Managers & Money (5)

Boxes of food. Fried chicken, kimbap, mandu, bulgogi. It covered every inch of their dorm kitchen's island. Their purposely small bought plates were crumb-covered with seconds and thirds. ASCEND were growing men, boys, even. 

The smells that enriched the dorm were vast in desperation. Kite stared longingly at the food, like it was eye candy. Carre had to slap him out of his trance. She wasn't newbie enough to be entranced by the goods only made for the living consumption. Joon-woo was long ignoring them, but for once Carre didn't quite mind. Joon-woo seemed calm, pulled into Reggie's side with Reggie's long arm wrapped around his shoulder. 

She noticed the Team Leader (Changmin?) in the corner, snacking on a small bowl of noodles. His face looked at the crowd of ASCEND. Smiling, slumped tension-less shoulders, make-up well wiped off their faces, bellies bloated with fried food and too many calories. His gaze was softer than she had seen from any staff member looking at the group. It was humanizing. 

Just because she was hundreds of years older, and a different species, a different unliving being than humans, doesn't mean she couldn't understand their emotions. She saw the utter money-hungry and lustful looks towards the group of young men (she considered Reggie and Joon-woo to be boys however). It warmed what she had of a heart. 

Mi Yong, breaking away from joyful conversation, just for a moment, approached the Team Leader who leaned against the marble kitchen with quiet steps. 

"Team Leader-nim," He began, slipping bills through his thin fingers, "I don't have much, but, please–" 

Team Leader Changmin shook his head, "No. I won't take it." He was resolute in his guilt. "The only thing I want to do in exchange for this is convince Joon-woo to take another plate." 

Mi Yong pursed his lips, looking up at the Team Leader with an unsure expression. 

"Then… Thank you… I can't tell you enough, how thankful we are… I'm just–" Mi Yong seemed so young in this light. He was only 24, yet, he was a leader two-timed. No one thought him to be a man early-twenties with a childhood stolen by trainee life. 

Team Leader Changmin slightly tilted his head with a huff, "Yong-ssi, please enjoy tonight without worry." 

Mi Yong was hesitant to nod, hesitant to return to the group of his friends, kids, and responsibilities. But he did, eventually, and it was a sight Team Leader Changmin could only savor. The saviors of Easy Entertainment were smiling, and that's all he needed to see to make his mood. 

–+–

Ryeo Hyun held Mi Yong on his back. Their leader was passed out, cans of beer littering the carpet of the front room. Jung Hyun-Ok eventually stumbled, as bloated as he ever felt, to his room exhausted by carbs. Baek Du-Ho watched carefully as a K-drama he had been hooked on played the last episode.

Joon-woo watched on the couch chair nearby. He hadn't tuned in for the rest of the binge session, so nothing really made sense to him. He wasn't drunk, just drained of any social battery he had recovered for the confrontation with their CEO.

He sighed, looking back at Reggie getting another plate of food from the kitchen. If it were Joon-woo, perhaps he would've passed out from a carb coma. Mi Yong had been oddly insistent that Joon-woo take another plate of food, but he wasn't a fan of the idea. Not that he was restricting himself of food, he just didn't think his body could handle it. He often felt like throwing up whenever eating something remotely fatty or fried. His body was too used to droplets of air for food. 

Reggie propped onto the arm of the couch chair Joon-woo sat in with his plate and locked into the TV. 

"Hyung, is this based on a Webtoon?" Reggie asked, mouth full of a wing of soy galbi fried chicken.

Baek Du-Ho nodded in a daze, "Yes. Weak hero." He replied. 

Reggie nodded, "I used to read those all the time, but I had to stop when I became a trainee." 

Joon-woo tuned in the small talk when Reggie's history in America was brought up. 

Baek Du-Ho's eyes lit up a bit, despite the food coma taking him by each moment.

"Really? Which ones did you like?" He asked, even turning his head to give Reggie is full attention. 

Reggie shrugged, "There was one called… uhh, I think [I Love Yoo]? I liked the romance ones…" 

Joon-woo questioned if he heard that correctly. Reggie liked romance Webtoons? He had only ever seen girls take interest in them, even as Ha-rin. Baek Du-Ho's almost intensely intrigued gaze perked up even more, if it could. 

Once the rapper's eyes fell on Joon-woo, he knew he has to do his job as a translator. 

"I Love Yoo." He translated. 

Baek Du-Ho nodded with a small, building grin, "Have you read Your Smile is a Trap?" 

Reggie thought a moment between bites, but nodded eventually. 

"I r-w-eally lo-w-ved–" Beginning to speak with food in his mouth, Joon-woo hit Reggie in his side. 

"Swallow first before you get food on me!" Joon-woo lectured, effectively getting Reggie out of his personal space and off the arm of the couch chair. 

Reggie let out a mock whine before plopping himself on the couch next to Baek Du-Ho. 

"Well," Reggie prompted, "I really loved reading the one about the cheese! Like in the title!" 

Baek Du-Ho understood Reggie's less than detailed like without a beat. 

It was kind of cute, Joon-woo thought. He hadn't thought either of them to be into such girly things, he hadn't thought Baek Du-Ho was into anything but slacking.

Joon-woo sighed at the odd feeling of discomfort in his chest. He watched the two discuss for minutes, faking paying attention to the ending credits of the drama. As the technical "youngest" he was tasked to clean up. He was also the only one who didn't drink or have multiple plates of fatty food that put the others into food comas. 

It was cute. The two unlikely members conversing. Sure, Joon-woo was probably the most unlikely to hold a conversation with Baek Du-Ho, but Reggie was close, if not closer than Ryeo Hyun. It was cute. Joon-woo repeated in his head. 

But it was as if his mind was spinning in a million circles the other direction. His chest blossomed into a feeling he wasn't sure was capable in this manner. 

Reggie seemed comfortable in this light. He was comfortable with acting as some lover to Joon-woo, but never had Joon-woo seen his friend so relaxed. Maybe it was alcohol, maybe Joon-woo was getting too drunk on these… exhaustion emotions. 

Reggie was smiling and laughing and excited. 

When was the last time he had been like that with Joon-woo?

Suddenly, he found himself standing, and it was weird. Since when was he so weak to his resolve? He had to clear his mind. It must've been the exhaustion. It must've been. If he did the clean up fast enough and got through his night routine fast enough, he could go to bed. In the morning the odd feeling was sure to go away. It was and Joon-woo was to make sure of it.