After that day, everything went back to normal. At least, as far as I was concerned.
I kept working like usual. Arga stayed in his own world, too. When we ran into each other, we talked. When we didn't, we didn't go looking for each other.
But it turned out a few things had changed. Small things. So small that maybe even other people wouldn't notice.
I started getting used to looking for Arga when I arrived at the office in the morning. Not looking for him in the literal sense. Just... if his desk was empty, I would usually ask Rani.
“Arga isn't here yet?”
Rani once gave me a strange look.
“Why?”
“Just asking.”
“That’s new.”
“What’s new?”
“You ask about him a lot now.”
I immediately looked back at my laptop.
“He’s on my team.”
“Hmm.”
I knew that tone from Rani. The tone of someone who actually had a lot to say but was deliberately keeping it to herself.
“Don’t start.”
“I haven’t said anything.”
“Your face already said it all.”
She laughed.
“Do you like Arga?”
“No.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“One hundred percent?”
“One hundred.”
“But—”
“Rani.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
I went back to work.
But a few minutes later, the office door opened. Arga walked in.
I reflexively looked his way. He looked at me, too.
“Morning.”
I answered, “Morning.”
Then he immediately sat down.
Rani nudged my arm. I pretended not to notice.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
I snorted.
Sometimes your own friends were more annoying than the person you liked. Not that I liked Arga. I just... was used to seeing him.
That afternoon, I was busy working on something when a food package was set down on my desk. I turned around.
Arga.
“What’s this?”
“Eat.”
I looked at the package.
“For me?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“You haven’t eaten.”
I looked at the clock.
“It’s only noon.”
“You haven’t eaten since this morning.”
I fell silent.
“How do you know?”
“Your desk hasn’t had any food on it all day.”
“Oh.”
I opened the package.
“You didn’t buy the wrong thing?”
“Why?”
“This is my favorite.”
He pulled out his chair.
“That’s why.”
I stared at him.
“You did that on purpose?”
He turned on his laptop.
“Yeah.”
I smiled.
“You’re pretty nice, huh?”
“Don’t get the wrong idea.”
I laughed.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“I know your face.”
“What’s wrong with my face?”
“It’s starting to look weird.”
I immediately grabbed a spoon.
“Go work.”
He chuckled.
I started eating.
And once again, I tried to treat it like it was no big deal. Maybe he really was thoughtful. Maybe he really did remember little things about the people around him.
But strangely, I had never seen him do the same thing for anyone else.
That evening, we had to work late. One by one, people started heading home. Only a few of us were left in the office.
I was still busy in front of my laptop when Arga stood up.
“You’re not done yet?”
“Not yet.”
“How much longer?”
“Maybe another hour.”
He looked at my laptop screen.
“Just do it tomorrow.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Deadline.”
He was quiet for a moment.
“I’ll wait.”
I turned to him.
“For what?”
“To go home.”
“You’re waiting for me?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
“So you don’t have to go home alone.”
I held back a smile.
“Aren’t you tired?”
“I am.”
“Then?”
“I’ll still wait.”
I stared at him for a few seconds.
“You’re weird.”
“Why?”
“You’re being nice to me.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“So I’ve been mean to you all this time?”
“A little.”
“All right then.”
He sat back down.
I chuckled and went back to work.
For some reason, I felt more motivated after that.
About an hour later, I finished my work. I tidied up my desk.
“Let’s go.”
Arga stood up.
“Done?”
“Done.”
We went downstairs together.
In the parking lot, I realized it was raining again. I looked up at the sky.
“Come on, not again.”
Arga opened his motorcycle seat.
“I’ve got a raincoat.”
I looked at him.
“For me?”
“For both of us.”
I laughed.
“You’re like a rideshare driver now.”
“Just get on.”
I put on the raincoat. Before getting on, I asked,
“Ga.”
“Hmm?”
“Do you always take your coworkers home?”
He looked at me.
“No.”
“Then why me?”
He was quiet for a moment.
“Because your house is in the same direction.”
I nodded.
“Oh.”
I knew his answer made perfect sense. But there was still a small part of me that hoped the answer would be something else.
I quickly chased the thought away. Don’t get ahead of yourself, Alya.
I got on the motorcycle.
A few seconds later, he said, “Hold on.”
I immediately protested.
“I can hold on by myself.”
“All right then.”
The motorcycle started moving.
A few yards later, he braked suddenly because of the vehicle in front of us. I nearly lost my balance.
My hand instinctively grabbed the back of his jacket.
He didn’t say anything. Neither did I.
But after that, my hand stayed there. And for the first time, I didn’t feel the need to pull it away right away.
Maybe it was just because I was afraid of falling. Maybe.
Or maybe I was starting to get used to feeling safe whenever he was around.
I didn’t know yet.
What I did know was that, from that day on, I started waiting for little things from him. Short messages. Offers to take me home. Food he knew I liked. Jokes only the two of us understood.
And without realizing it, someone who hadn’t even been on my list of guys I might like at first... began to occupy a small corner of my thoughts.
The problem was, I didn’t know whether he felt the same way. And I was too proud to ask.