When my father was well enough to be discharged, I decided to tell him about my engagement with Tao. I thought he would be surprised, but instead he rolled his eyes at me and said “Took you long enough.”

                Oh come on, did I really take that long?

                “What about your brother?” he asked.

                “I tried dad, but honestly I don’t think he wants to be found.”

                “It’s not like you to give up so easily.”

                “Dad, I almost…” I stopped myself so I wouldn’t get choked up again. Dad put a hand on my shoulder, as if he knew what I was going to say.

                “It’s okay.” He said, smiling at me. “I’m okay now.”

                “You have to stop drinking Dad. And go on vacation. A long one, with Mom. I’ll pay for it.”

                “It’s not necessary…”

                “Dad, I’m going back to the office tomorrow. I wanna take back my company.”

                “And Jackson?”

                “Jackson can go and have with himself. It’s my company.”

                Dad smiled meekly at me and nodded. “Whatever you say son. Do what you have to.”

                “Thanks Dad.”

                “And congratulations on your engagement. It’s long overdue. Your mother will be really happy.”

                That afternoon my father was discharged from the hospital. Mum came to take him home and true enough, she was over the moon about my engagement. She jumped straight into wedding planner mode and for the first time in a long while, I’m actually afraid of my mother.

                “We have to get flowers, so many of them. And a wedding hall. A caterer too, but definitely not the last guy who catered for your Aunt Lim that was just lousy and…”

                “Mom, you do realize we’re getting married only in the fall of next year right? Why do you sound like we’re getting married tomorrow?”

                “Because it’s never too early to plan for such an auspicious event!” she clapped her hands and skipped about. My mother never, and I mean never, skips. I looked at Tao and he just laughed.

                “I have never seen your mother so happy before.”

                Me neither. These past few months have been tragic for the family, so to finally have something that would bring us joy and excitement after such a long time was wonderful. Tao and I sat back to listen to Mom plan her dream wedding for us while we just smiled and nodded.

                The next day I went back to the office, and everything seemed almost unfamiliar. It was as if they were all strangers. My secretary was still very happy to see me, but something about the whole place seemed off.

                Turns out Jackson had repainted the office.

                He repainted. Without discussing with me.

                The ing bastard.

                “What else did Jackson do to this place? Did he change all the desks to oak and put in a waterslide in the bathroom?”

                “No sir,” Wendy bit her lip, trying not to laugh I can tell. “He did install a new coffee machine, extended the lunch hours and put in nap rooms.”

                “What the are nap rooms?”

                “As the name entails sir, you take a nap in that room.”

                “Why are people sleeping when they should be working?”

                “But sir, we all get tired during the day. And studies have shown that a nap helps productivity.”

                “Yeah right. Where is he anyway?”

                “He’s in his office.”

                “You mean my office.”

                “Er, right sir.”

                “Jackson,” I called as I burst into his office-my office I mean- without knocking. He was caught off guard and nearly fell off the chair.

                “Cousin Kris! You’re back!”

                “And not a moment too soon. Get out of here.”

                “Oh come on now, that’s no way to thank someone who looked after your company while you were gone.”

                “Stop lying you think I don’t know that you’re secretly scheming, trying to find a way to get this company for yourself?”

                “This company? Are you ing kidding me?” he scoffed. “Why would I want this ty little thing? I’m not desperate.”

                “Good, then go back to the hell-hole you came from and leave me alone. This is my company and there is no place for you.”

                “Where’s Luhan?”

                “What?”

                “Luhan. Where is your brother? Are there still no news?”

                “Why do you care?”

                “Listen,” Jackson put a hand on his hip. “Your father called me to help you when Luhan disappeared. Then you go off on some ing hunt for him, came back and just stormed in here, with no knocks even, and tell me to off. I have just as much right as you do to be here. I worked here for the many months you were crying about your missing brother.”

                “Why you…”

                “We may have had our disagreements in the past but if you think I would stoop so low as to steal your family’s business from you while your family is losing a son then you are out of your ing mind.” Jackson pointed at me. “In case you forgot, Luhan is my cousin too you know.”

                “You didn’t seem to feel that way when you called him an outsider.”

                “Why do you wanna hold my childish mistakes against me now?” Jackson and I glared at each other for a bit, it then slowly occurred to me that this is the first time Jackson is admitting that his child self was a mistake.

                “Just get the out of here.”

                “Fine.” He moved past me and opened the door. “Just so you know,” he said to me “I may be rude, an and a boy, but I am not a thief. Not for family.” He looked at me one last time and slammed the door on the way out. Through my office window I could see him storming off, the staff raising their heads and some of them even going after him.

                I sighed heavily and sat back down on my chair. In my own office. There were still mounds of paperwork everywhere so I tried to tidy it up a little. In one of the slips of paper, I found a photocopied version of some sort of contract. The contract was between EXO Corporations and Axial Enterprise. Axial Enterprise is the largest residence developer in Asia. I don’t remember signing a deal with them. Did Jackson just score a deal with Axial for EXO Corp.?

