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etceteraon · 1 year ago

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echoes of exile | chapter one

pov: female reader pov

genre: angst, sci-fi, series, slow-burn

warnings: space, sci-fi themes

word count: 7.8k

summary: After the long awaited return of the space program, seven crew members were finally announced to take the long awaited leap into space, their mission to find a safe location to build a liveable society. Their mission could take years to successfully finish, but the crew is loyal to their duty, unaware of the fact that their government is only using them for something more sinister.

a/n: This is the first chapter of a series I have been building for a few years now. The first few chapters will be introductory, but I hope you enjoy the eventual lore drops and in-depth world building that will come! For now, I will be keeping any romance and potential pairings tight lipped since I intend for this to be a slow burn. Chapters may be a little slow, but more will be coming soon.

Waking up in the comfort of your own bed was nothing new to you. In fact, it was something you had grown accustomed to. That was nothing out of the ordinary considering most of the population was used to sleeping in their own beds, wrapped in their comforters, either with a partner or alone. For you however, it wasn’t always normal. You had grown up in a normal household, it wasn’t exactly the best, but you were never considered ‘poor’ just middle class or blue collar. Once you got out of highschool however, things changed. After applying for college, all of the scholarships and money you received went straight to tuition. Unable to afford to live in the dorms or have your own place, you were constantly couch hopping, sometimes sleeping on a park bench or in a homeless shelter every now and then. It wasn’t ideal, but it got the job done. After four years of this, you graduated with your masters in engineering.

Now, with a masters in aeronautics and a minor in electrical engineering, you could do a lot of things. Find plenty of jobs that paid the bills. But the job you had chosen wasn't exactly the most mainstream. You had decided years ago that you were going to be an astronaut. So, the first thing you had done once you received your masters was apply to the space program as an intern. Luckily, being an intern in the space program paid more than normal jobs, so you weren’t hurting for money anymore. You were able to afford a small apartment with the help of another intern you were roommates with, a male by the name of Felix who had his masters in computer science. He was also looking to become an astronaut, and luckily for the both of you, it seemed that once you had done your due diligence for a few years, you would be placed in the same crew.

That was, until you were introduced to a pilot. Christopher Bang, he was a very well-known pilot with a masters degree in physical science. He was a genius in every sense of the word, so when you and Felix had been introduced to him by the grace of Seungmin, the flight director for mission control, you were both in shock and awe when he kindly offered to teach the both of you to pilot a jet. It would make things a lot easier for the both of you since it would only require 1,000 hours as opposed to a few years working in the field. Of course the both of you had taken him up on his offer, now spending the majority of your time learning the ins and outs of piloting a jet, eventually getting up in the air. After about a month, you were able to pilot the jet on your own, Felix as well. Another month or so later, the both of you had completed your 1,000 hours as a pilot-in-command.

Now all you two had to complete was the long-duration flight physical and you both would be deemed astronauts. The timing was almost too perfect since the space program had just announced they would be looking for astronauts for a new mission they were launching. You and Felix had decided you were going to be on that crew no matter what it took, and it seemed like Christopher had the same idea. He hadn’t originally planned to be an astronaut according to his own words, but once he had heard about the mission and heard you and Felix were aiming to be on the first flight out, he wanted to join. He stated that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and he had nothing better to do. You weren’t so sure of that, but you let his excuses slide.

The long-duration flight physical wasn’t easy to pass. Not in the slightest. Of course Christopher had passed without much of an issue. Felix passed the third or fourth time around, meanwhile it took you around six times to actually pass. Along with the help of Christopher and Felix both instructing you on what to do and helping you work out your body in specific areas. With that done and out of the way, you were now finally able to rest after years of hard work. Simply waiting for word back on whether or not you were accepted as a candidate for the mission and interviewed along with the other candidates.

So here you were, lying in bed, staring up at the ceiling after a long, well deserved rest. You could hear Felix rummaging around in the kitchen, a sure sign that he had been up and about for a while. Glancing over at the digital clock on your nightstand, you were made aware that you had slept in for much longer than you had intended, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you wondered why your alarm hadn’t gone off. Slowly peeling yourself off of the mattress, you rubbed your sleep ridden eyes, yawning as you kicked your legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Stretching your arms over your head, you stood there for a moment, letting your body relax and wake itself up before heading over to the bedroom door and propping it open slightly, just enough to peek out and see if Felix had anyone over.

