5. Am I In Love?

Darian stretched his stiff muscles by raising both hands and leaning his body against the chair back. His eyes were closed, attempting to relieve the strain in his tired eyes after a day of dealing with files and laptop screens. Today, Darian intentionally cleared his meeting schedule to focus on checking the detailed reports from the finance director. Fahira had been in and out of the young CEO's room countless times to carry out all his orders. Darian had even consumed nearly three cups of coffee today. For lunch, he opted to eat in his office, ordering from his favorite restaurant.

Fahira started to worry when the time on her wristwatch showed three in the afternoon, and Darian seemed engrossed in the stack of papers before him. Fahira remained silent for quite a while until Darian's voice startled her.

"What's wrong, Fahira? Are you still not feeling well?" Darian asked, causing Fahira's tongue to feel parched.

Darian stood up, facing the giant mirror in front of him that revealed the hustle and bustle of Jakarta. His left hand sank into his pocket, while his right hand held a cup of coffee, sipping it slowly. Darian deliberately avoided Fahira's gaze, which always reminded him of the passionate night they had experienced together. Meanwhile, Fahira was gathering the courage to request permission to leave early. She really couldn't work overtime this time because she had to go to the hospital urgently.

"Sorry, Mr. Darian. May I leave early? I apologize for not being able to work overtime today," Fahira explained with a trembling voice. She gazed at Darian's broad back, which remained unmoving. Darian remained silent for quite a while before finally speaking.

"Go home!" Darian replied shortly, not bothering to look at Fahira. Instead, he enjoyed the sunlight on the western horizon.

"Thank you, Mr. Darian." Fahira quickly left Darian's room and hurriedly tidied up her desk, bag, and turned off her computer. She then bid farewell to Mira and Ray, her coworkers who still looked serious with their respective tasks. In the last week of each month like this, all employees usually got overtime, including Fahira. However, due to a certain reason, she had to set aside her work and prioritize the recovery of Ariel, her younger brother.

Fahira, walking hastily, almost collided with David, who had just come out of the bathroom.

"Sorry, Mr. David," Fahira said, clasping her hands in front of her chest with a stiff smile.

"Be careful on the way!" David replied casually, only met with a nod from Fahira. David smiled and waved as he walked towards Darian's room.

"Boss, do you want to go home now, or are you heading straight to the gym?" David asked, now inside Darian's room. Today was Darian's scheduled fitness day.

"You go home; I want to go alone," replied Darian without enthusiasm.

"Okay, thanks for the bonus, boss," David responded casually but with a hint of inquiry. David was well aware of the recent change in Darian's behavior, but he chose to remain silent. He would wait until Darian decided to share his problems. Despite being friends, David knew his place and respected the boundaries of not interfering in Darian's private matters unless the man himself asked for it.

As usual, Fahira left with her regular motorcycle taxi driver to go to Medical Center Hospital. About 10 minutes later, Darian's car also left his skyscraper building. Unbeknownst to Fahira, Darian's car was now only two cars behind the motorcycle taxi she was riding. Darian deliberately followed Fahira out of curiosity that had lingered since two days ago when he saw her entering a hospital, even though she appeared healthy and fine. Darian wouldn't stay silent if Fahira dared to lie just for personal matters and leave her duties like that.

Shortly after Fahira entered the hospital, Darian was about to get out of his car. However, he immediately reconsidered when he saw someone he knew very well. Aunt Desi, his father's cousin. Darian suddenly remembered that Aunt Desi's son was one of the doctors at that hospital. Darian quickly started his car engine and left the hospital premises. He didn't want his aunt to think otherwise, especially since he and his mom already had a family doctor who was always available 24/7 if needed.

"Why did I follow that woman? Just bored," grumbled Darian when he realized that what he had done was just a waste of his time. If Darian really wanted information about Fahira, he could simply instruct David, and everything would be sorted out quickly.

Darian's car glided freely towards the place where he usually practiced kickboxing. He wanted to refresh his mind by channeling all his emotions, feelings that he couldn't define himself.

