On the rooftop of Central World, CRU Champagne Bar was like a beacon in the heart of Bangkok. Music filled the vast space, blending with the cheerful laughter of DMD members. Everyone was enjoying delicious food, from exquisite appetizers to main courses. Premium sparkling wine was poured into full glasses, elevating everyone's culinary experience. Everyone was enjoying a lively gathering.

At a quieter bar table by the corridor, overlooking the streets below, Faris had shed his coat and vest, now dressed simply in a black shirt. He sat with P'Aof, sipping a neat Macallan whisky.

"Since when?" - P'Aof turned to ask Faris. The question seemed vague until he continued - "When did you get to know him?"

"Two years ago!" - Seeing P'Aof's raised eyebrow, he laughed - "You didn't expect it, did you? Neither did I!"

Faris couldn't quite believe it had already been two years, and past moments flashed through his mind. Even while chatting, his gaze kept drifting toward someone in the crowd. James was clearly enjoying the lively atmosphere with everyone, and Faris was here too, he was the same.

"Do you think this bet is too big?" - P'Aof asked, this time simply listening without offering any opinion.

"I only think about the case where I win!" - He replied slowly, true to the nature of a knight who always moves towards his goal. Once Faris decided to invest, it was rare for a project to fail. But this "project" seemed to stir a hint of uncertainty within him.

"Haha, that's so you, Faris. I'm waiting to see how it turns out!" - P'Aof nodded, raising his glass to clink with Faris's as if in encouragement.

A bit later, the party was still going strong, with the young men immersing themselves in the energetic party tonight. Faris called a nearby waiter - "A Mocktail Coconut Ginger Lime for me, just use two small slices of ginger, please!"

"From neat whisky to a mocktail? Is this really Faris I'm talking to?" - P'Aof asked in surprise.

"No, I'm ordering it for James—he's getting pretty tipsy!" - Faris replied, his eyes once again glancing toward James. He remembered James once mentioning he disliked getting too drunk because it gave him headaches. And of course, those subtle frowns or the times James would unconsciously rub his temples had not escaped Faris's notice.

"You really... know what he drinks?"

"He likes coconut. And since he needs to sober up, there's lime and ginger—but James doesn't like ginger that much, so I asked them to just use two small slices!" - Faris responded naturally as if he had memorized it long ago.

"....." - P'Aof was surprised every time he learned something new between the two of them.

The waiter brought the drink, and Faris called him over, who was chatting happily with Gen 3. James walked over with a Negroni in hand, this was his third glass tonight, perhaps he was in a good mood.

As soon as he put the glass down on the table, Faris pushed the mocktail toward him and moved Negroni aside. In front of James was a smoothie-like drink with the creamy white color of coconut, decorated with a few slices of green lemon on top. It looked like a refreshing beverage as Faris explained:

"Sober up!"

"Huh...?" - James looked at Faris, his eyes slightly red from the alcohol, still not fully grasping his intention.

"Drink too much, and you'll get a headache. We still have to meet the members tomorrow." - Faris got lost in those eyes for a few seconds.

"Oh, thank you, P'Faris!" James took a sip, immediately feeling more refreshed by the tangy sweetness and creamy richness of the drink. Although it had a hint of ginger, it wasn't overpowering, blending surprisingly well with the overall flavor - "It's really good—what's it called?"

"Mocktail Coconut Ginger Lime, low ginger. You should drink mocktails because they're alcohol-free!" - Faris tilted his head and explained patiently. The atmosphere made P'Aof wonder if he should continue to be here.

.

It was past 1 AM, and the lively atmosphere was gradually calming down. Exhausted after a long night of partying, everyone decided to take taxis home to ensure safety.

While everyone gathered in the building lobby, a full black Porsche slowly approached, its deep engine growling. The way it moved through the crowd, one by one, successfully drew everyone's attention with its inherent aura. However, the car also stopped beside the walkway.

Of course, no one knew who owned this "black beast," except for James and P'Aof. Seeing the car leave such a deep impression on him, James left the crowd and went to say goodbye to the person inside. Faris quickly stepped out of the car, the scene looked like something straight out of a movie.

Leaning against the car, Faris asked - "We're heading the same way. Let me drive you home."

"I... I'm going back with everyone" - James replied hesitantly, gesturing toward the group.

"I have something to discuss about the Boyband!" - Faris folded his arms.

"What? But right now?" - James was taken aback, thinking to himself - 'Does this capitalist never sleep?'

"Just 30 minutes, can I learn more about the members? After all, we're meeting them tomorrow, aren't we?" - He put on a troubled expression as if James's non-cooperation was hindering their common work.

