“Taeyang-ah,” The young president sits at his desk going through paperwork as Yang Hyunsuk enters what used to be his office. Taeyang looks up, getting out of his chair to bow to the CEO. Hyunsuk takes a seat on one of the red chairs surrounding a coffee table as a secretary brings in tea.

“Hyung, I didn’t know you would be at the company today.” He smiles as he sits across from the older man, knowing he’s not there for a personal call. “Is there something bothering you?”

“I don’t like Kwon Jiyong.” The older man says simply, taking a sip of tea. Taeyang holds back a laugh, covering it up with a small cough and hiding his smile with his sleeve. “I don’t like him and I don’t like that I had to see him unnecessarily. He’s talented and smart but he’s too arrogant for his age. He’s never suffered for his work, he’s never suffered for anything.”

Taeyang gives him a long, serious look across the table. His hands fold together as his elbows rest on his knees. “You’re that upset after running into him, hyung?” He asks carefully, unsure where Hyunsuk intends to take the conversation.

“I thought he was lying about his fiancée working for YG so I had my assistant look into it.” Hyunsuk’s eyebrows furrow in frustration, causing Taeyang to look at him in concern. “The bastard has been coming to YG Corporation often to visit a woman in the office. I guess I was just lucky to have not run into him.”

Taeyang can guess what Hyunsuk will say next but he wishes he wouldn’t. He drinks his tea calmly as his CEO seethes in anger, knowing he has to keep a mask of composure.

“Have you ever heard of Lee Chaerin?” Hyunsuk asks with a grumpily contorted face and Taeyang pauses in his tea drinking. There it was, the name he had hoped not to hear.

“I’ve met her a few times, briefly.” The young president answers in a steady, detached tone.

“You’re a handsome man. Get to know her a little better, Taeyang-ah.” He points across the table, a strange smile on his lips. “Don’t you know who she is? Her father owns an important technology firm and if she marries that idiot, GD Group will gain complete control of their resources and information.” He slams his fist on the table, shaking the tea kettle. “I want control of that firm!”

“I understand, hyung.” Taeyang nods his head, his face impossible to read as he stares ahead. Satisfied, Yang Hyunsuk pats him on the shoulder before leaving the office with his secretary following behind him. The younger man lets out a deep breath he didn’t realize he was holding in, brushing his hair back with his hand.

He realizes it’s only natural that Jiyong and Chaerin would one day get married. That was what their families had always wanted, what their mothers had always dreamed about. The brilliant and beautiful Lee Chaerin would make the perfect bride for the heir to the GD Group, Korea’s leading conglomerate. It was only natural.

Taeyang taps out an extension on the phone sitting on his desk, listening to the dial tone. “Excuse me, could you please let Lee Chaerin know that I would like to see her in my office?” His voice is every bit the friendly and young president everyone gossips about but his face is urgent with unknown emotions sweeping across his features.

“I’m sorry, sajangnim, but Chaerin-ssi called into work sick this morning.”

The voice on the other line makes his heart drop and he swallows a heavy lump in his throat. Taeyang bangs his fists on his desk in frustration, letting out a low grunt.

The lights in the bar are dim, illuminating his sharp features with alternating hues of purple and blue as he drinks his bourbon. Jiyong peers into the bottom of his glass, rolling it around with his wrist to make the ice gently clink together. It might be too early to be drinking but having to deal with investors and partners all morning had exhausted him. He sighs into the sleeve of his Versace suit jacket, wishing he could have brought Chaerin along with him.

“Sajangnim,” His alone time is interrupted as his assistant takes a seat beside him, placing a folder onto the bar top and sliding it toward him. Jiyong lifts up the folder, nonchalantly flipping through its contents. “This is all of the information I have gathered on Park Taeyang.”

Park Taeyang was in the child welfare system until he started high school in New York City where he graduated as valedictorian.

He went on to become top of his class at Columbia University, where he eventually earned his Masters of Business Administration.

After his time at Columbia he worked for the YG Corporation branch in New York before moving to Korea three months ago.

“What about his family situation, his relationship to Yanggoon?”

“Ah, yes,” His assistant says as Jiyong looks up at him impatiently from behind the file folder. “He claims to be the brother of Park Hongjun, the adopted son of the YG Corporation. Yang Hyunsuk also legally adopted Park Taeyang but there is no record of the two being biological brothers or of a Park Taeyang existing before he moved to New York City.”

“What age was he when he was adopted?”

“He was fourteen or fifteen years old, I believe.”  His assistant answers and Jiyong’s eyes scarily darken. The phone laying next to his bourbon rings and he immediately answers it, listening to the voice on the other line with furrowed brows. Suddenly, he uncrosses his legs and stands up, yelling into the phone.

“What do you mean she wasn’t at work today? She stayed at home sick?” He hangs up and slams his phone on the counter, finishing off the rest of his drink. Jiyong turns his icy gaze to his assistant who sits in awe. “Cancel the rest of my meetings for the remainder of the trip.”

