Chapter Text
In the middle of destroying his spine for a computer screen, Doyoung was interrupted by a voice piping up in an otherwise quiet working environment.
“Doyoung, can I see you in my office in five?” Moon Taeil, his boss, poked his head over the cubicle wall. Instinctively, Doyoung reached for his tie to straighten it.
“Of course,” he agreed firmly.
“Great.” Taeil flashed a smile and he was gone.
With five minutes on the clock, Doyoung finished the articulate sentence he penned earlier, smoothed over his jet-black hair from where it frizzed in the dry office air and made sure every item on his desk returned to its rightful place. Satisfied, he locked the computer and stood up to stretch.
Should he get a coffee for Taeil? Doyoung poked his tongue against the inside of his cheek. No, that kind of ass-kissing was too obvious. Empty-handed, Doyoung strutted to Taeil’s office and knocked on the door.
“Come in!”
The door creaked when Doyoung let himself in. To his surprise, there was another employee sitting across from Taeil’s glass desk.
“You’ve probably met each other before,” the editor-in-chief pointed out, rising to his feet. “Doyoung, this is Johnny. Johnny, this is Doyoung.”
Doyoung quickly shot his hand out to greet his fellow employee, but when Johnny stood up to shake it, he became a towering figure emitting strong alpha pheromones. Couldn’t he reel it in a little? Doyoung resisted the urge to scrunch his nose when their hands touched. His neck was free of a tie and the top buttons of his dress shirt were unbuttoned. Sleazy!
“Johnny Suh, creative director. Please call me Johnny.” He flashed a smile. His half-lidded eyes and quirked mouth had a lazy charm about them, and if Doyoung knew anything about alphas, it was true to their character.
“Kim Doyoung, copy editor. Please call me Mr. Kim.”
Johnny quirked his eyebrow. It moved the stray chestnut lock over his left eye. Doyoung paid his inquiry no mind and took the empty seat. The most important rule of handling alphas was to keep them at a distance before their pea brains could even think about crossing boundaries.
“Please, sit down.” Taeil gestured to Johnny’s seat with a smile. He wasn’t one for office politics. Maybe it was his prerogative as a beta. “By the way, thanks for the coffee.”
Doyoung’s lips pressed into a thin line as Taeil sipped from a World’s Best Editor-in-Chief mug. Johnny waved the compliment away happily. What a kiss-ass.
Taeil retrieved a folder from the messy stack of paperwork on the side of his desk and slid it forward. “You are both extremely hard-working employees. Your dedication to NeoZine has not gone unnoticed by me or corporate. Being a tech culture magazine is not easy in this digital age, but we’ve been able to withstand the adjustment to online content due to our talented employees.”
Doyoung smiled to the floor in humility.
“Ah, thanks boss.” Johnny spearheaded a wide grin that made Taeil chuckle. Doyoung wanted to roll his eyes. Typical alpha behavior, always gloating whenever.
“To get to the point of why I called you here, due to our successful online transition, corporate has allowed us to publish bonus spreads for the coming three editions.”
Doyoung blinked as he processed the implication. A three-month project. A great opportunity that looked even greater on his record.
“As the two most competent employees, I’ve decided you two should lead these bonus spreads together.” Taeil opened the folder and a wall of corporate text appeared. “The theme I’ve chosen is the future of robotics. Three editions will be perfect to highlight the good, the bad and the factual.”
Johnny leaned forward to reel the folder in, eyes sparkling. “This sounds great.” He affirms with a smile. “I’m totally up for it.”
“That’s good to hear.” Taeil relaxed into his swivel chair.
“Me too,” Doyoung quickly interjected with a nod.
“Awesome. I’ll still be at the tail-end for all the yadda yadda, but I have trust you two can make this happen. If you manage to impress corporate, there might even be a promotion down the line.” Taeil winked.
A promotion? Doyoung had no doubts he would break his back to ace this project. Senior Copy Editor Kim Doyoung. A respectable title.
“You get the east wing of the fifth floor all to yourselves. It’s been sitting empty since that cat magazine got shelved.” Taeil retrieved three passes from his drawer. “Here are your security passes. All the details are in the folder. Any questions?”
Doyoung shook his head.
“Good. Now before I forget—”
Doyoung nearly jumped out of his skin when the door burst open and a very familiar intern stumbled inside, dry heaving.
“I’m sorry I’m late, Taeil!” Lee Donghyuck rose up to catch his breath and then blinked at Doyoung’s presence. “Hey, Doyoung. You’re here too.”
“It’s Mr. Kim to you,” Doyoung sternly re-explained. The rule of keeping people at a distance also applied to annoying interns.