                I didn’t want to think about anything anymore. I just dumped the papers on top of the cabinets and searched for an Advil. It’s my first day back in several months and already I feel like . I have to learn how to manage this company by myself now. Without Dad and without Luhan.

                And clearly without Jackson.

*********************

                A few weeks later, on one Tuesday night, I decided to stay up late to check back on the documents I missed while I was gone. I’ve been back in the company for a while now but there is still lots to catch up on. The staff seemed a little disappointed Jackson was gone, but I told them they needed to move on. Time waits for no man.

                They need to move on.

                Hmmm.

                It’s been weeks since I stopped looking for Luhan. I just don’t have the energy for it anymore. All these clues, parcel lockers and random scraps of paper that don’t mean anything. I am through with his game. It’s not fun anymore. I nearly lost my father because of him.

                The company needs me, and so does my family. I’m going to marry Tao, and one day start my own. I can’t revolve my life around someone who clearly doesn’t want to be found. Clearly Luhan and I are meant to walk on different paths.

                Tao had gone to sleep in my room, and my parents finally took a vacation together. The doctor advised my father to take it easy and reduce the stress. He said he should not work anymore and do some light exercise instead. Which is good news for all of us anyways, although my dad keeps complaining that there is nothing to do at home.

                I laid out all my paperwork and was going to make a cup of tea for myself when the doorbell rang. I answered it and for two seconds I couldn’t recognise who this guy was standing in front of me. It turned out to be Minseok, Luhan’s best friend.

                “Minseok?”

                “Hey Kris. Can I come in?”

                “Oh sure.” Minseok and Luhan were best friends in high school and he used to come over all the time. I haven’t seen him in a while and almost couldn’t recognise him. The chubby boy from back then has lost a lot of weight, cut his hair and gained some muscle. He is really good looking now.

                “Can I offer you something to drink?” I asked, scooping paperwork in my hands. “Sorry about the mess.”

                “It’s okay. I meant to come earlier but I had to close my store.” Minseok smiled apologetically.

                “What brings you here?”

                “I was wondering if you have heard from Luhan.”

                “No.” I replied curtly. “Luhan has never communicated with his own family when he disappeared.”

                “You’re not looking for him? I know the police have given up but…”

                “I have better things to do Minseok. I have a company to run and I’m engaged too.”

                “Oh! Congratulations then!” he smiled, clapping for me. “Although it doesn’t seem like you to give up so soon.”

                Why does everyone keep saying that?

                “Minseok, I...oh never mind.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m just tired. Luhan doesn’t want to be found and that’s that. He ran away and he doesn’t want to come back. End of story.”

                Minseok chewed his bottom lip repeatedly as we both shared a moment of silence while we waited for the tea to brew. I was about to take a sip when he looked at me and said “I know where he is.”

                I put down the cup and looked up. “Where?”

                “He’s in California. Los Angeles as a matter of fact. He’s been there for a while now.”

                “Oh. And how do you know?”   

                “He called me.”

                Oh great. So he doesn’t call his family to ask how they are, are they alive, what’s going on, but instead he calls Minseok?

                No offense but what happened to blood is thicker than water?

                “What does he want?”

                “He needs money. He was in the hospital recently and he needs to pay off his medical bills. He asked me to lend him some but I put all my savings towards this new café I’m working on so…”

                “So what? You’re asking me to send the money to him?”

                “I know what Luhan did was selfish and you’re mad at him but he’s your brother. You can’t just leave him like this.”

                “Why shouldn’t I? What has he done for us? He made us worry about him for months, made me gallivant halfway around the world, gave my father a heart attack and gave cousin Jackson a reason to infiltrate my company. After all of that I have to give him money?”

                “Okay, I know it’s absurd and all…” Minseok swallowed his tea. “but he’s your brother.”

                “There’s no law that says I can’t be mad at him.”

                “True, but if you knew why…”

                “Why? Let me tell you why he is doing this. He has run off with some artist named Sehun and decided to be a hobo because of this guy. This guy who can only afford apartments the size of a ing matchbox, who can’t buy him meat and gets paint all over his clothes. He is in love apparently.”

                “He is Kris. I thought you of all people would understand.”

                “Luhan? In love? Please in all his years I have never seen him even go on 2 dates with the same person in college. Every night when he comes home it’s with a different face. Do you know how many stranger women’s underwear has been left behind? How could he, who has millions of girls and boys lining up to his , know what it’s like to be in love?”

                Minseok shrugged. “I don’t know, but I think he knows more than he lets on. Just please help him.”

                “It’s not like he’s dying.”

                “No,but…” Minseok bit his lip again. “Are you going to wait until he is?”

A/N: Will he? Hohohohoho if you want to know please stay tuned!!!!

Also because I love Jackson I don't think I can make him a bad guy, but this won't go down without some drama believe me XD

Thanks for all the love guys! You people are saints ^^