix not to investigate a basket of vegetables she had absolutely no business looking at.

By the time he finished, the sun had climbed higher into the sky, bathing the farm in warm golden light. Kevin leaned against the fence for a moment, surveying the farm. Everything was in order. Which meant he had officially run out of excuses. The thought brought Selena's request immediately back to the front of his mind.

Alan's Tree. Of all the places she could have chosen. The tree had witnessed nearly every important moment in the town's recent history. Which did absolutely nothing to ease Kevin's growing sense of unease.

With a sigh, he removed his work gloves and tossed them onto the porch railing. Then he grabbed his jacket from beside the door and slipped it on, fastening the buttons against the autumn chill.

"Well," he muttered to himself, stepping off the porch. "No point wondering about it."

The dried leaves on the dirt path crunched beneath his boots as he headed toward town. Above him, golden leaves drifted lazily from the trees, carried along by the wind like tiny fragments of sunlight. The sky was clear and bright, the kind of Autumn day that made the entire island seem painted in warm colors.

Normally, Kevin enjoyed walks like this. Today, his thoughts were far too occupied. Every possible explanation seemed to run through his mind as he followed the familiar road toward Waffle Town.

Had something happened?

Was Selena in trouble?

Did she need a favor?

Was this somehow connected to the wedding?

Question after question drifted through Kevin's mind as he followed the familiar path toward town, each possibility giving way to another before he could settle on an answer. None of them seemed to fit. Selena's smile had been too calm for bad news, yet too mysterious for an ordinary conversation. The uncertainty lingered in his thoughts like a pebble in his boot—small, but impossible to ignore. In the end, he stopped trying to solve the puzzle.

Whatever Selena wanted, he would hear it from her directly. If she needed help, he would help her. That was simply who he was. Whether it meant fixing a broken fence, carrying heavy crates, listening to someone's worries, or offering a hand when life became too difficult to bear, Kevin had never been the sort of person to turn away from someone who asked for his time.

By the time he reached the center of Waffle Town, the morning had ripened into a beautiful autumn day. Sunlight filtered through the buildings, bathing the streets in warm shades of gold and copper. The laughter of children and the chatter of his friends drifted from the road, but as Kevin climbed the steps leading to town hall, even those familiar sounds gradually melted into the background.

He arrived beneath the great tree just as a stronger gust of wind swept across the square. The ancient branches swayed high overhead, their leaves breaking free in a graceful cascade that spiraled lazily through the air before settling across the earth in shades of amber, crimson, and brilliant gold. The breeze carried with it the earthy scent of fallen leaves and distant harvest fields, while hidden insects hummed softly among the tall grass surrounding the tree's sprawling roots.

Its massive trunk was weathered by decades of storms and seasons, the bark deeply ridged with age. The sprawling branches stretched outward like protective arms, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow across the ground below. Generations of townsfolk had laughed beneath those branches, cried beneath them, fallen in love beneath them, and said their farewells there too.

Selena was waiting for him. She stood near the base of the tree, her silhouette framed by drifting Autumn leaves. The rich green fabric of her dancer's outfit caught the sunlight filtering through the canopy, making her seem almost luminous against the backdrop of gold and red. Normally, she would have greeted him with a playful remark before he had even reached her. She would have worn that familiar teasing smile—the one that always suggested she knew exactly how to keep him off balance.

But not today. Something felt different. Her arms were folded tightly across her chest, and her gaze remained fixed on the horizon long after she should have noticed his approach. The confidence that usually seemed effortless around her was absent, replaced by a stillness Kevin had never seen before. For the first time since he'd known her, Selena looked uncertain.

As his footsteps crunched softly across the fallen leaves, Selena finally turned toward him. The movement was slow, hesitant. And when their eyes met, Kevin felt his stomach tighten.

Kevin spotted Selena standing beneath the sprawling canopy of Alan's Tree, waiting exactly where she had said she would be. Sunlight filtered through the branches overhead, scattering shifting patches of gold across the grass and fallen leaves at her feet. She hadn't noticed him yet. Instead, her gaze remained fixed on the ground, as though gathering the courage to face whatever conversation lay ahead.

Something was different about her. The playful spark that normally danced within her violet eyes was absent. Gone was the teasing confidence, the effortless charm she wore like a second skin whenever she stepped into a room. In its place lingered something far more fragile; shyness.

