THE MANAGER NIM

67. MERE MEMORIES

Italics - Conversation in the native language.

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Assorted aromas oozing out of those hot delicacies placed on the table are blending together creating a delicious smell, one simple whiff would make you drool like a starved canine. Buttery, flaky, glazed, pickled, savoury, all the adjectives one can name are sitting on the table in the form of gorgeously plated dishes. Your heart pleads you to behave like a civilized human with the dining etiquette of a princess, but the giant foodie who got aroused from her slumber by these delicious smells doesn't heed those poor requests. You just stare at those varied hues of browns with a lust that's specially reserved for anything eatable.

"Don't worry, that chicken won't run away if you turn around. Now, why don't you stop staring and just eat something?" Maaran softly enquires beside you with a soft chuckle.

"Shut up! I'm just trying to decide..."

"Do you need a coin or something to toss?" he elegantly serves a few dishes on a plate.

"I...I just..." your brain protests to think about anything that's not food and as a result, your mouth stutters like a newborn.

"Here, these are some of the chef's signature dishes. Try them." He places the plate in front of you and looks into your eyes with an odd delight.

Your gaze drifts between his gorgeous face and the insanely gorgeous plate, contemplating whether to eat or not. As always, food wins. You try to slice the juicy chicken as elegantly as possible and shove the fork into your mouth, only to feel the perfectly cooked meat dissolve down your throat. Your brows hoist up in surprise and your eyelids drop down in ecstasy.

"Is it that good?" he audibly chuckles at your expression of pure glee, grasping the attention of Jungkook and others seated across and around you.

You just nod your head, diligently slicing another bite of that heavenly chicken. This is one of those precious dishes you won't get tired of, even if you get to have it every day.

"Cute!" he murmurs to himself with a small, soft grin and continues to serve food for himself. Only if he looked across the table instead of his plate, he would've noticed IU melting like a popsicle at his sweet, rare smile and Jungkook, who is poking his food with a face that belongs to a ruffled bear. That fiery frown that formed when you walked past him and seated beside Maaran, is still hanging across his face.

"Y/n-shi seems to enjoy the food?" IU asks and looks at you with a genuine smile and that's when you realize you've been slightly bobbing your head in delight all this time.

"Well, I was kinda starving you know..." you struggle to finish your sentence with a stuffed mouth.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, swallow first!" Maaran says while wiping the mayonnaise smudged over your mouth.

"Arasseo eomma!" you seize the tissue from his hand with a sarcastic smile and wipe your lips. The crowd blasts into laughter except for Jungkook, whose face is plastered with an unrecognizable expression. He is neither angry nor calm, an indecipherable expression is dominating his face and it forms a knot in your stomach.

"You look so pretty in this Lilac dress, Noona!" Jungkook says abruptly as if he forced those words out of his will and immediately looks in your direction. Poor IU takes a solid second to comprehend his compliment.

"Oooh!" The whole squad except you, Maaran, and PD'nim shout in unison, making him blush hard.

"Oh! Thank you! That's really kind of you!" She says demurely and tugs a loose strand of hair behind her ears. How elegant!