Billionaire Biker Boy

Chapter 42 - Out of Good Karma

 

Jittree called out the names of each mascot, instructing them to remove their cartoon heads while announcing their names and the companies they represented. Once all the announcements were complete, the mascots headed backstage to change out of their costumes.

 

When Samut reappeared, he stopped by the Sardina table to greet his seniors, who immediately bombarded him with teasing remarks.

 

"O, your dancing was amazing!" Sakawjai praised.

 

"This is Sardina's pride and joy!" Botan cheered, clapping her hands like a cheerleader. 

 

"How are you this good at dancing?" Samut laughed sheepishly.

 

..Will it make me seem greedy if I admit it's because I wanted the prize?

 

In the end, he simply said, "I already dance on TikTok, so I'm used to it."

 

The table erupted with chatter as everyone clamoured to add him on social media. The petite man pulled up his QR code and placed it on the table for anyone to scan.

 

..If everyone tipped me as P'Win did, I'd be a mini-millionaire by now.

 

But when he noticed Sirichok's gaze from where he sat near Nittaya, Samut asked as if there had never been any tension between them, "Oat, do you use TikTok?"

 

Sirichok hesitated briefly before replying, "No, I don't even use Facebook. I just go on Twitter to read the news."

 

"Oh, really? That's good. I think using too many social media platforms is a waste of time. But for a moment, I thought you might've opened a new account," Samut said in an understanding tone.

 

Sirichok furrowed his brows but said nothing. Nittaya, who also wasn't on Facebook, was about to interject, but she decided to stay silent. Sirichok had told her he didn't want anyone to know they were close, fearing it might cause workplace issues. He'd asked her to wait for the right time.

...Well, it's probably better that Oat doesn't use Facebook anyway.

 

When everyone turned their attention back to the stage activities, Samut returned to the VIP table. Seeing him approach, Wonchana adjusted the chair next to him invitingly.

 

"I just found out how good you are at dancing, O. You don't dance this intensely on TikTok," Wonchana said, placing a hand on Samut’s soft hair as the smaller man sat down.

 

Still flushed, though unsure if it was from exertion, heat, or embarrassment, Samut mumbled, "I wanted the prize. And when I'm in the costume, I don't feel shy at all. But now... I'm embarrassed."

 

Wonchana burst out laughing and began serving food to him attentively. The others at the table smiled at the sweet atmosphere between the two. Even Vichai and Ranee seemed to have come to terms with the unfolding situation.

..Even the employees aren't against it. The world really has changed.

 

As the night wore on, it was time for the much-anticipated raffle. Most of the prizes were household items from the parent company or sponsored by suppliers, along with special prizes from the executives. The emcee, having returned from her dinner break, stepped onto the stage with a laptop connected to a projector screen.

 

"Next, we'll have the raffle for gifts provided by the company and our generous sponsors. Since most of the prizes are large items like TVs, refrigerators, fans, and microwaves, we've prepared cards instead. Winners can redeem their prizes at the welfare department on the fifteenth floor. And now, the moment you've all been waiting for! I'd like to invite the department managers to come up and draw the winners, starting with.."

 

At this point, the Atcharangkul family was preparing to leave, as the children were getting fussy. Wonchana told his family he'd stay to enjoy the event with the new employee. Smiling to himself, he thought, 'Just one look at his eyes, and I know he wants to stay for the raffle.'

 

After bidding his family farewell, the VIP table was left with just the two men, chatting quietly.

 

"Do you think my name will be drawn?" Samut asked. 

 

"Don't worry. If they don't draw your name, I'll add a prize for you myself," Wonchana replied.

 

"No, it's not the same," Samut protested.

 

Wonchana chuckled, but as Jittree continued announcing the prizes, he began to understand the thrill of the raffle.

...The fun is in the suspense. And if you win, it feels like a real victory.

 

When the final prize, a cash reward of 30,000 baht from the president, was announced, it went to a senior employee from the sauce company. The defeated Samut slumped in disappointment. "Ugh, I have no luck at all."

 

But as he glanced up at the man beside him, a thought crossed his mind. At the same moment, Wonchana leaned down to console him, "How about I take you shopping tomorrow to celebrate Christmas?" Samut responded with a sweet smile.

 

..Maybe I really have used up all his good karma.

..Because just having this person is better than any first-place prize.

 

════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

"Oat, are you free tomorrow? Want to go to Ratchaprasong? I really want to see the Christmas lights. It's been years," Nittaya asked the man holding her waist on the Skytrain.

 

"I don't think I can tomorrow. I have to visit a relative's company in Samut Sakhon and probably won't be back until late. How about Sunday?"

 

Nittaya pondered for a moment. "Alright."

 

"How about we meet at noon? I want to hug you."

