[FANFIC]: [VIXX]: System Overload
Title: System Overload
Pairing: Ken/Hyuk
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 4,345 words
Warnings: tech speak, tech humor, devious Hongbin, other than that nada
Summary: Any fool can use a computer and Hyuk thinks that many do. Lee Jaehwan is special.
Notes: Written for the forvixx summer exchange. My recipient dropped out but I still had fun writing this :)
*Beep Beep*
Hyuk shot another wad of paper into his cubicle mate’s garbage basket. “Two more points for me, Binnie,” he said with a smirk as he added another two points to their makeshift tally on the white board between their desks. Hongbin shot him a dirty look as he pushed up his glasses and tried to reassure the woman on the phone that no, demons have not infested her computer and that maybe - just maybe - if she turned it off and back on again that it might work better than calling the priest.
(Hongbin had been called into the office by the boss more than once for answering the phone with “ROVIX Computer Assistance, this is Hongbin. Have you tried turning it off and on again?” Apparently it wasn’t considered very professional - even if it was the correct answer more than half the time.)
*Beep Beep*
Hyuk turned back to his desk and flipped through the latest manhwa from his favorite artist Ken, propping his feet up on his desk. The guy’s artwork was incredible - hard to believe this was his first series. The panels were lush and seemed almost 3-D in a sense; it was as if the characters could jump right off the page (and part of him wished they would). Yup, he would be the first to admit he was a fanboy of the up and coming artist and he knew he wasn’t the only one. The series was so popular that copies were flying off the shelves at the local bookstore and Hyuk had to make sure he reserved his copy of the newest issue weeks ahead of time.
It was worth every penny, really.
*Beep Beep*
“So do you plan on answering that sometime today, Sanghyuk?” came a deceptively sweet voice and Hyuk cringed inwardly before straightening and removing his feet from his desk as he felt the even more potent glare of his boss, Cha Hakyeon. Hongbin’s glares had nothing on the Boss’s.
“Yes, Sir…” he said promptly, saluting the older man. Hakyeon arched an eyebrow but let it slide. After all, Sanghyuk was one of the company’s best computer technicians. Just had to put up with the kid’s quirks. Actually most of the tech guys were a bit quirky - or geeky, or whatever you want to call it. Honestly, Hakyeon didn’t understand most of their inside jokes. He’d heard Sanghyuk tell someone once that he wasn’t antisocial, just not user friendly. Had to be a techie joke…
Still, business was business.
Looking down at the caller identification on his screen Hyuk groaned.
Lee Jaehwan
Not again.
It wasn't the first time that Lee Jaehwan had called, nor the second, nor the fifth. In the past two months, Hyuk had fielded no less than twenty-six phone calls, ranging from a frozen mouse (which he had pulled out) to a 'broken cup holder' (a CD-ROM drive, to which Hyuk had sighed and sent out a replacement.) Seriously, there were people who shouldn't have been allowed around computers, and Lee Jaehwan was on the top of his list.
Still, he had to answer, which he did after propping up his feet and shooting a dirty look at Hongbin. "ROVIX Computer Assistance, this is Hyuk. How may I help you today?"
"Hyuk! I'm so glad you're working today," came a voice that would have been considered warm and pleasant if it hadn't been heard over and over again like a broken record. "It's Lee Jaehwan. I think I've got a problem. Not sure what happened though."
"Did you try turning it on and off again?" Hyuk rolled his eyes and looked longingly at his latest manhwa--Hakyeon would murder him if he opened it while on a call. Just when On and On was reaching the climax of the biggest plot twist yet!
The voice chuckled self-depreciatingly. "Um, yeah. I always make sure to do that after the first couple times you suggested it. Everything seems to be on but I can't set up vacation email responses in Microsoft. I know it's stupid but Wonshik tells me I need to take a break and chill for a bit."
Hyuk stretched out. "All right, Lee-nim. Can you tell me what you've been doing to set up automatic replies?" He had no idea why his 'favorite' client was being so chummy, but he had to retain politeness, no matter what. Customer was always right.
"I know there’s some way to set it up, but I can’t seem to do it myself." The man sighed. "I guess what they say about artsy types is true, huh? The guides say to go to ‘file,’ then ‘info,’ then ‘automatic replies,’ but there’s no such thing in my Microsoft."
"One second..." Hyuk hummed as he established a remote connection--after two months, he found out it was easier just to go into remote view and do it himself. He bit his tongue once the client's screen popped up, then gritted his teeth and set up his replies on Outlook himself. "There you go. You're all set."
The voice on the other end of the line paused for a moment, then emitted a low whistle of admiration. “Wow! There it is. How come ‘automatic replies’ shows up for you but it didn’t show up for me?”
Hyuk caught Hongbin's eye, pleading for him to switch clients. ".....Because you were trying to set up your email replies in Word....."
Hongbin snorted, biting back a laugh as he apologized to his customer on the other end of the line. Hyuk definitely had a winner with that one. He'd take the crazy ladies with their demon-possessed laptops any day.
"Oh..." came Jaehwan's response. "Oops. Guess that's one for the books, huh?"
"Possibly..." His manhwa was looking tempting, but it also didn't look like Lee Jaehwan was getting off the phone any time soon. But if he was able to sell him the premium package, he wouldn't have to deal with him again! "Sir, have you considered upgrading to ROVIX's premium tech support package?"
"Huh...no one mentioned that before. Does it come with a 24/7 hotline for the computer inept like me? I still don't understand what's wrong with pencil and paper. I still draw that way even though Wonshik says computer animation is the way to go."
