The unlikely group settled around a table in the company café. Jeonghan's favourite table away from the window had been cleared but he still kept his hair covered just in case. Jisoo and Jihoon took seats opposite the couple and Jeonghan, Seungcheol pulled a chair politely for his girlfriend, and then took the seat next to her. Jeonghan quickly slid onto the seat on his other side.

Luda smiled politely and shyly at the men seated around her before turning her attention to the caged cat. "Is that the kitten?" she asked as she tried to get a better look. "Yep but you can't look at him. He's sleeping," Jeonghan said with a fake smile. Chan Chan took this moment to loudly meow on cute and Luda eyed Jeonghan curiously. "He doesn't sound asleep..." she said quietly but Jeonghan took off his coat and tossed it over the top of the cat cage. "He doesn't like people. Only me." He smiled slyly at his bodyguards uncomfortable face. "And Cheollie. He hates everyone else."

Luda turned her attention to the menu. "Everything here sounds delicious." She mumbled as she perused the short café listing. "What do you think I should have Seungcheol?" Seungcheol turned his attention to her and looked over at her menu. "You like avocado." He said as he pointed out an open bacon and avocado toasted sandwich. "Sounds great. And an apple juice please."

She smiled gently as Seungcheol took her menu from her and went to the counter to order. Jihoon followed him leaving Jisoo and Jeonghan seated with the quietly meowing kitten and the uncomfortable girl. "So Luda. What do you do for a job?" Jisoo tried to break the ice politely and she smiled a bright and sunny smile at him. "I work as a dental assistant." "You put your hands in people's mouths all day?" Jeonghan asked and blinked at her and she looked confused. "Yes actually." "Sounds interesting." Jisoo said. "You touch Seungcheol with those mouth hands?" he mumbled under his breath. Jisoo shot him a pointed glare but Luda just looked confused. "Excuse me? I didn't quite hear you." She said and Jeonghan just smiled brightly at her again.

Jeonghan narrowed his eyes as he watched her watch Seungcheol. He couldn't see what had Seungcheol so smitten. Sure, she was pretty, but lots of women were. She had nice shiny dark hair and a pretty face and a soft and quiet demeanour.

She must be boring as shit in bed.

Jeonghan giggled to himself as he waited for the other two to return to the table and the three of them sat in an awkward silence.

"So." Jihoon said as he rocked back and forth on his heels in the line next to Seungcheol. "Luda seems nice..." "She is." Seungcheol smiled proudly as he stole a glance. She was chatting quietly with Jeonghan and Jisoo and all seemed to be going well. He sighed a breath of relief. "How did you two meet?" Jihoon asked and Seungcheol smiled down at him. "I went in for a small cavity and she was just so pretty and so quiet and gentle. I went back the next day and asked her out for coffee." Jihoon laughed loudly at Seungcheol's confused look. "Really? You like quiet and gentle?" Seungcheol couldn't work out why Jihoon seemed to find that so funny.

Seungcheol ordered for himself and Luda and paid from the cash in his wallet. Jihoon just pointed at Jeonghan and the cashier instantly knew what they wanted. Jeonghan and his entourage were regulars and always had the same thing and Jeonghan never had to pay. They returned to the table to find the other three sitting in an awkward silence. Jeonghan was scrolling through his phone and the other two were just sitting. "Everything okay?" Seungcheol asked as he slipped back in next to Luda and she smiled again. "Fine. I'm just hungry."

The food came quickly and Seungcheol was surprised to see the table filling up quickly with various small plates of what looked like everything on the menu. Sparkling bottle of water and short glasses were also added and they all began to eat. "What's that?" Luda asked when she caught a whiff of Seungcheol's coffee. "Hazelnut latte," he said. "I really like it." "Since when?"

Jeonghan piped up with his mouth full of bacon wrapped asparagus. "Since I started making them for him in the morning. Cheollie loves a hot latte in the morning." He smiled that bright fake smile and Luda frowned. "As soon as we wake up. A nice hot hazelnut latte..." Jihoon stared at him pointedly and he just shrugged. "So Cheollie has slept over a few times." The table turned silent again. "Well Seungcheol is very committed to his job. Isn't that right?" Luda said and Seungcheol just stuffed more toast into his mouth.

