Chapter 16
Never AgainA/N:
hey guys!!
sigh, i know i kind of promised to update in a month but what can i do?? i cant stop writing that i update like three times now...
and just like i said at the previous chapter, the drama is here and well.. its a bye-bye onkey...
here's chap 16, enjoy!! (you might want to get some tissues just to be safe...)
- immaLocket029
(This happened the day after Mr. Kim came to Onkey's house)
The very next day after his surprise visit at Jinki's and Kibum's house, Mr. Kim decided to make another surprise that will eventually help him tear his son away from Jinki. He never thought that there would come a day where he would be doing what he had planned, but if it will help and benefit him, he will take the risk.
For some reason, the image of his son from last night remained in his thoughts throughout the whole night and even until now – his son's face full of tears, the obvious irregular and laboured breathing, and the fear that showed in his eyes when he looked at them clearly. There was no denying that he has caused his son to be like that and he will also not deny it if someone was to ask.
But maybe - just maybe - that it was also because of how he had seen his son that way that he decided not to kill Jinki and instead he left after Kibum passes out. He doesn't know why he suddenly felt like a coward during that moment, but he swore to himself that he will not let that happen again. He can't let himself be affected like that again. He must refrain himself from getting emotionally affected by those kinds of things.
Now that he's about to continue his plans, he must make himself composed and collected. The car he was in had stopped in front of a building, and as he finally opened the door and stepped out of the car, he is in the enemy's territory. In front of him was Lee Corp., its structure standing high and mighty, proof of its success after years of producing the best quality of consumer goods and services; but Mr. Kim will not allow for his own company to be outdone just like that.
As he walked towards the main entrance, the employees that are walking around suddenly turned their heads his way. It was obviously a shocking thing to see for everyone who works at Lee Corp. as having the president of the rival company is standing right in front of them as if he was casually taking a stroll on the park. Ignoring the stares and the occasional whispers, Mr. Kim headed towards the entrance of the building followed by his secretary and his two bodyguards. He walked straight to the elevator without any hesitation and when he got in, he pressed a button – the top floor in the building where President Lee’s office is located – and the metal doors closed.
He actually felt relaxed as the elevator went up continuously, his face showing no emotions as he waited for his stop. To a regular person, it would seem as if he was just simply visiting an old friend – which he is at some point. Mr. Kim is a man full of secrets and mystery. No one truly knows the way he thinks about things and how his logic works. If someone is to ask another person on the street about what they think of him, the only thing they can say is that he is a very intelligent and powerful man. Some would say he is capable, some would say that he is influential.
The elevator finally stopped after a couple of minutes and when Mr. Kim stepped out, he was immediately escorted by from what he assumes to be President Lee’s secretary. When they arrived in front of a door that said “Conference Room”, Mr. Kim and his secretary was allowed to go in. inside the room, President Lee was sitting at the end of the table, obviously waiting for his visitor. He stood up as respect and when Mr. Kim acknowledged it, they both sat down across from each other. “Why did you want to see me, Youngwoon?” President Lee asked, taking the cup of tea in front of him and took a sip.
“I’ll get straight to the point, Taejin,” Youngwoon sighed and continued, “I want you to help me break our sons apart.” He looked at Taejin with a serious look on his face.
Taejin, on the other hand, was confused. Since when did Jonghyun and Jinki have become friends with each other? And since when does Youngwoon need help from him?
“Youngwoon, I think you’re getting old that you’re saying things that don’t make sense at all. Jinki and Jonghyun were never friends and I don’t think they will ever be. So what the hell are you talking about breaking our sons apart?” Taejin replied, feeling incredulous at what he’s hearing that he even let out a laugh.
“Huh, I see you don’t know anything then. Jinki’s obviously hiding things from you for quite sometime now and he’s been keeping you in the dark for who knows how long, Taejin. I’m positive that he has introduced to you his boyfriend, am I right?”
Taejin narrowed his eyes Youngwoon, “What are you talking about? What are you trying to say?”
“Kibum, that’s who I’m talking about. You already met him, didn’t you?” Youngwoon was enjoying the reaction he’s seeing from Taejin – the confusion, the curiosity, and other emotions that are clouding his mind.
“How do you know about him?”
The very next day after his surprise visit at Jinki's and Kibum's house, Mr. Kim decided to make another surprise that will eventually help him tear his son away from Jinki. He never thought that there would come a day where he would be doing what he had planned, but if it will help and benefit him, he will take the risk.
For some reason, the image of his son from last night remained in his thoughts throughout the whole night and even until now – his son's face full of tears, the obvious irregular and laboured breathing, and the fear that showed in his eyes when he looked at them clearly. There was no denying that he has caused his son to be like that and he will also not deny it if someone was to ask.
