Me and Thee: English translation.

Wake up call #16

Theerakit felt an inexplicable sense of comfort. The young photographer's hands weren't soft like the kind he usually preferred. They were calloused in places, roughened by hard work-hands that told a story of effort, not the smooth, silken kind. And yet, he found himself liking this closeness far more than he expected. He flipped Peach's hand over, tracing down to his wrist. Seeing that the faint red marks had completely faded brought him a sense of satisfaction he couldn't quite explain.

Over the last two days that Peach had been gone, maybe it was because their previous meeting had left a bad taste in his mouth, and it was a mix of frustration and confusion that refused to let up for him. It wasn't just discomfort; it was something heavier. He didn't know what it was. When he'd found out Peach had been harassed, anger had flared up. How dare anyone touch what was his? Yet, somewhere deep down, he'd been oddly... thrilled. It had given him an excuse to seek Peach out again.

Even when Peach had cried something that should've been awkward or even annoying, it hadn't bothered him at all. He'd seen countless people cry in front of him before. Beautiful women with perfect figures, adorable boys with soft, pleading eyes, even the elderly with faces twisted in pitiful desperation. Whether they sobbed as if their world were ending or tried to cry in a way that seemed seductive, it all grated on him. But not Peach. Not even a little.

Thee's eyes flicked toward the open suitcase lying on the floor, and he cleared his throat, suddenly self-conscious. It hit him then— maybe he had overreacted just a bit. Still, he couldn't shake the thought of Peach disappearing. The idea of it had sent a pang through his chest, a hollow ache that left him reeling. It had irritated him so much that he'd snapped without even meaning to. Thee pressed his lips together slightly, frowning more deeply as he caught the exasperated look on Peach's face. Deciding to steer the conversation in a completely different direction.

"So, what made you suddenly decide to take a trip?" He shifted subtly, blocking the bedroom door, with no intention of revisiting the embarrassing moment from earlier. "No work to do, so you're taking the chance to run off and play?"

"I've got three months of nothing but free time. And I'm too pissed off at that jerk to take on any jobs, so yeah, I figured I'd go on a trip." Peach replied, his tone sharp and brimming with lingering annoyance.

"You sure you don't want the plane?" Thee asked again, his brow furrowing slightly. That earned him a narrowed-eyed glare from Peach.

"No. Absolutely not. Don't waste money on unnecessary stuff."

Thee's lips twitched into the faintest of smirks, so subtle it was barely visible. Somehow, Peach's scolding came off as... cute. Thee froze for a second, startled by his own thoughts. He quickly let go of Peach's hand, his expression a mix of surprise and panic. That, of course, made Peach tilt his head slightly, staring at him with curious eyes, the faint redness still visible around them.

...Cute

"You okay? Feeling sick or something?" Peach asked, his tone softening as he instinctively leaned forward, only to hesitate and step back instead.

"..." Thee's frown deepened, irritation bubbling up in his chest. Why step back?

"Why don't you sit down for a bit? I'll grab you some water." The young mafia didn't bother replying. Instead, his strong hand caught Peach by the arm and half-guided, half-dragged him to the couch. He pressed Peach down onto it with enough force to make sure he stayed put, ignoring the puzzled look sent his way. Without a word, Thee walked to the small kitchen and grasped a clean towel and some ice cubes. Thee was heading back, wrapping the ice securely in the towel, one hand firmly cupped Peach's chin, tilting it up, holding him in place, like he almost couldn't move.

"Close your eyes," Thee ordered sharply when he noticed Peach staring at him with those big, round eyes. At the command, Peach immediately shut his eyes tight. Thee used his fingertips to gently massage the eyelids before pressing the towel-wrapped ice pack against them.

"Keep it on. It's swollen so bad—if you don't, it'll swell like crazy by tomorrow."

"You're awfully good at this. Do you do it for people often?" Peach asked with a faint, playful smile. 

"Doesn't seem like you're the type to cry much—more like the type to make others cry."

Thee's gaze drifted to Peach's lips, which were still moving with his teasing remarks. His smooth cheeks, peeking out from under the towel, had a faint blush that hinted at shyness. Thee liked him like this—more natural, less scared. Realising he'd been staring at Peach's lips too long, Thee quickly looked away.

"Do you want to get back to work?" he asked, his tone serious as he tried to steer the conversation elsewhere. "I'll deal with your team leader myself. You can start tomorrow if you want."

"I think it's better to hold off for now," Peach said, removing the towel and flipping it to find a colder side before pressing it back on. "Someone like Wivit, if you take them down by force, they'll just hold a grudge. I don't want Plub to get dragged into this."

"So, what? You're not going back to work?"

Thee's brow furrowed, his displeasure clear. Peach noticed and couldn't help but chuckle, his lips curling into a mischievous grin as he arched an eyebrow in a cheeky challenge.

"Not unless that guy begs me to come back. Now that would be satisfying."

Thee stared at Peach, and instead of finding him obnoxious or villainous, he only thought he looked endearing. Too endearing. He turned his face away, crossing his arms to stop himself from reaching out and squeezing Peach's soft, flushed cheeks.

Peach wasn't even remotely close to the type Thee usually liked-lean and tall with a clean-cut face. Not the petite, sweet-looking type he was typically drawn to. And his personality? Couldn't be further off the mark. But somehow, being around Peach brought Thee a strange sense of ease he couldn't quite put into words. It was a comfort that let him lower his guard, to go along with whatever Peach wanted without overthinking. It felt freeing, like he could truly be himself. And when Peach wasn't around, it left him feeling oddly irritated.

