The one day he stayed

The night before the site visit, Vanya had made plans to leave early in the morning. The entire group was supposed to meet for the site visit, but Yuvi texted her last night, saying he wasn’t coming. She frowned at her phone as she read his message.

“Not coming tomorrow. I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

The nerve of him, she thought. They had agreed to go together, and now he was bailing out?

---

Determined to make him regret his decision, Vanya grinned to herself, her fingers typing out a message with a mischievous twinkle in her eye:

“You better show up, or I’m dragging you out of your house myself.”

She sat back, satisfied with her reply, and sent it before she could rethink it. A few moments later, Yuvi’s response came.

“Challenge accepted. I’ll see if you really have the guts to do that.”

Vanya wasn’t one to back down, especially not when it came to him. A challenge was exactly what she needed. She knew it would be early, but she had the perfect plan in mind.

The next morning, Vanya was up before the sun had fully risen, her energy levels high as she prepared for what was about to unfold. She’d packed her bag for the site visit, slipped into a comfortable outfit, and made sure to leave her house quietly, her mind focused on what was ahead.

She made her way to Yuvi’s house with a sense of purpose. It wasn’t long before she stood in front of his doorstep, the early morning air cool against her skin. She rang the doorbell, a smirk on her face as she thought about his reaction when he saw her.

Moments later, Yuvj’s mother opened the door. She greeted Vanya with a warm smile, clearly surprised to see her.

“Good morning, Vanya! What brings you here so early?” his mother asked, still adjusting to the sight of her.

“I’m here to drag Yuvi out of bed,” Vanya said, grinning. “He told me he wasn’t coming, and well, I’m here to make sure he changes his mind.”

Yuvj’s mother laughed softly, stepping aside. “Well, I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m glad to see you. Come in, dear.”

Vanya nodded, following her inside and trying to hide her excitement. She wasn’t backing down now.

Vanya followed Yuvi’s mother up the stairs, her heart pounding a little faster than usual. She wasn’t sure why she felt this nervous, but there was something exciting about this. They reached his bedroom door, and his mother knocked softly.

“Yuvi,” she called, “Wake up! You have company.”

Vanya smiled, anticipation building. She could hear rustling from inside the room before the door creaked open, revealing a still-groggy Yuvi standing in his doorway. His eyes widened as he saw her.

“Vanya? What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice thick with sleep.

“I told you I would drag you out of bed,” Vanya said with a playful smirk, walking right past him into his room.

Yuvi blinked, still trying to shake off the fog of sleep. “You’re really crazy, you know that?”

Vanya shrugged, crossing her arms. “You should’ve shown up when you said you would. Now you’re going to have to deal with me.”

Yuvi let out a defeated sigh, then rubbed his eyes. “Fine, fine. Give me a minute to shower and get ready.”

Vanya stood near the window of his room, looking around, trying to act casual but secretly feeling a little out of her depth. She wasn’t used to being in his space like this, especially not so early in the morning.

The sound of water running from the bathroom caught her attention, and she couldn’t help but turn around to glance in the direction of the door. She heard the shower turn off, and before she could process it, Yuvi stepped out, only wearing low-slung sweatpants and a towel around his neck. His hair was damp, and droplets of water trailed down his chest, his body glistening in the soft light of the room.

For a moment, Vanya froze, her eyes unable to look away. She knew it was a mistake, that she should look away, but something about him in that state had her caught in place. She was usually so composed, but now she felt an unfamiliar heat rise to her cheeks.

Yuvi noticed the look in her eyes, and a smug smile curled on his lips. He took a slow step toward her, enjoying the way she was suddenly rendered speechless.

“You okay there, Vanya?” he teased, his voice smooth and playful. “Need me to turn the fan on? Or should I make you some breakfast while you recover?”

Vanya swallowed hard, snapping out of her trance. She quickly looked away, clearing her throat. “You—You’re impossible,” she muttered, but she couldn’t stop the nervous laughter that bubbled up.

Yuvi, still smirking, took another step closer, his body inches from hers. He reached out and gently brushed her arm, a move so casual, yet it sent a jolt through her.

“Relax,” he said with a grin, “I’m just getting dressed. I’ll be ready in a second.”

But Vanya couldn’t shake the warmth in her chest as she backed up, suddenly feeling very aware of the distance between them. She was trying to act casual, but her heart was racing in her chest, and she had no idea how to handle it.

Just as things were getting a little too intense, Yuvi’s mother called them down for breakfast, cutting the moment short. “Breakfast is ready!” she called from downstairs.

Yuvi smiled, looking almost too satisfied with himself. “Come on, Vanya. Don’t want to keep my mom waiting.”

Vanya followed him downstairs, her mind still racing. As much as she tried to ignore it, her thoughts kept circling back to the way Yuvi had looked—so effortless, so confident.