Chapter 19
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For some reason, Carl did not want to work. He was at his desk, his mind however was with Kim. He spaced out frequently, his colleagues who had never seen him like this were puzzled. He was a focused young man, a little taciturn but polite and hardworking. It was strange when they saw him dazed.
"...this should be the case, what do you think?" Jerry looked up only to see his colleague spacing out. He could only assume whatever the problem was, was something Carl could barely handle. Unknown to him, Carl was thinking of what Kim said earlier and what to gift her.
"Are you okay? This is the first time seeing you distracted, you can take a break, you know." Jerry said loudly, breaking Carl from his thoughts.
"I'm fine, I guess I could see that break..." He got up hastily, leaving behind a bewildered Jerry.
Thirty minutes later, he found himself in a flower shop. His first thought was to get her red roses but on seeing the beautiful flower, he reasoned it was too romantic for the occasion. 'She's an energetic young lady.. always smilling..what can I get her?' He got the answer to his question when he spotted the daises, they reminded him of her. He quickly asked the florist to wrap it up, he paid and was out the shop in less than five minutes.
Not long after, candidates started streaming out, some with a frown etched on their faces, some indifference and some happiness. His eyes moved around the crowd hoping to spot her. 'Finally,' she was grinning from ear to ear, from her expression, he could tell she did well. He walked up to her, she was still in a daze over her result so she didn't notice him. She almost passed by him when he pulled her hand, she looked up, her eyes bulging.
"How... I mean, you're supposed to be at work." She managed to say. She didn't expect him to be here, she was glad that he was.
Handing her the flowers, he said, "Congratulations!" She was still staring at him with bulging eyes when he said, "I ought to be the first to congratulate you, naturally."
She smiled widely, accepting the flowers, "Thank you for coming." The earthy smell of the flowers assaulted her senses. She liked it and she loved his presence more.
"Let's go." He said, holding out his arm. She complied by linking their arms. She felt flowers blooming within her. She hoped this feeling would last forever, he made her feel special. May be this is normal but to her who was always alone, it was magical.
They arrived at a restaurant after walking for a while. She placed the flowers on the table, picking up the menu. The waiter quickly took their orders and left.
"So, how was your exam? Wasn't difficult, right?" He was looking into her eyes, this made her face red in embarrassment. She wondered why she was feeling embarrassed. She managed to reply in a low breathy voice, "it.. was great." She was surprised by her own voice, her face turned a darker red.
Seeing her red face, Carl smirked. 'Yea, I made her feel that way without doing anything.'
"Why is your face so red?" He asked, feigning ignorance.
She hurriedly got up, "I need to use the restroom." With that she left. Carl kept smiling to himself.
While in the restroom, Kim was staring at her reflection on the mirror. She grew more embarrassed when she saw how red her face was. She turned on the tap, splashing water on her face, before she calmed.
Walking out the restroom, she saw Carl smiling with gentle eyes as he conversed with a waitress. She suddenly became conscious of herself. She hadn't seen him interacting with the opposite sex before, this was the first time. Her chest grew tight. She had completely forgotten how embarrassed she was earlier. She wanted to drag him home, where she could have him to herself.
At the same time, she was curious as to the conversation, so she walked back to her seat.
"...I guess you're right." Carl concluded. When she arrived, she saw the different dishes they ordered on the table. The waitress and Carl spoke no longer. She was so curious she wanted to ask. Then she remembered they were not in a relationship, it was not her place.
She picked up the cutlery and began eating with a gloomy expression. Carl picked up on the change. He wondered if something was wrong, 'is it her period?'
"Are you okay?" He looked at her with worry. Kim however avoided his eyes. "I'm fine." She said flatly. He wondered what could have gone wrong in a few minutes. Since she wasn't willing to talk, he decided not to push for an answer.
As Carl did not question her again, her eyes lowered to the food before her, they tasted bland.
"So what did you score?" Trying to change the topic, he asked. Seeing her drop her cutlery, he couldn't help but wonder if he did something wrong.
She totally ignored him. This worried him, so he apologised. "What are you apologising for?" She questioned him. He didn't know either, he just felt compelled to apologise.
"I'm.. not sure. If I did anything wrong, I'm sorry."
"Did I do something wrong?" He asked, just to be sure.
Still looking down, "No."
"Then why are you moody all of a sudden? Is it your period? Are you in pain? Do you need to go home?" He threw question after question at her.
She remained silent. She wasn't sure why she was hung up on the conversation he had with the waitress. Biting her lowers lips, "Do you like the waitress?" She asked looking into his eyes.
Seeing her misty eyes, her wanted to comfort her. "Where did that come from?" He asked. Her gloomy expression made him answer her question instead. "No, I don't."
"Is that why you're acting this way?" Her asked softly.
"Who said I was acting?" She quickly looked away with a flushed face.
