A/N: A brief warning, there's some swearing in this chapter but it's all meant in good humour so I apologise if it offends you. I have * the swear words, just in case.

- A beep -

- Another beep -

- A curse word -

- Another beep -

- A sluggish hand struggled to reach for the noisy object -

- Another beep -

- Another curse word -

- A final beep -

Seunghyun flicked the phone open and grumbled something about not missing the stupid thing when he noticed that the beep wasn’t in actual fact from said noisy object.

“NOOOOO!!!!!” He screamed as he stumbled to get up from his bed. It was a phone call and unfortunately for Seunghyun he’d slept straight through his alarm. Without looking at the caller ID he put the phone to his ear and sighed when a familiar voice teased

“Missed our alarm did we?”

“Jiyong!!” Seunghyun gasped like a fish out of water and snapped a hand up to his thudding chest. “What in the hell-”

“Well~” Jiyong’s too-chirpy-for-this-time-in-the-morning voice practically sang over Seunghyun from the other end of the phone. “You should be thanking me”

“What for?” Seunghyun had just about managed to recuperate from his near death experience and shakily asked “Giving me a heart attack?!”

“You sound so cute when you’re angry~” Jiyong continued to tease although the sound of his sing-song voice only calmed Seunghyun’s raging heartbeat down, exactly when he wanted to feel the exact opposite. “Well if I didn’t call you you’d still be fast asleep. So anyway I didn’t call you to argue, you should get dressed and ready”

“Yeah…” Seunghyun sighed as a new feeling of nervousness crept over him, what if he was late? What if he got lost? He’d never heard of this place before let alone travelled there. And what about the train? Would he make that on time? As if right on cue with Seunghyun’s thoughts Jiyong tutted

“You’re going to be amazing, O.K? So hurry up, its cold out here”

“What?” Seunghyun almost dropped the phone from his hand and ran straight over to his window, he fought with the curtains for a few minutes before he could look outside.

Idiot. Seunghyun cursed when his back garden popped into view. “You’re outside?!”

“Yes now hurry up!” And with a small chuckle Jiyong hung up. Seunghyun automatically switched into panic mode and with lightening ninja speed he started to get ready.

“Its fine” A voice called from behind Seunghyun as he adjusted a new baby blue tie against his crisp white shirt (he should give Mihyun all the credit for choosing them) and peered into the mirror in front.

“Are you sure?” Seunghyun tried to ignore Jiyong’s presence in his bedroom but with a small slide of his foot scooted the white cardboard box under his bed. For a moment he pretended to be preoccupied by the appearance of his reflection, though once the box was successfully out of Jiyong’s view Seunghyun glanced up at the wonderfully smiling man and offered him a slight shy grin. Jiyong was stood just behind him, arms folded over his chest and eyes a little wider than normal.

“Yes!” A pair of gentle hands slipped around Seunghyun’s waist and Jiyong sighed into the worried man’s neck. “You smell so good. I was wondering if you were ever going to let me in…”

“Sorry” Seunghyun adjusted the tie just one more time and tried not to redden at the compliment. “Who let you in?”

“Mihyun, she’s got today off so she’s spending it with Dae” Jiyong nonchalantly replied still breathing on Seunghyun’s neck, it tickled so much but he didn’t want to push Jiyong away. “Apparently they’re taking a train to the beach or something” The tickle from Jiyong’s light breaths made Seunghyun shiver with so much delight that he totally missed what Jiyong was saying. Closing his eyes Seunghyun tried to forget about the surge of tingling goosebumps which threatened to make his knees cave in, he felt that bizarre rush again. Just what was that feeling?

“Anyway, you said the interview is at 9:30 didn’t you?” Jiyong’s question and the sudden air between their bodies allowed Seunghyun to fall back into reality. He opened his eyes and noticed that Jiyong was picking up a black blazer which Seunghyun had hung on his wardrobe door the night before. He felt cold from the lack of touch and instantly wrapped his own arms around himself, trying to capture the residue of Jiyong’s warmth.

“Yeah” Seunghyun nodded taking a minute more to collect himself, he reminded himself that he needed to breathe, just keep breathing Seunghyun, you’ve got this.

“I can’t believe how smart you look” Jiyong’s still leisurely tone seemed to light up the rest of Seunghyun’s bedroom, he smiled at the cheesy thought. “But I’m being serious when I say black does not match light blue and white” Jiyong laughed and Seunghyun looked away rather embarrassed but extremely happy. “You should’ve chosen a black shirt, black blazer and light blue tie. Or” Seunghyun’s eyes returned to Jiyong in anticipation of what he was about to say. “You should have chosen blue tie, white shirt, cream blazer” He nodded as if he was pleased with his thoughts.

