BECOMING HER

kiss

The next day at work, I searched everywhere for him, but there wasn’t even a single trace of his presence. I asked around casually, trying not to sound too concerned, but apparently no one seemed to know where he was.

My mind was in turmoil. I kept wondering if I was the reason he stopped showing up. Did he quit out of anger? Did something happen to him? So many thoughts ran wildly through my head, refusing to settle. I tried convincing myself that I didn’t care that much, that I wasn’t that attached, but the lie refused to sit well in my heart.

My search went on for about a week. Each day felt heavier than the last. I didn’t want to look desperate or overly worried, yet I couldn’t erase his presence from my thoughts. The following week felt like an entire year stretched painfully long.

Today, however, I made a decision — one I knew was probably a bad idea, but I couldn’t ignore the growing uneasiness in my chest. I decided to visit him at his house.

After gathering bits of information from work, I finally found his address and set off on my quiet mission. When I got there, I stood in front of his door for a few minutes, debating whether to knock or simply leave.

Finally, I raised my hand.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

No response.

I tried again, louder this time.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Still nothing.

Hesitantly, I reached for the doorknob and pushed. To my surprise, it creaked open.

“How can an adult be this careless?” I muttered under my breath.

The house was dark and gloomy, the air thick with neglect. After stumbling around blindly for a few moments, my fingers finally found the light switch. The light flickered on, revealing chaos. Clothes, empty food packs, and random objects were scattered everywhere. It looked like a storm had passed through and never left.

And there, buried beneath the mess, was Jaden.

He looked terrible — like life had abandoned him… or maybe he had abandoned life. His hair was messy, his clothes wrinkled, and his eyes barely opened as if sleep had swallowed him whole.

All this… over a rejection from a girl he met just two weeks ago? I couldn’t believe it.

“Jaden… Jaden… are you alright?” I called, stepping closer.

“Mmm… five more minutes…” he mumbled lazily.

I rolled my eyes. “Seriously? Should I just kick you?”

“Jaden!” I called louder.

He blinked slowly, squinting at me. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to check on you because I was worried. And clearly, I was right to be.”

He blinked again, staring harder as if trying to focus. “Limah… Oh great… now I’m hallucinating.”

I crossed my arms. “No, you’re not, dummy. And I’m about to beat the ‘J’ out of your name if you don’t sit up in two seconds.”

He stared at me for a moment, a strange smile forming on his lips. “Since I’m probably dreaming… I can do this, right?”

“Do what?”

Before I could react, he leaned forward and kissed me.

My brain froze. Shock didn’t even begin to describe what I felt. Instinctively, I tried to pull away.

“What are you doing?” I gasped.

“What does it look like?” he murmured softly. “I’m kissing you.”

And before I could gather my thoughts, his lips found mine again. This time, the kiss was deeper, slower… more certain.

My heart pounded wildly against my chest. Every warning bell in my mind screamed for me to stop. This was messy. Complicated. A mistake waiting to happen.

Yet… something inside me betrayed my logic.

Because deep down… I didn’t want to pull away.

So, against every rational thought, I made a decision I knew I might regret in the next five minutes.

I kissed him back.

For a moment, the world faded. The messy house, the unanswered questions, the confusion between us — all of it disappeared. There was only the warmth of his hands gently holding my face and the strange comfort his closeness brought.

But reality has a cruel way of returning.

Jaden suddenly froze.

His hands loosened, and he pulled away slowly, his eyes wide with realization. The fog of sleep and emotion cleared from his expression, replaced by something else… panic.

“Limah…” he whispered, his voice barely steady. “You’re… actually here.”