Me and Thee: English translation.

Wake up call #13

Peach was a freelance photographer. Despite his wide network and reputation for exceptional photography, he had strict rules about accepting jobs. First, he outright refused to shoot nude scenes. As for sexy or risqué photos, he'd only accept if the model was of legal age and made the request themselves. Even then, Peach had clear boundaries about how far he'd go, no matter how steamy the shoot.

 

It wasn't about trying to act like a gentleman or anything. Peach simply saw himself as an older brother with a younger sister, and the thought of someone looking at her with crude, objectifying eyes made his skin crawl. He always made sure to lay out these rules to potential clients up front. His goal was to keep things professional and comfortable for both sides. But with Wivit, things didn't quite go as smoothly.

 

A couple of years back, Wivit had hired him for a shoot-unofficially, that is. The job was to capture some sexy swimsuit shots for an up-and-coming young actress as part of a summer campaign. Peach had heard whispers that Wivit and the actress were more than just professional acquaintances. Rumour had it they'd been spotted heading into the same condo late at night. To top it off, Wivit had apparently used his connections at Arseny to get the actress a spot as one of their product ambassadors. The gossip only spiralled from there.

 

Peach had a problem with that, though. Wivit and the actress could've kissed in front of the whole crew, and Peach wouldn't have batted an eye. He was there to work, not to meddle.

...The problem? That "up-and-coming actress" was only sixteen.

 

Wivit conveniently failed to mention this little detail until the day they sat down to draft the contract. It wasn't until Peach saw her ID card that he realised the truth. The moment it clicked, Peach refused the job flat-out. It didn't matter how hard Wivit tried to sweet-talk or cajole him. Peach stood firm, unwavering in his decision. He found out later that Wivit had been bragging to the actress about pulling strings to hire a renowned photographer like Peachayarat for her photoshoot. Peach wanted to roll his eyes. 

 

He wasn't that hard to book— seriously. If his schedule was open, he rarely turned down jobs, and he didn't care whether the model was famous. As long as the pay was fair, he was good to go. The only time he said no was if the job clashed with his personal rules or if his calendar was packed. But for Wivit, Peach's refusal must've been a huge blow to his ego.

 

Not long after, some nasty rumours about Peach started floating around. Nothing stuck, though there was no real evidence to back them up. Besides, his work was still in high demand. Sure, there were a few awkward incidents, like models trying to "pay" him with their bodies, but Peach dealt with them as professionally as he could. The rumours eventually fizzled out on their own.  Peach couldn't care less about the gossip, but Plub, his younger sister, was another story. She wasn't about to let it slide.

 

Around that time, Peach had just started getting acquainted with Arseny because Plub had landed a job there. The company's art team, who'd grown close to him after learning he was Plub's older brother, often asked him to help out—whether it was taking photos or tweaking edits. Plub acted like his manager, screening requests and organising his work like a pro.

 

He ended up collaborating with the team so often that they grew tight. Before long, even the team leads were dragging him into meetings. He vividly remembered one of those early sessions. It was his first time meeting the fiery Nuch, the assistant lead of one of the sub-teams. Her bright red hair was impossible to miss, and she presented her team's project with such pride that he couldn't help but be impressed.

 

At the end of her pitch, the team lead asked for feedback. Everyone chimed in here and there with minor suggestions until it was Peach's turn. By that point, he already felt at ease with the group, and giving constructive criticism was just part of their routine. He pointed out several areas where the promotional photos could be improved to better convey the intended message.

 

What Peach didn't know at first was that the work the sub-team lead had asked him to critique wasn't theirs. It belonged to Sub-Team Two—the one under Wivit's supervision. He only found out after the meeting ended. The tension on Wivit's face had been hard to miss. Feeling bad, Peach approached him to apologise, explaining that he hadn't meant to upset anyone. 

