The next morning, the office buzzed with energy, but Boom could barely focus. He knew Aou was there, watching.
Aou called him over to his desk. "Boom… I have a task for you." His tone was calm, but there was something sharp in his eyes. Boom nodded cautiously. "Yes, sir?"
Aou handed him a stack of papers. "I need a proposal. Make 100 copies. And it must be on my desk before the end of today."
Boom blinked. A hundred copies? That was insane. The other employees glanced at him, shocked, whispering among themselves.
But Boom couldn't argue. He swallowed and nodded. "Understood."
He went back to his chair and started working, trying to stay calm. The office chatter was loud, but every few seconds, his eyes flicked to Aou. The man sat there, smirking faintly, arms crossed, clearly enjoying the show.
A few minutes later, Aou called again. "Boom… get me a cup of coffee."
Boom hesitated, but he got up and went to make it. He returned not too long after, carrying the steaming cup carefully.
Aou's smirk widened. He reached for the cup, but Boom noticed the glint of mischief in his eyes. Suddenly, with a slight nudge, the cup slipped from Boom's hands and crashed to the floor, spilling everywhere.
The office went silent. Boom froze. Aou leaned back in his chair, trying not to laugh.
Boom sighed, crouching to clean up the mess. He muttered under his breath, "Seriously…?"
Once the floor was dry, he carefully made another cup, glancing at Aou, who watched him like a predator enjoying the hunt.
Boom set the second cup on Aou's desk. "Here. Don't break this one." Aou's lips curved into a wicked smirk.
The tension between them crackled through the office like electricity. Everyone else stayed silent, watching, knowing that this was more than just office work it was war.
Boom's phone buzzed while he was still staring at the unfinished stack of proposals.
It was the employees' group chat.
May: Okay, I can't be the only one seeing this tension.
May: Boom… what's the history between you and Team Leader Aou?
Pan: Yes! Because this is not normal boss behaviour.
Ohm: He's extra strict with you.
Phoon: Suspiciously extra.
Boom blinked at the screen.
At least this time, it wasn't interrogation. It felt more like concern.
He typed slowly.
Boom: It's a long story.
Boom: And I still have 100 proposal copies to finish before today ends.
May: See?? That's exactly what I mean!
Pan: He's bullying you at this point.
Ohm: Should we report him?
Phoon: I volunteer as a witness.
Boom couldn't help but smile a little.
Across the office, Aou looked up from his desk. His eyes landed on Boom, who quickly tried to hide his expression.
Aou narrowed his eyes slightly. Boom cleared his throat and put his phone down. If they find out what really happened between us… this office will never be peaceful again.The office was almost silent.
Later in the night, one by one, the employees packed their bags.
"Goodnight, Boom!" May called out. "Don't stay too late!" Pan added.
Ohm and Phoon waved before the elevator doors closed. And just like that… the entire floor became quiet. Except for one desk lamp still glowing.
Boom, He was still typing. The clock on the wall read 9:47 PM.
His fingers were tired. His eyes burned. The stack of completed proposals sat beside him, but there were still a few left. He exhaled softly. Footsteps echoed across the empty office. Slow. Steady. Boom didn't need to look up to know who it was. Aou stopped beside his desk. "You're still here?" Aou's voice was calm — too calm. Boom kept typing. "You said it must be submitted today."
For a few seconds, neither of them moved. The only sound was the faint hum of the air conditioner. Aou leaned slightly on Boom's desk.
"Finish it," he said softly. "I'll wait." Boom blinked. "Why?"
Aou didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pulled a chair and sat down across from him. "I don't like sending my employee home alone this late."
Boom scoffed...
The silence stretched between them. Boom couldn't focus anymore. The words on his screen blurred. He slowly closed his laptop. "Aou…"
Aou didn't respond. Boom's fingers tightened on the edge of the desk. "About what happened back then,"
"Stop." The word was sharp. Immediate.
Boom froze.
Aou stood up from the chair, his expression no longer calm. "It's no use saying anything about the past."
Boom swallowed. "But we can't just pretend like it didn't happen."
"I said stop." Aou's voice dropped, colder this time. The air felt heavier than before.
Boom stood up, too. "I know I hurt you. I know I messed up. But I was young, and I..."
"Enough." Aou's jaw clenched. "You apologizing won't solve anything."
The words hit harder than shouting.
Boom's chest tightened. "I'm not asking you to forgive me instantly. I just,"
"You just what?" Aou's eyes finally met his. There was anger there. And something else. Something deeper.
"You think saying sorry will rewind everything? Do you think it'll erase what you did?" Boom couldn't answer. Because it wouldn't.
Aou let out a bitter laugh. "Finish the proposal and go home."
Then he turned and walked away.
His footsteps echoed down the empty office hallway until the sound disappeared. Boom stood there alone. The office suddenly felt too big.
Too quiet. He slowly sat back down, staring at the blank laptop screen.
