11:00 AM
 

Waking up from his nap, Jongin lifts his head and looks around his cubicle. His shelves and photos greet him and he sighs deeply before resting his head against the desk and trying to go back to sleep. In his defense, he's already finished typing up his report and figured he'd take a short (two hour) nap whilst waiting for the printer room to be free. He hears Minseok and somebody else walking towards the break room, and Jongin would join them if it wasn't for the fact that he has no appetite at all whatsoever. Jongin figures it's because he got little to no sleep last night and he groans loudly when his computer notifies him about a new email. Tie practically choking him to death, Jongin lifts his head ever so slightly, not even bothering to open it up and read it before slumping back down in his chair and staring up at the ceiling.

He received his letter of rejection this morning. To add insult to injury, Jongin just so happened to receive a phone call from his boss asking him to come in at eight tomorrow morning and stay back until midnight mere seconds after reading through his university letter. So to say that he'd rather be at home, underneath his covers and watching terrible cartoons than behind his desk pretending to entertain himself would be a vast understatement. Jongin hasn't really spoken to anybody since he arrived at work three hours ago, not even Luhan, save for a glum greeting, and Jongin sighs deeply, seriously wishing this week would be over soon before opening up the email. He skims through the first paragraph before feeling all the energy has been out of him. Jongin wonders if his boss will yell at him if he crawled underneath his desk and curled up into a fetal position and ignored everybody until five o'clock, and he's about to do it when he suddenly hears Sehun's voice from inside the latter's cubicle behind him. 

Sehun seems to be talking on the phone, and Jongin really can't tell if it's for work or personal as he slowly rolls over to the back of his cubicle and listens. He can't make out a word of what Sehun is saying, but Jongin suddenly feels his stomach sinking when he pictures Sehun staring lovingly at the girl on his desk as he talks on the phone, and he has to back away from the wall until he hits his desk. 

Jongin knows he's being overdramatic, since at least 80% of the guys on his floor are married, some even with children, and Jongin doesn't know if it's simply a result of him being the second youngest on his floor and therefore single, or something he can't bring himself to think about right now. Nevertheless, Jongin grabs an eraser from his desk and tosses it towards the bulletin board, only for it to bounce off the soft material and hit him square in the face. "," he curses, sighing deeply as he pulls out his phone. He calls Luhan from his work phone, only for the latter's voicemail to go off, so Jongin assumes Luhan's in the bathroom and gives up. A cough coming from behind him nearly makes him fall off his chair in surprise.

Jongin spins around in his chair, only to be met with the sight of Baekhyun giggling loudly. "You ," he mutters, trying to calm his racing heart. He doesn't think getting scolded a third time this week will sit right with his boss. At all.

"Why the long face?" Baekhyun asks, plastic bag with his lunch box dangling from his fingers. "Oh, how'd it go yesterday, by the way?" he asks, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, which only makes Jongin groan in irritation.

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't notice?" Jongin hisses, staring at Baekhyun with an annoyed look before fumbling with his tie. It's loose again, even though he spent an hour looking up tutorial videos on YouTube, but he gives up on trying to fix it soon after. "God, you're such a sometimes, I swear," he huffs. He takes a sip of tea, remembering to blow on it this time, but it does little to help the coiling in his stomach.

Baekhyun shrugs before raising an eyebrow. "It was just a harmless prank, and you did end up fixing things in the end, so," he says, leaning against the wall. "I re-dyed my hair last night, what do you think?" He grins and Jongin is nearly blinded by how red his hair is. Jongin has always wondered how their boss allowed Baekhyun to keep his hair color after getting accepted for the job. 

"It's lovely," Jongin murmurs under his breath before sighing loudly. "And not that, you moron, I meant--" He goes silent, too scared to say it out loud in fear of anybody possibly listening.

Baekhyun blinks and his head to the left. "...Whatnow?"

