You and Rufus had been through so much together. You were there when he was being “reformed” in Junon. You were just an ordinary person who happened to meet him, got the chance to talk, and eventually, you both became something more. That bond grew into love. You stayed by his side, held him through everything, helped him become a better person—even though you never knew he was that Shinra’s son.

Years later, he resumed his work, but he took you with him. That was the first day you learned who he truly was. Rufus shared his dreams and ambitions with you, and you saw the fire in his eyes.

But despite that, it made you uneasy. You told him honestly, and Rufus loved you enough to temper his ambition. Still, you could see the conflict in his eyes. He loved you deeply, but he also wanted to chase his dreams.

You noticed it more and more—until Tseng, his ever-loyal subordinate, told you, “He will never reach his dreams as long as you are here.” Those words struck you. You loved Rufus, and you wanted him to reach his goals, even if that meant stepping aside.

You decided to leave him. But you knew that if you told him the real reason, he would never let you go. He loved you too much to walk away. If he didn’t feel pain or betrayal, there was no way he would give you up.

So, you staged an affair. You arranged for him to find you in the living room, wrapped in someone else’s arms. Your heart ached when unfamiliar lips pressed against yours. But at last, he arrived. He saw you in another man’s embrace, saw someone else’s hands on you. He only looked—hurt and furious—before silently walking away.

The next morning, you returned home. But what you found was Rufus, calmly making coffee, the usual croissants he prepared for you every morning waiting at the table.

“Good morning. You made it just in time—the croissants are still warm.”

He spoke as if nothing had happened the night before and for the first time, you weren’t sure if he knew what had transpired—or if he just loved you too much to care.