P080: Cloud 9 (Boy You Got Me Flying Up)
From: absuholute
Title: Cloud 9 (Boy You Got Me Flying Up)
Prompt Code: P080
Rating: PG
Side pairing/s: Suho/Sehun (one-sided platonic), Suho/Lay (platonic)
Length: 5250 words
Summary: It wasn't love at first sight, but the moment Junmyeon saw the new weather announcer on TV, he just knew his decision to crush on the person was not a mistake.
Warning/s: A few scattered showers of lame weather references in this short, short story.
Notes: Please see the endnote
Long black, half a teaspoon of sugar.
It was two minutes past six o’clock in the morning and Junmyeon was already perched on a stool, enjoying his steaming hot coffee, club sandwich and a minimal dose of early pleasantries with the barista on the other side of the bar counter. His shift at work would start at seven on the dot, and a year ago when he started managing his father’s business, he would by now already be comfortable in his office, easy chair warmed and files on his desk neatly piled.
But things-or his morning ritual of heading to the office like an overzealous office worker-changed when he discovered a small coffee shop three blocks away from where he was working. Set in industrial design and with a menu which looked like any other coffee shops’ littering the city, he thought it wouldn't hurt to check out the first time he entered the place―he could easily just bail out, or in this matter bill out, and find another source of his coffee fix in the area if he were to not like it.
Too bad his stomach, which had a slight aversion to coffee [no matter how much he needed it], liked the kind the shop served. The sandwich was also heavenly [the home-made mayonnaise played a huge gastronomic role why Junmyeon thought so]. And the owner-a young man, very much younger than him, Junmyeon believed-was a nice fellow with handsome features, who he thought would be a nice kind of morning greeting for his eyes.
He would have to admit that the reasons he became a regular of the place were due to three things: coffee, food and the owner, Oh Sehun. Nobody could blame Junmyeon. Everything was good including the guy who owned the shop. Not to mention that he had an affinity to good-looking people who had this cold, extremely unkind aura [the type people who kicked small animals for pastime would give off] but were actually just reserved, compassionate souls deep down. How did Junmyeon find out Oh Sehun had it in him? He just happened to chance upon the guy late one night stopping to feed a stray puppy and even petted it when Junmyeon was kind of expecting some cruel action.
In short, the coffee shop was perfect. And so was Oh Sehun.
'The Great Change' (as how he’d call it) happened when instead of the soft music, which Junmyeon’s ears had gotten used to due to his constant visits, was replaced with the soft drone of the early breakfast TV.
Junmyeon’s simple, little crush would have morphed to admiration, assuming Sehun had found out his clean little secret the first time he set his eyes on the show being broadcasted on the television. A subtle yet proud smile had graced his lips because of all the channels and of all the early morning shows the shop would tune in to, it was Good Morning KBN.
He had not told Sehun nor anybody (not directly involved) about his job before, but he was actually the interim CEO of one the biggest television networks in South Korea. It was not public knowledge yet, and Junmyeon was actually thankful for the temporary anonymity. Sehun might be hinting he knew about Junmyeon’s secret, but was willing to keep it and this tiny assumption about the guy got Junmyeon’s hopes up.
Unfortunately, while the morning show was just halfway to its inevitable ending, Junmyeon’s delusion regarding his one-sided affection towards the super sweet coffee shop owner being mutual already did. Sehun’s ‘I think the early morning news suits the industrial concept of my shop better' and as to why of all networks it was KBN, the guy’s shrug and non-committal, ‘because most of the patrons here prefer it’ drove the point home-Oh Sehun was completely oblivious of Junmyeon’s identity. And his feelings.
The option to confess was immediately trashed when in the middle of Junmyeon’s inquiry regarding the new television set because he ‘was totally surprised of the latest shop addition’, there was a call that Sehun had to take and the greeting Junmyeon heard from the owner to whoever was calling was definitely ‘Hey babe’.
The smile and the creeping blush on the shop owner’s face only came to confirm which Junmyeon was trying his hardest to deny during that time. And of course, it was stupid of him to also assume that Sehun was single. Like him.
Fighting back the tears and the creeping shame, he focused on the television instead. The lively voices of the news desk hosts Park Jeongsu and Kim Hyeoyeon were all Junmyeon chose to listen to and definitely not Sehun’s equally bright lilt in the phone conversation. His mind though, was still reeling from the recent heartbreak [if he could call it that] and was only able to pick up ‘weather report’ and ‘new announcer’ from all the noise he was hearing.
His eyes listlessly drifted towards the TV screen, towards the guy with a sunny smile talking about the sunny weather and all of a sudden, the dark, heavy clouds inside of Junmyeon slowly dissipated with the way the announcer smiled like he was the great source of sunlight all throughout his report.
If he were to see this guy everyday then he wouldn’t have a problem moving on to a new crush, he thought. He wouldn’t want to avoid Sehun’s shop just because he felt rejected―it would be a great disservice to the coffee, the food and the friend which and who had all been part of his good mornings.
So, a very nice plan was concocted in his mind. And that is, to-crush-on-this-new-weather-announcer-from-the-early-morning show-broadcasted-by-the-network-his-family-owns-instead-of-handsome-Oh-Sehun-because-admiring-the-new-guy-is-a-better-and-might-just-be-a-healthier-option. Though he was yet to know the cute person’s name because he wasn’t able to catch it earlier due to his then conflicting emotions.
But he shouldn’t worry, should he? He and the person were technically officemates! Luck was surely on his side.
Finishing his coffee and leaving a generous tip on the bar, he bade Sehun goodbye with a smile and a wave as he put on his suit and headed outside. He had to squint for a bit as the glare of the morning sun hit his face. His expression relaxed, eyes adjusting to the light, as he walked towards the direction of the KBN compound.
Sunny in Seoul during the next two days. Junmyeon thought the forecast wasn’t so bad.
⇗ ⇗ ⇗
For the days that followed his encounter with the weather announcer, he was nothing but persistent when it came to wondering about the person. He, of course, did not go out of his way to seek the guy but it didn’t stop him from thinking at least about the guy’s name.
"Kim Jongdae."
Junmyeon looked up from the files he was skimming through and met the gaze of the man seated on the guest lounge chair in his office.
"I’m sorry, what?" he asked him.
A dimpled smile broke the serious look on the guy’s face as Junmyeon’s brows remained knitted and his face resembled that of semi-crumpled paper. Yixing, his cousin, bestfriend and also the COO of the company should just stop being too playful sometimes.
"The new weather announcer," Yixing supplied, his mischievous smile being toned down by fingers playing with his lower lips.
