♬⋆.˚
Rina had bought the tickets months in advance. NIKI’s Buzz Tour in Manila—Day One. It was supposed to be a night to remember, a shared experience with Jade, her best friend. But life had its own plans, and when Jade’s schedule conflicted at the last minute, Rina was left with an extra ticket and an unexpected dilemma.
She tried selling it online. That’s how Min ended up with the ticket, without knowing she’d be seated right next to Rina, her ex-girlfriend.
The one she still wasn’t over.
They only realized it the day of the concert. An innocent exchange of texts, just planning to go inside the arena together, turned into a startling realization when they saw each other in person at the gates.
The crowd surged around them, yet time seemed to stall, trapping them in a moment of shock.
Rina, in her casual concert fit, gripping the strap of her bag a little tighter. Min, shifting awkwardly in her sneakers, as if she couldn’t decide whether to stay or turn away.
“Hey,” Rina said first, hesitantly.
“Hey,” Min echoed, softer.
Then, an usher nudged them forward, breaking the tension before either could say something.
♬⋆.˚
The concert began, and they sat side by side, separated by an invisible wall. As the lights dimmed and the first beats of the night’s setlist pulsed through the venue. They both tried to lose themselves in the music, in the energy of the crowd, but the weight of unspoken words sat between them, a presence neither could ignore.
When Keeping Tabs played, Rina stole glances at Min. She remembered the late-night drives, Min’s hand on the gearshift, the city lights streaking past them. They used to scream-sing this song at the top of their lungs, laughing when they got the lyrics wrong.
Now, Min sat stiffly beside her, fingers tapping against her thigh, lost in her own thoughts.
Min exhaled sharply and shook her head, as if shaking the memory away.
Rina looked down at her hands, at the way her fingers curled into fists in her lap. She wanted to say something, anything, but what was there to say?
♬⋆.˚
When the first beat of Tsunami started, the crowd was screaming, but all Rina could hear was her heartbeat. Fuck, this is my song. This is our song.
As NIKI played, their hands brushed. A surge of electricity shot up Rina’s arm, an undeniable current of longing.
As the song progressed, the moment their eyes met, she felt everything crumble—the walls she had built, the guards around her heart.
Min’s eyes, full of longing, regret, and love, held her captive. Min used to look at her that way.
Then, before the second chorus, there was a pause.
The lights from the stage flashed like thunder, the sound of walls breaking.
Rina felt herself fall, surrendering to the truth she had been avoiding for months.
No matter how many times she tried to move on, no matter how much time had passed, she would always come back to Min.
She was the only tsunami Rina wanted to embrace.
And as NIKI sang—
I'm going under, ah. Storm, lightning, thunder. I'm drowning in the deepest of truths
Min intertwined their fingers together, still looking at Rina. Fuck, I think I'm falling for you.
They didn’t say anything more.
They just looked at each other, the music intensifying around them, the air thick with unsaid thoughts.
The longing, the pain, the love—they let it linger, waiting for the moment it could finally be set free.
♬⋆.˚
The night moved forward.
The concert was a blur of lights and emotions, and they both pretended, for a while, that they were just two strangers sitting next to each other.
That the past hadn’t etched itself into every song, every moment.
But nothing prepared them for Linger.
It was the song NIKI made special for every country, something unexpected and deeply personal for the crowd. Manila was no different. They both expected a different song, but when the opening chords of Linger rang out, the air shifted. Their breaths hitched at the same time.
And when the chorus hit—
You know I'm such a fool for you…
Min exhaled shakily. Rina’s fingers curled into her lap.
They hadn’t expected to hear their song.
The one that played in the background of so many of their days together.
The one that still clung to their memories, refusing to fade.
Neither of them could look at each other.
Neither of them could sing along.
But as the yearning between them grew thicker, more suffocating, their voices remained trapped in their throats—yet it still spoke louder than any lyrics ever could.
Min turned slightly, her head tilting toward Rina, lips parting like she was about to say something—but she hesitated.
Rina could feel the weight of her gaze, but she didn’t dare meet it. If she did, she knew everything would unravel.
The song continued, each lyric carving through their silence, uncovering emotions neither had fully buried.
