Me and Thee: English translation.

Wake up call #18

"Are you sure this is the kind of work you want to present to me?"

The room dropped a few degrees as the most powerful person at the table spoke, his tone laced with irritation. His sharp, piercing gaze remained steady and intimidating, casting a suffocating pressure that made everyone hold their breath. Heads lowered instinctively, each person silently praying not to become the target of that commanding stare.

Today was the first presentation for the Winter Collection, part of the ongoing All Seasons' One Word project. Just yesterday, promotional images were released in major fashion magazines, generating an overwhelmingly positive response. The campaign photos featuring Aran with the Fall Collection products had gone viral across social media.

Part of the buzz came from Aran's striking appearance in the photos, mesmerising and androgynous, blending beauty and charm with an irresistible hint of mischief. His alluring presence left people captivated. Not only had the magazine sold out, but pre-orders for the perfume and matching accessories from the Fall Collection had also hit record highs.

For Wivit, who had recently been promoted to team leader, these glowing reviews were something he accepted with pride without a shred of embarrassment. After all, he'd been the sub-team leader during the Fall Collection project, playing a key role throughout. But now, the challenge was even greater. Expectations for the Winter Collection were sky-high.

The ongoing project aimed to tell a story through the brand ambassador's journey across seasons, with matching perfumes and accessories symbolising each phase. With the Fall Collection setting the bar so high—and teasers already hinting at a follow-up people were eagerly awaiting the unveiling of the Winter Collection with breathless anticipation.

The team hadn't expected the pressure to be so intense that the company president himself would show up for an initial meeting. He was supposed to be sitting comfortably in the executive boardroom upstairs, waiting for the final presentation after everything had been polished—wasn't he?

Theerakit didn't care what anyone thought. Truth be told, even if he'd been explicitly told to stay away, he would've come down anyway. He'd been suppressing a storm of emotions for days, bottled up so tightly he didn't know where else to direct them. He wasn't even sure what exactly was bothering him. As a boss, he tried hard not to lash out at his subordinates, even if those closest to him could sense the tension radiating from him like an oppressive fog.

The young mafia sat with one leg crossed over the other in the oversized leather chair, one hand propping up his chin while the other tapped rhythmically on the conference table. The steady drumming echoed through the room, matching the frantic heartbeat of every employee present.

Peach had gone completely radio silent, only replying with a random vacation photo whenever Theerakit texted him—something that managed to irritate him even more every single time. He wasn't used to feeling this way. He didn't even understand what this was.

A few days ago, he'd found himself impulsively calling the young photographer. Peach had picked up, voice groggy with sleep. They'd only exchanged a few words-just enough to confirm he was still alive and well before ending the call.

For the first time in days, the raging storm inside him had quieted, though only for a fleeting moment.

Now, Thee crossed his arms, eyes fixed on his phone like it might ring by sheer willpower. He'd already called Peach once that morning, asking the same question he'd been asking when he would come back. As usual, Peach dodged the question, steering the conversation toward light-hearted chatter before abruptly ending the call. Theerakit considered calling back to press for an answer, but couldn't bring himself to do so.

Five days...

His brow furrowed in frustration. He couldn't take it anymore. Snatching up the phone, he buzzed his secretary, instructing him to summon Plub to his office immediately. He leaned back and waited. 

It didn't take long before the young woman arrived. He gestured for her to come in, silently studying her as she approached. Petite and slender, she barely came up to his chest. Her striking red-highlighted hair framed a well-defined face with sharp, familiar features. The resemblance to her older brother was unmistakable.

But what stood out the most were her large, steady eyes, calm, unflinching, and utterly fearless as they met him. Theerakit mused silently, grudgingly impressed. But his voice was all business when he finally spoke.

"You're Panatchakorn from the Art Department, right? What happened to the project? Why's the quality this bad?"

"Apologies, CEO. The presentation today was only the first draft. The Art Department hasn't done much touch-up work yet, so that the photos may look rough or unpolished. I'm really sorry about that."

"I remember your supervisor telling me the Art Department already approved it." He arched a brow, surprised she owned up to it so readily.

"Honestly speaking, editing the raw photos was harder than expected. The files weren't colour-corrected or adjusted in any way, so we had to start from scratch. With our team juggling multiple magazine projects, we just couldn't meet the deadline. I'm really sorry." 

Plub pressed her lips together. She was straightforward by nature, honest to a fault, even if she was a little intimidated by the man towering before her.

There was something else she hadn't mentioned: the team was used to Peach's photos, which were usually pre-edited to some degree. This time, having to adjust everything themselves threw off their entire timeline.

"I'm not blaming you," Theerakit interjected when he saw her lower her head in apology. He paused briefly, hesitating. His voice softened unconsciously. 

"Did your brother mention when he's coming back?"

Plub was taken aback. There was something oddly personal in the way he asked, a strange undercurrent she couldn't quite put her finger on. Pushing the thought aside, she answered honestly.

"He didn't say anything. He's been meaning to take a long trip for a while, but work kept piling up. Now that he's finally on vacation, I guess he's planning to be gone for a while."

