The flowerbed - Aespa's Giselle x Reader

The family of blooms together till the end

We ended up at a cozy Korean restaurant near the company building, tucked away in a private room where the members could relax without worrying about being recognized. Somehow, I found myself seated between Winter and Ningning, with Giselle and Karina across from us.

"I'm ordering everything," Ningning declared, already flipping through the menu. "Manager-nim hasn't tried the army stew here yet!"

"Last time you ordered everything, we couldn't move for hours," Winter reminded her, but she was already helping Ningning mark items on the menu.

"Let them eat," Karina smiled, looking more relaxed than I'd seen her all day. "We worked hard today."

As the food arrived, the formal atmosphere of the day melted away. Ningning excitedly explained each dish, while Winter quietly but deliberately placed the best pieces in my bowl.

"Our manager needs energy to keep up with us," she said simply when I tried to protest.

"Especially with Ningning's schedule requests," Giselle added, making everyone laugh.

"Ay!" Ningning pouted. "I just want our manager to experience everything! Like today's photoshoot - didn't I look professional?"

"Very professional," I agreed, watching her face light up. "Though maybe we could work on not making the photographer laugh during serious shots?"

"Yeah, that's never happening" Karina shook her head fondly.

The conversation continued, shifting from today's events to funny training stories to their earliest memories as a group. I found myself relaxing, caught up in their dynamic.

"Remember when Giselle couldn't say 'next level' properly?" Ningning giggled.

"Ya! At least I didn't accidentally call our manager 'mom' today like someone did," Giselle shot back, making Ningning's eyes go wide.

"Ayyy!!! You promised not to tell!"

I nearly choked on my soup. "When did this happen?"

"After the music show," Winter supplied helpfully. "She was tired and you were fixing her jacket..."

The table erupted in laughter as Ningning buried her face in her hands. Even Karina was giggling openly now.

"Don't worry," I said, patting Ningning's shoulder. "Your secret's safe with us."

"It's not a secret anymore!!" Ningning said softly as she buried herself deeper.

"Speaking of secrets," Winter started, and my heart skipped a beat, but she just continued, "should we tell our manager about the midnight snack incident?"

What followed was a ridiculous story involving Karina, a convenience store run, and a security guard who didn't recognize her. Throughout the tale, I noticed how they all added details, finishing each other's sentences, their chemistry obvious even in storytelling.

"I think," Karina said during a lull in conversation, "we got lucky with our new manager."

"Unnie's right," Ningning nodded enthusiastically. "You actually listen to us."

"And stay late to help with practice," Giselle added quietly, her eyes meeting mine for a brief moment before looking away.

"And bring us coffee without asking," Winter put in smoothly, effectively drawing attention away from Giselle's comment.

I felt warmth spread through my chest that had nothing to do with the army stew. "I think I'm the lucky one," I said honestly.

"Oh my god manager-nim, so cheesy!" Ningning pretended to gag, but she was beaming.

As the night wound down and we prepared to head back to their dorm, I realized something had shifted. They weren't just assignments on my schedule anymore - they were becoming my team. My girls.

As the dinner came to an end, we paid our bill and left the restaurant and headed to the car. Ningning had somehow convinced everyone to play a word association game on the ride back, which quickly devolved into fits of giggles as their tired minds made increasingly absurd connections. Winter, usually more reserved, was particularly animated, her competitive spirit showing as she rapid-fired responses.

Giselle sat in the front passenger seat this time, occasionally catching your eye in the rearview mirror. Her smile seemed to linger a bit longer each time. The street lights played across her face as she turned to join in the others' conversation, creating a moment that felt almost cinematographic in its simplicity.

Back at the dorm, Ning was able to pull out a bottle of soju from somewhere. "Just one round? To celebrate our first successful shows together?"

I checked the time - it was late, but their schedule tomorrow didn't start until afternoon. "One round," I agreed.

Winter appeared with shot glasses, arranging them precisely on the coffee table. "Manager-nim should sit in the middle, since it's their first time drinking with us."

We settled into their living room, Ningning and Winter on floor cushions, Karina in an armchair, and somehow I ended up on the couch next to Giselle.

"To our new manager!" Ningning raised her glass.

"To not getting lost backstage anymore," Winter added with a small smile.

"To late-night practice sessions," Giselle said quietly, and I carefully kept my expression neutral as I raised my glass with them.

One round turned into gentle conversation, Karina sharing stories from their trainee days while Ningning acted out the funny parts. Winter, I noticed, was fighting to keep her eyes open.

"I should head out," I said, checking the time again. "It's late."

"But you've been drinking," Giselle spoke up suddenly. Everyone turned to look at her, and she added quickly, "I mean, it wouldn't be safe to drive."

"Giselle's right," Karina nodded, leader-mode kicking in. "The couch is comfortable. We've all crashed on it during movie nights."

"I don't want to impose..."

"It's not imposing if we're insisting," Winter said through a yawn, already heading to her room. "Ningning, help me get spare blankets."

"I..." I looked at Giselle, who was very intently studying her empty shot glass.

"Stay," she said softly, then added louder, "As our manager, you should set a good example about responsible drinking, right?"

Karina was already bringing me a bottle of water, her expression knowing but kind. "We trust you," she said simply, and somehow I knew she meant more than just with their schedule.

As the others filtered off to bed, Giselle lingered in the hallway. "Thank you," she said suddenly.

"For what?"

"For seeing us. Not just as a bunch of idols or just as your work, but..." she trailed off, then smiled. "Goodnight, manager-nim."

I watched her disappear down the hall, then settled onto the couch, pulling the blanket Winter had brought around me. Through the thin walls, I could hear Ningning's muffled giggles and Winter shushing her, Karina's soft footsteps as she did her final leader check on everyone.

Lying there, surrounded by the gentle sounds of their nightly routine, I realized I was in deeper than I'd thought. And it wasn't just about Giselle anymore - somehow, in just two days, all of them had worked their way into my heart.

Slowly, the dorm fell quiet, just like how I found it this morning. Wild to think that 12 hours ago, I was on my first day, nervous and very unfamiliar with the group. But, in just one day we went through the whole schedule and I was able to get closer with everyone. In just one day, it felt like I have been their manager for a couple of months already. I hope, this keeps going like this.

Maybe, this isn't all bad..like they told me.

And slowly, my mind wanders off and my eyes drift, and I fall asleep.