CHAPTER 4 — A Midnight Message from Kenneth

The night had grown quiet.

Only one light remained in Ivon’s room—the small desk lamp casting a soft glow against the walls. The window was slightly open, allowing cool night air to drift inside. Outside, everything felt distant and still.

It was almost eleven o’ clock.

Yet Ivon couldn’t sleep.

She pulled the blanket up to her chest, but her eyes stayed fixed on her phone. Without realizing it, her fingers opened Instagram again. She had lost count of how many times she had done that tonight.

Checking Kenneth’s account before sleeping had slowly turned into a habit. Sometimes she even opened it before studying, just to see if there was anything new.

Almost always, there wasn’t.

Kenneth rarely posted.

His photos stayed the same for days. Lately, there have been no updates at all. Still, for Ivon, that was enough. Just seeing his pictures could make her smile softly. She could look at his face anytime—without feeling shy, without feeling nervous—safely hidden behind a screen.

But that night was different.

When Ivon opened Kenneth’s profile, a new post appeared at the top.

She froze.

The image showed cigarette smoke curling slowly through the darkness. Behind it stood Kenneth’s shadow—no clear face, only a silhouette and one hand holding a cigarette. Dark. Artistic. Mysterious.

Comments were already flooding the post.

“So handsome!”

“So cool!”

“You look amazing!”

“Very aesthetic!”

Ivon’s heart began to beat faster.

She frowned slightly. The cigarette bothered her—it really did. And yet, it was still Kenneth. Somehow, she couldn’t look away.

Minutes passed as Ivon stared at the screen.

Finally, after typing and deleting the same sentence over and over, she gathered her courage and left a comment.

“Smoking is bad for your health.”

That was all.

Short. Simple. Not harsh.

But the moment she posted it, her heart started pounding, as if she had crossed a line she wasn’t supposed to cross.

Ivon quickly turned off her phone and placed it on the desk.

She knew—she was sure—Kenneth wouldn’t reply. She was just another anonymous account among many. Kenneth didn’t know who she was. To him, she was nothing more than Tikus Kecil Manis, a small admirer hiding behind a screen.

With that thought, Ivon closed her eyes.

Sleep slowly came.

But only a few minutes later—

The sound of a notification snapped her awake.

Her eyes flew open.

Heart racing, Ivon reached for her phone.

There was a Direct Message notification.

From Kenneth.

Her breath caught.

Her hands trembled slightly as she opened the message.

A message from Kenneth appeared on the screen.

“Delete it now. I don’t like your comment.”

Ivon froze.

Shock.

Surprise.

Then confusion.

For several seconds, she simply stared at the screen without blinking. She hadn’t expected a reply—certainly not like this.

Then a small thought surfaced in her mind.

He doesn’t know it’s me.

And somehow, without warning, Ivon’s playful side woke up.

She typed back quickly.

“That’s lame. Why are you smoking? Burning your lungs.”

The moment she sent it, Ivon covered her mouth.

“Oh no…” she whispered.

Too late.

Kenneth replied almost immediately.

“That’s none of your business.”

The message didn’t sound angry—more irritated, defensive.

Ivon smiled faintly.

Her boldness grew.

She typed again.

“Of course it’s my business. I like you.”

She sent it before she could stop herself.

This time, there was no immediate reply.

One minute passed.

Then another.

Finally, a new message appeared.

“Do I know you?”

Ivon held back a laugh.

She replied calmly.

“Yes. We see each other all the time.”

Another message came quickly.

“Who are you?”

Ivon paused for a moment.

Then she typed:

“One of your admirers.”

Kenneth replied instantly.

“Who?!”

Ivon grinned and sent her profile picture—the tiny mouse holding a piece of cheese.

A few seconds later, Kenneth responded with a laughing emoji.

Then another message arrived.

Along with it, a photo.

It was clearly Kenneth—though not a full-face shot. A casual pose in front of a small mirror.

“I showed you my photo. Now you.”

Panic rushed through Ivon.

She sat up straight and typed quickly.

She sent the mouse picture again.

Kenneth replied almost immediately.

“Are you from my school?”

“Yes. I see you every day at the cafeteria.”

“What’s the proof?”

Ivon typed carefully.

“You’re always with four others. And your favorite food is teriyaki.”

Kenneth replied with another laughing emoji.

Whatever annoyance he had earlier was gone—replaced by curiosity.

Ivon yawned softly.

“I’m sleepy.”

A reply came soon after.

“Hey. Delete your comment on my photo.”

Ivon typed back without thinking.

“You should delete your photo instead. It’s bad for your image.”

“Bossy.”

“Yes.”

“What’s your name?”

“Tikus Kecil Manis.”

“That’s not your real name.”

“Tikus Kecil Manis.”

Kenneth’s next message came as one long word.

“Ahgggggg…”

Ivon giggled quietly.

“Bye. I’m sleepy. Going to sleep.”

“Wait…”

But Ivon had already pressed the power button.

The screen went dark.

She pulled the blanket closer, closed her eyes, and smiled at herself.

For the first time since transferring schools—

Ivon fell asleep with her heart quietly blooming.

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