The next day, both Braden and Elise had to get up early for work, so they decided to leave Ruth's house early and head to their respective homes.
Even though he brought her favorite strawberry cake, and she accepted his kind gesture, his question remained unanswered. She kept her mouth shut, determined not to reveal why she cried, leaving him feeling lost, as if she was keeping him at a distance.
Did she start keeping her distance because she remembered that night?
He acted like he didn't mind, but deep down, he knew all too well how much he wished that the way she was that night wasn't just a figment of his dreams.
Elise saw he wasn't speaking and looked troubled. She wondered, what could he be thinking about right now?
Even though he was standing right next to her, he seemed a bit absent-minded.
"About that birthday wish I mentioned before, I..." Elise's voice wavered with nerves. "Could I take it back?"
Baden's deep brown eyes were filled with surprise. What did she mean by asking that?
Was she truly trying to draw a line between them?
"I wanted to say we could be very, very good friends, I just... don't want to be siblings..." Elise gazed at him, her eyes layered with a complex mix of emotions.
In her gaze, he saw frustration, sorrow, and a multitude of emotions that were becoming increasingly unreadable.
That feeling of being unable to grasp her emotions unsettled him, he didn't like it and felt uneasy.
"You... what's really going on with you?" Braden felt a deep, unprecedented frustration.
"Nothing." Elise tried to smile at him. "But thank you for coming to find me. I feel much better now."
"Are you...?" Braden swallowed the words he was about to say.
He wanted to ask if she knew about that night, but he realized he didn't have the courage to face her rejection if she were fully aware.
"Is it what? Are you asking about my feelings?" Elise's eyes held a gentle warmth. "I'm fine. I'm really okay. Don't worry about me."
Even though her tone was gentle now, it couldn't dispel the doubts, anxiety, and hesitation in his heart.
Did she truly not have any feelings for him? He found himself too weak to ask, not wanting to hear the answer.
"Alright then, go to bed early. Goodnight." Braden, not wanting to press further, swallowed the bitterness in his heart and pretended nothing was wrong.
Elise, not as attuned to his emotions as he was to hers, nodded, walked toward her car, and opened the driver's door.
Sitting in the driver's seat, she let out a deep breath, almost letting her unspoken feelings slip out. She wasn't being greedy, was she? Even if she couldn't be the woman beside him, at least she could be a good friend. That was better than the unbridgeable chasm of a sibling relationship.
In the long, endless night, two hearts harbored secrets, yet neither dared to speak up and face the potential hurt.
------
The next morning, as dawn's clear light rose and the sunshine sparkled, it seemed to symbolize a beautiful hope, but that radiance failed to brighten Elise's heart.
She carried an indigestible melancholy to work, sitting at her desk, trying to write a script that had barely made any progress.
Her scattered thoughts left her sitting in the chair for nearly an hour, unable to produce any work.
The sound of high heels clicking approached her, and as she turned her head, her guess proved right – it was Evelyn walking toward her.
"There's another meeting coming up; don't doze off like last time." Evelyn teased her with a smile.
"Of course not." Elise feigned composure, but she couldn't stop herself from recalling that vivid dream once more.
Evelyn glanced at her watch. "There are still fifteen minutes left. I'll go prepare."
"Alright." Elise nodded and refocused on her computer screen.
During those fifteen minutes, aside from finally working on the script, she occasionally glanced at her messages. She checked several times, but Braden hadn't replied.
Last night, after he said goodnight in front of Ruth's door, he hadn't messaged her again once he got home.
When she entered the conference room, Mylee was there, as always, with her ponytail and sleek black suit, exuding a domineering aura.
Elise didn't see Braden, which surprised her, considering he was part of the game's collaborative development team. She glanced at H Technology Tech's representative, Mylee, and then found her seat.
Mylee barely concealed her hostility now. She no longer bothered with a fake smile, choosing instead to openly glare and sneer.
Elise ignored the provocative stare, focusing instead on Jakob, who was presenting the latest game updates, including new events and plans for special player packages.
After the meeting ended and people started leaving, just as Elise was about to go, Mylee called out to her.
"Did you say something to Braden? Why else has he been acting so strange lately?" Mylee's gaze was filled with suspicion as she crossed her arms.
"I didn't say anything," Elise replied with an indifferent tone. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You know I like him, right?" Mylee made her stance clear, showing no hesitation about her feelings.
Elise wasn't surprised but responded, "Mylee, that's a personal matter. We're just partners, so there's no need to go into such details."
"Is that so? Is it really just a personal matter?" Mylee seemed to hint at something, then arrogantly turned and walked away.
