Chapter 10

The first thing Miu saw every morning wasn’t the sun.

It was Lena.

Or more specifically… a notification from Lena.

Good morning.

Without fail.

Every day.

For months.

Miu would wake up, smile at her phone like an idiot, and reply.

Good morning.

Then Lena would send another message.

Have you eaten?

How’s work?

What are you doing today?

Sometimes photos.

Sometimes a missed call.

Sometimes random complaints about traffic.

Sometimes screenshots of things that reminded her of Miu.

The conversations never stopped.

Not for a day.

Not for a week.

Not for a month.

Somewhere along the way, Miu stopped noticing how strange it was.

How somebody could become part of her routine without ever physically being there.

Lena wasn’t her girlfriend.

Wasn’t her partner.

Wasn’t even available.

Lena had a boyfriend.

Yet somehow…

Miu talked to her more than most couples talked to each other.

The irony wasn’t lost on her.

At first.

Eventually she stopped questioning it.

Stopped questioning why Lena wanted updates about her day.

Stopped questioning why Lena wanted to know where she was.

Stopped questioning why Lena would spam messages if she disappeared for a few hours.

It became… normal.

Everything became normal.

Until one night…

Miu was scrolling through social media when she noticed a familiar username enter her live.

Lena.

Miu smiled.

Immediately.

Pathetically.

The viewers increased by one.

A few seconds later, Lena left.

Miu’s smile faded.

That was weird.

Then her phone vibrated.

“Why aren’t you replying?”

Miu blinked.

Another message.

“I’ve been looking for you.”

Then another.

“Please answer me.

Miu stared.

The live was still running.

Lena had entered.

Realized Miu was there.

Left.

Then searched for her somewhere else.

Just to get her attention.

Miu felt her heart do something dangerous.

Something she immediately tried to ignore.

Because people didn’t do that.

Not casually…

Not normally…

Not unless…

No.

Miu stopped herself.

No.

Lena had a boyfriend.

A boyfriend she constantly complained about.

A boyfriend she constantly fought with.

A boyfriend she constantly cried over.

And every single time…

Miu was there.

Always there.

Lena would call.

Miu would answer.

Lena would cry.

Miu would listen.

Lena would rant.

Miu would stay.

Every fight.

Every misunderstanding.

Every breakup scare.

Every accusation.

Every reconciliation.

Miu knew every detail.

Sometimes she wondered if she knew Lena’s relationship better than Lena herself.

It should’ve been a warning sign.

Instead… it became a habit.

And habits were dangerous.

Because they didn’t feel… dangerous.

They felt comfortable.

They felt safe.

Until one day you woke up and realized you couldn’t imagine your life without them.

The realization hit Miu one random Tuesday afternoon.

No dramatic event.

No grand confession.

No life-changing moment.

Just a notification.

“Look what happened today haha.”

Miu smiled.

Immediately.

Again.

Without thinking.

Without meaning to.

Without control.

And that was when it hit her.

Hard.

The smile disappeared.

Slowly.

Her stomach dropped.

Her chest tightened.

And for the first time…

Miu became terrified of her own feelings.

Because she wasn’t waiting for Lena’s messages anymore.

She was looking for them.

Needing them.

Depending on them.

Missing them.

And the worst part?

Lena had no idea.

No idea that every good morning made Miu’s heart race.

No idea that every “Have you eaten?” stayed in Miu’s mind for hours.

No idea that every time she searched for Miu online, Miu spent the rest of the day wondering why.

No idea that Miu was slowly falling in love with her.

Because Lena was just being Lena.

Sweet.

Attentive.

Present.

Consistent.

Everything Miu had always wanted.

The only problem was… none of it belonged to her.

And somewhere deep down…

Miu already knew that.

She just wasn’t ready to admit it yet.

•••••

Miu tried to convince herself it was just a crush.

A harmless one.

The kind that would disappear if she ignored it long enough.

People got crushes all the time.

People moved on all the time.

This would pass.

It had to.

Because the alternative was ridiculous.

The alternative was admitting that she was falling for a girl who wasn’t hers.

A girl who had never been hers.

A girl who spent half their conversations talking about someone else.

Her boyfriend. Of course.

Miu hated herself for it.

Not the feelings.

The jealousy.

That ugly, embarrassing jealousy that crept in whenever Lena mentioned him.

“We fought again.”

Miu’s jaw tightened.

“He forgot our anniversary.”

Miu looked away from the screen.

“We made up.”

Miu’s mood mysteriously worsened.

