Genre: drama, romance
Rating: PG-13
Group: Monsta X
Summary: Sooyeon meets Monsta X by chance on the streets when they try to help her and her friends shake off creepers, but the meeting ends on a sour note. Some time later, Sooyeon meets the boys again, but at Starship’s headquarters. Although they act cold to each other, Shownu becomes more and more curious about her.
Disclaimer: This is 100% fictional and my own story. It is unrelated to the actual events and real persons of Monsta X and Starship. In regards to this particular fic, I’ve created new K-Pop groups and Sooyeon Kim is my original character. Parts will be written in Korean with English translations. I did not major/study in English/Korean, nor was I ever strong in English/Korean grammar, so there will be grammatical mistakes. This fanfic is written in third person and past-tense for ease of writing.
December 12
I never want to do that ever again.
Sooyeon grimaced at the sight unfolded in front of her. She stood in a room with people yelling about the wrong fit of a shirt and hands moving quickly across faces. Much to her discomfort, her eyes were met with coldness from the Monsta X members.
< 2 hours ago >
*Bzzt* *Bzzzzzt*
Without even looking down from her screen, Sooyeon accepted the call and put in her earphones. “네, 김수연입니다.” (Translation: “Yes, this is Sooyeon Kim.”) She lifelessly said, as she hastily clicked around her computer to complete the spreadsheet.
“아, 네, 김수연씨 맞으시죠---악!!” (Translation: “Ah, yes, this is Sooyeon Kim right-- ack!!”)
The sudden clatter on the other side surprised Sooyeon as well and she glanced down at her phone. Hmm, not a number I recognize…. She waited until the other person spoke again.
After some grunting and huffing, the voice squeaked, “어… 김수연씨, 지금 안 바쁘시면--” (Translation: “Uh… Miss Sooyeon, if you’re not too busy--”)
“네, 바빠요.” (Translation: “Yes, I’m busy.”) Sooyeon cut her off calmly. It was mean, but she learned to cut people off early when they wanted her to do work unrelated to her job. She could help out here and there a little, but sometimes people would take it too far and she’d have to stay late to finish her own job.
There was some shuffle and a different voice got on the phone. “본론만 말할게요. 김수연씨, 메이크업 아티스트같은 일 한적 있죠? 벌써 김수연씨의 팀장님에게 허락 받았으니, 지금 빨리 KBS 신관 공개홀로 오세요.” (Translation: “I’ll get straight to the point. Miss Sooyeon, you have experience as a makeup artist, right? I already received permission from your supervisor, so come quickly to the KBS New Wing Open Hall.”)
*Click*
The call disconnected and Sooyeon stared at her phone in disbelief. Did he just hang up on me?! She looked up at her supervisor for confirmation, and without even looking up, her supervisor threw up an okay sign with one hand to Sooyeon. Ugh. Grabbing all her necessities and her coat, she quickly ran out of the office.
As she made her way to the subway, she checked the transit -- fuck, it’s going to at least take 40 minutes… and I have to take both subway and bus. Once she got on the right subway, Sooyeon shot an angry text at her cousin.
Soo: 한달도 안되서 내가 메이크업 아티스트 일 했다는게 벌써 알려져있네?? 어떻게된거지??? 9:15 (Translation: How is it that it hasn’t even been a whole month and people already know I’ve done work as a makeup artist?? What could have happened??? 9:15am)
Minutes later, she received a string of messages from both her cousin and her cousin’s friend. As she read through, Sooyeon sighed. Both of them apologized, with her cousin’s friend explaining that the stylist team were in absolute frenzy and chaos because one of the main makeup artists got stomach flu. She accidentally let it slip to the team leader that Sooyeon had experience working in the field, but assured Sooyeon that she didn’t mention any other details.
She texted both of them in the group chat:
Soo: 일이 이상하게 꼬이면… 알지? 뒤 돌아보지 않고 그만둘거야. 9:32 (Translation: If the situation gets out of hand… you know, right? I’ll quit without looking back. 9:32am)
< 10:17 am >
There was chaos building up in that small room, holding all seven members of Monsta X, and each member had his respective stylist team tending to the hair, makeup and clothing of the member. Sooyeon felt her eye twitch, already feeling the energy drain. In the corner of her eye, she saw a hand wave at her.
