Some Days - By Sarah Kim

Written By: Sarah Kim

Category: Short Story

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the captivating short story "Some Days," writer Sarah Kim explores the profound themes of identity and self-worth. This remarkable piece is part of the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, hosted by Hashtag Kalakar. Through the lens of an ordinary girl's introspective journey, Sarah Kim invites readers to delve into the complexities of self-discovery and the longing for recognition in a world that often overlooks the unremarkable.

About the Work

"Some Days" skillfully weaves a narrative of introspection and emotional turmoil. Through vivid storytelling, Sarah Kim paints a portrait of Kira, an ordinary girl navigating life's challenges and the desire for connection. The story employs a reflective tone, exploring themes of self-worth and the quest for validation. Rich imagery and relatable characters create an engaging experience, inviting readers to ponder the silent struggles of those who feel invisible and unappreciated.

some days

Original Submission by Sarah Kim

some days by Sarah Kim

She is ordinary. So ordinary that no one bats an eye when she walks past despite her height that’s taller than most girls. She has a face that blends with the crowd, dresses like someone that is not bold or creative enough to have heads turned, a personality that does not leave an impact to say that “oh, her! That’s something only she could do.” She is ordinarily Plain Jane.

She likes writing but her writing’s mediocre. Not wow enough to leave an impact. She loves teaching but not always the favourite teacher that kids run to all the time. She has her share of relationships but none of her exes ever have that regret of leaving her. She attracts people who have more spark than she does which leaves her in the background. She can visit the same store or cafe every time and yet, not one worker will ever remember her usual order.

People in her life don’t find her for anything — be it family or friends. She has to initiate most of everything. She’s the texter that happens to have dry texters as friends. Often, she asks people how they’re doing first. If someone were to ask her for help, that would be a miracle because no one finds her for help. She’s not the first person people think to call. No one thinks to have her as the first emergency contact. She can list so many for it but not one would for her.

She is Kira, the ordinary girl.

It doesn’t bother her on good days. In fact, she is always happy to assist anyone in need, especially those close to her. She is also not passive. If something does not sit right with her, she’ll voice it out. If she’s being wrongfully used by other people, she’ll tell that person off or just cut contact with said person. She can be loud when needed to. She can be harsh to people who wrong the people she loves. Even so, she is still ordinary. Not much to remember her by no matter how much she gives.

Sometimes, she would have fantasies of being the ‘it girl’ that makes everyone’s heads turn when she walks by. To have her remembered as the girl who likes to order tea instead of coffee at that same cafe she always goes to. To have her recognised by maybe a guy who has seen her taking the same route to work. To have her being remembered as the person who is selfless to everyone

around her. To have someone who looks at something like clouds and have them think about her because of how much she loves clouds.

On days where her thoughts control her mind, they consume her. They make her question her worth and herself. Why don’t people reciprocate her effort as she does? Why is she always a second choice? Sometimes not even a choice in anyone’s life. Is it something about her that makes people feel uncomfortable? In her family, she’s always remembered when she screws up but when she does something that makes her happy like getting her dream job as a teacher, the reaction is underwhelming. Not so much like when she suddenly decided to burst in anger and ran away from home.

On these days, her mind is dark. She scorns the world. Despite that, she still has that tinge of hope that people would just notice or ask her how she is, if she needs anything or just simply initiate. But then, even hope is unkind to her. The more she hoped, the more her hopes did not

come true. It is as if hope is allergic to her. The more she wants to get closer to hope, the further hope runs away.

She is tired of herself. She has had it. There are only so many days that she can give herself a positive pep talk. To be able to look at herself in the mirror with so much ordinariness and tell herself that she is extraordinary, she can’t lie to herself anymore. She can’t keep it up anymore.

So one day, when the one figure that should help her in times of need lets her down, she snaps. She throws her phone against the wall and it breaks into pieces. It isn’t anger. It’s just the final straw.

*

Kira is one who couldn’t live without her phone. Currently without it, it is actually killing her inside. No matter, she needs to practise self-restraint. Since her phone is in pieces, she only has her laptop to connect to the outside world. Only her WhatsApp is connected to her laptop and it takes every fibre in her being not to open and check any messages there. Good thing her socials are not connected on the laptop. She’s trying to be completely off the grid — and she’s really hoping she can commit to it.

