Work Text:
“Right. Right. Of course,” Wonbin bobs his head up and down in agreement, “You’re so right.”
The blue fluorescent lights of the bar fall on Shotaro’s face like a waterfall, his eyelashes are long, and his nose slopes down at what seems like a perfect angle. Not that Wonbin has been staring at his face with careful detail all night long - he’s not a creep. A creep wouldn’t notice the way Shotaro’s smile tilts to the right side when he finds something amusing, and to the left when he finds something funny. This is something only a soulmate would notice, surely.
“Wonbin?” Shotaro says, waving a hand in front of his face. “Are you… ok?”
He clears his throat, “Yeah, yeah! I’m all ears. I love listening to you.” He takes a pretty sip from his mango daiquiri. He usually goes for lemon, but Wonbin knows that no matter how much Shotaro tries to hide it, he really dislikes the scent of citrus, a trait he shares with most Nekomata (and cats).
Shotaro smiles (mouth tilting to the left), then sobers up. “I guess - what I’m trying to say is…”
Wonbin senses his hesitation, something unusual for the older boy, and gives him a reassuring smile. Whatever Shotaro has to say, it will be fine, Wonbin is in love with him, after all.
“I like Seunghan."
Wonbin blinks, processes the words, and opens his mouth before closing it again. This feels like a dejavu, like he’s been here before but not quite. Shotaro looks at him, a blush comes creeping up his neck and his fluffy cat ears twitch.
“Hm, I see,” Wonbin nods, taking another calm sip of his drink. His wings feel tense. “You like him as… a friend? A buddy, perhaps.”
"No.” Shotaro sighs, his hands making a mess of the napkin in front of him. Wonbin sees the way his face rushes with blood and gives him a pretty pink tone. “I like him as... a boyfriend?”
“Bit weird.”
Shotaro chokes up on air, “I… I know! And I don’t want to make things awkward between us. Especially since… you know. I wanted to talk to you about it first. I won’t do anything about it if you don’t want me to, I’ll back off, just tell me.”
“Huh?” He’s taken aback by his friend’s words. Leave it to Shotaro to be so incredibly and stupidly selfless. “What are you talking about? Shotaro.. get up!”
Shotaro snivels, “This is so messy. I’m sorry for being a slut, Wonbinnie.” He might be a little more drunk than Wonbin originally thought.
Wonbin sighs and finishes the yellow cocktail in front of him in a single gulp. He resists the need to order heavier alcohol. A bottle of Mermaid Tears would be nice. “It’s okay,” he reassures him with a pat on the back, “Everything’s fine, I’m okay. You can pursue Seunghan all you want, yes? He’s ugly, sure, but… if that’s what you want. Don’t worry about me or what anyone else thinks.”
Wonbin can almost see the stars in Shotaro’s eyes as he looks up at him in soft wonder, “Wonbin… you’re a great friend.”
“Of course!” He cheers, smile undeterred, “Now, how about we order some more drinks! Trust me, everything’s fine!”
Can you buy arsenic online?
How long does it take to die after drinking bleach?
Can someone drown in a toilet?
“The police are gonna come looking for you,” Eunseok yawns from behind Wonbin, the perpetual bags under his eyes even worse than usual today. “There’s no way they’re not thinking you’re planning a murder.”
“And why are you looking at my screen?” Wonbin frowns and leans back into his chair, defeated. “I don’t think I could drown myself in the toilet. I might have to ask you to hold my head down.”
“They’d sent me to prison. Premeditated first-degree murder. I don’t think I want that on my resumé.”
“It could just an be assisted suicide sentence,” he pauses. Maybe their degree in Magical Criminal Justice isn’t so useless after all.
“We should die together,” Wonbin continues, turning around with his rolling chair, eyes bright, “Like, we should drink a glass of bleach at the same time.”
“Why would I do that?” Eunseok goes back to his own computer, but Wonbin can tell his heart is just not in it today, he looks one disaster away from accepting Wonbin’s death offer. It is true that nephilim have a perpetual tragic look to them, cold skin and dark eyes, like a wilting flower.
But Eunseok - Eunseok has taken it to another level ever since he started his fourth-year internship at Kim & Associates.
Wonbin blames Doyoung, their boss, for going on a honeymoon in the middle of their busiest season. It’s not like the rest of the seniors at their agency do anything substantial - they dump files upon files on the interns and let them do all the paperwork while they go off and pretend to do fieldwork. Unfortunately for them, Wonbin likes to slack off and daydream about Shotaro instead. Fortunately for Wonbin, Eunseok picks up his slack.
“You know how pharaohs would take their pets and wives into the afterlife with them? We could do that. I’m the pharaoh, you’re the pet.”
“That’s gotta be in the top ten worst things you’ve ever said to me,” Eunseok gives him a grimace. “You’re literally wishing me eternal hell.”
Wonbin counters, “Hell couldn’t possibly be worse than this internship.”
His friend stares at the screen in front of him for a few silent seconds. Wonbin can see the turmoil and torment in Eunseok’s inner workings.
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Eunseok whispers to himself before his hands go back to the keyboard, then turns to Wonbin, “But if I don’t get a job offer from Doyoung after this, I’ll join you in a double suicide.”
“Good boy,” Wonbin replies. It’s a moot point, he thinks - if anyone will be getting a job offer to work at the agency, it will surely be Eunseok. It’s hard getting hired after being an intern, or so Shotaro has told them. Ten and Yuta would hire anyone with half a brain, but it is Kim Doyoung who has the strictest expectations. To be honest, Wonbin doesn’t have high expectations for himself, he’s almost sure he’s going to get fired after the semester ends. He will be jobless and miserable.
“Wait,” Eunseok sits up, “You’ve been stalling. You never told me why you want to kill yourself this week.”
“I wasn’t stalling,” he turns his office chair around, “But you’re right, this is about me, not you.”
“ Right . Tell me, why are you looking up arsenic on Google this time?”
Wonbin feels like the words are going to asphyxiate him if he says them out loud. A bump in his throat. What did he ever do to deserve this?
“Shotaro…”
“The ‘love of your life’ Shotaro?”
“Who else? Keep up, Eunseok!”
A sharp pencil to the jugular would be so good right about now.
“You know how I met up with him for drinks on Friday?” he continues. Eunseok nods. “Well, he told me that… umm… uhh.”
“Go on.”
He whines, “He told me that he likes Seunghan.”
Silence.
“Shotaro asked if I was okay with him pursuing Seunghan.”
