Chapter Text
Just like he was, Jungwon and Sunoo were also in disbelief when Jaeyun told them the news about having an interview on Friday—which is tomorrow—with Lee Industries, and then right after, they freaked out about it. Unsurprisingly, both of them, especially Sunoo, demanded that they “needed” to go to the mall to buy interview-worthy outfits for Jaeyun—or more like “Lee Industries-worthy, cunty professional outfits,” as Sunoo said—but of course the brunette denied. He barely has a penny to his name right now, and he was very insistent on not letting the younger two buy any clothes for him. Despite how stubborn his two best friends also are, he won this one.
Which is how he finds himself and Riki with Jungwon at Sunoo’s apartment the next day.
Riki got out of school not too long ago, and Sunoo picked him up before picking Jaeyun up from their apartment. Then, they drove to his apartment, the blond being too excited for his own good, where they met up with Jungwon. The second they stepped inside his apartment, he and the youngest omega got to work choosing clothes from his closet to see which ones are worthy enough for Jaeyun to wear tomorrow at his interview. Jaeyun tried saying they didn’t have to, because he can just wear his own clothes, but of course, his words went through one ear, and out the other for the younger two.
This isn’t Riki’s first time witnessing his uncles throwing a “fashion show,” and he, in fact, enjoys them. He seems to enjoy this one even more, since it involves his mama, and he sits on Sunoo’s bed, swinging his small legs excitedly, as he even helps out him and Jungwon with the accessories.
Jaeyun can’t even keep count of how many outfits he's forced to try on. Since the clothes, accessories, and whatnot do belong to Sunoo, meaning they have way higher quality and comfort than he could ever afford, he does admit that the clothes look good on him. But he still thinks Jungwon and Sunoo are doing too much with this whole fashion show run, when as long as he shows up in a simple, unripped, and clean blazer, shirt, trousers, and shoes to his interview, he’s good to go.
“Even running five miles around your apartment wouldn’t make me this tired, Sunoo,” he tells the omega with a small whine as he gets handed yet another outfit.
“If I had a penny for every time you complained, I’d be so much richer right now,” Sunoo mutters, making Jungwon giggle.
“It’s just a simple interview,” Jaeyun says, although he still changes into the outfit he was just handed.
“Hyung, it’s not just a ‘simple’ interview,” Jungwon counters. “You literally are getting the opportunity to interview at a company like Lee Industries. Do you not know what a big deal that is?”
“Um…I’m going to lie and say yes.”
“Let’s just say it’s a pretty big enough deal,” Sunoo says, he and Jungwon sharing a look.
“I still don’t see what the deal is,” Jaeyun continues, making the other two omegas roll their eyes. “I might not even get hir-”
“Don’t you finish that sentence,” Jungwon cuts off, a bit warningly.
“What have I told you about the art of manifestation?” Sunoo scolds. He comes up to him and adjusts his outfit. Once it’s up to his liking, he smiles proudly and steps away, so Jaeyun can see himself in the full-length mirror on the wall. “You look so pretty in this, hyung.” He looks at Riki, who’s watching them with sparkly eyes. “Doesn’t he, Riki?”
The little boy nods. “Mama always looks pretty.”
Jaeyun smiles softly at him. “Thank you, baby.”
“Okay, I think there’s one more outfit for you to try,” Jungwon says as he grabs it. “Then we can decide with Riki which one looks the best.”
“Don’t I get a choice?” Jaeyun raises a brow as he grabs the outfit Jungwon is handing him.
“No,” is Sunoo’s simple reply.
Jaeyun changes into the last outfit, which also looks good on him. Jungwon and Sunoo look at him from head to toe for a few seconds before they join Riki on the second oldest’s bed, and whisper amongst themselves. Jaeyun can just sigh at them, (impatiently) waiting for them to finish and to tell them their decision.
“We decided the eighth one looks best,” Jungwon announces as he and Sunoo stand back up.
“So that’s what you’re wearing tomorrow,” he says with a small squeal.
Riki’s head tilts a little. “Where are you going tomorrow, mama?”
His question makes Jaeyun falter. With all the commotion about how he’s gonna look tomorrow for his interview, he had forgotten to tell Riki about it in the first place. Let alone the fact that he’ll need to find somebody who can take him to school, and maybe even take care of him after, because he doesn’t know how long the interview will take.
(he doubts the interview will take long, though, but given what jungwon and sunoo have told him repeatedly about lee industries, they might even do interviews differently.)