“I think we’re okay now.”

Miu suddenly wanted to throw her phone across the room.

Then she’d spend the next hour feeling guilty.

Because Lena wasn’t doing anything wrong.

Lena wasn’t leading her on.

Not intentionally.

Lena wasn’t responsible for feelings she’d never asked for.

So Miu listened.

Every time.

Like she always did.

Until one night…

The call came after midnight.

The moment Miu answered, she heard crying.

Not sniffles.

Not tears.

Crying.

The kind that sounded painful.

Raw.

Broken.

“Miu…”

Her stomach dropped instantly.

“What happened?”

Lena couldn’t answer.

Just sobbed.

Miu sat up in bed.

Her heart pounding.

“Lena.”

Another sob.

Then finally…

“He cheated on me.”

Silence.

Miu felt something ugly rise inside her.

Not happiness.

Never happiness.

Just…

A terrible awareness.

Because her first thought wasn’t concern.

Her first thought was… ‘He’s finally gone’.

The realization made her sick.

She hated herself for it immediately.

Lena was crying.

Actually crying.

And Miu’s heart was busy being… selfish.

So she buried it.

Buried all of it.

And became what she’d always been.

The person Lena needed.

“What happened?”

Lena told her everything.

Every detail.

Every screenshot.

Every lie.

Every excuse.

Every betrayal.

Miu listened.

For hours.

Miu comforted her.

For hours.

Miu stayed.

By the time the sun started rising, Lena’s crying had softened.

“You stayed.”

The words were quiet.

Small.

Like a confession.

Miu closed her eyes.

Of course she stayed.

She always stayed.

“Where else would I be?”

The silence that followed felt dangerous.

Then Lena laughed softly through her tears.

And Miu hated how much that laugh affected her.

The days that followed were worse.

Because Lena needed her more than ever.

Constant messages.

Constant calls.

Constant updates.

And Miu gave everything.

Every ounce of patience.

Every ounce of affection.

Every ounce of emotional energy she had.

Gladly.

Desperately.

Like someone watering a flower that would never belong to her.

Then one random afternoon, Lena sent a message.

A long one.

Miu read it once.

Then again.

Then a third time.

The words blurred.

“What?”

“I slept with someone.”

Miu stared.

“I wanted him to know how it felt.”

Miu felt… cold.

“Maybe that makes me a bad person.”

The room suddenly felt too quiet.

Too small.

Too suffocating.

Because after everything…

After all the crying.

After all the heartbreak.

After all the pain.

Lena had chosen someone else.

Again.

Not Miu.

Someone else.

Miu stared at the message for a long time.

Long enough for Lena to send another.

“Say something.”

Miu swallowed.

Her throat hurt.

What was she supposed to say?

That she had spent months liking someone who couldn’t see her?

That she’d spent months being the safest place Lena knew… while Lena kept running toward everybody else?

That every time Lena broke apart, Miu was there gathering the pieces?

Only to watch Lena hand those pieces to someone else?

Instead she typed…

“Are you okay?”

Because of course she did.

Of course.

Lena wasn’t the one in love.

Lena wasn’t the one breaking.

Miu was.

And nobody knew it.

Not even the person causing it.

That night, Miu stared at their conversation history.

Months.

Thousands upon thousands of messages.

Good mornings.

Good nights.

Random photos.

Calls.

Updates.

Comfort.

Affection.

Attention.

Everything.

It looked so much like love.

That was the problem.

It looked like love.

It felt like love.

But every time life forced Lena to make a choice… the answer was never Miu.

And for the first time… that truth became impossible to ignore.

Miu sat alone in the dark.

Phone glowing in her hands.

Heart aching in her chest.

And quietly…

For the first time… she wondered if liking Lena was becoming the cruelest thing she had ever done to herself.

•••••

The breakup happened three weeks later.

Officially.

Finally.

“I blocked him. It’s over.”

That was Lena’s message.

Miu stared at the screen.

A strange feeling settled in her chest.

Relief.

Hope.

Fear.

All at once.

She hated the hope most of all.

Because she knew better.

Because she should know better.

Yet despite everything… it was there.

Small.

Stupid.

Persistent.

Hope.

Maybe now.

Maybe Lena just needed time.

Maybe.

The word became dangerous.

Lena was single now.

Single.

The fact shouldn’t have mattered.

Yet Miu found herself staring at that reality more often than she cared to admit.

Then the routine continued.

Exactly the same.

Good morning.

Have you eaten?