Before she could turn towards the person, however, a voice squeaked to her.
“김수연씨 맞죠?” (Translation: “You’re Miss Sooyeon, right?”)
Her eyes shifted to the voice -- it was the same voice as the person who timidly called her. Sooyeon faced a petite female with ash-pink hair tied in a messy and sweaty bun. Her face was filled with exhaustion and Sooyeon couldn’t help but frown at the sight. What time did they start? It almost looks like she’s been working all night….
The girl shoved a black toolbox into Sooyeon’s hands and said, “이거면 괜찮죠? 어… 컨셉사진들은 여기안에 있고, 현우와 주헌이 담당이에요. 물어볼게 있으시면 저, 아니면 팀장님에게 물어보시면 되요.” (Translation: “This is good enough, right? Uh… the concept photos are inside here, and you’re in charge of Hyunwoo and Jooheon. If you have any questions, you can ask me or the team leader.”)
“잠깐만요…” (Translation: “Wait a minute…”) Sooyeon squinted at the petite girl, wondering if she heard right. “두명이요? 시간은 얼마 남았죠?” (Translation: “Two people? How much time do I have left?”)
The girl flinched, even though Sooyeon wasn’t necessarily being snappy. Sure, she was annoyed that they had basically thrown an impossible task of handling two members she had never worked with as well as not knowing the concept beforehand. All of this was so last minute, she had to mentally lower the heat and reduce her anger to a simmer.
Suddenly a different voice from behind Sooyeon, the same voice that ordered her to come, said, “지니야, 넌 빨리 가서 일 해.” (Translation: “Jeanie, you can go quickly and do your work.”)
Sooyeon turned to face the man, and he reached his hand out. “안녕하세요, 전 스타일리스트 팀장, 최준하라고 합니다. 와주셔서 감사합니다.” (Translation: “Hello, I’m Joonha Choi, the stylist team leader. Thank you for coming.”)
“아… 네…” (Translation: “Uh… sure…”) Plucking one hand off the toolbox, she shook his hand hesitantly. Rolling her eyes obviously around, she asked him, “그래서… 제가… 두명이나 해야되요? 언제까지…” (Translation: “So… I… have to do two people? Until when…”)
Joonha pursed his lips and looked up at the clock in the room. Looking back at her, he smiled apologetically. “죄송해요, 메이크업 하는 직원이 갑자기 아파서… 두명만 남았는데 한시간 있다 리허설이에요. 그때까지 할 수 있겠어요?” (Translation: “Sorry, the person in charge of makeup got sick suddenly… there’s only two members left, but rehearsal is in an hour. Can you get it done by then?”)
What. The. Fuck. The toolbox nearly slipped out of her hand, and the loud clatter inside the box caused both Joonha and Sooyeon to quickly grasp the box. His fingers brushed against hers, and just like that, a chill ran down her back and she could feel her forehead break out into small beads of cold sweat.
“괜찮아요?” (Translation: “Are you okay?”) A different pair of hands grasped Sooyeon’s shoulder and supported the toolbox from underneath.
Sooyeon instantly relaxed in the hold and turned her head. Her eyes softened at Shownu’s worried expression, but realizing she was 100% sober this time, she shifted her expression to her professional face.
Joonha continued to look at her apologetically and Sooyeon sighed. What else could she do now that she was there? Glancing at Shownu and Jooheon, who was peeking from the corner, Sooyeon said, “한시간은 좀 어려울것 같은데… 한시간 안에 80% 끝나고 리허설 중가중간 수정하면서 완성해도 되나요?” (Translation: “One hour is kind of tough… I can do 80% in an hour and complete in between rehearsal, is that okay?”)
Although a little reluctant, Joonha nodded his head once in approval. She opened the toolbox and saw a variety of makeup products. So here I am… again. Doing this. She motioned for Shownu to sit, and with a brush in one hand and two foundations in her other hand, Sooyeon quickly got to work.
