Things had gone completely left field. Jonghyun and Jinki didn’t even get time to hash everything out before the older realized it was indeed the weekend which meant work at the bookstore. Jinki sat out of sight behind the register tagging books that were now on sale- half price and 20% off. 

Thank God Minho’s here. Now I don’t have to deal with these customers, Jinki let his head thud against the wood counter as he lethargically tagged the books on the half-off cart. 

“Hey Jinki, sorry to interrupt but I’m trying to hang up this display. I'm not sure I did it right. . . Could you take a look?” Minho asked, bending his lean frame over the counter to peek at a hidden Jinki. 

But I still gotta deal with the new boy, of course. He groaned internally. 

The last thing he felt like doing was to help his new coworker with the basics. Still, he placed his tag gun on the floor and sprang up with a spin and a grin. 

“Sure, show me what you got!” the pep in his voice was giving customer service, but it was the best he could manage at the moment. 

“Uh, okay. . .” Minho trailed off as he walked Jinki over to the display. 

The two boys reconfigured the books and posters to their liking, making the placements overall more eye-catching than the previous arrangement. Jinki clapped off invisible dust from his hands. 

“Well-” he started. 

“Ah! There was another thing I needed help with.” Minho interjected, his words slapping Jinki’s out of the air. 

Jinki looked down at his discarded word then back up at Minho with a sickly smile. 

“Of course~” he said between gritted teeth. 

The university student grabbed him by the arm and went from aisle to aisle asking a dozen more questions than he had the first day on the job. Jinki chalked it up to inexperience and went over how to organize certain books and where older books could be rotated out. He even roleplayed with Minho as a lost customer who needed assistance. Before he knew it, the grand events at his house had taken a backseat in his mind while in full employee training mode. 

“Ah. Thanks, Jinki. I feel like I got a better handle on where things are now.” Minho said blankly, eyes perusing the store before coming back to check the time on his phone. “I know I took you away from what you were doing- I could help you finish before we close?” he offered a bit guiltily.

There were only thirty minutes until close. Thirty minutes until Jinki had to go back and face reality. Gwiboon’s confession rushed to the front of Jinki’s mind like a tidal wave. Oh, no. His head dropped into his open palm as his heart let out an aching pulse. 

“Hey, man, I’m really sorry. I swear both of us can get it done in time if you want to go home or something.” Minho slightly panicked, a useless hand hung between them that he quickly whipped behind his back as Jinki raised his head. 

“OH! No, no, it’s not that. I actually don’t have anywhere to go or anything. I was just thinking of something else. Bad timing.” he chuckled awkwardly, eyes darting between Minho and the counter at the back of the store. 

Minho casually gestured toward the counter with an open palm. Jinki gratefully took the cue and briskly walked back to his previous work spot. After a quick explanation of how to tag items, Minho took another gun and began tagging books at the speed of light. 

Is this boy part machine or what? Jinki wondered. Minho’s pile was growing rapidly and already threatening to overtake his own.

“You’re pretty fast for a new guy, but you still ain’t got nothin’ on me.” Jinki teased, still slapping stickers on. 

Minho’s movements abruptly stopped. He turned to Jinki with a fiery glint in his eye. 

“Wanna bet?” 

Jinki scoffed.

“Bet.” 

Jinki began snatching books off the shelf like they stole something from him. A few minutes into the race though, his arm began to burn. Feeling a slight sheen under his armpits forming, he peeked over at Minho from under his bangs who was still going strong. His coworker was breathing in his nose and out his mouth, rhythmically pulling books from the cart, swiping the gun on the cover, and tossing it in the correct stack. 

What the-?! Who is this guy, Prince of Tennis? 

Eventually, Jinki gave up and Minho helped him finish the rest of his cart so they could close on time. 

“Alright,” Jinki conceded, laying his elbows on the counter behind him, “you won or whatever. What’s the penalty?” 

Minho grinned, coming to lean on one arm next to Jinki on the counter. 

“Let me clear your mind tonight,” he said, unsmiling, leveling Jinki with clear, unreadable deer eyes. 

Jinki pressed off the counter, turning to fully face Minho. Forehead crinkled with several questions Jinki asks, 

“I’m sorry? Who said my mind wasn’t clear already?” his head cocked to the right, defensive. 

Minho fumbles a little. 

“I-I could see you were upset as soon as you walked in, honestly. You seemed completely different from the first time I met you. I just wanted to distract you from whatever was bothering you. . .” he trailed, standing up straight with a slightly lowered gaze. 

So that’s why he was Mr. “Ask In a Box” today. Jinki let out a disarming chuckle and then a sigh as his defenses came crumbling down. It seemed all he could do after Gwiboon stormed off his front steps was sigh. 

“You’re right. I have a lot on my mind right now and I don’t know what to do,” he admitted, voice hitching at the end and eyes closed in an effort to calm his near surface emotions.

Minho stretched out a well-toned, tan arm to plop his hand atop his coworker’s shoulder. 

Jinki opened his eyes to meet Minho’s soft gaze. 

“I can fix that.” 

A/N: i graduated with my bachelors yall! Congrats to the Class of 2020 and, of course, #BLM!! i hope everyone is healthy and safe right now. i needed sumn to make me happy n i wanted to share that w yall too~ i foresee 2-3 more chapters gone b needed to wrap up this story which i can hopefully write....soon. :/ i have grad school things and work so ill try my best!! thank you for reading <3 and please comment. 6v6