Work Text:
#corporate-slaves
Jung Wooyoung
OH MY GOD
don’t look right away
but
check out mr kim’s neck
Song Mingi
?? his neck?
Jung Wooyoung
there right above his collar
Song Mingi
HOLY SHIT
is that a hickey???
Kang Yeosang
sure looks like one to me
damn
who knew mr kim’s lover was such a beast in bed
he looks like he got mauled by a wild animal
look when he bends down
that’s massive
Jung Wooyoung
shit you’re right
Song Mingi
who knew mr kim even had a lover
Kang Yeosang
…he’s married mingi
Song Mingi
he’s WHAT
Jung Wooyoung
omfg he literally wears a wedding ring
don’t tell me you never noticed
Song Mingi
and i oop–
Kang Yeosang
🤡
Song Mingi
honestly the idea of him being married to an actual person sounds fake to me
that man works 24/7
where did he even find the time to find himself a husband
Jung Wooyoung
more like where did he find someone who can stand being around his moody ass for more than 5 min
Kang Yeosang
5 min is already a stretch
let’s be honest
Jung Wooyoung
his husband should look for something to replace that stick up his ass with
i know of some other hard stuff he could try
Song Mingi
STOPPP
system_administrator
haha good one wooyoung
Jung Wooyoung
omg san stop hacking into our chat you stalker
does company policy even allow this
system_administrator
you guys kept throwing me out of this chat
you know i’ve got fomo
i had to find a workaround okay
Jung Wooyoung
well, you’re too late
tea time is over
the three of us have a meeting in 2 min
Song Mingi
with mr kim 😭
system_administrator
oh
well then
good luck wooyoung! 🍀
and yeosang and mingi
haha
Song Mingi
thanks san!!!
fighting!!! 💪
💘
The trio find themselves sitting around the oval-shaped table in the centre of the conference room not much later, together with the rest of the Sales and Marketing teams. There’s a PowerPoint presentation pulled up on the projector screen before them, displaying a bunch of figures and numbers.
Yeosang vaguely registers something about a new marketing initiative KQ will be launching in response to the low sales from last quarter, something about bringing in new leads, populating the sales pipeline, aligning sales and marketing objectives, brand reputation, revenue growth, and more awful corporate jargon.
His focus, though, is zoomed in on the hickey peeking from underneath Mr Kim’s perfectly ironed, white collar. He wonders whether he knows it’s there, tainting his uptight image. It reminds him of the fact that far, far underneath his boss’s cold, icy exterior, there is a person with feelings and needs too. His default furrowed-eyebrowed, downturned-mouthed expression makes it difficult to imagine that he experiences emotions other than irritability and crankiness, and Yeosang would also rather not think about him engaging in acts that are Not Suited For Work. A shudder runs down his spine.
Mr Kim moves to write down some keynotes on the whiteboard next to the projector screen. Yeosang’s gaze falls on the diamond-embedded ring adorning his ring finger.
There is someone out there, someone with a questionable taste in men, who deemed Mr Kim marriageable.
Little is known about Mr Kim’s private life, but as far as Yeosang knows, he has been married for a decent amount of years. He’d always assumed his marriage had gone stale, what with his habit of staying after hours and his I-need-to-get-a-divorce type of snarky attitude, but the blooming red-purple splotches on his neck debunk whatever assumptions he had, taunting him for even assuming the flames had fizzled out.
Wooyoung voices the exact same thought after the meeting is adjourned. The three of them linger in the conference room after everyone else has left.
“You know, I always thought Mr Kim needed to get laid to get him to loosen up, but this hickey is really throwing me off-guard. If he’s getting laid, then what is he in such a bad mood for all the time?”
“My question is, why did he not bother covering it up?” Mingi asks. “Don’t tell me he doesn’t know it’s there. I bet he heard the rumours about his dying marriage and wanted to show everyone that his marriage is in fact still very much alive.”
“Mr Song, Mr Jung, I do not think my private life is any of your concern,” a voice behind them speaks. It has all of them freeze.
In slow-motion, they turn around to meet Mr Kim’s scowl.
“My apologies, Mr Kim,” Wooyoung hurriedly says, bowing down in a perfect ninety degree angle. It prompts Mingi to do the same.
Mr Kim is quick to dismiss them. Almost too quick, as if he’s eager to change topics.
“Mr Song, could you send a recap of our meeting to all attendees? Put me in cc.”
“W-What?” Mingi shoots up, eyes wide. “I-I mean, yes, of course, Mr Kim.”
