EarEarZz

EarEarZz

Chapter 1 Destiny

Book：Love Design
Writer：THEK34
Release：1 September 2025
Copy：EarEarZz

9 AM. Bangkok time. The heat was brutal. The sun blazed
overhead, UV levels off the charts. Even the locals, who'd dealt with this
their entire lives, were one misstep away from snapping. So no need to
imagine how it felt for someone who'd just flown back from the still-
chilly air of Japan.
What the young woman hadn't realized was what kind of chaos was
waiting ahead of her. For now, inside the airport limousine, things were
still calm. She put on her wireless earbuds, shutting out the overly chatty
driver who'd been trying to spark conversation for the past ten minutes.
The song Easy floated softly in her ears. Then she realized she hadn't
adjusted her watch. Sliding off her vintage watch from her left wrist, she
wound the crown backward two [Link] that done, she pulled out
cosmetics to fix the traces of fatigue from an overnight flight filled with
the nonstop cries of a baby.
One hour later, Okbab a 28-year-old girl, arrived at her destination.
Stepping out of the van, her hair and clothes were still flawless as if she
had just left a dressing room moments ago. No one would guess this
woman had just flown nearly five thousand kilometers.

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She glanced at the company sign, Jinta Architect.

After a brief moment, she entered the mid-sized home office. The
interior was clean and simple, thoughtfully designed with a focus on
practicality. But God... what a mess!
Okbab's eyes scanned such disorder, stunned. Scattered all around
were employees in soulless-like states-some eating, some napping over
their desks, others scrolling away on their phones. Hello ?! Wasn't it just
ten-thirty in the morning ?! Not to mention their shoes and boxes from
online orders, all dumped on the staircase. Seriously ?!
The second floor was even worse. Staff were joyfully playing ping
pong on a table already littered with coffee cups and fabric samples left
lying around like nobody cared. One corner...no...every corner was filled
with scraps of paper and random model-making pieces of wood!
The worst of it was a greasy delivery box sitting on top of some
documents that may or may not be important. Nearby was a mystery
winter jacket someone had tossed aside, and if she had to guess, it
probably belonged to the person literally napping under the desk.
A mixture of emotions tangled in her head until she could barely
think straight. For someone with her perfectionism, this was way beyond
what she could tolerate. Under her breath, she cursed, "What the hell...?!
What kind of madness did I just walk into ?! "
"I told you to fix it!"
"And I told you—I'm not fixing it!"
The loud shouting pulled her attention right before her emotions
snapped. She turned toward the yelling and found Pat, her eldest brother,
facing off against Chan, the middle brother.

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Pat, 35, was an architect. Chan, 30, was an interior designer. The
two shared the same facial bone structure, but personality-wise, they
couldn't be further apart.
Her eldest brother was always perfectly groomed from head to toe.
His hair was set, his suit sharp, and his body carried the scent of cologne.
Meanwhile, Chan couldn't care less about appearances. Okbab wasn't
sure whether to call his look indie, rugged, or just messy. The man
actually showed up at the office dressed like he was about to go hiking
and pitch a tent after work.
Trailing helplessly behind them were two others—Tertis, a clumsy
23-year-old girl, and Yong, one of the firm's architects. The two
exchanged glances, having no clue what the hell they were supposed to
do.
"You're so damn unreasonable! Always do whatever you want!"
"And you're unreasonable for expecting me to change my design
over some feng shui! Who even is this master anyway? Who gave him
the right to ruin my work?"
"It's not about your work! The client cares about feng shui. You
know that!"
"Yeah, I know. But I'm still not changing it."
"You little—! "
"Are you two gonna keep yelling forever or what?"
Both men snapped their heads around in unison.
Their eyes widened the moment they saw who had just cut in
"Okbab!" they exclaimed in chorus.
The young woman let out a long sign, glaring at her brothers.
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The room was heavy with tension. The meeting now consisted of
the three siblings, plus Tertis and Yong. On the TV in the center of the
room, the image of a fully designed detached house was displayed.
"So the client approved this design. But now, some feng shui
master comes in, saying the energy is bad, and wants the interior
changed. And you, P’Chan, refuse because you think the new layout will
be ugly. Correct?" Okbab recapped.
"Exactly! That so-called master is trying to ruin my work!"
"But if you don't revise it, the client won't approve the project. And
the deadline's right around the corner!"
"Revise ?! This isn't revising—it's a full redesign! No way I'm
finishing it before your deadline!"
Okbab pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to rub away the
tension building from listening to the endless back-and-forth shouting.
When her patience finally snapped, she exploded.
"Can you two stop fighting ?! I can't even think!"
Both Pat and Chan instantly zipped their mouths shut the moment
their little sister raised her voice, though they still shot grumbling looks
at each other.
Okbab thought for a moment before turning to her second brother.
"P’Chan, how hard is it to change the living room's color palette?"
"Uh ... not that hard, why?"
"Then do it. The client wants to boost the water element, right? Try
switching it to blue, navy, or anything that fits that element." The young
woman slid the laptop toward him, leaving no room for debate. Seeing
him about to protest, she shot him a warning glare. Chan shrank under

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that gaze and did as he was told.

It didn't take long for the indie man to get it done.
On the big TV screen, the living room transformed from brown and
black into a palette of blues, navy, and white, with a few adjustments to
the furniture. It looked stylish, modern, and still beautiful.
"And this garden. Can you move these trees and add a fountain
here?" Standing monitoring her brother, Okbab pointed at the north side
of the landscape plan on the screen.
"I can... but why—"
"Don't ask. And throw in nine koi fish."
Chan was speechless. He hesitated a few seconds before giving in,
dragging the tree models aside, inserting a fountain, and adding exactly
nine koi. He glanced at his sister, who nodded firmly in approval.
"Alright. Now send this to the client. Tell them we've adjusted the
feng shui. The living room's switched to water-element colors. There's a
fountain on the north side to boost water energy. And there are nine
lucky koi swimming in it. If they're happy, we'll refine the details later.
Ask for a time extension. That should give P’Chan more time to work,
and P’Pat won't lose the client. Sound good?"
Both men were genuinely impressed. Neither had thought of this
fast, simple fix until their sister swooped in and took the lead.
"Yes or no ?! "
"Yes, ma'am !! " the brothers chorused. Meanwhile,
Tertis and Yong exchanged stunned glances and started whispering with
each other.
"Damn, Miss Okbab's the real deal."
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"The client just texted! The feng shui master gave our work the
green light. And they agreed to extend the deadline."
Pat exclaimed with relief and excitement after reading the client's
messages. The three siblings let out a sigh. The lunch they came out to
eat at this restaurant, which had barely been touched until now, suddenly
looked a lot more appetizing.
"By the way, why didn't you go home to rest first? Why came
straight to the office?" The eldest asked his sister, who was quietly eating.
"If I hadn't, you two would've killed each other by now. What kind
of business owners are you? Can't even manage a crisis."
"Ugh, P’Pat's the—"
"P’Chan, you're no better. You can be indie and stubborn, but learn
your limits. I know the reason you refused to fix the design was because
you were lazy, not because it would destroy your work."
"..." Both brothers noticeably shrank under her scolding.
"If I catch you two fighting like this again—sayonara. I'm flying
straight back to Japan."
"Whoa, whoa! Calm down, little sis. We need you, really." Pat
immediately switched to peacemaking mode and asked, just to confirm.
"How long can you help out here?"
"Until I pull this company out of the disaster zone you two created.
I'm not gonna watch Mom's company go down in flames, especially not
because of us."
"Then just stay for good. Everyone knows P’Pat is hopeless—"
"Like you're any better, Chan. Don't even start!"

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"I swear ... if you two don't shut it, I'm stabbing both of you with
this fork!"
Okbab snatched her fork off the table and held it with irritation.
She was so fed up with her two brothers. Luckily, both men surrendered
before things turned bloody.
"Let me make this clear. I'm back to help run the company
temporarily. Once everything's back on track-and hopefully it gets there-
I'm flying back to Japan."
"Wait, what? You're only managing? C'mon... help with design too!
We know you are good."
"No. I quit drawing years ago." The young woman refused bluntly
before getting up from her seat.
"Hey, where are you going?" Both Pat and Chan grabbed her arms.
"The bathroom! Wanna come with me?"
Being snapped back, both brothers instantly let go, smiling
awkwardly. They let her walk away but kept their eyes on her, fearing
she might run back to Japan at any second.
Okbab shook her head slightly. She was about to head for the
bathroom when her steps paused. Something on a nearby customer's
tablet caught her eye. It was a video interview from a show. The caption
beneath the image of a confident woman, age 33, said 'Mind - CEO of
Mind Space: The Rising Star of Architecture'
The set was a luxurious office. The details of the interview went...
Mind: How did Mind Space start? Well ... it wasn't just me. I have
to thank Thee, my friend and investor, for helping me found the company.
Host: So you knew each other before starting the firm?

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Mind: Yes, he's my senior from university. (smiles)

Host: It's truly inspiring. From a two-person startup to one of the
country's top architectural firms in under ten years. Would you consider
yourself successful?
Mind: Hmm ... I'd say we're still growing. For me, the word
'success' feels limiting. I always want to keep improving for all our
clients at Mind Space."(smiles)
"Okbab, you alright?" Chan called when he noticed her standing
still.
"Of course... Why wouldn't I be?" Okbab brushed it off with a
shrug, leaving her brother to watch her with worries.

"Alright, everyone. Let me officially introduce my sister." Once

lunch break ended, Pat clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"This is Okbab. She'll be helping oversee the company ... for the time
being."
"Hello, I'm Okbab. Nice to meet you all. Now, shall we get back to
work?" Her greeting was short and straight to the point. The little
clapping quickly faded. Some staff members looked surprised. Some
looked confused. Some were just stunned by how intense she was.
Before anyone could react to her self-introduction or ask anything, Tertis
loudly cried...
"Sh*t !! "
" ... "Everyone's attention shifted to the quirky girl.

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"What's wrong, Tertis?" Chan asked.

"Um ... Miss Prae ... she just texted. She's canceling her contract
with us."
"What ?! " Everyone shouted in unison—except Okbab, who didn't
even know the details of this customer. She tilted her head, confused.
"Are you sure? Call her. Right now!" Chan barked an order. Tertis
dialed Miss Prae's number, again and again, but the other party never
picked up. The girl's face turned paler than a boiled chicken
"Nothing ... Miss Prae's not picking up."
"Did she say why she's canceling?" Pat asked.
"No. She only sent that one text... And... there's something else we
should be worried about ..
"What is it? Say it now!"
"We already sent her the first draft of the design ... " Tertis
admitted, squeezing her eyes shut.
The entire office froze in shock, especially Yong who felt like he
was about to faint. He fumbled for an herbal inhaler from his pocket and
shoved it under his nose. Only Okbab managed to keep her head straight
enough to fire a question with a stern tone of voice.
"Why did you send it before the contract was confirmed? You do
realize she can just take that design and run with it, right?"
"S-sorry."
"I'll try calling Miss Prae." Sensing panic across the office, Pat
stepped in quickly, trying to control the situation with his calm. "This is
probably a misunderstanding. We've still got a chance."

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"Why bother? Anyone can tell she's ghosting us. We should be

talking to her in person."
"In person? When would she be available?"
"Well, she'd better be now." Okbab turned to Tertis, who had been
handling this customer since the beginning. "You're coming with me."
"Wait, wait. You're seriously going over there right now?" Chan
could barely grab her in time.
"Didn't you two drag me back here to fix problems? When exactly
would you like me to start if not right now?" Okbab shot back, then
turned around and stormed out, Tertis rushing to keep up.

The sudden arrival of uninvited guests left Miss Prae's face tense.
Her annoyance filled every corner of the meeting room. But with her
deal with Jinta Architect not working out, she couldn't actually throw
Okbab and Tertis out. She had no choice but to sit down and face them
amid the heavy tension. Still, Okbab revealed nothing but her calm and a
soft smile.
"My apologies for dropping by unannounced. I'm Okbab. Mr. Pat
asked me to personally assist you on his behalf."
"It's fine. But I've made my decision to cancel our contract."
"May I ask if there was any issue about our work? You seemed
quite happy with the design at first."
"Well ... yes. I liked it at first. But I don't anymore."

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Okbab nodded, completely unbothered.

"If there's anything you're unhappy with, we'd be happy to revise
the design. One more draft, no extra charge."
"If it's a full redo, I think it's just a waste of time for both sides."
"Not at all. If you're not satisfied, we're more than willing to revise
it until it meets your expectations."
Prae locked eyes with Okbab's unwavering gaze. Hearing that
sincere determination, she finally let out a sigh. Her stiff expression
noticeably softened
"The design is fine. The problem's on my end. There is nothing
more to discuss. I'll take care of the remaining payment soon."
"I understand ... but may I ask what the real reason behind the
cancellation is?"
Prae looked visibly uncomfortable with guilt, but eventually
answered. "To be honest, the economy isn't great right now. My
company took quite a hit. The budget for this project was cut way more
than I'd planned. I had to make a choice."
That was enough for Okbab to connect the dots.
"Someone offered you a better price, didn't they?"
Prae didn't answer right away. But then, her phone
screen lit up with an incoming call, and the name was 'K. Mind - Mind
Space'. The smile that Okbab had worn all this time faded for a long
moment. When it finally returned ... it was thinner with bitterness as Prae
hurried to flip her phone face-down on the table.
As if that would change anything.

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"I hope we'll get the chance to work together again someday,"
Okbab said politely, bowed a little, then turned on her heel and marched
out of the meeting room just as swiftly as she'd arrived.

Koffee Club was a café designed with a perfect blend of minimal

Zen and the white and gray shades of a cozy cottage, balanced with
wood furniture and touches of green. The whole space felt close to
nature, peaceful and soothing.
In one corner sat a 23-year-old girl with her hair pinned up, using a
pencil instead of a hairpin. She was focusing on piecing together empty
tissue paper rolls into a sculpture. When she was happy with it, she
snapped a photo with her iPad and opened her sketch app.
Rin quickly sketched an architectural concept based on her paper
rolls model. Humming to herself, she looked as happy as anyone could
be. Once finished, she uploaded the timelapse video of her drawing onto
her Instagram, 'Rinchitect,' which had nearly 80,000 followers.
"Rin, come help me confirm this delivery order," called Prim, her
sweet sister, who was nine years older.
"On it, on it." Rin stood up, heading for the counter. The moment
the upload finished, Rin's phone chimed non-stop with likes flooding in.
The older sister glanced over, her brow raised with interest.
"That many people liked your drawing?"
Rin carelessly shrugged, and Prim couldn't hold back her words.
"Seriously, Rin. Go get a real job. You spent years studying
architecture. People are literally offering you jobs. Why do you keep
turning them down just to make coffee with me ? "
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"I just haven't found the right people or the right place yet. And I
just turned down another offer. Big-name firm, too ... Ow!" Rin jolted as
her sister smacked her arm.
"Is that something to be proud of ?! Forget the delivery order.
Since you love rejecting good jobs so much, go pick up the pastries from
the shop down the street instead. Tell them we'll settle the bill at the end
of the month, same as always."
"Using your little sister again, huh."
"Or you can say goodbye to your snack money."
"And how am I supposed to survive without thaat? Fine, I'm
going." Rin grabbed her crossbody bag, dashed out the door, and hopped
onto her tiny scooter before her sister could cut her snack allowance.

"P’Thee, what's the update on a new hire to help my team? I'll need
to let everyone know."
"I originally had my eye on this award-winning kid named Rin. But
plans changed, and we got someone else now. This one's just as solid. I'll
have HR send over their profile." Thee, a 33-year-old businessman
dressed head-to-toe in expensive designer brands, replied as he walked.
His look perfectly matched the sleek, luxurious interiors of Mind Space.
"What happened? Did the first one ask for too much money?"
"No. She said she didn't want to work for Mind Space."
Mind actually stopped walking, her eyebrows shooting up.
"Someone turned us down? Doesn't want to work for Mind Space?"

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"Yeah. Whatever. It's just one kid. Don't waste your brain cells
over it. Once we figure out where she ends up, we can just buy out the
entire firm if we have to."
"Can you stop talking about buying other companies? How would
we manage it all? We're already understaffed and drowning in work ... I
don't want us to end up losing both money and energy."
Thee waved off her concern like it was nothing, laughing as he
patted her shoulder with confidence. His eyes gleamed with ambition.
"Don't worry. I've got this." He led his junior into the nearest elevator,
hit the top floor, then shot a grin back at her. "I'm gonna take Mind
Space to the top of this country. Trust me."

The GPS on the dashboard of the car Okbab had borrowed from
her brother was painted in nothing but red lines.
Traffic was horrific. The heat outside was brutal, but the driver
inside the car was even hotter. She fidgeted non-stop until Tertis, sitting
in the same car, could only focus on breathing as softly as possible. She
didn't even dare inhale too deeply, afraid that any sound from her would
be the spark that set Okbab off like a bomb inside the car.
"Tertis."
"Yes ?! " The girl jolted.
"My body needs sugar! Is there a good dessert shop around here? I
should get something."
"Around here ...? Y-yes! There's one just up ahead, but you'll have
to walk into a small alley-" Before she could even finish her sentence,

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the driver yanked the steering wheel, pulling over right away. Tertis was
thrown forward, nearly screaming in shock.
"What's the shop called?"
Tertis told her, one hand pressed against her chest.
"You coming with me?"
"N-no! I'm good! I'll wait here."
Okbab said nothing. She simply unbuckled her seatbelt, stepped out,
and slammed the door shut like it was a way to vent her frustration.
Tertis shrank into her seat, watching the young woman disappear into the
alley. Only then did she dare take a full breath, realizing she'd barely
breathed the entire ride out of fear!

"So this is it ... "

Okbab muttered, looking at the shop's facade. The dessert shop
Tertis recommended wasn't far from the main road and was easy to spot.
The sign was clear, and the vibe was cute. But then her eyes landed on a
crack running along the wall.
She frowned and inspected it for a moment. Then she pushed the
door open and walked inside. And the first thing that hit her was heat!
Not the suffocating kind like outside, but a strange warmth that shouldn't
be there. One glance at the air conditioner confirmed she wasn't
imagining it. The thermostat read 20℃.

Her eyes scanned the space, looking for the cause, but other issues
caught her attention first. Crooked wall tiles. Sloppy grout work,

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indicating that this wasn't done by a proper tiler. Uneven beams. Cracks
in the floor where the tiles were packed too tightly...
The list was endless.
"What can I get you?" A greeting came from behind the counter.
Okbab shifted her gaze away from the flaws and glance over the
menu before ordering a drink and sweet. "Two slices of the dark
chocolate cake, two egg tarts, and one caramel macchiato to go, please."
"That'll be 290 baht."
As she made the payment, for a split second, Okbab meant to stay
quiet, but the urge won. After grabbing her drink and pastries, she asked,
"Sorry. How long has this shop been open?"
"About 5 years now."
What Okbab didn't notice was someone lining up behind her while
she talked.
"Has the building ever been renovated or modified in that time?"
"Uhh ... not really. It's been like this since we opened." The woman
behind the counter, presumably the owner, sounded a little puzzled.
"Why do you ask?"
Okbab pointed toward the cracked wall and other worn-out spots
around the shop.
"Well, judging by the cracks in the wall, the foundation's probably
settling. You should really have it checked for safety. Also ... I'd
recommend separating the baking area from the café space. The heat is
overworking your AC, increasing your electricity costs and making the
shop uncomfortable. Or you could consider installing a proper air vent
instead."
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As she explained, she pulled out her phone, opened her firm's
Instagram, and politely held it out.
"If you ever think about renovating, all our contact info is right
here on our Instagram page. Consultations are free."
The owner blinked in surprise, completely thrown off her feet. And
then a voice chimed in from right behind Okbab.
"Are you scamming her into hiring you or what, Grandma?"
Okbab froze, furrowed her brow, and slowly turned to look. It was
a young woman with a pencil in her hair bun instead of a hairpin. Her
expression, her tone, and her look were downright annoying!
"Grandma? You mean me?" Okbab raised her brows, pointing at
herself.
"Duh. Who else? There is only you here. I don't think this is gonna
work."
"I am not—"
"Not scamming? Then how should we call it? Randomly barging
into a shop, babbling like a sales pitch, then flashing your company
profile. Sketchy as hell."
"I was just—"
"Don't bother explaining. Not buying it. Oh, and you know it's
illegal to alter a building without the owner's permission, right?"
Okbab suddenly wasn't sure who was babbling now. Her blood
pressure spiked with anger. "Wow! Someone thinks she knows
everything. Let me guess-you're a lawyer? Or an architect, maybe?"
"I don't need to be either to know basic stuff, you know? Anyone
watching from Uranus could tell you're here just here to scam people."
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"I am not scamming!" Okbab didn't think she'd be raising her voice
at anyone today besides her brothers, but here she was, yelling at a
random girl she'd met less than five minutes ago. "Watch your mouth,
kid. Ever heard of manners? Don't you know how to speak to an adult
properly?"
"Awww. Pulling the 'I'm older' card the moment you run out of
comebacks?"
"And you know why I've managed to survive this long, kid?
Because I'm not a foul-mouthed brat like you! Keep that up and you're
gonna drop dead faster than a mosquito!"
"EXCUSE ME, MA'AM!"
Now the girl was just as fired up. But Okbab wasn't about to let the
argument drag on. She snatched her drink and pastries and stormed out.
Unfortunately, though she wanted to drive away from that random girl,
there was a sedan parked right in front of her car, completely blocking it.
A scooter was also crammed right up against her back bumper.
"Who the hell parks like this ?! " The young woman tossed her
bags onto her car roof and marched over to drag the scooter out of the
way. But the owner was right behind her, pastries in hand, yelling,
"So first you scam people, and now you're stealing my scooter?
Seriously, lady ?! "
"Huh ?! This thing's yours ?! What did you use to think, parking
like this ?! "
"Obviously using my brain. What else do you think people use to
think?"
"Wow. So that's you using your brain. I thought you used
something else ... Move it! I need to get my car out."

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"Oh, you want me to move it? Sure. Uh-oh... now which key is it
again?" The girl messed with her further by jingling her keychain
dramatically. "Weird. I just can't seem to find it ... "
" ... " Okbab pressed her lips together as tightly as she clenched her
fists. Her face was probably turning fifty shades of red, green, and purple.
Hold it ...
Stay calm ...
She repeated it to herself over and over for several moments.
Luckily, the mischievous girl seemed satisfied with her silence, so she
finally said,
"Oh, right. Almost forgot. It's keyless start. Not like your old car,
Grandma." With that parting shot, the girl finally pulled her scooter out
of the way.
Meanwhile, in the car, Tertis had no clue what was happening
outside. She was too busy scrolling through Instagram until she came
across the latest timelapse clip from the account she followed, Rinchitect.
She quickly tapped to like and left a comment under the post, "Another
banger as always, Master Rin !! "
Little did she know that 'Master Rin' was almost starting a street
fight with her brand-new boss right behind the car.

Chan felt a chill run down his spine the moment he saw his sister
sitting in the office, frowning in frustration while sipping her coffee. Still,
he cautiously approached her, poking his head in and asking, worried,
"Are you okay? What happened out there to make you ... "

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"Got dumped by a client. Talks fell through. Got lowballed. And

then some brat from God-knows-where came to mess with me!"
"C-calm down, okay? Didn't you buy cake? Eat it, come on. Get
some sugar in your system so you'll feel better... " Chan hurried to open
the cake box on the table, only to find the cake completely wrecked, not
a single decent slice left. This was probably because the carrier was all
worked up. Who knows how she'd been flinging it around to get it this
mangled.
Okbab shot a look at the ruined cake, and it only made her even
more miserable.
"So freaking annoying !! "
"If you won't eat it, fine. I'll eat it." Chan was about to shove the
dark chocolate cake straight into his mouth without caring how it looked.
But he was interrupted by Miss May, the accountant who knocked and
stepped in, holding an important file.
"The company's account summary you requested, Miss Okbab."
Chan rushed over to snatch the file out of her hands first. He gave a
dry smile, hiding the folder behind his back.
"Hand it over." Okbab wasn't smiling. She raised an eyebrow and
held out her hand.
"Uhh ... "
"Don't make me say it twice!"
He hesitated for a good while before handing it over. He already
knew what kind of reaction was coming once she opened it and saw all
those negative numbers in red. Chan shrank the moment Okbab she
gasped.

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"What the hell is this ?! "

"Uh, if you've got any questions, you can ask Mr. Chan to explain.
I'll... go back to work now." Miss May the accountant vanished from the
room like she'd teleported, leaving the middle brother alone under his
youngest sister's icy glare.
"Well? Care to explain, Mr. Channarong?"
"Ah ... lately, we've had several projects get dropped halfway.
Mind Space's been undercutting us. They've been lowballing offers and
snatching away our clients. And we just can't afford to match their prices.
At the same rates clients agreed on with Mind Space, we wouldn't be
able to complete the work. Or even if we pushed it through, we'd only be
at a loss. So I figured we better to let those go."
Okbab felt her frustration and fury bubble up even worse now that
she knew the mess her company was in came from none other than their
competitor, Mind Space.
"And why the hell are you only telling me now ?! "
"Ow, I'm sorry! I'm sorry, okay ?! This is exactly why we need you
so bad! You're the only hope we've got left to fight back against them!"
She let out a heavy sigh, her head pounding, completely at a loss
for words. All she could do was wave Chan out of her office. He didn't
wait even for a section. Jumping on that chance, he bolted away from his
sister, who'd been pissed off all day.

Rin carried bags of pastries back into her sister's shop with a frown
plastered on her face. She dumped everything onto the counter with a
loud thud. That made Prim, who had been watching, ask her,
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EarEarZz

"What's wrong? Why do you look like a grumpy little pug?"

"I ran into some weirdo today. Ugh, so annoying. Seriously, do
architects these days have no ethics? I hate those dream-selling types!"
"Whoa, whoa. Calm down first."
"How can I? If you were the one dealing with her, you wouldn't be
calm either."
Prim tiredly shook her head at her sister. She had way too much
free time till she managed to pick fights with random people. She let Rin
continue grumbling without interrupting. But the moment she pulled out
the pastries to check them, she almost fainted. Her voice shot up sharply.
"Why are the cakes a total disaster ?! I've told you a million times
to carry them carefully!"
Rin got a smack on the arm for that, but it still wasn't as scary as
what her older sister said next.
"I'm cutting your allowance!"
"But it's not my fault! It's that crazy lady's- Ow!"
"Still not gonna admit it, huh ?! Who the hell's gonna buy a cake
that looks like this? You eat them all yourself. And don't you dare throw
them out or waste them!"
No doubt! It was totally that crazy lady's fault!
Rin, now (forcibly) eating cake for dinner, stabbed her fork into it
with vengeance, making the already wrecked cake look even worse.
And clearly, she wasn't the only one with a cake problem.
The sound of gunfire echoed through a minimal Japanese-style
apartment, neat and orderly. It came from the movie Saving Private Ryan,
left playing to keep the place from being too quiet. The owner of the
22
EarEarZz

room, dressed in pajamas, no makeup, hair tied up messily, was staring

at the red numbers in the company's account summary, looking deeply
stressed.
Yeah. Okbab was seriously stressed out. She'd tried to shake it off,
but the moment her eyes landed on the leftover wreck of the cake, which
instantly reminded her of that girl's irritating face, her stress surged back.
She grabbed her fork and started stabbing the cake to pieces, in perfect
rhythm with the sound of gunfire.
No different from that girl at all.
"The reason I called this meeting is because I've got both good
news and bad news."
The meeting room at Jinta Architect held the three siblings along
with Tertis, Yong, two other architects, and an interior designer.
"Let's start with the good news first," Pat said as he shared his
screen to the big TV.
It was a photo of the famous high-society couple, 'Rain' and 'Mink.'
Both were celebrities in social circles, with wealth and fame from their
real estate business. They also owned one of the top fashion and jewelry
brands in Thailand.
"Rain and Mink, the couple that's been viral on social media?"
Tertis recognized them instantly.
"Yep. They reached out to us because they want to renovate their
vacation home out of town."
The room buzzed with excitement from everyone except Okbab,
who didn't think this would be as easy as it sounded.
"What's the bad news?" she asked.

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EarEarZz

"The bad news is we have to pitch against other companies. Only

then do we get this project," Chan answered for him.
"It might not be a massive project-just a house renovation-but Rain
and Mink are big names. They've got friends and connections. If we land
this project, there's a good chance it could lead to more jobs from them
or from people they refer to us."
Everyone nodded in understanding, and some even looked hopeful
about this opportunity
Yong raised his hand.
"Yes?'
"Um, Mr. Pat, who's going to be the lead on this project?"
"I was thinking of assigning it to you."
Yong couldn't hide the awkward, and exhausted, look on his face.
"Sorry, but I still haven't cleared my current workload. Plus, there are
three pending projects I'm handling. If I take this one on too, I think I
might just drop dead at my desk... "
"Really ...? " Pat hadn't considered that. He paused to think, then
asked, "What about the rest of you? Is anyone free?"
No one dared to meet his eyes.
"We only have these few architects left?" Okbab asked.
"Yeah ... We used to have more. But after COVID and the
economic like this, work dried up, employees struggled, and so did the
company. Now it's just us left."
"In that case ... should we start looking for someone new? Someone
who can help with this project, or at least take some load off the current
team?"
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EarEarZz

"Yeah. I've already been thinking the same. We've posted the job
openings too, but it's been quiet. It feels like every architecture grad
these days just opens a café or becomes a singer ... "
"Oh! I've got a close friend," Tertis raised her hand as soon as the
idea hit her. "She's so good everyone in our year called her 'Professor
Rin.' She won a design competition every year while we were in school.
Plus, she's pretty popular on Instagram right now."
The girl asked for permission to share her screen, and soon Rin's
Instagram account, Rinchitect, popped up on the big TV. The follower
count sat at 78.2K. The feed was filled with architectural sketches,
landscape designs, and various projects. The entire room quietly agreed
that her work was absolutely unique and stunning.
"Oh, it's her? I've seen her stuff before. Big fan of her work... What
do you think?" Pat turned to ask Okbab
"Let me see." She took Tertis's iPad and scrolled through the posts
carefully. "Impressive. You can get in touch with her for us, right?"
"Sure, but ... I should probably warn you first. Professor Rin is ... a
bit of a wild card. Not sure if she'd be interested in working with us at
all."

"You're seriously giving me this house renovation project, P’Thee?

There are so many bigger projects that need attention. You could pass
this one to a smaller team."
"It's not just some ordinary house. It's Rain's house. That's why I
want you in charge."

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EarEarZz

Mind took a moment to process what he was saying, then nodded

as it started to make sense. "And the other companies? Who are we
pitching against?"
"Man, just thinking about it pisses me off. It turns out Rain called
Jinta in too," Thee clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I seriously hate that
damn Pat and his weirdo little brother ... Anyway, I'm counting on you,
Mind. Whether you show up on pitch day or not is up to you."
"Alright."
"Oh, and I heard Pat's little sister is back to help out at their
company."
Mind paused but just for a split second.
"Where'd you hear that from, P’Thee?"
"Wee told me. So I did a bit of digging myself. Looks like Miss
little sister flew back from Japan just to save their sinking ship."
"In that case ... I'll be handling pitch day myself."
Tertis set a bag of sushi boxes down right in front of Rin, thinking
to herself how lucky she was that her indie friend even agreed to meet
after she'd spammed her with desperate texts for hours
"It's from your favorite place in front of campus," Tertis said with
her brightest smile. But Rin shot her a suspicious glare in return.
"Bringing me offerings like this, you're totally up to something,
huh?"
"Glad you figured it out. So I'll just be blunt ... Rin, we've been
friends since first year, and I went out of my way to buy you twenty
pieces of sushi. So please, just sit there and let me finish before you blow
up. Deal?"

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EarEarZz

Rin opened the box and popped a piece of sushi in her mouth. The
familiar taste pulled her straight back to the past, and that put her in a
mood too good to turn down Tertis's easy request.
"Talk."
"My company's hiring a new architect right now. And someone
insanely talented like you passes every requirement we have. That's why
I'm here today to ask you to come work with us. Interested?"
Tertis forced the sweetest smile she could manage, blinking rapidly
to look as pitiful as possible. But Rin just stared back with a blank
expression.
"Nope. "
"Huh ?! After all that speech ?! "
"You know I'm not interested in working for any company."
"Rin, seriously. Why the hell won't you get a job? You're crazy
talented. Why just sit on that and keep it to yourself?"
"Because I haven't found the right place yet."
"Then maybe you'll end up liking my company. Please, Rin. Just
give it a shot. Just one meeting with my boss. Just once. That's all I'm
asking. Please?"
Rin was about to shut her down, but Tertis quickly added,
"For the sake of our friendship, please think of it as paying me back
for all the Pritt glue, Nitto tapes, Bagasse paper, steel rulers—things you
borrowed and never returned. God knows how much that's worth. Not to
mention the sushi you kept stealing from my plate for four straight
years... "

27
EarEarZz

" ... " Rin had no comeback. Unable to deny what had happened in
the past, in the end, she let out a heavy sigh and gave in. "Fine."
"Yay! You're the best, bestieee."
"Don't get too excited. I only agreed to talk. This doesn't mean I'm
saying yes. Got it?"
"That's fine. Just talking is good enough for me. You know, my
boss graduated from Japan. I swear, you won't be disappointed."Tertis
grinned wide, throwing in the details about her boss studying in Japan
because she knew her friend was always into anything Japanese.
Rin raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh yeah? ... Now that's kind of
interesting.'
"So, when are you free to drop by the office? I'll set up the
meeting."
"Huh? Who said I'm coming over?"
"Wait. Then how? Are we gonna have a telepathic meeting? Do it
online or something?"
Rin popped another piece of sushi into her mouth, chewing happily
before replying like the little mischief she was. "I'm not the one who
wants a job at your company... If they really want me that bad, then your
boss should come to me."
Tertis sat there completely speechless.
She couldn't help muttering under her breath, "Gonna lose my mind
one of these days!"

28
EarEarZz

"What ?! You want me to go meet her ?! "

"Yes. Rin said if the company really wants her on board, then ...
um ... you'll have to show some commitment before she agrees to even
talk."
"Seriously? Kids these days ... Since when do companies have to
go chase down applicants?" Okbab scoffed in disbelief.
"But we are the ones who really want her ... Might as well give it a
shot."
"But still ... "
"I just found out that Rain's following her Instagram too. Maybe
he's looking for ideas or project references, or maybe he's already a fan.
If we get Rin on this project, I swear our chances are gonna skyrocket.
Just go talk to her, please. Do it for me." Pat waved the accounting file
full of negative numbers right in Okbab's face. "Or, if not for me, then do
it for this thing."
“ ... " Okbab let out an exhausted sigh before nodding at her
brother with a look of annoyance.
"Fine."
"I'll send you the location then, Miss Okbab."
"Wait, Tertis, aren't you coming too?'
"Rin wants to talk to the boss directly. Oh, and here. I bought this
from Rin's shop. Her sister owns a café." Tertis placed a box of cake on
Okbab's desk. Same exact kind of cake she had yesterday ... minus the
part where it wasn't totally smashed.
Okbab narrowed her eyes, something about this felt odd.

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EarEarZz

Following the pinned location that Tertis sent, Okbab walked

around looking for Koffee Club. She turned left and right, following the
arrows on her map for a while until she finally spotted a weird-looking
dinosaur mascot handing out flyers in front of a shop. She scanned the
front to double- check the café sign, and once she was sure this was the
right place to meet that award-winning kid, she walked right in.
But the mascot didn't move. No matter how she tried to go left or
right, it blocked her path completely. Okbab frowned, starting to wonder
if this person was deliberately trying to mess with her.
"Excuse me, can I get through?"
The dinosaur stayed put.
"…"
Okbab tried stepping aside again. And again. And again.
Every single time, the mascot refused to give in. That was more
than enough to tick off someone as hot-tempered as her. She raised her
voice. "Whatever promoting gimmick this is, I don't have time to play
along. Move, please!"
She tried dodging again, but this time the dinosaur suddenly
grabbed her arm. Okbab jumped in alarm.
"Let go! What do you think you're doing?" She yanked her arm
back, but the other person was stronger and clearly stubborn. What
followed was a tug-of-war between Okbab and a dinosaur. But in the end,
Okbab gathered every ounce of strength and managed to break free.
"What is wrong with you ?! This is harassment—"
"I—can't—" A mumble came from inside the mascot's head. Then
the dinosaur swayed and collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.

30
EarEarZz

"Hey! You!" Okbab panicked even more. She dropped to her knees,
shook the mascot, and shouted, "What's wrong ?! " Seeing the person
inside not moving, she quickly pulled the dinosaur head off...
It was ...
That girl!
Okbab froze, not knowing what to do. At that moment, Prim, who
heard the ruckus, came rushing out of the café. The moment she saw her
younger sister pass out on the pavement, she shrieked.
"Rin! What happened? Are you okay? Rin!" And the moment
Okbab heard the name 'Rin,' she was even more stunned. She could not
believe just how accurate her gut feeling had been!

