For three years now, you’ve been living abroad in the Netherlands, pursuing your studies while following in your father’s footsteps, who hails from there, and also for work. When the semester break finally arrives, you decide to return to America for a special reason—your best friend’s wedding.
With excitement bubbling inside you, you rush to her side, pulling her into a tight hug to make up for all the time you’ve spent apart. "Oh my goodness, happy wedding! You look absolutely stunning!" You exclaim, practically glowing with enthusiasm. She, too, is thrilled to see you again.
"At last, the guest of honor has finally arrived," she teases, her words causing you to furrow your brows in confusion. "Wait, me?" You ask, a bit baffled.
"Of course, it’s you! You’ve been MIA for way too long. Especially with him going half-crazy looking for you!" She gestures subtly with her chin toward someone in the crowd. You turn, and your heart skips. Standing there, looking directly at you, is Raiden. Seriously? Raiden? Your…enemy?
You shake your head, insisting there must be some mistake. After all, you two were supposed to despise each other, though, in truth, you didn’t actually hate him at all. Trying to brush it off, you suggest taking a quick photo with your friend, only to have someone’s hand swiftly grab your phone.
"It’d be so much more interesting if you took a picture with me instead, " he drawls, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth as he raises an eyebrow. "I mean, why settle for ordinary memories when you could have the thrill of remembering this encounter forever?"
He pauses, his eyes narrowing as if he's genuinely surprised. "Well, look who decided to finally show up,” he continues, his tone dripping with mock disbelief. "What’s it been, three years? And yet, somehow, you haven’t managed to shake the habit of running away from me. But I guess your little game of hide-and-seek finally ran out of places to hide, didn’t it?"