Kim Dokja thought it was a little hypocritical of him to say all that, but even he had his friends who would get him a cake every year. He just thought someone should do that for Yoo Joonghyuk.
They were friends, in a way, weren't they?
'When's your birthday, Dokja-ssi?'
Kim Dokja sent a reply to Yoo Joonghyuk's question. When he asked why, Yoo Joonghyuk said that he was going to keep a note of it and wish him when February came around.
In the evening, when Kim Dokja had just gotten home from work, having managed to escape working overtime by a hair's breadth, he got a text from Yoo Joonghyuk. The CEO one.
Kim Dokja had to read the message a couple of times to make sure that he was actually reading it right.
Yoo Joonghyuk had decided to throw a little birthday party for himself and he had invited Kim Dokja. Apparently, he only had two people to invite, his secretary and Kim Dokja.
Kim Dokja agreed to go out of pity. How did someone like that have only two people he could call for his birthday? Even Kim Dokja had a shit ton of friends.
He had to get a present now...What should he get as a gift? It was so last minute, he didn't have any time to think.
He had to dress better.
His best friend was having a party too, at his flat and all their friends were going. . .Was he too hasty? Should he not have said yes?
Kim Dokja took a deep breath and headed to his bedroom. If he managed his time properly, he could make it.
He would take a quick shower, change his clothes and head to his friend's flat. He'd stay there for the cake cutting, give him the gift, wish him, stay back for a little while and then he would go to the other Yoo Joonghyuk's place.
The problem was the gift. What should he get? A card?
Kim Dokja wracked his brains all the way to Yoo Joonghyuk's flat.
"You're late," Yoo Joonghyuk who had opened the door said, looking him up and down with a frown. "Did you go somewhere?"
"Nah," Kim Dokja walked into the house. "I'm going somewhere in a bit."
"Where?"
"To meet someone."
"A date?"
"No."
"A date?"
"Who?"
"Who's going on a date?"
The other guests jumped at him, curious and excited.
"Eh, Ahjussi?" Lee Jihye's face turned dark. "You're dressed up today. . .Ahjussi, what did we tell you?"
"I'm telling Heewon Unnie," little Mia chirped and ran into the house. Soon Jung Heewon was there, clenching her fists and cracking her knuckles.
"Kim Dokja," she siad dangerously. "What did we tell you?"
"It's not a date," Kim Dokja said quickly. "And what do you mean dressed up?"
"You are dressed up!" Lee Jihye huffed.
"I'm not," Kim Dokja argued. "I literally just took off my tie and the overcoat. It's the same old shirt I wear to work."
No one seemed to believe him.
To prove him wrong, Jung Heewon dragged him to where the others were already settled and everyone asked the same question.
"Dokja-ssi, are you going somewhere?"
"Are you going on a date?"
"Looking good, Dokja-ssi."
Kim Dokja didn't understand. He was wearing his usual white button-up, the same one he wore to his office.
He decided to ignore it and focus on the more important things. He still didn't know what to get as a gift. . .Kim Dokja trailed off. He had just seen the dumplings that Yoo Joonghyuk had made for dinner.
Huh. . .That was a good idea. He could drop by their get-together restaurant and get a plate of dumplings to go.
Of course, there's a chance that Yoo Joonghyuk wouldn't like it, but hey, it's the intention that matters. Besides, the dumplings from there were really delicious.
Kim Dokja stayed for the cake-cutting, and Yoo Joonghyuk was finally twenty-nine. Kim Dokja made sure to throw a couple of teasing comments about thirty catching up to the pro gamer soon.
He put his gift with the others and felt a little bad for the other Yoo Joonghyuk he was going to visit now.
Kim Dokja was planning on staying for longer, maybe have some dinner before leaving, but Yoo Joonghyuk and Lee Seolhwa were glued together at their hips making dewy eyes at each other.
Everyone noticed.
