10:12 PM
Ren stared at the tiny glowing alarm clock on his desk — a bunny-shaped one Serin said was "too cute for a guy like you." He didn't disagree.
"hey... where r u?"
Ren typed with his usual overthinking brain.
A soft buzz.
"Sorry...I was doing my laundry."
Serin replied with a bitmoji of her holding a bucket and looking like a defeated soldier.
"Damn… aren't you a disciplined girl now?"
Ren added a laughing emoji, mocking her just a bit.
"Well, actually my mom said either sleep outside or do the laundry, so... yeah."
Serin responded with a tired face emoji.
They both laughed in their own rooms — separated by distance, united by pixels and the glow of their screens.
The teasing continued...
"You're like a responsible anime side character who becomes the main heroine halfway through."
"Shut up, you're the one who gives sidekick vibes with your weird alarm clock and Batman voice."
Ren blushed.
"You... heard that?"
"HEARD IT? I recorded it."
They both laughed again.
Then...
"Aight, laundry queen. So... do u watch movies often?"
Ren asked, fingers tapping the bedsheet.
"Kinda... oh wait! Have you seen FWB?"
"FWB? What's that? Sounds like a disease."
"Friends With Benefits, you idiot!"
"Oh... THAT? Damn, okay, recommending spicy stuff already?"
"Shut up and just watch it Idiot. It's good, trust me."
He chuckled.
"If you say so, I guess I'll give it a shot."
A pause.
Then a bomb:
"Wait... how tall are you?"
Ren choked on air.
"Oh no... not this again."
" I'm like... 5'8? 5'9? With shoes on."
Ren started to Eat Fire !
"Daaamn! I'm 5'6. "
He blinked.
Sweat.
"I'M 5'5... WHY DID I LIE...??"
He slapped his forehead.
"I'm built like a snowman."
"Height doesn't matter when you've got Noah Flynn's body."
Ren Teased About his Abs
"Who's Noah Flynn??"
"WHAT?! Bro… go watch Kissing Booth. It's a sin not to."
"If you say so... ren"
He smiled.
Then he asked softly:
"Have you ever dated someone before?"
Serin paused.
"BRUH. You think I'm pretty?"
she replied in all caps.
"DUDE I'M FAT, SHIT AT ACADEMICS AND SPORTS, I WEIGH 64KG AND I EAT FOR FOUR PEOPLE."
Ren read it like she screamed every word.
Then saw the last line.
"And I'm short."
"You're 5'6… that's short??"
Ren's jaw dropped.
"OH NO… if she's short… what am I then?"
"I'm such a joke."
He muttered to the mirror.
He laughed and fake cried in the mirror.
"will she date someone like me?"
His heart did a backflip.
"What the hell am I thinking..."
"But hear me out... I've dated A Lot of girls before. If I say you're beautiful, I mean it. Why don't you believe that?" Ren Texted immediately.
She went silent.
Typing bubble flickered.
Then...
"I'm just... not used to compliments, that's all."
Ren was Curious
"So what's your type serin?"
"Someone not too dark, not too pale — no offense — just someone who makes me feel safe. Someone who cares about my family too."
"Ah... so basically me, if I was 6'2 and had a beard."
"You're not bad, Ren."
That text lingered on his screen.
You're not bad, Ren.
"So what's your type then?"
Serin texted back.
"Honestly… someone who's decent, kind, and takes care of me and my family. Looks come second."
"So basically... you want a mommy?"
Serin sent a sticker of a laughing duck.
Ren facepalmed.
"Kinda..."
The moonlight sneaked into his room, casting soft shadows on the wall.
The city lights blinked from far beyond his curtains — the world outside asleep, but in their little world
a bond was blossoming.
Their texts turned into shared laughter, teasing, little rants, confessions—and soon, everything else faded into the background.
Suddenly...
"Maybe we should call someday."
Ren sent without thinking.
"OH NO. Why did I type that?? Will she think I'm desperate?
Horny?
A weirdo?
OH NOOOOOO !
WHAT SHOULD I DO ? SHOULD I JUMP OF THE ROOF ?! "
Ren started to Panic
"Wanna call now?"
Texted Back Serin
Ren's heart dropped.
His pupils dilated.
His soul left his body and returned instantly.
"Sure."
Ring.
Ring.
Ring.
His phone glowed like it was a divine artifact.
He wiped his sweaty palms on his shirt.
He picked up.
"HEY."
Ren tried his best Batman voice.
"PFFFT!"
Serin burst into laughter like wind chimes falling down a hill.
In that moment, Ren realized — God doesn't create perfect people.
He sculpts them.
Slowly.
Lovingly.
And he sculpted Serin with the voice of a melody that could melt glaciers.
"Dude, your normal voice is WAY better."
Serin giggled.
"I usually get told I sound like a 12-year-old."
"Ngl... you do. But I like it."
Ren felt safe.
For once, safe didn't mean silence — it meant her laugh on the other side of the call.
"She's beautiful on the outside... but inside, she's even more radiant."
He thought.
They both went quiet.
The silence wasn't empty.
It was warm.
Like sitting under a Cherry blossom tree with your favorite person on a snowy evening.
"Well... this is awkward."
"Yeah, why can't you just yap like you text?"
"I'm more of a listener than a talker, honestly."
"Wait ! I thought Most girls talk a lot though—"
BANG.
Ren's door slammed open like a thunderclap.
"WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?"
His dad barked.
"IT'S 2 AM!"
Ren panicked.
His father's voice wasn't just loud—it echoed.
It felt like thunder breaking through Ren's soul.
Ren jumped from his bed, clutching his phone like it was a lifeline.
"Dad, wait—it's just a classmate—"
SMACK.
His father's hand ripped the phone from Ren's grip.
"It's 2 A.M.! What the hell are you doing whispering like a criminal? You think you're grown now?"
Ren stood frozen.
His mouth opened, but no words came out.
His lips trembled.
The warmth he felt during the call was gone—like someone pulled the plug on his entire world.
"From now on, no more phone. Focus on your damn studies,"
his father barked.
SLAM.
Ren stood alone in the dark.
The only light was the faint moon outside—cold and far away.
His chest rose and fell, but he couldn't breathe.
Not properly.
Not freely.
He looked at his empty hand—fingers still curled, as if the phone was still there.
Silence.
His eyes widened, filled with unshed tears.
His knees weakened as he sat on the floor, hands on his face.
His body was shaking.
"Why does everything I care about get taken away from me…?"
His breathing was ragged.
Each inhale was a struggle.
Each exhale was a silent scream.
And then—without warning—his heart whispered something he never wanted to admit.
"I think… I love her."