Syncing Dream [Aespa x M!Reader]

7. Company dinner

The restaurant buzzed with chatter, laughter echoing through the private room where aespa, their dancers, and the staff gathered for a well-deserved company dinner. The mood was celebratory—relief and excitement still hanging in the air after their stunning performance at MAMA the previous night.

Y/n sat at the end of the long table, feeling a pleasant mix of exhaustion and pride. MAMA had been a whirlwind, and he was still trying to process how everything had gone so smoothly—despite the near disasters backstage. He took a sip of his soft drink, grateful that the year-end madness had subsided, even if just for tonight.

"You seem lost in thought again," Winter's voice pulled him out of his reverie. She was seated beside him, her signature smirk teasing at her lips. "Let me guess, you're already planning how to avoid next year's MAMA?"

"First off, I'll be fired if I do that." Y/n chuckled, shaking his head. "Second, I'm just still processing how none of you broke anything backstage. I was one misplaced costume away from a heart attack."

Karina, across from him, gave a small, knowing nod. "Considering the disasters you averted, you did well, Y/n. Much better than I thought you would."

Giselle leaned in, grinning. "Much better than the time you nearly sent our mics to the wrong stage. Or when you tried to call Karina 'boss' and nearly had a meltdown."

Y/n laughed, a light flush creeping into his cheeks. "Yeah, yeah, I'm still learning. But I think we've all grown a bit since then."

"Well, except Ningning," Winter added, poking her cheek. "She's still a menace."

"Hey! You're in this too, Minjeong-unnie!" Ningning shot back, pretending to be offended before flashing a mischievous smile. "Menace or not, I know how to make a show work."

The conversation flowed easily, with everyone reflecting on the hectic moments leading up to MAMA. The dancers shared their own anecdotes from rehearsals, and even the staff couldn't help but throw in a few teasing jabs at Y/n for his rookie manager mistakes. Despite the jokes, there was a shared warmth and camaraderie—proof of how much they'd been through together.

As the dinner progressed, the topic naturally shifted to dancing, with the dancers discussing favorite moments from past performances. And then, as if sensing an opportunity for fun, Giselle leaned in, eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Speaking of dancing..." Giselle began, glancing at Y/n. "Back then, we made Y/n danced to Drama. And honestly, he actually killed it"

Y/n froze, his eyes widening in surprise. "Oh sh- not that one, Aeri!"

Winter immediately jumped in, her face lighting up. "Oh,yeaa that one? We should've recorded it instead. Even though he was a trainee ages ago, his skill is still there"

Y/n's face flushed as the table erupted in excitement laughter. He tried to backtrack, but the girls weren't letting him off the hook so easily.

Karina's smirk grew wider as she chimed in. "One time, I walked in on him practicing the chorus of 'Next Level' in the practice room late one night. He looked like he was preparing for his own debut."

The table howled with laughter, and Y/n buried his face in his hands, groaning. "I wasn't practicing! I was just... stretching and want to burn the midnight oil."

Ningning shot him a disbelieving look, barely containing her amusement. "Stretching? While doing the entire routine, perfectly in sync?"

Winter was practically in tears at this point, leaning against Y/n as she caught her breath from laughing. "I knew you had it in you. Trainee instincts never die."