A/N:

HELLO LOVELY READERS!!

YES I'M BACK AND I'M ALIVE... i hope you guys aren't mad at me for being MIA TT^TT (i can't believe my last actual update was a year ago... i'm really sorry *bows x10000000*)

tbh i'm not even gonna defend myself this time, i'll just admit the truth... i'm always on my twitter (like everyday) and i can't stop playing that sm app SUPERSTAR SMTOWN cuz it's so damn addicting... but just to be clear i haven't stopped writing.. in fact i have these oneshots piled up its just i'm way too lazy to actually write them... and now i have 3 pending updates, a bunch of oneshots (onkey, minkey, jongkey, taekey, and even OT5 - a few of them ) but i don't know when i'll be able to post them...

sooooooo..... here' the new update... i hope you guys enjoy!!

- 14jin_key23

Without any hesitation Jonghyun headed towards his father's office, letting himself in through the thick wooden door without knocking. He saw Youngwoon standing in front of the fireplace holding a small stack of papers, his feet taking him closer just in time for him to see the older holding the blue envelope he was looking for.

"Give it to me," he said immediately, his voice stern, as he extended his hand for the letter. "It's not yours, Dad. Give it back."

"And I suppose it's yours then?" Youngwoon replied questioningly, separating the envelope from the rest in his hands before proceeding with what he was doing. "Did you honestly believe that Jinki's visit wouldn't reach me, Jonghyun? I think you've forgotten that there are security cameras around the whole house, people keeping an eye on everything that's going in and around. How do you think I've found out about your brother's relationship with that man before you could even do something?" He looked at his son and displeasure was clearly shown on his face. "I know that you have no intention of telling me that Lee Jinki came by to see your brother and why he came by, that he spent five hours waiting outside this house and even left this piece of filth. How do you expect me to be lenient when you keep trying to hide things from me?"

Jonghyun tried to control himself and held his stance, clenching his hands tightly. "The only reason I kept these things from you is because I know what you're capable of doing. You're not human. You don't have a heart. But no matter how many times you've already said it - the same ing reason why you're doing this to him - I still don't get it. You've ignored him for years and now your attention is suddenly on him just because he finally felt happy. His life is already ruined because of you. Now you want to ruin everything else that belong to him just because they connect him back to Jinki?" 

Youngwoon remained unfazed even when Jonghyun’s voice grew loud, throwing the rest of the papers in his hand into the fire and held the envelope in between them. "You already said it yourself - I am capable of doing a lot things, things that even you should be afraid of. I can do whatever I please even if it means taking risks. If I want to control his life then I will and if I want to burn this piece of filth then I will." Before Jonghyun could even snatch it away from him Youngwoon threw the envelope into the fire, the corners of it turning into ashes within seconds. "Now that it's gone there's only one more thing left - the ring. Where is it?" 

"What makes you think that I'll tell you?" Jonghyun said through gritted teeth, somehow glad of himself taking the ring somewhere else he knew would be able to keep it from his father. 

"Well, then. I guess I'm just going to have to look further until I find it." With one last look Youngwoon headed towards the door and left his office, leaving Jonghyun all alone. He can only watch the remaining of the envelope burn, his brother's name on the surface slowly disappearing as fire consumed it. 

~

Jinki knew he was being completely irrational. As soon as he bought his new car, he immediately got someone to take the one he just used from the car dealer instead of leaving it by the office just as he's promised just to irk his father's hired men. After calling his new assistant to look for a loft, for some reason all he could think about was to spend his money no matter how expensive his requests were. Each swipe of his black credit card, the more irrational he becomes and he knew that if he kept going all of his money would be gone. Somehow, it surprised him that his father haven't done anything to his personal bank accounts even when he knew that the older had nothing to do with it, that every single penny in those accounts was what he earned himself. 

Here and there, he would go inside the stores he found and purchase everything his eyes landed on. Suits, dress shirts, and coats, things he knew well that he doesn't really need when he already have them waiting for him to be unpacked. When his assistant called him that she'd found him what he wanted, he immediately went to buy furnishings for his new home and had them delivered the fastest way possible without caring that it would cost him more. 

