Hae’s POV 

(continuation from last chapter)

I’ve heard Hyukjae grumbling the name ‘Changmin’ before and I had asked him about it out of curiosity. His eye had twitched in distaste and he had seethed out that Changmin was like one of those crazy hyenas in the Lion King who couldn’t do anything better with his life so he chose, instead, to bring misery to others, especially Hyukjae. Or so he told me. With that in mind, it became a habit for me to automatically picture on of those crazily cackling hyenas whenever the name ‘Changmin’ came up. 

But here he was, standing in front of me, looking absolutely ordinary — I don’t mean that in a bad way.

He looked like what any other business man was supposed to look like, with his neatly combed hair, his fancy ironed suit, and a tie swinging lazily around his collar. 

What didn't seem to match, though, was what had just come out of his mouth a few seconds ago. 

I have to admit, it’s quite hilarious seeing someone refer to my best friend as ‘cutie’, and I’m sure if this man could see my best friend after a full night of playing Halo and Final Fantasy, he would probably reconsider that nickname. 

But I’m guessing Kyu didn’t find it all that funny, though, because instead of just his nose being red from Hyukjae’s punch, his entire face was flaming and he was even baring teeth like a rabid puppy ready to bite. From the corner of my eye, I thought I saw Hyukjae doing the same but my attention was focused on the two in front of me. 

Changmin raised an eyebrow, and the smirk he was wearing seemed to grow immensely as his gaze remained latched on Kyu. “Aw, sweetheart, don’t be so mean. I just wanna have a little fun is all Although, I wouldn't mind if you saved that feisty attitude for tonight,” he teased, spending another wink flying Kyu’s way. 

Tonight? I don’t get it. Was he talking about… oh… ohhhhh. Ew ew ew ew ewwwww. Why did he have to put that picture in my head? 

That seemed to be the limit for Kyu. 

He shot up from his perch on Hyukjae’s desk and grabbed my hand. He pinned another hateful glare at Changmin before storming out of the office, tugging me in jerky motions behind him. 

I glanced back to see that Changmin had his eyebrows raised at the unexpected situation, and it looked like he was going to follow us before Hyukjae came into view and slammed the door shut, leaving them both inside. 

I turned back in front when I felt Kyu come to an abrupt halt in front of Yongguk’s empty desk. He spun around so that we were facing each other and I could see the anger searing through him as he shook unsteadily. His entire face was still red with rage, his hands were balled up tight, and his teeth were stilled clenched although it looked like he was trying to find something to say but it wouldn't come out. 

“Uh, Kyu? You alright?” I asked, not really knowing what else to say. 

“Alright?! Of course I’m not alright! Did you see what just happened in there?! He was treating me like some damned hooker! What the hell?! Who the hell does he think he is talking to me like that?! I should just march right in there and give him a piece of my mind!” he snarled, making strangling motions as he yelled loud enough for a couple of Hyukjae’s workers to peek out of their offices to see what all the commotion was about. 

I’ve noticed that Kyu doesn’t really like violence outside of video games. He prefers to give people ‘a piece of his mind’. 

“Ok just calm down,” I tried to soothe him, reaching out to uncurl one of his fists that were starting to turn white around the knuckles. “He was probably joking. I’ve heard Hyukjae talk about him before and he just seems to like fooling around.”

Kyu shot me a glare, although it wasn’t hateful. He just looked angry and annoyed that I was trying to make excuses for Changmin. 

He scoffed and went right back to clenching the fist that I had just managed to pry open. “Yeah right. I work in a freaking bar, Hae. I know that look. Seriously! What the hell is his problem?!”

He threw his hands up in the air before bringing them back down and grabbing me by the shoulders, shaking me lightly. 

I let out a sigh. I understood his dilemma but he really needed to calm down before someone called security to kick us out of the building. 

I still had to pack of frozen peas in my hand so I decided to use it since I could see Kyu staring down the hall to where Hyukjae’s office was, and he was beginning to turn red again. 

I slapped the packet lightly against his cheek in hopes that it would cool him down. But that only made him angrier as he snapped his attention back to me. 