After emailing her workplace that she needs to take emergency leave until further notice, she lies down on her bed. Is she doing the right thing? Does she want to tell anyone? No. Don’t tell anyone. No one would care. See if anyone cares. Will anyone care?

Stop it, Kira. Don’t spiral. She doesn’t like that she’s like this. Who would want to deal with her and her non-stop overthinking thoughts that constantly makes her doubt herself? No one wants to deal with an insecure girl who always second guesses herself and everyone around her. If anyone were to be in her head, they would scream to get out because it’s suffocating.

The thing is, what Kira doesn’t know is that people don’t view her that way. She isn’t the girl that people think would suddenly take a long leave of absence because she’s having a meltdown. She always has it together and never shows any weakness. The only weakness she shows is her intolerance of incompetent people who cannot get the job done properly. Other than that, she is careful enough not to overshare. Not a lot of people would understand.

She is not going to count on anyone to understand anymore.

*

Before Kira knows it, it is already 8pm. After going through her laptop, searching on numerous things about her current situation, she closes it, stretches and makes her way to the kitchen. Only then, she starts to feel hungry. Nicely enough, there isn’t anything to eat. Not something that she wants anyway. Heaving a sigh thinking about her broken phone, she has to go out and find food since she can’t order in. She makes her way to the bedroom, changes into her jeans and a beige parka with a hoodie, grabs her tote bag, wears a cap and places her pepper spray in her back pocket then leaves her house.

She has lived in Malaysia her whole life as a Kuala Lumpur city girl. When she thought of living in a different state, she didn’t prefer it. She’s used to the city life and how convenient it is for her. Everything is easily accessible and nearby. Her apartment is near the grocery store and several cafes she likes to go to like Coffee Bean, Kenangan Coffee and more. When she feels lazy to go out, she can always order Grab to send food or necessities she needs.

But at times, living in the city can be unnecessarily stressful with the traffic jam, ongoing construction noises and the fact that the city never sleeps. It is never quiet. Sometimes, she craves the silence that countrysides can offer. Well, no one can really have the best of both worlds.

Since there is no food in the fridge, Kira decides to go to a grocer further from her house, just so she wouldn’t bump into anyone she knows. As she makes her rounds at the grocery store, she pays for apples first and munches on one because she is famished. She grabs all the essentials of a meltdown — Pop Tarts, Oreos, chips, Snickers and Mars (fun sizes) and 2 bottles of Coke. Now, onto the food for survival.

She grips her apple between her teeth while she tries to grab some boxes of cereal, in which case one of the boxes knocks the apple from her teeth and falls on the ground.

”Shit!” Kira curses as she sees the apple fall a little further from her, next to someone’s foot. She places the boxes in her cart and rushes to the apple and mutters another curse under her breath.

”Sorry about that,” Kira says without looking at the stranger.

“I thought I knew that voice from somewhere.”

Oh great. Just when she doesn’t want to bump into anyone she knows is exactly when she bumps into someone. This is exactly what she meant about hope — it always happens the exact opposite of what she wants.

“Nik.” She says his name. A name from the past. A name she had sworn off.

”This is a surprise,” he replies with a grin. The same grin that showed his right dimple that used to make her swoon.

Not anymore.

”Yeah, you can say that. And I really hate surprises right now,” Kira mutters with a dry laugh.

”Hey! It’s good that I bumped into you.”

“Is it?” Kira replies sarcastically but he never catches sarcasm well.

”Yeah, I’m hosting a gathering of our high school batch. A reunion of some sort. Thought you would want to come.”

Ugh. As desperate as she is for attention, she would not ever go back to the high school where she was ridiculed by his friends for him to have a crush on her. She might not be the smartest girl in class but she was definitely one to always voice out if something bothered her. Nik loved to pick a fight with her over the smallest things. Naturally, Kira would fight back. Verbally, of course. She was never good with Maths and when the Maths teacher asked Nik — the smartest boy in class and knows it — to teach her, he scoffed and complained to the teacher that she didn’t even know what probability was. He used to take her stuff without permission, texted her just to annoy her and even argued with her about not paying enough for the class money. It turned out all his attempts to push her buttons were him showing signs that he liked her.

