#streetdancer

Chapter warning: vulgar language

Chapter two: I guess we could use a fresh face.

    “So, I didn’t realize that what you meant by you working here was that you owned the entire place.” Mingi huffed, exasperated, tossing his hands up.

     Yunho scoffed, setting his pen down. “And I didn’t know you were the client I’ve been waiting to see all week.” he replied dryly.

    Mingi was clearly distressed to some extent, running his fingertips through the loose strands of hair in front of his face. Yunho watched, part intrigued, part annoyed, part stressed out. 

  “Can you just sit down?” Yunho finally snapped, pressing his forehead to his palm in annoyance. Mingi paused but eventually slunk down into one of the chairs across from Yunho’s desk. The faux leather creaked beneath Mingi as he shifted.  

  “Nice chairs,” he mumbled. Yunho ignored him and spoke instead. 

  “Are you prepared? Any paperwork or anything ready?” Yunho asked, motioning to the crossbody Mingi had on. It was an odd shade of olive green, covered in random pins and patches. The dancer reached into the bag and pulled out a folder. It wasn’t too bulky, but it had some thought into it. 

  “I have… Basically resumes and stuff.” Mingi muttered, half to himself as he opened the folder and pulled out a paper. He slid it across the desk, his chunky rings catching the fluorescent lighting. The rings made his fingers look bigger, Yunho noticed. 

    Yunho raised a skeptical eyebrow, picking up the paper to examine it. He barely even skimmed it, but if he had tried to read it, he probably wouldn’t have been able to because the handwriting was barely legible. 

  With a sigh, Yunho set the sheet back down. “You do realize that Jeong Enterprises won’t take just anyone, right?” Mingi nodded. He could feel Yunho sizing him up with a judgy eye, feeling small and uncomfortable under his gaze.

   Yunho let out a soft chuckle, shifting in his seat. “This little… rugged shtick you’ve got going on right now isn’t what Jeong Enterprises needs.” 

  Mingi clenched his jaw, pressing his hands between his thighs to keep himself grounded. Yunho kept speaking. “I saw you out there this morning. You’re an extremely talented dancer, but we’re prestigious. The dancers we manage are elegant, not… this.” 

  Was that supposed to be offensive? Mingi scoffed at the clearly backhanded compliment. 

  “You know how to dance, you know how to plan, and your obviously photoshopped flyers work…” Yunho trailed off, pausing mid sentence. He leaned forward in his seat, sticking a hand out for Mingi’s folder. Mingi gave him a look and handed the folder over.  

 Yunho sifted through the papers slowly and thoroughly, eyes focused. Mingi was very prepared, which Yunho hadn’t expected. The dancer could practically hear the gears turning in Yunho's little CEO mind. Yunho gave another one of those chuckles, making Mingi feel almost annoyed.

     Maybe this was what Jeong Enterprises could use. Someone new, someone young. Yeah, Mingi’s attitude was as bad as his handwriting, but talent couldn’t be denied. Yunho swore silently under his breath, reading some of the papers. His company had been losing people recently. The older some of the dancers got, the older some of the models got… the more of them left. 

    Yunho didn’t want to risk the possibility of ruining his company’s image, but he was getting desperate.

    “Your portfolio is impressive. I’ll have to check out the one online to see how consistent you are.” Yunho began, putting everything back in the folder. Except for the resume. He picked up the phone on his desk. 

  “Mrs. Park, bring me a client contract form.” Yunho spoke. Mingi’s stomach did a stupid little flip. “Yes, a dancer's contract. Yes, that’ll be all, thank you.” 

   Mingi’s heart skipped a beat. He was really getting signed into the company of his dreams. He suppressed a grin, trying to remain professional. 

 When Mrs. Park, who Mingi recognized as the woman from the bottom floor who walked him up here, walked up with the papers, Mingi sat up impossibly straighter. Yunho took the papers and thanked her as she was dismissed.

    Yunho looked through the small stack to make sure everything was there. He paused in hesitation. Was he really going to do this? He passed a pen and the papers to Mingi. 

  “Sign any spot with a line that says client beneath it.” Yunho instructed, propping an ankle on his knee as he leaned back. Mingi nodded, reading everything on each page at least  twice before signing the lines on each one. This company seemed less likely to screw him over. A lot of the requirements of being a dancer here also meant modeling and being the face of certain products. You got those for free if you were willing to be part of the sponsorships, as well as a healthy amount of money for the effort of being there. Mingi didn’t mind the thought of that. He handed the papers back to Yunho.