How’s your day?

Good night.

The same messages.

The same attention.

The same affection.

The same dependence.

Nothing changed.

Except now… there wasn’t a boyfriend.

And that made everything worse.

Because Miu no longer had an excuse.

Weeks passed.

And the hope she’d been trying to kill started breathing again.

Louder.

Stronger.

Maybe Lena just needed time.

Maybe Lena was healing.

Maybe Lena wasn’t ready yet.

Maybe…

Maybe.

One night, Miu found herself rereading old conversations.

Looking for clues.

Looking for signs.

Looking for something.

Anything.

A hidden meaning.

A confession she missed.

Some indication that she wasn’t imagining everything.

The human mind was cruel like that.

It could turn breadcrumbs into a feast.

It could turn attention into affection.

It could turn loneliness into love.

And Miu was guilty of all three.

Then came the live.

The moment she couldn’t stop thinking about.

Miu had joined a social media live with friends.

Laughing.

Talking.

Distracted.

For once.

Then Lena entered.

Miu noticed immediately.

Of course she did.

She always noticed.

The username appeared.

Stayed for less than a minute.

Then disappeared.

A few moments later, her phone vibrated.

“Why aren’t you replying?”

Miu blinked.

Another message.

“I’ve been messaging you.”

Another.

“Hello???”

Miu stared.

Then looked back at the live.

Then back at the messages.

Something inside her twisted painfully.

Because nobody was forcing Lena to do this.

Nobody was forcing Lena to search for her.

Nobody was forcing Lena to care where she was.

Nobody was forcing Lena to need her attention.

And yet… she did.

Every time.

Every single time.

It would’ve been easier if Lena didn’t care.

It would’ve been easier if Lena was cold.

It would’ve been easier if Lena ignored her.

But Lena didn’t.

Lena cared just enough to make leaving impossible.

And not enough to stay.

That night Miu couldn’t sleep.

She kept replaying everything.

Every conversation.

Every message.

Every call.

Every moment.

Until one horrifying thought entered her mind.

And refused to leave.

What if this never changes?

Miu froze.

What if another month passes?

And nothing changes?

What if two years pass?

Three?

Five?

What if she keeps waiting?

Keeps hoping?

Keeps liking?

While Lena keeps taking comfort from her without ever realizing what she’s doing?

The thought made her feel sick.

Because suddenly she could see it.

A future.

A sad one.

Lena dating someone new.

Calling Miu about it.

Asking Miu for advice.

Asking Miu for comfort.

Asking Miu for support.

And Miu staying.

Like always.

Destroying herself quietly.

Like always.

The realization hit so hard she sat upright in bed.

No.

She couldn’t do this anymore.

She couldn’t keep pretending this was healthy.

Couldn’t keep pretending she was okay.

Couldn’t keep calling it friendship when every message felt like hope.

Couldn’t keep waiting for something that might never happen.

For the first time…

Miu decided… to choose herself.

The next morning Lena sent her usual message.

“Good morning.”

Miu stared at it.

Then placed her phone face down.

Hours passed.

The message remained unanswered.

By noon another appeared.

“Busy?”

Miu didn’t reply.

By evening…

“Are you okay? Where are you?”

Nothing.

The next day…

“Miu?”

Still nothing.

The third day…

“Did I do something wrong?”

Miu nearly broke.

That message almost shattered every ounce of resolve she had left.

Because Lena sounded… scared.

Genuinely scared.

And Miu wanted nothing more than to reassure her.

To answer.

To comfort her.

To tell her everything was okay.

But everything wasn’t okay.

That was the problem.

Nothing had been okay for a long time.

Miu stared at the messages.

Then slowly opened their conversation.

Her thumb hovered over the keyboard.

Trembling.

Because after months of being attached and eventually liking Lena…

After months of probably falling…

After months of hoping…

After months of waiting… she finally understood something.

This wasn’t about whether Lena loved her back.

It was about whether Miu loved herself enough… to stop bleeding for someone who never noticed she was wounded.

And for the first time… she wasn’t sure she could stay silent anymore.

•••••

On the fourth day, Miu replied.

Just three words.

“Can we talk?”

The response came immediately.

As if Lena had been staring at her phone.

“Please.”

Miu closed her eyes.

Of course.

Of course Lena replied immediately.

The same way she always did.

The same way she always looked for her.

The same way she always cared.

The same way she always hurt her.

The call connected.

Neither spoke.

For several seconds, all Miu could hear was breathing.

