Pixel stood outside the door for a moment before knocking lightly.
Not too loud.
Just enough to be heard.
"Can I come in?"
There was a brief pause.
And then—
Stevan's face lit up instantly.
"You came!"
The excitement in his voice was pure.
Unfiltered.
As if he had been waiting for her.
Pixel smiled faintly and stepped inside.
Ketty followed quietly behind her.
The room felt calmer compared to the chaos of earlier.
Soft lights.
Silence.
And in the corner—
Stephan.
Leaning against the wall, arms crossed.
Watching everything.
Without saying a word.
Pixel walked closer to the bed and sat down beside Stevan.
"Are you okay now?" she asked softly.
"I'm fine," he replied quickly.
Almost too quickly.
"Because of you."
There was no hesitation in his tone.
Just honesty.
Pixel shook her head slightly.
"You just need to be more careful next time."
Stevan nodded seriously—
as if he was making a promise.
But it didn't last long.
Because the next moment—
his expression changed.
Curious.
Playful.
"Can I ask you something?"
Pixel looked at him.
"What is it?"
He leaned forward a little, lowering his voice like he was about to reveal something important—
"What type of boys do you like?"
For a second—
Pixel didn't expect that.
Ketty looked equally surprised.
And Stephan—
his posture didn't change.
But his attention sharpened.
Stevan didn't stop there.
"Are you still single?"
Pixel let out a small breath.
Almost amused.
Almost caught off guard.
"Yes."
A simple answer.
But it changed the atmosphere slightly.
Stevan's eyes immediately shifted—
to Stephan.
"My brother is also single."
A small smirk appeared on Stephan's face.
Subtle.
Controlled.
"So…" Stevan continued, completely serious—
"Can you be his girlfriend?"
The room fell silent.
Not awkward.
But… still.
Pixel looked at Stevan first.
Then—
for just a second—
her eyes met Stephan's.
And something unspoken passed between them.
Before she looked away again.
"I can be your girlfriend," she said lightly.
Stevan blinked.
Confused.
"Mine?"
Pixel nodded, a soft teasing hint in her voice.
"Yes. Yours."
Stevan's face broke into a wide grin instantly.
Ketty laughed quietly.
And Stephan—
his smirk stayed.
But his gaze lingered on her a little longer than before.
As if trying to understand something.
Something that didn't fully make sense yet.
"Will you come again tomorrow?" Stevan asked suddenly.
There was a pause.
Pixel thought for a moment.
"There are no classes tomorrow…" she said slowly.
"Then you can come, right?"
His tone carried hope.
Simple.
Innocent.
Pixel looked at him—
and then gave a small nod.
"Okay."
Stevan smiled again, satisfied.
Ketty stood nearby, watching everything.
Trying to find the right moment.
The right way to step in.
Meanwhile, she turned slightly towards Stephan.
"So… you were really scared, right?" she asked, trying to start a conversation.
"Yeah," Stephan replied shortly.
His answer was correct.
But his attention—
was elsewhere.
Ketty tried again.
Said a few more things.
But it felt one-sided.
Because Stephan wasn't fully present.
His gaze kept shifting.
Back to Pixel.
Her expressions.
Her voice.
Her calmness.
After a while, Pixel slowly stood up.
"We should go."
Ketty looked at her.
Surprised.
Already?
Pixel turned slightly towards her and said softly—
"You stay… talk for a while."
Ketty blinked.
Caught off guard.
Pixel gave her a small look—
a silent push.
An opportunity.
And then—
without waiting—
she walked towards the door.
Stephan noticed it immediately.
Every step.
For a brief second—
he thought she would stop.
Turn.
Wait.
But she didn't.
She just left.
Quietly.
Like always.
Now Ketty was standing there.
Trying to continue the conversation.
Trying to hold the moment.
And Stephan—
was still in the same place.
Same position.
But his eyes—
were on the door.
The one Pixel had just walked through.
Something about that didn't feel right.
He couldn't explain it.
Didn't understand it.
But it stayed.
A strange discomfort.
A quiet irritation.
The fact that she left so easily.
Without hesitation.
Without looking back.
And left someone else behind in her place.
It shouldn't have mattered.
But it did.
More than it should have.
For the first time—
Stephan wasn't interested in the conversation happening in front of him.
He wasn't listening.
Wasn't reacting.
Because the only thing on his mind was—
the conversation that never happened.
The one that had just walked away.
And for the first time—
he wanted it back.