Chapter Text
“That's it!” The assistant practically shrieks, setting the cup in her hand down onto the table angrily, the liquid inside sloshing out. Suddenly, an almost accusing finger was being pointed at Jackson from across the room. “He is absolutely insane! How can you — how can anyone deal with him? He is the most infuriating person I've ever met!”
“I've been told I'm quite lovely.” Jackson comments, almost unnecessarily.
“Jackson, shut up.” Also sensing the level of unnecessariness of Jackson's comment, Jinyoung groans loudly.
“See?! I can't stay here. No matter how much you pay me. I'm finished.” The girl grabs her coat and planner and, in rage, storms out of the room. She slams the door just loud enough to hurt the ears of both Jackson and Jinyoung, and to leave the room with an almost uncomfortable silence.
Jinyoung, very slowly, turns his gaze to Jackson, who was sitting beside him. Jinyoung was feeling a kaleidoscope of emotions; annoyance and desperation ringing out above them all, however. On the other hand, Jackson was grinning widely like a Cheshire cat, as if he didn't have a care in the world. His phone was held up at an angle, and he was pouting at the camera, and so it appeared as though he was currently taking a selfie, probably one to post to his millions of fans. Certainly the life of Jackson Wang.
“Jackson, that's the third one in the year.” sighs Jinyoung. “You really have to stop this, I can only make up so many excuses to the media for all these assistants leaving.”
“Jinyoung-ee, you actually don't think that was my fault, do you?” Jackson asks with an incredulous gaze, his eyes bulging out from his eye sockets.
“Jackson. You knocked her phone onto the floor and cracked the screen, accidentally spilled a green tea milkshake on her shoes, and then proceeded to yell at her after she took too long to get you a new milkshake.”
Jackson considers Jinyoung's words for a moment, before shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. “Still. She could've dealt with that, no? I would've bought her a dozen new pairs to replace the one she had on. I did her a favor, anyway! Who wears suede shoes right when it's raining? See, Jinyoung-ee, I can be helpful too!"
Jinyoung was staring at Jackson with an unreadable expression painted across his face; he seemed to be both confused and shocked at the mere idea that Jackson thought that his insolent behavior could be taken as helpful in any way.
Jackson, not liking the silence that had suddenly reappeared, cleared his throat before speaking again. “Do you know what that means?” asks Jackson excitedly.
“What?” Jinyoung asks suspiciously, Jackson sounded much too excited.
Jackson claps his hands in delight, and proceeds to lean into Jinyoung, as if he were about to tell him a secret. “A new assistant!”
And Jinyoung should've seen that comment coming, if he was being realistic. He'd been acting as Jackson's manager ever since Jackson debuted as a solo act straight out of Seoul two years ago. Two years ago, Jackson had refused to be put into a band of any sort, and argued his way until he was on track to debut as a solo artist. The company wasn't sure if he'd sell, considering his music and style was just so different from everything else at the time. Taking a gamble on Jackson Wang, he was debuted, and much to everyone's surprise, his first single went straight to the top of the charts; and so did his next one, and the next one.
And that's how, two years later, Jackson was taking over the market, with Jinyoung right as his side serving as his manager. Jackson had needed someone his around his age to manage his affairs, because after trying to work with several other managers, none of them worked and the company was getting irritated. Until Jinyoung came along, freshly 19, with a baby face but a mature and responsible character. Jackson liked him instantly, and Jinyoung was hired. You could assume that after being with someone all the time for two years, you'd know the person pretty well; and believe him, Jinyoung knows Jackson well. That didn't mean that he exactly knew how to deal with Jackson's actions, though.
"Jackson, do you know how hard it is to get an assistant for someone as famous as you? Like, there are all these background checks we need to have done, and we need to get them to sign all these contracts, it's not so easy. And, you have a whole string of appearances to promote the new tour! Do you know how hard it's gonna be for me to get someone for you on such short notice?" Jinyoung scolds, obviously mad. "But, of course, you probably didn't think of that as you yelled at Suzy for spilling the milkshake, didn't you?"
Jackson's were wide, and his face expressionless. Even if Jinyoung was his manager, he was one of the only people who seemed to really get Jackson, and they were close friends. So, Jackson liked to avoid getting him mad. "I'm very sorry Jinyoung-ee.. I didn't mean to get you all stressed out, really!"
"Whatever. It's not like you can fix it. I guess I will have to find you a new assistant, and fast." Jinyoung shrugs.