You didn’t see anyone besides the brunette male, so you decided to step out of your bedroom in your strapped tank and shorts that were meant to be worn for workout purposes, but really only got worn to bed. You hadn’t even brushed your hair, so you had no idea what state it was currently in, but by the amused look on Felix’s face when he caught sight of you, it most likely wasn’t pleasant. “Well good afternoon. I take it you slept well?” He teased, raising an eyebrow as he continued to work on what he had set in front of him, cutting up various vegetables and other assorted items. A quiet hum of acknowledgement was all that left you at first, walking into the shared kitchen and opening the fridge, browsing through the contents before simply pulling out a bottle of water and cracking it open. Once the cold beverage passed your lips you sighed, closing the fridge and looking directly at the freckled boy. “Slept for much longer than I intended. My alarm didn’t go off for some reason.”

The statement made Felix snicker for a reason unknown to you. He stopped cutting for a moment to look at you, a smirk tugging on his lips. “Your alarm did go off. I had to go into your room and shut it off since you didn’t even wake up.” Your eyes widened at the sudden realization, placing the cap on the bottled water as you approached the lanky male. “You didn��t think to wake me up? What the hell Lix?”

“Hey, don’t get mad at me. I figured since you didn’t wake up to your alarm that you needed the rest. I didn’t want to wake you up just for you to not get enough sleep. Besides, it’s not like you have anything to do today right?” He posed a question, tilting his head slightly before going back to cutting, focusing his attention forward. “Well actually I did have plans today. But now I’m going to be la-” You paused your reprimands when you heard Felix’s bedroom door open and close, revealing none other than Felix’s boyfriend of a few months, Hwang Hyunjin, the public affairs officer of mission control.

The tall male only paid you a glance before a smirk similar to the one Felix had worn not too long ago adorned his features. “Oh? You have plans? That’s new.” The long haired boy commented, clearly having been listening to the conversation that had nothing to do with him. “Oh shut it Hyunjin, not like you’re any better than me considering the only place you go besides work is here.”

“She does have a point.” Felix muttered, causing the long haired male to groan in frustration. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”

With a roll of your eyes you opted to exit the kitchen, heading back to the safety of your room to get dressed and ready before you were much later to your plans than you wanted to be. Before you shut the door to your room, you glanced back at the two males, clicking your tongue at them. “Next time you spend the night, tell me. I’d rather not wake up to a strange man in my apartment.” The door was closed before any protests could leave Hyunjin’s mouth, quiet giggles could be heard from Felix, but nothing more as you went over to your closet and started picking out your clothing for the day.

You were never one for really dressing up, mainly because you could never really afford it, but also because it just took a lot of time and effort that you didn’t really have. So when you were able to afford a nice wardrobe, you mainly stuck to a business casual look. It also made work life a lot easier since you didn’t have to think much about whether what you were wearing was ‘work appropriate’. Everything in your wardrobe was. So, today was no different, picking out a high-waisted pair of black slacks, a white cami top and a brown blazer. You decided shoes would be an issue for later, setting your clothing down on your bed before heading into your bathroom, turning on the shower before peeling off the clothes you had been in all night and half of the day and then hopping in the shower.

It wasn’t long before you were clean to your standards, stepping out of the shower and drying yourself off with a towel. You then brushed through your hair as you walked back out into your bedroom, glancing at the door to make sure it was locked before ridding yourself of the towel and getting dressed in what you had laid out minutes before. As if on cue, there was a knock at your door, signaling someone wanted your attention. You looked over as if you could see who it was through the wood, tilting your head slightly. “Yeah?”

“Are you going to eat before you leave?” Felix. Of course it was. You thought about his question for a moment, deliberating on it for too long according to his liking, causing the male to huff. “Yes? No?” He prodded, earning a groan from you as you went over to the door and unlocked it before opening it, going over to your closet and pulling out a pair of black strappy heels.

“Probably not considering I’m going to be eating there.” You answered his question, thought it seemed your answer only gained more questions from him. Feuling his curiosity. “There? Where is there? Are you meeting someone? Is this a date? Oh my god if this is a date I’m going to be so mad that you didn’t tell me. Who is it?” For the second time since you had awoken, you rolled your eyes, shaking your head as you made your way back into the bathroom to pull your hair up out of your face, Felix trailing along behind you.

