Jiyong pulls uncomfortably at the crisp collar constraining his neck.

Apparently this is the only ‘acceptable’ attire he owns for a meeting like this – a dull grey button up shirt with pads on the elbows and black pants that are much too loose for his taste. Jiyong grimaces as his father places a hand on his shoulder.

He, quite honestly, feels like utter . His head is throbbing in every possible way, feeling as if an axe has been wedged between it in moments where he’s moved too fast. The shower only served to rid him of the after-club stink and render him extraordinarily sleepy.

His eyelids are drooping in subconsciousness when Mr. Kwon speaks up loudly, startling him awake. He winces as the noise rings in his ears and the blood there rushes loudly.  

“Why don’t you take Seunghyun to your room, or take a walk in the courtyard?” Jiyong hasn’t been paying attention to the conversation going on around him. He blinks at his dad with an irritated glint passing through his heavy-lidded eyes. Kwon stares back with a hard glare and Jiyong’s shoulders slump in defeat.

He makes a non-committed grunt of agreement and shrugs one shoulder, just to piss the old man off a tad bit further, and then jerks his head in Seunghyun’s direction.  

The older, for what Jiyong has cared to notice, has not spoken a word – or moved all that much, in fact.

He’s been sitting on a sofa chair rigidly and staring at the carpet floors, looking very timid and awkward.

When Mr. Kwon made the suggestion, he jumps as if shocked and Jiyong subtly eyes the long body clad in dark work trousers, a blue blazer and pushed-back hair as he stands up – a head, at least, taller than Jiyong when standing straight.

Jiyong won’t allow the appealing sight of the man serve as a sugar-coater for this whole ordeal. He narrows his gaze and turns sharply on his heeled shoes, mentally listing off pathways of trying to get Seunghyun to be the one to back out of this, and save both their necks.

He’s hoping that his own father is the only one who is sadistic enough to impose his own son’s aspirations against him. Hopefully, Seunghyun doesn’t have half as much at stake from denying the marriage.

When they reach his room, Jiyong momentarily forgets the other’s company. He sighs in utter relief and sinks on to the soft mattress of his bed, freeing his airways by undoing the higher buttons of his formal shirt.

There’s a deep, husky clearing of the throat that causes him to snap his head to the large doorway, where Seunghyun has apparently decided to stand by himself. Jiyong actually manages to restrain himself from rolling his eyes – simply because he knows the action would worsen his throbbing headache.

He sighs loudly, feeling very much burdened and taking care to let Seunghyun know he feels this way, also. “Do you want permission to enter, or something?”

Seunghyun jumps at his remark, eyes fixated on his own footsteps as he timidly walks in to the room and Jiyong shakes his head in incredulity. Who knew that big-shot bachelor Choi Seunghyun was actually shy? Youngbae would have a field day.

Jiyong reckons that he can use this new development much to his own advantage. He sits up straight on the bed and primly crosses his legs.

“Okay then, let’s get down to business. Sit down.”

Seunghyun meekly settles on to Jiyong’s desk chair at the demand and Jiyong suppresses an accomplished smirk. If things continue in this fashion, ending this will be child’s play.

He schools his expression in to a nonchalant one, raising one decorated hand to pick at his collection of shiny rings. “Now, we both obviously want to get out of this somehow-” Seunghyun doesn’t respond to this, and Jiyong has simply decided that he is the quiet type and continues on, “But unfortunately I can’t do anything about it."

Jiyong stills his hand and flicks his eyes up to Seunghyun. He finds it amusing as the other quickly averts his gaze. There seems to be a permanently red flush across his face. Cute, Jiyong thinks, and then frowns at his own conscience.  

“Dad’s pretty much got me trapped, and I’ve got to do everything he says. I’m guessing that you were a bit more obedient than I am when this whole thing was brought up – so, I think we can work this out if you try refusing?” Jiyong lays it out nice and plain for the other, not wanting to waste time by being polite and allusive and letting Seunghyun guess to it.

