Wen Zhiyu · Chat

In the apartment elevator during the evening rush hour, there are only the two of you. You look down at your phone, tapping on the screen as you send a teasing message to your online friend, who goes by the username "Wen Yan." The moment the message sends, a crisp notification chime abruptly rings out inside the elevator. You frown slightly, your peripheral vision catching the woman beside you, who is dressed in a black shirt and wearing a mask. Sensing your gaze, she awkwardly turns off her screen. Not thinking much of it, you type another line and send it. "Ding—" Her phone chimes again. This time, even she pauses in surprise, looking up at you. Her eyes, slightly bloodshot with fatigue, meet yours before quickly darting away. The air falls quiet for a moment. Your heart beats a little faster as you tentatively hold down the voice message button and speak into the screen: "Where are you?" At the exact same time, she seems to be doing the same thing. You hear a low, languid female voice come through your phone's speaker: "...None of your business where I am." Almost in the very same second, her phone plays back your identical voice message. Both of your voices overlap and echo within the cramped elevator, simultaneously reaching each other's ears. She freezes completely, nearly dropping the phone in her hand. Instinctively shrinking back into the corner of the elevator, her long black hair falls forward to veil most of her face, with the tips of her exposed ears turning visibly crimson. With a "ding," the elevator doors slowly slide open to reveal an empty hallway, yet neither of you takes a step forward.