The moment Saki's door opened, she vanished from the window.
Not slowly.
Not gracefully.
Just—gone.
Like a ninja who had spent years preparing for this exact moment.
I stared at the empty window.
My phone vibrated like it was having a panic attack.
> Saki:
EMERGENCY.
> Me:
STATUS.
> Saki:
GRANDFATHER ENTERED ROOM.
I crouched again instinctively.
Even though he absolutely could not see me.
> Me:
WHY WOULD HE ENTER YOUR ROOM AT MIDNIGHT?!
> Saki:
I DON'T KNOW.
> Saki:
HE SAID "Saki?"
> Saki:
I PRETENDED TO BE SLEEPING.
I blinked.
> Me:
You were literally standing at the window two seconds ago.
> Saki:
I MOVED FAST.
> Me:
Olympic level.
> Saki:
This is not the time.
---
I slowly stood up again and carefully peeked toward her window.
Her room light was still on.
But the curtain was closed now.
I could see two shadows moving faintly.
My phone buzzed again.
> Saki:
He's asking why my light was on.
> Me:
WHAT DID YOU SAY.
Three dots appeared.
Paused.
Appeared again.
> Saki:
I said I was studying.
I nodded.
Solid excuse.
Then another message arrived.
> Saki:
He asked why I was standing near the window.
I froze.
> Me:
ABORT.
> Saki:
TOO LATE.
> Me:
WHAT DID YOU SAY.
Long pause.
Very long pause.
Then—
> Saki:
I said I was checking the weather.
I stared at the phone.
Slowly.
> Me:
…through a closed window.
> Saki:
DON'T ANALYZE IT.
> Me:
I HAVE TO.
> Saki:
STOP.
---
I heard something outside.
A small noise from the street.
My heart immediately jumped again.
I leaned out slightly and looked around.
Nothing.
Just the quiet neighborhood and streetlights.
My phone buzzed again.
> Saki:
He's looking around my room.
> Me:
WHY.
> Saki:
I DON'T KNOW.
> Saki:
HE JUST DOES THAT SOMETIMES.
> Me:
THAT'S TERRIFYING.
> Saki:
I KNOW.
---
Across the street, the curtain moved slightly again.
Just a tiny bit.
Saki's face appeared for half a second.
Then disappeared again.
My phone buzzed.
> Saki:
I think he's suspicious.
> Me:
Of what.
> Saki:
EVERYTHING.
That felt accurate.
Very accurate.
Then another message came.
> Saki:
Wait.
> Saki:
He's walking toward the window.
My entire body froze.
> Me:
NO.
> Saki:
YES.
> Me:
I'M HIDING.
I immediately ducked down below my window again.
Completely invisible from outside.
My phone buzzed again.
> Saki:
WHY ARE YOU HIDING.
> Me:
SURVIVAL.
> Saki:
HE CAN'T EVEN SEE YOUR HOUSE FROM THIS ANGLE.
I slowly stopped moving.
Then sighed.
> Me:
I panicked.
> Saki:
I noticed.
---
A few seconds passed.
Then my phone buzzed again.
> Saki:
He opened the curtain.
My heart jumped again.
> Me:
DO NOT LET HIM SEE ME.
> Saki:
HE CAN'T.
> Me:
GOOD.
Then—
Another message.
> Saki:
…he's looking outside.
I froze again.
> Me:
WHY.
> Saki:
I DON'T KNOW.
> Me:
THIS MAN HAS DETECTIVE INSTINCTS.
> Saki:
STOP PANICKING.
> Me:
I AM BEYOND PANICKING.
---
Then suddenly—
The light in Saki's room turned off.
Completely.
Her window went dark.
My phone buzzed again.
> Saki:
Phase two.
> Me:
WHAT IS PHASE TWO.
> Saki:
Pretend to sleep.
> Me:
I SUPPORT THIS PLAN.
> Saki:
He told me to sleep.
> Me:
Good.
> Saki:
But he didn't leave yet.
