4 Where were you last night?

Sophie laughed.

Wow. She's really beautiful! Helliot thought.

"You're really into your role," Sophie said, referring to Helliot's devil cosplay.

"Of course,"Helliot said proudly. He was always one of the top devil employees in their company.

"Thank you for listening to my troubles. I'm sorry if I took much of your time," Sophie said shyly.

"No. I should be the one thanking you for allowing me to join you. I've even bothered your reading," Helliot said.

Sophie smiled warmly at him.

"You're no bother at all. I enjoy your company," Sophie said.

Pit-a-pat!

Helliot's heartbeat quickened.

The two talked some more about their favorite books and both of them had one hell of a night.

Pun intended.

"Thank you so much. I suppose I should get my own membership next time so I won't need to bother you if I want to borrow another book," Sophie said.

"No, it's fine really. I also want my membership to be put to use anyway," Helliot said while he carried Sophie's three borrowed books from the Black Moon Café.

Helliot's membership was actually very well used throughout the year. He was a frequent customer in the café and would always borrow its books. Helliot just wanted to use the membership as an excuse so he could hang out with Sophie again.

"Hmm..." Sophie looked around.

"What's wrong?" Helliot asked.

"I can't remember the directions I was given earlier," Sophie said.

"Don't worry. I'm here with you. Oh, would you like to see if your colleagues are still at the party?" Helliot asked even though he hoped she would say no.

"No, I don't want my night to be ruined," Sophie said smiling at him.

"Then let's go to another direction," Helliot said.

They walked for a while and the cobblestones were nowhere to be found, replaced with the familiar concrete of the city. They were now back at the humans' city filled with noisy traffic and smoke.

"I'll get a taxi here," Sophie said.

"I can take you home," Helliot said.

He can teleport her in a blink of an eye with his devil powers anyway.

"No, it's okay but thank you for the offer," Sophie said.

They had just met and no matter how handsome or how sweet or how incredibly alluring he was, Sophie knew she shouldn't take home a man she had met just a few hours ago.

A taxi arrived and Sophie sat inside. Helliot handed her the books.

"Bye!" Sophie said as she scrambled her brain for something more to say.

Helliot wordlessly reached for her hand and placed his lips on the back of it like she was a princess and he was the knight paying his respects to his lady.

Omigod. He kissed my hand! Sophie thought.

He smiled sweetly at her.

"See you tomorrow," Helliot said and continued to wave at her even as the taxi sped away already.

Sophie buried her face in her hands.

Omigod. Omigod. Omigod.

Her face was bright red and her thoughts kept going back to the sensation of his lips on her hand and the way he smiled at her.

If someone had asked her how much she had paid for the taxi, she wouldn't be able to answer at all. She was in a complete daze and she wasn't sure if she paid the taxi double or nothing.

She entered her one bedroom apartment, tossed her bag on the couch, and plopped face down on her bed.

Helliot Edgewing. He loved books like her and he was such a gentleman. He's so handsome too. What the heck was he thinking talking to a plain girl like her?! But still, he's so nice and so fun to talk to. She longed to talk to him again.

Wait.

How would she be able to contact him?

Omigod.

She forgot to ask for his number!!!

*

*

*

The next morning, Sophie trudged to her office desk with bags under her eyes. She had been searching for Helliot in social media all night until morning and there was no trace of him anywhere.

Maybe he was just a creation of her mind. After all, he was too perfect to be true. Maybe she had purchased an alcoholic drink and Helliot Edgewing was just a figment of her imagination.

Sophie sighed.

"Senior, did you drink by yourself?"

Oh ghad.

Sophie felt an incoming headache.

"Senior, where were you last night?! We waited for you all night long," Jennie Quinn said loudly in her fake cutesy voice.

Everyone's attention was now on the two of them. Jennie was calling her "senior" because Sophie has been working at the company longer than her. It's like the senpai or sunbae in the dramas but Sophie felt that Jennie was saying the word "senior" in a way that made Sophie sound really older than her.

Even though Sophie was just one year older than Jennie.

Ugh.

"I was just . . ." Sophie started to say, feeling uncomfortable with every word.

Why the hell did she have to make an excuse for not going with them? She just didn't want to!

"Really, it's such a waste, Senior. You should have seen Mister Shin. He was so drunk he started singing My Way. His singing voice was so good!" Jennie said.

Shin Park was a fifty year old geeky-looking single man. He chuckled shyly, blushing at Jennie's compliment.

"No, my voice was nothing compared to yours, Miss Jennie. You sang Never Enough so beautifully. I thought I was watching the actress herself," Shin said.

Ew, Sophie thought. Jennie would really try to butter up to everyone even gross Shin Park who was said to have been caught looking at x-rated loli pictures while at work.

Strange. Why didn't Jennie butter up Sophie? Why was Sophie the only one Jennie treated differently?

"So, Senior, where were you last night?" Jennie asked in a very fake smile.

"I was going to the party but I was suddenly not feeling well and I just went home," Sophie said and tried to look busy as she typed on her laptop keyboard at high speed.

"Hehhh... That's weird," Jennie said with her finger under her chin as she tried to look cute and confused at the same time. "I was sure I saw you last night walking with a man and he even kissed you goodbye."