“First of all, this is not a date. You of all people should know that I don’t date. I don’t have the time or energy for a relationship. Secondly, I’m going out for lunch. I was invited to this new place not far from work, I think it’s called Vincenzo’s or something. Lastly, if you want to know so badly who it is, you can figure it out for yourself when he gets here.” You stated matter-of-factly. Felix frowning and folding his arms across his chest as he leaned against the doorframe of the bathroom. “So, you were invited out to lunch by a guy… who is picking you up and taking you there? Sounds a lot like a date to me.” He muttered, his eyebrows creased.

With your hair now in a ponytail, you turned to face the slightly older male, sighing quietly. “Lix, why would I lie to you about something like this? It’s just lunch. It’s a nice thing people do sometimes. It doesn’t always have to be a date. The only reason I’m not driving myself is because my car is being worked on, remember?” Felix seemed to lighten up a little once he realized he wasn’t being lied to, nodding his head slowly as he lifted himself up. “Yeah, sorry. You’re right. I’m just being nosy since you’re usually busy with work or just holed up in your room.”

You nodded in understanding, paying him a small smile as you stepped past him into the bedroom, putting on some earrings and placing your watch on your wrist right as the doorbell rang. Felix’s eyes lit up and before you could tell him to open the door, he was already there. You shook your head at his eagerness, spraying some perfume on and giving yourself one last glance in the mirror before grabbing your purse and exiting the room, closing the door behind you. Sure enough, there stood none other than Christopher Bang in the doorway, Felix bombarding him with questions that male the poor male’s head spin. You looked over to your friend's boyfriend, motioning towards the smaller male. “Can you control him please?” There was a long stare shared between the two of you before the long haired male sighed and went over to his boyfriend, pulling him back by his hips and whispering something in his ear which made Felix stop asking questions. You were curious as to what was said, but before your curiosity could get the better of you, Chan stepped into the apartment, looking around.

He had never been to your apartment before, so it only made sense for him to take everything in. You stood in silence for a while, glancing down at your feet before looking up at the pilot, noting his all black decor. It was different in comparison to his pilot uniform that you always saw him in, that or the uniforms you had been provided while training for the long-duration flight physical. He was clad in a long sleeved button up shirt along with some jeans and tennis shoes, making him look much more casual than you, but nonetheless still somewhat classy with the button up. His dark brown hair was of course in its natural state, curly and unruly. He had stated many times that despite trying to work with it, it never seemed to want to agree with him. So he let it do its own thing.

“I take it you’re set to go?” His voice snapped you out of your trance, quickly raising your gaze to his and putting on a smile to hide your embarrassment from being caught staring. “Yeah, all good to go. Thanks for picking me up, it would have been a nightmare to have Felix drive me.” A chuckle left the pilot's lips, nodding as he stepped back out of the apartment, leaving you enough room to follow behind.

“It’s not a problem really. I figured I might as well since I was the one who set everything up and asked you to join me. Which reminds me, did I ever tell you the occasion?” He questioned, not stopping his descent down the stairs towards his parked car. You hummed in thought before shaking your head, realizing he hadn’t told you why he had offered to take you to lunch. “No, you didn’t.” You finally answered, causing Christopher to laugh quietly to himself as he reached his car, ignoring the stares from Hyunjin and Felix.

Once the car was unlocked and you were both inside, you took a moment to take in the state of his car. Clean, so clean that it almost seemed like the car was never used. There was the scent of cologne however, which made you wonder if he had sprayed it before leaving the car. Before you could see if there was a bottle of it lying around, Chan decided to break his silence about what this lunch was really for. “Seungmin rounded up the Mission Operations Directorate Manager and apparently he wanted to talk with you. So uh, really, this is kind of like a business meeting. For you anyway. I’m already acquainted with him and Seungmin.” Your eyes widened as you turned to face the pilot, jaw dropped in shock as he simply smirked, pulling out of the parking lot and keeping his attention on the road.

“You didn’t think to ask me if I wanted to meet him? Or even inform me beforehand? I’ve heard the guy is a total asshole and I don’t think I even want to be in his presence.” You growled, earning a scoff from Christopher. “He’s not an asshole. He’s just strict when it comes to work. Which he should be considering where he works and what he does. There’s no room for error. Besides, if you want to be on the next crew out of here, he’s going to be in charge of you. You might as well get to know him now and get on his good side, no?” He countered, making you puff out your cheeks in irritation because, goddamn it he was always right.

