Chapter 11

Jeonghan is now at a restaurant, sitting on the VIP area of the place, across Choi Seongnam. Only one thing was going on his mind.

How the hell did I end up in here?

Seungcheol has been prevented from entering so only he and Seungcheol’s father were in the room and Jeonghan could only see the situation even weirder than meeting Choi Seongnam himself. He wasn’t speaking, only slicing his steak like it was like any other dinner he has eaten before. Jeonghan wanted to get out of the room so bad but couldn’t because he didn’t want to offend his friend’s father.

“Uhm, excuse me, Sir.” He muttered.

“Yes, boy?” The man in front of him replied. Jeonghan didn’t like the way the word ‘boy’ sounded from Seungcheol’s father and the way his brow seemed to send a condescending look to him, but he still maintained his polite composure.

“I certainly feel honored to have my friend’s father treat me to dinner, but may I ask why I am here?” He asked in a polite manner, hoping to have some idea as to what was the reason he was there. Seungcheol’s father placed his utensils down before staring at Jeonghan. Only staring at Jeonghan.

“Why are you staring at me, sir?” He asked the elder, who smiled at him in a patronizing way.

“Why did you think I invited you? It certainly not because someone who works for money suddenly befriended my son.” Seungcheol’s father said with a raised curious brow. At once Jeonghan’s senses told him one thing.

But despite that, he couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle. He tried to control it but he really found the situation funny.

“Now I know who Seungcheol took after, sir.” He said in a polite but cold tone, much to Seungcheol’s father’s disbelief.

“Are you laughing at me, boy?” the man in front of him asked in indignation, as if his chuckle was a big insult. “And what do you mean by your statement?” he asked. Jeonghan knew that there was a reason why his Uncle Sungha called him the day before.

Flashback

Jeonghan was doing his homework in his room while his phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and saw that it was his uncle Sungha, The Secretary of National Defense.

“Hello uncle!” He greeted.

“I’m really sorry for bothering you this late, Han, and I promise it would only be short. I’m rather busy as well.” He heard his uncle’s voice said from the other line.

“No worries, uncle! I was only doing my homework. Why did you call when you’re so busy already? You should rest now, uncle!” He said, hearing a soft chuckle from his uncle.

“Don’t worry about me, Han. Worry about yourself. Someone made an investigation about you again!” Jeonghan was rather shocked at his uncle’s words. He’s been friends with Seungcheol now so he didn’t think anyone else would dare with him anymore. His thought went to Jung Soojung but then she’s afraid of his uncle so no one came to mind anymore.

“Really, uncle? I don’t have a clue anymore. I took care of everyone I know that would be a threat to me.” He explained. His uncle ‘tsk-ed’ on the other line.

“Well this one was a good one, Han. I tried tracing back to the source but I couldn’t find out whom. Someone has placed a tail on you as well but I deflected it already. I have to make more actions to find out who ordered this.” He said. Jeonghan could practically hear the stress on his uncle’s voice and he didn’t like it one bit.

“Uncle, as long as they didn’t find anything on me, then everything is fine. Please don’t stress yourself too much; those people would have to show their faces at one point, so we can just let them be. The important thing is I know what they’re doing. I can be prepared for it.” He said, trying to calm his uncle down. “You’re already busy enough with your work as it is, please don’t stress about me too much, uncle. I’d hate to see you having a hard time.” He added.

“But what would noona say?” Sungha said. Jeonghan thought that his uncle’s question was more to himself than to Jeonghan.

“Please rest already, uncle! I’ll take care of myself and I promise to call you if things would prove to be more than I could handle.” He suggested, knowing that this was what his uncle needed to hear to calm down.

“You promise? I’d really hate to know you’re being mistreated by other chaebols out there. You’re so much more than that.” He heard his uncle say. Jeonghan was touched at his words; this was one of those times wherein he felt like he really wasn’t alone.

“I promise, uncle. So rest easy now.” He said. He heard his uncle let out a deep breath before saying goodbye.

End of Flashback

Jeonghan now knows that it was Seungcheol’s father who hired someone to do a background check on him. He probably is the one who placed a tail on his as well. Now he knew how to deal with him.

Looking at him now with a cold stare, Jeonghan smiled at Seungcheol’s father. “With all due respect for my friend’s father, I hope you weren’t too disappointed when you got nothing out of your background check on me, sir.” He said with a cold smile. He watched as Seongnam’s face contorted with indignant anger.

“How dare you!” He said, slamming his fist on the table; making his plate and utensils rise. Jeonghan marveled at the resemblance between Seungcheol and his father.

“I don’t believe I did anything, sir.” He said with cold respect. “But I do hope that it wasn’t you who hired someone to follow me as well, sir. That would be too much a disappointment.” He added. By now, Seongnam’s lips were in a thin, almost invisible line. Jeonghan reached out for his phone and texted Seungcheol.

