Love Time (MewGulf AU)

🌻Chapter 4

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Gulf unconsciously paid closer attention when he heard the name "Mew". The source of the conversation was a newbie who had just joined the office workers this year. He was a easy-going man who only knew how to talk well and think quickly to get out of his problems. Gulf didn't dislike him, but he avoided his type.

After they succeeded in a rather big event, both field workers and office workers were finished with
all their work. It had been 2 weeks since he had called Mew and warned him. He didn't feel the repellent gaze upon him anymore, but the incident left a scar in Gulf's heart. He would've been creeped out if Mew came and sat next to him today, too, but Mew didn't show up at the small bar they rented out.

"Even today, P'Mew didn't come because he said he had some work left. He's so rigid~. He could
just do it tomorrow, you know."

The newbie was facing Gulf across a long table at the party. He was pretty drunk, and he took advantage of the chaotic atmosphere to wrap his arm around a girl's shoulders while he rambled on.

"He'd politely teach me if I ask him something, and he'd even humble himself to someone like me. I think he's a good person, but to the point of making him look retarded. I know he works really hard, but he's mad slow. He's always 『Hey, Mr. Turtle』mode. He'd do the extra work until almost ten. I'd never be able to keep up with that."

I know, the girl sitting next to him giggled. The more he listened, the more irritated Gulf became. It
wasn't that he was standing up for him, but he couldn't stand to listen to some no-good newbie babbling whatever he wanted about Mew who worked so diligently. Gulf emptied alcohol contained in a tiny China cup.

"I'm the one who trained Mew, but from the beginning his work sense was pretty good. Compared to the other three, he never made mistakes in his documents, nor did he ever mistype anything."

"Oh, Team Leader, were you listening? How mean~"

The newbie seemed to realize the intentional thorn hidden in his words. He gave a troubled laugh while he glanced up at Gulf sideways.

"I wasn't particularly bad-mouthing P'Mew. Please don't tell him."

If that's not bad-mouthing, what the hell is that. He seemed to notice that Gulf's cup was empty since he quickly picked up the bottle and poured out his drink. Gulf's colleague sitting nearby started talking to him, so while he was engaged in conversation with him, others seemed to have
returned to talking about Mew because he occasionally heard his name.

"He might lack some excitement as a date, but a person like P'Mew is great to get married to."

"What? How come?" The newbie asked, surprised. The girl placed her index finger against her lips briefly.

"Because he's really sweet. He won't cheat on you, and he's hard-working. He's probably really good to his woman."

The newbie slightly wrinked his brows.

"But won't he be boring as a man?" He ironically asked, and the girl meaningfully smiled.

"P'Mew said his hobby is  photography."

"You mean those weird ones-?"

At the newbie's condescending tone, the girl lifted up her eyebrows angrily.

"He said they're scenaric photographs. Whenever he has a break, he said he'd drive by himself to mountains or sea and take pictures as a hobby. That's really cool."

Was his hobby photography... I think I heard about that before. Gulf cocked his head, sipping at his drink that had completely cooled.

"Oh!"

His colleague turned to look at him.

"What is it, Gulf."

"No, nothing."

He suddenly remembered. When Mew was still a newbie...There was a time when he was helping him out with the extra work. It was at the end of June, and depressing rain showers continued. Every day work ended past 11, and even weekends were filled with seminars and left-over work.

They returned home only to sleep. Mew never whined about anything before, but in front of Gulf, Mew said complaints that were atypical of him.
Mew's profile looked wane as he sighed over the keyboard. He seemed really tired.

"This is the hardest part of your career. There's nothing you can do."

As he comforted the crest-fallen newbie and taught him work, Gulf sympathized deep in his heart.  This was the hardest period for a newly accepted workers. Gulf had that experience, too. In Gulf's case, he had been so stressed out that he developed ulcers in addition, but...Mew sighed while drinking the coffee that Gulf handed to him.

"I became sick and tired of just going back and forth between work and home every single day. I'd like to drive my car to relieve my stress, but I have absolutely no time to do so."

"Pattaya should be pretty far away. Doesn't it take two hours by car?"

When Gulf asked that, Mew tilted his head.

"That's true, but if there is no traffic, you can get there by one. Last year I went there with my college friends, but it was raining that day so I had so much trouble making sure my camera stayed dry."

"Camera?"

"I was in the Photography Club back in college."

"Oh... So you take nude pictures and stuff?"

Mew laughed at Gulf's question.

"Depending on the person, their subject is different. There WAS one who specialized in female nudes,
but I liked scenary photographs. Usually I went to the mountains or rivers and took pictures of only
those."

"...I used to camp out a lot, too, but recently I haven't been anywhere at all."

"Why don't we go somewhere together when we have some time off? Chiang Mai or something."

Mew gently smiled at Gulf.

"Sounds great. We should go."

He lightly said 『Let's go』, but it wasn't like he specifically thought about where to go with Mew.

He just answered 『Let's go』 because that seemed like the right thing to answer in that atmosphere.

That's where the conversation ended, and Mew didn't ask him again, and Gulf totally forgot about that conversation. If they didn't bring this topic up, he wouldn't have even remembered.

Gulf bitterly smiled, thinking that Mew's plans did bring some effect. Gulf definitely started to pay more attention to Mew than before. Even though the feelings were completely different from "attraction"...

TBC