“I guess.” You muttered, having no good comeback. Of course, Christopher knew that he had succeeded in winning the argument, so he stayed silent, simply smiling rather smugly in the driver's seat. The rest of the car ride was spent in silence, Christopher parking the car not far from the restaurant’s entrance once you arrived. Unbuckling your seatbelt, you leaned back in the seat for a moment, taking a deep breath and closing your eyes. It was your way of calming yourself down before something stressful, Christopher knew this since you did it almost every time you were about to fly. So, he left you to it, not saying a word as he stepped out of the car and shut the door behind him. After a minute or so, you had managed to control your thoughts, keeping your anxiety at bay. As you stepped out of the car, you noticed Christopher had been leaning on the hood, waiting for you. A soft smile formed on your lips, but it quickly faded when he turned to face you, an eyebrow raised in question.

“Yeah, I’m all good.” You assured him, not even needing him to ask the question to know what he was going to say. He nodded, pushing himself off of the car and making his way to the entrance of the restaurant. Like the gentleman he was, he propped open the door for you, letting you enter the building first before following close behind, looking over you to see if he could spot Seungmin and the Directorate Manager. You were about to talk to the lady at the front counter when Christopher placed a hand on your shoulder, motioning to your left. “They’re over there.” He stated, nudging you slightly. It wasn’t anything invasive or pushy, just enough to get your attention. Glancing over, you saw that he was indeed right, though you only recognized Seungmin. You let him go over towards the table first, informing the server where you would be sitting with the rest of your group before following behind the pilot. Putting on a smile as you approached the other males, you noted that they didn’t stand despite acknowledging yours and Christopher’s presence.

Before you could pull out a chair for yourself, Christopher took the liberty of doing it himself. A mumbled thanks left your lips as you sat down across from the unfamiliar male, Christopher sitting beside you and across from Seungmin. You placed your purse on the back of your chair, trying your best to avoid eye contact with anyone since it felt like all eyes were on you. You opted to look at the menu that was set in front of you, fumbling through the pages as Christopher cleared his throat, trying to fill the awkward silence. “So, Mister Lee, it’s been quite some time. It’s nice to see you again, I know you have quite a busy schedule.” A quiet chuckle could be heard from in front of you, but you kept your eyes glued to the menu, not even focusing on the words despite skimming them over and over again.

“Chris, how many times do we have to go over this? You don’t need to call me by any special terms when we’re not at work. It’s just Minho, you are older than me after all.” Shocked by the relatively easy-going nature of the Directorate Manager, you lifted your gaze, only to see he was looking right back at you. Your eyes widened slightly, your breath caught in your throat as he smiled, tilting his head slightly. “You must be y/f/n y/l/n. I’ve heard a lot about you, moving up the ranks pretty fast hm?”

You weren’t sure what to say, so you simply nodded, a nervous smile the only thing you could manage. How did he know about you? You weren’t the only person who was trying to become an astronaut. There were thousands of other people shooting for the same thing, Felix and Christopher included, so why was the focus on you? You couldn’t recall doing anything spectacular to gain any attention. Your mind was spinning with questions, but before you could ask any, Minho continued on. “Before you ask, I do research on everyone. I found your background quite interesting. Perfect scores throughout middle school, high school and college. Then once you became an intern, all anyone had to say about you was good things. Christopher tells me that your piloting skills are nowhere near subpar, so I have to ask, is there anything you can’t do? Or are you just another genius we have on our hands?”

To say you were at a loss for words was an understatement. Your jaw nearly dropped at the blatant compliments and praises that were leaving Minho’s mouth, looking to Seungmin for some kind of confirmation, he simply smiled and shrugged. You then turned your attention to Christopher who chuckled at your expression, shaking his head. “You’ll have to excuse her, she doesn’t know how to respond to compliments, especially from you.”

“Ah. Well please, don’t worry too much about your image. I know perfectly well about your work ethic and that’s all that matters to me. Feel free to be yourself outside of work, I’m just here to get to know you a little better. That’s all.” He assured, easing your nerves just slightly. Taking a deep breath and laughing quietly to yourself, you sat up straight, setting the menu back down on the table and clasping your hands together on top of it. Returning your gaze forward, Minho’s piercing gaze was still locked on you. Gulping down your anxiety, you forced a smile, ignoring the stares from Seungmin and Christopher. “Well, thank you for the kind words. However, I’m not a genius like Christopher I can assure you. I simply aced my classes because I had to. Nothing more. As for what you’ve heard about me at work, I’m glad they are all good things, but once again I must tell you that I feel like what you’ve heard is blown out of proportion. I do my work and I go home. It’s not like I’m going out of my way to do anything major.”