Kevin slowed his pace. He had known Selena for quite some time, and in those two years, he had never once seen her look nervous. She was the kind of woman who could command the attention of an entire festival with a single smile, who laughed easily, flirted shamelessly, and always seemed completely in control of herself.

The woman waiting beneath the tree looked nothing like that. Her shoulders were drawn in ever so slightly, as though an invisible weight had been pressing down on them for far too long. Her fingers fidgeted absentmindedly with the edge of her sleeve, and every few seconds she drew a quiet breath before letting it out again, only to repeat the cycle moments later.

Even the way she stood had changed. She no longer resembled a graceful performer preparing to step onto a stage. She looked like someone standing at the edge of a decision that might change her life forever. The realization sent an uneasy feeling through Kevin's chest.

Whatever Selena wanted to say… It was far more serious than he had imagined.

Kevin stopped a few feet away. For a moment, neither of them spoke. The wind moved through the branches overhead, scattering another shower of leaves between them.

"Thanks for coming," she said, her voice softer than usual.

Kevin gave a quiet nod, his hands in his pockets. "No problem. What's going on?"

For a moment, she seemed to gather every ounce of courage she possessed. The Autumn wind stirred the leaves around her feet, carrying them in lazy circles across the roots of Alan's Tree. Above them, sunlight filtered through the canopy in shifting patterns, painting fragments of gold across her face.

Then she looked up. And for the first time since Kevin had known her, there was no teasing in her eyes. No playful challenge. No flirtatious smile. Only honesty. Raw and frighteningly vulnerable.

"Kevin…" she began softly. "I like you."

Kevin froze. Selena laughed nervously at his expression, though there was little humor behind it. Her gaze drifted toward the distant hills before returning to him.

"I have for a while now. Ever since the Flower Festival. You probably don't even remember it."

Kevin immediately did. The festival. The flower stalls. The rose. The way Selena had smiled when he'd handed it to her. Back then, he'd thought it was just a playful introduction when they met.

Selena brushed a loose strand of crimson hair behind her ear. "When I asked you to buy me that rose, you didn't hesitate. Most people overthink things around me. They try too hard. They worry about saying the right thing."

Her violet eyes met his. "You didn't. You were just kind. You work harder than anyone I know. You help people without expecting anything back. You spend your days solving everyone else's problems." A small laugh escaped her. "And honestly, you're a little clueless."

Kevin blinked. "A little?"

"Okay, maybe a lot," Selena chuckled which broke some of the tension. "But somehow it's endearing."

Silence settled beneath the ancient branches. The tree seemed to hold its breath. The town beyond the square felt impossibly distant. There was only Selena and Kevin.

Selena lowered her gaze briefly before gathering her courage one final time. "So… I'm just going to say it. Will you be my boyfriend?"

The world seemed to still for a moment. Kevin stared at her, completely caught off guard. His mouth opened slightly, but no words came at first. His mind scrambled to form thoughts—Selena had always been charming, beautiful, magnetic… but this wasn't a dance or a flirtation. This was real.

"I…" he finally said, rubbing the back of his neck, eyes darting away. "Selena, I didn't expect this. I mean… I like you. I really do. You're amazing."

Selena smiled faintly, but it was tight, anxious.

Kevin took a breath. "But this is… a lot. I need time to think about it. I don't want to say yes or no until I know what I really feel. I owe you that much."

The silence that followed was heavy, but not cold. Selena nodded slowly, trying to keep her expression even. "Okay. I can respect that."

She turned away for a moment, staring up at the tree that loomed above them both. "Just don't take too long, alright?"

"I won't," Kevin said, though his voice was still uncertain.

Selena gave him one last look—wistful, perhaps a little hopeful—then walked off down the path, her footsteps light, but slower than usual.

Kevin remained beneath Alan's Tree long after Selena disappeared down the winding path. The ancient branches whispered above him, swaying gently with the breeze, as if nature itself had grown quiet to give him space to think.

He leaned on the trunk and slowly sank to the base of the tree. His fingers absentmindedly tugged at the grass beside him, while his mind ran in circles. Selena's words echoed again and again—"Will you be my boyfriend?"—delivered not with her usual playful flair, but with something startlingly sincere.

He could give it a chance. Selena was beautiful, confident, and full of life. She had a way of brightening every room she entered, filling quiet moments with laughter and effortless charm. She was kind in her own way, fiercely independent, and never afraid to speak her mind. Given enough time, perhaps they really could build something together.

