Plan B to U

Chapter 8 What Merit Did You Make, Sir?

 

"Why are you two so hyped up today?"

 

"Of course it's always you who finds out last."

 

The studio's mood was different from any other day- lively, people bustling around, even the background music had that extra pump-up energy. Any livelier, and every department would be throwing a party together.

 

"This Friday the studio's holding a birthday party."

 

"That's it?" Was a birthday party really that exciting? None of the three was even born this month. Just imagining having to celebrate for someone we'd barely just met already felt like a buzzkill.

 

"It's something they do for whoever's born that month, but it's not just walking in with a surprise cake. They go big."

 

Nikm rattled off the full breakdown: an evening party, a theme, a curated food menu, music and fun games, plus a lucky draw prize giveaway to cap it off. So once a month there'd be one big blowout for everyone to let loose.

 

"The thing is, three people are celebrating this month: P'Mee, P'Dral" My best friend paused for effect before dropping the last name, the one that made me nearly lose it with delight. "...and P'Krich."

 

"Wow."

 

"Eyes sparkling like that, I bet you're already cooking up some scheme to torment P'Krich again." Acting like he knew everything. Not this time, no shallow tricks. The first thing I needed to do was stop making him coffee. Farewell, eight sugar cubes. Farewell, sour milk and new T-shirts.

 

"You can read me that well, huh."

 

I never intended to ruin anyone's birthday. There were far more sophisticated and clever ways to go about it, like cleaning out the entire buffet, getting my money's worth, making the old man regret throwing the party at all.

 

"Seriously though, Nile, I'm worried you're going to flop again. Every scheme you've pulled has just backfired on you."

 

"Don't curse me. Consider that a request, not a prediction."

 

I pressed my palms together and chanted "sacred powers, sacred powers, sacred powers" three full times. Before long, Em clocked in, dressed to the nines, hair fully done. But instead of rushing over to greet us like usual, all his attention shifted straight to P'Mee at her desk.

 

"P'Mee, I got you an espresso shot today. This place is so popular, you have to queue from six in the morning." Six in the morning, my ass. I'd called him at seven, and he hadn't even woken up yet. Lying had become second nature to him.

 

"Thanks, Em."

 

"No problem, I'm hap"

 

"But I just had iced Thai tea a moment ago, sorry."

 

"NOOOOOO! Nooooo! I won't accept this!"

 

Em wailed, set the coffee cup down, and started running wild around the studio, startling and amusing everyone nearby in equal measure. Found him. The one person whose life is pathetic enough that his friends don't even need to curse it.

 

"Truly pitiful." Nikm shook his head wearily, while I secretly held in laughter so hard my nostrils flared.

 

"What's wrong with Em?"

 

But someone never quite got it. P'Mee's eyebrows knitted together as she stepped closer, murmuring quietly.

 

"Probably shocked by the electricity bill. The aircon's been blasting nonstop in here."

 

"That's a serious case."

 

Our supervisor watched Em's antics for a moment longer before turning back to the two of us. "Could you two help me out, then? This Friday we're throwing the happy birthday event. Creative and Content have been assigned to come up with the food menu, and Sound's handling the event theme."

 

"Should I check in with Sound then, so everything matches up?" I asked for more detail, figuring that since this was new to us, understanding the whole system now would make next month easier.

 

"No need. For an indie label, sometimes things that don't match end up matching anyway."

 

How does mismatched end up matching? Weird logic. Still, I kept the question to myself and nodded along. Ten minutes later, my heartbroken best friend trudged back over, head hanging low. Time to tease him hard the way he'd made a habit of teasing me.

 

"Run off to wipe away some tears, did you?"

 

"Someone like me would never cry. Trust me, tomorrow I'm buying every single drink there is: iced tea, green tea, milk tea, old-school coffee by the cart, even the most ridiculous brewing methods out there. I'll bring her the whole universe."

 

"True to the saying, drip water on a rock every day and eventually the rock complains it's wasteful."

 

"I'm rich."

 

"This is definitely getting back to your mother." I threatened.

 

Em was Thai-Chinese, and his family genuinely had money; they'd run a gold shop since his great-grandfather's time. But because he was such a reckless spender, splashing cash around without a second thought, his mother had clamped down hard on his spending.

