I tapped my fingers on the glass table while I sat in the conference room. The room was dark with the projector reflected against the retractable white screen in front of the room. My eyes were on the charts and figures on the screen, but the latter half of the presentation would not register in my head. I can hear the presenter speaking, but the sounds he was making didn’t make sense to me. They seemed to be just fragment of words coming in to my right ear and leaving from the left.

I’ve been presented with the same reports with small nuances here and there. I have no reason to be around, really. I waited for the speaker to turn around and I took that brief opportunity to check the time on my phone which was on the table.

It was only a few minutes to seven. I was promised a presentation that supposedly ended around half an hour ago, but this company is pushing its limits. I wouldn’t have minded in ordinary circumstances, but I was running late for a previous commitment, that is, I said promised I would meet Mark and the rest of GOT7 for dinner at seven.

Just as the presenter was turning to the next page, my phone rang. Seulgi looked towards my direction from where she sat to my right, glanced at the phone and nodded. She knew just where I should be at this time of the day.

I stood up, picking my phone up and silencing it. I turned my attention to the presenter and politely apologized. “I am sorry, but there’s somewhere I need to be at the moment. My secretary and lawyers will be the ones to discuss the matter with you for consultation later.”

The presenter bowed. “I am sorry for the inconvenience.”

I waved him aside and signaled Seulgi to take over. “Please continue. I’m going.”

Everyone stood up and bowed. I returned it arbitrarily and turned towards the exit, answering my still buzzing phone. ‘Where are you?’ Mark asked the moment I answered.

“I just got off a meeting, which is still ongoing by the way.”

‘Oh.’ The disappointment in his tone was evident. ‘Go back to your meeting. I’ll tell the boys –’

“I’m coming,” I cut him short. “Please go ahead. I’ll follow for sure.” I pushed the wood-framed glass door to my private space and started tidying the things I would be leaving behind for Seulgi.

‘See you.’ He sounded a tad brighter. I said goodbye and hung up, taking the clothes I’ve brought along with me from the gym bag I left sitting on the couch. I didn’t really have any intention to join them for dinner in my suit, so I changed into jeans, a hooded jacket and sneakers, finishing the ensemble off with the baseball cap my brother gave me for Christmas.

I decided to stuff everything else in the gym bag and with it, I grabbed my car keys and went out of the office. I met Mr. Lee by the door chatting with Sooyoung and the part time student who was working as an intern with us.

“You’re early today, Miss,” the grandfatherly man said to me, tipping his hat off.

“I have a previous engagement somewhere else,” I answered with a smile.

“You mean you’re meeting your idol boyfriend,” Sooyoung chimed in, and I quickly shut her up by saying, “He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Which idol?” the intern whose name escapes me asked, shifting her gaze from Sooyoung to me. She looked at me shyly.

I chuckled. “Don’t listen to her. She’s a little loose in the head.”

“Boss!” the receptionist whined, but before she could complain further, I bowed myself out of the situation and boarded the elevator to get to the parking lot. Once there, I immediately went to my car, throwing the bulky bag into the back seat as I was starting the engine. In a minute, I was driving downtown to the restaurant Mark told me we would be dining at.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, I saw numerous girls crowding the front of the restaurant with their phones and cameras out. “,” I muttered under my breath as I was choosing a parking space. I’ve decided to leave the car a little farther from the restaurant, all the while peering through the glass walls of the restaurants. I couldn’t see the boys anywhere around the immediate tables. They probably took the private dining rooms.

I called Mark before disembarking from the car, telling him to get me from the personnel access of the restaurant. It’s such a hassle associating with people like Mark, but I was able to learn from my time with Sehun. It’s never easy and it’s sometimes dangerous to be passing through deserted side alleys, but I’d rather have that than be bombarded with fans who are too obsessed of their favorite idols.

Covering myself with the hood and setting my cap lower to my face, I leaned against the door, waiting for the door to open. Mark pulled me into the door and held my hand, dragging me out of what seemed to be the pantry and into a short, dimly lit hallway. I heard the sound of a wooden door sliding and I was pushed into a bright room, alive with chatter when we were approaching but suddenly silent when I stood by the door.

Mark pulled my hood down and I had to blink several times to adjust to the sudden brightness. “She’s here,” he announced.

“Hello.” I bowed, catching sight of JB. He kinda scares me with his brooding look, but he smiled slightly and made room for me beside him. The others greeted me as I removed my shoes and sat myself down between the leader and Mark. JB just smells so good it makes me want to spazz.

“Yo, Tokyo Girl!” Jackson greeted out loud. He couldn’t just greet me like the others normally would. I never understood why he called me Tokyo Girl. I mean, sure, I’m half Japanese, but I was not raised anywhere in Japan, much less Tokyo. He knows well that I am from Germany, but he doesn’t seem to get that.

“Hey.” I took the bowl of rice Jinyoung was handing to me. I said thanks awkwardly. He’s another guy in their group which scares the hell out of me. I don’t know. My father never intimidated me in any way. I was never scared of other people before, but I just feel awkward around him and JB. They just looked too serious for words.

It wasn’t that they were not nice to me, but compared to the other members, they just did not interact with me as much. They would talk to me, but it’s always short conversations. JB is aloof and stays somewhere else in their dorm when I’m around, but Jinyoung was a whole different story. He ignored me for a while and would just say hi at first until one time, he carpooled with me to go somewhere and got to know me better.

“You would understand if I try to protect the members, right?” that’s what he said to me, and I saw where he was coming from at that point. “Don’t be offended if I try to read you at first, but I guess you’re better than all of us combined.” He smiled the most dazzling smile I have ever seen on his face since we met, and now I’m a little okay with him.

“Hyung said you were in the middle of a meeting. We didn’t interrupt you, did we?” Yugyeom asked, putting kimchi into the saucer in front of me.

“It was about to end anyway, and my secretary is around,” I answered.

“You’re dressed like that to a business meeting?” Jinyoung asked, arching a brow at me. Trust him to be judging what I’m wearing in the middle of a meal. He earned a pointed stare from Mark, but I answered him good-naturedly to quell the atmosphere. “Yes, sometimes I do that, but I changed out of my suit. Too stuffy.”

“That would have been cool if everyone’s wearing suits and you’re in those clothes,” Jinyoung said with a slight chuckle.

“I’m the boss, boy!” Bambam chimed in, reaching over for a high five.

“Can I have your cap?” Jackson asked.

“Jackson!” everyone chastised him.

I just laughed at that. “Any other baseball cap, I would have said yes, but my brother got me this, so no, you can’t have it.”

“. Can I have your brother then?”

The atmosphere was better after that. I would join into the conversation when I think I could relate. They asked me too much questions, too, and soon it was just random things that, according t