How Not to Impress A Host [Chapter 5]
Title: How Not to Impress a Host [Chapter 5]
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.
Notes: Uhm. Chapter 4 had to be divided into two, so this is mainly a friendship!YeHae chapter, with bits of HaeHyuk.
Previous Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4
Draped across a standard-sized study table in a spartanly furnished yet cluttered single dormitory room was a sleeping Donghae. Multiple scribbled notes and diagrams were scattered all over the desk, forgotten by their currently unconscious owner, their edges fluttering softly in the wake of his gentle snoring.
A sharp, sudden sound filled the air, breaking the silence of the room. It was soon followed by an indistinct murmur of a buzzing electronic device, Donghae’s mobile phone, as it vibrated about in its position on the untidy desk, indicative of a new message.
“Not yet, umma...” Donghae mumbled, smacking his lips unknowingly as a slight trail of drool continued to dribble down his chin. “Ten more minutes...”
Yet the phone persisted in its temporary annoyance, buzzing and buzzing until it knew that its incoming message had indeed been read. Donghae drowsily raised his head, casting his gaze around for the source of his sleep disturbance and frowned at the perpetrator, which went about ringing almost innocently. Swiping his fingers against his moist lips to wipe away his drool, Donghae then reached out for the phone, hastily thumbing at its buttons, too eager to make it shut up.
From: Hyukjae
Hi Donghae! You must be studying for your common test too, huh? Well, all the best to the both of us!
“Hyukjae?” Donghae said aloud, blinking in rapid succession. His still numb fingers fumbled against the phone’s keypads as he sluggishly typed back a suitable reply; one that convincingly said “I totally wasn’t sleeping when I got your message.”
To: Hyukjae
Hi Hyukjae! I’ve been studying since 8pm. It’s History and Theory of Architecture, so I’ve got a lot to cram into my brain. Good luck to you too! Let’s go go go!
Sounds good enough, Donghae told himself, as he read through his message one last time to proofread for any errors.
As soon his message was sent, Donghae let the phone slip out of his slackened grip and he slumped into his chair, fatigue overtaking his fleeting happiness over Hyukjae’s text message.
-
“What’s this?” Donghae stared at the numbers printed in neat, albeit slightly slanting script on a hastily torn out scrap of notepad paper.
Hyukjae surveyed Donghae with a perplexed countenance, his plump lips pursed in disbelief. “What do you mean ‘what’s this’? It’s my phone number, of course!”
Instantly, Donghae peered at the paper again, and promptly felt a surge of embarrassment, for what else it could it have been; a food delivery number?
Adjusting his mask back in place, Hyukjae leaned forward from behind his booth and promptly smacked Donghae’s temple lightly with his rolled up worksheets.
“It’s for you to contact me, so we can leave together after work,” Hyukjae explained, his previously puzzled expression slowly melting into one of mild fondness. “It’s nice having someone to walk to the station with.”
Massaging his temple in mock hurt, Donghae then stooped forward, teasing Hyukjae with a raised brow. “Well, I’m glad to know that I’m good for keeping you guard at night.”
Hyukjae remained motionless for a moment, having not picked up Donghae’s playful jibe. After Donghae gave him a pointed look, only did he react, his mouth falling open in shock.
“Oh no!” He immediately cried out. “I-I didn’t mean it that way, Donghae!”
“I know you didn’t.” Donghae’s face split into a wide grin, effectively appeasing Hyukjae’s unease.
“Ow- Hey! Hey!”
Jovial laughter and reverberating smacks filled the air as a flustered Hyukjae went back to swatting Donghae with his worksheets, this time with increased power and frequency. His hands acting as a feeble defence against Hyukjae’s torrent of whacks, Donghae didn’t bother to dodge as he bravely stood his ground. With each smack, Hyukjae grew more flustered and Donghae would be lying if he said that he wasn’t holding back his chuckles at the former’s childish reaction.
-
Luckily for Donghae, he possessed the foresight to take leave from work today, out of all days, to study for his common test. This particular test was of History and Theory of Architecture, requiring much memorisation, rote or otherwise, something that Donghae definitely didn’t excel in.
Sure, he had floor plans to tide him over the drier, content-based aspects, but all in all, the module was a challenging one. Once he was allowed to flip through the test paper, Donghae quickly scanned through the questions, hurriedly scribbling down whatever relevant information came to mind to the respective questions posed.
Never one who could finish any essay or content-based papers on time, Donghae scrawled in his last sentence desperately when his lecturer declared that time was up.
Immensely relieved to see the last of the dreaded paper (the last of it for two weeks, at least), Donghae’s head drooped and he let out a deep groan.
His bed was calling him, and never had he been so eager to answer its calls.
-
Donghae felt weird, being in his dormitory room at 8pm, instead of the usual 3am.
All of a sudden, he had to get back to being accustomed to the faint, echoing music from the room above his or the odd thundering of footsteps along the hallway outside, of students not minding about their peers as they hurried excitedly to the night-time entertainment area of their choice.