They were just finishing up when the café manager came over to their table. "Excuse me Mr Yoon. I'm very sorry to disturb your lunch. But we've got a situation developing." "What?" Jisoo and Seungcheol both said at the same time. "There's quite a large crowd in the foyer. Apparently they've heard Mr Yoon is in here and there are fansites and media trying to catch a photo of his new hair." Jeonghan's face went noticeably pale as he looked over at the cat cage. "Usually we would take him out the staff exit but there's a few waiting out there as well and the alley is a dead end."

Seungcheol stood up and brushed the crumbs from his jeans. "Jisoo please come with me so we can check it out." He looked over at Luda. "You need to leave now. I'll call you later." "Seungcheol..." she started but he just shook his head. "Luda I'm working. I can't." He walked off towards the front of the café.

There were people gathered everywhere and all he could see were face masks and huge cameras. "Shit." He turned to Jisoo. "Is it usually like this?" Jisoo shook his head. "Not around here. But his comeback is highly anticipated and the whole hair thing....." he trailed off as he looked out the door to the excited screams of a number of fangirls who recognised the manager. "I knew cutting off his hair was going to be a problem."

Luda walked out the front door quickly followed by Jihoon. "I'll catch you guys later!" he called out with a wave as he disappeared unnoticed by the fans gathered. Seungcheol took a deep breath. "Will they try to come in?" "No," Jisoo said, "but they'll literally wait all day."

He walked across the café to check the back door but the manager was right. That was more dangerous. It would have to be the front door.

"Right. We go out first. You and me. Jisoo will follow us a few minutes later with Chan Chan. Okay?" Jeonghan's bottom lip trembled. "But Chan Chan doesn't want Jisoo to carry the cage."

Seungcheol knelt on the floor in front of a seated Jeonghan and put his hands on his shoulder. "Jeonghan." Seungcheol said quietly as he stared up into his deep brown eyes that were suddenly filled with fear. "Remember what I told you. You have to trust me. Okay?" Jeonghan nodded and when Seungcheol stood he pulled him up to his feet. "They don't want Jisoo. Chan Chan will be safe with him. Okay?" he nodded again and picked up his jacket.

Seungcheol looked over and saw a few younger men seated around a table. They looked like trainees, handsome and thin, one with a freshly dyed crop of short platinum white hair. A new and better plan quickly formed in his brain. "Hey!" Seungcheol called out to them and they looked around. "You want to make an easy $20?" the one with the white hair nodded. "Right." Seungcheol took Jeonghan's jacket off him and handed it to the trainee. "You put this on, pull the hood up, and walk out of here with him. You can give him the jacket back when you get past the crowd."

"Done!" the young guy jumped up and put Jeonghan's jacket on and pulled the hood around his face. "Be ready.." Seungcheol said to Jeonghan as they stood just inside the door. Jisoo, cat cage in hand, opened the café door and walked out to the screams of the delighted fans as they saw a thin handsome man in a thick hood with him. Seungcheol had taken his own hoodie off and tossed it over Jeonghan's shoulders and as soon as the screams started he grabbed him by the hand. Their hands tightly clasped, they slipped out through the door, and began to run away from the distracted crowd. By the time the crowd realised they'd been faked Seungcheol and Jeonghan, gasping a little for breath, had already made it into the safety of the company lobby and past the security desk.

"Thanks Cheollie." Jeonghan smiled up at his bodyguard. His cheeks were flushed pink from the short but brisk run and his eyes sparkled with the adrenaline of it all. "You're so clever to think of sending that kid out as a fake!" He went to pull the hoodie from his shoulders but Seungcheol just pulled it tighter around him. "Don't get cold." He said quietly as they stood and waited for Jisoo.

"Nice stunt!" Jisoo laughed as he walked in with the cat cage in one hand and Jeonghan's coat in the other. "Gave that kid the thrill of his life having all those people screaming for him." Jisoo handed the coat to Jeonghan and saw the thick hoodie wrapped around his shoulders like a cape. "Thanks." Jeonghan shrugged Seungcheol's hoodie off his shoulders and took his coat back but it was warm inside and they carried them as they walked into the elevator to head into the dance studio.