Aaradhya, half-Indian and half-Thai, never expected to fall for her brother's best friend at first sight. But as she navigates her feelings amidst the vibrant energy of Bangkok, she discovers that love can be as fleeting as it is powerful. Will she...
I was stunned when I saw Riki sitting next to me on the flight. My mind raced as I tried to make sense of his presence.
"Oppa, what are you doing here?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
He smiled gently. "Before that, I messaged you, Ara. Your brother gave me your number, but I didn't get a reply. I mentioned that I'd pick you up, but since there was no response, I called your brother. He said you were already at the airport, so I hurried over."
I felt a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry, oppa. I have this setting where unknown messages and calls get blocked and deleted automatically. I didn't see your messages."
Riki's expression softened. "That's really unfortunate. At least you can save my number now."
"Oh, I'll do that right away," I said, pulling out my phone and quickly saving his number. My heart raced as I called him "oppa" for the first time, wondering how he'd react. To my relief, he took it in stride.
"Do you know Ryan's hyung is getting married this week?" he asked.
"Yeah, I heard," I replied, trying to steady my nerves.
"You've really grown up, Ara. You're quite a woman now," he said with a hint of admiration.
I giggled, trying to hide my blush. "Am I? Hahah."
"So, what are you doing now?" he asked, genuinely interested.
"Oh, I'm a med student, handling family business, and I'm also a fashion designer. I'm getting a double degree in fine arts and sports," I rattled off my achievements, trying to sound nonchalant. "What about you, oppa?" I added, grateful that he didn't make an awkward reaction to me calling him "oppa," as he was six years older than me.
"That's a lot, Ara. You're really talented, just as Ryan and Kwan said," he said, his eyes twinkling with pride.
"Thank you, oppa," I replied, feeling a warm glow inside.
We talked about my brothers, how Kwan and I fought, and how Ryan always mediated. But despite our long conversation, Riki never revealed much about himself. I sensed he was keeping boundaries, possibly because of his secret girlfriend. I felt my eyes growing heavy, and despite my best efforts, I eventually fell asleep.
The next morning, I woke up to find myself leaning on Riki's shoulder. My heart raced as I looked outside, trying to hide my blush. When I dared to glance at him, an announcement about our arrival in Bangkok interrupted my thoughts. Riki woke up and looked at me.
"You're up, Ara? Did you sleep well?" he asked casually, as if nothing had happened.
"I did," I replied, quickly changing the topic. "We're arriving. Oppa, where are you going to stay?"
"Probably at a hotel," he said.
"Oh," I mumbled, disappointed. I wanted him to stay with us. "How about coming to our house? I'll tell Kwan about it."
"No, Ara. It's going to be awkward," he replied gently.
"No, it won't be. It's not your first time, right?" I insisted, hoping he'd agree.
"Let it be, Ara. Don't worry," he said firmly, setting the boundary again.
We got off the flight, and I was excited to see Kwan. As soon as I spotted him, I ran towards him and jumped into his arms, telling him how much I missed him. Ryan watched us with a smile, but Riki seemed shocked.
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