Shall We? | NCT Lee Jeno ff

Chapter 17 - Hyun Nam

Hyun Nam has never gone to a photoshoot beside the ones her father had for the company or business magazines. She didn't know what to bring, but she felt bad if she arrived empty-handed. So, on the way to the photoshoot, she came to pick up a bouquet of gardenias for Winter, secretly hoping she wasn't allergic to pollen. The photoshoot was at a fairly huge rental home. It had a modern cottage vibe to it, it felt minimalistic. After Mr. Jungho dropped her off, she went inside the house, telling her that Winter had invited her and showed evidence of her ID before the staff let her in. She guessed correctly, the house was the definition of minimalistic but it had a lot of plants. Either hanged or potted, it was just all around the rooms. It made the bouquet she brought fit in. She went up the stairs to find the location they were shooting and she almost gasped when she arrived at the actual shoot. Having his arms around Winter who was sitting on the floor in front of him, the pair posed in front of the camera. Winter wore a white dress and had translucent makeup that made her look innocent and pure. The man looked the same with his white shirt and blue jeans. His sleeves were rolled up and he had his shirt slightly unbuttoned.

"Yes, that's good. Let's have a break," the photographer shouted and the two stood up from their position. Hyun Nam caught Winter's eye as she talked with the man.

"Hyun Nam! You're here," Winter smiled and waved her over.

The man turned around to have the same expression Hyun Nam had when she saw him.

"I forgot to tell you, Jeno's here as well. We're shooting for a magazine cover," Winter smiled and playfully hit Jeno's arm. Did she feel sad? Not really. She felt more like she was betrayed but she didn't have any reason to, her feelings were totally not valid. But at the same time, she was scared to even look at him. She didn't know if Winter had mentioned to Jeno that Kang Dae and Hyun Nam weren't dating.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you, Jeno. I just remembered it when Hyun Nam came. They're not dating. It was a wrong guess," Winter shrugged, smiling at Hyun Nam who smiled back. Hyun Nam could've sworn she heard Jeno sigh in relief, she looked up to him to check and it turns out Jeno was already staring at her. And though he had a tiny smile on his face, his eyes carried joy and a bit of guilt. They both stared at each other as if having a mental conversation.

Turns out Kang Dae's not your boyfriend. Anyways, I'm sorry I had to cancel.

It's fine.

It's not.

It is.

It's not.

"Are those for me?" Winter beamed, pointing at the bouquet. Hyun Nam turned her focus to Winter, the person she came here for, slightly happier to know that Jeno now knows that Kang Dae wasn't her boyfriend. Odd. Yet, she was still hurt about Jeno canceling their plans. She nodded and gave the bouquet to Winter who smelled the flowers instantly. It must've smelled good because Winter sighed with a smile, her eyes sparkling even more.

"I didn't bring one for you, I didn't know you were going to be here, sorry," Hyun Nam quietly said to Jeno.

"It's okay," he said in the same tone she used, trying to ease the tension between the two, but failed as Hyun Nam was already looking at Winter. After a few minutes, the photographer shouted for the last session of the photo shoot to start. The afternoon light started to disappear as night came. The only thing lighting the room up was the moonlight and the lights out in the gardens. It only made them look more ethereal.

"Oh, we can use the flowers, too," the photographer pointed at the bouquet of gardenias Winter was holding.

"Is it okay?" Winter asked.

"Of course, it's yours now," Hyun Nam replied.

As the photographer guided them to the first pose they were going to make, Jeno would only stare at Hyun Nam or Winter if the photographer said so. Hyun Nam couldn't decipher his gaze. His eyes had no hidden meaning or if there was, she couldn't see it. His eyes were just fixed on her. The first pose made Hyun Nam feel weird. They both sat on the floor, Jeno laid back on the window while Winter rested her head on his chest, the bouquet on her right hand. Hyun Nam felt... bitter. That was the only word she could use to describe herself at that moment. The way Winter's head nuzzled in Jeno's chest and the way Jeno's arms laid on her back. It sent shivers up Hyun Nam's spine and she had to look away for some reason. It was after a while they finished shooting and they had to get their clothing changed. Jeno walked over to Hyun Nam, Winter was still in the other room changing.

"Hey, do you want to get some snacks after this?" Jeno asked, looking at his watch, showing that it was already 9.30 pm. Hyun Nam wanted to decline his invitation to show that she wasn't feeling like seeing him but at the same time, she wanted to go out with him just for a while before she went home.

"So, where are we going after this?" Winter asked excitedly, she was always so bubbly.

Hyun Nam found herself walking between two idols. There were tons of people walking around, but only a small fraction of them realized idols were walking by and a girl between them looked totally out of place, but the confidence and good etiquette she brought with her could match the idols as well.

"Look, fried squid!" Winter exclaimed, pointing at a food stall run by an old woman. Jeno and Hyun Nam have been following Winter around because she was the one with the appetite and she has good taste in food, both of them only held drinks when Winter was holding bags of snacks.

"Can you order 3 for me, please! I need to go to the toilet," she pouted and ran away to the nearest restaurant. Jeno and Hyun Nam walked to the food stall alone to order Winter's food. The old woman was giving back change to another customer when they arrived.

"3 sticks please," Jeno said, smiling through his mask.

"You have a very beautiful girlfriend," the grandma smiled dearly to Hyun Nam who immediately blushed.

"Oh, it's not-"

"Here are your 3 sticks," the grandma cut Hyun Nam off and gave her the bag. Jeno paid for the food before the grandma could add any more comments about them.

Jeno and Hyun Nam drank their citron tea while waiting for Winter in front of the restaurant she went in. The silence was unbelievably awkward. Both of them wanted to speak but the tension created back at the shoot hadn't dissolved yet. Hyun Nam kept on thinking about what she should say, but then she remembered when Jeno and Winter were taking pictures. The fury and bitterness went back to her, she couldn't care less about Jeno anymore.

"I'll pay you back, Jeno. I promise!" Winter chuckled, running out from the restaurant and took the bag of fried squids from Hyun Nam who had extended it to her.

"Diarrhea?" Jeno asked, holding in a laugh.

"I'll kill you," Winter's smile faded and continued to hit Jeno.

Though they were joking on their own, Winter had her arm around Hyun Nam. She didn't feel left out. Not at all. 

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