“Your mama has to go to this big company to see if he can get a job, Riki-ah,” Jungwon replies for Jaeyun, since he doesn’t find his voice in time.
“A job?” Riki tilts his head to the other side. “What’s that?”
“It’s what people need in order to earn and receive money,” Sunoo explains, finding his confusion cute.
“Why?”
“Because we need money to live.”
“Why?”
“Because everything costs money.”
“Why?”
“Because the world is just sadly messed up that way.”
“Why?”
“Alright, enough questions out of you, cutie,” Sunoo chuckles, tickling Riki’s sides lightly, which makes the child squeal. “Just wish your mama good luck.”
“Mama doesn’t need luck!” he says, matter-of-factly. “Mama is good at everything. He rocks.”
“Aw, baby, you’re too sweet,” Jaeyun says softly, finally finding his voice. He sits down next to Riki, bringing his child onto his lap. “But your uncles are right—I do have to go to this big, scary company tomorrow to see if I can get a job. That sadly means that I can’t drop you off tomorrow at school.”
“Aw, why not?” Riki pouts.
“Because I have to go right when you have to be at school,” Jaeyun explains. “I’m sorry, baby.”
“That’s okay!” Riki’s eyes light up, as if he just realized something. “Uncle Wonnie or Uncle Sunnie can take me.”
Jaeyun gives him a small look. “Baby-”
“We can both take you,” Jungwon interrupts, he and Sunoo smiling warmly at Riki.
Jaeyun’s eyes dart up to them. “Guys-”
“Before you start, hyung, we want to take Riki-ah to school,” Sunoo says, poking Riki’s cheek. “We love spending time with him, don’t we, Won?” The brunette nods in agreement, making Sunoo’s smile turn a bit triumphant.
“But don’t you two have work tomorrow?” Jaeyun asks.
“Tomorrow’s my day off,” Jungwon says with a small shrug. “So it works perfectly.”
“Yeah, and I don’t need to be at my bakery every day,” Sunoo adds. “I already took care of everything I needed to yesterday and today. I’m free tomorrow.”
“And before you start saying you don’t want to burden us, you won’t be,” Jungwon says, giving Jaeyun a small look. “You know it doesn’t bother us to help you out, hyung.”
“That’s the least thing it does,” Sunoo agrees. “We love you and Riki, remember?”
Jaeyun can’t help but feel a bit emotional, and he engulfs the other two in a hug. “Oh, I don’t know what I’d do without you two.”
“Probably go crazy,” Jungwon says teasingly, making Sunoo giggle, as the two of them hug Jaeyun back.
“Very funny,” he mutters.
Not wanting to miss out on the hug, Riki crawls on top of them, which is enough for the three omegas to turn on him and take turns smothering him with love, hugs, and kisses.
⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪
The next day, Jaeyun is understandably a bit nervous. Thanks to Sunoo, he woke up at six a.m. instead of six-thirty like he usually does, and the younger immediately got them to work. He makes him take a shower, whilst he begins setting up the things he’ll need to get him ready. Jaeyun tries to protest at first, trying to use the need to make breakfast for Riki, and helping him get ready as an excuse, but Sunoo doesn’t want to hear it. That’s what they have Jungwon for, anyway.
Begrudgingly, Jaeyun makes his way toward Sunoo’s bathroom, and as he looks at himself in the mirror, it hits him that he really has an interview to go to. A job interview—at a prestigious and successful company, too. It’s understandable why he starts feeling nervous, especially since he’s never interviewed for a fancy company like Lee Industries.
During his shower, though, he tells himself he shouldn’t get his hopes up. Yes, Lee Industries might be the first and only company to reach out to him after two weeks have passed, but that doesn’t mean he’s guaranteed a job. If he’s being honest, he doesn’t even know what position he applied for. All he remembers is Sunoo shoving his phone into his face and demanding that he fill out the application, not accepting no for an answer. He could’ve applied to be a custodian for all he knows, and he’s over here stressing.
But even if he did apply as a custodian, that’s still better than nothing. At least he has a higher chance of getting a job if they find the skills he has are unnecessary for any higher position. He’ll take what he can get.
Even so, who’s to say the people at Lee Industries will even like him overall? Even if it’s for a position as lowly as a custodian, they still might not choose to hire him. So many things can go wrong, after all. He can show up late, he can trip over himself, he can accidentally trip other people, he can even trip the CEO himself (even though he deems that very unlikely), he can stutter over every single word he says, and what if his outfit offends the boss, or whoever his interviewer is? So many things can go wrong, and just one simple mistake can make him end up not getting the job. So, as he finishes his shower and steps out, grabbing a towel, he reminds himself not to get his hopes up and to try to keep cool.
