Chapter Text
5th grade is turning out to be even worse than 4th grade, especially with pointless activities such as this :
“Okay, class! Today we will fill out what we want to be when we grow up, okay?” the teacher tries to incite excitement in the children but that tone isn't fooling Wonwoo. Her animated expressions and sing-song voice fail to make him excited to think about the future. His past has been bad and his present is no good so his last worry is to think about the future he knows is doomed.
He’s gonna be stuck in the Orphanage for the rest of his life, maybe grow old there and even come to own it one day. Won't that make for a good movie?
As the teacher places a piece of paper in front of him, ruffling his hair before moving on to the kid behind him, he wonders if he should actually write :
When I grow up I want to own my orphanage
WOnwoo snickers at his own answer, his smile quickly fading away once he realizes how pathetic he truly is.
He looks around as people excitedly scribble down their answers as if they had been waiting for someone to finally ask them, but WOnwoo, Wonwoo has nothing to say, nothing to offer.
What does he want to be when he grows up? Not homeless.
Will they think he's shallow if he writes to be rich?
Sorrow begins to fill the 10-year-old’s heart, for he realizes he has almost zero prospects for his future, no aspirations whatsoever.
What does Wonwoo want?
Friends? He could have had friends if he weren't an orphan and it wasn't something to pick on him about. Family? He could've had a family if it weren't for…
Wonwoo purses his lips, vision blurry almost as he stares at the empty piece of paper that begins to haunt him.
When I grow up I want to _______
Think Wonwoo, think.
When the Teacher passes by, the pressure is heavy on his shoulders to write something, anything under her curious eyes. But Wonwoo can't think of anything he wants with life and–
He inhales deeply as a thought sprouts in his brain, and hesitantly, he pens down the words.
When I grow up I want to be happy
—-
When Wonwoo wakes up at 6 in the morning thanks to his body alarm, he thinks about how it has been a while since he's had that dream, about his childhood.
He slides off his bed, stretching as he navigates around his 1BHK to make himself some coffee while also ironing his tie for the day. He turns on the TV and lets the news play in the background as he brushes his teeth, reading through the newspaper quickly.
By the time it's 6:30, Wonwoo’s dressed and ready for the day. With a toast in his mouth, he leaves his apartment and hops onto a bus. It takes him the entire ride to his boss’s place to go through the schedule for the day, rearranging meetings and other appointments to make the day as comfortable as he can for the Vice President but it seems like he doesn't even have the time to breathe today. Wonwoo’s shoulders sag, and he wonders how the Vice President will react. He can only hope for the best.
The bus doesn't take him to his desired destination of course, since where the Boss lives is rather posh and inaccessible by public transport. He walks the rest of the way, 100 meters to the house and 100 meters inside the estate itself.
“Good Morning, Ajhumma” he greets as he gets in using the password, and she smiles at him, “Young master isn't awake yet,” she says as she hands Wonwoo a glass of juice.
Wonwoo sighs, “I'd love for him to sleep in but his schedule is jampacked,” he says, walking to the master bedroom. He thinks of a way to wake the Voce President, maybe turn off the fan the old-fashioned way, or open the blinds to let the morning light in. But as he opens the door after a customary knock, he's pleasantly surprised to find the bed empty (and made) and the Vice President standing by the mirror, dressed and ready to go.
With a hint of proud on his face, Wonwoo walks over to the man, “Good Morning, Vice President” he greets, and the man turns around to flash him a charming yet formal smile, “Good Morning, Secretary Jeon” he says, taking the glass of juice as Wonwoo begins to tie his tie.
Mingyu has always struggled with ties, either when it comes to tying them or picking the right one. Today as well, Wonwoo questions his taste in picking a floral patterned tie, a rather odd pick for a very formal and vital meeting lying ahead.
“Something on your mind, Secretary Jeon?” Mingyu asks, sipping on the juice and Wonwoo shakes his head, taking a step back and dusting his shoulders, “Just the meetings ahead”
Mingyu finishes the drink and puts on a coat, “You scared?”
