The movie played, grainy screams and the guttural moans of the undead echoing through the dim room. Blood splattered across the screen. Characters shrieked. Bodies ran and fell.
But Lena barely noticed any of it.
Her eyes weren't on the screen. They were on Umire.
Umire sat curled into the corner of the couch beside her, knees hugged to her chest, a pillow tucked protectively in her lap. Her eyes—wide, dark, utterly focused—followed the chaos on the screen, lashes fluttering whenever something jumped out. Her expression shifted with every scene: brows furrowing, lips parting, a faint twitch in her jaw when the tension crested.
Lena was caught.
Umire's hair, soft and shining under the glow of the TV, spilled over her shoulders like ink in water. Each strand seemed to move in slow motion to Lena's eyes. The light hit her cheekbones just right, casting delicate shadows along her face, and Lena's heart thudded. It was like she was watching a scene more captivating than anything on screen—a private show just for her.
She's so pretty…
The thought bloomed in Lena's mind like a secret she hadn't meant to think. Her gaze wandered slowly over Umire's profile—the line of her jaw, the curve of her lips, the slow rise and fall of her breathing. Every little detail seemed to sharpen in clarity while everything else blurred into white noise.
Then the movie screamed.
A monster leapt onto the screen with a jump scare so violent it shook the walls. Umire yelped and flinched hard, flinging the pillow into the air and, in her panic, shoving straight into Lena.
Lena didn't have time to react.
She tumbled off the couch with a graceless thud, a sharp jolt of pain shooting up her spine as she landed flat on her back. The world tilted for a moment.
Then something warm and soft landed right on top of her.
"Ah—!" Lena's eyes snapped open.
Umire hovered above her, her hands braced against the floor on either side of Lena's head. Her hair fell in a silken curtain, brushing Lena's cheeks and neck like feathers. Her knee rested between Lena's legs, her chest just barely hovering above her own. Their faces were close—so close—Umire's breath warm against her lips.
Time stopped.
The movie screamed again in the background, but it sounded far away now, like it belonged to another world.
Umire's eyes locked onto hers.
Dark. Wide. Mesmerizing. There was something bottomless in them—something unreadable, like the pull of deep water. Lena's breath hitched in her throat as she looked up at the girl who was now practically pressed against her, her body humming with heat.
"Lena…" Umire breathed, barely above a whisper.
Lena's gaze dropped to her lips before darting away again. She didn't know where to look, didn't know what to do, only that her chest ached with how fast her heart was pounding.
And then—
Umire lowered her face, inch by inch, until Lena could feel the brush of her nose. Her dark hair trailed like a shadow across Lena's skin, the sensation leaving goosebumps in its wake. Lena froze, unsure if she wanted to move or if she could.
Umire's hand rose slowly, fingers brushing the line of Lena's jaw… then her neck. Lena shivered as they lingered there for the briefest second. But Umire didn't stop. Her fingers found the necklace resting just above Lena's collarbone—the silver chain that held a tiny pendant shaped like half a heart.
She lifted it.
Lena watched, speechless, as Umire reached into her shirt and revealed the matching half on her necklace. When the two magnetic pendants met, they snapped together with a click, forming a single heart.
U + L.
Umire smiled.
And it wasn't a casual smile. It was tender. Quiet. Possessive.
"You're mine," she whispered, almost reverently. "My bestie."
Lena didn't move. Couldn't.
"I like you the most," Umire continued, her voice so soft it felt like a secret being laid bare. Her hand drifted down, finding Lena's and lacing their fingers together. Their palms pressed close. Her touch was warm—too warm—and Lena thought her heart might give out right then and there.
"You like me the most, too, right?" Umire whispered.
Lena swallowed hard. She couldn't look away from those eyes. Couldn't lie. Didn't want to.
"…Yeah," she breathed. "I like you the most, too."
Umire's smile widened. Her face dipped lower again—Lena thought she might kiss her. For a second, it felt like she would.
But instead, Umire pressed a soft kiss to Lena's cheek.
And somehow, that was worse. Sweeter. More dangerous.
Lena felt like she might combust. Her chest clenched so tight it hurt, and her face burned hot enough to melt. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair how easily Umire made her fall apart.
