Sitting in his office, but constantly thinking about the "warning" words Gus had said earlier, Faris was more subdued than usual.

James Na—always kind to him. Their close relationship had drawn fans' attention since they often supported each other on social media and in real life. In particular, there was one time when James Na even came to the BlackDaisy booth to support him, much to the fans' delight.

However, there was someone else he often kept an eye on, his close junior - Teetee. At first glance, their styles were very similar, from their youthful fashion to their love of dancing. Faris knew that Teetee had once postponed a company trip to attend one of James's performances. Although this action showed support for him, Faris couldn't help but be wary.

It was true that he couldn't say that his assumptions were completely correct, but it wasn't wrong for him to be more proactive with the little one. While lost in thought about the people around him, a message from P'Aof arrived:

"Tomorrow's bonding day at the company. There'll be some COUPLE games. You should come!" - This was it—his chance. He wouldn't let it slip away this time. He silently thanked his good brother.

_

DMD's bonding event kicked off with the usual energy, filled with games, prizes, and a full day of fun to shake off work stress.

Most people arrived quite fully and were excitedly chatting in the lobby. Once again, they got to admire the gradual arrival of the full-black Porsche. Unlike the mysterious and aloof appearance at night, this time, the black paint reflected the natural light, creating a very impressive visual effect. Its powerful and sporty silhouette exuded a sense of pride and danger, much like its owner.

He chose a more youthful and free-spirited style. A pair of loose navy blue khaki pants, combined with a dark brown linen shirt, with the sleeves, rolled up to the elbow and the collar unbuttoned a few buttons, creating a look that was both classic and modern when paired with white sneakers. His hair was left loose, further emphasizing his unique ruggedness.

As expected, Faris stepped out of the car. But today, there was no sign of his usual sharp suit and perfectly combed hair, making people a little hesitant to approach him. Instead, he wore a relaxed yet stylish outfit: dark navy blue trousers paired with a brown linen shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a few buttons undone at the collar, creating a look that was both classic and modern when paired with white sneakers. Casually styled hair, further emphasizing his unique ruggedness.

"Even with just pants and a shirt, he still looks so good!"

"I've opened my eyes correctly today~"

"Thank God I live and work in such a 'nutritious' environment!"

Faris rarely appeared at the company except for important meetings, so everyone (especially the ladies) paid special attention to him. Nearby, a group of male colleagues couldn't help but nod in agreement with his title: Thailand's Mister!

Faris took off his sunglasses, greeted everyone, and went to P'Aof.

"Has James arrived?" - He didn't hesitate with this 'person'.

"Not yet. I'm surprised you're here so early!" - P'Aof teased, sipping his coffee - "Afraid of losing your chance?"

"So, what's my chance today? Tell me?" - Faris smirked.

"Well, since I invited you, I'd say 100%, it's all on how you play it!" - P'Aof laughed.

Truthfully, P'Aof had hesitated about connecting Faris to James's project. Although he knew the benefits this would bring to the company, in a way, it was like he was "selling his son", wasn't it?

But after much consideration, P'Aof concluded it would only bring good things for James, wasn't it that the kid needed more encouragement and stability to move forward? After observing Faris for some time, he felt assured that Faris's intentions were genuine, as were his feelings. Above all, P'Aof was very reassured about his younger brother.

Amid the lively atmosphere, Faris suddenly stopped when he spotted James entering with Teetee, holding his favorite orange coffee. The two approached to greet him.

"P'Faris, you're here too? Why so early?" - James asked him in surprise, but he was secretly admiring Faris's more handsome appearance than usual.

"Good day, Mr.Faris!" - Teetee greeted with a polite nod, to which Faris responded before turning to James.

"Didn't think I'd come early, so you only bought one coffee?" - Faris looked down at the cup in James's hand.

"Huh... You want one? I can go buy another... " - But before he could finish, Faris swiftly grabbed the cup and took a sip.