The second he returns to the guest bedroom, where he and Riki slept last night, Sunoo is on him. Much to his slight surprise, Sunoo doesn’t dress him yet. Instead, he pulls him toward the vanity, and sits him down, still clad in only the towel, and begins doing his hair.
Sunoo parts his brown hair in the middle, making sure his soft layers can be seen. The middle part lets his curtain bangs frame his face and gracefully graze his temples. Sunoo styles his dark locks with a subtle wave, which adds natural volume to them, and sprays hairspray over the strands to make the hairstyle lock in place.
Just as Sunoo moves to begin doing Jaeyun’s makeup, Jungwon comes in, smiling at their progress, and goes over to the bed to wake Riki up and begin getting him ready for school.
For Jaeyun’s makeup, Sunoo doesn’t want to do much, so he applies and blends in all the norms (e.g., primer, foundation, concealer), and does a light makeup look on Jaeyun’s face. He applies a small winged liner on each eye, brushes a light coat of brown eyeshadow on his eyelids, and curls his lashes before coating them with mascara. He adds blush onto his cheeks to give them more color, applies light coats of highlighter on his nose bridge, the tip of his nose, cheekbones, and cupid’s bow, before lastly applying a single coat of pink gloss on his already pink, plush lips. Once he’s done with his makeup, Sunoo steps back and smiles proudly at how pretty Jaeyun is already looking.
Sunoo steps away to make sure Jaeyun’s interview outfit is still looking okay, and Jaeyun takes the chance to get a good look at himself in the mirror. He’s a bit surprised to see the omega staring back at him. It’s been such a long time since he had dolled himself up like this. If he even has the time to put on makeup, he only puts on concealer, a tiny bit of foundation, and mascara. It’s rare when he does have the time for it, though, so most of the time, his face is makeup-free.
“Won and Riki are eating breakfast in the kitchen,” Sunoo informs, breaking Jaeyun out of his thoughts. “We gotta hurry if you want to spend a bit of time with Riki before we have to leave, hyung.”
“Right,” he mutters, getting up from the vanity to near Sunoo.
Once he’s close enough, the younger takes off his towel and begins dressing him into the outfit they chose last night: a light blue, long-sleeved button-up shirt, which is neatly tucked into high-waisted, wide-leg black trousers. They’re secured with a sleek black leather belt featuring a prominent oval gold buckle tied around his slim waist. For shoes, Sunoo chooses a pair of his fancy black leather ankle boots, and for accessories, minimal silver jewelry.
“Ah, you look so beautiful,” he gushes as he looks Jaeyun up and down. “I’m so amazing, I swear.”
Jaeyun shakes his head at him playfully a little and turns slightly to look at himself in the mirror. Just like when he saw his makeup, his breath is taken away a bit. He and Sunoo are around the same size, so the clothes he has on right now fit him just right. They feel nice and comfortable against his skin, which is a first for him. But he reminds himself that these are Sunoo’s clothes, which means they’re expensive and high quality, so he makes a mental note to be as careful as possible with every movement he makes.
“I swear, if whoever interviews you doesn’t fall in love with you, I’m suing the entire company.” Sunoo’s voice breaks him out of his thoughts. “I don’t care how rich they are.”
Jaeyun chuckles before smiling softly at him. “Thank you, Sun. This is just…wow.”
“I’m glad you think so!” He beams. “By the way, you can keep the clothes if you want. They look good on you.”
“Sunoo-”
“I said ‘if you want,’” he reminds with a small huff, already knowing what Jaeyun was about to say. “Now c’mon, get the rest of your things. We still need to show Won and Riki, and see what they think.”
Jaeyun just gives him a small sigh, but does as he’s told. After he told Jungwon and Sunoo about his interview today on Wednesday, Jungwon did him the favor of making a copy of his resumé. That way, he didn’t have to stress about finding a library or an office store that would make his copy for free, and it’ll give him something less to worry about. He makes sure he has the copy of his resumé before grabbing the rest of his things and following Sunoo out of his guest bedroom.
As they make their way toward the kitchen, where Jungwon and Riki are, Jaeyun can hear the two talking and laughing. It warms his heart at the sound of his son’s laughter, and he can’t help but feel guilty that he won’t be able to drop him off and not see him until later. But he knows he has to do this for both of them, which is what he tries to comfort himself with.