"You're really cute, Lena," Umire whispered, drawing back just enough to meet her eyes again. "We're besties. Always."
They stared at each other.
Seconds passed. Minutes. Maybe more.
The world had gone still.
If Lena could live in this moment forever, she would. Even if it meant dying of a heart attack right then and there. The look in Umire's eyes—half-sweet, half-sinister—was like a spell, wrapping around her chest, trapping her in this dreamy, surreal warmth.
Then—ring ring. The doorbell.
It shattered the moment like glass.
Umire's hand slipped away. The magnetized pendants broke apart with a quiet snap, each half falling back to its owner's chest. She sat up with a smile, graceful and unbothered, while Lena gasped for air like she'd just resurfaced from being underwater.
Umire rose to her feet, brushing imaginary dust from her clothes as the bell rang again.
"Pizza's here," she said brightly.
Lena remained on the floor, clutching her chest, heart racing as if it still thought it was about to be kissed—or devoured.
"Pizza delivery!" a voice called out from behind the door, muffled but cheery.
"I'll get it—pause the movie for me!" Umire called out as she hopped up, her voice light and melodic as she disappeared down the hallway.
Lena remained frozen where she'd fallen, still seated on the floor, clutching her chest like it might keep her heart from bursting. Even with Umire gone, the echo of her presence clung to the room like perfume. Her warmth, her words, the way her eyes had hovered over Lena's like she was seeing straight through her skin—it all still lingered in the air, and Lena could feel it pulsing in her ribs.
She inhaled shakily. Then again. And again. Slowly, the frantic thrum in her chest began to still, returning to something almost human. Her body relaxed just enough to let her legs move, and she forced herself upright. Her hands trembled slightly as she reached for the remote and paused the movie, just like Umire had asked.
A moment later, Umire returned, balancing a warm pizza box in one hand and a bottle of soda in the other. She had that radiant, effortless energy about her—the kind that could brighten a room without even trying.
"Bon appétit~" she sang as she stepped into the kitchen, setting everything down on the counter with a soft clatter. "Come on, Lena, get some pizza before it gets cold!"
Lena followed, her limbs still loose from the earlier shock. She watched as Umire opened a cabinet, pulling out two mismatched plates and cups, not caring about the lack of coordination, just focused on the moment. Something about the casualness of it made it feel… safe. Intimate. Like a private world carved out just for the two of them.
"I got a whole box," Umire said, opening the pizza and grabbing two slices. "No way we're finishing this, but whatever. Let's eat and finish the movie—it was just getting good."
She popped the cap off the soda, pouring fizzy amber liquid into both cups before handing one to Lena with a small smile that made Lena's fingers tremble as they brushed against hers.
"Thanks," Lena murmured.
They returned to the couch, plates in hand. The movie flickered on the screen, paused on a grotesque close-up of a zombie mid-scream. Lena sat down, but her attention wasn't on the screen.
"You like horror movies?" she asked, more to fill the silence than out of curiosity.
"Oh, I love them," Umire replied easily, curling her legs under her. "Favorite genre, hands down. I like jump scares. They keep you on your toes."
"Did you… Jump earlier because you were scared?" Lena asked, turning to look at her.
"Yeah. My bad," Umire laughed, brushing her hair behind her ear. "I like being scared. It's kind of like liking spicy food, even though it burns your tongue. Stupid, right?"
"No," Lena said quickly. "It's not stupid."
Umire glanced at her for a moment, like she was weighing something. "You can ask me anything, you know," she said softly. "You're my bestie. I'd tell you anything. I want you to know me. All of me."
Her words struck something raw inside Lena. She opened her mouth. Closed it again. The screen flashed as the movie resumed—zombies dragging screaming actors across the screen—but Lena's mind had left the room.
She wanted to ask.
Where had Umire been all last week? Why had no one else mentioned she was Yuna's sister? Why did she live alone? Why did she choose her, a nobody, out of everyone?
Most of all: Why did this feel like a dream? Like something too sweet and strange to last. Was it real? Did Umire truly mean it, or was this some illusion that would crumble the moment Lena leaned too hard into it?
Despite what Umire had said about being open, Lena couldn't bring herself to ask. She wasn't even sure why. Maybe it was fear. Or maybe it was something deeper—some desperate need to preserve the dream, even if it meant never touching it too hard, never turning it over in her hands to check if it was hollow inside.