“Yeah, so you’ve told- wow. You’re handsome.” Lee Donghyuck’s signature puppy eyes had now befallen Johnny.
It also applied to annoying omegas who couldn’t keep their pheromones in check. Doyoung wafted the pungent sweetness away.
“Thanks,” Johnny answered with a cocky grin. Gross!
“Thank you for coming, Donghyuck.” Taeil cut in sharply. “Doyoung, Johnny, our dear intern Donghyuck here will be under your wing for the duration of this project. Use his free labor wisely and try to teach him some stuff. Now, off you go!”
Johnny towered over everyone in the room when he rose to his full length and Donghyuck immediately hung off his arm. Doyoung gently gathered the informative folder and the security passes and followed them out with a grimace.
This project was a huge opportunity for his career and general respect within the office, but he was gonna have to fight tooth and nail to keep his patience when he was at the mercy of an arrogant alpha and a squeaky intern.
Doyoung heaved a sigh. It was going to be a long, long three months.
---
The east wing of the fifth floor was a cold, decimated place. Doyoung wasted no time running to the thermometer to crank it up to a bearable twenty-one degrees Celsius. Business suits were not made for anything below that temperature.
With a spin, he faced Johnny, who was carrying a box, and Donghyuck, who was exploring the space with large eyes.
“I already called IT to come set up our computers,” Doyoung announced, suppressing a shiver. “Maybe we can start brainstorming some ideas.”
“No offense, but isn’t a copy editor supposed to do other stuff?” Donghyuck piped up.
“For this project I’m in a lead position,” Doyoung rebutted, squinting at the rude little intern. “How about you make yourself useful and go get us a whiteboard?”
Donghyuck opened his mouth as if he wanted to protest, but turned on his heel with a huff.
“Hey, go easy on him,” Johnny commented as he set his box down at one of the head desks. He started to unpack a variety of strange trinkets.
“I’m already familiar with Donghyuck,” Doyoung defended, strutting to the other head desk. Unfortunately, this office was not a cubicle grid. It was an open space devoid of privacy, where the two head desks stood at the head of the room, connected to one another. He was working across the alpha. Great.
“He seems like a nice kid and he’s cute.” Johnny lifted a crate of art supplies from the box and a picture of a dog. Then, a snow globe. Clutter. Doyoung neatly arranged his pen holder.
“To you, maybe. He does whatever he wants if you don’t put your foot down.”
It was true. The intern was alien to work ethic and a close friend to chatter and gossip. He floated around the halls making conversation with everyone and got a free pass because he was a young, attractive omega. Of course, an alpha like Johnny completely fell for it.
“Seems to me he does whatever he wants because he doesn’t see you as an authority figure. Which makes sense. Since this is not a prison.”
Doyoung glared at the alpha. He was grinning lopsidedly. Did he think this was a joke?
“Whatever,” Doyoung muttered. “He could at least respect the office by not releasing his pheromones.”
Johnny didn’t say anything to that. When Doyoung looked up from his meticulously ordered desk, the alpha was staring at him.
“You’re an omega?” Johnny asked shamelessly.
Doyoung raised an eyebrow. “And what about it?”
“Huh…” Johnny turned his head. “Nothing.”
Doyoung said nothing either. He was used to people thinking he was a beta. After all, his own scent and pheromones were on a tight leash. There was no way he would ever be so unprofessional to release his pheromones shamelessly to get ahead in a situation. He didn’t want any alphas drooling over him just because he smelled like a bakery handing out free pastries. He wanted respect, first and foremost.
“I found a whiteboard!” Donghyuck huffed and puffed while he attempted to shuffle the whiteboard through the doorway.
Johnny immediately jumped to his feet to help out. Once his hands were buckling the frame, Donghyuck let go and watched him with fluttering lashes.
“Thanks, Johnny. You’re so strong,” he pointed out when Johnny set the whiteboard in its rightful place with almost no effort at all. Doyoung rolled his eyes. Was it really too much to ask to have a workplace free of these ridiculous gender gymnastics?
Johnny puffed out his chest in pride. Doyoung rolled his eyes at how cliché it was.
“Let’s brainstorm some ideas,” Johnny started off as he retrieved a marker from his art supplies kit.
“That’s a great idea!” Donghyuck chirped.
So now it was a great idea? Doyoung gritted to himself but swung his swivel chair towards the whiteboard nonetheless.
“I think we should follow Taeil’s order of good, bad, facts for the spreads,” Doyoung said.
Johnny scratched his head. “Isn’t that a bit predictable? Maybe we start with the facts, then the good, and end with the bad to scare everyone.”