“Omega and child, feast your eyes upon the amazing Sim Jake!” Sunoo announces, as if he were some TV host, as he proudly motions to the oldest.
Jungwon and Riki look up at Sunoo’s announcement, only for their mouths to drop, and for them to gasp when their eyes land on Jaeyun.
“Ooh, hyung, you are so lucky I am not into omegas,” Jungwon says, not hiding the way he looks the omega up and down.
“Riki-ah, how does your mama look?” Sunoo asks.
“So pretty!” Riki squeals, making Jaeyun’s smile grow.
“Thank you, baby,” he tells him softly, before looking at Jungwon. “And…thank you too, I guess, Won.” The omega just smiles cheekily at him.
“Okay, it’s seven-thirty now,” Sunoo says as he checks his watch. “Hyung, we’re going to have to take breakfast for the road.”
“Aw, mommy, you’re leaving already?” Riki whines.
“You’re leaving, too, Riki-ah,” Jaeyun reminds, a bit amused.
“Okay, but not with me,” Riki pouts.
“We’ll see each other before you know it,” Jaeyun assures, brushing his bangs back, even though he also wishes he could drop Riki off at school.
“You’re leaving Riki in capable hands,” Jungwon says. “Now hurry up, hyung, before you’re late.”
“You should hurry up, too,” Jaeyun retorts, giving him a small look.
Jungwon just smiles sheepishly. Jaeyun takes his time saying his goodbyes to Riki, and once Sunoo is ready with all their stuff, the two of them say their last goodbyes to the younger two before finally leaving his apartment. Jaeyun helps Sunoo by grabbing his things and lets out a small sigh as they make their way toward his car.
“You have nothing to be nervous about, hyung,” he says, as if reading Jaeyun’s mind, during the elevator ride. “You’re going to do great.”
“I really hope so,” he mutters, gnawing on his lower lip a little.
“Maybe try imagining everyone naked,” Sunoo suggests. The elevator stops, and its doors open, so they step out into the parking garage to walk toward his car.
“I think that’s more creepy than helpful,” Jaeyun says, making Sunoo snicker.
They arrive at his car moments later, and both get in. Sunoo pulls up the address of Lee Industries on his phone, and he and Jaeyun buckle themselves in. He turns on his car, and following the directions of the GPS, he begins driving toward Lee Industries.
Throughout the entire car ride, Jaeyun is kind of a nervous wreck. His leg won’t stop bouncing, and for the first time in a while, he feels actually nervous. He worked at the last company he worked for for a little over a year, so he hasn’t been interviewed in a while. It’s only natural that he’s nervous. The fact that Lee Industries is apparently the most successful and esteemed company in their country only makes him more nervous.
“Did you see what position I applied for?” he asks Sunoo a few moments later.
“Um…no,” he replies, a bit sheepishly. “But that doesn’t matter, hyung. You’ll do great in any position, even if you end up being a custodian. You’ll be a hot custodian.”
Jaeyun lets out a small chuckle at Sunoo’s words, but they only manage to comfort him a little.
“I wish I wasn’t so nervous,” he mutters, his lip now almost bitten raw.
“Hey, it’s okay if you’re nervous,” Sunoo assures, giving his hand a small squeeze. “It’s a job interview—who isn’t nervous for those?”
“People who know they’re going to succeed in life.”
Sunoo gives him a look. “No one truly knows that for sure, hyung. You just gotta have faith in yourself.”
They arrive at the company before they know it—or before Jaeyun wants them to. Even from his view inside the car, he can already tell that the building is more daunting than he thought. It even sends a small chill down his spine, and unintentionally, he begins releasing pheromones of a slightly distressed omega. Sunoo counters those with soothing pheromones of his own as he parks in an empty parking spot near the entrance.
“We arrived with eight minutes to spare,” he says as he turns off the GPS. “You should still leave now anyway, hyung, to arrive on time, or a bit early. Who knows to which floor they’ll send you, and the building looks freakishly tall.”
“What if you go for me?” Jaeyun questions with a slightly nervous smile.
Sunoo gives him a small look. “Go, hyung. You got this. You’re the bravest, strongest omega and person I know. Don’t let this intimidate you. You got this in the bag. You’re just too blinded by your nerves to see it.”
“At least come with me?” he mumbles as he unbuckles himself.
“You’ll do fine,” Sunoo reassures as he pulls him in for a quick hug. “I’ll be waiting for you right here.”
Jaeyun nods, giving him a small smile in thanks. He hesitates once more before getting out of Sunoo’s car, slinging his bag over his shoulder. He doesn’t let himself think as he begins making his way toward the entrance of the building, trying not to let its unnecessary, intimidating, daunting height deter him.
