"I'll text you my address and the time later," Fay said, trying to keep her voice steady despite her racing heart.

"Okay," Kei replied simply.

A sleek white car pulled up to the school's entrance, Fay's ride home. As Fay turned to leave, Kei offered a small, rare wave. "Bye. Be safe."

The words acted like a spark. On a sudden, bold impulse, Fay reached out and caught Kei's hand. Before Kei could process what was happening, Fay gently but firmly pulled her toward the open car door.

"Fay? Why?" Kei asked, her eyes wide with shock.

"I'm taking you home," Fay insisted, ushering her into the backseat.

"But why?"

Fay settled beside her, her face flushed but her expression determined. "Because I care. No more questions."

A soft, appreciative smile tugged at the corners of Kei's lips. "Thank you," she whispered.

When the car finally pulled up to Kei's house, Kei stepped out and offered one last look back. "Thank you again."

"Bye! See you tomorrow!" Fay called out, waving until the car pulled away.

As Kei approached her front door, the heavy silence of the neighborhood was shattered by the muffled sound of shouting. Inside, her parents were locked in another bitter argument, the air thick with accusations about her father's affair.

Kei pushed the door open. Her parents glanced at her for a split second before returning to their screaming match as if she were a ghost. With a practiced, nonchalant expression, Kei walked past them. Her eyes looked lifeless, heavy with a fatigue that sleep couldn't fix.

She retreated to her room, shutting the door with a sharp thud that drowned out the noise for a moment. She tossed her bag onto the bed and sank into the darkest corner of the room. Staring up at the ceiling, she felt the familiar weight of cynicism. Love is just another word for pain, she thought. Life is just a cycle of the same gray days.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated, the screen cutting through the darkness like a beacon. She reached for it and frowned at the notification.

Fay: hdhdgebebwjdjqk

Kei stared at the gibberish, a small, genuine laugh escaping her lips. "What? Haha," she murmured to herself, her thumb hovering over the screen.

On the other side of town, Fay was in a state of absolute catastrophe. She had spent the last hour staring at the message box, drafting and deleting a dozen perfect greetings. In a fit of nervous panic, her thumb had slipped, sending the frantic keyboard-smash to Kei.

"Oh my god, no!" Fay groaned, slamming her head onto her desk. She quickly typed a follow-up.

Fay: Oh! That was a typo. I meant... how are you?

She buried her face in her hands, her skin hot enough to cook an egg. How are you? Really, Fay? she scolded herself. You sound like a worried aunt. So cringe. She clenched her fists, kicking her legs against the floor in embarrassment.

A moment later, her phone chimed.

Kei: I'm okay. Thank you for asking. How about you? :)

Fay's eyes nearly popped out of her head. She let out a muffled shriek of joy, throwing herself onto her bed and rolling frantically from side to side. "How about you?" she mimicked in a high-pitched, dreamy voice. "I'm fine! Don't worry about me, darling! Wahhhhh!"

She kicked her feet in the air, the sheer giddiness of a girl in love overflowing as she grabbed her phone to screenshot the message. She immediately sent it to her group chat with Len and Angel.

Fay: GIRLS LOOK. SHE ASKED HOW I AM.

Len: Girl, that is literally a sign. She's obsessed.

Angel: You two look so good together already. It's destiny.

As her friends continued to feed her delusions with a flurry of heart emojis and wedding jokes, Kei sat in her dark room, her eyes fixed on the glowing screen. For the first time that day, the shadows didn't feel quite so heavy. She waited, a small smile lingering on her face, hoping for the phone to light up one more time.