Kevin tried to imagine it. He pictured them walking through town side by side, sharing meals at the inn, dancing together at the festivals that came each season. It wasn't an impossible future. In fact, by most people's standards, it probably made perfect sense.

But the longer he held onto the image, the less real it felt. Something deep inside him tightened. Not with excitement or nervous anticipation, but instead with uncertainty.

The picture in his mind remained distant, almost like someone else's life unfolding before him. He could see it clearly enough, yet he couldn't feel himself inside it. No matter how hard he tried, the future refused to come alive.

And that frightened him, because if this was the woman who had confessed was the one he was meant to be with, shouldn't his heart have been telling him to stay? To say yes without hesitation?

He sighed and leaned his head back against the trunk, staring up through the shifting green canopy. "Why does this feel more like a fork in the road than a door opening?"

Kevin wasn't a man who liked to rush into things, especially when it came to matters of the heart. Love wasn't a game to him. It wasn't about who looked best on paper or who flirted the most. It was about the quiet moments, the feeling of ease, the connection built over time. And as much as Selena had made her presence known, he still wasn't sure if that connection had ever really formed between them.

So instead of forcing himself into a decision that didn't feel right he decided to seek out the one person he always turned to when his thoughts tangled: Luna.

She had a way of cutting through his nonsense, whether with sarcasm or silence. More importantly, she understood him in a way that others didn't. And if anyone could help him make sense of the confusion in his heart, it was her.

With a soft grunt, Kevin stood, brushing bits of bark and grass from his pants. He looked once more at the path Selena had taken, then turned toward town. He didn't know what Luna would say, but he knew he needed to hear it.

Kevin arrived at the tailor shop later that afternoon, the familiar jingle of the doorbell announcing his presence as he stepped inside. Warm sunlight filtered through the front windows, illuminating shelves lined with folded fabrics in every color imaginable. The steady hum of sewing machines filled the room, blending with the soft rustle of cloth and the occasional snip of scissors.

For most people, the tailor shop felt peaceful. Today, Kevin barely noticed it. His mind was elsewhere. The conversation beneath Alan's Tree replayed itself endlessly in his thoughts. Selena's trembling voice. The vulnerability in her eyes. The question she had asked. Every detail seemed etched into his memory whether he wanted it there or not.

Near the window, Luna sat at her usual workstation, carefully guiding a needle through a piece of lace. A loose strand of pink hair had fallen across her cheek, and she absentmindedly blew it aside as she worked. The moment she heard the bell, she glanced up.

Her face brightened the moment she saw him, "Hey, Kevin."

The greeting came with an easy smile, the kind that had become second nature whenever he walked through the tailor shop door. She set another careful stitch into the fabric before looking up fully, expecting to see the familiar farmer who always carried a quiet warmth wherever he went.

Instead, she froze. The smile slowly faded from her face. Her needle stilled in her fingers before she carefully lowered it onto the table. Something was wrong.

Kevin was many things—hardworking, dependable, occasionally oblivious—but distant was not one of them. Even after the longest days on the farm, when exhaustion weighed on his shoulders, he somehow managed to smile. There was always an easy kindness about him, a quiet steadiness that made those around him feel at ease. Today, that warmth was gone.

His brow was drawn together in thought, his shoulders noticeably tense beneath his jacket. His eyes weren't really looking at the tailor shop at all. Instead, they seemed fixed on something much farther away, as though he had carried a difficult conversation through the front door with him and hadn't yet found a way to set it down.

A knot formed in Luna's stomach. Without realizing it, she had already risen slightly from her chair. Concern quietly replaced every trace of happiness on her face.

"Kevin?" Her voice softened instinctively. "Is everything okay?"

For a moment, he didn't answer. His eyes drifted toward the floor before returning to hers. There were a hundred ways he could begin this conversation. None of them felt right.

Finally, he swallowed. "Can we talk?"

The seriousness in his voice made Luna a little bit more nervous, "Sure."

Kevin hesitated. His gaze flickered briefly toward Candace and Shelly working across the room. "Somewhere private."

The tailor shop suddenly felt much smaller. Luna's stomach dropped. Something was definitely wrong. She exchanged a quick glance with her sister, who immediately pretended not to be listening despite very obviously listening. Shelly was equally guilty, though she at least had the courtesy to look embarrassed about it.

