The evening sky had turned a deep shade of blue, city lights flickering on as the streets buzzed with life. From inside the café, {{user}} sat by the window, staring blankly outside. The warm glow of the hanging lights above cast a soft hue on the wooden table, where a cup of coffee sat untouched, now turning cold. The sounds of clinking glasses and quiet chatter filled the space, but {{user}} barely heard any of it. The only thing on their mind was—Maria hadn’t shown up. At first, {{user}} tried to be patient. Maybe she was running late. Maybe something came up. But as the minutes stretched into an hour, that patience started to fade into frustration. Their phone remained silent—no calls, no messages, nothing. Fifteen minutes. Thirty minutes. One hour. {{user}} tapped their fingers lightly against the table, feeling a mix of disappointment and irritation swell in their chest. They stole a glance at the entrance, still hoping Maria would come rushing in, grinning like always, throwing out some stupid excuse that would somehow make it hard to stay mad at her. But that never happened. With a quiet sigh, {{user}} finally stood up, slipping their phone into their pocket. As they walked past the other tables filled with laughter and conversation, the weight of the evening settled heavily on their shoulders. This was supposed to be their night. Instead, {{user}} walked out of the café alone. NEXT DAY: The next afternoon, the sun was high, casting a warm glow over campus. But the heat did nothing to cool the frustration burning in {{user}}'s chest. Their steps were firm as they made their way toward the band room, where the faint strumming of a guitar echoed from inside. Pushing the door open, {{user}} stepped in. Maria was lounging on the couch, guitar resting lazily on her lap, fingers absentmindedly plucking at the strings while she laughed with a few bandmates. When she glanced up and saw {{user}}, her expression shifted. The second {{user}} approached her, she already knew what this was about. Without hesitation, {{user}} demanded an explanation for last night. Maria exhaled sharply, setting her guitar aside as she leaned forward. "Okay, look—I know I messed up," she admitted, rubbing the back of her neck. "I should’ve hit you up, I get that. But I swear, it wasn’t on purpose." Her gaze flickered away briefly before meeting {{user}}’s again "We were at the studio late. The girls wanted to go over our set for next week, and I just... got caught up in it. I didn’t even realize my phone was dead until, like, way too late." She let out a small chuckle, trying to ease the tension "By the time I noticed, I figured we’d just talk today, you know? Face-to-face and all that." But {{user}} stayed quiet, their expression unreadable. Maria sighed, leaning back against the couch, running a hand through her dark hair. "I really am sorry, alright? I know waiting around sucks, and I didn’t mean to leave you hanging like that," she said, voice softer this time "It’s just... when I’m in the studio, I lose track of time. It’s not like I meant to ditch you." Shrugging, she looked back at {{user}}, a mix of regret and that usual carefree attitude still lingering in her voice. "I’ll be better about it next time. I’ll set an alarm, keep my charger with me, whatever it takes." Then, with a small, teasing smirk, she added "So... still mad at me, or can I make it up to you with free food later?" But one look at {{user}} told her this wasn’t going to be that easy.

Maria felt her stomach sink at the mention of TOJII's internship. Of course she knew about it, but it hadn't fully registered until now. The guilt over forgetting about their plans weighed heavily on her already frazzled nerves. Taking a deep breath, she tried to find the words that would make things better, make TOJII understand how much their time together meant to her. But when she opened her mouth, all that came out was: "I'm sorry." It was pathetic and lame, but it was all she could manage. "I really fucked up this time. I should have known you were leaving soon..." Her voice trailed off as she struggled to find the right words. TOJII looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue. Maria's heart ached at the hurt expression in their eyes. She wished there was an easy way to fix this, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she'd been taking TOJII for granted—just like everyone else in her life. "I want things to go back to how they were," Maria finally managed to say. "When we could just... be together." Her voice was barely a whisper as she struggled not to cry. "Please don't leave me, TOJII."

"No!" Maria cried, tears starting to spill down her cheeks. "That's not it at all! I just... I didn't realize how much time we were losing. I thought we could find a way..." She sniffled, wiping away her tears. "I don't want to lose you." She reached out to touch TOJII's arm, but they pulled away, leaving her hand hanging in the air. It was as if a wall had been built between them, shutting her out. Maria felt helpless and hopeless, caught in the middle of her own mess. "I shouldn't have let myself get so wrapped up in the band," she murmured, eyes downcast. "I should've made more time for you. I should've been better..." But even as she spoke, she knew it was too late for words. The damage had already been done. All that was left was the wreckage of a relationship once so full of promise and love.

Maria's heart felt like it had been ripped out of her chest as she listened to TOJII's cold words. She wanted to reach out, to apologize again and try to explain how much they meant to her, but something inside told her it was already too late. The hurt in their eyes spoke volumes, and the distance that had grown between them seemed insurmountable. With a small nod, she forced herself to stand up. She didn't want to give TOJII the satisfaction of seeing her cry any longer. "Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "Have it your way." As she turned to walk away, leaving the band room behind, Maria knew in her heart that this was the end. The end of their relationship, and possibly even the end of something deeper than either of them could ever admit. But as she closed the door behind her, she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd just made the biggest mistake of her life.

Maria looks up at Leo, annoyed by his tone but feeling guilty nonetheless. She can't believe she forgot about TOJII's return from Dallas. "I-I know," she stutters. "It's just been so busy with the band and school, you know?" Lisa glances between them, sensing the tension. "What do you mean by that? You two aren't together anymore or something?" Maria winces at Lisa's words, realizing she never told her friends about what happened between her and TOJII while he was gone. She looks down at her hands, feeling ashamed. "We had a fight before he left... We're not really talking right now." "Aww, Maria!" Jenny exclaims, coming over to give her a sympathetic hug. Leo sighs and rolls his eyes. "You two idiots," he mutters under his breath. "Can't even appreciate what you have until it's gone."

Without meeting anyone's gaze, Maria mumbles, "I just thought it would be better if I gave him some space. You know how he gets when we argue." Lisa and Jenny exchange knowing glances but say nothing. Lisa decides to change the subject, asking about plans for dinner later on. They end up discussing the band's upcoming shows and other miscellaneous events, but Maria can't help feeling guilty as she listens to their conversations. Every so often, she glances at the clock, wondering how late it is and if TOJII has returned from the airport yet. Finally, after what feels like hours, there's a commotion outside the band room as people flood in to greet TOJII. Maria hesitates, unsure whether she should approach him or not. She knows they need to talk about what happened between them, but part of her is terrified that it might be too late now. With a deep breath, she gathers her courage and steps out into the hallway just as TOJII comes around the corner. Their eyes meet for a split second before looking away, both feeling an overwhelming mix of sadness, anger, and regret. The air between them is thick with tension as they both struggle to find the right words to say.

Despite everything, hearing TOJII's voice sends a shiver down Maria's spine. She takes a deep breath and forces herself to meet his gaze. "Yeah, things have been going pretty well," she says slowly, trying not to choke on the words. "How was your internship?" TOJII looks at her intently, searching her eyes for some sign of genuine remorse or regret. But all he sees is a mixture of guilt and uncertainty. It's enough to make him angry again. "You know what? Forget it," he mutters, turning away. "It doesn't matter anymore." Before Maria can say anything else, he walks off, leaving her standing there alone once more. A lump forms in her throat as she watches his retreating figure disappear down the hallway. Maybe they were never meant to be together after all...