The calm didn't last long.
Chak's phone rang again.
This time—
He glanced at the screen, and something in his expression shifted just slightly.
"Phalin," he said under his breath before answering.
"…What is it?"
There was no softness in his voice.
No warmth.
Just that same controlled tone.
I watched him, my chest tightening for reasons I didn't want to name.
On the other side, her voice came through—sharp, impatient.
"I need money. Fifty thousand baht. Transfer it now."
No greeting.
No hesitation.
Just demand.
Silence.
For a second, I thought—
He might refuse.
He didn't.
"Fine," Chak said simply.
No argument.
No question.
Just agreement.
My jaw tightened.
I felt it immediately.
That sharp, uncomfortable twist in my chest.
Jealousy.
Damn it.
I looked away, but it didn't help.
Because I could already hear it—the faint sound of his phone as he made the transfer.
Fifty thousand.
Just like that.
Like it was nothing.
And for her—
It probably wasn't.
Something inside me burned.
Chak ended the call, his fingers still loosely holding the phone.
Then—
His gaze shifted.
Straight to me.
Too fast.
Too precise.
He noticed.
There was the faintest hint of amusement in his eyes.
Dangerous.
Knowing.
But he said nothing.
Instead, he leaned back slightly and looked around the room.
"Lunch," Chak said calmly. "All of you. Come with me."
Kit raised a brow.
Taeng smirked.
Vikran glanced at Anamarija.
"…Sure," he said.
Anamarija nodded lightly.
"Why not."
Everyone agreed.
Everyone except me—
I stood up anyway.
What choice did I have?
By the time we reached the parking area, the tension hadn't disappeared.
It had just… changed.
Shifted into something quieter.
Something sharper.
Chak unlocked the car without looking at me.
I slid into the passenger seat, closing the door a little harder than necessary.
He noticed that too.
The engine started.
Silence filled the space between us.
Heavy.
Then—
"You're sulking."
I shot him a look.
"I'm not."
His lips curved faintly.
"Really?" he murmured.
I crossed my arms, staring straight ahead.
"You gave her fifty thousand baht without blinking."
There.
I said it.
The silence that followed was different.
Not tense.
Not cold.
Almost… amused.
Chak let out a quiet breath, his fingers tapping lightly against the steering wheel.
"She asked," he said simply.
I turned my head sharply.
"And if I asked?"
The question slipped out before I could stop it.
Stupid.
Too revealing.
But it was too late to take it back.
Chak glanced at me.
Slowly.
That look again.
Like he could see straight through me.
"You wouldn't," he said.
A beat.
"And that's exactly the difference."
My chest tightened.
He looked back at the road.
"Phalin prefers money over me," he continued calmly. "You don't."
The words hit harder than I expected.
"And that," he added, his voice dropping slightly, "makes you very different from her."
Silence.
But this time—
It wasn't uncomfortable.
It was… something else.
Something warmer.
Something dangerous in a completely different way.
I looked down at my hands, my thoughts suddenly a mess.
Because no matter how much I tried to deny it—
Those words mattered.
More than they should have.
And for a brief moment—
I felt it.
Clear.
Undeniable.
I wasn't just someone standing next to him.
I was—
Above her.
And that feeling?
It was dangerously addictive.
The silence in the car didn't feel as heavy anymore
Not after that.
Not after what he said.
I stared ahead for a moment longer… then, slowly—
Carefully—
I moved my hand.
Just a little.
Until my fingers brushed against his.
A pause.
My heart skipped.
I almost pulled back.
But then—
I let my hand rest over his.
Light.
Uncertain.
Waiting.
Chak didn't look at me.
Didn't say anything.
But his fingers shifted slightly—
Just enough to press back.
And that small movement?
It said everything.
---
By the time we arrived, the others were already there.
The table was set.
The smell of Pad Thai filled the space, warm and comforting, completely at odds with everything that had happened just an hour ago.
We all sat down.
Plates passed.
Utensils clinked softly.
For a moment, it almost felt… normal.
