How Not to Impress a Host [Chapter 1]
Title: How Not to Impress a Host [Chapter 1]
Pairing(s): Donghae-centric. Donghae/Eunhyuk; side!Han Geng/Heechul and Yesung/Sungmin
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Friendship, a fair bit of Angst
Disclaimer: Contrary to popular belief, no one owns them.
Warning: Mild language and mature themes.
Summary: Donghae knows that ‘getting smitten with a fair-skinned host and bumbling through many attempts of courting said host’ was definitely not part of his job scope as a valet, but he won’t relent in his pursuit; even if it meant going through abject mortification and more.
“Lee Donghae. Second-year Urban Engineering student at Hongik University.”
Donghae nodded mutely as the man before him read his credentials off his carefully prepared resume.
Hands clasped meekly in his lap, Donghae watched silently as the man continued to assess his papers; the latter’s eyes darting all over.
“So,” The man cleared his throat, causing Donghae to instinctively divert his attention away from his resume, which he hoped had impressed the man. “What made you want to apply for a part-time job at this establishment, Donghae?”
Straightening in his chair, Donghae swallowed a gasp of air before replying, “I need to support myself, sir. I don’t want my family to keep on remitting money to me when I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
The man smiled through his fingers. “That explains why you want to undertake a part-time job in the first place. It doesn’t explain why you chose this establishment to work in, Donghae.”
Donghae blinked confusedly at the man’s statement for a few seconds.
“Sir, I’m afraid I don’t quite understand…” He admitted earnestly. “Could you please elaborate?”
“Well, Donghae, I do understand your reasoning for wishing to undertake a part-time job,” The man started. “However, what I’m really curious about is why you chose here, out of all the other potential establishments.”
“From what I’ve read on your resume, you’re a bright kid, Donghae; a scholar, even! Surely you wouldn’t want your name to be smeared by our establishment, or to be associated with the kinds of activities that we here partake in?”
Donghae followed the man’s every word intently, his lips mouthing the last sentence precisely. After a moment, his eyes which were previously glazed over from confusion soon brightened with comprehension.
“Sir, isn’t that the very reason you’ve set up this whole system?” Donghae spoke up.
“The whole-“ Donghae gesticulated in front of his face. “-mask concept that you came up with. It’s to protect your employees, to maintain a sense of confidentiality. I think it’s an ingenious concept, sir.”
“I’ve also weighed the pros and cons of working at this establishment, and I’ve decided to apply in hopes of being accepted here. As such, I hope you would consider hiring me, sir.”
The man studied Donghae silently, his jaw resting on the perch of his clasped hands. Finally, he slowly unfurled his fingers and leaned back into his armchair; the barest hint of a smile gracing his features.
“My employees… They value the liberation that my establishment provides, and they cherish the anonymity that is guaranteed. I get stragglers, runaways, all sorts of people seeking a reprieve from the harsh discrimination that they have been facing.”
The man reached out for a shot glass and tipped its amber-coloured contents down his throat. After setting the glass back onto the desk, he cast Donghae an unreadable expression.
“Sir?” Donghae enquired, tilting his head to the side as he motioned for the man to continue talking. He knew that the man had more to say, more thoughts to divulge.
“I’ve maintained a reasonably close, if not at least a cordial relationship with every one of my employees, both past and present. Some of them may not show it, but they are appreciative of what the club provides them with, and they work hard to repay it. I just want to reinforce to you, Donghae, how paramount my employees’ well-being is to me. From tomorrow onwards, should you require anything at all, my office is always open.”
Donghae sat up in his seat immediately, with a growing feeling of hope bubbling excitedly and expectantly in his chest. His arms gripped the edges of the armchair so tightly, bringing about a numbing feeling spreading in his fingers which he took no care of.
“Sir, that means…” Donghae looked at the man before him with a lopsided grin.
“Call me Joo-nim, Donghae. And welcome to Guilty Pleasures.” Brian Joo, or as the employees respectfully addressed as Joo-nim, held out his right hand.
Grasping the outstretched hand a little too enthusiastically, Donghae and his new boss exchanged handshakes, and marked the end of the interview and the start of Donghae’s vocation with mutual smiles.
-
It wasn’t a long journey from Hongik University station to Itaewon station, possibly about thirty minutes, but it was sufficient time for Donghae to relax and quell the anxiety brought about by his new job.
Being a valet seemed easy enough; Joo-nim had explained to Donghae that his main task was to simply park the clients’ cars in the private car park located at the back of the club. Whenever a client wanted to leave, the receptionist host would inform the bouncer in advance, who in turn would notify Donghae. Donghae had managed to grasp the whole concept, so he gave little thought about it.
The only thing that worried him was his co-workers. Working wasn’t supposed to be all fun and games; that was a given. However, Donghae felt that his colleagues could either help him enjoy working at the club or just give him plain hell. The bouncer at the entrance was intimidating, and Donghae felt a little unsettled when the former stared down at him through his sunglasses. Once he was granted access into the club, Donghae was already unnerved by his encounter with the bouncer so he didn’t take much notice of the other workers milling about inside. Instead, with his eyes firmly locked on the club’s carpeting, he clumsily made his way to the boss’ office.
Joo-nim was pleasant, but he was the boss after all and what kind of boss would be horrible during a job interview with a potential employee?
“This stop is Itaewon. Itaewon. You may exit on the right.”
The smooth, polished female voice awakened Donghae from his thoughts. Standing up and slinging his backpack over his shoulders, Donghae hurried to the nearest train door.
He certainly didn’t want to be late for his first day of work.
-
The bouncer was standing at the exact same spot that Donghae had remembered yesterday. Despite himself, Donghae thought that the man resembled a bulldog guarding his territory, and he couldn’t help but grin at the mental image.
“So, it’s you again,” The bouncer’s voice cut in roughly. “What’s your business here this time?”
“Same as yours,” Donghae answered smoothly, causing the other male’s eyebrow to quirk. “I’m Lee Donghae and I’m the new valet. It’s nice to meet you.”
Donghae ended his introduction with a respectful bow. When Donghae straightened his back, he flashed the bouncer a sincere smile. To his utmost surprise, the bouncer moved forward and gave him a hard slap on the back.
“Welcome to Guilty Pleasures, kid!” The man beamed cheerfully.
If the power of his slap was any indication of his friendliness, then the man must be a very, very jolly person, Donghae thought as he wheezed his way into recovery.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Came the bouncer’s surprised voice. “Did I really hit that hard?”
Donghae made to open his mouth, when an unfamiliar voice piped in, “Geez, Youngwoon. He hasn’t even started work and you’ve already managed to incapacitate him temporarily.”
“I didn’t mean to!” The bouncer, whom Donghae now knew as Youngwoon, said indignantly. “It’s just my way of welcoming him, Heechul-hyung.”
Donghae feebly straightened his back, and his eyes soon registered the newcomer in their conversation. The man, dressed in a plain white frilly shirt and neatly pressed grey slacks, was leaning against the club doors. An orange mask was perched daintily on the top of his head; it clashed brilliantly with his flaming red hair.
“One would think that you would have learned after you did the same to Hankyung,” Heechul tittered as he strolled languidly towards the other two men. “He instantly grabbed your right arm and was about to flip you onto your back if I hadn’t screamed bloody murder and ordered him to stop!”
“And how the heck was I supposed to know back then that Hankyung-hyung was secretly a martial arts specialist?” Youngwoon shot back immediately, raising both his arms in protest.
“Um,” Donghae spoke up meekly. “Excuse me?”
Both Heechul and Youngwoon instantaneously turned to Donghae, with their actions causing him to flinch.
“Oh, right. New kid.”
“It’s Donghae, actually,” Donghae’s voice rose unnaturally as he bravely corrected Heechul. “Lee Donghae.”
