A two-word reply can become a full investigation.

“Okay” means something. The missing emoji means something else. Why did they reply in three minutes today when they usually take twenty? Was that smile actually different?

When someone has a crush, even a completely ordinary interaction can get replayed later. They may wonder whether they sounded too interested, not interested enough, or accidentally revealed how they feel.

The conversation might have lasted five minutes. Their brain can keep working on it for the rest of the evening.