But maybe - just maybe - that it was also because of how he had seen his son that way that he decided not to kill Jinki and instead he left after Kibum passes out. He doesn't know why he suddenly felt like a coward during that moment, but he swore to himself that he will not let that happen again. He can't let himself be affected like that again. He must refrain himself from getting emotionally affected by those kinds of things.
Now that he's about to continue his plans, he must make himself composed and collected. The car he was in had stopped in front of a building, and as he finally opened the door and stepped out of the car, he is in the enemy's territory. In front of him was Lee Corp., its structure standing high and mighty, proof of its success after years of producing the best quality of consumer goods and services; but Mr. Kim will not allow for his own company to be outdone just like that.
As he walked towards the main entrance, the employees that are walking around suddenly turned their heads his way. It was obviously a shocking thing to see for everyone who works at Lee Corp. as having the president of the rival company is standing right in front of them as if he was casually taking a stroll on the park. Ignoring the stares and the occasional whispers, Mr. Kim headed towards the entrance of the building followed by his secretary and his two bodyguards. He walked straight to the elevator without any hesitation and when he got in, he pressed a button – the top floor in the building where President Lee’s office is located – and the metal doors closed.
He actually felt relaxed as the elevator went up continuously, his face showing no emotions as he waited for his stop. To a regular person, it would seem as if he was just simply visiting an old friend – which he is at some point. Mr. Kim is a man full of secrets and mystery. No one truly knows the way he thinks about things and how his logic works. If someone is to ask another person on the street about what they think of him, the only thing they can say is that he is a very intelligent and powerful man. Some would say he is capable, some would say that he is influential.
The elevator finally stopped after a couple of minutes and when Mr. Kim stepped out, he was immediately escorted by from what he assumes to be President Lee’s secretary. When they arrived in front of a door that said “Conference Room”, Mr. Kim and his secretary was allowed to go in. inside the room, President Lee was sitting at the end of the table, obviously waiting for his visitor. He stood up as respect and when Mr. Kim acknowledged it, they both sat down across from each other. “Why did you want to see me, Youngwoon?” President Lee asked, taking the cup of tea in front of him and took a sip.
“I’ll get straight to the point, Taejin,” Youngwoon sighed and continued, “I want you to help me break our sons apart.” He looked at Taejin with a serious look on his face.
Taejin, on the other hand, was confused. Since when did Jonghyun and Jinki have become friends with each other? And since when does Youngwoon need help from him?
“Youngwoon, I think you’re getting old that you’re saying things that don’t make sense at all. Jinki and Jonghyun were never friends and I don’t think they will ever be. So what the hell are you talking about breaking our sons apart?” Taejin replied, feeling incredulous at what he’s hearing that he even let out a laugh.
“Huh, I see you don’t know anything then. Jinki’s obviously hiding things from you for quite sometime now and he’s been keeping you in the dark for who knows how long, Taejin. I’m positive that he has introduced to you his boyfriend, am I right?”
Taejin narrowed his eyes Youngwoon, “What are you talking about? What are you trying to say?”
“Kibum, that’s who I’m talking about. You already met him, didn’t you?” Youngwoon was enjoying the reaction he’s seeing from Taejin – the confusion, the curiosity, and other emotions that are clouding his mind.
“How do you know about him?”
“I told you, we need to break our sons apart, Taejin.”
“Kibum… Are you saying he's...? He’s your son?” Taejin asked and Youngwoon nodded. “How is that possible? You only have one son and that’s Jonghyun, everyone knows that!” he stood up from his chair, the sudden movement almost causing the cup in front of him to tilt over and fall on the floor. He started pacing back and forth, recalling any memory that tells him that Youngwoon had another child. The only thing he can remember was that his wife, Chaeyoung, did get pregnant long ago the second time but it was reported that the child died because of miscarriage. “That can’t be right,” he mumbled to himself.
“Yes, Kibum is my son – my own flesh and blood. I know you’re thinking about that miscarriage rumour about my wife, but it’s a rumour people made up and since it was just a lie they all believed without knowing the truth, we didn't bother about it. Chaeyoung gave birth, we had another child and that’s Kibum.” Youngwoon also stood up. He snapped his fingers and his secretary gave him a manila envelope.
“Here are the documents that will prove everything for you,” he threw the envelope on the table and continued, “You can have them verified if you want but all those documents right there will tell you the truth. When you’re done going through them, I hope we can work together even just this once to break them apart because I will not allow anyone in my family to be associated with anyone from yours, Taejin. When you’ve made your decision, you know how to contact me.”
With that, Youngwoon left the room without another word or glance to Taejin. The latter remained still in his position, his eyes looking at the envelope lying on his table. He excused his secretary and he was left alone in the room. With shaking hands, he grabbed the enveloped, ripped the opening, and pulled out stacks of paper and laid them out. There were several pictures as well, starting from when Kibum was still a child and until pictures of him being with Jinki. Out of the pictures, only one stood out and caught his attention.
