02
Winter Designs
The thing about being an intern is that you don't actually get to do the cool stuff unless someone is sick and much to Jong Suk's dismay that was not the case today. He wants to design clothes or even help others design clothes. Instead he's stuck taking the company credit card to the Starbucks down the street in the thick snow to bring everyone their over priced lattes and espressos.
His eyes flit across the small cafe as he waits in line and rolls his eyes at the couples occupying all the tables. There's one person sitting alone and he almost feels a kinship until the person's phone rings and he talks animatedly to his obvious significant other. It's not even valentine's day, it's not even Christmas, Jong Suk thinks, and yet all these couples are everywhere.
He wishes he could reverse time and start the day over, maybe even the season. Figure out why things ended up like this. It's not like him to feel pity for himself but he's so painfully lonely. He sighs and steps up to the counter and hands the woman a sheet with all the drink orders. It's easier that way. She looks up to glare at him and he sends her an apologetic smile. He sees the change in her when she notices him. He's not exactly ugly and he knows it, plays it to his advantage slightly.
"Sorry, it's an office order. It's okay if it takes a while," he smiles again for added affect and she nods and gets to work entering the order in the computer. It takes her a few minutes and several double checks to make sure everything is right in the system. He pays her and steps to the side to wait.
Jong Suk wonders where his sketchbook is. Is it still on the train? Did someone grab it and not look at it? Did someone look at it and decide to keep it? Why hasn't anyone called? His thoughts grapple with these questions and worse until he's interrupted by the girl.
"Excuse me," she sends him a shy smile, "your order is ready."
Jong Suk nods and walks up to the counter. He stacks the three drink carriers carefully one on top of the other to walk back to the office. He hates getting stuck running errands. Today hasn't gotten any better since the mishap on the train. He bites his lip in concentration walking and balancing the drinks. He makes it to the office and up the elevator safely. He sets them down on his meager desk that's just slightly bigger than something you would see in a high school. The only highlight of it is the fact that it faces the windows even if he's not very close to them. He hands out the coffees and sits down at his desk thankful that he didn't trip and add to his list of horrible happenings.
He picks up his phone and stares at it. The questions ambush his mind like a sudden blizzard ripping and tearing at his thoughts. He worries the train workers threw it out or someone ripped up his sketches for fun. He knows it's far fetched but he can't help it. He taps his thumb against it impatient. He needs his sketchbook back. He feels antsy without it. He leans back in his chair still holding and staring at it. He pulls his bottom lip between his teeth and worries at it.
"Are you planning on chewing a hole through it," he hears from his left. He sits up immediately and turns toward his boss. She's standing next to him holding papers and he throws a weak smile at her.
"Sorry, I'm just a little worried."
"Well don't take it out on your gorgeous lips," she winks and sets the papers on his desk before walking away. He sighs. He's told her several times that he's gay but she won't take that as an answer. He flips through the papers and gets to work organizing and entering the data sighing the whole way through.
The day ends with Jong Suk leaving work feeling even worse. He still hasn't heard anything about his sketchbook. The snow had gotten thicker throughout the day and instead of making him feel better it only worsened his anxiety. His day got even worse when the snow stopped the trains and he was forced to walk 23 blocks back to his apartment through sludge. His legs and feet frozen by the time he's on the stoop pressing iced fingers to the number pad to let him into the complex before he can climb three flights of stairs to his small, over priced studio apartment.
He opens the door, shrugs off his jacket dropping it and his bag to floor, and falls face down on the couch sinking into it. He was going to head for the bed but the couch was closer in between the door and his bed. It's been a hard day and he can't quite pin point what was so terrible. A day like today could have been amazing. He loves walking in the snow, he doesn't usually mind getting the people at the office coffee, and the cold doesn't bother him most times. But today, everything seems so much worse than it is. The cold is colder, the menial tasks more grueling, and the wet snow gross instead of beautiful.
Jong Suk doesn't know when but he ends up falling asleep on the couch slipping out of consciousness like he sips on a drink in bursts of drowsy awareness and colorful dreams. He jolts awake to the sound of his cellphone. He puts his hand out to feel around the coffee table for it before remembering it's in his jacket pocket. He gets up yawning and scratching at his side.
He barely opens his eyes and he walks to the door, grabs his jacket and searches for the phone. He pulls it out of the pocket it and is able to answer it just in time. His voice comes out gravelly and sleepy.
"Hello?"
"Ah, hello," he hears in Korean, "Is this Lee Jong Suk-ssi?"
"Yes," Jong Suk lets the word drag out giving a slight pause, "Who is this?"
