The arrival of a beautiful girl in the stuffy, rigid office was like finding an oasis in the middle of a desert. Erin had a bright and refreshing personality; her cheerful greeting and striking appearance caught the attention of every man at the the Learning Center office—Amir included.

Amir was certain Erin had no idea he had been paying attention to her from the moment she first walked in. Amidst the monotonous monochrome attire of the office, Erin's fashion choices stood out. Floral blouses, polka dots, vintage abstract patterns—she paired them all with vibrant pencil skirts, creating a colorful contrast to the drab surroundings.


Erin was always on the move, darting back and forth between tasks. In their occasional encounters, Amir had come to recognize her by the familiar scent of her perfume. The fragrance seemed to replace the aroma of food in the pantry, transforming the space into a fragrant garden.

Amir had also been roped into helping Kia design Erin's ID card. With the design team overwhelmed, Amir had to step in. As he edited Erin's close-up photo, he found himself puzzled by her flawless beauty. Her tanned skin was smooth, her makeup subtle yet enhancing—a pink blush on her cheeks, a bold red on her full lips, a sweet smile, and curly lashes lined with just enough eyeliner to make her eyes piercing. Amir couldn't deny that her appearance had captivated the men in the office.

But for Amir, admiration was enough. He had no intention of getting involved in a situation where he wasn't even sure he was ready to open his heart. Despite his decision to stay distant, Erin's behavior toward him was different. Why did she admit to liking him?


Of all the men eager to win her favor, Amir was the least concerned with Erin's presence. Yet, he was the one who seemed to catch her attention the most. He didn't want to overestimate himself, but everyone noticed that Erin often talked about him.

This was confirmed the previous night when Erin openly expressed her desire to get closer to Amir. He was stunned. There was no clear reason why she would choose him.


Amir wasn't clueless. He understood Erin's playful demeanor, but he knew that responding to it would lead to complicated consequences—consequences he wasn't prepared for. So, when Erin's eyes filled with tears and she left the rooftop, Amir followed her down five minutes later, feeling conflicted.

On the first floor, the pantry was still bustling. When Amir opened the door, everyone turned to look at him. Their eyes were glazed, typical of people who had been drinking. The atmosphere was tense, as if something significant had just happened.

"Is there any meat left?" Amir asked casually, noticing the grill was empty but spotting a bowl of separated meat.

"I saved some for you. Get it, Ji!" Steve called out to Roji, who quickly retrieved a lunch box with a foggy lid from the cupboard.

"Thanks," Amir said, taking the box. He felt uneasy; the lively chatter he'd heard earlier had vanished with his arrival.

"I'll be out front. If anyone needs a ride, I'll wait for twenty minutes." Amir announced, ready to leave.

He stepped into the dim hallway leading to the lobby. But the door behind him opened, and Steve emerged, still chewing on something. He rolled up the sleeves of his red shirt.

"Are you heading back now?" Amir asked.

Steve shook his head, standing close enough that Amir could smell the alcohol on his breath. Amir stepped back, rubbing his nose.

"Did you just see Erin? Wahyu said she followed you upstairs but left suddenly without saying goodbye," Steve remarked after swallowing the last of his food.

"Yeah, she was just checking out the rooftop."

Steve gave him a knowing smile. "Don't cut the story short, bro. I noticed she was gone for a while. There's no way she was just looking at the rooftop. What did you say to her?"

Dealing with Steve at work was already tiresome for Amir, let alone in trivial matters like this. He knew Steve was one of Erin's admirers. Despite being the most mature among the IT and production staff, with the most children, Steve was the most enthusiastic when it came to talking about Erin. His hypocrisy and blatant disregard for his own family made Amir feel sick, especially now as Steve acted possessive of Erin.

"Nothing important. Just relax."

"Really, bro?"

"There's no reason for me to lie to you."

Steve nodded, placing a hand on Amir's shoulder. But his grip grew more intense. "Remember, I stand by what I said the other day. A player like Erin needs to be handled by someone who knows the game. A girl like her isn't right for you. She's high maintenance. You get what I mean?"

