Incident at the Office Garden
Evan walked briskly out of the office building. The day felt longer than usual, and his mind was still clouded with questions about all the recent changes in his life. His steps wandered aimlessly until suddenly—
"What are you doing?!"
A woman's voice stopped him in his tracks. Evan looked down. Beneath his feet, the damp soil was mixed with freshly uprooted green leaves. Plants.
"Oh," Evan sighed. "Sorry."
The woman in front of him looked irritated. She was wearing a plain white T-shirt and black pants, her long hair tied up carelessly. In her hand was a small trowel, still dirty with soil.
"Sorry?" she repeated, glaring at him. "I just planted those an hour ago!"
Evan frowned. He hadn't expected someone to be this upset over a few plants. "I'll replace them. How much?" he said casually.
The woman scoffed. "Buy more? This isn't about money, it's about effort!"
Evan raised an eyebrow. People around him usually accepted a 'pay and move on' kind of solution without protest. But this woman—she looked even more annoyed by his response.
"I don't need your money. I need you to be more careful," she continued. "Think about how it'd feel if someone stepped on something you worked hard on. You'd be upset, wouldn't you?"
Evan wasn't sure how to respond. She made sense, but she was also incredibly annoying.
"Alright," Evan finally said. "I'll be more careful next time."
She was still eyeing him with suspicion but eventually sighed. "Good," she said. "Just don't step on my plants again."
She turned around and resumed her work, as if the whole encounter had never happened. Evan lingered for a moment before walking away.
For some reason, that interaction made him a little more aware of the world around him.
And for the first time in a while, he found himself slightly intrigued by someone.
Chapter X: Unnoticed Attention
Ever since the incident in the garden, Evan had unconsciously started noticing the area every time he passed by. Normally, he wouldn't care about things like flowers, plants, or whoever took care of them. But now, whenever he walked past that little garden, his eyes instinctively searched for the woman who had scolded him that day.
And almost always, he found her.
Today, Nadira was busy arranging small potted plants along the edge of the garden as Evan passed by. She was crouched down, her hands covered in soil, but her face was serious and focused on the plants before her.
Acting on a sudden impulse, Evan slowed his pace. "Need any help?" he asked.
Nadira looked up in surprise, then returned her attention to the pots. "No, thank you."
Evan nodded but didn't walk away. His eyes followed the way Nadira worked swiftly, arranging the plants as if each one had a specific place.
"So, are you like the resident gardener here?" he asked, trying to make conversation.
Nadira let out a soft sigh. "Gardener? That sounds a bit diminishing," she said while patting down the soil around a plant. "I'm a landscape designer."
Evan frowned. "What's the difference?"
Nadira finally stopped working and looked at him. "A gardener takes care of existing plants. I design and select plants that suit this space—to keep it green, aesthetic, and pleasant for everyone passing through. Including you, who so brilliantly ruined it the other day."
Evan gave a faint smile. "Got it. Landscape designer. I'm Evan, by the way."
Nadira stared at him for a few seconds, then exhaled. "Nadira."
Evan offered his hand. Nadira hesitated, then gave it a brief shake before turning back to her work.
"Do you always hang around here?" Evan asked again.
"Do you always walk by here?" Nadira replied without looking up.
Evan chuckled. "Seems like it."
"Watch your step next time," Nadira said curtly.
Evan laughed and began to walk away, but before he left, Nadira pulled something out of her pocket. A business card.
"If you ruin the garden again, don't fix it yourself. Just let me know." She handed him the card. "Or if your office ever needs a beautiful garden—outdoor or indoor—I'm available."
Evan took the card with a slightly raised eyebrow. "You're serious?"
"Absolutely." Nadira dusted off her hands. "I've handled several projects in office buildings. So if your boss or anyone else needs landscape design, give me a call."
Evan glanced at the card before slipping it into his pocket. "Alright. Noted, Miss Landscape Designer."
Nadira just shook her head slightly. "Let's not meet again just because you stepped on more plants."
Evan smiled before finally walking away. But that day, something felt different.
Not just because of the card in his pocket, but because that little garden now felt more interesting than before.
A Reason to Meet Again
Two days after meeting Nadira, Evan still had her business card tucked in his wallet. Not because he genuinely needed a landscape designer, but because, somehow, the card felt too interesting to throw away.
That afternoon, Evan and Reza were having lunch at the office cafeteria.
"Hey, why do you keep passing by the front garden lately? Something caught your eye?" Reza asked suddenly, grinning mischievously.
Evan, stirring his coffee, gave him a sideways glance. "Just passing through."
Reza chuckled. "Don't tell me you ran into Nadira."
Evan paused mid-stir. "You know her?"
"Of course I do. She's super strict about her plants. I once worked with her on a rooftop garden project for a client's building. At first, I thought she was just a regular gardener—turns out she's extremely professional."
Evan nodded slowly. "She gave me her card."
Reza snorted. "Ha, not surprised. She's good at finding clients. But don't expect her to be nice if you're not serious about her services."
Evan gave a small smile and pulled Nadira's card from his wallet, placing it on the table. "Do you think if I invite her for a meeting about the office space, she'd come?"
Reza eyed Evan suspiciously. "Are you seriously thinking of hiring her? Or are you just looking for an excuse to see her again?"
Evan shrugged casually. "The office could use a little greenery, right?"
Reza laughed. "Go ahead, but don't pretend to be a client. That girl can read intentions in five seconds."
Evan pocketed the card again. "Alright. Let's see what happens."
A few hours later, Evan finally sent a message to the number on the card.
Evan: Hi, Nadira. It's Evan—the guy who messed up the office garden the other day.
It didn't take long for a reply to arrive.
Nadira: Did you step on the plants again?
Evan smiled at the message.
Evan: Not yet. But our office might need a landscape designer. Can we set up a time to meet?
There was a brief pause before another message popped up.
Nadira: Alright. Send me the details, I'll take a look.
Evan stared at his screen, then gave a small smile. It was just about a garden, sure—but something about this project felt a lot more interesting than the usual office work.