Chapter Text
Monday- 9:25 am- Maxident Magazine Corporate Office
“And only then will the people of Myanmar know true and lasting peace.”
Felix finishes reading, shaking his head from his place hovering above Minho’s shoulder. He lets out a puff of air, causing his blonde bangs to flutter around his eyes. “Minho, it’s brilliant, it’s really moving…”
Minho feels his face twitch involuntarily, knowing what is coming next. “But…”
“But , it’s never going to appear in Maxident Magazine.” Felix squeezes Minho’s shoulders and leaves a sloppy kiss on the top of his head before returning to his adjoining cubicle, abandoning Minho in his time of need.
Minho has been working at Maxident for around three years. His dreams of becoming a serious journalist dashed when he received only one viable job offer out of grad school. Maxident isn’t his dream, but it was easy to fall into.
He loves his coworkers, they’re actually his closest friends. He loves their office space, bright, eclectic, and full of life. He loves the ability to be himself at work, unconventional and gay, not having to pretend to be anything he’s not. Maxident is comfortable, it feels safe; but it will never be his dream.
“Why do I even try…” Minho lets out a loud groan, flopping back in his best impression of a ragdoll.
“You try because you're smart, beautiful, horribly charming, and know you deserve better than this?” Felix looks over at Minho with his big sparkling eyes.
It’s hard to feel sorry for yourself for too long if Felix is looking at you. His general being has magical properties; it’s highly annoying for people who love to mope, like he does.
Minho lolls his head back farther. “Now that Nayeon has me stuck as her how-to guy I’m never going to break out of that role, am I?” he whines.
Felix sighs loudly, “Well I have something that might cheer you up, Min!” Felix suddenly dives beneath his desk. His words are muffled as he digs around in a bottom drawer, “that Rolling Stone editor you’ve been shamelessly flirting with on the phone for months…”
Minho gasps, instantly regaining human-like properties in his limbs. “He sent the tickets?!”
Felix pops back up from under the desk envelope in hand, grinning. He cocks an eyebrow, waving it in front of his face teasingly. “That’s right! Jeongyeon tickets.”
“Ooooooooohhh give me, give me!” Minho excitedly bounces over, trying to pluck the envelope from his friend’s hands. “I told you my brazen flirting would work out for us eventually!”
Minho rips open the envelope, pulling out a piece of pink stationary. The editor, what was his name again? Jaehwan? Maybe it was Jaehyun… either way, Minho never plans on talking to him again. Jae-something-or-other had written him a love letter and folded it meticulously around the tickets.
He carefully slides the tickets out, crumpling the letter portion of the envelope contents and tossing it in the trash. It would be a waste of his time to read over the useless drabble that was surely contained in the flowery pages. Ew.
“Are you gonna take me as your date, baby?” Felix leans over the cubicle wall, puckering his lips in a kissy face, noises included.
“Hmmm… That depends. What’s in it for me?” Minho pretends to inspect his nails, purposefully avoiding eye contact. “Are you a good date?”
“I’ll consider putting out if you treat me right, big boy,” Felix drawls with an exaggerated wink.
Minho laughs loudly as he pushes Felix away with one palm flat against the blonde’s puckered lips.
“Hey!” A head of fluffy black hair appears over the other side of Minho’s cubicle. “Sorry to interrupt whatever, this… is,” the intruder, Jeongin, says, a wide, fox-like grin already painted across his face. “We have an all-staff meeting in thirty, and we can’t be late again or Nayeon will have our heads.”
Felix brings his hands to his chest in mock horror. “In our defense, Innie, it’s not our fault that the new Princess Diana documentary aired at the exact same time as all-staff last week.”
Minho nods his head solemnly in agreement. “Maybe Nayeon should be more considerate to our thoughts and feelings. To Diana’s thoughts and feelings.”
Jeongin’s grin grows even wider, a feat of nature. “Preaching to the choir, guys, but I’d really like us all to keep our jobs. Can you imagine how annoying Hyunjin would be if we all got fired?”
At the mention of the fourth member of their group, all three whip around towards the final seat in their little office block. Minho detects no signs of life from the messy workspace.
“Where is Hyunjin?” Minho grumbles. He knows where this is going.
“I haven’t seen him all morning; I think he’s wallowing in his latest breakup,” Felix responds, words sounding a bit short.
Minho knows that even Felix, the sweet, sweet man that he is, is growing tired of Hyunjin’s antics, although the younger would never admit it out loud.
