Chapter 3

[Hid: Hello, Rafi.]

The first normal greeting I’d ever received on here. I let out a quiet sigh of relief. A little sad that ‘hello’ was enough to make me feel safe, but still.

Hoping tonight’s last Dibs match, ‘Hid,’ wasn’t a pervert, I kept the conversation going.

[Rafi: Hello, Hid.]

[Hid: I hope I haven’t caught you just as you were about to sleep.]

The polite tone brought tears of joy to my eyes. A normal person. Finally, a normal person!

Still, I decided not to let my guard down until the very end. You never knew. This one might send a n*ked photo too.

Finger hovering over the block button, I typed back with narrowed eyes.

[Rafi: It’s fine, I was just about to……]

I stopped mid-sentence. Did I really need to be coy? This was just a test.

Better to just say whatever I wanted. It wasn’t like we’d ever actually meet.

[Rafi: Honestly, I was just about to go to sleep. I’ve been getting nothing but creepy messages all night.]

The unread count beside my message disappeared. He’d read it. But no reply came from Hid.

Of course there wouldn’t be. Everyone in Alastair preferred to speak in roundabout ways. So being startled by my bluntness was understandable.

‘Seems I wasn’t quite your type. Goodbye, anonymous user.’

I moved to turn off Dibs and try to sleep again.

Then a reply came from Hid.

[Hid: I’m truly sorry to hear that. I’ll apologize on behalf of the perverts.]

A laugh burst out of me before I could stop it. It was only a couple of short lines, but his wit and sense of humor came through perfectly.

[Rafi: Thank you. That actually helps.]

[Hid: I’m glad I could be of comfort. Will you be going to sleep now?]

I thought about it for a moment, then typed back.

[Rafi: No, I think I’d like to keep talking with you, Hid.]

[Hid: I’m honored.]

And just like that, I stopped treating this as a test and started putting my whole heart into it. Something about him just felt right.

First things first, I asked the question that had been nagging at me.

[Rafi: I’m curious why you chose me as your first Dibs match.]

His answer nearly made my jaw hit the floor.

[Hid: Because I liked what you wrote for your ideal type.]

My mouth fell open. I remembered perfectly well what I’d written.

Thinking it was just a beta test, I’d typed out my honest, unfiltered ideal type without holding back a single thing.

[Someone I can actually talk to, who is incredibly, devastatingly handsome!]

My face went scarlet. He seriously read that and still sent me a message?

‘Why, why did I put “devastatingly” in there!’

Then another message arrived from Hid.

[Hid: The moment I read it, I thought you must be a very honest person.]

[Hid: I’m not particularly fond of the Alastair way of speaking, you see.]

Oh. This man had something in common with me. A smile crept onto my face before I even noticed.

[Rafi: Oh, same here. The way people talk in circles here is exhausting.]

[Hid: I feel exactly the same. It seems we have something in common, Rafi.]

Hid was growing on me more and more.

Then, caught up in the conversation, I realized something I’d been overlooking this whole time.

No matter how much he liked my honest profile, reading it and messaging me without a moment’s hesitation meant……

‘Wait, is Hid handsome?’

I considered it briefly, but there was no way to ask outright. Honest as I’d decided to be, walking up and asking ‘are you good-looking?’ was still rude.

Right then, a message arrived from Hid that felt like he’d read my mind.

[Hid: You’re probably wondering right about now whether I’m “devastatingly” handsome.]

Oh, please! Why are you doing this to me. Why did you have to include “devastatingly.” I wanted to die of embarrassment.

But curiosity won out over shame.

[Rafi: Honestly…… yes.]

[Rafi: I’ve started wondering what you look like, Hid.]

Swallowing hard, I waited for his reply. The [typing……] indicator appeared, then finally a message came through.

[Hid: Shall I send you a photo?]

“Kyaaaaa!”

I couldn’t hold it in and screamed out loud.