I stared at the phone.
> Me:
WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE DIDN'T LEAVE.
> Saki:
He's just standing there.
> Me:
WHY.
> Saki:
I DON'T KNOW.
> Saki:
I THINK HE'S THINKING.
That was somehow worse.
Much worse.
---
Minutes passed.
Long ones.
Then my phone buzzed again.
> Saki:
He finally left.
I exhaled loudly and leaned against the wall.
> Me:
I survived.
> Saki:
Barely.
> Me:
Your house is more dangerous than a battlefield.
> Saki:
You're the one who started window operations.
> Me:
Worth it.
She didn't reply for a few seconds.
Then—
> Saki:
…yeah.
I slowly stood up again and peeked toward her window.
Still dark.
But a moment later—
The curtain moved slightly again.
And Saki appeared once more.
Phone glowing in her hands.
My phone buzzed.
> Saki:
That was close.
> Me:
Extremely.
Then she sent another message.
> Saki:
Also.
Pause.
> Saki:
If my grandfather finds out we were talking through windows at midnight…
I swallowed.
> Me:
We'll be interrogated again.
> Saki:
No.
Another message came.
> Saki:
This time it'll be worse.
I looked up again.
Saki was still standing there at the window, the room behind her dark now except for the faint light from the street outside.
Her phone lit up her face softly.
My phone buzzed.
> Saki:
My heart is still beating really fast.
> Me:
Same.
> Saki:
I thought he caught me.
> Me:
I thought I was going to be interrogated through the window.
She covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing.
Then looked back down at her phone.
> Saki:
That would actually happen.
> Me:
Please don't give him ideas.
For a moment neither of us typed.
We just stood there.
Across the quiet street.
The world felt strangely still.
Then my phone buzzed again.
> Saki:
You know…
> Saki:
When you told me to come to the window, I thought something serious happened.
> Me:
It was serious.
> Saki:
Oh?
> Me:
I wanted to see if you were still alive after today.
She looked up immediately.
Our eyes met across the street.
Then she quickly looked back at her phone again.
> Saki:
I survived.
> Saki:
Barely.
> Me:
Same.
A small breeze moved the trees near the road.
The leaves rustled quietly.
Saki leaned slightly against the window frame now.
My phone buzzed again.
> Saki:
Today felt really long.
> Me:
It felt like a full week.
> Saki:
First the interrogation.
> Me:
Then the park.
> Saki:
Then Aoi.
We both paused for a moment.
Then she typed again.
> Saki:
And now this.
> Me:
Midnight window meeting.
> Saki:
Very suspicious behavior.
> Me:
Extremely suspicious.
She smiled a little.
Then sent another message.
> Saki:
But I'm glad we're talking.
I looked up at her again.
She was watching me this time instead of her phone.
My fingers paused over the screen.
Then I typed.
> Me:
Me too.
She looked down again quickly.
Her hair fell slightly over her face.
Another message came.
> Saki:
Today was really embarrassing though.
> Me:
Catastrophically embarrassing.
> Saki:
Especially when you said
"I don't know anymore."
I groaned quietly.
> Me:
I panicked.
> Saki:
I noticed.
> Me:
You weren't much better.
> Saki:
I was under pressure.
> Me:
You corrected my answers like a teacher.
> Saki:
Accuracy matters.
I laughed softly.
She looked up again.
Then she slowly raised one hand and pressed it lightly against the glass of her window.
Not saying anything.
Just standing there like that.
My phone buzzed again.
> Saki:
If we were standing next to each other right now…
I blinked.
> Me:
Yeah?
A pause.
Then the message came.
> Saki:
I think I would've held your hand again.
My chest tightened slightly.
Without really thinking about it, I stepped a little closer to my window.
Then I raised my hand too.
Pressing it lightly against the glass.
Across the street.
Separated by distance.
But somehow still sharing the same moment.
My phone buzzed again.
> Saki:
This is kind of stupid.
> Me:
Yeah.
