Oliver
Envy is a truly terrible word.
But the envy I felt, seeing them—Asin and Marie—so effortlessly lost in their own world, wasn't a malicious feeling. It was pure, distilled yearning.
I desperately longed for the same thing. And the one I wished to share that world with was sitting so close to me I could reach out and touch her.
Looking at Asin, I knew they would eventually become exactly what they were meant to be. He simply needed time to heal, to trust, to finally open up and share the real truth. Despite the external drama, the sheer chemistry and deep-seated interest between them were undeniable.
We stopped at a massive, luxury department store—a place where everything was instantly on hand.
Asin bumped me with a sneaky, challenging smile and turned to Ayshe. "We'll go and deal with my in-laws, and you handle the old ones?"
Marie smacked his side immediately. "Stop calling them 'old ones'!"
"Hush, you. Hush now, my wife," he turned back to her, eyes glinting.
She pouted theatrically but remained silent.
Ayshe seemed to like the arrangement. "Okay, sure. It's a stupid question, probably, but do we have some kind of spending limit?" She kept staring at the price tags, as any sane individual would.
"You are correct, it was stupid. We have thirty minutes. Oliver, keep a strict eye on her."
He swiftly dragged Marie away and up the escalator. I silently appreciated his efficient, if tactless, antics.
"It really wasn't that stupid of a question," she murmured to herself.
"Don't worry," I said, taking the lead. "Asin's worldview is entirely skewed when it comes to the price of things."
"I can imagine. What about you?" she asked.
"I grew up normal. I mean, my mother and Aunt Seline have been friends since high school, so Asin and I grew up together by association," I explained. I suppose I had lived a privileged life, but only by proximity.
What could I do? We had been together since we were children—except for those years when he was away at boarding school. But that was a highly sensitive subject; a great deal of bad fortune followed his return.
"Hmm. Destined to be friends," she summarized.
Very much so.
"So tell me, you're the expert here." I stopped, looking around the enormous space. Her input was genuinely needed.
She put a thoughtful hand to her chin before starting. "Let me consider. Granny is the easiest. This place has some beautiful statues and antiques. Grandpa is different. He'd love anything, truly."
"Come on. Anything? Try harder, Ms. Konore. I know you can do better," I nudged her lightly.
She rolled her eyes at me but prepared to continue.
"Oliver! Is that really you?"
I turned around and was met with an old nemesis.
"Kol. You look well," I managed, grimacing internally.
He was the absolute last person I needed to see. We went to the same middle school and hung out a lot when we were kids.
"I apologize, I didn't notice the lady with you. Kol Sanilmaz, dear..." He tried to kiss her hand, but she pulled it away, clearly cringing. "Never mind. Asin must be close. I read the papers—I missed his wedding."
"Yes, what a shame you couldn't attend, what with the court hearing and all," I smiled, injecting a touch of malice.
He looked genuinely embarrassed. "Dad said it was beautiful. I know Asin is here." He gave me a pointed look, already impatient.
I sighed and shot an apologetic look toward Ayshe. "He's in the store with his wife. But how did you know he was here?"
He proudly showed me his phone.
There was a picture trending about us walking inside the department store. Asin, as a rich young scion who got married in such a rush, naturally drew intense public attention.
He was the youngest son of one of the world's wealthiest families; of course, he had to deal with this sort of scrutiny. But we typically didn't just do random shopping like this. A great deal of planning was involved in something as supposedly simple as going out to buy things, a task usually handled by Derya's staff.
"Congratulations, Kol. You're now a fan. He won't be happy seeing you now, I'm telling you straight."
"Will you speak to him? Set something up already? Help me out here, Pampam!"
Idiot. That nickname was private!
"Fine. I'll talk to him—just go! Go now!"
He thanked me profusely on his way out but eventually disappeared.
"Sorry about that," I said, trying to regain my composure.
"Friend of yours?" she asked.
"Middle school."
"Way back then. How come he wanted Asin so badly?" she pressed.
Damn it.
"Um... he wants some help with a new business venture. Asin is a Martell, you know. He wants Martell capital. So, what are we buying?"
She looked suspicious, and I cursed this idiot for somehow slipping past security just because he recognized us.