He's a little apprehensive. He hasn't spoken Korean in a while he knows he's rusty and the language sounds foreign to his ears. His siblings have been busy and his parents don't want to talk to him after he left Korea to pursue his dream. What are the odds of a Korean knowing his number unless given it by his family?
"My name is Kim Woo Bin. I found your sketchbook on the train."
Jong Suk breathes out relieved it's been found. He had forgotten about it in his sleepy stupor but he feels like he can breathe a little easier now that he knows it's not in the garbage or soaked in snow.
"You did," he can't keep the excitement from his voice. The words come out breathy and kiddish but he couldn't care about that at this point. The man on the other line laughs and Jong Suk thinks it's a pretty sound. Deep and manly. He pushes that from his thoughts, too.
"Are you busy now? Can we meet somewhere?"
The laugh rings through the phone again and Jong Suk finds himself more curious about Kim Woo Bin than cautious. Finally something good on this craptastic day he thinks. A genuine smile appears on his lips for the first time in a while.
"If your address in here is accurate then I'm close by. We could meet up," Woo Bin replies.
"Really? Thank you so much. There's a cafe on the corner. Is that okay?"
"Sure, see you then," Woo Bin hangs up the phone after and Jong Suk wastes no time throwing his coat on, grabbing his bag and racing out the door. He nearly falls down the stairs in his excitement. His sketchbook is the only thing he'd cry about if lost. It's as much a piece of him as his hand or leg.
Jong Suk bursts into the cafe panting. He puts his arms on his hips bending over slightly trying to catch his breath as he looks around. The cafe is decorated fully for Christmas. It's called Argo tea and seems ridiculously expensive though that doesn't stop Jong Suk from stopping in to order an Earl Grey Tea latte or bubble tea.
His hope starts falling when he can't spot anyway similar to the image he built in his head. The door dings behind him and he turns his hopes rising again. But he's pretty sure Kim Woo Bin isn't a four foot blonde girl. He sighs and decides he's here so he may as well get something warm to drink. He orders his latte and walks to the other side of the store passing all the Christmas gift sets to reach the seating area.
He looks around around again before turning to face the door. He sets his cup down on the table. He did rush out a bit, he thinks to himself. He pulls the chair out and is about to sit down.
"Jong Suk-ssi?"
Jong Suk turns and his eyes land on a man slightly taller than him who's standing up from his chair. Jong Suk's eyes trail his soft hair that contrasts deeply with his sharp cheek bones and down his broad shoulders. He stops himself and averts his eyes coughing. He looks familiar but Jong Suk can't quite pinpoint why.
"Ah, yes," Jong Suk replies grabbing his drink to walk over to Woo Bin's table. He sits down and Woo Bin follows.
"Sorry, I didn't see you there for a second."
"Me neither," Jong Suk laughs awkwardly. He hadn't expected the beautiful voice to have a beautiful owner.
"So, uh, my sketchbook?"
"Oh right, sorry," Woo Bin smiles and Jong Suk kind of wants to melt into the chair but he smiles back, "here you go."
Woo Bin slides the sketch book across the table to Jong Suk and Jong Suk's smile widens looking down at it. His day just got ten times better and he's suddenly glad it's Friday and he doesn't have to do anything he doesn't want to. He runs his fingers down the cover of the book and opens it flipping through the sketches until he feels Woo Bin's eyes on him. He looks up awkwardly.
"Sorry," that word seems to be passed between them a lot Jong Suk thinks, "I'm just really happy I got it back. It means a lot to me."
"I should be apologizing," Woo Bin pauses and Jong Suk looks up, "I...looked through it. I hope you don't mind."
Jong Suk tries not to let his smile fall. He shouldn't be mad, at least he got it back. But still. It's personal. He doesn't say anything. Instead he looks back down at his sketchbook and continues checking to make sure they're all there. He lands on a portrait he drew recently on the train.
"Oh!"
"What is it," Woo Bin asks.
"I thought you looked familiar. You fell asleep on the train the other day. I like your jacket," Jong Suk says.
He looks up at Woo Bin and he's suddenly not smiling his face has fallen and for some reason Jong Suk really hates it. He tilts his head to the side in a silent questioning. Woo Bin shakes his head slightly and replaces his smile though Jong Suk thinks it's a little less sincere than before.
"Nothing, sorry. Just thinking. I should be going."
"Okay. It was nice meeting you. And thanks," Jong Suk smiles. He won't be mad he decides. At least it's here in one piece and nothing is missing.
Woo Bin nods and stands up. Jong Suk turns to watch him leave the cafe before following suit after carefully placing his sketchbook in his bag. It wasn't such a bad day after all.
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