I cleaned the kitchen and went to change. When I was done, I grabbed my bag and put on my shoes. Chak was already waiting for me.
"Hurry up, Niran," said Chak.
We walked towards the car, traveling in silence. I secretly observed him. To me, he had always been as unreachable as an ice mountain, whose peak I wanted to reach but never knew how.
Chak dropped me off at the bus stop. He just nodded and drove off. Slowly, I walked towards the company.
When I arrived at my desk, I greeted my coworkers. We greeted Chak as he passed by and entered his office without a word.
I sat down and started working. At 9:55, I received a message from Taeng: "I'm at the company."
I immediately went to get him. When I saw him, I waved. "Sorry, Taeng, you're having trouble because of me," I said as we met.
"Don't worry, Niran," Taeng replied. "I can't wait to see the Ice Man," he joked.
I smiled, but it was more of a sour smile than a laugh.
When we got to Chak's office, I knocked. When he allowed me to enter, I stepped in with Taeng.
Chak was sitting behind his desk, looking at us with an icy stare.
"Sit," he said coldly, with a slight gesture indicating we should sit.
I felt the atmosphere become heavier with tension.
Chak spoke first in a cold voice: "You probably know why you're here, right, Taeng?"
Taeng confidently replied, "I know why I'm here. You heard our conversation with Niran, and you want to know why Niran trusts me so much."
Chak looked at him coldly. "Tell me, why does Niran trust you with so many things?"
Taeng spoke calmly. "Niran and I have been friends since high school. We trust each other, talk about all our problems. I know him so well that I could say I know his deepest secrets. And I can claim that no one knows him as well as I do."
Chak looked at me with his icy gaze. "What has Niran told you about me? I'm interested in everything," he said, his voice unnaturally cold.
I saw Taeng glance at me with a slightly frightened look. I just nodded slightly, telling him it was fine.
Taeng then continued: "He told me you're cold, arrogant, independent. That when he looks at you, it's best to run, because you're like an ice bomb that could explode at any moment. He said he hopes you won't be looking over his fingers r when he cooks, because he doesn't know how to cook. On the other hand, he wants to be near you because he knows he can rely on you. And he calls you the Ice Man."
I didn't know Niran thought so much about me, and that he had a nickname for me, Chak said and looked at me with a cold stare. "I just want..."
Before I finished my sentence, he suddenly turned to Taeng and coldly said, "Thanks for telling me all this. Now you can go. Niran, escort him out and come back to me."
"Understood, sir," I said, and left with Taeng.
"Sorry, I had to say that. I don't want to ruin what you two have," Taeng told me as we were in the elevator.
"You did the right thing," I replied. "bye."
When I stepped out of the elevator and returned to the office, I heard my heart pounding in my chest. The tension that hung in the air almost suffocated me. I didn't know whether I was hungry for his words or his actions, but I knew I was at a crossroads, preparing for something I wouldn't be able to easily undo.