Chapter Text
It was a busy day. Given that it was the week of Thanksgiving and Black Friday, the mall had been packed with shoppers trying to find their deal of the day to secure their gifts early for the Christmas season. So the Bath and Body Works that Wonshik had spent his last five hours in was bustling with customers. He greeted those that came in with a warm smile on his face as he adjusted the bottles on display and pretended like he enjoyed being in this space at this moment in time.
He really did like working here -- it was just the rush of people during peak times like this that overwhelmed him.
Wonshik spent the last hour of his shift as a cashier, gathering customers' items and mentioning the company's membership deals all with that same smile plastered onto his lips. By the time the gate was pulled down and locked, he was luckily that he didn't have to deal with any crazy ones today. Those were always the worst and tended to leave a lasting effect on him through the night. Once he restocked the supply up front and made sure all the displays were aligned and correct, he took a moment to revel in his work with a wide satisfied grin.
His other coworkers were also doing the same, dividing the work since the space of the store was massive. Wonshik glanced around quickly to see if the coast was clear and wandered over to a section of the store with light steps. One of the newer scents they had stocked today had nearly been sold out and he wanted to know why. Throughout his workday he had wanted to know what it smelled like - since that was the obvious factor to their nearly empty shelves. The design of the bottle was just as eye catching as the rest of them with its name a cute two words.
Snowkissed Citrus.
The smell was not what he thought at all. He had the bottle of lotion near his nose and was blinking in confusion as his mind's eye gave him a crazy visual. It was a cold crisp day with freshly powdered snow all around him. He sensed someone in front of him and before he could lift his head, he felt the arms of another person wrapped around his torso. And as he stood there stiff as a rock, the scent of the bottle he was holding flooded his senses once more. There was warm laughter in his ear and for some reason his heart was beating really -
"Wonshik! We've finished on this side, let's get out of here!"
Wonshik blinked and the scene his mind created flickered away to reveal his coworkers heading to the back room with their aprons already off. He followed after them in a daze and headed to his locker to change, the pleasant feeling he had felt from before already beginning to fade.
"That was...strange." He muttered to himself as he rubbed the back of his neck in thought. Thinking to pay it no mind, he shook his head to forget about it, zipped up his coat and walked out the back door with his coworkers.
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"Wow, this is your next commission?" The voice in front of Taekwoon was in awe, making him glance up from his phone.
Sat across from him was his longtime friend Hakyeon who was staring at his sketches on the table with admiration. He worked as a full time model and was already signed with a high end brand name. It wasn't difficult to see why. Even in a simple sweater and slacks, this man had already received glances of interest upon stepping into the coffee shop.
Meanwhile, Taekwoon was working as a freelancer artist trying to get commissions from those that enjoyed his work. It made enough money for him to get by, and he genuinely loved what he did, but his family had been recently getting under his skin about the stability of it all. It had started to annoy him, so he had decided to finally tell Hakyeon about it -- since it bothered him more than he thought it would. So here they sat, in his favorite coffee shop although a bit off topic since Hakyeon had all but yanked his sketchbook out of his hands to admire his work.
"Yeah, it is. I'll have it done by the end of the week to ship to them. Hopefully." Taekwoon replied before taking a sip from his cup. The bitterness of the coffee lingered at the back of his throat as he set the cup down and propped his chin on to his hand.
"So, my family - "
"Ah! Right! I was distracted for a bit, why didn't you remind me!" Hakyeon said as he carefully closed the sketchbook and slid it back to him. Taekwoon pursed his lips to his friend at his behavior but decided to shrug it off with a sigh.
"I love drawing, Hakyeon. I want to stay in this profession as much as I can. But my family's belief in me doesn't seem like much right now." He quietly explained as he caught the attentiveness of his friend's eyes on him. After a moment, Hakyeon leaned forward and reached up to pat Taekwoon on the shoulder consolingly.
"Then stay in it, Taekwoon. You've got me cheering for you, remember? Stability is everything to some, but for other professions - as long as the passion is there, I believe you could get through anything."
Taekwoon about expected this response. He knew the words that he had said, as he said it to himself thousands of times before. He could only let out a sigh as he collapsed into his arms, thinking of his long day ahead of him.
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Wonshik smiled down at his phone as he waited by the break room for the start of his shift. He stared fondly at the photo of his french bulldog Butt as he sat in a pile of snow looking adorable as always. His good friend Jaehwan had taken out Butt for a stroll right after he left for work. All Wonshik asked in return was aesthetic photos of his dog.
Upon giggling to himself for the tenth time at the picture, he set it as his lock screen wallpaper and composed himself as he saw that it was time for work. Tightening the red apron around his waist, Wonshik glanced at a mirror and adjusted his bangs quickly before heading out. He headed to the front of the store with extra shopping bags in tow to give to incoming customers, when he caught a wiff of something familiar.
It took a moment for his brain to register the scent, but a flash of the weird memory he had the day before struck him and it made him stop in his steps. It was Snowkissed Citrus. He was sure of it. But what was it doing smelling so strong around him as if a whole bucket of it had spilled before him?
A line of people exiting the store came his way, making him take a step to the side to avoid them. That movement caused him to bump shoulders into another customer. When he turned his head to courteously apologize, he was met nearly eye to eye with them. It was rare to meet someone nearly the same height as him, especially where he worked. This customer was exceptionally handsome though, with features that caught the eye -- a physique that screamed tone, and legs that were made for models. He had a small coffee in his hand, and a messenger bag slung across his shoulder.
But only one thing was concerning him -- the overwhelming scent of Snowkissed Citrus practically coming off the customer in waves.
What was going on?