The morning sun lit up San Felino like a painting—soft skies, warm air, and a calm that matched Angelo’s mood perfectly. He was practically whistling as he threw on his nicest shirt—not too nice, just the kind that says I didn’t try that hard but I totally did.
He kept checking his phone.
Rainan: "Want to hang out tomorrow? I want to take you somewhere."
Angelo grinned. A date. It has to be a date. He even cleaned his truck, dusted the dashboard, and sprayed his cologne twice.
He drove to their meeting place early and leaned on his truck, practicing how casual he’d look when Rainan showed up. His heart flipped when he saw him walking toward him—but his smile froze when he noticed someone else walking beside him.
A stranger.
A tall, clean-looking guy in semi-casual city clothes, dark hair styled like he actually used product. And he was holding an insulated coffee tumbler like he just walked out of a commercial.
“Hey, Angelo!” Rainan greeted cheerfully. “Hope you don’t mind—I invited someone to come with us.”
The stranger smiled politely and held out a hand. “Hi. Adrian. Rainan’s old friend from the city.”
Old friend? Angelo blinked. His brain stalled. He shook Adrian’s hand slowly.
“Oh. Uh. Cool. Hi.”
Rainan added, “He’s just visiting for a bit, and I figured why not show him around before he heads back.”
“Right.” Angelo said tightly. “Why not.”
He silently retracted all the compliments he gave Rainan earlier in his head.
---
First Stop: The Old Church
At the town’s century-old church, Rainan and Adrian were deep in discussion about the building’s structure.
“You see that arch? I swear this thing’s defying gravity,” Rainan said, pointing like a tour guide.
Adrian squinted up and said, “That barrel vault reminds me of that monastery we saw in Macau. The symmetry is unreal.”
Angelo crossed his arms. “You two building a church or just gonna get married in one?”
Rainan blinked. “What?”
“Nothing. I said it’s charming.”
---
Second Stop: The Rice Mill
They stopped by the local rice mill, one of Angelo’s pride spots.
“This is part of our family’s business,” he explained, leading them through the wide sheds. “We partner with a lot of farmers around here.”
“Man, this is impressive,” Adrian said genuinely. “So efficient. Makes me miss the simplicity of real work.”
Angelo raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean ‘real work’? You city guys think answering emails is hard labor?”
Rainan chuckled. “Be nice, Angelo.”
“Right. I forgot. He’s your old friend from the city. My bad.”
---
Third Stop: The Trading Post
The group wandered into the busy local trading post, where goods were being bartered and sold. As they passed stalls of corn, rice, and fresh vegetables, a familiar figure caught Rainan’s eye.
It was Lance.
He was talking animatedly with a local farmer, pointing at a sack of dried corn while holding a clipboard.
“Lance?” Rainan called out.
Lance looked up and grinned. “Well, if it isn’t Mr. Architect of San Felino!”
He approached and gave Rainan a friendly clasp on the shoulder.
“What brings you here?” Rainan asked.
“Just finalizing some deals. You know—trade stuff. This is one of the sites I check on regularly. I’ve got a couple rentals around town too, so I hop in and out.”
Rainan smiled. “You want to tag along with us? We’re touring a few more places.”
Lance checked his watch. “Actually, I’m done for the day. Why not?”
Angelo let out a silent scream in his mind.
---
At the Overlook
By the time they reached the hillside view spot, Angelo was mentally curled in a ball.
Lance and Adrian were now discussing business logistics while Rainan added side comments about the local economy and development potentials.
It was like being stuck in a TED Talk he didn’t sign up for.
“Angelo, didn’t you say you forgot something in the car?” Rainan asked.
“Oh… yeah,” he muttered, seizing the excuse. “I’ll be back.”
---
Minutes Later
Rainan glanced at the time. “What’s taking him so long?” he said out loud. “I’ll go check.”
Lance offered, “Want me to go with—”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll be right back.”
Rainan walked toward the parked car at the foot of the hill. He looked around, half-expecting to see Angelo pretending to look for something just to sulk.
“Angelo?” he called.
No answer.
He was only a few feet away from the truck and saw a man leaning beside it when—
A hand grabbed him roughly from behind.
Rainan let out a sharp gasp and thinking he was about to be in danger.