Then…

“Are you angry at me?”

Lena’s voice sounded fragile.

Scared.

Miu almost smiled.

Almost.

Because that question would’ve been so much easier.

Anger was simple.

Anger healed.

Anger faded.

What Miu felt wasn’t anger.

It would’ve been a blessing if it was.

“No.”

The answer came quietly.

Too quietly.

And somehow that seemed to frighten Lena more.

Another silence.

Then…

“Did I do something wrong?”

Miu looked away.

The question landed somewhere deep inside her chest.

Because the answer was complicated.

No.

And yes.

And neither.

Lena hadn’t done anything wrong.

Not intentionally.

Not consciously.

Not maliciously.

But people didn’t have to be cruel to hurt you.

Sometimes they just had to be unaware.

“Miu…”

The concern in Lena’s voice made everything worse.

Always worse.

Because Lena cared.

God.

She cared.

That was the problem.

Not enough to choose her.

But enough to make leaving feel impossible.

“Miu, please talk to me.”

Miu laughed softly.

A tired laugh.

A broken one.

And for the first time, Lena sounded genuinely alarmed.

“Why are you laughing?”

Miu swallowed.

Because the truth was absurd.

Months.

Months of this.

Months of pretending.

Months of lying to herself.

Months of hoping.

And now she was finally here.

Standing at the edge of something she already knew would destroy her.

“I need to tell you something.”

Silence.

Lena waited.

Miu’s heart pounded so hard it hurt.

Then she said it.

“I like you.”

The words left her mouth.

Simple.

Quiet.

Irreversible.

Silence.

The kind that immediately tells you everything.

Not because of what was said.

Because of what wasn’t.

Miu closed her eyes.

There it is.

There it is.

The answer.

Not spoken.

But there.

Loud enough.

“Miu…”

Her voice cracked.

And somehow that hurt more than outright rejection.

Because Lena sounded devastated.

Not shocked.

Not disgusted.

Devastated.

As if Miu had handed her something precious she couldn’t keep.

Miu felt tears burn behind her eyes.

“I know.”

The words escaped before Lena could continue.

“Miu, please—“

“I know.”

Because she did.

She knew.

If Lena felt the same way, there would’ve been no silence.

No hesitation.

No heartbreak in her voice.

Just certainty.

But there wasn’t.

Only grief.

The grief of somebody realizing they were about to lose someone important.

And Miu suddenly understood exactly what role she had been playing all along.

Not a lover.

Not a future.

Not a possibility.

Something else.

Something safer.

Something easier.

“Miu…”

Lena was crying now.

Miu could hear it.

And every tear felt like another crack forming in her chest.

“You should’ve told me.”

Miu laughed again.

This time it sounded painful.

“When?”

The question slipped out before she could stop it.

“When was I supposed to tell you?”

Silence.

Miu continued.

“When you were crying over him?”

Silence.

“When you were trying to fix your relationship?”

Silence.

“When you were telling me how much he hurt you?”

Silence.

“When you slept with someone else?”

Silence.

“There was never a place for me in those conversations, Lena.”

Her voice cracked.

“I was in all of them.”

She laughed bitterly.

“I just wasn’t the person you were talking about.”

The silence became unbearable.

“Miu…”

“No.”

For the first time, she interrupted.

Because if she stopped now, she’d never finish.

“You don’t get to make me feel guilty for not saying anything.”

Lena sobbed quietly.

And Miu hated herself for making her cry.

Even now.

Even now.

“I’m not blaming you.”

And she meant it.

That was the worst part.

“I’m really not.”

Because Lena never promised her anything.

Never confessed.

Never lied.

Never asked her to wait.

The tragedy wasn’t deception.

The tragedy was hope.

Hope that Miu created herself.

Hope that grew every time Lena searched for her.

Every time Lena wanted her attention.

Every time Lena needed her.

Until Miu forgot the difference between… being needed and being loved.

And now she was finally paying the price.

“I just…”

Her voice broke.

The first crack.

The first one.

And it nearly destroyed her.

“I just needed to stop pretending.”

Silence.

Then finally…

“Miu…”

Lena’s voice shattered.

And Miu already knew.

Already knew what was coming.

Before Lena even said it.

Because some sentences announced themselves long before they arrived.

“I care about you.”

Miu smiled through tears.

Of course she did.

That had never been the question.

Lena cared enough to look for her.

Cared enough to notice when she disappeared.

Cared enough to miss her.

Cared enough to need her.

