CH 3 : IS HE ANNOYING?

On September 17, 1966, the sun shone brightly as Evelyn Monroe stood at the bus stop. She waited with her arms crossed and her foot tapping. Her face showed clear disappointment.

Across the road, a young man was running toward the bus stop. As he crossed the street, he almost stepped in front of a car. The car slowed down quickly as the driver slammed on the brakes. The driver shouted, "If you want to die, get in front of someone else's car!" But the young man, Ethan Cole, quickly apologized and kept running.

When Ethan reached Evelyn, he was out of breath. "I'm sorry, Ms. Monroe. I got stuck somewhere, and that is why I am late," he said, breathing hard.

Evelyn frowned and said, "Being late is one thing, Ethan, but what happened? Can't you see the road is busy? You must be more careful!"

Ethan looked down and replied, "I'm sorry, ma'am. I was just worried about the bus. We cannot miss it, right? And look, the bus is late too. I guess I am lucky in that way." He tried to smile to ease the tension.

Evelyn shook her head and said in a serious tone, "I'm sorry to tell you, Mr. Cole, but we have already missed the bus. You are seventeen minutes late."

Ethan scratched his head and said, "Oh, we missed it. That looks like bad luck," offering a small, forced smile.

"Sorry, Ms. Monroe— I mean, Evelyn," he began, but she interrupted him.

"Do not make a scene, Ethan. Just call me Evelyn. Now, the first thing we must do is decide which bus to take to reach our destination," she said, looking him straight in the eyes.

"Absolutely! We'll catch the next bus. Let me check the schedule and destinations on the bus app," Ethan said, pulling out his phone.

"I already checked, Ethan. The next bus will be here in ten minutes," Evelyn replied calmly.

"Wow… That's great. You're so fast, Evelyn," Ethan said with a forced smile, glancing at his watch.

Silence settled between them. The air felt heavy, neither of them trying to start a conversation. They just stood there, waiting.

Minutes passed, and finally, the bus arrived. Evelyn stepped forward, ready to board, but Ethan, lost in his thoughts, suddenly snapped back to reality and rushed toward the entrance.

In his hurry, he accidentally bumped into Evelyn, making her stumble. A sharp pain shot through her as she caught herself.

Ethan froze, realizing what he had done. His face turned pale. "I'm so sorry, Evelyn… I—I didn't mean to," he stammered, guilt heavy in his voice. He reached out to help her.

But Evelyn, her jaw clenched and eyes burning with anger, pushed his hand away and stepped onto the bus without saying a word.

Ethan let out a slow breath, rubbing his face. What the hell am I doing? These small mistakes… they could ruin my career.

The bus wasn't too crowded, but Ethan knew better than to sit next to Evelyn after what had just happened. Instead, he quietly took the seat behind her.

The bus roared to life, its engine humming as it pulled away from the stop. The journey had begun. The destination was clear, but what lay ahead? That… no one knew.

The bus came to a slow stop, and a man who looked to be around thirty stepped inside. His eyes scanned the seats as he walked down the aisle, searching for the one he had booked. As he reached Evelyn's row, he paused, looking at her.

"Excuse me, Miss…," he said politely. "Is this your seat?"

Evelyn looked up at him. He had a strong build, a confident posture, and an undeniable charm. But her sharp instincts as a journalist kicked in immediately. If he was asking, this must be his seat.

"Not yet," she replied calmly. "But if you're willing to sell it to me, it will be."

The man chuckled, shaking his head. "So you know this isn't your seat, but you're still sitting here? And now you even want to buy it?" he teased, taking a seat beside her as the bus jolted forward.

Evelyn smirked. "Sorry for the misunderstanding, but I booked it late because I missed my bus."

The man nodded, accepting her answer. "That's fair. And you are…?"

"Evelyn. Evelyn Monroe."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Monroe," he said, offering a handshake. Evelyn took it politely.

Ethan, sitting just behind her, clenched his fists. She missed the bus? He thought, eyebrows furrowed. We missed the bus together! Why didn't she mention me? His jaw tightened as he watched them chat so effortlessly.

Meanwhile, Evelyn was enjoying the conversation.

"I'm Jacob," the man introduced himself with a warm smile. "I'm traveling from New York to Canada. Maybe that's where my journey is meant to take me."

