The Unknown Call

Episode 2: The Heart's Conflict

Ever since that night, Sara’s sweet voice echoed relentlessly in Steve's mind. No matter how hard he tried to immerse himself in his office work, her anxious voice, her tears, and that beautiful tone kept playing on a loop in his head.

​However, Steve was a practical man. He paused for a moment and strictly realized a harsh truth—Sara belonged to someone else. Her heart was still searching for Peter, not him. He thought it was wrong of him to keep thinking about the voice of a girl he didn't even know. He decided it was best to stop this emotional conflict right here and resolved firmly not to pick up the call if she ever dialed again.

​A few days passed in complete silence. Steve completely buried himself in his work. He was now in the final stage of an important mega project assigned by his boss. If he completed this successfully, a massive bonus and a major promotion within the company were guaranteed. Late that night, he was sitting in front of his laptop, working with absolute seriousness without letting his focus drift anywhere else.

​Suddenly, his phone began to ring.

​Steve’s eyes shifted from his laptop screen to his phone. It was the exact same unknown number, flashing at the exact same time—10:30 PM.

​As the phone kept ringing, Steve's heart skipped a beat, and his hands began to tremble. Deep down, there was a faint glimmer of hope. But remembering his resolution—that she belonged to someone else—he firmly decided not to answer on the first ring. The phone rang out and went silent. Steve took a deep, long breath, forced his heart to obey his mind, and looked back at his laptop screen.

​But Sara wasn’t going to give up so easily. Exactly ten minutes later, his phone screen lit up yet again. The ringtone echoed through the silent room.

​This time, Steve couldn't control himself. The sound of the phone felt like it was pulling at his heartstrings. Realizing he could no longer push that voice away, he finally put his project aside, swiped to answer, and placed the phone against his ear.

​Sara's mesmerizing, sweet voice came through gently from the other end.

​Sara: "Hello, Steve? Are you busy? I am so sorry... should I call you back later?"

​Hearing the sheer melody in her words and the gentle way she asked, Steve completely forgot the world around him, the rules he had set for days, and even his critical office project. A strange, undeniable magic in her voice melted away all his walls of resistance in a single second. Without him even realizing it, a soft smile appeared on his lips, and his tone turned incredibly warm.

​Steve: "Oh, no... not at all, Sara. You aren't disturbing me at all. Why would I ever feel annoyed talking to you? Please don't have any such fears in your mind. You can call me whenever you want, it's absolutely fine."

​Hearing those words from Steve, all the anxiety built up in Sara’s heart instantly vanished. The lingering hesitation and distance between them dissolved in a split second. Sara laughed softly. The sound of her laughter brought an unexplainable sense of peace to Steve's heart.

​Sara: "Thank you, Steve. To be honest... even though I have everything in this city, I have no one to share my pain with. Talking to you makes me feel so peaceful. It feels like a heavy burden has been lifted off my heart."

​That night, they completely lost track of time and forgot about the project. As Sara talked about her childhood memories and the things she loved, Steve listened intently, captivated like a little child. The innocence and purity in her voice drew him in even deeper.

​The thought that 'she belongs to someone else,' which had consumed him for days, vanished into thin air. It became crystal clear to his heart that Sara, too, was moving past Peter and finding genuine happiness and a new sense of comfort just by talking to him.

​Before ending the call, Sara asked softly, hesitating just a little bit.

​Sara: "Steve... can I call you again tomorrow at the same time? I hope it won’t be a bother?"

​Without a single moment of hesitation, Steve replied with absolute certainty.

​Steve: "Of course, Sara. From tomorrow onward, my phone will be waiting for you at 10:30 PM."

​After the call disconnected, Steve stopped looking at his laptop. He turned to look out the window at the night sky. He had never imagined that an unknown girl would enter his life through a random phone call and occupy such a massive space in his heart. A beautiful, unseen love story had quietly but powerfully begun between them.