Me and Thee: English translation.

Wake up call #36

 

Plub strode confidently down the corridor after the secretary granted her permission to see the CEO—or rather, after she contacted him and was practically escorted straight to his office.

 

"Mr Thee's mood has been a bit unpredictable lately," Mok warned with a serious expression. As she walked, she noticed several employees passing by with tense faces. 

 

"He's always intense about work, but lately, he's been extra meticulous."

 

Plub frowned slightly but only nodded. The atmosphere seemed calmer than she expected. She had imagined the classic mafia storm-raging temper, throwing things, but remembered how composed Mr Thee had been when they went out for shabu.

 

Mok knocked on the grand office door before announcing her arrival. Inside, the tall man sat behind a massive desk, surrounded by piles of documents. His hands stilled only when she stepped in.

 

Theerakit lifted his gaze, his chiselled face marred by visible exhaustion. Dark circles shadowed his sharp eyes, and his broad shoulders, usually held high with authority, seemed slightly slumped. Yet, the atmosphere was cold, sharp enough to chill the room. In his hand, he gently cradled a delicate wind chime, holding it as if it were something precious.

 

Normally, Plub would've felt intimidated after all, she was still technically just a subordinate. But today, she came as Peach's sister, ready to assess a potential brother-in-law. Fear had no place here.

 

His piercing, smoke-grey eyes slowly locked onto her, flickering with equal parts hope and anxiety.

 

"Is Peach with you? How is he doing?"

 

Plub arched her brow. Her brother had been staying with her for three days now. He'd told her he needed time to gather his thoughts and figure out what to say. Besides, the mafia had been in a volatile mood lately, and Peach didn't want things to escalate into a shouting match. Not that Thee made staying under the radar easy—he visited Peach so often that the condo security assumed they lived together and even reissued him a key card. Staying at his old place would've been like waving a red flag at a bull. Thee would've stormed in for sure.

 

Still, Peach hadn't vanished entirely. He avoided phone calls but still responded to Thee's messages, though less frequently because of his hectic work schedule. If not for that, Plub might've thought her brother had dumped Mr Thee for good. But judging by the near-hundred texts Thee had sent, it was clear the reduced communication wasn't on Peach's end—it was Thee who had ramped up his messages.

 

"You made Peach cry." Plub lied smoothly, though her brother hadn't shed a single tear despite being visibly worn out. 

 

"He was really heartbroken. Why would you hurt him like that?" 

 

Just that, and she could see Mr Thee's face instantly lost all colour, the icy atmosphere turning even bleaker. Seeing his stricken expression, Plub's lips twitched with amusement. This was fun.

 

She let him stew in guilt a moment longer—consider it payback for making her brother feel like crap. But when Thee just sat there looking utterly defeated, she finally sighed, deciding to dial down the drama.

 

At first, she'd been prepared to bolt with Peach if Thee lost his temper. But, instead, he seemed to wither right before her eyes, like a plant left out in the scorching sun. She couldn't stand seeing him like that, especially when her brother was in just as bad shape.

 

"You're not mad at Peach?" Plub asked cautiously, narrowing her eyes as if trying to catch him in a lie.

 

"Why would I be mad? He's the one who's mad at me." 

 

Thee leaned back in his chair, his gaze dropping, pained and distant. His fingers brushed the wind chime in his hand as though its soft touch could anchor him. 

 

"He probably hates me by now."

 

Plub planted her hands on her hips. Watching Thee sink deeper into his gloom was getting old fast. With a huff, she spun around, grabbed a chair, and dragged it over to sit directly across from him. Adjusting her glasses, she tried her best to look serious.

 

"I want to ask you something seriously." Plub took a deep breath, steadying herself.  "What exactly do you feel for Peach?"

 

"I like him," Thee answered instantly, without even a flicker of hesitation. 

 

His voice was firm, his words slow and deliberate, as though he needed to convince even himself. This wasn't some passing thought. Ever since Peach had pulled

away, Thee's feelings had only grown sharper, more undeniable.

 

"I like Peach... I love your brother"

 

Plub's lips curved into a soft smile as the tension in the room eased.

 

"You won't hurt my brother, right?"

"Never."

 

Thee's storm-grey eyes locked onto hers, deadly serious. His brows drew together as if her question itself was a personal affront. Plub let out a soft sigh, her gaze dropping for a moment. When she looked up again, her eyes shimmered with a quiet warmth, tinged with something deeper.

 

"There's something you need to know. Peach would never tell anyone this, but I think you should know it." 

 

She said slowly, her voice almost detached, like she was recounting someone else's life. 

 

"We weren't orphans from the start. We had a mom. But she remarried, and the man she chose turned out to be a cruel monster. He was violent... a drunk. But our mom. She loved him anyway. We were just kids. We couldn't do anything?"

