Ayisha arrived home and immediately flopped onto her bed, not even bothering to change her clothes.
She rolled onto her side, grabbed a pillow, and hugged it tightly before reaching for the remote and turning on the air conditioner. Cool air filled the room.
She sighed in relief.
"Kapagod…" she mumbled, rubbing her face against the pillow.
Sleep claimed her quickly.
_________________
Simon stared at the number saved on his phone, thumb hovering above the screen.
Should he text her?
Or not?
He frowned, annoyed at himself. He was acting like a teenager.
"Pathetic," he muttered under his breath, grumbling about how easily he was affected.
Instead of texting, he opened his social media app and searched her name. Her profile popped up instantly.
One tap became another.
Posts.
Pictures.
Comments.
Now he was fully aware he was stalking.
Simon exhaled sharply and tossed his phone onto the bedside table before closing his eyes.
"Shit…"
__________________
Ayisha's eyes fluttered open.
She rubbed them sleepily and reached for her phone.
"1:00 a.m."
With a yawn, she got up and headed to the bathroom. She stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower, turning on the cold water. It ran down her skin, sending a shiver through her body and fully waking her up.
Afterward, she changed into her pajamas and dried her hair with a towel before sitting on the edge of the bed.
She picked up her phone and scanned her notifications, humming softly—until one unfamiliar message caught her attention.
She opened it.
**Hey, it's me. Simon. Want to hang out tomorrow?**
A smirk curved her lips.
She typed back.
**Sure, old man. What time?**
A reply came almost instantly.
**7 a.m. at the café near my restaurant.**
She raised an eyebrow.
**You're still awake?**
**Sure, sounds good.**
A few seconds later, another message appeared.
**No. I already took a nap.**
Ayisha snorted.
**Take another nap, old man.**
She imagined him yawning on the other side of the screen.
Simon chuckled quietly as he replied.
**Don't call me old man, kid.**
Ayisha didn't hesitate.
**Old man**
**Old man**
**Old man**
**Old man**
Simon stared at the screen, shaking his head in disbelief, just as another message popped up.
**See you later, old man. Get some more sleep :D**
He typed back.
**Yeah, kid. See you later.**
Simon didn't even realize he was smiling as he locked his phone and set it down beside him.