It was a typical day on the construction site, with the sun high and (Y/N) working hard alongside his crew. They were in the middle of a break, just shooting the breeze, when one of (Y/N)'s friends leaned in with a mischievous grin.
"So, have you heard the latest buzz?" his friend asked, nudging him.
(Y/N) raised an eyebrow, wiping his brow as he took a swig from his water bottle. "What's that?"
"It's about you and Koleda Belobog. Word around here is that she's got eyes on you, man. They say she's always giving you that look, you know?" his friend smirked, eyebrows raised.
(Y/N) chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah, come on. Those are just rumors. And even if they weren't, she's way out of my league. I mean, she's the CEO, and I'm just some guy working construction. What are the odds, really?" He shrugged, putting on a relaxed, dismissive smile.
His friend rolled his eyes, clapping a hand on (Y/N)'s shoulder. "Cut the brooding session, man. You won't know unless you go for it. Take a leap of faith, see if those rumors hold any water."
Just as (Y/N) opened his mouth to respond, a chill seemed to settle over them, and both turned to see none other than Koleda Belobog herself, standing with her arms crossed and a stern look on her face.
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"Um... Hi--?" (Y/N) said before he shut up immediately.
She glared at the two of them, her gaze sharp as ever. "And just what were you two gossiping about?" she demanded, her tone clipped and cold. Her eyes zeroed in on (Y/N), a slight blush just barely visible against her composed, steely expression. "Care to share?"
(Y/N)'s friend cleared his throat, muttering a quick, "I'll leave you two to it," before practically sprinting off, leaving (Y/N) alone with her.
'BRO WHAT THE FUCK!?' (Y/N) yelled in his thoughts.
(Y/N) shifted awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Oh, you know, just...work stuff," he said, trying to look anywhere but directly at her, painfully aware of her intense stare.
She narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms even tighter. "Is that so?" she said, voice laced with skepticism, her usual tough exterior firmly in place. "Because it didn't sound like work stuff."
(Y/N) swallowed, caught in her gaze, realizing this might just be the moment his friend was urging him toward.
As (Y/N) stood there, he found himself in a mental tug-of-war.
'Alright, this is it. Take the leap. She's right here, so just... ask her out. What's the worst that could happen? She's already here, isn't she?'
He looked at Koleda, whose intense gaze had softened just a bit, a faint blush dusting her cheeks as she eyed him suspiciously, arms still crossed. She looked genuinely confused by his silence, almost as if she was waiting for him to say something meaningful—or at least understandable.
