Week One – Monday

Generally speaking, Baekhyun isn't one to wake up early on weekdays- at least not since he graduated from Seoul's top University last year - but he still finds himself squinting at the sharp light from his alarm clock on an early Monday morning. The day came at last. Byun Baekhyun is finally going to work for the first time in his life, a job he admits being quite excited to begin.

With a low grunt, he sits up in his small bed, which barely fits him anymore. It did when he was eleven, now it's just awkward for nineteen-year-old Baekhyun to lie down horizontally on it. But it's his childhood bed, one of the few furnitures in his too big apartment that's from his parents’ house. The frayed wooden headboard stands out like a sore thumb compared to the other white polished furniture in his bedroom. 

It's still thirty minutes until Baekhyun has to walk to his new job, so he takes his time while eating breakfast. His morning routine is pretty simple. Just a few pumps of hair gel, some BB cream and a cup of water for breakfast are all the things he needs to feel ready to start the day with a big smile on his lips.

Finally, he'll earn his own money, all by himself. He'll no longer accept his mother's offerings to pay for this or pay for that.  After watching so many TV shows about spoiled kids, Baekhyun still surprises himself by how independent he is in the way he acts and how he saves money better than his older brother- who works with business for Christ's sake. 

Once the glass of water is empty, he skips towards his small walk-in-closet and takes on the task to choose an appropriate first-day-at-work outfit. In the end, he eyes himself up and down in the full-length mirror hanging on the wall, regular blue jeans on his legs, matching with the cream-coloured button up. Casual, but not too casual. 

"Good looking as always. Indeed Baekhyun, indeed." One last look in the mirror and he's ready to go on with the day. 

His favourite neighbour, Park Joon, greets him when he steps out of their shared apartment building. Joon is holding a leash with a small poodle hooked to it and is smiling his signature smile as he notices the younger boy stepping outside. The man may be almost thirty years older than Baekhyun, but he's still one of the most down to earth people he's ever met. 

The poodle makes an attempt to Baekhyun's hand, but Joon pulls the leash and it retreats with a shrill whine. "So what is young Mr Byun doing up this early a Monday morning? As far as I’m concerned, the apocalypse won't happen in another thirty years, so I don't get why you're up and running at this time a day," the man jokes as usual, and Baekhyun responds with laughter, as usual. 

"Nah man, just heading out for work. Applied for it last week and I'm working my first shift today actually," Baekhyun explains as he eyes the poodle. Small dogs just don't do it for him. 

Joon whistles at that and flaps with his arms like he always does. "Whoa man! That's great! I shouldn't bother you then, good luck man." And with that, Mr Park leaves, dragging his grumpy dog after him. 

Something about Joon always manages to make Baekhyun even happier. Sure, Baek is surely mistaken quite often for seemingly being a typical son of a rich family, but his middle-classed -half American half Korean- neighbour had treated Baekhyun as an equal ever since he moved into this building a few months ago. It feels nice to have someone to joke around with, someone who's not his same-aged friends from school. 

Feeling even more joyful than minutes earlier, he makes his way down the quiet streets. There's barely anyone outside since it's only 7 am- his boss had asked him to come in two hours earlier than usual since it was his first day today- so Baekhyun finds himself quietly humming along to a tune which had been stuck on his head since yesterday. 

He's fortunate enough to live in such a nice area where there's no traffic and the buildings are relatively new, a quiet and peaceful area so to speak. One that makes his parents able to sleep at night and ensures them that their son won't get robbed or killed by some crazy lunatic. Baekhyun supposes he's happy as long as they are. 

Once he reaches the old bookstore, he's so excited to get to work that his whole body is shaking with anticipation. A bell rings as he opens the door to inform the owner that he has arrived. 

The bookstore smells, as expected, of worn-out books and newly brewed coffee. It's not a small shop, but it's not huge either. It's perfect, Baekhyun decides as he takes in his surroundings. Books are stacked in alphabetical order in different coloured bookshelves, some are lying scattered around all over the circular room. They even sell some old LPs, which are also arranged quite neatly in different boxes. Baekhyun couldn't have asked for a cosier workplace. 

