Chapter:2 Late Night Teasing and Miss Arunachal Night

That night after Leon’s performance, Leona lay in bed scrolling through her phone. Her mind kept replaying the awkward yet sweet moments from earlier.

A notification popped up. It was Leon.

"WTH — your singer got flopped tonight 😂"

Leona chuckled softly. She replied without thinking, "WTH no… it was a good performance."

His reply came quickly:

"It was my worst performance ever in my life. I wanted to sing raw without using a track, but the sound problem ruined it."

Leona smiled faintly, typing back, "It’s okay… it was good. I got to see you anyway 😂"

There was a pause before Leon replied, "Next time if there’s a chance to perform again, I’ll do it better."

She laughed quietly at her phone. That simple exchange made her heart feel warmer.

"Goodnight," she typed.

"Goodnight," he replied.

---

The next day, Leon had gone to Ziro for shooting. Leona spent her day quietly, occasionally glancing at her phone. That evening, she decided to text him.

"Hey… are you free on 5th October? If yes, let’s go watch Miss Arunachal finale."

Her phone buzzed a few minutes later.

"I will be free… but I don’t have a vehicle 😏"

She smiled, typing back, "I’ll come pick you up."

"Ok… let’s see later. I’ll contact you later," he replied. Then, almost like a tired afterthought,

"Goodnight. I have shooting tomorrow morning."

---

On the morning of 5th October, Leona felt a flutter in her chest. She wanted to confirm the plan again with Leon but hesitated. Vehicle trouble slowed her down too. Eventually, she managed to get her scooty ready. Her friend and little sisters insisted on coming along.

She texted Leon:

"Hey, wanna come?"

"I’m shy around your friends 😏 You go… I won’t come."

Leona smiled, half disappointed, half amused. She shrugged and went with her friend and siblings anyway.

The night was lively — music, laughter, and the buzz of the finale. Around 8 PM, her phone rang. It was Leon.

"Are you still there?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"I’ll come too," he said casually.

Her heart skipped a beat. She felt shy and excited at the same time. She told him to call when he arrived.

She waited. And waited. Until 10 PM. No call. She called him — no answer.

Her little sister yawned, sleepy. She gave up and left.

When she reached home, her phone buzzed. It was Leon.