But people could build entire homes inside your heart and still choose to live somewhere else.

And that was what Miu had been trying not to understand.

“I care about you so much.”

Miu nodded.

The words hurt because she believed them.

Every single one.

If Lena had been lying, this would’ve been easier.

If Lena had used her, manipulated her, led her on, Miu could’ve hated her.

Instead she had to grieve someone kind.

Someone who had loved her deeply.

Just not in the direction she needed.

“I don’t want to lose you.”

Miu closed her eyes.

Months ago those words would’ve felt like hope.

Now they felt like a locked door.

Because she finally understood something.

Lena was terrified of losing her.

Not because she wanted a future with her.

Because she couldn’t imagine life without her.

The difference was small.

Cruelly small.

But it was there.

One was love.

The other was comfort.

Miu had spent months mistaking one for the other.

“You don’t want to lose me.”

Her voice shook.

“But you don’t want me.”

The silence that followed felt endless.

Then Lena cried.

And somehow that hurt more than hearing no.

Miu looked down at her hands.

They were shaking.

“You know…”

Her voice came out quieter than intended.

“I think that’s the problem.”

Silence.

Lena didn’t speak.

Didn’t interrupt.

Didn’t deny it.

The words landed heavily between them.

Neither moved.

Neither breathed.

Nothing.

Then a broken sob.

“Miu…”

And somehow that was answer enough.

For months she’d searched for certainty.

For answers.

For signs.

For something.

Anything.

Now she finally had it.

And it hurt exactly as much as she’d imagined.

Maybe more.

“I spent so much time trying to understand you.”

Her voice trembled.

“I kept wondering why you always looked for me.”

A tear slid down her cheek.

“I kept wondering why you always needed me.”

Another.

“I kept wondering why you always wanted my attention.”

Lena cried harder.

But Miu kept going.

Because if she stopped now, she’d never finish.

“I thought maybe…”

Her laugh cracked.

“I thought maybe it meant something.”

“It did.”

The response came instantly.

Desperately.

Painfully.

“It did mean something.”

Miu nodded.

Even though Lena couldn’t see it.

“I know.”

And she believed her.

That was the worst part.

She believed every word.

“It meant something.”

“It just wasn’t the same thing it meant to me.”

Silence.

Absolute silence.

Then another sob.

And suddenly Miu wasn’t angry anymore.

Wasn’t heartbroken anymore.

Just sad.

So unbelievably sad.

For both of them.

Because Lena was losing someone important too.

Just differently.

“I think…”

Miu took a shaky breath.

“I think I became your safe place.”

The words settled between them quietly.

Not an accusation.

Just the truth.

“I became the person you called.”

“The person you looked for.”

“The person who stayed.”

“The person you couldn’t lose.”

Her smile trembled.

“Just never the person you chose.”

Miu swallowed.

“And I loved being that person.”

Her voice cracked.

“I loved every message.”

“Every call.”

“Every good morning.”

“Every time you searched for me.”

Lena started crying harder.

But Miu kept going.

“That’s why this hurts.”

“Not because none of it meant anything.”

A tear slid down her cheek.

“Because it meant everything to me.”

“And something completely different to you.”

“I just don’t think I can be that person anymore.”

The crying on the other end became quiet.

Almost defeated.

Almost accepting.

“Miu…”

“I know.”

Another silence.

Then Lena whispered.

“I’m sorry.”

Miu’s chest tightened.

Not because of the apology.

Because of how genuine it sounded.

How broken.

How sincere.

“I’m sorry too.”

“For what?”

Miu looked at their conversation.

Thousands of messages.

Good mornings.

Good nights.

Random updates.

Calls.

Tiny moments that had slowly taught her to reach for Lena before she reached for anyone else.

She smiled sadly.

“For building a life around someone who never knew they were becoming my whole life.”

Lena broke completely.

A sob escaping so suddenly it sounded painful.

And Miu felt her own tears return.

Because maybe that was true.

Or maybe it wasn’t.

Maybe there would’ve never been a right time.

Maybe some people were only meant to change your life.

Not stay in it.

The thought hurt.

But it also felt strangely freeing.

They stayed on the call for a little longer.

Neither speaking.

Neither wanting to hang up.

Both knowing they had to.

Finally…

“Miu?”

“Yeah?”

A pause.

Then…

“Thank you.”

Miu closed her eyes.

The words nearly shattered what little strength she had left.

Because that was it.

That was the ending.

Not a confession returned.

Not a miracle.

Not a happy ending.

Just gratitude.

