* 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝑑𝑎𝑦 .

          he’s practically holding his  breath as he stands before his boss, mind wandering to different possible reasons as to why he’s been called.  still, a part of him only assumes the worst outcome.  but, the moment he realizes that he’s safe from being out of a job, he lets out a sigh of relief.  ❛❛  really ?  ❜❜  taewon’s eyes practically light up at the small praise.  out of all the jobs he’s worked in his life, this was a first.  and it was nice.  ❛❛  it’s really no big deal, though !  i love working here, so... thank you for taking a chance on me.  ❜❜  at this point, he’s desperately trying not to stumble across his words and make a fool at out of himself.  he kept his ears open though, pouring his undivided attention as the director continued his train of thought.  the more he spoke, the excitement within the assistant grew.  sure, it wasn’t obvious due to his desperate attempt to be collected, but he was thrilled nonetheless.  a mini field trip.  ❛❛  a-are you sure you want me to come along ?  ❜❜  he practically blurted out in shock.  quickly regretting everything he’s said prior, he pauses for a moment to start over.  ❛❛  i mean  —   i’d be honored to tag along, sir.  i’ll be ready in less that an hour if you really want me to be.  ❜❜  a hand is raised up as a way to mark his words, now grinning from ear to ear.  ❛❛  have you eaten, by the way ?  i was about to head out, so i can pick something up for you on the way if you want.  ❜❜

          there’s an immediate feeling  of guilt that waves over him based on her reaction alone. hiding it with a crooked smile, his lips let out soft laughter, still cautious of his surroundings.  ❛❛  do you think this looks more suspicious ?  talking to each other like this ?  ❜❜  taewon asks once the gap between them shortens.  his eyes continue to shift directions from time to time just in case.  at her words, his eyes slightly widen.  ❛❛  no, it’s nothing like that !  think of it as... a celebratory meal for our success.  besides, i wouldn’t exactly be taken advantage of if i wanted to have lunch with you anyway.  ❜❜  he shrugs his shoulders.  ❛❛  i would’ve used this as a way to spend time with you too, but i guess we’ll never know.  ❜❜  finally standing up straight, he adjusts the straps of his camera bag before walking over to help with the mess that he’s caused.  hand offered out for the rest of the papers in her grip, he raises an eyebrow.  ❛❛  what do you have against beetles ?  they’re adorable,  ❜❜  his lips thin out to suppress his laugh.  ❛❛  you don’t have to tell him yourself byul, i don’t want you guys to have tension because of my hamster.  the guilt would literally eat me alive.  we just have to figure out a way to... convince him.  or hide it from him, but i feel like the latter would be harder.  ❜❜  at her proposition, he playfully scoffs to hide his grin.  he stops everything he was doing to fully face her though, hand out for her to shake.  ❛❛  ...deal.  but if you happen to see a box of pastries at your desk, it wasn’t from me.  but welcome to the team, partner.  what’s our game plan ?  ❜❜

          there’s an uneasy smile  that graces his lips upon showcasing the new articles of clothing he had on, ones he recently purchased thanks to her help.  while they were pieces out of his comfort zone, he trusts her judgement enough to make that leap of faith.  in fact, he was excited to expand his horizons.  ❛❛  so...  what do you think ?  too much ?  ❜❜  taewon asks softly as heat begins to place in his cheeks, feeling shy out of nowhere.  hands still tucked into his pockets, he decides to do a small spin, only to laugh at his own actions out of embarrassment.  yep, never again.  ❛❛  feel free to lie if you think what you’re about to say next is going to hurt my feelings.  don’t get me wrong, i love it !  but... do you really think i could pull this off ?  i feel like something might not look right just because i’m the one who’s wearing it.  ❜❜ 

          eyes scanning each product,  he takes a moment to make clear decisions regarding what kind of groceries he needed to bring home for the week.  lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed, taewon finally settles on a jar of tomato sauce sitting on the aisle’s top shelf.  ❛❛  excuse me, ma’am,  ❜❜  he turns to the other nearby only to bend to become a whole head shorter, already having a hard time trying to go with the bit.  in fact, he was on the brink of laughter.  softly nudging her with an elbow to really get her attention, his eyes point towards the item again.  ❛❛  can you help me get that jar off of the top shelf ?  i’m too short and i can’t  —  ❜❜  strike one.  a soft chuckle manages to sneak its way out his lips upon trying to reach up with his knees still bent.  luckily he’s able to mask it by turning away.  ❛❛  reach it.  can you do it for me ?  please ?  ❜❜