Heechul stared at Donghae for a moment, his wide eyes studying the latter’s face, before bursting into appreciative laughter.
“I like you, kid; you’ve got some spunk,” Heechul smirked, before slinging an arm around Donghae’s shoulder. “So you’re the new valet that Brian was talking about, huh?”
Donghae nodded. Heechul was on first name basis with Joo-nim, meaning that he had to be of similar authority as well, Donghae concluded.
“Well, you’ve already met our bouncer, Youngwoon.” Heechul motioned with his free hand at Youngwoon, who cocked his head in response. “And you’ve obviously met me, the amazingly incomparable Kim Heechul…”
Heechul left his sentence hanging as he shifted his attention to glare at Youngwoon, who had snorted at Heechul’s self-description.
“You can learn more about me and the rest of the employees of this club inside my office, so let’s go,” Heechul said briskly. Turning on his heels, he soon headed back into the club.
Donghae shot a parting glance at Youngwoon, whose eyes were filled with a suspicious glint that he didn’t like.
“Good luck!” Youngwoon said, giving Donghae a thumbs-up sign. “And don’t let him eat you,” He added as an afterthought.
If Youngwoon-sunbae was trying to encourage me, he failed miserably.
-
Heechul’s office was just beside Joo-nim’s; another indication that Heechul was indeed of importance in the establishment. As Heechul turned open the hardwood door, he revealed the modestly furnished room to Donghae. Donghae stepped in quietly, his eyes taking in the cluttered desk and the wardrobe parked at a corner.
“Sit down, Donghae,” Heechul nodded towards the chair placed in front of the desk. Donghae complied, sinking into the well-worn yet comfortable office chair.
Heechul strode over to his desk and perched on the edge, folding one of his legs neatly over the other. “Brian’s out for a business-related event, so it’s up to me to fill you in on your first day of work.”
“I understand,” Donghae responded.
“Just to check with you… Has Brian explained the general duties of your job? Such as the procedure when a client comes in with his car, or that you have to liaise with Youngwoon?” Heechul rattled on dutifully, as if he was reading off a carefully prepared list in his mind.
Donghae nodded.
Heechul took it as his cue to continue talking. “And do you at least understand and respect our club’s privacy policy? Do you have any qualms about wearing a mask during your working hours?”
Donghae shook his head, but his face soon looked thoughtful. Heechul arched an elegantly-shaped eyebrow, prompting Donghae to speak up.
“Well, I understand the whole masks concept, but why doesn’t Youngwoon-sunbae wear one as well?” Donghae’s voice faltered upon seeing Heechul’s slightly incredulous expression. “D-don’t get me wrong… It’s just that Youngwoon-sunbae wears sunglasses instead so I was wondering…”
“Even if Youngwoon was wearing the most simplest and manliest of masks, he still would look like a joke. I mean, he can’t act all serious and intimidating with a mask on his face, right?” Heechul chuckled.
“He would have a hard time dealing with unruly and unreasonable patrons because they wouldn’t take him seriously. Youngwoon would have to use extra force to compensate and that could lead to all sorts of unnecessary problems.”
“That’s a good question, though,” Heechul nodded appreciatively. “I think that the other workers here probably just assumed that Youngwoon flat out refused to wear a pansy mask and just shoved sunglasses onto his face.”
“Youngwoon-sunbae does seem like the type,” Donghae said quietly.
Heechul snorted. “Oh, he is. And by the way, just call him Youngwoon-hyung. Likewise, address me as Heechul-hyung. We’re going to be working together, so it’s better to just do away with the formalities. Makes it less awkward for everyone.”
“I understand.” Donghae nodded once again.
“That’s all the knowledge I have to impart onto you, Donghae,” Heechul said seriously. “I suppose it’s time to send you out proper.”
Heechul hopped off his desk and headed towards the wardrobe in the corner. Throwing the oak doors open, Heechul scanned its contents carefully, thumbing through the hanging clothes before his hand paused before one of them. He pulled out the hanger with a flourish and showed it to Donghae, obviously expecting a favourable response from the latter.
“Well, what do you think?” Heechul questioned.
Donghae studied the ensemble quietly. On the hanger was a modest getup consisting of a white dress shirt, a simple black vest, and tapered black dress pants.
Donghae shrugged. “It’s not bad. It could always be worse.”
His eyes quickly flashed over Heechul’s own outfit. The frills made the outfit a little too showy for Donghae’s taste, but he felt that Heechul managed to pull it off just fine.
“That’s great.” Heechul thrust the clothes onto Donghae’s lap.
Leaning back against the desk, Heechul folded his arms loosely across his chest, surveying Donghae with an expectant expression.
“Now strip and let’s see how the outfit looks on you.”
“What?” Donghae shouted instantly. “Strip? Here? Now?”
“Yeah,” Heechul replied lazily. “What’s wrong?”
His mind was busy throwing around dozens of reasons, but Donghae clamped his lips tightly, lest one of them accidentally slipped out.
“It’s-It’s just that,” Donghae oscillated glances at the door behind him and back at Heechul’s apathetic figure. “Wouldn’t it be better if I ch-change in the staff’s washroom or something? I mean, there’s no need to-“
Heechul looked up from his manicured nails and narrowed his eyes impatiently at Donghae, his glare reducing Donghae’s initial reluctance into meek coercion.
Donghae shakily stood up and headed towards the door. He stopped just a few steps short; if anything happened, Donghae could just grab and twist at the doorknob, and then, make a mad dash for safety. Heechul watched him amusedly; his arms were still loosely crossed and his wide, cat-like eyes were following his every movement.
Donghae probably set a record in the next consecutive minute. Had he been in the army for national service, he would have definitely induced awe in the other privates and army commander; right then, all it did was induce chuckles in the only other male in the office.
“See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Heechul asked cheekily as he tilted his head to the side.
Donghae didn’t respond; he was too busy gathering his normal clothes which had been flung about his position during his amazing quick change.
“You should count yourself lucky, you know.” Despite being bent over the floor, Donghae could still hear Heechul’s loud voice clearly. “If you had applied for another position, like say, an exotic dancer, I would have asked you to do an impromptu live demonstration for me.”
Donghae’s face paled.
-
Donghae wished that the next few hours were uneventful and muted compared to his experience in Heechul’s office. Luckily for him, his wish was granted.
The first hour had gone well enough. The clients look little notice of Donghae, as if he had always been there, standing patiently at his valet stand.
They’ve probably grown accustomed to the system, Donghae remarked silently as yet another client stepped out of his impressive-looking car and handed the keys over to Donghae; the transaction kept smooth, with no words exchanged between them.
After the first five clients, Donghae had already grown used to the mind-numbing routine. Hence, he tried to inject some excitement into his job by parking and configuring the cars in positions not unlike those in that deceptively easy-looking vehicle puzzle game he used to play when he was younger. Of course, Donghae was no idiot; he had the common sense to park the cars at regular angles inside the parking lots and allowed a safe and manageable distance between each car. It was the arrangement of the cars that Donghae toyed with, with the moderately-sized cars kept far away from the bigger cars, which were also slightly harder to maneuver.
In between breaks, Donghae would hover between watching the clients with mild interest to doggedly pestering Youngwoon into having a conversation with him. In only two hours, Donghae had perfected his wide-eyed expression that could melt Youngwoon’s hardened gaze; an accomplishment he deemed momentous.
“How’s the first two hours on the job, kid?” Youngwoon questioned as he watched Donghae lean a lazy hip against the polished valet stand.
Donghae shrugged, before dropping his shoulders, saying embarrassedly, “I thought it was going to be more exciting than this, to be honest.”
Youngwoon chuckled genially at Donghae’s admission. “It’s only 10pm, kid. The night’s still young. Any minute now, a drunken patron would probably be kicking up a fuss in the club and I would be phoned in to deal with him.”
