#18 The undeniable fragrance of love

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Soham reaches Mira's place on Sunday morning, arriving at an early hour. She's waiting outside the gates of her building, dressed in denim joggers and a casual t-shirt, all set to leave. They had come up with this silly plan to go to Thiya's house together. Neither of them knows why. Mira's content smile makes Soham forget the greeting he had in mind. Instead, he utters a string of silly syllables.

"Hey, would you be comfortable on a bike?"

Mira's response, "Girls enjoy going on bike rides," puts a silly smile on his face. The word "love" made his heart skip a beat, he's sure.

Unbeknownst to him, Mira adds in her head, "bike rides with the guy she likes

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Unbeknownst to him, Mira adds in her head, "bike rides with the guy she likes." Soham has no way of knowing that. Their ride kicks off with them having a chat. She learns he's an orphan when she mentions his family. She changes topics, apologising.

"Will Seyon and Thiya be okay? Their truth is now out in the open. I can't believe they had that massive misunderstanding for years."

"Yeah." Soham's response is prompt, though his eyes are on the road. "This shows the power of true love. I really hope the best for them."

He zooms by a couple of slow cars on the freeway, changing lanes to reach a less congested route. Mira rests her hand on his shoulder, fighting the urge to embrace him. He's such a lovely person; she's filled with joy to uncover a little piece of information about him today, though she needs to know more.

There's no need for her to be sad when the case is over. She will have to facilitate their private time. They can be friends, and she can find the courage to confess. Her feelings have progressed from liking to loving. Now all that's left is confessing.

She rests her head on his shoulder, heaving a sigh

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She rests her head on his shoulder, heaving a sigh. The alleyways leading to Thiya's apartment have minimal traffic. There isn't a soul around. It doesn't matter if someone in the crowd disapproves, Mira can't pull away.

She's head over heels for this wonderful human. How wonderful it'd be if he could reciprocate. He views her as a friend, yet she occasionally notices a similar level of admiration in his eyes. Does he love her? She can find out after they solve the slasher case. For now, she can savour this moment.

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