Elise stared at the clock, finally making it through the workday. Everyone in the company had already left, including Jakobg. Normally, he would say goodbye before leaving, but today he acted differently. Not only had he ignored her all day, but he didn't even bother to say goodbye as he walked out.
She pondered over it, but no matter how she thought about it, she couldn't figure out why he seemed displeased with her.
However, just as she was about to leave the office, Jakobg returned and ran right into her.
The awkwardness from a day without speaking lingered, and neither of them knew who should speak first.
Finally, Jakobg broke the silence.
"Sorry, I didn't realize you were leaving," he apologized for bumping into her.
Elise gathered her courage, deciding to be straightforward. "Jakobg, are you mad at me?"
Jakobg gazed into her eyes and hesitated before replying, "I've just been a bit busy these days."
She didn't believe him, it felt like an excuse to avoid her.
"If something about me bothers you, you could just tell me—I can change," Elise said, lowering her head, unable to hide her dejection. "You've helped me so much with work. I truly appreciate it, and I value the bond we share. I don't want things to suddenly change between us."
"I just want to try seeing you as a colleague," Jakobg said, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "As... just a friend."
"Just a friend?" Elise looked up, sensing something amiss. "Are you saying I shouldn't be as close to you anymore?"
She had never imagined that the always-friendly Jakobg would suddenly want to draw a line between them.
She didn't understand why it was so sudden.
"Yes, it's better this way," Jakobg said with a faint smile. "If we can, let's just be colleagues."
Elise stood frozen, still processing the shock of his words as he walked away.
------
That night, Elise went to visit Braden, using him as her confidant, recounting the events that had unfolded at work.
After listening to her string of complaints, Braden finally spoke, "Wanting to be regular friends isn't a bad thing. Maybe he's interested in someone and feels he needs to keep some distance from you."
Of course, he had long seen that Jakobg liked her, but due to privacy concerns, he couldn't tell her directly.
Since he couldn't say it outright, he could only drop hints.
"Is that so? Well, he could've told me. If that's the case, I'd definitely keep my distance!" Elise believed him, and the weight in her heart seemed to shatter instantly.
She had been worried that she might have done something wrong to offend Jakobg. It turned out he actually liked someone, likely the girl who'd been by his side at the last picnic.
But why hadn't he said so earlier? He'd only mentioned she was a friend.
"You're really something else," Braden glanced at her sympathetically, thinking to himself that there probably wasn't anyone else in the world as clueless as her.
"How am I clueless? I at least know when to keep my distance." Elise suddenly thought of Graham, a slight sadness shadowing her face. "If I had someone I liked, I'd definitely keep my distance from others for him..."
Braden stared at her furrowed brow, gently flicking her forehead. "What's with the long face? Did I die or something? You look way too upset."
"Don't say things like that!" Elise frowned, but her previous sadness dissipated as he disrupted her thoughts.
"With a face more sour than a bitter melon, of course, I have to remind you I'm still alive," Braden said, feeling a twinge of pity for her.
He couldn't help but think to himself that she was a genuinely good woman. Why would she let herself feel down over someone like Graham, even thinking she wasn't good enough?
At least in his eyes, she'd always seemed sweet, maybe a bit naive? and clumsy at times, making people feel like they needed to watch out for her.
Wait a minute, why was he feeling sorry for her now? Was he going crazy too, just like Jakob?
"True, though. Evil people live long lives, so you'll probably do just fine," Elise stuck out her tongue, realizing she shouldn't have believed his joke.
"Oh, I'll definitely be around for a long time. I can't die before I see you married off." Braden continued to tease, "Otherwise, you'll end up dragging me as your groom, and if I have to be your match someday, I'll have given in to Nathanael's schemes—that can never happen!"
"Don't just tease me. You're no different when it comes to someone," Elise turned her head away, hoping he wouldn't bring up his brief fling with Mylee.
"What?" Braden raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued.
He wondered to himself, just what did she know about him?
"Nothing!" Elise looked at him with a mischievous smile.
Thinking he could pry a secret out of her? Not a chance!
The more he wanted to know, the more she refused to tell!
"Don't you want to know who likes you?" Braden coaxed, hoping she'd spill her secret too.
A secret for a secret—fair trade, right?
"You actually know who?" Elise's eyes lit up. "Tell me, who is it?"
Braden lifted her chin, stirring her heart. "Me."
