Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The taxi driver radiates an almost heavenly aura, sitting behind the steering wheel in the most colorful shirt, almost blinding and appearing so insanely calm . 

He seems like an angel descended to earth—sent to ease Gyuvin’s troubles because someone must have realized what kind of living hell they are putting him through every day. 

That is what he likes to believe, anyway.

Most days feel like everyone in Seoul is diligently working together to put him through the worst trials they can possibly come up with for an office worker—as if that wasn't bad enough already. 

Essentially, this means he either gets drenched in rain and/or coffee, his alarm decides that it needs some extra sleep or he has to run through the whole city for that one particular type of smoothie at the most unholy times of day—which makes this a list of only the most harmless challenges he has had to face before.

A majority of his troubles are, now that Gyuvin is thinking about it, inherently connected to his boss—no matter which way you turn and flip it. Sometimes, when he is scrolling through what seems to be an endless list of things he has to do once again, Gyuvin ponders on whether or not his boss hates him or if he just finds no other joys in life aside from watching his assistant suffer. 

Although neither would justify his work schedule, really.

And to add to all the misery, being Shen Ricky‘s assistant is not Gyuvin‘s dream job at all.

Surprisingly so.

For some, at least.

He wishes for a promotion each morning as he takes the elevator up to the twenty third floor, as he walks by the other offices until he is standing in front of Ricky‘s. 

Ricky Shen, who was definitely created by god himself, with his perfectly sculpted nose and those pretty eyes and the too perfect to be true resume, which he probably hadn't even been asked to show once the higher ups had seen his pair of large brown eyes. Or perhaps it were the neatly tailored dress pants. Maybe even his silver jewelry, glittering under any light. 

Whatever it was, Gyuvin himself possessed none of it.

Unlike Ricky, who is sharp edged everywhere you look, Gyuvin is made of round corners and awkward smiles and that stupid pair of glasses that just never sits on his nose bridge quite right.

He had accepted the position of being a personal assistant for South Korea's most popular fashion magazine more out of desperation than passion—his real passion lies in the actual fashion, not the men running around it (even though Ricky could pass as a model of one of their issues as well, if he wanted to).

Gyuvin's parents sometimes joke that Gyuvin only learned to walk so that he could reach his mom's closet or his dad's shoe collection, small hands digging through carefully folded pants and shirts and playing with her necklaces or the rings his mother would, at some point, put on top of her dresser so Gyuvin couldn't reach anymore.

Whenever he was asked to write down his dream job on a colorful paper in Kindergarten it would always read Stylist and occasionally Designer.

Thus, his ultimate goal in the moment he was sitting in his job interview was getting into the company—his heartfelt hopes and dreams would have to be put second for once.

And his other desperate wish during that time had been to move out of his parents' house with his own money as fast as possible.

Looking back on it now, he perhaps should have considered the offer for a few more days, maybe think about what being a personal assistant entailed before accepting. 

But the desire to act and choose outside of his parents gentle arms had outweighed those thoughts by a ton, then, and so he had accepted the position on the spot.

Gyuvin would learn that maybe carefully thinking decisions through before making them wasn't just something he had been told to remember as a child to bore him.

So, when he had woken up this very morning to a bird chirping outside his window and the sun softly warming his face it was a rather unfamiliar sensation. He had shot up in bed immediately, searching for his phone to check the time, his alarm notoriously inconsistent, and had been amazed to find that there were still ten minutes left before he had to even consider getting up.

A bird had started a new melody outside as he lowered his head to his pillow and it had felt a bit like someone was telling him that today might just be that long awaited chance of getting closer to his actual goal.

His glasses hadn’t been absolutely coated in dust when he picked them up from his nightstand after lying around for another couple minutes and he had been able to appreciate the morning glow outside for once.

The angel in the form of a taxi driver waiting in a black car in front of his apartment had only been the cherry on top of his morning.

His bus driver had simply driven right past Gyuvin’s stop as he was busy washing his face, not even bothering to honk.

Looking back on it, the incident seems almost fateful now.

He had managed to get up early enough for some breakfast and to iron one of his suits before leaving for the office—which happens about once every two months, Gyuvin has to shamefully admit.

And now he is comfortably sitting in a nice taxi with a literal angel behind the steering wheel so that he doesn’t even have to fear for his life like he sometimes does when the bus driver takes a particularly sharp turn faster than he probably should.

The city passes by them slowly as the taxi protrudes further into the city’s heart. Seoul traffic isn’t kind to anyone ever but it seems to have taken on a more generous face this morning.

Gyuvin’s fingers create a steady rhythm on his phone case, watching the sunlit stores slide by the clean window.

Once they reach what he knows to be Gunwook's apartment building behind a small flower shop by the street, Gyuvin knows that he needs to get ready for the most important part of his morning routine—the coffee run.

“Sorry, this has probably never happened to you before but could you just wait right here for two seconds- yeah, right in front of that coffee shop over there?” Gyuvin points towards another familiar building on the other side of the street, hoping the taxi driver will understand which one exactly he is referring to—and he clearly does because he pulls over to the side of the road without as much as another question asked right then. 

“I just need to grab something quickly but I will literally be right back. You won’t even realize I’m gone so just- don’t leave. Please.” He talks while digging through his bag for his wallet and the customer benefit card he had acquired a month ago before leaving the taxi driver (bless his patience) with a sequence of rushed thank you- s.

He is equally thankful for not being run over or walked into as he jogs across the street towards the small coffee shop on the other side of the fairly busy street. He probably sees their coffee machines more often than the four walls of his own apartment. 

The barista at the counter is also far too familiar now, not batting an eye when he walks straight past the line up to the counter. He felt bad the first time it happened—but as a newbie assistant he could not think of anything more damning than being late to the job or showing up without the coffee he was supposed to get in the mornings. Now, it’s no big deal anymore since they know who he is—thus, the tea is already done when he arrives and he only has to pay before taking off once more. 

The only reason why Gyuvin frequents the coffee shop is because Yujin part times there, honestly.

It's not that the drink aren't good as well but it is mainly because Gyuvin feels like he has to support his younger friend in all his endeavors, resulting in the birth of his coffee shop tradition.

There is only one catch, though, and that is that Yujin never works when Gyuvin has to get coffee because he has classes and when Yujin’s working Gyuvin is at the office. Thus, Gyuvin can count the amount of times he has been able to actually run into Yujin at the coffee shop down on one hand. 

Luckily the girl at the counter is just as nice, but not as funny, as his friend.

