Our Little Lives, in this Big World

September: (will) I (ever not) Luv U(?)

SEPTEMBER 16, SATURDAY, 12:53. POST-MEETING CHATS.

"Alright everyone, that concludes today's meeting. Be sure to notify your department that the one-on-one evaluations will be moving forward to Monday."

After Seungcheol's closing statement, thus concluding the meeting, everyone gets up and begins packing away their notebooks and laptops. His eyes briefly fall over Minghao before finding Jihoon's, signaling him to look. Woozi does so and, at first glance, Minghao appears to be quite unbothered. Then, his chair falls over as he gets up. The once smooth surface of the manilla folders in his hand now have a large dent as he slides them into his briefcase, which he then absentmindedly knocks over with his elbow.

Jihoon had a feeling his friend may be, to say the least, thrown off his game after today's meeting. Afterall, this was initially the plan.

Since the day Mingho caved and said he would tell him and Seungcheol what happened with Wen Junhui, Jihoon ended up confronting Junhui then telling Seungcheol the truth he had discovered. After that, the past three weeks went by in a blur.

At first, Jihoon and Seungcheol ultimately decided it would be best not to do anything about the situation at hand. Then, Jihoon noticed the little things begin piling up: Junhui's not so subtle longing glances after Minghao passed by were held with an uncomfortable amount of emotion from the worker— Jihoon swears if you were to shake the man he would explode like a soda-pop. The "if-you-don't-talk-about-it-it's-not-real" kind of mindset Minghao has obviously adopted because at even the slightest chance any conversation about the situation he had with either Jihoon or Seungcheol, he'd slither out of it. Despite this, Minghao has been taking camp up at Jihoon or Seungcheol's office more than usual during work to where some days the man is hardly on his own floor. Honestly, Jihoon almost respects the commitment, but there is a time when enough is enough, and that time is nearing. Seungcheol's justification is that it's starting to affect Minghao's work, so it is his duty to make sure one of his best workers maintains a good work report.

So, after lots of brain-storming, planning, plus other special friendship stress relief activities, they decided the best and most inconspicuous way to move matters along is by simply pushing the work agenda: bumping up the one-on-one evaluations between the department head and their workers to this upcoming Monday instead of in three months like initially scheduled.

All they want for the guy is closure, and the best way is knowing the truth. Is it really considered "overbearing" or "intrusive" if the person whose privacy one is invading has too much pride, is too blind, and too insecure to take matters in their own hands (all spoken with love by the two friends, of course)? It's why when Jihoon and Seungcheol talked about the likely outcomes of how this could all play out, they ultimately came to the conclusion that there is an eighty (Seungcheol thinks ninety-five) percent chance that Minghao will not be in anyway ok if they do nothing. So, in an impressively short amount of time, Seugncheol managed to bullshit some reason to propose the annual assessments between departments being as soon as possible in the earliest meeting, this meeting to be exact. And who is really going to say no to Mr. Prodigy CEO Choi Seungcheol?

Seungcheol is the last to leave the conference room and catches up to Minghao walking uncharacteristically slowly in the hallway, "Hey Minghao, wanna grab some coffee?"

Minghao shrugs his shoulders, mind seemingly too busy to give much of a response to the CEO's small talk, as they head down the hall. Now, it's time for Jihoon to be waiting at the turn of the corner after dramatically stopping his assistant to talk about something oh so very important to hold up time (and not look like they are up to something).

"... So, Yeonjun, that's why it is important to always separate your light clothing and colors or things will fade and that is just no—Oh, hey Cheol. Hao. What's up?" Calm, subtle, cool. Nailed it.