Seeking no pleasure in partying the night away, Donghae had always cooped up in his room alone. He had friends on the campus of course, but those friends knew not to invite him to their drunken soirees for Donghae would inevitably reject their invitations.
Sinking exhaustedly into his bed, not even bothering with a shower, Donghae simply grabbed his pillow and rested it over his eyes. A day had gone by, without any contact with his co-workers from Guilty Pleasures, save that particular text message from Hyukjae, yet Donghae hadn’t felt a pang of loneliness, not even a passing twinge.
Because even though he was missing the company of his co-workers, Donghae knew that he would still be able to meet them tomorrow; Donghae found comfort in this certainty.
-
The next day, Donghae headed over to the club with almost a spring in his step. It was mostly attributed to his relief in having his common test over and done with. Had there been more passersby along the streets, Donghae would have felt a little more self-conscious. However, it was only half past seven in the evening and hence, the revellers normally associated with the district were nowhere to be seen as of yet.
Once he was done changing into his work clothes, Donghae walked back towards the entrance and pushed open the club doors. Youngwoon’s back soon came into his vision, the older man standing casually on the sidewalk, his hands behind his back as he appeared to be surveying the environment.
“Youngwoon-hyung!” Donghae shouted a little too loudly. It could have been attributed to his unrepressed happiness over finally seeing one of his close co-workers, but it wasn’t a good enough reason for Youngwoon, who had jumped a dozen centimetres into the air in response.
The next thing he realised, Donghae’s head was snugly wedged between Youngwoon’s brawny arms, as the pair of limbs held his head in a playful (this level of strength was considered playful to only Youngwoon, of course) grip.
“YOUNGWOON-HYUNGGG!” Donghae was practically gasping out, his hands instantly wrapping around Youngwoon’s arms and tugging at them to indicate the need for merciful release.
Slowly but surely, the grip slackened and Donghae was again left breathing for air in another of his encounters with Youngwoon. The other man looked appropriately apologetic but said nothing, as he awkwardly patted Donghae’s bent back.
“Sorry kid,” Youngwoon mumbled sheepishly. “I couldn’t help it. It was pretty much out of instinct.”
“S’okay, hyung,” Donghae managed to choke out, waving both his hands about in assurance.
From the corner of his eye, Donghae noticed a faint yellow glow, one that could only have come from the headlight of a car. Immediately, he straightened his back, having picked up the sign that a potential client was driving in, and ran to his valet stand. Likewise, Youngwoon marched back to his post next to the club’s doors, regaining his usual professional stance. From an outsider’s point of view, their actions would have seemed almost automatic, comical even.
The black car pulled into a stop directly beside the valet stand, and a few seconds later, a man completely unfamiliar to Donghae stepped out. After closing the door with a soft click, the man remained still for a moment, his eyes narrowed in slight bemusement, as if the environment was utterly alien to him. He began struggling with his overfilled briefcase, fumbling with the straps, all the while unaware that two pairs of eyes were closely watching his every move. Clad in a formal, fitted two-piece suit, the man sighed wearily as he gave up on his briefcase, shifting it to his side as he started adjusting the mild crinkles on his suit with his unhindered right hand.
Donghae shot a quick glance at Youngwoon, who only shrugged in response. Deciding to take the initiative in this case, Donghae stepped aside from his valet stand and began approaching the man.
“Sir?” Donghae called out tentatively as he walked over to the car, keeping a respectable distance between the client and him. “May I help you sir?”
The man spun around lightly on his heels, to the direction of Donghae’s voice, and his expression lifted just a touch. He wrested his car key from his pant pocket and offered it to Donghae. However, Donghae could sense that the man continued to look sceptical, so he didn’t make a move to take it.
“Is this the standard procedure?” The man asked politely, though a hint of confusion clouded his tone. “This may be my second time visiting the club, but it’s my first time driving here.”
Donghae blinked at the man’s forthrightness. “Y-yes sir. I am the valet for this club and hence, I need to be collecting your key. To park your car in the club’s private carpark.”
“Alright, I get it,” the man said, before releasing his keys into Donghae’s open palm. Smoothening the wrinkles on his suit once again, he then unexpectedly posed another question to Donghae.
“Are you new here? I’m pretty sure I didn’t see you the day before.” The man’s eyes focused on Donghae’s face, narrowing as he took in Donghae’s features.
Needless to say, Donghae was taken aback; he was certain that no client had uttered so many words to him before, much less asked him a question!
“No sir. Actually, I’ve been working here for a little over a month!” Donghae shared, feeling encouraged as the man seemed to be genuinely listening to him. “It’s just that I had a common test yesterday so I took leave from work to study for it. It’s a very challenging module so I thought it would be good if I had extra time to study-“
Donghae broke off awkwardly; here he was rambling to a client who had only asked a simple question. “I’m so sorry, sir! I got carried away in my explanation.”
“No need to apologise.” The man flashed a small smile, after a few light chuckles had escaped from his lips. “I don’t mind talking more with you, but-“ He raised his left hand and peered at the wristwatch wrapped around his wrist. “In five minutes, I need to start discussing a case with my client.”
A scowl crossed the man’s features as he uttered the last word. Then, seeming to realise where he currently was, the man sighed once again.