Junmyeon had not even told nor asked him about the person―his mouth fell open in disbelief. He had not held any cloud seeding for his cousin to be raining guesses on him, right? Was he that obvious?
"Weren’t you asking about his name just a while ago?" the other clarified.
For goodness sake he was just thinking about―oh, he might have said it out loud. And it would be futile for him to argue with Yixing―the other, though a few months younger than him, was most of the time right.
He cleared his throat trying to be cool about it. "I was just wondering. Saw the program on the TV earlier," he answered, picking up a pen to sign the papers with. He hoped his remark was smooth enough for Yixing to not put much meaning into it.
Kim Jongdae.
He had to try his hardest not to get too distracted to accidentally sign the papers with the guy’s name instead.
"I like him."
Junmyeon’s smooth stroke on the paper skewed and made a terrible blot of blue-black ink on white with Yixing’s remark. His Jun became Jill. Mouth rounding in surprise, he looked up and Yixing only chuckled as he leaned on the table.
“I shouldn’t be asking whether you like him with that kind of reaction.” Yixing took off from his seat, heading to his table and leaning with his hands gripping the corner opposite Junmyeon. He then coaxed Junmyeon’s hanging mouth to close by patting his chin. “And of course, I meant it in an absolutely platonic way. You know me, dear cousin. And good luck to this newest venture of yours. You have my full support.” Straightening up and smoothing out his navy blue vest by the waist, Yixing flashed another smile to him and headed out.
“Xing, it’s just a simple crush, okay?” And it was not like his attraction was on the level of talking about arrangements for marriage or something.
“Your secrets are always safe with me,” the other assured him, bringing a pointer finger between his lips for a shushing gesture and winked at him before disappearing behind the glass door.
Junmyeon did not doubt that line, Yixing was one of the most trusted people in his life, but he was kind of worried for the fact that his cousin, who might appear nonchalant twenty-four-seven, might just do something regarding this new information. It wasn’t that the guy would be the next dark lord or something, but more on the inclination that Yixing was still his best friend and might get secretly hands-on when it came to his life―especially about his love and/or a little bit of attraction to other people.
Relying on the other to make a move for him would be unforgivable either, so he might just have to get out of his office and do rounds around the different departments to personally check the state of things and have a valid excuse to maybe chance upon the person? Just maybe?
⇗ ⇗ ⇗
Waiting for a chance to roam around the building just to get a glimpse of Kim Jongdae was not that long. In fact, he actually didn’t need to wait, though he had to still get out of his glass box (as how Yixing had dubbed his office).
Come to the rooftop. I miss you. If you don’t I’ll jump off.
Morbid. His cousin had a very morbid sense of humor. But he couldn’t really say no especially when it was Yixing asking for a bit of a time. When they were back in high school, the other would tend to spend their recesses on top of the school building, looking up the sky, when things-good or bad-happened.
He was climbing the last flight of stairs when his phone buzzed once again in his pocket.
Oops, duty calls~ Left the cup of your daily dose of darkness with some random employee. Just tell them you’re the bunny teammate I was talking about~
Okay Yixing, the trip upstairs was not that difficult but to bail out like that? Junmyeon sighed as he occupied the other end of the lone bench where this dude (the one Yixing might be talking about) was sitting on as well. The unopened can of coffee the guy was holding when his gaze travelled from the floor upwards only confirmed his guess.
But the random employee that his cousin mentioned was not so random at all. Kim Jongdae couldn’t be this random. And Junmyeon was stumped, clenching his jaw to stop it from falling and just continued to even out his breathing.
“Do you have a strong umbrella with you?” A silent, melodious voice came from those curly lips, eyes with long lashes only looking up to the sky. Junmyeon didn’t know Kim Jongdae would be this breathtaking up close.
“I-I think I do,” he squeaked-god, he just did- when he forced himself to say something.
“You’ll need that,” the guy said, finally taking off his gaze from the clear sky to finally look towards Junmyeon. His hair was puffy and a few stray strands danced with the soft wind.
“But earlier-earlier in the weather forecast-” Why was he being nervous all of a sudden? He could have just said something like “But you said earlier in your forecast that there would only be scattered rainshowers” or something and Kim Jongdae would reply with something like, “Oh, you watch our show? That’s really nice! What’s your name?”, they’d introduce themselves to each other and they’d be friends, and finally, a nice, happy ending.
But no. Of all times, Junmyeon’s uncool side had chosen to haunt him then. What a nice first impression, really.
“See my head?” Jongdae asked which Junmyeon slowly nodded to. In fact Kim Jongdae’s hair was an internal topic a while back where he was tempted to reach out and pet it just to find out how soft his hair was. “My great locks show themselves when the weather’s going to be really wild.” The guy the shyly smiled a knowing one and huffed when it took more than three seconds for Junmyeon to actually process that.
“I’ll-I’ll keep my strong umbrella with me then,” he answered, witnessing how the other’s pursed curly lips stretched a wee bit upwards and turned into a blinding grin.
“You should, you really should.” Kim Jongdae nodded, big, dark brown locks bouncing with each movement and Junmyeon could only breathe in hard. The weather announcer suddenly paused and stared at him. “Ah, you came to get this, right?” he asked as he offered Junmyeon the can.
“How can y-you be sure it’s me?”
“It’s only me most of the time here. Except for the guy earlier who came to hang out. And he did mention somebody would come get the coffee soon,” the other answered in earnest. “I’m Kim Jongdae, by the way. You can call me Jongdae. I’m from the breakfast TV team,” introduced the other as he offered his hand towards Junmyeon.
“The weather announcer, right?” Junmyeon smiled as he eagerly held accepted the guy’s hand and shook it.
An airy laugh broke their silence as Jongdae’s grin went a notch higher. If Junmyeon were a solar panel he’d be fully charged by now.
“Yeah, I thought nobody would recognise me,” Jongdae admitted with his free hand at the back of his head. Who wouldn’t really recognise such a presence? Junmyeon thought. “You? What’s your name”
“K-Kim Jun- You can just call me Jun,” he said, saving another bout of embarrassment with a small laugh and a smile. “Unlike you I’m just a desk-job-kind-of guy.”
“You make it sound like your work’s boring. But I’m not the type to pry. It’s nice meeting you, Jun.”
It wasn’t his intention to make it sound like managing the company was boring. Truth was he enjoyed his job a lot. But it would be too early to reveal anything about himself to anybody, not even to Kim Jongdae. Might as well appear like another bored employee at the moment.
