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"Can we talk?" Chen asked as Joy packs up. 

It's a little after seven in the evening and the two of them were one of the last few employees yet to leave the office.

"Huh? What about?" Joy replies distractedly. "I promised Mark I'd join him on his Friday night food trip and we’d be leaving in a few…"

"Are you two going out?" Chen blurted, feeling heat rush into his face. 

"What?" Joy halted from filling her bag with her thing and opting to give Chen a bewildered look instead.

Chen swallows, this is it; he can't back down. "I mean… you and Mark… are you two going out?"

Joy was silent for a minute, and she's grinning cheekily just like always, "Of course. Didn't I just say that I'm joining him on a food trip? It's practically going out. Why?"

"I meant if you’re dating."

"W-what?!!" Joy stutters, eyes going wide as her face turned a little red. "What are you talking about?!"

"You're always out with him. If that isn't dating, then I don't know what is." Chen scoffs.

"Can't friends go out once in a while?" Joy replies also with a scoff. "What's it to you anyways?" she ask and finished up packing.

"What it is to me? Nothing, of course.' Chen lies through gritted teeth. "I just kind of realized that we hadn't had a bet in a long while. Want to have one? How about how long until he realizes how much of an annoying brat you are? I'd say a week more and he'd be running away from your wild ways and back to China."

He tries to sound teasing as much as he could but it seemed to have no effect on Joy. And really? What the hell is he doing? Isn't he supposed to be confessing or something? Not making another bet!

Joy ignores the jibe and gave her desk one last check before deeming it that she had all of her things. "I don't want to. I'll see you on Monday, boss."

Chen gapes for a moment before walking after Joy, "Yah! Why not? Scared I'd win and you'd end up losing to me and losing redhead too?" he taunted. 

"No." Joy replies sternly. "Just leave it, Mr. Kim."

Chen only gets more infuriated when Joy calls him Mr. Kim again, he hates how it sound so formal when the two of them never really had to act so formal before.

"No. Tell me why you don't want to have a bet with me! Are you scared? Have you gone chicken since the last time we had a bet? You always had been confident you'd win. What's wrong now?" he jeered.

"Maybe I just have better things to do than have another stupid bet with you?"
 Joy replies hotly.

"Better things to do, huh? Like what? Like dating Mark?"

"I told you we're not dating, okay?" Joy stopped and faced Chen. "We're just friends and I like going out with him."

"You used to like having bets with me too." Chen pointed out. "What happened?"

Joy was silent for a moment, and she sighs. "Maybe I just got tired? It's all stupid bet with you, Chen. I think… I think we should stop now. We're not kids anymore. I think we've already had our fill of fun betting on other people's lives."

Chen chooses his next words carefully; "No… you can't stop. We can't stop."

"Why not? Chen, aren't you tired of bickering with me? We were never really friends. All we did is fight and be all the time. Back then it was fun… but now… I realized that it's not healthy for either of us. We need to grow up some time and I guess that time is now."

"You can't forget me." Chen cut in, voice just above a whisper.

"What?"

"We are not friends. Even if you work for me now, we still are not friends or anything. Without the game… there's no us." Chen looked at Joy straight in the eyes, "And I don't think I can live without us."

"What are you--" Joy let's out a confused chuckle, "What the heck are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about me not ready to lose you, Joy." Chen replies firmly. He took a step closer, "I'm talking about me not ready for you to let me go. I can't, okay? I'm used to having you around. I just can't imagine that you're not there to bicker with me everyday. I just can't imagine not seeing your smug smirks when you win a bet. I just can't imagine not anticipating another day to see you and betting about the most random of things so I can actually salvage my pride. I want you there, okay? So we can't stop."

Chen was just a couple of feet away from Joy when he stopped. There a slight glint of disbelief in Joy's eyes that pricked Chen's chest.

"You are so selfish. How can you just demand something like that? I'm tired of these games, Chen. I don't want to do it anymore." Joy shakes her head. "I've been doing it for a long time now and…"

"I like you." Chen blurted out. "I really like you. At first, it was just about saving my ego. You always win. But now I realized… I'm only doing it because I want your attention. We're not friends, and without it, I'm nothing to you. And yes, you were right all this time. I'm just as dumb as my friends. I couldn't see that the important things I need is right there beside but I refused to see it. And when I was finally beginning to lose it, I finally realized that I can't live without it."

Joy stayed silent, avoiding Chen's eyes. "Chen… I don't really know what to say… I… I didn't even expect for you to--"

Chen smiles ruefully. His chest is aching, but he knew when he made the decision to confess that this could end just as Tao and Janelle's story. "It's okay, Joy. You were right. It's selfish of me to ask you something ridiculous. Don't fret about it, okay? Just think about it as another of my weird quirks."

He turns and left Joy with a small backward wave, walking away with his heart slowly tearing to pieces. 

Looks like he needs to find a new betting partner now.

 

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