She is always there when Gyuvin is there which is good because this means she has had plenty of time to memorize his order perfectly by now. So before Gyuvin can even begin to open his mouth to speak she does it for him in an almost trained manner.

“I know, two yuja teas and one strawberry croissant. Already done.” She pushes the order towards Gyuvin as soon as he reaches the counter and he quickly grabs the cardboard box they were put into. 

“Thank you so much. You’re amazing.” He lays the money next to it onto the cold surface, waiting for her to sign his card so that in five orders he will get a free coffee with his usual order before quickly taking everything on the counter and waving her goodbye, a polite smile on his face. 

Thanks to the heavens the taxi is still waiting where Gyuvin last got out of it and he runs—as fast as someone can run balancing two drinks and a snack in one hand and his belongings in the other—across the street towards the car and only dodges a middle aged man on a bike by a mere centimeter before he is back inside the taxi.

“You’re literally saving my life.” The taxi driver laughs and starts the motor, still remembering the address Gyuvin had given him twenty minutes ago without even putting it into the navigation system. A true angel.

Between all the complaining he regularly does Gyuvin has to admit that it is kind of hard to believe that he doesn't hate his job—even though none of his friends want to listen to him complain anymore which speaks for itself.

But over the years working as an assistant he has come to learn a lot and maybe even like the position a bit.

One thing he will never come to grow food of is his boss though, even ordering the same thing as him each morning, just in case something goes wrong with the original.

Which has happened enough times before, Gyuvin remembers somberly. It’s not a memory he wants to go back to. 

But Gyuvin believes in fate—believes that one day he won't have to worry about coffee orders anymore and instead make his little self proud when he can finally tell the editors what brands to recommend in the next issue and what trends have to absolutely be stopped by the next release.

He grips onto the cardboard box more tightly and imagines his newly printed business card, reading Kim Gyuvin next to Editor-in-chief.

Once the taxi rolls up to the office building he gives the taxi driver more money than he probably makes driving three passengers around—combined. And while that is a lot of money in Seoul he would not be able to come up with a better way to spend it. 

He tells the man, who just waves it off with a smile, as much. The taxi driver simply answers that he never turns down people with a slight desperation in their face. Gyuvin would definitely be offended if it was anyone else saying that to his face but in this case he is just overwhelmed by the otherworldly aura around the man.

He can only keep himself from asking if he really is an angel by getting out of the car. 

Gyuvin doesn’t watch the taxi drive off because he has to hurry inside as fast as he can, hoping the elevators aren’t as crowded as they often are.

But luck truly seems to be on his side today and he doesn't even have to wait for an elevator to get down from the top floor for longer than a moment. It is right there when he presses the button, not one person who might attempt to steal it in sight. 

He checks his phone as the elevator ascends to the editorial floor, typing with one hand as he balances the box with the food and drinks in his other hand. 

gunwook ah 😝

rise and shineeeee gyuvinah

are u on ur way already????

kim gyuvin 🐶

yeahhhh 

i got an elevator for myself ㅎㅎㅎ

gunwook ah 😝

who did u save in ur past life oh my god

i’m jealous ㅠㅠㅠㅠ

someone who got into the elevator with me this morning smelled so bad ..

kim gyuvin 🐶

ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

i’m sorry 

Gyuvin chuckles at his phone before he shoves it back into his pocket, deciding to visit Gunwook later if he has the time. The design department is only one floor below his and they share the same cafeteria so he usually bumps into the younger man at least once a day.

The elevator doors open with a bing and Gyuvin gets out and into his office just in time to throw his jacket and bag inside, adjust his tie and fix his hair in the tiny mirror on his desk before he knows he has to rush to Ricky's office.

He grabs his tablet and one of the cups from the box without looking and rushes out of the door towards the office at the far end of one of the hallways. The office is cool, surprisingly so with the rapidly rising summer temperatures in Seoul, and illuminated only by the sun outside, pouring into the sparsely decorated room. He sets the cup down onto the desk at the same time as the door opens with a soft click and then closes in the next second with a louder thud that isn't yet anything to worry about.

Gyuvin has experienced much worse and he sometimes wonders how the door is still holding on.

The blond man sinks into the chair after crossing the room and leans his bag against a leg of the desk. He doesn’t look more ill-humored than most days which means he is in an unusually good mood. 

“Good morning,” Gyuvin greets and pulls his lips upwards, trying to smile as much as one can working in a corporate office. There is also that promotion he wants from Ricky, the one he has been running after, pulling all-nighters for, for the past months.

He widens the smile just a bit at the thought of it. 

“Morning,” Ricky answers and Gyuvin clenches his jaw to stop himself from grinning because he supposes that would overstep some boundary between them. Gyuvin had learnt over the years that Ricky is far away from being a morning person and he respects that, because showing up to work when you’re still drowsy from too much or not enough sleep is one of the hardest tasks the adult life brings with. 

It doesn't stop him from musing at his terribly eyes, though. At least Gyuvin is good at hiding it.

“Have I mentioned wanting to fire the old Lee-nim down the hall before?”

“Yes, multiple times. But you haven’t gone through with it yet,” Gyuvin nods and watches the way Ricky pulls his eyebrows together. 

“Put it at the top of my to-do list. What’s on today’s agenda?”

“Byun wants to talk to you about what recent shows to include in the high fashion section and Kang needs your opinion on a design for one of the summer issues. Also, one of the brands for the anniversary issue reached out and wants to talk to you and there is a meeting at eleven thirty with the editorial department and in the afternoon—three p.m.—with the marketing team.” He reads out from the colorfully flagged calendar in his tablet and Ricky nods after each sentence, playing with one of the pens on his desk.

Gyuvin isn’t sure if he really does follow his words and their meanings or if Ricky just agrees so that he will stop talking sooner. He has it all memorized afterwards though so it must be the first, however hard to believe.

Gyuvin hesitates for a moment, trying to fight the urge to adjust his glasses to seem nervous, while playing with the thought of asking Ricky to take another look through his recommendations for the magazine submitted last week—or was it the one before?—because today is a nice day.

Ricky is in a good mood.

He didn’t drop one of the teas, like he had once, twice.

The office was calm when he entered.

Most definingly, he had met his guardian angel in a taxi. There was really no way this could go wrong. 

“I also wanted to ask about the brands and businesses I had submitted as a part of my recommendation document a couple pf days ago? I know I mentioned it before so I hope you don’t mind me asking again but I’m just curious if you have received them at all.”

Ricky lifts his head from the pens and papers he had been eyeing a moment before, calculating feline eyes focused on his face as if trying to look into his head, make out what he is thinking by sheer will alone.

