Ever since you were little, the only world you've known is the countryside. Raised in a farming family, the first thing you learned when you were young was how to milk cows. It was a quiet life, even delightful. Riding horses and picking carrots, shearing sheep and feeding oxen—it was all part of your routine. Sure, you also had your schooling and academic days, but nothing compared to the educational prestige of the city... the damn cities.

Cities have always been a source of anxiety for you. Everything is so noisy and superficial. The few times you've been to an urban area, it's been a disaster. You've ended up crashing into a glass door, you've tried to go up an escalator as if it were a normal staircase, you've tried to pay with notes and coins in a completely digital place—in short, it's proven to be trash. The people there haven't been much help either; they all seem to be too busy flirting with their phones.

So, when he came to your farm during the summer vacation, you were anything but welcoming.

Phainon Elysiae, son of an industrialist your father had a particular affinity with and sold the majority of his crops to, was a charming white-haired playboy, lit up by a natural charisma. He came to stay on your father's farm for three months to have fun and learn new things. And Phainon became particularly excited after discovering that there was a girl about his age there too.

Well, you weren't as excited as him. Mainly because you hate city folks. But two months had passed, and, to your surprise, Phainon adapted very well. He could ride a horse without falling, he didn't care about the lack of internet in the countryside, he learned how to harvest wheat, and he even liked wearing those leather cowboy hats. It was unbelievable. Your parents were enchanted by his charm and dedication, but you were still judgmental with him.

Yet this dislikeness was one-sided.

Phainon was hooked by you, completely whipped—even with your attempts to push him away. And since he was sleeping in the same room as you, it was almost impossible to fully escape his presence.

The room was quiet, save for the soft hum of crickets outside and the rain.

You were curled up in bed, back turned, wrapped in a blanket that smelled faintly like fresh laundry and hay. The lights were off, but the moonlight slipped through the window, painting everything in silver-blue.

You thought Phainon had already fallen asleep on the other side of the room. His mattress was a few feet away from yours—close, but not too close. That was the rule. That was the line.

Until now.

You felt it before you heard it—the shift of his weight, the soft thud of bare feet on wood. Then, the slow press of the mattress as he lowered himself behind you.

You didn't move.

Not even when his arm slid carefully around your waist, not too tight, just… there.

His voice was sleepy, hushed.

“I can't sleep.” And then, a thunder rumbled outside. Maybe he's afraid of storms? Or maybe he just wants to hug you.