“Please don’t mind the mess on the passenger seat; I’ll get around to clearing it sooner or later.”
And with another hasty glance at his wristwatch, the man strode purposefully towards the club, past Youngwoon who regarded the former with a quirked eyebrow.
“Strange guy,” Youngwoon commented lightly, once the man had disappeared into the premises.
“Isn’t everyone, though?” Donghae said.
Sliding the car key into the lock, Donghae opened the door and climbed into the driver’s seat. The passenger seat was indeed as cluttered as the man had said earlier; a couple of important-looking documents spilling out from their Manila folders, a few ordinary-looking envelops, and even an empty takeaway coffee cup were observed from the mess.
He must be a really busy man, Donghae thought. He was about to start the engine when something else in the car’s interior had caught his eye.
From the rear view mirror, Donghae spotted a photo frame, which was placed at the corner. He could distinguish four people in the photo after squinting, and immediately, a soft smile started to play on his lips.
-
Two hours later, the man was quietly waiting outside next to the valet stand, his foot tapping a steady beat. It was certainly refreshing to have a patron who wasn’t leaning against the stand for support, balance being elusive in his inebriated state. In most other cases, the patron would have his arms crossed about his chest, looking around impatiently, seemingly nervous about being seen at such premises.
Donghae stepped out of the car and bounded over to the man, presenting the car and its key to him. As he did so, his eyes scanned the man’s features briefly. Still very much sober, the man’s clothes were lightly crumpled, but presentable. There was nothing out of the ordinary about him, as if he has simply stepped in and out of the club just for official business. This ordinariness, however, only served to depict him in an even more endearing light to Donghae.
“Thank you,” the man said, as he cast Donghae an appreciative smile. He took his key from Donghae’s upturned palm and replaced it with a twenty thousand won note, which was slightly crinkled around the edges. Donghae quickly acknowledged the tip with a respectful bob of his head.
“Did you have a good time, sir?” Donghae asked cordially, after folding the note and sliding it into the back pocket of his pants.
The man seemed to be contemplating his answer, as his gaze was distant. After a moment, he shrugged lightly and said, “My client was just as distasteful as he was the day before, but Sungmin’s company was enough to ward off the unpleasant mood that my client had created earlier.”
“You know of Sungmin-hyung’s name?” Without thinking, Donghae said the first thought that had came into his mind. He soon realised how asinine his outburst had sounded, judging by the befuddled frown on the other man’s face.
“I mean, the clients would only know of Sungmin-hyung’s code name, No. 7,” Donghae started to explain. “So, sir, how would you have known of his name...”
The man’s eyes widened in comprehension, and he picked off where Donghae’s voice had trailed off. “Well, I didn’t like addressing him by his code name, so I asked for his real name.”
He broke off suddenly, shooting Donghae an alarmed look. “Did I make Sungmin break any of your club’s rules by asking for his name?”
“I’m not exactly sure, but I don’t think it’s exactly encouraged,” Donghae admitted doubftully; Heechul, or even the rest of his co-workers, had never mentioned about disclosing one’s real name to a client. After all of the measures implemented to ensure the employees’ confidentiality, certainly it was understood that withholding personal information was a serious matter.
The man continued to look concerned, the pace of his tapping increasing as he began chewing on his lower lip.
“I’ll have to apologise to Sungmin...” The man seemed to be talking to himself aloud, instead of talking with Donghae. “Listen, do you mind if you pass my apology to him? I’m in a bit of a rush to get home, so could I bother you in helping me?”
“No problem, sir!” Donghae answered in the affirmative. “I’ll help pass your apology to Sungmin-hyung.”
The anxious creases on the man’s forehead slowly evened out. “Thank you.”
“You seem to be thanking me pretty often tonight, sir.” Donghae felt that the situation seemed to need a playful tone injected into it, and he was gratified when his attempt was rewarded with a hearty chuckle from the other man.
“You’re quite right there.”
However, the man’s expression soon became conflicted yet again.
“I suppose this would be a bad time to ask for your name as well?”
-
It was only a week later that Donghae saw the man at the premises once again.
“I’m Kim Jongwoon. Thank you again for the service, Donghae,” was what the man said after Donghae had given him his name.
Stepping out of his vehicle, Jongwoon glanced around the environment briefly and his eyes soon landed on Donghae. Meeting Jongwoon’s gaze, Donghae smiled warmly and he garnered a similarly friendly smile in return.
“Good evening, Jongwoon-sshi!” Donghae greeted as Jongwoon approached the valet stand, his key enclosed in one hand and his briefcase clutched in the other.
“Good evening, Donghae,” Jongwoon replied, as he handed over his key.
“Do you have business here again with your client today, Jongwoon-sshi?” Donghae attempted to engage in small talk with Jongwoon, who looked significantly less frazzled and anxious than he had been a week ago.
“Not exactly,” Jongwoon said. “My partner’s now in charge of that particular client’s case. And now, I am suddenly facing a reprieve after clocking in many late nights at my office. So, I decided to drop by here to unwind.”
