How Not to Impress a Host [Chapter 3]
Title: How Not to Impress a Host [Chapter 3]
Pairing(s): Donghae-centric. Donghae/Eunhyuk; side!Han Geng/Heechul and Yesung/Sungmin
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Friendship, a fair bit of Angst
Disclaimer: Contrary to popular belief, no one owns them.
Warning: Mild language and mature themes.
Summary: Donghae knows that ‘getting smitten with a fair-skinned host and bumbling through many attempts of courting said host’ was definitely not part of his job scope as a valet, but he won’t relent in his pursuit; even if it meant going through abject mortification and more.
Previous Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2
It was Donghae’s seventh day of work, and his abundant enthusiasm had been dampened.
Despite having escaped the wrath of the rain yesterday, Donghae was still indirectly susceptible to its effects in school. A classmate seated in front of him during the first lecture had let out a violent sneeze; following the action were tiny, dangerous droplets suspending ominously in the still air. By the end of the second class, Donghae was beginning to show symptoms of a cold. He had sniffled endlessly and had brought the cuff of his hooded shirt repeatedly to his dripping nose.
Donghae groaned in irritation, having made to wipe his nose for the nth time. Short of stuffing tissues up his beleaguered nostrils (he had seriously considered doing so, but found the action too crass), Donghae simply titled his head back and hoped for gravity to do its part. Unfortunately, this meant that he paid far less attention to the ongoing lessons than usual. The minutes passed by with Donghae daydreaming and willing his cold to disappear.
During lunchtime, Donghae considered ringing Heechul up to inform him that he was too unwell to report for work. However, he soon realized that it would mean spending time alone back in his dormitory room, swathed in a thick comforter. That idea wasn’t very pleasing to Donghae, who rarely spent time alone in his dormitory room. The room seemed increasingly suffocating when it was only him, which in turn invoked a sense of longing towards his family, who was hundreds of kilometres away.
As such, Donghae decided that it was better to turn up for work, even if his cold had dampened his mood; for at the club, he could seek the company of his newfound friends. Friends who may not have reciprocated the same level of affection he harboured towards them, but Donghae considered them his friends all the same.
-
“Ah, Donghae!” Sungmin greeted when he spotted Donghae stowing away his backpack into his locker.
“Hey hyung,” Donghae responded, his diction made indistinct by his blocked nose. “Sorry, I just caught a cold,” he explained when Sungmin cast him an inquisitive look over his unintelligible words.
Sungmin scrunched his nose. “I hope that you didn’t catch it yesterday. Did Youngwoon-hyung escort you into the club too late?”
Donghae was heartened by Sungmin’s concern, but at the same time, he felt compelled to defend Youngwoon.
“No no, it’s not that. The person sitting in front of me in the lecture theatre this morning just sneezed without covering his nose. And lucky old me got affected.”
Sungmin nodded in understanding. “That has happened to me before. Once, when I was servicing a client, the man just sneezed into my face! Just like that! I had a cold that lasted for almost a whole week because of him.”
Donghae grimaced. At least he wasn’t subjected to a full-frontal assault of germs. “Well, that’s just gross, Sungmin-hyung.”
“I immediately threw away my mask after work and ordered a new one,” Sungmin said, shaking his head indignantly at the recollection. “Needless to say, the man was too embarrassed to ask for my services ever again.”
Donghae looked up from buttoning his vest. “You would think that the patrons would at least possess some manners. Sneezing directly into your face really isn’t a good indicator of class. So is not acknowledging my presence properly. Or Youngwoon-hyung’s and Hankyung-hyung’s.”
Donghae’s cheeks flushed at his somewhat childlike admission, but he had been longing to speak out his true feelings. Bringing the issue up in front of Youngwoon would have been unwise, judging from his evident bitterness days ago. And though Han Geng had never explicitly stated his feelings regarding the matter, Donghae had still managed to infer the older man’s views through his resigned tone. To raise the subject in front of the bartender would probably result in an ambiguous statement that gave nothing away about his actual outlook.
Sungmin smiled ruefully; he was obviously not surprised by Donghae’s admission. “It’s true that some clients can be downright crude, but the rest are decent enough.”
“However, I’ve never once encountered a true gentleman in my seven years of work. I don’t think it’ll change anytime soon.” Sungmin shut his locker door forcefully, before leaning his back against it.
“I’m sure that some repeat clients are nice,” Donghae chipped in cheerfully, as he tried to veer away from the progressively bleak tone of their conversation. “Familiarity usually brings about a connection, don’t you think?”
Donghae looked away from his locker, suddenly aware of the silence in the room.
“Sungmin-hyung?” Donghae said tentatively, watching concernedly as Sungmin rested an arm over his eyes. “Are you okay? Is something the matter?”
Tilting his head to the side, Sungmin removed his arm and shook his head mutedly.
“I’m fine, Donghae. Don’t worry about me.”
The flat tone in which Sungmin’s words was delivered in definitely didn’t fool Donghae, but he decided not to pursue the matter.
“I’ll be off to my post now,” Donghae said awkwardly after a prolonged moment of silence. “Take care, Sungmin-hyung.”
“Mmm,” Sungmin replied.
Shutting his locker door, Donghae stood uncomfortably about his position, rubbing his neck distractedly. Sungmin remained still, his posture unusually rigid. His brown, textured fringe fell over his mask, covering his eyes and cloaking them from Donghae’s view.
As Donghae headed towards the door, he cringed as he heard the muffled sobbing coming from the only other occupant of the locker room. It took every inch of Donghae’s willpower to not turn on his heels to approach and comfort Sungmin.
-
Donghae didn’t blame Sungmin at all for the increased drop in his mood; his blasted cold was the root of all evil, as far as Donghae was concerned.
Although Sungmin may have been the last of whom he had connected with in the past week, that didn’t stop Donghae from worrying about him. Sungmin had always seemed in control of his emotions and so confident; he was the one who did most of the teasing and could always think up of a comeback whenever Heechul or Youngwoon backed him into a corner. Definitely, Sungmin possessed an enviably keen mind.