A lot less reason for his office life to be boring when he was finally in small talking terms with Kim Jongdae. But the guy shouldn’t know of this information as well-especially this information.
⇗ ⇗ ⇗
Two days later, albeit the good sunny weather and warm rays of the sun earlier in the morning, Junmyeon found Yixing scowling while drying his hair in the living room of their shared unit right after getting back from work during the early evening.
“Did you just walk through the rain like some messiah or something?” his cousin incredulously asked, eyes wide as Junmyeon settled his bag on the side of the couch.
Well, it could be assumed something like that when compared to Yixing who looked like a pet subjected to an intense fight with the bath tub, Junmyeon looked like he enjoyed a nice clear weather outside though the road was barely visible due to the heavy downpour.
“Somebody from the rooftop adviced to keep a strong umbrella with me since the weather would be wild for the coming days,” Junmyeon said as he loosened his tie and headed to the window. The sky was still so dark and the lighted streets below were only a big blur from his view. “And it sure is, wild. Did he not tell you?”
Yixing just stared back at him with an unamused expression when Junmyeon turned towards the couch. “What is he now, a weather fairy?” asked the other.
He just hummed to the remark and smiled at the apt title for the weather announcer. If Junmyeon was spared from the wrath of the bad weather then maybe, Kim Jongdae might be exactly that-a weather fairy.
⇗ ⇗ ⇗
The affair with the weather fairy was something Junmyeon looked forward to in the small bouts of breaks-ten-minute coffee breaks and/or fifteen-minute lunch breaks-he was blessed with. Affair with the dictionary meaning of the word being a secret sexual relationship between two people though he was guessing it only applied to him. Not that he wanted to keep the relationship secret, but him trying be discreet about their mid-day meet-ups was something he had to admit.
Jongdae had always liked the weather and looking up to the sky at any time of the day. He had always been attuned to the small differences, attributing everything to just being overly sensitive to any atmospheric changes, since he was young and this ability led him to pursue a career that had to do with it. The most amusing revelation was that the guy was a holder of a degree in meteorology.
“Partly for the reason that I want to prove myself wrong. But most of the time it’s just science supporting my initial observations,” Jongdae told Junmyeon one day. “But here in the broadcast business the decision to apply as an announcer was some kind of a wrong decision. I was not allowed to comment on the numbers though I can read and predict as well. ‘Save it to the researchers’ they say. And that’s what I’ve been doing since I started working here-following the script down to a tee-which has recently become a constant worry for me.”
“Then relay the information that you think is best,” he had advised the younger [he had learned of the announcer’s age-just a year younger than him-when they talked about their high school life a few days prior].
Jongdae had only chuckled at his remark. “And what, risk getting fired?”
“Well your prediction had saved me and my suit from getting drenched before,” he had said.
Nothing else was shared between them after that except for Jongdae’s appreciative smile and his assuring one. Junmyeon was so tempted at that moment to tell the other that ‘the CEO wouldn’t really mind’ but he was in no position to use his power to bring this kind of effect at work. Also, doing so would only appear as being biased in the eyes of many, including Jongdae.
The upside of that conversation though, was that he got to hear Jongdae rant more and talk more about his team later on. Mostly it was about the other people-like one of the hairstylist who kept on pestering to color Jongdae’s hair (Park Chan-something), then the new 2nd AC, the youngest of the crew as of the moment, (Kim Jongin) who liked to pull pranks on the other members, and also the digital imaging tech who loved putting sparkle effects on everybody (Byun Baekhyun)-not forgetting to mention the PD in-charge of the show who Jongdae refused to name because they were just menacing and mostly frowning.
Their conversations were all not just one-sided, of course. Junmyeon didn’t fail to share about his teammate who was nothing bu head strong when it came to certain decisions. He wasn’t lying when he dubbed his cousin as “the teammate” since they had been considering their duo, especially when it came to managing the company, a team for a long time (or at least for the few months they started working together).
The topic for today though was about scones and coffee combination. Truth was, when it came to conversation topics, it would always mostly be about food if not about their teammates. Jongdae, Junmyeon had come to learn, was the type to get excited on the thought of gastronomic entertainment. And being a very indulgent person, he somehow would like to fulfill some of the guy’s simple wishes.
“W-would you like to go out with me?” he squeaked. Oh god he was always prone to squeaking and squawking around Jongdae. He was supposed to sound like a decent human by now but too bad the other’s presence was just too great for him to feel relaxed.
Jongdae’s smile faltered, his gaze measuring when Junmyeon realized why the surprised expression on the other’s face.
“I meant, go out-eat lunch with me? I know of a place nearby with good scones, yeah, good scones and coffee. I believe you’ll like them.”
A pursed smile met him and Jongdae nodded to the invite. “Are we going out now? I need to report back in thirty minutes.”
Junmyeon couldn’t stop himself from grinning his infectious showing of teeth to assert dominance (as how Yixing would call it) but to make his happiness less obvious, he looked up to the sky first, admired its wonderful blueness for a few seconds, and nodded in agreement to the other. “Shall we?” he asked as he gestured towards the door of the rooftop.
They agreed to wait for each other outside, either of them, whoever would get to the bus stop first, texting the other a message once they were at the designated meeting place. Jongdae messaged him first, telling him he was on his way. Junmyeon was halfway through the huge lobby when he was stopped by a pesky cousin.
“Your tie is crooked. Your hair’s a mess,” Yixing reminded with a straight face, grabbing a stray strand on Junmyeon’s forehead to put it aside. “You’re going to your first date and you look like s-”
“Yixing,” Junmyeon warned as he straightened his collar after fixing his tie.
“You look like someone attending some serious meeting instead. I am not impressed,” the guy tsk-ed with a disdainful shaking of his head. “But since you’re playing the regular office drone, you’re performance is actually superb. Frown more like you’re so done with the world and your boss sucks big time-mayday mayday,” his cousin squeaked, Yixing turning him away towards the other direction, and whispered closely.
“Yixing-Why the sudden-”
“I’m your dad right now,” his cousin half-whispered aggressively and continued before he was even able to react. “Now stand stiff like how you’d face uncle in a public situation and listen to me-no don’t look at me in the eyes Junmyeon, I’m now a gorgon, yes you're petrified-okay, keep looking down and now keep distance.”
Junmyeon was so confused but this was Yixing and he trusted his cousin a lot, no matter how stupid the situation might be. He stepped back as instructed.
