Ren remained silent for a moment. He didn't know how to respond, nor did he understand why he was standing here, talking to this girl.
She didn't rush him. She simply sat there, her fingers absentmindedly fiddling with a small doll, waiting.
Ren could sense it, there was an unusual calmness about her, a kind of tranquility not many possessed in this world.
Most players carried a constant, lingering fear, an unrelenting tension, as if they always had to be on guard, knowing that death could strike at any moment.
But this girl was different. Not in the reckless way of those who had given up, but in a quiet, gentle way, as if she had accepted this world on her own terms.
Then, perhaps to break the silence, or perhaps simply because she felt like it, she tilted her head slightly and smiled.
"We've never talked before, have we?"
Ren blinked. He hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Yeah."
"Then… let me introduce myself first." She stretched her legs out a little, as if getting more comfortable. "I'm Yuna."
Ren frowned slightly. That name… he had heard it somewhere before.
A name not unfamiliar to players in the Town of Beginnings. Before he could remember where, Yuna tilted her head and looked at him.
"And you?"
Ren gazed at her for a moment before slowly speaking.
"...Ren."
"Ren." She repeated, as if engraving the name into her memory. Then, she gave a soft smile. "A nice name."
Ren didn't know how to respond. He only nodded, a little uncertain.
After a brief pause, Yuna spoke again.
"Have you been here long?"
"For a while now."
"And yet, we've never met before." She let out a quiet laugh. "Or maybe I have seen you… just in passing."
Ren frowned slightly.
"...Me too."
He had seen her before. Not on the battlefield, not at the quest board, nor among groups of players discussing strategies.
But on the streets of the Town of Beginnings, where she often sat in a quiet corner, softly singing.
Yuna wasn't a warrior. She didn't wear heavy armor, nor did she carry a sword or spear.
In a world where everyone struggled to equip themselves with the strongest weapons to survive, her presence felt out of place. Yet, even so, she remained.
She chose to stay.
Yuna always appeared in a simple brown cloak, carrying a small instrument in her hands.
Ren didn't understand. He didn't understand why a player like her hadn't left this place to seek strength.
But, as Gareth had said, everyone had their own choices. Perhaps this was the path Yuna had chosen for herself.
She didn't ask anything more, only nodded quietly. A gentle breeze swept by, lifting strands of her long hair.
Then, she spoke, her voice like the whisper of the wind.
"If that's the case… then maybe today is a special day."
Ren looked at her, unsure of what she meant. But when he saw the soft smile on her lips, he didn't ask.
Perhaps, to her, having a conversation with someone, creating a small moment amidst this despair-filled existence, was enough to make today different.
He simply stood there, quietly taking in the moment.
But then, the stillness between them was abruptly broken by a voice calling from behind.
A voice that wasn't particularly loud or urgent, yet carried a decisiveness and certainty that made it impossible to ignore, like an unspoken signal that this brief moment had come to an end.
"Yuna."
Her name was spoken, simple, yet heavy. It cut through the soft evening breeze, drifting into the quiet street like an invisible blade, pulling them back to reality before they even realized they had sunk too deep into their conversation.
Ren instinctively turned his head toward the source of the voice.
A young woman was approaching them, her strides steady and unwavering.
She seemed older than Yuna and himself, perhaps around twenty-two or twenty-three, with chestnut-colored hair tied neatly into a high ponytail, revealing a broad forehead and sharp, determined eyes.
Her steps were quick but not rushed, each movement carrying an air of stability and control, as if even at a slightly faster pace, she never lost her grip on the situation.
Her posture was straight, and every motion had a certain confidence and decisiveness, not the kind that was cold or distant, but neither was it particularly gentle.
Her eyes didn't hold hostility or wariness, but they carried a quiet, grounded awareness, the kind of gaze belonging to someone accustomed to thinking, planning, and bearing responsibility.
Her outfit was simple, without heavy armor or visible weapons, indicating that she wasn't a combat-focused player. But even without a weapon in hand, her presence alone commanded attention.