Yet, just now, back in the locker room, was a facet of Sungmin that Donghae was unaccustomed to: vulnerability. If Sungmin’s emotions could be triggered by such a simple, almost innocuous conversation, Donghae pondered with a hint of sadness about the actual depth of the latter’s hardships. Had he been struggling all this while, trying to suppress his deep-rooted emotions? Did he feel as if no one would be receptive towards his vulnerabilities; that he would be perceived as weak for possessing such traits?
Donghae let out a short, dry laugh. Was it really acceptable for him to care so much about a group of people he had only known for a week? Wouldn’t it go to waste if none of them had the same intensity about him as he had with them? Joking around with each other was vastly different than being emotionally ready and accepting with each other.
Only time can tell. I don’t want to feel as if all of my affection has been misspent. Never again.
-
“Donghae,” Youngwoon spoke up. “Mind taking care of my post while I zip into the washroom for a bit?”
Turning to face Youngwoon from his valet stand, Donghae grinned and shook his head.
“Of course I don’t!” Donghae replied, albeit rather unintelligibly since his cold was still impairing his speech. “Just come back quickly, hyung!”
Youngwoon chuckled genially. He walked over to muss up Donghae’s hair playfully before turning on his heels and walked into the club’s premises.
-
Donghae brought up his right hand and glanced at the watch enclosed around his thin wrist. 10.34pm, it read.
It had been approximately 24 minutes since Youngwoon had disappeared into the club. Donghae couldn’t help but wonder what was causing the older man to take so long. As foolish as it sounds, Donghae was steadily growing lonely, unaccustomed to the lack of Youngwoon’s detectable presence. Even during the times where Youngwoon and Donghae were too busy to talk with each other, the knowledge that Donghae at least had Youngwoon to keep him company during most of his shift was enough to appease him.
He had considered stepping inside to chat with Hyukjae, but he soon ruled out that thought. Still fresh in his mind was the quizzically awkward conversation he had with Hyukjae the day before. Unwilling to increase the awkwardness between the both of them (Donghae knew that he would still continue to press on about Hyukjae’s jitteriness), Donghae decided to leave Hyukjae alone and let the matter dissipate on its own. He hoped that it wouldn’t take long; he had felt so comfortable talking to Hyukjae that he had actually felt annoyed with himself for spoiling their burgeoning rapport.
The club doors swung open, with the sound produced awakening Donghae from his thoughts. He turned to see Youngwoon, who was slightly red in the cheeks.
“Youngwoon-hyung, why did you take so long? What were you doing in there?” Donghae couldn’t suppress the somewhat whiny tone of his question; having an internal debate with your subconscious mind on whether to visit Hyukjae or not was a rather sad thing to do, Donghae felt.
To Donghae’s surprise, Youngwoon gave a little start. He remained silent, an anomaly in Youngwoon’s behaviour, leading Donghae to raise an eyebrow.
“What exactly were you doing in there, hyung?” Donghae’s curiosity was now piqued by Youngwoon’s twitchiness.
Youngwoon looked away briefly, wringing his fingers in obvious discomfort.
“Nothing majorly important,” Youngwoon finally said, when he turned back to face Donghae.
If it was humanly possible, Donghae’s eyebrows had risen above the confines of his mask and were now hovering midway his forehead; Donghae certainly didn’t believe Youngwoon, not one bit.
“Hmmm,” Donghae hummed simply. He couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly as he saw Youngwoon watching him nervously, his posture stiff as the latter wondered if his excuse was bought.
“A stomach ache is nothing to be embarrassed about, Youngwoon-hyung. Next time, I’d suggest you don’t gobble up your food,” Donghae said, grinning as Youngwoon visibly relaxed when he had finished his first sentence. “Sungmin-hyung was probably right in teasing you!”
“Hahaha…” Youngwoon laughed along awkwardly as Donghae burst into light chuckles.
-
Donghae’s shift had gone by rather uneventfully. Other than Youngwoon’s evasive behavior, there was nothing worth noting. Donghae didn’t get any tips today, nor did any of the clients acknowledge him. He decided that a good night’s sleep would be the best remedy for his day, which had been marred mostly by his condition.
Heading into the club, Donghae was about to approach the bar as was his daily practice, but he noted with a crestfallen expression that Han Geng wasn’t standing behind the bar counter. Not in the mood to wait for the older man to return, Donghae stalked listlessly to the locker room.
Once inside the shower room, Donghae titled his head, gladly facing the onslaught of rushing warm water spouting from the shower head. As he closed his eyes, he sighed inwardly as he remembered the day’s events.
What a way to mark my first week, huh? Donghae brought his arms to both his sides, as he rested his forehead against the tiled bathroom wall.
-
After he was done drowning his sorrows away with the warm shower, Donghae towelled his damp hair absently as he walked towards the door. Instinctively, he raised his right hand towards the door knob and gave it a tug.
A peculiar click greeted his actions. Donghae frowned.
He applied a little more force onto the door knob, but he soon heard the click again.
Now using both hands, Donghae squeezed the knob, jerking it up and down, and side to side.
It didn’t turn all the way around.
I’m stuck inside, Donghae thought morosely.
He walked closer to the door and slammed his fists onto it. The door shook slightly; the sound it made irritating Donghae even further.
“I can’t believe it!” Donghae exclaimed frustratedly, as he leaned his forehead against the door.
However, Donghae was never one to sit still. He turned on his heels and headed back to the showers. Grabbing a few squares of toilet paper, Donghae scrunched them up before stuffing them up his nostrils. Seeing as there’s no one else here, I might as well do this, Donghae shrugged.
Walking to the door, Donghae slumped against it; his bare back against the cold wood. Covering the top half of his face with his dampened towel, Donghae closed his eyes as he awaited his savior. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be all wrinkled when he was found; getting caught with tissues stuffed up one’s nose was already bad enough.
-
Donghae was slipping in and out of consciousness; the hard, cold tiles of the washroom hardly made it a comfortable place for sleeping, but Donghae was simply too exhausted to care.
