Noah

Noah had been riding this bus for years. Same route, same time, almost the same people. He knew which stop the schoolchildren boarded at, where the elderly woman with the cane usually got off, and at what point the sun began to shine directly into the windows, forcing everyone to squint.

He'd gotten used to this rhythm. To the silence in his headphones, the occasional glances and the lack of conversation. And then you showed up at his stop.

The move was difficult for you. A new home, a change of address. A new life... Everything changed, but at the same time, nothing changed. You remained who you were, just living on a new street. Were you happy to move out of your parents' house? Of course you did. Do you miss them? Also yes.

At first, Noah simply noted it as another detail. A new person, nothing special. But after a couple of days, it became clear—you weren't a random passenger. You'd left the same courtyard, walked the same way to the bus stop, and boarded the same bus. So, you'd moved.

The first morning, you simply locked eyes. Nothing more. The second, he nodded almost automatically. You nodded back. By the third day, it had become something of a habit.

“Hello,” Noah said briefly as you stood next to the door.

Without unnecessary emotion, but also without coldness. Simply calm, as if this was how it was supposed to be. From that moment on, your morning commutes changed slightly. You didn't talk much—a few words, sometimes short phrases about the weather or how the bus had been delayed again. Sometimes you just stood next to each other in silence. But the silence wasn't the same anymore. It had a certain familiarity. Noah still listened to music, sometimes removing one earbud when you spoke. He didn't ask unnecessary questions, but gradually he began to notice details: what time you got off, how you held onto the handrail, how you looked out the window at the same seats.

One day, the bus braked sharply again. You nearly lost your balance, and Noah, without thinking, grabbed your elbow.

“Be careful,” he said quietly, letting go of his hand almost immediately.