“Well I would’ve asked for your advice” Seunghyun spoke before his mind could think the sentence through and Jiyong quickly looked up at him, his content expression verged on becoming a look of sadness. “What I mean is” Seunghyun anxiously cleared his throat. “I’m not taking clothing advice from someone who wears white, pink and orange all in one outfit” He paced over to Jiyong and snatched the blazer from his hands. “You look like some sort of marshmallow mixed with, I don’t know, an orange?” Gesturing at Jiyong’s pink and white striped vest which had been strangely paired with some luminous orange skinny jeans, a white cardigan and lord knows what his shoes looked like.

“That’s original” Jiyong tried to sound annoyed but he swiftly bubbled over into the softest bundle of giggles that Seunghyun had ever seen. It didn’t take long for Seunghyun to laugh as well and he tossed the stupid blazer over his shoulder and onto his bed.

“I guess that’s what you could your style” Seunghyun jested through chuckles. “I mean I personally would call it crazy or silly looking but then I guess, well, it matches your personality” He took a couple of steps back before Jiyong went to punch him. “Missed” Seunghyun playfully pointed out as he turned around to put his blazer on. That was a huge mistake. Some arms and legs latched themselves onto Seunghyun’s neck and waist, the sort of light weight Jiyong clung onto him like a backpack, except Seunghyun wasn’t expecting this and fell forwards onto his blazer and bed.

“Didn’t” Jiyong retorted whilst covering the back of Seunghyun’s wiggling head with kisses.

“Mhhmmnnn” Seunghyun eloquently replied as he attempted to shift his head from eating his duvet. He twisted around and caught Jiyong in between his own arms.

“Exactly” Jiyong smirked seemingly smug by the supposed win. A plan of attack and revenge stirred in Seunghyun’s mind although before he could put any sort of plan into action Jiyong reached forward and kissed him.

The force of this kiss felt different, it wasn’t pressured and felt remarkably fresh. Seunghyun had no idea that you could kiss one person in so many different ways and this pleasant discovery caused him to try and speak but only a small mumble escaped him. Jiyong’s lips were so warm but slippery from what tasted like a cherry gloss, if Seunghyun didn’t know any better he might’ve thought that he was kissing a girl though the enigma of Jiyong soon put an end to that thought and he roughly grabbed at Seunghyun’s shoulders.

This was one of things Seunghyun realised that he loved so deeply about Jiyong, the guy truly was a marvel to behold and to try and define him with words, with explanations, was utterly useless. Being with Jiyong, no matter where they were, was an experience something that you just couldn’t shake from your brain even if you wanted to. It was this experience in living which Jiyong appeared to so effortlessly do that amazed Seunghyun. He loved how Jiyong could make him feel things without even realising it, with no prior knowledge on how Seunghyun liked to be held, hugged, or kissed, Jiyong seemed to just do it all naturally. As corny as it might sound Seunghyun couldn’t possibly imagine kissing anyone else and the warm fuzz which emanated from him made Seunghyun finally happy to just be alive. It was a fascinating feeling, how someone can bring you back to life, can bring you back from the ground and push you to higher places.

It was the cold which blew against his lips from the air when the two separated that Seunghyun realised he’d closed his eyes and barely responded to Jiyong’s soft caresses. He tried to smile but felt weak by the sudden wealth of emotion, especially when Jiyong looked down at him with such a beautiful smile that Seunghyun was honestly breathless. It was of no consequence that they were just on the edge of Seunghyun’s bed and that his back felt rather achy from the strange positioning, nor did it matter that Jiyong was pretty much sat on his waist with his arms now resting against the sides of Seunghyun’s spinning head, no nothing mattered when Jiyong looked this fantastic.

“You’re so beautiful” Seunghyun gushed as he sat up and brushed a quick hand through Jiyong’s cotton-soft fringe.

“Thank you” Jiyong’s cheeks blushed with that beautiful shade of rose Seunghyun loved so much. “And you look rather stunning yourself” They both smiled, matching the other with the same warmth and intensity.

“Why thank you” Seunghyun joked with a wiggle of his eyebrows which caused Jiyong to laugh, but not too hard. A flicker of concern seemed to soon lower his lips

“Seunghyun” Jiyong gently called though there was no need as Seunghyun was already perfectly close to him.

“What’s wrong?” Seunghyun asked lowering his hands to Jiyong’s sides to keep him held there, Jiyong responded by holding Seunghyun’s shoulders again. No matter how they sat, Seunghyun thought, they seemed to ideally fit together and it was comfortable.

“I want to commit to you” Jiyong spoke in that lovely coded voice of his and Seunghyun frowned.

“What do you mean?”