    Yunho didn’t even read, just going through and signing everything. 

    “Why are you doing this for me?” Mingi blurted out, making Yunho pause and glance up, raising a perfect brow.

   “Are you having second thoughts?” Yunho asked. Mingi panicked.  

  “No, no, no, not that, you just seemed to not like me very much, especially not after this morning.” Mingi spoke quickly, eyes widening. Yunho scanned his face with another stupid chuckle, face remaining straight. 

    “I don’t like you very much,” Yunho said as he signed the last spot and handed Mingi the papers back, “but we could use a fresh face.” 

  Mingi swallowed, hands trembling as he took the papers.   They both stood. “Hand those to Mrs. Kim on your way out. She’ll take care of things.” Yunho stuck out a hand, Mingi taking it in his to shake it. Yunho’s fingers were slender, soft, and longer than Mingi’s larger, rough ones.

     “You start tomorrow morning, Mingi.” Yunho stated. Mingi nodded and thanked him, heading to leave.

     “But at least attempt to look presentable tomorrow.” Yunho insisted. Mingi paid no mind to the half insult. This was already a dream come true.

~~~ 

  Mingi barely slept that night but slammed an energy drink to wake up. In an attempt to look normal, he actually brushed through his longer brown hair and smoothed it back enough so only a few pieces were in his face. He paced all through his tiny shitty apartment, stepping over the mattress on the floor to snatch up his least baggy pair of sweats and an actual t-shirt instead of a hoodie. He didn’t lose the chains or the rings, but at least he looked decent in the mirror. 

  Yunho’s secretary told Mingi to be there by 8:15 because it gave Yunho enough time to be ready for the day. Good for him to at least know that rich CEO’s aren’t morning people either. 

     Sliding on his only pair of shoes, Mingi checked the time. 7:53 A.M. Gave him time to walk to work. His new job doing what he loved.

     Growing up, life was slow for Mingi. Money came slow, people came slow, necessities came slow. Everything took time and way too much of it. That’s why he wanted to work at Jeong Enterprises. A company built from scratch. From the ground up. From a man with the same life as him. 

 If that was why Yunho was a dick, Mingi could excuse it. 

 Mingi was anxious, itching for a cigarette, but he’d been 6 months nicotine free. He couldn’t lose that now. 

 It was 8:10 when Mingi walked into the building. The fluorescent lights made the sterile white walls even whiter. There were so many damn people that Mingi felt himself withdrawing. The people all wore suits and heels and extravagant makeup and everything Mingi wasn’t or couldn’t be. Mingi was very out of place and something in him urged him to leave.

   As he turned, a voice stopped him.

    “Where do you think you’re going?” When Mingi turned, Yunho stood a few paces away in an impeccable black suit. The suit pants accentuated his thighs. Yunho wore a pair of wireframe glasses today. 

  “Oh, um…” Mingi stumbled over his words, “I just, I forgot something, I just left my bag at home.” Dammit.

    “You mean the one you’re holding now?” Yunho deadpanned with crossed arms. 

 Mingi pursed his lips. “Yyyesss?” He gave a sheepish grin. Yunho seemed unamused. A sigh left Yunho’s throat, rubbing his nose bridge beneath the glasses. Mingi watched the way those slender fingers adjust the frames with precision he decided only Yunho could manage. Finally, Yunho beckoned Mingi over. 

  “Walk with me.” 

  The silence was fucking unbearable. Mingi followed Yunho up flights of stairs and assumed it was because Yunho was too rich for the quickness of an elevator.    Despite being a dancer, Mingi was left breathless as they approached large double doors on the 4th floor. 

 Yunho glanced at Mingi’s flushed and winded cheeks before speaking. “I hope you’re nice to others if you aren’t to me.”   What the shit could that mean? 

 Yunho pushed open the doors to what Mingi recognized as a dance practice room Febreeze and sweat. 

 “Meet your colleagues, Mingi. Play nice if you want to stay for your first performance. "

Non Rush Hour

#streetdancerproject Dance Of, By and For the People A J.S.Almonte Production

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