His head lolled about randomly, with his mouth unconsciously half-open. Had Donghae possessed more clarity in his perception and thinking, he would have worried about being caught in such an embarrassing state; who on earth would consciously allow another person to inspect his molars in such great detail?
Donghae’s head jerked up in alarm when he heard that certain click of the doorknob. Finally, someone was opening the door for him!
All traces of drowsiness quickly evaporating, Donghae scrambled onto his feet and pulled the tissues out of his nostrils; the prospect of finally being freed from the confines of the washroom had invigorated him immensely.
He grinned tiredly at the door, staring expectantly as he giddily awaited the appearance of his savior. He thought through the various ways of conveying his appreciation; there was hugging, shouts of jubilant thankfulness, giving a little jig of gratitude…
All those thoughts soon fizzled out when he found Hyukjae’s nervous face staring back at him.
“Donghae?” Hyukjae questioned concernedly, his eyes searching Donghae’s face for any signs of illness. “Are you okay?”
“H-Hyukjae!” Donghae stammered back, his control over his own voice affected by the pure relief currently taking over him. “Oh, thank goodness you found me! I thought I was going to have to camp inside here for the whole day!”
Baring his gums in a comforting smile, Hyukjae chuckled softly at Donghae’s overly dramatised delivery. “Heechul-hyung must have locked the door by mistake. On his behalf, I'm very sorry.”
Donghae smiled back, before shaking his head. “No need to! It must have been just an honest mistake or something, so no worries!”
More than anything, Donghae was relieved that he was able to talk to Hyukjae again; their little misunderstanding seemingly forgotten.
Again, Hyukjae smiled, but this time, Donghae noted that the former’s smile was a little withdrawn. His cheeks were also lightly flushed, leading Donghae to wonder about the cause of Hyukjae’s discomfort. Had he fallen ill as well?
“Donghae,” Hyukjae finally spoke up, with his hands tugging awkwardly at the ends of his shirt sleeves. “Aren’t you cold?”
“Cold?” Donghae repeated quizzically. “Well, yeah, I suppose I am-“
And then the realization finally hit him; that he was practically bare in front of Hyukjae, save for his lightly faded Superman boxers.
Putting his lightning-quick reflexes to good use for the second time that week, Donghae pulled his towel hastily off his head and covered the offending lower half of his body. Hyukjae said nothing throughout Donghae’s actions, preferring to stay silent as he stared past Donghae’s head and studied the inside of the washroom with forced fascination.
“I’ll- I’ll just go get dressed now…” Donghae said mutedly, walking towards his locker after Hyukjae nodded in response.
Donghae slipped into his jeans slowly, all too aware of the only other occupant in the locker room. In a perverse admission, Donghae wondered whether Hyukjae was watching him change. It was unlike the time with Heechul yet somehow similar; with both of them, Donghae felt highly awkward and self-conscious. However, now, he didn’t mind if Hyukjae was watching. In fact, he would even be slightly disappointed if the other hadn’t. Donghae sported a slight, albeit uneven tan and he wondered if it was noticeable even under the harsh lighting of the room.
What am I thinking? Donghae shook his head furiously, trying to rid himself of his baffling thoughts. Why on earth would I expect Hyukjae to be watching me change?
As soon as Donghae pulled his hands through his shirt sleeves, he looked up and flashed Hyukjae a shy smile, indicating that he was ready to go. Hyukjae straightened his back, pulling away from the locker he had been leaning against.
“You didn’t have to wait for me, you know,” Donghae told Hyukjae, as they walked along the hallway outside the locker room.
Hyukjae turned to Donghae, biting the inside of his cheeks as if he was preoccupied with something. Donghae stopped in his tracks, and tilted his head curiously.
“What’s wrong, Hyukjae?”
“C-could you just…” Hyukjae started, looking at Donghae with an earnest expression. “-come with me for a while?”
“Eh? Sure, but where to?” Donghae replied. How could he say no to such an expression?
Hyukjae remained motionless, before seizing Donghae’s left hand impulsively. Tugging at it hesitantly at first, his actions grew stronger as Donghae didn’t get the hint to follow him. Instead, Donghae was staring at Hyukjae’s hand over his.
“Come with me, Donghae,” Hyukjae repeated, giving Donghae’s hand another pointed pull.
Donghae nodded meekly, reading the faint creases on Hyukjae’s forehead as slight exasperation. He trailed behind obediently as Hyukjae led him through the club.
Moments later, their surroundings were pitch-black, causing Donghae to increase his grip on Hyukjae’s hand. He didn’t want to wander off aimlessly without the other; what if he got lost? Hyukjae tightened his hold on Donghae’s hand, sensing the other’s nerviness through the sudden increase of pressure on his own hand.
“We’re almost there, just a few more steps.” Donghae could hear Hyukjae’s voice, but he couldn’t detect its owner’s presence.
“Alright! We’re here!” Hyukjae said, letting go of Donghae’s hand.
Donghae instantly turned towards the direction of Hyukjae’s hand, panicking over the loss. “What’s here-“
He paused when the lights started to flicker back into life all at once; the sudden burst of illumination startling him and he instinctively raised his hand to shield his face.
“Surprise!” A chorus of hearty voices called out.
Donghae, who had clamped his eyes shut, peeked tentatively from under his hand. The environment had changed from stark darkness to a flurrying blur of colours; Donghae had to blink several times to acclimatise.
Slowly removing his hand, Donghae soon came face to face with an unrecognisable sight. The entire bar area had been done up with decorations; crepe streamers were hung along the top cabinets and plenty of multicoloured balloons were hovering within the enclosed space.
However, it wasn’t the decorations that had left Donghae speechless. Gathered before the bar counter, were his co-workers, most of them whom Donghae hadn’t talked to much, other than exchanging names and friendly greetings. Amongst the crowd, he could spot the familiar faces of Youngwoon, Heechul, Han Geng, Hyukjae and Sungmin, all five of them beaming back at him.
