Yuki couldn't sleep.
The digital clock on her nightstand read 1:37 AM, its red numbers casting a faint glow across her small dorm room. She'd been tossing and turning for hours, her mind replaying the rooftop conversation with Haruki over and over.
Don't believe everything you hear about me.
His parting words echoed in her thoughts. What had he meant? Which rumors specifically was he referring to? And why did it matter what she believed about him?
With a sigh, Yuki reached for her phone on the nightstand. The screen's brightness made her squint as she opened her messages. She scrolled past the group chat with Hana and Mei, past her mother's daily check-in text, until she found what she was looking for.
The contact she'd created earlier that evening: Haruki Sato.
She'd gotten his number from the student directory, telling herself it was just in case she needed to ask about assignments for the classes they shared. But now, in the quiet darkness of her room, she admitted the truth to herself. She wanted to talk to him again.
Her thumb hovered over the message field. Would texting him at this hour seem weird? Or desperate?
Ugh, I'm probably overthinking.
Before she could second-guess herself further, her phone vibrated with an incoming message. From him.
Haruki: Are you awake?
Yuki nearly dropped her phone in surprise. She stared at the message, wondering if she was imagining things.
A car horn blared somewhere outside, making her jump. Moonlight spilled across the floor, casting long shadows that crept toward her bed.
Yuki: Yeah... can't sleep. You?
She hit send before she could second-guess herself.
Tugging nervously at a loose thread on her blanket, she felt the phone warm against her palm. The screen's glow reflected off her wide eyes, making the room feel smaller, warmer... almost like he was there.
Haruki: At work. Break time.
Yuki: How did you get my number?
There was a pause before his reply came through.
Yuki bit her lip as she watched the typing indicator appear and disappear twice. She glanced at her economics notebook on the nightstand, almost reaching for it before remembering she wasn't studying.
Haruki: Same way you got mine, probably.
Haruki: Directory.
Yuki smirked slightly in the dark, glancing at the ceiling as if hoping he couldn't see her expression.
Yuki: Touché. How's work?
Haruki: Monotonous. Checking circuit boards for defects.
Haruki: Sorry if texting this late is weird.
Yuki: Not weird. I was actually about to text you first.
Another pause, longer this time.
Yuki rolled onto her side, pulling her knees up. Am I being too forward? Maybe I shouldn't have admitted that. Wait, did I even brush my teeth tonight? Focus, Yuki.
The dorm hallway was silent except for a distant hum of the refrigerator. She smelled the faint hint of printer ink from her neighbor's dorm, grounding her in reality—but all she could think about was him.
Haruki: Why?
Such a simple question, but she wasn't sure how to answer it honestly without sounding overeager.
Her fingers hovered. Tap. Tap. Delete. Tap again. Nothing felt right.
Yuki: I was thinking about what you said. About not believing everything I hear.
Haruki: And?
Yuki: And I realized I'd rather hear things from you directly.
The typing indicator appeared, disappeared, then appeared again.
Yuki tugged the blanket up over her shoulders, biting her lip as her thumb hovered over the keyboard, feeling warm and oddly exposed.
Haruki: Most people don't bother asking. Easier to believe rumors.
Yuki: I'm not most people.
Haruki: No. You're not.
Something about those four simple words made her heart beat faster. Her stomach fluttered.
Am I reading too much into this... or not enough?
Haruki: Break's almost over. Have to go back.
Disappointment washed over her, but she pushed it aside. The heater in her room clicked on, startling her.
Yuki: When do you finish?
Haruki: 6 AM.
Yuki: That's rough.
Haruki: Used to it.
Haruki: You should sleep.
Yuki: Probably. Good luck with the circuit boards.
Haruki: Thanks. Goodnight, Tanaka.
Yuki: It's Yuki, remember?
There was a brief pause.
Haruki: Goodnight, Yuki.
She smiled at her screen, typing one last message.
Yuki: Goodnight, Haruki.
Yuki set her phone down, feeling strangely lighter.
The conversation... brief, almost mundane. And yet... somehow, it mattered. He had reached out to her first. Had thought about her during his break.
She closed her eyes. Sleep... finally tugging at her.
Just before drifting off, her phone vibrated once more. She picked it up, squinting at the new message.
