♚

Yifan couldn’t remember why he had hired Sehun. Sitting at his desk, spinning in his chair, he tried to remember the thought that went through his head when he told the spirited med student that he was hired.

It was 2 o’clock; the afternoon had yet to bloom. So far in this day that was taking forever to end, nothing had happened. There was someone sleeping on the floor on the other side of the room, leaning against the door to the playpen.

Junmyeon had made that spot his territory, and no one could enter the pen until he decided to move.

As the digital clock on Yifan’s desk read 2:01, Sehun stepped out of his clinic.

“Hey, Boss-man.” With every word that left Sehun’s mouth, Yifan tried harder to remember. “How’s work?”

“Alright.”

“Really?” Sehun cocked his head. “I was in here an hour ago and you were still spinning around at your desk. Are you okay?”

“I’m okay,” Yifan assured. “Just thinking something.”

“Thinking what?”

“How long have you worked for me?”

“Like three years?” Sehun shrugged. “Why’s that what you’re thinking?”

“I don’t know.” Yifan sighed. “Where are you going?”

Sehun grinned. “Sweetshop. I think we all need cake.”

Then Yifan laughed. “Can you bring me some coffee while you’re at it?”

“Sure thing, boss, but that’s not coming out of my paycheck.”

And then Sehun was out, and Yifan was spinning again. There was a chuckle from the floor and Junmyeon opened an eye. “Ah, unrequited affection.”

Yifan raised an eyebrow. “You’re awake?”

“Have been for a very, very long time.” Junmyeon said, closing his eyes again. “Enough to hear your mumbling and enough to decode it.”

“Decode what?”

‘“Why did I hire him?’” Junmyeon mocked. “At first, I admit I thought you were talking about me. Then he walked in and don’t you dare think I didn’t see your whole face change when he started talking.”

Yifan didn’t follow.

“You like him.”

“You got that from a stare and a monologue?”

“I got that from the chequebook and my contract.” Junmyeon said. “You’re paying him a whole hellova lot.”

“He’s a doctor.”

“A pet doctor. Did you know his average pay, considering he works four days a week, should be about $15:00 hourly?” Junmyeon stood up. “He’s getting paid $25.”

“He got a raise. I haven’t even paid him yet.” Yifan said. “What’s your point, anyway? You want a raise?”

The new employee walked up to his boss slowly and rested his elbows on the desk, bending down to look Yifan straight in the eye. “Nah, no need.” Junmyeon broke into a smile and laughed. “Watching your little schoolgirl love is enough pay for me.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Fun fact: I’ve lived in Parkside since I was a year old and there was no such thing as a pet shop in this town. I know everything, from what kinds of trees grow in the forest to how much each and every person here gets paid.” Junmyeon picked up a pencil and twirled it around his fingers. “So tell me, why did I never know you existed?”

“Ignorance?”

“You’re right, I do avoid pet shops and preschools and such. But with good reason. I wonder know why I’ve never seen your face, or heard your name once.”

“You think I’m avoiding you?” Yifan asked. “You care?”

“I couldn’t care less.” Junmyeon waved a hand. Yifan continued to wonder where this was going. “What my point, exactly, is that you’re invisible. In many cases. You don’t walk around town, because you have Sehun to get you things. You don’t socialize much with the people unless they come to your shop themselves, because ultimately, you have Sehun to talk to. Nobody ever notices you, Wu Yifan, but Sehun did, and that’s why you like him.” Junmyeon put down the pencil and stopped pacing around the shop and finally turned to look at his employer. “Am I wrong?”

“You got all that in two days of avoiding work and a stare and a monologue?”

Junmyeon smiled. “Precisely.”

“I have to hand it to you, your analytical skills are pretty good.” Yifan ran a hand through his hair. “Now if only you could use the kind of time you use studying me, to invest in your actual job.”

“I have a theory, you know.”

“Do I want to know?”

“My theory is that behind your mock-innocence, you’re really a sadist.” Junmyeon concluded. “You have an ulterior motive and you’re definitely not as nice as everyone thinks.”

“You’ve thought long and hard about this, haven’t you?”

“Of course.” Junmyeon said. “What else do you think I do here all day?”

“Well, since you’ve made it so obvious that you aren’t a valuable employee, when do you want me to take a look at your resignation?”

The threat didn’t faze Junmyeon’s grin, which only grew. “See? This is what I mean. There’s an inner in you.” Junmyeon gasped. “Multiple personality disorder?”

Yifan had to look away as he burst into laughter. “Go clean up the playpen if you want to keep your job. We can discuss my alter ego when you’ve earned a paycheck.”

Junmyeon snickered but did as he was told, disappearing behind that red door and leaving his boss to spin around on his chair again.

All thoughts aside, there was no doubt Yifan was patient, unnaturally so. But it was Junmyeon’s musical taunting and hilarious analyses that made Yifan pick up the pencil Junmyeon had set on his desk and snap it in two in the palm of his hand.

He let the wooden halves fall to the floor and bit his lip to keep from laughing any more. He hadn’t expected it to, but the entire conversation just now had answered his question, and he remembered why he hired the pet doctor.

