Stigma Love's Algorithm [ A BTS x Reader Poly ]

Chapter 7: The Tension In The Air

I didn't realize she was following me until she was standing right beside me at the coffee machine, the quiet hum of the office around us.

She was close, too close, and the air between us seemed to crackle with something unspoken.

"You drink coffee this much?" she asked, nodding at the half-empty mug in my hand.

"Does it look like I do?" I replied with a smirk. "I'm a man of habits."

Y/N chuckled, and for a moment, I allowed myself to relax.

It was easy, too easy, to talk to her.
To get caught up in the rhythm of our back-and-forth.

It wasn't like anything I was used to, and I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"You know," she said after a beat, "I've been thinking about your comments on the encryption again."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised by the direction the conversation had taken. "Oh? You don't seem like the type to hold grudges."

She shot me a look, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I'm not. But I've been wondering if maybe I missed something. You're a cybersecurity expert, after all. I want to know what you think is the better solution."

I was taken aback by her straightforwardness.

Most people would've avoided giving me the satisfaction of admitting they wanted my input, but Y/N? She didn't hesitate.

"I think you should look into quantum encryption," I said, after a moment of deliberation.

"It's the next step in security. More resilient than current methods. You could start implementing it into the app. It'll take some time to integrate, but it's definitely the way forward."

She nodded, her eyes bright with curiosity. "Quantum encryption, huh? I'll look into it. Thanks for the suggestion."

I found myself watching her as she jotted down a note, a slight smile tugging at the corner of my lips. "No problem. Just don't make me regret it."

Y/N laughed, and this time, it wasn't the kind of laugh that felt forced. It was genuine. "I don't think I'll need to. You'll see."

As she walked away, I stood there for a moment, watching her go.

________________

It was a strange feeling-something unfamiliar to me.

I didn't exactly care about her, at least not in the way people typically cared about others.

But I was curious. Intrigued, even.

There was something about the way she moved, her quiet confidence mixed with a hint of vulnerability.

Maybe it was the way she tilted her head when she was thinking, or the way her eyes darted around the room like she was constantly calculating her next move.

I hadn't realized how much I was observing her until it became a habit.

She became a constant presence in my peripheral vision.

And when I realized that, I hated it.

I didn't want to care, or to be caught up in whatever it was that she sparked in me.

But try as I might, I couldn't stop.

It had started innocently enough-a fleeting glance here and there-but now it was becoming harder to ignore.

I noticed the way her fingers would nervously tap against the edge of her desk when she was focused, or how her lips would curve into a subtle, self-assured smile when she finished a task.