Vrrrr... vrrrr...
What's that sound?
Vrrrr... vrrrr...
I cracked my eyes open, just a little.
It was my phone. Vibrating.
Why is it vibrating? I didn't set an alarm...
I reached over and grabbed it.
The screen flashed: Incoming Call – Ryan.
I answered, still half-asleep.
"Hello?" I croaked.
"You're still sleeping?!" Ryan practically yelled into my ear.
What's wrong with sleeping? I blinked in confusion.
"Yeah... What is it?"
"Damn it, Solace! Look at the time!"
Time?
I slowly turned my head toward the wall clock.
9:00 a.m.
Wait. 9 a.m.?
Shit.
I immediately hung up and sat up straight.
College starts at 9. It's already 9.
I need at least 30 minutes to get there. There's no way I'll make it on time.
The teacher's definitely going to scold me.
I sighed, flopping back down.
Guess I played too many games last night.Well... let's just skip today.
And with that, I pulled the blanket over my head.
I skip college sometimes—it's not that big of a deal.
I grabbed my phone and started scrolling through videos, casually. Just killing time.
One video caught my eye—a romantic one. The kind where a boy and a girl keep messaging each other, their story unfolding in small texts and stolen moments.
I don't know why, but Lily's name popped into my head.
It's been two days since we last talked.
Since then... nothing.
She hasn't messaged me at all.
Should I text her this time? I thought.
It didn't seem like a bad idea.
It didn't take long before I opened our chat and typed:
"Good morning, miss."
Just something casual. A simple good morning.
I wonder if she'll reply soon.
Maybe not. She's probably not skipping college like I am…
I smiled to myself.
Sliding out of bed, I freshened up. Since I wasn't going to college today, I figured I might as well do something productive.
I sat down at my desk and started studying.
---
Two hours passed.
I picked up my phone and unlocked the screen.
A notification.
A message.
Lily.
She actually replied?
"Didn't u have college today?"
The message had come about an hour ago.
I quickly typed back:
"I did. But I overslept. Hence, still in my room."
And so our conversation continued.
I hadn't even realized it was already night.
I glanced at the wall clock—10:00 p.m.
Time had flown.
While I was having this unexpectedly beautiful time with Lily, the hours just... slipped by. We never even said goodbye at any point. Our chat kept going—casual, warm. There were pauses between replies, sure, but the rhythm never broke.
Before I knew it, it was nearly 11:00 p.m.
I typed:
"When are you going to bed?"
No reply.
I waited.
One minute.
Five minutes.
Ten.
Still nothing.
Maybe she fell asleep...
I didn't overthink it.
I set my phone down and turned off the light.
I couldn't afford to skip class again tomorrow anyway.
It was 3 p.m.
I had just returned from college.
I woke up pretty early today, so—miraculously—I didn't miss any classes.
Man, I'm tired.
The ceiling fan spun lazily overhead. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the breeze wash over me. It felt cool against my skin—refreshing after the heat outside.
I pulled out my phone.
A message blinked on the screen:
"Sorry… I fell asleep last night."
Followed by a teary-eyed sticker.
I laughed quietly.
She's cute.
---
Earlier That Morning
"You lazy girl! Wake up! You'll miss your classes!"
"Okay, Mother! Just five more minutes!"
Despite her scolding, I was still wrapped up in my blanket, resisting the morning.
Haa... Let's go, Lily. Time to freshen up.
After getting ready for college, I checked my phone one last time before leaving.
As expected, there was a message waiting for me:
"Talk to you after college ends. Don't forget to give me a text."
I smiled.
It's been a month since I started talking to Solace.
He's... interesting.
Casual. Funny. Direct. Sometimes even a bit unpredictable. He catches me off guard with unexpected questions—but in a good way.
Our conversation usually starts in the morning and continues throughout the day, tapering off only when one of us falls asleep. Of course, we don't text during class. But somehow... I still feel his presence.
I don't know exactly when it started, but lately, the moment I enter my room after college, one thought always crosses my mind:
Did Solace message me?
It's instinct now—the first thing I do is check my phone for his name.
Sometimes I even message him first.
And when he takes too long to reply, my thoughts spiral—Did he get busy? Did I say something weird? Am I disturbing him?
It seems he's already become a part of my daily routine.
I smiled to myself.
Time to go to college.
Solace doesn't really like going to college. He says he feels lazy most mornings.
I smiled again.
There I go, thinking about him again...
---
My college isn't far from home—just a 10-minute walk.
I reached the gates, and as usual, Claire had already reserved a seat for me. Right next to her.
"Hi," she greeted with a grin.
But something about that grin felt... mischievous.
"Hi," I replied, a little confused.
She leaned in with that smile still plastered on her face.
"It seems someone talks all day with someone."
Ah. So that's what this is about.
"We just talk, Claire. That's all," I said, trying to sound casual.
"Oh ho? Is that so?" she raised an eyebrow playfully.
"I'm curious... what do you two talk about so much?"
"Nothing much. Just random stuff."
As soon as I said it, though, my mind drifted—
To all the topics we'd actually covered: day-to-day things, his silly flirty jokes, serious conversations, even little philosophical tangents…
"Just random stuff?" Claire didn't look convinced.
Then, her expression shifted.
More serious.
"But I must say this, Lily—if you're thinking about starting something romantic with him... think about your situation first."
My situation...
"What are you talking about?" I said quickly. "We're just friends. Nothing else."
Claire didn't press any further.
The teacher entered, and class began.
---
3:00 p.m.
I closed the door behind me with a quiet click.
College today was exhausting. The heat had been relentless, and my uniform clung to me, sticky and uncomfortable. My skin felt warm all over, my forehead slightly damp.
I dropped my bag and loosened the top buttons of my shirt as I stepped further into my room. The gentle hum of the fan greeted me, brushing strands of hair away from my face.
I peeled off my uniform piece by piece, letting the fabric fall into a soft pile. The air brushing against my skin felt like a sigh—cool, quiet, and calming. I pulled my hair out of its tie and ran a hand through it slowly, enjoying the small relief.
Standing in front of the mirror, I wiped a bead of sweat from my neck with the corner of a towel. The girl staring back at me looked tired... but thoughtful.
Claire's voice echoed in my head again:
"If you're thinking about starting something romantic with him... consider your situation first."
Romantic?
I wasn't thinking about that. I don't think even Solace thinks that way. We just enjoy each others' company. That's all.
I pulled on a loose, oversized t-shirt and sat down on the edge of my bed.
Our chats were just that—chats.
Friendly. Funny. Sometimes teasing.
Still. Maybe I need to take note of what Claire said.