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"Ｈｏｗ was it?" Daisy took a bite of her portion of Chicken Alfredo.

Bryson finished cooking after an hour and now they were sitting on the dining table while he was staring at her with a hopeful face. She chewed and tasted it thoroughly like one of those judges in a Master Chef show.

Daisy raised her right hand to signed a thumbs up and the guy let a huge sigh of relief. She couldn't believe that Bryson was a good cook. He doesn't look like it, but his cooking certainly fitted her tastebud. It was better than those foods their professional and certified chef cooked way back in her home.

"Did you like it?" Bryson prodded, wanting to know more of her opinion.

Is it really important if she likes it or not? The important was, Bryson took his time preparing and fixing up their lunch and even though the outcome was disgusting, she will still eat it as she had never eaten before.

Daisy just nodded her head and continued eating her meal happily. Bryson did the same with a small smile on his face like he just gained the biggest achievement in his life. It was comforting actually, eating silently and just enjoying each other's company.

"I supposed I should be cooking for you frequently. There's more to it in my talent ya know. Just tell me what do you like to eat the next time and I'll cook it for you," Daisy bit down her lip like she usually did when she felt embarrassed, flustered, and nervous whenever she was around the guy in front of her.

It was kind of hard to believe that the once shy girl who always inside the confinement of her room, had been afraid to step out of her comfort zone was now sitting at her dining chair with the guy she least expected to meet of all the people in this world.

"What are you doing after this?"

Daisy stopped herself from relishing the foods on her plate and picked up her phone beside her to typed the answer. It was kind of rude and disrespectful using a device while eating honestly, a courtesy her mother's ingrained in her mind ever since she was a kid.

But right now, she grew accustomed to living like a common millennial that she realized, her actions don't define who she is and that includes whether if she was being polite or not.

"I'll just probably read some books or binge watch some series on Netflix. What about you?"

Bryson cleared his throat and sipped on his mango juice before signing something he learned just a while ago. She smiled just by looking at the guy who was trying to remember the sign language as he conducted it.

Daisy watched carefully, trying to understand the message of his sloppy movements.

"Did you get it? Did I do it correctly?" She nodded her head and typed, "Yes. Why do you like to hang out here? Don't you have anywhere to go?" Even though Bryson already mentioned that he wants to spend his day at her place, she just thought he was just fooling around and didn't believe in him.

"Nope. Where would I go anyway? It's fun here. I'll just watch with you."

"Okay," Daisy mentally prepared herself for spending more time with Bryson like she always wished for.

Am I going to survive that much longer? What if I hyperventilate or worst I make fun of myself?

If just eating together was already overwhelming, what more her heart could take if they end up sitting beside each other while watching some movies.

That was what a boyfriend and girlfriend do right? But their relationship was plainly platonic and it must be a casual activity between friends for Bryson. So why was she freaking out?

"I'll do the dishes now. You can wait for me in the living room. My laptop is on the coffee table. You can also pick the movie. I'll just watch the series some other time," she placed the plate on the sink and wait for Bryson to finish eating.

The guy was a huge eater while she can only take half of her portion and it was like, ten bites or something.

"Are you sure? I don't mind whatever it is your watching."

Nope. Nope. It's a romantic comedy and she doesn't want to be put in a situation wherein the kissing scene part play and it would be awkward afterwards.

Daisy just nodded and hope that whatever it was that Bryson choose is not a horror movie because she most likely cowering the entire time.

She just finished washing the dishes and about to put the Tropicana mango juice inside her fridge, but stopped when she realized something.

Do they need some snacks or something? Like popcorn, chips, and drinks? But, they have just only eaten their lunch. Bryson was probably had enough food in his stomach.

That would be the first time Daisy will be watching with someone else and she doesn't know how it works. Thinking too hard again even though it was unnecessary, she just shook her head and opened the fridge, it was empty as the first time she had it.

The food she bought the last time she went on grocery shopping were the ingredients Bryson's used for cooking the Chicken Alfredo. Daisy needs to restock right now especially because today was her day off and tomorrow she has to be at the shop. Nibbling on her lower lip while thinking if it is okay if they postpone their plan. She didn't notice the guy leaning against the doorframe of her kitchen.

"What's up in your head shorty? Why are you standing still?" Daisy jumped slightly because of the sudden intrusion in her immersed mind. Bryson just laughed and walked toward her.