Even then, she was not enough for the smartest boy in school.

“Yeahhhh… I’m going to say no but thanks for the invite!” She is ready to walk away when he grabs her arm.

”I would really love for you to come. For old time’s sake,” he persists.

”Nik, let go of me,” she says firmly.

“Not until you say you’re going,” he says playfully, still gripping onto her firmly. ”Still can’t take a rejection? You gotta really learn to accept ‘no means no.’ Now let go.” ”You heard the lady.”

Wow. Another cliche happening. Suddenly, a guttural voice appears out of nowhere to ‘save her day.’

“You know this man?” Nik asks, still not letting her go.

”I said let go.” Kira forces his hand off her arm. “Just leave.”

Nik scoffs. “Typical. Always resisting for no reason.” He walks away after giving a sharp glance at the other man.

Kira turns to the man and lets out a small gasp at how gorgeous the man is with his height, slender but well-built body that he doesn’t really show off by wearing a loose white graphic t-shirt with a band on it that Kira is not familiar with and has such good tousled hair. He has fairly brown skin, suitable for an Asian man, and dark eyes that she could get lost in anytime with really defined eyebrows that complement his eyes well.

“Are you okay?” He asks with concerned eyes. He has really nice eyes.

Kira gulps. “Yeah, I’m fine. I was actually fine before you came but thanks, anyway.” She finally puts the dirty apple into the cart.

”You didn’t look okay. He didn’t seem like he wanted to let go.”

”It’s fine. I know the guy so I could handle it but really, thanks.”

Out of nowhere, a really loud sound comes from her stomach, indicating how hungry she really is. Kira is flushed, knowing that her stomach made such a loud noise in front of a gorgeous stranger, betraying her by embarrassing her.

He lets out a chuckle. “You could use some food.”

Kira starts to walk. He follows. The paranoia in her starts kicking in. “I’m fine. I just need to get my groceries done first.”

“I know this great Thai place just nearby.” Gosh, another persistent man she has to deal with. What, just because he looks like someone God spent a little time on, he gets to ask girls out just like that?

”Wow, does that line work with all the girls you ask?” Kira walks a little faster with her cart. If anything, she can always push the cart against him and make a run for it.

”No, actually, because I don’t ask any of them.” He continues to follow.

”Look, I would appreciate it if you leave me alone.”

”Okay, fine. Just trying to help out. Just in case you’re interested, let me slip you my number.”

Just as she feels something on her hand, she turns around and sprays pepper spray on his face, making him scream in pain.

She runs with her cart to the cashier while panting really hard. “Can you help scan these really quick? I need to go,” Kira says to the cashier while catching her breath.

”Hey!” She hears gorgeous dude’s voice calling and realise he is coming towards her while wiping his face.

”Is he bothering you, Miss?” The cashier asks.

”I’m not sure,” Kira says. She looks at the paper in the hand. It contains his name and phone number.

“You have got quick reflexes,” he catches up to her while chuckling, still wiping his eyes.

”Sir, please step away from her.” The cashier looks ready to fight him with her big build and loud voice.

The gorgeous man lets out a laugh while putting his hands up. “Okay, I yield. Ms. Cashier, I would like you to be my witness. I just really would like to bring this really hungry and spirited girl to dinner since I heard her stomach growl wildly and loudly and I thought of doing it a favour by giving it food. So, would you be so kind as to convince her that I mean no harm and I only want to accompany her for dinner at a very open public space where she can always shout for help in case she feels unsafe?”

The cashier gives him a frown. “If you’re so eager, you should at least know what her name is,” she replies firmly.

He hesitates as he shoots a worried look at Kira. She stifles her laugh. “Thank you, Miss. I’ll take it from here. Thank you for looking out for me.”

“Sure thing, honey. We gotta look out for our own. You,” she points to the man. “Watch yourself. You think you good looking you can get away with anything. Now, beat it. Wait outside while she finish paying for her groceries.”

The man nods and shoots a playful stare at Kira and winks. She hurriedly settles her groceries and goes out of the store, only to see him standing against the pole, scrolling on his phone.

