Autumn is a second spring

110. Fake proposal

The moment Boun stepped into the room, he blinked in surprise. The normally drab space used for storing old furniture had been transformed into something magical. There were fairy lights strung across the ceiling, soft pink and white balloons filling the corners, and a heart-shaped arch made from roses standing tall at the center. A little table had been set up beside the arch, and on it sat a velvet ring box—open to reveal a glittering jelly ring.

He raised a brow. "I have never seen you lot put this much effort into actual work."

The employees pretended not to hear him. Meg, who had been overseeing the last-minute touches, jogged over and thrust a piece of paper into Boun's hand.

"What's this?" he asked, half expecting it to be another one of their silly doodles.

"Your script," Meg said, grinning.

"A script? You made a script for this fake proposal?" Boun flipped through the pages, incredulous. "This is impressive in a really stupid way."

"Khun Boun, please be serious. James is coming back in ten minutes," Meg warned. "Just follow the lines. We even timed the music. You are the lead actor, boss. Don't mess it up."

"Too late to back out, huh?"

Meg gave him a thumbs up and vanished into the shadows with the others.

Boun sighed. He skimmed through the script again, muttering the words. It was dramatic, cheesy, and so utterly not him. But the thought of cheering James up gave him the motivation to stay.

Minutes passed. Everyone hid behind desks, cupboards, and dividers, the atmosphere thick with anticipation. Then, the elevator dinged.

James stepped out, his brow already furrowing. The silence of the usually lively office was unsettling. He took a few steps forward and slowed. Something was definitely off. The air felt too still, too charged.

Then the confetti popped.

"Surprise!" echoed across the room.

Employees burst out of their hiding spots, clapping and cheering. James stood frozen, eyes wide, taking in the decorations, the laughter, and the sparkle of fairy lights. Then he spotted Boun, kneeling on one knee beneath the rose arch, holding out a jelly ring.

Boun cleared his throat theatrically, trying to maintain a serious expression as instructed by the script. He could already feel the corners of his mouth twitching. He held the ring up higher.

"James," Boun began, voice mock solemn. "You are the sugar in my coffee, the PowerPoint to my meetings, the only one who never screws up the coffee order—even if you once added salt instead of sugar. Today, in front of all our colleagues, I ask you this very important question..."

Boun paused dramatically and took a breath.

"Will you marry me?"

Laughter erupted in the room. James stared, hands over his mouth to contain the giggles that were now erupting from his chest. The jelly ring, gleaming under the lights like a five-carat diamond, was the final nail.

"Yes!" James managed to yell out between laughs, playing along. "A thousand times yes!"

The cheers grew louder. Boun slipped the jelly ring onto James's finger and stood up. As per the script, he gave James a side hug and patted his back.

James's laughter slowly faded into sniffles. His eyes turned glassy, and he let out a small, choked sob.

"Hey, hey," Boun said softly, alarmed. "Don't cry, it was supposed to be funny."

"It was funny," James said, voice trembling. "That's why I am crying. I just—I never thought everyone would go through all this trouble just to make me smile."

Boun gave him another reassuring pat, and the rest of the employees swarmed in, wrapping James in a massive group hug.

"We love you, you dork," Pae said, ruffling his hair.

"You are family," Rang added.

Meg wiped James's cheeks with a tissue and whispered, "Don't ever doubt that, okay?"

James nodded, still overwhelmed. Boun stepped back and watched his team, a fond smile creeping up his face. He felt proud. Not just because the prank had worked, but because this was the kind of team he had helped nurture—one that looked out for each other.

Slowly, people drifted back to their desks. James lingered behind and walked up to Boun.

"Thanks," he said, voice clearer now. "You didn't have to be part of it, but you did."

Boun chuckled. "I never thought I would propose to someone other than Pao in front of so many people. But hey, you pulled it off better than most reality TV couples."

James glanced at the jelly ring and laughed. Then, without thinking too much, he bit into it. "Pretty tasty for a fake engagement ring."

Boun raised an eyebrow. "So you are into edible jewelry now?"

"Apparently."

"Have you eaten anything real today?"

James shook his head.

"Neither have I. Let's hit the cafeteria."

They made their way downstairs, Boun casually brushing aside congratulations from passing colleagues. They settled into the private seating area designated for Boun, who waved at the staff and ordered a couple of rice sets with soup and omelets.

While they waited, James fidgeted in his seat.

"Something on your mind?" Boun asked.

James hesitated. "Yeah... I have been talking to someone. On a dating app."

"That's great," Boun said, smiling. "So what's with the nervous face? Did he ghost you or something?"

"No, nothing like that," James hurried to clarify. "He is actually really sweet. It's just... we kind of ran into each other earlier than expected."

Boun leaned in. "And? Was it someone I know?"

James bit his lip. "It's Net. Khun Fluke's new secretary."

There was a beat of silence.

Then Boun shrugged. "So? That's your personal life. Whatever disagreement I have with Fluke doesn't extend to you. If Net treats you well, that's what matters."

James let out a relieved breath. "Really? I was so worried you would think it was inappropriate."

"If you are happy, that's all I care about."

James beamed. "We started chatting over this meme I posted. He replied with a corny pun, and we just... clicked. Then he sent me this ridiculously dramatic voice note reading Shakespeare in a robot voice. I haven't stopped laughing since."

Boun listened, genuinely amused as James animatedly described their conversations, voice bubbling with excitement. It was the happiest he'd seen James in weeks.

The food arrived, and they began eating, the mood light and comforting. For once, Boun wasn't weighed down by the past. He was surrounded by warmth, laughter, and stories about jelly rings and Shakespearean robots.

Boun was genuinely happy that James was able to find new light in the darkness. He didn't know much about Net and had only met him twice before but he hoped that Net would take good care of James and not break his heart like his ex.