Minho clicks his tongue, rising from his chair with a flourish. “Alrighty then. It’s my turn to get him.” Pulling his fuzzy pink pen from behind his ear, he points the tip towards Felix. “Lix, you get coffee.” He swivels to face his other friend. “Jeongin, stall Nayeon for fifteen. Regroup at the meeting?”
“Ay-ay captain.” Jeongin gives a tiny salute and skitters off to work his magic on their boss. The man can get anything he wants with one flash of his toothy smile; he’s basically the god damned Cheshire cat.
Minho turns to his computer, hitting the bright red X on the window containing the story he let Felix read, yet another that will never see print. He sighs.
When he looks back up, Felix is already looking at him, a hint of sadness in his eyes. “Ready to go?” the other asks.
Minho huffs out an agreement, grabbing his tote bag in one hand and Felix in the other.
No matter how bad his career troubles get, it could never compare to the disaster he is about to face: heartbroken Hyunjin.
Monday- 9:30 am- JYP Entertainment
Jisung loves his job.
He is always reminded of this fact when he arrives at work on Monday mornings. Walking through the large glass doors at the entry of the highrise, his motorcycle helmet secured under his arm.
JYP Entertainment occupies a large building in the dead center of the city; the modern interior is freshly remodeled and the lobby always bustling with people. Jisung has always wanted to be a music producer; it was just dumb luck to get picked up by one of the biggest entertainment agencies in the country.
(Dumb luck and maybe a little bit of talent, he doesn’t like to sell himself short, of course.
Jisung loves that he can drive his motorcycle to work, he loves that he gets to spend all day working on music, and most of all, he loves his coworkers. Well, he loves most of his coworkers…
“Hello Jisung,” Momo deadpans as he joins her next to the elevator bank.
She doesn’t even spare him a glance, apparently recognizing him by the sound of his footsteps. She often doesn’t need to look up to know who she’s talking to; Chan swears she has a sixth sense. She’s like… a freaky haunted porcelain doll in an ancient manor… or something.
Momo flips the page of the glossy fashion magazine she is apparently engrossed in, casually skimming her eyes over the colorful pages.
“Momo,” he greets back, flicking at the cover of her reading material. “Reading up on your girly tips this morning? Does that issue teach you how to do the grapefruit method? If so, I’ll take a look when you’re done.” Jisung lets the corner of his mouth curl up, unable to hold back his smirk.
“Ha ha ha,” Momo intones, finally tipping her head up to make sure he can see her roll her eyes. “Dahyun and I have a meeting at Maxident today. Fastest growing women’s magazine in the country.” She tips up the magazine she’s holding so he can see the cover, ‘MAXIDENT MAG’ is printed across it in a bold pink font. “Considering they run highly respected reviews on our music in their little girly magazine, you might want to read up on more than just the grapefruit method.”
Before he realizes what she’s doing she folds up the magazine and brings it down on the top of his head, shoving it into his arms after impact.
“Hey!” Jisung protests, rubbing his head where she whacked him. “Humane society!”
The doors for the elevator open, revealing Momo’s partner in crime, Dahyun, her heels clack on the marble floor as she stalks up to them. “Hi Sungie,” she chirps, gleefully. “You finally decided to show up on time!”
Jisung scoffs at her shit eating grin. If Momo is a haunted doll, Dahyun is the freaky little-girl ghost girl who owns the doll; not any less horrifying, but significantly easier to talk to.
“I figured if I was late again Seungmin might actually follow through on one of his many threats to publicly behead me,” Jisung says dryly.
“Oh well, don’t let us keep you!” Dahyun pushes him in the direction of the open elevator, a few others already waiting inside looking annoyed he’s holding them up. “Ta-ta for now, Sung!” Dahyun wiggles her manicured fingers at him and lets Momo pull her away, their hands interlocked.
Always something completely normal going on with those two.
Jisung grumbles apologies to the others in the elevator and forcefully smashes the button for the 43rd floor.
His office space is in a roomy industrial loft. The boss, Sana, always waffles some bullshit about the lack of walls being conducive to a creative music-making environment. Jisung’s team has their own studio space, nestled in the far corner of the large floor; a perk of being a production unit.
He stalks through the office, making sure to stop to say hello to his favorite girls on the floor, Sooyoung and Jungeun, so they can catch up about their weekends.
When he finally passes through the open studio door, he sees that two of his partners are already there. Seungmin, at his corner desk, repeatedly tossing a baseball in the air, and Chan, already hunched over his computer, working on a track.
