Lunchtime.

Noona was not her usual, I-don't-care self. She was affected because it had been epochs since her last kiss with Chung Hee, and the latest was a whole nightmare. Mizuki and Nanako tried to comfort her when Noona told them.

"Yes, I am the stylist who used to be linked to Chung Hee," she dryly answered them.

"Hontou ni?" Mizuki and Nanko answered in chorus. They listened as the Korean stylist related her love story.

"That is why I avoided him and do not want my company to know of my past," Noona said.

There is totally nothing wrong with that. She just decided to keep her peace about her love life.

"Ah...hidoi (horrible)!" Mizuki exclaimed in disgust. "I admired Chung Hee-san a lot, but I think my perception of him has changed."

"Boku mo (Me too)," Nanako replied sadly. "I admired Hiroki-san's professionalism too, but with that story, I think I'm gonna puke."

The two girls totally understood what happened to Noona. It is always against a girl's right to be kissed without her consent (granting, of coures, that she doesn't like to be kissed, or if she doesn't like the guy at all). Noona smiled at them.

"Yokatta (I'm relieved)," Noona said to them. "I am glad to know both of you. Arigatou."

"You're welcome, Nee-chan," the two younger ladies said.

******

Before the end of the pictorial, Chung Hee approached his stylist and asked her secretly why she sided with Noona.

"I know you are already friends with her, but why won't you be loyal to me?" he demanded.

"Simple," Mizuki replied. "I don't want to be kissed without my consent. That's why I sided with her."

Of course, it was true, and Chung Hee could not argue with that. He left her in anger and gave her the cold shoulder. Mizuki felt bad being a bit of a traitor to the model, but she is a woman. She knew how Noona feels. While she was drowned in thought, the director called out to her.

"Satou-san, please come her," the director said.