Chapter Text
The beeping of Jihoon’s alarm wakes him up at seven-thirty and he lets out an annoyed groan before reaching blindly towards the nightstand to turn it off. He rubs a palm over his eyes and opens them only to realize he had completely forgotten where he is and who he’s with.
Jihoon jolts up, eyes snapping to the bed next to him where Sanghyeok is still sleeping, unbothered by the alarm. He goes to the bathroom on his tippy toes and starts brushing his teeth when more loud beeping echoes through the bedroom once again.
It takes Jihoon a couple of seconds to remember that it’s his phone that’s ringing since he always sets at least two alarms in case the first one doesn’t wake him up. He opens the bathroom door in panic and it slams loudly against the stopper. Sitting in his bed, Sanghyeok looks at him with something akin to curiosity.
“Good morning,” he greets calmly. His glasses are back on his face, as if he had never taken them off in the first place.
The continuous beeping gets Jihoon out of his trance and he hurries to the nightstand, turning the alarm off. He turns to Sanghyeok, toothbrush still in his mouth.
“Goof monin,” he answers back quietly, because not saying anything sounds worse than risking spitting toothpaste all over his shirt. “Sowy fo the alam.”
A new entry in the business smile collection – the sleepy business smile. Jihoon is strangely not mad about it at all.
“That’s okay,” Sanghyeok replies. “I forgot to set up mine so it’s good that it woke me up.”
Jihoon only nods in response. He stands there awkwardly for a while, as his colleague starts stretching his wrists, before he turns back to the bathroom.
“Interesting pants,” a voice calls out behind him.
He chokes on toothpaste.
Sanghyeok doesn’t strike Jihoon as someone who is ever late. He’s always prime and proper, always on time for every meeting at the office. So it does come as a surprise to Jihoon that his coworker has the most horrible time management known to humankind.
Despite having an hour to get ready and minimal things to pack, they exit the room five minutes later than the time they were supposed to be meeting the rest of their colleagues at the lobby. Jihoon had thought about leaving first but looking at Sanghyeok meticulously putting his belongings back in his bag had convinced him that if he were to leave, his coworker might end up being an hour late. The calm look on his face is enough for Jihoon to realize that this man is probably late for everything but work.
The heel of Jihoon’s shoe taps nervously on the hallway carpet while they wait for the elevator to come up. They have more than enough time to get to the bus terminal but he feels some unexplainable unease take over him. It’s in such situations that he wishes people had summoner spells in real life. He’d just take teleport and get the fuck away from Sanghyeok and all the complicated feelings he evokes. Maybe there is something in the air in Gangneung that makes him suspiciously nervous about being next to his rival.
The elevator doors open with a ding and they get in. Jihoon selects the first floor and then taps the ‘Close Door’ button about a dozen times. If Sanghyeok notices his distress, he doesn’t comment on it and remains silent and calm, as if he’s not the sole reason for Jihoon’s nervous meltdown. Because they’re late, of course. Nothing else.
The doors finally close and the elevator moves for only a couple of seconds before it stops abruptly, sending both its passengers in one corner. When Jihoon recovers from the initial shock, he finds himself face to face with Sanghyeok, his free hand slammed right next to his colleague’s head. The latter is looking up to him, the calm expression not leaving his face for even a second, and Jihoon has no other option but to stare.
He forgets where he is and what kind of predicament he is in. The only thing his brain is able to process is that he’s closer to Sanghyeok than he’s ever been before. Close enough to see that there is not a single spec of dust on his glasses. Close enough to see how it would look like if he were to–
Jihoon recoils all the way to the opposite wall of the elevator, slamming his back against it so hard that the cab shakes again. He clears his throat and looks to the monitor only to find it stuck at number five.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” He scoffs in anger before realizing who’s next to him. He looks back to Sanghyeok who, fortunately, doesn’t seem to be affected by his cursing at all. Or by the previous series of events. Which Jihoon doesn’t find that fortunate for some reason.
He checks his phone and is met by a ‘No Signal’ notification, so he turns to his coworker.
“Do you–” an embarrassing voice crack interrupts him and he clears his throat once more. “Do you have any signal? We will have to inform the rest of the group that we’re stuck here.”
Sanghyeok finally looks away from him and takes out his phone. Then he shakes his head no.
Jihoon lets out an exasperated sigh, dropping his bag on the floor to press the palms of his hands against his eyes. After taking a couple of deep breaths he turns back to the monitor, presses the emergency bell and waits.
