The Last Person I Loved - 04

The First Hug


By now, talking to her had become the most natural part of my life.
We still hadn’t officially confessed anything to each other. No “I love you.” No proposal. No relationship status.
But honestly, at that point, none of it even felt necessary.
Somewhere between the morning parking-lot conversations, late-night chats, and endless messages… we had already become each other’s person.
Our office was close to home, so usually everyone went back home for lunch. I used to do the same.
But summer that year was unbearable.
One afternoon, while we were talking during lunch break, she casually said, “I’m tired of going home every day in this heat. From tomorrow, I’m bringing lunch.”
The next day, she actually brought a lunch box. And somehow, after a week, our lunch breaks slowly turned into something else completely.
Instead of sitting inside the office, we started going to a nearby park.
I still remember the first day clearly. It was a Monday afternoon.
We sat quietly on a bench under a tree while warm summer wind moved through the park. She opened her lunch box and started arranging everything properly like she had done it a hundred times before.
Then suddenly, she picked up the first bite with her hand and moved it toward me.
“For you,” she said casually.
For a second, I just looked at her.
I don’t know why… but that small moment felt strangely intimate.
I took the bite silently, trying to act normal even though my heart was already racing.
Then she smiled and said, “Now your turn.”
I laughed awkwardly and did the same.
And after that day, it somehow became our little routine. Every lunch started the same way.
First bite for me. First bite for her.
Small things. But those small things slowly started meaning everything to me.
Our mornings changed too.
Since both of us had started coming early to the office, we suddenly had extra time before everyone arrived.
And that’s when our small morning rides started.
We would take my scooter and go on quick rounds through nearby empty roads before office hours began. The roads were usually quiet at that time, with cool morning air and barely any traffic.
At first, she used to sit normally behind me.
But slowly… she started sitting closer.
And one morning, while we were passing through an empty road surrounded by trees, she suddenly wrapped her arms around me tightly.
I still remember that moment perfectly.
The cool breeze. Her hands around me. The silence of the road.
For a few seconds, it genuinely felt like the world had stopped.
I didn’t say anything. Neither did she.
But from that day onward, her hugging me during rides became normal.
And honestly… those morning rides became the best part of my entire day.
We always returned early before anyone from the office could notice anything.
At least… that’s what we thought.
One morning, I was waiting for her in the parking lot like usual.
After a few minutes, she arrived wearing a pink-and-white dress.
And honestly… my heart literally skipped a beat.
Even today, after all these years, I still remember that dress.
She parked her scooter and quickly walked toward me.
“You’re late today,” I said.
“I know,” she replied while smiling.
I was about to walk toward the office when suddenly she grabbed me and hugged me tightly from the front.
For a second, my brain completely stopped working.
It was the first proper hug between us.
But then I noticed something behind her.
Our office cleaner was standing nearby.
And trust me… that man was basically the human version of a breaking-news channel.
In panic, I immediately pushed her slightly away.
She looked hurt and confused instantly.
“What happened?” her eyes almost asked silently.
Then I quickly held her shoulders, turned her around slightly, and made her notice the cleaner standing nearby.
The moment she saw him, she immediately understood.
And both of us started laughing awkwardly.
But honestly… the damage was already done.
The very next day, while I was sitting with one of my seniors, he suddenly smiled and asked,
“So… something going on between you two?”
I tried acting normal. “No. Nothing like that.”
He laughed softly. “Okay. But if something is going on… keep it low.”
I just smiled awkwardly.
And somewhere deep inside, I realized something.
Maybe everyone in the office already knew.
Even if we still hadn’t officially said it ourselves.