Work Text:
You have to talk beautifully,
Inseong is smart. He's intelligent, can do complex maths problems in his head and see solutions before problems even occur. Unfortunately for him, academic intelligence is quite far removed from social common sense, of which, Inseong has absolutely none. This quirk to his character shines through at the worst of times. For example, this instance where he has a table of potential investors all watching him trying to explain his start-up company that helps provide companies third-party regulators. "Trying" being the key word here. Eloquent and articulate are two more quirks that God decided not to bless Inseong with.
The old men take a secondary glance at his resume filled to the thinnest margins possible to make space for his piles upon piles of accolades and accomplishments and then the stuttering, sweating fool in front of them. Inseong does not get a single investor, he doesn't even get a softening-the-blow 'we'll think about it'. Instead, one of them suggests that he should have learnt Korean before he wasted a Communications degree.
Inseong spends an hour crying on that fire exit staircase after that.
Look you have come and wrap it up
Inseong still manages to start up his company. After hedging all of his life savings accumulated over several odd jobs into renting a small ground floor office, he finally moves his business out of his one-bedroom apartment. At first, it was only Inseong and one other person. Lee Jaeyoon was SF Center's one and only manager.
He's also Inseong's best friend since high school. Nepotism at its finest but Jaeyoon is good at his job so no one is complaining. Well no one is complaining about Jaeyoon; Inseong on the other hand. If they had an HR department, Inseong would have likely been fired from his own company already. It's not that he's a bad boss, it's just he isn't a people's person.
Slowly, they hired more people as their company became somewhat succesful. They weren't anywhere near breaking into the top hundred richest companies, they probably weren't even the richest business within a three mile radius but they weren't in the red and honestly that's all that really matter. And the only reason for that was Inseong, who worked overtime nearly everyday when they first started. Behind every spilt coffee and accidentally deleted file was another hour of company time shouldered all by the one and only CEO. When all the other employees watched the clock hands count down till five, Inseong ignored the clock altogether. He was finished when he finished.
No one knew about Inseong who continued to work behind the scenes to keep his company afloat.
No one but Jaeyoon.
Like a man if you are one
"Goodmorning!"
A few cursory glances are cast in the general direction of the building's entrance as Inseong and Jaeyoon enter. Most of the employees don't bother to return their CEO's greeting, the rhythmic click-clacking of their keyboards not breaking for even a second. Many of them have learnt to drown out the high-pitched stutter of their boss. Some of them even roll their eyes.
"The Chief said goodmorning." Jaeyoon repeats with a certain edge to his voice.
Suddenly, the rolling of chair wheels can be heard scraping against the floor as their few employees scramble to their feet. A chorus of greetings is followed by a wave of formal bows. Jaeyoon walks close enough to Inseong so it appears as if these formalities are directed towards the elder. It's all worth it when Inseong's face lights up with a proud smile.
You have to be well-mannered
"Manager Lee, I bought this for you."
A cup of coffee materializes in front of Jaeyoon, the sweet rich aroma of freshly ground coffee wafting into his nose. Their company intern sets down the paper cup with a small smile and quickly makes a beeline back to his desk before Jaeyoon can even say thanks. Jaeyoon eyes the cup of coffee, feeling his mouth salivate slightly as he holds off on downing his free sweet, sweet bean juice.
"Jaeyoon-ah can you copy these reports for me?"
Inseong drops a few folders onto Jaeyoon's desk. He notices the small white takeaway cup and his face instantly lights up.
"Oh coffee!" The CEO snatches the cup and takes a heavy sip only to throw his tongue out of his mouth and start fanning it. "Ah hot! Hot! Fuu-"
The manager chuckles at his boss' misfortune as he alleviates the cup from Inseong's hand, trying to avoid the jerky movements of the older male resulting in the coffee splashing over his hand as well. He pops off the lid and rests the cup back on his desk.
"You have to let it cool down you idiot."
Inseong's lips quirk in a curved line as it always does when Inseong is focused, angry, upset or thinking. The certain expression has many uses but it is unequivocally Inseong. Jaeyoon thinks it's adorably endearing. But then again, everything about Inseong is adorably endearing. Upset at how his precious coffee (that isn't his at all) has betrayed him in such a hurtful way, Inseong turns to scurry back to his desk.