“Wassup, daddio?” Jisung pokes Chan in the side, startling him out of his intense focus. The man is a machine when he’s in the zone.
“Sung, how many times have I told you to not call me daddy,” Chan complains halfheartedly, eyes not leaving his screen.
Jisung pouts, tucking his helmet under his desk. “Channie it’s okay to admit you have a daddy kink, we won’t judge you.”
“I will,” Seungmin chimes in. As soon as Jisung makes eye contact with the demon, he chucks the baseball at Jisung’s head.
Jisung ducks out of the way in the nick of time, hands in front of his face. “Hey! Why is everyone acting violently towards me today! Am I the only one who had a good weekend?”
“Was it a good weekend because you were subjecting more unfortunate men to your penis?” Seungmin smiles up at him innocently, teeth on display.
“Something like that..” Jisung picks up the ball from where it has fallen on the ground and throws it right back at Seungmin’s head. He catches it, of course, the man has annoyingly fast reflexes for a nerd.
“Orgy?” Seungmin’s smile grows even bigger, apparently pleased with himself.
Jisung narrows his eyes, ready to hit back. “Where were you this weekend, Seungmin, paying someone to tug on your balls?”
Seungmin scoffs. “I’ll have you know I just ended-”
Chan cuts him off before he can finish, “Children, please, you’re giving me gray hair.”
Jisung rolls his eyes, dropping into his desk chair. “Ok, so I can’t call you daddy but you can imply it yourself. I see how it is.” He can see Chan stick his tongue out at him from the corner of his eye.
Jisung has been working with his team for years.
Chan had pseudo-adopted Jisung and Changbin after meeting them in a music production class in university. Once they started making music together, they realized their work was much better as a team, and the rest just followed. Jisung has always been creative, but working with Chan and Changbin feels like second nature.
They got picked up by JYP as a trio, Jisung doubts that any one of them would have made it into such a large agency straight out of the gate on their own.
Seungmin sort of just showed up one day; a musical prodigy, the man is good at everything, including being an annoying bastard. Seungmin was assigned to help out with an album they had been working on, working his charming wiles on Chan with his saccharine grin. Chan loves picking up strays, and Seungmin is exhibit C (Jisung and Changbin being A and B, respectively).
The four of them are thick as thieves, they’re all best friends, even Jisung and Seungmin (though Jisung would rather submit to one of Seungmin’s execution threats than admit it).
Jisung is clicking open his production applications when Changbin bursts through the door, a wild look in his eyes. “Did you hear!?”
Jisung spins around, blinking up at the man. “That Jeongyeon is coming to town and Channie owes me $20 for saying she wouldn’t make a tour stop here?”
“Well, no,” Changbin snorts. “But, Channie, he’s right, you need to pay up.”
“Tch.” Chan pulls a crisp bill out of his wallet, crumpling it up and tossing it at a cackling Jisung.
Changbin lets out a hearty laugh at the exchange, stopping when he remembers what he was going to say. “Jesus, you distract me so easily. Listen– Sungie, you were right. Hyuna is looking for someone to write and produce her new album. Start to finish– Sana wants to move on it aggressively.” He opens his arms wide, like he’s just pulled off a magic trick, shimmying his hands for extra effect.
Jisung rockets out of his chair, throwing himself into Changbin’s open arms. “YES! Oh this is a FANTASTIC day, Binnie, this is a very good day!” he giggles as Changbin spins them around. He moves to Chan next, grabbing the man by his shoulders and shaking. “Channie! Do you know how good of a day this is? Hyuna is the most desired artist of our generation, if we can get in on her album, we’re basically at the top of the industry!”
Jisung can feel the excitement radiating through every fiber of his being, bouncing on the balls of his feet as Chan chuckles. He’s been waiting for this moment since he convinced his boss to look into signing Hyuna with JYP.
“Tell him,” Seungmin’s voice cuts in from across the room, instantly causing his energy to nosedive.
“Tell me what?” Jisung feels a prickle of anxiety gathering in his stomach.
Chan sighs, running a hand through his curly hair. “Sana put DahMo on it.”
The words hit Jisung like a brick. “No way,” he squeaks, shoulders sagging.
“Yes way,” Seungmin drones.
“You know Sana is kind of partial to lesbians for some reason,” Changbin says sarcastically, moving to rub a comforting hand along Jisung’s back.
