Two strangers become friends, friends become lovers, and lovers become strangers. Years later, fate reunites them, forcing them to confront the love they once lost and the choices that kept them apart. A story of longing, heartbreak, and the fragile...
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Manon⋆˚
Honestly, I wasn’t planning on saying a word.
Daniela and Lara had the energy covered, like always. They could talk to anyone, charm their way through anything. Me? I was fine just listening, blending into the background, sipping my drink.
But then… there was her.
Sophia.
She was impossible not to notice—the way she laughed too loudly at her own jokes, the way her hands fluttered around like she was painting the air, the way her friends just seemed to orbit around her without even realizing it. She wasn’t trying to get attention. She just… was.
And before I could stop myself, the words slipped out.
“You’re loud.”
Her eyes snapped to me, wide, startled, like I’d just told her a secret about herself she hadn’t realized yet. For a second, I thought she was going to take it the wrong way. I almost regretted saying anything at all.
So I added, “In a good way.”
Because it was. I’d heard her before we even stepped into the café, her laugh cutting through the buzz of conversations inside. It wasn’t annoying, it wasn’t too much—it was… warm. Like something you’d want to hear again.
She blinked at me, flustered, cheeks glowing like I’d set her on fire. And suddenly, the table felt different. Daniela’s smirk was sharper, Lara looked way too entertained, Megan’s grin was obvious, and Sophia—poor Sophia—was trying so hard not to melt in front of everyone.
I hid a smile behind my cup, pretending like it was nothing.
But it wasn’t nothing.
Not to me.
I didn’t expect her to react like that.
Most people, when I said something blunt, either brushed it off or got defensive. But Sophia? She froze, blinked too many times, and fumbled with her straw like it was a lifeline.
“Sorry?” she squeaked, and I almost laughed. Almost.
I shook my head. “Don’t apologize. It suits you.”
Her lips parted like she had something to say back, but no sound came out. And then she ducked her head, stabbing at her cake as if it had personally offended her.
Daniela kicked me under the table. When I looked at her, she had that smirk. The one that said she was about to run her mouth later, probably with Lara backing her up.
Yeah. I was in trouble.
Because the truth was… I didn’t usually notice people like this. Not in that way. I kept to myself, let the others do the talking. But Sophia—she pulled focus without even trying. She was all light and noise and warmth, and sitting this close to her made it hard to pretend like I didn’t care.
I took another slow sip of my drink, leaning back, eyes half-lidded. Cool. Calm. Detached.
On the outside.
But on the inside? I couldn’t stop wondering if she always blushed that easily—or if it was just because of me.
The conversation picked up again without me. Daniela teased Megan until her face went pink, Lara cracked jokes that made Yoonchae roll her eyes, and the table started to buzz like a normal hangout.
But my focus kept sliding back to Sophia.
She tried so hard to act natural, laughing at Lara’s sarcasm, nudging Yoonchae when Megan got flustered—but every few minutes, her eyes flicked toward me like she couldn’t help it. And when our gazes met, even for a second, she’d flush all over again and look away.
Daniela noticed too. Of course she did. She leaned toward me at one point, lowering her voice just enough for only me to hear. “She’s cute, huh?”
I shot her a look. “Don’t start.”
She smirked. “Too late. I already see it.”
Lara chimed in a second later, far less subtle. “Sophia and Manon. Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”
Sophia nearly choked on her drink. Megan burst into laughter. Yoonchae muttered something that sounded a lot like this is chaos.
I stayed quiet, lifting my cup to hide the way the corner of my mouth threatened to curve up.
It was easier that way—acting cool, letting them joke. If I said nothing, maybe they’d drop it.
But then Sophia dared a glance at me again, her cheeks pink, her lips pressed tight like she didn’t know whether to yell at her friends or run out the door.
And that’s when it hit me.
I liked seeing her flustered. Maybe a little too much.
By the time the plates were empty and everyone was finishing their drinks, the table was still alive with noise—Lara cracking another joke, Megan talking way too fast to Daniela, Yoonchae sighing like she was babysitting all of us.
I stood to grab another napkin, brushing past Sophia’s chair. She startled, like I’d just tapped her shoulder, even though I hadn’t touched her at all.
On the way back, I noticed her fork had slipped onto the floor. She bent down at the same time I did, and for one split second, our hands nearly touched.
Her eyes shot up, wide, startled again.
I held out the fork before she could say anything. “Careful. You’re a little clumsy.”
Her face flared pink instantly. “I—I’m not clumsy! It just… slipped.”
“Mhmm.” I let the smallest smirk slip, sliding the fork back onto her plate. “Sure.”
She opened her mouth, probably to argue, but nothing came out. Just a soft, frustrated squeak.
And I don’t know why, but that sound—quiet and flustered—felt louder than all the noise around us.
Daniela called my name, pulling me back into the group. I leaned back into my seat, keeping my expression blank, like that moment hadn’t happened at all.
But it had.
And I couldn’t stop replaying it in my head.
---------- I want to annoy you guys for a very very short chapter😎 (don't worry I'll post something later🥹)
