DUJAPSORN-《DUANGJAI TEWAPROM》

CHAPTER 5

“Hello Lisa, Ploy.”

The greeting rang out beside them, causing both girls to quickly turn around. When they saw who it was, they immediately waved and greeted.

“Hello, Mr. Sarat.” Anitha asked further, “When did you return from the U.S.?”

“I’ve been back for over a year now. When I graduated, the professor asked me to stay an extra two or three weeks to help with some work. My mom complained a lot, wanting me to return quickly to help with the family business. But you two are still getting along well, right? Every time I see you, you're always glued together like sticky rice.”

He teased them, and then Chalisa spoke up.

“Mr. Rat, do you have a date with someone? If not, would you like to join us for a meal?”

Anitha quickly nodded in agreement. The man glanced at his watch briefly before replying.

“I came here to handle some business for my mother, but I arrived early because I was worried about traffic. I was planning to eat first. If you two don’t mind, may I join you at your table?”

“Of course, please.”

The two girls waved for him to sit. He chose to sit next to Chalisa, who had just moved over to make space for him, making her cheeks flush when she found herself so close to him. Her friend saw this and couldn’t help but smile because Chalisa always looked so shy around the opposite sex, making her frequently act as a protector. However, with this particular man, she didn’t have to worry because she’d known him since they were in England. After graduation, he returned to work, and then later received a scholarship to pursue his PhD in the U.S. for several years.

“So this time you’re staying in Thailand, right? You must be back to complete your scholarship requirements for the university, right?” Chalisa asked.

“I'm probably just back to teach as a special instructor. My mom wanted me to help with the family business, so she returned the scholarship funds. But I didn’t want to quit my work as a teacher, so I asked my mom if I could teach a few subjects.”

“You really are diligent, Mr. Rat,” Anitha praised him, knowing that his family had a significant social presence. His mother owned a jewelry shop and had many stores in a shopping mall, yet her son preferred to earn his scholarship on his own to study abroad.

“What can I do? The work I want to do, I can’t give up. And the family needs help, plus I’m the only son,” he replied slowly, shaking his head. “I just do as much as I can.”

“By the way, who are you meeting in this building?” Chalisa asked, curious.

“Oh, it’s my mom’s business partner. Their company is expanding, so they’re preparing to sell shares to the market to raise capital. I’m here to talk with a top investment banker about how we should proceed. We’ll have another meeting later.”

“Ah, I see. What time is your meeting?” Chalisa asked.

“Two o’clock in the afternoon.”

“It’s only 12:30 PM, so you’re here really early,” Anitha laughed teasingly.

“I just followed my habit from abroad—when I make an appointment, I like to arrive early. And I know that the traffic here in Thailand is crazy, so I was worried about being late.”

“True,” Chalisa agreed. “If we didn’t have an apartment nearby, we’d probably be in trouble too. We’d have to rush to get to work on Monday.”

“Apartment?” he asked, intrigued.

“Yeah, we bought an apartment in the JT project,” Chalisa replied, pointing to her friend. “The project just launched not long ago. Since we’re working here, we decided to buy one to live closer. If we’re too lazy, we can just walk and exercise.”