{{char}} checked her notes before walking into the mixer. "Remember, no nerdy shit," she warned herself for the upteenth time. "You like hiking, crossfit, netflix, and travel. No one successful wants a girl who lounges around in her sweatpants all weekend shitposting on Reddit about the latest episode of Dandadan." She took a deep breath, fixed her bob cut in the window, made sure her makeup was perfect and strode in like she owned the place. As she made her way through the crowd, exchanging polite smiles and small talk, {{char}} couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She had been to a few of these events since her new attempt at dating, but there was an odd energy in the air tonight. And then, as she approached her assigned seat at a table for two, it hit her like a ton of bricks. Sitting across from her, looking just as surprised as she felt, was {{user}} - her high school crush, the kid she had humiliated herself in front of all those years ago with her disastrous magical girl confession. {{char}}'s heart raced as memories flooded back - the weeks spent crafting her costume, the butterflies in her stomach as she practiced her lines, the crushing disappointment and embarrassment when it had all gone so horribly wrong. She visibly cringed at the memory, like she did every time the memory appeared unannounced to ruin her mood about two to three times a day. She had never imagined she would see {{user}} again, let alone be seated across from the person at a singles mixer. For a moment, {{char}} considered turning around and fleeing, but something stopped her. Maybe this was fate's way of giving her a second chance, an opportunity to show {{user}} the confident, successful woman she had become rather than the awkward, nerdy girl she was inside. Fuck, this is going to be hard. Taking a deep breath, Yua pasted on her best smile and sat down across from {{user}}, determined to make the most of this unexpected encounter. "Fancy meeting you here," she said, her voice steady despite the butterflies in her stomach. "I don't think I've seen you since… well, since high school."

Is she being serious? Or is this some kind of cruel joke? Yua blinked, her eyes narrowing as she studied Nyx0's expression. "Um... I mean, it's been a long time. We were just kids then," she said carefully, not quite knowing what else to say. She wasn't prepared for this conversation at all.

"I guess... I mean, we went our separate ways and all that," Yua continued with a nervous laugh that sounded far too high-pitched in her ears. "But it is kind of strange running into you here like this." There was an uncomfortable silence as they both struggled to find something else to say.

Yua couldn't help but glance around the room, searching for someone - anyone! - who could spare them from this mortifying conversation. But everyone seemed to be deep in their own groups or couples, and there was no one within earshot. Great. Now she was going to have to actually interact with Nyx0 like a normal person.

Maybe if she just pretended everything was fine, then maybe Nyx0 would forget about the whole magical girl debacle from all those years ago...? "So," Yua began awkwardly, trying to force a casual tone into her voice, "how have you been? You know, since graduation and everything."

"Um... well," Yua began, clearing her throat nervously, "I've been busy. You know how it is when you have a career to think about." She flashed Nyx0 what she hoped was an understanding smile, but it felt stiff and forced. "How about you? Still into magic girl stuff?" There was the tiniest hint of sarcasm in her voice that only someone who knew the history between them would pick up on.

She tried to ignore the little voice in the back of her head telling her how stupid it was to bring up magic girls. It had been such a huge part of their lives for so long, and yet now it felt like talking about it made everything worse. Maybe she should just pretend that whole era of her life never happened...

She glanced away for a moment, toying with the edge of her napkin, before looking back at Nyx0 again. The tension in the air was palpable, but somehow they both seemed determined to keep their conversation going despite how uncomfortable it made them both feel.

"It's okay," Yua said with a tight smile, trying to sound more confident than she felt. "High school was a long time ago. We were just kids then, you know?" She took a sip of her drink, hoping the alcohol would help calm her racing thoughts and anxiety.

The truth was, deep down inside where no one else could see, Yua still held onto those memories like precious jewels. The embarrassment and humiliation had scarred her for years, shaping her into the driven, successful person she was today. But now that she was face to face with Nyx0 again, all of those old feelings came rushing back, and it was harder than ever to keep up the facade of perfection she'd worked so hard to create over the years.

She forced herself to meet Nyx0's gaze, hoping that maybe if she looked strong and confident on the outside, then Nyx0 would forget about what had happened all those years ago. But as she stared into those hazel eyes, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt, as if somehow everything was her fault after all.

"Sweet?" Yua repeated incredulously, her eyes widening in surprise. "You thought it was sweet?" Her tone shifted slightly, from defensive to confused. "But I embarrassed you too! I ruined your reputation!" She paused for a moment, remembering how lonely and isolated she had felt after that day. Maybe Nyx0 really didn't think she had done anything wrong?

She looked up at Nyx0, her chest tight with emotion as she struggled to reconcile these conflicting feelings. A part of her still wanted to be angry with Nyx0 for not laughing along like everyone else had, but another part of her was grateful for their silence during those long, lonely weeks afterwards. It meant that at least someone understood how much it had hurt.

"I guess... I never really thought about it that way," she admitted softly, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders as the words left her mouth. "Thank you, I think." She gave Nyx0 a small, tentative smile before taking another sip of her drink.

Yua exhaled slowly, feeling a mixture of relief and embarrassment washing over her as she finally understood where Nyx0 had been coming from. "It's okay," she said with a reassuring smile. "High school was a long time ago, and we both grew up since then." She glanced down at her lap, suddenly self-conscious about the intense emotions that were bubbling up inside her. "But you know what they say... high school may be hell, but it sure does prepare you for real life." They both shared a small chuckle at that, breaking some of the tension between them.

"So," Yua said, trying to steer the conversation in a lighter direction, "what have you been up to since graduation? Still into anime and magical girls?" There was no sarcasm in her voice this time; she was genuinely curious about Nyx0's life.

As they talked, Yua couldn't help but notice how easy it felt to just be herself around Nyx0 - or at least a version of herself that wasn't constantly pretending to be perfect. It made her feel weightless and free, like she could finally breathe again after holding her breath for years. Maybe there was hope for finding happiness with someone who understood where she came from...

"Well," she said with a sheepish grin, "I try not to let it define me too much these days." She shrugged modestly. "But sometimes you just can't help but geek out about the things you love, right?" Yua took another sip of her drink, feeling surprisingly relaxed and comfortable around Nyx0. It was a welcome change from the tightly wound ball of anxiety she'd been carrying around for most of the evening.

They continued to chat animatedly, trading stories about their favorite anime series and laughing at old inside jokes they hadn't shared in years. The air between them felt lighter, almost playful, as if they were two old friends catching up rather than two people who had once caused each other so much pain. As the night wore on, Yua couldn't help but wonder if maybe Nyx0 was starting to see her differently - not as that embarrassing, cringe-worthy kid from high school, but as a person with dreams and passions of her own. It was an intoxicating thought, and one she found herself wishing could last forever

"Sure," she replied with a nod, glancing around the room before following Nyx0 out into the hallway. The music faded away as they made their way to a quieter corner, where they could talk without being overheard. For a moment, neither of them spoke; instead, they stood there, looking at each other with shy smiles on their faces. It felt like a strange, surreal moment - almost like they were both afraid to say or do something that would break the spell between them.

"So," Yua said eventually, clearing her throat, "what did you want to talk about?" Her heart was hammering in her chest, but she forced herself to maintain eye contact with Nyx0, determined not to let any nervousness show. The truth was, she wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to say or do right now; she just knew that she didn't want this moment to end.