lia's pov
From: 09*********
Hi! Yuna said you were looking for me earlier. I got your number already and saved it on my contacts. She said you were with another girl, perhaps its your bestfriend, i think.
Anyways, how are you today? I hope you're doing fine :)
-Ryujin
i widened my eyes trying to read the message clearly despite the darkness surrounding me. i read the last word from the message which made me feel um, things. i could feel how my rosy cheeks were tinted light pink as soon as i finished reading the message.
it's as if a cold rush of wind passed by my heavy and warm heart leaving a light effect on it.
it has been already twenty minutes and i am still struck on the screen, thinking on what to do next after receiving her message. should i reply back? what should i say?
i laid my back on the cold wall behind me groaning in frustration trying to keep my self up. i closed my eyes tightly before helding on tightly on my phone while muttering words. "i should reply, right?" i asked myself, playing with my phone on my hand circling it while biting my lower lip.
"what should i say?" i said while scanning around the dark room. "i mean, it's kinda rude if i didn't reply back. so i definitely should, right? yeah, she already sent me the message so is she waiting for my reply right now? is she also looking forward to my message? what am i saying?" i told myself before burying my entire face on my pillow, groaning again.
after minutes of arguing and talking to myself i finally had the courage to click the reply back staring at the empty message section. i was about to type when i heard loud thuds coming on my door.
i quickly glanced at the door thinking that maybe it's mom this time, and maybe she's waiting for me to get downstairs. i slowly looked back at my phone before sighing deeply and turned it off, sliding it under my pillow.
"come in." the door slowly creaked open revealing mom's figure outside, her eyes already locked on mine. i can see the worry drawn on her face so i flashed a weak smile at her. mom pushed the door back before walking close at my bed, sitting on the small chair infront of me.
"lia? i thought you were gonna come downstairs." she spoke softly. "well, your dad left already. he said that he's glad to see you healthy now." mom said while still looking down, playing with her fingers nervously.
"mom?" i said. "are you okay?" i asked her as i slowly reached for her hands before wrapping my hands around hers, trying to calm her down. "and if you knew, i wasn't." i honestly answered which made mom's head lift up to look at me with her eyes widened.
"mom," i said before breathing heavily. "you do know that i never liked him around. but why didn't you tell me at the first place that he's coming over?"
i saw how mom's face dropped before looking down, "lia. i'm sorry, it's not like i wanted him strolling around our house. it's just," mom said and i can tell how she was close to breaking down just by her voice cracking. "it's just i miss how we were used to be back then." she said in a low tone and i can say that she sounded serious on that line.
"and as a mom, i always failed on making you happy. i did eversince you were a little kid, i failed on making our family complete and stable, and now we're facing difficulties and struggles. it hurts on my part seeing and watching you grow without your dad on your side. that is why, i still can't believe that eventhough i try my best on picking up the broken pieces our family has, things cannot sink in to my mind thinking that we wouldn't be the same as we were back then." mom spoke in a soft voice, and i can see how her hands were trembling in nervousness. i slowly moved closer to mom, wrapping my arms around her, pulling her in for a tight hug and i can feel how she hugged me back.
"lia, i am so sorry for everything. i am trying my best but it seems like everything isn't not enough and it isn't paying off." she said in a shaky voice. i slowly patted my hand on mom's back, cooing her.
my very own weakness is watching my mom cry. watching her break down because she feels like she's not enough as my mother just helplessly breaks my heart and i couldn't do anything at all about it. i never knew that someone sweet and kind like mom had gone through such hardships and struggles in life breaking her fragile heart apart.
"mom," i softly spoke. "i promise that one day i'll make you proud and help you realize that i can grow and be successful even without dad around and just you here by my side. it's a promise." i said before hugging her tightly once more and pulling off the hug. "i love you so much mom, i just want you to take care of yourself. and i'm not a small kid anymore, i can handle myself. i'm already in college mom."
we both chuckled together easing the sadness and discomfort away from our atmosphere. i slowly bended over my desk reaching for a tissue before wiping mom's tears away.
