Kris, Tao and the newly arrived Yixing, much known to us as Lay, joined me for lunch at Snowflakes Coffee Shop today. I eyed the newly arrived Chinese brother of mine. Yixing, like Tao and Kris, is a young lord otherwise we would not be acquianted whose family is second only to the empire that the merged families of Kris and Tao holds. Unlike Kris and Tao though, Lay is responsible and easy to talk with. He arrived three days after the party and was dragged here by Tao to be introduced to my baozi. Jongin and Kyungsoo as usual entered the coffee shop exactly at 11:30 which they always do. 

"Yah! Lay-hyung!" Jongin hugged Lay in a brotherly fashion which serves as a ceremony everytime they cross path. Among the seven of us, Baekhyun and Chanyeol missing because of their out of the country vacation, Lay and Jongin were especially close as they both have the same hobby which is dancing. Kyungsoo who was introduced to Lay when they visited China during their vacation politely greeted the chinese young lord and received equal politeness. We all then settled in the table and smiled. Moments later, Lay waved towards the man who we expected to be his guest as he formerly mentioned hours ago who would join us in this humble lunch. "Suho-ssi" In a synchronized manner, we all whipped our head towards the guest who brings the awkward gloom in the atmosphere. Tao glared at him despite the elbowing of Kris who sat right next to him. Kyungsoo who was across Tao and beside Jongin had his lips in a very grim line. Kris was cool as so was Jongin while I was expectant. He showed us an amiable smile despite the heavy air that is lurking around. 

"Hello, Yixing! What a coincidence, Kyungsoo-ssi, Jongin-ssi" He smiled professionally at the sight of us. Lay who seems to have just sense the change of atmosphere stared at us with a puzzling look. While Suho, as Lay named him, stared at me and smiled brightly. "Greetings, Luhan-ssi and to the young masters of the Wu and Huang family too" 

"wassup" Kris said coolly. Kris was the man that can handle this type of situation very well. "Have a seat" He offered. 

"Am I allowed to?" I nodded he sat beside to next to lay which was a seat away from as Lay was seating next to me and the seat to my right was empty or more accurately was reserved. Kyungsoo glared at Joon-myeon who gently shrugged his murderous aura with his kind one. "I heard a lot about you, Kyungsoo-ssi, and your attachment to Minseok hyung" Kyungsoo nearly grabbed his collar which was fortunately stopped by the newly arrived Xiumin who smiled at Joon-myeon.

"Hyung" Kyungsoo meekly stated making Xiumin pat his head. "Sorry" Kyungsoo was on the verge of tears. Kai wrapped him in an embrace. Xiumin greeted Lay in chinese who politely returned his greeting and then sat next to me. 

"Are you okay?" He smiled weakly at me and replied silently with his grip in my hands. It brough warm feelings inside me to know that I was trusted. Joon-myeon stared at Xiumin with a gentle gaze and said "Don't worry, hyung, I am not a puppet. Like you, I am also a lost case in his records" He glanced at Lay and warmly smiled at us then to the still supicious Kyungsoo "Lay here saved me" he continued. Tao and Kris exchanged mischievous glances and smiled at each other. I dared not ask them as to what they are up to, I am quite frightened of the consequence if I do. 

The lunch was quiet and slightly awkward but still comfortable. The usual rants of Tao and Kris' disciplining him made the mood lighten but Xiumin's hand has not left mine which I was glad he forgot. Jongin was first to leave and left Kyungsoo in the shop after a quick peck on his cheek which earned Jongin a glare from his lover which he dismissed by a chuckle. Tao and Kris was always a tandem and left the shop together as they have to meet with someone their father's told them to meet much to their displeasure. Yixing was dragged out by Tao. I was also about to leave the table to when Xiumin held my arms and pleaded me with his eyes to stay. I complied by sitting back to the chair. 

"So" Kyungsoo started "Why are you in Korea?" Kyungsoo was blunt and deadly. I have observed this past few weeks that he was overly protective of his brother. Xiumin seems to be the only one who can control him though and I was glad he was not like Jongin and would squeeze out everything in me by blackmailing me wih his knowledge of my affection to his brother. Joon-myeon stared at him equally serious. 
"To chase after grandfather" Xiumin shivered at the word grandfather. Joon-myeon took a note of it. Kyungsoo stared at him shocked. "He is in Korea, right now" Kyungsoo slammed the table hard for everyone to notice. "What for?" He exclaimed. 

"He was to attend a certain business party and then to close a business deal but for reasons unknown I heard he was also here to fetch Minseok-hyung"He eyed at his older brother pitifuly. Kyungsoo was murderous and frantic. I listened closely to their private conversation. "After Minseok-hyung left the mansion, I hated him. Grandfather has been strict to me since I was a child and with Minseok-hyung's betrayal it became stricter. It all change when I stumbled upon the document" Minseok teared up as he practically hugged me and I was comforting him with up-down motion of my hand in his back. Joon-myeon stared at the broken Minseok guiltily while Kyungsoo was deeply worried. "I thought it was a joke and it was not true but suspicions got a hold of me so I investigated. On my way to China, I met Lay and he without any knowledge of anything helped me greatly in my investigation and I was able to confirm the dreadful thing to be true. I had to get the facts straight from the man himself and packed to go home only to find that he was in Korea and was in search of you. The years of ignorance and guilt haunted me so I came here in hopes to see you and warn you" Joon-myeon bowed his head. "Which I was glad I did" Kyungsoo stared silently at Joon-myeon and sighed. Kyungsoo stared at me then smiled weakly. Xiumin was frightened to an unbelievable extent. He was shaking uncontrollably. 

"Luhan-ssi, I will leave my brother in your care. Joon-myeon-ssi and I has something to take care in preparations for the future" Kyungsoo stared at his brother blankly. 

"I'll take care of Baozi, you brothers need to catch up" Joon-myeon raised his brow and so did Kyungsoo. I stared at them with a puzzled expression. Kyungsoo seemed to have remembered something and said "No, no, I am not related to Joon-myeon-ssi. I only have Minseok-hyung as my brother" I questioned Kyungsoo with my gaze and replied with a bitter smile while staring at Xiumin who has slowly calmed down in my arms and said "I have no qualifications to tell you the details. Only hyung has" before he left with Joon-myeon behind his tracks. 

-----

"I dont mean to intrude" I said to no one before I entered Xiumin's house. It was clean. Unbelievably clean. In fact it is of no exaggeration to say there was no dust. Xiumin closed the door behind me. The room was simple and comforting. The blue walls painted so lightly that it almost seems white and the orderly arrangement of the basic appliances seems to click so well. The room was notably full of bookshelves and cases of scientific magazines. The only luxurious thing on the room was the computer. It was superb and cool. There were three monitor screens the system unit was cooled by what seems to be liquid nitrogen. Xiumin smiled at me. "What do you want to eat?" he asked. I shook my head. "I'm fine"

It took an hour for Xiumin to recover from his frightened state and a whole lot of more to properly take his mind of his fears. I was entertaining him by bringing him to my work which thankfully was a field work. It was Chen who arranged for the field work today and post poned all the meetings. I must say he really is a great secretary. It was after my work that I was invited to his abode which I happily accepted. 

"There must be something you should have" He complained. I chuckled. It is so like him to fuss over small details. I was eyeing the contents of his book shelves and all seemed to be mathematics books. I looked around and found pictures of Kyungsoo and him when they were toddlers. It seems like they were really close. Another picture of him and Joon-myeon with a serious look and the last picture I was not allowed to see since he grabbed it from my hand before I was clearly able to see it. I stared at his pink blushing cheeks who pouted. "That's intrusion of privacy. I made you some tea" He said as he placed the tea in the small table while clutching to the picture like it was something very precious. He eyed the other two pictures and smiled bitterly. 
"I am an illegitimate child" He suddenly confessed. "Kyungsoo is my step brother since we share the same mother and same with Joon-myeon with the same father" He continued. He smiled at me with that grieving expression that I had just have to move closer and pull him into a comforting embrace. His soft sobs and unheard screams were drowned in my shoulder. His warm tears against my clothing and my hand against his back. He was so fragile. I stared at his tears-filled eyes and kissed his lips. He had no qualms. We seem to have caught in the moment. It was short and quick. His husky breath against mine. I was addicted. I pulled for some more. The natural sweetness and the salty tears blew me out of rationality. It was gentle but passionate. I did not expect him to grant my persistent request for entrance. He placed it to a stop with the shove he did.  He stared at me at disbelieve. "We can't" He said. 

