He shot a quick glance at his manager, whispered something by his ear, and was the first to rise from his chair. I didn't hesitate to follow suit, leaning in toward Manager Hak Bonsong and murmuring, "Restroom?"
"Sure, go ahead," he said with a pat on my back, turning his attention back to the big shots at the table.
Iris was waiting for me, leaning casually against the wall by the elevator. I stepped in beside him, and we began descending to the lobby.
An employee passed by, clutching a tablet tight against his hip as if it were a stack of classified documents, moving briskly back and forth. Meanwhile, a soft jazz tune trickled through the elevator speakers. Iris stood still for a moment before turning his face toward me.
"So, how do we start this?" he asked casually.
"Want me to go first?" I countered, giving him a sly smile. "Nice nails, by the way."
"Hm? I thought you'd say my earrings instead… Thanks. You're White from Wolf, aren't you?"
"With a face this handsome, there's only one. You didn't get it wrong." I fired back, making him stifle a laugh.
"Heh, bold. I like that. Makes me curiouswhat else are you hiding up your sleeve?"
"Oh, plenty. But you'll have to dig a little to find them all." I shrugged just as the elevator chimed
Ding! and the doors slid open, revealing a wide lobby that looked more like a shopping mall. On one side stood the building's in-house café, Planet Cent Cafe.
"The baristas here are robots. They don't pull sour faces," Iris quipped.
"Really? They've already replaced people with robots?" I asked, raising a brow.
"Of course. Left a ton of people jobless." He smirked.
"…Huh." The answer caught me off guard for a second.
"Relax, I'm kidding. They're all human. No need to get so serious."
This sweet-faced man was, in fact, the eldest in D\8/ twenty-seven years old. Jang Jun-ho, better known as Iris, the de facto leader of the group. We both ordered hot coffee and settled into a table. The café was quiet, save for the faint hum of jazz. Its bright, warm colors felt almost like being surrounded by morning sunflowers.
"Have we met before?" Iris narrowed his eyes, sipping his coffee while fixing me with a steady look.
"*Sip. Ahh~ no, i don't think so."
"Mm. That's a shame. This coffee tastes like charcoal, by the way." He chuckled, eyes glinting with mischief.
"So, what made you drag me here?" I openly asked.
"Well, I figured you could use a cup of coffee. You looked so gloomy back there, like a sulking chihuahua. And come on wasn't it boring, sitting in that meeting hall, listening to the old men drone on about business this, business that? Snooze-fest, right?"
"Hey, tone it down. Someone might hear."
"I'm free to say what I like. Anyway, i don't know exactly why you're here on this shift, but..." He arched an eyebrow and flashed a grin. "From the moment I first saw you, i knew exactly who I'd be rooting for."
"Oh? What, am i that good lookin' guy you were lookin' for?"
"Hah, sweet talker… No. It's your eyes. I can tell who's sincere, who's nervous, and who doesn't even want to be there. Am i right?" he could even tell how i felt about the meeting. this guy ain't a shaman, right?
"M-Me?" i replied.