The hall chosen by Mrs. Bertha's company was the smallest in the hotel, located right next to the restaurant. The two doors had been tightly shut since the event began two hours ago. Despite its capacity of one hundred, only half the seats were filled. Fifty chairs were neatly lined up, while five sofas occupied the front, near the stage. Mrs. Bertha, Mr. Kim—one of the company's founders—and his wife, Mrs. Kim, sat on three of the sofas. To the right, Kia, the HR director, was seated, and on the far left sat Mr. Moses, the General Manager, headquartered in the Star Bill Building.

The board of directors maintained a humble appearance by wearing the same uniforms as their employees: gray blazers over blue shirts. They even encouraged everyone to bring their own snacks, resulting in a strange mixture of scents—perfumes mingled with the aroma of popcorn chicken, meatball skewers, and coffee. Under normal circumstances, Mrs. Bertha would've been outraged, but with the directors present, she could only pout and sink her small frame deeper into the sofa.


At the back of the room, not all employees wore uniforms. Some opted for creative costumes, considering today's event called for the divisions to showcase their achievements in the most unique way possible.

'And now, we come to the division we've all been waiting for…" Erin announced from the stage. She had never imagined herself as an MC. In fact, she was never meant to be here. The man originally scheduled for the role, a stocky figure with a tall crest, had suffered a sudden allergic reaction, leaving Erin no choice but to step in. Her nerves were electric, and the microphone felt as though it shocked her fingers every time she touched it. But the show had to go on, without any hiccups. "Let's welcome the IT and Production teams!"

Quickly, Erin moved to the left side of the stage, near the sound control team. Across from her, Amir sat next to Xavier, managing the employees' presentations with an ROG laptop.


Xavier's stealing my spot! Erin grumbled internally, frustrated at the thought of the uncomfortable heels that were tearing into her skin. She slammed her cue card against the back of the chair in front of her, muttering to herself.

'Everything alright, miss?" a large man with a mustache turned to her.


'Oh, sorry, sir," she stammered, stepping back, realizing she hadn't even noticed someone was sitting there.

Suddenly, the room plunged into darkness.

Erin glanced around, as bewildered as everyone else, though Amir and Xavier appeared unfazed. The stage operators remained still.

Then, without warning, the double doors burst open.

A spotlight illuminated a lone figure: Steve.

Dressed in a long black robe, he grinned, revealing unnervingly long fangs. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen." His voice, amplified by a microphone attached to his ear, boomed through the hall. With confident strides, Steve made his way to the front of the stage. 'Tough, smart, obedient, hard-working, never leaving until the job is done—that's us. But…" He adjusted his mic. 'We also know how to have fun."

A deep bass reverberated through the room as grandiose opening music filled the air, syncing perfectly with the IT and Production teams' slideshow that appeared on the large screen. Erin suddenly understood. No wonder Amir had been so involved in every division's rehearsals—he was responsible for coordinating all the presentations.

The music shifted, taking on the vibe of a fashion show.

Steve struck a pose at the edge of the stage, just as the lights dimmed once more. All eyes turned to the entrance.

Sure enough, another figure entered. He wore a yellow tube top, a green scarf, and a long wig. His face was heavily painted with makeup. But as soon as Erin saw his face…

'Ridwan?!" an employee shouted. Erin's eyes widened in shock.

Ridwan stood on stage, grinning sheepishly. The slideshow behind him changed, but from where Erin was standing, she couldn't make out the details.

And the surprises didn't stop there.

Ten more people paraded into the room, each donning an even more outlandish costume! Elsa and Anna from Frozen twirled across the stage, provoking peals of laughter from the crowd. One person struggled across the stage in a mermaid dress, dragging its tail behind them with difficulty.

Erin could hardly believe what she was seeing as the entire IT and Production teams assembled at the front, obscuring the screen behind them. Their outfits were a riot of color! Judging by Amir's astonished expression, it seemed even he hadn't anticipated his colleagues' bold fashion choices. Maybe they hadn't worn their costumes during practice.

The music faded for a brief moment. Steve tapped his mic. 'We're like fiction—too cool to be real. We're the ultimate blend of brains and brawn. Us? We've got no competition!" His voice rose with excitement, matching the energy in the room.