Almost.
Chak picked up his fork, taking a bite before speaking like it was just another casual day.
"Kit," he said.
Kit glanced up.
"Yeah?"
"I won't be here for the next fourteen days."
That got everyone's attention.
Kit frowned slightly.
"…Why?"
Chak didn't answer immediately.
Instead—
He looked at her.
Directly.
Calm.
Certain.
"We're going to her country."
The words landed softly.
But they echoed.
Taeng's eyes lit up instantly.
"I want to go too," he said, turning toward Kit with an almost pleading look. "Come on… let's go."
Kit raised a brow, clearly amused.
Before he could answer—
Anamarija spoke.
"Then come," she said simply. "Both of you."
Taeng practically lit up.
Kit just shook his head slightly, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Vikran, however, leaned back in his chair, watching the exchange.
"I'd go too," he said after a moment.
A pause.
"But I'm heading to Japan."
His gaze shifted briefly to Anamarija.
Then away.
Calm.
But not indifferent.
And just like that—
What should have been a simple lunch…
Turned into something else entirely.
Something bigger.
Something that was only just beginning.
The conversation flowed more easily than before.
Not light—
But lighter.
Taeng was already talking about the trip, throwing ideas one after another, while Kit occasionally interrupted him with dry comments that only made it worse.
Anamarija listened, quiet but present.
Vikran spoke less, but when he did, everyone listened.
And Chak—
Chak was calm.
Too calm.
Like everything was already under control.
I tried to focus on the food.
On the conversation.
On anything but the thoughts still running through my head.
Then—
My phone rang.
I frowned slightly, glancing at the screen.
Mom.
My chest tightened instantly.
I stood up without thinking. "I'll take this."
I stepped a little aside before answering.
"…Hello?"
"Niran," my mother's voice came through, warm—but direct, as always. "Your sister and I are coming to visit today."
My heart dropped.
Today?
A flicker of panic rushed through me.
I glanced back toward the table.
Toward Chak.
Toward everything that was no longer… simple.
"…Today?" I repeated, my voice tighter than I wanted it to be.
"Yes," she continued. "We'll be there soon."
Soon.
Not later.
Not tomorrow.
Soon.
My grip on the phone tightened.
"…O-okay," I managed. "Come."
The word felt heavier than it should have.
The call ended.
I stood there for a second longer, exhaling slowly, trying to calm the sudden storm inside me.
Then I turned.
Walked back.
Sat down.
Chak noticed immediately.
His eyes lifted from his plate, settling on me.
"What is it?"
I swallowed.
"My mom… and my sister," I said, my voice lower now. "They're coming. Today."
A pause.
"They're going to my apartment."
The words felt wrong even as I said them.
Because—
It wasn't mine anymore.
Not really.
My gaze locked onto his.
"…What should I do?" I asked quietly. "I don't live there anymore."
For a second, he just looked at me.
No tension.
No surprise.
Just that same calm.
Steady.
Unshaken.
"Don't worry," Chak said softly. "It'll be fine."
That tone again.
Like he already had the answer.
"Do you have the keys?"
I blinked once, then nodded quickly, reaching into my pocket.
"…Yeah."
I placed them in his hand.
Our fingers brushed for a brief second.
Warm.
Familiar.
"Thanks," he said simply.
And just like that—
He picked up his phone.
Started typing.
Fast.
Precise.
No hesitation.
I watched him, my thoughts still racing.
Because whatever he was planning—
He had already decided.
And somehow—
That made me both calmer…
And even more nervous at the same time.
Lunch ended faster than it should have.
Or maybe—
It just felt that way.
Because my mind wasn't really there anymore.
It was somewhere else.
At my apartment.
With my mother.
With my sister.
With questions I wasn't ready to answer.
Chak stood first.
The signal was clear.
Everyone followed.
Chairs moved. Glasses clinked softly. Conversations faded into short, unfinished sentences as reality settled back in.
Outside, the air felt different.
Colder.
Sharper.
Like the break had never really happened.