Ethan reached home, still slightly wet from the rain.
As he stepped inside, his mother looked at him—but pretended not to notice anything unusual.
"Welcome home, honey," she said casually. "Oh my… you're completely wet! Go and change your clothes quickly, or you'll get sick."
Ethan nodded and hurried toward his room, unable to hide the shy smile on his face.
His mother watched him go.
A slow, knowing smile appeared on her lips.
No wonder he's been so happy these days…
Her thoughts shifted.
That girl… Katrina. She's the daughter of a big businessman… and her mother is a well-known interior designer. Such a wealthy family…
Her expression changed slightly—calculating, thoughtful.
Her intentions… were not entirely pure.
In Ethan's Room
After changing into dry clothes, Ethan sat on his bed.
He leaned back, staring at the ceiling, smiling to himself.
"I'm so happy…" he whispered. "We're going for coffee tomorrow."
Just then, his phone rang.
His face instantly lit up.
Katrina?
He quickly picked up the phone—
But it was Jessica.
Ethan's expression softened.
"Hi, Jessica."
"Thank you for coming today, Ethan," she said. "We didn't expect Dad to get sick again."
Ethan sat up.
"It's okay. I'm always here for you and your family," he replied gently. "How is Mr. Mike now?"
"He's better," Jessica said. "He's resting."
"That's good," Ethan said with relief. "I'll try to visit him again tomorrow."
After the call ended, Ethan placed his phone aside and opened his books.
But even while studying…
his mind kept drifting back to Katrina.
At Katrina's House
Katrina had just finished changing.
She sat on the edge of her bed, gently drying her hair with a towel.
But her thoughts were somewhere else.
She kept replaying the evening in her mind—
Ethan running in the rain…
breathing heavily…
apologizing again and again…
even after everything.
Katrina lowered her eyes.
"That was so wrong of me…" she whispered.
"I thought he was rude… but he's actually so kind… so caring…"
A small feeling stirred in her heart.
Something soft.
Something new.
Without even realizing it…
Katrina had started to like Ethan.
Dinner Time
After finishing her studies, Katrina went downstairs for dinner.
The maids quietly observed her.
She looked… different today.
Happier.
After she finished eating, she smiled gently.
"Thank you, the food was delicious."
The maids exchanged glances.
"What happened to Miss Katrina today?" one whispered.
"She looks really happy," the other replied.
Katrina went back to her room.
The Balcony
Later that night, Katrina stepped onto her balcony.
The rain had stopped.
The air felt fresh and cool.
The streets were quiet, glowing softly under the streetlights.
Her hair moved gently with the breeze.
Katrina looked across the street.
Ethan's window was open.
And there he was.
Sitting at his desk.
Studying.
As if he felt her gaze, Ethan looked up.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, both of them froze.
Then Ethan gave a small, shy wave.
Katrina smiled softly and waved back.
The Call
Katrina took out her phone and called him.
Ethan picked up immediately—but in his hurry, his phone slipped from his hand and fell.
He quickly picked it up again.
From across the street, Katrina saw everything.
She couldn't help but laugh softly.
Ethan felt embarrassed at first—
But when he saw her laughing…
he smiled too.
"Hii…" Katrina said on the call. "Are you okay?"
Ethan scratched his head awkwardly.
"Yeah… that was really embarrassing."
Katrina smiled.
"It's okay. Don't think too much about it."
Then she asked softly,
"By the way… how are you?"
"I'm fine," Ethan replied. "And you?"
"I'm good," she said.
There was a small pause.
Then Katrina asked,
"Did you have dinner?"
Ethan glanced at his table.
"Not yet."
Katrina frowned slightly.
"It's late. You should eat."
Ethan smiled.
"I will."
A Quiet Connection
The night remained calm and silent.
The cool breeze continued to flow.
But between them…
something was changing.
They kept talking.
Simple things.
Small conversations.
Yet every word felt special.
Neither of them wanted to end the call.
Because slowly…
softly…
something beautiful was beginning to grow.