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  Part- 315:

  He let out a shaky breath, the humor fading as he realized how serious this was. “But really, if I’m the star of this show, shouldn’t I at least get some say in the script? Because from where I’m sitting, the plot just took a very fusing twist. I’m not ready for this kind of drama. I was hoping for some light-hearted banter, maybe a bit of flirting, not a full-oional showdown.”

  James felt the weight of Toya's gaze on him, impl him to say something, anything that could bridge the gap between them. He took a moment to gather his thoughts, his mind rag. “Okay, James. Time to put on y-boy pants and address the elephant in the room. You both know this is fake, and you’re the only oing like it’s real. Should I step in with a snappy eback, or would that just make it worse?”

  He chuckled to himself, imagining a sario where he could diffuse the tension with a perfectly timed joke. “What if I just yell ‘Plot twist!’ and walk out of here? Would that be effective? Or would I be adding more fuel to the fire? Because right now, I feel like I’m trapped in a romantiedy that’s quickly turning into a tragic drama, and I’m just the guy who ordered a tte to go.”

  But as he looked at Toya, his heart softened. Her vulnerability, her passion—it all felt so genuine. Despite the absurdity of the situation, he found himself wanting to fort her, to reassure her that everything would be okay. “Alright, maybe I should just tell her(Mili) the truth,” he thought, shaking off his earlier doubts. “Maybe we o clear the air and stop pretending.”

  Mili gnced between them, unsure whether to ugh or defuse the situation. “You know that’s—”

  At that moment, the door swung open, and Dipa entered. Spotting the otion, she eagerly walked over, oblivious to the tension. “Hey, what’s going on? What are you doing here, James?”

  James visibly rexed. “Oh, hey Dipa! I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said, almost too eagerly. Dipa, the girl he had shared grilled chi with the night before, was a wele distra from the awkwardness he found himself in.

  Dipa beamed, her cheeks flushed with enthusiasm as she bounced into the coffee shop like a burst of sunshine. “I just came with Toya! I’m so gd to see you both!” Her eyes sparkled with genuine joy, but the atmosphere surrounding Toya and James was heavy with unspoken tension. Dipa, ever the optimist, turo Toya, her expression shifting from excitement to . “What’s happening? Are you guys having a fight?”

  Toya’s heart sank a little at Dipa’s words. She shot James a pointed look, silently pleading for him to help her smooth things over. “No, it’s not like that,” she mumbled, f her voice to sound casual, though the weight of her earlier emotions lingered just beh the surface.

  “Right,” James added, trying tain his posure. He forced a ugh that sounded a little too strained. “Just a little misuanding. You know how it is.”