Chapter 5; The Research

Kiel POV

He was captivated by Yana's words, but his reverie was shattered when she abruptly excused herself and left the room.

"What about that bet we made? You were supposed to make a move on Yana," Megy questioned, reminding him of their previous conversation.

He recalled their bet with a hint of a smile. "I remember now. We did have a bet about pursuing Yana. But you know what? Forget about the bet. I want to court her because I genuinely like her, not just as a challenge," he declared, brushing aside their objections.

Despite their objections, they simply shrugged at his words. "I'll pursue Yana, no matter what. There's probably nothing to lose if I give it a shot," He challenged himself silently.

Kiel lay down on his bed and stared at the ceiling of his condo, but Yana's face was still the one he could see. He couldn't help but smile, as he wanted her to be his girlfriend. He searched Butch on Facebook and added him as a friend.

Kiel also remembered that she had another friend, a psychology student named Mitch. However, he don't know her facebook account because I'm not familiar with her last name.

Kiel saw himself driving towards her condo, as he knew the address from Tristan, Butch's cousin. Their condo was within walking distance from their university, making it easy to find. "Sir, the room you are looking for is on the 3rd floor, Room 15," said the security guard.

"If you are a visitor, kindly fill out a form and please leave your ID behind," he added.

He filled out the visitors form and left his ID with the security guard then went up to the unit to find Yana's location. He gathered courage first before knocking on the door. He knocked on the door three times. After a while, a fair-skinned and Chinese-looking woman came out. This must be Mitch. He hadn't seen her up close before, only from a distance on campus.

"Hello, I'm actually Kiel, Yana's classmate in Design 7. Is she there?" He asked the woman at the door.

"I already know you, come in. I'll call her. She's just in her room."

Mitch left, and he was left alone in the living room.He looked around the surroundings. It was small but clean and colorful. No wonder women lived here.

After five minutes, Yana finally came out.

"Hi Kiel, you came," she immediately asked.

Kiel was taken aback by her appearance. She wore a spaghetti strap top and shorts, showcasing her figure. Her usual attire at school concealed her curves, but now he was mesmerized.

"I just wanted to add something to the expected outcomes in the research question you provided. I also have objectives and potential sample results," he explained, showing her a hard copy.

"Perfect, that's what I needed. Thank you for the idea," she replied with a smile.

He mustered the courage to propose, "I'd like to help you with the final output of the research, if that's okay. It's Saturday tomorrow, and we don't have classes, so staying up late should be fine."

Yana jokingly suggested that he deduct his payment if he helped. Kiel assured her that he wouldn't and confessed that he wanted to get to know her better.

Is it okay with you? You paid me for this project, so if you will help me, maybe you'll deduct your payment to me. Yana asked in a joking manner.

No, I won't deduct it, I just don't have anything else to do, and actually I also want to get to know you" my Serious and sincere response to her.

Yana's cheeks immediately turned red, and she looked down.

"Okay, if that's what you want, it's up to you," she replied. "I'll prepare a cup of coffee for you." She stood up and walked towards the kitchen.

As they worked on the project, they exchanged ideas and conducted research for hours until they completed it.

"Well, we finally finished," she said with a smile.

Kiel complimented her, saying, "You're truly amazing, Yana."

She returned the compliment, and a moment of silence passed. Kiel noticed her avoiding his gaze.

"It's time for us to talk about other things," he suggested.

She nodded, and he inquired about her relationship status. Yana revealed that she didn't have a boyfriend due to her busy schedule and her mother supporting her education.

Kiel praised her and expressed his happiness when he was with her. He couldn't help but gaze into her eyes as he spoke.

Yana returned the question, asking about his relationship status. Kiel shared that he had previous relationships in London and the US but they hadn't lasted. He admitted he hadn't found the woman who truly captured his heart yet.

Noticing her blush, he changed the subject, sensing she might not be ready to delve into this topic further. They shared jokes and laughter for hours, and Kiel was surprised to discover Yana's playful and talkative side.

Yana began to yawn, and her exhaustion became evident.

"In a few minutes, the roosters will start crowing," she remarked. "I think it's time for both of us to get some rest."

"Yes, I think it's time for you and me to get some rest too," he said with a smile.Kiek stood up and handed her a check worth 5000 dollars.

"That's too much," she said, questioning. "Consider it as my tip because you made me happy tonight," he replied.

Although hesitant at first, she eventually accepted it.

"Goodbye, Yana. See you soon," Kiel bid her goodbye, looking forward to their next meeting.