Kira gets herself together, ignoring the fact that she might look messy as hell but whatever. She clears her throat and he looks up.

“Kira,” she announces and extends her hand to shake.

”Farouk,” he replies and shakes her hand. The size of it is enough for her hand to drown in it.

“Right.” She pulls her hand back. “Before my stomach makes another embarrassing sound, can you please take me to the Thai place you mentioned?”

He grins.

*

“So, Kira.”

After finally ordering a lengthy list, Farouk is ready to ask questions. This was truly a chance encounter. Farouk has never been a forward person to step up and intervene in a fight before. But he couldn’t stand it if a girl is struggling and he is in a position to help. It’s a hit or miss situation. When he helped a woman once, he was then followed by the woman and stalked because she was so smitten by his chivalry. After that, he became careful to help but noticing Kira in trouble, his reflexes acted faster than his thinking process.

”Why dinner?” Kira asks before he does.

“Excuse me?” Farouk repeats.

”Why ask me to dinner? You can just easily point in the restaurant’s direction. Why join me for dinner?”

She is indeed a curious soul. Straight to the point and honest.

“I just thought it would be a nice gesture since your stomach was begging for food.”

”No one is that nice. No offense but in today’s world, too much shit has been happening to accept that people just want to be nice out of nowhere.”

Every time she says ‘nice,’ she makes a face that makes Farouk stifle a laugh.

“Yeah, that’s a very valid point. When someone does something good, you tend to think that there’s always something else. An ulterior motive.”

Kira nods. “Exactly. So what’s your endgame here?”

Farouk sighs. “Will you be able to accept it if I say I just want to do something nice?”

“Do I look that pathetic that I need a little pick-me-up from a stranger?” She laughs. “I don’t mean it in a bad way to you, just judging myself at how pathetic I must have looked back there.” Her laugh gets louder.

”If anything, you looked like you could handle yourself.”

She scoffs. “Damn right I could.”

Kira slurps on her iced tea. Farouk continues to stare at her without her realising it. He is genuinely intrigued by this girl who had little to no care what she looks like at the moment, focused on getting food in her belly with a complete stranger.

Usually, Kira is always conscious of herself in front of good looking chivalrous men but considering she is very hungry, she doesn’t care about her image anymore nor reject the opportunity for free food — assuming he is paying.

”Okay, I have a proposition,” Farouk says seriously while folding his arms on the table, inching closer to it.

Kira chews on the ice from her iced tea. “What?”

”Let’s spend some days together.”

”Why me?”

Farouk shrugs. “I just want to do something nice for someone.”

”Why me?” She emphasises.

”I just want to show someone the real me — someone who doesn’t point out my flaws all the time and think like I’m a total failure in life when that doesn’t define me at all. And I want to spend time with someone that doesn’t question why I am the way I am and associate it with people around me. I want someone to discover who I am as I am. You don’t know me, I don’t

know you. We literally have no connection to each other whatsoever so we don’t have any prejudgments about each other. It’s like getting to know someone as a pure white canvas. It’s perfect.”

”You still didn’t answer my question.”

They lock eyes for a moment. “You look like you could use an escape from reality as well, Kira.” Kira pauses for a while. “Shit. I must look so messed up.”

“On the contrary. But I feel like you could use the escape.”

“So we’re experimenting?”

”A social experiment.”

”There will be a time when our vulnerabilities will appear. What will you do then?” She asks, gauging his answer.

”We’re gonna have to deal with it.”

”How?”

”I don’t know, talk it out?”

”How do you actually handle a difficult situation?”

“When it happens, we’ll figure it out.”

Kira guffaws. “Now, that’s not what I’m willing to risk.”

“Kira, I know it’s scary. But think about it — we will be learning about each other from nothing. We get to discover each other bit by bit, all the good and the bad.”

“Oh so, like an arranged marriage but without the marriage.”

Farouk chuckles. “I guess.”

”Why is it easy for you to let a stranger discover your vulnerabilities?”

“Because I have nothing to hide.”

”I don’t either but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to show.”

”It’ll take time, I know. But I’m willing to give the time to discover.”

Kira locks eyes with Farouk, searching for any signs of deceit. He seems genuine and his eyes — oh, his eyes — they are too kind to be true. This happening is too good to be true. How can he ask a complete stranger to spend some days together with her?

