Chapter Text
“Do you have this book in green?”
The question would be annoying any other time of the day but it being five minutes before closing made this infinitely more unbearable. Gritting his teeth as subtly as possible, Yeosang looked at the man holding up a very blue book and replied:
“I’m afraid the current edition of this book is always the same color.”
His hope that his precise and perfectly informative sentence would end the conversation turned out to remain wishful thinking because the guy annoyingly opened his mouth again.
“So, you don’t have it in green?”
Gripping the edge of the register table, Yeosang resorted to the only way he was able to stay as customer friendly as possible while clutching onto the bit of sanity he had left.
“No.”
The blue book guy’s face took on a disapproving look that Yeosang couldn’t care less about at the moment. In fact, he was able to pinpoint the exact second the guy decided to be an asshole about it.
“Well, I’m pretty sure I saw it in green somewhere.”, he said, starting to sound more and more like a petulant child.
Yeosang sighed. The thought of this guy acting like a toddler throwing a tantrum would be funny, if it wasn’t that infuriating and happening as his own bed was calling his name.
“Can you check if it’s possible to order?”, the whining toddler continued as a finishing blow, depleting Yeosang of the rest of his patience.
Turning to the computer next to him, Yeosang typed the title into the electronic book listing, completely unsurprised that it only showed him one result. The one they currently had in stock.
“I’m sorry, as I’ve stated, the publisher only released one edition of the book and it’s blue . It might be a different book you’re thinking of?”
He instantly knew that his voice had taken on an icy edge that didn’t match his customer service tone in the slightest when the guy’s face turned into a scowl. At this point there was no communication tool good enough to save this interaction, so Yeosang remained quiet, leaving the guy with no other option than to disdainfully declare:
“You’re clearly not willing to help me. I’ll take my business elsewhere.”
And with that, he turned around and stalked towards the exit, making Yeosang roll his eyes until they hurt. Honestly, if this guy never came back, he gladly just lost the 20 bucks he would have spent here. To anybody who said working in a bookstore was an easy, and mostly relaxed feat, clearly didn’t know what it took to be a bookseller.
Yeosang liked his job, most of the time at least. The location of Thanks Books in Hongdae, with its small businesses and the university close by, made it easy to maintain an inviting atmosphere for casual customers and regulars alike but every now and then you got one of those. Yeosang sighed and checked the time on the computer and noted with relief that it was time to lock up.
But just when he arrived at the door to close it, his nose was almost hit by it opening. Yeosang was so perplexed that the reflexive greeting got stuck in his throat. The guy standing in the entrance was… stunning.
His blue hair was parted in the middle and with the little scarf wrapped around his neck and the black denim jacket speckled with numbers and letters, he looked like he belonged in a high fashion magazine. Yet there was also something more… unruly about him that broke with the clean aesthetic he was displaying.
For a moment both of them just stared at each other. Only when Yeosang noticed the frozen smile still plastered across his face, did he realize that he was blocking his way. Taking a step back to give him space, the newcomer sent him a genuine smile in response as he stepped inside.
“I’m just looking, thank you.”, he said with a surprisingly calm and pleasant voice, taking Yeosang completely by surprise.
Which was the reason he was rooted to the spot as the customer turned on his heel to walk towards the back of the bookstore. Yeosang was still too dazed by the other’s appearance to be annoyed about this customer acting completely oblivious to the closing hour of his shop. For a few seconds, he remained where he was, unsure on how he should continue. He needed to tell him, of course but for some reason he didn’t–
Oh no no, Yeosang wasn’t going to fall back into old patterns of being too shy to approach customers! He had worked long and hard to get rid of this ingrained social hurdle to initiate a conversation and he wasn’t about to lose his progress when it was already past the end of his shift.
Taking a deep breath, Yeosang approached the handsome customer, starting to put together an appropriate sentence in his head about the shop closing and if he already knew what he was going to choose, otherwise he could come back another time yada yada…
Shortly before he would have stepped into the other’s space though, Yeosang stopped, unsure on how to get his attention. Should he… tap his shoulder? Clear his throat? Or just start speaking?
Starting to feel frustration rise up in him, Yeosang’s stared at the back of the guy’s neck and couldn’t help but notice the well trimmed hairline that made him feel all sorts of things. What the hell, now he was getting horny for a random dude that was stealing his precious free time by the minute?
Abruptly raising his hand to put an end to his misery, he still hesitated when the stranger hummed a song absent-mindedly as he took a book from the shelf in front of him. Completely stuck, Yeosang remained where he was, his arm still in the same position. The guy just continued to look at the book, completely unbothered and oblivious to Yeosang’s dilemma.
Finally gathering the courage to clear his throat, he ended up panicking at the last second and let out a pitiful whimper instead.
Fuck.
He could have hit himself over the head with a book out of embarrassment but he didn’t dare to move when the customer’s head snapped around, his eyes round and surprised. Something shifted in his gaze because after a beat of silence with a flash of realization traveling across his face.
“Oh, are you closing?”, he asked softly, having the audacity to sound genuinely remorseful as he fished out his phone from an inside pocket to check the time.
Not wanting to make this moment any more embarrassing for himself, Yeosang slowly lowered his arm to hide it behind his back, looking down at his own feet. He nodded timidly and then cleared his throat again in an attempt to collect himself.
“I-it’s o– I mean… Do you already know what you want? We’re closing in a few–”, he quickly managed to swallow the last part of his rehearsed sentence to pathetically end it the next moment, “... now.”
Great, he had actually just made it worse.