“Yes, keep standing awkwardly like that, yes, and now, bow ninety-degrees like I’m your boss,” the other continued. There was a hanging ‘whut’ in Junmyeon’s mouth but a low growling of ‘just do it’ from the other had him complying. “Great job, Kim-ssi. See you later.” Yixing then gave his arm a squeeze and left immediately for the elevator.
Well that was weird. He could never understand how his cousin’s mind worked sometimes but maybe it was for the greater good of the world. Most likely.
Jongdae was already waiting for him at the stop, smiling, when he got out of the building.
⇗ ⇗ ⇗
Sehun’s shop was packed when they got there, so they opted for an order of take-away and a free bench in a nearby park. Funny it still felt like they were still at the company rooftop, except they were more grounded this time.
“I saw you earlier,” Jongdae started when they were silently eating their own share of scones. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
The half-chewed piece of Junmyeon’s coffee scone almost fell out of his mouth with the question. This was the inevitable that he was trying to avoid, trying to stretch, even for a while longer.
He gulped down the food he was chewing and worked up on words, any explanation, he could give the other. “I just couldn’t-I was w-worried you’d-”
“Is that why you hid everything from me?” Jongdae asked, but he only had this weak smile on his face, eyes staring forward and not looking at Junmyeon like how he would usually do whenever he’d tell him something.
“I’m really sorry! I meant to keep it a secret because I because on normal circumstances we’d never be able to talk like this without having rumours following us because of my position and because I like you that is why I just want you to know the real me, Junmyeon, and not as the interim CEO of the company! I know it’s complicated but I really just wanted to be friends-”
Junmyeon had to gape because Jongdae had whipped his head towards him and was all out staring at him now, gaping as well and the scone the guy was holding in his mouth had unceremoniously fallen, rolling on the small space between them on the park bench.
“Wow,” Jongdae said. “I was just about to ask, though I didn't want to pry, whether you have an affair with your supervisor 'cause it seemed like that when I saw you two earlier and you're telling me you're the CEO of KBN... and I actually called the PD the dark sith in the CEO's face.”
Junmyeon was, by now, hysterical. Laughing at the Star Wars reference and at the memory when he first heard it from the other, he (also) wanted to cry for the fact that it would just be a distant memory. If only he remained calm and asked the important questions instead of spewing stuff like a raging thunder storm, his secret could have remained in the bag for longer.
Clearing his throat and assuming a serious countenance, he stood up from the bench and faced Jongdae. "Yes, I am the interim CEO of KBN, Kim Junmyeon. If there is something going on between me and the person you saw me with earlier, it's because he's my cousin. You remember the teammate I was telling you about? That was him."
"Pinch my cheeks, please," Jongdae muttered as his gaze met Junmyeon's, his disbelieving expression still apparent on his face.
Junmyeon had to wipe his shaking hands with his hanky first and hesitatingly reached out, fingers pinching both of Jongdae's cheeks. The guy's cheekbones might be in an angle which could rival the generic lightning caricature, but Jongdae's cheeks were really soft and smooth and this new realization had Junmyeon's cheeks heating up so fast.
"I really like you." He sighed―OH GOD HE HAD ONCE AGAIN SAID IT OUT LOUD, DIDN'T HE? Junmyeon was close to rattling out an apology when he saw how Jongdae had a distant look in his eyes again, no longer focused on Junmyeon's gaze but on what was behind him, what was above them. The sky was light blue with a few scattered clouds.
"I need to get back to work," Jongdae muttered thereafter, standing up and throwing his almost empty cup of coffee to the nearest garbage can.
Junmyeon just followed silently behind, afraid that if he were to walk beside the guy, he'd only be greeted with coldness akin to the false modesty he had been getting from a whole lot of other people at work.
He chose to look at Jongdae's broad shoulders instead, like how he'd pause to look at them whenever he'd find the other on the rooftop, leaning on the bar and looking up the sky, sometimes humming a random song. And this too, Junmyeon thought, might be the last time he'd get to enjoy watching.
Up until the part where they were supposed to separate, Jongdae exiting the elevator on the fifth floor while he was left to ride it to the ends of the highest wherever, Junmyeon refused to admit that their whole walk was some sort of a silent farewell.
'Don't forget your umbrella,' were Jongdae's words once he was out of the lift, a pursed smile and a slow blink for Junmyeon, as he bowed.
And it was the only time Junmyeon wished the building's highly efficient elevators operated faster―where the doors closed before he saw the other's formal treatment.
He lost the friendship. But he had yet to lose the feelings.
Hey, I need an umbrella. Come down immediately. Clock out on the dot. Don't be late, please.
Junmyeon sighed as he pushed the elevator button for the ground floor. If Yixing so wanted to head home without getting drenched, there were actually a lot of people who would be willing to share an umbrella with him towards their unit's building which was just five blocks away. But this was his cousin he was talking about, and anybody by now knew Junmyeon couldn't really say no.
When he got to the lobby, he had to go out and come back inside to double check whether his cousin was around. And to hell Yixing had just ditched him! The kind guard also told Junmyeon that the COO had went ahead earlier looking the happiest he had seen the person in days, which baffled Junmyeon greatly because his cousin couldn't be happy when he was being an unreasonable manchild not wanting to be caught in the rain.
Heading outside in front of the building entrance, he was about to step out into the rain with an open umbrella when he saw the person waiting at the nearby bus stop. Junmyeon hurriedly headed to where the person was, meeting gazes with the other as soon as he took shelter under the stop.
"I noticed you don't have an umbrella with you," he greeted, raising his voice just to rival that of the downpour's noise.
"Just to let you know, the teammate of yours approached me in dire need of an umbrella."
"And you let him have yours." Jongdae nodded to his remark as an answer. "If I offer mine to share, would you accept it?" Junmyeon asked. And he also hoped.
"Where is the offer?" Jongdae returned with a question.
And though the rain was still pouring, the dark blue sky uncontrollably weeping, Junmyeon could only smile at the newfound hope. Feeble, but it was there.
"Do you mind sharing this umbrella with me?"
Not enough, right? I’ve been pressed for time lately so I couldn’t write a long story for this instance (though my intention was to make a long one for this).
I would like to thank the critcap mods for being so understanding and patient with me-I can’t thank you guys enough for all the troubles I’ve put you through. Thank you so much for everything and for hosting another round of suchen love!
Prompter, I would love to write more for this world but alas, I could no longer at the moment. Once the reveals are up, I give you permission to pester me for a possible spin-off from this au; that is if you'd still like to read more.
I was listening to Blue Sky by re:plus feat. Cokiyu while writing the part when Jongdae finally showed up. But the whole story was based more on the Cloud 9 (EXO) feels. R! Thanks for the great help as always!.
