Unpredictable Connection

12. Unspoken Familiarity

She stayed quiet, biting her lip hard to keep everything inside.

"If only you knew," she thought. How can I even talk freely when my feelings are a mess and your heart is already taken? I'm stuck in between—unable to speak, unable to walk away.

"You okay?" Freen asked again, more gently this time.

"Yeah, just thinking about some legal stuff," Becky lied quickly.

Freen didn't push. "Oh."

"By the way... congratulations," Becky said, forcing a smile.

Freen blinked. "For what?"

"For... P'Nam."

Freen looked confused. "Why? Is she pregnant or something?"

"What?" Becky gasped, eyes wide. "Wait—she's not... is she?"

Freen laughed, caught off guard. "No! Of course not. Why would you think that?"

"You just said—" Becky paused, flustered. "I meant... congratulations on your relationship with her."

Freen stared. "What relationship?"

"Didn't you... propose to her on her birthday?" Becky asked hesitantly. "She said yes. And you two were in the same room yesterday. So I just assumed..."

Freen suddenly pulled the car to a stop by the roadside, her expression unreadable. Becky's heart pounded in her chest.

"I'm sorry," Becky whispered. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"You're such an idiot sometimes," Freen said quietly, shaking her head.

"What?"

"Use your brain, Becky. Nam is like a sister to me. Do you honestly think I'd be dating her?"

Becky's breath caught. "But... the ring... the hug... the way you two are so close..."

"Seriously?" Freen arched a brow. "You and Irin act like that all the time. Are you two dating?"

"What?! No! I'd rather date a cactus than Irin," Becky blurted, disgusted.

"Exactly. Same logic." Freen crossed her arms, looking both annoyed and amused.

"But the ring..." Becky pushed, still confused.

"That was a replacement," Freen said. "Nam lost her actual engagement ring and was devastated. So I bought her a duplicate to cheer her up. That's it."

Becky's jaw dropped. "She's... engaged?"

"Yes. To Krik. The CEO of KNS Software. She's been with him for years."

Becky's eyes widened in shock. "Oh my god."

"Yeah. So maybe you should stop jumping to conclusions," Freen said, but the edge in her voice had softened.

Becky crossed her arms. "I'm not dumb, okay?"

"Didn't say you were," Freen smirked. "But your theories are on fire today."

Becky narrowed her eyes. "And the hug?"

"Friends hug, Bec. She was consoling me that day."

A weight seemed to lift from Becky's chest. She hadn't realized how deeply she'd been holding her breath—waiting for confirmation, expecting the worst. She looked at Freen, finally meeting her eyes.

"Thank god," she muttered.

Freen raised a brow, amused. "That happy to know I'm not dating Nam?"

Becky hesitated. "I'm just... relieved."