Velithra started noticing the days differently.
Not by dates or schedules—but by moments. Mornings when the sky looked a little like home. Afternoons when she almost reached for her phone before remembering she'd already texted Kai an hour ago. Nights when she replayed his voice in her head before falling asleep.
She didn't count how long she'd been away.
She counted how close she felt to coming back.
She stood at a small lookout one evening, wind tugging at her jacket, phone warm in her hand.
Velithra:How's school?
The reply came quickly.
Kai:Quieter.
She smiled faintly.
Velithra:That sounds lonely.
Kai:It is. But it's temporary.
She leaned against the railing, watching the horizon soften.
Velithra:I'll be back soon.
This time, the dots stayed longer.
Kai:I know.
Another pause.
Kai:I've been thinking about what I'll say when I see you again.
Her heart skipped.
Velithra:And?
A minute passed. Then—
Kai:I haven't figured it out yet.
She laughed softly, relief mixing with something warmer.
Velithra:That's okay. I probably won't know what to say either.
Kai:Then we'll just stand there awkwardly.
Velithra:Like we do best.
Kai:Exactly.
The thought made her chest ache—in a good way.
Later that night, Velithra lay in bed staring at the ceiling, suitcase already half-packed again. She thought about how things had changed without anything obvious happening. No dramatic moment. No big confession.
Just consistency.Just choosing each other quietly.
Back home, Kai sat at his desk, the window cracked open, night air slipping in. He imagined the moment she'd walk back through the school gates. The sound of her footsteps. The way she'd look at him like she always did—careful, honest, searching.
He knew one thing for sure now.
When she came back, pretending this was just friendship wouldn't feel honest anymore.
And somehow, that didn't scare him.
It felt inevitable.