Her Rebirth.

The girl sat in a corner of the bookstore, sunlight spilling over the pages of the novel she had barely begun. She had been coming every afternoon for the past few days, telling herself it was for the peace and quiet, but really, it was because of him.

Kai.

She hadn’t seen him since their last conversation by the shelf, but her eyes always drifted to the entrance when the bell chimed.

With a sigh, she turned another page and tried to focus.

"Reading without me?" came a voice from behind her.

Before she could react, the book was gently plucked from her hands.

She spun around, eyes wide. "Hey! Give that back!"

Kai stood there with that same boyish grin, his black hair slightly tousled under a charcoal cap this time. "I’m just checking if you’ve got good taste or not."

"I’ll have you know I have excellent taste."

He flipped through a few pages, then raised a brow. "You’re still on Chapter three? I thought you’d be halfway through by now."

"Excuse you, some of us actually savor our stories instead of devouring them like wolves," she argued defensively.

"Oh? So you admit I’m ahead of you."

She snatched the book back. "I admit nothing. You’re just distracting."

He smirked. "Flattered."

She groaned and leaned back in her seat. "You’re impossible."

Kai pulled out the chair beside her and sat down, folding his arms on the table. "And yet, here I am. You were waiting for me, weren’t you?"

The girl froze for a bit, probably out of embarrassment because she knew that no matter how she convinced herself she wasn’t coming to the bookstore because of him, she was. She could feel her cheeks warm slightly and muttered,

"Delusional."

He tilted his head, his eyes twinkling as he took in her reddening cheeks, an urge to tease her coursing through him. "Maybe. But you didn’t deny it."

"I should’ve hoped you got swept away by a strong gust of wind and ended up in the wrong bookstore."

"Tragic. And miss the one girl who argues over Chapter numbers like it’s life or death? Never."

Amelia let out a reluctant laugh, brushing a lock of hair from her face. "You really are trouble."

Kai leaned close and said in a soft but teasing voice, "The best kind."

Amelia held his gaze a second longer than she meant to. Something about the curve of his smile, the way his voice dipped when he teased, it pulled at her, gently but insistently.

She set the book down and leaned forward slightly. "Why did you come here?" she asked, her voice softer now. "Really."

Kai blinked, caught off guard by the shift in conversation. He tilted his head thoughtfully before answering. "Peace, mostly. It’s quiet here. People aren’t trying to impress anyone or play pretend." He paused, then gave a small shrug. "And the stories... they’re safe."

"Safe?" she echoed.

He nodded. "In books, no matter how bad it gets, there’s always a resolution. An end you can brace for. In real life..." He trailed off, then glanced at her. "You don’t always get that luxury."

She looked at him quietly, something in her chest tightening. "That’s true."

"You come here for the same reason, don’t you?" he asked, watching her.

She hesitated, then gave a small nod. "Sometimes I feel like I’ve lived a thousand lives already. And none of them were mine." Her voice faltered, just a touch. "Books... let me live the kind of life I could’ve wanted."

For a moment, they sat in silence, the bustle of the store fading into the background. There was something almost fragile between them, an unspoken understanding, a connection they had.

Then Kai leaned back with a grin. "Well, if you are secretly a thousand years old, I suppose I should be calling you ma’am."

Amelia let out a laugh, rolling her eyes. "Please do, and I’ll return the favor by calling you ’young master.’"

He held a hand to his chest dramatically. "The scandal. We’re flirting with class titles now? Be careful or I might be charged for impersonating a noble."

She smirked, tilting her head. "Only flirting?"

Kai’s grin grew wider, clearly enjoying this moment. "Touché."

Amelia giggled, shaking her head. "You really don’t know when to quit, do you?"

He leaned forward again, chin resting on one hand. "Only when I’m losing."

"Which is now."

"Hmm." He glanced at the book between them. "Then maybe you should win by letting me read with you."

She pretended to ponder it. "Fine. But if you interrupt every page with commentary, I’m kicking you out."

Kai grinned. "Deal. But I make no promises."

They read quietly side by side at the little corner table near the window. Amelia held the book between them, but she could feel the subtle brush of Kai’s arm each time he shifted.

He read in silence for a while, unusually focused for someone who had just claimed he couldn’t keep quiet.

Then, a chuckle slipped from his lips. "This hero is an idiot," he muttered.

She nudged him with her elbow. "He’s in love. Of course he’s an idiot."

"So is that your standard then?" Kai asked, turning slightly toward her, one brow raised. "If a man acts like a fool, he’s in love?"

"Not always," she replied with a smile, her gaze on the page. "But sometimes foolishness for the sake of love can be really romantic."

His eyes stayed on her longer than necessary. "That’s a clever way to say you like romantic disasters."

She finally looked up to meet his gaze—and found it far too close.

Kai had leaned in, and now their shoulders were nearly touching. There was no teasing smile on his face this time. Just something quieter. More thoughtful. His gaze flicked down for a second; to her lips, then back to her eyes.

Amelia’s breath caught.

She should’ve moved. Pulled back. But her hand remained on the book, and so did his, their fingers barely brushing. She could feel the heat of his skin just from that faint contact.

The air between them felt suspended, like the moment before a drop falls from a leaf.

Then his hand shifted, knuckles brushing against hers fully, lingering just long enough for it to feel intentional. "You’re not like I’d expect you to be. I find your ideologies about romance quite foolish, but then I do admire that you think that way," he said softly.

Amelia swallowed. "Is that a compliment or an insult?"

"Whichever you want it to be."

She laughed faintly, trying to break the spell he’d currently put her under that made her heart flutter just slightly, but her voice came out too soft and breathy. "I’d take it as a compliment then. Though I’d advise you fall in love so you’ll understand what I’m talking about."

His eyes crinkled. "So that I’ll be an idiot?" He then added in a low and thoughtful voice, "But if it’s for you, I don’t think I’ll really mind since we’ll be both idiots."

Amelia didn’t respond as she could feel her cheeks warming up again. Instead, she turned back to the book, hoping it would anchor her. But she didn’t pull her hand away from his fingers, which were already snaking deeper into hers.

And neither did he.