A week had passed in what felt like the blink of an eye, faster than any of them had anticipated.
During this time, John had been unusually absent from the online world. Normally, he would be glued to his screen, but this week was different. With mock exams looming on the horizon, he had forced himself to focus on studying. John had never been one to study much in the past—his natural ability to memorize information quickly had usually been enough to get him by.
But this time, he was determined to do his best, especially with everything riding on these exams. Every time he felt the urge to give up, to let the exhaustion overwhelm him, the thought of Kana popped into his mind.
Her smiling face, always adorned with that playful ponytail, was enough to reignite his drive. The promise he had made to her before the start of the week kept him pushing through even when his mind begged for rest.
And in the end, all that effort paid off.
John sat at his usual desk, staring at the results card that had been handed to him as he entered the classroom. The moment he laid eyes on it, a rush of relief and triumph flooded over him. Just like he had hoped, his mock exam results were nothing short of stellar. His heart raced as he reread the scores, double-checking to make sure he wasn't imagining things.
"I did it!!"
A grin spread across his face as the realization sank in.
"I really did it!!"
John's eyes sparkled with pride, but something tugged at him—something that made the joy even more meaningful. He grabbed his phone from the desk and took a quick picture of the results card.
He couldn't wait to share the good news with Kana. It was a promise they had made at the start of the week, one that she had encouraged him to keep, despite how tough things had gotten. Kana had been his biggest motivator, even if she didn't know it.
With a few quick taps, he sent the picture to her, a smile lingering on his face as he typed out a short message.
Gamerboy115:
[I did it. We did it. I kept my promise!]
As he hit send, a wave of satisfaction washed over him. The week had been hard, but it was worth it.
********
Kana sat on her bed, her journal open in front of her. Her fingers lingered over the pen, unsure of what to write next. It had been a long day, and the weight of the thoughts swirling in her mind seemed to be never-ending. The faint sound of Jane behind her, combing through Kana's long brown hair, was a soothing contrast to the chaos of her thoughts. The rhythmic motion of the comb gliding through her hair created a sense of calm, grounding her in the present moment.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed, breaking the silence. Kana's gaze shifted to the screen, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw the message notification. It was from John.
She unlocked her phone, her fingers hovering for just a second before she opened the message tab. As the conversation loaded, her eyes fell on the image John had sent—a picture of his results card. There, in bold numbers, was the proof that he had done it—he had passed his exams, just like he promised.
Kana's lips curved into a smile, the warmth of pride filling her chest. She leaned back against her pillows, the excitement bubbling up inside of her.
Kana: (to herself) He really did it...
She hadn't been able to be there in person to celebrate, but this small gesture of his felt like a victory they both shared.
Kana felt a surge of affection for John. He had been there for her in ways she could never express, and now, she wanted to return the favor. She had promised him that she'd send him something special when he succeeded, and now it was time to fulfill that promise. Her fingers hovered over the screen, ready to reply.
She opened her gallery and scrolled through the photos she had taken earlier in the week. The image she wanted to send was one of the ponytail pictures she'd taken for him—just a small gesture to let him know she was thinking of him, just as he had thought of her. She had taken several photos, experimenting with different angles, lighting, and hairstyles. Each picture captured a piece of herself she wanted him to see.
But now, as her thumb swiped through the images, she was uncertain which one would be best.
Should she send the one where her ponytail looked perfect, neatly styled and smooth?
Or perhaps the candid shot where she had a more relaxed, natural smile?
Every picture held a different version of herself, and she wasn't sure which one she should share.
As Kana stared at her screen, the soft sound of Jane's comb moving through her hair seemed to fade into the background. The weight of the decision felt oddly significant, as though the image she chose would somehow communicate more than just the surface of her appearance—it would reflect how she saw herself, how she wanted John to see her.
Jane, ever observant, noticed Kana's hesitation. She didn't say anything at first but continued gently combing through Kana's hair. Her touch was tender, rhythmic, and Kana felt her shoulders relax beneath Jane's care. It was a quiet reminder that, despite her doubts and uncertainties, she wasn't alone.