"Good!" Jackson peps up again, sitting up straight. "Now that that's settled, can I ask you for a favor?"
Jinyoung groans lowly. “Yes..”
Jackson picks up his phone again, seemingly picking up his previous selfie session. “Can you go get me another green tea milkshake?”
"Unbelievable." Jinyoung shouts, throwing his hands in the air in frustration, as he takes his coat and starts towards the door.
Why on Earth was Jackson so difficult to deal with?
Mark was just about ready to end his shift. It had been a long and productive day for him at the shop, and to say the least, Mark was tired. Saturdays during the winter were always some of the most busy days out of the whole year, and some of the days that overworked Mark the most. He thinks it's because the frigid weather caused people to search for their caffeine fix, and with the conveniently placed cafe that Mark worked out, most didn't have to go far to get their caffeine need filled.
“Markie, you about ready to go?” Youngjae, Mark's best friend, calls from somewhere deep in the kitchen.
“Yeah, Youngjae! Let me just wipe the counter down.”
Mark and Youngjae were both third year college students, and as you'd guess, they both needed jobs on the side. Luckily, the two were able to find part time jobs at a local café. It was in the heart of Seoul, close to the corporate businesses and the schools, so the flow of customers was almost never ending, and so the pay was good.
Tonight was one of the nights that Mark and Youngjae were working their shifts in tandem, but also one of the nights where they had to close up shop. It was exactly a minute before closing time, and all Mark was doing was wiping the counter down. He was just about done, and so he went to lock the door. Just as he turned the lock, a man came rushing to the door, looking almost desperate.
As the man outside saw Mark locking the door, he eyes suddenly went wide, and he shouted, rapping his hand on the door rapidly. He had this wide look of desperation in his eyes, and Mark would feel like such a bad person if he denied service; there was still a minute before closing time, anyway, one more customer wouldn't hurt, Mark considers.
He turns the lock up so the door opens, and in tumbles the man, almost losing his balance. Once he was inside, Mark locked the door, and switched the sign hanging over door from the side that said OPEN, to the opposite side that read CLOSED. Mark, as a good barista would, places his faded blue apron back on, and positions himself behind the counter. "I'm lucky I caught you in time, huh?"
"Yeah.." The other agrees almost shyly, before sheepishly thanking Mark about a hundred times.
"Don't worry about it! What can I get you?"
"Um.. Can I get a large green tea milkshake, with extra whipped cream?"
Mark finds the request weird enough, considering the cold weather outside, over half of the orders he was given to make were steaming hot coffees or teas. So you could imagine Mark's surprise when he heard the order. He shifts his body to grab the necessary ingredients for the order, deciding to make some small talk while he prepared the order for the customer. "So, a large green tea milkshake with extra whipped cream! I don't usually get orders like that in the Winter.. Let me guess, you're craving a green tea fix?"
"No, no, actually! I'm more of a hot coffee kind of guy, if I'm being honest. It's not for me, it's for my client." The customer said, getting through the sentence quickly.
"Client, huh? What do you do?"
"I'm a manager!" And there was a slight tone of pride in his tone that made Mark smile.
And so Mark laughs, but not in a way that would be seen as disrespectful or rude, just a simple, lighthearted laugh. "That's interesting! I've never met a manager before. By any chance, would I know who you manage?"
"Hmm," the mood of the conversation shifted drastically, because the customer seemed a little looser and playful with his tone now. "You might."
"Hit me with it!"
"Ever heard of Jackson Wang?" And right as the customer says it, the blender switches on, and Mark holds the lid of the blender tight as his eyes go wide.
"You manage Jackson Wang? J Flawless himself?" Mark hears himself calling over the loud noise of the green tea milkshake being prepared in the blender.
"I do.."
Mark is shocked, he's not going to lie. He's never met someone who was so close to a famous star before. Whether or not the man was actually telling the truth, Mark wasn't exactly sure, and he wouldn't actually be able to prove it, so he'd have to take the other's word. It wasn't like he listened to Jackson's music on a daily basis, but sure, Mark had heard some of his songs on the radio, and he wasn't going to lie, they were catchy.
And it goes without saying that Jackson wasn't voted sexiest idol in the industry in countless magazines for no reason, the boy was ridiculously talented, and also ridiculously good looking. Put all that together, and you get a great pop star; and apparently, if this guy wasn't lying, he was one of the forces behind such a great star.
