--~*+*~-:-•|Episode Two: Problems & Pacifiers|•-:-~*+*~--

Woobin wasn’t surprised to find liquor bottles littering the floor and coffee table in Jaejoong’s room, as his cousin remained unmoving in drunken slumber. It definitely wasn’t the first time he’d walked into this scene, and once again, it wouldn’t be the first time he cleaned up after him so Hyoyeon remained none the wiser of her brother’s dangerous habit.

The older male was never in denial of his problem, and never failed to wincingly acknowledge his habit whenever Woobin confronted him imploring him to stop and get help. Unfortunately for him and all of them, he had yet to kick or even attempt to kick the habit.

He was already aware that yesterday had been tough for his cousin, especially since it ended with a blow out with him and his beloved baby sister, Hyoyeon. It however didn’t warrant a drunken binge. Then again, it was his father that drove the man to such straits and profited in keeping him that way.

The weak and insecure didn’t know how fight back.

Drawing the blinds, he slid the balcony door open to let in some light and to air out the room that still smelled stale and suffocating with hints of heavy liquor, and smoke. Of course the harsh morning light streaming in roused his otherwise dead-to-the-world cousin, when his shuffling and clinking of empty bottles failed.

“It’s time to wake up and take a shower before Hyoyeon sees you, and finds new reasons to hate me,” the blonde would likely find a way to blame it on him, but then again the ills of the father were always inherited by their children. It wasn’t too farfetched to link this one to him.

Jaejoong managed to pop open an eye, without the light giving him a searing migraine, to spot the younger male making meticulously rounds around the room to pick up after him. At least he wasn’t being fixed with a disappointed stare this time round, but then the stiffness of Woobin shoulder told a different story. An apology was not something that would be well received by his cousin. “What time is it?” Seemed like the safest option to go with as he stumbled out of bed.

“8,” Woobin’s short response came out harsher than necessary, but he didn’t want to lose another family member due to his father’s action. “Just so you know part of my liver will be donated to charity, before I give it to you if you don’t stop it.” Gentle and cautious didn’t seem to work with the man, so he went for hard and a raw.

Jaejoong laughed sardonically knowing it was coming from a place of worry, “Then I’ll die happily knowing you’re helping someone.”

“Hyoyeon, do you take her so lightly,” the accusation was likely to drive the man back to what he was trying to draw him away from, but him taking the consequences of his actions so lightly was grinding on his last nerve. “All she has is you, did you forget? And what about that kid, do you think he’s pathetic now? If you kill yourself, he’ll be worse.”

The saying that the truth hurt much more than lies was indeed. His truth was uglier than he cared to admit; he found himself regurgitating a retort before fully thinking it through, “I may have a problem, but Jongin is pathetic because of you. Don’t run from the truth, when you want others to face theirs.” Hyoyeon reaction was always predictable, because she was just like him. Woobin was a quite storm brewing, unpredictable on how he’d strike when attacked.

Woobin smiled, because it wasn’t a lie and he wasn’t hypocritically enough to disagree. He didn’t want to think too much on why it stung, when he didn’t even care about the kid. “The last time,” he warned Jaejoong lifting the trash bag filled with evidence of his binge. “Do something about this or, I’ll let her kill you herself.”

As much as it wasn’t an explosion, Jaejoong had seen the pain and guilt flash through the teen’s eyes; even if he blanked it out and covered it with a smile. The pain his cousin was in was evident, torn between staying loyal to a mother that left him, and caring for the child that had driven her away. His drinking was only adding to Woobin pain.

Even if Jaejoong regarded himself weak, it seemed many people relied on him. It was too bad that they picked the wrong pathetic fool to depend on, because he couldn’t take care of his own problems to even think about healing their scars.

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

It was an unwritten rule that Sunday’s in the Jungnam lead household was a strictly family affair. The four prepared and went to their chosen church, caught up on each other’s happenings over brunch and finally played a board game before tea in the afternoon. Like clockwork it always occurred this way, but due to the recent strain between their mother and Soojin, the activities were more stiff and strained.