"Of course. His father traveled all the way to his wedding because he is a janitor... Never mind. Let's go, we're running out of time... Pampam."
"Oyy!"
I walked quickly after her as she let out a delighted cackle.
The truth was, Kol was a potential recruit. It was a long, stupid story, but he had somehow found out about the GOD crew and the races not long ago—my bad—and now wanted to meet Asin.
Except Asin didn't know about Kol's revelation. I had to sort that out, but we had been so busy lately. And Asin was going to be furious if I allowed this idiot to join the operation.
God help us all.
---
Asin
"I'm not sure about this..."
I rested my head against the cool glass cabinet, but the comfort it provided quickly faded.
"Asin! Pay attention!"
Hearing her shriek, I immediately stood up straight. "Marie, you've been stuck between these identical-looking necklaces for fourteen minutes now."
She winced, making a sour face, but put back the pearl necklace she was holding.
"Ma'am, can you please pack up both?" I asked the saleslady.
She was taken aback but immediately nodded.
Marie tried to protest. "It's too much..."
"Please. Your mother will have a spare. By the way, do you like something?"
She looked surprised, but happy. "You want to buy me something?"
"Go on. Pick something. We need to buy something for your dad as well."
I turned and pretended to be intensely interested in the "summer's most liked pieces." Liked by whom?
"Hey. Come here. Take a look at this."
I walked back, and she pointed to a heart-shaped medallion that was broken into two pieces.
"I suppose there is something lovely about clichés," I smiled.
"Oh, shut up. Will you wear it?"
I risked a glance at the saleslady in front of us, who was listening intently. A true romance fan, by the look of it.
"If I wear it, will you promise never to spend more than five minutes examining something, ever again?"
She actually had to think about it but accepted it as some kind of profound compromise.
The saleslady handed us the medals on simple gold chains.
She placed the half she held around my neck. "There." She stepped back, looking extremely pleased. My cheesy wife.
I put the matching half around her neck. It felt nice, in a coupled sort of way.
"Alright. It looks nice."
"You two look adorable," the saleslady whispered.
We turned to the clock behind her. "Lord. Marie, we have five minutes left!"
"Hmm, no matter... well, my promise will be kept in the future."
Happy wife, happy life.
~
"...Thank you for this, dear children."
My mother-in-law was overjoyed by the gift, checking herself out in her phone's camera. She was wearing them both. I suppose with women and pearls, the more, the better.
The whole family loved their gifts. Oliver and Ayshe had nailed their choices as well, selecting some subtle old antiques and fine cigars.
I looked at my father-in-law, still awestruck by the 107-year-old bottle of wine. He held it as carefully as one would hold an infant. We had asked for the oldest bottle they had. 107 years. That was grape juice that had been preserved for over a century. Damn those monks.
"We are all truly glad you came, dear Mother. Marie has been talking my ear off about how much she missed you all."
Marie looked at me with narrowed, warning eyes before confirming. "Yes. Of course. I'm so glad you arrived safe."
"Thank you, children. I'm not going to lie, son. I didn't like the idea of you at first."
Marie's grandmother, Narian, spoke up, surprising me with her sincerity. "But seeing how happy the two of you are... it does give my soul some peace. I thank you for that."
"You're welcome, Granny Narian."
I felt a slight flicker of shame hearing those sincere words. I bet Marie felt the same, multiplied by a hundred.
"Dad, you've been silent. In fact, you seem like you might never speak again," Ayshe quickly took over the conversation, drawing attention away from the emotional moment.
I checked on Marie. She looked a little dejected. I reached out and gently squeezed her hand. I managed to draw a weak smile onto her face. I leaned closer. "Chin up, little soldier."
She tilted her head to the side, looking utterly cute in her confusion.
I leaned back, watching the speeding streets as we pulled up to the house. Her hand was now resting comfortably in mine.
---
Ayshe
What kind of nickname is Pampam?
And, more importantly, what was its origin?
Also, Oliver had explicitly promised me not to mention the guy called Kol. Did he have anything to do with the GOD races, or was it something completely unrelated and personal?
I had to talk to Marie, just in case it was a name she had heard. But she was floating next to her husband, utterly distracted. They had both turned red as tomatoes when we noticed their matching, cheesy necklaces.
