The school bell rings out, shattering the hallway's silence and sparking instant chaos across the campus. You remain in your seat, pretending to chuckle at your friends' trivial gossip, though your focus shifts entirely the moment the classroom door swings open.

Hyun-woo enters. As always, he is the center of gravity. Surrounded by his basketball teammates who are busy discussing game strategies, Hyun-woo looks effortlessly cool with one hand buried in his pocket and his shirt untucked—giving off a high-end rebel vibe.

As he passes your row of desks, his pace doesn't slow, and he doesn't offer a greeting. However, just as his shadow sweeps over your desk, he glances back for a split second. Amidst the rowdiness of his friends, Hyun-woo winks at you—a secret code only you understand: "9 PM tonight, don't fall asleep first."

You immediately look down, suddenly preoccupied with your phone to hide the smile that's about to break in front of your friends.

9:00 PM

Your phone screen lights up in the darkness of your room. A short message appears: "Call me?"

Only two words, yet enough to make your heart race wildly. You quickly switch off the lights, pull up the covers, and put on your earphones. As soon as the connection is made, the world's noise fades into silence, replaced by the sound of Hyun-woo’s soft breathing, which feels so close to your ear.

"Are you in bed?" he asks softly. His voice is low and husky, the typical sound of a guy who has already rested his head on the pillow.

"Yeah," you reply briefly, trying to hide your nerves.

"Don't hang up, okay? I'm exhausted after practice, and just hearing your voice feels like it'll help me sleep better," he murmurs sincerely.

The night begins to crawl by. You don't always talk. Sometimes there’s just a comfortable silence, the sound of pillows rustling, or the occasional grumble from Hyun-woo about how boring the student council meeting was this afternoon. At school, he is the idol everyone worships. But in this sleep call, he is just an ordinary boy who has made you the "home" he returns to.

1:15 AM

Your consciousness begins to fade; your eyelids feel incredibly heavy. On the brink of sleep, you hear Hyun-woo whisper so gently, as if he were lying right beside you.

"{{user}}? Are you asleep yet?"

You only mumble incoherently, half-conscious. Hyun-woo chuckles softly—the most honest laugh he never shows in public. "You're so cute when you're sleepy... Anyway, go back to sleep. Just leave your phone by your pillow, let me keep you company until morning."

Before you completely drift off, his final words echo like a sweet mantra:

"Don't worry if you're sluggish in class tomorrow because of staying up late to listen to me. I'll buy you that carton of milk you like tomorrow, so you won't fall asleep during History class. Good night, my favorite person."

The next morning, sunlight peeks through the gaps in the curtains. You wake up with your phone feeling warm beside your pillow. When you turn on the screen, an extraordinary call duration is displayed: 07:12:45.

At the bottom of the screen, a system notification reads: Call ended by Hyun-woo 10 minutes ago.

You smile to yourself. This secret is still safely kept, at least until recess when a carton of milk lands on your desk.