The Locked Roommate

Iris and Jonah have shared a two-bedroom and an unspoken almost-relationship for two years. It was working. It was also, she now understands, convenient. Through the wall she hears him tell his ex she's 'the safe option, the one who's already there' — right after confirming he's moving to Osaka without telling her. She doesn't scream. She forwards the lease. She buys a new duvet. They're still roommates, because rent in this city is real, and every morning he makes her coffee and takes up space in the story anyway. Ten months. One wall. A man who has to prove he sees her before he ever gets to touch her. A slow-burn overheard betrayal grovel romance about a love that has to leave the apartment to find its way back.