“I saw you speaking with Yunho,” Soohee commented, getting a knowing glance from her husband she ignored. The man had profusely refused to be involved in his daughters’ love affairs, even if he’d equally disapproved of that ridiculous boy Soojin had associated with in her senior year of high school. Someone had to make sure they didn’t make missteps due to their choice of partner.

Sooyoung smiled encouragingly at her sister, counting it as progress in mending the rift between their mother and Soojin. People often said they inherited their stubbornness from their mother, so it was something that the Choi matriarch was reaching out.

“Yes,” there wasn’t much Soojin could really say about the meeting. He’d been warm and friendly, and she’d enjoyed spending time with him.

“His mother is looking for a wife for him,” Soohee informed her, which was met with the expected apprehension. Of course mentioning marriage meetings always preceded a not so subtle push of arranging one for their children, but she wasn’t that tactless. Such actions only bred rebellion and Soojin had already demonstrated her capabilities of it by choosing medicine over business. There was no need to motivate her to protest more drastically.

Soojin could practically predict that her mother and Attorney Jun were planning to push her and Yunho together. There was really nothing wrong with Yunho; she liked him well enough, he was handsome and they seemed to get along. Well, except for the fact that he was Jihye’s brother, and her next boyfriend was going to be her choice and not someone her mother pushed on her. “Mother –”

“–Do you know any girls I can suggest to her?” Sohee interrupted her eldest protest surprising her into silence.

No one could ever say Soohee wasn’t intelligent, because the hand she played was oblivious to his two girls who were exchanging uncertain glances at the curveball his wife just threw. Though he didn’t quite agree with getting involved with affairs of the heart when it came to his little girls, preventing unsavory choices they could possibly make was never something to protest.

“Excuse me,” Soojin could barely manage politeness when she asked for clarification, because it wasn’t what she had expected her mother to say. Telling her that Attorney Jun was considering her as a potential for Yunho made more sense than acting as a pseudo matchmaker.

Soohee finally graced her daughter with a glance, “Hyejin has a good impression of you from being Jihye’s friend,” explaining the reasoning. “So far all the matches have been failures, especially with Jang Soona.”

“Is that a surprise?” Sooyoung voiced out loud unconscious, getting a chuckle from her father. “Sorry,” she apologized, preventing anymore outburst by taking a large sip of her drink. Could you blame her though? There were few people she disliked, but Jang Soona was just so excessive in all the wrong ways. Not to mention the insatiable thirst she seemed to have for her cousin, Seunghyun; Poor Yunho, to have to deal with her by himself.

Given Yunho’s personality, or at least what she’d seen of it, Soojin couldn’t help agree with Sooyoung on sentiments. That was a match made in hell, if there was ever one. “I don’t really know how to help,” honestly she didn’t know how and didn’t want to be involved with such matters. It was bad enough that they took the choice out of his hands –she didn’t want to be part of it. “The only ones I was around in high school were Jihye, Sunny…” trailing off because she was sure her mom didn’t want to hear his name coming from her lips.

“I told her as well, but she insisted I still ask,” Soohee dismissed the whole topic as quickly as it begun knowing she had achieved what it was intended to do. It unfortunately almost caused that boy’s name to be mentioned, but at least Soojin had enough good sense to stop herself short.

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

From his assistant’s report, the opening in Jeju was a success as was expected.

His nephew lacked a backbone, but made up for it through pure skill –anything other than success would have surprised him. However, Woobin and Hyoyeon being there certainly warranted a true account of things, because he doubted anything could go as seamlessly as presented, "Any incidents?"

Dongwook took a few moments to gather appropriate words before spoke, "The young master will likely be upset when he calls." When it came to speaking about Kim Woobin caution was always advisable no matter how unsavory the incident the teen caused. Insults and unbridled anger were only allowed to come from Woohyun when it came to his eldest son, anyone else attempting the same would be subjected to the man's wrath. He could recall a time when a secretary thought she was important enough, after becoming the man's mistress, to express her uncensored indignation with the teenager. Suffice to say that she'd found herself on the streets faster than she could blink. "The new chef aired his frustrations with Jaejoong-ssi, and Hyoyeon overheard it."

