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Joonghyuk had spent the last four hours gaming in the dark corner of his apartment. The sounds of his computer mouse clicking filled the air, that was all he heard for those four hours.
Until his phone buzzed, he tore his eyes from the blue light of his computer screen and fixed them on his phone. It was a notification, he pressed the message and let the face recognition work. The message was from Sooyoung, he glared at the phone for a long while.
”Come out and go to the café or stay rotting in your hell hole? This isn’t a hell hole.” Joonghyuk grumbled while reading the text out loud. Nothing about his apartment was a hell hole, other than the assortment of midnight snacks he had laying on the coffee table.
Empty ramen bowls, chip bags, candy wrappings, and empty energy cans lay sprawled out on the smooth, black coffee table. He stayed in the darkness for the majority of the day.
The only rare occasion Joonghyuk left home was to work out at the nearby gym every other day. That was his goal he would keep this year. His other goals were that he would place high in the pro gaming championships, get a girlfriend, and go out more.
The last goal was hardly reachable since he lived and breathed gaming in his cozy home.
Joonghyuk let out a sigh, running a hand through his tangled hair before pushing off of his knees to stand up. He switched the lighting from OFF to DIM, so he would be able to see a little bit without damaging his eyes from instant brightness.
He glanced at the mirror before heading to the bathroom, freshening up before he grabbed random clothes to jumble together and call an outfit. Joonghyuk stretched out his arms as he ended up picking a tightly fitted black shirt, he almost forgot he had clothes like these. This was usually reserved for his gym workouts, but he’s too lazy to change his outfit now.
He stepped into dark gray sweatpants before styling his hair in the mirror and grabbing a bag to leave with. Joonghyuk expected to be at the café for at least three hours, Sooyoung calls him for these café emergencies so she could write.
As her one and only friend, he is forced to read her drafts for every chapter she types up. In all honesty, Joonghyuk didn’t even know why he was there because Sooyoung wrote absolutely fine. As long as there aren’t any grammatical errors, it sounds good to him.
He shoved his feet into his black sneakers before closing his apartment door and heading out onto the streets of Seoul. The café they frequent is open almost 24 hours a day; he doesn’t mind the café because he always liked the scent of the freshly ground coffee that wafted into his nose.
Joonghyuk swiftly made his way into the rather empty café. There were only three groups of people, which were common businesspeople hoping to get their fill of caffeine before their vigorous schedules. He selected a small, round table near the middle of the café.
The raven-haired man slammed his head down on the table, he was drained. His hands felt like they were cramping up and he needed to crack his knuckles. He must’ve hit his head hard because when he lifted his head, the whole café was looking at him.
Joonghyuk didn’t mind the stares, it made sense. From the bits and pieces of conversion he was eavesdropping on, this was a small meeting to clarify the designs of the game they were developing. He enjoyed listening to people talk about game development. He would never get into the technicalities, but learning about what entertains him is an experience.
He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms and looking around to see if Sooyoung had arrived yet. Dark brown eyes met him, it surprised him. Joonghyuk always found eye contact to be awkward, especially if he caught the person looking at him.
The other man must have felt the same by the way his irises avoided his gaze. Joonghyuk shrugged before laying his head on the table, he felt his eyebags dragging lower by each day. The coolness of the table reminded him of the hack that people used to get rid of puffiness with a cold spoon left in the refrigerator.
Slam.
”Hey Joonghyuk, are ya sleeping?” Sooyoung slammed her laptop down on the table, the vibrations hurting the man’s head.
“Yes.” He hummed, wanting to not be stuck in the café for hours since Sooyoung doesn’t want to get a professional editor.
“Lies. Anyways, how are you—Oh god. What happened?” Sooyoung interrupted herself as Joonghyuk put his head up from the nest of his arms. He looked similar to a raccoon with his eyebags. Joonghyuk felt exhausted from training.
”Training.” He stated, groaning as Sooyoung pushed his head up and squished his cheeks.
”You need to take care of yourself. Nobody wants a stinky, old hag that doesn’t take care of themself.” Sooyoung yapped on and on. He appreciated her harsh phrases with concerned undertones.
