Lucky Number 13

❄ 

 

 

Kyungsoo likes his job. 

 

He works as a hotel cleaner in the famed 5-star Park Hyatt Hotel in Seoul, making beds and replenishing diminishing supplies of shower gel. He likes his job because his one joy in life is to see everything spick and span, so he feels a great sense of accomplishment when he finishes cleaning all the twenty rooms on his floor. (Every hotel cleaner is assigned a floor. Kyungsoo's, incidentally, happens to be the 13th. He isn't superstitious, so he doesn't consider it unlucky though. In fact, he considers it a big of luck, because there are fewer guests on the 13th floor and he has less rooms to clean up.)

 

Every morning, without fail, he will wear his hotel cleaner uniform (which makes him look kind of dorky and underaged, but Kyungsoo doesn't mind), take his pushcart full of supplies out of the storeroom, and enter the lift and press the '13' button. By nine-thirty almost all of the guests are gone, decidedly having fun somewhere in Seoul, leaving Kyungsoo free to go about as he pleases. He then does the usual, changing the bed sheets, cleaning up food crumbs, replacing soiled towels with new ones, basically making the room neat again. It is highly therapeutic and the monotony of his job means that he can mechanically do his work while pondering over anything else on his mind at that moment. 

 

The part he dislikes most are the beds. The mattresses are heavy and lifting them up to replace the bedsheets are tough and require lots of arm strength (which Kyungsoo surprisingly has a lot of, considering his small stature). What's more, more often than not he discovers an unpleasant stain on the white fabric and has to try not to grimace as he deftly stuffs the soiled bedsheet into the lower layer of his pushcart. But so much for all that, Kyungsoo still likes his job. It pays reasonably well and is also not too taxing on his brain. 

 

It is a morning like any other morning when Kyungsoo knocks on the door of Room 1307. He calls out a 'Hello? Is anyone here?" as a matter of etiquette before satisfyingly opening the door with an all-purpose room card upon receiving no answer.

 

The room card falls to the decidedly oriental carpeted floor with a soft thud.

 

There is a half- guy wrapped in a towel in the middle of the room, soaking wet, who has evidently just come out of a shower. He doesn't seem to notice Kyungsoo.

 

"Um," tries Kyungsoo.

 

"Huh?" The guy's head snaps back. "Oh," he says, upon seeing Kyungsoo standing there with a wide-eyed expression on his face. "Um."

 

The guy is now facing Kyungsoo giving him a perfect view of his tanned skin and lean upper torso, as well as his defined jawline and altogether very attractive face. Water is trickling down his hair and drip, drip, dripping onto the ground, forming a wet area on the floor.

 

Kyungsoo feels sorry for the carpet.

 

"Sorry for intruding I mean I knocked and called out and nobody answered so I just assumed no one was here I'll just clean up this room later then,“ Kyungsoo mumbles as he shuffles out of the room, eyes trained on the carpet which has suddenly become the most interesting thing in this room.

 

"Wait!" Tanned boy calls. Kyungsoo looks upwards before quickly averting his gaze again because he has just looked at a forbidden area on his body. No, Kyungsoo, train your eyes, he berates himself.

 

"Um... I'll be leaving in half an hour, just so you know, I mean, so you can come back then," the guy stammers slightly. Kyungsoo mumbles a quick word of thanks before rushing for the door and practically slamming it. He leans against the door, breathing heavily and with flushed cheeks. Dammit. 

 

He's lucky he doesn't hear the man's soft chuckle as he leaves the room.

 

Gathering his wits, Kyungsoo heads straight for Room 1320, the furthest room down the aisle and returns to Room 1307 about an hour and a half later.  

 

-

 

The next day the counter receptionist Junmyeon calls out to Kyungsoo when he comes out of the storeroom after returning the pushcart.

 

"What?" Kyungsoo answers, with a hint of curiosity. His shift has ended; what can he be asked to do now? 

 

"Nothing much. Just so you know, Room 1307 called.  The guy says he ran out of toilet paper," answers Junmyeon, tapping away at the keyboard, eyes not even looking up from the computer screen.  

 

Oh. One of those petty little requests again. Kyungsoo suppresses a sigh as he goes back into the storeroom and comes out, a roll of toilet paper in hand. He knows he shouldn't blame the person, but Kyungsoo can't help judging him a teeny weeny bit. (He's requested for toilet paper, after all, and Kyungsoo is pretty sure the last time he checked which was yesterday, the toilet paper roll was nowhere near finishing.) There is a niggling feeling at the back of his mind, like there is something that he should remember about this. Kyungsoo tries to recall it, but fails. He sighs in the long journey on the lift, mindlessly watching the numbers change indicating his ascent.

 

He strides down the corridor humming a tune, his footsteps muffled by the carpeting. It's only when Kyungsoo stops in front of the room that he realises what exactly has been bothering him. He stares in dismay at the golden numbers painted on the wooden door.

 

Oh.

