𝕽𝖊𝖘𝖊𝖙 ♧

They tell you to rise with the sun to succeed, but no one mentioned you'd be doing it with a resume that nobody wants to read."

The humidity of Bangkok was already bright, trying to ruin Win's favorite shirt before he could even step inside the BAAC Co-operative building. Dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt, plain off-black trousers, and black leather shoes, he looked ready enough as he was about to be interviewed for PA to the CEO of BAAC Co-operation...

..Tancharoen Dao...

That name whispering yet loud as it flows with the waves of the wind.

Win had seen the man's father Mr Wanshira'an Dao so many times in posters and on Tv but never had he seen his Son since the time the father passed down the company and shares to him. He looked down and lifted his arm, checking his watch for the fifth time in three minutes..he was twenty minutes early.

"Don't mess this up," he told himself.

His heart performmmg a nervous rhythm against his ribs as he lifted his head and stared at the glass building. The name was written in big, elegant fronts. He whispered to himself, "BAAC Co-operative,".. wondering if he really needed this or could still just rely to his bartender job down the other end of the city.

"Just give it a try man", he hushed to himself

He ducked into the lobby, the air condition hitting him like a cold slap. The doors slid shut behind him, sealing out the city noises. Around him, the lights brimmed bright over the building, and movement could be heard from all the halls, people walking by in uniform, the atmosphere seemingly busy and focused. Walked in, trying to keep his expression cool, though he already regretted arriving this early..

Early huh? Hm..

Finding the reception desk, to his left, he walked toward it. The floor, a vast polished expanse of white marble, mirroring the recessed LED lighting so perfectly it felt like walking on ice. Scattered across the receptionist table were files, and documents with a cup of coffee by the desktop. Greeted the lady there; she looked up to him and gave him a warm smile of acknowledgment. As Win asked for if he could get some instructions on how to get to the manager's office, she looked up at him and brought out a paper, and said,

"How to get to Mr. Sunan office is the instruction is at the bottom."

"Oh thank you," he replied

He walked off quickly, at realization of almost being late.

Looked down at the paper as it showed him where the elevator was. Walked toward it and stepped in, looked down, the paper indicated the manager's office " Mr Lee Sunan", was on the 5th floor. As Win lifted his finger to press on the button number, his eyes glanced down only to notice his shoelace has unknotted. He sighed, his eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm getting late, for Christ's sake."

Win bent down and picked the lace up between his fingers to knot them together. Then, had he felt a light breeze blowing by his face as footsteps hit the floor, passing by him.

Once finished knotting his lace, stood up to the view of a shadow-cast man. The guy had a fierce, dark face that was yet as bright as the moonlight. His shoulders were high and stern, yet they looked soft, as if they were stuffed with feathers of swan. The man standing by his side wore a suit tailored to a sharp, intimidating perfection. Win quickly glanced away, unable to believe what an ivory figure stood before him.

Win's eyes flickered, his mind flooding with questions as to why the stranger hadn't even glanced at him once. The man's gaze was kept straight forward toward the elevator door, not even a breeze of future words. Win brushed the thought away and glanced at the elevator menu. He pressed the button of his destination floor number, and the elevator moved off with them both,.to themselves. The atmosphere was tense for Win as he glanced one more time toward the man next to him and then back to the door. He wondered to himself,

Who is he?

The elevator shuddered to a stop, the vibration transferring from the floor directly into the soles of his shoes. The doors groaned open, and the air immediately changed. The man passed by him, walking out of the elevator. His cologne fragrance carried every wave of fresh air out with him. Win watched him as he walked out gracefully. He lifted his hand and glanced down at his watch.

Hia! he exclaimed.

He had been late.. oh Win

He rushed to find the door number written on the paper. Then he had found it, his is body tensed up, stiffened, contemplating whether to walk in, as he was now ten minutes late. Took a breath in and out, trying to believe that nothing could possibly go wrong... right?

Win lifted his arm, stopping mid-knock. He exhaled sharply, then knocked on the office door and grabbed the handle, opening it just enough to command attention. He walked into the office and bowed his head slightly, then lifted it back up.

The heavy glass door clicked shut behind Win, sealing out the hum of the open-plan office and plunging him into a sudden, suffocating silence.

The man sat before him in a suit that seemed to brim with authority.. Mr. Sunan, did not look up immediately; he simply slid a piece of paper across his desk.

"The CEO needs to be in Singapore at 9:00 AM, but also in Tokyo for a signing at 1:00 PM tomorrow. Fix it. You have two minutes."

Sunan's voice was like a low, velvety baritone. Win panicked inwardly-not because of the difficulty of the question, but because of the pressure of the time limit.