“I-is Sungmin here?” He then questioned, his gaze suddenly dropping to the floor.
Donghae nodded. “I was talking to him in the locker room before our shift had started. Oh, and Jongwoon-sshi, he accepted your apology but he said that you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“That’s great to hear,” Jongwoon commented, but he seemed awfully twitchy all of a sudden.
“I’ll see you in an hour or so, Donghae.” Jongwoon had finally calmed his nerves and shook his fringe away from his eyes.
-
During his break, Donghae decided to pay Hyukjae a visit at his receptionist booth. Looking up from his booth, probably from his homework, Hyukjae grinned at Donghae’s nearing figure.
“How are your assignments coming along, Hyukjae?”
Hyukjae instantly made a face, before shrugging playfully. “Taking up all my free time as always; the usual, you know? What about you?”
Donghae laughed; he could easily relate with that feeling. “Yeah, it’s the same for me as well.”
From his position, leaning over the booth, Donghae spotted a well-maintained book with various names and timings written in Hyukjae’s neat, slanting script. A question quickly came into his mind.
“Is there a ‘Kim Jongwoon’ listed on tonight’s records?” Donghae asked tentatively. He wasn’t really expecting a direct answer because he wasn’t sure if he was even allowed access to such information or if Hyukjae could share it in the first place.
“You mean Kim-seonsaengnim?” Hyukjae answered, curiosity blighting his even tone. “Is he your friend, Donghae?”
“Well...we’ve exchanged names. Does that make us friends?” Donghae said in jest. He laughed again as he watched Hyukjae roll his eyes in response.
“Did Jongwoon-sshi ask for Sungmin-hyung’s services?” Donghae’s next question quickly sobered up Hyukjae, with the latter’s expression turning staid.
“He did,” Hyukjae said. “He should be in one of the private parlours with Sungmin-hyung right now.”
Donghae said nothing in reply, as he was too busy paying close attention to Hyukjae’s expression. The latter’s eyebrows were creased and his lips were slightly parted; he seemed as if he was more to say, but was hesitant to air his views.
“Kim-seonsaengnim... He’s a peculiar man. Is it wrong of me to think that?”
“Not really. Youngwoon-hyung said the same of him. Only that he was less tactful and described Jongwoon-sshi as a ‘strange guy’. For me, I think Jongwoon-sshi’s the weirdest yet the most ordinary patron I’ve ever met.”
“He’s not really like the rest of the clients.” Hyukjae pressed on, relieved that he wasn’t alone in his thinking. “He was sitting here, waiting for his appointment with Sungmin-hyung, when Sungmin-hyung himself turned up in the waiting room and suggested to Kim-seongsangnim that it would better for him to pass the time at the bar. He followed Sungmin-hyung’s idea unquestioningly.”
Despite Hyukjae’s tone, Donghae couldn’t help but smile at this excerpt of information. “Hankyung-hyung must have been really pleased to have a new patron to talk to.”
-
Jongwoon emerged from the club last night just as he was the week before: sober and presentable. A light drizzle had started, so Jongwoon had to wait under the awning of the club, barely a few metres away from the road.
Donghae parked the car directly in front of the awning and promptly got out, running to avoid the drizzle and to retrieve an umbrella so he could escort Jongwoon to his car. The older man stood silently, with his briefcase held firmly to his chest. Opening the umbrella, Donghae then beckoned over to Jongwoon, indicating that he would shelter Jongwoon from the rain.
“Here, Jongwoon-sshi, take my hand,” Donghae said, holding out his left hand.
Jongwoon remained quiet as his eyes strayed across to the road, before refocusing on Donghae and his umbrella. Slowly, he reached out and clenched Donghae’s forearm tightly. Donghae stared at Jongwoon’s hand and then at Jongwoon; after having seen the expression in the latter’s eyes, Donghae’s throat suddenly felt uncomfortably dry and rough.
Jongwoon’s eyes were clear and sharp, very much unlike cloudy, unfocused eyes of past drunken clients. However, his eyes had a confusing element; fear. As if he was distressing and wary over something.
“Will you be alright, Jongwoon-sshi?” Donghae couldn’t help but ask. He bent down to survey Jongwoon, who was finally in the comfort of his own car.
Taking a deep breath, Jongwoon shook his head lightly and he turned his gaze from his steering wheel to Donghae.
“I will be,” Jongwoon mumbled. “Thank you, Donghae.”
Extracting his wallet from his pant pocket, Jongwoon took out a twenty thousand won note, which Donghae accepted wordlessly.
Giving the hood of Jongwoon’s car one last tap as greeting, Donghae took a step back as the older man started his engine.
As the car disappeared into the night, as a blur into the distance, Donghae’s eyes glazed over, as he tried to process the night’s proceedings. Nothing but confusion clouded his thoughts.
The longer I stay here, the more involved I get in this club, it seems, Donghae sighed.
-
A/N: I apologise for sounding like a broken record, but unexpected stuff happened which I have to take care of. Hence, I only managed to post this chapter now, instead of closer to the previous one. Again, I'm sorry for the pace, but everything in this story has its signifance; that's my lame excuse.