But, he wasn’t focused on her right now. His eyes shifted to the person a few seats behind her. It was that guy, the one he made contact with earlier. Joonghyuk felt awkward that they kept making contact. He cleared his throat and zoned back in to hear Sooyoung’s rambling about her book.
She listed the fantasy elements, the main plot points, and the confusing parts that Joonghyuk gave up on trying to understand. “Isn’t it grandiose in the big picture? It’s high effort.” Sooyoung boasted as Joonghyuk stared blankly at her face that beamed with excitement.
”Since you seem so bored, why don’t we start reading this?” She opened her laptop and pressed the button that takes them to a document. It was her draft for the book, she was on her 21st page in Google Docs. It was impressive, Joonghyuk could never compel himself to write that much.
He didn’t respond, ignoring what she just said.
“Argh! What type of mistake is that?! I guess I was exhausted.” Sooyoung grumbled through gritted teeth as she corrected a stupid spelling mistake on the word ‘scheming’. Joonghyuk listened to her rants while he scrolled through, reading the pages in his mind.
It took a few hours, but they were finished. They were also the only ones left in the café. The empty café made it look like they were in some ghost town that nobody visited. It made sense because it was midnight, and the sky morphed into a deeper shade of navy blue.
Joonghyuk stretched out his limbs while eliciting every noise he could concoct, it always felt nice when he had the chance to let his emotions out in the form of noises. He was just tired at this point, he imagined his comfortable bed with his dark gray comforter that retained the warmth of the sun until the cold moonlight ripped the warmth from his bed.
It was the next week. Time skipped by so fast that Joonghyuk didn’t get to catch his breath. He took a trip to the gym, working on his leg strength because of how often he sits while training for the e-sports competitions.
He took a quick trip to the café nearby his apartment to grab a black coffee. Joonghyuk’s feet led him to the line for the cashier. He tapped his foot rhythmically, one airpod was in his ear blasting indie music.
“One black coffee!” A worker yelled out as she placed an array of drinks on the table. It must be a busy day for the workers, Joonghyuk empathized with them. He used to work shifts at Starbucks before he got his competitive gaming job.
He thanked the woman as his hand wrapped around the warm plastic coffee cup. The hot air from his coffee floated in the café. Joonghyuk took a seat at the small table for one person. These tables were probably made for people who are studying.
Joonghyuk took a sip and choked up, the liquid burned his tongue as he started to cough up a storm. He placed his head down on the cool table to quiet himself down. Everyone in the café had their eyes on him, due to the ruckus he created.
He felt his ears burn with embarrassment, they grew redder as time passed. Everyone carried on with their normal day as Joonghyuk kept his head down on the table.
”You good?” A voice spoke from above him. From what Joonghyuk heard, it sounded like the person was taking the seat across from him. He lifted his head apprehensively, eyes staring down at the stranger in front of him. “No need to do that, I’m not going to scold you or anything.”
Joonghyuk ceased his glares to observe the man sitting across from him. “Who are you?” He questioned, brows arched and a wrinkle formed in between his eyebrows.
“You might not remember me, but I was here when you were at a meeting. It was with that girl who was shouting at you to wake up every now and then.” The man recounted the memory as Joonghyuk’s eyes flew to the ceiling.
He was trying to remember that time. It was with Sooyoung, of course. The raven-haired man propped his head on his hand before taking a good look at the stranger in front of him. Hmm… He had no noticeable features that would catch his eye. Average. He looked average.
”I’m guessing you don’t remember.” The man chirped, giving a smug smirk before handing him a business card. “I’m Kim Dokja, I work for a social media marketing team. I think you would suit the company image.”
“Wait… You’re who now?” Joonghyuk tried to listen to the man as he was spewing sentences at the speed of light.
“Kim Dokja.” Dokja clicked his tongue with another tight-lipped smile. Was he upset? Joonghyuk could tell by the way he whipped up his phone and his head was directly down toward his lap.
Oh! Oh. Joonghyuk examined the other before realizing it. It was that one guy when he went here to revise Sooyoung’s plans. He was on his phone and awkwardly kept eye contact with him.
“Okay Kim Dokja, I’m not job-searching at the moment—”
“I know, you’re a known gamer in Korea, user Yoo_JH999” Dokja quipped before Joonghyuk could finish his sentence.
