if only hyunjae was there in the moment, she’s absolutely certain he would have a few Words for the guy. but alas towel sunbae is not there to save the day now and she’s long ago learned that she doesn’t want to be a damsel-in-distress. hell, years ago, she still had a problem with anyone calling her princess other than her father. so she stands her own ground, thinks the guy is a complete mess to think he even has the right to look at her or sunyoung. but guys like that are always so privileged, so confident in their right to ogle and claim as if they’re superior to every other male — yet another reason ariel admires modesty. one can be confident in their own abilities while still being modest and humble. balance is key and anyone with balance is truly someone impressive in her book.
“ him? subtle? ” she couldn’t possibly hide her doubt at that point, her expression and tone giving her away. her next few words remind her of a conversation they had revolving around one of the movies that practically defines her childhood. “ as if, ” the english slips out naturally again and she’s laughing as she shakes her head. “ besides, the last time he got scolded i heard his buddies congratulated him and took him out for drinks that night. i have no idea how he’s still here. ” though she does have a few guesses, one including a very detailed conspiracy theory she and hyunjae came up with during a particularly slow lunch.
sunyoung’s shock shows how distant they actually are and ariel’s barely able to hide her laughter behind her hand, eventually giving in, eyes curling into crescents as it spills out in spiels. “ you’d be surprised the things i’ve heard but also i’m not really hit on that often, i don’t know why people think that i get hit on a lot … do i do something to imply that? i’m sure you get hit on tons more than i do! ”
people that don’t appreciate their contract, their status as a signed trainee, is a particular type of person that ariel can’t stand. for that reason, she was upset with jongdae for being so conflicted about signing with kt. but she’d had her own weak moments, one not too long ago it seems. if she could ask their own ceo, she’s certain the fact that she hadn’t agreed to be in eclipse right away would come up. it’s what made her so worried about her position in the group and she needed that. a wake-up call, a return to complete and total humility. as someone who values humbleness and modesty, she hadn’t practiced enough of it herself lately.
“ i — oh my god, ” stunned, she even stops walking, staring at sunyoung in shock, awe, and a hint of horror. was that secretly her type? did her love of california actually influence her dating choices? “ oh, busan boys, ” she inhales sharply through her teeth. “ can’t say i’ve ever met one that nice except daehyun.” however astute she may be, the only thing she does catch is that sunyoung seems to have someone in mind from the way she seemed to suddenly change her mind. “ what kind of smile? because you know, there’s guys with that half-smirk, half-smile where you want to smack them silly as much as you’re attracted to it, or like that sort of sweet and genuine type of smile? ” because ariel could safely say she only knows a few people like that and there happens to be a handful that she knows are at the bbq now.
she finds herself learning a lot more about the guy whom she thought was just another face in the crowd -- which, apparently was her sunyoung’s first mistake. there’s a shrug given to the other girl when she enunciates her words, putting emphasis on it as if she’s repeating a basic math question in which sunyoung got wrong. though her lack of knowledge dissipates once ariel fills her in, eyes widening while lips spread into a frown over the information released, an unconscious “gross,” spilling past her lips before she even realizes. what was the point in being here and wasting everyone’s time like that if you weren’t going to take the opportunity you have seriously? “maybe he’s a trainer’s son, or something. or worse -- maybe he’s...” the woman trails off, giving ariel a knowing look while she claps her hands in a rhythmic sound, as the blunt answer was not safe to say out loud, “with one of the trainers.”
her expression transitions into one that’s more light, grin growing at ariel’s laughter before lips slide, clustering at the side of her mouth as an expression of doubt at her claims. “why the fuck you lying ~ why you always lying ~ mmmm oh my god --” she sings in english, korean accent a bit thicker than what it had been in the past ( but hopefully she could understand the meme she’s referencing ). “you’re pretty, smart, and your personality tends to draw people in so... it’s very easy to assume that some guys would try anything to get your number!” she confesses, casually ignoring the last words about her ( because it’s been years since that happened, excluding jinki ). to be honest, sunyoung is sure that she probably doesn’t realize how much she gets hit on, or something of the sort.
the way ariel pauses within their conversation causes sunyoung to tilt her head curiously in her direction, the surprised expression coming from the girl not helping as well. “what what, what did i do? i didn’t do it!” the last phrase comes out automatically, practically a default at this point -- and it takes her a bit to connect the pieces together before she lets out a gasp, eyes growing once more at the revelation, “wait... was i right? i totally was, was i? nice!” there’s laughter that comes after her exclamations, bouncing her shoulders in a form of a victory dance, “you’re lucky that i don’t know any guys from california though. only you, i think, but you’re not a guy. or hold on ... aron?” the girl questions, raising her eyebrows at the other while tilting her head back. ( not exactly the type of guy she was thinking of, but he is from california... right? ) “daehyun was nice?” she questions, perplexed, because he was hardly nice to sunyoung ( as she was to him ), but then again, she would take him over any of her exes as well.
“nah, i don’t think i like those smirk types anymore. they’re too cocky and i think more of punching their ass out instead of liking it. the genuine ones are better.” and she leaves it at that, nodding her head just in case she would spill more facts that would make it obvious who she was talking about. it was too dangerous here, while jinki was only feet away -- along with the trainers as well. yikes.