The music resumed, this time switching to an upbeat Indonesian traditional rhythm, which instantly drew cheers from the crowd. Even Mrs. and Mr. Kim couldn't help but smile, clearly enjoying the surprise. With synchronized movements, the IT and production teams performed a simple yet lively dance—two steps to the right, two to the left, a spin, then clasping hands and merging in a tight circle like a flower bud before dramatically spreading out as all the lights came on. The group scattered, running to different corners of the room.

Ridwan sprinted toward Mrs. Kim, extending his hand. She accepted it with a delighted laugh, and they danced together on stage. The others followed suit, grabbing people from the audience to join them in the performance.

Erin found herself swept up in the euphoria, nodding along to the infectious rhythm. No wonder the IT team always won these things with presentations like this!

"Rin, let's go!" Erin was startled as Steve suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her forward.

He grinned at her, his fake vampire fangs gleaming. Turning his mic away, he teased, "Want to be bitten?"

Erin froze as Steve spun her around, the festive atmosphere contrasting with her awkwardness. Did he deserve a playful slap on the head for dragging her into this?

"C'mon! Shake it!" Steve wiggled his waist, trying to coax her into dancing.

"What? No!" Erin stood stiff, forcing a smile.

"Just a little!" Steve leaned closer, but Erin quickly swatted his hand away and playfully slapped him on the head, still smiling through the awkwardness.

"Stop." She flicked his forehead again before limping back to her corner, her sore heel making each step uncomfortable.

As the IT and production teams received roaring applause, Erin had to take the stage once more. 'Wow, wasn't that something? But we have to move on, folks, because our time here is running out. Next up—the sales division!"

Erin returned to her corner, watching Tata bring two chairs from the back row and grab a guitar while Mimi prepared to sing. The pair surprised Erin with a melodious cover of Troye Sivan's "Angel Baby," with lyrics rewritten to highlight the sales team's achievements. Mimi's voice, in contrast to her usual shrill tone, was unexpectedly beautiful.

Erin was fully immersed in the performance when Steve reappeared beside her. She instinctively moved closer to the sound team, crossing her arms in an attempt to ignore him.

'I saw your leg bleeding earlier, beautiful. Don't worry, I didn't notice anything else," Steve whispered, leaning in.

"Just leave it," Erin snapped. She knew she should've worn stockings, but she hadn't expected this much activity.

'Relax, I'll help you." Before she could protest, Steve knelt down in front of her, taking her hand and placing it on his shoulder for balance. He slipped off her shoe and applied a plaster to her injured heel.

'Eh! What are you doing?!" Erin panicked, glancing around the room. Fortunately, everyone's attention was still on Mimi and Tata's performance, and Amir and Xavier were deep in conversation by the laptop.

'Just one more," Steve murmured, taking her other foot and applying another plaster.

'There's no need for that!" Erin hissed, her scolding interrupted as Steve stood back up.

'Why not? I can't just let you hurt. What kind of guy would that make me?"

'Don't do that in public! What if people see?"

'Come on, if I'd asked to do it in private, you'd have said no." Steve smirked.

'Ugh!!"

'Okay, okay. Don't be mad. But hey, one last thing—will you come to...?"

'No. No, no, no. Okay? Did you hear me?"

'I didn't quite catch that, honey." Steve leaned in, pretending not to hear. 'One more time?"

'You're so annoying! I swear I hate you!" Erin grumbled, stepping back and nearly colliding with a spare mic stand.

'Just kidding, Rin. But next time maybe? Is it alright?"

"Sure, maybe in a thousand years."

"Aw, you're so cute," Steve teased, his grin only widening.

Just then, the audience erupted in applause as Mimi and Tata finished their performance. Erin seized the opportunity to nudge Steve toward the stage. 'Go on, get out there!"

After the group performances ended, the fun continued with employees volunteering to showcase their talents. Erin was finally able to relax as other employees took over as MCs. Kia and Mr. Moses soon began the prize announcements for the best presentations.

As expected, the IT and production teams claimed victory once again. Steve and his team excitedly rushed to the front, now dressed in matching suits and shirts. They took photos with Mrs. Bertha, Mr. Kim, and Mrs. Kim, holding a symbolic prize board worth a thousand dollars.

'And now," Kia announced, holding up another board that read seven hundred dollars, 'congratulations to Amir Winarto!"

Erin noticed Amir spacing out when his name was called. Xavier had to pat his shoulder twice before Amir finally jolted back to reality. Poor guy. Even though his contribution today didn't seem like much, Erin knew that he was responsible for the entire presentation. Most of his work had been done well before the event started.

