Teaser TWO

Quietly looking at the Help Wanted sign that was placed in the window, Hyunsoo couldn't help but think about the contents of his almost empty wallet. Two dollars, a debit card with maybe a max of twenty bucks on it, and a couple of buy one get one free burger coupons for the local McDonalds was pretty much everything that he had until his next gig with Wild Blossom. A gig that hopefully gave the group more than twenty dollars and a couple of six-packs of the worst beer that Hyunsoo had ever tasted.

Even PBR was better than that no-name brand that they had receieved for their services and that was saying something since PBR usually tasted like a combination of BO and morning breath. Which was ing disgusting to be honest and for something to taste even worse than that - well, Hyunsoo wasn't happy. Especially when a good portion of their funds went to their instruments instead of the group members themselves, making things even more tight for him.

But despite Hyunsoo usually needing money over vices, he couldn't help but be marginally okay with receiving things like free beer, cigarettes, and the occasional joint or two as payment when Martin was the one that didn't mind that type of stuff in the first place. Because to Martin: 'Free beer is great beer... even better than water because water these days isn't even free, so that makes these beers they paid us with even better than life itself.' Which Hyunsoo thought was incredibly stupid, but Martin was gorgeous, funny, and ever since high school when Martin had first started talking to him, seeing him as something other than the token Asian kid with a perfect GPA, Hyunsoo was hooked. Even if he constantly tried to hide those feelings from himself in the first place.

Because as much as he liked Martin and cared about the other being happy, Hyunsoo needed a job that was a bit more substantial than what the group was getting from their gigs. And even if the bars they occasionally played at gave them free dinner from time to time - something that Hyunsoo could barely stomach half the time with him having to watch out for foods that would literally send him to an early grave or make him feel like the next morning: soggy fries and a well-done burger wasn't exactly cutting it. So as much as he hated getting paid so little or being paid with beer and food that wasn't even appetizing, he wasn't going to tell Martin about him getting a job on the side because he actually liked playing in Wild Blossom. Even if some of the guys were absolute dipsticks that drank too much, Martin included. 

So finally taking a deep breath to center himself, he quietly went through the doors of Reckless Records to confidently ask, "May I fill out an application, please?" 

Only for the man at the counter, a guy with eyes so dark and hands so big that they made Hyunsoo want to take a step back or two, the guy literally looking as if he had just stepped out of some damn magazine, respond in a gruff southern drawl, "Sure, here you go and if you finish within the next half hour or so, I can do an interview as well, otherwise, you'll have to come back tomorrow."

The 'Just like the others' was left hanging in the air, almost as if the guy was trying to scare him off or something. But not one to be deterred, especially by some white guy with an accent that kind of made his knees weak, Hyunsoo decided to ignore the unspoken words, taking them with a grain of salt. 

Giving a quick "Thank you," before grabbing the application form from the other man, he found himself settling down in one of the chairs at the front of the store as he fished out a pen to start writing.

Carefully reading everything that he needed to read as he filled out each section, handwriting neat and concise along the page, it wasn't long before he was close to finishing everything up. Only for his attention to be diverted to the sudden change in music cycling around the room that he couldn't help but get distracted by the constant loop of country songs that the man - no, Atlas, if his nametag was correct, was listening to. 

Country music;  a genre that Hyunsoo couldn't stand if his life depended on it was a lot more distracting than he'd like to admit.  

And with Atlas starting to sing along, voice sounding like honey to his ears, even if Hyunsoo could care less about what was happening in the song or whatever the lyrics were about (Something about tractors, girls, dogs, and beer he was sure... the usual country lyric staples.), Hyunsoo found himself unable to stop hiself from blurting, "Is that Willie Nelson, because if it is, then you're obviously too desensitized to realize that country music actually causes people's ear drums to burst... Or are you too deaf already?"

Eyes widening at Hyunsoo's words, surprised at how blunt and crass the other was, especially after being so polite a couple of minutes before, Atlas found himself asking, "What's your name again?" Taking in Hyunsoo's appearance once again, only to notice the other wearing leather and ripped skinny jeans that easily told him what type of music this kid listened to, it was no wonder why the kid had said what he said. 

Country music being an acquired taste for those that lived in Chicago, city dwellers unable to understand the greatness that was the genre that Atlas didn't take it to heart. 

While Hyunsoo on the other hand couldn't help but freeze up at the question, feeling a bit like an idiot for saying what he said, especially to what could be his employer, he could only audibly swallow. But knowing that he couldn't take back what he said and it would probably be worse if he tried to rectify the situation with stupid apologies that did nothing but make him look even stupider - possibly even weak, he finally answered the other's question a moment later. His tone a little bit sharper than it had been earlier, "I didn't give you one, but my name's Hyunsoo Lee," before continuing on, voice snarky and posture absolutely uncontrite, "No one ever tell you that Willie Nelson is lame. Makes me wonder about the rest of your taste in music to be honest and possibly your customers' too."

Hiding a small smile, especially after a day of interviewing kids that were constantly up to him and anyone that worked there already, even complimenting his taste in music more times than he could count, Atlas could only gruffly give,  "If you want to find out, then finish your application, because I'll be doing your interview today after all."

Surprised and maybe a little bit scared at what the other was going to do, but not wanting to show such things, Hyunsoo quickly turned his attention back to the application to fill in the last section before he was jumping out of his seat, "Done!. Now where do you want to do this?"

"Backroom, we'll have a bit more privacy there."

Ignoring the way that Atlas said backroom and how large the other's hands were when he was up close, two things lthat he definitely was not supposed to be thinking about. Particularly when Martin was the one that was supposed to be on his mind and not some guy that he had just recently met barely twenty minutes ago. Never mind the fact that he shouldn't be thinking of guys that way at all, his father's words about men liking men running through his head, telling him how unnatural it was to do such a thing in the first place. But knowing that his father wasn't there and that the man really couldn't do anything if Hyunsoo didn't want him to, Hyunsoo could only dispel his thoughts from going any further, deciding to focus on the task at hand instead. 

Confidence filtering through his words, he managed to say, "Of course," before following the older man a bit further into the store. 

Job pending.

Author's note

I don't have much to say, but here's Hyunsoo in all his glory. I'm still debating on a deadline for this fic, but as of right now, there still isn't one, but I'm leaning towards the first week of May or so. Other than that, keep the apps coming and whatnot. (And PBR or Pabst Blue Ribbon is a college staple beer and is usually the type of beer that most people don't like drinking, but drink because it's cheap and it has a higher alcohol content than other cheap beers.)