6. jealousy

6. jealousy

a week later, a meeting with seventeen was scheduled. yumi had never been so nervous for anything in her life. as she sat in the conference room at the company seventeen worker at, flipping through her design portfolio, she couldn't help but feel a little out of place. the rest of the team was calm, focused and ready. while her heart was racing.

the door opened, and in walked seventeen.

joshua was the first to meet her eyes, and his smile widened.

"yumi!" he called, his voice warm. "it's good to see you again!"

"you remember me?" yumi froze.

"of course i do." he nodded, a playful glint in his eyes. "we're excited to work with you and your team."

her pulse quickened, but she forced herself to steady her breathing. this wasn't a fan meeting. this was business. she was no longer just a fan; she was a designer now.

"thank you for giving us this opportunity," she said, trying to sound composed. "we're really excited to work with you."

joshua leaned forward slightly. "it's our pleasure, yumi. i'm sure we're going to create something beautiful together." his voice lowered, adding an almost flirtatious edge. "i can't wait to see what you come up with, especially if you're involved."

yumi blinked, her cheeks warming. was he flirting with her?

she swallowed, trying to keep her composure. "we'll do our best."

joshua winked at her. "i have no doubt," he said smoothly, his smile turning just a little bit more mischievous. "you've already impressed me. i'm looking forward to seeing where you take this."

yumi felt the butterflies in her stomach multiply. was this really happening? she tried to focus, but the way joshua looked at her, was making it difficult to think clearly.

"let's get to work," hojin said in a serious tone, while glaring at joshua.

the rest of the meeting proceeded with a professional tone, but every so often, yumi caught joshua's gaze. there was an undeniable chemistry in the way he interacted with her.

when the meeting wrapped up, yumi stood up to gather her things, feeling a little dazed. she glanced up to find joshua standing by the door, waiting for the others to leave.

"yumi," he called softly, as the last of the team exited the room.

she turned, her heart racing as she approached him.

"i just wanted to say i'm really excited to work with you," he said, his voice dropping a little lower, more intimate. "i saw your work, you're incredibly talented. i'm looking forward to getting to know you better."

her breath hitched at the sincerity in his words, paired with the warmth in his smile. it was professional, yet there was an undeniable flirtation in his tone that made her pulse quicken.

"thank you," she said, trying to regain her composure, but her voice came out softer than usual. "i'm looking forward to it too."

joshua took a step closer, his gaze locking with hers. "you're not just a fan anymore. you're part of us now. part of our team."

yumi felt her face flush, he was way too close she couldn't breathe. it felt like the world around them had disappeared.

"yumi, let's go." hojin's voice interrupted their moment.

"well, i gotta go." she waved at joshua.

"see you later." he winked at her as he walked away.

she grabbed her bag and as she turned to leave, she caught hojin's expression, his usual easygoing smile was replaced with a tight lipped grin, and his eyes looked... angry.

"you okay?" yumi asked him.

"i'm fine," he answered, but there was something in his tone that didn't match his words.

yumi gave him a questioning look, but he avoided her gaze, shifting his attention to the exit. as they walked down the hall together, she couldn't help but notice the way hojin's mood seemed to shift slightly whenever she mentioned joshua. there was a quiet tension in the air that hadn't been there before.

yumi shrugged it off, thought a small knot of curiosity formed in her chest. maybe it was really nothing. after all, hojin was her best friend.

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