P'Aof: "....."

Teetee: "....."

James: "....."

Three pairs of eyes looked at each other in astonishment. P'Aof sighed in disbelief, silently understanding why his 30-something younger brother was still single.

"But... I already drank from that cup... " - James mumbled, certain that Faris wouldn't return it - 'What's with him today?'

"Alright, I'll buy another one." - James was about to turn away when Teetee next to him spoke up.

"Here, P'James, drink mine, I forgot that my throat isn't feeling well today so I should avoid cold drinks. I haven't drunk from this one yet." - Teetee casually handed the cup to James, unaware of the storm brewing around them.

"Really? Thanks, Teetee! I won't be polite then!" - James smiled brightly and replied to Teetee. Then he turned to Faris, his smile fading for a few seconds before quickly grabbing Teetee and moving on.

Once they left, P'Aof, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.

"Mr. CEO, if this is your strategy, I'm genuinely worried!" Shaking his head, he patted Faris on the shoulder before walking away.

'I need to stay calm!'

_

After "the coffee cup incident", James didn't want to pay attention to Faris anymore - 'Does the CEO really have to assert his power like that? And in front of my junior, no less! That dinner I treated him to was a waste!'

The morning buffet continued, filled with lively chatter. Faris quickly shed his usual CEO image and joined in the conversation with everyone. Everyone noticed that he was much more approachable without his suit.

"Really, your cousin owns a 30-hectare durian orchard?" - James, standing nearby, overheard everyone exclaiming.

"That's right!" - Faris replied calmly - "He's running an eco-tourism business. Let me know if anyone wants to visit!"

"I'd love to go too, I'm curious about what durian trees look like!"

"Can we eat as much durian as we want?"

"And we can even pick and enjoy them right in the orchard?" - The Gen Z crowd was excited and curious.

"Yeah, feel free. But it's truly a pity for those who can't eat durian" - Faris said, but his eyes glanced at someone.

'I must be craving it, huh?' - James thought to himself, then quickly caught himself—why was he paying attention to this man anyway? He swiftly grabbed some food and left the area.

.

It was time for everyone to burn off energy after a hearty morning. The most anticipated event was undoubtedly the physical games. The Welfare Committee—the brains behind the company's exciting internal activities—always knew how to deliver new and unexpected challenges. Was this perhaps a "trick" by the ladies after Faris joined, bringing this attractive CEO to cool experiences by the pool?

This time, they would play in teams of two, with four teams competing in each round. After three qualifying rounds, only the top three teams would advance to the finals. The prize for the winning team was truly enticing: two paragliding trips to Bangkok, a rising adventure activity loved by Thai youth.

The game was designed to challenge both endurance and intellect. Each team consisted of two members: one would swim 50 meters across the pool and hand their team card to their partner waiting onshore. The partner would then solve a puzzle, and the fastest and most accurate team would win. For the final round, the difficulty would double, with a 100-meter swim required.

The atmosphere heated up as P'Ker began drawing lots for the teams. Most people were not paired with their usual partners, which made the activity even more interesting and bonding.

James, nibbling on a strawberry, was startled to hear his name paired with Faris - 'Does it have to be today?' - His eyes glanced over and he caught a glimpse of Faris's smug expression.

After the teams were divided, everyone eagerly changed into their swimsuits to get ready for the battle. It was time for the ladies to anticipate, and as expected, Faris - former Mister Thailand - attracted everyone's attention.

It was a completely new image, just a simple pair of black swimming trunks, not too tight but showing off his firm physique and healthy skin tone. Faris's body looked very attractive, not the ideal muscular body of gym-goers but a harmonious combination of strength and flexibility. His wet, dark hair slicked back revealed sharp facial features, making him even more captivating.

Whispers spread around the pool as everyone admired his charm. Faris nodded to everyone as he walked along the pool towards his teammate, and almost everyone understood who this man was aiming for.

