Who the hell are you, Noé? I kept asking myself that. And right on cue—"speak of the devil"—I saw a notification pop up.
Zhou Noé:
Oh hey Calyx, have you gone to bed yet?
What does he want?
I stared at the message for a moment before deciding to ignore it. I let sleep take over.
The next day, we agreed to meet up—just the six of us—to talk about the diary and hopefully uncover who it really belonged to. While walking toward the spot, I wasn't watching my step and tripped over a rock. I braced for impact—until someone caught me.
"Please be careful, sir," he said, smiling warmly.
I quickly apologized as my friends burst out laughing.
"Are you okay, Disney princess?" Shion teased, barely holding in laughter.
"Here's your medicine, your highness," Paxley joked, tossing a small bottle.
"WHERE'S ASCLEPIUS?!" Milk yelled, slamming a milk box onto the table.
"I'm here, I'm here!" Asclepius raised his hand, slightly out of breath.
"Now we're talking," Kant smirked.
"Okay, listen. I think this diary… it might be connected to you, Calyx," Asclepius started.
The moment he said that, everyone looked at me—like I had done something wrong.
"How can you say that, Pi?" Paxley asked, frowning.
He opened the diary and showed them the picture.
Everyone froze.
It was me.
Me… and a faceless guy.
"C-Calyx…?" Shion's voice shook.
"Maybe it's not him," Kant reasoned. "Could be a trap."
Milk stayed quiet. For once, he didn't say anything.
Until…
"That's not a trap, Kant." Milk looked straight at the image. "I think it's someone who was once close to him. Have you ever seen Calyx's paintings? If you did… then maybe you'd find your answer."
"What do you mean by that?" Paxley asked, confused.
"That picture and his paintings… they look the same." Milk replied.
He was right.
Even I felt it.
But why couldn't I remember the name?
"Yuan is related to this," Paxley suddenly said. "Right, Calyx?"
They all looked at me.
Why… can't I say anything?
"Yuan and Chantara looked the same. He was our neighbor, remember? When we were kids?" Paxley asked again.
"How do you even know his name?" I asked.
"Oh, right. You were deaf back then. Sorry," he apologized quietly.
"But didn't he disappear a long time ago?" Kant added.
"You're right," Paxley replied. "He did."
"Maybe we're just imagining things. I'll try to dig into Yuan's info, okay gang?" Asclepius offered.
"Sure," Shion nodded. "Oh, and before I forget—can I use the restroom first? My stomach is about to explode."
"YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD US EARLIER—" Milk shouted, slamming another milk box on Paxley's head.
"Let's eat first, okay?" Shion sighed as he went to pay the bill.
–愛·
"Long time no see, Zhou Chantara."
"What do you want, Nyx?" I replied coldly.
"Cut the crap, Noé. Stop acting like a child and find him already."
"I found him, Nyx. But… he's hard to approach. He's playing hard to get."
"Don't tell me… you're courting him?" he asked, eyebrows raised.
"No, not really," I mumbled.
"I'm wondering—why not?"
"Because I'm still trying to be enough for him, Nyx."
Nyx paused. Then, with a sigh, he said,
"In the end, you'll only regret the chances you didn't take, Noé."
His words… hit hard.
He left, just like that.
Then I heard another voice behind me.
"What are you waiting for, Noé?"
I froze.
"S-Shyn…?" I stuttered.
"That's right," he said. "I heard your conversation with Lyx's brother. Now what are you going to do?"
"I'll try to find a way," I answered.
"Then you'd better move fast. Calyx thinks you're dead."
"…Where did you hear that?" I asked.
"We had a group meeting," Shyn replied, walking further into the garden, disappearing like mist.
Zhou Noé:
Hey Calyx, are you busy?
Calyx:
Not really. And oh—sorry for not replying last night.
Zhou:
It's fine. I understand, Calyx.
I wonder what he's doing right now.
I'm sorry for acting weird, Calyx.
ลิกซ์—
Later that night, I found myself staring at the ceiling. I wanted to reply something more… but I didn't know what to say.
What do you want from me, Noé? Why now?
I scrolled up our chat, reading his messages over and over again. They weren't anything special—but they felt like him. Soft. Hesitant. Familiar. Too familiar.
My phone buzzed again.
Zhou Noé:
Can I call you, just for a minute?
I didn't respond.
Not because I didn't want to, but because I was scared.
Instead, I turned off the notifications and buried my face into the pillow.
The next day, Shion dragged me out of the office for a coffee break.
"You've been zoning out again, Mr. Overworked," he teased, nudging me with his elbow.
"Have I?" I replied, barely listening.
He raised a brow. "You didn't even hear what Paxley said earlier, huh?"
"No. What did he say?"
"He thinks Yuan left something behind. Something only you would remember."
Shion paused. "Do you really not remember him, Calyx? Not even his voice?"
I stayed silent.
His voice...
I think I remember a song.
A soft humming.
A boy next door with messy hair and sun-kissed cheeks. A promise under a tree. A goodbye I never heard.
But was that Yuan?
Or just my imagination?
Before I could answer, my phone buzzed again.
Zhou Noé:
Hey, I'm at your office. Can we talk? I won't stay long, I promise.
My chest tightened.
Shion noticed.
"Noé?" he asked.
I nodded.
"Are you gonna see him?"
"…I don't know."
"Then I'll wait outside the door, just in case you faint again like a lovesick princess."
I gave him a glare. He grinned.
Ten minutes later, I stepped into the lobby.
There he was—Zhou Noé. Standing quietly, holding a coffee cup, staring at a painting on the wall I made years ago. His posture was calm, but his eyes were searching.
He looked up.
Our eyes met.
He smiled—small and unsure. As if he didn't expect me to come at all.
"Hi," he said.
I didn't reply at first.
Shion gave me a nod from afar, disappearing behind the glass doors to give us space.
"You look different," Noé murmured.
"And you still talk like a stranger," I replied.
"I guess I deserve that."
Silence.
The hum of the elevator, the soft buzz of the office—everything else faded for a second.
"Do you remember me at all?" he asked. His voice cracked slightly, despite trying to sound composed.
I stared at him.
"I remember… fragments."
His eyes softened. "Fragments are enough. If we put them together, maybe we'll see the full picture."
"And if I don't want to see it?" I asked.
He took a step closer.
"Then I'll still stay," he whispered, "until you do."