"Rin, how are you feeling? Better?" Prim was holding a portable
fan in one hand, setting to its highest speed, while waving an herbal
inhaler under her little sister's nose with the other. Rin had already been
helped out of the mascot suit.
Rin nodded slowly and blinked hard to adjust her vision. And the
first thing she saw ... was a pair of eyes- strangely familiar-staring down
at her. Then, as her vision cleared, she realized exactly who that woman
was. And she also realized that she was lying in that woman's lap!
"What the—! "
She shot upright in a panic, which caused her blood pressure to
drop suddenly. Everything spun for a moment, and she almost passed out
again. But the young woman, whom she called 'grandma,' grabbed her
arm just in time, though the sudden pull threw Rin off balance and made
her fall right back into the same lap.
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EarEarZz

"…"
Their eyes met. The distance between them was barely a handspan.
The moment was abrupt, yet it felt too long in their minds ... And the
moment they both realized how not normal this closeness was for two
people who were complete strangers, they screamed at the top of their
lungs, each trying to break the awkwardness, and sprang apart from each
other.
"What the hell were you doing, Grandma ?! "
"Rin! Watch your mouth and speak respectfully!" Prim scolded her
sister. "I'm so sorry about this."
"Why are you apologizing? She attacked me."
"Stop talking nonsense. You brought it on yourself. Who told you
to go out to do crazy stuff in a suit, standing in the midday sun like that?"
The older sister gave her sister a knock on the head for emphasis. "If
Miss Okbab hadn't helped me with first aid, you'd probably be in the
hospital by now."
Rin made a sulky face, unwilling to admit she'd brought it on
herself-let alone that this 'grandma' had just helped her.
"So ... what are you doing here, uh, sis?"
"I'm Tertis's boss."
"What ?! " Rin gasped, then instantly turned away and tried to get
up. "In that case, no thanks!"
"No thanks,' my foot!" Prim pressed Rin's shoulders, forcing her to
back down, before speaking in a half-demanded tone, "Talk to her nicely
while I get her a coffee ... Please go ahead and make yourself
comfortable, Miss Okbab."

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EarEarZz

Rin groaned in protest, but Prim glared at her sister to make her sit
still. Only then did Prim step away toward the counter to prepare drinks.
"I came here today to ask if you'd be interested in joining Jinta."
"Why? What's the reason?"
"We admire your style and your work. More importantly, your
potential would be a great fit for a project we're working on."
"Would it kill you to just say I'm good? That I'm talented?"
Rin smirked, and Okbab knew the girl was baiting her for a
compliment like some ego monster! She clenched her fists and kept her
tone and expression as neutral as possible.
"Let's just say you're what our company needs.'
"Say it. Say I'm good."
" ... "
"If you're not that impressed, then go home. You're wasting your
time."
Okbab took a deep breath and let out a long sigh, trying to cool her
irritation. "Fine." She counted to ten in her head. "As a fellow architect,
I'll admit that you've got skills... Happy now?"
"Mm. I am, actually. Nice to hear it." Rin grinned. "But I still don't
want to work with you. All companies are the same anyway. I doubt
yours is any different."
"It is different. Jinta Architect isn't like the others."
"Oh yeah? What's so special? You put a fried egg on top?"

33
EarEarZz

Okbab tried to answer those mocking questions with patience ...

more than she ever knew she had. "We're not that special. We're a small
studio built on our mom's love for design. After she passed away, my
brothers and I try to carry on her vision. That's why we put our best into
every single job we do."
"Uh-huh."
"Jinta Architect values family, and I promise we treat every team
member fairly. Including you, if you decide to join us."
Rin gave a few slow nods. It looked like she was starting to listen.
"So, what do you think? Interested now?"
"Mmm, kind of," Rin murmured, pretending to think a little. Then
she reached out her hand to Okbab, The young woman mistook the
gesture as a sign of agreement, so she grabbed it right away.
"Let's go."
"Go ...? " Okbab didn't get to finish her sentence before Rin yanked
her up and half-dragged her straight out of the café.
It all happened so fast, Okbab was too stunned to resist. The next
thing she knew, they were already outside the shop, still holding hands.
"I've got something to tell you, grandma." Rin tightened her grip
slightly.
"Huh? Tell me ... what?"
The girl deliberately leaned in close. Okbab instinctively flinched
but held her ground, knowing full well this kid would only get bolder if
she reacted.
"Everything you said sounded nice. I like how you talked about
your company."
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EarEarZz

Rin moved in even closer, tilting her head until her lips were
almost level with Okbab's ear. She then whispered, "but there's no way
I'd ever work with you. Go pitch your dream somewhere else, kay?
Byeee."
Okbab froze in place. And hearing Rin muttered, "Values family?
No thanks. Who the hell wants more relatives?", as she turned her back
and went back into the café, Okbab's rage nearly exploded into a scream
right in broad daylight. But before that, she had to let out at least one
word.
"You little brat!"

At Jinta Architect, aside from workspaces, meeting rooms, and the

common area, there was one extra room everyone called the "stress relief
room."
Okbab furiously stomped into the office. She fully intended to go
straight to that room, but just as she walked closer to the door, she heard
Tertis's voice from inside
"You think I'm concrete or something ?! Dumping me every time!
'Can you hold it a bit longer?'—Hold your ass, you jerk!
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH !!! "
" ... " Okay ... Okbab gave up. Tertis clearly deserved the room,
without interruption. Redirecting her rage, she headed for Chan and Pat,
who were sitting around the central table with Yong and Miss May.
"What now ?! "
Chan smiled weakly ... so weakly it looked like his skin might crack
right off his face as he scratched his cheek.
35
EarEarZz

"Another client called today to pause their project ... Anyway,

how'd it go? You talked to Professor Rin, right? Did she—"
"Don't mention that damn brat again!"
The middle brother jolted. And at the same moment, Tertis
emerged from the stress relief room, her hair wild but her face calm ... as
if nothing had happened at all.
"How'd it go, Miss Okbab-" she started to ask but snapped her
mouth shut the moment she caught her boss's expression and atmosphere.
She felt it, spiritually! Negotiations had failed!
"What now? Any other way we can get your friend to change her
mind, Tertis?" Pat asked, sounding half-hopeful and half-hopeless.
Tertis tried to think. "Well ... there might be a way, but it's kind of
silly."
"Say it. At this point, I'll take any kind of silly."
"Rin's a foodie. Last time she only agreed to help because I brought
her something she liked to eat first." Tertis sighed quietly at the difficulty
caused by her own friend. "So how about this-you take Rin out for
something she really loves. She's the type who can't say no to food and
gives in easily when her stomach's full... "
"What for ?! You're telling me I have to feed that brat too ?! ”
"For the project! Rain really likes Professor Rin's work, remember.
If we can get her, we'll survive!" Chan cut in quickly
"And for the company. You came back to help save us, right? Well,
this is how. Repeat after me-for the company." Pat added.

36
EarEarZz

"Oh my god." Okbab looked at all the eyes pointing at her with
expectation. "So she's the only option, huh? There's really no one
better?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"Ugh! Fine. For Mom's company. But the second this project is
done, I'm going straight back to Japan. I've had enough!" With that,
despite having only set foot in the company, Okbab spun around and
stomped out of the building again.
Her footsteps seemed determined... but clearly reluctant too.

"Ms. Prim, hello again. Is Rin still here?"

Okbab greeted the Koffee Club owner when she happened to catch
her taking out the trash. She had decided to come back and give both Rin
and herself one last chance.
"She is. Is there anything I can help you with?"
"I was thinking of inviting Rin out for a meal, so we could talk
business again.'
"Oh, that's perfect!" Prim lit up with a smile. "I'll help talk her into
this."
Helping, in this case, wasn't anything big. All Prim did was let
Okbab go inside to find Rin, who was sweeping up after closing.
"P’Prim, let's eat. I'm starving ... " Rin turned to speak after hearing
the door open. But when she found it wasn't her sister, she raised an
eyebrow in surprise.
"What now, Grandma?"
37
EarEarZz

"Let's go eat. I know a great place."

"No, thanks," Rin shot her down without a second thought,
pointing the tip of her mop toward the counter.
"P’Prim already prepared everything. Over there ... "
No one knew when Prim returned inside and ended up behind the
counter. But the older sister managed to "accidentally" knock over all the
dinner dishes. A fried mackerel flopped onto the floor, while chili paste
and steamed veggies spilled into one mess.
"Oh no, look at that. I guess there's no food left. You'll have to go
find your own dinner tonight, Rin."
Rin's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe she'd just been ambushed
by her own sister on this scale.
"P’Prim!"
"Let's go. It's good food. I think you'll like it."
"No. I'm not even hungry anymore!" she protested, but her stomach
betrayed her with a loud growl. Had the front door been left open, the
sound would've echoed down the alley.
"Not hungry, my foot! Go on, Rin. It's good to eat out every now
and then, isn't it?" Prim added more pressure. That was enough for Rin
to realize she had no one on her side anymore. All she could do was
frown.
"This is so unfair!" the girl grumbled with a pout. "Fine, I'll go. But
no talking about work. Deal?"
"Deal," Okbab nodded while secretly crossing her fingers. After all,
she had planned to drag Rin out for a business talk. There was no way
she would let this chance slip away.

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EarEarZz

It was already 7:30 in the evening. The sky darkened while Okbab's
car rolled through slow-moving traffic. Rin, sitting in the same car,
carefully observed the road with caution. She was unfamiliar area Okbab
was taking her through.
Eventually, the car slowed down and came to a stop. Okbab had
pulled up alongside a wall near an alley. From what Rin saw, the street
ahead only got narrower, so there was no way to drive further in.
Rin glanced around, scanning the area for a restaurant, but all she
saw were rows of houses. There were no restaurant signs, not even a
food shop.
"Where is this ...? Where's the restaurant? Don't tell me you tricked
me—"
"Don't be ridiculous. We just have to walk a little further." With
that, Okbab stepped out of the car. She paid no attention to the younger
girl's doubtful expression. "Come on. You're not hungry?"
Rin hesitated. But considering Okbab was the owner of the firm her
friend worked for, and that her sister already knew who she was with,
she figured it was unlikely the woman would do anything shady ...
probably.
The girl got out of the car and slowly followed the older woman
down the suspicious-looking, narrow alley. It made her wonder what
kind of restaurant could possibly be in there? But when they reached the
end of the alley, she finally saw a small sign with Japanese characters on
the display.
Rin blinked in surprise.
So this was what people meant by a hidden gem ... she thought to
herself.

39
EarEarZz

"We're here. Ready to eat?"

Rin's stomach growled in reply as the two stepped
into the shop.
It turned out the restaurant only had one table. From the setup alone,
Rin could guess it was a chef's table concept. The interior was warm and
charming, like being transported straight into someone's home in Japan.
The owners-a Japanese husband and his Thai wife- came out to
greet them warmly.
"Thanks so much for opening on such short notice .. and I'm really
sorry for the inconvenience," Okbab said to the husband, who was also
the chef, in Japanese.
"No trouble at all. Is this the guest who's said to love Japanese
food?" he asked, turning to Rin.
"She is," Okbab replied with a smile, lively chatting with the chef
and his wife for a while before leading Rin to the table in the center of
the room.
"You speak Japanese really well," Rin could understand Japanese
to some extent. She was genuinely impressed by Okbab's effortless
fluency. But Okbab just shrugged a little, as if to say it was no big deal.
She'd studied and lived in Japan for years. It'd be weirder not to speak
the language.
The two sat in silence for a while, the atmosphere a little awkward.
But once the dishes, which were already partly prepared, were gradually
served, the tension began to ease.
"Itadakimasu," they both said at the same time, spontaneously,
signaling the start of the meal with the Japanese traditional phrase.

40
EarEarZz

"You copied me?" Okbab teased, the smell of the food already
lifting her mood.
"You copied me," Rin shot back. But with her stomach aching with
hunger, she quickly dug into the dish in front of her.
It looked like chilled tofu.
And the moment her tongue touched the soft tofu and dashi broth,
Rin's eyes lit up. The flavor was far beyond anything she'd expected,
especially for something as simple as tofu.
Okbab noticed her reaction and gave a satisfied smile. "Do you
know what the heart of Japanese cuisine is?"
"What is it?" Rin asked shortly between bites.
"Simplicity. There is no need to over-season, just precision to bring
out the true, natural flavors of the ingredients."
Rin didn't argue. In fact, she nodded in agreement ... maybe starting
to feel a bit more respect for Okbab, too.
"As expected from someone who studied in Japan."
"Obviously."
"So how'd you know I like Japanese food?"
"Someone like you ... is easy to read." Seeing the chance, Okbab
flashed a teasing smile. But she wasn't just bluffing—she really had
figured the girl out, not through any mind reading or psychic trick ...
But from the conversation she'd had with Prim earlier.
While Rin was passed out in the dino suit, Okbab had taken a look
around noticed that the café was decorated in a Japanese style overall.
The little Zen garden outside made it even clearer that the owner, or
whoever designed the place, was seriously into Japan.
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EarEarZz

"This place is beautiful. It reminds me of Japan. Did you design it,

Miss Prim?"
"Nope. The designer was her." Prim nodded at the girl who was on
Okbab's lap. "She's crazy about Japan. When we started the café, she
insisted on handling everything herself, from designing and layout
drafting to supervising the construction."
If someone loved the Japanese aesthetic to that extent, it was really
unlikely they wouldn't be passionate about the food too. So taking Rin to
a Japanese restaurant was Okbab's personal gamble. If her guess was off,
she was willing to let the deal go.
"The food. Amazing. Really love it." Rin could speak some
Japanese, though not very fluently. She wanted to thank the chef for
creating such delicious dishes. Not only did she finish everything on the
table, but even the last drop of soup was practically gone.
"Say it again, clearly like this," Okbab coached her pronunciation.
"The food is amazing. I really love it."
"The food is amazing. I really love it."
"Again. The food is amazing. I really love it."
"The food is amazing. I really love it. Ugh, is that clear enough for
you ?! Or are you messing with me now ?! "
Okbab smiled amusedly, satisfied to finally get her small revenge
on Rin.
"Thank you. I'm glad you liked it," the chef said in fluent Thai,
smiling at Rin, who let out a surprised sound.
"Uncle! You could've told me you speak Thai!" Rin's face flushed
red. Just then, the chef's Thai wife brought over a jar of homemade
umeshu, placing it on the table and opening it up to serve the two guests.
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"My wife made this herself. A little treat for our special guests."
The chef picked up a ladle and ladles the plum wine into glasses
and handed them over. Rin took a sip and let out a pleased sound. It was
sweet, fragrant, mellow, and went down smoothly. Okbab took the
opportunity and casually turned the conversation toward work.
"Think about working with Jinta. We really do love your work."
"I thought we weren't going to talk about work."
"Just consider it one more time, will you? I'll wait for your
answer."
Okbab took a sip of the umeshu herself. But at the very first sip,
her face winced at the sharp scent of alcohol. She had no idea what the
wife had used as the base liquor.
"Then let's make it a challenge." Catching the young woman's
reaction, Rin immediately came up with an idea.
"A challenge?"
"With this plum wine. If you can outdrink me, maybe I'll think
about your offer." Rin was already confident this would be an easy win.
Judging by Okbab's reaction just now, she didn't seem like a heavy
drinker ... probably not someone with a strong tolerance either.
"Oh ... let's do it." Okbab accepted the challenge and turned to the
chef without a trace of hesitation. "We'll take the whole jar, please. Feel
free to charge extra."
"Of course. Enjoy yourselves." the chef replied with a smile.
The chef wasn't opposed to it either. The girl's one sip turned to
two. Then one glass turned to another. Neither of them backed down.
But with the wine's strong alcohol content and the sugar from the rock

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candy making it easy to get intoxicated, they both started to flush pink in
no time.
It was Rin who realized first that she may have underestimated her
opponent. She had seriously misjudged the young woman's drinking
ability.
"The jar's empty. What now?" Okbab gestured toward the glass
container, where nothing remained but a pile of plums at the bottom.
There was no way Rin would give up now, so she replied, "Order
more!"
"In that case, Chef, could we get some sake, please?" A short while
later, the chef placed a bottle of sake on the table and let them continue
their drinking war, undisturbed. By the time the bottle was nearly empty,
both Rin and Okbab were visibly swaying. But they could still hold
themselves upright, not collapsing onto the floor.
"Okay, listen up, Grandma. Final round ... Whoever can stand up
straight wins. Okay?" Rin set a condition, and Okbab easily went along
with it.
"Sure! On three ... One, two, three!"
They both shot up at once, grinning like fools. Rin, certain of her
victory, even walked around the table to Okbab, showcasing her
confidence.
Her first step? Perfect.
The second? Down she went.
"YES!" Okbab pumped her fist in triumph, seeing the girl fall flat,
almost face-first, to the floor. "I wi-" She hadn't finished her victory
shout before her own fate unfolded just like Rin's.

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Game over for both.

Soft morning sunlight slipped through the wooden blinds into the
room, stretching across Okbab's face and closed eyelids. She was still
fast asleep, snoring softly and comfortably. It wasn't until the light grew
stronger that her eyes fluttered open. She stared at the ceiling of her own
bedroom, dazed.
At first, she didn't think much of it ... Just another regular morning,
nothing out of the ordinary. But then, as her awareness returned,
memories of the previous night flooded back along with a dull, pounding
headache.
She shot upright in bed and instantly noticed she was still wearing
the same clothes from yesterday. "Oww... " she groaned to herself, both
from the headache and from the horror of having gone to bed without
showering or changing. It was something that completely went against
her moral code.
Unacceptable!
Trying to scramble out of bed as quickly as she could, even if it
was clearly too late, she strangely felt heavy, as if something was
weighing her lower body down, preventing her from moving. When she
threw back the blanket to check, she let out a piercing scream.
Because that 'something' turned out to be the award- winning brat
who'd driven her mad—the same girl she'd been trying the whole night
to recruit for a job.

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Rin was dressed in matching pajamas that were clearly Okbab's. As

for herself, her top was still from yesterday, but her pants were now
some cute-patterned shorts that didn't match at all!
What the hell was going on !?
"What is thissss ?! "
Rin jolted, startled by the shrieking yell. But the moment she
opened her eyes fully and saw that she'd been lying across Okbab's lap,
arms loosely wrapped around her waist, she also screamed in horror and
immediately sprang upright.
"AHHHH !! " From peacefully snuggled a moment ago, Rin kicked
the older woman right off the bed with a loud thud ... Thankfully, the
Japanese-style futon was pretty low. Otherwise, someone might've ended
up with a fractured spine.
"How dare you kick me, huh ?! "
"No. What you did to me ?! Why am I here ?! And whose clothes
are these ?! "
"Mine, you idiot! Who else would they belong to ?! "
"Like I'd know!"
"What the hell even happened last night -? "
Okbab asked the question, trying to piece it together. Rin, still
confused and stunned by her condition, tried to recall her memories as
well. Finally, she remembered them stumbling out of the hidden
restaurant after being awakened by the couple. Rin had put on Okbab's
heels, while Okbab had ended up wearing Rin's sneakers. Neither of
them was in their right minds.

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"My shoes feel weird. I can't walk in these. And the ground's
spinning, " Rin mumbled.
"Yeah, no kidding.'
Rin made it two more steps before swaying into Okbab and
grabbing onto her for support. "Lemme hold on... Gonna fall... "
Okbab didn't argue. She just tried to steady herself and focus. "You
call a Grab yet? Let's get home."
"What about your car? Ohhh, right. Don't drink and drive. You're
being a good citizen." Rin reached up to pat her on the head. If they
hadn't been completely wasted, that would've earned her rounds of yell.
"I'll call then ... Wait. Phone's dead."
Rin pressed the button a few times, but the screen stayed dark.
"Now what?"
"I dunno. Can we walk home?" Rin slumped her heavy head
against Okbab's shoulder, completely wasted. Okbab sighed, paused for
a moment, then offered, "I'll call the ride. I'll have the driver drop me off
first, then take you home"
"Okaayyy."
The two of them ended up riding back together. Okbab pinned two
locations, her own condo first, and then left it to Rin to mark another. No
one knew how long the ride took to arrive at the condo, but it was
probably long enough to sober up a little.
"We're not done talking about work. We'll talk again later. Got it?"
Okbab said as she stepped out of the car. Rin didn't respond. She just sat
there silently, her expression a little pale.

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"Please make sure she gets home. I remember your license plate
and your face. I've also screencapped your name and information on the
app," Okbab told the driver to make sure that he'd get Rin home safe and
sound. If anything happened, she'd make sure the man regretted it. But
that wasn't the problem she should worry about at the moment ...
"Urrrghhhh!" Rin suddenly threw up after battling
nausea since they first got into the car.
"Jesus Christ!" the driver yelled in horror.
"Oh no ... "
"Come on, how am I supposed to take more passengers like this?
The smell! Get out of my car now! I'm not driving you anywhere!"
"Sorry, sir," Rin mumbled weakly, still hadn't recovered from
nausea. "You can charge the damage to her."
"…"
Okbab was about to lose it!
Not only had she blown thousands on gas, food, and alcohol
tonight, now she had to pay the driver for the damage too?
"Do you ... wanna talk work now?" Rin mumbled on the condo
lobby couch.
"Not in this state. Just come upstairs. I'm embarrassed enough
already." Okbab didn't think she could have a proper conversation with
Rin right now. Even if she agreed to something, she'd probably pretend
to forget it later. Still, the opportunity was here. So Okbab helped the
girl up and brought her upstairs, half-carrying her in a stumbling state.

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The moment they entered the room and Rin spotted the bed, she
immediately went straight for it. But Okbab stopped her with a reflex
that came from the subconscious.
"Nope! You're dirty. Do not touch that bed! You smell like puke—
go change first!"
"Okay ... " Rin prepared to take off her shirt immediately, earning
herself another scold.
"Not here! Bathroom's over there!"
The room owner walked to the closet, grabbed a set of pajamas,
and tossed them to Rin, who caught them in confusion. Once the girl
disappeared into the bathroom, a pair of sweet- patterned pajama shorts
to change into while fighting to stay awake.
But Okbab only managed to change her bottoms before collapsing
onto the bed and passing out instantly. Rin emerged from the bathroom
later, freshly changed but barely aware of where she was or who might
already be in bed.
She climbed up the bed and fell fast asleep right next to Okbab.
"Phew ... " They both let out a sigh of relief after retracing their
memories and confirming nothing weird had happened last night, despite
their worries.
"You should be thanking me for not leaving you to sleep on the
street.'
"Fine, thanks," Rin muttered, clearly not wanting to say it. But flat
refusing seemed a little too rude.
"Wait-what time is it?" Okbab jolted at the question popping up in
her head. She turned to check the clock by the bed. "Ten o'clock ?!
Damn it! I'm late!" She shouted and rushed into the bathroom, too frantic
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to care what Rin was doing or whether she stayed or left. At least it gave
Rin a moment to finally breathe.
The girl stretched, then got up and started to wander the room,
partly out of curiosity ... and partly taking a few liberties. Okbab's
apartment was incredibly tidy and minimalist with a Japanese vibe.
Every detail looked perfectly thought- out. Not a single thing seemed out
of place. It was perfect in every perspective. Then the girl caught sight of
a framed picture on the wall and froze in her tracks.
Rin was stunned.
It was a drawing of a traditional Japanese home- peaceful and
beautiful.
Standing in front of the house was a middle-aged woman, smiling
warmly. In the corner of the picture, neat handwriting showed
Kitakyushu 2022
Rin's feelings were stirred in a tangled mess as she stared at it in
disbelief. She never would've imagined, never thought this picture would
turn up here...

Today, Okbab was far from her usual polished self. She'd showered
and changed into fresh clothes, but her outfit, hair, and makeup had been
put together hurriedly. Meanwhile, Rin had gone completely quiet,
unusually quiet. She kept sneaking glances at Okbab's face as if
considering something.
But Okbab was far more concerned about running seriously late.
She kept glancing at her vintage watch, checking the time over and over.
Worse, she had no car today since she'd left it at the Japanese restaurant.

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"Forget about everything from last night, including the offer. Let's
just pretend none of it happened. As for the clothes, wash them and give
them back through Tetris. I'm out."
"Wait." Rin grabbed Okbab's arm. "Have you ever been to
Kitakyushu?"
"Huh? Why?" Okbab was confused by Rin's seemingly unrelated
question.
"Just answer me. Have you?"
"Yeah."
"When?"
"Um ... I guess about three years ago."
Rin stared at Okbab in silence, then slowly let go of her arm, not
asking anything further. Okbab, in too much of a rush to wait for a reply,
hurried out of the condo lobby, leaving the girl watching her until she
disappeared from view.

Okbab rushed into the office, shocking everyone with how

disheveled she looked, unlike her usual self.
"Sorry I'm late. It won't happen again," Okbab apologized earnestly.
"Oh, it's just a little late. Doesn't matter," Chan waved it off.
"It matters. Being on time is part of being a professional," Okbab
insisted, her expression serious.
"Anyway, how about Rin, Miss Okbab? What happened? Did it
work out?"
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Before Okbab could explain that she'd given up and let the
opportunity slip away, the very person they were talking about casually
pushed open the office door. Tertis, who saw her first, blinked in
disbelief.
"Rin ?? '
Okbab raised her brows, then turned toward Tertis's gaze, and
became just as surprised.
"Regarding the offer you mentioned, I've got my answer," Rin said
as she stepped up to the young woman, looking determined. "I'll join
Jinta."
She locked eyes with Okbab as she spoke, the image of the woman
standing before her overlapping with her memory from years ago.
Back then, Rin was exploring Kitakyushu in Japan. She wandered
the city at her own pace, casually snapping photos as she went.
Whenever she felt tired, she'd find a place to sit and rest. This time she
bought a coffee and sat on a public bench to rest.
At one end of the bench lay a sketchbook. A breeze gently flipped
its pages, catching her attention. Rin reached out and picked it up,
glancing around for the owner but saw no one. Taking the liberty, the
girl carefully flipped through the sketchbook page by page. They were
drawings of various places and beautiful architecture from Kitakyushu.
Rin was both amazed and impressed by the artist's drawing style.
She whispered, "Gorgeous ... " especially as she reached the last page.
She gazed, enchanted, at the same drawing she would one day see
hanging on the wall of a woman's condo three years afterward. Rin had
fallen for that drawing completely ... perhaps because it reminded her of
her own family. Nostalgia washed over her as she looked at the smiling
middle-aged woman in the drawing.
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"Wait, is this by a Thai artist?" Spotting the Thai caption in the

corner of the page, 'Kitakyushu 2022' Rin stood up, eyes scanning for a
Thai person in the area. But there was no one. She had no idea the artist
was standing just a short distance away, silently taking in the view from
a lookout point ... with tears streaming down her delicate cheeks.

"You're serious? You mean it, right ?! " Tertis asked, standing up
and clapping excitedly
"I'm serious. I want to work here."
"Is this for real? You're not messing with us again, right?" Okbab
still looked skeptical.
"Oh, come on, Grandma! I mean ... sis. Now that I'm serious, you
don't believe me?"
"Well, it's just odd. You were so stubborn about it before. And now
suddenly you've changed your mind .. Why?"
Rin simply smiled and shrugged. "It doesn't matter why. The
company wants me, and I've already said yes."
"Well... I guess not."
"But I have three conditions. First, I won't do overtime, no atter
what. Second, I won't take calls or respond to messages outside working
hours. Third, you have to take me out for good food once a week."
"What kind of conditions are those ...? "

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"If I don't get all three, I'm walking away." Rin grinned wider.
Okbab frowned, thinking hard. But when she looked around and saw
how everyone in the office was practically holding their breath, she gave
a long sigh.
"Fine. I accept."
Everyone practically cheered in unison.

"Finally!" Prim was delighted as if she'd landed the job herself. "So
did you change your mind and decide to work with Miss Okbab now?"
Rin was happily munching on the curry rice she and her sister had
ordered in, eating with more appetite than usual. "Do you remember
when I told you about that trip to Kitakyushu, P’Prim? When I found that
sketchbook someone left on a bench?"
"Of course. You wouldn't stop talking about how much you loved
the drawings and how you wanted to find out who the artist was."
"Well, I searched everywhere and never found them."
" ... Don't tell me you found the artist?"
"Yep."
Rin smiled. She finally had her answer to the question she once
asked herself when she first saw Okbab's drawing- whether it was
possible to fall in love with someone through their art. Now, she could
say it without hesitation. Yes, absolutely.
"I've found my first love."

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EarEarZz

Chapter 2 Mind The Gap

Book：Love Design
Writer：THEK34
Release：1 September 2025
Copy：EarEarZz

A variety of items were being set up on Rin's new desk. She

hummed a cheerful tune as she lined up her sketching supplies,
notebooks, moka pot, egg boiler, and a fist-sized rock with a strange
shape and eyeballs drawn on it. She gave it a pat on the head like it was a
living pet. The strange sight left people looking from a nearby corner
completely bewildered.
"Tertis, what is she doing?" Yong whispered. Tertis watched her
friend's behavior with a blank expression and gave a dry smile. "Don't
bother trying to figure her out. It's a waste of time. I've known her for
ages and I still don't understand her," she replied, then led Yoong and
May over to Rin.
"Rin, this is P’Yong, one of our company's architects. And this is
P’May from accounting. If you run into any problems, feel free to ask
them. They're both really nice."
"Welcome to Jinta, Rin. We're like a family here, always helping
each other out," May said warmly, just like Tertis had promised. But Rin
answered bluntly.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you. But ... I don't really need more
family."

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"…"
" ... Huh?" Yong froze, just as stunned as May.
"I've heard that any company that calls itself a family is bound to
crash and burn eventually. Let's just be coworkers who get paid and do
our jobs properly." Rin smiled, nodding as if she were just making a
casual comment about the weather. Then, she turned and walked off,
leaving the three of them standing there like they'd just been electrocuted.

"The project I want you to work on is a renovation of a country

house owned by Mr. Rain and Mrs. Mink," Okbab said, handing an iPad
to Rin as the girl walked into the studio. On the screen was a photo of the
clients' old house.
It immediately caught Rin's interest. "It's old, but still beautiful ...
What kind of brief did the clients give?"
"They don't have a clear idea yet. They just want to turn it into a
vacation home for the two of them."
Rin returned the iPad but accidentally knocked over a glass of
water on the desk instead, setting off a mini disaster. She loudly gasped,
while Okbab quickly rushed to save the papers and items on the table
from the spill.
Not knowing where to find tissues, Rin quickly took off her
cardigan and used it to wipe the water, which made the owner of the
room irritated by how sloppy and clumsy she was.
"You can't use your clothes for that!"
"There weren't any tissues."

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Okbab sighed, silently wondering just how much she could count
on someone so clumsy. "I'll do it." She opened a drawer, took out some
tissue paper, folded it neatly, and carefully cleaned up the water. Rin,
still feeling a little guilty, grabbed another tissue and balled it up to wipe
the table in a rush, causing Okbab to quietly shake her head.
"The clients will probably call us in to go over the brief soon. In
the meantime, try gathering references and ideas to present. And until
then, you can help the team with other projects."
Rin nodded just as her stomach let out a loud growl. She let out a
sheepish laugh. "I'm starving ... Grandma, you owe me a delicious meal.
That was the deal.'
"Already?" Okbab glared. "It's your first day. Maybe try focusing
on the work first?"
"But you already agreed. Nowhere in the terms did it say it had to
be on any specific day. Are you going back on your word?"
"How about this? I'll order a bento from the usual place I like.
Sounds good?"
Rin, who only meant to tease a little, was pleased with that answer.
She grinned cheekily. "Fine. I'll let it slide since it's the first day ... I'll get
back to work now."

While Rin had her task to complete, everyone else in the office was
equally swamped with work. Tertis answered client calls like a pro.
"Hello, Mrs. Noi. Yes, Tertis is speaking. I'm sorry, what was that? A
doghouse? A hundred square meters ?! Absolutely, we'd be happy to
take that on. We love dogs here at our company!" Meanwhile, Yong

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stood before his screen with his hands clasped in a prayer as he was
rendering a 3D model for a house project. Sadly, the computer froze
unexpectedly. Not knowing which chant might work, he started
muttering whatever came to mind. "No no no! Don't you crash on me.
Pleaseee. I'm begging all deities here. And begging you too." Other staff
were busy trimming architectural models, leaving paper scraps scattered
across the floor. If Okbab, who was reviewing designs in her office,
happened to step outside and see the mess, she'd definitely lose it.
Rin had focused on her assignment since morning, and when her
phone alarm rang at 6:00 p.m., she saved the project, shut down her
computer, and packed up without a second thought.
"Where are you going, Rin?" Tertis called out as she watched her
friend rise from her seat.
"Home. See you."
"What ?! "
Rin walked swiftly out of the office while the rest of the team could
only blink in silence. No one said a word until two hours later, when
Okbab came over to Tertis's desk in a hurry.
"Who's in charge of the Senario project of Miss Fai's country house?
She wants to take a look."
"That's Rin's. Um ... but she's already gone home. I'll try to get the
file for you now."
Tertis called Rin immediately, but after three unanswered calls, the
fourth was cut off.
"She's not answering?" Okbab's question had Tertis breaking into a
nervous sweat. Just then, a message from Rin popped up on her friend's
phone screen. 'Told you I don't talk about work after hours.'

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Also seeing the message, Okbab froze for a moment. Then it turned
into fury, and her hand clenched into a fist.
She summoned Rin to her office the next day. The tension in the
room was heavy.
"We already agreed that I don't do overtime, don't accept OT, and
don't respond to anything after hours, didn't we?"
"I didn't ask you to do overtime. I only asked that you pick up the
phone or respond to a message when a teammate really needs your help."
"There are eight full hours in a workday. Why didn't they ask for
help then? Why do people always wait to bother others after hours?"
"If it wasn't really urgent, no one would reach out to anyone after
work. You're still very young in terms of work life. Things don't always
go as planned, not even for me."
Rin was offended by being called 'young' and fired back, "But it is
the terms we both had agreed on. I just hope an adult like you can keep
their word." With that, she turned and walked off like it was nothing,
with no concern for authority or manners, leaving Okbab stunned. She
could hardly believe it. Kids these days. In the end, she could only vent
her anger on her two older brothers.
"Let me ask again. Are we really sure we need this kid? If not, I'll
fire her right now."
"Calm down, Rin. Kids these days just talk like that," Chan tried to
console his sister, though it didn't help much.
"In my life, I've never met any kid-or anyone-so utterly lacking in
basic manners. If this were a Japanese work culture, she wouldn't have a
place anywhere. No company would've taken her in to begin with!"

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"I get it, but we still need Rin's help. She's our edge. Just try
turning a blind eye and being a little nicer to her. The old-school, tough
methods we got hit with won't work anymore," Pat said, also visibly
stressed.
"So what would work, then?"
"You need to go slow and win her over bit by bit. Show her that
what she believes isn't the full picture ... With fresh meat like this, you
need a lot of patience."
"Fresh blood," Chan corrected him.
"That's what I said."
"No. You said 'fresh meat,' bro. What's even going on in your
head?" Chan teased.
"Shut up."
Okbab ignored the bickering between her two older brothers, only
focusing on the point Pat had made. Finally, an idea began to form in her
mind. "Fine. I'll try the soft approach."
Before either of her brothers could ask what she meant, Okbab had
already breezed out of the meeting room. She returned with a tall stack
of paper and dropped it onto Rin's desk. The girl glanced between the
stack and her boss, confused.
"What's this?"
"I need you to draft all of this in CAD. And I want it done by
today."
Rin turned to look at the digital clock on the wall.
"You're giving me this ... at nearly three?"

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"A smart girl like you should be able to pull it off. But if not, it's
fine. You can finish it tomorrow. I totally understand. After all, you do
have to leave by six," Okbab replied with a biting smile. But instead of
being troubled by the mountain of work, Rin stared right back with even
greater confidence.
"Sure. You'll have it all by today. I'm not staying past six either
way."
"Go ahead and prove it then."
The showdown between the new boss and the new hire had the
whole company on edge. People paused their own work just to watch
what was going on, especially when Rin opened AutoCAD and started
building out the plans at a blazing speed. Every detail was done with
skill so sharp the crowd was left speechless.
"Damn, how's she doing that?" Yong dropped his jaw.
"Now do you see why everyone in school called her Professor
Rin?"
From a distance, Okbab watched Rin work, irritation creeping in
along with the growing fear of losing face. Still, she had to admit that
Rin's skill was impressive and valuable to the company.
People like this are so frustrating!
Later that day, Rin popped into Okbab's office, an external hard
drive in hand and a victorious grin on her face. The girl placed it on the
desk and nudged it toward her. "All done, everything you gave me." Rin
stressed the word 'everything' with emphasis. "Anyway, I'll head out now.
It's six already ... You hang in there, okay? It looks like you've still got
plenty left to do. Byeee."

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Okbab couldn't utter a word, only staring at the girl's back until the
door shut. Then she finally picked up the drive to check. On the back,
Rin had stuck a Post-it with a little face sticking out its tongue ;P-clearly
to mock her.
So damn annoying !!

"Why are you so cheerful today? Did something good happen?"

Prim couldn't help but ask as her little sister came to help close up the
café ... Rin seemed extra happy today.
"Not exactly. Someone just tried to challenge Professor Rin, so I
gave her the full experience." As she spoke, Rin struggled to pull the
coffee handle from the machine. No matter how hard she tugged, it
wouldn't budge, prompting Prim to step in.
"Work isn't just about winning, Rin ... and it's not always about
force either," the older sister said, gently guiding Rin's hand and pushing
the coffee handle from the lock. The handle popped out with barely any
effort. "When you have teammates, you have to rely on each other.
That's how things go well, like what we're doing right now."
"What's with the sudden life coach vibes?" Rin pretended not to
care about what her sister just said.
Prim could only look at her with a sigh.

