Chapter 6

Chris

"Oh, hEy kevinnn," I squeak, trying to act unphased.

"What do you want Chan?" he grunts.

"Oh... ok, that actually makes everything a lot easier," I let out a sigh of relief, silently celebrating the fact I wouldn't have to suck up to my manager any longer. "So, you know the new intern?"

"Oh, don't worry about that," he assures, tapping me on the back as I look around in confusion.

"But I haven't said anythi-"

"I've already filed a complaint, there's nothing we can do now except wait," he scrambles through his pockets, passing over a crumpled up form and I begin to read a random line aloud.

"Her hair is so bright, if I didn't send a complaint now, NASA might have to," I stifle laughter, directing my attention to another random line. "Linda's hair is becoming a distraction within our work environment, many christians expressing concerns about her close resemblance to Jesus descending from heaven due to the brightness of the green dye."

"No." I chortle, handing him back the form, my face turning red as I attempt not to let out a gust of laughter as he opens up his phone, unamused. "I meant, the other one, Sophie."

"Mhm?" He prompts me to continue, not even looking up.

"If she comes on the trip this Saturday, can she have time off for the rest of next week?" I blurt out.

"Well I don't need any help, but you can ask Bert if he does," he murmurs. " I don't mind if she comes, as long as she's useful and nobody finds out you're dating."

"We're not-"

"Whatever you say, just shut up about it, don't tell anyone," he grumbles.

"Isn't Bert a video-er guy tho?"

"Videographer?" He scoffs, finally putting his phone down.

"Yeah that," I plaster a smile on my face. "How's she going to help him?"

"I don't know, you're going to talk to him aren't you?" He grunts and, as obviously neither of us want to be in this conversation right now, I leave. "He's at lunch right now."

Tech crew scares me. The girls are fine... just really quiet. The guys are the problem. I don't know the last time one of them put deodorant on, or for that matter, showered. They trade pokemon cards at lunch and I swear I hear them debating 'Onlyfans vs Twitter' more often than not.

As I walk over to their table, they stare directly at me, most of them halfway through mouthfuls of food, noodles and vegetables covering their chins. I direct my vision across the table at Bert, noticing him with a food soaked bib tied around his neck, his hands oily with the remains of chicken that didn't make it into his mouth.

"Bert," I grin awkwardly, staying an appropriate distance away from him.

"Bangchan," he responds bluntly.

"I'm just going to get straight to the point," I announce as Bert coughs, a noodle being launched across the room. "So, I know you're on the trip this weekend, would you want an intern to come along and help you with the cameras or anything?"

"No." He splutters. "I'm gonna need to pick up my eyedrops if I have to deal with the glow for long periods of time."

"The glow?" I ask, folding my arms over my chest.

"Her hair." He responds quickly.

"Oh, no no no. I meant the other one," I explain, realising I might need to start clarifying which intern I'm discussing more often.

"Oh, yeah sure," he smiles, continuing to fill his face with Noodles.

"Great thanks," I give him an awkward thumbs up, before rushing out of the cafeteria. As I rush out, I search through the pockets of my pants, finally finding my phone. "Shit, I don't have Soph's number," I mumble, turning around briefly, looking back into the lunch room and watching Bert slide a piece of mushed up noodle off of his phone screen.

No matter how much I want Sophie to be able to go on this trip, I'm not going back in there to tell him he needs to contact her himself.

**

"God, fine Han, take the front seat," I scoff as he practically carries me out of the front passenger seat.

"Thanksss Chan," he gushes, sitting down on the seat.

"Are we going soon?" I sigh, jumping into one of the back seats. I secretly glance at the circle of staff on the footpath, all the staff who are coming with us, unable to see Sophie.

"I'm not the one in charge," Felix shrugs in the seat next to me.

"Where's Kevin?" Seungmin complains, and I watch him yank on a strand of Felix's hair.

"Chris..." Han pauses, my attention being directed over to him. "You wanna swap seats?"

