{{char}} takes a long swig of her beer, washing away the disaster that was her date last night. She leans on the ledge of the rooftop, gazing up at the overcast sky. "Honestly {{user}}, I don't know why I even bother with dating anymore. Men are just...ugh!" She shakes her head despondently, her cheeks already flushed from the alcohol. {{char}} fishes another beer out of her lunchbox and cracks it open. This lunch hour was turning into yet another pity party, but at least she always had {{user}} there to commiserate with. {{char}} sighs heavily, her shoulders slumping as she traces the rim of her beer bottle with one finger. "Maybe I'm just not meant to find love, {{user}}. What's wrong with me?" Her voice cracks slightly as she speaks, betraying the depth of her self-pity. She knew the alcohol was amplifying her sorrow but after so many disastrous dates, it was hard to stay optimistic. "I try so hard to be charming and fun, I doll myself up, I plan these romantic evenings...and for what?" She shakes her head again, red eyes downcast as she picks at the label on her beer bottle. "I'm tired of being everyone's 'friend' or their rebound. I just want to find someone who looks at me the way I look at them." {{char}} takes another long drink, wanting nothing more than to numb her broken heart.

*Aurelia laughs weakly, glancing over at her friend. "Oh Alohi , that's because you're so young! You could have anyone, someone who isn't a sad, pathetic loser like me." She says with a lopsided grin, trying to joke away the truth of her own words. But the pain is still there, simmering beneath the surface as she turns back to stare out at the cityscape once more. * "Maybe I should just give up on dating...focus on my career for a while." She finishes off her beer and tosses the empty bottle aside. "But who am I kidding? I'm such a hopeless romantic, I'd go insane without someone to love."

Her heart skips a beat as a tall, handsome man approaches her. He flashes an easy smile and clears his throat nervously. "Um...excuse me? I couldn't help but notice how lovely you look up here." His voice sends shivers down her spine. For once, hope begins to bloom in her chest as he asks if he could join her for lunch. Unable to believe her good fortune, Aurelia grins brightly and nods eagerly. This might just be the start of something beautiful...

"Thank you! That's so sweet of you to say. I was starting to think no one ever noticed me." She smiles warmly at him, her heart fluttering in anticipation. "I'm Aurelia, by the way."

"Pleasure to meet you Aurelia. My name's Kevin." He takes her hand and kisses it gently before pulling out a chair for her to sit down. "So what do you think of this beautiful view?"

"It's breathtaking, isn't it? I come up here all the time to escape the hustle and bustle down below." She takes a sip of her beer, blushing slightly as she notices that he's watching her movements. "So how did you happen to find me up here?"

"Well," Kevin starts, running a hand through his hair, "I've seen you around the office a few times. You always seem so...full of life. I thought I'd take a chance and see if maybe we could talk." His smile widens as he takes another sip of his drink. "So, what do you like to do for fun?"

She laughs, feeling genuinely happy for the first time in what feels like forever. "Well, I love exploring new restaurants and trying out different recipes at home. And of course, who doesn't love a good movie night?" She pauses, thinking about her answer as she sips her beer. "But really, just spending time with someone special means the most to me." Her cheeks flush again, but this time it feels natural and right.

"I couldn't agree more." Kevin leans in closer, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "And I'd be honored to spend some time getting to know you better. You seem like an amazing person, Aurelia." He takes her hand in his again and gives it a soft squeeze, sending shivers down her spine. For the first time in forever, she feels truly wanted and desired.

That night, they go to an intimate little bistro, the candles flickering warmly on their table. As they eat, she tells him stories about her childhood and the places she's traveled to. He listens with rapt attention, laughing at all the right moments and never once getting bored. By the end of dinner, Aurelia feels like she could talk to Kevin for hours upon hours; it's as if they've known each other forever.

After dessert, he walks her back to her apartment, holding her hand the whole way. The butterflies in her stomach are practically taking flight out of her mouth whenever he looks at her. They share a tender goodnight kiss on her doorstep before promising to see each other again soon. As she closes the door behind him, Aurelia can't help but think that maybe, just maybe, this time everything

Aurelia grins brightly at Alohi, surprised and delighted by the offer. "Really? That would be so much fun! You're always so busy yourself with work, I never expected you to want to spend time with me." She feels a flutter of happiness in her chest, her cheeks warming up again. Maybe there is hope for love after all...

"Saturday sounds perfect," she continues, mentally counting down the days until their date. "I'll make sure we do something really special!"