It was the same reason, by devilish coincidence, that he hired the writer.

♚

♝

Twenty minutes into being awake, Kyungsoo was already on his way to school. He’d opened the front door with the expectation of seeing the so-called ‘scuba-diving instructor hot-shot’ leaning against his fence with his smile reaching up to the crown of his head.

There was no one in the yard, and so Kyungsoo started walking with a disappointed dip of his head, ignoring the bright sunlight and letting the borrowed hoodie cover his eyes in warm shade.

Kyungsoo was getting sleepy. He was starting to think. It was scaring him. He would lose sleep, and no longer because he was absorbed in textbooks but because he was entranced by eye-crinkles and glowing eyes and sun-kissed hands that felt like sandpaper around his own.

Then there were his words.

So we’ll meet again, then?

Those words were a favorite. He didn’t know why but they ran in his head around and around and even weeks after their first meeting, every day, Kyungsoo found himself hoping they’d meet again the next.

He didn’t need this. Kyungsoo shook his head. He needed an A in biochemistry and a reference letter and a Bachelor’s degree. He got a problem child’s worst nightmare – irrational aspiration and worst of all, daydream syndrome. Curse you, Mr. Kim Jongin. And your incredible eye smile.

“So we meet again.”

There was a small gasp escaping Kyungsoo’s lips as he snapped his head up in awkward alarm, knocking the hood off his head and the shade out of his eyelids.

Junmyeon took a step back. “Sorry to freak you out?”

“Oh.” Kyungsoo looked up at the sun that was being blocked by Junmyeon’s head. “No, I’m not freaked out.”

“I’m sure.” Junmyeon turned and fell into step beside Kyungsoo as the latter continued walking to school. “What class?”

“Biochemistry.”

“Is that the one with the teacher with the gold tooth?”

“And the tattoo,” Kyungsoo added. “And the scar.”

“Where is that scar exactly?”

Kyungsoo put a finger on the top of his forehead, and traced a nail down the bridge of his nose and to the side of his cheek, displaying exactly where his professor was scarred.  “All over.”

“Take a picture of him next time, I wanna see up close.”

Kyungsoo snorted. “Because that’s so easy.”

“With practice.” Junmyeon wiggled his eyebrows. “The art of covert picture-taking is not easy to master.”

“You call it covert-picture-taking,” Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. “But Hyung, isn’t that illegal photography?”

“Oh, shh, all in the mindset.” Junmyeon tapped his temple as they walked.

“Did you fix the sink?”

Junmyeon grimaced. “It was a grotesque battle, but I came out on top.”

“Have you payed the rent for this month?”

“After I get my paycheck.”

Kyungsoo made a face. “You got a job?”

“I needed some part-time employment, yeah,” Junmyeon shrugged. “But only until I get some spices for my next novel.”

“Writers block,” Kyungsoo nodded. “Your worst enemy.”

“Call it that, but I won’t let my y mental stubbornness stop me from writing another bestseller.” Junmyeon stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I just got off work ten minutes ago. Isn’t it a little late for a class?”

“It’s summer.” Kyungsoo said. “There’s no such thing as too late.”

“Maybe.”

“When will you move off the couch?”

Junmyeon paused. “When I convince Jongdae to trade with me.”

“That won’t happen.”

“But it’s better than my other excuse.”

“That you’re too scared to see what kind of animals have made nests in your closet?”

“That I forgot what state I left my room in and I don’t want to walk in and see something horrid.”

“Like old laundry?”

Junmyeon raised his eyebrows in mock-surprise. “You have the ability to express sarcasm?”

Kyungsoo only rolled his eyes again as they started to turn a corner around the block. His nose came in contact with someone’s shirt and he jumped backwards, shouldering Junmyeon falling back on his heels.

Jongin jumped too, hitting his back on the corner of the building he appeared from. Junmyeon was the only one who didn’t move; he whistled in amusement, but didn’t seem surprised.

“Kyungsoo…” Jongin looked at him sleepily and then gasped into wide eyes. “Oh my God, I’m late.” He stepped forward and Kyungsoo didn’t see it coming but he was carrying a giant M&M cookie and a coffee cup. “I was just on my way to…”

Then he saw Junmyeon, who waved. “Hi.”

“Um, hi.” Jongin looked at the black-haired guy he recognized way too quickly as the roommate from the pictures. “You must be that Hyung.”

Junmyeon looked impressed. “That Hyung I am.”

Kyungsoo looked from the cookie to Jongin to Junmyeon and then back to the cookie. “You ate some.”

Jongin blushed. “Subconsciously.”

With a tsk, Kyungsoo took the uneaten half of the cookie and walked around the other two men in his path, continuing along to school without further distraction.

Junmyeon chuckled and Jongin gaped, before they both ended up following him.

“So, Jongin, you’re from Costa Rica?”

Not noticing how Junmyeon knew his name already, Jongin shrugged. “I’m Korean, but I’ve lived in Costa Rica for six years.”

“And what do you do?”

“For a living?” Jongin scratched his neck. “I’m a scuba-diving instructor.”

“So you swim?”

“Lots.”

Junmyeon nodded,