“You’re ting me,” Jonghyun raked a hand through his hair. “Well, . That wasn’t a very good start. Can we please rewind?”
“Rewind?”
“Here,” he stepped outside, “I’ll knock again, and you can open the door. Then we can start over after I take my foot out of my mouth.”
Kibum was completely dumbstruck. This was who Jinki sent over? The guy’s hair was a varying shade of brown with highlights; it was cut and styled in a way that made it look somehow effortless. His bangs were falling slightly above his left eye. His hair couldn’t hide eyes that reminded Kibum of a puppy, though they weren’t big or round. His nose was sharp, a big contrast. His cheek bones were high, and his eyebrows were straight. There wasn’t anything soft about his features. Without the look of those puppy eyes, Jonghyun could actually look intimating. Kibum knew there was nothing threatening about his employee, but then Jonghyun smiled at him and he wasn’t sure anymore.
His heart picked up its pace, and he forgot about the surrounding of his familiar and comfortable home for a second. He couldn’t even remember why Jonghyun was looking at him expectantly, like he had to do something. Then he realized why they were staring at each other awkwardly, with Jonghyun still outside in the hall, pretending like he hadn’t just insulted Kibum indirectly.
He shook his head, “look, I really have no time.”
Jonghyun broke into an easy smile and held out a hand, “hello, my name is Kim Jonghyun. Lee Jinki sent me over, and I am here to be your butler. “ He paused, then added, “and your clothes look great.”
“Mr. Kim…”
“Oh my God, are we starting this again?”
Kibum pinched the bridge of his nose. There was a reason why he was not known for his temper, he really didn’t get angry often. He was never given the opportunity, since he always got what he wanted anyways. But Jonghyun was really pushing him. He had to resist the urge to punch the other guy in his pretty little face.
“Jonghyun,” Kibum said through his teeth, “I don’t know what Jinki told you, but I need a maid.” He eyed his potential help up and down, “and you are not it.”
But before he could shut the door smartly in Jonghyun’s face, the other guy stuck out his foot and forced it open again.
“Hi, remember me?” Jonghyun smirked. “I am not maid material, but I can still help you. Do I need s to fetch you a drink? I don’t think so. And look who’s being rude.”
“This coming from the guy who called me stuffy?”
“I don’t remember that. I introduced myself and complimented your outfit.”
“You…” he was at a loss for words. And that didn’t happen a lot for Kibum.
Why was he fighting it? It wasn’t as if he had a choice. His grandma was coming over to tomorrow to inspect his living conditions, and she was expecting a maid – and Kibum really didn’t want her to find him one. And what could it hurt? It was probably to his benefit that Jonghyun wasn’t female.
He rubbed his face, and sighed.
“Okay, it seems that I am desperate. Come on in, Mr. Kim.”
Jonghyun’s face fell, but he followed anyways. In all his time, no one had ever really called him that. But if Kibum didn’t listen the last ten times he had insisted to be called by his first name, there was no point in trying. He meekly followed as Kibum talked, and man, does he talk a lot. He could see what Jinki meant when he said Kibum really didn’t need a helper. Once he got the chance to get past the foyer, he marveled at the spacious living room. It was decorated surprisingly modern, clean lines and solid colors. There were accent of different patterns, such as a leopard print cushion, but nothing that overwhelmed the room – as if that was possible with a room this size. The couch was placed in the middle of the room, in a circle. The white rug looked inviting and soft, and Jonghyun resisted the urge to run his foot through it. There were art pieces hung meticulously on the walls, splashes of bright colors. There was a stair which led upstairs, made of glass. Jonghyun glanced up and saw the glass carried on upstairs, where the railing for the corridor was, overlooking the living room below.
He saw several doors; all closed, and wondered which one was Kibum’s room. How nice, he scoffed, to be able to have a room. He thought back to his own apartment, one small space that acted as a kitchen, living room, and bedroom, and felt a sense of pride. At least he had earned that space himself.
There was a door the led to the kitchen, which was also clean and streamline. Granite countertop, which shiny metal appliances. He hoped Kibum didn’t expect him to do anything more than heat up food, because that was the extent of his cooking abilities.
Kibum was still droning on about the importance of neatness when Jonghyun spotted something that caught his attention. There was a little room off of the kitchen, with the door left open. He peered inside and saw a canvas propped up by those wooden stands, and several paint tubes left uncapped. That room was nothing like the rest of the apartment. It looked like someone actually lived and worked there, not like something about of a magazine, pretty to look at but no personality.
Before he could see anymore, the door was slammed in his face – for the second time that day – and Kibum was glaring at him fully.
“I’m afraid that room is private, and by no mean are you to enter,” Kibum’s voice was stern, his brows knit together in all seriousness.
“I’m sorry,” Jonghyun mumbled. Then thought better of it, “you know what? No. I’m not sorry. The door was left open.”
“I wasn’t expecting an intruder.”
“Intruder? You opened the door for me, which makes me a guest.”
Kibum’s breathing shortened; his breaths were coming in and out in puffs. His face reddened and his hands itched to close themselves around Jonghyun’s throat. “You’re here seeking employment, which makes me your boss. And as your boss, I am telling you that you are not to enter that space.”