Title: Cloud 9 (Boy You Got Me Flying Up)
Prompt Code: P080
Rating: PG
Side pairing/s: Suho/Sehun (one-sided platonic), Suho/Lay (platonic)
Length: 5250 words
Summary: It wasn't love at first sight, but the moment Junmyeon saw the new weather announcer on TV, he just knew his decision to crush on the person was not a mistake.
Warning/s: A few scattered showers of lame weather references in this short, short story.
Notes: Please see the endnote
Long black, half a teaspoon of sugar.
It was two minutes past six o’clock in the morning and Junmyeon was already perched on a stool, enjoying his steaming hot coffee, club sandwich and a minimal dose of early pleasantries with the barista on the other side of the bar counter. His shift at work would start at seven on the dot, and a year ago when he started managing his father’s business, he would by now already be comfortable in his office, easy chair warmed and files on his desk neatly piled.
But things-or his morning ritual of heading to the office like an overzealous office worker-changed when he discovered a small coffee shop three blocks away from where he was working. Set in industrial design and with a menu which looked like any other coffee shops’ littering the city, he thought it wouldn't hurt to check out the first time he entered the place―he could easily just bail out, or in this matter bill out, and find another source of his coffee fix in the area if he were to not like it.
Too bad his stomach, which had a slight aversion to coffee [no matter how much he needed it], liked the kind the shop served. The sandwich was also heavenly [the home-made mayonnaise played a huge gastronomic role why Junmyeon thought so]. And the owner-a young man, very much younger than him, Junmyeon believed-was a nice fellow with handsome features, who he thought would be a nice kind of morning greeting for his eyes.
He would have to admit that the reasons he became a regular of the place were due to three things: coffee, food and the owner, Oh Sehun. Nobody could blame Junmyeon. Everything was good including the guy who owned the shop. Not to mention that he had an affinity to good-looking people who had this cold, extremely unkind aura [the type people who kicked small animals for pastime would give off] but were actually just reserved, compassionate souls deep down. How did Junmyeon find out Oh Sehun had it in him? He just happened to chance upon the guy late one night stopping to feed a stray puppy and even petted it when Junmyeon was kind of expecting some cruel action.
In short, the coffee shop was perfect. And so was Oh Sehun.
'The Great Change' (as how he’d call it) happened when instead of the soft music, which Junmyeon’s ears had gotten used to due to his constant visits, was replaced with the soft drone of the early breakfast TV.
Junmyeon’s simple, little crush would have morphed to admiration, assuming Sehun had found out his clean little secret the first time he set his eyes on the show being broadcasted on the television. A subtle yet proud smile had graced his lips because of all the channels and of all the early morning shows the shop would tune in to, it was Good Morning KBN.
He had not told Sehun nor anybody (not directly involved) about his job before, but he was actually the interim CEO of one the biggest television networks in South Korea. It was not public knowledge yet, and Junmyeon was actually thankful for the temporary anonymity. Sehun might be hinting he knew about Junmyeon’s secret, but was willing to keep it and this tiny assumption about the guy got Junmyeon’s hopes up.
Unfortunately, while the morning show was just halfway to its inevitable ending, Junmyeon’s delusion regarding his one-sided affection towards the super sweet coffee shop owner being mutual already did. Sehun’s ‘I think the early morning news suits the industrial concept of my shop better' and as to why of all networks it was KBN, the guy’s shrug and non-committal, ‘because most of the patrons here prefer it’ drove the point home-Oh Sehun was completely oblivious of Junmyeon’s identity. And his feelings.
The option to confess was immediately trashed when in the middle of Junmyeon’s inquiry regarding the new television set because he ‘was totally surprised of the latest shop addition’, there was a call that Sehun had to take and the greeting Junmyeon heard from the owner to whoever was calling was definitely ‘Hey babe’.
The smile and the creeping blush on the shop owner’s face only came to confirm which Junmyeon was trying his hardest to deny during that time. And of course, it was stupid of him to also assume that Sehun was single. Like him.
Fighting back the tears and the creeping shame, he focused on the television instead. The lively voices of the news desk hosts Park Jeongsu and Kim Hyeoyeon were all Junmyeon chose to listen to and definitely not Sehun’s equally bright lilt in the phone conversation. His mind though, was still reeling from the recent heartbreak [if he could call it that] and was only able to pick up ‘weather report’ and ‘new announcer’ from all the noise he was hearing.
His eyes listlessly drifted towards the TV screen, towards the guy with a sunny smile talking about the sunny weather and all of a sudden, the dark, heavy clouds inside of Junmyeon slowly dissipated with the way the announcer smiled like he was the great source of sunlight all throughout his report.
If he were to see this guy everyday then he wouldn’t have a problem moving on to a new crush, he thought. He wouldn’t want to avoid Sehun’s shop just because he felt rejected―it would be a great disservice to the coffee, the food and the friend which and who had all been part of his good mornings.
So, a very nice plan was concocted in his mind. And that is, to-crush-on-this-new-weather-announcer-from-the-early-morning show-broadcasted-by-the-network-his-family-owns-instead-of-handsome-Oh-Sehun-because-admiring-the-new-guy-is-a-better-and-might-just-be-a-healthier-option. Though he was yet to know the cute person’s name because he wasn’t able to catch it earlier due to his then conflicting emotions.
But he shouldn’t worry, should he? He and the person were technically officemates! Luck was surely on his side.
Finishing his coffee and leaving a generous tip on the bar, he bade Sehun goodbye with a smile and a wave as he put on his suit and headed outside. He had to squint for a bit as the glare of the morning sun hit his face. His expression relaxed, eyes adjusting to the light, as he walked towards the direction of the KBN compound.
Sunny in Seoul during the next two days. Junmyeon thought the forecast wasn’t so bad.
⇗ ⇗ ⇗
For the days that followed his encounter with the weather announcer, he was nothing but persistent when it came to wondering about the person. He, of course, did not go out of his way to seek the guy but it didn’t stop him from thinking at least about the guy’s name.
"Kim Jongdae."
Junmyeon looked up from the files he was skimming through and met the gaze of the man seated on the guest lounge chair in his office.
"I’m sorry, what?" he asked him.
A dimpled smile broke the serious look on the guy’s face as Junmyeon’s brows remained knitted and his face resembled that of semi-crumpled paper. Yixing, his cousin, bestfriend and also the COO of the company should just stop being too playful sometimes.
"The new weather announcer," Yixing supplied, his mischievous smile being toned down by fingers playing with his lower lips.
