The sharp vibration of my phone jolted me from sleep.
NOK.
I picked up, still half-asleep.
"Ian, are you coming to work today or planning to quit quietly?"Her voice was sharp as ever.
I sat up immediately."Yes, yes! I'm coming."
"Then be here by 11. No excuses."
The call ended, and I was fully awake now. I glanced at the time.
10:00 AM. Shoot.
I scrambled out of bed, rushed to the fridge for water, and there it was—A note.
"It was a good day. I'm leaving early. Got work to do. –Paa"
I smiled. He didn't say much, but it always meant something when he did.
Got dressed in under 15 minutes, grabbed my essentials, and headed out.
10:55 am I reached the office lobby just in time. NOK and Phi Tann were already waiting.
"Let's go," NOK said curtly.
"Go where?" I blinked.
"Your new project," she snapped.
"Oh—yes, yes. Right. Project." I nodded like I knew what that meant.
We arrived at 1:2 Coffee in True Digital Park—modern, aesthetic, the kind of place influencers love and introverts dread.
We were waiting for the client: James Bae.
Born in the US. Raised in Korea. And now, apparently crashing into Thailand's acting and modeling scene.
He walked in and instantly made the whole place feel smaller.
I mean, he looked like he stepped out of a K-drama and into real life.
I had to pause.
The café started buzzing—people recognizing him, some subtly snapping pictures, others pretending not to notice.
NOK sighed."This is why I told you not to do it here."
Phi Tann shrugged."What can I do? James insisted."
James had booked the entire front row of tables. Probably dropped a fat tip too.
We sat, ordered coffee, and got to work. I was next to NOK while she pulled up visuals, Phi Tann handled layout talk, and James scrolled through references on his iPad.
I was zoning in until my phone suddenly rang.
Loud. Too loud.
Everyone's eyes turned toward me.
"Sorry!" I muttered, scrambling to silence it.
My stomach dropped.
PHU! His name flashed across the screen like it meant something dangerous.
I didn't know if anyone caught the name, but I didn't wait to find out.
I cancelled the call. Switched to airplane mode. Slipped the phone face-down on the table.
I kept my face neutral, but inside, my thoughts were spiraling.
After we wrapped everything up, the team finally looked relieved.
James glanced through the final presentation one last time and said, "Alright, looks good. Confirmed."
The shoot was fixed. The date was locked.
He stood up, shook hands with Phi Tann firmly, and then turned to me.
I instinctively reached out my hand, assuming the same courtesy.
But James just looked at me briefly, then turned away and said, "See you, Nok. Phi Tann."
And walked off.
My hand was still halfway in the air before I slowly pulled it back.
What the hell?
Another one of those.Creeps who act like the world belongs to them just because they've been in it longer.
Nok, who clearly saw the whole thing, rolled her eyes."Ignore him. He doesn't like working with newbies. That's just how he is."
Phi Tann chimed in as he packed his laptop, "Please keep your cool and patience during the shoot. I know you. You lose it fast when people act up."
I shrugged, but yeah… he wasn't wrong. I've never been great at tolerating unnecessary ego.
As we stepped out of the café, I muttered under my breath, "Let's just hope I don't end up throwing a matchstick at his pretty face."
Nok snorted."Don't tempt me. You'd have backup."
We all chuckled, but something in my gut told me this shoot was going to be… a test.
Of my patience. Of my pride. And possibly… something more.
We were on our way back to the office after the long meeting, and I forgot that my phone was still in aeroplane mode. The day was packed — planning, organizing the set, prepping for the shoot. I didn't even notice I skipped lunch.
Around 6 pm, Nok finally said, "Okay, Ian, we'll meet again the day after tomorrow for the shoot. Please get some rest tomorrow. James is super picky, and if he's not happy with a shot, he'll ask for a dozen more. It might go on for two to four days straight."
I nodded, exhausted, and headed home.
The moment I stepped into the house, it hit me.
Phu called earlier.
My phone was still on airplane mode.
I immediately switched it back on, and it buzzed like crazy.
10 missed calls. 2 messages. All from Phu.
Panic kicked in.
I called him back immediately. He picked up on the first ring.
Before I could even say anything, I started, "Phu, I'm really sorry, I had no idea—"
He cut me short.
Just said, "Okay."
And hung up.
Just like that.
I stood there, stunned. The silence from his end was louder than yelling.
I texted him right after.
|"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to ignore your calls. It was a hectic day. Please don't be upset."|
No reply.
I sighed and dragged myself to the shower.
Let the water wash away the stress, the guilt, and that weird ache in my chest.
Just as I stepped out, my doorbell rang.
I rushed over and looked through the peephole.
Phu.
I opened the door.
He was standing there, arms crossed, sulking like a scolded cat.
I smiled, trying to lighten the air."Now who's cute?" I muttered softly.
He looked away.
"I thought you knew the passcode," I added.
He replied, not looking at me, "Didn't want people to say I just walk in like I live here."
I laughed under my breath.
He held up a box. Pizza.
"How did you know I was hungry?"
"I didn't. I just assumed," he said.
I stepped aside, letting him in."Well… good guess."
We sat down, opened the box, and shared slices in silence for a bit. That kind of silence that wasn't heavy — it was… warm. Familiar.
He was still acting a little cold, but the fact that he was here said everything.
And that's what scared me the most.
We were having our pizza, and then there was this advertisement playing — Phu was in it, promoting some sports drink. I got completely drawn into the ad — how clean the shots were, how natural he looked, how the entire edit felt crisp and energetic.
I forgot for a second that he was sitting right next to me.
He turned slightly, watching me watch him."You liked it?" he asked.
I blinked, snapped out of it."What?"
"The advertisement," he clarified.
"Oh—yeah. Nice!" I nodded. "Was the drink any good?"
"Yeah. Sweet, and a bit sour."
"Cool," I said.
He leaned a little closer, a half-smirk playing on his lips."What about the actor?"
I turned to him slowly."What do you mean, what about the actor?"
"You like him?" he asked, clearly teasing.
I rolled my eyes, trying not to smile."Do you think you'd be sitting here if I didn't?"
That wiped the smirk off and turned it into a full smile.
I stuck out my tongue and turned toward the TV.
They were playing Crazy, Stupid, Love.
Perfect. A chaotic love story for a chaotic night.
The movie was almost at the end. I turned to him, feeling a bit unsure, and asked, "What time are you leaving?"
He looked at me… then glanced at the time."Nope. I'm staying."
I blinked, stunned."I don't have spare clothes for you."
He grinned."I've got some in my car."
I squinted at him."Why would you bring clothes before asking me?"
"I always keep a few in the car. My schedule's unpredictable—I end up staying places last minute a lot. Don't worry. You just need to lend me your water... and your bed."
"Bed?" I repeated, staring at him. "No. If you're staying, you're sleeping on the sofa."
He chuckled, raising his hands in surrender."Fine, if you say so."
He went downstairs to park his car and get his clothes. The moment he was out the door, I bolted to my room, tidied up, fixed the pillows, even sprayed a little room freshener. Then I rushed to set up a blanket and pillow for him on the sofa.
By the time he got back, small bag in hand, he gave me a knowing look but didn't say anything."Shower time," he muttered as he headed to the bathroom.
Meanwhile, I stood in the middle of my living room... panicking.