A soft sound against the window jolted me awake.
It wasn't the wind.It wasn't branches.
It felt like… someone was outside.
I sat up, my heart pounding for no reason. My bedroom was dark, lit only by the faint glow from the house across the street filtering through the thin curtains.
The sound came again.
Click…
I held my breath and slowly walked toward the window, then carefully pulled the curtain aside.
And what I saw—
made me freeze.
"Kan…!"
His name slipped out before I could stop it.
The man standing on my small balcony was Rawikan Sutpaisan—the person I hated most in my life.
He leaned casually against the railing, as if climbing up here was completely normal. Even though our houses were only separated by a low wall, no one had ever crossed over like this.
Never… until tonight.
"Open up, Phat."
His calm voice made me frown instantly.
"Are you insane? This is my house."
"I know. That's why I'm here."
"Get down right now!"
He sighed like I was the annoying one, then knocked on the glass again.
"Are you opening it nicely, or do I find another way in?"
I clenched my teeth before finally unlocking the window with a sharp motion.
"If you don't—"
Before I could finish, he had already climbed into my room.
The scent of night air clung to him, mixed with a faint trace of cologne I knew all too well.
I immediately stepped back.
"Get out."
"Relax," Kan said, glancing around my room like he owned the place.
I clenched my fists. "You have no right to be in here."
"Then you don't have the right to cry loud enough for me to hear from my house either."
I froze.
"…I wasn't crying."
"You've never been good at lying, Phoraphat."
He looked straight at me—like he could see through everything.
I turned away immediately. "It's none of your business."
"It is."
"It's not!"
My voice trembled before I could stop it.
Silence fell between us.
Kan didn't speak for a moment, then he stepped closer. Too close.
"Back off."
I said it quietly.
But he didn't move.
"What's wrong with you?"
That question almost broke me.
I bit down hard. "Not your problem."
"You were crying."
"…I wasn't."
"Your eyes are red. Still going to deny it?"
I went silent.
Because he was right.
But I didn't want him to see. I didn't want him to know.
He reached out, like he was about to touch my face. I slapped his hand away instantly.
"Don't touch me."
He paused for a split second, then let out a quiet laugh.
"You still hate me that much?"
I looked straight at him.
"How do you think I should feel?"
That wiped the faint smile off his face.
"…Fair enough."
He muttered.
I turned away, trying to hold back the tears threatening to fall.
"Just go, Kan."
My voice came out softer this time.
"What if I don't?"
My heart skipped.
"Don't mess with me."
"I'm not."
His tone turned serious.
I turned back to look at him—
and for the first time in years, I didn't see him the way I used to.
Not the student president.Not the admired guy everyone looked up to.Not my "enemy."
Just… a man standing in front of me in the dark.
"I just—"
He stopped.
"…was worried."
I let out a quiet laugh, even as tears started to fall.
"Don't say things like that to me."
"Why?"
"Because it's not true."
I stared at him.
"You hate me, don't you?"
Kan went still.
Silent longer than he should've been.
Then he said quietly,
"…Who told you that?"
My heart pounded.
"Since when, Phoraphat…"
He stepped closer again.
"…did you think I hated you?"
His breath was too close.
"Since that day…"
I blurted out without thinking.
"The day you told them to do that to me."
His expression changed instantly.
"…You really think that?"
I didn't answer.
Because to me, it had always been the truth.
He let out a quiet laugh, but there was nothing amused about it.
"That's messed up."
"…What?"
"That you've hated me all this time…"
He looked at me steadily.
"…when I—"
He stopped again.
I held my breath.
"What?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed my wrist.
Not tight.But I couldn't pull away.
"Let go."
"No."
His voice softened.
"Not until you stop running from me, Phat."
My heart pounded painfully.
"I'm not running."
"Liar."
He stepped closer.
"…You've been running this whole time."
I couldn't speak.
Because deep down, he might be right.
Silence.
Just our breathing.
And the distance that was… way too close.
"You should go."
I finally said, barely above a whisper.
Kan looked at me for a long moment.
Then slowly let go.
"Okay."
He walked to the window and climbed out like before.
But before disappearing—
he turned back to look at me one more time.
"…I'll come again."
I froze.
"Don't."
I said immediately.
But he only gave a faint smile.
"We'll see."
Then he disappeared into the dark.
Leaving me alone in the room—
with a heart beating far too fast,
and a feeling I didn't want to admit.
That night, I couldn't sleep at all.
Because the image of Rawikan kept replaying in my mind.
Even though I should hate him—
why did I find myself wondering…
if he would come back again tonight?