Reyansh didn't text first the next day.
It wasn't intentional.
At least—
That's what he told himself.
He woke up early.
Got ready.
Left for the hospital.
Routine.
Simple.
Predictable.
Unlike his thoughts.
They kept circling back.
To her.
To the past.
To that classroom.
"…you forgot."
His jaw tightened slightly.
No.
He shouldn't assume that.
But what else was he supposed to think?
She hadn't recognized him.
Not even a flicker.
Not even hesitation.
Just—
Polite curiosity.
Mild interest.
Like he was—
New.
His grip on the steering wheel tightened.
"…of course she moved on."
Years had passed.
People changed.
Lives moved forward.
He had tried to do the same.
Tried.
Inside the hospital, everything was as it always was.
Clean.
Controlled.
Professional.
A place where emotions didn't interfere.
He preferred it that way.
For most of the morning, he kept himself busy.
Patients.
Reports.
Conversations that didn't require anything beyond logic.
It helped.
Until—
"Excuse me, Doctor?"
The voice came from the doorway.
Casual.
Familiar.
Reyansh looked up.
And froze.
The man standing there looked older.
Of course he did.
Time had passed.
But some things—
Didn't change.
The posture.
The careless ease.
And—
That small cut above his left eyebrow.
Reyansh stood up slowly.
"…Arya?"
The name left his mouth before he could stop it.
The man blinked.
Clearly confused.
"…sorry?"
Reyansh stared at him.
For a second—
Something in his chest twisted.
"…it's me."
A pause.
Recognition didn't come immediately.
Arya frowned slightly, studying him.
Really looking this time.
And then—
"…Reyansh?"
There it was.
But slower.
Less certain.
Reyansh let out a small breath.
"Yeah."
Arya's expression shifted instantly.
Surprise.
Disbelief.
Then—
A laugh.
"Damn… you've changed."
Reyansh gave a faint, almost absent smile.
"So have you."
"Not that much," Arya shot back, pointing at his eyebrow. "Still got this, remember?"
Reyansh's gaze flickered to the cut.
And just like that—
A memory.
"Run!"
"Why are you laughing?! We're going to get caught!"
"You started it!"
"I did NOT—"
Reyansh blinked.
The memory faded.
"…yeah. I remember."
Arya grinned. "Of course you do. That was legendary."
Then he stepped aside slightly.
"My wife," he said, gesturing behind him.
A woman stood there, looking a little tired but smiling politely.
"She's not been feeling well," Arya added. "Fever, weakness… thought I'd get her checked."
Reyansh nodded immediately, slipping back into his professional calm.
"Of course. Please, come in."
The check-up was routine.
Nothing serious.
Just an infection.
But through it—
Arya kept talking.
About life.
About how things had changed.
About how things hadn't.
And Reyansh listened.
Answered when needed.
But part of his mind—
Was elsewhere.
Because something about this—
This moment—
Was settling into place.
After the consultation, Arya leaned casually against the chair.
"Still can't believe it's you," he said. "If you hadn't said my name, I wouldn't have recognized you."
Reyansh's hand stilled.
"…yeah?"
"Yeah," Arya laughed. "School Reyansh and this Reyansh? Completely different."
A pause.
"You used to look way less serious," he added.
Reyansh didn't respond immediately.
Because that—
That mattered more than it should.
He didn't recognize me either.
Not at first.
Not immediately.
Even with the same voice.
The same presence.
Time had changed things.
People had changed.
And suddenly—
Anaya not recognizing him—
Didn't feel like rejection anymore.
It felt—
Logical.
Obvious.
He leaned back slightly, exhaling under his breath.
"…right."
Across the city—
Anaya stared at her phone.
Still no message.
She frowned.
"…wow."
She typed.
Deleted.
Typed again.
Nothing.
"Why am I even waiting?"
She tossed her phone onto the bed.
Then picked it up again five seconds later.
"This is annoying."
Because yesterday—
The conversation had felt easy.
Natural.
And today—
Nothing.
Her chest tightened slightly.
"…did I say something weird?"
Her mind replayed the chat.
Over and over.
And then—
That line.
"Maybe I do."
Her breath slowed.
"…what was that even supposed to mean?"
A flicker.
A classroom.
A voice—
"Ana—"
She sat up abruptly.
"No."
She pressed her fingers to her temples.
"Not again."
This was getting out of control.
She grabbed her phone again.
Opened the app.
Noir.R — Latest chapter
Of course.
She started reading.
And immediately—
Got pulled in.
But this time—
The words didn't just feel intense.
They felt—
Personal.
"Maybe the distance wasn't about forgetting.""Maybe it was about not being recognized anymore."
Her breath hitched.
Her grip on the phone tightened.
"…why does this feel like—"
She stopped herself.
"No."
She shut the app.
Dropped the phone.
"I'm overthinking again."
That's all it was.
It had to be.
Across the hospital—
Reyansh stood by the window, watching as Arya and his wife left.
His mind was quieter now.
Not because things made sense.
But because they had shifted.
The hurt—
Had softened.
Replaced by something else.
Something heavier.
More complicated.
"…maybe you didn't forget."
The words were quiet.
Because now—
He wasn't so sure anymore.
And that uncertainty—
Was worse.