Office Diaries

As if noting his sudden depression, the chat group became alive again with comforting messages.

[Anjee: Well, a date is a date.]

[Ash: That's right – and food is love!]

[Nixie: It's just the beginning anyway. You'll go to more places next time.]  

Tohru smiled at Nixie's message. It meant that in the future when Yanee became more and more comfortable with him, he could take her out anywhere that was more romantic. Also, Anjee was right. A date was still a date regardless of the place as long as they were together – and food was definitely loved!

He and Yanee loved to eat it seemed. They were both foodies, and so the market might not be a bad place for a first date.

[Marian: Ah, little brother, buy me a snack.]

[Yunjae: Marian, Are you planning to be a quasi-light bulb on their date?]

[Ria: Get your husband to buy the snacks for you, alright?]

[Kim: Don't bother your seriously trying to date brother.]

[Marian: I'm his legitimate big sister, alright?  Don't I have special perks or something? They're going to the market anyway.]

[Jena: @Liam Confiscate your wife's phone and put her to bed.]

Tohru James let out another round of laughter. His pregnant sister always went crazy when pregnant, and this was her third baby, and so, all of them were used to her antics already.

That's right. Marian Kang was his biological sister.

It was why when Yanee heard Marian call him "little brother" earlier, he felt a bit nervous. The plan was to not call him little brother at all. Even Jisoo called him Tohru and the beginning. But Marian, with her pregnancy brain, slipped and called him "little brother". It was a good thing that Jisoo and the others were there to divert Yanee's suspicion and unanimously called him by that nickname.

Just as he told Yanee, his eyes were on her the entire time, watching. It's why he was now a bit s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e to her mood. He automatically could tell when she's happy, sad, confused, worried, nervous, as well as suspicious, just as she was when Marian forgot and used his nickname.

 [Yunjae: By the way little brother, does Yanee know your background?]

[Ash: Oh yes, I haven't asked about that. Let us big sisters know so we won't slip.]

They were talking about Tohru James' real identity, of course as the heir to Arcus Iris International.

[TJ: No. But I think it's safe to tell her that I'm rich but not how rich. It's obvious anyway, and I think she doesn't care. I just don't want her to know about AI International right now because it will show my intentions to get close to her. She'll run.]

[Nixie: Well, just refrain from talking about things like that. It's safer.]

[Kim: Why does she want to run away from you, little brother? She's not okay with rich men?]

[Marian: No. Yanee is also from a rich family. The problem is a personal one for her.]

[Ria: I see.]

[Yunjae: Marian why are you still awake?]

[Marian: She's sleeping. I'm Liam. I just took her phone when your messages came.]

They continued to chat for several more minutes until Yushin scolded everyone to sleep. The girls were reluctant but followed. However, they did not go until each one of them sent pictures of Yanee from the party and some group photos they took with her.

[Jena: Little bro, you have tons of options for your wallpaper now.]

[Ria: He can change his wallpaper daily if he wants. LOL]

[Anjee: Don't forget the  screen lock!]

[Ash: Bring something to disinfect your phone from time to time little brother.]

[Jae: @Ash Why would he need to clean it that much?]

[Ash: Because he'll be kissing it that much. ❤]

[Yushin: All of you go to sleep.]

Tohru James shook his head as he chuckled. He switched off the chat, but not before he finished downloading all the photos of Yanee that the girls took. Just as they suggested earlier, he scanned the many photos he was sent to see the best and would make it into his wallpaper.

He found one that he liked the best. It was of Yanee's smiling profile with her pair of chocolate eyes twinkling. The photo was a close-up. He could note the long hair at the edge of the photo though. It seemed one of the big sisters, Ash, he presumed, based on the color of the hair, asked Yanee to take a photo with her. But instead of the two of them, she had asked the one who took the picture to move in a little closer and take only Yanee's picture.

 "Thank you, big sis," he murmured as he replaced his current wallpaper with it.

He wouldn't dare change his screen lock, though. It's dangerous. If Yanee accidentally saw it, he wouldn't know how to explain it to her.

Yanee Lee was not stupid. He knew there would be a time when she would find out the truth behind this project. However, as long as she hadn't, he wanted to take this opportunity to teach her heart to trust again.

The humiliation she must have gone through back in Nagoya when her co-worker who was also the son of her boss played with her feelings was great. Too great actually, that until now, Tohru could feel her hesitance, her reluctance to have anything to deal with romance. Just by that alone proved how much trauma she carried with her.

He sighed.

Tomorrow, Yanee would spend time with him. They'd go to the market and walk around trying out different street food there. He honestly hadn't been there – he did not lie to her in that aspect. So, tomorrow would really be his first time to visit the ancient market.

With this, he wondered how he'd be able to keep her from accompanying him the whole day. They would go there in the morning and he'd like it if he could somehow make her tag along with him for the rest of the day.