'Still as awkward as ever. I didn't even know whether to offer a handshake or a fist bump or... Wait... How did he greet me? I could have sworn there was a contact of some sort. 

Darn it! I'm being awkward again... Where the heck is Mun and how long does it take to order a milkshake?'

"You've lost weight."

Ari looked up in an instant. 'Did he just say something?' "Pardon?"

"I don't mean to pry but your new place of work must be putting a strain on you."

"Oh no. I'm still on break from my job hunting...but I guess it's about time I found myself something to do."

"Your absence was heavily felt when you left. It took a while to adjust to the changes and..." Rey stopped when he noticed Ari's expression continuously growing flustered. Reaching out to pat him gently on the shoulder, he asked Ari if he was feeling okay. "Earlier on, you appeared spaced out. It seems I had a valid reason to have asked about your drastic weight loss."

"I'm not sick, just a little insomniac." Ari let out a nervous laugh and then brushed Rey's hand away, which left him with a residual warmth. Rey's sudden interest in his well-being confused him as much as it made him nervous. 'Isn't he grossed out? He is always on guard so why does he seem relaxed around me all of a sudden...touching me casually like that?"

"Maybe that was why manager Mun wanted to see you first before meeting me."

"Mun was promoted?"

"Yes. It didn't take a week before other departments began falling apart so someone had to be chosen to fill your space. Manager Mun wasn't the first choice however, later on, since he'd closely worked with you, it became a matter of applying your techniques." 

"That's a relief to hear," Ari replied passively. "I knew he could do it."

"Yes. He assigned independent individual tasks to get rid of dormant and delayed projects as well as dismiss unnecessary tasks. Everyone was up in arms of course but there was still a little resistance here and there. Either way, he has executed his duties perfectly and slowly growing to fit your shoe manager Ari."

"I'm no longer your manager."

"You remain my mentor."

"You wish." 

Rey chuckled, an act that surprised Ari even more than he already was. "That week we took on sir Ned's project, I hadn't realized how much I had learned from your leadership and guidance until I had to put the skills to the task. Afterwards, it dawned on me how much of an impact you had in my career as..."

'How did we get to discuss work? I haven't stared at a computer for months and all he wants to yap on about is work and more office matters. 

Mentor my ass!  That's all he sees of me? Well, I should be happy about it yet I feel choked and want to scream. Maybe this is why I always end up saying something silly to him. 

Still, he remains surprisingly comfortable around me unlike before or is he playing oblivious to my feelings towards him? Does he need me to spell it out for him? 

Darn it Ari! Say something! Don't just sit by flustered like a fool!'

"Ari, you're sweating bullets again." Mun's sudden appearance came as a relief to Ari.

"You took so long." 'On purpose I'm sure.'

"Yea, I was clearing our bill. I was supposed to treat Rey to a meal after he'd successfully brought back an old client. Remember Mr. Liwaswalva?"

"Him?" Ari's expression suddenly changed, his anxiety vanishing in an instant. 

"Yes. He swore never to do business with us again because of that screw-up with team B four years ago. Even now, I still can't believe he signed a five-year contract with us."

"Amazing!" Turning to look back at Rey, Ari inquired on how he had managed to do even something he'd failed at for almost four years and Rey went on to explain some of the details. At that time, Mun watched in merriment at how the two had been engaged in their discussion. They hadn't noticed the waiter setting their table until their meal had turned cold.

"We can request them to reheat it," Rey suggested which both Ari and Mun rejected. It won't taste the same. Besides, I have somewhere I have to rush to therefore, I can't keep you two company any longer."

"Where are you going?" Ari asked, realizing once more that he was going to be left alone with Rey, something he dreaded so much.

"I have a date so I'll leave you two to yours."

Ari was about to scorn Mun's remark but an unexpected chuckle from Rey surprised him. "Pass my regards to her. Tell her the movie recommendation was a downer."

"Tell her yourself." Mun joked back to which the two exchanged an inside joke and guffawed. Ari couldn't help but feel the tension lifting off him once more. The atmosphere felt no longer suffocating, his panic gradually disappearing along with it.

"Ari, remember what we discussed earlier. You have to do what you have to do."

"Just a minute Mun..." Ari could feel his anxiety shooting up again. He knew exactly what Mun was playing at and didn't like it. "Stay a little longer, will you please?"

"Rey," Mun ignored his friend and patted Rey's shoulder. "Be nice to Ari. He's pretty ignorant to the things of the world."

"I like you...! ...Rey...I-I mean yes...I like you, Rey..." Ari blurted aloud, unable to endure the state of being left alone once more. He hadn't realized he'd shut his eyes tightly whilst confessing and just as he opened them up, he caught the sight of Mun slapping his hand on his forehead from second-hand embarrassment. 

Forcing courage out of him, he watched Rey's surprisingly expressionless face. From memory, Ari expected an open blunt negative reaction out of him but here he was, sitting by as if waiting for Ari to continue ruining the mood. 

"I've liked you for a long time...more than I care to remember. That's all I know and it's always been like that." Ari added, his eyes fixated on Rey's as a voice inside him repetitively told him to imagine Rey as a potential business client he was trying to win over. At least, that is the lie he convinced himself to avoid stuttering.

"When I met you again, it reminded me of how I felt in the past as if these feelings never left me. I obsessed over you in college, stalked you, dreamt about you, and wished you'd talk to me after our first meeting but you seemed to be running away from something then you disappeared abruptly until that day at the public food court. I'm a coward for not saying how I felt earlier and that was because I didn't want to inconvenience you in any way but I'm done stalling Rey. I'm sorry for putting this on you but this is just how I felt and still do. Nonetheless, despite all I've said, I don't expect anything so, do not feel burdened by my confession."

"Finally you say it. Feeling lighter now that it's out of your chest?"

"No Mun." Ari instantly replied and stood up from his seat. The restaurant may not have been full but he certainly had drawn an audience towards their table. "I'll leave first."

"Running away again are we?" Mun grabbed Ari's hand to stop him. "The least you could do is listen to what he has to say otherwise you'll go about speculating all sorts of negative responses."

"Mun, he is as uncomfortable as I am..."

"I used to be but not anymore," Rey said simply. "What I'm more surprised to find out is the identity of my stalker. I transferred colleges because of your manager Ari."

"From everything Ari said, you only heard stalker?"

"I'm aware of how he feels. He told me that the first day we met... Well, it wasn't the first day it seems so technically you've held on to your feelings for many years."

"Rey doesn't be mean," Mun spoke teasingly. " Ari is shaking here for doing something he's never thought he'd have to so don't put him in the spotlight like that..."

"I'll do it."

"D-Do what?" Mun's jaw almost dropped. 

"I want to go to a gay bar."

"Why?" Mun asked, mirroring Ari's confusion as well.

"You asked me about that stubborn client, Mr Lilwaswala and how I managed to get him to work with us again. His condition was I visit a gay bar five times for the five-year contract with him and I can't go alone."

"You said something homophobic to him didn't you?"

"Technically, yes. The reason why he wasn't working with us anymore is that you rejected him so he was holding a grudge."

"He was?" Ari finally spoke. "All these years?"

"Yes. I don't wish to get into the details of our discussion but I found myself agreeing to do something I didn't intend to. Naturally, I made it clear to him my thoughts on remaining straight. Your confession couldn't have come at a better time Manager Ari for I had requested Manager Mun to meet me for this very reason. However, considering your past involvement with Mr Lilwaswala, you'd be the perfect fit.

Therefore, will you please accompany me, Manager Ari?"