It was picture of a young Kibum sitting on Youngwoon's lap, with the older man's hands carefully holding him by the waist as his son sat on his thigh. Both of them have smiles on their faces, and Taejin finally saw the resemblance between them. How come he'd never seen this before? The similarity of their looks is undeniably noticeable that anyone would be able to see they're father and son in one look.
He took the other documents - birth certificate, blood compatibility results, etc. - all of them say the same thing. He felt so deceived by his own son for lying and keeping this secret from him. What's more is that he let Kibum inside his territory countless times and treated him as his own son. He had never felt so humiliated in his life for being stupid and clueless, adding the fact that his son played him as a fool.
Taejin threw the papers away from him, the sheets scattering the floor. When he saw a picture of his son with Kibum, he can't help but feel anger rising within him. He tore every picture in front of him, the glossy material crumpled and fell onto the floor in small pieces of shreds. When he came back to his office, he immediately called someone saying, "I'll work with you."
A couple of days later, Taejin and Youngwoon secretly had a meeting with just the two of them. Both of them felt uncomfortable at first since they've been rivals for years and it was the first time they will be working together. Youngwoon was the one who planned everything while Taejin will be the one who will carry it out. Surprisingly, they both agreed almost immediately with the plan that Youngwoon had created after discussing it for at least a couple of hours.
"It sounds like you don't even care about what might happen to your son," Taejin said as he leaned back on the chair he was sitting on and waited for what will Youngwoon say next.
"You're right, I don't. But something must still be done if it’s like that," Youngwoon replied smugly.
The latter only narrowed his eyes at him, asking himself what happened between Youngwoon and Kibum that the man in front of him casually acknowledges such thing without hesitation. Even though he was curious, Taejin would never ask such personal matters. Instead of figuring about his acquaintance's family matters, he decided to ask something else, “Are you certain about this whole thing, Youngwoon? Will it work according to your plan?"
"It will, Taejin. I already have everything in order. Besides, the two of them are already aware of my plans considering that I already paid them visit days ago. I'm sure your son had a little break from work, am I right?" Youngwoon looked at Taejin and the latter nodded hesitantly. "I gave them a little gift that will weaken their side," Youngwoon smirked, "And since Kibum is already weak from the beginning, just a little more moves and it's the end for them."
"You're a bastard, you know that, Youngwoon? You're a cold-hearted, bastard who couldn't care less about his own son," Taejin somewhat felt doubtful for agreeing to whatever Youngwoon planned, but just like him, he also doesn't want anyone from his family to be acquainted with Jinki or anyone from the Lee family.
Even though he thought of Kibum as a nice person, he can't help but feel mad and betrayed for not knowing anything. He should've done some investigation about Kibum – who he really is - the moment Jinki introduced him. But when he saw how happy his son looked whenever he's with Kibum, he didn't bother checking who really was. And now that he thought about it, his youngest son was friends with Kibum even before he was introduced to him by Jinki. As he remembered that, he was somehow thinking that maybe, Taemin also knew about Kibum's true identity.
Before they ended their meeting, the two of them discussed how Taejin will act out the plan and when everything is finally settled, they agreed to meet again - the day they will finally break their sons apart from each other.
JINKI'S POV
It had been days since Kibum’s father went to our house. Although surprisingly, the very next day, Kibum wasn’t as affected as I thought he would be even though he even fainted and panicked after he saw me beaten up. It also confused me why Mr. Kim didn’t let his bodyguards fire the gun at me but instead on the floor just inches above my head. For a minute last night, I really thought I was going to die in front of Kibum, considering I wasn’t able to run away from the bodyguards because they had me pinned down and they were stepping on me.
As the days go, I noticed that Kibum was slowly changing back to normal especially the other day when Taemin and Minho interrupted our day. It made feel relieved to see him smiling and being his cheerful side once again and tomorrow, we will be going to dinner with my dad. It was kind of unexpected that he invited us to dinner, but who am I to judge? I mean, it's true we haven't visited him and mom together for a while now because we both got so busy with his school and my work.
Kibum and I had an agreement that I will pick him up at school and head straight towards the restaurant where we'll be meeting my dad. Although I almost had another earful of scolding from him because he thought that I would be skipping work again even though dad already had me excused. I swear that boy can nag whenever he wants and he always wins whenever we argue about something. Or maybe I just let him win so he would shut up and let me snuggle with him.
When it was finally weekend, I felt agitated and fidgety even during work and it really confuses the hell out of me. It's not like we're meeting some criminal or something. I kept looking at the clock or my watch, my hands becoming sweaty and I could my heart pounding in my chest. It's like one of those moment where the guy is about to meet up with his girlfriend's parents and ask her hand in marriage. Actually, it felt like I'm getting married already and I'm just waiting until they say it's time.
I was supposed to pick Kibum up by 4:30 but since his class ends at 3:00, he told me that he would stay in school for a little while and work a little bit on his paintings. I was still doing work when I heard my phone ring.
