Dimitry sat alone in his room, the half-finished manga in his hands slipping out of focus. The words blurred together, the story distant and unfamiliar, like it no longer belonged to him.
He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling slowly. What just happened? A stranger showed up out of nowhere, turned his world upside down, and vanished just as quickly, leaving behind only the echo of her presence.
Maybe we'll meet again.
The words replayed in his mind. Would they? Or was she just a fleeting moment—an unexpected storm that came and went, leaving him with nothing but questions?
A buzz distracted him from his thoughts. Then, a message appeared.
Unknown Number: Hey, quiet guy. Still thinking about me?
His pulse quickened, his heartbeat pounding so hard he could almost hear it.
He didn't give her his number.
For a moment, he just stared at the screen. Was this real? His fingers hovered before he finally typed back.
Dimitry: H-How did you get my number?
Claire: You're asking the wrong questions.
Dimitry: What's the right question, then?
Claire: Do you want to see me again?
A pause. Three dots appeared, disappeared, then reappeared—like she was toying with him. He could almost picture her, smirking on the other end.
What did he want?
The truth was, he wasn't sure. But one thing was clear—his life, the one he had grown so used to, didn't feel the same anymore.
Dimitry: I want to see you.
A beat. Then—
Claire smirked, like she'd been waiting for this all along.
Claire: Oh wow, so honest. That's actually kinda adorable.
Dimitry sighed. Of course, she'd make a game out of it.
Another message appeared.
Claire: You'll figure it out.
He frowned at the screen. That was it? No explanation, no instructions—just another one of her cryptic hints.
Before he could type a reply, another notification popped up. A location pin.
A small, old bookstore on the edge of town. He didn't recognize it.
Dimitry hesitated, staring at the blinking marker on the map. The glow of his bedside lamp cast long shadows on the pages of his forgotten manga. Outside, the wind rattled the loose windowpane. Something about this felt… inevitable.
Taking a deep breath, he grabbed his jacket and stepped into the night.
His life was about to get a lot more interesting.