The handsome stranger only stared at him for a few seconds, completely blind to the mortification that Yeosang had just subjected himself to. He really looked like a celebrity, with his clear skin and his pretty symmetrical features, plus his pointy nose–
Catching himself staring, Yeosang quickly averted his gaze, feeling heat creeping up at the back of his neck. Willing himself to snap out of it to get himself back together, he was dumbfounded again when the guy's lips widened into a soft smile that took Yeosang’s breath away for good.
Oh no.
There was no way his emotions weren’t written all over his face with bold letters at this point because the guy’s grin only grew wider and now Yeosang could also make out the charm in his eyes, like he was enjoying the attention he was getting, knowing full well what kind of effect he had on people.
Or maybe it was just Yeosang having a particular weakness for confident pretty guys, apparently...
“I was actually in search of a gift… but I think I just found what I was looking for.”
His voice was soft and so smooth and silky, it wiped every residual thought out of Yeosang’s mind so he just continued to gape at him, unable to come up with anything that would even resemble an appropriate reaction to whatever the stranger had just said. What had he said? His lips had moved, right?
Managing to break the intense spell the guy’s face had on him, Yeosang turned his head to look behind him for a moment before he thought better of it, too embarrassed to possibly misunderstand the meaning of these words.
And true to his conclusion, as soon as Yeosang’s attention was back on him, the guy had a book on fashion in his hand, his smile unwavering when he held it out for him and said:
“Do you still have time to wrap it for me?”
He nodded again without having any particular opinion about it, his mind still too shaken by the way this guy’s beauty seemed to have him in a chokehold. Politely taking it with both hands, Yeosang just stood there for another second until he finally remembered what he had agreed to. So he quickly turned around to walk to the register. For some reason he felt like the stranger was staring holes into his back as he tried to take a deep breath to calm his chaotic thought process.
What the hell had just happened? There was a hot guy in the bookstore, obviously making eye contact with him and all Yeosang did was stare at his pretty nose? He really must think he was a creep, fuck! If he thought about it, he probably hadn’t said a full sentence to him by now or anything without stumbling over his words actually, which… Was he twelve? And what should he even say now? Sorry for staring at you, you’re just so pretty? I hope you like your gift, I might have drooled on it a little?
Checking the book in his hands for actual saliva, Yeosang almost slapped his own forehead before he remembered that he was probably still being observed by the guy. Trying to focus on the book instead of his stupid thoughts, Yeosang inspected it closer. The little book of Balmain – The story of the iconic fashion house.
The comparison to the high fashion magazine proved to be a correct one since he was probably working in fashion, Yeosang thought. The books people bought always revealed something about them, even if he hadn’t seen them before.
Like the first-grade-teacher who knew the release schedule of her favorite horror authors better than himself or the bank manager always asking him about different types of self help books revealed things about them that Yeosang would never dare to ask them. He wasn’t big on small talk or seeking a connection to his customers, he was much more comfortable keeping to himself with all the knowledge he attained about them.
So maybe the guy was a fashion student who came in looking for a gift for his professor or possibly a romantic partner who took an interest in his passion. Either way, it was a life that Yeosang wasn’t part of, so it didn’t really matter yet he couldn’t help but be curious. But it wasn’t like he was going to ask him about it.
Placing the book down onto the table, Yeosang mindlessly slipped into his working mode again, dutifully scanning the book and reaching for the wrapping paper, pointedly trying to ignore the pretty guy standing right across the table. His attempt seemed to be fruitful right until he heard his voice again.
“You’re really good with your hands.”
For some inexplicable reason, his voice sounded like he said them right next to his ear, making Yeosang’s entire body tense up. Stopping his endeavor to fold the sheet of paper to create an artsy effect and messing it up, his body jerked up in surprise and he was met with the same intense gaze and that charming smile that made his entire focus crumble once again. Somehow the guy’s eyes were only getting darker like he knew what he had done, making Yeosang avert his gaze immediately.
Fuck.
Double fuck.
Why was he so weak for some pretty eyes and a smile? It wasn’t even the first time he was complimented for his wrapping skills. He was told all the time, so why was this so much worse when it was coming from him? Panicking, Yeosang quickly tried to salvage the gift that was threatening to escape his grasp and luckily managed it in the last second. Calm down, Yeosang. It was just a compliment about the gift you were making, he told himself and thankfully came up with one of his generic responses.
“Thanks, you do get the hang of wrapping gifts when you make them as often as I do.”
That elicited another chuckle out of the handsome stranger, making Yeosang wince at his own words in retrospect. He had the strong feeling that he should have said something else instead but as he was fighting the wrapping paper once more. It was a miracle that he eventually managed to turn the book into a neat little gift. Finishing it up with a sticker of their store, paired with a frilly ribbon , Yeosang regarded his creation for a moment before deeming it good enough.
Gently picking it up and placing it in front of the customer, Yeosang looked up and was instantly met with the ever present, charming smile that still made him let out a surprised hitch that sounded more like a little squeal to his own ears. But the guy didn’t seem to be deterred by yet another one of his weird reactions and instead flashed him with even more of his gorgeous teeth. Holding his phone up to let him know about his payment preference, Yeosang processed the payment and was taken aback once again when the stranger said:
“Sorry for making you work overtime. Let me make it up to you, are you free tomorrow afternoon?”, he suddenly asked, propping himself up on the edge of the table.
His eyebrow was raised slightly when he added:
“I’m Hongjoong by the way.”
The corners of Yeosang’s lips seemed to have developed a life on their own when they lifted on their own accord while his mind was screaming the information back at him, his senses clashing. Hongjoong! He was asking him out! Did he? Resisting the urge to ask him to repeat his question and instead decided to run with it by asking:
“Turns out I am free tomorrow, why are you asking, Hongjoong ?”
