Hyukjae’s POV 

“You’ve gotta go for the bait.”

“And what would that be?”

“Good lord, you really are a dimwit.”

My right eye twitched as I watched Sungmin leaf through a file as he sat perched on the edge of my desk.

“Well, this wouldn't be so difficult if you stopped talking in riddles. Seriously, first you tell me that I’ve got to wait for the tide and now you’re telling me to go for the bait. Are we talking about the same thing? Because I’m pretty sure you’re talking about fishing. This isn’t fishing,” I pointed out heatedly. 

Sungmin was my only source of love advice and right now he was doing a pretty ty job. I was just about ready to throw him out of my office and haul Yongguk in here to ask for help. That’s how desperate I was.

It was still pretty early in the morning and Donghae had yet to show up. To say I was freaking out would be the biggest understatement of the year. 

I was practically sweating, even with the air conditioning running. There was a nervous fidget in my leg and I couldn't help glancing at my office door every minute, waiting expectantly for Donghae to walk in. 

I don’t know what happened yesterday, but all my mind could register was the fact that when I started making subtle advances (advice courtesy of a dating magazine I had snagged from the staff lounge downstairs), Donghae hadn’t pushed me away. 

And according to Sungmin, that was my ticket in. Apparently that meant that Donghae didn’t mind what I was doing and it supposedly meant that he maybe had some feelings for me too. No matter how little, Sungmin assured me that Donghae was in the same boat as I. Same boat. Yeah, I’m pretty sure Sungmin was talking about fishing. 

But knowing that maybe there was a chance that Donghae could like me back was making me eager to tell him how I felt. 

My heart felt like it was ready to jump out of my chest when he called me ‘Hyuk’ yesterday. Sure it sounded a little stiff and uncomfortable on his tongue, but still, he actually said it. Right after he proceeded to slam the door in my face. But hey, at least I’m getting somewhere. 

And let’s not forget about how I almost kissed him. A big mistake according to what I had read somewhere online, but I got caught up in the moment. I don’t know what got into me, but he looked too beautiful sitting there, blushing and squirming, with the sun falling around him in glowing halo streaks, that I couldn't resist. It was like putting a shiny toy in front of a child, hoping they wouldn’t take it. Virtually impossible. 

It was like some cheesy romance drama, but god, was it worth it. To see his confused face and those big brown eyes so close. But I didn’t get any further because Matthew had caught us. 

And after thinking about it all day yesterday, I realized that Donghae hadn't pulled away. He hadn't looked disgusted with me, he just looked like a fish out of water. An adorably confused fish. 

Was it possible that he wouldn’t feel disgusted with me if I told him how I felt?

Ever since I confronted Sungmin about my feelings, I had been fully prepared for rejection if I ever got around to telling Donghae. Up until yesterday evening, the thought hadn't occurred to me that Donghae might actually be ok with this and maybe possibly even like me back. 

I could go my whole life being content with just that, but there was a nagging sensation in the back of my head that wanted this to be more. I wanted Donghae to look at me with a star gazed look you see in crazy dramas. I wanted to take him out on dates and buy him cute presents just because it was a good day, and watch his face light up when we were together. 

I felt an uncharacteristic blush forming on my face. Most people might think that I’m an angry, uncaring person, but I’m actually quite the romantic. I don’t know why, but I’m pointing fingers at my mother, who made me watch all those disney and pixar movies when I was younger. Now I was infatuated with balloons flying out the car trunk and magic carpet rides. 

God, I really was hopeless. 

“You know, you could just go old school and write him a love letter. That way you don’t have to worry about screwing up when you talk to him, because god knows you’re gonna screw it up. You’re just one big screw up. I won’t be surprised if you managed to screw u— ow, ow, OW!”

I threw a couple more pens at him for good measure. 

“What is your problem? I’m just trying to help!” Sungmin complained, holding a folder in front of his face defensively in case I attacked again. 

“Help me? You’re just giving me a headache. Seriously, do you even know what you’re talking about?”