 

Wivit responded with a polite smile, but his eyes told a different story-dark and stormy, barely masking his simmering anger. He didn't say much, but the message was loud and clear: he wasn't happy. Not long after, Peach's work caught Nuch's attention. Impressed, she started giving him more significant assignments, transitioning him from quick, one-off favours to a full-fledged role in projects.

 

Plub, ever the efficient little sister, officially handled the paperwork to add him to a sub-team for an upcoming project. She had every intention of seeing her brother's name recognised on the team roster. But the moment the documents were submitted in the morning, they were returned by the afternoon—with a call for Nuch to explain herself. Apparently, involving an "outsider" on the team posed a security risk to the company's data, but she couldn't wrap her head around the inconsistency. There was no rule against hiring freelancers. Arseny had done it plenty of times for full projects before. But somehow, when it came to her brother, suddenly it wasn't allowed. Peach brushed it off, telling her not to overthink it. "If that's the rule, then so be it," he said. But Plub's frustration lingered.

 

From then on, even minor tasks tied to Peach seemed to come with a catch. Budgets were cut, deadlines were rushed-there was always something. And behind every hiccup? Wivit's name. He never outright admitted to anything, but neither did he deny it. If anything, he seemed almost smug whenever Peach figured out who was behind it all.

 

Peach couldn't make sense of it. As luck would have it, Peach started getting offers from a few high-profile magazines. To keep things simple, he decided to step back from Arseny projects for a while and take on other freelance work instead.

For nearly four months, that's how things stayed until Nuch got promoted to team lead.

 

The moment she took the position, Nuch wasted no time calling Peach back. She insisted he return to work with them, this time on official terms. Peach had just wrapped up a few other gigs, and since he trusted Nuch, he agreed. It felt good to be back. Everyone seemed happy to have him-well, almost everyone.

 

Peach had been keeping his head down, avoiding unnecessary drama. With Nuch now running the show, things were smooth sailing. No more disruptions, no more headaches. At least, until today, when it seemed like their fragile ceasefire was about to end.

 

Peach leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, one leg casually propped over the other. He'd already finished his part on the Fall Collection project. Even if they booted him off mid-project, he couldn't care less at this point. He'd decided to stay out of it, no matter how much Wivit tried to stir the pot. Getting dragged into Wivit's nonsense would only make things harder for Plub. And now that Wivit was taking charge as team lead? Peach was starting to worry about his sister's safety at work.

 

The conference room was packed with people. All four sub-teams were gathered together. At the head of the table, Wivit stood with his arms crossed, flashing a warm, almost brotherly smile.

 

"Hello, everyone," he began in his usual smooth tone. "Thanks for taking the time to join us today." Wivit's voice was calm, almost soothing, like a big brother talking to his siblings. "I'm Vit, and starting today, I'll be your team lead."

 

Peach held back an eye roll. If there was one thing Wivit excelled at, it was putting on a show. It was no surprise he'd managed to sweet-talk a sixteen-year-old with a promising future into falling for his charm.

 

"First off, I want to say how impressed I was with the Fall Collection project," Wivit continued, his tone full of praise. "It was a huge task for all four teams, but you all pulled it off beautifully. We've still got three more seasons to go, though, so let's keep up the good work! It might be tough, but I know we can do it together."

 

Tough? Of course, it's tough when you and your cronies don't lift a damn finger!

 

Peach was fuming inside but managed to mask his irritation, turning his gaze away as if uninterested. No way was he going to let Wivit catch on to the angry stream of insults running through his head. He reminded himself to stay calm—he wasn't about to cause trouble that might come back to haunt his sister.

 

"Actually, today's meeting was meant to discuss the Winter Collection," Wivit said, his smile still annoyingly plastered in place.

 

"But since the Fall project is all wrapped up, I thought we could take a moment to appreciate everyone's hard work. As a little morale boost, I'm going to show you the promo clip for the Fall Collection." Wivit's gaze briefly flicked to Peach, and for a split second, there was a smugness there—a smirk that vanished so quickly Peach wasn't sure if he imagined it. What's his angle?

