My boyfriend’s best friend recently got a female partner.

When I’d first got the news, I dropped my stylus pen in the middle of a meeting and cleaned my ears to check if I misheard it. Desir, the man I’d known since my first year in university, was never one to date a girl. Heck, no matter how many girls I’d introduced to him, Desir would almost always turn them down without going on a date with them.

And you’re telling me that guy… the man who had never touched a woman’s hand… was dating a girl?!

I had to see it to believe it.

And so, Len brought me over to his apartment to meet that mysterious girl. The woman who was able to melt Desir’s iron heart. What made Desir, a notorious denier of relationships and a man who claimed that he’ll be eternally single, into a lovestruck idiot?

And after I’d met her for the first time… I understood why.

Althea, that’s the girl’s name. I’d never seen a girl as gorgeous as her in my life. Yes, plenty of models beat her in sex appeal, and the majority of them were beauties themselves. But Althea was on a whole other level.

I’m not one to brag, but I’m well aware that I possess an attractive face. That’s how I managed to get Len to fall heads over heels for me. However, even my alluring appearance can’t compare to how perfect she looked. If it was this girl, even the most celibate of men would keel over and ask for her hand.

Just when I’d thought that Desir had gotten his better half, the pair vehemently denied that they were dating. And after hearing their circumstances… I couldn’t argue otherwise.

But I still held a tinge of doubt… and so did Len.

So, I’d exchanged contacts with Althea just to spy a little into their so-called ‘platonic’ relationship. In the beginning, I was communicating with Althea at Len’s request. He was interested in the girl that Desir had opened his heart to. What kind of character she was, whether she was a trustworthy person… so on and so forth.

It was kind of annoying that Len shared such a brotherly relationship with Desir, but I’d gotten used to it over the years. For some reason, Len always wanted to matchmake Desir with a suitable girl. Even after hundreds of rejections, Len would still come up with an excuse to bring Desir together with someone.

There seemed to be a personal reason there, but it was their issue to solve, not mine. So I just had to focus on my own task.

And as I got to know this young girl… The more I began to like her.

Althea and I were quite alike. We had the same tastes in clothes, we watched the same television shows, she went to a girl’s private school just like I did… We began to really bond as friends.

However, I didn’t forget my original mission.

Every now and then, I’ll drop a Desir question into our conversations, just to see how she would react. At first, she was reserved and gave simple answers to my questions. However, as we became closer, Althea’s replies became more like essays rather than text messages.

She would mention what Desir would have cooked for her that day, how he looked while working, and even what clothes he was wearing. Soon, I wasn’t the one asking the questions. Instead, Althea would drop messages asking me to detail how Desir was like back in university.

Needless to say, the girl was acting very suspiciously. And so, to confirm my theory, I had to meet them in person again. Len and I planned a trip to Harrison Park under the guise that we wanted to go flower viewing. But the truth was, we wanted to see how Althea and Desir behaved around each other.

Did they have feelings for one another?

The answer will come out at the picnic. And well…

“Desir, there’s something on your face.”

“Hmmm? What is it?”

“Wait… Never mind, I got it.”

“Oh, thanks.”

“You’re welcome!”

Althea casually reached onto Desir’s face and picked out a grain of rice that was stuck to the edge of his mouth. That simple act made my mouth drop. It wasn’t that the act itself was bad, but the indifferent manner that they acted in was highly suspicious! They must have done this multiple times before!

That wasn’t the only thing!

Althea and Desir were seated next together, and their shoulders were literally a centimetre apart. No, they might be even touching throughout our little picnic. That kind of distance wasn’t acceptable for platonic friends! Particularly those of the opposite gender!

As our flower viewing session went on, I noticed many subtle signs from Althea.

Althea’s eyes rarely left Desir. Even when we were talking, she would often tilt her head to the side just to look at Desir’s frame. Every few seconds, Althea’s hands would touch Desir somewhere. It didn’t matter if it was his hand, lap or even face. Althea would initiate some intimate contact for no reason whatsoever. And finally...

“What are you doing, Althea?”

“Hehe, that flower looks good on you.”

“You do know that I’m a man, right?”

“Is there a rule that men can’t wear flowers on their heads?”

“No…”

Desir sighed as he rolled his eyes at Althea’s prank. After a flower dropped on Althea’s lap, the girl actually attached it behind Desir’s ear, attempting to make him look like a flower princess! Desir’s reaction aside, I observed Althea throughout the prank, and I could recognise that intoxicated look on her face anywhere…

“Althea! I'm going to the washroom! Care to join me?”