Junmyeon had not even told nor asked him about the person―his mouth fell open in disbelief. He had not held any cloud seeding for his cousin to be raining guesses on him, right? Was he that obvious?
"Weren’t you asking about his name just a while ago?" the other clarified.
For goodness sake he was just thinking about―oh, he might have said it out loud. And it would be futile for him to argue with Yixing―the other, though a few months younger than him, was most of the time right.
He cleared his throat trying to be cool about it. "I was just wondering. Saw the program on the TV earlier," he answered, picking up a pen to sign the papers with. He hoped his remark was smooth enough for Yixing to not put much meaning into it.
Kim Jongdae.
He had to try his hardest not to get too distracted to accidentally sign the papers with the guy’s name instead.
"I like him."
Junmyeon’s smooth stroke on the paper skewed and made a terrible blot of blue-black ink on white with Yixing’s remark. His Jun became Jill. Mouth rounding in surprise, he looked up and Yixing only chuckled as he leaned on the table.
“I shouldn’t be asking whether you like him with that kind of reaction.” Yixing took off from his seat, heading to his table and leaning with his hands gripping the corner opposite Junmyeon. He then coaxed Junmyeon’s hanging mouth to close by patting his chin. “And of course, I meant it in an absolutely platonic way. You know me, dear cousin. And good luck to this newest venture of yours. You have my full support.” Straightening up and smoothing out his navy blue vest by the waist, Yixing flashed another smile to him and headed out.
“Xing, it’s just a simple crush, okay?” And it was not like his attraction was on the level of talking about arrangements for marriage or something.
“Your secrets are always safe with me,” the other assured him, bringing a pointer finger between his lips for a shushing gesture and winked at him before disappearing behind the glass door.
Junmyeon did not doubt that line, Yixing was one of the most trusted people in his life, but he was kind of worried for the fact that his cousin, who might appear nonchalant twenty-four-seven, might just do something regarding this new information. It wasn’t that the guy would be the next dark lord or something, but more on the inclination that Yixing was still his best friend and might get secretly hands-on when it came to his life―especially about his love and/or a little bit of attraction to other people.
Relying on the other to make a move for him would be unforgivable either, so he might just have to get out of his office and do rounds around the different departments to personally check the state of things and have a valid excuse to maybe chance upon the person? Just maybe?
⇗ ⇗ ⇗
Waiting for a chance to roam around the building just to get a glimpse of Kim Jongdae was not that long. In fact, he actually didn’t need to wait, though he had to still get out of his glass box (as how Yixing had dubbed his office).
Come to the rooftop. I miss you. If you don’t I’ll jump off.
Morbid. His cousin had a very morbid sense of humor. But he couldn’t really say no especially when it was Yixing asking for a bit of a time. When they were back in high school, the other would tend to spend their recesses on top of the school building, looking up the sky, when things-good or bad-happened.
He was climbing the last flight of stairs when his phone buzzed once again in his pocket.
Oops, duty calls~ Left the cup of your daily dose of darkness with some random employee. Just tell them you’re the bunny teammate I was talking about~
Okay Yixing, the trip upstairs was not that difficult but to bail out like that? Junmyeon sighed as he occupied the other end of the lone bench where this dude (the one Yixing might be talking about) was sitting on as well. The unopened can of coffee the guy was holding when his gaze travelled from the floor upwards only confirmed his guess.
But the random employee that his cousin mentioned was not so random at all. Kim Jongdae couldn’t be this random. And Junmyeon was stumped, clenching his jaw to stop it from falling and just continued to even out his breathing.
“Do you have a strong umbrella with you?” A silent, melodious voice came from those curly lips, eyes with long lashes only looking up to the sky. Junmyeon didn’t know Kim Jongdae would be this breathtaking up close.
“I-I think I do,” he squeaked-god, he just did- when he forced himself to say something.
“You’ll need that,” the guy said, finally taking off his gaze from the clear sky to finally look towards Junmyeon. His hair was puffy and a few stray strands danced with the soft wind.
“But earlier-earlier in the weather forecast-” Why was he being nervous all of a sudden? He could have just said something like “But you said earlier in your forecast that there would only be scattered rainshowers” or something and Kim Jongdae would reply with something like, “Oh, you watch our show? That’s really nice! What’s your name?”, they’d introduce themselves to each other and they’d be friends, and finally, a nice, happy ending.
But no. Of all times, Junmyeon’s uncool side had chosen to haunt him then. What a nice first impression, really.
“See my head?” Jongdae asked which Junmyeon slowly nodded to. In fact Kim Jongdae’s hair was an internal topic a while back where he was tempted to reach out and pet it just to find out how soft his hair was. “My great locks show themselves when the weather’s going to be really wild.” The guy the shyly smiled a knowing one and huffed when it took more than three seconds for Junmyeon to actually process that.
“I’ll-I’ll keep my strong umbrella with me then,” he answered, witnessing how the other’s pursed curly lips stretched a wee bit upwards and turned into a blinding grin.
“You should, you really should.” Kim Jongdae nodded, big, dark brown locks bouncing with each movement and Junmyeon could only breathe in hard. The weather announcer suddenly paused and stared at him. “Ah, you came to get this, right?” he asked as he offered Junmyeon the can.
“How can y-you be sure it’s me?”
“It’s only me most of the time here. Except for the guy earlier who came to hang out. And he did mention somebody would come get the coffee soon,” the other answered in earnest. “I’m Kim Jongdae, by the way. You can call me Jongdae. I’m from the breakfast TV team,” introduced the other as he offered his hand towards Junmyeon.
“The weather announcer, right?” Junmyeon smiled as he eagerly held accepted the guy’s hand and shook it.
An airy laugh broke their silence as Jongdae’s grin went a notch higher. If Junmyeon were a solar panel he’d be fully charged by now.
“Yeah, I thought nobody would recognise me,” Jongdae admitted with his free hand at the back of his head. Who wouldn’t really recognise such a presence? Junmyeon thought. “You? What’s your name”
“K-Kim Jun- You can just call me Jun,” he said, saving another bout of embarrassment with a small laugh and a smile. “Unlike you I’m just a desk-job-kind-of guy.”
“You make it sound like your work’s boring. But I’m not the type to pry. It’s nice meeting you, Jun.”
It wasn’t his intention to make it sound like managing the company was boring. Truth was he enjoyed his job a lot. But it would be too early to reveal anything about himself to anybody, not even to Kim Jongdae. Might as well appear like another bored employee at the moment.