A few minutes later, Jaeyoon enters into Inseong's office with copies of the sales report and a cup of coffee. He sets both down on the desk and watches as the elder's face grows to accommodate a toothy smile. The CEO picks up the cup and practically chugs it down in record time. Jaeyoon is only slightly worried and makes a mental note to cap Inseong's daily caffeine intake. A soft sigh of pleasure emits from the elder as his shoulders sag in relief. He does this little body shimmy and giggles to himself. Jaeyoon resists the urge to lean over and pat his head. Inseong is too cute for his heart to handle.
"We're still on for dinner tonight right?"
Inseong nods fervently in affirmation, "Yes, thanks Yooni!"
"Haha okay, I'll see you after work then."
--
After work comes quickly. The clock hits five and the employees of SF Centre bid their farewells to their manager before leaving quickly, hoping to beat the rush hour traffic. He waves as he watches the small hurdle of men and women leave. And now he's left all alone inside these grey walls. Well, almost all alone.
Jaeyoon finishes the private equity report about half an hour later. He looks up towards the closed door that has Inseong's name embossed on a shiny gold plaque nailed onto it. It's best not to disturb him, Jaeyoon thinks to himself. At times, Inseong likes to retreats into a dark corner of the Earth and works until the work is done. These times of hyperfocus come at random intervals but ever since starting up the company, their appearances have been more and more frequent. The elder male doesn't sleep, doesn't eat, hell, he'll even forget to go the bathroom. It's as if Inseong simply forgets he's human, no more than a cog in the machine.
But Jaeyoon knows that Inseong is more than that. He's the one to open the blinds and watch as Inseong squints, his eyes adjusting to the afternoon sun as if they've never seen it before. He's the one that brings over homecooked meals because Inseong is a disaster in the kitchen and the burnt water is proof. Neither boys were aware it was even possible until they stared down the remnants of Inseong's stove, water sizzling into the gas flame and over the kitchen counter.
Jaeyoon checks his watch.
6:20pm.
Why hasn't Inseong come out of his office yet?
The manager opens the door to the CEO's office and sees Inseong frozen in time at his desk, eyes boring into something on his screen. Jaeyoon's heart drops. He has those sunken eyes as though he's fading away. It's a slow descend taken by stuttering steps into the abyss as Inseong leaves his own body. Jaeyoon has seen it all before. The shaking of the other's pupils is a clear giveaway to his state of mind. His bottom lip quivers ever so slightly. Jaeyoon walks over, surprising Inseong as he finally snaps out of his stint and realises there's another person in the room with him.
"O-oh Jaeyoon."
Jaeyoon looks at the screen to see it opened to an email from Intern Kim.
Lmao no, my boss is such a dumbass, idk how he's even running this place. Anyways, League tonight?
"It was just a mistake." Inseong still has the nerve to defends the young employee as he deletes the email.
Jaeyoon can only shake his head. His friend was too nice. Monday morning will come around and Inseong will cheerily greet Intern Kim as if nothing has happened, even though it will kill him from the inside out. Jaeyoon drags his friend out of his office much to the elder's protests.
"Dinnertime."
Monday rolls around and Intern Kim is nowhere to be seen.
Fumbling like that, fumbling your collar
It's a nice sunny day outside but the weather doesn't mean much to Jaeyoon as he enters through the glass 'push' door of their small work office. He makes a beeline to Inseong's door and isn't particularly surprised when he opens it to find the young CEO fast asleep at his desk. The slightest of mid-morning drool pools over the keyboard as the caps cast their imprint onto Inseong's right cheek.
"Hyung." Jaeyoon says softly as he shakes the sleeping man's shoulder.
Inseong startles awake and hits his head as he collides into Jaeyoon's chest. He whimpers softly as he rubs at the sore spot on his head. Jaeyoon chuckles as he pulls the elder into a hug and pats gently at the spot of impact.
"Hyung have you been here all-night?"
There's a mumble into his chest that sounds something like 'maybe'. Jaeyoon doesn't press further, simply allowing Inseong to remain in his embrace. There are seldom moments like this when Jaeyoon and Inseong are together. Most often, they happen the nights of busy exam periods or when end of financial year comes to a close and they flop wordlessly onto the couch together. Jaeyoon holds Inseong in his arms and they fall asleep until noon the next day. All he wants is to hold Inseong close and make sure he's there when he wakes up. Inseong smells of strawberries and cold coffee. Jaeyoon's nose wrinkles.
