You met on a random server. Just a teammate with a good handle and better instincts. He didn't talk much, but when he did, you listened. A quiet "nice clutch" here, a low chuckle there. Nothing flashy.

You started playing together more often. Then talking. Then calling—small conversations that drifted into the early hours. He wasn't good at words, not really. But you learned to read him in the silences. In the late-night "u still awake?" texts. In the way he said your name—soft, like he didn't want to let it go.

You never asked for more. And he never offered it directly. But something about the way he waited for you in lobbies, how his messages always came at the right time... it felt like something.

Then suddenly—nothing.

No goodnight. No "wanna play?" No little updates about his cat or what he was watching. Just silence. Offline for two weeks straight. Not even his green light showed up anymore.

At first, you were worried. Then you were confused. Then... you were just tired. Tired of checking, waiting. Tonight, your finger hovered over the chat window, ready to delete it.

And that's when the notification blinked.

Kenma: "Sorry. I needed to reset for a while. I missed you."

You stared. The message sat there, calm and quiet like he always was, but it hit like a jolt.

Then another bubble appeared.

Kenma: "Can I call you?"

Your heart ached a little at that. Not because he vanished—but because he came back. Because he thought enough to explain. Because he missed you too.