"It's been a long time since we last met. I heard you were running a vineyard?" the honey-skinned man inquired.

Narajkul pulled up the corner of his mouth slightly. "Yes. I just had to come back to the city for some business, so I took the opportunity to rest for a while."

"That's great! I'm glad you haven't forgotten me," Wuthipong said, offering a broad smile.

"Never," Narajkul replied with a faint smile, gesturing toward the VIP room door that was already open for them.

The two men entered the private chamber, ordered their food and drinks, and resumed their conversation.

"I hope you've been well," Wuthipong asked sincerely.

Narajkul gave a slight smile and lifted his eyes to meet his friend’s gaze. "I'm fine," he answered, though the response felt incomplete.

The door softly opened. Ornicha appeared with a bottle of wine chilling in a stainless steel bucket. She offered Wuthipong a sweet smile before leaning in to plant a soft kiss on Narajkul’s cheek, then looked back at Wuthipong as if nothing had happened.

"Hello, Senior Wuthipong. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Ornicha greeted him with a wide smile.

Wuthipong cleared his throat awkwardly, seemingly embarrassed to witness the familiarity between the older man and the fiercely charming woman. "Hello," he managed stiffly. Wuthipong remembered Ornicha from university; she had harbored a deep infatuation with Narajkul for years, and it appeared she was still pursuing him relentlessly.

"Narach, let's go out later tonight, okay? I’ve missed you so much. I tried searching everywhere for you these past few years. Now that I've found you, I want to spend a long time with you," Ornicha pleaded, her voice taking on a childish, pouting tone.

Narajkul gently removed her hands without making eye contact. "I have a prior engagement with a friend."

"Hmph! Narach!" Ornicha frowned in annoyance, briefly casting a look at Wuthipong as if blaming him for the refusal.

"You understand," Narajkul looked at her for a fleeting moment with cool indifference.

Ornicha straightened up, turning away without waiting for him to reject her again, all under Wuthipong's highly observant gaze.

"She hasn't changed at all, has she?" Wuthipong remarked after Ornicha had departed like a whirlwind.

"Nothing truly stays unchanged. People just cling to the images of the past," Narajkul countered.

Wuthipong lowered his eyes slightly before looking back at his companion. "And have you started seeing anyone, Narach?"

Narajkul quirked the corner of his mouth. "There's no necessity to date anyone. Or rather... it's not a matter important enough to clutter my mind with," he stated unflinchingly.

Wuthipong looked at Narajkul for a moment, sensing that his senior’s emotional fortress remained unbreached.

"Speaking of which... you're not married yet either," Narajkul skillfully parried the question, his face remaining as calm as if nothing had occurred. Wuthipong froze mid-air and subtly lowered his gaze.