Blooming | Ateez Hongjoong

11 • Boundary

"Joong, your necktie."

Hyemi speaks up when her friend is about to twist the doorknob and leaves for work. Her point finger motions towards his necktie hanging around the collar of his shirt. Quickly, she steps forwards and reaches her hands out to help him fix it.

He doesn't even do it properly.

"Oh-" Hongjoong is rather taken aback as his upper body slightly leans backwards to extend the close gap between them.

He gulps, gazing elsewhere but her.

Peering at his face in a brief moment, Hyemi's eyes then trail back down as she continues the movement with his tie quietly. Her lips press together in concentration.

"Thanks," secretly breathing out in relief, he mutters awkwardly while pacing away from the spot "I'm going!"

As his figure disappears behind the closing door, Hyemi sighs in distress, a crease knits between her eyebrows.

"What exactly is going on?"

She does notice all of her friend's odd behaviors lately as well as the mounting distance laying between them.

The exhibition day is coming. It's positively reasonable for him to be in a rush this time round.

*°• ✧ *•°๑

Three days have passed since the day Hongjoong got wasted and sorted out his frustration resulting from being lovesick for so long. Since then, he determines to back off to get his feeling shutted down before Hyemi knows about either his unrequited love or his effort to not fall for her anymore.

Drifting back to the morning, he worries that his effort of moving on will evaporate in thin air if he lets her take care of him which explains why the stiff feeling radiated his system instead of giddiness like usual.

Acting like this in front of her is bad.

Whenever they converse, no matter how intentionally Hyemi attempts an eyecontact, he avoids at all cost, by turning to other direction purposely or distracting himself with other stuffs. It turns out their eyes never meet even they both are face to face.

That is on the outside while on the inside, even the most trivial things she does are capable of flipping his heart as a whole.

"Hongjoong!" A male voice calls.

The red headed is snapped out of his endlessly mindful stance, being flustered by his coworkers' questionable look on the table.

"Yes?" Hongjoong replies almost immediately, realising his food is still untouched. He has been deep in thought while the other team mates are dining on their lunch, chatting here and there.

"Seriously dude, still haven't been back to your sense even when we are off work?" the guy who sits across from Hongjoong rolls his eyes jokingly then feeds himself another spoon of rice, making the first guy laughs. They all know how passionate and serious Hongjoong is when it comes to work.

Casually shrugging to hide his pure embarrassment, the said boy moves the chopsticks in hand to pick a piece of grilled tuna as he starts filling his empty stomach.

Out of seven members of designer team, these two guys Hwangwoong and Keonhee get along with Hongjoong the most. They are same age may be one reason. The most important is just like Hyemi, they never make him feel judged.

Doubt in people's eyes set on him ever since he first stepped into the company being the Songs adopted son as well as the new member of the team a year ago, Hongjoong deeply awared of everything.

His hard work is inevitably paid off, given by the outcome that is his name presents as one of the main designers of the company's exhibition. The fruit of nonstop effort surely soars his pride higher. It proves that he is more than a lucky guy who only made it because of his foster father's title.

"Must be over the moon to be in the official line up huh, Kim?" Hwangwoong suddenly speaks and Keonhee nods in agreement. Both of them give Hongjoong teasing smiles.

"Extremely!" with no hesitation, the red headed cracks a wide smile before having a sip of his iced tea.

*°• ✧ *•°๑

"He is still working for sure."

Hyemi stares at her phone screen which displays her text delivered to Hongjoong half an hour ago. He hasn't seen it yet.

Glancing down at the parchment paper bag in her grasp, she ponders over what to do next. Calling is probably not a good idea either since he may be in the middle of meeting or do important stuff.

Today baking class dismissed earlier than usual and she came up with dropping by to hand him some pastries which happen to be his preference as well as her lesson today before going home afterwards.

To make an excuse, Hyemi is curious to know the boy's opinion. Actually, the big part of her visit is preventing him from skipping dinner. Hongjoong, whom she has been knowing for years, is the type who is eager to immerse completely in what he loves regardless of others' sayings.

"Excuse me."

Hyemi turns to her right, seeing the owner of the voice who appears to be so familiar.

"Mr. Hyun." widening eyes due to surprise at first, she then swiftly bows at the older man, not noticing an expression of fondness on his face.

The middle aged man in front of her is immensely intimidating, unlike every weekend when she saw him in Hongjoong's room.

It is because of the difference between vest suit and casual clothes, perhaps?

"Formality is no needed, ms. Hyemi." Hyun gives off a small smile. His raven moustache lifts up and down as he continues his words.

"Then, please call me Hyemi as well, Mr-" She sheepishly halts, realising her own mistake. "Hyun."

Hyun stifles his chuckle, reminiscing the similar scene that happened years ago. Instead of Hongjoong, it is now Hyemi.

"I guess you are here for Mr. Kim?"

"Yes. I want to meet him at the lobby and give this but he hasn't answered my message yet," the younger explains as her eyes dart towards the company entrance while raising the bag up for Hyun to see. "I wonder if he is still busy."

"How about we go up there to see him? Designer team just finished their meeting minutes ago actually," he kindly offers.

"You don't have to-"

"I forgot my stuff so it's fair, Hyemi."

"Thank you, Hyun." Her face lightens up as she follows the man's footsteps in a heartbeat.

She hopes that whatever has been staying between them these days will be resigned as soon as possible.

***********

Will they work on their problem soon?
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Nope ~