Their department head clapped her hands and smiled. "Alright, everyone—let's get to work!" She turned to Nian and Xuanye and gently patted their shoulders. "Watch and learn from your seniors, okay?"
The girls nodded with a confident smile. As their head returned to her seat, they turned to their colleagues with gratitude in their eyes, smiling warmly.
Soon, Nian and Xuanye were back in their work rhythm. Their team had split into two groups, teaching the girls patiently and thoroughly. Nian and Xuanye quickly slipped into serious mode, absorbing everything with full focus.
At 1 PM, their colleagues wrapped up the training session. Nian and Xuanye stood up dramatically, bowed to them with both hands pressed together, and said in unison, "Thank you for teaching us! We'll apply everything and make you proud!"
Their colleagues laughed and nodded in approval. One of them asked, "Want to come eat lunch with us?"
The girls exchanged glances and beamed. "We'd love to!"
Nian grabbed her phone, and they all headed to the cafeteria. After picking up their trays and finding seats, one colleague said, "The food here's actually great. We come every day!"
Drooling, Nian and Xuanye grabbed their chopsticks and took a bite. Their eyes sparkled.
"This is amazing!" Nian exclaimed.
Their colleagues laughed. "Eat more!"
While enjoying the food, Xuanye leaned toward Nian and whispered, "Honestly, when we first met them, they looked kind of scary. But now…"
Nian chuckled softly. "They were probably just strict because we were new. But once they heard I fainted, they felt guilty. That's why they apologized."
Xuanye huffed. "Still, they could've been like this from the beginning, right?"
Nian replied gently, "We'll understand their mindset once we're in their shoes. They're our seniors. Let's not mock them."
Xuanye grinned. "Are you pretending to be innocent now?"
Nian shot her an annoyed look. "Just eat."
They giggled and returned to their food.
---
Later…
Back at their desks, the girls focused on work. Suddenly, Nian's phone buzzed. She picked it up and saw DK's name.
A smile instantly bloomed on her face. She tapped open the message:
> "Nian, don't forget to meet us after work. If you want me to pick you up, just tell me~ 😚"
Her face turned pink. She giggled, typing quickly while covering her mouth:
> "Loudie~ we'll be there at 7 PM sharp. We'll drive ourselves 🫰🏻"
After sending it, she placed the phone face down and tried to hide her grin as she got back to work.
Meanwhile, in the dorm, DK received her reply and chuckled like a bright sunflower. Mingyu noticed.
"DK, we told you to remind them—not act like you're asking her out on a date."
DK froze, then burst into laughter. "Well… soon I will be asking her on a date. Don't worry!"
He swayed back and forth like a giddy child. Mingyu sighed dramatically. "Does he want me to lose my mind?"
Joshua patted his shoulder. "Mingyu, this is our fate now. Either we go blind or we go with the flow."
Mingyu muttered, "I know you're suffering too," and pretended to blow on his wrist. "I swear I'm this close to smacking DK and Minghao's heads."
Joshua laughed. "We're doomed."
---
Operation: Chef Seventeen
Boo chimed in, "Shall we cook something instead of letting the girls do it again? We shouldn't make them cook every time."
Minghao nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Let's show them we're thankful."
The boys stood up in unison and sprinted to the kitchen.
Jeonghan, Woozi, and Wonwoo opened the fridge while the rest brainstormed. Jeonghan tucked his hair and said, "We have ingredients—but no clue what to cook."
Scoups clapped. "Let's try their secret hotpot recipe! It's just oil and ingredients, right?"
Hoshi hesitated. "But what if we mess it up?"
Mingyu stepped in. "I'll cook. But someone else cuts the meat and veggies—I'm not doing everything!"
The team quickly divided roles:
Veggie team: Woozi, Wonwoo, Scoups, Vernon, Jeonghan, Joshua
Meat team: Boo, Dino, Jun, DK, Minghao, Hoshi
At 5 PM, the girls finished work and walked toward their car.
"Nian, let's head to the dorm!" Xuanye said, her eyes lighting up.
She walked so fast she looked like a waddling penguin. Nian laughed. Once in the car, they fastened seatbelts.
"Let's go!" Xuanye shouted, raising her fist.
"Let's go!" Nian echoed, and off they went.
---
Back at the Dorm…
The kitchen was chaos—but in the best way.
Scoups and Wonwoo were crying over onions—literally. "These onions don't want to leave us!" Wonwoo declared dramatically.
Vernon groaned. "It's just a vegetable, not your long-lost lover."
Joshua stepped in, took the knife, and chopped the onions like a pro. Everyone paused, impressed.
Meanwhile, Boo and Dino hacked at the meat like they were hunting wild boars. DK proudly sliced one perfect piece and held it up like a trophy. Mingyu nodded solemnly. "Perfect. Keep going."
Jun and Minghao were assigned to fruit and stared at it like it was a math test.
---
7 PM – Surprise Dinner
Just as the girls arrived, the boys scrambled to set the table. Dishes went flying onto the table, oil was poured into the pot, and the stove was lit.
The boys lined up, blocking the table with bright smiles.
The girls opened the door. "Guys~ we're here!"
The boys didn't move.
Xuanye blinked. "Why are you all standing like that? Sit down—we'll cook for you!"
She and Nian dropped their bags and headed toward the kitchen.
"Wait—Nian!" DK called.
The boys stepped aside dramatically, revealing the hotpot setup.
The girls gasped, eyes wide.
"You… you made all this?" Nian stammered.
DK chuckled. "We started right after I messaged you."
Nian looked impressed. Xuanye raised an eyebrow at her, then at the boys.
"Alright," she said. "Let's eat."
The boys cheered. Nian and Xuanye smiled warmly and took their seats beside them, holding hands like proud girlfriends.