Work Text:
Here sits Kim Seokjin. A graduate of (redacted) course and applies completely different job due to adult crisis, interest, and fear despite the fact that he studied his course for 4/5 years. He regrets of not looking immediately a job after his graduation because “He wanted to rest for a BIT” and by “BIT” means “6 months of doing nothing but eat, checking social media, and sleep”.
Pressure and need to look for a job had hit him when he checked his bank account empty, his sister called him last two weeks to remind him they’ll be having vacation somewhere this coming December and he better move his ass to save money “Because what is vacation without souvenirs?” she asked.
He almost cried.
So here he is, along with numerous applicants and recruiters entering and exiting from their respective cabins to announce whose turn for the interview. “Kim Seokjin,” calls with a rich, husky, and raspy voice from the third cabin’s doorway making JIn stand up, partly from the need to go to the interview, another part of him is because he finds the voice soothing and lastly, he’s also curious of what face does a man carry with a voice like that. When he turned towards the cabin door he saw tall well-built man. His brown silver hair brushed to the side, tanned-skin clad in navy blue jacket, and long legs wore in skinny leathered pants. Thick glasses perched on his button nose framing his hooded eyes which oddly fits his round face. Jin’s already at the cabin, not sure if he’s ready but he needs to.
Oh and it is a fine specimen in Seokjin’s book.
“Hello, good afternoon. I’m Kim Namjoon and I’ll be the one who will be conducting your interview.”
“Hi, I’m Kim Seokjin”
“Nice to meet you Kim Seokjin,” they shook hands and the interviewer smiled, revealing his dimples. This isn’t a fine specimen, he thought, this is a Divine being. “How do you want me to call you?” Namjoon ask. “You can call me Jin, Sir.” JIn smiles hoping it hid his nervousness, mentally slapping himself for drinking 2 mugs of coffee this morning.
“Okay, Jin. Tell me more about yourself.” He urges as he purposefully skims JIn’s resume.
“Hi,” he inhaled a bit before introducing himself. “I’m Kim Seokjin, I am a graduate of (redacted),” Jin gulps.
Kim Seokjin, you got this! He mentally cheers, and while you already said that twice, please don’t completely fuck this up. You are confident, he assures himself, and you are apt at handling conversations. Pretend this is a conversation, just use the proper words in a nice tone and keep on.
“I love reading books,” he adds, “I review books on my spare time and took interest in writing short stories.” he continues and smiles, “I already had a blog in hopes of enhancing my writing skills talking about mundane things about my life. I also upload my mukbang videos and vlogs on my Youtube channel to share my passion on food, fashion, and art. I also enjoy participating out-reach program and charity events because it just feels gratifying to help people-“
--
Namjoon, at 7 yrs. old, thought that each people are in its own superman.
Each carries abilities, strengths, and personas in order for them to survive. While he believes that everyone is a superman of its own, he also realizes each has their own personal kryptonite. He found his when he can’t run fast during their P.E., when he always got lost not just in a thought process or stories he read but also in the streets even if he there's a map. He still doesn’t know how to navigate. Another one, which is still a mystery to him, how it ended up finding one or two of his belongings either smashed or cracked.
Now, he is afraid, that this one might be one of his kryptonite whilst he isn’t near as superman, he would still like to believe he can be like one of his own and although he sometimes does take things too seriously he still appreciates simple and beautiful things like nature, and etc..
So when his boss assigned him to be temporarily part of recruitment team, since his company held a job fair for three days, the potential-kryptonite is found after he talked to a person in the form of tall caramel brown haired man, plush-lipped, and almond eyes framed on smooth oval face. Cream wool sweater accentuating his broad shoulder yet tightens his small waist complementing his rose-gold skin. Beautiful, too beautiful than Namjoon would like to admit and it’s scary.
This is actually one of Kim Namjoon’s problems, he thought as he takes his coffee break. Recalling the events happened that morning, he cares and overanalyzes too much. He didn’t mean to make the applicant to cry.
It’s a shame to be the one who caused tears on that beauty but he just couldn’t help not to notice the lost in his almond eyes. The applicant named Kim Seokjin, according to Kim Namjoon in objective perspective, when he looks at Seokjin’s resume, he’s overqualified.
Namjoon wonders: Why would he apply for position that’s completely different from what he studied?
“From what I see on your resume,“ Namjoon starts, ignored the way JIn tried to inhale deeply “You seem pleasant and capable of doing many things. And you said you are a graduate of (redacted) so why won’t you pursue it?”
Namjoon ignored the falter of applicant’s voice and focus on his determined gaze, “I love to challenge myself in new working environment that is completely different from what I’d experienced during my internships.” The applicant responds.
There’s something about the way he delivers his replies. It is sincere but the same time he felt that he hides so many things. Or maybe this is just one of those moments where he overanalyze things, “How long do you plan to work with us?”
