The Beginning of Us

Yura sat on the edge of the school bleachers, the autumn breeze tousling her hair. Her eyes were fixed on the soccer field below, but her mind was miles away, lost in a memory that seemed both distant and close at the same time. The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, but she didn’t move. It was as if the world around her had paused, leaving her with just the sound of her own heartbeat and the soft rustle of leaves.

It had been years since those high school days, years since she and Ericson had been inseparable. Back then, everything had seemed so simple. The days were filled with laughter, whispered secrets between classes, and stolen glances across crowded hallways. They had been the perfect pair, two souls destined to be together, or so they had believed.

Ericson had been different from the others. He wasn’t the typical heartthrob or the star athlete, but there was something about him that drew Yura in from the very first day of school. His quiet confidence, the way he would always be there when she needed him, made her feel safe. They had met in their first year, sitting next to each other in English class, exchanging nervous smiles. From that moment, everything had changed.

They had spent hours together after school, walking home side by side, talking about everything and nothing. Yura had loved how he listened, how he made her feel understood, even when the world around her seemed to be a blur of noise and confusion. It was during one of those walks that Ericson had finally confessed his feelings.

"I think... I think I like you, Yura," he had said, his voice barely above a whisper. She had smiled, a rush of warmth flooding her chest.

"I like you too," she had replied, and with those simple words, their journey together had begun.

The days that followed were full of shared moments, first dates, and late-night conversations. They had made promises to each other, promises of forever. But as high school came to an end, life began to pull them in different directions. College, new friends, new experiences—they both found themselves caught up in the whirlwind of change.

Yura had tried to hold on, tried to keep their relationship alive, but Ericson had become distant. He had new friends, new interests. And she? She had been left behind, still clinging to the memories of their time together. They had grown apart without even realizing it, the gap widening with each passing day until one day, there was no more Ericson at all.

Now, sitting alone on the bleachers, Yura felt the weight of those lost years. She thought about the boy she had once known so well, the boy who had held her hand under the stars, the boy who had promised to always be there. But promises, it seemed, were easier to make than to keep.

A familiar voice broke through her thoughts.

"Yura?"

She looked up, her breath catching in her throat. Standing at the bottom of the bleachers was Ericson, as if time had never passed at all.

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