A Latte Bit of Fate

Later that day, Ryan is sitting on the edge of his bed, his phone casting a faint glow across his face.

The social media feed scrolled endlessly,

Smiling faces, caps thrown in the air, diplomas gripped in victorious hands.

His old classmates were graduating. Moving forward.

Meanwhile, he was still here, running in place. A soft smile tugged at his lips, but there was something else behind it. A pang of longing. Of regret.

He set his phone down, exhaling slowly.

"It's fine. I'll get there too. Just a little later." but the air of doubt overpowers him,

He decided to step outside

The air was crisp, the kind that carried a quiet promise of change.

He walked without purpose, letting the night absorb him. His thoughts were tangled, a haze of past and present, until a familiar figure caught his eye.

Wolf-cut hair, unmatched nail colors, that mysterious beauty,

Nicole.

She wasn't wearing the oversized jacket or the mask like before.

Tonight, she was just Nicole.

The student, the girl he sat next to in class.

Her uniform, neat and simple, made her look... different. More real. Less like a mystery.

Ryan hesitated before calling out,

"Hey, Nicole!"

She paused and turned to him, her expression unreadable as ever

"Where are you headed?" 

She shifted her bag higher on her shoulder. "I just need to buy some things at the mall. What about you?"

He let out a small laugh, running a hand through his hair. "Oh, just taking a stroll. I noticed I'm getting a little fat lately, so…"

Nicole's lips twitched. "That's good for you."

He blinked as if it's something new but it wasn't a surprise.

He was expecting that to be her response.

A chuckle escaped him, the tension in his chest loosening just a bit. He gestured toward the road.

"Oh, also, there's a checkpoint nearby. You won't find a ride if you wait here. People are flocking to the coliseum since the bus routes changed." He tilted his head.

"Want me to walk with you there?"

She let out a soft sigh, glancing at the nearly empty street. "Is that so…" Her fingers clenched around the strap of her bag for just a second before she nodded. "Please, do."

The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable, but it carried weight. They walked side by side, the rhythm of their footsteps filling the spaces where words failed.

Nicole broke the quiet first. "Where's your place?"

Ryan glanced at her. "Oh? I rent a boarding house near the Barangay Hall, just down that alley." He pointed vaguely in the distance. "What about you?"

"Near the back gate. It's cheaper. Less hassle."

He nods in understanding. "Yeah, I wanted that space too, but the landlady said someone already took it."

She only hummed in response. Another pause settled between them.

Ryan's gaze drifted to the storefronts lining the road. One in particular caught his attention. "Oh, there's a new café here. I wonder how their coffee tastes compared to my usual spot."

His eyes flickered to Bo's Café, his regular haunt.

"You like coffee?" she asked, inquring,

"Who doesn't? Especially when it's rich and sweet. But I don't mind the bitterness of black coffee either."

He glanced at her.

"It's kind of like life, don't you think? People chase after the sweet things, avoiding the bitterness, but in the end, reality always tastes a little burnt."

Nicole tilted her head, as if considering his words. Then, unexpectedly, she chuckled. It was quiet, but it was there.

"That's a psych student for you."

"What about you, Nicole?"

"I like black coffee," she admitted.

"At least it's honest. The bitterness is unfiltered, raw. Like the truth. Some people accept it. Some people drown it in sugar."

Ryan slowed his pace for a moment, watching her. The way she spoke, it felt like there was something hidden between her words. He didn't press. Instead, he smiled as if knowing what she meant, and deep down, he did.

"Looks like we both have a thing for coffee. Shall we grab one? My treat?"

Nicole hesitated, her fingers grazing the edge of her sleeve. Then, she nodded. "Sure. If it's okay with you."

The café was small, warm, the scent of roasted beans filling the air. They leaned by the counter near the glass window, the glow of passing headlights flickering across their table.

As they waited for their order, their conversation flowed differently now--smoother, easier. They talked about little things,

Mundane things.

But beneath it, there was an understanding.

Something unspoken.

As they reached the coliseum, Nicole stopped at the bus entrance. She turned to Ryan, her expression softer than before.

"I had a good time talking to you."

Ryan smiled. "Me too. I'll see you around then?"

She nods before stepping onto the bus, but before the doors closed, Ryan caught something-- her fingers tightening around the coffee cup, a smile lingering on her lips.

It was fleeting, barely there.

But it was real.

Something about it settled in his chest, a warmth that didn't quite reach his fingertips.

He had spent so much time dissecting people, analyzing intentions, weighing words.

Yet here she was-- this quiet, distant girl-- offering something raw, something unfiltered, without even realizing it.

For the first time in a while, he let go of the questions. Let go of the doubts. Tonight, for just a moment, he allowed himself to believe in something simple.

And as he turned to walk home, he found himself smiling too.

But inside the bus, the warmth Nicole carried was already fading.

Her fingers, still wrapped around the coffee cup, trembled as her phone buzzed in her pocket.

A single vibration, enough to send shivers down her spine.

"WHERE ARE YOU, NICOLE?!"

Alie.

Her stomach twisted.

The moment-- the fragile, fleeting thing she had held onto-- shattered in an instant. Her grip on the cup tightened, her breath uneven.

She stole one last glance outside, watching the city blur past. The coliseum. The street. The place where, for once, she had felt normal.

But the bus kept moving.

And soon, all of it was behind her.