After her routine checkup the next morning, Kana was accompanied by a nurse who had temporarily taken over while Jane was away. The nurse was kind, offering small talk along the way, but Kana barely registered a word. Her mind was somewhere else entirely—lost in the events of the night before.
She walked quietly beside the nurse, her feet light, almost floating, as her thoughts drifted back to her late-night video call with John. The way his eyes lit up when he saw her. The way he tilted his head and smiled when he noticed her ponytail. The way he called her beautiful—so casually, yet so sincerely. They had only exchanged a few words after that, but something lingered in the air between them, something unspoken but undeniably real. Every now and then, their eyes had met, and in those quiet glances, something fluttered in her chest.
Kana's lips curled into a soft smile as one specific moment replayed in her head—his voice saying "Beautiful" with that low, slightly nervous tone, like he wasn't even sure if he should've said it. But he had. And she had heard it. And now, it was stuck in her head like the chorus of a love song she couldn't stop humming.
Kana: (to herself) It was just like those rom-com shows Jane always talks about…
The thought made her blush instinctively. She quickly looked away from the nurse, hoping she hadn't noticed. Her heartbeat quickened a little, and the warmth in her cheeks spread until her whole face felt flushed.
Kana: (to herself) Why? Why did it feel… so good?
By the time they reached her room, Kana was practically bursting with emotion. The second she stepped inside, she made a beeline for the mirror, eyes fixated on her reflection. She studied the way her ponytail sat just right, a little messy but somehow charming. The word "Beautiful" echoed in her mind again, and her face turned scarlet as she lowered her gaze, trying to suppress her smile—but it was impossible.
She touched the ends of her hair, twirling them slightly, imagining John's face once more. There had been something in the way he looked at her—soft, curious, almost in awe. And it made her feel something she hadn't felt in a long time: seen.
As she stared at her reflection, her thoughts wandered again. She suddenly remembered that John was starting his mock exams today. He had mentioned it briefly the night before, brushing it off like it wasn't a big deal. But Kana knew it was. These exams would last all week, and he had seemed a little tense about it—even if he tried to hide it.
Kana: (to herself) I hope it all goes well for him… (pauses)And for Rose too…
As she stood there, she caught a glimpse of her phone lying on the nightstand, right at the edge of her vision. Her eyes flicked from the mirror to the phone. Then back to the mirror.
Without wasting a second, she grabbed her phone, unlocked it, and turned on the front-facing camera. With the most careful angles, she started taking selfies—some smiling, some pouting, some playful, and some where she just stared into the camera like she imagined a main character in one of Jane's rom-coms would. Her ponytail was the centerpiece in every shot.
Click. Flash. Click.
Ten minutes passed, maybe more, as she snapped picture after picture, losing herself in the moment. With each shot, she felt lighter—happier.
And all the while, John's face lingered in her mind.
Kana: (to herself) He must've really been into it…
Just thinking about the way he looked at her made her heart race again. His face, the sound of his voice, the little laugh he let out when he got nervous—it was all so vivid in her memory, like it had just happened. Her chest felt warm again, filled with something soft and delicate. She didn't know exactly what it was. But she liked it.
Then suddenly—an idea struck.
A bold, unexpected, but incredibly thrilling idea.
Her eyes widened. A small giggle escaped her lips before she even realized it.
Kana: (to herself, with a mischievous grin) What if I…?
She didn't finish the thought. She didn't need to. The plan was already forming in her mind. Something spontaneous. Something a little brave.
Something just for him.
******
Rose stood outside the door to Mrs. Emily's office, her heart hammering in her chest as she clutched a neat stack of papers to her side. Tucked securely under her left arm were the short stories Mrs. Emily had assigned earlier in the month—marked with notes, corrections, and her own thoughts—and at the very top sat the one story that mattered most.
Her story.
The one she had spent nights perfecting, editing, rewriting, doubting, and loving all at once.
With a slow breath, Rose adjusted her glasses with her right hand, her fingers trembling slightly. She reached for the door, intent on knocking, but her hand froze inches away from the wood.
A sudden weight pressed down on her chest, like a hand gripping her lungs and squeezing gently but firmly. Her mind began to race, questions flooding her thoughts.
What if it's not good enough? What if she hates it? What if I'm not ready?
This was it. The culmination of weeks of hard work and sleepless nights. The story that could earn her a place on the school paper's editorial team—a position she had dreamed about since her first day in school. It was only natural to feel nervous. Still, the pressure felt almost unbearable, like standing at the edge of a cliff, unsure whether the fall would be fatal or freeing.
