(for nachtegael) Kim Jongin 2.0
For: nachtegael
Title: Kim Jongin 2.0
Pairing: Jongin/Suho
Word Count: ~9,000 words
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: excessive use of alcohol as a coping mechanism
Summary: Office AU. Jongin tries to reinvent himself. He's not very successful.
Author's Note: Dear nachtegael, I hope you don't mind I've combined some of your prompts. Thanks to C for checking the first draft of this story, and thanks to L, who always manages to get me back on track when I'm lost.
Jongin is early.
He looks up at the facade of the skyscraper - a sea of tainted glass towering over him, looking imposing next to the other smaller office buildings on the block.
Shinhan Bank.
He checks his watch for the fifth time in half an hour. 9.41am. His interview isn’t until 11 o’clock, but Jongin has a tendency to be late, so this morning he hadn’t taken any chances and had left his cousin’s apartment at 9 am sharp.
Someone bumps into him. “I - sorry,” he tries to apologize, but the man is already out of earshot, disappearing into the quickly moving crowd on the sidewalk. Jongin turns on his heels and barely avoids walking into a young woman clutching a Starbucks cup and a snakeskin laptop bag. She slips around him, expertly holding up her drink to keep it upright. “Watch where you’re going, idiot.”
Jongin stumbles back, nearly tripping over some businessman’s feet until his back finally hits the cool marble of the building and he’s no longer blocking the pavement.
Throngs of people walk by, some entering the bank through entrances left and right of Jongin. To him, they all look the same: impeccably dressed, an unmistakable air of success around them. He looks down at his own outfit: a dark grey off-the-rack suit that stretches uncomfortably tight around his shoulders and black patent leather dress shoes with hot pink heels and soles (Jongin had borrowed those from Jongdae, his ‘fashion-forward’ cousin, since he only owned sneakers himself).
Jongin cringes at the thought of having to buy more suits and appropriate footwear if the bank accepts his application for an internship. Then again, adding a successful internship at Shinhan to his resume would open a lot of doors and the investment would pay back itself in no time (at least that’s what he had told his mother when he left Jecheon for Seoul two weeks ago).
He checks his watch again. 9.44 am. Two hours and sixteen minutes left before his interview. Jongin takes out his phone, pressing number 9 on speed-dial. Jongdae.
Jongdae’s caller tune,Fantastic Baby, rings loudly in Jongin’s ear. His cousin’s gruff voice cuts through the second repetition of the chorus.
“You better be on fire because that’s the only good excuse for waking me up before noon.”
“I’m too early.”
Jongin can hear a dull thump and Jongdae’s groan over the rustling of sheets on the other end of the line. “...So?”
“Well, what do I do? People are looking at me,” Jongin squeaks.
“How the fuck am I supposed to know. Act natural?”
Jongin tries to lean casually against the wall. He feels the fabric of his vest bunching up awkwardly as he slouches a little. “Okay, I’m doing it,” he mutters under his breath. “Now what?”
“Jongin, if you think I’m going to talk you through this for the next hour, you greatly overestimate my love for you.”
“Come on Jongdae, help me out here.” Jongin whines.
“I’m hanging up now.”
“Wait!” Jongin begs. “There are at least four different entrances, how do I know which one is the right one?”
“Well you’ve more than an hour to figure that out, don’t you? Good luck, bro,” Jongdae replies with a sneer before he ends the call.
ლ(´﹏`ლ)
As it turns out, all four entrances lead to the main foyer, where Jongin gets a visitor’s badge and is led through a metal detector before being waved through, a small card in hand with instructions to head to the 12th floor, office 127. The whole process takes only a few minutes and when Jongin steps out of the elevator, it’s barely ten o’clock.
From the hallway he’s standing in, he can see rows of cubicles and a few large offices taking up most of the space. Jongin doesn’t see a reception or waiting area and he feels anxiety building up in his belly again, urging him to run back to the safety of Jongdae’s apartment.
Act natural.
Jongin tries to imitate the casual lean he’d done earlier.
That’s right. I belong here. I can stand here all day long. This is perfectly acceptable behavior.
Jongin spots a young man peeping over one of the cubicles to stare at him.
Shit. Play it cool, Jongin.
He does a hair flip.
The man laughs (barks?), showing a terrifying amount of teeth.
Jongin notices there’s a restroom a little further down the hall and flees.
(๑⁺᷄д⁺᷅๑)◞՞
997.
998.
999.
1000.
Jongin sighs as he closes the app. 1000 points on Pong, if he doesn’t get the job, at least he’ll have a shiny new highscore to boast. He checks the time again. 10.48am. Jongin shifts, running his hands nervously over his thighs. His legs are getting a little numb after sitting for 40 minutes on the closed toilet seat. Maybe I should freshen up a little before going in.
He unlocks the door and walks out of his stall. The sound of the running water splashing on smooth porcelain reverberates through the empty bathroom as Jongin washes his hands once, twice. The door to the office opens and a man walks in, heading straight for the sinks. Like everyone else on the floor he is dressed impeccably - a dark blue tailored suit fitting snugly on his lean frame, the jacket tapered at the man’s small waist.
They make eye-contact so Jongin makes an awkward half-bow.
“Are you new here?” The man asks before he turns on the faucet on the sink next to Jongin’s.
Striking up light-hearted conversations with possibly future co-workers was not something Jongin had mentally prepared himself for and he finds himself momentarily lost for words as he looks at the man next to him.
He’s nearly a head shorter than Jongin but he feels frumpy and a little intimidated standing next to a stranger who is so obviously dressed for success. He can see the man’s eyes raking over him, fleetingly - as if he’s sizing him up. Jongin wonders if he’s the kind of cold-blooded businessmen who eats interns for dinner.
“Um. Yes. No. Not yet, I mean - I have an interview for an internship.” The scrutinizing look on the man’s face changes into something softer, kinder, and Jongin can’t help but notice how handsome the man is when he isn’t frowning.
The man rolls up his cuffs and starts washing his hands. “You’re not from Seoul, are you?”
Dammit. Jongdae always makes fun of his accent. This man probably thinks he sounds like a peasant, too.
“Jecheon. I just moved here.”
The other man hums, quickly lathering up his hands. Jongin spots the glimmer of a small golden wedding band on his left hand. “Are you still in college?”
“Yes. But I’m not taking any classes this semester.” An approved internship would gain him some credit, and Jongin had saved up for months waiting tables to afford his Seoul trip.
“Why didn’t you apply at our Jecheon branch?” The man asks as he rinses off the soap suds.
“Seoul always looks better on a resume.”
“Ambitious, huh.” The man smiles and reaches for the towel dispenser. “Minseok will like that. Are you nervous?”
“A little.”
The man chuckles. “Just a little? You’ve been rinsing off your hands for at least two minutes now.”
Jongin hurriedly turns off the faucet.
“Don’t worry. Minseok is a clean freak. Mentioning you like to spend your break time washing your hands might give you a head-start,” the man adds with a wink, making his whole face contort in a decidedly unattractive way (although Jongin thinks it’s rather cute). He walks towards the door before turning on his heels again. “What’s your name?” he asks just as Jongin is reaching for the towels and accidentally pulls out a dozen all at once. Jongin fumbles and bows again.
“Kim Jongin, nice to meet you sir.”
“I’m Kim Joonmyun, senior financial analyst. Good luck. We might meet again, if you get the job.”
Joonmyun turns and leaves, the door shutting behind him with a soft click.
Jongin checks his watch again. 10.54 pm. Showtime.
(▰˘︹˘▰)
“I’m telling you, it was awful! They kept asking me all these irrelevant questions,” Jongin whines.
“It’s an interview, what did you expect?” Jongdae mumbles around a mouthful of chips.
“That woman was nice enough but the manager barely even looked at me. I don’t even think he read my resume, and he left after two minutes. And then this other guy who came had huge, round eyes and I wanted to hide under the table because I felt he could see right through my clothes.”
“Well, letting him see you naked might work in your favor. If he plays for your team.”
“... You disgust me.”
“I’m a free thinking spirit.”
“Yeah, I used that line in the interview today. I’m not sure that came off the right way. The guy kept asking me to clarify my statement.” Jongin sighs and reaches for the bag but his cousin curls his arms around them protectively.
“Hey, no job, no chips.”
“Don’t be a dick, Jongdae. Besides, what job do you have?”
“I’m babysitting you, on top of my busy student life.” Jongdae anticipates the punch and scoots over to the far side of the couch, out of reach of Jongin’s swinging fists. “Geesh, you young folk are so violent these days.”
“You’re only 13 months older than me.”
“Odd how that somehow equals infinite wisdom, doesn’t it?” Jongdae smirks. There’s a chip in his hair. Jongin decides not to tell him.
“You became completely insufferable since you started majoring in Philosophy, you know.”
“Hence why I switched to Sociology,” Jongdae says.
“Sociology? When the hell did this happen?”
“Five days ago. The chicks at Sociology were way hotter and the lads bring better booze to parties.”
Jongin slouches back, too strung out to deal with his cousin’s antics right now. “My mom was right, this was a terrible idea. I should never have come here.”
Jongdae sits a little straighter and dusts a few crumbles off his chest. “Hey, don’t give up yet, kiddo. Damn, your generation has no patience at all.” Jongdae tosses the bag of chips in Jongin’s lap. “There, cry-baby, eat a chip. So what if the interview didn’t go well? There are plenty of banks in Seoul who’d be happy to hire an eager Finance major. You know those interns are nothing but glorified coffee-makers. Even a peasant like you could pull that off.”
Jongin tries to fit a fistful of chips into his mouth while listening to his cousin rant. “... and I won’t let you give up just because you weren’t hired on the spot. They might actually call you back.”
“You are the worst possible person ever to take career advice from, you know. And I have to ask, are you saying this to keep my spirits up because you care about me or because you’re worried you won’t find another roommate who wants to cough up half the rent to share this oversized closet with a nutbag like yourself?
“I don’t see why those options would be mutually exclusive,” Jongdae quips. “But seriously, you have to work on your attitude if you want to make it in the big city. Seoul eats little fish like you. It’s time to channel your inner shark.”
“My inner shark?” Jongin asks.
“You know. Find your brand. Figure out your strong points. Sell yourself - show them the new and improved Kim Jongin!”
“You called me a peasant fifteen seconds ago.”
“Details! I’ve forgotten all about that already.”
“But I haven’t.”
Jongdae throws his arms in the air in exasperation. “Work with me, okay?”
“Look, I came to Seoul to swim with the big fish. But I’m still a shrimp.”
Jongdae huffs. “Technically you’re not even krill right now.”
“Exactly. I don’t have anything to sell yet.”
“Nonsense! You may not have my exceptionally good looks or my social skills but you’re pretty as long as you keep your mouth shut. And you’re the math genius of the family. You wrote your first program when you were 13! I know because I’ve had to hear about it every Christmas for the following five years.”
“I’m hardly a genius. And that program was a prehistoric looking version of tic-tac-toe.”
“Well, grandma thought it was Nobel Prize worthy. Besides, you’re missing the point. You’re a bright kid, someone will see that eventually. But it’s up to you to convince them. Let them all scramble to get a piece of Kim Jongin 2.0 - the hottest item on the intern market.”
“...”
“...”
“Do you have to make everything sound so cheesy?”
Jongdae leans over and plucks the bag out of Jongin’s lap again. “Cheese is what I do best, baby.”
“I’m gonna take a nap,” Jongin says as he slides off the couch and pads towards his room.
“I’m serious! Kim Jongin 2.0! You should get started on a blog!” Jongdae yells after him.
＼（＠￣∇￣＠）／
Dear Kim Jongin,
Thank you for your application at Shinhan Bank - Finance and Asset Management division SEOUL. We are pleased to inform you your candidature has been accepted and we look forward to working with you in our Trainee & Internship Program.
Please contact Mrs. CHOI Yeeun (+82 2-749-0381) as soon as possible for more information.