She thought of the way Umire had looked at her, her face inches from Lena's, her breath warm and her words warm and cold all at once, like fire laced with ice. She remembered how Umire had held her hand, saying she wanted to know every part of her.
Besties. That word was too soft to hold the kind of gravity Umire's eyes had carried when she'd whispered it.
Then, as if summoned by her doubts, Lena's phone buzzed. The sharp, sudden sound startled her out of her thoughts.
She fumbled in her pocket and pulled it out, her screen lighting up with a familiar name. Umire turned her head, expression curious, and reached for the remote to pause the movie again.
"Hello?" Lena answered.
Lena stood, stepping aside as she answered the call. Her mother's voice burst through the line, sharp and immediate.
"Lena? Where are you?"
The question hit like a slap.
And suddenly, Lena was split—standing in Umire's warm living room, surrounded by softness and soda and the lingering scent of buttered crust, while a voice from the outside world reached in like a claw, threatening to pull her out.
Umire was still watching her, silent now.
And Lena… didn't know where she was anymore.
"What? You're home already?" Lena asked, startled, clutching the phone tighter to her ear.
Her mom usually didn't get home until later in the evening. But as Lena turned toward Umire's window, she noticed something that made her stomach twist—the light outside had vanished completely, leaving behind only the reflections of warm indoor light dancing faintly on the glass. The sky was ink-black. How long had they been together?
She glanced down at her phone screen. 9:47 p.m.
Her breath caught.
It felt like she'd only just arrived. Like the evening had slipped past her without notice, vanishing into the spaces between laughter and silence and the warmth of Umire's eyes.
"I'm out," she finally said, her voice low and slightly hoarse. She didn't want to explain. Didn't want to bring this moment back down to earth.
"Out where?" her mother pressed, her voice sharper now.
"I was… studying," Lena lied, instantly hating how flat the words felt.
A pause. Then her mom's voice softened slightly. "Well, it's getting late. You should stop for the night. Studying too hard will only wear you out. Come home soon, okay?"
"Okay," Lena whispered, the word barely making it out before the call ended with a soft click.
When she looked up, Umire was already watching her from the couch. The glow of the paused TV screen painted her face in ghostly light, her eyes reflecting it like mirrors.
"Who was that?" she asked, voice casual—but her gaze lingered too long.
"My mom," Lena replied. "She was wondering where I was."
"Oh… I guess it is pretty late," Umire murmured, brushing her fingers through her hair. Her expression twisted for a second—was it disappointment? "You have to go?"
Lena hesitated. She didn't want to. Everything in her resisted the idea of stepping back into the world beyond this house. She didn't want to break the strange, soft spell of the night.
"I think…" she whispered. Her heart ached at the thought.
Umire stood, her movements slow, deliberate, almost reluctant. "Okay then…"
Lena sighed quietly and reached for her bag. The couch cushions shifted as she stepped away from them, and the apartment suddenly felt colder, emptier.
"You want me to walk you?" Umire offered, tilting her head slightly.
Lena shook her head. "I take the bus. I live kinda far. It's okay…"
Umire paused, then smiled. "Let's go to your house next time."
Lena blinked, surprised. "Okay… sure."
There was something about the way Umire said it that made her chest tighten. Like a promise wrapped in something deeper. Something unknown.
"Okay then. Bye. See you tomorrow!" Umire said, her voice light again, but her eyes still searching Lena's face like she was memorizing every detail.
Lena gave her a small wave, stepping out the door.
The night air greeted her like a wall of mist, cool and weightless. She began walking toward the bus stop, the city's hum distant, muted. The world outside felt unreal now—muted and blurry, as if she were still half-stuck in a dream.
Her footsteps echoed lightly on the pavement, the sound swallowed by the night. Everything around her seemed washed out, soft at the edges. Streetlights cast long, golden shadows, but even those felt fragile.
She reached up, her fingers grazing the pendant at her chest—a small silver charm shaped like a crescent, with a single, engraved letter: U.
It felt heavier than usual.
The metal was warm against her skin, too warm.
She pressed it gently, as if hoping to calm the fluttering in her heart.
Umire.
Why did she feel like she'd left part of herself behind?