“I'm sorry, but Henry's face will have to remained undamaged for now, and so will your “friendship”, at least in front of the media if your group is serious about debuting here.” He said calmly.
He let go of Heechul's fist and it dropped to the man's side.
“Gege...” Henry widened his eyes at him, Zhou mi only glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.
Zhou mi turned to the shocked group and smiled politely,
“I'm sorry, Henry must've caused some troubles, please don't be angered.”
He bowed.
“Ge-” Henry opened his mouth to speak but his head was pushed down by Zhou mi forcefully.
“Apologize.”
Henry glared at Zhou mi who glared back at him and flicked his head towards the gaping Super Junior.
“I'm sorry.” He mumbled.
Zhou mi nodded to the group politely. “I hope you will forgive him, we look forward to this collaboration.”
He tugged onto Henry and they disappeared down the hall way with Henry speaking a mile a minute in English and Zhou mi just pulling him along silently.
“That was Seasoning right?” Heechul finally said.
No one really had to say anything to confirm him.
-
“Mmnhmphefl!!” Henry's muffled screams came from behind Zhou mi's hand.
“Mss-top it!” Henry gasped for air as he flund Zhou mi's hand away.
“What the hell ge? All this time I've been trying to help you to avoid meeting them, and now you just voluntarily show up?” Henry scoffed.
“That does not change the fact that you nearly got into a fight with the group you are supposed to be collaborating with.” Zhou mi raised his eyebrow at Henry.
“Sorry...” Henry muttered guiltily.
“Now are you going to tell me what happened?” Zhou mi crossed his arms and looked at Henry intently.
“It was just a misunderstanding.....” Henry sank into his scarf, now that he had calmed down, all his anger had been replaced by guilt and shame.
Zhou mi sighed “I'll tell Walter to check up the situation on their side. Make sure you apologize to them personally tomorrow.”
Henry nodded stiffly.
Zhou mi stern expression softened, he ruffled Henry's hair “I'm fine.....before I didn't want to see them because I thought it'd make things complicated, not because I still care about....”
Henry tugged on Zhou mi's arm and Zhou mi pulled him into a quick hug
“We'll be fine.”
-
“Mr Lee?” Walter swallowed nervously before adjusting his glasses “Uh....” He whispered frantically to the interpreter.
“We are sorry for the incident this afternoon, please understand that Henry is very stressed lately, we hope you can forgive him.” The interpreter translated into Korean.
Leeteuk blinked “Oh, no no, we understand it was a misunderstanding, we hope we haven't caused too much trouble!”
The interpreter translated for him and Walter looked relieved “Oh, no! We hope this will not affect our collaboration.”
Leeteuk nodded and offered a nice smile “Of course not.” He said in English.
Walter nodded happily “Well...I should be going then, I will see you guys around.”
“Wait!” Heechul rushed in front of him and blocked his path.
Walter blinked nervously at him before turning to the interpreter, who shrugged in confusion.
“Yes?”
“The man who came to take Henry away, who was he?” Heechul crossed his arms and demanded.
“U-uh, is there a problem sir?” By the look on his face, Heechul didn't seem happy, and ranting out his boss didn't seem like a good idea to Walter.
“No, but I want to know!” Heechul scowled, holding his nose high.
“We think he is a friend, but we weren't sure...” Hankyung said, in a much more gentle tone.
“You're scaring him!” He hissed at Heechul who only scoffed.
“Oh that's right...he did mention he worked in Korea....” Walter murmured to himself before catching 10 pairs of anticipating eyes staring at him.
“Oh! Well, that was our marketing director Chou, uh.....Joe mi?” He tried putting on his most asian accent “he is in charge of Henry's new album, which means he is in charge of your collaboration and possibly your upcoming plans for an album.”
The 10 pairs of eyes widened in shock and Walter fidgeted “Uh....if there isn't more I should get going now....”
He grabbed Leeteuk's hand and shook it awkwardly before rushing away.
-
Zhou mi stands in front of his mirror, fixing his tie.
He sighs “New day, new beginnings...” He mutters to himself, unconvincingly.
