Chapter Text
“Jeng, can you wake Dydy up, pleagirl
“Jook, stop following Miu!”
Save’s voice echoed even from outside the room, and I could already tell he was stressed before class had even started. It was the first day of the week, after all, and the kids clearly wanted to be anywhere but inside the four corners of the classroom.
I peeked inside the room, and the moment I did, a visibly stressed Save caught my eye. He was busy trying to separate Jook and Jeng. I didn’t know what had happened, but I was certain Jook had started it. His reasoning was simple—he thought Jeng was too strict.
“Oh? What’s going on, Save? Where’s Kong?”
He let out a deep sigh before pointing outside. I couldn’t help but laugh. Of course, Thomas was arguing with his own son again, while Kong was once more left reprimanding the both of them.
“Jay told me Jook woke up in a bad mood today because his Aor’Pa was the one who woke him up. Apparently, Jay was in the shower since he had an early meeting, and unfortunately, Jook thinks seeing his Aor'Pa instead of his Aor’Pi is the worst way to start his morning.”
I couldn't help but shake my head. Jook’s favoritism had always been painfully obvious. He would choose his Aor’Pi every single time and only settle for his Aor’Pa whenever Jay wasn’t around. At first, we thought it was just a phase he’d eventually outgrow, but we were wrong. Jook had made his preference crystal clear.
“DYDY!”
We all turned at the sudden shout, followed by a loud whimper. Heardy was now lying on the floor while Jook and Jeng stood frozen beside her. Alinor remained standing nearby, completely stunned by what had just happened
“It wasn’t me!”
“It was Jeng!”
Heardy burst into tears, and I knew there was no way to calm her down completely. Right now, she would only want her papa. I quickly scooped her into my arms and checked her for any bruises. Thankfully, I couldn't find any.
I released my calming orange scent, and little by little, Heardy’s sobs began to subside
“I’ll take Jook and Jeng to the clinic first. Phi, can you stay here? I’ll tell Kong to come back after he’s done settling things between Thomas and Toky.”
“Of course. Go ahead. I’ll handle things here.”
Save nodded before leading Jeng and Jook toward the clinic. Jeng already had a bump forming on his forehead, while Jook’s forehead was beginning to turn red.
I was definitely going to have a talk with Jay and Nhu about this.
Jook and Jeng were actually good friends, but their personalities constantly clashed. Jeng was responsible and strict, while Jook was endlessly playful. Jeng preferred peace and quiet, whereas if Jook was being quiet, it usually meant trouble was about to happen.
They were both good students whenever they chose to be. The problem was that Jeng, being the older one, always felt responsible for looking after the others—especially Dydy. Jook, on the other hand, just wanted everyone to play together.
Jay and Nhu already knew better than to interfere whenever the two argued because, at this point, it had become normal. Sometimes, I’d even catch the two of them placing bets on who had started the fight.
“Does it hurt?”
I asked Dydy softly and she looked up at me with a tiny pout. Her tears had already dried, but she nodded anyway.
“What happened here, Phi? I was only gone for a second.”
Kong asked as he walked back into the room.
The other children had already gone back to playing, and I knew there wouldn’t be any more fighting now that Kong was here. He was their favorite teacher, but he was also the strictest one—so strict that even Toky wouldn't dare argue with him.
“Well, kids will be kids. Save is with Jook and Jeng at the clinic, and I should probably call Dydy’s parents, along with Jook and Jeng’s”
Kong glanced at Dydy, who was clutching her favorite dinosaur plushie to her chest, looking utterly pitiful.
“Alright. I’ll handle everything here. You should go check on Save too, because I'm pretty sure he's about to scare Auau off with all his advances”
I couldn’t help but laugh because that was absolutely true. Auau, our school’s new nurse, was a shy kid who had only recently joined our team. It was Save’s brilliant idea that the poor nurse would somehow become part of our little family. Porsche, the school dentist who was always with Auau, merely shook his head. To him, it was like watching a real-time romantic comedy unfold right inside his office
“You go?”
Dydy asked softly as Kong held her hand. Her eyes began to water again, and I knew Kong had already endured a difficult morning. I didn't want to add any more to his burden.