He relaxed his shoulders as she flushed. "She's not my type."
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For some reason, Carl did not want to work. He was at his desk, his mind however was with Kim. He spaced out frequently, his colleagues who had never seen him like this were puzzled. He was a focused young man, a little taciturn but polite and hardworking. It was strange when they saw him dazed.
"...this should be the case, what do you think?" Jerry looked up only to see his colleague spacing out. He could only assume whatever the problem was, was something Carl could barely handle. Unknown to him, Carl was thinking of what Kim said earlier and what to gift her.
"Are you okay? This is the first time seeing you distracted, you can take a break, you know." Jerry said loudly, breaking Carl from his thoughts.
"I'm fine, I guess I could see that break..." He got up hastily, leaving behind a bewildered Jerry.
Thirty minutes later, he found himself in a flower shop. His first thought was to get her red roses but on seeing the beautiful flower, he reasoned it was too romantic for the occasion. 'She's an energetic young lady.. always smilling..what can I get her?' He got the answer to his question when he spotted the daises, they reminded him of her. He quickly asked the florist to wrap it up, he paid and was out the shop in less than five minutes.
Not long after, candidates started streaming out, some with a frown etched on their faces, some indifference and some happiness. His eyes moved around the crowd hoping to spot her. 'Finally,' she was grinning from ear to ear, from her expression, he could tell she did well. He walked up to her, she was still in a daze over her result so she didn't notice him. She almost passed by him when he pulled her hand, she looked up, her eyes bulging.
"How... I mean, you're supposed to be at work." She managed to say. She didn't expect him to be here, she was glad that he was.
Handing her the flowers, he said, "Congratulations!" She was still staring at him with bulging eyes when he said, "I ought to be the first to congratulate you, naturally."
She smiled widely, accepting the flowers, "Thank you for coming." The earthy smell of the flowers assaulted her senses. She liked it and she loved his presence more.
"Let's go." He said, holding out his arm. She complied by linking their arms. She felt flowers blooming within her. She hoped this feeling would last forever, he made her feel special. May be this is normal but to her who was always alone, it was magical.
They arrived at a restaurant after walking for a while. She placed the flowers on the table, picking up the menu. The waiter quickly took their orders and left.
"So, how was your exam? Wasn't difficult, right?" He was looking into her eyes, this made her face red in embarrassment. She wondered why she was feeling embarrassed. She managed to reply in a low breathy voice, "it.. was great." She was surprised by her own voice, her face turned a darker red.
Seeing her red face, Carl smirked. 'Yea, I made her feel that way without doing anything.'
"Why is your face so red?" He asked, feigning ignorance.
She hurriedly got up, "I need to use the restroom." With that she left. Carl kept smiling to himself.
While in the restroom, Kim was staring at her reflection on the mirror. She grew more embarrassed when she saw how red her face was. She turned on the tap, splashing water on her face, before she calmed.
Walking out the restroom, she saw Carl smiling with gentle eyes as he conversed with a waitress. She suddenly became conscious of herself. She hadn't seen him interacting with the opposite sex before, this was the first time. Her chest grew tight. She had completely forgotten how embarrassed she was earlier. She wanted to drag him home, where she could have him to herself.
At the same time, she was curious as to the conversation, so she walked back to her seat.
"...I guess you're right." Carl concluded. When she arrived, she saw the different dishes they ordered on the table. The waitress and Carl spoke no longer. She was so curious she wanted to ask. Then she remembered they were not in a relationship, it was not her place.
She picked up the cutlery and began eating with a gloomy expression. Carl picked up on the change. He wondered if something was wrong, 'is it her period?'
"Are you okay?" He looked at her with worry. Kim however avoided his eyes. "I'm fine." She said flatly. He wondered what could have gone wrong in a few minutes. Since she wasn't willing to talk, he decided not to push for an answer.
As Carl did not question her again, her eyes lowered to the food before her, they tasted bland.
"So what did you score?" Trying to change the topic, he asked. Seeing her drop her cutlery, he couldn't help but wonder if he did something wrong.
She totally ignored him. This worried him, so he apologised. "What are you apologising for?" She questioned him. He didn't know either, he just felt compelled to apologise.
"I'm.. not sure. If I did anything wrong, I'm sorry."
"Did I do something wrong?" He asked, just to be sure.
Still looking down, "No."
"Then why are you moody all of a sudden? Is it your period? Are you in pain? Do you need to go home?" He threw question after question at her.
She remained silent. She wasn't sure why she was hung up on the conversation he had with the waitress. Biting her lowers lips, "Do you like the waitress?" She asked looking into his eyes.
Seeing her misty eyes, her wanted to comfort her. "Where did that come from?" He asked. Her gloomy expression made him answer her question instead. "No, I don't."
"Is that why you're acting this way?" Her asked softly.
"Who said I was acting?" She quickly looked away with a flushed face.