Jung Heewon was rolling her eyes as Han Sooyoung grumbled about them being disgusting. Lee Jihye was giggling and Kim Namwoon gagged into his cake when Yoo Joonghyuk gave his fiancée a quick kiss.
Time to leave, Kim Dokja decided.
He passed the cherry from his plate to Mia, split his cake slice into two using his fork and gave some to Jang Hayoung and the rest to Lee Jihye, both of whom looked confused, but pleased at the extra cake.
"You don't like the cake?" Han Sooyoung asked.
"No, it was nice," Kim Dokja said. He'd had just one bite and even though he didn't exactly taste it, he hadn't thrown up so he didn't think he could say it was bad.
"I have to get going," Kim Dokja said, getting to his feet. "It was nice seeing you all again. Ah, and happy birthday again, Joonghyuk-ah."
"Get going?" Jang Hayoung said as Yoo Joonghyuk narrowed his eyes at him.
Kim Dokja nodded, already heading out of the room.
"I told you," Kim Dokja said. He had barely made it out of the room when someone grabbed the back of his shirt and dragged him back inside.
"What?" Kim Dokja hissed at the culprit's face. Han Sooyoung sneered back.
"Go where?" Han Sooyoung huffed. "You're not going anywhere."
"I told him, I'd go," Kim Dokja yanked his shirt out of the woman's grasp and straightened it out. "I can't bail now."
"Just say you're sick or something, Ahjussi," said Lee Jihye.
"I can't."
"Why not? You make excuses all the time," Mia crossed her arms across her chest. Ah, she was still mad about Kim Dokja missing that weekend. It had been a while since that though. Couldn't she let it go already?
"I'm sorry, but I have to go," Kim Dokja said firmly.
"Throw water on his face, then he can't go," Kim Namwoon suggested to a pouting Mia and she brightened up slightly, going to grab a glass of water.
Kim Dokja really needed to leave now.
"Stay for dinner, Dokja-ssi," Lee Seolhwa said.
"We have a lot to catch up on, don't we?" said Yoo Sangah.
"What's so important anyway?" Jung Heewon snapped. "You're always busy these days? What's up, seriously?"
Kim Dokja held in the sigh that was welling up in his lungs.
"It's a birthday party, I can't not go," Kim Dokja said, a little exasperated. "I said I'd go. I still have to go pick up the present, then head over to his place. If I miss the train now, I'm so screwed and I am not going to take a taxi."
"A birthday party?" Jang Hayoung stared at him.
"Hey," Han Sooyoung said slowly. ". . .This is not that other Yoo Joonghyuk guy, is it?"
"It is, why d'you ask?" Kim Dokja said, confused. He looked down at the phone he was holding and checked the time.
"I really should hurry, you know?" he said. "Say whatever you have to say. Quick."
He did not like the looks his friends were exchanging.
"Dokja-ssi," Yoo Sangah started slowly, softly. "To be honest, we're all a little worried about you. You've been acting strange these days."
Was he?
"How so, Sangah-ssi?" he said.
"It's just," Yoo Sangah had to try hard to find the perfect words. "You're a bit distant these days. And you keep doing things you didn't before."
"You're not reading your web novels anymore," Han Sooyoung said. She sounded seriously upset.
"You're not writing anything," Kim Dokja said.
"That's not—How is that even related?" Han Sooyoung snapped, her cheeks turning a little pink.
"There's nothing good to read," Kim Dokja shrugged.
"But you'd still read it," Han Sooyoung argued. "You'd read the crappiest novels. As long as it is a story, you'd read it no matter how boring it is. I haven't seen you on the platform even once."
"I was just reading something else," Kim Dokja sighed.
"What was it?" Jung Heewon said.
Kim Dokja swallowed. "Just stuff. . .VR and all. I was curious."
Their looks changed.
He thought he understood what their issue was. They were worried he was hiding something from them. They were worried he was sick or something and he was trying to distance himself from them.
He just wanted a little break, that's all. He wasn't trying to leave them behind and vanish.
