But Junhyung didn’t see him the next day, or the day after that, or the day after that. In fact, Junhyung didn’t see the small cheerful brunette all week. It didn’t bother him, really, he was content with that, in fact, and it seemed that it didn’t affect him at all. He still wore that same blank look on his face as he wore any other day, the same blank look with some sort of hidden anger as any other day.

Junhyung was Junhyung, and Junhyung didn’t care.

He still sighed as his car door was opened for him by his driver, and he still frowned as he pulled his scarf around his neck more while entering the high street and making his way to the gallery. He didn’t smile when Gikwang gave him his coffee, nor did he even blink an eyelash when Hyunseung nearly hit him with a clipboard because yet again, Junhyung’s shoes were scruffy and he was missing his tie and he looked too damn casual as the owner’s son. He didn’t smirk or smile when the new kid, Dongwoon, came into his office, hands shaky and dressed in a disgusting old suit that was way too big for him to give him what came through the fax machine and the portfolio’s that artists have given in the past days in hopes that they would be called and offered a space on the stark white walls.

Junhyung only spoke quietly, telling Dongwoon to wait with him in his office as he looked through the portfolios. “Hmm, any opinions on these?” He asked him, of course, he didn’t want to hear his opinion, and he just wanted to know if he knew what Yong Gallery presented on their walls.

“S-Some are good, s-sir.” Dongwoon stuttered, nervous, hands sweating as fingers intertwined and wiggled. “I-I d-don’t have m-much experience, I’m afraid, sir.”

“Hm.” Was Junhyung’s only reply, his eyes carefully calculating the on a particular piece submitted in by some foreigner. “I know, you have a degree in performing arts and you’re only now studying contemporary art, am I right?”

“Y-Yes, sir.” He said, nodding. But he froze as he saw a familiar looking portfolio. Okay, so maybe he lied, he didn’t go through all of them—, they were too many, why would he spend his time and look through all when he could be browsing the free internet?

But that portfolio, he knew so damn well. The slightly beaten and bent plastic pockets, the chew marks from a house pet and even from the owner itself around the edges. He knew it.

It was Yoseob’s portfolio, and yet again, Yoseob, for the maybe, 50^th time, had submitted it.

Dongwoon didn’t even think his actions through; he literally jumped across the large white wooden desk and snatched it from Junhyung’s fingers, face full of fear and shame and every other emotion. He didn’t want his best friend to go through disappointment again, or even more, seeing as Dongwoon hasn’t even yet told him that he started working at Yong Gallery as an intern, only to get some money to help his family—I mean, he was pretty much paid for coming in the morning and photocopying, and paid pretty damn well.

Junhyung simple arched an eyebrow. “Interesting.” He said, a chuckle escaping his lips. “I realize that you’re trying to protect Yang Yoseob—how do I know this? I’ve seen that beaten up portfolio too many times, but give it here, I have to be fair and look through his work like I do with everyone else.”

“I-I—” Dongwoon began, stuttering again as he straightened himself up, but Junhyung simply rolled his eyes and outstretched his hands.

“Give it to me, Dongwoon-ssi, unless, you’d like to get fired.”

On any other terms, Dongwoon would have thought about his next move, but he remembered what Hyuna, Junhyung’s personal secretary had told him, word by word.

‘He’s a very impatient and puzzling man, Dongwoon-ssi, you must be careful, alright? If he asks for something, you don’t even question it or so much open your mouth, you do as he says. Junhyung is cold, very cold, all these years that I have been placed by his sides, he never so much smiled at me. Dongwoon, listen to me, and listen to me good, you do exactly what he asks you to do. Just do it, and you’ll be fine. You don’t... well... we all know what will happen.”

So, taking into account what Hyuna had said, and also taking into account that the job he had gotten was paying him such ridiculous amounts of money just for sitting around, with a silent sigh and a bow of his head, he passed Yoseob’s portfolio to him.

And just like that, the plastic feel of it was gone from Dongwoon’s fingertips, and when he looked up, Junhyung was going through the pages, head tilted slightly and eyebrows furrowed together.

“Every single time, he sends this portfolio in, and every single time, it’s the same thing. It’s good, I’ll give him that, but not good enough and he’s trying abstract and black and white, but it doesn’t work—there’s no inspiration, no feel, no emotion in them all, unlike his coloured pieces. Pity, really, but he must learn.” With that, he closed the portfolio, taking a sticky note and writing some quick notes on it before sticking it on top and passing it back to Dongwoon. “Deliver this back to him—I’m sure that yet again, he’s expecting it back.”

“B-But sir, I—” Dongwoon began again, trying to explain to Junhyung that he simply couldn’t.

“And get me a Starbucks on the way back—also, send Gikwang to get my lunch.” With that, Junhyung turned back to his laptop, leaning back in his white leather chair.

Dongwoon had no other choice, so with a bow, he left to office, told Gikwang to get Junhyung’s lunch and stepped outside, walking down the high street and hollering a cab. Quickly reeling off Yoseob’s and Doojoon’s address, he sat back and sighed, running a hand through his hair.

Dongwoon was literally praying in the back seat that traffic would hit hard and that the ride would take so much longer, but luck wasn’t on his side that day, and he got there in half the time instead through shortcuts and speed. Giving the cab driver the money, he got out, sighing as he looked up at the building and making his way inside. Slowly walking up the stairs, he tried to come up with something to tell Yoseob, to let him down gently, somehow, even though Yoseob would be used to it by now. When knocking on his door, though, and when Yoseob opened the door, shirt covered in paint as well as his face and hands, Dongwoon forgot everything.

Yoseob laughed, loudly. “The are you wearing, Dongwoon? Jesus, why are you looking so confused—come in, you fool.” He grinned, happily letting his best friend inside. But when his eyes landed on his portfolio, his grin fell. “What’re you doing with my portfolio?” He almost whispered, eyes focused back on his face.

“I... I started working at Yong Gallery—” Yoseob interrupted and Dongwoon nearly screamed. Why was everyone interrupting him today?

“You what? Since when? Why didn’t you tell me?” Yoseob asked, closing the door and stepping towards him before snatching his portfolio from him, quickly reading over the notes.

“I didn’t want to hurt your feelings—I know how much you dream of being there, but, the money is good, Yoseob. I needed them, you know, for my family. You know how far we are in debt and—” Again, Dongwoon was interrupted, and he had to bite his tongue to not start screaming.

“He wants more emotions in my black and white pieces, huh? I’ll give him more emotions.” Yoseob hissed, throwing the portfolio onto the table before turning to Dongwoon. “You’re going to sneak me in and I am going to shove my latest pieces in his damn face.”

“Wha-What?” Dongwoon asked, shaking his head quickly. “ no, Yoseob, he’ll literally kill me and—Hey! Come back here, god dammit, don’t you dare—Yoseob, I am not, don’t put your coat on, Yoseob! What—No!” Dongwoon screamed as he watched his friend get ready to step out into the cold, pulling two medium sized canvases with him before stepping out the door. “Yoseob get back here I am not sneak—” But it was too late, Yoseob was already running down the stairs and Dongwoon literally slammed his forehead against the wall before cursing loudly, at his stupidity and at his friend’s stupidity.

He’s dead.