How romantically cliché. But then again, I didn't have a lover's necklace, so what the hell did I know?
We were greeted by most of the family, except for Asin's father and brother, who were at the company headquarters. As my parents were treated to food and conversation, I quickly pulled my sister out to the garden.
"What's wrong? You seem jittery," she smiled, touching her necklace.
"Listen to what happened..."
...
"What kind of name is Pampam?" she asked.
"Is that the most important takeaway from that story?" I shot back.
"I'm just asking! Okay, so this... Kol might have something to do with their secret, huh?"
"That's what my intuition tells me," I nodded in agreement. I felt it; Oliver visibly tensed up when I asked about Kol. Somehow, I felt like this was connected to the whole operation.
"Well, either way, we are no further along. But today was fun."
She kept touching her necklace. It was going to be difficult to uncover secrets if my sister was this easily distracted.
We needed to go nuclear. We had to follow them the first chance we got.
~
It turned out that following someone wasn't as easy as I thought, especially without a driver's license.
Two days passed without any luck or even another small morsel of information. It looked like they ran a very organized ship, or we were entirely wrong, and the text was about them playing a racing game or something equally dull.
We were out with our mother and grandmother, who wanted to sample the city's shopping offerings.
In the meantime, Asin had made an offer to my sister.
"He wants you to make music with Oliver?"
She shook her head. "He wants me busy and well away from his business. That's the only thing he wants."
Even if she was right, the fact that Oliver was making music was a genuine surprise. We had been chatting quite a bit when he was over with Asin but he never once mentioned it.
"I think you're somewhat overreacting. You longed to make music. Why not give it a real try?"
"I already told him yes, okay?"
She didn't sound enthusiastic.
Mother was buying everything in sight. As shameless as she was, the speed with which she executed her shopping was impressive, especially as her own mother tried in vain to slow her down.
"Where is your husband right now?" I asked.
I knew for a fact Oliver was at her mother's firm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It turned out those were the only days he actually worked there.
"He is... away."
She meant she didn't know. I knew how much the uncertainty bothered her when she didn't know his whereabouts.
My phone was buzzing. I closed my eyes before checking. Stuart was still unrelenting. Can't a guy take a hint these days?
But then, it was a text from an unknown number.
Ayshe, it's me, Oliver. I got your number from Asin. I've sent you a location; bring your sister.
Oh. I had forgotten what it felt like to read a text message you actually wanted to receive.
"Marie? Let's go somewhere."
"Sure, but where?"
Give me a minute. I didn't know yet.
I felt my smile spreading across my face.
---
Oliver
On our way... I saved your number ;)
"See? Easy, right? It's almost as if you just write a text message... Now, take care of them."
We were at my place, and Asin was still trying to convince me that Ayshe simply wouldn't care how I got her number.
I reread her message a few more times before I caught the subtle hint of flirtation.
"Right. Say hello to them. Ask them to pray for us this weekend."
"Hmm. Don't forget the thing," he pointed at a large, long package resting on a table.
The door closed behind him, and I immediately got to work cleaning the house. I had my own little studio inside, filled with a multitude of instruments, mixing tables, and other toys.
Asin himself had gone down to the 9th Ward to spend time with Old Ivan and, as always, ask for his blessing. I don't think he would race without it; the ritual gave me some comfort, too.
The girls arrived twenty minutes later.
Marie looked both surprised and disappointed. "I told you I said yes! You had to trick me into coming here to do it?" she asked her sister.
"I thought you might try to make up excuses and dodge it," Ayshe shrugged, perfectly deadpan.
Her sister sat down in the same spot Asin had occupied earlier.
"...What is this? Was my husband here?" She sniffed the air, instantly detecting his familiar cologne. He had been using the same scent for years, refusing to try anything new.
"He was... and he left you something." I pointed beside her.
Ayshe and I watched as she unwrapped her new violin. She was speechless, tears welling in her eyes.
"This is... it's beautiful." She was clearly overcome with emotion.
"She had to sell her own before," Ayshe leaned over and whispered to me.
