THE MANAGER NIM

41. FACE GENIUS

Curbing emotions is one of the most impressive skills for humans, and Joe had the enviable knack for camouflaging his anger with his monotonous expressions. Usually, a third person who doesn't know Joe out and out will never be able to decipher his mood with his facial expressions.

With that infamous stern stare, he may possibly look like a cut-throat serial killer waiting to abduct his victim, but in reality, he'll be sitting there, looking at a rainbow colour muffin with pure adoration.

He never allowed his emotions to transcend his control, never.

"I SAID I'LL DROP HER!"

But this moment, the intensity of his grip around your wrist divulges the extremeness of his temper, inducing an alarm in your mind. A strong hue of anger is smeared all over his features. You either don't know, what exactly irked him and drove him to this very state, but the tone of his voice made it clear that he won't hesitate a second to break Jungkook's spine into two like a pocky stick.

You turn around to cognize Jungkook's state of mind, but instead of feeling relieved the fury enveloping Jungkook's eyes escalates your worry in double measure. For some ineffable reason, you expected Jungkook to behave goofy and cool, like how he always does. But his posture and rage pervaded gaze notifies that the Kurukshetra war might break out at any given time.

The blaring alarm in your mind commands you to do something before their stubborn, competitive asses split your frame into two. Your manager self promptly pops off and realizes the potential troubles of them getting into a dog fight right here. You gotta stop this bunny boy in one or another way, you can't let him expose his coconut head to the paparazzi.

As you try to analyze the situation, you notice the audience gathered around you guys, eagerly waiting to witness the drama about to unfold, your embarrassed self tries to free both your wrists from the strained hold of those two rangy brats but none of them seems to let your wrist go from their stiff hold.

Salvaging your drowning self out the pool of contemplations, you swiftly pull both of them in your direction and you move a step backwards, causing them to bump against each other. Letting out a pathetic growl, they both push each other away, with unblended hatred.

"Now, that's what you both get for relentlessly crushing my wrists, dumbos! Joe, listen! Calm down and for my sake let it slide. If a fight breaks out, you do realize, how it's going to shake up my position as a manager right? And it might even expose our solitary friendship to every single employee in Bighit, then all those efforts you took all these days to keep us veiled from their sight will go in vain, don't ruin things in the heat of the moment." You pause your lengthy lecture and gasp for oxygen.

Joe's clenched fist slowly unclasps and eyelids descend down in exasperation, letting out a vexed sigh, he plants his resentful gaze at your face. Both his hands clasps your shoulder in a concerned state, "go safe and text me if anything, also when are you planning to quit your boring lectures?" a puckish smile creeps over his perfect lips.

With a lively grin, you slap off his hands, "never."

-

It's an awfully silent ride. Neither Jungkook nor you tried to start a conversation and both continue to compete with each other for the title of world's best stubborn ass, in the grave silence.

Your notification tone pervades the web of quietness inside the car. It's your mom, she has sent a long message, which is apparently a humdrum rant about her favourite character's unforeseen death in her favourite serial and what kind of punishment that serial's director deserves in hell as per the Garuda Purana.

A chuckle escapes your throat.

"So he is that best friend, you've been talking about all this while. Damn, I had no idea!" he says with an invisible scoff.