ash returned the other’s small bow immediately. he was surprised carter had referred to him as ashton instead of taeyong like he was so used to when meeting people he didn’t know very well. since he was always referred to by his stage name whenever he was mentioned on shows or in articles online and since taeyong was easier for native koreans, ash assumed he’d be called taeyong by most people. “ash,” he clarified. ash had been more fond of the shortened version of his name than his full first name for as long as he could remember.
when carter mentioned deciding to come volunteer, ash felt a twinge of guilt because he couldn’t say the same. he didn’t want to broadcast that he was here because his company wanted to make him more marketable. ash would have to hide in a corner if he admitted he was basically only there to make his company more money. all of the companies cared about money and image and ash knew carter would most likely understand, but it wasn’t the impression he wanted to make.
“i hope so, too.” he replied at last. “mind if i join you?’ he asked, walking over to join carter where he was with the dogs. it was only when he crouched down to let one of the dogs sniff his hand that he realized his manager hadn’t followed him into the room. under other circumstances, he might be compelled to seek his manager out, but right now, ash was perfectly content with their absence. “so, do you come here often?” he asked carter. “and, uh, i mean that in the genuinely curious way, not the creepy hitting on girls in a bar way,” he clarified with a chuckle.
carter knew that maybe he didn’t have to be so formal with the other idol and bow, but it was just force of habit. he’d gotten so used to having to do it for the best several years, that he just does it immediately when he sees someone. he had heard that the other male’s real name, his birth name, was ashton, so that’s how he called him. unlike a lot of koreans, it was easier for him to pronounce ashton than taeyong, although taeyong wasn’t necessarily hard to pronounce in the first place. he was just used to more western names, seeing as how he had one himself. “ash it is then. you were born in the states?” he asked, switching to english.
he was so happy to have someone else around there, someone who was closer to his age and someone who was an idol. he didn’t want to sound like he was being elitist or anything of the sort, but it was nice having someone else there, so that he wouldn’t be hogging the spotlight. and he wouldn’t have to deal with ashton asking him for pictures or autographs or when he had new music coming out with mars. not that he minded those questions, it was just nice to not have to deal with them from time to time.
“of course not, i don’t mind at all.” he knelt back down so he could get back level with the dogs, reaching out for one of them. a bunch immediately began crowding around him, nipping and biting at his hands, making him laugh out loud at the attention. he couldn’t help but melt under the attention of the dogs. he’d always had a soft spot for all animals, but dogs held a special place in his heart. he couldn’t help but laugh at his question, before shaking his head. “no, no i don’t get to come here as often. i wish i could. how about you? is this your first time here?”