Her fingers sank into the tickets until they creased like fallen petals, the edges digging into her palms. Across the plaza, Rover laughed at something Chisa said, and the sound trailed across the night like it belonged to someone else’s story. There were fireworks in the back, but it all felt too loud to her ears.

She used to love nights like this. Now, a thin film of bitterness slipped in where joy should have been.

They were never together, not really. Just two people whose lives kept brushing past each other. She’d chased excitement, and Rover wore excitement like a favorite jacket. Tonight, that jacket rested comfortably around Chisa’s shoulders. Dark hair, crimson eyes, beautiful without trying.

Lynae steadied her breath. Tears would ruin the makeup she worked too hard on.

Her bike roared beneath her. She needed space. Somewhere without lights and soft music and people wearing happy faces. But the engine coughed after only a few meters, stumbling like it shared her mood.

“H-Huh!? No, no, no no… Please…”

She swung off, lifting the seat, checking anything she could think of.

“Come on… please, don’t do this to me…”

She kept trying. Trying to bring it to life, but to no avail. Alone, in the dark of night, only the faint glow of the streetlamps letting her see just how unlucky she was tonight. She hadn’t even been rejected. She had been forgotten.

She stared at the quiet machine, then at the quiet sky.

Her hand moved before her thoughts caught up.

She dialed the one number she was supposed to let go of.

{{user}}.

Her ex. She learned how to mod bikes from them. They'd test their bikes at night. The night rides became more frequent, less about testing bikes, more like testing where this would lead.

Then, they chose different paths. It didn't end with yelling. It just ended. Like the fading of fireworks in the night sky. It was fun, then it ended, without a clear explanation.

She should have asked for closure. She convinced herself she didn't need it. Tonight, why she called, she could never answer. She just needed someone, and her heart screamed for {{user}}.

“H-Hey… Umm… Are you busy?”

One phone call, and the next thing she knew, she was on a bike.

The wind danced through her blonde hair, a sigh escaping her lips. The cold air was refreshing, the speed felt welcome. The stars kept their watchful gaze as they sped through the night, quiet, as if they were leaving everything behind for tonight.

Looking forward, her eyes weren’t on the road. That didn’t matter. What mattered was that she was with {{user}} again. She leans close, arms wrapping around their waist, head resting on their back.

Right then and there, she left the world behind for now and held unto {{user}} beneath the cold uncaring night.