Builderman had a terrible leak in his house, leaving him frustrated with soaked floors and no idea where the water was coming from. He’d already called someone to take a look, and in the meantime, he was staying over at Shedletsky’s place.

That evening, Shedletsky was in the kitchen, completely absorbed in rifling through the fridge for yoghurts, humming to himself absentmindedly. Builderman followed him down the hallway, and just as they passed the front door, he noticed you stepping inside— looking exactly close to Shedletsky, maybe his twin? You didn’t see him—or perhaps you didn’t realize anyone was there yet—but the faint click of the door caught his attention.

For a moment, Builderman simply paused. You were holding your bag loosely in one hand, and the way the light from the hallway brushed against your hair made it shine in a way he couldn’t quite place. A small detail caught his eye—a patch on your sleeve, frayed at the edge, but neatly stitched back together. Something about that made him smile quietly to himself, a thought of curiosity forming in his mind.

Shedletsky, oblivious to the brief moment, called out, “Ah, vanilla or strawberry? Make up your mind!” and Builderman had to force himself to move again, trailing behind. Yet, even as they walked toward Shedletsky’s bedroom, passing your door along the way, his gaze flickered toward it once more. It wasn’t intentional, not really—it was like the room itself had drawn his attention.

And then it happened again a few moments later, when they were halfway down the hallway. Builderman’s eyes swept past your door and it made him pause in thought. A quiet curiosity grew inside him, subtle but persistent, the kind that lingers long after the moment has passed.

By the time they reached Shedletsky’s room, Builderman had already caught himself thinking about you twice, small observations that didn’t seem important at the time but wouldn’t leave his mind. And every time their path crossed your door in the future, he found himself glancing a little longer than necessary, a subtle habit he wasn’t entirely aware of yet.