CHAPTER 21

A few days ago

“Yes. But I came here to tell you me and my husband will move to London. And I'm going to take Soohyun with me.”

“You.... you can't do this. We have joint custody,” he spit. He was so mad. From all the things she did and said to him, this was probably the worst.

Her icy stare turned even harder. “But I'm the mother, a child has to stay with the mom. And Tae Woo has business to run overseas.” Yuri didn't raise her voice, but she never did. She always in control of her emotions, every words she uttered calculated.

“I don't care if Tae Woo has business on Nepal or the Bermudas. Soohyun is not going anywhere.”

Yuri squinted her eyes and for a moment Minjun thought she would give up and leave. But when he was ready to breathe easily again, she added, “I see Taecyeon is here. You guys are going to get back together as a band, isn't it?”

He froze. Minjun didn't want her knowing this, especially not now when she was threatening to take their son to London. “No, we are not. He's just here as a friend.”

She laughed, a rich sound that carried through the room. And it made him sick to his stomach. “You are going to get back together. I just know it. You were always a lousy liar.”And you a good one, he thought. But he wouldn't play her games.

“This is none of your business, Yuri.”

“I have to disagree. This is pretty much my business. But don't mind me, carry on,” she added with a flick of her wrists and a sardonic smile on her face. “This is actually pretty good to me. There is no way a judge is going to give you parental rights when you are always on the road.”

Minjun gave up reasoning and went straight to begging. “Yuri, please. Soohyun is everything I have. Don't do this, he will suffer too.”

“Well, there is nothing I can do. I'm not gonna give up this chance to live abroad.”

“Go alone then. Or better yet, get out of here. I guess we are sorting this on court.”

“I guess we will.” With a triumphant smile, she left. During their talk, Minjun pretended to be strong, to be brave. However, he couldn't hold a single tear falling from his face. But he quickly wiped it out. Time to be strong again because that was what daddies do. They pretended to be the bravest men in the world for their kids.

He went down the stairs slowly, not wanting to see Yuri again. When he heard the door slamming, he went to the living room to see Taecyeon and his son. Soohyun was sitting on the floor, playing once again. Watching his baby, so happy with his adorable toothless smile, he wanted to cry again. Instead he just smiled.

“What is going on?” Taecyeon dragged Minjun to the kitchen. “You are smiling, but it doesn't reach your eyes. What did she say?” His friend looked distraught, eyes panicked. How did he know his inner conflicts so much?

“She... she wants to move to London and said she will take him.” His voice failed him, his legs no longer able to hold his weight. But Taecyeon held him like he was a weightless feather descending into light air. “I can't lose him, Taec.” Now he cried, his arms holding Taecyeon like a lifeline.

“It's alright, it's going to be alright.” His friend patted his back and held him tightly. Daddies needed to be brave. Daddies didn't cry. But in that moment, he was just a scared child falling from his bike and pouring his heart out.

Minjun felt a breeze by his side and when he looked back, it seemed Jia was running outside the rehearsal room. It was so fast he barely could see her retreating back.

“Was that Jia?” He asked Nichkhun and Wooyoung, but they were still as stones, their eyes bugged and looking at something. But he didn't have time to see what they were looking because Soohyun was giggling. So he looked down and asked, “what are you laughing at, son?”

“Uncle Junho and uncle Chan are kissing,” the kid replied, his small finger pointing at two people tangled together, kissing. And it seemed to entertain him because he laughed like a happy fanboy.

“YAH. Hwang Chansung, Lee Junho. What the hell are you doing?” He dropped Soohyun's hand and as fast as Jia walked out of the room, he approached them and hit them with a briefcase that was laying on the floor.

“Ouch,” the lovebirds said in unison. But he didn't stop. “There is a kid on the room, you bastards. Behave!” The kid in question was giggling even harder, having the time of his life with the showdown. And of course, Taecyeon just laughed alongside with him.

“Hyung, stop. I need to talk to Jia,” between hits in the head. He distributed the blows evenly, one to Junho, one to Chansung. But the maknae's pleading voice made him pause.

“Not the time, Chansung. The meeting is about to start,” Taecyeon said once he sobered. Soohyun sat on his lap, but still laughed at their antics, with his hand on his tummy because he laughed hard.