< 2 hours later >
“Ugh…” Sooyeon groaned in her seat. The other stylists were also hunched over in their seats while the boys went to record their performance. In between rehearsals, she and the other stylists ran back and forth to pat them dry, fan them and fix up their hair, makeup and clothing. All of them felt like zombies at this point.
Joonha walked over to Sooyeon and asked, “잘 하시는데 왜 그만뒀어요?” (Translation: “You seem to be good, but how come you quit?”)
Turning her head to face him, she looked at him with one eyebrow raised. He seemed nice and friendly, but Sooyeon was overall wary of new people. Especially in this industry. “그냥 적성에 안 맞는것 같아서 그만뒀어요. 솔직히 재밌는데, 너무 힘들어서 계속 못 했어요.” (Translation: “I quit because it just didn’t seem to fit well with me. Honestly, it’s fun, but I couldn’t continue because it was too tiring.”) She pointed to the people lying half-dead around them, to rest her case.
He looked at her skeptically before shrugging off whatever he wanted to say next.
“수연씨, 현우씨가 수정이 필요하대요.” (Translation: “Sooyeon, Hyunwoo says he needs touch ups.”) Jeanie reached out and alerted Sooyeon.
Sooyeon looked up, and there Shownu was, standing at the door frame, staring intently at her. She stared back momentarily, wondering, ‘왜 저렇게 보지…?’ (Translation: ‘why is he staring at me like that…?’) before her eyes widened. Right on cue, Joonha yelped, “여기까지 오게 만들어서 죄송합니다! 수연씨, 얼른 가세요.” (Translation: “I apologize for making you come here! Sooyeon, hurry up and go.”)
He flung her towards the door only for Sooyeon to skid to a stop before crashing into Shownu. Annoyed by Joonha and embarrassed to have made the artist come outside of the stage zone, Sooyeon nodded a small bow and breathed a quick “죄송합니다. 빨리 해드리겠습니다.” (Translation: “I’m sorry. I’ll quickly do it [for you].”) She stepped around Shownu to walk quickly towards the stage, and he followed suit.
They walked mostly in an awkward silence, with the exception of Shownu muttering to himself. Sooyeon couldn’t catch what he was saying, but frankly, she was caught up in her embarrassment to really try to hear. When they got to the stage area, Minhyuk noticed them first.
“PD님, 셔누형 왔어요!” (Translation: “PD-nim, Shownu[-hyung] is back!”) With that, Minhyuk ran over to the two and dragged Shownu away.
Confused, Sooyeon grasped Shownu’s wrist. “잠깐, 메이크업 수정 필요없으세요?” (Translation: “Wait, don’t you need touch-ups on your makeup?”)
Minhyuk looked over and matched her confusion. He turned to Shownu and asked, “그러네. 왜 스타일리스트분이랑 같이 와? 수정 필요했으면, 여기 있는 사람한테 받으면 됐잖아.” (Translation: “That’s true. Why did you come with a stylist? If you needed a touch-up, you could have asked one who was here.”)
“몬스타엑스분들, 빨리 무대 위로 올라오세요.” (Translation: “Monsta X, please come up to the stage quickly.”)
Sooyeon quickly pried her hand off Shownu’s wrist as the directors hailed for Minhyuk and Shownu. Minhyuk bowed and ran to the stage, and Shownu also walked off.
Strange. What was that all about? As she turned around to walk back to the staff room, Sooyeon felt a small gust of wind and a hand clasped over her hand. The sudden intimate touch made her flinch with shock, and she turned back to face the stage again. Her breath hitched when Shownu stood dangerously close to her.
“좀 이따가… 수정이 필요할것 같으니까, 여기 있어요.” (Translation: “I think I’m going to need a touch up soon… so stay here.”) Shownu breathed in a low voice and squeezed her hand. He was close enough to her that she had to angle her neck up to look up at him. As her eyes met his, the overall atmosphere weighed down on her and she could only nod in response. Before letting go of her hand, Shownu flashed a small smile and left her once more.