"Lily?" Yuna blinked, seemingly surprised to see her here at this moment. But after a brief pause, she smiled gently, showing no sign of unease or concern. "What is it?"
Lily stopped in front of Yuna, her eyes briefly passing over Ren, not in a scrutinizing or probing way, just a passing glance, acknowledging his presence.
But right after, she refocused entirely on Yuna, as if whatever she was about to say was meant only for her and no one else.
She didn't speak immediately.
Instead, she leaned slightly closer to Yuna, lowering her voice to a level that only someone standing very close could hear.
Ren couldn't make out a single word, but he could see her lips moving, each syllable spoken with careful precision, unhurried, but with no intention of explaining at length.
Yuna listened.
The smile on her lips slowly faded, not disappearing all at once, but dimming like a candle burning down until only a faint glow remained.
Her eyebrows knitted slightly, her gaze tinged with thoughtfulness, as Lily continued speaking in a hushed voice meant only for her.
A soft breeze swept through, lifting a few strands of Yuna's red hair, sending them swirling in the air before they gently fell back down in a graceful arc. But she didn't seem to notice.
Ren remained still, watching in silence.
He didn't know what their conversation was about, but from the seriousness in Lily's eyes and the faint trace of concern on Yuna's face, he could tell it wasn't something trivial.
It wasn't something an outsider could easily interfere with.
In the distance, the laughter of a few children echoed through the quiet space of the late afternoon.
They continued playing without a care in the world, their small silhouettes darting about under the golden hues of sunset, unaffected by whatever was happening around them.
But Lily wasn't like that.
She glanced at the children for a brief moment, a flicker of contemplation in her gaze. But only for a moment, because the next, she turned back to Yuna and finished what she had to say.
Yuna remained silent.
Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the small doll in her hands, fingertips brushing over the worn fabric, as if searching for a sense of calm in its familiar texture.
Ren didn't understand what was going on.
He couldn't hear what Lily had said.
But in that moment, between the whispers of the evening breeze and the distant laughter of children, he could feel the weight of a conversation he was not part of.
Something...some kind of problem, was troubling them.
And it didn't seem like something an outsider like him could easily step into.
Yuna didn't respond right away.
She kept her head slightly lowered, as if carefully considering something. A fleeting trace of thought passed through her eyes before it was hidden once more beneath her usual composed expression.
Ren didn't know what Lily had just said, but he could tell that it had made Yuna think.
The hand gripping the small doll finally loosened, her fingers relaxing ever so slightly, as though she had come to a decision.
When she lifted her head again, her gaze had returned to its usual calmness, though deep within, there was still something unspoken, something unnamed.
"I see." Yuna exhaled softly, a faint smile appearing on her lips. "I'll be there."
Lily gave a small nod.
No further explanations.
No drawn-out questions or debates.
It was as if the two of them understood each other well enough that no more words were needed.
Ren realized this was his cue to leave.
He had no reason to insert himself into this conversation, nor any excuse to linger any longer. Yuna hadn't asked him to go, but somehow, the atmosphere between them had shifted.
This was no longer a casual exchange between two people.
Now, there was something invisible, something that had drawn a line between him and them.
Ren took a slow step back, but before he could turn away, Yuna suddenly spoke.
"Ren."
He stopped.
Yuna turned to look at him, her deep crimson eyes reflecting the warm glow of dusk, carrying something, something complicated. But instead of saying anything profound, she simply tilted her head slightly and smiled.
"See you later."
Her voice was as light and casual as ever, yet this time, Ren couldn't shake the feeling that it carried a different meaning. A feeling he couldn't quite put into words just yet.
But he didn't ask.
He simply nodded and replied briefly,
"Yeah. See you later."
And without waiting any longer, he turned and walked away.
Lily said nothing, only watching him silently for a moment before shifting her attention back to Yuna.
The evening breeze swept through the empty street, carrying with it an odd sense of quiet.
Ren didn't look back.
But he knew that as he walked away, their conversation continued, filled with words he would never hear.