The Questions

Ding!

Not long after, a reply came from Ray, asking, "Who is that?"

'Hm? It's rare that he even asks.' Althea thought.

Ray is someone who is so indifferent towards other people. He doesn't sympathize with other's happiness nor sadness, and he doesn't care about other people's choices nor opinions as long as it doesn't harm him. Basically, he's the real embodiment of the picture he sent to Althea the other day- someone who absolutely doesn't give a f**k to any problems- be it his or the other's. Even now, after they have been contacting each other for around a month, Ray never asked anything first. And weirdly enough, Althea is really comfortable with his indifferent attitude. It made her feel relieved of the thought of bothering someone else. But due to this, it feels even weirder that Ray suddenly asked about people in her video.

"My student council members." Althea said. In the meantime, Karin came to her and they went to walk to their designated place to sleep.

"And who is the guy close to you?" another message from Ray came which made Althea raised her eyebrows.

'What storm is coming today? Why does he keep asking?'

Telling herself that she was just overthinking, Althea replied, "Him? He is Lucas. The leader of my organization that I told you about."

Ray read her message but no reply came even after waiting until she was going to sleep. It was no wonder for Althea, though. Ray is not someone talkative in the first place and he wouldn't answer more than what is necessary, so he used to be the one who ends their conversation.

Thinking that way, she put her phone away and went to sleep. Tomorrow is an important day for her, after all.

"Take care and be safe." as she slept, a message was finally received from Ray.

***

It was the day of the school festival. Althea had been preparing to organize what she's going to do today since early morning.

Due to habit, she sent Ray a good morning greeting even though she knows it's still time to sleep in Ray's place.

"Good morning." Unexpectedly, Ray replied.

Althea was feeling happy as she wondered how is he able to reply when he usually doesn't.

"It's rare for you to reply at this hour. Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" Althea asked.

"I couldn't sleep."

"You couldn't sleep? For the whole night?"

"Yes."

Althea felt a bit worried. Ray said he had been having insomnia since long ago, making him only able to sleep for 3-4 hours a day, sometimes even less. But it's the first time for her to know he's unable to sleep at all.

"Why couldn't you get any sleep?" Althea asked. However, before she could get the answer, the other members have already searched for her as it's time they needed to get to work.

Still feeling worried, she recorded a video of herself saying she needed to go, asked for good luck and told Ray to get some sleep. Not taking a second longer, she went to organize the performers who were scheduled to perform during the celebration.

After 3 hours of running all over the school to coordinate the event, she got some break and decided to check up on Ray's condition, only to find a few unanswered messages.

'Why did he send me so many messages?'

Opening up her phone, she saw five consecutive messages being sent at different times.

"Hey Thea"

"Idk what's wrong with me."

"But I have been feeling restless since yesterday."

"My heart aches."

"What's wrong with me?"

Althea was stunned. Ray was never this conflicted about something. Even if it's a big decision, he would never falter and decisively choose an option he thinks is best for him. If he feels uneasy he will get rid of it forcefully, not letting it get in his studies nor work. And even when he is sick, he never uttered a word of whine for it simply doesn't matter to him. So how can he become like this in one night?

Althea was nervous thinking if there was something bad happening on his side. She checked the time left for her break and quickly replied, "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I don't know. I just feel so restless." Ray replied immediately.

"Try to remember what you were doing yesterday or if anything different happen to you, do you have any idea why you're restless?" Althea asked.

"No idea." He typed again, "But do you know what makes me felt a bit calmer?"

"What is it?"

"Watching the video you sent me this morning over and over again."

"I've been replaying it countless times since you left. I also listened to all the audio messages you've sent me before."

"That was the only way I could calm down."

Althea was shocked at the unexpected answer and felt her heart beating faster and faster by the second as cold sweat trickling down her forehead.

'Watching my videos he said?'

'For three straight hours, he watched that?'

'And replaying all the audio messages I sent him?' Althea felt her breath hitched for a second. Her mind is trying hard to think and rationalize what was just said.

'Am I overthinking it?' Althea bit her lower lip.

'No, no. But if he's restless and the only source of calm was me, then...' Althea was surprised at her own conclusion. Even though she had experiences of being confessed to by some people, it doesn't change her tendency to feel that she's a nobody. She's not that confident of being truly loved, considering how she grew up with the ridiculing words of her mother. But setting that aside...

'Isn't this too scary?'

'He sounds like someone who is obsessed--- and with me of all people? So suddenly??'