Iris's POV
The road outside the café was unusually quiet.
I adjusted the strap of my bag on my shoulder as I walked toward home.
The evening air felt colder than usual.
Or maybe I was simply tired.
I glanced at the time on my phone.
It was later than I had expected.
When I finally reached home, I unlocked the door and stepped inside.
"Kaizer?"
No answer.
I frowned.
The house was dark.
Not completely dark—the faint light from the street outside slipped through the windows—but none of the lights inside were turned on.
I closed the door behind me.
"Kaizer?"
Still nothing.
Maybe he was in his room.
I placed my bag on the sofa and looked toward the hallway.
The house was too quiet.
I walked a little farther into the living room.
And then I noticed the balcony.
The door was slightly open.
A faint breeze moved the curtain.
I walked toward it.
There he was.
Kaizer stood with his hands resting against the railing, his gaze fixed somewhere beyond the buildings.
The sky was dark.
A few stars were visible between the clouds.
He wasn't doing anything.
Just looking.
I stopped at the entrance of the balcony.
"Kaizer."
This time, he heard me.
He turned his head.
For a moment, his expression was unreadable.
Then he smiled.
"You are back."
I nodded.
"Hmm."
I stepped beside him.
Neither of us said anything.
I looked toward the sky too.
One star.
Then another.
The wind brushed against my face.
I didn't know how long we stood there.
Five minutes.
Maybe ten.
Neither of us moved.
I glanced at him once.
He was still looking upward.
So I looked away again.
Another few minutes passed.
Then his voice finally broke the silence.
"Why aren't you saying something?"
I looked at him.
"I don't want to."
His eyebrows lifted slightly.
"I think you should talk today."
A small chuckle escaped him.
I didn't smile.
He looked back at the sky.
So did I.
Silence returned.
But this time, it felt different.
Like he was gathering the courage to say something.
A few more minutes passed.
Then—
"I just miss my mother."
My eyes moved toward him.
He didn't look at me.
He continued staring at the sky as though the words had simply slipped out.
I didn't ask anything.
I didn't say that everything would be fine.
I didn't tell him that she would want him to be happy.
I just stayed.
After a while, I slowly raised my hand.
My palm rested between us.
Kaizer noticed.
His gaze dropped to my hand.
Then he looked at me.
I didn't say anything.
I just waited.
It was his choice.
After a moment, he placed his palm against mine.
His hand was cold.
I frowned.
"Your hands are cold."
He raised an eyebrow.
I ignored it.
"Let me warm them."
I placed my other hand over his and gently rubbed his palm between mine.
He didn't stop me.
He just watched.
His expression had softened somehow.
I continued warming his hands.
Neither of us spoke.
Then—
His fingers moved.
Slowly, carefully, he interlocked them with mine.
I paused.
I looked down at our hands.
Then at him.
He wasn't looking at me anymore.
His eyes were back on the sky.
I slowly pulled my other hand away.
But I didn't let go of the one he was holding.
Instead, I tightened my fingers around his.
He didn't say anything.
Neither did I.
We stood there like that.
Looking at the same sky.
Holding the same silence.
After a while, Kaizer spoke again.
"Tomorrow..."
His voice was quieter now.
"It will be one year since my mother died."
I nodded.
"Hmm."
"My uncle wants me to visit her grave."
"You should."
He was silent for a moment.
Then—
"Can you come with me?"
I looked at him.
He still wasn't looking at me.
I knew he was waiting for my answer.
I nodded.
"I will."
He finally turned toward me.
Our eyes met.
For a few seconds, neither of us looked away.
Then he smiled faintly.
"Thank you, Iris."
I shook my head.
"There is no need to thank me."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Because I want to talk to aunty too."
His expression changed.
He almost smiled.
"Really?"
I nodded seriously.
"Obviously."
I looked toward the sky again.
"I have to tell all your doings to your mom."
A quiet chuckle escaped him.
"All my doings?"
"Yes."
I looked at him.