Kind regards,
LEE Sungyeol
Shinhan Bank Seoul
“I told you it would all work out.” Jongdae says triumphantly.
“I still don’t get it…” Jongin says, reading over the email for the twelfth time. “I was so sure they wouldn’t be interested.”
“Will you please stop questioning yourself. You got in! Did you put this on your blog yet? We should celebrate this properly after my Biology exam next Thursday. There’s a club Tao and Sehun have been wanting to go to for weeks now.
“Who are Tao and Sehu- wait, Biology? Why is a Sociology major taking biology?”
“I switched majors again.” Jongdae says flippantly.
“You switched - again? When? Is that even possible?”
“Hey, don’t judge me for living my life. There’s a real future in biotechnology.”
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? KJI-2.0
14.09.28
Tomorrow I start working at Shinan. Woot.
Had spaghetti for lunch.
(•ิ_•ิ)?
“Did they set you up downstairs? Got your own badge and code?”
“Yes sir,” Jongin says, a little out of breath as he tries to keep up with the smaller man as he strides through the long hallways of the 12th floor.
“Okay, we’ll still need to get you form H-9, that’s the one you have to submit to your university and -”
“Lee Sungyeol from HR already gave me the extra documents I need for school, sir.”
Jongin looks down at the plastic file in his hand. It contains a copy of his contract, three different applications to be sent back to university, some Shinhan folders and a shiny new badge with his picture on it.
Do Kyungsoo halts suddenly and Jongin almost walks right into him. “I see. Let me show you your new workspace then - Park Chanyeol can show you around on the floor, you’ll be assisting him most of the time. I’ll mail you a list of the assigned accounts that are up for review next week.” Kyungsoo keeps talking as he briskly starts walking again, saying something about a task list and Jongin strains his ears as he awkwardly jogs after him.
“.. but we won’t let you work on those until after you’ve finished your one month trial period anyway. Now, you are to work together with Chanyeol but you report directly to me. You mentioned in your interview you have experience in programming, right?”
“Yes, sir,” Jongin says as he steps aside to make way for a group of businessmen coming down the hall. Kyungsoo keeps walking straight and they part for him, exchanging polite bows.
“Which languages have you most experience with?
“Um, C++, Java and MATLAB.”
“Good. That’ll get you some extra work - Joonmyun will be glad to hear we won’t have to call in IT everytime he needs a model tweaked.”
“Joon - Joonmyun, sir?”
“That’s Kim Joonmyun to you. Supervisor of our Financial Analyst Team. I’m his assistant. You report to me, I report to him, he reports to Minseok. Don’t worry, you’ll figure out the chain of command soon enough. Here we are,” Kyungsoo says as they walk into a cubicle close to one of the larger offices. “Chanyeol, this is Kim Jongin, our newest intern.”
Chanyeol spins his chair around and claps his hands excitedly. “New recruits! How exciting.”
Jongin recognizes him as the one with all the teeth from the day of his interviewer. Chanyeol shakes his hand enthusiastically. It’s a sharp contrast with Kyungsoo’s stiff posture but if the assistant is fazed by Chanyeol’s behavior, he doesn’t show it.
“Show Jongin around, if you will. I’ll send you a worksheet later this afternoon with next week’s schedule. Where are you on the Wakefield file?”
“Nearly finished sir, just waiting for them to get back to me with the revised reports of this quarter to make some final edits.”
“Joonmyun wants it on his desk before 4pm.” Kyungsoo says.
“But sir-,” Chanyeol splutters. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to do it before then.”
Kyungsoo’s jaw tightens. “Unfortunately for you, I am sure about what will happen to you if you don’t.”
Chanyeol gulps audibly.
Kyungsoo nods towards Jongin. “If you need anything else, I’m right across the hall, by Joonmyun’s office. Welcome to the firm,” he says before walking out of the cubicle. Jongin sees him enter the large glass-walled office, and the small figure behind the large mahogany desk in the center of the room. Sure enough, it’s the same guy he’d met in the bathroom before his not-so-disastrous-after-all interview.
We might meet again, if you get the job.
( 。•_• 。)
Jongin sinks down into the office chair opposite Chanyeol’s, who still looks a little shaken up from his encounter with Kyungsoo.
“Alright - Jongin, was it? I’m afraid proper introductions and our tour of the premises will have to wait until I can get someone at Wakefield to send me those damn reports. Uh, there’s your desk, all office supplies are in the room behind that-,” Chanyeol points, “green door over there - take whatever you need to get set up. Did HR give you a login already?”
Jongin holds up the file he’d received downstairs.
“Good, good. Well, boot up your computer and check if everything works. I’ll ask Hongbin later to show you where to find everything on the server, I really can’t waste time on it right now.” Chanyeol says as he starts typing away on his own keyboard.
“Is there anything I can do to help you?” Jongin asks tentatively.
Chanyeol looks up and pulls out a file labeled “WKFLDX14”. “Our contact’s name is Han Woohyun. I know he’s out of the country so try to get hold of an assistant or junior manager - anyone who can send me those reports right away,” he says as he hands the file to Jongin.
“I’m on it.”
“Great. Thanks.” Chanyeol focuses back on his monitor.
Jongin cranes his neck to take another look at the small figure of Kyungsoo, standing hunched over Joonmyun’s desk. “Hey… is Kyungsoo always that intense?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah, you don’t want to mess with him. We call him the Butcher.”
Jongin’s stomach clenches uncomfortably. “..the Butcher?”
Chanyeol makes a face. “Well. I do. That, or the Bulldog. He runs a tight ship here - Joonmyun doesn’t really interfere with our work because Kyungsoo does it for him. Joonmyun says what needs to happen and Kyungsoo gets it done. You really don’t want to fuck up their deadlines.”
“Odd. Joonmyun seemed… nice.” Jongin says.
“You’ve met him already?”
“Only briefly. I ran into him when I applied. I had no idea who he was or that he’d be my boss.”
“Well don’t you worry about Joonmyun. He’s nice enough. Brilliant guy too - came in at 23 and made Shinhan more money in his first week than both you and I ever will in our whole career. It’s a miracle a bigger firm hasn’t snapped him up yet.” Chanyeol adds in a conspiratory whisper.
No wonder Joonmyun had that aura of success around him. Joonmyun had struck him as pretty young to be a Senior analyst.
“How old is he?”
“Joonmyun?” Chanyeol purses his lips. “30? 31? Something like that. Why, are you planning to adjust your 5-year plan to follow in his footsteps?”
Jongin can’t stop a blush from creeping up his cheeks. “No, no. Just wondering.”
“So, do you think you can start calling around now and help me save my job?” Chanyeol pleads.
“Of course. Sorry, right away.”
(๑´•ω • `๑)
It takes Jongin roughly thirty minutes of chatting up Han Woohyun’s personal assistant for Chanyeol to whoop in excitement as he finally gets the right document to finish Joonmyun’s report. Jongin earns extra brownie points later for restoring a document after Chanyeol closes it by accident without saving his work. At 3.38, the updated Wakefield file lands on Kyungsoo’s desk. Chanyeol declares Jongin his “most favourite intern ever”, but has to admit he’s never had one before.
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? KJI-2.0
14.09.28
Saving your work is important. Invest in a good external hard drive.
If you’re bored, try looking up ‘funny cat video’ on Youtube.
Chanyeol seems like fun.
o(^▽^)o
If Chanyeol had struck him as somewhat frivolous at first, it only takes Jongin a few days to figure out Chanyeol is just a ridiculously happy guy. After their stressful first day, Chanyeol had taken it upon him to show him around the office and introduce him to “the wonderful crowd of the twelfth floor”. Jongin meets a few other interns from the Asset Management department but learns he’s the only one on the Trainee Program in Joonmyun’s division. “I’ve been asking for an intern for over a year, but Kyungsoo sure is picky and Joonmyun would never hire someone without getting Kyungsoo’s approval first. You’re the first one to make the cut.” Jongin finds himself wondering if he secretly wants Joonmyun had something to do with that, despite Jongin’s awkward first impression on the day of his interview - or if he should hope Kyungsoo had hired him on merits alone.
As the days pass, the latter seems more likely, as Joonmyun doesn’t show the slightest interest in Jongin - when he isn’t meeting clients, he keeps to his office and rarely ventures out. They’d only spoken once, on Jongin’s second day of work - very briefly, as Joonmyun walked by just when Jongin had picked up a box of files from Kyungsoo’s desk.
The older man smiled as he approached the newest intern. “Hi Jongin - I hope you’ve settled in alright?” Joonmyun hadn’t waited for Jongin’s reply as he took the latte Kyungsoo offered him and immediately waltzed into his office.
“Pretty impressive he knows your name already. It took him two years to learn Chanyeol’s,” Kyungsoo had commented dryly.
Chanyeol may be a little chaotic at times, but with 6 years of experience under his belt managing highly specialized portfolios, he’s a definitely an expert in his field and after barely a week of work, Jongin feels he’s learned more about finance in the past few days than during a whole semester at university. So far his tasks have been menial at best - gathering and preparing files for Chanyeol, making coffee runs, getting rid of the occasional malware on Chanyeol’s computer and simple data input. It’s not challenging, but Chanyeol has no issues showing his work to Jongin and answers every question from his intern patiently and elaborately.
“Since you’re here full-time, perhaps you can help me with starting up a new account next week. Kyungsoo has mentioned taking over the Busan branch of ViTech - it’s not a top-tier company but it’ll be big enough for you to learn the ropes, start to finish. It could give you a boost for the evaluation.”
By Thursday, Chanyeol decides to promote his intern to “Wingman First Class”. “Go out with me after work - I’ve seen you chat up Eunkyung in the break room the other day, I could use a man with your skills.”
Jongin shifts in his seat. “Actually, my cousin wants me to go out with him tonight. And I wasn’t chatting her up, she just heard you mentioning the firewall I installed on your computer and asked me about it.” He’d managed to get through the whole conversation without saying something deeply embarrassing - not that Jongin was uncomfortable around girls per se, but the professional setting still threw him off a little. Eunkyung is a junior manager from Assets and walks around in dresses Jongin has only seen before in Jongdae’s fashion magazines, and even though he had invested in 3 decent (and frighteningly expensive) suits after his application was accepted, he still feels perpetually underdressed in the office.
Chanyeol snorts. “Firewall, sure. I’ve never had a girl twirling her hair around her fingers and licking her lips at me while discussing the finer points of antivirus software.”
“Ah. I don’t usually notice those kind of things.”
Chanyeol pops his back and leans dangerously far back in his swivel chair. “Don’t notice a signal that obvious? You must be really stupid or really gay.”
Jongin smiles apologetically and slips on his coat. “Thanks anyway for the invite. Raincheck?”
Chanyeol winks. “Definitely! See you tomorrow.”
“Bye!” He glances over at his boss’ office one more time before he leaves. Joonmyun is animatedly talking on the phone, but as if he feels Jongin looking at him, he looks up - flashing a bright smile at the intern. Jongin bows his head and raises his hand in a poor excuse for a wave. Joonmyun’s smile grows even wider, and he nods.
Jongin turns around, feeling waves of embarrassment crush down on him. First week of work and I just waved my boss goodbye like a preschooler. Fucking genius, Kim Jongin. Jongin can’t wait to get home and wash away the mortification with whatever Jongdae’s liquor cabinet has to offer. And yet, in the pit of his stomach, there’s another feeling too - something that struck him as Joonmyun had smiled at him. Jongin decides it must be admiration.
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? KJI-2.0
14.10.01
Jongdae made me a BLT-sandwich for lunch. He should do it more often.
Going out with Jongdae and his friends later.
Pro-tip: don’t wave your co-workers goodbye.
(●°u°●) 」
“Wait - you busted your ass serving drinks for four years, while in uni, saving up just so you could come to here, age 24, and be a slave to corporate Seoul for three months?” Sehun slurs in his ear as he pushes another drink in Jongin’s hand.
