Three after she met with Justin at the university, the rain kept getting heavier as a typhoon approached the country.
Harmony took a shower after getting home for just as she entered the subdivision, the rain began pouring once again. Her umbrella could not do anything because the rain was accompanied by strong wind.
She sighed heavily as the rain intensified and the lightning and thunder started becoming frequent, putting on her Bluetooth headset and plugging in her power bank and phone.
She did not know how long this will last. But she needed her phone to last at the very least.
After drying her hair, she studied a bit before going to bed without removing her headset. Despite having the desire to just go under her blanket, she still needed to study.
The next day, classes ended up being suspended as the typhoon worsened. Harmony remained in bed, reluctant to get up despite her hunger. She kept her blanket over her head while the storm raged outside.
On the other hand,
Justin called Shawn.
"Hey, have you checked on Harmony?"
After his meeting with Harmony, he felt a nagging concern.
"Why? Well, I didn't have the chance. The typhoon has canceled our classes," Shawn replied.
"I saw her when I was there a few days ago. She doesn't look good, and it doesn't seem like it's just from overwork. You should really check on her."
"I see. I'll go and check on her."
After ending the call, he tried calling Harmony, but the call kept being rejected.
He furrowed his brows.
Even though she didn't like him, she would still answer his calls because he never meant to bother her. She knew that there is something he truly needs when he calls her.
With a sigh, he pulled on a jacket and headed out.
He flinched as a flash of lightning lit the dark sky, followed by a powerful clap of thunder.
'That's intense,' he thought before walking to the house across from his.
He frowned as he pressed the doorbell multiple times, but no one answered. He also tried calling her phone, but it continued to be rejected.
'Did she go home? But I don't think that's likely.'
He pressed the doorbell again as the rain started to lessen.
*click*
The door slowly opened, revealing a dark interior.
"Harmony?"
Her head appeared from behind the door.
"Wha—"
Her eyes widened before she suddenly pulled him inside.
Shawn stood there, shocked and bewildered.
"Are… you okay?" he asked.
Harmony closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"What is it?" she asked, her voice a bit hoarse.
"Have you eaten?" he inquired instead.
Harmony simply shook her head.
"I had some energy bars."
Since she had already pulled him inside, she felt pushing him back outside would be too much, especially as the rain began to intensify again.
So she walked further inside, ready to ask if he wanted something to drink but before she could do so, he spoke again.
"Can I go back to my place for a bit?"
She looked back at him with furrowed brows.
"I'll be quick. I think I need to grab a few things."
"You don't have to come—"
"I'll be back. I'm sorry, but I don't think I can just leave you like this. You'll surely fall sick at this rate."
She sighed.
"Suit yourself."
Exhaustion washed over her.
All she wanted was to crawl back under her blanket. Shawn returned to his place, packed a few things, and after some thought, took a few more things before returning to her place.
The door was unlocked, but he felt like scolding her when he found her asleep again.
'Anyone could have walked in,' he sighed as he looked at her.
He tilted his head. Just like earlier when she had opened the door, she was still wearing her Bluetooth headset.
He glanced at her phone plugged in an outlet and is on the study table together with two power banks. But they were not charging at all.
'She hasn't noticed that the power went out early this morning,' he thought.
At that moment, he surveyed her place.
The apartments in this subdivision were relatively small for a separate building.
It resembled a studio apartment in a condominium.
The room was cozy and open, everything thoughtfully arranged within.
In one corner stood the soft bed where she currently lies and a study table beside it positioned near the window to catch sunlight during the day.
However, heavy curtains covered the window, plunging the room into darkness. Harmony hadn't seemed to notice when she "invited" him in earlier. A small lamp sat in the corner of the desk next to a stack of books and an open notebook from who knows when. A bookshelf stood beside the study table.
Across the bed was a wooden dining table with two chairs, perfect for quiet meals or morning coffee.
The kitchen area occupied the wall, simple yet functional.
It had a small stove, a sink, a refrigerator, and a few shelves holding plates, cups, and cooking pots.
No walls were separating these spaces.
The bed, dining area, kitchen, and study table all shared the same open room, with one door leading to the bathroom.
In comparison, these apartments felt smaller than his room back home.
Still, he found it comfortable, especially since his focus in this city was his studies, the apartment was just a place to rest.
Harmony's apartment was similar to his in terms of layout, except hers was slightly messier.
He couldn't help but be taken aback, he did not expect Harmony's place to be this messy.