Donghae threw himself onto the front of the valet stand, sighing tiredly as he propped himself up on his elbows. His eyes scanned the vacant streets before him, and he finally took in the landscape. The club was located in a relatively seedy area. A variety of nightclubs, bars and foreign restaurants dotted each side of the streets, the club itself being flanked by a liquor store and a late-night convenience store. Donghae surmised that the patrons would arrive late at night, when the crowd on the sidewalks had filtered into the nightclubs and bars, and they could come with few onlookers’ probing eyes surveying them.
-
Unfortunately, the next three hours were packed with numerous incidents. At the twentieth minute of the first hour, Youngwoon was called into the premises to handle and evict a patron who was unwilling to leave, even though his session had ended ten minutes ago.
At approximately 12.35am, a snooty-looking client with a high nose bridge that rivaled his arrogance decided to make a scene at the club’s entrance, complaining that Donghae had made him wait too long for his car to arrive. Youngwoon snidely remarked in an even tone that the client would do well to be appreciative of Donghae’s services, for without it he would spend close to an hour trying to find and retrieve his car in the private car park, something that happened the last time. That quickly shut him up.
Finally, at 1.10am, Youngwoon was called into the premises again and soon reemerged with an intoxicated patron draped over his shoulder. Donghae instantly ran onto the sidewalk to hail for a cab. Stepping aside as a cab halted to a stop in front of him, Donghae watched on interestedly as Youngwoon placed the client carefully into the cab’s interior and read the address off his client’s identification card to the cab driver.
Donghae returned to his post, his mind still buzzing with recent events. Sure, he had wished for an exciting first day; this had definitely surpassed his expectations. What he was amazed with was the almost clockwork efficiency that Youngwoon seemed to work at. Never did the older man once show signs of weariness, his mask of professionalism remaining even as he dealt with unruly or unreasonable customers.
The next half-hour was marked with a welcomed serenity, which was oddly supported by the faint echoes of the thumping trance music spilling out from the nightclub across the street.
“The clients are pretty surly, huh?” Donghae suddenly spoke up, twisting his back to face Youngwoon.
“We have thankless jobs, kid. But I’m used to it.” Youngwoon shrugged dismissively. “Besides, why would they ever want to talk to us? It’s those in the club whom they’re interested in.”
“We’re probably only ‘the bouncer’ and ‘the valet boy’ to them and nothing else,” Youngwoon let out a hollow laugh.
Donghae tensed upon detecting the slightly bitter tone in Youngwoon’s statement. The older man had probably grown numb to the clients’ disinterest towards him, treating him as some sort of fixture at the entrance whose only purpose was to cut an intimidating figure, warning dissidents who even dared to create havoc in the premises.
“I think you’re a great bouncer, Youngwoon-hyung,” Donghae said softly. “You’re always professional in dealing with all of those clients, from what I’ve observed tonight. You’ve never raised your voice even once, and I think it’s really cool.”
Youngwoon blinked incredulously. Donghae turned away quickly, embarrassed by his words. Even though he was sincere, his earnest delivery made him cringe somewhat. He could feel his cheeks reddening, with his ears in a similar condition, giving away his discomfiture to the man standing behind him.
“You’re pretty cool yourself, Donghae,” Youngwoon finally said, his tone kept casual.
But Donghae could practically feel the warm smile in the older man’s words; the mere thought of it caused his lips to quirk.
-
Finally, his first day was over. Donghae was feeling worn-out, and it was only a weeknight. He could hardly imagine the situation on Saturday and Sunday nights; hopefully, he would have adjusted to his duties by then.
Stalking into the club tiredly, Donghae surveyed the almost empty club. He had been looking forward to interacting with his other fellow co-workers, but given the state he was currently in, he could only offer weak murmurs and dazed words; not exactly dazzling conversation fillers.
With what seemed like the club’s bar counter in sight, Donghae dragged his feet and plopped himself onto the nearest barstool, coincidentally the one that was closest to the bartender. The man behind the bar counter paused in the middle of wiping his cocktail glasses and he began observing Donghae with casual interest.
“Water,” Donghae managed to mumble, before dropping his head; his forehead meeting the cool wooden surface of the bar counter with a soft thud.
“Sure thing,” The bartender chuckled softly, though it was devoid of maliciousness; he seemed truly amused by Donghae’s condition.
A minute later, a glass of water was placed gently beside Donghae’s resting head. Donghae immediately raised his head in response. He looked at the glass, and then at the bartender before breaking out into an appreciative smile.
Downing the water in one go, Donghae set the now empty glass back onto the counter and sighed wearily.
“Are you the new valet Heechul was talking about?” The bartender questioned, propping his elbows onto the counter as he continued to watch Donghae.
“That’s me,” Donghae said, as he supported his head with his left hand. “I’m Lee Donghae.”
“I’m Hankyung, the bartender of this club.”
Donghae grinned at his newfound friend. “It’s nice to meet you, Hankyung-sunbae- I mean, Hankyung-hyung!”
The other man raised an eyebrow at Donghae’s hasty correction. “I assume that Heechul had advised you of addressing the others as such?”
“Yeah.” Donghae scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
“Your first encounter with him must have been nothing less than memorable,” Another chuckle left the man’s lips. “You’ll get used to it, Donghae. It’s not just Heechul, but the other co-workers as well. They all possess… interesting characters.”
Donghae couldn’t help but note that there was almost a slight hesitancy each time the older man spoke. He enunciated his words carefully and at times, unnaturally, making his delivery rather stilted.
“Hankyung-hyung,” Donghae started tentatively. “Y-you’re not from here, are you?”
The bartender stared at Donghae for a moment, speechless from the latter’s question.
“You’re correct.” He broke out into a slow smile. “I’m not from here. I’m actually from China.”
“My real name is Han Geng,” He intoned, his voice especially lilting when he said his name. “Is my accent very obvious?”
Donghae contemplated for few seconds, before replying, “Quite. Your delivery is kinda jerky and stuff.”
Han Geng sighed, shaking his head lightly. “I’ve been in Seoul for barely a year, and I’ve been working at this club a little shorter than that. I’m quite lucky that the drinks have English names, or I would have suffered a lot more.” He ended with a hearty, self-depreciating laugh.
Despite himself, Donghae laughed along with Han Geng. The elder’s laugh was equally, if not more enchanting than his pure voice.
“I had only managed to chance upon this club because I was staying in a backpackers’ accommodation in this area.” Han Geng picked up Donghae’s empty glass and headed back to his station to refill it. “I was lucky that the management happened to be looking for a bartender. They hired me despite my relative inexperience in this country.”
Han Geng set the glass back onto the counter. Donghae mouthed a word of thanks before taking a huge chug of the refreshing water.
“How was your first day like, Hankyung-hyung?” Donghae leaned forward, his lips stretched in a grin.
Han Geng’s eyes travelled heavenwards, as he attempted to gather the recollection of his first day of work. “It was…ordinary.”
“Ordinary?” Donghae echoed curiously.
“Ordinary for an establishment such as this,” Han Geng said evenly, shooting Donghae an amused expression. “It was a weekend, so there were several incidents. Nothing that Youngwoon cannot handle, of course.”
“From behind my bar counter, I vary in between mixing drinks upon requests and watching the clients travel in and out of the private parlors. I need not vacate this area; the hosts usually collect the drinks from me. At times, patrons sit here at the bar for drinks before their private sessions, but mostly it’s the co-workers that sit here in between breaks.”
Donghae raised his head slowly, his eyes softening as he surveyed Han Geng’s seemingly indifferent expression. There was this peculiar emotion that Donghae could sense as he listened to Han Geng; he had detected the exact same one earlier, when Youngwoon was talking bitterly about the clients’ treatment towards them.
“Why the long face all of a sudden, Donghae?” Han Geng chided gently, offering Donghae a small smile. “Are you feeling compassionate?”
