The sky is just beginning to darken, baby blue skies paving way for warm pinks and oranges and then to lavenders and midnight blues and it is when the city comes alive. It’s almost five in the afternoon, students filtering their way out of school and workers and laborers alike heading straight home for a well-deserved rest.  It’s the usual and normal routine.

 

At least for most people.

“Why is he so late?” Jongin started to panic, eyes glued to the room’s clock and feet permanently pacing back and forth on its expanse.  The other hosts just watched in amusement as one of their youngest threatens his phone that he’ll buy a new one if it doesn’t ring in five seconds.

It was a rare case for Jongin to actually exhibit such strong emotions outside of his line of work. Even with hosting, the tanned male would always have everything toned down, losing the customer’s guard with slow and smooth moves. Seeing Jongin like this was much too rare a chance to pass up.

“Should I call hyung?” Tao asked in mild worry, gloss-covered lip poised in a perfect pout as he watched Jongin’s perfectly styled hair get ruin amidst his rapid cursing. Jongin was acting unusual and it’s starting to scare him.  Just a bit.

“What? And ruin this perfect blackmail material?” Baekhyun chirped up as well. “Nonsense.”

This just so happens to be the very same scene Joonmyun stumbles upon when he walks in on the building. He often thinks he’s done well to be a manager at such a young age but then again he feels incredibly old to deal with kids at work.

“Guys, what’s happening? Again?” he breathes in exasperation. He’s actually too young to be a manager and the job is seriously making him old.

“Jongin’s panicking because his cousin isn’t here yet.”

Thank God for Luhan.

“Wait. What does his cousin got to do with this?” he asks again, ignoring the pairs of eye rolls directed at him. He needs to walk out on these brats right now but alas, his patience is ever so long and he could only flail in annoyance when he feels himself smiling confusedly.

“He’s the new host!” Chanyeol was bursting with excitement as usual. “It’s his first day today and he’s already bordering on late!”

“Thanks, Chanyeol.” He makes a move to pat the host’s head only to pull back awkwardly. Okay, wrong move buddy.

Joonmyun sighs and walks inside his office upstairs. He hadn’t even been inside for a whole five minutes and he was already stressed from the whole commotion downstairs. And seriously, where was the new host? If only he had been there with the interview as well then he might have been able to scrutinize the new recruit. It’s probably Kris and his softness that was at fault.

Not even a full minute of getting inside when the door to his office opens loudly and an excited (when is he not?) Chanyeol steps in. It was scary how the tall male’s face looked like it was threatening to rip apart from his huge smile.

“What is – “

“He’s here!”

Joonmyun sighs.

At least give his time to warm up his chair.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If the noise earlier was loud enough, then the commotion happening when Joonmyun went out of his office was even louder. Most of the time Joonmyun was left to wonder if he had actually hired seven year olds and was now on his way to prison.

"Seriously, man. Why would I let you down?"

It's a new voice, something Joonmyun isn't familiar too but he already likes it. Smooth and soft, with a slight edge to it. And he really needs to stop reading romance novels during his free time.

"I have hyung! I have hyung! I have hyung!"

"Okay, Chanyeol." There goes Baekhyun's sarcasm. "We heard you the first time."

"So he's here?" he asked but no one was listening. "He's here?" Please don't let him repeat it thrice.

Once he made it through them, a figure was pushed in the middle and straight in front of him. Joonmyun had to blink and take a step back to see the new host.

"You're?" he asked distractedly, looking past the male at Jongin who was grumbling noiselessly, before looking straight back up at the person in front of him.

"Kim Jongdae at your service, manager."

Oh.

Joonmyun thinks he's finally found the perfect reason to resign.

Not that he would want to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"He's checking you out." Baekhyun whispers beside Joonmyun, eyes trained on Jongdae who was sitting a few tables away with two -- are those high school girls?

"He's not." Sehun counters from his other side, face stoic as he stares at the new host as well.

"Okay, he's so totally checking you out."

"Guys, will you please stop?" he pleads from in between two of the club's host. He wonders why Baekhyun and Sehun are pestering him instead of roleplaying their forbidden love scene on some customers. Was he that entertaining?

"But he's checking you out!" the youngest of the three whined, a complete 360 to the stoic image he usually upheld.

"And you're both checking him out!" God, do these two never stop?

But he finds himself looking as well.

And he seriously don't know if that was a big mistake when he sees eyes looking back at him and oh my jesus, is he smirking at me?

"I told you he was checking you out."