Once he’s inside the building, he’s greeted with the sight of multiple people walking in and about. They’re all dressed in professional attire, which confirms his thoughts of them working here. But he tries not to focus much on them as he spots the front desk, and gulps a little as he begins making his way over.
“Hello,” the raven-haired receptionist greets him once he’s close enough, smiling kindly. From her scent, he can tell that she’s a beta, which doesn’t intimidate him as much. “How may I help you today, sir?”
“Uh, h-hi,” he greets, smiling at her, and hoping he doesn’t look or sound as nervous as he feels. “I have an interview scheduled at eight.”
“Okay, for what department?” she asks as she begins typing whatever on the computer in front of her.
“I-I’m not sure,” Jaeyun replies, a bit sheepishly. “But I did talk with someone named Song Mingi, if that’s any help.”
“It very much is,” the receptionist assures, much to his relief. She opens a drawer from her desk and takes something out. She hands it to him, and he sees that it’s a visitor’s badge. “Clip this on to your shirt, please, Mr. Sim. You’ll need to head to the thirty-second floor and check in with the receptionist there as well.”
Jaeyun nods, not even noticing the way the receptionist knows his name, even though he didn't tell her. “Okay, thank you.”
“Of course.” The receptionist smiles. “Good luck.”
He’s a bit taken aback by that, but he tries not to think much of it as he makes his way toward the elevator. He presses the up button, and seconds later, the elevator doors open. He steps inside, and a few other people step into the elevator with him. Much to his relief, he sees that someone presses the thirty-second floor, but it also worries him a bit, since that means they also have an interview. Most likely for the same position as him.
It takes them almost five minutes to arrive at the thirty-second floor, so he's grateful that Sunoo urged him to get a move on when he did. Otherwise, he’d be running late. He steps out of the elevator with five other people once its doors open, and takes a quiet, slightly shaky breath as he makes his way toward the front desk, just like the receptionist from the first floor told him to.
“Um, hello.” Unlike with the first-floor receptionist, though, he has to catch the attention of this one and be the first one to talk. The receptionist is also a man this time, and from his scent, a beta, too. “I have an interview scheduled at eight.”
“Name?” he asks crudely, as if he has better things to do.
“Sim Jake.”
The male receptionist types a few more things onto his computer before he hands him a number tent, almost like the ones they give you at restaurants. Jaeyun’s is no. 1009, which surprises him and makes him wonder exactly how many applicants they’ve already interviewed.
But he doesn’t have much time to dwell on that when the male receptionist is calling out for the next person to assist, and Jaeyun has to step out of the line. He finally looks up, only for his throat to almost run dry when he sees just how full the waiting room (?) of the floor is. There are applicants everywhere, ranging from alpha, beta, and omega, and he feels as if the majority are dressed and look way better prepared than he is. It doesn’t help his nerves, but he tries to keep a normal expression as he makes his way toward an empty seat he somehow managed to find.
Given how many people there are in the waiting room, he figures he won’t have his interview at exactly eight. If it were any other circumstance, he’d be annoyed, but this time, he lets it slide. The extra time will give him more time to mentally prepare himself.
Yet, he’s proven wrong when, right at eight a.m., he hears a feminine voice calling out, “Applicant 1009!?”
As if on instinct, he's quick to stand up, catching the woman’s attention. She’s dressed in professional attire as well, and she smiles at him as he begins making his way over.
“Sim Jake?” she questions once he’s close enough.
Jaeyun nods, giving her a small smile. “Yes.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Sim, I am Ms. Kim,” she says as she grabs the number tent from him. “You will be interviewing for the position of being the Personal Assistant to Mr. Lee. Is that correct?”
Albeit a bit surprised now that he knows what position he applied for, he simply nods, not letting his surprise show. Although there’s a chance that the “Mr. Lee” Ms. Kim is talking about might be the CEO of the company, Jaeyun highly doubts it. Sure, the company literally is called Lee Industries, but there are a lot of Lees in Korea. It’s probably just some guy who happened to have the same last name, so he isn’t that worried about it.
“Mr. Lee is waiting for you on the other side of these doors,” Ms. Kim continues once they arrive outside a pair of dark brown wooden doors, motioning to them. “Please make haste with stepping inside, Mr. Sim, because there are other interviewees waiting. Good luck.” With that, she walks away, leaving Jaeyun a bit confused.