A scoff could be heard from beside you, Christopher leaning forward to try and catch your gaze with a disapproving look. “That’s not true. Anyone who works with you knows that.” He grumbled, Seungmin clearing his throat to finally speak up. “I agree with Christopher. You may not think that you do anything major, but if you really aren’t trying that hard like you say you are, that only makes it more impressive.”

“I hardly think that’s true. I-”

“So you are a genius like Christopher. Good to know.” Minho cut you off, a smirk tugging at his lips as he picked up his menu and started browsing. He seemed awfully smug with the fact that he had shut you up, causing you to huff and mutter a few things under your breath as you picked your menu back up, the server approaching just moments later. After asking the table what they wanted to drink, everyone ordered their assorted beverages, the server then leaving to give you more time to consider your meal. Silence gripped the table. Not one person speaking a word as they looked at the menus. It felt awkward, you weren’t sure why, but you weren’t about to ask. A few minutes passed before the server came back with the drinks, setting them down and earning a plethora of thanks. Once asked if everyone was ready to order, Minho answered for the table, ordering first, followed by Seungmin, then Christopher, then you.

After everyone had ordered their meals, the server left the table yet again, leaving the four of you to your devices. You were half tempted to pull out your phone, but you knew it would be rude, so you fiddled with your hands in your lap, looking around the restaurant for some form of entertainment or stimulation. There was a couple with a baby in a high chair who was less than happy to be there, something that you saw almost anywhere you went. An old lady seated by herself, which seemed sad at first glance, but after a few moments a younger woman who looked like her daughter came out from the bathroom and sat across from her. You smiled at this, happy to know she wasn’t alone. Apparently you had been tuning out and a conversation had started at the table. Christopher nudging you and calling your name snapped you out of your trance.

“Hm?” You looked to the pilot for some sort of explanation. “Minho was curious what made you want to become an astronaut.” He reiterated, glancing over at said male who nodded in agreement.

“It’s not exactly a job everyone wants. Sure, we get a lot of applications, but compared to the population, it’s miniscule. I don’t think you just woke up one day and decided that you wanted to do this. Especially since your masters is geared towards the career.” Minho stated, resting his chin in the palm of his hand as his elbow rested on the table. You nodded slowly, trying to figure out the best way to word it. “Well, I’ve always been interested in life beyond Earth since I was little. I read lots of books about space and astronomy, the public library was where I went everyday after school.” You recalled, smiling fondly at the memories.

“When I was first asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I told everyone I wanted to be an astronaut. The older I got, the more people told me that it was unrealistic, and that I should try to shoot for something else. I’m stubborn though and I decided that no one was going to tell me what to do, so here I am. I guess you could say that I wanted to become an astronaut out of spite.” You snickered, Minho chuckling at your honest response. “Well, that’s the first time I’ve heard that.” He admitted, Seungmin and Christopher agreeing in amusement.

“I mean, Chris has said that he only applied because he had nothing better to do. I guess geniuses have nothing better to do with their time besides do things out of spite and boredom.” You shrugged, Christopher nearly choking on his spit beside you. “I- That’s not-” He stammered, Minho laughing out of pure amusement.

“Sounds like something he would say.” He stated cooly, running a hand through his auburn hair which was clearly dyed, but it looked good on him, natural even. As you were noting his other features, eyes that reminded you of a feline, a gaze that could kill, his lips seemed to be permanently curled up into a half smirk. If you hadn’t known any better, you would chock it up to him having a big ego and cocky attitude. It didn’t seem that he was like that with what he had said to you earlier, but nonetheless, he still gave off those vibes. His nose was similar to Felix’s. You hadn’t realized you would recognize something like that, but considering you had been around Felix for so long, perhaps it was something that was just in the back of your head that hadn’t come up until now.

