ii. unrivaled persistence and determination

One Step, Two Steps
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“You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it is good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.”

 

Octavia Butler

 

 

“I SWEAR TO GOD, MIN! I’M GOING TO KILL HIM!”

 

Hyukjae screamed for the third time that day. The reason? That ing Lee Donghae who he was now sure as Satan, who else? He banged his fist on the table out of frustration that made Sungmin jumped a little from the seat across from him. It was their afternoon break and both of them were staying at the coffee room, waiting for Kyuhyun and Henry to finally show up.

 

Sungmin snorted, facing his friend, a fuming one he might add. “What did our boss do this time? And stop hitting the poor table. It is maple, you uncultured swine. You’re just going to hurt yourself.”

 

Upon remembering the reason—more like the person—behind his current dilemma, Hyukjae groaned. “That ing Lee Donghae insulted my draft, can you believe that? I swear he’s going to be the end of me, Min.”

 

Hyukjae allotted all of his time just to finish that first draft for his second official installment. He really wanted to make an impression. Sleep indeed became his third priority for the past few days. His draft being the first one, Choco being the second, and sleep was only the third. He knew he put his one hundred and two percent effort on that piece so he really could not understand how his heartless boss could turn his work down as quickly as that.

 

“What if our boss just really hates me and fires me tomorrow?” He added, slurping down a bowl of hot ramen.

 

“That does not sound like Donghae,” Sungmin answered and he squinted his eyes at him. He looked at the other along the unspoken words ‘Dude, how the would you know?’ and the graphic artist just shrugged his shoulders.

 

“I just can’t understand him, Min.” Hyukjae finally concluded in a defeated voice and the artist offered him a smile. A small smile that he could not understand the meaning behind.

 

“Don’t worry, Hyuk. No one could.”

 

 

After that devastating talk with his boss about the rejection of his first draft, Hyukjae returned to his work with nothing but hatred, disappointment, and anger bubbling inside him. All those three emotions were directed to no one but Lee Donghae.

 

It was already 10 PM and everyone called it a day two hours ago, but not without bidding him goodbyes. They knew how stubborn he could be especially upon knowing the blonde for the past weeks so instead of urging him to go home, they just let him be.

 

Hyukjae stared blankly at the empty document right before his eyes. The cursor blinked repeatedly as if mocking him. The light emanating from his PC were starting to hurt his eyes but he did not give a damn about that.

 

Stop dwelling on what happened and just focus on making it better. You can do it.

 

But the problem was that he really could not think of anything else but that talk with his boss few hours ago, replaying on his mind like a broken cassette.

 

 

“You call this a decent piece, Hyukjae-ssi?”

 

His boss, Donghae, asked as he skimmed through the pages of his first draft. Hyukjae did not know what to answer and his heart instantly dropped the same time Donghae dropped his folder on the glass table. What went wrong? Hyukjae wanted to ask himself.

 

“I think it would sell pretty well, Sir,” he retaliated, not bothered by the fact that he just called Donghae, Sir. That was the first time actually and he wanted to believe that he himself had a point. His story revolved around the blooming love story of two teenagers living on the opposite ends of the hierarchy and that was what the masses wanted to read. That was the interest of the public especially their target market—teenagers.

 

Donghae stood up from his seat and faced the ceiling-to-floor glass window behind him, overlooking the whole city. Hyukjae wanted to snort at the sight because dude! His boss looked like a ing male lead in a ing romcom drama. With his flower boy face, perfect body proportions, and his luxurious suit he was wearing, he could easily beat Lee Minho, Kim Soohyun, Kim Woobin, Park Seojoon, Lee Jongsuk, Song Joong

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del_luna17
Chapter 18 is up! Have a nice day and enjoy reading <3

Comments

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insomniac2020 #1
Chapter 21: Thanks for this beautiful story
Tamasha1015
#2
Chapter 20: A beautiful story!!
I really liked this story, Author-nim!!😊😊
Kethryveris
#3
Chapter 21: C'était adorable ! Merci
pinkeu1234 #4
rereading this again.... for the third time.... lav it so much
JadeQueen25
#5
Chapter 20: This is an amazing story 😊
inkartemis
#6
Chapter 20: this was wonderful story!! thank you ♡♡
the_fictitious
#7
Chapter 20: THIS IS AMAZING. OMO IM CRYING. THIS IS SO AMAZING. TRULY WONDERFUL STORY. TT
the_fictitious
#8
Chapter 19: What happened??????????????? :(((((((
the_fictitious
#9
Chapter 14: Oh YES, rather, HELL YEAH!
the_fictitious
#10
Chapter 5: Wait so this has mpreg but not simultaneouy? O.o

Im enjoying this story so much.....this is a unique storyline indeed.