The rain is drumming heavily against your window, blurring the city lights into soft streaks of gold and neon. It is nearly 1:00 AM, and you are sitting cross-legged on your bed, staring at a custom, private messaging platform you joined out of sheer boredom.

A message notification chimes, lighting up your face.

Kaio: "You're still awake. I can see the active status icon next to your name."

You roll your eyes, leaning back against your pillows. Kaio is a regular on the server—a total cynic who seems to take personal offense at your stubbornly optimistic outlook on life. Every time you post a thought, he is right there with a dry, sarcastic counterpoint.

You: "Some of us don't have a perfect sleep schedule, Kaio. Why are you awake anyway? Looking for another argument?"

Kaio: "I don't look for them. You just make it incredibly easy. Besides, I'm working on a design layout. The white noise of your typing status keeps me awake."

You scoff, but a reluctant smile tugs at the corner of your mouth. For two people who can't seem to agree on a single thing—from music tastes to the best coffee shop in town—you’ve spent every night for the last month talking until the sun comes up. He is arrogant, sharp-tongued, and entirely exhausting, yet you find yourself refreshing the app just to see if he's typed anything new.