"She needs to know what her mischievous son has been doing."
He smiled.
"Okay."
I smiled too.
For a moment, everything felt normal again.
Just the two of us.
Standing beneath the night sky.
His hand still holding mine.
And neither of us knowing that tomorrow would be anything but normal.
---
The next morning, I stood in front of the mirror.
I wore a simple black skirt.
Nothing fancy.
Today wasn't a day for dressing up.
When I stepped outside my room, Kaizer was already waiting.
He wore a plain black shirt.
He looked at me.
I looked at him.
Neither of us said anything about what we were wearing.
We didn't need to.
We quietly left the apartment together.
And began walking toward the bus stop.
The bus arrived a few minutes later.
Neither of us said much on the way.
I sat beside the window while Kaizer sat next to me. The city slowly passed outside, but I barely paid attention to it.
Every now and then, I looked at him.
He was unusually quiet.
Not the comfortable kind of quiet we usually shared.
Something about today felt heavier.
After a while, the bus stopped near the cemetery.
We got down together.
The cemetery wasn't crowded.
A few people stood near the entrance, while others walked quietly between the rows of graves.
As we approached the gate, I noticed a familiar face.
Kaizer's uncle.
He was standing near the entrance, waiting for us.
The moment his eyes fell on me, surprise briefly crossed his face.
He looked at Kaizer.
Then at me.
But he didn't ask anything.
"Good morning," I greeted him.
"Good morning, Iris."
His gaze returned to Kaizer.
"You both came."
Kaizer simply nodded.
"We're here."
His uncle gave him a small smile.
"Come."
We followed him inside.
The farther we walked, the quieter everything became.
The sound of our footsteps seemed louder against the stillness.
Kaizer eventually stopped.
I looked ahead.
A gravestone stood beneath a tree.
There were a few flowers already placed around it.
And carved into the stone was a name.
Lara.
I looked at Kaizer.
He didn't say anything.
He slowly walked forward and crouched before the grave.
From the flowers he had brought, he took one and placed it carefully against the stone.
I stood beside him for a moment.
Then I crouched down too.
I took one of the flowers.
And placed it beside his.
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.
I looked at the name again.
Then at Kaizer.
"Shouldn't you introduce me to your mother?"
He looked at me.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Mumma..."
"This is Iris."
He glanced at me.
"You should know her."
I looked toward the gravestone.
"Hello, Aunty."
I paused.
"I'm Iris."
I folded my hands loosely in front of me.
"Do you remember my grandma?"
I smiled a little.
"You two used to talk, right?"
Then I thought for a moment.
"Though..."
"You might not remember me."
"I am your son's senior."
I glanced at Kaizer.
"His housemate..."
Kaizer immediately added,
"Caretaker."
I turned toward him.
"I was going to say that."
"Sure."
I ignored him.
I looked back at the grave.
"Anyway, Aunty..."
"At first, your son seemed very polite and respectful."
Kaizer raised an eyebrow.
"But now..."
I sighed dramatically.
"He's becoming very mischievous."
"Why would you say that?"
I looked at him.
"Your mother knows."
He stared at me.
"It's a girl's secret."
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then Kaizer chuckled.
I couldn't stop myself from smiling either.
A little distance away, his uncle watched us.
For the first time that morning, his expression softened.
His nephew looked happy.
Even here.
Even today.
And perhaps that was enough.
But that happiness didn't last long.
A sound of footsteps approached from behind.
Kaizer's smile disappeared.
I looked at him.
His entire posture had changed.
His shoulders stiffened.
His expression became blank.
I followed his gaze.
A man was walking toward us.
He looked tired.
There was something forced about the smile on his face.
Kaizer didn't smile back.
I didn't know who he was.
But I knew immediately that Kaizer didn't want him here.
The man walked toward the grave.
He picked up a flower and placed it beside Aunty's.
Then he stood.
His eyes moved toward Kaizer.
Neither of them spoke.
The man eventually looked at me.
