The New Managers

Chapter Twenty-Two

published: July 28, 2019
Word count: 1997

After practice is over, the boys all sit down to have a meal together after getting cleaned up.

"Managers!" Jungkook calls to the girls as they are about to sit at a different table. "Come sit here!" He points to two chairs left empty for them.
SuHee smiles and sits down in one of them. "Our guys did really well today."
"But you say that every day!" Kookie points out.

Mina takes a seat across the table from SuHee, beside Jin.

"But you do! You guys are really good. I can barely even do the shoot." She laughs.
Namjoon elbows Kookie. "This is where you say thank you."
"Oh! Mianhae! Thank you, Manager-Nim!" The maknae bows so deeply to her that he accidentally bangs his head on the table. The rest of the members crack up.
SuHee's eyes widen and she gently touches his forehead. "Are you Alright?!" She asks, her full attention now on him.
Jungkook laughs at himself. "I'm alright." He rubs the red spot.
She sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Be careful. What would we do if our Golden Maknae got hurt?"
"I'll bounce right back!" Jungkook gives a thumbs up and does aegyo.
She laughs and pats his arm. "Good. But I'd rather you NOT get hurt, okay?"
"I'll tryyyy." He makes a face.
She nods and covers a yawn. "Thank you."

"Are you going to get something to eat?" Hoseok leans around Namjoon to ask.
SuHee shrugs. "Are you, Mina?"
Mina looks up from the menu in her hand. "Yeah. I'm starved. Look, they have some good soup here. I'll bet that would feel good on your throat."
SuHee wrinkles her nose. "Do they have rice? I'm not really hungry. Some hot steamy rice would be good." She pulls Jin's coat tighter around her and shivers slightly.

"Of course they have rice!" Jin suddenly says, speaking a big louder than necessary. "What good place doesn't have rice?! Rice is a staple! You can't go through life without rice! If a restaurant doesn't have just plain rice, I will boycott it! Rice goes with everything. You can put it in soup, you can eat it as a side, you can even make milk out of it! Rice is amazing. Of course they have rice!"
During his rant, which started in English and switched to Korean, the boys had fallen silent to listen. When he finishes, chopsticks gripped in his hands, everyone busts into laughter.
"Why are you laughing?? I'm serious! Rice is important!"

SuHee laughs along with them, enjoying his enthusiastic rant about rice. "I agree!" She announces.
Namjoon looks over in amazement. "Did you understand what he said??"
SuHee smirks and brushes off her shoulder. "If it's food. I can understand... kind of. Especially rice." She licks her licks and nods. "Okay. I want rice."
"Rice!" Seokjin shouts, shoving a fist in the air. The boys laugh again.
SuHee hides another yawn and rests her head on the table. Jin turns to Mina. "You want rice too?"
She smiles and shakes her head. "I'd like to try the rice soup this time instead of plain rice."
He pouts and shakes his head. "You very naughty." He says in broken English and laughs. "Rice soup is good too."

She bumps shoulders with him and immediately gets flustered.
Jin laughs and sends her a wink. "Do you have a lot to do when you get home?"
She blushes. "Uhm.. not that much. I mean, I have some things to get ready for your shoot tomorrow."
He frowns and calms down. "You get sleep right?"
I nod. "Oh yeah, I'll get plenty of sleep."
He nods. "Good."

By the time the waiter comes, Yoongi and SuHee are asleep.
Mina looks over at them. "Uh... should we wake them?"
"I don't want to wake Yoongi-hyung... it's scary." Jimin whispers across the table.
Jungkook nods. "SuHee can wake him up! Hyung won't be mad at her."
Mina chuckles. "Well first we have to wake up Suhee."
Jungkook hesitates. "Is she scary to wake up?" He asks worriedly.
The other girl shakes her head, smiling. "Not usually, no. Unless it's early morning and she didn't get much sleep."