Me and Thee: English translation.

Wake up call #20

Peach glanced at the tall, scowling man and let out a long sigh. He couldn't for the life of him figure out what had set Thee off this time. He'd seemed in a good mood earlier this morning before leaving for work—so what the hell happened to make him this moody all of a sudden? He wondered but didn't dare ask. The last thing he wanted was to poke the bear and make things worse.

"Mr Thee, did you come down here because you needed something from me?" Peach asked, steering the conversation away while subtly guiding them away from curious onlookers. The way Thee stood there, arms crossed and face dark with irritation, had already sent the junior staff into a work frenzy, heads down and fingers flying over keyboards as if their lives depended on it. Even Peach couldn't help but feel like he was offering himself up to the devil.

"What? This is my studio. I can go wherever the hell I want," Thee snapped, his arms tightening across his chest. His displeasure was crystal clear, but when Peach moved, Thee followed without hesitation, keeping just close enough that his long arms could reach out if needed.

Peach stifled another sigh. They clearly needed to have a serious talk. If Thee kept acting up like this, they wouldn't get anywhere. Turning fully to face him, Peach levelled him with a calm, steady gaze and asked evenly. "Mr Thee, are you... mad at me for something?"

Thee frowned, still looking like he might blow up again, but when his eyes met Peach's calm, unwavering stare, something in him seemed to deflate. The stormy tension surrounding him faded, bit by bit.

"I'm not mad at you," Thee said, voice softening, the furrow in his brow easing. Peach had no idea what caused the sudden mood swing, but if Thee was cooling down, he wasn't about to complain. His own shoulders relaxed, and a gentle, warm smile spread across his face, his eyes softening into crescent moons. Finally! The possessed demon seemed to have left the building.

Thee stiffened, his eyes widening slightly before he quickly looked away, leaving only a faint, pinkish tint creeping up the tips of his ears. Peach blinked, puzzled, but chose not to press. As long as Thee wasn't on edge, that was good enough for him.

"Don't be so... nice," the young mafia muttered after a moment, voice low and almost too soft to hear. "You don't have to be nice to people who've been awful to you."

"But technically, I was awful to him, too. "He took my name off the project and put his own on it. So I made sure he had to take his name off and beg me to put mine back on." Peach replied with a small shrug. He spoke matter-of-factly. Peach wasn't the type to hold grudges. In fact, he was the classic introvert, private, quiet, and averse to drama. He usually lets things slide unless necessary. But after getting screwed over by Wivit one too many times, even he couldn't just turn the other cheek.

Seeing that Thee seemed back to normal, Peach returned to the question that had been bugging him from the start. "So... why did you come down here? Did you need something from me?" Please don't say you're here to chase me about deadlines...

Theerakit's expression went blank for a second, as if he'd forgotten his original reason entirely. Then he cleared his throat and got to the point.

"There's a company event tonight, a party celebrating how the Falcon Collection smashed its previous sales record. We've invited several media outlets." He paused, looking a bit... uneasy. "Would you... Want to come with me?"

Peach raised an eyebrow, pulling out his phone to check his emails. His brow furrowed slightly as he scrolled. "I didn't get an invitation email. Am I supposed to go?"

"It was... a mix-up." Thee's face hardened again, serious but clearly uncomfortable. 

"The team sent invitations to everyone on the project, but... There was a bit of a mess at the time, so the email... never got sent to you."

Peach nodded slightly, understanding the situation. Given the recent ordeal of having his name removed from the project list, HR must have sent the invitation based on the updated roster, leaving his name out entirely.

"That's fine. Let Trend go in my place." But the scowl on Thee's face only deepened, turning him into a picture of defiance. He clearly wasn't on board with that idea.

"Do you want to go? I can add your name."

"No, thanks." Peach's response came without hesitation, his expression unreadable. 

"You don't want to go because of those people, right? I can have that jerk's name removed if it bothers you."

"You can't do that," Peach sighed. "He's the project leader. If you cut him from the list, it'll spark even more rumours for the press to write about."

"Then come with me."

"No way. I hate parties." His refusal was firm, accompanied by a sleepy-eyed look of disinterest. "Besides, I have work to finish tonight. I'm not wasting my time on a pointless event."

The moment Peach turned him down, the mafia's expression darkened again, his sharp features tightening with something almost predatory. His gaze narrowed, and the air grew thick with intensity, like a beast sizing up its prey.

"What kind of 'work"? You meeting someone else?" His voice dipped dangerously low, a growl vibrating at the back of his throat.

"You dared to turn me down... for someone else? You've got guts,

Peachayarat."

Peach was stunned into silence, only snapping back to reality when Thee took a decisive step forward, closing the space between them. Instinctively, Peach raised a hand to his face, muffling a frustrated groan. For the first time, he seriously considered screaming into his own palm. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Peach lowered his hand and met Thee's intense gaze with quiet exasperation. He wasn't about to be intimidated by this absurd possessiveness.

"Put yourself together, Mr Thee. I said I have work, not a date." His voice was steady, no trace of fear despite Thee's imposing stance. "And that 'work' happens to be your project. Did you forget about tomorrow's meeting? You asked to review the progress in the afternoon. If I don't pull an all-nighter, the art team won't have the revisions ready in time."

Thee stilled, his clenched jaw loosening as realisation dawned. His scowl faded, replaced by a flicker of satisfaction. But despite regaining his composure, he made no move to step back.

Peach shifted, uncomfortable with the sudden closeness. Just as he was about to take a step back, Thee's large hand wrapped around his wrist, firm but not harsh.

"It's past noon. Have you eaten yet?" The young mafia asked quietly, his thumb brushing idly across the inside of Peach's wrist.