Haruki: I'll be at the roof tomorrow. 4 PM. If you want.
It wasn't quite an invitation. But it wasn't not one either.
Yuki fell asleep with her phone still in her hand, a small smile on her face.
Morning came too quickly. Yuki's alarm blared at 7:30 AM, and she groaned, reaching blindly to silence it. Her phone clattered to the floor, the events of the night before rushing back to her as she picked it up.
She checked her messages, confirming that yes, she had actually texted with Haruki Sato at nearly 2 AM. And yes, he had mentioned meeting on the roof again today.
As she got ready for class, Yuki debated whether to tell Hana and Mei about these developments.
They would be thrilled, of course, but something held her back. The rooftop felt like a secret space, and their midnight conversation felt private.
Sharing it would somehow diminish its... whatever this was. No, she'd keep it to herself. At least for now.
By the time she reached her first class, Advanced Economics with Professor Ito, Yuki had decided to keep Haruki to herself, at least for now. She slid into her usual seat, pulling out her notebook just as the final bell rang.
"Today we'll be discussing market externalities," Professor Ito began, his monotone voice already lulling several students into a glazed state. "Please open your textbooks to page 217."
As Yuki flipped through her book, a folded piece of paper fell onto her desk. She glanced around, confused, but everyone seemed focused on their textbooks or, in some cases, on trying to stay awake.
Carefully, she unfolded the note.
Thanks for the midnight company. The circuit boards say hello.
- H
Yuki's head snapped up, scanning the classroom. And there, in the far back corner, was Haruki. He must have slipped in after she'd sat down.
Their eyes met briefly before he looked down at his own textbook, but not before she caught the ghost of a smile on his lips.
Her stomach fluttered as their eyes met. She looked down, fidgeting with her pen and tapping her foot unconsciously.
He'd come to class directly from his night shift. The realization made her chest tighten.
He must be dead tired, yet his posture was still almost rigid, like he carried a weight silently. He must be exhausted, yet he notices me. Even straight from the night shift, he's aware, alert, somehow... for me.
Throughout the class, Yuki found herself stealing glances at him.
Sometimes he was taking notes, his handwriting as precise as she remembered from the papers they'd gathered after their collision.
Other times, his eyes were closed, his head propped up on his hand in a way that might look like he was thinking deeply to anyone who didn't know better.
When the bell rang signaling the end of class, Yuki gathered her things slowly, hoping to catch him before he left. But by the time she reached the back of the room, his seat was empty.
Disappointed, she headed for the door, only to find him leaning against the wall in the hallway outside, eyes closed, arms crossed over his chest.
"Haruki?"
His eyes opened immediately, focusing on her with surprising alertness for someone who hadn't slept all night. She noticed his eyebrows lift ever so slightly when he saw her, then settle back into that neutral mask.
"Yuki," he said, straightening up. "Hi."
"Hi," she replied, suddenly feeling shy. "I got your note."
He nodded, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. "I wasn't sure if I'd see you in class. Thought I'd leave it just in case."
"You came straight from work?"
"Yeah. No point going home just to turn around and come back."
"You must be exhausted."
He shrugged. "I'll sleep later."
Students streamed past them in the hallway, some casting curious glances their way. Yuki was acutely aware that they were being watched, and from the slight tension in Haruki's shoulders, so was he.
"About the roof," she began, keeping her voice low. "Four o'clock works for me."
Something in his expression softened. "Good."
A moment of silence stretched between them, not uncomfortable but charged with unspoken words.
"I should get to my next class," Yuki said finally.
"Me too," Haruki replied, though they both knew he was more likely headed for a nap somewhere quiet.
"Try to get some sleep," she added, unable to keep the concern from her voice.
His lips quirked up in a small smile. "Yes, ma'am."
As they parted ways in the crowded hallway, Yuki couldn't help but notice how other students seemed to give Haruki a wide berth, as if he existed in his own bubble. Yet he'd reached out to her, had broken through his self-imposed isolation to send her a message in the middle of the night.
The thought made her smile all the way to her next class. Not even Professor Yamada's surprise quiz could ruin her mood.
Four o'clock… too soon? Or not soon enough? She should focus on class, but she couldn't stop picturing him leaning against the wall, eyes sharp and unreadable. Her cheeks warmed. Why am I thinking like this?