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"Miss Okbab, Mr. Rain's secretary called. They want to meet this
evening. Are you available?" Tertis rushed in with a panicked look,
while Okbab was busy reviewing a house design for her team's project.
"Today?" Okbab was surprised. "Okay. You can confirm it."
"I'll come with you then."
"That's alright. You stay here." The young woman turned to the
very person she'd been clashing with just yesterday. "Rin, grab your
bag."
"Huh? I can go home now?"
"Go home, my foot! We're going to the client meeting."
"Eh, but that means we won't finish until after six ... "
"Yeah, but it's not six yet, is it? Move it. Quit stalling."
Rin couldn't argue. She wrinkled her nose and packed up,
following her boss out the door. The two headed off to meet a very
important client at their real estate firm.
"Good evening, Mr. Rain. Mrs. Mink." Okbab rose to greet the
couple with a warm and polite smile. Both Rain and Mink returned it
with friendly ease.
"Good evening / Hello."
Okbab nudged Rin who clearly didn't know what to do with herself,
not used to sitting in front of clients. The girl stood up and greeted the
couple too.
"I am Okbab from Jinta Architect, and this is Rin, the architect in
our team handling your project."
"Rin, huh? That name sounds familiar."

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"Rin is the owner of the account Rinchitect. Maybe that's where

you've heard it, Mr. Rain," Okbab quickly added.
"Oh! That Rin!" Mink spoke up with excitement. And when her
husband turned to look at her, she confirmed it, "She's the one I showed
you-the one whose work I love."
"Ah, right," Rain nodded, then turned to Rin directly. "My wife
really likes your style."
Mink reached out to shake her hand. Rin was still caught off guard,
so Okbab sent an eye signal for her to respond properly. She quickly
offered a stiff handshake in return.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable. We're just waiting on the
other team."
Other team?
Before Okbab could ask, the door to the meeting room opened. The
young woman walking in made her chest tighten at once. It was Mind...
And right behind her was Vee, the architect from her team.
"Good evening, Mr. Rain. Mrs. Mink. Sorry to keep you waiting."
"No worries at all. Mink and I just arrived ourselves. Please, have a
seat."
The 'other team' from Mind Space took their place across the table.
Now Okbab and Mind had to sit face -to- face. Their eyes met. One
offered a friendly smile, while the other's eyes hardened with anger.
Though the reaction lasted only a second, it couldn't escape Rin's sharp
eyes.
"This is Mind. And this is Okbab and Rin from Jinta Architect. Not
sure if you've met before?"

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EarEarZz

"…"
"We have," Mind replied with a smile. Okbab said nothing
"Well, that's good. Then let's get started." Rain pulled up a photo of
an old seaside house on the big screen, then gave his wife a nod to begin.
"This is my grandmother's house in Rayong. I want to turn it into a
vacation home for the two of us. The concept I have in mind is ... " She
gestured for her husband to change the slide, revealing the phrase 'Love
makes a home' on the screen.
Okbab read the words on the screen and, without meaning to,
glanced at the woman sitting opposite her. Memories came rushing back
like water bursting through a dam. They didn't last long, maybe only a
few seconds, but to her, it felt like she had been thrown back in that
naïve, happy time.
About ten years ago, in a studio at an architecture prep
school, the walls were covered with student work-sketches of
houses and buildings. In one corner, 22-year-old Mind sat at
a drafting table, working on a house plan with her earphones in.
A sudden flash came, followed by the sound of a shutter
from the Polaroid camera in Okbab's hands. She was just 18 then.
"Were you taking my picture?" Mind looked up from her
work and turned to the girl.
"Oops. Busted ... I thought I was being subtle, " Okbab
laughed, amused with herself.
"Let's see the picture. Did it come out okay?"

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EarEarZz

She handed the photo over. The image was still

developing into clarity. Mind looked at it and smiled sweetly.
"Can I have this one?"
"I'll take another for you. I'm keeping this one."
"Yeah? Okay, then." Mind didn't argue. Instead, she
reached out and took the camera from the younger girl's hands.
Then, she pulled her in by the waist, leaned in, and planted a kiss
on her cheek-just as she snapped a selfie of the moment.
Okbab froze, caught completely off guard. The bright
flash went off ...
And the memory faded.
Seeing Mind again, Okbab felt terrible. She left the meeting at
Rain's company with a tense look.
"Wait, Okbab." A familiar voice called out. She turned around and
saw the leader of the opposing team walking up, stopping right in front
of her with a smile.
"It's been a long time. How have you been?"
" ... " Okbab didn't even know how she felt anymore. It was a
mixture of anger, resentment, and heartbreak.
"You two know each other?" Rin cut in when Okbab let the silence
stretch too long, the air growing heavier.
"You must be Rin ... of the Instagram account Rinchitect, right?"
Mind raised her eyebrows. The girl's face was vaguely familiar.
"Yes. You know me?"
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"Of course. Our firm actually wanted to offer you a position, but
sadly, you turned us down. I never thought you'd end up working with
Jinta."
Okbab didn't like the sound of that at all. Her voice came out sharp.
"Maybe Rin saw that Jinta was a better company, with higher integrity,
so she chose us."
"Still as confident as ever ... I see," Mind gave a compliment, but
the listener couldn't tell if it was sincere or just fake.
"Of course, I am. I have full confidence in this company. And in
the 'work' we've built with our own hands." She put a special emphasis
on the word 'work,' and that softened Mind's attitude. The smile faded
from her face.
"I suppose we'll be seeing each other a lot from now on."
"I hope not," Okbab cut her off, leaving Mind to press her lips
together despite having so much left unsaid.
And of course, Rin noticed all the tension between the two women.

Exhaustion brought out something in Okbab, a sudden wave of

sympathy. She spoke to the team, who were buried deep in work though
it was near closing time, "No need to stay late tonight. If there's nothing
urgent, go home and get some rest. We'll start fresh tomorrow."
No one moved at first. Everyone was confused, and no one dared to
be the first to admit they were dying to go home. But when Okbab
repeated it—"Go on, we've all been pushing hard lately. You deserve a
good rest"—people began packing up like they were afraid the boss
would change her mind. In just a few minutes, the office was nearly
empty, leaving only Okbab and the new girl.

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"Everyone's gone. You're not heading out, Grandma?" Rin poked

her head into Okbab's office.
"I need to finish some reviews first. You go ahead. See you
tomorrow," Okbab said, not even glancing at her. She kept her eyes on
the screen, pretending to review the drafts with full focus. Only when she
was sure Rin had walked away did she get up and head to the stress relief
room, which was empty.
A punching bag hung in the center. On the side shelves, boxing
gloves in all colors and sizes were arranged, ready for users to pick the
perfect fit.
Okbab put on a pair of red gloves without wrapping her hands. She
stretched a little to loosen up, then came the first jab to the punching bag.
After that, she switched it up- straight, jab, punch, uppercut, hook,
straight. Each hit landed harder and faster, fueled by the fury that flared
every time she pictured that face.
Mind ...
This time, the memory didn't taste sweet. It was bitter, like old
herbs tonic that made her stomach twist.
Okbab, in a high school uniform, was ringing the doorbell at
Mind's house, over and over. It took several minutes before the girl
finally came out. No one knew if Mind had hesitated to come out or had
simply been searching for an excuse.
"How could you do this to me?" Okbab's voice was hoarse in
disbelief, eyes glassy with tears. But the girl behind the gate stood
completely still, as if there were no feelings left in her at all.
No ... more like there had never been any to begin with.
"Answer me! How could you?"

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EarEarZz

Okbab reached between the bars and shoved her by the shoulder,
but the older girl didn't even flinch. Her face remained emotionless.
"This is the cruel design world. Sometimes you have to do what it
takes to survive."
"But that was my work! I drew it for you! Not for you to submit
under your name!"
No defense. No apology. Not even a hint of sympathy.
Okbab kept launching fists at the punching bag until sweat
drenched her. She pounded out all her anger and frustration through
force, but the bitter pain from being betrayed by the one she trusted most
could only be released through tears. Okbab slumped to the floor,
hugging her knees. Tears of resentment spilled down her cheeks. What
she didn't know was that the girl, who should have gone home long ago,
still stood not far away, quietly watching through the crack of the door
with concern.
Rin didn't interrupt Okbab's private moment. She just quietly
returned to her desk and sat down, not wanting to interfere. She figured
she'd wait until the other woman came out on her own ... But somehow,
she ended up falling asleep at her desk.
She had no idea how long it'd been before a loud shriek startled her
awake.
"What ?! What happened? Who's hurt ?! "
"Cockroach !! Someone! Get it out of here !! "
Okbab was waving her leg wildly, trying to shake something off
her pants. She pointed a finger at the enormous, hideous insect. No one
knew where it had come from, but if Rin had to guess, it was probably
from one of the messy piles scattered around the office.

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EarEarZz

The girl grabbed a sheet of paper, rolled it into a tube, and rushed
over, swinging her arm back in preparation to strike the cockroach dead.
But before she could launch her blow, the monstrous creature—
descendant of a species that had survived hundreds of millions of
years—spread its wings and flew higher and higher. And then it dove
straight at Okbab, who was still screaming and shutting her eyes tight in
a mix of terror and disgust.
She couldn't do much other than spin and dodge, frantically trying
to escape its flight path. But then, out of nowhere, Rin jumped forward
and threw her arms around her like a human shield protecting her from
the cockroach. When Okbab opened her eyes, Rin's face was so close
that only a breath separated them.
No one could tell except the one whose heart was pounding ... just
how fast it was racing from the sudden closeness. Rin swallowed hard,
her throat dry, and pulled back awkwardly.
"Where ... where did it go?" Okbab asked, still more afraid than
embarrassed.
"No idea."
The two of them started pretending to search around the office for
the bug. But as soon as Rin turned her back, Okbab spotted it.
"Rin! Don't move. It's on your back!"
"What ?! "
Okbab grabbed the nearest file folder and crept up behind the
younger girl with her quietest, slowest steps. Then she raised the folder
and swung with all her might, causing Rin to cry out and arch her back.
"OWW !! Were you trying to kill the roach or me ?! My back's broken!"
Rin cried.

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Tragically, Okbab couldn't touch even its wing ... The cockroach
got away again.
To make up for her failed mission, and the accidental abuse, Okbab
ended up offering Rin a ride home that evening.
"Your house is beautiful." She rolled down the window for a better
look. It was a detached cottage-style home that must have been at least
twenty years old, but it was so well maintained, both the structure and
the garden around it.
"My parents designed it."
"Are they both architects?"
"No. My dad was an engineer. He's working up there now." Rin
pointed to the sky, suggesting that her father had passed away. "And my
mom liked decorating. She's with him now too ... so it's just me and
P’Prim tidying and taking care of the house."
"You actually know the meaning of the word 'tidy'?"
"I still haven't forgiven you for smashing my back."
"I said I'm sorry already. What more do you want?" Okbab pouted.
"Nothing. Just answer me honestly-why were you
crying earlier?" Rin took her chance.
"Were you spying on me ?! " Her voice rose, annoyed.
"I wasn't. I just happened to see ... but if it's something really sad,
and you don't want to talk about it, I won't ask."
Okbab fell silent for a long moment.
"So, you and that woman ... "
"I thought you said you weren't going to ask?"
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EarEarZz

"This is a different question. I'll be direct. I just want to know how

long you've known her. Why does she act like you are close ... "
Okbab didn't answer. She looked Rin in the eye and said, firmly,
"Whatever happened today, and whatever you saw, don't tell anyone. Got
it?"
Rin looked like she wanted to protest. But when she saw Okbab's
expression and the look in her eyes, she realized this wasn't a moment
for teasing or pushing. So she nodded quietly, putting away all her
questions about Okbab and Mind for now.
Just for now.

"Vee, do you remember the girl who came with Miss Okbab from
Jinta Architect, Rin? I want you to do a little background check on her."
Vee, who had been called in early that morning by Mind, was a bit
puzzled by the request but still nodded.
"Sure thing."
"And what about the site visit for Mr. Rain's vacation house?
Everything's set?"
"All scheduled. I've already told the team to prepare."
Mind nodded, satisfied. Still, the thought of that girl named Rin
tugged at her more than the client's project itself.
"Okbab, I can't go to Mr. Rain's site with you tomorrow. Sorry.
One of the professors called out last minute, so I have to fill in for their
class," Pat called with a sheepish tone to deliver the bad news.
"It's okay, I'll try calling P’Chan."
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EarEarZz

The young woman hung up and dialed her artist middle brother,
who picked up to say, "Sis, I'm in the woods right now, getting some
inspiration. I probably won't be back in Bangkok for another couple of
days."
"Oh, come on! Why didn't you tell me? Do I have to go alone ?! "
Her shout probably echoed through the forest, where Chan was quietly
sketching by a campfire, roasting a potato. He shrank away from his
phone before muttering, "Just take Rin. Isn't she always around
anyway?"
"I don't want to! She's annoying!"
"But she's supposed to be helping you with this project. Maybe
visiting the site in person will give her some good ideas. And hey, it
might even help you two work better together."
"You make it sound so easy!" Okbab kept ranting at her brother.
"Whatever. I'll figure it out. You just get your butt back to work soon."
Just as she hung up, the subject of their conversation strolled in,
submitting her work for review.
"Here you go! Hot and fresh from the oven."
So annoying!
Okbab hesitated a moment, then brought it up. "I have a site visit to
Mr. Rain's house tomorrow."
"I'm in!" Rin replied right away.
"I haven't even asked yet!"
"Well, I read your mind ... So, how many days will we be gone? I'll
have to pack my bag."
"Just a day trip. No overnight."
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EarEarZz

"But the site's in Rayong! Can't we at least stay the night?"

"There's no point. No one does that."
"But we're going all the way out of town. Shouldn't we make the
most of it?"
"We're going there to work, not to take a vacation!"
"But tomorrow's Friday, and with the weekend off, it's a perfect
time for a trip ... Or how about this-you can come back first if you want,
and I'll stay."
Okbab sighed deeply, exhausted from all the back- and-forth with
Rin. Having no words left to debate with such a stubborn opponent, she
gave in halfway as a gesture of compromise. "Fine. One night. That's it!"
"You're the best! Make sure to book a really nice place, okay?"
"Ugh." Seeing Rin jump excitedly at the idea of spending a night
out of town, Okbab just shook her head and waved Rin back to her desk
with a weary sigh. Then she opened her LINE app and messaged Tertis
to book a hotel near the site for one night. 'Two rooms. Rin's coming too.'

Prim stood with her hands on her hips, watching her sister hum a
tune while packing her carry-on. She raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"That's weird. You hardly ever go anywhere with anyone,
especially not with someone you're not close to. What made you agree to
this overnight trip?"
"It's not like I want to. It's just work. Duty calls, so I have to go."
The older sister narrowed her eyes suspiciously. The cheerful voice
gave her away instantly... No choice, my foot. She was clearly delighted
to go.
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EarEarZz

"Nobody can make you do anything if you don't want to.'

"Where did I put my power bank ...? I should bring it just in case."
Rin ducked her head, searching for things she needed to take with her
tomorrow, clearly pretending not to hear. She let Prim stand there
watching, arms crossed. The older sister didn't question anything else.
She was simply relieved to see Rin starting to enjoy her job and getting
along better with her new team.

"How many times do I have to say it? We're going there for work,
not a vacation. And it's only one night. Why are you dragging so much
stuff?" Okbab called out through the open window before Rin even
reached the car.
"Better to have too much than not enough. Ever heard of that,
Grandma?"
That reply earned her a roll of the eyes. Okbab hit the button to pop
open the trunk so Rin could load up her huge pile of luggage. All the
while, Rin kept chatting excitedly.
"Let's find something good to eat when we get there. I already
looked up the best seafood spots."
"Is your whole life just about eating?" Okbab teased.
"Well, don't you eat? Armies march on their stomachs, you know.
Where would we get the energy to work otherwise?" Rin shot back
without missing a beat. She finished loading up her luggage and hopped
into the passenger seat like she didn't even see Okbab's frown or hear her
muttering.

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Of course, that was only the beginning. Okbab had no idea just
how many battles she'd have to fight before they would reach the
destination. The first round started not long after they hit the road.
Rin quickly grew bored of the scenery, which had nothing much to
offer. And the car was dead silent, no small talk, no music. She began
drumming her fingers on the armrest out of boredom until the driver
snapped at her.
"Can you not do that ?! "
Rin stopped drumming, but in the end, she couldn't take the silence
in the car anymore. She went ahead and connected her own phone to the
car's audio system.
Without asking, she started playing music, but Okbab turned it off
right away, with no warning either.
"It was a good song," Rin protested.
"I don't like listening to music."
"Okay, we can try something else. How about this instead?" The
girl switched from music to a popular radio show, The Ghost Radio.
This happened in a certain province. I won't say which one ... My
friends and I loved going on beach trips, and it was around a big holiday,
so all the hotels were booked. We drove around looking for a place for
two or three hours until it got dark. The road was really rural, with trees
and wilderness. And suddenly, my car ran over something, and the tire
went flat! But lucky for us, there was a hotel ... '
"Turn it off. It's annoying."
"Just a sec, I wanna hear the rest ... "

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'That night, the place was almost full. The front desk said there was
only one room left. Room number 13. Honestly, I didn't think much of it
at first, but when we got to the door, there was a talisman taped to it. I
tried to brush it off, figured maybe it was just for good luck. But when we
opened the door ... such an awful smell hit us. Like an old sock, or
something rotten. So, I switched on the light. And guess what I saw?
There was a Buddha statue. A big one. Right in front of the bathroom,
where the clothesline was. And there were sacred strings hanging all
around it.'
'Whoa ... and did anything else happen? Or did you just run for it?
Tried to switch rooms, maybe?'
'There were no other rooms left, so all I could do was tell myself
there was probably nothing more to that. I went inside to put my bags
down at the foot of the bed. That was when I saw nine one-baht coins
lined up neatly on the nightstand.
Okbab, who didn't like listening to anything while driving, frowned.
Her grip on the steering wheel tightened without her noticing.
'That's classic horror setup ... '
'It got worse. At that moment, I just knew I couldn't stay in that
room any longer. But then the mini fridge made a weird noise, and I
figured that must be where the smell came from. I turned to look, and the
next thing I knew, I was stepping on something dark and red oozing out
of it. That's when I knew for sure ... someone must have died in that
room!'
"If we ended up at a place like that, would you be able to stay the
night, Grandma?" Rin asked with excitement, not noticing the tension
building in the driver's shoulders.
"There's no way I'd stay in a hotel like that to begin with."
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EarEarZz

"But what if you didn't know? Would you stay?" Rin lowered her
voice like in an old-school horror movie.
"Don't be ridiculous. Ghosts aren't real." Okbab lifted her chin and
hit mute on the audio system, leaving Rin to sit there pouting, sulking
over the ghost hotel story being cut off. She didn't really get her mood
back until they finally arrived at their destination.

"Whoa, look at that view. This location is seriously amazing." Rin

looked around the seaside single-story house owned by Rain and Mink.
The house looked old, but there was a timeless charm to it.
"It really is beautiful. But seaside houses like this have both pros
and cons, like wind, sun, humidity."
"You're the architects here to survey Mr. Rain's house, right? I'm
Mun. Mr. Rain asked me to assist you. Please, come this way," said the
middle-aged caretaker, greeting them with a friendly smile.
"Thanks for helping."
Okbab and Rin followed Uncle Mun inside. Most of the interior
and furniture was covered with cloths to keep dust away.
"This house was a gift from Mrs. Mink's grandmother back when
she was still in school. Sadly, no one has lived here since, and over time,
the house has deteriorated," he said with a sigh. "Make yourselves at
home. Let me know if you need anything." Uncle Mun then excused
himself, leaving them to work.
Okbab looked around the space. Signs of wear and damage were
countless-cracks in the walls, chipped paint on the floor, water-damaged
ceilings.
"Let's get started."
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EarEarZz

They divided the tasks. Rin began by taking interior photos, then
Okbab brought out tools to measure the rooms. Rin noted down the
measurements with care. On top of the building structure, they also had
to record wind direction and sunlight patterns.
But while Rin stepped outside to take pictures of the exterior, a car
pulled up next to Okbab's. The first to get out was Mind, followed by
Vee and two more team members.
"I told you we'd be seeing each other again," Mind greeted her with
a smile, but Okbab didn't seem thrilled by this meeting. She stayed silent,
making Mind try again.
"Have you been here long? Want to take a look inside together?"
"Let's just do our own work separately."
Rin glanced between the two women cautiously.
"I just wanted to talk—"
"But I don't. Feel free to take a look around. Jinta Architect is done
here." Okbab turned to Rin. "Let's go."
"Do you remember when we came to the beach together? I miss
those days ... " Mind hadn't given up, trying to hold Okbab back as she
started to walk away without a second glance. The words made the
listener clench her fists, holding back both emotions and expression,
determined not to reveal any pain or weakness.
"Are you hungry? Let's go eat," Okbab said to Rin again.
"Eh? Me? Hungry?"
"Yes."
"Uh ... yeah! Starving! Let's eat."

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Rin went along and hurried toward the car, leaving Mind to watch
Okbab's back with a swirl of emotions. It was a mixture of sorrow, pain,
and regret. But in the end, the emotions faded from her face as she turned
around and led her team inside to survey the site.

The table was filled with large seafood platters—grilled prawns,

soft-boiled cockles, steamed crab, and fish hotpot. The seaside restaurant
was cool and relaxed. Rin was loving every dish, especially the grilled
shrimps, which she peeled so neatly there was no meat left stuck to the
shells. With the spicy seafood dip, every bite was even more appetizing.
She was happily munching away until she noticed Okbab struggling to
peel a crab. Startled, Rin blurted out,
"Wait! What are you doing to that crab? You're ruining the meat!"
Okbab pretended not to hear her and kept going, but Rin couldn't
take it anymore. She pulled the crab plate toward herself.
"Gah, just give me that! I'll do it. What a waste!"
Rin skillfully peeled the crab meat using nothing more than her
hands, a crab cutter, and the tip of a short spoon.
"Here you go," the girl said, placing a perfectly peeled crab claw
on Okbab's plate, followed by a chunk of leg meat. She even threw in a
grilled prawn and a blanched cockle. "Seriously, how did you grow up
not knowing how to peel shrimp or crab? What do you usually do when
eating seafood?"
"I usually order the pre-peeled ones."
"And if that's not an option?"
"I ask someone else to do it."

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"Who'd sit there peeling it for you?" Rin asked before she could
stop herself. "Don't tell me it was that woman, Mind?"
As soon as Rin asked, Okbab's mind instantly rewound to a
memory that matched the atmosphere now.
Back then, she was in twelfth grade, sitting on the beach with Mind,
eating seafood together. "P’Mind, you're so good at cracking crab, "she
had said, opening her mouth to take the piece Mind had peeled and fed
her.
"Of course, I am. If I didn't, who else would do it for you?"
Hearing that, Okbab blushed. "Then ... you have to peel crab for
me forever, okay?"
Mind raised an eyebrow and smiled. The piece of crab meat she'd
just peeled for herself was still resting between her lips. She leaned in
closer to the girl, who was watching her with a mix of surprised and
hesitation. At Mind's signal, Okbab didn't pull away. Even though she
was shy, she took the sweet crab meat straight from her lips.
The crab was followed by a kiss, gentle and soft.
"Okay. But you have to stay by my side, always ... Deal?"
Okbab nodded eagerly, her face and every gesture showing how
much she liked Mind.
So, so much.
"Yeah, I thought so," Rin's voice snapped her out of the old
memory. Since Okbab didn't respond, the girl yanked the seafood platter
back toward herself.
"No more food for you." Her tone carried a trace of irritation.
"What? I thought you said you'd peeled it for me?"
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EarEarZz

"Well, if I peel it, it probably won't taste as good as when someone

else did. You can also say goodbye to the shrimp." Rin stabbed a big
shrimp and shoved it in her mouth. Okbab cried out.
"What's your deal? Planning to eat the whole thing yourself?"
"Then answer me, Grandma. What's going on between you and that
aunt from Mind Space?"
"What? Watch your mouth." Okbab frowned.
"Why? You don't like me calling her that?"
"Are you serious right now? It's none of your business. Give me
that shrimp!"
"No!"
Now they were tugging the plate back and forth until it slipped
from both hands and flipped onto the floor, face- down. No one got to eat
it in the end.
"What a waste!" Rin groaned.

"Miss Okbab ... hmm, I really don't see your name in the system."
The front desk clerk flashed a troubled look after checking the
guest's name several times but still couldn't find it.
"But I did book a room. How could it not be here?" Okbab pulled
out her phone and opened the chat with Tertis to find proof.
'I’ve booked the hotel already,' the message from Tertis read. It was
followed by a screenshot of the booking confirmation with a booking
number and payment receipt all on the same page. She opened it and
showed it to the staff.

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And then—
"Um ... ma'am, the booking is for next month, not this one."
"What?" Okbab and Rin were both shocked. They huddled together,
looking closely at the date on the booking confirmation ... Sure enough,
it was for the wrong month.
"Oh my god !! The month is really wrong. Tertis, what were you
even thinking?"
"Oh ...? So you're staying here too?" Just then, a familiar voice they
had heard not too long ago chimed in again, causing both Rin and Okbab
to let out a sigh in unison. Neither answered. They just cursed the world
for being far too small.
"Do you happen to have any rooms left tonight? We'd like to
rebook if possible," Okbab asked hopefully.
"I'm sorry, but the resort is fully booked tonight."
"Then, is there any nearby hotel in the same chain that you can
recommend? Or anywhere close by?"
"I'm afraid I don't know of any, ma'am."
Mind, who had been watching the whole situation nearby, finally
spoke again.
"I can give you my room. I'll go stay with one of my teammates."
"No, thanks. That won't be necessary," Okbab said coolly, then
turned to Rin. "Let's go find another hotel."
The two walked off quickly, but not before Rin took the chance to
throw Mind a pointed glare, full of distaste and hostility. Mind, however,
didn't seem to notice Rin. Her eyes only followed Okbab with quiet
concern...
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"You sure this is the right way?"

"Totally. Google says it is."
"Are you sure you didn't drop the pin at the wrong place?" Okbab
eyed the road ahead nervously. The farther they drove, the darker and
more desolate the road became.
"Scared of ghosts?"
"No!"
Rin went quiet for a beat, then suddenly shouted, "Boo!" trying to
startle the driver. It was not her brightest idea because Okbab did get
startled and slammed on the brakes. Fortunately, there was no car behind
them.
"Are you out of your mind? That's dangerous!"
Rin laughed without a hint of guilt. "Didn't you say you weren't
scared?"
Okbab frowned and kept her focus on the road instead of the
mischievous girl next to her. But then the steering suddenly grew heavy
and harder to control. The car started drifting unnaturally to the left,
enough for the passenger to notice.
"Grandma, is something wrong with the car?"
"A warning light came on ... Might be the tire." Okbab pulled over
onto the shoulder and turned on the hazard lights. When they got out to
check, they found the problem.
"Flat tire. Of course. What now?"
"I'll try calling the insurance. Can you search nearby garages?"
Rin nodded. But as soon as she pulled up her phone and opened a
search engine, she found that there was no internet signal at all.
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"Crap. No signal ... Where are we? The map was still working just
now. What about yours?"
Okbab checked her phone too and frowned. There was no service
either-no internet, no phone reception.
"We'll have to walk. From what I saw on the map earlier, the
destination shouldn't be far."
"Walk? Like, right now? Like this?" Okbab glanced around at the
eerie surroundings.
"Or do you wanna sleep in the car instead? Being on the roadside is
worse. Come on." Rin nudged her, uneasy about how deserted the road
was. Not a single car had passed by. It felt safer to take their chances
walking toward a town than to stay there.
Good thing she insisted. After walking alongside the road with only
their phone flashlights to light the way, the two finally spotted a glowing
sign of the 'Rose Hotel' up ahead. Even so, luck often came with a twist.
The hotel turned out to be far from pleasant for the average guest. It
looked like a rundown roadside motel straight out of a horror movie or a
B-grade slasher film—old, creepy, lights flickering, and far too dirty for
Okbab's standards.
The young woman was scared and disturbed by the state of the
place, while Rin didn't seem to mind as long as they had a roof over their
heads tonight.
"Hope they still have a room." The younger girl went in first, but
the lobby was empty. She rang the bell and called out a few times, but no
one came. While waiting, she let her eyes wander around the lobby.
"This reminds me of that ghost story show we listened to this
morning."

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Okbab's heart sank. "Looks like there's no one here. Let's just go
somewhere—AHH!" She shrieked. Out of nowhere, a receptionist
popped up behind the counter like he had been there all along, maybe
just waking up.
Rin flinched, too.
"Welcome," he greeted the guest mid-yawn.
"Um ... we need two rooms, if there are any left."
The staff pulled out a thick logbook and began flipping through it,
leaving the two women astonished. Who would've thought that in this
age of technology, there were still hotels that did not record information
on a computer?
"There are two rooms left. Room 13 and 14."
As soon as the keys were placed on the counter, Rin grabbed the
one with number 14 like lightning. "I'll be the noble one and let you have
the lucky number," she grinned wickedly, dragging her bag off ahead
and leaving Okbab with key number 13 and an unhappy expression. Her
mind drifted to the story she hadn't meant to listen to on the radio.
That night, the place was almost full. The front desk said there was
only one room left. Room number 1& Honestly, I didn't think much of it
at first, but when we got to the door, there was a talisman taped to it.'
It's fine. There's nothing. Just people's imagination!
Okbab tried to steady herself as she unlocked the room. The
moment the door creaked open, a wave of musty air drifted out, making
her turn away in reflex.

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'I tried to brush it off, figured maybe it was just for good luck. But
when we opened the door ... such an awful smell hit us. Like an old sock,
or something rotten. So, I switched on the light. And guess what I saw?
There was a Buddha statue. A big one. Right in front of the bathroom,
where the clothesline was. And there were sacred strings hanging all
around it.'
The young woman fumbled for the light switch, wanting to prove
she was just being paranoid. But then she spotted it-the large Buddha
statue standing by the bathroom, right where the clothesline was, draped
in sacred white strings. It was exactly like the radio story !!
There were also nine one-baht coins.
And the fridge suddenly hummed.
Okbab froze, her face drained of color. She couldn't even scream.
The compressor in the fridge suddenly growled louder. She slowly
looked down at her feet, only to be shocked by a dark red liquid seeping
from beneath the fridge. Right then, the old flat-screen TV flickered on
by itself.
Okbab could barely hold herself together. Terrified, she dashed out
of the room and banged frantically on Rin's door.
"Let me stay with you!" She said to the girl, slipping inside before
the owner of the room could even say no.
"What? Why aren't you sleeping in your room? Don't tell me you're
scared of ghosts?"
"It's just—the room smells really musty. I can't sleep in there!"
"Did you try opening the window first?"
"The mattress is hard as a rock, the lights keep flickering, the AC
doesn't work. Ugh, so many problems."
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"Alright, admit you're scared and I'll let you stay," Rin grinned,
teasing.
"I'm not scared."
"Okay then, goodnight." Rin moved to push Okbab out of the room,
leaving the young woman with no choice but to confess.
"Fine! Yes, I'm scared of ghosts! Please let me sleep here tonight!"
"That's all I needed."
Rin laughed and let Okbab rush in to claim her spot. But before
Okbab could finally rest after a long day of driving, she still had to
shower, change, apply skincare, take a few vitamins, and spray her
favorite matcha-scented perfume all over the room to drive out the musty
smell. She even laid her own towel over the pillow before lying down.
"I'm going to sleep now. We've got to wake up early to pick up the
car and swing by Mr. Rain's place again to gather more details."
"Wait a sec. Why are you on the bed?" Rin stopped the woman
who was about to lie down.
"Where else would I sleep? That run-down couch?"
"Uh, yeah. This is my room. I should get the bed, shouldn't I?"
"Well, I'm the one who paid for the room, gas, food, drink, and
every single thing you had today."
"Cheapskate ... " Rin muttered under her breath, unable to argue
with facts. "Fine." She grabbed another pillow and flopped onto the
shabby couch, clearly not thrilled. She tried to sleep for a big while, but
the discomfort and her lingering curiosity only left her tossing and
turning .. She wasn't sure how long it'd been when Okbab finally
snapped, annoyed by the squeaky noise.

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"Can you lie still? The sound is annoying."

"The cushion's like a rock!"
Rin twisted again and again, still unable to find a decent sleeping
position. Finally, her roommate gave in.
"Fine. You can sleep on the bed. But no kicking. Got it?"
The girl bolted off the couch and into bed without a second thought.
She lay down beside Okbab with a pillow between them as a barrier. Still,
the feeling of being so close to someone she wasn't truly close to,
especially with whom there was an uneasy vibe, made it hard for either
of them to sleep. Both just lay stiffly, staring at the ceiling.
Then Rin broke the silence. "Do you think we'll beat Mind Space?"
"We have to. We can't lose."
"Why not?" The younger person raised an eyebrow. "Why can't we
lose?"
Okbab fell silent for a moment, as if weighing whether to answer.
Then she spoke. "Because Mind is the person I hate most in the world."
They both turned slightly to look at each other, checking how the
other person felt after that [Link] couldn't see much on Rin's
expression, but Rin cleary saw the pain in Okbab's eyes.
"She was your first love, too, wasn't she?" Rin guessed.
"…"
"You've probably kept it all to yourself. No wonder you act so cold
every time you see that old lady... Do you want to tell me about it?"
"…"

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"I know I've got a sharp tongue, but I'm actually a good listener. I
can keep secrets too."
"Is that so?" Okbab mumbled. Something, she couldn't tell what,
made her decide to tell Rin everything without hiding.
"I was in twelfth grade. P’Mind was a fifth-year college student
tutoring me," she said, revisiting the memory. "We spent a lot of time
together after school. It brought us closer. P’Mind was always there for
me, so kind. And I... fell head over heels for her."
Rin listened in silence without interrupting.
"On the last day I studied with P’Mind, I gave her a drawing of a
house as a gift. I don't know ... maybe I was just dreaming that one day
we might live in it together. I put my heart into that piece ... "
The house Okbab had drawn gave off a warm feeling. She had
carefully written a note at the bottom: 'To the one I love.'
"I drew it as a way of saying thank you for all her [Link] was
also the one who inspired me to want to become a great architect like her.
P’Mind was stunned, and for a second, I worried she didn't like it. But
then she said it was beautiful ... and I was over the moon."
"But who would've thought ... the person I admired and loved so
deeply would end up betraying me?"
'I don't know what you were thinking, but copying someone else's
work for your portfolio is a serious matter. I can't accept this.'
That was what the university professor had said during the
interview, a mix of disappointment and disapproval in his voice. No
matter how firmly Okbab insisted that every piece in her portfolio was
her own and that she hadn't stolen from anyone, he didn't believe her.
Then he showed her the evidence that disproved her claim.

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It was an online article about Mind-the student who had won a

home design competition and received a scholarship to study abroad.
The winning design looked exactly like the house Okbab had drawn for
her. The only difference was that it looked more polished and complete.
'I was one of the judges for that competition. I recognized it at first
glance. This kind of thing has serious consequences for your university
application.
"I found out during the interview that P’Mind had submitted my
drawing to that competition ... without ever telling me."
"I tried to prove the truth for a long time, but no one believed me ...
I lost my chance to enter the university I wanted, while she got the
scholarship, made a name for herself, and started her own firm like
nothing had ever happened.'
"Why didn't you expose her? You still could, you know," Rin
spoke up, feeling both anger toward Mind and pity for Okbab at the same
time.
"I wanted to, but there's no proof. I gave her the original drawing
ages ago. I don't even know if she still has it."
"Don't give up yet. The truth is still the truth ... We have to do
something. If you just sit back, you won't get your revenge. If there's
anything I can help with, just say it."
Okbab raised an eyebrow at Rin's fiery response. Letting it all out
like this made the weight in her chest feel strangely lighter. It even drew
a small smile to her face.
"Just stay focused on your work. We have to beat Mind Space in
the pitch."
"Bring it on. I'm fired up now. I hate cheaters!"

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Okbab chuckled.
"What's so funny? After what she did to you, you can still laugh?"
She didn't answer, only asked in return, "What about yours?"
"My what?"
"Your first love," Okbab smiled. "Was it as messy as mine?"
Rin froze. The way Okbab looked at her so directly caught her off
guard.
"Can't remember," she mumbled.
"Yeah, right. Who doesn't remember their first love? If you don't
answer, you're paying for your food tomorrow."
Rin hesitated. In the end, she spoke, figuring Okbab wouldn't
believe her anyway ... though she didn't tell the full story.
"Fine. But don't laugh ... I never saw my first love's face. I only
knew their artwork."
Okbab became confused for several moments. "What? You mean
you fell in love with their drawing?"
"Something like that ... Anyone who could draw something like
that must've been a really interesting person."
"Can you call that love? Isn't that just being a fan?"
"Don't judge me with your own measuring stick ... It's not like you
know everything about love." Rin pouted, silently thinking that someone
who got backstabbed like that had no right to call it a first love in the
first place.
"At least I know more than a kid like you."