Sungmin scoffed. “Don’t question my cupid intuition,” he snapped.

I sighed heavily and went to rest my face on my desk, but instead of seeing dark mahogany wood, I saw a proposal lying untouched. It was Chanyeol’s and he was probably biting his nails in his office a couple floors down, waiting for me to go down there and thrown the thing in his face. What? It wasn't my fault he always had the wackiest, most unrealistic ideas. 

I sighed again and picked it up. Might as well do some work. Maybe it’ll clear my head and help me think of what to do about Donghae. 

After thirty minutes of marking up the proposal with an intimidating red pen, I was getting restless again. I jabbed Sungmin in the side with the pen, but he didn't glance at me. 

“What’s up Mr. I-Can’t-Take-Love-Advice-Well?”

I snorted and resisted the urge to address the unnecessary name calling. 

“Do you really think Donghae likes me?”

“Oh my god!” Sungmin exclaimed dramatically, placing a hand over his forehead. “I can’t deal with you anymore. If you need me, I’ll be in my office,” he said before stomping out. 

I watched blankly as Sungmin left. Well, now that the love doctor isn't here, maybe it’s time to revert back to the internet. 

I opened up a new browser and spent about fifteen minutes scouting for answers, but nothing made sense. It was all so confusing. Every site said something different. One said that you had to move fast in fear that your crush finds someone else. Another one said you had to wait for the right moment. When was the right moment? Beats me. They conveniently left that important piece of information out. It’s like they got some sick pleasure out of watching people suffer.

Just when I was searching for a different site, my office door was slamming open. I thought it was Donghae, but then I saw Changmin pushing his way inside and all my excitement took a dive off the building. 

I glared angrily at him when he sauntered in like no one’s business and plopped himself down on the chair in front of my desk. 

“What are you doing here?” I hissed, crumpling up a piece of paper in preparation to throw it at him. Childish, I know, but I’ve learned it was the best tactic when dealing with unwanted visitors. 

“Oh watch out there, Hyuk, you might actually bust a vein this time,’ he smirked and settled further into the chair, resting one leg over the other arrogantly. 

“What are you doing here? Seriously, don’t you have a company to run?” I asked, still crushing the piece of paper in my hands. 

Changmin shrugged. “Eh, this is much more fun. Oh, and before I forget, that little assistant of yours here today? I wanna ask him something.”

“Stay away from Donghae,” I spat out. “He’s mine.”

“Yours?” Changmin raised an eyebrow. “What? You got a school boy crush on him?” 

I snarled and tried not to reach over and club him in the head. “None of your business. Just stay away from him. He doesn't need a playboy like you trying to feel him up.”

“Aw, Hyuk. How could you say that about your old college buddy. I’m most certainly not a playboy.” Changmin mocked a hurt look.

“Oh please, every time you come here, you’re always flirting with anyone that so much as looks your way.”

Changmin tapped his finger to his chin like he was seriously thinking it over before he shrugged. “Well, you don’t need to worry about that anymore. I’ve got my eye set on someone at the moment,” he said, smiling almost dreamily as he picked at the button on his blazer. 

My eyes widen as I looked at him like he’d just taken off his clothes and was doing a table dance. 

“You? You’re kidding.”

Changmin grinned like he was finding my disbelief amusing. 

“What can I say? The kid’s feisty and that right there is a deal breaker for me. Plus he looks so cute when he’s angry. That’s what I wanted to talk to your little assistant about. I need him to give me that cutie’s number so I can hold him up on that date he promised me.”

I scrunched up my eyebrows and leaned forward in the chair to make sure I was understanding correctly. “Wait, you mean Kyuhyun? You’ve got a thing for Kyuhyun?” Wow, it was like a match made in heaven. Those two were so devilish that they would make a good pair. A pair that I would need to stay far away from. I already can’t handle the two of them separately. Just thinking about dealing with them together was already making me annoyed.

“Hmmm, now that you mention it, I never really did ask him his name,” he said thoughtfully. 

