Life rarely follows the dramatic arcs you see in stories.
For most people, things stay ordinary and repetitive, and it's the internet that gives everyone space to daydream.
That's why, when Sebastian saw someone sitting on the railing earlier, his mind didn't jump to the idea of suicide.
He even joked with her a little.
But once he got back inside and replayed the details in his head, something didn't feel right.
If she were just messing around, she wouldn't have handed him her cello.
He shut his laptop, took a long breath, and sat in silence.
Sebastian had never been dramatic about the idea of death. Everyone lives a different life, carries different weight—respecting someone else's path is a way of respecting your own.
And teenage girls usually choose to end things for two reasons:
to be seen… or to be freed.
The ones who do it for attention - who pick crowded places so someone will inevitably save them, thinking it makes them look coo l— those, in Sebastian's mind, should honestly just get it over with. Preferably with an audience that refuses to intervene while eating snacks.
But the girl he encountered wasn't that type.
When he told her not to "die at his doorstep," she politely moved somewhere else.
People who really intend to die never want to inconvenience anyone.
He took another sip of his coffee, then froze.
The drink was a gift from Old Man Grant, brewed specially to congratulate him for doing well on his midterms. Sebastian didn't even like coffee, but he had kept it in the fridge, sipping it slowly out of respect.
If that girl really was Grant's granddaughter… and he just let her die out there…
He'd never forgive himself.
In an instant, he shot to his feet and rushed out the door.
Up one floor.
The rooftop door was wide open, its padlock thrown aside.
Damn it.
He sprinted out. Moonlight washed over the wet concrete.
No sign of anyone.
Don't tell me she already jumped—paying tribute to the so-called "Legendary Fall Survivor" of Los Angeles?
Just then, a voice came from behind him.
"What are you doing?"
He turned sharply.
The girl stood there, head tilted, looking at him with quiet confusion.
"Do you need something?"
Sebastian steadied himself.
"I... came to see if you jumped."
"So you can collect my body?"
Her logic blindsided him.
Yeah, exactly. I'm here to watch you jump, then swoop in while you're still warm.
Say that out loud and she probably wouldn't jump anymore.
"That's not it," he muttered. "I just wanted to tell you that falling to your death actually hurts."
"You've tried?"
"A friend of mine did. Best helicopter pilot in our city."
She blinked, almost impressed.
"But weren't we just joking earlier?"
By "earlier," she meant their talk on the sixth floor.
Sebastian paused.
"Then what were you doing up here?"
"I'm looking for my cat."
Something brushed against his ankle.
He looked down— a white cat rubbed gently against his leg.
So she really was searching for a cat.
The girl crouched and called softly.
The cat leapt into her arms, purring as she held it close.
Sebastian finally let out a sigh.
At least she was alive.
At least this trip wasn't for nothing.
He lifted his head. Moonlight spread across the quiet rooftop. Only now did he notice how beautiful the night actually was.
He was about to head back when—
A screen flashed before his eyes.
A compatible partner has been detected. System recommends binding.
Name: Astra Grant
Binding success grants a Starter Pack.
"Astra Grant…?"
He said it aloud without thinking.
The girl blinked.
"You know my name?"
"Your grandfather mentioned you once," he replied quickly.
At that, her gaze dimmed a little.
Then the system continued:
Binding Requirements:
1. Have the target stay at your home for one night.
2. Collect a sample of their bodily fluids for an intelligent health scan.
Time limit: 24 hours.
Bodily fluids? Overnight stay?
There was no universe where he could convince a girl he barely knew to sleep over at his place AND give him bodily fluids.
Unless she died and he collected them afterward.
Which… was technically easier.
But then she'd have to sleep in the freezer.
A slow melody drifted into the air.
Sebastian turned.
Astra sat at the doorway, cello in hand, bow drawing a gentle, soothing tune that floated through the night.
Why was she suddenly performing?
Sure, a girl playing cello under the moonlight was aesthetic as hell…
but the mood was totally off.
Still, he had to admit:
She played beautifully.
The cello's warm, low resonance wrapped the rooftop in a soft calm.
This was someone who'd clearly been practicing since childhood.
When she finished, Astra set down the bow, tucked her hair behind her ear, and looked up at him.
"My grandpa taught me that piece."
"He plays?"
"He used to. Not anymore."
A spark flickered in her brown eyes.
"Are you close with him?"
"He's helped me a lot," Sebastian said.
"And your name is…?"
"Sebastian."
She repeated it under her breath, studying him with curious eyes.
Everything about him tonight—his words, his recklessness, his bluntness—gave her the sense that he was… different.
Interesting.
Maybe even a good person.
At the same time, his presence was making it impossible for her to think straight.
Ever since he rushed onto the rooftop, her mind had been a mess.
She stroked the cat and whispered,
"Well… Sebastian, it's late. You should head back."
"What about you?"
"I'll stay a bit. I like the wind."
"Then I'll stay too."
Astra blinked.
He clearly didn't buy the "looking for a cat" excuse.
And he wasn't wrong.
Sebastian couldn't trust that she wouldn't jump the moment he turned away.
For the system.
For her safety.
He needed her to come home with him tonight.
If he had to knock her out, tie her up, and extract fluids with computer repair tools…
fine.
Once she was in his house, she wasn't going anywhere.
Astra and Sebastian stared at each other, the night breeze tugging gently at her dark hair.
For a moment, it felt like a quiet standoff.
Then she breathed out softly.
"Does your place… have a bathroom?"
"Yeah."
Who doesn't have a bathroom?
Astra stood, turning slightly so he could see her back.
Her school jacket and sweatpants were soaked and stained from dirty water.
"Could I borrow your bathroom to take a shower?"
Sebastian froze.
She delivered herself right to his door.