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Being called a 'kid' made Rin's heart suddenly race. She hid it by
turning away from Okbab, ending the conversation abruptly.
"Good night. I'm tired."
Okbab chuckled at her childishness but didn't say anything. She
was exhausted too. "Don't roll around in your sleep. If you do, you're
going back to the couch."
Rin squeezed her eyes shut. She pressed a hand to her chest, her
heart still beating fast. The memory from three years ago rose to the
surface again. The day she found the sketchbook, she had gone all over
trying to find the owner, using the drawings inside as clues.
She visited different places but found no trace of a Thai person
who could've been the owner. Eventually, pressed by limited time and
various travel conditions, she gave up and made one last stop at a small
café that had appeared in the book. There, she handed the book to the
café owner behind the counter, doing her best with her clumsy Japanese.
"I found this sketchbook. If someone comes looking for it, could
you please return it to them?"
"Of course."
Rin looked at the sketchbook with regret, wishing she could return
it to the artist in person. Spotting a post-it note and pen behind the
counter, she asked to borrow them and wrote down a message in Thai:
'I really love your drawings. They reminded me of my mom, who
passed away. Thank you for creating such beautiful work. Please keep
drawing."
She then left the note with the sketchbook, hoping it would one day
reach the artist.

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Rin slowly turned back to look at the woman sleeping peacefully

and beathing steadily. Then she let her thoughts of Okbab be the last
thing on her mind tonight as she drifted off to sleep.

"Make sure to take some extra shots of the exterior today. And get
every detail of the garden and outdoor spaces."
"Got it," Rin replied with enthusiasm. But as soon as they got out
of the car, which the garage had picked up and returned with the tire
replaced, Mind's voice appeared again, like a shadow following them.
"Okbab." The woman behind Mind Space walked over and held out
a bag of snacks.
"What is it?" Okbab didn't even glance at what was inside, her eyes
cold.
"Some Allure candy from a well-known shop. I got it for you ... I
remembered you loved it."
"No, thank you."
"Just take it. I did buy it for you."
Before she could force the bag into Okbab's hands, Rin reached out
and grabbed Mind's wrist, looking her straight in the eye.
"She said no."
Mind didn't react. She simply smiled and waited for Rin to let go
on her own.
"Maybe you don't realize this, Miss Mind. But just because
someone liked something once doesn't mean they still like it now."

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"That's not always true. Sometimes, the old things are already good
enough."
"Well, if something was truly good, it wouldn't just become 'old,'
would it?"
The smile appeared only on Mind's lips, without a trace of warmth
in either of the two's eyes. Okbab saw the tension brewing and quickly
stepped in.
"Let's stay out of each other's way. We're not in any position to
chat or bring each other gifts anymore ... and I think you know why."
"I do. That's why I'm trying to make things right."
"It's too late ... With all this anger and hatred inside me, I'll never
be able to forgive you."
"Hatred? Can you really hate me?"
When Okbab was asked that question and met Mind's direct gaze,
she looked away first. Rin instinctively stepped between them.
"Why not? Our companies are direct competitors. We're fiercely
pitching against each other for the same job. It's not strange to hate
someone in a situation like this ... Like Miss Okbab said, it's better if we
stay out of each other's way. I hope you understand, Miss Mind. Let's go.
Hanging around here any longer is just wasting our time." Rin took
Okbab's wrist and used that opportunity to pull the young woman away
from the tense moment.
They kept walking until they reached one corner where the sunlight
danced off the ocean's waves-so peaceful, and yet so opposite to how
they felt.
"That's enough. How far are you going to drag me?" Okbab
stopped, pulling her wrist free from Rin's grip.
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"A simple thank you would be nice."

"I didn't ask you to help. It wasn't necessary."
"But I saw you. You were hesitating ... Still weak when it comes to
her, aren't you?"
It was like Rin had struck her nerve. Okbab put on a defensive face
to mask her feeling, but before she could bring up some useless excuse,
Rin cut in with a serious question.
"Do you really want to beat Mind Space?"
"…"
"If you do, I'll help you with everything I've got...in exchange for
one condition."
"What now?" Okbab frowned, recalling the selfish condition Rin
had made when she first joined the team. She still felt uneasy about it.
"You have to forget that woman. Forget everything, the good and
the bad ... If you promise you can do that, I'll help you win this project."
Their eyes met. A long silence followed, like a dead air break in a
radio show. But once Okbab got herself together, she responded coldly.
"That's your job as a Jinta employee. I pay you to work, not to have
you do it for free. So just do your job properly … Come on, let's finish
this and head back."
Rin pressed her lips together, frustrated and concerned, as she
watched Okbab turn and swiftly walk away.
They resumed collecting the details they still needed. It took less
time to finish than yesterday, but the atmosphere between them was
unbearably stiff. Even after getting in the car to head home, neither said
a word that wasn't related to work.
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By the time they got back, Rin felt so let down she could barely lift
her bags out of the car. What she didn't know was that Okbab's silence
during the drive had come from deep concentration. She had been
carefully considering Rin's words in her mind.
And in the end, she realized Rin was right.
If she truly wanted to defeat Mind Space, then those lingering
feelings had to be erased completely.
"Rin," Okbab called out as she stepped out of the car and walked
over to the girl just as she was about to enter the house. "I've decided."
"About what?" Rin looked puzzled by the young woman's sudden
declaration.
"I want to beat Mind Space. I want to take back what's mine ... I
will erase that woman from my life. Will you still help me?"
Rin was stunned. But as Okbab extended her hand, asking for her
support, the younger girl immediately took it with a blooming smile
across her face.
"Then I'm in. Let's take down Mind Space together!"

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Chapter 3 Mind The Gap??

Book：Love Design
Writer：THEK34
Release：1 September 2025
Copy：EarEarZz

Rin jolted awake to the sound of a message alert. Squinting and

frowning, she drowsily reached for her phone to see. I've left my place.
What time will you get to the office? The message flashed beneath the
timestamp: 05:30.
"Five thirty? Is she sleep-texting or something?" Rin muttered to
herself, tapping into the chat but didn't reply. She just locked her phone
and snuggled back into her body pillow.
Meanwhile, the person who had already left the house and arrived
early at work was busy transforming the office with the help of Auntie
Jum, the company's trusted housekeeper. They began with the common
area, where staff often brought food to eat.
"You can throw away everything in this section, especially those
on the counter and here ... And here... This spot too," Okbab instructed.
"Same goes for the model workshop room."
"For this zone, place cockroach traps everywhere. I want them
wiped out, leaving none left in the company."

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Auntie Jum nodded with diligence. Within a few hours, the

cluttered rooms were brought into order. Items were returned to their
rightful places. Junk and scraps were all thrown out. When the staff
began arriving, they were stunned-unsure if they had even walked into
the right company.
"This is our office ...? It used to look this nice ?! " Chan exclaimed
in disbelief.
"From now on, please help keep things clean, alright?"
Everyone gave a quick nod before Okbab signaled for them to head
off for work. All but one, who was stared down and stopped before she
could leave."
Hands on her hips, Okbab spoke to Rin. "So you read my message
but didn't reply?"
"Come on, who replies to texts at five thirty in the morning?" With
that, Rin dashed away before the lecture could begin. Luckily, Okbab
had to prep for the meeting of Rain's project, so she had to save it for
later.

Rin sat drafting house designs on paper - the first sheet, the second,
the third, the fourth, the fifth ... one after another, and another, and
another, but nothing felt quite right. By now, the trash bin beside her
desk was stuffed with crumpled pages. Seeing this, someone walking by
felt bad enough to offer her a little snack
"Can't think straight? Try a bit of sugar." Yong handed her a bag of
gummy candies. "Universal rule. Works every time."

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"Thanks, big bro!" Rin accepted the gift eagerly. If it wasn't a drop
in blood sugar, then it was probably just plain hunger starting to hit her
stomach.
Seeing how she responded, the young architect smiled in
satisfaction. Despite the genius-level skill that made her seem difficult,
this new recruit wasn't bad at all. During lunch, he subtly nodded to May
to invite Rin to eat with the group for the first time.
"Rin, come sit with us," the accountant called out just as Rin was
about to eat alone at her desk.
"Yeah, hurry and come join us," Tertis added, waving her sushi
box for Rin to see. "We've got salmon!"
Though Rin hesitated a little, she eventually made her way over.
She didn't realize that Okbab was quietly watching not too far off. The
young woman's lips curved into a faint smile. Maybe it was the relief of
seeing Rin start to fit in with the company and her colleagues.
After a while, Okbab left to continue her own tasks.
At that moment, Tertis's phone suddenly rang on the lunch table.
Strangely, the girl startled, snatching it up quickly before anyone could
see the caller's name, especially Yong, who leaned in with curiosity.
"What's with the panic? Hiding your boyfriend from
us?" he teased.
"Nooo, nothing like that," Tertis replied in a high-pitched voice.
"It's someone from home. Excuse me, I'll take this outside."
"P’May, I think our guess was spot on." Glancing after her, Yong
whispered with the other two.
"What guess?" Rin asked, her brows arching in confusion.

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"Yong and I have been wondering if Tertis already has a

boyfriend."
"And ... that's odd because?" Rin was more puzzled.
'Well, it's just that she always acts super sneaky and denies it every
single time ... So we started to wonder if maybe she's seeing someone
who's already taken-or even married."
"That can't be true." Rin shook her head, then added, "Probably,"
since she didn't really know anything about Tertis's personal life.
"Let me give you a little tip, Professor Rin. In this office, love is
strictly off-limits!" Chan slid his chair into the group and spoke directly
to Rin.
"What? Why? There's a rule for that?"
"No rule, but if you do, get ready for nonstop gossip. Honestly, I
really hate gossiping ... " He hadn't even finished his sentence before he
got smacked on the head by his older brother.
"Says the guy who gossips the most. You're always playing
matchmaker too. Back when Tertis first joined, you tried to pair her with
Yong. Who is it this time, huh?"
"Maybe Okbab!"
Rin looked stunned. She fidgeted in her seat, trying to make a
quick escape. But when she turned around, she noticed the person they
had just talked about standing with arms crossed and an unimpressed
look.
"If you all spent less time gossiping and more time working, every
project would be done by now. Cleaning the office wouldn't be enough.
Maybe we need to deep clean some mouths instead!"

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Of course, the lunch group scattered in an instant. Everyone

suddenly had work or something urgent to deal with. Everyone except
Rin, who chose to stay and finish her meal, pretending she hadn't done
anything. Okbab squinted at her for quite a while before finally turning
and heading into her office. Only then did Rin let out a long sigh of relief.
She had survived another round with the scary grandma.

"P’Thee, if I had known you'd deliberately set the site visit on the
same day as Jinta, I probably wouldn't have gone."
"Come on now, don't be mad. I just wanted you two to meet face -
to-face, showing them we're not in the same league. Too bad Pat wasn't
there too."
"Next time, at least give me a heads-up," Mind said, trying hard to
keep the irritation out of her voice.
"Yeah yeah, I'll tell you next time. Anything else? I've got another
meeting."
"That's all."
Mind was still thinking about Okbab. After hanging up with Thee,
she opened Okbab's Instagram to check something.
She wasn't sure how long it had been-days, months, or even years-
since her ex had blocked her and set her account to private. Mind had
already sent a follow request again, ages ago, and there was still no sign
of it being accepted.

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She sighed and set her phone aside, then opened a storage cabinet
and pulled out a wooden box. Inside were fragments of her memories:
sketchbooks, award certificates from various competitions, old stationery,
and a photo album from her university days. Some photos were of her,
some of friends, some of landscapes, and some of Okbab during high
school-whether from their study sessions, beach trips together, or
pictures of them close together.
Mind longed for those moments. Her heart pounded as if all her
buried emotions were threatening to explode
She picked out the last photo from the album and pinned it up near
her calendar, having just made a decision.
Mind stared at the photo of herself kissing Okbab's cheek, eyes
filled with determination.

Okbab had scheduled a meetup with Rin at a library to gather

information for their project. As she crossed the parking lot toward the
building, she spotted two women in flowing white wedding gowns
taking pre-wedding photos in the garden. The atmosphere was sweet and
full of joy, radiating happiness that made anyone who saw them smile
without knowing.
Okbab watched for a long moment, curious and contemplative.
She was wondering what kind of love these women shared. What
had sparked their feelings for each other? How long had it taken to grow?
What made them choose each other? What had they been through to
make it here, standing side by side?
"Whatcha doing, Grandma?" Rin's voice rang out as she appeared.

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"You're late." Okbab turned to the girl, not needing to check the
vintage watch on her wrist to know Rin had missed the time she'd been
told.
"Only five minutes," Rin grumbled and got a lecture on punctuality
in return. She then raised her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. I get it. I'll
be exactly on time from now on ... So why did you ask me to meet you
here?"
"I'm taking you to gather info. Get inspiration for Mr. Rain and
Mrs. Mink's house."
"Oh, so that's why we're starting by watching those two brides kiss-
kiss over there?" Rin tilted her chin toward the couple still posing under
the photographer's guidance.
"Of course not. It's in the library." Okbab knew Rin was only
teasing, so she put on a stern expression and led the way into the
building.
"So why do we have to come all the way here? Wouldn't it be
easier to just search online?" Rin walked with long strides to keep up,
firing her questions.
"Kids your age are all about convenience ... "
"And why do adults your age like to make things difficult?"
"Not everything is on the internet, Rin. There are still plenty of
resources that can only be found in books. Some of them aren't just
informative but can spark ideas we never would've thought of ourselves."
Okbab felt like giving Rin a full lecture about effective research methods,
but with time running short, she only added a quick remark for the girl to
reflect on, "Besides, not everything online is accurate."

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Rin didn't argue. She just listened. But she couldn't help noticing
how Okbab seemed to know her way around the library pretty well.
"Do you come here a lot?"
The question seemed to pass right through Okbab's ears. She didn't
respond. But Rin could sense that the young woman paused to consider
her question, as if that split second was enough to bring back memories
she wished she could forget.
"Hurry up and look for books. The good ones get checked out fast.
You don't want to miss out," Okbab said to cut the topic off, prompting
Rin to pout and follow along.
Okbab didn't want to remember anything. But being back in a place
filled with memories tied to that person, she couldn't stop her mind from
picturing herself sitting with her chin in her hand, gazing dreamily at
Mind as they read together, looking for design references. The
atmosphere had been filled with the sweetness of teenage romance. She'd
even done something painfully cheesy like lining up the first letters of
four book titles to spell out 'I Love You Mind.'
Seriously.
"Grandma, these books are ancient. Practically fossils... Is this
really going to work?" Rin whispered, peeking over while Okbab was
browsing the architecture section.
Neither of them knew that on the other side of the massive shelf,
someone they didn't want to run into was standing there too, carefully
picking out books.
Okbab gave Rin a side-eye. "There are old ones and new ones. Just
pick what you need. Honestly, do I have to tell you everything? What's
wrong with kids these days?"

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Getting scolded made Rin sulk even more. She was tired of hunting
through books, and when she finally found one, she had to flip through
every page to find what she was looking for. It was starting to make her
dizzy. Compared to typing a few keywords into a search engine, this felt
like torture. Finally, due to her short attention span and limited patience,
Rin turned to the person beside her for conversation.
"So you're really not going to answer me?"
"Answer what?" Okbab was still focused on the art book in front of
her.
"I asked if you come here often." Rin cleared her throat and added
another question, "And who do you come with?"
"Why do you need to know?"
"Nothing wrong with knowing. It's not like it's a secret, right?"
"You don't need to know everything. Better spend your time
working."
Rin knew full well Okbab had every right not to answer, but she
couldn't help feeling annoyed. She got up from the table and returned the
book she had been reading to the shelf, unaware that Mind was standing
nearby, reading one book in the same aisle. By the time Rin made her
way down and reached the same book, Mind was already long gone.
It wasn't clear what made Rin curious about that book, but she
flipped through it from the middle to the last page, then back to the
beginning when she decided to take it with her. But once she opened the
first page and saw the borrower's card taped inside the cover, she noticed
both Okbab's name and what she assumed was Mind's real name, listed
alternately more than five times.

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Ah ..
In the end, Rin didn't take any book with her.
"I know the answer now," she blurted out, louder than intended.
"Shhh!" Okbab raised a finger to her lips and gave her a sharp glare,
signaling her to keep it down
Rin realized her mistake. When she glanced around, other library
visitors were shooting her disapproving glances, including the librarian
at the counter not too far away from the reading area. The girl gave an
awkward smile, nodded slightly in apology, and scooted closer to Okbab
so they could talk without disturbing anyone.
"Just to make sure, you're trying to forget that woman, aren't you?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"Just answer me."
" ... " Okbab turned away, not wanting to talk about it now. But Rin
didn't let it go. She moved to sit on the other side of her so they were
face-to-face.
"Look me in the eye, Grandma. And answer me honestly," Rin said
firmly. "If not, I'll consider our agreement void. I'm not working with
someone who runs from their problems."
Their eyes locked at close range ..
Too close.
Closer than either of them had expected.
For some reason, Okbab's heartbeat shifted. It quickened and
echoed louder, making her uneasy. Maybe it was because, for a split
second, she'd glanced down at Rin's lips.

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Okbab pressed her own lips together and tried to lean away from
Rin, who still stared at her with that serious gaze. Then, Okbab's arm
brushed a stack of thick, heavy hardcover books off the table. They
crashed to the floor with a loud thud that startled everyone in the library,
including the two of them, who jolted apart right away.
This time, the librarian didn't just give them a look. She placed one
hand on her hip and cleared her throat loudly, prompting Okbab and Rin
to rush to gather their things and flee the scene in embarrassment.

‘Love Makes Home = ????’

‘Love. Home. Loneliness. Longing.’
Okbab jotted down single words as she brainstormed for Rain's
project. But when she looked down again, somehow the word 'kiss' was
also on the list. She flinched and slapped her cheeks to snap out of the
image of Rin's face from earlier that day. She crumpled the paper and
tossed it away.
"Ugh, I got nothing done. A whole day wasted," the young woman
grumbled in frustration. Then her phone rang with a call from Rin. That
made her flinch again. She hesitated, unsure whether to pick up...
"What is it?" She finally answered, worried that there might be
something urgent about work
"I've got an idea! Can you schedule another meeting with Mr.
Rain?"
"Does it need a meeting?"
"Come on, trust me. I promise this is going to work!"

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Okbab was confused, and maybe a little nervous about whatever

Rin had come up with. But with that confident tone and the track record
of 'Professor Rin,' she decided to trust her and went ahead with the
request. The client agreed to meet the very next day.
"We'd like to visit your house again, if that's okay."
Rain and Mink exchanged a quick look.
"Of course. Actually, there's no need to ask me. You just let Uncle
Mun know, and he'll unlock the house for you."
"Thank you. There's one more thing we'd like to request," Rin said,
and Okbab, who had no idea what that request was, started to feel uneasy.
"Go ahead."
"To gather details as thoroughly as possible and understand the
pain points from a resident's perspective, we'd like to request permission
to actually live in the house for one week."
What ?! Okbab screamed internally and turned to stare at Rin in
disbelief. The couple looked equally stunned.
"If we get to stay there, we'll be able to understand the house more
deeply and figure out what should be adjusted or redesigned."
Okbab tried to signal Rin to stop talking, but it didn't work.
"You're serious?"
"Yes. I believe this approach will help us think outside the box ...
Sometimes, straying from conventional methods leads to unexpectedly
good outcomes."

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"Mr. Rain, Mrs. Mink, I'm so sorry! Please don't mind Rin. She's
recently joined us and is still learning how we usually work." Okbab
quickly bowed to the couple in apology. But the husband and the wife,
after a brief pause, burst into laughter.
They loved Rin's request so much, they even clapped.
"That's a very good idea! As expected of the person behind
Rinchitech ... You're welcome to stay as long as you want," Mink said.
"The house is empty right now anyway. Who knows? You might
discover something fascinating, justlike you said."
Okbab gave a half-hearted smile and quickly thanked the two
clients. But once they stepped out of Rain's office, she turned to Rin with
a sharp glare and burst out immediately.
"You just went and asked to live in the client's house—what were
you thinking ?! "
"Don't freak out. Mrs. Mink didn't mind, did she? She even liked
my idea."
"People don't do things like this!"
"Exactly, and that's why I want to. You said you wanted to beat our
opponent, right? This is our chance to stand out. We have to understand
and win over Mr. Rain and Mrs. Mink more than Mind Space ever
could."
Okbab pressed her lips together in frustration. Even so, she couldn't
argue that this plan might really set them apart.
"Besides, if we get to stay in the house as actual residents, that puts
us several steps ahead of Mind Space... That's our opening to gain the
upper hand." Rin gave her a confident grin. "Just trust this Professor
Rin."

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Prim leaned against the doorframe, watching Rin pack her clothes
into the same old travel bag. Her little sister's excitement while getting
ready for the trip felt familiar, like she had just seen this same scene not
long ago.
"You're even taking your coffee drip set? How long are you going
again?"
"One week."
"And it's just the two of you... Are you sure you'll manage?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
Prim stepped in to help, pulling out the messily stuffed clothes to
fold them neatly before putting them back in. "I raised you. I know
exactly how you are. I'm worried you'll end up causing trouble for Miss
Okbab."
"Oh, come on. Don't worry about that. I don't even dislike her
anymore. I'm actually curious what it'd be like to stay with her for a
while."
Prim listened to her younger sister's cheerful reply feeling both
concerned and strangely surprised by how much Rin had changed. The
next day, when Okbab arrived at the house to pick Rin up, Prim took the
opportunity to entrust her sister with the young woman, just in case she
caused any trouble.
"Please take care of Rin, Miss Okbab. Do your best to tolerate my
sister. But if she's too much to handle, feel free to call and complain any
time."
"P’Prim!" Rin shouted in protest from the passenger seat, making a
face at her sister, who leaned down to speak to Okbab through the driver-
side window.

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Okbab grinned. "I'll try my best, Miss Prim. Thank you for looking
out for me."
"You too, Grandma! Enough already, go! And didn't you bake
cookies, P’Prim? If you don't get them out in time, they'll burn." Prim let
out a small yelp. She had clearly forgotten about the cookies. The
woman quickly waved them off and ran back inside.
"Alright, before we go, you have to agree to one condition."
"And that is ...? "
"This stays a secret. No one at the company can know we're staying
at Mr. Rain's house."
"Not a problem." Rin shrugged like it was no big deal. But then,
her phone rang, and the caller was Tertis, who suddenly switched to a
video call instead of just a regular phone call. The girl froze for a while
but then decided to answer. If she acted unreachable now, she'd have to
keep it up for the whole week.
"Rin, can you grab some coffee on the way in? I'll send you the
money."
"What? Now? Uh ... I'm not going in today. I'm feeling sick. Can't
work." Rin faked a cough, but it was far from convincing in her friend's
eyes.
"You're sick but in a car? Where are you going?"
"To see the doctor ... I'm going to get checked. It might be
COVID."
"Oh ... yeah, it's been spreading again lately. Alright, I won't keep
you. Hope you feel better soon. Let me know how it goes. I'm worried
about you."

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"Will do ... Thanks. Cough cough." Rin added a final fake cough
before ending the call.
"Phew." Both of them sighed in unison. But before they could even
shift into gear, Okbab's phone rang next.
It was her oldest brother calling with a regular phone call. She hit
decline to end it quickly, but then he called again—this time on video.
"Maybe Mr. Pat has something urgent," Rin guessed. Okbab
thought so too and was about to answer.
"Wait! The background's the same. What if Tertis is with him?
We'd be busted."
That warning made Okbab quickly adjust, leaning in so only her
face filled the frame, blocking out the background before answering.
"What is it, P’Pat?"
The young man jumped when he saw just his little sister's big eyes
and face taking over the whole screen. "Jeez! You scared me. Hey, have
you been able to get hold of Chan? He's not picking up my call again."
"He's probably out in the woods again. Oh, and P’Pat, I won't be in
the office this week. I'll be busy with Mr. Rain's project."
"Got it. That's all ... Ugh, damn Chan. That little punk. When he's
back, I'm gonna let him have it-" Pat ended the call mid-rant, finally
allowing the two girls, who had been tensely holding their breath, to
breathe a long sigh of relief.

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"Let's start by making the house actually feel like a home." Rin
commented on how most of the furniture was still covered with dust
sheets after they dragged their luggage into the same old vacation house.
Okbab agreed. The two of them began pulling off the covers and neatly
folding them away, then slowly moved the furniture into their preferred
spots.
"Where should this go?" Rin talked about the lamp she was holding.
Okbab pointed to the side table by the sofa.
Once everything was in place, it was time to clean, which turned
out to be more work than expected. No one had lived there in a while, so
the dust, dirt, and cobwebs were everywhere. But as they helped each
other handle one section at a time, what they thought would take all day
ended up being done by early evening.
And the result came at the cost of every last drop of their energy
Rin and Okbab collapsed onto the sofa, exhausted, surrounded by a
much cleaner house.
"Never thought just tidying up and cleaning a house could be this
exhausting ... It's just a few taps on a screen in the program," Rin
muttered, slumping over and leaning againstOkbab, who wasn't prepared
for the girl to suddenly get this close
"What now? Why are you leaning on me !? "
"I'm tired. Let me lean on you. We're close now, aren't we?"
"But this is too close!"
Rin ignored her and rested her chin on Okbab's shoulder, then tilted
her head up to look at her. "Now that we're here together, why don't we
pretend to be the real homeowners for a bit?"

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Okbab flinched at Rin's childlike, pleading eyes and quickly

scooted away in embarrassment. "What for ?! "
"So we can understand what it feels like for a couple to live
together in this space, and how they'd view each area of the house ... "
Rin made a random excuse, but the more she went on, the more it oddly
made sense.
"Not necessary."
"It is. Don't you want to beat the competition?"
"You do repeat that a lot.'
"Am I wrong? Can you honestly deny it?"
Okbab pretended to frown without answering. Instead, she got up
and went to get a drink to cover her fluster, leaving Rin watching her
with a grin after teasing her gorgeous senior.

"Babe, over here!" Tertis waved at someone walking into the café.
In one hand, she held a thick stack of brochures for a new housing
development.
Vee smiled as she walked straight toward her girlfriend and sat
beside her, reaching out to take Tertis's hand in hers. "Have you been
waiting long? I'm so sorry. Got caught up with urgent work and barely
made it out."

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"It's fine. Here." Tertis handed over the brochures. They detailed
various house types in the development-single homes, semi-detached,
even townhomes. "Today's the last day of pre-sale. They've got special
promotions too. Take a look and see if there's anything that you like.
Then we can go ask about them at the booth."
Vee took a brochure, but she began to sweat the moment she saw
the line 'Starting at just 39 million baht.' Her expression turned visibly
tense.
'Just'? She thought to herself.
"A little pricey, huh?" Tertis could tell right away, her voice soft.
The girl's earlier excitement dimmed quickly. "It's okay. Let's hold off
for now. We don't have to go look today."
Vee looked at her with guilt. "If I didn't have to help pay off my
family's debts, I could've saved more ... We wouldn't have to rent that
tiny condo."
"It's okay. As long as I get to be with you, I'm already happy.
Doesn't matter what kind of house it is. There are tons of places out there,
old and new. We can slowly plan it out together. There is no need to
rush."
Vee felt touched. She gently caressed the younger girl's cheek with
affection, but as her eyes caught a familiar- looking group walking
toward their table, with employee badges from Mind Space around their
necks, she immediately panicked. Vee grabbed Tertis's hand and pulled
her to a corner of the café, waiting for the group to walk past.
"That's P’Golf from HR. No idea what he's doing here," Vee
nervously whispered to Tertis.
"The one you said was the biggest gossip in the office?"

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"Yeah. If he finds out we're dating, the whole company will know
in no time!"
Both of them felt terrible that they had to hide their relationship
from their coworkers ... all because they each worked for rival
companies.

"I think we need to change this table," Okbab said while she ate
dinner with Rin.
"Why? A beautiful old wood table like this is not easy to find. Feel
the texture. Modern furniture can't match it. And the design is gorgeous."
"But Mr. Rain and Mrs. Mink are only two people. There's no need
for a table this big. It just feels like they're too far apart." Okbab looked
at the long, empty space between them as she sat at one end and Rin at
the other. For a vacation home meant for a couple who wanted alone
time, the chance of hosting large gatherings was tiny. "If we downsize
the table, they'll be able to sit closer and also gain more usable space."
"Is this a Japanese design principle or something?"
"Exactly. Japan doesn't have as much space as we do. Every square
meter is carefully planned for functionality, and that includes furniture.
Where each piece is placed is always thoroughly considered."
"But aren't you forgetting something? Japanese people value every
item they own. They wouldn't just throw away a beautiful table that has
been passed down since their grandparents' time." Rin dragged her chair
over from the far end and moved all the dishes to sit beside Okbab. "And
even if the table is big, if Mrs. Mink wants to sit elose to Mr. Rain, she
can just do this. See? Now, we're close."

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The girl beamed with pride at her idea. Okbab, on the other hand,
felt a strange flutter in her chest and quickly put on a stern expression.
She continued with a serious tone.
"You've got a point. But before deciding whether to keep or replace
the table, remember-your job is to design properly. No goofing off,
understood?"
"I am serious. Where do you see me goofing off?"
Okbab didn't reply. She just kept up her serious act while Rin,
already seeing through her, shook her head with a grin.

Okbab chose the master bedroom.

While putting her clothes away in the closet and neatly arranging
her personal items-vitamins, skincare-on the vanity table, she suddenly
heard someone singing happily, and loudly, from the room next door.
And not just loud. Rin was shouting her lungs out.
"Rin! Can you tone it down? I can hear you from here!"
"Oh, really? Sorry!" The girl called back, but Okbab's room had
barely returned to peace before another sound started up.
This time, it was a ghost show, with the host's familiar voice, just
like the one she'd heard before.
This time, we're diving into a chilling case at an old house where
an entire family was murdered. Locals say you can still hear screaming
every night or even spot the spirits of the family members wandering
the... "
"Rin !! Turn it off !! "
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"Oh come on, Grandma! That's not allowed, this isn't allowed, and
I didn't even turn it up loud!"
"The walls are thin! Use your headphones!"
Okbab snapped in frustration before pulling out her notebook to jot
down this latest issue. 'Thin walls, sound leaks, needs fixing.'
After managing to calm Rin down, Okbab began getting ready for
bed. She figured she'd sleep well tonight. The faint smell of rain from
early evening, the long drive, and all the energy spent cleaning the house
were bound to knock her out as soon as her head hit the pillow.
But just minutes after lying down, she saw a flash through her
eyelids, followed by a crash of thunder that shook the floor.
A storm? Even better. It'll be a good test to see how well the house
holds up in extreme weather. Okbab wasn't bothered by the flickering
lightning or the thunder rumbling through the sky, only mildly annoyed
that it sometimes made her flinch just as she was about to fall asleep.
Okbab tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep despite trying one
position after another. And on her final shift, she jolted violently in
shock-no idea what curse had flown from her mouth. Through the crack
near the hinges, she caught sight of a shadow creeping steadily toward
the door.
The next flash of lightning lit the room, revealing Rin standing
there, clutching a pillow and looking pitiful.
"Oh my God !! You scared me !! Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha !! "
"Grandma ... can I sleep here? I'm scared of the thunder!"
"What ?! "

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"Please ... The thunder-aaaahhh !! " Rin yelped, eyes shut tight,
hands clamped over her ears. Her fear was genuine. She clearly wasn't
good with the sound of thunder, and Okbab couldn't help feeling sorry
for her.
With a sigh, Okbab let the girl climb into bed, with a body pillow
between them, just like that night at the awful, haunted hotel.
"This bed is so soft." Rin finally felt better. She shifted around,
trying to compare the comfort of this one with the bed in the other room.
"Definitely worthy of being the master."
"Quiet. Some of us are trying to sleep."
Rin wrinkled her nose and silently mimicked Okbab, but the
lightning and thunder still startled her now and then. She knew it would
be a while before she could sleep, at least until the storm calmed down.
And since the person beside her probably couldn't sleep either, because
she had to keep shifting, Rin decided to strike up a conversation with
Okbab, who was trying to force herself to rest.
"Tell me more about your company."
"You'll stay still and quiet after that?"
"Like a baby, I promise."
"Why the sudden interest?"
"I'm part of the team now, so I want to know more about its story.
You said your mom founded it, right?"
"Yeah. My mom was an architect. Jinta comes from her name ...
She loved design, and she was so talented. After she passed, my siblings
and I have been doing our best to preserve the company. It's the one
thing she left behind."

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"Is that why you're such a good artist? Just like her?"
"How do you know that? Have you seen my work?"
"Um ... " Rin fibbed a little. "Well, you graduated from architecture
school in Japan. You must be good."
Okbab didn't push further. She simply went quiet for a while, lost
in memories of her mother, whom she missed dearly. Rin noticed and
could sense what she must be feeling.
"My mom passed away, too, when I was little. I understand why
people want to hold on to memories of someone they've lost."
Okbab turned to look at her. Their eyes met, sharing a heartfelt
understanding.
"I don't remember much about my mom. And honestly, I envy you
for having so many memories to hold on to."
"Sometimes I feel guilty remembering them."
"Why?" Rin frowned in surprise.
"I promised I'd take her to Japan, but I never got the chance... "
After the funeral, Okbab had decided to visit all the places her
mother had once said she'd like to see—places across Kitakyushu, Japan.
She traveled from place to place, sketching scenes and structures
that touched her heart. Until the moment she came across one traditional
Japanese home, she felt such a deep wave of sorrow, regret, and longing.
In front of that house, she could almost believe her mother hadn't really
gone.
She sketched the house and added a middle-aged woman smiling,
warm and kind.

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"And then I lost that sketchbook."

Okbab panicked when she opened her bag and couldn't find her
precious sketchbook. She retraced every route she had walked, every
place she had stopped, but no matter how hard she searched, it was
nowhere to be found.
Fortunately, the last place she stopped before giving up was a
small café. It was the one where she had sketched the front facade. The
owner came out to speak with her, noticing the sadness clouding her face,
as if her heart was being torn apart with sorrow.
"Is everything alright? Can I help you with anything?" the woman
asked gently, clearly concerned that something bad might have happened
to her. And overwhelmed by her emotions,
Okbab told this stranger everything. The café owner gasped in surprise,
then hurried behind the counter to fetch something, and soon handed it
over to Okbab.
"Is this the one? Someone dropped it off."
Okbab couldn't believe it. She stood up and bowed
deeply, again and again, thanking the café owner for the return
of her treasured sketchbook.
"In that moment-after everything with my mom and nearly losing
that book-I actually smiled, because the person who returned it also left a
note. Unfortunately, I never got to say thank you, because they didn't
leave a name or any contact info."
"If you ever got the chance, what would you want to say to that
person?"

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"I'd probably just thank them. That sketchbook meant so much to

me. And I'd want to tell them their message gave me strength when I was
grieving my mom."
"Do you remember what it said?"
"Every word. It said ... "
"I really love your drawings. They reminded me of my mom, who
passed away. Thank you for creating such beautiful work. Please keep
drawing ... Wasn't that it?" Rin cut in, repeating something she already
knew. Okbab froze.
"You ... How do you know that?"
"What do you think?" Rin let Okbab ponder it for a little while. But
when she only blinked in confusion, Rin finally confessed. "In
Kitakyushu, three years ago, I was the one who found the sketchbook
and left that note."
For a moment, everything around them seemed to freeze, like a
paused movie. Even the thunderstorm outside seemed to go quiet. No
flashes, no rumble, no rain, no wind. Just two women lying there in
silence, staring at each other.
It was impossible to say how long they stayed that way, or how
much courage Rin had to summon to finally make a move first.
She pushed herself up, leaned in, and gently pressed her lips to the
older woman's ... ho froze, unable to think or react in time.
"Maybe it really is fate between us."
Okbab still couldn't speak. Her mind had gone blank, quiet and still.
Before she realized it, her eyes closed on their own, and she returned
Rin's second kiss, caught up in the unexpected tide of feelings.

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It was slow at first, then deeper and warmer. If it hadn't been for
the loud crack of thunder tearing through the sky, they might never have
come back to their senses or realized what they were doing.
Rin's whole face was burning red, her chest and head buzzing
intensely. She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
Her first kiss ..
"I ... um ... I'm going to the bathroom."
Okbab, equally red-faced but managing to keep more composure,
grabbed Rin's wrist. "Stay here. I'll go." And without waiting for a
response, she darted to the bathroom, slammed the door shut, and locked
it behind her.
Her heart was pounding out of control. She was dazed and
confused, unsure of what had just happened. She didn't even know if it
was real or if she was dreaming of something ridiculous.
"What the hell was that ?! " she hissed at the reflection in the
mirror. Seeing her own flushed face, she lifted her hands to mime
choking herself out of frustration. "Get a grip! Deep breaths! She's your
employee. You're her boss. What are you even thinking about ?! "

"Coffee?" Rin lifted her head and offered a drink to Okbab while
pouring hot water over a drip bag.
The morning air was fresh after the storm passed. The bright,
cloudless sunlight streamed through the kitchen windows, warming the
old house and making it feel even more like home.