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.
Notes: Uhm. Chapter 4 had to be divided into two, so this is mainly a friendship!YeHae chapter, with bits of HaeHyuk.
Previous Chapters: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4
Draped across a standard-sized study table in a spartanly furnished yet cluttered single dormitory room was a sleeping Donghae. Multiple scribbled notes and diagrams were scattered all over the desk, forgotten by their currently unconscious owner, their edges fluttering softly in the wake of his gentle snoring.
A sharp, sudden sound filled the air, breaking the silence of the room. It was soon followed by an indistinct murmur of a buzzing electronic device, Donghae’s mobile phone, as it vibrated about in its position on the untidy desk, indicative of a new message.
“Not yet, umma...” Donghae mumbled, smacking his lips unknowingly as a slight trail of drool continued to dribble down his chin. “Ten more minutes...”
Yet the phone persisted in its temporary annoyance, buzzing and buzzing until it knew that its incoming message had indeed been read. Donghae drowsily raised his head, casting his gaze around for the source of his sleep disturbance and frowned at the perpetrator, which went about ringing almost innocently. Swiping his fingers against his moist lips to wipe away his drool, Donghae then reached out for the phone, hastily thumbing at its buttons, too eager to make it shut up.
From: Hyukjae
Hi Donghae! You must be studying for your common test too, huh? Well, all the best to the both of us!
“Hyukjae?” Donghae said aloud, blinking in rapid succession. His still numb fingers fumbled against the phone’s keypads as he sluggishly typed back a suitable reply; one that convincingly said “I totally wasn’t sleeping when I got your message.”
To: Hyukjae
Hi Hyukjae! I’ve been studying since 8pm. It’s History and Theory of Architecture, so I’ve got a lot to cram into my brain. Good luck to you too! Let’s go go go!
Sounds good enough, Donghae told himself, as he read through his message one last time to proofread for any errors.
As soon his message was sent, Donghae let the phone slip out of his slackened grip and he slumped into his chair, fatigue overtaking his fleeting happiness over Hyukjae’s text message.
-
“What’s this?” Donghae stared at the numbers printed in neat, albeit slightly slanting script on a hastily torn out scrap of notepad paper.
Hyukjae surveyed Donghae with a perplexed countenance, his plump lips pursed in disbelief. “What do you mean ‘what’s this’? It’s my phone number, of course!”
Instantly, Donghae peered at the paper again, and promptly felt a surge of embarrassment, for what else it could it have been; a food delivery number?
Adjusting his mask back in place, Hyukjae leaned forward from behind his booth and promptly smacked Donghae’s temple lightly with his rolled up worksheets.
“It’s for you to contact me, so we can leave together after work,” Hyukjae explained, his previously puzzled expression slowly melting into one of mild fondness. “It’s nice having someone to walk to the station with.”
Massaging his temple in mock hurt, Donghae then stooped forward, teasing Hyukjae with a raised brow. “Well, I’m glad to know that I’m good for keeping you guard at night.”
Hyukjae remained motionless for a moment, having not picked up Donghae’s playful jibe. After Donghae gave him a pointed look, only did he react, his mouth falling open in shock.
“Oh no!” He immediately cried out. “I-I didn’t mean it that way, Donghae!”
“I know you didn’t.” Donghae’s face split into a wide grin, effectively appeasing Hyukjae’s unease.
“Ow- Hey! Hey!”
Jovial laughter and reverberating smacks filled the air as a flustered Hyukjae went back to swatting Donghae with his worksheets, this time with increased power and frequency. His hands acting as a feeble defence against Hyukjae’s torrent of whacks, Donghae didn’t bother to dodge as he bravely stood his ground. With each smack, Hyukjae grew more flustered and Donghae would be lying if he said that he wasn’t holding back his chuckles at the former’s childish reaction.
-
Luckily for Donghae, he possessed the foresight to take leave from work today, out of all days, to study for his common test. This particular test was of History and Theory of Architecture, requiring much memorisation, rote or otherwise, something that Donghae definitely didn’t excel in.
Sure, he had floor plans to tide him over the drier, content-based aspects, but all in all, the module was a challenging one. Once he was allowed to flip through the test paper, Donghae quickly scanned through the questions, hurriedly scribbling down whatever relevant information came to mind to the respective questions posed.
Never one who could finish any essay or content-based papers on time, Donghae scrawled in his last sentence desperately when his lecturer declared that time was up.
Immensely relieved to see the last of the dreaded paper (the last of it for two weeks, at least), Donghae’s head drooped and he let out a deep groan.
His bed was calling him, and never had he been so eager to answer its calls.
-
Donghae felt weird, being in his dormitory room at 8pm, instead of the usual 3am.
All of a sudden, he had to get back to being accustomed to the faint, echoing music from the room above his or the odd thundering of footsteps along the hallway outside, of students not minding about their peers as they hurried excitedly to the night-time entertainment area of their choice.
Seeking no pleasure in partying the night away, Donghae had always cooped up in his room alone. He had friends on the campus of course, but those friends knew not to invite him to their drunken soirees for Donghae would inevitably reject their invitations.