Luna carefully set her needle and thread aside before slipping the unfinished piece of fabric into a small basket beside her sewing machine. She rose from her chair in a single light hop, smoothing the front of her dress almost absentmindedly as she did. Looking back at Kevin, she offered him a small, reassuring smile.

"Okay," she said softly. "Let's go to the beach." The suggestion came as naturally as breathing.

Over the course of the Summer, the shoreline had quietly become their place. It was where their friendship had first begun to take root, where arguments had softened into conversations, and where misunderstandings had slowly given way to trust. Whenever words became difficult, or emotions tangled themselves into impossible knots, they somehow always found themselves drawn back to the endless rhythm of the waves.

There was something comforting about the sea. No matter how heavy a burden felt, the ocean always seemed vast enough to carry a little of its weight away.

Without another word, they stepped outside together. The little bell above the tailor shop chimed one last time before the door swung shut behind them, leaving the warmth of the shop for the crisp embrace of the Autumn afternoon. The streets of Waffle Town bustled gently around them as friends greeted each other and Chloe darted between storefronts, but neither Kevin nor Luna paid much attention to the familiar sights.

The walk felt strangely quiet. Normally, Luna would have filled the silence within the first few steps. She might have complained about the chilly weather, criticized Kevin's choice of work clothes, or launched into another playful rant about how no sane farmer needed an ostrich, a tortoise, and silkworms all on the same farm. Kevin would have answered with that patient smile of his, and before long they'd both be laughing over something wonderfully ridiculous.

Today, there was none of that. Only the steady rhythm of their footsteps accompanied them as they walked side by side. The Autumn breeze carried a noticeable bite now, tugging at their jackets and sending crimson and golden leaves skittering across the stone path ahead of them. Every so often, one would drift lazily between them before being swept away toward the sea. Kevin kept his hands tucked into his pockets, his gaze fixed somewhere ahead, while Luna stole occasional glances at him, each one leaving her a little more worried than the last. Whatever was weighing on him, it was heavy.

The path gradually descended toward the shoreline until the familiar scent of saltwater filled the air. The ocean welcomed them with its timeless rhythm. Wave after wave rolled gently onto the sandy beach before slipping quietly back into the endless blue horizon, only to begin the journey all over again. The water had grown colder with the changing season, its surface shimmering beneath the afternoon sun like countless scattered pieces of silver.

It was beautiful and peaceful. The kind of peaceful that somehow made difficult conversations feel even heavier. Neither of them spoke until they reached the weathered driftwood log resting near the water's edge.

Time and tide had worn the old log smooth over countless seasons, bleaching the wood until it had become almost white beneath the sun. It had long since become one of the beach's familiar landmarks, but to Kevin and Luna it meant something more. It had quietly borne witness to apologies, laughter, confessions, misunderstandings, and moments of silence neither of them had ever needed to explain.

Without discussion, they sat down together side by side facing the endless horizon. The sea breeze stirred Luna's pink hair, sending loose strands dancing across her face, while Kevin stared out across the water, his expression thoughtful and unusually distant. Around them, the ocean continued its eternal song, as though patiently waiting for whichever of them found the courage to speak first.

For several moments, only the waves spoke. Then Kevin drew a slow breath. "Luna… Selena confessed to me today."

The words struck harder than she expected. For a moment, the world seemed to narrow. The sound of the waves became distant. The wind felt colder. Her heart dropped into her stomach.

She had always known this day would come eventually. Anyone with eyes could see how wonderful Kevin was. His kindness wasn't the sort people noticed immediately. It revealed itself slowly, through small acts and quiet gestures. Through flower fields planted for forgotten dreams. Through evenings spent listening when someone needed a friend. Through all the little things he did without ever expecting anything in return.

Someone was bound to fall in love with him. She just hadn't expected the reality to hurt this much.

Kevin continued. "She told me she likes me. She asked if I would be her boyfriend."

The words settled heavily between them. Luna lowered her gaze before he could see the pain that flashed across her face. Forcing her expression into something resembling a smile, she turned toward the ocean.

The horizon blurred slightly. Her throat tightened as she started, "That's… great. Selena's beautiful. Talented. Mature."

Each compliment felt like another stone being placed on her chest. "She'd make a wonderful girlfriend."

The waves rolled lazily onto the shore, breaking against the sand with a quiet, rhythmic hush before retreating back into the endless blue. A cool sea breeze swept across the beach, stirring Luna's pink hair and carrying the faint cries of distant gulls overhead. The afternoon sun hung low enough to scatter silver light across the water, turning the ocean into a sea of shimmering glass.

