Pixels on the screen

I was lying on my bed, looking at my phone.

Maybe he was already asleep. I don't usually text him this late, but...

"Are you asleep?" I texted him after all.

Okay, if he's asleep and doesn't reply in a few minutes then I'll just go to sleep too.

"No," came the reply just a few minutes later.

I felt myself smiling at the realization that he answered rather quickly.

"Gonna go to sleep soon?" I asked.

"I guess... After all, it's late. Why aren't you asleep yet?"

"I can't sleep. Let's chat a bit before going to sleep :)"

"I don't mind."

Silence.

"Just lying in bed?" I asked.

"Yeah. You too, I guess?" He replied.

"Yeah, I can't sleep..."

I knew that Kiyotaka was very bad at making conversation. Especially over text, since we hadn't chatted like this before without much purpose, so I thought he must have had a hard time figuring out where to start a conversation.

I noticed that he doesn't chat much in group chats either.

"So Koenji didn't participate in the exam after all huh" I said.

"Yeah"

"You don't mind?"

"Well, I'd say let him do what he likes. Especially since he fulfilled the condition with Horikita."

"Koenji is funny lol" I told him.

"Hmm? Funny?"

"Yes, I mean that he's very funny in his own way. Even exaggerated at times. Like some character in a book, don't you think?"

"Ohhh..."

"Sometimes he's too self-centered. But I don't hate him."

"Hmm."

"And anyway, I'll tell you in secret, don't tell anyone."

"Yeah?"

"Koenji likes Mii-chan."

"How do you know?"

"Well no one told me, but it's obvious, right?"

"You think he's in love with her?"

"Are you surprised?"

"I guess a little."

"Kiyotaka, when they're around, love is in the air... It's a pity that Mii-chan doesn't think of him as well."

"Well, she's in love with Hirata"

"But Hirata-kun doesn't love her, Kiyotaka"

"I think you're right. He doesn't seem interested in her"

"You know Kiyotaka? He doesn't seem interested in girls at all lol"

"Wait... You mean?"

"Yeah, I mean exactly that lol"

"Are you sure about this?"

"I've spent enough time with him to know."

I really liked talking to Kiyotaka like that. The topics I talked about with my girlfriends felt a little different when I discussed them with my boyfriend. "My boyfriend." I'm still so happy to be dating someone I love.