The owner of the shop appears from the small room behind the counter down in the right rounded corner. His glasses are resting on his giant nose, making him resemble Professor Dumbledore from one of Baekhyun's favourite movies. The elderly man lets out a huff in acknowledgement as he notices Baekhyun standing by the door. 

"I see my new employee arrived just in time," he says and walks over to the young boy and shakes his hand. “How are you today?”

“I’m good, really good actually. It’s been a while since I was up this early, so it was nice to experience the cool morning air again.”

“I see, I see,” the man sniggers. "There's barely any customers this time a day on weekdays, that's why I'll let you work earlier your first couple of days. Then you'll have to work the normal shifts, as you get accustomed to how all of this works out. Any questions?" Mr Lomander looks expectantly at Baekhyun who shakes his head. 

"Sounds good to me," he assures the older man. "I'll try my best to reach your expectations of me, Sir. Thank you again for letting me work here." 

Mr Lomander pats Baekhyun's shoulder lightly and then steps back. "The pleasure is all mine. It'll be nice to have someone who’ll look after the place the days I'm gone." He throws Baekhyun an apologetic look and continues. "I'm afraid you'll actually be on your own pretty often. You see, my wife is very ill, so more often than not I have to close the shop to stay home with her. That's why I hired you. Hopefully, this won't be a problem?" Mr Lomander says the last part as a question, seemingly nervous for Baekhyun to turn on his heels and leave now when he knows he'll run the shop all by himself at most times. Surely, the old man doesn't know how much Baekhyun is willing to pay for just having a job, something most of his spoiled friend's don't have. 

"I will have no problem of running the store by myself on the days you're away. Of course, you should spend all the time you can with your wife. I bet she's really happy for you to take more days off in the future." Maybe Baekhyun's mum doesn't agree, but he sure as hell knows how to be liked by older people, and he can already tell- by the look on the elder's face- that Mr Lomander likes him. 

"Happy to hear that, young Byun," the owner sighs and smiles at his new employee. Then he claps his hands together and widens his eyes. "Now, let's get this place going." 

When Mr Lomander said that there was hardly any customers before lunchtime on weekdays, he was damn right, Baekhyun acknowledged as he dusted yet another bookshelf. The old man was silently reading a book in one of the three leather armchairs in the lower left corner of the room. Baekhyun himself has been dusting the furniture for almost four hours when the bell on the door finally rings to inform them that a customer has arrived. 

A middle-aged woman walks through the mahogany door and shuts it tightly behind her once she's inside the humid room. She’s holding an umbrella even though it’s summer, probably to protect her wrinkled skin from the harsh sun rays.

From the corner of the shop, Mr Lomander throws Baekhyun an unmistakable look. Baekhyun gets the hint, puts away the duster and clears his throat as he turns towards the woman. 

"Welcome! I'm Baekhyun and I'll be happy to help you if there's anything you want to know." He delivers his lines smoothly and is glad to see the woman nod in his direction before she begins her journey of choosing one of the many books.

It's only 3 pm when Mr Lomander calls it a day and assures Baekhyun that it's okay for him to leave since there are almost no customers coming into the shop today. As he leaves the store after saying his goodbyes to his boss, Baekhyun sighs happily and breathes in the fresh air, then walks home. He will definitely love this job, there's barely anything to do after all, so it fits him perfectly.

Just as he's about to unlock the door to his apartment, he notices that the light over his lock is green.

It's only green if there's someone inside.

Gulping loudly, heart beating fast in his chest, he quietly opens the door which- to his fear- is unlocked. All the lights are on and he definitely recalls switching them off when he left the apartment this morning. There's also dull noise coming from the living room, his TV playing on low volume. Before entering the suspicious room, he gets down on all fours and crawls into the room on his right, the kitchen. In one of the drawers, there are sharp knives arranged in size order, so he grabs the larger one and then crawls back to the hallway. 

