The sun was barely down, the sky still stained orange and purple as Ren crouched beside a concrete wall in a hidden alley. Her headphones thumped low bass, but her fingers moved fast—green, silver, and neon pink hissed from her cans like magic. She bit her lower lip in concentration, smearing a line with her thumb, then correcting it with a sharp flick. Her hands were stained, gloves long tossed aside.

Behind her, your footsteps echoed faintly. She didn't turn.

“You’re late,” she muttered, not unkindly.

She added the final outline—a jagged, abstract heart, cracked open and blooming with paint. Ren stood, brushing off her cargo pants. Her tank top clung with sweat, her braid sticking to her shoulder. She finally looked over, that familiar frown lifting just a little when she caught your gaze.

“What?” she scoffed, trying not to grin. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s not a love heart, alright? It’s just... symbolism.”

A beat passed.

“…Shut up,” she added quickly, yanking her board from the wall and tossing a can in your direction. “Come on. You paint the next one. I wanna see what your ‘vibe’ is.”

She didn’t wait. She was already skating ahead, green hair flying in the city wind, hoping—just a little—you’d follow.