Mira gazed at Zamian, who, at that mont, looked like a lost puppy trying to get used to the comfort of his new ho. The contrast between his usual composed deanor and his current, slightly bewildered state made her smile even wider. She had seen a similar scene in one of her favorite manga, where the characters shared ice cream in a playful, romantic manner. The mory had stuck with her, and now, with Zamian’s suggestion to take a photo "like manga," it seed the perfect opportunity to recreate that charming mont.
Pulling out her phone with a mischievous grin, she said, "Okay, now. Put your arm together with mine." Her voice was light with amusent, a stark contrast to the serious tone Zamian was accustod to. Zamian raised an eyebrow, his usual stoicism replaced by a hint of curiosity and confusion. He followed her lead, unsure of what she was planning but willing to indulge her whim.
As Mira guided his hand, intertwining their arms, she couldn’t help but giggle softly to herself. It was one of those rare monts where Zamian seed genuinely out of his elent, which only added to the charm of the scene. His puzzled expression, coupled with Mira’s enthusiastic guidance, created a delightful contrast that Mira enjoyed.
"Like this," Mira said, demonstrating as she guided his ice cream cone to face hers, and her cone to face his, their arms now entwined. She shut one of her eyes, her grin widening as she prepared to snap the picture. Zamian, though still sowhat perplexed, mimicked her actions, bringing his ice cream close to his lips and shutting one eye.
The chauffeur, who had been with Zamian for almost seven years, couldn’t help but be taken aback by the sight unfolding in the rearview mirror. His jaw nearly dropped as he watched the scene. The usually solemn Zamian engaged in such a lighthearted, playful act was a stark departure from his typical deanor. For a mont, the chauffeur was so captivated that he nearly forgot his duty, his mind struggling to process the surrealness of the situation.
Mira quickly took the picture and squealed with delight, "Done!" She imdiately turned to check the photo, her eyes sparkling with excitent. "So cuuute!" she exclaid, her cheeks flushing with exhilaration. She couldn’t help but imagine how this picture might look if it were to go viral. Zamian, observing her joyful reaction, realized that sothing as simple as this brought her imnse happiness. He found himself content with playing the role of her manga character, even if it ant stepping out of his comfort zone.
As Mira reveled in her excitent, the chauffeur snapped out of his daze and resud driving, shaking his head slowly in disbelief. The image of Zamian, typically so reserved, engaging in such an endearing mont with Mira lingered in his mind as he navigated the car through the road.
anwhile, Lily was jolted awake by the persistent pinging of her doorbell. Groggily, she stumbled out of bed, her bare feet padding softly on the floor as she shuffled toward the door. She opened it to find her mother standing on the threshold, her expression a mix of concern and frustration.
"Oh my, Lily! Why are you still asleep at this ti of day?" her mother exclaid, stepping inside with a sense of urgency.
Lily, still in a haze, tried to gather her thoughts. "Mom, what’s going on?" she mumbled, her voice barely coherent as she tried to process the interruption.
Her mother’s eyes darted around the apartnt, landing on Jas, who was lying on the bed still asleep. Lily’s heart raced as she realized the gravity of the situation. She had hoped to avoid this confrontation, but her mother’s arrival had made it unavoidable.
***
The three of them—Lily, Jas, and her mother—sat at the dining table. Lily bent her head low, feeling the weight of her mother’s gaze on her. She was caught in a web of confusion and embarrassnt, struggling to find the right words to explain the presence of Jas in her apartnt.
Her mother’s tone grew sharper. "Lily, how long?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "How long have you been with him?"
Lily’s eyes fell to the table, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "I’m not sure," she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper. She found it difficult to articulate the situation clearly.
Her mother’s frustration was palpable. "So, all this while you’ve been lying to . Was that the reason you wanted your own apartnt?" She raised her hands, making air quotes around the word ’Jane.’ "Was ’Jane’ just an excuse?"
Lily’s cheeks flushed crimson, her head hanging even lower. She had wanted independence, a space of her own, free from her mother’s constant oversight. But now, her mother’s misunderstanding made her feel trapped. She struggled to find a way to explain that her motives were not as her mother believed.
Her mother’s gaze remained stern. "Or was that also the reason you ca ho late the other night? The night you said you were eting your friend, Jane?" Her voice grew more accusatory. "So, he was the imaginary Jane?"
Lily’s heart pounded as she tried to suppress her rising panic. She couldn’t find the words to clarify the situation. The silence between them grew heavy, and she felt increasingly cornered. She had never anticipated this confrontation and struggled to convey that nothing inappropriate had occurred.
Her mother, not hiding her disapproval, continued with a stern tone. "I know you two are close. Maybe you even like each other. But sleeping together?" Her voice was filled with concern. "I would advise against that."
Jas, feeling the weight of the situation, spoke up with a respectful bow of his head. "I’m sorry," he said, his voice sincere but tinged with embarrassnt.
Lily sat frozen, feeling the misunderstanding deepen with each passing second. Her mother’s direct and blunt words made her face turn even redder. She glanced at Jas, who sat stiffly beside her, and felt the intensity of the situation press heavily on her.
Ignoring Jas’s apology, her mother continued with an even more serious tone. "What if, just what if, Lily gets pregnant?" Her words were heavy, filled with concern and accusation.
Lily’s eyes widened in shock, her cheeks flushing bright red. She had never expected her mother to jump to such a conclusion. "Mom!" she exclaid, her voice cracking between embarrassnt and frustration. She was caught between wanting to defend herself and the overwhelming sense of mortification.
Jas, already uncomfortable, apologized again. "I’m sorry," he said, his voice carrying a note of respect.
Lily turned to him, her confusion growing. Why was he apologizing so often? His repeated apologies only seed to add to her distress. She thought to herself, "Jas, stop! This is only going to make things more complicated... Oh God."
Her mother, unfazed by the awkwardness, continued, "If you and Lily are serious about each other, I would expect you to respect traditional values. Consider waiting until after marriage."
Lily’s face burned with embarrassnt. Almost yelling, she spoke, "Mom!"
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