Unpredictable Love

Day Dream

Irene’s POV ;

Life on this odyssey we call living is often imagined as something that should unfold like a romantic love story—a beautiful journey filled with happy endings, perfect moments, and someone waiting at the end of the road.

But not every journey moves in our favor.

Sometimes, the person who brings hope into our lives becomes stranded in the middle of its turmoil. Sometimes, hope slowly fades until it feels extinct, and our souls begin to revolt against everything we once believed in. And sometimes, we lose our direction so completely that all we can do is wander, hoping that somehow, someday, we will find our way home.

Cip… cip… cip…

The gentle singing of magpies outside my rented apartment broke the quietness of the evening.

The city was usually loud at this hour. Cars passed along the roads, people hurried home from work, and distant sounds floated through the open window. Yet somehow, tonight, everything felt strangely peaceful.

Almost too peaceful.

I sat quietly near the window, letting the evening breeze brush against my face. My thoughts slowly drifted back to yesterday—the memory still carved somewhere deep inside my heart.

A long breath escaped my lips.

“Huhhh…”

I closed my eyes.

Perhaps it was the peacefulness of the evening that encouraged my mind to wander.

Or perhaps I simply wanted somewhere else to go.

Somewhere inside my imagination, where reality couldn't reach me.

“I still like you the most.”

The words returned so clearly that my heart tightened.

I could almost hear the voice again.

My eyes slowly filled with tears.

I quickly blinked, trying to push the feeling away.

Why did those words still have so much power over me?

I had already told myself that I wanted to move forward. I had already convinced myself that the past belonged to the past.

So why did one sentence still have the ability to make my heart ache?

Before I could sink any deeper into my thoughts, my phone suddenly rang.

Over the Horizon.

The familiar ringtone startled me out of my imagination.

I picked up my phone and answered without checking the screen.

“Hi, where have you been?”

The loud voice on the other end immediately changed the atmosphere.

I recognized it instantly.

Gina.

“Wait!” I sat up straight. “Is there some kind of emergency?”

My voice suddenly filled with alarm after hearing the worry in hers.

“What kind of emergency are you talking about?” Gina replied. “I'm worried about you! You've been completely silent since you left last night. Not even one text message! You just disappeared like a ghost—no footprints, no evidence, nothing!”

I burst out laughing.

I didn't answer her immediately. I simply laughed, unable to stop myself.

“Thanks, Gina,” I finally said. “You're such an i***t. You worried about me so much that now you're making me nervous. I was just having a good time daydreaming.”

“How can you laugh like that when someone is genuinely worried about you?” she complained, though her voice had already begun returning to normal.

“I didn't do anything. Stop panicking because of me,” I said with a small laugh.

“I need to worry!” she insisted. “You accidentally told me that you don't have anyone else since you came back here. As your good friend, isn't it normal for me to look after you? You're so mean!”

Her voice became softer toward the end.

I could hear the little cries hiding underneath her words.

“Shhhh…” I whispered. “I'm sorry for making you worry.”

I stayed quiet for a moment, letting her hear me shushing her through the phone.

Finally, she laughed.

That was Gina.

She could complain like a mother one second and laugh like a child the next.

I let her talk.

And talk.

And talk.

Gina started mumbling like a mother lecturing her little child after catching them secretly stealing sugar from the kitchen.

I didn't interrupt.

I simply listened.

She poured out every thought that had been occupying her mind, every piece of advice she believed I had forgotten, and every little thing she thought I needed to hear.

She didn't even give me much chance to answer.

I swear, it felt like she had been waiting all day for an audience.

Nearly thirty minutes passed.

At some point, I couldn't even feel my ear anymore.

“Okay… okay! Stop!” I finally interrupted. “I can't feel my ear anymore. It's practically burning because of this phone. Stop mumbling. I'm fine.”

“You keep refusing my advice,” Gina replied, completely unwilling to surrender. “I'm just reminding you of all the things you might have forgotten.”

“Nevertheless, we'll talk again tomorrow.”

Before she could continue her philosophy, I pressed the red button.

No goodbye.

No warning.

Just escape.

I smiled at the silence that followed.

Not even a minute later, my phone vibrated.

A message from Gina.

«As always, you are stubborn. 😈»

I laughed.

«Naaa… I am not! I only hung up because you wouldn't stop talking. 🙈»

Her reply came almost immediately.

«Ehh… why are you saying that? ☺️»

I could already imagine her sulking face.

«Don't start sulking. I have other things to do, and I want to enjoy my day off.»

This time, her reply took a little longer.

«Okay. You know that I love you, so take care of yourself. ❤️»

I stared at the message for a second.

Then I smiled.

«Eeeewww… And I love you too. See ya.»

«Okay, bye.»

I placed my phone beside me.

Gina was the only daughter in her family. I still didn't know everything about her background, but somehow, getting close to her had always felt easy.

She was warm.

A good listener.

Naturally gifted when it came to communicating with people.

Trustworthy.

And, sometimes, incredibly childish.

Maybe that was what made our friendship comfortable.

There was never a need to pretend around her.

I could be quiet.

I could be emotional.

I could laugh at stupid things.

I could even disappear for a while without having to explain every detail of my life.

She would complain, of course.

But she would still be there.

I looked toward the window again.

The evening sky had begun changing color.

The last traces of sunlight stretched across the buildings, painting everything with a soft, fading glow.

For a moment, my mind became quiet again.

I remembered yesterday.

His eyes.

His smile.

That strange feeling that appeared whenever I caught him looking at me.

Zhe.

Why did my mind keep returning to him?

I didn't understand it.

I barely knew him.

Yet somehow, he had managed to occupy a small corner of my thoughts without even asking permission.

I shook my head and laughed softly at myself.

“Psycho…”

Maybe I was becoming one.

I leaned back against the chair and closed my eyes.

For a few seconds, I allowed myself to imagine.

Not reality.

Not the past.

Just a little daydream.

Perhaps one day, love would no longer feel frightening.

Perhaps someone would stay.

Perhaps I wouldn't have to question whether I was enough.

Perhaps someone would look at me and choose me—not because of what I could give them, but simply because I was me.

The thought made my heart ache in a strangely beautiful way.

I opened my eyes.

The room was still quiet.

My phone was still beside me.

Gina's messages were still on the screen.

And somewhere beyond these four walls, life continued moving forward.

I took another slow breath.

Maybe I didn't know where my future was going.

Maybe I had no idea who would eventually walk beside me.

But for the first time in a long while, I didn't feel the need to force an answer.

I could simply let tomorrow come.

And perhaps…

I could let myself dream a little longer.