A few hours passed in the quiet hum of the airplane, the clouds outside drifting slowly like thoughts that refused to settle. Yumi felt it before she saw it—the weight of someone's gaze resting gently on her.
When she turned her head, she caught Pherrie looking at her.
It wasn't the kind of stare that made her shrink or feel judged. It wasn't sharp or curious or careless. It was soft. Deep. Like someone looking at a memory they'd carried for years without ever touching. Like someone afraid to blink in case the moment disappeared.
Yumi hesitated, then softly called his name.
"Pherrie?"
He startled slightly, as if pulled back from somewhere far away. His voice came out low, careful, almost tender.
"Yes, Yumi?"
She shifted in her seat, her voice sounding strange—flat, a little robotic—from the helium she'd inhaled earlier, all so Damian wouldn't notice her, wouldn't hear her, wouldn't hurt her again.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "You've been staring at me for a long time."
Pherrie's eyes widened, guilt flickering across his face.
"Oh— I'm so sorry," he said quickly. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"No, no," Yumi said at once, shaking her head. "You didn't make me uncomfortable." She paused, then added softly, "I was just wondering… why you were staring at me."
Pherrie looked away for a moment, his fingers tightening around the strap of his bag. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter, steadier.
"I guess," he said slowly, "some people don't realize how precious something is when it's always been there."
Yumi didn't fully understand his words—but something in her chest stirred anyway.
Time passed without either of them speaking again. Three hours slipped by, filled with small glances, shared silence, and an unspoken understanding neither of them dared to name yet.
Then the teacher's voice rang through the cabin.
"Everyone, please prepare your belongings. We'll be landing in Balina shortly."
The plane began its descent.
Yumi looked out the window as the island came into view—green, glowing, waiting. And beside her, Pherrie sat quietly, heart racing, knowing that this place was not just a destination.
For the first time in his life, he felt that maybe—just maybe—
a soul that had never been chosen…
was finally about to be.