“Ah,” he starts and Gyuvin picks his breathing back up only when the editor-in-chief averts his eyes from his face, “I forgot about that. If I find time I will look through it.” He shrugs lightly and opens one of the documents on the desk at a seemingly random page. No I’m sorry or Thank you for doing your own research— just the honest truth right into his face. 

The matter is obviously concluded at that and Gyuvin lowers his shoulders in defeat. He tries not to be mad about it because Ricky is obviously busy but isn't it his job to look through things like that? It's as if Ricky  thinks Gyuvin incapable of making any good decisions outside of the management of his schedule—especially not concerning the magazine, it seems.

Ricky’s features smooth over as he takes a sip of the tea Gyuvin gets him each morning, visibly content with the taste while his eyes are still fixed on the papers in front of him. 

Gyuvin relaxes for a second, waiting for Ricky to tell him to leave. But Ricky’s gaze flicks back over to the cup for a second as he sets it down, brows rising vaguely and Gyuvin catches his own mirroring the action, waiting for another reaction. 

“What exactly does Woni want me to text her?” 

There it is. 

Ricky doesn’t sound mad as he speaks, rather amused judging by the way his lips are turned up slightly and his eyes that twinkle at Gyuvin from where he is sitting.

Gyuvin is confused for a second, not sure what Ricky could be referring to before he catches. glimpse of the black marker on the cup and his body goes stiff at once, save his eyes which are going back and forth from the drink to his superior's face to the milky white glass of the office door. If he runs now he might make it to the airport before Ricky can catch up…

“I… must have… mixed up the cups.” he speaks as clearly as he can through his teeth, not trusting himself enough to open his mouth wider than that.

Ricky, the annoyingly stubborn man he is, looks at Gyuvin with absolutely no change in emotion on his face, blinking slowly once, twice, another time . 

“You must be quite popular at the coffee shop then, getting confessions just like that. What surprises me more is that you get the same thing for yourself as you do for me, though.”

Gyuvin breathes through his nose.

“When I am craving it, I do.”

Which is a lie because he never craves citrus tea and he gets it every day, anyway.

“Well, I am glad that you happen to enjoy the tea as well. Maybe we could have some together some day.” 

Absolutely not. 

“Maybe you could even invite her to come along. Although she seems more keen on going on with just you, or am I wrong?” Gyuvin is trying his best to stop himself from stepping forward and strangling the man in front of him with his bare hands. 

He is curious what expression he would see on his irritatingly handsome face and how his big eyes, that Ricky usually uses to emotionally manipulate him, would look when they aren't the ones in control for once. 

“Here, do you want to take a picture to remember to get back to her?” Ricky turns the cup around so that the writing is facing Gyuvin and he can read the cursive letters better than he actually wants to now. 

You’re really cute, hmu if u ever wanna get coffee tgth ;) Woni +82 and some numbers Gyuvin actually doesn’t bother remembering. 

“It’s okay. I’m not looking for a relationship right now. Especially not with the barista responsible for your drink every morning, bujangnim .” Gyuvin tries his best to appear as calm and unbothered as he can in this situation. Ricky raises his eyebrows but doesn’t respond, eyeing him down until he averts his gaze and picks the cup up to take another sip.

“Well, tell Byun to come to my office then. I will look for you later, too. Thank you.” He doesn’t look at Gyuvin anymore as he speaks but it is obvious he wants him to leave the room and go to do whatever else he has to. Gyuvin lowers his head in a formal bow and then walks out the glass door, tablet still in hand. “Enjoy the tea.” Ricky’s voice still calls after him before the door closes.

Gyuvin’s ears are burning. 

The first thing he does as he enters his own office— after making sure the door is closed all the way— is take a large sip of the yuja tea still standing on the desk. 

The second thing he does is lean over his desk until his head is on the same level as the wooden surface, his glasses giving off a little clack as they connect with the surface but he doesn’t even find it in himself to worry about them, and knocks his forehead onto the furniture once and then twice and then thrice and tries to suppress the urge to scream. 

Of course , she had to write a confession on the cup. it should have been so obvious to him as soon as he had seen her face this morning.

Gyuvin does find a sort of appreciation for it somewhere inside himself but the situation is also much, much too embarrassing to invest further thought into right now. 

How could he be stupid enough to think he was having a blessed day for once?

It should have been obvious that after he left the taxi-driver-angel’s side his day would inevitably take a turn for the worse.

Gyuvin turns his head to the side where he is still bent over the desk to make eye contact with the small cardboard box he had also gotten this morning. The strawberry croissant inside reminds him that he will need to get back into Ricky’s office sooner or later, no matter when or if the man ends up calling for him.

He takes a deep breath and straightens his back before picking up the things he had carelessly left on top of the furniture before and setting them down where they should be before he falls into the office chair and opens his laptop, setting the tablet aside because he only needs it to log or check Ricky’s schedule on the go.

He sends an email to Mr Byun from the editorial department to go to the editor-in-chief’s office to discuss his matters as told and even almost dares to smile to himself as he clicks send because it another task completed, another step closer to getting promoted.

The smile slips off his face when he accidentally reaches for the tea and remembers the confession.

His outstretched hand moves away from the cup quickly and he reaches for his phone instead, opening a chat with someone he texts far too often.

kim gyuvin 🐶

can you come kill me please

gunwook ah 😝

dang i thought the day was going well..???

Not anymore , Gyuvin thinks and wants to go back to hitting his head against the desk.

kim gyuvin 🐶

buy me some coffee if you don‘t want me to jump out the window

gunwook ah 😝

oh

alright

give me a minute or so

Five minutes or so later Gunwook actually comes strolling into Gyuvin‘s office, two paper cups of coffee in his hands and a tie with a funny pattern around his neck. 

“Well, do tell how your morning went from I won the elevator lottery to I will commit suicide in front of my superiors ,” he says, setting the cups down on the desk and pulling one of the chairs from where they are standing by the wall in front of the desk.

“Don’t you also have to work to get back to?” Gyuvin asks him only because he needs to hear him say no to feel a bit less guilty about calling him here, watching Gunwook’s broad shoulders move underneath his dress shirt as he arranges the chair in front of the desk. 

he takes a sip of the coffee Gunwook set down in front of him and sighs contently.

“If I did, I wouldn't be here. Besides, you literally texted me you would jump out a window during work hours. What was I supposed to do other than come here!”