“Just for a little while. Nanat needs to call your Papa, and Jook and Jeng’s Papa too”
Her eyes wandered around the room, searching for the two kids
“How about you play with your Phi Rainy? Fedfed gave her an extra doll this morning”
As if Rainy had been listening to our conversation, she immediately ran over and held out her extra doll to Dydy
“This you and this Rainy”
Dydy looked at the doll, then at me, and back at the doll once more. When I smiled at her, she gave a small nod and carefully accepted it from Rainy’s hands. She then followed Rainy over to the little circle she and Miu had made for their dolls
“Kong, I’ll go now. I'll send Save back too”
He nodded immediately, and I hurried out of the room. If another child saw me leaving, I knew it would only spark another round of chaos. Before heading back to my office, I decided to stop by the clinic first so I could send Save back to the classroom.
The moment I stepped inside, I was greeted by the familiar sound of Save shamelessly flirting with Auau.
“Your sweater looks nice on you, but you know what would make it even better?”
Auau glanced at him cautiously
“What?”
“Me wearing it!”
Porsche let out a quiet chuckle while Auau simply sighed in defeat. I honestly didn’t understand why Save kept pursuing Auau when it was so obvious there was something going on between him and Por
“Save”
He immediately turned toward me and flashed a sheepish smile.
“Are Jeng and Jook alright now?”
“Yeah, they’re fine now, Phi Nat.”
Auau answered as he wiped down his examination table.
“Where are they?”
I looked around the clinic, only realizing there wasn't a single child left inside.
“Por took them back because someone here refused to leave our nurse alone.”
Porsche interrupted, pointing at Save, who was busy sending exaggerated finger hearts and flirtatious smiles in Auau’s direction. Auau’s face had turned as red as a ripe tomato—the kind Italians would happily toss into a pot of pasta. If Save were Italian, he’d probably try to pick Auau for the recipe too.
“Save, go back to the classroom.”
The moment our eyes met, he immediately tried to put on his cutest expression. I was horrified. Sure, he was adorable most of the time, but right now he looked like someone desperately trying to poop and failing.
“Should I ask Few to come here instead of Auau?”
Save shot me a betrayed glare before immediately marching out of the clinic. Of course, not before sending one last dramatic finger heart toward Auau. I simply shook my head at his antics.
In the two years Auau had worked here, Save had already declared countless times that he was going to marry him someday. At this point, I figured Auau had simply accepted his fate. He never once told Save to stop and instead just let the younger man shower him with affection.
Though, it’s a secret between us… Auau recently admitted that secretly loved how naturally Save doted on him—and on all the children.
I left the clinic and headed back to my office since I still needed to speak with Nhu and Jay. I just hoped Jay would be the one to come instead of Net. If Net showed up, it would only make things more chaotic. Jook would end up crying even harder if his Aor'Pi wasn't the one who came
I decided to call Nhu first, and thankfully, he answered almost immediately. I briefly explained what had happened, and he quickly understood that their presence was necessary. He said he would speak with Zee so they could both come to the school as soon as possible.
Talking to Jay and Net, however, wasn’t as easy. Net was the only available parent at the moment, but the moment I brought up what had happened the last time, even he admitted that Jook wouldn't feel comfortable. Jook loved Net dearly, but in situations like this, he always felt safer with Jay’s scent than anyone else’s. Fortunately, we were eventually able to reach Jay, and without hesitation, he said he would come right away.
I was genuinely grateful that the children’s parents were never difficult to talk to. The only call I was worried about was Dydy’s father. He was rarely available because of his work as a businessman. Whenever something happened involving Heartdy, it was usually his assistant, Teetee, who came to the school instead. I only knew his name—Max Kornthas. A well-known businessman who, according to Teetee, was busy almost every waking hour.
Even so, I decided to call him. I wasn't even sure he would answer, but I hoped he would
“Hello…”
Silence greeted me from the other end of the line and I took it as my cue to continue
“Hello. This is Nat, the director of Mandee School. May I ask if I’m speaking with Mr. Kornthas, Heartdy’s father?”
More silence. I glanced at my phone. The call was still connected. Was I on mute? Did he need more context? I’d already asked him a question. The least he could do was answer.
“...Yes”
The deep voice finally broke the silence.
“Yes, this is Kornthas. I'm Dydy’s daddy”
His voice was deep and steady, carrying an effortless authority softened by an unexpected warmth and for some reason, it sent an unfamiliar feeling stirring inside me
“Ah... yes! Yes!”
