Chapter 20: Unspoken tension

                                    

                                          
"Ms. Elina!!"
Turning slightly, she spotted Kevin sitting in his car, waving at her with a smile. Her eyes narrowed as a surge of irritation washed over her.
Is he really going to this extent now? 
She thought, her annoyance clear.
Without acknowledging him, she scoffed and walked past his car, determined not to engage. Kevin, taken aback, watched her for a moment, surprised by her reaction. He called out to her again, "Ms. Elina!" but she didn't even glance back.
Realizing she was serious about ignoring him, Kevin hurriedly got out of his car and started walking after her. His footsteps quickened as he tried to catch up, calling her name once more. "Ms. Elina, wait!"
Elina kept walking, her pace steady as she tried to ignore the sound of Kevin's footsteps closing in behind her. She could hear him calling her name, but she was determined not to let him get under her skin.
Why does he have to push things? 
She thought, her irritation bubbling over.
Kevin, now walking right beside her, finally caught up and matched her pace, sighing in relief. "Ms. Elina, hold on," he said, slightly out of breath. He glanced at her, searching for some sign of acknowledgment, but she kept her eyes straight ahead.
"Are you seriously going to pretend I'm not here?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice.
Elina stopped abruptly, turning to face him with a sharp look. "I'm not in the office, so there's no reason for me to acknowledge your presence," she said, then looked ahead and started walking again. Kevin blinked, taken aback by her sudden outburst, but quickly decided to follow her, falling into step beside her once more.
Elina could feel his presence and rolled her eyes, increasing her pace. Kevin tried to match her speed, but she stopped again, clearly annoyed. "Why are you following me?!" she demanded.
Kevin blinked and replied, "You're not listening to me, so I have nothing left to do but follow you." His tone was sulky, which only added to Elina's frustration.
"Okay, tell me now, what happened?" she asked, crossing her arms.
Kevin cleared his throat, tracing his hands through his pockets as he started to speak. "You left your earphones in the taxi yesterday, so I came to give them back to you," he explained.
Elina blinked, realizing she had made him walk so far just for that, but she quickly shrugged it off, acting nonchalant. She held out her hand. "Where are they? Give them to me."
Kevin nodded and began searching through his pockets, but his frown deepened as he realized he couldn't find them. "Yeah, I'm searching for them," he muttered, his frustration growing.
Elina waited, clearly unimpressed. When Kevin looked up at her, his expression uncertain, she sighed. "You can't find them, right?" she asked, her tone flat.
Kevin nodded sheepishly, and Elina shook her head, assuming he had been making excuses about the earphones. She scoffed. "Let it be, I don't need them. You may go!" she said, walking past him and heading into the convenience store.
Kevin stood there, blinking in realization. 
She must think I'm lying, 
He thought, his eyes widening. He called after her, "I'm telling the truth!" But his outburst only earned him a few strange looks from passersby. Ignoring them, he retraced his steps, trying to recall where he might have dropped the earphones.