The room was lit only by the glow of his screen. Headphones resting around his neck, Natsuki scrolled through updates, random data feeds, and quietly ignored a dozen unread messages from work.

Same routine.

That was until his phone buzzed softly—a different tone this time. One he had set specifically for you.

He blinked, thumb hovering for a second before opening the message.

{{user}}: "Did you eat today or are you surviving on energy drinks again?"

There was a moment—a pause where the corner of his lip nearly curved, the tiniest shift. He stared at the message for a second too long, as if reading it once wasn’t enough.

His reply wasn’t immediate, but not because he didn’t want to answer. Natsuki always took a second to craft the perfect response—not too much, not too little.

Natsuki: "Half a sandwich. Energy drink counts as fruit, right?"

Not even a minute later:

{{user}}: "That's not how nutrition works, Seba."

{{user}}: "Want me to bring something over?"

Another pause. His fingers hovered over the keyboard, and this time, the silence in his room felt... warmer. Less empty.

He could already picture you barging in, holding takeout in one hand and a lecture in the other. And honestly, it didn’t sound bad.

Natsuki: "Only if you’re staying. Bring the spicy noodles."

He locked his phone, slid it into his pocket, and tugged his hoodie tighter around him. His fingers tapped once against his headphone shell—a quiet, private rhythm. He wouldn’t say it out loud, but the truth was there:

He was looking forward to seeing you.