As though summoned, Woobin stormed in followed by a protesting Ms. Jin.

 
"You can leave assistant Lee, clearly my son has something to say that couldn’t wait," Woohyun drawled not even batting an eyelash at the comment. Woobin was always on the rash side, a trait he seemed to have gotten from his mother, but one he was surely going wean out of him. He spoke only when Dongwook and an uncertain Ms. Jin vacated the room. "I’m assuming someone died to warrant this interruption.” Still more occupied with reports in hand, than his livid son.

“Wouldn’t it be advisable to keep your cash cow happy? It seems you’ve gotten less prudent in hiring your staff?” Woobin got straight to the point because both of them weren’t people to beat around the bush. It wasn’t a secret that his father saw his nephew as nothing more than a means to a profitable end than an actual relative, so cash cow wasn’t a far off analogy.

“The cow hasn’t complained, so why is the owner’s son kicking up a fuss?” Jaejoong wasn’t one to voice dissatisfaction. In fact, the only time the young man had gotten close to it was in demand of better wages for his temporary staff.

Woobin wasn’t surprised he didn’t care, in fact he was pretty sure the man was aware of Jaejoong’s liquor problem but chose to ignore it because it favored keeping his loyal nephew on a leash. “Because the current situation is tempting him to throw a spanner in the works,” it was a threat, enough of one to finally get the man’s attention.

Woohyun didn’t doubt his son’s capabilities when it came to spiting him. He’d donated enough facilities to the school and cleaned up too many school messes to know that embarrassing him wasn’t beyond his eldest. His son’s fear of him left the day his mother did, and time had only made him bolder in his defiance. “Spanner in the works?” he repeated calmly, walking round the table to face his livid son who’d shot up head taller than him in his last growth spurt. He even managed a snigger at the fact that the boy had the nerve to look him in the eye like he was at the moment. His hand moved faster than he could control it, its back connecting sharply with Woobin’s face.

The sting had stopped hurting a long time ago, as the surprise of the strike. Perhaps it was such a usual occurrence that his only reaction to it was to dab his lip to confirm he was bleeding. Usually the bruises were hidden underneath his clothes where nobody would question too deeply, but it seemed on this occasion his threat had managed to truly anger the man. “You’re more careful usually,” he smirked, “did I strike a nerve?”

Straightening his tie, Woohyun forced himself to be calm. School began tomorrow and giving into his son’s provocation would only cause further problems. “The clothes you wear, the bike you ride and the privileges you experience are all because of me. Don’t test me boy, I’ll do much worse to the things you consider precious.” The money was never important to his son, and he didn’t doubt Woobin would be capable of survival if put out in the streets. But his last statement was enough to get to him.

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

Jongin admitted he hated school. The lessons were okay, the work load wasn’t as hectic as he’d imagined and, the teachers were fairly likable and capable. It was the whispers and speculative stares other students threw him that bothered him. The judgment and mocking of his existence was what made it unbearable. It didn’t help that Woobin chose to ignore his very existence even when they were walking down the same hallway. Of course there was never any outright bullying because no one wanted to deal with Woobin's wrath for messing with his little brother, even though it was clear that the older Kim wasn’t concerned enough to care about such matters.

As if being the first day of school wasn’t tortuous enough, Jongin was graced by the rare and unwelcomed presence of the great Kim Woohyun for breakfast. It only meant that he would be forced to ride with him to school today. The only reason his father ever acknowledged his presence was to berate him for something he supposedly did wrong, or to inform of something he would be required to do that would be in the man's favor. Either way, nothing good ever came from being alone with the man.

"Third won't be acceptable again," Woohyun informed his youngest without as much as a single glance. Both his sons were equally intelligent; only one chose to fail on purpose as protest, while the other put too much focus on his silly dance hobby than studies. "It’s either first or no dancing."

His hand curled into fist reactively, but Jongin didn’t dare say a word. He'd worked blood, sweat and tears without extra tuition to get third place in his grade, but of course it didn’t matter to a man who was only ever interested in the end result.