"Oh Sehun never lies."

"Please shut up."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"So, are you doing something after work?"

It's been a week since Jongdae had started working as a host, meaning it's also been a week since Joonmyun refuses to go out of his office except for extremely necessary situations (e.g bathroom break).

"He's like a broken steel bar refusing to budge from an old train wreckage." Sehun describes during one of their rare lunch dates.

And he should have stayed inside his train wreckage of an office because now he's faced with a smiling Jongdae who's being all host-sy with him. Damn it, he's the manager!

"N-None that I'm aware of." he says. Though it came three pitches higher and it was honestly a bit(a lot) ridiculous.

"Great! I've been wanting to try this new Indian restaurant but I don't have anyone to come along with me." A dejected sigh."I was wondering if you would want to? I mean— it's just a few blocks away!"

Certainly Joonmyun would say no. It's already past three in the morning and he needs his sleep after a stressful night hiding inside his office. A cup of tea would—

"O-Okay."

Or not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The restaurant was indeed a sight, the inside furnished and influenced with all the famous Indian antiquities. Joonmyun was awed, eyes lighting up as he takes in the different atmosphere (though most of it was because of the five minute drive in Jongdae's car).

He let the host order for him, not really familiar with the menu. But he realizes that leaves him with nothing to do except watch how Jongdae's lips turn up in a slight smile (he remembers to ignore the female server) or how his brows knit in the tiniest matter as he mulls over which drink he likes.

"—onmyun?"

Jongdae peered at him curiously, elbows resting on the table as he leans just a tad bit closer to look Joonmyun in the eyes.

"Y-Yes?"

Jongdae smiled, sitting back down. "You look cute when you're spacing out."

Cue the blush.

"I wasn't spacing... out." he defended weakly. "And congratulations.. for, you know, having a ton of regular customers after only a week. You're doing great."

The compliment must have done its job because Joonmyun was positive that Jongdae's mood practically sky-rocketed as the other male practically kept him entertained all through dinner/breakfast, whatever.

It was already a few minutes before five in the morning when they stepped out of the place, stomachs full and cheeks slightly red from the bottle of wine Joonmyun insisted as a congratulatory gift for Jongdae's first week.

"Can I take you home, hyung?"

Hyung.

Hyung?

"You're younger than me?" he blurted out, stopping as he stares wide-eyed at Jongdae's back.

The host simply turns around, an amused glint on his eyes. "Shouldn't you know that already? Manager?"

Joonmyun won't tell anyone that he's actually scared to open Jongdae's file on his desk because maybe he'll won't want to close it and end up memorizing his address.

"So, can I take you home?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joonmyun honestly doesn't know why he ends up hiding inside his office again after having spent almost two hours eating out with Jongdae. A two year isn't that bad right?

"Why are you even thinking about the ?"

"Have you ever heard of the praise "Age doesn't matter?'"

"So you mean you actually like—"

Spending almost all your time outside (and inside) of work with Sehun and Baekhyun taught Joonmyun how to tune out their words whenever they started talking nonsense, but the probability of ever tuning out Jongdae's name was almost nonexistent on his scale and now just proves it further.

"—hey, Jongdae!"

"That's not funny, Oh Sehun." he grumbled, slouching even further on his chair while holding his cup of coffee. The sun was too bright outside for his liking and the cafe was being a by having glass walls.

"What's not funny?"

And there stood Jongdae, wearing just a simple white shirt and gray khaki shorts. No one eyeliner, no make-up — nothing. Just pure Jongdae with his pure beautiful face and pure smile and—

"H-Hi."

There was that familiar amusement Jongdae always hold whenever he sees Joonmyun and he really wants to know why. It isn't helping that he's sweating under his shirt and he thinks he looks like an old man trying to get along with a bunch of young men.

"Hello." Jongdae says, sliding on the spot next to him where Baekhyun was sitting— what?

Baekhyun wore his ear-splitting grin again as he sits beside Sehun like he was there all along.

"What were you guys doing?"

There was that maniacal grin on Sehun's face and it was quite frightening when he sees it as rare as Kris.

"Oh, you know, things like how hot today is or how Joonmyun should get laid preferably to y—"

"What Sehun means to say," he interjected loudly with a glare to Sehun. "is that he really needs a boyfriend soon or he'll end up with Baekhyun."

"That's not such a bad thing, is it?" Jongdae says, staring knowingly at the pair opposite them. Joonmyun only gives him a curious look, his embarrassment momentarily forgotten at the confusion.