“Technically, I do get paid. But it’s a symbolic amount, really.” Jongin looks down at the large cocktail. “Probably not enough to buy me two of these - whatever the hell it is.” He eyes the bright pink drink suspiciously. He pulls at the sleeve of his shirt - Jongdae had insisted on ‘styling’ him for the occasion and had opted for black skinny jeans that left nothing to the imagination and a dark blue shirt with buttons ‘conveniently’ reaching up to his sternum, making the occasional nip-slip unavoidable (“Tao has the same one, it’s really popular with the fab crowd!”).
Tao tuts and slings his arm around Sehun. “Not everyone’s as spoiled as you are, Sehun - some people have to work their way up.” He hiccups and pats Jongin’s shoulder. “And it’s a Bubble Butt - Sehun came up with the recipe. It has lots of vodka and… pink shit, I guess. Don’t knock it back in one go, it’s pretty potent.” He moves behind Sehun, grabbing his hips suggestively. “Now, allow me to steal my boyfriend for a minute for I must go grind on him in public.”
Sehun laughs and leans back against Tao’s broad chest. “Careful, we don’t want to shock our new friend.”
Tao grins and bites down softly on Sehun’s pale neck. “Why not? He might as well get used to us,” he replies, winking at Jongin.
“Do forgive Tao. He’s very territorial when it comes to Sehun,” Jongdae tells Jongin as Tao and Sehun both head to the dance floor. The club is packed and it’s a little too warm for Jongin’s liking; but the music is good and the bartenders are hot.
Tao’s silver and Sehun’s pink hair stands out, even as they walk through the crowd. “They look good together.”
“They do.”
“So - see anyone here you like?” Jongdae asks nonchalantly.
Jongin gives his cousin a look. “Why, are you worried I’ll end up as a bachelor with forty cats?”
“More like a hermit with three smelly dogs. You haven’t seen any action at all since Luhan and that was three years ago. I’m honestly surprised your dick hasn’t fallen off yet. Now that you’re living with me I can finally do something about it.”
“I’m fine, thank you.” Jongin considers going against Tao’s advice and downing the Bubble Butt in one go after all, if only to erase the memory of this conversation. “I really don’t need you to worry about who I’m fucking.”
“It’s not a matter of who, it’s a matter of if. It’s unnatural for men your age to live as a monk. It’s all part of the new and improved you,” Jongdae says solemnly.
“Are you suggesting my brand value at work will go up if I start fucking around?”
“I most certainly am - that pathetic show you call a blog isn’t going to attract any crowds. Besides, I’ll feel less guilty about taking someone home if you do too, every once in a while.” Jongdae knocks back the rest of his martini and stands up. “I’m gonna go acquaint myself with the busty redhead at the bar. Good luck, sailor!”
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? KJI-2.0
14.10.02
i cant sleep.
i bought two pairs of socks on ebay. they look sharp.
*(*´∀｀*)☆
“Morning! You look terrible. Bad night?” Chanyeol asks worriedly.
Jongin groans. “Something like that.”
“... Please don’t tell me you’re hungover on your first week of work.”
“No, I can’t be - I don’t get it. I only had two drinks.” Actually Jongin is pretty sure it was that damned cocktail. That, in combination with lying awake for a good part of the night listening to his (very vocal) cousin screwing a girl in the adjacent room, leaving him plenty of time to consider how lonely he felt. Pathetic.
“That must’ve been a hell of a drink then,” Chanyeol chuckles. “So, do you think you’ll manage to get through the day?”
“I’ll be fine, I just need some coffee to pull me through,” Jongin mumbles.
／(x~x)＼
When Jongin returns from his lunch break, there’s a bottle of aspirin standing on his desk, with a small post-it next to it.
“Keep fit - JM”
He probably should be worried Joonmyun had noticed how awful he looked today, but it doesn’t stop Jongin’s heart from making a backflip in his chest. He downs two pills, dry, and carefully tucks the note away in his wallet before Chanyeol or anyone else sees it.
( ﾉ^ω^)ﾉﾟ
“It’s Friday, you really don’t have to stay late. Go out and enjoy your weekend, get some rest,” Chanyeol says. “That work won’t run away, you know.”
“I want to, really. It’ll take me half an hour, tops to finish the data input and then you can get started on the ViTech file first thing Monday morning. I didn’t get much done this morning but I feel better now.”
“If you say so. You certainly look better, lunch did you good. Anyway, Kyungsoo will be here late, so if you need anything, ask him, if you dare. Have a good weekend!”
“Thanks, you too”.
Unfortunately for Jongin, there’s a string of corrupted data keeping him occupied for far longer than he’d have thought. It takes two cups of coffee, roughly twenty whispered curses and two hour’s time for him to find and fix the problem. When he’s finally done, Jongin is all wound up and he knocks over a cup of cold coffee, staining the sleeve of his new blue shirt. “Shit.”
“Is everything alright here?” Joonmyun asks softly. Jongin had been too preoccupied to notice him standing in the doorway of his office - Kyungsoo isn’t at his desk, and everyone else in their department had left long before them. It’s just Jongin and Joonmyun now.
“I’m sorry sir - just being clumsy.”
“Are you feeling better?” Joonmyun asks as he approaches the low divider of Jongin’s cubicle.
“Yes. Sorry, it’s just that I had a rough night and-” Jongin stops himself before he can say anything embarrassing. “Thank you for the pills, sir. It helped a lot.”
“Good. I was worried Chanyeol might have worked you too hard in your first week - he hasn’t worked with someone else in so long. Are you nearly done here? It’s rare to see someone working overtime on a Friday - and for an intern, no less.”
As Joonmyun rests a hand on top of the divider, Jongin’s eyes fall on the small gold band around his boss’ left ring finger.
“You shouldn’t stay much longer either - I’m sure your wife would want you home before midnight.”
A dark look flashes on Joonmyun’s face and Jongin could bite his own tongue off for speaking so directly. Joonmyun looks down at the ring and twists it, his face relaxing into something softer, something sad.
“I’m not married anymore.”
Oh.
Jongin’s stomach drops as he tries to gauge the implications of that statement.
Of course there’s a dead wife in the picture. Tragic.
“I’m really sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.” Jongin mutters red-faced, wondering if he’d sound foolish if he offered his condolences.
Joonmyun tilts his head, caught off-guard by Jongin’s change in attitude.
“Ah, no,” he pauses, looking at Jongin hesitantly as if he’s unsure how to continue.” ... he isn’t dead. Baekhyun and I aren’t together anymore.” He locks eyes with Jongin, letting the statement hang heavy in the air on its own for a few seconds, as if he’s gauging Jongin’s reaction. There’s defiance in Joonmyun’s eyes, and Jongin recognizes the tension in his superior’s shoulders - the way his fingers clutch the divider as if he’s breaching himself for rejection and ridicule. It’s a feeling Jongin knows all too well - he’d often felt like the only gay person in the world, back in Jecheon (though he’d never made it a habit to come out to strangers).
Joonmyun relaxes a little when Jongin merely nods. ”So, tell me about your first week at Shinhan.”
So Jongin talks, and even though he doesn’t understand why Joonmyun would take an interest in him, he feels the man’s attention is genuine. Joonmyun looks him in the eye, nods along as Jongin explains his initial confusion about the set-up of the firm’s finance model’s coding, and laughs at his descriptions of Chanyeol and Kyungsoo.
“They’re amazing. Chanyeol says his work is 70 percent numbers, 30 percent magic. He says he’s just going with his gut but there has to be more to it than that.”
Joonmyun chuckles. “I can imagine it must seem like magic to an outsider, but once you’ve worked here for a few years, it’s all about relying on experience without losing sight of alternative outcomes.”
“I hope I can be as good as them one day.”
“You might be, if you put in enough hours. You can be great at this job but no one will ever master it fully. The markets change and so does the legal framework - I still learn everyday. Just make sure to watch and learn from Chanyeol. Now go home, it’s nearly 9.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Enjoy your weekend, Jongin,” Joonmyun says as he walks back to his office. “Oh - and that coffee stain? Let it soak in hot water with some dishwasher detergent. I’ve had to deal with a lot of those over the years and that seems to do the trick.”
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? KJI-2.0
14.10.02
JM-Hyung really knows his stains. my shirt is clean again. im glad.
note to self: become as good as chanyeol and kyungsoo
- =͟͟͞͞ ( ꒪౪꒪)ฅ✧
“How was work?” Jongdae asks as Jongin shuffles in around 9.30pm. “Pretty brutal of them to ask you to put in overtime already, on your first week.”
“It was my idea,” Jongin grunts as he takes off his shoes.
Jongdae’s head peeks around the kitchen door. “Did you eat yet?”
“Nope.”
“I made lasagna. Shall I heat up a plate?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
There’s half a bottle of red wine on the coffee table in the living room, and Jongin pours himself a glass. “Red wine, lasagna - do you have something to celebrate?”
“Correction - we have something to celebrate. You’ve finished your first week of work and I got laid last night. Everyone’s a winner!”
Jongin loosens his tie and sinks back on the couch. “Yeah, thanks for the free porn soundtrack by the way.”
Jongdae saunters back in the living room. “I told you you should’ve tried to hook up with someone at the club. And don’t tell me you didn’t have the opportunity - I saw plenty of guys check you out while you were there.”
“I was practically naked in that outfit.”
“The end justifies the means, my dear cousin! But seriously - you didn’t even try, I haven’t seen you come out of that booth all night.”
“I’m not - It’s not really my thing.”
“What - sex with hot people?”
Jongin wonders how he always gets pulled into these conversations with his cousin. “No. Sex, yes, but the whole… flirting thing.”
“Hence the outfit, your pants were doing all the flirting for you. Seriously, with this attitude it’s a small miracle you managed to pin Luhan down for as long as you did.”
“I’m pretty sure it was the other way around.” Luhan had swooped in, right after Jongin had turned 18. He was older and exuded a natural confidence Jongin had been drawn to like a moth to a flame. That dynamic hadn’t changed in the three years they were together - Luhan always called the shots and Jongin was quite happy to let him. For the very first time since puberty, Jongin felt safe and secure again, and had slowly built up confidence in that sweet little cocoon Luhan had built around them. Unfortunately for Jongin, he hadn’t noticed Luhan was growing tired of their arrangement and when Luhan left him ‘in search of new adventures’, he took Jongin’s heart and new-found confidence with him. His mother and his friends had urged him to fight for Luhan - but Jongin had simply never learned how.
“My point exactly - it’s not bad to go after something you want, Jongin. Always keep in mind - what would the new, upgraded Kim Jongin do? Have you started on that blog yet?”
“Let it go, Jongdae. This is as good as it gets. It’s stupid to want to be something you’re not. And will always be just Jongin, nothing more.” It comes out harsher than he intended to - but Jongin wishes Jongdae would understand certain wounds take time to heal, and some wounds are never meant to heal at all.
“And yet you’ve made it here, didn’t you? You left Jecheon, came to Seoul, got an internship at one of the countries’ biggest banks. And you did it all without your Chinese knight in shining armour. If that isn’t some Jongin 2.0-worthy shit I don’t know what is.” The beep of the microwave signals Jongin’s dinner is ready.
“I’ll go get your lasagna. No need to go easy on the wine, when that’s gone I’ve got a nice bottle of rum to toast to your future success. You need to start thinking about a catchier blog title.”
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? Kim Jongin, future President of the World
14.10.02
Better, Jongdae?
(｀◎△◎)!?
Jongdae is splayed out on the couch, armed with the tv remote and a bucket of popcorn. “So let me get this straight, you’ve got a crush on your boss and you’ve been courting each other through limp hand waves and exchanging laundry tips. Wow, sounds like you two are on fire, when’s the wedding?”
Jongin looks down at his coke and sniffs it. Surely Jongdae lied about the rum/coke ratio in this and Jongin must be way drunker than he thinks because he doesn’t remember confessing the tiny crush he has on Joonmyun.
