Chapter 1
The tumble into fate
The morning sun bathed Paris in a golden glow, casting long shadows as the city began to wake. Aroma Dubois, already in a flurry of activity, darted through the narrow streets of Montmartre, her mind occupied with a thousand thoughts. She balanced a precariously stacked tray of croissants in one hand and her bag in the other, her steps as erratic as her daydreams.
"Aroma! Watch out!" a voice called out.
Too late. Aroma stumbled over a loose cobblestone, and the world seemed to slow down. The croissants flew into the air, her bag slipped from her shoulder, and she found herself sprawled on the ground, face-to-face with a pair of shiny black shoes.
"Need a hand?" a deep, slightly amused voice asked.
Aroma looked up, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, to see a man offering his hand. He had an air of casual elegance, his tousled dark hair and intense green eyes hinting at an artist's soul. Aroma blinked, momentarily lost for words, before grasping his hand and allowing him to help her to her feet.
"Thanks," she mumbled, brushing off her skirt. "I, uh, seem to have a knack for this sort of thing."
"No harm done," he replied with a slight smile. "I'm Lucas, by the way."
"Aroma. Aroma Dubois."
Before the conversation could continue, a whirlwind of energy arrived in the form of Zimmi, Aroma's best friend. With her bright red hair and infectious enthusiasm, Zimmi was impossible to miss.
"Aroma! Are you okay?" Zimmi asked, eyes wide with concern.
"I'm fine, just my usual clumsy self," Aroma replied, trying to gather the scattered croissants.
Zimmi laughed, the sound ringing through the air. "Well, at least you made a dramatic entrance. Hi, I'm Zimmi," she said, extending a hand to Lucas.
"Lucas," he said, shaking her hand with a nod.
As the three of them picked up the remnants of Aroma's breakfast delivery, a third figure joined them, carrying a box of freshly baked pastries. Saize, with his calm demeanor and immaculate chef's uniform, appeared as if conjured by magic.
"I brought extras, just in case," Saize said, his voice soothing. "Looks like I was right to."
"Saize, you're a lifesaver," Aroma sighed in relief.
"Always," Saize replied with a gentle smile. "Now, let's get these to the café before anything else happens."
As they walked together, Aroma couldn't help but glance at Lucas, her heart fluttering in a way she didn't quite understand. Zimmi and Saize chatted animatedly, discussing the latest drama in Zimmi's love life and Saize's new pastry creations, but Aroma's thoughts kept drifting back to the man beside her.
When they reached the cozy little café where Aroma worked, she finally turned to Lucas. "Thank you again for helping me," she said, feeling a bit more composed.
"It was my pleasure," Lucas replied. "Maybe I'll see you around?"
"Maybe," Aroma echoed, a shy smile playing on her lips.
As Lucas walked away, Aroma's heart raced with a new kind of excitement. She couldn't have known it then, but this fateful morning marked the beginning of an adventure filled with laughter, love, and the beautiful chaos that only a clumsy girl in Paris could navigate.
The morning sun bathed Paris in a golden glow, casting long shadows as the city began to wake. Aroma Dubois, already in a flurry of activity, darted through the narrow streets of Montmartre, her mind occupied with a thousand thoughts. She balanced a precariously stacked tray of croissants in one hand and her bag in the other, her steps as erratic as her daydreams.
"Aroma! Watch out!" a voice called out.
Too late. Aroma stumbled over a loose cobblestone, and the world seemed to slow down. The croissants flew into the air, her bag slipped from her shoulder, and she found herself sprawled on the ground, face-to-face with a pair of shiny black shoes.
"Need a hand?" a deep, slightly amused voice asked.
Aroma looked up, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, to see a man offering his hand. He had an air of casual elegance, his tousled dark hair and intense green eyes hinting at an artist's soul. Aroma blinked, momentarily lost for words, before grasping his hand and allowing him to help her to her feet.
"Thanks," she mumbled, brushing off her skirt. "I, uh, seem to have a knack for this sort of thing."
"No harm done," he replied with a slight smile. "I'm Lucas, by the way."
"Aroma. Aroma Dubois."
Before the conversation could continue, a whirlwind of energy arrived in the form of Zimmi, Aroma's best friend. With her bright red hair and infectious enthusiasm, Zimmi was impossible to miss.
"Aroma! Are you okay?" Zimmi asked, eyes wide with concern.
"I'm fine, just my usual clumsy self," Aroma replied, trying to gather the scattered croissants.
Zimmi laughed, the sound ringing through the air. "Well, at least you made a dramatic entrance. Hi, I'm Zimmi," she said, extending a hand to Lucas.
"Lucas," he said, shaking her hand with a nod.
As the three of them picked up the remnants of Aroma's breakfast delivery, a third figure joined them, carrying a box of freshly baked pastries. Saize, with his calm demeanor and immaculate chef's uniform, appeared as if conjured by magic.
"I brought extras, just in case," Saize said, his voice soothing. "Looks like I was right to."
"Saize, you're a lifesaver," Aroma sighed in relief.
"Always," Saize replied with a gentle smile. "Now, let's get these to the café before anything else happens."
As they walked together, Aroma couldn't help but glance at Lucas, her heart fluttering in a way she didn't quite understand. Zimmi and Saize chatted animatedly, discussing the latest drama in Zimmi's love life and Saize's new pastry creations, but Aroma's thoughts kept drifting back to the man beside her.
When they reached the cozy little café where Aroma worked, she finally turned to Lucas. "Thank you again for helping me," she said, feeling a bit more composed.
"It was my pleasure," Lucas replied. "Maybe I'll see you around?"
"Maybe," Aroma echoed, a shy smile playing on her lips.
As Lucas walked away, Aroma's heart raced with a new kind of excitement. She couldn't have known it then, but this fateful morning marked the beginning of an adventure filled with laughter, love, and the beautiful chaos that only a clumsy girl in Paris could navigate.