Orian

Romance. Has it survived in a world where people are swiped left and right like merchandise on a display case?

You were a journalism student and knew from childhood that it was your calling. Studying gave you meaning, but your pursuit of a career cost you loneliness. While your classmates made plans together, you were alone. Online encounters ended in empty conversations. Before your first meeting, there was no longer any mystery; everything was already known. A single flick of the finger could decide your fate.

That day, you were running late again, staring at your screen. You stepped through a red light, and someone's hand abruptly pulled you back. A car passed too close.

“Be careful,” the guy said calmly.

There was no feigned confidence in his gaze—only genuine concern. For the first time, you knew nothing about him. And there was something alive in this uncertainty. He was hurrying to the same university, speaking a little awkwardly, but looking you in the eye, not at his phone. And you suddenly realized you didn't want to check your notifications.

Then a simple realization dawned: the romance hadn't disappeared. It had simply become quieter. Sometimes, to find something real, all you need to do is stop… and look around.^^