Under The Cherry Blossoms – Chapter 7: An Unexpected Weekend

The arrival of the weekend promised tranquility for Lily as she spent the whole of Saturday nestled in the comforts of her home. She relished a late morning slumber and enjoyed some cherished moments with her brother, Ryan, and his wife, Emily.

"Are you enjoying your new job, sis?" Ryan inquired as they gathered for lunch.

"I am. The workplace, the work environment..." Lily hesitated for a moment, "and the... aura, it's just amazing." Thoughts of Ethan tiptoed into her mind as she spoke.

"Aura?" Ryan questioned, a crease of confusion on his forehead.

"I mean the work culture," Lily hastily corrected herself.

"Ahh, I see," Ryan responded, comprehension dawning on him. He then turned towards the kitchen, "Emily, is lunch ready?"

"Yes, dear. I'll bring it in a moment. Have you fed Mello?" Emily's voice resonated from the kitchen.

"Ohh, umm," Ryan stuttered.

"Ryannn!" Emily's voice rose with mild exasperation.

"I'm on it, Em. Just a sec," Ryan hastily stood up, hunting for the cat's food.

"So, have you met anyone you like?" Ryan casually asked, his attention still partially on his quest for cat food.

Lily was mid-sip when Ryan's question left her startled. The water went down the wrong pipe, and she started coughing. "What?" she exclaimed, struggling to regain her composure. "Huh, no, no. I haven't met anyone I like," she uttered, the ghost of a blush creeping onto her cheeks as Ethan crossed her mind.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ryan's concern seeped into his voice even as he continued his search for the elusive cat food.

"Huh, yeah, I just... swallowed the water the wrong way," Lily replied, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of red.

"Haha, clumsy sis. Anyway, what I meant was, have you made any new friends or found colleagues you get along with?" Ryan clarified, diving headfirst back into the pantry in pursuit of the cat food.

"Oh, yes, I have. There are Layla and Melissa. There's also a guy named Liam. He seems nice," Lily happily reported.

"A guy named Liam, huh?" Ryan emerged from the pantry, victorious yet empty-handed.

"Haha, don't get the wrong idea. He's just a friendly colleague," Lily laughed, her mind wandering back to Ethan once more.

"Oh, okay," Ryan responded, acknowledging his futile search. Just then, Emily made her entrance, brandishing a steaming hot pot with oven mitts.

"Lunch is served," Emily announced playfully to the awaiting duo.

"Ryan, did you feed Mello?" Emily's focus shifted to their feline friend.

"Sorry, honey, but I searched every nook and cranny of this enormous cupboard, and I can't locate his food," Ryan confessed, injecting humor into his failure.

"It's in the top drawer," Emily replied with an undertone of patience tested.

Ryan's surprise was evident when he discovered the cat food neatly tucked in the said drawer. "Hey, it wasn't there before."

"I bet you didn't look carefully," Emily shrugged, placing the hot pot on the table.

Lily couldn't help but giggle at her brother's comical predicament. In that moment, a white furred creature waltzed in through the door, meowing for attention, adding to the joyful chaos of the scene.

~

As Sunday dawned, the friends planned a long-awaited reunion at an outdoor café. The air buzzed with excitement as Lily made her appearance, greeted enthusiastically by Miya, Ava, and Luna.

"Hey, Lilyyy!" Miya's voice rang out.

"Hey, Miya, Ava, Luna! It feels like it's been forever," Lily responded, her smile radiant.

"You've been missing in action lately," Ava noted.

"Yeah, it's like you've deserted us," Miya ribbed, her tone playful.

Quick on the defense, Lily replied, "No, it's not like that at all. I've just been swamped with my new job, and things have been pretty chaotic."

"Don't sweat it, we're just messing around," Luna chimed in, offering reassurance.

The quartet settled down, ordered their preferred beverages, and the air was soon filled with the lively chatter of friends catching up after a long time.

"So, Luna, let's have the scoop. Rumor has it you've met someone interesting," Ava prodded with a sly grin.

Luna blushed, coyly confirming, "Well, yes. I have."

"Congratulations, Luna!" Ava erupted, pulling Luna into a warm hug.

Never one to miss out, Miya added, "Give us the lowdown! What's he like? Where does he work? We want all the juicy details."

Lily listened attentively as Luna began describing her newfound romantic interest. But as Luna's narration unfolded, Lily's mind started to drift, and thoughts of Ethan began to dominate her thoughts. Luna's descriptions only seemed to deepen Lily's thoughts of Ethan. She struggled to maintain focus on Luna's story, but her mind kept returning to the intriguing man from her workplace.

While the laughter and storytelling continued among her friends, Lily was adrift in her own world, contemplating the unexpected impression Ethan had made since she started at the company. His image flickered in her mind, his polite smile and captivating aura leaving an indelible mark. She pondered whether there was a deeper connection underlying their professional interactions.

