Anna stopped mid-step, her breath racing by the second, her gaze locked on her phone screen.
Her fingers began shaking uncontrollably.
Her phone remained lit.
Class Reunion — Tomorrow Night! Royale Restaurant, 7PM. Don't ghost us again this time.
Her face became pale, drained from joy. The warmth of the coffee in her hand began to burn, without her noticing.
Her heart raced without stopping as she stared at the message.
Ben quickly grew worried as well. "What happened?"
Ben stepped closer. "Anna."
She hesitated for a bit, then turned the phone toward him.
Silence stretched between them as she immediately locked her phone and slipped it into her purse.
"I'm not going."
He just looked at her, his eyes slowly watching as her expression darkened.
"Why?" He placed his hands gently on her shoulders, calming her down a bit.
"I just don't want to," she responded, her hands visibly shaking nonstop.
"That's not an answer," Ben said, his voice calm yet serious.
She shrugged. "I just don't want to go, please." Her voice came out sharper than usual, but beneath the rage and irritation was someone fragile.
He tilted his head slightly, staring intently at her face like he usually did whenever she was hiding something.
She tried looking away at first, trying to avoid his gaze, but it was of no use.
"It's just stupid," she muttered, her voice low and weak, like a frail animal cowering in fear.
"Tell me anyway," Ben insisted, gently grabbing her hands to provide a sense of assurance.
She exhaled slowly.
"…I was bullied there."
Her words were quiet, plain, and soft, but they carried weight.
"I know," Ben said softly.
Anna's brows knit. "You do?"
"Did you actually think I wouldn't notice something like that?"
Her gaze dropped straight down. Her fingers curled around her sleeve as she spoke.
"I just… don't see the point in going back," she said. "I don't want to remember it again. I don't want to reopen wounds that are already healing."
Ben went quiet for a moment before finally speaking.
"You have to stop running." He paused to catch his breath. "If you keep running from it," he said, his voice calm, "it'll keep hunting you."
She scoffed lightly. "Wow. Inspirational speech of the year, Mr. President."
"I'm serious," Ben said, his voice calm yet firm.
She tried to change the subject quickly. "So anyway, did you finish that report yesterday…"
"Anna."
She stopped.
He rarely stood firm. Although he was a playful person, sometimes he became serious…extremely serious, like now.
"You should go," he said firmly. His voice was low and steady, without shaking, enough to make refusal feel stupid.
"Face it once."
"No."
"I'll be there."
She folded her arms. "I'm still not going."
He just continued staring at her quietly. He didn't rush or push her. It was only a matter of seconds before she gave in.
Finally, after a while, she sighed.
"I don't even have anything to wear," she said at last. A final struggle. A last straw.
He answered instantly with a reassuring smile.
"Then I'll get you something."
She laughed. "You're joking, right?!"
He didn't laugh back.
"Right?" Her face went pale, and her smile faded a little.
"My treat," Ben said, smiling as though he had just won a battle.
He meant it. He meant every word.
****
City Mall. The mall was large, filled with many stores and boutiques, ranging from average shops to top luxury brands. The lighting was beautiful and welcoming.
Anna stood in front of a mirror wearing the fourth dress she'd tried.
She stared at her reflection, turning side to side slightly, then frowned.
"No."
Then she disappeared behind the curtain again.
Ben leaned against the wall, arms folded, patient as ever.
Dress five. "No."
Dress six. "No."
Dress seven…
"No."
He sighed. "At this point, I think you're just dumb about fashion."
"What do you mean? I have standards," Anna said, trying hard to prove herself.
He reached blindly toward a rack, grabbed a random dress, and held it out.
"This one. Try it."
She stared at it.
"It doesn't even look good."
"Trust me."
"You don't know fashion compared to m…"
"Trust me."
She rolled her eyes and took it halfheartedly. Then, a minute later, the curtain slid open.
As he lifted his head, he froze, forgetting how breathing worked. His heart raced with every beat.
A red gown, soft, flowing, and elegant. It fitted her like it had been designed specifically for her, as though it had been waiting on the rack just to be picked by her.
She looked at herself in the mirror… really looked this time.