“I’m expecting it in my inbox no later than EOB today.”
“I will make sure you will have it by then, Mr Kim.”
“Good. Now clean that whiteboard and get back to your desks.”
Once the click-clacks of Mr Kim’s dress shoes are out of earshot, the three release a breath they didn’t know they were holding.
Mingi runs a frustrated hand through his hair. “Fuck, I didn’t pay attention the whole time. You guys have got to help me.”
“No can do. According to my schedule, it’s time to pester San.” That’s all Wooyoung says before he exits the room. For someone who claims to have some sort of vendetta against San, he’s far too keen to go bother him.
Yeosang pats a sympathetic hand against Mingi’s back. “Tough luck, buddy,” he says before following after Wooyoung, leaving a sulking Mingi behind.
💘
The weirdest thing happens a few days later.
Afters hours of slaving over the new marketing campaign that Mr Kim put him in charge of, Yeosang decides to give his eyes a rest from staring at his screen all morning. When he looks up from his monitor, both Mingi and Wooyoung’s seats are empty. Judging from their sleeping pc’s, their desks have been long abandoned. Typical Sales, always off and about socialising.
Straining his neck, he gazes across their open-plan office. He spots Mingi near the water dispenser, chatting with Yerim from Accounting, and Wooyoung at the IT Service Desk, sassing San for ‘having the audacity to ask him whether he already tried rebooting his laptop to see if that solves the issue’ and ‘on top of that also daring to ask him to create a ticket’. Poor San.
Yeosang is in dire need of a coffee to fuel himself throughout the remainder of the day, and so he swishes his way between desks over to the canteen, but is promptly halted in his tracks when he finds Mr Kim and Seonghwa at the coffee machine.
He’s about to backtrack, do a short walk around the office and get back in five minutes when Mr Kim isn’t there because what’s worse than waiting in line for coffee with your grumpy boss – look, he’s even glaring at him now! – but they’ve both already noticed him. Seonghwa immediately perks up at his presence.
“Hi, Yeosang,” Seonghwa greets, smiling. “I like your sweater today.”
“Thanks.” Yeosang awkwardly pulls at the hem of his sweater. He briefly meets Mr Kim’s laser-strong gaze. For a second, he’s worried he’s going to say something about him violating the dress code, although he’s pretty sure sweaters are allowed. That’s considered business casual, right? Or maybe he should check the employee handbook again? Don’t tell him the one time he decides to wear something other than a button-up, it’s going to backfire on him–
But instead Mr Kim simply says, “I’ll, uh, get going.”
His awkwardness has Yeosang reeling. It’s as if he walked in on something he shouldn’t have.
With a raised brow, he watches as Mr Kim scuffles away.
Without coffee.
Weird.
He’s definitely not the type to just hang around to chat with his employees, if his constant ‘don’t loiter around’s are anything to go by. Or maybe Seonghwa and his contagious, upbeat extroversion lured him in, although he has a hard time imagining the two of them making small talk. What would they even be talking about? How chilly the A/C in the conference room is?
“So, I heard you’re working on a big project?” Seonghwa asks, interrupting his train of thoughts.
“Yes, it’s an exciting challenge. I’m honoured Mr Kim considered me reliable enough to leave this campaign in my hands.”
Seonghwa grins. “I’m happy to see your enthusiasm. I have no doubt you’ll do wonderfully. Let’s reel in those customers!”
After Seonghwa’s coffee is ready, he lingers for a bit and chats with Yeosang until his coffee is also ready to go. It’s funny how whenever he talks to Seonghwa, he feels his energy levels restoring. Like coffee, Seonghwa could be considered somewhat of an energy-booster.
Holding up his mug in some sort of toast, Yeosang says, “Enjoy your coffee.”
“Oh, I don’t drink coffee. But you enjoy yours!” and with that, Seonghwa skips off, coffee in hand.
Huh.
Weird.
💘
#corporate-slaves
Jung Wooyoung
i just had lunch with seonghwa
and pls
i want whatever he and his husband have
Kang Yeosang
spill
Jung Wooyoung
he was saying his husband is a bit of a workaholic
and that sometimes he’d wish for him to come home earlier
i told him that there’s nothing more attractive than a hardworking man
to which he agreed
he said his husband works so hard so their family can live comfortably
and you should have seen the expression on his face then
the biggest heart eyes i’ve ever seen
that man is WHIPPED for his husband
married for 5 years and he’s still hopelessly pining over him lol
anyway
Kang Yeosang
wait hold up
family?