After what felt like an eternity, Kana finally made her choice.
****
John sat at the table, his hands trembling with a mix of anticipation and nerves as he awaited the final moments of his results. Beside him, Ivan and Joseph were busy comparing their cards, each of them glancing back and forth between their own scores and John's, unable to hide their growing frustration. No surprise—John had once again outdone them both.
Ivan muttered under his breath as he studied his card, his lips curling into a frown. Joseph leaned back in his chair, shaking his head with a resigned sigh. They both knew how this would end, but that didn't stop them from hoping for a different outcome this time.
Just as John was about to throw in a smug remark—something to add to his usual banter—his phone buzzed in his pocket. He froze for a moment, then quickly reached for it, eager to see the notification.
It was from Kana.
With his heart racing, he unlocked his phone and opened the chat. There, at the top of the conversation, was a new message from her. A tight knot of excitement formed in his stomach as he read her words:
Lonelygirl4556:
[A promise is a promise, right? But I couldn't pick just one…]
Attached to the message were three photos, each one showing Kana in a different ponytail style—one low, one high, and one to the side. All of them featured the same warm, radiant smile that had been stuck in John's head for the past few days, a smile he couldn't shake no matter how hard he tried. It was her smile—the smile that had somehow become the highlight of his day.
John stared at the photos for a long moment, his fingers hovering above the screen. His heart thudded loudly in his chest, and he couldn't suppress the soft chuckle that escaped his lips. His eyes softened as he took in the images, feeling a rush of warmth flood through him. Despite everything going on around him, it felt like the world had narrowed down to just him and Kana in this quiet little bubble of connection.
Ivan, sensing the shift in John's mood, leaned over, his curiosity piqued by the sudden change in his friend's demeanor.
Ivan: Bro, you good?
John nodded slowly, eyes still glued to the screen, a goofy smile spreading across his face.
John: I'm great.
Ivan raised an eyebrow, clearly not understanding the source of John's newfound joy, but he didn't press further. He figured it had something to do with the phone, maybe another one of those late-night conversations John had mentioned before. But Joseph wasn't as patient.
Joseph's gaze flicked between John and the girls in the front of the classroom, where Rachel was deep in conversation with some of the others. He clenched his fists under the table, his eyes narrowing slightly. It was as if something inside him stirred, but he quickly masked it, not letting his frustration show.
John, lost in the world of his phone, didn't notice Joseph's internal conflict, but Ivan caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of his eye. He shot Joseph a look but decided to keep quiet, unsure of what was going on beneath the surface.
John's fingers moved quickly over the screen as he replied to Kana's message. His heart skipped another beat as he typed out his response, his smile never fading.
Gamerboy115:
[I'm framing all three of these. Best reward ever.]
He hit send and then sat back in his chair, glancing at the photos once more. There was a small part of him that wanted to keep them to himself, but the idea of sharing his happiness with Kana felt too good to keep inside. His phone buzzed almost immediately with her reply, as if she had been waiting for his message:
Lonelygirl4556:
[You better not! I'd die from embarrassment!]
John chuckled softly, shaking his head as he read her message. The playful teasing in her words made his smile widen even further, and he couldn't resist responding in kind:
Gamerboy115:
[Too late. Already my wallpaper 😅😅😅]
The message sent, and as he waited for Kana's reply, he glanced up at the others around him. Rachel, sitting at the front, had turned for a brief moment, her eyes meeting John's. She quickly turned back to the girls she was talking to, but John was too caught up in his conversation to notice.
Before he could get too distracted, Kana's reply popped up on his screen, and he immediately focused his attention back on it:
Lonelygirl4556:
[I'm proud of you.]
John's heart swelled at her words. She had always been supportive, always believed in him even when he didn't believe in himself. He took a deep breath, his fingers tapping out the words with a renewed sense of gratitude.
Gamerboy115:
[Well, you motivated me, so you also should get some praise. THANK YOU SO MUCH, KANA.]