He also doesn’t remember how he ended up next to the couch, slouched against it with his neck leaning back at an awkward angle. Nor can he explain how it’s past 4am already, or why Jongdae had put in the dvd of The Sound of Music. Jongin doesn’t even like that movie.
“Why are we watching this?”
“You said your crush looks like Captain Von Trapp. Maybe you could take a few cues from Maria to figure out how to get your man. If I remember correctly, you’ll need a guitar and a bunch of kids.”
Jongin decides Kim Jongin 2.0 should never, ever drink again.
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? Kim Jongin, future President of the World
14.10.02
sidoeekme pease tell hmjyubg i dloke hiam o dont darteo do it mpyself?
(((＼（＠v＠）／)))
Jongin knocks back the shot glass in one go, driven by the raucous cheers of his co-workers - it’s strong, the soju burning a hot path down his esophagus.
“Four down, one to go!” Chanyeol bellows as he fills up Jongin’s glass again. There’s clapping and cheering and stomping, and Jongin’s tongue starts to feels numb. He drinks.
Chanyeol whoops and whistles. “Best fucking intern ever and he’s mine!” he shouts, his long arm looping around Jongin’s shoulders. “Well done, kiddo.”
Jongin had passed his one-month evaluation with flying colors and Chanyeol had gleefully announced that earned him the right to attend Shinhan’s legendary after-work drink, a “monthly bacchanal”. Half of the bar’s patrons seem to be Shinhan employees - even Minseok himself was there tonight. Chanyeol had failed to inform him newbies were expected to take the “Introductory 5-glass course” at their first visit. “You don’t really have a choice - I wouldn’t want you to become a social pariah at work!” Chanyeol had shouted in his ear as he’d handed Jongin the glass. And thus ended Jongin’s 3 week period of sobriety.
“Are you okay?” Eunkyung asks as he stumbles towards the exit.
“Yeah, fine, just need some air.” Jongin replies.
There’s a large group of people standing on the pavement outside - Jongin recognizes a few of them from Investments on the 13th floor. It’s cold outside, and Jongin had lost track of his jacket shortly after he started drinking. The thin white shirt he is wearing doesn’t offer much protection, but at least it’ll help him clear his head.
A lone figure stands a few feet away, outside of the bright circle of the bar’s outside lighting - half-hidden in the shadows. Jongin can see the burning tip of a cigarette lighting up in the darkness.
“Joonmyun?”
The older man looks up in surprise. “Hey Jongin.” Something seems off about him tonight. Joonmyun is on edge, the frown on his forehead more pronounced than ever. He looks tired.
“I didn’t know you smoked.”
“Only when I’m drinking.” Jongin can see Joonmyun’s holding a glass of scotch in his other hand. “Did they give you your introduction yet?”
Jongin wraps his arms around himself, trying to focus on the warmth in his belly instead of the cold in his hands. “Just finished it.”
“Now you’re really a part of Shinhan.” He smiles, but it’s a distracted smile.
Nearly a month-and-a-half into his internship, Jongin had slowly started to learn more and more about Joonmyun. Their talks were always brief, but they’d figured out some shared interests - crime movies, italian food, manga. Even Chanyeol had noticed Joonmyun left his office more often, taking a bigger interest in what was happening ‘on the floor’ (“He’s gonna put Kyungsoo out of a job soon if he keeps this up”, Chanyeol had joked).
Aside from those little tidbits his boss had shared with him, Joonmyun was still very much a closed book to Jongin. His mood never seemed to change - he was always calm, courteous and friendly, and Jongin could tell he worked extremely hard (over 80 hours a week, if Chanyeol was to be believed). Today though, Jongin had seen him angrily toss a file back at Kyungsoo and agitatedly pace up and down his office while he was on the phone.
“You eh - you seem a little tense today. Is everything alright?”
Joonmyun lets his drink waltz, the ice cubes clinking against the glass. “I’m okay.” He takes a long drag of his cigarette, briefly looking at the ring on his left hand before lowering it again. “It’s Baekhyun. My ex. We owned a cabin near Jinyang lake - the deed was transferred to my name after we broke up. He’s disputing the transfer.”
Joonmyun takes a sip of his glass. “It’s nothing like Baek to be difficult about this - he never cared much for the place, and it isn’t worth much. I’m sure his new asshole boyfriend is behind it. Baek and I parted on good terms, but it got messy as soon as he came in the picture.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Jongin says. He probably shouldn’t push his luck, but it’s the first time Joonmyun’s ever mentioned his ex, and Jongin’s masochistic streak is dying to know more about it. “How long were you and he together?”
“9 years. We separated a year and a half ago. Of course we couldn’t get married legally - but Baekhyun had wanted a commitment ceremony anyway, hence the ring. I’m so used to wearing it… and it doesn’t hurt to wear a wedding ring when meeting with clients, especially for someone like me. So I haven’t gotten around to taking it off yet.” Joonmyun smiles - a reserved, tight smile, as opposed to the genuine flash of teeth Jongin has been so attracted to. “Silly, I know.”
“Jongin!” Hakyeon’s voice cuts through their conversation. “Come back inside, the interns want to take group shots!”
“You should go,” Joonmyun says as he tosses his cigarette to the ground. “I can tell you’re freezing. Get back inside before you catch a cold.”
“For what it’s worth - I don’t think you’re silly.” There’s so much more Jongin wants to say but the alcohol has really started to kick in and he needs to get away from Joonmyun before he voices his thoughts and says something horribly inappropriate (like “Fuck Baekhyun” or “You sentimental, masochistic fool” or “I love you, senpai”). He also needs to find his jacket before his nipples cut two in his shirt.
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? Kim Jongin, future President of the World
14.11.18
Baby it’s cold outside.
ヾ(´･ ･｀｡)ノ”
12.41pm i checked out your crush’ linkedin profile
12.42pm is there something wrong with his face
12.46pm no wtf jongdae
12.48pm it really looks like there’s something wrong with his face
12.58pm shut up
01.07pm like, i see he could be handsome but he kinda looks like someone just ambushed his behind with a tiny pointy buttplug
01.15pm that doesn’t make any sense and you know nothing and please don’t speak of pointy buttplugs ever again when you are discussing my boss
01.40pm are you sure you’re not just star-struck because senpai is really good at math and you get a math-boner while watching him work
03.15pm im disowning you
03.18pm i’d like to see you try - i’m in law school now and im coming for your ass
03.20pm are you trying to break some kind of record with the major switches
03.24pm its my life and its now or never
03.28pm seriously though he’s cute you should bang him
03.31pm no
03.37pm im your lawyer you should listen to me
03.43pm and im telling you to go after what you want
03.59pm i just want you to shut up
| ͠° ▃ °͠ |
Joonmyun doesn’t show up at work until Wednesday. It’s not unusual for Joonmyun to stay away for a day, but Jongin wonders if it had anything to do with his ex. Kyungsoo seems agitated, and Chanyeol had kept him occupied by letting him wrestle through a 700 page document, weeding out the relevant info for Chanyeol to process later.
If Jongin though Joonmyun looked tired before the weekend, he looks completely exhausted now. There are dark circles underneath his eyes and Kyungsoo is fussing over him like a concerned mother hen. Joonmyun is on the phone all day, with Kyungsoo walking in and out of the office constantly.
“Looks like change is upon us, Jongin,” Chanyeol announces after lunch.
“Hm?”
“I just got an email from Hongbin. Nothing’s official yet but it looks like Joonmyun is leaving us. Off to lead the Busan branch. Their managing director got accused of fraud so they’re pulling in Joonmyun to save face. Hongbin says he’ll announce it today. No wonder Kyungsoo has been so grouchy lately...”
.·´¯`(>▂<)´¯`·.
“So you’re just going to give up?” Jongdae squawks. “You’re not even going to try to make this work?”
“How can I give up on something that was never there, Jongdae. He’ll be gone before the end of the week. It’s done, it was nice while it lasted,” Jongin says, keeping his eyes fixed on the tv. Maybe he can ignore the crater that used to be his chest. Maybe it won’t hurt as much - if only his cousin allowed it to.
“But don’t you see this is the perfect opportunity for you? He won’t be your boss anymore, you’ve never had a better shot! If only you would talk to him and ask him out, maybe you could-”
“It’s too late, Jongdae. He’ll be too busy getting everything settled in Busan. He’s not even coming back to the office, Kyungsoo will take care of moving all his stuff.”
“But-”
“Fuck, Jongdae, drop it. It’s done,” Jongin snarls. “I’m going to bed.” He doesn’t want to add insult to injury by letting his cousin see him in tears.
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? Kim Jongin, future President of the World
14.11.23
Katy Perry - The one who got away: https://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=BE&v=Ahha3Cqe_fk.
(╥_╥)
“.. and that, my friends, is the story of how my innocent cousin came to the big city and fell in love with his boss and seems to be incapable of doing anything about it.”
Jongin blinks when his blanket is pulled back, trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. There are two tall men standing by his bed. “Se-Sehun? Tao? What are you guys doing here?” he croaks.
“I called them,” Jongdae says as he plops down on Jongin’s bed. “Right after you went to bed. Figured I needed to step in and gather my Council of Gays for you, since you won’t listen to my advice.”
“What time is it?” Jongin reaches for his phone.
“Relax, it’s not even midnight yet, you won’t miss out on your beauty sleep,” Jongdae drawls. “So, I brought them up to speed and they have something to tell you.”
“Guys, I appreciate what you’re trying to do but I really don’t need to hear this right now.” Jongin tries to pull his blanket back up, but Tao stops him.
“I think you do,” he says softly. He glances at Sehun. “Has Jongdae ever told you how Sehun and I met?”
Jongin groans, but sits up a little straighter. “Fine. Tell me.”
“I ran into him at Seoul University campus. I was here as an exchange student for one trimester - it was my first day and my knowledge of Korean was limited, at best. I was trying to find lecture hall C when Sehun here approached me to ask where I had bought my jacket.”
“A legendary start of an epic love story,” Jongdae comments.
Sehun chimes in. “Not quite. I’m afraid my flirting didn’t quite make it across the language barrier. He was busy, too - I think he spent more time sightseeing than studying while he was here. Anyway, I knew he was only going to be here for three months so I.. held back. I could tell he liked me well enough as a friend but I never thought we’d have a chance. Tao’s not a flighty guy. He’d told me about some of his previous boyfriends and I knew he’d never settle for a fling of a few weeks.”
“And you were right,” Tao agrees. “But you never gave me the chance to decide that for myself. He came to see me off at the airport and only then he told me had feelings for me. Such a drama queen.” He reaches for Sehun’s hand. “Still, I’m glad he did. I got on that plane but I came back after Christmas. And I haven’t looked back since.”
Jongdae applauds. “Bravo! Truly a victory for the ballsy one!”
Jongin isn’t impressed. “Look - I’m happy for you. And it’s great that you guys are trying to be inspirational, but.. you just got lucky. What are the odds Joonmyun feels the same way?”
“I’m gonna go out on a limb here - you met the guy by accident in a public bathroom, a week later you get the job even though you bombed the interview, out of the blue he starts getting out of his office more, and he doesn’t judge you for your love of manga,” Jongdae explains. “Call me a romantic but I’d say you have a shot.”
“Jongin - it doesn’t matter if you think you have a shot or not. The point is, if I hadn’t told Tao how I felt about him the moment he was about to walk out of my life, I never would have. And I know I’d have never forgiven myself for it,” Sehun says.
“Maybe Joonmyun isn’t the guy for you - but please, don’t let yourself become that guy who’s scared to take a shot at happiness,” Jongdae concludes. “So - I suggest we’ll leave you to it so you can make a few phone calls.”
(❀｣╹□╹)｣*
･Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? Kim Jongin, 2.0
15.01.07
Today is a good day. Ready for a Busan adventure.
