Arkian lowered his head, looking slightly exhausted. Trying to calm himself, he inhaled and exhaled several times. He took a tissue and wiped his face with it. Then he hurried back toward the café's seating area.
In the few steps of that narrow hallway, he made himself think of her instead—deliberately, the way a musician returns to the tonic when a piece has wandered too far.
A month ago. The music room after hours, the building dark except for the lamp above the piano. Elena had slipped in with two cups of coffee and sat beside him on the bench, her shoulder against his.
"Teach me something," she had said.
He had placed her fingers on the keys and guided them, his hand over hers, through the first phrase of a melody he had never taught anyone. She had played the wrong note on purpose. He knew it was on purpose, because she was smiling at him instead of at the keys.
"That's wrong," he had said.
"Then correct me."
She had turned on the bench before he could answer, and she kissed him. Not shyly. Not like a student. Like a woman who had decided. For a heartbeat he had been too surprised to move—and then he had moved, one hand at the side of her face, the other at the small of her back, and the kiss had deepened into something slow and searching that went on and on, like a sustain pedal held down. She tasted of coffee and sugar. Her fingers threaded into the hair at his nape and tugged, gently, and a low sound escaped him that he did not recognize as his own. He kissed the line of her jaw, the warm skin just below her ear, and felt her shiver against him, felt her breath catch and then go ragged.
"Arkian—" she had gasped.
"Too much?" He had stopped at once, lifting his head.
"No." She had laughed breathlessly, her forehead against his. "Just—wait. My heart is about to break out of my ribs."
So they had waited. They sat on the piano bench with their foreheads touching, breathing each other's air, until their hearts slowed. When she finally looked up at him, her lips flushed and her hair undone, he had thought: I would give back every year I lost just to keep this one.
That was what he held on to now. Not the face on the small screen that had looked at him like a ghost from twenty-two years ago. Not the question that face had raised, which he did not yet dare to ask. Only Elena—here, now, real.
He straightened his shirt, drew one last breath, and walked on.
His steps stopped for a moment when he emerged from the little hallway. The unsettling situation was now waiting for him right in front of his eyes.
As soon as Arkian left the restroom, the lively sound of conversation reached him. Arkian furrowed his brow slightly. His gaze immediately fell on someone near Elena. The young man who had been singing earlier.
Nathan.
Arkian did not know him. He had not known that the young man singing onstage was Elena's ex-boyfriend. But he also suddenly remembered that, just a few minutes earlier, the young man had been onstage singing a song he knew. A song that had remained in his memory all this time.
He had never expected someone to suddenly sing that song in this place.
As if the situation that night were playing some cruel joke on him.
But before Arkian could look for an answer, Nathan approached him and stopped in front of him, his gaze full of emotion.
"You...!"
Arkian was slightly confused.
"Excuse me?"
Nathan looked toward Elena, then turned his eyes back to Arkian.
"So you're the one?"
Arkian looked as if he did not understand.
"The one what?"
Elena immediately stood up.
"Nathan, enough...!" she warned sharply.
But Nathan was already carried away by his emotions and jealousy after seeing the way Elena had been watching Arkian. He had seen how Arkian managed to capture Elena's attention so completely—the way Elena's attention had drifted for so long while Nathan was singing onstage. It had been obvious to him that her attention was focused on the table where Arkian sat.
Arkian was still trying to understand what was happening. To him, it felt strange. Someone had suddenly appeared and sung a song he knew extremely well. And now that same person was challenging him to a fight.
Yet beneath his confusion, there was one thing he wanted to ask Nathan.
"You were the one singing that song earlier, weren't you?"
Nathan immediately snapped back.
"Yeah. What's it to you?"
"If you want to talk, then talk properly," Arkian replied.
Hearing that, Nathan's anger rose even higher.
"Talk properly? What the hell is that supposed to mean!?"
Arkian drew a breath, then spoke calmly.
"If you want to fight, then let's go outside."
Elena was shocked to hear that. Then Arkian walked toward the exit. Not because he was looking for trouble, but because he knew some emotions would not be resolved by simply standing in the middle of a room.
Without hesitation, Nathan followed him.
Before leaving, Nathan first turned toward Maya.
"Maya," he said.
Maya immediately grabbed Elena's arm.
"Keep an eye on Elena," she said firmly.
Elena shook her head, her face falling.
"Nathan, enough!"
Elena watched Nathan and Arkian head toward the main entrance. But just as the two of them were almost at the door, a punch flew straight into Arkian's temple.
Arkian froze for a moment, caught completely off guard. Elena was immediately startled from where she stood in the distance, staring in shock.
Arkian quickly struck back, aiming for Nathan's face.
The atmosphere that had been filled with music and warmth only minutes earlier turned tense at the café entrance. For some reason, there was no security guard on duty that night.
Elena, still watching from where she stood, immediately started walking toward them. But everything happened so quickly that the two of them ran toward the café's side yard. On the grass, still wet with the remains of the rain, they traded blows.
Nathan, driven by the emotions of a young man who felt threatened by the possibility of losing something. And Arkian, confused and unable to understand how he had suddenly become part of someone else's problem.
Elena stepped between them.
"Enough!"
They both turned and saw Elena, her face filled with worry.
"Nathan!"
Then she looked at Arkian.
"Mr. Arkian!"
"Stop!" Elena shouted.
For that night, the fight finally stopped. Not because either of them had surrendered, but because the girl at the center of their dispute had shouted and placed herself between them.
Neither of them was indifferent to Elena, nor would either of them let her get hurt because of their fight.
Arkian looked at Nathan's face as if searching for an answer to something he had not understood since the beginning of the night. He only watched Nathan for a few seconds, as though there were something he needed to confirm.
