The evening sky had begun to fade into soft shades of gold and violet when Elias finally gave up staring at the empty chat window.
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There was nothing left he could say without sounding like he was chasing her.
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He wanted to call.
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To ask if she was alright.
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But he stopped himself.
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She isn't a child, he reminded himself. She doesn't need someone watching over her every moment.
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With a quiet sigh, he set his phone face down on the desk, grabbed his car keys, and drove aimlessly through the city.
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The cool evening breeze drifted through the open window as he found himself parked beside a quiet park, watching the sunset melt into the horizon.
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"She'll come back," he whispered to himself.
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"She always does."
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Minutes passed.
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Then—
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His phone vibrated.
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He reached for it almost instantly.
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"Oh... Sorry. I didn't see your messages. My phone was on DND mode. Sorry." A sleepy face emoji followed the apology.
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The tension in his shoulders disappeared all at once.
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He let out a slow breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
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A small smile spread across his face.
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"DND mode?" he typed back teasingly. "You really know how to keep a man worrying."
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Another message followed.
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"Don't apologize. For a while, I was starting to think you'd joined Ayanokoji in his quest to become a complete mystery."
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After a brief pause, he added,
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"So... where were you? Or is that classified information?"
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---
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A few moments later, her reply arrived.
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"I'm in a secret place... with myself." 👍
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Elias read the sentence twice.
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A faint, knowing smile tugged at his lips.
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He understood.
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There was something admirable about someone who could enjoy their own company without needing constant conversation.
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Instead of asking more questions, he simply replied,
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"I won't pry. A secret place sounds exactly like what you'd need after watching four seasons of anime in one sitting."
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He leaned back in his seat, watching the streetlights flicker on one by one.
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Then he sent one more message.
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"Just make sure you have enough signal to let me know you're alive every now and then. I'm not quite ready to organize a search party."
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---
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A minute later, another notification appeared.
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"Okay. I'm alive... and currently eating udon."
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Elias laughed quietly.
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The simple message somehow eased every lingering worry.
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"Udon?" he replied. "That's the most reassuring update I've received all day. 'I'm alive and eating udon' is much better than 'I'm lost in the mountains.'"
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Rain began tapping softly against the windshield.
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The warmth of her ordinary reply settled something restless inside him.
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"Enjoy your meal, Rei. Don't let the noodles get cold while you're busy being mysterious."
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He hesitated for a second before adding one final line.
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"And send me a picture of the udon. I need proof you're actually eating... and not just staring thoughtfully into the distance."
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He smiled to himself as he pressed Send.
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For the first time all day, the silence between them no longer felt empty.
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It simply felt... comfortable.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlhAQEE7OrC
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