"Jinki-ah," my dad called.
"Yes, Dad? What is it?"
"Kibum called and he said he's already on his way here because he finished his work at school so you don't have to pick him up," he replied.
Why did he call my dad first instead of me? "He said that?" I asked still feeling confused.
"Y-yeah," Weird, my dad never stutters.
"Are you okay, Dad?"
"Of course I am, son. Look, I have to go now. I'll you see you and Kibum later, alright?" Before I could even answer he already hung up on me.
There's something weird going on, I don't know what but I know there is. Kibum would call me first in situations like these, I mean, he always do so why would he call my dad first? Still feeling agitated, I called his phone but he wasn't answering and instead I was forwarded to his voicemail. Ugh, this isn't really helping me. I need to get out of here and go to Kibum immediately.
As soon as the clock struck 4:30, I quickly grabbed my things with me and sped out of the office and headed straight to my car. I keep having this feeling that something's right, something's not normal even though there's nothing I should be nervous about because it's just my dad we're meeting.
When I came to the restaurant, I was met by my dad's secretary and was escorted all the way to the building's top floor. "Is Kibum here already?" I asked her nervously and she nodded. "Is he with my Dad then?" and again she nodded. Okay, Jinki there's nothing to be worried about he's fine.
We stepped out of the elevator and walked through a dimly lit hallway, the red carpet on the floor lighted by the few wall lamps and all I can hear were the faints thuds of our footsteps. There were two guards waiting outside the door and one of them opened it, letting me in inside a secluded room.
The wall across from me was entirely glass, the view outside can be seen completely as it somehow made the room lighter and more open. The other walls have velvet wallpaper on them that matches the carpet on the floor. It was starting to make me feel better the lightest bit so I let out a sigh and started walking around. I saw my dad sitting on one of the couches looking slightly uncomfortable. I couldn't see what he was looking at in front of him because of the small divider blocking my view.
Walking closer to where he is, I was about to call him when I froze on my tracks. Kibum was there unconscious in front of him, tied up and bound. There was already blood on his temple and the white handkerchief tied to his mouth was stained red. And there was Mr. Kim beside him with a satisfied smile on his face. He stood up from his seat and walked towards me.
My hands clenched into fist and my knuckles were starting to turn white and painful from how hard I was clenching. As soon as he stopped in front of me, he punched me as hard as he can that I felt my lip burst and blood filled my mouth. I thought about punching him back, but someone else grabbed me from behind and kicked my back making me fall to the ground.
Mr. Kim walked away from me and my dad stood up. "You said you weren't going to hurt him, Youngwoon," my dad said. What the hell is going on?
"Couldn't resist, that's all," Mr. Kim replied as he took his seat again beside Kibum. Did his father do that to him? Or my dad did?
"Dad... What the hell is going on?" I asked, spitting the blood out of my mouth as I stared at Kibum's face.
"Isn't it obvious, Jinki? Your dad and I working together to break you and Kibum apart since you wouldn't listen to me, I asked for your father's help," Mr. Kim answered instead.
I stared at my father in disbelief, turning my gaze away from Kibum and meeting his blank ones. It was hard to tell what he was really feeling, and because of that it made me angrier and disappointed towards him. "How could you? I thought you like Kibum, Dad. You were nice to him and he respected you and this is what you're going to pay him in return?"
"I did like him, but that doesn't change the fact of who really is, Jinki. You lied and deceived me, both of you. You let him inside the company, inside our house," my dad started walking towards me then, his hands clenching and unclenching into a fist and he squat down in front of me, "How long have you known about it?" he asked, his voice low so I'm the only one able to heard. He was looking at me straight in the eyes, and I found a side of my dad I never knew he had all along.
"The night you first met him, it's been that long," I replied. He slapped me and the ring on his finger hit me and drew more blood into my mouth. "When he first told me I got mad, of course. We never spoke to each other for a couple of weeks but I realize that I couldn't live without him. So I gathered enough courage to go to President Kim's house myself and apologized to him. I accepted who he really is, and I don't care about whose family he came from because I just wanted to be with him." I decided to tell him everything - the whole truth - because what's the point of keeping them when things have turned out this way already?
My dad scoffed and hit me again, this time by grabbing me by the hair and kicked me on the stomach. I fell onto my side, and my eyes fluttered as they struggle to stay open. I clutched my stomach, groaning in pain. I saw both my dad and Mr. Kim talk to themselves, and once in a while my dad would look at me with anger and hatred in his yes. He waved his hand a little and suddenly those people behind me grabbed me by the arm and forced me to stand up.
"Wake up," Mr. Kim said, shaking Kibum by the shoulder almost too violently. When Kibum didn't respond, he grabbed his chin and tried waking him up again. I heard a faint groan from Kibum and even though I wanted to be there by his side, I felt relieved that he was still alive compared to what I feared when I saw him earlier. Just then, Mr. Kim slapped him hard, the sound of his palm meeting Kibum's cheek sounded too loud for my liking and it made me flinch.