> Saki:
But also nice.
> Me:
Yeah.
We both stayed like that for a few seconds.
Quiet.
Just the night around us.
Then suddenly—
Her phone buzzed loudly.
She jumped.
Looked down at the screen.
Then her eyes widened.
My phone buzzed immediately after.
> Saki:
New problem.
> Me:
What now.
A pause.
Then—
> Saki:
My grandfather just messaged me.
My stomach dropped.
Instantly.
My phone buzzed again.
> Me:
Why is your grandfather texting you at midnight.
Saki stared at her phone like it had personally betrayed her.
Then she typed.
> Saki:
I don't know.
> Saki:
This is suspicious.
> Me:
Everything about today is suspicious.
She hesitated.
Then another message appeared.
> Saki:
He said
"Are you asleep?"
I blinked.
> Me:
That's a trap.
> Saki:
I know it's a trap.
> Me:
If you reply, he knows you're awake.
> Saki:
If I don't reply, he'll come back to check.
We both paused.
Processing the situation like two terrible strategists.
Then I typed.
> Me:
Pretend you fell asleep with the phone.
> Saki:
That might work.
> Me:
Maybe.
> Saki:
Maybe??
> Me:
I'm not an expert in grandfather psychology.
She covered her face again.
Then another message came.
> Saki:
He's typing again.
I froze.
> Me:
WHY.
> Saki:
I DON'T KNOW.
Across the street I saw her glance nervously at her door.
Then back at the phone.
Her screen lit up again.
She looked at it.
Then immediately looked up at me.
Her expression was a mixture of shock and pure disbelief.
My phone buzzed.
> Saki:
Haruto.
> Me:
What did he say.
A pause.
Then the message came.
> Saki:
"Do not stay up too late talking to Haruto through the window."
I stopped breathing.
For a full two seconds.
Three.
Four.
Then I slowly typed.
> Me:
…
> Me:
How.
> Saki:
I DON'T KNOW.
> Me:
DID HE SEE US.
> Saki:
I DON'T THINK SO.
> Me:
THEN HOW DOES HE KNOW.
Saki looked around her room like the walls might answer.
Then another message popped up.
> Saki:
WAIT.
> Saki:
THERE'S MORE.
I felt my soul leaving my body again.
> Me:
I'm not ready.
> Saki:
He also wrote
"Close the curtain."
I slowly looked up.
Across the street—
Saki slowly turned.
Looked at her curtain.
Then back at me.
We both stood there in silence for a moment.
Then my phone buzzed again.
> Saki:
We're doomed.
> Me:
Completely doomed.
> Saki:
How did he even know it was you.
> Me:
Maybe he has surveillance satellites.
> Saki:
Don't joke right now.
> Me:
I'm coping.
She sighed.
Then typed again.
> Saki:
I'm closing the curtain.
> Me:
Probably wise.
She slowly reached for it.
But before she pulled it closed—
She looked back at me one more time.
Phone buzz.
> Saki:
This is your fault.
> Me:
Worth it.
She froze.
Then looked down at the screen again.
And despite the situation—
She smiled.
Just a little.
Then another message came.
> Saki:
…yeah.
After that—
She gently pulled the curtain closed.
Her window went dark again.
And I stood there alone by mine.
Phone still in my hand.
Then it buzzed one more time.
> Saki:
Goodnight, Haruto.
I looked at the message for a moment.
Then typed back.
> Me:
Goodnight.
A few seconds passed.
Then one final message appeared.
> Saki:
Tomorrow you have to face him again.
I sighed.
Looked up at the now-dark window across the street.
And typed.
> Me:
I know.
> Me:
I'm terrified.
Her reply came instantly.
> Saki:
I'll hold your hand again if you panic.
I stared at the screen.
My ears getting warm again.
Then slowly typed back.
> Me:
Deal.
And somewhere in the quiet house across the street—
Saki was probably just as embarrassed as I was.
Even if tomorrow…
We both had to survive another interrogation.