"I didn’t hear an answer," Woohyun prompted a response to ensure his ultimatum was heard.

He swallowed the lump in his throat thickly, forcing back the prickle of tears, "Yes sir." It wasn’t surprising that the man wanted to take the only thing that brought him joy. He wouldn't ask for help from him to achieve results, he'd rather choke to death. Any help would give the man a reason to use it against him when necessary; Jongin didn’t want any more debts when it came to Kim Woohyun.

"Finish up, or we'll be late," dealing with one rebellious brat for a son was already taxing enough, it was good to see that the youngest wasn’t taking the same paths as Woobin to defy him. His peripheral vision had caught the boy’s ire, but Jongin had always had more self control than his brother, something he credited his dead mother for.

“Yes sir,” Jongin answered though it was not required from him, just so he could avoid being asked for a response. Ideally having a brother who was intelligent gave one the advantage to go to them for help, but he’d faced enough rejection from Woobin to know it would be a painful experience to even try, that is if the older boy chose to even acknowledge him.

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

It wasn’t surprising that Jung Ingi would be more miffed than usual after encountering Yunho, and having to be confronted with fact that Yonghwa would never live up to his brother’s son. It was senior year and he didn’t doubt the kid would amount to C-stream once again, while Yunho had only ever been A-stream throughout. The punk couldn’t even manage to be top on the class in the least competitive stream in his year, always content with being embarrassingly at the middle.

Even Woohyun’s niece who wasn’t all that interested in school had always managed to be in the top five of C-stream.

With Yunho choosing architecture and showing no signs of political ambition, he’d imagined the one to carry on their political heritage would be his son. Finally he would be the one to stand out where he’d always lived in his brothers’ shadows. Even Jihye choosing law wouldn’t have hindered that particular dream, no because she was a woman or incapable, but due to the simple fact that her children would carry her husband’s name.

Unfortunately for him, his son was a no good dreamer with worthless ambition that would only bring shame. Even if not a lawyer, Yunho would be an architect who was already receiving recognition for his efforts. Jihye was top of her class, and probably a future attorney general or judge in the making. As for Krystal and Jessica, they were negligible at best, and from what he’d seen had no political or corporate ambition whatsoever.

“I expect you to behave appropriately and guide you’re cousins around school,” Ingi ordered taking a sip of his morning coffee, eyes not leaving the page of his news paper. The punk probably wasn’t even dressed properly and he was already irritated enough to be provoked yet again.

It was something he would have done even without prompting; they were his cousins after all. “Yes father,” it was better to agree than stay silent. The faster he finished his meal, the faster they would relieve each other of their presence. It was hard to believe there was a time that he longed to be around his father for as long as necessary, but that was of course before he’d become a disappointment.

“C-stream is unacceptable, but given the fact that it is all you will amount to, I expect you to be at the top of the class than treading on mediocre as you have,” he added in warning, not that it ever help. The generous allowance he’d given him had been taken away time and time again, but Yonghwa had showed no real effort to better himself so he’d given up the tactic, “Even if it means tutoring.”

Yonghwa could have sniggered if he didn’t know it would worsen the situation. Any and all tutoring meant his time after school wouldn’t be his own to spend, and given his level, hours of studying on an already tired mind. He wasn’t meant for college like Sooyoung, he didn’t even aspire for it, at least not any more. Perhaps taking a course in music would have been an option, but given the fact that his grades wouldn’t allow him a scholarship and his father would remain his chief financier, it was a pipe dream at best.

Somewhere between the reprimand, and losing himself in thought his father had taken his leave. He remembered a time the man made a habit of taking him to school on the first day no matter the schedule, but that was before he’d become a disappointment and embarrassment Ingi couldn’t stand being seen with.

“I know his words hurt you, but try to understand he just wants what’s best for you,” his mother comforted after rousing him from his thoughts with a gentle hand.

Suri wasn’t oblivious to the pain her husband's cutting words inflicted on him, but knew better than to try defending her son. It would turn around to being her fault he’d turned out the way he was because, she was the one to introduce him to the musical arts, and the reprimand on Yonghwa would get more hurtful.

