The entire day felt strange to Mira.
No matter what she did, her mind kept drifting back to the rooftop.
To the question he had asked.
"Why would you be jealous unless you like me?"
She had tried ignoring it.
She had tried convincing herself that it didn't matter.
But the thought kept returning again and again.
At the office, Mira was unusually quiet.
Her coworker noticed immediately.
"You're really distracted today," she said.
Mira forced a small smile.
"Just didn't sleep well."
Technically, that wasn't a lie.
Her sleep had been filled with too many thoughts.
Too many questions.
During lunch break, Mira sat alone with her tea.
She stared at the steam rising from the cup.
Her mind replayed their conversations from the past few dreams.
The teasing.
The calm way he spoke.
The way he always seemed to understand her reactions before she even said anything.
She sighed quietly.
"This is getting dangerous," she whispered.
Because the truth was becoming harder to ignore.
She liked talking to him.
She looked forward to those dreams.
And that realization scared her a little.
That night, Mira returned home feeling both nervous and curious.
She finished her dinner slowly.
Then she lay down on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
Her heart was beating slightly faster.
"What if he appears again tonight?" she murmured.
The thought made her both excited and anxious.
She closed her eyes slowly.
And sleep arrived sooner than she expected.
When Mira opened her eyes again…
The rooftop was there.
The same gentle wind.
The same endless city lights stretching across the horizon.
But tonight felt different.
Her heart was already beating faster.
She looked around quietly.
"You're early," a voice said behind her.
Mira turned.
There he was again.
Standing a few steps away.
Calm as always.
"You say that like you expected me," Mira said.
He smiled slightly.
"You usually show up."
"That doesn't mean I planned it."
"Sure."
She walked closer to the railing.
The city looked peaceful tonight.
But her mind felt anything but peaceful.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then he said quietly,
"You look serious tonight."
"I am."
"That sounds concerning."
"I've been thinking."
"About what?"
"About this."
She gestured around the rooftop.
"The dreams."
He leaned against the railing beside her.
"And what did you conclude?"
"That it's weird."
"That's not new."
Mira sighed.
"No, I mean… really weird."
"How so?"
She hesitated.
Then spoke honestly.
"I look forward to these conversations."
He looked slightly surprised.
"That's honest."
"I told you I was serious tonight."
"And?"
"And that's the problem."
He tilted his head slightly.
"Why is that a problem?"
Mira looked at him.
Because the answer was obvious.
"You're not real."
He didn't respond immediately.
"You're part of a dream," she continued quietly.
"These conversations only exist while I'm sleeping."
"That's true."
"And that makes everything complicated."
He studied her expression carefully.
"Why does it bother you so much?"
Mira looked away toward the city lights.
"Because…"
She stopped.
Her heart was suddenly beating faster.
Because she was about to say something dangerous.
She took a slow breath.
"Because I think I might—"
She stopped again.
Her voice disappeared.
He watched her calmly.
"You might what?"
Mira shook her head quickly.
"Forget it."
"No."
"Yes."
"You were about to say something important."
She crossed her arms nervously.
"This is exactly why I didn't want to say it."
"Why?"
"Because you'll tease me again."
"I won't."
"You always do."
"Not this time."
She looked at him carefully.
"You promise?"
"Promise."
Mira hesitated.
Then looked down at the rooftop floor.
Her voice became quiet.
"I think I might be starting to like you."
For the first time since they met in the dreams…
He didn't joke.
He didn't tease.
He simply looked at her.
The wind moved gently across the rooftop.
And the silence between them felt heavier than before.
Mira suddenly felt embarrassed.
"See?" she said quickly.
"This is exactly why I didn't want to say it."
"Why?"
"Because now it's awkward."
He shook his head slightly.
"It's not awkward."
"It definitely is."
She sighed and leaned against the railing.
"But it doesn't matter anyway."
"Why not?"
"Because this will eventually stop."
He looked confused.
"What will stop?"
"The dreams."
Her voice softened.
"One day I'll stop seeing you here."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because that's how dreams work."
She looked at him again.
"And when that happens…"
Her voice became quieter.
"What happens to us?"
For a moment…
Neither of them spoke.
The wind blew softly across the rooftop.
And for the first time…
The dream didn't feel playful anymore.
It felt emotional.
Real.
He looked at her carefully.
"You're worried about losing me."
Mira didn't answer.
Because that was exactly the truth.
Before he could say anything else…
The rooftop lights flickered again.
Mira groaned softly.
"Of course," she whispered.
The city lights began fading slowly.
But this time she didn't argue with the dream ending.
Instead, she looked at him one last time.
"I guess we'll talk about it next time," she said quietly.
When Mira woke up the next morning…
Her room felt strangely empty.
She sat up slowly.
Her heart felt heavier than usual.
Because for the first time…
She realized something clearly.
These dreams weren't just fun conversations anymore.
They had turned into something deeper.
Something emotional.
And that scared her.
Because if she really liked someone who only existed in her dreams…
Then one day waking up might hurt more than she expected.