“I don’t trust this. I’m sorry. Things like this never happen to me and I find it hard to believe that you would want to be associated with me.”

”What do you mean?”

”It means, Farouk, I’m not exactly a girl next door material despite imagining myself to be one. This never happens to girls like me so please forgive me if I find this too good to be true and to think that you just want to do it out of the willingness of your heart and even funnier, out of interest in me, especially since you’re a gorgeous man that I assume has no problem picking up a girl. So, no. I can’t.”

”Kira.” He stands up, moves his seat next to her and inches her seat closer to him. Due to that, she catches his scented perfume which is mild but suitable for him. Her heart could not handle this close proximity.

Oh this is getting out of hand. She inches further. He inches nearer. The further she gets, the nearer he gets until one point, he drags her chair towards him, forcing her to face him.

“You are not allowed to do that, Mister!” Kira protests.

“In all seriousness, at this point of our shitty predicament right now, why don’t you take a leap of faith? What do you have to lose?”

“How bold of you to assume that I’m in a shitty predicament.”

“Oh? Is that why you’re out with a stranger getting food with him? Or is that why your eyes look like you’ve been bawling for the last few hours?”

She gulps and instinctively puts her fingers under her eyes. Oh, he is good. He is staring at her but she dares not to look. She can’t show weakness just yet. But he is right. She literally just cut everyone else out of her life. No one seems to care. What does she have to lose? Worse comes to

worst, she’ll be ghosted by this man and rightfully so because that’s all she’s ever known. So, why not? It’s not like she has other suitors lining up for her. This is a once in a lifetime chance. Is it so hard for her to accept that something good is happening to her this time?

The food finally arrives. After the waiter finishes putting the food on the table, Kira says, ”Fine. I’m in.”

*

“How one can live without a phone these days baffles and amazes me at the same time,” Farouk says while looking at the different phones displayed at the Apple store.

After dinner, Farouk brings Kira to the nearest Apple store to get her a new phone once she told her that she currently doesn’t have a phone but did not tell him that she broke it. Along the way, he lectured her about the importance of having and maintaining one for the very least during

emergency situations. As Kira is, she argued back with him and that was their first playful banter.

”Well, I haven’t lasted one day without it yet. I only broke it this morning.” He shoots her a surprised look. ”You must be really upset, then.”

”Told you. But really, you don’t need to buy me a new phone. I can get one myself, just not now.”

”Grumps, how am I gonna contact you if you don’t have a phone?” Just after one meal together, Kira got the nickname ‘Grumps’ from him because of her grumbling stomach.

“There’s always the laptop!”

”Don’t tell me you’re gonna carry around your laptop everywhere.”

“When there’s a will, there’s a way!” She argues.

”And this is the way. Just accept it as a sign of good faith from me.”

”Oh, I still haven’t ruled out the possibility of you being a serial killer.”

”And you still wanna do this?”

”Like you said, what do I have to lose?” Kira points at the latest iPhone model: iPhone 17 Pro Max in navy blue. “That one.”

Farouk immediately asks the salesperson to provide the phone model she showed with the biggest storage they had.

“Farouk, I was kidding! That’s the most expensive model!” Kira tries to stop him. ”Only the best for you.”

”Tsk. Don’t say things like that.”

”Why? Afraid you’ll swoon?” He asks teasingly.

”Yes.” She replies seriously.

Farouk immediately stops smiling and apologises. Kira walks away from him, looking at other models around the store.

Once Farouk settles everything regarding the phone — new SIM card, tempered glass, phone casing, phone setup — he gives it to Kira.

“I’ve already put my number in it,” Farouk informs.

”And that will be the only number to exist in this.” Kira holds the phone in her hand. She looks up to him who is staring right back at her.

“Thank you for this. I’m indebted to you.”

”Don’t mention it. Be sure to hold your end of the deal, that’s all I’m asking for.” Kira snorts. “Yeah. The deal. Sure.”

”Can I see you tomorrow for lunch?”

”Breakfast will do too. I took leave from work so I literally have all the time in the world.” ”I got something to do in the morning. It’s okay. I’ll text you the time tomorrow.” Kira nods with a smile.

