Work Text:
Glutton x Worker Ant : In which Sun-woo Chang (Glutton) and Gu Seung-hyo (Worker Ant) meet up again 3 months following the events of the final episode.
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A lean man in his late 30s, unkempt bangs shielding his eyes, sits outside a convenience store. He taps his hands against his knees, restless, waiting for his companion who's in line to pay at the counter. Sun-woo Chang watches as Gu Seung-hyo steps outside the store and settles beside him. The latter places a plastic bag on the table containing a six pack of beer and a selection of peanuts and chips.
"About time you got here." True to his nickname, Glutton takes the first beer. Why go through the decencies of offering one to his friend? The can hisses open and he gulps loudly, savoring the alcohol as though saving him from thirst.
Kicking him under the table, Worker Ant scoffs. "You must've forgotten— I paid for this crap." He opens a beer for himself and takes a small sip.
"You're awfully lax for a newly appointed president. The Seung-hyo I know camps out in his office until late in the evening," Glutton muses. "But here you are drinking with your old college buddy. Amidst the autumn leaves falling from the trees... here you are, with me...."
"Shut your mouth. Being poetic doesn't suit you." Seung-hyo, the stockier man of the two, rolls the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows and removes his tie. "Don't think I'm used to this set up. I'm aching to dig into the policy reports the legal team sent over, but there needs to be a balance between work and rest... so I'm told."
"Who told you— No-eul?"
Worker Ant rips open a bag of corn chips, grabs a handful and tosses it into his mouth, taking his time to chew.
"Man, word spreads like a metastatic tumor at Sangook even after you're both gone!" Glutton bellows out laughing. "Your silence confirms to me that you're dating her indeed?"
"Did you hear it from the nurse who dumped you— Eunha-ssi, was it?" Worker Ant smirks at his comeback. "Do you still keep in touch?"
"Don't you mention that!" Glutton threatens to smack his friend on the head. "Didn't see her when I got my severance pay— but I overheard Deputy Director Joo and Dr. Ye. Happy?"
"You overhear a lot of things."
"Thanks to me, you were in the loop when you were the hospital's president then."
"Ye Jin-woo still noses around?" Worker Ant leans back against the chair, mildly curious about Dr. Ye Sun-woo's older brother.
"He's like a brother to No-eul," says Glutton. "And so am I," he adds proudly.
"Your point being?"
"Mess with her and you're through." Glutton pretends to throw a punch, his knuckles brushing against Worker Ant's jaw.
"Who says I'm messing with anybody?"
"Ha, as if we hadn't had our share of girls following us around in college!" Glutton pops the tab open on his second beer. "We were young and stupid to have led them on for nothing."
"I'd punch the 21-year-old Gu Seung-hyo if I ever met him again," Worker Ant agrees. He's about to open another bag of chips when he notices a group of teenagers not far from where they were sitting. Huddled together, they're passing around what was an unmistakable pack of cigarettes.
"Ya— you can't smoke in public! Should I call the police?" Seung-hyo roars at them.
Glutton looks over his shoulder and smirks. "It's terribly difficult to get in line for a lung transplant. Do you want to take that route? I know a lot of doctors who can cut you open—"
The youngsters immediately disperse, cursing at the two older men as they leave.
"Any other day and you'd have asked those kids to light your cigarette," says Glutton.
Worker Ant shakes his head ever so slightly. "Not anymore."
"When was your last?"
"34 days ago."
"Ah... which tells me No-eul is a nagging girlfriend. She must berate you about it all the time."
"She isn't a nag."
"But she is your girlfriend," Glutton affirms, snapping his fingers. "Gotcha."
Unable to deny it anyway, Worker Ant decides to divert the topic. He rubs his temple and squints his eyes. "You don't smell like smoke. Have you gone cold turkey too?"
"Not a chance," Glutton replies. "I only kept myself clean today because I was meeting you. How considerate of me, eh?"
"How heroic. Are you really not returning to work soon?"
"Not this year, I won't." Glutton looks up at the sky. "I'll be out on a cruise in a week. Might not be back to spend Christmas in Korea, but who cares... I'm free at last."
"Suit yourself." Seeing Sun-woo Chang's content smile at the prospect of travelling overseas... it's more than enough to convince Worker Ant that this might be what his buddy needs at the moment. Glutton's worn himself out more than he'll care to admit, Gu Seung-hyo concludes. "Shall we make a toast?" he offers.
The two men raise their drinks.
"Cheers to seeing the world," Worker Ant begins.
"Cheers to quitting cigarettes," Glutton adds.
"To being free at last!" Gu Seung-hyo chuckles.
"To dating No-eul!" Sun-woo Chang teases.
Their beer cans clink together, strengthening the seal of 20 years' worth of friendship.