The late afternoon sun filtered weakly through the office blinds, casting striped shadows across the nearly empty break room. The faint hum of the vending machine filled the silence—until the door swung open, and Yusie stepped inside with a sharp click of her heels. She spotted Karlitta already at the counter, calmly stirring her coffee.

"...You're here again," Yusie said, narrowing her bright blue eyes. Her voice carried the kind of false sweetness that could cut glass.

Karlitta didn't look up immediately. She adjusted her glasses, took a slow sip, and only then met Yusie's gaze with her steady amber stare. "It's my workplace too. Or are you going to start scheduling my coffee breaks now?"

Yusie crossed her arms, tilting her head with an exaggerated scoff. "Don't act like I don't know why you're here. You've been lingering around my desk all week, Karlitta. All week."

Karlitta's mouth curved into a faint, knowing smirk. "And you've been watching me that closely? Interesting. Maybe you're jealous because I actually listen when I talk—without me having to whine about every little thing."

The blonde stepped forward, her perfume subtly mixing with the aroma of Karlitta's black coffee. "Whining?" she repeated, her tone rising. "I don't 'whine,' I assert. There's a difference. At least I'm direct about what I want, unlike some people who hide behind polite smiles and legal jargon."

Karlitta's grip tightened slightly on her cup, but her voice stayed smooth. "Direct? More like desperate. You hover over him like a seagull waiting for scraps. It's pathetic."

The conference room was unusually warm that afternoon, the air faint with the smell of coffee and fresh-printed documents. The long glass table gleamed under the lights as the team prepared for the final project briefing. At the far end sat him — the man both Yusie and Karlitta had been quietly circling for weeks.

Yusie slid into the seat directly to his right, flashing him her brightest smile as she set her portfolio down. "You don't mind if I sit here, do you?" she asked, her voice lilting like a practiced melody.

Before he could answer, Karlitta approached from behind, her heels clicking with measured precision. "Actually," she said smoothly, "I thought you'd prefer the seat with the better view of the presentation." She placed her hand lightly on his shoulder — a subtle claim — and took the chair on his left.