"I'm not sick," Kim Dokja sighed. "We can go to the hospital and check if you want. Nothing's wrong with me. I just really have to get to that guy's place and the trains are absolutely horrible at punctuality."
"Introduce us to this friend of yours," Han Sooyoung said.
"Yeah," Jung Heewon nodded. "Usually that's the first thing you'd do."
"It is a little strange, Dokja-ssi," Lee Seolhwa muttered.
"I'll—I'll ask him," Kim Dokja said, confuddled.
He did not want to do that at all. There was something comforting about Yoo Joonghyuk being unacquainted with the rest of his friends, something about him being just for Kim Dokja.
"I'll talk to him about it," Kim Dokja said more firmly. "I've already spoken a bit about you guys, so if he says he's cool with it, I'll introduce you."
Kim Namwoon gave an annoyed groan.
"Hey," he said, rudely. "Is this person even real?"
Kim Dokja's jaw dropped.
What?
What startled him more was how his friends seemed to consider Kim Namwoon's words seriously. He looked at Han Sooyoung for help, but she turned away. Even Yoo Joonghyuk thought Kim Namwoon was right.
"Like you sure your head's alright? Cause you're acting real weird, man," Kim Namwoon said, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, come on, you think it makes sense?"
"What?" Kim Dokja breathed. Lee Hyunsung was looking nervously between them and Jung Heewon had a hand on his knee, comforting him.
"Same name as Captain, same birthday, you're not making excuses, are you?"
"I'm not hallucinating," Kim Dokja cried indignantly. "He's a real person. Are you an idiot? What even brought about that conclusion?"
"I'm not saying you're hallucinating," Kim Namwoon scowled. "I'm saying you're a liar. If you're having some problem, you should talk to people, no?"
"He's an idiot, Ahjussi, don't listen to him," Lee Jihye said quickly. "But he does have a point. Ahjussi, if something's wrong—"
"Nothing's wrong," Kim Dokja snapped, cutting her off.
He pinched the bridge of his nose with a grimace, his other hand coming to rest on his hip.
"You—Are you serious?" he said exasperatedly. "I can't believe you! You think I'll lie about something like this?"
"You would," Han Sooyoung said without missing a beat and there was a lot of agreement with her comment.
"Okay!" Kim Dokja cried. "Okay, okay. I get it. . .You're worried, I understand. But seriously, nothing's wrong. It really is his birthday today and I said I'd go, so I'm going now—I have a train to catch."
Kim Dokja inhaled sharply.
"We'll—We'll talk about this later," he said. "Seriously, I don't understand what goes on in your heads."
Kim Dokja turned around and marched towards the front door as fast as he could.
"But it's Oppa's birthday," Mia called after him. "You can't leave halfway, Ahjussi."
"Yeah, Ahjussi, just say something came up," Lee Jihye nodded along.
"I'm not doing that," Kim Dokja said, putting his shoes on.
"Why not?" Mia whined. "I'll complain to Yoosung and Gilyoung."
"You do that."
"Oppa!" Mia ran to her brother. "Tell Ahjussi, talk to him."
A few people had left their seats on the sofa and had followed him, either to bid him goodbye or to convince him to stay. Kim Dokja knelt down and kept his eyes stubbornly on the shoelaces he was tying.
"Listen to Mia," Yoo Joonghyuk's voice said from a few feet away.
Nope, he was out of here. He wanted to get out and take a deep breath. It was suffocating inside.
"Kim Dokja," Yoo Joonghyuk said, annoyed at the lack of a reply from Kim Dokja.
"Stay."
"Am I a dog?" Kim Dokja huffed. "Stay? Is that all you have to say? Fix your speaking, seriously."
He got to his feet, smoothened out his shirt and unlocked the door, pulling it open.
"I'll get going now. Bye."
He was sure someone had tried saying something, but he'd closed the door before they could get the words out.
Kim Dokja hurried towards the elevator and decided to take the stairwell instead. Just as he had expected, he heard his friends looking for him. Running came easier while descending the stairs. It didn't look as concerning as it did on flat ground.