He relaxed his shoulders as she flushed. "She's not my type."
For some reason, Carl did not want to work. He was at his desk, his mind however was with Kim. He spaced out frequently, his colleagues who had never seen him like this were puzzled. He was a focused young man, a little taciturn but polite and hardworking. It was strange when they saw him dazed."...this should be the case, what do you think?" Jerry looked up only to see his colleague spacing out. He could only assume whatever the problem was, was something Carl could barely handle. Unknown to him, Carl was thinking of what Kim said earlier and what to gift her."Are you okay? This is the first time seeing you distracted, you can take a break, you know." Jerry said loudly, breaking Carl from his thoughts."I'm fine, I guess I could see that break..." He got up hastily, leaving behind a bewildered Jerry.Thirty minutes later, he found himself in a flower shop. His first thought was to get her red roses but on seeing the beautiful flower, he reasoned it was too romantic for the occasion. 'She's an energetic young lady.. always smilling..what can I get her?' He got the answer to his question when he spotted the daises, they reminded him of her. He quickly asked the florist to wrap it up, he paid and was out the shop in less than five minutes.Not long after, candidates started streaming out, some with a frown etched on their faces, some indifference and some happiness. His eyes moved around the crowd hoping to spot her. 'Finally,' she was grinning from ear to ear, from her expression, he could tell she did well. He walked up to her, she was still in a daze over her result so she didn't notice him. She almost passed by him when he pulled her hand, she looked up, her eyes bulging."How... I mean, you're supposed to be at work." She managed to say. She didn't expect him to be here, she was glad that he was.Handing her the flowers, he said, "Congratulations!" She was still staring at him with bulging eyes when he said, "I ought to be the first to congratulate you, naturally."She smiled widely, accepting the flowers, "Thank you for coming." The earthy smell of the flowers assaulted her senses. She liked it and she loved his presence more."Let's go." He said, holding out his arm. She complied by linking their arms. She felt flowers blooming within her. She hoped this feeling would last forever, he made her feel special. May be this is normal but to her who was always alone, it was magical.They arrived at a restaurant after walking for a while. She placed the flowers on the table, picking up the menu. The waiter quickly took their orders and left."So, how was your exam? Wasn't difficult, right?" He was looking into her eyes, this made her face red in embarrassment. She wondered why she was feeling embarrassed. She managed to reply in a low breathy voice, "it.. was great." She was surprised by her own voice, her face turned a darker red.Seeing her red face, Carl smirked. 'Yea, I made her feel that way without doing anything.'"Why is your face so red?" He asked, feigning ignorance.She hurriedly got up, "I need to use the restroom." With that she left. Carl kept smiling to himself.While in the restroom, Kim was staring at her reflection on the mirror. She grew more embarrassed when she saw how red her face was. She turned on the tap, splashing water on her face, before she calmed.Walking out the restroom, she saw Carl smiling with gentle eyes as he conversed with a waitress. She suddenly became conscious of herself. She hadn't seen him interacting with the opposite sex before, this was the first time. Her chest grew tight. She had completely forgotten how embarrassed she was earlier. She wanted to drag him home, where she could have him to herself.At the same time, she was curious as to the conversation, so she walked back to her seat."...I guess you're right." Carl concluded. When she arrived, she saw the different dishes they ordered on the table. The waitress and Carl spoke no longer. She was so curious she wanted to ask. Then she remembered they were not in a relationship, it was not her place.She picked up the cutlery and began eating with a gloomy expression. Carl picked up on the change. He wondered if something was wrong, 'is it her period?'"Are you okay?" He looked at her with worry. Kim however avoided his eyes. "I'm fine." She said flatly. He wondered what could have gone wrong in a few minutes. Since she wasn't willing to talk, he decided not to push for an answer.As Carl did not question her again, her eyes lowered to the food before her, they tasted bland."So what did you score?" Trying to change the topic, he asked. Seeing her drop her cutlery, he couldn't help but wonder if he did something wrong.She totally ignored him. This worried him, so he apologised. "What are you apologising for?" She questioned him. He didn't know either, he just felt compelled to apologise."I'm.. not sure. If I did anything wrong, I'm sorry.""Did I do something wrong?" He asked, just to be sure.Still looking down, "No.""Then why are you moody all of a sudden? Is it your period? Are you in pain? Do you need to go home?" He threw question after question at her.She remained silent. She wasn't sure why she was hung up on the conversation he had with the waitress. Biting her lowers lips, "Do you like the waitress?" She asked looking into his eyes.Seeing her misty eyes, her wanted to comfort her. "Where did that come from?" He asked. Her gloomy expression made him answer her question instead. "No, I don't.""Is that why you're acting this way?" Her asked softly."Who said I was acting?" She quickly looked away with a flushed face.He relaxed his shoulders as she flushed. "She's not my type."
