[ILLUMINATING - ENG] James Supamongkon
Ep 09 | your partner?
[8:00 AM at DMD, three weeks later]
After days of negotiating to finalize the partnership procedures between both sides, Faris arrived at DMD this morning. It's his first visit to the company, not just for the signing ceremony but also an opportunity to greet everyone gathering for P'Aof's birthday.
As Faris and P'Aof were chatting outside in the hallway, Mae Ker and James approached to say hello. Today, James looked simple yet elegant in black pants and a white shirt. He immediately recognized Faris:
"Huh? P'Sanun, why are you here today?" - The question made the atmosphere silent for a few seconds.
"Sanun? So you have a second name, Faris?" - P'Aof quickly realized and teased.
"Huh... Faris?" - James was even more surprised to see Faris's awkward expression. Before Faris could reply, Mali appeared and announced that the signing ceremony was about to begin. Dressed impeccably, her voice and gestures are professional. She gave James a friendly look and nodded in greeting.
"James, I'll explain to you later, okay?" - Faris looked at him and patted his shoulder as if to say - 'Wait for me, listen to me na!' - and then quickly left with P'Aof.
"I don't understand at all. Who is he, Mae?" - James turned to ask Mae Ker, who was just as clueless.
"Hmm... the signing ceremony? Mae heard that we're signing up with a real estate company today. Why don't you try searching for his name, P'Aofs friend is probably not an ordinary person."
"What??? Faris, the CEO of Illuminate, is the owner of the apartment I just moved into, Mae!" - After a while of searching, he was surprised to see Faris's profile and picture in full on the official Illuminate website. At this point, he recalled the Porsche, the elegant appearance, the expensive watch on his wrist, and the way he 'forgot his lines' when introducing the apartment... and realized why Faris had such a strange attitude. It all made sense now. Of course, he was a CEO!
From one surprise to another, while James was chatting with everyone in the DMD's Pantry, he received a message from P'Aof: "Illuminate is the investor for the Boyband project that I mentioned to James earlier."
'Oh, my head is really spinning, I need a cup of coffee right now...'
_
"Why don't they have orange coffee here?" - Faris muttered while fiddling with the coffee machine after the signing ceremony. By now, most members of Illuminate had left, leaving him alone at DMD with the real intention of finding an opportunity to explain things to James.
"So, should I call you P'Sanun or Mr. CEO Faris now?" - James approached from behind, placing a cup on the table with a loud *clunk*. The younger man looked directly at Faris with a questioning tone.
"Ha... I was just about to look for you, James..." - Before he could think of a reason, James had already arrived.
"Oh, I wouldn't dare! The CEO is very busy!" - James responded slowly, his eyes cleverly shifting left and right, making the guilty party feel awkward when exposed - "But why would the CEO take time to consult a client like me?"
"No... no... James, don't misunderstand me. It's just... um... that's right... it's a challenge I set for myself. Every month, I have to successfully consult and close a deal with a client to more understand our products. It's better to use a different name in case people search for me, right?" - Faris mentally applauded himself for coming up with that explanation.
"Oh, is that so? But it seemed like you didn't know your product very well back then, did you?" - James crossed his arms and leaned against the table - "Or was I just too insignificant of a small client?"
"Not at all, James, you're important..." - The CEO's usually composed demeanor wavered.
"Haha...I'm just kidding, why is the CEO so tense?" - James finally burst into laughter. He only wanted to tease Faris a bit, seeing his confusion made him not want to ask any more questions. James knew, after all, he hadn't suffered any harm from buying the apartment or collaborating with Faris on the Boyband project. So, he didn't want to be curious and interfere with Faris' personal reasons.
"Ah... You can call me Faris!" - Seeing James smile like that, he felt more relaxed too - 'The James I know wouldn't take it to your heart, would you?'
"Alright then, P'Faris, but what are you looking for?"
"I wanted to drink some orange coffee." - 'He called my name!'
"Oh, you like it too?" - Surprised because very few people around him liked it - "I love it as well; I even adore orange marmalade. It's delicious!"
"Orange marmalade? I haven't heard you mention it?" - Faris caught himself, afraid that James would suspect him, so he quickly said - "I mean, I've never tried it."
"Then wait a minute for me!" - James quickly left and returned with a box in hand. Inside were small sandwich squares, each about 5x5 cm, filled generously with shiny orange marmalade.
"Try it!" - James opened the box and tilted it towards him.