He paused, trying to work it out in his head. Was it possible he already thought of Peach as a friend? With a small nod to himself, Thee decided that was the most reasonable explanation. He mentally placed Peach in the category of "trustworthy friend."

His gaze lingered on Peach's sly smirk, the way his eyes sparkled with whatever mischief he was plotting. It didn't look threatening in the slightest. In fact, it made Thee feel a strange, fuzzy warmth inside. He should keep him as a close friend.

"So, what's your plan?" Thee asked as he sat down on the sofa, crossing one leg over the other in his usual confident manner. He clasped his hands together, clearly interested in whatever nonsense Peach was about to suggest. Even if it was just some harmless fun, Thee felt oddly inclined to go along with it.

"I'm thinking of taking a laid-back road trip, drive wherever I feel like, stop to take photos, grab some good food, then crash for the night wherever" Peach said, a soft smile playing on his lips. His eyes sparkled. "Meanwhile, I figure I'll give the newbie a shot at handling things. But, if their work doesn't cut it, you'll probably call me back to fix it anyway."

Thee smirked faintly. It was like watching a little kid try their hand at plotting something big. As a good senior, he thought he should let the kid take the lead for once.

"Yeah, sounds like there'll be plenty of problems with that job," he said, nodding in agreement. If Peach said there'd be issues, there'd better be!

"But don't mess with them too much, okay?" Peach warned, his tone light but firm. "If they do a good job, give them the credit.

They're just newbies— no idea about all this drama. Besides, a project like this could be a huge deal for their portfolio." For the young photographer, the real target of his frustration was Wivit. He didn't want the new hires' futures derailed by petty office politics or immature power plays.

Thee didn't make any promises. Instead, his smile widened slightly, hinting at thoughts no one could quite guess. Who would dare try to fathom the mind of a mafia boss? When it came to settling scores, he wasn't the type to forgive or forget—not even a dime's worth of interest.

"Have you decided where you're going yet?" he asked casually, though inwardly calculating how long he could allow Peach to be away before needing to call him back. He didn't want the guy to disappear for too long but figured a little break wouldn't hurt either— a chance to escape the chaos for a while.

"Thinking about the beach," Peach said, removing the cloth from his eyes and gently rubbing his temples. "It's been ages since I've gone. I was imagining just driving along the coast, enjoying the view, maybe snapping a few shots of the sunset. Sounds nice, doesn't it?"

"T've got a hotel by the beach."

The offhand comment made Peach pause. He glanced at Thee with a mix of suspicion and mild exasperation, prompting Thee to clarify quickly. "I'm part-owner. I can give you a discount. Save you some cash."

"To be honest, as a somewhat successful photographer, I've got a decent amount of savings," Peach replied with a straight face, though it seemed the implication went completely over Thee's head. What did a hotel have to do with savings, anyway?

"Why not just walk in and drop my name? Or better yet, I could call ahead and book a room for you."

Peach shook his head firmly, his expression turning adorably grumpy. "That's your privilege, Mr Thee. I can't go around throwing your name around like that." The mafia frowned deeper, clearly puzzled. I offered, so why can't he? Crossing his arms, he tried to figure out what else he could do. He wanted to make up for all the trouble Peach had been through, both from him and his company.

"How about I just give you my credit card instead?"

"Mr Thee!"

Theerakit stepped out of the condo, looking far cheerier than when he'd arrived. Mok, waiting downstairs, felt a wave of relief at the sight. The conversation between the two upstairs had gone better than he'd feared. At first, he'd been worried. Knowing his boss's... unique way of thinking and how easily he could misinterpret situations, Mok had been on edge, especially when Theerakit stormed in earlier like a raging thundercloud. Mok couldn't help but worry about the photographer's safety, left alone in that room. He'd even tried to follow his boss inside, only to be met with a sharp glare and a silent command to wait by the car downstairs.

Four hours later, the discussion upstairs wrapped up. Mok closed the passenger door after his boss slid into his seat, then moved to the driver's side. As the car began rolling down the narrow alley leading to the main road, Mok's thoughts drifted. The condo was in a prime location, close to the main road and right by the BTS line. For a place like that, it wasn't outrageously priced.

"Maybe I should just buy a new condo."

The comment caught the young secretary completely off guard,  leaving him blinking blankly in confusion. Years of working for his eccentric boss had taught him to keep his cool, though, so he refrained from slamming on the brakes in shock.

"Should I cancel the paperwork from the marketing department, then?" Mok decided to pivot to a safer topic, convinced that Theerakit's comment hadn't been meant to elicit an actual response. Besides, he wasn't particularly eager to find out why his boss was suddenly interested in buying another condo. The reply he got, however, only deepened his confusion.

"No. Don't cancel it."

"Wait, really? So... you're just going to let Mr Peach go?"

"Peach is going on vacation," Theerakit said simply, stretching his legs out and crossing one over the other. He leaned back against the seat with the lazy grace of a big cat settling in for a nap-though this particular cat felt more like a lion than a housecat.

"But I think it's time we made some changes to the company," Thee said, his voice calm yet laced with quiet authority. A faint smile played at the corners of his lips, but his sharp eyes burned with a menacing gleam. The air in the car grew heavier, prompting his secretary to shift uncomfortably in his seat. Even when a predator seemed to rest its claws and lie low, at its core, it remained a predator.

"Let's start by shutting down Studio A for renovations," Thee continued in an unhurried tone. 

"Looks like we'll need a hefty budget to revamp it, too. Guess that means there won't be any funds left to support photo shoots for now."

Mok's lips curved into a small, knowing smile, his eyes flickering briefly with quiet understanding.