Gyuvin sighs then and it’s nota satisfied one but the kind that makes your shoulders rise and fall like you are the unlucky female leads in one of those bad dramas his grandma always watches when she is visiting their place. 

“Someone confessed to me,” he admits dramatically.

Gunwook’s eyebrows almost reaches his hairline by how fast he raises them.

“And that’s… bad? Enough to make you jump out a window? I thought it would do you some good to experience love every once in a while, you know.”

“Yes!” Gyuvin can catch himself just before he screams which results in it being somewhere between a whisper and a scream, his voice rising and falling like he’s a teenage boy going through puberty still. 

“Because,” he takes a deep breath and lowers his eyes to watch his shoes instead of having to make eye contact with Gunwook, “I accidentally forwarded that confession to none other than Shen Ricky just now.” 

The silence that follows is bad enough to make Gyuvin lift his head again immediately, trying to look through Gyuvin's face for even a hint of compassion, already regretting having asked Gunwook for advice at all.

“ Oh .”

It's Gyuvin's turn to raise his eyebrows now, staring at Gunwook in disbelief because that is the wrong answer altogether!

“Don’t oh me. I know how much of an oh situation this is myself!” 

Gunwook’s shoulders shake, and Gyuvin knows he is trying to hold back his laughter before he actually throws his head back and laughs and Gyuvin gapes at him, speechless by the disrespect he is receiving, before he slaps Gunwook’s shoulder.

“Not funny?!”

“It kind of is, though,” Gunwook wheezes, holding his shoulder.

“He will fire me. Tomorrow morning there will be a letter on this exact desk saying You have been fired because of unprofessional behavior. I can feel it in my right nipple.”

“I really don’t think you should rely on your nipples all that much. He probably thought it was funny too. I mean who would have thought you actually have girls going after yo- ouch!” Gyuvin’s palm lands on Gunwook’s other shoulder and he protectively crosses his arms over his torso. “Keep your hands to yourself.”

“No, but you don’t get it,” Gyuvin whines, “I swear Ricky actually gets off on seeing me squirm in front of him. Like, he’s borderline masochistic.”

Gunwook furrows his thick eyebrows and purses his lips, the amusement slowly fading into something akin to pity.

Gyuvin’s ears turn one shade of red deeper.

“I swear to you, you’re the only person on this floor, maybe even the whole company, who thinks that way—he’s genuinely really nice to everyone. He even always gives up his elevator spot if it’s super crowded, you know? And he took over all of Hyunmin’s work without having to be asked that one time last year, you remember? When he broke his arm?” 

Gyuvin frowns at the example because that was one time last year. And just because he is nice to that one person and a couple when riding the elevator up to the offices it doesn’t mean he is a good person! Especially not to Gyuvin! 

"I know how much you envy him—sorry, his job—and how deeply you wish you could do the same. But Ricky being where you wanna be doesn't make him a bad person, so try to not think of him as that. I'm sure you're just as good as him and you will eventually get there as well. It's fine to take some time for things, take different ways to reach your destination. You're just human too. I'm sure Ricky didn't just walk into the office one day to get handed that position, so-"

Gyuvin tilts his head slightly and puckers his lips which earns him a rude gesture from Gunwook.

"What I am trying to say is," Gunwook starts again, "He's not going to throw you out the window for a mixed up coffee. You're just too obsessed with him to think logically."  

Gyuvin gasps and gives Gunwook the best beaten puppy eyes he has ever before but the younger man doesn’t bother with removing the triumphant smile on his lips.

He is ridiculous, Gyuvin thinks and leans back in his chair.

“I see how it is. You have also been gaslit by your oblivious coworkers. Is that something you do in your department? Maybe quitting my job isn’t that good of an idea after all if it means getting manipulated by all those around you for the sake of falling to your knees at the sight of Shen’s fake blond mop of hair. And for starters, I am not obsessed."

Gunwook just rolls his eyes before he bends over the desk to flick Gyuvin’s forehead. “You’re pretty stupid for someone as smart as yourself.”

Gunwook snickers at the expression Gyuvin makes while he gets up from the chair to grab his cup of coffee, a hand on his hip. 

“Make sure to keep your head on top of your shoulders for the rest of the day, won't you? From how I'm seeing it that is a difficult enough task for you already.”

“Oh my god, you’re the opposite of a friend. Seriously. You’re just going to leave like that? Without providing any mental support? After attempting to gaslight me too?

“Next time you need something, remember how you have wronged me.”

“Maybe,” Gunwook says as he makes his way over to the door, sliding the chair he was just sitting on over to its original spot, “but you have to remember that I happen to have a lot more brains and luck than you in life. Just saying.”

“Alright, get out,” Gyuvin retorts and points towards the door.

“Since you’re asking so nicely,” Gunwook laughs, not even an ounce of empathy in his body as far as Gyuvin can tell. He waves Gyuvin goodbye with a grin and a Fighting that doesn’t sound genuine at all before he lets the door fall shut behind himself.

Gyuvin wants to rip his hair out for the second time today (which isn’t just a record yet but close enough to being one) and hits a random button on his keypad in hopes of being able to forget about the whole incident through work. As always.

He gets to scroll through emails and projects and documents filled with proposals of all different aspects for only a few minutes until the telephone on his desk starts ringing and he has to pick it up with a barely suppressed sigh.

“Hello, this is Shen Ricky’s assistant Kim Gyuvin speaking. How may I help?”

The sentences roll off his tongue like an automated voicemail, memorized by the countless times he has said them into the speaker.

“Ah, hello. This is Kim Sunoo from the editorial department. I also just got a call and it seems that there is a problem with one of the brands we were planning on working with for the next issue suddenly... I wanted to discuss the matter with Shen Ricky-nim as soon as I could to avoid further mishaps.” 

“Of course, one second—I will put you through to him.” 

Gyuvin presses some buttons on the device in order to transfer the call over to the editor-in-chief next door but the call actually does not go through.

He furrows his brows in confusion.

If Ricky wasn’t in his office he definitely would have told Gyuvin about it in some way. 

“I’m sorry,” he tells Kim Sunoo on the other end of the line, hands ghosting over his keyboard, “it actually seems that Shen Ricky-nim isn’t in his office right now—but I will forward the message to him as soon as possible, though.” 

Kim Sunoo still thanks him before Gyuvin puts the phone down. What the hell?

Sure, the tea incident had been a bit embarrassing but not enough so for Ricky to completely disregard him and leave without even letting him know. 

He tries everything in his powers to not get up right then and walk over to the office to demand an answer from the slightly older man—that is until he actually gets distracted by his phone emitting a fast sequence of all too annoying sounds.

