Jeanna's days at Orion System started quietly — a rhythm she had slowly come to appreciate. The office was bright and modern, its glass walls letting the morning light wash over tidy desks and soft-gray partitions. The faint hum of computers, the clicking of keyboards, and the murmur of coworkers filled the air like a gentle, unending song.
As one of the newest hires in the Sales Department, Jeanna often felt like a small gear turning inside a vast machine. Everything around her moved with practiced precision — calls answered in seconds, reports submitted on time, deals closed with careful smiles. She was still learning how to keep up, still trying to blend in. But that was fine. Everyone had to start somewhere.
Her team, Team Delta, was made up of people with distinct energies. Rina was meticulous, always double-checking everything; Kai had a calm presence but sharp humor; Jude liked to talk about weekend plans more than sales strategies; Macy handled client follow-ups with impressive confidence. And then there was Trixie — bubbly, outspoken, and like Jeanna, still new to everything.
Their leader, Erin Santos, was someone Jeanna quickly admired. Erin was strict yet approachable, always guiding without making her team feel pressured. She had a way of balancing expectations with empathy — something Jeanna silently appreciated on her most unsure days.
Every morning followed a routine. Jeanna would grab a cup of coffee from the pantry, nod at whoever was already there, and settle at her desk before the daily huddle. Her tasks were mostly the basics — checking email responses, updating leads on spreadsheets, preparing product lists, and encoding reports for Erin's review.
It wasn't glamorous, but Jeanna liked it. The consistency grounded her. It gave her space to focus — something she needed after months of personal changes and responsibilities back home.
During lunch breaks, she and Trixie often ate together near the pantry window, where they could see the busy street below. Trixie loved to talk — about TV shows, coworkers, office gossip, or the snacks in the vending machine.
One day, she leaned closer, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Hey," Trixie began in a whisper. "Have you heard about Ethan from Team Zephyr?"
Jeanna looked up from her lunchbox, curious but calm. "Ethan?"
"Yeah," Trixie nodded, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. "He's like, the talk of the floor. Joined just last month but already hitting targets like crazy. Tall, kind of quiet, long hair — the K-drama-looking guy who everyone keeps mentioning."
Jeanna chuckled softly. "You make him sound like a celebrity."
Trixie grinned. "Well, he kinda is. Even the team leaders talk about him in meetings. He's smart, confident, and apparently super polite. The kind who makes people stare without realizing it."
"Too good to be real," Jeanna said, shaking her head. "That's exactly why I don't bother paying attention."
Trixie gasped playfully. "You're hopeless! Come on, admit it — if you've seen him, you'd at least agree he's attractive."
Jeanna smiled faintly. "Maybe. But I think people like that know they're attractive. And they know how to use it."
"Wow," Trixie said with mock offense. "You really are immune."
"I'm not," Jeanna replied, sipping her juice. "I just think some people shine too bright on purpose."
Trixie laughed. "You'll see. He's not what you think."
The conversation faded as they returned to work, but later that week, Jeanna found herself in the pantry again, finishing her coffee when a group from another team walked in. Among them was someone who instantly stood out — tall, composed, his dark hair brushing his shoulders.
Ethan.
He smiled when people greeted him — not the practiced smile of someone trying to impress, but a quiet, genuine one. His voice was calm when he spoke, and his tone carried the kind of confidence that didn't need to be loud.
Jeanna looked away quickly, pretending to check her phone. Still, something about him lingered — the way he listened when others talked, the way he seemed both part of the group and detached from it.
When Trixie returned and caught her glancing in that direction, she whispered excitedly, "See? That's him. Ethan."
"I figured," Jeanna said, not meeting her gaze.
"You were staring," Trixie teased.
"I was observing," Jeanna corrected with a calm tone.
Trixie grinned. "Same thing."
Jeanna smiled, shaking her head. But she couldn't deny it — Ethan didn't seem like the typical confident type she had imagined. There was something… quieter about him.
Later that day, Jeanna stayed late to finish a report for Erin. Most of the lights in the office had dimmed; only a few people were left working. As she stood to submit the printed report, she noticed someone walking toward their area — Ethan. He was carrying folders, probably heading to the supervisor's station.
Their eyes met briefly — just for a second. He gave her a polite nod. She nodded back, her heartbeat skipping slightly for reasons she couldn't explain.
When he passed by, his faint scent of cologne lingered, subtle and clean, like pine after rain.
"Hey," Trixie said softly from behind her monitor, pretending to type. "He looked at you."
Jeanna rolled her eyes. "He looked at everyone."
"Uh-huh," Trixie teased. "Keep telling yourself that."
Jeanna chuckled under her breath, returning to her desk. "You watch too many dramas."
By the time she clocked out, the rain had already stopped outside. The city lights shimmered against the wet streets as she walked toward the bus stop, her bag hanging lightly from her shoulder.
Her thoughts wandered — not about Ethan, but about Mira, her sister, and little Mia Ellie, who would probably be waiting for her at home, asking what snack she brought this time.
Work was tiring, but it gave her purpose. Every day was a step forward — for herself, for her family.
Still, as she lay in bed that night, her mind drifted back to that one brief moment — Ethan's calm gaze meeting hers, the faint curiosity in his expression.
It wasn't flirtation. It wasn't attention-seeking. It was something quieter.
A spark, maybe.
But Jeanna brushed the thought aside with a small sigh. People in offices came and went. Crushes, gossip, glances — they were all part of the rhythm of working life.
Ethan was just another name, another story in the same building.
And yet, as she closed her eyes, she realized that one small, quiet spark had already found its way into her thoughts — and it stayed there longer than she expected.