 

Nittaya's cheeks flushed instantly at the hidden meaning. "Okay."

 

Sirichok tightened his hold on her. Tomorrow morning, he had plans with Jenjira, and in the evening, he was meeting Mathukorn. After all, he still couldn't bring himself to break up with Honey.

 

On Saturday morning, Wonchana drove to Samut’s condo, stopping to buy croissants and drinks because the smaller man had said he'd make breakfast himself.

 

When Wonchana arrived, everything was ready. Samut’s pan-fried eggs with toppings looked just as good as those made by a professional chef, prompting Wonchana to take a photo to show off on social media.

 

"Today's pan-fried eggs made by my student @Ocean.  Samut’s look even better than the ones I taught him to make!"

 

"P'Win, don't exaggerate. How could they look better than yours? I even broke one of the yolks," Samut protested after seeing the tag.

 

"I covered it with a sticker. No one will notice," Wonchana replied nonchalantly.

 

"You're unbelievable," Samut said, puffing his cheeks before sipping his cocoa contentedly. 

 

Then, they began eating, teasing each other as they went. At one point, Wonchana asked, "So, did you sing off-key on purpose or not?"

 

The off-key singer burst out laughing. "I'm not a great singer, but I'm not that bad either. Last night, I did it on purpose to be funny."

 

"Sing it properly for me now," Wonchana coaxed.

 

Samut pouted. "Finish eating first. My mom says singing while eating means you'll end up with an old partner."

 

Wonchana paused briefly, quickly doing the math. "Does being seven years older count as an old partner? If so, you can sing now."

 

The superstitious Samut nearly choked, burying his face in the counter as he laughed uncontrollably. "Oh my god, P'Win! You're too much!" he said, wiping tears from his eyes. 

 

"...An old partner would have to be at least ten years older, I think."

 

"Then don't sing yet... What's so funny, O?" Wonchana asked as Samut playfully bumped his head against his arm, laughing again.

 

When he finally calmed down, Samut looked up with a sweet smile and said, "Old or not, this status is reserved for you alone."

 

After breakfast, the two cleaned up together, tidying the condo and hanging up freshly washed clothes. Samut, in a lively mood, sang like Princess Elsa while they worked. Though his singing wasn't professional, it was charming, thanks to his unique accent. To Wonchana, he was already a golden-voiced singer.

 

Once the chores were done, they left the condo and headed to a luxury mall in the city centre. Samut wanted to buy Christmas gifts for the Atcharangkul family, with Wonchana offering helpful suggestions along the way.

 

Samut shopped happily. This time, he used his own money-the 8,000 baht prize he'd won the night before. As for the gold bar that Wonchana had returned to him after dropping him off at the condo, he kept it safely stored. But even without the prize money, it wouldn't have been an issue.

His bank account now held nearly 100,000 baht, thanks to the man beside him, who always tipped and rewarded him. Wonchana tipped him when Samut allowed him to tag him in a tulip bouquet receiving video, to use a photo of him as a phone wallpaper, and to post the said wallpaper online, and taught him to cook.

 

...He acts like he'd die if he doesn't spend money.

...Oh, right. Now that my balance has exceeded 30,000 baht, I need to transfer some to another account.

 

"You don't need to buy anything expensive," Wonchana said when Samut asked if he should get perfume for Varatchaya. "Don't take this the wrong way, but my family doesn't lack anything. We're just exchanging gifts for fun.

Even food would be fine."

 

"So, what do you think I should buy, P'Win?"

 

Wonchana helped Samut pick out gifts until they finally decided on a box of swallow nests for Vichai, a set of scented candles for Ranee, and a premium towel set for Varatchaya and Luca. The kids each got a toy.

..Even after buying everything, the total still hasn't reached 8,000 baht.

 

Wonchana himself also did quite a bit of shopping. Once they had everything wrapped and ready, the taller man asked, "Do you want anything? I'll buy it for you."

 

"I don't want anything right now, P'Win. Why don't you take the stuff to the car first?" Samut suggested, an idea forming in his mind.

 

"Sure."

 

"Go by yourself, okay? I'm too lazy to walk. I'll just stay around here."

 

Wonchana smiled knowingly. How could he not guess what the little one was planning?

...He's probably going to get me a gift.

 

"Alright, I'll be back soon... But if a stranger tries to take you somewhere, don't go with them, okay?"

 

He laughed when Samut glared at him with a pout. Then, carrying the shopping bags, he headed toward the parking lot. Not even ten seconds later, he glanced back. Samut had already disappeared. Wonchana chuckled happily, wondering what kind of gift he might receive.

 

════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

Wonchana didn't need to stall for time because he also stopped to buy a gift for Samut. Initially, he'd planned to give him a gold bar, but the president had beaten him to it. By the time he returned to their meeting spot, the little one was already waiting with two small shopping bags in hand.