He knew that he was supposed to come to his new office in order to get to know his new colleagues but by the time he was done, the sun has already gone down and it was nighttime and his car was full of paper bags and shoe boxes, almost forgetting about his new house that was waiting for him. When he arrived at the address his assistant gave him, Jinki could only sigh when he caught sight of three men who were obviously waiting for him. He got out and ignored the three of them, heading straight towards the elevator. 

"Do you need help with your belongings, sir?" one of them asked politely. 

"Get lost," Jinki told him without sparing a glance, hostility clear in his voice. 

"But sir..." 

"I don't need any of your help, okay? There's nothing else to be done because I've already taken care of them. I appreciate the thought but please just leave me alone. I don't care whoever ordered all of you to follow me around and 'help me' but I don't need it and I won't be needing it in the future." He looked at them and the three men lowered their heads. "So please leave now when I'm still asking nicely and politely because I doubt that you'd want to see what I can become if I'm angered." 

The three men looked at each and complied hesitantly, backing away from him until they walked out of the building and towards a black car not far from where he left his silver one.

Jinki sighed deeply as he stepped into the elevator, running his hand through his hair in exasperation. He leaned against the steel railing behind him and stared at his reflection on the metal doors, his eyes scanning the man before him. He can only stare at himself - of what he's become - before looking away and distracted himself by thinking of what he should do for the following day until the sound of the elevator bell eventually interrupted him and he reached his floor. 

He stepped out and a double wooden door greeted him not far away from where he was, a small piece of card taped onto the surface. 

"Everything you asked for were done according to your instructions, 

If anything is not to your liking please don't hesitate to contact me and I will get it done right away."

- Irene

He hasn't met new his assistant Irene and yet he's already asked her to do so many things for him, most of them for his personal purposes and are not included as part of her responsibilities. Jinki took the card off from the door and entered his new home, the heavy feeling in his chest sinking him even deeper. He took off his jacket and dropped it on the floor, taking a closer look at his new home. It was big enough for him to feel comfortable and unrestricted - more spacious than his old house and less cluttered than the house his father tried to make him live in. To his surprise everything he ordered was already assembled and even arranged neatly that all he had to do was lie down on his made bed and rest, a sigh escaping his lips the minute the thought of his future once again entered his mind.

When he woke up the following morning, Jinki didn't bother about the time. He did as he pleased despite knowing that is was an unprofessional thing to do for someone like him who holds an executive position. That morning, he took everything he bought the day before up to his apartment and put them away. Shoe boxes piled up the extra space beside his closet now full of new clothes, his old ones still remaining unpacked from his luggage. When he walked downstairs, he found small boxes stacked against the wall across from the stairs – his belongings that he brought with him from his old home – and thought of unpacking them but opted not to. 

By the time he arrived at the building, the employees were heading back from their lunch. Some of them recognized him, greeting him as he walked by. He stood in front of the lift that only leads to the upper floors of the building and waited. When the metal doors opened, he was stopped by someone else. 

"Hey, you," the man said to him, grabbing him by the shoulder. "You're new here, aren't you? Only executives use that lift, who do you think you are? Come with me." The man didn't let him speak as he dragged him across the hall towards another lift, pushed a button and the doors closed. "Don't you think you're arriving quite late for you first day? What's your name?" 

Jinki looked at the man and briefly glanced at the ID before replying. "Onew Lee," he said, the distaste towards the man in front of him clear in his voice. 

"Department?" the man asked again, aware of Jinki's tone. 

"Finance." 

The man smirked. "Well, look at what we have here. I'm your superior. If you don't want to get into my bad side, I'd suggest you start learning who you should be sticking up to because in this company, stick to the wrong person and you'll be a goner. As long as you have the right connection to the right people, you'll get to the top of the ladder faster. Obey my orders and we'll get along well. Today's your first and last warning, boy. I can either make you disappear or last in this company. You have no idea how many bastards like you I've made unemployed for going against me. I practically have all the power in this building because of my connections. If you want to get to the top quickly, all you have to do is listen to me." The man looked up just as the bell dinged. "This is our floor. Let's try to get along, eh?" He slapped Jinki's cheek lightly twice before getting off, putting his hands in his pockets and whistled as he walked away. 