Another beat of silence.
“Hong Seunghan?”
“Again - who else?”
Eunseok’s face scrunches up and turns red for a brief second before he lets out the most thunderous laugh that echoes throughout the small office, even the feathers on his wings are shaking with laughter. “Wonbin,” he wipes away a tear and Wonbin wants to punch him.
“Are you telling me your crush likes your ex-boyfriend?”
Wonbin had never considered his relationship with Seunghan to be normal. Even when they first met, back in their first and second year of college respectively, they had never been just friends , they had always been something more, something Wonbin couldn’t quite define.
Of course, then they started dating and everything was a little easier, more tangible. Seunghan was his boyfriend - until he wasn’t.
And now, in present time, Seunghan is more ambiguous, more elusive than ever. They’re friends because they have to be, because their friend group is so entangled in and of itself and so dependent on one another that they refused to choose a side, not that neither Wonbin nor Seunghan would ever ask them to. And so, they’re friends. Kind of, sort of. Because Wonbin has never had a friend he disliked.
“There you are,” a heavy arm snakes his way around Wonbin’s shoulders, “Sorry I’m late.” The air around them warms up in an instant, a soft smell of smoke in the air. Perks of a dragon.
Wonbin frowns, detaching himself from Seunghan the instant his brain comes to his senses. The cold air hits his skin and he takes out a hot pack from his pocket instead. He rolls his eyes, “You’re never not late.”
“ᴴᵉˡˡᵒ ᵂᵒⁿᵇᶦⁿᵎ! ʸᵒᵘ ˡᵒᵒᵏ ʰᵃˡᶠ ᵈᵉᶜᵉⁿᵗ ᵗᵒᵈᵃʸᵎ ᴺᵒᵗ ᵃˢ ᵘᵍˡʸ ᵃˢ ᵘˢᵘᵃˡ, ᵒⁿᵉ ᵐᶦᵍʰᵗ ᵉᵛᵉⁿ ˢᵃʸ,” a familiar voice from hell shrieks from behind Seunghan.
“Okay, that was a bit rude, Perky.”
“Why’d you have to bring him?” Wonbin yelps, taking a few steps away from Seunghan and Perky the magical cockatoo who is most likely a serial killer in the body of a bird (also known as Wonbin’s arch nemesis).
“He needed some fresh air!” Seunghan replies. “He’ll be on his best behavior. Right, Perky?”
Perky cocks his head to the side, his black beady eyes mocking Wonbin in silence. “ˢᵘʳᵉ.”
“Maybe you can go look at the amulets on Stray Dragon, Perky. I heard they got a new shipment this week. I’ll even buy you one if you behave.”
"ᴺᵒ, ᴵ ʷᶦˢʰ ᵗᵒ ˢᵗᵃʸ ʷᶦᵗʰ ʸᵒᵘ, ˢᵉᵘⁿᵍʰᵃⁿ," he caws, earning a few glances from a group of trolls next to them. Wonbin knows this bird well enough to know he’s being clingy and annoying just to fuck with him. He recalls Eunseok and Sohee calling him a baby for having beef with an animal. They don’t understand Perky is no animal, he’s a vile, timeless soul trapped in the body of a bird - he makes Anton cry on the regular, for god’s sake.
“Okay, how about you go check the amulets and then make your way to Aespa’s? Karina has the night shift tonight, you can go say hi and we’ll meet you there in an hour.”
"ᴷᵃʳᶦⁿᵃˀ ᴹʸ ᵇᵉᵃᵘᵗᶦᶠᵘˡ ᵈᵃᵐˢᵉˡˀ ᵠᵘᵉᵉⁿ ᵒᶠ ᴾᵉʳᵏʸ'ˢ ʰᵉᵃʳᵗ." The bird’s feathers puff up and Wonbin shudders in disgust. He almost feels bad for Karina, but as long as it’s not Wonbin who has to be in the bird’s presence it’s fine. Perky doesn’t wait a second longer, he flies away before Seunghan can say another word.
“I can’t believe your fuck ass bird is straight.”
Seunghan laughs, his sharp canines poking out.
“You don’t like Perky, do you?”
“Understatement of the year,” he grumbles. They make their way on a stone path into the crowded Juju shopping district, one of the few designated areas in Seoul under magical jurisdiction. Knowing this, Seunghan lets out a sigh, relaxing his shoulders just as a pair of small dragon horns appear on the top of his head. “If I could make him fried chicken, I would.”
Seunghan laughs but is undeterred, he’s used to everyone in his life hating Perky.
“Uh, how were classes today?” he asks, scratching his head. Just because he and Seunghan stayed as friends did not mean they spent a lot of time together one-on-one, usually someone else would tag along with them. Wonbin feels horrible and he wouldn’t be surprised if the grass around him started dying because of his miserable nephilim aura.
“They were ok,” Seunghan shrugs, “Just a lot of projects and presentations.”
Wonbin nods. He can’t say he misses third year of university, internships might be a drag but at least he’s not swarmed with classes anymore.
“So,” Wonbin scratches his head, scrunching his nose as he remembers why they’re here in the first place, “You got Shotaro for the gift exchange?”
Seunghan nods, kicking a pebble in his way, “Isn’t he hard getting a gift for? I have no idea what to get him.”
“No, Shotaro’s perfectly fine,” he says, defending his love. “He’ll like anything you get him, that’s the type of person he is. He is genuine and kind.”
Seunghan looks at Wonbin for a second, pensive. He smiles, the tip of his nose pink from the afternoon temperature drop. “You’re so protective. Oh, what to do to get you to talk about me like that?”
“You have to be Shotaro,” Wonbin rolls his eyes, “Or at least not be you. Anyway. We can go to Jihyo’s, I’m sure we’ll find something?”
“It wouldn’t hurt to try,” he puts his hands in his pockets and they start a silent walk through a path they know so well. Wonbin tries not to think about it, but this is a path they’ve walked so many times last year, when they were still dating. Despite thinking to himself otherwise, there is a familiarity and comfort in Seunghan that Wonbin has never forgotten.
“By the way, who did you get?”
“Who did I get in what?”
“For the exchange, I mean.”
“Oh. Sohee. Already got his gift wrapped and everything.”
"Sohee is so easy, you got it so easy.”
“Hey,” Wonbin opens the door to the shop, “You would’ve complained too if you had gotten Sohee.”
“Not true.”
“Yes true.”
