you lay sprawled in bed, phone balanced loosely in your hand as you scrolled without really seeing anything—videos playing, messages refreshing, the same loop of distraction failing to touch the quiet ache of boredom and empty hours. your room glowed dimly from the screen light, shadows stretching lazily up the walls while the world outside stayed silent.

then your phone vibrated.

incoming call — riki.

your thumb hesitated for half a second before answering, heart doing that stupid little flip it always did around him.

“were you asleep?” his voice brushed through the speaker, low and gentle. you could already picture the crooked smile he wore when he asked obvious questions. “why don’t we meet for a while?”