red string | jay

twenty three

that same day, ina had once again stayed back in the office, working late while everyone else had left.

juwon had offered to stay with her, but ina had asked her to go home, especially since juwon had just moved in with her long-term boyfriend. after some light protests and a promise that ina would call if anything happened, juwon finally left.

ina sat at her desk, the dim glow of her screen illuminating her tired features. the silence of the empty office wrapped around her like a blanket, equal parts comforting and suffocating.

she closed her laptop with a soft sigh, eyes instinctively drifting across to the desk opposite hers—jay's. he'd left maybe an hour ago. she remembered the way he'd glanced at her on his way out, that small furrow in his brow like he'd wanted to say something but didn't.

she leaned back in her chair, letting herself be still for just a moment. the clock on her screen read 12:37 am.

"you need to get a life," she muttered to herself before finally standing and gathering her things. she made sure to shut off the lights and double-check everything before heading out, her body weighed down by exhaustion.

as she turned the corner toward the elevator, she nearly jumped.

jay was there again.

leaning casually against the wall, head tilted back, eyes closed. but the moment he heard her steps, he looked up.

"finally," he muttered, standing and running a hand through his tousled hair.

"you... did you wait for me again?" ina blinked, voice softer than intended.

he looked like a mess—shirt half untucked, tie loosened, eyes sleepy, hair in its usual just-rolled-out-of-bed chaos. and yet somehow he still managed to look like he belonged in a magazine ad.

"no, i was hunting giraffes out here," he said flatly.

ina let out a real, unexpected laugh. it escaped her before she could stop it, and jay's expression relaxed immediately at the sound.

"that was dumb," she said, but she was still smiling.

"you're dumb," he shot back, stepping into the elevator beside her.

"nice comeback. you've clearly been waiting all night to use that one."

"i have more, actually. would you like me to list them alphabetically or in order of how annoying you've been this week?"

"oh, i'm the annoying one now?" she raised her brows. "didn't you throw a mini tantrum just because someone drank the last of the office coffee?"

"first of all, that was not a tantrum. it was a perfectly reasonable response to betrayal."

"you dramatically yelled 'there's no meaning to life anymore' in the break room, jay."

"because there wasn't! not without caffeine. i was mourning."

ina rolled her eyes, hiding a small grin as the elevator doors opened and they walked out into the cool night air.

they headed toward the parking lot together, footsteps echoing in the silence. for once, there was no rush to speak. no urgent sarcasm. just the occasional glance, a comfortable quiet between them.

as they reached their cars, ina hesitated.

she didn't want to part ways yet.

"sweet dreams, angry bird," jay said, voice unusually soft.

ina turned to him, arms crossed. "so... when are you going to take me shopping or feed me?"

he blinked. "what?"