To: Cheollie

Get in here asap, Cheol!

He placed his phone down as he look to Seongnam with disbelief in his eyes.

“How dare you speak to me that way, you orphan? You have some nerve speaking to me in such a manner. You’re just peasant who wants to have a shot at us chaebols.” Seongnam said indignantly. Again, Jeonghan couldn’t help but chuckle at his resemblance to his son. It should have made him angry that someone did this to him, but he couldn’t help but find it endearing that Seungcheol didn’t fall off too far from the tree.

“Don’t worry, sir. I have no interest for your son’s money, be rest assured. You don’t need to go to such lengths.” He said respectfully, but not without humor in his voice.  He took his wine glass from the table. “Your son already did.” He said as he brought it to his lips and drank. Seongnam’s stony face was now pale because of lack of blood. He certainly didn’t expect this from Jeonghan. They heard the door open and Seungcheol entered the room. He sat beside Jeonghan as he looked from him to his father and back. He was certainly curious.

“Cheollie, your father thinks I’m here to take your money.” He said nonchalantly, but it certainly surprised Seungcheol.

“Appa! What are you doing?” He asked his father angrily. Choi Seongnam raised an eyebrow at him in warning; making him quiet.

“I just want to protect you from the likes of him, son. This one is proving to be a tough one.” He said, glaring at Jeonghan.

“Please, sir, don’t glare at me. Your losing your composure, it’s unbecoming of a man your status.” Jeonghan said with a smirk as he sliced his steak and ate it. The father and son were surprised at his words. Seungcheol knows that Jeonghan has a sharp tongue when attacked, so he wondered what his father did.

“See, son?” his father asked. “Do you see how uneducated this one is? He certainly doesn’t know his place!” He said, not even bothering to mask his disdain for the longhaired boy.

“Is this how I was before?” Seungcheol asked Jeonghan, who only smiled in reply. He shook his head in discomfort.

“Appa, you’re embarrassing me in front of my friend! He even drives a better car than me!” He said, surprising his father.

“What do you mean? He’s someone who works for money!” Seongnam said. “How can someone like him even afford a car?” He said in open dislike for Jeonghan.

“Please tell me that’s not haw I sounded, Han-nie?” Seungcheol asked the boy beside him. Jeonghan only mouthed ‘exactly like that’ as he smirked. Seongnam watched the interaction appalled at the two’s closeness.

“Well, Cheollie, I think you have lots to talk about with your father.” He said, placing a hand on Seungcheol’s shoulder. He stood up and looked at his friend’s father.

“I certainly didn’t appreciate what you did, sir, but you’re my friend’s father so I must pay my respects.” He said as he did a respectful bow to Seongnam. “I hope there won’t be a second time because there’ll be consequences then. You’ve been identified and what happens when this repeats is out of my hands.” He said. Seongnam stood up in anger, glaring at the younger.

“Are you threatening me, boy?” he said, his eyes now in slits.

“No, sir. I am not.” He said with a smile. “You can ask your son on this one, he’s done it before. No need to stand, sir. I’ll see myself out.” He said before giving another bow and heading out of the room. Seongnam only stared at the door very much insulted.

“Appa, you didn’t, perhaps, did a background check on Jeonghan, right?” Seungcheol asked his father in curiosity. His father sat down as he took a sip from his drink.

“I did because I can, son. Don’t ask me why.” He answered with finality.

“But you couldn’t, father. That much I know.” Seungcheol replied. His father looked to him with an insulted expression.

“You did an investigation on him, too?” His father asked him, he nodded in agreement. “So what did you find?”

“That he’s richer than me.” He said calmly. His father looked like he wasn’t, though. “He is not richer than you, Appa, but he is richer than the Jungs.” He continued. The look on his father’s face was a new one to Seungcheol. He has never saw his father with much expression before so this was definitely a new one.

“And I think you definitely heard the news about the Secretary of National Defense coming to the university, right?” He asked. His father gave him a look that acknowledged the fact.

“What’s that got to do with this?” His father asked him.

“Well, he went there to say that if I bothered Yoon Jeonghan again, he’d send few squads to talk to me.” He answered. He waited for it to sink in his father’s mind. The look on his father’s face was enough to say he acknowledged underestimating Jeonghan like his son did.

“If you didn’t find anything on Jeonghan, it must mean that his uncle tightened security.” He added.

“You mean his uncle is the Secretary of National Defense?” His father asked him. He only nodded this time as well, letting in sink in.

“Well, I still don’t like him, son. He’s made an enemy of me. I’ll make sure to pay him back for the insult he’s given me.” His father declared. Seungcheol was shocked at his father’s words. He knew what his father was capable of, so he only feared for Jeonghan.

“Appa, please don’t do this. He’s my friend.” Seungcheol pleaded. He certainly felt helpless at this point. He could only wish that his friendship with Jeonghan wouldn’t be straine