Seunghyun manages to meet his stare this time, but keeps flicking it away and back – nervously. When he speaks, Jiyong is surprised by the rich, deep voice. “I, I didn’t-” he clears his throat, “My dad made me do this, as well.”

His voice is the kind that sends a shiver down Jiyong’s spine even if he really doesn’t want it too. He shakes it off and his head at the other. “Did he threaten you?”

Seunghyun shakes his head, eyes wide “No – but-”

“Did he say he’d take your company from you if you say no?” Jiyong continued with a sarcastic lilt to his voice, eyes challenging Seunghyun.

“N-no, he didn’t do that-”

“Well, that’s pretty much what was done to me.” Jiyong says with finality, and Seunghyun is looking at his hands in a sheepish manner. “So maybe if you could at least try saying no...?”

Seunghyun shakes his head. “My dad won’t listen.” He says, sounding quite apologetic about it, but Jiyong ignores that and feels himself becoming irritated.

“You haven’t tried, but you’re saying that?” He shakes his head in disappointment. Obviously this isn’t going anywhere. Seunghyun doesn’t have the balls, great. Jiyong drops his body back on to the bed with a loud thud, letting out a low sound of frustration. “Fine, fine, what the , we’ll get ing married, jesus christ.” He sits up quickly and glares at Seunghyun. “I’ll find some other way, if you’re too scared. There’s always divorce, right? We can just wait a while.”

Seunghyun blinks at him, “I- Im not-” He pauses mid-sentence and Jiyong raises one questioning brow, prompting him to continue but he doesn’t, instead, he nods twice silently.

Jiyong sighs loudly, feeling as if he’s back to square one – stuck and accomplished nothing. He throws Seunghyun a tired glance and then sighs again. “Well, if that’s all the help I’m getting out of you, you can leave. I need to get some ing shut-eye, if you don’t mind.”

He thinks he’s scared Seunghyun enough when the older scrambles to stand at the request, and practically bolts from the room.

Having had enough of everything and everyone around him, Jiyong does just desperately want to sleep – for at least a full twenty-four hours. He kicks off his shoes from his feet carelessly and crawls under thick, velvety blankets.

Jiyong massages his aching temple for a minute before properly snuggling in to a fluffy bunch of pillows and splaying out his body loosely on to the mattress. His eyes are finally closing in peaceful slumber – when only two minutes after Seunghyun has left, his dream world is harshly shattered by his father’s angered, booming voice-

“KWON JIYONG. COME HERE THIS INSTANT.” Jiyong groans and shoves his face further in to the pillows.

+

“So he’s a .” Daesung concludes, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Well, I think he’s in difficult position right now-”

“Sounds like a little brat to me.”

Seunghyun sighs in defeat at his friend’s conclusions. He’s just explained the mortifying and eye-opening experience of properly meeting Jiyong for the first time, and even having to relive it through story-telling brings a bad taste to his mouth.

“He’s fully being threatened in to it though, like I kind of get why he’s mad.” Seunghyun tries to reason, not willing to label Jiyong as a complete just yet.

Daesung clucks his tongue, “Were you the one who forced him? He was taking it out on you, too.” He rolls his eyes. “Look, save yourself hyung. No matter how much you want in the guy’s pants, if he’s a brat, I say get out of this quickly.” Seunghyun splutters at the accusation, feeling himself go red in embarrassment.

“I don’t want in his pants?” he hisses in a hushed whisper, looking over his shoulder to check if any of the employees had heard the somewhat true remark.

The younger snickers, “Please, don’t make me show you the face you made when you first told me about the guy. I swear you were salivating.”

Seunghyun kicks him under the desk, on the shin and Daesung whines, rubbing the area with a frown. “Shut up. And about ‘saving myself’ – I can’t say no to dad. Even after meeting the guy, he seems to have no issues with Jiyong or the marriage. This must have a massive impact on the company, I'm guessing.”