Title: Kim Jongin 2.0
Pairing: Jongin/Suho
Word Count: ~9,000 words
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: excessive use of alcohol as a coping mechanism
Summary: Office AU. Jongin tries to reinvent himself. He's not very successful.
Author's Note: Dear nachtegael, I hope you don't mind I've combined some of your prompts. Thanks to C for checking the first draft of this story, and thanks to L, who always manages to get me back on track when I'm lost.
Jongin is early.
He looks up at the facade of the skyscraper - a sea of tainted glass towering over him, looking imposing next to the other smaller office buildings on the block.
Shinhan Bank.
He checks his watch for the fifth time in half an hour. 9.41am. His interview isn’t until 11 o’clock, but Jongin has a tendency to be late, so this morning he hadn’t taken any chances and had left his cousin’s apartment at 9 am sharp.
Someone bumps into him. “I - sorry,” he tries to apologize, but the man is already out of earshot, disappearing into the quickly moving crowd on the sidewalk. Jongin turns on his heels and barely avoids walking into a young woman clutching a Starbucks cup and a snakeskin laptop bag. She slips around him, expertly holding up her drink to keep it upright. “Watch where you’re going, idiot.”
Jongin stumbles back, nearly tripping over some businessman’s feet until his back finally hits the cool marble of the building and he’s no longer blocking the pavement.
Throngs of people walk by, some entering the bank through entrances left and right of Jongin. To him, they all look the same: impeccably dressed, an unmistakable air of success around them. He looks down at his own outfit: a dark grey off-the-rack suit that stretches uncomfortably tight around his shoulders and black patent leather dress shoes with hot pink heels and soles (Jongin had borrowed those from Jongdae, his ‘fashion-forward’ cousin, since he only owned sneakers himself).
Jongin cringes at the thought of having to buy more suits and appropriate footwear if the bank accepts his application for an internship. Then again, adding a successful internship at Shinhan to his resume would open a lot of doors and the investment would pay back itself in no time (at least that’s what he had told his mother when he left Jecheon for Seoul two weeks ago).
He checks his watch again. 9.44 am. Two hours and sixteen minutes left before his interview. Jongin takes out his phone, pressing number 9 on speed-dial. Jongdae.
Jongdae’s caller tune,Fantastic Baby, rings loudly in Jongin’s ear. His cousin’s gruff voice cuts through the second repetition of the chorus.
“You better be on fire because that’s the only good excuse for waking me up before noon.”
“I’m too early.”
Jongin can hear a dull thump and Jongdae’s groan over the rustling of sheets on the other end of the line. “...So?”
“Well, what do I do? People are looking at me,” Jongin squeaks.
“How the fuck am I supposed to know. Act natural?”
Jongin tries to lean casually against the wall. He feels the fabric of his vest bunching up awkwardly as he slouches a little. “Okay, I’m doing it,” he mutters under his breath. “Now what?”
“Jongin, if you think I’m going to talk you through this for the next hour, you greatly overestimate my love for you.”
“Come on Jongdae, help me out here.” Jongin whines.
“I’m hanging up now.”
“Wait!” Jongin begs. “There are at least four different entrances, how do I know which one is the right one?”
“Well you’ve more than an hour to figure that out, don’t you? Good luck, bro,” Jongdae replies with a sneer before he ends the call.
ლ(´﹏`ლ)
As it turns out, all four entrances lead to the main foyer, where Jongin gets a visitor’s badge and is led through a metal detector before being waved through, a small card in hand with instructions to head to the 12th floor, office 127. The whole process takes only a few minutes and when Jongin steps out of the elevator, it’s barely ten o’clock.
From the hallway he’s standing in, he can see rows of cubicles and a few large offices taking up most of the space. Jongin doesn’t see a reception or waiting area and he feels anxiety building up in his belly again, urging him to run back to the safety of Jongdae’s apartment.
Act natural.
Jongin tries to imitate the casual lean he’d done earlier.
That’s right. I belong here. I can stand here all day long. This is perfectly acceptable behavior.
Jongin spots a young man peeping over one of the cubicles to stare at him.
Shit. Play it cool, Jongin.
He does a hair flip.
The man laughs (barks?), showing a terrifying amount of teeth.
Jongin notices there’s a restroom a little further down the hall and flees.
(๑⁺᷄д⁺᷅๑)◞՞
997.
998.
999.
1000.
Jongin sighs as he closes the app. 1000 points on Pong, if he doesn’t get the job, at least he’ll have a shiny new highscore to boast. He checks the time again. 10.48am. Jongin shifts, running his hands nervously over his thighs. His legs are getting a little numb after sitting for 40 minutes on the closed toilet seat. Maybe I should freshen up a little before going in.
He unlocks the door and walks out of his stall. The sound of the running water splashing on smooth porcelain reverberates through the empty bathroom as Jongin washes his hands once, twice. The door to the office opens and a man walks in, heading straight for the sinks. Like everyone else on the floor he is dressed impeccably - a dark blue tailored suit fitting snugly on his lean frame, the jacket tapered at the man’s small waist.
They make eye-contact so Jongin makes an awkward half-bow.
“Are you new here?” The man asks before he turns on the faucet on the sink next to Jongin’s.
Striking up light-hearted conversations with possibly future co-workers was not something Jongin had mentally prepared himself for and he finds himself momentarily lost for words as he looks at the man next to him.
He’s nearly a head shorter than Jongin but he feels frumpy and a little intimidated standing next to a stranger who is so obviously dressed for success. He can see the man’s eyes raking over him, fleetingly - as if he’s sizing him up. Jongin wonders if he’s the kind of cold-blooded businessmen who eats interns for dinner.
“Um. Yes. No. Not yet, I mean - I have an interview for an internship.” The scrutinizing look on the man’s face changes into something softer, kinder, and Jongin can’t help but notice how handsome the man is when he isn’t frowning.
The man rolls up his cuffs and starts washing his hands. “You’re not from Seoul, are you?”
Dammit. Jongdae always makes fun of his accent. This man probably thinks he sounds like a peasant, too.
“Jecheon. I just moved here.”
The other man hums, quickly lathering up his hands. Jongin spots the glimmer of a small golden wedding band on his left hand. “Are you still in college?”
“Yes. But I’m not taking any classes this semester.” An approved internship would gain him some credit, and Jongin had saved up for months waiting tables to afford his Seoul trip.
“Why didn’t you apply at our Jecheon branch?” The man asks as he rinses off the soap suds.
“Seoul always looks better on a resume.”
“Ambitious, huh.” The man smiles and reaches for the towel dispenser. “Minseok will like that. Are you nervous?”
“A little.”
The man chuckles. “Just a little? You’ve been rinsing off your hands for at least two minutes now.”
Jongin hurriedly turns off the faucet.
“Don’t worry. Minseok is a clean freak. Mentioning you like to spend your break time washing your hands might give you a head-start,” the man adds with a wink, making his whole face contort in a decidedly unattractive way (although Jongin thinks it’s rather cute). He walks towards the door before turning on his heels again. “What’s your name?” he asks just as Jongin is reaching for the towels and accidentally pulls out a dozen all at once. Jongin fumbles and bows again.
“Kim Jongin, nice to meet you sir.”
“I’m Kim Joonmyun, senior financial analyst. Good luck. We might meet again, if you get the job.”
Joonmyun turns and leaves, the door shutting behind him with a soft click.
Jongin checks his watch again. 10.54 pm. Showtime.
(▰˘︹˘▰)
“I’m telling you, it was awful! They kept asking me all these irrelevant questions,” Jongin whines.
“It’s an interview, what did you expect?” Jongdae mumbles around a mouthful of chips.
“That woman was nice enough but the manager barely even looked at me. I don’t even think he read my resume, and he left after two minutes. And then this other guy who came had huge, round eyes and I wanted to hide under the table because I felt he could see right through my clothes.”
“Well, letting him see you naked might work in your favor. If he plays for your team.”
“... You disgust me.”
“I’m a free thinking spirit.”
“Yeah, I used that line in the interview today. I’m not sure that came off the right way. The guy kept asking me to clarify my statement.” Jongin sighs and reaches for the bag but his cousin curls his arms around them protectively.
“Hey, no job, no chips.”
“Don’t be a dick, Jongdae. Besides, what job do you have?”
“I’m babysitting you, on top of my busy student life.” Jongdae anticipates the punch and scoots over to the far side of the couch, out of reach of Jongin’s swinging fists. “Geesh, you young folk are so violent these days.”
“You’re only 13 months older than me.”
“Odd how that somehow equals infinite wisdom, doesn’t it?” Jongdae smirks. There’s a chip in his hair. Jongin decides not to tell him.
“You became completely insufferable since you started majoring in Philosophy, you know.”
“Hence why I switched to Sociology,” Jongdae says.
“Sociology? When the hell did this happen?”
“Five days ago. The chicks at Sociology were way hotter and the lads bring better booze to parties.”
Jongin slouches back, too strung out to deal with his cousin’s antics right now. “My mom was right, this was a terrible idea. I should never have come here.”
Jongdae sits a little straighter and dusts a few crumbles off his chest. “Hey, don’t give up yet, kiddo. Damn, your generation has no patience at all.” Jongdae tosses the bag of chips in Jongin’s lap. “There, cry-baby, eat a chip. So what if the interview didn’t go well? There are plenty of banks in Seoul who’d be happy to hire an eager Finance major. You know those interns are nothing but glorified coffee-makers. Even a peasant like you could pull that off.”
Jongin tries to fit a fistful of chips into his mouth while listening to his cousin rant. “... and I won’t let you give up just because you weren’t hired on the spot. They might actually call you back.”
“You are the worst possible person ever to take career advice from, you know. And I have to ask, are you saying this to keep my spirits up because you care about me or because you’re worried you won’t find another roommate who wants to cough up half the rent to share this oversized closet with a nutbag like yourself?
“I don’t see why those options would be mutually exclusive,” Jongdae quips. “But seriously, you have to work on your attitude if you want to make it in the big city. Seoul eats little fish like you. It’s time to channel your inner shark.”
“My inner shark?” Jongin asks.
“You know. Find your brand. Figure out your strong points. Sell yourself - show them the new and improved Kim Jongin!”
“You called me a peasant fifteen seconds ago.”
“Details! I’ve forgotten all about that already.”
“But I haven’t.”
Jongdae throws his arms in the air in exasperation. “Work with me, okay?”
“Look, I came to Seoul to swim with the big fish. But I’m still a shrimp.”
Jongdae huffs. “Technically you’re not even krill right now.”
“Exactly. I don’t have anything to sell yet.”
“Nonsense! You may not have my exceptionally good looks or my social skills but you’re pretty as long as you keep your mouth shut. And you’re the math genius of the family. You wrote your first program when you were 13! I know because I’ve had to hear about it every Christmas for the following five years.”
“I’m hardly a genius. And that program was a prehistoric looking version of tic-tac-toe.”
“Well, grandma thought it was Nobel Prize worthy. Besides, you’re missing the point. You’re a bright kid, someone will see that eventually. But it’s up to you to convince them. Let them all scramble to get a piece of Kim Jongin 2.0 - the hottest item on the intern market.”
“...”
“...”
“Do you have to make everything sound so cheesy?”
Jongdae leans over and plucks the bag out of Jongin’s lap again. “Cheese is what I do best, baby.”
“I’m gonna take a nap,” Jongin says as he slides off the couch and pads towards his room.
“I’m serious! Kim Jongin 2.0! You should get started on a blog!” Jongdae yells after him.
＼（＠￣∇￣＠）／
Dear Kim Jongin,
Thank you for your application at Shinhan Bank - Finance and Asset Management division SEOUL. We are pleased to inform you your candidature has been accepted and we look forward to working with you in our Trainee & Internship Program.
Please contact Mrs. CHOI Yeeun (+82 2-749-0381) as soon as possible for more information.
