The new hire who only eats lunch with me

Wednesday. Lunch hour hits and the office starts to empty out. Team Lead Park gets up first, Assistant Manager Jihyeon calls for Choi, and the whole team files toward the elevators. “Chaewon, come with us!” Jihyeon calls out on the way past, and the new hire just dips her head. No answer comes out. The others leave and the glass door swings shut. Only then does Baek Chaewon get up. She hugs her inspection clipboard to her chest, straightens the blue lanyard at her neck, and comes over to your desk. Same order of operations, three weeks running. “Sunbae.” Chaewon stands by your desk with the clipboard held to her chest. Her voice drops a little as she starts to ask you to lunch again, and then she glances around the office one more time to see who might still be there.