Bringing lunch to work was practical; you save money by not eating at restaurants or the overpriced office cafeteria food. Jihoon thought himself a practical person, so he brought himself gourmet meats and made himself sandwiches to bring to work everyday.

His problem was that there was someone at the office who was even more practical than he was, and had less morals than he did.

"Someone ate your sandwich again?" Seungcheol asks him as a scowling Jihoon gets in line behind him at the cafeteria.

"Yes," Jihoon says angrily. He was tired and hungry and only wanted gourmet ham, but instead he had to eat expensively bland cafeteria food.

"Maybe you should stop putting it in the pantry fridge." Seungcheol looks concerned and wraps an arm around Jihoon. "I'll treat you today, so don't be so mad, okay?"

Jihoon gives him a small smile. "Thanks, boss."

He doesn't tell Seungcheol about the note that replaced his sandwich and the note stuck to it ("PROPERTY OF LEE JIHOON FROM MARKETING - DON'T TOUCH"):

                TO LEE JIHOON: Sorry for always stealing your sandwiches, when it's really your heart that I want to steal :p

-

Jihoon wants to beat up the stupid sandwich thief, but the same sandwich thief was his secret admirer who left him stupid cheesy little notes at every crime scene. Though he would never admit it to his officemates (as he was always the one who judged Seungcheol with his dumb stalker behavior towards Nurse Yoon), Jihoon wanted to have some romance in his life as well, and this secret admirer was the only one he knew who was interested in him.

And Jihoon hoped, that maybe, just maybe, he or she was cute.

So today he brings two sandwiches to work, one with a note saying "PROPERTY OF LEE JIHOON (MARKETING)", and the other with "TO THE PERSON WHO KEEPS STEALING MY SANDWICHES, EAT JUST ONE OF THESE SANDWICHES OR I WILL GET YOU".

-

Jihoon's sandwich is left untouched by lunchtime. His plan to give the sandwich thief his own sandwich had worked, but Jihoon can't help feeling disappointed.

There was no note from the sandwich thief today.

-

Half of the sandwich he has for lunch is left uneaten, so Jihoon heats it up using the microwave when he gets hungry during the afternoon, filling the office with the smell of meat and cheese that makes everyone look at him in envy as he started eating.

Everyone knew better than to ask for a bite, except for one person.

"Hyung, can I have a bite? I'm starving," Mingyu is whining beside him with his annoying puppy eyes.

"No," Jihoon deadpans, continuing to savor his turkey sandwich with expensive sharp cheddar cheese.

"Don't give him any, your sandwich will be reduced by 70%," Wonwoo warns Jihoon.

Mingyu looks at Wonwoo like he's been betrayed. "It won't! I'll just take a teensy-weensy bite!! Like, this small," he says, pinching his thumb and index finger together.

"No," Jihoon says, continuing to type the document he had been working on with one hand while the other gripped his sandwich.

"But hyuuuuuuuung," Mingyu says in despair.

Jihoon ignores him. He's said no already and didn't like repeating himself, so he lets Mingyu ramble and he doesn't listen.

"Come on, hyung! Having just one of those sandwiches isn't enough and the last time I ate was lunchtime so you really should give me-"

Jihoon stares at him. Everyone stares at the two of them.

"What, you guys? I just want to have a bite of that sandwich and…" Mingyu's eyes widen in realization. "Oh, god… Hyung, I…"

"Kim Mingyu," Jihoon says slowly. He had no idea it would be Mingyu. He could imagine Mingyu stealing sandwiches, but the notes?

"Y-yes!"

"Have you been stealing Jihoon's sandwiches?" Seungcheol asks Mingyu, approaching Jihoon's desk.

"Oh my god, someone so close to you was the culprit," Seungkwan says dramatically even before Mingyu can answer. Hansol shushes him. Chan and Soonyoung look scared, probably expecting Jihoon to explode on them.

Wonwoo stares at the whole scene blankly.

"Um… It was me," Mingyu admits. He looks at Jihoon sadly and Jihoon thinks the guy looks kind of pitiful. "Sorry, hyung."

