Chapter 1
The salty sea breeze tossed her hair and brushed against her skin, sending chills down her spine.
Still, Berrak didn’t move from the old bench where she used to sit every afternoon after school, watching the sun sink into the horizon.
She wore only a thin jacket.
She hadn’t expected it to be this cold.
It was mid-autumn, and the air had turned sharp and restless.
The sun had long hidden behind the clouds.
Berrak wasn’t even sure if it was still there anymore.
“I knew I’d find you here.”
The familiar voice startled her.
But she didn’t turn around — she already knew who it was.
Derin sat down beside her, cigarette smoke curling between his fingers before drifting away with the wind.
He stared out at the sea with his usual careless calm.
“I hate it when you do that,” Berrak said, not bothering to hide the irritation in her tone.
She had always hated the smell of smoke clinging to her hair.
But she knew him well enough by now to realize that telling him so wouldn’t change a thing.
Derin let out a short laugh, his shoulders shaking slightly. He tilted his head back toward the sky and murmured,
“You hate everything about me anyway.”
Berrak didn’t respond, but her eyes flickered toward him.
The messy curls, the sharp lines of his face, the subtle movement of his throat when he swallowed —
everything about him took her breath away.
“What do you want, Derin?” she asked, folding her arms, trying to recover the frustration that had slipped from her a moment ago.
“You should cut down on your daydreams,” he said with a teasing tone.
“You keep staring at the sea like it’s gonna give you answers.”
His eyes lingered on her face, watching every flicker of expression.
Berrak turned toward the waves, shifting uneasily.
“What’s it to you if I dream?” she snapped.
She wasn’t in the mood for his taunts — she never was.
“You’re extra charming today, I see.”
Derin flicked his cigarette to the ground and crushed it beneath his shoe. His lips curved with amusement.
Berrak gave him a forced smile.
“Just for you.”
He seemed to like that answer. The smirk on his face widened as he suddenly stood up, blocking her view of the sea.
“Derin, what is your problem?” she asked, her voice weary.
“Giray texted,” he said, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.
“But since you can’t seem to handle a phone properly, I’m guessing you didn’t see it.”
Berrak rolled her eyes and stood too. She didn’t want him looking down at her, but even standing, she couldn’t quite reach his height.
Turning her back on him, she started walking toward the square.
The air was colder now — her nose stung, and she folded her arms tighter for warmth.
Behind her, she could hear Derin’s slow, steady footsteps catching up.
“Don’t bother running, Berrak,” he called out, his voice carrying a hint of laughter through the wind.
“You’ll come back to me anyway.”
She stopped abruptly.
Her fists clenched, her jaw tightened as she tried to control her anger.
Derin reached her side, still smiling.
“Derin…” Berrak studied his face, searching for something — a crack in that smirk, a sign of sincerity, anything.
But all she saw was the same mocking expression she wanted to erase.
A few raindrops began to fall from the heavy sky as her brows furrowed.
She wanted to leave before she got soaked — as if smelling of his smoke wasn’t bad enough.
When a drop slid softly down her cheek, Derin reached out and caught it with his fingers.
Berrak froze at the sudden touch.
She could feel the gentle brush of his fingertips against her skin — and realized the shiver running through her had nothing to do with the cold.
Their eyes met.
And for a moment, the whole world seemed to go silent.
Even the waves stopped crashing, as if holding their breath.
She felt herself drowning in the amber depths of his gaze until—
Derin suddenly pulled away.
He started walking.
Berrak just stood there, breathless, watching him.
He turned slightly, his voice cutting through the rain:
“Come on. We’ll be late.”
His tone was colder than the drops falling from the sky.
Berrak tried to draw a full breath, but couldn’t.
As Derin walked away, she felt her lungs betray her —
the air refused to follow where her heart still lingered.