Jinki stayed inside the lift and went back down to the lobby, taking the right lift that will lead him to his office. The man's words echoed in his mind, a slightly amused smile forming on his lips as his eyes locked on his reflection on the metal doors. "Superior? Disappear or last? That bastard have absolutely no idea he just met his superior, the one who can actually make someone disappear or last in this company." The amusement soon disappeared on his face by the time the words were out of his mouth, his gaze turning cold and intimidating. 

The metal doors opened and he stepped out, the two women who were sitting by the reception in front of his office standing up and bowing down when he walked by. "Good afternoon, sir," they said. Jinki's greeted them with a nod and went inside his office where another woman was sitting on one of the chaise. When she heard the door close she looked up and stood up from her seat, bowing immediately. 

"Good afternoon, sir," she said. "I'm Irene Bae, your new assistant." 

Jinki acknowledged her without saying a word and went straight to his desk where a pile of folders are neatly stacked. "What's this?" he asked, the tone of his voice intimidating his assistant. 

"Those are paper works from the Seoul branch sent by the Chairman through airmail. He said that you were in charge of them and giving it to someone else would only be chaotic as you know more of the details of each."

"That bastard really want to destroy me," Jinki mumbled under in his breath. "When does he want them back?" 

"By next week, sir," Irene replied looking up from her notebook. "He want the documents out of the country by Friday in order for them to receive the documents by Monday." 

Jinki sighed in defeat and took one of the folders, dismissing his assistant with a motion of his hand. As soon as the door closed, he flipped it closed and leaned back against his seat. Feeling defeated, he heaved another sigh and closed his eyes. 

~

Jonghyun didn't care that he was missing work by staying home to take care of Kibum even if Chaeyoung already volunteered to do it for him, staying close by his brother's side every second. The memory of witnessing Jinki's letter burn right in front of his eyes no longer bothered him as days after it happened, he began to convince himself that it was better off gone. And even though the ring still remain hidden from his father, Jonghyun still felt that the ring should be with Kibum.

With him sitting on the bed and Kibum sitting on the floor, he could see what the latter was drawing on the sketch pad he had given him that afternoon after they got back from Kibum's psychotherapy. But just like the first session three weeks ago, Kibum refused to answer most of the psychiatrist's questions, staring at one spot and keeping his mouth shut with him curled up. Jonghyun coaxed him to speak but the session ended with them hearing nothing. When they came back the two of them headed to Kibum's room and he immediately went to sit on the same spot - the corner between his bed and the wall - and curled up. Just the other week before, Chaeyoung went to Kibum's school and officially withdrew him from his studies, explaining her son's health condition to the school administration who, in return, ensured that it will be kept confidential. 

When she told Jonghyun about it he couldn't help but feel regretful as Kibum was only a few months away from graduating. That thought reminded him that he had never seen his brother working on an art piece, only seeing them already displayed during the school's annual exhibit for the art students and the ones he had seen when his belongings were brought back from the house he and Jinki used to live in.

He left the room quietly and took the sketch pad and utensils he had bought and gave it to his brother, hoping that it would help feel better at the very least. "It's been a long time since you drew something,” he said, watching as Kibum looked up at him blankly. “Besides, drawing again will help you get better if you continue doing something you're interested in. I heard you’re really good and I’ve never seen you draw before…" Jonghyun tried to be as convincing as possible in order for Kibum to believe him when he saw the hesitation in his brother's eyes, doubt and distrust clearly shown in them.

"What do you want me to draw?" he asked softly. 

Jonghyun sat down on the bed. "Anything you want. Draw whatever comes to your mind." 

