2 - One Year Ago

In the spring, fog in the city was heavy, reducing visibility by at least fifty percent.

In the early morning, when the sky was barely lit, a girl in a pink coat rushed over to a cafe that was hidden in a side street. She was focused on getting to her destination, getting her breakfast, and moving on. In short, she saw only what was ahead of her and what concerned her.

Everything else was absolutely not necessary.

When she entered the 'Cafe le Monde', she directly ran to the counter. "Boss, can I get two cups of cafe mocha and one slice of cheesecake?"

At this time of morning, the only thing one should be eating was breakfast.

Zhao JingShen, sitting off to the side, heard her words clearly in the quiet, almost empty estalishment. From the time he glimpsed a bright pink blob rushing in front of the cafe's window, to the time she rushed in and he got a good look at her face - extra cute - she had grabbed his attention.

At his own table, the awkward atmosphere was heavy. A minute earlier, it made him not want to pay attention to his own business and he had looked elsewhere while he gathered his thoughts.

For that reason, he was particularly interested when he heard Pink Blob's order. Chocolate and cheesecake? For breakfast? He turned around to get a good look.

She was petite. What he saw was the bright pink coat, two long and thin legs, a hat in the shape of some type of furry animal, and long dark hair in a silky wave down her back. Then the boots - bright yellow that somehow blended with all the pink and the colour of her skin. He focused on those boots. Their owner was facing the cashier, her head bowed while she dug through her wallet, so all her could see of her was her side profile and the boots. They looked like combat boots for kids. In bright yellow.

"JingShen..." His companion's soft voice broke his focus. "JingShen, I..."

Reluctantly, he again faced the woman on the other side of the table. "Li Fei," he kept his voice low and soft, but cold. He didn't want to be too harsh. "We work together. We work very well together. But I don't have any feelings for you beyond respect and friendship."

"But we can try!" Li Fei reached for his hands across the table. "You've not had a relationship for years, so we can try. Don't you want companionship? What is better than our friendship?"

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Zhao JingShen removed his own fists to his lap under the table before the person across had a chance to touch him. If he married every woman he had a friendship with, he'd have about one thousand wives by this age.

Friend or not, partner or not, rejecting this woman was becoming tiresome. "Li Fei," he began for the umpteenth time since she was transferred to his division. "Don't make this so hard that we can't work together in the future." Uncomfortable, awkward.

"But Major, the whole division knows how much I like you. They think we would make a good couple. I think we would make a good couple."

The girl at the counter was collecting her goods. If he was too late, he would miss a golden opportunity. "But I don't think we would be a good couple." Zhao JingShen stood, his chair scraping intentionally on wooden flooring.

He then executed his plan.

He moved fast, exactly as fast as the Army trained him to move when encountering enemies and defending himself. As soon as the girl in pink turned around at the counter, he hugged her with an arm around her shoulders. He pulled her close to his side and stuck like glue.

For a moment, he was distracted by an armful of softness, was made dizzy by the scent of peaches and cream invading his nostrils.

Pleasant. It was all so pleasing to him.

He peered down at the stranger he now clutched like a lifesaving raft in the deep ocean. First, his vision was filled with the hat. A blob of pink fluff with big glass eyes and short, floppy ears. The furry animal atop her head turned out to be a rabbit. A cute rabbit, somewhat childish, and not particularly appealing to a hard man like himself.

Somehow, on her, it was sweet.

In his arms, she was stiff and frozen. He, who was usually unbothered by anything now held his breath, waiting. Would she push him away? He was a strange man who suddenly grabbed her and hugged her close.

However, the small and cute pink bundle seemed to have disappointingly slow reflexes.

She remained frozen. He remained frozen. He bent his head just a little to take in more of the appealing peach fragrance. It was faint, not too sweet, just right.

Slowly, very slowly, the edge of the rabbit hat lifted... revealing a charming forehead and brilliant eyes. Brown and wide, her eyes were clear and reflected himself, Zhao JingShen. They grew wider, glistening. Beneath her button nose, her lips, painted pink like a shining flower, parted.

Her cute face fell like a pebble bouncing across a lake in his heart and sinking. Adorable.

"That —" she mumbled, dumbstruck. Her eyes scanned his face for a while, dazed, and it took some time for her to react. Her fingers tightened on her box of goodies. Belatedly, half-heartedly, she tried to make distance between the two of them.

Zhao JingShen couldn't let her go. It was even hard for him to tear his eyes away.

But his action had a purpose an he forced himself to deal with the business at hand. To the woman watching them with something like disappointment, a person he had not even glanced at since he got up from his seat, he said, "I already have a girlfriend."

The little rabbit's eyes widened further, roses blossomed on her cheeks and her mouth fell open a little more. To be honest, she looked a little silly.

***

One year ago, he met her who — at first impression — was as bright as the sun and as sweet as a peach.