Mia had been demanding to properly meet Kai for weeks.
"I've seen him for five minutes here and there," she complained during one of their video calls. "I need a real meeting. An interrogation. A chance to make sure he's worthy of my best friend."
Lina laughed. "You sound like you're planning a military operation."
"I am. Love is war, Lina. And I'm your general."
So Lina arranged it a weekend in Seoul, just the three of them. Dinner, drinks, and Mia's full attention.
Kai was nervous.
"Your best friend hates me," he said the night before.
"She doesn't hate you."
"She has every reason to. I hurt you. I disappeared. She watched you suffer for seven years." He ran a hand through his hair. "If I were her, I'd hate me too."
"Then prove her wrong." Lina squeezed his hand. "Be yourself. Be honest. She'll come around."
They met at a restaurant in Hongdae trendy, loud, full of young people. Mia arrived first, already sipping wine when they walked in.
She stood as they approached, her eyes fixed on Kai.
"Kai." Her voice was cool. "We meet properly at last."
"Mia." Kai met her gaze steadily. "Thank you for agreeing to this."
"Oh, I didn't agree. I demanded." She gestured to the chairs. "Sit. We have much to discuss."
Dinner was... intense.
Mia asked questions like a prosecutor cross-examining a witness. Where had he been for seven years? Why hadn't he tried harder to contact Lina? What were his intentions now? How did he plan to make up for the years of silence? What did he do for a living? Was he financially stable? Did he want marriage? Children? Had he ever loved anyone else?
Kai answered every question honestly, without defensiveness.
"I was trapped," he explained about the years of silence. "My father controlled everything my communication, my movements, my life. By the time I escaped, I was too afraid to reach out. I thought Lina had moved on, that I'd only hurt her more by reappearing."
"So what changed?"
"I realized that living in fear was worse than any rejection she could give me." He looked at Lina. "I'd rather be rejected honestly than spend my whole life wondering what if."
Mia studied him for a long moment. Then she turned to Lina.
"He's not lying," she said. "I can tell."
Lina smiled. "I know."
"But that doesn't mean I trust him." Mia faced Kai again. "You hurt my best friend. Not intentionally, maybe, but you hurt her. It took her years to get over you. Years of crying, years of writing sad stories about boys who leave, years of wondering what she did wrong."
Kai's face tightened with pain. "I know. I carry that every day."
"Good." Mia's voice softened slightly. "Because if you ever hurt her again if you ever make her cry like that again I will find you. And it won't matter how famous you are or how many symphonies you've written. Do you understand?"
"Perfectly." Kai met her eyes. "And for what it's worth... I'd let you. Because if I hurt her again, I'd deserve whatever you did."
Mia stared at him for a beat. Then she smiled a real smile, warm and genuine.
"Okay," she said. "I like him."
Lina burst out laughing. "That's it? That's all it took?"
"I'm a good judge of character." Mia raised her wine glass. "To Kai. Who survived the Mia interrogation. May he prove worthy of our trust."
Kai raised his glass, relief evident on his face. "I'll spend my life trying."
After dinner, they walked through the streets, Mia linking her arms through both of theirs.
"Seriously though," Mia said, "you two are disgusting. The way you look at each other. It's like a drama. Actually, it's better than a drama because it's real."
"We're not that bad," Lina protested.
"You wrote a symphony about her," Mia said to Kai. "A whole symphony. About her. That's not normal. That's epic romance novel level."
Kai smiled. "She's worth a symphony."
"And you," Mia pointed at Lina, "you finally wrote a happy book. Your editor told me. She said it's your best work because you're actually happy for once."
Lina blushed. "Maybe."
"Definitely." Mia stopped walking and faced them both. "Look, I was worried. I won't pretend I wasn't. But seeing you together... I get it now. You're meant to be. Like, cosmically, fate-fully, written-in-the-stars meant to be."
Kai squeezed Lina's hand. "I think so too."
"So do I," Lina whispered.
Mia groaned dramatically. "And now I'm the third wheel. My work here is done." She started walking backward, grinning at them. "You two go be disgustingly in love. I'm going to find a normal person to date who hasn't composed symphonies or written bestselling novels."
"Good luck!" Lina called.
"I don't need luck. I need a man who can handle me." Mia waved and disappeared around a corner.
Lina turned to Kai. "She likes you."
"She's terrifying."
"She's protective. There's a difference." Lina smiled up at him. "But you passed. Congratulations."
Kai pulled her close. "Best compliment I've ever received."
They walked home through the glittering city, hand in hand, the night full of promise.