Producing a new version of snack products kept Vijendra busy dealing with all kinds of proposal ideas from his employees. He also didn’t forget to check the sales data from last month to the current one. As for his meeting with Kanaya yesterday, he didn’t want to overthink it. After all, there was nothing special between him and Kanaya—just a mutual liking, a relationship without status back then.

He hadn’t even had the chance to visit the nutritionist department just to greet the new employees. It wasn’t because of Kanaya, but because of the many responsibilities he had as the company’s president director. The duties he carried came with enormous responsibility.

A knock on the door made Vijendra glance briefly, allowing the person to enter before returning to the scattered documents on his desk. Documents ranging from nutrition organoleptic test data, finance reports, partnership contracts, marketing, and many more almost made him dizzy.

“Have you apologized to Kanaya yet?”

Adam’s voice greeted him, but Vijendra ignored it. He was tired of seeing Adam every single day. Even though he had asked Harris to delegate all his tasks to Adam, the man somehow always found a way to show up.

“Vijendra, Kanaya’s here.”

This time, Adam’s words made Vijendra immediately lift his head and look forward. It turned out Adam was telling the truth—Kanaya stood beside him, holding a document in a transparent folder.

“What’s going on?” Vijendra asked, his gaze fixed on Adam, demanding an explanation.

Adam shrugged indifferently and walked out of Vijendra’s office with a casual pace, completely ignoring Vijendra’s calls asking him not to leave.

“S–sorry, Vije... I mean, M–Mr. Vijendra.” Kanaya stuttered, feeling awkward. She was utterly embarrassed to face the man she had liked for so many years.

“It’s okay, Kanaya.” Vijendra gave a small smile, glanced at the document, then looked back at her. “Did Mrs. Imelda ask you to bring this?”

Kanaya nodded quickly, handing the document over to him, and Vijendra accepted it.

“Yes, Sir. Mrs. Imelda said the proposal about the tomato sauce production had been revised. If that’s all, I’ll take my leave,” Kanaya said politely, bowing slightly and preparing to leave.

“Wait, Kanaya!”

Just as she was about to turn around, she froze in surprise when Vijendra called her again. Her intention to go back to work was now trapped by his voice. Her hands intertwined nervously to mask the awkwardness that was torturing her.

“Why are you the one delivering this document? Where’s Mrs. Imelda?”

“Well... Mrs. Imelda suddenly had a stomachache. She said her acid reflux came back. Mr. Harris already took her to the hospital earlier, so he asked me to deliver this document, Sir.” Kanaya explained how she ended up bringing the document to Vijendra, even though she was still new in the company.

Vijendra nodded in understanding. Not only did his feelings feel strange, but he could also see Kanaya’s nervousness clearly. She must have felt uncomfortable meeting him again, especially working in the same company.

“Kanaya, don’t be so stiff. We were classmates back in high school, right? So just think of me as an old friend you haven’t seen in a long time,” said Vijendra.

“Friends? It’s hard to see you as a friend, you know. Back then, I used to chase after you all the time. So it’s not easy for me, Vijen,” Kanaya said softly without realizing it. She quickly covered her mouth, looking at Vijendra, who seemed confused.

“Did you say something, Kanaya?”

Kanaya slowly shook her head. The corner of her lips curved into a small smile. “We did go to the same school before, but Mr. Vijendra, I don’t think I can act casual. It’s hard for me to act normal around you, Sir.”

“Because you’re my boss now, and I’m just an employee. It would be rude if I acted casually, even though we were once old friends,” Kanaya added with an awkward smile.

Vijendra stayed silent for a moment. From her expression and the sparkle in her eyes, he could tell that she wasn’t comfortable standing there face-to-face with him.

“If you’re not too busy, would you like to have lunch with me, Kanaya?”

“Huh? What?!”

Kanaya immediately lifted her head, staring at him in shock. She didn’t mishear that, did she? Since when did Vijendra ever invite anyone to have lunch together? Back then, when she used to invite him to eat at the school canteen, he always refused.

“Lunch, Kanaya. Do you want to?”

Kanaya blinked twice, glancing around as if looking for a perfect excuse to decline. She wasn’t ready to have lunch alone with her old crush. She was afraid the feelings she had buried would resurface—dangerous and complicated if they did.

