007

 

---

 

Junhong fell asleep late at night, after packing all of his belongings into boxes. Much to his annoyance, he had an early class the next morning, which meant that he was grumpier than usual (although lately it seemed that grumpy was his usual).

He’d finished his breakfast and was waiting for Jongup to pick him up when someone knocked on the door. The omega paused, wondering if he should answer it – sometimes his parents got annoyed if he greeted their business partners before them. Besides, if he was stuck greeting them for too long, Jongup would get annoyed waiting for him. It was kind of a lose-lose situation.

He didn’t have to ponder it for too long, because an irritated voice yelled from upstairs.

“Answer the door, Junhong!”

The teen slid off the kitchen stool to do as he was told, hoping Jongup wouldn’t get too mad.

He didn’t expect to be met with Bang Yongguk’s secretary, flanked by two men. As soon as Junhong’s eyes landed on them, all he could think about was that they were absolutely ripped. With huge muscles that bulged through their shirts, they were pretty much double the size of Youngjae.

It would have been a funny contrast, if not for Junhong’s realisation that the situation looked eerily similar to the scenes in movies, where the mafia boss arrives to murder an innocent person. Or, at least watch them get murdered by the two, buff men at his sides.

Junhong looked at the men again.

They kind of looked angry. And judging by the size of their arms, they could totally knock him out with one hit.

The teen swallowed nervously.

“Good morning, Junhong-ssi.” Youngjae said formally – Junhong stared at him to see if there was any evil in his eyes, but he just looked as cute as ever. Junhong wasn’t sure if that was good or not; after all, maybe he was just good at hiding his expressions. That’s how all mafia bosses got away with murders in the movies.

“M-Morning...?” it came out more like a question.

“Yongguk instructed us to bring your items to the apartment whilst you were at school, so you can go straight there afterwards,” the secretary explained.

Junhong’s eyes widened; so they were lifters, not evil mafia henchmen. As soon as Junhong knew that he wasn’t about to be brutally murdered, he relaxed.

“Oh, that’s okay with me. What about Mochi?” he asked, blinking.

Youngjae chuckled, “I assume that’s your dog? Yongguk told us to bring him as well. You can trust us with Mochi and all your belongings, I assure you. Taekwoon is very good with animals.” He gestured to the man on his right.

At Youngjae’s movement, Junhong looked at the man beside him, whose stormy expression didn’t change. Maybe that was just his face.

Junhong opened the door wider and beckoned them in, “Erm, do you want anything to drink?” he asked lamely. All three of them shook their heads.

Well, that made it quicker.

The teen brought them to his room quickly, after feeling his phone vibrate in his jean pockets. Jongup was probably close to arriving.

“I have to leave in a few minutes, but all my boxes are in here,” he said. It was weird to see his room filled with stacked boxes, but Junhong supposed it wasn’t really his room anymore. Mochi, who was playing with a cardboard box in the middle of the room, bounded over to see the newcomers, yipping cutely.

To Junhong’s surprise, Taekwoon kneeled down to play with the puppy immediately, keeping him from jumping on the others. His stoic expression changed into a softer one. Junhong tried not to show his surprise.

“Nothing here is really heavy... they’re pretty much all clothes,” He told Youngjae and the remaining lifter. Youngjae’s eyebrows raised, looking at the fifteen boxes. The omega knew that the secretary was judging him, but he’d gotten it before; it didn’t really bother him.

“Uh, just watch out for that one,” he pointed to a box. “It has a computer in it, so it’s pretty heavy. And that one,” he pointed to another, “is fragile, so please be careful...” He didn’t really want to tell them that it had all his photo frames in it, at the risk of sounding dumb. His skateboard was somewhere in there too; he was fortunate that his mother didn’t bother checking what he was packing.

He turned to Taekwoon, “Mochi’s cage is in the corner over there, but only keep him in it for the car ride. He doesn’t really like it.”

“Got it,” the man replied quietly.