“I-I understand the feeling, Hankyung-hyung,” Donghae said slowly. “It’s the same for me and Youngwoon-hyung as well.”
“We don’t get recognition on the job, all three of us. It’s a very…lonely feeling.”
Donghae’s last words petered out weakly; a clammy, uncomfortable sensation had overtaken his throat.
“I-I’m sorry,” Donghae croaked. “I’m not very good at controlling my feelings. It just spills out.”
Donghae’s grip on his glass tightened, releasing some of the pent-up emotion. Han Geng placed a hand on Donghae’s shoulder and applied light pressure. The action, however small it was, managed to convey sufficient warmth and reassurance to soothe Donghae’s nerves.
“Do you need another glass of water?” Han Geng asked, as Donghae brought the glass to his lips.
Donghae nodded. He continued to sit quietly at the bar counter, watching Han Geng as he cleared his workspace.
-
“How are you travelling back home, Donghae?” Han Geng shot the question at Donghae, who was in the midst of changing out of his work attire.
Donghae’s fingers paused on the fourth button of his vest. He couldn’t answer Han Geng; the matter had never crossed his mind until the older man brought it up.
“Don’t tell me that you hadn’t thought about it?” Han Geng turned to face Donghae, leaning casually against his own locker. He grinned as Donghae remained immobile, the latter obviously stumped.
Donghae made a face in response, his expression clearly stating “Yes, I haven’t, and stop looking so amused.”
Han Geng merely laughed. “If you are comfortable with it and if your home is a reasonable distance within my own, I could you send you home in my car.”
“It’s not a home,” Donghae said quietly. “I live in a dormitory on the campus of Hongik University.”
My real home is back in Mokpo.
“Ah, Hongdae district, no?” Han Geng smiled at Donghae’s surprised expression. “I currently live there as well.”
Donghae remained silent as he tried to think of other possible solutions to his transportation problem. The subway system was closed for the day, and Donghae barely had enough money to hail a cab at this hour; the midnight surcharge was unreasonable on students like him. Deciding that there was no other viable option, Donghae turned to face Han Geng with a deeply apologetic expression that conveyed his gratitude.
He said meekly, “I’ll take up on your offer then. Thank you so much, Hankyung-hyung.”
Han Geng hoisted his backpack over his shoulders. “It’s not a problem, Donghae. I just need to inform Heechul first.”
“Eh?” Donghae exclaimed, his brows furrowing in confusion. “Why do you need to let Heechul-hyung know that you’re sending me home, Hankyung-hyung? Are the two of you sharing a car?”
“Well, we are but it’s technically my car,” Han Geng explained. “Furthermore, Heechul tends to get grumpy late at night. I’m sure he won’t mind the extra passenger though.” He added, upon seeing Donghae’s apprehensive expression.
-
“So it’s a car pool arrangement?” Donghae quickened his pace to fall in step with Han Geng, as they walked along the hallway leading to Heechul’s office. “Does Heechul-hyung live at Hongdae as well?”
They stopped in front of Heechul’s office. Han Geng turned to Donghae, and let out a short, mirthful chortle.
“You haven’t gotten it yet, have you?” Han Geng’s features were contorted into an irrepressible grin.
“Haven’t gotten what yet, Hankyung-hyung?” Donghae replied distractedly as he rapped his knuckles onto the door.
“That Heechul’s my boyfriend.”
Donghae instantly whipped his head to the side. Han Geng’s face was impassive, but the small curl on the corner of his lips belied his façade.
“WHAT?”
It was Donghae’s misfortune that the door opened just as the word left his lips. Heechul appeared in the doorway, supporting his body weight with a hand against the doorframe.
“I’m old but I’m not deaf, you morons,” Heechul hissed. “I heard the knocking on the door.”
Donghae was still in a daze. He slowly turned to look at Heechul and then back at Han Geng before finally regaining enough sense to shut his mouth. He recalled that Heechul had mentioned Han Geng’s name in passing, but never did it cross his mind that the two were connected by more than just their work.
“Did you do something to our valet, Hankyung?” Heechul stared at said Chinese man with beady eyes. “It’s not enough that Youngwoon had to temporarily incapacitate him but you just had to reduce him into a mute too.”
“It wasn’t my intention.” Han Geng shrugged, before giving Heechul a wry smile. “Donghae just was too slow on the uptake.”
“About what?” Heechul’s eyes had narrowed into tiny slits by now.
“About our relationship.”
Donghae, who stood forgotten beside the couple, watched quietly as Heechul launched into a tirade against Han Geng. Heechul gestured wildly as Han Geng nodded placidly whenever the former paused to take a breath.
“He’ll know sooner or later, Heechul,” Han Geng glanced askance at Donghae, whose head jerked upon hearing his name. “Besides, you do realise that our relationship is a poorly-kept secret, no?”
Heechul sighed, obviously drained from their one-sided discussion. “You’re right. He will. I don’t know why I even bothered.”
“Kid.” Heechul turned to face Donghae. “This is probably useless, but I’ll still ask this from you: Don’t spread a word about our relationship. Is that too much to ask for?”
“No, it isn’t,” Donghae said firmly. “I can’t say that I understand the situation, but I’ve gathered enough to keep this to myself.”
“Thanks, kid,” Heechul muttered tiredly.
Han Geng stepped forward, reaching out to rub Heechul’s tense shoulders. Heechul leaned forward and rested his forehead against the side of Han Geng’s head. Han Geng began to murmur some words into Heechul’s ear; the latter nodding in assent every now and then.
“Yeah, alright.” Donghae heard Heechul say; he had stood rooted to the ground, awkwardly waiting for Heechul and Han Geng to finish their conversation. “We can send him home.”
Han Geng pulled away from Heechul, and showed Donghae a triumphant thumbs-up sign. Donghae chuckled weakly, as he refrained from commenting on the recent events. From what he gathered of Heechul’s personality, the older man definitely didn’t seem like the type to hide his relationships, or get defensive when the matter was raised.
Were relationships between workers at the club frowned upon? Donghae had barely spent a day at work, yet his mind was filled with countless questions about the working atmosphere, about the other fellow co-workers, about almost everything regarding the club.
Donghae tailed the pair as they headed towards the club’s private car park. He had yet to meet the rest of his fellow co-workers, but he was already sated with the early relations he had forged with just three of them. Their willingness to show Donghae even a hint of their vulnerability heartened Donghae; to him, it was the first sign of trust between them.
As Han Geng started the car’s engine and Heechul slid onto the passenger seat, Donghae climbed wordlessly into the back. He felt his eyelids drooping as his body slumped into the seat, with his face soon pressing against the car’s side window.
-
“We’re going to charge him for fuel, aren’t we?”
“Heechul! Must you always be so calculative?”
“I wouldn’t be so calculative if a certain someone could control his spending. Our grocery bill is ridiculous!”
“Well, don’t blame me for not being able to stomach takeaway seven days a week!”
“It doesn’t mean that you have to blow so much on fresh produce either. Who the fuck needs a kilogram of bok choy every week?”
“Me and my stir-fries, obviously! Or would you rather I stop cooking them?”
The corners of Donghae’s lips had titled into a smile ever since the start of their bickering.
-
A/N: This is a birthday fic series decidcated to my lovely best friend in real life, stripedrainbows! Her birthday's on the 15th, same as Donghae's! (:
I've been meaning to do up this series for the longest time, but I just got too lazy. This is sort of a continuation of my previous two-shot, Masquerade and Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? Now, of course, I haven't the faintest idea of how a strip/host club is run. Neither do I really know a bartender's duties, but I just wanted to expand the two-shot so much! :<
Since this fic series is the first of other parings, I apologise for the somewhat slow pace of the story here. I'm hope people aren't turned off by it! It's possible that I may tweak the story, following future feedback.