The point was clear: Steve wanted Erin for himself and was trying to push Amir out of the way. Amir noted this silently.

Coincidentally, Amir was only at the stage of being intrigued by Erin's beauty. He wasn't obsessed with pursuing her like his colleagues, though for some reason, she seemed more interested in him than anyone else.

"I have no interest in whatever plans you're cooking up. As long as you don't do anything illegal in front of me, I won't interfere," Amir replied calmly.

Steve flashed a wide grin and laughed quietly, his chuckle annoyingly smug. He slapped Amir's shoulder hard. "Who do you think you are, Peter Parker? Gonna turn into Spider-Man?"

Amir firmly pushed Steve's hand off his shoulder. At work, Steve was his boss, but outside of working hours, Amir didn't need to take orders from him. "If you want a ride, get moving. I'm only waiting until midnight."

Steve wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Alright, I'll be out in a minute, Cinderella."

Amir stayed silent, watching his manager head back to the pantry. Though he kept quiet and appeared compliant, his blood boiled with anger at Steve's arrogance. Amir made a silent vow—if he ever got the chance to put Steve in his place, he wouldn't hesitate.

*

In addition to being skilled at winning people over with her smile, Erin could easily change her demeanor. Amir had anticipated this. After yesterday's incident, she must be disgusted with him. She probably hates him now. She likely doesn't want to talk to him anymore.

On Monday, Amir stood behind his desk, facing Erin, who was standing beside Mrs. Berta. Erin kept her gaze downcast. Today, she was wearing a long daisy-patterned blouse with a knee-length black pencil skirt, not as short as usual. What happened to her? Had she lost her confidence?

"Don't forget, I'm expecting your report today," Mrs. Berta said, closing the morning briefing. The petite woman walked away quickly, followed by Xavier, who was struggling to adjust his slipping glasses.

Amir lifted his jacket and sat in his chair. Though his eyes were on the wide curved monitor in front of him, he couldn't help but notice Steve suddenly rushing to intercept Erin as she was about to enter her office.

With a smile, Steve handed Erin a pack of red apples.

Idiot, Amir thought, If you wanted to impress her, you should've done your research. Erin clearly prefers bananas.

And sure enough, Erin shook her head, giving Steve a polite but small smile as she declined the apples. Amir couldn't help but smile to himself as he pretended to fiddle with his headphone cable. He watched Steve return to his desk, rejected and carrying the untouched apples.

Amir wasn't aware of how much his words had affected Erin. Was it enough to make her the quiet person she had become?

Amir didn't just feel guilty towards Erin; he also knew that his male colleagues had noticed the change in her behavior. They knew she had last spoken to him before she became withdrawn. He needed to be prepared with an explanation if they decided to confront him about it.

"Let's take a selfie!"

Amir stirred his avocado juice absentmindedly, just realizing he was sitting in a café. Kia was beside him, Ridwan sat across, and Raya, a girl in a hijab, was holding up her phone, trying to capture everyone's faces.

"Smile, Amir! It's Ridwan's birthday!" Raya urged.

Ridwan was the only new staff member to join Kia's group, thanks to being her nephew who had come all the way from Makassar city. The rest—Amir, Kia, and Raya—were the elders of the company. They knew Amir inside out and were the first to notice when he had a problem.

But in this case, Amir hadn't shared anything with his friends. He couldn't even describe his feelings to himself.

First, a beautiful girl had shown interest in him. Second, his own manager had threatened him not to approach her. Third, he had rejected her and hurt her feelings. And now, he felt guilty for the changes in Erin.

"Amir!" Raya called out again.

"Yeah, yeah," Amir replied, pushing his juice forward and forcing a half-hearted smile as Raya took three quick photos.

After the photos were taken, Amir returned to stirring his juice, watching the straw mix the chocolate syrup that had settled at the bottom.

"What's going on with you? You seem lost in thought," Raya asked, lowering her phone and focusing on Amir.

"Mr. Amir must be having a fight with Ms. Erin," Ridwan teased with a giggle.