She’s the second person in this company to wish him good luck, which he does find a bit odd, but he shrugs it off. He figures that’s their way of showing support. He just also happens to miss the brass plate next to the wall closest to him that reads in big font, ‘C.E.O., Lee Heeseung,’ and in smaller lettering, ‘Chief Executive Officer,’ in the midst of reassuring himself that he can do this.
With a final shaky inhale, he finally knocks on the door.
“Come in,” a deep, almost gruff voice replies, much to his slight surprise.
But Jaeyun doesn’t let himself think much of it, and hesitantly opens the door. He steps into the room, but the second he does, he gets hit with almost an overwhelming amount of cedarwood, bergamot, and black pepper. It makes him stumble back a small step and barely manage to close the door behind him. He looks up, wondering why the scent is kind of strong, but then when his eyes land on the singular alpha a few feet away from him, his breath gets taken away.
Seated right at the desk is probably the hottest man he’s ever seen.
The alpha looks up from the stack of papers in front of him, dark eyes settling on him with a calm, unreadable expression. For a moment, Jaeyun almost forgets why he's there.
The alpha is dressed simply, yet somehow that only makes him look more intimidating. A charcoal dress shirt is rolled up to his forearms, revealing strong, lean muscles beneath tanned skin. His tie is nowhere to be seen, and the first button of his shirt has been undone, exposing just a glimpse of his collarbone. It should make him look relaxed. Instead, it only makes him seem more aloof.
His features are sharp and stunning enough to belong in a magazine: high cheekbones, a straight, tall nose, and a strong jawline that could cut through glass. His silver hair is pushed back from his forehead, slightly disheveled as if he'd run a hand through it one too many times whilst working. Combined with the faint crease between his brows, it gives him an incessantly serious look.
Everything about him screams expensive—the kind that comes from never having to think about the price of anything. The watch peeking out beneath his sleeve definitely costs more than Jaeyun could ever make in an entire year. The office around them is sleek and modern, but somehow the alpha still feels like the most intimidating thing in the room.
What catches Jaeyun most, however, are his eyes. They’re dark and steady, fixed on him with an intensity that makes his stomach twist unexpectedly. Not because they’re hostile, but because they seem to notice everything: the worn straps of his bag, the slight crease in his shirt from rushing to get here. It makes him feel completely seen. And he hates it, especially because on top of being absurdly handsome, the alpha is also unfairly broad. Even seated, he looks large. His shoulders stretch the fabric of his shirt, and when he leans back slightly in his chair, Jaeyun catches another wave of cedarwood and black pepper.
His heart does something embarrassing.
No. Absolutely not.
Jaeyun did not spend the entire morning stressing about this interview just to get distracted by a handsome face.
The alpha sets down the pen he’d been holding. “Mr. Sim?”
Jaeyun blinks. Right. Interview. Work. Employment. Things that are significantly more important than the devastatingly attractive man currently sitting across from him.
“Y-yes?” he says, a little too quickly.
One dark eyebrow lifts, and somehow, impossibly, the alpha gets even hotter.
But then Jaeyun is quick to snap himself out of his trance, reminding himself that he’s here strictly for professional reasons, and professional reasons only.
“Er, I mean, yes, sorry, that’s me,” he quickly corrects himself, his face heating up a little. He nears the desk, trying to ignore the alpha’s almost scrutinizing, heavy gaze.
“My name is Lee Heeseung,” he says, his tone still as deep and gruff, as he motions for Jaeyun to sit down in the chair in front of his desk. Jaeyun does, before his (shaky) legs can give out on him. “If it isn’t obvious already, the company is my family’s, and has been in my family for decades. Hence, I am the CEO—just in case you wanted to know who exactly was interviewing you.”
Jaeyun is so glad the alpha—more like the fucking CEO, who may or may not potentially be his future boss—permitted him to sit, because he’s sure if he were still standing, his legs would’ve given out.
“You are interviewing for the position to be my Personal Assistant,” Mr. Lee continues, writing something down. “Correct?”
Jaeyun’s mouth suddenly feels dry. Now he feels stupid. Of course, Ms. Kim meant CEO Mr. Lee when she was talking about who he’d be the PA of. Why would she have been talking about anyone else?
“Mr. Sim, I asked you a question.” The alpha’s cold tone instantly snaps him out of his thoughts.
“S-sorry,” he quickly apologizes, giving him a small head bow. “I'm just a bit…startled.”
“Alright,” he mutters, not seeming to care enough. “You were told to bring a copy of your resumé. Did you?”
