As The Petals Fall

Beautiful Beginnings

Jasper awoke in the early hours of the morning, a mixture of excitement and anticipation rising up like the sun within him. He was determined to make a good impression on his first day, and to him, it required a morning routine of preparation.

After walking into the bathroom, he stood and stared into the vanity. *splash* a stark coldness ran over his face as the remnants of sleepiness washed away, leaving him frazzled but awake. He spent quite a bit of time doing his morning skin treatments while freshening up for the day.

The desperate need for coffee drew him back to the thrill of discovery as he made his way in search of the kitchen. Mr. Han had made sure the house was stocked with essentials, at least for the first month of living. Fortunately for Jasper, that included an espresso machine.

The aromatic scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air and danced across Jaspers nose, enchanting him. He picked up the cup and took a sip, sighing deeply as he felt the gentle kick of caffeine enter his system. A stirring of well needed energy began to pull back the curtains that clouded his mind.

He made his way back to the room to get dressed up for his first day. An oversized trench coat, some fitted slacks, and black doc martens were the outfit of choice today. He slung his guitar over his back, taking a piece of toast in his hand as he headed out the door.

Jae-Joon was waiting in the lobby for Jasper as he came out of the elevator. He wore a smile that immediately made him feel affable, and despite being many years older than Jasper, he had a youthful nature to him. "Good morning Ahjussi" Jasper said as he walked over.

"Ready for your first day?" Jae-Joon said, opening the lobby door.

"As ready as I'll ever be," said Jasper as he followed Jae-Joon to the car, waiting outside. Jasper hopped into the back seat and set his guitar case down.

The car pulled away from the sidewalk and headed for the Pledis Building. Jasper spent the majority of the car ride taking more mental pictures of the city-scape. The car pulled up outside the building as Jae-Joon looked over his shoulder at Jasper.

"Good luck on your first day," he said in a tone that was reminiscent of a father encouraging his son.

"Thank you, Ahjussi. I'm going to give it my best," Jasper said confidently as he stepped out of the car.

The lobby was quiet this early in the morning. Typically, the work day starts at 8 am, but Jasper wanted the extra time to familiarize himself with the building and prepare for his first whole day at Pledis.

He walked into the main creative office space and began setting up his desk. The space was clean with crisp white walls and plants sporadically placed along walnut floors. It felt fresh like a blank canvas waiting to be explored, even more so as the sun began to illuminate the space. He swung off his coat and placed it into the closet nearby, and closed the door, walking back to sit down at his desk.

At that moment, he heard the office door open, and glancing up, he noticed a tall guy walking into the room. He was dressed in a similar style to Jasper but looked to be a couple of years older. Jasper stood up as the guy walked over, smiling.

"You must be Jasper. My name is Nam-joon, I'm the director of international artist relations," He said, holding out his hand.

Jasper took his hand with a firm shake. "It's great to finally meet someone in the team. I'm looking forward to working alongside you."

They spoke for a while, and Jasper immediately felt a strong potential for friendship with Nam-joon. He was kind and funny, yet mature like an older brother. "Hyung," he thought, smiling to himself as their conversation continued.