Iris's POV
I have solved problems far more complicated than this.
Equations that stretch across pages. Proofs that take patience, logic, and time. There is always a method. A pattern. A step-by-step way to reach an answer.
This… doesn't have one.
I stared at the question in front of me for what felt like the tenth time, my pen resting uselessly between my fingers. The numbers blurred, the symbols lost meaning, and somewhere between all of it, my mind slipped back to the same moment again.
The same exact moment.
My foot missing the ground.
That sudden imbalance.
And then,
Him.
His hand around my wrist, firm enough to stop me, careful enough not to hurt. It wasn't just the way he caught me. It was how natural it felt, like he didn't hesitate even for a second.
And then there was that pause.
That strange, quiet pause where neither of us moved, where the world didn't feel like it was rushing anymore.
"You—"
I closed my eyes for a second.
That one word had been stuck in my head all morning, like an incomplete equation refusing to resolve.
What was he going to say?
Why didn't he finish it?
And more importantly… why does it matter this much?
"Iris."
I didn't respond.
"Iris."
Still nothing.
"Iris."
I blinked and looked up.
Anya was staring at me, her expression somewhere between suspicious and amused.
"What?" I said, a little too quickly.
She didn't answer immediately. She just leaned forward slightly, studying my face like she already knew everything.
Then, very calmly, she said, "It was Kaizer, wasn't it?"
My grip on the pen tightened.
I looked away.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Please," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "You've had a crush on him for two years. I can tell when something is about him."
I opened my mouth to deny it.
Nothing came out.
That was enough for her.
Anya's lips slowly curved into a grin.
"Oh my God," she said, dragging the words out. "Something happened."
"It was nothing," I said quickly.
"That didn't sound like nothing," she replied, leaning closer. "Tell me."
I hesitated for a second, then gave in.
"I almost fell," I said quietly. "At the park."
"And?" she asked immediately.
"And… he caught me."
There was a pause.
Then Anya slapped the desk lightly.
"I KNEW IT."
"Keep your voice down," I hissed, glancing around.
She lowered her voice, but not her excitement.
"He caught you?" she repeated, eyes wide. "Like actually caught you?"
"Yes," I muttered.
"How?"
"What do you mean how? I was falling, he stopped me."
"No, no," she said, waving her hand. "Details matter. Was it dramatic? Was there eye contact? Did time slow down?"
"Anya—"
"Did he hold your hand longer than necessary?"
I looked away.
She gasped.
"He did!"
"He didn't," I said quickly, but it sounded weak even to me.
Anya leaned back, shaking her head like she had just confirmed a theory.
"This is insane," she said. "Do you even realize what just happened?"
"Nothing happened."
"Oh, something definitely happened," she said, pointing at me. "You just don't want to admit it."
I pressed my lips together, trying to ignore the heat creeping up my face.
"He was going to say something," I admitted after a moment.
Anya froze.
"What?"
"He said 'you'… and then stopped," I said, staring at my notebook again.
There was a small pause.
"This guy..why does he not talk in full sentences?.. Firstly centuries ago, he stuck on 'Do you remember-' and now even shorter." She dramatically sighed.
Then Anya leaned forward slowly, resting her chin on her hand.
"That's worse," she said.
"How is that worse?"
"Because now it sounds important," she replied. "Like he meant to say something."
I didn't respond.
Because that was exactly what it felt like.
Anya watched me for a second, then her expression shifted again, the teasing returning full force.
"So," she said casually, "your Kaizer caught you mid-fall, looked at you like he had something to say, and then just… left it there."
"He's not 'my' Kaizer," I said immediately.
"Yeah, yeah," she waved it off. "Keep telling yourself that."
I sighed.
"This is nothing," I said again, softer this time.
Anya didn't argue.
She just smiled in that knowing way that made it worse.
---
By the time I reached home, I had convinced myself that I was overthinking.
It was just a moment. It would pass.
I changed, lay down on my bed, and opened my phone, hoping to distract myself for a bit.
The first video that appeared made me freeze.
"POV: He catches you before you fall."
I dropped my phone on my face.
"Ouch!". I rubbed my nose.
I exhaled then again opened the phone.
Scrolled.
Another one.
"When he holds your hand a little too long."
I sat up.
"This is not funny," I muttered.
I clicked on one.
Just once.
Maybe twice.
Okay, maybe five times.
The next thing I knew, my entire feed was filled with the same thing.
Slow motion edits. Soft music. Hands catching hands. Eyes meeting eyes.
I dropped my phone on my face.
"This is stupid," I said to the ceiling.
A few seconds passed.
I picked the phone up again.
Why am I smiling?
I immediately stopped.
"I am not smiling," I said out loud.
But the feeling didn't go away.
---
Kaizer's POV
The park felt quieter today.
Or maybe I had just learned how to exist inside the noise.
The thoughts were still there, layered over each other, constant and restless. People passing by, each carrying something in their head, something they didn't say out loud.
I sat on the bench, letting it all pass without focusing too much.
Until one thought stood out.
*Easy target. Old people don't even notice.*
My gaze shifted slightly.
A man stood near the pathway, watching an old woman walking slowly with her bag.
*Wait till she crosses… grab and run.*
I stayed still for a second.
Then I stood up.
No rush. No reaction.
I just walked.
Casually.
I stepped into his path, not directly blocking him, just enough to exist in his space.
His thoughts shifted.
*What is this guy doing?*
I didn't move.
The old woman walked past us.
The man shifted his weight.
*Not now… too many people…*
I glanced at him.
Just once.
That was enough.
His thoughts scattered.
*Forget it. Not worth it.*
He turned and walked away.
I watched him leave, then looked at the path ahead.
The old woman kept walking, unaware of anything.
I exhaled slowly.
So… I don't have to stop them.
I looked at my hands.
I just have to disturb the outcome.
For the first time, the noise around me didn't feel completely useless.
If I can hear it…
Maybe I'm supposed to do something with it.
---
I started walking back.
For a moment, my mind went blank.
Then, without warning, something slipped in.
A memory.
A pair of eyes.
A moment where everything had gone completely silent.
I slowed down slightly.
That silence again.
I didn't understand it.
But I didn't ignore it either.
---
Iris's POV
I turned off my phone and stared at the ceiling.
The room was quiet.
But my thoughts weren't.
My fingers curled slightly against the bedsheet as I let out a slow breath.
Why does he affect me like this?
There was no answer.
And for once…
I didn't try to solve it.