Stars Inside Her Chest

Letters Never Sent

The rain started before Lea finished work.

At first, it came quietly.

A soft drizzle tapped gently against the metal roof of the catering kitchen while workers hurried between boiling pots, stacks of food containers, and delivery bags waiting near the entrance.

Nobody paid much attention to it.

Rain was normal in the city.

Temporary.

Forgettable.

But as evening slowly deepened, the sky completely opened.

Heavy rain crashed against rooftops hard enough to drown conversations outside. Water flooded narrow streets beside the market while neon signs reflected across glossy pavement beneath flickering streetlights.

Inside the kitchen, steam filled the air thickly.

Someone shouted for more rice containers.

Another worker rushed past carrying trays of fried chicken.

The smell of garlic, oil, and dish soap clung heavily to everything.

Lea stood beside the sink washing metal trays in cold water while exhaustion dragged painfully through her arms.

Her shoulders ached from carrying supplies all afternoon.

She barely slept again last night.

Still, she kept moving.

Because moving felt easier than thinking.

“You should wait until the rain slows down,” Bu Ratna said while tying delivery bags near the counter.

Lea glanced outside.

The alley beyond the kitchen looked almost invisible beneath the storm now.

Most workers had already gone home.

The kitchen suddenly felt quieter than before.

Emptier somehow.

“It’s okay,” Lea replied softly. “I can walk.”

Bu Ratna frowned immediately.

“You’ll get soaked.”

Lea forced a small smile.

“I’m used to it.”

And she truly was.

Rain never bothered her much anymore.

Sometimes she even liked it.

At least the weather matched the heaviness she constantly carried inside herself.

Bu Ratna sighed softly but didn’t argue further.

“Be careful then.”

After saying goodbye quietly, Lea stepped outside beneath the storm with her backpack hugged tightly against her chest.

Cold rainwater instantly soaked through her hoodie, hair, and sleeves.

Within seconds, her shoes splashed through puddles forming beside broken sidewalks.

The city felt strangely empty tonight.

Most people had already escaped indoors.

Motorbike headlights blurred softly through heavy rain while distant thunder rolled above dark buildings.

Lea walked slowly.

Her body felt painfully exhausted after another long shift.

Her fingers still smelled faintly like onions, cooking oil, and dish soap no matter how much she scrubbed them.

But louder than the rain were her thoughts.

Beautiful.

The word replayed endlessly inside her mind.

Ryan’s message from two nights ago still remained open on her phone.

She never gave her number.

Never properly responded.

Still, she couldn’t stop thinking about the boy from the party.

The quiet one.

The way he looked toward her bedroom window.

Not mocking.

Not pitying.

Just… noticing her.

Lea lowered her head while walking faster through the rain.

It was stupid to think this much about someone she didn’t even know.

People said things they didn’t mean all the time.

Maybe Ryan exaggerated everything anyway.

Then suddenly—

A motorbike slowed beside her.

Lea startled immediately and stepped farther away from the road instinctively.

The rider lifted his helmet halfway.

Dark wet hair.

Black hoodie.

Lea’s heartbeat stopped completely.

It was him.

The same boy from Ryan’s house.

For one long moment, neither of them spoke.

Rain poured endlessly around them while cold wind swept across the street.

Then softly, almost awkwardly, he asked:

“Do you want a ride home?”

Lea stared at him silently.

Up close, he looked older than she first thought.

Maybe seventeen.

Tired eyes.

Sharp jawline softened by the rain dripping from his hair.

But his voice sounded gentle.

Careful.

Like he didn’t want to scare her accidentally.

Lea tightened her grip around her backpack straps nervously.

“I’m okay,” she replied automatically.

The boy smiled faintly.

“You’re completely soaked.”

Lea looked away immediately, embarrassed.

“It’s not far.”

He nodded slightly.

“Still.”

Silence settled between them afterward.

Rain hammered loudly against nearby rooftops.

Lea’s chest felt painfully nervous.

She should say no.

She barely knew him.

But strangely, something about him felt safe.

Not because he was charming.

Not because he looked cool sitting there beneath the rain.

Because he wasn’t pushing.

He spoke carefully, like someone who understood frightened things needed gentleness first.