"You should go to mine and take a shower."
Inseong pulls away and pouts. He quickly turns away from Jaeyoon, scowling but also taking a quick sniff of his clothes before saddeningly concluding Jaeyoon is correct. He smells, and badly. Jaeyoon can only chuckle and fish out his keys. Inseong takes them and hurries away.
"You remember my passcode right?" Jaeyoon calls out.
The elder pauses and turns back. Confusion weaves its way into his eyebrows as he thinks out loud, "Uh..120..."
"1207."
"Why can't you just make it like your birthday like everyone else?!" Inseong whines.
"Okay when is my birthday then?"
Inseong opens his mouth to answer but his entire body almost falls forward as if Newton's first law smashes into him full force when he realises he actually has no idea. A forced laugh stumbles out of the elder's mouth as he awkwardly bows and rushes out of the office.
"Thanks Jaeyoon I owe you one!" He calls back.
Jaeyoon turns back to the computer, still opened to the last thing Inseong was working on and begins to delete all of the forward dashes the man's left cheek had imprinted onto the open document. He smiles to himself.
He doesn't even remember his own birthday.
You’ll fly if you keep going on like that
"Jaeyoon-ah can you help me find the projector lens in the storage room?"
The manager happily bounds out of his seat and over to Inseong the instance he's called over. Inside the storage room are a cramped aisle of shelves filled to the brim with miscellaneous unopened and old packages. Outdated technology and new shipments of printer paper are stockpiled high in columns on the floor around them. Inseong pulls out a small stepping-stool and kicks it against a shelf. He climbs onto it, only needing the first step to start searching the top shelf.
"We've done well this year." Jaeyoon says as he dig throughs some of the opened boxes. Inseong only hums back in response. To Jaeyoon, this was odd as Inseong could talk to a brick wall for hours on end without getting bored. A mere noise of acknowledgement was unusual from the man who had a tertiary qualification in yapping.
"Seong?"
It wasn't meant to be a question of interrogation, Jaeyoon only sought to make small talk. But when he sees the other's shoulders drop slightly, Jaeyoon knows he's struck a nerve.
"Seong?"
Inseong turns around and sighs, leaning against the shelf for a moment of reprieve.
"I-I don't know if I can keep doing this Jaeyoon."
The cog in Jaeyoon's hand is placed backed into its basket. He closes the gap towards Inseong. There is a small apologetic smile on Inseong's face. It must have been hard doing everything alone. Long hours, overworked and disrespected. Of course, Inseong would be at his wits end. He was never meant to waste his life in an ill-fitted suit anyways.
"So don't. What's next?"
Inseong is amazed by Jaeyoon's bravado. He shakes his head.
"Please, your mum already despises my guts for convincing you to drop out of law school and start up this company."
Jaeyoon scoffs, stepping backwards to display himself. He straightens his baby-pink suit jacket and fixes the golden cuff-links. The smile he gives is worth more than a billion-dollars, "I am a trust fund baby after all. I could always pull us out. I'll take over my mum's company and you-" Inseong raises an eyebrow. Jaeyoon smiles, "You can go into marketing."
Inseong giggles. Jaeyoon always says that he can talk himself out of anything if he blabbers quick enough. Maybe he will do well in marketing. But Jaeyoon is right, Inseong does not wish to remain in a scratchy tweed suit. There must be something more to this life. Something fulfilling that doesn't make Inseong feel as though he's wasting away. Inseong places a hand on Jaeyoon's shoulder.
"I'm sorry for dragging you down with me."
Jaeyoon shakes his head and redirects Inseong's hand into his,"I'll abandoned the sinking ship, but I'll never abandon its captain."
"Why do you stay Jaeyoon?" Inseong asks playfully but the inflection in his tone makes it evident that he is genuinely searching for an answer.
"Isn't it obvious?"
Jaeyoon has only told a select few of people that he liked Inseong. Many of them told him that he is way out of Inseong's league. Jaeyoon has lost many people that he had once considered friends over this opinion. That, and the opinion was a shit one.