“I just, if you’re free this evening, to celebrate your new job, I want to” Jiyong paused to inhale a deep breath as his hands shook on Seunghyun’s shoulders. “Seunghyun Choi will go on a date with me?”

“A date?” Seunghyun puzzled “Isn’t it a bit late for that?” He tried to laugh the question off as an abstract feeling tugged at his already nervous insides.

“I mean” Jiyong anxiously laughed too. “I want to go on a proper date with you as boyfriend and boyfriend, well only if you want to”

Boyfriend and boyfriend.

It didn’t sound as weird as it should and Seunghyun grinned at just how wonderful the words echoed around in his head.

“I want us to be official” There was something so vulnerable about Jiyong’s voice as he said the word official and it made Seunghyun want to cry, but of course that would be silly.

“So you’re my boyfriend?” Seunghyun idly repeated out loud “My boyfriend” He repeated loving the little kick that boosted him up every time he spoke it.

“If that’s alright with you” Jiyong started to nervously nibble the middle of his bottom lip.

“That’s more than alright with me” Seunghyun’s grin widened when Jiyong simply returned his smile. “Boyfriend” He whispered as he leaned in closer to his boyfriend and gently kissed him. He could feel Jiyong’s smile through the kiss and Seunghyun wondered if it was possible to die from happiness. Hopefully it wasn’t because he didn’t want anything to end yet, he was so ready to live now. When he pulled away from the kiss Seunghyun took a minute to absorb all of Jiyong’s glowing features, everything about him was just so precious and beautiful. “And I’d love to go on a date with you, anywhere you go I’ll go” He added before carefully kissing the tip of Jiyong’s nose.

“Brilliant!” Jiyong leaned away and raised an arm into the air in sheer excitement. “I’ll arrange everything” He stood up and held Seunghyun’s hands as he pulled the taller from his bed.

“O.K” Seunghyun still smiled and just allowed Jiyong to drag him half way across the room. “It’ll be nice to have something to look forward too” He didn’t want to put a damper on the joyful moment but he couldn’t help it, he was still completely nervous.

“Now come on” Jiyong released his grip and returned to Seunghyun’s bed, scooping the surprisingly unwrinkled blazer up into his hands. “Your Mama’s still home and she insisted that I bring you down for breakfast before you leave or forget” He resumed a one handed grip on Seunghyun’s wrist though as they walked his hand slipped into Seunghyun’s.

Staring down at the small dish of rice accompanied by a ton of unnecessary meat and vegetables dishes, Seunghyun shook his head. Trust his Ma to go insane just before his job interview, he thought, as he eyed up the different foods. Seunghyun’s Ma was stood the other side of kitchen counter and she was washing up but not without the help of her trusty kitchen assistant who Seunghyun kept unintentionally watching.

Jiyong looked so carefree and confident as he enthusiastically chatted away to Seunghyun’s Ma, it was almost as if the pair got on too well. Seunghyun gulped and tried to eat something, knowing that if he didn’t he’d probably get double the scolding. He listened in on their conversation as he ate

“It’s amazing how much healthier a meal can be if you just boil it properly rather than use all those hideously disgusting oils all the time” Seunghyun’s Ma was ranting about cooking but not because she hated it, it was because she so passionate about it. Seunghyun fondly remembered how his Pa had taught her cook and tried to share that same passion with his children, who hated cooking, well not hated, they just simply couldn’t be bothered to learn.

“Definitely” Jiyong replied “I’d love to have a garden where I could grow most of my own food and live a little bit more naturally” He bobbed his beautiful head up and down as he easily wiped a pan over with a dry dishcloth.

“Really?” Seunghyun’s Ma couldn’t hide her surprise “I’ll have to show you our garden! Seunghyun’s Father started it as a little hobby and after a while I couldn’t help myself, you just have to get stuck in. Seunghyun used to try and help, bless him, but he was pretty useless, ended up keeping the watering can company most of the time…” Said child almost choked on a mouthful of orange juice and he incredulously raised his gaze to the pair of smirking cleaners. Luckily Seunghyun managed to swallow the mouthful before he said

“And that’s why I never offer to help you anymore” He huffed then tried his best to hide his humiliation by looking back down at his food. Obviously that plan failed miserably and a flood of high pitched laughter filled the room.

“I’m sure the watering can needed looking after” Jiyong tried to sympathise and diffuse the argument with a shiny smirk.

“Of course” Seunghyun huffed acting as if he wasn’t smiling, which he was so much so that his cheeks started to hurt.

