Iris's POV
There was something strange about today.
Not the kind that made you uncomfortable… but the kind you couldn't quite explain, even if you tried.
I stood in front of the mirror for a moment longer than usual, adjusting a strand of hair that didn't really need fixing, and then paused as my own reflection caught me off guard.
I was smiling.
Not widely. Not noticeably enough for someone else to point it out.
But enough for me to realise that it was there… without a reason.
The kind of smile that just appears… as if your heart forgot to inform your mind before doing something.
My fingers slowed.
"Why am I smiling…"
The question came naturally, but I didn't wait for an answer.
Because I already knew… there wasn't one I was ready to accept.
I picked up my bag and stepped out.
---
"You look different."
Anya didn't even try to hide the suspicion in her voice as she walked beside me, her eyes scanning my face like she was trying to solve a puzzle.
"I look the same," I replied calmly, though I avoided meeting her gaze for too long.
"No," she said, dragging the word slightly as if she was enjoying this, "you look like someone who woke up with a secret and decided to keep it to herself."
I sighed softly, adjusting the strap of my bag.
"You think too much."
"And you think too little when it comes to yourself," she shot back instantly, then leaned slightly closer, lowering her voice just enough to make it more dramatic, "should I assume this is about your study partner?"
I stopped walking for half a second.
Just half.
But she noticed.
Of course she did.
"There's nothing to assume," I said, continuing forward. "We're just studying."
Anya hummed, clearly unconvinced, but for once, she didn't push further.
That was… surprising.
---
Classes passed in their usual blur of voices, chalk, and scattered attention.
But even in between all that,
I found myself drifting.
Not away from studies.
But towards something quieter.
Something recent.
Something I didn't name.
---
Evening came, and with it, a familiar corner of the library.
This time, I reached before him.
I placed my books on the table, arranged them more carefully than needed, and sat down, letting my fingers trace the edge of a page as I waited.
When he finally arrived, there was no rush in his steps, no unnecessary expression on his face—just the same calm presence he always carried.
"Sorry, I'm late."
"You're not," I replied, looking up briefly before returning my attention to the book in front of me.
He sat down across from me, and for a moment, neither of us spoke.
But it wasn't the same silence as before.
It didn't press.
It didn't demand.
It simply… stayed.
---
We started studying, and gradually, the rhythm built itself.
I explained something.
He listened.
Not absentmindedly. Not out of obligation.
But with actual effort.
There were moments where he paused me, asked something, tried to connect things on his own before waiting for my answer.
And that,
that was new.
---
"You're understanding faster today," I said after a while, my pen stopping mid-air as I noticed how quickly he followed the explanation.
He didn't respond immediately.
His gaze remained on the page for a second longer, like he was thinking whether to answer honestly or not.
"…it's easier," he said finally.
"Easier?" I repeated, leaning slightly back.
"When it's quiet."
A small smile formed on my lips before I could stop it.
"It's never quiet here."
That was a fact.
Libraries were silent in sound, not in thoughts.
---
He lifted his gaze slightly, just enough to meet mine for a brief second.
"…sometimes it is."
And for reasons I couldn't explain,
I didn't ask what he meant.
---
As I turned a page, my eyes drifted to the side unintentionally.
The book beside him.
Mind Reading: A Myth or True?
For a brief moment, my fingers paused.
Then I continued as if I hadn't noticed anything.
---
Time moved differently when you didn't feel it passing.
Minutes stretched… but didn't feel long.
Words exchanged… but didn't feel heavy.
And somewhere between explanations, notes, and small pauses—
the space between us felt… easier.
---
My phone vibrated softly against the table.
I picked it up without much thought.
A school notification.
Cultural Program next week.
I read it once, then again, as if the second time would add something new.
It didn't.
But my eyes moved anyway.
Towards him.
---
He was slightly leaning forward, his attention fixed on the notebook, his expression calm and focused in a way that felt natural to him.
And without warning,
a thought crossed my mind.
Clear.
Simple.
Uninvited.
---
He sings well.
---
My grip on the phone tightened slightly before I looked away.
No.
I couldn't say that.
Because that would mean I listen.
That I know.
That I've heard him… when I wasn't supposed to.
---
I locked my phone and placed it aside, forcing my attention back to the present.
"Let's continue," I said, a little quicker than needed.
---
The session ended without anything extraordinary happening.
No dramatic moment.
No unforgettable words.
And yet,
as we packed our things and stood up, there was a quiet understanding between us.
Something had shifted.
Not loudly.
Not obviously.
But enough to be felt.
---
"See you tomorrow," I said.
He nodded.
"…yeah."
---
Simple.
But it didn't feel small.
---
Kaizer's POV
The book had answers.
Just not the ones I was looking for.
---
I sat on my bed, the dim light falling over the open pages as my eyes moved across lines that tried to explain something they clearly didn't understand themselves.
Theories.
Possibilities.
Denials wrapped in logic.
Every paragraph either tried to prove it wrong… or avoid admitting it could be right.
---
I closed the book halfway, my thumb resting between the pages as I leaned back slightly.
"If it's not real… then what is this?"
The question stayed.
Because whatever this was,
It wasn't coincidence.
It wasn't imagination.
And it definitely wasn't something I could just ignore.
---
I exhaled slowly, letting my head fall back as my eyes drifted upward.
And then,
her voice returned.
---
"Maybe… in another universe."
---
I let out a quiet breath that almost turned into a laugh.
Another universe.
A mirror world.
Telepathy.
It sounded like something people would dismiss without thinking twice.
And yet,
it didn't feel completely wrong.
---
She didn't think like others.
That much… was obvious.
---
I picked up the book again, but instead of reading, I just stared at the same page for a long time without actually seeing it.
The noise was still there.
It always was.
Layered. Unwanted. Constant.
---
But tonight,
it didn't feel as heavy.
---
I stayed still, listening… and not listening at the same time.
For once, it didn't feel like I was drowning in it.
---
"…it's easier."
The thought slipped out quietly.
I paused.
Then corrected it.
---
"…when she's there."
---
And this time,
I didn't argue with it.
---