He doesn’t pick it up at first, worried it might be his aunt, but it just does not stop so he groans and reluctantly picks it up from where it is laying next to the cup of yuja tea. 

There are at least thirty kakao talk messages from Kim Taerae, the only member of the marketing department that Gyuvin has actually talked to before because they started at the company at the same time, sent a minute ago at most which is crazy because who manages to type that many things in one freaking minute.

taerae ssi (marketing) 🐥

gyuvin

kim gyuvin

gyuv 

in

shen nim just got called to the ceo’s office

sos

sos

did you do something 

someone getting fired

?

promoted

?

hello ik u can’t be that busy

ur usually not stressed unless ur around shen ssi 

which ur currently not because he’s at the ceo’s office

as i said

gyuviiiiiiiiin

[ see more ]

Gyuvin frowns at the messages, brows pulling together.

If Ricky ever enters the CEO’s office it is because he wants to—which is a very rare occurrence in itself because he prefers not having his business meddled with in first place (Gyuvin would know)—and definitely not because he is called to do so. 

There is one instance where he remembers Ricky being called to the CEO’s office to discuss what was to happen with a new intern that wasn’t showing up to work much and Ricky had been so on edge the whole afternoon afterwards that Gyuvin had been scared to even do as much as clear his throat in his presence.

Gyuvin shakes his head in an attempt to get rid of the memories but it turns out that shaking your head doesn’t really do that. Most times, anyway.

Therefore this is… not good. Probably.

Maybe it's just Taerae’s way of sending messages that is making him freak out about it. Maybe it isn’t even bad and they're talking about promoting Gyuvin to editor-in-chief (quite the dream).

Whatever it is, Gyuvin is  curious now, fingers drumming against the edge of the table. 

He sips on the yuja tea while staring at his phone screen before he realizes what he is doing and puts the now almost empty drink down. What is this job doing to him… He can't wait to be out of the city by the weekend, welcomed by homemade food and freshly brewed tea from his grandmother's kitchen.

gyuvin ssi 🐶

are they still inside

taerae ssi (marketing) 🐥

yesss

it’s been like ten minutes

maybe less idk 

gyuvin ssi 🐶

okkk thanks ㅠㅠ

Gyuvin pushes himself off of the chair, leaving the phone next to the cup, subtly checking his reflection in the black laptop screen as he straightens his legs. 

Sure, there’s probably nothing going on but it is still the CEO. He also reaches for the tablet—just in case something urgent reaches him. 

The plan is simple. He will go up there  swiftly, tell Ricky something urgent came up so that he can save his editor-in-chief from the CEO and disappear right after. No nervous chitchat and no trouble.

The CEO’s office is ten floors above theirs but the hallway looks just the same as Gyuvin and Ricky’s, although located at the opposite side.

Gyuvin isn’t sure if the arrangement was done on purpose but, contrary to the hallway their offices are in, there isn't a large window at the end of it.

The lack of natural light makes it seem to get smaller and darker the further he walks down until he is standing in front of a large white door, the only non milky-white-glass office door in the building, he assumes.

He had been inside the office exactly two times, once during his first week to drop off some documents and the second time with Ricky because of some scheduling conflict.

Gyuvin breathes in and out and then in again before he knocks on the door and opens it a little to peek inside.

Ricky is sitting on one of the chairs in front of the CEO’s desk so that Gyuvin can only see the back of his perfectly blond head. He pushes the door further open when it becomes clear that there aren't any other people inside. 

The CEO catches his eyes immediately and puts on a small, kind smile.

“Kim Gyuvin. Sorry, we are currently in a very urgent meeting. We will be done soon so then,” he glances over to where Ricky, who had turned his head towards where Gyuvin is standing when he heard his name, is sitting in front of him, “you can get Shen Ricky-nim back. Since I assume that you are here for him and not me.”

“That's true but... There has been a problem with one of the deals for the next issue and I think they’re waiting for a call currently and it sounded a bit bad- urgent, so I don’t-“ Gyuvin tries, the only person who seems to actually be interested in the future of their company, before he gets rudely interrupted.

“Wait. Wait.”

Gyuvin turns his eyes from the CEO’s face to the editor-in-chief when he speaks up, Ricky’s voice cracking ever too slightly at the high volume he speaks in. 

Ricky’s cheeks aren't as pale as usual now, Gyuvin notices as his eyes travel over the blond's face. he hopes Ricky isn't getting sick.

“Well, I didn’t know how to tell you when we were talking just now since I was so stumped by your words but since my dear Kim Gyuvin-ssi in in the office with us now-“ Ricky tells the CEO in his smooth voice while he easily gets up from the chair.

He walks over to Gyuvin with a smile that does not look friendly in any way and Gyuvin blinks rapidly while he tries not to back off further towards the door. 

“I think it is time for us to tell you that we’re actually getting married.” 

Ricky takes Gyuvin’s hand too suddenly for him to protest, skin soft and surprisingly warm. Gyuvin doesn't even pull back.

It takes him too long to process what Ricky had just said, too, focused on the call and the hand around his and he can feel a bead of sweat forming at the side of his forehead now, before it clicks and he whips his head towards the man on his side, eyes opened wide and brows almost disappeared under his bangs.

Who is getting married? 

“What?” Gyuvin’s voice sounds too high in his own ears, far from casual and cool and collected and from any image he wants the CEO to have of him. 

“You and me. Our engagement.” Ricky supplies helpfully—except that it isn’t at all helpful because whose fucking engagement is he sprouting nonsense about. “Don’t worry, no need to be scared now. The cat's out of the bag.”

But Gyuvin isn't scared.

He is confused.

If he was engaged Gyuvin would have certainly known about it—especially if he was engaged to Shen Ricky out of all the people in his life. The glasses on Gyuvin’s nose slip down by a few millimeters and he curses the slight sheen of sweat above his eyebrow. Ricky diverts his attention from Gyuvin back to the older man in front of them, who has now crossed his arms over his chest.

“Really?” he asks, disbelief palpable in his voice.

“More than anything,” Ricky says with a neat smile and Gyuvun cringes a bit. “We just weren’t sure if and how we should tell anyone at the office before. I mean, Gyuvin works for me. It just makes it awkward to admit, but- I think right now is our moment to be honest as we have kept the secret for so long.” 

“Since when?”

“A month.” Ricky says and Gyuvin blinks. His eyes feel a little dry all of a sudden. “But we have been seeing each other for much longer, right?” 