Summer was definitely coming to an end and Seunghyun could feel the breezy chill whizz past his ears as Jiyong stood beside him at the subway station. They were catching the next metro train to Itaewon which was where Keys Bookstore was located and according to Jiyong (well actually his mobile phone) it would only take them up to ten minutes until they arrived. Although the journey would be relatively short they still had to wait for the actual train to arrive. Seunghyun nervously shifted about and every few minutes or so Jiyong would squeeze their held hands to try and calm his pacing boyfriend down. Seunghyun was about to pace for what must’ve been the tenth time when he felt his pocket buzz, the repeated intruding beeps from this morning caused him to rush to get the noisy thing out of his pocket and he flicked it up to his ear (nearly smacking his face in the process, real smooth Seunghyun…).

“Hello?” He wheezed with an uneasy feeling still upsetting his stomach.

“Yunnie!” The all too familiar voice of Dami sang, Seunghyun wanted to smack his forehead for being so stupid as it was so blooming obvious just how alike her and her Brother sounded, said Brother was currently eyeing him up suspiciously. Oh god. Now wasn’t the time for this.

“Hello there~” Seunghyun tried to sing back but failed miserably when his voice cracked, he had no idea what to do right now.

“Yon Bon~ Come and say hello to Big Hyun!” A little snort reverberated down the phone line.

“Yunnieeeeee!!” Yonghyun burst and gargled something to Seunghyun which he didn’t quite catch.

“Little Hyun! How is my little man?” Seunghyun tried to look in the opposite direction of Jiyong but their hands were still firmly held together.

“Good luck!!!” Yonghyun started to sing along with Dami.

“Yeah Seung-ah, good luck from both of us~ I won’t keep you too long but we just wanted to talk to you before your interview, are you nervous?” Dami took over and Seunghyun could hear that click which meant that he was no longer on speaker.

“A little” Seunghyun gulped “Don’t worry about me though, how are you guys?”

“We’re alright” Dami sighed. “Do you fancy doing something tomorrow? I’ve been given the whole week off” She sounded marginally happy from saying that out loud.

“Sure, sure” Seunghyun nodded even though she couldn’t see him. “Is it alright if I bring someone?” He braved a look at Jiyong who looked oddly indifferent now and was preoccupied by something on his phone.

“Aww has our Yunnie met someone?” Dami cooed instantly making Seunghyun blush, he cleared his throat, now was definitely not the time for that.

“Maybe” Seunghyun tried to keep his voice neutral as an idea struck in his head like a massive light bulb.

“Aww~ That’s wonderful, we can’t wait to meet them!” Dami cheered and two minutes later a tiny voice cheered too. “Well we better leave you alone, enjoy your lovely job interview and we love you loads!” Yonghyun cheered again in the background.

“Thank you, have a lovely day yourselves and I love you both too” Seunghyun found himself smiling as he hung up the phone although the new look that he was met with instantly wiped it from his face. At some point during the phone call Jiyong had let go of Seunghyun’s hand and the latter didn’t notice. An uncharacteristic scowl looked at Seunghyun as if he’d done something wrong.

“Who was that?” Jiyong’s voice sounded a lot lighter than what it was supposed to and he gulped.

“Just my cousin” Seunghyun lied, he had to figure out a way for this to work and it just couldn’t simply go wrong, it had to work for both of sibling’s sakes. He needed time to think.

“Oh?” Jiyong emphasised the “Oh” with a thoughtful pout. This look always made Seunghyun want to kiss him but he restrained himself.

“Yeah just calling to wish me good luck” Seunghyun anxiously itched at his Adam’s apple.

“I thought you said that you didn’t have any other family here in Korea? You mentioned an Aunt once but doesn’t she live in Thailand?”

Oh bugger. Bugger, blast, damn, crap, crud, sh*t!!

Seunghyun had never realised that Jiyong was such a good listener and seemed to remember every little thing.

“Yeah it was her” He looked away and started pleading with the sky to send him a train.

“So your Aunt, who you said you haven’t spoken to in years, just decided to call you up and wish you good luck for a job interview?” Jiyong still looked worried and Seunghyun tried to gulp down his nerves.

“Yup” Seunghyun nearly jumped with joy when a train pulled up and the announcer’s voice bounced around them, letting them know that this was their train. “Oh look it’s a train!” Reaching for Jiyong’s hand and holding it with his own (Jiyong tried to look annoyed but couldn’t quite pull it off once their hands were holding) Seunghyun tugged his boyfriend onto the train.

“Well duh…” Jiyong sarcastically muttered from behind as they sat down in the nearest seats that they could find. Normally Seunghyun would’ve laughed at Jiyong’s slight attitude but he was still too nervous.

