However, Dylan quickly composed himself and asked,
“Lola, what brings you here?”
“I came to see you.”
Lola mustered her courage and spoke honestly.
“You came to see me?”
As Lola approached, she placed the cake and paper bag she had brought on Dylan’s desk.
“Oh, I thought you were busy since you hadn’t contacted me at all. So I brought something for you to eat while you work, but I’m not sure if you’ll like it.”
Dylan’s gaze shifted to the cake and paper bag on the desk.
“I felt bad for only receiving from you all this time. So I wanted to do something for you too. It’s probably nothing compared to what you’ve done for me.”
Though she spoke nervously and hesitantly, Lola conveyed her sincere feelings clearly.
Dylan, who was quietly watching Lola, felt inexplicably confused.
He didn’t understand why he was feeling this unfamiliar emotion.
Even though he knew Nia Aliza had met Lola, he hadn’t sent her a single message until now. There was a sudden busyness, but he was also curious about how Lola would handle meeting Nia Aliza. Yet, he never expected her to come looking for him first.
“Dear, then you should get back to work. I’ll be going now.”
Having seen his face was enough for her.
As Lola turned to leave the office, Dylan’s voice followed her.
“Lola, I’ll take you downstairs.”
Then, Dylan, who had come closer, took Lola’s hand and walked as he usually did.
Wearing high-heeled shoes and trying to match Dylan’s stride, Lola’s feet began to hurt. She almost twisted her ankle several times while walking. Each time, Dylan frowned slightly.
“Lola, those shoes seem quite uncomfortable.”
Once they were outside, Dylan looked down at Lola’s shoes and spoke. He had only just noticed that she was wearing high heels, which was unusual for her.
“I thought they would match the dress, so I wore them… but I’m not used to high heels, so I can’t walk well.”
Lola explained awkwardly, smiling sheepishly.
“Next time, let’s get you some comfortable shoes.”
“No! Dear, I have plenty of shoes.”
As she waved her hands vigorously, Lola stumbled again, and Dylan quickly caught her arm. Her face flushed.
“I’m buying you pretty shoes so you can walk on flower paths, so I hope you won’t refuse my kindness.”
As Dylan spoke, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. Startled by the sudden action, Lola bumped her face against his chest.
“Just don’t run away from me.”
His breath poured over her head.
“I feel like I haven’t heard your answer yet.”
Unable to look directly into his eyes, Lola buried her face in his chest. Dylan furrowed his brow slightly and lifted her chin with his hand.
“You need to answer, Lola.”
His gaze felt deep, and looking into it made her feel like she would be sucked in endlessly, like a black hole, which frightened her.
After a long pause, Lola stammered.
“Ah, I won’t… run away.”
“Good.”
Hearing her firm answer, Dylan finally let go of Lola. As her heart raced, she stumbled again, causing Dylan to frown. Lola steadied herself and straightened her back.
“Don’t you have anything else to say to me?”
Dylan asked, wondering if she would say something about Nia Aliza.
“…”
What should she say?
What was the intention behind this man’s question?
While Lola was lost in thought, a few taxis happened to approach from the side, and Dylan waved to stop one.
“Dear…”
Since she had to get in the taxi, Lola couldn’t finish her sentence and climbed into the back seat.
I missed you.
That was the last thing Lola couldn’t bring herself to say.
******
Back in the office, Dylan unwrapped the cake Lola had brought.
It was the green tea chocolate cake he enjoyed.
Once again, he felt an unfamiliar emotion wash over him, leaving Dylan in a strange mood.
Dylan, who had risen from his chair, approached the window and looked outside.
The buildings of the darkened city were brightly illuminated by colorful neon signs, lighting up the streets.
After staring out the window for a long time with an unreadable expression, Dylan returned to his desk and sat down.
He then took out his phone and sent a text to Lola.
[What was it you wanted to say earlier?]
He had just remembered that she hadn’t finished her sentence because the taxi had stopped earlier.
After a while, a reply came in.
– I missed you.
She missed him.
Dylan slowly murmured Lola’s text as if savoring it, then sent another message.
[Did you arrive at the hospital okay?]
– Yes. I just arrived.
[I’ll enjoy the cake.]
– ^^
This time, Lola sent an emoticon instead of a text.
Just when he thought the conversation was over, another message came in shortly after.
– Dear, it’s better not to smoke since it’s bad for your health.
Dylan stared at the incoming message for a long time before replying.
[I’ll try to quit.]
– Yes. ^^