Elise watched her leave, puzzled by her words, and pondered them for a long time.
After work, Elise called Braden as usual, following her routine, just to see what he was up to.
Elise opened the conversation. "Why didn't you attend the meeting today?"
"Because work got delayed today, so I didn't attend," Braden replied calmly. "And you? Did Mylee say anything to you?"
Elise paused for a moment, realizing he was... quite concerned about Mylee too.
"Nothing much, just talked about work stuff," Elise said as she put on her headphones and clocked out.
"Alright, got it." Baden's voice was noticeably more indifferent than usual.
Elise stood there, stunned, suddenly at a loss for words. Everything had been fine yesterday, so why did it feel like her world had shifted today?
"If there's nothing else, I'll get back to work," Braden finally said, his voice softening as he reminded her, "Remember to eat well and don't overwork yourself." "If there's nothing else, I'll get back to work," Braden finally said, his voice softening as he reminded her, "Remember to eat well and don't overwork yourself."
"Wait..." she called out to hold him on the line. "How late will you be working?"
"It might still take me another hour," Braden admitted honestly.
"Then I'll wait for you," Elise said, gathering her courage to invite him, "How about we go get some dinner?"
"But I…" Braden hesitated, unsure if he should accept her offer.
He wanted to, but the distance between them from the night before held him back.
More than that, he feared she might remember what happened that night. He didn't know how to explain his impulsive actions.
He was absolutely sure he loved her sincerely, but he couldn't be certain that her drunken words of love held the same seriousness as his.
"Or… do you have other plans?" Elise's voice revealed a hint of disappointment.
Even if he couldn't see her face, he could still hear the sadness in her voice.
"No, there's no one else. It's just… you'll need to wait for a bit," Braden replied. "Let me finish up here and call you. You go home first, and I'll come pick you up."
"Alright!" Elise was thrilled that her invitation hadn't been turned down, ending the call in excitement.
However, Braden didn't manage to finish work as early as he had hoped; he ended up working straight through to after 9 p.m. before finally wrapping up.
By the time he drove to her place, Elise was already dozing off from exhaustion. But seeing him made her so happy that she perked up, determined to show her best side and not a sleepy, disheveled one.
Elise eagerly hopped into the passenger seat and immediately began chatting away, sharing stories and bits of her day with him, just like she always did.
To him, her voice sounded like a beautiful melody; his infatuation for her was so deep it was almost a sickness. He couldn't help but mock himself inwardly—it was a bit ridiculous, really.
Not too long ago, he had joked with Nathanael, saying he'd never fall for her, and yet here he was, utterly consumed by love that he couldn't even voice.
At the same time, a deep fear gripped him—that she would end up with someone else, that he would never be the one she would truly call her own.
How much longer could he watch her by his side like this?
"But now it's already past ten. Looks like only the night market is still open," Elise said, gazing out the window at the inky black night rushing past them.
"Then let's grab a few things, and I'll take you home."
"You mean… your place?"
"Of course, I mean your place."
"But I remember last time, I didn't get to play video games," Elise said, brushing her cheek with her fingertip. "I want to play video games!"
As she mentioned his place, memories of her tenderness from that night flooded his mind again. She was so endearing, so alluring. If that happened again, he wasn't sure he'd be able to control himself.
"No, it's too late," Braden refused without a second thought.
Elise widened her eyes in confusion. "Too late? When I stayed at your place late before, you never mentioned it was too late."
"That's different." Braden focused on the road ahead, yet inside, he was restless.
"But I haven't played Pokémon yet." Elise pouted, her tone soft and almost pleading. "I want to play, I really do, and tomorrow's a holiday."
"Then take the whole console home with you." In just a few seconds, Braden changed his mind. "No, just take everything. You don't have to return it."
Only then did Elise realize that something seemed off. It was like he didn't really want her to come to his place anymore.
Why… why did it feel like he was pushing her away?
The red light turned on, meaning he had to stop momentarily, giving him the chance to finally look at her and talk properly.
But when he turned to face her, he noticed a hint of disappointment in her eyes.
"Do you… not want me at your place?" Elise pressed her lips together, her voice low and cautious as she timidly asked.
"No, it's just…" Seeing her expression, Braden felt an overwhelming wave of reluctance wash over him.
"Just what?" Elise looked at him with eager anticipation.
"I'll be working on my computer in my room while you're in the living room alone, is that okay?" Braden couldn't think of another reason to refuse her, so he figured he could just isolate himself in his room.
To his surprise, Elise didn't mind. She even nodded with a smile. "Sure."