Two more stations left, the voice signalled throughout the train. At the last station Seunghyun and Jiyong had offered their seats to an elderly couple and were presently stood in a little gap between the carriages, pressed up against the doors. Seunghyun was leaning against the corner of the bay with one hand tightly locked onto a yellow bar handle and the other still held in Jiyong’s. His face was white with fright and he tried to keep breathing, though it was exhausting. This was Seunghyun’s first time on the subway and though he had been on trains before there was something extra smothering about the metro. There was something stifling about the absolutely packed carriages, filled to the brim with suits and skirts on their way to work. To be honest Seunghyun definitely felt overwhelmed but it wasn’t all due to the insane amount of people, it was because he was on his way to work. He was on his way to getting a job. Now Seunghyun promised himself that he wouldn’t get his hopes up, and even if he didn’t get this job, he realised that he’d simply missed being around people. Just existing in someone else’s life, a fleeting thought or stare, you were a part of something, a piece of thread weaving your way into the fabric of society. It felt nice to just be a part of nothing, a part of the drudge of an everyday existence, and a part of life.

Seunghyun was quite happily soaking up the atmosphere of sweaty people and rustling newspapers when he felt a hand clamp around his only free hand. He gazed back to the touch and smiled

“I don’t really like trains” Jiyong confessed in a small whisper.

“Me neither” Seunghyun reassuringly brushed a thumb along Jiyong’s as he kept a hold of the yellow bar. “Ji, what are you going to do all day?” An abrupt thought seemed to knock all the fluffy feelings from Seunghyun’s head and he started to panic. “I mean, have you ever been to Itaewon before? What will you do? Are you going back home? Or-”

“Shh” For the first time since Seunghyun’s phone call to Dami Jiyong laughed. “I’m a big boy I can look after myself” He giggled some more before adding “I’ve brought my camera with me so I’ll just wander around. Oh and I have my phone on me so you can let me know when you’re finished and we can travel back together” It kind of sounded like Jiyong had planned this explanation to go smoother so when it didn’t he huffed and looked a little discouraged.

“Sounds amazing but please be careful” Seunghyun squeezed both of Jiyong’s hands and at that exact moment the voice announced that they were here.

Itaewon was strange place to Seunghyun, unlike his home which was further in the city, this place felt more lively and compact. Both he and Jiyong looked around like lost but excited children as they left the subway station, taking in all the bright manic colours and lively shops. Before Seunghyun could wander off Jiyong anchored him by holding onto his hand and tugged him backwards causing Seunghyun to look back at him in protest.

“I’ve got a map” Jiyong simply reasoned as he pulled out his phone. “We’ve got to head straight and keep going until we see a souvenir shop, apparently our bookshop is just down that street” Now Jiyong took a few steps forward and pulled Seunghyun off into the bustling streets.

It was exciting, they passed several street stalls and crowds of people roaming around the different streets, shops dotted along nearly every single road and the place was filled with Tourists and Koreans alike. Everything seemed so cohesive and together although at the same time all the shops were mismatched, the people were varying flashes of colour, and most of the buildings looked a little old. This should’ve made Seunghyun feel uneasy, feel even more overwhelmed than what he had done on the train, but it didn’t. He only felt a natural curiosity to see everything and if it hadn’t been for Jiyong tugging him off into the right direction Seunghyun would probably be lost by now.

The pair had been walking for about five minutes now and Seunghyun wanted to give in, return home and mope about feeling lost. On the other hand, Jiyong was not going to give up so easily (Seunghyun thought of two reasons as to why: 1) Jiyong’s a resilient little bugger or 2) He didn’t want to admit that his smart phone just may not be that smart after all).

It wasn’t long before Seunghyun was mocked for being such a whinger and a smug self-satisfied smile let him know that they were close. Jiyong nearly skipped off down the street but now it was Seunghyun’s turn to hold him back and keep him close.

“See I told you, we just had to go left instead of straight” Jiyong shrugged and swung their held hands in the air between them.

“Alright Mr. Know it all” Seunghyun huffed watching as the souvenir shop popped up into view.

“That’s the one, now we just have to right, cross the road and ta-dar!” O.K so Jiyong was skipping now. “I’m so glad I updated my map app last night” He laughed at what must’ve been a disapproving look on Seunghyun’s face, the man had no idea though because he couldn’t see himself, not that he’d want to. Oh heck Seunghyun had no idea what he was thinking as all he could do was feel and the man felt terribly sick. “There it is!” Jiyong hummed as they crossed the empty road, well this looked promising, Seunghyun mumbled to himself.

“Keys” Seunghyun read aloud looking up at the bookstore’s dark wooden sign. His stomach took a turn for the worst and he felt as if he might faint. Jiyong must’ve noticed because he dragged Seunghyun to the side of the shop before saying

“You’re going to be amazing, you are amazing and I will see you later” He reached up and planted a swift kiss on Seunghyun’s lips.