Wonwoo smiles softly, “No, Sir”
Mingyu smiles, reaffirming, “Good”
—-
Wonwoo quickly flips the page over, rather hesitant to let anyone see what he'd written. And he also prays to God that his teacher doesn't ask him to stand up and answer because Wonwoo’s not ready for that kind of humiliation.
So he sinks into his seat as her Teacher hums, “so, who wants to go first?” and thanks to the numerous hands that rise, Wonwoo goes unnoticed in a sea of eager children.
Either way, he looks around, glee evident on everyone’s faces. Although it's something to covet that people already have something they want to become in life, Wonwoo decides to cheer himself up by taking pride in the fact that he has the most unique, albeit sad answer.
“I want to be a lawyer like my daddy!”
“I want to go to space!”
“I want to cook!”
“I want to paint!”
“I want to become a prince!”
Well, apart from the ‘Prince’ answer, everything is as Wonwoo had expected to hear from his peers. Something they’d seen on TV, or something they'd seen their parents do. But he wonders if it's something they really want. Something they desire. He doubts it.
The answers go on.
“I want to sing”
“I want to dance”
“I want to get into Stock brokerage” and thats definitely ambitious for someone who can't properly count at the big age of 10. You've been on thi planet for a decade and yet you confuse between 57 and 67!
And as Wonwoo begins to tune out the answers, one answer catches his ear.
When I grow up I want to have a big family and be a dad.
And that answer makes Wonwoo think, not just because he’d been beaten to the most unique answer, but also because this kid really seems to want all those things.
Wonwoo shrugs, guess he's not the only (brutally) honest one in the class.
–--
Well, who'd have thought he'd grow up to be a Secretay at a big firm?
Writing “ Secretary” in that blank would have guaranteed him the spot for the most unique answer, even beating out the kid who wanted to be a Dad. Who knew?
“Secretary Jeon” comes Mingyu’s voice, and he turns to look at the man, “Yes, Vice President” he gathers himself and replies.
“Mail the meeting minutes to Mr. Bae’s team,” he says and Wonwoo nods, turning to Mr.Bae with a polite smile, his gaze narrowing in on a rather similarly hideous floral patterned tie as he’d seen tied around Mingyu’s neck.
“Looking forward to doing business with you, Mr. Kim,” Mr. Bae says, standing up to shake Mingyu’s hand, “Likewise, Mr.Bae. Thank you for entrusting us with this deal,” he says as the Telecommunications Mogul laughs heartily, “I know I can trust you, Mr. Kim,” he says, hand grazing Mingyu’s tie, “you and I seem to have similar tastes when it comes to certain things, say, like 1960s tailor-made ties” and Mingyu laughs, “Of course,”
As the two busy themselves in informal chit-chat, Wonwoo can only smile at Mingyu.
–
Wonwoo leads a rather boring life in an exciting world.
He's not saying this just because he's a rather plain old Secretary with no social life or any friends, (except one who won't stop bothering him). He's also saying this because, well, he's a beta. The least exciting of the three secondary genders.
Honestly, when Wonwoo presented as a beta, he….wasn't really surprised. He didnt have the qualities of an alpha, nor that of an omega. He wasn't authoritative, domineering, and rich, nor did he have grace and beauty. He was….just him. A beta suited him perfectly.
While betas make up a vast majority, Kim enterprises seems to be flooding with mostly alphas, which again isn't a surprise considering how prestigious the company is. Omegas and Betas work here too, of course, but they're in a rather small amount.
So, despite Wonwoo’s lack of capabilities, he's respected a lot by his peers and subordinates because he's a beta holding a top position in the company, something previously alpha-dominated. And so, Wonwoo attracts a lot of attention despite his urge to be miles away from the spotlight. But what did he expect when he accepted the job to work alongside Mingyu, a business tycoon in the making constantly under the spotlight?
As Mingyu gets off stage after addressing a Press Conference about making recruitment more open to all three genders, reporters crowd him like moths around a flame, asking him numerous and some even outrageous questions.
“What do you have to say about the rumor that you and Actress Taehi took a vacation in Hawaii last year?”
“Have you bonded with her yet?”
