A/N

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That night, he had a dream. He hugged his pillow in his sleep, then Wisp, thinking it to be her in his half-awake state. He smiled.

But then his alarm went off, and it was all over.

He took a different, less busy road to his destination. Through his yawning and droopy eyes, all he wanted was to take it slow. Even when he parked his motorbike, he took a moment to rest against it and close his eyes. He was so energetic usually, what had gotten into him? He didn't dare drink coffee, however.

Zane was the one to recommend that tea shop. He claimed to know the owner, for he was a close friend of his late father. "It is the most ideal place to keep you focused," he had told Jay over the phone.

When he entered, the place looked familiar. He scoured through the photos on his phone, finding one Zane had sent him years ago: of him and his date (now girlfriend) on their second ever date. "I guess that explains it," he thought to himself.

He almost felt bad for interrupting their little chat when he arrived at their table, even though he was the sole reason why they were there. They stood up to greet him, both towering over him, then sat together on the other side.

"Now, being in the final phase of your interview, you ought to be extra careful with your answers," Pixal advised him, pulling out a folder. She let it drop on the table with a heavy thud and Jay gulped.

"I analysed the most statically correct answers for you to give," Zane told him with an innocent smile, running a hand through his blond locks.

"Do I have to memorise all that?" he quickly asked.

"Only if you want to succeed. BorgCorp is hard to get into for a reason."

"You're both in BorgCorp!"

"My father is the CEO, and I still had to go through the interview process to get hired," said Pixal. "Zane as well. My father didn't even like him at first."

"I wrote a research paper to show him just how compatible we are," Zane added. At that, he took a sip of his tea while Pixal brought her lips to his pale cheek.

As if he didn't already feel like a third wheel. It wasn't a feeling of jealousy, but rather one of desire. He imagined himself with someone, spoiling them with kisses and laughing with them like his friends were doing in front of him.

Pixal and Zane exchanged a look. The former snapped him out of his fantasy by saying: "I am glad our happiness makes you happy, but I sense you have someone else on your mind."

His back arched immediately, his eyes wide as a bug's. He opened his mouth to speak, when another voice interrupted him.

"Can I get you anything?" an elderly man asked, only dressed in a white robe and a straw hat. He stroked his long beard with a smile as his gaze met Jay's.

Zane spoke for him. "Good morning, Wu. Thank you for being open so early."

"My pleasure. I owe you after everything you have done for us."

Jay looked at them curiously.

"I handle the economic side of things on occasion," Zane explained.

Wu chuckled at himself. "I've always been good with numbers and dexterity, but my vision is not doing me any favours lately. Even the masters have a weakness."

"So, Jay, what would you like to order?" Pixal asked him on behalf of Wu.

"Do you sell coffee?"

Zane choked on his tea. Pixal stifled a laugh.

Wu grimaced. "We sell coffee-flavoured tea."

Having gotten the message, Jay handed his menu over with a shaky breath. "I'll have earl grey Sereni-tea."

Satisfied, Wu walked away. And as he did, another figure was made clear behind him: a familiar young man mopping the floor, pushing his blond hair away from his face every few seconds. His uniform consisted of a green apron and a large teapot hat over his head, though his face was still clearly visible. He was stealing glances at Jay, and no one but Jay himself noticed.

It was Nya's roommate, he knew it. Lloyd, was it? He tried not to think about it. He wouldn't want to mix up his job and his love life. He had to focus on more important stuff. He groaned.

"I think he'll charge you extra for asking for coffee," Zane teased him with a smile he couldn't help but replicate. He turned his attention over to the papers again, grabbing the first one.

"Thanks guys, really. I couldn't have gotten this far without ya."

"Let's leave the gratitude for after you get the job," said Pixal. "Then you can buy us lunch as a thanks."

He shook her hand. "Deal."

✿✿✿

For the first time in his life, his mouth had finally ran out of things to say. All these questions, all these answers... His brain was about to explode. But it would be worth it. Tomorrow, it would finally be over.

He ended up paying for all their drinks as a first 'thank you', and even asked Wu to offer the couple a nice desert to enjoy while he was away. It was made clear towards the end that, as professional as they tried to be, they still yearned for some time alone. And he didn't blame them; even when working in the same company, their jobs were too busy to make room for office romance.

He didn't end up speaking with Lloyd at all, despite the awkward eye contact between them from time to time. He could have sworn that he saw him pull out his phone the moment he stepped out of the shop. Still, he didn't have time to linger on it. He had to search for a coffee shop. That time, not for himself.

He drove around his neighbourhood, and ended up at her usual spot in the park; but she wasn't there. It was still early, after all, he wasn't surprised. Still, he decided to do another round just in case.

Eventually, at the very edge of the park near the road, he spotted a figure jogging along the path. Her hair bounced with every step and her usual clothes were replaced by more athletic ones. He wondered how the cold had yet to get to her, for her shirt lacked long sleeves.

The motorbike came to a stop a few meters in front of her. She was wearing headphones, he noticed, so to get her attention, he pressed the horn.

She turned her head with a glare that could pierce through him if it wanted to. Upon seeing it was him, her expression softened and she came to a stop.

It took him taking off his helmet to realise his mistake. "Oh, I didn't think about that... I shouldn't have honked, I'm so sorry."

His blazing cheeks were met with a chuckle. "No worries. I prefer you to some stranger on the street."

"Lucky me," he uttered under his breath. He forgot his words for a moment, too lost in her gaze. "Right. I brought you something."