Comments are appreciated! (:
Pairing(s): Donghae-centric. Donghae/Eunhyuk; side!Han Geng/Heechul and Yesung/Sungmin
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Romance, Friendship, a fair bit of Angst
Disclaimer: Contrary to popular belief, no one owns them.
Warning: Mild language and mature themes.
Summary: Donghae knows that ‘getting smitten with a fair-skinned host and bumbling through many attempts of courting said host’ was definitely not part of his job scope as a valet, but he won’t relent in his pursuit; even if it meant going through abject mortification and more.
“Lee Donghae. Second-year Urban Engineering student at Hongik University.”
Donghae nodded mutely as the man before him read his credentials off his carefully prepared resume.
Hands clasped meekly in his lap, Donghae watched silently as the man continued to assess his papers; the latter’s eyes darting all over.
“So,” The man cleared his throat, causing Donghae to instinctively divert his attention away from his resume, which he hoped had impressed the man. “What made you want to apply for a part-time job at this establishment, Donghae?”
Straightening in his chair, Donghae swallowed a gasp of air before replying, “I need to support myself, sir. I don’t want my family to keep on remitting money to me when I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
The man smiled through his fingers. “That explains why you want to undertake a part-time job in the first place. It doesn’t explain why you chose this establishment to work in, Donghae.”
Donghae blinked confusedly at the man’s statement for a few seconds.
“Sir, I’m afraid I don’t quite understand…” He admitted earnestly. “Could you please elaborate?”
“Well, Donghae, I do understand your reasoning for wishing to undertake a part-time job,” The man started. “However, what I’m really curious about is why you chose here, out of all the other potential establishments.”
“From what I’ve read on your resume, you’re a bright kid, Donghae; a scholar, even! Surely you wouldn’t want your name to be smeared by our establishment, or to be associated with the kinds of activities that we here partake in?”
Donghae followed the man’s every word intently, his lips mouthing the last sentence precisely. After a moment, his eyes which were previously glazed over from confusion soon brightened with comprehension.
“Sir, isn’t that the very reason you’ve set up this whole system?” Donghae spoke up.
“The whole-“ Donghae gesticulated in front of his face. “-mask concept that you came up with. It’s to protect your employees, to maintain a sense of confidentiality. I think it’s an ingenious concept, sir.”
“I’ve also weighed the pros and cons of working at this establishment, and I’ve decided to apply in hopes of being accepted here. As such, I hope you would consider hiring me, sir.”
The man studied Donghae silently, his jaw resting on the perch of his clasped hands. Finally, he slowly unfurled his fingers and leaned back into his armchair; the barest hint of a smile gracing his features.
“My employees… They value the liberation that my establishment provides, and they cherish the anonymity that is guaranteed. I get stragglers, runaways, all sorts of people seeking a reprieve from the harsh discrimination that they have been facing.”
The man reached out for a shot glass and tipped its amber-coloured contents down his throat. After setting the glass back onto the desk, he cast Donghae an unreadable expression.
“Sir?” Donghae enquired, tilting his head to the side as he motioned for the man to continue talking. He knew that the man had more to say, more thoughts to divulge.
“I’ve maintained a reasonably close, if not at least a cordial relationship with every one of my employees, both past and present. Some of them may not show it, but they are appreciative of what the club provides them with, and they work hard to repay it. I just want to reinforce to you, Donghae, how paramount my employees’ well-being is to me. From tomorrow onwards, should you require anything at all, my office is always open.”
Donghae sat up in his seat immediately, with a growing feeling of hope bubbling excitedly and expectantly in his chest. His arms gripped the edges of the armchair so tightly, bringing about a numbing feeling spreading in his fingers which he took no care of.
“Sir, that means…” Donghae looked at the man before him with a lopsided grin.
“Call me Joo-nim, Donghae. And welcome to Guilty Pleasures.” Brian Joo, or as the employees respectfully addressed as Joo-nim, held out his right hand.
Grasping the outstretched hand a little too enthusiastically, Donghae and his new boss exchanged handshakes, and marked the end of the interview and the start of Donghae’s vocation with mutual smiles.
-
It wasn’t a long journey from Hongik University station to Itaewon station, possibly about thirty minutes, but it was sufficient time for Donghae to relax and quell the anxiety brought about by his new job.
Being a valet seemed easy enough; Joo-nim had explained to Donghae that his main task was to simply park the clients’ cars in the private car park located at the back of the club. Whenever a client wanted to leave, the receptionist host would inform the bouncer in advance, who in turn would notify Donghae. Donghae had managed to grasp the whole concept, so he gave little thought about it.
The only thing that worried him was his co-workers. Working wasn’t supposed to be all fun and games; that was a given. However, Donghae felt that his colleagues could either help him enjoy working at the club or just give him plain hell. The bouncer at the entrance was intimidating, and Donghae felt a little unsettled when the former stared down at him through his sunglasses. Once he was granted access into the club, Donghae was already unnerved by his encounter with the bouncer so he didn’t take much notice of the other workers milling about inside. Instead, with his eyes firmly locked on the club’s carpeting, he clumsily made his way to the boss’ office.
Joo-nim was pleasant, but he was the boss after all and what kind of boss would be horrible during a job interview with a potential employee?
“This stop is Itaewon. Itaewon. You may exit on the right.”
The smooth, polished female voice awakened Donghae from his thoughts. Standing up and slinging his backpack over his shoulders, Donghae hurried to the nearest train door.
He certainly didn’t want to be late for his first day of work.
-
The bouncer was standing at the exact same spot that Donghae had remembered yesterday. Despite himself, Donghae thought that the man resembled a bulldog guarding his territory, and he couldn’t help but grin at the mental image.
“So, it’s you again,” The bouncer’s voice cut in roughly. “What’s your business here this time?”
“Same as yours,” Donghae answered smoothly, causing the other male’s eyebrow to quirk. “I’m Lee Donghae and I’m the new valet. It’s nice to meet you.”
Donghae ended his introduction with a respectful bow. When Donghae straightened his back, he flashed the bouncer a sincere smile. To his utmost surprise, the bouncer moved forward and gave him a hard slap on the back.
“Welcome to Guilty Pleasures, kid!” The man beamed cheerfully.
If the power of his slap was any indication of his friendliness, then the man must be a very, very jolly person, Donghae thought as he wheezed his way into recovery.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Came the bouncer’s surprised voice. “Did I really hit that hard?”
Donghae made to open his mouth, when an unfamiliar voice piped in, “Geez, Youngwoon. He hasn’t even started work and you’ve already managed to incapacitate him temporarily.”
“I didn’t mean to!” The bouncer, whom Donghae now knew as Youngwoon, said indignantly. “It’s just my way of welcoming him, Heechul-hyung.”
Donghae feebly straightened his back, and his eyes soon registered the newcomer in their conversation. The man, dressed in a plain white frilly shirt and neatly pressed grey slacks, was leaning against the club doors. An orange mask was perched daintily on the top of his head; it clashed brilliantly with his flaming red hair.
“One would think that you would have learned after you did the same to Hankyung,” Heechul tittered as he strolled languidly towards the other two men. “He instantly grabbed your right arm and was about to flip you onto your back if I hadn’t screamed bloody murder and ordered him to stop!”
“And how the heck was I supposed to know back then that Hankyung-hyung was secretly a martial arts specialist?” Youngwoon shot back immediately, raising both his arms in protest.
“Um,” Donghae spoke up meekly. “Excuse me?”
Both Heechul and Youngwoon instantaneously turned to Donghae, with their actions causing him to flinch.
“Oh, right. New kid.”
“It’s Donghae, actually,” Donghae’s voice rose unnaturally as he bravely corrected Heechul. “Lee Donghae.”
Heechul stared at Donghae for a moment, his wide eyes studying the latter’s face, before bursting into appreciative laughter.