“Yeah, and we’re not the lesbian division,” Seungmin says, unhelpfully. Jisung scowls at him, but he just resumes tossing his baseball in the air. “We’re kind of the ‘queers and their weird and large straight friend division.’” Seungmin peeks up at Chan as soon as the words leave his mouth, lips twisting into a little smirk at the sight of the older man gaping at him.
Jisung doesn’t know how Chan keeps letting Seungmin bait him so easily.
“I’m ignoring that comment, Kim Seungmin, as we have discussed many times that all sexualities are perfectly valid and natural!” Seungmin’s smirk turns into a full grin as Chan stumbles over his words.
“Chan straight, boo!” Seungmin shouts in the low voice he uses when he’s fucking around, attempting to egg Chan on further.
“Anyway ,” Chan continues, actually ignoring him this time. “Hyuna wants a love album, and it’s just that love songs aren’t exactly our… forte.”
Jisung screws his eyes shut, groaning. “DahMo are over at Maxident right now, I just need to talk to Sana before they complete the deal.”
“Ahh, except you can’t,” Seungmin chimes in again, looking down at his watch. “Because Sana is currently on a plane.”
“Fuck!” Jisung exclaims.
Changbin looks at him with pitying eyes, damn him. “It’s too late anyway, Sung, she’s already meeting the girls at Levanter for drinks tonight to go over their ideas.”
“FUCK!” Jisung shouts louder. He sucks in a shaky breath before falling into his chair, running his hands down his face like The Scream. “No, no, no, no, no, this can’t be happening! I was the one who tipped Sana off that Hyuna was looking for a new company!” This should be my get, it’s common courtesy. I need to make sure we get this album.”
“That’s the spirit, Sungie!” Chan claps him on the back, sporting a cheeky grin.
Changbin joins in, beginning to massage Jisung’s tense shoulders. “That’s what I’m talking about, Sung. Love the ambition.”
Seungmin stares at them, gaze empty. “I-” he begins.
“Not a word out of you, Seungmin.” Jisung glares, causing the man to clamp his mouth shut. “Levanter. Tonight. I have a business meeting to attend.”
Monday- 9:55 am- Hyunjin’s Apartment
Minho makes it to Hyunjin’s apartment in record time, thankful that the building is within walking distance of the office in moments like these.
He raises his hand to pound on the wooden door. What is this, the fifth time this month that they’ve had to pull their friend out of his apartment?
“Hyunjin! Open up!” Minho continues pounding on the thin wooden door.
He really doesn’t want to have to use his spare key. Last time he was forced to use the spare key he walked in on that week’s boyfriend doing unspeakable things to Hyunjin, he shudders at the memory.
Just as Minho is about to swing his fist into another wall-rattling barrage of knocks, the door is flung open, revealing a red eyed Hyunjin. His long blonde hair is messy around his head like he hasn’t gotten out of bed in over 24 hours. He probably hasn’t, to be honest.
“Good morning sunshine!” Minho pushes past his friend, dropping a kiss on his cheek as he moves into the apartment. “You need to get dressed, we have a staff meeting in twenty minutes and I could only get Jeongin to work his magic for fifteen.”
Minho stalks across the studio apartment to the overflowing closet, rifling through Hyunjin’s clothes in search of appropriate work attire. About 90% of Hyunjin’s wardrobe is see-through or otherwise blatantly revealing, making the task difficult.
He hears Hyunjin flop onto his mattress, sighing dramatically. “I think I’ll just go back to bed. I have nothing to live for.”
Minho spins around, leveling the man with his best evil glare. Hyunjin peeks at him from between his fingers. Minho knows, from experience, that the man is testing him; trying to get him to engage with his negativity.
When Minho refuses to dignify Hyunjin’s dramatics with a response, the blonde sighs again, louder. “Min, I’m serious, I think my organs are deteriorating, actually.”
Minho finally finds a shirt that isn’t horribly inappropriate, success! He pulls out a pair of slacks and throws both items of clothing over Hyunjin’s prone body on his way to the window across the room. He pulls back the curtains with a flourish. “Oh look! Jin, the sun’s out!”
Hyunjin screeches as the sunlight hits his eyes. “Leave me alone to die !” he wails.
This is worse than Minho expected.
Hyunjin is known to have dramatic breakdowns rivaling those of 90s pop-stars. It isn’t that he’s unwell, per say, he just feels so much, ALL the time. Hyunjin falls into love quickly and lets it consume him. When things inevitably fall apart, so does he.
