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Minjae hummed to herself as she watered her garden, the late afternoon sun warming her back. Every now and then, she let her gaze drift over to the house next door. 

She tried to be subtle about it, but curiosity tugged at her each time she caught a glimpse of her new neighbor, Jake. She'd only met him briefly, but his quiet, brooding presence had left her wondering. 

Something about him didn't quite add up with his standoffish exterior. It had only been an hour since she'd left him with that plate of cookies, but here she was, keeping half an eye on his house, wondering if he'd even bothered to try one.

Just as she was about to turn back to her watering, movement on his porch caught her eye. She blinked, pleasantly surprised to see Jake sitting on the front steps, his gaze focused down at his phone with a pair of earbuds tucked in his ears. 

Minjae stifled a laugh, but not because of the sight of him so focused on his phone—it was because he was holding a cookie in one hand, taking small, absentminded bites between scrolling. Her heart did a tiny, happy flip at the sight. 

So he had tried them! 

Without thinking twice, Minjae set down her watering can and trotted over to the low picket fence separating their front yards. "Looks like you do have a sweet tooth after all, Jake!" she called out teasingly.

Jake paused mid-scroll, glancing up at her with mild surprise, clearly having been so absorbed in his own world that he hadn't noticed her approaching. He plucked one of his earbuds out, his expression shifting to something between annoyance and embarrassment. 

"I didn't say that," he replied. He glanced at the cookie in his hand and blinked, like he had just been caught doing something embarrassing.

Minjae's grin only widened as she leaned her elbows on the fence, tilting her head at him. "You didn't have to," she teased, eyes twinkling. "The cookie says it all."

Jake sighed, lowering the cookie with a subtle roll of his eyes. But, despite the sigh, there was something almost playful in the way he shook his head at her. "I guess... it's not bad," he mumbled, looking as if he'd rather be caught doing just about anything else.

"Mhm," Minjae clapped her hands. "That's practically a compliment coming from you!"

Jake opened his mouth, probably ready to give her some deadpan comeback, but before he could say anything, Minjae pushed open the fence and plopped down on the step beside him, acting as if they were already old friends. 

Jake's gaze narrowed, the hint of warmth fading as quickly as it had appeared. He straightened, shifting just enough that Minjae would have to notice the subtle distance he was creating. "What are you doing?" he muttered, his tone edging back to its familiar iciness.

"Sitting." She clasped her hands in her lap and looked out at the street like she'd been invited to sit there all along. "Why, is it forbidden?"

Jake took a small breath, looking like he was about to tell her yes, it absolutely was forbidden, but then he stopped himself. He ran a hand through his messy brown hair, his frown deepening.