Work Text:
Knock. Knock...Knock.
“Come on in, Attorney Woo!” Myeongseok recognized the signature tap could belong to no other. But with the pile of folders sitting on his desk, whatever Youngwoo had in mind would probably have to wait. Concentrating on the document in his hand, he glanced up only when he sensed her presence across his desk. “How may I…?”
What in the world!
He’d been transported to the alternate universe of Hanbada de Bizzaro.
It was the only explanation for Youngwoo’s wacky appearance, donning a black cloak that covered her entirely from her neck down, with one hand holding an orange bucket and the other carrying a blue plastic bag. Even her hair was different. She’d tucked it behind her ears and parted her bangs, a look he was not familiar with but found it appealing all the same.
No, there was no time for bewitching hairstyle appreciation when his poor brain was spinning.
“Trick or treat!” Wearing a full teeth grin, Youngwoo shoved the bucket in front of his face. A googly-eyed pumpkin to be exact. Too busy processing the puzzling scene before him, his dumbstruck brain cells - or whatever was left of them - failed to react. She titled her head to the side, brows furrowed. “It’s Halloween. Did you not know?”
He gave himself a clearing shake. “I do now. But don’t you think we’re too old for the festivity?”
“Trick or treat,” she repeated, not bothering to acknowledge his comment.
He’d intended to ignore her and get back to the backlog of work vying for his attention, but with the expectant way her big round eyes regarded him, he found it impossible to deny her anything.
Then again, it wasn’t like he had candies to give away.
“One second.” Myeongseok began rummaging through his desk. Paper clips. Pens. Sticky notes. His drawer of exciting stationery held nothing appropriate for the occasion. He patted his pockets and took out the only thing he had. Inedible, but at least, practical. Opening his wallet, he pulled out a banknote and slipped it inside the pumpkin bucket. “Here you go.”
When she continued to stare at him, he added another banknote. And then, another. In the face of Youngwoo's inaction, he finally gave in. Turning his wallet upside down, he shook its entire content into the vessel. “Happy?”
He’d bankrupted himself, but she remained as still as a dignified statue, eyes unwaveringly pinned somewhere between his collar and vest.
“I don’t have more even if you keep staring. I assure you, money does not grow out of my ears,” he muttered drily.
“That’s not why I’m staring."
“Oh, in that case, can I please have some of my money back? I’d love to be able to pay for lunch instead of washing dishes as a trade.” He stood and walked around his desk. The instant he went for the bucket, she moved it out of his reach.
“You’re wearing a suit, Attorney Jung.”
What did I just hear? His arm hung awkwardly in the air, uncertain what he was supposed to do with such an enlightening observation.
“Yes, Attorney Obvious. I find that clients prefer I don’t show up to meetings nude. They may throw stuff at me,” he stated with a hint of amusement.
“But it’s Halloween! What are you supposed to be?” A pout on her lips, she was apparently displeased he hadn’t dressed up in some fancy clothes for the event.
Though technically, his made-to-measure suits were certainly fancy - imported fabric, crisp and refined cutting, handmade by the best tailors in the city.
“Two minutes ago, I was a smart lawyer,” he drawled without shame. “Right now, a very broke smart lawyer, thanks to you and your orange buddy.”
How was it that he kept finding himself engaged in inane verbal duels with Youngwoo?
She gave him a thorough once over, studying him from head to toe. “It’s a good thing I have a plan B ready, or we would never stand a chance to win the Hanbada Halloween contest.”
“Win what? There’s a competition?”
Since when did Hanbada start hosting Halloween contests? It had to be that new HR they'd recently recruited buzzing up the workplace to appeal to younger employees. There was even a weird name for the initiative. S.O.P - ’Sassy Office Program’ be damned. As one of Hanbada's high level managers, Myeongseok was supposed to be a role model and encourage it too.
Except, he hadn’t a sassy bone in him.
“There was an announcement in our inbox last week, and the posters are pinned on the walls only every three meters. I’m surprised you haven’t noticed.” Youngwoo waved her arms around in a gleeful motion. “We need to enter in pairs, and the grand prize is two tickets to the Andaman Islands.”
He was unsure whether to feel flattered or curse at his bad luck for being picked as the other half of said pair. He had never been a fan of Halloween.
“And I’m guessing the Andaman has whales and dolphins?” At her enthusiastic nod, Myeongseok blew out a breath. He hadn’t known about this, and the way she was so vested meant she had to be disappointed in him. “My mistake. I didn’t prepare-“
“It’s not a problem! I’ve got you covered!” she reassured, her tone excited.
Too excited.
His stomach did a little flip, wary of what her overactive imagination had in store for him.
“What do you mean?” He vaguely recalled the mention of a plan B. “Wait, what’s with the mysterious cloak anyway? What are you supposed to be?”
Youngwoo untied the bow and shed the cloak to reveal her own three-piece suit, featuring a white dress shirt, charcoal gray tie, and black vest, jacket, and trousers. The combination eerily matched his current attire to a T. She even had a tie clip on, sitting at exactly the same eighty-seven degrees as his. From her suit pocket, she took out a pair of glasses and put them on, the accessory also identical to the one perched on his nose. “Ta-da!”