 

Thee sat up straighter, hanging on every word. His eyes darkened with quiet intensity, as if committing every piece of the story to memory, vowing silently to hold every part of Peach's past to his heart.

 

"There was this one time I had a really high fever. Peach literally got on his knees and begged our mum to take me to the hospital, but she didn't care. She loved her new husband more than her own kids. So when the monster said no, she left us to fend for ourselves. Peach got beaten up pretty badly that day; his arm was broken. And me? I was just left there, waiting to die. Plub began softly, her gaze dropping to the floor. Her voice cracked slightly, but she pushed through, her expression composed even as the words carried the weight of old wounds. Time had dulled the sharp pain, but the scars were still there, faint but impossible to ignore.

 

"Since then, Peach has hated violence. Like... really hated it. To be honest, he's not perfect; he's got his rough edges and a bit of a vengeful streak sometimes. But when it comes to violence, he's terrified of it. Whether it's doing it or being on the receiving end, he just can't handle it."

 

The mafia froze. His grey eyes widened in shock, and a jolt of realisation hit him like a freight train. His mind raced back to that day at the restaurant-the day he grabbed Peach's arm too hard. It left a red mark on Peach's wrist, barely anything, but his face had gone completely pale. And that other time, outside the office, Peach's face had turned ghostly white again. His eyes were wide and unfocused, trembling with a fear so raw it was impossible to miss, even though he tried to mask it. Peach wasn't just 'afraid.' He was "traumatised."

 

"What happened after that?" Thee asked, his voice dry and raspy, his expression a mix of somberness and sorrow. He had to know everything-every detail. If it was about Peach, nothing was too small or insignificant.

 

"After that?" Peach carried me and ran. We managed to escape the house, and someone helped us. Peach lied and said our mom was dead, so we ended up in an orphanage. We stayed there until Peach turned eighteen. As soon as he was old enough, we moved out and started living on our own." 

 

She wrapped it up like it was some simple, clean story, waving it off as if it didn't hold the weight of a thousand shattered moments. Her casual tone made it sound like one of those clichéd "ten years later" skips in a novel, glossing over the struggles and pain.

 

Though everyone knew it wasn't entirely true, there must've been countless good and bad moments in the past. But none of that mattered now:

 

"We never talked about it again. Even Plum never mentioned how scared Peach gets about violence. Honestly, I'm not sure Peach even realises it himself."

 

It was something only a sister who had lived by his side her whole life could notice. Peach avoided action movies, skipped any sports involving combat, and always looked pale when seeing news reports about violence. He'd try to steer clear of anything related to it, like running from a recurring nightmare he couldn't escape.

 

"It's my fault," Thee muttered under his breath, sorrow and anxiety tightening his chest. "I never meant to make Peach feel that way." But it wasn't just about making him feel bad. Thee realised he barely knew the real Peach at all.

 

Behind that bright smile and calm, gentle, protective shelter he created for others, Peach might've been more fragile than anyone could imagine. Not crying didn't mean not hurting. A wound that had scarred over didn't tell the pain was gone.

 

"You shouldn't blame yourself too much, Mr Thee. Honestly... both Plub and Peach kind of enjoyed seeing things play out the way they did."

 

The young woman shrugged casually. This might've been the first time Tawan resorted to physical violence, but it certainly wasn't the first time Peach had trouble because of her.

 

"But I still messed up.. made Peach hate me." The mafia boss's shoulders slumped, his sharp, intimidating face shadowed by a faint sadness. His voice grew softer, almost defeated.

 

"I doubt he hates you. If he did, he wouldn't have let me set this meeting up."

 

Thee's head snapped up, his eyes widening in shock, glimmering with a spark of hope. The young woman chuckled lightly, deciding she'd tested her future brother-in-law enough for now.

 

"Do you have time tomorrow afternoon, Mr Thee? Peach would like to talk."

 

"Of course," Thee responded instantly, his tone firm and confident. Even if his schedule weren't free, he'd make it free.

 

"I want to start calling you Brother Thee already," Plub teased with a bright, playful smile as she got to her feet. 

 

"But, Mr CEO, do your best, okay? I only have one request—never, ever use force on my brother. And if the day comes when you don't love Peach anymore, please, send him back to me."

 

Thee met her gaze, unwavering and resolute. There was a gravity in his expression that made it clear he'd never been more serious in his life.

 

"That day will never come. I swear it."

 

Peach finished all the work for the winter collection on the third day. After the last-minute change to the main model, there was a mountain of tasks—promotional images, magazine spread layouts, and more. Peach couldn't help but feel guilty for causing such a major reset, so he volunteered to help with the final photo edits and even assisted with the magazine's layout and artwork.