Heechul walked forward and patted Donghae on the shoulder. Flashing a warm smile, he said, “Happy first week at Guilty Pleasures, kid. Don’t think that we had forgotten.”
Donghae was stunned. All of this just to celebrate his first week at the club?
“I-I don’t deserve this,” Donghae mumbled, looking away shyly from the crowd and from Heechul.
“Nonsense,” Heechul said simply. “With this party, you’re officially one of us. Better come to terms with it now, Donghae, for you won’t get VIP treatment like this again anytime soon.” A side of his lips quirked playfully, his last sentence obviously possessing no malicious intent.
Heechul gave Donghae’s shoulder one last pat, before taking a step back. The crowd behind him soon congregated onto Donghae, offering congratulations and welcoming words of encouragement. “Happy first week, Donghae!” and “Hope you’ll stay here long!”; those statements were two of many that were directed to him. He was completely overwhelmed by his co-worker’s receptiveness, that he could do little other than acknowledge everyone’s warm wishes with a slight tilt of his head.
Donghae gripped his fists tightly when he detected the familiar feeling of his eyes moistening. Not wanting to ruin the spirited mood in any way, he blinked back his tears, bringing his trembling lips into a bright grin.
-
Donghae dropped onto his familiar barstool, completely exhausted from the day’s events. He had spent the past hour mingling with his colleagues and taking sips of Han Geng’s specially made cocktails. Possessing absolutely zero alcoholic content, the cocktails were brightly coloured and refreshing, reflecting the mood of the party perfectly.
Han Geng leaned forward from behind his counter, his eyes sparkling brightly as he surveyed Donghae with an affectionate countenance.
“Is the party up to your expectations?” Han Geng queried. “We barely had enough time to decorate the area and prepare the drinks so it may not be satisfactory.”
Despite his weariness, Donghae lifted his head and shot Han Geng an incredulous expression. “Are you crazy? I had no expectations whatsoever so this party definitely surpassed them.”
“Good, because I’m never scrambling like a maniac to put up all those streamers ever again,” a new voice joined their conversation, as Heechul sidled up to Donghae’s left.
“Hey hey, you weren’t the one who was blowing all those balloons!” Youngwoon said, appearing at Donghae’s right. “Couldn’t we have just bought a helium tank or something?”
The pair was soon joined by another, Sungmin and Hyukjae, who gathered behind Donghae.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Youngwoon-hyung,” Sungmin chirped, slinging an arm around Donghae’s shoulder. “Considering how you’re so full of hot air, that task was definitely suited for you.”
The rest laughed over Sungmin’s ribbing, with Donghae being especially loud; he was pleased that Sungmin could put behind his distress which had been brought about by their conversation much earlier.
“Now now,” Heechul’s loud voice soon punctured the laughter. “Let’s give Youngwoon a break. It was hard on him to keep this welcoming party a secret from Donghae. I’m surprised you didn’t crack, Youngwoon.”
“Well, you should know that I myself am surprised over my willpower. When Donghae had questioned me, I was this close-” Youngwoon held up his thumb and forefinger for added emphasis. “-to just spilling all the details.”
Heechul rolled his eyes. “Amazingly enough, our darling Hyukjae almost beat you to it. He came bumbling into my office after his shift had ended the day before, babbling about how he almost spoiled the surprise for you, Donghae.”
Donghae spun in his seat to face Hyukjae, who had playfully covered his own face in embarrassment.
“I kept scolding myself for almost spoiling the surprise,” Hyukjae admitted.
Donghae merely laughed. “You guys are too much!”
“I want to ask, though,” Donghae soon spoke up, drawing the others’ attention. “Which of you locked me inside the washroom?”
Heechul promptly raised his hand, looking not the least bit apologetic for his actions. “Yeah, about that… How else were we going to keep you away from the bar for so long? It’s not like we could have asked you to face the wall and count to ten thousand or something.”
Han Geng made a face. “Heechul had actually suggested giving you a drink spiked with a crushed sleeping pill. Of course, I put my foot down and asked him to come up with something else.”
“Probably the first time Hankyung-hyung had disobeyed you, huh, Heechul-hyung?” Sungmin said craftily.
“Aw, come on!” Youngwoon soon joined in. “Hankyung-hyung has enough common sense to not follow our executive’s absurd ideas.”
Han Geng surveyed the rest with a perplexed expression, obviously uncertain on how to react to the pair’s teasing of his relationship with Heechul. On the other side, Heechul was wearing a nonchalant expression, though his marked silence gave away his discomfort.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The words that left Han Geng’s lips were of a foreign tongue; in response, Donghae crinkled his nose in confusion.
Sungmin laughed and patted Donghae’s shoulder comfortingly. “Anytime that Hankyung-hyung is cornered, his comprehension and ability in Hangeul magically decreases.”
“What? Sungmin-ah, what did you just say? I don’t understand you.” Han Geng’s clueless expression was so convincing that Donghae couldn’t hold in his laughter.
-
Sinking onto his suddenly heavenly bed, Donghae let out a long, drawn out sigh. Replaying in his head was his welcoming party, with the mere memory of it instantly bringing a smile to his thin lips. A warm feeling had taken over his body ever since, with his heart beating emphatically against his ribcage; it was full, sated and happy.
Even as he closed his eyes and drifted properly into slumber, the contented smile never left Donghae’s lips.
Maybe I won’t regret it after all.
-
A/N: I don't know about you, but this chapter feels a little...awkward. :/ I pretty much tried to give Hyukjae more character; as you can tell, I'm not very good at typing him out. D':
I'm so sorry for the late update, but assignments are cornering me and are intent on making me suffer. I'm not particularly fond of group work lol, and lucky me, I have like nine group assignments this semester. ;~;
Any feedback regarding the fic is welcome! For instance, more of *insertcharacter'snamehere*, more depth about the characters, whatever! I do take readers' suggestions seriously and may apply them to the chapters. ^^ I'm not exactly confident or comfortable with writing anything that doesn't have YeMin as the main pairing...lol. OTL
Comments are appreciated! (:
Pairing(s): Donghae-centric. Donghae/Eunhyuk; side!Han Geng/Heechul and Yesung/Sungmin
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Friendship, a fair bit of Angst
Disclaimer: Contrary to popular belief, no one owns them.
