Waning: Has not been beta'd or edited.

“What’s your ex’s name again?”

Song Qian sets down her work at hand and eyes Jinri from her seat. “Why?”

“I remember he looked really good in suits. Just imagine if he modeled for the new season of our suits catalogue!” Jinri exclaims. “His face would be so perfect on our first edition of the Beijing quarters release!”

“You’re drooling,” Song Qian raises an eyebrow.

Jinri ignores her. “He had a very cute name too if I remember correctly, but I just can’t remember exactly what it was…”

“He wouldn’t make a great model,” Song Qian shrugs. “He wouldn’t know where to start.”

“All he needs to do is stand still and look good,” Jinri argues, “which, half the job is already done since he pretty much always looked good.”

Song Qian shivers. “You’re talking about my ex-boyfriend. Could you not sound so… in love?”

“I’m stating the facts, as visual director of your current magazine line,” Jinri retorts, “It has nothing to do with being in or out of love. Don’t deny how pretty he was.”

She rolls her eyes. “I’m not denying anything; Yang Yang was definitely on the better looking side of the scale,” she says, “it’s just weird to hear this from my best friend about my ex, alright?”

“Let’s be professional, Victoria Song,” Jinri points an accusing finger at her. “Seriously though, have any of your ex-boyfriend’s ever been not pretty? I’m pretty sure I’ve made similar comments about all of them. Admit it; you’re into the pretty boys.”

“I’m not,” Song Qian shakes her head firmly.

Jinri frowns, “But that’s the only type I’ve seen you date!”

“That’s the only type you pay attention to,” Song Qian corrects her. “Honestly speaking, your collection is so much greater than mine when it comes to pretty boys.”

“Is not,” Jinri denies.

Song Qian scoffs. “If I listed your ex’s one by one, we’d still be here tomorrow evening.”

“Are you two talking about your fabulous and plentiful love lives again?” Luna clicks her tongue, entering the office with several fragrance samples and paperwork in her arms. Behind her follows Taemin and Kibum.

Jinri’s eyes glow with profound affection. “Tell me Yang Yang wasn’t gorgeous.”

“So was that one guy you dated… Oh Sehun? Or even that guy who was so much older than you. Kim Heechul, was it?” Taemin smirks.

“Heechul’s our PR,” Luna corrects Taemin.

Song Qian laughs, “But Jinri totally had a thing for him.”

Nodding along, Kibum adds, “You know, Chanyeol’s not half bad.”

“The new graphics coordinator?” Song Qian widens her eyes. “Holy cow you’re fast, Choi Jinri.”

“I did nothing!” The helpless girl pouts. “They’re just making a fuss over nothing.”

Taemin laughs. “Have you looked in a mirror, Choi Jinri? With a face like yours, you don’t have to do anything to actually do something. Only people who have known you for as long as we have will feel nothing for you by just seeing you sitting in your office and staring off into space.”

“He speaks from experience,” Kibum winks.

And then Jinri and Taemin’s faces both turn a little red.

“That’s right,” Luna laughs, “the two of you dated before, too.”

Song Qian smirks. “Further proves my point. I don’t think any of the men in our company can get any prettier than Lee Taemin.”

“I’m offended,” Kibum remarks with his nose pointed up high.

Luna chuckles. “You should be.”

“Alright, if we’re done with our fun, we should get on with this meeting,” Song Qian sighs. “As we all know, this is my last meeting with the lot of you before we head off to Beijing and start work there.”

“Where’s Krystal?” Kibum asks.

Song Qian thins her lips. “Krystal is still with the other team. She won’t be able to join us until at least the middle of the month because the replacement we’ve hired for her can’t transfer just yet due to a family emergency.”

“How large is our team in Beijing?” Taemin wants to know.

“We haven’t got the full team in session yet. I’ll have you start interviews there during the first week, along with Luna and myself,” Song Qian explains, “I’m hoping the company has a solid foundation for other categories because we won’t have much time to spare them help while working on ads for fragrance brands.”

Luna sighs. “Interviews are my favorite,” she drawls sarcastically.

