Chapter Text
Kim Dokja is not the type of man anyone wants. He isn’t outgoing, he doesn’t put effort into his appearance, and he avoids most social interaction. He’d rather get through his boring workday, then slip back through the cracks of society to his solitude. He is completely average, in every way.
So why is it that he took interest?
That perfect bastard, whom everyone seemed to love? Kim Dokja couldn’t wrap his head around it. Sure, he’d been surprised when Yoo Sangah had reached out, his bubbly coworker who proved to be one of the kindest people he’d met. He hadn’t expected to connect with her girlfriend, Han Sooyoung, either. They were very different people but they ended up becoming his closest confidants.
He’d been grateful for their connection, his first real friendship possibly in his life.
But that surprise was nothing close to when Yoo Joonghyuk reached out. The stoic(and handsome) perfectionist was everything Kim Dokja wasn’t. He was admired by everyone in the office for his commitment to his work and his constant professionalism. Unlike Kim Dokja, he completed every task with effortless grace. Why on earth had this perfect man decided to waste time on such a failure as him?
He pondered all this as he sat across that muscular man in the company break room. They dined in silence, Yoo Joonghyuk mechanically eating his gourmet looking bento box while Kim Dokja simply pushed his convenience store ramen around in its container. This was the second week they’d eaten lunch together every day, an activity brought about by the former. He’d stoically approached Dokja around their lunch time and asked if he’d like to eat together. No, commanded that they eat together.
“Have lunch with me.” Not, ‘Would you like to have lunch?’ or ‘Do you mind if I eat lunch with you?’ He simply said that and walked away without providing any chance for objection. Every day since then Yoo Joonghyuk would appear silently at 12:30 sharp, waiting for Dokja to stop his work and join him. Neither ever initiated conversation, so every day a thick layer of awkwardness surrounded their table.
Once Han Myungoh had tried to interrupt this humiliation ritual. He stormed in for what Dokja assumed would be a lecture on how his work wasn’t up to standard(it was, but Dokja knew he was an easy target for the ire of his superiors), when he was stopped by the coldest glare from Yoo Joonghyuk. He had frozen before turning back towards his office.
Why was this happening? He’d much rather spend his lunches at his desk reading, or gossiping with Yoo Sangah. However, Dokja was far too scared to refuse, especially with the sharp looks sent his way whenever he made Yoo Joonghyuk wait too long.
—
“I don’t understand what I did to deserve this!” Yoo Sangah nodded sympathetically as she and Kim Dokja stepped onto the train. They took the same line home so they had made a habit of spending the time discussing the latest office rumors, which Dokja had unfortunately become the center of. It was the third week of this strange dance Yoo Joonghyuk had started. Because of his pretty face, that bastard hardly went unnoticed by both men and women alike. And unfortunately, he’d decided to pull Dokja into that spotlight.
“I’m sure he doesn’t mean any harm. Maybe he just wants to get to know you better?” Yoo Sangah offered, trying to give any sort of comfort. “I think he’d have to actually talk to me to do that.” Was all Dokja muttered back.
His ordeal had been their main topic on their commute home since the bastard had started bringing him lunch too. Something about how his lunches were too small, or he wasn’t getting enough nutrition? Dokja couldn’t tell when all that guy did was grumble, in the rare moments he did speak.
Yoo Sangah sighed. “Want to continue this conversation over drinks? You know Sooyoung loves to hear all your updates.” Sooyoung loves to tease me about it, Kim Dokja thought. However, a distraction would be nice.
“Why not?”
—
Kim Dokja remembered why not. He had sat through close to a half hour of Sooyoung’s amusement before excusing himself to go to the restroom. He washed his hands and attempted to fix his constantly rumpled appearance in the hopes that he could kill a minute or two before he had to return to Han Sooyoung and her strange delight for torturing him. He stared at his reflection.
Dokja knew he wasn’t attractive. At 28 he was skinny, pale, and utterly average. He had bags under his eyes from countless nights of reading webnovels instead of sleeping and little muscle due to his diet of whatever he could get the cheapest. He glanced down at his outfit. A simple suit that had grown slightly wrinkled throughout the day. He looked how he was, an overworked salaryman.
