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THE JOURNEY TO THE EIFFEL TOWER

was filled with an uneasy silence. Sae mentally cursed himself for blurting out the words "This time I am not alone," while Y/N tried to process what he had said. The unexpected question finally broke the silence inside the car.

"So... You don't mind going there with me?" Y/N asked, breaking the tension. The question caught Sae off guard, and he stumbled with his words. "Huh? Um... I, yeah... no," he stuttered, averting his gaze out of the car window. "I don't mind."

Even though at that moment she felt the tingles in her body and was a little flustered, her playful side didn't leave her. She put her right leg over her left and crossed her arms while leaning back on the seat and spoke up teasingly "So... are you finally falling in love with me?" 

Sae heard her words clearly but kept his eyes fixed on the streets, unwilling to respond. Sensing her proximity, he felt a nervousness creeping in. Y/N tapped his shoulder, trying to gain his attention. He reluctantly turned to face her, raising an eyebrow. "Do I look that easy to you?" he asked, inching closer to her face. His fingers brushed against hers lightly as he continued, "What are you going to do if I say yes?"

Y/N stammered, unsure of how to respond. Before she could gather her thoughts, Sae leaned in closer to her ear, his fingers intertwined with hers. "Just so you know, I don't like you. And I would appreciate it if you don't take me so lightly," he whispered. Sae then pulled away, focusing his attention back on the street, leaving Y/N dumbfounded by his words. She gulped, stealing one last glance at him before settling back into her seat, and the two remained in silence until they arrived at the Eiffel Tower.

Once they got out of the car, Sae put on his cap while Y/N almost strained her neck, trying to take in the beauty of the towering structure. "It's beautiful," she murmured, capturing Sae's attention. However, instead of following her gaze towards the Eiffel Tower, he found himself viewing her in a different light, perhaps due to their recent exchange.

"Let's go!" Y/N cheered, grabbing his hand and dragging him towards the entrance.

"Stop dragging me!" Sae protested, but he knew deep down that nothing he said would deter her. He reluctantly showed his ticket to the staff while Y/N looked around. The ticket was verified, and they proceeded towards the entrance.

As they ascended the tower, Y/N experienced a whirlwind of emotions. The grandeur of Paris unfolded before her, its landmarks and bustling streets. Y/N couldn't help but feel a mixture of wonder and awe as she absorbed the breathtaking view from the Eiffel Tower. It was a moment frozen in time, where she felt a deep appreciation for the beauty surrounding them.

Sae, too, found himself captivated by the enchanting sight. He watched as Y/N's eyes sparkled with joy and her face lit up with a radiant smile. Something stirred within him, an unfamiliar warmth that tugged at his heartstrings. 

Lost in the magical atmosphere, Y/N turned to Sae, excitement evident in her eyes. "Is the food here good too?"

"Yeah, it is. Um, find us a table, I'll be back in a moment," Sae replied, prompting Y/N to explore the surroundings. However, as she wandered, she couldn't help but notice the abundance of couples around them. The reality hit hard—Sae and Y/N were far from being a couple, and they didn't even consider themselves friends. Their relationship was strictly professional, with her being his manager.

Feeling the weight of this realization, Y/N found a table for two and took a seat. Unable to ignore the presence of other couples, she sought a distraction and reached for her phone to message Aria.

|Aria🛐|

Y/N|
ARIAAAA|
😭😭|
PICK ME UP FR|

|Aria
|What happened 😭

Y/N|
We came to the Eiffel Tower|
And he left me to find a seat|
while he does something|
and all the couples are overwhelming me|

|Aria
|rip

Y/N|
Being single hurts|

|Aria
|🫂🫂
|relatable 

Y/N|
The view is nice tho|

|Aria
|I WANTED TO GO THERE TOO
|😭😭
|Someone get me a boyfriend

Y/N|
if you find one|
get me one too|

|Aria
|Try your shot on Sae 😶‍🌫️

Y/N|
😊😊|

|Ari
|...

Y/N|
🧍‍♀️🔫|
NO|
Who's gonna date him|
toddler  👶🍼|

|Aria
|💀
| ok ok
| Enjoy being single among the couples 💓

Y/N|
😔|

She closed the chat and opened her overflowing mailbox, sifting through countless emails. One caught her eye—an unexpected transaction statement from the day before for two tickets to the Eiffel Tower. "Did Sae book it yesterday...? But why?"

Curiosity gnawed at Y/N as she stared at the transaction statement for the Eiffel Tower tickets. She couldn't fathom why Sae would have booked them a day before their visit without mentioning it. It was an unexpected gesture, and she couldn't help but wonder about his motives. Lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed when Sae returned to the table, a tray of food in hand. He set it down and took a seat across from her, his eyes meeting hers. "The line was long so it took me some time. I hope you enjoyed the feeling of being single" He mocked. "Be grateful I am here with you today. You won't understand the pain I had to go through last time. We only came here because you couldn't stop looking at it."

"huh...? The transaction statement says otherwise..." She thought but didn't say it to his face because she found it cute that he put a little effort into her. But despite her will of not revealing that fact she couldn't help but chuckle.  "Well, I suppose I should be grateful then. Thank you for enduring the pain of coming here again," she replied, a playful glint in her eyes.

Sae smirked, his tone teasing. "Don't mention it. Consider it my act of selfless sacrifice."

"Yeah... self-sacrifice"

Hope you enjoyed the chapter <33