 

Peach wasn't too worried about the work itself. As petty as Wivit could be, the guy cared too much about his own reputation to sabotage a project with his name attached. So, Peach just sat back and watched the promo video play out without saying a word.

 

The "All Seasons: One Word" project was set up like a mini drama, chronicling the love story of two people as they navigated life through the seasons. The Fall Collection represented allure and charm, with the male lead, Aran, exuding a subtle, sexy vibe in the bustling cityscape, wrapped in the scent of his favourite fragrance. Once the clip ended, it transitioned into the magazine layouts and promo visuals. The shots of Aran, decked out in Arseny's signature accessories and cologne, were eye-catching and polished. Peach scanned the images quickly but thoroughly, checking every detail. They were definitely his photos, and nothing was out of place.

 

Satisfied, he gave a small nod to himself. Even though he doubted Wivit would go so far as to sabotage the work, Peach still couldn't bring himself to trust the guy.

 

That distrust was justified when, after all the visuals were presented, the storyboard details appeared, ending with the team credits. This was the presentation Wivit planned to pitch to the higher-ups. If it passed without issue, it would be approved for public release. But there was an issue...

 

Peach pressed his lips together, his brow furrowing slightly. But before he could say anything, his younger sister, Plub, was already on it. As soon as the video presentation ended, she shot her hand up, quick as lightning.

 

"Excuse me, Vit. I think there's some missing information in the video."

 

"Missing information? How so?" Wivit's reply came with his signature soft smile, friendly and open, as if he were ready to accept any criticism with the utmost sincerity.

 

"Why isn't Peach's name on it?" Plub's tone was steady, but her piercing glare made it clear she wasn't going to back down. The problem was glaring: Peach's name was nowhere to be found in the credits. Worse still, spots that should've been his had been replaced by someone else entirely.

 

"Peach spearheaded the theme concept for this project. He attended every team meeting and photographed the entire Fall Collection. Why isn't his name listed in any of those roles?"

 

"Oh, that," Wivit replied, his expression not faltering. "We reorganised the team credits, and his name might've been left out by mistake." He gave an apologetic chuckle before adding, "But I suppose we can include his name in the photography. As for the project theme, well..." He trailed off, turning to Peach with that infuriatingly serene smile. It wouldn't be accurate to say it was all your idea, would it? After all, it was a collaborative effort from the whole team. I'm sure you understand, Peachayarat."

 

Peach clenched his jaw, his hand tightening slightly on Plub's arm, a silent signal for her to hold back. The fury simmering inside him was dangerously close to boiling over, but he forced himself to stay calm. Stay calm. Don't make Plub's life harder.

 

"Just make sure you fix it. We wouldn't want anyone to think you're only good at stealing other people's work." Peach said, his tone even and cold. His lips twitched into a faint smile, but the slight twitch of his brow betrayed his irritation.

 

"Of course. I'll have the team fix it right away," Wivit replied smoothly, though a flicker of something unreadable flashed across his face. "While we're at it, let me introduce a new team member."

 

The new team leader walked to the door, opened it, and called someone outside. A slender young man with a sweet, delicate face, with big, round eyes that sparkled with youthful energy. His bright smile lit up the room, exuding a cheerful vibe, and a hefty DSLR camera hung around his neck. Hea stepped in, trailing hesitantly behind Wivit.

 

"Let me introduce you to someone," Wivit announced with a proud smile, his tone brimming with the satisfaction of a man who had finally pulled off a great feat for the benefit of his team —or so he liked to think. "This is Trend, our new full-time photographer. He'll be joining us starting with the Winter Collection project." Wivit beamed like a big brother showing off his sibling's achievements, clearly pleased with himself.

 

"From now on, we won't have to scramble to find part-time photographers for every project anymore."