Three Fridays in, still no sign of Mr. Bang. Junhong was starting to get worried. Beyond worried, as Himchan would put it, he was now tottering on the border of paranoia. Did he move to a new city? Did he find a store with better prices? Oh my god, was he sick? What if he met an accident three Fridays ago and now he is in a coma? How was Junhong supposed to see him again if the only thing he knew about the elusive Mr. Bang was that he drove an Altis and bought fish food every Friday afternoon?

"Let's call it a day. Dae ain't payin' us overtime. You know that." Himchan's voice snapped Junhong back into reality. He was concentrating really hard, conjuring the image of his highly favored customer. But alas! The latter just wouldn't appear by the entrance of Bunnies And Puppies.

It's been three weeks now, that they have been keeping the pet shop open beyond store hours. Way beyond store hours. It was almost eleven! They were supposed to have closed by six. And it was a Friday night for crying out loud! Himchan should be dancing under dim lights with hot guys and not babysitting the teenage skyscraper.

"Fifteen minutes more hyung, please…" Junhong pleaded with his best imitation of puppy eyes (which he had practiced all week whilst stacking cat kibble boxes). Himchan loved puppies. He even held Toto under his chin and put together the dog's paws for an added dash of cuteness. If Himchan wouldn't pity him, a shihtzu puppy's charm should do the trick.

"Alright…" Himchan sighed. "Fine! Fifteen minutes. But you're taking Sunday shift next week.  I have a date with the hot boy from Club Mato."

"Thanks, hyung! You da best!" Junhong squealed in happiness and tossed Toto up in the air. The puppy yelped, fearing for its young life but Junhong caught it in his arms and cuddled it until the poor little animal was squirming and gasping for air.

It all started four months ago. Junhong was newly hired as a shop keeper in Bunnies and Puppies despite the fact that he didn't know jack about animals and wasn't even remotely fond of them. He needed the money since his father was very consistent in forgetting that he actually had a son. Himchan is the one who referred him to the pet shop ("I regret it!").

Junhong hated puppies. They were always yapping and glomping him. They were always too happy and Junhong didn't really like that especially when he was trying to groom them. If only Himchan didn’t warn him against using tranquilizers, his life would have been much easier.

He didn’t like cats either. Evil little things. Always meowing and purring. Stretching and scratching. Junhong was pretty convinced that Mrs. Fluffball was planning his murder ever since the day the siamese cat gave him a five inch scratch on his left arm. Youngjae (the little beast’s owner) kept on apologizing but that wouldn’t help the fact that Junhong already hated him and his pet the moment he said “Fluffikins”. He already considered  ‘accidentally’ shaving  off the wretched feline’s mane on its next visit but decided against it due to the fact that he had bills to pay

It goes without saying that Junhong hated his job as much as he hated his life .

But that all changed the second Mr. Bang walked through the pet shop’s door. He was everything Junhong  liked in a guy and more. Well built, charming smile and a voice that would melt Jack Frost’s underpants. He also looked like the rapper Jepp Blackman (the sole reason Junhong realized that he didn’t like girls that much or at all). For the lack of a better word, Junhong settled for ‘hot’. And hot, he is.

It was a Friday afternoon and Junhong was stacking dog food cans. Himchan was using the store’s phone, curling the cord with his finger as he giggled and whispered to the receiver what Junhong assumed to be dirty things to the boy Himchan met last weekend. Everything was normal and dreary until a red Toyota Altis pulled over at the store’s parking space and a man in a black muscle shirt walked in their store. Junhong dropped a can on his foot and he didn’t even feel it.

“Damn it, Junhong! There’s a customer. Go entertain him. I’m kinda busy here.” Himchan hollered and then continued to giggle over the phone.

 And hence began the legend of Aquaman (or so Himchan and Daehyun would call him) . Every Friday afternoon, at exactly five o’clock, Aquaman who  also goes by the name of Mr. Junhong wants to Bang, goes to B.A.P. Pet Shop in Chungmuro pet street to buy fish pellets, shrimp brine or black worms for his Siamese fighting fish.

