During their call, Somi casually referred to one of her brothers as dai (a respectful term for an older brother). It was something completely normal, something she had always said. But D's reaction stunned her.
"Why did you say it like that?" he asked sharply.
Somi frowned. "Like what?"
"Like… in a sluttish way," he muttered.
Her heart stopped.
Had she heard that right?
For a moment, she thought she misheard him. But no—the words were there, lingering in the air, sharp as knives.
"What?" she whispered, her voice barely holding back the shock.
"You know what I mean," he continued, "I don't buy that this is just how you speak."
Her stomach twisted. She tried to explain, tried to tell him that this was how she always spoke, that dai was just a normal word, a part of her culture, a part of her. But as usual, he wasn't listening.
And then came those words again.
"Let's just break up."
A different day, a different reason—but the same gut-wrenching ending.
Somi was at work, surrounded by people, but she couldn't hold it in. The pain bubbled up, and before she could stop it, tears spilled down her cheeks. 😢
Her coworkers noticed immediately. One of them gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Go take a break," they said softly. "We'll cover for you."
Somi nodded, grateful but still reeling.
She stepped into the back room, took a deep breath, and tried to gather herself. But no matter how hard she tried, the weight in her chest wouldn't lift.
Eventually, she forced herself back to work, finishing her shift like nothing had happened. But when she got home, the emptiness remained.
Sleep wouldn't come.
So, she did the only thing that made sense—she put her phone on airplane mode ✈️, curled up in bed, and drowned herself in drama series.
And D?
He was trying to reach her.
Repeatedly.
He called. Then messaged. Then called again—on Instagram, on Messenger, on WhatsApp, on her phone. 📲💔
But Somi didn't know any of this. She was lost in her own thoughts, trying to silence the ache in her chest.
It wasn't until nearly midnight that she hesitated, a small voice in her head wondering if he had tried to reach her.
She switched her phone back on.
And there it was call after call, message after message.
He had tried every way possible.
Her heart clenched.
Despite everything, despite the hurt, she loved him. And when someone you love tries this hard, how do you ignore it?
So, she called him back.
The moment he answered, his voice was thick with something—guilt, relief, something in between.
"Why are you calling me now?" she asked, her voice quieter than usual.
"Be honest with me," he said, cutting straight to the point. "Tell me everything. I won't judge you."
Somi closed her eyes.
"I already told you everything," she whispered. "There's nothing left to say. Believe me."
A heavy silence stretched between them.
She could feel it the doubt in his voice, the way he still didn't fully believe her. But instead of arguing, he softened.
"How are you?" he asked, shifting the conversation.
And just like that, the storm passed.