Chapter 1

The scent of freshly cooked Thai food filled the narrow streets as Sky maneuvered his motorbike through the morning traffic. The delivery bag strapped to his back carried warm meals from his father's restaurant, and he was on his way to drop off an order at one of the upscale high-rise apartments in the city.

Everything was going smoothly until a sleek black car came to a sudden stop right in front of him. Sky had to swerve quickly to avoid crashing, his tires skidding against the pavement before he barely managed to steady himself.

Frustrated, he pulled off his helmet, ready to give the driver a piece of his mind. "Hey! Watch where you're going!"

The back door of the car opened, and a tall, strikingly handsome man stepped out. Dressed in an expensive suit, with an air of quiet authority, he barely spared Sky a glance before adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves.

Sky froze.

He knew that face.

Nani—the only heir of the Nirav Group, one of the most powerful business families in the country.

It had been years since Sky had last seen him, but there was no mistaking it. Unlike Sky, Nani didn't seem to recognize him at all. Instead, he turned to his driver and said in a calm, disinterested tone. "Handle it."

Sky quickly stepped in front of Nani before he could disappear into the building. "Wait a second" he said firmly. Nani exhaled sharply, irritation flashing in his cold eyes. "What?" His voice was clipped, clearly not in the mood for delays.

Nani pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling sharply. His patience was running thin. "Fine. How much do you want?" He pulled out his phone, ready to transfer whatever amount it took to put an end to this conversation.

Sky let out an amused scoff. "You think I stopped you for money?" He shook his head before adding, "You're Nani, right?"

Nani finally looked up properly, his sharp gaze locking onto Sky's face. There was something oddly familiar about him—something lingering at the edges of his memory. His eyes swept over the man in front of him, trying to place where he had seen him before.

Sky gave him a small smirk. "We went to the same high school."

That made Nani pause. His brows furrowed as he turned the words over in his mind. Then, like a switch flipping, realization hit him.

"...Wait." His gaze sharpened as the memory surfaced. The dark hair, the slightly tired yet sharp eyes, the way he carried himself with effortless confidence.

Sky Wongravee.

The giant class president.

The one who seemed to know every single person in school, always running around, handling things like some overachieving student leader.

Nani's frustration faded into something closer to surprise. "Sky Wongravee." he murmured, testing the name on his tongue.

Sky arched an eyebrow. "Oh, so you do remember me."

Nani clicked his tongue, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "Barely. You were always too busy sticking your nose into everyone's business back then."

Sky chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "And you're still as cold as ever."

Nani couldn't help but smile at the remark. It was true. Back in high school, he had been the 'cool' one, the one with a fan club, always keeping to himself, untouchable and aloof. He'd even had a reputation for it.

Then Nani cleared his throat "Since we're classmates, I guess I should be responsible about this." He pulled his phone back out. "Give me your number."

Sky blinked. "What? Why?"

Nani was already typing. "I'll send you money for the accident."

Sky frowned. "I told you, I don't—"

His phone buzzed before he could even finish. A notification popped up.

Bank Transfer: 500,000 THB received.

Sky's jaw dropped. Nani tucked his phone away, looking satisfied. "That should cover everything."

Sky gawked at the absurd number. "You seriously just sent me half a million baht over a scratch?"

Nani shrugged, already turning away. "It's only fair. See you around, Sky." His tone was casual, indifferent like this was just another minor inconvenience in his day.

Sky could only shake his head in disbelief, staring at the notification on his phone. 500,000 THB for a scratch. Who even did that?

By the time he looked up again, Nani was already walking away, disappearing into the towering building without a second glance. As Nani walked into the building, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Still the same, he thought, amused. Slow to catch on.

Back in high school, Sky was like the social butterfly of the class. Everyone knew him, and he was always the first to lend a helping hand. Unlike him, Nani usually spent his time sleeping through classes, uninterested in the chaos around him.

But even then, he couldn't help but notice Sky. Taller than most students, with a puppy-like face that was sometimes too expressive for his own good.

Evening

Nani stepped into his sleek, modern condo, the cool air of the space offering a welcome relief from the heat of the day. The place was meticulously designed, a mixture of sharp, clean lines and warm, comforting touches. Large windows framed the city skyline, letting the fading evening light spill into the open-plan living room. Polished wooden floors reflected the soft glow of recessed lighting. The couch, minimalist yet inviting, faced a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall, and the kitchen was tidy, with its dark countertops and high-end appliances—everything about the condo screamed comfort, yet a touch of luxury.