“I’m sorry, Sir. I can’t. This afternoon, I have a counseling schedule and an organoleptic test session with Mrs. Hania. Once again, I’m truly sorry. If that’s all, I’ll take my leave.”

Vijendra let her walk out of his office. Once she was gone, his mind became restless. Kanaya’s presence had truly dragged him back into a whirlpool of memories.

“Vijendra really doesn’t want to open his heart to Kanaya again? She’s been chasing him for so long.”

“Is Kanaya not pretty enough?”

“Vijendra, please answer. Don’t tell me you’re rejecting me again.”

The corners of Vijendra’s lips curved upward into a small smile. He remembered clearly how those words used to repeat over and over again—the pouting red lips and the adorable expression when she sulked because he ignored her.

“But I guess she doesn’t like me anymore. Or maybe now, she’s already married,” Vijendra said softly, trying to guess while answering the question spinning in his mind.

Kanaya hadn’t lied. She really had just remembered that Mrs. Hania would take her and the other nutritionists to attend a counseling session and participate in the organoleptic test. After finishing the test on fast food, Kanaya now sat in the cafeteria with her new teammates.

She enjoyed the lunch provided by the company while listening to gossip from her team—or even from the next table. She was curious about what had been going on in the company where she worked.

“Which high school did you go to, Nay?”

Kanaya, who had been enjoying her lunch, paused for a moment and looked toward Ida, who had asked about her school days.

“Um… I went to Zylwcn High School. Why are you asking that, Ms. Sheila?” Kanaya asked in confusion, feeding a slice of carrot into her mouth.

“Were you in the same year as Mr. Vijendra?”

Kanaya nodded, confirming the question, still confused by all the things her new friends were asking.

“Was Mr. Vijendra handsome back in high school? Did a lot of girls chase after him?”

“They said he was really popular.”

“And they said he was kind of mean too, rejecting every girl who tried to confess to him?”

Kanaya swallowed hard after hearing so many questions from her teammates. She didn’t even know which one to answer first—after all, she had been one of the girls who once chased after him too.

“Don’t ask me,” Kanaya said with an awkward smile. “You should ask Mr. Vijendra directly.”

After finishing her lunch, Kanaya excused herself first and headed to the nutrition department. On her way, she glanced around, admiring the interior of each office.

Honestly, Kanaya had no idea that the company she had applied to work for belonged to Vijendra. She had only found out earlier from her friends’ conversations. It surprised her a little to know that the man was actually from a wealthy family. Back in high school, Vijendra hadn’t looked rich at all—if anything, he had seemed simple and down-to-earth.

“Kanaya!”

Kanaya stopped walking when she saw Vijendra coming from the opposite direction. They stood face-to-face, greeting each other. Whether she wanted to or not, Kanaya returned his greeting with a small smile.

“I want to talk to you about something, may I?” Vijendra asked carefully, worried that she might be busy and not have time to listen.

“Just say it, Sir. But before that, I want to apologize to you first.”

What Kanaya said made Vijendra frown in confusion. He didn’t understand what she meant.

“Apologize? For what, Kanaya? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I did, actually. I’m sorry for liking you back in high school. Sorry if I made you uncomfortable, and I’m sure you must feel awkward seeing me again,” Kanaya said sincerely.

Her eyes looked so pure in Vijendra’s view. He was left speechless hearing that apology. The past was the past for him—he no longer cared about whether he had felt uneasy or awkward back then.

“You don’t need to apologize, Kanaya. You have the right to like whoever you want. Besides, it’s all in the past now. Don’t burden yourself, Kanaya. I never felt uncomfortable with you. And I’m sorry too if I ever made you uneasy. Just take it easy, okay?”

“Alright then. So what was it that you wanted to tell me? You said there was something to discuss,” Kanaya asked, looking at Vijendra, waiting for him to speak.

“Ah, that… never mind. Maybe later. Go back to your office and give this document to Mrs. Hania,” Vijendra said, handing her the same document she had brought earlier—only now it had been signed and had a few extra sheets attached to the front.

“Excuse me then. See you again, Kanaya.”