{Eight}

Month 00 Day 10

"Minjae?"

"Chanyeol?" Minjae stared wide eyed at the three boys in front of her, all dressed formally for the event today while holding glasses on champagne in their hands. They all looked so attractive that she was sure girls would be oggling over them.

She was beyond shocked to find the three boys - Sehun, Baekhyun and Chanyeol, here. They were so stunningly handsome until she was sure they shined more than anybody else here in their suits. It was unbelievable that they would meet here, it was really a small world, just like how she'd met with Kyungsoo. She wondered if they had a purpose for coming here.

"Oh, it really is you!" Chanyeol shouted as an excited smile appeared on his face, and Minjae had to try to cover herself from anyone staring at the giant for being too loud. "I was planning on finding you when I heard from my dad that we were going to the CEO of Go Enterprises' house, but I think I'd get lost in this gigantic mansion. Plus, these two didn't plan on following me." He gestured to the two boys behind him who weren't caring at all.

"Yeah, this place is really big, so I suggest not wandering around here while you're around," She advised before asking, "So what are you guys doing here?"

Minjae figured that they were dragged along by their fathers, for the most obvious reason ever; it was to get her father to sponsor their business. After all, it would be anyone's dream in the business industry to have the chance to be sponsored by her father, especially since he owned the biggest supermarket chain in South Korea. It wasn't always that her father would pick companies, but when he did, they would always be the well known ones that were accelerating up the stock markets. Although, her father would sponsor a weak comapny he thought would deserve it once in a while.

"Tsch, you know, the typical," Chanyeol twirled the the champagne glass around his finger tips, frowning as he did it, "My dad dragged me here because he wanted me to meet the seniors of the business industry. He said it would be a good advantage, but really, this place is boring. I can't remember who's who and I bet there are at least a thousand company owners here I need to meet!"

"Same, that was what my father did to me," Baekhyun closed his eyes and sighed, obviously looking more tired and stressed than ever, "I can't object though, because he really needs your father's sponsor. Who wouldn't want to be sponsored one of the billionare's of South Korea anyway? Once in a lifetime oppurtunity, everyone's going to try their best to gain your father's attention."

Minjae nodded, because she didn't really want to hear much about her father's business. As long as he was doing alright, then she'd be fine. She directed her attention to Sehun, who was leaning against the buffet table, looking nonchalant. His eyes were concentrated on his champagne, but there was more in the look of his. He was thinking of many other things.

"Sehun?" The boy's head shot up at the call of his name, and Chanyeol let out an amused laugh, "You've been spacing out, have you? Of course, this is so like you, gangster boy." He teased.

"I-I wasn't spacing out," Sehun defended himself, lifting himself off from side of the buffet table, "What is it?"

"Weren't you listening? We want to know why you're here. Does your father do business too, being a mafia boss and all that, it'd be impossible for him to be opening pharmacies or anything like that, wouldn't it? I thought they open gambling houses or something, loan people money," Chanyeol drifted out with his endless talking until Baekhyun slapped his shoulder to make him shut up.

"I don't care why he's here, and I don't want to know the reason," Sehun shrugged, "All of you know how my father is. He uses violence on me. If I try to do something out of this world," He slid a finger through his throat, "I'd be dead. Like earlier," They wondered what he was talking about when he showed them a red scar across his neck, "I didn't want to go, and this happened."

Minjae stared at his scar in bewilderment. She couldn't understand why Sehun's father would do that to him, especially since he was his son, blood related and not adopted. In fact, she couldn't believe why all their fathers were dragging them to events they didn't want to go to. They had their own free will, it was a free world, but they couldn't follow their dreams, and they had to take the path of business instead. She felt sorry for them, because her father would always agree with what she wanted to do in life, except being a criminal or anything like that, of course. She wasn't foolish enough to ruin her family's reputation.

Baekhyun's face showed a hint of disturbance, but it erased from his face shortly afterwards, "That's crazy. No, your father is crazy. You know, you should do something about it. Why are you still living under him?"

"Because I'm not old enough to live by myself..."

"Oh yeah..."

There was a long silence once no one could give anymore suggestions for Sehun's escape. Minjae was already uncomfortable talking about Sehun's father, who was a frightening mafia leader. She saw him once in her life, and she was sure she didn't want to see that man again. He didn't even show any mercy to girls.

She decided to change the topic, as she was positively sure no one wanted to talk about abusive parents who stopped their kids from aiming towards their dreams, "So, do you guys want to look around?"

Chanyeol thought about it and frowned unpleasantly when he remembered something,"I would love to, but after meeting almost a hundred people, I don't really think I can continue. By the way, don't you need to be somewhere? I mean, since you're the eldest child and all, your father must want you to meet everyone."

"Nah, he doesn't need me to meet all those people, and barely anyone's noticing me," Minjae grinned in pleasure at the thought of no one pestering her with questions, "The last time people have seen me was like, a few years ago when I was a bout twelve. I bet their memories are too old to even remember me, but that's a good thing."

"You're lucky," Chanyeol frowned, "The last time I saw seniors was a week ago, and they still remember me!"

"I saw them yesterday, at a business meeting," Baekhyun interrupted, and the three of them felt sorry that he had to attend all these type of company events when he didn't want to. He looked casual about it though, but from the look on his face, he was tired of it, more than anything.

"Alright, enough with the complaning," Chanyeol clapped his hands together happily. The smile from his face vanished when he thought about something, "By the way, I wonder what Kyungsoo's doing right now."

Minjae's head shot up when his name was mentioned, while Baekhyun looked highly uncomfortable hearing his name. He averted his attention on his leather shoes without uttering a word. Sehun seemed to show a look of slight interest as he cared to spare a look of Chanyeol. She wondered why everyone was so eager to know about Kyungsoo, when he was just an unresponsive jerk. He was no one special, but here everyone was getting so worked up and listening so quietly instead of wanting to switch the topic to something else.

"What about Kyungsoo? He didn't come here?" Minjae always thought that perhaps he was some rich guy in disguise, but he didn't see him here. Maybe his parents didn't enjoy coming to these events. She was too clueless to figure out the boy was living with Chanyeol.

"No, he's probably at my house," Chanyeol replied, glanci