Jonghyun fiddled with the cuffs of his suit jacket as he looked around the lobby nervously. This moment was bringing back many of his memories from three years ago. The last time he had been here, he had still been a teenager. Merely nineteen years of age and anxiously waiting to meet his favourite idols. He vividly remembered feeling like he was going to embarrass himself thoroughly and, at the time, he honestly believed he had done so. More recently, he had been able to be more objective. He had even rewatched the SHINee documentary in which he appeared, not too long ago. He had been enthusiastic, there was no avoiding that fact, however he hadn’t been that embarrassing, not really. Sungkyu often brought up those first meetings he had had with the boy – both at the song editing meeting and the documentary recording date. He had commented more than once on how quiet the boy was, often followed by light-hearted mocking of the now much more outspoken man.

Now, Jonghyun was twenty three years old, a recent university graduate possessing an arts degree majoring in music theory, dressed in a snazzy suit and waiting in the lobby of SM Entertainment for Sungkyu to come downstairs.

Jonghyun was nervous. The job was already guaranteed, according to Sungkyu. Jonghyun was apparently already well-known amongst the SM composers (and if that wasn’t intimidating, Jonghyun didn’t know what was). However, the managers and upper management wanted to meet him to discuss his future role in more detail. Jonghyun knew he had to make a good impression or there was a chance, no matter how slight, that the job opportunity would be rescinded and he would be thrown out on the streets once more (figuratively, of course). All of which was all beyond terrifying.

The seating in the lobby was still more uncomfortable than anything called a ‘seat’ had the right to be. The artwork was still extremely abstract, although someone had had the job of updating the room’s furnishings at some point in the last few years. The chairs were now abstract, red acrylic things which were probably meant to be artistic shapes but ended up looking more like the plastic melted in the heat. The artwork now depicted what looked like the life cycle of a butterfly, if you squinted a little and used a good dose of imagination. However, after five minutes in that lobby, observing these features, the room itself did little to distract the fidgety blonde; instead, leaving him to stew in his own nervousness.

The receptionist was staring at him from behind her desk, her long nails tapping infuriatingly on her keyboard. She had been doing so since the composer told her the reason he was there. The woman had looked at him condescendingly and rolled her eyes in disbelief when he had explained he was an employee. When he had asked for her to call up to the offices and mentioned Sungkyu by name – and the woman had then confirmed that the blonde was, in fact, an employee at the company – her expression had cleared up a little. That didn’t stop her from asking him snippily to present his badge before she would call upstairs for him, however. His claim that he didn’t have one yet, since this was his first day, only resulted in a raised eyebrow and an unimpressed look. It was then that he had given up on politeness. He was a little ashamed to admit that he had snapped a command for her to ‘just do her damn job’. His excuse, what little there was, was that he wound up due to his nerves and he hadn’t slept too well the night before for the same reason. His annoyance had worked out for him when the woman had immediately called the composer for him and had sounded incredibly miffed when the man had said he would be right down. That didn’t stop her from staring Jonghyun down for the remaining time he was in the lobby and it definitely wasn’t helping his nerves.

Speaking of Sungkyu, he was currently walking slowly across the lobby towards the blonde, his figure as unassuming as ever. Smiling widely, nerves forgotten for the moment, Jonghyun jumped up from his seat. Walking towards his mentor, as fast as was appropriate considering the still glaring receptionist, Jonghyun greeting him happily and received a small smile in return. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t partially paying attention to the receptionist and he would be lying more if he said he didn’t enjoy the way her expression slowly shifted from annoyance to smugness to shock. Turning around and giving her a little wave might have been a little much but Jonghyun couldn’t bring himself to care too much at that moment. Sungkyu had merely rolled his eyes and placed a hand in the small of his protégé’s back, guiding him away from the lobby entrance.

“Your receptionist doesn’t like me.” Jonghyun mentioned, as the two men walked together into the lift.

Sungkyu pressed the button for the correct floor and chuckled. Jonghyun sent the man an unimpressed look as he recognised that laugh. It was a laugh that signalled the man didn’t believe Jonghyun’s innocent act, not even a little. What he said then confirmed that notion, “And you didn’t say or do anything to make her dislike you, at all?”

“She didn’t believe I was an employee.” Jonghyun pouted, looking younger than he had in years. When he pouted, his entire face seemed to reduce in age and he looked just like a petulant child.

“Technically, you haven’t signed all the paper work yet.” Sungkyu pointed out, patting the blonde’s head patronisingly.

“Aww, Sungkyu. I thought you’d be on my side. Dagger to my heart.” Jonghyun teased dramatically. He was still nervous, as evidenced by the slight shake in his voice even as he mocked his mentor. However, just the presence of the older man was calming to him and he felt himself breathing a little easier, despite the seriousness of the day.

Stepping out of the elevator, Sungkyu raised an eyebrow at the young blonde. “Come on, Mr. Overdramatic. I need to show you your space before we have a meeting.”

“I get a space?!” Jonghyun asked, also stepping out of the lift and following the composer down the familiar hallway leading to the man’s office. Jonghyun wasn’t sure if the hallway was familiar because he remembered visiting there before, during the Juliette meetings, or whether it was just that every single hallway he had seen in this building looked exactly the same. He could see himself getting lost many times in the coming months.