 

"Don't play around like that, I'm genuinely scared."

 

"Since the studio owner's birthday lands on the same day as my idol's, you think I should get her a surprise gift?" Nikm suddenly steered the topic back on track, and the three of us promptly spent our work hours the way we liked best: huddled together for an emergency strategy session.

 

"If the gift you're thinking of is anything like my birthday shirt, just stop now. P'Boo's bar quotes don't work."

 

"Such a shallow idea. Who would even buy something like that for someone?"

 

You two, that's who...

 

To this day I still haven't found a single occasion to wear it out of the house. I poured my heart out, and you just poured me out. Way too cringe.

 

But speaking of gifts, I couldn't help wondering if it really needed to go that far. We'd only just met them. Besides, giving a gift risked looking like sucking up, since they were all in positions way above ours.

 

"I've figured out what to get P'Mee. It has to be no ordinary gift; it has to be special." 

 

Not only had he dropped all sense of appropriateness, but Em had also gone full delusional.

 

"By special you mean..."

 

"Roses."

 

"That's a brain-dead idea."

 

"No expectations, no disappointment." I felt for him.

 

"Hear me out, just hear me out first~ It's not just roses, it has to be... ROOOOSES."

 

So determined to hit that high pitch. Wonder if he's used up his daily allowance of vocal cords yet.

 

I had no idea how extravagant the roses he was imagining would be. The only thing I was sure of was that Nikm and I had been roped into becoming his accomplices for creating a surprise moment between him and our supervisor.

 

That afternoon our crew was unusually active, arranging with Sound to nail down the birthday theme. Since most of that side was rough-and-tumble guy types, they just shouted questions back and forth at each other across the room. Less than a minute later, I had an answer.

 

"Hey, our team's locked in a rock theme."

 

"Oh, that fits perfectly with the menu I had in mind."

 

"What menu did you come up with?"

 

"Crispy pork belly."

 

He looked confused, then ultimately seemed to just accept his fate.

 

"Sure, go with that."

 

Everything settled within two minutes flat. Tight, fast. Whether it was actually well thought out, who knew, but it sounded fun.

 

I returned to my desk to push on with the main job: coming up with concepts based on the finalised song list we'd just locked in. But my focus on the computer screen got shattered by the arrival of a senior from marketing

 

"Nile."

 

"Yes?"

 

I've heard quite a bit about our resident bike daredevil here, so I wanted to ask if you'd handle picking up and delivering the birthday cake. I've already placed the order ahead of time."

 

"No problem at all."

 

"So adorable, you little cheek monster." A new nickname, apparently.

 

"Just being called a little monster by you already makes me happy."

 

"Little dog monster."

 

Okay, fine, call me whatever you want!

 

The moment I accepted the important mission, the senior handed me a chocolate bar. I took it happily and unwrapped it in good spirits. But the good mood lasted barely a moment before the meeting room atmosphere turned heavy, everyone's faces tense because the man in charge was sitting stone-faced at the head of the table, running the show.

 

"Take the songs already on the list and redesign the sound once more. See if the second demo version comes out better."

 

"Okay."

 

P'Nest agreed, just as the artist duo, Dral and Sun, pushed through the door like cue cards had been dropped for them. Krich shot them a glare, going full hard mode.

 

"The meeting was scheduled for two. What time did you two show up?" The whole room fell into icy silence. I rarely heard him sound that sharp, but the ones on the receiving end handled it just fine, easygoing as ever.

 

"It was necessary, P'Krich. 2:29 PM was an auspicious time."

 

"Which fortune teller gave you that, so I can shut their shop down." The tall figure sighed over and over, but never once took his eyes off Dral. "And what the hell is that shirt?"

 

I stared at the printed monster on the famous artist's shirt, a thoroughly bizarre original design: rabbit head, giraffe long neck, bird tail.

 

"This is art!!" Dral gestured with his hands like some renowned master artist. I designed it myself, in case it sparks an idea for merchandise."

 

"Don't even try, I'm begging you." Krich crushed that hope on the spot before ushering the newcomers to their seats. "Mee, what concepts have you got?"

