Minseok is a scientist in S.M. Chemicals, Research, and Other Dubious Things, Inc. His job pretty much consists of him putting on a rather nice white coat, sporting a rather nifty pair of glasses that he’s sure makes him look far more intelligent than he actually feels, and sitting at his tiny desk in the basement laboratory, pressing random keys on the keyboard while pretending he’s doing something Very Very Important.

On the days when he’s feeling adventurous, he plays Solitaire.

He’s been working in S.M for close to five years now, but in all the time he’s been here, he’s barely spoken more than a handful of words to his co-workers. The other scientists in his laboratory are a lot older than him, which makes Minseok feel slightly too intimidated to approach them at times - and so he stays in his little corner desk and avoids all human contact.

Kim Minseok’s responsibilities, however, do not include:

1. Being a lab rat.
2. Offering his DNA for SCIENCE (note: insert Morgan Freeman’s voice as God here).
3. Talking to Baekhyun.

Especially the last one.
 

* * *

Minseok decides this entire mess is Baekhyun’s fault.

Baekhyun is one of the many scientists in the facility. He’s also the only person who happens to follow Minseok around the laboratory every single day, incessantly talking Minseok’s ear off. His topics range from genetics and DNA and frog reproduction to whether Minseok plans on ever decorating his workspace, so it’s no wonder that Minseok wasn’t paying attention when Baekhyun asked Minseok if he’d like to volunteer his DNA for a mega-secret research within the Genetics department - to which Minseok muttered an “Okay” before going back to ignoring Baekhyun.

Of course, there are stranger things than stepping into your workplace to discover an exact replica of yourself sitting at your desk. They’re in a research facility, after all. Last week it was a four-hundred pound gorilla who could beat everyone at chess; two days ago it was a tentacled plant which could play Mozart’s pieces on the piano. A clone should be the least of his problems - but since it involves one which is an obvious result of his own DNA, he feels he should at least take an interest in the entire affair.

The clone, or Seok as Baekhyun calls him, looks and walks and talks and sounds just like Minseok, which leads to a fair amount of confusion amongst the other workers in the laboratory. Of course, when management finds out that they’ve successfully cloned a human being (without any side effects, mutations or a need to initiate a city-wide lockdown to avoid a zombie apocalypse), they begin to take mild interest in Seok. Various experts and other scientists are called in to examine the clone, who is put through a series of tests along with Minseok - much to his dismay, since being included in these tests means he won’t be able to spend time on his own Very Very Important Work.

“You study deer mating habits,” Jongdae points out to him when he drops by the laboratory to see what the fuss is about. “It’s not exactly ground-breaking.” Jongdae is the resident IT guy who does magical things to keep everyone’s computers in top working condition, which makes him practically God in everyone’s eyes - except Minseok, who is immune to Jongdae’s sarcasm.

Everyone in the facility, of course, is curious about Seok. Minseok finds that his workspace, which is usually given a wide berth by the other people in the facility (with the exception of Baekhyun who just doesn’t understand boundaries) is suddenly full of visitors throughout the day, with every person wanting to meet Seok.

Even more discomforting is how everyone looks at Seok, as if he’s something amazing, while ignoring Minseok completely as though he doesn’t exist.

It makes Minseok wonder if this is how they’ve always treated him this whole time.
 

* * *

When the tests are finally over and the results come back looking positive, Minseok is finally allowed to leave. He breathes a sigh of relief - until Chairman Lee informs Minseok that not only will Seok be following him home, he’ll be staying with Minseok as well.

“I’m sure you’ll get along just fine as housemates,” he adds, beaming.

“What,” Minseok blurts out.

“What,” Seok echoes.
 

* * *

Despite all of his protests, Minseok finds himself having no choice but to bring his clone back home with him. He tells himself it’s only temporary, that Seok is merely a houseguest until he can figure out his own accommodations.

Together, they set up the sofa bed in the living room for Seok to sleep in, and Minseok goes off to hunt for an extra blanket and pillows. When he returns, he finds Seok sitting on the living room couch, with an odd expression on his face.

“I--I know you don’t like having me around,” Seok says, suddenly.

Minseok gives him a startled look. “That’s not true--”

“You don’t have to lie to me,” Seok says quietly. There’s a hint of disappointment in his voice. “I might be your clone, but I’m not a droid. Or a child.” He looks down, studying the floor intently.

