On the day of the business trip to the gaming expo, the sun was scorching, like flames engulfing the trees and flowers, causing everyone to break out in sweat.
It was Elise's first time attending; reportedly, there were over a hundred vendors. She glanced around, noticing that some players had even dressed in full cosplay, looking exactly like their game characters.
Although she would meet Braden during this trip, she soon realized he and Mylee both had their own work to tend to, leaving no time for a conversation with her.
It felt like they were close, yet so distant.
"They look like a really good match, don't they?" Zayne chuckled, bringing up what didn't need mentioning. "I used to think you two made a good pair, but they work together every day, so it's hard to believe there'd be no feelings."
Elise watched the interaction between Braden and Mylee. Although they weren't particularly close, he had been wearing a warm, sunny smile all day, despite complaining on the phone days before about his low spirits.
Low spirits? Must have been because he hadn't seen Mylee.
She knew she shouldn't make assumptions, but she couldn't stop herself from minding their interactions.
She told herself internally not to be foolish again. She was here for work, not to observe how well Braden and Mylee got along.
"Don't you think so?" Zayne seemed to be fishing for answers. "Or… do you actually like him?"
"Huh? I…" Elise's eyes widened in shock. What was up with Zayne? Had he suddenly learned to read minds?
"Really? Oh, you should've told me sooner! I'd have asked Gunnar to separate them. After all, you're my star, and your happiness matters more." Zayne gave her a knowing look, impressed with his own insight.
He should have realized sooner that there was more between Elise and Braden—who else would randomly ask someone to stand in as a substitute groom?
"Zayne, I… I'm just friends with him. I don't want to interfere with his or Mylee's work, and besides, we're partners. You don't need to be so concerned!" Elise felt dizzy, anxiety washing over her.
If Zayne really did something like that for her, she'd be utterly mortified.
"Alright, since you say so, I'll take your word for it." Zayne opened his phone again, scrolling through photos of unfamiliar men. "But just take a look at what type you like—after all, as your boss, it's my duty to look out for my employees' well-being too."
"No, that's not necessary. That disastrous wedding was enough to scare me off. I… don't want to get my hopes up again," Elise held back her sorrow, speaking in irony.
If she didn't speak harshly enough, Zayne would probably continue enthusiastically recommending eligible men to her, but none of them were the one she wanted.
She knew Braden didn't see her that way, and she'd never be the star in his eyes. To continue being around him as they were now—she considered that her own version of happiness. Even if it was small, even if it was an illusion that could vanish any moment, she still wanted to hold on to this bit of joy.
"You're still young! What are you talking about? No matter how old you are, everyone's got a right to chase happiness." Like a concerned dad, Zayne added, "You silly kid, you're extra sentimental today, huh?"
"Not at all! I'm still the same cheerful Elise, not one to be taken down by small stuff." She forced a bright smile. "I just think life is pretty good as it is. I haven't thought about needing someone else around."
"Hold up, I think I just saw Gunnar." Zayne's attention shifted. "I'm gonna go chat with him for a bit."
"Go ahead! Jakob, Madisyn, and I can handle the booth." Elise waved him off with a smile.
Just as she relaxed, intending to refocus on the booth, Braden turned her way, his gaze landing directly on her.
But his eyes didn't linger. H Technology quickly pulled him away, along with the other H Technology staff members.
Elise didn't want to torture herself further. She needed to stay focused on work, not have her heart hanging on him like this. She had to stop. Suddenly, she spotted Jakob nearby. Maybe striking up a conversation would keep her mind from wandering.
Jakob was chatting with Madisyn, and upon hearing her approach, they both turned to look at Elise.
"Jakob, Madisyn," Elise greeted them with a smile, trying to join the conversation. "What are you guys talking about?"
"We were discussing voice recordings," Madisyn explained in detail. "Originally, characters in the game only spoke at specific points, but now we're planning for full voice acting, where players can hear every character throughout. Though it means hiring more voice actors, which will raise costs."
"But the game's been doing really well, so Zayne is considering hiring professional voice actors for full voiceover to give players a better experience," Jakob added.
Elise nodded in agreement. "Full voice acting sounds fantastic. Some games really try to create a theatrical experience, letting players fully immerse themselves in the storyline."
"So we're still finalizing the details, we need to wrap up discussions with H Technology first," Madisyn added one last point, folding her arms as she glanced over at the H Technology booth. "Did Zayne wander off for a chat again?"
