As soon as he arrives at the office, Faris leisurely picks his coffee up as usual, slipping it while admiring the vast cityscape below. Of course, he only drinks black coffee without sugar, which is his signature habit that Mali, Faris's secretary, always has to keep in mind.

Putting his coffee cup down on the table, Faris, pretending not to be in a hurry, picks up his phone, and opens the familiar IG app. Are there any 'annoying glowing circles' today? Or any posts marked with a ⭐️?

After the accidental slip into James's IG, Faris almost always "accidentally" checks it at least once a day to see if there is anything new. He even convinces himself that he has a compulsive disorder with the glowing story circles, so he "has to" click on them to eliminate the annoying light.

It was amusing, really, how a sharp mind like him could have an irrational excuse!

"Don't you see, James Su? Among your millions of followers, why don't you notice an outstanding fan like me out there?" - He muttered smirking.

"Boss, we need to head to Paragon Hall. The car is ready in the lobby." - Mali's voice broke through Faris's self-absorbed moment.

"Alright, I'll be there in a minute!" - Faris quickly responded, shaking off the previous thought.

[At Paragon Hall]

"Yok, Boat, come over here and have breakfast. You've been setting up since yesterday!" - James waved from afar, holding a box of sandwiches with orange jam filling that he had prepared himself.

"Oh, you finished work late yesterday, why not sleep a little more, P'James!" - Nong Boat, who was Yok's boyfriend (Yok being James's younger sister) - "I and Yok have everything ready!"

"Without you two, how could I get enough sleep? Come over here and have breakfast, let me take over the rest!" - James shoved the sandwich box into Boat's hand and started tidying up.

"My brother is so cuteee!" - Yok pinched James's cheeks and ran off with the sandwich.

The three of them are running a small fashion brand called BlackDaisy, specializing in products designed by James himself. Today was the first day displaying their products at a major shopping mall, so everyone was busy and anxious about whether things would go smoothly.

There was so much to take care of checking the register system, filling forms, managing customer check-in and check-out, printing pre-order slips, preparing gifts and brochures, etc. In no time, James was a mess, sweat beading on his forehead and his hair in disarray.

–

At the same time, Faris finished his meeting and was led by Ben, Paragon Hall's CMO, to tour the prime locations he had selected.

From a distance, he had recognized the familiar one - the boy he had been following every day - standing in a clothing booth named Blackdaisy, that name that sounded familiar. Today, the boy wasn't wearing makeup, styling his hair, or wearing the gorgeous outfits he wore at events, nor was full of energy in his dance videos on social media. The boy was busy hanging clothes on racks and taking notes on a checklist. It was those same eyes, but today they sparkled with seriousness and passion as if he was immersed in the work he loved.

"What's that booth over there?" - He asked Ben curiously.

"Oh, that's an area where Paragon Hall supports small businesses. They can display their products here for a day. And the criteria for approval are quite strict; only quality products are allowed." - Ben explained.

He just silently took a few steps forward, snapped a few photos with his phone, and then left.

.

On the way back to the company, Faris couldn't take his eyes off the photos he had just taken. He sent them to P'Aof with a teasing message:

"Are you paying him too little that he has to work so hard?" - As soon as he sent the message, he worried that he had been too blunt.

As expected, P'Aof was puzzled, trying to process the question after receiving the message. Both of them were looking at their phone screens with questioning expressions, and after a while, P'Aof replied:

"James Su? He's running an online store selling his own designs!" - P'Aof replied after a while - "So, feeling sorry for him? Help him get an apartment?" - Came the second message.

"I will!" - Faris responded in less than 30 seconds.

@@! This was exactly P'Aof's expression. He replied with a surprised smiley emoji, complaining and teasing at the same time - "My dear brother, my artist hasn't afford a $5 million apartment like you!" - P'Aof complained while also teasing.

Faris laughed - 'Aren't I staying in one?' - Of course, he said this to himself and ignored P'Aof's message there.

And this was the fourth time he had seen the kid outside. But watching him stirred a strange, there was something oddly sympathy!

-

'With each encounter, you awaken a wave of unfamiliar emotions of delicate white flowers still damp with early morning dew. The white flowers bloom with soft petals, spreading a pure fragrance, yet within them lies a fierce vitality. You have this independence and resilience in abundance, but I still want to give you my special brand of care.'