The next two days after spending that —- in Chanyeol's opinion —- amazing night together, he didn't hear a single word from Baekhyun. He half expected him to call and apologize, but for what?

For Chanyeol the truth, that a life spent fawning after a man who couldn't see him for anything else other than a good fuck, was truly pathetic yet seemingly hopeless. When Chanyeol sleeps with someone, it's not for fun, he sleeps with someone because feelings have already begun to develop and he's also the type of man to not give up, even when it appears giving up would be in his best interest.

On the two days after his first one night stand, Chanyeol spent it holed up in his apartment picking at cold bowls of instant ramen as he unseeingly watched whatever happened to be on the channel he turned the TV on to. He didn't understand himself, his behavior was completely out of character and utterly lazy. Usually Chanyeol filled his days with all sorts of healthy activities, but ever since that night, his motivation has fallen flat. He couldn't even work up enough energy to take his regularly scheduled morning showers; or eat his health breakfast that a cup of instant ramen had replaced. And on some days, he even went to his local gym to work out, but the soft comfort of his couch and the mindless act of watching television had replaced the vigorous hours he spent exercising both his body and mind.

It was as if everything had suddenly become pointless, and it was truly pathetic because everything could be traced back to that day; that night; that morning; and that man who hasn't meant to lead him on.

He was stupid. He was sad. He was naive. He was pathetic.

All of those words . . . All of those words seemed to make up the new, sadly pathetic, pining Park Chanyeol. And he didn't see very many possibilities on how to make the situation any better, because on Monday, he would be starting his first day as Byun Baekhyun's new secretary.

Chanyeol had honestly been expecting Baekhyun to retract his offer because of that morning, but he hasn't, and as far as Chanyeol was aware he was still Baekhyun's secretary. And Chanyeol was dreading it all. He didn't want to work for a man he had slept with, then the next day claimed it had meant nothing to him. Chanyeol so badly wanted to call Baekhyun and tell him he couldn't accept the job, but he also couldn't let Baekhyun know just how much he had been affected.

Chanyeol was stuck, and the only possible way of escaping he could think of, was getting himself fired the old fashioned way without tipping off the boss he was too cowardly to quit.

• • •

Byun Baekhyun walked into his company on Monday morning with a cup of to-go coffee from a vendor in the lobby, and a pair of tinted glasses to hide the evidence of a sleepless night.

He loathed having to go into work early, especially on the nights he couldn't sleep, but knew if he left his company in the hands of someone else less efficient and strict as him, nothing would get done properly and his business would suffer. And he has worked too hard and suffered too much to get where he is now, to simply let everything he's fought and compromised for go up in flames because he was tired.

With a heavy sigh and a stifled yawn, Baekhyun pulled out his phone as he waited for the elevator doors to shut, when from outside the elevator he heard a racket. He pushed his glasses up into his hair as he frowned curiously, and peeked out into the lobby to catch a too tall, left footed idiot with big ears nearly trip on his way to the elevator.

Baekhyun inhaled a sharp breath, and brought his glasses down to cover his eyes as he willed the doors to close faster.

Come on! he mentally cheered. Close! Cl—-

It was too late.

Chanyeol fell into the elevator with a huff and clasped against the back wall to catch his breath, hanging his head back as he fought to regain a regular heartbeat. Once the small beads of sweat had stopped forming along his hairline and he could breath without gasping like a fish on dry land, he peered at the shortish, lean man in the elevator with him and pursed his lips.

He rolled his eyes and sarcastically muttered, "Hey, thank you so much for holding the elevator. I mean, it is only my first day and I would have been late, but whatever . . ." He rolled his eyes again with a huff.

Baekhyun pursed his lips and turned away from Chanyeol, hiding his face as he chose to ignore him and sipped at his coffee. Chanyeol scowled and rolled his eyes again, as did Baekhyun.

The elevator ride was slow and silent, with just a touch of tension thick enough a knife would have trouble cutting through it, but then again, maybe that was just merely Baekhyun's impression.

When they finally reached the top floor, Baekhyun quickly stepped out and detoured from his usual route to his office for another, less obvious and indirect route; so not to tip off Chanyeol to his identity until he absolutely had too.