Warning: Mild language and mature themes.
Summary: Donghae knows that ‘getting smitten with a fair-skinned host and bumbling through many attempts of courting said host’ was definitely not part of his job scope as a valet, but he won’t relent in his pursuit; even if it meant going through abject mortification and more.
Previous Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2
It was Donghae’s seventh day of work, and his abundant enthusiasm had been dampened.
Despite having escaped the wrath of the rain yesterday, Donghae was still indirectly susceptible to its effects in school. A classmate seated in front of him during the first lecture had let out a violent sneeze; following the action were tiny, dangerous droplets suspending ominously in the still air. By the end of the second class, Donghae was beginning to show symptoms of a cold. He had sniffled endlessly and had brought the cuff of his hooded shirt repeatedly to his dripping nose.
Donghae groaned in irritation, having made to wipe his nose for the nth time. Short of stuffing tissues up his beleaguered nostrils (he had seriously considered doing so, but found the action too crass), Donghae simply titled his head back and hoped for gravity to do its part. Unfortunately, this meant that he paid far less attention to the ongoing lessons than usual. The minutes passed by with Donghae daydreaming and willing his cold to disappear.
During lunchtime, Donghae considered ringing Heechul up to inform him that he was too unwell to report for work. However, he soon realized that it would mean spending time alone back in his dormitory room, swathed in a thick comforter. That idea wasn’t very pleasing to Donghae, who rarely spent time alone in his dormitory room. The room seemed increasingly suffocating when it was only him, which in turn invoked a sense of longing towards his family, who was hundreds of kilometres away.
As such, Donghae decided that it was better to turn up for work, even if his cold had dampened his mood; for at the club, he could seek the company of his newfound friends. Friends who may not have reciprocated the same level of affection he harboured towards them, but Donghae considered them his friends all the same.
-
“Ah, Donghae!” Sungmin greeted when he spotted Donghae stowing away his backpack into his locker.
“Hey hyung,” Donghae responded, his diction made indistinct by his blocked nose. “Sorry, I just caught a cold,” he explained when Sungmin cast him an inquisitive look over his unintelligible words.
Sungmin scrunched his nose. “I hope that you didn’t catch it yesterday. Did Youngwoon-hyung escort you into the club too late?”
Donghae was heartened by Sungmin’s concern, but at the same time, he felt compelled to defend Youngwoon.
“No no, it’s not that. The person sitting in front of me in the lecture theatre this morning just sneezed without covering his nose. And lucky old me got affected.”
Sungmin nodded in understanding. “That has happened to me before. Once, when I was servicing a client, the man just sneezed into my face! Just like that! I had a cold that lasted for almost a whole week because of him.”
Donghae grimaced. At least he wasn’t subjected to a full-frontal assault of germs. “Well, that’s just gross, Sungmin-hyung.”
“I immediately threw away my mask after work and ordered a new one,” Sungmin said, shaking his head indignantly at the recollection. “Needless to say, the man was too embarrassed to ask for my services ever again.”
Donghae looked up from buttoning his vest. “You would think that the patrons would at least possess some manners. Sneezing directly into your face really isn’t a good indicator of class. So is not acknowledging my presence properly. Or Youngwoon-hyung’s and Hankyung-hyung’s.”
Donghae’s cheeks flushed at his somewhat childlike admission, but he had been longing to speak out his true feelings. Bringing the issue up in front of Youngwoon would have been unwise, judging from his evident bitterness days ago. And though Han Geng had never explicitly stated his feelings regarding the matter, Donghae had still managed to infer the older man’s views through his resigned tone. To raise the subject in front of the bartender would probably result in an ambiguous statement that gave nothing away about his actual outlook.
Sungmin smiled ruefully; he was obviously not surprised by Donghae’s admission. “It’s true that some clients can be downright crude, but the rest are decent enough.”
“However, I’ve never once encountered a true gentleman in my seven years of work. I don’t think it’ll change anytime soon.” Sungmin shut his locker door forcefully, before leaning his back against it.
“I’m sure that some repeat clients are nice,” Donghae chipped in cheerfully, as he tried to veer away from the progressively bleak tone of their conversation. “Familiarity usually brings about a connection, don’t you think?”
Donghae looked away from his locker, suddenly aware of the silence in the room.
“Sungmin-hyung?” Donghae said tentatively, watching concernedly as Sungmin rested an arm over his eyes. “Are you okay? Is something the matter?”
Tilting his head to the side, Sungmin removed his arm and shook his head mutedly.
“I’m fine, Donghae. Don’t worry about me.”
The flat tone in which Sungmin’s words was delivered in definitely didn’t fool Donghae, but he decided not to pursue the matter.
“I’ll be off to my post now,” Donghae said awkwardly after a prolonged moment of silence. “Take care, Sungmin-hyung.”
“Mmm,” Sungmin replied.
Shutting his locker door, Donghae stood uncomfortably about his position, rubbing his neck distractedly. Sungmin remained still, his posture unusually rigid. His brown, textured fringe fell over his mask, covering his eyes and cloaking them from Donghae’s view.
As Donghae headed towards the door, he cringed as he heard the muffled sobbing coming from the only other occupant of the locker room. It took every inch of Donghae’s willpower to not turn on his heels to approach and comfort Sungmin.
-
Donghae didn’t blame Sungmin at all for the increased drop in his mood; his blasted cold was the root of all evil, as far as Donghae was concerned.
Although Sungmin may have been the last of whom he had connected with in the past week, that didn’t stop Donghae from worrying about him. Sungmin had always seemed in control of his emotions and so confident; he was the one who did most of the teasing and could always think up of a comeback whenever Heechul or Youngwoon backed him into a corner. Definitely, Sungmin possessed an enviably keen mind.
