Better Than Gold • Lee Jeno

21 • Confidant

"Renjun, how come we never did this before? Oh my God, I could hang out with just you all day." Jieun exclaimed as she took a sip of her drip coffee. "By the way, this coffee is phenomenal."

"Right, I told you so." He chuckled at his new found shopping and coffee buddy. "So are you ditching Jeno for me?"

"Maybe? I'll think about it." She looked and sounded too serious for an answer to his unserious question. It made Renjun burst out laughing. He wasn't expecting her to answer that way.

"Kim Jieun," Renjun tried to speak through his laughing fit. He started to calm down after a few seconds. "I'm not sure how Jeno handles your character. You're too..."

"Too what?"

"I was going to say hyper but let me rephrase it. I think, you two are total opposites. Are you sure you're not bored with him when it's just you two?"

"Jeno isn't boring to be with. I wouldn't say we're total opposites. We have a lot in common more than you think. Jeno might seem too reserved but that's not the case with me. He's a very good listener and when he points out something, he is never wrong."

"I couldn't argue with that. You're absolutely right." Renjun nodded as he took the final sip at his cup of green tea. "Where do you want to go next?"

"I think that's enough splurging for the day." She looked around at the bags occupying the seats beside them. "We literally have at least ten bags each. That's enough for four to five complete sets of outfit from head to toe."

"Oh, thank God." Renjun dramatically sighed and put a hand to his chest. "Finally, someone with self-control. If I were with Hyuck right now, these wouldn't be enough. He made 'shop 'til you drop' possible."

"Uh-uh, that could never be me. That's awful. This is the most I have shopped in a long time."

"Good for you. It gets tiring sometimes." He opened the door for Jieun. The valet immediately helped them with their bags and got the car keys from him. They didn't wait long for the car to arrive. Renjun gave a generous tip to the valet.

"Where to, Jieun?" He asked before driving the car.

"Do you think it's possible to go to their office? Let's just grab something for lunch and we can all eat there together. It's been a while since you last saw the two."

"I hope they missed me," Renjun chuckled and Jieun nudged his shoulder at his joke. "I'll give Mark a call."

♚

After the phone call with Mark, Renjun drove their way to the office with their favorite Chinese restaurant to go's. They were both singing their lungs out to the song blasting in the car.

"Woah! I feel like my throat is gonna come out of my mouth."

"Ew," Renjun grimaced at her comment. "Just kidding but hey, I enjoyed that. It's like carpool karaoke."

"Yeah! That was so much fun. We only sang three songs, though. Why does it feel like I had a concert or something." Jieun soothed her throat for comfort.

"You don't say," he chuckled at her almost out of energy demeanour. "I'll make tea for you when we get there."

"Sure, thanks." She smiled at Renjun.

They arrived at the company in less than twenty minutes. Renjun noticed that as soon as they entered the premises, she was following his steps. "Is it your first time here?" He asked, not minding if he sounded arrogant for that.

"Yes," Jieun just nodded and walked closely behind him. She somehow felt not meeting other people's gazes and stares. "Renjun, why are they looking?"

"It's either you're too pretty or I'm too handsome." He replied as a joke but where is the lie?