The Internship

Chapter One - Getting Familiar

The silent buzzing of a coffee machine was being heard in the background, this time not the one of your office. You looked at the slightly distracted face of the man in front of you, sitting in one of the many coffee shops located around your hometown. It was a small town just before Busan and you didn't know if it was the cheap but luxurious apartments that had Taekwoon reside there as well. Your reason for staying was because you've lived there for as long as you could remember, not wanting to leave just because you had an internship in Seoul, even though you were already independent and living on your own. What Taekwoon's was, you didn't want to think about more, keeping with your initial thought.  

It wasn't early nor late in the morning, just around 10. The only ones present were the worker behind the counter and one who was cleaning up some tables and chairs with a simple, moist dishrag, just about three other customers spread across the café occupying the seats. It was a good thing that the coffee was so good at this place and was the only positive thing about this meeting. You couldn't get this man in front of you to hold a conversation even if the whole world depended on it and it was starting to irritate you.  

"So... do you like sports?"  

"Not really." He began scribbling on a little piece of paper, making it clear that he was not interested in trying to put in the least bit of effort to engage in a conversation. Your eye twitched in irritation, trying your best to show a little bit of interest in him and he repays you by doodling while you were talking.  

"Music?" Your tone grew a little more demanding, making him clear that you were beginning to run out of patience. He, however, just shrugged, seemingly not noticing your irritation.  

"Hmm, it's okay."  

You sighed, tucking your bottom lip in between your teeth and wondering how you were supposed to pretend to be married to this man.  

You brought the now cooled down coffee up to your lips, taking a few big gulps and placing - or more like slamming - it down on the wooden table and startling him in the process.  

"Look buddy. I don't want this anymore them you do, but-." He widened his eyes, quickly shooting up and bending over the table, covering your mouth with his hand. You mirrored his expression, too startled to even move an inch.  

You noticed from the corner of your eye that he had slipped you that piece of paper and looked down at it, taking in the fact that he had not been drawing as you assumed he was, but instead he had scribbled down a message. It explained why he had been so wary and un-talkative.  

'I'm being watched by the guy on your right. We'll have to pretend to get along just to be safe.'  

You glanced from the corner of your eye towards the possible customers inside the café. One of them seemed to be talking on his phone, his coffee forgotten at the corner of his booth. He apparently was engaged in a heavy argument with one of his friends in which club they should hang out that day. He was casually dressed, oversized black t-shirt hanging over his big frame, 'complementing' his look with the pair of dirty looking tracking pants. He looked like he was around the age of eighteen and he was certainly not the most attractive guy you had seen in your life. He was on the heavier side, a snapback on that hid his hair but not his face, making it apparent that he wasn't trying to hide his identity.