 

Part of the reason he threw himself into the work was that his mind had been all over the place lately. He wasn't sleeping well, so when the insomnia hit, he simply got up and worked through the night.

 

Peach picked up his phone and scrolled through unread messages in his app. Among the messages from his team members, one name stood out at the very top: Mr Thee. A new notification from him had just popped up. He replied to his team's messages first before opening Thee's.

 

Most of Thee's earlier texts were short and sharp, asking where he was, how he was doing, and why he hadn't returned to his condo. Peach chuckled softly at the slightly bossy tone in those messages before his eyes landed on the most recent one.

 

T: I'm free all afternoon tomorrow. And the morning after that, too.

 

Peach couldn't help but laugh quietly, immediately guessing that Plub had gone ahead and set up the meeting. Last night, she'd mentioned she'd let Mr Thee know about the appointment. She'd insisted on going alone, determined to interrogate her future brother-in-law first. Apparently, only if Mr Thee passed her little test would she agree to arrange the meeting.

 

He couldn't help but worry about what if that scary Russian mafia boss lost his temper and hit his sister? Plub was so blunt, almost to a fault. If she accidentally said something to upset Thee, how on earth would he step in to help?

 

But Plub didn't seem the least bit concerned. She'd laughed it off, saying, "If I come back with even a scratch, that just proves Thee is a horrible person. No way am I letting someone like that become my brother-in-law."

 

"Hey, I'm back!"

 

Peach looked up at the cheerful voice coming from the door. Plub strolled in, arms full of bags, her hands weighed down by what seemed like an entire feast. One of the large white bags bore the logo of a famous Korean restaurant, and the aroma of sweet, garlicky fried chicken wafted through the room, making his stomach rumble. Not only unscathed but positively glowing, he couldn't help but wonder if something suspiciously good had happened.

 

"What's all this, Plub?" he asked as he got up to help her unload the bags onto the table. "Did you win the lottery or something? Why'd you buy so much?" He knew his sister loved Korean food, but this was a ridiculous amount for just the two of them. It felt wasteful.

 

"Sorry to disappoint you," she teased, giggling mischievously.

 

"I didn't spend a single baht on all this. It's all courtesy of a certain someone footing the bill. Come on, let's eat, I'm starving!"

 

He raised an eyebrow, intrigued, but decided not to press her further. Instead, he helped pour the kimchi soup into bowls while Plub happily arranged the variety of chicken boxes on the table. Once everything was set and chopsticks were handed out, they finally sat down to dig in.

 

"Peach," she said, his sister dropping a piece of glazed fried chicken onto his plate. 

 

"I already sorted out the appointment with Thee. His secretary said You should call him to confirm the times he said you've got his number."

 

"So, does that mean he passed?" Peach asked with a playful smirk. Honestly, he could already tell just from the way she came back in high spirits and with an offering of food, no less, that the answer was obvious.

 

"Passed, but whether he can win you over or not, well, that's a whole different story." She tried to keep a straight face, but it was hard to take her seriously when she was still chewing a mouthful of chicken.

 

"That said, while he's trying to woo you, feel free to milk him for all he's worth. Free meals every day? Sounds like a dream to me!"

 

"Milking a mafia boss for three meals a day? Really?" Peach laughed, and Plub immediately started ranting about how much she spent on food each day as an office worker, earning another laugh from him.

 

The two continued bantering for a few minutes, but the playful atmosphere soon quieted. Plub rested her chin in her hand, gazing at her brother with

warm, thoughtful eyes.

 

"Peach. I'm really glad someone's finally going to take care of you." She said softly, her voice laced with sincerity. She smiled faintly, her large, round eyes glistening with unshed tears behind her glasses.

 

"But just make sure it's someone you truly want, okay? Don't worry about me. If you're not ready to answer, then don't. And if it doesn't work out, toss him aside. No matter what, I'll always be on your side."

 

Peach fell silent for a moment, wondering if Plub still held a grudge about the whole Wivit situation. She'd once thought she was the reason Peach had to endure Wivit's mistreatment, and though that wasn't entirely wrong, it had been Peach's choice to make. There was no need for her to carry the guilt.

 

Reaching over, he rested a hand on her head and gently tousled her hair from side to side with affection.

 

"Got it. This time, I promise I'll listen to my own heart first," Peach said with a smile.

 

Plub nodded enthusiastically, exclaiming, Good! Before turning back to her chicken, she nibbled on a saucy wing with laser focus. She left everything else, her brother's decisions, Thee's persistence, and the future in Peach's hands. In the meantime, she'd keep herself busy milking that grumpy mafia boss for all he was worth, at least until Peach figured out his answer.