Dumplings, Kim Dokja told himself. He had to buy dumplings.
He put his phone on silent mode and that stopped the calls and texts he was getting blasted with.
Later. He would deal with it later.
He just needed to breathe for a little while.
Following the address he was given, Kim Dokja arrived at an apartment complex full of highrise buildings in the expensive part of the city.
He had to give the flat number at the gates and the security called the resident to ensure that it wasn't just some stranger walking in.
Kim Dokja got approved and was allowed in.
He shifted the bag of dumpings he was holding to his other hand as he got into the elevator. He lived on the thirty-fifth floor. Kim Dokja thought it would be a very long elevator ride, but the elevator was surprisingly quick and it made minimal noise. Even the music that issued through the speakers was light and quiet.
He got off on the thirty-fifth floor and looked around.
It was a long corridor with just one door. . .Three doors. Two had the green emergency exit signs overhead.
. . .Was this the only unit on the entire floor?
Right, right, CEO, rich, money. He forgot about that.
The dumplings he was carrying felt a little pathetic now.
Intention, Kim Dokja told himself. It was the intention that mattered. And it wasn't like he could get anything fancy anyway. Yoo Joonghyuk knew that too.
He rang the doorbell and waited. Aware of the little camera, Kim Dokja made sure not to fidget at all.
The door clicked open with a beep that resounded inside and he was met with Yoo Joonghyuk's face.
He was in a suit again. . .It was a more casual suit, he wasn't wearing a button-up, but he had a black T-shirt and over that, he had a black blazer on. Why would he wear that at home?
Kim Dokja smiled widely.
"Hello!" he said brightly. "Happy birthday, Joonghyuk-ssi."
"Yes, thank you," Yoo Joonghyuk nodded and stepped back to hold the door open and allowed Kim Dokja to walk in.
"You're early," Yoo Joonghyuk said as Kim Dokja looked around.
"You said it's an unspoken rule to arrive early for appointments," Kim Dokja said cheekily. Yoo Joonghyuk made sure to give him an exasperated look that had Kim Dokja smiling wider.
"You can take off your shoes if you don't mind," Yoo Joonghyuk said. "And wear these for the time being."
He gestured at a pair of fluffy white house slippers already set, waiting to be worn. Kim Dokja's eyes trailed to Yoo Joonghyuk's feet to see a very silly sight.
Yoo Joonghyuk, clad in a sleek yet casual suit, was wearing another set of fluffy white house slippers too.
Kim Dokja looked up at the man. Did he realise? Did he just not care? Why dress up like that then?
Yoo Joonghyuk met Kim Dokja's gaze. The pale, thin man had a little smile on his face, amused.
"What is it?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked.
"The slippers are cute," Kim Dokja said simply.
Yoo Joonghyuk nodded. Of course, they were. He had asked Uriel for suggestions and it was that woman's contribution. Yoo Joonghyuk usually walked around his house with another pair of house slippers.
He had only realised that they looked a bit too worn out that afternoon. He had been using them for years, after all. So he stuffed it away in his closet and asked Uriel to buy a new set.
He didn't want to appear disorganized and all higgledy-piggledy when Kim Dokja visited his place for the first time. He had cleaned his house like his life depended on it.
Kim Dokja was still looking at him with that pleasant gaze and Yoo Joonghyuk tried to figure out what was causing that reaction.
"I'll show you around," he said and stepped inside, Kim Dokja following him.
"My secretary should be here soon with the cake," Yoo Joonghyuk told Kim Dokja as he led him into the living room.
"I got dumplings," Kim Dokja said holding up the plastic bag in his hand. "I'm not sure if you'll like it, but you didn't seem to mind pork or chicken for dinner earlier. You don't have to eat it if you don't like it."
". . .I'll give it a taste," Yoo Joonghyuk extended his hand and Kim Dokja transferred the bag to him.
Yoo Joonghyuk took it to the kitchen, Kim Dokja still on his tail, looking around curiously.
