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“I need your curriculum,” Hyukjae said as they were having breakfast. Cereal with milk, because they were afraid to get sick again by something they cooked.

“Huh?” Kyuhyun raised an eyebrow. “What for?”

Hyukjae rolled his eyes. “Don’t you remember you’ll work for my father after working for me?” he asked and for a few seconds, Kyuhyun could feel his heart sinking down his abdomen.

“Ah… that,” Kyuhyun chuckled and hummed. “Your father doesn’t seem like he’s willing to give jobs though,” he mentioned and Hyukjae laughed, shaking his head.

“He’s really nice, you just had bad luck and met him when you shouldn’t,” Hyukjae explained. “Print it so we can take it there.”

“Now?” Kyuhyun frowned. “It has only been two months since I started working for you…”

“We’ll give it to him now but you won’t work there until I’m done with you,” Hyukjae grinned widely, nodding for himself.

Kyuhyun chuckled. “Good.”

•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•

This time Hyukjae had to actually make an appointment and wait in the reception for his father to even want to accept seeing him. Kyuhyun and Duck stayed by his side all the time and Kyuhyun would lean closer to tell jokes once in a while, making Hyukjae laugh softly and hit his shoulder for being so noisy. “You’re the one laughing,” Kyuhyun feigned hurt and rubbed his shoulder. “I’m just... saying stuff.”

“You’re making me laugh,” Hyukjae said, glaring at the other slightly. “I’m supposed to be calm, you know? I used to work here.”

“I know,” Kyuhyun chuckled. “What was your position?”

“General Director,” Hyukjae chuckled softly. “Well, I studied business administration but I was more into target’s studies,” he said, chuckling at how Kyuhyun raised an eyebrow at him. “We’ve been together for two months and this is the first time I talk about me, right?” he asked.

Kyuhyun nodded, smiling. “So you presented a resignation letter, why?” he asked.

Hyukjae sighed deeply and smiled softly. “I hated it,” he admitted. “I realized working too much would take me nowhere. The world spins around money and power, I was tired of it. Of course, because I have always had them…,” he chuckled and looked at his father’s secretary walking around the office. “I just… I wanted a break… from everything…”

“Hyukjae,” Kyuhyun called. “You realize you have to come back to reality some day, right?” he asked and Hyukjae chuckled bitterly, nodding.

“I know,” Hyukjae said, sighing softly. “And maybe I’ll beg to my father to let me work for him again, or I don’t know, but until the time comes, I’ve decided to just enjoy. I want to learn to laugh a lot and to be able to live different things. My mother died young and she was so engrossed into her own business that she didn’t enjoy her life. The thought made me cry the first time and now I just… I don’t know when I’ll die or what will happen to me, but I don’t plan on waiting for me to be dying to do things that make me happy.”

Kyuhyun looked at Hyukjae and smiled softly, reaching for the smaller’s hand to hold it gently. “Are you enjoying so far?” he asked.

Hyukjae grinned widely and turned towards Kyuhyun. “Actually, I’m having much more fun of what I thought I would,” he said.

Kyuhyun smiled and was about to say something when they heard Hyukjae’s name being called. “Should I come with you?” the taller asked and Hyukjae doubted for a second before shaking his head.

“I think you’ll be set an appointment later, but not now,” Hyukjae said. “Just wait for me here and make sure Duck doesn’t eat anything strange.

“Alright, call me if you need anything,” Kyuhyun said, handing Hyukjae the folder with his curriculum in it.

Hyukjae smiled and nodded, taking the curriculum before walking in.

•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•●•

“Mr. Lee,” Hyukjae closed the door behind him and bowed slightly.

“Hyukjae,” his father called with a hoarse voice. “I talked to Joon,” he said and Hyukjae froze slightly, looking at his father before looking down.

“Good,” Hyukjae said and stepped ahead, handing his father the folder in his hand. “Here’s my replacement’s curriculum.”

Hyukjae’s father received the curriculum and looked at Hyukjae before opening the folder, frowning slightly. “Cho Kyuhyun… Is it that boy you were with last time?”

“He’s my personal assistant,” Hyukjae corrected.

“How long will he be your personal assistant?” Hyukjae’s father looked up.

“I thought you talked to Joon,” Hyukjae said coldly, sighing deeply. “Look, dad, I don’t need anything…,” he said and sat down on the couch, smiling up when his father let go of Kyuhyun’s curriculum and sat by his side. “I know you’re mad at me, but believe me, I had a reason…”

Hyukjae’s father shook his head and sighed deeply, hugging his son tightly. “I’m sorry for hitting you last time.”

Hyukjae felt the tears stinging in his eyes already. “No… it’s ok…,” he whispered, hugging his father back so tightly he thought he would hurt him for a second. “I’m sorry I mentioned mom so recklessly…”

Hyukjae’s father sighed deeply and parted away slightly, looking at his son intently. “Did you talk to him already?”

Hyukjae looked down and shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he apologized again. “For making you go through that humiliation…”

“Well, I had to spend thousands only for the news to be taken down, you know?” Hyukjae’s father tried to joke, smiling softly. “But nothing happened after that, the company is still ours completely and the deal is up as well.”

“I had a reason…,” Hyukjae whispered, biting his lower lip as one of his tears slid down his cheek. “I promise I have one…”

“I know,” Hyukjae’s father said. “Hyukjae, I’m sorry…”

“No, why would you be sorry?” Hyukjae asked, chuckling softly. “You did nothing wrong dad, I’m sorry for running away like that from there… I bet you had a hard time…”

“I did,” Hyukjae’s father said. “But it happened already…,” he smiled. “Joon told me he obliged you to hire someone to be always by your side.”