“Oh, yeah, sure!” Althea looked up at me and got up from her place. However, before she left, Althea turned her attention to Desir as if saying one final goodbye.

It’s not like you’re parting with him forever! Must you put on that melodramatic expression?!

Sighing, I dragged the clueless girl towards the bathroom. Unfortunately, due to the crowd, there was a wait for the women’s room. Usually, I would be frustrated by the queue, but it was just what I needed today.

“Althea, I see that your relationship with Desir is progressing smoothly.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“... If you don’t mind me being a nosy girl, are you dating Desir?”

“W-What? W-Where did you get that impression from? We’re only friends!”

“Really?”

“Really!”

Seems like their relationship hasn’t really progressed since we’d last left them. Well, that didn’t come as a surprise to me. Desir has said multiple times that he’d sworn off all relationships, and Althea seemed to be a naive, innocent girl.

Looks like I should give them a little push!

“Forgive me for prying… Althea, do you like Desir?”

“H-Huh?! O-Of course not!”

“Oh, come on, you’re not fooling me.” I laughed as I thought back at all of the ‘receipts’ I’d gotten throughout our picnic. “You frequently look at him in a loving manner, you flirt in broad daylight, and your movements are always in sync with each other. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought that you were a married couple!”

“M-Married?!”

Althea blushed like a tomato slowly ripening to get harvested. Look at that animated response… Even a blind man could tell that something was amiss.

“Yeah!” I smiled in response. “There’s no harm in liking Desir, you know. His face may be intimidating, but his body is the real deal. Most girls can only dream of finding a guy with eight packs and such big biceps.”

“... His face isn’t scary.”

“Oh? You’re even defending him! And you’re telling me that you don’t like him?”

Althea turned quiet for a moment. She looked down at her feet before finally confessing: “Yes… I think I do like him.”

“Hehe, now that’s better!”

Goodness! I didn’t expect her to admit it that easily! Who would have thought that Desir had the charm to attract such a beauty?! Hahaha, just wait till I tell Len about my findings!

“So, what are you going to do? Are you going to date him?”

“Date him?!” Althea’s eyes widened at my statement. This lass... What’s there to be surprised about? If you like someone, shouldn’t you try dating them?

“No… I don’t think that we will get together anytime soon...”

“Huh? Why not?”

“It’s complicated...”

“Honey, I’m an expert when it comes to relationships. Try me!”

For some reason, Althea’s face turned a little gloomy. How complicated could their relationship woes be? If they want to date, they should just do it!

“That… I’ve only recently found out that I liked him, and honestly… I don’t know what to do with these feelings.”

“... Is this your first love?”

“No, I’ve liked people in the past. But this time… It feels different.” Althea looked back in the direction we’d come from as her gaze seemed to hold some profound meaning.

What do you mean different? Were there different types of likes? Before I could ask that question, though, Althea continued:

“It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this comfortable with anyone, let alone a man. I really like our current relationship. We eat together, watch shows together and just enjoy each other’s company. It’s a really comfortable relationship. One that’s warm and cozy… I really like it.”

“...”

“Besides, I don’t think Desir sees me as a potential romantic partner. So even if we don’t date, I would be content if we could just continue this relationship.” Althea responded with a forlorn expression.

Why is she holding herself back? Did something happen in her past that I’m not aware of?

“Come on, it’s our turn. We shouldn’t keep the boys waiting.”

Althea’s face blossomed into a smile as if her previous despondence didn’t exist. She picked herself up and entered the restroom all on her own.

In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to ask what was behind that dazzling smile.

❖❖❖

My best friend had recently gained a female partner.

Desir! That brat that had always renounced relationships! To think that he’d gone behind my back and gotten such a beautiful girlfriend! I have been dreaming of this day ever since our days at university!

However, when we’d first met them, Desir and the girl firmly rejected that they were in a relationship. Though, even a blind person could tell that there was more than meets the eye. So, Sienna and I formulated a plot. Once we’d confirmed that they were behaving suspiciously, we would separate them accordingly and confront them about their relationship.

Sienna did a brilliant assist by bringing Althea away to the washroom. And now, it’s my turn...

“Now that the girls are away… It’s time for some boy’s talk!!!”

I nudged Desir on his rib and put on my best fraternity boy impression. As per usual, Desir furrowed his brows and threw me a deep frown. Ah, what a familiar expression.

“So, how far have you made it with Althea?” I asked teasingly.

“Made what? We’re just friends.”

“There you go again! You guys were all lovey-dovey just a few minutes ago! And you still dare to deny it?”