"It's really delicious, did you make all of it?" - Faris could taste the sweet and sourness of the orange marmalade when it touched his tongue, followed by a slight bitterness at the end. He was genuinely impressed by the layers of flavor of a simple jam that he had never noticed before.
"Tasty, right? I made them all!" - James said proudly.
Faris smiled, thinking to himself - 'This is a side of James he's never shared on his live streams. Am I the first one to know?'
Looking back at the coffee machine, James said:
"There's no orange coffee here! But how about an Americano? I want to wake up a bit too." - James still didn't forget why he came here and now found himself face-to-face with that very 'purpose'.
"Sure, but this machine seems broken, doesn't it?"
"Let me see!" - James stepped forward to reach out and look behind the machine. Just when Faris hadn't had time to step back, the distance between them suddenly became closer.
For a moment, James's soft hair touched the tip of his nose. The natural and subtle fragrance from James' hair and body hit Faris's sense of smell, so gently! He stood there, frozen, but unwilling to move away.
"There's a switch behind. Just flip it on and it'll... work!" - Before James could finish his sentence, he turned away, only to find himself inches away from Faris. Startled, he quickly pulled back. Even as an actor, the sudden closeness made James a bit embarrassed, and he instinctively reached up to smooth his hair.
"Oh... it's your first day here, right? How about I show you around DMD?" - To cover up, James made this suggestion. Because only he and P'Aof knew about Faris here, so he wanted to help him feel more comfortable. James also hadn't mentioned anything about the Boyband project yet.
James introduced him to various areas of the company: the training room, the artists' lounge, the gym, the office area, and outside, there was a swimming pool and garden.
They were strolling within the DMD campus, the soft late afternoon sunlight filtering through the leaves, creating a peaceful and pleasant atmosphere - quite different from the usual tense and stifling atmosphere surrounding Faris at work. Perhaps it was because James was by his side, the CEO seemed to have fewer furrowed brows and fewer moments of seriousness at work.
As they continued walking side by side, James turned to him with a curious look:
"P'Faris, but why are you here today? Does it have anything to do with the contract signing this morning?"
"Well, I heard that DMD has many promising scripts. I'm also curious to check them out!" - He didn't want to reveal too much just yet, raising an eyebrow slightly and replied - "So, what if I became an actor at DMD? Do you think I'd fit in?"
James was a bit hesitant about his question. He looked Faris up and down, assessing the man's flawless appearance: handsome, tall, elegant, with a radiant aura. However, as a CEO, James didn't think he could dedicate time to acting.
"Hmmm... someone as real as you, I can't see you playing any role other than a CEO!" - James shook his head.
"A CEO can also be an actor too! For instance, playing the role of a charming office guy or a talented, mysterious CEO... I even want to try as a Boylove role!" - Faris said, eyeing him to gauge James' reaction.
"Oh Phi, come on, are you joking? You, in a Boylove role?" - James turned to him, surprised by the sudden statement.
Faris didn't answer right away, just moved a little closer to James, then softly said - "I'm asking, if I joined DMD as your partner, would that be okay? You're not currently tied to any projects, right...?"
His words left James stunned, he couldn't believe his ears. This wasn't the Faris who was flustered in front of the coffee machine earlier, nor was it the always-smiling P'Sanun he knew. This was the full-on CEO aura.
James instinctively took a step back, leaning against a lush green wall behind him. But Faris didn't stop, he took another step forward, narrowing the distance between them.
The space around them seemed to shrink, with the scent of greenery behind James blending with Faris's powerful presence in front of him. Suddenly, the nearly 1.8-meter-tall man felt small in front of this man. Now, the one being teased was him.
James flushed red from being cornered unexpectedly and didn't know how to respond. Then James raised his coffee and took a sip. Unfortunately, he choked and coughed continuously.
Faris quickly took out his handkerchief to wipe the coffee stain off James.
It was all accidental... purely accidental when Faris's fingers lightly brushed against the little one's lips. Unprepared for this soft sensation, Faris found himself momentarily flustered. Faris stopped teasing.
Today, he had lost himself so many times!
"Just joking!" - Faris neatly folded his handkerchief and put it back in his pocket before pulling James away from the wall - "Come on, let's head inside. Everyone's probably waiting!".
James watched him, his gaze still tinged with confusion. But before he could process anything further, Faris turned back and tossed out a teasing remark:
"But remember, there won't be a next time!"
_
When James took Faris on a tour, it caught the attention of several DMD members, who were all curious about who this man was and how he knew James. Someone among them finally exclaimed:
"That's Thailand's Mister 2017!" - Everyone turned to locate the voice, which belonged to P'Park, James's senior at DMD.
