The words hung in the air for a while
John's eyes widened. For a second, he didn't breathe. He just stared at the screen, at Kana, her cheeks flushed, her gaze unwavering despite the hint of fear in her eyes.
He opened his mouth to say something.
Nothing came out.
Kana's smile faltered just a little, a mix of hope and fear flickering in her eyes. She waited.
But John still couldn't speak. His heart was pounding so loudly it drowned out everything else.
Then, the call ended.
A soft click, and the screen went dark.
John sat there, frozen, staring at his own reflection wondering if what he had just heard was in his head or if it was real. As he sat there in shock and confusion along with other emotions he couldn't put into words, he whispered to no one but himself as he blushed recalling what Kana said just seconds ago.
John: With me…?
**********
As the call ended, the screen dimmed and the soft glow of John's face vanished, Kana was left staring at her reflection in the darkened screen. Her own wide eyes. The flush was still clinging to her cheeks.
She swallowed hard.
Kana: Why did I say that? Why would I say something like that?
She pressed her hands to her face, burying herself in the warmth of her palms, trying to shut everything out — the silence, the fluttering in her chest, the ache that came right after the words left her lips.
"I think I'd want to start it with you."
Kana exhaled sharply, her voice trembling in the quiet of her hospital room.
Kana: I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't chase something that's never meant to be mine…
Her eyes burned, but she didn't let the tears fall. Instead, she looked up at the ceiling, trying to blink the weight away.
John was kind. Sweet. Everything she didn't think she deserved. And yet, the more time they spent together, the more her heart wanted things her body might never allow.
Then… That pressure again.
A familiar one.
It crept slowly into her chest, warm at first, then growing hotter and tightening. Kana's hand instinctively reached up and pressed against her ribs.
Her breathing hitched.
She gasped shallow and shaky breaths and immediately knew this wasn't like before.
Not again. Not now.
She fumbled for the nurse call button on the side of her bed, her vision blurring slightly, the edges of the room beginning to dim.
Her finger found the button. Pressed it.
And then—
Kana: Help…
That was the last word she managed to whisper.
The last breath she had before her legs gave out and the world tilted sideways.
Kana collapsed onto the bed, her eyes fluttering closed, the monitor by her side beeping frantically as distant footsteps began to rush toward her door.
******
Time passed and days bled into weeks.
The chill of winter slowly melted away, replaced by the softer, tentative warmth of early March. Buds formed on bare branches, and the air began to carry that subtle scent of something new.
Spring had officially arrived.
Birdsong returned to the mornings. The sky, once heavy and gray, now held traces of blue more often than not. And in the city, students began counting down the days left in the school term, their uniforms growing lighter, their voices louder.
But for John, the season didn't change much.
*****
Outside Kana's hospital window, soft rays of sunlight filtered through sheer curtains. The branches that had once stood bare were now dusted with hints of green. A small breeze carried the sound of distant birdsong — spring had come.
Kana lay back against her pillows, her phone held up in both hands. The IV in her arm was gone now, replaced by the faint soreness where the needle had been. Her chest still felt heavy sometimes, like her lungs hadn't quite forgiven her. But she ignored that.
With a tap of her thumb, the screen lit up.
Twibbler Call: Connecting…
Then John's face appeared. A little disheveled, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
Gamerboy115
> Yo
Kana smiled gently on seeing his face.
Lonelygirl4556
> Morning, sleepyhead.
Gamerboy115
> You called early. It's Saturday.
Gamerboy115
> You sleep past ten, that's on you.
They both laughed.
Kana adjusted the angle of the phone subtly, the edge of her monitor screen was just out of frame. No wires, no signs of what had happened a few weeks ago.
No sign that, for a terrifying moment, her body had nearly given out.
Gamerboy115
> You look… better.
Lonelygirl4556
> Do I?
Gamerboy115
> Yeah. You've got some color again. Less zombie, more "normal person."
She rolled her eyes but smiled anyway.
Lonelygirl4556
> Thanks, I think.
And just like that, they slipped back into their usual rhythm.
Kana told him about a dumb video she'd seen that morning. He told her about some argument in class that ended with the teacher giving up halfway. They joked, teased, and talked about nothing.
And the whole time, Kana didn't mention the scare.
She wouldn't.
Because if she did… everything might change.
And she didn't want John to look at her with that kind of fear, not ever. Not while this, whatever this was between them, still felt light enough to carry. So she smiled a little brighter and lied a little better.
Just to make the moment last.
******
They talked like nothing had happened.
But something had.
Not just the scare Kana didn't mention, but that moment too. The one that had left John wide-eyed and speechless days ago.
Her words still lingered in his mind like a whisper he couldn't unhear:
"I think I'd want to start it with you."
He hadn't brought it up. Not then, not now. Every time they talked, the moment danced at the edge of his tongue, tempting him to ask what she meant, if she meant it. But something always stopped him.
Maybe it was fear. Maybe it was the timing. Maybe it was the way she smiled like nothing had changed, like she hadn't dropped a weight right into his chest that night.