One would have to wonder if he owns an army of fighting fish, as fish don’t eat that much (“Once or twice a day, about three pellets each and they’re done. Try feeding them with those black worms or shrimp brine. They’d get fed up with pellets, you know? And oh, keep them away from each other or reflective surfaces. These ers would knock their heads on the tank if they so much as see their own reflection. They might be fishes but they are not that simple to maintain. But you look like a good pet owner. I like you. I’d give you a discount card for the next time you buy a pet here. ”, The Kim Himchan Sales Talk Book) but he keeps on coming back every Friday anyway. Himchan suggested that Mr. Bang is the one eating the fish pellets because he is a half-human half-fish hybrid,  thus the name Aquaman.

Every Friday, Junhong would be standing by the cashier, anxiously trying to find his handsome angle on Himchan’s desk mirror, rehearsing what he would say to his Aquaman.

[SCRIPT]

WORKING TITLE:
HOW CHOI JUNHONG MANNED UP AND BAGGED THE HOT MALE SPECIMEN, MR. BANG

Hi! I’m Junhong. So, you like fish, huh? I know this seafood restaurant downtown.... . No. That’s not it.

Hi! I’m Junhong. Do you need help in cleaning your fish tanks? I do home service and stuff. Then maybe we could hang out, have coffee afterwards. Geez, that’s too smooth for me.

Hi! I’m Junhong. Do you have a boyfriend? Girlfriend? Oh hell... What if he was straight? Why haven’t I thought about that before?  What is wrong with me?

Maybe I should ask Himchan to help me with this. No. Himchan is stupid and he is too busy with the short dancer guy from the club. Should I ask Daehyun? Oh hell naww... He smells like cats. Come to think of it, he looks like a cat. Damn, why aren’t we born with a complementary wingman?

The second Friday that Mr. Bang appeared at  the shop to buy fish pellets , Junhong barely said a word aside from screaming “HIMCHAN HYUUUUNG!” before hyperventilating at the storage room as Himchan punched in the sales at the counter.

The following Friday wasn’t any better. 

To be fair with him, it should be known that he has groomed himself extra well that day. Spritzed on some perfume, even if Daehyun clearly told them not to use any sort of strong fragrance as the puppies’ noses are sensitive.

 [SCRIPT]

WORKING TITLE:
HOW CHOI JUNHONG MANNED UP AND BAGGED THE HOT MALE SPECIMEN, MR. BANG

MR. BANG: I need a pack of fish flakes.

JUNHONG:  Fish flakes. Yes. I…  this , Junhong. Stop behaving like a fish around this hot and perfect human being. Ask him if he needs anything else. Don’t stare at his lips.

MR. BANG: Junhong, right?

JUNHONG: That would be three dollars.

End of conversation.

So, the following weeks,  Junhong tried his damndest to strike up a conversation with Mr. Bang without blacking out right then and there or worse, making a fool out of himself in front of human form perfection.

But each time he tried to initiate anything aside from giving Mr. Bang’s fish food and giving him change, the man would just look at him wide eyed with a blank expression on his face.

He totally thinks you are a weirdo. you, Junhong. Why do you have to act like a total imbecile each time there is a hot person in front of you?

Himchan wasn’t that bad a hyung, so he decided to help the boy, much to Junhong’s chagrin.

Three months passed and Junhong’s situation never improved. If anything, things just got worse. Mr. Bang seemed to be avoiding him now. Maybe he got the creeper vibes from me. Oh god, what did I do?

So worse comes to worst, he agreed to following Himchan’s advise. But lo! Mr. Bang stopped coming and Junhong was on his way to nutty nutville with his worries.

Obviously, that didn’t work out. Junhong kept on sulking and both Himchan and Daehyun were starting to worry because even the puppies and fishes  started to appear sad on the fifth Friday that Aquaman didn’t appear. The cats were fine. They fed on Junhong’s misery.

Daehyun started to stay at the store more often (to Himchan’s dismay, he couldn’t burn the telephone line with Daehyun around) trying to cheer the boy up and having another go at his match making. But Junhong was adamant on waiting for his Aquaman. He will come back, he thought to himself. And he did.

Two weeks after Junhong chased away a customer for buying the same brand of fish food that Mr Bang used to buy, a familiar figure entered the dreary premises of #16 Chungmuro 2-ga.

He was tall and lean, dark hair, gentle eyes and full lips.

It’s him!

But something was off. It wasn’t Friday.

 It was a beautiful Wednesday afternoon and beside the well dressed Mr. Bang was a cute little girl clutching a Monster High doll. She called him “Appa”.