The remark came out feistier than he was aiming for but it didn’t seem to discourage the other from leaning forward just the slightest bit as his grin morphed into something deeper and more intense.
“That’s music to my ears, and what is your name, if I may ask?”, he inquired, his voice becoming even smoother towards the end, emphasizing the politeness somehow.
Yeosang blinked, suddenly taken aback by the shift in energy around them. Were they still speaking as customer and employee or had they taken on entirely different roles? Listening to his instinct, he imitated Hongjoong’s very relaxed stance against the register table and cocked his head, casually replying:
“Yeosang, if you really want to know.”
Hongjoong let out a surprised chuckle before he opened his mouth to respond with an undoubtedly cocky comeback but was intercepted by his phone ringing on the table. All the tension between them seemed to dissipate into thin air when Hongjoong picked up the phone and sent Yeosang an apologetic look, indicating him to wait for a moment by raising his finger.
A wave of disappointment washed over Yeosang as he watched the pretty guy talk to the other person on the phone, in English from the sound of it. Arranging the items around the register to feign being busy himself, Yeosang tried to pick out the words he understood, which was harder than he thought since his own mind was still screaming at him about the last few minutes.
The short conversation didn’t tell Yeosang anything about the handsome stranger apart from his flawless English but it was obvious from his voice that he seemed to reassure the person about something. He was proven correct when Hongjoong suddenly turned around and pointed to the stack of sticky notes right next to Yeosang’s hand resting on the table.
Without much thought, Yeosang handed it to him and a second later offered a pencil to let Hongjoong write down whatever he needed to remember. The way the conversation was going sounded less casual and more business-like, making Yeosang think that he was probably quite busy in his daily life. He looked like he was a go-getter.
But to his own surprise, Hongjoong took off the single sticky note he had been writing on and reached across the table to stick it onto Yeosang’s chest. Tapping it a few times, he whispered:
“Come to my hotel tomorrow, I have a few ideas of what we could do.”
With that, he turned around and walked towards the exit of the store, leaving Yeosang behind with a sticky note stuck to his chest and a stupid expression on his face. He spotted the gift on the table right when Hongjoong was about to open the door and quickly ripped the note off his body to hurry after him.
This time he had no issue tapping him on the shoulder, receiving a grateful smile in turn as the other one thankfully accepted the book, agreeing to whatever the person on the other side of the phone was telling him. For another moment they both just looked at him before Hongjoong finally opened the door. Yeosang was ready for him to disappear as soon as the door would close behind him but Hongjoong held the door open for a moment longer. His smile was back in full force as he pointed to the corkboard right next to the entrance with local adverts and offers for tutoring. Right at the bottom of it was a picture of a maltese that Yeosang had hung up on whim once when he had found it in a catalogue.
“Cute, just like you.”, Hongjoong whispered and winked at him before he left for good, the loud sound of the door shutting echoing in Yeosang’s head long after it happened.
Yeosang stood there for several minutes, his usually busy mind completely wiped by what just happened. The sticky note remained in his hand and served as the only reminder that he hadn’t just imagined their encounter. But then he finally managed to lock the door and return to the register to close it for the day. He didn’t dare to look at the note, scared it would have nothing written on it after all and this was all an elaborate joke he wasn’t in on but when he finally turned off the lights and left through the back entrance, the sticky note was still firmly placed in his hand.
The fresh air did wonders for his brain and he finally found the courage to take it up to his face and read it. There was only a name and a time written on it that Yeosang recognized as the name of one of the most luxurious hotels in the city. Quickly fact checking with his phone confirmed his suspicion. Gangnam. This guy must be loaded, Yeosang thought and reminded himself of the fancy clothes and expensive phone he saw on him. Yeah, no doubt there.
The hotel meant that Hongjoong probably wasn’t from here, even though he was very well versed in Korean, not giving him the slightest indication that he was a foreigner. Why the hotel then? Was this some kind of booty call? And what the hell would he want to do with Yeosang in a hotel room? His mind instantly supplied him with plenty of answers to this question and he quickly shook his head, trying to stifle the ideas popping up in his head.
This was probably just to get to know him better in a quiet environment, he concluded. For some reason, Yeosang couldn’t imagine that Hongjoong was interested in him in that way. They had talked for what, like three minutes? And in all of those minutes, Yeosang had involuntarily done his best to embarrass himself as much as possible. There was no way Hongjoong was bent on a quick fling when Yeosang had made a fool of himself, right?
As he made the short walk back home by foot, Yeosang was going over every second of interaction he had with Hongjoong, trying to analyze the way he had looked at him and figure out if the horny part of his brain had any right to be this excited about their potential date. He couldn’t stop thinking about those pretty lips and the dark piercing eyes pinning him down. But like many things, Yeosang didn’t allow himself to indulge in taking this any further. There were people who could charm a broomstick, the fact that he had done it to Yeosang shouldn’t be any sign of explicit interest in him, it was just the way the guy was, right?
Later, after he had gone through his nightly ritual of eating ramen while rewatching one of his favorite dramas, Yeosang was staring at the ceiling of his bedroom, going down yet another one of the same thought spirals when he finally came to a decision.
Just a few months ago he had made a promise to himself to be more outgoing if he got the chance to and this seemed to be a strong hint from the universe. So he should go for it. Would he get another chance to accept an invitation from a hot guy promising him a good time? He didn’t think so. And if they just ended up talking about fashion books in his hotel room, then so be it. He liked books, he liked sex. What could go wrong? This was basically a win-win situation.
