Chapter 10 - The First Glimpse of Rivalry - Part 5
667 Words
Ji-ah's POV
The night air is crisp as Ethan and I step out of the café. The conversation had been... easy. I hadn't expected that. Sure, he had a certain cocky charm about him, but it wasn't just that. There was something about the way he listened, the way he responded with genuine curiosity, that made me feel—comfortable.
"Mind if I walk you home?" Ethan asks, hands in his pockets, falling into step beside me.
I glance at him, a teasing glint in my eye. "What if I said no?"
He smirks. "Then I'd have to rethink my entire approach."
I laugh softly. "Lucky for you, I don't mind."
The city is alive with its usual buzz—streetlights flickering, distant laughter from groups walking past, the occasional honk of a car in the distance. The conversation between us flows as naturally as it had in the café. We talk about our favorite spots in town, the weirdest customers I've had at the bookstore, and somehow, we even land on the topic of childhood dream jobs.
We're mid-laugh when we pass a familiar-looking pub, the kind of place Oliver has mentioned a few times before. And that's when I see him.
Oliver.
But he's not alone.
A girl is clinging to his arm, her body pressed close like she belongs there. She's laughing at something he said, and I swear I see his lips quirk up in amusement. My stomach twists, an unfamiliar pang creeping in.
Who is she?
Before I can process it, Ethan stiffens beside me. He sees them too.
"Oh, wow," Ethan mutters under his breath.
I tear my eyes away from Oliver and look at him. "What?"
He exhales slowly, eyes locked on the scene ahead. "That's Sarah."
I blink. "And?"
Ethan shifts slightly, lowering his voice. "Oliver's ex."
Oh.
I don't know why that information makes my chest tighten. It's not like I have any claim over Oliver. We work together. We're friends. But seeing him with her—seeing the way she holds onto him, the way he lets her—it makes something inside me itch with irritation.
"Didn't know they were still... close," Ethan muses, a strange edge to his tone.
I swallow, forcing myself to keep my expression neutral. "Maybe they're just catching up."
Ethan hums, but the way he watches Oliver suggests he knows better. He suddenly smirks, side-eyeing me. "You look kind of—jealous."
I scoff, too quickly. "I do not."
"Uh-huh."
I glare at him, but he just chuckles, clearly amused by my reaction. "Relax, Ji-ah. I'm just saying, for someone who works with Oliver every day, you seem pretty rattled seeing him with someone else."
I cross my arms, pretending to focus on a nearby streetlamp. "It's just surprising, that's all."
Ethan doesn't push, but the look on his face tells me he's not buying it.
As if the universe wants to make things worse, Oliver finally notices us. His eyes flick to mine, then to Ethan, and something shifts in his expression. His easy stance tenses, his jaw tightening ever so slightly. He doesn't pull away from Sarah, but he doesn't look particularly comfortable either.
Sarah follows his gaze, and her lips curl into a knowing smirk. She leans in closer to Oliver, saying something too quiet for us to hear, and I watch as Oliver exhales through his nose before muttering something back.
It feels like a scene from a drama I wasn't prepared to be a part of.
Ethan leans in slightly, voice low. "Should we go say hi?"
I shake my head, heart pounding. "Nope. Absolutely not."
He grins. "Scared?"
"Annoyed," I correct. "And tired. I should probably get home."
Ethan watches me for a second before nodding. "Alright. Let's go."
As we walk past the pub, I keep my eyes forward, refusing to look back. But I can feel Oliver's gaze on me, burning into my back.
And I hate that I kind of like it.
- Writer