Hyuk took a deep breath and thanked heaven for the small favor of Jaehwan not trying to navigate Flash or Photoshop. "24/7 attention, and you're assigned a personal tech. We can give you a free trial--there's a special number and everything." Drawing, huh? On And On was hand-drawn, as far as he could remember. That's what had helped to make it so popular. "There's still some manhwa that's hand-drawn, but who knows, you might want to try something new."
"So I'd get a personal tech - like you, maybe - to be at my beck and call anytime I need you?" The man couldn't help but laugh. "I feel sorry for that guy but it really would help. My hours are kind of variable. Depends on my inspiration and I've been known to get inspired at 2 am during the middle of a thunderstorm." The voice paused. "You read manhwa? Thought that was for kids."
"Right, a personal tech." Probably Hongbin, but he definitely deserved it. "They'll even come out to your house for personal assistance if you require it." He dodged a paper ball thrown at him by Hongbin, who had grown bored after his call had finished. "...My little cousins read it," he lied. "They tell me all about it."
"Hmm...and you say I'd get a free trial? Sounds too good to refuse."
Hongbin slid the paperwork over to Hyuk, his face perfectly serene although there was something in his eye that Hyuk would have noticed if he had been paying attention.
"Yeah, absolutely free," Hyuk reassured, taking the paperwork and pulling up the man's account on his screen. "One month free, and then you'll be asked if you want to continue the service. If that sounds good, I'll give you our premium service number."
"Sign me up then," Jaehwan said with enthusiasm. "Then I can be out of your hair, Hyuk."
It was his lucky day! "One moment," Hyuk murmured, quickly typing in the information. "Okay, you need to write this down..." he rattled off the number on the paperwork, not realizing how familiar it sounded.
"Got it...and in my notebook since I know I'll lose it if I put it in the computer," the man on the other end of the line said cheerfully, relief in his voice. "You don't even want to know what kind of cell phone I have. Wonshik says I need to donate it to the nearest museum."
"I'm sure it suits your needs just fine," the young tech said cheerily, feeling better than he had in weeks. "Anything else I can help you with today?"
"No, I think I've bothered you enough for tonight, Hyuk. Thanks so much for the help and I'm sorry to be such a bother. Maybe I should take a computer class or something during my vacation."
"I'm sure with everything you learn there, you could teach me. Have a nice day, and I hope you enjoy the premium services." Hyuk hung up after their last goodbye, then turned to gloat at Hongbin. "He's all yours now...have fun with that broken cupholder of his."
Hongbin leaned back in his chair, a look of sleek satisfaction crossing his handsome face as he took off his glasses to clean them. "Did you look at what number you gave him, Hyukkie?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Yeah, I gave him the one on the form...." Hyuk glanced down to the paper, studying the number for a moment. Why was it so familiar---oh. Oooooh no. Hyuk looked back up at his coworker, his face frozen in horror. "That's my cell number!"
Hongbin put his thick-framed glasses on and smirked. "Oooooh yes. Congratulations, Hyukkie - you are Mr. Lee Jaehwan's personal tech for the next month. It’s also down in writing and contracts are binding, dontcha know."
"You are such an asshole sometimes, Hongbinnie," Hyuk mumbled, tossing one of his decorative stuffed animals at his friend and then grabbing his latest volume of On And On. Ken was so talented with his art, and story, and if Minjae didn't open the treasure chest in the dragon's cave soon....
Several days elapsed, surprisingly without a call from Hyuk's favorite customer. However, the inevitable had to happen - and it just so happened on one of those dark, stormy nights so aptly described in Hyuk's favorite chapter of On and On.
"Dammit," Hyuk cursed, throwing down the newest issue. Minjae was still trying to avoid the dragon, the lovely Seoyeon was breaking out of a mystical prison, and they still hadn't gotten to the treasure chest! With trepidation, he answered the phone. "...This is Hyuk."
The voice was all too familiar. "Hyuk? I didn't think you'd be the one on the other end of the line. This is Lee Jaehwan. I really hate bothering you on a night like this but I can't connect to the Internet. I've checked my modem and I think it's working fine. Can you help me?"
Internet outage....well, that wasn't too bad. "All right, sir. Can you tell me what lights are blinking on your modem?"
A pause. "All of the lights that were on before when it was working."
"Reset the modem," Hyuk ordered tiredly. He had repeated that phrase endlessly that day--it seemed that the entire country was having Internet problems as a result of the storm. "Then tell me what color the lights are after you reset."
"Um, I did that already," Jaehwan said quietly. "I remembered you told me to do that before and that if all else failed to turn the computer off and on then reset the modem."
That was a first, a client remembering everything he said. "Possibly some loose wires, or the server's down." He hadn't recalled getting any messages about their server, though.
"I really need to get this work done," Jaehwan said with a sigh. "Deadline is due in a few days and they want me to email the finished chapter to them. I even scanned it and everything like Wonshik told me to since I wouldn't do it online," Jaehwan tried not to whine.
Hyuk really didn't want to leave his warm blankets and manhwa, but thanks to Hongbin..."Do you want me to come and check your wires?"
"I hate bothering you at this time and with the weather the way it is but it would really help me out a lot, Hyuk..."
"I'll be there soon." Hyuk had Jaehwan's address thanks to now being his 'special tech', and raised his eyebrows when he saw how ritzy the district was. He figured that it would be a good idea to put on some pants.