“What’s in there?”
“None of your business.”
Jonghyun held up two hands in surrender, “not like I care.”
“Then why are you being so insistent?”
“Curiosity?” Jonghyun shrugged. “It just seems so different from the rest of your place. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice place. It’s just…a bit…impersonal?”
“Impersonal?”
“Yeah. You know, there are no clothes left on the sofa, no food on the counter. It’s just…it’s like no one even lives here.”
Kibum folded his arms, “I picked out everything here, on my own. You think just because I don’t leave food out to rot, my place is impersonal?”
“Whoa, I’m just saying. Did I hit a nerve?”
Truthfully, Jonghyun had hit several nerves. But Kibum didn’t have the time or the effort to explain it all. His place, however decorated, was his own. And he took a lot of pride in it. He liked knowing that he had earned this place, earned everything on his own – down to the last wooden spoon he used to cook with. To hear someone saying otherwise set him on edge. Though he supposed it wasn’t Jonghyun’s fault. How was the other supposed to know how much effort it had taken him to even set up his place?
“I’m sorry,” Kibum finally said. “I’m just not used to…”
“Interacting with another human?” Jonghyun slyly suggested, then casted him an apologetic smile.
“To someone who’s so openly opinionated. “
“Ah,” Jonghyun grinned, “you mean rude.”
Now it was Kibum’s turn to grin, “you said it, not me.”
Jonghyun wasn’t sure if his gasp was audible enough for Kibum to hear. Did his future boss just joked? Kibum’s face lit up when he smiled, and he looked so many years younger. How had he not noticed how Kibum’s lips were a prefect bow shape?
“I accept,” he out his hand, “you’re not so bad.”
Kibum decided to be smart and not point out that he was supposed to be the one to accept Jonghyun. He was the employer after all. But he kept silent and his shook the other’s hand instead.
...
“THE Kim Kibum?” His sister demanded when he didn’t answer her fast enough. She was helping him tape up boxes which held his belongings, though it hadn’t been decided that he’d move out. He was going to talk to his landlord again, now that he had a good paying job. Jonghyun really didn’t want to move.
“Yes, that’s the one. You know him?”
“Not personally, but I have of him. Everyone has heard of him. He’s the youngest CEO in his family.”
“CEO?” Jonghyun’s eyes almost bulged out of his head. “He’s a CEO?”
“Yeah, yeah,” she waved her hand, as if the materials would appear out of thin air. Then snapped her fingers together, “that’s right. His dad got sick and he took over. So talented.”
So Jonghyun was wrong. Kibum wasn’t some spoiled kid with parents paying for his own pad, however nice it might be. Though he wasn’t so wrong, Kibum grew up rich. He might be working for it now, but he hadn’t always been. That somehow made Jonghyun a bit bitter, though he knew he had no right to be. If only he had Kibum’s amount of money. He wouldn’t be stuck in some bar, though he wasn’t sure what it was that he really wanted to do.
“How do you know so much about him?” Jonghyun asked.
His sister gave him a look as if he was an idiot, “it’s my job as a journalist.”
“Noona, I’d hardly call your column news.”
“No?”
“It’s more like gossip.”
She shrugged, “gossip is just unconfirmed news. Same thing.”
Jonghyun was sure there was a vast difference, but there was no point in arguing with her. He picked up his guitar and strummed it, humming a random tune, a habit whenever he was bored. Music had always been his salvation. It helped him when his dad decided the family was too much and walked out on them. He would never forget that day.
Why was he thinking about it anyways?
....
Lee Jinki shifted uncomfortably in his seat, eyes avoided Kibum’s murderous gaze. He took an interest in the pattern of his neatly folded napkin, counted the dots on the ceiling, and the strands of carpet on the floor. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, he looked straight into Kibum’s eyes and pouted to the best of his ability.
“I asked for a maid,” Kibum sneered, “I thought you’d know what that meant, you have plenty of them at your house.”
“I know.”
“The guy you sent over…definitely not a maid.”
“I know.”
“Then why was he at my door?”
Jinki sighed, “he really needed a job, Kibum! And really, it’s not so bad. Butler, maid…you just needed someone to keep house so your grandma would be happy, right? And what’s wrong with Jonghyun? He’s a good person.”
“Jinki…”
“And he’s a hard-worker! And erm, he has nice hair.”
“Why didn’t you just ask me to give him a job with the company?” Kibum asked.
Jinki paused to consider, then smacked his head on the table, “of course! Why…ah! I am such an idiot.”
“Or better yet, why couldn’t you give him a job within your family’s company?”
“AH! OF COURSE!”
Kibum held up a hand to stop Jinki’s incessant rambling; they were attracting quite a lot of people’s attention in this not so crowded restaurant.
“But, it’s all settled. He’s working for me,” Kibum said.
“Oh good,” Jinki sighed, relieved, “good.”
He settled back, straightened in his chair. Years of good posture breeding was too ingrained in him not to do otherwise when he wasn’t in a panic and forgot about them.
“I think he’ll be good for you.”
Kibum didn’t reply. He wasn’t sure if Jinki was right, but he sincerely hoped so.
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