"Who is this little girl?"
Kaizer immediately turned toward me.
"Iris."
"Let's go home."
I was about to nod.
But the man spoke again.
"Iris?"
He looked at me more carefully.
"Wait..."
"Isn't it—"
"We are going home."
Kaizer's voice was firmer this time.
His father looked at him.
"No, you aren't."
"What do you think I came all the way here for?"
Kaizer's jaw tightened.
"I don't want to talk to you."
"You have to talk to me."
His father's voice hardened.
"I am your father."
Kaizer went silent.
I looked at him.
His hands had tightened into fists.
I didn't know what had happened between them.
But I knew this wasn't a normal conversation between a father and his son.
His father looked around.
"Where is your brother?"
Kaizer hesitated.
"He is—"
"Kaizer."
A voice came from behind us.
We all turned.
Rian stood a short distance away.
His eyes moved from Kaizer...
to their father.
"So you're here too."
Their father looked at him.
"So you are here too."
Rian's expression remained cold.
"Why are you here?"
Their father glanced toward the grave.
"I think I have the right to visit my late wife's grave."
Rian gave a quiet, humorless laugh.
"Oh."
"You finally remembered you were her husband."
His father's expression darkened.
"I don't need your permission to visit her."
"No."
Rian's voice became sharper.
"You don't."
His eyes briefly moved toward Kaizer.
Then back to their father.
"But don't come here and pretend you suddenly cared."
I felt Kaizer's hand tighten.
I looked down.
His fingers were clenched.
I slowly placed my palm over his fist.
He looked at me.
For a second, his eyes softened.
His fingers loosened slightly beneath mine.
His father didn't seem to notice.
"Don't interfere, Rian."
"I'm not interfering."
Rian stepped forward.
"I'm reminding you where you are."
Their father scoffed.
Then looked toward Kaizer.
"What about him?"
He pointed toward Kaizer.
"Why is he just standing there?"
Kaizer said nothing.
His father took another step.
"He killed my wife."
My breath caught.
Kaizer's fingers went still.
"He killed his own mother."
Rian's expression changed.
"Stop."
"If he had done something that day—"
"Stop."
Rian's voice was louder now.
"You have no idea what happened."
His father looked at him.
"I know what happened."
"No."
Rian shook his head.
"You know what you want to believe happened."
Kaizer remained completely silent.
His eyes were fixed somewhere ahead.
His father looked at him again.
"Why are you silent now?"
"Say something."
Kaizer didn't move.
"What were you doing that day if you couldn't even save your own mother?"
I felt something ache inside my chest.
Kaizer's hand had gone completely cold.
His grip weakened.
I tightened mine around his hand.
And then I spoke.
"Excuse me, sir."
Everyone looked at me.
My voice didn't tremble.
"I know I shouldn't speak about your family matters."
"But you can't humiliate him in front of me like that."
His father frowned.
"Who are you?"
I held his gaze.
"My identity doesn't matter."
"What matters is that this is a cemetery."
I glanced around.
"People come here to meet the people they have lost."
"You are disturbing everyone."
"And you're disturbing your own family."
He stared at me.
I continued.
"So please..."
"Not here."
For a moment, no one spoke.
His uncle finally stepped forward.
"She's right."
He looked at Kaizer's father.
"We can discuss these matters somewhere else."
"This place isn't appropriate."
Then he looked at us.
"Iris."
"I think you and Kaizer should go home."
Neither of us moved immediately.
I looked at Kaizer.
His face was expressionless.
His eyes weren't showing anger.
Or sadness.
Nothing.
And somehow...
that frightened me more.
I gently squeezed his hand.
"Let's go home."
He didn't answer.
But he allowed me to lead him away.
We walked through the cemetery gates.
Neither of us looked back.
The road toward the bus stop was quiet.
His hand was still in mine.
And for the first time since I had known him...
I didn't know what to say.
So I said nothing.
I simply stayed beside him.
And we kept walking.