“Y-yes,” Jaeyun replies, quickly opening his bag to fetch the paper out. He hands it to Mr. Lee, who grabs it without letting their fingers brush even a little.
Mr. Lee glances down at the résumé in front of him. “Tell me about your previous position.”
Fortunately, that’s a question Jaeyun can answer, even if the mention of his old job doesn’t bring pleasant memories. But he answers as professionally as he can, and for the next few minutes, he talks about his old job. Since he didn’t exactly have a high position, or at least one like being someone’s assistant, he doesn’t have any skills that the CEO is probably looking for in his PA, but he tries to relate as many of his skills as he can to his response. His nervousness doesn’t disappear entirely either, but the more he talks, the more it slowly becomes easier to ignore. After all, this isn’t his first interview; he’s done this before.
More importantly, he needs this job. For himself, but most importantly, for Riki.
By the third question, his voice has steadied. By the fifth, he's no longer stumbling over his words.
“What would your previous employer say was your greatest strength?” Mr. Lee asks once Jaeyun finishes with his last answer.
Jaeyun doubts his old boss thought he had "great" strengths—or any at all—so he says the first thing that comes to mind, “I don’t leave things unfinished. I like having things organized. If I’m given a task, I make sure it’s completed properly before moving on to the next one.” It’s all true, anyway.
Mr. Lee just nods and moves on to the next question he has.
⋆
The interview continues. Mr. Lee asks questions about scheduling, conflict resolution, time management, prior experience, and other similar topics that he probably wants his PA to have. The more they talk, the more comfortable Jaeyun becomes. He isn’t comfortable comfortable, but he feels and talks more professionally than he did earlier.
“Suppose I schedule three meetings at the same time,” Mr. Lee says. “What would you do, or how would you react?”
“I’d assume it was intentional.”
Mr. Lee’s eyebrow lifts.
Jaeyun continues, “If it wasn’t, I’d determine which meeting has the highest priority, contact the relevant parties, and rearrange the others accordingly.”
“Without consulting me?”
“Only if you’re strictly unavailable.”
“And if I disagree with your decision?”
“Then I’d apologize and fix it.”
A few minutes later, Mr. Lee flips a page on his resumé. “You have a gap here.”
Jaeyun immediately knows what he’s referring to. There had been almost a year where he’d left work and stopped working completely after giving birth and figuring out how to raise a child on his own—or at least mainly on his own for Riki’s first year.
His stomach tightens. “Yes.”
Mr. Lee waits. When it becomes obvious the CEO wants him to elaborate, Jaeyun straightens slightly. Given what happened at his old job, he has no need to inform that he has a child and is a single mother. He needs this job, and although he hates feeling like he needs to hide his own child, if that’s what it takes to be employed again and be able to provide for Riki, then so be it.
“I had a family matter that required my full attention,” is Jaeyun’s simple reply. He doesn’t provide further elaboration.
Mr. Lee’s gaze lingers on him. For a second, Jaeyun wonders if he somehow knows, or can somehow smell it on him that he’s a mother.
But all Mr. Lee simply says next is, “And has that matter been resolved?”
“It’s stable.” It’s not a lie. Not entirely.
For the first time, Mr. Lee leans back in his chair, his cedarwood and black pepper scent shifting through the room. “What interests you about this position?”
Jaeyun’s truthful response is: “I desperately need a job.” But instead, what he says is, “I enjoy administrative work.”
Mr. Lee stares. Jaeyun is (somehow) brave enough to stare back.
“You enjoy administrative work,” Mr. Lee says, as if saying it out loud will make him believe it more.
Jaeyun nods. “Yes.”
“Interesting.”
“I’ve been told that’s a strange answer.” Which he has been, by of course, his two bestest friends.
“It is.”
Despite himself, Jaeyun’s smile grows, whilst his face heats up once again.
౨ৎ
The remainder of the interview passes surprisingly quickly. By the end, he has almost forgotten how attractive Mr. Lee is.
Keyword here being almost.
Then Mr. Lee stands, and suddenly Jaeyun remembers, because standing somehow makes the alpha look even broader than before. Of course it does. Why wouldn’t it?
“I believe that is all my questions,” Mr. Lee says, much to Jaeyun’s (quiet) relief.
He rises from his chair as well and shakily inhales as his nerves return. But this time, it’s not because of Mr. Lee—it’s because he needs this job. Badly.
“Thank you for your time, Mr. Lee,” he tells him, bowing to him. As he stands back up, he reaches for his portfolio and turns to leave.
