Office Antics

IV

"I'm a manly man. I'm a manly man. I am overflowing with testosterone. Estrogen cannot be found in me at all." Even though he knows the estrogen part is biologically incorrect, Jackson continues repeating it like a spell. "I am a manly man. I am a manly, manly, man and no hot redhead's remarks will make me think otherwise-"

"Hot redhead? Do you mean me?" The devil next door swivels out and delivers Jackson a killer smirk. Jackson grips a bit tighter at the base of his chair.

He pffts. Not sure what word you use to pfft. But he pffts condenscendingly and tries to look as manly as possible. "Excuse me?" He says fabulously before wheeling back to work as quickly as possible.

Totally because he strives to be the best at his work and not because he needs to hide the testosterone-opposing blush that is forming on his cheeks.

-

"And you'll have to do this, and this, and this, and this, and then that, and here- wait no here. And this and here and finally you'll send it all to them." The lanky man, whose nametag reads Kang Seungyoon has his hands on his hips and a rather twitchy look in him, but he still manages to look judgemental of everything that Jackson is doing. This is ridiculous. Jackson meekly taps on one key, all notions of being an alpha male gone.

Kang Seungyoon sighs exaggeratedly, leaning back into the divider of Jackson and the redhead's cubicles. "Jackson, are you sure you know how to do this?" He has a small smirk playing on his face and Jackson internally rolls his eyes.

He probably just wants to see Jackson panic and flail. Well. Yes, Jackson is going to panic and flail, but not in front of Seungyoon. Pfft. He has his dignity okay. Jackson gives a cursory nod and tries to turn back to his work, but Seungyoon grasps his chair and twirls it back.

Another smirk travels up the boss' face and Jackson tries not to use his martial arts training to whoop his ass. "Su-ure, let me know if you need anything," He leans against the divider again and thank God because this is the moment when the divider collapses and Seungyoon crashes into the redhead's cubicle.

-

"OH MY GOD! GET OUT YOU SMELLY MAN!" The redhead trills when she fully registers her boss lying on her desk awkwardly, coffee spilt on his suit.

She obviously decides to take matters into her own hands because the next thing Jackson knows, she's shoved Seungyoon off her desk and the man lands on the ground with an 'oof'. "You...agh!" She throws up her hands in annoyance, and Jackson represses a grin. She's even hotter when she's angry- wait, shush, hormones. Shush.

Other employees are peeking over the dividers and sneering when they see Seungyoon sprawled on the ground, and quickly dart back in like startled fish when he rights himself.

Seungyoon coughs as if nothing happened. "If you'll excuse me." The next thing he dos is extremely ungraceful and he ends up tripping on boxes when he tries to speedily exit the department, splayed out on a bunch of files.

A woman across from Jackson takes pity on their idiot boss and helps him up. However, what's more important and eye-grabbing to Jackson now is that the redhead is irritably clearing away the divider.

"Um. Do you need help?" Jackson's voice cracks at the first word and he facepalms. He can see the redhead smiling a bit but maybe he's just hallucinating because when he next looks she looks 100% unamused.

With a curt 'no', she swings the broken divider onto the floor and Jackson falls a little bit more in love.

-

The divider incident may or may not have wiped all memory of what Seungyoon instructed, because Jackson is left staring dumbly at the screen and muttering silent cries of help. He side eyes the redhead a few times too, wondering if he can gather the courage to ask her for help. She's become very distracting since the divider was destroyed, and Jackson has been finding himself trying to casually stare at her without getting caught.

Eventually he realizes it's not a matter of whether he wants to ask or not, it's a matter whether he treasures life or not. He nervously taps the redhead's side of the table. (Overflowing with testosterone, too manly to ask for help from anyone? Pfft. Jackson is a weakling.)

"C-can you help me out?" Jackson turns his laptop towards her and gives her a helpless look one of his friends coined 'the Wang-puppy look'. Puppies are cute. Jackson is cute. So hopefully it blows the redhead away with the cuteness and she'll help him and go out with him-

HORMONES SHUSH.

The redhead actually smiles. "Okay, so this first, and then this..."

-

Jackson wipes sweat away from his brow as he thanks the redhead profusely, bowing at the waist even though he's seated and the chair squeaks dangerously. "Thankyousomuchohmygodwillyougooutwithmepleasecanibuyyouadrink?"

After hearing the words exit his mouth, Jackson facedesks. Really smooth, Wang. Really really smooth.

The woman laughs, and oh god she's beautiful. She isn't beautiful in the feminine Disney princess way but she's just...beautiful. There's something about her that enthralls Jackson. "Oh gosh, you're too cute," She giggles quietly, and Jackson is trying not to punch the air in victory and blush at the same time because did she just call him cute oh my gosh is this a dream? "I don't even know your name," she laughs.

He stammers, "J-Jackson Wang," and sticks out a shaking hand. She takes it firmly, giving it a hopeful squeeze, the corner of her mouth tilted in mirth.

"Youngji. Heo Youngji," and Jackson is hopelessly in love.