It was already 5 in the morning, but Rei was still awake.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfCZIdnj1ZZ
Elias had been trying to convince her to sleep for a while now, but he already knew how stubborn she could be. She had told him that she was going to finish watching Classroom of the Elite Season 3, even if it meant staying awake all night.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTjnr1CuwI
He stared at the screen and let out a quiet laugh.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwW0FhbKvH7
"You really don't make it easy for me, do you?"
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhvtF9z7fD
Rei had a habit of surprising him. She didn't just watch stories—she analyzed them, broke them apart, and looked for things most people completely missed. Elias found himself genuinely respecting that about her.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYchsgise9m
When she simply replied, "Hmm," he paused.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQB4cBZd1Q4
That one little word somehow felt like a challenge.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7ESO3YOpO
He finally typed that she saw things differently from most people and that it was rare to find someone who actually looked beneath the surface. He wondered if she was still awake or if she was simply keeping him on his toes.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4h5hr6YfT
But Rei was determined.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6fpmQt9VV0
She wasn't going to sleep.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMSQNEwxtt
She was going to finish watching the anime.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf69awxJc3w
Eventually, Elias gave up.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFhVP86CjgW
"Fine. I'm going. But don't blame me if you wake up tomorrow with a headache from staying up all night watching anime."
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5MZDn0DCC
Before putting his phone away, he added one final message.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBy6PFINku
"Send me a message when you finish it. I want to know if your theories on this one are as sharp as they were on Tomodachi Game."
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9komusS2bC
Rei finally wished him good night.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBoMUBsBvKM
Elias stared at her message for a moment longer before replying.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXTJzEIH5e0
"Good night, Rei."
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJPgA5SE2y
He placed his phone face down on the nightstand and pulled the covers over himself.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0oW49TiJX
The room became quiet, but his mind wasn't.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVy7TgEmmt
He found himself thinking about their conversation—the way she challenged him, the way she refused to listen when he told her to sleep, and the way their conversations somehow always managed to keep him interested.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDR96KV0yNG
As he closed his eyes, he could still picture the faint glow of her phone screen and the quiet smile he'd seen from her balcony earlier that night.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTiFTEXNyUI
Tomorrow, he thought.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ37HBeI9zFh
Tomorrow I'll find out what she thinks of Classroom of the Elite.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlkCXMnnTwU
Eventually, he drifted off to sleep with a quiet, satisfied smile.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp73J8TKbMZ
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRrtmFK2gd
---
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGSsFoLHh6S
The next morning arrived beneath a soft gray sky.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQczkqV8Z0a
Elias woke up without an alarm, surprisingly well-rested. But the moment he opened his eyes, his thoughts immediately returned to the night before.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTIp7dvn8nl
He reached for his phone.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tdRW230Il
No new messages.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZS91KShdd
He sat up and ran a hand through his hair, glancing toward the window. For some reason, his apartment felt different that morning. Less empty.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6l2DZszsN
More expectant.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEjXzSHxe7h
He almost imagined Rei standing outside, waiting to discuss anime theories with him under the morning sun.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV16NCy7Jcd
Elias eventually got out of bed and went to the kitchen. He prepared his coffee with his usual quiet routine, but even while the machine hummed, his attention kept drifting back toward his phone.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8yURO810Z
He wanted to text her.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjNEwgEHZj7
He wanted to ask whether she had actually finished the season or whether she had finally given in and gone to sleep.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvEKIq84FGX
But he stopped himself.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BHX0NoUNB
He remembered what he'd told her before.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhw7UFz1hDf
He wouldn't pressure her.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgUmEaTTAV
So he left his phone alone.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3LJri0Qklb
The morning passed quietly. Elias finished his coffee and began working, but his thoughts kept wandering back to her.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIu3zOdIMcB
A song playing in the background.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTreOegOqg3
A character in a book.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72h8AuPU18
A particular moment of sunlight falling across the street.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQRfUOSICU
Everything seemed to remind him of Rei in some small way.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRD42W6WUNp
By noon, his phone was still sitting beside him, close enough to reach without thinking.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvD2lqzjgOr
He tried to focus on his work.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagrvcqOvW0
But eventually, around two in the afternoon, he gave in.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xFJL8ZoKK
This time, he didn't overthink it.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT016mYg8a0
He didn't type a message, delete it, and rewrite it.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsReoO4ywdN
He simply wrote what he wanted to ask.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTP0ABp66fO
"Did you make it through the season, or did you pass out halfway through episode six?"
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtgYK15VG29
He pressed send.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ivHgaA1UX
Then he returned to his work, a faint and patient smile resting on his face as he waited for her answer.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3czxcllUOi
After all, he already knew one thing.
14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnhYLvzHmt
Whatever Rei's answer was, he was looking forward to hearing it.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKf2nQuWyet
and then Add to home screen.