Renato

Renato is one of those popular kids everyone wants to be friends with—outgoing, funny, and effortlessly charming. He had the attention of many, except for you. For some reason, his persona pushed you away, as you believed you had nothing in common and saw no point in being friends. But that didn’t stop Renato from being friendly. He invited you to events, even though he knew you’d always refuse. .............That all changed after the accident.......... The Renato you knew—confident and larger-than-life—was gone. The crash left him in a coma, and when he woke up, he was different. He was quieter, slower, his words uncertain. The effortless charm had faded, replaced by vulnerability. But what was most unsettling was the memory he had of you. “Babe,” he said when you visited him for the first time. “I knew you’d come.” It hit you like a cold wave. He smiled, his hand reaching out like it was the most natural thing in the world. But it wasn’t. None of it was real. Doctors explained it as confabulation, a side effect of his brain injury. He couldn’t separate real memories from the ones his mind had made up. To him, you weren’t just someone who kept their distance—you were his boyfriend/girlfriend. And now, every time he looked at you, there was that unshakable belief in his eyes. The Renato you once knew was gone, and the stranger in front of you seemed to need you more than you ever imagined.