He makes way through the New York morning traffic in his modest Toyota (“modest” is what his boss dubs it, but Zhou mi was never really into cars enough to care) and lets the calm music on the classical radio channel soothe him.
Amy greets him with the usual cup of coffee (black) and his busy day begins. A few calls that inform him of the proceedings of Henry's album, a few proposals he had to look over, video conferences with the heads of other departments and companies.
Some where in between, Amy beeps him through the intercom
“Mr. Chou?” Her voice was slightly unsure and hesitant. Zhou mi kind of already knows what she's going to say.
“There is someone here to see you, no appointment, but he says you will see him, you were members together?.....”
Zhou mi inwardly claps himself for being psychic “Yes, send him in.” He says calmly
The door opens revealing a familiar figure with an out of place awkward smile.
“I had a feeling you would come.” Zhou mi's Korean comes out smooth and sure, he practiced, just in case.
The guest shifts uncomfortably.
“Take a seat, hyung.” Zhou mi pointed to he seat opposite him with the pen on his hand.
Leeteuk quietly sits down.
“Excuse me for a moment.” Zhou mi quietly mutters while frantically scribbling something down on a piece of paper then switches to typing on his computer.
“Pardon me....can I help you?” Zhou mi says and turns to give Leeteuk a quick smile and continues typing.
“Uh...if this is a bad time, then....” Leetuek fiddled with his fingers unsurely.
“No, no.....” Zhou mi takes a look at his watch “How about lunch? It's about time anyway.”
Leeteuk nods stiffly, but gratefully.
Amy looked surprise to see Zhou mi step out of his office, his blazer on and wallet and keys in his hand.
“You don't have a meeting to attend.” She says, curious.
“I'm going out for lunch with my friend.” He states simply, she raises an eyebrow but doesn't say anything else.
The elevator ride was as awkward as the office conversation but without typing.
“Your English has gotten really good.” Leeteuk compliments, after a long moment of silence.
Zhou mi smiles and thanks him politely.
Leeteuk simply stares dumbly at Zhou mi while the latter orders for them both.
He was right before that Zhou mi's English had gotten good, but as more words flowed out of the man's mouth, Leeteuk realized that Zhou mi was not just good as in “Good for an Asian good” but he was fluent, American.
“So.....uh...” Leeteuk clears his throat and takes a sip of water.
Zhou mi laughs “Am I that scary hyung? Or has military service turned you awkward?”
Leeteuk chuckles also “Maybe, but I think you should be the one who has to talk more.”
Zhou mi shrugs “What do you want to know?”
Leeteuk pauses, he thinks about Heechul, Hangeng, and Kyuhyun, and all the other members' faces when Zhou mi appeared in front of them yesterday.
For Henry, they had been prepared, Henry appears all the time, on TV, on Magazines, on the Internet. But Zhou mi, Zhou mi had always been a question mark, a mystery to them all.
“I want to know a lot, but it's not only me who should hear.”
Zhou mi momentarily tenses “I understand I must have cause a bit of trouble for everyone back then.”
Leeteuk shakes his head and sighs “But we're all here now, together.”
Zhou mi shrugs, the waiter comes with the food and saves them from awkwardness.
A couple bites of food and polite conversations later, Leeteuk finds that Zhou mi, on top of having a very American accent and big office which comes with a personal secretary- has changed. He used proper etiquette and big words, eyes serious and back straight. His laugh is no longer a fit of giggles but rather a polite chuckle that would never have him gasping for air.
They talked about their lives, Leeteuk's military life, Zhou mi's job, Zhou mi started telling him all the places he should be visiting in America and the awkwardness was slowly stripped away.
It was their first time like this, eating together alone, talking. Even when Zhou mi had been in SM, they had never been close.
“You should take us out some time then.” Leeteuk says casually, Zhou mi looks up from his plate and Leeteuk suddenly worries that maybe Zhou mi doesn't want anything to do with them after all.
Zhou mi smiled and nods “I will try to find time.”
Leeteuk couldn't tell if he meant it or if it was just a polite, businessman way of saying no.