It was way past lunch. Rose Crown band members were the only ones who loitered in the company cafeteria without working. They were busy trying to get information about Choi Haneul from their band leader Lydia, but they were failing miserably.
They were not surprised when they noticed Choi Haneul walking in with the 'Celestials' members and the manager. But they were shocked when they saw their President and her brother walk in with them. The girls requested Lydia to join the 'Celestials' table, and she finally gave in.
The tables were moved and pushed together. The two powerhouses of the CraZe - Rose Crown and Celestials having lunch with their President in the cafeteria became the hot rumour in the company group chats in a few minutes.
Lydia noticed the red mark on Haneul's neck when they all settled on the table with food. When she fussed over it and glared at Lee Yong, assuming he was the one who tried to strangle him.
Lee Yong did not realise the reason behind the glares in the beginning. But when he finally understood the reason behind it, he was aggrieved. He would never resort to violence, no matter what the other person does. After all, as an idol, he has a reputation to maintain.
"Why are you glaring at me?" Lee Yong questioned Lydia, trying to hide the irritation.
"Well, you were the one who was being unnecessarily hateful towards Oppa in the morning. You really thought no one would not know what you did?" Lydia fired back.
Lee Yong was amused and aggrieved by the indirect accusation. He was about to tell Lydia off, but Haneul stepped between them.
"I met Bang Su Jin." The simple statement cleared the brewing misunderstanding without any fuss or explanation.
"That bastard!" Lydia gritted her teeth as she sat down in anger and helplessness.
Lee Yong noticed the closeness between Lydia and Haneul earlier. From what he knew of Lydia, she was a diligent band leader and always treated everyone in the company professionally, except for Go Dae-Kyun and Bang Su Jin.
From what Lee Yong witnessed in the morning during the interaction, he realised Go Dae-Kyun and Lydia were friends and cared about each other. But they would rather die than accept it. Their dynamics felt more like the siblings who get on each other's nerves just because they can, and they wanted to do it.
The incident in the studio and Lydia's reaction made him realise Bang Su Jin has issues with both Lydia and Haneul. He won't be surprised if Go Dae-Kyun also has issues with Su Jin.
He doesn't blame them for having issues with Bang Su Jin. After all, that guy was really overstepping bastard who dared to behave as if he owned the place.
Before, Lee Yong used to think it was because of Bang Su Jin's successful music career. But now that he knew some information, he was sure it was because Su Jin was a bedwarmer to the people close to the higher-ups.
The atmosphere got heavy and awkward with all the interrogation between the two upset band leaders. Moreover, being seated closer, everyone can notice that the red mark on the neck is a fingerprint. It made everyone uncomfortable irrespective of whether they knew what happened or not. The table felt the awkward silence that was weighing them down.
"Why was the process with HR so long?" Lee Yong asked Haneul to break the silence and to prove that nothing changes with whatever the information they learned.
Haneul smiled as he saw through the leader's intention. "He knew me from earlier. So we talked over a few things and lost track of time…"
"Okay... I am more of a musician. Dance is not my strong forte. Can you come up with a plan to help me with it? Teacher Choi, I will work hard no matter how difficult it is." Lee Yong asked Haneul earnestly, hoping the other would agree. That would be the only way for him to get close to his muse - their new choreographer.
When he noticed Haneul, Lim Tae-Ri, and Lydia go stiff simultaneously, Lee Yong grew worried, thinking he had said anything offensive. He recalled what he had said and realised he had not done anything wrong.
"Sure. Just call me Haneul. Teacher Choi was how everyone referred to my mother." Haneul spoke softly. His voice was still hoarse.
Lim Ro Han frowned when he realised what upset his sister and cousin. He decided to talk about it with his sister later.
Lee Yong agreed readily as he realised 'Teacher Choi' was a sensitive form of addressing, especially to the three people at that table.
Lee Yong led the conversation for a while, trying to reduce the awkwardness as much as possible. His band members looked at him strangely, as he was not a fan of social interaction. Soon everyone joined the conversation pushing aside the questions they had in their mind.
The late lunch finally became harmonious after a lot of awkwardness, discussing dance and the recent songs they had heard. Na Hyun Joon stood up with a glass of juice and toasted it to Haneul for the fantastic choreography of his song.
Soon the members of 'Celestials' joined and toasted to Haneul as a sign of welcoming to the team.
Finally, Lee Yong stood up to toast. But instead of toasting to Haneul like others, he toasted the glass of juice to their President, Lim Tae-Ri, for giving him a talented choreographer for his team. He used to hate Tae-Ri before for never focusing on the company. Now he started to see things in a different light.