Falling

Again

SHINE

As I stood beside Seth, half-listening to whatever he was saying, a soft ripple in the air drew my attention. I turned—and froze.

She moved toward us like a vision, her figure graceful and captivating, the kind of beauty that could quiet an entire room without her even trying. My eyes were drawn to her, helpless to look away. There was something magnetic about her—her soft features, the way her dress fell perfectly against her curves, the faint blush that dusted her cheeks.

I couldn't help but stare, completely and utterly entranced. I had never felt this way before, not for anyone. Not for a woman. But looking at her now, something inside me shifted, like the world suddenly aligned, and for the first time in forever, it felt... right.

She noticed me. Her gaze lifted, locking onto mine, and in that instant, the faint crimson rising to her cheeks sent my heart into overdrive. Did she know what she was doing to me? Did she feel it too, this invisible pull that made the world fade away until it was just us?

I quickly realized I was staring too intensely, but I couldn't bring myself to look away. I had always believed my presence had this effect on others—that maybe it was my beauty, my aura, that left them flustered. But with her, it felt different. It wasn't just the way her face warmed under my gaze; it was the way I couldn't seem to breathe properly with her standing there.

And then, something in her eyes, in her presence, flickered with familiarity, and my chest tightened.

Wait.

No.

It couldn't be.

But the realization hit me like a tidal wave, leaving me stunned and breathless.

Yuna.

It was her. The girl who had been my entire world once—the one who used to laugh with me under the sun, who could light up even my darkest days with just her smile. My best friend. The girl who had lost her memory, and with it, every piece of the bond we had shared.

Seth's sister.

My heart felt like it shattered and soared all at once.

This wasn't just any girl. This was her.

And suddenly, the world around me blurred, fading into a hazy background, because the only thing I could see—the only thing that mattered—was her. Yuna. The girl who had always made my heart race, the only one who had ever truly filled the empty spaces in my world.

"Hey, I'm Yuna," she said softly.

Her voice. That voice. After nine long years, it was still the same—sweet and melodic, carrying the warmth of every cherished memory. My heart surged, a familiar joy rushing through me. I stood, unable to keep still, and took a step closer to her.

"It's good to see you again, Yuna," I said, my voice gentler than I'd expected.

Her eyes widened slightly, a delicate blush tinting her cheeks as I reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. It wasn't something I planned—it was instinctive, like my heart had been waiting for this moment.

Her blush deepened, and for a heartbeat, it was just the two of us, the world spinning only for her smile.

But I could feel it—the tension crackling behind me. Seth. My business partner. He stood there, quiet but watchful, his presence a reminder that not everything in this moment was simple.

Still, in that instant, nothing else mattered. Not Seth, not our complicated history, not the world. Just her. Just Yuna.

Seth cleared his throat, cutting through the charged silence like a blade. His voice was calm, yet carried that familiar edge of authority.