It wasn’t surprising that Josh added me on WhatsApp. We were working together now, and there would be plenty tomunicate about, so it only made sense to use WhatsApp-it was more convenient.


    But I didn’t ept his request right away. Instead, I replied to Jasmine, though she didn’t respond. She was probably busy again.


    I then opened Philip’s WhatsApp. After thinking for a moment, I typed back. [I’ve been caught up with the amusement park project. I’ll hang out with you once it’s done.]


    I added one more word. [Sorry.]


    Philip replied almost immediately. [No worries, just make sure you take care of yourself, no matter how busy you get.]


    I was about to reply with a simple [Okay], when another message from him popped up. [I’m waiting for you.]


    Those words made me rethink my response, so I typed: [Are you staying there for long?]


    Philip: [Yeah, I’m staying.]


    I was a bit surprised by his answer.


    A few secondster, I replied: [Your parents must be happy about that.]


    I saw that Philip was typing a response, but it took a while before anything came through.


    I didn’t wait around, though. Instead, I opened my email to check for any updates. It had be part of my routine. I’d wrapped up all my handover tasks, so my inbox was empty.


    Seeing the notification that I had zero unread emails somehow left me feeling… oddly empty.


    Just then, Myra came over, holding up her phone. “Zoe, have you seen this show? I’ve been watching ittely-the second couple is amazing.”


    I nced at the screen. Both the male and female leads were actors I liked, and the scene was pretty funny. The female lead had turned into a chicken and was angrily confronting the male lead, who was teasing her.


    I put my phone down and decided to watch the show with Myra. But the drama couldn’tpete with how tired I was. I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, it was already morning.


    Thanks to my internal clock, I woke up at 5 a.m. Meanwhile, Myra was still asleep, lying with her legs syed in a scissor-like position. Her nightgown had ridden up to her thighs, exposing herce underwear.


    I pulled the nket over her and checked my phone. There were a few new messages.


    Jasmine had replied, and Philip had sent an unread message. [What about you?]


    I stared at it for a moment, then scrolled back through our chat. I finally realized that he was asking if I was happy he stayed.


    I wondered, ‘Why should that matter to me? Whether he stays or leaves is none of my business. But why did he ask?’ We were both adults, so it felt a little off. I decided not to respond.


    I put my phone down, washed up, and poured myself a ss of water, Standing by the window, I noticed a light mist outside. It wasn’t heavy enough to block the view, but it added a soft, serene touch to the morning.


    ????


    As I finished my water and started stretching, I caught sight of a familiar figure-tall, with long strides. Of course, it was Josh.


    Even after leaving the military, he still carried himself with that disciplined posture. He was like a walking example of self- discipline.


    I suddenly remembered I hadn’t epted his WhatsApp request yet. So, I grabbed my phone from the bed, epted it, and then continued with my stretching.


    While getting dressed, I applied the ointment Josh had given me earlier. There was no reason to deny myself relief.


    Just as I was finishing up and getting ready to head downstairs for breakfast before going to the amusement park, I received a message from Josh. [Got a boyfriend yet?]


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