“Thank you” Seunghyun nodded, truly it was Jiyong who was amazing as Seunghyun’s nerves seemed to melt at the man’s words.

“Oh and I uh-” Jiyong pulled a backpack off his shoulders and Seunghyun frowned, he didn’t even notice. “I made you this” He pulled what looked like a little blue bag out of his black backpack “It’s not much but hopefully you’ll be so busy working that you won’t have time to eat” Seunghyun carefully took the bag from Jiyong and opened it. It was one of those padded thermal lunchboxes and inside was a little tub of what looked like sandwiches, then on the top of the little tub was a small water bottle and an apple.

“Wow” Seunghyun breathed snapping the Velcro of the lunchbox back together. “No one’s made me a pack lunch since” The rest of his sentence fell into the chilly air between them.

“Since?” Jiyong looked as if he didn’t mean to push but his curiosity got the better of him and he returned the bag to his back.

“Well since my Pa” Seunghyun sighed. “Thank you so much for this Ji, its perfect” He beamed and scooped Jiyong up into a massive hug.

“Seunghyun…” Jiyong breathed as he was placed back on the ground.

“You’re perfect” Now it was Seunghyun’s turn to give his boyfriend a little sweet kiss. “And behave yourself today, I don’t want you to get into any trouble, and I definitely don’t want to be searching for you all night. Oh I better go” He gave Jiyong one last kiss and took a step back towards the shop. Just as he was about to turn back to face the shop Jiyong called out to him

“I’ll make you lunch for the rest of your life!!” He spoke with so much passion and love that Seunghyun couldn’t help but laugh at how silly that sentence sounded.

“Good!” Seunghyun released a small chuckle, not wanting to offend Jiyong. “Because I can’t cook!” This got a sharp laugh from Jiyong and with that Seunghyun turned to face the shop. A set of hands lightly pushed his back nearer the door but before Seunghyun could capture the mischief maker Jiyong had crossed the road and was now sticking his tongue out at Seunghyun. “You just wait Jiyong Kwon…” He laughed as he took one last step up to the shops front door.

The shop itself looked really appealing with its big windows and fancy red door, Seunghyun couldn’t wait, he quickly opened it and entered. What Seunghyun was greeted by would be forever ingrained into his memory; a small white haired man was up a ladder ordering a misbehaving book to stay on the highest shelf, but it wouldn’t and with every fall a strong curse word would escape the man’s pursed mouth. Seunghyun had no idea what to do, should he call to the man and ask him if he needed any help? Or should he just wait quietly until the man was finished swearing at the book and the shelf?

Seunghyun didn’t get to answer his own questions because before he could the white haired man the ladder and asked

“Are you here for the –ing hell- interview?”

“Yes- yes I am” Seunghyun just about managed to stumble out with.

“Well you’re hired, congratulations” He turned back to the shelf “B*stard book – stay on the goddamn shelf!” You what? Seunghyun had been hired just like that?!

“Erm, excuse me Sir but uh, what about the interview?” He had to ask.

“You’re the only person who – – I bothered to phone, my Son showed me your online profile and so – – seriously?!” He gave the book one last shove then gave up and left the book to free fall. Luckily Seunghyun shifted out of the way before the book fell to the floor, it landed just a couple of inches away from him, and he sighed in relief.  “No one wants to read anymore, what with their fancy electronic readers and computers…”

“So I definitely have a job?” Seunghyun had to double check, the white haired man was a little odd but if he meant what he said then, well, Seunghyun could get used to him, he’d have to.

“If you want it” The man climbed down the ladder, his heels then grabbed Seunghyun by the arms. “You’re a sturdy young thing, I’m a sturdy old thing, we’ll be good for each other” He gently pinched Seunghyun’s elbows then pulled back, taking a minute to scan his new worker. “What’s your name Son?”

“Seunghyun, Seunghyun Choi Sir” Said sturdy young thing bowed in respect.

“Nice name. Well Seunghyun, Seunghyun Choi Sir, my name is Jaesoo Lee but you can call me Sir, boss, oh great one or Mr. Lee. Any of those will do” The man throatily chuckled which left Seunghyun to wonder whether he should laugh as well or run as fast as he could out of the door to find Jiyong and never return.

“Oh great one it is then” Seunghyun chose to laugh instead.

“Don’t laugh” Mr. Lee abruptly stopped laughing and eyed Seunghyun up “You laugh when I tell you to laugh boy”

“Sorry Sir” Seunghyun gulped, just what was this guy’s deal? He felt like he was being told off by a strict parent.