Jung Wooyoung
YES
apparently they have a son
Song Mingi
seonghwa is a father???
wait why am i even acting surprised
it makes sense when you think about it
Jung Wooyoung
his son’s name is jongho and he’s the cutest thing you’ll ever see
he showed me pics
they went to the zoo last weekend
jongho really likes bears
so they got him a headband with little bear ears
i DIED
🥺
Song Mingi
sheesh seonghwa really made it in life
good looks, kind personality
married to the guy he’s crushing on big time
has an adorable son
ugh i wish i had my life in order like that
Kang Yeosang
i’m dying to know what his husband is like
Jung Wooyoung
ikr
he’s got seonghwa wrapped around his finger
he must be some sort of god
system_administrator
sorry to interrupt guys but
aren’t you going to join the town hall?
Jung Wooyoung
shut up san
this business is far more important
that’s exactly why we kicked you out of this chat
you need to get your priorities straight
system_administrator
sorry
system_administrator has left the chat
Kang Yeosang
…don’t you think you were a bit hard on him wooyoung?
Jung Wooyoung
whatever
he’ll get over it
Song Mingi
shit the town hall
totally forgot about that
Jung Wooyoung
can’t we just skip
Song Mingi
uh do you not remember the last time we skipped
i’m traumatised
the vein on mr kim’s forehead might explode for real if we skip again
Jung Wooyoung
skipping or arriving late, tomayto tomahto
both of them are just as bad
fuck you san why did you not warn us sooner
Kang Yeosang
lol
i’ve already accepted our fate
may the corporate slaves rest in peace
💘
From: [email protected]
Subject: Spread the Love: Valentine’s Day Bulletin Board Event! 💞
Dear all,
Love is in the air! 👼💘
We are happy to announce our upcoming Valentine’s Day Bulletin Board event: a special way to express your appreciation for your wonderful colleagues. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than by spreading kindness and positivity throughout the office?
Here is how you can participate and make someone’s day a little brighter:
- Write a heartfelt compliment or appreciation note for a colleague on the provided cards.
- Pin your card to the designated Bulletin Board, which will be located in the canteen from 5 February until 16 February.
- Remember to keep your compliments respectful and professional.
Feel free to be creative, and remember: a simple compliment can go a long way in making someone’s day! Let’s make this Valentine’s Day extra special by boosting team spirit and filling our office with love and gratitude.
On Valentine’s Day itself, we will organise a get-together in the canteen from 16:30. Foods and drinks will be arranged.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to HR via [email protected].
We look forward to seeing the board fill up with your lovely messages!
Warm regards,
Park Seonghwa
💘
“You should apologise to San by writing something for him on the bulletin board,” Yeosang says during lunch. Mingi’s out on an onsite customer meeting, leaving just him and Wooyoung, who looks at him like he just said something criminally offensive.
“Are you crazy? No way.”
“What’s your deal with him anyway? You always act so hostile towards him.”
Wooyoung shrugs, stabbing his fork into his salad. “I don’t know, he just annoys me. He’s like an overly excited puppy who’s always following me around.”
“I think he’s sweet. A sweet puppy who clearly has a thing for you.”
The salad-stabbing stops. Yeosang can see the cogs and gears visibly turning in Wooyoung’s head.
“San doesn’t have a thing for me.”
“Okay. If you say so.”
It’s quiet for a bit until Wooyoung breaks loose, clearly feeling the need to elaborate on why he doesn’t like San.
“He is too talkative, like, I don’t want to hear about how much he worked out over the weekend, or about how good the coffee at that new café across the street is, and… and he’s such a party pooper too! Always hacking into our chat reminding us to do our work. Who does he think he is, acting like Mr Kim?” he says, exasperated. Then, he shakes his head. “No, I don’t like him. And I will not be swayed by his pouty lips or sparkly eyes. Not even his broad shoulders! I do not like his shoulders.”
Yeosang has to hold back a snicker. Wooyoung isn’t fooling anyone. “Okay, you clearly do not like his shoulders.”
“Indeed. I don’t.”
Wooyoung goes back to stabbing his salad until his fork his loaded. He stuffs his mouth full with leaves.
“I still think you should apologise to him. For how much he resembles a puppy, he resembles a very sad one. A sad puppy that you hurt. He’s been moping around by his desk all week. Has he even spoken to you at all these past few days?”
“He hasn’t, which is great! Now I finally get some peace and quiet.”