His phone vibrated again in his pocket and car honked from outside. He tightened his jaw, glancing at Youngjae nervously. “I’m sorry, but I have to go now, my friend’s picking me up.”

The secretary didn’t seem phased at all. “Oh, of course! No problem. We’ll let ourselves out when we’re done.” He nodded, “Enjoy your day, Junhong-ssi.”

“Thanks, Youngjae,” the omega lowered his head before jogging down the stairs. He grabbed his bag from against the kitchen bench and slung it over his shoulder, before making his way out. He hoped his mother wouldn’t stumble across the three guys and get the wrong idea, like he did, but he didn’t worry about it for too long. She probably wouldn’t come out of the study for a long time.

“About time!” Jongup shouted, as Junhong walked out. His best friend had rolled down the window slightly, and poked his head through. Himchan was in the driver’s seat, as usual.

Instead of replying, Junhong quickly told Himchan, “Roll up the window, quickly.” If Jongup didn’t move, his head would be trapped in the window. Junhong grinned cheekily, an evil glint in his eye.

Himchan laughed, “I can’t; I’ll be unemployed and murder convictions don’t look good on resumes.”

Unfortunately, Jongup moved his head back. He rolled his eyes, “Good morning to you too.”

Junhong grinned and opened the door, waiting for the alpha to move over. He dropped his bag on the middle seat and climbed in. They were about to leave, when they heard a yell.

“Junhong-ssi!”

The omega blinked, and he stared out the still-rolled-down window, seeing Youngjae sprint towards him. He slowed down as he neared, adjusting his suit.

“Youngjae-ah!”

The secretary looked up, peering into the car window to see the owner of the voice who called him. His eyes brightened as he saw the driver of the car.

“Himchannie-hyung!” he exclaimed. His smile was so wide; Junhong was sure the only other time he looked so happy was when he was talking about DAE.

“You know each other?” Jongup’s voice was quiet  and he stared at the secretary. Himchan’s face was pulled into a grin and he nodded.

“We’ve been close friends since we were children,” Youngjae explained. “We even went to the same high school.”

“It’s been ages, Youngjae,” Himchan murmured, smiling, and Youngjae turned his attention back to the driver.

“Hyung, if you ever get the night off, we should go get dinner together,” the secretary suggested.

“Definitely,” the man answered eagerly. Junhong decided it was the happiest he’d ever seen the man. Himchan had told him once that he never showed his emotions because he was meant to remain professional. Junhong wasn’t sure if that was a joke though. “Only if you’re not too busy yourself, Youngjae-ah.”

Both Jongup and Junhong were surprised by the amount of affection in his voice. Jongup sat back in the car and crossed his arms, muttering irritably, “We’re going to be late for class.”

Junhong took a quick look at his watch. They still had half an hour.

The secretary must have heard the alpha, because he stopped talking to Himchan and turned to Junhong. “Yongguk wanted me to remind you that he’s picking you up when your classes end and taking you to the apartment afterwards. We should have all your belongings there by that time.”

“Okay, thanks, Youngjae,” the younger smiled, and the secretary returned back into the house.

“You never told me about him,” Jongup murmured. The car began accelerating, and Himchan’s eyes met his through the rearview mirror, but the man said nothing.

Junhong, for the first time since he’d met Jongup, felt alpha pheromones emit from his best friend. They were stronger than any he had ever scented before, which was worrisome. For someone who never showed pheromones to suddenly release them this aggressively was... strange. Junhong had never witnessed it before.

The silent drive to school was the most uncomfortable ride he had ever taken.

 

Jongup was in a really weird mood for the rest of the day. Not only was he silent, but he actually buried himself in taking notes in class. He didn’t even take out any snacks. Jongup being productive wasn’t really Jongup at all.

He knew it was terrible, but Junhong was really glad when classes ended; he didn’t want to have another uncomfortable ride home with Jongup, and besides, he had another alpha he was looking forward to seeing.