Ten seconds later a woman’s voice sounds through the speaker. “Hello, how may I help you?”
Jihoon suppresses the snarky remark on the tip of his tongue. Oh well, I was just pressing buttons for fun, nothing much.
“The right elevator is currently stuck around the fifth floor,” he says flatly instead. “It would be wonderful if you could find a way to get us out as soon as possible.”
Silence follows and Jihoon needs to take another deep breath to stop himself from slamming his head against the monitor.
“The technicians are currently not on site but we have called them for you,” the woman finally replies. “Depending on traffic it might take around twenty to thirty minutes for them to arrive. Please do not try to open the door manually, as this might pose a danger to your health. We really appreciate your patience in this matter and apologize for the inconvenience.”
The line cuts off, leaving the elevator in silence again.
Jihoon is scared that he will take out his frustration on Sanghyeok if he speaks up, so he keeps his mouth shut. They’re both not big talkers to begin with, so he’s not surprised when his coworker pulls out his phone again and starts a game of chess.
Jihoon is not claustrophobic but after spending twenty minutes in the elevator, he feels himself getting more anxious with each passing second. He sits down on the floor and bites down on his knuckle, his leg jumping up and down.
He is stuck in an elevator, has missed the bus to Seoul and is not even sure when he will be able to leave this cab from hell. And from all the people he could’ve gotten stuck with, it just has to be Sanghyeok. In a moment of madness, Jihoon almost convinces himself that being here with Siwoo would’ve been a better option. He realizes that he hasn’t completely lost his mind yet when he comes to the conclusion that this would’ve actually been way worse.
Lost in his own misery, Jihoon almost doesn’t notice when Sanghyeok looks away from his phone and steps away from the opposite wall to sit down next to him. Then he focuses on his game again without saying a single word.
Jihoon’s leg stops shaking and he follows the chess game for the next few minutes even though he doesn’t have a single clue what is happening. Staring at his colleague’s phone is better than staring at his lips like a freak so he doesn’t complain.
After what seems like an eternity, the elevator shakes again and starts going down. They stand up and wipe away the dust from their suits in sync, as the doors open on the first floor where a very concerned receptionist is fidgeting with her hands.
“Sirs!” She exclaims once they step out, looking like she’s about to cry at any second. “We are so sorry for this mishap.”
Before Jihoon manages to open his mouth, Sanghyeok is already replying with a small smile on his face. “Accidents happen. We are completely safe, so please don’t worry about it.”
However this is not enough to reassure the receptionist and she keeps bowing profusely, as she takes out two pieces of paper from her breast pocket and extends them towards him. Jihoon can only look around hopelessly, uncomfortable with the stares the commotion is gathering from the guests in the lobby.
“Please accept these coupons as our gratitude for your patience and understanding,” the woman says in a ninety-degree bow.
Sanghyeok takes the papers from her hands and bows in return. “Thank you, we will use them well.”
Next to him, Jihoon unlocks his phone to see five missed calls from Siwoo. He looks at Sanghyeok who meets his gaze and nods in understanding.
The two of them head out of the hotel and after a couple of beeps, Siwoo picks up.
“Hyung,” Jihoon calls out first, “where are you?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking that question?” Siwoo replies, voice dripping with irony. “We’re on the bus to Seoul. The one you should’ve been on too if you weren’t busy hanging out with your ‘two-in-one-enemy-but-also-crush’ coworker.”
Jihoon throws a secret glance at Sanghyeok and relief washes over him when he finds him immersed in his chess game again and totally oblivious to the phone conversation.
“Very funny,” Jihoon’s tone is flatter than Siwoo’s ass. “Whatever, I’ll explain it later. Have a safe trip.”
He hangs up without waiting for an answer and opens the bus terminal’s website.
“The next bus to Seoul is in one hour,” he starts. “If we head to the terminal now we could–”
Jihoon looks at Sanghyeok and finds him staring at the coupons in his hand. His colleague looks back at him and Jihoon can guess what he’s about to say before the words leave his mouth.
“Let’s go explore Gangneung.”
Jihoon is not the type of person to follow anyone around but when Sanghyeok opens a map on his phone and strolls down a street they both don’t know the name of, he quickly joins him like a dog on a leash.
“Do you even know where you’re going?” Jihoon asks after finally remembering he has free will. “Why don’t we just go to the bus terminal and go home? You can do your own thing after that.”
