table-quiet corner, two chairs, two coffees, and

en in front of him. He was sketching something - not doodles

thout a word but couldn't

you could dra

look up.

ow. "That looks lik

block. Third floor

o there sometim

closed the notebook, like the moment h

to

the assignment - mostly. But every now and then, something else slipped

ugh, the pow

tirely. The library buzzed with confused vo

na bl

ered. "There goe

who was still as ever, a gh

n the dark?

ouldn'

Just seems like the kind of th

t most

t her for a

said. "Yo

. It wasn't flirtation

anded di

soft, moody orange. They were the only ones left in the

arms, unsure why her

expected either,"

't ask what

't p

ly, like he understoo

nded by silence and soft breathing and

ide had paused. Like time - that cruel, unsto

for

ure how long the

distant voices that made it feel like they were somewhere else entirely

ke the sil

disappearing?" he asked soft

n caught he

. runni

t... removing yourself. No dra

r something in his expression -

e was unrea

aid finally, surpr

d her now. "Wha

. I just... learned how to st

e understood more than her w

he said. "But it's the opposite. You hav

nything to that.

nd the world outside fading into silence, she

l alone when s

exactly.

se the moment someone really saw y

suddenly nee

said, slipping her

sk why. Didn't

e turned to leave,

pa

to stay strong

allowe

y, and with the weight of unspok