Come on, Nat, you’ve handled countless parents before
“well... there was a small accident this morning, but please don’t worry. Dydy is safe. I was hoping you could come to the school since I’ve also asked the parents of the other two children involved to be here”
another stretch of silence followed before I finally heard a quiet hum
“I'll be there.”
Relief washed over me.
“that’s good to hear, Mr. Kornthas. I’ll be waiting for you in my office”
the call ended almost immediately and I let out a long, slow breath I hadn’t realized I'd been holding. This would be the first time I'd be meeting Max Kornthas in person
and for some reason…
I couldn’t understand why my heart felt strangely restless.
“Why am I getting excited?”
“Excited about what?”
I nearly jumped at the sudden voice that echoed through my office. The moment I looked up and saw who it was, I immediately frowned.
“What are you doing here, James?!”
“Huh? Am I not allowed in your office? If I remember correctly, I’m the head of the teachers here”
I simply shook my head. Arguing with James was pointless. He could turn absolutely anything into a debate
“That isn’t what I meant! You could’ve at least knocked!”
“Knock? Girl, I’ve seen you naked, and you’ve seen me naked. I even saw you getting dicked down. At this point, me walking into your office while I know you’re free shouldn’t require knocking”
“James, that’s not the point!”
He merely shrugged, completely ignoring my complaint
“So... why are you getting excited?”
Being friends with James meant accepting that he'd never let a question go unanswered
“Why are we even friends?”
“Oh, ask Nhu, he’s the one who introduced us and Yim—that bitch—is still in Japan acting like a teenager with Tutor”
“Is that why Alinor is upset?”
“Yeah, those two forgot they have a kid waiting for them back home”
I couldn't help shaking my head. Honestly, I was already used to Yim and Tutor leaving Alinor with either James or Nhu. Most of the time, though, it was James, since Nhu and Zee were always buried in work.
“So...”
James leaned against my desk with a grin
“Who’s making you excited?”
“James, please.”
“What?”
“You’re really not going to drop this?”
“Oh, hell no”
“This is why you’re single”
“Wow, and you’re not?”
“Shut up!”
“We’re both single, so don’t come for me, now answer the question.”
“No one.”
“Oh, there’s definitely someone.”
His grin widened
“Just wait until Ohm, Nhu, and Kim hear about this”
I groaned and rubbed my temples. I knew James well enough to know exactly what would happen next. The moment he left my office, he would make it his personal mission to tell the entire school that I was hiding some mysterious crush from everyone.
And of course they would all believe him
I managed to finish a few of my tasks before a knock on the door pulled me out of my concentration. I looked up to see Jay peeking through the doorway.
“You’re here early.”
He smiled sheepishly before stepping inside. Without a word, he placed a box of cookies on my desk, making me smile. He had probably baked another batch as an apology for Jook’s behavior this morning.
“rough morning?”
“Very. I had to calm Dydy down and stop Jook from causing even more trouble.”
I said as I leaned back in my chair
“How are things at home?”
“Everything’s fine. I think he was just extra naughty today because P’ Net woke him up instead of following our usual morning routine”
I laughed. That sounded exactly like Net. He always preferred getting things done as quickly as possible. Considering Jook had inherited every ounce of his stubbornness, I wasn't surprised the morning had gone the way it did.
“Is Nhu on his way already?”
“I think so. He said he needed to finish a few shoots first, so he might be a little late.”
Jay nodded before asking casually,
“What about Dydy’s father? I don't think I’ve ever seen him, even during parent meetings”
The mere mention of Dydy's father made something flutter deep inside my chest, I had only heard his voice, so why was I reacting like this?
“Well... he said he’s coming”
Jay looked at me with an amused smile, that expression alone told me he was already thinking about something
“So...”
“Stop that, Jay”
“What? I’m just saying this because James told everyone you're hiding something from us’
Of course he did
“I already told you it’s nothing”
Jay simply smiled, looking completely unconvinced
“So, do you think Dydy’s father is handsome?”
“Jay, please.”
“Why not? I heard he’s single... and you’re single”
he shrugged innocently
“Besides, Dydy absolutely adores you. She even likes your scent. Honestly, if I didn’t know better, I’d think she was your daughter.”
My daughter… The thought lingered in my mind for a second longer than it should have
It couldn't be…
“Stop putting ideas into his head, Jay. We all know what happened, don’t we?”