“I have a really good feeling about you. Goodnight, Kira.” Farouk gives her a smile.

She bids him goodnight and they go separate ways.

Walking back home, it leaves a warm but unsettled feeling in Kira’s stomach. She’s excited but anxious at the same time. Her mind is battling itself with ‘are you out of your mind?’ and ‘I’m so proud of myself for taking this step out of my comfort zone.’ It’s definitely not what she had planned for herself. Will it go well? Will it end badly? Will they get married in the end or end up hating each other?

Yep. Spiraling.

Without thinking too much, she settles her grocery bag on top of the dining table then plops on her bed and goes to sleep surprisingly easy that night.

*

Spending some days with a completely gorgeous and chivalrous stranger is definitely not on Kira’s bucket list ever. She’s always been the safe one — living in her comfort zone and avoiding anything that would be risky for her. She likes being safe. It keeps her alive until today.

So, when she says ‘yes’ to Farouk’s proposal, she doesn’t know what got into her. Is it really because of what he said about her having nothing to lose? Or is it because she is desperate for attention from anyone that could give her that? Or is she in need of companionship and Farouk is there to provide it for her?

Nonetheless, the days spent with Farouk have been nothing short of amazing. It’s been almost a month of them spending time together. It feels like a breath of fresh air. No, they don’t do any extreme activities like abseiling or hiking, which Kira really dislikes. They just literally spend time together at any time they can.

He would ask her out to eat, explore cafes or stalls of all kinds. He would bring her to restaurants in other states that she saw on Threads on a whim. He would surprise her at her house and he would bring her to his house and just spend time together by eating or watching a

movie together. They mostly talk and laugh. They would argue and debate sometimes but never seriously. They are just really enjoying each other’s companies.

Farouk sees Kira in a light that he has never seen before. In all of their conversations, Kira is always so quick to apologise about almost anything, especially about herself, be it her attitude or her physique.

“Oh, sorry, I am quite chatty.” “Sorry, I’m easily triggered.” “Sorry, I think I’ve annoyed you.” “Sorry, I’m not pretty like other girls.”

He has to keep convincing her that it is okay to be herself around him. He has even witnessed her bad days where she would cry out of nowhere and ask him if she is overbearing or even worthy of love. Thinking back, that was probably her PMS hitting her. She cries easily to anything, especially when she watches movies. She laughs easily at any joke he makes. She communicates her feelings well to him to a point that she taught him how to. She is really someone that is easy to be with. And how she looks? She doesn’t even notice how Farouk would just stare at her when she talks with enthusiasm — the crease next to her eyes, her fangs jutting out when she laughs, her hair disheveled most of the time — and he likes all of it. All of her.

She doesn’t like flowers because she doesn’t take care of them well after receiving them so it’s more of a waste. She likes to watch sequels of movies because she doesn’t like the feeling of conflict between the characters in the first movies. She has a wide variety of music — Korean, Bollywood, Malay, Indonesian, English and she likes to share it with him. She bites him when she feels like it, she objectifies him whenever he comes out of the shower or dresses really well. She likes to share her excitement with him and it makes him feel special that she feels comfortable with him.

So, Farouk wonders why she thinks so little of herself?

As for Kira, she doesn’t have to pretend with him. Despite him being three years younger than her, she can be herself yet at the same time, she constantly thinks about how she must be annoying to him or too much for him. But he never shows if he is tired of her. If she’s angry, he hugs her. If she’s crying, he hugs her or holds her. If she’s happy, he’s happy with her. At one

point, she thinks that she never sees him having a breakdown or just sad at anything. She remembers their conversation when they ate at the Thai restaurant for the first time. How he wanted someone to see him for who is. Is this who he truly is? Or does Kira need to wait for the other shoe to drop?

Farouk is patient. He always makes dad jokes that will make Kira laugh uncontrollably. He finds watching movies on his phone more enjoyable than on the TV, but if Kira asks him to watch movies together, he doesn’t mind the TV. He likes spending time on DIY projects. He actually likes the rain and every time it does, he would bring Kira outside to have a moment in the rain. He used to like spending time outside with his friends but now, all he wants is to just stay home and do nothing with Kira. Her thoughts are what keep him grounded. He has the patience she doesn’t have. He is the calm to her storm.

