Unmasked

Repulse

A week had gone by without any word from Tin. Can used that time to relax and catch his breath. The days all seemed to blend together, and whenever he closed his eyes, the room would start to spin. By the time Sunday arrived, Can realized he had been cooped up for too long. He made a mistake, and even though it pained Tin, Can couldn't continue hiding away because of it. After his workout, Can took a shower and put on a suit. He had a few appointments later in the day, but most of his time would be spent catching up on paperwork at the office.

Lemon had been busy throughout the week, constantly making phone calls or paying visits. He was starting to feel a bit better and even found himself chuckling at some of her terribly corny jokes. That particular memory brought a smile to Can's face. He parked his car next to Tin's and confidently entered the building. As he stepped out of the elevator, he straightened his tie and held his head high.

"Can!"

He discovered a smile hidden within and gently placed it upon his lips. "Hello, my dear. Any messages for me?"

Swiftly, she maneuvered around the counter, her stilettos echoing on the immaculate floors. "I was concerned. Are you feeling unwell?" Chaem embraced him warmly.

"I was, but I'm feeling much better now."

She gave him a suspicious look before returning to her seat. "I've organized all your messages in your folder. There were quite a few. Are you back?"

"Yeah."

"What's up with Tin?"

Can glanced towards Tin's office, but the door was shut. "What do you mean?"

"He's been acting strange lately."

"Sure, more bizarre than usual?" Can attempted to lighten the mood and was glad when Chaem chuckled. "I'm not sure. I'll have a chat with him."

Chaem shook her head. "He's likely just going through a rough patch... right?"

Can grinned. "Exactly. I'll go through those messages. I have a couple of showings later that I need to make sure I'm on time for."

"Oh, before you leave. The coffeemaker on the fifth floor isn't working..."

Can raised an eyebrow and said, "Why don't you order a new one? You've never shown interest in things like this before. Is something bothering you?"

Chaem let out a sigh and replied, "Nothing. Things haven't been normal around here for the past week. Maybe I'm going crazy."

Can leaned over the desk and planted a kiss on her head. "You're not going crazy."

Before she could inquire further, Can swiftly grabbed the envelopes from his side of the desk and hurried down the hallway. Just as he was about to reach his office, Tin emerged from his door.

Can stopped. "Morning," he said.

Tin inquired, "Why are you here?"

"I am working here," Can replied. "I understand that you may not be fond of me right now, but I have clients to attend to. I gave you a whole week to sort things out."

"A week? You think it will only take me a week to move on from..."

"Move on from the fact that we had sex," Can stated in a casual tone. "You can't even say it. Look, I can't spend the rest of my life dwelling on this. I apologized, and if that's not sufficient, then so be it."

"How can you be so calm about this? You're acting like this sort of thing is no big deal."

"I've had years to perfect the lie, remember?" Can said, stepping around Tin.