My first Sunday at Alpharise city and I decided to take an outdoor lunch as a break after fully organizing my apartment from the move in. Settled casually at the cafe, enjoying my iced caramel latte after eating a lunch pasta, I indulge myself to continue my online blog and portfolio. I barely gotten started when I heard a familiar voice call my name.

“Moriah!”

"Oh. Hi there Maya." I looked up to see Maya waving as she made her way toward me from the cafe's entrance, a bright smile on her face. I noticed she was with a group of people who already started settling at a large table across the room.

“We just got out of morning service,” she explained, gesturing back to the group. “These are some friends from church. We’re doing a casual lunch today; you should totally join us!”

I hesitated. “Oh, thank you, but I don’t want to intrude,” I said, laughing softly. “Plus, I’m actually working on something right now.”

“Oh, come on! Just for a little while,” she urged, flashing a hopeful smile. “It’d be nice to have you there. And, hey, my brother’s here too, so you already know someone besides me.” She waggled her eyebrows playfully.

I felt my face heat up at the mention of Evan. “Oh… that’s great!” I said, trying to sound casual. “But really, I’ve got to get some work done. Big project.” I added with a sheepish smile, hoping she’d understand.

“Alright, I get it.” Maya said, shrugging, though her grin stayed. She leaned in closer, lowering her voice like she was sharing a secret. “But seriously, if you get bored or need a break, our table’s open. You know where to find us!”

“Thanks, Maya." I replied, chuckling. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Oh, by the way,” Maya added, glancing over her shoulder as she started to walk back, “you look so pretty today. I love that dress color on you!”

I felt a little glow of confidence. “Thanks, Maya. That’s sweet of you.”

“Anytime!” she chirped, giving me one last wave. She turned and head back to her group, and that’s when I noticed Evan sitting with them. He looked... well, he looked effortlessly cool, as always. White polo shirt fitted just right, sleeves hugging his arms, tucked into khaki, with his white cap resting casually on his head.

I looked back at my laptop, determined to concentrate, but then Maya’s voice caught my attention again as she greeted Evan, who had just joined their group. It wasn’t long before my gaze drifted back over, unable to resist stealing a glance. Evan was deep in conversation to the girl with curly waves that is seating beside him, nodding along and flashing that respectful, attentive smile. I tried not to stare, but Maya had planted the idea in my mind, and I couldn’t help but sneak glances every now and then.

I was deep in my work, losing track of time as I immersed myself in the project. The cafe around me had faded into a comforting hum, just the sound of my typing and occasional sips of coffee filling my focus. At one point, I let myself glance up toward Maya’s table again, curious to catch another glimpse. But… Evan wasn’t there. I felt a subtle jolt of curiosity—and maybe a little disappointment.

I tried to shrug it off, going back to my work. But just as I leaned into my screen, a voice, warm and familiar, sounded almost too close to my ear.

“Moriah.”

I jumped slightly, heart skipping a beat as I turned around, feeling the heat creep up my cheeks. Evan was leaning down, peering over my shoulder, his face just inches from mine, his eyes glancing from my laptop to me with interest.

“Oh! Evan, hey!” I managed, hoping my voice sounded steady.

He gave me a quick smile, the kind that always seemed to carry just a hint of amusement. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, his voice low, almost like he intended to sneak up on me. “I saw you working over here and wanted to come say hi. What are you working on?”

I took a breath, trying to keep it together, even as my pulse raced and those butterflies took off in my stomach. “Um, just… updating my portfolio,” I said, feeling a little shy about him seeing my work. “It’s… mostly just photography pieces and a couple of new projects I’m putting together.”

“Mind if I take a look?” he asked, tilting his head and still so close that I could almost feel his breath.

I bit my lip, feeling the blush deepen. “Uh… sure, yeah.” I said, scooting my laptop toward him a bit, trying to calm the nervous flutter in my chest.

He sat on the seat beside me and start studying the images on the screen. I took the moment to breathe, secretly catching a whiff of his cologne, something fresh and warm that only made my heart beat harder. He nodded, his eyes focused, like he genuinely found each photo interesting.

“These are really impressive, Moriah.” he said, glancing back at me. “You’ve got a great eye… especially for capturing details.”

“Thank you.” I murmured, feeling a surge of pride. Coming from him, it meant a lot more than I’d expected.

“So.." he said, straightening up, though his smile stayed. “Mind if I take a break from the church group and join you for a few minutes?”

“Sure!” I replied, trying to keep my voice casual, but inside, my heart was pounding like crazy.

Evan pulled his chair a little bit near me to settle, his attention now fully on my laptop. I couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious, but his expression was encouraging, making me relax just a bit.

“So..” he said, scrolling gently through the photos. "I remember you haven't answered my question to you few days ago, when we're on a drive to your apartment."

I looked at him, curiously trying to remember which one he meant.

"What got you into Photography?" he followed up to remind me.