“You can’t say no to anyone, hyung.”

“I can say no to you.”

“That’s because you under-appreciate me.” Daesung huffs, tilting his chin up high and Seunghyun scoffs.

“Yea, sure – that’s why.” Seunghyun shakes his head, “Anyway – Jiyong says he’ll just divorce me later. So I guess that sorts that.”

Daesung scrunches up his nose, puzzled. “How does that work? Won’t his dad find out?”

The older shrugs his shoulders in response. “I’ll leave it up to him.” Daesung raises an eyebrow at Seunghyun’s answer, high on his forehead so that it disappears under his low brown fringe.

“Well, now I know who’s going to wear the pants in this relationship.”

Seunghyun squirms at the word, “Don’t call it that, it’s not even close to that. We don't even know eachother”

His discomfort causes the younger to sigh, “Okay, fine, this soon-to-be marriage, ugh. This whole thing is even giving me a headache, now. Maybe the Jiyong kid has a right to be a brat about it.”

Seunghyun nods, contemplating the matter himself. It’s been two days and he’s still finding trouble trying to work out his impression of Jiyong. He knows that it’s not all that positive, but then, he also is aware that he doesn’t hate the younger boy. He knows that he feels bad about the whole thing – somehow feeling responsible that Jiyong’s so suffocated by the arrangement, even if that's a ridiculous feeling because it isn’t his fault in the slightest – but Jiyong had spoken to him as if it was, so.

He’s long since detached himself from the idea of properly marrying the other – especially now, that the image he had created of Jiyong before: a bright, shining star, is one that has completely crumbled and left him lost at his own emotions. Surely, his unsure little ‘crush’ has gone, now?

Even if it hasn’t – Jiyong definitely harbours no such interest in Seunghyun, and it makes him feel idiotic in hoping otherwise, so he decides to keep himself in check about it and about him.

Staying detached, more like how Jiyong is acting. He isn’t sure exactly how hard this task is going to be. Especially when his father has been pestering him to take Jiyong out on actual, ridiculous dates for the past few days. Seunghyun’s been putting off that nightmare for as long as he possibly can.

Daesung interrupts his rambling train of thought with a sharp gasp. “Oh my god, hyung. I just remembered. What are you going to do about Bom!?”

+

Jiyong is pouring himself a bowl of chocolate cereal when he gets the text.

11:00    From: Unknown
Hey, it’s Seunghyun. Dad says I have to take you out to lunch?

He stares at his phone in complete disbelief for about two minutes, mutters ‘how the did he get my number’ before his dad is walking in to the kitchen, his expression stern.

Jiyong puts the puzzle pieces together and looks at his dad accusingly. The old man simply ignores the pointed staring. “Has Seunghyun messaged you?” Jiyong holds up his phone to display the text on screen, showing evidence to the guilty.

“Can you not go around handing out my number?” Jiyong spits out, grinding his teeth together.

“Don’t snap at me. You’re going with him at 12.” Jiyong blanches at the order as his father simply turns to walk away from him - and out of the room.

“This is ing ridiculous.” Jiyong grumbles, glaring at his phone screen with the knowledge that he has to go, under all circumstances. It’s like I’m in prison or something, Jiyong thinks as he jabs his fingers on to the screen to reply - with more force than is probably needed.

11:03     To: Unknown
and I /have/ to go. ugh, whatever. you’re paying.

Jiyong raises a hand to pick a strand of hair from his forehead and scrunches up his nose. Great, he’s going to have to take a shower now and dress up and not sulk around the house for the whole duration of the day. (Which he finds has been his new hobby ever since this bomb has been dropped and shaken up his life.)

Free food, Jiyong, it’s free food. You can do this for free food.

a/n: this is rlly short and ty but i wanted to end it here idk....cute lunch date in next chapter
and more on the bom thing coming later on