As he hit send, the room around him seemed to fade into the background. Ivan and Joseph were still talking, but their voices felt distant, muffled by the hum of the moment. Rachel's brief glance had caught him off guard, but he didn't focus on it. It was Kana's words that mattered now. Kana was the one who had pushed him to do his best, and now she was proud of him. That simple fact made everything feel worth it.
Ivan and Joseph watched the entire scene unfold, both with a big question mark on their faces. Unbeknownst to them, Rachel briefly turned and observed the whole thing as well.
********
Back in the hospital, Kana blushed as she read the reply. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, but she didn't type anything. Instead, she looked up at Jane and said,
Kana: It's kinda crazy how someone I've never met in real life can make me feel this happy.
Jane: You're talking about John, right?
Kana's face immediately lit up at the mention of his name, and Jane noticed it right away.
Kana: Who else?
Jane observed Kana's smile and thought back to the times she'd seen that same expression. Then it clicked — every time Kana smiled like that, John, her online friend, had something to do with it.
After a moment of reflection, Jane decided to ask the question that had been lingering in the back of her mind…
Jane: So, little sis…
Kana: What is it, big sis?
Jane took a deep breath and asked without hesitation.
Jane: Do you… perhaps like John?
Kana froze. Her smile faded into something more thoughtful. Her fingers tightened around the blanket as she stared at nothing in particular.
Kana: I… I don't know.
Jane: You don't know?
Kana nodded slowly.
Kana: It's just… every time he messages me, my heart beats a little faster. And when he's gone for too long, I kind of… miss him. But I've never felt this way before, so I don't know what it is. Is that weird?
Jane softened, reaching over to brush a strand of Kana's hair behind her ear.
Jane: It's not weird at all. Sounds to me like your heart's still figuring it out.
Kana sat quietly, her gaze lost in thought as Jane continued to gently comb her hair. The question lingered in her mind:
"Do you perhaps like John?"
Kana sighed softly, resting her head on her knees, the weight of the world pressing down on her fragile frame. Jane continued to gently comb through Kana's hair, her movements calm and soothing. But despite the comfort, Kana's thoughts wandered, drifting to a place where emotions seemed out of place—where they felt too heavy, too much for someone like her.
As she closed her eyes, the image of John appeared in her mind—his face, his voice, the way he made her feel seen in a world that often overlooked her. A small, bitter laugh escaped her lips as she spoke, almost to herself.
Kana: Having feelings… do I even have the right to feel that way?
******
Rachel lay down on her bed, her body sinking into the soft mattress, yet her mind was elsewhere. Her eyes were locked on her phone screen, unblinking, as if the device held the answers to everything that mattered in the world right now. It was a gaze filled with frustration and confusion. What was so captivating about the glow of the screen, you ask?
Lonelygirl4556's Twibbler page.
The name had burned itself into Rachel's memory the moment she had seen it on John's phone. She hadn't known who this person was at first, but curiosity gnawed at her until she couldn't resist. She had to look it up. So, there she was, scrolling through the page of a stranger, someone whose life seemed to exist in a completely different world from hers.
What she found made her blood boil.
The interactions on this page were overwhelming. A flood of comments, likes, and retweets from followers who numbered over 1,000. Every post had a life of its own, each one a little piece of this girl's world that Rachel could never enter. And then, as if everything else hadn't been enough, Rachel saw him. John—Gamerboy115—was following her.
Her heart sank. The same John who had rejected her confession, the same John she had thought was hers to understand and get close to, was connected to this girl.
She ran her fingers over the screen, skimming through the posts like they were knives slicing through her thoughts. There it was again—John's name, a constant reminder of what could've been but was never hers.
Rachel felt an ache build in her chest as jealousy started to consume her. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.
Why?
Why did John seem so connected to this stranger?
Why did she, this anonymous online figure, command his attention in ways that Rachel could never?
Her face twisted in a mix of irritation and disgust, frustration consuming her with an almost suffocating intensity as she glared at the page one final time, disbelief flooding her eyes while she muttered bitterly under her breath, her grip tightening on the phone, knuckles blanching white from the strain.
Rachel: W… what makes you so special?!