          at first, he didn’t think  he was overdoing the whole teaching thing.  but after taking a moment to stare at all of the post-it notes he’s handwritten (accompanied by hand drawn pictures) in front of them, maybe it was too much.  ❛❛  that’s supposed to be a cow...  sorry it looks weird,  ❜❜  he lets out a string of awkward laughter, pen tapping at the makeshift flashcard.  at the end of the day, all he wanted to do was not mess up and be terrible at what he’s doing.  and as someone who grew up around the language, it would be pretty embarrassing to fail at it.  ❛❛  what kind of movies do you like, by the way ?  i was thinking we could watch a few without the subtitles from time to time to kinda refresh your memory.  it’s either that or learn nursery rhymes, but, i don’t think you’d be a fan of singing the itsy bitsy spider with me over and over.  ❜❜

         lips letting out a soft   sigh, he takes one last deep breath to savor the moment.  since his arrival on the twin islands, one of the many things that’s remained constant was his visits to the roost.  there was something about the ambiance that makes the experience so... warm and comforting.  ❛❛  what is this ?  it’s good,  ❜❜  he asks the other, who, also happened to be the owner he befriended.  taking another sip of his drink, his eyes go back to flipping through the photographs he’s taken on his camera.  ❛❛  you know, i really think you’d get more business around here if you start advertising your drinks with your face next to it.  ❜❜  laughter begins to erupt before he could even finish the sentence.  ❛❛  seriously, think about it !  maybe people seeing you hold the coffee will make them want some too.  your impact would be powerful.  ❜❜

        truth be told, he didn’t  mean to sneak up on her the way that he did, but... it happened anyway.  ❛❛  hey,  ❜❜  taewon greets quietly from behind, hoping she wouldn’t have a reaction that’ll draw attention.  hands tucked into his jeans’ pockets, his heels rock back and forth, grinning from ear to ear.  ❛❛  quick question. do you... think your brother would get mad if i brought a friend to work today ?  ❜❜  the tone of his voice continues to stay hushed as if ears were at every corner.  the front pocket of his button-down shirt begins to rustle and his breath hitches, quickly using a hand to mask the tiny hamster’s head poking out.  ❛❛  i mean, i could bribe him with something from the bakery too, but... i also don’t want to get fired.  ❜❜  cue the nervous laughter.   ❛❛  so uh... will you help me out ?  if you can get him to say yes, lunch is on me.  ❜❜

         there’s so much excitement  in his eyes that he’s practically beaming.  for someone who’s easily entertained, the thought of just working on it gets the adrenaline going.  truth be told, he feels like a child on christmas morning.  ❛❛  so,  ❜❜  taewon begins with a smile, placing the paper bag full of random knick-knacks he’s picked up along the way.  at this point, he doesn’t even know where to begin.   ❛❛  remember when... potato clocks were a thing ?  you know, those clocks that were literally powered by potatoes ?  well...  ❜❜   hands rummaging through the bag, he finally reveals the vegetables in his grip.   ❛❛  hope you have all the time in the world today, saho.  i bought five different vegetables to test out and see which one makes the superior clock.  ❜❜  maybe a heads up would’ve been good, but, there was no turning back now. 

          eyes peering over the  glass display, he carefully analyzes each baked treat displayed.  typically he’s never one to be picky with what to get, but, he needed something that’ll really wow the elderly couple he’s befriended at the museum.  so now, he’s in a dilemma.  eyebrows furrowing in full focus, he runs through the selections in his head for the fifth time now  —  which, would’ve been considered too much for anyone.  ❛❛  should i just get one of everything ?  or is that too much ?  ❜❜  he asks the person nearby, hoping to get some kind of input that’ll help him not keep the line up.   ❛❛  because what if i get them something, and they end up being allergic to it ?  i should’ve asked now that i think about it...  i’m an idiot.  ❜❜  chewing on the inner part of his lip, he sighs in defeat.  ❛❛  what do you think they’d like ?  i’ll literally buy anything at this point.  ❜❜