Some people enter in someone life loudly.
Like chaos.
Like storms.
Like sudden fireworks.
But some people?
They arrive quietly.
And before she realize it— they become part of her daily existence so naturally that their absence starts feeling wrong.
And honestly…
that scared her more.
Rain hadn’t come today.
For once, the sky above the city looked clear and soft while evening sunlight spread across your balcony floor.
She sat there with her laptop, trying to prepare for an upcoming debate competition.
Keyword:
trying.
Because her concentration kept disappearing every five minutes.
And unfortunately—
She already knew why.
Her phone rested beside the notebook silently.
No notifications yet.
She hated that when she noticed the phone .
Absolutely hated it.
Because now her brain had started expecting him.
Which was dangerous territory emotionally.
Very dangerous.
She sighed softly before forcing herself to focus again.
> “The role of diplomacy in international—”
Phone vibration.
Her heart reacted before her brain did.
Hopeless.
Completely hopeless.
She grabbed her phone instantly.
> @Kairo.97:
> “Question.”
A smile appeared automatically.
> “That sounds threatening.”
Seen instantly.
> “How do people survive debate competitions without crying?”
She blinked.
Then laughed softly.
> “Who said we survive?”
Another message appeared immediately.
> “So future UN member is secretly struggling?”
> “Future UN member is mentally fighting for survival.”
Seen.
Then:
> “That sounds relatable.”
Her expression softened slightly.
Because lately…
his replies carried exhaustion underneath them more often.
Subtle exhaustion.
The kind hidden between jokes and casual words.
She leaned back against the balcony railing before typing carefully.
> “Long day?”
Seen.
This time the reply came slower.
> “Practice was frustrating today.”
Her chest tightened softly.
And suddenly—
Funny how attachment worked.
She started carrying concern for someone else automatically.
She typed slowly.
> “Want distraction or silence?”
Seen instantly.
Then:
> “You remembered.”
Her breath caught slightly.
Because that was true.
A few chapters ago— he had asked HER the same thing.
And somehow…
She remembered without realizing it consciously.
Her fingers hovered above the screen.
Then:
> “You asked me first.”
A pause followed.
Then softly:
> “Okay. Distraction.”
She smiled faintly.
And suddenly—
Her balcony became filled with random chaotic conversation again.
She complained about debates.
He complained about choreography.
They both argued about whether mint chocolate deserved human rights.
(According to him: yes. According to her : absolutely not.)
And slowly— the heaviness disappeared from both sides.
Like it usually did now.
Later that night—
Her mother entered in the room while she were laughing quietly at another one of Yahon’s failed Hindi attempts through voice notes.
She stopped near the door suspiciously.
“You laugh at your phone a lot these days.”
Her soul immediately left her body.
“No I don’t.”
“You just did.”
“…That proves nothing.”
Her mother narrowed her eyes dramatically before leaving.
“You’re suspicious.”
“Oh my God.”
The moment she disappeared—
Her phone vibrated again.
> @Kairo.97:
> “What happened?”
She stared at the message in disbelief.
How did he ALWAYS know when your mood shifted?
> “My mother thinks I’m suspicious.”
Seen.
Then instantly:
> “Are you?”
She gasped dramatically.
> “Whose side are you on?”
> “Currently your mother’s.”
> “Betrayal.”
A voice note arrived suddenly.
She pressed play immediately.
Soft laughter filled in her headphones first.
Then his voice came quietly:
> “You’re easy to tease when you panic.”
Her heartbeat immediately lost stability again. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
Because hearing his voice still affected her too much.
Dangerously too much.
She replayed the voice note once.
Then immediately hated herself for replaying it.
Hopeless behavior.
Meanwhile, in Seoul—
Kairo rested against the dorm couch while scrolling through her chat absentmindedly.
The members talked loudly nearby.
Yahon argued dramatically with Jiwoo over food again.
Normal chaos.
Yet somehow— his attention stayed somewhere else completely.
On her.
And lately…
that fact had started becoming obvious even to himself.
Daemin walked past slowly before stopping briefly.
“You smile at your phone too much these days.”
Kairo nearly dropped the device.
“Why is everyone spying on me?”
Daemin shrugged calmly.
“You look less exhausted.”
Then casually walked away again.
Leaving Kairo completely silent afterward.
Because maybe…
that was true too.
Back in her room, night settled quietly around her while city lights glowed outside in the balcony.
Her conversation with him had finally slowed now.
Not ended.
Just comfortable silence.
And strangely…
those silences had started feeling meaningful too.
Her phone vibrated softly one last time.
> “You know something?”
She smiled faintly.
> “That sentence always worries me.”
Seen.
Then:
> “Talking to you became my favorite part of bad days.”
Her breath caught immediately.
The room suddenly felt too quiet.
Her heartbeat too loud.
Because somehow— he always said things that sounded simple…
yet stayed inside in her chest for hours afterward.
She stared at the screen silently.
Then slowly typed:
> “That sounds emotionally dangerous.”
Seen instantly.
And finally—
> “Probably.”
She looked toward the dark sky outside quietly while warmth spread painfully through her chest again.
Because maybe…
both of them already knew this connection had crossed into something deeper now.
Neither of them were saying it aloud yet.
But it existed.
Softly.
Quietly.
Growing in the spaces between midnight conversations and careful concern.
And honestly?
That terrified both of them equally.