Yet, just now, back in the locker room, was a facet of Sungmin that Donghae was unaccustomed to: vulnerability. If Sungmin’s emotions could be triggered by such a simple, almost innocuous conversation, Donghae pondered with a hint of sadness about the actual depth of the latter’s hardships. Had he been struggling all this while, trying to suppress his deep-rooted emotions? Did he feel as if no one would be receptive towards his vulnerabilities; that he would be perceived as weak for possessing such traits?
Donghae let out a short, dry laugh. Was it really acceptable for him to care so much about a group of people he had only known for a week? Wouldn’t it go to waste if none of them had the same intensity about him as he had with them? Joking around with each other was vastly different than being emotionally ready and accepting with each other.
Only time can tell. I don’t want to feel as if all of my affection has been misspent. Never again.
-
“Donghae,” Youngwoon spoke up. “Mind taking care of my post while I zip into the washroom for a bit?”
Turning to face Youngwoon from his valet stand, Donghae grinned and shook his head.
“Of course I don’t!” Donghae replied, albeit rather unintelligibly since his cold was still impairing his speech. “Just come back quickly, hyung!”
Youngwoon chuckled genially. He walked over to muss up Donghae’s hair playfully before turning on his heels and walked into the club’s premises.
-
Donghae brought up his right hand and glanced at the watch enclosed around his thin wrist. 10.34pm, it read.
It had been approximately 24 minutes since Youngwoon had disappeared into the club. Donghae couldn’t help but wonder what was causing the older man to take so long. As foolish as it sounds, Donghae was steadily growing lonely, unaccustomed to the lack of Youngwoon’s detectable presence. Even during the times where Youngwoon and Donghae were too busy to talk with each other, the knowledge that Donghae at least had Youngwoon to keep him company during most of his shift was enough to appease him.
He had considered stepping inside to chat with Hyukjae, but he soon ruled out that thought. Still fresh in his mind was the quizzically awkward conversation he had with Hyukjae the day before. Unwilling to increase the awkwardness between the both of them (Donghae knew that he would still continue to press on about Hyukjae’s jitteriness), Donghae decided to leave Hyukjae alone and let the matter dissipate on its own. He hoped that it wouldn’t take long; he had felt so comfortable talking to Hyukjae that he had actually felt annoyed with himself for spoiling their burgeoning rapport.
The club doors swung open, with the sound produced awakening Donghae from his thoughts. He turned to see Youngwoon, who was slightly red in the cheeks.
“Youngwoon-hyung, why did you take so long? What were you doing in there?” Donghae couldn’t suppress the somewhat whiny tone of his question; having an internal debate with your subconscious mind on whether to visit Hyukjae or not was a rather sad thing to do, Donghae felt.
To Donghae’s surprise, Youngwoon gave a little start. He remained silent, an anomaly in Youngwoon’s behaviour, leading Donghae to raise an eyebrow.
“What exactly were you doing in there, hyung?” Donghae’s curiosity was now piqued by Youngwoon’s twitchiness.
Youngwoon looked away briefly, wringing his fingers in obvious discomfort.
“Nothing majorly important,” Youngwoon finally said, when he turned back to face Donghae.
If it was humanly possible, Donghae’s eyebrows had risen above the confines of his mask and were now hovering midway his forehead; Donghae certainly didn’t believe Youngwoon, not one bit.
“Hmmm,” Donghae hummed simply. He couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly as he saw Youngwoon watching him nervously, his posture stiff as the latter wondered if his excuse was bought.
“A stomach ache is nothing to be embarrassed about, Youngwoon-hyung. Next time, I’d suggest you don’t gobble up your food,” Donghae said, grinning as Youngwoon visibly relaxed when he had finished his first sentence. “Sungmin-hyung was probably right in teasing you!”
“Hahaha…” Youngwoon laughed along awkwardly as Donghae burst into light chuckles.
-
Donghae’s shift had gone by rather uneventfully. Other than Youngwoon’s evasive behavior, there was nothing worth noting. Donghae didn’t get any tips today, nor did any of the clients acknowledge him. He decided that a good night’s sleep would be the best remedy for his day, which had been marred mostly by his condition.
Heading into the club, Donghae was about to approach the bar as was his daily practice, but he noted with a crestfallen expression that Han Geng wasn’t standing behind the bar counter. Not in the mood to wait for the older man to return, Donghae stalked listlessly to the locker room.
Once inside the shower room, Donghae titled his head, gladly facing the onslaught of rushing warm water spouting from the shower head. As he closed his eyes, he sighed inwardly as he remembered the day’s events.
What a way to mark my first week, huh? Donghae brought his arms to both his sides, as he rested his forehead against the tiled bathroom wall.
-
After he was done drowning his sorrows away with the warm shower, Donghae towelled his damp hair absently as he walked towards the door. Instinctively, he raised his right hand towards the door knob and gave it a tug.
A peculiar click greeted his actions. Donghae frowned.
He applied a little more force onto the door knob, but he soon heard the click again.
Now using both hands, Donghae squeezed the knob, jerking it up and down, and side to side.
It didn’t turn all the way around.
I’m stuck inside, Donghae thought morosely.
He walked closer to the door and slammed his fists onto it. The door shook slightly; the sound it made irritating Donghae even further.
“I can’t believe it!” Donghae exclaimed frustratedly, as he leaned his forehead against the door.
However, Donghae was never one to sit still. He turned on his heels and headed back to the showers. Grabbing a few squares of toilet paper, Donghae scrunched them up before stuffing them up his nostrils. Seeing as there’s no one else here, I might as well do this, Donghae shrugged.
Walking to the door, Donghae slumped against it; his bare back against the cold wood. Covering the top half of his face with his dampened towel, Donghae closed his eyes as he awaited his savior. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be all wrinkled when he was found; getting caught with tissues stuffed up one’s nose was already bad enough.
-
Donghae was slipping in and out of consciousness; the hard, cold tiles of the washroom hardly made it a comfortable place for sleeping, but Donghae was simply too exhausted to care.
