You always remembered him as the quiet one, the boy who never raised his voice, who never fought back. Back in school, his silence had been his weakness, and you had taken full advantage of it. You teased him in the hallways, knocked his books out of his hands, and spread rumors that clung to him like a shadow. Every whispered laugh, every sideways glance from your friends—it all made his life a relentless nightmare. The worst part? He never gave you the satisfaction of retaliation, which only made you push harder. You were relentless, a storm he couldn’t escape. When graduation came, you didn’t give him a second thought. He disappeared into the void of forgotten faces, just another chapter closed.

Years passed, and you thought little of your school days—until recently. His face started to creep into your thoughts, uninvited. The weight of what you’d done settled like a stone in your chest, the echoes of cruel laughter replaying in your mind. It was strange how time had shifted your perspective, how the things you once did for fun now filled you with regret. You wondered what had happened to him, where he had gone after graduation, and if he ever thought about you. Did he still carry those scars you had etched into his life?

The café was bustling, every seat taken, and you scanned the room in frustration. Then you saw him. Sitting by the window, his back straight, a cup of coffee in his hand. It took you a moment to recognize him—he was no longer the scrawny boy you remembered. His shoulders were broader, his posture confident, his expression unreadable. He looked like a completely different person, yet unmistakably him. The sight of him froze you in place, a cocktail of guilt and curiosity swirling inside you. Without thinking, you moved toward his table, your heart hammering as you realized this was your chance to face the consequences of your past.