THE MANAGER NIM

56. GANGNAM STYLE

Workers are moving like a scattered colony of ants, in haste yet ushered by their superiors. Some faces are wreathed in frustration and some are engulfed by zeal, running in every direction with equipment of all sizes. The morning sun peeks out of the velvet clouds like a shy lover and continues to tint everyone and everything with its golden warmth.

You inhale the crisp mountain air and shake your head to oust the drowsiness trying to smother your mind. Though it was a restless night, last night's memories feel like a residue of a sweet dream, but when you realise, they're as real as your thumping heart you feel the heat rising to your face.

Your eyes drift through the crowd in search of that one guy with a bunny smile and eventually find him, your lips curls in a soft smile when you see him bickering with Jin. Last night he blacked out and slept on your lap like a newborn, your smile widens, and your eyes close in an impulse when you think about the way your fingers fiddled with his hair throughout the night.

"Noona!" Jun Pyo appears beside you with his angelic smile.

"Hi Jun Pyo!" you smile at him, his natural auburn curls remind you of your Golden Doodle, Cookie.

"Seems like you are enjoying this weather!" he dubiously says in Korean, unsure of how much you will understand. Seems like he misread your emotion.

"Ah, well... yeah I love the climate... haha..." you try to sound as convincing as possible, faking a phoney laugh.

He flashes an adorable smile at you, you suddenly remember something.

"Where's Medusa? I couldn't see her anywhere!" you ask.

"Oh, you don't know? She slipped and fell in her bathroom and that caused a hairline fracture in her skull, that's why she didn't accompany us on this trip."

"Damn! I didn't know anything about it. How is she doing now?" you start to panic.

"Yeah, yeah, she is absolutely fine. Don't worry! She just needs some rest. When we return from this trip, she will be alright I guess." he says, "Do you want her contact number?" he asks while scrolling through his contact list.

"Yes please!" wondering how you've never asked her for her contact all this while, you quickly save her number in your contacts list.

"Red suits you noona, you look pretty today!" he says with a demure smile while walking past the floral setup laid out for today's shoot.

His compliment sounds genuine enough to brighten your face, "Really? Thank you Jun Pyo!" you say, playfully ruffling his hair like a little brother. A hue of blush suffuses his cheeks.

When you turn around, you see Jungkook standing under the canvas tent conveniently designed like an outdoor salon for artists to rest up during the midst of their shoot, he stares at you like an evil witch and you quickly avert your gaze in discomfiture.

'How am I gonna face him?' you internally enquire yourself in panic while walking towards the tent allotted for Jungkook. Since Medusa is not here Jungkook's usual stylist is busy with styling Jimin's silver hair in his tent. Mina is curling Taehyung's hair into soft curls while Chan-woo is helping Yoongi with his denim blazer in the opposite tent.

"Hello, I'm Jun Pyo, the hairstylist assigned to take care of your hair for today's shoot." Jun Pyo bows politely and introduces himself to Jungkook.

Jungkook nods slightly, he regards Jun Pyo with a fuse of bitterness and envy. Jun Pyo being oblivious to Jungkook's feelings pulls out his kit blithely. While sitting in front of the huge mirror set up, his eyes drift in your direction for a minute, accusing you of an obscure reason.