It was supposed to be a normal day.
Just a routine mission—replace the shirts that no longer fit, try on a pair of jeans that didn't choke my legs, maybe even grab a hoodie that didn't scream "discount bin."
I'd reached a point where I could afford it now.
Not luxury.
Not brand.
Just… clothes that fit the man I was becoming.
So I went to the mall.
It was loud. Overstimulating. Packed.
I almost turned back.
But then I caught my reflection in a store window.
Clean-cut hair. Sharper jaw. Eyes that didn't dart or hide anymore.
I looked like someone who deserved to walk in.
So I did.
The first store was too flashy.
The second too expensive.
But the third—plain walls, neutral tones, calm music—was just right.
I browsed slowly.
Tried things on.
Checked the fit without obsessing.
It wasn't about looking cool.
It was about looking like me.
And then, somewhere between the jackets and the mirror—
I felt it.
That indescribable pull in your gut when someone from your past is nearby.
I didn't want to turn around.
But I did.
And there she was.
Mika.
Her hair was shorter.
Her makeup lighter.
Her eyes… tired.
Alone.
No guy beside her. No fake laughter. Just her.
She stood at the other end of the store, clutching a coat she wasn't even looking at.
Frozen.
Like she'd seen a ghost.
Maybe she had.
Because I wasn't the boy she left behind anymore.
And she wasn't the girl I used to dream of marrying.
She looked… small.
Smaller than I remembered.
As if months had been carved into her shoulders with a dull knife.
I didn't move.
I didn't wave.
I just stood.
And then, she did.
"Ryou…?"
Her voice cracked.
I turned fully.
We stood in silence, aisle between us, music humming faintly overhead.
She took a step forward.
Then another.
Until we were face to face.
Her eyes scanned me like she didn't believe what she was seeing.
"You… changed," she whispered.
I nodded. "Yeah."
More silence.
Then her lips trembled.
"I've… I've been trying to message you," she said. "Ever since… that day."
I didn't respond.
She reached into her bag, pulled out her phone with shaking hands.
"I—I kept texting. I didn't know you changed numbers. I thought you were ignoring me."
I blinked.
I hadn't even checked.
I'd blocked her contact the night it happened.
"I wanted to explain," she said.
And then she looked down.
Her voice got quiet.
"They used me, Ryou…"
I stayed silent.
She swallowed.
"He… wasn't serious. Not with me. Just with… my body. Every time I thought maybe it was something real again, it was just sex. Over and over."
She sniffed.
"I thought leaving you meant I'd be happier. That I'd have everything. But I didn't. I just had attention."
Her voice broke. "I just had pain."
A strange ache settled behind my ribs.
Not pity.
Not anger.
Just…
A heaviness I couldn't name.
She looked up.
Eyes rimmed red.
"I'm sorry."
I stayed quiet.
"I was selfish. You were always there. Always kind. Always trying your best. And I left because… because I wanted more."
Her fingers trembled at her sides.
"I thought you had nothing. But I didn't know what you were carrying. I didn't know how hard you were fighting every day just to stay alive."
She took a breath, as if she wanted to say more.
But I spoke first.
Calmly.
Not cold.
Just… calm.
"You were right."
She blinked. "W-What?"
"You were right to leave."
She shook her head furiously. "No—no, I wasn't. I didn't understand—"
"You wanted more. I didn't have more. That's the truth."
I met her gaze.
"I couldn't take you on dates. I couldn't buy you flowers. I couldn't even afford to eat three meals a day."
My voice stayed even.
"You didn't break me, Mika. Life did. Long before you came."
She covered her mouth, eyes wet.
"I don't blame you for not wanting to stay. I wasn't enough back then."
"But I needed someone who didn't care about that."
"And that wasn't you."
The silence after that felt like a scream.
She opened her mouth again.
"I'm not asking to come back. I just… I needed to say sorry. I needed you to know I regret it. Every single day."
I nodded slowly.
Then I said something that surprised even me.
"I forgive you."
Tears spilled from her eyes.
She stepped forward, arms halfway reaching out—maybe a hug, maybe just closeness.
But I took a step back.
Gentle. Final.
"But I don't want you back."
Her arms fell.
And her heart broke all over again—quietly this time.
I didn't watch her cry.
I turned, bought the clothes I came for, and left the store.
[System Notification: Emotional Checkpoint Passed]
You faced your past without hatred.
You forgave without attachment.
You walked away with dignity intact.
+1 Charisma
+1 Confidence
Trait Progress: Emotional Maturity – 46%
Buff Gained: "Stillness in Closure" – Immune to emotional regressions caused by past ties.
Outside the mall, the sky had cleared.
The air was cool.
I sat at a bench, bag in hand.
No smile.
No anger.
Just…
Relief.
Because I wasn't healing to prove her wrong.
I was healing to become someone I could live with.
End of Chapter 14