You Happened

Nicole never allowed herself to get attached easily. After everything she had already lost, she learned to keep things simple-focus on nursing school, stay with her friends, and avoid anything that might complicate her life.

Then Hiraya Villanueva entered her world.

Quiet and composed, Hiraya didn't do anything to stand out, yet somehow she did. She wasn't someone Nicole thought she'd ever cross paths with in a meaningful way-much less someone she'd notice for longer than a passing glance. In Nicole's mind, Hiraya was always a little too distant, a little too unreachable.

So she didn't think much of it at first.

Instead, Nicole tried to build something with someone else-Jory-hoping it would be easier to stay grounded with someone more familiar, more within reach. But that connection eventually faded, leaving behind the same familiar disappointment she had learned to recognize too well.

And somewhere in between moving on and letting go, Hiraya stayed.

What started as a casual interaction after a beach outing slowly turned into something routine-conversations that lingered longer than expected, shared jokes that felt too natural, silences that weren't uncomfortable at all.

Without realizing it, Hiraya became part of Nicole's everyday life.

Not loud. Not demanding. Just... there.

And that was exactly what scared Nicole the most.

Because for someone who had already lost too much, the question was no longer about what she felt-but whether risking it again was something she could survive this time.