The security guard at the apartment building looked at Hyuk skeptically and sent a call to Mr Lee. "Yes, of course! Hyuk can come in anytime, Mr Kim. Send him up, please."
"Have a nice night," Hyuk smirked and headed up to the top floor of the building--not only was he in the nice part of town, this guy had a penthouse? And was utterly technically illiterate? Wow. He straightened the collar of his button-down and tried to cover up the logo shirt for On And On that he had on underneath...not that anyone but a true fan would recognize it.
"Just a minute," Jaehwan called out as the buzzer rang, a soft patter of stockinged feet approaching the door. As it opened Hyuk came face to face with a man who looked nothing like the 50-something perpetual bachelor he was expecting. Lee Jaehwan's hair was mussed and he was dressed in grey sweats and a faded Seo Taiji and Boys t-shirt, kind of like he stepped out of a manhwa himself. "Hyuk? Thank god you are here. C'mon in..."
He was that young and that confused by technology? Hyuk looked taken aback. "....Excuse the intrusion," he mumbled as he took off his shoes. It wasn't fair, Jaehwan was actually pretty attractive, rich as hell, but so utterly awestruck by the simplest electronics...
"Hey, I'm just grateful you were willing to come help an idiot like me," Jaehwan said wryly. "I know it's pretty weird to be so computer inept but I'm one of those artsy-fartsy types." The slightly older man led Hyuk into a nicely furnished apartment that was in what one would call 'organized chaos.' It wasn't messy by any means but it was obvious that Lee Jaehwan didn't mind a bit of clutter - and creative clutter it was. Abstract paintings in vibrant hues gave a lift to the neutrals of the furniture and there were drawings everywhere. "I finally got the dragon's scales to look the way I want them to and now I can't send the finished panels in," he muttered in frustration.
...Panels? Dragons? There was only one series that Hyuk knew of that had a dragon and was currently running...he shook his head. No way was this Ken! No way! "We.., let me check," the boy said uncertainly, heading straight for the modem and trying not to stare too much at the panels.
"Thanks," Jaehwan said gratefully. "You want something to drink?" he asked, heading into the kitchen. "I've got water, soda, beer - you are old enough to drink, right?"
"Yeah, I turned twenty last week," Hyuk mumbled as he eyed the nest of cables below Jaehwan's desk. "...Maybe you should get some cable ties. It'll keep things a lot neater."
"They have those? I was thinking of just using the twist ties that come with loaves of bread from the market," Jaehwan said absentmindedly as he pulled a couple of bottles out of the fridge.
"Those work, but they break..." Hyuk hurriedly tried to button up his shirt. If Jaehwan really was Ken, he'd probably think it was stupid that he was that into his work. "You can get them at any electronics store."
"I'll keep that in mind," Jaehwan murmured as he handed the beer to the computer tech, smiling slightly as he caught a flash of something. "Any luck so far?"
"I think I found your cables...thanks." Hyuk gratefully sipped the beer. "I'll just tighten these up and we'll see what's what. If that doesn't work, I'll get in touch with the office and see how our servers are doing." He nervously pulled down his shirt. "....And hopefully you can send off your, ah...your panels."
"That would be great. Wonshik - he's my agent - he's been hounding me to get the finished panels in before the editors jump down my throat. Guess the public has been demanding another chapter. Didn't think it would explode the way it has..."
"Yeah, my name's on the presale list," Hyuk said absently as he carefully tightened up the cables and reset the modem. "See if this works."
Jaehwan grinned. "You hoping Minjae avoids the dragon?" he asked nonchalantly as he tried to turn on the computer.
"And if Seoyeon can break out, and whatever the hell's in the treasure chest..." Hyuk mused. "Let it sit a minute." He eased out from under the nest of cables and took a sip of beer, only to choke when he realized what he said. "I-I mean my cousins. They want to know!"
Jaehwan chuckled. "You're cute. I actually like it when different kinds of people like what I do. My parents gave me a hard time when I told them I wanted to be a manhwa artist. But seeing how much people like it makes it worth it, you know?"
"....I can't believe you're really Ken," Hyuk admitted shyly. "...That's way cooler than being a tech, no matter what your parents think."
"Even if I'm pretty much computer illiterate?"
"You don't really need computers much when you hand draw..." Hyuk frowned. "It's not connecting. Must be a server issue." He texted Hongbin, knowing that he was on call that night. "We'll see how long until it can get fixed."
"I was taught by someone who said that drawing by hand was like putting a bit of your soul into what you leave on the paper. Cheesy, I know, but I like the sentiment."
Hyuk's phone rang. It was Hongbin - a very frazzled, very out of breath Hongbin. "Hey....looks like a bolt of lightning hit a transformer in the area. Fried the server big time. We are fielding dozens of calls from the area. Your buddy isn't going to have any service for at least a couple more hours."
"Thanks, Hongbin." Hyuk sighed as his phone clicked off. "You've got no service for a while...can't control the lightning. I'm sorry." He settled down on the floor to finish his beer, at least. "I guess pouring out your soul onto paper doesn't need technology."
Jaehwan's face fell. "Ah, bummer. Okay, thanks."
Hyuk looked stunned. "....You've got this huge deadline and you're not going to yell at me?"
Jaehwan cocked his head to the side quizzically. "Uh, no. It's not your fault."
"Wow. Never stopped anyone before." The tech took a long draught of his beer. "I bet you get that a lot too, right? With people wanting On And On to go their way?"
