There was a certain ecosystem in every office—a chain of dominance and familiarity, cliques and predators. Jacob thrived at the top of his particular food chain.
Tall, handsome, and oozing confidence, he wasn't just another company golden boy. He was the investor's son, a prince among salarymen, and he carried himself like one. Designer suits, self-satisfied grins, casual flirtations with half the staff, and an air that said everything here belongs to me.
Up until now, no one had ever told him otherwise. That changed when she arrived.
Liliane Tsukihi.
Quiet, reserved, beautiful in a way that didn't beg for attention but stole it anyway. She walked through the building like she didn't belong to it—like she was only visiting a world that hadn't realized it revolved around her. Worse, she seemed utterly oblivious to Jacob's orbit. He didn't like that. Not one bit.
Lunch in the company cafeteria was usually a casual battlefield of passive-aggressive seating arrangements and social maneuvering. Jacob had already noticed Liliane's routine: a quiet meal, always at the same table, away from the crowds. Today, he struck.
He slid into the seat across from her with the confidence honed from years of seduction and successful conquests. His tray landed with a practiced thud as he leaned forward, flashing the smile that melted most women in under five seconds.
"Hey," he said, smooth as silk. "Figured we should have lunch together at least once. You know, now that we're officially connected."
Liliane blinked. "We are?"
Jacob chuckled as if they were sharing an inside joke. "Well, yeah. We exchanged numbers, didn't we? That's the first step."
She tilted her head slightly, sipping her drink. "First step to what?"
There was a pause—just a second, but enough.
He didn't falter. "To getting to know each other."
Liliane nodded politely. "What would you like to know?"
Jacob leaned in, lowering his voice like he was inviting her into something private. "Oh, I think the real question is, what do you want to know about me?"
Liliane frowned, genuinely confused. "…Why would I want to know about you?"
Jacob's smile flickered.
Across the cafeteria, a trio of observers were watching: Felix, Ian, and Hollow.
Ian stirred his drink with one finger, expression tightening. "That's not a good look."
Felix exhaled. "That's Jacob."
Hollow, as always, said nothing, quietly focusing on his meal.
"You weren't gonna say anything?" Ian asked.
"Mei told me to warn Hunter," Felix said. "I did."
"And did he care?"
Felix shrugged. "Ask him." He turned toward their silent companion. "Hey, Hunter. Mei's worried about Jacob bothering Liliane. Thoughts?"
Hollow didn't look up. "Liliane can take care of herself."
Ian scoffed. "Yeah? What if she doesn't even realize she's in trouble?"
That made Hollow glance briefly.
Ian caught it. "See, guys like him—they don't need you to say yes. They just need you not to say no."
Felix frowned. "…That bad?"
Ian leaned forward, his tone darkening. "He's the kind of guy who goes after girls who are new, isolated, unsure. He knows how to fake vulnerability. He can play patient, friendly, even helpful—long enough to get under your skin without setting off alarm bells."
Felix's expression darkened. "He's done this before?"
Ian nodded. "A few times that stuck. More that didn't stay long enough to talk about it."
Hollow's hand paused mid-bite.
Ian leaned back. "Liliane's just… kind. Unassuming. That makes her a challenge. And Jacob? He's a dog that won't let go of a bone once he bites."
Felix grimaced. "So what, we do nothing?"
Ian smirked. "I don't have to do anything." He tilted his head toward Hollow. "You're the one he sees as competition."
That earned Hollow's glance toward Liliane's table. He didn't react, just watched. Observed.
Jacob, meanwhile, was spiraling.
He told himself it wasn't a big deal—that sometimes a girl just needed time to warm up, that Liliane was just different. But as the days passed and every "casual" advance bounced off her like a tennis ball against a stone wall, his pride began to blister.
He passed by her desk countless times now, each with a new pretext: a report, a joke, a compliment on her "focus," or her "quiet intensity," or—once, stupidly—her "spiritual aura."
Every time, the same result. She'd blink, nod politely, maybe say "thank you" or "I see," and then… nothing. No follow-up. No invitation. No sign of interest.
It wasn't resistance. It was worse. Indifference.
She didn't ignore him. She just didn't care. And that? That was new.
Later that afternoon, Jacob slumped into his usual breakroom corner, surrounded by the office regulars that orbited him. Three guys from marketing, a pair of assistants, and two girls he'd previously hooked up with during "business trips" that were anything but professional.
"Damn," one of the guys laughed. "You really tanked out there."
Jacob scoffed, yanking his drink from the vending machine a bit too hard. "I didn't tank. She's just shy."
One of the girls with long black nails and a smirk gave him a sideways glance. "Shy? Please. That girl might be from the countryside, but she's got ice in her veins."
The other snickered. "She looked like she didn't even know you existed. Never seen anyone miss that many signals and still think it's going well."
Jacob's smirk twitched. "Are you both jealous or just bored?"
The laughter that followed didn't quite drown the sting.
Another coworker raised his drink. "Maybe you're just… you know, actually falling for her."
The table erupted in mock cheers and whistles.
Jacob rolled his eyes. "Don't be stupid."
A third guy leaned in. "I mean… she's cute in a weird way. Kind of plain. Maybe you're into that now?"
Jacob snorted. "I've had better."
"Yeah, me," purred the girl beside him, pressing her shoulder against his.
Jacob chuckled, letting her cling to his arm as she whispered in his ear. "You don't have to keep chasing a girl who doesn't get it. You can always come back to me."
Before he could answer, another girl across the table huffed. "Tch. Like hell. You had your turn. I'm next."
"What do you mean next? He's not a toy."
"Oh please, you were bragging about your date last week."
"Yeah, because it was amazing."