The confusion in Inseong's eyes clears with realisation. A blush quickly spreads across his face. Jaeyoon takes a hold of the other's waist and presses him flush against the shelf. It digs quite uncomfortably in his back but Jaeyoon's arms move quickly around his back, securing him in his hold. It was always nice to be held by Jaeyoon. Jaeyoon leans forward, capturing Inseong's lips in the gentlest of kisses. His lips are soft and so are his wandering hands, treating Inseong as delicately as though he was a blossoming flower. Inseong returns his confession by pressing his lips back with the slightest slip of his tongue and his heart beats almost as quickly as Jaeyoon's against his chest. Jaeyoon pulls away and the blush on Inseong's cheek has only grown more noticeable.
For a smart man, Inseong is quite oblivious.
"Oh."
But I'll keep you grounded
The next day, as all the SF Center employees walk in, they stumble to a stop at the sight of Jaeyoon leaning against Inseong's table, their CEO nowhere to be seen. A wicked smile plays upon his face as his gaze picks up from the floor to stare directly at all the dullish grey suited men. He looks at each and every one of them slowly. These people that have been bothersome ever since they were hired. Now that he thinks about it, he despises all of them.
Lee Jaeyoon. The competent manager. The kind, lightly assertive boss. The rich, intelligent one.
Lee Jaeyoon.
Kim Inseong's boyfriend.
"You're all fired."
epilogue
Inseong has never been athletic. And yet here he is, black suede shoes rattling against the polished marble floor and dodging his co-workers at the speed of lightning. He really did hate the holiday season. Ever since 9loryus had opened, it was a bustling midnight attraction in the party streets of Hongdae. Honestly, the little establishment was pretty perfect. It had been designed with two specific sections, the average club dance floor and bar, and then the mezzanine level that catered to upper class clientele with private booths and gold columns that held up the stained glass ceiling. Inseong really did know marketing.
Their team had grown substantially in a short amount of time as well. It had taken too many nights with Jaeyoon and Inseong being wiped out on top of the bags of napkins in the storage room before they decided they needed more workers. Two soon became nine. Jaeyoon remained as manager of the bar and also as treasurer. He was after all, the only shareholder in the establishment. Managing was never really Inseong's thing so he really didn't mind letting another take that position. Kim Youngbin was a force to be reckon with and a silent one at that. Shipments always arrived in a timely manner and somehow more and more business affiliates had agreed to commence partnerships with the bar. Youngbin's polite and gentle observatory gaze always seemed to be at the center of it.
Sanghyuk, Juho and Taeyang were their golden trio of bartenders. They were friendly, always ready to strike up a conversation and complete flirts. Jaeyoon questioned the ethics of using sex appeal to draw in customers. Inseong didn't. They also made an array of killer drinks. Seokwoo and Chanhee ran security around the place. Chanhee enjoyed spending his time sitting at a desk in front of a giant screen of monitors. Of course, Seokwoo doesn't allow the younger to enjoy such solace in peace. Seokwoo spends more time wrestling Chanhee away from kicking him in the kneecaps than kicking out any rouge party-goer. Youngkyun was a talented producer and ran all sound systems within the bar. He had an affinity for strobe light presentations which made some of the others' have flashing lights behind their eyes when they closed them.
"Juho have the mascato shipments arrived?"
"Chanhee? Chanhee?! Seokwoo, can you check if Chanhee has fallen asleep again?"
"Taeyang- Taeyang leave Youngkyun alone goddamnit!"
"Jaeyo- Ooft!"
Inseong hits something hard that sends him faltering backwards. Before he can fall, two hands wrap around his waist to secure him. Jaeyoon's gorgeous face is there, beaming down at him. Sure, Inseong is still running around like a headless chicken and is as hard working as ever, but now there's a smile on his face. There's a brightness in his eyes and it is not the result of Youngkyun's light shows. He's happy and that makes Jaeyoon happy.
"Easy there tiger."
"Tiger yourself handsome." Inseong wraps his arms around Jaeyoon's neck to lift himself back up. Now standing, he takes in the beauty that is Lee Jaeyoon, eyes wondering all over the shop and wondering how'd he get so lucky. Inseong leans closer, trailing a finger down the exposed chest of the other man, dipping into the grooves of his well defined muscles. Now that they didn't have to wear suits, Jaeyoon found joy in flaunting himself through low cut shirts and sheer fabric. Inseong was not complaining. The elder's fingers slip into Jaeyoon's, interlocking their hands, where a gold band wrapped around each of their ring fingers. Inseong pulled him close and kissed his fiance.
"Youngbin hyung, they're kissing in front of the children again!"