Sam froze. His fingers tightened around his phone as he slowly turned toward the voice that called his name.
Caroline.
His breath caught in his throat. It had been so long, yet seeing her again made the old wounds ache like they had never fully healed.
She looked the same—her familiar soft smile, the way she tilted her head slightly while speaking. But for Sam, it felt like looking at someone from another lifetime.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" she said, her voice carrying a strange warmth.
Sam swallowed. "Yeah… it has."
A part of him wanted to turn around and leave. Another part of him, the one that had once spent sleepless nights thinking about her, stood frozen in place.
Caroline took a hesitant step closer. "I actually wanted to talk to you for a while now. But I wasn't sure if you'd want to."
He forced himself to keep his face neutral. "Talk about what?"
She sighed. "I heard from some friends that you've changed. You used to be so cheerful, so full of life." She looked at him carefully. "What happened, Sam?"
His chest tightened.
What happened?
He almost wanted to laugh.
She had no idea.
She had no idea that the person who changed him was her. That the boy she remembered—the cheerful, playful, lively version of Sam—was left behind the moment she unknowingly crushed his heart.
But she never knew. She never realized.
To her, Sam had always been just a friend.
He clenched his fists, shoving them into his pockets. "People change, Caroline. It's just how life works."
She looked like she wanted to say more, but she hesitated. "I see…" she murmured.
Silence hung between them.
Then, Sam's phone buzzed in his hand.
Mahiru.
His thumb hovered over the screen.
Usually, the sight of her name would bring him comfort. But right now, his heart felt too heavy, his mind trapped in a past he thought he had left behind.
He let the call ring out.
Caroline shifted on her feet. "It was nice seeing you, Sam."
He didn't reply.
He was still standing there, frozen in place, feeling the weight of emotions he thought he had buried long ago.
And in a long time, Sam felt truly alone.
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