I shook my head in disbelief. “You’re unbelievable. Really? You didn’t even know his name?”

Changmin just shrugged. “But it’s a nice name, isn't it? Kyuhyun. Kyuuuhhhhyunnn. It’s got a ring to it, too. Oh, haha, I get it now. His name is Kyuhyun and he’s kyute. Get it? Like the word cute, except if you replace the ‘c’ with ‘ky’ so that it’s kyute because you know—“

“God, shut up, I get it you bastard.”

Changmin just rolled his eyes. 

“I don’t think he’s gonna be interested. He doesn't look like that type that’ll fall for someone like you.” I leaned back in my chair, folding my arms over my chest. 

Changmin pulled a smug grin. “Oh, we’ll see. So, back to your school boy crush. You two dating?”

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. “None of your business,” I snapped, but Changmin nodded his head like he understood everything. 

“You haven't told him yet,” he stated matter-of-factly. 

I was about to tell him to mind his own business, but he kept talking. “Well, why not the four of us go on a double date?”

“What?” Did I hear him properly?

Changmin brightened when he saw that he had my attention. “Actually, that’s the perfect idea. I’ve been trying to figure out a way for princess— ah wait, Kyuhyun, to go on a date with me, and what better way to get him to come than telling him his friend could tag along?” Changmin looked utterly pleased with this new plan. 

I gave him an ‘are you serious right now’ look. 

“Soooo basically you’re trying to use me,” I stated, not in the least bit liking this idea. 

“Maybe,” he shrugged, but when I started crumpling another piece of paper in my hand, he interjected. 

“Think of it as a win-win situation. Your little man gets to relax knowing that his best friend is with him, and then you go in for the steal and confess your pretty little heart to him.”

“And just how am I supposed to do that with you and Kyuhyun hanging around?” 

“Well… halfway through this date thing, we’ll just ditch each other and go our separate ways. That way I don’t have to see your ugly face for the entire time and I get princess Kyu all to myself,” he chuckled at the thought and I shot him a glare. 

“And we can do it tomorrow. The sooner the better,” he added. “So do we have a deal?” he asked, looking beyond delighted. 

“…I— I can’t. I can’t take tomorrow off. I just— I already lost half a day yesterday and I’ve got work to do…”

Changmin raised an eyebrow at me. “So you’d pass up this opportunity just so you can yell at a bunch of your employees and fill out paper work.” He nodded. “Alright, fine by me. It’s not like your love life is on the line here or anything.” He got up and started to leave rather slowly, like he was waiting for me to change my mind. 

Don’t do it, Hyuk. Don’t fall for it. It’s not worth it. 

…but Donghae. 

God damn it. 

“Wait.” 

Changmin stopped by the door and turned around with enough smugness to flood the entire building.

Oh god, I’m going to regret this so much. 

…………………….

I sighed as I stalked down the sales department floor where Sungmin told me he had sent Donghae to help out Ryeowook while Changmin had been in my office.  

I had to convince Donghae to get him and Kyuhyun to go on a double date with me and Changmin. Remind me again why I’m doing this? Oh right, big romantic confession tomorrow. 

I sighed uncomfortably as I knocked on the office door that belonged to Ryeowook. 

“Come in!” 

I poked my head inside the small office. “Hey Ryeowook. Sungmin said Donghae was supposed to be with you. Where is he? I need to speak to him for a minute.”

“Oh! I sent him to the storage room to look for a file. Turns out Taemin’s computer deleted some payroll records that we need for a client. I would’ve gone with Donghae but the department head needs me to file some of these away,” he said holding up a bulging stack of folders. 

“Alright, thanks.” 

As I took large cautious steps to the end of the hallway, I could feel sweat collecting on the back of my neck, and the nervous twitch on my hand was back. 

Coming to stand in front of the door marked ‘File Storage’, I went to push the door open, realizing it was left ajar, indicating that Donghae really was inside. 

Deep breaths, deep breaths. 

