Nominal Nonpareil (for castleofpearls)
For: castleofpearls
From: kojafras
Title: Nominal Nonpareil
Rating: G
Length: 2397 words
Summary: Kim Jongdae has the most beautiful name Joonmyun’s ever happened to come across.
Notes: I absolutely loved this prompt and I hope I did it justice.
There are certain truths that are universally accepted, such as that the sky is blue and Monday is the worst day of the week. And there are the lesser known rules, but still just as full of truth, like A is red and wallet is an off shade of mauve.
When four-year old Joonmyun came home and told his parents that cat was his favorite word because it was so funnily colored that it was practically a mix of brown and yellow, they had both simply laughed him off and playfully agreed with his conclusions. But when he had to explain to them in high school that he didn’t need to make notecards to remember the vocabulary words for school because each one was a completely different color and he couldn’t possibly mix them up, phone calls were made.
The doctor had talked about his brain and his parents had shot him sympathetic glances, almost as if they believed that this was all their fault. They kept a close eye on him after that, asking him if he was seeing any colors. Joonmyun lied. Said words were as bland as bran cereal. Then he graduated high school and moved as far away as he could, embracing the colors that came to life behind his eyes every time he read about faraway places or learned a new word.
Halfway through college, he found his calling in organization and became a member of the Board of Certified Professional Organizers, was picked up by a developing company as a professional organizer, and hasn’t looked back since.
-
Kris bursts into the office, crumpled papers gripped tightly in his hands and eyes wild. He zones in on a frozen Joonmyun and marches forward.
“Have you-” He starts, stopping when the shorter man holds up a hand, peels his fingers away from the stacks of paper and replaces them with a cup of steaming hot coffee. He allows Joonmyun to seat him in his black leather computer chair, taking quick sips from the cup as the man hops onto the empty table, placing the mismatched stack of papers beside him.
“I have gone through and summarized the data of all the applicants, and the ones I believe are most suited to the job are on top, the least on the bottom.” Joonmyun’s smile grows as he watches the company head slowly deflate in the cushioned chair. The company is actually headed by two men-Kris and a well-meaning man named Chanyeol-but Kris usually ends up with the brunt of the work, so they hired Joonmyun to tone things down a bit.
After he’s actually tasted some of the coffee-black, no cream or sugar, as Joonmyun knows he likes-Kris stands and reaches around Joonmyun for the aforementioned folders and nods his head before stuffing them under his arm and heading back to the elevator.
Joonmyun smiles to himself and for the next hour, he busies himself with trying to make sense of all the papers Kris had been carrying. It’s just around lunchtime that Chanyeol enters his office, grin on his face and manila folders in his hands.
“I have a question.”
Joonmyun glances up from sorting papers in time to see Chanyeol getting cozy on the corner of his desk. “Yes?” At his prompting, Chanyeol removes a manila folder from the pile and hands it to Joonmyun.
“I saw you labeled this one ‘highly consider.’ Do you know him?” Chanyeol nudges the manila closer to the seated man and taps his foot on the carpet. “I just need to make sure this isn’t a conflict of interest or anything. I mean, I’m fairly sure you’ve never met any of the applicants. But I just need to make sure. For Kris’ sake.”
Joonmyun laughs at that. “For Kris,” he agrees, flipping open the cover and scanning the cover page. Then he spots a name and has to close his eyes as color explodes behind his eyelids. Kim Jongdae, warm floods of pink, orange, and sharp flecks of yellow. Absolutely beautiful. “Ah, yes,” he starts, voice kept in a professional monotony, “although his references are subpar, I do think he’d make a great addition. But that’s just my opinion.”
“Excellent!” Chanyeol sings, hopping off the desk and flipping the folder shut with a loud snap. “I’ll have his orientation scheduled as soon as possible.”
-
"Hey, Joonmyun!"
He pauses, on his way back from the copy room, and offers Chanyeol and the man beside him a welcoming smile. "Do you need something? It's been a little too quiet today. I was worried."
Chanyeol laughs. "Yeah, Kris decided to take the day off, so the stress level of the entire building has decreased by ten thousand."