Jolted from her reverie, Lily realized her friends were waiting for her input. Swiftly regaining her composure, she managed a smile.

"Sorry, guys. I got lost in my thoughts for a moment there. Luna, go on, tell me more about this guy you've met. I'm all ears," Lily encouraged, hoping to refocus and immerse herself in her friend's narrative.

As Luna resumed her story, Lily made an earnest effort to engage, but the shadow of Ethan continued to lurk in her mind, stirring a whirlpool of curiosity and anticipation. She found herself wondering about the future intersections of their paths and the potential that lay in their nascent rapport.

~

That Sunday night, Ethan found himself alone in his large and luxurious flat, absorbed in his own thoughts. The kitchen, his sanctuary after a long day, hummed with the rhythm of his chopping knife against the cutting board.

As he diced onions, his thoughts drifted towards Lily. He remembered their first encounter, her lost scarf, and their subsequent training sessions. Her innocent question – "Does your work actually leave you with time for anything outside work?" – echoed in his mind, creating ripples in his previously unruffled existence.

He contemplated her question, realizing its depth. "What do I actually do outside work?" He mused, the harsh light of the kitchen spotlighting his solitary figure.

His thoughts consumed him, and his concentration wavered. The doorbell's jarring ring startled him, and his knife slipped, slicing his finger. He winced at the sharp pain, and a streak of crimson bloomed across the pale skin of his finger.

The doorbell rang again, persistent. Ethan turned the tap on, letting the cold water rinse his wound. The blood seemed to flow freely, refusing to clot, a vivid reminder of his physical existence amidst the turmoil of his thoughts.

Despite the pain and the persistent blood flow, the doorbell's unceasing sound pulled him away from the sink. He wrapped a kitchen towel around his finger, applying pressure to stop the bleeding, and headed towards the door.

As the door swung open, a silhouette stood on the other side, her figure veiled in the shadows of the evening. His brow furrowed at the sight of her, a puzzle he couldn't quite solve. He looked at her, his voice edged with a mixture of annoyance and curiosity as he asked, "Why are you here again?"

~

Next day’s morning was a bit peculiar for Lily. It was the only day she hadn't noticed the pink-haired lady. Although she arrived a bit late, she figured the landlady must have left before she did. Once inside the office, she greeted Layla and exchanged a few words with Liam. She was eagerly waiting for the training session as she hadn't seen Ethan for two days. Her growing impatience was quelled when Ethan finally arrived, and she followed him into the conference room.

Inside the room, Ethan seemed a bit more worn out than usual as he arranged the files on the table. As Lily sat next to him, she detected a distinct but pleasant fragrance. It took her a moment to identify it as a women's perfume. The idea of asking him about it crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed it, reminding herself that he was still her boss, and it would be inappropriate to inquire about such personal matters. She brushed off the puzzling scent and focused on the training instead.

The training was progressing smoothly until Lily noticed a wound on Ethan's finger. It appeared the bleeding had stopped, but there was still a hint of red near the nails.

In the middle of the training, she interrupted Ethan, "Ethan, are you okay?"

"Yes, Lily, why do you ask?" Ethan replied, looking mildly surprised.

Lily was already rummaging through her Hello Kitty bag as she responded, "Because your finger is bleeding."

Ethan glanced at his finger, "Oh, don't worry about it. It's not a big deal."

"Well, a wound near the nails can be quite painful." Lily produced some bandaids from her bag, decorated with cartoon cat figures. She held them out with a self-satisfied grin, while Ethan looked on, somewhat bewildered.

With her other hand, she gestured for Ethan to give her his injured hand. It took a moment for Ethan to understand what she wanted. "What are you waiting for?" she prompted.

Reluctantly, Ethan extended his hand. As she took his hand to apply the bandaid, she admonished him gently, "You should take better care of yourself, you know."

Ethan watched as Lily attended to his finger. He couldn't help but comment, "So, what's with the cats?"

Lily hummed thoughtfully before answering, "We have a cat at home who tends to scratch a lot. So, I end up buying a lot of bandaids, and sometimes the vet has these cute cat bandaids that I just can't resist." She chuckled at her own confession.

Ethan found himself smiling at her honesty. "You certainly have a fondness for cute things, don’t you?"

She simply nodded, focused on her task, "I sure do. And... all set." She looked up from his now bandaged finger, her eyes meeting his. "So, a cutting wound?"

"More or less," Ethan responded, looking at the whimsical bandaid.

“Got it," Lily replied, a soft smile playing on her lips.

After a moment, Ethan suddenly said, "Driving."

Lily looked confused, "Hm?"

"Driving. I love driving. I think that's my hobby. I like driving to calm myself," Ethan elaborated, addressing the question she had posed to him days ago.

Recognition dawned on Lily's face. She smiled at him, touched by his unexpected openness. "Oh, okay," she said, her smile widening as he returned it.

To Be Continued