Quiet.
The saleswoman clasped her hands. "Oh, that's perfect! Sir, this will look lovely on your girlfriend."
Silence.
Ben cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Sorry. She's not my girlfriend."
He cleared his throat once more. "She's just my best friend."
His words were simple but true, and yet they didn't feel right to him. His heart felt tight and pained.
And Anna… she wasn't any different. She didn't know why something inside her stung, as though she had been pierced. It was small and quick, almost barely there, but it was there.
The saleswoman blinked rapidly. "Oh! I'm so sorry!"
"It's fine," he said. "We get that a lot, usually," he said, trying to smile halfway.
Anna stepped back behind the curtain without speaking. But it was rather obvious—something was different about her.
****
Outside the shop, she started increasing her pace, moving ahead of him.
Fast.
Ben caught up easily. "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing."
"Anna."
"Nothing."
He reached out and gently caught her wrist, pulling her closer to him.
She stopped.
He leaned slightly closer, almost as though he could kiss her at any moment.
"…Ice cream?"
She pressed her lips together, trying not to smile, but her emotions failed her. Before she knew it, all her strange anger had flown away, and all she could think about was ice cream.
Minutes later, they both sat on a bench, each holding a cone.
Traffic hummed in the distance. Wind moved lazily through the trees and through her hair. Somewhere nearby, someone laughed.
Anna stared at the pavement, deep in thought.
"Why does being with him always feel like the safest place in the world?"
She couldn't understand her feelings. Was it just affection or love?
So she ignored it once more, like every time in the past.
To her, it was safer not to think too hard about her feelings, because once feelings were named wrongly, they could begin to cause harm.
The next night arrived dressed in golden light and glass reflections.
****
Inside Royale Restaurant, laughter floated through the air. Glasses clinked. Music hummed low beneath conversations.
Royale Restaurant wasn't the kind of place people casually wandered into. Even the lighting looked expensive.
The door slid open, drawing attention to the entrance. Standing there was an average-height woman wearing a red gown, and beside her was a handsome man of unknown origin.
Anna stepped inside.
Her red fabric flowed behind her like a quiet flame. Each step she took was careful—but her posture was straight. Her shoulders were tense—but her chin was lifted. Her eyes were nervous—but steady. She was the very definition of beauty. The kind of beauty only seen in top model magazines.
Ben entered beside her in a dark tuxedo, calm as still water.
They looked like a couple straight out of the movies.
People stared.
A voice cut through the room.
"Well… if it isn't our little crybaby."
Anna froze mid-step as a woman with sharp eyes approached her, smiling sweetly.
"You look… different," the woman said, her gaze sliding over her dress. Then she glanced at Ben. "I see you got yourself a new boyfriend. He's really better than the last one—the full package, I can see."
Anna's throat sting with pain with her grip hard around her clutch. Her heartbeat grew loud, racing by the second.
"What was your previous toy's name again?" Her eyes slowly shifted toward the ceiling. "Ooohhh... I remember. Jacob... I heard he ended up in prison over drug complications, right? It must have been rough," she said, her face filled with a sinister smile.
Not again.
Ben stepped half a pace forward. Calmly, but alert.
"I've heard much about you," he said politely. "I'm her best friend. We didn't go to the same high school—but we've always been together since childhood."
The woman's smile faltered slightly, but before she could say anything further, other voices jumped in.
"Oh my God, Anna?!"
"You look stunning!"
"You've changed so much!"
"You're gorgeous!"
Warmth replaced the cold creeping up her spine.
Her shoulders loosened.
Then a pair of girls turned to Ben.
"So… if you're not dating," one said, smiling awkwardly, "then can I have your WhatsApp?"
He didn't answer immediately.
He glanced at Anna first.
She smiled politely.
But her fingers wrapped against her purse tightly.
The room softened once more as laughter returned and different conversations flowed. And just as everything began to feel normal…
The door handle turned.
Silence rippled. Everyone wondered who it could be this time.
The door opened.
A voice spoke from the entrance.
"Sorry… am I in the right place?"
Anna's glass slipped slightly in her hand.
She looked up.
It was him.