"Why are you doing this to him? You don't even treat him as your son; you don't even want him so why do you keep trying to break us apart? Why can't you just leave him alone and let him be with me? He's not even doing anything against you; he's not going around saying you're his father because he doesn't care about all of it. He just wanted to be away from all of you so why can't you just leave him alone?!"
I struggled to get away from the bodyguards holding me, wanting to break free and hold Kibum in my arms and run away from here. I didn't realize I was already crying and that my tears won't stop flowing from my eyes. Mr. Kim kept hitting Kibum right in front of me and I couldn't protect him. My dad just stood there, watching everything happen in front of him.
"Just end everything with him, Jinki," my dad said, looking at Kibum get hit over and over again instead at me, "If you really want him to be fine you'll leave him alone. You'll break up with him and give him back to his family. That's all you have to do, Jinki, and he won't get hurt even more."
I can't leave him - no, I don't want to leave him. I will never leave him. "Just kill me then," I said.
Dad snapped his head towards my direction, his eyes wide, "Lee Jinki, are you crazy?!" he shouted, storming towards me with his face full of anger, "Are you insane? Do you really want to risk your life to be with someone like him? He's not even worth it, Jinki, there's nothing with him - name, money, or success - nothing! So what makes you want to give up your life for him?"
"I don't care about all those things, Dad. I'm not looking for all those things because all that matters to me is that I love him - we love each other, Dad. And yes, I would give up my life for him because that's how much he means to me," I replied looking at my dad straight in the eyes. "I'd rather die than leave him, Dad, and I'm sure Kibum feels the same way about me. We both swore to risk our lives just to be with each other."
"Taejin-ah, I think this is getting harder than I thought it would be," Mr. Kim said, finally stopping with whatever he's doing to Kibum. I looked at Kibum once again, seeing his face swollen and bleeding after all those hits that his father had given him. His head was tilted back and looking towards my direction, giving me a full view to his face.
"What do you think we should do?" my dad asked, his back facing me.
They were both silent for a little while, the sound of my crying was resounding throughout the room and I just wish that Kibum would wake up so that I could at least see his eyes, giving me enough strength to last all these. I could see his breathing, quick and laboured, if this continues, he might not last any longer. He's too fragile to go through this, that's why I kept trying so hard to protect him from anything that can harm or hurt him. But with both our fathers against us like this, do I really have any choice to save us together?
Just then, the door banged open and someone barge inside the room. I saw Jonghyun walk past me and towards his father. He looked dishevelled and gasping and few more bodyguards came inside the room and grabbed him. "Dad, I told you I would take care of this!" he exclaimed, trying to break free from the bodyguards' grasp on his arms.
"It took way too long to do something, Jonghyun. We had an agreement - I gave you time and you ran out," Mr. Kim replied, "You also know that when I step in, someone will get hurt. If you had given me an answer earlier, your brother wouldn't be in this situation. Therefore, it's partially your fault why Kibum is like this."
"But, Dad..." Jonghyun started. I realized he was already crying, and the thought that maybe he really did care for Kibum hit me. He was trying to protect Kibum from their father all along by making an agreement, but since he lost it this is what happened.
"So, which is it, Jinki? Are you going to end it with Kibum or are you going to let him go through hell?" Jonghyun turned his head to face me, his expression of shock and confusion. But I was also able distinguish pain and hurt in his eyes.
"Lee Jinki, please... If you really love him just let him go. I'll protect him if that's what will make you leave him, I'll watch over him. Just let him go, please," Jonghyun pleaded at me.
I looked at Kibum once again, my mind and heart battling inside of me whether I should let him go or not. My mind said it was for the better but my heart said I can't let him go. If I leave him alone, there might be chance that all of the sufferings he had gone through because of me will stop, but there might also be chance that he will suffer more. If only I hadn't fallen in love with him, if only we never met, none of these would have happened in the first place. He would never be hurt; he wouldn't have to suffer so much like this because of me.
But I don't regret any of it. I would never regret ever meeting him; I would never regret ever meeting him. But I wouldn't be able stand the thought of him going through worse because of me. I only thought about being with him, about what will make me happy. I didn't even realize that he was already hurting. I was becoming selfish as time goes on, and now this is what my selfishness brought us.
"I... I'll end it… I'll end it with him, just stop hurting him, please..." I said, my voice shaking too much because of my cries.
Mr. Kim smirked, the expression on his face full of victory. My dad's expression was once again blank, but there's a hint of relief and satisfaction. Now I doubt myself about this. Did I really do the right thing? Even Jonghyun let out a sigh. Maybe after all these I'm the only one who will suffer in the end.