“I like you, kid; you’ve got some spunk,” Heechul smirked, before slinging an arm around Donghae’s shoulder. “So you’re the new valet that Brian was talking about, huh?”
Donghae nodded. Heechul was on first name basis with Joo-nim, meaning that he had to be of similar authority as well, Donghae concluded.
“Well, you’ve already met our bouncer, Youngwoon.” Heechul motioned with his free hand at Youngwoon, who cocked his head in response. “And you’ve obviously met me, the amazingly incomparable Kim Heechul…”
Heechul left his sentence hanging as he shifted his attention to glare at Youngwoon, who had snorted at Heechul’s self-description.
“You can learn more about me and the rest of the employees of this club inside my office, so let’s go,” Heechul said briskly. Turning on his heels, he soon headed back into the club.
Donghae shot a parting glance at Youngwoon, whose eyes were filled with a suspicious glint that he didn’t like.
“Good luck!” Youngwoon said, giving Donghae a thumbs-up sign. “And don’t let him eat you,” He added as an afterthought.
If Youngwoon-sunbae was trying to encourage me, he failed miserably.
-
Heechul’s office was just beside Joo-nim’s; another indication that Heechul was indeed of importance in the establishment. As Heechul turned open the hardwood door, he revealed the modestly furnished room to Donghae. Donghae stepped in quietly, his eyes taking in the cluttered desk and the wardrobe parked at a corner.
“Sit down, Donghae,” Heechul nodded towards the chair placed in front of the desk. Donghae complied, sinking into the well-worn yet comfortable office chair.
Heechul strode over to his desk and perched on the edge, folding one of his legs neatly over the other. “Brian’s out for a business-related event, so it’s up to me to fill you in on your first day of work.”
“I understand,” Donghae responded.
“Just to check with you… Has Brian explained the general duties of your job? Such as the procedure when a client comes in with his car, or that you have to liaise with Youngwoon?” Heechul rattled on dutifully, as if he was reading off a carefully prepared list in his mind.
Donghae nodded.
Heechul took it as his cue to continue talking. “And do you at least understand and respect our club’s privacy policy? Do you have any qualms about wearing a mask during your working hours?”
Donghae shook his head, but his face soon looked thoughtful. Heechul arched an elegantly-shaped eyebrow, prompting Donghae to speak up.
“Well, I understand the whole masks concept, but why doesn’t Youngwoon-sunbae wear one as well?” Donghae’s voice faltered upon seeing Heechul’s slightly incredulous expression. “D-don’t get me wrong… It’s just that Youngwoon-sunbae wears sunglasses instead so I was wondering…”
“Even if Youngwoon was wearing the most simplest and manliest of masks, he still would look like a joke. I mean, he can’t act all serious and intimidating with a mask on his face, right?” Heechul chuckled.
“He would have a hard time dealing with unruly and unreasonable patrons because they wouldn’t take him seriously. Youngwoon would have to use extra force to compensate and that could lead to all sorts of unnecessary problems.”
“That’s a good question, though,” Heechul nodded appreciatively. “I think that the other workers here probably just assumed that Youngwoon flat out refused to wear a pansy mask and just shoved sunglasses onto his face.”
“Youngwoon-sunbae does seem like the type,” Donghae said quietly.
Heechul snorted. “Oh, he is. And by the way, just call him Youngwoon-hyung. Likewise, address me as Heechul-hyung. We’re going to be working together, so it’s better to just do away with the formalities. Makes it less awkward for everyone.”
“I understand.” Donghae nodded once again.
“That’s all the knowledge I have to impart onto you, Donghae,” Heechul said seriously. “I suppose it’s time to send you out proper.”
Heechul hopped off his desk and headed towards the wardrobe in the corner. Throwing the oak doors open, Heechul scanned its contents carefully, thumbing through the hanging clothes before his hand paused before one of them. He pulled out the hanger with a flourish and showed it to Donghae, obviously expecting a favourable response from the latter.
“Well, what do you think?” Heechul questioned.
Donghae studied the ensemble quietly. On the hanger was a modest getup consisting of a white dress shirt, a simple black vest, and tapered black dress pants.
Donghae shrugged. “It’s not bad. It could always be worse.”
His eyes quickly flashed over Heechul’s own outfit. The frills made the outfit a little too showy for Donghae’s taste, but he felt that Heechul managed to pull it off just fine.
“That’s great.” Heechul thrust the clothes onto Donghae’s lap.
Leaning back against the desk, Heechul folded his arms loosely across his chest, surveying Donghae with an expectant expression.
“Now strip and let’s see how the outfit looks on you.”
“What?” Donghae shouted instantly. “Strip? Here? Now?”
“Yeah,” Heechul replied lazily. “What’s wrong?”
His mind was busy throwing around dozens of reasons, but Donghae clamped his lips tightly, lest one of them accidentally slipped out.
“It’s-It’s just that,” Donghae oscillated glances at the door behind him and back at Heechul’s apathetic figure. “Wouldn’t it be better if I ch-change in the staff’s washroom or something? I mean, there’s no need to-“
Heechul looked up from his manicured nails and narrowed his eyes impatiently at Donghae, his glare reducing Donghae’s initial reluctance into meek coercion.
Donghae shakily stood up and headed towards the door. He stopped just a few steps short; if anything happened, Donghae could just grab and twist at the doorknob, and then, make a mad dash for safety. Heechul watched him amusedly; his arms were still loosely crossed and his wide, cat-like eyes were following his every movement.
Donghae probably set a record in the next consecutive minute. Had he been in the army for national service, he would have definitely induced awe in the other privates and army commander; right then, all it did was induce chuckles in the only other male in the office.
“See, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Heechul asked cheekily as he tilted his head to the side.
Donghae didn’t respond; he was too busy gathering his normal clothes which had been flung about his position during his amazing quick change.
“You should count yourself lucky, you know.” Despite being bent over the floor, Donghae could still hear Heechul’s loud voice clearly. “If you had applied for another position, like say, an exotic dancer, I would have asked you to do an impromptu live demonstration for me.”
Donghae’s face paled.
-
Donghae wished that the next few hours were uneventful and muted compared to his experience in Heechul’s office. Luckily for him, his wish was granted.
The first hour had gone well enough. The clients look little notice of Donghae, as if he had always been there, standing patiently at his valet stand.
They’ve probably grown accustomed to the system, Donghae remarked silently as yet another client stepped out of his impressive-looking car and handed the keys over to Donghae; the transaction kept smooth, with no words exchanged between them.
After the first five clients, Donghae had already grown used to the mind-numbing routine. Hence, he tried to inject some excitement into his job by parking and configuring the cars in positions not unlike those in that deceptively easy-looking vehicle puzzle game he used to play when he was younger. Of course, Donghae was no idiot; he had the common sense to park the cars at regular angles inside the parking lots and allowed a safe and manageable distance between each car. It was the arrangement of the cars that Donghae toyed with, with the moderately-sized cars kept far away from the bigger cars, which were also slightly harder to maneuver.
In between breaks, Donghae would hover between watching the clients with mild interest to doggedly pestering Youngwoon into having a conversation with him. In only two hours, Donghae had perfected his wide-eyed expression that could melt Youngwoon’s hardened gaze; an accomplishment he deemed momentous.
“How’s the first two hours on the job, kid?” Youngwoon questioned as he watched Donghae lean a lazy hip against the polished valet stand.
Donghae shrugged, before dropping his shoulders, saying embarrassedly, “I thought it was going to be more exciting than this, to be honest.”
Youngwoon chuckled genially at Donghae’s admission. “It’s only 10pm, kid. The night’s still young. Any minute now, a drunken patron would probably be kicking up a fuss in the club and I would be phoned in to deal with him.”