Minho adores his friends. He never really had a family until he met Hyunjin, Felix, and Jeongin; but that does not mean that he will ever understand why or how Hyunjin deals with his… stuff.
Minho himself is well practiced in his tried and true method for dealing with his emotions:
Step 1: Swallow down any big, life-ruining feelings;
Step 2: Box that baby up and sequester it down, down, down;
Step 3: Once safely buried in the deepest part of your chest, lock it up and throw away the key
Violà!
It’s flawless, and, most importantly, easier on everyone, himself included, in the long run. Compartmentalizing, keeping things tucked away. It keeps his friends from worrying, and it keeps him from getting hurt.
That’s what Minho tells himself, anyway.
“Oh Jinnie, look,” Minho says gently, spreading out the blouse on Hyunjin’s bed. “This top will bring out your eyes, make them look even shinier than they already do!”
“They’re shiny because I’m crying, Minho.” Hyunjin sniffles once, sticking out his bottom lip.
“To-may-to to-mah-to, I’m not letting you lose your job on top of everything else. Nayeon is already fed up with us. Let's go, Jinnie.”
He holds a hand out to Hyunjin, but instead of allowing himself to be hauled up, the man grabs hold of Minho’s outstretched arm and pulls him down, locking him in a long-limbed embrace.
“Oh, Minho!” Hyunin breaks into a fresh wave of sobs.
Minho attempts to untangle himself from gangly arms. “Jin, you only dated the guy for a week.”
Hyunjin tightens his legs around Minho’s waist, pulling him back onto the bed. “And it was the best week of my life!”
Minho sighs, frustrated. This is going to take longer than usual.
***
By the time Minho manages to pull Hyunjin out of the apartment, dressed and hair (mostly) brushed, they walk up to their building with only five minutes to spare.
Felix trots up, falling in step with them as soon as they enter the lobby. He’s holding a drink tray with four cups snug inside. He must have been waiting for them to arrive before going back upstairs.
“Hi Jinnie!” Felix says, cheerfully.
Hyunjin lifts his head to look at Felix with sad, puppy dog eyes. “Hi…”
Minho winces, dropping his hold on Hyunjin’s arm in favor of taking the drink tray from Felix. He knows that Felix will be much more help comforting Hyunjin with physical affection than he could ever be.
“Are you-” Felix tries again.
“I don’t want to talk about it…” Hyunjin looks at his feet as Felix coddles him, the younger pushing Hyunjin’s hair from his eyes and holding onto his arm like it’s going to fall off.
They have barely gotten two feet closer to the elevator when Hyunjin breaks the silence he created, wailing once more, “WHY does this always happen to me!?” He sounds on the brink of tears. Minho sincerely hopes he won’t start crying in the lobby of their corporate building right now. “Things were going so well for a week,” a whimper. “And then, all of a sudden, poof! It’s done!” He brings his hands up, mimicking a small explosion.
“Oh, Jinnie.” Felix strokes his hair comfortingly.
“Everyone always tells me I’m such a catch!” Hyunjin continues.
The men board the elevator, still huddled close together.
Minho lets out a short laugh. “Your mom doesn’t count, Jin.”
This earns him a glare from Felix, who has produced a tissue from his bag and is dabbing it under Hyunjin’s eyes.
“Well, I just don’t understand! I mean, the first time we had sex, it was so beautiful that..” Hyunjin pauses his monologue to sniffle. “That i cried.”
Felix visibly cringes. “Jinnie, you mean like, a couple of tears slipped out because the orgasm was so good, right?”
Hyunjin clutches Felix’s arm harder, pressing red spots into his skin. “No! I was like, really emotional! I told him I loved him!”
They’ve finally reached their floor, making their way to Nayeon’s office as quickly (or slowly) as Hyunjin’s mourning steps allow.
Minho’s jaw drops at the confession. All this time, and Hyunjin still manages to surprise him. “After how many days, Hyunjin?”
“Five…” Hyunjin refuses to make eye contact.
“Jin,” Felix warns.
“Okay, two!” Hyunjin blubbers.
Felix gasps preposterously. Eyes comically widened in shock.
“I was trying to be honest! You know how I like to be honest. I have a lot of feelings, and I just wanted to share what I was feeling because I love being honest SO much!” Hyunjin rushes out before he can be cut off.
Minho just stares, he can feel the twinges of a stress migraine coming on. “And what did he say?”
