The Wise Monkey's POV:

It's always calming for me to see the two parties I keep a watch on come together in a shared space and interact. Obviously, for my job, it requires making sure that the girl and the boys are friends and there's progress towards a possible relationship. But other than that, I really miss those days when they'd interact every day, when I didn't have to constantly transport back and forth between Soojin's house or restaurant and Ateez's dorms or company. My work's anything but menial, I'll tell you that.

Seriously, it's kinda bummer that Soojin and the boys can't often meet in the actual human world. The difference in lifestyle is such. I can't fathom what Fate was thinking when he wrote for these bunch of youths. It's never easy to understand the Trinity of /sɛrkʌ/, not even by us Solitaires who are direct subordinates and next in power to the three in the respective fields.

Anyway, what I mean to say is it's now exciting to see them interacting face to face. But right now I'm even more excited than usual. You know me by now, I'm all up for drama. Even though not all the eight boys are here, but only Seonghwa and Yunho who I see entering the restaurant that Joshua owns. And it just happens so that today's the day Soojin finally decided to visit her friend's restaurant as well. It's a surprise to me as well. I have been just following around Soojin today, that's why I'm here. And now I see these two guys grabbing themselves a table here. This unexpected meet(I'm assuming they'll meet, I mean both the parties are in the same building, the probability's pretty high), this coincidence has to be the work of the lads.

For once, you're doing good, boys!

Anyway.

Yunho watches his hyung as the older looks around the place in wonder.

"It's the same building, wow!" Seonghwa exclaims.

"You've said it 3 times already now," Yunho says. "But it does look the same." Although Yunho hasn't been physically in Daisy's restaurant ever, he did remember the place from the photos she'd shown him.

"Yes, inside and out. But the interior's obviously different than how it was then. It's still good, the people who run it has taste."

Yunho hums. "The food would taste different. But only you'd know. I've never eaten the stuff that Daisy put on the menu here. Except for the desserts she sometimes brought over."

"It tasted just like the Italian she made at home," Seonghwa says.

"And I never got to eat the Italian she made."

"Fair enough," Seonghwa says. "It's cool this place still serves Italian and the menu has some dishes she had too."

"You're so going to be comparing the food to hers, aren't you?"

"Yes, and I'll give her a detailed review later," Seonghwa grins.

Both of them are looking through the menu when they hear the familiar chuckle of a girl.

"I'm not ordering myself, get me the best thing on the menu," they hear Soojin's voice, now getting nearer.

"Doesn't it sound like Soojin?" Yunho asks and the older nods, both now looking around to spot the girl.

"Don't deviate from the topic. You're being so secretive it's kinda creeping me out. It's a simple question. Did you work in this kitchen or not?" They hear a man's voice and now they clearly see the person talking as he steps more into the common dining area where they both are seated. And behind the man, Soojin follows.

"Not exactly. I never had to work in the kitchen. I just was close to the people who worked here. Does that satisfy you?" Soojin says to the man. Joshua, of course.

"Could've just answered that earlier, you drama queen," the other says and rests his hands on Soojin's shoulder as he starts guiding her towards a table. "No, wait, your pick. Tell me which table seems the most aesthetic to you." 

Yunho sees Seonghwa sitting frozen as he glares coldly at the man with Soojin. He looks around to see that he and his hyung are not the only ones around who can hear them, and by the looks of it, the other customers seem to be fawning over the duo in attention, probably assuming they're a couple. It sure does grab attention when the person in question is as good-looking as the man Yunho sees with his friend. And Yunho also notices how Seonghwa has noticed the people, which in turn make the older angrier in his glares directed at the mystery man they've never heard about from Soojin.

Soojin looks around to find a table and finally sees her friends. Yunho immediately waves at her, Seonghwa sitting like a corpse as he makes eye contact with her.

She immediately walks over to them, Joshua slowly following. "Hey, you guys!" she says. "This is so crazy, we're running into each other unexpectedly now. But crazier things have happened still."

"And you look traumatized, or constipated, or whatever you're trying..... seriously what's with your face?" she asks Seonghwa.

"W-What?" Seonghwa knocks off from his previous state. "I just zoned out." He meets his eyes with Joshua who gives him a small smile. Joshua slightly nudges Soojin which Seonghwa doesn't fail to notice.

"Ohh, right," she says. "Guys, this is Joshua oppa and oppa, they're my friends Jeong Yunho and Park Seonghwa."

"Oppa?" Seonghwa questions. This is really familiar, isn't it?

Joshua laughs. "I'm older than her by 4 years actually."