But before he can, Mr. Lee calls out from behind him, “Mr. Sim.”
Jaeyun pauses and turns back to look at him. “Yes?”
“One more thing,” he says. “I didn’t ask about your availability, because as my PA, you have to be available at all times. If you have limited availability, let me know now, Mr. Sim.”
“I don’t have any limited availability,” he assures, even though he isn’t so sure of that himself.
Mr. Lee nods and writes something else down. He then looks back up at him, and the two make eye contact once again. This time, Jaeyun manages not to look away.
“That’s all I have for you, Mr. Sim,” Mr. Lee says, much to the brunette’s (slight) relief. “If we—more like I—decide to hire you, you should expect a phone call in a few days. If I don’t decide to hire you, then you’ll just get a rejection email instead.”
Jaeyun nods. “Okay. Again, thank you for giving me this opportunity, Mr. Lee.” He bows to him once more.
Mr. Lee just glances at him before sitting back down as he looks down at the files in front of him. “Ms. Kim is waiting for you outside, and she’ll show you out.”
Jaeyun nods slowly. He figures saying goodbye once again would be awkward, so he doesn’t say anything. He walks out of Mr. Lee’s office (?), and just like the gorgeous man said, Ms. Kim is indeed waiting for him outside. Her face lights up when she notices him, and she smiles at him.
“Ready to go?” she asks.
Jaeyun nods, and Ms. Kim leads him back toward the waiting room. When they arrive, multiple pairs of eyes land on him, and he tries to ignore them.
“Thank you for coming,” is all Ms. Kim says before looking back down at her clipboard and calling out the next number.
Jaeyun figures he looks stupid just standing there, so he forces his legs to start moving, even though they feel weak. He passes by the receptionist at the front desk and smiles at him goodbye. The receptionist doesn’t smile back, but Jaeyun doesn’t let that bother him. He arrives at the elevator and presses the down button. The elevator doors open a few seconds later, and much to his relief, the elevator is empty. He steps inside and presses the first-floor button. As the elevator starts descending, that’s when he lets his emotions break loose, and he lets out a sigh of relief, leaning against the wall. Excitement swirls inside of him, even though he knows he shouldn’t feel excited over a simple interview.
The elevator only gets to lower two floors, before it stops to let more people come in. But Jaeyun doesn’t pay any attention to them. He’s stuck in his own world, and he can’t keep the small smile off his face.
But then the elevator continues descending, and the feeling of it is enough to bring him back to life.
If he weren’t surrounded by other people, he’d put his face in his hands and groan into them. But all he does is just run his fingers through his raven strands, slightly messing up Sunoo’s hard work. Right now, that’s the last thing he cares about.
What is he doing? He can’t be finding his potential future boss hot, let alone be attracted to him. Who knows how many policies and rules that breaks, and he quite literally can’t afford to risk losing this job, too. If he even gets hired in the first place, that is.
All he should be thinking about is hoping he gets the job, not about anything else, especially not about how attractive the goddamn CEO of the company is.
Minutes later, the elevator finally stops on the first floor, which relieves him. He heads over to the front desk, where the same female beta receptionist is, and they give each other small smiles as he returns his visitor’s badge. They bid each other a good day before he exits the building and finds Sunoo’s car a few seconds later.
It didn’t take Sunoo long to smell his scent, so it doesn’t surprise Jaeyun when Sunoo is already perked up the second he gets inside. Sunoo’s eyes are swimming with excitement, undoubtedly wanting to hear everything about his interview.
“Oh, don’t you dare leave me hanging,” Sunoo says with a small squeal, shaking Jaeyun’s arm a little. “Tell me everything that just happened, hyung!”
“Geez, at least let me put my seatbelt on,” he mutters, unsurprised at how excited Sunoo is.
“Wait, don’t tell me anything,” he says, which makes him raise a brow. He puts his seatbelt on as well and turns his car on. “Won needs to hear this, too. Save everything you have to say for now, hyung. The second we arrive at Won’s place, though, you better spill everything.”
“Yes, trust me, I know.”
Sunoo snickers and seems to have way too much energy for just nine-thirty in the morning. But Jaeyun finds it a bit amusing, so he doesn’t say anything. It continues staying silent between them for a few more seconds.
Until they reach a red light, and Sunoo takes the chance to turn towards him, and ask with a small smirk, “So, did you get to meet the CEO? Was he hot?”
Jaeyun’s head almost instantly snaps towards him. “Sunoo!”
“What? Valid question.”
“…Just focusing on driving, Kim.”