With that, he searched through his backpack, occasionally glancing up at her to make sure she was still there. He tried his best to keep his gaze away from her face, her now visible muscles, or even her messy hair. He could tell by her posture that seeing her all sweaty and worked up wasn't what she had in mind. Nevertheless, he resisted the urge to reassure her. She was the most beautiful girl in the world in his eyes, but she didn't have to know it yet.

He handed her the coffee and bagel with a his best smile. "I bought it in a reusable travel cup so it wouldn't spill," he said. "Plain black, right?"

"Right." She looked up at him, the colour of her cheeks beginning to match his. "You didn't have to."

"I owe you after yesterday."

"No, you really didn't have to," she said, pulling out a folded piece of paper in her pocket. "I had even prepared you a note telling you you don't have to pay me back."

He couldn't help it, he burst out laughing. He clutched the note securely in his first, instinctively grabbing her shoulder amidst his chuckling. "You really like your notes."

"I wouldn't have a degree if I didn't," she tried to joke back. "I didn't know whether I would see you again." She hated how dramatic she sounded, but he shared the same desperation.

"Well, I'm not doing anything right now," he said without missing a beat. Excitement rushed over him, for he didn't feel like the awkward one for once.

His delight fully settled in when she accepted with an equally elated nod.

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His gaze was darted to the sky as he rested his arm on the back of the bench. Looking at him through the corner of her eye, she debated on scooting just a little closer. She looked at his face, anxiously awaiting the time he would look back.

Freckles dusted his cheeks. She had never noticed, but they were extremely noticeable in the early sun. Clouds passed by at that very moment, covering the light that shone on his face. Still, she kept the freckles in her mind. She would have to add that to her next drawing.

"How come you didn't get coffee for yourself?" she said to break the silence.

He jumped slightly, and she couldn't help but be amused. "Oh, I don't drink coffee. Makes me too restless."

"I couldn't live without it," she remarked, taking a sip.

Another minute of silence followed, but that time, he was the one searching for words.

"How come I've never seen you before?" he wondered. "Running, I mean. I go running with Wisp all the time to exercise in the park."

She shook off the image in her head, replacing her awkwardness with a shrug. "I normally swim, actually. The pool at my gym flooded with all the recent storms, it's an old building... I would swim every day usually."

"You sure look like it," he said under his breath. She wasn't sure if she misheard, but he was giving her that expression. The one he would occasionally have the previous day, where he would stare at her, too distracted in his own thoughts. She couldn't deny that it wasn't one of malice, but moreso one of amazement. She felt guilty for feeling vulnerable when he did so, even if he had the best intentions in mind.

"Are you okay?"

Now she was the one staring at him. Neat. "Yeah, just fine." She cleared her throat. "You and Wisp are really close."

He leaned back on the bench, and his hand touched her own. He backed away discreetly. "I guess we are. I've had her since I was seventeen and she was a pup."

She smiled sweetly. "A birthday gift?"

"An emotional support animal," he said awkwardly. "Had a bit of an anxiety issue... But she likes to torment me now, so that didn't work out."

She followed his dramatic tone. She took another sip. "Torment?"

He groaned. "She can be so stubborn sometimes, and that's intentional. And she's so energetic and barks all the time, it's like her tongue never runs dry. I think if she had to choose between me and her nunchuck toy, she'd choose the toy."

She looked away, biting her inner cheek as not to laugh. "Reminds me of someone."

He gasped, then reclaimed his nerves and slumped against the bench. "Yeah, I know. I guess we're just too similar."

Her gaze softened, and she moved closer. "She just likes to tease you. And you're fun to tease."

"I guess I am. I really love her."

"I can guarantee she loves you too," she said. "Give her a hug from me when you go back home."

"Of course." He leaned closer. "Do you have a pet I don't know about?"

She shook her head. "I mean, my brother and his fiancée have a Doberman named Flame, but I rarely see her since they live so far away. Although, there is one..." Her face fell slightly. "My parents live in my hometown, Ignacia. There's this stray dog I've been playing with every summer that I've gone there the past few years... He's adorable."

"Ooh, what breed?"

She shrugged. "No breed, I guess. But he's so adorable, he has his tongue always sticking out and it looks so silly... in a good way. I told my parents that when I have the space and money, I would adopt him."

He could practically see the stars in her eyes as she spoke. "Thought of a name?"

As if saying the most brilliant name in the world, she beamed: "Zippy."

She could tell it caught him off-guard; but the smile on his face was genuine. "I love it!"

"Yes, I spent a week coming up with..." Her phone buzzed. She checked the number. 'Mum,' it wrote. "Sorry, I have to take this."

"It's okay!"

"Hey, mum," she said behind gritted teeth, putting on a strained smile. It only took a few seconds for her expression to completely shift to one of panic. "My what?" She stood up, making sure he didn't hear. She knew her face was red as could be, but she didn't care. She closed the phone quickly. "Sorry, something came up. I have to go."

"Oh, no worries." He waved his hand dismissively. "I'll see you around?"

Her face was shyer that time around. "Yeah. Of course."

Once he made sure she was gone, he took out the note.

'You don't need to pay me back. You paid me by making yesterday suck a little less. Thanks for your company and for letting me talk about engines for an hour straight.

Sincerely, Nya

P.S. the scarf suits you :)'

At the bottom was a phone number. He grinned like an idiot in love.

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When he got home, he found Wisp asleep on the sofa, spread all across the pillows. She woke up when he entered, lazily eyeing him as he walked over to her.

He knelt down, wrapping his arms around her torso. She rested his head on his shoulder, and her rhythmic heartbeat soothed his own. "This one is from Nya," he told her. He pulled back, then pecked the top of her head and hugged her tighter. "And this one's from me."