Our attention shifted toward the doorway. Nhu had finally arrived. He offered us a small smile as he walked into the office
“I know,”
Jay replied with a grin
“I’m just saying there’s nothing wrong with having a crush on one of your student’s parents”
Nhu raised an eyebrow
“You have a crush on Dydy’ daddy?”
“Oh my gosh, no!”
I groaned, covering my face
“Jay, stop!”
“So the one making you excited is Mr. Kornthas?”
James’ voice suddenly chimed in from the hallway
“Wait... what?” Ohm blinked as he appeared beside him. “Nat has a crush?”
“James! Ohm!”
I exclaimed
“For goodness’ sake, that’s not what happened!”
Before anyone could continue teasing me, another voice spoke from outside the office
“Director Nat? Mr. Kornthas has arrived”
silence, complete, terrifying silence. I slowly closed my eyes and took a deep breath. First, I had absolutely no idea when James and Ohm had shown up.
Second… How on earth was I supposed to face Mr. Kornthas if he had overheard even a single word of that conversation?
“Please, have a seat, Mr. Kornthas. And Mr. James, Mr. Ohm, when you leave, make sure to close the door behind you”
“Yes, boss!”
The two of them answered in unison. Only then did I allow myself to properly look at Mr. Kornthas. His dark hair framed his face so perfectly that I found myself questioning whether he was even real. His features were strikingly sharp, while his steady eyes held an air of quiet mystery. His thick eyebrows arched naturally above a straight nose, and his cheekbones looked as though they had been sculpted with meticulous precision.
Then my gaze drifted to his lips. They were naturally red, beautiful even, I wondered… would kissing him make me lose myself completely?
“Mr. Natasitt?”
“Nat!”
“Yes!”
I nearly jumped out of my seat
“Sorry... yes?”
Jay and Nhu exchanged a glance, and I already knew the group chat would hear about this the moment they got the chance
“Well,”
I cleared my throat, forcing myself to focus
“Earlier during their morning class, Jeng and Jook got into a fight. Unfortunately, Dydy happened to walk right into the middle of it. When Jeng pushed Jook, he accidentally collided with Dydy”
Mr. Kornthas turned his attention toward Jay and Nhu, silently asking for more details
“Well Jeng, Jook, and Dydy are actually very close friends. What happened was simply an unfortunate accident. We invited all of the parents here because it’s part of the school’s standard protocol.”
Mr. Kornthas took a slow breath before giving a small nod, as though he had already come to the same conclusion.
“I’ve heard those names from Heartdy before.”
There it was again, his voice. That deep, composed voice was enough to make me lose my concentration all over again.
“I know they’re good friends with Heartdy, I won’t make an issue out of this. They’re just children being children, this wasn't bullying in any way.”
“Yes, I believe the same,”
Jay replied
“Jook may be mischievous at times, but he would never intentionally bully another child. You have my word that I'll talk to him about what happened.”
“I'll do the same with Jeng,”
Nhu added
“We’ll make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.”
“That’s good to hear,”
I said with a relieved smile
“Since everyone is in agreement, let’s go see the children”
I quickly walked ahead of them, doing my best not to look back at Mr. Kornthas. I seriously needed to get these feelings under control. When we reached the classroom and opened the door, all of us froze at the sight before us. Jook and Jeng were wrestling on the floor, each trying to pin the other down.
Off to the side, Alinor and Toky were enthusiastically keeping score, while Rainy, Dydy, and Miu cheered as though they were watching the finals of a championship match
“Oh my gosh...”
“JOOK-KROO!”
“ZON!”
The two boys immediately looked up. The moment they saw their Aor’Pi and Daddy, their eyes widened in horror. I let out a long sigh before walking over and pulling the two apart.
“Where's your teacher?”
“Room!”
Miu pointed toward the storage room where we kept the classroom toys. It was a walk-in closet.
The door… was blocked by a chair. I slowly turned back to the children.
“Is Teacher Save locked inside?”
The children all nodded. I immediately rushed toward the storage closet and pulled the chair away from the door. The moment I opened it, I found Save curled up inside, tears streaming down his face. He was terrified of the dark
“Who started this?”
Not a single child answered. Instead, they all avoided my gaze, suddenly finding the floor far more interesting than looking at me.