"Of course, you are, you oldie," Soojin says. "I'm sure he didn't think otherwise. It's just that I don't call anyone oppa that easily."

"Hey, but I did give you the option to drop the honorifics with me."

"And I did tell you that's plain weird."

Seonghwa clears his throat and Joshua's attention goes to the two guys. 

"It's good to see that she has more friends," Joshua says flashing them a smile.

Yunho grins out of courtesy. "Yeah, she's not the sociable type. How do you both know each other?"

"We're friends. Kinda childhood friends, if that counts," Joshua says.

"Ahhh," Seonghwa says. "It's good to see she has more friends."

"Stop trolling me," Soojin says. "So, you guys just arrived, right? Didn't order yet?"

"No, we can't decide what we want," Yunho says.

"Yeah, you know why we're primarily here, for the nostalgia," goes Seonghwa and Yunho and Soojin cringes inside.

Joshua calls a waiter and asks him to take order for the guys later. Seonghwa and Yunho watch in amusement.

"Actually, it is his restaurant," Soojin tells them.

"Oh, really!" Yunho exclaims.

"Yeah," Joshua humbly hums.

"And you, Soojin," he continues. "You've been standing for a while, if you guys want to have the meal together, you can join them."

"But I promised you I'll eat with you," Soojin says to Joshua.

"Yeah, we don't mind. Soojin should eat with you, you guys made plans" Yunho says.

"No, I'll be alright, really," Joshua says. "I'll be around anyway. It's my job. We made plans but lunch together isn't necessarily the most important on the list, they start after that. She can eat with you guys, I'll just do my usual until you guys are finished."

Everything Joshua did was getting on Seonghwa's nerves, including the fact that he was way too understanding and humble.

"Or," Seonghwa says. "If you don't mind, you and Soojin can both join us. You both are equally welcome to. It's the middle ground."

Joshua looks at Soojin. "You won't mind, right?"

She laughs. "Why would I? I'm the common friend here."

"Okay, then," he says. "I'll go tell them to prepare the speciality for you." He then turns to the boys. "And since you guys can't decide what to get, should I do that for you as well?"

"Sure," Seonghwa is fast to answer.

"Alright, then. I'll be right back," Joshua says before leaving for the kitchen.

"Okay, Soojin, spill!" Yunho says. "How come you didn't tell us your childhood friend owned this restaurant!"

"I didn't know then. I only reunited with him recently and found out he owned this. It was a shocker to me as well. Look at how weird the fate is."

"You seem close to him. I thought you didn't have any friends," Seonghwa says and Yunho internally sighs.

"He thought the same. Turns out I'm friends with both him and you guys and since both of them happened relatively new, I just didn't mention it both the parties."

"You seem very close though. As if you've always been friends. You even call him oppa when he said he doesn't need you to, he's a foreigner, right?"

"Yes, American. And don't be jealous."

"W-What?" Seonghwa's eyes enlarge. "I'm not jealous. Why would I be?"

"Sure, you aren't," Yunho comments.

"Of course, you got to be," Soojin says. "The insociable loner friend you monopolized and had pride on yourselves for successfully befriending after a hell of work now suddenly has a new friend easily. I'll be offended if you guys aren't jealous." She laughs and Seonghwa relaxes in relief finding the accusation of jealousy on him just a joke.

"Look," she continues, now serious. "I could tell why you might've opted to dine here. You didn't really have to say that out loud, especially with someone else around. He's my friend too, he'd be curious to see us engaging in weird cryptic talks. And that "I came here only for nostalgia" was rude to him."

"I didn't know he was the owner. I'm sorry for that," Seonghwa says.

She looks at him in scrutiny. "Fair enough," she says. "Try to be normal around him, okay? No inside talks. You invited us to sit with you."

"You could've declined," Seonghwa says.

"I could've but knowing you, you're petty when you're jealous and you carry petty malice against people, so I didn't want that," Soojin says and Yunho laughs hard.

"Hey, that is not true at all!" Seonghwa responds but immediately acts composed when he sees Joshua coming back. The older man is carrying beverages on a tray.

He sits down on the fourth chair. "Here," he says, indicating the drinks he brought. "Try this. It's my favourite."

Everyone drinks the first few sips of the beverage in silence, not exactly a comfortable one in Soojin's opinion. She's wondering what she should do to break the ice. Oh, crack one of your lame jokes, won't you?

But Joshua starts off. "So when did you guys become friends. Where did you meet?"

Even though Yunho looks like he wants to answer, Soojin jumps to it. "Uhmmm..." she begins, parting away with the straw she was chewing on. "Remember Jongho? The one you found me with the last time I was here in the area. Seonghwa oppa and Yunho are friends and dormmates of Jongho, and there are five other guys. All of them are friends and I am friends with all of them."

