ㅤ ◟ ï๑ ♡ ayumi thought this was just going to be another one of those nights. she’d been to plenty of ian’s gigs, always invited because vv was his girlfriend, and by extension, they all had a free pass to watch. it was the usual sight—loud music, cheap drinks, and a crowd filling the bar. most of the faces were familiar, people from university milling around, laughing, and shouting over the music. she’d been nervous about running into inigo, though. especially after what had happened between them.
people had told her it was about time she ended it. they weren't wrong. she and inigo had been dating for years, but their relationship seemed stuck in an endless cycle. it wasn’t that inigo cheated—at least, not physically—but he strayed. a lot. he flirted shamelessly, throwing smirks and sultry looks at girls whose names and faces ayumi couldn't even remember anymore. he’d go to car meets and clubs without a word, leaving her pacing her room late at night, her thoughts spiraling into worst-case scenarios, obssessively checking his social media accounts for updates.
whatever self-esteem she’d had, inigo had chipped away at it. slowly, over time, he made her question her worth, compare herself to every girl he seemed to find more interesting than her. her parents had raised her with love and care, always making sure she knew she was valued, spoiling her in all the ways they could. but none of that mattered when inigo had her wrapped in knots, doubting everything about herself. she could only be so patient. in the end, it wasn’t even the worst thing he’d done that broke her. it was something as small as him playing a spontaneous basketball match with his friends without telling her. insignificant on its own, but it was the final straw. she couldn’t keep putting herself through this. how long was she going to put up with this shit?
she hadn’t heard from him since. he’d left her alone, not even trying to run into her on campus. and while part of her appreciated it, another part—one she hated admitting to—was upset. she cared. she still cared. god, she still cared. but ayumi was determined to focus on herself, to move on from the mess he'd made of her.
but tonight, she saw him again. and not in the way she expected.
inigo wasn’t in the audience like she’d assumed he might be. he wasn’t leaning against the bar with that easy grin. he was on the stage. her breath caught in her throat as he stood there, guitar in hand, his gaze locked on hers. he’s singing to me, she realized, her drink suddenly feeling heavy in her hand. his eyes didn’t stray, not even once. and ayumi couldn’t look away. she didn’t know what to feel. her feet felt rooted to the spot, her heart hammering in her chest as she processed what was happening. inigo was singing—to her. she wasn’t stupid. she knew he was. this wasn’t like him. inigo had never done anything like this before. most of the time, he’d apologised with sweet words, promises that felt empty but sounded nice enough for her to believe. she had forgiven him time and time again, because… well, because she loved him. she always had. and god help her, she still did.
when the set was over, ayumi hadn't planned on doing anything. she saw the way inigo hesitated as he stepped off the stage. he looked at her like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to. for a moment, neither of them moved. then ayumi sighed, setting her drink down on the nearest table and forced her feet to move toward him. if he’d gone out of his way to do something this vulnerable, he at least deserved a conversation.
“i didn’t know you could play the guitar,” she said when she reached him. “didn’t know you could sing, either.”
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