"So? Are you just going to stand there throughout the day or are we going to watch?" There was amusement in the guy's eyes and a smile on his lips while looking down at her. Daisy doesn't know how to explain that they couldn't watch right now because she has other unplanned business.

"Hmm. You know I can almost see the screws turning in your head. Do you have to do something? And why is your fridge still open? Shorty if you want to cool down you should just tell me so that I can minimize my hotness," Bryson's smile turned into a smirk that only makes Daisy's brows furrowed. What does that even mean?

"I'm not feeling hot. I just realized that I need to go grocery shopping, need to restock now 'cause I'll be busy the following day," the guy read her answers to his questions through her phone.

Bryson mumbled something she didn't catch on.

"Alright. Too bad we can't watch the movies. I'll go with you. C'mon," he said.

Perplexed, she asked, "You're going with me? But I'm only grocery shopping."

"Yeah. That was what I said. I'll drive you there. Do you think you can get rid of me that easily? Nope, you're stuck with me. Now let's go," before she can even protest, Bryson already pried the juice off in her hand, put it in the fridge, and held her wrist to exit the kitchen.

She just let the guy do the work and followed in his footsteps.

•・•✿•・•

"You should add more fruit and veggies," Bryson was pushing the cart whilst they were strolling the aisle of the vegetable and fruits section.

She took an apple, oranges, and strawberry and after placing them in the cart, they move on to the meat and kinds of seafood section.

"Do you like salmon?" Bryson asked gazing down at her. Of course, she like salmon. It was one of her favourites, especially if it's sashimi. She nodded her head.

"Do you know that a female salmon can carry more than 4,000 eggs?" Bryson asked with a mischievous grin.

"Of course I knew that," she signed.

"If you pick the female salmon you're going to be an accomplice killer. Imagine enjoying your meal with salmon as the main dish, how about the babies? They won't live to see another day," Bryson said taunting her.

Daisy thought to herself about what the guy had said. He has a point. She felt bad all of a sudden.

"I'm not going to eat salmon again," she pouted and looked down on her shoes whilst Bryson just chuckled and ruffles her hair.

"I'm just kidding shorty. Here. It's a great source of protein and B vitamins," she just watched as Bryson put the salmon fillet in their cart before walking over to another section. Daisy eyed the fish warily and pitifully. She mouthed the word 'sorry' sadly.

"Come on shorty. If you look at the fish like that. It'll haunt your dream."

Daisy wants to stamp her foot like a 5 years old kid for teasing her, but she refrained herself, instead, she just followed Bryson who was flashing his wide smile. Both of them proceeded of buying other ingredients, beverages, and of course chips and cookies.

They were now lining up at the cashier, there were two other customers ahead of them when she remembers her other necessities like hygienic products.

Daisy was too shy to ask Bryson to accompany her and besides it mostly contained her napkins, feminine wash, and some other things that a guy like Bryson should not suppose to know.

Daisy typed her explanation on her phone and get some cash in her wallet before tagging the seam of Bryson's shirt to get his attention. The guy looked at him, raising his one thick brow.

"I forgot to buy something. I'll just go get it, you can pay for the items. Here's the money. Just wait for me at the front," she hastily put the money in his hands and didn't wait for his response. She immediately excused herself to the other customer behind them and run-walk to the designated aisle.

Picking up the brand of shampoo, conditioner, feminine wash, and other things were never been this quick before.

She was not the kind of gal that read every label or content of the product before choosing what to buy, but, she always gets the one that closely resembled the previous products she used way back in her hometown. All of those were quite expensive and you couldn't find them in a grocery store like home depot.

After deciding which of the two different brands of body wash she was holding to buy, Daisy put the other one she doesn't need on the shelves.

She doesn't want to stay any longer just to be a picky user when a guy was waiting for her, likely bored and thinking what took her so long.

Daisy turned around about to walk back to the cashier when she suddenly bumped into someone. Startled, she dropped most of the products she was holding and it scattered all over the place.

"I'm so sorry miss. I didn't see you there."

Daisy bends down to pick everything up. Her heart was racing. She immediately gets every single item that rolled over on the tiled floor.

"Are you okay miss? Let me help you. I'm sorry," a raspy voice spoke. Of course, like a defected one that she is, Daisy can't even respond to the person and just keep on doing whatever it was just to get away as soon as possible.