Feeling the weight fall off his shoulder after finally coming to a conclusion, Yeosang proceeded to go over the possible outcomes, trying to mentally prepare himself and play it cool. He could do this. If this was considered something casual that Hongjoong maybe did all the time, then he could act cool about it too.
This turned out to be harder than he thought since Yeosang couldn’t stop his subconscious from conjuring up a wet dream with mischievous smiles, piercing eyes and a silky smooth voice in his ears, making him wake up with sticky underwear and a languorous feeling in his head that was immediately followed by guilt.
Play it cool, Yeosang. It probably won’t happen anyway.
Being at a complete loss as to how he was supposed to get ready for that meet up, Yeosang used the remainder of his already irregular and dispersed morning to tackle the almost impossible task of choosing an outfit. For some reason his wardrobe didn’t include a shirt that said please suck my dick but it’s also totally fine if you just wanna read your favorite poems to me.
Chuckling to himself about his own joke, Yeosang laid out different options on his bed and ultimately settled for a casual pullover since it was easy to take off, but also brought out the breadth of his toned shoulders he was pretty proud of. Checking himself out in the mirror, he flexed his arm muscles for a moment and watched as the fabric stretched around them. No matter where this meeting would go, at least he was wearing something he felt confident in, Yeosang thought.
Trying not to think too much of his own inexperience when it came to hook ups, Yeosang took a shower and douched just in case before he left the house. It had definitely been a few years since his last sexual encounter but he wasn’t about to let this ruin his attempt at being more outgoing for his own sake.
As it turned out he was definitely way too early, so he decided to walk the last station of the metropolitan subway to the hotel, gratefully catching some fresh air as he made his way towards the hotel through one of the large city parks. Yeosang loved the early spring with its fresh breeze in the air and the sun shining through the bare branches of the trees so he tried his best to soak up all of the calm atmosphere of the park that seemed like a safe haven amongst the busy city life of Gangnam.
The park was full of people but there were enough benches around for him to take a seat and watch his surroundings for a bit, focusing his attention on the people passing by. When a tall man with two large dogs walked past him, Yeosang curiously gazed after them. Doberman dogs. He couldn’t help but think of the picture Hongjoong had compared him to. For some reason, being compared to a maltese rubbed him the wrong way. He was neither cute nor a tiny dog. If he was one, he would be more like a doberman.
Snorting inconspicuously, Yeosang allowed himself to laugh at his own silliness for a moment before shaking his head and getting up. The uncertainty of what awaited him seemed to mess with his head and he should really get it together now. It wasn’t every day that he was on his way to a booty call, or a great poetry reading. He would also be fine with that.
The hotel was just a short walk from the park and Yeosang tried to school his expression already, despite knowing that Hongjoong couldn’t see him from his hotel room from here. Where should he wait for him, in the lobby? It was probably his best bet not to miss him. Only now, Yeosang realized that Hongjoong could have just written his number on that piece of paper instead of the cryptic mention of the hotel name and a time.
Nevertheless, it didn’t really matter if it was only a one time thing, right? Maybe that was what Hongjoong usually did because he always hooked up with strangers when he was traveling and in the city? Yeosang tried to picture it and instantly became even more nervous. All this time he had played it cool and pretended that he wasn’t really phased by his own inexperience but being presented by the possibility of having competitors, made him strangely uneasy.
Walking towards the entrance, Yeosang’s train of thought was interrupted when he walked into a crowd of people gathering at the big slide doors of the hotel. Trying to make space for himself, several people next to him sent him annoyed looks as if he had personally offended them. He had no idea what was taking place here but he knew that whatever it was, he better not get involved.
Taking a few steps back instead of pushing through the gathered crowd, Yeosang removed himself from the group of people and tried to walk to the side of the hotel, looking for any possible way in. As it turned out this didn’t seem too easy since the way was blocked by people too who didn’t provide him with any sort of gap he could have squeezed himself through.
Deciding to take the longer route and walking all the way around the crowd, Yeosang was surprised to see more people on the other side of a long corridor that had been created in front of the entrance of the hotel. Blinking in surprise, Yeosang was too stunned for a moment before he caught himself again. Whatever this was, it didn’t really concern him. He was here for Hongjoong not for a celebrity they were probably waiting for.
It wasn’t uncommon that one could encounter famous people in the richer parts of Seoul, Gangnam especially. But Yeosang had always been more into books and older dramas, so he wasn’t really aware of who was currently considered a star.
Trying not to let himself get side tracked, Yeosang collected himself and confidently walked around the crowd towards the corridor. The noise around him suddenly erupted into excited screams when the sliding door of the entrance opened and someone exited the hotel. But the excitement immediately died down again when it didn’t turn out to be the person all of them seemed to be here for.
The person didn’t seem to be bothered by the crowd either and casually stepped out onto the sidewalk, nodding to several of the security guards on the side before he took a few long strides through the corridor and rushed past Yeosang a moment later. Fixated on the expensive looking suit and the casual confidence, he couldn’t help but look after him. No matter what he had tried over the years with his clothes of his own mindset, he had never dared to have this kind of attitude in public, always feeling like he just wasn’t cut out for it.
So Yeosang figured if he was already on a streak of trying new things, why not try something like this? Instead of sneaking through the crowd, he might as well adopt what this guy had just done and give himself some sort of boost by pretending he was walking into these kinds of hotels all the time.
After squaring his shoulders one last time, Yeosang raised his chin and walked, pointedly ignoring all the people waiting behind the barricades. He had almost reached the entrance when a security guard suddenly stepped forward, his hand short of touching his chest. Yeosang instantly took a step back to look at him. He wasn’t averse to being touched but he was particular about it.
