nct oneshots [2020-2023]

p r o f e s s i o n a l i s m

2023.08.20
markhyuck
NOT EDITED

"fuck i'm so nervous" haechan mutters under his breath. he used to complain during the past 6 years bout how awful college is but now more than ever he wished he was still 19, fresh out of highschool, heart beating and almost feeling the dopamine rush through his body. instead here he was, 24, and already feeling tired of everything. tired of his routines, of his status and most of all tired of all these job interviews. he thought this industry of all would be one full of opportunities but no matter how much he prepared he never seemed to get a call back from an interviewer.

haechan takes a deep breath and looks around. he sees mainly women sitting around all hoping to do well. this was his 9th attempt which might not be a lot for many but haechan started to doubt his own skills and abilities as well as if he made the right decision choosing this field. he watches as people step in and come out exactly 45 minutes later all with an unreadable expression. too busy watching and analyzing others haechan zones out..."no lee haechan?" he hears and hurriedly stands up. "sorry, that'll be me" he says with a small smile as he watches the reaction of the lady in front of him. luckily he had the skill to be able to observe other's behaviour and in return be able to analyze what possible thoughts would be running through their minds. sometimes he wonders if he would've had better luck in such industry but he was in no place to even think about changing. he desperately needed to come out in the workforce and start sending his parents back more than his usual 100£. despite his desperation haechan's pride wasn't easy to overlook and no matter the circumstances he never presented himself as a weaker being. that being said he always tended to catch the attention of interviewers mainly due to his competitiveness and ambition but something seemed to lack but he was never told what he didn't have that others might've had.

"please step inside whenever you're ready and good luck" the lady says with a professional smile before turning away while her smile drops in the matter of seconds. haechan decides not to focus on the weird interaction and instead takes another deep breath before opening the door and going in. "hello" he says slightly optimistic but as he turns around from facing the door he's met with an empty table and a pair of broad shoulders facing the window. "what a drama queen" haechan thinks to himself but instead starts taking small but quick steps towards the chair closest to him but not yet taking a seat. "hello sir i'm lee haechan, im interested in the posit-" before he finishes his sentence the mysterious man turns around and looks deeply into haechan's eyes. his dark hair was slicked neatly with a few strands resting on his forehead. his specs and tidy suit made him look professional and put together. haechan didn't know whether he could continue or not but before he begins speaking again the other beats him to it. "our first man applicant of the day, huh?" he says with a cheeky smile. he then walks towards the table and puts down the cup of coffee that he previously was holding onto. he breaks eye contact with haechan and shifts his gaze towards the piles of paper on the table before pointing at the chair near haechan giving him the cue to sit. after sitting haechan puts his hands on his lap before beginning to speak once more.  "as I said I'm applying fo-" interrupted. haechan was starting to get annoyed at the rude behaviour thinking he was nothing but a random employee being put here to be interviewed others and ge didn't need to act like he had an insane amount  of power. the other lifts his hand up indicating that haechan should keep quiet. many thoughts start to run through haechan's head. he started reading the other's body language and expressions but was quickly interrupted. "looking here you seem very average, in fact I've seen many better applications but I'm keeping it fair and giving you the chance to state what you believe makes you unique" the other says before looking up at haechan with bored eyes. haechan questioned in his head why the other didn't bother introducing himself like any normal human but chose to simply ignore the thought. "well i think these types of questions are rather ironic because humans generally are good at mirroring other peop-"  interrupted. "wait" the other says while lifting his hand once again. "i don't want a psychological breakdown of how humans behave im asking what is unique about YOU, although im already starting to sense it" the other says while continuing to maintain eye contact with haechan which he thought was a bit strange since he wasn't used to people not commenting his eye contact and perceive it as intimidating. haechan, slightly annoyed but trying to keep his cool, raises a brow at the other. "can you elaborate on that final comment please" haechan says before leaning back on his chair feeling his heart beat faster. he figured this interview was just like the 8 previous interviews and his only duty left was to make sure his ego and pride weren't stepped on. "i said im already sensing that you're an attractive person but i would love to hear you talk about yourself instead" thinking he jumped to fight mode too fast haechan clears his throat before beginning to speak. "i shall but please do not interrupt me again, fredrick" haechan says before quickly covering his mouth. "im so sorry it just slipped" he says with his eyes slightly widened. he slightly turns to the side and slaps his mouth lightly. he finally looks up after feeling embarrassment rush all through him and instead is met with a comforting gaze from the other and a slight smile. "freddie will stay quiet please. go on" he says before intertwining his fingers with each other on the table. "sorry once again but as i was saying. i believe humans are interesting on a deeper surface and all throughout my childhood I've heard that i needed to work on my personality in hopes of becoming a "better person" but for me, being myself is more important than succeeding at something that i never felt a connection to and although i must say i have things to work on i'm happy with myself and how i'm preserved. im a very competitive person and i'm a fast learner which always comes in handy working in such a broad field....it's hard being humble on such interviews don't you think?" haechan takes a small break and looks at the interviewer who maintained the same position and eye contact all throughout haechan's talking. he seemed genuinely interested in what haechan had to say which made haechan think that even if he didn't get this job he still did his absolute best. the other nods slightly with a smile before starting to write out a couple of notes.