For a long while, neither of them spoke. Kevin sat beside her with his elbows resting loosely on his knees, his gaze fixed on the horizon where the sky met the sea. The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable, but it was heavy, filled with words neither seemed willing to be the first to say.

Then Kevin looked at her. Over the past season, he'd learned more about Luna than he ever expected to. He had learned that her sharp tongue usually hid embarrassment. That her insults often disguised affection. That whenever she was hurting the most, she smiled just a little too brightly.

And right now, she was smiling. Just convincingly enough that anyone else would believe it. Anyone but him.

"You think I should say yes?" The quiet question drifted between them, carried almost effortlessly by the wind.

Luna froze, her smile faltered. Slowly, almost reluctantly, she turned toward him. Kevin wasn't watching the ocean anymore. He was watching her. Searching her face as though the answer mattered far more than he wanted to admit.

Luna's heart tightened. Her fingers curled together in her lap until the fabric of her dress wrinkled beneath them.

"What am I supposed to say?" she thought to herself

The question echoed painfully through her mind. Was she supposed to tell him that hearing Selena's confession had felt like someone quietly reaching into her chest and stealing something precious? That she'd spent an irresponsible amount of time trying not to imagine him standing beside another woman? That the thought of him saying yes hurt far more than it had any right to?

That somewhere between flower fields, moonlit dances, and ordinary afternoons, she'd fallen in love with him without ever realizing when it happened?

Her throat tightened. She wanted to tell him everything. She wanted to tell him not to go. To choose her instead. To stay by her side.

But the words refused to come. Fear wrapped itself around her heart.

If she confessed now…

If he didn't feel the same…

She'd lose her best friend. And that terrified her far more than silence ever could. So she swallowed every honest feeling before it could escape.

When she finally spoke, her voice was calm, "If you feel the same way… then yes. You should accept her confession."

The sentence left her lips like a goodbye she never wanted to say. Inside, however, something quietly broke.

She looked away again. The ocean was easier to face than Kevin. "She makes you happy, right?"

Kevin remained silent. A wave rolled onto the shore. Then another.

"I don't know," he finally spoke.

Luna blinked. Slowly, she looked back at him. Kevin's expression was thoughtful and conflicted. More uncertain than she had ever seen him.

"I just…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "I wanted to talk to you about it first."

The confession caught her completely off guard. "What? What do you mean by that?"

Kevin looked down at his hands, then back at her. "I wanted your opinion."

For a moment, Luna could only stare. The tears she had been fighting all afternoon threatened to surface. "Why?"

Kevin didn't hesitate because for him the answer was simple. "Because your opinion matters to me. You're important to me, Luna."

The words landed with far more force than he intended. Luna's breath caught. The ocean continued its endless song around them. But for one fragile moment, neither of them heard it. There was only the space between them. And the truth that neither was quite brave enough to fully say aloud.

Luna's breath caught in her throat. Every part of her screamed to say something, to beg him not to leave her behind. To confess the truth she had buried beneath sarcasm and pride—that she had fallen for him in the quietest, most unexpected way. That the thought of Kevin holding someone else's hand made her feel like she was slowly vanishing into the background of his life.

But fear gripped her tighter than any words could. Instead, she gave him a small, trembling smile and reached out—not to speak her heart, but to anchor herself for just one second more. Her fingers curled gently into the fabric of his shirt, a fragile gesture that said everything she was too afraid to say.

"I'm glad you think so," she whispered.

Kevin didn't move. He didn't pull away. He just looked at her with eyes full of questions he wasn't ready to ask, and maybe, answers he was starting to see for himself.

They sat there beneath the pale blue sky, with the sea wind brushing past them, as if time had slowed to preserve the silence between them. The waves crashed and retreated, a quiet lullaby to all the words left unsaid.

Then Kevin gently reached out and took her hand. "Thanks, Luna," he said, voice low but steady. "I know what to do."

She nodded, still unable to meet his eyes. If she did, she knew she'd shatter.

"Goodbye," she said softly, and turned away before the ache in her chest could betray her.

Kevin watched her walk back toward the tailor shop, her small figure shrinking with each step until she vanished beyond the dunes. He sat alone by the shore, hand still warm from hers, heart heavier than he expected. Now, more than ever, he had to decide not just what he wanted—but who he couldn't bear to lose.