Sienna and I were a couple who were deeply in love. So, we were acutely aware of how people in relationships behaved. And to our utter surprise, Desir and Althea had skipped the awkward dating phase and jumped straight into the lovey-dovey married couple phase. That blatant flirting… Even Sienna doesn’t do that in public.

And you’re telling me that they’re just friends?

“Hah… How many times must I say this? Althea and I are just neighbours who happened to become friends due to the pandemic.”

“Are you telling me that neighbours often make loving eye contact, flirt with each other in public and even move in sync as if they were a married couple?”

“... You don’t understand,” Desir groaned as he reclined his back. “Our circumstances are quite special. I can’t get into the details because of Althea’s privacy, but she’s recovering from a special type of trauma. Also, she’s a young girl who’s all alone in the middle of the pandemic. Of course, she would tend to rely on me.”

As I anticipated, there was some kind of backstory. I’d known Desir for over sixteen years, and this was the first time he’d gotten close to any girl. While he did have a few female friends in university and at work, none of them ever became this bonded with him.

For that, Althea must have taken a special place in his heart.

“If your circumstances are special, why not make it even more special?”

“Huh?”

“You should date her! Althea is a good girl, and I believe that she’s quite suitable for you!”

“... Are you high?”

“I can tell that you care for her, and it’s obvious to everyone that she cares for you! You haven't seen it yet, but you're almost dating already!”

“That’s just your opinion,” Desir smiled bitterly. “The only reason why we’re close is because there’s no one else that Althea can rely on. Once everything goes back to normal, she would return to school, spend more time with her friends and family, and eventually… I would become a footnote in her life.”

“That’s not true! Have you seen the way she looks at you? She definitely doesn’t think of you as a mere friend!”

“I know that; I’m not blind.”

W-What? I’d thought that Desir would have denied it more vehemently. Wait, so he did understand that Althea had special feelings towards him? I’d thought that he was a dense idiot that couldn’t see what’s what.

“Althea does have feelings for me, but it’s not the kind that you’re thinking about.” Desir smiled as he raised his head up to the sky. A flower petal fell down, and he gently caught it with his open palms.

“I came into Althea’s life when she was at her lowest point. With no one to turn to, Althea became attached to me. The feelings that she has for me isn’t love, Len. It’s dependence.”

“What do you mean?”

“To Althea, I’m like a person that she could turn to for anything. Be it food, WiFi, personal issues… whatever the issue is, I would be there to advise her. If I were to give it a label… It would be like how a daughter feels about her father.”

“...”

“And just like how daughters grow distant from their fathers… In time Althea will grow out of her feelings. She would mingle with people her age and start new relationships. She will soon realise that there are plenty of better guys out there, and we’ll revert back to just acquaintances again.”

“... Are you fine with that? What about your feelings for her?”

“My feelings? I don’t think of Althea as a romantic partner, Len...”

“Then what is she to you?”

Desir’s haggard eyes fell into thought, and his smile slowly turned into a frown. “What is she to me, huh… It’s hard to define. She’s definitely not just a neighbour… and neither is she a loved one… Hmmm, if I were to give an answer, I would think that Althea’s a small stray animal to me.”

“A stray animal? That’s unique.”

“Yeah, a stray animal that had gotten injured from the snow. A stray animal that needs my protection, or else it wouldn’t be able to survive the night. However, just like any other stray animal, she has to be released back into the wild. When Althea is done healing, she will leave my side for sure.”

“... And you’re okay with that?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Desir smiled in response. “From the very beginning, Althea wasn’t meant to be by my side. She’s a young girl with plenty of potential. Our relationship is just the product of the pandemic. Besides, I’ve already sworn off all relationships.”

Desir… Why do you always revert back to that thinking?

It’s so evident that Althea likes you, and you like her...

As I’d expected, the past is still weighing you down. If you’re unable to let it go… How can you move forward, Desir?

“Boys, we’re back!”

Just as our conversation hit a dead end, I saw my girlfriend walking back with Althea trailing not far behind. There was a refreshing smile on Althea’s face, while Sienna seemed to have a complicated expression.

… Did something happen at your side as well?

“Desir, we’d bought some ice cream! You wanted the green tea flavour, right?”

“The toilet sells ice cream?”

“Of course not, you silly! There was a mart nearby, so we bought some desserts. Come, it’s your favourite brand as well!”

“Thank you.”

Sienna and I watched the pair interact as if nothing ever happened. Althea helped Desir uncover the small tub of ice cream and was seconds away from feeding him with the spoon. In the end, she didn’t dare to go that far, but her face of regret was blatant for all to see.

“It’s amazing that they’re not dating yet,” Sienna muttered softly.

“...”

I wasn’t able to breathe a word, but I wholeheartedly concurred.