"The wedding ring," Jongin hisses after urging Baekhyun to come closer so he doesn't have to shout. A wave of glumness hits him and he has to take another sip of tea to distract himself. "God--" He sighs, not even bothering to hide his crestfallen expression as he rolls back to his desk and proceeds to respond to a few emails. When Baekhyun walks over and pats his shoulder reassuringly, Jongin sighs again. "Go away, can't you I'm busy being sad-"

"I know, I know, but," Baekhyun says before leaning in and whispering in Jongin's ear. "He was totally checking out your back there." A chuckle leaves his lips when Jongin visibly tenses. "It's true, man-- I had my eyes on him the entire time, it totally looked like he was dying to jump you," he adds, eyes twinkling in excitement before he pulls on Jongin's hand. "I don't think he's married, man, at least not to her, y'know? I mean, you do know he was the one who decided to cover up the screen, not me, right? What straight man covers up when it's right in his face?" He scratches the back of his head.

"Someone who doesn't want their boss to catch and fire them, perhaps," Jongin mumbles as he rests his head on his desk. "Look, thanks for your help, but I'm--" He lifts his head when Luhan peeks his head inside. Damn it.

"Hey, why aren't you guys at lunch," Luhan asks in confusion. "Hurry up before the break room overflows," he adds for emphasis, only for his expression to change when he sees Jongin's face. "What's the matter?" He wordlessly lets himself in and stands beside the brunet, who groans loudly. "Are you feeling sick?"

"Lovesick," Baekhyun sniggers.

Luhan sends Baekhyun an annoyed look. "Shut it, dumbo," he huffs before patting Jongin's shoulder. "You do look kind of pale, should I go get her?" he asks, eyebrows knitted together in concern. When Jongin shakes his head, he blinks. "Are you sure? What's going on here anyway?"

When Jongin makes no effort to say anything, Baekhyun shrugs. "Basically, we may or not have found out last night that Sehun may or may not be married, so now Jongin may or may not be heartbroken," he says as a matter-of-factly, although there's a hint of emphathy in his voice as he stares at Jongin, who is still slumped over his desk and sighing.

Luhan's gaze switches back and forth between the two, and he blinks. "Really?" he asks, clearly surprised. "How...uh, how do you-- Did you as--"

"He came in yesterday with a ring on his finger," Baekhyun says, biting his lip and rubbing the back of his neck. "On a side note, are me and Jongin the only singles around here? I swear, everyone's either married or divorced," he huffs, mainly to himself, as he shoves his hands in his pockets glumly.

Luhan sends Baekhyun a look. "I'm not married either," he says before pressing his lips together. "And...well, okay then," he says quietly, unsure of what to say when all three of them fall into an awkward silence subsequently. "That...that , really." He rubs Jongin's back reassuringly, the latter only grunting something in response before sitting up and fixing his hair. "But hey, think of it this way, at least you found out pretty quick, right?" He pats Jongin's back one last time before taking a step back. "There are plenty of fish in the sea, my friend."

"Yeah, I know," Jongin replies, fiddling and picking apart an eraser with his fingers. He sort of wishes Baekhyun and Luhan would leave him alone since all he wants is to be miserable in peace. He spins around in his chair, ready to ask the two to leave him alone when a figure suddenly appears by the door, and he instinctively feels his chest swell with a familiar fuzziness.

Sehun nods at all three of them before buttoning his coat, turning up his collar and smiling. His ring is impossible to miss as it glows like a sphere on his finger, and Jongin has to tear his eyes away. "You guys going for lunch?" he asks, running a hand through his hair, which he must have dyed considering his usual black roots are gone.

"Yeah," Baekhyun says, nodding. "Would you...uh, would you like to join us?" he asks, rubbing his neck when he notices Jongin swallowing and Luhan sending him a look. "I mean-"

"I'd love to," Sehun says with an apologetic look on his face, "but I'm meeting someone for lunch in ten minutes." He frowns slightly. "I'll join you guys tomorrow, though, I promise," he adds for good measure before muttering something about being late if he doesn't leave now, and before Jongin knows it, he's out of sight and calling an elevator. 

