Chapter 4
At four in the afternoon the next day, after finishing her teaching hours, Pandao walked out of the music institute located inside a shopping mall.
Amid the hot and humid atmosphere that hinted at incoming rain, the young woman took only a few minutes to walk from the front of the mall to the Skytrain station.
Each day, her routine was almost the same. Teaching music was another job she'd started alongside singing ever since she was still in college. On some days, Pandao still took singing gigs at various events, including weddings and even at restaurants in the evenings.
Today was another free day. With no evening engagements, Pandao planned to head back to her room to rest.
However, as she was heading toward the ticket gate of the Skytrain station, the vibration from the communication device in her small shoulder bag made her slow her pace.
She pulled her phone out of her bag, and seeing an incoming call from an unregistered number, she could only guess that it might be a job offer.
"Hello?"
"..."
A sweet voice came through the line, but Phatthira, who was sitting cross-legged, leaning back in her large office chair, didn't smile. However, her eyes clearly reflected satisfaction. Even though it was their first phone conversation, she could easily recognize the melodious voice of the woman she secretly admired.
"It's me, Phatthira. Are you busy? Can you talk for a moment?"
"Uh..." Pandao was momentarily stunned, not expecting the caller to be the captivating businesswoman Phatthira, the woman who made her heart race every time they were close. "I'm free. Do you have any business with me, Ms. Phat?"
"Do I need to have a business to call you?"
The flippant remark left the slender woman at a loss for words. Asking how the other got her number seemed unnecessary, as she could guess that Phatthira must've gotten it from Pharima.
While Pandao was lost in her thoughts, she had no idea that her guess wasn't entirely correct.
Although Phatthira got her number from a close friend, it wasn't with Pharima's consent as she thought.
She'd simply used some tricks to get it.
"Well, I..." The sweet voice stammered, unsure how to respond. Phatthira made her nervous and naturally less confident.
"I have something important to discuss. Do you have time now?"
"Uh, I'm free now. You can talk about it, Ms. Phat."
"I don't like discussing business over the phone. Can we meet, or should I pick you up?"
"Uh..." Pandao thought for a moment, not knowing how to refuse since the other had just said she couldn't discuss it over the phone. "If you can't talk over the phone, I'll come to you. Where should I meet you?"
"Add this number on LINE, and I'll send you the location."
"Yes, Ms. Phat."
With that, the call ended, leaving her feeling confused.
Pandao couldn't find a reason why she'd agreed so easily.
Whatever the reason, she comforted herself with the thought that Phatthira was a friend of Pharima, and there was nothing to worry about just because she was meeting her boss's close friend...
Soft sunlight streamed through the curtains from the balcony, causing the slender woman, who was sleeping under a thick blanket, to slowly wake up groggily.
She squinted at the clock on the wall, which showed eleven o'clock. Last night, it took her a long time to fall asleep, tossing and turning several times.
The reason for her sleeplessness was undoubtedly the proposal from the owner of those sharp eyes.
'I want you to sing at my hotel.'
Those words lingered in her mind, powerful enough to make Pandao unable to refuse the beautiful businesswoman Phatthira's invitation.
Her serious face and calm demeanor made it seem like she was discussing a billion-dollar business.
The more she thought about her own confused response, the more Pandao sighed repeatedly.
From today onwards, she had to adjust her schedule to include singing at the other woman's hotel.
Pandao shook off the blanket and neatly folded it before grabbing a towel and heading into the bathroom.
The face and eyes of her new boss lingered in her thoughts almost constantly. Although she'd never experienced love before, she wasn't so naive as to not recognize the strange feelings and reactions happening to her.
Pandao had thought about this all night and was quite sure that the answer was something she couldn't prevent.
She was feeling attracted to another woman.
Pandao quickly got ready and headed to her destination, which was Patwi's music store.
The bell above the door chimed softly, catching the attention of the young man who owned the store, making him look up from the guitar he was engrossed in.
But just seeing the sweet face of the visitor brought a delighted expression to his handsome face almost immediately.
"Oh, Pin! Why didn't you call me first? I could've picked you up."
"No need to trouble yourself. I just wanted to drop by and also plan to shop at the mall."
Pandao greeted her close friend as she walked over and sat on a nearby chair out of habit. Her eyes glanced at the instrument in the young man's hands, her love for music evident in her interested gaze.
"A new guitar. Wanna try it? I just got it. Saved up for a long time before deciding to buy it. It's for my own use, not for sale."
"I can try it? You just bought it. Aren't you afraid I'll break it?"
"If it were someone else, I might be. But you're an exception, Pin." He said, handing the new guitar to the woman who reached out to take it without hesitation.