“What do you think about the stocks of Lee Enterprises plummeting? Rumour has it there was corporate espionage involved”
WOnwoo stops the urge to roll his eyes at that and continues to shield Mingyu with the help of his Bodyguards, escorting him to the car as the crowd grows bigger and bigger.
Thing is, Mingyu isn't just a big name in the Business circles, he's also the most eligible Alpha bachelor in Seoul and has a rather huge following of both men and women who are willing to throw themselves at his feet. Or in this case, throw themselves onto him.
A woman leaps across the barrier of Bodyguards, but Wonwoo’s quick to catch on and steps in, using his body as a shield. He manages to stop her as she screams, Mingyu! I love you! Please have my children!
He’s sturdy enough, or maybe not because he flinches as he tries to stand up straight after pushing her out of Mingyu’s sight. Thankfully, in no time, they're in the car and out of there.
–--
Wonwoo doesn't want to turn in the sheet.
Now that he's thought about it, his answer seems pretty lame, and would probably preempt the teacher to urge Wonwoo to seek professional help. Wonwoos is tired of all the therapists, to be honest. He'd rather just go back to his room at the orphanage and read a book or something.
So he paces back and forth down the aisle between the chairs, his thoughts drowning in the children that move around him back and forth as well, submitting their forms as recess nears.
A kid is so excited that he runs into Wonwoo, or rather his shoulder and Wonwoo being the lanky kid he is, stumbles to the ground. His sheet of paper floats to the floor and just as he reaches to pick it up, another kid rushes down the aisle, stepping on both Wonwoo’s sheet and his fingers, eliciting a rather loud groan from Wonwoo which conveniently disappears into the chaos of a 5th-grade classroom.
He looks around, at the world moving all too fast around him and then back at the sheet of paper, a footprint on his answer, ‘happy’ now adorned with mud.
Wonwoo sighs, and hopes his tears don't fall just yet.
–--
“On account of securing that deal with Mr.Bae, you are all relieved of your duties for the day” Mingyu announces when they get back to the office at around 6 in the evening, earning a cheer from his management team.
As people make up plans on spot, choosing which restaurants to head to, and whether to drink or not, Mingyu quietly retires to his office. Once Mingyu is gone, some of Wonwoo’s peers rush to him, “Sunbae! How did the Boss close the deal?” one asks
“I heard Mr.Bae turned down a lot of other firms!” one squeaks and Wonwoo glances at MIngyu in his glass office, chatting on the phone as he loosens his tie.
Wonwoo smiles at them, “Experience” is all he says before he turns to walk to his desk right outside Mingyu’s office.
“Sunbae,” Seungkwan calls, an Omega, “do you want to join us for drinks?” he asks. Wonwoo was about to decline anyway but when he sees Vernon shuffle to Seungkwan’s side with expectant eyes, a sour taste spreads through his mouth. He smiles, “Im good, thanks Seungkwan-ah,” he says and turns on his feet, walking to his desk.
“He's not gonna go home?” a newbie asks when she notices Wonwoo settle on his desk and pull out some files. Seungkwan sighs and gestures towards Mingyu sitting by his desk in his office, “not until he does”
–
It's 11 when Mingyu’s voice snaps Wonwoo out of his trance.
“Are you finished with your work, Secretary Jeon?” Mingyu asks, standing in front of his desk with his hands behind his back.
Wonwoo stands up as well, “Just now, Vice President” he replies and Mingyu breaks into a wide, bright smile. He raises his arms to show Wonwoo the two bottles of Soju nestled in between his fingers, sweating with dew and looking as tempting as ever, “what about a little celebration, Won?” he asks, and Wonwoo smiles, “why not”
–--
“Hey, are you hurt?” comes a voice, and Wonwoo cranes his neck up to look at Mingyu.
Wonwoo doesn't say anything as the bell rings and kids storm out of the classroom to go out and play, followed by the teacher whos preoccupied with her phone to notice there’s a child on the floor with tears in his eyes.