“And I can’t believe that guy is the one you’re crushing on. Pft, with the way you go on about him all the time I thought he would be—”

I quickly slapped the peas against his mouth to keep him quiet. He was still shouting and what if Hyukjae could hear us? 

“I don’t have a crush on him,” I hissed out quietly as Kyu made a grab for the frozen packet covering his mouth. 

“You sure know how to pick ‘em ugly too, Hae. Seriously, the guy looks like king of the monkeys,” he mocked, folding his hands over his chest, seemingly forgetting about Changmin for the moment. 

“Hey! How did this conversation go to Hyukjae? He doesn't look like a monkey king and for the last time, I don’t have a crush on him,” I whispered, hoping he really couldn't hear us. 

But it looked like Kyu wasn't about to stop there. Ugh!

“And let’s not forget the fact that he punched me! Punched! In the nose! What the hell is his problem?!” he yelled. Some of Hyukjae’s employees were still poking their heads out their doors so Kyu decided to crane his neck around me to yell obnoxiously loud down the hallway, “Yeah that’s right! Your boss should be locked up! He assaulted me!” 

I blushed in embarrassment. I reached up to pull at Kyu’s hair to get him to stop. “Geez, do you have to cause such a scene?!” He folded his arms over his chest and looked annoyed but at least he stopped shouting. “I’m sorry he punched you. I don’t know why he did but I’m apologizing on his behalf so can you please just calm down now?” I pleaded. 

I really was going to have a talk with Hyukjae later about what happened in the lobby. I still can’t come up with a decent reason why he felt the need to punch Kyuhyun. 

Kyu let out a huff, but then sighed. “Don’t bother apologizing, it wasn’t your fault. But really, what did I do wrong?! Hmph. Everyone in this place is crazy,” he grumbled. 

I laughed at that. At least he wasn't angry anymore. “But you’ve only met two people— and technically, Changmin doesn’t work here.”

“Is that the bastard’s name? I should call the cops and have him arrested for ual harassment. And I’ll have them take your monkey king away on assault charges while they’re at it,” he said smugly and I shot him a half-hearted glare before Kyu’s phone sounded out. 

He ignored it and sighed, bringing up his hand to touch his nose, cringing at the pain. I offered him the frozen peas and he took it. 

“I gotta go. My shift started a while ago. And about the Starcraft game…” he narrowed his eyes accusingly at me. 

I held up my hands in surrender. “I swear I don't have it on me. I didn't even know I had it. It probably slipped into my bag when I was at your place yesterday.”

He let out a sigh. “Fine, just bring it when you come over next time. I really gotta leave now. Heechul’s bound to throw a hissy fit if I don't get there soon. And don't think I’m forgetting about those two criminals in there,” he glared at Hyukjae’s office door. 

I scrunched my nose up at him calling Hyukjae a criminal. 

We said our goodbyes and I watched him step into the elevator before disappearing behind the metals doors. Now all I had to do was wait for Changmin to come out of Hyukjae’s office so that I could ask him about what happened earlier in the lobby. I stood close to Yongguk’s desk, deciding that waiting there was the best option. 

I didn't have to wait very long because five minutes later, Changmin came out of Hyukjae’s office, looking around for a bit as if deciding which way to go, when he spotted me. 

He started walking this way, looking curious, and I felt myself tense up and nervousness seep in. I could only hope he wasn’t going to try to talk to me like the way he had with Kyu. 

He came to stand in front of me, and when he noticed the spot beside me was empty, he looked a bit disappointed. 

“Where’d the cutie run off to,” he asked, glancing around the space as if Kyu would be hiding somewhere. 

“Oh, uh, he just left,” I replied, watching his eyes zone in back on me. 

“To where?” he asked. Why’s he so interested? It was making me curious but I didn't ask anything and just replied that Kyu had left to go to work. Thankfully Changmin didn’t ask where Kyu worked because Kyu didn’t want people knowing. 

Changmin didn't say anything after that, didn't even ask for Kyu’s name, just pursed his lips in thought for a second and then said a simple goodbye before leaving down the elevator. 

I blinked a couple of times and shook my head. So much happened already and it’s not even noon yet. 