I saw the bodyguards let go of Jonghyun and he immediately went to Kibum's side, untying the handkerchief on his mouth and the ropes tied to his hands and feet. I want to go to his side and hold him, but instead it was Jonghyun who was doing it. I felt the hands on my arms let go of me, too, and just as I was about to run to Kibum's side, someone knocked me out and my sight became a blur. I can see them faintly, the bodyguards went to Kibum’s side as they carried him out of the room and Jonghyun and Mr. Kim went out along with them.
It had been days since Kibum’s father went to our house. Although surprisingly, the very next day, Kibum wasn’t as affected as I thought he would be even though he even fainted and panicked after he saw me beaten up. It also confused me why Mr. Kim didn’t let his bodyguards fire the gun at me but instead on the floor just inches above my head. For a minute last night, I really thought I was going to die in front of Kibum, considering I wasn’t able to run away from the bodyguards because they had me pinned down and they were stepping on me.
As the days go, I noticed that Kibum was slowly changing back to normal especially the other day when Taemin and Minho interrupted our day. It made feel relieved to see him smiling and being his cheerful side once again and tomorrow, we will be going to dinner with my dad. It was kind of unexpected that he invited us to dinner, but who am I to judge? I mean, it's true we haven't visited him and mom together for a while now because we both got so busy with his school and my work.
Kibum and I had an agreement that I will pick him up at school and head straight towards the restaurant where we'll be meeting my dad. Although I almost had another earful of scolding from him because he thought that I would be skipping work again even though dad already had me excused. I swear that boy can nag whenever he wants and he always wins whenever we argue about something. Or maybe I just let him win so he would shut up and let me snuggle with him.
When it was finally weekend, I felt agitated and fidgety even during work and it really confuses the hell out of me. It's not like we're meeting some criminal or something. I kept looking at the clock or my watch, my hands becoming sweaty and I could my heart pounding in my chest. It's like one of those moment where the guy is about to meet up with his girlfriend's parents and ask her hand in marriage. Actually, it felt like I'm getting married already and I'm just waiting until they say it's time.
I was supposed to pick Kibum up by 4:30 but since his class ends at 3:00, he told me that he would stay in school for a little while and work a little bit on his paintings. I was still doing work when I heard my phone ring.
"Jinki-ah," my dad called.
"Yes, Dad? What is it?"
"Kibum called and he said he's already on his way here because he finished his work at school so you don't have to pick him up," he replied.
Why did he call my dad first instead of me? "He said that?" I asked still feeling confused.
"Y-yeah," Weird, my dad never stutters.
"Are you okay, Dad?"
"Of course I am, son. Look, I have to go now. I'll you see you and Kibum later, alright?" Before I could even answer he already hung up on me.
There's something weird going on, I don't know what but I know there is. Kibum would call me first in situations like these, I mean, he always do so why would he call my dad first? Still feeling agitated, I called his phone but he wasn't answering and instead I was forwarded to his voicemail. Ugh, this isn't really helping me. I need to get out of here and go to Kibum immediately.
As soon as the clock struck 4:30, I quickly grabbed my things with me and sped out of the office and headed straight to my car. I keep having this feeling that something's right, something's not normal even though there's nothing I should be nervous about because it's just my dad we're meeting.
When I came to the restaurant, I was met by my dad's secretary and was escorted all the way to the building's top floor. "Is Kibum here already?" I asked her nervously and she nodded. "Is he with my Dad then?" and again she nodded. Okay, Jinki there's nothing to be worried about he's fine.
We stepped out of the elevator and walked through a dimly lit hallway, the red carpet on the floor lighted by the few wall lamps and all I can hear were the faints thuds of our footsteps. There were two guards waiting outside the door and one of them opened it, letting me in inside a secluded room.
The wall across from me was entirely glass, the view outside can be seen completely as it somehow made the room lighter and more open. The other walls have velvet wallpaper on them that matches the carpet on the floor. It was starting to make me feel better the lightest bit so I let out a sigh and started walking around. I saw my dad sitting on one of the couches looking slightly uncomfortable. I couldn't see what he was looking at in front of him because of the small divider blocking my view.
Walking closer to where he is, I was about to call him when I froze on my tracks. Kibum was there unconscious in front of him, tied up and bound. There was already blood on his temple and the white handkerchief tied to his mouth was stained red. And there was Mr. Kim beside him with a satisfied smile on his face. He stood up from his seat and walked towards me.
My hands clenched into fist and my knuckles were starting to turn white and painful from how hard I was clenching. As soon as he stopped in front of me, he punched me as hard as he can that I felt my lip burst and blood filled my mouth. I thought about punching him back, but someone else grabbed me from behind and kicked my back making me fall to the ground.
Mr. Kim walked away from me and my dad stood up. "You said you weren't going to hurt him, Youngwoon," my dad said. What the hell is going on?
"Couldn't resist, that's all," Mr. Kim replied as he took his seat again beside Kibum. Did his father do that to him? Or my dad did?