"Anyways, Sehunnie and I have to go somewhere to get laid so I'll see you later at work." Baekhyun stood up, winking at Joonmyun before grabbing Sehun's hand and whisking him away from the cafe.

"Have you been avoiding me?" Jongdae said out of the blue, head tilted at Joonmyun and that stupid smile still on his face. He isn't sure if the other was serious or not but it nevertheless makes his hear beat a little faster.

"Why would I avoid you?" he answers, cup of coffee raised to his mouth in an attempt to cover his face. The cafe was almost empty. Aside from them, only an old man sat a few tables away and a pair of high school girls who were currently whispering to each other. Joonmyun slinks on his chair just a little bit farther.

"I barely see you outside." There was a pout of Jongdae's lips and the urge to kiss it away was becoming too hard to resist. Abort Mission. Launch 'look away' project. "It's bad if you keep cooping yourself inside the office hyung. You don't want to be alone, don't you?"

"I'm not cooping myself up." he says after a while, still avoiding the host's eyes.

They remained quiet after Joonmyun's response. The cup of coffee soon empties and they both walked out of the cafe, mouth still shut.

"Then make sure to come out later, okay?" Jongdae says all of a sudden, turning on his side to look properly at the manager. The expectant look he gave Joonmyun was impossible to resist, and it's not like he gave him the option to choose as he jogs away waving his goodbye to the older male.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was six in the evening and Joonmyun was out of his office for the first time in a long while. And he was serious about the hiding situation because the last time he remembered, Jongin was pining over the brother of one of his regular's. But now he looks stupid with that stupid grin on his stupid face while he flirts with him (Kyungsoo, was it?).

"When did that happen?" he asks Sehun who was (naturally) beside him again. Baekhyun, for once, was a few tables away entertaining his own group of customers.

"Let me see— around the time you pretended to be a hermit, I think?" Sehun drawled, eyes locked somewhere around the room and he didn't need to follow his gaze to know that Baekhyun's table was on that direction as well.

So he looked at the opposite direction, wanting to distract himself but it ends up as (another) mistake when he sees Jongdae approaching them (him).

"Shouldn't you be working?" he asks when he's sure that the other is in ear shot.

"Just taking a break." Jongdae replies cheekily, not bothering to ask permission and just plopping on the seat beside Joonmyun. Formalities long ago forgotten (was it ever there?).

"Does Sehun like Baekhyun?" he asks, head turning to face Jongdae.

The other male just stared at him expressionless before a smile comes up and he was laughing, fingers pinching Joonmyun's cheeks. "You look so cute like that, hyung."

Joonmyun swatted the hands away, his cheeks flaring up in color all the more. "Ah, stop that."

"Jongdae ah~"

Both male's heads turned at the source of the voice. One of Jongdae's regulars stood before them, a sweet smile on her face. Joonmyun slightly remembers her as the divorced one.

"I need to leave now. But I bought you something you'll like. I'll see you next time?" she says, still as sweet as she goes and Joonmyun watches Jongdae fit his host persona. It shouldn't bother him that Jongdae's paying extra attention to her because it is his job and he's the one who should be supervising it, but rules doesn't seem to apply anymore and he looks away to repress his unnecessary emotion.

"What'd you get?" he asks when he feels space dip beside him, voice cool and collected.

"She bought him a **keep bottle." Yixing says as he passes by, arm slung over a girl's shoulder, before going off to a table again.

"That's nice." he murmurs, guilt seeping in him because he knows he doesn't meant it.

It was quiet after that until Joonmyun felt the weight of Jongdae's head leaning on his shoulder.

"Hey," he heard the younger say. He wants to look at him but all he can see is the messy mop of hair against him. "Hang out with me after work, yeah?"

And really, who is Joonmyun to say no?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They went to a bar after work hours.

Joonmyun isn't sure what's wrong but Jongdae's a lot quieter than usual. The minutes filled with Jongdae's loud laughter and flirty jokes were absent and he doesn't know how to fill the silence now reigning between them.

"So, uh, is there anything you want to talk about?" he says, wanting to get rid of the awkward atmosphere around them. Jongdae was never awkward and tonight is making his head spin.

"I really, really like someone." Jongdae says after a minute or two with just staring at his drink. Joonmyun wants to say how things like that should come out with a warning because now his heart is pounding inside his chest and he doesn't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing.

"That's cool." I guess.

"But I really don't know if the person likes me back." Jongdae says soon after and Joonmyun's heart breaks just a little. How could anyone not like Jongdae?