His head lolled about randomly, with his mouth unconsciously half-open. Had Donghae possessed more clarity in his perception and thinking, he would have worried about being caught in such an embarrassing state; who on earth would consciously allow another person to inspect his molars in such great detail?
Donghae’s head jerked up in alarm when he heard that certain click of the doorknob. Finally, someone was opening the door for him!
All traces of drowsiness quickly evaporating, Donghae scrambled onto his feet and pulled the tissues out of his nostrils; the prospect of finally being freed from the confines of the washroom had invigorated him immensely.
He grinned tiredly at the door, staring expectantly as he giddily awaited the appearance of his savior. He thought through the various ways of conveying his appreciation; there was hugging, shouts of jubilant thankfulness, giving a little jig of gratitude…
All those thoughts soon fizzled out when he found Hyukjae’s nervous face staring back at him.
“Donghae?” Hyukjae questioned concernedly, his eyes searching Donghae’s face for any signs of illness. “Are you okay?”
“H-Hyukjae!” Donghae stammered back, his control over his own voice affected by the pure relief currently taking over him. “Oh, thank goodness you found me! I thought I was going to have to camp inside here for the whole day!”
Baring his gums in a comforting smile, Hyukjae chuckled softly at Donghae’s overly dramatised delivery. “Heechul-hyung must have locked the door by mistake. On his behalf, I'm very sorry.”
Donghae smiled back, before shaking his head. “No need to! It must have been just an honest mistake or something, so no worries!”
More than anything, Donghae was relieved that he was able to talk to Hyukjae again; their little misunderstanding seemingly forgotten.
Again, Hyukjae smiled, but this time, Donghae noted that the former’s smile was a little withdrawn. His cheeks were also lightly flushed, leading Donghae to wonder about the cause of Hyukjae’s discomfort. Had he fallen ill as well?
“Donghae,” Hyukjae finally spoke up, with his hands tugging awkwardly at the ends of his shirt sleeves. “Aren’t you cold?”
“Cold?” Donghae repeated quizzically. “Well, yeah, I suppose I am-“
And then the realization finally hit him; that he was practically bare in front of Hyukjae, save for his lightly faded Superman boxers.
Putting his lightning-quick reflexes to good use for the second time that week, Donghae pulled his towel hastily off his head and covered the offending lower half of his body. Hyukjae said nothing throughout Donghae’s actions, preferring to stay silent as he stared past Donghae’s head and studied the inside of the washroom with forced fascination.
“I’ll- I’ll just go get dressed now…” Donghae said mutedly, walking towards his locker after Hyukjae nodded in response.
Donghae slipped into his jeans slowly, all too aware of the only other occupant in the locker room. In a perverse admission, Donghae wondered whether Hyukjae was watching him change. It was unlike the time with Heechul yet somehow similar; with both of them, Donghae felt highly awkward and self-conscious. However, now, he didn’t mind if Hyukjae was watching. In fact, he would even be slightly disappointed if the other hadn’t. Donghae sported a slight, albeit uneven tan and he wondered if it was noticeable even under the harsh lighting of the room.
What am I thinking? Donghae shook his head furiously, trying to rid himself of his baffling thoughts. Why on earth would I expect Hyukjae to be watching me change?
As soon as Donghae pulled his hands through his shirt sleeves, he looked up and flashed Hyukjae a shy smile, indicating that he was ready to go. Hyukjae straightened his back, pulling away from the locker he had been leaning against.
“You didn’t have to wait for me, you know,” Donghae told Hyukjae, as they walked along the hallway outside the locker room.
Hyukjae turned to Donghae, biting the inside of his cheeks as if he was preoccupied with something. Donghae stopped in his tracks, and tilted his head curiously.
“What’s wrong, Hyukjae?”
“C-could you just…” Hyukjae started, looking at Donghae with an earnest expression. “-come with me for a while?”
“Eh? Sure, but where to?” Donghae replied. How could he say no to such an expression?
Hyukjae remained motionless, before seizing Donghae’s left hand impulsively. Tugging at it hesitantly at first, his actions grew stronger as Donghae didn’t get the hint to follow him. Instead, Donghae was staring at Hyukjae’s hand over his.
“Come with me, Donghae,” Hyukjae repeated, giving Donghae’s hand another pointed pull.
Donghae nodded meekly, reading the faint creases on Hyukjae’s forehead as slight exasperation. He trailed behind obediently as Hyukjae led him through the club.
Moments later, their surroundings were pitch-black, causing Donghae to increase his grip on Hyukjae’s hand. He didn’t want to wander off aimlessly without the other; what if he got lost? Hyukjae tightened his hold on Donghae’s hand, sensing the other’s nerviness through the sudden increase of pressure on his own hand.
“We’re almost there, just a few more steps.” Donghae could hear Hyukjae’s voice, but he couldn’t detect its owner’s presence.
“Alright! We’re here!” Hyukjae said, letting go of Donghae’s hand.
Donghae instantly turned towards the direction of Hyukjae’s hand, panicking over the loss. “What’s here-“
He paused when the lights started to flicker back into life all at once; the sudden burst of illumination startling him and he instinctively raised his hand to shield his face.
“Surprise!” A chorus of hearty voices called out.
Donghae, who had clamped his eyes shut, peeked tentatively from under his hand. The environment had changed from stark darkness to a flurrying blur of colours; Donghae had to blink several times to acclimatise.
Slowly removing his hand, Donghae soon came face to face with an unrecognisable sight. The entire bar area had been done up with decorations; crepe streamers were hung along the top cabinets and plenty of multicoloured balloons were hovering within the enclosed space.
However, it wasn’t the decorations that had left Donghae speechless. Gathered before the bar counter, were his co-workers, most of them whom Donghae hadn’t talked to much, other than exchanging names and friendly greetings. Amongst the crowd, he could spot the familiar faces of Youngwoon, Heechul, Han Geng, Hyukjae and Sungmin, all five of them beaming back at him.