She took a small step back, eyes darting toward the hallway behind her. Maybe she could come back later. Maybe she needed more time. Maybe—
The door swung open abruptly, pulling her from her spiral of thoughts. Caught off guard, Rose stepped back instinctively.
Standing on the other side was Mrs. Emily, her usual composed expression softening with mild curiosity. She raised an eyebrow, arms crossed loosely as she looked down at her student.
Mrs Emily: I saw your shadow lingering for a while. So, are you coming in or not?
Rose blinked. Her mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. Her mind, once filled with doubts, suddenly went silent.
She glanced down at the story in her arms—the very pages she had poured her soul into. She remembered the countless revisions, the scribbled feedback from friends, the nights she spent rereading passages until the words blurred together. She remembered crying when a paragraph finally clicked, and the sense of triumph when she reached the last sentence.
All of that effort. All of that growth.
She wasn't going to throw it away by running now.
The fear that had paralyzed her seconds ago melted away, replaced by a rising heat in her chest. Determination straightened her posture, and she looked up at Mrs. Emily with eyes no longer clouded by doubt.
Rose: Yes, I am.
Mrs. Emily stepped aside, holding the door open without a word.
And with that, Rose stepped inside—not just into the office, but into the next chapter of her journey as a writer.
******
John settled into his usual seat, his fingers flipping through the pages of his revision notebook as the minutes ticked down to the start of his first mock exam. The classroom buzzed with low murmurs and the occasional scrape of a chair, but John was mostly tuned out.
The material in front of him wasn't particularly challenging—he'd gone over it multiple times already—but still, he kept reading. It wasn't so much for himself anymore, but to blend in with the others. He didn't want to look like he was showing off or being too relaxed. Staying focused made it easier to avoid unnecessary attention.
Then, just as he was about to turn the page, his phone buzzed softly against the wooden surface of his desk. A single notification lit up the screen.
Lonelygirl4556 sent you a message.
John's eyes widened the moment he saw the name. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he tapped on the notification, quickly navigating to their chat. His heart skipped a beat when he saw what she had sent:
"View Once Photo."
John raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued as qhe murmured under his breath.
John: View once?
It could've been anything, but knowing Kana, it probably wasn't something outrageous. She wasn't the type. Still, the fact that it was a one-time view stirred a strange mix of excitement and nervousness in him.
He tapped the image, and what appeared on his screen made his breath hitch.
It was Kana.
She was smiling, her hair pulled back in a neat ponytail, soft sunlight streaming through the window behind her. The image had a candid, natural feel to it—like it had been taken without much thought, and yet it carried so much warmth.
John's face turned red in an instant. His heart thudded against his chest as if he had just run a mile.
Then his eyes dropped to the text that came with the photo.
"Just a little motivation for your mock exams. If you pass... maybe I'll let you see it again…"
John's jaw went slack. His face grew even hotter, and for a second, he feared he might actually start steaming. He bit the inside of his cheek, struggling not to laugh or scream like an idiot in the middle of class.
He quickly locked his phone and placed it face down, stealing a glance around to make sure no one had noticed. His thoughts were spinning, his emotions a tangled mess of flustered energy and giddy joy.
He leaned back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling, trying to calm his heart. His mind wandered back to the conversation he and Kana had the night before. The way she made him feel seen—understood. It was strange how someone he had never met in person could already mean this much to him.
But before he could drift any deeper into thought, a sharp smack landed on the back of his head as Ivan's voice cut through like a cold bucket of water
Ivan: Yo, the exams are about to start. We gotta drop our bags at the back.
John blinked a few times, trying to process what had just happened.
John: Oh—OH! Right! Damn, my bad.
Ivan eyed him suspiciously.
Ivan: You good, man? You look like you just won the lottery or something.
John scratched the back of his head, trying to hide his grin.
John: It's nothing. Seriously.
He slung his bag over his shoulder and turned off his phone, tucking it safely inside. As he walked toward the back of the classroom to drop his bag off, that same goofy smile returned to his face. He wasn't just walking anymore—he was floating, energized with a new determination to ace the exam.
He reached the end of the room and knelt down to place his bag by the wall. Just as he stood back up, another student approached, placing her own bag right next to his.
Curious, John glanced to the side.
The girl looked up at the same time.
It was Rachel.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, the noise of the classroom faded, replaced by the sound of his heartbeat thumping in his ears.