"I'm sure that's not the case?" he answers hesitantly, wanting to help the male beside him but not knowing how, especially when it's breaking your heart in return. "You're nice and funny and extremely g-good looking and—"

"You think I'm good looking?" Jongdae cuts him, his face suddenly too close for Joonmyun's comfort. He could smell the alcohol on his breath and he knows they should stop.

"Of course you are." he says, hiding his nervousness with a fake scoff. "And we should probably go home. I'm tired. You're tired." he emphasizes. "I'll take you home tonight, as payback for last time."

Joonmyun took the silence as a yes, placing the cash on the table and nudging Jongdae on the shoulder. "Let's go?"

The host just nodded, following him noiselessly outside to his car.

If the silence from the bar was awkward, Joonmyun couldn't even compare it to how it is during the ride. Jongdae just stayed silent, head away from him he's not sure if the other was sleeping or staring out the window. Not until Jongdae whispered the directions to his place did Joonmyun figured he was probably avoiding him.

And it hurts.

Turns out Jongdae's place was the opposite direction of his apartment and he remembers how Jongdae took him home last time. There was another pang of guilt at the information as he walks him to his unit.

"Do you want to come in for a while?" Jongdae asks when they were in front of his door. He knew he should say no because it's almost four in the morning, we both need to sleep but he says sure instead.

Jongdae's place consists of blue, white and grays. His walls are blue and his couch is gray while most of the furniture are white. He's not sure what he's suppose to do so he settles for standing dumbly in the middle of the room.

"Do you want coffee?"

He shakes his head, still not moving even as he watches Jongdae walk around aimlessly. He feel his legs hurt and he sits on the couch, tethering on an invisible edge. Jongdae takes the floor, head terribly close to his thighs.

No words were exchanged. Jongdae turned the tv on, signing off messages flashing on screen but they don't bother changing the channel even as the static starts to play. The dull sound an endless lullaby and Joonmyun feels his eyes get heavier by each crash.

It was probably the haze from the lack of sleep but he swears he sees Jongdae's face coming closer, the supposed dream crumbling into pieces as Jongdae kisses him awake.

No, screams at the back of his head but Jongdae's lips against his was louder, drowning out every other sound except for the frantic thudding inside his chest. Or is that Jongdae's?

He's not sure; he doesn't want to be sure but someone (it's him) drags another closer and he's left trembling under him, time forgotten and lingering touches only remembered. He feels the drag of Jongdae's fingertips under his shirt and his voice replaces the ticking of the clock, time still and unimportant until the sun comes up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If Sehun and Baekhyun thought that Joonmyun's hiding game was over, they thought wrong (of course) when the next night comes.

"Why are you here again?" Baekhyun's fingers drums against Joonmyun's desk, the owner pretending to be busy sorting out his phone's playlist.

"This is my office? Why are you here?" Joonmyun eyes Baekhyun and Sehun. "Are you two friends again?"

He's gotten so used to Baekhyun's playful nature he temporarily forgot that the guy could be scary when he wants to. Now, for example.

"Because you're being a dumb ." Sehun answered this time, the drumming on his table erratic and he's thankful it wasn't Baekhyun who replied. "Why can't you just tell the guy that you like him when he so obviously likes you? We're not in some ing drama where the girl makes her own problems just so she could postpone her happily ever after with the guy."

He wants to tell Sehun that they are certainly not in a drama and that he's certainly not a girl but Baekhyun's stare kept his lips glued together. He's also pretty sure he doesn't need any threats to keep his mouth shut when he remembers what happened early morning. It shouldn't even have happened.

"He works here." he simply says, fingers tapping on his phone's screen again and he curses under his breath when he accidentally deletes all the songs on his playlist. Now he needs to start from scratch again, Sehun.

"That's ." Baekhyun spoke after a while, fingers stopping their incessant drumming and he's scared to look up; scared to see the truth in Baekhyun's eyes.

"Don't go crawling back outside your dingy office when you realize how stupid you are." he says when Joonmyun refuses to look up at him. Sehun leaves first and Baekhyun slams the door on his way out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Joonmyun." he hears the familiar voice call him as he exits the club and he scolds himself for forgetting that they work together.

"Stop avoiding me."

He turns around to look at Jongdae properly for the first time in days and he regrets it because now he's forced to see the changes on the other male. He just looks plain exhausted and he feels guilt bite at him.