“Well, he didn’t have to say anything. I could see in his eyes that he felt the same way, you know?” Hyunjin frantically flicks pleading looks between Minho and Felix. “That’s another one of my skills! I’m good at reading people.”
Felix presses his fingers to his temples. Maybe Minho’s oncoming migraine is contagious.
Hyunjin ignores the exasperated looks pointed his way. “But then, he started getting, like, really busy. Like, I kept texting him, and he was never answering, and so I started calling him, and he still wasn’t answering,” he trails off.
“You called him, Hyunjin? In this day and age?” Minho sputters.
“I didn’t leave a message!”
Felix shoots Hyunjin a dangerous side eye. “Wouldn’t he know it was you who kept calling?”
“No, no, I used *67.” Hyunjin smiles like he’s a genius.
Minho feels his soul leave his body right then and there. For being a well-adjusted adult with a real job and two degrees, he has truly managed to find the stupidest friends.
“Oh good, yeah, I’m sure he thought it was just one of his friends, or, like, those robocalls,” Felix says, trying to be at least a bit comforting.
“Yeah,” Minho adds, sarcastically. “Men tend to repeatedly call their friends' phones from blocked numbers without leaving a message. Very inconspicuous.” Felix whacks his arm, causing the drinks to jostle around. “Ow! Watch it!”
Hyunjin ignores them, Minho doubts the man is taking in anything either of them are saying.
“I know why he dumped me,” Hyunjin pauses, shoulders slumping down.
Minho raises an eyebrow at him, daring him to continue.
“I’m ugly! That’s why!”
“Oh my god,” Minho whines, half considering dumping the tray of drinks over Hyunjin’s head.
“I’m horribly ugly and that’s why every man I’ve ever loved has broken my heart!”
Felix keeps rubbing his hands up and down Hyunjins arms, brows knitted. “Jinnie, please, you are not ugly. How many times has the advertising department asked you to model on shoots for the magazine?”
Minho nods in agreement. “Any normal man would have run the other way if their partner acted the way you acted, Jin.”
He’s finally able to set the coffee tray down as they arrive outside of Nayeon’s office. He begins lifting the drinks out of the holder, passing them out to their respective owners.
“No man would ever dump you, Minho!” Hyunjin protests, taking his drink and sipping sadly on the straw. “You could do all of those things and shoot a man and he’d still be bleeding out at your feet begging, ‘Oh please, Minho! Do it again!’” Hyunjin acts out his grim scenario, pretending to flail around as if he’s been horribly wounded.
It’s a true miracle that this man didn’t end up with a career in theater.
Minho shoves Jeongin’s drink into Hyunjin’s empty hand and pushes him through the door of the office. “Okay, that is both extremely dramatic and also categorically untrue.”
Jeongin is already settled on one of Nayeon’s three office couches. Minho doesn’t understand why their boss insists on having staff meetings in such a casual setting. The rest of their coworkers are already fanned out across the floor. Jiwoo looks to be meditating.
Nayeon loves to spout bullshit about creative energy flowing better when everyone is comfortable; she calls her staff, “family,” and refuses to allow anyone to wear shoes during meetings.
Minho hates his job.
Felix settles in between Hyunjin and Minho on the sofa, slipping his shoes off and bringing his legs up beneath him. “If anyone did the things you did, Jin, they’d be dumped too. Even Minho.” He punctuates his comment with an air of finality. Minho is grateful. He’s already exhausted and the day has barely begun.
Jeongin elbows him in the side and meets his eyes with a questioning look.
“I’ll tell you later,” he whispers.
Nayeon swishes into her office in a colorful, and confusingly fashionable, moo-moo.
“Ok family, shoes off, get comfortable!” She claps once as she gracefully lowers herself onto a large purple cushion, eyes glossing over the small crowd she’s gathered. “One, two, three, deep breath.” The room collectively inhales at her command. “And out. Ahhhhh.”
Besides being a fucking weirdo about the setting and general vibe of her meetings, Nayeon also insists on leading a group breathing exercises before every all-staff. She says it makes them feel ‘connected’.
Minho doesn’t follow along with her game, just sits on the couch that probably costs more than his rent, and stares down his boss with her perfectly shaded eyelids closed. It amazes him that someone can be so elegant, yet so energetic at the same time.
Nayeon is always completely chic. Her long, deep brown hair falls flat down her back, nails immaculate. Even though her clothes are gaudy and bright, they’re still tasteful, always on trend. Despite her expensive look and general aura, she is always loud, bouncing around the office talking to everyone, her bunny-toothed smile on full display.
