A New Routine Begins

Elara couldn't stop staring at her phone.

Theo had replied. He had actually replied.

She had expected a polite "yeah, sure" or maybe no response at all. But nice talking to you? That felt… different. More genuine.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard. Should she reply again? What was the rule here? If she responded too fast, would it seem desperate? If she waited too long, would it seem like she didn't care?

Her phone vibrated again.

"Challenge Completed! +5 Confidence Points."

Before she could sigh in relief, another notification appeared.

"New Challenge: Have a meaningful conversation with Theo."

Elara groaned and flopped onto her bed. Why does this app think I have social skills?

She wasn't sure if she was ready for a meaningful conversation, but HeartSync didn't seem to care about her comfort zone. It kept pushing, and part of her—just a small part—was curious to see what would happen if she went along with it.

The next day, Elara found herself in the same spot in the library where she had spoken to Theo. She had her laptop open, pretending to be deeply engrossed in an assignment, but her eyes kept flickering toward the entrance.

And then, he walked in.

Theo looked effortlessly put together, as always—hoodie slightly oversized, glasses perched on his nose, coffee cup in hand. He glanced around before settling into a seat near the window, opening his textbook.

Elara took a deep breath. Okay. This is it. Just a normal, casual conversation. No pressure.

She packed up her things and walked toward his table before she could talk herself out of it.

"Hey," she said, hoping she sounded normal and not like a malfunctioning robot.

Theo looked up, a little surprised, but then smiled. "Hey, Elara. Back to studying?"

"Trying to," she admitted, setting her things down across from him. "But I keep getting distracted."

He chuckled. "Yeah, the library's a dangerous place for procrastination."

She hesitated, trying to steer the conversation toward something deeper. Meaningful conversation. Right. How do people do this?

"What about you?" she asked. "Do you actually like studying here, or is this just habit?"

Theo considered her question for a moment before answering. "A bit of both. It's quiet, and I like having a routine. But I think part of me comes here because I know I'll run into familiar faces. Makes things feel… less lonely."

Elara blinked. She hadn't expected him to say something like that.

"Do you feel lonely a lot?" she asked before she could stop herself.

Theo looked at her, his expression unreadable for a second. Then he smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I guess everyone does, sometimes."

Something about his answer made Elara's chest feel tight. Maybe she wasn't the only one who spent too much time inside her own head, overthinking things.

For the first time, talking to Theo didn't feel terrifying. It felt… easy.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

"Challenge Completed! +10 Confidence Points."

She ignored it. Right now, she didn't need the app to tell her she had done well. Because for the first time, she actually felt it.