"Holy Shit!" the words come out in English and Joshua swiftly apologizes to the boys for his social misconduct. "You have like eight friends now? When I met you it was like zero. Wow, the growth you've had. But I'm offended you didn't tell me. I thought I was your only friend."

"You knew about Jongho."

"You didn't tell me he was a friend. I thought he was a date."

"What?" Seonghwa exclaims. "Date?"

"Was it?" Yunho teasingly asks, all chill, smiling and curious, a joke to put Soojin in the spot. Well, someone's having fun.

"No," Soojin is quick to reply. "I didn't declare Jongho my friend yet at that time, that's why I didn't tell you. And now there are eight new friends, I just didn't know if you'd believe it if I said I'm friends with them. Sorry for keeping you in the dark."

"Why? Why wouldn't I believe you?" Joshua asks and Soojin leans into his ear to whisper the answer, something that Seonghwa isn't pleased about. He's trying to put his best acting skills out here as he portrays a man who definitely isn't jealous and definitely doesn't see Joshua as a threat. He just prays that he doesn't break the character. For Soojin, he tells himself.

Joshua's eyes widen and he gasps slightly as Soojin pulls back from his ear. The words he intends to speak next are cut short as the waiter places the food on the table. Joshua smiles at his employee as he leaves after doing his job, now leaving the four in privacy.

"I have heard about you guys!" he exclaims.

"Suddenly you have?" Yunho asks confused.

"Yeah, even before I came to Korea; you've got many fans in the U.S. And her sister wouldn't shut up about how much of an obsessed fan Soojin—"

Soojin punches Joshua's arms.

"This is really unbelievable. How did you guys become friends?" he looks Seonghwa in the eye. "Don't tell me she blackmailed you into being friends with her?"

"Stop embarrassing me or your arm isn't gonna be the next part I'm punching," Soojin says.

"Oh like it wouldn't be the first time you did that as well," Joshua comments and the boys look at Soojin wide-eyed. She always joke-threatens but the Soojin Ateez knows was never that aggressive to really physically execute such stunts. Seonghwa has his own concerns, just the thought of her fist touching that part of another man—

"I was a child! You were a child!" she yells. "Guys, don't misunderstand. It's an 'accident' from our childhood, I did not do it intentionally."

"Yeah yeah, that was an accident but kicking me down there 'cause I touched your toy wasn't."

"Goddamn! Why do you even remember all these? I almost forgot it."

"Of course, you did. You weren't on the receiving end of the pain."

Seonghwa feels severely out of place. He and Yunho are third and fourth-wheeling and he doesn't like it one bit.

"You guys have chemistry," Yunho suddenly comments. "Are you her best friend?" he asks Joshua.

"Yah, that's a stupid question to ask considering that I have such trouble labelling people," Soojin says. "He has his best friend back in America. I'm just his only friend in Korea."

"Oh, you guys didn't start eating yet?" Joshua asks bewildered. "Come on, dig in, please."

"A-Ah, yes," Seonghwa says.

"So I still didn't get how you met?" Joshua asks Soojin.

"Actually we were friends before we become idols," Yunho is quick to lie and Soojin applauds him with her eyes. But Yunho immediately regrets as he sees Joshua's eyes widening but then swiftly going back to normal. Soojin couldn't see it as she's sitting adjacent to him unlike Yunho and Seonghwa who're on the opposite. 

Joshua stares at Soojin for a few two seconds with an indecipherable look. All three liars become tense.

"What?" Soojin asks.

"Oh, nothing at all," Joshua says and goes back to eating.

A few minutes of eating later, Seonghwa finally decides to question it. He didn't care about keeping up with his acting anymore. "By the way, Soojin," he says. "You didn't tell us why you didn't mention Joshua-ssi to us."

"Oh, right," Joshua butts in. "I forgive you for not telling me about them for obvious reasons but I'm offended you didn't mention me to them." He playfully grabs his heart.

Seonghwa completely chooses to ignore the man and his antics as he waits for Soojin to speak.

"Why are we only talking about all these since we started?" Soojin says and Yunho agrees. 

"The food is good, isn't it, Soojin?" Yunho asks.

"Yes, I like it," she says.

Seonghwa loudly sighs.

"Oppa, we can talk about it later. Why is it necessary to hear it right now?" Soojin asks Seonghwa.

"Because—" Seonghwa starts and Yunho loudly coughs, a clearly fake cough, and the older stops at his indication.

