Chapter 5 : The Space Between Words

The night stretched on, quiet except for the soft glow of screens. Tulip hadn't planned on staying up, but her fingers hovered over the keyboard, hesitation replaced by impulse. She typed the words before she could second-guess herself.

Are you awake?

She hadn't expected an instant reply, yet there it was-Ren's response arriving almost as if he had been waiting for a reason to talk.

Yeah.

A small smile tugged at her lips. She could almost hear his voice, low and steady, even through the screen.

Do you ever sleep? she teased.

Do you ever stop talking? he shot back, but there was no real bite to his words.

And just like that, the conversation flowed. Their words slipped through the screen as if distance and time didn't exist. It started with nothing-banter, teasing, Tulip laughing at how serious Ren got over small things. But somewhere between playful jabs and comfortable silence, the tone shifted.

I just think about it sometimes, Ren admitted, almost as if he wasn't sure he should say it out loud. What if I'm never good enough? What if I try and still fail?

His words hung between them, fragile yet heavy. Tulip's teasing faltered, her fingers pausing over the keyboard. She stared at the screen, her chest tightening. This wasn't the Ren she knew-the one who always seemed so sure, so guarded. This was someone else. Someone real.

You won't, she typed, before pressing send. Then, as if that wasn't enough-And even if you did, so what?

Ren hesitated before replying.

You say that like it's easy.

Because it is. You think too much.

He scoffed at the screen, shaking his head, but a part of him warmed at her confidence in him. Tulip, as unpredictable as ever, always saying the things he didn't know he needed to hear.The next night, Tulip challenged him to a chess rematch.

"It's time to reclaim my dignity," she declared, her voice playful but her eyes sharp. "You got lucky last time."

Ren arched a brow, fingers moving the first piece. "Luck had nothing to do with it."

This time, Tulip played differently-bolder, a little reckless, but clever in a way he hadn't expected. She wasn't just playing to win; she was trying to get under his skin. And she was succeeding.

"So, what's the dream?" she asked suddenly, her voice light, but her eyes steady on him.

He didn't answer right away. The question caught him off guard, like a sudden gust of wind knocking him off balance. He exhaled slowly, his gaze drifting to the board.

"I don't know," he finally muttered. "I mean, I do. I just-" He ran a hand through his hair. "It's complicated."

Tulip tilted her head, moving her knight with a flick of her wrist. "Everything with you is complicated. I think you just like overthinking things."

Ren narrowed his eyes. "And you like avoiding things."

Tulip froze for a fraction of a second. He wasn't wrong.

"You ask a lot of questions," Ren leaned back, his voice softer now, "but what about you? What do you want?"

She focused on the board as if the answer was there, hidden between the pieces. "I don't know," she echoed his earlier words. "It's complicated."

Ren gave her a look, one that said he didn't believe her. Tulip smirked, but it didn't reach her eyes.

They were different-his world was carefully structured, built on caution and logic. Hers was wild and free, untamed in a way he didn't quite understand. And yet, beneath all of that, there was something eerily similar. The way they carried things they didn't talk about. The way their fears mirrored each other, even in opposite ways.

When Tulip won the match, she leaned back, stretching with a victorious grin. "For someone who doesn't believe in love, you sure get distracted easily."

Ren stared at the board, his lips twitching despite himself. "You got lucky."

She shrugged. "That's what you think."

As the night wore on, the air between them shifted again. Tulip's words turned softer, her laughter fading into something almost nervous. And then-

"What if someone... liked you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ren blinked. "What?"

"You know," Tulip said, suddenly avoiding his gaze. "Like, really liked you."

Something in his chest tightened. The way she said it, the way she didn't say it-it wasn't random.

"...Why are you asking?"

She hesitated for just a second too long. Then, she forced a laugh. "Oh, it's not about me. My friend just-" She waved a hand dismissively. "She wanted to know what you'd say."

Ren studied her, something unreadable in his eyes. He didn't know why, but a strange kind of disappointment settled in his stomach. Still, he didn't push.

"Tell your friend," he said finally, "that loving isn't my cup of tea."

Tulip nodded, smiling like she hadn't expected anything different. "Figures."

Later, when Ren was alone, he let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He glanced at his phone, at the last message Tulip had sent.

She was something else-someone who made him think too much and yet, somehow, helped him breathe easier. Someone who listened without him asking, who cared in ways he wasn't used to.

And that scared him.

Because he wasn't supposed to care this much.

But somehow, he already did.

The truth doesn't always come in words. Sometimes, it's in the silence between them-the things we're too afraid to say, and the things we hope they'll hear anyway.