A day had rolled by since that fateful dinner at Piccadilly, and it was now a sweltering Tuesday morning. Altair found himself waking up earlier than usual, at 5 a.m. He wanted to get a jumpstart on the day. After all, his counseling sessions with Allaine had taught him the benefits of an early start. Plus, it gave him extra time to clean up the remnants of last night's gaming spree scattered around his computer desk.
Stuffing snack wrappers, empty cans, and notepads scribbled with game strategies into a plastic bag, his phone buzzed with a new message. It was from Cassy.
"Good morning, I just woke up," the message read.
A warm smile spread across Altair's face as his thumbs danced over the screen. "You never fail to make my mornings good," he texted back.
With Cassy's message adding a dash of sweetness to his day, Altair turned back to the task at hand: tidying up his space. As he wiped down his work desk, he paused when his gaze landed on a framed photograph of him and Stella.
He picked up the frame and looked into it as if expecting it to speak. "Is it okay to be happy now? It hasn't even been three months, but can I start moving on?" he asked, capturing a moment of his past, a slice of time encased in glass and wood.
Feeling a sense of closure, as if he'd just conversed with the photograph, Altair put the frame back down and made his way to the shower.
The water cascading down his back acted like a cleanser, not just for his body but also for his conscience. Thirty minutes later, he emerged, refreshed, and dressed in a plain black shirt and casual blue shorts. Slipping into a pair of comfortable slippers, he walked out of his room, ready to tackle the day ahead.
Altair sauntered into the kitchen, where he spotted Cassy, still in that adorable sleepy-eyed morning state, emerging from her room.
"Morning," Altair greeted, leaning against the kitchen counter with the kind of ease that can only be mustered before caffeine.
"Morning, Alty," Cassy yawned, stretching her arms above her head as she shuffled into the kitchen. "How'd you sleep?"
Altair chuckled. "Solid three hours. Can't complain. How about you?"
"It could've been better," Cassy admitted, rubbing her eyes. "Our late-night chat about childhood kind of kept my brain buzzing."
Altair's eyes veered to the sink, where a mini-mountain of dishes from last night's late-night binge seemed to be calling out for attention. "Looks like we left a bit of a situation here, huh?"
Cassy sighed, "Yeah, sure, it looks that way. Coffee first?" 
"Oh my God, I lo—" Altair caught himself halfway through the sentence, suddenly aware of what he was about to say. "Get your coffee," he finished, skillfully avoiding a potentially loaded statement.
Altair rolled up his sleeves with a grin. "How 'bout this? I'll brave that mountain of dishes if you grace me with one of your heavenly sandwiches."
Cassy's face lit up. "You've got yourself a deal. Today, you're at the mercy of the coffee and sandwich goddess."
As Altair dunked his hands into the sudsy water to tackle the dishes, he threw a sidelong glance at Cassy, who was already brewing the coffee. "So, back to last night's convo. Tamahome, really? You were all about that life.
Her cheeks flushed a shade pinker, and Cassy giggled. "Oh, absolutely. Don't knock the Tamahome love. Fushigi Yuugi was my teenage religion!"
With a playful smirk, Altair wrestled with a stubborn bit of food on a plate. "Pssh, Hotohori was the real MVP. Guy was the epitome of grace and royalty. Way cooler than Tamahome."
Cassy looked over, her eyes twinkling and a playful smile creeping onto her lips. "Hotohori, huh? Are you watching an anime clearly designed for a female audience? That's a plot twist."
Altair shot her a cheeky grin, still elbows-deep in soapy water. "Hey, we all have our guilty pleasures, okay? But to be fair, the storytelling was pretty dope."
The kitchen was filled with their laughter, a warm sound that blended well with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.
"So, did you also dive into the guilty pleasure pool of dramas?" Cassy inquired, her curiosity now fully piqued. She was expertly layering ham slices onto mayonnaise-smeared bread, the makings of what promised to be another legendary sandwich.