Jongin sighs, both in relief and disappointment as he slumps further into his chair. "Well, then." The mental images of Sehun dining with his wife floods his brain to the point that he has to get out of his chair and pace back and forth inside the cubicle in order to calm himself down. Baekhyun and Luhan watch as Jongin visibly attempts to pull himself together by attempting to fix his tie with no success. "Damn it--"

"Maybe some lunch will help," Luhan says gently as he places a hand on Jongin's shoulder. The latter only shrugs as if to say 'I highly doubt it'. "Well, you still need to eat, my friend," he chuckles before gently ushering Jongin outside into the hallway. 

 

---

Sehun crosses the road just outside the office building and immediately spots a figure waving at him on the other side. He barely manages to avoid getting hit by a car as he walks towards it, hoping it is who he thinks it is. He walks closer, and it's not until he sees a familiar flowery dress that he feels himself grinning widely, and he rushes forward.

"Sehun!" Sunny exclaims, hugging Sehun tightly when the latter approaches. They pull apart and she immediately frowns. "I nearly saw you getting your ran over back there, didn't Mom teach you anything growing up?" she huffs without bite, and practically bounces up and down in excitement. "Look at you! You've really upped your game." She gestures at Sehun's suit, which is already starting to make him sweat. "I sorta miss you roaming around the house in nothing but Rilakkuma onesies," she laughs and Sehun whacks her in the shoulder as they make their way down the street.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up," Sehun mumbles, shielding his face from the sun when they get out of the shade. "I'm not 12 anymore." His blond hair is practically glowing like a fireball and he worries he might sweat to death if they don't find an AC soon. "Where is this place, anyways?" he asks, fanning his face. He low-key hopes they don't end up at some fancy joint, since he's still full from breakfast and the apple he ate this morning.

Sunny points to a small shop with a pink sign outside a block ahead. "It's a small bubble tea shop, it's not much, but I ate a big breakfast, so bear with me," she giggles, her heels clacking against the sizzling hot pavement. "Anyway, how's work going?" she asks as they approach the shop and walk inside, and Sehun nearly cries in relief when a cool blast of air hits him in the face.

"Fine, the usual," Sehun replies before furrowing his eyebrows when he eyes the menu. The menu is scribbled in such calligrafied handwriting that he can barely even make sense of it, but he finally settles for a chocolate bubble tea and a muffin. It's probably the safest bet, considering it's all he can read, and he picks a nice little table outside, removes his coat and hangs it on the back of the chair. The tables and chairs are clearly not meant for somebody over six feet like him, so Sehun finds himself awkwardly positioning his long legs aside, practically blocking the path, but it's really all he can do. He can see the office building from acros the street, and he wonders if Jongin, Luhan and Baekhyun are sitting at their usual table and talking.

Sunny comes outside with their things five minutes later, her dress blowing in the wind. "Thanks for helping me out," she says sarcastically before placing the tray on the table. After sitting down, she hands Sehun his drink and snack before taking a bite of her cheesecake. "Honestly, if this stuff wasn't so fattening I'd eat if every second of my life," she says in full honesty. "Anyway, how've you been lately? You need a haircut, by the way, you look just like Dad when he was in that weird rock band."

"Christ, don't remind me. And I've mainly been caught up with work for the most part," Sehun replies, taking a sip of his tea. He drinks so fast that he nearly chokes and he briefly tells Sunny to off when she immediately bursts into laughter. She hasn't changed at all in the last six months. "You'd think somebody with a medical degree would worry about their brother choking to death," he murmurs, wiping his mouth with a tissue.

"First of all, you can't choke to death on some tea. I mean, you can, but it's nearly impossible," Sunny says, rolling her eyes and letting Sehun taste a piece of her cake. "And secondly, why is it that whenever I call you you're always either at work or sleeping? You gotta have some fun, dude." She takes a swig of juice before shrugging. 

Sehun chuckles. He doesn't like the idea of spending every day in a classroom full of students learning about the human body. "I do think work is fun, to an extent," he says and Sunny nearly chops his hand right off when he successfully steals another piece of her cake. "It gets a bit stressful at times, but we usually have office parties at the end of every month, so that's cool, at least," he adds whilst chewing shamelessly. "Our next one's on Monday, actually."

"Are you going?" Sunny asks, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "You better send me pictures this time or I'mma fly over and join you guys myself," she adds and Sehun doesn't even need to ask to know that she isn't joking. "Oh well, as long as your colleagues are chill, then I'm going. Hey, I bet they're watching us from over there." She gestures at the large, black building across the road and puts the spoon in . "You like 'em, right? Good co-workers in the workplace is like 50% of what makes a job tolerable."

Sehun finishes his bubble tea, nearly suffering brain freeze, before nodding. "I like them, actually," he says sincerely. "I mean, they could be a whole lot worse, sort of like my boss," he adds and shivers, because if his colleagues were anything like his boss, he'd have quit a year ago. He leans back in his chair as much as the short back rest will allow him to, before closing his eyes as the sun beats down on his face. 

Sunny finishes her cake quickly so Sehun can't steal anything, and she shoves her plate aside before leaning in and staring at Sehun intently. "Are they male or female?" she asks, her usual, childish self rearing its head as she bounces up and down in excitement.

Sehun looks at her, one eye squeezed shut as the sun covers half of his face. "...They're all guys," he says and sighs when a twinkle appears in her eyes, because he knows exactly where she's going with this.

"Do you like any of them?" Sunny asks, getting straight to the point and speaking way too loudly, since a few people turn to look at them subsequently. She ignores them before leaning in closer, batting her eyes childishly. "C'mon, lemme hear all about 'em cute office boys," she says and giggles.

"It's hard to find dates in a hectic workplace like mine," Sehun tries, only to sigh in defeat when Sunny shoots him an unimpressed look. "You've never worked in an office before, you wouldn't know," he mumbles, clearing his throat and taking an empty sip of his tea.

Sunny shrugs. "Nope, but I know cute boys when I see 'em, and that usually doesn't change, and I know the same goes for you," she chuckles, reaching into her bag before reapplying her lipstick. "So tell me, which one of these office hunks have caught your eye?" she asks and shamelessly clicks her tongue as she leans in. A knowing smirk spreads across her entire face when Sehun becomes distant. "Oh Sehun, brother mine, you forced me to tell me everything about my love adventures before I moved in with my man, so now it's my turn."

"Fine, fine," Sehun huffs, throwing his hands in the air in defeat. He seriously wonders what it is about women and their tendency to talk about romance for hours on end. "It's...it's kinda weird, cause like, we've worked together for like a year but we've never really talked until now, I don't get it either, it's...it's weird," he says, clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his neck. He sees Sunny's face and sighs. "Yeah, that's all, ma'am-"

"What's his name?" Sunny asks and Sehun doesn't even need to ask to know that she's out after every little detail. 

Sehun opens his mouth but closes it afterwards. Swallowing, he shifts a little in his seat. "Jongin," he says albeit shyly as he avoids Sunny's eyes. "But he's not a-- Nevermind." He shakes his head and sighs, not ever wanting to assosciate Jongin with the word 'hunk', even in his head. "Yeah," he says awkwardly when silence falls between them, and it's not until he looks at Sunny again that he sighs and pulls out his phone. He doesn't think he has a single picture of Jongin, so he googles his office's website and logs in. "Here--" He opens up a row of photos and holds up Jongin's ID photo.

Sunny looks at the photo for a minute before she nods, seemingly in approval. "I don't know what's cuter, the name or the face," she giggles before Sehun takes his phone back. "Darn, he's young," she mumbles, mainly to herself. "1994...so he's like, 24 then?" She rolls her eyes and huffs when she sees the look on Sehun's face. "My math grade was much higher than yours, don't gimme that look, sudzy." She asks to see the photo again and Sehun complies, albeit reluctantly. "Yeah, he's cute as hell." She giggles again. "He looks like the type to ask you what a is," she adds shamelessly and ignores when Sehun squawks in surprise. "It's true!"

Dragging his free hand down his face, Sehun sighs before staring at Jongin's photo. He remembers the day they had their photos taken, at the start of October 2017. He vividly remembers Jongin complaining to Luhan about not having ironed his blouse due to oversleeping, which resulted in their boss scolding him. As he continues to look at the photo, Sehun figures you wouldn't even notice the wrinkles in the brunet's blouse if he hadn't said anything. Sehun finds him staring a little too long at Jongin's half smile, which is nearly a smirk, his eyes creasing at the corners as he smiles. Jongin isn't wearing a tie and Sehun figures he knows why.

Sehun figures he must have chuckled out loud to himself, because Sunny waves her hand in front of his face. "Yeah, uh, he's...young," he says dumbly and puts his phone away. "He actually applied for university a few days ago," he adds and makes a mental note to ask Jongin how it went.

"When I crash your party on Monday I better see you two talking, just saying," Sunny says, sending Sehun a sharp glare before bursting into a fit of giggles. "," she whispers when her ring slips off her index finger and ends up falling through the cracks in the wooden table. "That was close," she says before putting it back on.

"I told you to get a smaller one," Sehun chuckles, thankful his ring fits perfectly. Honestly, he had no idea siblings chose to wear similar jewelry, but Sunny apparently taught him something new the day she called and told him she'd mailed him a ring because she missed him in Manhattan. He remembers reacting to the fact that the rings looked precisely like wedding rings, but she was stubborn and demanded he kept it due to the shop's no return policy. The sun hits him right in the face and he hisses when shielding his face with his hands doesn't help.

Sunny shrugs before adjusting one of her false eyelashes. "It only does that sometimes," she hums before she looks down and blinks. "Hey, I didn't know you were married," she says and chuckles loudly when Sehun looks down in confusion, only to squwak in surprise when he realizes his ring is on the wrong finger. "Tell me, who's the lucky gentleman?" She laughs loudly.

"Shut up," Sehun murmurs as he scrambles to put the ring on his index finger. "It feels more natural to wear a ring on your ring finger, doesn't it?" he huffs, pinching Sunny's cheek when she doesn't stop laughing. "That's like me sending you a necklace and asking you to wear it around your ankle." Sunny finally stops laughing and he chuckles under his breath and s a few buttons on his blouse when the heat nearly becomes scorching.

"Excuses, excuses," Sunny giggles before she finishes her mango juice and fans her face. "But I think it looks really pretty," she says absentmindedly, admiring her index finger. The gold color accentuates her bright red nails and Sehun nods in agreement. "Hey, you should take a picture of me right now and replace the one in your office!" She fixes her hair, adjusts her earrings and poses dramatically with her hands underneath her chin. "Please, you know I hate that one," she moans when Sehun shakes his head in amusement.

"I think you look prettier in that one," Sehun interjects sincerely, exhaling in relief when a large cloud moves and blocks the sun. He fans his face and struggles to move his long legs when a customer tries getting through and to a table a few feet away. 

Sunny sighs. "But that picture's so old, I look young enough to be your girlfriend in that picture." She pinches her cheeks. "Plus you can see all my baby fat, as well," she adds for emphasis but Sehun simply shakes his head. "Man, I pay for your food and you can't even take a picture of me," she says in false hurt before stealing a piece of Sehun's muffin, which the latter hasn't even touched. She laughs loudly when Sehun scolds her as she chews.

 

1:32 PM

 

Downing another glass of water, Jongin empties it before placing it in the sink, not bothering to write his name on a piece of tape and labelling it. His right hand aches and is pretty much stiff from signing papers all day, courtesy of his boss showing up and dumping a stack of work on his desk whilst he ate in his cubicle. He remembers nearly choking on the piece of tomato in his mouth when she decided to show up out of nowhere and grace him with her presence, and Jongin runs a tired hand through his hair as he tries not to think about his failed application. Except that's soon all he can think about it, so in an attempt to distract himself, Jongin plugs his earphones into his phone before shoving them in his ears. He puts his playlist on shuffle and grabs a banana from the fruit basket, hoping his boss doesn't decide to pull a typical move and walk in right in this moment. After peeling the banana in his hands, Jongin is about to turn his music up and make an attempt at surviving another three and a half hours of brain melting boredom when he thinks he hears a voice behind him. 

"You know you're not allowed to listen music, even on break."

Jongin can't tell who the voice belongs to due to the melody in his ears, so he rolls his eyes after assuming Baekhyun's presence. "Yeah, whatever, get lost," he mumbles, picking at the strands on the banana. When he hears a low chuckle, he finds himself sighing in irritation. " off, I'm not in the mood to talk right now." Baekhyun seems to take the hint, and Jongin simply keeps his eye on the banana, making his disinterest in conversation clear, as he feels and sees the redhead standing next to him and open and rummage through the cupboards. Suddenly, he gets shoved slightly and he clenches his jaw in annoyance. "Ech, get away, you're all up in my face, man--" He looks up, about to smack Baekhyun for not respecting his personal space when he nearly chokes on his banana.

"Sorry, I stumbled," Sehun says sheepishly as he rubs the back of his neck. He's holding a clean plate in his hands and when Jongin finishes coming down from his shock, he notices a brown paper bag on the counter. He's still wearing his coat, meaning he just got back inside, and he hums to himself as he opens up a drawer and grabs a spoon.

Mouth hanging open like a goldfish, Jongin blinks and thinks he might as well run up to his boss and punch her in the face, because the feeling of being fired on the spot would feel much better compared to the agony spreading through every cell in his body. "I..., I'm sorry, I didn't mean--" He scrambles to remove his earphones, nearly dropping them when he struggles to shove them back in his pocket. "I didn't-- I'm sorry, I thought you were Baekhyun, just..., nevermind." He lowers his head in shame before taking a bite of his banana. He nearly chokes on it when Sehun simply leans back against the edge of the counter after placing an untouched chocolate muffin on his plate, which is a way different reaction than the one Jongin expected; which included Sehun calling him a weirdo before going back to his cubicle.

Sehun eats in comfortable (and according to Jongin, deafening) silence, humming in content whilst he chews. A few brown crumbs fall from his spoon and cling onto his coat, but he doesn't seem to pay it any attention before continuing to delve into his snack. Jongin stares rather indiscreetly, and he doesn't know if he ends up staring longer at Sehun or the muffin, because that is undoubtedly the largest muffin he's ever seen in his life. Jongin is soon distracted when he inhales Sehun's perfume, but the fuzzy feeling in his chest soon disintegrates when he notices something off about it, only to come to the realization that it's mixed with women's perfume. Jongin quickly takes another bite, chewing the sweet fruit as he prays Sehun doesn't hear how every single organ is freaking out inside his body. 

Apparently, Jongin couldn't be more discreet with his staring, because Sehun quickly picks up on it. "All you had to do was ask," he says kindly before placing the plate between them. He hums to himself as he gracefully opens the same drawer and retrieves a spoon.

Jongin accepts it with a shaking hand. "Th-Thanks," he mutters, placing his half eaten banana aside whilst eyeing the muffin with hearts in his eyes. At first, he's worried about picking anything up, since his hand is shaking so much he worries whatever he picks up might fall right off. But one look at the chocolatey center and he's eagerly stabbing at the muffin, apologizing frantically when a few crumbs fly in all directions. Jongin definitely doesn't miss how close their hands are as they silently pick apart the muffin. After a while, it becomes painfully clear that one of them should say something, and Jongin takes it upon himself to speak. "Wh- Where'd you get this?"

Sehun shoves his spoon in his mouth before putting it down on the plate. "The little bubble tea shop across the road," he replies, covering his mouth with his hand. He swallows before taking another bite. "Isn't it good?" 

"It's delicious," Jongin says sincerely, making a mental note to visit said shop himself as soon as he can. "A...a lot of the guys on our floor choose to bring their wives there." Suddenly, his phone buzzes in his pocket and it's so unexpected that he accidentally drops his spoon in surprise. It hits the floor with a dull clanking noise and he seriously wishes the floor would swallow him up as he bends down and picks it up. Standing up, he notices that Sehun is blocking the utensil drawer and Jongin curses inwardly. He's about to make up an excuse and leave when Sehun brings his own spoon mere centimeters from his mouth. Jongin thinks he might die from embarrassment, especially when Sehun sends him a smile afterwards, but his body seems to act faster than his brain and before he knows it, he's wrapping his lips around the spoon. He chews silently, cheeks tinted a shade of pink when Sehun takes a bite of his own. It's not until Sehun offers him another spoonful that the brunet feels his chest erupt with heat. "Sehun, I'm not five," he moans.

"We're just making it easier for the person who has dish duty," Sehun chuckles before nodding at the spoon. Jongin wordlessly takes it in his mouth, his cheeks only reddening as he chews. "And that's interesting, I didn't know that," he hums, grabbing two glasses and filling them with water from the sink. When his back is briefly turned, Jongin takes the opportunity to wipe his face free of any crumbs that might be sticking to his mouth.

Jongin accepts the glass with a low thanks, hand quivering as he drinks frantically. He suddenly processes Sehun's words and he blinks. "What do you mean?" he asks, nearly knocking the glass over when he sets it down on the counter with a little too much force than necessary.

"About the married guys on our floor thing," Sehun says and it's not until Jongin looks down that the he notices they're standing a few inches closer than they were earlier. "I didn't know it was so popular. But then again, it's right across," he adds, stretching his long limbs and running a hand through his tousled hair. His tie is slightly twisted at a strange angle and it takes every fiber of Jongin's being not to reach across and fix it.

Inevitably, Sehun notices and he chuckles when he looks down. "Thanks for catching that," he says, effortlessly smoothing out his tie. "She once scolded me for looking unprofessional when I accidentally managed to drape it over my shoulder somehow." He rolls his eyes at the memory. "I'm glad at least you guys are somewhat sane," he says only half jokingly whilst patting Jongin's shoulder, only for his eyes to brighten up. "Did you get your application results yet?" he asks, crossing his arms in interest.

Jongin immediately feels the fuzzy feeling in his chest disappear and he can't help the sad sigh that leaves his lips. "N-no-- I mean, yeah, I got the...the uh, the results, but--" He frowns slightly before shrugging. He has to take a sip of water in order to control his nerves.

Sehun immediately understands and his eyes soften as he looks at the brunet, who lowers his head. ", that's a shame," he says, sympathy lacing his words as he scooches a little closer and wipes the corners of his lips with his knuckle. Next to him, Jongin sighs. "That's a shame, my friend, I was really rooting for you." A frown appears on his lips and he runs a hand through his hair. "Are you...are you gonna apply somewhere else?"

Jongin shrugs. "Probably not for a while," he sighs, rubbing his shoulder. Somehow, he finds it oddly comforting talking so openly about his failed university application, but he goes silent when he feels his stomach churning uncomfortably. He inhales audibly before nodding awkwardly. It suddenly hits him that nobody has used the break room for twenty minutes, and he can't decide if he's either really lucky or unlucky when he notices Sehun staring at him in his peripheral. Jongin's heart is beating so fast that he worries it might screw up and send him into cardiac arrest when Sehun suddenly speaks.

"I see," the blond says simply, nodding in understanding. "I forgot to thank you again for what you did yesterday, by the way," he says after a minute and Jongin only groans.

"Frigging Baekhyun," Jongin growls, only to shake his head. "No, it's...no problem, I mean-- God, I only wasted your time, I'm sorry," he babbles and fidgets with his sleeve. They fall into silence again, and it's not until Jongin can't shake the feeling of Sehun staring at him that he automatically reaches up and wipes his mouth in fear of having crumbs all over his face. Jongin is lucky he's leaning backwards against the counter, because he's feeling so lightheaded he fears he might topple over. He's keeping his gaze glued on his shoes, which are in desperate need of polishing, and it's not until he looks up and sees Sehun's face mere inches from his own that Jongin flinches. "Is...is there something on my f-f-face...?"