“See you later, Junhong,” his best friend waved, but he didn’t have his usual boyish grin. He walked to his own car and, without looking at Himchan, entered and sat in the backseat.

Junhong watched as the car drove off, hoping that his best friend would be back to normal the next day.

He made his way towards a familiar car, seeing Yongguk in the front. The alpha was already watching him, a smile growing on his face as Junhong opened the passenger door.

To his surprise, Yongguk wasn’t wearing anything formal today; he must have taken the day off or something. Like usual, he was wearing all black, but his hair wasn’t styled up. Junhong decided he liked seeing him like this – he didn’t think many other people knew of such a casual Yongguk. Also, the black T-shirt he was wearing only accentuated his strong biceps, and Junhong felt a little part of him melt.

(Probably his dignity. His arms looked so freaking skinny in comparison, it was almost humiliating).

“Hey, hyung,” Junhong placed his bag by his feet and sat comfortably in the front seat. He really liked Yongguk’s car, the seats were plush and soft, and the air conditioning was on, cooling the boy down from the almost unbearable heat outside.

“Not ‘Yonggukkie-hyungie’ today?” the alpha teased, leaning over to buckle the younger’s seatbelt for him. The boy blushed, the redness of his cheeks caused by both the alpha’s teasing and his close proximity. Yongguk pulled back quickly and began driving.

“Can we never talk about that?” Junhong mumbled, embarrassed. He remembered how clingy he was to the elder during his heat; it tended to happen when he let his guard down. He usually had better control over it, but even Jongup would agree that Junhong on heat was needy for attention.

“Why not? You were cute,” the elder laughed, but gave in when he saw Junhong pout. “Okay, okay.”

“Is Mochi already at the apartment?” the omega asked curiously, and Yongguk nodded.

“I went there for a bit earlier, to bring in my own things. Mochi and Tigger are sharing a room,” the elder couldn’t hide his smile. “They get along really well.”

“Really?” the teen was surprised; Mochi never really met any other dogs – Junhong guessed that was why he was so attached to his owner.

“Yeah, I think Mochi was a bit shocked to move somewhere without you, but he’s settling in,” Yongguk spared a quick glance at Junhong, seeing the omega nod happily. Junhong looked out the window, wanting to remember the way from his university to the apartment. He had searched it up earlier, but the apartment – his new home – was really close to his university, about a ten minute walk. It would be useful on days when Jongup couldn’t drive him; he could just skate to school instead.

“Have you unpacked all your things?” The teen asked as they turned into the underground carpark.

“Most of them,” Yongguk answered, focused on parking the car safely. As soon as he was satisfied with his parking, he killed the engine. As they exited the carpark, Junhong noticed that their parking space was labelled ‘VIP.’ He wondered if Yongguk had gotten prime parking because he lived in the penthouse, or because he just was a very important person.

Arriving at the last floor was like arriving home. The apartment still looked like it did last Tuesday, but he was pleased to see that Yongguk had hung up some frames. The frames held what looked like expensive art; Junhong made sure to look at them more closely later on.

Yongguk brought him to the room next to his, opening the door tentatively.

A sharp bark was heard, belonging to the omega’s puppy. He cooed at the sight of Mochi running towards him excitedly and lifted him up in his hands, laughing as the dog started his face. Mochi seemed relieved to see him; Junhong felt bad leaving him in the company of strangers for a few hours, but he was glad that his treasured companion was safe.

After Mochi, a slightly bigger dog padded out, staring at the pet-and-owner interaction. The dog was a fluffy poodle, with clearly well-groomed fur, and large shining eyes. He cocked his head slightly, before staring up at his owner.

“This is Tigger,” the deep-voiced male introduced, encouraging his dog to approach the omega with a gentle push. Junhong placed Mochi on the floor.