But Arkian said nothing. He did not want to drag the problem out. He simply took a breath, then looked toward Elena. With his usual calm expression, Arkian started to walk past her toward the café so he could get his jacket.
Nathan watched him leave, his gaze full of emotion.
But before he actually entered the café's seating area, Arkian stopped and said,
"You should trust her if you really love her," he said, pointing toward Elena.
Nathan fell silent. The sentence was simple. But to Nathan, it sounded like a judgment.
His anger rose again.
"Trust what, man!?"
Then he gave a small, mocking laugh.
"You going to teach me, old man?"
Arkian shot him a sharp look.
Nathan stepped forward, moving past Elena and approaching Arkian.
"You think I don't know? You're just a pathetic old bachelor."
Elena was shocked. Nathan continued, carried away by his anger.
"Taking advantage of your closeness with your student, isn't that right?"
The atmosphere changed. Those words left Arkian speechless.
Elena, who had been standing there all along, was shocked again when she heard them. But this time, she was not angry. She was disappointed.
"Nathan," she said bitterly, her voice low.
But Nathan was still caught up in his emotions. He turned to face Elena.
"What? That's how it is, isn't it?"
And then, in an instant, Elena stepped toward Nathan and slapped him across the face. It was not particularly hard, but it was enough to make Nathan fall silent. His body went rigid. Elena stood in front of him, her hand still trembling and her eyes brimming with tears.
Elena simply could not believe that someone she had loved all this time had just revealed a side of himself she had never seen before.
"Nathan...."
"...I never thought you could say something like that," she continued bitterly.
Nathan stood frozen for a few moments, then tried to explain.
"Elena, I came here..." His voice weakened.
"I did all this for you," he continued.
Elena looked at him.
"No, Nathan. You came here to follow your anger."
Nathan did not answer. He had no excuse. There was only hurt and shame.
He lowered his head for a moment, then gave a small smile.
"Fine. If that's how it is."
Elena silently stared at Nathan.
"I came all this way just for this, El?" Nathan continued bitterly.
Nathan looked around. The place he had imagined would become a surprise for Elena now felt so strange.
"I'm going home, El," he said firmly.
No one dared to stop him. There were no last words capable of repairing that night.
Nathan walked away. His steps were quick and full of emotion, carrying his shattered feelings with him.
Meanwhile, Elena could only stand frozen, watching Nathan's furious figure walk away.
That night, for the first time, Elena asked herself whether what they had been holding on to all this time was still truly love. Or were they merely holding on to the romance they had once shared?
Elena was still standing in front of the café. Nathan walked toward his motorcycle in the parking area behind the café. He did not look back, because that night had already released too much sadness and emotion from inside him.
Elena wanted to stop him. She wanted to explain. She wanted to say something.
"Nathan...!"
But Nathan, still consumed by emotion, walked toward the parking area. Only a few minutes later, he was already sitting on his motorcycle.
His face was still full of emotion. He started the engine. The motorcycle's roar rang out sharply. Then he sped toward the café's entrance gate.
Elena wanted to stop him. Her small steps moved after him.
"Nathan...!"
But Nathan seemed unwilling to listen anymore. He twisted the throttle deeper while holding in the motorcycle's clutch. The engine roared even louder, like his anger, which had yet to burn out.
Nathan left the place behind. He left the café. He left Elena. He left behind the night he had initially imagined as the beginning of an attempt to repair their relationship, so often colored by arguments and already hanging by a thread.
But that night, all he got was disappointment.
Elena could only fall silent again. The sound of Nathan's motorcycle slowly faded away.
But the echo of Nathan's disappointment still lingered in her head. Like a sign that something between her and Nathan had truly changed.
Not far away, Maya stood a few steps behind Elena.
"El...." Maya's voice was soft.
There was no answer.
Elena only stared at the empty road where Nathan had disappeared. Then, slowly, her legs seemed to lose their strength. Her knees buckled and touched the ground. Her head bowed.
And that night, Elena let her tears fall. Not as a student who had to appear strong. Only as a woman whose heart had just been wounded.
Maya hurried over.
"El...." She held back her tears. "I'm sorry, El...."
Elena did not answer.
"I'm really sorry, El...." Maya sat down too. "I didn't know it would turn out like this," she continued worriedly.
Elena shook her head slowly.
"It's okay, May. This isn't your fault."
Maya fell silent.
Because sometimes friends cannot heal a wound. They can only stay beside someone who is hurting.
Arkian, who had been standing not far away all this time, finally approached them again. Seeing Elena still sitting on the ground, concern showed on his face.
Not knowing what else to do, Arkian tried to extend his hand.
"Come on. Get up," he said softly.
Elena kept her head bowed, then looked at his hand for several seconds.
Arkian fell silent for a moment.
Elena stood on her own just as quickly. Ignoring his outstretched hand, she immediately went inside the café to collect her belongings.
Maya remained behind, drawing a deep breath as if unsure what to say.
"Wow, I'm sorry, Mr. Arkian."
Arkian gave a small nod.
Then Maya noticed the small injury on Arkian's face.
"Mr. Arkian...."
"Yes?" Arkian answered casually.
"You're okay, right?" Maya asked.
Arkian smiled slightly.
"I'm fine," he replied calmly.
Then Arkian looked toward the road where Nathan had just left.
"He's still so young...."
"...When I was his age, I did the same thing," Arkian continued.
Maya fell silent for a moment.
"But, Mr. Arkian...." She seemed to feel guilty.
Not long afterward,
"Maya!" Elena's loud voice rang clearly from the café entrance.
"Come on... let's go home!" Elena continued firmly.