Annyeong, Soojin! [Ateez Fanfiction] ✓

20

A/N:

Longest chapter of the whole series ahead, sorry.

Warning: slut-shaming and name-calling.

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The Wise Monkey's POV:

Soojin finally makes it to the restaurant that she was representing just hours ago on live television. Sloth-like and particularly uninterested today because of multiple reasons, she still makes it. She wasn't ever the type to skip work just because she had the authority to(only legally; she'd still have to face her mother for being irresponsible like that). Workaholism is something that I found out is typically prevalent all through this country.

All the eyes are on her just as she enters, the customers, the staff with their smiling, bright faces. 

"Noona, you did amazing today! Congrats!" one of the serving staff tells her.

"A-Ahh, thanks," she quietly says before hurriedly rushing to the kitchen ignoring the eyes. The boy's words took her off-guard for a second there. As expected from Soojin, she had forgotten that this kind of treatment would be awaiting her.  It might amuse one how she forgot that when all she was showered through phone calls and texts were words of congratulations, from her professors, classmates, and friends. But there are things on her mind that make it easy to be distracted. Being exposed makes her uncomfortable, and that's exactly what happened this afternoon; she's scared of things going south. But that is what I'm here for, to take care that things definitely don't go down if not to a better course. Poor girl doesn't even know that I exist though.

"Ohh, you're here! Soojin-ah, you did very well today, everyone in my family watched the show together," the head cook, Mrs. Jang tells her.

"You'd have won the round if you represented us instead," Soojin plainly says taking the older woman tongue-tied for a few.

"Is that why you look so dull? Don't worry about that, this is a very good start, we all know that you'll win it. Cheer up."

Soojin nods hesitantly and gets to work. A few minutes later she hears Donghyuck's voice who seems to be asking for her. She exits the kitchen to see him holding a small cake box in his hand, his friend Jeno beside him.

Soojin boredly blinks his way. 

"I brought you cake, noona! Congr—" her cousin says.

She turns back on her heels and walks back into the kitchen folding her arms. "Why are y'all treating it like I won the whole show, I'm just placed at 3rd in round 1 for God's sake."

"But—"

"Hyuck, if you're here to celebrate anyway, why don't you do it by helping us at work. Sharing is caring, so share the work." Soojin throws two aprons their way. The boys catch it and get to their work helping to serve the tables; of course, Donghyuck had the cake he brought to look up to eating later and Jeno's incentive's the mere presence of Sooyoung.

After getting bored seeing the usual in the workplace for what always feels like to me very and utmostly tedious long hours of stirring and serving and savoring, I feel my magical indicator go off. And by that I mean I feel the presence of the other party I monitor nearing me. I didn't bother sticking around with Ateez much today because I knew of their schedule that wasn't going to be clear until— I look at the clock nearby— 40 minutes ago.