If he listens closely, he can perceive some kind of noise that sounds like someone's munching on something crunchy. This is evidence enough for Baekhyun. An intruder is definitely inside his apartment. In moments like this, he's grateful for having overprotective parents who have installed a security camera in every room of his, except in his bedroom for private reasons. If Baekhyun is murdered today, there'll at least be evidence and a recording of his assassin. 

He gathers as much courage as possible, and then he jumps out from behind the wall, knife held high over his head.

A screech fills the air, but it’s not Baekhyun’s.

On the couch lies a young man, potato chips scattered all over his clothes and on the velvet cushions. The man appears to be even more frightened than Baekhyun, hence the mess he made as Baekhyun made his appearance.

“For ’s sake, B! Give a man a warning, would you?” Baekhyun’s best friend yells as he tries his best to brush the chip crumbs off his white dress pants.

The man offers his friend a death stare as Baekhyun sighs loudly and puts down the intimidating knife on the table. Jongin is a few years younger than Baekhyun’s 19, but he has always looked older than his age. Although the older of the two would never admit it, he’s always been jealous of his best friend’s height and lean figure. It should be illegal to look so effortlessly handsome while lying on a couch, covered in greasy crumbs.

He sits down beside his friend who’s still staring furiously at him. “I thought I’d told you not to use the spare keys unless there was an emergency?” Baekhyun scolds and picks up a chip crumble from the other’s lap, putting it in his mouth. So much for being healthy this week.

“It was an emergency! You know those posters I hide under my bed? The ones of all the men?” Baekhyun nods thoughtfully as he thinks about his friend’s collection of underwear models. “Well, guess what? My mum found them when she cleaned my room this morning!”

Baekhyun still doesn’t get why this is such a disaster.

“How do you think she reacted when she discovered pictures of muscular, men under her only son’s bed? She wants me to marry a young beautiful girl whom I can build a secure future with and get kids with. You won’t even believe how she handled the situation!”

“But isn’t your mum really nice? She’s never had anything against me being openly gay, so why would she react differently to you?” Baekhyun asks and his eyebrows furrow together.

Jongin pouts and throws his arms over his head in annoyance. “That’s exactly what I thought! But you don’t have a company to take over once your dad gets too old. I assume they’re angry and disappointed since they need me to give birth to a son who’ll take over the company once I’m gone. If the others find out that Mr Kim’s son is gay, hell will break loose.”

It to see how hurt Jongin is, and he’s right about Baekhyun’s family. Although his parents are rich, they don’t take him for granted and expect him to run their firm as soon as they get too old. Sure, their company had lost a couple of significant customers when the news about their gay son came out, but his parents valued him more than their company.

“Maybe I can call my dad and ask him to meet your parents and talk some sense into them? Would that help?” he offers and puts his hand over the younger’s. Jongin intertwines their fingers and nods despondently.

“That would be great actually. One successful businessman to another,” Jongin agrees and he finally smiles.

They turn the TV off and talks about everything and nothing at all. Jongin asks Baekhyun about his first day at work to which the older assures him that he will feel at home there in no time. Day turns to night and it’s eventually time for Baekhyun to get ready for sleep.

“I refuse to go back home!” Jongin whines like a five-year-old child who’s just dropped his ice cream on the dirty pavement. “My mum’s glares will be the death of me, and it will be your fault since you wouldn’t let me stay for just one night!”

Baekhyun growls in frustration. Dealing with a grumpy Jongin is the last thing he wants to do when he’s tired. “Then stay for heaven’s sake! Gosh, you’re so annoying sometimes.” There’s no point in arguing tonight, he just wants to go to sleep.

Jongin jumps up and down and throws himself into the elder’s arms. “Thank you, B! I knew you’d live up to your expectations of being my best friend someday!” Too tired to respond, Baekhyun just pats the younger’s back lightly a few times before he excuses himself and goes to the bathroom.

