LUDUS

sixteen

"hello my fellow workers."

absolute silence overtook the store as all employees slowly turned around to spot their worst nightmare. hyojong stepped out from an aisle with cookie crumbs on his lips and stared at the human being with a pout. the man was slim and fit, the suit he wore fitting him like a glove. his hair nicely gelled up. he seemed ultimately dangerous and it made it even worse that the store was actually closed and there was no way to get in unless you had a key. everyone's breath got stuck in their throat.

"hongseok!" hwitaek gulped, a crooked smile plastered on his face as he left the counter and held out his arms. the brothers hugged tightly, the scent of cologne and car invading hwitaek's nostrils as he felt his brother's muscles snugly hold him.

a small part of him was relieved to see his brother again because although the world says something else they were indeed brothers. they were nothing alike but hwitaek truly loved hongseok like his other half despite the man's intimidating personality.

"how are you?" hwitaek asked once they pulled away from each other.

"i'm not doing so great little bro." hongseok grimaced as to which hwitaek frowned. the taller took a deep breath and turned his attention to the other employees. "i've got an announcement to make."

simultaniously everybody else in the room held their breath.

"...i quit my job! i'm officially going to be working here from now on to focus on my meditation."

"what?" hwitaek's throat closed in on itself as his eyes started to water.

hongseok cooed at his brother, squishing hwitaek's cheeks. "no need to cry with happiness!"

"you can't just fucking do that!" hyojong scoffed.

wooseok's eyes widened. "hyojong—"

"no! i'm not going to listen to you." hyojong growled, walking out from behind the counter and getting close to the two. he yanked hwitaek away. "you can't just barge in here and make us employ you. hwitaek works hard here to have you coming in and doing whatever you want."

"hyojong stop." hwitaek weakly protested, his feelings so incredibly hurt that the fire hyojong emitted slowly sizzled his insides.

"but i'm also the boss here..." hongseok tilted his head with a pout. "what do you mean? i own this place."

"are you here every fucking day? cleaning and working? did you even know that i'm a new employee here?"

"hyojong's right." wooseok contributed, coughing a bit as the attention spiraled onto him. "we can't accept you as a boss when you don't even work here."

jinho nodded solemnly.

"is that really how you feel, hui?" hongseok looked at hwitaek with sad puppy eyes. the man's emotions were so much like a child's that as kids growing up people outside their family never took him seriously. now it was so much more different.

hwitaek swallowed harshly and blinked away his tears. "yes, i do."

hongseok sniffled and stood straight instantly. "well, i understand."

"hongseok—"

"but i really do need a job, i will work here as a regular employee if i need to."

hwitaek took in a shaky breath and mustered all the strength he could, hyojong noticed ans squeezed his boyfriend's arm in support. hwitaek knew what he had to say.

"then you have to resign as owner."

"what—"

jinho lifted his chin. "you resign as owner, and we'll let you work here."

"you guys are really going to drive me crazy." hongseok incredulously stared.

"resign or leave." hyojong now had his arms fully around hwitaek who held onto them like a lifeline.

"i'll think about it."