Clock In

Part 1

He had made it.

//

"Get some good clothes and shoes," his mom said through the phone, her voice warm and familiar even through the patchy signal. "I'll send over some money. I heard things in Bangkok are expensive."

Fourth smiled as he stood in the middle of the men's clothing clearance section, fingers idly brushing through rows of shirts on hangers. The store was brightly lit, with soft pop music playing somewhere in the background, and everything around him smelled faintly of new fabric.

"No need to send me money," he said with a quiet chuckle, letting his hand linger on a neatly pressed blazer before moving on. "I've saved some." His tone was light, but there was a hint of pride in it, like he was glad to be able to say that out loud.

He kept skimming through the racks, the phone still tucked between his ear and shoulder. "Take care of yourself, alright? I'll come visit you soon," he added, his voice a little softer this time.

His mom told him to eat properly, to stay healthy, to not skip meals just because he was busy or distracted. Fourth smiled at that, fond and a little amused. "I will," he promised, before ending the call.

After slipping the phone into his pocket, he pulled out a light blue formal shirt from the rack. It was simple, clean, and the kind of thing he imagined someone at a proper office job might wear. He held it up against himself, then stepped toward a nearby mirror.

The shirt looked good. It wasn't flashy, just neat and presentable, but somehow it felt like a quiet milestone. It was probably a size bigger than he needed, but his mom always bought him larger shirts and shoes, convinced he might grow into them in a few years.

As he adjusted the fabric, his eyes drifted upward, moving slowly from the shirt to his own reflection in the mirror.

His gaze landed on his face, and for a moment, he just looked at himself.

Then, almost without thinking, a small smile appeared. Not wide or loud, just something soft. A little proud. Like he was starting to see the person he'd been working so hard to become.

//

It was his first day of work, and Fourth had woken up earlier than usual, a bit more alert than he expected to be. He ironed his clothes with extra care, smoothing out every crease like his whole career depended on it. He double-checked everything before leaving, shirt tucked properly, shoes polished, hair in place. He wasn't going to risk showing up looking sloppy.

He caught the train and was pleasantly surprised to find it almost empty. That alone felt like a win. As he grabbed a seat by the window, he glanced down at his watch. He was at least an hour early. A small smile crept onto his face. His heart was thumping like crazy, quick and loud, but not in a bad way. More like excitement that had nowhere else to go. He sat back and watched the city blur past the window, trying to calm the nerves by just taking it all in.

Once he got off at his stop, he took a deep breath as he walked out of the station. The company building stood tall in front of him. He paused for a moment, just looking at it. There was something surreal about seeing it in person after dreaming about it for so long. He closed his eyes for a second and muttered a small prayer under his breath before walking forward.

When he stepped inside, the lobby was cool and quiet. He walked up to the receptionist's desk, trying to keep his nerves in check.

"I'm the ne...new joiner here. Fourth Nattawat Jirochtikul," he said, his voice just slightly shaky.

The receptionist looked up and gave him a kind smile, her tone warm and easy. "Welcome, Fourth. This is for your lobby pass."

She handed him a form and he nodded, filling it out quickly before receiving a temporary pass and directions to the elevator. As he stepped inside and pressed the button for his floor, his brain started running a hundred different versions of how he was going to introduce himself.