— table manners, teddy & dani
Hands jammed into the pockets of her dress, Dani tried to walk with purpose after her father's larger figure — but her back has been hurting and she's hunched over again, staring at the dusty first-rate Italian carpeting. On their way to the reserved table for four, her father turned around and grit his teeth. A soft sigh and narrowed eyes. Dani stared back, albeit not a defiant one. It's a silent sort of warning: Stand up straighter, Dani. Walk a little faster, Dani. Jin wouldn't embarrass me like that, Dani. It's a shame, she knew, that her brother wasn't able to make it tonight. It's a shame, she knew, that her father would have to present a soured investment of a child to a long-time rival that he was eager to one-up. She parted her lips slightly to tell him that for God's sake, she didn't want to be here either, didn't want to be forced to stare at the face of someone she hated while shoving caviar down her throat. But her father was busy, expression already shifted to one of pure professionalism— their dinner guests had arrived. He stood up, so Dani rooted herself by his side and offered a bow to the elegantly dressed newcomers. "Mr. Yoon," she said instead of asking how he'd been. A practiced smile met her lips. And it's faint, distant, pushed a little too far as her gaze landed on the younger male who had just came in after the elder. "Teddy," she adds instead of asking how long they're planning to stay here. "It's good to see you." Her smile faltered for a second. She's getting worse at acting.