9.0 A Proposal

In front of her apartment, Nikolai finally let go of her hand. Without saying anything, Eloise decided to make a run again but she was blocked by him. Nikolai used his body to block her way. "What do you want?" she asked, covering her eyes. "Why are you covering your eyes?" he asked because he was starting to be suspicious. Eloise tried to come up with an excuse but she was startled when Nikolai grabbed her waist. She unknowingly dropped her hand and looked into his eyes.

Both Nikolai and Eloise exchanged gazes for a solid minute before he started laughing. "You have a secret… your eyes…" he said. His statement was so precise it made her panic to the point she broke out in cold sweat. All her efforts to hide her abnormality was exposed just like that. And of all people, Nikolai was the one who found out. "Um, let's talk inside," she said after pushing herself away from him. Thus, Nikolai went up to her apartment. It was a typical girl's apartment with cute furniture and plush toys. "Have a seat. I'll get you a drink," she said. He took a look around before sitting down. He noticed there were a lot of bunny related items in her home.

"You like bunnies?" asked Nikolai when he picked up a bunny plushy. "I find them cute, that's all," replied Eloise who returned with a glass of barley tea. "So, tell me what you are hiding," he said after taking a sip of the drink. With a deep breath, Eloise began to tell her story. "I wear contact lens. But it is not to make my eyes blue. Actually, it is the opposite," she explained. "Only one eye is blue?" he asked. She nodded without saying anything else. "I think it is beautiful," Nikolai said with a smile. His words struck a chord in her heart. "Beautiful?" asked Eloise, doubting what she had just heard. "Yes, beautiful. I have never seen such eyes before. It is alluring," he added. After hearing him out, Eloise had the brightest smile she had had in a while.

"I didn't know I will be so happy to hear those words," said Eloise who could not stop smiling. At that moment, Nikolai was captivated by her smile. When she looked at him in the eyes, his heart skipped a beat. "Thank you for saying that," said Eloise as she smiled at him. It was the first time she willingly made eye contact with him. It left a huge impression on Nikolai and he was completely bewitched. She realized he became silent and was just staring at her. It reminded of the time when they were hiding in the alleyway - his intense gaze. "Um, this is actually a secret. So, if you can help me keep it a secret, that will be great," she said as she avoided looking at him. Nikolai came up with an idea. "Does Katherine not know?" he asked before carrying out his plan. "No, I couldn't tell her. I don't know how she will react," she replied.

A sudden proposal shocked Eloise and made her question if she was in reality or she was dreaming - "Let's date, you and me," suggested Nikolai. His proposal was for her to date him in return for keeping her little secret. It was a bomb that dropped out of nowhere. Honestly, Eloise was not in her right mind to understand the situation. "Why? Is it very hard?" he asked with a smirk on his face. "It's just…um…You don't really mean it, right?" she asked for confirmation. "I am asking you out. I want you to be my girlfriend," he replied while looking straight into her eyes. Her heart began to race and her face flushed. It was too sudden! "Why are you hesitating? It's not like this is your first time dating," he said, stating the obvious since Eloise has never had a romantic relationship before.

Upon seeing her frozen state and her anxious face, Nikolai realized he might have hit the nail. "Are you serious? You have never had a relationship before?" he asked, slightly in disbelief. Eloise nodded and replied "Just-Just to be clear, I chose not to have a relationship." For some weird reason, she felt embarrassed after he pointed out her status. He smiled and said "The goddess is a freshly baked cookie then." All of a sudden, he swooped in and closed the distance between them. He then said "Having me as your first boyfriend is not a bad idea, you know." The cockiness and arrogance in his tone and face was somewhat alluring but she knew it was bad for her. "You-you are too close," she said as she moved away.

"So, what do you say?" asked Nikolai who returned to his seat. "Fine. If this is what you want in exchange for keeping my secret, I will do it. But, there are some rules," replied Eloise who clearly wanted to draw the line before things get serious. "Rules? Are we dating or is this some sort of contract?" he asked, confused. "Rule no.1, we are a 'pretend' couple. Rule no.2, we must maintain a certain distance and no unnecessary physical contacts whatsoever. Rule no.3, the only thing we can do to show we are dating is by holding hands. That means, holding hands is the limit," she explained. "I believe I am doing a favor for you," said Nikolai who was not pleased with the rules. "And I believe you did not mention what kind of couple we should be. So, I am just doing this for the well-being of both of us. I mean, you have the image of a playboy to keep while I have a promise to keep," Eloise said. Nikolai got the message so he just smiled and said "Deal."