Sanghyeok’s gaze doesn’t leave the map, as he replies, “I’ve never been to Gangneung before and we have coupons for a free meal at a popular local restaurant. Not using them would be a shame.”
“You can just keep them and go with your friends later, no?” Jihoon hopes he doesn’t sound as desperate as he is. “The colleagues that you usually hang out with, right?”
The Jihoon from the present doesn’t know that the Jihoon from the future would’ve never forgiven him if Sanghyeok had actually followed his suggestion. Thankfully, that is not the case, as Sanghyeok finally stops in one place and lifts his eyes from the screen so he can look at him.
“I’m here with you now, am I not?” He says. A simple sentence but it hits Jihoon like an emotional cargo truck.
He is left with no time to even swallow his chewed-up thoughts before Sanghyeok starts walking again. Already defeated once, Jihoon stays quiet and just follows.
Sanghyeok turns out to be such an amazing travel guide that Jihoon quickly forgets about his desire to go home. Their first destination is an eco-park with a long tree-lined path and they take a stroll through it, mostly in silence. It’s late autumn, yet the leaves refuse to let go of the branches and cling to them in beautiful yellows and oranges.
“What month were you born in?” Jihoon asks suddenly, head tilted up to look at the colors around them.
“In May,” Sanghyeok replies. “Why?”
Jihoon learns that looking at his colleague is a mistake that costs him every lie he can come up with.
“Autumn suits you well.”
The only answer he gets is in the form of a small smile on Sanghyeok’s face. It’s the first non-business one, so Jihoon has to look back at the leaves before he loses his mind and jumps into the lotus pond.
Around noon they visit the local restaurant and Jihoon goes through another personal crisis when the waitress serves a big pile of spicy cucumber pickles right in front of him. He stands there frozen with a disgusted expression on his face until Sanghyeok takes pity on him and moves the dish towards himself with unhidden amusement.
Jihoon recovers from the pickle attack and clears his throat in embarrassment. To his horror, Sanghyeok takes a cucumber with his chopsticks and nods his head in approval after having a taste.
“You’re missing out,” he fails to hide his smile as he speaks up. “These are really delicious, no wonder the hotel gave us coupons for this place.”
Jihoon can’t help but pout at the teasing lilt in his voice. Sanghyeok’s smile only gets wider.
The days are shorter in fall. By the time they are done exploring the area around an old historical pavilion, the sun has almost fully disappeared behind the horizon.
They grab a steaming hotteok each and sit on the beach, uncaring of the sand that clings to their coats. The busy street stays behind them and only the lights illuminating the sea serve as a hint that the planet is not only sand and water.
“The beach always feels–,” Jihoon can’t help but speak up. “It feels like it’s separated from the rest of the world. It’s like once you step on the sand you forget what being anywhere else feels like.”
The lack of a reply makes him wish he had never opened his mouth.
“Or maybe I’m just weird and that’s not a thing to anyone else, I don’t–”
“I understand what you mean,” Sanghyeok interrupts him. “We’re so used to the city that nature feels alien sometimes. As if there’s a barrier that separates the two and who you are in one place is not who you were before you entered it.”
“Yeah,” Jihoon’s voice is close to a whisper as he stares at the waves crashing against the shore. “That’s exactly how it feels like.”
Sanghyeok finishes his hotteok and takes his phone out of his pocket. After a minute, he locks it and puts it away again.
“There’s a bus in an hour so it’s best if we catch a taxi in a bit,” he says. “It should take around ten minutes to the terminal.”
“Alright,” Jihoon agrees but there is a lump in his throat that gets increasingly bigger when Sanghyeok gets up and dusts the sand off his coat.
His heart starts freaking out in his chest and he swallows but he can’t get the words out of his mouth. Then he looks at the sea once more. They’re in a bubble and there’s a big barrier separating them from the rest of the world. No one will hear him but the person next to him.
“Can we do this more often?” He says at last, gathering enough confidence to speak up but still not enough to look at Sanghyeok. “Meeting outside work hours, I mean.”
He can feel his colleague’s eyes on him. One wave crashes against the shore. Then another. Then an answer.
“Of course,” Sanghyeok says, as if that’s the only possible option. Even if it didn’t seem like it in Jihoon’s mind. “I had a lot of fun today.”
Jihoon finally looks up. Leaving Gangneung won’t make him forget how the beach feels. Sanghyeok carries the essence of the waves with him.