It was quiet, until Mark was done preparing the drink. Almost flirtatiously, Mark grabs the sharpie on the counter, and looks up at the customer, with an eyebrow raised high. "Can I get a name for the order?"
There was no real point of a name for the cup, considering the man was the only other customer in the cafe. But, either way, the customer smiles and replies. "Jinyoung — Well, you could put Junior. Nobody's called me Jinyoung since about the 6th grade."
"Well, Junior, nice to meet you, I'm Mark! And, hey, if you're getting this for your client, you are getting something for yourself, right?" Mark inquires, casually. "It is cold outside."
Junior shakes his head humbly, looking down at the counter, beginning to give the money for Jackson's order over to Mark. "No, no.. I couldn't.. I have to get back to Jackson, he might start whining if I don't get back in time with this."
"C'mon, Junior. Let me make you a coffee!" And when Junior looks as if he's about to hesitate, Mark quickly adds. "On the house, swear."
Junior considers the offer, before nodding slowly. "You know what? Why not.."
"How do you like your coffee, Junior, manager extraordinaire?"
"Um.. I like cappuccinos? Can you make me one of those?"
Mark nods. "Of course, I'm a barista!"
As Mark goes to make the second drink, Junior stares at the other boy's back. "Hey, can I ask you something?"
Mark hums as he prepares to brew the coffee. "Sure!"
"Would you ever consider being a personal assistant?"
The question was quite random to Mark, if you asked him. It wasn't a common question by any means, but Mark actually considers the answer before answering it. "Um.. I guess? It would be an interesting job, I think. Why do you ask?"
"Well.. Let's just say that my client needs a new personal assistant, and you seem pretty patient, so.."
"Are you offering me a job?"
"Not exactly. If you'd like to apply, I could schedule an interview? Jackson would have to approve and all, and we'd need some simple background checks done but besides that, that's really all —"
"— I don't know." Mark replies, exactly when the beeper for the coffee goes off. Mark turns to the brewer, pouring the steaming hot coffee into a paper cup.
And in that exact moment, Mark's best friend, Youngjae walks out of the kitchen, looking clean, unlike when he had walked into the kitchen, covered in flour and icing.
"You ready to go Markie? Because I am totally —" Youngjae pauses his sentence when he sees Junior and Mark leaning over the counter, definitely looking engaged in their conversation. Youngjae wiggles his eyes at Mark, before quietly heading back into the kitchen, leaving the two alone.
"Listen, no pressure or anything." smiles Junior, picking up the sharpie Mark had used only a few minutes ago. He takes a nearby napkin and scribbles his number down onto the paper, sliding it over to Mark. "But if you actually decide to seriously consider it, call me." And like that, Junior left, the small bell above the door jingling as he made his exit.
Mark wasn't alone for very long, though, as Youngjae soon made his way back into the room. "Who was he? He was cute, Markie!"
Mark rubs the back of his neck shyly, nodding his head. "Yeah, I guess. He seems really nice. His name is Junior."
"Did you get a number from this Junior?"
"Yes.." But not for the reason Youngjae is thinking about, thinks Mark.
"Nice, Markie." grins Youngjae, as he heads towards the coat rack, where his and Mark's jackets hang, untouched. Youngjae picks up Mark's, and over the counter, hands it to him, while putting on his own. "As much as I'd love to stay and talk with you, I really wanna head home."
"Youngjae? we share an apartment." Mark rolls his eyes, slipping his jacket on.
"Exactly! So we can talk at home, not here. I'm gonna go get the car, okay? Turn off the lights." And Youngjae exits, and for the first time in the whole day, Mark is left alone. He glances down at the counter, where Junior's napkin was, untouched. He stares at it, wondering if he'd actually take it or not.
Making his decision, Mark turns off the lights, and heads out.
“Jinyoung-ee, how many more applicants do we have to look at? It's almost lunchtime!” whines Jackson, as he slumps further down into the plastic chair he'd been sitting in for the past two hours. He'd seen over a dozen applicants who, in Jackson's perspective, we're all the same. Nobody had exactly jumped out at him, even if Jinyoung had reminded him before the interviews started that Jackson was to look for someone who could be helpful in his career, not a playmate. With Jinyoung's warning eventually disregarded, Jackson started his pursuit in finding the perfect assistant. He needed someone who could keep up with his witty jokes and slightly wild attitude, but could also be responsible and helpful when necessary.
So far? He hadn't found anyone who particularly caught his interest. When interviewing for the position Jinyoung currently obtained, nobody had popped out at Jackson until Jinyoung came in; and Jinyoung was the perfect fit for him, so Jackson applied the same process here.