As far as bosses go, she isn’t the worst Minho’s ever had. She’s encouraging, but firm when she needs to be. Her biggest fault is how she refuses to be swayed from her ways. She never lets Minho write anything of substance. He’s stuck in a to-do box.
Minho silently curses Nayeon from across the room. He hates his job, but he loves his coworkers, and he loves the paycheck.
The group lets out their last breath together. Minho blinks, pretending that he had been playing along with the silly ritual as the rest of his coworkers open their eyes.
Nayeon is brought to life all at once. “Ok Jiwoo, let’s start with you!” She pulls out her notebook and pen, ready to listen to everyone’s updates.
“Well… I just finished the story on that company that was mistreating their idols and wouldn’t let them go outside. Horrible, sad, sad story, but… it has a happy ending, so the vibe is upbeat!” Jiwoo’s eyes light up from under her feathery bangs.
Minho has never met a cuter woman in his life. Jiwoo is irritatingly lovable, despite her proclivity for making everything so god damned positive.
“Now I’m working on ‘What Your Gyno Won’t Tell You,’ which is also scary, but you know, upbeat. I also finished my research on those lipsticks that put people in the hospital…” This earns a murmur from the group, Jiwoo pushes on, nodding solemnly. “Yeah, yeah… it’s terrible. Totally the fault of rampant capitalism…” She pauses for a moment, eyes showing a glimpse of disdain, quickly replaced with her usual cheeriness. “But…. Surprisingly upbeat!” Jiwoo’s face splits into a wide smile. She sticks out both of her hands in a cheeky thumbs up. On anyone else it would look stupid, but somehow, Jiwoo makes everything seem genuine.
“Fantastic!” Nayeon claps a few times, turning ominously towards him. “Minho, what’s new in how to?”
Minho feels dozens of eyes turn to him. Gross.
“Well, I’ve actually been working on something a little different,” he tries, carefully. “It’s not a how-to piece, it’s a political piece?” the end of his sentence involuntarily rises, like he’s asking a question. He cringes at his own lack of confidence, already embarrassed by the impending rejection.
Nayeon burns holes through his head with her eyes. “Minho. No. We have been over this. We work at Maxident magazine. We focus on entertainment, trends, fashion, and gossip. We do not get political.”
“Ok, but-” Minho scrambles for any excuse, only to be cut short.
“No. Minho, look, I know columns aren’t your favorite, but once you turn your how-to’s into a must-read, we can discuss moving you somewhere else and giving you a bit more… creative liberty.” Nayeon runs a hand down her already immaculately flat hair as she crushes his ego into oblivion. “Until then, it's whatever I want. Capiche?”
“Understood.” He clenches his jaw. Felix brings a hand up to rub circles into his back.
Nayeon barely falters for a moment, back to her rundown. “Hyunjin, what do you have for us?” she asks.
Hyunjin tenses at the sound of his name, hands balling into fists in his lap. “Uh, sorry Nayeon, I haven’t really been feeling the best, so I don’t really have much,” he mutters.
“He got dumped,” Felix helpfully supplies, abandoning his work on Minho’s back to tend to Nayeon’s latest victim.
“Oh no!” Jiwoo cries, looking up from her spot on the floor. She looks like she might actually cry just from the simple mention of heartbreak. Seriously, how is this girl real?
“Oh, Hyunjin…” Nayeon simpers. “What a hellish ordeal for you. But I must say, you look gorgeous! Doesn’t Hyunjin look gorgeous, everyone?” She raises her palms to the sky like she’s calling on a higher power, summoning words of agreement from across the room. Their coworkers ooh and aah, shouting out short encouragements.
Hyunjin shrinks under the attention, folding in on himself. “Thanks, guys. I haven’t really been doing my skincare routine since the split, so I don’t feel very deserving of praise.”
“Great!” Nayeon claps loudly, causing a few in the room to startle. “Write about it!”
Hyunjin looks panicked. “I- I can’t use my personal life for a story!”
“I completely understand,” Nayeon pouts, oozing with faux empathy as she turns to address the group at large. “Now who will use Hyunjin’s personal life for a story?”
“Oh! I will!” Another coworker, Jimin, quickly raises his hand to jump on the opportunity.
“No, no, no, no, no, Nayeon, with all due respect, Jimin has no business poking around in my personal life.” Hyunjin looks to be on the edge of having another meltdown.
“I’ll do it!” Minho spits out before he can properly think, desperate to keep Hyunjin meltdown-free for at least another hour.