Kibum was hesitant to start drawing once again, blankly staring the sketch pad he was holding. Each time he lightly drew on the paper, he would erase them and start over. But somehow, in his mind, erasing them was not enough. He began to rip a page each time he made a mistake and crumble them, tossing them in front of him. "They look fine, Kibum-ah," Jonghyun told him when he was about tear another one. 

"No, it's not," he mumbled, once again ripping another page from the pad. "It's not good enough." 

He'd only heard and learnt from others that his brother was a perfectionist but he didn't expect it to be to such extent. But then he remembered that it might be the voices he knew his brother was hearing that was causing him to act that way. He didn't have to ask his brother about it because he had seen it himself. He had seen Kibum talking to himself in whispers, answering questions as though someone else was there in his room with him. Every time he'd walk in, the latter would keep his mouth shut and avoid his gaze as though nothing happened.

When he finally decided that it was only giving Kibum a hard time, Jonghyun took the sketch pad away from his brother and placed them on the side table, picking up the pencils off the floor. "That's enough for today."

"Give it back," Kibum argued, reaching for the pad once again as he looked at his older brother in frustration. "I'm not done." 

"Kibum, I said it's enough. You can continue this tomorrow." Jonghyun saw hurt briefly flash in Kibum's eyes but knowing that even such things was giving him difficulties he knew that he couldn't force his brother to do something. 

Kibum withdrew his hand back and remained quiet, turning his gaze away from his brother. It didn’t take long before Jonghyun decided to give it back and Kibum once again began to draw, the heavy feeling in his heart becoming heavier knowing that he could never refuse what the younger wanted. For the rest of the night, not another word left Kibum’s mouth, his attention solely on the image he was trying to recreate on the pad he was holding. 

The next day, Jonghyun was told that someone was looking for his brother. When he came down to the living room, he found his mother talking to Minho and someone else he's never met before. All of them looked towards his direction and he sat down next to his mother. 

"Minho-ah, what are you doing here?" he asked even when he already knew why. 

"Is Kibum-hyung okay?" the other guy asked, sitting up straight and looked directly at Jonghyun in the eyes. "We talked to Professor Park and found out he withdrew from school. Can we talk to him?" 

Jonghyun looked the stranger in front of him and realization came to him. "You're Jinki's brother, aren't you? Get out." He got up and reached for Taemin's wrist, pulling him from his seat and headed for the front door. 

"He is not going anywhere, Jonghyun," Chaeyoung called, stopping them from getting any further. She saw the look on her son's eyes and already figured out what he was going to say. "I don't care which family he came from because I've had enough of that ridiculous reason that you and your father are still holding on to. You wanted Kibum's happiness, didn't you? I already let you do whatever you want when Jinki was still concerned but now I'm going to step in. They are here because they are worried about your brother, Jonghyun. Having them spend some time with him will help him. Kibum needs his friends as well now with what he's going through. His life needs to be as normal as possible - the way it was before." 

"We already know," Taemin said, tears b his eyes. "Mrs. Kim also told us that Jinki hyung came here, about Kibum hyung's condition. Please just let us talk to him. I promise I won't say anything about my brother just please. Let us see him." 

Jonghyun lead them through the hallway with Minho beside him and Taemin keeping his distance behind them, the rims of his eyes red from stopping himself from crying. He was about to open door when Taemin spoke. 

"I'm going to stay out here a little bit," he said, wiping the tears that eventually began to fall. "I can't let Kibum hyung see me like this. You two can go on ahead." 

He opened the door and found Kibum already awake, sitting up on his bed and staring blankly out the window. "Kibum-ah," he called. "Look who he came to see you." 

Kibum looked at the direction and found Minho standing on the other side of his bed, a smile on his face. Seeing his friend after so long made him feel different. A friend he's hidden his real identity from and have never invited to his house before now standing right in front of him in his room, a pang of guilt that he thought was long gone once again filling him when he was wrapped in an embrace. He tightened his hold onto Minho and closed his eyes, wondering briefly if he was still asleep and everything was just a dream. When the sound of a light knock on his door and faint footsteps reached his ears, he looked up and found a face he thought he'd never see again. 