"Didn't you hear from Jongho about it?" Soojin asks Yunho and Seonghwa, her voice weary.

"You think I'll forget hearing about the fact that your friend owns this restaurant? Jongho didn't tell anyone, we're gonna have to talk to him about that."

Joshua awkwardly gets up from his chair. "I'll just go to the washroom real quick," he excuses himself and leaves.

"I said 'no inside talks'!" Soojin almost yells. "See now, you made him uncomfortable."

"Hyung, you should choose your next words carefully," Yunho reminds, his face solemn and now stripped to realism as Joshua is around no more.

"I..I...I'm sorry. I thought it was a simple question."

"But the answer is something I'd prefer to give you privately," Soojin is trying very hard to not be angry in her tone. "Why'd you have to make it uncomfortable?"

"Sorry," he says. "But he isn't exactly here now."

"Hyung..." Yunho tiredly says.

"Wow, you're unbelievable!" she says. "Why do you still care about the answer so much?"

 "Listen," she still prefers to get it done with. "Jongho was the only one I used to chat with earlier. It was not long ago that I accepted you all as my friends, and personally you and I, oppa, we weren't exactly on friendly terms until last Friday. So make me understand the point of you getting upset about this, just make me."

"Right," Seonghwa hangs his head. "I'm sorry, Soojin."

Soojin calms down. "It's alright," she sounds half-hearted. "Let's finish the food soon and head out our ways. I'm not mad, don't worry, Yunho." And yet that doesn't sound so true.

"And, you, oppa," she says in a threatening tone and Seonghwa looks up and Yunho freezes anticipating more outburst. "You better buy this puppy an ice cream or something for putting him through the awkwardness, you embarrassed him too much today. It's your duty to cheer him up."

Yunho sighs. "Ahh, thank God, I thought you weren't done getting mad. You're really scary when you're angry, you know?"

Soojin laughs. "I love living the psycho life. Love that power."

Seonghwa brings a small smile to his face. "I'll get you ice cream, Yunho."

"You better," he says.

"Get the whole menu, Yunho. Rob him penniless," Soojin says.

.

.

.

Soojin's POV:

Joshua and I leave the restaurant after parting with the guys. He suggested hanging out the whole day today. Friends are supposed to travel places together, as per him. I said I won't mind it that much if the travelling didn't entail going to boring places. He agreed to let me guide him wherever. Of course, it's mainly because he isn't that familiar with this city yet.

It's a fun working space for the one who sits at the top of the pyramid in it. Ability to leave the work to the subordinates and roam about out of that space at the will of the heart. Of course, I do not mean that Joshua is one that abuses power, if anything he's the opposite. But owners of restaurants with ample staff don't really need to work as long as the employees a day. I'm aware of that, I was in the exact same position once that he is in now.

Do I miss those times?

Who am I kidding? Of course, I do, ignoring all the paranoia to figure out my identity.

"I have a hell of questions to ask you, lil' yeodongsaeng," Joshua says pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Ahh," I sigh. "I anticipated a QnA."

"You weird, weird weirdo! You naughty girl," he says with a teasing, suggestive(?) smile with wriggling brows. He has a very active and broad set of expressions as I figured lately. But what is that expression and why is it putting me to shame?

"W-What, what, what!" I am nervous.

"Honestly, I didn't think much of you being an obsessive fan of Kpop. Well, who isn't? People fantasize about idols all the time, it was really not questionable when you did that until..."

"Until what, huh?" Am I getting defensive? "What's so wrong about making friends with the idols you love? Stop making me look like a criminal."

"Oh no no no," he says. "But it is different. You didn't make friends with 'idols'. They were your friends even before they became idols. Tell me, dear Soojin, is it not questionable to obsessively thirst over your own friends like that? I've heard too much about how far gone of a fan you were from Sooyoung and imo. Multiple posters of that Seonghwa alone in your room, fanfiction search history and whatnot. When I first met you, you had his picture as your home screen on your phone." He laughs out loud and my face burns red in humiliation. Welp!

That lie of Yunho did cause me a situation. Argh! Lies barely work in my favour.

"I do not do that anymore! There's no home screen of his anymore, look!" I say.

"But you did that earlier?" he laughs. "I'd say you have hots for Seonghwa but from what I heard you were pretty thirsty for all the guys. Two biases even."

"Stop judging me! It's not what you think how it is, okay? It was just easier to tell that we knew each other before I knew they were idols. Our relationship is way more complicated than that. Trust me, when I was just a thirsty fan of them, we were not friends. We became friends again recently and I stopped being like that. The past of me as a fan just makes me all queasy and cringy now, and you're not helping with the accusations."