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Rin cleared her throat, meeting the eyes of the woman across from
her, who was acting like last night had never happened.
Without waiting for a reply, she handed Okbab the cup.
"Thanks."
They sat there sipping their coffee. No one said a word, just
stealing side glances at each other, until finally they both broke the
silence at the same time.
"About last night ... "
"Well, I ... / I ... "
Rin cleared her throat. "You first. Go ahead."
Okbab pressed her lips together and paused. Once she had gathered
her thoughts, she looked Rin straight in the eye. "I want to make sure
we're clear about what happened... It was just an unexpected situation.
An accident, really. I don't want it to cause any problems with our work."
"But ... you kissed me back, didn't you?" Rin asked hesitantly, still
unsure whether that kiss was real or just something she imagined. The
experience was new to her, but she was ninety percent sure Okbab hadn't
pulled away.
"I was just too into the project. I wanted it to be perfect. Maybe I
slipped too far into the role of Mr. Rain and got carried away... "
The girl narrowed her eyes at that weak excuse, frustrated. But in
the end, her lips curved into a smile as an idea formed in her head.
"Okay then. Since you're so committed to the project, let's stay in
character. Let's be Mr. Rain and Mrs. Mink a bit longer. "
"What! I'm not—"

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"Don't you want the work to turn out perfectly? I'm sure you can
give this project your all."
" ... "
Serves her right for talking too much

Rin hadn't been joking about staying in character. Whether she just
wanted to tease or had it planned all along, for the entire seven days they
stayed at the client's house, she kept up the role of Mink and treated
Okbab as if she were Rain
Sometimes she'd serve her drinks or snacks like a sweet housewife.
Other times she'd pass her tools and supplies while Okbab was sketching.
"Pass me the eraser." Okbab held out her hand. But what she got
wasn't an eraser. Rin placed her chin in Okbab's palm and gave her a cute
puppy-eyed look, copying the real houseowner's expression.
"What are you doing?"
"This must be how Mrs. Mink would act with Mr. Rain."
Okbab pulled her hand away and clicked her tongue in annoyance,
trying her best to cover how flustered she was. And that was how her
days went by. In addition to the work, she had to deal with this
mischievous kid who was starting to look more and more like an
irresistibly adorable puppy.
When it was finally time to return to Bangkok, Okbab felt both
relieved and strangely sad about leaving that house behind.

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On the way back, she pulled into a gas station to fill up on both fuel
and caffeine, unaware that deep down, she just wanted to stretch out the
time she had alone with Rin a little longer.
"Grab me a coffee too. I'll have a latte, less sweet," Okbab said to
Rin, who was getting out of the car after she had parked behind two
others, waiting to pump gas.
"Got it, sweetie," Rin replied in a bright tone.
"You're still not over that?"
"Well, I'm just really into the work."
"What work? You spent a whole week there and didn't bring back a
single concrete thing."
"I'll go get the coffee now." Rin didn't wait to hear a further
complaint. The younger girl grinned cheekily, then hopped out of the car.
Just seconds later, Pat called Okbab via video, making her frown at her
brother who, for some reason, felt the need to call with his camera on.
She glanced around quickly, trying to figure out how to hide her
surroundings. In the end, she borrowed Rin's sick-day trick.
She let her hair down, leaned her seat back to lie down, and put on
a tired, pale face before answering her oldest brother's call.
"What is it?"
As the image came into focus, she saw both of her brothers
together.
"What's wrong? You sound hoarse. Are you sick?"
"Probably just a cold. I got back last night. I'm not going in to the
office today," she replied with a fake sneeze.
"You're in your room right now, aren't you?'
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"Yeah."
"Then open the door. We're outside ... "
"What ?!! " Okbab's eyes widened in shock, and she was more
stunned when Rin walked back, like a nightmare moment, and opened
the car door, poking her head in to ask,
"How sweet do you want your latte again? I forgot to ask."
"…"
Silence filled every corner of the space as the secret was laid bare
over the video call. The brothers stood stunned in front of their sister's
apartment. Okbab wanted nothing more than to slam her head against the
steering wheel. Rin could only give a sheepish smile, then slowly
stepped back from the car, closed the door, and hurried off toward the
café.
"Uh ... wow. So you're into sugar drinks now ...? ' Chan broke the
silence first.
"What's going on? Why is Rin with you? And where exactly are
you right now?" Pat asked again.
"If you don't answer, it's gonna look very suspicious ... "
"Oh my god, enough!" Okbab decided to go full drama. "I spent the
past week doing a trial stay at Mr. Rain's house, with Rin. But it was for
work. Nothing else!"
"Wait. You actually did something like that?
You never agree to stay over with anyone."
"I told you, it was for work. It was necessary."
"Strictly for work, right?" Pat raised an eyebrow.

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"Yes. That's it. Bye!" Okbab ended the call with an annoyed frown.
She finished refueling, then moved the car to park in front of the
convenience store beside the café, still frowning. After checking the time
and seeing that Rin still hadn't come out, she decided to get out of the car
to go look for her. Just then, fate threw someone familiar right back at
her.
Mind froze. She never expected to run into Okbab here, at this
exact moment.
"What are you doing here?" the Mind Space owner asked, walking
over. Okbab didn't answer. She could only curse the world in her head,
wondering when it would stop throwing things like this at her. "How's
the project at Mr. Rain's house going?"
The silence, the stillness, and Okbab's cold stare made Mind sigh in
defeat.
"So you really do see me as an enemy now, don't you?"
"I do."
"But you already knew that my team had worked with the client
before. We already knew them. It isn't hard for us to offer exactly what
they want. This pitch isn't even a challenge for me."
Okbab didn't understand why Mind was bragging about work. She
already knew full well what skills Okbab had ... Skills that had been
snatched away and used to make someone else shine.
"I'm confident in my own team too. We won't lose to a ‘thief’ who
can't come up with anything on her own."

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Hearing that, Mind was left speechless. A sharp pain pierced

through her chest, but all she could do was hide it, suppress her feelings,
and stop herself from reaching out to hold back someone who always
turned her back every time they met.

Rin was puzzled by the tense mood in the car. She had no idea
what had gone down between Okbab and her brothers, only that the
driver was visibly stressed and irritable. So, Rin tried her best to stay
quiet and well-behaved.
She put on her headphones and opened social media to kill time.
Scrolling through her feed, she came across a clip from Mink's
channel—a casual talk show where she chatted with a close friend over
food.
'P’Rain and I first met in Japan by total coincidence, so now we go
back almost every year to retrace our memories together.'
'People usually follow in the footsteps of their dramas or idols. But
these two are retracing their own story,'Mink's friend teased with a
laugh. You're way too in love, girl. If I wasn't already close with you two,
I'd think this was all made up.'
'Believe me. Unexpected things always bring unexpected love too.'
'Easy for someone with a husband to say. Not everyone's lucky in
love like you. '
'You'll understand when it happens to you. '

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"Grandma!" Rin suddenly called out to the driver, her voice full of
excitement. "I just got an idea!"
Okbab was quite puzzled by Rin's fresh idea. She had no clue what
the girl had seen that got her so worked up, acting like she'd just hit the
lottery.
And before she knew it...
She was standing in front of a phone camera at a tourist spot in
Kitakyushu.
Yes. Kitakyushu, Japan!
"Do we really have to go this far?" Okbab still hadn't quite
followed. She turned to ask Rin, who had just finished setting up the
camera and dashed into the frame before the shutter clicked.
The younger girl beamed, her eyes crinkling, as she hooked her
arm around Okbab's.
"This far, exactly. Because it's work... right, darling?"

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Chapter 4 Kitakyushu

Book：Love Design
Writer：THEK34
Release：1 September 2025
Copy：EarEarZz

Pat stood with his hands on his hips, watching Chan lift two large
suitcases into the trunk. One of them belonged to their sister, the other to
Rin. He asked, a little unsure, "You've really thought this through?"
Rin felt it was best to give the three siblings a moment to
themselves, so she excused herself and went to wait in the car.
"Anything that might help us beat Mind Space, I'm willing to do,"
Okbab said.
"We know that. But I meant you and Rin going off together, just
the two of you," Chan added, a little concerned.
"Why? Is there some kind of issue?"
"No, no," the second brother quickly waved his hands in denial,
already feeling intimidated when his sister raised her brows at him.
"Well then, good luck. Hope you find the idea you're looking for."
Okbab gave a small nod, said goodbye to her brothers, then got into
the car, leaving the two men watching her off, chatting lively as they did.
"What do you think's going on between our sister and Rin?" Pat
asked.

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"You still need to ask? With that much chemistry, what else could
it be ... " Chan had no idea how to label the relationship between Okbab
and Rin, not when the two hadn't given any confirmation. But if he had
to casually call it in today's modern terms, it would probably be a
situationship. "At the very least, it's definitely more than just boss and
subordinate."
"Hmm ... "
Okbab's car pulled out of the parking space, and as it reached Pat
and Chan, the driver's side window rolled down. "No one can find out
about me and Rin going to Japan, especially not at the office. Got it?"
The brothers exchanged questioning looks.
"People there gossip too much. I don't want anyone making up
stories while I'm gone.'
"What are you so worried about? It's not like you're doing anything
wrong," Pat said, still not quite understanding his sister's reasoning. But
it wasn't just about avoiding gossip. Okbab didn't want to explain how
she'd used her own money to cover the trip, not to mention the risk of the
news getting out to the competitor ..
You never know who's listening or watching.
"True. No one would think anything of it, unless you were up to
something shady," Chan added, backing Pat up while also leaning in to
softly tease his sister so Rin, now seated in the passenger seat, wouldn't
hear. That earned him a sharp tug on his collar and a fierce glare from
Okbab.
"With a captain like this, no wonder the crew says whatever they
want ... If I come back and even one person knows about this, you two
are dead meat!"

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Chan swallowed hard and raised both hands in surrender, nodding

to promise he'd keep his mouth shut. Pat also lifted three fingers like a
scout's oath to swear he wouldn't say a word.
Okbab narrowed her eyes at the two of them, and once she was
confident they wouldn't spill the secret, she drove off toward
Suvarnabhumi Airport.

"P’Vee, you look tense. Is something wrong?" Tertis asked as she

stepped out of the bathroom and saw her girlfriend typing furiously on
her phone, shoulders stiff.
"The same stuff as always," Vee replied, wrapping an arm around
Tertis as she leaned into a back hug. "My family needs money again."
"How much? I still have some savings ... "
"No, this is my family's problem. I have to take care of it myself."
"Well, if it's about your family, then it matters to me too. We have
to help each other. And I only mean to lend it, not give it away." Tertis
smiled warmly, trying to comfort her. "Is that okay?"
Vee looked at her with a mix of gratitude and guilt.
"I'm sorry, Tertis."
"Don't be too hard on yourself. You're not alone, you know? And
honestly, I'm really glad to see how much you love your family .... Just
imagine how much love you'd give me if we ever got married."
"Thank you, babe."

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"How's the renovation project for Mr. Rain's house going, Mind?"
Thee asked the moment he walked into the meeting room, where Mind
and Vee were already waiting.
"Vee's team is handling it right now. We're almost ready to show
the first draft."
"Give it your all," the young man turned to speak to Vee. "In this
project, we've got to beat Jinta again." Vee felt a sudden wave of
pressure. It made her uneasy. Eventually, she voiced her concern. "What
about the resort project I'm also handling... "
Thee didn't get to respond, as he had to take an urgent call. Mind
stepped in to give the answer instead. "Right now, P’Thee wants you to
focus on this project first. Let someone else take over the resort for now,
so you can give Mr. Rain's house your full attention."
"Yes, Miss Mind," Vee replied, not exactly thrilled. Though Mind
assured her she'd be there to help, it only eased her worries a little.

"Is Miss Okbab not coming into the office again today? And Rin,
too?"
"Oh, Okbab went to Ja-" Chan was about to blurt it out, but Pat
jabbed his elbow hard into his side to snap him back to his senses, so he
quickly covered it up before blowing their secret. "I mean, she went back
to take care of something in Japan, right, P’Pat?"
"Yeah. Some errands or something like that."
Tertis didn't think much of it. But ... "What about Rin? Is she
calling in sick again?"

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"She just asked to be left alone for a while. Said she wanted to
think through Mr. Rain's project quietly on her own."
"Well, lucky her. In that case, I'll take some time alone too," Chan
said, trying to take the opportunity to slip away. But he didn't get far
before his older brother grabbed him by the collar.
"Don't even think about it. You and I still have a pile of work to
finish."
"Damn, why's my big brother so sharp?" Chan grumbled in
frustration before the two of them fell into a quarrel like children who
never grew up. The staff nearby could only rest their chins on their hands,
watching their bosses with exasperation.
It was hard to believe the company felt this hopeless after just one
day without Okbab.

Rin and Okbab were standing in prayer at Hakusan Shrine on a hill

that offered a view of the Wakato Bridge. The atmosphere was calm and
cool beneath the budding trees, with barely another visitor or tourist in
sight apart from the two of them.
"You're taking your time," the older woman said with some
curiosity, seeing Rin stand with hands pressed together and eyes shut for
a long while. She figured the girl must have had a very long wish list.
"I was wishing for our project to go exactly as we hope, so I had to
focus hard, obviously."

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Rin's serious expression made Okbab smile without realizing it.

The girl finally ended her prayer with a clear voice. "Please let
everything go smoothly." She bowed in closing, wrapping up her ritual
for good luck.
"Hey, I was thinking," Rin said as she gave one last look around
the shrine before leaving. "I bet Mr. Rain and Mrs. Mink believe in
Japanese gods and rituals."
Okbab raised a brow. "Why do you think that?"
"I saw a paper like this one in Mr. Rain's office. Maybe it came
from a shrine like this." Rin pointed at the omikuji-the fortune slips often
found at Shinto shrines. Okbab opened her notebook and scribbled
something down.
"What're you doing?"
"Making a note. We might use this later... Maybe even include it in
Mr. Rain's project."
"Here, I'll sketch it for you." Rin eagerly took the notebook and
began sketching the row of omikuji tied to the rack, while Okbab
watched with admiration. In just a moment, the note was complete.
After finishing their prayer at the shrine, Okbab and Rin continued
their route to other places. While they were walking and taking photos,
the older woman finally spoke after a long stretch of silent thought.
"How do you think Mr. Rain and Mrs. Mink fell for each other?"
"By chance! Random encounters are always the start of the most
romantic love stories.'
"You're over the top... "
Okbab chuckled at the dreamy look in Rin's sparkling eyes.

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"What do you mean over the top? It's true," Rin wrinkled her nose
before cheering like a child when she spotted an ice cream shop nearby.
She kept begging for some until Okbab gave in.
The older person got herself chocolate mint, while Rin chose
pistachio.
They sat down on a public bench by the seaside walkway, with a
clear view of the red-brick Former Moji Customs Office across the water
and the Blue Wing Moji Bridge.
"Did you know? Mrs. Mink once said she never thought she'd fall
for Mr. Rain. He wasn't her type. But the more time they spent together,
the more she liked him."
Okbab turned to look at the girl beside her, suddenly noticing that
her features were surprisingly striking. Everything seemed to fit
together ... Somehow, the girl looked prettier than she'd remember.
"Is it possible to fall for someone you never meant to love in the
first place? What do you think?"
Okbab didn't answer. Her eyes had drifted down to Rin's talkative
lips, and her mind went blank. All she could recall was the memory from
that night. Before she knew it, Rin had taken her hand—the one holding
the ice cream—and wiped away the melting cream.
"It's dripping everywhere. You eat like a kid."
Okbab's pulse quickened. She felt herself too close to the girl.
Clearing her throat, she pulled her hand away and took the tissue to wipe
herself.
She then stood up, trying to mask the strange flutter that was
ringing to her ears.
"Let's go check out the bridge."
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Rin nodded and followed Okbab. They kept walking toward the
Blue Wing Moji Bridge to get a clearer view.
It was the largest pedestrian drawbridge in Japan. It lifted to a
sixty-degree angle six times a day. Legend had it that the first couple to
cross after the bridge came down would stay together forever.
From the detail she learned, Rin wondered if this was the place
where Rain and Mink had fallen in love.
"What if this is where they fell in love?" she murmured, making
Okbab glance over with a raised brow.
"What do you mean?"
"Maybe Mr. Rain was coming from this side, and Mrs. Mink from
that. Then they happened to meet right in the middle after the bridge was
lowered."
Rin recounted her vivid imagination to Okbab but left out the part
where she had secretly cast herself as Mink and Okbab as Rain. In that
version, their conversation sparked because Rain was taking a photo of
the Kanmon Strait and accidentally captured Mink in the frame.
When they realized they were both Thai, the conversation flowed
naturally. Mink didn't mind appearing in the photo. In fact, she asked to
see it and complimented the shot, then requested Rain send it to her.
"So then they'd have to exchange contact info."
"Wait, wouldn't that make Mrs. Mink seem a bit too forward?"
"Not at all. She's the one who said she made the first move. This is
nothing." Rin still happily continued her fantasy. "But I think Mr. Rain
would be the one to ask for her contact info. Something like ... Sure, I'll
send it over. Could I get your IG?”

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" ... " Okbab shook her head with a laugh. "You're ridiculous."
"That's not ridiculous. It's called having imagination."
The two of them kept walking toward the former customs building
across the water, unaware that they were about to be the first pair to
cross the Blue Wing Moji Bridge after it had just come down.
"Grandma, can I get a photo with you for reference? It might help
spark some ideas."
Okbab narrowed her eyes, clearly unconvinced by the excuse about
work, but let Rin move in close anyway. The younger girl lifted her
phone and snapped a smiling selfie of them together.
"Oh, and give me your IG too. I'll follow you."
"I keep my account private."
"Then just accept my follow request. Not that hard."
"I'd rather not. I don't like mingling with people."
"What people? It's me. Me! A coworker. The award-winning girl
you said you wanted on your team. Hello?" Rin frowned as she hurried
to catch up with Okbab, who had already walked ahead to cut the
conversation short.
The two crossed the bridge and reached the other side together.

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While waiting quietly for their food, Mind found her thoughts
drifting back to her most recent site visit to Rain's house. That time, the
place looked so different she almost didn't recognize it. The dust covers
were gone, the furniture was all in place, and everything was remarkably
cleaner. She couldn't help but ask Uncle Mun, the caretaker, if Rain had
hired someone to organize the house.
It didn't make much sense. The house was going to be renovated
anyway, including extensions and all-new interior work. Why go through
the trouble of hiring someone to set things up now? No one was even
moving in ... And when Uncle Mun mentioned that it had been done by
another company, an odd sense of unease crept over Mind.
Then she happened to run into Okbab at a gas station, and the
pieces finally came together.
It was Okbab who had been in that house.
Mind had been lost in tense contemplation, her brows furrowed.
When someone at the table spoke up and asked, "You're really not going
to visit your father, Mind?" she snapped out of it and brought herself
back to the moment.
Across the table sat her mother.
"I told you already, I'm done with him."
"But he's seriously ill. We don't know how much longer he'll be
around. At least go see him one last time."
The sound of her fork and knife clattering onto the plate indicated
her irritation.
"You're only saying that because you want me to take
responsibility for him, aren't you?"
"That's not—"
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"You and I have already given up enough for that man and his
other family. There's nothing left between us. You should stop trying too.
He never cared about us in the first place."
Mind's face was emotionless, but her eyes revealed the pain. Her
mother pressed her lips together, staring at her daughter's expression.

Prim had a podcast playing in the background while she closed up

the shop, just to keep the silence at bay, not realizing that the show had
changed to one about love problems.
'What are five signs that show you're already falling for someone?
Let's go through them together. First, you think about them without
meaning to. No matter how busy you are, they will pop into your head
and make your heart feel unsettled.
Prim half-listened, letting parts of the host's voice drift past her.
When she noticed one of the lights flickering, she left her cleaning
supplies and grabbed a replacement bulb from the back.
The young woman climbed up onto a chair to change it.
'Second, you feel safe when they're around. So safe you want to
stay close all the time.
Third, you want to know more about them. Whatever they do,
you're interested.'
Fourth, you want to take care of them. Even if they don't ask,
you're happy to do anything for them.'

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Just then, Prim flinched at a sharp sting in her fingertip as she tried
to change the new bulb. It seemed like the light had shorted and tripped
the breaker. The shock startled her, and she lost her balance as she
yanked her hand back.
With her eyes squeezed shut, she braced herself for the crash,
already picturing the hospital bill in her head from a twisted ankle, a
broken bone, or maybe even a head injury. But the pain never came.
'And the last sign ... your heart races when they're near.'
The person that had caught her in time was a young man she knew
well. She couldn't see him clearly because the shop's lights had gone out
from the electric shock a moment ago, but the voice asking in concern
was unmistakable.
"You're not hurt, are you, Miss Prim?"
"I'm fine. Thank you for catching me, Mr. Jate."
Jate ... a lawyer in his late thirties but with a boyish face that made
him look younger than his age. He dressed simply in a T-shirt, jeans, and
sneakers. Prim had seen him in that outfit so often, especially that T-shirt.
There was never a time he wasn't wearing one with his slogan printed
across the front. 'Lawyer Jate, for the people.'
They locked eyes for a split second before Prim pulled herself out
of his arms, flustered. Her heart was pounding. Jate offered to reset the
breaker and then came back to check on her again.
"You're really okay? What about the shock just now?"
"Really, I'm fine."
"Good thing I caught you. You could've gotten hurt." The man
sighed in relief that he could save her in time. "And ... next time you
change a bulb, always turn off the switch first, okay?"
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Prim gave him a sheepish smile and nodded.

"How about this? In case you ever need help changing a bulb or
fixing anything-call me. Here's my number." Jate pulled a business card
from his wallet and handed it to her. "If something happened to you, I
wouldn't have anyone to make me great coffee anymore."
Hearing that made Prim's heart skip in a way it never had before.
She looked down at the card and, just like that, realized she had fallen for
this man!

"No name again? Did you book for the wrong month like Tertis
did?" Okbab asked anxiously after the front desk staff confirmed again
and again that their names weren't in the booking system.
"No way. I double-checked. The date is right. Here, look." Rin held
up her phone to show Okbab the reservation screen, then made to step
forward to speak to the staff again, but she was stopped by a hand
grabbing her arm.
"Wait."
"What is it?"
"The date's correct... but it's the wrong branch!"
"What do you mean? It says Miracle Kyushu right ... oh." The girl
froze mid-sentence, finally realizing that the sign behind the front desk
said 'Hotel Miracle Kitakyushu.' "Looks like I skipped the 'Kita' part ...
heh." She sent a sheepish smile to Okbab, who just sighed, disappointed,
and rubbed her temples.

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"Are you sure you prayed for everything to go smoothly ... "
"Want me to find another place to stay?" Rin offered, trying to fix
her mistake, but Okbab shook her head.
"No need. I'll take care of it."
Thankfully, Okbab was more familiar with Japan than the average
tourist. She had access to local accommodations, some of which didn't
normally accept foreigners or guests who couldn't speak Japanese, so
they didn't have to limit themselves to just hotels.
She ended up booking a ryokan not far from their original place. It
was close enough to walk, though dragging their luggage made it a little
harder than expected. Still, they reached it in about fifteen minutes
"Welcome. Please come in," the woman who owned the place
came out to greet them personally.
It seemed like a small, long-running family business. The room
interior was simple, furnished in the traditional Japanese style. It was
clean and charming, though visibly aged with time.
"No ghosts in this room, right?" Rin tried teasing the older woman
beside her, though a small part of her worried if the joke might come true.
"Can you not say that ?! "
"Kidding. No Thai ghosts here." Rin glanced around. "But
Japanese ones ... "
"Watch your mouth! I'm about to smack you for real." Okbab
reached over and gave Rin a light smack on the lips to shut her up. Then
she cut her off again before she could say more. "And stop right there!
Don't even think about lying down. Shower first."

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"Can't I rest for a bit? We've been walking all day. I'm exhausted."
The girl was ready to flop onto the futon that had already been laid out,
but Okbab already stood with her hands on her hips.
"No. It's dirty. Sweat, dust, germs-who knows what you've brought
in with your clothes."
"But the air's cool. I'm not sweaty. I'll shower in a bit, okay babe?
That's nothing to be disgusted about." Rin grinned playfully, slipping
back into her Mink role and trying to charm her Rain again.
"Oh really? If babe doesn't want to shower, I'll do it for you,"
Okbab teased right back. "I'll even throw in a treatment scrub, polishing
your skin until it peels."
"Whoa. Wait, seriously? Are you ... teasing me?" Rin raised her
brows, unsure if Okbab was joking or flirting. And she decided to push
her luck and stepped in closer, slowly slipping off her outer jacket.
"Yeah. Teasing... " Okbab said, unfazed. "But I meant, to get under
your skin." She flicked Rin's forehead with a sharp snap when the girl
got too close, making her yelp. "Go shower. Now."
"Fine, fine!"
Rin gave up, opened her bag to grab her things, and darted off to
the bathroom, leaving Okbab behind, watching her go.
A smile crept onto Okbab's face at Rin's childlike behavior. But it
faded just as quickly when a new message came in from Rain.
'Mind Space just sent me their first draft. I really like it. Hope to see
Jinta's work soon too. '

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‘I’m on my way to pick you up.’

‘Yaaay, I'll be waiting.’
Tertis replied to her girlfriend with bright excitement, even though
it was long past office hours. But just then, Yong showed up at her desk
and invited her to go home together, making her uneasy. She responded
with a slightly awkward tone.
"Um ... you can go ahead first, P’Yong. I'll come later."
"It's not safe to go alone. It's late already."
"It's fine, I'll grab a ride."
"Good. And where do you live again? Maybe we can split the
fare."
Tertis scrambled for an excuse, then blurted out a lie. "Oh, I live all
the way out by Rama II area. The traffic there is insane, and the road's
super dangerous."
"Hey, your place is on the same way as mine. I live just before
Rama II! Perfect, let's split the fare. Saves a ton. We could ride together
every day from now on... "
Tertis stood there, dropping her jaw. She couldn't believe Yong
hadn't picked up a sign that she wasn't comfortable and didn't want to go
home with him. But if she tried to come up with another excuse now,
he'd know right away she'd been lying. That would ruin her image at
work, and probably her friendship with a colleague too. So she used the
moment to excuse herself to the restroom and made a quick call to Vee
to report the unexpected crisis.
"What's up, love? I'm almost— / P’Vee, emergency! We have to
drop P’Yong off too."

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"What? What do you mean?"

"I'll explain later. Just follow my lead. For today, you're just my
Grab driver. Not my girlfriend. Got it?"
"Grab driver ?? " Vee squeaked, but she could only follow her
girlfriend's word. She pulled up her hoodie and slipped on a mask to hide
her face. A few minutes later, her car pulled up to the front of Jinta
Architect—much closer than where she usually parked to avoid being
spotted by Tertis's coworkers.
Tertis was already waiting outside with Yong, looking anxious.
The young architect held Tertis back as she opened the car door
and whispered, "Wait. Doesn't that driver look kinda shady?"
"N—No! Not at all. You're overthinking. I use this one all the time.
Off-app."
Yong didn't trust the secretive outfit and overall vibe of the driver.
But when he saw Tertis get in, he had no choice but to follow. He
watched the driver closely since he got in, trying to spot anything
suspicious. And he noticed her glancing repeatedly at him in the
rearview mirror, so his nerves kicked in even more. After a short while,
he couldn't take it anymore.
"Miss driver, can you lose the hoodie? You look like a robber right
now."
"P’Yong! She can wear whatever she wants, okay?" Tertis cut in,
still tense and afraid he'd realize the driver was none other than an
architect from a rival firm.
"Okay, okay. So how long you been driving Grab?" Yong asked.
"A year," Vee replied, trying to hide her irritation.

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"Oh? And how long has Tertis been your regular? When was her
first ride?"
"She's driving. Do you have to ask that many questions?" Not only
was she on edge, but now Tertis was seriously annoyed. And when Yong
followed with "Of course, I do. I have to make sure my baby's safe," she
nearly screamed.
"Baby ?! What the hell ?! " she squeaked. "Are you possessed or
something ?! "
"You're blushing. Why? We've always called each other that,
haven't we?" Yong grinned and reached out to pat Tertis on the head,
pretending to be her boyfriend. He figured if he made it clear she was
already taken, the shady-looking driver might back off. Just then, the car
arrived at their stop. Vee slammed on the brakes so suddenly the
passengers' faces nearly hit the seats in front. Luckily, both had their
seatbelts on.

"We're here," Tertis announced quickly while ducking away from

his hand, letting the young man know the car had arrived at his stop.
"Oh! That was fast. Alright then, see you tomorrow, baby."
"Stop calling me that !! " Tertis shouted after him. The fact that she
managed not to add an 'I'm gonna throw up!' at the end truly
demonstrated her self-control. But Yong didn't care. He got out of the car,
still acting tough, pulled out his phone to record a video, and announced
loudly to the driver, "Make sure my baby gets home safe. If anything
happens, you're gonna have to deal with me." He then blew a dramatic
kiss before closing the door.
Vee took the deepest breath of her life before shouting at the top of
her lungs, "I can't take this anymore!"
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"P’Vee, nooo!" Tertis quickly undid her seatbelt and threw herself
forward to hold her girlfriend back.
"Let me go! I'm gonna smash his face. Baby, huh? This is my
girlfriend, you bastard !! "

"Why aren't you drying your hair properly?" Okbab asked as she
stepped out of the bathroom and saw Rin sketching some work on her
iPad while her hair was still damp.
"No hair dryer."
"Then at least towel it off. If you get sick abroad, it's gonna be a
mess."
"It'll dry on its own," Rin brushed her off with a mumble, eyes and
focus still fixed on her work. Okbab felt uneasy watching it. She couldn't
stand anyone being sloppy, careless, or not as precise as she was. She
picked up another towel and started drying Rin's hair for her. Rin froze,
her hand slipping, the line she was drawing going completely off.
"Ever heard of scalp fungus? Dampness breeds bacteria. Next thing
you know—dandruff, inflammation, itchy scalp."
"You're so dramatic. It's just this one time." Rin kept arguing but
didn't stop Okbab, who was toweling her hair section by section.
"Mr. Rain just messaged me," the older woman said after staying
quiet for a while. "Mind Space has submitted their draft. He really liked
it."
"You're worried we'll lose?"

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"A little. We don't have anything concrete yet, and time's running
out."
"Submitting early doesn't mean the work's better. These things take
time. More or less, it takes time. As long as we don't go beyond the
deadline, we'll be fine. I believe if we really give it our all, it'll turn out
great."
Hearing her, Okbab sighed, but it was one of those deep exhales
that let go of tension and brought back a bit of calm. They looked into
each other's eyes. Then Rin asked a question out of the blue.
"How do you know when you've fallen for someone?"
The question threw Okbab off completely. Her heartbeat skipped.
Where the hell did that come from?
"Why do you want to know?"
"I've been studying Mr. Rain and Mrs. Mink, and it got me
wondering. What does falling in love feel like? Is it like in novels,
dramas ... or what I've always imagined?"
"I don't know ... I guess it's a kind of happiness no one else can
make you feel ? "
"Hmm." Rin tilted her head, not agreeing or disagreeing, just
thinking. Then she noticed Okbab's hair was still damp too, probably
because she was too busy drying hers earlier. So Rin got up, grabbed
another towel, and began drying Okbab's hair in return.

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The room had gone so quiet they could hear the sound of a
heartbeat as they helped drying each other's hair, though neither could
tell whose was louder. Then, just as Rin spoke up, "Can I ask you
something?" the towel in Okbab's hand slipped and fell, covering the
upper half of Rin's face. Only her chatty lips remained visible. "If you
ever fall in love, could you tell me?"
Okbab blinked slowly. She didn't answer right away. All at once,
she felt a strong, invisible pull, urging her to lean in close, her gaze
locked on those lips...
Maybe it was the lingering memory of that kiss, still whispering to
her to do it again ...
"Ah-choo !! " Rin sneezed loud enough to shake the walls.
The towel hit the floor. Okbab, who had almost lost herself in the
moment, snapped back to reality and quickly pulled away, embarrassed
and flustered by her own behavior.
Rin raised an eyebrow in confusion ... then shot her a teasing smile.
"With that look, don't tell me you've fallen for me?"
Okbab threw the towel at her face in embarrassment and snapped,
"Go to bed. We have an early morning tomorrow."
"Aw, come on, babe. Changing the subject again?"
"You're still going ?! "

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While strolling through a local market full of shops and stalls run
by people in the neighborhood, Rin couldn't help but comment on how
kind the locals were to tourists. Just a moment ago at a sweets stand, the
shop owner had given out free mitarashi dango sticks, and they each got
some too.
"I met a kind person the last time I was here too," Okbab agreed
with her.
"Yeah? What sweets did they give you?"
"Not sweets, but positivity, though we'd never even met before."
Rin turned to her with attention, silently encouraging her to go on.
"I was crying because I lost my sketchbook. This old man came up
and asked if I was alright. He was so kind. I told him I'd just lost
something really important, and he handed me a bag of oden—probably
just bought from a convenience store. He said it was a treat to cheer me
up, and that good luck would come my way."
Back then, Okbab hesitated. She wasn't used to accepting things
from strangers. But the man didn't seem like a scammer, so she took the
bag with gratitude, and that was when she noticed the sketchbook and
portable drawing tools in his other hand. She then struck up a
conversation with curiosity.
'Are you an artist, sir?'
'An architect.'
'Really? I'm an architect too.'
'Is that so? Then how about we do a little sketching together? It
might lift your spirits a bit.'

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"I said yes, but when I saw that blank page he handed me ... I
suddenly felt sad again. It felt just like my heart—completely empty."
The old man, who had been watching her sadness with gentle eyes,
shared a bit of wisdom. ‘Every drawing tells a story. It reflects the
feelings and thoughts of the one who draws it. No matter what emotions
you put into it, your drawing will always matter to you.’
"Hearing that made me stop and think. And eventually, I began to
draw ... this Kokura Castle." Okbab gestured toward the castle, which
they'd spent a while walking around.
"So how come you don't draw anymore? I've barely seen you
sketch since we got here."
"I don't know. Maybe I just don't think it'll be good enough for
anyone to like," Okbab said, her voice uncertain, much like the way she
felt about her own work.
"But I like it," Rin said, locking eyes with Okbab like she meant
something more. Then, flustered, she quickly looked away toward the
rows of cherry blossom trees crowded with tourists and added, "I mean
your drawings."
"Is that so ... I thought you meant me."
"Whoaaa, look who's so smooth now. Someone's leveling up." Rin
grinned, cheeks puffed as she caught up to Okbab's steps. "Did you know
Mrs. Mink was the one who proposed to Mr. Rain?"
That fun fact was new to Okbab, so she turned to the storyteller in
surprise.
"Really? Mrs. Mink did?"

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"Yup. Right here. In the photo, she was kneeling like this, with the
castle view in the background, at this exact angle." Not just speaking,
Rin mimed the pose dramatically to paint the scene.
"Lucky them, finding someone who really loves them."
Hearing that, Rin smiled and then asked, "Hey, do you think we
should have their proposal photo in the house?"
"Hmm, that's a good idea." Okbab nodded with a small smile, but
just as she did, they heard a camera shutter. She turned and saw a small
group of Japanese onlookers taking pictures of them.
"Wow! Congratulations! Wishing you both a long, happy life
together." As soon as the words were spoken, a round of applause broke
out in congratulations, leaving Okbab scrambling to clear up the
misunderstanding.
"No, no! We're not getting married!"
"Well, we might as well ask for that photo. This is totally our
proposal pic now."
"Rin!"

After escaping the crowd of onlookers and the stares from curious
tourists, the two walked on toward the Kitakyushu Central Library, the
building with a curved roof design that gave it a striking presence.
Compared to Kakura Castle, the area outside the library was much
quieter, despite being just across the road.
"Did Mrs. Mink and Mr. Rain come here too?" Okbab asked the
girl who'd suggested the visit.

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Rin shook her head. "Nope.'

"What? Then why are we here?"
"Well, I think this is around the spot where we first met."
"We missed each other that day. We never actually met."
"But we're meeting now, aren't we?" Rin said with a soft smile.
"And this place is perfect for sketching. You might get hit with
inspiration."
In the end, Okbab gave in to the girl's endless stream of excuses.
The two stepped into the library together, both wide-eyed at the interior,
the hanging artworks, and the arched ceilings that added to its grandeur.
"I came here three years ago for a book signing," Rin said as the
surroundings brought back old memories.
"A signing?"
"Yeah, the architect who designed this place. I'm a fan."
She was talking about Arata Isozaki, the very person who had
inspired her to study Japanese until she could communicate in it, travel
across countries, wake up early, and carry a stack of his books here to
ask for an autograph.
"Mr. Arata was very kind. We got to talk a little during the signing.
He told me that a good architect doesn't just need skill, but heart."
Back then, Rin didn't quite understand what he meant. Maybe her
Japanese wasn't strong enough to grasp the deep meaning of that
sentence. Or maybe it wasn't that deep, and she just didn't have enough
experience yet to understand.
"Design with heart—that's what he said. I still don't fully get what
it means or how to do it, but I've held on to that idea ever since."
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They stopped in front of a framed photo on the wall. Okbab blinked

rapidly, her mouth falling open in disbelief as she took it in.
"This ... is Mr. Arata?" She asked Rin again, despite the clear name
and message under the photo paying tribute to the late Arata.
"Yes," Rin confirmed it.
"He's the old man I told you about."
"What?" The girl let out a gasp, caught between shock and surprise.
"Seriously ?? "
"Yeah." Okbab looked at the portrait of Mr. Arata before turning to
the girl beside her. "The world really is small." She smiled.
Rin smiled back, never more grateful that the world wasn't flat.