“Y/N?” You looked around the table, only to realize that the person that had called out to you was the man you had been staring at not so subtly. Of course it had to be him. You could feel your cheeks heating up with embarrassment, one hundred percent sure that he was aware of your staring. You opened your mouth to apologize, only to be cut off. It seemed Minho was good at doing that. “You seem to get along well with Christopher and Felix, am I right?” He questioned, catching you off guard once again.

Nodding your head in response, you fought the urge to look over at Christopher who seemed tense beside you. You weren’t sure why, but you made a mental note to ask him about it later. Minho hummed, leaning back in his chair, seeming to think about something. Just then the server came to the table with everyone’s food, setting them down and asking the usual questions before retreating from the table once again, Minho sitting up straight and clasping his hands together. “How do you think you would feel about them after spending two years of training with them followed by spending years with them in space?” The question in itself wasn’t really surprising, but it was the look that Minho shot Christopher when he asked you. You couldn’t quite place what it was, but it didn’t exactly seem friendly. “Uhm, well… I’ve already spent over a year with Felix as a roommate and a co-worker, so I’m sure I could manage with him. As for Christopher, I haven’t known him as long, but we’ve never had any big disagreements or arguments. We get along fairly well I think, so I’m sure I could handle him for a few years.” You giggled out the last part, finally looking over at Christopher who paid you a soft smile. It looked like he was hiding his true feelings, like he was being insincere, but you couldn’t think of a reason he would be, so you brushed it off.

“That’s good. I’m glad to hear that.” Was all Minho said in response before starting to eat, Seungmin following suit shortly after. You figured that was a signal that you could eat as well, so you picked up your utensils, only to see that Christopher was just staring down at his food. You raised an eyebrow in confusion, nudging him slightly. He didn’t look over at you immediately, taking a few moments before actually facing you. You tilted your head, motioning towards his food. “Aren’t you going to eat?” Clearly concerned, you set down your own utensils, catching the attention of the other two males across the table. Their gazes seemed to bother Chris more than yours, causing him to pick up his own utensils with a forced smile.

“Yeah, sorry. I just got lost in thought.” The pilot then started to eat without another word. Everything suddenly felt off, but you knew it wasn’t your place to ask any questions. Keeping to yourself, you picked your utensils back up, lifting them to your lips right as your phone went off in your purse. Quickly, you set everything down, turning around to fumble through your purse to find your phone. Once you had, you were prepared to turn off the ringer, only to note the number that was calling you, the selection board. You nearly gasped, placing your hand over your lips before looking across the table at Minho who had a knowing look on his face. “I’m sorry, I need to take this.” You apologized, Minho shaking his head and motioning to the side.

“No worries, go ahead.” Nodding, you stood from your seat, pushing your chair back before heading out of the restaurant, standing by the door as you answered the call, placing the phone up to your ear. “This is y/f/n y/l/n.”

“Miss y/l/n, this is Taehyun Kang from the selection board. It is my pleasure to inform you that you have been selected for an interview.” Your heart nearly leapt out of your chest, but you knew you had to keep it together and keep it professional on the phone. “Thank you so much, this is great news. What time and what day will the interview be?” Information, that's what you needed right now before you got too ecstatic.

“This Friday at 6pm. Does that work for you?”

“Of course. I’ll be there.”

“All right. We’ll talk to you then Miss y/l/n.”

The call then went dead, leaving you to your own devices. You hadn’t even realized you were shaking, a chuckle of disbelief left you as you clasped your phone in your hands. This was actually happening. You were actually going to be interviewed by the selection board. You had to make it to the second interview, you had to make all of this hard work count. If you didn’t get selected then all of this was for nothing. The stress and anxiety was starting to set in, your lip suffering due to the pressure you were putting on it. Biting your lip had always been a nervous tick of yours.

What had you been expecting? You had applied as a candidate fully expecting for it to work out, so now that things were going in your favor, why were you so surprised? Maybe you hadn’t really thought about it much as you thought you had. Your head was spinning with questions and worries. What were you going to wear to the interview? How would you get there with your car still being worked on? How were you going to tell Felix? Had he been called for an interview? What about Christopher who was right inside, waiting for you. Right, you had people waiting for you.

Turning, you pushed open the door to the restaurant, stepping back inside and trying your best to act as natural as possible. All eyes were on you once again as you approached the table, sitting back down and being sure your phone was on silent this time as you placed it back in your purse. Picking your utensils back up, you finally began to eat, the food was a little cold, but overall it was still palatable. Of course, you couldn’t ignore the stares for long, Christopher being the first to speak up. “Who was that on the phone?” You nearly froze, swallowing what you had in your mouth before you had the chance to choke. “Uhm, well- actually…” You tried to figure out how to phrase it, figuring Christopher hadn’t been contacted and not wanting to somehow end up hurting his feelings.

