Micha's heart pounded in her chest, each step on the cold pavement feeling heavier than the last. Fear had taken root inside her, growing with every moment that passed in the dark, lonely street.
The echo of footsteps behind her had stopped, but the lingering dread made her feel like she wasn't truly alone. Desperate for comfort, she pulled out her phone and dialed So Hyung's number. Her breath was shaky as she waited for the call to connect, hoping to hear his reassuring voice, but to her dismay, it went straight to voicemail.
Her heart sank as she tried again, but each attempt met the same cold rejection. He wasn't answering, and the fear that had been simmering beneath the surface began to rise, threatening to consume her.
With her pulse racing, Micha sped up her pace, her bare feet slapping against the ground as she tried to shake the feeling that someone—or something—was watching her. Just when she thought the darkness would overwhelm her, the soft glow of headlights appeared ahead, cutting through the shadows like a beacon of hope. For a brief moment, her fear lessened, replaced by a flicker of relief. The car slowed as it approached, and when the window rolled down, she saw a familiar face.
"Kyle?" Micha whispered, her voice trembling with both surprise and relief.
It was her classmate Kyle, a warm smile on his face as he leaned out of the window. "Micha, what are you doing out here all alone?" he asked, his tone full of concern. "Come on, get in. Let me give you a ride home."
Micha hesitated for only a second, the warmth of his invitation pushing away the cold fear that still clung to her. She nodded gratefully, her voice soft and full of relief. "Thank you so much, Kyle. You have no idea how scared I was. I felt like someone was following me... I didn't know what to do."
Kyle's smile softened as he unlocked the door. "Don't worry, you're safe now. Come on, hop in."
As soon as she climbed into the car, Micha felt a wave of calm wash over her. The warmth of the car's interior and Kyle's reassuring presence began to ease the tension that had been building in her all night. The streetlights flickered by outside, casting long shadows on the road, but inside the car, Micha felt a sense of peace returning.
As they drove, the conversation drifted naturally, turning from the frightening moment she had just experienced to lighter, more nostalgic memories. They reminisced about their school days, laughing about old jokes and stories that felt like they belonged to another lifetime. Kyle had always been the kind of friend who could put her at ease, and tonight was no different. His voice was a steady comfort, and Micha found herself smiling as they talked.
"Remember that time we got lost on the school trip?" Kyle chuckled, glancing over at her. "You were so sure we were going the right way, and we ended up an hour away from the camp."
Micha laughed, the memory of that day pulling her away from the shadows of the present. "I still think we would have found the way eventually. Besides, we got to see that amazing view from the hilltop."
Kyle nodded, his eyes still twinkling with amusement. "Yeah, and I think that was the first time you realized you could navigate by instinct. You've always been good at finding your way—though tonight might have been a little different."
Micha smiled softly, her heart feeling lighter with each passing moment. "Tonight was different. But thank you, Kyle. You have no idea how much better I feel now."
As they neared her home, the familiar streets came into view, bathed in the gentle glow of streetlights. The fear that had once gripped her felt distant now, like a shadow that had faded with the night. Kyle pulled up in front of her house, turning to her with a warm smile.
"Here we are," he said. "Safe and sound."
Micha turned to him, her eyes soft with gratitude. "Thank you, Kyle. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't come along. You saved me tonight."
Kyle shook his head with a grin. "You're too kind, Micha. I'm just glad I was here to help. You know you can always count on me."
With a final thank you, Micha stepped out of the car and waved as Kyle drove off into the night. As she stood in front of her home, the stars twinkling overhead, she realized how fortunate she was to have friends like him—people who appeared when she needed them most. She sighed, the night's tension finally slipping away as she made her way inside, the warmth of her home embracing her.
But even as she stepped through the door, Micha couldn't shake the feeling that had crept into her earlier, the sense that someone had been watching her, following her through the dark. She pushed the thought away for now, telling herself it was just her imagination. Yet, in the quiet of her room, as she prepared for bed, that faint shadow of unease lingered, whispering that perhaps the night held more mysteries than she cared to know.
Micha sat quietly on the edge of her bed, her phone resting in her hands as the soft glow from the screen illuminated her face. Her fingers hovered over the screen, hesitating before she sent the message that had been lingering in her heart. Why didn't you pick up the phone when I called? The words seemed so simple, yet they carried the weight of the unease that had been building inside her all evening. She pressed send, hoping that the familiar chime of a reply would bring her the comfort she craved, but as the minutes stretched into silence, her heart grew heavier.
She had always told herself that she could handle things on her own, that she didn't need to rely on anyone for her strength. But tonight, after the fear she had felt walking alone in the dark, she had wanted—needed—So Hyung to be there for her. To hear his voice, to feel the reassurance that he was just a call away. Yet, her calls had gone unanswered, her messages unread, and now Micha was left with nothing but her swirling thoughts and the quiet echo of unanswered questions.
Leaning back against her pillows, Micha stared up at the ceiling, her mind replaying the events of the night over and over again. She tried to reason with herself, to make sense of why he hadn't answered. Maybe he's busy... she thought, trying to calm the unease in her chest. Maybe something came up at work, or maybe he just didn't see the call. But no matter how many excuses she made for him, the ache of disappointment wouldn't leave her.
It wasn't just tonight, though. Lately, there had been moments—little cracks in their relationship—that had made her feel as though something was shifting between them. Moments where she reached out, and he didn't reach back with the same urgency. Moments where she gave so much of herself, but his responses seemed distant, like he was slipping away from her grasp without her even realizing it. She didn't want to believe it, but as the quiet of the night deepened, those doubts began to grow louder.
Micha sat up, her heart heavy with a longing she couldn't quite put into words. Why didn't you pick up when I really needed you? she wondered, her thoughts spiraling as different questions began to pop up in her mind. Was something wrong? Was he upset with her? Had she done something to push him away without even knowing it? The uncertainty gnawed at her, twisting her feelings into knots that were impossible to untangle.
She wanted to trust him—she loved him. So Hyung had always been her safe space, the one who made her feel understood and cared for. But tonight, when she had needed him most, he hadn't been there. And that absence, as small as it seemed, felt like a chasm between them, growing wider with every unanswered message.
Micha's heart ached as she thought about their relationship, the love that had once felt so easy now felt weighed down by invisible burdens. She had always been willing to carry those burdens, to give more than she received because that was who she was. But tonight, the silence on the other end of the phone had made her realize just how heavy that burden could be. The weight of loving someone who wasn't always there in return was something she wasn't sure she could carry forever.
Is this what love is meant to feel like? she wondered, her thoughts drifting into the quiet of the room. Is it supposed to be this hard, this uncertain? The questions swirled around her, each one pulling at her heart, leaving her feeling more vulnerable than she wanted to admit. She had never doubted So Hyung's feelings for her before, but tonight, for the first time, she wondered if maybe she had been holding onto an idea of their love that wasn't as strong as she believed.
Micha sighed deeply, curling up beneath her blankets, her phone still resting beside her, silent and still. She glanced at the screen one last time, hoping for a reply, but there was nothing. Just the quiet reminder that tonight, she was alone with her thoughts.
Maybe I'm overthinking it, she told herself, trying to calm the storm inside her. But even as she closed her eyes and tried to sleep, the unease remained. The questions lingered in her mind, echoing in the silence of the night, and no matter how much she tried to push them away, they refused to leave her. Tonight, Micha realized, the hardest part of love wasn't just the waiting—it was the uncertainty that came with it, the quiet fears that crept in when you least expected them, and the aching hope that, somehow, everything would be alright.