Three days passed since Ren had left Noah's apartment. He stayed at his sister's place, finally warm, safe, and recovering well. But his thoughts kept drifting back to that snowy night… and the boy with the cold eyes and quiet kindness.
Noah…
He hadn't expected to meet someone like that—someone who helped without asking for anything, someone who didn't smile easily, but still cared.
Ren sat on the small balcony of his sister's apartment, watching snowflakes fall onto the street below.
His sister stepped outside with two mugs of hot chocolate.
"Still thinking about that guy?" she asked, handing him one.
Ren blinked. "Huh? What guy?"
She gave him a knowing look. "The boy who brought you back from the cold and made soup for you."
Ren looked away, hiding his smile behind the mug. "It's nothing. I just feel like I didn't get to thank him properly."
"You said that three times already," she teased. "If you want to see him again, why don't you just go?"
Ren shook his head. "Noah didn't seem like the type who likes people showing up without warning."
"Well, lucky for you, I found your phone!" she grinned, holding up the lost device. "A woman turned it in at a nearby bus stop. Said she took the wrong one by mistake."
Ren's eyes widened. "Wait—really?!"
She nodded. "Battery was dead, but I charged it. All your stuff's still there."
Ren grabbed the phone, holding it like a long-lost friend. He flipped through his messages and scrolled down.
There it was.
Noah's contact info—he had added it the morning Ren used his phone.
"Noah ❄️"
Ren stared at the screen for a long moment, then bit his lip and tapped a message.
Ren:
> Hey… it's me.
Ren.
The guy who thought you were a thief 🙃
Can I see you again? Just to return the blanket. And maybe say thanks… properly?
He stared at the message, hovering over the send button.
"Should I send this?" he muttered.
His sister peeked over his shoulder. "You already typed it, dummy. Just send it."
He rolled his eyes but hit send.
Five minutes passed.
Then ten.
No reply.
Ren sighed and put the phone down.
But just as he stood up, it buzzed.
Noah ❄️:
> Took you long enough.
I'm at Cafe Lily. Come now. Don't make me wait.
Ren blinked.
Then smiled.
—
Café Lily was a small, cozy place on a quiet street. Warm lights, soft music, and the scent of coffee filled the air. Ren spotted Noah right away, sitting by the window in a black coat, sipping something hot. His hair was slightly damp, probably from snow.
Ren walked in, clutching the blanket in a bag.
Noah looked up and gave him a lazy glance. "You actually came."
Ren smiled shyly. "You told me to."
Noah gestured to the seat across from him. "Sit before I change my mind."
Ren sat down and handed him the bag. "Here. Washed and folded."
Noah peeked inside. "Smells like lavender."
Ren blushed. "I wanted to make it smell nice."
Noah raised an eyebrow. "You didn't have to go that far."
"I wanted to," Ren said honestly. "I really mean it—thank you. For everything that night."
Noah looked at him quietly for a moment. "You looked pathetic. I didn't do it for thanks."
"I know," Ren said softly. "But still."
They both sat in silence for a few moments. Then Noah asked, "Feeling better now?"
"Yeah. Still a little tired, but I'm okay."
"Good." He sipped his drink. "You should stop falling asleep on buses, though. Not everyone's going to help you."
Ren laughed. "Yeah, I'll be more careful."
Noah leaned back in his chair. "So, now what?"
Ren blinked. "Huh?"
"You came to thank me. Gave back the blanket. What now?"
Ren thought for a second, then said, "Now… maybe we stop being strangers?"
Noah tilted his head. "You want to be friends?"
"Do you?"
Noah paused… then smiled slightly.
"I'll think about it."