F I V E
THIRD PERSON'S POINT OF VIEW
THE CHOI FAMILY WAS having dinner with their only child like any other night. And as usual, they would ask their son how his day was at school. Yeonjun halted his chopsticks from being put into his mouth. His eyes flickered up to his parents before slowly coming back down. Suddenly the events of this afternoon came to mind and his apology for Sujin.
[ FLASHBACK ]
"I... I wanted to apologize for my comment. It was rude and to make up for it, can I offer you something? Food? A gift?" He queried, meeting her unimpressed eyes.
Sujin stuck her tongue to her teeth before speaking, "Don't bother. It was a comment of honesty, wasn't it? Best leave it at that... but please don't think I'm forgiving you for it."
It was kind of harsh if you put it lightly. Yeonjun didn't think she was going to be that direct with him but then again, what she said at cafeteria should've been a sign. At least it was Friday today. The weekend was something he was looking forward to do.
• • •
This weekend was good because of two things.
One, Yeonjun was finally meeting HueningKai. And because he was meeting him, Soobin was allowed to used this day to introduce the youngest kid to him instead of studying like he was supposed to. Meaning, everyone could hang out together.
Speaking of Soobin, he was in charge of the food while coming here so he stopped by a semi-popular cafe to get something other than the convenience store food they had been digesting for the week. It was when he was opening the door to enter, he bumped into a short figure.
The male looked up or down if you will and widened his eyes. "Sujin noona? (older sister)" He inquired, capturing the female's attention.
Sujin almost doubled over in surprise when she heard him. Noona? She had never been called that before. Most people she met were older than her. She was about to respond when she heard a familiar voice call from outside, "Ms Rhee?"
Internally she was panicking, her eyes about to widen before she composed herself. Without a word she brushed past him and left him to enter the cafe. She huffed when she got in the car, "I knew I should've stayed home."
Soobin narrowed his eyes, "Well that was rude." He shrugged before getting putting in some orders for his friends.
"Hi, there! Can I have five milk bubble teas, all iced... two red bean buns, one garlic and two mochi bread? All ready to go, please!" He looked at the cashier and smiled before recognizing her. She was in class 2-2! He took out his wallet and spoke again, "Aren't you Kwon Eunbin?"
The female looked from the touch-screen register. "Huh? Oh... how do you know me? Ahh... it's be the dance video, right? Everyone is the same." She sighed quietly, giving him a small smile. That's right! She was known to be a good dancer in the school. Soobin let out a quiet laugh, "Yeah... sucks that they only know you by that. You seem pretty friendly from what I've seen." He mumbled loudly, finished paying the money. They both looked up, meeting each other's eyes. "Uh- not that I watch you or anything! I-I've just s-seen you a-around." He blurted with flushed cheeks, heading away to take a seat furthest away from her.
Eunbin was quite flustered, to say the least, but she found his shyness quite adorable. A small giggle escaped her lips before she took the next person's order. "Next please."
• • •
Sujin let out a small sigh. It was the first weekend after her first week of school, well day, and guess where she was? At a meeting with her siblings!
But she couldn't refuse her parents who asked, I mean told her, to direct this meeting to help with her practice. Basically her siblings were there to watch and advise her. You could consider a Sujin the 'CEO' for today's meeting.
So here she sat on a Saturday afternoon. At the end of a long table, siblings on each side and a few employees next to them.
"So what's the next big thing, Manager Seo?" She asked the male who stood at the end of the table, ready to give everyone a presentation. He smiled gently, turning on the flat screen. "We have done many things over the past decades. All have succeeded and become useful for each generation. But I personally think we are lacking the effort to put attention on our younger audience. Teenagers! They like various things. Mostly according to what phase they're in but there is no doubt in their interest in gaming, music and their artists. So why not create a combination of this?"
The three siblings leaned in with curiosity. Sujin raised a brow, "A game? Within our fifty years of technology and industrial products, we've never focused on the gaming area. I understand... we have the people and equipment. But how does this tie in?"
Hojeon smiled discreetly at Jungeun, a proud feeling surfacing within them as their younger sister showed her entrepreneurial qualities evidently.
Manager Seo nodded, "I thought you would ask that. Please look at the screen." He smiled again, "Over the course of twenty years, we have released several computers, laptops, phones and tablets. Items from our company that have done extremely well and continue to take the world by storm. With so many young users, it's fit to produce a game. Free of course but with its in-app purchases."
Jungeun's voice interjected, "What type of game is it? Music and its artists? It's not a copy of Superstar is it?"
Manager Seo chuckled, "You must remember how we contacted the popular boy group EXO, right? SM was happy to collaborate with us. The plan is to offer them an app that allows the user to manage them as a boy group or each member and their personal lives. However, we are hoping to take on Ms Rhee's game developing skills to produce it."
Sujin looked over to her brother with hopeful eyes. Hojeon chuckled, leaning in to ruffle the girl's hair. "I see no problem with this. As long as it has no rooms for negative reviews." Jungeun laughed, "Oppa... (brother...) do you know who's skills you're talking about? Our Sujin is a gaming genius."
Sujin winked at her with a grin, "That's me! I can already imagine the name... EXO World!"
• • •
Hojeon and Jungeun shook hands with Manager Seo after Sujin had left for her tutoring lessons. "Thank you, Youngho. That girl has been down lately, especially after her first day... you brought her mood right back up."
"Eh... it's nothing, sir. I'm glad I could help. I hope by the time she's finished with university, we have a gaming department ready for her to own and manage."
Jungeun nodded slowly, "I think that's the only way she'll enjoy the RJ group." She folded her arms and sighed. Her brother put a hand on her shoulder, smiling gently at her comment.
"Sujin has never had the interest of business... not unless it was gaming, programming and software. Products like this will be the only way for her to be happy and work here like our parents want her to."