Whatever they are, they are together and that is more than enough.

“I want to start working again,” Kira announces when they are at a cafe, eating lunch together. “Sounds great. The school will take you back?” Farouk asks.

”I guess. Or I could tutor. Tutors are making more on their own than at school.” ”Sounds like a plan.”

”Excuse me.” Two girls greet us at our table. They look like they are in high school, giggling, smiling and blushing at Farouk. “Sorry to interrupt, but can I get a picture with you?”

Farouk shoots a glance at Kira. Sort of like an ‘oh shit, I got caught’ glance. Kira smiles at the girls and offers to help take the picture with Farouk.

After taking the pictures, the girls thank both of them and leave. Kira smiles at him as he continuously tries to avoid her gaze.

”Something you want to share?” She asks.

”Can we talk about this later?” He asks softly.

”Sure. This salmon is so good.”

They finish their food and Kira continues talking like nothing happened.

In the car, as Farouk holds on to her hand while driving, he finally confesses that he is a local actor who has been acting in local dramas and B-grade movies.

Kira stares at him, bewildered. Then, it all started to make sense. When they went out together, she always noticed some girls giggling whenever Farouk walked by. She thought it was because of him being a gorgeous specimen, but upon knowing what he works as, only then she understood why the girls were always so giggly in his presence. After a month together, that was the first two girls that greeted him for a picture.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Kira asks when Farouk is done explaining.

”Like I said, I don’t want to be defined by something I’m not. I know it’s cliche of a celebrity to be saying that but I just don’t want people to know me as the person on screen.”

”So, I was like the first girl who didn’t throw herself at you? Is that why you wanted to get to know me?”

”No, not the first girl. I’m not that well-known so if people are not into the local scene, especially small-time dramas, they would definitely not know who I am. You included.”

”Uh-huh,” Kira responds, still processing.

“You’re thinking about something.”

“I’m just wondering… again… why me?” She says softly, suddenly questioning everything.

”Hey,” he squeezes her hand. “Don’t doubt this now. I’m still the same person. This doesn’t change anything.”

”But did you think that if you told me about this, I might change how I feel about you?” ”What do you feel about me?”

Kira scoffs. “Farouk, I’m holding your hand right now. Isn’t that obvious enough to know what I feel?”

Farouk chuckles, grabs her hand and kisses it. That always sends shivers up her spine. “So… does someone think that what you’re doing is a failure?”

Kira feels his hand suddenly tighten. “My parents.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. That must not be easy.”

He shrugs. “I got a modelling job back when I was in college. A recruiter came to one of the fashion shows I participated in. They liked me enough to hire me and eventually, it turned to acting jobs, advertisements and all. The jobs pay well but apparently, they don’t like the fact that I have an unstable job. They want me to pursue what I did in college which was accounting. I am good with numbers but that doesn’t mean I enjoy them. I enjoy my work now, being a model and acting. I make good money, anyway.”

Kira squeezes his hand assuringly. “I think you’re brave to be doing what you love. I can relate to your passion. I will support you.”

”That means a lot to me.” He smiles at her.

*

They never really talked about it.

Love.

Not directly, not clearly. They just went with the flow. The first one to hold hands was Kira. The first one to initiate a hug was Farouk. The first one to put her head on the shoulder is Kira. The first one to cuddle is Farouk. It was always spontaneous and it felt right. But no conversation ever happened by directly saying that they love each other.

They reach Kira’s home. They both flop on the sofa, Kira snuggles against Farouk and he wraps his arms around her. His heartbeat rings in her ear, giving a sense of comfort she always needs. He plays with her fingers and heaves a sigh.

“So, we’re gonna talk about it?” Farouk begins.

Kira hums in response.

”Well, if we are, I would prefer if we look at each other.”

They sit up and face each other. He continues to play with her fingers. “Are you ever going to tell me what made you break your phone in the first place?”

Kira takes a while to answer. Whatever she was afraid to say out loud, she finally tries to tell Farouk all of it. All of it, unfiltered. Whatever that she thinks in her mind, she lets it all out. Whatever that happened before, she finally voices it out. She finally tells about what she was going through at the time.

