𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

𝐈𝐗

Los Angeles, California | November 11th

Sin sat at the corner booth, his back against the leather seat, one arm draped lazily over the backrest. His waves caught the low light of the restaurant, and when he ran a hand over his jaw, his grin flashed—perfect teeth, the kind Nai used to tease him about.

He looked good. Too good.

Nai took a slow breath as she walked toward him, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, just the way he liked. It wasn't intentional—at least, that's what she told herself—but when his eyes dragged over her, lingering a second too long, she knew he noticed.

"Look who decided to show up," Sin said, his voice smooth, teasing.

"Please," Nai scoffed, sliding into the booth across from him. "I was two minutes late."

Sin smirked, shaking his head. "Two minutes too long."

Their eyes met, and for a moment, the restaurant faded around them. The laughter from nearby tables, the soft hum of jazz playing overhead—it was all background noise to the unspoken words sitting between them.

It had been a while since they last saw each other, but time hadn't erased the familiarity. It hadn't changed the way her body instinctively leaned forward when he spoke, or the way he watched her like he was memorizing her all over again.

"So," Nai said, breaking the silence as she reached for her menu. "How's life treating you?"

Sin chuckled, shaking his head. "Straight to small talk? That's what we're doing?"

Nai rolled her eyes but smiled. "Just answer the question."

Sin studied her for a moment before leaning back. "Life's alright. Work keeps me busy. You know how it is."

She did. He was always about his grind, always had a plan. It was one of the things she admired about him.

"What about you?" he asked. "You happy?"

The question caught her off guard. Happy. Such a simple word, yet so loaded when it came from him.

She hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah. I'm good."

Sin arched a brow. "That didn't sound convincing."

Nai sighed, shaking her head. "Why are you like this?"

He smirked. "You always hated that I could read you."

And she did. Because Sin was the one person she could never lie to. Even now, after everything, he still knew which cracks to look for.

She set her menu down and met his gaze. "Fine. Maybe I miss... things. Us. But it doesn't mean I regret anything."

Sin's smirk faded, his expression turning serious. "I never said you should."

The air between them shifted, heavier now. Because the truth was, he missed her too. He missed the way she used to curl up next to him, her hair spilling onto his chest. He missed the sound of her laugh when she was genuinely happy, not just being polite.

And Nai? She missed how he made her feel safe without even trying. She missed how his presence alone could silence all the noise in her head.

But they weren't those people anymore. They were friends now—friends who used to love each other, who still felt the weight of what once was.

Nai exhaled softly, offering him a small smile. "I'm glad we're here."

Sin nodded, eyes never leaving hers. "Yeah. Me too."

And maybe that was enough.

***