“Something I don’t have to wait for…”

Yejun listened to the recording again, listening intently to the background noise. He had opted to sit in the front seat to avoid his co-workers, not wanting to deal with the questions he noticed on everyone’s faces. Let them think he was tired. That he was just sick from the flight.

It was better than the truth.

Yejun scrubbed back through the recording as the driver navigated the empty streets, heading for the hotel his mother  had reserved for them. Hiltin or something similar, Yejun couldn’t remember. He had barely paid attention as they headed to the concierge, moving on auto pilot as he confirmed their reservation block, and obsessing over the recording as they waited to be picked up. 

Jihun’s phone obviously did not have a good mic, as Yejun still couldn’t make out what Woojin said the first time. It sounded as if his friend was simply too far away, although Yejun could just make out the sound of the vending machine. They had to be in the hallway on the 8th floor, likely between editing and translations. Not many people went to those vending machines, as they had limited options, but Yejun knew Woojin preferred them. It was the only one that had Eunsan Coffee.

The machines were also conveniently around a corner, meaning it was completely possible for Jihun to record without Jieun or Woojin realizing he was there. It also meant Jieun was likely leaning against the wall, which is why she was easier to hear. 

How much more had she said before Jihun started recording? What had the editor heard that made him feel like he had to record? Had Jieun been lying to him, pretending to be excited for their wedding, only to bad mouth him in front of everyone else?

Or worse, was she honest, and simply thought he wouldn’t care?

Yejun squinted as they arrived in front of the hotel, the car’s headlights sweeping across the entrance canopy where the name Hiltin Union Square glowed in soft white letters. He blinked a few times, trying to bring the letters into focus through the exhaustion and nausea that still hadn’t entirely faded.

He moved mechanically as he shouldered his bag again, taking a deep breath to settle his stomach. He was about to put his phone away when he felt it vibrate, a wave of panic washing over him. It was his mother. 

Eomoni: I hope you landed safely. I know you will do well, Yejun.

Seeing his mother’s words soothed Yejun’s panic a bit, and he managed a gentle smile. He opened Kakao to type out a reply just as another message came through.

Jieun 🟢: Have a good trip! 

Yejun stared at the simple message for a long moment. He read it once, then again, as if the repetition might transform the polite sentence into something real, something that belonged to the version of Jieun he still wanted to believe existed. But all he felt was that hollow numbness again, pressing deep under his ribs. 

He swiped it away, responding to his mother. 

Yejun: We just landed, checking in now. Annyeonghi jumuseyo, eomoni.

Yejun shoved his phone into this pocket as the other leads started to climb out and the bellhop began to load their suitcases. He walked through the sliding doors, barely paying attention to the lobby as he walked toward the front desk. He just wanted to lay down and forget about everything for a while. 

“<Good morning!>” The woman behind the desk greeted him brightly in English, and Yejun did his best to smile back. His English wasn’t great, but it was enough to get through this. “<Can I have the last name on the Reservation?>”

“<Lim. It should be a block for five rooms.>” Yejun answered, turning to glance at his co-workers. Everyone looked exhausted, with the translation and design leads opting to sit in some of the plush chairs as they waited for Yejun to get their room keys. Minjae and the layout lead were standing near the women, but clearly just as exhausted from the long flight. 

Yejun turned back to face the receptionist, and he frowned as he saw her expression. She looked nervous, and he noticed how she kept glancing around as if she was looking for a superior to help her. It was a look Yejun was used to seeing from new editors who were worried they were about to get in trouble. 

“<Is something wrong?>”

“<Oh, um… can you wait a moment? My supervisor will be here soon,>” the girl laughed nervously and Yejun merely nodded. He didn’t quite catch every word, but he got the general meaning. A few minutes later, an older gentleman joined the woman behind the desk and Yejun struggled not to frown. The man was clearly an alpha and while Yejun usually had to be close to someone to pick up their scent, he could smell the fir needle and leather pouring off him.

“Ah, Lim Yejun?” The man looked up and Yejun didn’t try to hide his relief that the man spoke Korean. 

“Yes, party of five. Is something the matter?”

“Hmm, it seems your booking team made a mistake and only booked you for a three room block.” The man explained and Yejun fought his groan. Well, someone was about to be fired. “Normally, accommodating two more rooms would not be an issue, but we are at capacity due to the holiday. Once some of our rooms open up, I would be more than willing to upgrade your entire party to full suites.”

“And in the meantime?”

“Unfortunately, the only room we have available is the pairing suite,” the man offered and Yejun finally groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. He knew his mother  would be livid as soon as he told her about the mix-up and several someones were about to lose their jobs. But in the meantime, they were all tired and he wanted to lay down as much as everyone else. He had only heard about “pairing suites” from Woojin, so as long as it would give them a place to sleep until they could all have their own rooms, he didn’t care what it was for.

“That’s fine. We’ll take it.”

“All right, thank you for the understanding. May I have all the passports for the booking members?” The man bowed as Yejun handed over all the passports, watching as each was carefully scanned. “Which room would you like?”

“I don’t care.” Yejun answered honestly, his patience waning the longer he had to stand. He could feel his phone vibrating in his bag, and the mere idea that it might be Jieun made him want to turn the device off completely. Let everyone think he was asleep already. He wanted to be. 

Yejun accepted the passports back and the room keys, appreciating that the man had handed them over without further small talk. He slid keys into each passport, realizing that his own and Minjae’s were the ones missing keys. Instead, there was a slip of paper that just had the number “114” written on it. Did the pairing suite not work the same as the other rooms?

Yejun didn’t have the capacity to care. As long as it had blackout curtains and a bed he could pass out on. 

His phone vibrated again and Yejun stomped back over to the group. 

“Here, keys.” Yejun handed out the passports, turning to Minjae as he spoke in English. “<You and I will be sharing a room.>”

“<What? What do you mean–>”

“<Someone on our end messed up the booking, so we’re stuck together until after the holiday.>” Yejun explained, looking over loaded luggage carts to find his suitcase. He motioned for it to be moved and the bellhop nodded eagerly, moving the bag onto a separate cart. “<It’s only a few days.>”

“<Did you tell Chairman Lim?>”

“<I will later.>” Yejun shrugged off, resisting the desire to break his phone as it went off again. Now he was just getting angry. “<If you are that opposed to it, you can find another hotel to sleep in until it can be fixed.>”

“<It’s… fine, Lim-nim. Thank you for your kindness.>” Minjae finally conceded and Yejun nodded, showing the bellhop the slip and walking as the man headed across the lobby. He ignored the confusion from the others as Minjae scrambled to get his bag and follow. He didn’t feel like explaining anything to anyone right now. 

He wanted to cry, and then he wanted to sleep. Everything else could wait.