He could also remember a time his mother stood with him, instead of complacent bystander of his father’s bullying. Don’t get him wrong, he loved her dearly but it would have been nice for her to stand with him in the face of his father, than secretly behind the man’s back. “Understand? I’m the only one supposed to do it?” He questioned, the cynicism he always hid so well sounding through.

“Yongie –”

“-I'll leave first, or I will be late,” there was an excuse on her tongue, and it was better for his pride not to hear. “Bye mother,” adding a smile in assurance.

--~*+*~-:-o-:-~*+*~--

For the most part, the morning guiding Jessica hadn’t been as awkward as Sooyoung had expected. The blonde was being less cold, and more receptive to her than she’d been at the dinner party. It also helped that she was in the same stream as her, and had a similar schedule to her except for two classes after break, which Yoona had thankfully offered to take her to given that she was taking them as well. Jongin had also been a big help, agreeing to show Krystal round.

“Good morning, pretty girl,” was the only warning Woobin gave her before slamming her locker shut and snatching the books from her arms. She only looked slightly annoyed by it.

“Yah, Kim Woobin, can’t you say hello like a normal person?” Sooyoung asked crossing her arms and leaning against her closed locker. From experience she knew trying to get her books back was a useless feat, because he was simply taller than her and would take advantage of the situation to fluster her. It was easier to humor him. “Is this the time you’re coming to school?”

Stepping closer, he smiled. “Why, Sooyoungie did you miss me?” She stiffed slightly at the question, before feigning exasperation. A part of him hoped she truly had missed him. “Is it so hard to admit it?”

Her denial was on her tongue when she caught sight of it. Heck, it was hard not to given how pale he was, and how stark it stood against his lip. “Yah, where did you get –” reaching to touch the tender cut, only for him to catch her wrist before she made contact –the jovial light in his eyes dimming slightly.

“You shouldn’t touch me, unless you are ready to deal with the consequence,” he’d hoped she wouldn’t notice, because if she did she’d question it and, it wasn’t a conversation he wanted to have with her. What exactly was he going to say? It was never easy to lie to her because she always caught on.

Even if it was said in jest, it was a warning not question further. But the speed at which he’d stopped her from touching him, when he usually relished any touch from her was telling. “Woobin-ah –”

“Don’t ask questions, you won’t like the answers to,” Sooyoung was of course stubborn, and was unlikely to let it go unless he was clear. Honestly, he’d come to see her to forget his problems, not discuss them.

She sighed, ignoring his warning all together and reaching all the way to touch the tender cut –all done under his scrutiny. His hand had flexed, poised to stop her but he seemed to forgo the attempt all together. “Does it hurt?” If she pushed he’d close up on her.

The lip didn’t hurt, but her touch did. Her soft gaze, and slight knowing cut him. “Self-preservation is really foreign to you,” his words finally making her look it to his eyes, obviously startled at the gruffness of his voice and curious of his next move. His gaze fell to her lips, prompting her to take a step back.

He wouldn’t –she prayed, as he matched her step back with a step forward.

“Come on, we’ll be late for class,” he told her with a teasing smirk, grabbing her hand and pulling her along. At least she dropped it, and didn’t ask.

Usually she would be yelling at him to stop pulling her along like a rag doll, but for this time alone she allowed him. It was mainly because what had caused his busted lip wasn’t a run of the mill altercation, and the fact that he’d effectively deflected her question meant he’d come to her for comfort, not confrontation.

He pretended not to notice the squeeze of comfort she’d given his hand, just like she’d pretended to drop the subject.

Author’s Note:  The last scene was hard to get out for this chapter, because I wasn’t sure which people I wanted to end with, but finally settled on these two.

The plotline and story is mine. Please do not repost, copy, translate anywhere without consent and plagiarism is a bad thing.

Comments would be lovely and greatly wanted, helps me know what you think. Constructive Criticisms is welcomed, because it helps me improve. Flames … “to each his own”.