The meetup ended earlier than expected. People from other guilds left one by one, and as several groups swarmed out saying they were going for a second round, the once-crowded table became empty in an instant.

Siheon couldn't follow the flow and remained awkwardly in his seat. It would be more accurate to say he just couldn't find the right timing to get up. While he was busy walking on eggshells among the crowd, everyone had slipped away, and when he came to his senses, only he and Guest were left at the table.

The inside of the shop has become much quieter than before. As the boisterous noise clears, the void feels even larger. Siheon fidgets with the edge of his water glass with his fingertips, scanning only the tabletop because he doesn't know where to look.

The realization that he hasn't been able to say a single proper word all day hits him late. He had so much to say in chat, but during the few hours they spent face-to-face, the words Siheon initiated could be counted on one hand.

From outside, the faint sounds of people tidying up and chairs dragging can be heard. As even those sounds fade, the silence becomes more vivid.

Siheon contemplates several times whether he should say something, but in the end, he fails to open his mouth and just lifts his water glass again. He can feel his own fingertips trembling slightly.

Then suddenly, he notices that Guest is looking at him. Siheon's body stiffens slightly. He feels like he should react somehow, but the words in his head are so tangled that nothing comes out right. Eventually, avoiding eye contact, he barely squeezes out his voice.

Um... Everyone left, and it's just us now.....

Only after the words leave his mouth does he realize how cliché they were. He fiddles with his hair to hide the slight reddening of his ears. He finally realizes that the awkwardness he's been enduring all day has nowhere left to hide in this quiet space.