Junhong’s hands and feet went cold. His heart sank down to his stomach.

Himchan had to finish the transaction because Junhong went running to the storage room, crying his eyes, snot and brains out on his grooming apron. He didn’t even have to see the woman waving from the grey D-Max that called over Mr. Bang and the little girl he was holding.  It was just too much for his little heart to take.

I’m so stupid.

I should have known that he was straight. And he’s married, for Pete’s sake! Junhong. What were you doing, wasting time… waiting for a man who doesn’t even know that you exist? This balls. I should have agreed to meeting Youngjae’s cousin.

“Junhong! Open the storage room. Someone’s looking for you.” Himchan’s voice seeped under the door and scratched at Junhong’s ears.

“Leave me alone.”  Junhong answered.

“Can’t you think of a line more cliché than that? Choi Junhong open the damned door. There’s a customer looking for you.” It was Daehyun’s voice and his knuckles are rapping on the plywood door.

“Let Himchan deal with the customer. He’s good at it. Can’t you guys just let me be miserable for a moment?”

There was a pause. They left? I thought they’d badger me a little longer. It’s so stuffy and lonely in here.

“Well, the thing is, this customer is yours. And he says that you have some liabilities to him. His pet died.”

Oh great.  I just got my heart smashed and now I have to face some mad customer whose pet died. Nice one, life. Is it Mr. Cupcakes? I didn’t give him that much of an overdose. Maybe it’s that wretched rottweiller, Pickbone. Or is it Sparky? I did give him the wrong meds last week. But he looked fine when his owner took him. Damnit. Why did it have to be today?

Then the storage room door opened. Daehyun stood there, arms folded across his chest. Himchan’s eyes were bulging out of their sockets, trying to communicate Junhong some silent message that wasn’t getting through the teenager’s thick skull.

“That took a while. It would have been faster if someone over here didn’t include the store keys with their own house keys and their ex-boyfriend’s.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault if they forget to take the spare key back.” Himchan muttered.

“Now come along kiddo. Someone’s raving outside.”

Himchan had to practically drag Junhong out of the storage room, pulling away the grooming apron and dousing him with scented tissue and icky smelling perfume.

“Now off you go and be a brave boy, skyscraper.” Daehyun pushed Junhong to the counter and pulled Himchan. “We are going to do an inventory so you just… go and tell us later.”

Junhong was scared for a moment. He didn’t want to look at the customer. He expected the pet owner to be yelling at him mad now but it was surprisingly silent. His eyes were fixed on the cashier table, busy burning a hole there, when he heard a gruff voice clear his throat.

“Ehem… You have to take responsibility. My fish died because of you.”

Junhong recognized the voice instantly. He looked up and let his eyes attempt to jump out of their sockets.

“Y-you? But… but you were just here a while ago. You were with your daughter… and…” Junhong’s face fell.

“Oh... You've met my twin? That would be Yongnam and my niece Hana. I bought her a fighting fish for her birthday here. Actually I bought two. Figured a fish would be of less hassle than a dog if it's only a lame excuse to oggle someone…” Mr Bang was mumbling and Junhong only caught half of what he said.

“So, you’re not married?” Junhong wished that he didn’t sound like he was a squealing little child, but he did.

Mr. Bang shook his head.

“No. I’m single… I live alone… Well, I used to have a fish but it died. And it’s your fault…”

“How is it my fault your fish…”

“Your face is too distracting! How am I supposed to buy fish food if I keep forgetting my own name every time I see you? I tell myself to go buy in another pet shop but then I’d see your huge sign. Bunnies and Puppies, beckoning me like someone put a hex on it. So I end up going in every single Friday and buy more fish food than I need. I had a basket full of unopened packs! I gave Hana half of the supplies and then stopped going to your store evenifIreallywantedtoseeyouandaskyououtandmaybeholdyourhandandkissyoubutthenthefishdiedbecausetherewasnomorefood. So yes it’s your fault my fish died… And I want a refund in terms of dates.”

“You…what? You want to go out with me? On a date?”

“Yeah… that would be really nice. I mean, I don’t really know if you’re single or if you swing that way…”

“I’m free Friday nights! After my shift here.”

“Is that a ‘yes’?”

 “Yes. Yes. Yes. Damn it. Yes. I’ll go out with you.”  Junhong wasn’t exactly doing a good job of keeping his feels in check.