This is his favourite time of the day, just standing in the shower, his tense shoulders relaxing under the steaming hot water. He brushes his teeth and shaves his non-existent beard, taking his time to drag the sharp razor across his flawless cheeks. His dark eyes scan his own reflection in the mirror. If there’s one thing Baekhyun is thankful for, it’s his appearance he got thanks from his parents' good genes. His hair is dyed in a honey brown colour, making his sun-kissed skin stand out more. When he was younger, he’d been insecure about his large ears, but now he’s grown accustomed to them. They’re a part of him and he’s learned to accept them.

Jongin is taking up most of the bed once Baekhyun steps into the bedroom. It’s not often he let visitors stay over for the night, but Jongin is an exception, especially now when his parents are how they are. The younger isn’t wearing any clothes except for his incredibly tight boxers. Baekhyun would’ve been attracted to him if it weren’t for Jongin being his best friend. Besides, he knows stuff about Jongin, which has caused him internal scars for life, so he would never be able to see him as something more than a friend.

Baekhyun follows the younger’s example and takes off his sweatpants, but he decides to keep his T-shirt on. He lies down beside his friend and pulls the queen-sized comforter over them both. It’s not very surprising when he feels Jongin’s legs intertwining with his own, and Baekhyun sighs in satisfaction when his friend invites him into his warm embrace.

“Isn’t this nice?” Jongin breathes into Baekhyun’s hair and the older shuffles closer and hums in agreement. “Wouldn’t it be even nicer if you were actually in this position with someone you actually liked?”

Baekhyun can sense what’s coming. “Please, not this again. I’m too tired for this, J,” he whines and closes his eyes, not wanting to hear his friend rant about him getting a boyfriend for the millionth time this year. It’s only June.

“C’mon, B! You need someone who can live here with you. This apartment is depressing enough with all the white walls, white floors, white furniture. What you need is a man to move in here with you and spice it up with some colour and life!” They’ve had this talk way too often this last year, ever since Baekhyun moved into the apartment by himself.

“Are you saying that my apartment is too boring for your liking? That I have a colourless home and a colourless soul?” Baekhyun jokes since he doesn’t’ have the energy to protest and fight for his sake this late at night.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying!” Baekhyun huffs in annoyance but moves closer to his friend. “And that’s why I’ve set you up to a blind date next week, and that’s why you have to go.”

The mention of a blind date makes Baekhyun sit up straight in the bed. Jongin follows and looks down at his friend, who’s looking anything but excited right now.

“I hope you’re joking right now, and if not, you should put on your clothes and run for your life,” he breathes through his nose and he tries his best to not get angry with Jongin. He knows his best friend only wants what’s best for him, but the younger’s way of dealing with things are sometimes not the greatest. “Do you remember what happened last time you set me up for a date?”

Jongin flushes but shakes his head in disagreement. “I promise that it won’t end up like that time, okay? I’ve made sure that it’s no one over the age of thirty.”

Both of them get silent for a moment as they think back to Baekhyun’s last blind date with an 82-year-old grandpa who was looking for someone to raise his grandchildren with him. They shiver at the exact same time.

Baekhyun sighs, exhaustion resting heavily on his shoulders and eyelids. He shouldn’t have to deal with this stuff when there’s work waiting for him in just a few hours. “Next week?”

Jongin gains some of his confidence back when he notices that his friend isn’t fighting back. “Next week on Wednesday at Cloud 9, your favourite restaurant.”

“No one over the age of thirty?”

“He’s actually the same age as you. I’ve met his friend in real life and we’ve planned everything together, so there shouldn’t be any surprises that day,” Jongin assures and smiles as Baekhyun lies down again. They tangle their legs together and Baekhyun invites himself into the younger’s embrace again.

There’s really no point in arguing with Jongin tonight. Either the date will end up great or it will be awful and Baekhyun will be scarred for life. What is there to lose?