James was sitting on a lounge chair, his role was simply to solve the puzzle, no need to change clothes. While chatting with a few brothers, James saw Faris walking towards him with a completely different appearance than usual. Suddenly feeling flustered, James avoided direct eye contact as Faris drew nearer. But the closer he got, the more James's eyes wandered around, then stopped when Faris was standing right next to him.

"Oh, you're done changing? Your body is not bad... haha!" - James remarked casually, trying to appear unfazed.

"Your body is amazing, we're so embarrassed!" - Tutor standing next to him exclaimed.

"I doubt someone like him is single!" - Yim wondered aloud.

"That's right, probably tons of girls are chasing you but your standards are too high, right?" - P'Park joined in the fun.

"No, no, everyone is overestimating me. I've been chasing someone for a long time and haven't succeeded yet!" - Faris joked, blending in effortlessly.

"WHAT?!" - The group collectively exclaimed - "Who doesn't have the sense to see you?"

"That's right, he's nearsighted." - Faris teased, with a purpose.

(In Thai, 'he/she' is pronounced 'Kao', which is the same)

"Pffft~" - James often drank water whenever Faris made strange statements.

.

The whistle blew from P'Poppy, signaling the start of the battle. The first round was over very quickly, Yim and P'Park's team scored impressively with a time of 2:12 seconds. Following closely, Namping and Teetee secured their spot in the finals with a time of 2:03. It was James's turn, and he was both excited and a little nervous about competing with his special teammate - Faris.

Standing nearly 1.9 meters tall, Faris wasn't just an archery pro; he also practiced swimming during his free time, which made his technique impeccable. With a clean dive and powerful strokes, he swiftly moved through the water, combining precise shoulder rotations with a steady rhythm.

In a flash, Faris reached the finish line and handed the card to James while the other 3 teams were still a distance away. Relying on his experience in games, James answered correctly: August 3, 2016, was the day DMD was founded!!! Their round ended in a record-breaking 1:27.

The little one was extremely happy, he turned around and saw Faris standing next to him, quickly grabbing his arm and shaking excitedly. Faris couldn't help but wonder - 'Is this the same person who was mad at me just now?'

The finals promised to be even more intense, with the swimming distance doubled. At the whistle's blow, all three teams dived into the pool, competing fiercely. P'Park, Teetee, and Faris surged ahead, each determined to win. Faris maintained his lead, making a bold underwater kick during the second lap, taking over the entire long stretch of the pool.

Onshore, James knelt by the pool's edge, anxiously extending his hand to take the card from Faris. But as he got closer, Faris suddenly dived deep, leaving James and everyone else stunned, wondering what was happening.

Just a few seconds later, Faris suddenly burst out of the water. James only had time to see his face at a very close distance, but the card was not in his hand, instead, he was holding half of the card... by his mouth.

As if he had calculated the distance very carefully, Faris used one hand to gently grab James's neck and pulled him down to receive the card, biting the other half, their noses lightly brushing against each other as they exchanged the card.

...

In the end, Yim's team won the overall championship because Faris' calculations extended his team's playing time. Actually, for Faris, winning or losing didn't matter. What he wanted was for everyone to see what needed to be seen. It was true that some people were startled by his speed of attack and were also wary.

As for James, when he ran to the card placement point, he wasn't much better, he was swaying and confused, not knowing what had just happened. Although his team lost, his heart was pounding uncontrollably...

_

After the game, everyone was exhausted and rested before the evening's BBQ party. While the others were relaxing inside and scrolling on their phones, Faris wandered around looking for James. Finally, he found you sitting alone on the pool steps, gazing at the fiery sunset in the distance.

James's small figure seemed to accentuate the vastness of the panorama in front of him. The horizon was distinctly divided into two contrasting parts: one was an endless space, blazing red, burning with passion; the other was the reality, which was James, a small yet resilient boy. James' eyes seemed to be gazing at an intangible future, while Faris' eyes were touched by a present that was indescribable, and also chaotic.