 

Taking a few deep breaths, Kyungsoo calms himself down. It's just an awkward encounter. He braces himself and knocks on the door. Three seconds later, the door opens and Kyungsoo is standing face to face to the guy from yesterday (who is, thankfully, fully clothed this time round). 

 

"Oh. It's you," the guy's face lights up in recognition. "Kyungsoo-ssi," he reads off the silver nametag pinned on Kyungsoo's left chest. (Kyungsoo really really hates the hotel management for making nametags a compulsory part of their uniform.) "Nice to meet you again, I'm Kim Jongin."

 

"Yeah. Nice to meet you too," Kyungsoo lies perfunctorily. Because if he'd rather be anywhere at that time except in front of Room 1307 talking to Kim Jongin.  He thinks it's better to get it over and done with rather than linger and prolong the awkwardness for more than necessary. "So, you needed this?" He holds out the roll of toilet paper. 

 

"Ahh. Yeah, I did. Thanks." Jongin takes the roll with a smile. Their fingers brush lightly against each other and Kyungsoo shudders. The jolt of electricity that he felt at the contact cannot be good.

 

"So um yeah that's it I hope you enjoy your toilet paper goodbye," Kyungsoo rambles and leaves before Jongin has a chance to say a word.

 

His heart is thumping loudly in his chest and he stalks off to the lobby, rapidly pressing the lift button. 

 

Did I just tell him to enjoy his toilet paper? Kyungsoo mentally facepalms. He is saved from further mortification by a clear and crisp 'ding' in indication that the lift has arrived.

 

Kyungsoo thinks that maybe superstitious people have a point, because getting assigned to the 13th floor is unluckier than he previously thought. 

 

-

 

The next few days, Kyungsoo gets utterly baffled. It simply cannot be coincidental that Room 1307 somehow has special requests every single day. That guy can't be that picky. He sighs. And all that time Kyungsoo thought Kim Jongin was a pretty okay guy. Maybe he misjudged him after all. 

 

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes after hearing what Junmyeon tells him. This time, apparently, Jongin needs a tube of toothpaste. 

 

"I wonder how his mother puts up with him," mutters Kyungsoo, as he goes into the storeroom to retrieve a tube of toothpaste that was asked for by Almighty Kim Jongin (complete with eye roll and air quotes).

 

"Oh, dammit. Just got to be my luck, huh?" he curses. Apparently the hotel storeroom has run out of toothpaste as well (which is pretty unbelievable to Kyungsoo, since the storeroom never runs out of anything―it's like Doraemon's Pocket). When he complains about it to Junmyeon, though, the latter just raises an eyebrow and tells him to go buy one himself at the corner store.

 

"With my own money?!" Kyungsoo shrieks in disbelief. No. Never. He loves his hard-earned pay too much to spend them on an undeserving slavedriver tyrant bossypants like Jongin. 

 

"Well, why don't you use mine then?" Junmyeon scoffs, and Kyungsoo frowns. 

 

“Yeah, well, why not?" he challenges.

 

"Because I'm not the one who's assigned to the 13th floor." Junmyeon replies obnoxiously, which makes Kyungsoo feel the tiniest bit of an urge to punch him in the face (but Kyungsoo does not, because he is a civilised human being, thank you very much.)

 

"Let him brush his teeth without any toothpaste then, like I care. I am not going to walk 10 miles for him in this freezing cold weather just to get him a tube of toothpaste," snaps Kyungsoo in annoyance.

 

Junmyeon laughs. Kyungsoo hates his laugh. It is highly condescending and makes Kyungsoo feel like a five year-old. 

 

"This concerns the reputation of Park Hyatt, you idiot. It's not just about you," says Junmyeon. And with that, Kyungsoo knows that he is defeated. Reputation is everything for a hotel, and especially such an esteemed one like the Park Hyatt. "Plus, you're overexaggerating. The corner store is just down the street and this 18 degree temperature hardly qualifies as 'freezing cold weather'." Kyungsoo's pretty sure that the prefix 'over' is redundant, but he doesn't say it.

 

Kyungsoo sulks, still leaning on the counter and not making a move. 

 

Junmyeon sighs exasperatedly. "It's just a few bucks, Kyungsoo. Don't be so stingy. Anyway, you can claim it from the finance manager sometime provided you keep the receipt." 

 

With that, Kyungsoo sighs dramatically as if he has just agreed to do a huge favour (which in his own opinion, he has), and drags his feet towards the hotel's big sliding doors.

 

"Oh, and he requested for Colgate Total Professional Clean!" hollers Junmyeon, face hidden behind the computer screen. Kyungsoo stifles a muffled groan of frustration.

 

He's pretty sure he hates Jongin even more than he already does.

 

He's also pretty sure that the number 13 has just become the bane of his existence.

 

-

 

"Hey Kyungsoo, room 1307 asked for someone to help him boil water," calls out Junmyeon as Kyungsoo just as much passes his line of vision. Kyungsoo doesn't know how the hell he does it; he's pretty sure Junmyeon's eyes have not so much thrown a glance in his direction. Maybe he has eyes on the top of his head, Kyungsoo muses, as he approaches the counter.

