Chapter 6: He Is Quite Interesting

Since their parting in the stairwell, Sullyoon had not seen Xia Xing again.

When she returned to the practice room, although her teammates looked at her with keen interest, they all tacitly agreed not to ask questions immediately. Perhaps they were waiting for Sullyoon to offer an explanation herself.

Lily and Haewon, the two older sisters, acted as if nothing had happened, picking a spot to share their lunch boxes. As for the two younger members, Jiwoo and Kyujin, one paced back and forth in front of Sullyoon while the other coughed from time to time; both wore expressions of wanting to speak but holding back. Bae Jin-sol, who knew the inside story, sat about two meters away from Sullyoon with her arms wrapped around her knees, looking as though she were in prison. The group, usually noisy and boisterous, had fallen into an unspoken, heavy silence.

Perhaps... everyone was waiting for an explanation from Sullyoon.

As a group that took over four hundred days since their debut to win their first music show trophy, they had all carried a great deal of pressure to get where they were today. Lily had gone through fan signs without receiving gifts; Haewon struggled with genuine self-doubt; there was Jin-sol, who held up signs hoping fans would film her more; Jiwoo, who had been attacked for her figure; and Kyujin, who often had to take the blame for others. Even Sullyoon had endured injuries and being chased and insulted by fan-site photographers.

Having worked so hard to reach this point, surely no one wanted NMIXX to slide downhill again because of a member’s romantic entanglement. Thus, beyond the initial surprise and curiosity, once the emotions settled, everyone surely harbored concerns about their careers.

"Um..." Sullyoon finally couldn't help but speak up. From the moment she pushed Xia Xing out of the practice room, she knew she couldn't escape this. "Xia Xing and I... we are just very close friends."

"I won't cause any trouble for everyone."

Silence returned to the practice room, but her words were like a falling domino; the expressions and body language of the members showed that they had heard her explanation. In truth, everyone knew exactly what Sullyoon felt for Representative Xia. They just wanted a promise from her, nothing more. After all... at around twenty years old, having thoughts of dating was perfectly normal.

"Oi~ Sullyoon, why is your tone so heavy?" Leader Haewon set down her lunch, naturally flashed a smile, sat beside Sullyoon, and bumped her shoulder against hers. "You've been looking so gloomy since you walked in. What are you worried about?"

Bae Jin-sol, sensing the leader's attempt to liven up the atmosphere, chimed in: "It’s truly disappointing. I was secretly shipping you and Representative Xia in my heart. But it’s a good thing, too; I might still have a chance to chase after you."

Jiwoo also used her advantage as the youngest to lean in close, joking, "To have such a handsome friend and not show him off, you’re being a bit selfish, unnie."

With these few remarks, the previously silent practice room finally began to regain its former liveliness. The heavy stone hanging in Sullyoon's heart finally felt a little lighter.

***

Having shed her psychological burden, she brushed back her bangs and began to respond to her teammates' teasing one by one: "Give it a rest. How is that guy handsome? I really can't understand what there is to show off. I’m already annoyed by him every single day."

"Unnie, the corners of your mouth are practically touching the sky."

"He really is more handsome than Kashiwabara Takashi, and he looks a bit like Oh Se-hun."

"Exactly! That’s what I wanted to say at first. Kyujin, your description is spot on."

***

Shin Yuna finished organizing her papers and pens, and after checking the time, she rose to head toward the NMIXX practice room. The meeting was about ten minutes away, and she needed to notify her juniors to go together. She needed her juniors to stand in front of her so she wouldn't have to face Xia Xing alone.

Just as she arrived at the practice room, she saw Mina walking toward her. She... didn't seem very busy today, wandering around the company. One moment she was chatting with Shin Yuna, the next she was saying she wanted to go see that Representative Xia who looked like Kashiwabara Takashi, and now she was visiting NMIXX.

"Oh! Mina-sunbaenim, meeting you here again."

"Yuna, what are you doing here?" Mina asked unhurriedly, her peripheral vision glancing at the laughing NMIXX members inside the practice room. "Are you here to find them?"

"Yes, to notify them to go to the meeting."

"I see, then carry on." She took a few steps, then suddenly thought of something and called out to Shin Yuna: "I just went to see that Representative Xia."

"Eh?"

"It’s nothing. I just felt he’s actually quite interesting. You don't have to feel so burdened when you face him."

