Low Tide Love

Chapter 43

(Y/N)'s POV

(Before the spilled coffee incident...)

I was enjoying a cupcake with my friends at the financial analyst site. It was surrounded by our chatter and laughter.

Song Kang leaned over to Tzuyu with a curious expression. "Hey, Tzuyu, how does your blueberry cupcake taste?" he asked with a hint of excitement in his voice.

Tzuyu's eyes lit up delightedly as she took a bite of her cupcake. "It's so yummy! Do you want to try it?" she held out the cupcake to him.

Song Kang nodded eagerly. His mouth was already watering at the thought. "Absolutely" he leaned in closer as Tzuyu fed him a bite of her cupcake.

Savoring the sweet flavor, Song Kang let out a satisfied hum. "Wow, that's really good! Thanks for sharing, buddy!"

Tzuyu grinned at Song Kang's reaction and her own eyes sparkling with satisfaction. "I'm glad you liked it. It's one of my favorites!" she replied genuinely happiness.

Nayeon nervously asked me while her hands were fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "Um, does the cupcake taste too sweet?" she asked in a soft voice. Her cheeks tinged blushing. She knew I didn't have much of a sweet tooth.

I took a bite of the cupcake before responding to her. "No, it's not too sweet at all. In fact, it's just right. I could definitely finish it" I offered a small smile. I continued munching on the cupcake.

Nayeon's face lit up with relief and a shy smile spread across her lips. "Oh, I'm glad you like it. I... um... actually have another one if you want..." she reached into her bag and pulled out another cupcake. She held it out to me tentatively.

I smiled at her awkward yet endearing gesture. "Thanks, Nayeon. You're too kind" I accepted the cupcake from her with a nod.

I couldn't shake off the thought of Sana. I imagined her possibly hungry and throwing tantrums like a pregnant woman craving food at 3 am if there was none available.

"Hey, Nayeon. Why don't you take some of those cupcakes to Sana's office?"

Nayeon's eyes widened in alarm. Her were hands fluttering nervously. "But I don't want to intrude on her private moment. What if she gets mad at me?" she protested.

I chuckled at her exaggerated fear. "Oh, don't worry. If she gets mad, just punch her in the face" I teased her.

Nayeon's eyes widened even further and she shook her head vigorously. "No, no, I could never do that! Sana's the boss, I-I can't punch her! She might call the police and I'll end up in jail!" she exclaimed panicking.

I chuckled at Nayeon's timidness towards Sana. "Come on, Nayeon. Just trust me. Her mood is as bright as sunlight today. Go on, give it to her" I handed her a coffee and cupcake.

Nayeon sighed heavily. Her nerves still evident as she obliged my request. "Are you sure Sana is really in a good mood?" she asked again.

I nodded reassuringly, offering her a supportive smile. "Of course she is. Trust me. Everything will be fine" I insisted.

Her shoulders slumping in resignation as she reluctantly agrees. "Okay, if you say so" she murmured.

Nayeon slowly rose from her chair. I called out to her again, "Hey, Nayeon." She turned to me with a wary expression. "Yes?" she asked.

I continued the tease. "If Sana doesn't want to eat, just splash her face with the coffee" I joked. Nayeon glared at me playfully.

Nayeon shook her head. Her lips twitching with suppressed amusement. "Hey, stop teasing me!" she scolded lightly.

"Alright, alright. I'll behave. Just go and give Sana the coffee and cupcake, okay?" I raised my hands in surrender.

Nayeon took a deep breath. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she walked towards Sana's office. "Please let Sana be in a good mood today" she whispered to herself.

I turned to Tzuyu with a smile. "Tzuyu, could you-" I was cut off by the sudden interruption.

"NAYEON!"

A sudden scream from Sana echoed through the room was startling all of us. Song Kang choked on his cupcake and Tzuyu dropped the one she was holding. Was Nayeon really the cause of Sana's outburst as I had playfully jokes?

Without hesitation, I rushed towards Sana with Tzuyu and Song Kang following closely behind to avoid causing any further commotion.

I watched Sana scolding Nayeon in front of everyone. I felt a pang of guilt. Nayeon was crying and trembling as she apologized.

Noticing the stained coffee on Sana's shirt, I felt a surge of frustration. How did things escalate to this point? Tzuyu and Song Kang went to comfort Nayeon while I stood frozen, unsure of what to do next.

Before I could gather my thoughts, Sana pulled me into her office and I followed her.

"What happened between you and Nayeon just now?" I diffused the tension in the room.

Sana scoffed indignantly, "Nayeon spilled coffee all over my limited edition Prada shirt! She did it on purpose! I know she did it!" she exclaimed dramatically with accusation.

"Sana, please don't jump to conclusions without any proof. I'm sure it was just an accident. Nayeon clearly didn't mean to spill the coffee on you."

Sana ignored my plea and cut straight to the point. "Where were you just now? Why didn't you reply or check my messages? I was alone, eating chocolate and waiting for you to reply" she demanded. Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

I checked my phone and realized I had missed her three messages amidst the noise. "I'm sorry. I didn't hear the notification" I apologized sincerely.

Sana rolled her eyes dramatically at my excuses. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest."You're lying! No wonder you didn't reply to my messages. You were too busy flirting with Nayeon!" she accused me in a sharp tone.

"You're overreacting again. I was just enjoying a cupcake with Nayeon" I clarified to alleviate her suspicions.

Sana's jealousy only seemed to escalate. Her accusatory tone was laced with bitterness and insecurity. "See! You always seem so happy around Nayeon. But with me, it's like you can't wait to get away. You hate being with me!" she exclaimed tremblingly with emotion.

I shook my head in frustration at her misunderstanding. "I told you I only enjoyed a cupcake with her!" I reiterated to reason with her.

Feeling overwhelmed by the tension between us, I made a hasty retreat towards the door to diffuse the situation.

Sana's voice rose to a yell, "I'm not done yet, (Y/N)! You can't just dismiss me like this! We need to talk about this!" she exclaimed angrily.

Ignoring her, I pretended not to hear. To my dismay, Sana followed me towards the door and continued to scold me in front of our colleagues. The eyes of the other staff members bore into us. It's intensifying my embarrassment as our bickering unfolded in full view.

Little did I know, Sana stumbled over her heels and lost her balance in a sudden flurry of movement. "(Y/N)!" she screamed in panic.

I turned around just in time to see her stumbling towards me, her balance lost. Before I could react, she toppled into me. Her arms wrapped around my neck while mine instinctively went around her waist. In an instant, we both found ourselves crashing to the floor. She landed on top of me.

Caught off guard, our lips accidentally met in a surprising kiss. We pulled away simultaneously with expressions of a mix of shock and realization.

"MY FIRST KISS!"

Meanwhile, the other staff members watched on. Their reactions ranged from laughter to astonishment. They're rolling on the floor as they're controlling their laughter.