When I stepped inside, it took me a few seconds to adjust to the dim lighting. It was a fairly big room, but this was where all the paper work for the entire department was kept so the place was a clutter of paper. Deep shelves lined every inch of wall space where massive folders were crammed into every possible crease. Additional rows of shelves were aligned in the room so that the place looked like a library. There was also piles after piles of boxes stacked all over the floor with loads of more paperwork stuffed inside. 

I stepped further in, making sure the door was still left open so that it wouldn't lock behind me.

The payroll records were kept at the very back, so that’s where I began walking to. 

It didn't take much effort for me to find Donghae. He had his back to me. He was staring at a shelf on the wall, scanning it side to side, hands running over the edge of the shelf.

“Uh, Donghae,” I tried to call him softly so that I wouldn't startle him. 

It didn't work though because he jumped and spun around fast, clutching his chest like I’d just given him a heart attack.

“S-Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you,” I quickly apologized and I saw him blinking up at me from where I stood a few feet away. 

“H-Hyukjae. I-I didn't hear you c-come in.” He glanced down to the floor around my feet and through the dim light I saw a blush coloring his cheeks. Hesitantly, I stepped closer so that I could talk to him better. 

“Yeah, uh, sorry again about that. I, um…” 

He peeked up at me, and those big brown eyes had my heart picking up speed and I was definitely fidgeting like a nervous idiot now. God, could I be anymore obvious? Ok calm down hyuk. Try to act normal. You don’t want to go blurting out anything stupid. 

“So, uh, I wanted to ask you if maybe you and Kyuhyun would want to join me and Changmin tomorrow for a…” 

A date? No, no, no. Something else, something else! 

“An evening out.” Seriously? That’s the best substitute I could come up with?

Donghae titled his head in confusion, although he still had a shy look on his face. “An evening o-out?”

“Yeah,” I laughed nervously, subconsciously bringing a hand up to run through my hair. “Me and Changmin were thinking about it and we, uh, thought it would be… nice… if you two joined us.”

Donghae was pulling at the hem of his shirt and nibbling on his lip bottom lip. His face looked adorable with the way his cheeks were painted over red and his eyes shifting between me and the floor. 

“Oh, uh, o-ok. S-sure.” He nodded his head while still looking at the floor, but then he glanced up at me and smiled shyly, still chewing at his lip. 

My god did he look beautiful. 

Something in the back of my head was nagging at me that it was my time to leave, but I couldn’t go. Not when his eyes were pulling me in. Like, literally. I felt myself taking a few steps closer until the points of our shoes were a couple of inches apart. 

“Great!” I couldn't help the smile that was dragging up my own face. I was finally getting somewhere. 

Donghae shyly brushed his bangs out of his eyes before looking up at me. “H-How’s your head?”

“My head?” Oh right. From when I fell yesterday. 

I shrugged. “It’s alright. It’s been giving me a slight headache since this morning, but it’s not too bad,” I tried to assure him, but he let out a tiny gasp and all of his shyness disappeared as he stretched a hand up to touch the spot lightly. 

“D-Did you go see a doctor?” he asked worriedly, hand still resting gently on my head, eyes wide with concern. I nodded dumbly, but I didn't answer as my eyes trained down to his lips. They were pink from his biting earlier and they looked so soft. 

“H-Hyukjae?”

I looked away from his mouth to see him staring at me confused again, just like when I had tried to kiss him yesterday. 

Kiss… I want to kiss him. 

And just like the night of the circus, I found myself leaning in to his face. 

The way the lights added a soft glow to his skin, the way his dark hair fell in his face, the way his eyes reflected the dim overhead lights, everything about him was perfect. 

He was staring at me with the same alarmed look he had given me yesterday and for a second, I wanted to back away. 

But just like yesterday, I realized he wasn’t pulling away. He wasn’t pushing and yelling at me to get away from him, or turning his head away in disgust. 

He was still here. Standing in front of me, waiting unsurely for me to make a move. 

And that’s exactly what I did. 

Before anyone could ruin this moment, I closed my eyes and leaned down all the way. 

And then I felt his lips on mine.