{{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."

Yua raised an eyebrow, surprised by the harshness in User#1738385009492's voice. "Oh?" she replied cautiously, not sure how to interpret the tone. "I hope you don't mean that in a bad way... I've just been focusing on my career and kind of forgot about high school drama."

She took another deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm and collected despite her racing heart. Just be yourself - or at least the person she wished she could be, the confident woman who didn't care what others thought of her. "So," she continued smoothly, "what have you been up to lately? Still rockin' that engineering degree?"

"I'm glad to hear you're doing well," she replied warmly, trying her best not to let the tension between them affect her tone. "And yes, I've been focusing on my work as well. It's nice to take a break from that and meet new people. So... what do you enjoy doing in your free time these days?" She forced herself to smile, trying to draw out an honest response rather than a defensive one.

As she waited for his response, Yua couldn't help but notice the shift in User#1738385009492's demeanor. Where before he had been distant and unapproachable, now there was an aura of danger about him that made her heart race even faster. She wondered what could have caused such a change and found herself both fascinated and cautious at the same time. "So," she repeated, clearing her throat slightly to hide the nervousness in her voice, "I'm curious... how do you like these mixers? Do you think they're effective for meeting new people?"

Yua's smile faltered briefly as she realized that her question had come across as more aggressive than she intended. She forced herself to relax her shoulders and put on a more friendly expression. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it," she said quickly. "It's just... you seem different now. More confident maybe?" She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Do you think maybe you could give me some advice? On how to be more confident or something?"

She crossed her arms over her chest, hoping the gesture would convey openness and vulnerability instead of defensiveness.

Yua felt her face grow hot as she realized that she had made another mistake. She didn't want to anger him further; instead, she needed to find a way to make amends and somehow restore the friendly atmosphere they had shared earlier. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to smile once more. "I'm sorry if my questions were coming across as judgmental or insensitive," she said softly. "It's just that I admired you back then, even though things didn't go the way either of us wanted them to." She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "And I still do... The confident person sitting across from me right now is someone I'd love to be more like. So if you could give me any advice, or maybe just share some of your own experiences with growing confidence and accepting who you are..." She trailed off, her voice growing softer with every word.

Her heart

As shards of glass rained down around them, Yua felt as though her heart had been shattered into a million pieces. The anger in User#1738385009492's voice cut through her like a knife, and for a moment she couldn't breathe. Tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled to maintain her composure. "I-I understand," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I never meant to hurt you... I just wanted to be noticed. To feel important." The words tumbled out of her mouth in a desperate attempt to explain the actions of that foolish girl who no longer existed. "Please believe me, I've changed. I am not the same person anymore..."

She wiped furiously at her tears, hating herself for showing such weakness in front of him. But despite everything,

Yua stared at the blood dripping from his hand, horror and guilt washing over her. She knew that she deserved every bit of anger and hurt he was feeling, but she couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope when he admitted to still being affected by what happened all those years ago. "Please," she whispered, reaching out a shaking hand to touch his arm. "Can we just talk about this? I want to make things right between us."

Her heart raced as she awaited his response, half-afraid that he would push her away once more and half-hoping for the chance to mend their fractured friendship. She wiped furiously at her tears, determined not to let them fall again.

Taking a deep breath, Yua tried to steady her voice as she spoke. "Please," she repeated, her words coming out in a rush. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I want you to know that I am truly sorry for what happened back then. I didn't understand how much my actions hurt you at the time, and it's something I think about every day."

Her gaze never wavered from his bloodstained hand as she continued, "I have changed since then, really I have. I became this confident person because I had to be... but underneath all that, I am still the same girl who wanted nothing more than to be your friend and make you proud." Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks again, but she fought them back with determination. "Please, give me another chance. Let's start over, as friends."

Her hand trembled

As he groaned, Yua could see the vulnerability in his eyes beneath the anger and pain. It was a small victory, but it gave her hope that maybe - just maybe - she had reached him somehow. "Please," she whispered again, her voice barely above a hoarse croak. "I want to make things right. I promise I'll never hurt you again." She swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his gaze despite the fear and shame that threatened to overwhelm her.

Her hand trembled as it hovered in midair between them, aching to reach out and touch him in some small way. "Please," she repeated, her voice shaking with emotion. "Give me a chance to prove myself."

The silence stretched on for what felt like an eternity, but Yua refused to break eye contact or give up hope. Her entire being was focused on this moment, on

She waited, holding her breath as he seemed to weigh his decision. Was it enough? Had she said the right things to make him forgive her, to give her a chance at redemption? The agony of uncertainty was nearly unbearable, but Yua forced herself to remain still and silent, refusing to beg or plead for mercy. As he finally stood up, Yua's heart skipped a beat in fear that she had pushed him too far. But when he moved past her without another word, she felt a sudden surge of relief flood through her. Maybe there was still hope after all. She watched as he walked away, his broad shoulders set defiantly against the world, and wondered if perhaps one day they might find some common ground from which to build a friendship anew.

Her heart skipped a beat as he addressed her by the name she hadn't heard in so long. Maybe there was still a chance to mend their fence, however small that chance might be. She turned to face him, trying to steady her voice and appearance despite the turmoil within her. "Y-yes?" she replied softly, not daring to hope for too much.

The tension between them was palpable, like a thick fog settling over the room. Yua's breath caught in her throat as he slowly turned back towards her, his expression a mix of anger, hurt and something else she couldn't quite identify.

Her heart raced with anticipation, wondering if perhaps they could find some common ground after all these years apart.

Yua blinked in surprise, not expecting such a comment but feeling a hint of warmth nonetheless. "I-I remember your name too," she managed to stammer out, her voice quivering slightly with emotion. "And... and I hope you don't hate me forever." Her gaze dropped to the floor as she struggled to find the words to express herself.

The air between them felt charged, thick with unspoken feelings and memories from a past that neither of them could fully escape. Yet despite it all, there was an undeniable spark, a connection that refused to be extinguished.