They make their way through the crannies of the cramped shop, a place owned by Eunseok’s godmother. The small place, overcrowded with random tchotchkes and trinkets filling every nook, is one of Wonbin’s favorite shops to visit.
“Wonbin, look,” Seunghan laughs, pointing at a small pouch in front of them.
“Magical catnip?” Wonbin stares at the pouch, then snorts out a laugh, “Is that supposed to be LSD for nekomatas?”
“It’d be kinda funny seeing Shotaro out of his mind,” he says and Wonbin has to admit the image of Shotaro tripping balls and sniffing magical drugs is kind of amusing. He’d probably end up looking too cute for his own good, as Shotaro often does and is.
Seunghan then, like an over-excited child of twenty-one, moves on to the next shiny thing, a giant multi-color hat that covers half of his face. He looks at himself through his phone’s camera and giggles under his breath. Wonbin snorts and pretends not to notice, looking at a stack of old books instead.
“Oh, look at this one, Wonbin,” he, again, moves on to the next object. Seunghan, still donning the ridiculous hat, opens a small wooden box embellished with carved flames around the edges. When it’s completely open, a green dragon made of opaque glass is revealed as a piano tune plays in the background.
“It’s you,” Wonbin jokes, taking the box from him and examining it closer. It really is a beautiful trinket. “I don’t know if I’d give this to Shotaro though. Maybe if it was a cat instead.”
“Right,” Seunghan hums, biting his lip. He is probably exhausting the last of his brain cells for the day, Wonbin can tell. He knows the exact face Seunghan makes when he is serious, when his brain is in overdrive, or when he doesn’t know how to tell someone he finished the last remnants of one’s favorite cereal - Wonbin has experienced all of them firsthand.
He suppresses a sigh, and Wonbin isn’t a fool - he knows the hot, twisted coil in his stomach could be none other than jealousy. It’s silly, he knows, it’s just a gift exchange between friends and it’s not like Seunghan chose Shotaro himself, right? It’s not like Seunghan knows that Shotaro would take anything and everything Seunghan gave him with shining eyes and a blush on his cheeks. Wonbin needs to punch someone, whether it be Seunghan or himself, he doesn’t know yet.
“Just get him a wedding ring,” he mutters under his breath with a roll of eyes and a snark to his tone.
“What was that?”
“Nothing, let’s keep looking. I’m sure you’ll find something better than catnip.” He’s trying very hard not to light both of them on flames, but, he supposes, Wonbin can’t bring a firefight to a dragon and expect to win.
It happened on a Friday, Wonbin recalls with extraordinary detail because that’s a curse that comes with being a nephilim. He recalls Shotaro’s hair was still an ashy gray back then before he dyed it brown, and he recalls wondering why Shotaro’s tail was so fluffed up. Looking back on it, he was most likely nervous.
It was a Friday because everyone else - excluding Eunseok - had left the office rather early. Wonbin had only stayed with the promise of a car ride home from his friend.
“Do you think Doyoung would fire me if I asked an intern for drinks?”
“Huh?” Wonbin looked up from his phone, legs sprawled over the couch, not having heard his friend and co-worker enter the lobby.
“I don’t think he’s the type to allow co-workers to date. And I’m scared of him. But Yuta said it doesn’t matter,” Shotaro laughs, “Now that I think about it, if Yuta says it’s okay it’s most likely not okay.” He’s rambling, Wonbin notices his fluffed up tail and dilated pupils. He’s only known Shotaro for a few months, ever since he started interning at Kim & Associates, but he knows him enough to know something is up.
Wonbin doesn’t say anything.
Shotaro looks to the side and gives him a nervous smile. “What I’m trying to say is… do you want to go for drinks?”
“I thought we were going on Saturday already? With Eunseok. And he’s bringing along Sungchan, I think.”
“I mean… just us two? If you want.”
Wonbin stares back. Brain blank. “Why would Doyoung be mad about that?”
Shotaro makes a sound from the back of his throat, something between a whine and a laugh. Although his face is still red, he smiles, amused at the younger boy. “As in a date."
It takes Wonbin a few seconds to react, no one ever said he was an intellectual. “Oh.”
Shotaro laughs, “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, we’re co-workers after all. Just thought I should shoot my shot.”
Wonbin nods, processing the information slowly. He’d never seen Shotaro in a romantic way before. Perhaps it was because when they first met, Wonbin had still been dating Seunghan, and after the breakup - Shotaro had entrenched so seamlessly into his friend group that Wonbin had never considered the possibility.
“Um,” he turns off his phone, looking up at his friend. “I think you’re really hot, Shotaro. Like. wow.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” he nods, “I just don’t think I can go on dates right now. Since… you know.” His break up. Although it had been Wonbin’s decision, it was still so recent. The thought of being with anyone but Seunghan was still all kinds of painful. Seunghan was the one boyfriend he’d thought he could adopt cats and dogs with.
“Oh, I’m so sorry Wonbin,” Shotaro says, waving his hands in panic, “It must still be so recent. I just think you’re neat and great and pretty, that’s all. Forget I ever asked, I’m gonna go bury my head in a hole now.”
Wonbin can’t help but laugh at Shotaro’s display of awkwardness. He wonders if nekomata are natural charmers or if it’s just a Shotaro thing. “It’s okay, don’t worry about it,” he reassures him, “We’ll have fun on Saturday.”
“I hope this doesn’t change anything,” Shotaro adds with a questioning tilt, “Still completely normal and platonic friends, right?”
Wonbin smiles, “Completely normal and platonic friends.”
The next Monday, Wonbin will stare at Shotaro sixteen times throughout the day - neither of them notice it.
“If you bring that parrot here one more time, I will haunt your dreams, Hong Seunghan, I promise you, don’t play around with a succubus.”
“Aw, c’mon, Karina, Perky just likes you, he likes cuties,” Seunghan smiles as his friend takes the several soju bottles in front of them from the table “And how many times do I have to tell you, he’s not a parrot, he’s a blue-flamed cockatoo.”
“He’s a perv, that’s what he is,” she snaps, “Next time I see him, I’ll make him fried chicken and serve him to my customers.”
“I agree,” Anton mumbles, “Fuck Perky.”
Wonbin nods in agreement and decides the Fuck Perky brigade will consist of Anton, Karina, and himself.
“What? Perky’s cute,” Shotaro adds, “He’s oddly well-educated, I’ve had conversations with him.” There’s a collective groan of what the fuck that Shotaro and Seunghan do not understand.