“It was the selection board.” Minho suddenly piped up, your eyes widening at how sure he sounded. Christopher turned to face you completely now, his eyes lighting up as he smiled. “Was it really? Did you get an interview?” Gulping, you smiled sheepishly, nodding your head.

“Y-Yeah, they set an interview for this Friday at six.” You admitted, Christopher seeming overjoyed at the news, Minho acting as if he knew it was coming all along, meanwhile Seungmin was tuned out, focused on the food in front of him. “That’s so great y/n, I can drive you to the interview if you need me to. Will your car be out of the shop by then?” You were surprised at Christopher’s reactions, something not adding up. Was he really this happy for you if he hadn’t been selected for an interview himself?

“Chris, did you not get called for an interview?” Finally you had amounted the courage to ask. Christopher paused for a moment only to chuckle and rub the back of his neck as he looked away. “Actually, I was called for an interview last night. I didn’t want to tell you in case you didn’t get a call.” He admitted, a gasp leaving your lips. “Well that’s not fair, you should have told me. I would have been more upset if I hadn’t been called and you didn’t tell me.”

Shrugging his shoulders with a sigh, Christopher picked up his drink, taking a few gulps before setting it back down. “So, I’m picking you up on Friday, five thirty?” He had just completely ignored what you had said to him, but that was nothing new. If he didn’t want to address something, he wouldn’t. “I don’t think that will be necessary.” Minho suddenly spoke up again, earning both yours and Christopher’s attention.

“Felix will have an interview at the same time. You can ride with him, right?” So Felix was going to be interviewed as well? Oh the boy was going to be beside himself whenever you got back to the apartment. His poor boyfriend was probably having to deal with his spastic energy right at this moment. “I mean, yeah. I’m sure that will work out just fine.” You mumbled, noting the slight glare Christopher sent in Minho’s direction.

The younger male seemed to pay no mind however, simply smiling and nodding his head in agreement. “Then that’s all settled. Congratulations on your interview y/n, I can’t wait to see what else you accomplish.” He sent you a wink before standing up, Seungmin following suit quickly after. It looked as if Minho had hardly touched his food, Seungmin had eaten pretty much everything however. Minho made his way up to the front counter, paying for his and everyone else's meal. Before leaving the restaurant, he turned to face the two of you that were left at the table. “I’ll see you around y/n. Nice seeing you Christopher.” He offered a small wave before leaving the building with Seungmin in tow, Christopher muttering a few things under his breath that you couldn’t make out, but it didn’t sound pleasant.

“What was that all about?” You questioned, looking at the pilot who now had an unreadable expression on his face. It was definitely one you had never seen on him before. You knew something was going on between him and Minho, but you couldn’t tell what. Christopher had just been talking about how Minho was a good guy, just strict when it came to work. So why was he sending him glares during lunch? What was going on that you didn’t know about? Christopher forced a chuckle, shaking his head as he raked a hand through his dark brown curls. “Nothing, just thinking.” Setting down his utensils, he leaned back in his seat, looking over at your plate which still had most of the food still on it.

“Did you want to get a box for that?” He questioned, making you frown. “Chris. You’re changing the subject because you’re lying to me. I’m not an idiot. You of all people should know that. I can see right through you. You’ve been acting weird since our food got here, what’s the deal?”