"Pretty much," Jaehwan said with a shrug, then pointed to his temple. "But it's all up here and I'm the one who decides that Minjae befriends the dragon," he added with a wink.
Hyuk's face broke out into a wide grin. "Seriously? I kind of like that more than Minjae fighting the dragon...not the dragon's fault that he was left to guard the treasure for a thousand years."
"Seriously. I was never one for doing the expected," Jaehwan said with a grin of his own.
"Yeah, the whole thing with the crazy magic prison and the demon guardian? I thought that was awesome!" Hyuk didn't realize that he was babbling. "I stayed up all night waiting for the release!"
Jaehwan rested his chin on one hand and listened to the other, his own smile broad and genuine. Hyuk really was cute - and not what he was expecting from a tech geek. "Well, I hope you are satisfied with the next chapter."
"I just really want to know what's in that treasure chest," Hyuk admitted, not realizing that he was inching closer to the artist. "Minjae seems so nervous about it."
"What do you think is in there?" Jaehwan asked quietly, still smiling at the other and not impeding Hyuk from closing the gap between them. Wonshik had told him that he needed to allow himself to relax, to allow people closer. Well, Hyuk was people...and cute...and well, he didn't mind at all.
"I think there's something in there that he doesn't want to know...like what happened to his parents, or where Seoyeon is really from," Hyuk said. "Something more interesting than just jewels."
"Hmm...do you think he should know even if he doesn't want to?"
"I think he has to know, if only to get closure," Hyuk argued.
"I'll keep that in mind," Jaehwan said with a smile. "And what do you want to know?"
"Really?" Hyuk's eyes were bright as he scooted closer. "....You'll tell me anything?"
"Sure..." Of course it would be about the manhwa, Jaehwan inwardly remarked to himself. He should have expected that.
"....Is it really true what they said online?" Hyuk asked softly. "....About your ex-boyfriend?"
Jaehwan's eyes widened in surprise. "About Taekwoon?"
Hyuk nodded. "...You guys were really dating?"
The artist nodded. "Yes. We dated for 2 years."
"Lucky..." Hyuk mumbled, a little louder than he expected.
"Lucky?" Jaehwan repeated, confused. "What do you mean?"
"....That Taekwoon-nim's lucky." Hyuk drained the beer, the alcohol making him a little more talkative than usual (and he could blame his probably insulting questions on it). "Because you're attractive and all."
"Attractive? Me? I always thought I was irritating you." Jaehwan took another drink of his own beer. "I mean, you were polite and all but you had to be so frustrated with me. I'm sure you were probably counting the minutes before you could get off the line. Not that I blame you."
"There was that," Hyuk admitted. "Especially after you broke your CD-ROM drive and called me about your cupholder."
The older man had the grace to flush, the color creeping across the bridge of his nose. "I don't like computers, okay? They intimidate me."
"I can't draw," Hyuk offered. "My art teacher told me stick figures were too advanced for me."
Jaehwan couldn't help but laugh. "We are pretty much opposites then, aren't we?"
"You can learn computers, though," Hyuk said. "Drawing's talent."
"Well, some people can learn computers," Jaehwan said wryly. "Some of us can't tell a CD-ROM drive from a cupholder."
"You know better now, right?" Hyuk grinned. "And you remember everything I tell you. That's a lot more than a lot of my clients."
"I'm usually a quick learner," the artist acknowledged, looking down at how closely Hyuk had moved towards him.
"Me too, when it comes to tech stuff. Everything else...not so much."
"Well, you could teach me tech stuff and I could teach you other stuff," Jaehwan murmured, shifting his hand so it rested mere millimeters away from Hyuk's. He hoped he wasn't being too forward. It had been a long time since Taekwoon, after all.
Hyuk's face suddenly flushed in nervousness--he had a feeling that he wasn't talking about learning art anymore. He hadn't ever had any sort of experience, other than some failed flirtations after he figured out he liked girls and boys. "...I'm as much of a beginner with this stuff as you are with a computer," he warned. "...But if that's okay..."
Jaehwan's smile faltered, brow furrowing in worry. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable. I mean, I just met you face to face and you've always been easy to talk to and Wonshik says I really need to get laid and you are so cute and I'm rambling, aren't I?"
"I'm rambling too," Hyuk mentioned. "...And it's not the beer, Hongbinnie says that's what I do all the time, but I don't really have any experience." He took a deep breath. "So, um, if you're not expecting anything much...cause I mean, I think you're cute, too."
The smile reappeared on the artist's face. "I'd really like that...maybe start with a date, which could lead to another one, then cuddling? I don't need tech expertise to cuddle."
"I don't need dates to cuddle," Hyuk pointed out. "But I'd like to get to know you before, uh...other stuff."
"Other stuff can wait," Jaehwan agreed. "As for cuddling....you free tonight?"
"I was in the middle of a hot date with On And On," Hyuk said slowly. "But this sounds a lot better."
"Well, I do have the most recent ones here...and those panels I need to eventually get sent to my editors. Who knows, you might find yourself in the next chapter..."
Hyuk pried himself off the floor and lightly touched Jaehwan's hand, a timid gesture that took a lot of his courage to perform. "That sounds way better than what I had planned."
Jaehwan's fingers curled around Hyuk's. "Same." He paused, smiling as he pulled Hyuk up onto the couch. "I really should let your boss know how much I'm liking this premium support..."
"And I need to thank Hongbinnie..." Hyuk hid a small grin. Who would've known that overtime could be that much fun?