It was a bit unnerving, having Kim Dokja in his house. The whole space suddenly seemed unfamiliar now that Kim Dokja was walking in it.
"Will you be staying for dinner?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked, placing the bag on the counter.
"If you want me to, Joonghyuk-ssi," said Kim Dokja.
"Please, stay, then," Yoo Joonghyuk pulled the plastic down to see a black, circular box with a transparent lid that was fogged up due to the steam inside. The box was still warm when he placed his hands around it and picked it up to reveal another similar box.
"You shouldn't put hot stuff in plastic," Yoo Joonghyuk said.
"Ah, I'm sorry!" Kim Dokja cried, anxious.
"No, just. . .It's not very healthy," Yoo Joonghyuk said awkwardly. "It's not good to eat like this often. Once or twice is fine."
"No, no, I totally get it," Kim Dokja said. "It's just that the place where I got these from don't usually do takeaways. But I'm a regular there so they made an exception for me."
"I see."
"Mmhmm," Kim Dokja nodded. "I've been going there since my college days. They really do have the best dumplings."
"It can't be the best," Yoo Joonghyuk said.
"No, it is," Kim Dokja said proudly. "I discovered it because I was running short on living expenses, it's a very small restaurant, you see, but it's a gem. I'd highly recommend it."
Yoo Joonghyuk was doubtful, but he didn't voice his opinion. Kim Dokja seemed to really like that place.
The plastic squeaked when he pried the lid off the box and steam rushed out immediately.
"This smell. . ."
He recognised it.
"Murim dumplings."
"You've had it before?" Kim Dokja said eagerly and Yoo Joonghyuk gave a nod.
Of course, he'd had Murim dumplings. He just didn't think Kim Dokja would bring that, exactly on his birthday. It had been years since he'd gotten the chance to have these.
He doubted they would be as delicious as the ones he had eaten before or as the ones he could make. . .He didn't get a lot of time to set aside to prepare dumplings anymore.
"And that's chicken broth," Kim Dokja said. "I like the combo, I thought I'd get it. Just in case."
"I like it too," Yoo Joonghyuk said, forgetting that he was trying to transfer the food into another, better container for storing and went to get a pair of chopsticks instead.
He grabbed a pair of steel chopsticks and a spoon, then remembered Kim Dokja's presence and picked up another pair.
"Go ahead," Yoo Joonghyuk said, handing the chopsticks and a spoon to Kim Dokja.
"You're having it now?" Kim Dokja said, taken aback.
"It's Murim dumplings," Yoo Joonghyuk deadpanned. "You have to eat it while it's hot."
"You can reheat it."
Yoo Joonghyuk glared at Kim Dokja for that stupid comment.
It wasn't as good as the ones he could make. Yoo Joonghyuk wasn't surprised. But it wasn't too bad either, that was a little surprising.
"If I'd known you'd like it so much, I'd have bought some more," Kim Dokja lamented.
"It's been years since I've had these," Yoo Joonghyuk told him.
"You really like them, huh?"
"It's my favourite."
"Mine too!"
Yoo Joonghyuk glanced at Kim Dokja. He didn't look like he was lying.
"My friend, Yoo Joonghyuk loves them too," Kim Dokja continued and Yoo Joonghyuk's mood dropped.
Of course, that idiot would be brought up. It was his birthday too, wasn't it?
"You didn't go for your friend's birthday?" Yoo Joonghyuk said dryly.
"I did," Kim Dokja said and Yoo Joonghyuk did his best not to scowl.
"I gave him my gift, saw him cut the cake and I came here."
"Did something happen?" Yoo Joonghyuk couldn't help but ask.
Kim Dokja gave him a tight smile.
"Just the usual," he said.
Yoo Joonghyuk didn't have a response to give to that, so he simply nodded and packed up the empty plastic containers to throw into the dustbin.
Kim Dokja washed their chopsticks and spoons in the sink. Yoo Joonghyuk told him it was unnecessary and that he could just leave them there, but the man insisted. He even wiped them dry and deposited them back into their designated rack.