Seunghan turns to Shotaro and starts gushing about how Perky is a college graduate; Karina rolls her eyes and leaves. Wonbin stares at the two of them for a second too long and when he turns around, Sungchan is already looking at him with a constipated look on his face. He squints as if Wonbin holds the secret to the universe. He obviously knows something is up - he is always too smart for his own good.
By now, Wonbin knows that everyone in his friend group is probably aware of Shotaro’s crush on Seunghan - Eunseok probably told Sungchan who probably told Sohee who probably told Anton. No one can keep a damn secret to themselves in this parasitic friend group. Never mind that Wonbin was the one who told Eunseok in the first place.
Of course, this means everyone knows Wonbin likes Shotaro, but that their love can never be because Shotaro likes Seunghan, and honestly - how embarrassing.
“What’s going on?” Sungchan mouths to him.
“Mind your business,” he whispers back.
Sungchan arches an eyebrow, his sparkling fairy eyes like knives, and Wonbin is compelled to spill out everything to him. Instead, he has self-composure and mouths, “I wanna die!”
Sungchan shrugs.
“Hey, Wonbin,” Sohee calls out, drinking the last remnants of his soju bottle, “I read in an article that angel wings can’t burn, is that true?”
He nods, proud, “Yeah, I reckon.”
“You reckon? ” Anton asks, “So you’re not sure.”
“I’m, like, almost sure. Ninety percent sure.” Self-conceit is something that comes easy to a nephilim, as easy as breathing.
“I don’t know about that,” Eunseok adds, looking at his own wings.
“Huh… then maybe Seunghan can try burning them,“ Sohee suggests.
“Right now?”
“Are you guys crazy?” Sungchan interrupts, “Absolutely not.”
“Well… it could be fun,” Eunseok shrugs because what is he if not a subtle instigator, “A funny bit.”
“Yeah, I don’t care,” Wonbin says, then points to Seunghan, “C’mon, I’ll show that fuckass Sohee.”
Seunghan scratches his head, “I don’t know… what if I accidentally immolate you?”
“You won’t,” Wonbin rolls his eyes, “C’mon, don’t be like that, it’ll be fun.”
“No, I refuse.”
“You pussy - ouch! What the hell? ” Wonbin feels a sharp pain near his lower back and fights the urge to tear up.
“Here you go,” Shotaro shows them a white, pristine feather. “You can try with just one.”
“Shotaro…” Wonbin pouts, bringing his wings closer to himself in self-comfort.
“Sorry,” Shotaro smiles in apology, then hands the feather to Seunghan. “The lesser of two evils.”
“Do it, Seunghan, do it,” Sohee encourages. Sungchan has given up on them and is trying to finish everyone’s soju instead.
Seunghan holds the feather with a careful touch, still hesitant, as if not daring to harm something that is technically still Wonbin, or at least part of him. Wonbin gives him a go on look before stealing a glance at Shotaro, part of him wanting to impress him over something as silly as this.
Seunghan sighs and softly blows at the snowy feather. Orange flames, bright and hot, slowly form as Seunghan exhales and everyone at their table watches in fascination. The feather, in less than a second, is ablaze for a few moments before turning to ashes.
“Well,” Wonbin says, buggy-eyed.
Sohee wheezes out in a laughing fit.
“You were one bad decision away from immolation,” Eunseok says.
“I told you Park Wonbin,” Seunghan yells, “Oh my god, you’re so stupid.”
“Uh,” is all Wonbin can say before the fire detector at Aespa’s starts blaring, scaring the rest of the patrons.
“Of course,” Sungchan laments, defeated.
When Karina kicks all seven of them out and bans them for the next two months, Wonbin can’t say it is unwarranted.
“Okay, well, there’s never a dull moment with you guys,” Eunseok says after they have all relocated towards the plaza.
“What if we all meet up in an hour for the exchange?” Sungchan waves away, “I wanna visit the new arcade that one vampire coven opened up.”
“Ooh, can I go?” Sohee volunteers in an instant, not waiting for Sungchan’s answer as he clings to his arm, Anton in tow. Sungchan nods, too tired to argue, but Wonbin knows he secretly enjoys the other two boys’ company.
Looking around, he sees Seunghan approaching Shotaro, smiling his stupid radiant smile. Wonbin tsks and fiddles with his hands as he glares for a few seconds before turning away. Wonbin meets Eunseok’s eyes, who stares back with a blank face but an incredibly evil aura. “I’m gonna go get some cake. By myself. See ya.”
“I could go with you -”
"No, thanks, I’m good,” he looks at his nails before smiling at Wonbin and walking past him.
By the time Wonbin is racking his brain trying to come up with an excuse to just leave by himself, Shotaro runs up to him.
“Wonbin,” he calls out, his cheeks flushed from the cold, “Do you want to go to the ferris wheel?”
“U-us?”
Shotaro nods, “Yeah, Seunghan thought there’d be a nice view tonight, with all the Christmas lights and everything. We should go!”
“Oh. Seunghan, right, right.”
Wonbin doesn’t notice when Seunghan approaches them, for he almost gets a heart attack when the other boy snakes an arm around both of them, “C’mon on Wonbin, let’s go.”
“Fine,” he removes Seunghan’s arm away from him and sighs, moving closer to Shotaro. “I guess I can grace you guys with my presence.” Now that he thinks about it, it’d be a good idea if Wonbin was there to intervene in any funny business between Seunghan and Shotaro.
“You know,” Wonbin starts as they walk along a stone path toward the edge of the plaza, where the Ferris wheel is located, “I knew angel feathers could burn. It was just a little show, a little entertainment for everyone.”
“Uh-huh,” Seunghan nods, “Right, we believe you Wonbin.”
“You’re so smart, how could you not know?” Shotaro follows along, a smile threatening to appear.
“Exactly! Just glad you’re aware.” It’s pretty ridiculous, but he appreciates the sentiment with a satisfied smile.
Tiny snowflakes start falling from the sky, a testament that winter has fully arrived in Seoul this year. This, Wonbin can appreciate, winter is his favorite season, especially when he can drink copious amounts of hot cocoa and snuggle in a blanket. By himself. Because he’s single.
“Shotaro, are you cold?” Seunghan breaks him out of his reverie.
Wonbin follows his gaze towards the older boy, where Shotaro is now trying to button up his coat with trembling fingers. His orange tail is fluffier than usual, puffed up from the cold.
For a moment, Wonbin thinks of taking off his own coat and giving it to Shotaro, but - it’s so cold!