"Oh..." The expression on her face drops as the weight of this new development sinks in. She knew there was always a chance that something might come up with Kevin, but she had really been looking forward to spending time with Alohi. "I'm so sorry, Alohi ," she says apologetically. "Kevin called earlier and asked if I wanted to go see a play tonight instead. It completely slipped my mind."

Her heart feels like it's being pulled in two different directions; on one hand, she doesn't want to disappoint Kevin, but on the other, she feels guilty for letting down her best friend. "Do you...do you mind if we reschedule?" She asks hopefully.

"Oh..." Aurelia sighs heavily, her shoulders slumping as she realizes there's no easy solution. "I don't know, Kev has been really busy lately and he seemed excited about this so...I guess I shouldn't push my luck?" She bites her lip, still feeling guilty for letting down Alohi again. Maybe they can fit something in next weekend instead? Or maybe even find some time during the week? There had to be a way to make both of them happy.

"I'm sorry, Alohi ," she repeats sadly. "You know I hate having to choose between you and him." But in her heart, she knows that choice might end up being too much for her to handle again.

"I-I'm so sorry, Alohi ," she stammered, guilt etched into every line of her face. "It totally slipped my mind." She bit her lip nervously and tried to meet his gaze, but couldn't quite manage it. "Kevin just...he was really insistent about going out tonight, and with work being so crazy lately..." Her voice trailed off miserably as she fiddled with the hem of her sweater.

"It's okay," Alohi said softly, offering a reassuring smile. "I understand how things can get hectic. Just promise me you'll make time for me tomorrow, yeah? We can grab lunch or something, just hang out like old times." His expression was so understanding and forgiving that it only served to make Aurelia feel even worse.

She nodded, a tear slipping down

"I'm sorry," Aurelia repeated, shame burning in her cheeks. "Kevin just kept me talking and the time flew by." She sighed heavily, glancing down at her phone where a barrage of texts from an apologetic Alohi were waiting for her reply. "Can we still hang out? I promise I'll make it up to you."

Alohi smiled faintly and nodded, taking Aurelia's hand in his own. "Of course we can. We don't have to make it a big deal. Just spend some time with your best friend like old times." His eyes held hers, full of kindness and understanding. Maybe things would work out between her and Kevin after all; she certainly hoped so, for both their sakes.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur of laughter and shared stories as they wandered through the park, holding hands like they

"I'm sorry, I...didn't realize..." Her voice trailed off as she surveyed the scene before her. Everyone was crowded around her desk, chatting animatedly and leaving poor Alohi alone at his computer. "I didn't mean for this to happen." She winced, feeling guilty once more.

"It's okay," he lied with a small smile. "Really, I'm used to it. Plus, it gives me some time to catch up on work." He offered her a reassuring pat on the shoulder before turning back to his screen, but Aurelia couldn't help but feel horrible about the entire situation.

She wanted to tell everyone to leave him alone, that he was just as important and deserving of attention as she was, but the words died in her throat. Instead, she stayed silent, watching from afar as Alohi tried his best to

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the crowd began to disperse and everyone went back to their own work. Aurelia turned her attention back to her computer screen, feeling utterly miserable. She had always thought that if she just focused on being herself and finding love, everything would fall into place. But time after time, it seemed as though the universe had other plans for her.

As the day wore on, she couldn't help but sneak glances at Alohi from across the room, wondering how he was holding up under the scrutiny. She wished there was some way she could make it all better, some way to undo the damage she had unintentionally done. But for now, all she could do was sit here and stew in her self-imposed loneliness.

Her heart aches as she watches him sit alone, ignored by everyone. She wants to reach out to him, to tell him it's not his fault and that he's just as important as anyone else. But before she can gather the courage, her coworkers descend upon her once more, pulling her into their conversation about last night's party.

She feels like a traitor, wishing desperately to join Alohi in his quiet solitude. But every time she tries to excuse herself from the group, someone else interrupts with another question or comment. The hours drag on, and Aurelia can only sit there helplessly as her best friend slowly fades into the background yet again.

Aurelia looks between her coworkers and Alohi, torn by guilt. Finally, she musters the courage to stand up and excuse herself from the conversation. "I'm sorry, guys," she says awkwardly, "but I really need to check in with Alohi for a moment." She hurries over to his desk, feeling like a weight has been lifted from her chest just by being near him again.

"Hey," she whispers, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I know I've been horrible today, and I just want you to know that I appreciate everything you do for me. You're my best friend, and I would be lost without you." Tears well up in her eyes as she speaks, her voice trembling with emotion.