 

"Not again," laments Kyungsoo, leaning on the counter with his elbow. "Can't you just send someone else to do it?" 

 

"Nope, it's your floor, Kyungsoo. You've been assigned to it." Tap. Tap. Tap. Kyungsoo wonders if Junmyeon is really always that busy working or if he's busy doing something else. Feeling bold, he leans forward to look at the screen, only to see Junmyeon hurriedly minimising the window before he could even catch a glimpse of it. Junmyeon shoots him death glares and Kyungsoo gulps.

 

"But, I, I―" Kyungsoo stutters, trying to think of a reasonable excuse other than I'm pissed at this guy whom I accidentally saw half- the other day and he is an arrogant prick and I bet he sends me to his room just to revel in watching me suffer but fails miserably.

 

"Besides," Junmyeon interrupts, hitting the 'Enter' key with a flourish and finally looking up, "you've never complained about being assigned to the 13th floor, nor about people having weird requests. This is part and parcel of your job, and you know it."

 

"Yeah, but―"

 

"So no complaints, then. Bye." Junmyeon dismisses him with a wave of his hand. Kyungsoo sulks as he drags his feet towards the lift, dreading more than ever about pressing the '13'. He walks as slowly as he possibly can to the all-too-familiar room in the middle of the corridor. 

 

Be brave, Kyungsoo. Be brave.

 

Kyungsoo lifts up a fist and knocks three times. The door opens, and Kyungsoo is face to face with a smiling Jongin. He's wearing a polo tee and jeans. Looking good, Kyungsoo thinks, before mentally slapping himself. He cannot have such thoughts about a hotel guest. Absolutely not. Nuh-uh. Especially not one whom he had accidentally walked in on not more than a week ago. 

 

Kyungsoo reconsiders and decides that he looks really stupid.

 

"Thanks for coming. It's kind of embarrassing, you know, but I don't know how to operate the electric water boiler," Jongin says sheepishly, scratching his neck.

 

Kyungsoo gives him a once over with distaste. Obviously you don't. Look at you. He takes the electric water boiler to the sink and fills it up, conscious of the pair of eyes watching him as he moved, but he tries his best to ignore them. 

 

And then, as Kyungsoo connects the plug to the power supply, he decides to put a stop to this nonsense once and for all. He is a hotel cleaner, yes, but not a servant, and he definitely is not going to be at Kim Jongin's beck and call. 

 

"Stop it," he demands.

 

"Stop what?" Jongin opens his eyes wide; he doesn't know what Kyungsoo is referring to. 

 

"Ordering me about and all that. Why do you have to have special requests every other day? Do you think it's funny? Do you think I can be ordered about so easily? Just because you're a rich guest that wallows in money and can afford to stay in a luxurious deluxe suite and I'm a hotel cleaner doesn't mean you have the right to order me about!" Kyungsoo explodes. Jongin takes a step back, alarmed. Kyungsoo can be really scary once he's blown his fuse.

 

"I even paid for your stupid toothpaste with my own money, dammit! And I've lost the receipt and now I can't claim back the 2,300 won!" raves Kyungsoo. 

 

"I'm so sorry, Kyungsoo," Jongin begins and Kyungsoo notes indignantly that he has dropped the honorifics, "but, well, the reason I kind of kept asking you to do things is because... Because, well. I kind of like you," he confesses.

 

Kind of?

 

"No―I mean, I really like you," Jongin quickly corrects, as if he can read Kyungsoo's thoughts. The latter narrows his eyes skeptically.

 

"Tasking your love interest to do stuff for you is hardly the best way to pursue him," he huffs. 

 

"But I, I didn't know how else to talk to you. I wanted to see more of you, you know, after the day you barged into my room." (And my life as well, he wants to add, but decides not to.) Kyungsoo is listening with furrowed eyebrows.

 

"I know I messed up really bad, but I really do like you. Won't you give me another chance? I'll try my best, I promise," says Jongin with the utmost sincerity.

 

"Prove it."

 

And before he knows it, Jongin's lips are pressed against his own, in a chaste kiss.

 

Somebody hold me now, Kyungsoo thinks, as they break apart after a short while.

 

"Well, I guess I can give it a shot," he says tentatively, and Jongin smiles like he's just won the lottery. Kyungsoo smiles as well, and Jongin pulls him in for another long, slow kiss.

 

Kyungsoo thinks that maybe the number 13 isn't so unlucky after all. 

 

---

A/N:

So, first time writing in the present tense. It's not too bad after all! :D 

And yeah, this is just one of the many crack fic ideas (I've realised that there aren't much hotel fics around so I thought I'd give it a shot.) Very short though. Boo. I should learn how to elongate my chapters (Short chapters make me feel insecure ;_;)

And. Yeah. Thanks for reading :3 (Finally a short a/n whoohoo)

(On a side note, I'm working on a Baekyeol for now. Yeah. Too much Kaisoo and Xiuhan for me ;w;)