Elysia arrived at her desk, exhausted from the endless stream of meetings. She dropped her bag unceremoniously onto her chair and was about to pull out her laptop when she noticed a neatly wrapped package sitting on her desk. Her name was scrawled in Orion's familiar handwriting on a small card.
Opening it cautiously, she uncovered a rare manga she had been hunting for months—a first edition, pristine, and sealed. Her lips curled into a smile despite herself, but true to her pakipot nature, she refused to admit how much this thoughtful gesture moved her.
Later that evening, as they sat across from each other at her favorite café, Elysia placed the manga on the table and raised an eyebrow. "You're trying too hard," she teased, masking the warmth blooming in her chest.
Orion didn't miss a beat. "It's not hard when it's for you," he replied simply, his eyes meeting hers with quiet sincerity.
Her teasing resolve faltered, replaced by a momentary silence. "You make it difficult for me to play pakipot, you know," she muttered, fiddling with her coffee cup to avoid his gaze.
He leaned back in his chair, smirking. "You're not as good at it as you think. You smiled when you saw the manga, didn't you?"
Elysia narrowed her eyes at him, a small laugh escaping her lips. "You weren't supposed to notice that."
"Impossible not to notice," Orion said, his voice softening. "You light up every time I surprise you, no matter how hard you try to hide it. I know you, my dear Ely."
For once, Elysia couldn't come up with a witty retort. Instead, she sipped her coffee, letting his words settle in her heart.