Chapter Five

Author’s Note: This story is set in an alternate universe, in an imaginary town and country, and during an ambiguous time period.

—--------

Kazir was in a hurry, eager to leave the office and escape the monotonous routine of his day. He had just exited the elevator, walking through the company’s vast lobby, when a familiar voice called out to him.  

“Kazir! Hi.”  

His stomach twisted with mild surprise. Sighing in resignation, he turned. The voice belonged to Adisa who was standing near the entrance with that ever-present smile of his.  

“Fancy running into you,” Adisa said, his tone light and warm.  

“Not really. We work at the same location,” was his dry, deadpan response. And, of course, it made Adisa laugh.  

“Still—what a pleasure.”  

Kazir raised a brow, slightly taken aback at the sincerity in his voice. “Sure?”  

Adisa chuckled, stepping closer. “Hey,” he said, his voice dropping slightly as if sharing a secret, “I’ve been hoping I’d run into you. I looked for you at the coffee shop. All week.”

Kazir’s eyebrows swung up in surprise.  

Adisa grinned. “After we separated last time, I realized I didn’t ask for your number.”  

That caught Kazir off guard. It wasn’t that he disliked Adisa, not at all. 

Adisa was charming and easy to talk to, but Kazir had been carefully maintaining a boundary between work and personal life. Befriending Adisa was one thing, but exchanging numbers seemed like it would push things into more personal territory—territory Kazir wasn’t sure he was ready to navigate.  

His hesitation must have shown on his face because Adisa quickly picked up on it. Suddenly, he looked less assured. “Hey, if you’re not comfortable with that, it’s totally fine,” Adisa said, his tone casual but sincere. “I don’t want to push anything.”  

Kazir felt a bit foolish now. He wasn’t sure why he had hesitated so visibly. It wasn’t like Adisa had asked for anything unreasonable. He cursed himself for overthinking things and reached for his phone.  

“No, it’s fine,” Kazir muttered, fumbling slightly as he unlocked his screen. “We can exchange numbers. Yeah. That’s not a problem.”  

“Really?” Adisa’s face brightened instantly, his grin widening as he quickly handed over his phone.  

“Yep. Give that here,” Kazir said awkwardly, and typed his number in, handing his phone back when he was done.  

Adisa took his phone with a smile, his fingers moving swiftly as he saved Kazir’s contact.  

“I’ll just shoot you a message now so you’ve got mine,” Adisa said, his phone buzzing in Kazir’s hand a moment later.  

Kazir looked down at the message and smiled faintly. Adisa had sent a simple “Hey :)” which felt oddly fitting for his upbeat personality.  

“So, about that cycling group of yours,” Adisa started, his enthusiasm evident in his voice. “You remembered.”  

“Of course!” He nodded enthusiastically. “I’d love to know more.”  

“You would?”  

“Yeah. I was wondering… If it’s okay with you, of course, maybe I could join sometime?” Adisa said, falling in step beside Kazir.  

Kazir blinked, surprised again. Adisa really was interested? He had mentioned his cycling as a casual thing during their last conversation at the company coffee shop, but he hadn’t thought Adisa was genuinely serious about it.  

“Uh, sure,” Kazir said, trying not to sound too awkward. “We meet pretty regularly. Every Saturday. I can send you some info.”  

Adisa’s face lit up again, his excitement practically radiating from him. “That’d be awesome, thanks!”  

The conversation seemed to be winding down, and Kazir was preparing himself to make a quick exit when Adisa asked, “Do you have plans for dinner tonight?”  

Kazir hesitated, sincerely caught off guard. “Not really,” he said. “I was just going to head home and have dinner.” He was going to eat the leftovers he brought home two days ago from his parents.  

Adisa’s eyes gleamed. “I really don’t feel like cooking tonight. Want to grab dinner together?”  

Kazir opened his mouth to decline, the words almost forming on his lips. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy Adisa’s company—he did—but this was starting to feel like a slippery slope toward something more personal than a casual work friendship. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to cross that line.  

“I know a really good restaurant. A small family place. The food is good. You could say I’m a regular.”  

Kazir knew he couldn’t turn him down. He was trying too hard to sell this place.  

He found himself nodding. “Sure,” Kazir said, the word escaping his mouth before he could stop it.  

Adisa’s smile grew even wider, and the look of genuine happiness on his face made Kazir feel less conflicted about his decision. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. Dinner with Adisa wasn’t a big deal. It was just two coworkers grabbing a meal together, right?  

“Great!”