"You have stomach issues. You need to eat on time."

Caught off guard by the sudden change in topic, Peach allowed himself to be gently tugged along, only realising what was happening when they were already halfway out of the studio. Behind them, Thee's secretary had neatly packed up Peach's bag and equipment, making sure nothing was left behind.

Mok, Thee's right-hand man, barked orders to another bodyguard to stow Peach's belongings in the black European car parked in the underground garage. Before Peach could protest, Thee opened the car door and firmly guided him inside. It's just supposed to open the door... How did this turn into being shoved inside the car?

He sighed internally but didn't complain. A free, delicious meal in exchange for being "kidnapped" didn't seem like the worst deal. Settling back into the plush leather seat, Peach allowed himself to relax. His lips curled into a faint, content smile. Strange... When had his fear of the mafia boss sitting next to him faded into nothing more than quiet comfort?

Since Peach had asked for somewhere close to the office, explaining he needed to brief the art team again in the afternoon so that he could work smoothly tonight, the young mafia complied without a word of protest. After parking at a nearby large mall, Thee led the way inside. With his tall, broad frame and long, purposeful strides, Thee naturally moved ahead of Peach, whose own height was more than average but still no match for Thee's pace. Peach made no effort to catch up, though. Lunch breaks were supposed to be relaxing, not a race. Besides, it wasn't like he'd get lost. The towering mafia boss stood out like a beacon among the crowd, his sharp presence enhanced by the two bodyguards shadowing him. Peach could see him clearly even from behind. Noticing he was leaving Peach behind.

Thee glanced back, slowed his steps, and adjusted his stride to match Peach's.

That subtle act of consideration brought a faint, strange warmth to his chest.

"What are you in the mood for?" Thee asked, scanning the restaurant signs with a furrowed brow. "Looks like everywhere's packed."

"It's after 1 PM-still peak lunch hour," Peach replied with a shrug. Crowded eateries at this time of day were normal to him. For Thee, who probably frequented private dining rooms in high-end restaurants, it was another story.

The young photographer's eyes roamed over the options, looking for somewhere with a short wait. Both of them had work waiting back at the office. Also, the CEO, besides him, would definitely have the sheer volume of tasks piling up. Thee had been holed up in his office for just three hours, and judging by the exhausted look on his secretary's face when they emerged, the workload must've been anything but light.

After sweeping his gaze around, his eyes landed on a bright green sandwich shop that stood out. It was the famous spot with six-foot-long bread and fully customizable fillings. Quick, convenient, and handheld, perfect for grabbing a bite without wasting time. Better yet, there was no line at all.

Without a word, he grabbed Thee's wrist and tugged him toward the shop. The taller man followed without resistance, making it feel almost too easy. Before long, they were standing in front of the sandwich shop.

"Have you tried this place before?" Peach asked, eyes lighting up as he pointed at the menu. "It's so good! I order it all the time when I'm working late. You can eat it with one hand, it's got everything: bread, veggies, meat, and it tastes great."

Thee peered at the menu with interest, his business-like focus kicking in at the mention of Peach's enthusiasm. It was as if he were assessing a potential investment. Peach ordered his usual—a mix of sliced chicken, ham, and bacon, topped with extra cheese and turned to Thee, who stood there frowning slightly, clearly at a loss. In the end, Thee gave up and let Peach order for him. Peach happily chose a large steak and cheese sub for Thee, tossing in a tuna sandwich for the assistant waiting nearby.

Once they had their food, Peach folded back the wrapper and took a big bite, his cheeks puffing slightly as he chewed. He walked along leisurely, the sandwich lifting his mood. Watching him, Thee followed suit. After his first bite, Thee's expression shifted to mild surprise; he hadn't expected something so affordable to taste this good.

They strolled around for a bit longer, finishing their sandwiches bite by bite. Once the last crumb was gone, they headed back to the car. Despite the traffic, Mok managed to get his boss and the photographer back to the office in a decent time. Peach asked if they could swing by the parking lot on the other side to drop him off—his meeting materials were still in his car, which was parked in the general lot, while the executive spaces were on an upper-level lot on the opposite side. Peach stepped out of the car, turning to thank them in his usual polite manner. But just as Mok was about to pull away, Peach called out for him to stop and wait a moment.

The young photographer hurried toward his car, almost breaking into a jog. After rummaging around the trunk for a few seconds, he came back holding a large pack of crispy three-flavoured squid snacks.

"Mr Mok, this is for you. This brand is amazing. Great for munching on while you're working." Peach said, handing over the large pack of squid snacks to Thee's secretary with a wide smile. He gave a small nod in thanks, turned on his heel, and headed into the building, making his way toward the art department to meet his younger sister at the Art Department with another large bag of goodies.

Meanwhile, Theerakit narrowed his eyes, a faint air of displeasure beginning to seep out. His gaze locked onto the bag of squid snacks in Mok's hands, unwavering. Sensing trouble, Mok quickly stuffed the pack into his bag.

"Boss, you don't even like spicy food, let alone squid," Mok pointed out, keeping his tone neutral. Internally, he was screaming in protest. How could the young mafia even consider snatching away his favourite snack when he clearly didn't enjoy it? But the oppressive aura radiating from the mafia boss showed no sign of dissipating.

"No bonuses this year," Thee remarked casually, crossing his arms and turning his face away, radiating icy indifference. The young secretary's jaw dropped. He desperately wanted to point out that Peach had just lugged a massive bag of snacks upstairs for the art team. Why was he the only one being punished here? But in the end, he could only swallow his frustration along with his unshed tears.

Being a secretary was an unlucky job.