127 Records (Dropped)

Chapter 11: a romantic guy by nature

Mark Lee: Let's meet up tomorrow! I want to know all about Kun-hyung's date!😣
Kun-ge: You just want the signed CD I got you from TY
Mark Lee: Really, hyung? Are you serious? Like seriously?😍
Donghyuck: You're spoiling him
Mark Lee: 😒
Nana: Will you pick us up, Kun-hyung?😇
Kun-ge: Yeah, I will. Don't forget to bring your stuff to school, Chenle. You can't sleep over at Jisung's forever
Chenle: Wow, eomma finally remembered me after two days. That's why you shouldn't re-marry before your child becomes an adult🙄

"Is everything okay?" Jungwoo asked worriedly from across the table.
"Yeah, all is well," Lucas finally looked up from his phone and put it down on the table. "My friends are just asking to meet up tomorrow."

He took in his surroundings again. The Cantonese restaurant Jungwoo had chosen was simple but classy. The costumers all seemed to be from the upper class. It wasn't a restaurant a college student could afford. Lucas wondered how Jungwoo even knew of such places.

"And will you join them?" Jungwoo asked and took a sip from his water.
"Of course. I don't have anything else to do now that I've graduated school," Lucas laughed but felt a little embarrassed about his lack of activities.

"Nothing else?"
"Yeah but I should. I should find something. I just...don't know what yet," he admitted. He sighed dejectedly.

He has been thinking about his future plans for a while now but still hadn't come up with anything. He was sure he wanted to stay in Korea where his friends were. And now that there was Jungwoo, all the more reason to stay here. But he needed to make a living somehow. He couldn't rely on his parents' support forever.

"You don't need to find something immediately,"  Jungwoo smiled at Lucas. He reached across the table to move a strand of hair behind Lucas' ear comfortingly.

"Don't worry. I will definitely find something!" Lucas exclaimed and tried to reassure Jungwoo and himself as well.
"You can just try out different things. Just ask me, if there's anything you'd like to know. I can ask around for you or if you'd like I could take you around the company," Jungwoo smiled cutely.

"Company? I thought you're still in college, Jungwoo-hyung."
In the few days Lucas had come to know Jungwoo he found out that Jungwoo was only a year older than him but had gotten a scholarship and started college early.

"I am. But I'm working as well. I work at a friend's company. Thanks to him my position is pretty high as well."
"Oh, thank you for the offer then but I'm not sure. I'm not really good at studying and I don't think business is really for me," Lucas laughed nervously.

Jungwoo was so amazing. He got good grades, had a job already and was charming. In the ten days they have known each other Jungwoo has  always been the one to pick Lucas up with his foreign car, pick out the restaurant and pay for them. Even though Jungwoo was only a year older than him, Lucas felt so inferior to him, he felt like such a child.

"Don't worry. I study business management but it's not like I work for some finance corporation or something. I work at a record label."
"A record label?" Lucas repeated.

"Yeah, that's what I'd call it. Do you know 127 Records?"
In truth Jungwoo also had his business card with him but he had learned from experience that people his age always assumed he was bragging when he gave it to them.

He seriously wasn't but he didn't want Lucas to think of him as arrogant. He was aware that he was unusual. He had no student loans thanks to his scholarships and already made money. He was different from the image he appeared to be. People always told him.

Even at his college everybody was always surprised when he revealed his major to be business management. Even more when they found out he was a top student. He didn't want Lucas to think he was unusual.

Lucas was his age, nice and funny and they got along well. He was sure Lucas was also starting to like him. He just wanted to get to know him and start something up before telling him about his job and friends.

But Lucas was starting to catch on seeing Jungwoo's expensive clothes and car and frequently used credit cards.

"Wow, you work for that label? Have you met TY, the rapper? My friend Mark is a huge fan of him," Lucas exclaimed.

"Yeah, Taeyong-hyung is really nice! I've known him before..."
"Hyung?" Lucas asked at the mention of the close honorific.

"Yeah, I met him when he got together with Jaehyun-hyung. He then gave me the job at his company," Jungwoo explained.
"Jaehyun-hyung? Are they together?"

Jungwoo was close to slapping himself. He let things slip too easily.
"I mean when they got to know each other. When they first met. Jaehyun-hyung is a friend of Taeyong who introduced me. Anyway, you said you didn't like studying much? Then, which field interests you? Is there anything?"

"I'm really not sure. There isn't much I like to do besides sports. I was on the basketball team in middle and high school but I'm not really good enough to do it professionally. Otherwise I'd have been picked up by a team already."

The waiter came and brought their food. Lucas stared down at his bowl of braised beef stew. It reminded him of the high-class cooking shows by five star chefs his mom used to watch back in Hongkong.

"Does it not taste good?" Jungwoo worried.
Lucas looked up confused.

"You're not eating anything. Does it taste bad? You said that you miss your hometown last time so I looked for a Cantonese style restaurant. Was I wrong? You can order something else if you want," Jungwoo offered.

"N-no, not at all. It's really delicious!"  Lucas insisted although he actually hadn't even picked up his spoon. "I was just thinking about your question."

"Why did you decide to do business, Jungwoo-hyung?" Lucas then asked instead of answering.
"I'm not really sure. I was just trying different stuff and applying for scholarships like everyone else. One was for business and it was the first one, so I took it. After that others came in but I didn't want to change my choice after I had already accepted. So, I stuck with it and I kind of liked it as well. And my mom said she'd like it too."

"When I was younger my mom always used to say I would be an actor or a model in the future because I'm so tall and handsome,"  Lucas laughed loudly and some of the other costumers looked at them.

"You are tall and handsome," Jungwoo smiled innocently while Lucas blushed a little. He tried to cover his smile with one hand but it was no use as the smile spread to his eyes and Jungwoo grinned satisfied with Lucas' reaction to his words.

They enjoyed their food in silence before Jungwoo spoke up again, "Do you want to try it?"
Lucas' eyes widened confused, "What?"

"Modeling. I have a friend who's a model. Do you want to meet up with him or try out for a photoshooting or something? I can ask around."
"J-jungwoo, I can't ask that of you...," Lucas tried to decline.

This was too much. Taking him out and paying for every date was one thing. But getting him a job? A modeling job at that?

"Why not?" Jungwoo tilted his head confused. "I'd just ask a few people and send your picture. I'm just helping you. Don't worry about it."
"But I feel bad. You're already doing so much."

"Of course I would. I'm trying to get you to like me after all."
He smiled innocently.

"You're so cheesy!" Lucas exclaimed ruining the mood slightly.
"What do you mean? I'm just saying what I'm thinking," Jungwoo blinked with a blank face.

"I know. You're a romantic guy by nature," Lucas said more to himself and buried his face ins his hands to hide a huge grin.

"I'll take that as a compliment?" Jungwoo smiled confused.

I'm going to try to have the next chapter ready on the 27th. Since it'll be someone's birthday...