 

Samut was slightly out of breath, having spent too much time waiting for the gift wrapping. In the end, he had to ask for the materials to wrap it himself before rushing back.

 

"Why did it take you so long to put the stuff away? I ended up getting more things," Samut teased casually.

 

Wonchana laughed at the sight of his flushed cheeks. "I went to the wrong floor. What did you get? Let me carry it for you."

 

"It's fine. It's light," Samut replied, refusing to let him carry the bags or reveal what was inside. Wonchanan didn't press further and led him down to the supermarket floor. There, Little Chihuahua's eyes lit up at the sight of the endless rows of snacks.

 

"Pick out what you want first. We'll come back after lunch to buy them since some need to be refrigerated," Wonchana said to the smaller man, who kept craning his neck to look around. 

 

"Cream puffs!"

Samut exclaimed excitedly when he spotted a famous cream puff shop. He turned to look at Wonchana with sparkling eyes, causing the taller man to avert his gaze and reply in a steady tone, "Lunch first."

 

"Fine." Samut pouted, lightly bumping his head against Wonchana's arm again.

 

"What do you feel like eating?"

 

Samut glanced around at the overwhelming variety of restaurants. "Hmm... I can't decide. You pick, P'Win. But no rice, okay? Something with noodles, any cuisine."

 

Wonchana took him to a Michelin-starred ramen shop originally from Japan but awarded in New York City. Luckily, they still had a special menu available, limited to only a few bowls per day. The other dish they ordered was the shop's signature ramen.

 

The special menu featured beautifully coiled homemade whole-wheat ramen noodles, served with a soy-marinated egg stamped with the shop's logo and salmon roe. The broth and toppings were served separately. The signature ramen, while seemingly ordinary, stood out with its broth simmered for over ten hours, thick slices of chashu pork, and a soy-marinated egg with a perfectly soft yolk. The two shared the dishes, with Samut making delighted noises as he savoured each bite.

 

After finishing their ramen, Wonchana took the little one back to buy the snacks he had his eye on, including extras for his family, especially the kids. They bought cream puffs, daifuku, famous cheese tarts, and nama chocolate-the same kind he once considered using as a bribe.

 

By the time they arrived at the Atcharangkul house, it was late afternoon. The house was quiet, and the housekeeper informed them that everyone had taken the kids to a nearby mall.

 

"Let's put the gifts under the tree first," Wonchana suggested to his petite guest.

 

"Are your family Christian?" Samut asked.

 

"No, we're Buddhist. We celebrate New Year's like most people. But ever since Vicky married Luca, we've switched to celebrating Christmas instead. Luca isn't very strict about it; we just have dinner together and exchange gifts. Strict Christians usually go to church or fly back to celebrate there. This year, Luca wanted to explore opportunities in Thailand since he's a chef and wants to open a restaurant here."

 

"Wow, that's great. Is Luca famous?"

 

"Fairly. He hasn't gotten a Michelin star yet, but it probably won't be long. The culinary world over there is very competitive." 

 

Wonchana suddenly had an idea and added cheekily, ...if my family ever goes to celebrate there, l'l take you with me."

 

After putting the snacks in the fridge and placing the gifts under the beautifully decorated real pine tree, the two lounged in the living room, chatting until the rest of the family returned. Samut then went to the kitchen to help, offering to assist the two older women and a housekeeper named Waew. Meanwhile, Chef Luca was sent by his wife to watch the kids with Vichai instead.

 

"Can you cook, O?" Varatchaya asked.

 

"I couldn't before, but I'm learning now. P'Win is teaching me. I can make pan-fried eggs with toppings and simple pasta dishes," Samut replied, eyeing the array of ingredients on the counter with interest-whole chickens, meats, vegetables, and herbs.

 

"But I've never cooked Thai food before. Back in Hat Yai, my nanny did all the cooking. When I go back, I'll have to ask her to teach me. But Aunt Pid mostly cooks southern dishes. I like central Thai curries, so I might need to find a class for that," Samut chattered naturally.

 

The elegant older woman spoke up calmly, "No need to take a class. Come here, and I'll teach you how to cook Thai food."

 

"Wow, this is a royal recipe giveaway moment! And it's authentic palace-style cooking, I must say. Even the French are hooked on her skills," Varatchaya teased her mother, earning a dramatic eye-roll from Ranee.

 

"Thank you, Auntie," Samut said, bowing politely and flashing a bright smile, his eyes sparkling with genuine excitement. Ranee and Varatchaya finally understood why Wonchana was so smitten with this young man. Meanwhile, Wonchana, who had been eavesdropping, smiled to himself before joining his father, brother-in-law, and niece and nephews.

...Now, the next mission is his family in Hat Yai.