He knows? Interesting. That’s not surprising, since Joonghyuk is one of the top five gamers in Korea. “Are you a fan? You don’t have to offer me anything you can just ask—”
“I’m quite the opposite.” Dokja cut him off again, his eyes sharply looking down at Joonghyuk’s resting head with his arms crossed. Like he had authority over him.
The wrinkles between his eyebrows deepened, who was Dokja? Was he after him somehow? No. He said he was the opposite of a fan, an anti-fan? Joonghyuk’s mind raced, is there anything he’s done wrong to be disliked?
He couldn’t remember anything other than his standoffish personality that could be disliked. His brain shuffled through anything that this sly man in front of him could not like.
Joonghyuk’s eyes switched from his warm coffee set on the table toward the other sitting in front of him. This guy seemed suspicious, why is he so menacing? His brows furrowed more as his eyes skimmed over the man’s facial features.
Wait. He had a smile plastered on his face. Joonghyuk was used to seeing fanboys once in a while, but this smile felt off. This was his anti-fan. But he was eerie just from the teeth that he bared as a smile.
“Is there something wrong, Mr. Yoo? I was just wondering if you wanted to be a part of this promotional event for the company I’m a part of.” Dokja’s grin dropped before speaking, his voice was an advertisement for this company.
He would definitely ask Sooyoung about this strange encounter later. Joonghyuk shifted in his seat, hands enveloping his cup of coffee. “What company?” His eyes met Dokja’s cunning dark umber eyes as he inquired the other.
“Startpoint. I know you’ve worked with us before, so you can quickly make your choice. I’ll wait.” Dokja shooed the other.
How dare he? Shooing him out of his own spot. Joonghyuk was familiar with Startpoint, it was one of the bigger game companies. How could they hire such a conniving brat like Dokja?
“I think that’s a bit rude, even for someone of influencer status like you.” Just the sound of his voice irritated Joonghyuk, the conviction in his voice was strong enough to persuade a mountain to move.
But Joonghyuk wasn’t a mountain.
To top it off, Dokja acting so arrogant as he would decide in the next five minutes ticked him off.
“Startpoint? I’ll think about it. I have other opportunities that I have on the back burner.” He brushed off the other’s insolent excuse of an offer.
It looks like that affected him, his eyes widened for a quick moment before sharpening again, like a knife to steel. This probably wasn’t his first time bargaining for influencers to join the promotional event.
They stared for a while, Dokja’s sly eyes with a hint of a smile that lay on his lips. Joonghyuk’s ice-cold vision as he kept on glaring in silence.
“I think that’s enough Dokja, we’ll give him time to consider working with us.” A woman with waist-length, light brown hair apologized to Joonghyuk as her hand rested on Dokja’s shoulder. Her hand patted the other as Dokja broke his stare to look up at her.
“Is it time to leave?”
“Yes it is, we’ll give you a week to consider your decision, Mr. Yoo. I apologize for his impolite behavior.” She bowed before the gamer and he read her ID card that hung from her neck.
Yoo Sangah. Interesting. She seemed like a sweet woman, the opposite of the man who now stood up, bidding him goodbye. “Goodbye, Mr. Yoo. I hope you carefully consider your options with caution.”
Joonghyuk leered at the other’s fake eye smile that followed the other’s expression of false sincerity. This guy was a pain in the ass. “I will. Thank you Sangah.” He purposely left out the other but nodded at the pair before leaving.
What a weird day. He murmured before he remembered his coffee cup. It was lukewarm, almost cooled down. Damn.
It was next week, Joonghyuk’s been nonstop streaming with other influencers. It was tiring, to say the least, the other’s rash actions during the rounds would wear him out. Their bad decisions would bring the team down.
There was this one reliable guy. From what Joonghyuk saw, he was a man who recently finished his military service with short hair and broad shoulders. Lee Hyunsung. A very dependable guy, Joonghyuk wondered what he did before he picked up gaming as a career.
Hmm. His curiosity peaked as he surfed through his team’s Instagram accounts. Joonghyuk clicked on Hyunsung’s account, the profile picture was him with an almost blinding smile. He could see his appeal to women, a kind, respectful man with unbending loyalty. Whose attitude was kin to a golden retriever
Wait. He had to take a double take, no way that was… Dokja.