Chan was both surprised and touched to suddenly get a message

from his younger sister, who rarely updated him on anything personal.
He opened LINE on his computer.
‘Remember the old man I met in Japan? I just found out he was a
famous Japanese architect. His name was Arata Isozaki.’
'Whoa. That's amazing. And how are things over there? Did you
get anything good?'
'I'll tell you when I get back.'
Reading that last message of his sister made Chan smile even wider.
"Look who's keeping her bro updated now."

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He typed back, 'Once you've got something, hurry back. This place
feels so empty without you.' Just then, Yong came by in a rush to say Pat
had called for a meeting. Chan hurriedly followed him without closing
his LINE window.
He didn't realize that someone had quietly come over to peek at his
screen.

"Any ideas yet?"

"No," Okbab replied, shaking her head as she sat down for a break
outside the gallery in the library. "It feels like something's still missing.'
"How do you normally start your designs?"
"Exactly as the Design Thinking textbook says. I start by
understanding the client, their story, their pain points Then accuracy, big
picture."
"Wow, that sounds very theoretical. Maybe that's why you're
stuck."
"If I don't follow that, what should I follow?"
"Your heart ... Like Mr. Arata said."
"But how?" Okbab asked, genuinely puzzled. Rin, however, had
been living with that concept for three years now and was starting to
form her own interpretation.
"Maybe it's like falling in love with someone, letting your feelings
lead for once."

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It sounded simple, but it was hard to do. Okbab was even more
confused, her thoughts circling around what it meant to design with
'heart.' Then they continued on toward the same café where Rin had left
the sketchbook. Okbab turned and asked, curious,
"Why'd you leave the sketchbook here?"
"Because it had a drawing of the place in it. I figured the owner
might come back to look for it... and you did." Rin grinned. "Smart,
huh?"
"Thanks for returning it. That sketchbook really means a lot to me."
"If you're really grateful, then ... buy me a coffee."
"Didn't I already buy everything on this trip?" Okbab said,
gesturing for the girl to go ahead and order whatever she wanted. Rin
then beamed and rushed to get drinks and dessert for herself.
The two of them sat sipping coffee and nibbling on sweets for a
while. During that time, the younger girl tried sneaking photos of
Okbab... not subtly at all.
"Are you sneaking photos?"
"Nooo. I'm totally just taking pictures of the view outside." Rin
kept her cool while choosing a shot of her coffee and uploading it to
Instagram. "By the way, still not giving me your IG?"
"Let me think about it."
"So hard to get, gosh."
"Come on, finish that up. We've got one more stop."
"Where to? I thought we were done for the day."

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"Not quite."
Rin blinked. Where else was Okbab planning to take her? As far as
she remembered, today's itinerary ended at the central library. But once
they arrived at the location, Rin was stunned. She clung tightly to
Okbab's arm, legs trembling as if she were about to faint.
"W—We're actually going up there? That's so high!"
"Didn't think someone like you would be scared of anything."
"You're afraid of ghosts. I'm a person. People get scared of
something."
"Hang in there. Trust me, it'll be worth it."
Okbab chuckled at Rin's childlike fear as they made their way up to
the observatory at Takato-yama Park, standing 124 meters high. And just
as she said, it was worth it. The evening view was absolutely
breathtaking.
From up here, they could see almost all of Kitakyushu stretch out
into the horizon, with the Wakato Bridge crossing over the water that
now reflected the fading orange rays of the sun.
"Totally worth it." Rin had forgotten her fear of the height. "It's
gorgeous. I skipped this place last time because it was too high ... If I'd
known it'd be like this, I would've come sooner."
"Strange," Okbab murmured to herself. "The view looks even
better than when I came alone."
"Hm ... Maybe it's prettier because I'm here with you?"
"Very funny. The view's beautiful on its own."
"Then what did you mean by 'better'?"

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Okbab didn't answer. She just laughed softly, letting the scenery
and the moment soothe the stress from work that had clung to her. Then
she felt her hand being gently taken and held, as if by accident. She
turned to raise an eyebrow... but didn't pull away.
"We still have to stay in character as Mrs. Mink and Mr. Rain," Rin
said, using that as an excuse to say what was on her mind, half-joking
but partly serious. "If I really were Mrs. Mink ... I'd probably tell Mr.
Rain how happy I am to be in Kitakyushu with him. How happy I am to
have him here with me... "
Okbab said nothing, quietly taking in the girl's words.
"If you were Mr. Rain, what would you say back to Mrs. Mink?"
"I guess ... " The young woman pondered a little. "I'd probably say
I liked Kitakyushu more when she was here with me."
They looked at each other for a long time, a smile slowly blooming
across both faces.
"Shall we take a photo to remember this, Mr. Rain?"
"Sure," Okbab said with a nod. But after the selfie, Rin threw out a
question that sent Okbab's heart racing all over again.
"If those two were standing here for real... do you think they'd
kiss?"
Their eyes met and held. This time, Okbab didn't miss her chance
or hesitate at all. She leaned in and kissed the younger girl softly on the
lips as an answer.

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After that surprise kiss, both Okbab and Rin were a little awkward
for a long while before their mood settled and things felt normal again.
They stayed at the overlook, enjoying the view of Kitakyushu even after
the sun had disappeared past the horizon.
Rin tilted her head, glancing at Okbab's phone, which was now
open to Instagram.
"You're unlocking your profile?" She asked as she saw the young
woman turning off the Private Account feature.
"Yeah."
"What made you change your mind?"
"So now you can follow me now. Isn't that good?" Okbab smiled.
"Absolutely!" Rin quickly replied. "So good! Amazing! Love it !! "
But right as she finished, Okbab's phone screen lit up with an incoming
call.
The video call was from Mind's account.
Their smiles disappeared.
"Are you going to answer?" Rin asked with complicated feelings,
mostly irritation and dissatisfaction at how Mind still wouldn't let Okbab
go.
"I don't want to talk to her."
"Then I'll do it." With that, she reached over, grabbed Okbab's
phone, and answered. Then Mind's face appeared onscreen, momentarily
frozen in surprise.
"Hello. May I ask what you'd like to discuss with my P’Okbab
today?"

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Chapter 5 Secret

Book：Love Design
Writer：THEK34
Release：1 September 2025
Copy：EarEarZz

One can of beer each was enough to make the atmosphere feel
about ten times more romantic than before. When Rin took the
opportunity to ask with a straight face, "Should we kiss again?" and
leaned in close, Okbab—already a little tipsy-nearly said yes. But she
was still clear-headed enough to remember social manners, the
environment, and the people around them, so she raised a hand to push
the girl's face away.
"Give you an inch and you want a mile. Sure, Mrs. Mink might've
been the one making the first move, but she wouldn't go making out in
public like this. Ever heard of shame?"
"The more people, the better. Everyone should get to see."
Rin refused to give up, her courage boosted by the alcohol. She
tried to steal a kiss again, only to get her cheeks squished together until
her lips puckered into a pout.
"Don't try to be sly, you little brat." Rin tried to pull her hand off.
"Aot a bat, I'm e cott" (Not a brat, I'm a cat!) Then, trying to act cute, she
pulled Okbab's arm into a hug and rested her head on her shoulder.
"Greedy. What you just got should've been more than enough."

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Nowhere near enough, Rin thought, shaking her head like it was
about to fall off. "Think of it as a thank-you for saving you from that
aunt."
"That was helping?"
Okbab rolled her eyes, thinking back to how Rin had grabbed her
phone and answered the call in a bold manner, acting as if she were her
official partner. And even worse, she had the nerve to say, ‘If you don't
have anything, we'll hang up. You're interrupting our honeymoon time.’
Mind had been so stunned she couldn't even get a word out.
"I know you didn't want to talk. You didn't want that mess in your
head."
"But you didn't have to go that far."
"I was just doing my job."
"What job now?"
"The job of protecting the person I love."
"You're way too into the character. Mrs. Mink would be blushing."
"I'm not kidding. I'm really trying to win you over."
"…"
They both fell silent at the same time. Rin was so eager to get
another kiss, but Okbab still held up her hand. "Won't quite?"
"Last time was just acting ... but this time, I want to kiss you for
real."
That blunt honesty made Okbab's heart shake.

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Finally, she turned away and stood up to cut the moment short.
"We should go pack. We're leaving tomorrow, and I haven't even
started."
"Wait." Rin got up and pulled Okbab by her slim waist into a tight
hug from behind. "Don't go yet."
"What now!'
"I don't wanna leave yet. Can we stay a little longer?"
"You're being such a child."
Okbab tried to shake her off and walk away, but Rin followed
closely behind, catching her here and there. Eventually, Okbab couldn't
hold back her laughter. It was ridiculous. At this age, she was still
running around like a woman in an Indian movie, playing tag with this
cutie.
She couldn't remember the last time she laughed this hard ...

Rin unpacked her suitcase with a light heart, showing no sign of

weariness despite the several-hour journey back from Japan.
"Matcha and banana tea, special from Kitakyushu. I bought them
for you."
"Banana tea? Never heard of it... Thanks. So, how was
the trip? Fun?" Prim asked out of curiosity.
"It was okay. I gathered a lot of research. The weather
was nice. Food was amazing."

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"And how about things with Miss Okbab? Getting along better? No
problems?"
Rin let out an awkward cough. Her usual ease turned stiff. "Yeah, it
was... fine. I guess."
Prim narrowed her eyes, watching her sister dodge the question.
"Since you started working at Jinta with Miss Okbab, you've really
changed. You realize that?"
"Changed how? I'm still me."
"You might not notice it, but you're happier with work. You care
more about others too."
"Oh please, P’Prim."
"Did you ever bring back souvenirs for me before?"
"Uh ... " Rin realized her sister had a point. "Right."
"Thanks," Prim said, smiling at her sister. But just before she could
leave the room, Rin asked,
"Let's say you like someone, but you're not sure if they feel the
same. Is there any way to tell?"
Prim pretended not to notice who Rin was really talking about. She
just gave an honest answer. "Look carefully. If you care about them and
they care back the same way, that already says something."
"I was thinking of blending little elements from the places Mr. Rain
and Mrs. Mink visited together into the design. That way, the house
they'll use to relax will also carry the memories and feelings they shared
during those times... What do you guys think?"
"I like it."

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"No complaints here. Got anything else?"

"I think I've come to realize ... I need to pay more attention to the
things around me. Because even when the heart of something is right in
front of me, I sometimes manage to overlook it."
The two brothers exchanged glances, scratching their heads.
"Are we talking about work or something else?"
"Work, of course. What else?"
"You've changed ... Normally, you don't talk about work at dinner,"
Pat said with a smile, unable to resist teasing his sister.
"If I had to wait until I was done talking, I'd starve." Okbab put on
a blank face as she scooped up another bite.
"I heard you're planning to stay at Mr. Rain's place again?"
"Yeah. I'm staying until I'm satisfied with the design."
"Are you sure it's just work keeping you there?
Nothing else?" Chan couldn't hide his curiosity, but Okbab
shot him a glare in reply. Noticing that, Pat quickly changed
the subject by bringing up some additional news.
"Mr. Rain's throwing a birthday party for Mrs. Mink and invited us.
Are you going?"
Okbab shook her head. "I'll pass. I'm not good at that stuff. You
guys go." She had just finished speaking when her phone buzzed with a
new message.

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She barely managed to hide a smile when she saw the chat
notification. 'Where should we meet tomorrow?' from Rin. She forced
her expression back into something serious, pretending it was a work
message. If she slipped even a little and actually smiled, she knew her
two brothers would never let her live in peace!

Rin waved excitedly at Okbab's car as it rolled in. She looked

absolutely delighted, barely able to contain her excitement about going
back to Rain's place to work with Okbab again.
As soon as she got in the car, she handed over some cookies from
her sister's shop.
"Thanks. I'll find a spot for them."
"You're not eating? They're good."
"I'm driving."
"I'll feed you then."
Rin opened the cookie box and held one up to Okbab's mouth, who
leaned in and took it without hesitation.
"We don't have much time left at Mr. Rain's house. We should try
to make the most of it," Okbab said after swallowing the bite.
"If we can't stay there anymore, where will we go next? The
office's a nightmare. Just hearing everyone chat would make my brain
shut down."
Okbab agreed with her. If they still couldn't come up with ideas,
going back to work at the office probably wouldn't help either.

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"Your place? / Or my place?" They spoke up at the same time, and

both had to clear their throats to shake off the awkwardness. Their words
hinted at something more beneath the surface.
"And if we have to stay late ... " Rin continued, testing the waters.
"Could I spend the night?" And Okbab responded at the same time, as if
it was no big deal. "You stay over." But if one looked closely, one would
notice that both of them were flustered and blushing
Rin quickly looked away, focusing on the road ahead. But maybe
the driver's mind was drifting somewhere. Okbab didn't seem to slow
down even though the traffic light up ahead was turning from yellow to
red. Rin had to shout,
"Grandma! It's red!"
Snapped out of her thoughts, Okbab slammed on the brakes and
instinctively threw out her left arm to shield Rin, knowing that with a jolt
like that, she could still lurch forward even with a seatbelt on. Thankfully,
her car was in front and managed to stop just at the line. The vehicle
behind them had already been slowing down for a while, so no accident
occurred—just the scare.
"Are you okay? Oh—" Okbab quickly pulled her arm back when
she realized it had landed squarely on Rin's chest.
"Sorry—"
"I—It's fine!" Rin quickly waved it off before the moment turned
awkward and embarrassing, though she was still shaken from the sudden
stop. "I'm okay."

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Okbab didn't dare ask whether she meant she was okay because she
wasn't hurt, or okay with being touched without warning. But Rin picked
up on it and added,
"I mean ... all of it."

"P’Vee, why are you up so early ... That's Mr. Rain's house, isn't
it?" Tertis, who came in and rested her chin on her girlfriend's shoulder
while she was looking at a project plan, raised a brow at the laptop
screen without thinking. That made Vee quickly snap the laptop shut,
clearly uncomfortable.
"What do you think if I go stay at the office for a while?"
Tertis looked puzzled. "Why?"
"I just feel uneasy about Mr. Rain's project... You know our
companies are competitors.'
"P’Vee ... You don't trust me?"
"It's not that. It's just ... "
"If we had a house, we would have some personal space, and we
wouldn't need to worry about stuff like this."
Vee sighed. "But we don't."
Tertis pressed her lips together, regretting that she'd brought up the
topic of having a house again. "I'm sorry," she said as she shifted closer
to wrap her arms around her girlfriend in a mix of comfort and apology.
Still, the tension between them didn't ease. It lingered with her all the
way to work.
Vee pulled over to drop her off at the usual safe spot.
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"Drive safe, okay? And don't stress out about what I said this
morning."
"Mm. See you later."
Tertis leaned in and gave her a quick kiss before getting out of the
car. Just then, an unknown number called her phone. Tertis automatically
assumed it was a scammer or insurance telemarketer and declined it
without a second thought.
But the caller didn't give up. The moment she hung up, it rang
again, then again. And finally, she answered, in case it was an
emergency. Or maybe she could finally snap at someone for wasting
other people's time, if it really did turn out to be one of those scammers
preying on others' misfortune.
"Is this Miss Tertis, Pat's secretary?" A man's voice came through
the line, getting straight to the point the moment he heard her voice.
"Where are you calling from, and how did you get my personal
number?" Tertis frowned, confused why someone who knew her position
didn't go through the company line or the work contact she usually gave
her clients. Instead, he reached out to her personal phone.
"Of course, I know your number. We've met many
times. You're more familiar with me than you think."
"Um ... who is this?"
"This is Thee, from Mind Space."
Tertis froze on the sidewalk, ignoring the annoyed sighs from
passersby as she suddenly blocked the path. When the caller noticed her
silence, likely from surprise or confusion, he added,

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"I just wanted to ask if you'd have lunch with me. I have a proposal
that might be worth your consideration." Thee paused for a moment, then
struck exactly where it would hurt. "It might even be the thing that helps
you and Vee finally buy your dream house."

"I was thinking of bringing in Japanese home-building techniques.

And for the interior side, maybe we could add something that reflects
Kitakyushu," Rin said as she handed a cup of coffee to Okbab, who was
reviewing the design in deep focus.
"I was thinking the same thing," Okbab smiled, taking the coffee.
"This should be exactly what Mr. Rain and Mrs. Mink are hoping for."
"Wow, does that mean our hearts are finally in sync?" Rin teased
with a straight face, then bent to retrieve the pencil Okbab had dropped
under her chair. When she looked back up, she noticed the older
woman's face had turned a deep shade of red for no apparent reason.
Okbab threw out an excuse, ‘It's hot today,’ trying to cover up the fluster
caused by the quick flash of Rin's chest when she bent down to pick
something up earlier.
"We've known each other for a while now, spent a lot of
time together, even traveled to Japan for many days. Grandma,
don't you think we're pretty close at this point?"
"I guess ... you could say that," Okbab answered
cautiously.
"So, can I cuddle you tonight?"

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"What?" Okbab blushed even harder. She had no ideaRin's

question was meant to confirm that her flushed face hadnothing to do
with 'the hot weather' or anything of the sort."You're being ridiculous.
Go work."
Rin pretended to pout, though inside, she was grinning at how
adorable the gorgeous woman was. Later, when it was actually time for
bed, she asked again. She teased and kept on asking until Okbab grew
annoyed. But even then, she never gave a firm no. And when Rin took
the silence as permission, she just let the girl have it.
"You're warm," Rin said as she pulled away the body pillow that
had been dividing them and hugged the older woman
Okbab lay frozen for a moment. Her heart pounded. The emotions
inside her were tangled and unsettled. Part of her knew this was too soon
to let the girl come this close to her. But her other part couldn't bring
herself to push Rin away.
"Do you really like me that much?" she asked, partly to break the
silence in the room, partly out of genuine wonder at what Rin saw in her.
Even if Rin insisted everything had happened because of destiny,
they hadn't known each other for that long. There were still so many
things Rin hadn't learned about her, including the issues she kept inside...
In the end, would those burdens eventually push this girl away?
"Yeah ... I do. What about you?"
Okbab took her time thinking about her feelings. She liked Rin ...
That much she could admit to herself, but she still couldn't bring herself
to say the words. Just then, the phone on the nightstand lit up with an
incoming call. Okbab took the chance to dodge giving Rin a clear answer
and reached for her phone.

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Mind again ...

That woman never lets her live in peace, does she?
Okbab had no intention of picking up, but before she could put her
phone on Do Not Disturb, Mind called again. And again. She sighed and
gave in, sitting up. "I'll be back. Go ahead and sleep," she told Rin before
stepping outside the house, not wanting the sound of her conversation to
reach the ears of the person resting in the room.
"I think it's time you stopped calling me. Know your place," was
the first thing she said to Mind.
The sound in the background told Okbab right away that Mind was
calling from Rain and Mink's private birthday party.
"You're not coming?" Mind ignored the warning.
"Didn't you hear what I said? Stop calling me."
Mind closed her eyes tightly, the pain inside her difficult to
describe. Still, she clung to her intention. "Why? We never officially
broke up."
"…"
"I still want to talk to you... "
Okbab ended the call. She didn't want to hear any more from Mind.
The words only stirred frustration in her heart—so much so that it
showed clearly on her face.
She stood there hugging herself in silence ...
"Did something happen?" Rin had come out looking for her after
noticing she'd been gone a while.

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"Not a big deal. P’Pat called about the company." Okbab's face and
body language gave away that she was lying, but Rin didn't push. She
just beamed at her.
"Oh, then now that you're done with your call .. can we go back to
cuddling?"
Okbab had finally managed to pull her feeling back to normal. She
smiled in return and reached out to pinch Rin's cheek with a mix of
teasing and fondness.

"Mind, let's go," Thee called out to her, who was still staring at her
phone, lost in thought.
Mind snapped out of her thoughts, nodded, and followed him into
Mink's birthday party, which was filled with guests ranging from close
friends and family to socialites and representatives from companies
working with Rain and Mink.
"Happy birthday. I chose this gift just for you, Mrs. Mink. I hope
you like it." Thee handed the gift box, wrapped neatly with ribbon, to the
birthday girl, his tone full of obvious affection and overly attentive care.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Thee," Mink smiled in return.
"As for the house design, are there any specific changes you'd like
to request? If so, please just let us kn-"
"Oh wow, you really care about the clients, don't you, Mr. Thee?"
Another man's voice cut in before Thee could finish his sentence. When
he turned and saw who it was, his expression stiffened. He had to make
an effort not to show irritation in front of an important client.

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"You're here too, Mr. Chan. Mr. Pat," Thee greeted through gritted
teeth.
"Why wouldn't we be? Mr. Rain and Mrs. Mink were kind enough
to invite us," Pat replied with a flat tone.
The three men locked eyes. Their glares were far from friendly,
filled with nothing but anger and resentment.
The reason was from around ten years ago.
Back then, Thee, Pat, and Chan were close enough to launch a
design firm together. But the harmony didn't last long. Thee had secretly
started taking on clients behind their backs, making shady deals on the
side. He also offered project budgets so low that delivering anything of
quality was impossible.
No, actually—even if they forced their way through with the
cheapest materials in every aspect, it was still a struggle to get the work
done.
Pat and Chan felt deeply betrayed. In the end, the two brothers
resigned from the very company they had helped build, leaving Thee to
deal with the mess on his own. But the conflict didn't end there. After
they left, Thee continued one of Chan's projects without asking for
permission or even informing him. That sparked a massive fight, so
intense that the company's front sign was left in pieces.
Even after ten years, none of them had let go of the bitterness from
that day.
"You two arrived a while ago, Mr. Pat, Mr. Chan?" Mind, noticing
the tension in the air, quickly stepped in to steer the conversation with a
polite question.
"A little while ago," Pat answered just as politely.

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"Thank you for coming today.'

"Our pleasure, Mrs. Mink."
Rain walked over to join his wife and greeted everyone with a
smile. Then he turned to the brothers.
"I'll be looking forward to your design. I'm sure it'll be great.
You've put in so much time and effort."
"Exactly. Miss Okbab and Miss Rin even stayed at the house to
gather data. I can't wait to see what the design looks like."
Mind froze. She had already suspected that Okbab had been
organizing furniture and cleaning up at Rain's place, but she hadn't
expected she'd actually been living there. And she'd even lived with that
girl.
Rin…

"This house has so many hidden corners. We couldn't finish

cleaning it all last time. I don't think even a professional cleaner could
manage to cover everything."
"And the kitchen's quite small, with counters lower than usual. If
Mrs. Mink cooks often, it might be uncomfortable to use."
"It was probably built to match her grandmother's small frame,"
Rin remarked while jotting things down.

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"Hmm ... in that case, I think we should redo the whole kitchen.
Come stand next to the counter for a second. You're probably around the
same height as Mrs. Mink." Okbab called Rin over to the kitchen counter.
But Rin didn't just come over to help measure, she took the chance to
wrap her arms around the other woman too, playing innocent.
"About this much higher should be just right."
Okbab playfully rolled her eyes at the girl but couldn't hide the
blush creeping onto her cheeks.
"You never stop messing around," she muttered. But before she
could say more, a knock at the front door made her quickly peel Rin's
arms off.
Okbab went to check and was stunned to see who it was. Mind...
showed up with her luggage.
"What are you doing here?" Okbab asked, in disbelief.
"I'm here to stay, too."
"…"
"We don't want you here," Rin snapped, stepping up to support
Okbab with a tone and expression that made her hostility very clear.
"If you two get to stay here for work, then so do I," Mind said
coolly, completely unfazed by the tension in the air. "Mr. Rain already
gave his permission." With that, she walked right into the house, leaving
the other two to exchange troubled glances.
"There are a lot of damaged areas in this house. Water stains too.
We'll probably need to redo nearly the whole house."
Mind strolled around, pointing things out for Rin and Okbab to see,
as if there had never been a single issue between the three of them.

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"That's right. Which means the rest of the bedrooms probably aren't
usable either, with the damage and water leaks." Rin tried to come up
with excuses to push away the uninvited guest, but the other woman
remained calm.
"Then I'll share a room with Okbab. We used to sleep in the same
bed all the time when we traveled. "
"Not anymore. The space next to her belongs to me now."
Okbab listened as the two of them kept trying to top each other,
unsure how to even describe how she felt. She quickly jumped in before
Mind and Rin could go any further.
"P’Mind, if you've finished surveying the place, maybe you should
head back."
"No, I'll stay. I can sleep on the couch."
The reply made Okbab exhale sharply. Okbab was filled with
frustration and a sense of resignation. "Fine. Do whatever you want."
"In that case, why don't you take me to see the backyard? You've
been here for days now. I'm sure you know your way around."
"I'll take you. I'll show you every corner," Rin volunteered and
headed out first, leaving Mind to glance after Okbab, who walked off to
take care of something else, clearly fed up. Eventually, Mind followed
the girl out to the back garden.
"It won't work. Whatever it is you're trying to do." Rin spoke up
first. Mind just offered a faint smile, far more composed than the visibly
agitated girl ... which was exactly what she'd come here for.
"I'm just here to work. That's all."
"Right now, the only thing P’Okbab has left for you is hatred."

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Mind didn't mean to mock someone so young and inexperienced,

but she couldn't help it. She raised an eyebrow at the girl beside her.
"And you think Okbab loves you?" Rin flinched. The words she wanted
to fire back got stuck in her throat, because she wasn't even sure what
Okbab felt about her.
"I've known Okbab longer and better than you do. That girl's
always been clear about what she wants. She knows what she loves, what
she likes, and what she hates. So if she's hesitating now, you know what
that means."
Rin fell silent. Her hands curled into tight fists. She was so
unsettled she couldn't say a single word.
"And more importantly... Okbab doesn't like younger girls."
"The steamed crab from that place we used to go. I'll peel it for
you."
That evening, Mind ordered crab delivered to the house and
expertly cracked it open. Even though Rin was still feeling bitter from
their conversation that morning, she wasn't about to back down. She
grabbed a grilled prawn, peeled it carefully, and placed it on Okbab's
plate.
"Here. Sweet, sweet prawn meat."
Mind also placed neatly peeled crab meat onto Okbab's plate with a
soft smile. "You've always loved crab, haven't you?"
"Old food can't possibly taste good anymore." Rin muttered under
her breath. "Try something new. It's better."
"New things usually only taste good the first time ... In the end, you
always go back to what's familiar."

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"That's enough. Both of you." Okbab burst out, frowning deeply.

Then she turned to Rin. "Give me a moment. Go upstairs first."
Rin looked confused. She hadn't expected to be the one asked to
step back, and she didn't know the reason. She looked like she wanted to
protest, but when she met Okbab's tense and serious gaze, she gave in.
She left Okbab alone with Mind, her shoulders lowering with sadness.
"What is it you really want?" Okbab asked.
"I want us to go back to the way we were."
"That's not possible anymore, P’Mind."
"Why not? We never officially broke up, remember?"
The conversation wasn't loud, but it wasn't quiet either ... Rin, who
had just reached the bottom of the stairs, heard every word. Her heart
sank even lower. Later, when she finally got a moment alone with Okbab
in the bedroom, Rin couldn't resist asking for clarity about what was
happening now.
"You still haven't gotten over her, have you?"
Okbab didn't answer. She remained silent, uncertain of the tangled,
overflowing emotions within herself.
"How about me? What am I to you? Are we just coworkers? Just a
boss and her subordinate?"
"What else could we be?" Okbab wearily cut off the conversation,
not wanting to face anything or answer any more questions tonight. She
turned and walked away, leaving Rin to sink into the one thing she hadn't
wanted to hear.

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"Okay, Mom ... When do we need to pay them?" Vee let out a long
sigh after hearing the number from the other end of the call. "Alright, I'll
take care of it as soon as I can."
Tertis watched her partner's tired expression and hesitated. She
wasn't sure if now was the right time to tell her about Thee reaching out.
She didn't want to be one more burden Vee had to carry.
"Is something wrong? You look tense," Vee asked, raising an
eyebrow as she stepped back in from the condo balcony. She'd noticed
the sudden silence and how Tertis's usual brightness had dimmed.
"It's just ... " Tertis hesitated, making Vee even more suspicious.
She stepped closer and cupped her partner's face in her hands.
"It's okay. Whatever it is, just tell me... We promised no secrets
between us, remember?"
The girl faltered. The offer had been tempting, but Thee had
approached her behind everyone's back. His intentions were clearly
shady ... That was exactly why she wanted to confess everything to Vee.
But before she could speak, Vee's phone chimed again with a message
from her mother, ‘Don't forget to transfer the money. ’
Vee turned her attention back to the situation with her family.
And just like that, Tertis closed her mouth and changed her mind,
not telling Vee that she'd met with Thee at a café far from either of their
offices.
'I want you to report everything Jinta does. 'His demand had
weighed heavily on her. But when paired with his promise, ‘I'll get you
and Vee your own house by the end of the year,’ the weight turned into
discomfort.
And from discomfort, it was slowly becoming hesitation.

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"Tertis! Want some of this? Come quick before Yong eats it all!"
Chan called out to his brother's secretary, who had just arrived at the
office while everyone else was already crowding around the snacks he
bought them.
"I'm okay. I'm not hungry."
Her refusal made Yong and May exchange a surprised glance.
Tertis never turned down food, not from anyone.
"She looks tense. Did she fight with her girlfriend or something?"
Yong whispered.
"Right? That vibe screams breakup."
"Alright, enough. Stop gossiping. Take your snacks and get to
work before Okbab shows up and yells at everyone," Pat cut in, waving
Yong, May, and the rest of the staff off, leaving only himself and his
brother.
"Tertis is definitely dealing with something," Chan said once the
others had dispersed to continue their duties.
Pat nodded. He'd also noticed something was clearly wrong with
his secretary.

"Any updates yet?" Thee asked over the phone.

"It's only been a day. I haven't got much yet," Mind replied while
dragging her pencil across the page. She'd woken up early to watch the
sunrise and sketch, and she had almost finished when his call interrupted
her.

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"If there's nothing to get, just come back. No point wasting time,"
the man ordered. He'd never really liked the idea of Mind staying over in
the first place.
"Let me stay a couple more days. I just want to check on
something."
"Tell me the truth. What's really going on between you and
Okbab?" He paused for a beat, his tone sharp. "Don't let this get in the
way of work."
"Don't worry. For me, work is work. You can relax, P’Thee."
She hung up from her business partner and returned to her drawing.
A few more lines and it would be done.
"Why are you drawing me again?" Okbab's voice came from
behind.
Mind turned to look. "I draw you every time we meet. I always
have."
Okbab fell silent. And when their eyes met-amid the sound of
crashing waves, sea breeze, and morning light-her confusion flooded
back, especially when Mind asked, plain and simple, "You really don't
love me anymore?" Okbab turned and walked away. But Mind stood up
and grabbed her wrist.
Someone from her past was trying to hold her again. And if she
could, she probably would have used a kiss to bring back every memory
and every longing all at once. But something stopped her. When her eyes
adjusted, she saw it was a rolled- up drawing tube that Rin held up like a
barrier, separating Mind's face from Okbab's.
"You're pushing your luck ... "

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"You ... " Mind began to show her irritation, but stopped short
when Rin calmly said,
"You really think I'd let my first kiss go kiss someone else?" The
girl swung the drawing tube back over her shoulder, then reached out to
take Okbab's hand. "I've already got the concept for the house. No reason
to stay here anymore. Let's go."
"Wait." Mind grabbed Okbab's other hand. "I still love you. You
know that, right? "
Hearing that, Rin didn't back down. She wasn't going to lose her
chance just because someone else decided to confess first.
"I love you too, Grandma. And I'm not playing any roles anymore.
Let's be together for real."
The feeling from Rin's words was clearly firmer and stronger than
what Mind had said. And the determination in the girl's eyes helped pull
Okbab away from her doubts.
She'd made up her mind.
"Okay. Let's give it a try."

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Chapter 6 Pitching

Book：Love Design
Writer：THEK34
Release：1 September 2025
Copy：EarEarZz

"You said you'd give this a try. You can't take it back now."
"I was never joking."
Still, Rin couldn't shake the uneasiness in her. Just thinking about
Mind made her feel frustrated, like there was a dead pixel on a screen
that ruined the whole movie. "You really want to date me? You're not
just trying to run away from that aunt, are you?"
Okbab didn't answer. She simply turned to look at Rin with a small
smile, which only made the younger girl more anxious. She climbed into
the car, buckled her seatbelt, and couldn't even sit still in her seat.
"What's with that smile? So are we dating or not?"
"You're a big girl. Figure it out yourself."
"Earlier you said I was just a kid. Now I'm suddenly a big girl?"

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Okbab still didn't give a straight answer. She only smiled, amused
and fond, as Rin folded her arms and muttered with mock sarcasm, "Fine.
Big girl it is. Then from now on, this big girl's gonna assume things on
her own." She pouted all the way home. But Okbab didn't drop her off.
Instead, she headed straight to her own condo. When Rin opened her
mouth to say something, Okbab cut in. "Stay over tonight." And Rin let
out a high-pitched gasp.
"Huh ?! We just started dating. Aren't we moving too
fast ?! "
Okbab flicked her forehead with a loud snap. "It's not
like that!"
"What? No? I mean ... the situation just kinda feels like it, you
know?" Rin pretended to play dumb, though her heart was pounding
when Okbab suddenly leaned in close. She tensed, shut her eyes tight,
secretly hoping this might be their first kiss as an official couple. But
instead, Okbab pulled back with a smirk, satisfied that she'd successfully
teased her.
"We're here. You can get out," she said, unbuckling Rin's seatbelt
for her.
"Y-You're terrible!"
Rin stepped out of the car, her mind a swirl of curiosity,
anticipation, and all sorts of wild imagination. She couldn't tell if Okbab
felt the same. Even once they were upstairs, she could sense the
awkward tension hanging in the air between them.

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"Wanna know what I'm thinking?" Rin asked without waiting for
an answer. She went on to describe the scene in her head: Okbab pinned
to the wall, returning a kiss without the slightest sign of resistance.
"Oh my god, you perv! Enough! Go take a shower and clear your
head already!" Okbab yelled, trying to cover up her fluster, ears burning.
"And after I'm done showering ... then what? Maybe we could ... "
"Will you stop already ?! "
By the time she could get Rin to stop poking at the idea of getting
physically closer, Okbab felt exhausted. But when it was time for bed,
neither of them could sleep. Especially Rin, who kept tossing and turning
like she had a dozen things she still wanted to say or ask.
Which wasn't all that surprising for someone who woke up single
and went to bed officially someone's 'girlfriend.'
"Hey, are you asleep?"
"No."
Rin turned over to find Okbab already looking at her. Their eyes
met in the soft glow of the nightlight.
"Why do you like me?" Okbab asked.
Rin paused, thinking over her answer. Finally, she said, "Besides being
pretty? I love everything about you. You're smart, passionate about your
work, and you've got your life together."
Okbab didn't reply, just smiled in response.
"What about you? Why do you like me?"
Okbab, again, didn't answer. She just offered another smile that
made Rin want to place her hands on her hips, even while lying on her
side.
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"What does that smile mean, huh?"

"You tell me. You're good at imagining things, aren't you?”
Rin groaned, dropped her head onto the pillow, and flailed around
in frustration like a child throwing a tantrum in the middle of a store.
Then she crawled over and grabbed Okbab, shaking her to force an
answer out of the pretty woman. Her acts made Okbab laugh out loud.
And even though Rin didn't get the answer she was hoping for, she
did get a good night kiss that melted away all the anxiety in her head.
"Better than I imagined," Rin murmured.

The next morning, Okbab got up early to rearrange the room,

making space so Rin could work comfortably while staying over.
"Give me some encouragement," Rin said, stretching her arms wide
after placing her coffee on her new temporary work desk.
"Finish your task first, then I'll give you a hug," Okbab bargained,
gently pressing Rin down into the chair before walking off to take care
of other things. Rin was left to wrinkle her nose in annoyance at the
work ahead of her, but Okbab soon circled back and hugged her from
behind.
"Here. You've got this."
Rin beamed, but she was never the type to stop at just a little. She
poked her cheek, hinting, 'Right here too.' And Okbab didn't hesitate.
She planted a kiss on Rin's cheek, a gesture that energized her more than
ten cups of coffee. "With motivation like this, I could work all day and
night!"

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The girl dove into her task with lively enthusiasm, while Okbab
stayed close, offering drinks, snacks, and anything Rin might need to
stay focused and comfortable. It took longer than they'd expected, but the
house design Rin finally put together was beautiful.
Okbab looked at it with quiet pride, fully confident that this project
would take them far.
"Great job, Rin."
Okbab reached out to gently stroke Rin's head while the younger
girl was still seated at her desk. But Rin didn't say anything in return.
After proudly showing off her workjust moments ago, she had dozed off,
her head drooping with sleep.
Okbab smiled fondly at the sight.
Then she glanced back down at the sketch on the table, lost in
thought.

"This is our first model. From here on, I want everyone to push
forward with the remaining work and be fully prepared for the pitch with
Mr. Rain."
Everyone in the meeting room stared at the 3D model displayed on
the screen with their own thoughts, but one thing they all agreed on—
including Auntie Jum, the cleaning lady who came in to serve drinks—
was that the house was stunning.