Pairing: Ken/Hyuk
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 4,345 words
Warnings: tech speak, tech humor, devious Hongbin, other than that nada
Summary: Any fool can use a computer and Hyuk thinks that many do. Lee Jaehwan is special.
Notes: Written for the forvixx summer exchange. My recipient dropped out but I still had fun writing this :)
*Beep Beep*
Hyuk shot another wad of paper into his cubicle mate’s garbage basket. “Two more points for me, Binnie,” he said with a smirk as he added another two points to their makeshift tally on the white board between their desks. Hongbin shot him a dirty look as he pushed up his glasses and tried to reassure the woman on the phone that no, demons have not infested her computer and that maybe - just maybe - if she turned it off and back on again that it might work better than calling the priest.
(Hongbin had been called into the office by the boss more than once for answering the phone with “ROVIX Computer Assistance, this is Hongbin. Have you tried turning it off and on again?” Apparently it wasn’t considered very professional - even if it was the correct answer more than half the time.)
*Beep Beep*
Hyuk turned back to his desk and flipped through the latest manhwa from his favorite artist Ken, propping his feet up on his desk. The guy’s artwork was incredible - hard to believe this was his first series. The panels were lush and seemed almost 3-D in a sense; it was as if the characters could jump right off the page (and part of him wished they would). Yup, he would be the first to admit he was a fanboy of the up and coming artist and he knew he wasn’t the only one. The series was so popular that copies were flying off the shelves at the local bookstore and Hyuk had to make sure he reserved his copy of the newest issue weeks ahead of time.
It was worth every penny, really.
*Beep Beep*
“So do you plan on answering that sometime today, Sanghyuk?” came a deceptively sweet voice and Hyuk cringed inwardly before straightening and removing his feet from his desk as he felt the even more potent glare of his boss, Cha Hakyeon. Hongbin’s glares had nothing on the Boss’s.
“Yes, Sir…” he said promptly, saluting the older man. Hakyeon arched an eyebrow but let it slide. After all, Sanghyuk was one of the company’s best computer technicians. Just had to put up with the kid’s quirks. Actually most of the tech guys were a bit quirky - or geeky, or whatever you want to call it. Honestly, Hakyeon didn’t understand most of their inside jokes. He’d heard Sanghyuk tell someone once that he wasn’t antisocial, just not user friendly. Had to be a techie joke…
Still, business was business.
Looking down at the caller identification on his screen Hyuk groaned.
Lee Jaehwan
Not again.
It wasn't the first time that Lee Jaehwan had called, nor the second, nor the fifth. In the past two months, Hyuk had fielded no less than twenty-six phone calls, ranging from a frozen mouse (which he had pulled out) to a 'broken cup holder' (a CD-ROM drive, to which Hyuk had sighed and sent out a replacement.) Seriously, there were people who shouldn't have been allowed around computers, and Lee Jaehwan was on the top of his list.
Still, he had to answer, which he did after propping up his feet and shooting a dirty look at Hongbin. "ROVIX Computer Assistance, this is Hyuk. How may I help you today?"
"Hyuk! I'm so glad you're working today," came a voice that would have been considered warm and pleasant if it hadn't been heard over and over again like a broken record. "It's Lee Jaehwan. I think I've got a problem. Not sure what happened though."
"Did you try turning it on and off again?" Hyuk rolled his eyes and looked longingly at his latest manhwa--Hakyeon would murder him if he opened it while on a call. Just when On and On was reaching the climax of the biggest plot twist yet!
The voice chuckled self-depreciatingly. "Um, yeah. I always make sure to do that after the first couple times you suggested it. Everything seems to be on but I can't set up vacation email responses in Microsoft. I know it's stupid but Wonshik tells me I need to take a break and chill for a bit."
Hyuk stretched out. "All right, Lee-nim. Can you tell me what you've been doing to set up automatic replies?" He had no idea why his 'favorite' client was being so chummy, but he had to retain politeness, no matter what. Customer was always right.
"I know there’s some way to set it up, but I can’t seem to do it myself." The man sighed. "I guess what they say about artsy types is true, huh? The guides say to go to ‘file,’ then ‘info,’ then ‘automatic replies,’ but there’s no such thing in my Microsoft."
"One second..." Hyuk hummed as he established a remote connection--after two months, he found out it was easier just to go into remote view and do it himself. He bit his tongue once the client's screen popped up, then gritted his teeth and set up his replies on Outlook himself. "There you go. You're all set."
The voice on the other end of the line paused for a moment, then emitted a low whistle of admiration. “Wow! There it is. How come ‘automatic replies’ shows up for you but it didn’t show up for me?”
Hyuk caught Hongbin's eye, pleading for him to switch clients. ".....Because you were trying to set up your email replies in Word....."
Hongbin snorted, biting back a laugh as he apologized to his customer on the other end of the line. Hyuk definitely had a winner with that one. He'd take the crazy ladies with their demon-possessed laptops any day.
"Oh..." came Jaehwan's response. "Oops. Guess that's one for the books, huh?"
"Possibly..." His manhwa was looking tempting, but it also didn't look like Lee Jaehwan was getting off the phone any time soon. But if he was able to sell him the premium package, he wouldn't have to deal with him again! "Sir, have you considered upgrading to ROVIX's premium tech support package?"
"Huh...no one mentioned that before. Does it come with a 24/7 hotline for the computer inept like me? I still don't understand what's wrong with pencil and paper. I still draw that way even though Wonshik says computer animation is the way to go."