“That’s Kyuhyun,” Hyukjae smiled widely. “He’s taking me out to do a lot of things. He even got me a dog!”

“Seems like a nice boy,” Hyukjae’s father said.

“He is,” Hyukjae grinned widely and nodded. “He’s smart too, you can see that.”

“Alright, I’ll call him personally later for the job interview…,” Hyukjae’s father sighed softly and Hyukjae noticed there was something bothering him. He already knew what it was, but he wanted his father to feel better.

“Hey,” Hyukjae called softly. “Why don’t you take the day off and come with us?”

Hyukjae’s father raised an eyebrow and looked at Hyukjae. “Hyukjae, I have work to do, I don’t have time to take the day off,” he explained firmly.

“Dad, if you don’t have fun at least today, you might not have fun ever,” Hyukjae said. “It’s a little sad that I noticed that already.”

Hyukjae’s father seemed to have realized what his son meant and he stood up, walking to get his jacket. “So, where are we going?” he asked, and Hyukjae grinned widely, standing up and going to cling on his father’s arm.

“I don’t know,” Hyukjae said, grinning happily. It had been so long since the last time he did something with his father that he couldn’t be more excited about it.

“How come you don’t know and you invited me out?” Hyukjae’s father asked, arranging his clothes neatly.

“Kyuhyun always keeps it as a surprise,” Hyukjae said, opening the door to reveal Kyuhyun petting Duck on the couch a little far from the door, looking up at them and smiling gently as he stood up. “But believe me, it’s always perfect,” he said, waving at Kyuhyun before dragging his father towards him.

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“Are you serious when you told me you don’t know?” Hyukjae’s father asked his son as Kyuhyun drove towards an unknown destination. The taller simply chuckled.

“I’m sorry sir, but the element of surprise is what makes things better,” Kyuhyun said, smiling widely as he made a turn.

“Call me Kangin,” Hyukjae’s father said. “For now, later, you’ll have to call me President Lee.”

Kyuhyun laughed softly and nodded. “I’ll do so, then, Kangin,” he said and glanced at Hyukjae, who had Duck on his lap, petting him happily.

The trip was a little long, so Kyuhyun stopped to get some gas and to buy comfortable clothes for Kangin. They bought snacks and drove off again. By the time they reached their destination, it was already midday. “What’s this place?” Kangin asked as he looked around the forest and the mountains in front of him.

Kyuhyun opened the door for Hyukjae and the smaller jumped out after Duck, looking around and grinning widely.

“This is just where the car reaches, we need to walk a few minutes up the mountain,” Kyuhyun informed, already taking out his backpack so they would have everything they needed in the short walk.

Kangin frowned. “Hyukjae gets tired easily, he can’t force his body so much as to go up the mountain,” he scolded and Hyukjae smiled, calming down his father.

“It’s okay dad, he knows,” Hyukjae said, smiling widely.

“I’ll carry him, of course,” Kyuhyun said, offering his hand for Hyukjae who took it gladly. He smiled at Hyukjae’s father and motioned him forward. “Let’s get going before it gets too dark and we don’t see anything,” he grinned.

Kangin had no other option but follow, smiling softly when he saw how happy Hyukjae looked.

It was after a few minutes, when Kyuhyun told them they were halfway already, that Hyukjae started panting slightly and he looked tired, so Kyuhyun carried him up gently. Hyukjae dedicated him a wide smile and Kyuhyun smiled back, motioning for him to take the camera.

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“What?”

“Swing on the edge of the world,” Kyuhyun informed.

“I do not have desires to die, Kyuhyun,” Kangin said, looking at the tall structure in front of them.

It was a series of swings, all arranged side by side. So tall that they didn’t imagine how many meters. Though it seemed secured and firm, Kangin still had his doubts. Especially since the swings were on the edge of the mountain. If they went up the swing, they would be at least three hundred meters over the ground.

The thought was terrifying. But at least ‘swing on the edge of the world’ made sense like that.

“You won’t die,” Kyuhyun said, arranging the ropes around Hyukjae’s body tightly and firmly to keep him safe, smiling at the smaller male when the latter dedicated him a wide grin.

“Do you see why I was so paranoid in the beginning?” Hyukjae asked, laughing softly.

“I see,” Kyuhyun smiled and checked on Hyukjae, nodding as he turned towards the other male. “Let’s get you arranged as well, or you might fall down,” he said, grinning widely.

Kyuhyun took the next picture of Hyukjae and his father, both arranged neatly and the third one was of the three of them, grinning widely for the camera. The childish grins that both young males had on their faces was what made Kangin nod in agreement and not say a thing about it, even when he was sure it was a terrible idea.

It wasn’t.

The sight was beautiful and the fresh air hit against their faces. Hyukjae was laughing so hard and so sincerely that when Kangin turned around, he discovered it was Kyuhyun the one telling him jokes and they were both at the same level, synchronizing the movements of their swings.

Kangin smiled. It was nice seeing his son so happy.

He sighed deeply and closed his eyes for a few seconds before looking up and see the dawn. It was perfect. It was all perfect and he could feel the adrenalin running through his veins already. He felt free. It had been decades since the last time he felt that way.

It didn’t take a minute for the three males laughing loudly, screaming in happiness as their legs moved in the air, their hands holding the ropes firmly and the entire world under their feet.

As soon as they went down, they had to hold each other to stop the motion sensation and Kyuhyun took a picture of father and son, grinning happily.

Kyuhyun didn’t remember Hyukjae being so happy before.

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