Shin Yuna watched Mina disappear down the hallway, feeling dejected as she thought: Was she really that obvious? First impressions were crucial, and it was precisely because Shin Yuna felt she had left an unprofessional impression during their first meeting that she found facing Xia Xing such a burden. It seemed her social skills needed training; she needed to not only interact comfortably with clients but also control her emotions in front of acquaintances. She was already a sunbae of four years; she couldn't wear every emotion on her face.

Shin Yuna knocked on the practice room door. The lively atmosphere died down, and the juniors saw who it was through the glass window, quickly guessing the reason for her visit. NMIXX tidied up and followed Shin Yuna toward the conference room.

Though, calling it "following" might not be entirely accurate, as Shin Yuna and Sullyoon trailed at the very back of the group, walking slowly. Having someone to chat with was a wonderful thing. But why... did Shin Yuna get the feeling that Sullyoon had something on her mind? Was she just being too sensitive today?

***

The afternoon meeting lasted about an hour and a half. Aside from the initial introductions and pleasantries, about half an hour was spent understanding JYPE’s current development plans for their artists. Because they were appearing in the meeting as the party purchasing so-called "artist value," even though Department Head Kim Jae-joong felt it was inappropriate for the other side to send a young man like Xia Xing to negotiate, he still had to put on a respectful front.

As for the rhythm of their communication, for every question Xia Xing asked, Department Head Kim felt compelled to answer with three. In truth, Xia Xing didn't care about "artist development plans" or "the company's glorious history"; he only needed Department Head Kim’s obsequious attitude. The more Kim spoke, the less leverage JYPE had in the endorsement deal, leaving more room for Peninsula Foods to maneuver in future collaborations.

But Xia Xing also knew that the respect Department Head Kim showed him was solely due to the aura of Peninsula Foods behind him. Respect gained through a company's status was, in reality, hollow. This principle applied to Department Head Kim as well; back when TWICE’s achievements were skyrocketing, other parties would respect Kim out of deference to JYPE.

Xia Xing listened inattentively, though he had to pretend to be serious, occasionally glancing at the artists who were listening intently on the other side. His focus, of course, was on Sullyoon, who sat at the very back on the left.

She naturally noticed Xia Xing’s gaze, so she leaned back slightly and stuck her tongue out at him, outside the peripheral vision of her teammates. Seeing a faint blush appear on Xia Xing’s usually thick skin, the girl revealed a mischievous, triumphant smile. Honestly... in that playful moment, Xia Xing’s heart skipped a beat once again.

"Representative Xia, are you feeling unwell?"

Department Head Kim offered an ill-timed concern, and the attention of everyone in the room shifted to Xia Xing.

"No, you explained things very thoroughly. I have a much better understanding of your company's overall situation now."

"Then, I've finished my introduction. Do you have any other questions?"

"None," Xia Xing operated his computer, opened the PPT, and stood up. "Although I have already sent everyone a document regarding our company’s new project, I would still like to introduce our project here to Department Head Kim and everyone present."

It was an initial meeting, after all; a stage for both sides to introduce themselves and probe for information. Xia Xing also needed to provide Department Head Kim with information he could report to JYPE’s leadership. Taking advantage of the fact that everyone’s attention was now on the screen, Xia Xing gestured toward Sullyoon. She responded with a playful eye-roll.

However, once he returned to work and entered presentation mode, Xia Xing became completely absorbed. The secret interactions with Sullyoon were temporarily set aside.

"In short, coconut beverages have been popular for over a decade, and consumers have a certain level of understanding and acceptance of coconut products. But unlike coconut juice, which is primarily distributed through catering channels, NFC coconut water will focus on retail channels such as convenience stores and supermarkets. In these high-frequency consumption scenarios, we plan to promote our products by deploying promotional materials featuring our brand ambassadors. Through the advertisements we place in the market, your company will be able to gain significant exposure, even during periods when the artists are not in a comeback cycle. Subsequently, we will also organize offline pop-up events to promote both the products and the artists through various means."

Watching the 1.85-meter-tall Xia Xing, with his lean and muscular build, speaking eloquently in front of the projector, Shin Yuna, who was sitting to Sullyoon’s right, remembered what Mina had said.

She had to admit, that guy was actually quite dashing when he worked. He kept smiling at her during the meeting; was that a greeting? It seemed Shin Yuna had misunderstood Representative Xia; he wasn't the type to be biased against others based on a first impression.

Perhaps... it really was just Shin Yuna overthinking things. This guy actually seemed quite interesting.