Chapa was busy alone in her Mika and Suki's workroom. She was working way harder than usual lately. Part of her wanted to believe she's just learning to be more diligent in her work and blah blah but deep down she knows she's really just desperate for a distraction. Any form of distraction that stops her from thinking about all these unwanted feelings.
Unknown to her, Bose was watching. He watches her a lot. In secret, in public, when she knows, when she doesn't know, it's become a habit. He was at the door, careful not to make any noise so that Chapa doesn't notice him. He swears he could watch her for hours and never get tired.
Suddenly, Chapa looked up from her work and met his eyes and Bose panicked and hid out in the hallway right at the door side, facepalming himself.
Way to be cool, Bose.
Chapa couldn't help but laugh a bit. "You do realize I saw you, right?"
Bose's face flammed red as he slowly revealed himself again. He gave an awkward chuckle and waved playfully before walking in.
Chapa tried to ignore the way her heartbeat sped up when he started walking towards her. She was also really curious. How long was he standing there staring at her?
He sat down beside her. "Pfft. Duh." He joked. "I like, totally did that on purpose." He said. "For your amusement...'cause you looked really stressed and I thought I'd make you laugh." He said proudly, completely leaving out the fact that that was total lie and he was actually just staring at her. But he's not about to admit that to her face.
Chapa shook her head in disbelief. This boy. She's smiling though. Really, really big and she feels anxious again because she realizes she's been smiling at him a lot lately. Like, more than she would normally smile at anyone and she means anyone. It's not even like her to be all smiley with people.
Crushes. They're literally the worst.
Bose grined, happy that at least his own embarrassment seemed to make her laugh.
A comfortable silence fell between them for a minute and it's not awkward at all. They both feel so at peace with each other that even silence is exciting as long as it's with each other. Chapa doesn't even nag him about distracting her from work like she usually does. She kind of doesn't want him to leave now. How ironic. She's being re-distracted from her 'distraction' by the person who 'cause the need for the distraction in the first place.
Bose suddenly took in a breath. "Soo..." He said. "About what happened in Mrs Harper's bathroom-"
Chapa dropped her pen. She abruptly stood up. "It was an accident I swear! Mrs Harper shocked me and I lost my balance and I-"
"Whoa, relax." Bose teased her. She actually took what he said about her doing it purposely so he would catch her seriously. Cute. "I was talking about the spider." He laughed.
Chapa's face flushed and she laughed awkwardly. "Right." She said slowly sitting down and looking away. "I was too, hehe..."
"Were you really?"
Chapa agressivly resumed her work, her face burning and now regretting wanting him to stay. She's going to make a fool out of herself in front of him before the day is over. She just knows it. She mentally curses herself for her habit of constantly embarrassing herself in front of him.
Her thoughts were cut short though when she suddenly felt him take her hand and call her name.
Quite seriously actually. In fact it scared her a little.
Chapa forced herself to make direct eye contact without making it too obvious that she's freaking out on the inside over him touching her hand like that. It takes her back to when they were walking hand in hand from the mall that day.
Bose gave her the most intense and genuine gaze and she was sure her heart was going to leap right out but it didn't. Thank goodness. She awkwardly cleared her throat and asked if anything was wrong but then cursed herself again for stuttering.
"I just..." Bose chose his words carefully. The last thing he needs is to make her feel weird. "Wanted you to know how happy I am that you like spending time with me." He gulped back his own nervousness and continued. "Because I really like being with you Chapa. You literally make me so happy." Bose vividly cringed at those last words but calmed down when Chapa responded with a smile. "To be honest, when I first met you..." Bose paused, clutching her hand a but tighter though, neither of them seemed to notice it. Chapa was holding on to his every word. "I thought you were amazing." He said. "And no, not because you were yelling at me even though it was totally you who bumped into me." He joked and Chapa chuckled, rolling her eyes.
"We're back to that." She said.
"We never left it." Bose answered and Chapa giggled.
"I really wanted to get to know you." Bose continued admitting. "I couldn't stop thinking about you." He said. "I wanted you to like me. But you were always pushing me away and, I admit, It hurt. It did. But I always ignored it, hoping that one day. Someday, she'll see me differently." He smiled. "And now, I'm pretty proud to say I think I've succeeded in making you hate me a little less." He added, smugly. "I can't tell you, how happy I am that you like me now." He said. He then quickly clarified. "I mean as friends, obviously." He laughed awkwardly.
Chapa was stung by the realization that she'd hurt his feelings like that for so long. Now she can't imagine how she could possibly have done that. Who wouldn't fall for this guy?
Oh, no! Now, I'm thinking like one of his fangirls.
Chapa so badly wanted to run all the way back home just to scream into her pillow.
She then gets hit by another realization. Bose had been so quick to call them friends. 'Friends' is not what Chapa exactly wanted to hear. But maybe 'Friends' is all they're ever going to be.
She shakes off her thoughts and places her hand on Bose's that is already on her other one. "Bose, I never hated you, I promise." She said. "Well, I mean, I kinda did, but that's only because I thought you were an arrogant, spoiled, player who expected every living creature to fall at his feet."
Bose laughed good-humoredly. "Wow, that's the first bad first impression I've ever been told I've had on someone."
Chapa shrugged, grinning. "Hey, I mean, most lasting relationships often start with bad first impressions." Then she quickly looked away, regretting her words. Who says that to a friend?? "Anyway, that was then." She continued. "Now that I've gotten to know you, it's so different now." She said, a little nervous. "More different than you know." She continued. "I actually..."
Chapa has to hold her tongue to prevent it from giving out unwanted information Bose does not need to know.
But Bose leaned forward. "You actually?"
The door is then slammed open. "You guys!"