Gyuvin nods dumbly and forces a smile onto his face by instinct.

“You’ve been keeping this a secret for so long already?”

“Well, we thought we had to-”

“But your parents know? I doubt you would keep something as important from them .”

“I… am not in contact with mine anymore but Kim Gyuvin-ssi is really close to his family so we were planning on going over there this weekend to celebrate.” 

“Oh, really? Does your family live in Seoul, Kim Gyuvin-ssi?” 

Gyuvin presses his lips together and shakes his head, not missing the expression on Ricky's face. “Inje.” He clears his throat and looks at Ricky first and then the CEO in front of them. “It’s my grandma’s birthday this weekend so my parents are with her in Inje right now.”

“You’re celebrating all together this weekend then?”

Ricky’s eyes shift up and down Gyuvin’s body until he laughs lightly, fast and nods. “Yeah. Sure. We are.” 

“Well, congratulations to you two.” The man answers, seeming unsure still, but the smile he was wearing earlier has made its way to his face again. “Don’t forget to get back to these papers as soon as possible, though. Wouldn’t want the government to have to poke their noses into you guys’ relationship.” 

The government?! 

Ricky lifts his hand in which he is still holding onto Gyuvin’s up to show their intertwined fingers and nods, mirroring the CEO’s smile.

“You don’t have to worry at all—we will make everything work out asap so that you will see both of us in the office with a ring before you can even remember anything was wrong.”

The CEO nods, apparently satisfied with what he is hearing, before he lifts his chin towards the door, signaling for them to finally, finally leave. 

Ricky bends down into a bow and yanks Gyuvin down with him. 

They are standing outside of the office before Gyuvin can say any proper goodbyes, simply following behind Ricky’s steps.

The latter drops Gyuvin’s probably clammy hand as soon as the door closes behind them. He doesn’t say anything or even moves at all for moment that feels far too long, instead just standing there and breathing slowly, staring at the end of the hallway where the sun is burning through the window.

“You're going to catch a fly with your mouth if you aren't careful.” Ricky says simply. “I’ll explain. Let’s go.”

Ricky leads Gyuvin right past all the offices, past the working editors and past the marketing department at the other side of the office floor to his office—he briefly locks eyes with Taerae before he has to tear them away a moment later in fear of being too obvious about his feeling right now. 

The blond comes to stand in front of the window in his office with his back leaned against the glass, facing Gyuvin as he enters.

“We’re not going to get married.” Gyuvin states, staying as far away from Ricky at the other side of the room as he can—he isn’t very trustworthy at the moment. 

"You didn't seem so opposed by it when we were still up there."

And technically, there are definitely millions things that are worse than marrying Ricky—he is handsome and rich and his smile looks sweet sometimes, when Gyuvin has had his ten coffees of the day and they are done with the third morning meeting. 

Ricky is someone he admires, someone who is exactly where he dreams to be and who never feels quite tangible. More like someone you see glowing on TV while in your sweatpants than someone who declares your marriage in front of the highest official of your company out of nowhere . And while Gyuvin doesn't want to admit it he does envy him, too.

To Gyuvin, Ricky isn’t someone to marry. He is someone to carefully watch from your office desk and to bring coffee to, at best.

“Why, are you dating someone?”

“No.”

“Are your parents homophobic? Are you going to get cut out of their will?”

“What? No.” Gyuvin frowns.  

“Then I don’t see where there is a problem, really.” Ricky’s dark eyes make contact with Gyuvin’s and he gulps. He has never realized how cat-like they actually look, long lashes brushing against his cheeks when he blinks. 

“A problem-“ Gyuvin throws his arms up, “You can’t just say you will marry me! We aren’t even dating. Hell, you’re my boss . You control whether or not I am able to pay my rent—I am not a person you should ever consider marrying. And most of all, where does that crazy idea come from anyway ? Unless you- Do you like me?” Gyuvin stops his rant to look into Ricky’s shocked eyes, “You like me and so you had to- to blackmail me into getting married by telling the CEO, of all people!” 

Ricky sighs and looks like he is in physical pain for a few seconds until he manages to put his usual bored expression back on, making Gyuvin take a small step backwards, putting some more distance in between them. Just in case.

“I don’t like you. Why would I confess to someone I like like that ?” Ricky crosses his arms in front of his chest, neatly plucked brows still pulled together like it should be obvious. “It’s less- less personal.” He looks at the ground for a moment which Gyuvin uses to look around the office for escape routes—just in case. 

“I forgot to fill out a few papers. Or I did and then didn’t submit them. I’m not even sure—I’m busy as you can tell.” 

Gyuvin blinks. 

“Anyway, I am kind of on the brink of getting deported as my visa expires soon.”  

Ricky says this so casually that Gyuvin almost misses the important detail of him saying that he is literally risking getting thrown out of the country indefinitely .

As if this is something he deals with regularly and not something that will cost him his job and his life in Seoul. 

Whatever. 

But Ricky just continues, as if they are having a casual conversation over some tea, as if Gyuvin isn’t moments away from walking out of the room, “Thus, I need to get Korean citizenship as soon as I can,” he pushes himself off the glass behind him and takes a few steps towards Gyuvin, so slowly that the hairs on Gyuvin’s neck stand up as he watches him come closer, “or I will be back in China by next month and I won’t be able to continue working for this magazine.”

He stops a mere two feet before Gyuvin, looking up at him like this is his problem to solve and not Ricky’s very own.

“Marrying a Korean citizen grants you immediate citizenship,” Ricky continues to explain. “Which I need. And you,” he points a finger at his chest, “just so happen to be said Korean citizen who very conveniently works in close proximity with me. Perfect for getting married. As you said, I control your paycheck so I might even raise it a bit. Husband bonus and all that.”

This is crazy, Gyuvin thinks. 

“This is crazy,” Gyuvin says.

Ricky purses his lips. “It’s honestly not even as crazy as it could be. I mean, we see each other every day and no one would bat an eye if we appeared a little more close at some point."

He pauses for a second as if to imagine that but shakes his head very quickly afterwards.

"Well, anyhow you just have to pretend to be my husband—no real feelings involved, obviously. We will get married for a year or two, fall apart after that time is up to justify our divorce and then your life and mine will go on just as it is now. Super easy.”

“What is in it for me?” Gyuvin blurts out, the little demon on his shoulder working overtime despite his angel actually wanting to scream and tell Ricky that this is insane and very much not super easy and instead probably against the law . 

So it is definitely not what he had meant to say but now that it has left his mouth there is no way he can take it back.

