Wouldn't it be incredible to live more than one life?To step into someone else's story… and feel everything they feel?
I used to think it was simple.
It isn't.
I realized that the night I met Steve.
"Is this your purse?"
His voice pulled me out of my thoughts.
I looked up.
He stood under a flickering streetlight—tall, sharp-featured, golden hair catching the dim glow. His blue eyes felt… deeper than they should have, like they were hiding something just beneath the surface.
I blinked. "Yeah—yeah. Thank you."
I hadn't even noticed I'd dropped it.
I took the purse quickly, my fingers brushing his for a second—cold.
Too cold for a normal night.
I turned and started walking.
The road to my house was almost always deserted at this hour. The kind of silence where your own footsteps sound louder than they should.
I had just come back from an interview at a call centre. It had gone… fine. I think.
I tightened my grip on my bag.
Something felt off.
A presence.
I slowed down.
Then stopped.
And turned.
It was him.
Walking behind me.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.
"My house is here," he replied, calm as before.
I frowned. "I've never seen you."
"We just moved."
A pause stretched between us.
"If you don't mind," he added, "we can walk together."
I hesitated.
Then nodded. "Okay. Just to return your favor."
It was colder than usual that night.
The wind brushed past us, carrying a faint metallic smell I couldn't place.
We talked.
Not much—but enough.
His name was Steve. He had shifted from Germany. Used to be a librarian. Now working at a call centre.
The same one I had just interviewed at.
"MDL?" I asked.
He nodded.
Coincidence.
Or maybe not.
When we reached my house, I slowed down.
He didn't.
He walked straight past me—
and into the house next door.
I stopped.
My brows furrowed.
No way.
"Mom," I called as I entered, "why didn't you tell me we had new neighbors?"
"I tried to," she replied, appearing at the doorway. "But you were the one who sent me back."
I winced.
"Okay… fine. Leave that. I'm starving."
She sighed. "Go freshen up first."
I tossed my bag onto the couch and went straight to the washbasin. By the time I came back, dinner was ready.
I sat down quickly.
"Where's everyone?" I asked.
"You're early," she said simply.
While I ate, she mentioned something about the neighbors.
"They come from a wealthy background," she added casually.
I nodded, not thinking much of it.
At least… not then.
Later that night—
As I climbed the stairs, a soft melody drifted through the air.
I stopped mid-step.
The sound was coming from next door.
Curiosity pulled me toward the small window near the turn of the staircase.
I looked.
And froze.
Steve sat at a piano, his fingers moving effortlessly across the keys.
The melody wasn't loud.
But it filled everything.
The air.
The silence.
Me.
My breath slowed.
My thoughts… disappeared.
For a moment, it felt like the entire world existed only in that sound.
Then—
I stepped back suddenly.
What was I doing?
I turned away quickly and went upstairs.
I didn't remember when I fell asleep.
I woke up in the middle of the night, my throat dry.
As I reached for my phone, the screen lit up.
A notification.
My heart skipped.
I opened it.
Selected.
For a second, I just stared.
Then—
"Yes!"
I jumped out of bed, excitement rushing through me all at once.
"Rose," I whispered to myself, trying to calm down, "tomorrow… everything changes."
Sleep didn't come back after that.
Morning felt different.
Brighter.
Lighter.
I rushed to my parents' room and woke everyone up—including my little brother.
"Meet me in the hall!" I said before running off to get ready.
When I came out dressed formally, they were all staring at me.
"What is all this?" Mom asked.
"I got a job!"
Dad smiled proudly. "My princess's first job."
"Dad," I sighed, smiling, "I'm not a kid anymore."
"Still my princess."
Mom went into the kitchen to make my favorite breakfast.
That alone made my day.
Just as I stepped out—
I saw him.
Steve.
His mother stood beside him.
She greeted us warmly and introduced herself.
"We already know each other," Steve said.
Dad looked surprised. "Since when?"
"Yesterday," I replied.
His mother smiled. "Then you both can go together. Steve works there too."
Before I could refuse—
"Of course," my mom said.
I sighed.
Steve smirked.
The bike ride was silent.
Too silent.
Halfway through, a dog ran across the road.
He braked suddenly.
I lurched forward—
and fell against him.
For a second, we were too close.
I pulled back quickly, my heartbeat uneven.
"What happened?" I asked.
"Engine's cold," he said, trying to restart it.
After a few attempts, it finally worked.
The office was… beautiful.
Two staircases curved upward from opposite sides, meeting at the same point. Above, a glass ceiling scattered sunlight into soft rainbow reflections.
For a moment, I just stood there.
Then reality hit.
Work.
"Your name?" a staff member asked.
"Rose."
"Come with me."
He led me to the manager—tall, well-dressed, sharp presence.
He explained everything, introduced me around, and assigned me a seat.
My first call came quickly.
My fingers tightened slightly around the receiver.
Talking to strangers wasn't easy.
But once I started… it wasn't as bad as I feared.
Still, I kept to myself.
Until—
"Hi!"
I looked up.
A girl stood there, smiling brightly.
"I'm Natasha. You can call me Nicki. Want to be my first friend?"
I hesitated.
Then smiled slightly.
"I'm Rose."
She grinned and tied a band around my wrist.
"Friendship band," she said.
Something about that made me feel… lighter.
After work—
"Where are you?" I muttered.
"I'm here!"
I flinched. "Nicki! You scared me!"
She laughed. "Worth it. Now come—I'm starving."
"If you want to eat with me," I said, "don't call me 'baby.'"
"Fine."
We had dinner at a nearby restaurant.
For a moment, everything felt normal again.
When I reached home, the house was lively.
Laughter. Voices. Warmth.
I stepped inside.
Everyone was gathered in the living room.
Including Steve… and his family.
I sat down quietly.
Something felt… off.
I didn't know why.
Then—
I felt it.
A gaze.
I looked up.
Steve was already looking at me.
Not smiling.
Not blinking.
Just… watching.
Slowly—
his expression changed.
Barely noticeable.
But enough.
Then, under his breath—
so softly that no one else heard—
he said:
"You shouldn't have joined MDL."
My chest tightened.
Before I could react—
he leaned back, completely normal again.
As if nothing had happened.
As if he hadn't said anything at all.
Laughter filled the room.
No one noticed.
No one questioned it.
But I couldn't ignore it.
Not anymore.
Because suddenly—
getting that job didn't feel like good news.
It felt like the beginning of something I didn't understand.
Something I wasn't ready for.
And the worst part?
I had no idea—
what I had just stepped into...