It definitely was, Hyunsung’s most recent post was of him and a group of friends. Oh, that was Sangah and Dokja. Was he an ex-employee of Startpoint?
The photo contained Hyunsung, Dokja, Sangah, and four others who were gathered at what seems to be a Korean barbecue restaurant. Their bright smiles and flushed faces made it obvious that they were drunk (or at least buzzed).
Dokja’s face in the photo seemed carefree, his eyes ceased of the sly tricks he had up his sleeve. Joonghyuk examined the photo for a little bit before he shut off his monitor. That reminded him, he needed to answer Startpoint about his decision.
It was a yes, as long as he didn’t see that brat anywhere.
Joonghyuk changed into suitable attire (something that isn’t his four-year-old faded gray shirt and shorts) and headed out of the door. Stepping down the staircase as he preferred the slight exercise from it.
He called a taxi and sent the driver the location. Startpoint Games. He’s worked with them before, he cooperated with some older man with a short temper. Joonghyuk wondered if the man got replaced with Dokja.
The gamer stood in front of the company building, it was ginormous. He walked toward the door and opened it, meeting with the receptionist. “Mr. Yoo? Right over here sir.” She beckoned him toward the glass door down the hallway on the right.
He followed her instructions before catching a glimpse of light brown hair by the door. Joonghyuk stood by the woman, it was Sangah. She appeared to be nervous by the way she chewed her bottom lip and constantly checked her phone.
“Excuse me, is this where I’m supposed to be?” Joonghyuk tapped her shoulder, causing the woman to jump and cease her scare to regain her breath.
“Yes, Mr. Yoo.” She grinned with a nod. She is a pretty woman. He noted, her long hair was silky, laying on her clothes so neatly.
“You don’t have to call me that if we’ll be working together.” He told her as the other’s eyebrow lifted.
“What should I call you then?”
“Joonghyuk, no need for the formalities.”
The confusion in her eyes faded away as a smile lay on her rosy lips. “Alright, Joonghyuk! You’re supposed to wait in here.” She opened the glass door to reveal a meeting room with a round table.
The man sat down in one of the chairs near the head of the table. Sangah left the room a few minutes ago, so it was just himself. Joonghyuk pulled out his phone to start idly playing games.
That was until he created a thought that made him hyper-aware of his posture, straightening his back. Dokja could be around this building, Joonghyuk has no idea what the guy has against him. It does intrigue him, he does want to find out what the issue is.
“Welcome welcome Mr. Yoo! We’re glad to hear a response from you.” A man clapped as he grandiosely entered the meeting room with a team of assistants and secretaries. He must be a high-ranking man. The head of the marketing department, perhaps.
“Yes sir, I’ve made my decision.” Joonghyuk spoke as the man laid his head on his hands.
“So? Are you willing to go with the promotional event?”
“As long I get paid equally for the amount of work that I do. I will agree if it is fair.” Joonghyuk tried his best to sound eloquent, as he hasn’t spoken to real people since Sooyoung invaded his apartment to nag at him.
“That’s a done deal. We’ll have merch and small collector’s packs of your fandom items in-game. Would that be fair for your audience as well?” The man added the offer and further explained how the game was going to be during the event.
Joonghyuk hummed, it sounded good. He eventually stopped listening to the man when he kept rambling on about how he searched far and wide for a candidate. He called him ‘the perfect candidate’. Joonghyuk wasn’t so sure, some of his comrades were a lot better and friendly than him.
“It’s my pleasure to work with Startpoint Games.” Joonghyuk interrupted the man’s neverending rambling and stood up, bowing to him before taking his leave.
His eyes were glued to his phone as he was leaving the building. His hand kept the door open for some workers before he walked on the sidewalk. Sooyoung lives near here, right? Joonghyuk spun around in a circle, looking for any street signs to direct him.
There it is. He made his way toward the apartment complex, buzzing the door to be let in. “Yes? What do you— Joonghyuk?! This is a pleasant surprise!” She clasped her hands together with an unnerving smile.
Joonghyuk was shoved into her apartment as her apartment remained clean. Although her personality could be messy, her workspace is spotless. A coffee-stained mug laid on the table as Joonghyuk took a seat on the leather couch.