Donghae threw himself onto the front of the valet stand, sighing tiredly as he propped himself up on his elbows. His eyes scanned the vacant streets before him, and he finally took in the landscape. The club was located in a relatively seedy area. A variety of nightclubs, bars and foreign restaurants dotted each side of the streets, the club itself being flanked by a liquor store and a late-night convenience store. Donghae surmised that the patrons would arrive late at night, when the crowd on the sidewalks had filtered into the nightclubs and bars, and they could come with few onlookers’ probing eyes surveying them.
-
Unfortunately, the next three hours were packed with numerous incidents. At the twentieth minute of the first hour, Youngwoon was called into the premises to handle and evict a patron who was unwilling to leave, even though his session had ended ten minutes ago.
At approximately 12.35am, a snooty-looking client with a high nose bridge that rivaled his arrogance decided to make a scene at the club’s entrance, complaining that Donghae had made him wait too long for his car to arrive. Youngwoon snidely remarked in an even tone that the client would do well to be appreciative of Donghae’s services, for without it he would spend close to an hour trying to find and retrieve his car in the private car park, something that happened the last time. That quickly shut him up.
Finally, at 1.10am, Youngwoon was called into the premises again and soon reemerged with an intoxicated patron draped over his shoulder. Donghae instantly ran onto the sidewalk to hail for a cab. Stepping aside as a cab halted to a stop in front of him, Donghae watched on interestedly as Youngwoon placed the client carefully into the cab’s interior and read the address off his client’s identification card to the cab driver.
Donghae returned to his post, his mind still buzzing with recent events. Sure, he had wished for an exciting first day; this had definitely surpassed his expectations. What he was amazed with was the almost clockwork efficiency that Youngwoon seemed to work at. Never did the older man once show signs of weariness, his mask of professionalism remaining even as he dealt with unruly or unreasonable customers.
The next half-hour was marked with a welcomed serenity, which was oddly supported by the faint echoes of the thumping trance music spilling out from the nightclub across the street.
“The clients are pretty surly, huh?” Donghae suddenly spoke up, twisting his back to face Youngwoon.
“We have thankless jobs, kid. But I’m used to it.” Youngwoon shrugged dismissively. “Besides, why would they ever want to talk to us? It’s those in the club whom they’re interested in.”
“We’re probably only ‘the bouncer’ and ‘the valet boy’ to them and nothing else,” Youngwoon let out a hollow laugh.
Donghae tensed upon detecting the slightly bitter tone in Youngwoon’s statement. The older man had probably grown numb to the clients’ disinterest towards him, treating him as some sort of fixture at the entrance whose only purpose was to cut an intimidating figure, warning dissidents who even dared to create havoc in the premises.
“I think you’re a great bouncer, Youngwoon-hyung,” Donghae said softly. “You’re always professional in dealing with all of those clients, from what I’ve observed tonight. You’ve never raised your voice even once, and I think it’s really cool.”
Youngwoon blinked incredulously. Donghae turned away quickly, embarrassed by his words. Even though he was sincere, his earnest delivery made him cringe somewhat. He could feel his cheeks reddening, with his ears in a similar condition, giving away his discomfiture to the man standing behind him.
“You’re pretty cool yourself, Donghae,” Youngwoon finally said, his tone kept casual.
But Donghae could practically feel the warm smile in the older man’s words; the mere thought of it caused his lips to quirk.
-
Finally, his first day was over. Donghae was feeling worn-out, and it was only a weeknight. He could hardly imagine the situation on Saturday and Sunday nights; hopefully, he would have adjusted to his duties by then.
Stalking into the club tiredly, Donghae surveyed the almost empty club. He had been looking forward to interacting with his other fellow co-workers, but given the state he was currently in, he could only offer weak murmurs and dazed words; not exactly dazzling conversation fillers.
With what seemed like the club’s bar counter in sight, Donghae dragged his feet and plopped himself onto the nearest barstool, coincidentally the one that was closest to the bartender. The man behind the bar counter paused in the middle of wiping his cocktail glasses and he began observing Donghae with casual interest.
“Water,” Donghae managed to mumble, before dropping his head; his forehead meeting the cool wooden surface of the bar counter with a soft thud.
“Sure thing,” The bartender chuckled softly, though it was devoid of maliciousness; he seemed truly amused by Donghae’s condition.
A minute later, a glass of water was placed gently beside Donghae’s resting head. Donghae immediately raised his head in response. He looked at the glass, and then at the bartender before breaking out into an appreciative smile.
Downing the water in one go, Donghae set the now empty glass back onto the counter and sighed wearily.
“Are you the new valet Heechul was talking about?” The bartender questioned, propping his elbows onto the counter as he continued to watch Donghae.
“That’s me,” Donghae said, as he supported his head with his left hand. “I’m Lee Donghae.”
“I’m Hankyung, the bartender of this club.”
Donghae grinned at his newfound friend. “It’s nice to meet you, Hankyung-sunbae- I mean, Hankyung-hyung!”
The other man raised an eyebrow at Donghae’s hasty correction. “I assume that Heechul had advised you of addressing the others as such?”
“Yeah.” Donghae scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
“Your first encounter with him must have been nothing less than memorable,” Another chuckle left the man’s lips. “You’ll get used to it, Donghae. It’s not just Heechul, but the other co-workers as well. They all possess… interesting characters.”
Donghae couldn’t help but note that there was almost a slight hesitancy each time the older man spoke. He enunciated his words carefully and at times, unnaturally, making his delivery rather stilted.
“Hankyung-hyung,” Donghae started tentatively. “Y-you’re not from here, are you?”
The bartender stared at Donghae for a moment, speechless from the latter’s question.
“You’re correct.” He broke out into a slow smile. “I’m not from here. I’m actually from China.”
“My real name is Han Geng,” He intoned, his voice especially lilting when he said his name. “Is my accent very obvious?”
Donghae contemplated for few seconds, before replying, “Quite. Your delivery is kinda jerky and stuff.”
Han Geng sighed, shaking his head lightly. “I’ve been in Seoul for barely a year, and I’ve been working at this club a little shorter than that. I’m quite lucky that the drinks have English names, or I would have suffered a lot more.” He ended with a hearty, self-depreciating laugh.
Despite himself, Donghae laughed along with Han Geng. The elder’s laugh was equally, if not more enchanting than his pure voice.
“I had only managed to chance upon this club because I was staying in a backpackers’ accommodation in this area.” Han Geng picked up Donghae’s empty glass and headed back to his station to refill it. “I was lucky that the management happened to be looking for a bartender. They hired me despite my relative inexperience in this country.”
Han Geng set the glass back onto the counter. Donghae mouthed a word of thanks before taking a huge chug of the refreshing water.
“How was your first day like, Hankyung-hyung?” Donghae leaned forward, his lips stretched in a grin.
Han Geng’s eyes travelled heavenwards, as he attempted to gather the recollection of his first day of work. “It was…ordinary.”
“Ordinary?” Donghae echoed curiously.
“Ordinary for an establishment such as this,” Han Geng said evenly, shooting Donghae an amused expression. “It was a weekend, so there were several incidents. Nothing that Youngwoon cannot handle, of course.”
“From behind my bar counter, I vary in between mixing drinks upon requests and watching the clients travel in and out of the private parlors. I need not vacate this area; the hosts usually collect the drinks from me. At times, patrons sit here at the bar for drinks before their private sessions, but mostly it’s the co-workers that sit here in between breaks.”
Donghae raised his head slowly, his eyes softening as he surveyed Han Geng’s seemingly indifferent expression. There was this peculiar emotion that Donghae could sense as he listened to Han Geng; he had detected the exact same one earlier, when Youngwoon was talking bitterly about the clients’ treatment towards them.
“Why the long face all of a sudden, Donghae?” Han Geng chided gently, offering Donghae a small smile. “Are you feeling compassionate?”