"Since you're here, sing a song for me. I want to hear it."
"Just one song, as a trade-off."
A tender smile appeared on her rosy lips. After testing the sound briefly, Patwi couldn't help but smile at the sweet, melodious voice that accompanied the guitar's rhythm, played with professional skill.
Her graceful fingers moved effortlessly across the chords, her body swaying naturally to the rhythm. Pandao had skills and abilities in playing various musical instruments.
Especially the 'piano,' which amazed him countless times with her talent.
Her unique, sweet voice was a gift that made others envious. The small music store was filled with her sweet voice for a while before Pandao gently placed the guitar back on its stand.
Her mother was a music teacher, so it wasn't surprising that her only daughter would be instilled with a love for music from a young age.
And because of this love, combined with her natural talent that showed from a young age, her mother always pushed and encouraged Pandao to study music from as early as she could remember.
"Why did you stop so soon? Can't you sing another song? I was enjoying it. You sing beautifully and play music so well. I could listen to you all day."
"You always compliment me. I graduated in this field. If I couldn't play well, the institution would lose its reputation because of me."
"I'm serious. If you weren't good, you wouldn't be a piano teacher at such a prestigious music institute with such high standards and expensive tuition."
"Don't say that too loudly. If someone hears, I might get fired for badmouthing my own institution."
With that, Pandao laughed softly before voicing something she'd been thinking about.
"I've decided to stop singing at clubs."
What she said made Patwi perk up. He'd complained about this to his close friend many times. The job of a nightclub singer wasn't suitable for a delicate woman like Pandao. He always worried about her safety.
But at the same time, he understood that in the past, various necessary reasons might've led her to sing in clubs.
But not anymore. Pandao had graduated for years, and her skills were impressive. Being a piano teacher at a renowned music institute was nothing to scoff at.
"It's the best decision, really. I've been telling you for a long time to stop singing there."
"I know. I remember. Let's just say I'm finally taking your advice. Are you hungry, Vee? Let's go eat. This meal is on me."
"Are you planning to celebrate in advance for quitting singing at the club?"
"Not at all. It's not like I can just quit today or tomorrow. At the very least, I have to tell Ms. Preem first. I can't just suddenly stop like this."
"Okay, okay. Let's go eat then. Today, I'm gonna eat a lot since someone is treating me."
"Can I change my mind now?"
"Too late for that."
Pandao got up from her chair to wait outside, allowing the young man to lock the shop door.
They chose to eat sukiyaki at the mall, but then, by chance, life brought them back to encounter someone unexpectedly.
The image of a sharp-looking man laughing and chatting with an adorable woman became a scene that held Phatthira's gaze for a long time.
Suddenly, she felt an inexplicable irritation when she noticed the closeness between the man and the woman she'd just offered to drive home last night.
"Ms. Phat, the food is here. What are you looking at? Someone you know?"
The strange reaction of the beautiful businesswoman, who kept glancing at the restaurant across the way, made the person sitting opposite her unable to resist seeking her attention.
"No."
"But I saw you staring at that girl for a long time. Are you interested?"
"No, Rita."
Once again, Phatthira chose to give a short answer, starting to feel annoyed for no apparent reason.
"She's pretty and cute, but she seems to be with her boyfriend."
"..."
Phatthira looked into the eyes of the gorgeous model without saying anything. Of course, those piercing words couldn't help but stir up a feeling of irritation.
Phatthira felt irritated by the word 'boyfriend' that Rita mentioned. If that were the case, what she'd hoped for would be a complete failure.
"Let's eat quickly. I have some business to attend to."
"But it's been almost a month since we last met. If you finish your business, how about we find a place to listen to some music tonight?"
Sensing the other's displeasure, the attractive model chose to speak in a coaxing tone.
Since the last time they met, there had never been a time when the president of Thanadecha Group would lower herself to call. If it weren't for this chance encounter, she wouldn't have the opportunity to sit and eat with a high-level executive like Phatthira.
"Hmm."
Phatthira responded with a feeling of weariness, knowing well that the invitation would likely end up in bed.
Even though part of her wanted to refuse, some emotions pushed her to accept the charming model's invitation without hesitation.
She admitted that the model's comments about the relationship between the two had stirred up an inexplicable irritation.
Interfering with someone who was already taken was something Phatthira had always avoided, believing that someone like her didn't need to lower herself to get involved with someone else's woman.
But Pandao's case was different. Even though her mind told her to think that way, her heart's answer was completely contradictory.
The desire to possess and own only grew stronger,to the point of being frightening. She feared that what she'd always held ontomight be overlooked this time.
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