Connecting The Strings 💕🫶🏻

CHAPTER 3 PART 4 - The lost bet

He laughed, tossing a few extra napkins into her bag just to annoy her. “Fine. But admit it, dinner with me is the highlight of your week.”

She stepped toward the door without turning back. “Highlight? You’re the annoying pop quiz I didn’t study for.”

“Then why,” he called after her, “did you tag me as my love in front of the entire internet?”

“Because ‘pain in my ass’ wouldn’t fit in the font,” she shot back, pulling her hood up — and if Ash noticed the faint smile she was hiding, he didn’t mention it.

They stepped out of the ramen place, the late evening breeze brushing against her cheeks.

She looked good tonight — like she actually put in the effort. Not for anyone in particular, of course… just for herself.

But the street lighting was nice, her outfit was on point, and her phone was already in her hand.

"Hold this," she told Ash, tossing him her drink while she crouched down to snap a few mirror-style pics in a shop window.

She didn’t expect him to lean into the frame.

The picture that came out was annoyingly… aesthetic. Like one of those couple pictures that would get reposted on moodboards.

She glared at him.
He just smirked.

It didn’t stop there.

Somehow, he ended up taking her phone, pulling her closer, and clicking away. A blurry candid of her laughing at his stupid joke.
Another of him holding her by the shoulders.
The classic “two shoes on the pavement” shot — hers tilted in toward his.
Even one where he was hugging her from behind while she pretended to push him away.

She didn’t realize until later that night… most of those poses were from the folder she had saved on Instagram.
The one titled: “For when I have a partner.”

Except she didn’t have a partner.

Guess who just filled that space?

And because she only ever posted stories like twice every four months, her followers were in chaos when she uploaded them all in a row.

The two-shoes pic with no caption.
A blurry laughing one with “…” written at the bottom.
A black-and-white of him standing beside her, both of them half out of frame.

And then the one that really did it — the over-the-shoulder hug.
Captioned simply:
“Favourite headache.”

Ash’s POV

The second Kira’s story went up, his phone turned into a warzone.

First — the family.
His sister texted first:

> "I raised my brother to be a gentleman. Proud of you, king."
…followed by about eight heart emojis and a photo of the exact same couple shoes Kira posted, with the caption you’re not slick.

His older brother was worse.

> "So… when’s the wedding?"
"Don’t mess this up, bro. She’s perfect."

Then came the one he wasn’t expecting — her father.
The most intimidating man Ash had ever spoken to.

> "You better treat her right."
And before Ash could even panic, another text came through:
"Or I’ll steal her back for the family."
Ash wasn’t sure if that was a threat, a joke, or both.

Groupchat: “the idiots”
(members: Ronan, Felix, Ash, Zack)

Ronan: ASH.
Ronan: ASH.
Ronan: ANSWER ME RN.

Felix: He’s not gonna answer. He’s too busy being a romantic Pinterest board.

Zack: nah bro fr y’all saw kira’s story???
Zack: 👀👀👀👀👀

Ronan: “nah bro fr” ??? this man was SMILING.
Ronan: like actual teeth showing
Ronan: when’s the last time you saw that happen naturally

Felix: he was holding her bag too
Felix: HER BAG.
Felix: you’ve changed

Ash: can y’all shut up

Ronan: oh so now he talks.
Ronan: mr. mysterious finally replies when we’re just getting started.

Zack: someone screenshot his face from that second pic
Zack: man looks like he’s already imagining the honeymoon

Felix: wait I gotchu
Felix: [sends cursed zoom-in of Ash’s face]

Ronan: HAHAHAHAHAH
Zack: 💀💀💀💀

Ash: deleting this chat.

And then his other friends joined in — the “normal” ones — except they weren’t normal anymore.
Every five minutes, a new ping.
"Y’all are disgustingly cute."
"Lowkey jealous."
"Drop the skincare routine for your relationship glow."

Ash just stared at his phone, dragging a hand over his face.
All this… because of a few photos.
And maybe because he didn’t exactly look like he minded in them.