"Kibum-hyung." Taemin tried to stop himself sobbing but when his eyes met with Kibum's, it took all his might to keep himself calm as slowly went towards the older. The sight of him - frail and small - brought back Chaeyoung's words and another sob left his lips. He knelt in front of Kibum and cupped his face on his hands, once in a while wiping the tears that neither of them bothered to stop from falling. Kibum immediately wrapped his arms around the younger and sobbed, automatically tightening his embrace around him.

Seeing how the atmosphere was, Jonghyun quietly left the room and closed the door behind him. 

~ 

Jinki looked up from the papers he was holding, eyeing the new batch of applicants who were applying for the positions that became available after he fired several employees who he deemed unfit for the positions given to them and those who were got their positions through parachute or connections, including the man he met at the elevator the week before for finding out that he had been manipulating the company's financial reports in order to hide the branch's debts. 

Each candidate, he'd look through their résumés wanting only those who he think and believe were suitable for the job. However, none of the ones who applied were qualified enough in his opinion. He didn't think that it would also become part of his job to revive a dying company branch with its employees kept in the dark, the possibility of them of them losing their jobs no longer inevitable if nothing would be done soon. Even though it's only been more than just a week since he arrived, Jinki felt as though years has already gone by. Eventually, the candidates were sent away and another day was wasted.

He's been staying inside his office far more than he do at his new home, only leaving to wash up and change his clothes and then coming back to do the piled up work his father had given him. Even his secretary began to keep his meals as part of his schedule as though it was part of his work.

"What's next on my schedule?" he asked one morning. He had just gotten back from a meeting regarding the finances of the branch, yet once again terminating another employee for not being able to keep the records organized. 

"You have a meeting with the investors at 3," Irene replied, closing the agenda she was holding. "You also have a reservation at the restaurant for lunch..."

"Cancel it," Jinki interrupted as he pulled another binder in front of him after closing one. "Can't you see I still have a lot of things to do? With this branch on the verge of collapsing I cannot waste a single second doing something completely irrelevant. What makes you think I have the appetite to eat something when I know I should be doing to save this goddamn company?" 

Irene was about to apologize when the door opened and a man entered and stopped before her, causing Jinki to look up from his work and dismiss her, leaving him with his visitor.

"What are you doing here, Joon?" he asked, making sure that the displeasure in his tone was noticed. 

"Just curious how you're doing so far," Joon replied nonchalantly, taking a seat on one of the chairs that was facing Jinki's table, noting the change with his cousin. (**) "You know, if it weren't for the plaque on your desk I wouldn't have any idea who I'm talking to right now. It's only been less than a month and this is already what happened to you? Though I guess I should've been able to recognize you from the anger and hate in your eyes." 

Having had enough Jinki stopped with his work and set them aside, no longer able to control himself. "What do you want exactly? Because knowing you, you'd do anything the chairman asks you to do." 

Joon straightened himself and looked at Jinki with a serious look on his face. "Sixteen employees," he began. "You've only been here for no more than a week and yet you've already fired sixteen employees. Do you have any idea how upset uncle is because of what you've done?" 

"I only did what I'm supposed to do," Jinki said simply. "Those people are not qualified to hold their positions. Do you want to know what I found out? Those bastards only got their jobs just because of their connections - they didn't work for it. They didn't earn it themselves. So many people out there - far more qualified and skilled - lost such great opportunity to those kind of people who didn't even do anything and yet held executive and top positions in the company. What did you expect me to do? Turn a blind eye and ignore such thing? This company is already on the verge of bankruptcy, Joon. I don't know how this happened but even so I'm not going to let those people get away with it. Furthermore, those people have been keeping and lying about the branch’s debts from us. They should be glad all I did was fire them."

"It's been happening for you years and you only decide to act on it now? It seems like you've been kept in the dark this whole time, Jinki. Uncle knew about this branch's situation long ago and told me to take care of it months ago. I thought he would tell you but I guess not. Those people you fired, he was going to fire them but figured it would be pointless since this branch is closing anyway and let them stay. No matter what you do, Jinki, you can't save this branch. You're just going to stress yourself and all your work would end up useless."  

