It started accidentally.
That’s what she kept telling herself.
Because there was absolutely no way a single message should affect her mood this much.
And yet— the moment she woke up and saw his notification waiting for her…
She smiled.
Again.
Which was honestly becoming embarrassing at this point.
She rubbed her eyes tiredly before unlocking the phone properly.
> @Kairo.97:
> “Good morning. Did you finally sleep before 3 AM or should I prepare a lecture?”
A laugh escaped from her lips immediately.
Her room still looked half-dark from the cloudy weather outside while soft rain tapped gently against the windows again.
She typed back slowly.
> “First of all, rude.”
Seen instantly.
Her eyebrows lifted.
Why was he awake already?
Another message appeared.
> “That means you slept late.”
> “That’s not important.”
> “It is if your migraines get worse.”
Her fingers paused above the screen.
And there it was again.
That soft feeling in her chest.
Because people usually remembered the cheerful version of her.
Not the tired one.
Not the exhausted one.
Not the girl who sometimes sat awake at 4 AM trying to calm her own thoughts down quietly.
But somehow…
he remembered those details.
And maybe that scared her because it mattered more than it should.
She sat up properly against the bed before replying.
> “Why are YOU awake this early?”
The typing bubble appeared.
Then:
> “Practice.”
Her expression softened instantly.
Right.
His world still existed outside these conversations.
Concerts.
Schedules.
Pressure.
Constant exhaustion.
Sometimes she forgot how busy his life actually was because he talked to you so normally.
And strangely…
that normality felt intimate.
Another message appeared.
> “Also Yahon stole my blanket at 6 AM.”
She blinked.
Then burst out laughing.
> “That sounds like a personal problem.”
> “You’re supposed to support me emotionally.”
> “I support Yahon’s criminal activities.”
> “Unbelievable betrayal.” You are reading on g.com, the official source.
She shook her head while smiling helplessly.
This felt so dangerously easy now.
Like talking to someone you’d known longer than a few weeks.
And honestly?
That realization terrified her sometimes.
Because good things in her life rarely stayed long enough for comfort to feel safe.
Later that afternoon, college became unbearable.
Not because classes were difficult.
Because her brain refused to focus properly.
Her professor had been explaining something for almost fifteen minutes now while she sat near the window pretending to take notes.
Unfortunately—
Her mind was somewhere else completely.
“Saloni.”
She blinked instantly.
The entire class was staring at her.
Wonderful.
“Yes?”
“Would you like to answer the question?”
Absolutely not.
She stared at the board blankly while her soul slowly left her body.
A few students laughed quietly.
The professor sighed tiredly.
“You need to pay attention.”
“I’m sorry.”
Embarrassment burned her cheeks while she quickly looked down at her notebook again.
Her phone vibrated softly inside the hoodie pocket.
She ignored it immediately.
Probably her friend.
But after class ended, she checked anyway.
And unfortunately—
Her heartbeat betrayed her again.
> @Kairo.97:
> “You disappeared.”
That tiny sentence shouldn’t have made her feel warm.
Yet somehow…
it did.
She replied while walking outside the building slowly.
> “Class.”
Seen instantly.
> “You survived?”
> “Barely.”
A reply came seconds later.
> “That sounds dramatic enough to be true.”
She smiled again while stepping outside into the cool rainy weather.
The sky looked soft today.
Grey clouds.
Cold air.
The smell of rain everywhere.
And suddenly—
Her phone started ringing.
Her steps froze instantly.
Because this time…
it wasn’t messages.
It was a call.
Her heartbeat completely lost control.
She stared at the screen like it might explode.
Call from:
@Kairo.97
“Nope.”
She instantly declined it.
Panic.
Pure panic.
What if you sounded awkward?
What if your English suddenly disappeared?
What if you embarrassed yourself permanently?
Her phone vibrated again immediately.
A new message.
> “Did you just reject my call?”
She covered her face dramatically while standing near the campus gate.
> “I panicked.”
Seen.
Then:
> “That’s actually kind of funny.”
> “This is not funny for me.”
> “Relax. I wasn’t planning to interrogate you.”
Her chest slowly settled slightly.
But before she could reply again— another message appeared.
> “Also your English is already better than my Hindi would ever be.”
She froze.
Then blinked slowly.
A smile slowly appeared on her lips.
Because somehow— that tiny sentence felt like the beginning of something new.
Something softer.
Closer.
More personal.
And before her brain could stop her —
She typed:
> “You know Hindi?”
Seen instantly.
Then:
> “I know exactly one word.”
> “Which is?”
A long pause followed.
Then finally—
> “Namaste.”
She burst out laughing right there in the middle of the sidewalk.
People turned to stare briefly.
She genuinely didn’t care.
Because for the first time all day—
Her chest didn’t feel heavy anymore.
And somewhere far away— inside a practice room filled with noise and chaos—
Kairo smiled softly after hearing her laugh through the short accidental voice clip she had sent while laughing.
A tiny sound.
Barely two seconds.
Yet somehow…
it made the exhausting day feel lighter instantly.