“Mr. Kornthas, Mr. Radchapon, and Mr. Chawarin, could you please stay here for a moment? I needed to call the other parents”
I gently helped Save out of the closet before quickly calling Kong, who was teaching in the classroom next door
“Yes, Phi?”
“Can you get Auau? The kids locked Save inside the storage closet, and he's shaking really badly”
“The kids?!, I’ll get him right away!”
The call ended, and I let out a long, exhausted sigh. This morning just kept getting better and better.
“This is going to be a long meeting, isn’t it?”
Mr. Kornthas asked quietly as he looked down at Dydy, who had already climbed onto his lap and wrapped her arms around him
“Yes…”
“It will.”
He simply nodded, gently rubbing Dydy’s back to comfort her. A few moments later, Auau rushed into the classroom. The instant Save saw him, he broke down even harder, practically stumbling into Auau’s arms.
Porsche arrived right behind him with the classroom’s first-aid kit. He took one look at the situation before walking over to Jook and Jeng, settling beside the two guilty-looking boys
“I’ll go call the other parents, Auau, can you take care of Save?”
“Yes, Phi Nat.”
With that settled, I stepped out of the classroom and sent messages to Kim, Namping, Kong, and Firstone.
Something told me… This was going to be a very long afternoon.
The meeting eventually came to an end, and we discovered that the entire incident had been nothing more than an accident
Yes, believe it or not…
It was all an accident and the reason Jeng and Jook had started fighting was surprisingly simple. Jeng wanted to be the one to move the chair blocking the storage room door, but Jook insisted on doing it himself because he thought Jeng was too small to handle it. Neither of them had been trying to hurt each other and they had both been trying to save their teacher. The other children admitted they had been so distracted watching Jook and Jeng argue that they forgot they were supposed to help open the door. So in the end, one by one I asked them to apologize to Save.
By then, he had finally calmed down after Auau stayed by his side the entire time and he was also the one who confirmed that the children were telling the truth, because before panic had completely taken over, he had heard them arguing outside the door about who should rescue him.
Once everyone had gone home, I sent the children off with their parents and began packing my things.
It had been a long day.
I was just about to leave when I noticed a single unfamiliar car still sitting in the parking lot.
That was unusual.
The school parking area was reserved for staff, with only two designated spaces for parents. By this hour, everyone should have already left
“Teacher Nat”
I stopped in my tracks, that voice. I slowly turned around and found Mr. Kornthas standing a few steps behind me. He was still wearing the same suit he had arrived in earlier that morning.
For some reason, I found myself wondering… Was Dydy still with him?
“Mr. Kornthas?”
I asked
“Why are you still here? Is something wrong?”
“Ah, no”
He shook his head
“Nothing’s wrong. There was just something I wanted to ask you”
“Oh.”
I offered him a small smile
“Of course. What is it, Mr. Kornthas?”
“Max”
He smiled politely
“Just call me Max”
I nodded
“Well... what’s on your mind?”
He let out a slow breath before meeting my eyes
“There has been something bothering me since this morning”
I looked back at him, silently asking him to continue. He seemed to understand. Holding my gaze, he spoke carefully.
“Your scent…”
My breath caught
“It’s the same scent that always calms Dydy”
Every word made my heartbeat grow louder
“It was also the very first scent I smelled the day I found her at the adoption center”
My mind went completely blank
“So... may I ask you something, Teacher Nat?”
His voice remained calm, gentle, yet every syllable feels so heavy
“Were you the one who placed Dydy up for adoption when she was a baby?”
The world around me fell silent and everything seemed to stop, and with that single question… the entire world I had carefully built around myself shattered
“I didn’t…”
That was the only thing I managed to say before tears welled up in my eyes. I wiped them away immediately, refusing to let him see me cry.
“I... I’m a single omega. Even though I have this entire school behind me, I’m still just an omega... unmated... alone”
“The shelter wouldn’t let me take her in. They said it was protocol, and there was nothing I could do.”
His eyes never left mine. They were filled with understanding and warmth—something I had never truly received from anyone before
“I’m glad I let Dydy come here.”
“I’m glad I was able to cross paths with her again.”
That was where our conversation ended. Without another word, he turned and walked away. He got back into his car and drove off. I wasn’t sure if Dydy was still with him, but I could only hope he wouldn’t take her away from me the way the system once did.
When I got home, I found a flood of messages from the group chat James had created a few years ago.