The image of Shownu whispering so closely to her constantly replayed in her mind. After the performance run throughs, Sooyeon was busy packing up the materials and cleaning the waiting room with the other stuff that she didn’t have a chance to talk to Shownu again. Not that she was prepared to do so, if the chance came up… but she was confused by his suddenly bold and questionable moves. He definitely seemed like a different person from when she first met him to him as a professional idol. On the other hand, when he held her back, he seemed completely different from the other sides of him as well.
*Clack*
She looked up and realized her surroundings. A phone was placed in front of her, displaying a news article with Shownu’s and Jooheon’s faces as the front photo.
“기사 보셨어요? 수연씨가 해준 스타일링이 맘에들었나봐요.” (Translation: “Have you seen this article? It seems like [people] liked your styling.”)
Sooyeon stared blankly at Joonha, who had just spoken to her, and two other people she only knew through the directory. They were part of upper management who handled Monsta X related work and people. A part of her knew where this conversation was going, but a part of her wanted to deny it.
Joonha seemed to be searching for answers in her face, but she wasn’t having it. She continued to stare emotionlessly at him, which caused one of the directors to speak up. “혹시 메이크업 아티스트 일 더 하실 생각 없으세요? 우리 회사에서--” (Translation: “Have you ever thought about working more as a makeup artist? At our company--”)
“아니요, 생각 없어요.” (Translation: “No, I haven’t thought that.”) Sooyeon slowly stood up and bowed deeply. When she straightened her back again, she continued, “제가 일하는곳에서 계속 일 하고 싶어요. 요번에는 너무 갑작스럽게 불려나왔는데 이런 일이 또 없길 바래요.” (Translation: “I want to continue working where I am now. This time, I was called out suddenly, but I hope this doesn’t happen again.”)
With that, she bowed once more and excused herself out of the meeting. She could hear disgruntled murmurs as she closed the door, but she chose to ignore them. Worst case scenario, she’d just have to resign and find a new job. Just… anything but that. I don’t want something bad to happen again….
*** TBC ***
A/n: My creative juices are failing me these days (ㅠㅠ)
Genre: drama, romance
Rating: PG-13
Group: Monsta X
Summary: Sooyeon meets Monsta X by chance on the streets when they try to help her and her friends shake off creepers, but the meeting ends on a sour note. Some time later, Sooyeon meets the boys again, but at Starship’s headquarters. Although they act cold to each other, Shownu becomes more and more curious about her.
Disclaimer: This is 100% fictional and my own story. It is unrelated to the actual events and real persons of Monsta X and Starship. In regards to this particular fic, I’ve created new K-Pop groups (they don’t exist) so I don’t have to study up on other people and to avoid other complications. Parts will be written in Korean with English translations. I did not major/study in English/Korean, nor was I ever strong in English/Korean grammar, so there will be grammatical mistakes. This fanfic is written in third person and past-tense for ease of writing.
September 24
I was nervous to be talking with celebrities, but at the same time annoyed at what they said. I should have brushed it off but everything piled up and I couldn’t help but lash out on them… but oh well, I probably won’t see them ever again.
Hair tied back tightly, simple eyeliner and lip tint on, loose graphic tee hanging over shorts.
Shownu looked curiously at the girl who sat relaxed laughing with her friends from a distance. The other two didn’t look like Koreans, but the girl that caught his eye didn’t seem completely Korean as well. At least, her mannerism and her clothing seemed to tell a different story. Without realizing it, he had begun to walk closer to get a better look.
“어디가?” (Translation: “Where are you going?”) Wonho hissed from under his mask.
When Shownu didn’t respond, Kihyun scurried off to catch up to Shownu while Hyungwon pulled Wonho along. Luckily, there were enough people wearing masks that they didn’t look out of place, but Wonho and Hyungwon still pulled their caps down to hide more of their face. It wasn’t exactly like they wanted to run around unannounced in front of a popular university.
As Shownu walked closer and closer, he realized there were two foreign men, one blonde and the other with ash gray hair, nearby talking to them, but they seemed to be ignoring the two men.
The blonde man glanced up to find the four boys and he nudged at his friend. They both looked up and down at the boys before continuing to talk to the girls. “Hey, so, how about it? A drink, yeah? It’ll be on us.”
The girl with the loose graphic tee turned to the man and she snapped in perfect English, “We said no half an hour ago, it’s still going to be a no.” She seemed to notice the attention coming from Shownu and the others, as her face slowly turned the other way in Shownu’s direction. And in that moment, Shownu stiffened up, unable to breathe momentarily.
She had an extremely annoyed and angry look on her face, but the expression slowly turned to confusion when her eyes met his.
Why isn’t he wearing a mask? was the first thought that passed through Sooyeon’s mind. She recognized the four instantly, since they were noticeably more attractive and obviously standing out. In addition, she saw that two of the members weren’t even hiding their faces with masks like the other two were.
“--ey. Soo. Soo!”
Sooyeon turned back and saw her two friends, Vera and Nicole, staring at her with worry. She smiled at them to let them know it was okay and she was fine.
Nicole glanced at the two foreigners and whispered, “Let’s just leave. We can come back another time… we’re in the area for another couple of days. Let’s not bother with these guys.” Sooyeon sighed, having looked forward to the busking events that were planned for the evening in front of the school, but agreed with Nicole. As they all got up, different voices stopped them.
“저기… 불편하시면… 경찰 불러드릴까요?” (Translation: “Um… if you’re uncomfortable, should I call the police for you?”)
Sooyeon’s eyes gazed up at the owner of the voice and used everything in her to stay calm. Holy shit, did Shownu… that Shownu… just ask me if he could help?? Her mind went haywire but she let no change in emotion show on her face. Clearing her throat, she coolly responded, “감사한데, 괜찮아요.” (Translation: “Thanks, but it’s okay.”)
Before she could walk away from the attention, a hand wrapped tightly around her arm and yanked her back.
“Soo!”
Nicole’s yelp startled Sooyeon and only then did she notice one of the foreigner’s hand latched onto her arm. He glared at her while growling, “Why did you respond so kindly to them and not us? You prefer those gay-looking asses over us?”
Wincing lightly at the tight grip, Sooyeon calmly let herself be swung around by the arm. When he noticed her quietness, he yanked her towards him. The perfect chance has come! She positioned herself and stuck out her elbow as he pulled her back to him.
*Crrrrack*
“AGH FUCK!!” Instantly, he let go of Sooyeon and she backed away from him, while his friend ran over.
Her heart was beating wildly and the adrenaline rush got to her as she spat, “Fuck off before I call the cops on you guys. You’ve bothered us long enough.”
The other foreigner glared intensely at Sooyeon and moved as if to lunge at her. However, a broad back covered the sight. Her eyes moved along the back and up to the head, only to realize Shownu had stepped between her and the menacing men.
As she opened her mouth to warn him away, a voice squeaked out from the back, “아, 네, 경찰서죠? 여기--” (Translation: “Ah, yes, is this the police? There’s--”) And in a matter of seconds, the two men muttered strings of curses before running off. Look at those tails between their legs, ha! She turned around to see Kihyun wave a blank phone -- he had merely pretended to call the police.
The rest collectively sighed in relief. Nicole and Vera ran over to Sooyeon and Vera screeched, “Hey!! What were you thinking, acting out like that?! Bitch, you scared me shitless!”
Sooyeon flinched at her friend’s words, mumbling, “It was just self-defense though… I couldn’t help but defend myself against that asshole…” The moment the words were out, she instantly regretted them as she could visualize the steam spewing out of Vera’s ears. Glancing at the boys in the back, she slapped on a business smile and bowed her head politely, avoiding Vera’s outburst.
“정말 감사합니다! 혼자서 해결할수 있다고 생각 했는데… 아니었나봐요…” (Translation: “Thank you so much! I thought I could handle it on my own… but I guess I couldn’t…”) She continued to bow, but when she heard Kihyun’s soft voice speak sharp words, she couldn’t help but raise her head with a frown.