At past game expos, Zayne, as the boss, always attended but was hardly at his own booth, drifting around. Now, with his old friends at H Technology, he'd probably spend the entire event catching up, and they wouldn't see him until the end.
"He mentioned wanting to check out H Technology's booth, so I figured I'd come see what you guys were up to," Elise replied.
"I'll never get why he comes every year, only to hang out at other booths," Madisyn said with a resigned shake of her head. Despite working together for years and being friends, she still couldn't tolerate his antics.
"Seeing old friends, you just want to catch up," Jakob remarked with a rare smile.
Elise was somewhat surprised; she hadn't seen him smile in so long. Had he finally gone back to his cheerful self?
"Honestly, it's hopeless..." Madisyn pointed toward the restroom. "I'm gonna head to the restroom, be back in a bit."
"Alright," Elise replied on behalf of them both, then glanced at Jakob.
Jakob noticed her gaze. "What's up?"
Elise followed his lead, opening a new topic. "Oh, no reason. I just thought you seemed to be in a good mood today."
"Yeah, I'm pretty happy, actually. I didn't expect you to come on this business trip. I mean, I'm really glad you're here." Jakob didn't hide just how delighted he was about her presence.
Elise responded casually, "Ha, it's not like I'm against business trips or anything. I just don't know what help I can really offer here. I mean, sure, I write most of the scripts, but I'm not exactly an expert on game issues, so it feels like I'm not much use."
"But we're all just happy you're here. Besides, solving game issues isn't your responsibility anyway; we've got people for that." Jakob's lips curled into a charming smile, genuinely expressing how much he wanted her to be part of the game expo.
"Hearing you say that, I guess I should come along next time too."
"Definitely. I'd love for you to get more involved in the expo. If you have time, you should check out other booths. It might even spark some new ideas for the game's storyline."
"Jakob, I'm really glad you're willing to talk to me like this. Honestly, for a while there, I was a bit worried you'd stop talking to me." Elise finally gathered the courage to bring it up, feeling the timing was just right.
"Actually, I came to terms with it. I did like you," Jakob took a deep breath, "but then I realized you've only ever seen me as a friend, and it's always been that way. So, I took some time to adjust, and now, I don't feel much about it anymore. I hope you don't mind."
"I… I honestly didn't know how you felt. I'm sorry." Elise was momentarily stunned; she'd never thought she was the one he liked.
"Don't apologize, there's nothing to be sorry about. Being friends is actually pretty great, you know? It's a kind of fate too, and good friends are the ones who last a lifetime." Jakob felt a weight lift off his chest, the sense of relief was genuinely satisfying.
Though he'd never made it into her heart, being fated as friends didn't seem all that bad.
"Good friends are the ones who last forever…" Elise's gaze dimmed, and she suddenly felt a heaviness in her chest. "Maybe… maybe you're right. Good friends can stay for a lifetime, but love might turn sour quickly, and once it's over, there's no going back to being friends. Who could really manage that without hard feelings?"
"Is something on your mind? You… you don't seem okay," Jakob sensed the deeper meaning behind her words.
Elise masked her sadness, flashing a brighter smile. "No, I'm honestly doing great. I just get up, go to work, get off work, and sleep. No need to worry if someone might suddenly leave me, or if a relationship might change. Being single is so freeing. I can't believe I ever thought I needed to get married. Isn't this so much easier?"
"Being alone is definitely freeing, but after a while, when you're feeling tired, you'll still wish for someone to be by your side. It's perfectly natural. Even though we're individuals, we're still drawn to emotional connections." Jakob, however, had a different take on things.
"Zayne just said he wants to set me up with someone again. I was terrified," Elise admitted, feeling a chill run down her spine at the mere thought.
"Haha, that's just Zayne being Zayne." Jakob chuckled, his eyes crinkling with amusement.
"He really loves setting people up. Next time, you should let him introduce someone to you too, so he stops using me as his target." Thinking about the long list of muscular men Zayne had suggested earlier, Elise felt a headache coming on.
"No way, the thought alone is terrifying." Jakob burst into laughter.
After Jakob finally spoke his mind, he could face Elise openly. The two chatted so happily that they didn't notice Zayne's gaze sweeping over them from the booth.
"Am I just getting old? Or are these two actually a thing?" Zayne frowned, pondering as he pressed his thumb against his chin.
"After all, they've been coworkers for so long. They must understand each other pretty well." Mylee, acting as if she held a winning hand, asked deliberately, "Braden, what do you think?"
"...It's fine," Braden replied, not even turning back as he walked away.