Yeosang sighs. “Wooyoung, come on.”
“Yeosang,” Wooyoung whines, pouting. “I wouldn’t even know what to say to him.”
“Just give him a small compliment. I’m sure that’ll cheer him up. We can look at the board for inspiration.”
Wooyoung looks over his shoulder at the board, then back at Yeosang. He puts on his best pleading face, but just like Wooyoung won’t be swayed by San’s pouty lips and sparkly eyes, Yeosang won’t be by Wooyoung’s. When it’s clear he won’t relent, Wooyoung’s resolve crumbles. He grumbles, reluctantly putting aside his salad and walking over to the board. Yeosang follows in tow.
Seonghwa only announced the event two days ago, but there’s already a decent amount of notes plastered on the board. Most of them are only a few words, but they’re sweet enough to put a smile on the recipient’s face.
“Wow, Yeosang, look at this.” Wooyoung points at a slightly crumpled note on the bottom right corner. It reads:
To our Star,
With every step, a radiant glow,
A gleam of light wherever you go.
Your smile, a spark that ignites the room,
In your presence, darkness meets its doom.Like a beacon, you guide with grace,
Leading us forward, at a steady pace.
With warmth and joy, you light the way,
Our Star, bright as the break of day.With admiration,
Anonymous
Yeosang vaguely recognises the handwriting – scribbly and rushed, almost as if the author couldn’t get the words on paper fast enough – but he can’t seem to place it, no matter how much he racks his brain.
Astounded, he says, “It’s almost like a love letter. I wonder who it’s from and who it’s for.”
Wooyoung squeals. “I didn’t know we had such a romantic in our midst. I’m swooning!”
It does feel romantic, far too romantic to be meant for a simple colleague. Reading a heartfelt poem like this almost feels like a breach of privacy. Is there a secret couple hiding around somewhere?
“You should take this as example for when you write your note for San,” Yeosang says, a teasing grin on his lips.
“Ha-ha,” Wooyoung mock-laughs, “I don’t think so. I’ll keep it nice and simple. He should be grateful I’m even putting in the effort to write something for him.”
Wooyoung takes a slip of paper and writes:
Hey San,
Great job on resolving my ticket the other day. Next time, let’s resolve it even faster, okay?
When he finishes, he puffs out his chest, proud. “There.”
Yeosang groans. “Oh my god, can you make your note any more impersonal? Write a new one.”
Huffing, Wooyoung crumples up the note and takes out a new paper. He taps the pen against his lips, staring up at the ceiling in thought before Yeosang sees his eyes fall on the board again.
A lightbulb goes off. Wooyoung doesn’t waste a second to pen down his thoughts.
It’s not as poetic as the poem on the board, but Yeosang is strangely enamoured by his words, and he’s sure San will be too:
To San:
Roses are red, violets are blue,
You’re not so bad, thank you for being you.- Wooyoung
💘
Yeosang runs into Seonghwa at the printer the day before Valentine’s Day, half leaning over the machine to stick cut-out hearts to the wall for tomorrow’s party. It’s admirable to see how much effort he is putting into the event, no matter how small.
“Hey, Seonghwa. You got any plans for Valentine’s Day?”
“Oh, hi Yeosang!” Seonghwa smiles, leaning back to face him once he’s certain the hearts are secure. “Well, as you can see I’m busy decorating the office. I’ve got a whole bunch of these cut-outs–” he points at a basket on the floor, filled to the brim with pink and red paper hearts, “–and I’ve got some garlands back in my office.”
“Do you need some help with these?” Yeosang offers.
Seonghwa’s smile widens, seemingly elated by his offer. “If you’re not too busy, then yes, please! Here, I’ve been using this double-sided tape to stick them to the wall.”
Yeosang grabs a heart and some tape before getting to work.
“I was worried I’d have to stay late today to finish decorating,” Seonghwa continues, “but with your help, I’m certain we will be ready in no time. I’m planning to bake cookies and cupcakes for tomorrow. I’ll definitely need to leave on time if I want to make enough for everyone in the office.”
“You bake?” Yeosang asks as he sticks a heart to the wall. It looks like it’ll fall off in a second, so he gives it a good smack, hoping that’ll make it stay put.
“Sort of. I do enjoy baking, only I’m not the best baker. But I’m hoping some extra tea spoons of love will make up for whichever baking skills I’m lacking.”
“…”
“Oh my god, forget I said that, that was far too cheesy,” Seonghwa says, embarrassedly rubbing the back of his neck.