 

"Right here. We've got several ideas. Go on, kids, show off your work." She snapped her fingers as a cue, and I tapped the keyboard to bring the slides up on the projector.

 

I swear every concept had been seriously thought through, racking our brains over. But a few ideas I'd slipped in specifically to rattle the old man, just for kicks. Adding a little colour to life.

 

"I think since Offline Youth is known for heartbreak songs, and most of what we've selected are heartbreak songs too, it'd be great if we made the album like a breakup survival guide."

 

"That's so cool."

 

Sun clapped before getting cut off by that low voice.

 

"The rival label's already done that." He locked eyes with the artists. "Your own friends' band, even."

 

"Oh, really? Forgot."

 

"Next idea."

 

I advanced the slide as requested, then began presenting.

 

"I'd like to pitch an album for the occultcurious crowd; if she won't love me, I'll just hex her instead." This burning inspiration had come from a Thai horror film mixed with stories from a ghost podcast show. "The album cover is a sacred amulet design, with characters styled as the band's name and an incantation describing what listeners get from the album. Looking at it, it's basically begging to be enshrined."

 

"Sold! Brilliant, fitting."

 

Dral blurted it out, momentum building, only for Krich to shut it down on the spot.

 

"Drop the occult angle. It doesn't go with the music at all. Next slide."

 

I obliged. Click, click, click! One after another.

 

"If the occult angle doesn't work, let's try something sensual instead. We present fairly suggestive, art-rated visuals to convey the passionate relationship between two people that ultimately ends in a breakup."

 

"Pass."

 

"Did you choose this idea, P'Krich?" I asked excitedly, my heart hammering so hard it could have burst through my chest.

 

"I meant to pass by this page."

 

Oh, go to hell.

 

If it weren't for the fact that he's a serious guy who professionally separates work from personal matters, I'd honestly think he was messing with me.

 

Having run out of ideas to pitch, the presentation was handed over to Em. My dear friend, refusing to give up, channelled his god-tier persuasion skills, utilising everything from his vocal tone to his gestures.

 

"Objects or memories regarding a lover, like flowers, doors, vases, sand, trees"

 

"I'll take it!"

 

"Get out of here, Dral and Sun. You can't just buy into every single idea."

 

"But I like it, P'Krich!"

 

"This project is going to tank precisely because of this." Krich rubbed his temples. Today, he looked more exhausted than usual. Even so, he continued to grill me as if he wanted to tear me to pieces. "Are these entirely your team's ideas?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Mee, I'm serious about this."

 

"I understand."

 

"I'll give you one more week. Go rethink the entire album concept from scratch. Next time, give it a pitch. If it doesn't work out, I might have to call you into the hot seat."

 

"Will do."

 

It was just an empty threat. Was I scared? Not really. It was just...

 

"That's all for today's meeting. Thank you very much."

 

It's just that I didn't understand myself.

 

At first, my intention was to push his buttons anyway. Seeing how visibly frustrated he was, shouldn't I be happy? So why did I feel so frustrated and awful deep down? Could his past actions truly erase everything? Because ever since the day Krich showed up at my house, cooked dinner for me, and watched a movie with me, turning the memory of a haunted house into a warm and romantic home, just that alone managed to change my mind.

 

I really hated how I kept giving him opportunities to get closer and closer each day. Infiltrating my life so seamlessly that eventually... my hatred began to turn into sympathy without me even realising it.

 

The birthday celebration party arrived way too quickly for my liking. It should have been just another ordinary day for me, but my dear friends were highly dedicated to finding activities to successfully disrupt the peace and quiet of my life.

 

"Aren't you being too jumpy? Stop shaking your leg." I warned the one responsible for all this, even though I was in no better shape myself.

 

"I'm nervous, okay."

 

"With this many people around, are you sure our plan's going to go smoothly?"

 

Em wanted to give P'Mee a private birthday surprise with an elaborately rigged plan. First, he'd ask her to come help carry something from the trunk of his car. The moment she arrived, the trunk would pop open automatically, revealing thousands of roses laid out inside.