Heechul walked forward and patted Donghae on the shoulder. Flashing a warm smile, he said, “Happy first week at Guilty Pleasures, kid. Don’t think that we had forgotten.”
Donghae was stunned. All of this just to celebrate his first week at the club?
“I-I don’t deserve this,” Donghae mumbled, looking away shyly from the crowd and from Heechul.
“Nonsense,” Heechul said simply. “With this party, you’re officially one of us. Better come to terms with it now, Donghae, for you won’t get VIP treatment like this again anytime soon.” A side of his lips quirked playfully, his last sentence obviously possessing no malicious intent.
Heechul gave Donghae’s shoulder one last pat, before taking a step back. The crowd behind him soon congregated onto Donghae, offering congratulations and welcoming words of encouragement. “Happy first week, Donghae!” and “Hope you’ll stay here long!”; those statements were two of many that were directed to him. He was completely overwhelmed by his co-worker’s receptiveness, that he could do little other than acknowledge everyone’s warm wishes with a slight tilt of his head.
Donghae gripped his fists tightly when he detected the familiar feeling of his eyes moistening. Not wanting to ruin the spirited mood in any way, he blinked back his tears, bringing his trembling lips into a bright grin.
-
Donghae dropped onto his familiar barstool, completely exhausted from the day’s events. He had spent the past hour mingling with his colleagues and taking sips of Han Geng’s specially made cocktails. Possessing absolutely zero alcoholic content, the cocktails were brightly coloured and refreshing, reflecting the mood of the party perfectly.
Han Geng leaned forward from behind his counter, his eyes sparkling brightly as he surveyed Donghae with an affectionate countenance.
“Is the party up to your expectations?” Han Geng queried. “We barely had enough time to decorate the area and prepare the drinks so it may not be satisfactory.”
Despite his weariness, Donghae lifted his head and shot Han Geng an incredulous expression. “Are you crazy? I had no expectations whatsoever so this party definitely surpassed them.”
“Good, because I’m never scrambling like a maniac to put up all those streamers ever again,” a new voice joined their conversation, as Heechul sidled up to Donghae’s left.
“Hey hey, you weren’t the one who was blowing all those balloons!” Youngwoon said, appearing at Donghae’s right. “Couldn’t we have just bought a helium tank or something?”
The pair was soon joined by another, Sungmin and Hyukjae, who gathered behind Donghae.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Youngwoon-hyung,” Sungmin chirped, slinging an arm around Donghae’s shoulder. “Considering how you’re so full of hot air, that task was definitely suited for you.”
The rest laughed over Sungmin’s ribbing, with Donghae being especially loud; he was pleased that Sungmin could put behind his distress which had been brought about by their conversation much earlier.
“Now now,” Heechul’s loud voice soon punctured the laughter. “Let’s give Youngwoon a break. It was hard on him to keep this welcoming party a secret from Donghae. I’m surprised you didn’t crack, Youngwoon.”
“Well, you should know that I myself am surprised over my willpower. When Donghae had questioned me, I was this close-” Youngwoon held up his thumb and forefinger for added emphasis. “-to just spilling all the details.”
Heechul rolled his eyes. “Amazingly enough, our darling Hyukjae almost beat you to it. He came bumbling into my office after his shift had ended the day before, babbling about how he almost spoiled the surprise for you, Donghae.”
Donghae spun in his seat to face Hyukjae, who had playfully covered his own face in embarrassment.
“I kept scolding myself for almost spoiling the surprise,” Hyukjae admitted.
Donghae merely laughed. “You guys are too much!”
“I want to ask, though,” Donghae soon spoke up, drawing the others’ attention. “Which of you locked me inside the washroom?”
Heechul promptly raised his hand, looking not the least bit apologetic for his actions. “Yeah, about that… How else were we going to keep you away from the bar for so long? It’s not like we could have asked you to face the wall and count to ten thousand or something.”
Han Geng made a face. “Heechul had actually suggested giving you a drink spiked with a crushed sleeping pill. Of course, I put my foot down and asked him to come up with something else.”
“Probably the first time Hankyung-hyung had disobeyed you, huh, Heechul-hyung?” Sungmin said craftily.
“Aw, come on!” Youngwoon soon joined in. “Hankyung-hyung has enough common sense to not follow our executive’s absurd ideas.”
Han Geng surveyed the rest with a perplexed expression, obviously uncertain on how to react to the pair’s teasing of his relationship with Heechul. On the other side, Heechul was wearing a nonchalant expression, though his marked silence gave away his discomfort.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The words that left Han Geng’s lips were of a foreign tongue; in response, Donghae crinkled his nose in confusion.
Sungmin laughed and patted Donghae’s shoulder comfortingly. “Anytime that Hankyung-hyung is cornered, his comprehension and ability in Hangeul magically decreases.”
“What? Sungmin-ah, what did you just say? I don’t understand you.” Han Geng’s clueless expression was so convincing that Donghae couldn’t hold in his laughter.
-
Sinking onto his suddenly heavenly bed, Donghae let out a long, drawn out sigh. Replaying in his head was his welcoming party, with the mere memory of it instantly bringing a smile to his thin lips. A warm feeling had taken over his body ever since, with his heart beating emphatically against his ribcage; it was full, sated and happy.
Even as he closed his eyes and drifted properly into slumber, the contented smile never left Donghae’s lips.
Maybe I won’t regret it after all.
-
A/N: I don't know about you, but this chapter feels a little...awkward. :/ I pretty much tried to give Hyukjae more character; as you can tell, I'm not very good at typing him out. D':
I'm so sorry for the late update, but assignments are cornering me and are intent on making me suffer. I'm not particularly fond of group work lol, and lucky me, I have like nine group assignments this semester. ;~;
Any feedback regarding the fic is welcome! For instance, more of *insertcharacter'snamehere*, more depth about the characters, whatever! I do take readers' suggestions seriously and may apply them to the chapters. ^^ I'm not exactly confident or comfortable with writing anything that doesn't have YeMin as the main pairing...lol. OTL
Comments are appreciated! (: