A heavy silence falls as he simply stares at me. Inwardly I wince as I take in his face. It has certainly seen better days. His lip was spilt in more then one place. His cheeks were purple and rings yellow on both sides and his left eye was an inflamed red and nearly swollen shut.

I open my mouth to suggest that he put some ice on it, but realized that he’d probably just get mad and think I was pitying him. I quickly decided against it and wait to see if he would say anything.

He holds my gaze for a few more seconds before turning around and walking shakily back out of the dinning room. A moment later, the piercing sound of a door slamming shut echoes around the house.

I breathe a sigh of relief, thankful that he didn’t start anything. In retrospect though, he probably was too weak and in pain to do anything. Yoseob and I didn’t exactly go easy on him last night. I worry the bottom of my lip as I wonder if he has gone to the hospital at all or if he had taken any painkillers. The thought of worrying about him sickens me, but the sad truth was that I still cared. And I knew that I always would, because some part of me will always love who he once was and even a small part of who he is now.

Yoseob, as if somehow sensing my worry, calls over a maid. “Could you please give Seungri some ice and a few painkillers?” And upon seeing her worried face, he says with a reassuring smile, “You don’t have to give it to him face-to-face. Just knock on his door, tell him what it is and leave. His pride won’t let him take it from you if you’re standing there. So it’ll be a double benefit, you won’t be there if he act out and I won’t have a cursing, bruised zombie for a stepbrother, right?”

She nods, hesitantly, but accepting to Yoseob’s solution.

“Also, call a doctor to the house, please? I want to make sure nothing is serious.” Yoseob adds as she is walking away.

“As you wish.” She says, bowing to us.

“Thank you,” I say, looking down shamefully. I shouldn’t be worried about him.

Yoseob sighs, letting out all of his negative emotions, before smiling gently and taking my hands in his. “Don’t apologize for being worried about him. You are a caring person by nature, and for you and your heart, it doesn’t matter if that person was mean, rude, or not worth saving, you will still care for them if they are injured or hurt.” He lifts a hand to my chin and tenderly pushes up so I will meet his eyes. “It is one of the many qualities that I love so much about you. You love and care so much for people, regardless if they aren’t the best people around. And the very best part is that you care and love unconditionally. No matter what, you still will reach out to them if they need it.” He grins and winks. “I also love it because your compassion keeps me, as a businessman, very sane and forgiving. I’m sure half of my father’s staff would have been fired, traumatized, or cursed by black magic, if it wasn’t for you.”

That draws a laugh from me and an accomplished smile from him. “Oh don’t exaggerate you dork.” I hit him lightly in the chest. “Your staff would be fine without me.”

“I really don’t think so. I was really ready to castrate that intern last week.”

“Oh, was it Hyunseung? The thin and pretty one with red hair?”

Yoseob rolled his eyes and released a deep sigh of pent up frustrations at the name and description. “That would be the idiot. I’ve named him Blank Seung now. Cause his brain is blank.”

I nudge him with my elbow. “Oh come on. Don’t be so mean. He is a hard worker and he is very sweet. You should be nice to him.”

He gives me a glare that could level several battlefields. “I try.” He groans. “So hard, but he is just so unbearably stupid. I mean, who is hell mixes up photo paper with regular paper? Photo paper has that thickness and sheen that regular just doesn’t have! I’m now short a few 100 bucks thanks to him.”

In the grand scheme of things, a few 100 bucks wouldn’t hurt a company as big as my godfather’s, but both he and his son are not ones to throw money in the wind. Hyunseung is really lucky to still be working there.

I smile and rub his shoulder reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I’ll talk to him. Maybe that’ll help.”

Yoseob rolls his eyes. “Even if some god came down from the Heavens and guided him through every process, he would still mess up somehow.”

“Oh don’t be mean.” I chastise him and he scowls, but lets it go.

“Fine. You can talk to him, but if he messes up again, I’m really going to fire him.” He warns. I nod and kiss him on the cheek.

“Thank you, babe.”

He sighs and leans over to drop a light one on my lips. “Anything for you. And your caring heart.