The entire story is insane already so who would Ricky be to blame him for trying to return the favor—if he is being blackmailed into a very stupid plan why not do the same?

It isn’t every day that your boss asks you to marry him so he has to use the opportunity well, now that it has come up. 

Gyuvin from three hours ago would be shaking in his boots right now but there has to be something in the bitter citrus tea that makes you act on impulse. That might explain Ricky's character sometimes.

He isn’t even sure what crazy idea he is forming himself, usually not the type of person bold enough to make these sorts of statements in any official situation, but the idea of having the upper hand over Ricky sounds a bit too good in his own ears to not follow.

If Ricky agrees to it everything going on from there will be easy.

It is true that Ricky has Gyuvin‘s future in the company in his hands but Gyuvin is holding the entire life the blond has built in Korea in his own. 

“What I said. More money. Just tell me how much and I will write it down.”

“I don’t want your money,” Gyuvin says firmly, moving his arms to cross them in front of his own chest, now. Where the confidence is coming from, he doesn’t know but he does know that this is the one opportunity he has to take.

“Executive Editor. That’s what I want. I want to write my own articles and recommend the brands I think belong in our magazine. I want to have a voice in what our issues consist of.”

He takes another step forward, watching Ricky’s shoulders drop ever so slightly as the space between them gradually decreases. 

“It’s either that or you have to find yourself someone else for your visa issue.” 

Gyuvin can see the cogs in Ricky’s head turn, knows how stubborn the man is and that he is weighing out all options right now.

When his eyes meet Gyuvin’s again after what feels like an eternity he knows that he has won. 

“Alright. You’ll get your promotion. Once our marriage is officiated and I don't have to worry about getting deported anymore I will get to it- Hey, get that grin out of your face.” Gyuvin can’t help it, though, because this might be the best day of his life. 

Sure , you have to ignore the fact that he will have to actually marry Shen Ricky at some point and that he is very likely breaking hundreds of Korean laws but aside from that, the deal is pretty awesome.

“Well, alright then. I’ll marry you so you can get your citizenship and I get my promotion.”

Ricky exhales through his nose as he nods, already stepping away from Gyuvin back to his desk. 

Gyuvin hadn’t even felt this accomplished after graduating university.

He is not entirely sure if it is reasonable to be feeling this way, considering how he just sold himself off for a promotion, but he is feeling too many emotions all at once right now to filter out the bad ones. 

“Do you want me to sign anything?” Gyuvin asks, innocent smile still on his face. Ricky barely turns his head when he looks at him. 

“Not for me. We’re going to the immigration office tomorrow. You’ll have to sign a ton of things there, I suppose. Today is-“

“Wednesday,” Gyuvin supplies on instinct. 

“We’re going there on Friday then. Over the weekend… We will have to visit your family, I suppose. The CEO will probably let us take a few days of leave, since he knows- he knows what kind of relationship we have. How far away is Inje from Seoul?”

“About two hours by train and bus.” 

Gyuvin can see how Ricky opens and closes his eyes very slowly even from where he is standing, processing Gyuvin’s words.

“Okay, could be worse. But I am not taking the bus there. Get us a driver and let me know the details later.”

Gyuvin nods. He doesn't think he is in a position to refuse Ricky anything right now. Not until they are at his family home he supposes.

“Should I write an email?”

“No,” Ricky shakes his head. “Too formal, no one will believe we are engaged if you email me everything.” His eyes move towards his bag, still sitting by the leg of his desk, and his legs follow shortly after to take his phone out of one of its pockets and hold it out for Gyuvin to take.

“You can put your number in here. I only want texts about important things—and no texts after 10 pm unless you are dying. Got it?”

Gyuvin looks up from the screen he has already started typing on to come to face with Ricky halfway sitting on the huge desk, looking as determined as one is when discussing your fake-marriage with your fake-fiancé. He nods to show Ricky he heard him before finishing up and giving the phone back to its owner. 

Ricky looks at the screen and raises one of his brows. “My cute puppy Gyuvin? Seriously?”

Gyuvin grins but nods again. “It makes the engagement way more believable. Especially to my family, believe me.”

Ricky’s eyes stay on him for another few seconds as if trying to make his way into his thoughts by sheer will alone but it seems that he gives up on it a moment later when he shrugs and rises from where he was sitting to walk around the desk to his office chair. 

“I will pick you up tomorrow morning to go to the immigration office, then. Don’t be late. And let your family know about our trip.“ Ricky sits down in the chair, that despite being comically large in comparison to all the other chairs in his office, looks super comfortable, and puts his elbows on the desk that is now in front of him. “I will drive you home tonight. Just so that our coworkers will have something to talk about. They will probably make up the rest of the story by themselves. Easy work.”

“Alright,” Gyuvin agrees because Ricky is right. He would rather have everyone else believe their own stories than come up and lie about one they planned. “I’ll let you know what to pack then. And some stuff about my family since my siblings will be there and I suppose a fiancé would know about them.” Gyuvin wears a crooked smile as he talks, already feeling bad for deceiving those that mean the most to him. 

They will understand.

At least he hopes they will.

For all that guaranteed trouble, he has Ricky wrapped around his finger and he will use that advantage for as long as he possibly can. Ricky doesn't even know what is awaiting him. 

“If that’s all, there is still a guy from the editorial department waiting for your call. If anything else comes up, I will let you know right away, yeobo .” 

Ricky throws him a deadly stare from where he is sitting that would have Gyuvin otherwise running out of the office. Now he only laughs because he knows he can. 

Once he has left Ricky’s office—with only soft blond curls and the dream of a newly printed business card on his mind—he makes his way over to his own office as quickly as he can without appearing suspicious.

He falls against the glassy surface with his back once the door is closed and remains there for a good five minutes, eyes closed and a smile on his lips.

In his head, he is jumping through the room in circles and thanking every entity that watches over him for the blessings bestowed onto him today—especially the angelic taxi driver. 

Because that was the moment.

The moment all the miseries he has been put through since joining the company have built up to. Why he had to stay over time for so many nights and why all the ignorance he had to face over the years was worth it, finally.

Executive Editor. There it is. Gyuvin almost breaks out into a series of giggles he only holds back when he remembers that the rooms are in fact not soundproof. 

And the best part of it all? He gets to tease Ricky about this endlessly for the next one or two years. He will have the most fun with it someone has ever had and he is sure of it too.

All of it feels like a fever dream that Gyuvin never wants to wake up from.

The aspect of lying to his family and gaslighting his friends is one that Gyuvin chooses to ignore for now. He can still deal with that at… some other point. 