He ponders briefly whether dying of hypothermia would be worth it for his paramour and, just as he is leaning towards dying, he sees as Seunghan approaches Shotaro. Wonbin grows lightheaded at the idea of Seunghan hugging Shotaro from behind to warm him up (just like he used to do back then to Wonbin). He knows Seunghan’s sleazebag tricks, he can smell them from a mile away. Something ugly churns in the pit of Wonbin’s stomach and he isn’t sure what it is, nor does he have time to ponder on it too long.
“Here,” Seunghan says instead, offering Shotaro a badly wrapped lump. “You should just open it now.”
“Huh?” Shotaro takes the gift with ginger hands, eyes sparkling. “For me?”
“I’m really bad at giving gifts, you know?” he scratches his head, seemingly bashful. Shotaro opens the gift with care, revealing soft and thick yellow fabric. Seunghan must’ve found a gift for Shotaro in the end, without Wonbin knowing.
“It’s something to wrap your tail with!” Seunghan explains, “Like a little sweater. For your tail. I noticed you get cold easily, so…”
Wonbin watches, mouth agape, at the tender scene. It should be him! He should be the one having a tender romantic scene with Shotaro!
In all honesty and even though Wonbin hates to admit it, Seunghan and Shotaro look good together, like two movie protagonists that are meant to be. And Wonbin is just there, standing, watching, a spectator - he’s been turned into an extra.
“The Ferris wheel is going to close soon!” he screeches, forcing his friends to look at him, “We should get going.”
“Right,” Seunghan looks at the hour, “We told Sungchan we’d be back in an hour.”
They’re lucky that for the most part, the Ferris wheel is empty, so it doesn’t take much time to get on it.
“Here,” Wonbin pats the seat next to him and waves Shotaro over once they’re inside their cabin. Shotaro obliges as Seunghan sits on the opposite side. They make silent eye contact but Wonbin can’t quite decipher the look on Seunghan’s face, who gives him back a small smile.
“Do you think this could crash down?” asks Shotaro with morbid curiosity. “Like, how safe do you think this is?”
Wonbin ponders, “Maybe not the whole wheel, but I’m sure cabins crash down all the time.”
“Don’t say that?!” Seunghan says, gripping onto his seat, “Why would you say that while we’re here? Do you wanna jinx it?”
“Ooh, is the little dragon scared?” Wonbin laughs, attempting to sway their cabin from side to side. It doesn’t actually do much, but that doesn’t stop Shotaro from doing the same, laugh echoing.
“Guys, stop!!!” Seunghan looks down from the window and panics even more before standing up and crossing over next to Wonbin’s side, squishing all of them in what is clearly a seat for two. His cheeks hurt from laughing so Wonbin doesn’t even care if Seunghan is about to dislocate his arm from how hard he is gripping it.
“Ok, fine, fine,” he snorts.
“Seunghan, I didn’t know you were such a scaredy cat,” Shotaro smiles, “It’s cute.”
“Isn’t it?” Wonbin taunts, “Seunghan is such a baby.”
“I think you guys are just awful,” Seunghan whines even though the cabin has stopped moving, “It’s like you want me to die.”
“Drama queen,” Wonbin laughs but holds no heat. He looks at Shotaro, who by now has warmed up thanks to Seunghan’s gift. He didn’t think Seunghan could be that thoughtful - he must’ve noticed that Shotaro gets cold easily during the winter, especially his tail.
That’s a lie, Wonbin thinks. Seunghan has always been thoughtful, in quiet ways, he’s just never been one to shout them to everyone. Wonbin notices though, he always has.
He sighs, rummaging through his tote bag. He takes out a small gift bag and looks at it once before offering it to Seunghan in silence. Seunghan stares at the bag in confusion as Shotaro quietly looks on at the exchange.
Wonbin tries again, shaking the bag in his direction. “C’mon take it, it’s yours.”
“Mine?” He takes the offered gift bag.
“Exchange gift.”
“I thought you were giving to Anton.”
“Yeah, I lied about that. Obviously, I wasn’t going to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“Well open it.”
Seunghan looks hesitant but does as he is told, taking a small, wooden box out of the bag. “The little dragon,” he smiles, fingers running over the smooth surface of the box. He’d gone back to buy it after he and Seunghan left Jihyo’s, it was too cute to not get it.
Wonbin nods, “I told you it looks like you,” he turns to Shotaro, “Doesn’t it?”
“Because it’s pretty?” Seunghan says instead.
Shotaro blinks, “Wait guys - Seunghan was the one who gave me a gift… and Wonbin is the one giving Seunghan his gift…” he pauses, then bursts into a smile that dissolves into a giggle. Wonbin’s heart flutters. “Here,” he takes out a tiny box and hands it to Wonbin.
“Ah?”
“You’re giving Wonbin his gift?” Seunghan says.
“Shotaro is giving me a gift?” Wonbin holds the box with both hands, as if holding the most precious object in the universe (he is). “My treasure.”
“Please just open the box,” Shotaro pats him on the shoulder.
It’s a guitar pick, it’s white with a small black cat on the surface. It’s perfect, he’s never loved anything more in his life. He wheezes out, “For me???”
“For you!”
Wonbin feels like he’s walking on clouds, light and airy, ecstatic. He knows technically they’re friends, and friends are supposed to know stuff about each other, but the fact that Shotaro knows him enough to pick out the perfect gift for him - it makes him feel giddy. He can now conquer the world, he can now do anything!
“Wonbin, are you okay?” Seunghan asks, raising an eyebrow and an ill-concealed smirk.
“No. Why?”
He points out the window, “Look.”
Wonbin follows his gaze and realizes they’ve finally reached the top of the Ferris wheel, the sight in front of him seems like a winter wonderland. It’s still snowing outside, and it’s now dark enough for all the street lights to be glowing under the moonlight, every person down there looking tiny, a speckle in a sea of lights.
“Woah,” Shotaro marvels, Wonbin can almost see the stars in his eyes as he looks on and he guesses he probably has a similar look on his face as well.
“I know,” he hums. When he turns to Seunghan, he finds the other boy already looking at him, similar expression on his face. Seunghan doesn’t look away for one… two… three seconds. He finally breaks eye contact, but it’s too purposeful.
Wonbin stares at his profile, bites his lip once, then turns to look back outside. A warm, familiar feeling pools inside his stomach. He ignores it.
