Work Text:
Monday
Sunggyu wakes up to the sound of the rain. He moves around in his bed, his hand fumbling around looking for his phone. He clicks to check the time and mentally groans when the screen lights up; 6am. It’s too late for him to go back to sleep and too early for him to get ready for work. Instead, he gets out of bed and heads out to his living room.
Carefully, he draws back the curtain covering a wall sized transparent door. Sunlight peeks in and blinds him for a few seconds before his eyes adjust to the brightness. The rain still falls, light and almost as if they are playfully dancing in the sun soaking up its brightness. He goes into the kitchen and comes back with a cup of hot coffee and two cubes of sugar and stands as he watches the city from the balcony. He watches as the smoke from the night dissolves into sparkling sunlight that lights up the world once again as the night disappears. In front of him, the view of the city comes into picture.
A slow morning, Sunggyu thinks he likes it better than he initially thought. A small smile ghosting on his lips.
Sunggyu would space out every now and then, when his thoughts start running too wild in his mind and he drowns in them. Or sometimes they’re simply empty and Sunggyu finds himself staring into nothingness. When he reaches his office that morning, a job is already waiting for him.
“Sunggyu, can you check if the proposal is complete? You will have to meet the client at ten, don’t forget that.” His supervisor reminds him.
“Yes, of course. I won’t.” Sunggyu smiles as his supervisor walks out of his room. He knows when to be professional when he needs to. He’s more committed than some people make him out to be.
As he waits for his client at a cafe, he lets himself drown in his thoughts again. He remembers having to work several jobs at once. Sunggyu wasn’t born into a rich family. He stares at his reflection, neat with suit and tie. He had to work his way to be where he is now and he thinks, at this point, he’s pretty satisfied with where he is.
It’s already dark when he finishes work, and as he walks home, the sky suddenly makes a loud sound. A thunder and the heavy rain that follows a second after makes him feel heavy. He yearns for warmth, for comfort under his own blanket with a slow song to match the rhythm he hears of the rain. He’s reminded once again how Mondays can be lonely and tiring.
Tuesday
The bell rings alerting that he has a visitor downstairs. Sungjong turns his gaze towards the yellow clock hanging on the wall across the room. 10am. He drops his paint brush onto his palette and quickly scurries down the stairs to the entrance of the studio. His hands covered with dried up paint in a mash of different colours.
He struggles to get the key out of the front pocket of the denim jumpsuit that he’s wearing. He’s greeted by a huge white canvas when he finally manages to unlock the door, covering almost the entire doorway so much so that he can barely even see the face of the deliveryman carrying it. He smiles. He loves the color of new canvas; it’s always so clean, always seem to be carrying its own scent.
“Lee Sungjong?” A man, Sungjong assumes is in his mid forties, speaks.
“Yes, that’s me.” He replies, while his hands take over the man’s hold on the canvas before setting it down just below the staircase.
“You just need to sign here.” The man speaks again as he hands Sungjong a ball pen from his front pocket. Sungjong takes it and quickly signs where he needs to and politely says goodbye before locking up his door and heading back upstairs with the clean canvas tucked carefully under his arm.
He doesn’t realize it but he’s humming along to a happy tune as he mounts the new canvas onto his easel. Sungjong loves painting, and more often than not, he’d sing as he paints. He starts mixing the colors, carefully diluting the acrylic paint with a bit of water. Once he starts painting, he doesn’t stop. Not until the painting is complete.
He likes to think of himself as light. Light and familiar. He hasn’t changed much from when he was younger. He does what he likes, feeling content as the day goes. He finishes what life demands from him and relaxes once it is completed. Tuesdays don’t feel as tough as Mondays.
Wednesday
Hoya leans over the fence that borders the bridge and sips his coffee. It’s 8 in the morning and he watches people as they go about. Some dressed neatly in suit and tie, clearly heading to their office or off meeting clients. He sees students in their school uniforms. Everybody with a purpose of their own. Hoya looks over to his bicycle and the remaining boxes of milk. With one last sip of his coffee, he throws the empty cup into a bin nearby and gets back on his bicycle.
He’s tired, but he needs the money. Just a little more, he thinks. One thing Hoya likes about himself is how he can stay motivated in any situation. He thinks of his passion and what he wants to do. Just a little more.