The scowl he must have sent him didn’t seem to sit well with the big beefy guy since he grunted:
“Hotel room key or reservation, please.”
Yeosang blinked for a few seconds as he processed the information. What did this mean? Why wasn’t he allowed in? He hadn’t received any kind of information from Hongjoong other than the time and the name of the hotel and he was pretty sure he was running late now. Pressed by his own dislike of being late, Yeosang hurried to answer:
“Oh, I’m sorry… I’m actually–”
The guy cut him off, his expression darkening further. Looking him up and down, the guy changed his stance, planting himself in front of Yeosang to appear even more threatening.
“No entry for non-guests.”, the guy said, his voice taking on a slight mocking tone.
And now Yeosang was pissed. Who the hell did this guy think he was? Staring up at him without backing down, he returned the scrutinizing gaze he found himself to be the recipient of and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“And what if I am one?”, he asked, knowing full well that he was playing with fire here. He had no idea what the security guard’s orders were and what the reason for the restricted entry was.
Maybe this was all an elaborate scam and he was making a fool of himself but he hadn’t racked his brain to shambles last night just to be rudely judged by a substandard guard dog. What gave him the right to be this disrespectful? The security guard opened his mouth to reply and Yeosang readied himself by cocking his head mockingly when they were both interrupted by a voice:
“Are you from the modelling agency?”
Yeosang stared at the newcomer for a few seconds, unable to hide that he was caught off guard again. The person looking straight at him seemed to vibrate with stress as she clung to her tablet. Her hair and make-up was flawless but the high strung smile she attempted, made it obvious that her nerves ran thin.
Swallowing to hide his surprise, Yeosang sent the security guy a quick glance and then he said:
“Yes, I am in fact.”
The woman with the tablet visibly relaxed, her face seemingly falling with relief and Yeosang had no idea who he had just identified himself as.The buff guard in front of him didn’t seem convinced either since he let out an unbelieving huff as he changed his stance again.
“And what is the name of your agency?”, he asked, his voice low but unmistakably sarcastic.
That was it. Now his bluff was going to be revealed. He had no idea who they were waiting for and he knew even less about models but at this point he was too proud to show any weakness in front of this infuriating guy so he said the first thing that was on his mind.
“Doberman… models.”
Yeosang resisted to scrunch his face in embarrassment, fully expecting to be reprimanded for his fraudulence when neither of them seemed faced by the name he had given. On the contrary, the woman with the tablet gestured for him to follow her. Blinking in surprise, Yeosang caught himself in the next moment and stepped forward but not without sending the guy his regards by smiling at him innocently.
He had no idea how he had just pulled this off but as he was being led inside the building, he didn’t question it further. Now he just needed to excuse himself somehow, the last thing he wanted was getting roped into yet another situation where he was completely out of his depth.
Stalking through the lobby, the woman only looked back once to check if he was still following her but otherwise she seemed to be determined to get him to his destination as soon as possible.
“Honestly, I don’t even care what your agency is called. I'm just glad you showed up.”, she said without turning to him, her steps loud and hurried on the marble floor beneath them as they rushed through the glamorous space.
Yeosang almost missed what she said, too distracted by his surroundings. He had never been in such a luxurious environment, much less in a hotel of that calibre. But her words made him all too aware of his situation again, which made him throw around quick glances in the hopes of finding Hongjoong somewhere. But he was disappointed, none of the suit wearing guys he spotted looked remotely similar to the flirtatious guy from yesterday. Maybe he could excuse himself to go to the bathroom real quick and-
Impatiently waving him into the elevator with her, the lady interrupted his thoughts when he said:
“I know it must be your first time meeting Kim Hongjoong but let me give you a piece of advice: the longer you’re letting him wait, the harder it will be to work with him and we’re already in deep shit, so hurry up.”
Yeosang stopped in his tracks.
Hongjoong?
His face must have given his complete surprise away because the woman just nodded as if to undermine her words once more.
“Yes, dear, this isn’t modeling school anymore, you’re working with real people now and let me tell you another thing: no one’s going to coddle you, so get your ass in here.”
As if on autopilot, Yeosang stepped inside, his brain not keeping up with what was happening any longer. How did she know Hongjoong? And how did she know about their impromptu meet up? Or maybe he had unknowingly been casted as a model by Hongjoong yesterday and this wasn’t actually a booty call…
Yeosang tried his best to hide his confusion and dejection, vehemently avoiding eye contact with the lady in the elevator, as it slowly set in motion. It wouldn’t be the first time he fundamentally misunderstood something. Nervously wringing his hands behind his back to hide his own anxiety, Yeosang jumped a little when the doors opened to his left.
What was he supposed to do now? His original plan of excusing himself to find a bathroom was obviously impossible to pull off since she would lead him directly to Hongjoong himself but from the way she had put it, he seemed quite upset at his delay, even if he was on time!
Racking his brain about any possible thing Hongjoong could have been angry with him, Yeosang wordlessly followed the woman through the nondescript corridor. For some reason the opulence kept itself within limits in this part of the hotel and was instead accentuated by sleek luxury. But he was far from caring about his surroundings any longer, too caught up in his own thoughts.
Stopping at a random door to her right, the woman pressed her tablet closer to her chest for a quick moment, taking a deep breath while fully ignoring Yeosang’s presence, before she opened the door, giving way to a large hotel room. A very spacious one. Yeosang couldn’t even spot the bed, finding himself in some sort of living room instead, the carpets and the heavy curtains the only real indicators that this was still the very luxurious hotel they were in.
