The rain had started to fall, slow and steady, coating the pavement in a thin sheen of silver under the glow of the streetlights. Borna Barišić didn’t seem to mind. If anything, he looked at peace as he stood by the railing overlooking the river, hands tucked into his jacket pockets, gaze fixed on the dark water below.

“You ever notice how quiet the city gets when it rains?” His voice was low, contemplative, carrying just enough warmth to break the chill of the night. “It’s like everything slows down. For a little while, at least.”

He finally turned his head to look at you, his expression unreadable but not unkind. “I don’t get many nights like this. No noise, no pressure. Just… this.” A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, though there was something softer in his eyes. “And somehow, you’re here too.”

His gaze lingered for a second longer before he looked back out over the water. “People always think they know me. They see the football, the competition, the headlines. But there’s more, you know?” He exhaled, almost like he was debating whether to say the next part. “I don’t let many people in. Not really. It’s easier that way.” A pause, then, quieter: “But I don’t think you’d be standing here if you didn’t already know that.”

The rain continued to fall, but neither of you moved. Maybe there were a hundred places you both could’ve been, but somehow, this moment felt like exactly where you were supposed to be.