The person must be thinking right now that she was a retarded for not speaking even just by saying 'It's okay.

How hard could it be to voice out that two simple words? It was insufferable for Daisy. She felt stupid, helpless, and thinking, why did she even suddenly bump into someone anyway? How clumsy.

Standing up again, this time planning to walk out of the embarrassing situation, it was inelegant and lack of manner because she was partially at fault too, but can't even apologize. It doesn't matter anymore though, yet Daisy didn't expect to see a pair of pitch-black piercing eyes that brings back a lot of bad memories in her.

It was staring at her with the same eerie smile on his thin lips. Now that Daisy was looking directly at the man, she finally noticed his shaved head, towering height, and slightly apparent pot-belly underneath his tucked-in polo shirt.

Why was the guy from the flower shop here? Yes, he might be also grocery shopping like most of the people inside but why here? Of all the places.

Distress and horrified must be sporting on her face right now, with her eyes wide open and mouth gaping like a fish in a tank. She was really downright scared of the man.

He just keeps looking at her like she was a fine piece of meat on a silver platter. Even though he wasn't doing anything wrong to her, she just wished to be anywhere but in his presence.

"You're the florist at the flower shop, right? 'Cause, you looked familiar. What a coincidence. I'm sorry by the way for slamming on you. I'm too preoccupied with my grocery shopping, I didn't see you standing there," the man produced a belly laughed that brought goosebumps all over her body.

She shouldn't overreact right now and judged someone she only met two times, it was disrespectful and her mom raised her better than that.

Calm down. Calm down.

No, she can't, couldn't.

Daisy can already feel the anxiety surging and spreading in her body. Her brain seems to stop functioning and she just stood there like a statue.

What is happening to her? Why was she so wary of the man even though it wasn't the first time she encountered someone that looked like him?

Daisy has only one wish right at that moment and that was for Bryson to come to bail her out from the imprisonment of the man's penetrating gaze.

"Let me help you with that handful miss," the man was about to touch her and that was when the world started moving again.

Her body rebooted and she steps back like the man carried some infectious disease. He didn't even waver because of her sudden rejection instead just keep walking forward with his slightly wrinkled and veiny hands raised in between them.

Finally finding out the courage, she walked past the man and just keep on walking and walking without looking back then his voice resonated again in her out of the state mind. It was haunting and full of hidden agenda which she couldn't decipher.

"I'll see you soon miss."

Daisy took a deep breathe every step of her way. The sudden intake of air that she was holding back a couple of minutes ago made her dizzy, but it didn't stop her from moving forward. She needed to get the hell out of that place. The establishment seems to shrunk its originally massive space and everything seemed to stop moving.

Why did that man bring her so many bad memories? Was she being paranoid again? That can be. Who is that man anyway? Why does it feel like she knows me? Daisy's already messy head became mushed of queer thoughts.

After paying for the items, Daisy immediately went looking for Bryson and she saw him talking to a beautiful girl with flowing blonde hair. Staring at the two fine specimens, the doubts that were eating her self-esteem slowly crawled back again on her system.

Bryson noticed her standing at the corner and even when the girl he was having a parley-talk was still speaking, he didn't look away from Daisy.

She didn't dare to interrupt their moment though.

They looked cute together.

What the hell was her problem now? First the strange man and now, she was thinking inappropriate thoughts just because Bryson was having a conversation with a girl their age.

After a minute or so, Bryson pointed his finger in her direction then bid goodbye to the blonde beauty and walked towards her with a dazzling smile.

"Hey what took you so long? I thought you lost your way. I'm about to page the customer service for a missing child," the guy's teasing didn't even make her mood better but she keeps her unsettling feelings to herself.

She doesn't want to be a burden as the guy already took his time just by going with her. It was nothing but her mind playing tricks on her. Daisy tried to convince herself.

She just gave Bryson a distraught smile and hopeful that he wouldn't notice the paranoia that was in her head.

"Hey, are you okay? You looked pale and like have seen a ghost. Did something happened?" Bryson's voice turned serious and hardened like somehow he figured out her stupor, but she avoided looking at him.

The strange man crosses her mind again and she hastily shook it away.

No. It was not a ghost, a human being resemblance to a ghost.

She just nodded her head and signed the words 'let's go' then traipsed toward the exit to avoid the prodding questions of Bryson.

Yeah. It was nothing.

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