The violin itself was priceless—more of a museum piece than an instrument. Asin had actually asked for help from the council to acquire it for her. They had delivered it for free, even leaving a card: A late wedding present.
Ayshe walked over to her. "Motivated now?"
"...I have no choice," Marie stood up, holding the precious case.
Oh, brother. She had been utterly lost until a minute ago, but now she was invigorated.
I was always meant to be a creator. I could never sing or play many instruments well; I didn't possess a god-given talent like Marie had with the violin. But I understood music. I could build it.
To be fair, I had never released any of it, mostly playing it only for Asin and my mother. I wasn't quite ready to let the cynical world judge my creativity.
After three intense hours of brainstorming, arguments, and creative differences, we finally found a sound. I had never attempted to incorporate a cooperation violin into my tunes before, but now I felt a new wave of creativity washing over me, hearing how smoothly it blended with everything else.
"Let's take a break," I said, checking the time.
Asin hadn't called or returned yet. I wasn't worried, as Leyla was feeding me information in the form of hourly texts. I obviously didn't let him go down to the 9th alone.
"I'm very much surprised by how much I enjoyed making music," Marie sat down in the same spot as before.
"I'm calmest doing it," I said over my shoulder while making coffee. "Asin is useless when it comes to understanding notes."
"Don't mock those who can't read them. I'm one of them and feel no shame, as they have no use for me," Ayshe defended her brother-in-law.
I got another text.
Boss finished. The team is clearing out.
I bet Leyla was one of those people who actually said "Over and out" on the walkie-talkie.
"Asin is on his way," I said, putting the drinks down.
"He texted you? Have you ever thought about getting married to him, Oliver?" Marie tried to provoke me.
"Oh, Marie. We are two good-looking, wealthy men who smell good and spend most of our time together. I have heard every homophobic quip you can think of."
Yes, it was a curse of the times we lived in. As if two bros couldn't simply be bros; they had to be either a couple or deeply confused. Asin's marriage had thankfully put an end to many of those jokes.
Asin came in just as we were about to finish up. He said hello to everyone, but Marie was silently pouting.
"...You got my gift?" He walked over and sat down beside her.
"...Thanks," she murmured.
"What was that!? I'm sorry!?" He leaned dramatically onto her.
She couldn't hold back a smile and playfully pushed him away. "Thank you. It was kind of you to remember every word I say in passing."
"Pfft. 'In passing,' she says. You brought up your violin an awful lot, dear."
She didn't deny it.
"Come. Let them have a moment," Ayshe offered her hand and led me inside the studio.
She sat down on the couch I had inside and patted the spot beside her.
"I really like your music. It has a signature style to it."
"Thanks," I sat down. "I've been doing it since middle school."
"So how come you went on to become a lawyer?" she asked.
"...My mother wanted something stable for me, but she's supportive. I'm just... not ready for everyone to hear my stuff."
She was about to say something when her phone buzzed. I took a passing glance as she pulled it out.
Stuart.
I had to search my memory, but I found a match. The supposed boyfriend.
She moved cities, man. Go back to the bread shop with you, you effing monkey.
I don't know why I got so angry seeing him still pursuing her. It just hit me like a truck.
"Sorry about that," she immediately put it away.
"Who was it? Parents?"
"Um, no. A friend from Konore." She deliberately played it down.
A friend.
"I see."
Is that a "friend" as in, the creepy kid who probably talks more about yeast than anyone needs to hear? Or a "friend" as in, the guy I first kissed... or...
"Oliver?"
I looked up, realizing I hadn't heard a word she was saying.
"Yeah, sorry. I think I'm done for today. Let's go and eat something, since Asin came back."
I got up and helped her up as well. "Oh. Yes, okay."
Suddenly, I had a violent urge to drive down to Konore and make sure this "friend" never spoke to or even thought of her again. Why hadn't she just blocked the guy?
Stop annoying yourself with some simpleton. Besides, if I couldn't be decisive and actually ask her out, I had no right to be this upset.
Yet I was. I can't wait until the race is finished.
I could turn tonight into a date.
Outside, Marie was resting her head on Asin's shoulder, his hand clutching hers. They looked utterly at peace with the world.
I needed his help.
I would love to feel that peace again after all these years.