Yeosang snickers before deciding to relieve Seonghwa of his embarrassment, and switches topics. “Um, do you and your husband have any plans? For Valentine’s Day, I mean.”
“Oh,” Seonghwa says, a pink flush coming up to adorn the apples of his cheeks. “Well, he told me he prepared a surprise for me. He arranged a babysitter for Jongho so we can spend the night together.”
“That’s nice.”
Seonghwa hums. “Hm, yes. It’s been a while since it was just the two of us. Don’t get me wrong, I love our dearest Jongho with all my heart, but I’ve been yearning for a small moment alone with my husband.”
There’s a softness to his gaze as he looks off into the distance, his thoughts seemingly with his husband.
“You love him a lot, don’t you?”
Seonghwa releases the dreamiest of sighs as he clutches his hands to his chest. “Oh, Yeosang, he’s the love of my life. I couldn’t be happier for our paths to have crossed.”
Wow, Wooyoung was right when he said Seonghwa is head over heels for his husband.
“How did you two meet?” he asks, curious about their origin story.
“We met at an open mic night in university. From the moment he walked on stage I couldn’t keep my eyes off of him.”
Surprised, Yeosang asks, “He’s a musician?”
“Music is a hobby of his, yes. He can rap, sing, produce, play a bunch of instruments… such a multi-talented man,” Seonghwa says, winking. “Back then, he sang a song he wrote himself. It was beautiful. After his performance, I gathered up all my courage and walked up to him. I told him how lovely his song was and asked him if he had released it on any streaming platform. My question must have been unexpected for him because he was so flustered. We started talking and immediately hit it off. We ended up exchanging numbers and, well, before long we started dating.”
Absentmindedly, he traces the heart he just stuck on the wall. There’s a tender smile on his lips.
“It’s funny to think that he was such an awkward, little fluff ball back then. Years later, he told me it was because I was making him nervous.”
Yeosang chuckles. “He must have wanted to make a good impression on you.”
“He did, isn’t he the cutest?” Seonghwa sighs before his face contorts into something slightly more wistful. “Actually, my husband doesn’t like it very much when I talk about him. He’s become so closed off over the years. Not to me, but to others. You see, he’s misunderstood a lot. He seems aloof, but he simply struggles to express his thoughts and feelings. It hurts me to see how others think negatively of him. I wish for people to see him as the good-hearted man he is. At the end of the day, he has everyone’s best interests at heart.”
Yeosang’s not sure what to say to that other than, “I’m sorry to hear that. That sounds unfair.”
Seonghwa gives him a wry smile. It’s evident that he loves his husband deeply and would give him the world if he could.
“I hope your husband speaks as highly of you as you do of him.”
That has Seonghwa laughing. “He’s not the type to speak about me like that. At least not to others. But only because he’s a bit of a silly, jealous man who prefers to keep me all to himself. He doesn’t want anyone else getting interested.”
Seonghwa gazes at the paper hearts in the basket at his feet.
“Recently though, he… well, in a way, he publicly complimented me. He has such a way with words. I…” he trails off. A deep red blush blooms on his cheeks. Yeosang only gets a brief peek before Seonghwa hides his face in his hands. “I can’t believe I’m getting so flustered.”
Yeosang smiles at his innocent actions. “That’s sweet of him.”
Once Seonghwa regains his composure, he peels his hands off his face. A faint pink remains. “We’ve been together for so long. I don’t really get butterflies anymore, there’s just a warm feeling of comfort whenever I’m around him or whenever I think of him. But then he does things like this and it feels like a whole swarm of butterflies is set free in my stomach.”
Yeosang takes the last heart from the basket, thumbing at the paper. He opens his mouth to respond, something about how it sounds like they’re made for each other, soulmates, but their conversation is interrupted when Mr Kim pokes his head out of the conference room nearby.
“Seonghwa, can you hop in on a meeting for a minute? We need your insights on a matter.”
“Of course, Hongjoong. I’ll be there in a sec.” Seonghwa turns back to Yeosang with an apologetic smile. “I’ll let you get back to your work. Thank you so much for helping me with the decorations, Yeosang, you’re a life saviour. And I’m sorry for rambling to you about my husband.”
“Don’t worry, I enjoyed listening to you talk about him. Your relationship is one that many envy. I wish you two nothing but happiness.”
“Thank you, Yeosang. That means a lot,” Seonghwa says softly. “Now, duty calls!” and with that, he’s off, slipping into the conference room with Mr Kim.