Joonmyun laughs. "I'm telling him when he comes back. Now, did you need me or...?"
Chanyeol seems to remember why he'd come in the first place. He pulls the man beside him into the small circle they've generated. "Sorry, I just wanted you to meet our newest employee. Joonmyun, meet Jongdae."
Joonmyun has to consciously keep his face neutral despite the inward shock he feels. Never has he seen someone who fits a name so well. Joonmyun can see the name in his mind’s eye, and can see it in the man in front of him as well. Warm pinks and oranges are showcased on the man’s flawless complexion and thick, dark hair tamed by some kind of gel. Sharp cheekbones give the man a striking appearance and add a flair of yellow to his countenance. It takes Joonmyun a minute before he notices the man is holding his hand out. Hastily, he meets him halfway, giving a welcoming shake and an apologetic smile.
“Welcome!” Joonmyun says, ignoring Chanyeol’s questioning stare. He drops the hand and starts walking away, smile still present. “I hope you like it here. Chanyeol, I need to go and update the calendar.” And then he flees to his office.
--
Joonmyun has a problem. It’s quite a big problem and it’s started to interfere with his work.
On the upside, Jongdae is a fantastic addition to the office. He’s a hit with the other workers and a master at instant coffee; he can make it taste like gourmet blend in seconds, which is a godsend early in the morning. He’s also a diligent worker, something Chanyeol mentioned with a secret smile that Joonmyun ignored. He’s also Chanyeol’s new best friend who means a miserable Kris and photocopies of butts floating around the building but the others endure. Business has never been better.
On the flipside, this means that Joonmyun reads about Jongdae everywhere. There’s an article about him in the company newsletter, his nametag is on the door beside Chanyeol’s, and he’s included in almost every faculty meeting attendees list, which Joonmyun has to read and edit. It catches him off guard every time, and he has to sit in his chair for a good couple of minutes until the sensation subsides and his vision isn’t being bombarded with a blasts of soft pastel and bright sunshine yellow. It’s a major inconvenience and a waste of time. But he can’t ever feel annoyed by it, because he loves it. He loves the explosion of unique and contrasting colors that envelope him now like a second skin, welcoming and calming.
Joonmyun is in love with a name. Fantastic.
“Hey.” Chanyeol’s head pops into the doorway, lensless glasses perched on the end of his nose. “Important meeting today at three.”
Joonmyun nods as his superior waves and leaves. Then he slams his head down onto his desk.
--
Sitting in a spinning chair with wheels is a religious experience and Joonmyun highly recommends it. It’s great for letting all the stress seep out of the body, which is why Kris owns five.
The seat beside him is drawn back and a co-worker joins him. Joonmyun makes the mistake of looking over at the newcomer and chokes. Jongdae is next to him. Whoever had the bright idea of sitting him next to Kim Jongdae needs to be apprehended and given a severe lesson in the dreadful existence that is Joonmyun’s life as of late.
“Alright, the meeting will commence now,” Kris announces, and a lull falls over the room. He looks exhausted, as does Chanyeol beside him and Joonmyun wonders what he can do to ease their schedule a bit and allow them more time to sleep.
That idea flies out the window when an agenda is passed out, and the first thing Joonmyun sees is Jongdae’s name. He can’t help it. He’s bombarded with all the name entails; Kris’ voice a whisper in comparison. Joonmyun tries to decipher all the colors in the perfect blend that makes up Kim Jongdae. If he looks hard enough, he can see magenta, turquoise, and-
“Joonmyun,” a smooth voice hisses urgently in his ear.
Joonmyun snaps to attention, sees Jongdae staring at him with slight worry visible in the creases in his forehead-wow is he close-and looks around the room.
“Care to join us, Mr. Kim?” Kris asks, teeth gritted.
Joonmyun colors, sinking into his chair. “Sorry,” he murmurs, and to his relief, Kris moves on. The meeting’s over after he finishes his briefing, but Joonmyun stays as the others leave the room, head down so that he doesn’t catch Kris’ glare.
“Hey.”
He glances up and represses a groan. Of course the only other human being to stay in the room would be Jongdae. This whole thing is like a huge cosmic joke.