"Why?" He was silent. Broken. Tears run down his face as he stared at me. He murmured incoherent words beneath his breath. "Why, Minseok, Why?" I asked. Unable to hold it anymore. The choking pain and the restrained love that drives me insane. I can't even come to a conclusion as to why did this happen to me. He looked at me with a guilty expression. "Why?" I repeated with a pleading voice. I want him. I love him. I can't ever live without him. 
"Because I love you" He softly whispered. Sobs replaced his voice and I was stunned. I tried to pull him into an embrace but he rejected. He stood up distancing away from me. Why seems to be the only word to escape my mouth. I repeated it one more time. "I love you too, baozi."

"You mustn't" He said, no, he pleaded. "Please don't"

"I love you and you love me? What's wrong with that?" I reasoned out. He shook his head. 

"Everything" He answered loudly. He burst into crying. Tears pouring from his childish face as he shivered from the pain. I clenched my fist hard and controlled myself punching every single thing in the damn room. "I love you too much and it was my sin. I love you too much, Luhan"

"Then tell me what the hell is wrong?" I screamed. He shook. He gripped his shirt really hard as if to gain strength to hold his feet. 
"Because I don't deserve it. Your love. Your kindness. None of it." He wailed. "You're too beautiful. I will be nothing but a catastrophe"

"Then you shouldn't have enchanted me! You shouldn't have served that bill that day! You should have not let me take a look at you!" I blamed. It was all I could do to escape this stabbing pain. This excruciating feeling that digs deeper in my heart. He shuddered. "I love you since I saw you! You made me into a weakling Minseokie. I am unable to live without you" I continued calming down. 

"You must" He said. "I will disappear from you. I will leave. Forget about me!" He stubbornly refuted. 
"How can I?"

"I don't know but you must. It is for your good. Leave now, Luhan" he said motioning for me to exit the room. I blankly stood there for a minute before taking my coat at the sofa and left the room. As I closed the door, I heard him whimper and burst into a fit of depressed cries. I was unable to turn back. Human pride took a hold of me. I punched the wall next to the door before I exited the building. I wasn't aware of anything that has to come. It was only the start of the storm. 
---

Chen greeted me early in the morning only to receive a strict glare. I have been in a bad mood since last night. Tao, Kris, and Jongin took a notice of it and decided to distance themselves. I drowned myself to work to kill both the gnawing grief and time into only a memory. It was the tone of my own cell that halted my temporary escape from reality. I glanced at the hanging wall clock which reads 4:29 p.m. then to the phone with Jongin's name on it. 

"Hello?" I answered. 

"Hello? Luhan-ssi? Are you in your office?" It was Kyungsoo panic stricken voice. I answered with a yes and then the line was dead. A few minutes later a panicked Kyungsoo and an alert Jongin entered the office. Tao and Kris with Yixing and Joon-myeon followed behind him. 

"You're with my brother yesterday, right?" I nodded as I recalled every detail of yesterday's nightmare. I winced in pain. "Where did you last seen him?"

"In his room" I answered. Kyungsoo hurriedly walked out. Tao, Yixing and Joon-myeon trailed after him. Jongin stared at me while Kris silently sat on the sofa. 

"What happened?" Jongin knowingly asked. 

"He rejected me. I don't know. He said he loved me too much. Too much. But why did he push me away?"

"To keep you safe" Kris answered. Jongin stared at him and I walked towards him and grabbed his collar. Kris was cool. He detached himself from my grip easily. "Kim Minseok is no ordinary genius." He started. "He is the scion of Kim Tae-ho whom I met yesterday. According to my father, Kim Tae-ho is a very strict prefectionist and always refers to Minseok-hyung as his perfect product. Minseok-hyung is the son of the Kim family's black sheep Kim Jaeha and the heiress of the rival Do family, Do Sohyee"

"Kyungsoo's mom" Jongin interrupted. "A very beautiful and kind lady" Kris nodded. 

"Indeed. Jaeha-ssi and Sohyee-ssi lived happily despite the lack of financial capability that they have grown but Jaeha lost his memories in a tragic accident where Minseok was deeply involved. Sohyee-ssi was forced to go back to her family since Jaeha-ssi refused to believe that she was his wife and Minseok-hyung along with his father was under the custody of his grandfather. He was genius as a child making him a favorite pupil of his grandfather and grew to be a perfect genius."