"I'm not— "

"Don't give me that bull!" Jongdae cuts him off with a loud voice and he's rendered quiet. Was he the one at fault? "You've been avoiding me ever since that night!"

"It was a mistake!" he yells back immediately with eyes closed in desperation. He's not sure he can be stubborn if he goes on looking at Jongdae's face and seeing everything that he wanted painted in his eyes and lips and just everything.

"What?" Jongdae's voice was so small and he just wants to cry because he never wants to hear him like that ever again. Why am I doing this then?

"We work with each other." he repeats what he told Baekhyun and Sehun. "We're not— it isn't allowed."

"Oh come on, Joonmyun. That rule only applies— "

"I'll see you later at work, Jongdae." he cuts him off dramatically, tilting his head to the side and looking down before turning around and running towards his car.

Jongdae just stands there on the same spot with a blank expression before his lips slowly curves up into a feline smile.

That wasn't so bad, was it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Kris!" he calls out as soon as the tall male enters his office. He knows what he's going to ask is extremely unprofessional but he doesn't know any other way. "I need a favor."

Kris nods. "Sure. Whatever for you, Joonie."

"Please stop with the nickname." he says before in a deep breath. "I need Jongdae to be transferred to another branch."

The door opens and Jongdae comes in looking a lot better than last night. "You wound me, hyung." he says, palm over his chest and a wince on his face. "And here I thought you like me that much considering we already slept together."

Kris turns his stoic face on Joonmyun who visibly paled. "I— It wasn't like that!" he panics, facing Kris and waving his hands in front of him frantically. "Okay, it was like that but I mean— it wasn't suppose to happen! He just— just kissed me and— " he breathes in deeply before deflating. "I'll submit my resignation letter tomorrow."

"What for?" Kris drawls, looking terribly amused at Joonmyun's rant. "And by the way, that was really cute Joonie. You should get flustered more."

A scoff was heard from behind before Jongdae steps forward to stand beside Joonmyun who's still currently stabbing himself inside his head. "I'll handle that job, thank you very much."

"I slept with him!" Joonmyun suddenly yelled, furious that the two idiots currently inside his office couldn't get the situation. "Do you even know what that means?"

"Wow. You already slept with him?" Jongin peeked his head from outside.

"Nice going, Jongdae." Baekhyun winked.

"Guys, let's not intrude on personal matters." A third voice interjects from outside and Jongin immediately disappears leaving Baekhyun to close the door but not before smirking at Joonmyun.

"Uh, it means you bu— "

"No!"

"The his bu— "

"No!"

"No one bot—"

"It's unprofessional!" Joonmyun finally spat out, face red from frustration and exasperation mixed into one. "Hosts aren't allowed to be in a relationship with one another!'

"But you're not a host?" Kris raises a brow in confusion.

Jongdae leaves Joonmyun with a kiss and an 'I'll see you later.'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Just give this to him!"

"Absolutely not! That's embarrassing!"

"Nothing's more embarrassing than you!"

"I will fire you, Byun Baekhyun."

"I dare you."

Sehun sighed in defeat, grabbing the bottle of wine from Baekhyun's hand and handing it to Joonmyun. "It's your fault this time, hyung. So you should do it."

Joonmyun looked at Sehun pitifully, his bottom lip inside his mouth and resisting the urge to cry. When did Sehun grow up?

Resigning to his fate, Joonmyun took the bottle with shaky hands, please don't make me drop it, and walked further inside the club. The bottle on his hands felt extremely heavy compared to everything he had to carry and he's afraid, so afraid especially when he sees who he's looking for. Stumbling to the table, Joonmyun s the bottle in front of Jongdae and looked down at his feet.

"Who bought it this time?" Jongdae asks, looking past Joonmyun. "Is it— "

Not letting Jongdae finished, he s the bottle (again) in front of Jongdae's face almost hitting his nose. The label was upfront and the host could only stare at it before a wide grin erupts on his face.

Keep me.

"How cute." the younger whispers, taking the bottle (and Joonmyun's heart). "I thought you'll never ask me out, Kim Joonmyun."

"I'm not asking you out!"

"Of course you're not." Jongdae humors him, leaning forward and pecking Joonmyun's lips. "We're already past— "

"Shut up."

As cliche as it sounds, the manager silences the host with a kiss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"That's expensive though."

"I know. I cried earlier."

 

 

 

 

 

 

**

1. a bottle of liquor that can be saved for next time stating your interest in a host, or inviting them to sit by you. The named host will receive a percentage of the future sales generated by that customer.