"Dad... What the hell is going on?" I asked, spitting the blood out of my mouth as I stared at Kibum's face.
"Isn't it obvious, Jinki? Your dad and I working together to break you and Kibum apart since you wouldn't listen to me, I asked for your father's help," Mr. Kim answered instead.
I stared at my father in disbelief, turning my gaze away from Kibum and meeting his blank ones. It was hard to tell what he was really feeling, and because of that it made me angrier and disappointed towards him. "How could you? I thought you like Kibum, Dad. You were nice to him and he respected you and this is what you're going to pay him in return?"
"I did like him, but that doesn't change the fact of who really is, Jinki. You lied and deceived me, both of you. You let him inside the company, inside our house," my dad started walking towards me then, his hands clenching and unclenching into a fist and he squat down in front of me, "How long have you known about it?" he asked, his voice low so I'm the only one able to heard. He was looking at me straight in the eyes, and I found a side of my dad I never knew he had all along.
"The night you first met him, it's been that long," I replied. He slapped me and the ring on his finger hit me and drew more blood into my mouth. "When he first told me I got mad, of course. We never spoke to each other for a couple of weeks but I realize that I couldn't live without him. So I gathered enough courage to go to President Kim's house myself and apologized to him. I accepted who he really is, and I don't care about whose family he came from because I just wanted to be with him." I decided to tell him everything - the whole truth - because what's the point of keeping them when things have turned out this way already?
My dad scoffed and hit me again, this time by grabbing me by the hair and kicked me on the stomach. I fell onto my side, and my eyes fluttered as they struggle to stay open. I clutched my stomach, groaning in pain. I saw both my dad and Mr. Kim talk to themselves, and once in a while my dad would look at me with anger and hatred in his yes. He waved his hand a little and suddenly those people behind me grabbed me by the arm and forced me to stand up.
"Wake up," Mr. Kim said, shaking Kibum by the shoulder almost too violently. When Kibum didn't respond, he grabbed his chin and tried waking him up again. I heard a faint groan from Kibum and even though I wanted to be there by his side, I felt relieved that he was still alive compared to what I feared when I saw him earlier. Just then, Mr. Kim slapped him hard, the sound of his palm meeting Kibum's cheek sounded too loud for my liking and it made me flinch.
"Why are you doing this to him? You don't even treat him as your son; you don't even want him so why do you keep trying to break us apart? Why can't you just leave him alone and let him be with me? He's not even doing anything against you; he's not going around saying you're his father because he doesn't care about all of it. He just wanted to be away from all of you so why can't you just leave him alone?!"
I struggled to get away from the bodyguards holding me, wanting to break free and hold Kibum in my arms and run away from here. I didn't realize I was already crying and that my tears won't stop flowing from my eyes. Mr. Kim kept hitting Kibum right in front of me and I couldn't protect him. My dad just stood there, watching everything happen in front of him.
"Just end everything with him, Jinki," my dad said, looking at Kibum get hit over and over again instead at me, "If you really want him to be fine you'll leave him alone. You'll break up with him and give him back to his family. That's all you have to do, Jinki, and he won't get hurt even more."
I can't leave him - no, I don't want to leave him. I will never leave him. "Just kill me then," I said.
Dad snapped his head towards my direction, his eyes wide, "Lee Jinki, are you crazy?!" he shouted, storming towards me with his face full of anger, "Are you insane? Do you really want to risk your life to be with someone like him? He's not even worth it, Jinki, there's nothing with him - name, money, or success - nothing! So what makes you want to give up your life for him?"
"I don't care about all those things, Dad. I'm not looking for all those things because all that matters to me is that I love him - we love each other, Dad. And yes, I would give up my life for him because that's how much he means to me," I replied looking at my dad straight in the eyes. "I'd rather die than leave him, Dad, and I'm sure Kibum feels the same way about me. We both swore to risk our lives just to be with each other."
"Taejin-ah, I think this is getting harder than I thought it would be," Mr. Kim said, finally stopping with whatever he's doing to Kibum. I looked at Kibum once again, seeing his face swollen and bleeding after all those hits that his father had given him. His head was tilted back and looking towards my direction, giving me a full view to his face.
"What do you think we should do?" my dad asked, his back facing me.
They were both silent for a little while, the sound of my crying was resounding throughout the room and I just wish that Kibum would wake up so that I could at least see his eyes, giving me enough strength to last all these. I could see his breathing, quick and laboured, if this continues, he might not last any longer. He's too fragile to go through this, that's why I kept trying so hard to protect him from anything that can harm or hurt him. But with both our fathers against us like this, do I really have any choice to save us together?
Just then, the door banged open and someone barge inside the room. I saw Jonghyun walk past me and towards his father. He looked dishevelled and gasping and few more bodyguards came inside the room and grabbed him. "Dad, I told you I would take care of this!" he exclaimed, trying to break free from the bodyguards' grasp on his arms.