A phone call interrupted Darian's thoughts. If not Yasmin, his mom, who else? He knew what they were going to talk about. Alea must have complained about Darian's rude behavior towards her a few days ago. He put on earphones and, when the call connected, Yasmin poured out all her anger on her son. Darian listened casually and only responded with a 'yes' to Yasmin without any interest in explaining anything, as everything would be futile. After Yasmin hung up, Darian searched for someone's contact number and pressed the call button.

"Come to the boxing gym, I need a sparring partner!" Darian ordered David, who instantly received a barrage of harsh rebukes on his cellphone. Darian was sure David was on a date with one of his women, and Darian gleefully canceled their plans.

Angry? Of course not. Darian even laughed loudly when he successfully irritated David as he usually did. Darian deliberately prevented David from planting seeds anywhere. Since high school, his only friend had been known as a playboy. So, every woman who liked Darian ended up in bed with David. In the past, David even casually told those women that Darian wasn't interested in the opposite sex, meaning he was gay. Was Darian angry this time? Of course not either. Because with David's confession, Darian was free from flirtatious women who wanted to get close to him.

David arrived while Darian was sparring with the studio trainer. Darian stopped his activity and smiled as he approached David, who was staring at him with an annoyed expression. "Change your clothes! I need a duel partner!" Darian said without guilt.

"I was about to have a duel in bed if you hadn't disturbed me. I need some release, not like you who always likes to duel with a punching bag!" David retorted angrily, then punched Darian's shoulder hard enough to make him step back. David immediately walked towards the changing room.

Darian laughed, which only made David angrier. Darian always disturbed his enjoyment. Although annoying, for some reason, David remained loyal to his friend. One of the advantages of having a cold and loyal friend like Darian was that David got whatever he wanted. One of them was women. Darian was a workaholic, while David, a lover of women, found it very enjoyable.

"You lose!" David said when he saw Darian's annoying expression waiting for him in the ring.

David stepped into the ring with a cynical smile, while Darian just stared at him flatly, one eyebrow raised. A fierce battle was about to take place in the ring. As per Darian's request, the fight between the two friends was to be undisturbed by anyone. So, the coach chose to leave them alone, and the employees in the studio were well-prepared for the potential chaos, as Darian and David usually dueled freely and recklessly.

The fight began. This time, Darian instructed David to attack first. David's agile attacks were skillfully parried by Darian. A powerful counter hit David's jaw, making him even more irritated. However, David deliberately chose not to retaliate, only blocking each of Darian's assaults.

"Don't tell me you want to beat me up just to vent your anger over Alea?" David said with a breathless voice, trying to hold off Darian's blindfolded attacks.

Unlike usual, Darian's mood was in disarray. The last time David faced Darian's wrath like this was three years ago when his father died. Back then, David was badly beaten and had to be hospitalized. David intentionally gave Darian the opportunity to unleash all his emotions. But this time, David was a bit puzzled; could Darian be frustrated like this just because of that supermodel woman?

"I'll give you the latest Pajero Sport if you manage to thwart that arranged marriage plan!" Darian offered, breathing heavily while continuously attacking David with a combination of jabs and crosses.

David's smile widened as he continued to withstand Darian's relentless attacks. Bam! Darian once again landed a powerful punch to David's left cheek, causing him to stagger to the corner of the ring. Darian returned to the center of the ring, tauntingly smiling at David, underestimating David's strength. As Darian's bodyguard, David should be better at fighting than him.

"I gladly accept your challenge, Darian. When else can I get a free car just for sleeping with a woman, hahaha!" Conquering women was not a difficult task for a player like David.

"Up to you! Just keep that woman away from my life!" Darian retorted.

They resumed the fight. However, David still felt something odd about Darian's behavior. Darian was thinking about something else, not Alea or Yasmin his mom, but something more serious. Suddenly, David's smile expanded as he recalled their recent conversation. This time, David took the initiative to attack Darian, even though the man skillfully defended against all of David's strikes. When there was an opportunity, David whispered, "I wonder which woman managed to break your virginity seal, Darian," stifling a laugh as he observed Darian's suddenly distracted expression. Bam! David successfully slammed Darian's body onto the ring. "You lose!" David taunted, laughing loudly, while Darian stretched both arms, regulating his racing breath.

"I will find out who that woman is!" David continued, then lay down next to Darian in the same position.

"Don't touch her!"