“You zone out a lot. Are you okay? Is that normal?” Jongdae even looks a little concerned. Joonmyun feels the urge to just collapse.
“Fine. I’m fine.” He waits for the man to leave. Jongdae stays. He crosses his arms in askance and the man looks away. “Did you need something?”
“Chanyeol said something the other day about you being the reason I was hired. So… thank you.”
Joonmyun rolls his eyes. Chanyeol could not be more unprofessional. “There is no need.”
“No really! I want to thank you so, um, how about dinner? I know a nice place a few blocks away. I’ll come pick you up at your office around six.” Joonmyun makes no reply. “Great! See you then!”
Joonmyun gapes as the man stands, waves at him, and then leaves. What.
--
Jongdae pops into his office at six on the dot. Joonmyun still hasn’t been able to tell whether it was a joke or not, so he closes down and packs up slowly, motioning for Jongdae to come in and take a seat. They leave the room together and walk side by side down the crowded streets until they reach a small building where Jongdae stops. He opens the door for Joonmyun, who forces a smile at the gesture and they walk in.
Jongdae goes right up to the waiter and says he has a reservation. Joonmyun is floored, but follows when the waiter motions them over to follow him. Joonmyun beams when he’s handed a menu, earlier mood be damned, because this is an Italian restaurant.
Foreign languages are quite honestly fantastic. Joonmyun only speaks what he grew up with, but that doesn’t change the fact that each character, letter and number still has it’s own shade, so he feels himself cheer up when pasta primavera casts a scarlet glow in his mind.
“So,” Jongdae starts, startling him from his thoughts. “You’re doing it again. Care to let me in on the secret?” He asks with a hint of laughter.
Joonmyun bites his lip and considers. He’s never really told anyone before, never had to, but no one’s really asked. “I have color synesthesia. It means that when I see words, like this,” he offers up his menu, “I see color, too.”
Jongdae sets his own menu down. “That is incredible. What colors are you seeing?”
Joonmyun hums, closing his eyes for a second. “Mainly soft oranges and reds. There are a few off-greens, too.” He opens his eyes. “It makes memorizing things a whole lot easier. I can usually just recognize the word by the color. So,” he clears his throat, “what are you getting?”
Jongdae shakes his head vehemently. “Hey, no! You can’t drop it just like that! Tell me more. Do you see it for names, too?”
“Yes.” Joonmyun really hopes he doesn’t ask.
“What’s Kris?”
Joonmyun exhales. Crisis averted. “Well, he’s a mix of violet and navy, but very solid. Almost too solid. Knew he was going to be a problem when I met him.”
Jongdae laughs at that. “Then, what about me?”
“You,” Joonmyun starts, wringing his hands. “You’re a mix of soft, bright shades, almost like sherbet. But more like a sunset? I don’t know, but it really stands out on newsletters. Your name is very unique.”
“Wow.” Jongdae looks like he wants to ask more, but is stopped by the appearance of the waiter. They pursue more casual conversation while they eat and Joonmyun is grateful.
At the end of the night, Jongdae pays though Joonmyun does everything to stop him. They idle at the door before Jongdae grabs his wrist and drags him outside, saying he wants to show him something. They walk over to the large park in the center of the city, and it’s only when they step onto lush grass that they realize they’re still holding hands. Jongdae lets go, looking away as he lies on his back. Joonmyun follows, hoping and praying that he doesn’t get any grass stains on his suit.
“What are we doing?”
Jongdae points at the sky. The sun is just setting, and after a few minutes, it’s barely over the horizon, painting the sky with marvelous shades of pink, orange, and dying yellow. Joonmyun looks at Jongdae and finds the man facing him. “Is it anything like that?”
“No,” Joonmyun answers right away. “It’s so much more. Vibrant. Alive. This pales in comparison.” He sighs, threading his fingers together behind his head. “I wish I could show you.”
Jongdae shakes his head. “No, I’d much rather you explain it to me.” He grins. The sky is now filled with only a waning glow, and the streetlamps are flickering on. Jongdae yawns. “We should do this again.”