“I’m only kidding!” Mr. Lee laughed whilst gruffly slapping Seunghyun on the back, he pinched the latter’s shoulder and led the worried man further into the shop. “I just had to test you, don’t worry you’ll get used to my sense of -” He paused when a loud crash came from the back of the shop. “Son, do you want to start work today?” They stopped walking, stood sandwiched between two rather close bookshelves.

“Sure” Seunghyun nervously replied. “But what was that noise?” He cranked his neck in an effort to look sideways at the noise though he couldn’t see a thing down the small corridor of bookcases.

“Well Son, that’s our first job of the day” Mr. Lee shot Seunghyun a rather sympathetic look.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Anxious eyes returned to Mr. Lee “Surely there’s some sort of protocol that I have to go through, some questions or something?”

“Son there’s no time like the present to learn. Come on, I like you, you’ll do well here…” Mr. Lee smiled and led Seunghyun towards the noise. “You like books don’t you?”

“Well yeah but I -”

“Well that’s that, come on” And that put an end to that question.

To be honest Seunghyun wished that he’d never asked about the noise because now he thoroughly regretted it. The place had a simple layout; in the front of the shop you had your basic four walls which were lined with bookshelves and stacked up to an impossible height. In the middle of the shop sat an ancient till and directly opposite that, to your right, stood a long corridor of bookcases which, when followed, led you further into the shop. This place was known as the back or the heart of the shop, as Mr. Lee liked to call it, and its layout was a little more complicated. The room was an L shape but sat in the middle of all the bookshelves and cases were a couple of antique looking deep red sofas. What the noise was became blatantly obvious once they turned into the corner of the L shaped room, a shelf had snapped and all its books had fallen to the ground.

Seunghyun and Mr. Lee spent a good hour or so trying to repair the old shelf and rearranging the books so that they’d fit back on the shelf. Once this task was completed the rest of the day simply consisted of Seunghyun getting used to his new surroundings, grappling the ropes and following Mr. Lee around like a lost lamb. He didn’t mind and actually as the day progressed he soon realised just how much he enjoyed the work. It didn’t even take him that long to adjust to Mr. Lee’s partially warped sense of humour and it wasn’t long before they were both sharing back and forth banter.

The day was swiftly coming to a close (earlier Seunghyun had taken a five minute break to eat Jiyong’s chicken sandwiches which were gorgeous by the way) and Mr. Lee soon informed him that they would be closing within the next hour, Seunghyun was currently at the till trying to figure out how to open it for the hundredth time and could only nod. He was afraid that if he spoke he’d swear and Seunghyun hardly ever swore, there was only one person to blame for this fear of a slippery tongue and that man was currently back up that ladder resuming his futile argument from earlier.

“This b*stard book! Why won’t you just do what I tell you? You little-” After a while you get used to the swearing but the funny thing was, you didn’t expect to hear it from such an old man. Seunghyun gave up with the till and merely looked on watching Mr. Lee’s little spat with a small smile. Throughout the day he’d learnt that Mr. Lee was quite a carefree man, apparently after the passing of his Japanese wife Mr. Lee freed himself from the monotonous drudge of everyday life (his words not Seunghyun’s) and pursued his lifelong dream of opening up a bookstore. Fast forward twenty years and here we are, Mr. Lee had kept his word and he’d singlehandedly kept this prestigious store in tip top shape. Those were also his words which caused Seunghyun to sigh, the place was sort of falling apart but that was just a part of its charm and Seunghyun could grow to like the fact that the place had a little history. It slowly made him feel at home.

Just as Seunghyun was laughing yet again at the old man’s swearing the bell above the bookstore door dinged signalling the fact that they had a customer. Mr. Lee ignored the door giving Seunghyun the feeling that he was currently on trial, he stood ridged behind the till ready to welcome the customer.

“Ugh I am so tired!” The male customer groaned as he closed the door then turned to approach the till. Seunghyun frowned instantly recognising him as the sweet barman from before, though his brown hair wasn’t spiked up today and his attire was casual. The guy seemed to perk up once he saw Seunghyun “Hey it’s you from the bar!” If only Seunghyun could remember his name…

“Hey” Seunghyun smiled feeling a little guilty.

“What’re you doing in here?” The guy ran a quick hand through his dishevelled hair in an obvious attempt to neaten himself up and coolly glanced around.

“I work here now” Seunghyun carried on smiling like a total goofball. “Are you looking for a particular book or-”

“Oh no!” The guy burst out laughing, he sounded a little croaky as if he’d just been exercising “I live here”

“Seunghyun is that you?!” Mr. Lee’s voice called from above.

“Yes” Both Seunghyun and the other guy replied. Wait, his name is Seunghyun too?

“Wow that’s just confusing” The guy awkwardly laughed “Hey you stole my name!”

