Chapter 5

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As soon as the group arrived at the lobby of the hotel, Hana’s father was already expectantly waiting at the entrance. He raised an eyebrow at the girl, ignoring the pairs of shocked eyes. Hana flinched, “Hi, father.”

“Park Hana, there are many people that want to meet you. Come along,” Mr. Park snapped his fingers and spun on his heels, expecting her to follow along.

Hana sighed, apologetically turning to the boys, “I’m sorry, guys. I’ll talk to you guys later.” As she stepped out of the elevator and began to head back towards the ballroom, Baekhyun grabbed her forearm worriedly, “Are you going to be okay?”

Hana somberly smiled, “Of course, I’ve been doing this my whole life.” She gently twisted away from his grasp and plastered on a bright smile for the boys, “I hope you guys still have a good time. Please let me know if you need anything.”

As she hurried away, Sehun pouted, “I don’t think she’s going to be okay.”

Immediately, Hana was waved over by her mother to one of her father’s business partners, “And here is our daughter, Hana!”

Hana brightly grinned and bowed politely, “Hello there, it’s so great to meet you.”

The man approvingly nodded, “What a beautiful daughter you have! My son here, Taehyun, said that she’s quite popular at school as well.”

The said boy smirked at the girl, fixing the collar of his dress shirt. Hana ignored his confident stare and continued to politely smile, “That’s very kind of you to say.”

Mrs. Park proudly put her arm around Hana’s, “She’s quite a catch. There are quite a few suitors coming for her.”

The man’s mouth dropped, “She’s not engaged yet? I’m surprised! We’re still looking for the perfect girl to join Taehyun’s hand in marriage. Maybe Hana would be a great fit for the family!”

Hana’s eyebrows furrowed in discontent as she finally looked at the boy, frowning when he had the audacity to wink at her. What am I? Some kind of toy?

Before Hana’s mother could accept him as a potential partner, Chanyeol’s mother stepped forward with the said male at her side, his eyes worriedly scanning her upset state. “Oh, my dear friend! It’s so great to see you!”

The mothers squealed and hugged, catching up on old times as the business partner was quickly forgotten. He cleared his throat and nodded at his son to move, as the pair left the scene with the son’s eyes lingering on Hana longer than she was comfortable. As soon as they disappeared to the other side of the room, Hana finally heaved a sigh of relief.

“I heard what that ogre was saying about you,” Chanyeol finally said. Hana looked up in surprise and a laugh escaped her lips, “What did you call him?”

“An ogre,” Chanyeol shrugged, “He looks like one, doesn’t he?”

Hana heartily laughed, smiling at the taller, “He does. Thank you for saving me back there.”

Chanyeol brushed it off, flipping his bangs as he glanced around the room, “Just looking out for Baekhyun, you know.”

Hana curiously tilted her head, “Huh?”

Before he could respond, his mother brightly turned to Hana and grinned, “Hi, Hana! It’s been so long since I’ve last seen you! You’ve grown into such a beautiful young lady!”

Hana bowed and hugged the woman politely, “Thank you so much, Mrs. Park! You haven’t aged a bit!”

Pleased, the woman good-naturedly rolled her eyes, “Such a sweet talker. Why can’t you be like her, Chanyeol?”

//

Baekhyun was grateful that she was saved from her previous uncomfortable interaction, even if it wasn’t because of him. He had noticed her change in attitude earlier and immediately sent Chanyeol to rescue her, which the taller had responded with, “I’ll do it if you buy me lunch tomorrow.”

Sehun leaned against the table and crossed his arms, watching Chanyeol and Hana interact, “I bet he’s gonna tell her that Baekhyun hyung likes her.”

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes, “There’s no bet needed. He’s definitely going to te