He instantly cooed, “Aww, he’s so cute, hyung!” He reached out to pat the dog’s head gently, Tigger warming up to him immediately. Yongguk’s dog his fingers and Mochi watched as his owner played with another dog.

Yongguk grinned, and Mochi nudged Tigger’s side with his nose, pushing him aside. Junhong just patted both dogs.

“They can play with each other inside the room while you unpack. I don’t want any heavy boxes accidentally falling on them,” Yongguk explained, and when Junhong agreed, he brought Mochi and Tigger inside. As he closed the door to the dog room, Mochi whined, but was quickly silenced by one of Tigger’s barks. The omega was amused by Mochi’s following silence; maybe Tigger was disciplining the younger puppy.

Junhong walked further down the hallway, seeing the same stack of boxes piled in one corner.

“I’ll leave you to it then,” Yongguk said, looking around. “I think you’ll be busy for a few hours, but if you need any help, just tell me okay? I’m in the room across the hall.”

“If you need any help, tell me too. I’m stronger than I look!” Junhong smiled, the corner of his lips upturning.

Yongguk’s expression was affectionate, eyes fond at the tall omega. He didn’t shut the door as he went inside, allowing Junhong to see a section of his room. It was luxurious, with dark grey and white walls, and a black bed in the middle. Junhong was kind of jealous of how well put-together Yongguk seemed; even his bedroom decor matched his fashion style.

The omega forced himself to stop staring inside (Yongguk probably already thought he was a creep), and decided to focus on his own belongings. He was smart enough to fold his clothes before he packed them, so there wasn’t much else to be done with the eleven boxes of clothes he had, other than taking them out.

In the room, there was already a bed, study table and two wardrobes. He began with the walk-in closet, placing all of his shoes on the shelves and hanging up the clothes he couldn’t fold. The closet was extremely spacious, almost like a second room. Junhong couldn’t help thinking about his mother, who had always wanted a large wardrobe of her own.

He shook his head; it was best to focus instead of thinking about his family. He doubted he would see them very often from then on, and there was no point getting homesick before he’d even finished unpacking.

It took two hours for him to organise all of his clothes, which was actually quicker than expected. Halfway through the task, he heard the door to the dog room swing open; he guessed Yongguk went to play with the puppies after he finished unpacking.

A frown formed on his face, wanting to play as well, but he knew he had to set up his computer and studying materials.

By the time he was finished with everything, the sun had set, and darkness poured into the apartment. Junhong’s stomach growled – he hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast.

He quietly opened the door to the dogs’ room, assuming that Yongguk was still in there.

As predicted, the man was sitting on a bean bag in the middle of the room. Mochi was sleeping on his lap, but he was Tigger’s fur with one hand while using his phone with the other. For a split second, his face was deep in thought, but when he noticed Junhong, he immediately put his phone down.

“Are you finished unpacking?” he asked, as Junhong sat across from him, cross-legged on the floor. The boy nodded and reached over to take Mochi from the man’s lap.

“I’m hungry,” he said, just as Mochi woke and barked, recognising his owner’s scent. He snuggled into Junhong’s warmth lovingly.

“Do you want to go out for dinner?”

Junhong didn’t really want to; he was tired out, sweaty, and had yet to take a shower. He tilted his head, “Is there any food in the kitchen? I can try making something.” He wasn’t the best at cooking, but he could follow a recipe.

Yongguk frowned, “Only ramen.”

Little did Junhong know that Yongguk’s ramen ‘stash’ was so extensive, it was almost a collection – he had all kinds of international instant noodles, ranging from mild to deathly hot. The alpha didn’t think Junhong would like eating ramen when he could eat gourmet food.

“I don’t mind!” Junhong made ramen a lot anyway, when his family was out, so he could handle making some noodles without burning his new home down. Yongguk chuckled at his excitement.

“Okay, I’ll make some for you. Take a shower.” He got off the bean bag and held a hand out to the omega. Tigger watched him move, but was content just sprawled out on the floor. It was a large contrast to Mochi, who began whining as soon as Junhong placed him on the floor and took Yongguk’s hand.

