Sunshine vs. Ice

...Chapter 2 – Sunshine vs. Ice...

Ananya never admitted it out loud, but checking her phone had quietly become the highlight of her day. Not Instagram. Not her class group. Not even her best friends’ texts. No—it was him.

ShadowWalker.

Or rather, Ruhan, though she didn’t know his real name yet.

Every reply from him was like a little puzzle—short, cold, almost reluctant—but somehow, she loved the challenge of cracking him open.

“Good luck for your exams,” he texted one evening, out of nowhere.

Ananya blinked at the screen. He never started conversations first. Never.

Her lips curled into a smile.

Ananya: “Well, well, look who’s suddenly being nice. Careful, or I’ll think you care about me.”

There was a pause, then his reply came in.

ShadowWalker: “Don’t overthink. Just being polite.”

Ananya chuckled, shaking her head. “Uh-huh. Sure. I’ll let you keep your cool-guy act.”

The exams came and went, and though she was exhausted, she still found herself opening the chat window late at night, talking to him about everything and nothing.

Her classmates teased her about always grinning at her phone.

“Who is it, huh? Spill it, Ananya!”

She would wave them off, cheeks warm. “It’s just… a friend.”

But deep down, she knew it wasn’t just a friend anymore.

One night, after a particularly long day in the hospital lab, she messaged him:

Ananya: “Do you ever get tired? Like… really tired? Where you just want someone to tell you it’s okay to stop for a bit?”

The typing dots appeared. Disappeared. Appeared again. Finally—

ShadowWalker: “Yes. Often.”

She sat up straighter. He actually admitted something personal.

Ananya: “So what do you do when that happens?”

ShadowWalker: “Keep going. No choice.”

Her heart ached a little. She wanted to reach through the screen, shake him, and say, You’re allowed to rest, you know. Instead, she typed:

Ananya: “Well… if I were there, I’d bring you coffee and chocolate. And I’d make you laugh until you forgot you were tired.”

There was a long silence. Then—

ShadowWalker: “You’re strange.”

Ananya grinned.

Ananya: “Strange is good. Otherwise, you’d be bored of me already.”

For the first time, he didn’t deny it.

And that’s how it happened. Quietly. Slowly.

She started falling.

Not because he was sweet—he wasn’t. Not because he showered her with compliments—he definitely didn’t. But because underneath all his coldness, she sensed something hidden. A softness he refused to show.

She wanted to be the one to find it.

A few days later, she tried a little experiment.

Ananya: “Okay, serious question. If I disappeared tomorrow, would you miss me?”

She waited, heart pounding. Maybe he’d ignore it. Maybe he’d laugh it off.

The reply came after what felt like an eternity.

ShadowWalker: “Don’t disappear.”

Ananya’s breath caught. Just two words, but they warmed her entire chest.

She typed back quickly, fingers trembling.

Ananya: “Promise I won’t. You’re stuck with me, mister ice block.”

And for the first time, she didn’t care if she was pestering him. Because now, she was sure of it.

She had fallen first.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***