Office Diaries

"That's why Yanee, I don't want you to misunderstand anything about me. I'm seriously pursuing you. Will you go out with me? Will you be my girlfriend?"

WAIT. HUH? HUUUUUH? 

Yanee Lee's brain system crashed. Rebooting in process… Crashed again. 

WAIT. HUH? HUUUUUH? 

"Yanee? Yanee?"

Tohru James's soft voice called out for her many times before Yanee was able to gather her bearings. But it was difficult. Totally difficult. 

"W-W-What?" she managed to stammer after some time. 

"Why are you so shocked? I already told you I like you before. Isn't it normal to ask you to be mine?"Tohru suddenly said and Yanee's mind finally stabilized although she still felt nervous. 

That's true…

Yanee actually had expected this to happen but she was still rendered brain dead when it did. The potato's charm was really potent. 

"You're right. But you know, my brain still can't process it," Yanee confessed and Tohru finally settled back on the hot spring. 

"Well, I can understand. You can be good at your job but you're a bit like Marian too," he chuckled. 

"Why does that sound like you just insulted my intelligence?" Yanee mumbled.

"I'm not saying you're dumb. I'm saying you're being cute," Tohru quipped, startling Yanee. Seeing her guilty expression, he laughed. "I won't tell Marian. But even if she heard about it, she won't get mad. She knows she has brain malfunction when she's pregnant."

Yanee smiled, and Tohru cleared his throat. 

"So?" he prompted as he squinted at her. He looked as if he really wanted an answer tonight. 

"I'm going to be honest with you," Yanee said as she leaned back on the reclining chair. Her gaze was focused on the night sky above. "But before that, I want to ask you some questions."

"What if I want my question answered first?��Tohru countered with a mischievous look that Yanee turned to him with a scowl. 

"Then forget it," she snapped. You damn stubborn potato! 

"I'm just kidding. Don't be mad, okay?"Tohru pleaded with puppy eyes and Yanee was not strong enough to resist. 

Seeing as she was no longer mad, his face serious. "What do you want to ask me?"

Yanee studied his face and seeing as they'd finally be able to have a proper conversation felt relieved. But at the same time, she felt a different kind of tension rising in her heart. 

"Why me? We just met," she asked. 

This had been a wonder to her ever since she found out he liked her. She knew she's pretty. But Tohru James was someone who's always surrounded by women who were more beautiful and accomplished than her. Even before doing the interview with him months ago, she had heard that there were many beauties that were after him. In fact, when she was doing the interview with him one time, there was a model that interrupted their dinner and almost forcefully invited herself to have a meal with them. 

"I don't know either," he suddenly said surprising her. 

"You don't know?" That sounded ridiculous. 

Tohru smiled. "If I knew that answer then I wouldn't be so muddled when I think about you. I just saw you and I just like you."

WHAAAAAAAAT? 

"Y-You m-mean…"Yanee stammered. She couldn't believe it. 

"Yes," Tohru nodded. "I've liked you from the start. I just didn't know it at first so I was not able to talk much when we had the interview."

The last part was said softly, and Yanee remembered that horrible interview. She really thought she was talking to an electric pole. As it turned out, this Young Master Potato was just blinded by her beauty that rendered him speechless. 

"You're hopeless," she commented afterwards with a smile. She was finally relaxed. 

"Yup, yup. I'm hopeless. So you have to take responsibility," he told her unabashedly, but there was still something else she wanted to ask.

"Did you… talk to Cynthia about me?" She felt that Chummy was being too bold teasing her in front of their boss. It was as if her friend knew what was going on. If so, this meant that the potato asked her about her past as well and other things. 

"I did," he answered truthfully and without hiccups. 

His abrupt reply surprised but as well pleased her. He was not lying. 

"Oh? What did you talk about?" she asked lightly though she already had an idea. 

"Everything about you that I can ask," he answered again. "I'm so sorry. I know it's an invasion of privacy, but I want to—"

"It's fine," Yanee interrupted him, and he beamed. 