Theerakit's gaze dropped, a flicker of disappointment flashing across his face before he could suppress it. Still, something in him quietly registered her words. He should let Peach take more breaks from work. But the thought of not hearing from him for less than a week already had him restless and on edge. He hated feeling this way. He never wanted to feel like this again.

Next time, he'd go with him. Resolute in his decision, the young mafia straightened his back, pushing those unruly thoughts aside. He shifted his focus back to his subordinate again.

Plub stood with a furrowed brow in front of Thee's desk, clearly deep in thought. Whatever was on her mind didn't interest him in the slightest. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he motioned for her to get back to work, not explain. After a brief moment of hesitation, Thee picked up his phone and called Mok, issuing additional orders.

"Tell Wivit I want another round of project reviews in three days. The next submission better be a major improvement," he said, voice calm but firm. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Remind him that the photos from the fall collection were outstanding. I expect that level of quality again... from the same photographer."

A little extra pressure should speed things up. Meanwhile, Peach had been beach-hopping for five straight days, soaking in the sun and sea until salt practically crusted his skin. It was the longest vacation he'd ever taken. On the morning of the sixth day, after picking up souvenirs for everyone, he finally got in his car and headed back to Bangkok.

He'd already texted Plub about his return. As for Mr Thee, since he'd called that morning, Peach figured there was no need to message him again. 

Since that particular phone call, the young mafia seemed to have a sudden epiphany—he could just call. Every single day after that, Peach's phone rang like clockwork. Sometimes it was just a brief exchange, barely a few words before the call ended, like Thee just needed to hear his voice.

Even with the daily calls, messages from Thee still poured into the chat app. Every time Peach connected to the internet to upload vacation photos, there was a fresh stack of notifications waiting for him. He wasn't exactly annoyed, but he was curious. What does Mr Thee want?

For all his brilliance, Thee's thought process could be bizarre at times, so much so that Peach never bothered trying to figure him out. Normally, he would've just asked outright, but since it didn't seem like a big deal, he let Thee do as he pleased. After a quick roadside lunch on that sixth day, his phone started

ringing again. The unfamiliar number flashing on his phone didn't faze Peach; he already had a good guess who it might be. A sly, mischievous grin spread across his face as he let the phone ring a couple more times before finally answering.

"Peachayarat speaking."

[This is Wivit, project team leader from Arseny.]

"Oh, Mr Wivit! What can I do for you?" Peach replied in a deliberately even tone, though his face betrayed how amused he really was.

[...]

There was nothing but tense silence on the other end. Peach could hear Wivit breathing heavily, clearly still on the line but struggling to find the right words. His smirk widened just a bit more. He didn't hate Wivit, but right now, this was far too satisfying.

"If there's nothing important, I'm gonna hang up."

[Wait!] Wivit blurted, panicked. After a brief pause, he finally managed. Provided that I want to offer to rehire you to oversee the All Season's One Word project, would you be available?

Peach silently rolled his eyes. Same old Wivit. Always obsessed with saving face. Pretending nothing ever happened, like they hadn't clashed before, took a certain level of audacity. If Wivit was willing to swallow his pride and make this call,

he must've been under serious pressure. Did Mr Thee pull some strings behind the scenes?

"I seem to recall you clearly stating that you didn't need a part-time photographer anymore. Didn't you already have a full-time photographer lined up?" Peach replied smoothly, his voice dripping with mock politeness.

[Well... the chairman's really breathing down our necks... And the new full-time photographer is still pretty green. They might not be able to keep up.

"Oh dear, that sounds awfully inconvenient," Peach said with exaggerated sympathy, his tone as insincere as could be. He could tell Wivit picked up on the sarcasm.

Peach heard the faint sound of teeth grinding through the line, making the next sentence from Wivit even icier. [So, are you taking the job or not? If it's about the money, just say so. I can talk to the chairman and work something out.

"Don't make it sound like you're trying to buy me off. As one of the country's top photographers, I'm hardly strapped for cash." Peach shot back; his tone silky but sharp. It wasn't like him to boast, but seeing Wivit squirm was highly entertaining. He added, casually:

"I haven't taken on any new projects yet, but you did kick me out last time. Showing up and asking to rejoin your team out of the blue... might look a bit desperate, don't you think?"

The grinding teeth sound returned-this time harsher, angrier. Peach could practically feel Wivit's frustration seeping through the phone, only making his smirk widen.

[Mr. Peachayarat... Would you... Please... come back and take over the All Season's One Word project...] There was a brief, tortured pause, as if he were summoning every last ounce of pride he had left. [...Please]

Peach's grin stretched so wide it nearly hurt. He barely managed to stifle a chuckle, clearing his throat instead while his eyes gleamed with triumph.

"Well, since you're begging so politely and we do go way back—I'll take the job," he replied with mock reluctance. "But this time, I'll need to read the contract first. You know, with the cost of living going up and all, someone needs to cover that."

Without waiting for a response, he ended the call, feeling more energised than ever. With a satisfied hum, he started the car and headed back to Bangkok, thoroughly pleased—supply and demand, baby.