"You'd be surprised," Altair confessed, with a mix of sheepishness and openness that made him even more endearing. "I caught some reruns of 'My Girlfriend is a Gumiho,' and I was like, 'Yo, this is the real deal.'" 
Cassy's eyebrows shot up, her eyes widening a fraction. "You? A 'Gumiho' fan? Color me surprised."
Altair just shrugged, a natural grin stretching across his face as he scrubbed at a stubborn teacup. "Yeah, it's one of those shows that gets its hooks in you, you know?"
Cassy looked at him, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Here I was, thinking you were all numbers and board meetings. Guess you're more like an onion—still got plenty of layers to peel back."
"Shin Min Ah was my first celeb crush—not gonna lie. I ended up binge-watching her whole filmography," Altair admitted, with the candor of someone thoroughly busted.
Cassy just erupted into laughter. "Stop it! So you went full drama addict? What's next? You've devoured every rendition of 'Hana Yori Dango' out there, too.
"Hey, don't knock it till you've tried it. Boys Over Flowers, Meteor Garden—the works What can I say? I've got an eclectic taste," Altair shot back, feigning indignance but really enjoying the back-and-forth.
Cassy was almost doubled over laughing now. "Oh my God, you're too much! Seriously, though, I bet Elise was your partner in crime for those drama marathons, huh?"
Altair chuckled, almost snorting, as he shook his head. "You're spot-on. Elise can binge-watch dramas like it's an Olympic sport. She's the ultimate enabler."
The room fell into a comfortable silence for a moment, the clinking of dishes and the soft hum of the coffee maker filling the air. Altair found himself looking around the kitchen, letting his eyes wander over the photos, magnets, and quirky kitchen gadgets that adorned the space. It was a cozy and lived-in atmosphere, a far cry from the sterile, corporate vibe of his past life. The juxtaposition made him appreciate this simple, domestic moment even more. 
"Here, you have to try this; say ahn," Cassy broke the silence, thrusting a sandwich toward Altair's mouth, like a mom spoon-feeding her baby. 
Without a second thought, Altair leaned in and took a hearty bite. Cassy took this as her cue to hop up and sit on the edge of the kitchen counter, her eyes following Altair as he continued to tackle the dishes. 
"So, what's the verdict?" Cassy probed, almost nervously, her eyes fixed on his. 
Altair chewed thoughtfully for a moment, finally swallowing. "Heavenly. No, divine. Simply divine." 
Smiling, Cassy picked up his coffee mug from the counter. "Here, wash it down with this," she said, guiding the cup toward Altair's lips with the finesse of a sommelier. 
Being extra careful not to spill, Altair took a generous sip. The coffee was a perfect blend of bitter and sweet, mirroring the delightful complexity of Cassy's sandwich. "You really are the coffee and sandwich goddess," he said, a soft, almost reverent smile gracing his lips. 
With a smug, almost victorious grin, Cassy swung her legs gently as she perched on the edge of the counter. "Well, let's not forget, you're the lucky mortal who gets to benefit from my divine culinary skills," she declared, filled with a mix of pride and mischief. 
"One more bite, for the road?" Cassy grinned, extending the sandwich toward Altair once more. 
"Look, if staying in your good graces means I get a daily offering of sandwiches and coffee, then you've got yourself a loyal disciple for life," Altair joked, taking another satisfying bite of the sandwich. 
Cassy chuckled and rewarded him with another sip of his coffee, lifting it gracefully to his lips as if anointing him with a sacred elixir. 
The air between them seemed to change, growing palpably thicker. "You know," Cassy began, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her voice dropping a little softer. "I can offer more than just coffee and sandwiches." 
She suddenly realized the implication of what she had said, her cheeks flooding with a blush. She looked away, maybe contemplating a quick getaway to a far-off universe where awkward moments didn't exist. 
