The time was 10:15 PM. Kana had eaten her dinner, taken her medication, and watched as Jane packed up her things for the night, promising to return first thing in the morning. With the room now empty and the only sounds being the occasional hum of the hospital's ventilation system and the faint ticking of the clock on the wall, she was once again alone.
She scrolled through Twibbler for a while, absentmindedly reading posts but not really absorbing anything. Every few minutes, she found herself tempted to return to her chat with Gamerboy115—a conversation she had already reread at least fifty times.
Kana sighed, shaking her head at herself.
Kana: (to herself) Don't go back there. Don't be a creep. Just wait for the right time to text him—or maybe he'll text me first. Hopefully. And when he does, I'll completely open up to him.
But even as she told herself that, an anxious thought crept in.
Why hasn't he texted me yet?
Is he waiting for me to make the first move?
The idea of sending the first message filled her with unease. What if she came off as desperate? Or worse, what if she said something wrong and scared him away?
Flopping back onto her bed, Kana kicked her legs in the air in frustration before burying her face in her pillow with a groan. She felt ridiculous. Overthinking every little detail like this.
Eventually, curiosity won out, and she sneaked another glance at their conversation. A familiar warmth bloomed in her chest, spreading through her like the soft glow of a candle in the dark. Just seeing their words made her heart feel lighter.
Kana (to herself): Maybe I should be the one to text him first…
Determined, she sat up, opened the chat, and began typing a message. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard as she hesitated. Then, just as she was about to press send, a sudden realization struck her.
She froze.
Kana (to herself): Wait… I said I was going to open up to him. But isn't that just me being selfish? Wouldn't I just be dumping all my burdens on him?
Doubt crept into her mind like an unwelcome guest.
She quickly erased the message, her fingers lingering over the keyboard before she put her phone down with a sigh.
******
Kana sat down on her bed with her phone a few The next few minutes felt agonizing.
Kana sat on her bed, her phone lying just a few inches away. She stared at it, willing Gamerboy115 to text first like he had the day before. But the longer she waited, the more she realized what was really making her hesitate.
She wasn't just nervous about reaching out—she was terrified of being vulnerable. It had been so long since she had truly opened up to someone who understood her.
Her chest tightened.
Kana (to herself): What if I tell him everything and he decides he doesn't want to talk to me anymore? What if he's just pretending to care? What if he makes promises and then… leaves?
A painful image flashed through her mind.
A faded family portrait.
The faces of everyone in the picture had been scribbled over with a black marker, completely erased from view.
Her breathing became erratic. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, unsteady, too fast. She clutched at her chest, struggling to take in air.
The panic was setting in.
Kana: (to herself) No… not again… I'm going to collapse if I keep thinking like this. Just stop. Stop—
Easier said than done.
The more she tried to push the thoughts away, the more persistent they became. Her mind was a storm, chaotic and unforgiving, dragging her deeper into memories she didn't want to relive.
Then, through the noise, a voice surfaced.
It was Dr. Kennedy's.
"I know you're hurt by what your parents did, but if you assume everyone will abandon you like they did, you'll miss out on the people who would actually stay."
"If you're scared of being forgotten… then leave a mark. A good one. Here, or online. Give people a reason to remember you when your time comes."
As if on cue, another memory followed.
Jane's voice, firm but gentle.
"And about your online friend… you better keep talking to him. People like him are rare, but you still need to be careful. Not everyone online is who they say they are."
The sharp pain in her chest dulled slightly.
Her heartbeat slowed, her breathing steadied. The memories replayed in her mind like an old film reel, flickering with warmth and comfort.
Kana wiped at her eyes and sat up, looking at her phone again.
Kana (to herself): Everyone's done so much for me… Dr. Kennedy gave me a way to escape my loneliness. Jane stayed by my side longer than any other nurse. She became the big sister I never had.
A realization settled over her.
Kana (to herself): Didn't I create my Twibbler account so I could reach out to people? Didn't I want to connect with others? And yet, now that I've found someone who understands me… I'm hesitating?
Jane's words echoed in her head.
"Maybe it's fate."
Kana thought about Gamerboy115—their first conversation, the way he had reached out after reading her poem, and what he had said when she asked why.
"…because when I read your poems… I didn't feel alone anymore."
And her response:
"Maybe we're just two stars in the same sky then."
"Maybe…"
Her fingers curled around her phone.
This time, she didn't hesitate.
******
It was now fourteen minutes past eleven, and both John and Kana sat in front of their phones, eagerly waiting for their next conversation to begin.
The room around them was silent, save for the faint hum of electricity and the distant sounds of the night outside. Yet, despite the stillness, both felt their hearts pounding in their chests.
For a few moments, neither of them moved. Their fingers hovered over their phone screens, hesitating, caught in an awkward limbo between anticipation and nervousness. Who would send the first message?
On Twibbler, their online statuses were visible for the other to see—"Online Now"—which only made the silence between them feel even more agonizing. They were both there, both active, yet neither dared to be the first to break the standstill. It was both hilarious and torturous at the same time.
Kana clenched her phone tightly, her heartbeat slightly irregular but steady. Should I say something? Should I wait? She had spent so much time overthinking this moment, and now that it had arrived, she felt frozen.
On the other end, John was having the exact same struggle. His thumbs hovered over his keyboard, typing out messages, only to delete them seconds later. What if she doesn't want to talk tonight? What if I come off as desperate? He groaned and let his head fall back against his pillow.
Both were nervous.
Both were scared.
Both were worried the other wouldn't respond.
They feared they were burdening each other with too much. They feared that opening up would push the other away instead of bringing them closer. Neither of them had experienced this kind of connection in a long time—one where words actually mattered.
But then, they both remembered.
Kana took a deep breath, recalling Dr. Kennedy's gentle encouragement and Ms. Jane's warm words of reassurance. They had both reminded her that there were still good people in the world—people who truly wanted to listen. People who could understand.
John, too, reflected on a conversation he had earlier that night with Ms. Marie. Her words echoed in his mind, reminding him that reaching out wasn't weakness—it was courage. It was strength.
And so, as if by fate, both Kana and John began typing at the same time, their fingers moving instinctively across their screens.
A second later, they hit send & their messages appeared on each other's screens, simultaneously.
Lonelygirl4556:
[Hey… I was hoping you'd message me again.]
Gamerboy115:
[Hey… I was kinda hoping to talk to you again.]
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
They simply stared at their screens, stunned by the coincidence. It was as if their thoughts had aligned perfectly—as if, in some strange way, they had reached out to each other at the exact same time.
And then… they smiled.
It was small at first, but genuine. A soft, barely noticeable curve of the lips—but it was there.
In that moment, the tension melted away.
Lonelygirl4556:
[Looks like we were thinking the same thing.]
Gamerboy115:
[Yeah… guess we were.]