Connecting The Strings 💕🫶🏻

CHAPTER 2 - Connecting the dots 💕

Her heart stopped.

It was another photo. Another guitar pic. But this time—zoom in. Zoom in.

Wrapped around his wrist, loosely but clearly—her pink scrunchie. Her favorite one. The one with the fraying edge and faint scent of her vanilla perfume. The exact one she always kept in the inner pocket of her denim jacket.

The same jacket she let him borrow during that freezing-day practice when he looked like he was in denial about hypothermia.

Her mouth dropped open.

Screenshot. Instant.

She sprinted to the group chat.

Sarah

> GUYS
CODE PINK
LITERALLY
HE’S WEARING THE PINK HAIRTIE
MY. PINK. HAIRTIE.

Yuna

> WHAT
NO WAY
THE ONE YOU WERE GONNA GIVE HIM??

Kira

> Wait wait wait
The one you backed out of giving 3 times??
But kept staring at during lunch like it was a love letter??

Hina

> ARE YOU KIDDING ME
THIS IS A MOVIE
SARAH SHOW US NOW

Sarah sent the screenshot with trembling hands.

Kira

> That is. Without a doubt. Yours.
The little fray on the side?? That’s your signature

Yuna

> And it’s pink
Like he chose to wear pink
He wants you to see it. I'm sweating.

Sarah

> DO I MESSAGE HIM???
WHAT DO I EVEN SAY??

Hina

> "Where’d you get this?"
Simple. Direct. Let him do the damage.

Her stomach was in knots, but she opened his chat anyway. Their last conversation was about a homework deadline. Dry. Emotionless. Painful.

She didn’t overthink this time.

Sarah

> Where’d you get this?
+ photo attachment of the story, zoomed in on his wrist

Instantly read.

Three dots appeared.

Gone.

Back again.

Gone.

She was going to pass out.

Then—

Ronan

> heard you wanted to give it to me, but decided not to
so I just took it :)

She stared.

Sarah

> What do you mean you "just took it"

Ronan

> figured you'd change your mind later
thought i’d save you the trouble
pink’s not really my color
but you seem to like it on me ;)

She could not breathe.

Back in the group chat:

Sarah

> HE SAID I “LIKE IT ON HIM”
HE TOOK IT ON PURPOSE
HE KNEW
HE. KNEW.

Yuna

> THIS ISN’T A CRUSH ANYMORE
THIS IS A FREAKING SLOW-BURN NOVEL

Hina

> Girl you’re not imagining it
He’s in the plot too

Than Ronan typed again.

> I didn't want the hairtie. I wanted the reason behind it.

Sarah was still frozen on his last text.

> “i didn’t want the hairtie.
i wanted the reason behind it.”

She read it again. Her cheeks were on fire. Her heart was doing jumping jacks.

But before she could type anything back, her phone buzzed again.

Kira:

> okay don’t freak out
i think i just saw something in his highlights

Sarah:

> huh???

Yuna:

> i’m scared to ask
but what

Kira:

> his story highlights. the one from like 3 weeks ago?
click on the “music” one. go to the last slide.

Sarah squinted, went to his profile, and tapped the "🎸music" highlight bubble.

Slide 1: him playing guitar in a messy room.
Slide 2: a blurry concert pic.
Slide 3: audio from some song.
Slide 4—

Her finger stopped.

Her stomach did a cartwheel.

It was a photo. Just his hand. Holding… her hairtie.

HER actual pink one. The one with the frayed edge.

And under it, written in tiny white text:

“didn’t return this. oops.”

Sarah’s jaw dropped.

That post was from three weeks ago.

Before she ever saw him wearing it.
Before she even told anyone she had thought about giving it to him.

Her mind was sprinting.

Sarah:

> guys
GUYS
HE HAD IT. BEFORE.
LIKE WAY BEFORE.

Hina:

> WHATTTT
OMG STOP
HOW

Kira:

> wait wait wait
you NEVER gave it to him, right?

Sarah:

> no
but remember that day I let him borrow my jacket??
THE POCKET.
I THINK IT FELL OUT.

Her phone buzzed again. A new message.
Ronan.

> i didn’t think you’d notice it in the story
but i’m glad you did
thought it was cute
figured i’d keep it

Then another:

> wanna tell you something
but not here

Sarah stared at the screen. Her heart tripped over itself.

Before she could respond, her phone lit up.

He was calling her.