“I’m Adrian, by the way,” he said quietly.

Lea blinked slightly.

A name.

Somehow that immediately made him feel more real.

“…Lea.”

A small smile touched his face.

“I know.”

Heat rushed immediately into her cheeks.

Of course Ryan told him already.

Rainwater dripped from Lea’s sleeves while cold wind brushed against her soaked clothes.

Adrian glanced briefly toward the road ahead before speaking again.

“At least let me drive you before you get sick.”

Lea hesitated one final time.

Then slowly…

She nodded.

Adrian handed her the spare helmet carefully.

Their fingers brushed together for less than a second.

Still, Lea’s heartbeat stumbled awkwardly inside her ribs.

A few moments later, she sat nervously behind him on the motorbike while rain continued falling around them.

She didn’t know where to place her hands.

Did people normally hold onto someone during rides?

Would that seem weird?

Too close?

Too obvious?

As if sensing her panic immediately, Adrian spoke gently over the sound of rain.

“You can hold the back if you want.”

Lea quickly grabbed the metal bar behind the seat instead.

Adrian smiled slightly but didn’t tease her.

The motorbike moved forward smoothly through wet streets.

Cold wind rushed past them while city lights blurred beautifully against rain-covered roads.

For some reason, Lea suddenly became hyperaware of everything around her.

The warmth of Adrian’s jacket inches away.

The quiet guitar music drifting faintly from a café they passed.

The smell of rain mixed with gasoline and cold night air.

And most strangely—

The calmness slowly settling inside her chest.

Nobody had ever taken care of her like this before.

Not gently.

Not in quiet little ways.

Not without expecting something afterward.

“You work at the catering place near the market, right?” Adrian asked after a while.

Lea blinked in surprise.

“How do you know?”

“I saw you there once.”

“Oh.”

Silence returned again.

But not uncomfortable silence.

Just quiet.

The kind that didn’t pressure her to perform happiness.

Then unexpectedly, Adrian asked:

“You write too, right?”

Lea nearly choked on air.

“What?”

Adrian laughed softly for the first time.

“Ryan talks too much.”

Lea immediately covered half her face with one sleeve.

“Oh my God.”

“You don’t have to look that horrified.”

“I am horrified.”

Adrian’s laughter became warmer.

And unexpectedly—

Lea smiled too.

A real smile.

Small.

Shy.

But genuine enough to surprise herself.

The motorbike eventually slowed near her neighborhood street.

Too quickly.

Lea suddenly realized she didn’t want the ride to end yet.

Adrian stopped beneath a dim streetlight while rain softened into quieter drizzle around them.

“We’re here.”

Lea carefully removed the helmet while avoiding direct eye contact.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.”

She handed the helmet back awkwardly.

For a few quiet seconds, neither of them moved.

Rainwater dripped softly from rooftops nearby while distant thunder faded farther away.

Then Adrian spoke quietly.

“You look different when you smile.”

Lea’s breath caught immediately.

Her heartbeat panicked all over again.

“What does that mean?”

Adrian looked at her gently before answering.

“It means you should do it more often.”

Lea stared at him speechlessly.

Nobody had ever said things like that to her before.

Not softly.

Not sincerely.

The rain suddenly didn’t feel cold anymore.

After several seconds, Adrian started the motorbike again.

“Goodnight, Lea.”

“…Goodnight.”

She stood beneath the dim streetlight watching him disappear slowly into the rain-covered road.

Only after he completely vanished from sight did Lea realize something strange.

Her chest felt lighter somehow.

Not healed.

Not fixed.

Just… lighter.

That night, she sat beside her bedroom window again with her notebook resting against her knees.

Outside, rain continued falling softly across the sleeping neighborhood.

The room smelled faintly like rainwater and old paper.

Lea opened to a blank page slowly.

Then carefully began writing.

Tonight someone stopped for me in the middle of the rain.

She paused briefly.

The words blurred slightly beneath tired eyes.

Then continued.

Such a small thing.

Another pause.

Her chest tightened softly.

But somehow it felt like the universe whispering:

Lea swallowed slowly before finishing the sentence.

“Maybe you are worth stopping for after all.”