Kind regards,
LEE Sungyeol
Shinhan Bank Seoul
“I told you it would all work out.” Jongdae says triumphantly.
“I still don’t get it…” Jongin says, reading over the email for the twelfth time. “I was so sure they wouldn’t be interested.”
“Will you please stop questioning yourself. You got in! Did you put this on your blog yet? We should celebrate this properly after my Biology exam next Thursday. There’s a club Tao and Sehun have been wanting to go to for weeks now.
“Who are Tao and Sehu- wait, Biology? Why is a Sociology major taking biology?”
“I switched majors again.” Jongdae says flippantly.
“You switched - again? When? Is that even possible?”
“Hey, don’t judge me for living my life. There’s a real future in biotechnology.”
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? KJI-2.0
14.09.28
Tomorrow I start working at Shinan. Woot.
Had spaghetti for lunch.
(•ิ_•ิ)?
“Did they set you up downstairs? Got your own badge and code?”
“Yes sir,” Jongin says, a little out of breath as he tries to keep up with the smaller man as he strides through the long hallways of the 12th floor.
“Okay, we’ll still need to get you form H-9, that’s the one you have to submit to your university and -”
“Lee Sungyeol from HR already gave me the extra documents I need for school, sir.”
Jongin looks down at the plastic file in his hand. It contains a copy of his contract, three different applications to be sent back to university, some Shinhan folders and a shiny new badge with his picture on it.
Do Kyungsoo halts suddenly and Jongin almost walks right into him. “I see. Let me show you your new workspace then - Park Chanyeol can show you around on the floor, you’ll be assisting him most of the time. I’ll mail you a list of the assigned accounts that are up for review next week.” Kyungsoo keeps talking as he briskly starts walking again, saying something about a task list and Jongin strains his ears as he awkwardly jogs after him.
“.. but we won’t let you work on those until after you’ve finished your one month trial period anyway. Now, you are to work together with Chanyeol but you report directly to me. You mentioned in your interview you have experience in programming, right?”
“Yes, sir,” Jongin says as he steps aside to make way for a group of businessmen coming down the hall. Kyungsoo keeps walking straight and they part for him, exchanging polite bows.
“Which languages have you most experience with?
“Um, C++, Java and MATLAB.”
“Good. That’ll get you some extra work - Joonmyun will be glad to hear we won’t have to call in IT everytime he needs a model tweaked.”
“Joon - Joonmyun, sir?”
“That’s Kim Joonmyun to you. Supervisor of our Financial Analyst Team. I’m his assistant. You report to me, I report to him, he reports to Minseok. Don’t worry, you’ll figure out the chain of command soon enough. Here we are,” Kyungsoo says as they walk into a cubicle close to one of the larger offices. “Chanyeol, this is Kim Jongin, our newest intern.”
Chanyeol spins his chair around and claps his hands excitedly. “New recruits! How exciting.”
Jongin recognizes him as the one with all the teeth from the day of his interviewer. Chanyeol shakes his hand enthusiastically. It’s a sharp contrast with Kyungsoo’s stiff posture but if the assistant is fazed by Chanyeol’s behavior, he doesn’t show it.
“Show Jongin around, if you will. I’ll send you a worksheet later this afternoon with next week’s schedule. Where are you on the Wakefield file?”
“Nearly finished sir, just waiting for them to get back to me with the revised reports of this quarter to make some final edits.”
“Joonmyun wants it on his desk before 4pm.” Kyungsoo says.
“But sir-,” Chanyeol splutters. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to do it before then.”
Kyungsoo’s jaw tightens. “Unfortunately for you, I am sure about what will happen to you if you don’t.”
Chanyeol gulps audibly.
Kyungsoo nods towards Jongin. “If you need anything else, I’m right across the hall, by Joonmyun’s office. Welcome to the firm,” he says before walking out of the cubicle. Jongin sees him enter the large glass-walled office, and the small figure behind the large mahogany desk in the center of the room. Sure enough, it’s the same guy he’d met in the bathroom before his not-so-disastrous-after-all interview.
We might meet again, if you get the job.
( 。•_• 。)
Jongin sinks down into the office chair opposite Chanyeol’s, who still looks a little shaken up from his encounter with Kyungsoo.
“Alright - Jongin, was it? I’m afraid proper introductions and our tour of the premises will have to wait until I can get someone at Wakefield to send me those damn reports. Uh, there’s your desk, all office supplies are in the room behind that-,” Chanyeol points, “green door over there - take whatever you need to get set up. Did HR give you a login already?”
Jongin holds up the file he’d received downstairs.
“Good, good. Well, boot up your computer and check if everything works. I’ll ask Hongbin later to show you where to find everything on the server, I really can’t waste time on it right now.” Chanyeol says as he starts typing away on his own keyboard.
“Is there anything I can do to help you?” Jongin asks tentatively.
Chanyeol looks up and pulls out a file labeled “WKFLDX14”. “Our contact’s name is Han Woohyun. I know he’s out of the country so try to get hold of an assistant or junior manager - anyone who can send me those reports right away,” he says as he hands the file to Jongin.
“I’m on it.”
“Great. Thanks.” Chanyeol focuses back on his monitor.
Jongin cranes his neck to take another look at the small figure of Kyungsoo, standing hunched over Joonmyun’s desk. “Hey… is Kyungsoo always that intense?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah, you don’t want to mess with him. We call him the Butcher.”
Jongin’s stomach clenches uncomfortably. “..the Butcher?”
Chanyeol makes a face. “Well. I do. That, or the Bulldog. He runs a tight ship here - Joonmyun doesn’t really interfere with our work because Kyungsoo does it for him. Joonmyun says what needs to happen and Kyungsoo gets it done. You really don’t want to fuck up their deadlines.”
“Odd. Joonmyun seemed… nice.” Jongin says.
“You’ve met him already?”
“Only briefly. I ran into him when I applied. I had no idea who he was or that he’d be my boss.”
“Well don’t you worry about Joonmyun. He’s nice enough. Brilliant guy too - came in at 23 and made Shinhan more money in his first week than both you and I ever will in our whole career. It’s a miracle a bigger firm hasn’t snapped him up yet.” Chanyeol adds in a conspiratory whisper.
No wonder Joonmyun had that aura of success around him. Joonmyun had struck him as pretty young to be a Senior analyst.
“How old is he?”
“Joonmyun?” Chanyeol purses his lips. “30? 31? Something like that. Why, are you planning to adjust your 5-year plan to follow in his footsteps?”
Jongin can’t stop a blush from creeping up his cheeks. “No, no. Just wondering.”
“So, do you think you can start calling around now and help me save my job?” Chanyeol pleads.
“Of course. Sorry, right away.”
(๑´•ω • `๑)
It takes Jongin roughly thirty minutes of chatting up Han Woohyun’s personal assistant for Chanyeol to whoop in excitement as he finally gets the right document to finish Joonmyun’s report. Jongin earns extra brownie points later for restoring a document after Chanyeol closes it by accident without saving his work. At 3.38, the updated Wakefield file lands on Kyungsoo’s desk. Chanyeol declares Jongin his “most favourite intern ever”, but has to admit he’s never had one before.
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? KJI-2.0
14.09.28
Saving your work is important. Invest in a good external hard drive.
If you’re bored, try looking up ‘funny cat video’ on Youtube.
Chanyeol seems like fun.
o(^▽^)o
If Chanyeol had struck him as somewhat frivolous at first, it only takes Jongin a few days to figure out Chanyeol is just a ridiculously happy guy. After their stressful first day, Chanyeol had taken it upon him to show him around the office and introduce him to “the wonderful crowd of the twelfth floor”. Jongin meets a few other interns from the Asset Management department but learns he’s the only one on the Trainee Program in Joonmyun’s division. “I’ve been asking for an intern for over a year, but Kyungsoo sure is picky and Joonmyun would never hire someone without getting Kyungsoo’s approval first. You’re the first one to make the cut.” Jongin finds himself wondering if he secretly wants Joonmyun had something to do with that, despite Jongin’s awkward first impression on the day of his interview - or if he should hope Kyungsoo had hired him on merits alone.
As the days pass, the latter seems more likely, as Joonmyun doesn’t show the slightest interest in Jongin - when he isn’t meeting clients, he keeps to his office and rarely ventures out. They’d only spoken once, on Jongin’s second day of work - very briefly, as Joonmyun walked by just when Jongin had picked up a box of files from Kyungsoo’s desk.
The older man smiled as he approached the newest intern. “Hi Jongin - I hope you’ve settled in alright?” Joonmyun hadn’t waited for Jongin’s reply as he took the latte Kyungsoo offered him and immediately waltzed into his office.
“Pretty impressive he knows your name already. It took him two years to learn Chanyeol’s,” Kyungsoo had commented dryly.
Chanyeol may be a little chaotic at times, but with 6 years of experience under his belt managing highly specialized portfolios, he’s a definitely an expert in his field and after barely a week of work, Jongin feels he’s learned more about finance in the past few days than during a whole semester at university. So far his tasks have been menial at best - gathering and preparing files for Chanyeol, making coffee runs, getting rid of the occasional malware on Chanyeol’s computer and simple data input. It’s not challenging, but Chanyeol has no issues showing his work to Jongin and answers every question from his intern patiently and elaborately.
“Since you’re here full-time, perhaps you can help me with starting up a new account next week. Kyungsoo has mentioned taking over the Busan branch of ViTech - it’s not a top-tier company but it’ll be big enough for you to learn the ropes, start to finish. It could give you a boost for the evaluation.”
By Thursday, Chanyeol decides to promote his intern to “Wingman First Class”. “Go out with me after work - I’ve seen you chat up Eunkyung in the break room the other day, I could use a man with your skills.”
Jongin shifts in his seat. “Actually, my cousin wants me to go out with him tonight. And I wasn’t chatting her up, she just heard you mentioning the firewall I installed on your computer and asked me about it.” He’d managed to get through the whole conversation without saying something deeply embarrassing - not that Jongin was uncomfortable around girls per se, but the professional setting still threw him off a little. Eunkyung is a junior manager from Assets and walks around in dresses Jongin has only seen before in Jongdae’s fashion magazines, and even though he had invested in 3 decent (and frighteningly expensive) suits after his application was accepted, he still feels perpetually underdressed in the office.
Chanyeol snorts. “Firewall, sure. I’ve never had a girl twirling her hair around her fingers and licking her lips at me while discussing the finer points of antivirus software.”
“Ah. I don’t usually notice those kind of things.”
Chanyeol pops his back and leans dangerously far back in his swivel chair. “Don’t notice a signal that obvious? You must be really stupid or really gay.”
Jongin smiles apologetically and slips on his coat. “Thanks anyway for the invite. Raincheck?”
Chanyeol winks. “Definitely! See you tomorrow.”
“Bye!” He glances over at his boss’ office one more time before he leaves. Joonmyun is animatedly talking on the phone, but as if he feels Jongin looking at him, he looks up - flashing a bright smile at the intern. Jongin bows his head and raises his hand in a poor excuse for a wave. Joonmyun’s smile grows even wider, and he nods.
Jongin turns around, feeling waves of embarrassment crush down on him. First week of work and I just waved my boss goodbye like a preschooler. Fucking genius, Kim Jongin. Jongin can’t wait to get home and wash away the mortification with whatever Jongdae’s liquor cabinet has to offer. And yet, in the pit of his stomach, there’s another feeling too - something that struck him as Joonmyun had smiled at him. Jongin decides it must be admiration.
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? KJI-2.0
14.10.01
Jongdae made me a BLT-sandwich for lunch. He should do it more often.
Going out with Jongdae and his friends later.
Pro-tip: don’t wave your co-workers goodbye.
(●°u°●) 」
“Wait - you busted your ass serving drinks for four years, while in uni, saving up just so you could come to here, age 24, and be a slave to corporate Seoul for three months?” Sehun slurs in his ear as he pushes another drink in Jongin’s hand.
