Need some reality check from the online CSI squad because my gym bro says I’m giving off major creep vibes, but I honestly think I’m just being strategic.
Context: I’m an engineer in my company (typical standard tech/ops side, standard unglam polo t-shirt and jeans look). A few months ago, this new girl joined the Finance department. Bro, the first time I saw her in the office, my heart literally skipped a beat. She is exactly my type—sweet, neatly dressed, and always looking very professional.
But the problem is, our departments are completely segregated. Zero crossover. I have absolutely no reason to email her, let alone talk to her. If I just sit at my desk and do nothing, I will remain invisible forever. So, I decided to make my own opportunity.
I started tracking her routine, but in a subtle way lah. I realized she usually takes the same feeder bus from the MRT station to our office park around 8:15 AM. So now, I purposely wait at the bus stop earlier, and when she arrives, I format myself to board right behind or next to her. Just to say a simple “Good morning” and smile.
Then during lunch, if I see her walking towards the lift lobby with her clique, I will suddenly tell my team, “Eh go buy cai fan now,” just so I can catch the same lift down. The worst (or best) part is the pantry. My desk actually has a clear view of the water dispenser. Every time I see her walking in to wash her mug or get water, I will immediately gei siao (pretend) that my water bottle is empty or that I suddenly have an urgent, life-or-death craving for Nescafe. I’ll rush in, act surprised, and say, “Oh hey, you also making drink ah?”
When I told my best friend this over beer last weekend, he stared at me like I was some psycho. He straight up told me: “Limpeh tell you frankly, you like a stalker. If she finds out you timing her bus and pantry runs, she will call HR on you immediately.”
But wait, hear me out first! My “Operation: Get Noticeable” is actually working. Last week, I finally took the leap and messaged her on Microsoft Teams about a generic company-wide townhall thing. Because we already say hi in person, she actually replied very warmly! Now, we occasionally have casual chats on Teams, talking about weekend plans and complaining about the office aircon. From zero interaction, now we are on texting terms.
So my question to Singapore online users is: Am I really still a stalker if I’m actually making legitimate progress? I didn’t follow her home or look through her windows what. I just engineered some coincidences to break the ice. Is this considered creepy, or is it just the modern Singaporean way of securing the high-SES Finance girlfriend? Please advise, otherwise, I don’t know if I should ask her out for coffee or start preparing my statement for HR.