LOVE YOU RIGHT | ONEW - LEE JINKI

08: Unspoken Feelings

Hwayoung arrived early with Ilhoon and was greeted by Jo-PD and the staff at the reality show set. They were directed to the kitchen by one of the production assistants since they will have a trial menu creation today after they get through the production plan altogether. Hwayoung and Ilhoon made sure they had enough ingredients as they requested the production assistants, then they prepared and stored them accordingly.

Hwayoung was double checking the ingredients at the counter through her iPad before making Ilhoon store them correctly, Jinki arrived and he sneaked steps to the kitchen.

"How much was the vanilla ice cream in the fridge?" Hwayoung asked Ilhoon.

"5 boxes of each 1L." Ilhoon responded after checking.

Hwayoung noted it down again on the inventory list and before she could spell the next ingredients, someone poked her shoulder. Her serious face quickly softened and she smiled, "Oh hi!" She said to Jinki, bowing a bit.

He slightly bowed back, "Jo-PDnim told me that you should be here, so I decided to say hi before the workshop started." Jinki said, "Is there anything I could help with?" He offered, he readily pulled out his sleeves to his arms.

Hwayoung was startled and quickly stopped him, "We are good." She said it almost too fast but it was her job, she didn't really let just anyone step in especially before the basic hygiene standard. She realized then that she might appear too protective, as Jinki looked at her confused. She put on a smile quickly, "There are some surprises in the ingredients and you will get your chances to practice too. So... let us just settle this ourselves first."

"Alright sure." Jinki went back to his steady position, putting his sleeves down. They were suddenly awkward.

"Onew-nim, PDnim is asking for you!" The production assistants called him from the kitchen entrance.

"Alright, I am coming," he responded, then he looked at Hwayoung who was pretending to check on her iPad again, "I will see you later, then."

Hwayoung nodded and smiled at him, seeing Jinki's back leaving towards the door. There was a slight disappointment in Hwayoung from the interaction with him earlier. It was their first meeting after a month but she was, maybe, a bit too tense. She let go a sigh, then she went back on running through the inventory with Ilhoon.

–

Jinki's perspective.

Jinki entered the set with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. Seeing Hwayoung so immersed in her work was both impressive and endearing. He took some distance for a bit, adoring her, capturing the rare sight. Her focus and dedication shone brightly, and it made him appreciate her even more.

As he approached her, he noticed the intensity in her eyes as she checked the inventory on her iPad. The seriousness of her expression softened slightly when he poked her shoulder, but he could still sense the tension in her demeanor. When she quickly stopped him from helping, he felt a twinge of confusion but respected her professionalism.

The brief, awkward exchange left him with a pang of disappointment. He had hoped for a warmer greeting after a month of not seeing each other. Still, he understood her need to maintain control and order in her kitchen.

"Onew-nim, PDnim is asking for you!" The production assistant's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Alright, I am coming," he replied, then glanced back at Hwayoung. She was already focused on her iPad again.

As he walked away, he couldn't help but feel a little let down. Their reunion wasn't as warm as he had hoped, but he admired her even more for her commitment to her work.