|who i am|

|seven|

|ChanHyuck's POV|

"You didn't have to bring us here. It's expensive." NaHee looks around anxiously at the empty restaurant.

"You shouldn't have reserved the whole restaurant—isn't that a little too much?" SunMi mumbles as she examines the menu in front of her.

"It wasn't that much. Stop worrying and pick something to eat." I reassure them as the girls look at me hesitantly.

"What's the cheapest thing on the menu?" JuHee flips through the limited menu and sighs in defeat.

"The cheapest meal is $25. You really shouldn't eat it though. It's not the best." I shrug as I attempt to urge them to get something special. If they won't give in, the surprise won't go very far.

"I want pasta. Pasta can't be that much, can it?" Aera questions as she trails her finger down the menu in search of the pasta section.

"Get something with meat. You guys deserve it. If you don't pick something soon, I'll pick it for you." I groan as I close my menu and set it down.

"I know what I'm getting." JiSu chirps as she sets her menu on top of mine.

"Do I even have to ask—JiSu—you realize that you want me to pay $25 for something you could get for $9 somewhere else, right?" I shake my head in amusement as she smiles brightly.

"Nothing beats chicken tenders." JiSu grins joyously as the others look at her in amusement.

"There's no point in letting this go on any longer—you're all getting steak. Not the cheap kind either. There's also unlimited breadsticks—but don't go overboard. You do have a debut stage to prepare for." I remind them as their eyes grow wide. They all toss the menus in the middle of the table.

"You are literally the best CEO to ever exist." NaHee leans over in her chair to hug me.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'd be even better if I got you drinks, wouldn't I?" I smile as I get to my feet.

I'd wait on these girls until the day I die. When I put my entire life savings into buying the company, I never thought I'd get anything out of it. I thought I'd lose everything and fail miserably, but I didn't. Even if their debut doesn't go well—even if they don't last to make another album—I'm not losing anything.

I learned so much from them. They taught me a number of things I never would've imagined I'd ever learn. JuHee taught me that even when life is hard, you just keep going. She was deathly ill as a child and look at her now—cheerful and bright. Aera—the feisty thing she is—she's so powerful and energetic. She won't let me go a day without learning a new dance move she came up with. Then there's NaHee—she's so kind and sweet—but she concerns me sometimes. She puts on a strong face and doesn't let anyone see through it. Her feelings come second—I guess that's what makes her a good leader. SunMi—SunMi is a piece of work. She seems so shy and standoffish, but there are moments when she is unstoppable. She won't stop shouting and her cute temper shows through. She's smart and is focused on the logical end of things. And JiSu—JiSu is like a tiny little baby you just want to hide from the world. She's so bubbly and innocent in every way. She's naive and often unintentionally causes problems because of it.

I wouldn't trade this time with them for anything. I feel a smile cross my face as I slip into the kitchen. I lean against the counter and stare up at the sky.