- - -

Week Two

The rest of the week passes by without any major events happening. Baekhyun made sure to call his dad when he walked home from work a few days ago, and his father promised to talk to Jongin’s dad. Work had been great. Baekhyun had worked for only a few hours during the first week, but Mr Lomander informed him that he would start to work normal hours the upcoming week since he has to stay at home with his wife.

Wednesday is coming up too, something Baekhyun isn’t too happy about. But he has decided to go anyways, mostly for Jongin’s sake. It’s not that dating is something bad; it’s just that Baekhyun has been single for almost all his life and he’s comfortable with how everything is right now. Ever since his last relationship ended when he was fifteen with a broken heart, he had decided to focus on his studies. But now school is over and he has all the time in the world to find someone whom he can share his happiness with. Still, the idea doesn’t sound too appealing.

- - -

Week Three – Monday

The summer sun has been up for a couple of hours when Baekhyun unlocks the wooden door to the second-hand store. Chirping birds can be heard through the open windows as soon as he opens them. He’s got a long day ahead of him, having to work until late midday, although Mr Lomander assured him that he can close the shop earlier if he wants to. But Baekhyun has decided to work late this week since he wants to make a good impression on his boss.

Wednesday is another story though. He’s supposed to be at the blind date at 8 in the evening, and he needs at least a few hours to get ready for the date. It may not have been him who signed up for the date, but he’s still going to look his very best to make a good first impression on the other guy.

Baekhyun entertains himself by cleaning the store as always. No matter how many times he scrubs the floor or dusts the shelves, there’s always more dirt coming off. When he’s not cleaning, he’s brewing more coffee or chats with the few customers that come in every half hour or so.

He has never really been a fan of books, always comparing them to the boring academic books. Being alone in a bookstore isn’t one of Baekhyun’s favourite things, so after a while, he gives after and grabs a random book from under the cashier. That’s where they keep the older books.

“Do not show these to any regular costumers,” his boss had said when he showed him around on his first day at work. “These are special books for some of our collectors that stops by every now and then.”

Why some would collect these types of books is a question to Baekhyun. He’s skimming through the worn out pages when a new customer steps through the door at lunchtime. He immediately puts the book down and stands up to greet the person. Baekhyun gulps nervously as he takes in the other’s appearance.

The man has coal-black hair with a messy fringe covering his forehead. Around his neck is a thick leather choker with a metallic ring dangling on the front. Black skinny jeans hug his skinny thighs and bony knees appear from the rips in the pants. To match the jeans, he’s wearing a black T-shirt with a faded print on the front. It’s probably a band’s logo or something, Baekhyun doesn’t recognise it at least.

Tattoos are covering almost every inch of his skin, only his face and knuckles being free from the body art. Baekhyun stares at a big grey snake that looks like it’s making its way up the man’s neckline, its tail wrapping around his neck. It’s a great piece of work, even Baekhyun - who’s got no experience what so ever with tattoos - can tell.

Baekhyun’s eyes finally take in the other’s face. Heavy eyeliner makes the man’s dark eyes look extremely intense and there are piercings decorating both his left eyebrow and lower lip. There’s also a silver ring pierced through his nasal septum. All these decorations covering his body make him look like a weed-smoking criminal. That’s what Baekhyun thinks at least.

There’s something about the man that makes him appear less scary though. His ears. Two large ears – even larger than Baekhyun’s own, a miracle – sticks out from the coal hair. They make the man look younger and less intimidating than he probably would look with normal sized ears. That doesn’t stop the man from piercing them too, though, as centimetre wide neon stretchers are decorating both ears. Seeing someone with this many tattoos and piercings is pretty unusual in this part of Seoul, or maybe in South Korea overall. And that’s why Baekhyun is shocked at first.

The man doesn’t even look up to greet the employee as he walks right past him towards one of the oldest book sections in the far left corner. Baekhyun doesn’t open his mouth either, just stands there like a complete idiot. He needs some time to regain his consciousness before he’s ready to stand behind the counter again.