Sungchan gives Shotaro and Eunseok a ride, as is usual, for they all live close by. The rest of the groups take the subway home and it’s a quiet ride back. Sohee spends most of the ride asleep and wakes up when Anton, who had almost fallen asleep himself, jerks up in panic when he hears their stop being announced. They leave in a hurry, half-strewn goodbyes and hair in disarray, and all Wonbin can do is wave at them with a fond tinge of amusement.
“We’re up next,” Seunghan says, putting away his phone. “C’mon, it’s getting late.”
Wonbin wordlessly nods, sleepy himself, and stays silent until they’re both out of the station. The air hits his face, it has stopped snowing by now, but it is still unbearably cold so he hides himself away in an oversized scarf. The walk back to his place shouldn’t be too long anyway.
“I’ll walk you home,” Seunghan says.
He shakes his head, “I can walk by myself for five minutes. And it’s really cold out, you should just head home.”
“Please,” Seunghan scoffs, “This is nothing. I’d rather just see you get home safely.”
Wonbin rolls his eyes, “I’m a guy, but whatever, suit yourself.”
“I know you’re a guy, trust me, I would know.”
Wonbin scrunches his face in mild disgust - of course he knows Seunghan knows. “Bro.”
“Well, it’s true!”
The rest of the walk is silent, mostly because Wonbin is trying to keep himself and his wings as warm as he can. It’s all so familiar - walking side by side after a night out. This same path, this same pace, this same comfortable silence.
It’s a nostalgia he didn’t know he missed even though it’s not like Seunghan had ever gone anywhere. Even after their breakup, he’d always been there, next to Wonbin, an immutable force.
He spares a glance at the other boy, hoping he won’t notice. The haircut might be a little different - it’s longer now - but this is the same Seunghan as Wonbin’s Seunghan, the one from back then. He whips his face back at the road, concentrating on the stone tiles in front of them with great detail. Why is his face warming up in the middle of this cold night?
Are you reading my mind right now? Wonbin thinks, suddenly embarrassed at his own thoughts and mortified whether Seunghan is somehow privy to them using weird draconic telepathy. He walks faster, his apartment building is now on the horizon.
“Wonbin,” he feels a tug on his sleeve.
“Huh?” He looks down at where Seunghan is grasping onto his coat.
“I…” he looks hesitant. There’s a snowflake on his eyelashes. Wonbin wants to scream. “You miss us too, right? I’m not the only one?”
Wonbin’s mouth goes dry - he didn’t actually expect Seunghan to say anything. He knew where this was going. Did you really read my mind? Fuck. If you are, don’t do this.
When Wonbin doesn’t say anything, Seunghan continues, “ Because I miss us. I miss us so fucking much. It’s torture being so close to you and not being able to touch you, I can feel myself burning from the inside, Wonbin.”
“You’re a poet now?” he says to lighten the mood, but it sounds breathless even to his own ears. What is happening here, why is Wonbin moving closer to him like a magnet, like a moth to a flame, to the warmth that is Seunghan?
“I know you like him. Shotaro, I mean.” That pulls him back into reality for a moment, like a splash of cold water. Of course Seunghan knows, who else knows Wonbin better than he does?
“This isn’t about me liking Shotaro.” It’s not about Wonbin at all - is it? And yet, Wonbin looks down at Seunghan’s lips, he’s not forgotten how they taste. Wonbin realizes that, right now, he doesn’t want anything else.
When he leans in and their lips touch he knows he’s got it all wrong - he did forget what Seunghan tastes like. His memories could not come up with the real thing, so vivid and soft. He opens his mouth to let Seunghan in and it doesn’t matter how long it’s been, it’s intrinsic; he can feel the heat coming off the other’s skin and Wonbin wants to live in this warmth for as long as he’s allowed to.
But he can’t. Flashes of brown eyes, an orange tail, a pink blush. Wonbin opens his eyes in panic, dread overflowing his chest. He pulls away and the cold air hits his whole body.
Seunghan looks at him wide-eyed, confused - worried?
“I’m sorry,” Wonbin says, voice wavering. “This really isn’t about me. You should… Seunghan, you should talk to Shotaro. He needs to tell you something. I can’t do this.”
He doesn’t know whether Seunghan has a reply or not, Wonbin can’t stay there any longer. He runs to his apartment as fast as he can, not sparing a single glance back.
It’s a good thing the following day is a Sunday and Wonbin can stay holed up in his apartment forever and ever until he rots. He stays in his pajamas, orders greasy take-out, and ignores most text messages except the ones from his mom. He does get one text from Sungchan, a video of a cat purring but it just reminds him of Shotaro. All he sends back is a heartbroken emoji and Sungchan replies with ‘ ?’
It’s a bad thing it’s a Sunday and he can stay holed up in his apartment with no one to talk to and wallow in his own panic because he stays miserable for hours and no one is there to stop him.
Everything reminds him of Shotaro. And oddly enough, everything reminds him of Seunghan as well. Wonbin just feels awful.
He wonders if Seunghan listened to him and decided to talk to Shotaro.
Honestly, if those two just talked they could be saving Wonbin from so much emotional turmoil. They could start dating - sure, at the expense of Wonbin throwing himself off a building - but that would be so much better than thinking he maybe might have perhaps fucked up whatever possibility Shotaro could have had with Seunghan.
“They… deserve each other,” Wonbin decides as he scrubs his dirty dishes with more force than necessary. Shotaro is kind and open and lovely, he should be with the person that makes him feel butterflies. He might talk shit about Seunghan, it comes with being ex-boyfriends, but Wonbin knows better than anyone how funny, thoughtful, and sweet he is with the people he loves. They would make a nice couple, a perfect one, almost. Seunghan could keep Shotaro warm during the winter. The thought makes Wonbin smile.
A bowl slips from his soapy fingers and bounces off the kitchen counter, crashing onto the floor. “Fuck,” he winces. Wonbin should just go celibate, he ponders, life would be so much easier. He could become a monk, shave off his beautiful hair, and live a life free of trouble. He could even go to Seunghan’s and Shotaro’s wedding - if Shotaro ever decides to invite him - and he’d eventually feel fine enough to go and congratulate them and laugh at this whole ordeal. Maybe they’d even want to name one of their kids after good ol’ Uncle Wonbin.
“I’m going fucking bonkers.”
In the end, he settles on his couch with a cup of yogurt and a blanket. He opens his laptop and works on some spreadsheets from work, Eunseok would be so proud of him. Although, if Eunseok had any idea of what was currently going on in Wonbin’s head he’d probably call him out on his bullshit.