“What?!” Hyunjin’s jaw drops, twisting his neck to look at Minho in horror.
“I’ll do… a spin on it!” Minho rushes, hands up in a defensive position as he waffles. “You’ll be my inspiration, Jin!”
“Inspiration for what…” Nayeon sounds unconvinced.
Minho’s brain goes haywire, latching onto the first solid thought it can and running with it, words spilling out, “I mean, look at Hyunjin. He’s great, some may even say, he’s a catch.” He gestures wildly to his friend, earning nods from a couple of his coworkers and a frown from Hyunjin himself. “But, he has a problem hanging onto relationships… and he can’t figure out why! Which is something, I’m sure, a lot of our readers can relate to!”
“Mhm…” Nayeon taps her pen against her chin, intrigued.
Minho takes her silence as confirmation to continue. “I can do a little experiment… Start dating a guy, but then drive him away using the classic mistakes that Hyunjin, and our readers, may make. It’ll be like a how-to, but in reverse.” He mentally pats himself on the back for the light-speed gymnastics his brain just did.
“A what NOT to do!” Nayeon says excitedly. “A how-to lose a guy. That’s Brilliant. Ok, Yeojin, what’s new in the shoe world?”
Hyunjin aggressively mouths a thank you across the sofa as soon as Nayeon’s attention leaves them. Minho lets out a long breath he didn’t realize he was holding.
Hyunjin owes him. Hyunjin owes him so hard .
He allows himself to space out during the rest of the meeting, having fulfilled his duties as an employee and as a friend.
Eventually, Felix shakes his shoulder, notifying him that the meeting has ended. They lift off the couch, filing out after Jeongin, who is having some sort of discussion with Jeongin about music as they head back into the office.
Nayeon walks with their group to the center of the office space where they come face to face with two unfamiliar women.
“Ah, here’s my 12:00! Welcome to our home!” Nayeon twits. Her insistence on speaking like they’re playing house at work is even more embarrassing when she’s talking to outsiders.
“Family, this is Kim Dahyun and Hirai Momo from JYP. We’re looking to run features on some of their fabulous artists for the year end edition!” she cheerfully tells the men, quickly turning to continue her introductions. “Ladies, this is Yang Jeongin, fashion and trends,” Jeongin raises his hand in a tiny wave. “Hwang Hyunjin, health and beauty.”
“Hi,” Hyunjin delivers the saddest sounding greeting Minho has ever heard.
Nayeon glosses over his sour mood. “Lee Felix, pop culture guru, and Lee Minho, our how-to aficionado!”
Felix and Minho politely smile.
“Oh my god! I’ve seen your column, Minho, I loved the one where you flirted your way out of parking tickets,” Dahyun praises.
Minho tilts his head down, chuckling, “Ah, thank you, it’s nothing, really.”
“What are you working on now?” Momo asks.
Nayeon speaks up before Minho can even open his mouth, “Oh, it’s so exciting, he’s doing how-to LOSE a guy! He’s actually going to find a man, start dating him, and then completely obliterate their relationship as fast as he can!” She’s way too excited about this idea.
“Sounds needlessly vicious, I love it,” Momo laughs.
“It’s going to be fabulous, but he’s already wasting time, he should be off finding the lucky man right now! Go, go, go!” Nayeon brings her hands up to shoo the boys away, clearly done with the conversation. “Ladies, this way to my sanctuary.” She puts a hand on each of the women’s backs to lead them back to her office.
“Nice to meet you!” Felix calls as they walk away.
Jeongin rolls his eyes at their boss’ behavior. “A pleasure, as usual.”
Hyunjin is on Minho as soon as the women disappear around the corner, tangling his lanky limbs around his torso and kissing every inch of his face. “Oh Minho, thank you, thank you, thank you so much! You’re the best friend in the whole world!”
“Auuuch!” Minho swats his kisses away, feigning disgust. “Jinnie, you’re welcome but I don’t know where your mouth has been, please keep that to yourself.”
“It hasn’t been anywhere since he left me!” Hyunjin defends, squeezing Minho’s waist tighter.
Minho pushes the boy’s hair back, sighing, “Ok, Jin, you’re welcome, but you owe me. Also, who’s up for man hunting at Levanter tonight?”
“Oh! Me! I love watching men try to flirt with you, Minho!” Jeongin perks up.
Felix giggles cutely. “Drinks and a show! How can I resist?”
Let the games begin.