the drive to the ana intercontinental was a silent one, each minding their own business as they listened in on the soft hums of the other vehicles passing them.

it didn't bother them really- they understood their barriers and limitations towards each other. and they believe that they don't have any topic to talk about on the journey.

l/n y/n wasn't a nosey person, and so was kokonoi hajime- but this didn't stop their curious minds into drifting off to what the other person really is like.

to the young manager, kokonoi seemed to be the type to read a shelf full of books in one night- seeing as how he's got proper etiquette and mannerisms that give him the illusion of coming from a well-off family.

when in reality, he's just easily adaptable towards his environment. the young man didn't come off from a family like her's- it's the exact opposite, way too different from her circumstances.

but to her (e/c) eyes, he always carries elegance wherever he is. whether that be the way that he dresses, or how sophisticated he is in doing simple menial tasks- there was something in him that y/n couldn't pinpoint.

meanwhile, kokonoi hajime wonders if the young manager really is like spoiled rich brats that he would always see whenever he drives by a wealthy neighborhood.

under different circumstances- that being if he were to drive there twelve years ago, people of class would always give him the nasty eye. he is aware that they whisper about him and the biker jacket that he wore, but he couldn't care less.

ever since he been assigned as her assistant, he's been trying to study her- trying to find out if she's like those women who talk about him behind his back.

but even after a week of working under her, the (h/c) haired woman was actually the complete opposite of what he thought she would be like.

y/n likes her coffee dark- no sugar and always a full mug of it. she's a pretty chill person in his eyes, taking in the small habits that she would always do absentmindedly.

she doesn't dress to impress, always wearing a comfortable yet powerful-looking blouse and slacks that show off her authority.

the young manager was also humble- kokonoi seeing it to himself when the woman bought a pack of bread to give to the kids who were out on the street. and even when people looked at her, wondering what a woman like her was doing associating herself with kids like them- she kept that sweet smile on her face.

it didn't help the silver-haired male when he saw the bright look that she had on her face- trying to stop himself from falling into the void further.

the void that people called love, he avoided it at all cost.

that endless, dark hole that likes to suck in unsuspecting victims for fun- tugging at his heartstrings as they begged for him to jump down and enjoy the ride.

kokonoi hajime wasn't prepared for it, and after riding in it once, he didn't want to go for another round ever again- or so he thought.

in reality, he and y/n are currently strapped onto the rollercoaster with no way of going out.

it may sound cruel to some of you, seeing as they both weren't prepared for this trip- but everyone who fell in love wasn't prepared for it too.

the sight of the ana intercontinental can be seen from where they are currently at, eyes trained at the road in front of them in slight concentration- lavender and lemon wafting through the air that gave them a calm and serene atmosphere.

soon enough, they finally arrived at the entrance- being welcomed by the valet who took care of their expensive ride as a staff walked up to them with a smile on their face.

"hello and welcome to ana intercontinental, you must be miss l/n." the staff held her hand out towards the young manager, doing the same as they followed behind her.

kokonoi was walking beside y/n, giving off that intimidating aura to everyone who turned their heads at their direction.

"let me take your bag for you." he said, the (h/c) haired woman turning to him with a look of shock before she handed him her bag.

he cursed under his breath when she gave him a smile before walking up to the reception area for inquiries, looking down at the bag in his arms in deja vu.

when he told himself that this was nothing but a job, he didn't mean it like this.

"alright so the banquet halls are actually available for the entire month, would you like to take a peek at the venue before proceeding with the transaction?"

"oh yes please." (e/c) eyes looked into his dark ones as she motioned at her side where the receptionist called out another staff for their tour.

"they're going to show us the hall. with that, we can start our preparations afterward."

the silver-haired man nodded at this, following behind her as they entered an empty yet wide banquet hall.

the pillars were intricately designed for the sole purpose of holding extravagant events, complimenting the witch hazel-colored walls.

a chandelier was standing tall above them, jewels shining as the sun's rays peeked through the velvet curtains and into the room- giving it a warm feel.

