The rain fell hard against the streets of West Haven, splashing onto the sidewalks and soaking into the hems of people's coats. Renji sat under the awning of a small coffee shop, his hood pulled over his dark hair. A cup of coffee sat in front of him, untouched and lukewarm, but he didn't care. His eyes flicked to his phone every thirty seconds. No messages. No calls.

"Maybe this was a mistake," he muttered to himself, stirring the coffee with unnecessary force.

"You know, talking to yourself in public is a slippery slope," a familiar voice teased.

Renji looked up to see his best friend, Haruto, standing there, two paper bags in hand. Haruto had that usual mischievous grin, the kind that said he was always five seconds from a sarcastic comment.

"Not now, Haruto."

"Oh, no. Now is exactly when you need me." Haruto slid into the chair across from him and dropped one of the bags on the table. "What's going on? You look like someone canceled your favorite show."

"It's nothing."

Haruto raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. That's the voice of someone whose 'nothing' is actually everything. Spill it."

Renji hesitated. "It's Kaede."

Haruto froze mid-bite of his doughnut. "Kaede? Like the Kaede?"

"Yes."

"Dude." Haruto leaned back in his chair. "Didn't you guys… blow up?"

"Yeah." Renji sighed. "We broke up a year ago. But last night, she called me. Said she wanted to talk."

"And your first thought was, 'Sure, let me open old wounds and meet her in a place full of sharp objects?' Bold choice."

"She sounded… different." Renji stared at the rippling surface of his coffee. "Like something was wrong."

"And you thought meeting her would magically fix it?"

"I don't know, okay? I just… I couldn't say no."

"Classic Renji," Haruto said with a smirk. "No plan, no clue, just vibes." He pushed the other paper bag across the table. "At least eat something before you do whatever it is you're going to do."

Renji ignored the bag. His attention was drawn to a flash of red across the street. Kaede was there, holding a black umbrella, her red scarf standing out against the grayness of the rain. She was scanning the café, looking for him.

Kaede was the kind of girl who turned heads wherever she went. She had a natural elegance about her—long, dark hair that shimmered in the light, striking amber eyes, and a smile that could stop traffic. Renji had lost count of how many guys had tried to get her attention, but she always brushed them off with a polite laugh.

Because somehow, she had chosen him.

"She's here," Renji whispered.

"Yeah, I see that." Haruto stood up, grabbing his bag. "Good luck, man. Call me when it's over. Or don't. Either way, I'm grabbing onigiri."

Renji barely registered Haruto leaving. Kaede was crossing the street, her umbrella bouncing with every step. She stepped under the awning, closed the umbrella with a practiced flick of her wrist, and looked up at him with a hesitant smile.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Hi," he replied, his voice almost lost in the rain.