Jacob closed his eyes, letting their chatter stroke his ego like warm water, but even that wasn't enough. The attention felt good, but the frustration still burned beneath the surface. Liliane hadn't just ignored his charm—she'd made it look effortless.
Across the breakroom, Mei and Felix sat with coffee, watching the circus unfold from a distance.
Mei was glowing, giddy, her grin practically splitting her face. "Oh my god, this is better than anything on streaming," she whispered.
Felix shook his head. "You're enjoying this way too much."
"Lily is a walking, talking divine punishment," Mei said reverently. "She doesn't even realize she's doing it, and it's glorious."
Felix raised an eyebrow. "You do realize he's not going to take this well, right?"
"I know," Mei said with a dramatic shrug. "But watching a narcissist spiral because he got zero reaction? My favorite kind of comedy."
She glanced toward Jacob, who was now grinning hollowly as three girls fought for his attention, one practically on his lap. Mei sipped her drink like a villain watching her trap unfold. "Look at him," she said. "Drowning in his own harem, surrounded by people validating his trash ego—and still mad that Lily didn't flinch."
Felix frowned. "So what happens next?"
"Oh, he's gonna escalate," Mei said. "Entitled guys like him don't like losing. He'll push harder, maybe even try to 'accidentally' corner her alone."
Felix sighed. "And you're just… gonna let that happen?"
Mei smirked. "Nope. I'll step in if it gets bad. But I wanna see how many times she slaps him with casual indifference first."
Felix groaned. "You're a menace."
"Correction," Mei said, raising a finger. "I am an audience."
Jacob leaned back as one of the girls rubbed his shoulders. "Come on," she purred. "Let the farm girl go. You've got all the flavor you need right here."
Another leaned forward. "Or here."
Someone laughed. "Don't let 'em fight too hard, man. HR's already suspicious."
Jacob chuckled half-heartedly, brushing a hand down his face. "Plain little Lily," he muttered.
The group went quiet for a second. He grinned, but it didn't reach his eyes. "She thinks she's too good for me?"
Someone snorted. "Or maybe she just doesn't know who you are."
"Oh, she will." Jacob set his drink down with a soft clink, eyes narrowing. "She will."
Another day. Another attempt.
Liliane was seated with Mei, Hollow, and Felix during lunch break when Jacob arrived. He saw the setup as a challenge.
"Mind if I join?" he asked with a grin, sliding his plate onto the table.
Liliane didn't look up. "You already did."
Felix coughed to hide his laugh. Mei nearly choked, covering her mouth.
Jacob forced a chuckle. "Fair enough. Just figured it'd be nice to have lunch together."
Liliane took a sip of her drink. "Again, right?"
Another pause. Another crack in Jacob's perfect mask.
"You're sharp," he tried.
"In what way?"
"In a good way."
"Then that's good."
Dead silence. No opening. No hook. Just a wall he couldn't scale.
Jacob's eyes flicked between them—Mei, Felix, then Hollow. The quiet one. The "boyfriend," or so the rumor said.
Jacob turned his grin toward him. "Hunter, right?"
Hollow didn't look up. "Mm."
"Didn't know you and Liliane were close."
Hollow cut his food with surgical precision. "We work here."
"That's all?"
"That's it."
Felix pressed his knuckles to his mouth. Mei's shoulders trembled with suppressed laughter.
Jacob's grin cracked, then he turned back to Liliane. "Oh, by the way, you never texted me."
Liliane blinked. "Was I supposed to?"
"Well," Jacob said tightly, "most people do."
"I see."
He leaned in. "Let's change that. Dinner tonight. Just the two of us."
There was a stillness at the table. Hollow's hand paused over his tray—barely perceptible, but there.
Liliane frowned. "How would that change anything?"
Mei snorted audibly. Felix's shoulders shook.
Jacob's smile cracked. "We'd get to know each other."
"Is that so?..."
He exhaled. "So?"
Liliane blinked. "So what?"
Jacob's jaw twitched. "So, how about I take you out?"
Liliane shot back, "No, thank you."
The table went still.
"…What?" Jacob asked.
"I said no, thank you."
Mei folded over the table, wheezing. Felix turned away, shoulders shaking.
Hollow, for once, looked directly at Jacob.
Jacob's mouth twitched. He tried to recover, standing up with a forced laugh. "You're an enigma."
"A what?" Liliane asked, genuinely puzzled.
"Never mind. I'll just have to try harder," he muttered, walking off stiffly.
Liliane tilted her head. "Good luck?"
The moment he was gone, Mei slammed her hand on the table. "OH MY GOD, LILY. I CAN'T BREATHE."
Felix exhaled. "That was… something."
"I need to record this. I need it," Mei gasped.
Liliane blinked. "What's so funny?"
"You," Mei wheezed. "You are divine wrath in human form, and you don't even know it."
"I don't understand what just happened."
"You won without playing the game."
"…There was a game?"
Felix looked to Hollow. "Thoughts?"
Hollow resumed eating. "Liliane can take care of herself."
Felix smirked. "Yeah. I think that's been proven."
Mei grinned. "You were watching, weren't you?"
"I was eating," Hollow replied flatly.
Liliane still looked puzzled. "Was something wrong?"
Mei shook her head. "No, Lily. Everything was so right."
The group settled back into lunch, still riding the high of Liliane's accidental demolition.
Jacob's footsteps had long faded down the hall, but the ghost of his smirk lingered. Everyone laughed—relieved, amused, entertained.
Except Hollow. His eyes were fixed on nothing in particular. His tray was empty, but his thoughts weren't.
Jacob had left without a fight. Which meant he wasn't finished.
Liliane, for all her grace, had just earned herself a new admirer. And the worst kind—the kind who never took "no" for an answer.