As he received the award, Amir's expression remained flat, even during the photos. Erin wondered if he was just exhausted or something deeper was bothering him.

Her thoughts kept circling back to Amir. He looked drained, his focus solely on his laptop. Erin couldn't shake her concern for him, and it lingered even as she wrapped up the event.

After closing the event, Erin was pulled aside by a hotel staff member offering her a freelance MC gig. She thanked Mr. Taka politely but couldn't stop glancing over at Amir.

As the crowd began to clear out, Xavier bid goodbye to Amir, slinging his heavy backpack over his shoulder. Seizing the moment, Erin hurried over to Amir. Her heels clicked on the floor, but he didn't seem to notice. He kept his eyes on his laptop, rolling up the charger.

'Hey, Mr. Model Employee! You're really going to ignore me?" Erin leaned on the edge of the table. But Amir just shifted his gaze elsewhere, refusing to acknowledge her.

'Ugh, why are you being so cold? What did I do?" Erin moved to stand directly in his line of sight, but he dodged her again, this time staring at his shoes.

"Amir!" she exclaimed.

"You're being loud. The group's about to leave. Go with them!" He shoved the charger into his laptop bag with more force than necessary.

"What group? Do you think I want to come to the villa?"

"Oh, really? You're not coming?" His sarcastic tone raised even more questions in Erin's mind. Hadn't their relationship improved recently? They'd joked around more. So why did it feel like things were back to square one?

"I'm staying here! Kia asked me to stay, but then she sent her admin's instead since her child's sick."

"Yeah, okay." Amir zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"What is wrong with you? Did I do something to upset you?"

Without warning, Amir threw his award board behind him and stormed toward the exit.

Erin huffed but didn't give up, trailing a step behind him. Amir's strange behavior, like glancing at the empty buffet table and then turning toward the elevator, only made her more determined to figure out what was going on.

"I'm on the sixth floor. Where are you staying?" Erin asked as they waited silently for the elevator. Amir remained stone-faced, his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Bro! Amir Winarto! I love cakes!" Erin teased, trying her best (and failing) at a Javanese accent.

That finally cracked him. Amir burst into laughter.

'There it is! You're so handsome when you laugh."

'Halah mboh," Amir muttered with his regional language Java, still grinning.

'Huh? What does that mean?" Erin asked, confused.

'Don't try to act smart with that accent." Amir responded, his voice thick with his native Javanese dialect, making Erin's eyes widen in surprise.

'Gosh! That's... sexy."

'Seriously, Erin. Sexy, huh? What are you thinking?"

'I'm thinking about you, Amir." Erin shot him a playful finger heart.

'Whatever." Amir rolled his eyes but softened when he noticed her bandaged foot. 'Are you okay now? I saw the vampire prince patching you up earlier."

Erin's mind replayed the scene of Steve kneeling to put a plaster on her heel. She'd been sure no one noticed since Amir had been talking to Xavier at the time. But how... did he know?

Amir nonchalantly walked into the elevator, leaving Erin to process everything. She quickly joined him, her thoughts swirling as the dots connected.

Was Amir... jealous?

The corners of her lips curled into a smile. Amir, sensing her gaze, glanced at her through the reflection in the elevator glass. His annoyed expression only widened her grin.

'Are you jealous?" Erin teased, raising an eyebrow.

'No." Amir's crossed arms said otherwise.

'You totally are! You like me, don't you?" Erin nudged him.

'Shut up."

'You like me, right? Yes? Yes?" Erin kept poking at him.

'Shut up!" Amir snapped, though his flustered tone was a giveaway.

The elevator reached the sixth floor. Amir stepped out first, but Erin stayed hot on his heels.

'Are you staying on this floor too? Which room is yours? Is it near mine?" She persisted, following him down the hallway.

'Amir!" She suddenly blocked his path, turning to face him, 'Okay, okay, I'm sorry if you're jealous. Do you forgive me?"

'No! Move!"

"C'mon, it's so obvious! You're jealous, admit it."

'Rin, I'm warning you."

'Admit it, darling!" Erin pressed, her voice teasing and light.

'I don't care!" Amir snapped, clearly fed up.

Out of nowhere, Erin grabbed his hand and placed it on her head, 'There, grob it! You don't care, right?"

This girl! Amir could only let out an exasperated sigh at her innocent face, his irritation melting away.