Jamessu: Believe me, guys! Nat likes Dydy's papa
Ohm: I mean, he’s HOT... so yeah, I get you, Nat
Kim: The moment I saw him standing next to Nat earlier, I had already planned their wedding
Jay: I hope you guys know Nat will be debuting in my story
James: OH MY GOSH
Ohm: Okay, write that down, girl!
Nat: You guys do realize I’m still here, right??
Jay: Definitely not…
Jay: Because I need your input too
Nhu: Whose wedding are we planning?
Paew: Nat’s getting married?
Nat: I AM NOT!
Ping: Oh... so he will get married
Kim: I already have the wedding themes, you know
Nhu: Send them to me, girl, so I can share some ideas too
Kim: Don’t worry. I'll give you guys access
Paew: I’ll sing at the wedding with P' Tle
Ohm: Namping and I will be in charge of the suits
Nhu: Okay then, we’ll also help with the final preparations, okay?
Jay: I’ll handle the cake
Nat: GUYS, I AM NOT GETTING MARRIED!
James: Not yet…
Ohm: But soon
Kim: Okay, back to the plan
Ping: Got it, girl. I can access it now
I closed my phone because, of course, none of them were going to listen to me
♡´･ᴗ･`♡
I arrived at work earlier than usual because I couldn’t sleep. My thoughts kept drifting back to Dydy... and to her father—the man who had somehow managed to make my heart race
“Morning, boss. You’re early today”
Kong greeted me as he walked into the staff cafeteria. He had probably come in early as well, while Thomas would be bringing Toky to school later
“Yeah, I need to finish a few things”
He nodded before taking the seat across from me, wearing that same suspicious look again
"I was busy helping Patji with a project last night, but I saw the messages in the group chat. So... it’s Dydy's papa, huh?”
I let out a deep sigh and shook my head. Of course he'd bring it up too. At this point, I was certain everyone else eventually would
“for the last time... no”
He simply shrugged and returned to sipping his coffee. A few minutes later, he stood up after receiving a message that the other children had already arrived. Thomas and Toky would be showing up soon as well
I finished my coffee before making my rounds, greeting the students as I escorted them to their respective classrooms. When I reached Dydy’s room, my heart skipped a beat, someone was standing outside the classroom
Max… Dydy’s papa
I gathered my courage, ready to greet him, but the moment our eyes met, he simply gave me a small nod before turning around and walking away
He probably didn’t want to talk to me anymore
Trying not to dwell on it, I headed toward Dydy's classroom, only to find Save standing by the door, holding a bouquet of flowers
“Oh, Boss!”
He wore a knowing smile that I couldn’t quite decipher, but somehow, it made me feel like I was in danger
“What is it?”
“well…”
He held the bouquet out to me
“Dydy’s papa asked me to give these to you”
I stared at the flowers before carefully taking them. Almost instantly, I felt warmth creep across my cheeks. He... gave me flowers? but why?
“He likes you”
“Who likes who?”
I nearly jumped at the sudden voice. Why did James always appear out of nowhere like some kind of mushroom?
“Dydy’s papa gave Boss Nat a bouquet”
James’ eyes widened. Oh no. I already knew exactly where this was going
“James…”
“I knew it!”
“Knew what?”
another voice chimed in
“Wait... flowers? From who, Nat?”
wonderful, now Ohm was here too
“Those are from his future husband!”
“Oh my gosh! Hold still—I need a picture!”
before I could protest, Ohm had already snapped a photo and second later, my phone vibrated inside my pocket. He had sent it to the group chat, good, Just... absolutely wonderful
“Dydy will be the flower girl!”
“Me? Flower girl?”
All of us looked down at Dydy, who had apparently wandered over without any of us noticing. She blinked up at us with sleepy eyes, her little dinosaur plushie clutched tightly against her chest.
“you want to be the flower girl?”
Save asked and Dydy looked like she was seriously considering it before giving a small nod
“Papa... and NaNat?”
Save nodded so enthusiastically that just watching him made my neck hurt from secondhand stress
“Okay! Me flower girl!”
“Aww, even the kids approve,”
Ohm teased and I shot him a glare, he only shrugged before walking away with James, who was already completely absorbed in his phone—probably updating the group chat. With a defeated sigh, I said goodbye and returned to my office.
Unfortunately, I still had work to finish and this was becoming an even bigger mess than I ever imagined.