A lot less reason for his office life to be boring when he was finally in small talking terms with Kim Jongdae. But the guy shouldn’t know of this information as well-especially this information.
⇗ ⇗ ⇗
Two days later, albeit the good sunny weather and warm rays of the sun earlier in the morning, Junmyeon found Yixing scowling while drying his hair in the living room of their shared unit right after getting back from work during the early evening.
“Did you just walk through the rain like some messiah or something?” his cousin incredulously asked, eyes wide as Junmyeon settled his bag on the side of the couch.
Well, it could be assumed something like that when compared to Yixing who looked like a pet subjected to an intense fight with the bath tub, Junmyeon looked like he enjoyed a nice clear weather outside though the road was barely visible due to the heavy downpour.
“Somebody from the rooftop adviced to keep a strong umbrella with me since the weather would be wild for the coming days,” Junmyeon said as he loosened his tie and headed to the window. The sky was still so dark and the lighted streets below were only a big blur from his view. “And it sure is, wild. Did he not tell you?”
Yixing just stared back at him with an unamused expression when Junmyeon turned towards the couch. “What is he now, a weather fairy?” asked the other.
He just hummed to the remark and smiled at the apt title for the weather announcer. If Junmyeon was spared from the wrath of the bad weather then maybe, Kim Jongdae might be exactly that-a weather fairy.
⇗ ⇗ ⇗
The affair with the weather fairy was something Junmyeon looked forward to in the small bouts of breaks-ten-minute coffee breaks and/or fifteen-minute lunch breaks-he was blessed with. Affair with the dictionary meaning of the word being a secret sexual relationship between two people though he was guessing it only applied to him. Not that he wanted to keep the relationship secret, but him trying be discreet about their mid-day meet-ups was something he had to admit.
Jongdae had always liked the weather and looking up to the sky at any time of the day. He had always been attuned to the small differences, attributing everything to just being overly sensitive to any atmospheric changes, since he was young and this ability led him to pursue a career that had to do with it. The most amusing revelation was that the guy was a holder of a degree in meteorology.
“Partly for the reason that I want to prove myself wrong. But most of the time it’s just science supporting my initial observations,” Jongdae told Junmyeon one day. “But here in the broadcast business the decision to apply as an announcer was some kind of a wrong decision. I was not allowed to comment on the numbers though I can read and predict as well. ‘Save it to the researchers’ they say. And that’s what I’ve been doing since I started working here-following the script down to a tee-which has recently become a constant worry for me.”
“Then relay the information that you think is best,” he had advised the younger [he had learned of the announcer’s age-just a year younger than him-when they talked about their high school life a few days prior].
Jongdae had only chuckled at his remark. “And what, risk getting fired?”
“Well your prediction had saved me and my suit from getting drenched before,” he had said.
Nothing else was shared between them after that except for Jongdae’s appreciative smile and his assuring one. Junmyeon was so tempted at that moment to tell the other that ‘the CEO wouldn’t really mind’ but he was in no position to use his power to bring this kind of effect at work. Also, doing so would only appear as being biased in the eyes of many, including Jongdae.
The upside of that conversation though, was that he got to hear Jongdae rant more and talk more about his team later on. Mostly it was about the other people-like one of the hairstylist who kept on pestering to color Jongdae’s hair (Park Chan-something), then the new 2nd AC, the youngest of the crew as of the moment, (Kim Jongin) who liked to pull pranks on the other members, and also the digital imaging tech who loved putting sparkle effects on everybody (Byun Baekhyun)-not forgetting to mention the PD in-charge of the show who Jongdae refused to name because they were just menacing and mostly frowning.
Their conversations were all not just one-sided, of course. Junmyeon didn’t fail to share about his teammate who was nothing bu head strong when it came to certain decisions. He wasn’t lying when he dubbed his cousin as “the teammate” since they had been considering their duo, especially when it came to managing the company, a team for a long time (or at least for the few months they started working together).
The topic for today though was about scones and coffee combination. Truth was, when it came to conversation topics, it would always mostly be about food if not about their teammates. Jongdae, Junmyeon had come to learn, was the type to get excited on the thought of gastronomic entertainment. And being a very indulgent person, he somehow would like to fulfill some of the guy’s simple wishes.
“W-would you like to go out with me?” he squeaked. Oh god he was always prone to squeaking and squawking around Jongdae. He was supposed to sound like a decent human by now but too bad the other’s presence was just too great for him to feel relaxed.
Jongdae’s smile faltered, his gaze measuring when Junmyeon realized why the surprised expression on the other’s face.
“I meant, go out-eat lunch with me? I know of a place nearby with good scones, yeah, good scones and coffee. I believe you’ll like them.”
A pursed smile met him and Jongdae nodded to the invite. “Are we going out now? I need to report back in thirty minutes.”
Junmyeon couldn’t stop himself from grinning his infectious showing of teeth to assert dominance (as how Yixing would call it) but to make his happiness less obvious, he looked up to the sky first, admired its wonderful blueness for a few seconds, and nodded in agreement to the other. “Shall we?” he asked as he gestured towards the door of the rooftop.
They agreed to wait for each other outside, either of them, whoever would get to the bus stop first, texting the other a message once they were at the designated meeting place. Jongdae messaged him first, telling him he was on his way. Junmyeon was halfway through the huge lobby when he was stopped by a pesky cousin.
“Your tie is crooked. Your hair’s a mess,” Yixing reminded with a straight face, grabbing a stray strand on Junmyeon’s forehead to put it aside. “You’re going to your first date and you look like s-”
“Yixing,” Junmyeon warned as he straightened his collar after fixing his tie.
“You look like someone attending some serious meeting instead. I am not impressed,” the guy tsk-ed with a disdainful shaking of his head. “But since you’re playing the regular office drone, you’re performance is actually superb. Frown more like you’re so done with the world and your boss sucks big time-mayday mayday,” his cousin squeaked, Yixing turning him away towards the other direction, and whispered closely.
“Yixing-Why the sudden-”
“I’m your dad right now,” his cousin half-whispered aggressively and continued before he was even able to react. “Now stand stiff like how you’d face uncle in a public situation and listen to me-no don’t look at me in the eyes Junmyeon, I’m now a gorgon, yes you're petrified-okay, keep looking down and now keep distance.”
Junmyeon was so confused but this was Yixing and he trusted his cousin a lot, no matter how stupid the situation might be. He stepped back as instructed.
“Yes, keep standing awkwardly like that, yes, and now, bow ninety-degrees like I’m your boss,” the other continued. There was a hanging ‘whut’ in Junmyeon’s mouth but a low growling of ‘just do it’ from the other had him complying. “Great job, Kim-ssi. See you later.” Yixing then gave his arm a squeeze and left immediately for the elevator.