"It took way too long to do something, Jonghyun. We had an agreement - I gave you time and you ran out," Mr. Kim replied, "You also know that when I step in, someone will get hurt. If you had given me an answer earlier, your brother wouldn't be in this situation. Therefore, it's partially your fault why Kibum is like this."
"But, Dad..." Jonghyun started. I realized he was already crying, and the thought that maybe he really did care for Kibum hit me. He was trying to protect Kibum from their father all along by making an agreement, but since he lost it this is what happened.
"So, which is it, Jinki? Are you going to end it with Kibum or are you going to let him go through hell?" Jonghyun turned his head to face me, his expression of shock and confusion. But I was also able distinguish pain and hurt in his eyes.
"Lee Jinki, please... If you really love him just let him go. I'll protect him if that's what will make you leave him, I'll watch over him. Just let him go, please," Jonghyun pleaded at me.
I looked at Kibum once again, my mind and heart battling inside of me whether I should let him go or not. My mind said it was for the better but my heart said I can't let him go. If I leave him alone, there might be chance that all of the sufferings he had gone through because of me will stop, but there might also be chance that he will suffer more. If only I hadn't fallen in love with him, if only we never met, none of these would have happened in the first place. He would never be hurt; he wouldn't have to suffer so much like this because of me.
But I don't regret any of it. I would never regret ever meeting him; I would never regret ever meeting him. But I wouldn't be able stand the thought of him going through worse because of me. I only thought about being with him, about what will make me happy. I didn't even realize that he was already hurting. I was becoming selfish as time goes on, and now this is what my selfishness brought us.
"I... I'll end it… I'll end it with him, just stop hurting him, please..." I said, my voice shaking too much because of my cries.
Mr. Kim smirked, the expression on his face full of victory. My dad's expression was once again blank, but there's a hint of relief and satisfaction. Now I doubt myself about this. Did I really do the right thing? Even Jonghyun let out a sigh. Maybe after all these I'm the only one who will suffer in the end.
I saw the bodyguards let go of Jonghyun and he immediately went to Kibum's side, untying the handkerchief on his mouth and the ropes tied to his hands and feet. I want to go to his side and hold him, but instead it was Jonghyun who was doing it. I felt the hands on my arms let go of me, too, and just as I was about to run to Kibum's side, someone knocked me out and my sight became a blur. I can see them faintly, the bodyguards went to Kibum’s side as they carried him out of the room and Jonghyun and Mr. Kim went out along with them.
I was starting to lose consciousness – in and out, in and out – that’s what I kept feeling as I lay there on the carpeted floor. I broke my promise to Kibum. I promised him that I would never let anything break us apart. I promised that we would get through this together and that I would a find a way for both of us. But in the end, I broke that promise and gave him away. I don’t him to get hurt like that anymore. Sure, my decision might be hurtful, but isn’t it for the best?
He might hate me, he might despise me, and he might never want to see me again, but I just did what I can do to save him from all the suffering. I was too helpless to do anything. I don’t have too many options and if I do, all of them outweigh the negative outcomes even more than the positive. Either way, he’d still get hurt because of me. I put him through all these, so I should be the one to get him out of it. Even though it hurts me, this is the only thing I can do.
If I really do love him, I would let him go and let things go back to normal. Both of us will be hurt for a little while, but for sure, time will be able to heal the wounds brought upon us by fate, right? And after the wounds heal, there might be scars that will not disappear. It can bring back the past memories, and there are only two things either of us can do – cry over it or forget it. I just hope that Kibum will choose to forget it. I don’t want to remember all the things that happened to him because of our forbidden love for one another, a love that brought so much pain for the both of us that in end it managed to break us.
Before I finally lost consciousness, I saw my father walk towards me, his face full of sympathy and pained sadness. I felt myself get lifted off the floor as his bodyguards helped me stand up. If only I knew this would happen I shouldn’t have agreed to this meeting. I already had a bad feeling about this but I still continued, because why should I suspect my dad in doing such a thing to me and Kibum? I’ve always thought that he liked him and I never thought that he would be able to cooperate with Mr. Kim. “I’m sorry, Jinki-ah, but it’s for the best – for both of you. I know you love him, but when you love someone you’ll do everything to make sure that someone is happy and safe, and what you did is the right thing,” my dad said.
“Even if I did that, I know he won’t be happy and safe. I know him, Dad. And after all these that happened, he’ll be way too affected. He’ll be too affected that he might break down and fall apart.”
“I’m sorry, Jinki…” he started but I cut him off.
“Saying sorry won’t change anything, Dad. No matter how many times you say you’re sorry, my hatred for you will never fade,” I told him and then my consciousness left me.
I’m sorry, Kibum. Will you be able to forgive me the next time we meet? Will I be able to see you again?
A/N:
i kept trying not to cry while writing this, did you guys cry?
i swear the future chapters will have more angst so expect that...
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kbye!!
- immaLocket029
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