"Two minutes... Bruh, I didn't go to school for all this nonsense,"

He whispered under his breath.

He looked at the paper, his eyes tracing the impossibly tight schedule. 9:00 AM SGT. 1:00 PM JST. A seven-hour flight plus a one-hour time difference. He didn't have time to panic.

"The 9:00 AM meeting in Singapore can't go over,"

Win said, sliding the paper back.

"In this situation, I'll arrange a private transfer from the office to Changi immediately after. I'll secure the 11:30 AM Singapore Airlines flight to HND. It lands at 7:30 PM local. No time for dinner, but he makes it to Tokyo early enough for a solid night's sleep to be ready for 1:00 PM."

Sunan looked impressed, though he didn't show it. He slowly took a sip of coffee, watching Win's face to find a sign of doubt where there was none. He leaned forward, bringing his hands together, his face remaining impassive. An almost imperceptible twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth-not quite a smile, but an acknowledgement.

"Bring out your resume,"

Sunan said bluntly.

Win, already prepared, pulled it out and handed it to Sunan. Sunan scanned it, placed it on the table, and parted his lips.

"hm but.."

"Boring,"

he said, his eyes striking into Win's.

"Tell me about your biggest mistake in your last job, and how you fixed it before anyone noticed."

His voice was low, smooth on the surface, but icy within.

Win definitely expected an interview, but not this one. Not like this.

Win had prepared for a polite Q&A, a polished performance of his resume. This? This was an interrogation in a glass box for him, conducted by someone who hadn't blinked in three minutes.

Win parted his lips to respond.

"I am a bar attendant at my own bar; I haven't worked in any other professional role before that."...

His heart hammered against his ribs at his own response.

Sunan's face remained unsatisfied. His eyes locked onto Win's, making him feel intimidated. Win exhaled and opened his mouth to try again.

"There was a time when I was 17 and worked at a local market. I broke a glass bottle of fruit juice. I didn't have the money to replace it, so I used my lunch and dinner money to buy a replacement."

A silence followed, so intense that Win felt his nervousness spiking. Sunan finally spoke.

"Last question. Who are you working for, and in what capacity?"

...

"I'm working for the CEO's son, Tanchareon Dao, the new owner/ manager of BAAC Co-operation. I am applying to be his Personal Assistant."

Win's response burned with nervousness masked by his confidence. Sunan stood up, and Win did the same.

"I will give you a call within a week. If you don't receive one..." He left it hanging.

Win understood, interpreting it.. But honestly, at this point, all he wanted was to get a drink and leave this suffocating atmosphere.

"You can leave," Sunan said.

"Thanks, goodbye," Win responded as he turned and walked out. With the door shutting behind him, he inhaled and exhaled sharply.

"Call or no call, this was depressing."

He took the elevator down and exited the building.

"The salary better make sense, because I am not having any of this right now," he mumbled to himself. Seeing a taxi, he stopped it and drove off toward his house.

══❈ Tan ❈══

The elevator hummed as it ascended, but inside the car, the air felt stagnant, polished, and entirely too controlled. Tanchareon Dao.."Tan" to the few who dared,stared at his reflection in the brushed-steel doors. His tie perfect. His expression, carefully curated mask of indifference.

He didn't quite care about the board meeting waiting for him on the top floor. Right now all he cared about the void in his schedule, the lack of an assistant who could anticipate a disaster before it happened.

"If Sunan brings me another amateur, I'm clearing the entire floor", he thought,

The silence of the elevator amplifying his irritation.

He stepped out, the floor-to-ceiling windows of his office offering a panoramic view that made the rest of the building look like a miniature model. He didn't sit. He paced, his movements sharp and precise. Every minute spent waiting for someone competent to handle his logistics was a minute he was losing in the market.

"Sir," his current assistant began, hovering at the doorway with a stack of reports.

"The logistics reports for the firm expansion... there are complications."

Tan didn't turn around. He didn't want to hear the word complications. All he wanted results and seemed genuinely on his uninterested in excuses. He wanted someone who saw the same vision he did.

"Mr. Sunan is finishing the final interviews,?"

he asked, cutting the assistant off before he could offer excuses.

"Yes, sir. He's with the last candidate now."

Tan moved to the glass partition, his gaze lingering on the closed door down the hall. He knew Sunan was in there, stripping the candidate down to their nerves, testing their resolve. didn't need a friend; he needed a Treat. And honestly.. Sunan was quite one, at least from the outside.

He gripped the edge of his desk,

"If this one isn't the one, with some brain cells then i don'tknow which will be. U aren't either..tsk"

Tan spilled, his voice cold enough to drop the temperature in the room,

"clear my schedule for the rest of the day. I have a firm to rebuild."