Jinki stared at the older in disbelief hearing the news. "You knew about this for months?" he asked as a forced laugh escaped his lips. He felt betrayed and fooled finding out that such secret was kept from him even when things were still normal, thoughts of his own father doubting him from the very beginning occurring to him. "I guess he never trusted me at all then. No wonder you kept leaving, because you were doing something else for him that I never knew about." He threw the folder he was holding and stood up, no longer interested in what his cousin was going to say.

"He didn't want you to focus on other things when you already have so much on your hands, not because he didn't trust you," Joon reasoned out, standing up from his seat and went closer. "You're his son, Jinki. You practically have as much power as he does, do you think he'd want you to bother about something that nothing can save it from?" 

"You mean the hundreds of clueless people who are working in this building at this very moment? The same people who will lose their jobs and will be thrown off the streets because we can no longer afford to pay them and keep this branch open? If only you have told me about this the minute you found out I would have done something about it. I would have asked for help - look for investors, borrow money from the bank, anything! You chose to do this on your own even when you know that you can't do it. Why do you think you're still in the same position after all this time? Why do you think the chairman you are so fond of let you handle a problem both of you know you can't solve? Because he knows you can't do it and that is enough for him to see that what you can do is only up to where you are. Beyond that and you're nothing. That is your limit. He just used you to see what you’re capable of and that’s what he got." 

Jinki knew his harsh words has completely broken his relationship from the older, years of their close relationship as cousins coming to its end in a way he never thought of ending. "Since you weren't able to fix this, I will do it and I promise I'll be able to do it. When this problem is resolved tell the chairman that as my reward, I want this branch to be mine. Since he has many others and this is almost in the ruins, when I manage to keep this branch open and all of its remaining employees employed, I'll have ownership and the rights, as well as power and control of this building, and it'll no longer be affiliated to Lee Corp. It will be a new company, it will be given a new name, and everything will change. I'll no longer be under Lee Corp." 

"You've really gone crazy, haven't you?" Joon asked in a low tone as a smirk crept up his face. "Do you honestly think that it will go your way? The chairman will not allow it. You want to be like this then so be it. But just so you know, you're declaring a war against someone you don't have a chance of winning against. You're going to regret giving up everything because of your foolishness." 

~

Youngwoon looked at the letter in his hands and sighed deeply as he stared outside t, rereading it for the hundredth time convincing himself that what he'd done was for the best despite seeing the consequences. He knew that what he'd done was not something he can undo easily especially to Kibum. Every time his secretary would tell him about what was going, he kept hoping that somehow it would be better than the previous. But each day that passed it would get worse and the guilt he's been keeping would intensify. He only wanted to keep Kibum safe from the people who wanted nothing but for him to fall and end up in ruins. He only wanted to prevent the past from happening again and make sure that they won't ever get near him again. 

He had already admitted long ago that he was wrong for blaming his son for his mother's death but the trauma he's caused Kibum as a child prevented him from rebuilding their relationship. When he was given his mother's will after she died and he found that all she wanted was for him to take good care of his sons, he promised himself that he will fulfill her wish. But each time he tried to come near Kibum after what he'd done to him, he would see him in his nanny's arms with his eyes closed shut refusing to let go. When he found out why, he asked the old woman for forgiveness. At night when Kibum would be sleeping, he would lie next to him and watch him sleep while holding his hand, begging for forgiveness for what he's done to him. 

Since then he's only watched him from afar growing up with other people, his own son slowly becoming part of another family. But as much as he wanted to do something that would bring back their family together, his pride was holding him back from doing so. Somehow, pushing his son farther away from him made him convinced that it would keep him safe. When those people who tried to kill Kibum were caught, he lied and told him that he died along with his mother, thinking that it would end. He pretended that he only have one child remaining and as Kibum grew up, he hoped that the people outside their house would think that he was a servant's son, keeping him from becoming a target from the rest he knew were hiding from him. 