Why did he even look my way in the first place, Kim Dokja thought. I’m surprised he even saw me, at his height.
After losing himself more to his thoughts, he decided to return to the humiliation ritual that was spending time with Han Sooyoung. She was currently in the middle of some rant, probably complaints about publishing or advertising companies. She merely glanced at him as he approached, not stopping her speech.
“-it’s complete bullshit! They say they love my writing but expect me to change everything about it!” Dokja slipped into the booth across from them and frowned at his drink, which had become room temperature in his absence. “I’m sure you’ll find the right company eventually.” Yoo Sangah patted her hand gently. Her lover sighed before turning back to Dokja. “Enough about me. When are you gonna make a move on your little sweetheart?” Her words made his face turn the colour of a tomato, that fruit he hated so much.
“I’m not into men! I think.” He thought a bit more about that idiot’s handsome face, ignoring the skeptical look on Sooyoung’s face. Surely he would’ve known by now if he liked men. Nevermind that, he was sure Yoo Joonghyuk was some devil sent to torture him with awkward social interaction. “Besides, he hates me.” Hearing a snort from the author, all Dokja could do was double down. “You should see the way he looks at me. You’d think I stepped on his toe.”
“Someone’s in denial~” Sooyoung sing-songed, pretending to whisper to Sangah, although she definitely meant for Dokja to hear it. “Maybe he wouldn’t hate you if you actually talked to him. Be brave, make a move.”
He shuddered at the thought. Him? Making a move on Yoo Joonghyuk, who looked like he’d been sculpted by a god? The thought almost made him laugh. And he definitely didn’t want to risk earning the ire of that bastard’s adoring fan club that consisted of most of the women(and some of the men) in the office.
But still… a little part of him wondered what Joonghyuk was like behind that big wall of his. If there even was anything, considering it seemed like his language consisted entirely of grunts and vague gestures.
He downed the last of his drink and stood. “I should get going.” Sangah nodded and waved, but the author next to her simply continued her taunts.
“Bye, coward.”
—
It was yet another day where Dokja was stuck sitting across from the ice block that was Yoo Joonghyuk. He could feel that signature piercing glare on him as he pushed around the lunch that Joonghyuk had made for him. He chewed thoroughly as he mulled over that rude author’s words.
Ugh, might as well get it over with.
“So… Do you like to cook?” He spoke hesitantly, as if scared drawing anymore of the man’s focus would make him combust.
The silence sent a spike of fear through his veins. Something shifted-just slightly- in his stone faced dining partner’s expression before he spoke.
“I guess so.” Was all he said.
Dokja sighed. It seemed he’d have to try to pry more out.
“What do you like to cook?”
After waiting another moment, Yoo Joonghyuk finally responded.
“Murim Dumplings.”
Kim Dokja couldn’t help his excitement. He finally found something in common with his lunchtime captor!
“Really? I love Murim Dumplings. Are they difficult to make? Where’d you learn? Do you make them often?”
The flicker of surprise in Yoo Joonghyuk’s expression went unnoticed as he listened to the flurry of questions.
“...They aren’t very difficult, but I make them infrequently. And a good friend taught me how to make them.”
Kim Dokja felt a sliver of hope at his response. Not only did it reveal some information about him, but it was more than five words! If he could get that much out of him, surely he'll be able to find more.
Yoo Joonghyuk glanced at the clock and silently stood. He waited for Kim Dokja to pack up and hand the lunchbox back to him he turned to the exit. Although their stroll back to their desks was silent, Kim Dokja felt like a slight weight had been lifted.
When he sat, he looked over to Yoo Sangah with a smile.
She sent a questioning look, but he waved his hand dismissively.
—
The moment their workday ended, Sangah was at his desk.
“What happened? Did he make a move?” She watched him stand with an impatient look. “We actually held a conversation.”
As they walked to the train station, Sangah whipped her phone out.
“I’m calling Sooyoung. She needs to hear this.”