Faris was about to step forward when he suddenly realized that someone else was also slowly approaching James, carrying two cups of coffee. That person sat down beside the little one. Looking closely, it turned out to be "James' former partner"... the one who had usually given Faris knowing glances since he joined DMD.

Faris didn't rush; he waited for that conversation to end, and then he would confidently approach James.

About half an hour later, the guy finally left, and before leaving, the two hugged for a while. Then, James returned to that solitary look, yet somehow he seemed at ease and free.

Faris opened the door and walked out, carrying a cake with a layer of orange marmalade on top. The sound of his footsteps on the wooden floor wasn't quiet, making James turn around. His curious expression softened the moment he saw Faris, smiled, and said:

"You're really good at surprising people, Mr. Faris!" - Clearly he was referring to the pool game earlier. Without making any excuses, Faris placed the plate beside James and replied:

"Since you probably already have coffee, I brought you something sweet na!" - Though his meaning wasn't entirely clear, James understood.

"You saw it, didn't you?" - He wasn't very surprised.

"Yeah... What were you two talking about?" - Faris didn't want to pretend he wasn't curious anymore.

"We were just catching up, everything's fine, right?" - James turned to look at him, a gentle breeze blew past, and he frowned slightly as if trying to suppress something. The light from behind illuminated James' face softly, drawing Faris' attention to the tiny mole on the little one's nose—a unique detail he couldn't look away from whenever he had the chance to look closely.

"We both have our own passions and paths..." - He paused, took a deep, slow breath, and continued - "...we don't know if the road ahead will be full of roses, but we definitely won't regret it!"

James slowly raised his hand to block out the rays of the late afternoon sun. They were beautiful, but when he looked up, they dazzled him. The long shadows of his fingers imprinted on the little one's face as if trying to soothe and comfort him.

Feeling the gentle breeze pass by again, James continued:

"We won't let go of the radiant past we shared, nor the efforts we're making now, and even the unclear versions of ourselves in the future. We embrace it all and support each other fully! We're adults, aren't we, Phi?"

Faris had been watching him all this time, and the intensity in James' eyes made his chest ache a little. At that moment, he just wanted to sit quietly with him and watch the sky ahead. Without hesitation, he reached out to catch James' wandering hand in the air. The little one seemed startled and quickly pulled his hand back.

'Is the sun blinding you?' - Faris stood up in front of him, shielding the things that were bothering him. Gently, he remarked:

"Yeah, you're really grown up now!" - Faris nodded understandingly and patted his hair lightly as if to encourage him. The kid quickly lowered his head, unable to hide a tear that silently fell - 'That's right, you're the one who chose this path, and you're the one who will bear the responsibility. You're brave, but remember, there's always someone by your side, just turn around and you'll see.'

It was the first time James had expressed his emotions in front of him, and Faris didn't know whether to be happy or sad, he unconsciously blurted out:

"You little one, are you made of orange marmalade?" - His finger gently touched the small mole, a familiar gesture yet still maintaining subtlety. Faris didn't say anything else; he just smiled at him for a while, leaving behind mixed emotions in the little one's heart as he saw Faris smile so tenderly for the first time.

'From the very first time I met you, I could sense that radiant light—like the sweet and sour burst of orange marmalade upon touching the tongue. But as I got closer, you brought a slightly bitter aftertaste, hiding the wounds and sadness you had experienced but buried deep inside. Once you trust someone, you're willing to open up to them about that "bitterness" of yours.

Yet, I forgot that the final taste of marmalade isn't bitterness - it's a subtle sweetness, just a little bit but enough to make people linger. Some stages of bitterness must be experienced to truly appreciate the sweetness at the end. And when that time comes, I wonder how warm and comforting it will feel.

I also want to walk with you to that "sweet aftertaste".'

_