Sinking exhaustedly into his bed, not even bothering with a shower, Donghae simply grabbed his pillow and rested it over his eyes. A day had gone by, without any contact with his co-workers from Guilty Pleasures, save that particular text message from Hyukjae, yet Donghae hadn’t felt a pang of loneliness, not even a passing twinge.
Because even though he was missing the company of his co-workers, Donghae knew that he would still be able to meet them tomorrow; Donghae found comfort in this certainty.
-
The next day, Donghae headed over to the club with almost a spring in his step. It was mostly attributed to his relief in having his common test over and done with. Had there been more passersby along the streets, Donghae would have felt a little more self-conscious. However, it was only half past seven in the evening and hence, the revellers normally associated with the district were nowhere to be seen as of yet.
Once he was done changing into his work clothes, Donghae walked back towards the entrance and pushed open the club doors. Youngwoon’s back soon came into his vision, the older man standing casually on the sidewalk, his hands behind his back as he appeared to be surveying the environment.
“Youngwoon-hyung!” Donghae shouted a little too loudly. It could have been attributed to his unrepressed happiness over finally seeing one of his close co-workers, but it wasn’t a good enough reason for Youngwoon, who had jumped a dozen centimetres into the air in response.
The next thing he realised, Donghae’s head was snugly wedged between Youngwoon’s brawny arms, as the pair of limbs held his head in a playful (this level of strength was considered playful to only Youngwoon, of course) grip.
“YOUNGWOON-HYUNGGG!” Donghae was practically gasping out, his hands instantly wrapping around Youngwoon’s arms and tugging at them to indicate the need for merciful release.
Slowly but surely, the grip slackened and Donghae was again left breathing for air in another of his encounters with Youngwoon. The other man looked appropriately apologetic but said nothing, as he awkwardly patted Donghae’s bent back.
“Sorry kid,” Youngwoon mumbled sheepishly. “I couldn’t help it. It was pretty much out of instinct.”
“S’okay, hyung,” Donghae managed to choke out, waving both his hands about in assurance.
From the corner of his eye, Donghae noticed a faint yellow glow, one that could only have come from the headlight of a car. Immediately, he straightened his back, having picked up the sign that a potential client was driving in, and ran to his valet stand. Likewise, Youngwoon marched back to his post next to the club’s doors, regaining his usual professional stance. From an outsider’s point of view, their actions would have seemed almost automatic, comical even.
The black car pulled into a stop directly beside the valet stand, and a few seconds later, a man completely unfamiliar to Donghae stepped out. After closing the door with a soft click, the man remained still for a moment, his eyes narrowed in slight bemusement, as if the environment was utterly alien to him. He began struggling with his overfilled briefcase, fumbling with the straps, all the while unaware that two pairs of eyes were closely watching his every move. Clad in a formal, fitted two-piece suit, the man sighed wearily as he gave up on his briefcase, shifting it to his side as he started adjusting the mild crinkles on his suit with his unhindered right hand.
Donghae shot a quick glance at Youngwoon, who only shrugged in response. Deciding to take the initiative in this case, Donghae stepped aside from his valet stand and began approaching the man.
“Sir?” Donghae called out tentatively as he walked over to the car, keeping a respectable distance between the client and him. “May I help you sir?”
The man spun around lightly on his heels, to the direction of Donghae’s voice, and his expression lifted just a touch. He wrested his car key from his pant pocket and offered it to Donghae. However, Donghae could sense that the man continued to look sceptical, so he didn’t make a move to take it.
“Is this the standard procedure?” The man asked politely, though a hint of confusion clouded his tone. “This may be my second time visiting the club, but it’s my first time driving here.”
Donghae blinked at the man’s forthrightness. “Y-yes sir. I am the valet for this club and hence, I need to be collecting your key. To park your car in the club’s private carpark.”
“Alright, I get it,” the man said, before releasing his keys into Donghae’s open palm. Smoothening the wrinkles on his suit once again, he then unexpectedly posed another question to Donghae.
“Are you new here? I’m pretty sure I didn’t see you the day before.” The man’s eyes focused on Donghae’s face, narrowing as he took in Donghae’s features.
Needless to say, Donghae was taken aback; he was certain that no client had uttered so many words to him before, much less asked him a question!
“No sir. Actually, I’ve been working here for a little over a month!” Donghae shared, feeling encouraged as the man seemed to be genuinely listening to him. “It’s just that I had a common test yesterday so I took leave from work to study for it. It’s a very challenging module so I thought it would be good if I had extra time to study-“
Donghae broke off awkwardly; here he was rambling to a client who had only asked a simple question. “I’m so sorry, sir! I got carried away in my explanation.”
“No need to apologise.” The man flashed a small smile, after a few light chuckles had escaped from his lips. “I don’t mind talking more with you, but-“ He raised his left hand and peered at the wristwatch wrapped around his wrist. “In five minutes, I need to start discussing a case with my client.”
A scowl crossed the man’s features as he uttered the last word. Then, seeming to realise where he currently was, the man sighed once again.