It feels like an eternity, Baekhyun subtly eyeing the abnormal boy as he slowly drags his fingers across every spine of the books in the section he’s in right now. Everything feels too quiet, and silence isn’t something Baekhyun is accustomed to.

It takes him another ten minutes to finally gain the courage to talk to the customer. With determined steps, he walks up to the man – who still doesn’t even spare Baekhyun a glance – and smiles his signature smile. It isn’t until now he realises how tall the other man is, probably a whole head taller than himself. One of the few things he’s not very happy about inheriting from his father: his short height.

The shorter of the two clears his throat. “Are you looking for something special?”

The man doesn’t even make an indication of hearing a word of what Baekhyun just said. An awkward silence.

“I have a few books I can recommend to you. Anything from award-winning biographies to ancient children’s books,” Baekhyun tries again but gets no response what so ever. The man just keeps looking down on the many books on the table, his eyes moving from left to right in slow motion.

“Or you can just come up to me if you need anything.” The laugh that leaves Baekhyun’s mouth sounds way too forced to be genuine. “I’ll be by the counter, just chillin’, reading books, as you do, in a bookstore. Yeah okay great.” He retreats back to his safe place behind the desk and dabs the sweat drops away.

Baekhyun isn’t used to feeling awkward, but what he had just experienced was nothing but bloody painful. The employee sits down again and rolls his thumbs. He can’t help but throw the weird man a few glances every now and then.

Why wouldn’t he answer him? Sure, he looked way cooler than Baekhyun, but that didn’t give him the right to be a complete .

After what feels like an eternity, the man finally drags his feet towards the counter, only one book in his hand. He puts the book down in front of Baekhyun and chews lazily on a gum. Spearmint.

Baekhyun almost chokes on his own saliva when he looks down at the thin book. “Pippi Longstocking? Really?” The tall man shrugs but doesn’t answer. How unpredictable.

His whole body itches to say something, anything. But Baekhyun keeps his mouth shut and puts the yellow book in a plastic bag. The man makes sure to put the money on the table instead of handing it directly to the other. He rolls his eyes, but accepts the money and just like that, the boy is gone, the bag with the book nowhere to be seen and the mahogany door wide open.

Great lad that one.

- - -

“I owe you my life and all my future earnings!” Jongin’s voice is loud and screechy from the speaker. “My parents may not be completely understanding just yet, but they’ll probably be in the near future, all thanks to your father.”

Baekhyun’s laugh is genuine, already feeling like he’s two kilos lighter. “You don’t owe me anything, J, and I’ve told you this a hundred times already. It’s really nothing. I would expect you to do the same thing for me if it ever came to it.”

“Still, I owe you a meal at least! Can I come over tonight?”

“Is this your way of getting an opportunity to sleep with me, Mr Kim?” The loud laugh on the other end makes the speaker of Baekhyun’s phone crack and his whole kitchen is filled with deafening, echoing noises.

“I’ll stop by in an hour or so,” Jongin declares after a moment of comfortable silence. “Soup or chicken?”

“Why not both?”

“That’s my man.”

- - -

Empty cartons stained with grease lies scattered on the living room floor as Jongin burps aloud, throwing Baekhyun into another laughing fit. It’d been the younger’s idea to pop a bottle of champagne to make their dinner more culinary. Culinary or not, Baekhyun has never been one to turn down an offer to drink on a weak day. Besides, it’s only 8 PM, so he will have plenty of time to sleep early.

“ man. You were born with maids wiping your with banknotes, but you’re still as equally disgusting as a five-year-old kindergartener.” Karma is a because just when Baekhyun outs the words, a deep burp escapes his lips.

Another five minutes of laughing hysterically and Jongin runs to the bathroom to throw up. He’s always been known for being quite the party pooper. In fact, two weeks earlier, Jongin had emptied his stomach’s contents onto their other friend Jongdae’s lap after a night out. Jongdae only agreed to forgive him when Jongin bought him one of the most expensive whiskeys on the market a week later.