“Technically, I do get paid. But it’s a symbolic amount, really.” Jongin looks down at the large cocktail. “Probably not enough to buy me two of these - whatever the hell it is.” He eyes the bright pink drink suspiciously. He pulls at the sleeve of his shirt - Jongdae had insisted on ‘styling’ him for the occasion and had opted for black skinny jeans that left nothing to the imagination and a dark blue shirt with buttons ‘conveniently’ reaching up to his sternum, making the occasional nip-slip unavoidable (“Tao has the same one, it’s really popular with the fab crowd!”).
Tao tuts and slings his arm around Sehun. “Not everyone’s as spoiled as you are, Sehun - some people have to work their way up.” He hiccups and pats Jongin’s shoulder. “And it’s a Bubble Butt - Sehun came up with the recipe. It has lots of vodka and… pink shit, I guess. Don’t knock it back in one go, it’s pretty potent.” He moves behind Sehun, grabbing his hips suggestively. “Now, allow me to steal my boyfriend for a minute for I must go grind on him in public.”
Sehun laughs and leans back against Tao’s broad chest. “Careful, we don’t want to shock our new friend.”
Tao grins and bites down softly on Sehun’s pale neck. “Why not? He might as well get used to us,” he replies, winking at Jongin.
“Do forgive Tao. He’s very territorial when it comes to Sehun,” Jongdae tells Jongin as Tao and Sehun both head to the dance floor. The club is packed and it’s a little too warm for Jongin’s liking; but the music is good and the bartenders are hot.
Tao’s silver and Sehun’s pink hair stands out, even as they walk through the crowd. “They look good together.”
“They do.”
“So - see anyone here you like?” Jongdae asks nonchalantly.
Jongin gives his cousin a look. “Why, are you worried I’ll end up as a bachelor with forty cats?”
“More like a hermit with three smelly dogs. You haven’t seen any action at all since Luhan and that was three years ago. I’m honestly surprised your dick hasn’t fallen off yet. Now that you’re living with me I can finally do something about it.”
“I’m fine, thank you.” Jongin considers going against Tao’s advice and downing the Bubble Butt in one go after all, if only to erase the memory of this conversation. “I really don’t need you to worry about who I’m fucking.”
“It’s not a matter of who, it’s a matter of if. It’s unnatural for men your age to live as a monk. It’s all part of the new and improved you,” Jongdae says solemnly.
“Are you suggesting my brand value at work will go up if I start fucking around?”
“I most certainly am - that pathetic show you call a blog isn’t going to attract any crowds. Besides, I’ll feel less guilty about taking someone home if you do too, every once in a while.” Jongdae knocks back the rest of his martini and stands up. “I’m gonna go acquaint myself with the busty redhead at the bar. Good luck, sailor!”
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? KJI-2.0
14.10.02
i cant sleep.
i bought two pairs of socks on ebay. they look sharp.
*(*´∀｀*)☆
“Morning! You look terrible. Bad night?” Chanyeol asks worriedly.
Jongin groans. “Something like that.”
“... Please don’t tell me you’re hungover on your first week of work.”
“No, I can’t be - I don’t get it. I only had two drinks.” Actually Jongin is pretty sure it was that damned cocktail. That, in combination with lying awake for a good part of the night listening to his (very vocal) cousin screwing a girl in the adjacent room, leaving him plenty of time to consider how lonely he felt. Pathetic.
“That must’ve been a hell of a drink then,” Chanyeol chuckles. “So, do you think you’ll manage to get through the day?”
“I’ll be fine, I just need some coffee to pull me through,” Jongin mumbles.
／(x~x)＼
When Jongin returns from his lunch break, there’s a bottle of aspirin standing on his desk, with a small post-it next to it.
“Keep fit - JM”
He probably should be worried Joonmyun had noticed how awful he looked today, but it doesn’t stop Jongin’s heart from making a backflip in his chest. He downs two pills, dry, and carefully tucks the note away in his wallet before Chanyeol or anyone else sees it.
( ﾉ^ω^)ﾉﾟ
“It’s Friday, you really don’t have to stay late. Go out and enjoy your weekend, get some rest,” Chanyeol says. “That work won’t run away, you know.”
“I want to, really. It’ll take me half an hour, tops to finish the data input and then you can get started on the ViTech file first thing Monday morning. I didn’t get much done this morning but I feel better now.”
“If you say so. You certainly look better, lunch did you good. Anyway, Kyungsoo will be here late, so if you need anything, ask him, if you dare. Have a good weekend!”
“Thanks, you too”.
Unfortunately for Jongin, there’s a string of corrupted data keeping him occupied for far longer than he’d have thought. It takes two cups of coffee, roughly twenty whispered curses and two hour’s time for him to find and fix the problem. When he’s finally done, Jongin is all wound up and he knocks over a cup of cold coffee, staining the sleeve of his new blue shirt. “Shit.”
“Is everything alright here?” Joonmyun asks softly. Jongin had been too preoccupied to notice him standing in the doorway of his office - Kyungsoo isn’t at his desk, and everyone else in their department had left long before them. It’s just Jongin and Joonmyun now.
“I’m sorry sir - just being clumsy.”
“Are you feeling better?” Joonmyun asks as he approaches the low divider of Jongin’s cubicle.
“Yes. Sorry, it’s just that I had a rough night and-” Jongin stops himself before he can say anything embarrassing. “Thank you for the pills, sir. It helped a lot.”
“Good. I was worried Chanyeol might have worked you too hard in your first week - he hasn’t worked with someone else in so long. Are you nearly done here? It’s rare to see someone working overtime on a Friday - and for an intern, no less.”
As Joonmyun rests a hand on top of the divider, Jongin’s eyes fall on the small gold band around his boss’ left ring finger.
“You shouldn’t stay much longer either - I’m sure your wife would want you home before midnight.”
A dark look flashes on Joonmyun’s face and Jongin could bite his own tongue off for speaking so directly. Joonmyun looks down at the ring and twists it, his face relaxing into something softer, something sad.
“I’m not married anymore.”
Oh.
Jongin’s stomach drops as he tries to gauge the implications of that statement.
Of course there’s a dead wife in the picture. Tragic.
“I’m really sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.” Jongin mutters red-faced, wondering if he’d sound foolish if he offered his condolences.
Joonmyun tilts his head, caught off-guard by Jongin’s change in attitude.
“Ah, no,” he pauses, looking at Jongin hesitantly as if he’s unsure how to continue.” ... he isn’t dead. Baekhyun and I aren’t together anymore.” He locks eyes with Jongin, letting the statement hang heavy in the air on its own for a few seconds, as if he’s gauging Jongin’s reaction. There’s defiance in Joonmyun’s eyes, and Jongin recognizes the tension in his superior’s shoulders - the way his fingers clutch the divider as if he’s breaching himself for rejection and ridicule. It’s a feeling Jongin knows all too well - he’d often felt like the only gay person in the world, back in Jecheon (though he’d never made it a habit to come out to strangers).
Joonmyun relaxes a little when Jongin merely nods. ”So, tell me about your first week at Shinhan.”
So Jongin talks, and even though he doesn’t understand why Joonmyun would take an interest in him, he feels the man’s attention is genuine. Joonmyun looks him in the eye, nods along as Jongin explains his initial confusion about the set-up of the firm’s finance model’s coding, and laughs at his descriptions of Chanyeol and Kyungsoo.
“They’re amazing. Chanyeol says his work is 70 percent numbers, 30 percent magic. He says he’s just going with his gut but there has to be more to it than that.”
Joonmyun chuckles. “I can imagine it must seem like magic to an outsider, but once you’ve worked here for a few years, it’s all about relying on experience without losing sight of alternative outcomes.”
“I hope I can be as good as them one day.”
“You might be, if you put in enough hours. You can be great at this job but no one will ever master it fully. The markets change and so does the legal framework - I still learn everyday. Just make sure to watch and learn from Chanyeol. Now go home, it’s nearly 9.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Enjoy your weekend, Jongin,” Joonmyun says as he walks back to his office. “Oh - and that coffee stain? Let it soak in hot water with some dishwasher detergent. I’ve had to deal with a lot of those over the years and that seems to do the trick.”
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? KJI-2.0
14.10.02
JM-Hyung really knows his stains. my shirt is clean again. im glad.
note to self: become as good as chanyeol and kyungsoo
- =͟͟͞͞ ( ꒪౪꒪)ฅ✧
“How was work?” Jongdae asks as Jongin shuffles in around 9.30pm. “Pretty brutal of them to ask you to put in overtime already, on your first week.”
“It was my idea,” Jongin grunts as he takes off his shoes.
Jongdae’s head peeks around the kitchen door. “Did you eat yet?”
“Nope.”
“I made lasagna. Shall I heat up a plate?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
There’s half a bottle of red wine on the coffee table in the living room, and Jongin pours himself a glass. “Red wine, lasagna - do you have something to celebrate?”
“Correction - we have something to celebrate. You’ve finished your first week of work and I got laid last night. Everyone’s a winner!”
Jongin loosens his tie and sinks back on the couch. “Yeah, thanks for the free porn soundtrack by the way.”
Jongdae saunters back in the living room. “I told you you should’ve tried to hook up with someone at the club. And don’t tell me you didn’t have the opportunity - I saw plenty of guys check you out while you were there.”
“I was practically naked in that outfit.”
“The end justifies the means, my dear cousin! But seriously - you didn’t even try, I haven’t seen you come out of that booth all night.”
“I’m not - It’s not really my thing.”
“What - sex with hot people?”
Jongin wonders how he always gets pulled into these conversations with his cousin. “No. Sex, yes, but the whole… flirting thing.”
“Hence the outfit, your pants were doing all the flirting for you. Seriously, with this attitude it’s a small miracle you managed to pin Luhan down for as long as you did.”
“I’m pretty sure it was the other way around.” Luhan had swooped in, right after Jongin had turned 18. He was older and exuded a natural confidence Jongin had been drawn to like a moth to a flame. That dynamic hadn’t changed in the three years they were together - Luhan always called the shots and Jongin was quite happy to let him. For the very first time since puberty, Jongin felt safe and secure again, and had slowly built up confidence in that sweet little cocoon Luhan had built around them. Unfortunately for Jongin, he hadn’t noticed Luhan was growing tired of their arrangement and when Luhan left him ‘in search of new adventures’, he took Jongin’s heart and new-found confidence with him. His mother and his friends had urged him to fight for Luhan - but Jongin had simply never learned how.
“My point exactly - it’s not bad to go after something you want, Jongin. Always keep in mind - what would the new, upgraded Kim Jongin do? Have you started on that blog yet?”
“Let it go, Jongdae. This is as good as it gets. It’s stupid to want to be something you’re not. And will always be just Jongin, nothing more.” It comes out harsher than he intended to - but Jongin wishes Jongdae would understand certain wounds take time to heal, and some wounds are never meant to heal at all.
“And yet you’ve made it here, didn’t you? You left Jecheon, came to Seoul, got an internship at one of the countries’ biggest banks. And you did it all without your Chinese knight in shining armour. If that isn’t some Jongin 2.0-worthy shit I don’t know what is.” The beep of the microwave signals Jongin’s dinner is ready.
“I’ll go get your lasagna. No need to go easy on the wine, when that’s gone I’ve got a nice bottle of rum to toast to your future success. You need to start thinking about a catchier blog title.”
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? Kim Jongin, future President of the World
14.10.02
Better, Jongdae?
(｀◎△◎)!?
Jongdae is splayed out on the couch, armed with the tv remote and a bucket of popcorn. “So let me get this straight, you’ve got a crush on your boss and you’ve been courting each other through limp hand waves and exchanging laundry tips. Wow, sounds like you two are on fire, when’s the wedding?”
Jongin looks down at his coke and sniffs it. Surely Jongdae lied about the rum/coke ratio in this and Jongin must be way drunker than he thinks because he doesn’t remember confessing the tiny crush he has on Joonmyun.