“Please don’t mind the mess on the passenger seat; I’ll get around to clearing it sooner or later.”
And with another hasty glance at his wristwatch, the man strode purposefully towards the club, past Youngwoon who regarded the former with a quirked eyebrow.
“Strange guy,” Youngwoon commented lightly, once the man had disappeared into the premises.
“Isn’t everyone, though?” Donghae said.
Sliding the car key into the lock, Donghae opened the door and climbed into the driver’s seat. The passenger seat was indeed as cluttered as the man had said earlier; a couple of important-looking documents spilling out from their Manila folders, a few ordinary-looking envelops, and even an empty takeaway coffee cup were observed from the mess.
He must be a really busy man, Donghae thought. He was about to start the engine when something else in the car’s interior had caught his eye.
From the rear view mirror, Donghae spotted a photo frame, which was placed at the corner. He could distinguish four people in the photo after squinting, and immediately, a soft smile started to play on his lips.
-
Two hours later, the man was quietly waiting outside next to the valet stand, his foot tapping a steady beat. It was certainly refreshing to have a patron who wasn’t leaning against the stand for support, balance being elusive in his inebriated state. In most other cases, the patron would have his arms crossed about his chest, looking around impatiently, seemingly nervous about being seen at such premises.
Donghae stepped out of the car and bounded over to the man, presenting the car and its key to him. As he did so, his eyes scanned the man’s features briefly. Still very much sober, the man’s clothes were lightly crumpled, but presentable. There was nothing out of the ordinary about him, as if he has simply stepped in and out of the club just for official business. This ordinariness, however, only served to depict him in an even more endearing light to Donghae.
“Thank you,” the man said, as he cast Donghae an appreciative smile. He took his key from Donghae’s upturned palm and replaced it with a twenty thousand won note, which was slightly crinkled around the edges. Donghae quickly acknowledged the tip with a respectful bob of his head.
“Did you have a good time, sir?” Donghae asked cordially, after folding the note and sliding it into the back pocket of his pants.
The man seemed to be contemplating his answer, as his gaze was distant. After a moment, he shrugged lightly and said, “My client was just as distasteful as he was the day before, but Sungmin’s company was enough to ward off the unpleasant mood that my client had created earlier.”
“You know of Sungmin-hyung’s name?” Without thinking, Donghae said the first thought that had came into his mind. He soon realised how asinine his outburst had sounded, judging by the befuddled frown on the other man’s face.
“I mean, the clients would only know of Sungmin-hyung’s code name, No. 7,” Donghae started to explain. “So, sir, how would you have known of his name...”
The man’s eyes widened in comprehension, and he picked off where Donghae’s voice had trailed off. “Well, I didn’t like addressing him by his code name, so I asked for his real name.”
He broke off suddenly, shooting Donghae an alarmed look. “Did I make Sungmin break any of your club’s rules by asking for his name?”
“I’m not exactly sure, but I don’t think it’s exactly encouraged,” Donghae admitted doubftully; Heechul, or even the rest of his co-workers, had never mentioned about disclosing one’s real name to a client. After all of the measures implemented to ensure the employees’ confidentiality, certainly it was understood that withholding personal information was a serious matter.
The man continued to look concerned, the pace of his tapping increasing as he began chewing on his lower lip.
“I’ll have to apologise to Sungmin...” The man seemed to be talking to himself aloud, instead of talking with Donghae. “Listen, do you mind if you pass my apology to him? I’m in a bit of a rush to get home, so could I bother you in helping me?”
“No problem, sir!” Donghae answered in the affirmative. “I’ll help pass your apology to Sungmin-hyung.”
The anxious creases on the man’s forehead slowly evened out. “Thank you.”
“You seem to be thanking me pretty often tonight, sir.” Donghae felt that the situation seemed to need a playful tone injected into it, and he was gratified when his attempt was rewarded with a hearty chuckle from the other man.
“You’re quite right there.”
However, the man’s expression soon became conflicted yet again.
“I suppose this would be a bad time to ask for your name as well?”
-
It was only a week later that Donghae saw the man at the premises once again.
“I’m Kim Jongwoon. Thank you again for the service, Donghae,” was what the man said after Donghae had given him his name.
Stepping out of his vehicle, Jongwoon glanced around the environment briefly and his eyes soon landed on Donghae. Meeting Jongwoon’s gaze, Donghae smiled warmly and he garnered a similarly friendly smile in return.
“Good evening, Jongwoon-sshi!” Donghae greeted as Jongwoon approached the valet stand, his key enclosed in one hand and his briefcase clutched in the other.
“Good evening, Donghae,” Jongwoon replied, as he handed over his key.
“Do you have business here again with your client today, Jongwoon-sshi?” Donghae attempted to engage in small talk with Jongwoon, who looked significantly less frazzled and anxious than he had been a week ago.
“Not exactly,” Jongwoon said. “My partner’s now in charge of that particular client’s case. And now, I am suddenly facing a reprieve after clocking in many late nights at my office. So, I decided to drop by here to unwind.”
“I-is Sungmin here?” He then questioned, his gaze suddenly dropping to the floor.