Exasperated, Kihyun rolled his eyes and said, “하… 좀 생각이 있으면 그렇게 감정적으로 행동하는게 잘못됐단걸 알텐데…” (Translation: “Ha… if you thought about it a little more, you would have known acting out like that would be bad…”)
What… “The fuck?” The words rolled off her tongue so quickly, Sooyeon stared back at Kihyun in confusion, not realizing that she didn’t complete the question in her mind only. She saw Kihyun’s eyes turn cold while in the corner of her eyes, she saw Wonho and Hyungwon stand protectively around Shownu. Rolling her eyes, Sooyeon started to explain, “이봐요, 제가 그렇게--” (Translation: “Look, I only did that--”)
“쟤… 약간… 이상하지? 보니까 욕도 많이 하고… 문신도 있고… 되게 쎄 보이는데 우린 그냥 가자.” (Translation: “Doesn’t she… look a little weird? She seems to curse a lot… has tattoos… and looks really aggressive, so let’s just go.”) Hyungwon nudged Shownu and Wonho, while pulling Kihyun away from Sooyeon. Scoffing at the sight of the four male adults huddling and making assumptions about her, Sooyeon squinted at them in annoyance. She couldn’t believe they were making assumptions based on her appearance and her speech.
Though she noticed Shownu’s curious eyes lingering on her, Sooyeon couldn’t ignore the hostility coming from the other members. And neither could Vera.
“What the fuck? Why are they acting as if you’re going to attack them?? Let’s just fucking go, bro.” Vera frowned as she pulled Sooyeon and Nicole away from the group. With that, Sooyeon let herself be dragged away, choosing to forget the annoying encounter, while Shownu never took his eyes off her.
*** TBC ***
A/n: I’m back! Work has been... so rough... I’m really dying on a daily basis so I haven’t been able to write that much ㅠㅠ and... I know the beginning is weird but o well I never plan my stories out too well... (lol) also what happened to Tumblr’s horizontal line function... -_-
Genre: drama, romance
Rating: PG-13
Group: Monsta X
Summary: Sooyeon meets Monsta X by chance on the streets when they try to help her and her friends shake off creepers, but the meeting ends on a sour note. Some time later, Sooyeon meets the boys again, but at Starship’s headquarters. Although they act cold to each other, Shownu becomes more and more curious about her.
Disclaimer: This is 100% fictional and my own story. It is unrelated to the actual events and real persons of Monsta X and Starship. In regards to this particular fic, I’ve created new K-Pop groups and Sooyeon Kim is my original character. Parts will be written in Korean with English translations. I did not major/study in English/Korean, nor was I ever strong in English/Korean grammar, so there will be grammatical mistakes. This fanfic is written in third person and past-tense for ease of writing.
November 24
I don’t want to go to the drinking party. I don’t want to go to the drinking party. I don’t want to go to the drinking party. I don’t want to go to the drinking party. I don’t want to go to the drinking party. Aren’t they just using my welcome party as an excuse to get wasted?
*Clink* *Clink*
“건배!!” (Translation: “Cheers!!”)
The tiny glasses of soju were tapped against each other for the fifth time. It was only the first second round, but Sooyeon could feel herself getting drunk fast. She usually could hold up longer, but the nervousness she had during her orientation and training came crashing down as she chugged each shot.
Glancing at her director, a classic middle-aged man who would rather drink and party with his coworkers than go home to a tired wife, Sooyeon could tell that there were more rounds of drinking to come that night. Before she could get any tipsier than she was, with her best acting face on, she gasped loudly. “어떡하지!! 집열쇠를 사무실에 놓고 왔네요…” (Translation: “Oh no!! I left my house key at the office…”)
She paused and looked around. No one seemed to really pay attention to her, ironically, even though it was her welcome party. As she started to pack up, quietly said, “버스 패스도 놓고왔네… 아이쿠… 빨리 택시 잡아야되서…. 그럼 다들 다음주에 뵐게요!” (Translation: “Oof… I even left my bus pass… guess I gotta quickly hail a taxi… so I’ll see you all next week!”) In the last moment, a couple of hands maybe tried to grab her, but Sooyeon dodged them and wobbled out the door.
