In the quite high end restaurant next to the Diamond building.
Val was still frozen in place, even though his steak had just arrived right in front of him.
Jason noticed the young man and took his steak plate.
"Boss," Val flinched a bit as Jason's hand passed in front of him; he was about to reach out when Jason had already cut his steak into small pieces.
"What are you thinking about? Is it about Ilyana again?" he asked.
Val fell silent, watching Jason patiently cut his steak and then place it back in front of him. His boss lowered his head to look at his expression.
"Hey, don't just sit there, eat up, you're getting thinner. I won't let you work in the field again if your condition keeps getting worse."
Jason's words made Val lift his head and look at his boss with wide eyes.
"What do you mean by worse, boss? I'm good"
Jason saw Val's big eyes looking at him, beautiful round eyes that were bluish-green with long lashes like a young girl. Damn, Jason thought, he needed to stop looking at them because those eyes kept pulling him in so deep that sometimes he couldn't escape.
"Um, well, worse, you're getting thinner, look at your cheekbone," Jason said, holding Val's cheekbone. Jason's touch made Val go silent, even Jason himself didn't expect his hand to be so bold and disobedient.
"Uh, ahem, eat more."
Val pursed his lips, wondering what his boss would say next. He grabbed his knife and fork and started enjoying his steak.
"Yes, boss."
"Don't think about it, girls are like that, especially Ilyana. I've known her long enough to know that she has a crush on almost every handsome guy in the office. There was even a supplier who came by, and she kept in touch with him even after the company stopped dealing with that supplier."
Val stuffed several pieces of steak into his mouth until his cheeks bulged, chewed a few times, and swallowed.
"Boss, you like to gossip, don't ya?" Val asked.
Jason chuckled. He waved his hand dismissively.
"That's not what I meant. What I'm saying is, she'll forget about this sooner or later and find someone else. It'll all blow over, so just stay calm, okay? Let's eat, I have a meeting in an hour," Jason said, glancing at his watch.
Val pursed his lips.
"Yeah, what's that got to do with me, boss? It's your meeting."
Jason pulled his lips into a thin line.
"It does. We came here together, so we have to go back together. You want to run away from your responsibilities, would you?"
"No, who said that?" Val exclaimed with his eyes big.
Jason laughed. Val's pouting face looked so cute, especially with those big eyes. At least he could make the kid angry instead of seeing his listless face earlier.
"Hahaha, I know what you're thinking."
"No, boss."
…...
The pretty girl with wavy maroon hair stared at Val, who had his eyes tightly shut. Seeing him sleep from such close proximity already satisfied her. Val turned his head towards her, causing them to get so close. The girl's face was red; Val's face made her heart beat faster. She looked at Val's closed eyes, his long eyelashes, his sharp nose, his peach lips, and his clear smooth skin.
"Such Val, hasn't changed a bit, just getting more handsome,"
Iyan, passing Val's open bedroom door, shrieked.
"Val!" His yell startled the girl, making her almost jump, not only because of that but also because Val opened his eyes and head, causing them to bump hard.
"Aww," Val groaned, as did the girl, immediately sitting up straight.
"Ouch, that hurt."
Iyan stood in the doorway, arms akimbo, looking at the strange girl who had somehow managed to enter their apartment and sneak into Val's room.
"Hey, where did you come from?"
The pretty girl stammered, immediately standing up. "Uh, I, I called out but no one answered, so I just came in. The door wasn't locked."
Iyan had just stepped out for a moment to throw away the trash in his room and hadn't locked the door; he'd only gone to the end of the hallway.
Val furrowed his brow, touching his forehead after the hard bump, initially disbelieving his own eyes, but he hadn't seen wrong.
"Vi? Violet?"
The girl nodded.
"Hi Val, how are you?"
Val got up.
"When did you get back? Why didn't you say you were coming home?"
Violet smiled broadly. Iyan, still annoyed, left the room.
"What a thief!"
"I got back last night. It's been a year! Val, you've gotten even more handsome."
Val smiled; a huge surprise, as far as he knew, Violet was studying abroad, and now she was suddenly here. The sweet, stylish girl was an old high school friend, a rich kid who was incredibly humble and had a crush on him… back then.
"Um, how did you know my address? Did I ever tell you?"
Violet smiled even wider.
"As a Val fan, I have to know these things, hehehe."
….
The atmosphere in the five-star restaurant was calm. The faint sound of piano music from a corner of the room softly accompanied the peaceful, comfortable ambiance, where almost no loud conversations could be heard. The guests at this restaurant, which required reservations well in advance due to its high-class service and food quality, were not ordinary people.
Jason and a beautiful woman sat not far from a window; they had just finished their dessert after a delicious dinner a short while ago. Juwita, a beautiful girl and the daughter of a famous businessman from a neighboring country was someone he'd been seeing frequently lately due to their joint business ventures. The pretty girl, in a dark red satin dress, put down her glass, took a napkin to wipe her mouth, and stood up gracefully.
"If you may, I'll excuse myself to the powder room for a bit," the girl said.
Jason stood as the young woman slid her chair back and got up.
"Sure, please."
He felt awkward, but Jason had to admit, this pretty girl wasn't like the typical rich kid. She was well-educated, spoke politely, and even seemed kind. Physically, she was flawless, inside and out.
Jason sat back on his chair, checking his phone. He smiled when he saw Val's status update after a notification popped up. It showed Val, looking sweet, enjoying ice cream with another pretty girl at an ice cream shop near their apartment building. Jason quickly typed a comment: "Cheater, didn't invite me!" He added a sad sticker.