"Oh, you remember." I hesitated, glancing at him with small smile. He just looked at me one eyebrow arched up. "Honestly.. its actually hard to explain personally. I guess it’s the way I see things. I love catching moments, even if they’re small. Sometimes it’s something no one else might notice, like a shadow, or how the light hits a wall in the morning. Does that make sense?”

He looked up, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “It does. It’s like you’re capturing things that we miss, details that tell a story without needing words. It’s really… thoughtful.”

I felt myself blush under his gaze, but his words meant a lot. “Thanks,” I managed, looking down at my coffee cup. “That’s… exactly it.”

He kept looking at the screen, pausing on one of my favorite shots—a black-and-white street photo I’d taken of a father and son sharing a quiet moment. “And this one,” he said, his voice softer. “It’s powerful. You can almost feel what they’re thinking.”

“Yeah, that’s one of my favorites,” I admitted, glancing up at him. “It’s from a trip last year. I just… happened to be in the right place, at the right time.”

We shared a smile, and for a moment, it was like there was no one else in the cafe.

“So..” I finally said, trying to break the tension before it became too overwhelming. “If you’re not working or doing something music-related… what do you actually do with your time? Because, according to Maya, you’re basically chained to your projects.”

Evan chuckled, shaking his head. “Maya exaggerates. But okay, fair question.” he said, pausing as if thinking how to say it. “Lately, I’ve been trying to get into painting. It’s… kind of a new thing.”

I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of surprise and fascination. “Painting? Really?” I said, a little more impressed than I intended. “What made you want to start that?”

He shrugged, looking a bit sheepish. “I think it’s a way to just... disconnect. With music, I’m constantly thinking, analyzing. But painting feels different. I don’t need it to be perfect or to follow any rules—I just let whatever happens, happen. Helps me get out of my own head for a while.”

There was something vulnerable in his answer, and I could feel my admiration grow. “That’s amazing, Evan. I’d love to see one of your pieces sometime.”

Evan smiled, a little shyly. “Maybe, when I have one that doesn’t look like a total mess. It’s still a work in progress.”

I laughed, “That sounds… very on-brand of you.”

“Yeah?” He raised an eyebrow, looking amused. “What else is ‘on-brand’ for me?”

I looked him over playfully, thinking of how to answer without giving away too much. “Hmm, let’s see. You’re easygoing but a bit of a mystery… not a showy guy, but you seem pretty serious about what you care about.”

He looked at me with a small grin, eyes narrowing with interest. “Interesting analysis, Ms. Photographer. Anything else?”

I shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. “Maybe I’ll figure out the rest.”

He held my gaze for a moment before nodding, like he was accepting a challenge. "I’ll look forward to it."

“Moriah!” Maya called out as she walked over to our table with the girl with curly, wavy hair by her side.

“Hello again, Maya,” I replied with a smile.

“I’m sorry to interrupt your sweet conversation with my brother,” she said, casting a teasing glance at Evan, who only grinned back at me. “But I just wanted to let him know that I’ll be heading out with the girls for some thrift shopping. He can make it home on his own.” She kept her playful tone, pretending Evan wasn’t standing right there.

“Oh…” I felt my cheeks warming up, unsure how to respond.

“You are heard, Maya.” Evan replied simply. “You’re free to disappear anytime.” he added with a smirk.

“Alright. Bye, Moriah!”

“Bye!” I replied.

“Bye, Evan,” said the curly-haired girl, waving directly at him with a sweet smile. I noticed Evan gave a polite wave and a faint, somewhat forced smile in return as they walked off.

Evan glanced back at me. “So, looks like it’s just us again, huh?”

“Huh?” I blinked, confused for a second about what he meant.

“Well, since we’re practically neighbors,” he said with a shrug, “you could either pay a ride home or let me be your chauffeur for free.” He shrugged, half-joking as he raised his shoulders and hands, as if saying I had no choice.

“You’re funny, Evan.” I giggled, standing up and gathering my things from the table. “You know you can just ask directly.” I teased as we both headed toward the cafe exit.

“I mean… just saying.” he said, his smile lingering as we walked out together.

As we pulled up in front of my apartment, Evan turned off the engine and said, “Hold on a sec.”

Before I could ask what he was doing, he opened the car door and walked around to my side. My heart raced as he opened the door for me. I quickly gathered my things, trying to keep pace with him. “Thanks, Evan.” I said, feeling a flutter of butterflies in my stomach.

“You're welcome.” he replied with a warm smile as I stepped out.

After I closed the door, Evan headed back to his car. Just as I was about to enter the apartment gate, I heard him call out to me. “Hey, Moriah!”

I turned, surprised. “Yeah?”

“Don’t worry about Maya’s friend from lunch,” he said, his tone reassuring. “I knew you were sneaking a peek at me during our little group gathering. Just so you know, she’s just a friend and a churchmate.”

I furrowed my brow, confused by his words. As Evan drove away, it suddenly clicked in my mind who he was talking about, and I felt my cheeks flush with realization. I stood there, stunned, as I watched him drive off, the weight of his words sinking in as I made my way inside the apartment.

"Dang it, Moriah! You're so embarrassing." I murmured to myself, embarrassed for recalling what I just did.