“Y-yes, sajangnim.”

“No! That stupid girl doesn’t even deserve you anyway, my perfect Young Do!” Chaerin yells at her television, sitting on the couch in a sports bra and sweatpants with her hair pulled up into a sloppy bun. She had felt sick while getting ready for that morning and nearly passed out after doing her makeup. Her hands grasp tightly at the blanket wrapped around her body as she goes into a coughing fit. With a job in public relations she couldn’t afford to get anyone else ill so she took off work without telling Jiyong. He was on a business trip in Japan and she knew all he would do is worry about her if he knew.

The sound of the doorbell interrupts her thoughts and she wonders if it’s someone from her office coming to check up on her. She would never admit it but other than Jiyong she doesn’t have many friends and she’s been lonely. Chaerin gets up to look at the video intercom and her eyebrows arch up in surprise when she sees her young boss standing on the other side.

“Sajangnim, what are you doing here?” She asks in shock, opening the door to let him in.

“I brought you some food and medicine,” He smiles, holding up a plastic bag.

“Thank you, sajangnim. I don’t mean to be rude but how did you find out where I live?” She looks at him apprehensively, standing at the other side of door.

“It’s not that difficult for a president to locate one of his employees.” Taeyang chuckles, trying to lighten the mood.

“I don’t know if I should let you inside, sajangnim.” She says honestly, her voice full of caution and her hand firmly on the door. Other than their mothers and cleaning staff, no one but Jiyong and herself had ever been in the apartment.

“I understand,” Taeyang nods slowly, a reassuring and calm smile on his face. “I didn’t intend to make you feel uncomfortable. You’re my only friend in Seoul so I wanted to take care of you when you’re sick. I even went to the market and bought ingredients for stew, isn’t that what friends are for?”  

“Sajangnim,” She’s hesitant and debates whether or not she should let him into the apartment, then reluctantly she opens the door wider. “Thank you for thinking of me.”

Taeyang smiles in relief as he walks in, taking his shining patent leather loafers off by the entrance. His eyes wander to her chest covered only by a sports bra and he looks away, coughing into his hand.

“I’m going to go get changed, you can sit down and I’ll be out in a second.” She says quickly, her cheeks slightly red as she runs off to her room.

After she’s out of sight, he can’t help but quietly laugh at her flustered face as he walks into the living room area. The apartment certainly looks like it’s shared by more than one person, with everything in sets of two and the decor a happy medium between masculine and feminine. Taeyang looks around the room, noticing a shelf lined with picture frames and keepsakes. There are some pictures of Chaerin with her family but most of them are of her and Jiyong. In one, Chaerin is smiling brightly in her kindergarten uniform as Jiyong stands next to her with a frown. In another, a young Jiyong looks in awe at a small baby Chaerin as he holds her in his arms, both dressed in hanbok. Taeyang smiles at her adorable round cheeks, thinking that some people really don’t change. Jiyong and Chaerin pose in front of the Eiffel Tower, then Jiyong smirks beside Chaerin in her graduation cap and gown as he holds a large bouquet. In a picture Taeyang guesses to be the most recent, the young chaebol looks stoic as he stands in a dark suit next to Chaerin on her first day of work at YG Corporation. Each frame documents a precious moment in the lives of the two friends, from the very first time they had met up to now.

He’s about to turn away when he notices a photograph that looks like all the others at first, with Jiyong beside Chaerin, except on Chaerin’s other side stands a young boy with his hair gelled into a mohawk. Taeyang drops the grocery bag in shock, his hand slowly reaching out to touch the portrait. The other frames have slight films of dust over the glass but he can tell this picture has been picked up multiple times, its glass surface covered in smears and fingerprints. He wasn’t expecting Chaerin to have this picture.

Chaerin walks into the living room, wearing a flowy tank top with a pair of jeans. She sees him looking at the pictures on the shelf, pausing when she notices the bag on the ground with some of its contents out on the floor. “Sajangnim, are you alright?” She asks and he jumps at her voice.

“I’m fine, Chaerin-ssi, thank you. The bag just slipped.” He picks up the bag and puts the items that had fallen out back in. His head nods toward the frames on the shelf. “I was just looking at the different portraits, are those of you and your boyfriend?”

“No, that’s just my childhood friend. We’ve known each other for most of our lives.” She smiles, not having looked at some of the photographs in a while.

“This boy isn’t in any other photographs,” Taeyang remarks as he points to the portrait of the three friends. Chaerin gets quiet, her eyes sad as she looks at the picture for what feels like the thousandth time.  

“That’s Youngbae.” She says after a while. “He went missing a year after this was taken. It was his birthday not too long ago,” Her voice is gentle as she reaches out toward the smiling face of the young boy. His eyes look so much like Taeyang’s.

“You never thought about giving up?” Taeyang asks as he watches her sad expression. She shakes her head, a small smile on her lips.

“I’ll never give up. Not until he comes back to me, right where he belongs.”