"you're right," mom said before giggling a litle. "you've really grown into a such fine and independent woman, lia. look how you expressed your words earlier. you sounded more mature than me." she jokingly said which made me laugh a bit.
"lia," mom spoke my name. my eyes slowly looked back at her and i saw her smiling at me before cupping both of my cheeks like a small baby. "i want you to find someone who can take care and love you as much as you want to. someone who can be there ready to defend and catch you during your hard and confusing times, someone who makes you feel that you're loved in times where you start doubting yourself, because that's what you deserve. a love that is transparent and true." she said while looking at me straight in the eyes.
i listened as to what mom had said which had left me a huge impact wherein her words had suddenly struck my heart. i smiled back at mom before nodding slightly. mom smiled at me sweetly before hugging me quickly and she stood up from her chair.
"i guess it's already time for us to sleep." mom said before glancing over at the wall clock hanged above my bed. "aren't you feeling a little bit hungry?" she suddenly asked. i shook my head off and told her that i'll just head back downstairs incase my tummy growls.
"alrighty then." mom said before walking up close to the door. "i'll see you tomorrow morning. i'll cook you breakfast so you should wake up early, okay?" i nodded at mom and she then waved goodbye at me before opening the door and closing it leaving nothing but complete darkness again filling up my room.
i was still sitting on the bed, thinking on what mom had just said. everything she just stated made me realize a lot of things. it also made me want to experience and see new things in the future too. i quickly layed myself down on the bed, stretching my arms and feet out. there is nothing else to be heard but the loud click of the wall clock above me.
that's when i realized about ryujin's message. i quickly threw my pillow at the side showing my phone beaming up against the darkness and i quickly held it, seeing three messages stucked on the screen waiting for my drill.
i quickly opened them one by one and realized that it was from ryujin's. i helplessly smiled at myself thinking that maybe ryujin was definitely waiting for my replies earlier. was she getting impatient that's why she had flooded me messages?
i silently squealed by the thought before slapping my conscious self back for acting really weird and quirky. "lia stop with the thoughts, i'm acting really creepy."
i opened the messages one by one before reading them,
From: 09*********
Lia? Are you still awake?
Sent: 8:30PM
.
From: 09*********
Hello? Have you read my message?
Sent: 9:12PM
.
From: 09*********
I guess you've already fallen asleep now. Goodnight and sleep well! :) ♡
Sent: 9:35PM
i was left dumbfounded by all the messages i have received from ryujin in one day. all in one day. i felt my heart jumped as soon as i realized that she had messaged me, "goodnight" with a cute small heart emoticon.
i smiled while reading the messages again and again before staring at the dark space infront of me. i clicked the reply back button and typed a short message,
Goodnight too! :)
i stared at my message for like 5 minutes before backspacing it realizing that the message sounds stupid. ryujin might realize that i don't wanna talk to her. hmp.
it took me minutes again to came up for a new message typing,
Hello. I am still up, are you still there?
i stared at my message thinking if it suits ryujin's message while scratching my chin slowly. that's when i thought of adding up an emoticon too after the message,
Hello. I am still up, are you still there? :D
"right." i said before sighing deeply. well, adding up emoticons on messages keeps the messages' mood light and not awkward, i guess. i pressed the send button and it didn't took a few seconds before it was already delivered to ryujin. my heart started to race as soon as i already sent my message to her waiting for a quick response.
after that i slowly clicked my phone off before laying down on my bed, covering my whole body up with the blanket. i moved sideways on the bed facing my closet. i glanced at the wall clock and realized that it's almost 10PM at night. i held my tummy and suddenly craved for honey in the middle of the night. i slowly stood up and wore my fuzzy bunny slippers. i looked over at the window and felt the cold wind brushing across my bare skin so i took my blanket and covered it around me. my silky straight hair hitting my back made me feel really uncomfortable so i took my scrunchie and made my hair into a low ponytail.
i slowly walked up close to the door and forgot to bring my phone with me so i hurriedly went back to my bed and pulled out my phone under the pillow. i took light and slow steps on the stairs making sure on not to make any noise.
after a few steps i finally reached the kitchen and pulled the refrigerator open making me feel even more cold in the night. i bent down and took my jar of honey out of the refrigerator before taking out a small spoon. "hmmm, some cheese bread." i mumbled softly walking over to the snacks section and taking out a small plastic filled with cheese breads.
i quietly clicked the switch open revealing a dim yellow light. i slowly sat down on the chair and took out some bits of cheese bread before putting on some honey on it.
while eating i kept on glancing at my phone patiently waiting for that one messages coming from her. that's when i heard my phone made vibrated and made a short beep as a sign of a notification. i opened my phone and saw a message.
