After I sent that message, I waited.
Five minutes.
Ten.
Nothing.
No reply.
I checked my phone again.
Still nothing.
"So… that's it?" I whispered.
The next day passed like a normal day.
No strange messages.
No tests.
No warnings.
At school, I even forgot about it for a while.
In math class, the teacher was explaining something long and boring.
I stared at the board, pretending to understand.
My phone buzzed.
I looked down fast.
Nothing.
It was just my imagination.
I sighed.
During lunch, I sat with my friends.
Someone told a bad joke.
I laughed too loudly.
Everyone stared at me.
"What?" I said.
"Bad joke deserves loud laugh."
They shook their heads.
Normal.
Too normal.
That evening, I lay on my bed, scrolling through my phone.
No messages.
I started feeling stupid.
"Maybe I scared him away," I said to the ceiling.
I was about to sleep when my phone buzzed.
This time, it was real.
Unknown Number:
You asked.
I sat up.
Yes, I typed.
You said that would change things.
There was a pause.
Then:
Unknown Number:
It did.
I frowned.
Nothing feels different.
The reply came slowly.
Unknown Number:
That is because you are still looking outside.
I stared at the message.
Then where should I look?
Three dots appeared.
Then:
Unknown Number:
At yourself.
I snorted.
"That's it? That's the big answer?"
No reply.
I put my phone down.
But I couldn't sleep.
Because even though he said nothing important…
Something inside me felt unsettled.
Like a door had opened quietly.
And I didn't know what was behind it.