10 PM and Baekhyun finds himself lying squished between his pillow and a snoring Jongin. The whole room is spinning and it doesn’t even stop when he closes his eyes. This is the part he hates about drinking. It’s all fun and games until you have to go to sleep while sobering up. Why did he drink again?

- - -

Week Three – Tuesday

Pain. Pain is everything Baekhyun feels as he forcefully opens his eyes to squint at his beeping alarm clock. His whole head is already throbbing and it feels like he has swallowed the whole Sahara desert in his sleep. Stumbling to his feet, not really taking any notice of the whining lump that is his friend, he lumbers to his walk-in-closet, whispering lecturing words to himself.

Had it been fun drinking with Jongin last night? Yes. Had it been worth it even though there was a workday the day after? No.

Miraculously, Baekhyun actually manages to appear somewhat alive-looking after a taking a warm shower and downing a big bottle of water. He leaves his wallet on the kitchen table for Jongin to buy some breakfast since he knows the younger didn’t bring his with him last night.

As always during the past week, Park Joon greets him as soon Baekhyun steps outside the apartment building. His neighbour never fails to make even a sleepy and hangover Baekhyun laugh, so the younger sees Joon as his personal morning vitamin.

A long day at works waits for him today, just like the day before. But Baekhyun shouldn’t whine. He’s still overly excited to even have a job, to not have money stuck up his and a silver spoon feeding him constantly. This is his opportunity to be an independent nineteen-year-old graduate.

Silence welcomes him as he steps into the store. Of course, Baekhyun gets sad whenever he thinks about Mr Lomander staying at home with his sick wife, but he can’t help but enjoy the relaxed atmosphere in the ancient bookstore.

Baekhyun brews himself a cup of tea, not really a fan of drinking coffee like the most of the teenagers his age. For the time being, his favourite flavour is an English green tea with a hint of refreshing peppermint. Since there’s not much else to do, he sits down by the counter with his steaming hot tea in one hand and the same book he skimmed through yesterday in the other. There’s not really anything to complain about.

Sometime after 12 pm, the first customer of the day comes in. Baekhyun – who was about to fall asleep on the uncomfortable stool – stands up and plasters on a blinding smile, proudly showing his white teeth. His smile falters for just a second as he recognizes the costumer, but he doesn’t let his discomfort show, so he widens his smile again.

It is the same boy as the day before, the scary punk guy with a stare that could murder innocent puppies with just a blink of an eye. This is the last thing a hungover Baekhyun wants to deal with on a day like this. But he has to act his best at all times so that Mr Lomander won’t fire him for being a snotty employee.

Maybe the guys just had a bad day yesterday? Yeah, that was probably it!

“Hello! Nice to see you again!” All Baekhyun is met with is a strange look thrown in his direction. The man walks past the counter and heads towards the same section he had studied yesterday.

So much for having a bad day.

Baekhyun really wants to leave it at that, but he just can’t believe how someone can be so incredibly rude! Here he is, just a new employee trying to do his job the best he can, and what is he met with: Arrogant people who don’t even bother to look at him.

Baekhyun is not used to being ignored, hell no. Byun Baekhyun is the light of the party, the joker of his group of friends, the perfect most respectful son to his parents. Byun Baekhyun will not have this. No matter how tired he might feel, he still manages to take a deep breath, counts to ten and drags his feet to the haughty man.

The man looks somewhat similar to the day before, wearing the same ripped jeans and an almost identical black printed T-shirt. There’s a different choker around his neck today though. This one looks like a leather belt, its metallic décor shifting in both silver and gold. It would’ve looked good as a belt, not as something to wear around your neck. Baekhyun really wishes he could be able to understand why people wanted to dress like this.

“Did you forgot to remove your belt from the jeans?” he asks and halts when he’s a few feet away from the man.

No answer.

He tries again. “I mean it looks like you forgot about it and threw the belt into the washing machine with the jeans.” The man doesn’t look up but his fingers stop the books’ spines. “It has shrunken quite a bit since it barely fits around your neck. Or maybe it’s your baby brother’s?”