"That sounds complicated," he says, thankfully now sounding sober and understanding.

"It really is."

After a while, he speaks again.

"So it's kinda like you knew them before once but forgot about it and didn't realize when you saw them as idols that you knew them and then started stanning, and now recently realized you actually knew them way before...... Wait, am I even making sense?"

"You are. This is actually a better and tad-bit-closer-to-reality explanation than what Yunho gave you."

"Ahh, okay, okay."

"Would it be rude to ask if your relationship with them is more complicated than just this one sense?" he asks me, eyes calmly washing over mine to get a reaction.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. Seonghwa-ssi looked like he didn't like me that much."

I raise my brows. He figured it out. Of course, he did, he's not a dummy.

"Now I know you're very smart," he continues. "There's no way you didn't notice the man's jealousy. You're the type that won't need the other to tell you they're into you, you'd figure it out way before that. At least, that's what I think about you, correct me if I'm wrong. You're aware he was being jealous, right?"

"I noticed it, oppa. All the signs were there. I even asked him why he was being jealous when you went to get the food, but then pretended I was just joking when he got defensive. He was defensive, it's a sign too, but I can't completely dub it as his interest in me in that way."

"Why?"

"Weird history. I am not really sure if that's possible."

He nods.

"But you are wrong," I say and he looks at me, curious for me to go on. "I actually had no idea of someone's really obvious interest in me once. That was the stupidest I had been. Gave him hope with my innocent intimacy and playfulness because I was ignorant."

"Wow, really?" he has a hand covering his gaping mouth. "Someone liked you and you didn't know at all? Wah!"

"Yeah, it was during a time when I used to be pretty, not gonna lie. Wish I can go back to those days."

His smile falters and he nudges me as we walk forward. "You are very pretty now, though," he sounds like he's disappointed in what I said. Then he suddenly becomes all smiley and playful. "So you're telling me your personal standards of beauty of yourself are even higher. Wow! God tier! But you fit my standards of God tier already, though."

"Stop trying so hard, I'm not an emotional child, I handle truths very well. I know I'm fat and ugly."

"You know where I come from you'd never be considered fat."

"But I live here, here I'm considered that."

"Yeah, bullshit standards. And you're not ugly—"

"Shut up, you look like a goddamn model. You fit all the standards, you don't say."

"—You have ugly fashion though."

"I don't care about fashion."

"Whatever floats your boat. Where are you taking me though?" he asks me.

"Finally, you asked. It's gonna be fun and informative and economically beneficial for you, you'll love the place I'm taking you to."

"Said no one ever who has searched the meaning of fun on dictionary. Should I be concerned?"

"You'll thank me later," I say. "Remember I asked you how much you pay for all the supplies you get for the restaurant? You're paying too much, oppa. I wouldn't even say where you get it from sells it for a higher price, I think they're particularly taking advantage of a newbie foreign investor. Did you not ask around much?"

"I did, I really did my research. I thought it was a fair deal." I now have his full attention. He'll be thanking me by the end of today, for sure.

"You're not still used to the currency difference, I guess. Don't worry, I'm taking you to better places. And don't dare to question the quality for the price, I have experience buying from these places. They offer reasonable price but I still used to bargain, the dairy farm especially, high-quality milk products, but for all the exclusive Italian cheeses you really need exported items, I bought cheese from separate sellers. For herbs and fresh farm produces, I had to travel a bit more, don't worry, you'll get used to it... And the—" I stop as I look at him.

He doesn't say anything, just this look that he's trying to figure me out as he looks directly into my eyes.

"You can't deny at this point, Soojin. I was thinking that you just used to either do waitressing or cooking at that restaurant even though for some reason you were denying it. You knew the kitchen very well, you knew the amount of ingredients that needed to be stocked and whatnot. But those jobs don't require shopping for stock. It sounds like you were in my post once. Soojin, did you own that—"

"No, no, no. I only helped there," I quickly say. "I helped with all the work an owner has to do."

"You were friends with the past owner. That ahjussi?"

"Uhh...no, the one before that."

"What's the name of the owner, I think I would have heard about them."

"You wouldn't have. Her name was Choi Daisy," I say.

"Was?"

"Yeah, she's no more."

"Ohh," he mutters and we walk together in silence.

A/N:

This chapter stretched longer in terms of word limit than I expected. I both like and dislike this chapter. But I liked to flaunt my latest character aka Soojin's one and only friend that the magic of the parallel world didn't impose on her. I'm digging the friendship. Also, did I tell you how much nuts I'm for The Joshua Hong? Stan him, cowards!