Chapter Text
To most, Itaewon was a bustling neighborhood of Seoul full of stores, tourist attractions and vibrant nightlife, but to Jeon Wonwoo, it was home to a bit of peace where cats and books surrounded him. He owned and worked at a bookstore that was also home to stray cats, who liked to come in the store for meals, naps, and attention. The bookstore was located on a hidden street of Itaewon, hidden by popular restaurants and trendy stores.
The street was also home to several other shops and restaurants that weren't the main attraction just like the bookstore. There was the game store, where Wonwoo liked to stop in and chat about video games with the owner, Fuma, who was just as passionate as him. The other owner, Jo, was less talkative, but was just as passionate, often recommending a game to Wonwoo that he wound up loving. Sometimes, Wonwoo returned the favor when Jo came by the bookstore, recommending him a good book. Sometimes a third person, who Wonwoo came to know as Yudai, came to the store, but he didn't seem to work there. His interests seemed to solely be on the owners.
There was a coffee shop just across from the bookstore which was the perfect placement. Wonwoo found himself lucky to have such neighbors. It was owned by Soobin, who was tall and nerdy like Wonwoo and Fuma. In fact, the three of them sometimes met up outside of work, usually meeting at Soobin's place to play video games or talk about the other things they had in common. Also working at the coffee shop were Taehyun and Kai, who were charming and pleasant to talk to. Next to them was a restaurant owned by Mingi and Hongjoong. Wonwoo usually stopped there for lunch as the food was always amazing. Across from them and next to the bookstore was a clothing store owned by Seonghwa and Yeosang, however, they were almost always found hanging out at the restaurant instead.
Despite so many people on the same small street, it was still peaceful, like a small community filled with like-minded people. It was also a peaceful and simple life Wonwoo lived. He rented a small apartment he shared with a strange and passionate man named Soonyoung, who Wonwoo still couldn't tell if he was or wasn't actually a furry of some type. He had two failed relationships, one of who left him to marry a woman and the other decided they felt more like friends and later married their mutual friend. He got up, went to work in the hidden street in Itaewon, and maybe had a meal with Soonyoung. Nothing exciting ever happened until one day.
It had been like every other morning. Wonwoo watched Soonyoung flitter around the house, with energy that should have been illegal at seven in the morning. He gave him quick advice, telling him he probably shouldn't wear a tiger shirt to meet his boyfriend's parents, no matter how open minded they were. Wonwoo arrived at work, greeting the others as he walked by. His coworker, Seungkwan was already there, counting the till. Seungkwan was younger than Wonwoo and admitted that he had a communications degree, but the job market hadn't been quite what he was expecting. He was tired of endless rejection letters, so he settled into this job. He seemed happy enough despite it not being what he had imagined for himself. He was an extrovert and enjoyed talking to the other store owners and customers. Sometimes, he would go to the central part of Itaewon to invite people to the store. Wonwoo had been horrified when he first realized what Seungkwan had done, but he was also impressed. Seungkwan always gave his all, no matter what it was. It was admirable.
"Oh, hi hyung." The younger greeted.
Wonwoo returned the greeting, stopping to pet a gray cat resting near the door. "You're here early." He noted.
Seungkwan shrugged, closing the till, seeming to be done with his task. "Was bored." Was all he said.
Wonwoo didn't know much about the younger's personal life, as he wasn't one to pry, but there was something in his tone that gave him pause. Seungkwan was always vibrant, talkative, and a bit cheeky. Wonwoo hadn't seen negative emotions from him. It seemed strange. Unfortunately for both of them, Wonwoo was a bit awkward.
"Is…is everything okay?" He tried, carefully approaching the counter. A tabby cat was perched on it, rubbing against Wonwoo's arm for attention, which he gave, but kept his gaze on Seungkwan as he waited for a reply.
The younger gave him a soft smile, but it wasn't his usual one and it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah, just a silly thing."
Wonwoo frowned. He knew he wasn't the best talker, but he was an exceptional listener. However, he wouldn't push, but he wanted to let Seungkwan know he had a hyung to lean on if he needed.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Wonwoo asked carefully.
The smile on the younger's face was a bit wider and a bit more genuine. "I appreciate the offer, Hyung, truly. It's honestly just a silly thing. Maybe next time."
Wonwoo accepted the answer and Seungkwan cleared his throat. "I was thinking of going on a coffee run, bug Soobinnie a bit. The usual?"