“Are you hurt?” Mingyu asks again, this time kneeling, and Wonwoo sniffles. Mingyu picks up his sheet of paper and then takes a look at his small hand, the footprint of a show imprinted on it, “aw, your hand is all dirty” he remarks, wiping off the dust with his own hands, “its too bad because you have nice fingers”
Mingyu takes his hand and urges Wonwoo to stand up. Wonwoo realizes that in the 30 days of him being here, Mingyu is the first person that has approached him. He knows his name thanks to it being scribbled on his forehead by his friends, whom Wonwoo saw last period writing the name on a slumbering Mingyu.
Wonwoo follows Mingyu wordlessly, he doesn't know where to.
“My dad says that if you have nice fingers, you can tie ties well,” he says as they exit the classroom, passing by other students in the hallway, “can you tie a tie?” he asks.
Wonwoo nods his head, “but not a very good one”
He ties the ties of the younger kids at the orphanage. It's a skill he learned back when he wasn't an orphan.
Mingyu chuckles, leading him into what Wonwoo notes is the infirmary, “I’m sure it’s a million times better than mine” he says as he sits Wonwoo onto a bed, “look at my potato fingers” he raises his hand and Wonwoo scoffs softly because they are potato fingers indeed.
The Nurse isn't around, Wonwoo notes, so Mingyu grabs a cloth and wets it in the sink, tiptoeing slightly to dampen the cloth properly. Mingyu’s kinda short for a 5th grader, Wonwoo wonders if he’ll even grow in the future.
“You're smiling,” Mingyu says as he comes back and takes Wonwoo’s hand, cleaning it with the cloth. Wonwoo hums, “because of your potato fingers”
Mingyu grins, teeth pretty crooked but the sharpness of those canines is undeniable, charming even.
Mingyu cleans Wonwoo’s hand silently, and when they're sparkly clean, he looks up and smiles, “all done,” he says and WOnwoo purses his lips, unable to look away from the blinding smile, “thank you,” he says
“Its as good as new” Mingyu comments, proud of his work, and Wonwoo giggles, “you talk funny”
Mingyu shrugs, settling on the space next to Wonwoo, “Mom says that too. I get the feeling she isn't proud of it but I am so who cares” and Wonwoo chuckles, staring at his hand no longer dirty.
“You’ll be a good dad” Wonwoo comments, recalling how excited Mingyu looked when he raised his hand and yelled his answer ‘I want to be a Dad’. Mingyu blinks at him, and then smiles, “I’m great with kids!” he chimes, and Wonwoo giggles, and then falls silent yet again.
“Hey” Mingyu calls and Wonwoo turns to him with raised brows, “yeah?”
“Next time, don't hide your pain, okay?” he says and Wonwoo’s eyes widen lightly. Mingyu watches him intently and Wonwoo presses his lips into a thin smile, “okay”
–--
Mingyu and Wonwoo have a special place to enjoy their drinks at. It's the balcony outside the management team’s office, overlooking the city with a gentle breeze blowing past them every now and then. It's spacious too, enough for them to pull a table and some chairs out here and stretch their long legs.
Wonwoo pops open the bottles, watching as Mingyu walks out with a …
“Why do you have an ice pack?” Wonwoo asks as Mingyu silently walks past his chair and over to Wonwoo’s side, kneeling.
Wonwoo purses his lips in guilt as Mingyu takes his left foot and nudges his shoe off, rolling his sock down to expose the undeniable swelling around his ankle
Wonwoo muffles a whimper as Mingyu’s hand holds Wonwoo’s foot, placing it on his knee.
“I told you not to hide your pain,” Mingyu says, applying the ice pack to the swollen area, “it happened after the press conference, right?”
Wonwoo’s silence becomes Mingyu’s answer. The Vice President sighs, “Double security from tomorrow”
“But, that’s costly—“ Wonwoo interjects but Mingyu cuts him off, looking up at him sternly, “I don’t care”
Wonwoo knows there’s no point fighting and sighs, letting Mingyu treat him.
“Next time, tell me when you’re hurting, okay?” Mingyu says, gently touching Wonwoo’s ankle.
And although Wonwoo nods to reassure Mingyu, deep down he knows there are too many things he can’t share with his best friend.
‘I can’t promise you that, Mingyu-ah’