But, even if he was waiting for the perfect assistant, he was already growing restless of sitting through all these interviews.
“Let's just wait a few more minutes, okay, Jackson-ah? If nobody else comes, we'll try to pick someone from who we have.” Jinyoung replies, rubbing Jackson's neck soothingly.
Jackson sighed lowly, nodding his head at his manager respectfully. Jackson, even if he didn't exactly portray it externally, was always particularly stressed internally. Being a star as famous as him wasn't the easiest job on the planet, as being a star came with a certain pressure and higher standard to have to please that most people didn't have. And now, preparing for a tour while promoting his album was applying loads of unnecessary stress onto Jackson's conscious. So, sometimes his actions could be seen as diva-ish or even a little vain, but he never meant to hurt anyone, it's just that all the stress caused him to snap at the smallest of actions. The minor lashings out due to the stress was a large factor in why many of his assistants quit.
Soon enough, a few minutes passed, and Jinyoung shook Jackson slightly, signaling that he could get ready to go.
Jackson nodded, and shifted in his chair to move his limbs; his foot had fallen asleep, so he stays still for a few seconds. During those few seconds that he didn't get up, the door of the interview room was pushed open ever so slightly. A head popped in, greeting both Jinyoung and Jackson with a greeting in fluent Korean and a big smile.
Jackson glanced over at Jinyoung, who was smiling widely and was already gesturing for the other to come into the room. The applicant inched his way into the room slowly until he was standing before Jackson and Jinyoung. The first thing that Jackson acknowledged about the boy was his simple beauty. He had this uncommon, brown hair with pink-ish hues that contrasted well with his fair skin and dark eyes rather nicely; he also had a nice pair of pink lips that he kept biting, probably nerves, Jackson assumed. His looks were such a simple statement but they popped out to Jackson almost immediately. And so he was intrigued, and couldn't take his eyes off him. Until..
“Mark-ssi!” grins Jinyoung. And Jackson is shocked because does Jinyoung actually know the applicant?
“Junior-ssi! Nice to see you. Again.” smiles Mark politely, but even if it was out of politeness, there was genuine friendliness behind the greeting.
“Your name's Mark?” asks Jackson, breaking into the conversation.
“Yes!” replies the applicant — Mark — but points his finger at Jackson with a smile. “I think I already know your name,” He pauses teasingly. “You just might have to remind me, though.”
Jackson likes him already. “Hmm.” grins Jackson, leaning over the table to extend his hand. “Jackson Wang.”
And Mark shakes his hand. Jackson realizes how warm Mark's hand really is, and how the boy smells strongly of coffee and sweet icing and it's almost intoxicating. “Mark Tuan.”
“Nice to meet you, Mark-ssi. Tell me, have you ever been a personal assistant before?” asks Jackson, for about the hundredth time today.
“No, but I have a few siblings, and I constantly was helping them out, so that should count for something, I think.” Mark offers his answer, even if it's not exactly what Jackson had been asking. “I'm a barista, so I attend to people's orders on a daily basis. I'm very patient.”
“You're a barista?” Jackson's eyes lit up at the very thought. He'd always been a caffeine fein, no doubt about it, and caffeine was a staple in his life; it kept him up.
“I am!”
“He makes really good coffee.” Jinyoung admits quietly.
Mark bows his head. “Thank you, Jinyoung-ssi.”
“Have you ever committed any.. Criminal offenses?” asks Jackson, reentering the conversation.
“No! I swear. I'm a good boy.” Mark laughs.
“Well, you know that this isn't a part time job? This is a full time job. You might have to leave your job as a barista if you accept this job.”
It doesn't take Mark long to make up his mind, considering his long drive from his appartment to this part of Seoul and his sleepless night have him more than enough time to think about whether or not he really wanted it. Mark nods, and Jackson continues. “You must've heard of my — well, rather constant flow of personal assistants?”
“I have.”
“Do you think you're patient enough to handle me?”
Mark deadpans. “Jackson-ssi, if I'm patient enough to listen to, and let alone make, a large five shot vanilla iced caramel macchiato with no whip, light ice, and sugar free caramel syrup, I think I can be your personal assistant.”
“Well.” Jackson grins, obviously impressed; both at the order, and the mere fact that Mark had actually memorized an order that long. It'll come in handy when Jackson told Mark his outrageous orders. “Mark Tuan, consider yourself my new assistant.”