“A lot happened this week.” He let out a sigh while rubbing his temples.
“What happened? I finished my manuscript, now I just need to send it.” Sooyoung brought out a stack of papers that were held by a couple of small paperclips.
“I got a sponsor from Startpoint Games, the guy who asked me was such a brat. And he seems to be everywhere I look, like a roach.” Joonghyuk fiddled with his thumbs while Sooyoung raised her eyebrow.
“What brat? Is he hot?” Sooyoung leaned over toward him.
“What?—That’s not the point.” He shook his head while going on about the story. “He was rude and acted like a know-it-all.”
Joonghyuk recounted the entire story of Dokja’s disrespect at the coffee shop to her. He still couldn’t believe that someone could be that rude to him. Even if they didn’t like Joonghyuk, he knows that he deserves to be treated like an equal.
“Well well, you’ve seemed to have met your match! You’re both rude, disrespectful, pain-in-the-ass know-it-alls!” Sooyoung cheered while patting Joonghyuk’s back.
The pale man glared as she backed away cautiously. If looks could kill, she would have been dead years ago when she first befriended Joonghyuk. “Anyway, if you’re not helping me with sending my manuscript, you can take your leave.” She ushered him out before the taller could speak.
The door shut in his face with a loud slam! He found it ironic that she was the one who shut him out when she dragged him into the apartment first. Joonghyuk’s fingers fiddled with the phone in his hands. He had no clue what to do. It was a free day.
He wanted to take the day off from gaming since he already was a master at most games. Should he maintain his stamina by working out at the gym? Joonghyuk weighed his options quickly, if he worked out, then he could work on his physique; but if he didn’t, he could stay inside his wonderful apartment and lounge around.
Joonghyuk took the former idea and jogged down the apartment stairs. This would be his ‘level one’ to exercise. The man made his way to the main lobby, taking long strides toward the exit. He opened the glass door hastily, accidentally bumping someone’s face in the process. “My mistake—” His voice trailed off as he made contact with the person whose face got hit by the door.
It was Dokja, the brat was rubbing his forehead like a child. His face scrunched up as he let out a groan. “God…” He mumbled before his eyes met with the gamer’s darker eyes. “You! Yoo Joonghyuk!”
Joonghyuk stared daggers into the other’s eyes as the other made eye contact with him. He whipped his head around and steadily jogged away from the man who was now chasing him down the street.
“Hey! Stop!” Dokja called out, his footsteps followed suit in Joonghyuk’s jogs. “Damn, why is your stamina so good?” He complained before slowing down his sprint. He had his two hands curled around his mouth like they were sound amplifiers. “You can stop now!” He shouted so it could reach the other’s ears.
The gamer’s jog soon enough formed into a walk, then stopped completely. He hesitated, what if he continued to run? That would be a sight to see. Dokja ran after him like a desperate man. That was a sight Joonghyuk wanted to see.
“God, you run so fast for a gamer.” Dokja caught up with him, his hand gripped onto Joonghyuk’s shoulder and the other froze. Dokja’s palm was sweaty. Joonghyuk could feel the heat of his hand through his semi-formal suit jacket.
He wanted to run again, to see Dokja struggle. But the warmth on his hand made him freeze. “Why are you here?” Joonghyuk zoned out, eyes gazing at the park across from the duo. Children were happily playing on the swingsets and the slides. Their cheers reached Joonghyuk’s ears before he was slapped in the face.
What the fuck? His eyes refocused and caught Dokja’s face looking up at him. His eyes were wide, and his under eyes had dark eyebags trailing under them. Dokja looked like a man who hasn’t slept for days.
“Hey. I was talking to you.” Dokja’s voice beckoned Joonghyuk’s attention as the gamer straightened his back again. The other scoffed, “Did you do that so you could size me up?” The man looked out into the distance before staring right back at Joonghyuk.
“No, I was just fixing my posture.” Joonghyuk lied, eyes glazing over Dokja’s height before spitting out “Something you need to do as well.”
Dokja’s mouth was agape. That serves him right. Brat.
Joonghyuk shook off Dokja’s hand before walking through the park. Watching the joyful children laugh and scream to their hearts' content.