Yeosang only belatedly realises Mr Kim and Seonghwa had called each other by their first names.
💘
On exactly 16:30 on Valentine’s Day, Yeosang, Mingi and Wooyoung step into the canteen.
Seonghwa really outdid himself with the decorations. Aside from the paper hearts, that span around the office like an infinite banner, there’s vertical heart-shaped garlands hanging from the ceiling as well as white, pink and red balloons. The tables are covered under XOXO-patterned table runners.
“Wow, Seonghwa, this looks amazing!” Mingi says, taking in their lovey-dovey canteen with big eyes.
“Thank you, Mingi.” Seonghwa smiles. “But don’t give me all the credit, Yeosang helped too.”
“Oh, please. I did the bare minimum,” Yeosang brushes him off. “Mingi’s right, Seonghwa, this place looks really good!”
Shy, Seonghwa mumbles another thanks.
“I love Valentine’s Day,” Wooyoung says. “I love all the pinks and the reds and the hearts and the roses and the chocolates. I don’t care that it’s a commercial holiday. It gives people an opportunity to celebrate love. Isn’t that lovely?”
“’Lovely’ sure is the right word,” Seonghwa agrees.
They continue chatting for a bit, until the unimaginable happens.
Out of nowhere, Mr Kim joins their little group, inserting himself between Seonghwa and Mingi. With a curt nod, he greets them. The conversation dies down, all of them uncomfortable with Mr Kim’s presence – except Seonghwa, who is showing no sign of discomfort. Yeosang admires his bravery. Seonghwa never seems to be scared of Mr Kim.
As casual as ever, he says, “You managed to log off early. Did you finish your work for today?”
“Not really, but I figured I could leave it for tomorrow. Today is a special day after all.”
“Do you and your, um, husband have plans?” Mingi asks.
“I’ve got something planned for tonight, yes,” Mr Kim says. He leaves it at that. Yeosang is itching to know more, but he doesn’t dare to probe further. Mingi and Wooyoung appear just as hesitant.
Behind them, the door to the canteen opens. A young boy peeks his head through the doorway.
The boy, who Yeosang recognises to be Seonghwa’s son Jongho, walks into the room with small steps, clinging onto the hand of a tall man.
“Daddy!” Jongho suddenly exclaims, before running towards Seonghwa. But instead of leaping into Seonghwa’s arms like Yeosang expected, he launches himself into Mr Kim’s chest, who welcomes him with a broad smile and lifts him up in his arms. Jongho wraps his arms around Mr Kim’s neck, nuzzling his face into his shoulder. Seonghwa inches closer to the pair, brushing a hand through Jongho’s hair.
“Hey, baby,” he says, fondness dripping off his voice.
Yeosang’s mouth drops open.
He has to do a double-take to make sure his eyes are not betraying him. There, before him, the ultimate scene of domesticity unfolds and it involves Mr Kim, Seonghwa and their son. Mr Kim and Seonghwa are married. Mr Kim is the musician, the romantic poet, the love of Seonghwa’s life and–
“Mr Kim is the cute fluff ball?” he says at the same time that Wooyoung goes, “Seonghwa is the animal that mauled Mr Kim’s neck?!”
The two in question both flush scarlet, only Seonghwa’s scarlet is a shy blush, whereas Mr Kim’s is more of a fiery anger.
“Excuse me?” he bristles. Yeosang’s heart drops, dread filling the pit of his stomach. He crossed a boundary and now he’s going to get fired–
“Joongie, please. You’ll scare Jongho,” Seonghwa says softly, laying a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. In a split second, Mr Kim’s face slackens. Only his permanently furrowed brows remain.
“Joongie?!” Wooyoung repeats incredulously.
“Hey! That’s still Mr Kim to you,” Mr Kim snarls.
“Hongjoong,” Seonghwa laments, “you should at least allow them to call you by your first name. Mr Kim sounds so formal.”
Mr Kim – Hongjoong? – grumbles before muttering a reluctant ‘fine’ under his breath.
“Wait, wait, hold up.” Wooyoung’s hands are wrangled in his hair. He’s clearly struggling to process the situation. “So, you two are married?”
Hongjoong puts one step forward, almost as if he’s squaring up. “Yes, we are. What’s wrong with that?” he says defensively.
“Nothing. There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m just… surprised?”
