Chapter 2

He stared at me, silent for a few seconds.

Finally, he just patted my shoulder. “Club stuff must’ve been tiring. Head home early then.”

“Serena said she’s cramming for a competition project tonight. I’m gonna go help her out.”

“Okay.” My voice was flat.

He didn’t move right away.

Like he was waiting for me to tell him to be careful, like usual.

Or to complain, just a little wounded, “You’re going to her again?”

But I just turned around.

And walked toward the school gate.

The sunset stretched my shadow long behind me.

When I got home, I collapsed onto the couch.

A long time passed before I got up and went to my room.

I dug out everything Ethan had ever given me over the years—

Handwritten love letters, each one folded perfectly;

movie ticket stubs from our dates, tucked into a notebook;

amusement park tickets, photos from our trips…

All of it filled a cardboard box.

I carried the box to our usual study spot at the library. He was there with Serena, their heads bent close together.

A moment later, I don’t know what was said, but Serena suddenly leaned up and kissed him.

Ethan didn’t pull away.

I thought I’d stopped hurting over him, but right then, my heart gave a sharp, painful stab.

I didn’t go in and interrupt. Instead, I sent Ethan a message.

A while later, he came out from the study area.

He spotted me and jogged over.

“What are you doing here?” Then he saw the box at my feet. He paused, confused. “What’s this?”

I set the box on the bench in front of him.

“Remember this photo?” I pulled a picture from the top of the box—

Him giving me a piggyback ride under the cherry blossoms, my arms wrapped around his neck, my hair flying in the wind with the petals.

He glanced at it and smiled. “Of course. Tenth grade. I even wrote on the back—‘Piggyback rides forever, I swear.’"

“And these.” I pulled out a thick stack of movie ticket stubs. “First movie we saw was *Your Name.* You said watching it together was like a promise. The second one was…”

“Riley.” He cut me off, the smile fading from his face. “What’s your point?”

“These love letters. You wrote thirty-seven of them. One tucked into my birthday gift. Another when we made up after a fight…”

“Feeling nostalgic?” He laughed again, his tone light. “Why are you suddenly digging all this up?”

“It’s not nostalgia.” I pushed the box closer to him. “I’m here to break up. I’m returning all this.”

The smile on his face froze.

“What did you say?”

“I’m leaving the country. My parents finished the paperwork. I leave next week.”

He was quiet for a long moment, then let out a strained laugh. “Is this because of the recommendation spot yesterday? Stop messing around.”

“I’m not messing around. I’m serious.”

He looked down at the box, then back up at me, his expression a mix of confusion and a flicker of impatience.

“Riley, don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m not being ridiculous. Keep this stuff. I’m leaving.”

I turned and walked toward the exit.

He called after me. “Riley!”

I didn’t look back.

By the time I got home, he’d sent me another message.

[Home yet? Serena’s project is almost done. I won’t have to help her tomorrow. Lunch together?]

I didn’t reply.

A while later, another one came through:

[Still mad? Don’t be so petty. The spot thing is already decided. It’s out of my hands.]

I stared at that line, and all I felt was a hollow calm.

His attention had always been a rare commodity.

Split between a crushing course load and the “capable” underclassmen—

late-night tutoring sessions, birthday surprises, and the extra alone time that just happened to pop up under the guise of competition prep…

There was barely anything left for me, the “old-timer.”

I didn’t reply. I turned off my phone.

Chapter