Elise stared at him, stunned, her breath catching as she hesitated, not knowing how to react.
Was he serious? Did he really... like her?
"You're that surprised?" Braden, amused, let his fingers trace along the contour of her cheek.
"I…" Elise bit her lip. Was he really not just playing with her?
How had she not noticed he liked her? This... couldn't be real, could it? Someone liked her? That was unlikely.
"Alright, I give up." Braden returned to his serious demeanor. "So, what exactly is your secret? Does it really have anything to do with me?"
"So you were just messing with me?" Elise glared at him fiercely, pointing directly at his nose. "And to think I took you seriously!"
"We've known each other for how long, and you're still so easy to fool." Braden didn't see why she should believe him so easily.
"That's because you mean a lot to me, so of course I'd believe what you say!" Elise felt wronged. She'd even been thinking about how to let him down gently so he wouldn't get hurt.
She hadn't expected it to all be a joke, and suddenly, she felt like a fool. First, she'd unintentionally provoked Jakobg, then came to Braden for comfort only to be made a fool of by him too.
"I was only joking. I just thought you seemed upset, so I…" Braden had started confidently, but seeing her on the verge of tears, the words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't continue.
"Just think of me as a fool!" Elise grabbed her bag and stormed off, leaving Braden standing there, dumbfounded.
------
After storming out of Baden's house, Elise sat on a seesaw in the park, growing angrier the more she thought about it.
What was that about? She had listened to him so seriously, only to find out he'd been joking.
She sniffed, thinking about how embarrassed she had been at his place. She had nearly broken down in tears.
For years, she had seen him as family, someone she could always confide in, whether laughing or crying. He would listen, offer advice, and be there to support her whenever she needed it.
She'd always thought he was the one who understood her best, but now, with all the turmoil caused by Jakobg, he had only made things worse.
Suddenly, a pink paper bag appeared in front of her, swaying back and forth like a phantom in the night. Her eyes followed it left and right until she finally reached out and grasped it tightly.
She glanced back to find that infuriating man standing right behind her.
"I really don't want to see you right now!" Elise snapped, loosening her grip on the bag.
Braden crouched in front of her, apologizing sincerely, "I took the joke too far. Could you please stop being mad?"
"No way. Just seeing you makes me even angrier!" Elise was unmoved, turning her head away, unwilling to look at him.
"I bought you strawberry cake. Isn't that your favorite?" He continued to humble himself, hoping she would forgive him.
After she had stormed out, he'd driven off to buy her favorite strawberry cake, hoping to make amends, and had searched for quite a while before finding her in the park.
He thought, surely, the strawberry cake would be enough to cool her anger, right?
It should… right?
"You think one cake is enough to win me over?" Elise scoffed. "Am I really that easy to bribe?" "You think one cake is enough to win me over?" Elise scoffed. "Am I really that easy to bribe?"
"Of course not, but you're the most genuine, kindhearted girl I know." This time, Braden spoke from his heart.
"You weren't thinking that way. You clearly said at home that I'm silly and clueless."
"When did I say you were clueless?" Braden widened his eyes, looking at her with surprise.
Come on, no matter how angry she is, she can't just pin something on him like that!
"Anyway, that's how it is. I'm really upset this time." Elise stood up from the seesaw, her eyes still blazing with anger toward him. "I need at least a week without seeing you to cool off." "Anyway, that's how it is. I'm really upset this time." Elise stood up from the seesaw, her eyes still blazing with anger toward him. "I need at least a week without seeing you to cool off."
"Are you saying you don't even want to see me at work?" Braden stared at her, dumbfounded. This time, she was really mad.
"Of course, I can't avoid seeing you at work, but every time I do, that one-week countdown will reset. If I see you on the sixth day, the clock starts all over again." Elise was building a wall between them, and from now on, she would discount everything he said.
Just so she wouldn't be hurt again next time!
"So if you see me every day, does that mean you might never talk to me again?" Braden couldn't help but feel something was off with her logic.
"Would you even care?" Elise felt a wave of bitterness as she spoke, her eyes misting over. "If you cared, you'd understand that being lied to is a terrible feeling."
"I'm here because I do care. It's not like I don't care about you at all. I... I like you!" Braden blurted out hastily, not even realizing what he'd just confessed.
Only when he saw her shocked expression did he realize the irreversible words he'd just uttered.