"…I never asked for it to be erased," he whispered to himself. "I just wanted a chance to fix it." But Aou was already gone.
Boom slowly sank back into his chair. The office felt too quiet now.
Aou's words still echoed in his head, "You apologizing won't solve anything."
Boom leaned back and closed his eyes. And just like that, the silence of the office faded. He recalled the memory
Bright afternoon sun, high school uniform, laughter.
"Aou! Hurry up!" Boom whispered loudly, already halfway over the school fence.
"You're the one who said the teacher on duty was near the front gate!" Aou shot back, struggling to climb over. They both dropped to the other side of the fence
and immediately froze. The teacher on duty was standing there.
Arms crossed. Expression dark.
"Well," the teacher said slowly. "How nice of you two to greet me here."
Boom tried not to laugh. Aou elbowed him hard.
"100 laps around the field. Now!" The whistle blew.
Boom was already panting by lap twenty. "This is your fault," Aou muttered, breathless. "My fault? You agreed!" "You said it would be fun!"
"It was fun—until we got caught!" Aou glared at him but couldn't hide the small smile forming.
By lap fifty, both of them were exhausted, By lap eighty, they were laughing for no reason, By lap one hundred, they collapsed onto the grass, staring at the sky.
"If we die," Boom said dramatically, "tell my mother I was a brave man." Aou snorted. "You're not dying. You're just dramatic." They lay there, shoulders touching.
Carefree, Young, Uncomplicated. The memory faded.
Boom opened his eyes, and the empty office returned. He smiled softly… "Then, sighed. Back then, Aou used to look at him like he was the centre of his world.
Now… Aou could barely stand to look at him. Boom glanced at the hallway where Aou had disappeared. "So when did we become like this?" he murmured
The bar was loud, music. Laughter, Glasses clinking.
But Aou heard none of it clearly. He sat at the counter, jacket slightly loosened, tie pulled down. "Another," he said flatly. The bartender hesitated but poured anyway. Across the table, Klao, Rome, and Tan exchanged looks.
"That's his fourth one," Rome muttered. "Fifth," Tan corrected quietly.
Klao leaned forward. "Okay… what's going on?" Aou lifted the glass and downed it in one go. Silence.
"Aou," Klao tried again. "You hate drinking this much. "Aou gave a small humourless smile. "People change." Rome frowned. "Is this about work?"
No response. Tan leaned back. "It's about Boom, isn't it?"
Aou's grip on the glass tightened slightly. There it was.
Klao noticed, Aou let out a soft laugh, but it wasn't amused.
"Of course." Rome sighed. "Then tell us. What happened between you two?"
For a moment, Aou said nothing.
Then quietly, "Some things are better left buried." His voice didn't sound angry.
It sounded tired. Klao studied him carefully. "You're still not over it."
Aou stood up abruptly. "I said drop it."
The chair scraped against the floor. Without looking at them, he grabbed his jacket. "I'm leaving."
Tan blinked. "Already?" Aou paused for just a second. "…He apologized."
The three of them looked surprised. "And?" Rome asked carefully. Aou's expression hardened. "Apologies don't fix betrayal." Then he walked out.
The bar door shut behind him.
And for the first time that night, his friends looked genuinely concerned.
The night air outside the bar was cooler. Aou exhaled slowly, leaning against the wall. The alcohol was hitting him now , not enough to lose control, but enough to loosen the past. And just like that… the present blurred.
FLASHBACK: HIGH SCHOOL
A tiny convenience store near their school. "You sure this is a good idea?" Boom whispered, holding up the cheap canned drink. Aou smirked confidently. "It's just alcohol. How bad can it be?" Boom raised an eyebrow. "You've never even tasted it." Exactly. Today's the first time. They sat behind the old basketball court, hidden from sight, Aou took a big gulp. Boom blinked. "You didn't even sip it, "I'm fine," Aou said quickly. Ten minutes later, "I don't feel fine."
Boom stared at him. "You're pale. "I'm not pale. I'm handsome."
"You're swaying. "I'm not swa..." Aou suddenly collapsed sideways.
Boom's eyes widened. "Aou?!" Twenty minutes later.
Boom had Aou's arm over his shoulders, struggling to walk. "You're heavy!" Boom complained. "I'm not heavy," Aou mumbled weakly. "You're just weak."
"You literally passed out!"
"You promised… we'd always be together." Boom froze for a second.
Aou's head rested against his back."Even if something happens," Aou murmured softly, half-conscious. "Don't leave me."
Boom tightened his grip. "I won't." And he carried him all the way home.
The memory shattered, back to the present, Streetlights flickered softly.
Aou stood outside the bar, staring across the road. And then, He saw a figure.
Slim, Familiar posture, Standing under the dim light.
"…Boom?" Aou blinked hard, He let out a bitter laugh. "Great. Now I'm hallucinating." He ran a hand through his hair. Suddenly, a hand grabbed him.