“Mochi, stop being a brat,” Junhong leant over and poked the little dog’s nose. “I’ll come play with you after dinner.”

“Oh, the dogs are allowed out of this room now that we’ve finished unpacking,” Yongguk noticed that the dog seemed reluctant to leave Junhong. He gave Junhong a smile, “It’s just better if they stay in here when we’re both out since it’s dog-proofed.”

That made sense – Junhong was happy that even his pet was allowed more freedom in his new home than in his parents’ house. He gave Mochi a stern look, “Okay, but you have to leave me alone when I shower.”

There was no doubt about that one. Mochi had a sixth sense for bathtubs; he absolutely dreaded them, and could pretty much sense whenever one was nearby. Not even his attachment to his owner could convince him to get close to the bathroom, let alone in the bathtub.

“I make the best ramen, so don’t worry about having to run to the convenience store for emergency food,” Yongguk joked as Junhong made his way back to his bedroom.

The omega laughed, “I trust you then, hyung.”

So far, Junhong had a long list of things he knew Yongguk was good at; looking good, being smart, having a great fashion sense... ‘best ramen maker’ was about to be added onto that list.

Could Bang Yongguk get any more perfect?

 

Jongup was acting strange.

Himchan found it unnerving that his boss was so silent. Even when it was just the two of them, the alpha would usually be chatting to him about Junhong, or school, or dance. Anything.

Instead, the boy was sitting at the back, leaning his head on the car door with his earphones in, sighing loudly. Himchan was driving him home in absolute silence.

Himchan had worked for Jongup for the past four years, had spent pretty much every living moment with him. He was confident enough to say that he knew the boy’s secrets more than his parents – he knew the boy more than his best friend, even.

Himchan knew he was angry.

He had been acting moody since the morning, and it was extremely out of character for a cheerful, cheeky boy like him. Not only that, but he usually had a good grip on his emotions, and he got over grudges easily. Jongup wasn’t like other alphas in that aspect.

Himchan turned into the large driveway of the Moon Estate and continued into the garage, parking neatly next to twelve other cars. As soon as he parked, Jongup opened the door and got out. Himchan expected him to storm into the house like a teenager throwing a tantrum, but instead he opened the driver’s door and took his wrist, pulling him out of the car.

Even though he was angry, Jongup’s grip on his wrist was careful, almost gentle. Himchan followed him without complaint anyway; curious but also worried about his actions.

It wasn’t surprising that they were going to Jongup’s room, it was the only place in the mansion where maids and butlers weren’t allowed access. Even his parents tended to stay away from his bedroom; they respected his space.

As soon as the bedroom door was shut, Himchan stared expectantly at the alpha. Jongup was staring intensely at the floor, face stoic.

“What’s wrong, Master Jongup?” Himchan asked quietly, hoping to encourage him to speak. It wasn’t in his job description, but he hoped Jongup would at least feel comfortable enough to tell him about his problems.

He didn’t expect Jongup’s eyes to immediately raise to meet his, eyes dark, angry and hurt. When he finally spoke, his voice was no more than a low growl. “Do you think my feelings for you are a joke, Himchan?”

Even though Himchan was beta, he could tell Jongup was seething. It was impressive that he wasn’t already having a physical reaction because of his emotions, seeming as he was an alpha.

He tried to calm him down, voice apologetic, “I’ve told you before –”

“– I know.” Jongup interrupted, his eyes not leaving the elder’s. “I know, and I accepted that you didn’t want to be in a relationship while you’re working for me.”

Himchan stayed quiet, as Jongup’s stare finally broke, and he looked down at his feet again. His voice much softer, he murmured, “I thought I had a chance when you didn’t tell me no though. I thought that you only refused me because you value your job. You also never said that you didn't return my feelings, so I thought I still had a chance with you... I thought I had a chance with you for two years, Himchan.”