Two dark eyebrows knit together in confusion and in irritation. “It’s called a choker.”

This is the first time Baekhyun hears the man’s voice and boy is he about to run for his life. It’s definitely one of the darkest and deepest voices he’s ever heard in his nineteen years of life. It reminds him of big rocks rolling down a mountain, always going lower and lower down towards the ground.

Taken aback by the sudden statement, Baekhyun clears his throat and lets out a shaky breath. “Choker, belt, whatever. It doesn’t look like something you should wear around your neck.”

His eyes wander down to the neckpiece. It hugs the man’s throat so tightly so that it’s impossible for it to be comfortable in any way. Whenever the man swallows, his Adam’s apple tries to break free from the tight fit. No wonder they call it a choker.

“Then you should be grateful you don’t own one of these,” the tall man says matter-of-factly.

 “I guess I should.”

The man goes quiet again and Baekhyun doesn’t know what to say. Maybe the customer thought that Baekhyun was coming off as rude? It hadn’t been his intention to insult the taller; this was just his failed attempt at breaking the ice. Obviously, it hadn’t worked at all, or perhaps it had. He’d gotten a few words out of the abnormal man, although they hadn’t been the most promising to begin a new lifelong friendship.

“So, what are you looking for today? Couldn’t find everything yesterday?” The man just shakes his head at Baekhyun’s attempt to start a new conversation. The employee tries his best not to act offended. “You’re really great with words, aren’t you?”

Baekhyun stares in disbelief as the man walks past him to get to another section on the other side of the circular room. The sudden movement makes him lose his balance for a split second, but he quickly regains it as he steadies himself by grabbing a nearby bookshelf. He refuses to give up though, instead - not so discreetly - shuffling up to the man again, peeking up over the tall man’s broad shoulders. The eccentric man is currently going through a stack of colourful books, his large hands caressing the fragile spines.

Attempt three. “What’s your name?” Baekhyun didn’t mean to ask, his curiosity kind of took over.

“Why is knowing my name important?” the man asks, not even a little surprised by Baekhyun appearing right behind him.

Baekhyun rolls his eyes and takes a large step to the side so that he’s now standing beside the tall man. “Shouldn’t every good store owner know the name of reappearing costumers?”

For the first time, the man casts Baekhyun a glance, finally acknowledging his existence. For being an awkward punk, the man is really good at keeping eye contact. It’s almost to the extent that even outgoing Baekhyun wants to look away.

“Where’s the owner of the store?” The question throws Baekhyun off guard, not really expecting such a direct query. “Where’s Oliver?”

Oliver? Baekhyun has to think for a while to comprehend whom this Oliver guy is. Then it hits him. “Do you know Mr Lomander personally or are you just a really loyal customer?”

The man keeps staring at Baekhyun like he’s an idiot for not bothering to answer his question. It seems like he’s suddenly reminded of how much he’s staring because he diverts his eyes towards the stack of books his hands keep caressing.

Baekhyun doesn’t want the man to go quiet again, not now when he’d finally managed to make him speak. “Mr Lomander is home with his sick wife and he hired me to manage the store until he gets back,” Baekhyun informs the tall man and eyes him curiously. “Is there anything of importance that you have to speak with him directly, or can I forward a message?”

“No, I just wondered since he wasn’t here yesterday either,” the man states and grabs a yellow book, then turns around on his heels and heads towards the counter, a confused Baekhyun trying to keep up behind him.

Before Baekhyun manages to stand behind the counter, the man takes out a few bills from his jean pocket and lays them on the wooden desk, not even giving Baekhyun the opportunity to hand him any change. And then he’s out the door, the golden bell’s loud jingle being evidence enough to declare the man’s leave.

What the hell is wrong with that guy? And why is Baekhyun so intrigued by his odd behaviour?

Sighing desperately, Baekhyun slumps down behind the counter, leaning his tired back on the desk. He just wants this day to be over.

- - -

That's it for part 1 wohooo. Part two will be up in a day or two!