Soft Hand

Next day.

Val was folding his clean clothes and putting them neatly into his drawer when his phone vibrated. Fena's name appeared on the screen.

"Hey, Fen."

A short time later, they were sitting comfortably in the lobby. Fena was peeling an orange and offered it to Val. They were from the same orphanage. She'd recently returned from out of town and was now a kindergarten teacher in the city – perfect for someone as gentle as Fena.

"Here, open your mouth."

Val smiled; Fena's gentle hand fed him the fruit.

"You need to eat more healthy food. You've gotten thinner, Val. Even if the office food isn't great, you still have to eat it. Isn't it awful?"

Val shook his head, chewing the orange, smiling until his eyes disappeared.

"Don't be so frugal, Val. I know you save a lot of money, but what's the point if you get sick?"

Val smiled, swallowing his food.

"What do you mean, Fen? How do you know I'm skimping on food? Relax, my boss is really nice; he often treats me to whatever I want. He practically forces food on me every day – all sorts of things. And he's not fat himself!"

"Oh, you mean the one you say is Jason? Are you really living here rent-free?"

Val nodded.

"Yeah, of course. It's a bit weird, but I think my boss feels sorry for me, and he has tons of money, so why not?"

Fena was silent, staring at Val's face for a long time. Up close, he was even more attractive. She reached out and smoothed his hair. This made Val stop what he was doing; his mouth was still full of food, and he was chewing like a bunny.

"Val, you've grown up, haven't you? It feels like just yesterday we were playing at the orphanage. Time flies."

Val fell silent. Suddenly, she looked at him seriously.

"Um, how about we have a picnic next week? Just the two of us. There's a new park that opened downtown yesterday; it looks nice," Fena suggested.

Val sat up straighter, gently lowering Fena's hand.

"It would be great, Fen, but I have a client interview next week. I don't think I can."

Fena pursed her lips.

"Then, how about the week after?"

"My boss needs the report on Monday, and Anwar will make me do it. I'll have to work on it all weekend. Maybe another time,"

Fena looked disappointed.

"Come on, Val, it's been ages since we hung out," Fena urged, tugging at Valiant's hand.

"Fena, I'm sorry, I can't. Just make the plan for another time, you decide the place."

"You said it, don't break your promise"

Val smiled so wide.

"Yes, I Promise, Fen"

...

"Time...

You seem to constantly mock people, urging them to keep up with your every tick, without giving them a chance, let alone waiting. You race along, your tiny arms outstretched, defying the sky, with huge milestones supporting you, seemingly giving you the utmost encouragement, and constantly smiling back at those who are left behind, even those who fall while trying to catch up. Could you, just for a moment, stop, stop, and lend a hand to anyone exhausted from chasing you?..."

….

Val just shut down his computer and was about to leave. He grabbed his sling bag from the table and slung it over his shoulder. Suddenly, Jason stopped in front of him. It was evening, and all the staff on the floor had gone home, so he didn't expect his boss to still be in the office since his room had been dark for a while.

"Hey Boss, still here?"

Jason smiled.

"Of course, I'm waiting for you. So, what are we having for dinner tonight? Iyan is not coming back tonight, he said he has a seminar out of town, so we're free to eat out. Um, what do you have in mind?" he asked.

Val smiled. Jason saw the bag on Val's shoulder and reached for it.

"Here, let me carry that."

But Val stopped him.

"No, Boss, just let me."

Jason insisted. He takes the bag from Val's hand and slings it on his shoulder.

"Look at you, you're so pale and even thinner. What if you faint from overworking? I already told Anwar and Alex not to take you to the exhibition. Next time, you don't have to join them out of the office."

Val can't stop his boss from taking his bag. They stopped in front of the elevator waiting to be opened.

"Ting!"

"If I didn't join them, what's the point of me being here, Boss? Anwar and Alex's team needs someone to help them."

They both got into the elevator. Jason pressed the lowest floor button.

"I've asked HR to find someone new since last month. I need you to finish the report and prepare the presentation. Don't argue, I've decided like that."

"This boss, so arbitrary," Jason chuckled, taking Val's hand out of the elevator.

"Come on, I'm treating you to hotpot tonight. It's pretty chilly. You have to eat more."

"Yes, boss."

On the way, Jason couldn't stop smiling. The orange sunset highlighted his wide grin as he held Val's hand towards the bridge. He gently pulled Val away from some oncoming pedestrians, subtly shifting to walk on the outside, shielding him from bumps. Val just smiled, noticing his boss's attentiveness to small details.

"Look at the sun," Jason said, pointing to the setting sun painting the western sky orange.

"Even though we hurried to see it, it still beat us."

Val nodded. "Yeah, such a shame."

Jason intertwined their fingers; he was careful, but Val didn't object.

"Your hands are so soft. Val, have you never done hard work before?"

Val pursed his lips.

"Says who, Boss? I clean the toilet every two days, and I also wipe the windows. Don't you know that your apartment has a lot of windows?"

Jason chuckled. Val's face looked annoyed, his eyebrows raised high.

"Hehehe, yeah, I know, Mr. Arcady. I was just asking because your hands are so soft, so I wondering. What do you use?"

Val tried to pull his hand away, but Jason held on tighter.

"My hands are naturally soft, Boss. Do I need to use something? I'm still young, unlike someone."

Jason's eyes widened at Val's words. He pinched his cheek playfully.

"You call me old? I'm not old, I'm just mature." 

"It's the same thing."

Jason's laughter echoed; he was thoroughly enjoying teasing Val and couldn't stop chuckling.

…

The night air was quite cool. The restaurant wasn't far from Jason's apartment, just three blocks, so after dinner, he and Val walked back. Jason smiled at Val, who seemed stuffed, walking leasurely.

"Eating too much?" he asked.

Val clutched his stomach. He was, indeed, stuffed, nauseous, and holding himself from throwing up, – his boss might wonder what was wrong if that happened.

Val nodded.

"Yeah, boss, I'm stuffed. Um, can we sit down there, boss?" he asked, pointing to a long bench at the nearby park.

Jason nodded.

"Sure, come on."