He also doesn’t remember how he ended up next to the couch, slouched against it with his neck leaning back at an awkward angle. Nor can he explain how it’s past 4am already, or why Jongdae had put in the dvd of The Sound of Music. Jongin doesn’t even like that movie.
“Why are we watching this?”
“You said your crush looks like Captain Von Trapp. Maybe you could take a few cues from Maria to figure out how to get your man. If I remember correctly, you’ll need a guitar and a bunch of kids.”
Jongin decides Kim Jongin 2.0 should never, ever drink again.
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? Kim Jongin, future President of the World
14.10.02
sidoeekme pease tell hmjyubg i dloke hiam o dont darteo do it mpyself?
(((＼（＠v＠）／)))
Jongin knocks back the shot glass in one go, driven by the raucous cheers of his co-workers - it’s strong, the soju burning a hot path down his esophagus.
“Four down, one to go!” Chanyeol bellows as he fills up Jongin’s glass again. There’s clapping and cheering and stomping, and Jongin’s tongue starts to feels numb. He drinks.
Chanyeol whoops and whistles. “Best fucking intern ever and he’s mine!” he shouts, his long arm looping around Jongin’s shoulders. “Well done, kiddo.”
Jongin had passed his one-month evaluation with flying colors and Chanyeol had gleefully announced that earned him the right to attend Shinhan’s legendary after-work drink, a “monthly bacchanal”. Half of the bar’s patrons seem to be Shinhan employees - even Minseok himself was there tonight. Chanyeol had failed to inform him newbies were expected to take the “Introductory 5-glass course” at their first visit. “You don’t really have a choice - I wouldn’t want you to become a social pariah at work!” Chanyeol had shouted in his ear as he’d handed Jongin the glass. And thus ended Jongin’s 3 week period of sobriety.
“Are you okay?” Eunkyung asks as he stumbles towards the exit.
“Yeah, fine, just need some air.” Jongin replies.
There’s a large group of people standing on the pavement outside - Jongin recognizes a few of them from Investments on the 13th floor. It’s cold outside, and Jongin had lost track of his jacket shortly after he started drinking. The thin white shirt he is wearing doesn’t offer much protection, but at least it’ll help him clear his head.
A lone figure stands a few feet away, outside of the bright circle of the bar’s outside lighting - half-hidden in the shadows. Jongin can see the burning tip of a cigarette lighting up in the darkness.
“Joonmyun?”
The older man looks up in surprise. “Hey Jongin.” Something seems off about him tonight. Joonmyun is on edge, the frown on his forehead more pronounced than ever. He looks tired.
“I didn’t know you smoked.”
“Only when I’m drinking.” Jongin can see Joonmyun’s holding a glass of scotch in his other hand. “Did they give you your introduction yet?”
Jongin wraps his arms around himself, trying to focus on the warmth in his belly instead of the cold in his hands. “Just finished it.”
“Now you’re really a part of Shinhan.” He smiles, but it’s a distracted smile.
Nearly a month-and-a-half into his internship, Jongin had slowly started to learn more and more about Joonmyun. Their talks were always brief, but they’d figured out some shared interests - crime movies, italian food, manga. Even Chanyeol had noticed Joonmyun left his office more often, taking a bigger interest in what was happening ‘on the floor’ (“He’s gonna put Kyungsoo out of a job soon if he keeps this up”, Chanyeol had joked).
Aside from those little tidbits his boss had shared with him, Joonmyun was still very much a closed book to Jongin. His mood never seemed to change - he was always calm, courteous and friendly, and Jongin could tell he worked extremely hard (over 80 hours a week, if Chanyeol was to be believed). Today though, Jongin had seen him angrily toss a file back at Kyungsoo and agitatedly pace up and down his office while he was on the phone.
“You eh - you seem a little tense today. Is everything alright?”
Joonmyun lets his drink waltz, the ice cubes clinking against the glass. “I’m okay.” He takes a long drag of his cigarette, briefly looking at the ring on his left hand before lowering it again. “It’s Baekhyun. My ex. We owned a cabin near Jinyang lake - the deed was transferred to my name after we broke up. He’s disputing the transfer.”
Joonmyun takes a sip of his glass. “It’s nothing like Baek to be difficult about this - he never cared much for the place, and it isn’t worth much. I’m sure his new asshole boyfriend is behind it. Baek and I parted on good terms, but it got messy as soon as he came in the picture.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Jongin says. He probably shouldn’t push his luck, but it’s the first time Joonmyun’s ever mentioned his ex, and Jongin’s masochistic streak is dying to know more about it. “How long were you and he together?”
“9 years. We separated a year and a half ago. Of course we couldn’t get married legally - but Baekhyun had wanted a commitment ceremony anyway, hence the ring. I’m so used to wearing it… and it doesn’t hurt to wear a wedding ring when meeting with clients, especially for someone like me. So I haven’t gotten around to taking it off yet.” Joonmyun smiles - a reserved, tight smile, as opposed to the genuine flash of teeth Jongin has been so attracted to. “Silly, I know.”
“Jongin!” Hakyeon’s voice cuts through their conversation. “Come back inside, the interns want to take group shots!”
“You should go,” Joonmyun says as he tosses his cigarette to the ground. “I can tell you’re freezing. Get back inside before you catch a cold.”
“For what it’s worth - I don’t think you’re silly.” There’s so much more Jongin wants to say but the alcohol has really started to kick in and he needs to get away from Joonmyun before he voices his thoughts and says something horribly inappropriate (like “Fuck Baekhyun” or “You sentimental, masochistic fool” or “I love you, senpai”). He also needs to find his jacket before his nipples cut two in his shirt.
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? Kim Jongin, future President of the World
14.11.18
Baby it’s cold outside.
ヾ(´･ ･｀｡)ノ”
12.41pm i checked out your crush’ linkedin profile
12.42pm is there something wrong with his face
12.46pm no wtf jongdae
12.48pm it really looks like there’s something wrong with his face
12.58pm shut up
01.07pm like, i see he could be handsome but he kinda looks like someone just ambushed his behind with a tiny pointy buttplug
01.15pm that doesn’t make any sense and you know nothing and please don’t speak of pointy buttplugs ever again when you are discussing my boss
01.40pm are you sure you’re not just star-struck because senpai is really good at math and you get a math-boner while watching him work
03.15pm im disowning you
03.18pm i’d like to see you try - i’m in law school now and im coming for your ass
03.20pm are you trying to break some kind of record with the major switches
03.24pm its my life and its now or never
03.28pm seriously though he’s cute you should bang him
03.31pm no
03.37pm im your lawyer you should listen to me
03.43pm and im telling you to go after what you want
03.59pm i just want you to shut up
| ͠° ▃ °͠ |
Joonmyun doesn’t show up at work until Wednesday. It’s not unusual for Joonmyun to stay away for a day, but Jongin wonders if it had anything to do with his ex. Kyungsoo seems agitated, and Chanyeol had kept him occupied by letting him wrestle through a 700 page document, weeding out the relevant info for Chanyeol to process later.
If Jongin though Joonmyun looked tired before the weekend, he looks completely exhausted now. There are dark circles underneath his eyes and Kyungsoo is fussing over him like a concerned mother hen. Joonmyun is on the phone all day, with Kyungsoo walking in and out of the office constantly.
“Looks like change is upon us, Jongin,” Chanyeol announces after lunch.
“Hm?”
“I just got an email from Hongbin. Nothing’s official yet but it looks like Joonmyun is leaving us. Off to lead the Busan branch. Their managing director got accused of fraud so they’re pulling in Joonmyun to save face. Hongbin says he’ll announce it today. No wonder Kyungsoo has been so grouchy lately...”
.·´¯`(>▂<)´¯`·.
“So you’re just going to give up?” Jongdae squawks. “You’re not even going to try to make this work?”
“How can I give up on something that was never there, Jongdae. He’ll be gone before the end of the week. It’s done, it was nice while it lasted,” Jongin says, keeping his eyes fixed on the tv. Maybe he can ignore the crater that used to be his chest. Maybe it won’t hurt as much - if only his cousin allowed it to.
“But don’t you see this is the perfect opportunity for you? He won’t be your boss anymore, you’ve never had a better shot! If only you would talk to him and ask him out, maybe you could-”
“It’s too late, Jongdae. He’ll be too busy getting everything settled in Busan. He’s not even coming back to the office, Kyungsoo will take care of moving all his stuff.”
“But-”
“Fuck, Jongdae, drop it. It’s done,” Jongin snarls. “I’m going to bed.” He doesn’t want to add insult to injury by letting his cousin see him in tears.
Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? Kim Jongin, future President of the World
14.11.23
Katy Perry - The one who got away: https://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=BE&v=Ahha3Cqe_fk.
(╥_╥)
“.. and that, my friends, is the story of how my innocent cousin came to the big city and fell in love with his boss and seems to be incapable of doing anything about it.”
Jongin blinks when his blanket is pulled back, trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes. There are two tall men standing by his bed. “Se-Sehun? Tao? What are you guys doing here?” he croaks.
“I called them,” Jongdae says as he plops down on Jongin’s bed. “Right after you went to bed. Figured I needed to step in and gather my Council of Gays for you, since you won’t listen to my advice.”
“What time is it?” Jongin reaches for his phone.
“Relax, it’s not even midnight yet, you won’t miss out on your beauty sleep,” Jongdae drawls. “So, I brought them up to speed and they have something to tell you.”
“Guys, I appreciate what you’re trying to do but I really don’t need to hear this right now.” Jongin tries to pull his blanket back up, but Tao stops him.
“I think you do,” he says softly. He glances at Sehun. “Has Jongdae ever told you how Sehun and I met?”
Jongin groans, but sits up a little straighter. “Fine. Tell me.”
“I ran into him at Seoul University campus. I was here as an exchange student for one trimester - it was my first day and my knowledge of Korean was limited, at best. I was trying to find lecture hall C when Sehun here approached me to ask where I had bought my jacket.”
“A legendary start of an epic love story,” Jongdae comments.
Sehun chimes in. “Not quite. I’m afraid my flirting didn’t quite make it across the language barrier. He was busy, too - I think he spent more time sightseeing than studying while he was here. Anyway, I knew he was only going to be here for three months so I.. held back. I could tell he liked me well enough as a friend but I never thought we’d have a chance. Tao’s not a flighty guy. He’d told me about some of his previous boyfriends and I knew he’d never settle for a fling of a few weeks.”
“And you were right,” Tao agrees. “But you never gave me the chance to decide that for myself. He came to see me off at the airport and only then he told me had feelings for me. Such a drama queen.” He reaches for Sehun’s hand. “Still, I’m glad he did. I got on that plane but I came back after Christmas. And I haven’t looked back since.”
Jongdae applauds. “Bravo! Truly a victory for the ballsy one!”
Jongin isn’t impressed. “Look - I’m happy for you. And it’s great that you guys are trying to be inspirational, but.. you just got lucky. What are the odds Joonmyun feels the same way?”
“I’m gonna go out on a limb here - you met the guy by accident in a public bathroom, a week later you get the job even though you bombed the interview, out of the blue he starts getting out of his office more, and he doesn’t judge you for your love of manga,” Jongdae explains. “Call me a romantic but I’d say you have a shot.”
“Jongin - it doesn’t matter if you think you have a shot or not. The point is, if I hadn’t told Tao how I felt about him the moment he was about to walk out of my life, I never would have. And I know I’d have never forgiven myself for it,” Sehun says.
“Maybe Joonmyun isn’t the guy for you - but please, don’t let yourself become that guy who’s scared to take a shot at happiness,” Jongdae concludes. “So - I suggest we’ll leave you to it so you can make a few phone calls.”
(❀｣╹□╹)｣*
･Σ(‘Д’⁕)ահɑԵ’Տ up !? Kim Jongin, 2.0
15.01.07
Today is a good day. Ready for a Busan adventure.