Bargain (Not Met) (JungHope)

Deal with a Coworker: Met

Hoseok calmed.

Deep breaths.

It didn't help.

He felt like there was an added pressure to his mind as a whole. Perhaps the burden of knowing that he had fallen for someone he hadn't known merely because they looked good?

Perhaps.

But the feeling didn't settle right in Hoseok's stomach; he knew something was off. Like something significant was happening right underneath his nose, and he just couldn't see it.

It bugged him.

Setting aside his suspicions, Hoseok focused more on the physical burden he was feeling; like there was some sort of invisible bulk latched onto him. But he was still only carrying the clothes on his back and his laptop, so nothing should have changed. Nothing should be weighing him down to the point it was a chore just to trudge out of the elevator the moment it reached the first-floor.

Something didn't feel right.

"Oh, Hoseokie. Didn't think I would see you down here. You decided to get lunch after all?"

Another burden to bear.

Closing his eyes, Hoseok released a deep, long sigh.

Deep breaths.

Eyelids fluttering open and lips curving into a plastic smile, Hoseok turned toward Seokjin and nodded his head as firmly as his somehow weakened body would allow him to.

"Yeah," he laughed, the sound far too hollow for it to be real, bumping his shoulders against Seokjin's. "I remembered I didn't have time to eat breakfast this morning, so I decided, 'why not?'"

Seokjin grinned.

Good. He hadn't noticed.

"Well, would you look at you," Seokjin teased, poking at Hoseok's cheeks, much to the displeasure of the tired man. "Being all healthy and responsible for yourself."

A snort.

"Well, as healthy and responsible as it gets for having your first meal of the day at one P.M.."

Hoseok huffed and pulled away from the prodding fingers. "Not any better than you. How much have you eaten already, hyung? Four, five plates?"

"Hey!" Seokjin exclaimed in mock annoyance. "I'm not that much of a pig!"

They both broke out into a fit of laughter. Well, more like breathy giggles on Hoseok's part. His body racked with each breath he took, so he attempted to keep the probable damage to a minimum.

Hoseok waited for Seokjin to settle down and slipped in behind the line that had formed in front of the salad bar. Although he knew his body wouldn't be able to function any better on nothing but salad, Hoseok was slightly worried he wouldn't be in the mood to eat since his body was beginning to ache everywhere and he'd end up donating his meal of bossam and japchae to the endless stomach that was Kim Seokjin.

Really, he just didn't want to give Seokjin any more food, so salad it was.

"What?" Seokjin whined, falling in behind Hoseok. "Why're you getting a salad? You never get a salad."

Before Hoseok could spout some believable excuse, Seokjin continued with, "If I remember correctly, you said that the cabbage in salads reminded you of that one night you puked all over someone's shoes, and it somehow ended up looking the exact shade of green as cabbage."

Thanks for the reminder.

"Nah," Hoseok spoke, lowering his voice as to not reveal the slightly disturbed tone in his voice. "I got over that a while ago."