Knight Syndrome

Ren

Ren didn't ask for such a blast from the past.

A call from Hana Vidalha asking to meet left him unsure of what to expect.

Hana. The name alone brought back memories he'd rather keep buried. Back in high school, she had appeared out of nowhere, a transfer student who claimed she knew nothing about F4, about their world. She had befriended Gorya, the scholarship girl who didn't belong in their elite school, the girl who stood up to Thyme when no one else dared. Ren had watched from a distance as Hana wove herself into Gorya's life, playing the role of loyal friend.

It was all a lie.

Hana had wanted Thyme. She'd used Gorya to get close to him, fed information to his enemies, exposed Gorya's secrets to humiliate her. She'd hurt them both before finally breaking down, forced to confront the ugliness of what she'd become.

Ren understood the agony of hopeless love. He understood it more than anyone knew.

Because he had loved Gorya too.

He'd noticed her first, the girl with fire in her eyes who refused to bow to F4's arrogance. He'd watched her challenge Thyme, watched her stand her ground when everyone else cowered. Something in him had stirred, something that felt like waking up after years of sleep. He'd started sketching again, filling pages with images he couldn't show anyone. Her profile in the cafeteria. Her hands gripping a basketball. The way she laughed, unguarded and real.

But Thyme had noticed her too. And Thyme, for all his cruelty, for all his flaws, had changed for her. Had softened. Had become someone worthy of her love.

Ren had seen it happening. The way they orbited each other, pulling closer despite themselves. He could have fought for her. Could have confessed. But he'd looked at Thyme, his brother in everything but blood and seen something he'd never seen before. Vulnerability. Hope. The possibility of becoming a better person.

So Ren had stepped back. Swallowed his feelings. Became the friend, the supporter, the one who watched from the sidelines as the two people he loved most found each other.

His sketchbook had gone blank after that.

Hana had done the same thing, in her own twisted way. Loved someone she couldn't have. Watched him choose another. The difference was in what came after, Hana had tried to destroy what she couldn't possess. Ren had simply... disappeared into himself.

Now she sat across from him in a café he didn't want to be in, stirring coffee he didn't want to drink.

"Coffee?" she finally asked.

"I'm good. Tell me why you wanted to meet."

He studied her face, searching for the old Hana, the one with sharp edges and sharper smiles, the one who calculated every word. But the woman before him seemed... diminished. Softer around the eyes. Tired in a way that makeup couldn't hide.

Was it real? Or was this another performance?

"I know Gorya's attending college. I wish her... them the best."

"If you wanted to see me just to let us know that you are updated, we don't care!" Ren stood up. He managed to convey his disinterest by the look in his eyes, the tone in his voice, and even the way he was trying to maintain his calm.

But beneath the coldness, something else churned. Anger, yes. But also recognition. He remembered what it felt like. The difference was, he'd let go. Hana, it seemed, was still trying.

He hated that he understood her.

Hana carefully placed a hand on his sleeve, motioning him to sit down. Her touch was tentative, nothing like the confident grip she'd once used to manipulate everyone around her.