“Ya, Joonghyuk!” The man he left behind chased after him, speedwalking.
Joonghyuk picked up his speed that was slower than a run but not a jog.
“Hey!” Dokja’s shouts repeated themselves before loud cries made the both of them stop.
“Waaaa!” A child cried out to the world, the two perked their heads toward the child.
“What’s wrong?” Joonghyuk watched as the man who’s given him a rotten attitude suddenly flipped a switch. Dokja’s voice was much more gentle when speaking with the child.
Joonghyuk felt embarrassed to be standing here. He should’ve comforted the child. But he doesn’t know how to comfort people at all. That’s what Sooyoung said the last time she broke up with her previous boyfriend (whom Joonghyuk disliked).
He stood there for a while. Watching the leaves breaking away from the branches of the tree and fluttering toward the scene of Dokja and the child. The child was bleeding from his knee, he had a backwards cap and crooked teeth. Dokja magically stopped the kid from sobbing his eyes out.
He was now smiling, “Would you like a bandaid?” Dokja dug in the pocket of his skinny black jeans to fish out a regular tan bandaid. “Sorry I don’t have designs on it.” He spoke with such softness that Joonghyuk couldn’t help but gaze at the pair. Dokja’s voice could be soft. Interesting.
“Do you have a pen?” Dokja’s voice suddenly grew firm. Joonghyuk looked up from the whiplash of his voice to see the other’s eyes deadpanned at him.
“No—Why would I have a pen?” Joonghyuk dug through the pockets of his slacks. His hand hit something, a pen. What the hell? When was the last time he wore something like this? He definitely made sure nothing was in these pants before washing them yesterday.
He tossed the black pen over toward the other. Dokja caught the pen with his two hands before uncapping the writing utensil. He started to doodle on the bandaid once he placed it on the kid’s wound. “Here you go! Be more careful, alright? Your mommy wouldn’t want you getting hurt okay?”
There it was again. That voice. The soft, sweeter than honey tone that he used when speaking to the child. The tone that willed Joonghyuk to stay and listen. He’s been standing there for too long, observing the interaction.
“What’s your name?”
“Gilyoung. What’s yours mister?”
“Dokja.”
“Dokja? That’s a cool name.”
“I don’t think so, but thank you.” The man’s hand scratched the back of his neck while he showed a smile to the child. Was he bashful?
“Bye Mister Dokja!” Gilyoung waved before wandering somewhere else in the playground.
Joonghyuk stayed there, almost waiting for Dokja to be by his side.
“Were you waiting for me?” Dokja’s voice was not sweet nor firm. Playful. That’s what Joonghyuk would call this tone. He was playful, there was a shift in his tone from serious to joking.
“No. Why would I do that?” Joonghyuk resumed his speedy pace.
Dokja caught up to his pace this time with a cocky grin on his face. “You’re right. Why would you do that?”
“I didn’t.” Joonghyuk paused, throwing the other off-guard.
Dokja stopped his walking to look into Joonghyuk’s eyes. “But you did. You could have disappeared from my sight for five minutes, but you stayed.” Joonghyuk saw stars in his eyes, those eyes reminded him of the photo on Hyunsung’s Instagram. “Cat’s got your tongue?”
Joonghyuk wouldn’t let him have his victory. “Why weren’t you in the meeting at Startpoint?” He switched the topic, not wanting to talk about why he stayed.
“Oh, right. That was today.” Dokja was quiet, not speaking for a few seconds before smiling with a shrug. “I forgot.”
“You… Forgot?” Joonghyuk repeated the man’s last phrase. How could he forget? Wasn’t that a part of his job? He’ll definitely get fired for that.
“Yes, I did. Why? Were you looking for me?” Dokja sing-songed as he inched toward the gamer with a knowing smile. “Did I catch your eye?”
“No.” Joonghyuk cleared his throat before stating his answer clearly. Though he felt a burning sensation dusted on his cheeks. “I doubt you catch anyone’s eyes with your looks.”
“Oh, I am wounded by your words, Joonghyuk. Imagine if your fans caught wind of this, you calling a poor man ugly?” Dokja feigned hurt with a hand on his chest, over his heart. Dramatic. Joonghyuk hated drama.