He didn’t immediately spot the person standing by the windows looking outside and only tore his eyes away from the large couch in the middle of the room when the woman next to him cleared her throat to announce their presence. Hongjoong spun around and immediately locked eyes with Yeosang, making him flinch reflexively. His eyes were… wild, as if he was ready to pounce the prey presented to him. But then, everything in him seemed to ease up when he realized who was standing in front of him, even sending him a short mischievous smile just like he had done in his bookstore the other day.
Yeosang was even more confused. That playful grin didn’t make any sense. Wasn’t he angry because he was late? Did Hongjoong suddenly change his mind because he remembered what he looked like? How could he–
“Mr. Kim, your appointment from Doberman Models is finally here, I’m so sorry for the delay.”
The lady’s strained voice interrupted Yeosang’s thoughts, causing Hongjoong to break eye contact and focus his attention on her. His surprised expression wasn’t lost on Yeosang though as he kept his eyes on the other to try and figure out what exactly was going on.
So this was new to him too, Yeosang thought. He couldn’t help but be distracted by Hongjoong’s clothes that seemed to be even more haute couture compared to the outfit he had worn the first time they met, the reinforced black jacket with white lapels and a shiny finish fitting him like a glove. The reason for that was probably since it had been tailored for him specifically, Yeosang concluded and scolded himself inwardly because duh . Whatever Hongjoong was doing seemed to be very fashion centered and held in very high regard.
For a moment, Yeosang wasn’t sure if three minutes had passed or three seconds as he frantically tried to stop staring at Hongjoong and instead say something. Should he introduce himself again? Laugh at the ridiculous farce of that agency name? Apologize for the delay too? Hongjoong saved him for further embarrassing himself when he spoke up and said:
“Thank you, Minchae. You may leave now.”
The cold tone didn’t quite match the soft expression that eased his features again as he focused on him instead of the person he was actually addressing. Yeosang froze, completely out of his depth here.
The lady, Minchae, seemed to share his sentiment, since she sent both him and Hongjoong a confused look before she bowed politely and took her leave without adding anything. When the door clicked behind him, Yeosang finally dared to take a breath again, only to freeze up once more when Hongjoong walked towards him.
“Doberman Models?”, he asked, his smile close to being mocking but Yeosang was too distracted by the playfully raised brow to really be offended by it.
A small voice of annoyance made its way to the forefront of his mind. What was this guy even thinking, making him almost fight a security guy and pretending to be a model just to meet him. And now he had the gaul to look so effortlessly hot smiling at him?! Yeosang couldn’t even be mad this way. Attempting to save his dignity, he tried to save his poor excuse of an agency name.
“I’m a doberman!”, he blurted out and immediately put his hand up to stop himself from saying anything more.
It came out weak and defensive, like he was aware of not standing any chance of being able to withstand the personification of charm standing in front of him. The random sentence didn’t seem to phase Hongjoong either, he merely seemed puzzled but still amused as well, all without losing that gorgeous self assured smile. His hair was styled differently to the day before, slightly slicked back, giving the deep blue a more put together feel.
“What was that?”, Hongjoong asked, letting out a low chuckle as he closed the distance between them, now standing directly in front of him.
Yeosang couldn’t break eye contact as he tried to sort his thoughts enough to come up with a coherent sentence in his mind. The way Hongjoong was looking at him expectantly made that much harder though, which was why he stuttered over the first words of his reply.
“The picture you compared me to yesterday was a maltese and If I were a dog, I’d be a doberman.”, he said, losing all of his prior fire at the end of the sentence.
Somebody should come up with a competition of embarrassing things to do in front of hot people , Yeosang thought because he was pretty sure he had just established a new record. Avoiding eye contact wasn’t enough, he needed to dematerialize right where he was standing. He heard Hongjoong’s suppressed giggle and couldn’t help but look up to find the other standing in front of him, now laughing even more openly.
He was even hot when he was laughing at him!
Something inside of him seemed to tighten with an unknown sensation as he continued to stare at Hongjoong, in complete disbelief of his own brain distracting him by coming up with ways to make him laugh like this in the near future. There was a glint in Hongjoong’s eyes when he seemed to have recovered from laughing about his passionate but admittedly stupid speech concerning which dog breed he most identified with and he needed Hongjoong to know that it definitely wasn’t a tiny, fluffy dog that could pass as a plushie.
“I’m glad you could make it and I’m sorry for the confusion. My schedule should have been done over an hour ago but a certain model hasn’t shown up yet.”, Hongjoong said in a softer voice this time, still carrying that stupidly confident smile like he was aware of what kind of effect he had on him.
Just like that, the mood had shifted again, making Yeosang all too aware of the way Hongjoong seemed to command their conversation like it was a fidget toy, bending it to his will simply with a flick of his hand. Smiling at his own analogy, Yeosang’s lips twitched and Hongjoong seemed to take it as an invitation to smile brightly in return, making that feeling return with full force and prompted his brain to conjure up even more images of Hongjoong laughing about a joke he would tell him.
Yeosang wanted to groan out loud but held back. What was happening here? It was like he was trapped in his own mental limbo of being unable to escape the flirt that was Kim Hongjoong. He couldn’t believe he had ever doubted his intentions. Trying to shake off his own inhibitions, Yeosang kept his face in check, careful about giving away any kind of sign giving away just how flustered he was as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“I almost fought a security guard just to get in and you’re casually omitting the fact that you’re a celebrity? Who are you?”, he said without any real bite but finally feeling a little more like himself again as the last bit of anxiety disappeared into thin air.