"we have here our biggest banquet, just like you requested ma'am."

y/n nodded absentmindedly, eyes roaming around the room as she walked to survey the place of interest.

the staff let her be, taking her place beside kokonoi who was busy looking at the painted designs on the shiny floor.

it wasn't until the staff piped up that caught the male off his trance.

"you're quite the lucky man to have a fiance like her." this made him arch his already naturally arched brows at the woman who kept her gaze at the young manager.

"any other men who'll set their eyes on her will surely be starstruck."

"oh but we're not together."

the staff's focus shifted from y/n and towards the silver-haired man who was confused at how she assumed that the two were together. surely they should've noticed that they weren't wearing any rings on their fingers.

"you aren't? but isn't the reason why you're looking into banquet halls was because of your engagement party?"

kokonoi internally shrieked at this, wondering where in the hell did she get that assumption.

"no, we're not engaged and this isn't for us. it's for a banquet that her company's throwing." the staff let out a small 'oh', slowly nodding as she looked back at the (h/c) haired woman who was busy checking the stage out.

silence fell onto the two, a little bit of tension coming here and there but it's not as suffocating as you would think it is.

"well then i think you're dumb."

"excuse me?"

right now, kokonoi didn't know whether or not this staff was fucking with him or not. first she assumes that he and the young manager was engaged, and now she calls him dumb? does she have a death wish or something?

the woman beside him shrugged, smiling at the sight of a curious woman who was mesmerized by the details of the window.

"you have a perfectly perfect woman in front of you yet you don't have the guts to make a move."

"she's the type of woman who would never let go of a man that she loves- judging by the tattoo that you would usually see in gangs and downtown. she's got the softness of an angel and the grace of a queen." her eyes darted towards the silver-haired man who had his eyes trained at the ground, finding the patterns of it now interesting.

"what's stopping you from falling for her?"

this made kokonoi hajime think- what is stopping him from falling for her?

it was simple. in his opinion, he will only love once and once only- and that's towards inui akane that he holds dear to him to this day.

he loves how soft and kind she is, how strong-headed she was whenever the two would bond over books in the school's library.

the way the sun kisses her blonde hair that cascades down beautifully down her shoulders- he likes everything about her.

dark eyes widened in realization, hand griping the leather bag strap tightly as sweat started to form on his forehead.

everything that he loves about y/n- was everything that he had once loved about akane.

he knows that the two are different, he's aware of this fact. they're two separate people- one's dead and the other alive.

and at this point, he realized that he was actually seated into the rollercoaster of love and feelings- wanting nothing more than to stop the ride and get off immediately.

but it's too late at this point, because the cart stopped on the peak of the ride, waiting for that push to send them hurling down.

"i-"

"you're holding yourself back by holding onto the past, i can see that in the both of you." he felt pressure on his chest, eyes darting down to see coupons from a fast-food chain sticking to his suit.

the staff gave him a grin, motioning at the approaching manager.

"talk it over some milkshakes. then you'll find out your heart's true intentions." the woman turned to y/n who smiled at her in satisfaction.

"i take that you liked the room?"

"it's perfect." the staff hummed at this, motioning for the two to follow them to the reception where they'll continue over paperwork.

(e/c) eyes looked towards her assistant who had his brows furrowed and fist inside of his pocket, wondering what made him like this.

"kokonoi, are you alright?" his eyes met with her concerned ones.

he may be her assistant but that doesn't stop her from caring for his well-being, she isn't that cruel nor cold.

"miss l/n, do we have somewhere to be after this?" she hummed in thought, looking down at the clipboard that was handed to her for signing.

"we already have the venue in check, i guess we're just going back to the company for planning. why, do you have somewhere to be?"

kokonoi hajime swore that the woman from earlier gave him a nod of approval, signaling at his pocket as she took the clipboard from y/n with a smile.

the young manager turned towards him with a curious look on her face.

"it's fine if you have somewhere to be. i can drive back-"

"do you wanna go get milkshakes?"

and this was the push needed to send them hurdling down deeper into the void of love.