It was Sunday, April 20th, 2035.

The sun peeked through the curtains, spilling soft golden light into the room as Luna stirred awake. She blinked a few times, adjusting to the brightness, then groaned as she sat up. Sundays were supposed to be lazy, but not for her—not today.

She dragged herself out of bed, her bare feet touching the cold floor. With a quick shower and a simple outfit—a loose hoodie, leggings, and her worn-out sneakers—she tied her hair up in a bun and checked the list she’d scribbled onto her smart device.

Groceries. A lot of them.

She stepped outside and instantly felt the buzz of the city. Hovering vehicles zipped by above the streets in neat lines, glowing blue undercarriages shimmering as they moved. Luna sighed, tightening her grip on her bag. She didn’t own a hover car, just a basic ground cruiser—and now she’d have to deal with traffic.

As soon as she joined the main road, her frustration bloomed.

“Sigh~ this is bullshit,” she muttered, smacking the steering wheel lightly with her palm.

Of course, there was traffic. Hover lanes were packed, and the ground cruisers were at a crawl. Everyone had decided Sunday was grocery day, apparently. She leaned back in her seat, muttering complaints under her breath, until finally—twenty long, agonizing minutes later—the congestion eased up.

She rushed through the store, tossing items into her cart like a pro. Pasta, canned goods, synthetic meats, veggies in sealed freshness pods, water filters, snacks, instant noodles, cleaning supplies—basically anything that might save her a future trip. She didn’t want to come back out for at least a week.

By the time she got home, her arms ached from hauling bags up the stairs—her building’s elevator was still broken.

Kicking the door shut behind her, she groaned, dropping the bags onto the kitchen floor. She took a deep breath, letting the quietness of home settle around her. Groceries—check. But the place was a mess. Clothes on the couch, dust on the shelves, dishes in the sink.

She cleaned everything—mopped the floors, wiped every surface, even organized her closet. Eventually, her path led her to the attic, which she hadn't touched in years.

Just as Luna finished sweeping the dusty floorboards, she noticed a box tucked away in the corner under a sheet.

“What's this?” she muttered, wiping her hands on her pants before opening it.

Curious, she pulled out old belongings—photo albums, journals, gadgets from the early 2020s. Nostalgia hit hard. Her fingers brushed over everything gently, like touching pieces of her past. Then, beneath a stack of old books, she spotted it—her laptop.

The thing looked ancient. Scratched up, dusty, and covered in stickers that had long since faded.

“It probably won’t even turn on,” she murmured, holding it like a fragile memory.

Still, she couldn’t resist. She hurried downstairs with it in her arms, heart oddly excited. She found a plug that matched and connected it, then pressed the power button.

“Bztt—”

The screen flickered to life, low hum filling the room.

She gasped and smiled. “It’s still working.”

The desktop loaded slowly, but eventually, she was greeted with the familiar layout of her teenage years. Her eyes lit up as she scrolled through old folders—photos from high school, blurry selfies with friends, silly short stories, saved games, even chat logs.

Then her eyes landed on something strange. An icon she didn’t recognize. A dark-colored app titled: Offline.

“What’s this? I don’t remember having this here…” she murmured to herself, frowning a little. Maybe she downloaded it years ago and just forgot?

She clicked it open, expecting nothing…

But a single message appeared in the center of the screen. One line.

“. Oh! Someone's online, How are you. —Cj_Offline”

Her breath caught in her throat.

“…What the hell?”

Luna stared at the screen, blinking like she’d just imagined it.

CJ_Offline: “Oh! Someone’s online, how are you.”

The message sat there, simple, almost innocent. But it didn’t make sense. She didn’t remember downloading this app, much less using it. The logo looked old, like something designed before sleek UIs became the norm—chunky buttons, retro typeface, dark background. There was no indication of a server, no logo from a tech company. Just Offline.

Her brow furrowed. “Okay... weird.”

She leaned forward, fingers hesitating above the keyboard. Against her better judgment, she typed a response.

Luna: Uh... hi? I didn’t think this app even worked

A pause. She watched the screen, unsure why her heart beat faster with every second.

Then—

CJ_Offline is typing…

Her stomach did a little flip.

CJ_Offline: No way. You’re real? Thought I was shouting into a void.

Luna: You probably are.

CJ_Offline: Rude.

CJ_Offline: I’m CJ. And clearly, I have excellent timing. Who are you?

Luna smirked despite herself.

Luna: Luna. And I don’t remember installing this app, so... either you’re a very persistent ghost or I’m going crazy.

CJ_Offline: If I’m a ghost, I’m the charming kind. The ones you fall in love with in sad indie movies.

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips.