He was more curious than annoyed at this point but after what had happened yesterday he wasn’t intending to give in so easily just yet. Was he still majorly out of his depth with this hook up thing that seemed to be what he signed up for here? Yes. But was he also slowly becoming more comfortable responding to the very good looking, probably insanely rich guy standing in front of him? Absolutely. So there was no way he would be caught off-guard again.
Hongjoong’s bright smile seemed to become more dazzling and genuine for a second and Yeosang almost mirrored it but then he reminded himself of what he had just told himself. Fuck.
“My line of work attracts quite a lot of interest but I’m not surprised that you didn’t recognize me.”, Hongjoong said with an amused lilt in his voice, his gaze traveling up and down his body now.
Blinking in confusion, Yeosang needed a moment to understand what he was getting at when he looked down at himself and connected the dots, irritated by the passive pettiness regarding his outfit. More annoyance bubbled over in him and he made sure to narrow his eyes when he looked at Hongjoong, who only seemed to take it as an invitation to respond to his gaze with a playful smile.
Bringing his hand forward to lightly fix the collar of his sweater, Hongjoong seemed to realize what he was doing in the next second and took a step back, his electrifying gaze letting sparks erupt in Yeosang’s stomach which made him forget all about the upsetting implication just before. How was he doing this?
A few hours ago, he had only known this guy’s name and his taste in books and now he was picturing himself making him laugh and getting funny feelings in his belly because of him. Whatever this was, it seemed to crash into him like a freight train.
Trying to gain control of this situation again, Yeosang just huffed and walked past him, acting disinterested despite the two of them noticing the way his cheeks had turned a darker shade. Looking around in the hotel room, Yeosang decided to take the opportunity to change the topic.
“Assuming these people outside of the hotel are here because of you, why are they here?”, he asked, keeping his tone as neutral as possible.
He wasn’t some sort of idol, right? Yeosang really didn’t want to get involved in this business, knowing all too well from the tabloids and gossip magazines what Kpop fans were capable of when it came to their favorite idols and doing anything to make sure that they’d stick with their single status. Hearing another suppressed chuckle behind him, Yeosang turned around to see Hongjoong’s gaze resting on him, the amusement clearly written all across his face.
“The Seoul Fashion Week is in the next few days and I guess they would like to take a picture with me, you know… since I’m going to exhibit my new collection there.”, Hongjoong said patiently as if to gauge his reaction.
Yeosang trying to process the information was cut short by Hongjoong taking a few long strides towards him and coming dangerously close towards him again, making his glorious plan of keeping his cool falter pretty instantly.
“Oh… that’s great, I mean– I don’t know enough about fashion to– I guess–”, he stumbled and cringed inwardly at his poor attempt at sounding somewhat respectful or knowledgable.
Usually he wasn’t that ignorant when it came to different fields of interests. He was a bookseller for fuck’s sake, knowledge was basically his currency! For some reason, he slowly drifted into his helpless self from the bookstore again, at a complete loss as to what to do to smoothly navigate this conversation.
Hongjoong’s piercing gaze rested on him again. He didn’t look upset or accusatory but he still managed to root Yeosang to the spot as the other suddenly conjured up a measuring tape that he casually held in front of his torso. Mesmerized as he was, Yeosang watched his face take on a look of concentration, lightly touching his shoulder as he took the measurement of his arm. No doubt feeling Yeosang’s eyes on him, Hongjoong murmured:
“Sorry, it’s the occupation. I can’t help myself, you have amazing proportions.”
Yeosang almost burst out laughing at the absurdity of the situation that he was weirdly fine with. Hongjoong’s energy had changed completely as he focused on the task at hand, his touch never straying from the path they were put on by its owner. Yeosang was almost disappointed at the lack of enthusiasm from his counterpart but he quickly shut that thought down. He wasn’t going to act desperately just because a pretty guy didn’t touch him the way he wanted him to, no, absolutely not.
“I know what you mean, I do the same with books.”
Yeosang’s mind only provided him with the details of his statement when Hongjoong halted his movements and looked at him questioningly.
“You touch other people’s books?”, Hongjoong asked slowly with a raised eyebrow but there was a smirk playing around his lips, clearly revealing his feigned naiveté.
Almost groaning out loud, Yeosang closed his eyes and felt the mortification rise up in him at the same time as a different feeling started spreading in his lower part of his body. Why was he getting hard when Hongjoong was clearly making fun of him? Taking a deep breath and trying not to wish for the ground to swallow him whole, Yeosang tried to act as casual as possible when he meekly replied with:
“I look at what other people are reading. In the subway for example. Occupation and all that.”
For some reason he was suddenly out of breath. Feeling the tight sensation of the measuring tape being draped across the breadth of his shoulders, he almost jumped when he heard Hongjoong’s voice much closer to his ear. This time he was almost whispering when he said:
“Stay still.”
Yeosang tried to obey, he really did. But at this point every nerve in his body was on edge, making him shiver with anticipation. The entire atmosphere around them had changed and once again, he had no idea how Hongjoong had managed to do just that within mere seconds. Still not quite brave enough to open his eyes, he tried to listen instead, hearing Hongjoong’s breathing as he lifted his other arm to measure that one as well. He didn’t expect him to be so up close again when he whispered right next to his ear:
“Do I make you nervous?”
Despite the low tone, Yeosang could very clearly make out how pleased Hongjoong was with himself, prompting him to finally open his eyes. Hongjoong’s deep brown eyes, paired with his self assured smirk settled right in his lower abdomen, introducing themselves as deep rooted, dark desire. He couldn’t hold himself back any longer.
Before he could think better of it, he grabbed Hongjoong’s wrist mid air and used his firm stance to maneuver his body towards the next available surface which just happened to be the window next to both of them. The impact of Hongjoong’s back hitting the windows was minor. It was as if Hongjoong had expected something like this to happen, guessing from the self assured look on his face.
