Iris's POV
Something crashed inside the house.
A loud sound.
As if something had fallen onto the floor.
I immediately turned around.
My heart skipped a beat.
The balcony suddenly felt much colder than before.
I immediately rushed inside.
A strong feeling of unease was surging up my chest.
The living room and the kitchen was empty.
I soon stepped in front of his room.
I exhaled deep before knocking at the door.
"Kaizer..." My voice came particularly low.
The door was open.
I slowly opened it.
And the instant I stepped in...
The first thing I saw was him rubbing his head with a frown on his face.
"Kaizer."
He looked towards me.
"Iris?"
I glanced behind him.
A curtain rod was left swinging in mid air while it's one side was still stuck in the joint.
He also turned back.
Then paused.
"Did it fall over your head?" I asked.
He attempted to nod but as soon as he tried to–
"Ouch."
He rubbed his head again.
I quickly went to his side.
"Does it hurt?"
"Nah.. it's ok."
I looked towards the curtain rod. For a moment I felt like it was the worst thing to be invented in the world.
"How the hell did it fall?"
He looked at me and our eyes met.
He was silent for a moment.
"How did it fall?" I asked again.
He suddenly looked towards the window.
"Kai–"
He put his index finger on his lips signalling me to be quiet.
Though I wanted to ask about what was outside the window, I kept quiet as I stepped closer to the window beside him.
I didn't see anything unusual there.
I looked towards him and realized that he was just behind me.
I moved to a little side so he could look out too.
But unfortunately, there wasn't much space.
He bent his head down just above my shoulder, trying to peep outside.
This time, I froze.
My heartbeat raised significantly enough for me to feel it outside my body.
While he, he looked too busy looking outside to pay attention.
"Where are these voices..." His voice was almost a whisper.
Voices?
What voices?
I can't hear any.
"But I didn't hear any voice..." I mumbled trying hard to look at him.
He suddenly looked at me.
And in that moment, our faces became unusually close in distance.
Before I could freeze and give out there–
I quickly turned my face away.
I also felt him straightening up before answering.
"Maybe...I was just imagining."
I nodded.
Then faced him.
"Does your head still hurt?"
He shaked his head.
"Nope."
"Hmm." I nodded again. "Then I will go back to my room."
"Ok."
Kaizer's POV
She slowly started walking towards the door.
As she was just about to step outside, she paused.
She suddenly peeped her head inside from the half closed gate.
"It really doesn't hurt anymore, right?"
This time I looked at her properly.
The pain in my head was now almost gone, just a little heaviness around the area.
But looking at her, it felt like it was a very big deal.
A smile formed on my lips.
"Yes, it was just a little accident. The pain is gone, ok?"
She nodded before closing the door.
The smile soon disappeared from my face.
I went to the window again and glanced down.
There was no one.
Just a moment ago. I heard someone saying things like,
> "Who are you?"
> "I am not alone."
And then,
Absolute silence.
It felt like, they were having a conversation with something I couldn't hear.
And if...
I turned around to see the closed door as I remembered what she said,
> "But I didn't hear any voice..."
Did I just read someone's mind again?
I frowned.
"I was imagining things....just imagining." I mumbled to myself before going to arrange the curtain rod.
Grace's POV
The office looked smaller than I remembered.
Or maybe it was because this time I wasn't here for an interview.
This time, I worked here.
The thought alone was enough to make my stomach twist.
I stood outside the building for a few seconds before finally pushing the door open.
Immediately, the sound of keyboards, conversations, and ringing phones reached my ears.
Everyone looked busy.
Much busier than they had during my interview.
For a moment, I felt completely out of place.
What if I wasn't good enough?
What if they realized they had hired the wrong person?
What if—
"Grace?"
I looked up.
One of the employees waved at me.
"You're here."
I nodded quickly.
"Y-yes."
"Good. Come in."
I followed him through the office.
People moved from one desk to another carrying papers, laptops, and sketchbooks.
The entire place felt alive.
Messy.
Chaotic.
But alive.
A strange feeling settled inside my chest.
I liked it.
---
A small desk had been prepared near a window.
Nothing fancy.
Just a laptop, a drawing tablet, and a chair.
Yet somehow it felt more valuable than anything I owned.
Because it was mine.
My first workspace.
---
The morning passed surprisingly quickly.
Most of the work involved understanding the project, looking through design references, and listening to explanations from other artists.
Everyone seemed older than me.
More experienced.
More confident.
Meanwhile, I felt like I had somehow wandered into the wrong room.
Every time somebody asked me something, I double-checked my answer before speaking.
Every time I drew something, I worried it wasn't good enough.
By lunchtime, my shoulders were already stiff from tension.
---
"Relax."
The voice came from beside me.
I looked up.
One of the artists smiled.
"You look like you're about to take an exam."
I quickly straightened.
"Do I?"
"Yes."
Heat rushed to my face.
The woman laughed softly.
"It's okay. Everyone looked terrified on their first day."
I glanced around.
Nobody else looked terrified.
She followed my gaze and laughed again.
"They're hiding it better."
---
For the first time that day, I smiled.
---
Later in the afternoon, I was sketching quietly when a shadow fell across my desk.
I looked up.
And froze.
My interviewer.
For some reason, seeing him during the interview felt completely different from seeing him now.
Maybe because this time he wasn't sitting behind a desk asking questions.
He looked tired.
Much more tired than before.
There were faint shadows under his eyes.
His sleeves were rolled up.
A coffee cup rested in one hand.
"You settling in?"
I blinked.
Then nodded quickly.
"Yes."
He glanced at the screen.
The character design I had been working on was still unfinished.
My stomach immediately tightened.
Was it bad?
Did he not like it?
He studied it for a few moments.
Then pointed towards a section of the design.
"The silhouette here is good."
I looked at him.
Then at the drawing.
Then back at him.
He wasn't criticizing it.
He was actually complimenting it.
A small part of me didn't know what to do with that.
"Thank you."
He nodded.
Then left as casually as he had arrived.
---
The interaction lasted less than a minute.
Yet I found myself staring at the screen long after he was gone.
Not because of him.
But because of what he had said.
The silhouette is good.
Such a small comment.
Such a simple comment.
Yet somehow it stayed.
---
By evening, most employees had already gone home.
I packed my things slowly.
The office had become quieter now.
The energy from the morning had settled into exhaustion.
As I passed one of the glass meeting rooms, I accidentally glanced inside.
And paused.
The same interviewer was there.
Alone.
The table was covered with papers.
Expense sheets.
Budgets.
Project plans.
His laptop screen was filled with numbers.
My gaze swept over the name plate on his table.
Rian. The founder.
He rubbed his eyes before reaching for another cup of coffee.
For a moment, he looked nothing like the confident founder everyone followed.
He just looked...
tired.
Very tired.
---
I quietly looked away and continued walking.
For some reason, the image stayed in my mind.
Perhaps because for the first time that day, I realized something.
Everyone here was trying their best.
Not just me.
Not just the new employees.
Everyone.
Including the person who started all of this.
---
When I stepped outside, the evening air felt cooler than before.
I looked back at the office building one last time.
Then a small smile appeared on my face.
Today wasn't perfect.
I had been nervous.
Awkward.
And probably looked lost half the time.
But for the first time in a long while...
I was looking forward to tomorrow.