“Okay, hyung,” Chansung mumbled. He looked a little red on the face, but nothing like the Nuneo, who seemed brighter than a tomato. His ears were a vivid red, which made Minjun laugh for the first time today. Maybe for the first time in the last few days.

“Okay, loverboys. But enough with the PDA for now,” he stated, trying to smile a little at them. He did feel bad for these poor fools, so he cut them some slack.

“Sorry, hyung. Let's just go to this meeting, right?” Red Nuneo tried to sound cheery, but failed. But something Chansung whispered on his ear made him calm a little.

“Where is Soohyun going to stay though?” Taecyeon asked.

“There is an ahjumma that takes care of him when I come to record stuff. Let's go.” He extended his hand to Soohyun, who promptly took it.

They walked together, an army of handsome men in suits. For normal people they would look scary, but not to those JYPE executives. They didn’t care for their size or beauty, their charm wouldn’t convince them.

When they found the lady who would take care of his son, he kneeled down. “Okay, stay here with the ahjumma, okay?”

“Fighting, daddy,” he cheered, his tiny fists closed in support. “Fighting 2pm ahjussis.” That made a subtle tension dissipate into wide smiles. And he felt proud of his boy for making them smile even for a second.

“Bye, baby.”

They entered the room. It was a little scary, with its big oval table and somber looking old men. But among them, there were two familiar, and hopefully, friendly faces. Namyoung and JYP. Their opinion didn't carry a lot of weight among so many powerful men, but artistically they were very much respected. Namyoung was now an executive, but still an iconic choreographer. And JYP wasn’t the CEO even before their separation, but produced several albums throughout the years.

While he looked at those unfamiliar faces, he wondered if 2pm was worth it. He could lose his kid because of his hectic schedule not considering how hard was to keep a functioning group, but when he looked at his side at his dongsaengs with determined expressions on their faces, he figured it was all worth it. He wanted it all, his son and his band. And he would fight for them because they belonged to him.

“Hello, we are 2pm,” they said and bowed. They didn't rehearse the introduction, coming to them naturally as breathing. Like a family, like an unity.

For the next hour, Taecyeon made a presentation on how Junho as a solo artist and Minjun as a producer were good and made great profit, but together as a group they were unbeatable. The suits looked at them with solemn expression, writing stuff down on their tablets. It was nerve wrecking. But Taecyeon showed them why he was considered one of the most intelligent idols. He showed them stats, graphics and numbers. It was a little devoid of emotion, but Taecyeon knew how to appeal to those executives: their pockets.

“I would like to say something,” JYP interceded after Taecyeon finished his presentation. Their once mentor scratched his throat a little and started. “These guys made a lot of mistakes, I know. They split when they should have fought harder for their group. But let's look at it in another way. When we put bands together, we don't take their will into consideration. We pick guys among a crowd and force them into a group with unknown people. Most of the times, it doesn't work and they fight, they hate each other. But these guys, after so many years, are here in front of you begging for another shot. They truly love each other. And it shows. It shows on their performances, on variety shows, on their music. They love each other and that's why they are better musicians. We can't let them go once again. I humbly ask of you to consider them again in our company.” Suddenly, his heart hurt. But he guess all of their hearts did because everyone in their group was crying, truly touched by JYP's words. The man himself had his eyes full of tears.

“Okay. I ask 2pm to wait outside. We have matters to discuss.”

With their eyes still wet, they went outside. With not a single word, they hugged each other tightly and cried because they knew that even if nothing worked, they had each other. In a compassionate silence they stood there on that hall, holding hands and wondering about their future.

After a nerve wracking wait, the door to that meeting room opened. “We have reached a decision,” a man with grey hair and sharp features said.

Still holding hands, they entered that place once again to hear the decision that would change their lives forever. Everything was alright, he told himself. He just had to remember how to breathe.  

AN: oh gosh, how was it? I reach new insecurity levels as the story progresses. Maybe it's time to start wrapping up? Anyway, kinda love JYP here :)

As usually, comments are really appreciated. Have a good week, bbs.

ps: Yuri is just a random name I picked. 

UP NEXT: Wooyoung? Still didn't figure that out, but possibly.