Amara's POV:
Now that the internship has ended, I need to restart college after three days, so I was thinking of doing some shopping. Let's see if Jia will join me or not."Jia, Jia, Jia." I started calling her because I didn't know where she was."Mom, where's Jia?" I asked Mom."Maybe, terrace," Mom said while working on her laptop." Ok, I will check," I answered while walking towards the stairs. There she was working on her internship reports. "Jia, what are you doing?" I asked while sitting beside her. "I need to study these case reports by tomorrow," she said, looking completely exhausted. I can't ask her to join me, she will not refuse, and will try hard to complete it as soon as possible. "Want Ice cream or anything?" I asked her. "You can then, yes, I want coffee," she said with puppy face." Ok, wait for me, I will get you".I said while trying to run ."Wait, are you going to buy it?" she asked with concern."Yeah, I am going to buy some necessities for college, so I will buy anything if you want," I said while flexing my internship money."Ok, but don't be late," she said while giggling hard.
After taking my purse, I left. I wanted to walk for a bit because the Mall was not far from my place. When I arrived, I started buying the things I needed (and also some things I didn't really need).
The air-conditioning hit me like a soft breeze as I stepped inside the mall. I wandered through a few aisles, tossing notebooks and pastel highlighters into my basket. Halfway to the checkout, a voice behind me made me pause.
"Shopping spree after conquering the corporate world?"
I turned and there he was—Mr. Mickelson—black coat casually unbuttoned, blue eyes holding that quiet confidence.
"Mr. Mickelson! You again," I said, a little too brightly.
"Not complaining, I hope?" His smile was small but certain.
"Depends," I teased. "Are you stalking the stationery aisle?"
"Only if it leads to good conversation." His eyes held mine for a breath too long before he glanced at the shelves. "College shopping?"
"Yeah. New semester. Old habits."
He picked up a fountain pen, rolling it between his fingers. "What do you study?"
"Economics. And you already know where I interned," I said with a grin.
"I know where you worked," he corrected softly. "Not what you dream about."
The question landed somewhere warm inside me. I told him about the chaos of campus fests, how I wanted to travel after graduation. He listened like each word might vanish if he didn't catch it.
When I finally stopped, he tilted his head, a quiet smile forming."You just described about five lifetimes' worth of plans," he said. "Sounds like we should toast to that. Coffee?"
I blinked. "Now?"
"Why not? There's a café across the street that does a cinnamon cappuccino worth breaking schedules for."He said it so matter-of-factly it felt less like an invitation and more like the natural next step of the conversation.
I hesitated for a heartbeat—Jia's coffee order flashed in my mind—then curiosity won."Okay," I said, surprising even myself.
The café was a quiet pocket of amber light and soft jazz. We found a corner table, the air scented with roasted beans and a hint of vanilla.
He rested his forearms on the table, eyes steady on mine."So what pulls you to traveling?"
"Maybe the unknown," I said, stirring the foam on my cup. "Every place has a different rhythm. I like the idea of learning them one by one."
He nodded slowly. "I envy that courage. My life is scheduled down to minutes. Spontaneity… feels like a luxury."
"It doesn't have to be," I countered before I could stop myself.
Something unreadable flickered across his face—amusement? admiration?"Maybe you're right," he said softly. "Maybe I just needed someone to remind me."
We drifted into talk of books, favorite late-night foods, the strangest things we'd ever seen on a city street. Time thinned, uncounted, until my phone buzzed with a message from Jia.
"Oh no," I exhaled. "I was supposed to bring her coffee."
He chuckled, finishing his drink. "Then let me make it up to both of you. I'll drop you home—and we'll pick up a cup for Jia on the way."
Outside, the evening air smelled faintly of rain. As we walked to his car, a quiet certainty settled in my chest: this wasn't just a coincidence anymore.
The city glowed against the windshield, neon reflecting in fragments.
"So," he began, his voice low, "what's the best thing about college you can't get anywhere else?"
"The noise," I said after a moment. "It's… alive. You can disappear in it and still feel part of something."
He considered that, eyes on the road. "I envy that. My world is mostly… controlled."
"Sounds lonely," I said softly.
"Sometimes," he admitted, a hint of a smile ghosting his lips. "But maybe that's why I notice when someone brings… color."
The way he said it—no names, just meaning—made my heart stutter.
To hide it, I asked, "What about you? Any secret dream beyond contracts and boardrooms?"
He glanced at me briefly, as if weighing how much to give. "To build something that feels alive, not just profitable. People forget that's possible."
I wanted to ask more, but the familiar turn to my street came too soon.
He eased to a stop, lights from the porch washing over us."Next time," he said quietly, "let's plan the coffee. No rushing back."
I smiled, fingers tightening around the shopping bag. "I'd like that."
"Good," he said, and for a second the silence between us felt like its own promise.
"Bye," I said while waving my hand, and then he left.
Jia's POV:
I was about to call Ama after completing the case studies when I heard her voice, and a familiar one as well. A low, steady baritone drifted up with hers. Curiosity tugged at me, and I stepped onto the balcony to check.There she was, along with Vihaan Mickelson, the late-gold sunlight catching on his black coat while he leaned a little closer to hear her.
I felt a sudden ache—sharp, surprising—as I tried to accept that this is not a coincidence anymore. Vihaan actually has something for Ama. I have watched him long enough to know he never gives so much attention to anyone, and the way he is talking to Ama right now, anyone can easily tell just by his eyes that he LIKES her. A single tear rolled into my eye while I stood there, the evening breeze cool against the warmth of it, trying to swallow the thought.
"Jia, Jia, are you done with your case study?" Ama came upstairs while holding a cup of coffee.
"Yeah, just finished, what took you so long?" I asked her, though the reason already pulsed in my mind.
"Umm, I met Mr. Mickelson there at the mall, and then he urged me to have a coffee together, and that took a little bit more time than expected," she answered, being purely true.
"He seems to be a little interested in you, didn't he?" I said while taking my coffee cup, keeping my tone light even as my heart thudded.
"No, I don't think so, he just talks with a plain voice," she answered, being completely clueless.
"That's the point, he never talks to others, let alone the important client, but he talks to you like he wants you to know him. Ok, don't believe me, just give it a try—next time you get to talk to him just notice his eyes. If they never shift their gaze from you while talking, you know eyes never lie," I told her, while she was confused and concerned, not knowing what to say or answer.