Hyuk took a deep breath and thanked heaven for the small favor of Jaehwan not trying to navigate Flash or Photoshop. "24/7 attention, and you're assigned a personal tech. We can give you a free trial--there's a special number and everything." Drawing, huh? On And On was hand-drawn, as far as he could remember. That's what had helped to make it so popular. "There's still some manhwa that's hand-drawn, but who knows, you might want to try something new."
"So I'd get a personal tech - like you, maybe - to be at my beck and call anytime I need you?" The man couldn't help but laugh. "I feel sorry for that guy but it really would help. My hours are kind of variable. Depends on my inspiration and I've been known to get inspired at 2 am during the middle of a thunderstorm." The voice paused. "You read manhwa? Thought that was for kids."
"Right, a personal tech." Probably Hongbin, but he definitely deserved it. "They'll even come out to your house for personal assistance if you require it." He dodged a paper ball thrown at him by Hongbin, who had grown bored after his call had finished. "...My little cousins read it," he lied. "They tell me all about it."
"Hmm...and you say I'd get a free trial? Sounds too good to refuse."
Hongbin slid the paperwork over to Hyuk, his face perfectly serene although there was something in his eye that Hyuk would have noticed if he had been paying attention.
"Yeah, absolutely free," Hyuk reassured, taking the paperwork and pulling up the man's account on his screen. "One month free, and then you'll be asked if you want to continue the service. If that sounds good, I'll give you our premium service number."
"Sign me up then," Jaehwan said with enthusiasm. "Then I can be out of your hair, Hyuk."
It was his lucky day! "One moment," Hyuk murmured, quickly typing in the information. "Okay, you need to write this down..." he rattled off the number on the paperwork, not realizing how familiar it sounded.
"Got it...and in my notebook since I know I'll lose it if I put it in the computer," the man on the other end of the line said cheerfully, relief in his voice. "You don't even want to know what kind of cell phone I have. Wonshik says I need to donate it to the nearest museum."
"I'm sure it suits your needs just fine," the young tech said cheerily, feeling better than he had in weeks. "Anything else I can help you with today?"
"No, I think I've bothered you enough for tonight, Hyuk. Thanks so much for the help and I'm sorry to be such a bother. Maybe I should take a computer class or something during my vacation."
"I'm sure with everything you learn there, you could teach me. Have a nice day, and I hope you enjoy the premium services." Hyuk hung up after their last goodbye, then turned to gloat at Hongbin. "He's all yours now...have fun with that broken cupholder of his."
Hongbin leaned back in his chair, a look of sleek satisfaction crossing his handsome face as he took off his glasses to clean them. "Did you look at what number you gave him, Hyukkie?" he asked nonchalantly.
"Yeah, I gave him the one on the form...." Hyuk glanced down to the paper, studying the number for a moment. Why was it so familiar---oh. Oooooh no. Hyuk looked back up at his coworker, his face frozen in horror. "That's my cell number!"
Hongbin put his thick-framed glasses on and smirked. "Oooooh yes. Congratulations, Hyukkie - you are Mr. Lee Jaehwan's personal tech for the next month. It’s also down in writing and contracts are binding, dontcha know."
"You are such an asshole sometimes, Hongbinnie," Hyuk mumbled, tossing one of his decorative stuffed animals at his friend and then grabbing his latest volume of On And On. Ken was so talented with his art, and story, and if Minjae didn't open the treasure chest in the dragon's cave soon....
Several days elapsed, surprisingly without a call from Hyuk's favorite customer. However, the inevitable had to happen - and it just so happened on one of those dark, stormy nights so aptly described in Hyuk's favorite chapter of On and On.
"Dammit," Hyuk cursed, throwing down the newest issue. Minjae was still trying to avoid the dragon, the lovely Seoyeon was breaking out of a mystical prison, and they still hadn't gotten to the treasure chest! With trepidation, he answered the phone. "...This is Hyuk."
The voice was all too familiar. "Hyuk? I didn't think you'd be the one on the other end of the line. This is Lee Jaehwan. I really hate bothering you on a night like this but I can't connect to the Internet. I've checked my modem and I think it's working fine. Can you help me?"
Internet outage....well, that wasn't too bad. "All right, sir. Can you tell me what lights are blinking on your modem?"
A pause. "All of the lights that were on before when it was working."
"Reset the modem," Hyuk ordered tiredly. He had repeated that phrase endlessly that day--it seemed that the entire country was having Internet problems as a result of the storm. "Then tell me what color the lights are after you reset."
"Um, I did that already," Jaehwan said quietly. "I remembered you told me to do that before and that if all else failed to turn the computer off and on then reset the modem."
That was a first, a client remembering everything he said. "Possibly some loose wires, or the server's down." He hadn't recalled getting any messages about their server, though.
"I really need to get this work done," Jaehwan said with a sigh. "Deadline is due in a few days and they want me to email the finished chapter to them. I even scanned it and everything like Wonshik told me to since I wouldn't do it online," Jaehwan tried not to whine.
Hyuk really didn't want to leave his warm blankets and manhwa, but thanks to Hongbin..."Do you want me to come and check your wires?"
"I hate bothering you at this time and with the weather the way it is but it would really help me out a lot, Hyuk..."
"I'll be there soon." Hyuk had Jaehwan's address thanks to now being his 'special tech', and raised his eyebrows when he saw how ritzy the district was. He figured that it would be a good idea to put on some pants.