“I-I understand the feeling, Hankyung-hyung,” Donghae said slowly. “It’s the same for me and Youngwoon-hyung as well.”
“We don’t get recognition on the job, all three of us. It’s a very…lonely feeling.”
Donghae’s last words petered out weakly; a clammy, uncomfortable sensation had overtaken his throat.
“I-I’m sorry,” Donghae croaked. “I’m not very good at controlling my feelings. It just spills out.”
Donghae’s grip on his glass tightened, releasing some of the pent-up emotion. Han Geng placed a hand on Donghae’s shoulder and applied light pressure. The action, however small it was, managed to convey sufficient warmth and reassurance to soothe Donghae’s nerves.
“Do you need another glass of water?” Han Geng asked, as Donghae brought the glass to his lips.
Donghae nodded. He continued to sit quietly at the bar counter, watching Han Geng as he cleared his workspace.
-
“How are you travelling back home, Donghae?” Han Geng shot the question at Donghae, who was in the midst of changing out of his work attire.
Donghae’s fingers paused on the fourth button of his vest. He couldn’t answer Han Geng; the matter had never crossed his mind until the older man brought it up.
“Don’t tell me that you hadn’t thought about it?” Han Geng turned to face Donghae, leaning casually against his own locker. He grinned as Donghae remained immobile, the latter obviously stumped.
Donghae made a face in response, his expression clearly stating “Yes, I haven’t, and stop looking so amused.”
Han Geng merely laughed. “If you are comfortable with it and if your home is a reasonable distance within my own, I could you send you home in my car.”
“It’s not a home,” Donghae said quietly. “I live in a dormitory on the campus of Hongik University.”
My real home is back in Mokpo.
“Ah, Hongdae district, no?” Han Geng smiled at Donghae’s surprised expression. “I currently live there as well.”
Donghae remained silent as he tried to think of other possible solutions to his transportation problem. The subway system was closed for the day, and Donghae barely had enough money to hail a cab at this hour; the midnight surcharge was unreasonable on students like him. Deciding that there was no other viable option, Donghae turned to face Han Geng with a deeply apologetic expression that conveyed his gratitude.
He said meekly, “I’ll take up on your offer then. Thank you so much, Hankyung-hyung.”
Han Geng hoisted his backpack over his shoulders. “It’s not a problem, Donghae. I just need to inform Heechul first.”
“Eh?” Donghae exclaimed, his brows furrowing in confusion. “Why do you need to let Heechul-hyung know that you’re sending me home, Hankyung-hyung? Are the two of you sharing a car?”
“Well, we are but it’s technically my car,” Han Geng explained. “Furthermore, Heechul tends to get grumpy late at night. I’m sure he won’t mind the extra passenger though.” He added, upon seeing Donghae’s apprehensive expression.
-
“So it’s a car pool arrangement?” Donghae quickened his pace to fall in step with Han Geng, as they walked along the hallway leading to Heechul’s office. “Does Heechul-hyung live at Hongdae as well?”
They stopped in front of Heechul’s office. Han Geng turned to Donghae, and let out a short, mirthful chortle.
“You haven’t gotten it yet, have you?” Han Geng’s features were contorted into an irrepressible grin.
“Haven’t gotten what yet, Hankyung-hyung?” Donghae replied distractedly as he rapped his knuckles onto the door.
“That Heechul’s my boyfriend.”
Donghae instantly whipped his head to the side. Han Geng’s face was impassive, but the small curl on the corner of his lips belied his façade.
“WHAT?”
It was Donghae’s misfortune that the door opened just as the word left his lips. Heechul appeared in the doorway, supporting his body weight with a hand against the doorframe.
“I’m old but I’m not deaf, you morons,” Heechul hissed. “I heard the knocking on the door.”
Donghae was still in a daze. He slowly turned to look at Heechul and then back at Han Geng before finally regaining enough sense to shut his mouth. He recalled that Heechul had mentioned Han Geng’s name in passing, but never did it cross his mind that the two were connected by more than just their work.
“Did you do something to our valet, Hankyung?” Heechul stared at said Chinese man with beady eyes. “It’s not enough that Youngwoon had to temporarily incapacitate him but you just had to reduce him into a mute too.”
“It wasn’t my intention.” Han Geng shrugged, before giving Heechul a wry smile. “Donghae just was too slow on the uptake.”
“About what?” Heechul’s eyes had narrowed into tiny slits by now.
“About our relationship.”
Donghae, who stood forgotten beside the couple, watched quietly as Heechul launched into a tirade against Han Geng. Heechul gestured wildly as Han Geng nodded placidly whenever the former paused to take a breath.
“He’ll know sooner or later, Heechul,” Han Geng glanced askance at Donghae, whose head jerked upon hearing his name. “Besides, you do realise that our relationship is a poorly-kept secret, no?”
Heechul sighed, obviously drained from their one-sided discussion. “You’re right. He will. I don’t know why I even bothered.”
“Kid.” Heechul turned to face Donghae. “This is probably useless, but I’ll still ask this from you: Don’t spread a word about our relationship. Is that too much to ask for?”
“No, it isn’t,” Donghae said firmly. “I can’t say that I understand the situation, but I’ve gathered enough to keep this to myself.”
“Thanks, kid,” Heechul muttered tiredly.
Han Geng stepped forward, reaching out to rub Heechul’s tense shoulders. Heechul leaned forward and rested his forehead against the side of Han Geng’s head. Han Geng began to murmur some words into Heechul’s ear; the latter nodding in assent every now and then.
“Yeah, alright.” Donghae heard Heechul say; he had stood rooted to the ground, awkwardly waiting for Heechul and Han Geng to finish their conversation. “We can send him home.”
Han Geng pulled away from Heechul, and showed Donghae a triumphant thumbs-up sign. Donghae chuckled weakly, as he refrained from commenting on the recent events. From what he gathered of Heechul’s personality, the older man definitely didn’t seem like the type to hide his relationships, or get defensive when the matter was raised.
Were relationships between workers at the club frowned upon? Donghae had barely spent a day at work, yet his mind was filled with countless questions about the working atmosphere, about the other fellow co-workers, about almost everything regarding the club.
Donghae tailed the pair as they headed towards the club’s private car park. He had yet to meet the rest of his fellow co-workers, but he was already sated with the early relations he had forged with just three of them. Their willingness to show Donghae even a hint of their vulnerability heartened Donghae; to him, it was the first sign of trust between them.
As Han Geng started the car’s engine and Heechul slid onto the passenger seat, Donghae climbed wordlessly into the back. He felt his eyelids drooping as his body slumped into the seat, with his face soon pressing against the car’s side window.
-
“We’re going to charge him for fuel, aren’t we?”
“Heechul! Must you always be so calculative?”
“I wouldn’t be so calculative if a certain someone could control his spending. Our grocery bill is ridiculous!”
“Well, don’t blame me for not being able to stomach takeaway seven days a week!”
“It doesn’t mean that you have to blow so much on fresh produce either. Who the fuck needs a kilogram of bok choy every week?”
“Me and my stir-fries, obviously! Or would you rather I stop cooking them?”
The corners of Donghae’s lips had titled into a smile ever since the start of their bickering.
-
A/N: This is a birthday fic series decidcated to my lovely best friend in real life, stripedrainbows! Her birthday's on the 15th, same as Donghae's! (:
I've been meaning to do up this series for the longest time, but I just got too lazy. This is sort of a continuation of my previous two-shot, Masquerade and Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? Now, of course, I haven't the faintest idea of how a strip/host club is run. Neither do I really know a bartender's duties, but I just wanted to expand the two-shot so much! :<
Since this fic series is the first of other parings, I apologise for the somewhat slow pace of the story here. I'm hope people aren't turned off by it! It's possible that I may tweak the story, following future feedback.
Comments are appreciated! (: