Fridays are lazy days. But then again, unless it’s the Valentine’s Season, it is not exceptionally hectic at the shop. Lazy days mean less pressure to come up with more designs. Jaejoong thanks the heavens for that. Being a designer of toys for almost two years, he has designed and produced over a hundred toys – varying from vibrating , s, handcuffs and even boa feathers – and as much as he enjoys the job, his creative juices are already running dry. The job is enjoyable, in all fairness, and it makes him feel invincible because the toys he make bring pleasure to countless of people. It might not be an ordinary job, but he is rather proud of it.

“What are you holding?” asks the designer, pointing at the paper in Yoochun’s – his co-worker – hands. He gestures for the latter to raise it to his chest to which the other complies. He reads it out loud. “Wanted. Male Human Toy Tester. If interested, please inquire inside.”

“Exactly.”

He frowns. “What about Sekyung?”

Yoochun shrugs. “Well, she quit. Barged in Mr. Shim’s room this morning accusing him of messing her up. Apparently, ever since she tried the Pump It Like You Mean It Silicone , she started seeing, uhm, scents.”

Jaejoong blinks and then snorts. “Scents? Yah, that’s not even the least bit plausible.”

“I was just relaying it to you! No need to look at me like I’ve gone bonkers!”

“Well you might have gone bonkers for believing that.”

“I never said I believe that. I was just telling you what Mr. Shim told me.”

“Then it’s Mr. Shim who’s gone bonkers.”

“Tell that right to my face next time I’m not busy.” Both employees gasp at their boss who passes by them, briskly walking out of the shop. As the glass door dinged close, the two silently stare at each other and fear for their lives.





As it turns out, Mr. Shim only psyched them out. When the two paranoid employees barged in his office to apologize profusely, he laughed it off and told them to relax and stop freaking out because he is not stupid enough to fire two of his best and only employees. He is a cool boss, Jaejoong realizes after the incident, and that urged him to do better. To work harder.

The hardworking employee is currently doodling on his sketchpad while looking up new trends in rings when someone bursts inside the shop, almost breaking the glass door. He looks up in shock, ready to reprimand the intruder as soon as he regains his composure, but is taken aback for the second time when the said intruder shoves a piece of paper right in his face. He blinks owlishly before taking the offending paper, reading it. Surprisingly, it is the wanted sign Yoochun put up the day before. Applicants usually apply online, afraid to be seen walking inside the shop by people who know them. Even Sekyung applied through their website and only stopped giving a after almost six months of working for them.

“I want to apply.” the tall guy said through his pants. Why he was panting so hard is beyond Jaejoong who quirks a brow at him. “Please?”

Jaejoong stands up from his seat from behind the counter and looks at the guy from head to toe. He barely looks legal but Jaejoong does not want to judge. “Are you sure?” The guy nods. “Why?”

If anything, Jaejoong is expecting the generic “I love ” answer, but he isn’t expecting the guy to launch into a story about how he owes his older brother a huge amount of money. “I lost his expensive electric guitar.” Jaejoong stares and then decides to let the guy carry on with his story since he’s bored out of his wits anyway. “He sold it online and asked me to meet up with the person who bought it. We were to meet inside a bakery and I was so distracted by their yummy pastries that I didn’t notice someone taking it from behind my seat. I–“

“Alright.” Jaejoong cuts off not because he is being rude but because he already got the point of the story. “But I’m hoping you aren’t expecting a high salary here because–“

“I know.” The guy replies, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. “I just turned eighteen and I haven’t graduated high school yet so I really can’t apply at big shot companies. I’ll just take what I can get.”

His brows shoot up to his hairline at the new information. “No.” he says sternly. “Legal or not, it looks like you barely have experience with things like this. Look at how much of a nervous wreck you are right now. As much as we need a tester, we are not that desperate to taint someone’s innocence.”

There is a sudden rush of guilt when he saw a flash of hurt in the latter’s eyes probably from the blunt rejection, but he is not about to take his words back. He could only watch as the boy turns on his heels to walk away.





The boy, Jaejoong concludes, is a little too persistent for his own good. It hasn’t even been ten minutes since Jaejoong flipped the shop sign to open when the boy struts inside, making a beeline for his table at the counter. “What do you want?” he asks exasperatedly, closing his sketchpad. He does not want anyone to take a peek of his works in progress. No, not yet.

“A job.”

“What is your name?”

The boy's face lights up at that. “Yunho. Jung Yunho.”

“Alright Yunho,” he says. “No is no. Even if you directly ask our boss, I’m pretty sure he would say not let you.”

“What’s happening?” Yoochun approaches them, confusion written all over his face. “What would Mr. Shim say no to?”

Yunho seems to perk up at Yoochun’s presence and he holds out a hand which Yoochun takes for a shake. “Hello my name is Jung Yunho and I want to apply as a toy tester.” Like Jaejoong, he demands to know why. Yunho is very much eager to retell his story in hopes of gaining sympathy from the less cold-hearted employee but sadly for him, Yoochun only puts a hand on his shoulder, squeezes it and then proceeds to walk away. A groan escapes his lips. “Are you all unable to feel? Can’t you feel even the least bit of sadness for me?” he growls, earning a gasp from Jaejoong.

“What the–”

“Jaejoong, I’ll take it from here.” He turns around and sees Mr. Shim with Yoochun behind him. He nods and gets up from his seat even when Mr. Shim tells him there is no need. “Yoochun told me what’s going on.” He watches as his boss turns his attention to the still hopeful Yunho. “Kid, I understand that you need this but I don’t think you are suited for the job you are applying for. But I think it’s about time these two get a helping hand.”

So to say, Yunho is hired as a store clerk and Jaejoong is not very happy about it.




 

uhm, hi? it's a prologue of some sort of a short story hehe there's nothing much right now but the story will - hopefully - progress in the latter chapters. thank you for reading :) also, the prologue has a different summary from the actually story idk yet but it's subject to change, as usual