The confidence of this man. And he was offering to send a photo! I leapt off the bed and bounced around the room.

The worry of ‘what if Hid sends a n*ked photo too’ had long since vanished from my mind entirely. It didn’t even seem possible anymore.

The [typing……] indicator appeared again. It seemed to be taking longer than usual, and I swallowed nervously. He must be deciding which photo to send.

What was this, making my palms sweat like this. Every second felt like a year.

And finally, the next message arrived!

I pressed my face practically into the screen. But……

[Hid: I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. I’ve changed my mind.]

[Hid: If you keep wondering what I look like……]

[Hid: You’ll keep talking to me, won’t you?]

“……!”

I grabbed the pillow in front of me and punched it repeatedly. No photo. And yet somehow I wasn’t even upset.

This little fox. An absolutely lovable fox, though.

Lost in my own frenzy, I’d missed my window to reply and hurried to pick up the device again.

[Rafi: Were you just teasing me?]

[Hid: Ha ha, I apologize. But I genuinely like you, Rafi.]

[Hid: I think I’d be sad if you came to like me only for my looks.]

The confidence on this man. Hid was completely certain that once I saw his face, I’d be won over without question.

That handsome, really? Was any of this even true?

I narrowed my eyes at the screen. Another message arrived from Hid, once again feeling like he’d peeked inside my head.

[Hid: Have I upset you.]

[Rafi: Yes, enormously.]

[Hid: Please don’t be cross with me. I can show you my face anytime at all.]

[Hid: I simply want to wait until we know each other a little better. I promise I’ll show you then.]

I thought it over. It felt a little like I’d been played, but honestly, he hadn’t done anything wrong.

Exchanging photos on the very first day of talking would be stranger, really, not knowing what kind of person the other was. So Hid’s careful approach made sense.

[Hid: May I keep in touch with you going forward?]

In the end, I sent back a yes.

[Rafi: Of course! I look forward to it.]

[Hid: Likewise, Rafi.]

❀❀❀

That evening, I ended up exchanging messages with Hid all through the night. The conversation flowed so naturally it was almost uncanny.

Like talking to someone I’d known for years. Hid seemed to feel the same way.

[Hid: I was so absorbed talking with you that I didn’t even notice the sun coming up. The Dibs tagline really is true.]

[Rafi: ‘Where is the one who’s meant for you?’ Is that the one you mean?]

[Hid: Yes.]

My face burned so hot I could feel it.

But fun was fun, and the consequence was that I dragged myself out of my room the next morning looking absolutely hollow.

“Uuugh.”

People really do need sleep. I shuffled downstairs toward the dining room.

Lark called out from behind me.

“Raphindel, what on earth happened to you?”

“Oh, Brother. Good morning.”

I greeted him with the bare minimum of courtesy, barely managing to hold back a yawn. Lark clicked his tongue.

“You were jilted, so you should be embarrassed and taking better care of your appearance. Look at the state of you.”

I was speechless. I wasn’t jilted. My fiancé dropped dead.

There was plenty I could have said, but I was too exhausted for any of it. Too tired to bother, honestly.

Whatever he wanted to say, my head was already full of last night’s conversation with Hid.

So what if I looked a mess. Hid couldn’t see me right now anyway.

‘Online romance is the best, la la la.’

After finishing breakfast in a hurry, I headed back up to my room. Lark followed me the entire way, nagging without pause.

“At least put on some makeup!”

How did my brother in this life turn out exactly the same. I sighed.

It didn’t matter, though. I had a very full evening of romance ahead of me. Turning toward the stairs, I stuck my tongue out at Lark’s retreating back.

Then I locked eyes with Asid.

“Oh……”

“M, Miss……?”

Asid’s eyes wavered. Of all the times. I’d only ever shown Asid the graceful, ladylike version of myself. What on earth was he doing here!

Then I smacked my forehead. Right, d*mn it. Today’s Dibs meeting was in my study.