Eventually, reality forced all of us back to work.
As emotional as the atmosphere had become, deadlines unfortunately didn't disappear just because people were crying in the lobby.
Pim dramatically wiped her tears first.
"Okay," she announced weakly, "I hate capitalism."
Amara laughed softly while Non sniffed beside her.
"We should probably go back before Chak fires us all," Amara said.
"Too late," Pim muttered. "I've already emotionally resigned."
That earned a quiet laugh from Anamarija before we all finally headed back upstairs together.
The moment we reached our desks again, the office slowly returned to its usual rhythm.
People typing.
Phones ringing.
Documents moving from one department to another.
And a few minutes later, Chak walked past us calmly before disappearing into his office again like nothing emotional had happened earlier.
Honestly, I still didn't understand how he managed to stay so composed all the time.
Meanwhile, I buried myself completely in work.
Mostly because it stopped me from overthinking.
For the next three hours, I barely looked up from my computer.
I reviewed reports, answered emails, reorganized files, and tried very hard not to think about the fact that in few hours we would already be leaving Thailand.
Leaving everything familiar behind.
I was so focused that I nearly jumped when Pim suddenly leaned closer toward me.
"Psst."
I blinked. "What?"
She lowered her voice dramatically.
"Go cut fruit for your boyfriend."
I nearly choked.
"Pim."
"What?" she whispered innocently. "He's been in there for hours."
Amara immediately supported her. "Honestly, that man survives on coffee and stress."
Non nodded seriously. "That's unhealthy."
I sighed quietly, already knowing I'd lose this argument anyway.
A few minutes later, I found myself in the small kitchen carefully slicing fruit onto a tray while internally questioning my life choices.
Pim watched proudly from the doorway.
"Look at you," she whispered emotionally. "Domestic."
"Please stop talking."
She grinned.
Once the tray was finished, I carried it carefully toward Chak's office.
My heartbeat strangely sped up again the closer I got.
I knocked softly.
"Come in."
I stepped inside quietly before closing the door behind me.
Chak looked up immediately from his laptop.
For a second, his expression softened the moment he noticed me holding the tray.
"I brought you something to eat," I said softly while placing the fruit down in front of him.
"You didn't have to."
"I know."
That made the corner of his mouth lift slightly.
Without really thinking too much about it, I walked around the desk and stopped beside him.
Then gently sat down on his lap.
Chak's arm wrapped around my waist almost instantly, automatic and familiar by now.
"You're getting bold," he murmured quietly.
"You started this behavior."
A quiet huff of amusement escaped him.
I picked up a small piece of fruit with the fork before holding it toward him.
"Eat."
Chak looked at me for a second before obediently taking the bite.
Honestly, seeing the CEO of one of the biggest companies in Thailand calmly letting me feed him fruit felt ridiculous.
And strangely adorable.
For a while, the office stayed quiet except for soft conversation between us.
Then eventually Chak leaned back slightly against his chair and sighed quietly.
"I think I'm nervous."
I blinked in surprise.
"You?"
"Hm."
That alone was shocking enough.
Chak glanced down briefly before speaking again.
"I don't know what to expect in Slovenia."
His voice sounded calmer than his words.
"It'll be the first time in years that I'll actually be free." He paused slightly. "No security teams surrounding me. No media watching every step I take."
I looked at him quietly for a moment.
Without the cold CEO mask, he suddenly looked younger somehow.
Less untouchable.
I reached up gently, brushing my fingers against his cheek.
"Don't forget," I said softly, "you'll have the best tour guide."
That finally made him smile properly.
"And," I added quietly, "you'll have me beside you."
Something warm flickered in his eyes immediately after that.
Then Chak leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against my forehead.
"You're right," he murmured.
The simple tenderness in his voice made my chest ache a little.
After a moment, Chak glanced toward the clock before sighing softly.
"We leave in fifteen minutes."
I nodded slightly.
"Wait for me at the car."
"Okay."
Reluctantly, I stood up from his lap.
Chak's hand lingered briefly against my waist before letting go.
Then I left the office and returned to my desk to gather my things.
The moment Pim noticed me packing, she gasped dramatically.
"It's happening."
Amara immediately stood up too while Non already looked emotional again.
"You're acting like I'm leaving forever," I laughed softly.
"You ARE leaving," Pim argued.
"Fourteen days isn't forever."
"For me it is."
I shook my head fondly while finishing packing my bag.
A few minutes later, all three of them walked with me downstairs toward the company entrance.
The goodbye somehow felt even more emotional this time.
Amara hugged me first.
"Enjoy your trip," she said warmly.