"Well, you've given Jihoon a lot of trouble," Seungcheol says, eyebrows furrowed. "It's up to Jihoon if he'll report this to HR."

"Not the church oppa!!" Mingyu moans in agony. He clings to Jihoon's legs. "I'm sorry, Jihoon hyung! I'll make it up to you, I promise!!"

Everyone looks at Jihoon, anticipating someone to get hurt.

"Mingyu," Jihoon starts.

"YES, HYUNG."

"Let's go home together," Jihoon says, checking his watch. Just fifteen minutes of their shift left. He'd have to know the whole truth before deciding what to do with Mingyu.

Fifteen minutes later Jihoon hears Wonwoo telling Mingyu to remember to dial 911 if Jihoon brings him somewhere secluded and tries to kill him.

"Mingyu, let's go," Jihoon says, picking up his briefcase as he says goodbye to the other employees and interns. Mingyu follows him out like a lost puppy, looking at the other people in the office helplessly.

Finally, the work day was over. Jihoon had gotten a lot of things done today but he still had a lot of things to finish before the month ended. He'd work even harder tomorrow.

"Where are we going, hyung?" Mingyu asks nervously. He was at the front seat of Jihoon's car.

"Shut up. I'm mad at you," Jihoon says calmly, still driving. Mingyu shuts up during the entire car ride. He was already on Jihoon's bad side.

They arrive at Mingyu's apartment, and Jihoon sits down at the small dining table once they enter. He folds his arms across his chest, looking at Mingyu expectantly.

"What?" Mingyu asks, confused.

"What?" Jihoon repeats mockingly, and Mingyu flinches. "You said you'd make it up to me. So, cook me something. Feed me."

Mingyu hurriedly starts preparing ramyun noodles in silence, looking afraid that it won't make up for Jihoon's expensive gourmet sandwiches.

"What were those notes you left me?" Jihoon asks Mingyu, who had his back towards him as he chopped vegetables.

"The notes?" Mingyu asks dumbly.

Jihoon sighs. So much for having a cute secret admirer. Mingyu probably just wrote them to make the sandwich thief look like someone else, and didn't really think much of it.

"I like you, hyung."

Jihoon looks at his younger colleague, who was looking back at him with a sincere, somewhat sad expression. Jihoon's ears feel hot. "What?"

"I said I like you, hyung. That's why I wrote all those cheesy stuff." Mingyu turns his back to Jihoon again and continues to prepare the food. "I like you a lot. I like when you throw those hugeass binder clips at me when I'm being annoying, I like when I give you piggyback rides to help you reach the older files that are stored on the high shelves even though you kick my back afterwards, and I even liked when you chased me around the office with scissors. That was a lot of fun, huh?”

Jihoon’s mouth fell slightly open. Did he really do all those horrible things to Mingyu? And why was Mingyu so masochistic?

“I like how you scold everyone but still fool around when it’s not work hours, I like how serious you are about finishing your work and doing it well, but I hope you take care of yourself as well and… I dunno, I guess I’ve made my point.” Mingyu shrugs.

“But why steal my sandwiches,” Jihoon grumbled. “Wouldn’t it make me hate you?”

Mingyu grins sheepishly as he sets a bowl of ramyun in front of Jihoon. “Because, I want to eat food that’s been prepared by the person I like. And your sandwiches are delicious!”

Jihoon tries to pretend his face was hot because of the ramyun’s steam when Mingyu sits at the chair parallel to his.

“So, sorry, hyung,” Mingyu says, bowing his head. “Sorry for letting you starve. And sorry for confessing now, please don’t let us be awkward at the office.”

Jihoon starts eating in silence, staring at the mop of bluish grey hair in front of him. He was good friends with Mingyu and he had to admit that Mingyu was one of the most handsome people he’d ever seen, and that Mingyu could make even cheap ramyun taste delicious.

“Mingyu,” he says hesitantly when he’s finished with the bowl of ramyun. Mingyu stares back at him. Jihoon smiles back. “I don’t like you that way now, but I think I could come to like you.”