sehun/minseok
r (for language)
in which minseok slips up

title: i'll be the bad guy

"" Minseok thinks as he looks over at the lump beside him.  

His head is throbbing and he's shivering because he's and this stranger has the audacity to steal all the blankets.

He looks at the clock.  It's 9 AM.  In a panic, he checks his phone and sighs in relief when he realizes it's still Sunday.  Minseok thanks whatever higher being actually exists because there's a lot he has to do on Monday.  He has to open the cafe and restock everything among other things.  Jongdae had also mentioned something important to take care of, but Minseok can't quite remember right now.

"" Minseok repeats.  He'd promised Jongdae that he wouldn't sleep with random strangers anymore, but drunk Minseok is not quite as well behaved as sober Minseok.

As he quietly hightails it out of the hotel room, he gets a whiff of the faint scent of a floral cologne.  Minseok lets the smell hang in the air of the space in the back of his mind but quickly forgets when he gets a call from Jongdae yelling at him.

When he finally makes it to their shared apartment, Jongdae yells at Minseok some more.  Minseok apologizes and begs when Jongdae's eyes threaten to spill forth something like worry and despair over his incorrigible boyfriend.

"I'm so sorry, baby" Minseok pleads with his live-in boyfriend of five years.  "I was so drunk that I couldn't drive and slept at a jjimjilbang*.  I'm so sorry.  I'll remember to call you next time."

Jongdae narrows his eyes, still breathing heavily from screaming curses at Minseok.

"I mean" Minseok corrects himself.  "It'll never happen again."

Minseok offers a small smile as Jongdae lets out a sigh.  Tacitly, Minseok knows he's forgiven - just like they both know that Minseok is lying.  The floral scent in the back recess of Minseok's mind suddenly wafts into Minseok's consciousness, but he holds his breath and wills himself to be present in the moment with Jongdae.

"Have you eaten breakfast?" Jongdae asks, voice still a little stiff from the argument.

"No" Minseok replies slowly.

"..." Jongdae tosses Minseok a look as Minseok glances guiltily in Jongdae's direction.  "There's spicy soybean sprout soup on the stove.  I'll warm it up for you."

Jongdae's voice is gruff, but he's already half back to being normal again.  After all, spicy soybean soup is Minseok's favorite meal for a hangover.  Minseok has the decency to feel a pang in his chest at the fact that a part of Minseok still lingers back at the hotel room with the tall, pale stranger.

On Monday, Minseok drives them to the cafe they co-own.  Minseok knows coffee and Jongdae knows business so it makes sense.  Two years back, they'd invested in the space and named the cafe from a character in each of their names.  It had been hard at first, but now they had a steady pace going at The Jade Bell Cafe.  Business was growing steadily and they were ready to expand.

"I have a meeting with potential investors for the expansion, so you have to do the interview."

Minseok's eyes are blank as Jongdae is speaking.  Mentally, Minseok goes down the list of things he has to do today.

One, open the cafe.  Check.
Two, restock the beans.  In progress.
Three, something Jongdae said was super important...

"Remember?" Jongdae asks rhetorically, exasperated and rushed.  "We have interviews for a new part-time hire today."

"Of course" Minseok replies automatically.  His eyes are coming into focus now.

"Kyungsoo's gonna be working full time today so you can focus on hiring a new part-timer for this location.  Please tell me you're prepared for this?  After this month, Kyungsoo can't work as much and we need more help."

"Yes, babe.  I'll take care of it.  Don't worry."  Minseok puts on a soothing tone to his voice, but it's not Jongdae's first time to this rodeo.

"Hyung.  I need you to step up okay?  Please hire someone competent this time.  Actually look at their resume instead of going for looks?  Think with your head and not your okay?"

The pained look underlying Jongdae's look of scorn gives Minseok a bitter taste in the back of his tongue.  He swallows hard - pushing down the chagrin he feels - and hangs his head.

"Of course" Minseok replies quietly.  

Each interview is supposed to be around ten to fifteen minutes - that's what Kyungsoo tells Minseok, but Minseok finds it hard to focus.  There are interviewees in a wide variety of age ranges.  Some are too experienced and some are novices.  There are cute high schoolers but also people old enough to be Minseok's parents.  Minseok finds it especially hard to cut off the interviewees who are older than him.

He breaks for lunch after the last interview ends at 12:34 PM.  He's supposed to have an hour break, but he's thirty four minutes behind.  Kyungsoo sits with him as they share a sandwich.

"Any potential hires so far?" Kyungsoo asks, sipping his iced latte after polishing off his half of ham sandwich.  "I glanced at the resumes and there were a few people with barista experience."

"Mmm" Minseok makes a noncommittal noise as he stares out the cafe's glass walls.  

Lunch time brings the hustle and bustle on the street outside.  It also brings it inside the cafe and Minseok's eyes slowly widen as a familiar body pushes open the cafe's door and walks in.  Brushing the hair from his eyes, the young man's face is obviously handsome.  There's an air of something unique about him.  Minseok realizes that he's staring when the man's intense gaze focuses on Minseok's own.

Minseok startles.  He hears Kyungsoo asking what's wrong, but Minseok's in too much of a haste to get up and leave the public space.  The chair rattles and clatters as it falls and now, all eyes are on Minseok.  He bows slightly, ears red, and slowly moves to pick up the fallen chair.  He makes a point not to look up from his task, but once the chair is upright, a pair of shoes enter his scope of vision.

Minseok's eyes travel up the length of the tall man as if entranced.  The young man is wearing shiny black loafers below a pair of sleek beige slacks.  His sky blue shirt is tucked inside his pants, but it's fitted enough so Minseok can see the broad chest and shoulders it contains.  Minseok swallows, remembering flashbacks of the previous night - pale skin, well muscled arms and stomach, and a hot minty fresh breath.  Of course, he doesn't know the man's name.  They'd never shared that information with each other.

Minseok's one night stand partner opens his mouth before Minseok's line of sight reaches the man's eyes.

"Good afternoon.  My name is Oh Sehun and I'm here to interview for the available position."

The sweet scent of flowers hangs in the hair.