Mira said, "Zera, he is…"
Just those three words—and suddenly, a storm of thoughts rushed through my mind at the speed of light. Every possible outcome flashed before my eyes.
And then came the next word.
"…so handsome!!! You've been living for a whole week with a man like that? Oh my god, you should've told me earlier! If I knew I was going to meet him, I would've worn my best outfit!"
This girl…
All those dramatic thoughts I just had? Completely useless. How could I forget that Mira is the biggest simp alive? First, she scared me half to death—and now, she's embarrassing me. Honestly, I should've just described Rayan to her beforehand.
I turned to look at Rayan, expecting him to be flustered or awkward like always… but instead, his expression was different—somewhere between shock and relief. Almost like a secret had just narrowly avoided being exposed.
I tried to calm the situation and offered Mira a seat—only for her to grab me and drag us both straight to Rayan.
She sat down right in front of him, eyes gleaming.
I shot her a look that practically screamed, "Stop embarrassing me!!"
Trying to maintain some sense of order, I said, "Okay Mira, this is Rayan—the guy I told you about. And Rayan, she's Mira, my best friend."
Rayan looked uneasy. "Zera, I'm hiding here… why did you bring someone else?"
I waved it off. "It's fine. Mira is like family. Besides, she would've figured it out in a day or two anyway—better to tell her directly and avoid surprises. And trust me, when it comes to keeping secrets, Mira's more reliable than I am. She's already covering for me on a couple of things."
Mira immediately put a hand over her chest and declared in the most dramatic, rom-com-worthy voice, "Yes! You can trust me. I shall guard your secrets till my dying breath!"
I gave her a subtle pinch under the table—my last desperate attempt to get her to tone it down.
Rayan let out a quiet, awkward smile… clearly unsure how to respond to all this energy.
Rayan asked, "Oh Mira, how did you come to know Zera?"
Mira smiled fondly. "Well, as far as I remember, I was a kid playing around this area when I heard someone crying. I followed the sound and found her—so thin and fragile, just sitting there and sobbing. I don't know why, but I felt responsible and brought her home. I still remember how badly my mom scolded me for bringing a stranger in. But it didn't take long for her to become family. My little sister. A few years later—three or four, maybe—she started living on her own here. But honestly, even though we live in different places now, she's still family to us."
I added, "Yeah… I was barely surviving back then. I honestly don't know what I would've done if you hadn't found me. I was really lucky."
I caught a glimpse of Rayan quietly admiring this bond between us.
Then he asked, "Oh, so Mira… are you in the same profession as Zera? You seem like a nice girl—unlike her. I can't imagine you stealing from anyone."
A nice girl. That was all it took for Mira's eyes to light up like fairy lights.
Sensing the disaster that could follow, I jumped in before she could say anything embarrassing. "Well, Mira's raised by a single mother. They sell homemade goods at the market. But yeah, I've taught her a thing or two—she's got clean hands, but I bet she could make an excellent thief."
Rayan laughed. "Oh please, you're the last person who should be giving career advice."
Mira burst out laughing too, and I couldn't help but smile at the chaos I'd landed him in.
Then our conversation continued for a little while, with Mira bombarding Rayan with all sorts of questions—most of which he couldn't even answer. Why? Because he was hiding here, not hanging out casually.
Finally, it was time for Mira to head back, as the market was about to open.
Before leaving, she struck up one last conversation.
"Rayan, you must come to my house for her birthday party."
Rayan looked confused. "Her birthday party?"
I added, "Yeah, I don't remember my actual birthday, so we always celebrate the day I met Mira as my birthday. All of us—me, Mira, and her mom."
After that, she left. I followed her outside the gate, and she turned to me, eyes sparkling.
"Oh my god, he's such a nice and handsome man! You two live together—there has to be a way to make him fall in love with you. I want to make him my brother-in-law!"
"What?" I said, startled. "I thought you liked him! Why are you saying this?"
Mira grinned. "Yeah, I like him—for you. I don't know why, but I feel like he's the best one for you."
"Wow! You are full of shocks and surprises. But too bad—I don't think he likes me that way."
Mira shook her head confidently. "Why not? I saw the way he looked at you. I'm sure of it. Just wait—you'll notice it too."
And with that, she hurried off, already late, not wanting to get an earful from her mom.
I came inside.
Rayan said, "Is she a secret royal guard? It felt like she was investigating me."
I laughed. "Oh no, please don't mind her. She's a nice girl—just talks a bit too much, but it's harmless."
A thought crossed my mind, and I asked, "Will you come to my birthday…?"
Then I suddenly remembered something and quickly added, "Oh no, sorry—my bad. You're hiding here, and if Mira's mom sees you, she'll bombard you with questions. It'll be hard to avoid."
I don't know why, but after saying that, I felt a little sad—like I was secretly hoping he'd say something else.
Just as I turned to leave, he said, "Well, it's your birthday. If I hadn't been invited, I would've just barged in."
A big smile appeared on my face. I didn't expect him to care that much.And with that smile, I left.