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"I believe that with all of us working together, we'll definitely beat
Mind Space. Let's do our best," Pat encouraged, and his words sparked a
wave of energy and hope throughout the room. Everyone began to nod,
looking ready to dive back into the project ... Everyone, except Tertis,
who looked visibly uneasy after hearing the name 'Mind Space.'
On the other side, her girlfriend was facing her own moment of
discomfort. Mind had just finished scolding her over a design that clearly
hadn't met expectations.
"This isn't what we discussed. Didn't you follow my feedback at
all?" Mind flipped through the house plans, her brows deeply furrowed.
"I'm sorry, Miss Mind."
"Where exactly did you get stuck? Just tell me directly so we can
fix it together."
Vee lowered her head, full of guilt. "If I'm being completely honest,
I didn't have enough time to give this my all. I'm still managing the resort
project too, and there are issues going on over there ... "
Mind didn't scold her further. She only frowned harder, puzzled as
to why Vee was still working on that resort. She had already reassigned
the project to another team. Either something had gone wrong ... or
someone had ignored her instructions from the start.
"Mind, I need to talk to you ... You, out." Thee strode into the
office and gave Vee a nod toward the door. Once Vee agreed and left, he
turned to study his partner's face.
"You look tense. Trouble with Vee's work?"
"Let's just say it's not what I hoped for."
"Good. That's exactly what I came to talk about ... I want to change
the team handling Mr. Rain's house."
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Mind raised an eyebrow. From the beginning, Thee had insisted

Vee lead the project, even pulling her in despite the fact that she already
had other work on her plate. "Why the sudden change?"
"If her team can't deliver what we need, we should give it to
someone who can."
"But we don't have much time left. With a sudden handover, will
we get everything done in time? And will the new team be able to handle
the pressure?"
Thee didn't answer. Instead, he handed her his iPad. Mind looked at
the design in it and was stunned.
"How's the work from the backup team I arranged?"
"The concept is great," Mind nodded in appreciation. "From what I
know, both Mr. Rain and Mrs. Mink love Japanese design. With a little
more refinement, this could work... When did you assign this team to
start?"
"Does it matter? What's important is, do you agree to let them take
over?"
It wasn't really a question. Thee was pressing her to say yes.
Mind looked at the external hard drive he set down on her desk,
uneasy in a way she couldn't explain. But she didn't seem to have any
choice but to nod her agreement.
Thee seemed satisfied. After discussing a few more work details,
he went to inform Vee himself.
"Vee, from now on, you don't need to manage Mr. Rain's project.
Mind just wants you to help oversee this work for now, then hand
everything over to the new team later."

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Vee looked stunned. Her face fell. "It's because I didn't do a good
job, isn't it? That's why I'm being pulled off the project."
"Not at all. Mind just wants you to focus on the resort again. Don't
take it the wrong way. You've done well," Thee replied calmly before
excusing himself to attend another meeting. That made Vee let out a long
sigh.
She was disappointed, but more than that, she was relieved. No
longer being responsible for Rain's house felt like a weight had been
lifted off her chest. She could finally breathe again.
That evening, with more time on her hands, Vee left the office
early to pick up her girlfriend. When Tertis got in the car, she
immediately noticed something different in Vee's expression.
"P’Vee, is everything okay?"
"I'm off Mr. Rain's project. Once the handover is done, I'll be back
on the resort project full-time," Vee said with a broad smile.
Tertis went silent, unsure how to feel.
"You're not happy?" Vee raised her brows at her girlfriend's
reaction.
"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?" Tertis finally let out a sigh
of relief. "I'm glad you get to go back to doing the work you really want
to do."
The two leaned in for a tight hug, sharing the moment of happiness
together. But just as they were pulling apart and preparing to drive off,
both of them jumped in surprise. Someone was leaning over the car,
hands on the hood, peering through the windshield with a shocked
expression.
It was Yong.
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"…"
"…"
Tertis and Vee sat side by side with discomfort. Across from them
sat Yong, plucking vegetables into a hotpot.
Tertis was the first to break the silence. "P’Yong ... why are we
sitting here, exactly?"
"Because this is going to be a long story. Hold on, let me add the
basil first."
"…"
"…"
"Alright, go on. Start talking. I want a clear answer from both of
you today."
"Why do I have to tell you anything?" Tertis kept resisting, still
hoping to find a way out of this without having to explain anything to
Yong. But when the man raised a brow and asked, "Or should I start
calling everyone in the office, beginning with Miss Okbab?" the girl
instantly hung her head.
"Fine, I'll talk ... "
She turned to look at Vee, silently asking for permission. Her
partner didn't object. At this point, they both knew it was time to tell
Yong the truth.
"P’Vee and I have been dating for over a year now. Since I first
started working at Jinta."
"We met through a dating app," Vee added. "We went out without
knowing we were working for rival firms. We just knew we were in the
same field, so we clicked right away.'
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"When I found out that Mr. Pat and Mr. Chan hated P’Vee's
company, I decided to keep it a secret to avoid drama. P’Vee did the
same."
Yong leaned back and crossed his arms, listening with a conflicted
expression. "So you're saying this won't be a problem? Even though
you're both competing for the same pitch now?"
"You don't need to worry about that. I'm no longer handling that
project. I can promise you."
"And how can I be sure of that? Anyone can say the words, Miss
Vee."
"P’Vee isn't lying."
"Of course, you'd say that. You're her girlfriend."
"I'm not just siding with her. I trust her ... What else can I do?
That's how love works. If you've ever been in love, you'd understand."
" ... "Yong fell silent for a good while. The quiet dragged on long
enough to make both women uneasy. They glanced at each other in
confusion, and when Yong wiped sudden tears from his eyes, neither of
the girls knew what to think.
"Um ... are you okay?" Tertis asked. Her question could mean more
than one thing.
"It just reminded me of my own experience. I went through
something similar once. I matched with a girl on Tinder and later found
out she was the daughter of my mom's restaurant rival. Our love was
doomed. We were alwaysworried the other would steal recipes ... "
Vee let out a tired sigh, while Tertis could only shake her head.

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"Good afternoon. I'm Rin, representing Jinta Architect. For the

'Love makes a home' brief given by Mr. Rain and Mrs. Mink ... our team
developed and reinterpreted it into a concept called Love Life Balance. A
balance between love and living. Love ... " Rin faltered. "Um ... what
comes next again?"
The lights in the conference room dimmed just as Okbab let out a
sigh.
"Do you have the memory of a goldfish? That was quick."
"I just forgot ... Do I really have to present? Can't you or someone
else do it?"
"You designed it. No one understands it better than you. You're the
best person to present your own work."
"But it's our project, too. You helped a lot," Rin said, which made
Okbab smile.
"You've got this. Just believe in yourself."
"Then I want to be the presenter more often. It's nice when
someone's cheering me on like this."
Okbab chuckled, and her smile caused Rin to feel momentarily
light-headed …
"Have I ever told you I like your smile?"
"No. Why?"
"Because when you're just sitting there looking serious, you seem
cold and hard to approach, like you've got something on your mind. But
when you smile, you're so bright and cute ... so I want to see you smile
more often."

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"Is that so?" Okbab smiled even wider. She reached over to pinch
Rin's cheek, playful and fond. "You're more grown-up than I thought."
"Of course, I am. I'm old enough to love a beautiful woman now."
"So cheesy." Okbab wrinkled her nose in mock disgust, but she
was smiling so hard it looked like her cheeks might burst.
"With this kind of support, I'm sure we'll win." Rin beamed with
confidence.

The final pitch for Rain and Mink's vacation house project had
reached the final round. The venue was buzzing with excitement, filled
with people from the competing teams, company staff, fellow business
owners, and well-known socialites.
Among the crowd was someone who drew a lot of attention—
Phalat, an executive and owner of a renowned luxury hotel chain with
branches throughout Thailand and across Asia. He was chatting lively
with Mink.
"There are so many people here," Rin said nervously as she
scanned the room.
"Mr. Rain and Mrs. Mink probably invited their friends, too." That
was why everyone wanted to win this pitch. Or at the very least, make it
far enough to present their work. Just having the chance to show it to
potential clients could change a company's entire future.
Okbab felt the pressure, but she did her best to stay calm for the
sake of her team.
"Let's go get ready. This is our moment."

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About half an hour before presentations began, teams and staff

from each company were busy checking equipment and finalizing their
preparations. Some made time to eat or take care of personal needs.
Okbab and Tertis had just stepped out of the restroom when they
ran into Mind and Thee.
Tertis kept her head down, not daring to meet their eyes, while
Mind tried to show courtesy as a fellow competitor.
"I hope for today's pitch ... / I hope you'll accept the results fairly,"
Okbab cut in and walked off coldly, forcing Tertis to rush after her
without looking back.

"I don't know what trick Thee's team will pull today," Pat muttered
with his arms crossed, sitting in the private waiting room of Jinta
Architect as Okbab and Tertis returned.
"Screw him. Don't be scared. We just have to beat them," Chan
said boldly, though deep down he was just as anxious as the rest of the
team. All they could do was sit there, go over their work one more time,
check this and that, and wait. Wait until it was their turn to present.
Right now, only Tertis knew that it was Mind Space's turn, having
been updated by Vee.
"Hello, I'm Mind from Mind Space. Today I'll be presenting one of
our proudest home renovation projects. Our concept is ... "
"Love Life Balance."
"A life where love and daily living blend in harmony."

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"I believe a lasting relationship is one where both partners respect

each other's personal space. That's why we designed this house to suit
Mr. Rain and Mrs. Mink's lifestyle in particular. We focused on comfort,
modernity, and their personal tastes. From what we've gathered, both
Mr. Rain and Mrs. Mink have strong, cherished memories of Japan ... "
Tertis stared at the photo on stage that Vee had sent her and turned
pale in shock. "Miss Okbab! Look at this!" She rushed over, no longer
caring if she was revealing her secret in front of the whole team.
Everyone stared, wondering what was going on.
Okbab looked at the screen and gasped. The 3D render being
presented was nearly identical to Rin's design, except for a few small
differences in detail.
"That's... our design." Rin peeked in beside Okbab and became
more shocked than anyone. The rest of the room got up and crowded
around. Everyone turned to each other with a mix of reaction-stunned,
anxious, tense, and confused about how things could have ended up like
this.
How did Mind Space get their work?
"This isn't a coincidence. This is obvious plagiarism!" Chan was
the first to yell.
Panic began to spread. Their team was moments away from taking
the stage, and now this. Yong instinctively turned to look at Tertis, the
doubt and suspicion he'd long harbored about her and Vee rising to the
surface.
"They stole our work! How could they ?! " Rin shouted, lunging
toward the door like she would storm the stage, but Pat grabbed her arm
in time.

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"Calm down, Rin. If you go now, we might not be able to fix

anything." He stopped her, trying to think. But he didn't realize the one
who had already slipped out of the room wasn't Rin, still fuming and
restless. It was Okbab.
She strode down the hallway toward the presentation room. When
she saw Mind stepping out, she marched straight to her.
"You did it again!"
Mind was greatly stunned by Okbab's fury. She nodded at her team
to go ahead, then turned back to speak.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb! You stole my work. Again!"
"Stole what?"
Mind was still confused until Okbab added, "The concept, the
details-everything's the same. And now you're pretending you don't
know anything? You're just ... You're just the same as you always were.
You haven't changed at all !! " Suddenly, Mind remembered the day
Thee pressured her to switch teams and showed her a mysteriously
completed design, appearing out of nowhere like magic.
Maybe her unease had been right all along.
"I won't let you destroy my company. I'm going to fight this to the
very end!" Okbab forced the words out, frustrated. Then she turned and
rushed back to the prep room, leaving Mind standing there, dazed and
unsure what had just happened.
How had it come to this?
And how did Okbab know the two projects were alike?

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"You gave our work to your girlfriend, didn't you !? " Yong
snapped at Tertis.
"What? Are you crazy? I didn't!"
"Then how'd they get it? Who else could it be?"
"I don't know!"
"Then how did you get that photo from the stage? Who sent it to
you?"
"That's enough! Tertis, step outside," Chan cut in. He pulled Yong
aside and held him back. Tertis quickly nodded and slipped out. "Listen,
Yong. Right now, the most important thing is to handle this pitch."
"But Tertis—"
"Fix the problem in front of us first. Got it?"
Yong pressed his lips together, tried to steady himself, then slowly
nodded.

"Grandma ... "

Rin found Okbab standing at the sink in the restroom, hands on the
counter, eyes red. She had probably come in to pull herself together, but
the moment she was alone, even for just a few minutes, her tears and
emotions burst out like a dam breaking
"This feels just like the day I found out my design had been stolen
and entered into a contest."
"It's okay. Back then you were alone. But not anymore."

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Rin stepped closer and gently placed a hand on her shoulder,

slowly receiving her into a hug.
"Thanks," Okbab murmured. She allowed herself just one sob
before pulling away. Then she wiped her tears, steadied herself. "We
have to fix the project."
"Fix it?"
"Yeah."
"But ... how? We don't have time. And we have no proof to show
that Mind Space stole our design."
"I have another house model I designed. If we move fast, we might
be able to adjust it in time for the afternoon pitch."
"You designed one?" Rin asked, surprised.
"Yeah, I'll explain later. Go tell the others to get ready We're going
to need everyone's help if we want to race against thẹ clock." With that,
Okbab jogged to the elevator to grab her laptop and another external hard
drive from the car. It took her less than fifteen minutes to get back in the
room, where Rin had already gathered the entire team.
"We're switching to my house model."
"Will it be ready in time?" Pat asked seriously.
"I already worked on most of it. It's just not finished. If we all help
out, it'll be ready." Okbab nodded, giving the team her confidence.
"Yong, help with the 3D presentation. P’Chan, work on the interior.
Tertis, revise the pitching slides. Rin, help me look over the concept.
P’Pat, could you talk to Mr. Rain and Mrs. Mink? Buy us some time.
Tell them we had a tech issue if you have to. We just need a bit more
time."

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Everyone nodded without a single complaint. They rushed to their

tasks, fully focused. Luckily, it was the lunch break, and Rain agreed to
let the Jinta team present half an hour late, giving them just enough time
to fix the work and breathe.
Mind happened to catch Pat speaking to Rain and guessed
something must have gone wrong for Jinta. She went looking for Thee to
talk to him. But before she could say anything, one of Rain's friends
walked over to compliment their presentation.
"Thank you. We put our heart into that project. If you need any
help with design, let us know. Mind Space is happy to take care of it."
Thee beamed like he was the one who designed it.
Mind looked at him, finding it hard to believe.

Okbab stepped onto the stage, despite how nervous she felt. But
when she saw her teammates below-especially Rin, who smiled up at her
with warmth in her eyes-she drew in a deep breath and managed to
steady herself, regaining both focus and confidence.
She clicked the remote. The title on the first slide appeared on the
screen, ‘Love at First Sight.’
"We've all had love at first sight, haven't we? That pure,
unforgettable kind of love. And it's not just romantic love—it can also be
the unconditional love we receive from family."
The slide changed to a house design. It looked similar to Mink's
original home, but refreshed. A few large trees and a small vegetable
garden were added outside, giving it a lush feeling.

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"The concept Love at First Sight was inspired by the memories

between Mrs. Mink and her grandmother. That's why we tried to
preserve as much of the original structure as possible. For the exterior,
we added green space and a natural atmosphere, knowing her
grandmother loved growing her own fruits and vegetables."
The presentation shifted to the interior design.
"For the inside, we focused on a warm, comforting mood. We used
wood furniture and built-ins with a Thai touch and added indoor plants to
bring greenery into different corners of the house. We wanted this to feel
like a space where you can feel close to her grandmother again every
time you step inside."
"We wanted this house to be a place of comfort. A space that
brings back the memory of someone we love, and who loves us ... That's
the heart of this home."
Okbab glanced around the room, feeling relief as the audience
responded positively. Many looked genuinely moved by the idea, even if
the revised project didn't fully match Rain and Mink's original brief of a
vacation home centered around the two of them.
But they'd pulled through. And even better, the response exceeded
their expectations.
"Who is that girl? She nailed it!" Chan shouted, practically
bouncing with excitement when they got back to the prep room.
"You were amazing. We got through that because of you," Pat
added.
"No, it's because we worked together. Thank you, everyone."
Okbab bowed as her teammates clapped in support. Rin clapped loudest,
giving her two thumbs up with the brightest grin.

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"You're the best, beautiful!"

But their relief didn't last long. After Rain and Mink had stepped
away for a private discussion on which firm they would choose to design
their vacation home, it was time to announce the results.
The air in the room was thick with tension. It wasn't just the
competing teams who were nervous, even friends from various industries
who had come to watch the presentations felt the tension.
"First, we want to thank everyone for your hard work and effort in
helping make our dream come true. The ideas were all wonderful. It's
been hard to choose. But the company we've decided to go with for this
renovation project is ... "
"Mind Space," Mink said, finishing her husband's sentence with a
smile.
Thee clapped loudly in triumph, barely hiding his smug grin at
having beaten Pat and Chan. But Mind didn't look the slightest bit happy
about the result.
"As P’Rain said, this was a hard choice. I actually love both houses.
They each had something I really liked. Jinta's design brought back
memories of my grandmother. Thank you so much for that. As for Mind
Space's house, it gave me something new. Even though it's the same
house, the design makes me want to start a new life there with P’Rain. I
think it's the one that best fits the both of us. "
The decision hit the Jinta Architect team hard. If it hadn't been for
the dirty play, the win would have undoubtedly gone to them.

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"Damn it. Everything we worked for was ruined by that jerk Thee.
Does anyone know a hitman? I'll pay to have him taken out!" Chan
exploded, his face red.
"Oh please. Would you even have money to hire one right now?"
Pat sighed.
"No, but I've got enough to take everyone out for drinks... Come
on."
"Wait a moment," someone called out just as they were about to
step into the elevator.
"Mr. Rain ... Is something the matter?"
"Do you have a minute? There's someone who'd like to meet your
team. This is Phalat, a friend of mine and owner of The Eraside hotel
group."
Everyone was caught off guard and quickly greeted him with polite
bows.
"Hello. I really liked your presentation. So ... I wanted to ask if
you'd be interested in pitching for a new hotel project under The Eraside
brand."
Their surprise turned into stunned silence.
"You'd like us to join your pitching, competing with other firms?"
Pat asked, unsure if he'd understood correctly.
"Yes. About ten firms have agreed to join, including Mind Space.
But the deadline might be a little tight for your team. I'm not sure if
you'd be interested... "

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"Of course, we are. Jinta Architect would be honored to take part,"

Okbab answered firmly without hesitation. She knew everyone felt the
same way. This was their second chance, and they weren't going to let it
slip away.
"Perfect! Let's talk about the details soon."
Pat quickly exchanged business cards with Phalat before he and
Rain took their leave. But Rain turned back to offer the team one last bit
of encouragement.
"You didn't lose today. I really did love your work. I hope you can
win over Phalat the same way you won over me ... I'll be rooting for
you."

"P’Thee, do you have a moment to talk?"

Mind approached her business partner in his office. He had spent
the entire afternoon avoiding her, off celebrating with the team.
"What is it?" His cheerful mood quickly vanished as he caught the
seriousness in her expression.
"The house plans you had me work on. They were from Jinta,
weren't they?"
"They were part of our team's materials."
She knew that wasn't true.
"I know you can't stand that company. But did you really have to
go this far?"

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"This is our win. And we got it because you perfected the work.
And now we've secured Mr. Rain's side for more future projects. Isn't
that something to be proud of?"
The way he brushed it all off without a hint of guilt, without even
the pride of having done the work himself, left her speechless. She
couldn't believe she had never seen this side of him before.
Mind saw no point in wasting her breath. She let him walk out and
end the conversation himself.

"Grandma ... are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Okbab replied as she drove. Rin kept glancing over,
clearly still worried. But she knew the girl could sense she wasn't really
'okay,' so she added, "Thanks, Rin ... There's just a lot on my mind. What
Mind Space did, and now the hotel project with Mr. Phalat."
The silence that followed hung for a while until Rin spoke again,
trying to change the subject.
"Well, since we've got time, want to go somewhere?"
"Where did you have in mind?"
"Your place ... maybe?" Rin teased.
"Sure, but there's nothing to eat."
"No problem. I'll order in. Whatever you want, I'll take care of it."
In the end, they chose to order a cheeseboard to go with the port
wine Okbab kept in her apartment. They snacked as they planned their
next steps.

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"So ... are you really okay with going up against Mind Space again
for Mr. Phalat's project? I mean, we'll have to face those people all over
again.'
"Not really. But if I avoid it ... what feelings P’Mind left behind
will keep haunting me. I'll never move on, and neither will the
company." Okbab let out a pained sigh and looked at Rin. "But I believe
if I have you, and everyone at Jinta, we'll get through this."
"I haven't forgotten what I promised you. That I'd help you win. I
still mean it. Believe in me."
Okbab smiled, never once doubting Rin's determination "I do." She
reached out and gave the girl's cheek a gentle pinch, then let her hand
slip down to hold Rin's loosely.
"By the way ... when did you secretly start working on that house
design for Mr. Rain?"
"The night you finished your work and passed out."
"What? How?"
"I stood there looking at your work for a while, and it sparked
something. I wanted to draw again ... So while you were asleep, I took
the chance to sketch, and every night I had some free time, I kept
building it into a 3D model."
"And you never said a word?"
"I just wanted to do it for fun, not planning to show it to anyone ... I
did it simply because I wanted to. Your work made me want to draw
again."
Rin beamed so wide it looked like her smile might split her face.
She felt proud, touched, and deeply moved that her own work had
sparked something in Okbab... the person she admired most.
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"I'm glad you've found your way back to what you love."
"This time, I'll prove that Jinta can do it. We can win without
cheating or dirty tricks. And even if we lose, we'll lose in a way that
makes everyone question why we didn't win."
"That's why I love you." Rin said it truthfully from her heart.
It stung a little to admit, but Mind was right about one thing. Okbab
always knew exactly what she wanted and where she aimed to be. That
clarity helped her think and decide without hesitation.
"What about you? Do you have any feelings for me yet? If you do,
please let me know. I don't want to keep guessing on my own."
Okbab stayed quiet long enough that Rin started to panic, but then
she answered with her words and her acts. She leaned in until their
foreheads touched, the tips of their noses brushing together. "Of course, I
do." The young woman set her wine glass down and gently cupped Rin's
face.
"I love you too, Rin."
The voice at the end of the sentence faded away as their lips met,
pressed close and sealed tightly, as close as two people could share
sweetness and warmth from their bodies with each other.

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Chapter 7 Again

Book：Love Design
Writer：THEK34
Release：1 September 2025
Copy：EarEarZz

"Wake up, Rin."

Okbab gently called the girl who was still snuggled under the
blanket, one arm thrown over her like she had no worries in the world.
"It's getting late."
No response from the younger girl, who kept her eyes closed,
pretending to sleep. That was until Okbab used her special tactic-a series
of loud kisses on Rin's cheek, followed by a call, "Wake up, wake up. I
know you're faking." In the end, Rin gave in, slowly blinking open with
a smile.
"Busted."
"You little rascal ... I'm going to shower now." Okbab started to
pull away to get herself ready after successfully waking the girl up. But
Rin caught her arm.
"Wait ... what's our status now?"
"What kind of question is that?" Okbab smiled fondly. "We're
girlfriends. Since the day you asked."
"What if people find out?"

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"Let them. They can say what they want. It's not like they're in this
relationship with us."
Hearing it, Rin beamed. She agreed with every word of her
girlfriend. So when they arrived at the office holding hands, both in good
spirits, they didn't pay the slightest attention to the whispers. Whatever
people might say of gossip, it didn't matter to them at all.
Because this was between the two of them.
Okbab wasn't bothered by the attention drawn to how close she was
Rin was. She simply called everyone into a meeting, signaling that she
was officially ready to work.
"I've called this meeting because we've confirmed that our firm will
be pitching for Mr. Phalat's hotel project. I know it's the biggest one
we've ever taken on, and that can be intimidating, but this is also a
chance to show what we're really capable of ... I believe we can turn
things around this time and find a way to beat Mind Space, without
letting what happened before happen again."
Yong glanced uneasily at the empty seat where Tertis usually sat.
She had taken the day off.
"What about the mole?"
"I don't think we have a mole. I believe in our team.
I don't want us second-guessing each other," Pat was the one to
answer.
"Yeah, we've been through too much together," Chan added.
Still, despite the reassurances, Yong couldn't shake his doubts.

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"Why are you giving me money, Mr. Thee? I wasn't the one who
gave you the house design ... " Tertis stared at the envelope full of cash,
completely confused.
"Just take it. It's an advance. I want you to keep working on this."
She fell silent, torn between unease and hesitation.
"Don't you want your own place?" Thee pressed. That made her
accept the envelope.
"But... who gave you the design of Mr. Rain's house?"
"You don't need to know that. Just focus on doing your part well."

"Do you really believe there's no mole in our team?" Okbab pulled
her brothers aside for a private talk.
"Not completely. But we don't want everyone to start getting
suspicious. Second-guessing one another will only make it harder to
work together," Pat answered.
"Do you have anyone in mind?"
The two men exchanged looks and nodded.
"Who?"
"We don't want to point fingers unless we're absolutely sure. For
now, just focus on Mr. Phalat's project. Leave the mole to me and Pat."
Chan reassured his sister, knowing that he and his older brother had
already laid out a plan to expose the mole.

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"What made you bring me to this place? It's ... fancy."

"Exactly. That's why I brought you here." The girl gave a sweet
smile. "My treat today."
Vee didn't want to spoil her girlfriend's mood, so she stayed quiet,
until she slipped the menu open and saw the prices. Her eyes widened,
and a chill ran down her spine.
"This place is really expensive. Maybe we should go somewhere
else."
"No need. I can pay. I kind of want to spend it all anyway."
Vee frowned. She had never seen Tertis talk about money or spend
it this carelessly before. "What do you mean?"
"Did you know that the design which won Mr. Rain's pitch, the one
from your company, was actually taken from mine?"
"What? Really?" Vee was in shock. "I had no idea. Why didn't you
tell me back then? ... And how did you even find out?"
"It was from the image you sent me on the day of the pitch. There
was a 3D floor plan on the screen. It was almost identical to Rin's
design."
"What? That was Jinta's design?" Vee looked even more stunned
and confused. "I didn't have anything to do with that project after Mr.
Thee brought in a new team. Are you serious?"
Tertis pressed her lips together. The cheerful smile from earlier
faded, replaced by a clear signs of stress and discomfort on her face. The
weight of her secret was finally too much to hold, so she confessed.
"And ... Mr. Thee also hired me to spy on Jinta and report back to Mind
Space."

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Vee froze. She had never expected the person she loved to do
something like that. "What?"
"I never wanted to do it, P’Vee. I felt awful the whole time."
"Was it because of the money, Tertis?" Her voice was full of
disappointment, not just in the girl for making wrong choices but also in
herself for not being able to take better of her.
If only she hadn't been buried in family debt ...
"I just wanted to help us out. I wanted to ease your burden ... "
"Oh, Tertis ... " Vee let out a weary breath. "But I never wanted
money that came from something like this."
"I know ... That's why I never did it. I didn't hand over the plan to
Mind Space."
"Then how are you going to prove it? Not just to me, but to
everyone else once they find out. Especially now that you take me to eat
at a fancy place like this ... where would you even get the money
unless ... "
Before Vee could finish her sentence, she jumped in surprise. Two
men suddenly joined her and her girlfriend at the table, uninvited.

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Okbab and Rin had arrived at The Eraside hotel branch by Chao
Phraya River to discuss project details with Mr. Phalat. After receiving
their visitor badges and access cards, they headed into the elevator to the
nineteenth floor.
"I'm nervous," Rin murmured.
"It's just a briefing. We'll be fine."
"You're not nervous at all? A project this big?"
"I've got Professor Rin with me. What's there to be scared of?"
Okbab smiled just as the elevator doors opened again without moving a
single floor.
Mind and Thee stepped inside. Both parties were startled at the
unexpected encounter until Thee spoke first, smiling.
"Wow. I didn't think we'd be running into you on this project too."
"Yes," Okbab replied, also smiling. "Looks like we'll be seeing a lot of
each other from now on."
"Well then, here's to another exciting round of competition."
"Of course. And you don't need to worry—we don't play dirty."
Her words landed with sharp precision. Thee nearly lost his
composure. During the entire elevator ride, Okbab never once glanced at
Mind. Rin, on the other hand, stared at her the whole time, burning with
resentment. It made Mind visibly uncomfortable all the way to the
nineteenth floor.
'Forward-thinking. Modern. Stylish.' These were the keywords Mr.
Phalat presented on the large screen once everyone was settled in the
conference room.

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"I want the new branch of The Eraside to be a modern, future-

facing hotel with its own unique style. But it must still keep the unique
identity of The Eraside brand, a five-star hotel that always delivers a
perfect experience and lasting impressions to every guest."

The atmosphere at Jinta Architect right now was not suited for
working or for doing anything actually. No matter where one moved,
there were whispers, theories, and rumors circling in hushed voices. The
conspiracy theory about the salt turning into the worm that caused Jinta
to lose the renovation project for Mr. Rain's house spread throughout the
company. It created a toxic environment that wore down everyone's
mental health and, most importantly, seriously affected the progress of
the work.
"Alright, that's enough. Let's clear the air." Pat clapped his hands to
get everyone's attention as they gathered in the main hall to brainstorm
ideas for The Eraside project. "Everyone's been on edge, and I'm
guessing it's because we're all worried there's a mole, right?"
No one spoke up, but their worried expressions said enough.
"Everyone, Jinta was built on heart and mutual understanding,"
Okbab reminded them. Chan stepped in to back her up
"That's right. So think about this with your heart. Could someone
you've worked alongside for years, through all kinds of ups and downs,
really be a mold ... betraying the company and everyone in it?"
Some of them exchanged looks, especially Yong, who couldn't stop
thinking about Tertis. But Okbab noticed that both of her brothers
seemed oddly at ease today, even confident. They clearly didn't believe
the mole was someone on their team.
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"So why are we meeting here?" Okbab asked after Pat and Chan
had invited her and Rin to a meeting outside the office. They ended up at
Prim's café, Koffee Club, a quiet spot perfect for private conversations.
"You'll see. Let's wait for the others."
"Others?"
That's when Tertis and Vee walked in, hand in hand, and sat down
with them. Rin and Okbab were so shocked they looked like they might
rub their eyes just to make sure they weren't seeing things.
"You two are ... " Okbab tried to guess based on how close they
looked. "A couple?"
"Yes, Miss Okbab. We've been together for years," Vee said.
"Wha—Wait, that copied floor plan ... was that you?"
Rin's voice shot up in disbelief. Tertis frantically waved her hands in
denial and turned to Chan for backup.
"Here's the deal. Thee hired Tertis to leak company info to him.”
"What !!! "
"How long have you known?" Okbab crossed her arms, her
expression tense.
"We started suspecting it from the beginning. Tertis was acting a
little strange," Pat answered, speaking as the team lead who had to
communicate with his secretary every day. There was no way he
wouldn't notice something off about Tertis. "So the two of us decided to
call her in for a talk."

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Even before they knew what she was dealing with, Chan and Pat
had offered to help. That was when the girl burst into tears and finally
admitted Thee had approached her, though she hadn't accepted anything
yet.
"I told her to take Thee's offer."
"Because if she didn't, we'd never know who Thee would go to
next. I wanted her to act as a double agent and report back everything he
asked her to do. That way he'd be wasting his money, and we'd give her a
bonus on top."
Okbab looked stunned. Then she raised her voice at her brother.
"So you're saying we lost Mr. Rain's project pitch because of you two
and your plan?"
"Hey, calm down," Chan quickly held up his hands. "That had
nothing to do with Tertis. She didn't do it. Thee has another mole in the
company."
Vee had stayed quiet all this time but now lowered her head in
disappointment. "I never imagined Mr. Thee would go this low."
"Do you know who the other mole is yet?" Rin asked.
"We do. We're just missing proof. But we're about to catch them
red-handed."
Everyone wondered how they could possibly pull that off. Even
Prim and Jate, who were helping serve drinks that day, leaned in with
curiosity.

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"That's enough for today. We'll pick up again tomorrow."

Okbab glanced at her watch and called it for the night. Everyone
responded. One staff member posted the printed hotel model onto the
board as the final task. Yong and Tertis packed up their things. Rin saved
her files, shut down her computer, and hurried after Okbab.
But she must have been in too much of a rush, because she
accidentally left her external hard drive out in plain sight on the table.
Someone who had been quietly watching seized the chance. They
snapped a photo of the model on the board, then slipped the external hard
drive into their bag before hurrying out of the office, completely unaware
that everyone was already waiting at the exit.
It was Auntie Jum ... the company's trusted cleaning lady.
"Why don't we have a little talk,"Pat said to the mole, whose face
had gone pale like she'd just seen a ghost.
That night, everyone gathered again in the meeting room to review
the latest security camera footage they had deliberately set up. On the
screen was Auntie Jum's exact movement, and with the evidence in her
bag, there was nothing she could say to deny it. Any excuse would only
make things worse.
"Do you want to explain anything to us?" Pat asked.
Auntie Jum lowered her head, lips pressed tight, caught between
fear and guilt. Finally, she confessed in a trembling voice. "Mr. Thee
asked me to take pictures of everything Jinta was working on and send
them to him. I didn't know what was what. My job was just to send the
pictures. Then he told me to grab that square thingy connected to the
computer too ... I ... I really needed the money."

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She needed it for her granddaughter, who had been raised by her
since she was small and was now suffering from a serious illness. Her
salary as a cleaner wasn't nearly enough to cover the medical expenses.
When someone offered her a big payment, she accepted without thinking
about anything else.
"I get that you were struggling. But what you did ended up hurting
all of us," Rin said, disheartened. She couldn't bring herself to be angry
at Auntie Jum. The real villain that deserved hatred was Thee, who
preyed on people's desperation.
"I'm sorry, Rin, Miss Okbab ... Please don't report me. If I go to jail,
my granddaughter will have no one left."
Okbab let out a deep sigh. As much as she sympathized,
forgiveness wasn't so easy. She looked at her brothers instead, letting
them decide since Pat and Chan had been handling this matter from the
very beginning.
"Here's what we'll do. You take that square thing to Thee like you
were told. But you cannot let him find out you've been caught. Just keep
playing along. If you can do that, we'll let this go ... Sounds good to
you?"
Auntie Jum was confused for a moment. But if all she had to do
was follow instructions and they wouldn't press charges, she considered
it extremely generous. She quickly nodded in agreement. And a few days
later, the external hard drive Rin had "accidentally" left behind, along
with the model photo, ended up in Thee's hands.
He grinned with satisfaction. Once again, he was ready to crush
Jinta Architect into the ground.
He brought the draft hotel model straight to Mind.
"You want me to work from this?"
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"Yes. But make it more luxurious. This still isn't high- end enough
for The Eraside."
"And where did you get this from? Is it from Jinta again?" Mind
stared at him, but he didn't flinch.
"Don't ask. We've already talked about this. Just do what I said."

"Sorry I didn't give you all a heads-up, but we're switching to a

new draft and going with this idea instead. Rin and I have made some
progress already. We'll need help from the rest of you to finish."
"So we're tossing away the first design?" Yong asked,
raising a hand.
"Not exactly. Think of it as bait for Mind Space. If they want to
cheat, let them take it," Okbab replied with a light smile. "I know it's
going to be tough these next few weeks, but you'll all be getting an extra
year-end bonus. Let's give this pitch everything we've got."
Everyone responded with fresh energy and strong spirit. The dark
could of suspicion among colleagues vanished once the mole issue was
settled. Because of this, all teams worked together efficiently-the
research unit, the structural architects, and the interior designers. Over
the next month, the work steadily took shape, even finishing ahead of
schedule.
"Alright, that's it for today. We'll finish the rest tomorrow.
Everyone did a great job." Okbab saw how tired the team looked, yet no
one had slacked off, so she let them all leave early.

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"Thanks, but I have a serious question to ask. I think everyone's

been wondering for months now." It was Yong, the one who always had
questions.
"What is it?"
"You and Rin ... what exactly is your relationship?"
Okbab raised an eyebrow. "We're dating ... Why? You really
couldn't tell?" She answered casually, without second thought, and that
made everyone cheer. They'd guessed right all along.
"I told you Miss Okbab wouldn't hide it. Pay up, P’Yong."
"Uh ... let me wait until payday, okay?" Yong laughed awkwardly,
then quickly grabbed his things and took off running. Tertis, who must
have bet against him, dashed after him, leaving Okbab and Rin watching
them with an exasperated look.
"What should we eat today? I'll cook something for you." Okbab
turned to Rin to change the subject. They had just stepped out of the
building, heading to a car.
"Hm ... not sure ... " Rin clung to her arm like sticky candy,
pretending to think. When she couldn't come up with anything, she
puffed out her cheeks and leaned them toward her partner. "Give me a
boost of energy first."
Okbab poked the puffed cheek until it deflated. "Energy boost,
done. That means I get to make you work more tonight."
"Hey, no fair. I'm tired. I'm just gonna go home and cuddle my
gorgeous girlfriend instead."
"Okbab." Rang the voice they hadn't expected to hear in front of
Jinta Architect. They hadn't noticed Mind was waiting there. "Can we
talk for a bit?"
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Rin clutched Okbab's arm tightly. Neither of them answered. They

walked straight to the car, acting as if Mind was nothing but thin air. But
then she called out. "Don't you want to know why I took your work ten
years ago?" And that made Okbab stop.
"I want to tell you everything... Will you please hear me out?"
The young woman glanced at Rin, as if to tell her it's alright. "Just
a moment. I want to end this once and for all."
Rin didn't look happy about it, but when she saw the determination
in Okbab's eyes, she nodded and released her arm, letting her go off to
talk to Mind in private.
"First, I want to ask you about Mr. Rain's pitch," Okbab began with
her question. "Why would you go that far again?"
"It was P’Thee who gave me the draft and told me to continue the
work. I honestly didn't know. I'm sorry." Mind answered with genuine
remorse. Okbab didn't reply, just gestured for her to keep going with her
explanation.
"My mom was a mistress in a Chinese household. I was the
daughter my father didn't want. But somehow, I ended up the only
daughter everyone pressured to care for him when he was sick," she
began, recalling a bitter, uncomfortable memory
Taking care of a patient alone is never easy. It never was, and it
never will be. Especially one who can barely help himself and always
believes he's right.

