Title: Malfunction
Rating: G
Genre: Drama
Pairing: Jinki-centric, Friend!OnTae
A/N: I really wanted this to be a short drabble but I felt it couldn’t be condensed enough…I struggled with chopping out words, I really did, but I’m more than happy to have this done once and for all.

If you asked Jinki, he preferred a hands-on approach versus computers anytime.  Paper and pencils were just more reliable—at least, that’s what Jinki learned the day he had a mental breakdown.

Maybe his meltdown had a lot to do with constant pressure. He had strict deadlines to meet, showcases to present, big name companies to impress, and competition with other interns alike. Jinki just wished his outburst picked a different time.

If you asked Jinki’s clients, they preferred something they could understand such as visual aids to help translate Jinki’s work into something comprehensible. The solution? Computer technology. He didn’t have a choice. Manual labor deemed too time consuming, plus, he needed initial approval of the design before building a miniature diner anyway. It didn’t help that he was collaborating with the film industry. His chosen field as an architect encouraged him to use his hands, yet he had to follow certain procedures that dampened his creative outlook.

Frustrated feelings aside, Jinki finished the virtual outline. All he needed to do was transfer his data to a flash drive that day. He inserted the flash drive into the computer port and opened the drafting program, but within a few seconds, the computer froze. This didn’t concern Jinki. It happened so often, he felt it was a part of a routine. What did surprise him, however, was a dialogue box that popped up afterwards.

“File corrupted. Could not be read.”  

Had he jammed the flash drive in too quickly? Sure, Jinki was eager to finish his final project, but he needed to be more cautious for the sake of his future clientele. Getting new contacts was the sole reason why he stayed in this internship for so long.

Carefully, he closed the box and the program and removed the flash drive. It was a good thing he had a spare. He bent down to open the desk drawer, rummaging around to find the other jump drive, but what he found instead was the blue screen of death.

“C’mon really?!”

He took a deep breath, waited, and exhaled. It wasn’t a big deal because he knew his old friend, Taemin, could fix this situation. The computer genius could fix anything. 

“Sorry, but there’s nothing I can do. My scanning analysis shows that you didn’t save this as a backup...” Taemin said, voice fading under Jinki’s death glare. Taemin tried to remain composed but he knew how major this project was. Jinki talked about it every passing minute.

“W-why don’t you go outside and get some air? I’ll try and see if I can revive this computer.”

Jinki barely registered what Taemin said, showing every restraint to contain his anger.

“Right…Outside. Air.” Was all Jinki managed to say. It was between then and a couple milliseconds later that his mind shut off and his body ran on full auto-pilot. He sounded forced and mechanical, nothing like his former self, and when he walked towards the back exit, his movements were stiff.

Once in the alleyway, Jinki roared. He roared until he thought he felt his blood vessels rupture and became dizzy. He stomped over to the dumpster in his blind rage and shook it with all his might. When that didn’t calm him down, Jinki chased the birds out the alley and ran around Taemin’s storefront, howling his displeasure. His adrenaline began to dissipate and all he felt was defeat as he sat down on the front steps.

How could he be so stupid? He always told himself he would back up his files later because it was such a hassle, but he didn’t realize how important it was at that time. He was screwed. He had until next week to present something or he risked spoiling his good name.

Then, he came up with a plan. On the wall above his desk was his original blueprint; he could make a mediocre rough draft if he rushed…but it wouldn’t matter. He spent weeks nit-picking and perfecting his greatest work only to have it lost in cyber oblivion. It was impossible to replicate it in one week.

Jinki only snapped out of his reverie due to some bells tinkling in the shop. It seemed everything paused for a moment while his anxiety heightened, punctuated by the silence that followed. He didn’t dare look up.

“Hey man, I’m really sorry about what happened.” Taemin said before sitting beside Jinki.

“Yeah, me too.” Jinki took a chance to look at Taemin and saw nothing but pity on his face.

Taemin started again, “I backed up your computer for you…free of charge.”

“Thanks.”

“How about we go for drinks? I know it’s early but we can still catch lunch hour. It’s not like I had a line waiting out the door, I mean, you were the only one here today, plus, I’m my own boss so I can close down the shop and—”

“Taemin.”

“Sorry.”

“Thanks for offering me drinks, but the last thing I need is to be drunk right now. Why don’t you buy me a few energy drinks instead?”

Taemin smiled. “Yeah, sure thing.”

Jinki was grateful Taemin didn’t mention anything about the brief slip of insanity the intern just experienced. He couldn’t help but to laugh at his misfortune. And why not? It was better to laugh than the alternatives.

He began with a slow chuckle deep within his chest that rose into unconstrained laughter. His shoulders bounced so much that he lost his balance, fell back, and hit his head on the concrete while Taemin joined him. The geek was probably laughing at the absurdity of the situation. It made Jinki shake even more. He felt his throat constrict, still raw from the screaming he did earlier, as tears rolled down his face. At last, he stopped.

“Forget it, all this craziness worked up my appetite. Let’s get something to eat. The only thing that’s gonna make me feel better right now is chicken and beer. ”

“I knew you couldn’t resist free food.”