“Why? What do you mean by that?” Hongjoong’s gaze is sharp, his chin tilted up as if daring Wooyoung to badmouth him, only his usual intimidation factor is brought down significantly by the child on his hip. Something about it is almost... cute. One hour ago, Yeosang would have never thought he’d find his gloomy, tyrant-y boss cute.
“Well,” Wooyoung explains, “Seonghwa’s like, a sweet, caring angel, spreading positivity wherever he goes. And you are, um, well, you know.”
Hongjoong’s eyes narrow into splits. “I’m what? Go on.”
Exasperated, Seonghwa lightly slaps Hongjoong’s shoulder.
“I think you know perfectly well what Wooyoung is trying to say,” he says, coming to Wooyoung’s rescue. “We’re very different people. It is only logical that he didn’t make the connection.”
“…Are you saying that I’m an angry grump?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Yeosang almost chokes on his spit at Seonghwa’s bluntness.
Hongjoong is about to protest, but Seonghwa cuts him off. “Don’t deny it. You’re a tiny man with a bit of a temper. But I think that’s what makes you charming. I wouldn’t have married you otherwise.”
Hongjoong’s mouth snaps shut. Upon hearing Seonghwa’s admission, his expression grows impossibly soft and fond. There’s a moment of silence, and as Yeosang watches the married couple gaze at each other, he feels as if he’s intruding by simply being present in the room. Yeosang’s pretty sure that he’s been blind up until the big revelation – nothing about the way the two stare at each other is collegial or platonic.
“Daddy,” Jongho says, pulling their attention to him, “I want to show you what I made at school today.”
Hongjoong puts him back down and watches him dash towards the tall man he came with, who hands him a picture frame.
“Tada!” Jongho says, holding up his craftwork before him.
The frame has brightly coloured paper hearts and glitter heart-shaped stickers glued all around it. Inside, there is a picture of the three of them outside in the snow, standing next to a bear-shaped snowman. They’re wrapped in thick coats and scarves, huddled together with Seonghwa and Hongjoong crouching down next to Jongho. Their smiles are bright and loving. Looking at them together like this, it’s suddenly not all that weird that Seonghwa and Hongjoong are a couple. They look good together.
Seonghwa carefully takes the frame in his hands to examine it up-close. With gentle fingertips, he grazes the picture.
“Jongho, you did such a wonderful job,” he says, smiling affectionately before pressing a kiss onto Jongho’s cheek. Jongho preens under the praise.
“Thank you, daddy,” he says, shyly wiggling from side to side, his hands behind his back.
“I didn’t know my son was such a talented artist,” Hongjoong says proudly, patting Jongho’s head.
“Will you hang it on the wall?”
“Yes, of course we will,” Seonghwa says, handing over the frame to Hongjoong. “Why don’t you go with daddy to his office and you can put it up together?”
Jongho nods enthusiastically. Without hesitation, he grabs Hongjoong’s hand, who pulls him along. Seonghwa watches after their backs with fond eyes.
“Your son is so adorable, Seonghwa!” Wooyoung gushes.
“I agree,” says the tall man Jongho came with. All eyes fall onto him.
“Yunho,” Seonghwa starts, sounding apologetic, “I’m sorry I made you come all the way here. I can’t believe I forgot to bring my cookies and cupcakes. Thank you so much for going out of your way to bring them.”
“It’s not a problem. Jongho couldn’t wait to show you his crafts project anyway,” Yunho assures him. He gestures at the bag in his hands that contains a bunch of Tupperware containers. “Where shall I leave the goods?”
“You can put everything on the kitchen counter. Mingi, would you be so kind to give Yunho a hand and help him unpack everything?”
Mingi, who has been silently observing the whole scene, looking completely nonplussed, blinks out of his stupor.
“M-Me?” Mingi asks, pointing a finger at himself.
“It’s okay, Seonghwa, I got it,” Yunho says.
“No!” Mingi practically screams, startling the employees around them. Embarrassed, he ducks his head before looking up at Yunho through his lashes, the tips of his ears bright red. “Um, I don’t mind helping.” He extends a hand to Yunho. “I’m Mingi, I work in Sales here at KQ.”
Yunho shakes his hand, smiling. “My name is Jeong Yunho. I’m Jongho’s babysitter. It’s nice to meet you, Mingi. The rest of you, too, of course,” he directs at Yeosang and Wooyoung, but his eyes quickly find their way back to Mingi.
It’s not difficult to put two and two together. With his dashing looks and warm smile, Yunho is exactly Mingi’s type. Luckily for him, Yunho seems to find Mingi just as interesting.
“Will you lead the way?” Yunho asks.