"Oh... just like that?" - At the mention of the members, James didn't mind working overtime.

"Yes, just that."

After a short discussion, James finally agreed. Faris stepped aside, opened the passenger door, and motioned for him to get in. The car sped away around the corner, leaving more questions for the crowd there.

"You really don't hold back, huh? But I guess that's fair—it's been two years, not just a day or two!" - P'Aof chuckled.

_

For the first 15 minutes, Faris remained silent. In truth, he just wanted to make sure James got home safely and had no intention of discussing the Boyband. With no conversation, James soon drifted off to sleep without realizing it. Faris took off his jacket and draped it over him.

They had been parked outside James's apartment for over 30 minutes now, but he was still sound asleep. Faris took the opportunity to watch the little one, feeling the quiet presence of him inside his car. He gently unbuckled James's seatbelt to make him more comfortable.

The familiar scent on Faris's coat, which James had been smelling all day, woke him up suddenly. He jolted upright in a panic, nearly hitting his head on the car's interior. Fortunately, Faris's hand blocked it just in time, so instead of hitting the hard frame of the "black monster", James bumped into a real human hand.

James, feeling guilty, immediately began apologizing, his face filled with remorse. Seeing his reaction, Faris teased him further.

"Ahh~ are you trying to kill yourself in my car? That really hurt, you know!"

Extremely embarrassed, James could only grab Faris's hand and rub it gently in apology, his eyes, which had just woken up, still had a sparkling look as he apologized profusely.

'Please stop being this...cute!' - Faris's inner thoughts were in turmoil, and he couldn't bear to take his hand back.

"All right, all right. So, what were you dreaming about?"

"I dreamt I slipped and fell off the bar earlier..." - After saying that, he was ashamed of his silly dream, and then covered his mouth to hide his giggles.

Faris said - "I'm just kidding! Now go and get some rest, we'll meet everyone tomorrow!" - Since meeting him, many things have made him happier.

James said goodbye, still feeling flustered by what had just happened, but comforted himself with the thought that he had grown a bit closer to his "boss." Maybe it wasn't all that bad, right?

As James entered the elevator, he realized he was still holding Faris's jacket.

"Gah, clumsy again, James Suuuuu!!!"

_

The DMD was bustling the next morning as many members were preparing to attend an event together. James arrived and quickly joined the lively atmosphere. Some people who were there yesterday couldn't resist bringing up last night's events:

"How did little James feel sitting in that car? Was it a racing car?" - Everyone around was excitedly discussing yesterday's scene, how cool the car was, how radiant its owner was, and finally teasing the younger one:

"Ohh... so, we have a CEO and a handsome young actor, huh?" - The excitement only grew louder, especially among Mae Ker, P'Ging the hairstylist, and P'Pookey the makeup artist, who couldn't stop gossiping all around the room.

"Yesterday I talked to him about the Boyband, I forgot how it felt to sit in a Porsche seat, Mae!" - James casually replied, unaware of who had actually fallen asleep comfortably in the boss's car the previous night.

Suddenly, Mae Ker saw a jacket in the paper bag that James was holding, it looked familiar, and Mae Ker remembered it was Faris's jacket - "Hey, why are you holding Mr. Faris's jacket?" - The curious tone was enough to make everyone pause and turn their eyes towards him.

James stammered a bit, caught off guard by the sudden spotlight - "Uh, well... I accidentally got his coat dirty, so I brought it home to clean..." - His explanation, though a bit awkward, seemed reasonable enough to clear up any immediate suspicions.

"Excuse me, is James here?" - At that moment, Mali's voice came from outside, he guessed that Faris had arrived so he quickly left.

The child was secretly glad to be rescued just in time - 'Thank goodness! Thank you P'Mali'.

Going out of DMD, James secretly thanked the fact that Faris didn't choose to drive his car today, but only used a 7-seater car for work. As soon as he got into the car, he saw a few guests there, and after greeting them, he learned that they were Faris's team who would be preparing for the Boyband in the future.

.

All the members had already gathered in the practice room. Excitement was written all over their faces, eagerly anticipating a meeting with Faris, the investor who had placed his trust in their project.

The meeting took place in a solemn but friendly atmosphere, gradually becoming more relaxed and open. Faris didn't seem as difficult to approach as James had worried. On the contrary, he attentively listened to the input of each member, respecting and appreciating their abilities.

Especially the appearance of the Korean Creative Director, a famous figure in the industry, made everyone extremely excited. This director would take charge of shaping and implementing the group's image in the future. James was once again very impressed with his professionalism and long-term vision.