That's when another voice, brimming with both incredulity and delight, shattered the fragile moment. "What in the actual f*** did we just walk into?" 
Allaine and Theresa stood at the doorway, eyes wide, mouths forming exaggerated 'O's. "Jesus Christ," they exclaimed, perfectly synchronized as if they'd rehearsed the line. 
Flustered, Cassy hopped down from her perch on the counter and quickly moved to stand beside Altair, busying herself with rearranging some utensils to divert attention from the palpable tension. 
"How long have you guys been standing there?" Cassy stammered, her face a picture of mortification. 
"We caught the whole thing, start to finish," Allaine said, a Cheshire cat grin stretching across her face. 
"And had we not intervened, what might have been the next act in this unfolding drama?" Theresa wondered aloud, clearly amused. 
Allaine's laughter filled the room. "I've got to say, this real-life drama is way better than any K-drama I watched last week." 
Priscilla couldn't resist chiming in, "Oh, come on. We all know they would've kissed if we hadn't interrupted." 
Clearing her throat, Cassy shot back, "What you all just saw was a prime example of our faux-relationship dynamic. You're welcome for the free show. Really, you should feel honored." 
Theresa wore a sly grin. "Faux-relationship, you say? What I just witnessed looked and felt a lot like a real romance to me." 
Altair, his face as red as a beet, started mumbling. "Wall of silence, wall of silence, wall of silence," as if the mantra would make him invisible. 
Allaine elbowed Theresa, still grinning like she'd just won the lottery. "I swear, the air's so thick with romantic tension, you could cut it with a butter knife. It's like we're watching 'Romance is a Bonus Book,' but live!" 
Theresa giggled, both of them taking their places on the couch. "Right! This episode is more like 'Sink Romance: Bonus Kitchen Edition.'" 
Priscilla was quick to add, "Seriously, they had a whole kitchen opera going on over there. Who even needs Netflix when you can have a live show with sandwiches and the potential for love?" 
Cassy's tone darkened as she chimed in, "Well, I hope you all enjoy the sandwiches I whipped up for you." She paused for dramatic effect. "It'd be a real shame if they were to, you know, go to waste." 
Catching on to Cassy's menacing undertone, Priscilla instantly shifted gears. "Oh, I was totally kidding! Your sandwiches and coffee are heaven-sent! Truly, an Oscar-worthy performance!" she effused. 
"Traitor!" Allaine and Theresa exclaimed, glaring comically at Priscilla. 
Altair, finally recovering from his earlier embarrassment, joined Cassy at the counter. "Well, if we're handing out Oscars, I nominate Cassy for Best Leading Actress and myself for Best Supporting Actor in a Faux Relationship." 
Cassy chuckled, "And the award for Best Audience goes to...?" 
Allaine and Theresa echoed with mock solemnity, "All hail the sandwich and coffee goddess! Long may she reign!" 
Smirking, Cassy folded her arms. "I'm glad we're all on the same page then." 
After the awkwardness of the "sink romance" episode, the atmosphere in the lounge had an undertone of tension that nobody openly acknowledged. Cassy, still blushing from the recent event, started handing out sandwiches to the girls. Altair followed suit, offering steaming mugs of coffee to everyone. 
"Uh, Cassy?" Theresa hesitated, breaking the subtle silence. "Would you mind if I borrowed Altair for today?" 
Cassy looked puzzled. "Why would you need my permission?" 
Allaine chuckled, "Given recent events, I guess permissions are a thing now." 
Altair, sensing an opportunity to change the subject, eagerly jumped in. "So, what's up? Where do you need me today, Theresa?" 
"I've got some shopping to do, and I could use your help," Theresa explained, trying to keep her voice casual. 
With a mutual understanding, the atmosphere seemed to lighten a bit. "Alright then," said Altair, finishing his coffee. "Just give me some time to get ready." 
"Sure," Theresa said, her eyes meeting Altair's for just a moment before she headed to her room to prepare.