As she got into a taxi, she looked down into her purse and sighed. Well… I really did forget my bus pass at the office…. After directing the taxi driver to headquarters, Sooyeon sat back in her seat, rolled down the window and watched the street lamps blur into each other. The cool breeze soothed the alcohol sloshing around in her stomach, and soon she was lost in thought.
The work wasn’t all too hard and she wasn’t the only new-hire on the team, but it was definitely not an environment she was used to. She had heard the stories from her cousins and watched them in dramas, but she didn’t expect it to be so similar. Her experience at tech start-ups in the States played a stark contrast against her current position at the agency in Korea. Still, it wasn’t the worst like she was expecting, and… well, she was working strictly with the global business team and marketing team.
After that night, she never saw Monsta X again. Even though they shared the same building, chances were that Monsta X had lessons at a different building or their practice time coincided with her late hours in her cubicle. They never crossed paths even in the hallways, and frankly, that’s how she wanted it to be. She was forever grateful for her cousin’s friend who made sure she worked with a good number of women and the artists she was in charge of were all female.
In the back of her mind, she could hold onto the memory of Shownu gazing at her with obvious interest. It sent shivers down her back, and she wasn’t sure if it was because the air had gotten chilly, or if the memory scared her, or… if she….
Sooyeon snapped out of her daze instantly when she heard the taxi driver call out to her. “앗, 넵…” (Translation: “Oops, yup…”) She handed the cash to him and thanked him for the ride before climbing out of the car.
She somehow managed to sober up a bit more, but she was definitely still tipsy. Even though her mind was clear and her eyes had a straightforward path, Sooyeon could feel her feet flopping all over the place. Her mind was soon to be loopy if she didn’t find her bus pass soon and if she didn’t go home to crash in bed. Ah bed… bed sounds like a really nice idea right now….
As she swung open the door, her thoughts were filled with laying down on her soft bed and sleeping, so she didn’t see the person coming out of the same door.
“악--!” (Translation: “Ack--!”)
Sooyeon yelped, “앗-- 죄송합니다!” (Translation: “Oops-- I’m sorry!”) She wobbled around the person, but stopped when a hand pulled at her sleeve.
“어….. 저기… 괜찮아요?” (Translation: “Uh…… um… are you okay?”)
Suddenly, she was shaken out of her stupor and even though she was still very tipsy, she could recognize the voice. Her eyes shifted up from the hand on her sleeve to the face and she sighed. Son. Hyun. Woo. Sooyeon nodded and pulled her sleeve out of his grasp. “네, 괜찮아요.” (Translation: “Yes, I’m fine.”)
However, she rocked back and forth on her heels, like a toy swaying on springs, and Shownu couldn’t help but stare at her with worry. When she could see the blatant concern on his face, Sooyeon held out her palms. “진짜! 괜찮아요!” (Translation: “I’m! Really okay!”) Turning to the side, she squinted at the elevators and pointed in the direction. “그럼! 전 올라가서 버스패스 찾아야해서… 또 만나요!” (Translation: “Then! Since I need to go look for my bus pass upstairs… see you around!”)
Shownu was caught off guard by her friendly tone and the last few words. Maybe she was really drunk and she wasn’t aware of what she was saying, but her guard was definitely lower and she seemed way more approachable. He learned her name was Sooyeon through the other employees, but it was only then that they were really talking… even though she didn’t seem all that present in the moment.
As she walked towards the elevators, Shownu ran up to her side.
Sooyeon looked at him in confusion. “어디... 가는 길 아니었어요?” (Translation: “Weren’t you... going somewhere?”) Pointing at the elevators once more, she asked, “여긴...왜….?” (Translation: “Why… here….?”)
For a moment, he contemplated telling her he was worried. But for fear that she would recoil at his words, Shownu smiled and mumbled, “저도 뭘 놓고 왔어요.” (Translation: “I also left something behind.”)
