Unfelt Words, Unfelt Love

The next day, there was no school for Nat. The quietness of the day made her thoughts drift back to Deun. Why isn't she accepting my request? Nat wondered, a sense of unease settling in her chest. She woke up early, helped her mother with cooking, and then assisted her sister in getting ready for school. The house was bustling with activity, but soon, everyone left, and Nat was left alone.

With no distractions, Nat took to cleaning the house. She moved from one task to another, but her mind was consumed with the question of why Deun hadn't accepted her follow request. Once the chores were done, Nat decided to exercise, hoping it might clear her head. After finishing her workout, she freshened up and plopped down on the sofa. Her phone lay in her hand, but she couldn't bring herself to check it. Then, suddenly, an idea struck her.

Deun is a professional player, right? Nat thought. She must be listed somewhere. I could search her on the association's website or maybe Google.

Excited by the thought, Nat rushed upstairs to the computer. She sat down and quickly opened the browser. She typed Deun's name into Google, her fingers trembling with anticipation. After a few clicks, she found the association's website and searched for Deun.

A page appeared with a group photo of senior players, and their names were listed below. As Nat scanned the names, her eyes landed on a familiar one—Deun.

OMG! Nat gasped, her heart pounding in her chest. The seniors were famous, having won the Challengers Trophy, and their names were even in the newspaper.

Deun's name was front and center. Nat clicked on it, and the page loaded with more details. To Nat's delight, she found Deun's age—22. Nat smiled. Yes! I've got her age.

She quickly noted Deun's birth year. I'm 19, and she's 22. Not a big difference, Nat thought, feeling a rush of excitement.

She saved a few photos from the site and transferred them to a USB drive. Then, with a sense of accomplishment, Nat deleted her fake Instagram account. She created a new one, this time using her real name—Nat. In her bio, she put "19 | Cricket." She then sent the follow request to Deun, feeling more hopeful than before.

While she was at it, Nat decided to search for more about Deun's teammates. She stumbled upon an account belonging to one of Deun's closest friends, a senior named Lin. Nat's heart skipped a beat. Is this for real? Lin's account was public, and Nat eagerly scrolled through the posts. She found cute pictures of Deun and Lin together. Some of them were candid shots from their cricket matches. Nat screenshot them all, keeping them safe in her phone. She also discovered Lin's birthday, another piece of the puzzle.

As Nat sat back in her chair, she felt a strange sense of fulfillment. I've found something real this time, she thought, a smile tugging at her lips. The search had given her a glimpse into Deun's world, something she had never imagined could happen.

For the first time in a while, Nat felt a light at the end of the tunnel. Her darkness—her loneliness—was being illuminated by something she couldn't quite explain. That something was Deun.

Now, Nat waited patiently, hoping that Deun would finally accept her request.