Chapter 3: The Quiet That Followed

The night after I met Kevin, I couldn’t sleep.

I kept replaying that quiet moment on the steps—the way he sat just close enough, the way he didn’t speak much but still made me feel something. His silence had a presence. And it stayed with me longer than I wanted to admit.

It was strange… how someone could make your chest feel too full after just one meeting.

Kevin came into my life like a soft breeze on a stormy day.

I didn’t know much about him then, only that he was a senior—quiet, talented… and way too good-looking.

I didn’t even know he was a top student.

But something about his presence made everything feel a little lighter.

His existence made a big impact on me.

And the weird part was—

I started feeling different… for him.

Not the usual nervousness.

But a kind of fluttery, strange heartbeat that I wasn’t used to feeling for boys.

Was I supposed to feel this?

Was it wrong… or had I just never let myself feel it before?

I found myself thinking about him more than I should.

During school.

At home.

Even in the middle of doing dishes.

And at home, things weren’t getting any better.

My mother’s health was falling apart.

She barely smiled anymore—she was just floating in sadness.

And my father… the man I used to look up to like a superhero…

He had become someone I barely recognized.

His addiction to gambling had ruined everything we had built as a family.

My favorite person was now a stranger who caused most of our pain.

So I made a decision.

I needed to take responsibility.

For my mother, for our bills, for our survival.

I started looking for part-time jobs.

Something—anything—to keep us from drowning.

But even as I tried to stay strong, Kevin’s face kept showing up in the back of my mind.

His hoodie.

His tired eyes.

That small smile.

The next day, I went back to the library steps.

Just hoping.

And he wasn’t there.

I sat anyway. Headphones on. Music low. Heart loud.

Then I noticed something tucked into the step—a folded paper.

A sketch. Of me.

Knees up. Hoodie on. Earbuds in.

And a tiny heart drawn in the corner.

No name. No message.

But I knew who it was from.

I couldn’t breathe for a second.

Because in that drawing, I felt seen.

Like someone had looked at me—not through me.

And that made me feel things I wasn’t ready for.

I didn’t know who I was anymore.

But I knew Kevin was different.

And the way he made me feel… it was real.

Kevin wasn’t just a stranger.

He was the first person who made me question everything.

And somehow, even in the quiet, I already knew—

He was going to change everything.

In my mind...

Kevin took a huge place...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***