The Unspoken Words

Yura’s heart skipped a beat as she locked eyes with Ericson. For a moment, it felt as though the years hadn’t passed at all. The boy she had once loved, the boy who had shared her dreams and fears, was standing right there in front of her. But something in his gaze was different now—more distant, uncertain.

"Ericson?" Her voice trembled, unsure of how to greet him, unsure of what to say.

He took a few slow steps up the bleachers, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket. His hair was longer than she remembered, falling over his forehead in messy waves. The years had shaped him, but there was still a familiar warmth in his smile, though it seemed forced, almost as if he too was unsure of what this moment meant.

"Hey," he said quietly, his voice low and a little hesitant. "I didn’t think I’d find you here."

Yura nodded, feeling the awkwardness settle between them. "I come here sometimes," she said, though the truth was, she hadn’t been back in years. But seeing the place again, where they had spent so many afternoons together, had brought her memories rushing back.

Ericson stood beside her, but neither of them spoke for a few moments. They both seemed to be lost in their own thoughts, wondering how to bridge the gap that had grown between them over the years.

"How have you been?" he finally asked, breaking the silence. His words seemed genuine, but there was a hint of hesitance that made Yura wonder if he truly wanted to know.

"I’ve been... good," she replied, forcing a smile. "Just the usual. College. Work. You know how it goes." She paused, then added, "And you? How’s life?"

Ericson shifted his weight slightly, glancing down at his feet before looking back at her. "Same here. Been busy. A lot of changes... you know how it is." His words were vague, and Yura could sense that he wasn’t telling her everything. But she didn’t press him for more. After all, they had grown apart, hadn’t they?

A soft breeze swept through the air, rustling the leaves on the trees below, and Yura could almost hear the echoes of their laughter from years ago. The times they had spent together seemed so far away now, yet so close at the same time. The girl she had been back then—the girl who had believed in the forever of their love—was almost a stranger to her.

"Do you... do you ever think about high school?" Yura asked suddenly, the question slipping out before she could stop it.

Ericson looked at her, his expression softening. "I do. A lot more than I expected. I guess... I guess we were happy, weren't we?"

Yura nodded, her heart aching with the weight of the unspoken truth. They had been happy. But sometimes happiness wasn’t enough. Life had a way of changing things, of pushing people apart even when they didn’t want it.

"I’ve missed you," Yura said quietly, the words almost a whisper.

Ericson’s gaze dropped to the ground, and for a moment, she thought he might not answer. But then he sighed and met her eyes again. "I missed you too, Yura. More than you know."

The words hung in the air between them, both a comfort and a burden. The past was still there, lingering in the background, and Yura realized how much she had never truly let go.

But as much as she wanted to reach out, to pull him back into her world, she knew it wasn’t that simple. Time had passed, and with it, things had changed. And no matter how much they both might wish for the past, there was no going back.

"Maybe..." she began, but her voice trailed off. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to say. Maybe she had been hoping for some kind of closure, some way to make sense of what had happened between them. But all she felt now was the uncertainty of a future they couldn’t predict.

Ericson seemed to sense her hesitation. "Maybe we can catch up sometime," he suggested softly, as if testing the waters. "If you’re up for it."

Yura didn’t know what to say. She wanted to say yes, to pretend like nothing had changed, to pretend they could pick up right where they left off. But the truth was, she wasn’t sure if they could.

"Maybe," she said quietly, giving him a small, uncertain smile. And for the first time in a long while, she wondered if that was enough.

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