But Eunseok isn’t here and he doesn’t know; Sohee and Anton are so far in each other’s asses they have no idea what’s happening in his love life; Sungchan keeps sending him cat videos, further damaging his mental state. And Seunghan and Shotaro - they’re just the bane of Wonbin’s existence, no big deal.
“Wow, you’re actually working today, Wonbin.” Doyoung raises an eyebrow. This is the first day Boss Doyoung is back from his honeymoon, his skin is tanned and his eyes are bright.
Ugh, to be in a healthy, reciprocal, and loving relationship. Wonbin resists the urge to start barking menacingly at Kim Doyoung.
“Of course! I’m always working.” Truth be told, any other day he’d already be skipping around the place going to everyone’s desk and asking about their day, especially around Shotaro’s area. Luckily for him, Shotaro is out today doing fieldwork with Yuta so Wonbin has been at ease for the most part. He doesn’t know how he’ll keep on working like this, at such proximity to Shotaro, but hey, maybe Doyoung will fire him any day now. He can feel it in his bones.
"You look different today, boss,” he changes the subject, “You look nice. Well-rested.” There’s another word for that, but Doyoung would lose it if he ever mentioned it.
His boss tries to reply with a smile, it ends up being awkward, but Wonbin appreciates it. He supposes that’s part of his charm. “Get back to work, you.”
By the time it’s time to leave for the day, Wonbin has been so productive. Who would’ve thought all he needed was to go celibate?
“I’m surprised,” Eunseok says as they get ready to leave, “You actually know what you’re doing when you stop messing around.”
Wonbin looks around the place, flabbergasted, “Why is everyone saying this? Am I that bad?”
“Usually, yes.”
“I’m gonna steal your spot as the best intern soon, watch out.”
“Try it,” Eunseok says. “It’d be nice to see you working for a change.”
Bzzz. Wonbin feels his phone vibrate from his pocket. He opens the text without much thinking as they exit the building and a gust of fresh air hits his nostrils.
wonbinnie we need to talk. when are you free?
It’s Seunghan. Wonbin panics and throws his phone into his backpack. Out of sight out of mind.
“Hey, do you want to get food from the convenience store?”
Eunseok’s eyes are like slits when Wonbin looks at him, “Who was that?”
“Huh?” Wonbin shakes his head, “No one, it was spam. C’mon, let’s get food. Yes?”
There is no way Eunseok believes him, he knows Wonbin better than that, but he also knows when to not press on. He agrees wordlessly and Wonbin is grateful for his friend.
They take a detour from their usual path to the train station, one that leads them to a quiet convenience store that is not too far off from their workplace, the only noise on their way there is the snow as it crunches beneath their feet.
The place inside is warm, at least warmer than their office, and, aside from the clerk, it is absolutely empty. Wonbin goes straight for the instant noodles aisle, Eunseok gets himself hot chocolate.
“Eunseok-ah?” he mumbles as they walk to the register.
“Hm?”
“If I became a monk and went off to live in a remote temple, would you go visit me?
Eunseok pays for both of their items - Wonbin makes a mental note to buy him breakfast sometime this week. “How far away?
“Really, really far away. In another country. And I might go bald. That’s a thing, right? Monks are bald.”
He sighs, “I guess?” They sit down and Wonbin wastes no time in gobbling up his hot noodles as Eunseok watches on in the same way someone would watch a monkey eat a banana. “I’d go visit you,” he rolls his eyes, “But it’d be expensive.”
“That’s okay,” he waves away, munching on his food, “You’ll be making lots of money in no time.”
Eunseok drinks his chocolate, then looks out the window, “Wonbin?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t go and become a monk. I need my work buddy. Even if I have to hard carry us both.”
Wonbin stares at his friend, just a tad dumbfounded - this is a tender and rare moment of friendship. He snorts, “I won’t! Who else is going to annoy you during work hours?”
“I’m just sayin’,” he mumbles, “Whatever’s going right now, it’s going to be fine.”
Wonbin wishes he had a quip, a snarky reply - he doesn’t. He looks down at his ramyeon and nods, pursing his lips.
The sun has gone down by the time they leave the convenience store, it’s dark but not as cold as the past weekend. They walk back to the station, stomachs full, and part ways halfway through, both of them going to a different line.
He spends the rest of the way back to his apartment listening to music, mindless of whatever is going on around him, trying not to think of anything else for the day.
Even though it’s still early, Wonbin is already feeling groggy by the time he manages to drag himself up the two flights of stairs to his apartment. All he wants right now is a hot shower and some clean clothes that are not stained with a day’s worth of sweat. He’s feeling so tired he does not see the slim silhouette camping right outside his door until it’s too late.
“Seunghan?!”
“Hi!” Shotaro peeks out from behind Seunghan.
“Shotaro?” he takes a few steps back and rubs his eyes in confusion. Perhaps he has gone crazy with exhaustion. “What are you doing here?”
“I didn’t see you today at work,” Shotaro shrugs.
“And you weren’t replying to our texts so we thought we’d come see you,” Seunghan adds.
“I’m fine,” he grumbles. He briefly considers running away but he’s tired and the weather outside is getting colder by the second. He doesn’t have it in him to do anything but look for his apartment keys, defeated.
“Can we come in?” Seunghan asks.
“You could’ve used the keys I gave you a long time ago,” Wonbin says, motioning for them to come inside. “You still have them, right? I never asked for them back.”
He shakes his head, “I didn’t wanna just use them like that.”
They enter the apartment in silence and Wonbin is starting to sweat, he genuinely has no idea what they want to talk about. He thought maybe Shotaro would yell at him and call him a whore in front of all his neighbors, but he looks fine, like any other Shotaro on any other occasion.
“D-do you want something to drink?” he asks them, doffing his coat, avoiding eye contact.
“Wonbin, sit down,” Seunghan says instead. No mercy for him, huh? “Shotaro wanted to ask you right away, but I think we need to prep you first.”
“I still think we should just tell him,” Shotaro says and damn - they’re sitting so close together. Their thighs are touching!
“What is it?” he swallows down hard before sitting on the armchair across from them. Why are their thighs touching?
“Ok, I know how dramatic you can get,” Seunghan warns him and Wonbin feels like a chastised child, “So… I’m gonna say something and you’re not gonna jump to conclusions.”
“Me? Dramatic?” he waves away, “I’m just a realist, baby.”