Once he’s done delivering the milk, he rushes to the dance studio downtown. It’s an old building, a run down. The owner of this building knows his parents, a family friend since long ago. That’s how he gets a couple hours of the studio to himself. When he turns on the radio, music booms through the studio. He takes off his checkered flannel leaving only a white sleeveless tee on as he starts practising.
A few hours later, Hoya lays on the floor, panting as he cools down his body. He loves the ecstatic feeling he gets when he dances. It’s not easy to hold onto a dream that brings the future unsure, but he figured it would be worth it since long ago. He believes in his dream and believes in himself. He’s determined to make that dream his reality.
Just a little more hard work, he thinks. Positivity is what he needs on a day like this, on Wednesdays.
Thursday
5am. It was still dark when Dongwoo had left the house, only streaks of sun rays on the far horizon signifying the sunrise. It’s a routine. He wakes up early for a jog everyday. The park he goes to is usually empty at this time, except for a few of the familiar faces who seem to share his morning routine. He casually smiles and nod his head when he bumps into them.
His favorite part of the day is when the sun finally rises, and the cold from the night before evaporates into nothing but a mist. Dongwoo likes the smell of fresh air and sunlight, of the tiny droplets sticking onto the grass and trees. Once it’s bright, he hears the city coming to life. Loud noises from the streets, clanks of shoes on the road in multiple steps, and the sound of people. Dongwoo feels the warmth of the sun as the rays hit his face. A relaxing air starts to linger around him. He’s used to this by now.
On his way to work, a boy seemingly around six years old, walks from across Dongwoo. The boy holds an ice cream cone in one hand and a bag full of snacks in the other. Dongwoo hadn’t expected it when the boy suddenly trips over his own foot and in what seems like an almost calculated fall, causes the ice cream to land right onto the front of his coat.
He rushes to the boy. “Are you okay?”
“I’m so sorry.” The boy speaks, voice wavering as if his tears are threatening to fall. The boy doesn’t look up at Dongwoo, he stares at the melted ice cream stain on Dongwoo’s coat instead. Dongwoo follows his gaze and looks down to his coat. He laughs.
“Ah, you don’t have to worry about this. If you’re not hurt anywhere, get up. Hyung will buy you a new ice cream.” He says, smiling. The boy’s face then lights up and Dongwoo ended up buying an ice cream for himself too. One of the many things he likes about himself is how it isn’t easy for him to get upset and he figured that’s why most people enjoy his company too.
Dongwoo arrives at work a little later than usual but no one seems to question him much. It is only later during their coffee break that he tells of what happened this morning, sparks of laughter here and there. Dongwoo laughs a lot, his laughs are like spots of sunshine illuminating the world around him. Everything seems light to him.
And later when it’s time to get back to his work, he does it easily. Living has always been fairly easy to Dongwoo. Thursday gives a spark; in between the desperation for the week to end and how in contrast, things are much easier as compared to the days that came before it.
Friday
Sungyeol is always excited for Fridays because he gets to leave work early. Spring rain is drizzling outside, he’s taking a short break from work. Sungyeol loves his job being one of the main developers in a toy company, but the excitement he has for the other half of the day that he’s free defeats it.
His mind wanders. There are too many possibilities as to what he might do after work. Often times, he’d head over to the bar with a couple of college friends. He likes that they’re still close. Sometimes, he’d spend the night dancing away the stress that built up over the week in a club in Gangnam. On nights he’s too tired to even cook dinner, he’d just crash down on his bed and dozes off instantly. Other nights, he’d find himself in a completely foreign area doing the unexpected. Fridays are always crazy and fun, he chuckles to himself at the thought.
He checks his phone as he sips on his tea, checking to see if any of his friends has any plans for the night. 11am. He figures it’s too early for anyone to come up with a plan, so he starts calculating and drawing plans in his mind.
Sungyeol wraps up his work at 2pm. He decided he would drive down to his favorite beach. It should take about two hours from his office. He gets in his car and coasts along the highway, singing along to his favorite band. He stops somewhere along the way to stock up on beers, firecrackers and a new set of underwear. The weather’s still warm when he arrives. Without thinking much, he slips out of his working clothes, and jumps into the sea. It was just as he remembered it; aqua blue waters, soft sand in between his toes and gentle waves.