Joonmyun laughs, thinking that a name has never fit a person better. “We should.”
From: kojafras
Title: Nominal Nonpareil
Rating: G
Length: 2397 words
Summary: Kim Jongdae has the most beautiful name Joonmyun’s ever happened to come across.
Notes: I absolutely loved this prompt and I hope I did it justice.
There are certain truths that are universally accepted, such as that the sky is blue and Monday is the worst day of the week. And there are the lesser known rules, but still just as full of truth, like A is red and wallet is an off shade of mauve.
When four-year old Joonmyun came home and told his parents that cat was his favorite word because it was so funnily colored that it was practically a mix of brown and yellow, they had both simply laughed him off and playfully agreed with his conclusions. But when he had to explain to them in high school that he didn’t need to make notecards to remember the vocabulary words for school because each one was a completely different color and he couldn’t possibly mix them up, phone calls were made.
The doctor had talked about his brain and his parents had shot him sympathetic glances, almost as if they believed that this was all their fault. They kept a close eye on him after that, asking him if he was seeing any colors. Joonmyun lied. Said words were as bland as bran cereal. Then he graduated high school and moved as far away as he could, embracing the colors that came to life behind his eyes every time he read about faraway places or learned a new word.
Halfway through college, he found his calling in organization and became a member of the Board of Certified Professional Organizers, was picked up by a developing company as a professional organizer, and hasn’t looked back since.
-
Kris bursts into the office, crumpled papers gripped tightly in his hands and eyes wild. He zones in on a frozen Joonmyun and marches forward.
“Have you-” He starts, stopping when the shorter man holds up a hand, peels his fingers away from the stacks of paper and replaces them with a cup of steaming hot coffee. He allows Joonmyun to seat him in his black leather computer chair, taking quick sips from the cup as the man hops onto the empty table, placing the mismatched stack of papers beside him.
“I have gone through and summarized the data of all the applicants, and the ones I believe are most suited to the job are on top, the least on the bottom.” Joonmyun’s smile grows as he watches the company head slowly deflate in the cushioned chair. The company is actually headed by two men-Kris and a well-meaning man named Chanyeol-but Kris usually ends up with the brunt of the work, so they hired Joonmyun to tone things down a bit.
After he’s actually tasted some of the coffee-black, no cream or sugar, as Joonmyun knows he likes-Kris stands and reaches around Joonmyun for the aforementioned folders and nods his head before stuffing them under his arm and heading back to the elevator.
Joonmyun smiles to himself and for the next hour, he busies himself with trying to make sense of all the papers Kris had been carrying. It’s just around lunchtime that Chanyeol enters his office, grin on his face and manila folders in his hands.
“I have a question.”
Joonmyun glances up from sorting papers in time to see Chanyeol getting cozy on the corner of his desk. “Yes?” At his prompting, Chanyeol removes a manila folder from the pile and hands it to Joonmyun.
“I saw you labeled this one ‘highly consider.’ Do you know him?” Chanyeol nudges the manila closer to the seated man and taps his foot on the carpet. “I just need to make sure this isn’t a conflict of interest or anything. I mean, I’m fairly sure you’ve never met any of the applicants. But I just need to make sure. For Kris’ sake.”
Joonmyun laughs at that. “For Kris,” he agrees, flipping open the cover and scanning the cover page. Then he spots a name and has to close his eyes as color explodes behind his eyelids. Kim Jongdae, warm floods of pink, orange, and sharp flecks of yellow. Absolutely beautiful. “Ah, yes,” he starts, voice kept in a professional monotony, “although his references are subpar, I do think he’d make a great addition. But that’s just my opinion.”
“Excellent!” Chanyeol sings, hopping off the desk and flipping the folder shut with a loud snap. “I’ll have his orientation scheduled as soon as possible.”
-
"Hey, Joonmyun!"
He pauses, on his way back from the copy room, and offers Chanyeol and the man beside him a welcoming smile. "Do you need something? It's been a little too quiet today. I was worried."
Chanyeol laughs. "Yeah, Kris decided to take the day off, so the stress level of the entire building has decreased by ten thousand."
Joonmyun laughs. "I'm telling him when he comes back. Now, did you need me or...?"