"You're not angry?" he asked in surprise. 

Of course not, Yanee thought as she shook her head. It's normal for people to thirst about information on people they like. It's human nature. Even she, herself, asked about that person back then when she first saw him. If Tohru didn't try to learn about her then that would be weird. 

"I'm glad. I hope you won't get mad at Chummy too. I really pestered her and you know how good I am at making people do things,"he grinned mischievously and Yanee raised her brow at him. 

"Ah so you admit you're good ad blackmailing people, huh?" she retorted making him laugh. 

"Hey, it's not blackmail. It's convincing, okay? There's a difference," he defended, and Yanee had to shake her head at his shamelessness although she had on a smile before it faded. 

"If…" Yanee started and he looked hopeful at her. 

"Yes?"

"If I say I agree to date you—"

"Oh, you agree to date me?"

"IF, I said IF, okay?"Yanee was perplexed. This potato had selective hearing— not to mention that he had the gall to pout at her right now. "Would you give me space?" she asked and his pout vanished.

"Space? What do you mean?"

"To adjust," she replied blandly. "Like you would stop KOing poor me with your handsome face," she wanted to add but didn't. "To get used to you and know you better."

She only ever had that one relationship that totally didn't work out. Back then, she had been very careful. It was her first relationship so she was cautious. She only agreed to date her ex after a year. But look at where it got her? That experience proved that no one could really know another person unless you get into a relationship with them. 

"Like a learning process? Sure. Of course," he agreed readily. "I never had a girlfriend before either. So you have to teach me how to be a good man for you."

Oh.

Yanee forgot about that tidbit. Well, he was a man who's very popular with the ladies. It was hard to believe he'd never been in a relationship before. But if he said he hadn't been, then she'd believe him. He didn't look like he's the type to lie about that thing anyway. Also, she's the one who had a relationship before and he didn't mind it, so why should she mind a past relationship? There was no reason for him to lie. 

Speaking of which…

"Did Chummy tell you about my… my experience in Nagoya?" she asked after a bit of hesitation and Tohru's smile vanished too as he nodded. 

"I'm so sorry. But I had to know why you seem to dislike romance so I asked. But please believe me when I say I won't cheat on you, okay? I'm someone who values relationsh.i.p.s although there's no precedence in the romantic sense. But you should have seen how I treat people based on how I treat my friends and family." 

Yanee nodded. She'd seen how he was with Yunjae and the others— with Marian's family too. 

"I know you've been hurt greatly by that asshole. If I could I'd pummel his face for you," he said. 

"No need to be violent. I already took good care of him— Ami too," Yanee said with a giggle.

"Oh? Your sister? What did she do? I heard from Chummy your sister's quite a character," he commented and Yanee laughed. 

"Well, let's say that jerk nearly lost his capability to have descendants," she said and Tohru shivered. 

"Please don't badmouth me to your sister. I plan to have a lot of children with you," he announced. 

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?

Yanee heard car breaks screeching in her head as she looked at him with huge eyes. 

"Why do you keep looking at me as if you're shocked? Isn't it normal? What did you think I asked you to be mine for?" he said looking a bit hurt. "Or do you just want my body?"

As he said this, the crazy potato covered his c.h.e.s.t with his hands like a maiden whose chastity was about to be taken by force. He looked totally silly that Yanee had to give up and laugh. 

"Well, at least you're laughing now," Tohru commented. "You've been looking like someone who was sentenced to be slaughtered since I confessed to you. That hurts you know."

"Sorry," Yanee apologized with a smile. 

"Do you think a simple sorry would work?"Tohru demanded with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You should be punished."

"What are you doing?" Yanee asked just as Tohru suddenly stood up from the water and Yanee stared at him in shock. "EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"

But she stopped upon realizing he was wearing shorts as he stepped in front of her. 

"Y-You!" she sputtered as he laughed. 

"What? Did you really think I soaked in there n.a.k.e.d?" he teased. "Oh my, what to do? My girlfriend has a pervy mind…"