Whispers Of the Heart : High School

Chapter 23 : Secret Crush

The bell above the shop's entrance jingled as the door swung open, signaling the arrival of a new customer. Conner, who was busy behind the counter, looked up to greet the visitor. His smile faltered slightly when he saw the determined expression on the girl's face.

"Um, excuse me," she began hesitantly, "are you Conner?"

Conner nodded, his curiosity piqued. "That's me. How can I help you?"

The girl took a deep breath, her nervousness evident. "I've seen you here a few times, and I've wanted to ask you something. Can we talk for a moment?"

Conner exchanged a quick glance with Selena, who was busy wiping down tables. With a small nod, he gestured for the girl to continue. She hesitated for a moment before blurting out, "Conner, would you go out with me?"

The suddenness of her question caught Conner off guard, and he blinked in surprise. Selena, who had overheard the exchange, paused in her cleaning and looked over with a raised eyebrow.

The girl's face turned red as she stammered, "I'm really sorry for asking so suddenly, and I know it's probably weird, but I've liked you for a while, and I just couldn't hold it in anymore. Please, Conner, would you consider going out with me?"

Conner glanced at Selena, feeling a bit unsure of how to respond. Then, as if a decision had been made, he reached out and gently pulled Selena to his side. He wrapped an arm around her waist and looked at the girl with a warm smile. "I appreciate your honesty, but I'm actually in a relationship."

The girl's shoulders slumped in disappointment, and she sighed. "Oh, I see. I had a feeling you might be with someone. Well, lucky her."

Conner's smile remained friendly as he introduced Selena, "Actually, this is my girlfriend, Selena."

Selena gave a friendly wave, trying to ease the awkwardness. "Nice to meet you."

Just then, the shop's door jingled again, and Asher walked in. He had been out running errands and had returned at an interesting time.

As he approached the counter, he overheard Conner's words and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in curiosity. Selena caught his eye and gave a small nod, indicating that she would explain later.

After the girl left, Selena turned to Conner with a mix of amusement and confusion. "What was that all about?"

Conner let out a sheepish chuckle. "Apparently, she's been asking me out for a while now. I guess she really likes our ramen?"

Selena laughed softly. "Well, that's certainly a unique reason to ask someone out."

As they continued their work, Selena noticed Asher standing nearby, seemingly waiting for an explanation. She motioned for him to join them.

Once they were all together, Selena began to explain the situation to Asher. She detailed how the girl had been persistent in asking Conner out, and how Conner had introduced her as his girlfriend to let the girl down gently.

Curiosity filled Asher's eyes as he listened, and he nodded in understanding when Selena finished her explanation. "Well, that's quite the situation."

The next day, as they were preparing for another busy day at the shop, Selena noticed Conner deep in thought. She approached him and asked, "What's on your mind, Conner?"

Conner sighed and looked up at her. "Remember the girl from yesterday? She's been asking me out on a date and to be her boyfriend since then."

Selena's eyes widened in surprise. "She's really persistent, huh?"

Conner nodded. "Yeah, and I've been trying to gently let her down, but she doesn't seem to give up."

"Why don't you just tell her you're not interested?" Selena asked, genuinely curious.

Conner hesitated before answering. "She complimented our ramen. She said it tasted amazing, and I guess that's why I haven't been able to directly reject her. It's like rejecting her would be rejecting our food too."

Conner, who had been quietly listening nearby, chimed in. "I don't want to hurt our customer's feelings either."

Conner's father, who had been observing the conversation, walked over to his son. Pride filled his eyes as he patted Conner's shoulder. "You've always been a compassionate one, son."

Conner smiled at his father's words before turning to Selena. He suddenly bowed to her, surprising her with the gesture. "Selena, would you be willing to pretend to be my girlfriend while you're here at the shop? Just until this situation resolves itself."

Selena blinked in surprise. "Pretend to be your girlfriend?"

Conner nodded. "Yeah, maybe if she sees that I'm with someone else, she'll finally understand that I'm not available."

Selena chuckled softly. "Well, I owe you for the broken bowls, so I guess this is my chance to repay you."

As they shared a lighthearted moment, Selena looked at Asher, who had been silently listening to the conversation. However, she noticed that he had already walked out of the shop, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

Selena and Asher walked home together later that day. Selena couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment despite the unusual events that had transpired. She leaned into Asher's side, trying to be sweet, but he seemed to keep his distance.

As they entered their apartment building, the elevator doors opened, revealing a couple sharing an affectionate kiss. Selena watched them with wide eyes, her curiosity getting the best of her. "Wow, I've never seen a couple kiss like that before."

Asher's expression was unreadable as he stepped into the elevator. Selena reached out and stopped him. "Are you okay?"

He glanced at her and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Selena smiled gently, sensing that there might be more to his reaction than he was letting on. "Well, if anything's bothering you, you know you can talk to me, right?"

He gave her a small smile in return. "I know."