“You are a little dramatic,” Shotaro nods, “But in a good way.”
“Wonbin,” Seunghan starts, “Shotaro and I are dating.”
…
Huh?
So… he should just kill himself?! Is that it?
Should Wonbin throw himself off a building now? Is that it? He shouldn’t have listened to Eunseok - he should’ve kept googling about cyanide. He feels sick and lightheaded, his blood pressure is probably going up right now. This could only indicate fainting, or worse, a heart attack.
“Wonbin!” Seunghan snaps his fingers in front of his face, “You’re doing it right now, aren’t you?”
“Your eyes are shaking,” Shotaro says, “Are you OK?”
“You guys are dating? Have you kissed?” he says instead, “Since when?”
“Yesterday,” Shotaro says, “We wanted to tell you before but you were ignoring you.”
Wonbin is going crazy, he feels a thousand emotions at the same time and he can’t begin to decipher even a single one of them. Seunghan must’ve talked to Shotaro after Wonbin told him to - and now they’re dating? He has so many questions but cannot voice them.
Above everything, even against the churn in his stomach, he does realize something, one little emotion above everything else. “Wow, I’m happy for you guys.” And he means it, in a fucked up, convoluted way, Wonbin genuinely means it with his whole heart. “You look hot together.”
“Oh my god,” he can hear Seunghan mutter under his breath and he doesn’t know if it’s tinted with humor or if Seunghan thinks Wonbin is the dumbest person alive.
“Wonbin!” Shotaro says and he’s laughing. Why is he laughing? He walks up to Wonbin and kneels down on the carpet, eyes twinkling. He takes hold of Wonbin’s cheeks in both hands, squishing them. His hands are soft, his feline eyes are the color of amber. “You like me, right? Seunghan said so.”
What? Wonbin panics for a moment thinking this might be some sort of test. Should he say no? Will Shotaro laugh in his face? There’s no point in lying though, he should just embarrass himself and be done with it. He nods, face still in Shotaro’s hands. “Yeah,” he says.
Shotaro nods, still smiling, “And you like Seunghan?”
“Why are you asking me this?” Wonbin whines, “Are you slut-shaming me?” He can feel Seunghan’s intense stare and Wonbin wants the earth to swallow him and turn him into dirt. “It’s one thing to admit liking you, Shotaro,” he mumbles, “Why are you asking me about my ex?”
Because he does, he likes him - when will he ever not like Seunghan?
“I still like you.”
Wonbin lifts his gaze to meet Seunghan’s, “I still like you, Wonbin,” he repeats.
“And I still like you too,” Shotaro says, “You and Seunghan… I like you both. And… I don’t know, I should probably feel awkward being with you two? But I’m not.”
“You shouldn’t,” Wonbin exclaims, “You are precious to me!” he looks at Seunghan again, unsure, “To us?”
To them - Shotaro is precious to both of them. It feels oddly right.
"I can see your brain is finally getting to it,” Seunghan says, walking up to their little huddle. Shotaro laughs, bright, the way that melts Wonbin’s heart a little bit each time. Seunghan must be precious to Shotaro too, the same way he is to Wonbin, he knows because he’s studied his face many times before, Shotaro looks at Seunghan the same way Wonbin feels about him.
Perhaps - Wonbin is precious to them both as well?
Seunghan laughs and turns to Shotaro, “He’s visibly thinking about it.”
“Wonbin, do you wanna try dating - me… and Seunghan?”
“You… and Seunghan?”
He looks sheepish, “We only agreed to date if you were part of it too.”
Seunghan sighs, putting a hand on the back of his neck that gives Wonbin goosebumps. “You’re not being greedy, and you’re not a slut, Wonbin. You’re just getting the love you deserve. You should take it if that’s what you want.”
Seunghan is familiar love, love that runs in his veins, love that feels like home. Shotaro is immensity - love that makes his body course with electricity, love that is bright.
And Wonbin can have it all.
“It is. It is what I want.”
“Well, look who’s late today,” Eunseok says when Wonbin steps into their tiny shared office. They should really do something about all the crammed boxes and stacks of papers that litter against the walls. Perhaps another time. “I guess the responsible and productive Wonbin era lasted approximately… one day.”
“Just say thank you, Wonbin, ” he feels in such a great mood today he doesn’t even roll his eyes at Eunseok. Instead, he hands his friend a coffee and a chocolate croissant from his earlier coffee run.
Eunseok takes it and doesn’t quip back, which might as well be a silent thank you. “You look happier today,” he says in between bites, “Did anything happen last night?”
“I’ll tell you about it after work,” he nods, not being able to keep down a smile. Eunseok hides his own smile behind his coffee cup and Wonbin realizes he probably knows more than he lets on.
“Wonbin?” someone calls out from the threshold. It’s Doyoung, although he can barely see his face behind the giant stack of archive boxes the man is struggling to carry. “Can I see you in my office?”
“Uh oh,” Eunseok taunts in a monotone voice, eyes already on his computer screen. “Someone’s getting fired.”
“Fuck off,” he whispers before fixing his hair. It’s not like Eunseok is pulling this out of his ass - the day has finally come.
Wonbin sighs and crosses the hallway, wiping the sweat on his palms.
“Boss?”
“Come in, come in,” he waves him in.
“Do you need help with that?” he points at the tower of boxes that looks like it will topple over any time.
“No, it’s fine, I’m gonna have Yuta and Ten go over them today, god knows they need to do some work too.”
Wonbin nods, pursing his lips. He clears his throat, “Um, so what did you wanna see me about?”
“Oh, yeah,” Doyoung looks up from his notebook, “You’re hired. You can have a full-time position after the internship is over. If you want, that is.”
“Full-time? Me? Park Wonbin?”
“Yes?” Doyoung raises an eyebrow, “You’d be heading out to do fieldwork. The pay is also better, of course.”
He hesitates, “What about Eunseok?”
“What about him? I already hired Eunseok yesterday. He didn’t tell you?”
“Must’ve slipped his mind,” he hisses, then shakes his head. “Um. Yes! About the job, I mean.”
Doyoung snorts, crossing his arms. He gives Wonbin a look that he can’t quite decipher, somewhere between amused and bewildered. “Great, we’ll have the paperwork ready later in the week. Also - Wonbin?”
“Yes?”
“You look good today, you seem refreshed.”
“Thank you, it’s been a great week, actually. A perfect week.”
“It’s only Tuesday.”
“Yeah, I know,” he grins.