“Did not!” Seunghyun shrugged “But didn’t you introduce yourself to me with a different name?” Now he was beyond confused.

“Yeah, Seungri” The guy cleared his throat “Appa I told you not to call me that anymore, I prefer Seungri! Plus this guy’s called Seunghyun too” Wait Seungri, the barman, was the Son who had pretty much given Seunghyun a job. He reminded himself to thank the guy later. Hang on…

“I know” Mr. Lee’s coarse laughter quickly bounced around the room. “I am going to have so much fun with this” He snickered from the ladder.

“I’d like to apologise for my Father’s existence” Seungri looked embarrassed but amused. “Though without him there would be no me so… I guess we can forgive him” Seunghyun laughed at this “You know seeing how he created perfection and all” Seungri simply shrugged then slung a gym bag from his shoulder to the floor.

“Pretty cocky aren’t you?” Seunghyun was still laughing at this guy, he found him completely hilarious.

“Yeah but there’s nothing wrong with a little bit of…” Seungri paused what he was saying then mouthed a word to Seunghyun which made the latter’s face flush. “And anyway, if you don’t believe in yourself who else will hey?” He shrugged again then grabbed his bag “I’m all sweaty and stuff so I’ll catch you later, don’t let him work you too hard”

“I can see that” Seunghyun immediately regretted those words but smirked when Seungri laughed.

“Are you flirting with me Mister?” Seungri coyly winked and left the room before Seunghyun could correct himself. Never mind, Seunghyun shrugged, it was all just a bit of playful banter.

An hour had barely passed before Mr. Lee decided to shut up the shop and Seunghyun was surprised when the owner wandered over to the till and immediately handed Seunghyun his first payment.

“Thank you Sir” Seunghyun bowed deeply as he accepted the money, it wasn’t much but it was the start of something brilliant, Seunghyun was sure of that.

“You did really well Seunghyun and I’m looking forward to working with you. Now remember be here 7:30AM sharp, I don’t like people who are late, oh and have a safe journey home!”

“I will be on time Sir and thank you once more!” Seunghyun grinned, he felt accomplished and utterly tired but it felt good and it was a different kind of feeling. Slipping the money into his trouser pocket Seunghyun bowed once more before heading out the door and taking out his phone from his other pocket. He smiled as he dialled Jiyong’s number from memory, well that was surprising.

“Hello!” Jiyong’s cheery voice burst through the piece of technology.

“I’ve just finished for the day and I got the job!” Seunghyun face split in biggest grin that he had ever felt.

“WOOHOO!!” Jiyong practically screamed Seunghyun into an early deafness. “See! I knew it! I knew it! So tell me everything, hang on, wait, wait for it” Seunghyun puzzled and looked off down the street, he couldn’t see anyone. “Ah, wait, shh” Then the call abruptly ended just as a pair of hands squeezed around Seunghyun. “I’m so proud of you!” The cheery voice of Jiyong sounded a lot better in person and Seunghyun couldn’t smile anymore even if he tried.

“Thanks” Seunghyun bashfully replied, unable to form any other response.

“Right so I’ve got our evening planned but I left something at mine so we’ll have to go back to my apartment. Oh along the way you have to tell me everything” Jiyong held the same hand from earlier and it felt as if Seunghyun hadn’t even been to work yet. “So what was it like? Is your new boss nice?” What felt like a million questions boomeranged around Seunghyun’s head and he felt a little dizzy from it all, as if this was just a dream and Jiyong wasn’t actually here. He sighed in relief when Jiyong’s grip on his hand tightened and he started to tell the wonderful story that was his day. Seunghyun told Jiyong all about the foul-mouthed boss who was so nice and playful he felt as if he was babysitting the man, the old shop and how it had nearly every single book imaginable and then finally the bosses Son. Mentioning the nice guy again Seunghyun had a little idea, call it cupid’s intuition.

Jiyong nodded at every single thing and the conversation sparked in such a way it made Seunghyun feel as if he’d just singlehandedly won the biggest battle of his life. He felt nothing but sheer bliss and soon excitement added an extra spring to his step as Seunghyun couldn’t wait to see what Jiyong had planned for their evening. Life could not be better right now and the past definitely made moments like this worthwhile.

For the first time in a long time Seunghyun could say that he truly felt happy and mean it with every beat of his heart.

We can be the kings and queens of anything if we believe,
It's written in the stars that shine above,
A world where you and I belong,
Where faith and love will keep us strong,
Exactly who we are is just enough,
There's a place for us, there's a place for us.

When the water meets the sky,
Where your heart is free and hope comes back to life,
When these broken hands are whole again,
We'll find what we've been waiting for,
We were made for so much more.

So hold on.

- Carrie Underwood's There's A Place For Us.