With that parted-bangs-and-tucked-behind-ears hairstyle, the entire ensemble made her look like…
“I’m afraid to ask, but I have a feeling you’re going to tell me anyway,” he murmured, holding onto that tiny - micro, nano, almost nonexistent - shred of hope that he could be wrong.
“I’m you!” she exclaimed before impersonating him in a deep voice, “I didn’t ask because I don’t know. I asked to teach."
Youngwoo made him sound like a blockhead. Though he admittedly felt an urge to laugh, he pursed his lips instead. Arms folded, he gave her a stoic glare. “That’s very funny.”
“That’s very funny,” she imitated again, crossing her arms and nailing his scowl. And this time, the vision of her mimicking him was too crazy cute that he couldn’t help but break into a hearty laugh.
Myeongseok quirked a brow at her. “It seems me wearing my usual suit is the perfect turnout after all. This way, we have matching costumes.”
“It’s not complete yet.” Youngwoo picked up the plastic bag and retrieved two goofy-looking narwhal-shaped beanies. With tusks and everything. Flabbergasted into absolute stillness, he could not move when she slipped the beanie on his head and wore the other one herself. “There!"
“What is this? I thought we were supposed to be doppelgängers: Smart Attorney Jung Myeongseok!” The hat was exactly the opposite of smart. He wanted to take it off but had a feeling the stubborn woman would stuff it back on his head the second he did.
“We are! We're just the new and improved 2.0 version!” she explained, but it still made zero sense to him.
“2.0?”
“We’re not just normal smart, but Whaley,” she said pointing at herself and then, at him, “Whaley Smart Attorney Jung Myeongseok.”
Really, really smart.
Really, really…hell.
“How whale-thought of you,” he remarked sarcastically. “Why does this feel more like a trick than a treat? Do I really have to wear this all day?”
“The committee will judge us covertly throughout the day and announce the winner this evening. Without the beanies, it would be hard to catch their attention.” Youngwoo did a little twirl around him, showing off her outfit. “I think we can win.”
God, he was ready to expire on the spot with embarrassment wearing the dopey piece of thing on his head. But seeing her so hopeful, he didn’t have the heart to let her down either.
Sighing, he turned to the side and caught their reflection in the glass. They would look like a pair of cartoonish giant and mini Myeongseok strutting around the office. So much for his reputation as a respectable law technician. For her, he was going to be Whaley Smart Attorney 2.0, who wouldn’t be taken seriously the whole day.
The things he would do for Youngwoo just to see that smile on her face though...
Once resigned to his fate, he began to appreciate the humor in the situation. It was dorky, outlandish, and something he believed would be a happy memory when they looked back years from now.
“Fine. But let it be remembered that I once made this very, very devastating sacrifice for your sake, Attorney Woo.”
Youngwoo pulled out her phone. “We can even take a picture as proof.”
Cue haunting music. High pitched screaming.
Oh the horror! A visual evidence of him looking like this for keepsake?
Before he could object, she huddled close to him, the delightful scent of her vanilla shampoo making him feel giddy, his mind euphorically dumb. For heaven’s sake, he was a grown ass man. Why was he still experiencing butterflies and the follies of middle school crushes? It was impossible not to. Not when her captivating expression was one of pure joy. He couldn't tear his eyes away.
“Cheese!” She held her phone up and captured a selfie of them.
They both inspected the photo and laughed at how ridiculous they looked. The shot was also…sweet. Youngwoo was grinning into the camera, her happiness so contagious that anyone who saw her would naturally respond in kind. Myeongseok was also smiling but not at the camera. He was watching her with doting affection.
It was an accurate depiction of how he was around Youngwoo when she wasn’t driving him mad, or probably, even then.
Protective, in awe, and utterly smitten.
He was a hopeless case.
As the laughter dwindled down, she turned to him. “Thank you, Attorney Jung, for playing along. I know you don’t like Halloweens, but you’ve been so stressed lately, I thought a silly distraction would be good for you. And as a bonus, we can win a free trip too.”
She did this for me?
He was rendered speechless, moved by her thoughtfulness. In the guise of a prank, she’d gone through all the trouble just to cheer him up. Youngwoo was right. So focused on fighting one case after another, he was wearing himself thin on the Burnout Express.
He’d needed this. Needed a laugh. Needed…her.
After a heartbeat, she added, “You look adorable with that beanie on.”
Heat flooded his face. Undoubtedly, a pink shade colored his cheeks, turning him into a whaley bright red bulb. Myeongseok had been called a lot of things, but ‘adorable’ had to be a first.
“Uh, thank you.” So are you, he was about to say when the phone on his desk began to ring. “I need to take this call. Should we meet for lunch?”
She nodded, returning the cash from the pumpkin to him. “I look forward to trick-or-treating together. See you at noon!”
She did this for me, his mind repeated over and over again.
He wanted to thank her. Wanted to hug her.
A hopeless case.
Youngwoo was halfway to the door when he silenced his phone and called out to her, “Attorney Woo?”
“Yes?”
Myeongseok closed the distance between them, wanting to see her reaction up close. “No matter if we win the contest or not, let’s go to the Andaman Islands anyway. We can bring these whaley friends along too.”
“Do you mean it?” Her eyes widened in both wonder and anticipation.
“Of course,” he assured with a wink. “That will be our plan B.”