Yoo Joonghyuk led him back to the living room, where they settled on the sofa, waiting for Uriel to arrive.
"How old are you this year, Joonghyuk-ssi?" Kim Dokja asked.
"Thirty-four."
"You are twenty-nine, correct?" Yoo Joonghyuk spoke when he saw the signs of the conversation hitting another dead end.
"Yes," Kim Dokja nodded. "I'll turn thirty next year...well, it's actually just six months, so half a year, give or take a few days."
Yoo Joonghyuk didn't understand why this was happening. They got along well, very well actually, when they were under the influence, but when they were sober, things became stiff and uncomfortable.
Uriel arrived and subsequently dissipated the awkward atmosphere that had fallen over them again.
Her entry wasn't exactly appreciated though.
"—A horrible boss!" she barged into the house, cursing him out. "Cake? Since when did you like cakes? Since when did you celebrate birthdays?"
Kim Dokja looked up at him.
"How long has it been since you've celebrated your birthday, Joonghyuk-ssi?" he asked.
Uriel paused at the foreign voice she was hearing. She looked away from the pink cardboard box from the bakery she was holding.
"I do not remember," Yoo Joonghyuk said honestly. "I would say it's been a while."
"Take off your shoes," Yoo Joonghyuk said when the clacking of Uriel's heels suddenly got muffled. The woman clicked her tongue lightly and kicked off her black heels before walking into the house, the box balanced in one hand.
Kim Dokja got to his feet immediately and bowed to her in greeting.
"Hello," he said politely. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Kim Dokja."
"Kim Dokja-ssi," Uriel said acknowledging him with a nod of her head. "I've heard a lot about you. It's nice to finally have a face to the name."
"Ah, is that so?" Kim Dokja chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "How strange. I was pretty sure you knew what I looked like. Since you've done a background check and all that."
Yoo Joonghyuk watched with a smirk as Uriel froze on her journey to the kitchen. He liked seeing his antagonising secretary being put in her place every now and then. He didn't know why she had a problem with everything he did.
She seemed to have a problem with everything everyone did, to be honest.
"Are my photos on the government documents that horrible?" Kim Dokja turned to him and Yoo Joonghyuk shrugged.
They heard Uriel place the cake rather forcefully on the kitchen counter and she stormed back into the living room, stopping right in front of Kim Dokja.
She stuck her hand out and Kim Dokja tentatively took it.
"I'm Uriel," she said. "Secretary."
"Nice to meet you," Kim Dokja shook her hand. "Uri—GAH!"
Kim Dokja gasped in pain when Uriel clenched her hand around Kim Dokja's crushing his fingers.
"Uriel!" Yoo Joonghyuk yelled, jumping to his feet.
"I was just checking," Uriel huffed letting go of Kim Dokja's hand.
"Checking what?" Yoo Joonghyuk snapped, hurrying towards Kim Dokja who was nursing his poor hand that Uriel had assaulted for no reason.
"If he's a hitman," Uriel said haughtily. "What? You might be a blind numbskull, but I'm not. All of N'gai and the Yoo family depend upon you. I can't have you killed because you were too busy wagging your tail for some pretty boy."
Yoo Joonghyuk opened his mouth angrily, but Kim Dokja stopped him by speaking first.
"I understand," he said simply. "It's a valid reason. A bit rough, but understandable. And what did you conclude, Uriel-ssi?"
Uriel glared at Kim Dokja and Kim Dokja held her gaze coolly.
"Too weak," she scoffed, finally. "I really could crush your fingers."
Kim Dokja laughed jovially.
"I'm sure anyone could," he said. "I don't exactly have the best dietary habits. But I'm good at healing, so it'll be fine."
Yoo Joonghyuk took Kim Dokja's hand into his gingerly.
"She didn't break anything, did she?" he asked.
"Nope," Kim Dokja shook her head.
Uriel was going to face the repercussions. Kim Dokja was his guest, how dare she!