“Kibum only has a month to offer us before he needs to be back here to help with a merging brand slot,” Song Qian bites down on her bottom lip, “but I think that will be plenty enough.”

“You always work me like a slave,” Kibum shrugs expressionlessly, “I’m used to it.”

Song Qian throws a crumbled up sheet of paper at him.

“I’m surprised you got Taem to join us,” Kibum comments. “This kid is about the pickiest designer I have come to work with in this company.”

Rolling his eyes, Taemin grumbles, “I’m sorry I have standards.”

“What convinced you to join?” Luna asks. “Vic did mention about how she was a little hesitant about asking you.”

Taemin smiles. “I owe her a favor. Plus, Beijing sounds like fun.”

“Beijing’s not fun,” Song Qian laughs, “but this project will be.”

Jinri nods. “I think so, too.”

Everyone else nods silently in agreement. I mean, it doesn’t get any better than being able to work with your closest friends, does it?

To say that everyone—and by everyone, we’re talking Luna, Kibum, Taemin and Jinri—is more than just a little surprised by the fact that a man is already waiting for Song Qian at the arrivals gate and immediately approaches her to take her bags is a little bit of an understatement.

He’s not a pretty boy, either. What’s up with that?

“Best friend!” Luna suddenly exclaims, recognizing Siwon from the one time they met in Japan several months ago or so.

Siwon nods at her with a smile.

“Guys, this is Siwon. Siwon, this is the crew I’m working with for the next couple of months,” Song Qian hurriedly introduces, trying to makes things as painless as possible.

Jinri grabs Song Qian’s arm before she can escape. “Best friend?” She asks. “What kind of best friend?”

“The boyfriend type of best friend,” Siwon smiles politely, simplifying everything for the imploring group. He guesses their nosiness should not surprise him—they do work in a magazine company after all. “Nice to meet all of you; I’m Choi Siwon, Song Qian and I have known each other since high school.”

She doesn’t know why she feels so embarrassed but she does, and so her cheeks are flushing a bloody red and her friends are all staring at her in shock.

Victoria knows how to blush?! They all think in unison.

Song Qian clears and tugs on his arm, urging him to leave. “We still have to go to the grocery store. If they don’t hurry, we won’t get to the market in time before they close.”

“You’re not taking us out to eat?” Kibum gapes. “It’s our first day here and we don’t know our way around. We’re starving, Victoria Song!”

Taemin and Luna glance between each other and share a small laugh.

“I—” Song Qian wants to argue, but Siwon stops her and chuckles before offering to treat everyone to dinner.

They exit the airport and Siwon calls over a few cabs, helping the four others load their luggage and giving the drivers instructions before driving off to their temporary dormitory.

“Sorry,” Song Qian apologizes to him in the car.

He furrows his eyebrows. “What for?”

“They’re a handful,” she tells him, “they’ll probably give us a hard time tonight, so I’m apologizing ahead of time.”

Siwon just laughs. He reaches towards her lap and fits their fingers together, pulling their joined hands onto his own thigh and holding her gently. She can feel the heat of his warmth spreading across her palm, warmth that slowly seeps from the tips of her fingers into her chest.

“Are you tired?” She asks him.

Siwon shakes his head. “It wasn’t too busy at work today.”

It seems like something has changed, but she doesn’t know exactly what. Between the two of them, even silence feels sweet. “What do you want to eat?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Siwon shrugs, “I’m not picky.”

“Neither am I,” Song Qian purses her lips. “I guess we’ll let them choose.”

They fall into speechlessness once again, but this time Siwon breaks the silence. “Can you open the glove department?”

Very obediently, she does as told. Inside, she finds a slightly familiar origami swan. “Hey, isn’t this the random thing I made you in class before I left Beijing?”

Siwon smiles, honestly glad that she remembers. “I found it while I was organizing at home,” he says, “seems like I’ve always accidentally kept it.”

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A/N: Miss you guys! ;( Victoria looks so good in the SMTown Tokyo performances, doesn't she? I miss her so much! Also, I can't wait to see My New Sassy Girl~ yay! haha. ♥Xue