Suddenly, the door to their right swung open.

Just as Amir's hand rested on Erin's head, the door next to them swung open. Kia stepped out, her nose red and her expression frozen in shock.

Amir rubbing Erin's head?

Kia stood still, the sight catching her off guard. Were they really that close? She blinked, feeling her breath hitch as her gaze shifted to Amir, who looked completely at ease, still resting his hand on Erin's head. He didn't even flinch, didn't pull away—nothing. At the very least, he should have looked surprised. Surprised to have been caught. But instead, he seemed entirely unbothered.

Not even a thought spared to protect Kia's feelings.

'Kia, are you leaving already?" Erin asked casually, oblivious to the wave of emotions passing through Kia.

Kia rubbed her nose, though it wasn't itchy. Her chest tightened at the image of them standing side by side, looking so... in sync. Amir wasn't even trying to hide it. She hurriedly lifted her handbag and turned toward the elevator.

"Yeah, I should get going," Kia muttered, avoiding their eyes.

As she walked away, Amir's gaze followed her, his hand slipping from Erin's head.

'Amir…" Erin's voice pulled him back. He had only taken a step toward Kia when he hesitated, glancing back at Erin.

'If you follow her, I'll be the one who's jealous," Erin said firmly, crossing her arms.

Amir sighed, exasperated. 'What are you doing?"

'I'm serious. If you think of running after her, I'll be mad. I mean it."

'She's upset. I can't just leave her like that."

'Not your problem!" Erin shot back, stepping forward.

'Well, she's my friend. It is my problem!" Amir defended, the frustration clear in his voice.

'I'm your friend too! And I'll be just as upset if you follow her!"

'Get inside, Erin. Now."

'No way. If you follow her, I'm done talking to you. I won't even look at you anymore!" Erin's voice was fierce, filled with emotion.

Amir froze, her words hitting him harder than expected. In his mind, Kia's sorrow tugged at him. After all, Kia had been an important part of his life. They had broken up back in high school, but it wasn't an easy breakup. It never felt like a clean end. They hadn't wanted to split; circumstances had forced their hands. Kia's father being a religious teacher at a boarding Islamic School had made them worlds apart.

Even after their breakup, they remained close, never leaving each other's sides. Even as they dated other people, that connection between them lingered. Amir had promised never to let her feel alone.

But then came Erin. Beautiful, spirited Erin, who turned his life upside down and twisted his heart in every direction imaginable. With her, things were different. She made him hesitate, made him question what he thought he knew.

He had always feared that when he found the right person, someone who truly touched his soul, he would forget about the people who had been there for him.

But as much as his legs wanted to move forward, wanted to reach out to Kia and offer her comfort, he just… couldn't.

Amir's hesitation was enough to make Erin's heart swell. He really did care about her feelings. That thought alone made her feel like she'd won.

'Rin..." Amir stepped back toward her, conflicted. 'Kia is our HR head. And she's our friend. She's sad, and it's only right to be there for her, at least until she gets to her car."

'Fine, but don't forget—you have a heart to protect now!" Erin warned, poking his chest lightly. 'If you don't want me to get cramps, or my eyelashes to fall out, you better not follow her, okay?"

Amir sighed deeply, torn between his responsibility to Kia and the whirlwind of emotions Erin stirred in him. 'Alright, alright," he nodded, much to his own surprise. That simple gesture sent Erin's heart racing.

'Good. Now, you go inside first."

Amir frowned, clicking his tongue in irritation. 'Fine." He knocked on the door of the room right across from Erin's. Not long after, Ridwan opened the door, a wide grin on his face. From the look in his eyes, it was clear he had heard everything.

'Come on in," Ridwan said, grinning knowingly.

Erin waited, still standing by her door. 'Okay, okay, I'll go in too. But seriously, don't follow her, Amir!"

'I won't!" Amir replied, holding the door open.

'Good!" Erin knocked on her own door, and a moment later, a girl in a white hijab opened it for her.

'Are you sure?" Erin asked, raising an eyebrow.

'I'm sure, Erin. Go in!"

'Watch it!" Erin warned, giving him one last playful glare before slipping inside her room.

Once the door closed behind her, Erin leaned against it, biting her lip in frustration but also smiling to herself. Outside, Amir slowly closed the door to Ridwan's room, shaking his head with a smile he couldn't quite explain.

***