"What the hell are you wearing?" Uriel was far from finished. Yoo Joonghyuk shot her a dirty look, ready to defend Kim Dokja when he saw that Uriel wasn't looking at Kim Dokja, but at him.
"Did you force him to do it?" Uriel turned to Kim Dokja.
"Not at all," Kim Dokja shook his head. "Joonghyuk-ssi was already like this when I arrived."
"Like what?" Yoo Joonghyuk said, a little offended.
"Why would—You know what, to each their own," Uriel sighed, sounding truly disappointed. "Look at the state of you! You've finally lost it."
Yoo Joonghyuk looked down at himself. What was wrong with what he was wearing? He had picked one of his suits that didn't come off as too smart and looked casual for the day.
Then the white slippers on his feet caught his eye. . .Fuck. He forgot about those not going with the rest of the outfit.
No matter, no matter. He could play it off like he had done it on purpose. He fixed his face into an unbothered look and pretended he couldn't see what was wrong with his fit.
Uriel stared back at him, unimpressed and Kim Dokja gave a little snort beside him, his shoulders shaking with the laughter he was trying to suppress.
Yoo Joonghyuk felt his ears burn.
"I am going to quit," Uriel deadpanned.
Maybe wearing a suit was a bad idea. But he couldn't just wear his pyjamas when guests were coming over! How ridiculous was that?
Kim Dokja offered help, Uriel threatened to stab him and Yoo Joonghyuk pulled him away to safety before it actually happened.
They let Uriel set up the table and Yoo Joonghyuk showed Kim Dokja the rest of the house.
He debated whether he should show him his bedroom or not, then decided not to do that because it might come off as creepy.
Yoo Joonghyuk was interested in Kim Dokja. He had been from the first time they met, but it wasn't an urge he just had to act upon. He was perfectly fine putting it aside.
He would like it if Kim Dokja stayed around him for a long time. He valued their current relationship just as much as the other man, or so he liked to believe. Yoo Joonghyuk was glad he hadn't slept with Kim Dokja that evening. Letting the man go after a one-night stand would have been such a loss.
He showed Kim Dokja his workroom instead.
He noticed how Kim Dokja's eyes had fallen on the large bookshelf in his room first. Kim Dokja did say he wanted a book and he had also said that he was a reader.
"Do you like books?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked, just to be sure.
"I like stories," Kim Dokja answered.
Yoo Joonghyuk did not have any storybooks or novels. He made a mental note to get some added to his bookshelf later.
They continued their tour. Kim Dokja seemed to like the view from the penthouse balcony. Yoo Joonghyuk rarely ever got the chance to admire it, but he stood next to Kim Dokja and watched trying his hardest to keep his eyes on the view and not slide back to stare at Kim Dokja.
Cake cutting was an awkward affair.
"No candles?"
"It's a fire hazard," Uriel said.
"It's not," said Kim Dokja. "Even a single candle would do. Don't bakeries usually give a knife and candles with the cake?"
Uriel huffed and left her seat. She returned with the candles as Kim Dokja had mentioned, sticking a singular one onto the middle of the small cake, decorated heavily, but having no words or wishes on it.
"Do we sing?" Kim Dokja asked when the candle was lit and a flimsy plastic knife was given to Yoo Joonghyuk. Uriel scoffed loudly, then turned away.
Kim Dokja sang anyway, clapping along to the birthday song.
Yoo Joonghyuk saw the way his cheeks were a pale pink and he felt a little bad for the man. He didn't have to go so far. He appreciated it nonetheless.
Yoo Joonghyuk didn't get to sit at his dining table and eat often. He thought the table was a bit too large for just the three of them.
He asked Kim Dokja to leave the seat next to Uriel and sit next to him instead. Kim Dokja was only glad to do as told.
They ate their cake slices in silence and only started talking when dinner was brought out.
"You cooked these?!" Kim Dokja cried, eyes wide and glittering.
Yoo Joonghyuk nodded.