Amir was tempted not to respond, but he remained silent as he felt Kia and Raya's eyes on him.

"Seriously? Are you really close with her?" Raya asked, surprised.

"Raya, how could you not know? The whole office already knows Erin has a crush on Amir!" Ridwan replied, grinning.

"Well, I don't have time for gossip! I'm all about the money, bro!" Raya said with a laugh.

"That's why payday is on the 2nd and 5th, Ms. Raya. It's torture waiting until the start of the month," Ridwan joked with a wide grin.

"That's not my problem, Rid! Talk to the higher-ups," Raya shot back.

While Raya and Ridwan bantered, Kia poked Amir's shoulder, prompting him to turn.

"What's going on with you and Erin? Just tell us. Maybe we can help," she offered.

Amir saw the concerned looks on his friends' faces. Despite feeling conflicted, he found the situation amusing. Did he really seem to be having issues with Erin? Was this how it would feel if he ever did have a fight with her?

"You guys are sweet," Amir said with a genuine smile, "but there's nothing going on between me and Erin. I don't have a problem with anyone. I'm just tired."

Kia exchanged a glance with Ridwan, as if seeking his opinion. Ridwan shook his head, clearly doubting Amir's explanation.

"Amir, I think Erin's a nice girl, but she might be a little too playful for you. You have to be prepared to deal with jealousy and heartache because, you know, she has a lot of admirers," Kia said thoughtfully.

"I agree with Ms. Kia," Ridwan added. "Kia's husband used to be in a band, so she definitely knows what it's like to have a partner with lots of fans."

"Guys…" Amir interrupted before Raya could jump in, "there's nothing going on between Erin and me, I swear."

"It's not like we're not allowed you to. You really have to be strong if you end up with Erin. She actually suits you! Right, guys?" Raya said with a teasing smile.

Ridwan nodded enthusiastically, giving a thumbs-up in agreement.

"You know me better than anyone," Amir replied, his voice heavy with reluctance. "I'm not ready yet..."

"How long will you wait? You've been alone for two years. Maybe it's time to open your heart again," Kia suggested, though her tone carried a hint of forced sympathy. Amir sensed that Kia wasn't entirely sincere.

Her words touched on a wound that was still far too raw, one that felt like it had barely started to heal. The pain was as vivid as if it had happened yesterday. Starting a new relationship with this lingering hurt didn't seem right.

"It's not the right time, Kia. And Erin isn't the one," Amir said, stirring his avocado juice again. His gloomy expression prompted his three friends to exchange concerned looks.

"Before you get too entangled in this with Erin…" Raya began cautiously, "as a friend, let me offer some advice. Is that okay?" Amir nodded, noticing Ridwan and Kia also seemed ready to share their thoughts while they watched Raya.

"From what I've observed," Raya continued, "Erin seems like the type of girl who prefers hanging out with guys because they don't bring drama. Yes, she's beautiful, and that beauty draws men to her. But from what I've seen in movies, girls like her often seek attention from the less obvious choices—like you. It's almost like she's trying to boost her ego by winning over every guy, including the ones who don't initially fall for her charms. I mean, you're probably the only one who doesn't smile back at her, even when she's grinning as wide as the Joker."

"I agree," Kia chimed in. "Even at work, she acts like someone who's got it all but is bored. Mrs. Berta asked me to hire her without too many questions, and she's the only employee under me who gets assessed directly by Mrs. Berta. It's almost like she's just passing time here."

"And don't forget, Erin is the daughter of Rudolf Handani," Ridwan added, surprising the group. "You know, he was the famous chef in Australia and the owner of that canned food factory in Cikarang, the biggest Industrial City in SouthEast Asia. Her fan club members have dug up everything about her, down to her bra size."

"Oh, that's hilarious!" Raya laughed, playfully smacking Ridwan on the head.

Amir felt a heaviness in his chest as he listened to his friends. He took a deep breath, feeling a small sense of relief. Thank goodness he had rejected Erin last night. If he had let himself get caught up in her game, he might have ended up hurt all over again.

***