Each time he would hear of his son's accomplishments from school, the desire within him of wanting to be there for him as his father intensified. Without his son’s knowledge he would buy him gifts and disguise it as a birthday present, even buying things he wanted and have the nanny to pretend it was her gift. He made sure that he will have everything he needed by giving the old woman money for him to use, both for his studies and his passion for art. While he's at school, he would talk to the old woman about him and as she told stories of him, he only felt envious. 

When he found about Kibum’s relationship with Jinki, he wanted to end it not because of the family Jinki came from but because he feared that it would bring those people who wanted to hurt his son back. But when he saw how happy Kibum was because of Jinki, despite his fears, he watched them from afar and made sure that they were always being followed and protected by the security team he hired. Even in the distance, he was able to see the difference with his son because of Jinki.

He didn't knew, however, that he would be forced to ruin their relationship when he was told his old enemies were back, a few of them found stalking his son. Even when it was against his will, Youngwoon knew that he had to do something to keep them from getting to Kibum even it if meant that he had to take away his happiness and push him further away from him. His desperation for his son’s safety made him choose to do things he never thought he would do, making an alliance with a rival and even almost killing the one he was trying to protect.

The things he’s done to Kibum only convinced him furthermore that he will never become father once again, now with the latter unable to look at him without cowering in fear and stay in the same room for than a minute.

“Sir, we’re here.”

Youngwoon looked outside the car and saw the familiar house he’s hasn’t visited in a while, hiding the letter in his suit jacket and grabbed the basket beside him. He got out of the car and went straight towards the backyard where he knew that old woman would be, tending to her garden despite the cold weather. Sure enough, he found the old woman huddled over a small patch of dug ground scattering seeds.

“Ahjumma,” he called. The woman looked up at him and slowly stood up. “How are you?”

“Is he with you?” she asked back, taking off the gloves off her hands and dusted her pants.

Youngwoon shook his head and immediately saw the disappointment show on her face. “No, Kibum’s not with me.”

The old woman sighed as she began cleaning up her gardening tools. “I may be old but I can still remember what I told you: you can only come back here if you bring him with you and prove to me that you have made up to him. But since it’s just you, you may leave now.”

“I’d bring him with me if I could but I can’t,” he reasoned, following the older inside the house. “I thought I was making the right choices for him, and you know all I wanted for him to be safe. I didn’t know I would end up making things worse for him. Ahjumma, I can’t even come near him. Just the sight of me is enough to scare him.” The woman took a seat in the living room and motioned for him to take the seat across from her, noticing the expression on the younger’s face. “He’s receiving therapy again. Maybe because of what I did, but it’s a whole lot different than when he was receiving them years ago. Chaeyoung and Jonghyun are both upset of what I’ve done to Kibum and it’s clear that if I don’t tell them anything my family will fall apart. But, ahjumma, you know I’m incapable of doing that kind of thing. It’s the reason why it has come to this. Even until now I still can’t tell them why I did such things.”

“Have you tried?” Youngwoon shook his head. “Then maybe that’s the reason why. If you haven’t tried how are you going to find out? I want to know everything. The things you’ve done to that poor boy and why you did them. Certain things can trigger and start Kibum’s relapse. For years, I made sure that those things will never occur anywhere near him. I made sure that he’ll live a normal life. Now I want to know why it’s happening to him again.”

(**) at this point Jinki is now blonde, like Everybody era blonde... i guess i should also clarify the others so:

Kibum - Amigo era

Jonghyun - Sherlock era

Taemin - Why so serious era

Minho - Dream girl era

A/N:

YOU GUYS DIDN'T SEE THAT ENDING COMING DID YA??? LMAO

yeah, well youngwoon's side needs to be told, too... and yeah, jinki's gonna be a jerk for awhile.. you know cuz of heartbreak, his hatred towards Taejin, etc... AND IRENE FROM RED VELVET IS INCLUDED!! she's my female bias and i wasn't in the mood to use snsd as an extra...

so.... i hope you guys liked the update (and i hope i'm forgiven for my absence)...

until the next update, my lovely readers!!

- 14jin_key23