Evan snorted and leaned back in his chair. "Don't be ridiculous. I was just surprised to see her here. That's all."
Raine studied his expression for a few seconds before smirking. "Hmm... then why do you look so bothered?"
"You ask too many questions," Evan replied, picking up his glass of water and taking a sip.
Raine chuckled. "Well, of course. It's just too interesting. She's weird, you're weird. And then suddenly, you asked me to meet up. If I weren't me, I'd think you liked me, you know."
Evan gave her a quick glance. "You're not the one."
Raine pretended to look offended. "Wow, rejected just like that, without even trying? That's harsh."
Evan let out a small scoff. "Alright, my turn to ask. Why did you say you know me?"
Raine smiled confidently. "Because I do know you, Van. Back in high school, you were a senior, I was a freshman. I was a fan of yours."
Evan paused for a moment, studying her face. Nothing looked familiar. But… her face resembled Michelle's too much.
"And what makes you so sure Fara isn't my type?" he asked again.
Raine smirked. "Because I know the kind of girl you like."
Evan stared at her, holding her gaze. Raine returned it with a mysterious look, as if holding onto a secret Evan himself didn't know.
He frowned, examining her carefully. "And how exactly do you know that?" he asked coldly.
Raine chuckled, stirring her drink with a straw. "Intuition."
"Intuition?" Evan repeated, skeptical.
"Yeah. A fan's intuition," Raine replied casually. "I've followed you since high school. You were cold, but girls still hovered around. But a girl like Fara? Too loud for you. Besides, I never saw you hang out with girls like her back then."
Evan kept staring at her, trying to figure out if she actually knew something or was just bluffing. "So that's your only reason for thinking I'm not into Fara?"
Raine shrugged. "That, and… well, I'm more attractive than she is."
Evan exhaled, feeling the conversation sliding into absurd territory. "You're pretty confident."
Raine grinned. "Obviously. Otherwise, I wouldn't have dared to come here."
Sennia returned, placing their orders on the table. This time, she looked at Evan briefly before giving a faint smile and walking away.
Evan sighed, still unsettled by Sennia's sudden appearance.
"So?" Raine leaned back, watching Evan with keen interest. "Are you going to tell me why you suddenly wanted to meet? Or is it just because I look like someone?"
Evan tensed briefly. His eyes studied Raine's face again. "So you do realize you resemble someone?"
Raine raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I know. A few people have mentioned it before. But… who exactly?"
Evan stayed silent. It wasn't just her face that resembled Michelle. The way Raine spoke had a familiar feel too.
And that made him even more curious.
He leaned back in his chair, looking at Raine with an unreadable expression.
"Do you know who my ex was back in high school?" he asked casually, though he was secretly testing how much Raine really knew—if she truly knew the 2019 version of him.
Raine frowned, pretending to think hard. "Honestly? No clue."
Evan raised his brows, surprised by her answer. "Seriously?"
Raine nodded confidently. "Totally serious. As far as I knew, you never seemed like you were dating anyone. I never heard any rumors about you being close to any girl at school."
Evan went quiet, processing her words. That meant... the 2019 version of Evan was different. If in some years he had a reputation as a playboy or serial dater, in this version he seemed like someone who had never dated at all.
"Why'd you ask?" Raine returned the question, eyeing him curiously.
Evan shook his head slightly, trying to hide his swirling thoughts. "No reason. Just curious."
Raine narrowed her eyes suspiciously, then grinned. "Or maybe... your ex looked like me?"
Evan stiffened for a split second before replying coolly, "Don't flatter yourself."
Raine chuckled. "But if she did, it would make sense. You asked me out with no real reason, and you've been looking at me like you're comparing something."
Evan snorted again, taking a sip from his drink without answering.
Raine smiled faintly, resting her chin on her hand. "You know, Van? You've changed. I remember in high school, you weren't the type to be curious about other people. But now, it's like something's really been bugging you."
Evan stared at her intently. Raine wasn't Michelle, but there was something in her that disturbed him.
And he had no idea if that was a good sign—or a warning.
Sennia came back to their table with a small notepad in hand, her polite smile still intact.
"So, what would you like to order, Kak, Om?" she asked casually.
Raine frowned, glancing between Sennia and Evan. Something felt off.
"Why'd you call him Om?" she asked, clearly curious.
Sennia looked at Evan for a second, then gave a faint smile. "My late dad told me to call him 'Om' because he said Evan was way older than me."
Raine nodded in understanding, then squinted at Evan. "Hmm, but if he's 25 now, Kak still sounds appropriate."
Sennia chuckled softly, covering her mouth. "Is Om Evan really still 25?" she asked, her tone sounding more like a statement than a question.
Evan froze. For a moment, it was as if something had slammed into his consciousness.
Raine raised an eyebrow, not understanding Evan's sudden stiffness. "Well, of course he's 25. His ID probably says the same," she said casually.
Sennia kept smiling, though there was something unreadable in her eyes. "Well then, excuse me, Om Evan. I'll just take the orders. Kak, what would you like to drink?" she asked, shifting her attention to Raine.
Raine finally placed her order, while Evan remained silent, still processing what had just happened.
After jotting down their orders, Sennia left. Evan was still quiet, his thoughts looping over Sennia's last words.
Raine looked at him curiously. "What's up with you? You look like you just heard something creepy."
Evan sighed and turned his attention back to Raine. "It's nothing. Just... caught me off guard."
Raine leaned back in her seat, looking at Evan with an unreadable expression. "Okay, back to what we were talking about. You never looked like you were dating anyone in high school. So, were you really single, or just really good at hiding it?"
Evan gave her a small, knowing smile. "You're sure I was never dating anyone? No rumors at all?"
Raine thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Not that I know of. You were popular, but you weren't the type to show off your relationships. I was curious back then, but there was no proof you were seeing anyone."
Evan frowned. Unlike his 2018 self who had many girlfriends, this 2019 version had no visible romantic track record at all.
"Why are you asking that?" Raine asked again, intrigued.