The high he is currently on makes him want to much rather draw a big fat heart around the date on his calendar to remember this day forever. 

To imagine that only this morning he thought he was going to get fired! Ha, take that Park Gunwook! Not only does he get confessed to by baristas he is also engaged to their boss! Their boss who he, fairly enough, said hates him only a few hours ago but he will just have to make Gunwook believe that it was something he only said because… Ricky gets jealous! That’s it. Yup. Sounds believable enough, right?

It will just have to once Gyuvin gets his hands on a new business card, where it now reads Personal Assistant will soon let everyone know about his promotion instead.

Gyuvin is more than pleased with this outcome. His original plan was for sure not to have to marry Ricky for it but if that is what it takes it will be okay. Ricky is definitely not difficult to look at and he is confident that he can get him to do pretty much anything in front of his family too. The weekend will be fun.

He is almost humming a tune when he dials his mother’s number, pushing himself off the door in one swift motion. 

She picks up almost immediately because she always does. The smile on Gyuvin’s face turns softer when he hears her voice through the speaker, the mess inside him coming to a halt at the sound of home. 

“Hi. Mom,” he greets into the speaker softly, moving away from the door into the room. 

“Gyuvinie! Aigoo , I didn’t expect you to call at all today. Have you had lunch yet?”

“I’ll eat once I get home. How is your day?”

“Just fine, still planning for your grandma’s birthday. You know how it gets…” her metallic voice sounds through the phone and he can picture her waving it off with her free hand as she speaks too well. 

“Ah, yeah, I do. I actually wanted to talk about that too,” he bites down onto his bottom lip while thinking about how to bear the news to her. “When I go over to Inje I actually thought of bringing someone along. Someone I would like to introduce to you all. He is… pretty important to me?” Gyuvin ignores the way his voice rises at the end of the sentence, like he isn’t all too sure about it either. 

“ Omo , really? Of course! I will tell your dad right away, he will be so excited to meet him,” she tells him immediately and Gyuvin can’t help his lips curving further upwards. Another weight is lifted off his shoulders because while he and Ricky might have some… issues between them he knows that his parents will at least treat them both with the most love and care. Even if they won’t be too lovey dovey or if it all feels too sudden—they will still do their very best at adjusting to his choices. Gyuvin is sure of it.

“I hope so. It's..." Gyuvin catches his bottom lip between his teeth, unsure if he should break the news to her now or later. "It’s a bit sudden but I recently propo- I was recently proposed to. actually. And I didn't say anything because I don’t want you guys to blow us out of proportion—at least not too much,” he chuckles awkwardly into the speaker, stepping up to the large window in his office and watching some birds fight for a crumb of a muffin on the roof of another building close by. 

“Oh my god, what! Gyuvin I am so happy for you. This is so big, Grandma will be so excited. Oh, everyone will be so excited for you two. I can't believe my big boy is finally getting married..." his mom gushes into the speaker, so happy for him. "I knew it the moment you said you would bring someone along that this one was special. You wouldn’t just take anyone with you, I know. The only person that has ever attended a family event was Gunwook and that was for Gyuru’s birthday two years ago!”

Gyuvin throws his head back and laughs, genuinely, because he can’t even deny this. He really does barely ever introduce anyone to his family. If Ricky needed them, this would give him some more extra points from the start.

“You’re right, I’m sorry. We will get to Inje some time on Friday, probably rather late in the evening… Still, I don’t expect you to do anything for us. I’m just super happy about seeing everyone already. Tell the kids that I miss them and grandma that I look forward to celebrating with her,” the birds have stopped fighting by now, one having already left with the food to leave tge other waiting, “By the way, would it be okay if we stayed in the guesthouse? It’s less work for everyone, I think, and it would be easier for my fiancé too, if we had our own place to sleep.”

“Sure you can. Grandma rarely uses it anyway… It might be a bit messy but you guys will be alright, won’t you?”

Gyuvin grins and nods until he remembers that his mom can’t see him so he tells her, instead, “We will, don’t worry. Thank you a lot, eomma. I miss you.”

“Oh, my baby, I miss you lots as well. See you in two days, alright? Don’t forget to bring a present! And I really am so happy for you. Congratulations to him too, tell him how excited I am to meet him.”

“We won’t forget. See you, bye, his finger hovers over the red button on his phone even after saying his byes, thinking about Ricky and if he should tell her anything. The screen closes by itself though, his mother having already ended the call.

Gyuvin lets his hand fall to his side, turning away from the window to walk over to his desk and fall into the seat, suddenly feeling drained.

This day has been… a lot. The craziest roller coaster he has ever been on—and he has been to a Six Flags before.

On an insanity scale from one to ten this would definitely be a fifty.

Although, how do you even rate a fake, probably very much illegal engagement to your boss? It would definitely not reach the single digits on the scale. 

Even if he were to tell anyone the truth he isn’t quite sure if they would believe him. Gyuvin can’t even imagine what Gunwook would say and very much less what his brothers might think. 

His conscience is floating somewhere between absolute horror and peaceful bliss and Gyuvin doesn’t even want to think about which end he will have to choose at some point. Both somehow seem a bit inappropriate.

While Gyuvin’s number one concern at this moment is his family he is also mentally rocking back and forth in his office chair at the thought of having to go to the immigration office tomorrow and explain their very lovely, not at all out of pocket engagement to the agent—who won’t be as gullible as their CEO earlier today and who could definitely charge them with a ridiculous sum of money or a sentence for marriage fraud. 

The light at the end of the tunnel is only the promise made with Ricky and the image of his future it has given him.

Gyuvin tries not to be too happy about it since all of this should be very scary. He should be trembling right now, thinking about what to write in his will if he actually does end up in jail.

But, despite his best efforts, he can’t bring himself to not be at least a teeny tiny bit excited about the engagement. Because while he does hate Ricky’s stuck-up self he also has to admit that being stuck at his family home with him for an entire weekend sounds very… promising. In an annoying way. Which means he will be the one annoying the living hell out of Ricky. 

The vision has Gyuvin mentally rubbing his hands together. 

He could definitely do this. 

One weekend where they had to act in love. A  few weeks until the promotion. More or less a year of being married—which entails being able to use all the expensive stuff Ricky probably has lying around at his home just to piss him off because that’s what married couples do.

Married couples…

If Gyuvin from yesterday, sitting in another insanely boring five hours long meeting, knew about this he would probably faint.

Gyuvin from right now thinks he could get used to this. At least for a year.