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🗒 :: chapter twenty three ┊͙
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He was going to walk her to work. After walking her home, holding her hair as she threw up, staying with her all night and being ambushed by the Mr Kang early in the morning, he had offered to walk her to work.

Offered was the wrong word, because even though she had refused initially he had insisted upon it, and insisted that he stayed whilst she got changed because she murmured something about the room spinning. And whilst she had changed he had set out the hangover drink and medicine ready on the table for when she returned.

And when she did return, she had dressed in a more casual, comfortable outfit that fit with the current warming climate; a white pleated skirt, patterned socks that came up to her mid-thigh, an oversized sweater in grey that billowed around her arms and crossed over her torso and slipped down over her shoulders. Elegant necklaces trickled over her collarbones and a baseball cap was pulled down over her hair.

"I look like a mess. But it's fine.. I'm just at the offices today." She took a sip from the straw he placed in the drink. "This tastes surprisingly good.. or I've still not recovered from numbing my taste buds last night."

"I bought the powder version and mixed it into the ice cup - the peach flavour cancels out the bitter taste." Jaehyun replied, confident in his words and definitely knowing what he was talking about.

"So you drink often then?" Aera asked, an eyebrow raising back at her at her question. The girl shrugged, taking another sip from the drink-filled cup. "Just an observation..."

"I think we both found out my alcohol tolerance last night." He nudged her shoulder. "I mostly make it for others. But the time when I do need it then I prefer if it actually tastes good. Wouldn't you?"

Aera shrugged, beginning to gather her stuff to put into her bag. "I'd care more about whether it works." She paused, the same friendly smile appearing back on her face. "Not that this isn't."

"Oh no - I didn't think so." He reassured her, sitting back on the cushioned chair. "So, when are you next planning on being my stylist?"

"That's right, now we don't have the W shoot I won't see you every day." Aera straightened up, pulling the bag strap over her shoulder. "Come on - we might as well get this over with." Of course, she was talking about confronting Mr Kang together instead of alone, which was sure to create some sort of disturbance.

"When's the next shoot?" Jaehyun turned to look back up at her from the stairs as she locked the door to her apartment. 

"For you?" Aera checked, watching as he nodded. She paused for a moment, following him down the stairs with her keyring around her little finger and the peach hangover drink in hand. "A month. That's when the NCT 2020 shooting begins. I suppose at the time we'll split the styling up, but there's the group shoots as well, so you'll definitely be there."

"A month?" He had reached the bottom of the stairs and came to a stop, digging his hands into the pocket of his jeans. "That's a while... what comes before."

"SuperM, and then separately is Taemin's comeback. I'm the head stylist for SuperM, and if that goes well then I'm head stylist for NCT 2020." Aera continued, pushing the door into the shop open and leading them through. Inside, Mr Kang was talking to a customer about a product, but when he saw them his eyes widened and the one hand not holding the item, reached behind the customer's back and held a thumbs-up sign, which was then joined by excessive, enthusiastic nodding and smiles as Aera searched the stock taken off the shelves that morning and found appropriate snacks to stuff into her bag.

With that easily done, the pair of them left the store and began to make their way to the independent stylist company's headquarters. Jaehyun had been silent for a moment, taking it all in. "So, if you're head of the SuperM shoot and it goes well, then you're head of NCT 2020, which means..."

"Then I can be quite involved with whatever you're doing." Aera nodded. "Yep, that should work out. For the SuperM shoots... I'm in the midst of planning for each music video - I think there's three - and for NCT 2020 we've started planning..." She paused, turning towards him. "Who tells you who you can dye your hair?" 

"We usually have a meeting about it closer to the shooting days. Then we get it done the day before then film with it fresh." He replied, watching her carefully.

"Yeah, I'll have to know beforehand. That's something I need to find out."  Aera made a note of it, somehow producing a pen out of nowhere and managing to write it down legibly on the back of her hand. 

"So it's about a month until I can properly see you. For a reason that I don't have to come up with and get in trouble with my management, right?"

"If you can get to the SuperM shoot, then it's a week," Aera replied, the corners of her lips turning upwards.

"Or, I can come and buy something from the store every day and hope that you're there." He was smirking again, matching her expression as they turned a corner. His expression faltered, and she followed his gaze. There was a car waiting for him. "Fuck, I forgot I mentioned where I was to my manager."

"Well if you need to go, then let me just say this." She pulled him into a corner for a moment, out of sight of the car. "Every day might be excessive... but I can't say that I mind." She pushed herself up onto her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Have a good day, Yoonoh." She added, before turning out of the corner and continuing her way to work. And Jaehyun would just have to do the same, and try not the think about her too much.

𝘪 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶

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