"It was more than that" a very familiar voice entered. It was Joon-myeon. "Kyungsoo-ssi told me to stay here" He eyed the office and took a seat next to Kris. "Appa also denied Minseok -hyung's existence. I was raised to believing that I was my father's only child and only came to his existence when I was seven. It was the announcement of Minseok-hyung as grandfather's heir that introduced me to the circumstances. I was a kid and was confused so I often bullied Minseok-hyung along with my cousin's back then. Once in a while though he was sent to the Do Estate to see his mother and his baby brother, Kyungsoo. Unlike the gentle Do estate that openly loved him and adored him, grandfather was abusive and possesive of him. Everything he do must be brilliant. The support of my grandfather was enough for us to withdrew our cruelties to him." Joon-myeon explained with guilt laced in his tone. "The documents that I found years ago were his medical records. It was Minseok-hyungs record of unending torture. It was clearly stated that he was abused both physically and mentally that even the doctors became wary of my grandfather. I found later on that it was my father, our father, who tortured him physically in cruel ways possible for a child. My father who have forgotten eveyrthing saw Minseok-hyung as a demon, an abdominance. He silently accepted it all. Until seven years ago, when he left the house. The commotion was no joke and so was my grandfather's rage and my father's amusement."

"Kim Tae-ho is a very powerful man. Even though the Do estate can match his power equally, they are still wary of his shrewd antics thus they can't move carelessly. Minseok-hyung was afraid you would get caught in the power struggle thus his words. Your empire is still fresh and full of potentials it won't last against seasoned names like the Kim family whose power extends in a wide range. I meet him yesterday to accompany my father in refusing his business proposal and I experienced his intimidating stance first-hand. He was no joke, Luhan-hyung, I tell you" Kris commented. Jongin stared at me with a very guilty expression. 

"What is it?" I asked annoyed at the overload of details that has been laid into me. 

"Truth is, you were not the first to fall" I was shocked at his words. "Hyung loved you for 15 years. He loved you since high school. You might not remember him but he was there with us. You were the one who named him Xiumin. I was able to recognize him at first glance even though he changed so much because of his usual meek attitude and name but knowing you we know you won't remember. It was I who orchestrated the meeting. It was no coincidence. He was hesistant and I didn't know why. He said it would be bad. But he settled for the fact that he will never be able to feel your love therefore he agreed. I found it strange but now I know why"

"He is so stupid" I commented laughing like a mad man. How can he? Jongin's phone rang. He placed it into a loudspeaker. "Kai! Hyung was taken! He was taken back by that bastard! Help me! Help me! I don't want to see him hurt again! Please! Please! save him! He will die at this rate! I know he will! His father, that demon, told my mom he would kill him! Please!" Luhan shuddered. It can't be. Jongin calmed Kyungsoo "Where are you? We're going there" We were headed to the parking lot with Kai still on the phone. We were running as swiftly as we could.

"Incheon airport! Hurry! They are leaving!"

"Check the flight schedule, use your power as Do Kyungsoo" The other line was silent and some noises were heard next was Kyungsoo's voice talking to somebody ordering him to cough some information and revealing his identity as the heir of the large Do family. 

"They are off to Maldives"

"We can use my private jet" Kris offered as we entered the car and started its engine.

"That's bad! It's my father's private villa. Check if it is my grandfather who booked the flight. Check if it was grandfather who found Minseok-hyung" Joon-myeon shouted through the phone. Another shuffling noises and Kyungsoo screaming I heard him scream to Tao and Yixing. The proper people to order if you wan't information. 

"It's that monster! He hired a detective! I'll kill him!" Kyungsoo was frantic and cut the line. Jongin cursed. "We must sped up. D.O would really kill somebody. He is not rational when he is mad" Jongin who was driving stepped up the gas. We arrived after ten minutes to the airport and saw the restless Kyungsoo restrained by Yixing and Tao. They eyed at us and Jongin immediately pulled Kyungsoo towards his arms.
"Minseokie-hyung is not at fault! He is not at fault!" I heard Jongin coo his crying lover. 

"I arranged for the private jet. We should get going" We hastily started our travel. My legs were restless and my mind was on turmoil. Minseok's face and his possible fate haunts me that I had no time to sleep. Please be safe Minseok. Please. I beg of you. I cried inside my head. Please be.

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