Chapter 2 : Does Your Face Always Looks Angry?
656 Words
The next evening, Yira walked into work with one personal mission. Avoid Tengku Syazir Muzhir. Simple. Very simple until she spotted him leaning against the lounge wall near the reception counter, dressed in an oversized black shirt with headphones hanging around his neck. And worst of all? He waved, at her.
Syazir : “Hi, keyboard girl.”
Yira immediately turned away and marched toward the counter. Aina, who had been arranging brochures nearby, noticed instantly.
Aina : “Ooooo.”
Yira : “O what?”
Aina : “Your gym boyfriend is here.”
Yira : “I would rather eat a dumbbell than date him.”
Aina : “That sounds exactly like something people say before falling in love.”
Yira : “Aina.”
Aina : “Okay, okay.”
Before Yira could even sit down, Syazir was already standing in front of the counter with that irritatingly relaxed smile.
Syazir : “How’s the keyboard?”
Yira : “Your IC should’ve been blacklisted.”
Syazir : “Wow. Fierce.”
Yira : “I’m serious.”
Syazir : “Are you planning to stay angry forever?”
Yira : “Until you stop causing problems.”
Syazir pulled a folded receipt from his pocket and slid it toward her.
Syazir : “I paid for the damaged keyboard this morning.”
Yira paused for a second.
Yira : “…oh.”
Syazir : “You thought I’d disappear?”
Yira : “I thought you were annoying.”
Syazir : “Ouch.”
Yira ignored him and focused on checking class bookings on the computer. Unfortunately, Syazir continued standing there like he had nowhere else to be.
Yira : “Don’t you have a workout to do?”
Syazir : “I’m resting between sets.”
Yira : “Go rest somewhere else.”
Syazir : “Don’t want to.”
Yira : “Why?”
Syazir : “Because it’s colder here.”
Yira : “The entire gym has air conditioning.”
Syazir : “Yes, but you’re here.”
Yira nearly choked on her own drink. Behind her, Aina looked seconds away from collapsing from laughter.
“Are you naturally born this annoying,” Yira muttered, “or did you train for it?”
Syazir placed a hand dramatically over his chest. “I’m being sincere.”
Yira : “Go bench press yourself.”
Syazir : “Yira.”
Yira : “What?”
Syazir : “Does your face always look angry, or is this a special service only for me?”
Yira stared at him for a long moment. Then she smiled. A terrifyingly fake customer-service smile.
Yira : “Mr. Tengku Syazir Muzhir.”
Syazir : “Yes?”
Yira : “I work in customer service.”
Syazir : “Correct.”
Yira : “Not as a daycare center for overgrown gym men.”
Aina instantly bent over laughing. Even Syazir laughed, low and warm.
Syazir : “Okay, that one was good.”
Yira : “Thank you. Now go work out.”
But instead of leaving, Syazir leaned slightly closer.
Syazir : “Actually, I wanted to ask you something.”
Yira : “What?”
Syazir : “Why are you nice to every customer except me?”
Yira answered immediately.
Yira : “Because other customers don’t test my patience.”
For once, Syazir fell quiet and strangely enough… the silence didn’t feel awkward. He simply looked at her with a softer expression than usual.
“Interesting,” he murmured.
Yira : “What is?”
Syazir : “You pretend to hate me, but you still talk to me more than everyone else.”
Yira froze. Then immediately looked away.
Yira : “Delusional.”
Syazir grinned. “Sure.”
And somehow, that stupid smile lingered in her mind for the rest of the night.
- Writer
