It was one of those nights where the silence in the room felt too loud.
Yuki rolled around on his bed, burrito-wrapped in his thick blanket, only his head poking out. His cheeks were warm. His eyes were wide open. And on his head—of all things—was a pastel pink hoodie with floppy puppy ears drooping over the sides. It wasn't fashion. It wasn't for warmth. It was a comfort item. One of the few things in this one-room apartment that made him feel soft, and safe, and not like the world was enormous and full of strangers.
Unfortunately, it did nothing to shut his brain up.
"Ugh…" he groaned into his pillow, kicking the blanket off his legs dramatically before immediately curling back under it again.
Why was he like this? Why couldn't he just stop thinking about that guy?
That stupid, tall, annoying, confident, flirty—dangerously charming—guy.
"Shin," Yuki muttered, hugging his pillow and squishing his face into it like it had answers.
It was ridiculous.
Absolutely, hopelessly, utterly ridiculous.
They had only known each other for what? Three days? And yet his mind was completely saturated with him.
Every little interaction played like a movie reel in his head: the moment Shin sat across from him at lunch without asking. The way he grinned while stealing a bite from Yuki's egg sandwich. The casual compliments like "cute" that made Yuki's stomach do backflips. The smirk he gave after the indirect kiss—not saying anything until Yuki realized it way too late.
And today, again, in school, when he just casually leaned against Yuki's locker and said:
"You always this adorable when you're mad?"
Yuki had sputtered something half-formed in response. Probably an insult. Or a denial. Or both. His face had been on fire either way.
He groaned again and buried himself deeper in the blanket, like the fluff could smother the thoughts away.
"This is so dumb…" he mumbled. "He's just messing with me, right? That's what this is. He's a flirt. He probably says stuff like that to everyone."
But…
That's what scared him the most.
Because Shin didn't feel like everyone.
Shin felt real. The kind of real that made the world a little quieter when he was near. The kind of real that made Yuki feel like he wasn't invisible anymore. Like someone had actually seen him.
Yuki pulled his phone out from under his pillow and unlocked it for the thousandth time.
Still no message.
Just the wallpaper of his chibi cat icon staring back at him. He tapped the messaging app anyway. Maybe it didn't load properly. Maybe there was a glitch. Maybe—
Nope. Still nothing.
Just the one contact labeled: Shin (He's Annoying).
He sighed and hugged the phone to his chest.
"…Come on…" he whispered. "Say something, dummy…"
---
Flashback - Earlier That Day
The memory floated up like a dream.
It was after recess, the hallways buzzing with students. Yuki had just finished organizing his books when a familiar voice called out to him.
"Hey."
He turned around, startled. Shin was standing there with his hands in his pockets, looking unusually… nervous?
"Can I get your contact?" he asked, scratching the back of his neck.
Yuki blinked. "Huh?"
"You know. Phone. So I can text you. Or call. Or annoy you when you're trying to study."
Yuki froze. A part of him panicked. His phone? His contacts?
His fingers curled tightly around the device in his hand. He didn't want Shin to see… didn't want him to look at the empty contact list and think anything weird. Think he was some kind of lonely weirdo with no life. Less than.
But then, for some reason, something inside him whispered:
Just do what he says.
And so, without saying a word, Yuki slowly handed over his phone, flustered, avoiding eye contact.
Shin took it without hesitation, scanning Yuki's QR code with his own phone. Then, he took his own QR and held it up for Yuki's camera, making sure it saved both ways.
Then… he peeked.
Just a tiny glance at Yuki's contact list.
Only one number. His. That's it.
Shin smirked.
"So I'm your one and only, huh?"
Yuki's face burned. "Th-that's why I didn't want to give you my phone!"
Shin laughed softly and handed the phone back, his smirk still playing on his lips. "Relax. It's cute."
Yuki snatched it quickly, holding it close to his chest like it needed protection.
There, at the top of his contact list, was a new name:
Shin (Annoying Idiot)
"Bye, kiddo," Shin said with a lazy wave, already walking away.
Yuki stood still for a second, staring at the screen.
Then slowly, he pressed the phone to his chest. Right over his heart.
And smiled.
---
Back to the Present
And now… here he was.
Lying on his bed in the dim glow of the nightlight, phone clutched to his chest like it was a lifeline, waiting.
Waiting for the first message.
Something silly. Something flirty. Something him.
"Ughhh!" Yuki groaned again and rolled onto his back, tugging his hoodie ears in frustration. "This is insane. I'm acting like a middle school girl with a crush."
He paused.
"…Is this… a crush?"
He hadn't even let himself say the word until now.
But it made sense, didn't it?
The way his chest fluttered when Shin looked at him. The way his fingers tingled when their hands brushed. The way he replayed every little interaction a million times like it meant something—
"Oh no," he whispered.
It was a crush.
On a guy.
A hot guy.
A hot guy who stole his sandwich, complimented his face, and called him adorable when he was angry.
Yuki grabbed the nearest pillow and screamed into it.
"Why are you like this?!" he shouted at himself. "You've never even dated anyone! You don't even know if you like boys like that! What if he's straight? What if he's just joking? What if he's—"
His phone buzzed.
Yuki's head shot up like a meerkat.
One new message.
From Shin.
Yuki's heart slammed into his throat as he scrambled to unlock the screen.
Shin (He's Annoying): "Hey. You asleep?"
Yuki stared.
Then stared harder.
Then flailed wildly under the blanket, squealing into his hands like a kettle about to explode.
He took several deep breaths to calm himself down before replying.
Yuki: "No."
Almost instantly, a reply popped up.
Shin: "Cool. Just wanted to make sure the kiddo wasn't crying in bed."
Yuki's cheeks flamed.
Yuki: "I'm NOT a kiddo!!"
Shin: "Sure you aren't."
He kicked his legs under the blanket like a little kid.
Yuki: "Why did you text me?"
Shin: "Because I wanted to."
Yuki bit his lip.
Yuki: "Wanted to say what?"
There was a pause.
Yuki stared at the screen like his life depended on it.
Then finally—
Shin: "Goodnight, Yuki."
Yuki smiled.
Small. Soft. Honest.
He hugged the phone to his chest again.
"…Goodnight, Shin."
---
END OF CHAPTER : 4 : WAITING FOR A MESSAGE!
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