Donghae nodded. “I was talking to him in the locker room before our shift had started. Oh, and Jongwoon-sshi, he accepted your apology but he said that you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“That’s great to hear,” Jongwoon commented, but he seemed awfully twitchy all of a sudden.
“I’ll see you in an hour or so, Donghae.” Jongwoon had finally calmed his nerves and shook his fringe away from his eyes.
-
During his break, Donghae decided to pay Hyukjae a visit at his receptionist booth. Looking up from his booth, probably from his homework, Hyukjae grinned at Donghae’s nearing figure.
“How are your assignments coming along, Hyukjae?”
Hyukjae instantly made a face, before shrugging playfully. “Taking up all my free time as always; the usual, you know? What about you?”
Donghae laughed; he could easily relate with that feeling. “Yeah, it’s the same for me as well.”
From his position, leaning over the booth, Donghae spotted a well-maintained book with various names and timings written in Hyukjae’s neat, slanting script. A question quickly came into his mind.
“Is there a ‘Kim Jongwoon’ listed on tonight’s records?” Donghae asked tentatively. He wasn’t really expecting a direct answer because he wasn’t sure if he was even allowed access to such information or if Hyukjae could share it in the first place.
“You mean Kim-seonsaengnim?” Hyukjae answered, curiosity blighting his even tone. “Is he your friend, Donghae?”
“Well...we’ve exchanged names. Does that make us friends?” Donghae said in jest. He laughed again as he watched Hyukjae roll his eyes in response.
“Did Jongwoon-sshi ask for Sungmin-hyung’s services?” Donghae’s next question quickly sobered up Hyukjae, with the latter’s expression turning staid.
“He did,” Hyukjae said. “He should be in one of the private parlours with Sungmin-hyung right now.”
Donghae said nothing in reply, as he was too busy paying close attention to Hyukjae’s expression. The latter’s eyebrows were creased and his lips were slightly parted; he seemed as if he was more to say, but was hesitant to air his views.
“Kim-seonsaengnim... He’s a peculiar man. Is it wrong of me to think that?”
“Not really. Youngwoon-hyung said the same of him. Only that he was less tactful and described Jongwoon-sshi as a ‘strange guy’. For me, I think Jongwoon-sshi’s the weirdest yet the most ordinary patron I’ve ever met.”
“He’s not really like the rest of the clients.” Hyukjae pressed on, relieved that he wasn’t alone in his thinking. “He was sitting here, waiting for his appointment with Sungmin-hyung, when Sungmin-hyung himself turned up in the waiting room and suggested to Kim-seongsangnim that it would better for him to pass the time at the bar. He followed Sungmin-hyung’s idea unquestioningly.”
Despite Hyukjae’s tone, Donghae couldn’t help but smile at this excerpt of information. “Hankyung-hyung must have been really pleased to have a new patron to talk to.”
-
Jongwoon emerged from the club last night just as he was the week before: sober and presentable. A light drizzle had started, so Jongwoon had to wait under the awning of the club, barely a few metres away from the road.
Donghae parked the car directly in front of the awning and promptly got out, running to avoid the drizzle and to retrieve an umbrella so he could escort Jongwoon to his car. The older man stood silently, with his briefcase held firmly to his chest. Opening the umbrella, Donghae then beckoned over to Jongwoon, indicating that he would shelter Jongwoon from the rain.
“Here, Jongwoon-sshi, take my hand,” Donghae said, holding out his left hand.
Jongwoon remained quiet as his eyes strayed across to the road, before refocusing on Donghae and his umbrella. Slowly, he reached out and clenched Donghae’s forearm tightly. Donghae stared at Jongwoon’s hand and then at Jongwoon; after having seen the expression in the latter’s eyes, Donghae’s throat suddenly felt uncomfortably dry and rough.
Jongwoon’s eyes were clear and sharp, very much unlike cloudy, unfocused eyes of past drunken clients. However, his eyes had a confusing element; fear. As if he was distressing and wary over something.
“Will you be alright, Jongwoon-sshi?” Donghae couldn’t help but ask. He bent down to survey Jongwoon, who was finally in the comfort of his own car.
Taking a deep breath, Jongwoon shook his head lightly and he turned his gaze from his steering wheel to Donghae.
“I will be,” Jongwoon mumbled. “Thank you, Donghae.”
Extracting his wallet from his pant pocket, Jongwoon took out a twenty thousand won note, which Donghae accepted wordlessly.
Giving the hood of Jongwoon’s car one last tap as greeting, Donghae took a step back as the older man started his engine.
As the car disappeared into the night, as a blur into the distance, Donghae’s eyes glazed over, as he tried to process the night’s proceedings. Nothing but confusion clouded his thoughts.
The longer I stay here, the more involved I get in this club, it seems, Donghae sighed.
-
A/N: I apologise for sounding like a broken record, but unexpected stuff happened which I have to take care of. Hence, I only managed to post this chapter now, instead of closer to the previous one. Again, I'm sorry for the pace, but everything in this story has its signifance; that's my lame excuse.
Comments are appreciated! (: