He hated him with every fiber of his being. Andy sat across the conference table from the man that had been the bane of his existence ever since he had been hired. He never knew he could grow to hate someone so much in just a few months.

Two months previously

There had been an open position on Andy’s team at work and Andy was almost certain he would be promoted. He had been with the company for a handful of years; years that had been spent working his off, taking all the overtime he could to prove his desire for his job. His personal life suffered and he hadn’t had time to see his family much. He DESERVED the position.

When a meeting was called in regards to the open position Andy had been certain he was getting promoted. He joined the rest of his team in the main office and sat down. Everyone chattered amongst themselves until the team leader cleared his throat to get their attention.

“Thanks for your patience. I know that things have been stressful since Mrs. Choi left to be a stay at home mom, leaving her position open”, Lee Minwoo said with a smile. Andy grinned and pulled at the cuffs of his dress shirt.

“We looked at everyone’s personnel files and after much debate we have made a decision”, Minwoo said and the door to the room opened. A man came in and shut it behind him. He joined Minwoo at the head of the table.

He was taller than Minwoo and his hair was styled so that it was swept across his forehead in a smooth sweep of chestnut brown hair. He had on a light blue sweater worn over a dress shirt, the collar of which peeked out from the neck line. He wore slim cut black trousers that accentuated his long legs. A pair of trendy sneakers completed the outfit, the bright colors standing out against the sedate colors of the rest of his clothes. He would have stood out in a crowd based purely on his height and on top of that he was delicately handsome with thin pink lips that were curved into a smile as he looked at everyone in the room.

“Hi, my name is Shin Hyesung and I’ll be taking over Mrs. Choi’s position”, he said in a cheerful voice.

“Please take care of me”, Hyesung said and bowed quickly before he sat down.

“So now that we’ve got that taken care of…….”, Minwoo said but Andy could barely hear him.

He was stunned. He was certain that spot would be his….. had banked on it. Seems like he had been wrong.

Back to the present

“I want to thank everyone for all their hard work the last few months”, Minwoo said with a smile at he stood at the head of conference table. They had just completed an advertising campaign with a very large and well known food company and it had been a success.

“To thank your for all your hard work I’m taking everyone out for dinner and drinks tonight. It will also be Mr. Shin’s welcome party.” Minwoo turned and gave Hyesung a brilliant smile,”We couldn’t have pulled this off without your help.” Hyesung smiled, a faint blush on his fair skin.

“It wasn’t just me, Mr. Lee. Everyone worked above and beyond to get everything done”, Hyesung said graciously and looked at the members of his team, letting his gaze linger on the sullen man across from him.

“Especially Andy. He knew exactly what would work best based on his previous experience with M Homestyle Frozen Foods.”

Of course I did, you fool. I was their main contact for five years. Nice of you to swoop in and play the hero. Andy thought to himself as he clenched his jaw and tried to force a smile. The last two months had been long and difficult. Every time he turned around Hyesung was there, asking him questions and offering suggestions, like he didn’t know his job. But Andy had played nice and now that the campaign was over, he wouldn’t have Hyesung up his all the time. He had even considered asking to be put on a different team, just to avoid having to be in the same four desk section with Hyesung.

******

Andy sat at the restaurant and wondered how long he would have to stay here. They were already on their third round of drinks and the volume level just kept increasing. Minwoo had taken charge of the grill and was cooking the meat like an expert.

“Cheers!”, Hyesung called out and everyone but Andy echoed him as they lifted their glasses and drain them yet again. He sipped at his slowly; his alcohol tolerance wasn’t that high and he still had to go home and take care of some housework before crashing for the night. He stood and dug around in his suit jacket draped over the back of his chair and pulled out his cigarettes and lighter. As he walked out a pair of brown eyes watched him until he wasn’t visible anymore.

“Thinks he’s God gift to the world”, Andy muttered to himself as he leaned against the wall and took a long drag of the cigarette in his slim fingers. Andy scuffed his foot against the ground and frowned.

“Everyone thinks he’s this great guy but he’s just a smarmy .”

It wasn’t like Hyesung had actually done anything wrong since he started; in fact he was very polite and got along with everyone. It just rubbed Andy the wrong way because he had been hoping for that promotion and it had been given to some stranger off the streets. No matter what Hyesung did, Andy would always hate him. He dropped his cigarette and ground it out with the toe of his shiny black dress shoe.

“Mind if I join you?”

At hearing Hyesung’s soft voice, Andy whirled and went to head back inside but Hyesung’s tall form blocked his way. Andy frowned,”It’s a free country, isn’t it?”

Hyesung chuckled softly and bumped his hip against Andy’s as he took the spot Andy had just vacated.

“Why don’t you hang out with me while I finish this?”, Hyesung lit a cigarette, offering Andy one from his own pack. Andy scoffed and pulled out one of his own and lit it. He leaned against the wall, keeping a few feet between himself and Hyesung.

“You did a great job, Andy”, Hyesung said as he examined the smaller man in the light that came from a streetlight above. “I don’t think anyone worked harder than you did.”

Andy rolled his eyes as he took a drag,”Just doing my job…. just like always”,he spat out.

Hyesung could hear the spite in his voice and moved so he stood directly in from of Andy.

“Look, you have had a problem with me since I started here. I understand you wanted the position but you can’t take it out on me because you didn’t get it. Maybe you should have made your intentions more clear to Mr. Lee.”

“You have no right to say that to me”, Andy snarled, looking up at Hyesung. “You are just a new guy here…. low man on the totem pole. I don’t owe you anything, least of all my respect.”

“Is that what you really think?”, Hyesung said leaning closer, bowing a puff of smoke into Andy’s face. Up close Hyesung could see the faint dark circles that had come from many late nights in the office trying to finish this campaign.

“Yeah, it is”, Andy said, clenching his jaw and looking away.

Hyesung had seen this face….. 10 years ago. Andy may not remember him from college but Hyesung remembered him perfectly. They had been classmates at the same university and Andy had worked just as hard to succeed back then as he did now. He had seen him hard at work in the computer lab more than once…. fast asleep on a couch in the study room more times than he cared to remember. Back then Hyesung had been a quiet, shy thing and no one noticed him. He had also chosen not to go by the name he did now. His birth name was a constant source of ridicule and now that he was a man of his own he had picked something he liked better.

Hyesung blinked back to the present and wondered if he really looked so different that Andy wouldn’t recognize him. They hadn’t spoken much back then but the few encounters they’d had were etched in Hyesung’s memory.

“If you’re done, I’m heading back in”, Andy said and tossed his cigarette to the ground and whirled around to go back inside, leaving Hyesung out in the night all alone.

******

Andy sat in his chair, slightly slumped forward and leaning to the right. After coming back inside he had really started to drink, not caring that he was getting drunker by the minute. Minwoo had surrendered the cooking to one f the secretaries and had taken up a mic. He was currently serenading one of the older married ladies from the office, who although she was blushing and pushing him away, enjoyed his little tease.

Hyesung sat across the table from Andy and watched him carefully even though he was engaged in conversation with another co-worker.

“e’ gotta lotta nerve”, Andy mumbled as he poured another shot of soju and drank it all in one shot, barely pausing before he poured another. “’Resp’….. he hasn’t done anything but steal my spot.” A drunken glare was sent Hyesung’s way as Andy took a drink and dribbled some of the soju down his chin.

“Andy…. you okay, man? You don’t usually drink that much”,Minwoo said as he came over and moved the bottle of soju that Andy clutched away from him.

“ 'Ats mine”, Andy grumbled and grabbed it back,”Everone keeps taking my stuff.” He brought the mouth of the bottle to his lips and drank it down in one go, sputtering as the alcohol made his throat burn.

“I think you’re done and don’t you dare argue.” Minwoo snatched the shot glass from him and slid it down the table. “Why don’t you take tomorrow off? You have lots of vacation days and you have earned it.”

“Fine…. whatever. I’m going home”, Andy said as he staggered up and managed to grab his jacket and throw it over one shoulder. Hyesung watched him walk out of the restaurant and narrowly miss running into the doorway. He said his farewells and went to the bathroom before he left out the same door as Andy. As he turned the corner he almost tripped over a suit pants clad leg.

Crumpled against the wall, on his knees with his jacket as a pillow, was Andy. He had apparently passed out in the short time since going out the door.

“Andy?”, Hyesung said as he squatted beside him and shook his shoulder. Andy flung an arm out, almost hitting Hyesung in the face. Hyesung was persistent and each time Andy tried to hit, a few blows, though weak, made contact and Hyesung was getting frustrated.

“Yah! You I’m just trying to help you out. I should just let you sleep out here”, Hyesung snapped. Andy mumbled something at him and sat up, his back against the wall, still asleep.

Hyesung sighed and moved so that his back was to Andy and reached back to grip his arms after draping Andy’s jacket over his shoulders. Andy, luckily, wasn’t very heavy and when Hyesung pulled him onto his back and slipped arms under the back of Andy’s knees, he stood and shifted Andy so the smaller man’s head rested on his shoulder. Hyesung started to walk, not sure where he was headed.

Andy was warm on his back and Hyesung let out a soft sigh as he walked along the sidewalk.

“Sunho”, Hyesung muttered as he spotted a bus stop just ahead. Maybe it wasn’t too late to catch a bus home.