"Phokk!"
The sound of a golf club hitting the ball.
A bright morning at the Wonder Golf Club on the edge of Argent, a large city. The wind wasn't strong, the sky clear despite some earlier clouds; the chance of rain was minimal. Lately, Argent had been hotter than usual. Small birds enjoyed the sunny weather, perched high in the trees, proudly displaying their broad chests.
Several people were visible on the expansive, exclusive green, a favorite spot for those with deep pockets to spend their time.
Jason squinted, watching where his ball landed. He hadn't held a club in a while, and his hands felt stiff.
His grandfather, Chief Commissioner Ian Garber, was currently in business negotiations with an overseas businessman, Farhan Riyadh. That man wasn't your average Joe. He was a wealthy businessman, a key connection for his grandfather's entry into the country's market. This kept Jason constantly running around for meetings and other small but crucial tasks. It was exhausting, but his grandfather always said it would eventually be his responsibility, and he needed to take it more seriously.
The old man also brought his incredibly beautiful and skilled golfer daughter. Jason had lost to her by two pars – humiliating, he thought, glancing at the girl, Juwita, who happened to be smiling sweetly at him.
"Hi, hehe," he mumbled.
Soon they were heading to the ninth hole. Mr. Garber took a water bottle from his assistant, Mr. Tyus, who'd been with him all morning. Jason approached.
"Grandpa, it's noon, I have lunch plans with my staff."
Mr. Garber glanced at his grandson, then unexpectedly bonked him on the head.
"Ouch! Gramps, why'd you hit me?" Jason whined, not daring to protest further at his grandfather's stern face. The old man loved doing that; he just rubbed his probably slightly bruised head.
"What kind of event is this? What kind of lunch plans? Can't you tell what's more important? Besides, you embarrassed me. I told him, that my grandson, the most handsome in the world, was a golf pro, and yet you lost to his daughter! You made me look like a fool!" Jason's face fell, while Mr. Tyus discreetly covered his mouth, unable to suppress a chuckle.
"Grandpa, you know I'm busy at the office. I don't have time for golf. What kind of sport is this anyway? It takes all day! Don't I have other things to do?"
"It's good for business relations. Tyus, sign Jason up for another membership. Make sure he shows up this time."
Tyus nodded.
"Yes, sir."
Jason still wore a sour expression, occasionally glancing at his phone. He had lunch plans with Valiant and the others to celebrate their successful project, but it seemed he wouldn't be able to make it.
"Heh,"
...
At a hotpot restaurant downtown.
"Let's heat it!" Alex exclaimed.
The field team—Val, Anwar, and Alex—were already seated at a table near the window. Even though it was still bright outside, Val and the others had been craving hotpot for a while, and today their boss was treating them.
Alex and Anwar were busy putting meat and other ingredients into the grill pan. Anwar nudged Val, who had been staring at his phone.
"Hey Val, what's with the blank stare? Come on, get some food, your plate's empty."
Alex glanced at Val.
"Boss not here yet? Aren't you guys in the same apartment?"
Val nodded, put down his phone, and started grilling.
"Yeah, but the boss left early this morning. He had a golf game with the big boss, and it looks like he can't join us for lunch."
Anwar stopped what he was doing and looked at his two colleagues with wide eyes.
"What? So, is the boss still paying?"
Val raised an eyebrow, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a shiny black card, placing it on the table.
"Of course! The boss is already here!"
"Wow, you're smooth, Val!" Alex and Anwar exclaimed, relieved they wouldn't have to pay for the food they'd already ordered.
"Yeah, the boss said to use it however we want. Let's eat a lot!" Val said.
"As much as we can! Yeah!"
…..
Next day.
Outside, the weather changed quickly. The once-white fluffy clouds get chased away by the grey, gloomy skies.
From the floor-to-ceiling windows in Jason's office, the view was limitless. The sky quickly darkened, and a heavy downpour began, the rain drumming against the glass, gradually wetting everything. There was no sound from inside the office, but watching the rain, he could feel the sudden chill. It is quite peaceful with the faint knocks on the glasses.
That's when the cup of black coffee his office assistant had made before closing time tasted incredibly good.
"Ting!"
A message notification popped up on his phone.
Jason went to his desk, shifted his chair, and sat back down. He took the phone, and read the message.
Jason smiled; Val's whole face appeared in the office group chat. He'd been so busy he hadn't chatted with Val since this morning, neither at the apartment nor at the office.
Several photos Val sent as proof of their weekend lunch.
"Mission accomplished!" Val exclaimed in the message.
With a wide smile, Jason typed his reply.
"If this month's bills get swollen, it will deducted from your salaries."
Soon, messages popped up from Alex and Anwar, seemingly protesting.
"Whoa, we've been tricked, guys!" Alex exclaimed.
"Boss, Val ate the most, let Val pay, I'm outta here, bye!" Anwar exclaimed, followed by a funny emoticon.
"Hey Anwar, watch out!" Val retorted.
Jason couldn't stop smiling; those young people were so energetic and funny.
"Hehe"
….
Ting!
The elevator stopped on the suite floor. Jason stepped out and walked casually, he frowned to see someone standing not far from the door. Why was she just standing there? he wondered.
"Fena? Why don't you go inside?" Jason asked. The girl turns to Jason with a wide smile.
"Hi Jason, uh, it seems like no one's inside. I've been knocking for a while, Val didn't answer."
Jason took out his key and opened the door wide.
"Iyan said he had something to do and would be home late, but Val, he left the office this afternoon, and said he has something to do. He hasn't come back yet?"
Soon, Fena was sitting in the living room, deciding to wait for Val.
Jason just turned off his phone after numerous attempts to reach Val on his number.
"Hmm, strange, his phone's off. Where is that brat? It's dark already,"
Jason back to the living room and sat in front of Fena.
Soon, they were chatting away in the apartment. Jason had texted Val, but he hadn't replied.
"Of course we're close. Val was really withdrawn as a kid, hardly any other children wanted to play with him. He wouldn't talk much and would panic and scream for no reason at loud, sudden noises. Since I was the oldest, I looked after all the kids, including Val, who was inseparable from me, following me everywhere."
"That's strange. At the office, Val is such a sweet and cheerful kid. He's charming, a real people-person. He's the center of attention; I get headaches whenever Val's on assignment because everyone wants to go with him, ha!"
"Val is… well, he's incredibly kind. He's been that way since he was little. He can do things other people wouldn't even dream of. He's smart, gentle, polite… he's just perfect, really," Fena said seriously.