I walked the short distance to Hyukjae’s office before knocking on the door. A tired ‘come in’ was heard and I pushed open the door to see Hyukjae slumped over in his office chair looking like he had just sat through a four hour documentary about plants.  

When he noticed it was me, he sat up straight and ran a hand through his untamed hair. 

He let an awkward cough slip out as I moved to stand in front of his desk with my hands on my hips, clearly waiting for an explanation.

“I want to know why you punched Kyu in the lobby before,” I demanded. It’s funny how I sounded so confident. With the way things were now, it was as if I was the boss and Hyukjae was my employee getting a scolding.

He sat in his chair uncomfortably, looking up at me and then looked away, fumbling with the cufflinks on his shirt. 

“That…um, that was… because— it’s not like… uh…” he drifted off, still avoiding eye contact. 

I titled my head. “You didn't even apologize to him,” I pouted. 

Hyukjae sneaked a look up at me and pulled an expression that looked as if he was experiencing severe cramps. 

Just then his office phone rang and Hyukjae dived for it, probably thankful he didn’t get to answer me. “Hello? Oh, yeah, uh, he’ll be right there,” he said before clicking the phone back into place. 

He looked up at me and gave me a sheepish grin. “Sungmin’s back from his meeting. He wanted you to help him file some records.”

I pouted some more but decided to give up for now. I let out a sigh, making my way out of Hyukjae’s office and down a couple of doors to Sungmin hyung. 

The door was wide open so I stepped inside, seeing hyung sitting crosslegged on top of his desk hunched over a folder in his lap. 

He looked up when he heard me close the door and broke out into a bright smile which I felt myself doing as well. 

“Hae! I’m so glad you’re here. That meeting was like sandpaper to my face. Why does Hyuk make me go to those god awful things?” He pulled at his face for effect and I laughed. 

He signaled me over, patting the empty spot on the desk right next to him. 

I must have looked confused because he chuckled and patted the desk again. “I really didn't have anything for you to help me with. I just made up some excuse so that Hyuk would send you over. And now you’re here so you can spend the next hour or so entertaining me.”

I giggled but nodded in agreement, shuffling across the room and hoisting myself onto the desk next to Sungmin hyung. I let my feet dangle in front of me. 

Hyung highlighted something in the file he was reading before speaking. “So did you and Hyuk manage to get the batch from this morning done?” he asked, still scanning through the folder. 

“Not really. There were some…interruptions… we didn't even get to start.” I puffed my cheeks when I thought about what exactly those ‘interruptions’ were. 

Hyung turned so that his entire body was facing my direction, putting his file down beside him. “Ooo~ Interruptions mean that something interesting must’ve happened,” he crooned curiously, looking like he was getting ready for story time. 

I shrugged and when he bobbed his head for me to go on, I tapped my fingers lightly on the desk edge wondering where to start. 

“Um, well, I went to go give something to Siwon hyung and when I got back, Hyuk told me that there was someone waiting for me down in the lobby. I knew it was probably my friend, Kyuhyun, so I went downstairs right after and when I was in the middle of talking to him…”

I glanced over at Sungmin hyung who urged me on. 

“Well, I was talking to him and then all of a sudden, Hyukjae was there in front of me and… he punched Kyu,” I said hesitantly, because even now I couldn't believe that had actually happened.

My head snapped fast to the side when I heard Sungmin hyung let out a loud gasp followed by “He did what?!” 

I pouted and shrugged again. “I can’t figure out why he did it and when I tried asking him about it just now, he didn't answer me.”

Hyung seemed to be trying to comprehend what I had just told him. He rubbed his chin in a thinking manner and he eyes were staring blankly at the chair in front of his desk.

After a moment he glanced my way and then back at the chair and then back at me again before his eyes widened and he looked as if something finally clicked. 

“I knew it,” he proclaimed proudly with a strange glint in his eyes. “That sly bastard.” 

Huh? 

i am very sorry about the lack of updates these past couple of weeks. time almost seems nonexistent with the way it flies by so quickly.

classes have once again started and hopefully i get back into my usual writing pace

anyways, i hope this chapter was fun to read :)