Wonwoo nodded and watched the younger practically scurry out of the store. He hoped that whatever was bugging Seungkwan wasn't anything serious. He hated seeing him so down. It was just him and the cats alone in the store now. He placed his bag in the back, finding a couple of more cats lazing about. He greeted them, making sure they had enough food and water. Just as he leaned down to pet a rather fat black cat, he heard the bell to the store ring, alerting him that someone entered the store. It was too soon to be Seungkwan, who, no doubt, was chatting with Soobin. It had to be customer.
He walked back to the front and saw the back of the customer as they strolled the aisles, sometimes outstretching a hand for a cat to sniff. If they were granted permission, they would then pet the cat. It seemed the customer was well-versed in the nature of cats. It always made Wonwoo happy to see. The stray cats were his friends and he liked to see them being treated well. He was content to stand guard at the register and watch the customer interact with the cats, but he could hear Seungkwan's nagging voice in the back of his head, telling him that he needed to interact with customers. Otherwise what was the pointing of owning a store? He sometimes sincerely hated it when Seungkwan was right.
He cautiously left the safety of the register and inched a bit closer. He didn't want to seem like a creep, but he had to be close enough for the customer to hear him. Seungkwan always told him he had a bit of a mumbling problem. None of his other friends said that, but perhaps they felt like he already knew that. He noticed the customer petting the same gray cat Wonwoo had petted upon entering.
"Thief." Wonwoo stated before thinking.
The customer turned around, instantly alarmed and confused. Wonwoo, though mortified, was speechless. Before him, was Wen Junhui. Wonwoo admittedly wasn't the best at keeping up with celebrities, but he knew who Wen Junhui was. Everyone knew who he was. He first made his break as a kpop idol of a six member group. The group was moderately popular, but had bad management, meaning the group had to disband within their third year. However, Junhui only continued to rise from there. He went back to China, released a couple of albums, but his biggest break was acting. It seemed like overnight, he was China's most sought after actor, even working alongside Jackie Chan. He was popular among East Asia and even gaining a Western fan base as he starred in a few Hollywood films as well. He was practically a household name and he, for some reason, was standing in the middle of Wonwoo's hidden and tiny bookstore.
Junhui managed to find his voice. "I'm not." He answered.
Wonwoo felt his face heat up in shame and embarrassment. Only he could make a fool of himself in front of a movie star. "No! Not you!"
He pointed to the gray cat who had stretched and rolled over, unnerved by the conversation happening around him. "His name is Thief."
Junhui relaxed in the slightest, but still seemed confused. "Why is that his name?"
"He steals the food from the other cats and has stolen papers from the front desk. He's fast, that one."
Junhui laughed, light and melodic. "That makes sense. Well, it's the first time meeting such a cute thief." He stated, scratching under Thief's chin.
The awkward nature was starting to return to Wonwoo and he bowed, slowly backing away. "Let me know if you need anything."
He scurried back to the safety of the register, trying not to watch Junhui walking around his store. He forced himself to focus on the tabby cat resting on the counter. It was both amazing and sort of sad that this was the most interesting moment of his life. A movie star walked into his store and actually talked him, but what was there after that? Just the mundane life he was leading? Just as that thought sunk in, Junhui approached the register, book in hand. Wonwoo scattered to his feet, startling the tabby cat, who glared at him as she jumped down.
"Just this?" He asked, trying to remain professional.
Junhui nodded. "Thief wanted to steal it, but I managed to talk him out of it." He joked.
God, he was funny too. Was there anything Wen Junhui wasn't?
Wonwoo let out a snort as he rang the book up and placed it in a bag. Junhui paid and just like that, the most interesting thing to every happen to Wonwoo, was over. The store was eerily silent until Seungkwan returned with two coffees, looking a bit brighter than when he had left. For that, Wonwoo was glad.
Seungkwan handed him his coffee, sitting himself up on the counter. Wonwoo used to hate it when the younger did that, saying it was unprofessional, but as time went on and he realized they didn't have much customers, he came to find it somewhat endearing.
"So, anything interesting happen when I was gone?"
"Someone famous came in."
Seungkwan gave him a pointed look. "Hyung, for the last time, that one man who wanders in here once in a while just happens to look like Sul Kyunggu."
Wonwoo deflated a bit. Right. No one would actually believe him that he had talked to Wen Junhui.