timeless hearts | woosan

𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕥 𝟛

𝐬𝐚𝐧, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲

san was driving to work when, out of nowhere, the sky darkened and rain started pouring down. traffic came to a standstill almost immediately. great way to start the day, san thought, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. the rain pounded against the windshield, and he turned the wipers up to full speed, though it didn't do much to help his visibility.

as he crawled forward in traffic, something caught his eye. a young man was running along the sidewalk, soaked from head to toe, using his jacket as an umbrella. the man's clothes were plastered to his skin, and with every step, he splashed through puddles. at one point, he almost lost his balance but quickly regained his footing, continuing his sprint through the rain.

san found himself staring, curious. why didn't he just wait it out? or bring an umbrella? his thoughts wandered as he watched the man struggle through the downpour. it wasn't until the sound of car horns behind him broke his focus that he realized the light had changed. he quickly accelerated, moving forward in the heavy traffic, a soft sigh escaping him. 

eventually, he pulled up to the office. he wasn't super late, but he knew mingi would probably have something to say about his timing, especially since today was the first day for the new manhwa artist.

he entered the office, greeting everyone with a simple nod as he usually did. the atmosphere felt normal, except for one new face. a young man sitting at one of the desks, trying to fix his wet hair. san stopped for a second, recognizing him instantly—it was the same guy he'd seen running in the rain. he must be the manhwa artist, san thought, a faint chuckle escaping him. looks like he made it, after all.

without saying anything, he walked past and headed straight into his office, closing the door behind him.

not even two minutes had passed before mingi stormed into san's office, clearly irritated.

"why are you late?" mingi asked, his tone carrying a hint of anger.

san, unfazed, leaned back in his chair. "why are you yelling at me?"

"i'm your boss, that's why," mingi shot back, arms crossed.

san smirked. "looks like all those centuries you've spent on earth are finally catching up to you. you're becoming less patient."

mingi rolled his eyes, his annoyance growing. "excuse me? and whose fault is that, mr. 'i want to remember my soulmate in every lifetime'? you know i can't ascend unless your wish comes true."

san shrugged, unbothered. "sucks for you. maybe if you'd found her sooner, you'd be up there with your buddies already."

mingi narrowed his eyes, trying to hold back his frustration. "you little..." he stopped himself just before he let a curse slip, clearly trying to maintain some level of professionalism.

san simply chuckled, amused. "relax. you're not getting rid of me that easily."

san asked mingi what his schedule looked like for the day. mingi shot him a glance and sighed. "you really need to hire a secretary, you know that? i'm not one."

"meeting the new manhwa artist should be your main task today," mingi continued, clearly still annoyed. san nodded, and with a wave of his hand, gestured for mingi to bring him over.

a few minutes later, there was a soft knock on the door. the young man from earlier stepped in, bowing politely. "hello, mr. choi, i'm jung wooyoung. it's an honor to work with you," he said, his voice steady but clearly laced with nerves.

san nodded and motioned for him to sit. he glanced at wooyoung—his clothes were still damp from the rain, and he was nervously shifting in his seat. kind of cute, san thought, amused by how flustered the younger man was.

"have you read my books?" san asked, his tone cool and straightforward.

wooyoung's face lit up immediately. "yes! both of them, multiple times! i love the way you build up the characters, and the way you write emotions—it's incredible!" wooyoung's excitement was obvious, and it contrasted sharply with san's calm, almost detached demeanor.

san watched him for a moment, struck by the difference between them. wooyoung was cheerful, expressive, and extroverted, the complete opposite of him. while wooyoung gushed about his love for the books, san raised a hand to stop him.

"we don't have time for small talk," san said, his voice cold. "we're here to work. let's focus on that."

wooyoung's smile faded slightly, but he quickly nodded, adjusting himself in his seat. "of course, mr. choi."

they spent the next hour going through a few chapters of the first book together. san pointed out which scenes he wanted to include in the manhwa and which details weren't necessary. he didn't want the adaptation to be too heavy with detail—keeping it concise was key. wooyoung nodded with every instruction, carefully taking notes and showing he understood his task.

"if you have any questions, consult miss sana," san said as he leaned back in his chair, glancing at wooyoung. "she'll guide you through the editorial process."

"understood, mr. choi," wooyoung replied, his tone still polite and eager. he quickly gathered his things and, after a brief bow, left san's office.

once the door clicked shut, san sat back and let out a quiet breath. maybe i was a little too harsh on him earlier. the young man was just excited, and it wasn't like he had done anything wrong. why do i care so much, anyway?

wooyoung was just another employee, someone he'd work with until the project was over. after that, mingi would probably involve him in other tasks, and their paths might not cross again for a while. there was no reason for san to get attached—or even care too much about the young artist.

but for some reason, the thought of keeping his distance felt harder than it should.

the workday had finally come to an end, and san was more than ready to head home and unwind. the office was empty, with everyone having already left. as he walked toward his car, something caught his attention—wooyoung was heading to a parked vehicle. san's gaze shifted to the driver's seat, where a woman sat. she looked too old to be his girlfriend but too young to be his mother. there was something about her that seemed strangely familiar, though the dim light made it hard for him to see her very clearly. they drove off before san could make out any more details.

shaking off the odd feeling, san made his way to his car. just as he was about to get in, his phone buzzed. it was a message from his best friend, jeong yunho.

yo. up for some drinks? 

san rolled his eyes, though a smile tugged at his lips. he shot back a thumbs-up emoji in response. guess it's time for a date with my emotional support golden retriever, he thought, amused at the idea of spending the night with yunho, who always had a way of lightening his mood.

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a/n: Hope you enjoyed reading the new chapter! Let me know your thoughts in the comments and how you think the story will develop I'm curious to hear your guys' thoughts :3

I decided I'll be publishing one chapter each day, and if this story gets enough interest, sometimes even two, so stay tuned :)