Luna: That’s exactly what a ghost would say.

CJ_Offline: Sh*t. You caught me. Boo.

She laughed softly, staring at the flickering screen. There was something oddly comforting about the conversation, like finding an old diary you didn’t know you needed to read.

Luna: So… how’d you end up on here?

CJ_Offline: Boredom. Curiosity. The usual. It was just sitting there on my computer, and I figured, why not? Didn’t expect a reply though.

Luna: Same. I found this laptop in my attic today. It’s ancient. I didn’t think it’d even power on.

CJ_Offline: Well, thank god for ancient tech, huh?

Luna: Don’t push it. I might ghost you.

CJ_Offline: Please. You’d miss me in five minutes.

Luna bit her lip, trying not to grin like a fool. The conversation flowed so easily it was almost unsettling. She didn’t even know this guy—CJ—and yet, it felt... nice. Like finding an old friend in the middle of nowhere.

Just a fluke, she told herself. Just a random chat on a forgotten app. Nothing weird.

Nothing magical.

She closed the laptop halfway and rested her chin on her knees, thinking.

Maybe she’d message him again tomorrow. Maybe not.

But when the screen dimmed, she already missed the little blinking text:

CJ_Offline is typing…

She closed the laptop halfway and rested her chin on her knees, thinking.

Maybe she’d message him again tomorrow. Maybe not.

But when the screen dimmed, she already missed the little blinking text:

CJ_Offline is typing…

She sighed and leaned back, arms wrapped around her legs. There was something odd about this whole thing, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. The way he typed, the way he spoke—it didn’t feel like a bot or a troll. He felt... real.

Too real.

And something about that made her stomach twist—in a good way.

Luna didn’t know what she had just stepped into.

But part of her already wanted to dive deeper.

Just one more message couldn’t hurt… right?

Luna paced the length of her apartment, laptop resting open on the kitchen counter as she kept glancing at the screen.

Another message blinked onto the Offline app.

CJ_Offline: You disappeared for a whole hour. I was about to send a search party. Or just cry a little.

Luna smirked, fingers flying across the keyboard.

Luna: You? Crying? I thought you were the “strong and silent” type.

CJ_Offline: Silent, yeah. Strong? Only when lifting pizza boxes.

She chuckled, flopping onto the couch. It was bizarre, how fast she’d grown used to these chats. There was a rhythm to it now. A comfort.

She grabbed her drink and sipped, eyes never leaving the screen. The hum of the old laptop, the flicker of the interface—it all felt… cozy. Familiar. And CJ? God, he made her laugh like no one else in a while.

Luna: Well, I just cleaned the whole damn apartment AND braved the Sunday grocery war. If anyone should be crying, it’s me.

CJ_Offline: You survived. That’s hot.

Also, I'm proud. Did you get snacks at least? Or are we doomed to suffer in bland dinner land?

Luna: Got noodles. And chocolate. Priorities.

CJ_Offline: Marry me.

Luna stared at the screen, startled by the line. She blinked once. Twice.

Then smiled.

Luna:

You flirt like a 90s rom-com hero.

CJ_Offline:

Well, this app kinda gives me 90s energy. If we’re stuck in nostalgia, might as well play the part.

She leaned her head back, eyes wandering across the ceiling. What was this? A digital ghost? A stranger who felt weirdly… not strange?

He never asked for her number. Never tried to video call. Just… chatted. And listened. And teased. And made her feel like the days weren’t as lonely.

CJ_Offline:

So what’s the verdict? Did I win you over yet?

Luna:

Not even close.

CJ_Offline:

Liar.

She laughed again, cheeks flushing for no reason at all.

“God, this is stupid,” she muttered to herself, yet her fingers kept typing.

Luna:

Okay. A little. Maybe.

A beat passed before his reply came.

CJ_Offline:

Good. That’s all I needed to hear.

"that's all I needed to hear? she muttered

The air around her felt warmer somehow. The light from the screen bathed her face in soft blue. Outside, the city buzzed on, uncaring.

Luna opened a snack bar, chewing quietly as she stared at the last message.

Why did she feel like she’d known him forever?

Why did this feel so easy?

Her gaze drifted to the corner of the screen. No time stamps. No notifications. Just the app, floating in its eerie simplicity.

She hesitated, then typed again.

Luna:

You never told me what “CJ” stands for.

CJ_Offline:

And ruin the mystery? NLun

Luna:

You’re impossible.

CJ_Offline:

But charming.

Luna:

Debatable.

CJ_Offline:

Admit it. You’d miss me if I vanished.

Her heart skipped.

She didn’t answer right away.

Her fingers hovered over the keys, uncertain.

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