“What? How is that gonna leave people with a good impression of Neozine?” Doyoung gaped at the alpha.
“Maybe not a good impression, but it’s gonna have a lasting impression. People are gonna check for more.” Johnny countered.
Doyoung crossed his arms. “Corporate will never allow it.”
“I don’t care about corporate,” Johnny huffed. “We should try to give the readers something to think about. The predictable will bore them.”
“It’s not a good idea to take risks in a special spread.” Doyoung tapped the tip of his index finger pointedly.
Johnny took a step back and tilted his head sideways. “I think I’m starting to see why you’re a copywriter.”
Doyoung glared. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re uptight and you play by the rules,” Johnny spoke confidently, narrowing his eyes.
Doyoung scoffed. What a pompous asshole! He forced his eyes away to avoid getting worked up.
“There’s no shame in that, it’s just what copywriters have to do. But when you’re in the creative seat you have to think outside the lines.” Johnny was putting on this display of manner-of-fact, but Doyoung didn’t buy it, not a cent. “Maybe it’s best you let me do the directing and you come afterwards to check everything.”
Doyoung shot out of his seat, the chair spinning around its axis from the force of his ascent. “Get your head out of your ass, Mr. Suh. There’s a reason there are two head desks in this room. You and I have equal responsibility in this project. Don’t belittle me again or I won’t hesitate to call the first line to HR, you hear?”
Johnny took a threatening step towards him, jutting his chin out, but Donghyuck came in between.
“Please, don’t fight!”
Overwhelming acidity permeated the air. Distressed omega. Doyoung was taken out of his anger by the pull of the scent. Johnny was much the same, he immediately grew concerned for the intern and redirected his focus.
It was a cheap trick, but it worked magic. Doyoung couldn’t tell whether the distress was genuine, but he backed down, sagging back into his chair, though not without a last glare at Johnny.
The alpha paid him no mind. The distressed omega was all his stupid alpha brain focused on.
“Sorry, Donghyuck. I’ll get you some tea,” he offered Donghyuck sweetly. The intern nodded meekly, and Johnny was gone with the wind.
Donghyuck sighed in relief when the alpha left the room. He turned to Doyoung with tutting lips.
“You should use your omega charm around him if you want to win,” Donghyuck said casually.
Doyoung shook his head. “Donghyuck, that’s unprofessional.”
“It works. Besides, what’s the big deal? At least he’s handsome.”
Doyoung wanted to drop his forehead on the desk. How was he going to survive three months of this?
---
It had been a long first day. Doyoung circled his head by the elevator to relieve the tension in his neck. The weight of his black leather document bag hung heavy on his shoulder and he was ready for the day to be over. He didn’t dwell on the fact that it was only Monday.
Outside, the air was humid and chilly. Doyoung buried deeper into his anthracite scarf as the frost bit his cheeks. He needed to get to the subway fast. The temperature was bound to drop below the freezing point soon.
“Are you going to the subway too, Mr. Kim?” It was Johnny Suh and his unashamed alpha scent.
Doyoung tried his best not to inhale the musk, he had enough of it today. But no way would he show a reaction, so he faced Johnny.
The alpha was wearing a navy peacoat made from heavy wool, adorned by a linen beige scarf and a beanie of the same color. He looked expensive while Doyoung was wasting away in his black puffer jacket.
“It’s none of your business,” Doyoung explained calmly.
Johnny gave him an ironic smile. “Ah come on, two colleagues can walk to the subway together, right? Look, I’m sorry for getting heated, but that’s just how I work. No bad blood on my part. We still need to make some decisions on the project so I thought we could go over it on the way home.”
Doyoung was the type to work outside of office hours, but he didn’t want to spend a minute longer talking to the alpha.
“I have plans.” Doyoung didn’t even try his best to sound genuine and briskly stepped in the direction opposite to the subway station.
After this headache-inducing day, all he wanted was to destress on his couch and now he had to drag himself to the next subway station in the depreciatory cold. Although he was slightly disappointed with himself for not trying a little harder at work, he justified it by promising himself to give it his all tomorrow.
After a toe-and-finger freezing walk to the subway and another from the subway to his apartment building, Doyoung came home to gentle lights and a letter on the doormat. It was from the electricity company. Doyoung ripped it open.
He only needed to read the italics spelling out amount to be paid for his heart to stutter. 440.000 won. That was at least a hundred thousand won more than last month. The days did get shorter, but these electricity bills were getting out of hand.
Like a good citizen, Doyoung immediately drained the amount from his bank account and transferred it. The remaining spending money was a sad, sad number. There was still a month of winter and a dark spring month to go.
If he wanted to keep the lights on, he needed that promotion.