Aru and Erre

Aru was a paradox—her name meant simple and gentle, but her personality was wonderfully complex. She was sweet to the kind-hearted, but fierce and unforgiving to the toxic. As an only child raised alongside just her younger sister after losing the rest of their family, Aru had been fiercely independent from a very young age. Ever since she was a little girl, she had a habit of daydreaming about her future soulmate. She’d picture every detail: He’ll be this tall, he’ll act like that, he’ll treat me like a queen. Deep down, she knew this constant romantic daydreaming wouldn’t get her anywhere in the real world, but she couldn’t help it. It was her favorite escape. Today was the day before her birthday, and Aru was practically glowing. Her heart was light, and a rare, unbothered cheerfulness put a genuine smile on her face as she headed off to the hospital. And she had every reason to be happy—she had just officially secured a prestigious position as a neurosurgeon in America! Her sister was over the moon with pride. Maybe that’s why her mood was so unusually bright today. Feeling generous and full of life, she had spent her shift giving free check-ups to everyone who walked through her doors. As night fell, Aru finally packed her things to head home. But as she stepped out into the evening air, her heart suddenly began to race for no apparent reason. Her chest fluttered strangely. Just a short distance away, she spotted a guy standing by himself. Instantly, her mind drifted back to her old daydreaming habits. I wonder when my boyfriend is finally going to show up... Lost in her thoughts, she started walking. But as she kept moving, her foot suddenly caught on something, jerking her forward. She stumbled, lifting her gaze to see who—or what—she had nearly tripped over. It was the exact same guy she had been eyeing moments ago. He looked down at her with a smirk. "You're Aru, right?" Stunned, she blinked. "Humm. Let go of my hand." "Whatever your name is, let go of my hand first," he fired back, refusing to budge. "Erre," he added smoothly. Aru frowned, pulling against his grip. "Whatever your name is, just let me go, Erre!" Erre chuckled, refusing to release her wrist. "Aru, come on. Don't tell me you forgot? We literally met just last month." Aru narrowed her eyes, genuinely drawing a blank. "It completely slipped my mind." "Unbelievable," Erre muttered, a teasing glint in his eye. "Come on, Aru, let's get out of here." She planted her feet, glaring at him. "Why? And let go of my hand, Erre!" "Relax, I'm not going to break your arm," he said, rolling his eyes playfully. "Now come on, let's move away from this spot. This area is about to get insanely crowded." Aru looked around, confused. "Why? What are you talking about?" "Don't tell me you forgot about the protest happening today?" Erre asked, raising an eyebrow. A realization hit her, though she stubbornly refused to give him the satisfaction. "I... I knew. I just temporarily forgot, okay?"