Biting down on the inside of his cheek, Christopher looked up at the ceiling, staying silent for a while before sighing and hanging his head. “I don’t know, something about how Minho was talking to you gave me a weird feeling. I’m just worried about you and what he’s planning.” he admitted, causing you to furrow your eyebrows in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Christopher bit at the skin of his lip before rubbing his face with one of his hands, clearly struggling with whatever was going on in his mind. “I know Minho, and he’s not a bad guy, but I know that there’s more that goes on in his head than he lets on. He’s not the directorate manager for nothing. I just think it’s odd. He’s never taken an interest in someone like he is with you. Sure, he does his research on everyone, but he’s never explicitly wanted to meet someone like this. Especially not an intern.” You frowned, folding your arms across your chest while tilting your head. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m not trying to say that in a degrading way. I could care less that you’re an intern, you’re smarter than half of the people I work with who aren’t interns. I’m just saying, Minho is someone who cares about status and hierarchy. Normally he wouldn’t even look in an intern's direction. So for him to be going out of his way for an intern, it’s weird. It’s not normal. He’s pulling strings behind the scenes for you and this is his first time meeting you. It’s like he knows something I don’t and I don’t like it. Not only that but it’s almost like he’s trying to push me out of the picture, or make me out to be the bad guy? I don’t know. Maybe I’m just thinking too much because it’s uncharacteristic of him. All I’m trying to say is that I’m worried you might get hurt or used.” It took you a moment to process everything that Christopher said, but once you had, you simply sighed. The server came over to your table just then, asking if you wanted a to-go box, you obliged, watching as they scurried off to get one. You then turned your attention to Christopher who was watching you intently.

“Listen, Chris. I appreciate your concern, I’ll keep what you said in mind, but like I said before, I’m not an idiot. I’m fully aware that he’s never met me before, I think I would have remembered meeting him. I’m cautious of everyone I meet and I know when someone is trying to use me. This doesn’t feel like that, it seems like he’s just trying to be nice and give someone an opportunity. I’m not going to turn it down just because you think something weird is going on.” You watched as Christopher took a deep breath, almost as if he was containing his anger or irritation. You couldn’t tell which it was. “Y/n. I’ve never said you were an idiot. I’m fully aware that you’re not. I’m just trying to tell you to be cautious with him, please?”

“Here you go ma’am.” The server set the to-go box down in front of you. You thanked him quietly before filling the box and closing it, getting to your feet and slinging your purse over your shoulder. “I’ll think about it.” Was all you said to Chris before turning and heading out of the restaurant. You could hear an exasperated groan leave the pilot, but you chose to ignore it, going over to his car and leaning on the passenger door as you waited for him to leave the restaurant.

Why had Christopher even driven you here if he was so worried about it? What was the point of him saying all of this stuff when he had just told you that Minho wasn’t a bad person? None of this was adding up, it was just making you more confused the longer it went on. You just wanted to go home and lay in your bed at this point. You were so tired of thinking. However you knew when you got home you wouldn’t have the option to just lie in bed. Felix was going to be off the walls with excitement and he was probably going to want to do something with you and Hyunjin to celebrate. You wouldn’t have the heart to tell the male no either. You were just going to have to pretend everything was fine and that you weren’t losing your mind.

The sound of the car door opening snapped you out of your thoughts, Christopher simply raising an eyebrow at you before he got in the car, starting the engine. You opened the door and got in yourself, Christopher not saying a word as he waited for you to buckle your seatbelt, only pulling out of the parking lot once you had. The drive home was spent in silence, much like the ride to the restaurant had been. You were sure Christopher was upset with you for not listening to him, but you weren’t going to cave because of it. You would figure out Minho for yourself, you didn’t need Chris telling you what to do. You were a grown woman and you could make your own decisions. Christopher wasn’t your dad, nor was he your boyfriend. He was a friend, a co-worker. Nothing more. You would heed his concerns, but you weren’t going to completely avoid Minho or look into every little thing the male did.

You were on the other hand going to be paying close attention to Christopher from now on. It seemed like he was hiding some things from you, and you were going to find out what that was whether he liked it or not. If he was going to put himself in the middle of your personal life, you could do the same. Your apartment wasn’t far from the restaurant, so you arrived fairly quickly. Not waiting for the car to come to a complete stop, you unbuckled your seatbelt, grabbing your purse and to-go box before practically kicking open the door. Before you could exit the vehicle, Chris grabbed your arm, pulling back on it slightly. “Y/n. Please don’t be mad at me. I honestly wasn’t trying to offend you or make you upset. I’m just trying to look out for you.” A scoff left your lips as you removed your arm from his grip, turning back to glare at him. “I can look out for myself. I’ve been perfectly capable of it my whole life. I don’t need your help, thank you.” You huffed, stepping out of the car and shutting the door behind you.

You didn’t leave him any room to say anything more, making your way up the stairs to your apartment before turning the knob and opening the door, not at all surprised to see Felix clinging to his boyfriend as he celebrated his invitation for an interview. You put on a smile, closing the door behind you without a second thought, leaving Chris alone in his car as you forced yourself to celebrate with your best friend and roommate.