For all the love that existed.

And all the love that couldn’t.

Miu smiled through tears.

“Goodbye, Lena. You take care.

Silence.

A sharp inhale.

Then a whisper.

“Goodbye.”

The call ended.

And for the first time in months… there were no more words left to say.

•••••

The screen went dark.

Just like that.

Months ended with a click.

No dramatic music.

No final confession.

No miracle.

Just silence.

Miu stared at her phone.

Waiting.

Not for a message.

Not for a call.

Not even for Lena.

Just…

Waiting.

As if her body hadn’t realized it was over yet.

The chat remained open.

Their conversation sitting quietly on the screen.

A monument to something that had never existed.

And something that had.

At the same time.

Miu scrolled up.

Slowly.

A message from months ago.

“Good morning.”

Another.

“Have you eaten?”

Another.

“Where are you?”

Another.

“Please answer me.”

Miu smiled weakly.

There had been so many messages.

So many pieces of a life they’d built together.

Thousands of words.

Thousands.

And somehow none of them had been the ones she needed.

A laugh escaped her.

Small.

Broken.

She remembered how excited she used to get.

How one notification could brighten an entire day.

How one message could keep her smiling for hours.

How pathetic she felt admitting that now.

Yet she wouldn’t take it back.

Not a single second.

Not even the painful parts.

Because Lena had made her happy.

That was the cruel thing.

People always talked about heartbreak like it erased everything good.

It didn’t.

The good parts remained.

That’s what made leaving difficult.

The memories stayed.

The affection stayed.

The love stayed.

You just had to leave anyway.

A tear slid down her cheek.

Then another.

Then another.

Miu didn’t wipe them away this time.

She simply sat there.

Alone.

Crying for something she never really had.

And mourning it as if she had lost everything.

Maybe she had.

Her thumb hovered over the chat.

For a long moment she couldn’t move.

Couldn’t breathe.

Couldn’t think.

Because one part of her still wanted to stay.

Still wanted to answer tomorrow’s message.

Still wanted another good morning.

Another update.

Another conversation.

Another chance.

Just one more.

Then another.

Then another.

Until days passed.

And suddenly she was right back where she started.

Waiting.

Hoping.

Loving.

Unchosen.

Miu closed her eyes.

No.

Not this time.

Not anymore.

Slowly… she archived the conversation.

The chat disappeared.

And the emptiness that followed felt unbearable.

The screen looked wrong.

Too clean.

Too quiet.

Too empty.

Miu stared at it.

A fresh wave of grief hitting her so hard she almost reopened everything.

Almost.

But she didn’t.

Because some doors had to stay closed if you ever wanted to heal.

Her phone vibrated.

For one terrifying second, her heart stopped.

Lena.

Miu looked.

A food delivery notification.

Nothing else.

The disappointment arrived before the relief.

She laughed.

Then immediately cried harder.

Because there it was.

The final humiliation.

Hope.

Still alive.

Still refusing to d*e.

Even after everything.

Especially after everything.

The room felt impossibly quiet.

Miu placed her phone down.

Then lay back against her pillow.

Staring at the ceiling.

The tears came slower now.

Exhausted.

Like her.

And somewhere in the middle of the silence, a realization finally settled inside her.

Lena had loved her.

Just not the way she needed.

Just not the way she deserved.

And neither of those things made Lena a bad person.

It only made them incompatible.

The truth hurt.

But for the first time… it didn’t destroy her.

Because another truth existed too.

A simpler one.

A kinder one.

One she had ignored for weeks.

Maybe months.

Miu deserved to be chosen too.

Not searched for.

Not needed.

Not depended on.

Chosen.

Completely.

Freely.

Without hesitation.

The thought made her cry again.

But this time for a different reason.

This time it felt like relief.

Slowly, she reached for her phone.

Opened her notes.

And typed a single sentence.

A promise.

To herself.

The last thing she would ever write about Lena.

The last thing she needed to remember.

Miu stared at the words for a long time before locking her screen.

Then finally…

Finally… she let herself sleep.

And for the first time in months… she stopped waiting for a message that was never coming.

The note remained on her phone.

Unread by anyone else.

A goodbye…

And a lesson…

And that was…

Being needed isn’t being loved.

The hardest people to leave… are the ones who love you almost enough.

•••••

Author’s Note:

Not all attention is love. Not all effort is love. Not all affection is love. And not all love is returned. So always protect your heart.

Feel free to leave a 🌟 or a comment if this felt familiar.