The security guard at the apartment building looked at Hyuk skeptically and sent a call to Mr Lee. "Yes, of course! Hyuk can come in anytime, Mr Kim. Send him up, please."
"Have a nice night," Hyuk smirked and headed up to the top floor of the building--not only was he in the nice part of town, this guy had a penthouse? And was utterly technically illiterate? Wow. He straightened the collar of his button-down and tried to cover up the logo shirt for On And On that he had on underneath...not that anyone but a true fan would recognize it.
"Just a minute," Jaehwan called out as the buzzer rang, a soft patter of stockinged feet approaching the door. As it opened Hyuk came face to face with a man who looked nothing like the 50-something perpetual bachelor he was expecting. Lee Jaehwan's hair was mussed and he was dressed in grey sweats and a faded Seo Taiji and Boys t-shirt, kind of like he stepped out of a manhwa himself. "Hyuk? Thank god you are here. C'mon in..."
He was that young and that confused by technology? Hyuk looked taken aback. "....Excuse the intrusion," he mumbled as he took off his shoes. It wasn't fair, Jaehwan was actually pretty attractive, rich as hell, but so utterly awestruck by the simplest electronics...
"Hey, I'm just grateful you were willing to come help an idiot like me," Jaehwan said wryly. "I know it's pretty weird to be so computer inept but I'm one of those artsy-fartsy types." The slightly older man led Hyuk into a nicely furnished apartment that was in what one would call 'organized chaos.' It wasn't messy by any means but it was obvious that Lee Jaehwan didn't mind a bit of clutter - and creative clutter it was. Abstract paintings in vibrant hues gave a lift to the neutrals of the furniture and there were drawings everywhere. "I finally got the dragon's scales to look the way I want them to and now I can't send the finished panels in," he muttered in frustration.
...Panels? Dragons? There was only one series that Hyuk knew of that had a dragon and was currently running...he shook his head. No way was this Ken! No way! "We.., let me check," the boy said uncertainly, heading straight for the modem and trying not to stare too much at the panels.
"Thanks," Jaehwan said gratefully. "You want something to drink?" he asked, heading into the kitchen. "I've got water, soda, beer - you are old enough to drink, right?"
"Yeah, I turned twenty last week," Hyuk mumbled as he eyed the nest of cables below Jaehwan's desk. "...Maybe you should get some cable ties. It'll keep things a lot neater."
"They have those? I was thinking of just using the twist ties that come with loaves of bread from the market," Jaehwan said absentmindedly as he pulled a couple of bottles out of the fridge.
"Those work, but they break..." Hyuk hurriedly tried to button up his shirt. If Jaehwan really was Ken, he'd probably think it was stupid that he was that into his work. "You can get them at any electronics store."
"I'll keep that in mind," Jaehwan murmured as he handed the beer to the computer tech, smiling slightly as he caught a flash of something. "Any luck so far?"
"I think I found your cables...thanks." Hyuk gratefully sipped the beer. "I'll just tighten these up and we'll see what's what. If that doesn't work, I'll get in touch with the office and see how our servers are doing." He nervously pulled down his shirt. "....And hopefully you can send off your, ah...your panels."
"That would be great. Wonshik - he's my agent - he's been hounding me to get the finished panels in before the editors jump down my throat. Guess the public has been demanding another chapter. Didn't think it would explode the way it has..."
"Yeah, my name's on the presale list," Hyuk said absently as he carefully tightened up the cables and reset the modem. "See if this works."
Jaehwan grinned. "You hoping Minjae avoids the dragon?" he asked nonchalantly as he tried to turn on the computer.
"And if Seoyeon can break out, and whatever the hell's in the treasure chest..." Hyuk mused. "Let it sit a minute." He eased out from under the nest of cables and took a sip of beer, only to choke when he realized what he said. "I-I mean my cousins. They want to know!"
Jaehwan chuckled. "You're cute. I actually like it when different kinds of people like what I do. My parents gave me a hard time when I told them I wanted to be a manhwa artist. But seeing how much people like it makes it worth it, you know?"
"....I can't believe you're really Ken," Hyuk admitted shyly. "...That's way cooler than being a tech, no matter what your parents think."
"Even if I'm pretty much computer illiterate?"
"You don't really need computers much when you hand draw..." Hyuk frowned. "It's not connecting. Must be a server issue." He texted Hongbin, knowing that he was on call that night. "We'll see how long until it can get fixed."
"I was taught by someone who said that drawing by hand was like putting a bit of your soul into what you leave on the paper. Cheesy, I know, but I like the sentiment."
Hyuk's phone rang. It was Hongbin - a very frazzled, very out of breath Hongbin. "Hey....looks like a bolt of lightning hit a transformer in the area. Fried the server big time. We are fielding dozens of calls from the area. Your buddy isn't going to have any service for at least a couple more hours."
"Thanks, Hongbin." Hyuk sighed as his phone clicked off. "You've got no service for a while...can't control the lightning. I'm sorry." He settled down on the floor to finish his beer, at least. "I guess pouring out your soul onto paper doesn't need technology."
Jaehwan's face fell. "Ah, bummer. Okay, thanks."
Hyuk looked stunned. "....You've got this huge deadline and you're not going to yell at me?"
Jaehwan cocked his head to the side quizzically. "Uh, no. It's not your fault."
"Wow. Never stopped anyone before." The tech took a long draught of his beer. "I bet you get that a lot too, right? With people wanting On And On to go their way?"
