The second hand on the clock ticked loudly, each sound echoing through the room. The pressure around me seemed to be increasing, almost suffocating. It's now six-thirty. Miriam and I are sitting across from each other in the apartment, and since our confrontation at the TV station, we had barely spoken.
I wanted to start a conversation, but I didn't know what to say. I was afraid she would break up with me.
"Do you want some cupcakes?"
"Please don't break up!"
The question and the answer didn't quite fit together. Miriam hesitated a bit after my unexpected answer.
"Not break up, then."
"Is that it?"
"Yes."
"This isn't right."
I muttered, looking around nervously.
"You should be mad, you should explode! My mother is on the board of directors of your company."
"Is being rich a crime?"
"But me asking my father to buy shares in Channel S just to change your work schedule so you could come home early and not travel for work. But instead, she used her rights as a majority shareholder to cancel your show... Isn't that annoying?"
"Honestly? No, I'm not mad."
"But I lied."
"You didn't lie; you just didn't tell. Besides, I didn't know your mother was on the board. I'm more shocked at how rich you must be to buy those shares and get on the board so quickly. You're like a character in a TV drama."
"..."
You're really cool."
Miriam pouted, throwing some water from her glass at me in a playful scolding.
"Everyone at work probably thinks I got my job through connections."
"Well, technically, it was connections, noodle soup connections! I thought you'd be more mad, like a TV heroine who sticks to her principles."
"That's fiction. In the real world, who doesn't like rich people? TV heroines are just idealized characters. Eventually, we all look for someone financially stable as a partner. No one wants to fight."
Miriam laughed, looking at me like she was about to melt.
"I can't believe you did all that for me."
"Well, since you didn't know, I asked my mom for a plane, but she said no."
"Stop joking around."
"..."
"Wait, are you serious?"
Miriam's eyes widened in genuine shock.
"You really are the kid who can buy whatever she wants, huh?"
"Yes."
I smiled, feeling a little proud.
"I was worried you'd be mad at me for giving me so much pleasure."
"You give yourself so much pleasure, but you're too cute to be mad. You're really perfect."
Miriam laughed, looking at me playfully.
"Is there anything else you haven't told me? First, you told me you had some weird, temporary memory loss, and now you're practically on the board of directors. What's next?"
"I love you."
"It's no surprise, and that line doesn't work anymore."
"Well... okay, I'll tell you."