“Seok--”

“I understand, though,” Seok continues. “I mean, I tried to imagine myself in your situation. It’s not hard, seeing that we’re supposed to share the same personalities. I would feel the same way too.” He lifted his head to meet Minseok’s eyes. “If I were you, I would hate that there’s someone who looks like you yet isn’t as perfect as you are.”

“Perfect?” Minseok’s eyes widen. “But… but I’m not perfect at all. You’re the one everyone’s talking about. You’re the one everyone keeps wanting to be with, whom everyone keeps saying is handsome and smart and funny and flawless. How can I match up to you?”

“Because I’m just your copy,” Seok tells him. “Those things they’re saying - that’s because they’re talking about you.”

After a moment, he adds, in a quieter voice, “I don’t want to be your copy, Minseok. I just wish you’d stop treating me as if I’m never going to meet your standards.” Abruptly, he gets up from Minseok’s couch and walks out of the apartment, leaving Minseok behind in stunned silence.
 

* * *

When Minseok walks into his lab the next day, he discovers that not only is Seok there, but he’s somehow managed to show up with two cups of coffee from Minseok’s favorite cafe. His face looks nervous and tense, as if he’s unsure of how Minseok will react to seeing him there.

However, Minseok chuckles unexpectedly as he places two similar coffee cups from the same cafe onto the desk.

They look at each other for a moment, and then Seok lets out a soft laugh. “I should have expected that you might do the same thing,” he says ruefully.

The tension in the air eases a little as they accept each other’s peace offering. For a few minutes, they stand around awkwardly, sipping coffee and looking everywhere but at each other, until Minseok decides to break the silence between them.

“You were right,” he begins, just as Seok blurts out-- “I’m sorry.”

Minseok stares at Seok, who snort with amusement, his lips curled up slightly with the beginnings of a smile before he gestures at Minseok to go ahead with what he had been about to say.

Taking a deep breath, Minseok sets his cup down. “I’m not jealous of you,” he tells Seok. “That’s not what I was trying to say last night. In fact, I’m enviousof you.”

“Why me?” Seok asks, looking more confused and tired then he already is, with dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn’t gotten any sleep.

“I’ve been working here for years, yet no one’s looked at me or spoken to me the way they have when they’re around you,” Minseok admits. “And it makes me feel as if I’m lacking something. That I’m not good enough to be noticed.”

Seok keeps quiet for a few moments, looking down at his cup of coffee. Then he lets out a resigned sigh. “Minseok,” he begins, “The only reason anyone is even paying me any attention is because of you.”

Minseok blinks. “Me?” He shakes his head. “That can’t be right - I’ve never even seen most of them before.”

Seok lifts his head to look at Minseok. “Everyone’s heard about you. You’re the youngest member of the research team in this lab, and yet they’ve never seen you talk to anyone else.”

“I talk to Baekhyun,” Minseok says defensively.

“You mean Baekhyun talks to you and you ignore him,” Seok responds. Minseok feels a pang of guilt at his words.

“Then why does he still try,” Minseok mumbles.

Seok raises his eyebrows. “He likes you. Why else would he pick you to be his cloning subject?”

Minseok’s eyes widen. “He… does?” He feels his cheeks growing warm suddenly.

Smirking, and looking too smug, Seok picks up his coffee cup and sips it casually, leaving Minseok to ponder this new revelation.
 

* * *

Eventually things go back to normal, and Seok moves into Minseok’s place. He worries about this at first; after all, having to share a living space with someone else when he’s used to being alone for so long seems almost like a bad idea - but soon enough Minseok finds that living with Seok is easy. He’s clean and neat and quiet - like Minseok - and he makes an excellent cup of coffee.

Since the top management has basically forgotten about Seok, he’s left to his own devices. Instead of staying at the lab, Seok finds a job in the cafe nearby - which gives Minseok a valid excuse to start leaving the lab instead of always staying in, hiding at his desk. Even Baekhyun begins to tag along during these coffee breaks, chattering away to Minseok as he always does.

Strangely, while Minseok begins to discover that he doesn’t mind Baekhyun’s presence as much as he had before - he’s even more surprised whenJongdae starts to showing up at the cafe too. However, the reason for this becomes clear when Minseok catches sight of the way Seok starts blushing whenever Jongdae appears.
 

* * *

A week later, Seok goes out on his first date with Jongdae, the Genetics department accidentally clones an army of chess-playing gorillas and Minseok ends up stuck in the janitor’s closet with Baekhyun - but that is, of course, another story for another day



.END.

(a/n: please don't take this fic seriously)