After holding herself together for so many years, she broke down when her mother made her think that she wasn’t enough. She was never the shining daughter that her mother wanted and everything she did seemed to always drive her mother off edge. So, when her mother texted her that she was constantly emotional, always angry and too sensitive that everyone has to walk on egg shells with her, she lost it. She thought, if her mother thought of her like that, how about other people? She became concerned of what people might think of her, thinking how she was just a nuisance in other people’s lives and they’re just too nice to be honest with her.

Then, it makes sense to Farouk as to why she is the way she is. It isn’t her fault. It will take her a lot of time to undo what her past did to her but he is willing to take the time.

He gets up from the sofa, takes her laptop from her room and sits back down with her on the sofa.

“I know this is not easy, but I know you haven’t logged out of your old number’s WhatsApp. So, we can do this together and would you like to check out the messages?”

Kira shakes her head furiously. “No, no.” She repeats a few times.

”It’s not supposed to be easy. That’s why I’m here. I’ll help you through it.” He holds her hand.

He slides the laptop towards her. Kira opens it with shaking hands. Farouk places himself next to her, putting his arm around her waist. She releases her breath that she doesn’t realise she is holding when he does that. She opens the WhatsApp Web app hesitantly, waiting for it to load, making it ping non-stop until all messages are loaded.

The most recent message is from her best friend, asking where she’s been. There are several missed calls as well from her and from work. She scrolls through the messages, mostly from friend groups and personal messages from her friends, looking for her. Her best friend, Dila,

mentioned that she came to her house but she wasn’t home. Kira is touched by that. But what stood out the most is that none of her family members reached out to her.

Kira closes the laptop, takes her phone and dials in Dila’s number. When Dila picks up, she cries and smiles. She is so relieved to hear Dila’s voice. She is bombarded with so many questions from Dila.

“Dila, okay, I need you to listen,” Kira calms her down. “I’ve been okay. I just needed time to myself. I’m okay now. I met someone —“ she glances at Farouk who smiles at her tenderly. “— and I’ll tell you all about it when I come back to work. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. That’s not fair for you. But I promise we’ll talk when I come back. Thanks for caring.”

She puts down her phone and breathes in and out to calm herself down. She turns around towards Farouk and pulls him into a hug.

“Thank you,” she whispers as she cries into his shoulder. He wraps his arms around her tightly, burying his head in the nook of her neck, inhaling her scent. She smells of her favourite scent: Champagne Toast. When he tightens his arms, she drowns to his chest, inhaling his scent that is home.

“I love you, Kira,” he finally says.

She sobs harder. “You deserve so much more.”

”Hey, hey.” He takes her face in his hands. “Everyone has their imperfections. Everyone has vulnerabilities, remember? I’m willing to go through it with you.”

”I can’t even though I love you. I want the best for you,” she replies.

”You’re the best for me and I’m going to convince you every day that you are. So what if you overthink? I’ll silence your thoughts. I’ll assure all your doubts. I’ll make sure all the thoughts in your head stay quiet. So what if your mum doesn’t love you? I love you. I’ll convince you that you are that confident, silly, smart, cute little grumps that I fell in love with. I’ll make dad jokes all the time so you can always laugh. I’m so glad that I asked you to spend some days with me and I want to make those days into forever.”

“What if you get tired of me?” She whispers.

”You’ll get tired of me too on certain days. But we have to remember the days that make us what we are, happy and safe. I won’t be perfect every day, just like you. But isn’t that what we are for each other? We get to be imperfect together.”

Kira chuckles. “I can’t believe that you, a gorgeous fine man, can fall for an ordinary girl like me.”

“Oh,believeme,Kira,youareanythingbutordinary.”

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a prestigious platform celebrating literary talent from around the world. This competition shines a spotlight on diverse voices in poetry, short stories, essays, and creative writing, fostering a community of writers who share their unique perspectives and stories with a global audience.

We extend our deepest gratitude to Sarah Kim for her poignant contribution, "Some Days," to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Her insightful exploration of self-discovery and the quest for identity resonates with readers, making her work a valuable addition to this year's competition. Thank you, Sarah, for sharing your talent and story with us.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.