Well that was weird. He could never understand how his cousin’s mind worked sometimes but maybe it was for the greater good of the world. Most likely.
Jongdae was already waiting for him at the stop, smiling, when he got out of the building.
⇗ ⇗ ⇗
Sehun’s shop was packed when they got there, so they opted for an order of take-away and a free bench in a nearby park. Funny it still felt like they were still at the company rooftop, except they were more grounded this time.
“I saw you earlier,” Jongdae started when they were silently eating their own share of scones. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
The half-chewed piece of Junmyeon’s coffee scone almost fell out of his mouth with the question. This was the inevitable that he was trying to avoid, trying to stretch, even for a while longer.
He gulped down the food he was chewing and worked up on words, any explanation, he could give the other. “I just couldn’t-I was w-worried you’d-”
“Is that why you hid everything from me?” Jongdae asked, but he only had this weak smile on his face, eyes staring forward and not looking at Junmyeon like how he would usually do whenever he’d tell him something.
“I’m really sorry! I meant to keep it a secret because I because on normal circumstances we’d never be able to talk like this without having rumours following us because of my position and because I like you that is why I just want you to know the real me, Junmyeon, and not as the interim CEO of the company! I know it’s complicated but I really just wanted to be friends-”
Junmyeon had to gape because Jongdae had whipped his head towards him and was all out staring at him now, gaping as well and the scone the guy was holding in his mouth had unceremoniously fallen, rolling on the small space between them on the park bench.
“Wow,” Jongdae said. “I was just about to ask, though I didn't want to pry, whether you have an affair with your supervisor 'cause it seemed like that when I saw you two earlier and you're telling me you're the CEO of KBN... and I actually called the PD the dark sith in the CEO's face.”
Junmyeon was, by now, hysterical. Laughing at the Star Wars reference and at the memory when he first heard it from the other, he (also) wanted to cry for the fact that it would just be a distant memory. If only he remained calm and asked the important questions instead of spewing stuff like a raging thunder storm, his secret could have remained in the bag for longer.
Clearing his throat and assuming a serious countenance, he stood up from the bench and faced Jongdae. "Yes, I am the interim CEO of KBN, Kim Junmyeon. If there is something going on between me and the person you saw me with earlier, it's because he's my cousin. You remember the teammate I was telling you about? That was him."
"Pinch my cheeks, please," Jongdae muttered as his gaze met Junmyeon's, his disbelieving expression still apparent on his face.
Junmyeon had to wipe his shaking hands with his hanky first and hesitatingly reached out, fingers pinching both of Jongdae's cheeks. The guy's cheekbones might be in an angle which could rival the generic lightning caricature, but Jongdae's cheeks were really soft and smooth and this new realization had Junmyeon's cheeks heating up so fast.
"I really like you." He sighed―OH GOD HE HAD ONCE AGAIN SAID IT OUT LOUD, DIDN'T HE? Junmyeon was close to rattling out an apology when he saw how Jongdae had a distant look in his eyes again, no longer focused on Junmyeon's gaze but on what was behind him, what was above them. The sky was light blue with a few scattered clouds.
"I need to get back to work," Jongdae muttered thereafter, standing up and throwing his almost empty cup of coffee to the nearest garbage can.
Junmyeon just followed silently behind, afraid that if he were to walk beside the guy, he'd only be greeted with coldness akin to the false modesty he had been getting from a whole lot of other people at work.
He chose to look at Jongdae's broad shoulders instead, like how he'd pause to look at them whenever he'd find the other on the rooftop, leaning on the bar and looking up the sky, sometimes humming a random song. And this too, Junmyeon thought, might be the last time he'd get to enjoy watching.
Up until the part where they were supposed to separate, Jongdae exiting the elevator on the fifth floor while he was left to ride it to the ends of the highest wherever, Junmyeon refused to admit that their whole walk was some sort of a silent farewell.
'Don't forget your umbrella,' were Jongdae's words once he was out of the lift, a pursed smile and a slow blink for Junmyeon, as he bowed.
And it was the only time Junmyeon wished the building's highly efficient elevators operated faster―where the doors closed before he saw the other's formal treatment.
He lost the friendship. But he had yet to lose the feelings.
Hey, I need an umbrella. Come down immediately. Clock out on the dot. Don't be late, please.
Junmyeon sighed as he pushed the elevator button for the ground floor. If Yixing so wanted to head home without getting drenched, there were actually a lot of people who would be willing to share an umbrella with him towards their unit's building which was just five blocks away. But this was his cousin he was talking about, and anybody by now knew Junmyeon couldn't really say no.
When he got to the lobby, he had to go out and come back inside to double check whether his cousin was around. And to hell Yixing had just ditched him! The kind guard also told Junmyeon that the COO had went ahead earlier looking the happiest he had seen the person in days, which baffled Junmyeon greatly because his cousin couldn't be happy when he was being an unreasonable manchild not wanting to be caught in the rain.
Heading outside in front of the building entrance, he was about to step out into the rain with an open umbrella when he saw the person waiting at the nearby bus stop. Junmyeon hurriedly headed to where the person was, meeting gazes with the other as soon as he took shelter under the stop.
"I noticed you don't have an umbrella with you," he greeted, raising his voice just to rival that of the downpour's noise.
"Just to let you know, the teammate of yours approached me in dire need of an umbrella."
"And you let him have yours." Jongdae nodded to his remark as an answer. "If I offer mine to share, would you accept it?" Junmyeon asked. And he also hoped.
"Where is the offer?" Jongdae returned with a question.
And though the rain was still pouring, the dark blue sky uncontrollably weeping, Junmyeon could only smile at the newfound hope. Feeble, but it was there.
"Do you mind sharing this umbrella with me?"
Not enough, right? I’ve been pressed for time lately so I couldn’t write a long story for this instance (though my intention was to make a long one for this).
I would like to thank the critcap mods for being so understanding and patient with me-I can’t thank you guys enough for all the troubles I’ve put you through. Thank you so much for everything and for hosting another round of suchen love!
Prompter, I would love to write more for this world but alas, I could no longer at the moment. Once the reveals are up, I give you permission to pester me for a possible spin-off from this au; that is if you'd still like to read more.
I was listening to Blue Sky by re:plus feat. Cokiyu while writing the part when Jongdae finally showed up. But the whole story was based more on the Cloud 9 (EXO) feels. R! Thanks for the great help as always!.