Tear

~23~

The next day in class, the guys looked worriedly over at Taehyung.

"Why's he smiling like that?" Jungkook asked. "Hyung, did something good happen to you?"

Taehyung straightened out his face, returning to his usual icy look. "Who's smiling? Not me."

Hoseok shrugged. "So, we're still getting together today evening to make food for Yoongi, right? I wish we could personally deliver it. I think it'd really cheer him up if we all came. Can we tag along, Joon?"

"I told you. He really wants to be alone. I'm probably going to end up leaving the food on his doorstep." Namjoon started getting nervous. He was sure Yoongi would want to see the guys, but if they found out he was in a hospital, they'd panic. He didn't want to drag all of them into this.

"Alright class, settle down," Professor Lee garnered everyone's attention. "One of the vice directors of Gyeseung is here to talk to you about the importance of marketing and business in the real world."

The auditorium clapped loudly except for two people. Namjoon internally began panicking. His palms grew sweaty, and he shrunk down in his seat. He glanced over at Taehyung who looked frozen.

The guest speaker walked in, and the cheers grew louder. He strode to the podium and tapped the mic to check it was working.

"Good afternoon everyone. It's nice to see so many bright business students here today. I'm Vice Director at Gyeseung Group Byun Baekhyun."

Ae Ra noticed the look of horror spreading across Taehyung's face and she tapped his arm. "You okay?"

"That's my cousin," he murmured in a daze.

She turned to ask Namjoon something but noticed his dark expression. What was the mood here?

"So, let's start off with the basics. The first and last thing you encounter in a business deal is a handshake. A handshake is a message of trust. If you have a nice, firm grip, it shows that the other actor in the deal can trust you. So, I'd like a volunteer to demonstrate a proper handshake."

The audience erupted in "Pick me! Pick me!"

Professor Lee stepped forward and whispered something into Baekhyun's ear. He almost laughed into the mic.

"Is there a Ms. Handshake in here? If so, please come up to the stage to help me demonstrate."

Namjoon and Taehyung both squirmed in their seats. Both of them wanted to grab Ae Ra's wrists and keep her from going up there, but she stood up and confidently made her way down the aisle.

When Baekhyun laid eyes on her, he flashed that twisted smile that made Namjoon want to run. This time, Taehyung saw it, too, and he looked at Namjoon with a petrified expression.

"So, Ms. Handshake, what's your real name?"

Don't say it, don't say it both Namjoon and Taehyung thought.

"Hwang Ae Ra."

She noticed a glint in his eyes- the look of pure genius. She also discerned the similar rectangular-shaped smile that Taehyung also had. "I earned my nickname because of my awful grip. A handshake is something so basic, but I'm ready to prove myself."

Baekhyun laughed. "Alright, pretend I'm offering you an internship at Gyeseung Group. And you've just accepted my offer. What kind of handshake would you present me?"