From: 09*********
Still here :)
Aren't you feeling sleepy yet? It's already 10PM.
What you doin' by this time?
i smiled at the message i have received and realized that i still haven't saved her number on my contacts so i immediately did. i rested my chin at my palm staring endlessly at my screen typing back,
To: Ryujin :)
Not really. Hbu?
Just eating.
and pressed the button "send". it haven't took her a few more minutes when i received a message again.
From: Ryujin :)
This late? Hahahaha. Bet you haven't eaten well earlier :P
Btw, were you feeling okay?
It took you so long to reply back.
i stared at my phone with unanswered thoughts running across my head again. i gulped slowly before typing again in a slow motion,
To: Ryujin :)
How'd you know? I'm okay now.
i slowly landed my phone above the table while tapping my fingers on the glass. my heart started beating again in a fast pace thinking that i had made ryujin worry about me because i didn't reply at her immediately. that's when my phone beeped once again and i read the message,
From: Ryujin
Can i call you?
i felt like my heart just went upside down as soon as i finished reading her message now. ryujin initiating for a call between us? i was about to reply back at her when a notification appeared at my screen.
Calling: Ryujin :)
Answer | Decline
i gulped as i watched her name appear on my phone suggesting for a call. my heart felt like it's about to burst out of my chest because of the fast beats my heart is experiencing. i don't know what has gotten to me but i pressed the answer button and making it in a speaker voice waiting for her voice to come across.
"Hello, Lia?"
a warm and soft tone voice suddenly made way leaving a cold rush of blood moving across my body and i could feel my entire face heating up as soon as i heard her voice across the screen.
"Lia? Can you hear me?"
she said which made me feel enlightened by the thought of her waiting for my response. everyone knows how i feel really awkward and shy when it comes to calls and i really prefer texting than calling. i always have this nervousness whenever someone calls me but as soon as i heard ryujin's voice tingling around my ears, it made me feel less than that.
"I feel sleepy now."
i answered her back while quietly chuckling making sure that it hasn't been heard on the other side.
"All of sudden? Aww, such a bummer.
Then I guess I'll just have to call you next time? Or maybe we can see each other at school and perhaps, you know; talk."
i could hear her soft giggles on the call which made my heart tickle a bit before smiling.
"Sure."
i said before smiling brightly at my phone.
"Great! I'll look forward then on meeting you at school.
Um, well. Goodnight, Lia.
Sleep well!"
everytime she mentions my name with her calming voice makes me feel really happy.
"Goodnight, Ryujin.
Sweet dreams."
i answered her back. i stared at my screen waiting for her to finally cut our call but i guess she isn't doing it so i talked over at the phone,
"Aren't you going to cut off our call?"
i heard her laugh on the other side.
"Nope."
she teasingly said and we both giggled hearing both of our sweet voices.
"Kidding. Hekhek.
How about you do it.
I really don't want on cutting the call and then your voice will just disappear all of a sudden.
I want to hear your voice for a minute before you end the call."
i could feel my entire cheeks burning when i heard her say the two last sentences.
"Okay then.
Goodbye, Ryujin.
I'll talk to you soon."
i said and before cutting the call i could hear her heavy breaths on the phone with her name disappearing on my screen. our call lasted for about 10 minutes only but it literally made me feel glad upon hearing her voice and is the closest i can hear again.
right after our call a message popped up on my phone and i saw her name,
From: Ryujin :)
Thank you.
Goodnight and sweet dreams, Lia. ♡ ^_^
▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎
(A/N): i'm back, hello! :)
thank god the current didn't took long enough to get back and the typhoon didn't hit us really strong. thank you so much for all your concerns. here's an update!