Standing Right Next To You - Chapter 443

Benji and Lina had seen what was on one of the papers that she had picked up.

Therefore, they blinked at Stephen who had just called those numerous sheets scattered around as ‘trash’ when they could not be labeled so.

However, unlike them, Steph truly believed in what he had just said.

“They aren’t worthy enough for my Noona.” He muttered but they had heard it loud and clear.

Lina’s eyes once again fell on the paper and she hurried to shake her head in rejection of what her puppy had just revealed.

‘Worthy? They are better than that!’ She exclaimed with admiration evident in her appraising eyes.

Benji was on the same page as Lina as he too felt that what was on this paper was pretty enough for his Boss.

However, the youngest in the room seemed to think otherwise.

Stephen noticed that his Noona was standing in the same position as she and her assistant stared at the piece of paper that was in her hand.

Therefore, getting off his seat, he strode in their direction and as he moved, he bent forward and picked the scattered papers from the floor.

Seeing him cleaning the place up as he walked towards them, Benji’s furrowed brows finally relaxed.

The only time that he had seen such a filthy mess was whenever Lina got out of her closed-door cultivation period.

At this thought, the huge assistant wondered if she had somehow influenced this young mind into following her footsteps onto the wrong path.

‘What?’ Lina pouted when she was shot an accusing glare from Benji who was standing next to her.

Her mind had not arrived at the same conclusion as him so she was bewildered to find him leering at her as though she had committed a crime.

While these two were having a silent leering contest, Stephen had arrived before them.

“Noona?” He called to gain her attention from the man who always got in his way.

‘I don’t get to meet Noona outside the office and during work hours, he sticks close to her all the time.’ He grumbled while glowering at Benji.

The glint of frustration that flashed across his eyes was so quick that even Lina had failed to notice it.

Thankfully, Benji had caught sight of it due to his rapid reflexes which allowed him to witness the entire scene.

He always knew that this young man had a grudge against anyone too close to Lina so he did not mind it and only shrugged it off.

Stephen did not wish to waste his time on Benji as he had better things to do.

Now that his Noona’s attention was solely on him, he extended his hand and retrieved the paper that was in her hold.

Lina watched as Steph arranged those sheets of paper in his arms before holding his hand out to her.

“Come, Noona.” He led her to the couch now that he had made a path for her to walk on without trampling on the papers which had been scattered everywhere.

Benji wasn’t invited but he followed nonetheless and occupied the seat on the opposite side.

With everyone seated, Lina’s eyes were fixed on the numerous papers in Steph’s hand.

The budding designer of Obsidia Designs could sense her curiosity but he seemed reluctant to hand them over to her.

However, in the end, when he saw her unwavering interest to take a look at them, he placed aside his embarrassment and decided to give in to her wishes.

The smile he received from Lina was enough to wash away the hesitation from his face as it was soon replaced by a bashful expression.

Benji rolled his eyes at this sight but he could not deny that he too was interested to see what else was in those papers.

However, as he had occupied the opposite side of the couch, he could only look at Lina’s expressions to gauge what she felt while perusing those papers.

While Benji was filled with intrigue, Stephen was overwhelmed with anxiety.

The papers scattered everywhere were the designs that he had created while his Noona had been away.

These were different from the ones that he had sent through her to LY for the Winter Collection.

Therefore, this was the first time that Lina was looking through them.

“These are amazing, Steph!” The young lady of the Yang family exclaimed once she was done scanning these papers.

There were almost over ten sheets in just the ones that Steph had picked up from the floor.

She had seen that there were more laying around on the desks but right now, her eyes were fixated on the sheets in her hands.

It was clear to her that these were drafts and Lina found them to be commendable but her puppy had just called them trash.

This was why they had been shocked when they first took a look at one of these sheets.

Even now, there was dissatisfaction on his face even when he had just heard her praising them.

Lina was not one to mince her words or sugarcoat them especially when it came to her baby, Obsidia Designs.

Stephen was a budding designer and a star in the fashion industry that Obsidia was happy to cultivate and help him grow.

Therefore, when she praised these designs, she was speaking the truth and not trying to only placate him by calling his work amazing.

However, it looked like Steph’s standards were much higher than Lina’s which was already too high for the rest.

“They might be amazing but still not good enough for my Noona to wear.” His soft and unwilling mutter reached their ears.

Tilting her head at these words, Lina’s brows furrowed as he had said something similar just earlier too but she was too engrossed in admiring the design to comprehend what they truly meant.

Now that he had reminded her of this, she decided to ask him what he meant by mentioning her name in connection with these designs.

“Me?” She pointed at her nose, wondering how she came into this mix.

Stephen’s eyes widened as he gaped at the oblivious look on her face.

“Noona forgot?” He sulked as soon as he realized why she had said so.

Lina glanced at Benji for help but that man only raised his hands in defeat, making it clear to not drag him into this mess that she had created.

‘You!’ She glowered at him before looking back at this puppy whose imaginary ears were drooping with each passing second.

Steph looked up only to find her at a loss of what to do in order to make him feel better.

The look of anxiety that appeared on her face, which proved her concern for him, elevated his mood instantly.

Not willing to let her struggle any longer as his Noona had been too busy on his account these last few days, he decided to help her out.

‘She was moving back and forth, trying to coordinate with LY for my sake.’ He remembered and put away his dissatisfaction for now.

“Noona, you promised to be my muse and model.” He reminded her about the deal they had made in the past.

When Lina had revealed that she could get LY to collaborate with him for his Winter Collection, he had asked her to be his muse and model.

Back then, she had agreed willingly but now it looked like she had forgotten about her promise.

However, there was a reason why he had asked her to be his muse.

He wished that she would walk down the runway next to him, wearing his final masterpiece during the exhibition of the Winter Collection.

This was what he had meant by asking her to take up that role before she disappeared for a long time.

During the time that she was dealing with matters concerning LY and the collaboration, he was struggling to create the masterpiece he had promised her.

However, no matter what he drew, none of them were ever good enough for his Noona.

Therefore, they all fell to the ground, creating a huge pile of rejected drafts that were not fit for his Noona to wear as she walked next to him on the runway of his Winter Collection.

The paper that Lina had picked up was one such draft that he had rejected as soon as he had created it.

While they seemed perfectly fine and worthy of being sold as a part of his regular collections, he could never let Lina wear that on the stage with him as she deserved something much more magnificent for such a big occasion.

Hearing his explanation, Lina did not know whether to laugh or to cry.

“Don’t you think that you think too highly of me?” She shook her head while chuckling at her cute puppy.