The two men passed many offices on their trek, most with their doors closed and very serious sounding voices leaking under the doors. After turning twice and walking through one nondescript doorway, they also passed a small break room. The room, oddly, didn’t look very well used – judging by the pristine state of all the work surfaces – and Jonghyun couldn’t work out why. That was, until he heard the incredibly loud yelling from the office next door. The woman shouting had a very high-pitched voice that managed to pierce through the walls as if they weren’t even there.

“Of course you get a space.” Sungkyu said, finally answering his protégé’s exclamation. Opening a door which seemed to be lacking any sort of nameplate or identification. The door lead to a small area that was filled to the brim with cubicles and desks.

“Your desk is over here,” Sungkyu continued, gesturing to a vacant desk on the far side of the room. The work space was set-up with a computer, a laptop and even had a small amount of shelf space, “you can do what you like to your area, within reason.” He said, gesturing to the area grandly. He said the final part with a small chuckle. 

“Sweet!” Jonghyun said, gathering the attention of the few other employees in the room. Catching himself, he schooled his features into a more demure expression and bowed formally, greeting the room as a whole, “Hello, I’m Kim Jonghyun. I’ll be working here from now on. Please look after me.”

The other people in the office, three males, all older than Jonghyun by at least ten years, and a woman who was old enough to be his mother, all smiled at him and gave greetings in return. One man, a proper looking business man of around thirty five with a strongly starched suit and his shirt cuffs buttoned tight, addressed Sungkyu directly, “This one your boy, Sungkyu?”

“I’ve been mentoring him for a few years, he’s got talent.” The composer said, sounding proud. Jonghyun smiled softly at the man, he really appreciated the composer’s support through the years and he was even more appreciative that the man still had faith in him, after so long. It felt really good. Turning back to the blonde youth, Sungkyu continued his induction of the boy, “So, most people in here work in purchasing, particularly office supplies and the like?” One of the male employees made a sound of agreement with the demure man’s words. Sungkyu sent him a small smile of thanks and continued to talk, “I’m sorry I couldn’t get you a desk with other composers, there was no space with them and this was the only office with free space that was near my own office. In fact, we should go there now, it’s just next door.”

Scanning the room one final time, Jonghyun bowed shallowly to the people in there once more before leaving. He really wanted to make a good impression on these people, even if they weren’t working in composition like he was, they were still his co-workers and he didn’t want to get into sticky office politics if he could help it. Not that they necessarily looked like the kind of people who would get all spiteful and mean if Jonghyun didn’t do things exactly to their specifications, but one could never really tell. It was easier to be diplomatic for now and he could always relax his behaviour once he had ascertained how nice they all really were.

Following behind Sungkyu, Jonghyun walked the short distance to the man’s office. It really was right next door. Stepping into the room and closing the door behind him, the blonde sat down in the chair opposite the desk as Sungkyu sat heavily in his own seat. Jonghyun fiddled with his cuffs and looked down at his fidgeting hands feeling inexplicably nervous once more. This was Sungkyu, he knew the man, he knew the man liked him and appreciated his talent. He knew that Sungkyu wouldn’t wish Jonghyun any ill will at all. Yet that didn’t stop the new SM Employee’s (after he signed the contract, of course) brain from shorting out a little and sending multiple bad scenarios shooting through the forefront of his mind.

He startled when a sheaf of papers were shoved under his nose, blocking out his vision of his hands. Looking up, he made eye contact with Sungkyu who was looking at him with an understanding expression on his face. “Everyone will like you. They enjoyed your previous work. Many, many people have asked after you since the first time we collaborated. You’ll be fine.”

“I know.” Jonghyun protested loudly, his mind not liking the slight against his confidence. “I know.” He said, much quieter as his conscious mind caught up with what was said. He knew that he would be fine, he did. He swore he did. “But my brain doesn’t seem to.”

Sungkyu laughed, his voice ringing clear through the small office. “Sure, kid. Now those papers need to be read and signed. I’ll be working over here, ask me if you don’t understand anything.”

“Ok.” Jonghyun agreed, placing the papers on the desk. He started to scan the first document before finding something he was unsure of. He looked up at his mentor, mouth already open to ask a question. Sungkyu was sat there, looking back at him with an eyebrow raised and a pen in his hand. Smiling sheepishly, Jonghyun took the pen and continued reading, realising that his question was answered within the following paragraph.

Sungkyu chucked quietly and if Jonghyun had been looking at him he would have seen a proud smile on the man’s face. The boy in front of him had worked so hard and grown up so much since they first met years ago. In the past three and a half years, he had really blossomed as a composer and a person. His work was now much more mature and, although it was never bad, had greatly improved. He really looked forward to seeing this boy grow and mature even further.

CHAPTER NOTES: Sungkyu is the mentor I always wanted to have. I’ve had some supportive teachers and supervisors before but, once I graduated/finished/did my work, they left my life. I’m kind of jealous of these people who make deep emotional bonds with theirs.