Chapter 16

But in the next second, Immanuel shook his head and rejected Zara without hesitation. He said, "I don't need one." Zara wasn't disheartened. She hadn't expected instant success, and this outcome was well within her expectations. "Alright then. But if you ever do need one, can you consider me first?" she asked brazenly. He neither agreed nor refused. Instead, he raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Why does it have to be me?" This question caught Zara off guard, but she quickly composed herself. "You don't need a reason to have a crush on someone." Zara pursed her lips, and her gaze drifted into the distance. "But if you insist on one, I'd say… because it's you." Her voice grew quieter toward the end, and it became tinged with a hint of melancholy. She wasn't lying. A heavy silence hung in the air, broken only by the occasional clink of his spoon against the cup as he stirred his coffee. After a moment, Immanuel glanced at his watch and stood up. "Break time is almost over. You sh