"Yes, his name is Faris. After winning the title, he didn't join the showbiz anymore but focused on business. The high-end residential projects under the name Illuminate, that famous real estate company, were all developed by him!" - P'Park, holding his phone after some quick research to confirm his prediction, was surprised to see Faris here.
"No wonder his appearance is so striking!" - said Teetee, a colleague and junior of James who had never heard James mention this person before.
"He is indeed captivating!" - Tutor, from Gen 2 like James, nodded in agreement.
"Top-tier quality!" - Thomas from Gen 3 chimed in.
"They look so good together, walking side by side!" - The exclamation that made everyone silent for a few seconds came from Yim. Yim and Tutor had accompanied James in the early days of joining DMD.
"Where, where?... Mister Thailand?" - Many other members became curious about this mysterious figure.
Everyone was eager to search for information about Faris online and was extremely surprised by his impressive profile. Faris didn't use social media often, but the two DMD people he followed on Instagram were only P'Aof and James.
.
In a corner of the room, people were huddled around an iPad researching Faris when James came up behind them and asked - "What's all the fun about?" - At the same moment, that CEO was conversing in the corner with P'Aof.
The closer they looked, the more they realized how fitting all the compliments were. Faris was dressed in a dark three-piece suit with a Prince of Wales pattern that made him appear both elegant and youthful. His tall, muscular physique further impressed everyone. It would indeed be a loss to the entertainment industry if he wasn't a part of it.
The whispers around the room made James chuckle:
"Look at that height; he's probably taller than P'Max."
"How did P'Aof get to know him?"
"He's a real estate CEO, but what he takes care of is his pecs, huh?"
James was swarmed with questions about Faris, unsure how to explain everything. All he could say was - "It's a long story; please wait for P'Aof's announcement."
As soon as he finished speaking, P'Aof's clapping caught everyone's attention:
"All of us are about to welcome a new investor. Today, I'm very happy to introduce to everyone, the investor for DMD Music and also exclusively managing James's Boyband project in the future. Faris, and for those who don't know, he's also the CEO of the Illuminate super-project."
James pretended to act surprised, and everyone in the room applauded and congratulated him. However, some skeptical eyes lingered. They had many questions about this collaboration—was Faris truly investing, or did he have another motive? After all, it was unusual for a real estate company to invest in a Boyband project.
Faris also felt those gazes. He silently told himself - 'I'll prove to everyone what I'm here for!'
Stepping forward, Faris greeted everyone:
"It's a pleasure to meet DMD family today!" - His dignified demeanor was enough to draw everyone's attention - "Since it's our first meeting, I don't have much, but how about dinner tonight?"
The man spoke with such sophistication, his voice deep yet warm. James couldn't help but wonder if this was the same person who had been teasing him earlier. In fact, Faris now looked exactly like what he imagined a CEO would look like:
'For what purpose? Is that something a boss would joke about with his employees? Hmm...'
Everyone was excited about Faris's invitation. It had been a while since they had gathered like this, P'ker curiously asked:
"Do we need to reserve a spot in advance?"
"I've already taken care of that. My secretary has made a reservation at CRU Champagne Bar. Apologies for not asking for everyone's opinion beforehand, but I hope you'll all enjoy it!" - Still elegant, not too arrogant, but Faris looked very different.
"Huh? You mean that bar on the rooftop of Centara Grand at Central World?"
"Oh, I love that place! But it's really hard to get a reservation!"
"Mr. Faris is amazing!!!"
"How many seats did you reserve? Let us re-check the total participants?"
"Oh... I booked the whole night!" - Faris calmly replied.
"WHAT???" - Everyone stared at each other. That's the kind of luxury only someone truly well-off can afford—no need to count heads!
The room quickly filled with excitement due to the presence of this "capitalist" investor. Everyone was thrilled, eagerly preparing for the upcoming night out. The ladies especially rushed to touch up their makeup and dress up beautifully.
Faris looked around, pleased to see the cheerful atmosphere. When he glanced at James, he seemed to want to put on a proud look, showing off, as if asking: 'Aren't you proud of me now?' - James couldn't help but laugh at Faris's smug expression, turning away to chat with others. The eye contact between the two, if anyone noticed, would immediately realize. Indeed, there were a few who caught on.
...
Currently at DMD, James was working almost independently from the rest of the team. It could be said that Faris and James would have more connections than others because he was exclusively investing in the boyband project and just a small part of DMD Music.
_
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