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"I was studying, working, and taking care of my dad all at once.
One day I saw a poster for a student architecture competition. It said the
winner would get a full scholarship to study abroad. I wanted to win. I
wanted to prove to my father that the daughter he treated like a servant
had talent too ... Maybe then he'd accept me. So when I saw that
opportunity right in front of me, I grabbed it quickly."
But fate wasn't on Mind's side at that time. The time and focus she
should have devoted to the competition were taken away because her
father started choking and coughing up blood. What followed was a
chaotic crisis due to his critical condition and the many hospital
procedures. It drained all her physical strength, mental energy, and
thoughts completely. Before she knew it, the submission deadline was
closing in fast.
"I was completely out of options. Then I saw the drawing you'd
made. It was beautiful, like something I couldn't possibly match at the
time. The thought crossed my mind that it might be my last chance, so I
used your work ... I knew it was wrong. I knew I had no excuse. I was
being selfish."
Okbab listened, stunned. She was still angry, but also confused.
"Why didn't you tell me back then?"
"I couldn't face you ... I was ashamed."
"No. If you had told me, I might've helped. I might've even given
you the work without any fuss. We wouldn't have ended up hating each
other like this every day."
"Okbab ... I'm sorry." Mind felt pain, regret, and deep sorrow. She
shouldn't have done what she did. "If I had done the right thing that
day ... if I have told you first ... maybe we'd still be together now, right? "

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"That's just wishful thinking." Okbab shook her head. "We're not
the same anymore. And there's no way to go back and change it."
" ... "
"You once said we never really broke up, right? So let me make it
clear now. We're done ... I don't love you anymore."
Mind stood frozen. She wanted to say something, to hold on, but
there was nothing left to ask for.
"As for Mr. Phalat's project, let's compete fair and square. I want to
see the Mind I once admired again."
This pitch was even more packed than Mr. Rain's project. The
energy in the room was a mix of anxiety and excitement, though no one
seemed as anxious as the Jinta Architect team, who were facing the
biggest job of their careers.
"Alright, everyone. Deep breaths. No need to panic." Chan tried to
encourage the group, though he didn't look like the most encouraging
person himself.
"Talk to yourself, man. Look at you. Your knees are shaking."
Watching the brothers bicker put everyone in a lighter mood. The
team chuckled as they made their way into the event hall.
"Welcome, everyone. First of all, I would like to thank all eleven
firms joining us to present your hotel designs for our new project of The
Eraside hotel chain. Thank you." Mr. Phalat opened the event himself,
with a box already onstage, ready for the draw. "We'll draw lots to
decide the presentation order."
One by one, the company representatives walked up and reached
into the box.

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Mind Space drew number 6. Jinta Architect drew number 7.

"This time we're really competing," Mind said as she followed
Okbab down from the stage. But it was Rin who answered, already
waiting at the bottom.
She looked Mind straight in the eye, her gaze steady.
"You're not just up against P’Okbab. I'm in this too."
Mind returned the look with a quiet confidence of her own, one that
showed she had no intention of losing.

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Chapter 8 Final Draft

Book：Love Design
Writer：THEK34
Release：1 September 2025
Copy：EarEarZz

Mind was welcomed on stage with loud applause. Even the other
companies pitching today showed her respect as a talented professional
who had found success from a young age.
Her eyes met with those of Okbab, who was sitting below the stage,
then she began her presentation with focused energy.
The presentation slide appeared on the screen behind her. "Hello,
I'm Mind from Mind Space," she introduced herself briefly, then jumped
straight into the content. "It's undeniable that in this day and age,
technology plays a major role in our daily lives. Today, we would like to
present the concept of a Smart Hotel to meet the evolving lifestyle
shaped by technology."
The screen changed to a 3D image of the hotel model, its exterior
sleek and luxurious, from the front façade to the signage.
"This is a hotel that gathers the technology of the future to offer
guests ultimate convenience while preserving the unique elegance and
signature luxury of The Eraside."
A new slide showed the interior of the lobby, featuring self-check-
in kiosks blending seamlessly into the design. AI robots and cleaning
bots could also be seen stationed at various points.
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Nearly everyone, including Phalat, seemed intrigued by the idea.

The only one visibly startled was Thee.
That was because it was not the design they had agreed on.
Even the Jinta Architect team appeared surprised.
"Grandma ... They're not using the design we gave them," Rin
whispered, but Okbab gave no reply, only kept watching the woman on
stage with growing concern.
"In an era where everyone values privacy, The Eraside will operate
with fewer staff while still being able to meet every need of the guests
around the clock. This aligns with the lifestyle of the new generation
who will become our future customers."
The screen displayed a full overview of both the exterior and
interior design, futuristic like a scene from a sci-fi film, yet still complete
with the elegance of The Eraside. The majority of the judges showed
clear appreciation for Mind's work.
Thee, on the other hand, neither admired nor approved. Instead, he
dragged his partner to a corner outside the pitching hall during the break,
visibly frustrated.
"Why didn't you use the design I gave you?"
"I simply did what was right and what's best for our company."
"You—"
Before he could let out any curse, one of the attendees walked over
to directly compliment Mind's presentation, smiling.
"That was a brilliant design. I really like your work."

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"Thank you so much," Mind returned the smile and gave a

respectful bow. She then continued the conversation with the guest,
using the opportunity to avoid Thee, who could only suppress his
frustration.
"Wow. I never thought someone like you could actually play fair
for once." Pat, seeing his rival standing there fuming alone after Mind
had taken the potential new client elsewhere for a private talk, didn't
waste time. He walked past and threw out a jab just to get on his nerves.
"Seriously. I'm weirdly proud," Chan chimed in, and both brothers
walked off laughing, leaving Thee boiling inside, too slow to come up
with a comeback.

"That was really her work."

"What do you think?"
"Part of me is happy to see her finally show what she can really do.
She didn't use our design or anyone else's. But another part is worried
because P’Mind is incredibly skilled. If she's serious, she won't be easy
to beat."
"Hey. Listen to me. You're just as talented, and so am I. Our whole
team worked with everything we had on this. I believe in the work we
made, and I know your mom would say the same thing too ... Come here.
Let me recharge you." Rin took both of her hands and kissed them gently,
grinning wide to cheer her up. It worked. Okbab took a deep breath and
slowly felt the tension in her chest begin to ease.
"Thanks." Okbab smiled.

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"Always," Rin gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before the two
of them walked back into the pitching room to prepare for their
presentation. This time, Rin stepped on stage with Okbab.
"Hello. I'm Okbab, and this is Rin from Jinta Architect ... When we
think about the hotel of the future, the first thing that comes to mind
might be innovation and advancement beyond the present. But for us at
Jinta Architect, the idea of the future holds endless possibilities, and this
is our version of what that future could be."
The screen displayed a 3D model of the building's exterior. Its form
resembled a compact community mall. At the center of the slide was the
concept title—Everything is Possible.
"Everything is Possible. At The Eraside, anything can happen."
Thee was still watching from the audience. He glanced between
Okbab and the screen, feeling more and more agitated. He didn't know
how to put it into words, only that there was no way he would let Jinta
walk away with this pitch without a fight.
"From our surveys and feedback from guests, as well as from those
interested in staying at The Eraside, we found that a five-star hotel is no
longer defined only by its luxury, facilities, or price. It's also about the
five stars in the hearts of its guests."
"The first star is green space and clean air. These are things people
crave more than ever in today's polluted world. Visitors don't just want to
rest. They want to experience a sense of nature, to breathe under tall
shady trees, to be free from dust and pollution. So we maximized
greenery throughout the site. Large trees were chosen to provide shade
and reduce heat. The building is also designed to take full advantage of
renewable energy sources like sunlight and wind."

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This part was the result of research done by Okbab and Rin, who
had explored parks and rooftop gardens all over Bangkok to collect data.
Rin took over the next section. "The second star is comfort and
outstanding service. From the moment guests arrive, The Eraside will
meet their needs. Especially in the guest rooms, where beauty alone isn't
enough. Every space must be functional and accessible."
This section had been Chan's responsibility. He had spent hours
testing hotel chairs, tables, sofas, and beds across the city. His key
takeaway was to never place light switches too far from the bed and to
add power outlets throughout the room.
Okbab continued seamlessly. "The third star is wellness and
happiness, or as our team calls it, Happy Wellness. We define happiness
alongside well-being. At The Eraside, this will come in the form of a
health care center inside the hotel. More than just a gym or pool for
exercise, this center is also equipped for sudden illness and unexpected
injuries."
This star was shaped by Tertis, who had observed a wide range of
guests in hotel lobbies with various medical conditions—older guests
with limited mobility, energetic children, and people with illnesses who
may require attentive care.
"Of course, wellness here doesn't mean only physical health. We
also care for mental well-being, something that affects every guest across
all age groups. Because we believe true wellness means being healthy
both in body and in mind."
"The fourth star is value. Guests expect to feel they've gotten their
money's worth. And because each group defines value differently, this
leads us to the fifth and final star—erperience. We designed this branch
of The Eraside to offer experiences guests can't find anywhere else."

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Pat had gathered input from a variety of guests—from high-society

families enjoying staycations, to businesspeople on work trips, families
with children on weekend breaks, young couples, and solo travelers
seeking quiet retreats. Their expectations and priorities were vastly
different. This affected their choice of accommodation, each seeking
something specific that meets their particular needs. It then raised the
question: how could a single hotel meet all those needs at once?
The answer was to design a community mall that could fulfill all
those different desires and be easily accessible from the hotel itself.
"And for the rooms, we designed a variety of room layouts to
accommodate the lifestyle of every valued guest. We want to build a
five-star hotel that serves people of every background, every gender, and
every age." Rin looked up at the images on screen, pride shining in her
eyes.
"We believe that when something is designed with understanding
and built on real feedback, anything is possible at The Eraside—the hotel
of the future for everyone."
Okbab closed the presentation just as applause echoed through the
hall. Among the loudest claps came from Phalat, who seemed especially
impressed with Jinta Architect's pitch.
The two bowed in thanks before almost leaping off the stage to
wrap their arms around the team who had stood cheering them on. None
of them noticed that someone who was not sharing their joy had already
begun planning something else.
Mind had caught the expression on Thee's face as he was staring at
the Jinta team. Mind felt a bad feeling deep inside ... really bad.

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Only two presentation folders were pulled from the rest, Mind
Space and Jinta Architect. Both had earned the same score, meaning the
other companies in today's pitch were no longer in the running.
And now, Phalat, the person who held the final vote, was ready to
decide.
"After long discussions, the results show that two projects tied with
the highest scores-Mind Space and Jinta Architect. I will be casting the
final vote to determine the winner."
The owner of The Eraside took the stage as side-by- side images of
both proposals were displayed on the screen behind him.
"Both teams presented impressive and unique visions of the hotel
of the future. Mind Space delivered a design that reflects the modern era,
one that is high-tech yet still beautifully expresses The Eraside's
signature elegance."
Thee smiled with relief at that, but Phalat continued. "Jinta
Architect, on the other hand, delivered a uniquely different design. It's
The Eraside in a form I had never imagined. It's filled with care and
sincerity for guests of all ages. It's a hotel that shows me what direction
the future of The Eraside could truly take."
Okbab, Rin, and everyone from Jinta held their breath, waiting
anxiously for the announcement. Their hands were slick with sweat.
"For this reason, I choose the hotel that brings warmth to its guests.
Mind Space's proposal may be lacking in this area. A hotel built entirely
on technology might not meet the needs of every guest ... For me, the
heart of a hotel is still its service, so I choose Jinta Architect as the
winner of today's pitch."

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Cheers erupted from the Jinta team. Everyone jumped and

whooped. Rin threw her arms around Okbab, nearly knocking them both
over.
"We did it, Grandma! We won!"
Applause from the entire hall drowned out every word, sweeping
them away in waves of congratulations. One of those claps came from
Mind, who had accepted her defeat and acknowledged the talent of her
competitors.
"Congratulations," Phalat said to Okbab as she stepped forward to
join him for a photo. But just a moment before she could shake hands
with their new client, a staff member hurried onto the stage and
whispered something to him. Phalat's joyful expression then shifted.
The man behind The Eraside nodded as he listened, then turned to
look at Okbab with a troubled face.
"Due to an unexpected situation, The Eraside will need to delay the
contract with the winning company while we investigate some facts
further."
This time, the joy in the hall vanished as if it had never been there.
Some fell silent, others began to whisper, while many—including Okbab
and her team-were left stunned in confusion.
It all traced back to a post made about thirty minutes ago on a
popular design gossip page called 'Architects Gossip.' The post read,
'Hot drama in the industry, folks. Word is, design company J' once
signed off on a shady construction project because the payout was fatter
than doing the work themselves. Rumor has it the firm was about to go
under, so they went the corruption route for easy money. And that's not
all- one of J's co-owners is also scandalous. They say ten years ago she
copied a competition-winning design from the CEO of another company,
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let's call it House M, and tried to pass it off in her university application
portfolio. Got caught red-handed and ran off abroad to lay low.
Tertis was the one who pulled up the post.
"They're guessing it's talking about Miss Okbab and Miss Mind ... "
Everyone read the post. Fury spread quickly across the room,
especially from Rin.
"Who the hell spreads crap like this?"
"That page is known for stirring up drama with baseless gossip,
always attacking and discrediting companies left and right. They've
already screwed over quite a few teams before," Yong said,
remembering how several peers in the industry had vented about it
online.
"Grandma ... are you okay?" Rin turned to check on her partner
when she noticed Okbab had gone completely quiet.
"I'm fine." But just one glance at her face and posture
was enough to see that she wasn't fine at all.
"Okbab. Can I talk to you for a moment?" Mind's sudden
appearance made everyone turn toward her. The two people caught in the
scandal locked eyes for a long beat before Okbab abruptly turned and
walked away.
"Okbab, I didn't post that." Mind jogged after her, but Okbab didn't
slow down, nor did she stop to listen. All she said, in a voice laced with
pain, was
"The thing I regret most in my life is getting to know someone like
you!"

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And that was the moment that made Mind take everything in and
make her final decision.

"I know that post came from you, P’Thee."

"How do you know?"
"You've used this tactic to discredit other firms before. I've known
about it for a long time. If you want to deny it, go ahead and check the
computer you used to write the post."
Thee didn't even flinch as the truth came out. He only frowned and
asked, "So what? Why are you making a fuss? Our firm isn't the one
being dragged through the mud. And if you just keep your mouth shut,
no one will ever know I was behind it."
"It's not just about whether our company takes a hit. My name is
part of this too. I don't want anyone digging into it."
"If you want to survive in this industry, you have to make sacrifices.
Do whatever it takes. If you're going to strike the snake, make sure you
kill it before it turns back and bites you. You know that rule better than
anyone."
"Enough, P’Thee !! " Mind raised her voice, furious. But the man
didn't care. He didn't care what she wanted, what she thought, or how she
felt.
"I told you from the very beginning, before we even started the
company, that this field runs in the grey. And you're the one who said
you wanted success more than anything, wanted to be respected by
everyone. So tell me, can you really say you got where you are without
giving anything up?"
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A lump rose in Mind's throat. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't

breathe. She couldn't speak. After a long silence, the final words she
would ever say to him came out at last.
"Then maybe I'm the one who was wrong. I made the wrong
decision from the start ... I'm resigning.'
"You're resigning?" Thee scoffed. But when he saw Mind turn and
walk away without once looking back, he shouted after her with
everything he had. "You don't have it in you to throw away everything
you've built, Mind !! "
"If I ever find out who runs that damn gossip page ... " Chan was
still fuming, cursing nonstop, while the rest of the team sat in the Jinta
Architect meeting room, drowning in tension.
"Is there anything we can use to prove that the work was actually
yours?" Rin turned to ask Okbab, as her brothers continued throwing
insults back and forth.
"Nothing. Even if we get the original sketch back, there's no way to
prove I was the one who drew it."
"Wait ... guys, look at this!" Tertis, who had been mindlessly
scrolling her feed, suddenly jumped up and cast her screen to the large
monitor. Everyone fell silent.
But no one would be hit harder than Thee, who was about to take
the fall of it.
He had just stormed away from his argument with Mind a few
hours ago. Now, he found himself facing Vee, who had followed him
down the hallway, holding a sealed white envelope in her hand and
wearing a black expression.

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"What? You're quitting? Planning to follow in your boss's footsteps

now? I'm not accepting your resignation."
"I am leaving. I don't agree with how you run things," Vee said, her
voice firm and clear.
"What did you just say?" Thee nearly lost it, but something about
the atmosphere had changed. Employees in the area began whispering,
glancing at him with odd looks, nudging each other and pointing at their
phone screens. Some even rushed off to peak into Mind's private office.
Thee had no idea what was going on, so he followed the crowd.
But by the time he got there, it was too late. His face turned pale the
moment he realized what his business partner was doing. No matter how
hard he pounded on the door, it wouldn't budge. Mind had locked it from
the inside.
"Regarding the rumors that have been spreading, I'd like to
tell everyone the truth. Ten years ago, there really was a conflict
between me and Miss Okbab. But the one who stole the design
wasn't her. It was me. I submitted Miss Okbab's work to a
competition as if it were my own,"
Mind said to the front camera, now live on her Instagram account.
Her face was steady with unwavering determination.
"As for that architecture gossip page that's been spreading all
rumors, it's all the work of Mr. Thee, who wanted to damage a rival
company's reputation."
"Mind !! Open this door !! "

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"On top of that, Mr. Thee used every dirty trick to sabotage
others and steal their work for himself. I've gathered enough
evidence that will leave him no room for denial, and once this live
ends, I'll be handing it over to the media. Any reporter who wants to
follow this story, please contact me directly."
"Mind !! Open the door !! What the hell do you think you're
doing !? Someone gets the spare key! Mind !! I said open this door !! "
"I know what I'm doing now can't undo the awful things I did
in the past. But I want to make things right for once. And I want to
apologize to Miss Okbab from the bottom of my heart."
Mind looked into the camera as if its lens were Okbab's eyes.
"I'm sorry ... Okbab."
She ended the live broadcast there and then, gathered the printed
documents into a folder, and walked out of the room without batting an
eye at Thee's yelling.
"What the hell did you just do ?! Do you have any idea how much
damage this could do to the company ?! "
"I'm just taking responsibility for what I did. But for what you did,
that's your business. However you want to handle it is up to you."
"Mind!" Thee grabbed her arm roughly, ready to make a scene, not
caring about the strange looks they were getting. But just then, an
employee stepped forward to inform him, looking unsure of what to do
"Um, Mr. Thee ... "
"What ?! " The young man turned and snapped without letting go
of Mind's arm.
"The board has called for an emergency meeting."

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"Tell them I'm busy!"

"But they said they need to see you now. It's urgent!" Thee
muttered a curse under his breath and finally let go of Mind's wrist. He
stormed off in a huff.
"P’Mind," Vee came over and gave her a small, encouraging smile.
"I'm really glad you're our team lead."
Mind returned the smile and touched her elbow gently in thanks,
offering quiet encouragement in return. "I'm glad I got to work with you
too."

"You're removing me ?! "

"The vote was unanimous ... so that's how it has to be," one of the
board members replied calmly.
"You're actually believing that nonsense live just now ?! I built this
company from the ground up! What right do you have to kick me out ?! "
His expression shifted from cold composure to something almost
pitying
"Miss Mind informed us before she went live and sent over the
documents for review. I truly never imagined someone like you would be
capable of something so unethical, so lacking of integrity and basic
decency toward both the profession and your peers ... If we want to
restore the reputation of Mind Space, this company can no longer be in
your hands."

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With that, the board members stood and walked out of the room, as
if they couldn't bear to share the same air with him any longer. Thee
slammed his fist onto the table with a loud bang, eyes filled with
resentment. But little did he know that this was only the beginning of
what was coming for him.
That same employee returned, holding an envelope, clearly nervous
as she stepped into the room where Thee now sat alone.
"What now ?! "
"This letter was delivered for you, sir. It's urgent."
He frowned in irritation but still snatched it from her hands, unable
to resist his curiosity. When he opened it and saw what was inside, he
was stunned into silence- first by the board's decision to remove him,
then again by the attached copy of a lawsuit under the Computer Crime
Act.
He slumped into the nearest chair ... worn out and utterly defeated.

"Everything's all set, Mr. Pat. The documents have been delivered
to Mr. Thee ... No trouble at all. If there's anything else you need, just let
me know."
Jate, now more of a Koffee Club regular than ever, hung up the call
and turned to Prim with a smile. He had volunteered to handle the legal
side of things for Jinta Architect as a favor to Rin ... the younger sister of
the woman he currently had his heart set on.
"Thank you so much for handling that."
"My pleasure."

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"Can I get you a coffee? I'll make it for you."

"Hmm ... maybe you could teach me instead? Maybe I'll apply for a
part-time barista job here someday." He said it with a hopeful tone,
wishing she'd smile at the joke.
"Sure. Come this way." Prim agreed.
Jate beamed. It felt like his years in law school were finally starting
to pay off.

"Thank you very much for trusting Jinta Architect. We'll take the
best care of your hotel, Mr. Phalat."
Okbab spoke after signing the contract with Phalat, finally putting
all the recent chaos behind her.
"I'll be counting on you."
They shook hands and posed for a photo together, surrounded by a
cheerful atmosphere, especially from the Jinta team, who were all
grinning ear to ear. It wasn't just pride they felt, but genuine joy for
sealing such a major deal.
"Everyone, hold on ... I forgot something important." Pat raised his
hand to stop them, then turned to the group following him out of the
meeting room at The Eraside Hotel. "We're not going back to the office
today. We're going out to celebrate. My treat!"
Okbab looked at Rin. Rin glanced at Tertis, who had just met
Chan's eyes. Then the whole team burst into cheers, with Yong
especially enthusiastic. "What are we waiting for? Let's go before the
boss changes his mind!"

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Rin smiled and laughed, instinctively reaching for Okbab's hand as

it stretched out to her. The two of them took long strides after the host,
faces glowing with happiness. Even when Mind reappeared, once again
interrupting the group, either of them showed any signs of displeasure
anymore, thanks to the decision Mind had made. "Congratulations ... on
Mr. Phalat's project."
Okbab gave a small nod. There was no trace of anger left.
In fact, there was nothing left at all ...
"Thank you."
"If I were to ask you to forgive me ... "
"Yes. I forgive you, P’Mind ... Our story is truly over now."
Mind felt a wave of emotion. A mix of relief and emptiness hit her
at once, as if something inside her had been knocked loose. Even so, she
smiled, and even offering that smile to Rin, too.
"So, what's going to happen next?" Okbab couldn't help but wonder.
After all, Mind coming forward to expose her partner and confess her
own wrongdoing wasn't something that could just be said and done.
There would still be consequences to follow, whether it's the clash with
Thee, who was bound to find a way to fight back with everything he had,
or the improperly obtained scholarship ... Mind might still be held
accountable for this later on.
"Whatever will be, will be," Mind replied. Despite her worries, she
was ready to face whatever came next. "After this, I plan to spend some
time abroad to reflect."
"Well, I wish you the best of luck."
The three of them exchanged smiles and a final nod as an unspoken
sign that every conflict between them had been resolved.
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"Want a hug for encouragement?" Tertis asked, barely waiting for

an answer before flinging her arms around Vee, who had been sitting
quietly in her own stressed thoughts for a while.
"A hug for someone who just lost her job?"
"Yep." The girl grinned, as if something good was about to happen,
making Vee raise an eyebrow in surprise.
"Aren't you worried? I'm unemployed now-no job, no money to
take care of you."
"That's fine. I can support one girlfriend ... Besides, I believe
someone as capable as you will get hired anywhere. They might even
fight over you. My P’Vee is amazing—" Tertis paused, suddenly struck
by a new idea. "Hey, that means you could come work with me at Jinta,
right?"
"At Jinta? Oh ... they'd never hire me."
"You haven't even applied. How would you know? You never
know until you try. And I'll keep bugging Miss Okbab until she says yes.
If she refuses, I'll threaten to quit!" Tertis's eyes sparkled as she plotted,
making Vee laugh fondly.
"That serious, huh?"
"As serious as it gets. I may be small, but I'm capable of everything.
I can handle all kinds of things." Tertis leaned in a little closer to her
girlfriend. "Isn't that right?"
"Right," Vee said, hugging her back and planting a playful kiss on
her cheek. Just like that, the weight of unemployment melted away.

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"Phew ... at last, everything's settled," Rin sighed, swinging her

girlfriend's hand as they strolled along the beachfront path just outside
Bangkok, waiting together for the sunset.
"Yeah ... thank you so much, Rin."
"For what?"
"For coming to work with me."
"That's it?" Rin teased.
"And for believing in me, helping me, supporting me ... "
"I could keep going ... "
Okbab rolled her eyes at her little teaser, then burst into laughter.
"And thank you for designing love into my life."
"Design love, huh?" Rin cooed, drawing out the words. "Sounds
wonderful." That earned her a quick pinch on the cheek
"So ... do you love this?"
"Hmm ... Of course, I do. I've always loved design," Rin replied,
flashing a bright, toothy grin.
"And what about this Okbab?"
"Do you even have to ask?" Rin lifted their joined hands to her
cheek. "This Okbab? I love her the most!"
"Well said ... Then from now on, let's keep designing this love
together, shall we?"
"Deal!"
Rin sealed the agreement with a kiss on Okbab's lips—no payment
required.

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Chapter 9 Epilogue Finale

Book：Love Design
Writer：THEK34
Release：1 September 2025
Copy：EarEarZz

One year later, Jinta Architect had the chance to expand its
operations after successfully overcoming its financial crisis and
regaining the company's credibility. With more staff and a larger office,
they were now able to take on bigger and more challenging projects.
Even so, the work atmosphere remained as united as the year
before.
Yong, now officially the team leader, walked over pretending to
gag at Tertis and Vee, who had been acting like lovebirds morning, noon,
and night ever since they started working together. They could barely
exchange three sentences about work before slipping into 'what do you
want for dinner, babe?' again.
"Ugh! I'm getting nauseous over here. This is way too much! These
two are so sweet they're seriously giving me diabetes. Isn't this affecting
work hours? I swear I'm going to report you and have Miss Aokbab ban
all this sweet couple stuff in the office!"
"Don't, P’Yong! If you do that, I'll get dragged into it too!" Rin,
passing by with her coffee, shouted back with a grimace.
"Fine! Let me be the only one left single!"

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"Then hurry up and get yourself a girlfriend already! That way you
won't have to whine about other people's love lives!" Tertis said, placing
her hands on her hips.
"Oh please, like it's that easy! Like I can just make a wish and
boom—girlfriend delivered on command. Do you know how hard they
are to come by ?! "
"Well, worst case you'll be stuck on the shelf with me," May, still
managing the accounts with her usual strictness, walked by and patted
Yong's shoulder.
"Ughhh thanks but no thanks, P’May! Don't jinx me like that!"
Yong whined, blaming his love life on fate, which got the others
laughing in sympathy, except Rin who quickly disappeared into
Aokbab's office.
"Latte's here, pretty girl." She set the cup on the desk. The foamed
heart on top of the coffee was the result of her days spent learning how
to make it from Prim.
"Cute ... Thanks, babe." Aokbab smiled, and it was like all the
weariness from work had lifted in an instant.
"I told you not to call me 'babe' at work."
"It's been over a year. Still shy?" Aokbab took a sip of her latte.
She didn't realize there was foam stuck to her lip until the one who
brought her the drink leaned in to wipe it off ... with her lips.
"You worried someone might overhear 'babe,' but you're fine
kissing me?" Aokbab narrowed her eyes.
"That wasn't a kiss. It was just a wipe," Rin said with a perfectly
innocent face.
"Don't get cocky. Back to work. Focus."
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"Then give me a little boost so I can finish everything today." The

younger girl tilted her head, offering her cheek for a quick morale boost.
But Aokbab, who had long since dropped her tough act, went for
somewhere else instead.
The exact same spot where she'd just wiped off the latte foam.
Rin's eyes squeezed shut. Heat from flushing radiated to her ears
and beyond. And when Aokbab finally pulled back with a soft mwah,
Rin quickly turned toward the door, panicked that someone might walk
in at that exact moment.
"Someone might see!" Rin protested.
"It's no different from your wipe."
"It is different! That was a kiss! A major kiss! Now my whole
mouth is a mess! What if someone catches us and complains !? "
"Who'd dare?" Aokbab wrapped an arm around Rin's waist, pulling
her in like she was about to launch another attack, making Rin squir and
pull away. But before she could get far, her pretty lady quickly chased
after her, determined to steal another kiss no matter what.
"Grandma! Stoppp!" Rin cried while fleeing. Finally, she darted
toward the door just in time, leaving Aokbab standing there with a happy
laugh, quietly marking another win in her mental scorecard as payback-
one match at a time—for all the mischief Rin had caused her since the
day they met.

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The jingle above the café door rang out, announcing a customer's
arrival. But before Prim could even finish her usual "What can I get you
today?", her brows shot up in surprise. There stood Jate—half-bold,
half—nervous—and right behind him was a huge bouquet of flowers
struggled to stay hidden.
"Please go out with me!"
He thrust the bouquet of white and pink carnations toward the café
owner, leaving her gaping and speechless for a good long moment.
"No ... "
Jate's heart sank at the first word. His hands drooped slightly with
the bouquet still in them until Prim rushed out from behind the counter,
gently caught his hands in hers, and accepted the flowers.
" ... No way I'd say no to that," she smiled.
"Oh god, I think I'm going to pass out ... Since when did you get so
good at cracking jokes?"
"I learned from you, didn't I?"
They gazed at each other bashfully. And yes ... it looked like Yong
really was the only one left single. Because on top of these two, Jinta's
eldest seemed to be catching up fast, thanks to work and to Jate the
lawyer who recently introduced him to someone ...
A stunning trans woman with the absolutely adorable nickname:
Pang.
Pat stared wide-eyed at the client Jate had introduced, captivated by
her angelic beauty. He looked at her in disbelief, barely glancing at the
house plans on his iPad.

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"I'm thinking of something like this, within this budget. Do you

think it's doable, Mr. Pat?"
He cleared his throat and finally tore his eyes from her face.
"To be completely honest, Miss Pang, with this budget, I'm afraid I
wouldn't be able to take the job. I'm really sorry."
"I'm guessing Uncle Jate might've told you that I was betrayed by a
friend and lost my business ... This is all I have now. I just want to build
a house for my parents." Pang offered him a pleading look and gently
took hold of the young man's hand. "Please help me, Mr. Pat."
The eldest of Jinta went stiff. He stuttered, the words catching in
his throat. "Um ... I-I'll talk with our design team, Miss Gorgeou—I
mean, Miss Pang."
Hearing that, Pang was delighted. She shook Pat's hand gratefully,
completely unaware of how much she had unsettled him. The young man,
on the other hand, was blushing so hard he could barely figure out where
to put his feet.
Good thing Chan wasn't there to see it as he'd once again vanished
into the wilderness, camping alone to find creative inspiration. Otherwise,
seeing his big brother in such a state, he'd be laughing so hard his teeth
would shake loose for months.
The solitary man sat sipping away his coffee, listening to birdsong
and rustling leaves in blissful peace ... until an explosive shout shattered
the calm.
"Fuuuuuck yooooooou!"
"…"
"I hope you choke on your coffee and diiiiiiie, you goddamn
assssshooooooole!"
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Chan snorted his coffee almost through his nose. Annoyed, he

turned toward the voice that had just shattered his peaceful morning with
a stream of swearing.
"I HAAAATE YOOOOUUUU, YOU HEAR MEEEE ?! "
"YES, I HEAR YOU, DAMMIT !! "
Chan shouted back after finally locating the screamer. He was a tall,
clean-cut man standing near a cliff edge. The stranger spun around,
startled.
"Shit, sorry! I didn't know anyone else was out here!"
"And what exactly possessed you to start yelling here? Even if no
one was around, you're still disturbing the animals!"
"Sorry. Really. I just ... got dumped. I wasn't thinking." The man
behind the powerful voice hung his head, weighed down with genuine
guilt.
"Got dumped?"
"Yeah. That bastard brought me all the way out here for coffee,
only to break up with me right here in the middle of the woods. He
could've done it in the city, in the car, at the mall—anywhere else! But
nooo. I dragged myself all the way out into the woods, damn it ... So now
I'm back here yelling at the trees."
Chan stared at him, stunned ... and then burst out laughing with a
mix of pity and pure amusement.
"May I ask your name?"
"Blue."

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"I'm Chan. Tell you what—why don't I make you a cup of coffee,
help soothe that throat, and then you can yell all over again. I'll even help
this time."
Blue was both surprised and intrigued by what he heard. "What
kind of coffee? What beans you got?"
"You like something with a little tang? I've got a Colombian
medium roast—chocolatey undertones."
"Sounds perfect. I'd love that, thanks."
The two men exchanged a nod and headed off toward Chan's tent,
unaware that this little beginning might lead to something neither of
them had foreseen ... For now, though, a good cup of coffee was enough.

Rin sat with her chin in her hands, watching Aokbab sketch beside
her. It was a drawing of a lovely little house.
"You like watching me draw that much?" Aokbab turned to the girl
who kept grinning with puffed cheeks, looking far too happy over a few
simple pencil lines.
"Mhm. I like it sooo much. Like it the most. Love it, even. I love
the artist, and I love the drawing too."
"You're so dramatic." Aokbab poked her girlfriend's cheek with the
eraser end of her pencil.
"So what's this for? A new project? Or just doodling for fun?"
"It's our love. I'm designing our love."
"Huh?" Rin blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"This is our house ... "

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"What ?! " the younger girl cried out in surprise. "Our house ?! "
"Yep. But I'm thinking of hiring a top-tier architect to help me with
the design. Not sure if she'd be available to take on the job."
"Wait, why pay someone? You can do it yourself."
"Nope. It has to be this one architect and no one else."
"Who? Which architect?"
"Professor Rin."
Rin broke into a smile. "Oh, that one. But she's pretty expensive,
you know. Can you afford her?"
"How much could it possibly cost?"
"It's not just about the money. Her terms are probably complicated.
You might need to sweeten the deal."
"Already prepared. A deal Professor Rin won't be able to turn
down."
"Ooh ... sounds like you came ready. Well? Let's hear it."
"The offer is unlimited pay. And if she signs the contract now, she
gets both the heart and the soul for free. Interested?"
Rin leaned in to hug Aokbab tightly, overwhelmed by how
adorable it all was.
"So is that a yes?"
"How could I not say yes? It's the most generous offer ever! When
do we start?"
"Tonight?"
"Absolutely!"
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Chapter 10 (Special) Extra

Book：Love Design
Writer：THEK34
Release：1 September 2025
Copy：EarEarZz

"What do you think?" Okbab asked Rin, who stood with her hands
on her hips, staring at the empty plot in front of them.
"This is it. Perfect location. It fits the house you've been
designing."
"The house we've been designing."
After touring no fewer than ten plots—agreeing on some, clashing
over others, and weighing the pros and cons for ages—they'd finally
agreed to buy this one to build their home.
Okbab smiled in delight, leaning in toward the woman she loved to
whisper the same words she said every single day... But at that moment,
a van pulled in and stopped beside her car.
The sliding door opened to reveal a feng shui master, and Rin
blinked in surprise.
"Who's that?"
"Feng shui master."
"You had to bring in a feng shui master?"
"P’Pat insisted. He said we needed him to check the land ... "
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The man who called himself a feng shui master, skilled in

geomancy, studied the land in silence for a long moment.
His expression grew more serious by the second.
"Is there a problem with the land?" Okbab asked, worried.
"No, not a problem with the land at all. The energy here is
excellent. It follows all the rules and promises wealth, peace, and
happiness for those who live here."
"Huh? Then what's wrong? You said the land's perfect... "
Rin frowned.
"You have to get married."
" ... What?"
"Get married first! Hurry up and do it this year, or you're definitely
going to break up!"
Okbab and Rin turned to each other, completely surprised.
Marriage had never crossed their minds before. But now that someone
had brought it up ... whether it was a genuine reading from the feng shui
master or just a message from Okbab's oldest brother, they were more
than happy to take the advice.
"Well, since you're here, could you help pick us a wedding date too?"

(END)

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