Sehun only chuckles, and Jongin honestly can't tell if he's leaning in ever so slightly or not (Jongin figures he's the one doing the leaning, given the fact that he's dangerously close to falling over). His hair, which is slightly coarse as a result of constant dyeing, tickles Jongin's forehead when he his head aside ever so slightly. Even though Jongin has got his head lowered, Sehun can tell that the brunet is looking up at him, and it's not until Sehun gently places his index finger underneath Jongin's chin that Jongin looks up shyly. He can smell Sehun's perfume as it mixes with the sweet chocolate on his breath and, if he's going to be honest, the filter between his brain and his heart has shut off at this point. So, before Jongin has a chance to process what he's doing, he's gripping Sehun's sleeve, only to nearly jump out of his own skin when the door opens half a second later.

"Dude, Sehun, she needs your report like, right now, and she's super frigging pissed at me for some reason, hurry," Chanyeol says all in one breath and in mild stress as he rushes into the break room. "Your break ended like, 30 minutes ago, the hell're you doing in here," he adds, but he doesn't give Sehun a chance to reply before he's marching over, grabbing the latter's collar before hurriedly dragging him towards the door and out of the room.

4:46 PM

Exiting the printer room, Jongin clutches his twenty page report before walking past his boss' office and knocking on the door. She takes it from him with a low thanks before slamming the door in his face, and Jongin walks back to his cubicle. His head is still reeling and he barely remembers to turn his computer on before getting behind his desk. Jongin hears the commotion of people leaving and saying goodbye to their colleagues as he types in his password and sighs when the sight of 53 new emails greets him. Jongin is about to start looking through them when he realizes he could just check them out tomorrow, since he'll be staying until midnight anyway. Jongin quickly slumps in his seat, foot twitching impatiently as he waits for five o'clock to roll around. He closes his eyes but can't bring himself to relax, so he figures he'll get up and roam around the hallways like a mindless ghost until it's time for him to pack up. Perhaps he could pass by Luhan's cubicle and tell the latter all about what happened. A knock on the wall to his left snaps Jongin out of his trance and he spins around in his chair.

"Could you please check these over for me? I've kind of got my hands tied right now," Sehun says, a rather busy look in his eyes as he gestures at a mountain of papers in his hands. His hair is slightly messy, almost like he's been running his hands through it in a stressed manner over and over, and his eyebrows are still knitted together in concentration from what Jongin assumes is an ongoing task. A grateful smile spreads across his lips when Jongin nods and walks over. "You know I wouldn't've asked you if it wasn't urgent," he says as he fixes his tie. "Thanks, I'll make it up to you, promise." And with that being said, he sends Jongin a smile of gratitude before disappearing back into his cubicle. 

Jongin stands in the entrance, the giant stack of papers in his hands, for a minute before waddling over and dumping it on his desk. He inwardly screams, because he definitely won't be leaving at five like he initially planned. However, there's something about the thought of Sehun asking him in particular; instead of for instance Luhan or Baekhyun or Minseok or Chanyeol, that makes Jongin fly into his chair before grabbing a pen. He skims through the first few papers at lightning speed, but it's not until something hits him that he puts the pen down and stares blankly in front of him: When Sehun fixed his tie a minute ago, Jongin clearly remembers catching a glimpse of his ring when its shine reflected in the ceiling lights. 

I nearly kissed a married man, Jongin thinks, dragging a hand down his face as he slumps in his chair. Behind him, on the other side of the wall, he hears Sehun's voice. Once again, Jongin can practically see the blond staring at the woman in the photo as he talks on the phone. Nevertheless, the fuzzy feeling in his chest refuses to go away, and Jongin simply curses under his breath before resuming reading through the godforsaken pile of papers next to him.