Prompt #24

Minseok rubs his temples gently with both hands, a steady sigh leaving his lips when he hears a soft knock on the door.

“What? What is it now?” he asks, patience running dangerously low.

“Sorry sir, but that kid is here to see you again. The one with the mix-“

Minseok’s eyes snap open and he glares at the intern standing, still holding onto the doorknob. “Jesus, when is that kid gonna give up? Send him in here.”

“Sir?”

“Did I stutter? I said send him in to my office. Maybe if I tell him to his face he has no talent it’ll finally sink into his thick skull.”

The intern nods quickly and backs away from the door.

“Mr. Kim, it’s such an honor to meet you,” the boy says with an outstretched hand and a wide, gleaming smile.

“Sit, Luhan.”

The boy does as he’s told, tucking his hand back to his side as he sits in the slightly less comfy looking chair on the opposite side of the desk from Minseok.

“How many mixtapes have you sent me?” Minseok asks, annoyance obvious in his voice.

“Um,” Luhan looks lost in thought, tapping his finger to his chin.

“Exactly,” Minseok says, “You’ve sent so many you can’t even count. If I haven’t picked you up by now, what could that possibly mean?”

Luhan looks down at his feet then back up at Minseok quickly, “You haven’t listened to them yet?”

Minseok’s eye twitches and he has to stop himself from rolling his eyes, was this kid stupid?

“No, Luhan. It means you have no talent. I’m not interested in you. You’re… mediocre at best.”

The words sink in slowly and Minseok watches Luhan crumble. He’s on the verge of tears when Minseok finally speaks again.

“Listen… kid-“

“I’m not a kid,” Luhan snaps, folding his arms over his chest and turning his head away; a very childish thing for someone who’s not a kid.

“How old are you?” Minseok asks, anything to carry the conversation and stop Luhan from crying. He was never good at dealing with tears.

“Twenty-five,” Luhan mumbles, still not looking at Minseok.

A smile spreads across Minseok’s face and he can’t help but chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” Luhan asks, finally looking at Minseok, glaring.

“You look like you’re sixteen… at most,” Minseok says, eyes raking up and down Luhan’s body. “I can’t believe you’re legal,” he laughs again.

Luhan smiles at his choice of words, noticing the way Minseok’s eyes trail along his body and an idea forms. He was not leaving this office without getting what he wanted.

He stands and walks around the desk, a dark look in his eyes and a smirk on his lips. He takes Minseok by surprise when his fingers tangle in his hair and pull his head to the side. He leans in close and a stripe along the column of Minseok’s neck.

“How about a trade?” Luhan whispers against Minseok’s ear.

“Like w- what?”

Luhan hums and nibbles on Minseok’s earlobe. “Sign me to your label and I’ll show you how grown I really am.” 

“Deal,” Minseok whispers before Luhan can even release his hair. “It’s a deal.”

“Where do I sign?” Luhan asks happily, clapping his hands together in triumph.

Minseok grabs his wrist, “Not so fast.” He pulls Luhan onto his lap and smirks, “ now, paperwork later.”

Luhan chuckles, “Too easy,” he says before crashing his lips into Minseok’s.

Turns out he was right, Minseok never had listened to any of his mixtapes, on the basis that there was no room for a kid on his record label. But after much consideration, and Luhan proving to him he wasn't a kid many, many times, Luhan’s first album came out after eight months. 

“With great success,” Minseok would always add when telling the story. “He’s so talented,” he would go on to say, as he slips an arm around Luhan’s waist, proudly showing him off to his close friends.

Luhan was talented and he was most definitely, not, just a mixtape kid.