The meeting room was abuzz with the soft hum of discussion as the marketing and business development teams gathered for the final preparations of the upcoming workshop. Yue sat in her usual spot, posture straight, pen in hand, and eyes focused on the agenda in front of her. She sat across from Jaekyeom, Elliot beside her, their laptops open as they went over logistics.The workshop was set to be an intensive three-day event aimed at crafting a comprehensive market expansion strategy. Each division had their roles: marketing, PR, and business development all had to work seamlessly together.
However, an unexpected problem had arisen—Samantha, the PR representative assigned to their team, had fallen ill and would be unable to attend. This left a critical gap in their team, and the discussion had now shifted to how they would find a replacement on such short notice.
“I have a solution,” Jaekyeom suddenly announced, his voice calm yet deliberate. Yue, who had been scanning the notes on the meeting agenda, immediately felt a sense of unease creep in. She turned her gaze toward him, already anticipating trouble. Jaekyeom's lips curled slightly as if he had already predicted her reaction.
“I know someone who’s highly experienced in PR and can seamlessly handle the job,” he continued, deliberately pausing for a moment. His gaze flickering toward Yue for the briefest moment.
Yue’s fingers twitched slightly on the pen she was holding. She didn’t like where this was going.
“Hazel Han.”
Yue’s fingers tightened slightly around her pen. Of course. She should have expected this.
Jaekyeom wasn’t just making a practical suggestion—he was watching her, waiting for a reaction. She met his gaze, refusing to give him the satisfaction of looking caught off guard. Jaekyeom let the name roll off his tongue with an air of nonchalance, but his sharp gaze flickered toward Yue, gauging her response. She held his gaze for a few seconds, expression unreadable. What was he playing at this time? Was this truly about ensuring the workshop ran smoothly, or was it just another piece in the game he was orchestrating?
Before Yue could even begin to process her thoughts further, Elliot immediately chimed in. “That’s actually a great idea,” he said with enthusiasm, his eyes lighting up in approval. “Hazel’s got plenty of experience. She’s adaptable, good under pressure, and she knows how to handle high-stakes collaborations.”
Yue noticed the subtle shift in Elliot’s tone—there was something in the way he spoke about Hazel, an energy, a certain fondness that was hard to ignore. It was the same look he always had whenever Hazel’s name was mentioned. Yue felt an invisible weight press down on her chest, but she quickly masked it, keeping her face neutral.
Jaekyeom’s fingers stilled against the table, and his jaw tightened for just a second—so brief that no one would have noticed. But he felt it. The familiar, dull irritation creeping in.
It wasn’t as if he wasn’t used to this. Hazel and Elliot had been like this for years, and he had long mastered the art of keeping his face neutral whenever they interacted. Still, hearing the eagerness in Elliot’s voice grated on him in a way he refused to acknowledge.
Instead, he let his attention drift back to Yue.
Unlike him, Yue wasn’t accustomed to hiding her reactions. Even though her face remained composed, Jaekyeom saw the flicker in her eyes—the way she noticed the shift in Elliot’s tone, the way her fingers curled just slightly around the pen she was holding.
Interesting.
He smirked slightly, masking whatever irritation he felt with amusement. “Then I’ll reach out to her and give her the details,” he said casually, pulling out his phone. There was no hint of personal attachment in his voice—he kept it strictly professional. “She should be able to join without any issues.”
Elliot nodded. “I’ll call her right away,” he said, already moving to do so himself this time with a small smile. “I’m sure she’ll be excited about this.”
Jaekyeom’s smirk deepened. “Go ahead.”
Yue didn’t miss the way Jaekyeom leaned back, watching Elliot with an unreadable expression as he called Hazel then he avert his gaze towards her.
Yue’s grip on her pen tightened just slightly. She hated how attuned she had become to Elliot’s emotions, how much she could read between the lines of his words. She hated even more that Jaekyeom was watching her, studying her every reaction like she was an open book.
A few moments later, Elliot hung up, turning back to the group. “She’s in. She said she’d love to help out.”
Jaekyeom let out a short, breathy chuckle. “Well, that was easy.”
---
A few hours later, after the meeting had wrapped up, the four of them—Yue, Jaekyeom, Elliot, and Hazel—gathered in the office lounge to go over final details before the official announcement of Hazel’s addition to the team.
Hazel was, as expected, thrilled. “I can’t believe we’re actually doing this,” she said, eyes shining with excitement. “A three-day workshop in a completely new market! And the four of us together? It’s going to be so much fun.”
Elliot chuckled at her enthusiasm. “You make it sound like we’re going on vacation,” he teased.
“Well,” Hazel grinned, “who says we can’t mix work and a little fun?”
Jaekyeom observed them quietly. The way Hazel naturally gravitated toward Elliot, the way Elliot’s eyes softened whenever he looked at her—it was a pattern he had seen too many times. It should bother him, and to some extent, it did. But he reminded himself that there was something to look forward to. This game he was playing? It was just getting started.
Jaekyeom exhaled through his nose, forcing himself to relax. Hazel always had that infectious excitement that made it impossible to stay annoyed for long.
Still, the way she lit up when talking about this trip—when looking at Elliot—was something he wished he could ignore.
“Good to see you’re in high spirits about this,” he said smoothly, leaning back. His voice was light, unreadable.
“Of course!” Hazel turned to Elliot, nudging him playfully. “You didn’t tell me it was going to be a full-on trip. Now I’m even more excited.”
Elliot smiled, shaking his head. “I figured you’d be. Plus, you’re the best person for the job, so it worked out perfectly.”
Jaekyeom fought the urge to roll his eyes. Hazel beamed at the compliment, her happiness radiating in a way that made his fingers itch to do something—anything—to break the moment.
Yue, meanwhile, remained quiet, sipping her coffee. But Jaekyeom noticed the way her shoulders stiffened just slightly.
His lips quirked.
Funny. They were both in the same position, weren’t they? Forced to sit and watch while someone else got the version of the person they wanted.
Jaekyeom tilted his head slightly, studying Yue as she deliberately looked away from Elliot and Hazel.
She wasn’t reacting outwardly, but the tension in her was there.
Jaekyeom hummed under his breath.
“Well then,” he said, stretching his arms over his head. “Guess we’re all set for this little adventure.”
Hazel grinned. “Can’t wait.”
Yue only nodded, setting her cup down.
Jaekyeom let out another slow exhale, his irritation simmering beneath the surface.
Yue wasn’t the only one noticing things today.
Yue is slightly apart from the trio, absorbed everything in silence. Hazel’s presence changed the atmosphere, filling it with a sense of ease and warmth that Yue could never quite replicate. She could see it in Elliot’s body language, in the way his expression shifted, in the way his voice unconsciously softened when he spoke to Hazel.
Jaekyeom turned his head slightly and caught Yue’s expression—subtle, but telling. He smirked to himself before casually leaning in toward her. “You look deep in thought,” he murmured, just loud enough for her to hear.
Yue didn’t bother glancing at him. “I was just thinking about how interesting this workshop is going to be,” she said flatly.
Jaekyeom let out a soft chuckle. “Oh, it will be,” he said, amusement flickering in his eyes. “I have no doubt about that.”