Chico's Coins

Low lights, loud music, too many people. It wasn't her environment. She entered with her friends, greeted those who needed it, grabbed a drink just to keep her hands busy. She wasn't looking for anyone. Chico, on the other hand, circulated through his own party as always: known, observed, commented on. Some admiring glances, others judgmental. Half wanting a photo, half whispering. He pretended not to notice—as he always has since he became an internet sensation after the affair with Luísa Sonza. They see each other without ceremony. It's not slow motion. It's not an immediate impact. It's a quick glance that returns on its own. Diana is leaning against the outside area, away from the dance floor. Chico notices because she's not trying to be seen. She's not recording, she's not forcing a smile. She just… exists there.
He approaches without any rehearsed charm.
— Are you finding the party unpleasant or do you just prefer to stay out of the noise?
She looks at him, recognizes him immediately, but doesn't change her tone.
— A little of both.
Chico laughs softly. Not that loud party laugh—a smaller, almost shy one.
— Fair enough.
They stay there.
No rush.
No one interrupting.
Diana doesn't ask anything about Luisa.
Doesn't comment on the internet.
Doesn't treat him like a character.
This disarms Chico.
He talks more than usual. Not profound things—but honest things. She answers little, but when she speaks, she speaks with intention. The silence between them doesn't weigh heavily. At some point, he realizes he's staying there too long. And that's unusual. When the music changes and someone calls Chico, he hesitates before leaving. "If you disappear, I'll understand," he says, half-jokingly, half-seriously. "I don't usually disappear," she replies. "But I also don't stay where I don't want to." He smiles. Because it's been a long time since someone made that so clear. They part that night without promises. Without exaggerated contact exchanges. But with something different from what Chico usually takes from parties.
"Sex without commitment? "

– him falling in love
She was suspicious, but already involved.
– pain, relapses, maturation
– ending with them together, solidifying the relationship