Yeosang’s fingers were still wrapped around Hongjoong’s wrist but they were standing much closer now. Feeling his heart beating out of his chest, Yeosang was too stunned by his own action to do anything other than stare back at Hongjoong, who only raised his chin, answering his look with an expectant eyebrow raise. It was obvious that he wasn’t done with whatever spell he had Yeosang under and that he had only taken the initial bait of the other’s challenge.
Feeling the unbridled fire erupt in his crotch at the daring gesture of the designer, Yeosang took a step further, sensing their legs touching. Still refusing to let go of his wrist, he placed his hand on the window next to Hongjoong’s head. Yeosang’s brain was still catching up with the situation he suddenly found himself in when Hongjoong’s eyes became big as he threw a glance to the arm caging him in. Once again, the whole mood seemed to change as Hongjoong’s smile became wider. He seemed to be more than pleased with whatever Yeosang had initiated.
Slowly letting go of his wrists, Yeosang took it upon him to stare back at him darkly in an attempt to keep the tension high as it was. He found he quite enjoyed the position he was in. Something in the back of Yeosang’s mind even gained the confidence to convince him to lean into it even harder. Pressing his hand against the window even harder, he brought his face closer to the other man and said:
“Do I make you nervous?”
There was a short laugh coming from Hongjoong as if to negate Yeosang’s question but it was obvious that he was only playing it up. With his eyes flickering down towards his lips, Hongjoong started to shift slightly, making Yeosang believe that finally he’d have the situation under control when he suddenly felt Hongjoong’s hand on his shoulder.
“Look who’s finally come out to play?”, the designer murmured, probably more to himself than him because he just began to trace the firm build of his biceps with an admiring gaze.
Involuntarily smiling at the soft touches he was being felt up with, Yeosang flexed his muscles even more and received a sharp intake of air in return that made him let out a snort. Hongjoong’s gaze shot up and suddenly Yeosang was under the same spell again. He leaned in, completely abandoning any kind of rational thought he might have had before this until he felt Hongjoong’s hot breath against his own lips.
He hadn’t even realized how close their bodies were when he felt a firm pressure right against his thigh that he tentatively pressed himself against, getting an instant response in the form of a sigh that dangerously sounded like a moan.
What was he waiting for?
To say that Yeosang had experience being in the position of being in charge when it came to sexual endeavors would be a lie, he had done it in the past but he… had never really had the urge to. So he usually let his partners take the lead, simply because he preferred it. Finding himself on the other side for once and liking it more than he ever thought he would was thrilling, exciting even! If he only knew what to do…
Yeosang was about to pull back to make sure that both of them were on the same page when he was stopped by a surprising firm grip on the back of his neck.
“Kiss me.”, Hongjoong demanded and Yeosang immediately complied.
If it weren’t for the loud opening of the hotel room door behind them, making them both part at once. It took a moment for Yeosang to register that Minchae was standing in the room, addressing Hongjoong with an urgent look on her face.
“…saying he’s supposed to meet you today, he even showed me the emails you sent him last week!”, she said, sounding more distressed as she continued.
He technically knew what this meant. The actual model of the agency had shown up and now the lie would be exposed but for some reason the only thing he felt was the strain against the tight zipper of his jeans that started to become painful. He was already expecting to get thrown out of the hotel in an instant when Hongjoong turned to him, whispering:
“I’ll make this quick, wait for me here.”
He didn’t even get the chance to think of a reply before Hongjoong turned on his heel and took a few long strides towards Minchae, who seemed too focused on him to even notice Yeosang at all.
He still didn’t dare to breathe until Hongjoong had led Minchae out of the room, explaining something to her in a low tone. Only when the door loudly clicked shut did he seem to zone back into reality. For a solid minute Yeosang remained frozen by the window, his own mind a wild whirlwind of frantic what the fucks and what the hell just happened questions.
After a few minutes, Yeosang didn’t dare to check his phone, he decided to sit down on one of the couches in front of him but immediately got up again, thinking he heard the door opening again. So he resorted to awkwardly pacing the room instead, needing to keep himself busy by constantly checking the door at the slightest noise.
It couldn’t have been more than ten minutes, which frankly felt like hours in Yeosang’s opinion, until the sound of the door wasn’t just a trick of his mind and it swung wide open, revealing Hongjoong in the same state he had been before. Slightly disheveled hair, a wild look in his eyes and dark determination written all across his features.
As if drawn by an invisible force, Yeosang already crossed the distance between them and almost crashed into him but he was only roughly grabbed by his collar and shoved back until found himself pressed against the hotel room door. At a momentary loss of words, Yeosang only dared to breathe out, locking eyes with Hongjoong as he let his head fall back against the wood of the door.
“Finally.”, Hongjoong whispered darkly, letting hands slowly travel down his shoulders towards his arms.
His hands were back on his collar a second later, pulling him in and locking lips with him once again. Yeosang could only take in a surprised huff of air before he was completely robbed of it, eliminating every single coherent thought with it. He only noticed the surprising softness of the designer’s lips, as he effortlessly let him take charge of the kiss.
Yeosang moaned when their tongues clashed with a surprising tenderness after the rough beginning of their kiss. Holding onto the his sturdy jacket as he was trapped between the equally firm body of the designer and the heavy door behind him, Yeosang felt a laugh burst out of him at the incredible prospect of getting both the amazing feeling of being pressed against a hard surface and having the world’s softest lips at his command.
He would use every last bit of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presented to him. Hongjoong wouldn’t know what hit him.