Mingi nods before he leads them to the kitchen, where they start putting out Seonghwa’s baked goods.
“I’ll go check up on Hongjoong and Jongho,” Seonghwa says, excusing himself. That leaves just Yeosang and Wooyoung. The two of them stare at each other, both stupefied after the events from before, until they burst out into giggles.
“Seonghwa and Mr Kim– I mean, Joongie?”
“I would have never guessed. Those two are polar opposites.”
“I need to know their whole story. From how they got together to their proposal to their wedding to now.”
Yeosang chuckles. “Seonghwa’s in for a long interrogation session at tomorrow’s lunch.”
“He sure is. I cannot wait to hear about what our dear Joongie is like as a husband.”
Cupid seems to be on a row, because San walks over to them then. Yeosang already has a sense of where this conversation is going to go.
“Wooyoung?” San calls, looking awfully shy as he plays with the sleeves of his sweater.
“San,” Wooyoung says plainly.
“Did you… did you mean it?”
“Mean what?”
“What you wrote for me on the board?”
“Oh. That.” Wooyoung clears his throat, a nervous habit. “Yes. Yes, I meant that roses are red and violets are– ow, Yeosang!” Wooyoung pouts, rubbing his arm where Yeosang pinched him. Trying to act indifferently, he rolls his eyes, adding, “Also, yes, I don’t think you’re so bad.”
A bright smile breaks out over San’s face. He reaches for Wooyoung’s hands, taking them into his own. It has Wooyoung sputtering, face flushing pink. He doesn’t pull away.
“Wooyoung, would you please go on a date with me?”
“What?” Wooyoung sounds almost breathless.
“This Saturday?”
“What makes you think that–”
“How about I’ll pick you up at eleven?” Hope glitters in San’s eyes.
And Yeosang knew Wooyoung would cave into San’s pouty lips and sparkly eyes at some point.
In a tiny voice, Wooyoung says, “Okay.”
“Okay?”
Wooyoung clears his throat again, averting his eyes from San’s. Feigning nonchalance, he says, “Sure, I’ll go on a date with you.” Yet the pink blush spreading from his face to his neck betrays his true emotions.
Yeosang didn’t think it’d be possible, but San’s smile widens even more, its brightness rivalling the sun’s. “I’ll make it the best date ever!”
“You’d better.”
“I will make sure of it.”
San’s expression mellows out as he looks at Wooyoung. Yeosang feels like he’s third-wheeling despite them being in a public space.
“Wooyoung, I… I’ve actually got something for you. At my desk.”
Wooyoung narrows his eyes, suspicious. “It’s nothing perverted, right?”
“No!” San scrambles to say. “No, of course not! Just a little something for Valentine’s Day.”
Yeosang had seen the box of chocolates when he passed by San’s desk earlier today, a pretty red ribbon wrapped around it, tied into a perfect bow.
“Well, what are you waiting for then?” Wooyoung bites, but his tone is lacking bark.
Wrapping his hand around Wooyoung’s, San pulls him along. Yeosang watches them thread their way through the crowd, eventually disappearing from his sight.
That leaves Yeosang alone. But only for a minute or two, because before long, a small figure appears at his feet. It’s Jongho, who peers up at him with sparkling eyes and a gummy grin, showing off all his teeth apart from a missing front tooth. He seems to have found his way back to the canteen unsupervised, as neither Seonghwa nor Hongjoong is in sight.
From behind his back, Jongho pulls out a cupcake, decorated with vanilla cream and a fondant heart.
“This is for you, Mister,” he says, holding out the cupcake in his tiny hands. “I saw you standing here alone. It’s not very nice to be alone on Valentine’s Day.”
“That’s very sweet and thoughtful of you, Jongho. Thank you.” Yeosang offers him a small smile, accepting his cupcake gratefully.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Mister.”
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Jongho.”
💘
Later, when he’s about to leave, Yeosang walks past Hongjoong’s office. Through the crack of the door, he catches a glimpse of Seonghwa and Hongjoong, standing closely together under dimmed lights. Seonghwa’s cheeks are a similar shade as the bouquet of roses he’s holding against his chest.
Hongjoong murmurs something before he gently grabs Seonghwa’s hand and presses a long, tender kiss against the ring on his finger. He’s about to pull back, but Seonghwa dips down and swoops in.
Just before their lips meet, Yeosang averts his gaze.
It’s a moment far too intimate to be a part of, and so he silently backs away, slinking into the shadows.