“I should get started on the stew,” Taeyang says suddenly, his expression strange. “You should go get some rest, Chaerin-ssi.”

“No, no, I’ll come help you.” Her hand reaches to grab the bag from him to take it to the kitchen but he moves and she grabs onto his forearm instead. She freezes, looking him in the eyes and immediately letting go. “Ah, actually, maybe I should go and rest.”

Chaerin moves quickly to the couch, not looking back as Taeyang laughs all the way to the kitchen. She turns on the television to drown out his laughter but she can still hear him humming every once in a while as he shifts around with the pots and pans. A few moments later he brings her a warm cup of tea and takes a seat next to her on the couch. His weight causes the cushion to dip down so that they’re sitting closer to each other and she shifts away from him slightly. He notices her move and sighs, understanding that to Chaerin he’s just a man that she met recently and has every right to be cautious toward. They’re silent for a long while before Chaerin speaks.

“Are are you and Teddy oppa really brothers?”

“Why are you asking that?” He looks at her from the corner of his eye, not expecting the question. There’s the nickname again, it doesn’t escape his notice this time either.

“I know that Teddy is Yang Hyunsuk’s real son, not just his adopted one. And I know it’s none of my business but I couldn’t help wondering.” She wrings her hands nervously, wishing she hadn’t said anything. Taeyang sits in silent shock, not knowing how to respond to her question. Panic rises in the pit of his stomach, his heart racing against his chest.

“How do you know Hongjun so well that you can use his nickname?” He asks once he is sure his voice won’t betray his anxiety.

“I met him when I was in university.” Chaerin says matter of factly. Taeyang feels his panic being joined by something else: anger. There’s more to it than what Chaerin will tell him and for some reason it makes him incredibly angry, both at her and at Teddy. But he knows better than to bring it up now so he keeps it to himself.

“Does anyone else know?” His voice is urgent, if she had found out that means that others could know as well. Others that Yang Hyunsuk wouldn’t be happy about knowing.

“No,” She shakes her head. “I’ve been keeping this secret for a while. I never thought it was that big of a deal.”

“Could you have maybe told maybe a close friend or your roommate about it, not thinking it was anything special?” He asks again, turning to her so that their eyes meet.

“I said I haven’t told anyone.”

“Not even Kwon Jiyong? You two of you are really close.” He presses again and it’s Chaerin’s turn to get angry. She glares at him with a set jaw, her eyebrows furrowing.

“Is that why you’re here? Is that why you want to be friends?” Her tone is harsh as she straightens her back as if ready to attack. “You just want to spy on Jiyong through me, you think I’ll reveal some company secret?” Before he can respond the timer goes off in the kitchen, providing an escape. He gets up to check on the stew and a few minutes later reappears with a steaming bowl, giving off a mouth-watering aroma.

“I’m so sorry, Chaerin-ssi, I’m not here to spy on you or use you.” He hands her the bowl and she takes it even though she doesn’t believe him. “Honestly, Yang Hyunksuk did ask me to become close to you because of your relationship with GD Group. And more than that, he hopes that through you YG Corporation can gain technologies from your father’s firm.”  

She looks at him curiously, wondering why he would be so open and honest with her. His honesty surprises her and she eats a spoonful of the stew. She pauses and he watches her as she eats more, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Chaerin-ssi, what’s wrong?” He asks in alarm as he sees her tears spilling over her round cheeks as she eats.

“It’s just so delicious,” She says in between spoonfuls. “I haven’t had anything like this in such a long time. I don’t eat a lot of home cooked food, it tastes so delicious and motherly.” She carefully wipes a tear from her eye and he looks at her with a smile. “I’m so sorry for crying, you must think I’m really weird.”

“No,” Taeyang says, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he watches at her. “It’s endearing.”

She looks as if she’s about to say something else but the sound of the front door clicking unlocked interrupts them. The door opens and Chaerin can hear Jiyong calling out to her, her heart filling up with dread and anxiety. He was supposed to be in Japan for business. What was he doing home?

“Chaerin-ah, whose shoes are these at the door?” She hears him ask and everything is happening too suddenly for her to do anything. Jiyong strolls into the living room, his suit jacket neatly folded over his arm. He notices Taeyang sitting in the chair next to the couch and stops, his eyes glaring daggers into the other man. “What the hell are you doing in my home?”

- - -

Authors Note: Hi! I'm sorry this chapter took a little bit longer to update, I tried to make it a little bit longer to make up for the wait. My vacation is over and I'm back at school now so story updates might slow down but I'll try to put up one or two chapters every weekend. As the story becomes more complicated I am trying to make the chapters longer. There are more and more people becoming involved in the mystery! Also, for the plot purposes of this story let's pretend that YG is a little bit older than he really is. 

As always, thank you for all of your support! I get really excited whenever I see a new comment or a new subscriber, it really helps keep me motivated and makes me feel special that people are enjoying what I'm writing. Please continue to leave comments, I love to hear what all of you are thinking!