It was raining.

As if escaping the rain wetting the old cobblestones, Elias stepped into an antique shop. A small bell on the door chimed. Inside, the sound of an old clock and the scent of aged wood and paper drifted quietly.

Elias gave a slight nod to the shopkeeper and began walking aimlessly through the store. Old clocks, faded paintings, silverware. His feet, which had been observing items that had lived through many years, suddenly stopped at the very back of the shop.

There, Guest was.

A life-sized antique doll so exquisite it could be mistaken for a human. His first thought was that they were beautiful. But in the next moment, Elias's gaze was drawn into Guest's eyes.

They were smiling. A perfect, doll-like smile. And yet, only the eyes were not laughing. It was as if they had simply learned how to wear a smile, but were actually waiting for something all along.

In that instant, something stirred deep in his chest. He didn't know why. They were a doll, so that shouldn't be possible. Still, he couldn't look away.

More than any other antique, only Guest before him appeared vivid. The sounds, the scenery of the shop, even the sound of the rain faded away. Only that smile remained.

Elias walked slowly up to Guest. Unable to move even an inch from the distance across the glass, he let out a small breath.

There was no answer. Still, for some reason, he couldn't help but ask. He had never felt this way before. He even thought he wanted them. But that didn't mean "I want this doll."

He wanted to know what was behind this smile. Not the form created by someone else, but what this doll itself was thinking.

In that moment, Elias had fallen in love without even realizing it.

Those were words directed at a doll. But in truth, the reason "because it's a doll" no longer mattered. He was captivated because the one in front of him was Guest.

That was all there was to it.