[Chapter 06] - Along Came Our Love

 Chapter 6 - 

Thara drove around Mina’s neighborhood. It was quiet—too quiet. The dim light from scattered lamp posts barely illuminated the narrow streets. The bus stop was at least three blocks from her building.

“How can she walk here alone at night?” he muttered. “What if she ran into someone weird?”

His grip on the wheel tightened. What am I thinking? Am I actually worrying about her?

He stepped on the brake as the light turned yellow. His shoulders eased as the car rolled to a stop.

Was it just impulse? He’d heard her stomach growl, so maybe he’d felt bad. That was all. It wasn’t that he cared—why would he? All his life, he’d never once shown interest in a woman. Marriage wasn’t in his plans, so dating felt pointless.

Yet somehow, Mina’s presence had unsettled him. Enough for him to go out of his way to drive her home. What was it about her that made her different?

The light switched green, and he pressed the accelerator. La Sara was coming up ahead when he suddenly turned down a side street. There was someone who might help him make sense of this.

Thara stepped into a bar. The music was low and sentimental, blending with quiet conversation. Every table was taken. He made his way to the lounge and sat down at the counter.

“Well, well, look who decided to show up.”
Ki Tak Sang’s voice carried over the music as he rapped his knuckles on the counter three times. “What’s an early bird like you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in bed by now?”

Thara shot him a look and cleared his throat. “I’m already regretting this,” he muttered.

Ki Tak propped an elbow on the counter, chin resting on his hand, studying him like some rare species. “Come on, it’s a rare sight. Let me get you a drink. What’ll it be?”

“Whatever you’re having,” Thara said, leaning forward onto the counter.

He’d known Ki Tak would probably be here—his old high school friend, now a colleague. And as expected, he was. Thara had thought asking him might help, but the moment he saw Ki Tak’s grin, he already regretted it.

Asking him about feelings was one thing. Enduring his teasing—that was another.
But some questions, even Thara himself couldn’t reason out. Especially when they had to do with… relationships.

The bartender approached, setting a crystal glass of whiskey in front of Thara.
Thara took it, watching the amber liquid swirl inside.

“It’s not wine, you know,” Ki Tak said with a grin before downing his own drink. “So... what’s on your mind? Spit it out. I’m listening.”

Thara sighed, eyes fixed on the counter. “Have you ever met someone who’s both annoying and... oddly fascinating at the same time?”

“Stop dodging,” Ki Tak leaned in, curiosity written all over his face. “You like someone, don’t you? Who is she?”

“I don’t like her,” Thara said too quickly.

“Yeah? Then who is she?” Ki Tak pressed.

“You don’t need to know.” Thara’s fingers felt cold. He tilted the glass and finished the whiskey in one go.

“Fine, fine,” Ki Tak said, unfazed. “So you can’t stop thinking about this woman and want to know if that means you like her? Well, lucky you—you’ve come to the right man. Let me be your love guru.” He gestured at himself dramatically.

Thara groaned. “Stop it. I don’t have any... feelings for her. It’s just—she’s annoying, but I can’t stop teasing her. And when she fights back, it only makes me want to do it more. What’s wrong with me? Am I a bad person?” He buried his face in his hands.

Ki Tak patted his shoulder. “Man, after all these years, I didn’t know you had a sadistic streak.” His tone was grave for half a second—then he burst out laughing, clutching his stomach.

Thara glared at him. “I knew coming here was a mistake.” He started to stand, but Ki Tak pulled him back down.

“Okay, okay, sorry. But seriously, why are you acting like a high school boy? You know—teasing the girl you like to hide your feelings? Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing?” Ki Tak tried to hold in his laughter but failed miserably.

The thought made sense, though Thara didn’t want to admit it. How could he possibly have feelings for Mina? Her style was plain, her education stopped at high school, and she spoke without restraint—always ready to argue back. The only thing she had going for her was how well she kept his place clean.

Did that really attract me? He shook his head. No way.

“Stop fighting it,” Ki Tak said, sliding another glass of whiskey toward him. “The heart wants what it wants. Clearly, you like her—otherwise you wouldn’t be sitting here talking about her.”

“If you think you can get me to talk with alcohol, think again,” Thara said, pushing the glass away. “I’m not telling you who she is.”

Ki Tak smirked. “You might hold your liquor, but can you really hold a secret from me?”

Thara exhaled, glancing sideways. They had known each other for years—long enough for Ki Tak to see through his walls. And that, perhaps, was what unsettled him most.

“Even if you don’t tell me, you think I can’t find out?” Ki Tak said, breaking the silence. “All your female acquaintances are mine too. Did you hire someone new?” He paused, then snapped his fingers. “Wait—didn’t Kiki just start working for you? But no, you weren’t interested in her before.”

Thara stayed quiet. There was no escaping this.

Ki Tak’s grin sharpened. “Ah… then that leaves only one person. Someone who suddenly appeared in your life.” He drummed his fingers in the air like a dramatic intro. “Is it your housekeeper?”

Thara lifted his glass, swallowed the whiskey, and set it down with a dull thud. Ki Tak’s smirk widened, pleased to have solved the puzzle.

“Wow,” Ki Tak whistled. “So it is your housekeeper. No wonder you’ve stopped complaining about your place. Is she that good? People say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but for you, it must be through cleanliness. Do you get arousal watching her clean...”

“Stop.” Thara’s voice cut sharp. His hand tightened around the glass. “How could you say something so vulgar?”

Ki Tak chuckled. “I’m just curious. You’ve never dated anyone, so forgive me for wanting to know who could pull off this miracle.”

Thara sighed. “It’s true I need her around the house, but that’s not why I’m… interested. I told you—it’s just that when she gets flustered, I can’t help teasing her. But…” His voice trailed off. He couldn’t explain something he didn’t understand himself.

Ki Tak smiled knowingly. “Admit it—the more time you spend together, the more drawn you are. You’ll see I’m right.”

Then his eyes drifted past Thara’s shoulder. He took a sip, gaze fixed somewhere behind him.

“What?” Thara asked.

“Oh, nothing,” Ki Tak said. “That’s Lihan from the Business Strategy and Planning department. He’s with a woman—and they’re leaving.”

Thara turned. Near the entrance, Lihan Kaing was walking out beside a woman whose back was turned to them.

“He joined about a year ago,” Ki Tak went on. “Excellent track record. Ambitious. People say he’s aiming for an executive seat. Interesting guy.” He turned back to the counter.

Thara hadn’t met Lihan often, so the name didn’t ring much. Still, his face tugged at something in memory—not from the office, but elsewhere. A faint image flickered in his mind: a young man’s portrait on a phone screen.

As Lihan disappeared through the door, a strange unease settled in Thara’s chest.

 

Later that night, Thara dropped flat on his bed. No matter how hard he tried, Mina’s face kept surfacing.
Would she misunderstand his actions today?
Would she think he was trying to pursue her?

He scoffed under his breath. Pursue her? Hardly.

Ki Tak’s crude words aside, he couldn’t afford to let things get complicated. He had been fine before she changed the cleaning schedule—before he found out who she really was. Now, every encounter left him on edge.

He turned to the ceiling and exhaled.
Annoyance—that’s what she was. Pure and simple.

At least, that’s what he told himself.

Story by: Airy Yang

All characters and events in the story are fictional