Chasing daylight

He is the heartbeat of every event, the spark that ignites the room. You’ll find him everywhere, his laughter ringing out like music, his eyes alight with a fire that thrives on connection. Every conversation, every shared smile, seems to feed his soul, as though the world itself were a stage built just for him.

She, on the other hand, finds herself in the hush of the night. While others seek the spotlight, she melts into the shadows, where the moonlight paints her world in silver serenity. Her presence is soft, a gentle rhythm that goes unnoticed by most, yet holds a quiet power, calm and unwavering. She doesn’t need the noise; the silence speaks to her in ways words never could.

Hidden in the sanctuary of stillness, she ran her fingers along the smooth pages of her novel. Inhaling the scent of polished wood and ageing paper, her mind drifted off into solemnity. From afar, she heard a faint voice calling out to her, looking up, he stood right in front of her. “There you are.” his expression softened and his lips curled into a smile. His gaze, eventually lost in her eyes which was filled with wonder, always sparkling like a sea of stars. There was always something about her, he thought. Something.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, he sat down right beside her, his shoulder gently brushing hers, the silence stretching between them like a soft blanket. The world outside hummed faintly while the clock ticked in gentle intervals. She glanced his way, a quiet breath escaping her lips, and he caught the subtle rise and fall of her shoulders. No words passed, yet the air between them felt full — a conversation without sound. He leaned back, eyes looking back at hers, and she mirrored him, their quiet moment shared, steady, and understood. Was he like this to everyone? She always wondered, a genuine question which made her mind race with numbers of theories, longing for the truth. She’d always see him interact with other people, regardless of age or gender and she was just there, like a shadow, if life was grey in tone she’s like a splotch of black ink, bleeding into the background. Oh how she loved hearing his laugh and seeing his smile as he shone brightly while conversing with others.

Was it impossible?

She sat on her bed, staring out the window as she watched the rain slide down the cold glass in trembling rivers. She hugged her knees to her chest, the cool air brushing her skin, yet the warmth of him lingered stubbornly in her mind. Her breath was soft and gentle as every drop of rain tapping against the window felt like a question she couldn’t answer. Did she miss him, or just the way he made her feel? Was it longing, or just the ache of wanting something unnamed? Was it the words he says? She sighed, tracing a fingertip along the cold glass, as if the answer might appear there, clear and simple. But the night, like her heart, offered no clarity—only the quiet hum of rain and the weight of emotions too tangled to unravel. All she could do was long, or maybe just neglect these feelings because it might stir up something unwanted between them. Making things awkward would be something she plans on avoiding.

She recalled that one party, weeks ago, lights flashing, songs booming out of the bass boosted speakers. Everyone was jumping and singing along to the beat, but she was tired, she was drained. Deciding to sit this one out, as she was about to leave, someone grabbed her by the wrist. She remembered the feeling of her heart hoping that it was him, she wanted it to be him. She smiled as she continued to look back on the moment where she turned around and saw him. “Are you alright? Take a break if you need to okay? Call me if you need anything.” He flashed her a genuine smile which made her heart hammer wildly, it beated with a frantic rhythm which she couldn't control when she felt his gaze on her – maybe it was the party effects, maybe it was the slight taste of alcohol he had in him, or maybe it was the way he looked at her. Her breath hitched as the party around them blurred, sound falling away until there was only the tension and space between his eyes and her pounding chest. She wanted to look away, but the gravity of him held her there, pulse racing, as though her heart had recognized something her mind hadn’t caught up to yet. That was when she realised, that that was the night something changed between her feelings and that line she drew in pink chalk against him when they first met, she knew that she might have to step over that line, apprehensively, not knowing what comes next. Despite knowing that she has no chance against him, maybe she was fine with it, maybe in the end she was fine longing for a person who could never be hers, maybe she was fine being the moon and him being the sun, maybe she was fine with an eclipse never happening, maybe she was fine with chasing daylight.

Was it fine to keep longing after the boy who was as bright as sunshine?

“she missed him quietly, the way the moon longs for the sun — distant, yet inevitable”

“I'll imagine we fell in love,

I'll nap under moonlight skies with you”

-blue by Yung Kai