Chanyeol stepped out after the man, and watched with a slight frown as he disappeared around a corner, a feeling of recognition tugged at his brain. Chanyeol shook it off as he headed straight for the double glass doors, and walked up to the receptionist desk to inform the woman sitting there that he was Byun Baekhyun's new secretary.

She smiled and welcomed him to the company before taking him directly to Baekhyun's office, where Chanyeol sat in front of his desk awaiting his arrival in deafening silence.

Chanyeol had been admiring Baekhyun's office, and looking at all the pictures and plaques when the thick oak doors were pushed open. Chanyeol was both surprised, but also not, to find out the man he had a ten minute elevator ride with was actually his boss in disguise.

Baekhyun sighed when he saw Chanyeol standing in his office, and reluctantly pushed his glasses back up into his hair. He walked towards his closet and hung his coat up, and slipped his glasses into the pocket before taking a seat at his desk as he placed his coffee down, and turning it in small circles as he thought.

After a moment of awkward silence had passed, his eyes flickered up to meet Chanyeol's cautious gaze as Baekhyun said, "Thank you for being on time, Mr. Park. Now please, take a seat."

Chanyeol pursed his lips, but did as he was told, and took a seat in one of the chairs directly in front of Baekhyun's desk. "Thank you, Mr. Byun, for offering me such an . . . important job."

Baekhyun pursed his lips and nodded. "You're welcome. Now today, first you'll take a tour of the building with Mr. Do, and after that he is to show you to your desk." Baekhyun paused before continuing, "For your job, Mr. Park, the only things I'll require of you is to answer my phone calls and run my errands. As I grow to trust you more, I'll task you with other more important jobs, but before that you'll be going through a trial of sorts to see how well you'll work in my company and whether or not your trustworthy. Do you understand?" Baekhyun asked with a hidden note buried beneath his words.

Chanyeol nodded and kept his face impassive as he said, "Yes, I understand, Mr. Byun."

Baekhyun smiled thinly. "Excellent then, I've already called for Mr. Do to began your tour. He should be waiting outside my office by now...." Baekhyun trailed off as his eyes met Chanyeol's. Time stopped for a moment, and a million questions passed through the air between them before Baekhyun dismissively said, "Good luck, Chanyeol."

A shiver ran up the length of Chanyeol's spine upon hearing his name pass through those lips, that only days ago, he had been kissing. And every time Chanyeol thought he wouldn't affect him....

Chanyeol sighed and bowed before leaving Baekhyun's office, and waiting outside the thick double doors was a shortish man with perfectly styled hair and a friendly smile. He extended his hand to Chanyeol as he said, "Hello, I'm Do Kyungsoo, your tour guide for the day. And you are?"

Chanyeol smiled hesitately as he shook his head and muttered, "Park Chanyeol, nice to you, Do Kyungsoo."

"Likewise, and you can just call me Kyungsoo, there's no need for formalities," he said with another easy smile.

Chanyeol's next smile came more naturally as he said, "Then please, call me Chanyeol."

Kyungsoo nodded with a small smile as he stared at Chanyeol for a moment longer, his lips pursed in thought as he curiously asked, "You look strangely familiar, Chanyeol. Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Um, I–I don't think so . . ." Chanyeol mumbled. "I'm usually very good at remembering faces."

Then suddenly Kyungsoo snapped his fingers as he cried, "I remember! I saw you at a...." Kyungsoo trailed off and quieted his voice before muttering, "I saw you at a club this past Friday, I....I slapped you."

Chanyeol's jaw dropped and his eyes glowed with recognition as he cried, "That was you!"

Kyungsoo turned sheepish and muttered, "Are you mad?"

Chanyeol laughed humorlessly and said, "Mad, not at all." Chanyeol chuckled again as he held out his hand and said, "Let's start over. Hi, my name is Park Chanyeol."

Kyungsoo smiled and shook his hand as he replied, "Hello, Chanyeol. I'm Do Kyungsoo, it's a pleasure to meet you." He smiled again, and Chanyeol smiled too.

"Should we began our tour now?" Kyungsoo asked.

Chanyeol nodded. "Please."

Kyungsoo grinned in reply, and with a small gesturing wave, the tour of Byun Exports began.

Word count: 1,671