Himchan nodded, not wanting to be reminded of the harsh words he had told Jongup when he was much younger. His answer was the truth, a relationship with Jongup would only distract him from his work; but he also couldn't lie to the boy. He held some feelings for Jongup, but he couldn't act on them, not when he needed his job.

Jongup’s voice was broken, and he looked up at Himchan again. “Why couldn't you just tell me you weren't interested instead of agreeing to go out with someone right in front of me?”

Himchan’s eyes widened, and he stepped closer, “What did you say?”

“Not just anyone either, but Bang Yongguk’s secretary? My best friend’s partner’s secretary? My –”

“Jongup, I’m not going out with anybody, let alone Youngjae,” Himchan stressed, tone serious. Jongup’s anger halted and he gave the beta a questioning look. The man groaned and mumbled, “You’re such an idiot. Having dinner with someone doesn’t mean I’m dating them.” Jongup’s mouth was open and he had a blank expression on his face. Himchan continued, “Besides, Youngjae and I have been best friends since like high school, there’s absolutely nothing but platonic love between us. I just haven’t seen him in a while since he’s so busy with work and I’m so busy with you –”

He didn’t notice Jongup was stepping closer to him as he rambled on and on, and before he knew it, his lips were sealed with a kiss.

It wasn’t their first kiss, but Himchan froze in place like all the times before, the words on his tongue fading as Jongup kissed him. The alpha pushed him until his back hit the wall. The kiss was desperate, hungry, but the alpha was always so gentle with him, one of his hands cupping his cheek.

Himchan knew it was wrong, but he didn’t stop the kiss – he didn’t want to – and his fingers curled into Jongup’s shirt. Neither of them stopped until they ran out of air, parting with quiet pants. Himchan released his grip on the other’s shirt and bit his lip immediately, feeling the guilt well up inside him.

Jongup was still a breath away from him, and the look in his eyes told Himchan that he wanted more. The beta placed a hand on Jongup’s chest, pushing him away as he mumbled weakly, “I can’t risk my job here, you know that...”

Jongup stayed silent. They never talked about the kisses, about how Himchan would never refuse, about how he would actually kiss him back.

“I would never fire you, even if we didn’t work out,” Jongup said honestly, and as Himchan looked at him, he could only think about how young the boy was.

“You say that now, but if it happens…” Himchan murmured, averting his eyes from the other’s gaze. Jongup claimed that he wouldn’t lose his job, even if they broke up, but he couldn’t guarantee it. Himchan knew break-ups were painful and awkward, and even if Jongup could handle having him around after their relationship was over, Himchan knew that he wasn’t personally strong enough.

He couldn’t sacrifice his job, it was the main source of his family’s income. After his mother had injured herself and was no longer healthy enough to work, he had to quit university halfway through his third year to support her and his sister. He made quite a bit from being Jongup’s bodyguard, even though it meant he didn’t have much of a social life at all. His family all depended on him, and he couldn’t let them down because of some impulsive desire.

“You deserve more,” he told Jongup, despite his heart feeling like it was ripping out of his chest. He was grateful that betas were more emotionally stable than omegas and alphas, because he really felt like crying.

Jongup’s jaw clenched. “I only want you.”

“Jongup,” Himchan began, but he was interrupted.

“Don’t.” The alpha said coldly before he left the room, leaving Himchan alone.

The bodyguard watched him leave, biting his lip and forcing himself not to call out after him.

 

---

 

catch me @junhng on tumblr; 

here's a quick summary of the himup bc there was quiiiiite a lot of info i guess

1. himchan is jongup's bodyguard (!!!)
2. jongup lurves himchan (and has so for the last 2 years)
3. himchan kind of loves him back
4. but they cant date :((
5. but they kiss sometimes and it's always !! consensual

at least banglo r happy and less complicated lol

tell me what you think about this chapter!! (about the himup maybe?? im not sure if its good at all tbh)