The crowd sang along, their voices singing in unison, but for them, the world had shrunk down to the space between their shoulders, the ghost of a love still lingering in the air.
As the last note faded, Min inhaled sharply, her voice barely audible over the cheers. “Rina—”
But the stage lights shifted, NIKI’s voice carrying into the next song, and whatever Min was about to say was drowned out by the next wave of sound.
Rina turned, just for a second, searching Min’s face, but Min had already looked away.
The moment had passed.
And yet, as they sat there, hearts beating in sync, the night pressing on, neither of them could shake the feeling that something unfinished still hung between them.
Something that neither time nor distance had erased.
Something that would always, always linger.
♬⋆.˚
The concert ended, but the echoes of the final song lingered in the air, weaving through the silence between them.
The crowd surged toward the exits, but Rina and Min stayed frozen in place, their hands gripping the edges of their seats.
The weight of unspoken words, years of emotions compressed into a single night, pressed heavily against their chests.
Min was the first to stand. She hesitated before turning to Rina, her fingers fidgeting at her sides. "We should talk."
Rina swallowed hard and nodded, following Min as they left the arena.
Their footsteps wavered, drawn toward each other.
Outside, the humid Manila air clung to them, heavy and stifling, building the tension neither could ignore.
They found a quiet corner near the parking lot, away from the crowd.
Min leaned against a pillar, exhaling. "I didn’t know it was you," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "When I bought the ticket. If I had known…I don’t know if I would’ve come."
Rina flinched, a sharp sting settling in her chest. "I didn’t know either. And when I found out, I almost didn’t come, either. But then I thought…maybe it wouldn’t matter anymore. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt."
Min let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head. "Did it? Did it Hurt?"
Rina met her gaze, eyes shining under the dim streetlights. “Of course, it did. Every song felt like a punch to the gut. Every lyric was like rubbing salt into an old wound. The whole concert was like ripping off a bandage from something that never healed. Every memory came rushing back, like it had never left. It still hurts, Min.”
Min inhaled sharply, searching Rina’s eyes as if grasping for the right words. “I didn’t leave because I was scared,” she said, her voice tight. “I left because I wasn’t… okay. I was drowning, Rina. And I couldn’t bear the thought of dragging you down with me.”
Rina’s breath hitched. "What do you mean?"
Min’s fingers curled into fists. "I was dealing with things I didn’t know how to talk about. The pressure from my family, the expectations, the feeling that no matter how much I loved you, I wasn’t enough—not for you, not for myself. I was breaking apart, and I thought that if I left, I could fix myself first. I thought I had to be whole before I could be with you."
Rina’s lips parted, but no words came out. The pain in Min’s eyes was raw, real in a way she hadn’t truly understood until now.
"I didn’t want to hurt you," Min continued, voice barely above a whisper. "But I did. And I regret it every single day."
Rina exhaled shakily. "You could have told me. We could have figured it out together."
Min shook her head. "Back then, I didn’t know how. But I do now. I worked through it. I got help. And I’m here now, Rina, not as the same person who left you, but as someone who finally understands herself."
Rina looked away, blinking rapidly. "But you still left. And I had to learn how to live with that."
Min stepped closer, hesitating just inches away. "Do you think…do you think we could ever try again?"
Rina squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before meeting Min’s gaze, her heart aching with the weight of everything between them. "I don’t know," she whispered. "I want to say yes. I want to believe we could find our way back. But we can’t just pretend the past didn’t happen. We can’t just pick up where we left off and hope it’ll be different this time."
Min nodded slowly, a deep swallow betraying the emotions tightening her chest. "I don’t want to pretend. I just…I don’t want this to be the last time we talk. I don’t want this to be where we end."
Rina searched her face, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. "Then we take it slow. No promises, no expectations. Just… seeing where this takes us."
Min’s lips quivered into a faint smile, her eyes glistening with emotion. “Okay. Slow.”
Silence settled between them again, but this time, it wasn’t heavy with regret—it was something softer, something fragile yet hopeful. The past still lingered, but maybe, just maybe, the future hadn’t been written yet.
And maybe, just maybe, they still had time to figure out if they were meant to find their way back to each other.
♬⋆.˚