Close-up of Gay BJ

It wasn't just the fans, but many were confused about Mindy Kaling and Novak's relationship status.

In a 2012 interview with Vulture, Novak confessed that he and Kaling were never quite sure if they were dating or not.

"No one, including us, ever really knew, 'Is this dating? Is this not dating?' We were never truly dating, nor were we ever really not dating. We were in the dark. Nobody knew," he conveyed. "The only thing you could be certain of was that you'd always find one of us close to the other, even if we weren't getting along."

During that same 2012 interview with Vulture, Novak divulged that their real-life connection frequently inspired Kelly and Ryan's dynamic on the show.

"Sometimes viewers would ask, 'Are Ryan and Kelly together now, or not together?' It's not even that I wouldn't know. I reckoned the query was missing the essence." Novak stated. "Write whatever you desire. Thus, Kelly required a boyfriend this week, hence Ryan goes on a date. Ryan and Kelly are becoming engaged ... I believe it was an expression of the relationship we were in."

However, he appended that the couple's true breakup didn't mirror their characters'.

"In real life, I think we essentially matured, and it changed into more of a shift," he mentioned.

During a 2014 appearance on "The Howard Stern Show," Kaling said that Novak once ended their relationship, and this left her feeling devastated.

"It was years and years ago that that breakup occurred," she expressed. "I was so sad, not infuriated, just despondent."

When Stern queried her whether she would have wedded him if he proposed, she answered, "At the time? Yes. I was twenty-four. For the record, if anyone asked me to wed them, I would have acquiesced."

Nonetheless, she isn't anticipating them to reunite. 

"I adore him, and I deem him to be a wonderful person, but I'm not holding a candle for BJ," she shared.

In a 2015 interview with InStyle, Kaling's pronouncements concerning Novak led numerous fans to speculate they'd rekindle their relationship.

"I will freely concede: My bond with BJ Novak is utterly bizarre," she confided. "He is not my boyfriend, but he's not my closest companion. I suppose one could describe our relationship as a 'romantically charged camaraderie with vociferous disagreements,' but I doubt Facebook would endorse this as a fresh status."

Novak corroborated in a 2013 interview with Entertainment Weekly that anybody who's dated Kaling or Novak since their introduction has felt threatened by their relationship.

"We're nearly inseparable closest friends with a great deal of chemistry between ourselves, and we aren't dating. Whenever we date anyone else, I believe there's a period when the person is quite suspicious of our friendship," he said.

"'It seems everyone presumes you two might be a couple, and I do not wish to get in the way. Are you certain you're not dating? Are you certain you're not going to ultimately date?' It's a common occurrence to have that platonic best friend who becomes a bit awkward when you begin dating somebody."

In a 2015 interview with The Guardian, Kaling was questioned regarding her perception of the fans who wish for the two of them to end up as a couple.

"When people say that, it makes me feel so cool. Like, oh, people are thinking about me like I'm a character," she stated. "We are so different and we bicker often, but the gift [Novak] has invariably bestowed upon me is the absolute and complete belief that I am one of the greats. And it's an enthralling feeling."

It is hardly surprising that Kaling and Novak were exceptionally close while filming "The Office."

During a Reddit AMA in 2014, Novak penned, "I was closest with Mindy Kaling, and also least close with Mindy Kaling, on a minute-by-minute basis. And I wouldn't trade it for the world."

He continued, "In truth, I would trade it for the world. What am I even saying: I'd trade it for a more consistently positive relationship with Mindy Kaling. She's the best."

On an episode of "The Office," Michael endeavored to confess his affection to an ex-girlfriend, but he was unable to decipher his own handwriting. Instead of uttering "soul mates" he misread it as "soup snakes," hence fans of the show now employ the phrase as a term of endearment.

Kaling and Novak have embraced the term to describe their individual relationship and have alluded to it numerous times on social media.

In a 2013 tweet, Novak wrote, "Mindy and I are soup-snakes." He further posted a photograph on Instagram"

Kaling has also used the term, tweeting at Novak in 2013, "you're my soup snake," and once again later that year, "happy birthday to my soup snake." 

During a 2015 discussion about his children's book, "The Book With No Pictures," Novak was asked what it's like to be Kaling's companion.

According to Bustle, he remarked, "It's truly a blast to be her BFF. It's an amazing connection with a lot of shorthand. I feel remarkably fortunate that I receive a brilliant text from Mindy Kaling, maybe every hour. It's akin to something you'd win at an auction — Mindy Kaling will blow up your phone!"