Chanyeol seems to remember why he'd come in the first place. He pulls the man beside him into the small circle they've generated. "Sorry, I just wanted you to meet our newest employee. Joonmyun, meet Jongdae."
Joonmyun has to consciously keep his face neutral despite the inward shock he feels. Never has he seen someone who fits a name so well. Joonmyun can see the name in his mind’s eye, and can see it in the man in front of him as well. Warm pinks and oranges are showcased on the man’s flawless complexion and thick, dark hair tamed by some kind of gel. Sharp cheekbones give the man a striking appearance and add a flair of yellow to his countenance. It takes Joonmyun a minute before he notices the man is holding his hand out. Hastily, he meets him halfway, giving a welcoming shake and an apologetic smile.
“Welcome!” Joonmyun says, ignoring Chanyeol’s questioning stare. He drops the hand and starts walking away, smile still present. “I hope you like it here. Chanyeol, I need to go and update the calendar.” And then he flees to his office.
--
Joonmyun has a problem. It’s quite a big problem and it’s started to interfere with his work.
On the upside, Jongdae is a fantastic addition to the office. He’s a hit with the other workers and a master at instant coffee; he can make it taste like gourmet blend in seconds, which is a godsend early in the morning. He’s also a diligent worker, something Chanyeol mentioned with a secret smile that Joonmyun ignored. He’s also Chanyeol’s new best friend who means a miserable Kris and photocopies of butts floating around the building but the others endure. Business has never been better.
On the flipside, this means that Joonmyun reads about Jongdae everywhere. There’s an article about him in the company newsletter, his nametag is on the door beside Chanyeol’s, and he’s included in almost every faculty meeting attendees list, which Joonmyun has to read and edit. It catches him off guard every time, and he has to sit in his chair for a good couple of minutes until the sensation subsides and his vision isn’t being bombarded with a blasts of soft pastel and bright sunshine yellow. It’s a major inconvenience and a waste of time. But he can’t ever feel annoyed by it, because he loves it. He loves the explosion of unique and contrasting colors that envelope him now like a second skin, welcoming and calming.
Joonmyun is in love with a name. Fantastic.
“Hey.” Chanyeol’s head pops into the doorway, lensless glasses perched on the end of his nose. “Important meeting today at three.”
Joonmyun nods as his superior waves and leaves. Then he slams his head down onto his desk.
--
Sitting in a spinning chair with wheels is a religious experience and Joonmyun highly recommends it. It’s great for letting all the stress seep out of the body, which is why Kris owns five.
The seat beside him is drawn back and a co-worker joins him. Joonmyun makes the mistake of looking over at the newcomer and chokes. Jongdae is next to him. Whoever had the bright idea of sitting him next to Kim Jongdae needs to be apprehended and given a severe lesson in the dreadful existence that is Joonmyun’s life as of late.
“Alright, the meeting will commence now,” Kris announces, and a lull falls over the room. He looks exhausted, as does Chanyeol beside him and Joonmyun wonders what he can do to ease their schedule a bit and allow them more time to sleep.
That idea flies out the window when an agenda is passed out, and the first thing Joonmyun sees is Jongdae’s name. He can’t help it. He’s bombarded with all the name entails; Kris’ voice a whisper in comparison. Joonmyun tries to decipher all the colors in the perfect blend that makes up Kim Jongdae. If he looks hard enough, he can see magenta, turquoise, and-
“Joonmyun,” a smooth voice hisses urgently in his ear.
Joonmyun snaps to attention, sees Jongdae staring at him with slight worry visible in the creases in his forehead-wow is he close-and looks around the room.
“Care to join us, Mr. Kim?” Kris asks, teeth gritted.
Joonmyun colors, sinking into his chair. “Sorry,” he murmurs, and to his relief, Kris moves on. The meeting’s over after he finishes his briefing, but Joonmyun stays as the others leave the room, head down so that he doesn’t catch Kris’ glare.
“Hey.”
He glances up and represses a groan. Of course the only other human being to stay in the room would be Jongdae. This whole thing is like a huge cosmic joke.