Non hugged me next and looked suspiciously close to crying again.
"Send updates."
"I will."
Pim hugged me last and squeezed me dramatically tight.
"If you come back with a Slovenian accent, I'm blocking you."
I laughed quietly. "That's not how accents work."
Then suddenly footsteps approached from behind us.
Chak.
The second Pim and Amara noticed him, both of them straightened instantly.
Meanwhile, Chak stopped beside me calmly.
Pim pointed at him seriously.
"Take care of Niran."
Amara nodded immediately. "Seriously."
Non added quietly, "Protect him."
For a second, Chak looked at all of them silently.
Then the smallest smile appeared on his face.
"Always."
The answer came so naturally it made my heart skip embarrassingly fast.
A second later, Chak opened the passenger door for me.
Pim immediately grabbed Amara's arm in complete excitement.
"Oh my god," she whispered loudly.
Amara looked equally thrilled.
I tried very hard to ignore them while getting into the car.
But the moment Chak entered beside me, he reached for my hand immediately.
Then gently lifted it and pressed a soft kiss against my knuckles.
"I love you," he said quietly.
The warmth spreading across my chest after hearing those words felt almost overwhelming.
I smiled softly at him.
Then a moment later, the car pulled away from the company building, carrying us toward whatever waited next.
By the time we reached the airport, the sky outside had already started turning darker, soft evening light reflecting against the massive glass walls of the terminal.
The moment the car stopped, I felt my stomach tighten slightly.
This was it.
The beginning of the trip everyone had been talking about for weeks.
Chak stepped out first before walking around the car to open the door for me again.
I smiled quietly. "You know I can open doors myself, right?"
"I'm aware."
"Then why do you keep doing it?"
His expression stayed calm.
"Because I want to."
And honestly…
There was no arguing against that.
The second we entered the private terminal area, familiar voices immediately reached us.
Everyone was already there. Of course, Kit and Taeng were late.
Malai Phanprasit stood near the seating area while checking something on her phone, elegant as always despite the chaos happening around her.
Next to her was Chai Phanprasit, who looked unusually excited about the trip, talking animatedly with Torn.
A little farther away stood Vikran and Anamarija together.
Meanwhile, Suraphom calmly observed everyone from nearby with his usual unreadable expression.
The atmosphere somehow felt both emotional and chaotic at the same time.
Especially because Malai apparently decided to bring half her wardrobe with her.
I stared at the luggage beside her.
Three enormous suitcases.
Not normal suitcases.
Gigantic suitcases.
I blinked slowly.
Chai noticed my expression immediately and burst out laughing.
"She's been shopping for this trip for two weeks."
Malai looked completely unapologetic.
"I need options."
"For what?" Torn asked. "A royal photoshoot?"
Malai ignored him gracefully.
Meanwhile, my attention shifted toward Anamarija and Vikran.
The two of them stood slightly apart from everyone else now, quieter than before.
Anamarija crossed her arms lightly while looking at him.
"You're still not changing your mind?"
"No."
"You could."
"I could," Vikran agreed calmly. "But I'm not."
Anamarija sighed dramatically. "Japan is stealing you from me."
"I'm going for work."
"That sounds fake."
A faint smirk appeared on Vikran's face.
Even from a distance, the softness in his eyes when he looked at her was obvious.
"You'll survive without me."
"That depends," she replied seriously. "How often are you planning to call me?"
"Ah," Chai whispered beside me dramatically. "Here we go."
I elbowed him lightly while trying not to laugh.
Anamarija stepped a little closer toward Vikran then, her expression gentler now.
"You better not disappear into work completely."
"I won't."
"And eat properly."
"You sound like an old married couple," Torn commented casually.
"Be quiet," both of them said at the exact same time.
That instantly made everyone laugh.
Even Suraphom looked mildly entertained for once.
Then finally, Vikran reached forward and fixed the sleeve of Anamarija's jacket carefully.
A small gesture.
Simple.
But intimate enough that everyone suddenly became very interested in literally anything else around them.
"You'll text me when you land," he said quietly.
"I will."
"And if Chak annoys you too much?"
Anamarija glanced toward Chak thoughtfully.
"…That's statistically very likely."
"I'm standing right here," Chak said flatly from beside me.
Anamarija smiled innocently.
Then, for the first time since arriving, her expression softened completely again.
"You'll take care of yourself too?"
Vikran looked at her for a long second before nodding once.
"I promise."
For a brief moment, neither of them moved away.
And watching them somehow made the entire airport feel quieter despite all the movement around us.
Like everyone understood this goodbye mattered a little more than the others.