At the end of the meeting, Faris surprised each member with a Chopard L.U.C. XP wristwatch as a welcome gift. This thoughtful action not only showed his appreciation but also provided extra motivation for everyone. James's admiration for Faris only continued to grow.

_

Later that evening, both of them had returned to DMD. While resting in the pantry, Mali came in with two cups of orange coffee and set them on the table, making James's eyes light up like a child who had received candy after a long day of playing. He asked Mali with excitement:

"How did you know I was just wishing for an orange coffee?"

"Boss specifically requested it for you. Enjoy!" - Mali smiled, secretly wondering to herself - 'I wonder what else you like that my boss doesn't know yet?' - She then placed two large paper bags next to Faris before leaving.

"So? I know what you want, isn't that scary?" - The man sitting opposite him, crossed his arms as he watched James's delighted reaction.

"Thank you, Mr. CEO!" - After saying that, he didn't hesitate to pick up the coffee cup and drank half of it, it was so refreshing!

The CEO couldn't help but softly smile looking at the little one. But when James noticed his expression, Faris went back to his usual, crossing his arms once more.

Suddenly, switching to a more serious tone, James looked at him and said - "Thank you, P'Faris. Your support today meant so much to everyone."

Faris nodded with a subtle smile, unsure of what to say.

"We're just young boys, besides enthusiasm, everything else is quite vague..." - James looked out the window, the vast sky with no horizon seemed to speak for his feelings, and continued - "Your support came at the right time, I have to thank you again." - He pressed his palms together.

"You can understand an investor has to believe in what he chooses." - Faris shook his head slightly, meaning he didn't need to be like that - "I think this is the best decision I've ever made!"

"I..." - a little moved, James' eyes slightly moist. To avoid getting too emotional, he took another sip of his coffee and affirmed - "We will do our best!"

Sensing the conversation getting a bit heavy, Faris slid the two paper bags Mali had brought earlier toward James.

"Oh, and there's a gift I wanted to give you."

"For me?"

James opened it curiously, it was two collections of figures that he liked. Both were limited editions that he wanted to buy but missed out on. Exciting Macaron and Zsiga Twins special editions were very difficult to hunt, but now they were in his hands.

"Wow... Thank you, boss! How did you know I liked them? And they're limited editions that are very hard to find!" - Excitedly, he kept thanking Faris and shook his arm.

'Quite a long time since I've seen you smile like that! Hmmm... pretty!'

"Oh, young people are into these things, right? I just bought them by chance, but since there were only two sets left, I prioritized them for... family."

"Huh?" - James heard what? family?

"I mean... the DMD family!" - Faris quickly corrected himself.

"You know, P'James Na also really loves these two collections, he introduced them to me."

"James Na?" - Faris asked in surprise.

"Yes, P'James Na is the group leader who talked about the concept earlier! He helped and encouraged me a lot. To be honest, thanks to him, I found my passion again!" - James rambled on praising James Na, completely unaware of the sharp gaze that was looking at him.

He thought: 'It's good that he has friends, but it's not good for me if you're too close to them. Hmm... I heard that some fans are "shipping" the two of you...'

"But, I have nothing to give back to CEO, I've only been receiving things for the past two days!" - James said with a bit guilty look, suddenly remembering - "Oh, I forgot, this is your jacket that I took home yesterday. I've washed it!"

He nodded and took it, just hoping he didn't wash it, he said:

"All I ask is that MY TALENT trains hard, I'll handle the rest!"

'Oh god, my fragile little heart... please don't say things like that @@!'

**James' Thoughts**

As James' gaze drifted towards the window, the fading rays of the setting sun disappeared beyond that invisible horizon, and he found himself deep in thought about everything that had unfolded - 'Knowing that someone truly believes in our group is like a ray of hope warming me up after a long, cold stretch of darkness. Although that person was quite unexpected, the joy I feel now could not be hidden. Perhaps things were going better than I expected?'

I recall the criticisms, the doubtful glances I had to endure when I chose to pursue my passion - 'Ever since I made that decision, I've been confronted with countless sarcastic remarks. Those harsh words came from strangers and even from those who had loved and cared for me over the years. I can't deny that, at times, those words stung deeply. However, after all the doubts from others, I realized that the passion within me has always been stronger than any obstacle. It drives me forward, pushing me to keep striving to prove to everyone that it was the right choice.

Their words hurt a lot, but I was strong enough to overcome them. I would handle them well and improve myself every day. That was my promise to the fans and to those who placed their precious trust in me. I know the road ahead is full of uncertainties and challenges. But with everyone's support, I believe I can conquer them all!

Is it alright now for me to finally feel like my steps are getting a bit steadier, Phi?'

_