Jason

The bar was dimly lit, with soft neon lights reflecting against the bottles behind the counter. The sound of music filled the room as Jason pushed open the door and stepped inside. He walked in casually, wearing his usual laid-back expression, his hands resting in his pockets. He had only come in for a drink, somewhere quiet where he could sit back and forget about the troubles waiting outside. But as he approached the counter, something caught his attention. Behind the bar stood Elara. His ex-girlfriend. She was dressed in a black bartender's outfit, her hair neatly styled as she moved between pouring drinks, cleaning glasses, and serving customers. She looked completely different from the last time he'd seen her. More confident. More independent. Like she'd built an entirely new life without him. Jason stopped walking for a brief moment. He hadn't expected to see her here. Not tonight. Not after everything that had happened between them. Elara eventually glanced up from polishing a glass. Her eyes landed on him. For a second, her movements slowed. The glass remained in her hand as she stared at the familiar face standing on the other side of the counter. Neither of them moved. Jason eventually pulled out a stool and sat down, leaning one arm against the counter. Elara placed the freshly polished glass beneath the bar and straightened her posture, quietly returning to work. The awkward tension between them was almost impossible to ignore. Jason looked around the bar, pretending to be interested in the surroundings, while occasionally glancing in her direction. Elara continued serving customers, keeping herself occupied with anything that could prevent her from looking at him again. But every now and then, their eyes met. And suddenly, a simple visit to the bar had become a reminder of a past neither of them had completely left behind.