“위에서요…?” (Translation: “Upstairs…?”) Sooyeon asked incredulously. The boys never had to go upstairs where all the offices were, but she simply shrugged it off. Her mind was buzzing from the alcohol and she just wanted to go home and crash into her bed.
There was an awkward air between them as they waited for the elevator to arrive, and tipsy Sooyeon couldn’t take the silence anymore. Looking at his blurry figure on the elevator door reflection, Sooyeon asked, “요즘엔 먹방 안 하시나봐요?” (Translation: “Are you not doing mukbang [eating broadcasts] these days?”)
She could see his eyes widen, as if he couldn’t believe she just spoke to him. In that moment, Sooyeon didn’t understand, but to Shownu it was like someone had just led him to a surprise birthday party. The fact that she spoke to him first and so casually stunned him, but her confused stare made him chuckle. How could she not know how different she was each time he met her?
“아, 네, 요즘 좀 바빠서 매주 못하고 있어요…” (Translation: “Ah, yes, I’ve been busy lately so I haven’t been able to do it every week…”) Shownu smiled widely as he rubbed the back of his neck shyly. It looked as though he was shy from the sudden interest coming from Sooyeon, and his reaction caught her off guard.
That’s cute. Wait. Shit. No. She shook her head to shake off the thoughts, but accidentally shook too hard. The alcohol in her system simmered and it felt like her head was rocked from side to side.
*Ding*
The elevator arrived right when Sooyeon got dizzy spells, and as she followed Shownu in, she tripped over absolutely nothing and nearly ran straight into the other side of the elevator.
“워!” (Translation: “Whoa!”)
Shownu instinctively grabbed her shoulders firmly and pulled her away before she could run her face into the wall. The force of his pull, however, caused her to wobble around the elevator. Feeling more tipsy, more dizzy and more drowsy, Sooyeon clutched his arm for leverage, and the doors closed just like that.
As the ride started to head to the third floor, Sooyeon squinted her eyes slightly to hold down the headache that was starting to form. Not realizing she was still holding onto Shownu’s arm, she continued to hold tightly with both of her hands. Her body weight was slightly leaning against his body, and Shownu stiffened up immediately.
He, on the other hand, didn’t know what to make of the situation. His heart beat faster and faster every second, and he could feel the heat flaring up from his back up to his neck and ears. He held his breath, hoping Sooyeon didn’t notice how nervous he was, but he had to constantly remind himself to exhale so it seemed more natural. But maybe it wasn’t all that natural like he hoped to be, because Sooyeon slowly turned to him.
His arms still around her shoulder and her hands still holding onto his other arm. Their faces inches apart. Their eyes staring at each other. For that moment, all was silent but both of their hearts were bursting. Both of their minds were racing, but both tried to stay calm in hopes of not being too obvious to the other.
For some reason, Sooyeon’s heart felt full. Something about the moment… huh? The minute she started delving deeper, she stopped herself. Looking down at her hands and looking back up at him, she could instantly feel herself becoming sober. What… was that?
“웁스… 죄송합니다…” (Translation: “Oops… sorry…”) She let go of his arm and shifted her eyes down. In the corner of her eyes, she could maybe see disappointment, but it may have been relief. Who knows. She could never tell what people were actually thinking, and Shownu was especially difficult since he never seemed to show as many different expressions as his other members did.
It was only when the doors finally opened that Sooyeon sobered up completely. She walked out and swiveled on her heels to face Shownu. There was an unreadable expression on his face, but she simply said, “같이 올라와줘서 고마워요. 그럼… 다음주에 만나요!” (Translation: “Thanks for coming up with me. Then… see you around next week!”)
With that, she half-pranced over to her desk and Shownu took a mental note of where she sat in the office space. As the doors closed on him, he looked down at the arm that was in her clutches. He placed his fingertips on the area that touched her directly, and he couldn’t help but smile when heat electrified him from his arm to his fingertips.
*** TBC ***
A/n: hiya i wrote this half sleepy so bear with me if it sucks (lol) also... i really don’t know what to do about the conflict... what i have planned seems kind of cliche/trivial? ugh -_- work is really ruining my creative juices (ㅠㅠ)
