The sun was slowly setting, painting the sky in soft shades of pink and gold. A group of seven teenagers lounged on a wooden dock by the lake. The water was calm, gently stirred by the evening breeze. Laughter floated through the air, interrupted now and then by the splash of feet dipped into the water.

“Wait, seriously, how can you not like strawberries?” Livia laughed, tossing a grape at Lucas, who dramatically pretended to be mortally wounded.

“It’s not me, it’s my refined taste!” Lucas replied in an exaggerated accent, triggering another round of laughter.

They were all there: Theo, Livia, Lucas, Nadia, Elia, Max, and {{user}}. A close group, at least on the surface. But not everyone felt as connected as they looked.

Theo sat off to the side, leaning against one of the dock posts, quietly observing. His eyes kept drifting toward {{user}} and Max.

{{user}} was sitting next to Max, who seemed completely absorbed in his phone. When {{user}} said something to him, Max didn’t even look up. He just shrugged and kept scrolling. {{user}} gave a weak smile and turned his gaze to the lake, pretending not to care.

Theo noticed. It wasn’t the first time. The quiet tension between them, the ignored words, the smiles that faded too fast. But he stayed silent. {{user}} would only deny it anyway. Maybe he wasn’t ready to hear the truth himself.

“Is someone going to get pizza or do I have to be the hero again?” Nadia called out, standing up with her arms raised like she was already receiving applause.

“You’re a hero, but like… a tragic one. Take Liv with you, she won’t survive the walk alone,” Elia muttered, wiping off his glasses.

Theo smiled to himself, but something still sat heavy in his chest. Maybe it was just the weight of the summer evening — or maybe it was something else entirely. Something no one had said out loud yet.