 

My job was holding the balloons, while Nikm held a speaker playing sweet, sentimental music to set the mood. Then the three of us would say 'happy birthday' all together. The whole picture had been mapped out from start to finish. If this plan worked, it'd become a legendary scene we'd never forget even ten years from now. P'Mee would be so moved she'd tear up, turn and ask whose idea it was, and we'd point to Em, standing not too far off, shy and squirming. Then Nikm and I would excuse ourselves, leaving the two of them to talk privately. And that would be the end of the plan.

 

"When the time actually comes, everyone'll be inside the studio anyway; nobody's coming out to the car park. Trust me, man." I patted his shoulder for encouragement, in stark contrast to Em's uncharacteristically anxious face. Love, oh love. Does it really make people this dim?

 

"Looking at your faces right now, I'm not feeling very confident at all."

 

"Trust us. But you have to promise if P'Mee isn't into this, you'll let it go and stop pushing."

 

"Promise."

 

He held up three fingers in a scout's oath. Then our crew got into position, ready to carry out the plan. Em went back inside the studio to ask for P'Mee's help, while Nikm and I waited at the car park, right hand holding the remote, left hand holding the balloons.

 

A few minutes later, the sound of footsteps signalled our cue, so we shot Nikm a look before the speaker switched on, blanketing the whole car park in the sweetness of a love song.

 

Adorable pastel colored balloons. Leaves drifting in the air. Soft yellow light glowing in the dusk. Capped off with thousands of white roses in the trunk of the car.

 

My heart pounded hard as I sensed the approaching footsteps drawing nearer. One step, two steps, three steps... I hit the remote to pop the trunk open.

 

"Happy birthday!"

 

On that final step, someone stopped right in front of us. It was just me who spoke; no sound from Nikm or Em. Everything fell into dead air. The whole world seemed to stop spinning, frozen. My composure nearly shattered the second my eyes landed on someone who shouldn't be standing here at all. It should've been P'Mee. So why was it...

P'Krich.

 

"You really had to go this big?"

 

"N" I wanted to deny it, but my voice seemed to get swallowed back down my throat before I even finished the sentence. Why does cursed timing always come looking for us? And this time it came with flashing lights and everything. Ugh

 

"P'Krich, how come you're here?" Thank God for Nikm; seeing the situation going south, he swooped in to help me out while I was still frozen in shock.

 

"Came to get something from the car. Didn't expect to run into you all setting up a birthday surprise."

 

"Not me. This was all Nile's idea."

 

That traitor. Not satisfied with throwing me under the bus, he even pointed straight at my face while saying it.

 

"Mme..."

 

Should I just play dead? No way out left.

 

"Nice song, by the way. Doesn't quite match the mood right now, though. A bit too sweet."

 

"Okay, so here's the thing~ Just hear me out."

 

"Thank you so much."

 

He wasn't listening at all. I wanted to slam my head against the car window just to feel something.

 

"Let me explain first."

 

"I normally don't accept expensive gifts from staff. But if it's you..."

 

Not only did he ignore my excuse entirely, but he kept glancing between the roses in the trunk and looking back up at me with an intensity I couldn't read. Our eyes met for just a moment, but it was enough to set my face burning, my body rigid, surrendering completely to fate.

 

The look in Krich's eyes, his tone, that faint smile, pulled me right back to the first time we met. That version of me had walked straight into his trap and agreed to buy the house. The present-day me wasn't any different. Letting myself fall into the pit of misunderstanding, and not even trying to climb back out.

 

"I'll just accept it, then."

 

"..."

 

"Thank you for the birthday gift."

Once his words ended, did it finally hit me...

I'd lost. I'd really, truly lost.

 

"Oh, kids, where's the thing you wanted help carrying?"

 

And that's exactly when P'Mee showed up, at the worst possible time. Too late; everything had already been resolved, leaving Em utterly blank-faced at this unexpected turn, his stunned expression slowly twisting into reluctant acceptance of fate.

 

"There's nothing left, P'Mee." My dear friend answered in a shaky voice. So many things had gone wrong today.

 

"What's wrong? Tired?"

 

"A little. Hngh..."

 

Nikm pouted; I just teared up a little, and Em's tears went all the way down to his feet.