Me, My Brother, and Our Girlfriend

Chapter 6: Business

"Here are the papers. Sign them and then come to my office. We need to talk," Rindou said, his voice flat and his eyes fixed on the papers. He didn't meet Y/n's gaze, and the air around him felt charged with unspoken tension.

"Is something wrong?" Y/n asked, her voice a little shaky. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

"We'll talk about it later," Rindou replied, his tone clipped. He turned and went back to his office, leaving Y/n alone with the papers.

Rindou couldn't help but steal glances at Y/n as she worked. He watched her graceful movements, the way her brow furrowed in concentration, and the way her lips occasionally pursed as she read. He was so engrossed in her that he didn't even notice Kokonoi, his business partner, calling his name.

A few minutes later, almost an hour, Y/n had finished her work. She carried the papers back to Rindou's office, her heart pounding with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.

"All done. Anything else?" she asked, her voice a little breathless.

"Sit down," Rindou said, his gaze unwavering. He gestured to a chair in front of his desk, and Y/n sat down, waiting, her mind racing.

"I want to tell you something," Rindou said, his gaze intense, his voice a low rumble.

"What is it? Am I fired?! Please don't fire me, I need this job!" Y/n exclaimed, her voice laced with panic. She clutched the papers in her hands, her knuckles white.

Rindou chuckled, a low, rumbling sound that sent a shiver down her spine. "Fire you? No, you're one of my best employees. Need this job? I'm even surprised you're working, considering your boyfriend is a billionaire." He raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"I just... I don't want to seem like a gold digger around him," Y/n mumbled, her head bowed. "That's what everyone thought during the first weeks of us dating."

"I shouldn't have brought that up," Rindou said, standing up from his chair and approaching her. He reached out, his hand hovering near her shoulder, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes.

He wanted to hug her, to pull her close, to confess the feelings that had been simmering beneath the surface for weeks. But before he could act, Kokonoi burst into the office, his voice loud and impatient.

"I've been calling you multiple times! Are you really that..." He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening as he saw Rindou and Y/n standing close together. "Seriously? You're busy with a woman? That's not really you, Rindou. We have an emergency meeting, everyone needs to be there." Kokonoi's voice was laced with a mixture of surprise and disapproval. He turned and left, leaving Rindou and Y/n standing there, the air thick with unspoken words and a sudden, unexpected shift in the atmosphere.

"We should probably go," Y/n said, smoothing down her skirt, her voice calm but her eyes betraying a flicker of unease.

"Are you sure you're okay? If you're not feeling well, you can just go home and take the day off," Rindou said, his concern genuine, but tinged with a touch of something else, something he couldn't quite define.

"I'll be fine," Y/n assured him, forcing a smile.

Rindou's pov

I can't hold it back anymore. I need to tell her, to confess the truth, even if it means risking everything. I know she doesn't feel the same way, but I need her to know. I need her to know that I'm here, that I've been here all along, even if she chooses someone else.

"I'm even surprised you're working, considering your boyfriend is a billionaire," I muttered, my words tumbling out before I could stop them. "I don't want to seem like a gold digger around him," she whispered, her head bowed. "That's what everyone thought during the first weeks of us dating." Her voice trembled slightly, and I felt a pang of guilt. Is she crying?

"I shouldn't have brought that up," I said, my voice rough with regret. I wanted to reach out, to comfort her, but I held back, afraid of pushing her further away. I had to tell her, I needed to tell her, but why did Kokonoi have to barge in and ruin everything? An emergency meeting? About what? Was this some cruel twist of fate, a way of preventing me from confessing my feelings?

I watched as Y/n stood, her shoulders slumped, her eyes downcast. The moment was gone, and I felt a wave of despair wash over me. I had lost my chance, and now I was left with nothing but the bitter taste of regret.