And yet… he remembered the look in her eyes when she said it. John leaned back in his chair, listening to Kana laugh about some cat video, pretending he wasn't lost in thought.
He wanted to ask her.
He wanted to know.
But a part of him wondered if pressing her would make her retreat. If naming the feeling would break the spell they were under, the fragile, unsaid thing growing between late-night calls and silly arguments.
So he held back.
Because even if she didn't bring it up again, even if she never meant for him to carry those words this long, He already was.
*****
Just then, Rose joined in on the video call and Liam joined in afterwards.
RecklessSoul06
> Hey you guys. I hope I'm not interrupting anything?
Kana and John looked at their respective screens and responded.
Gamerboy115
> No…
Lonelygirl4556
> You weren't interrupting anything. (pauses) Hey Liam.
Liam was shocked that Kana was able to acknowledge his presence on the video call even when he hadn't said anything yet and it made him nervous all of a sudden.
Beethoven110
> Hi… I guess.
This response confused everyone and Rose raised her eyebrow.
RecklessSoul06
> "I guess?"
Beethoven110
> Sorry, I'm just a bit awkward around people when I'm getting to know them and I end up saying weird stuff sometimes. Sorry about that.
Lonelygirl4556
> It's fine, really. I understand.
However Rose then decided to speak.
RecklessSoul06
> No it's not fine!! You should be on your knees begging for her forgiveness.
Kana and Liam both looked at Rose's screen in confusion while John sighed and shook his head. They could all tell she was being playful to try and cheer Liam up but the execution of that plan was just awful.
Gamerboy115
>That's your way of trying to make him feel better?
RecklessSoul06
> Well, I don't see you trying anything.
Rose and John continued their banter from their various screens while Liam and Kana observed the whole thing from their respective screens.
Beethoven110
> Are they always like this?
Lonelygirl4556
> Most of the time, yeah.
RecklessSoul06
> Okay, okay! Enough roasting Liam. Let's all take a breath.
Gamerboy115
> You're the one who started it.
RecklessSoul06
> Exactly, and now I'm ending it. Queen behavior.
Beethoven110
> That… was fast.
Lonelygirl4556
> What happened to the apology tour?
RecklessSoul06
> Cancelled due to boredom. Anyway, serious face We need to plan something.
Gamerboy115
> Uh oh.
Beethoven110:
> Plan what?
RecklessSoul06
> A spring hangout. All of us. In person.
Silence.
Kana blinked. John sat up straighter.
Lonelygirl4556:
> Wait… like actually meeting?
RecklessSoul06:
> Yeah! We've been talking for months. We're practically a friend group now. So why not?
Gamerboy115
> I mean… I wouldn't hate it.
Beethoven110:l
> I've… never met online friends in real life before.
RecklessSoul06
> That's what makes it fun. We'll take every safety precaution. Group setting. Public place. Buddy system. Consent forms. Blood oaths.
The whole group has a cartoonish horrified expression after that.
Lonelygirl4556
> …You were doing well until the blood oaths.
RecklessSoul06
> You're right. Too much? What about a spring picnic? Or a festival? Something open and chill.
Gamerboy115
> With you there? I doubt "chill" is an option.
RecklessSoul06
> Excuse you, I radiate calm energy.
Beethoven110
> You yelled at me five minutes ago.
RecklessSoul06
> It was motivational yelling.
Kana laughed again, a light sound — not forced, not heavy.
But then the idea lingered. The thought of actually seeing them. Not on a screen. Not through pixels. In the same space.
RecklessSoul06
> Look… it doesn't have to be big or fancy. I just think… It'd be nice. To be real with each other. To actually be there. You know?
Silence fell for a beat.
Kana glanced at the screen. At all the faces that had filled her lonely days with light and distraction.
And then she softly replied…
Lonelygirl4556
> Yeah. I think… it would be nice, too.
Beethoven110
> If we actually do this… when?
RecklessSoul06
> Immediately. Tomorrow. No, wait, tonight. Midnight karaoke.
Gamerboy115
> Are you forgetting that Kana lives five hours away from here?
RecklessSoul06
> Chill? I'm on fire with ideas. But okay, fair. Fine. We'll be practical.
Beethoven110
> So... when then?
Gamerboy115
> What about next Tuesday? Is everyone good with that?
There was a pause. Not a heavy one, just that brief silence where people check calendars or imagine what a real-life meetup might even look like.
Lonelygirl4556
> Next Tuesday… I think I can make that work.
Her voice was calm, but her heart wasn't. She gripped the phone a little tighter, trying not to let her nerves show. The idea of meeting them in person felt like stepping off a ledge. But still… She wanted to do it.
Beethoven110
> Yeah. I'll try. I think… I'd like that.
RecklessSoul06
> It's a date, then! Mark it. Save it. Tattoo it on your brain.
Gamerboy115
> I'll bring snacks. And my stunning personality.
RecklessSoul06
> Ugh. Do better.