He watches from the side as the sun sets, a can of beer in hand. It’s cooler now, he has put his clothes back on earlier. Sungyeol looks around, there aren’t many people left. He stays, soaking in the sound of waves and the sunset view. Once it’s dark, he lights up the firecrackers he had bought on his way here. He knows he’d be too tired to drive back but it’s Friday and he thinks it’s okay if he pushes the limit a little further.
Saturday
The clock shows 9:00am when Woohyun opens his eyes. It’s Saturday, Woohyun thinks. Saturdays always feel friendly to him. He quickly gets up and heads to the shower. Woohyun starts the day early as he walks to the grocery store to get groceries. He passes by a familiar florist shop on his way home. He smiles politely at the florist who’s in the middle of setting up her shop. Woohyun likes looking at flowers, his favorite are sunflowers.
When he’s back home, he heads straight to the kitchen to cook himself breakfast. Woohyun works easily in the kitchen, it’s a skill he’s proud of. He manages to prepare a decent meal within 20 minutes. He puts on upbeat songs as he maneuvers around in the kitchen. Every once in a while, his body follows the rhythm and dances to the beat. Later when he’s full, he decides to get himself a cup of coffee from the coffee shop nearby. An idea struck him then. It sends him straight to the amusement park not far into the city.
At the entrance, he pauses. This is ridiculous, he thinks. His decision to come here was random enough, but coming here alone makes him laugh at himself. Still, he walks to the ticket counter and buys a ticket. He can have fun even by himself, he decides. Saturdays are, after all, fun.
Hours later, Woohyun sits down in one of the benches, trying to catch his breath. He went on all the different rides; screamed his lungs out on those scary ones, had fun playing bumper cars with random strangers and enjoyed the Ferris wheel ride alone. He leans his head on bench, staring up at the sky above. The sky is a clear blue. He feels content, satisfied with his day. He might take a nap when he gets home.
Woohyun doesn’t do much that night. He spends the night curled up on his sofa watching reruns of a drama he likes on TV. A quiet night, just what he needs.
Sunday
Myungsoo wakes up when the sun is blinding. Roughly lifting his head, he stares at the clock beside him. 11:30am. He hums as he lays back in bed, staring into space. His peace, however, is then interrupted by the soft paws climbing up to his chest. His lips stretch into a smile instantly.
“Good morning to you too, Byeol.” He says, his voice raw from the sleep but tinged with fondness for his cat.
Myungsoo gets up, his hand still petting Byeol gently. From then, he falls into routine. He walks to Byeol’s bowl and fills up the empty bowls with food and water. He hears Byeol purrs gratefully at the sound of food filling up his bowl. Then, Myungsoo walks to the fridge and prepares cereal and milk for himself before flopping down on the couch. He turns on the TV, idly watching whatever that is on, not bothering to change the channel as he eats.
Once he’s done eating and showering, he stands at the edge of his work table. It’s full of drawings, designs and architectural plans. Of photos he took during field works. Photos of varying architectural designs; of different buildings and different cultural background. From ancient intricacies to modern fringes. Myungsoo has always liked taking photos, so he enjoyed this part of his work too. His hand then reaches for the comic books stacked on the other side of the table.
It’s Sunday and a relaxing thought comes with it. Myungsoo spends the day lazing on the couch with Byeol and his comic books, feeling content. He didn’t realize when it started getting dark outside, only looking up once his stomach started growling. He looks for a packet of instant noodles; it’s always the easiest given that Myungsoo had not inherited either of his parents’ skills in cooking.
A few hours after dinner, as if on cue, his phone starts buzzing with messages claiming their urgency. He reads them lazily, scrolling through one message after the other.
“Don’t forget to print out the documents and be ready at 8 am sharp tomorrow.”
“Hyung, do you think you can cover for me Tuesday night?”
“Important meeting tomorrow, do your best!”
Myungsoo ignores them all; the urgency and the burden he’s starting to feel. Instead, he sets his phone aside and reaches for his covers, making himself comfortable under it. He calls for Byeol before finally switching the lights off, his mind ready to drift off into sleep, while pushing the dread for Monday to the back of his mind.