"Is cooking skills actually a part of the Yoo genetics?" Kim Dokja said and Yoo Joonghyuk's pride and happiness fell a little.
"It's a result of practice," he said icily, but Kim Dokja was too busy relishing the food to be bothered by his frosty tone.
"This tastes incredible," Kim Dokja said.
Food seemed to help lower Kim Dokja's guard much easier than alcohol had done. If he'd known he would have fed the man from the start instead.
"Can I bribe you with food to work for me?" Yoo Joonghyuk said.
Kim Dokja stopped chewing and looked up at him. He shook his head and went back to eating.
"You said you weren't going to bring it up," Kim Dokja muttered.
"I did," Yoo Joonghyuk sighed. "But it's a shame to let it be. Even Uriel thinks it is an ingenuous idea."
Kim Dokja glanced at Uriel who had an expressionless face as she ate her food.
"It's not," Kim Dokja said. "And it won't work."
"What makes you say that?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked.
"With the way the society is built right now," Kim Dokja said. "Until something big happens and that topples everything over, it won't work. Not on a big scale."
He wasn't exactly wrong.
"That is part of the task," Yoo Joonghyuk told him. "To make it work."
Kim Dokja gave a soft, absent-minded hum, and said nothing more about it.
There wasn't a lot to do after dinner and without the karaoke blasting in the background or alcohol to ease the conversation, they dropped trying and just sat in the silence.
At first, it was a little bothersome but then Yoo Joongyhyuk found he didn't mind the silence as much as he originally thought.
"My friends don't think you exist," Kim Dokja said suddenly.
"Why?"
Kim Dokja shrugged.
"They seem to think I'm hallucinating or lying somehow," Kim Dokja sighed. "And they've asked me to introduce you to them. . .The kids want to have a barbeque at the Han River, so if you want to, please come along."
"I'll think about it," Yoo Joonghyuk said.
"No, you won't," Uriel yelled from the balcony she was standing on. "You have work, you're going nowhere."
Yoo Joonghyuk gave Kim Dokja a look and Kim Dokja smiled sympathetically at him.
He was glad that Uriel could read signs and come to his aid when he needed it. Yoo Joonghyuk wasn't looking forward to meeting Kim Dokja's friends. He didn't care about them and he didn't want to be caring about them either.
Besides, he felt that the second he got close to Kim Dokja's friends, he would get farther away from Kim Dokja. There was a certain persona that Kim Dokja maintained around his friends, it was not the same when he was with Yoo Joonghyuk.
He could tell. And he preferred the Kim Dokja he knew to the one his other friends did.
Kim Dokja left at eight-thirty. Yoo Joonghyuk offered to call him a taxi, but Kim Dokja refused it politely and wishing him well on his birthday again, the man left.
"Thoughts?" Yoo Joonghyuk asked Uriel once it was just the two of them in the penthouse.
"I don't see anything special about him," Uriel said. Yoo Joonghyuk stared at her pointedly.
Yoo Joonghyuk had first made the job offer to Kim Dokja under the influence. Kim Dokja was right, he had been drunk and it took him nearly a day to recollect what had happened and piece together something.
"You can't have an eye that sees through everything," Uriel rolled her eyes. "It's just gossip and shitty rumours people like to spread."
That wasn't what he was trying to say.
Even if he was drunk, he wouldn't have misjudged someone's potential that badly. Not to mention, he didn't think he had been completely out of it when he said that. He only got wasted after that, if his memory served him right.
"I guess he could be useful," Uriel sighed. "He's not as dumb as acts. . .Well, anyway, I found his CV floating around."
"We got an application?" Yoo Joonghyuk said, surprised.
"No," Uriel scoffed. "We don't have any postings to be filled. I was just keeping an eye out for that guy because you're interested."
"And," she said, dragging her words. "Even if we did, I don't think he'll apply."
Yoo Joonghyuk didn't think Kim Dokja would either. Kim Dokja's reasoning was something he couldn't comprehend sometimes.