“5-6 years.” He answered without hesitation. Namjoon pondered, “5-6 years? Then what about your choice of career?”
“I think it is okay to pursue your personal interest after you already did your obligation as a son to study the course they want you to study,” Namjoon noticed the pursed lips of the applicant’s and no matter how much Namjoon wanted to hire this man immediately, the guy sounds so unsure and determined gaze gone swayed.
He took off his glasses “Have you passed the board exam?” he re-focus his sight on the resume to review it again only to realize he forgot to put back his glasses. He’s already in the zone of getting to know the applicant he decided to just stick to it hence pretending to read these blurry letters in the resume. Not sure if the applicant will buy his acting or not. “I already passed the licensure exam.” Seokjin answered. Passed the exam and yet he’s here “That’s great,” Namjoon compliments as he tries to weight things.
“Look,” he breathes deeply “I would love to hire you…but that would be selfish of me to hire you when there are a lot of people who badly wants this job,” he admits. Seokjin right now is fidgeting in his seat, clenching his fist as if he’s trying to ward off uneasy feeling. He continues, “You on the other hand are very qualified but you have nothing to lose,” he looks at him in the eye observing Seokjin.
Seokjin also tries to maintain eye contact with Namjoon calmly but failed especially when there’s a mist forming in his eyes. He tried to pin those snippets of Seokjin in order for him to make a whole picture of this applicant in which he finished it with “And it seems to me that as much as you are very capable…you look like you are lost.”
Clueless as to why he said that out loud, he still felt the need to say it and also share his personal experience, “I was like you once, too.” almond brown eyes turned to glassy ones as he goes on “Pressured by my parents, like yours, to study (redacted) and look for a job even if I wasn’t ready and ended up here.”
Why is he doing this? To be honest, Namjoon doesn’t really know. “While I have my fair share of regrets I just think that this is better than nothing and grew to love it. Don’t get me wrong, I still love and still make music on my free hours no matter how difficult it is.” he chuckled.
What was he trying to point again? He better go back to the original route. Applicant’s eyes glistened like an onyx. Just when he thought this person couldn’t take any more beautiful, he’s wrong. “You are good. Very fit and more than what we are looking for. You seem like you are adept of so many things and I just don’t want you to end up regretting and miserable when you work here.”
Tears had finally come no matter how much Seokjin tried to hold it in, which made Namjoon worry. He wanted to wipe those tears away but he also felt that this is what Seokjin needed at the moment. To pour out all those pent up emotions.
“I was called ‘Impractical’ to have such dreams and while I know they mean well…” Seokjin goes on and he only listens.
“I only took that course in order to challenge myself and to prove them I am something more than what they thought…”
“And you did it. You handle it.” He acclaimed.
“Because most of the people I know, won’t take you seriously if you took a career they deemed as ‘Impracticals’…”
“True. I also wish the stereotype will end…” He agreed.
As much as he wanted for the applicant to take his time, this is still a job interview and there’s a time limit to almost everything in order for him to accommodate other applicants.
“No…Don’t cry don’t cry-” he waved his hands in a weird manner, attempting to calm him down, how did he end up in this situation again? Why was he always this easily immersed on other people’s lives? And now he made this person, that’s strangely objectively handsome, cry.
“No,” Seokjin sniffed “It’s just that you made me realize some things,” he smiled again, to regain his previous calm state as he wipes his tears using his hands. Namjoon couldn’t believe he didn’t bring his hanky or tissue with him and maybe he left it in his office in his bag ended up patting his hand on Seokjin’s broad shoulders as a gesture of comfort.
“I…I am not gonna reject you,” Namjoon starts. “I want you to think and decide about this,” he stated calmly, “And if you are certain to pursue this career, you can come back here tomorrow. If you still cannot decide tomorrow, you can still come back next week on Friday ‘cause I won’t be around from Monday to Thursday since I’ll be at Gwacheon for meeting.” Once Jin wiped his tears, he nods “Okay.” Namjoon stood up first and offered his hand to shake Seokjin’s who also followed to shook his “I am so sorry I cried. It is so unprofessional of me to cry –“ Namjoon grins “No, it is okay. I understand.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“Thank you for your time, Mr. Seokjin.”
Namjoon just finished his coffee break. Wishes the guy will be okay and found himself hoping to see him soon whether in this building or not.
--
Five days later, Kim Seokjin came back and began to work as his assistant.
--
To Namjoon, as much as he wouldn’t like to admit it, even if Seokjin worked as both his office and personal (not on job description but needed) assistant for 2 months and left, it mattered. Painful as it is but sadly Seokjin mattered to him.
--
As much as Seokjin love his job as an assistant as his work and assisting Namjoon on simple daily chores, he also loves to have a vacation with his family complete. Short it may be, but those 2 months mattered. He doesn’t want to admit it yet but Namjoon mattered even if he left.
--
From: Unknown Number
see you soon.
--
FIN