"So you're a traveler, wandering just for fun?" Evelyn asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not exactly, Miss Monroe." Jacob's voice was steady, but something unreadable flickered in his expression. "I have my own reasons for traveling. But for those who need an easy answer, I just say—it's on my life's to-do list."

Evelyn's eyes lit up with curiosity, clearly impressed by his words.

Ethan, on the other hand, could feel his irritation growing. Why is she so interested in him? He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to focus on anything else, but the sight of Evelyn enjoying the conversation kept pulling his attention back.

Ethan sat in his seat, arms crossed, his eyes clouded with disappointment as he watched Evelyn.

"She's a good girl, a good journalist, a good person… even her personality is attractive. No wonder people try to get her attention—just like this man is doing now." He sighed, his thoughts spiraling.

"Why am I feeling this way about her? She's my senior… even older than me. I shouldn't forget why I'm here and what my real goal is." He clenched his fists, reminding himself.

"Complete the internship, work hard, secure the job… and eventually, take Evelyn's place. That's the plan. That's how I become the face of The New York Journal."

A small smirk tugged at his lips, a flicker of ambition flashing in his eyes. But then, as if a switch flipped, his thoughts took another turn.

"But she's so cute... Every time I see her on TV, I forget everything else. What was I even doing before?"

Frustrated, he ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up even more. He took a deep breath and looked at Evelyn again. She was still talking to that man—Jacob.

"Something's off. Why is this guy so interested in her? He's too engaged… My journalist brain is waking up now."

Ethan adjusted his glasses, studying Jacob's face closely. He narrowed his eyes, searching for any hidden motives. But after a few seconds, he sighed.

"I think... I'm just overthinking."

Dropping his head back against the seat, he let out a dramatic groan.

"Oh, God, can't you help me? Just let me sit beside her. Please, help!"

And as if his desperate prayer was answered, he saw Evelyn getting up from her seat. His eyes widened. The bus had stopped, and she was walking toward him.

"God really does have a strong network!" he thought, sitting up straight. "Wait, why is she coming to me?!"

His heart pounded as she got closer. He wanted her to look at him, but she was too busy adjusting her dress.

The bus was still, the wind was blowing, and people were watching. It felt like time had slowed down.

"She's coming towards me… she's going to sit next to me… she's—"

"Stupid Ethan!" Evelyn's voice snapped him out of his daze. She lightly kicked his leg. "Move in! I wanna sit here. Go in, you nonsense!"

And just like that, Ethan's little dream shattered into pieces. His shoulders slumped, and he quickly scooted over, making space for her.

"So much for divine intervention," he thought, sighing as Evelyn settled into the seat beside him.

Ethan watched as Evelyn settled into her seat beside him. His mind was still spinning from everything that had happened.

"What happened, Evelyn?" he asked, his voice soft but curious.

Evelyn turned to him, her expression unreadable. "What? What happened?" she shot back, her tone cold. "Is there a problem that I sat here?"

Ethan stiffened. It was clear—she was still mad at him. And why wouldn't she be? He had already made a scene earlier, staring at her like an idiot when she came to sit.

He didn't say anything in return. Instead, he simply faced forward, trying to act normal. That's when he noticed a woman sitting right in front of them, in the exact seat Evelyn had been in before.

"When did she sit there? And why does it feel so weird?" he wondered, confused.

But before he could process it further, Evelyn caught him staring.

"Can't you stop behaving so cheap?" she muttered under her breath, just loud enough for him to hear.

Ethan slowly turned his face away, already knowing what she was thinking.

"My behavior? What does she mean by that? Did I do something wrong again?" his thoughts raced.

Evelyn took a deep breath, her voice low but firm. "I'm only tolerating you because of James. If he hadn't assigned you to work with me, I would've never put your name on any project as an intern. And after seeing your behavior today, I definitely never will."

She crossed her arms and faced forward again, her anger clear in every movement.

Ethan felt like the air had been knocked out of his lungs.

"Idiot. You ruined everything in just a few hours."

His heart sank as he lowered his gaze.

"How could I be so stupid? Every little thing I did, every careless move, affected others in ways I didn't even realize. And now, I've completely destroyed my image in front of her."

A sharp sting burned behind his eyes, but he refused to let the tears fall. He quickly wiped his face, forcing himself to sit straight.

"I'm sorry, Evelyn," he whispered, his voice barely above a breath.

Silence settled between them once again.

The bus kept moving forward, carrying them toward a destination neither of them could predict.