As Nani let out a tired sigh, his muscles sore from the day's constant movement, he made his way toward the bathroom. The sound of the doorbell rang out, interrupting his thoughts.

"Who's there?" he groaned, dragging his feet toward the door, his body begging for rest.

Win's voice echoed from the other side, unmistakable and loud. "It's us! Open up, princess! We've come to rescue you from your loneliness!"

Nani rolled his eyes, feeling his irritation flare up. He swung the door open, only to be met by the usual pair. Win with his ever-present mischievous grin, and Dew, looking as serious as ever, arms crossed and his face as unreadable as a stone.

"You two again? What do you want?" Nani sighed, not even bothering to hide the tiredness in his voice.

Win waltzed in as if it was his own place. "Nothing much, just thought we'd check in on you. You know, make sure you're not drowning in your piles of money or getting lost in your own arrogance."

Dew, as always, was more direct. "We're here because you looked like you were going to collapse from exhaustion. You didn't answer any of our texts earlier, so we thought we'd come and see if you were still alive."

Nani let out a tired chuckle. "I'm alive. Barely." He slumped onto the couch, pulling his legs up.

Dew, who had been silently observing, suddenly spoke up. "You should eat something. You look exhausted."

Nani gave him a half-hearted glance. "I'll be fine. Just need a shower and some sleep."

Win pulled out his phone and ordered food, already ignoring the fact that Nani hadn't agreed to anything. Dew gave him a look—one that said he wasn't so sure about this idea but Win was too quick.

Nani was about to said something but the doorbell rang again.

"Dinner's here" Win announced, already jumping up to answer the door. As he did, Nani let out a small groan, thinking he'd finally get some peace after the food arrived.

When Win swung the door open, Nani froze as the delivery man's face came into view, Sky.

Sky stood there, holding the bags of food with his usual polite smile. His eyes met Nani's, and for a brief moment, there was a flicker of recognition in the air between them.

"Nani?" Sky asked, looking as surprised as Nani felt. His eyes darted to the address on his phone, confirming the delivery. "This is the right address?"

"Sky? I didn't realize Win ordered from your family's restaurant."

Sky chuckled softly, the familiar warmth in his expression "Well, it seems fate has a funny way of making us run into each other again." Sky said with a light laugh. He passed the bags to Nani with a small bow as he usually does for the delivery, the polite gesture catching Nani off guard.

Nani, still a bit stunned, quickly reached out and stopped Sky. "No need for that." he muttered, suddenly feeling awkward. "We know each other. No need for the bow."

Sky blinked, a surprised smile creeping up on his face. "Right... of course" he said, his voice softening before leaving.

Nani had met Win and Dew back in university, shortly after he moved in with his father. His mother had remarried and moved abroad, leaving Nani to adjust to his new life with his father. It was during this time that he had drifted away from everyone he'd known in high school.

Nani hadn't kept in touch with anyone from his old school days. So seeing Sky twice today make him felt like a strange twist of fate.

Win stepped back inside with a smirk, watching Nani stand at the door, still staring after Sky. He'd caught that slight shift in Nani's demeanor, the way his usual cool composure had cracked just a little bit when Sky had handed him the food.

Dew, who had been sitting quietly on the couch, now glanced at Nani before glancing back at Win, clearly noticing the change as well.

Win couldn't help himself. With a teasing grin, he casually leaned against the wall. "Well, well, Nani, looks like you've got a little thing for that delivery guy, huh?" His voice was light, but the playful gleam in his eyes said everything.

Nani shut the door. "Shut up, Win." he muttered, his usual sharp tone returning.

Win chuckled. "Come on, don't hide it. You looked like you were about to invite him in for a drink or something."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Nani replied, rolling his eyes. "I'm just tired. It's been a long day, that's all."

Dew raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying Nani's excuse. "You don't seem that tired anymore," Dew remarked with his usual calm "You're still standing there, frozen in place, even after he left."

Win, sensing an opportunity, jumped in. "You know, it's okay if you've got a little crush." Win waggled his eyebrows. "I mean, you two did have a nice little chat just now, right? Doesn't seem like the usual Nani I know."

Nani shot him a look that could kill. "Stop it, Win."

But Win wasn't letting up. "Come on, Nani. I can tell you were a little more... engaged than usual. Don't act like it didn't lighten your mood."

Nani began to wonder how he could become friends with these gossipers in the first place.