"Pretty much," Jaehwan said with a shrug, then pointed to his temple. "But it's all up here and I'm the one who decides that Minjae befriends the dragon," he added with a wink.
Hyuk's face broke out into a wide grin. "Seriously? I kind of like that more than Minjae fighting the dragon...not the dragon's fault that he was left to guard the treasure for a thousand years."
"Seriously. I was never one for doing the expected," Jaehwan said with a grin of his own.
"Yeah, the whole thing with the crazy magic prison and the demon guardian? I thought that was awesome!" Hyuk didn't realize that he was babbling. "I stayed up all night waiting for the release!"
Jaehwan rested his chin on one hand and listened to the other, his own smile broad and genuine. Hyuk really was cute - and not what he was expecting from a tech geek. "Well, I hope you are satisfied with the next chapter."
"I just really want to know what's in that treasure chest," Hyuk admitted, not realizing that he was inching closer to the artist. "Minjae seems so nervous about it."
"What do you think is in there?" Jaehwan asked quietly, still smiling at the other and not impeding Hyuk from closing the gap between them. Wonshik had told him that he needed to allow himself to relax, to allow people closer. Well, Hyuk was people...and cute...and well, he didn't mind at all.
"I think there's something in there that he doesn't want to know...like what happened to his parents, or where Seoyeon is really from," Hyuk said. "Something more interesting than just jewels."
"Hmm...do you think he should know even if he doesn't want to?"
"I think he has to know, if only to get closure," Hyuk argued.
"I'll keep that in mind," Jaehwan said with a smile. "And what do you want to know?"
"Really?" Hyuk's eyes were bright as he scooted closer. "....You'll tell me anything?"
"Sure..." Of course it would be about the manhwa, Jaehwan inwardly remarked to himself. He should have expected that.
"....Is it really true what they said online?" Hyuk asked softly. "....About your ex-boyfriend?"
Jaehwan's eyes widened in surprise. "About Taekwoon?"
Hyuk nodded. "...You guys were really dating?"
The artist nodded. "Yes. We dated for 2 years."
"Lucky..." Hyuk mumbled, a little louder than he expected.
"Lucky?" Jaehwan repeated, confused. "What do you mean?"
"....That Taekwoon-nim's lucky." Hyuk drained the beer, the alcohol making him a little more talkative than usual (and he could blame his probably insulting questions on it). "Because you're attractive and all."
"Attractive? Me? I always thought I was irritating you." Jaehwan took another drink of his own beer. "I mean, you were polite and all but you had to be so frustrated with me. I'm sure you were probably counting the minutes before you could get off the line. Not that I blame you."
"There was that," Hyuk admitted. "Especially after you broke your CD-ROM drive and called me about your cupholder."
The older man had the grace to flush, the color creeping across the bridge of his nose. "I don't like computers, okay? They intimidate me."
"I can't draw," Hyuk offered. "My art teacher told me stick figures were too advanced for me."
Jaehwan couldn't help but laugh. "We are pretty much opposites then, aren't we?"
"You can learn computers, though," Hyuk said. "Drawing's talent."
"Well, some people can learn computers," Jaehwan said wryly. "Some of us can't tell a CD-ROM drive from a cupholder."
"You know better now, right?" Hyuk grinned. "And you remember everything I tell you. That's a lot more than a lot of my clients."
"I'm usually a quick learner," the artist acknowledged, looking down at how closely Hyuk had moved towards him.
"Me too, when it comes to tech stuff. Everything else...not so much."
"Well, you could teach me tech stuff and I could teach you other stuff," Jaehwan murmured, shifting his hand so it rested mere millimeters away from Hyuk's. He hoped he wasn't being too forward. It had been a long time since Taekwoon, after all.
Hyuk's face suddenly flushed in nervousness--he had a feeling that he wasn't talking about learning art anymore. He hadn't ever had any sort of experience, other than some failed flirtations after he figured out he liked girls and boys. "...I'm as much of a beginner with this stuff as you are with a computer," he warned. "...But if that's okay..."
Jaehwan's smile faltered, brow furrowing in worry. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable. I mean, I just met you face to face and you've always been easy to talk to and Wonshik says I really need to get laid and you are so cute and I'm rambling, aren't I?"
"I'm rambling too," Hyuk mentioned. "...And it's not the beer, Hongbinnie says that's what I do all the time, but I don't really have any experience." He took a deep breath. "So, um, if you're not expecting anything much...cause I mean, I think you're cute, too."
The smile reappeared on the artist's face. "I'd really like that...maybe start with a date, which could lead to another one, then cuddling? I don't need tech expertise to cuddle."
"I don't need dates to cuddle," Hyuk pointed out. "But I'd like to get to know you before, uh...other stuff."
"Other stuff can wait," Jaehwan agreed. "As for cuddling....you free tonight?"
"I was in the middle of a hot date with On And On," Hyuk said slowly. "But this sounds a lot better."
"Well, I do have the most recent ones here...and those panels I need to eventually get sent to my editors. Who knows, you might find yourself in the next chapter..."
Hyuk pried himself off the floor and lightly touched Jaehwan's hand, a timid gesture that took a lot of his courage to perform. "That sounds way better than what I had planned."
Jaehwan's fingers curled around Hyuk's. "Same." He paused, smiling as he pulled Hyuk up onto the couch. "I really should let your boss know how much I'm liking this premium support..."
"And I need to thank Hongbinnie..." Hyuk hid a small grin. Who would've known that overtime could be that much fun?