He hadn’t dated anyone since his rise to fame due to drama. He didn’t want to have an ex who would be out for attention. Making up rumors about him, or throwing themselves at Joonghyuk. For now, he’ll be known as the handsome but mysterious gamer.
“You wouldn’t.”
“How would you know? After all, I’m not your fan.” Dokja’s breath fanned over Joonghyuk’s neck. He could feel the faint warmth within those sly breaths.
“I know because you wouldn’t want to be fired, would you?” It was low, but Joonghyuk had virtually nothing to hold over Dokja’s head. The man had an ordinary life. The only outstanding part was his connection with Hyunsung.
“Oh, now you’re low-balling. Just as I expected. The rich and famous always act the same.” Dokja’s lips curved upward. Was that a smirk?
Joonghyuk had no other words left to say. His mind went blank, eyes glued to Dokja’s fierce expression.
“Your eyebags are dark, did you get enough sleep yesterday?” Joonghyuk changed the topic once again. He wasn’t lying this time, Dokja looked like a child drew dark purple marker under his eyes.
“You can’t change the topic every time you don’t want to answer, you know?” Dokja caught on fast.
He leaned up into Joonghyuk’s ear with a whisper. “I like your false sincerity. Just what I expected.”
Joonghyuk felt a shiver down his spine as the man’s breath touched the shell of his ear. Starting a wildfire of goosebumps down Joonghyuk’s body.
He stilled, the sensation that his body felt was strange. Joonghyuk almost didn’t notice that Dokja was already halfway out of the park. Leaving him alone with his thoughts.
What the hell was that?
Joonghyuk made his way back home, banging his head on his desk. The keyboard’s keys forced a mark on his forehead. What should he do? All he could think about was that man. The man’s devious smirk, paired with the soft tone that he witnessed today. Not to mention that the last words he whispered fogged up Joonghyuk’s head.
How would he accomplish any work with the stupid brat on his mind? Joonghyuk tried everything: showering, gaming, and even cleaning his apartment. To no avail. After cleaning up the mountain of trash on his coffee table, he saw a used bandaid from when he cut his finger while cutting vegetables.
That reminded him of the kid, Gilyoung. Dokja used his pen that magically appeared in his pocket (so convenient). He drew on a bandaid. Out of all the things his brain could think of, he wondered what he drew. Would that even matter?
Joonghyuk slammed his head once again to clear his mind.
He just had a lot of questions. Hyunsung. Hyunsung would answer him, right? Not even that, he would supply him with all of the answers to his questions without asking. That’s because he was too kind for his own good.
“Hyunsung.”
“Yes, Joonghyuk?” Hyunsung’s voice was clear, his attention fully on the phone call.
“I have a few questions I have to ask you.”
“What are they? Are we becoming close?”
“…Yes.” Joonghyuk slipped a lie, he was here to ask about his friend more than him.
“Ooh, alright! What are your questions?”
“Do you know a Kim Dokja?”
“Dokja? Of course, I do! He’s my favorite coworker. Though he didn’t talk much.”
Joonghyuk ignored the comment about him being Hyunsung’s favorite and pushed on about the last sentence. “He didn’t talk much?”
“Yeah… Other than in group meetings, he would keep to himself. The only other person he would talk to would be Sangah.” Hyunsung clicked his tongue over the phone.
Keep to himself? Joonghyuk wished that Dokja did that. The man seems to have a big mouth when it came to Joonghyuk.
“What does he have to do with us getting close?” Hyunsung queued innocently.
“Nothing. I just befriended him today and I was planning for us three to hang out since we all seem to be familiar with one another.” Joonghyuk concocted an excuse to keep the conversation going.
“That does seem like a great idea! What else do you have planned?”
After creating an itinerary for a nonexistent day they were going to hang out, Joonghyuk finally pulled the answers from Hyunsung. He didn’t think it would take this long.
From what he knows, Dokja is a quiet man who would game during his lunch breaks. It was either that or reading on his phone. He really was plain. Where does his snappy, rude personality come from?
Joonghyuk remembered everything Hyunsung told him. From Dokja’s favorite food being dumplings with chicken broth (also his favorite) to knowing that Dokja hates when people act sleazy.
He’s quite the hypocrite.