"Huh? No, you're already ther-"

"Swap with me," Han orders, getting out of the car and opening my door, forcing me out. The other 2 members watch in confusion as Han... who will usually battle for a spot up the front... forces me to sit there. He shoves me into the front and as my feet remain on the road and my hands hold the entirety of my body weight up off the seat, I look up, finally realising Han's motivation.

"Hey Soph," I grunt, pushing myself up onto the chair, trying not to act distracted by the fact she's actually coming with us.

"Hi?" She responds, watching me struggle to pull myself onto the seat. A cloud of breath vapour surrounds her words as she gets straight into the driver's seat.

"Oh shit, you're driving us?" I scoff, putting my seatbelt on as she sets up her seat, moving it back and forwards, squishing poor Felix behind her.

"I guess so," she nods, angling the rear-vision mirror towards her.

"Look, this is stupid, I'll drive ok?" I offer, leaning towards my seatbelt, ready to unbuckle it again.

"I'm fine Chris," she flashes a light smile, placing her hand on the wheel. I don't know how she can go from being so vulnerable with me one day, to acting all independent with me the next.

"No, c'mon, let me drive," I tilt my head, tapping my fingers on the dashboard.

"I'm the intern, I'm the one working for you here," she assures, showing me the JYPE lanyard placed over her neck.

"Oh," I grin, looking directly at her. "You're working for me now hm?"

"Haven't I always?" She smiles back smugly, starting the car. When I look behind me, I notice Felix and Seungmin glaring at me and after turning my head behind my seat, Han is watching me with a smile across his face.

I glance back over to Sophie. She has one hand on the wheel and the other resting on the gear-stick. As we pull out onto the main road, the morning sun shines onto her face, her skin practically glowing. She reaches into her tote bag, taking out a pair of aviator sunglasses, placing them on her face and leaning back into the seat.

"Hey... miss?" Seungmin taps onto the back of Sophie's seat.

"It's Sophie," I mutter and she flashes a death-glare at me.

"Could you open the window, it's so stuffy?" Seungmin sulks.

"It's cold outside," she mentions, as the window begins to open, Seungmin re-adjusting his position in his seat. We drive for a bit longer, Seungmin leaning over Felix, trying to fit his head out the window like a puppy, whilst Han naps undisturbed in the corner. I notice as Sophie tries to hide a yawn every so often, or begins rubbing her eyes... she's tired, as usual.

"Chris?" Soph breaks the silence after a while.

"Mhm?" I respond, my voice more coarse than usual.

"We're on a quarter tank, should I pull into this petrol station?" She asks, lightly tapping her hands, flushed red from the cold, on the steering wheel. I nod back and she takes an exit off of the highway into a service station, stopping beside one of the gas pumps. Before I could even take my seatbelt off, she's halfway out of the car. I watch her as she fills up the car and then walks towards the store to pay.

"Chan, what is going on," Han asks, placing his hand on the back of my seat.

"I don't even know," I respond bluntly, getting out of the car. "I thought you were asleep," I say, slamming the door behind me. I walk around the front of the car, sitting myself in the driver's seat. I watch as the store door opens up, Sophie walking out, her arms filled with way more than she walked in with.

I can tell when she notices me sitting in the driver's seat. Her smile dropped and she gives me her usual sassy expression, one that I've seen particularly a lot of today. Instead of giving up and walking to the passenger seat, she walks straight to my side of the car, opening the door.

"Soph," I let out an exhale.

"Remember I work for you," she widens her eyes.

"Good, then as your boss, get in the passenger seat," I smile, watching her as she shuts the door and walks around the car into the seat beside me.

"Happy?" She asks sarcastically, the red in her cheeks from the cold slowly fading out.

"Oh, just delighted," I smile jokingly over at her. 

Author's note 

Yall gon be shocked to your core about next chap (; Look forward to it my baes <33 Tysm for reading!!