Aiko's phone buzzed quietly in her hand. She glanced at the screen and saw Ren's name.
Ren: "Still awake?"
Aiko smiled, her cheeks warming. Of course he is… somehow.
Aiko: "Yeah… why?"
Ren: "Thought maybe we could… practice something."
Curiosity piqued, Aiko tilted her head. Practice… something?
Aiko: "Practice what?"
Ren: "Confessions."
Aiko blinked. Confessions? Like… feelings? She laughed nervously.
Aiko: "Y-you mean… I like you?"
Ren: "Exactly. Just say it simply."
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, heart thumping. Okay… I can do this… maybe…
Aiko: "I… like you."
She stared at the screen, cheeks burning. Then a reply came almost instantly.
Ren: "Good. That was perfect."
Aiko laughed softly, feeling her heart flutter. "I can't believe we're doing this… over text."
Ren: "Better than in person for the first try, right? Less… awkward."
They spent the next hour sending playful messages back and forth, testing different ways to confess—dramatic, cute, even cheesy. Each message made Aiko's cheeks heat, and she could practically hear Ren's soft laughter through the words on her screen.
At one point, she typed, "You make my heart race."
Ren replied almost immediately: "You make mine too."
Aiko's heart skipped a beat. The distance between them didn't matter—it was still warm, exciting, and intimate.
By the time they finally said goodnight, Aiko lay in bed, staring at the ceiling with a soft smile.
So this is how it feels… she thought. To like someone—and for them to like you back.
It was sweet, heart-fluttering, and completely, wonderfully new.