“You zone out a lot. Are you okay? Is that normal?” Jongdae even looks a little concerned. Joonmyun feels the urge to just collapse.
“Fine. I’m fine.” He waits for the man to leave. Jongdae stays. He crosses his arms in askance and the man looks away. “Did you need something?”
“Chanyeol said something the other day about you being the reason I was hired. So… thank you.”
Joonmyun rolls his eyes. Chanyeol could not be more unprofessional. “There is no need.”
“No really! I want to thank you so, um, how about dinner? I know a nice place a few blocks away. I’ll come pick you up at your office around six.” Joonmyun makes no reply. “Great! See you then!”
Joonmyun gapes as the man stands, waves at him, and then leaves. What.
--
Jongdae pops into his office at six on the dot. Joonmyun still hasn’t been able to tell whether it was a joke or not, so he closes down and packs up slowly, motioning for Jongdae to come in and take a seat. They leave the room together and walk side by side down the crowded streets until they reach a small building where Jongdae stops. He opens the door for Joonmyun, who forces a smile at the gesture and they walk in.
Jongdae goes right up to the waiter and says he has a reservation. Joonmyun is floored, but follows when the waiter motions them over to follow him. Joonmyun beams when he’s handed a menu, earlier mood be damned, because this is an Italian restaurant.
Foreign languages are quite honestly fantastic. Joonmyun only speaks what he grew up with, but that doesn’t change the fact that each character, letter and number still has it’s own shade, so he feels himself cheer up when pasta primavera casts a scarlet glow in his mind.
“So,” Jongdae starts, startling him from his thoughts. “You’re doing it again. Care to let me in on the secret?” He asks with a hint of laughter.
Joonmyun bites his lip and considers. He’s never really told anyone before, never had to, but no one’s really asked. “I have color synesthesia. It means that when I see words, like this,” he offers up his menu, “I see color, too.”
Jongdae sets his own menu down. “That is incredible. What colors are you seeing?”
Joonmyun hums, closing his eyes for a second. “Mainly soft oranges and reds. There are a few off-greens, too.” He opens his eyes. “It makes memorizing things a whole lot easier. I can usually just recognize the word by the color. So,” he clears his throat, “what are you getting?”
Jongdae shakes his head vehemently. “Hey, no! You can’t drop it just like that! Tell me more. Do you see it for names, too?”
“Yes.” Joonmyun really hopes he doesn’t ask.
“What’s Kris?”
Joonmyun exhales. Crisis averted. “Well, he’s a mix of violet and navy, but very solid. Almost too solid. Knew he was going to be a problem when I met him.”
Jongdae laughs at that. “Then, what about me?”
“You,” Joonmyun starts, wringing his hands. “You’re a mix of soft, bright shades, almost like sherbet. But more like a sunset? I don’t know, but it really stands out on newsletters. Your name is very unique.”
“Wow.” Jongdae looks like he wants to ask more, but is stopped by the appearance of the waiter. They pursue more casual conversation while they eat and Joonmyun is grateful.
At the end of the night, Jongdae pays though Joonmyun does everything to stop him. They idle at the door before Jongdae grabs his wrist and drags him outside, saying he wants to show him something. They walk over to the large park in the center of the city, and it’s only when they step onto lush grass that they realize they’re still holding hands. Jongdae lets go, looking away as he lies on his back. Joonmyun follows, hoping and praying that he doesn’t get any grass stains on his suit.
“What are we doing?”
Jongdae points at the sky. The sun is just setting, and after a few minutes, it’s barely over the horizon, painting the sky with marvelous shades of pink, orange, and dying yellow. Joonmyun looks at Jongdae and finds the man facing him. “Is it anything like that?”
“No,” Joonmyun answers right away. “It’s so much more. Vibrant. Alive. This pales in comparison.” He sighs, threading his fingers together behind his head. “I wish I could show you.”
Jongdae shakes his head. “No, I’d much rather you explain it to me.” He grins. The sky is now filled with only a waning glow, and the streetlamps are flickering on. Jongdae yawns. “We should do this again.”
Joonmyun laughs, thinking that a name has never fit a person better. “We should.”