011:

STOIC JERK

 

 

“Are you admitting to your sin, Sungyeol-ah?”

 

Woohyun tilts his head to the side as he smirks at Sungyeol.

 

“I-I…M-Myungsoo-shi…M-Myungsoo-shi…”

 

“Did Myungsoo force you to act as our fake cousin?”

 

Sungyeol thinks that force isn’t really the right word to use to describe how Myungsoo got him to play this part. Persuaded is the correct term but he thinks that it’s also kind of appropriate to use that word, so he nods.

 

“Oh, this is interesting…” Woohyun says, leaning back and looking at Sungyeol with a small smile.

 

“My perfect cousin…who would’ve thought that he would result to this in order to maintain being on the good side of not only grandfather but also everybody else?” Woohyun continues, his chin.

 

“P-Please don’t tell him that I told you,” Sungyeol breathes out.

 

Woohyun raises a brow at the request and interestingly leans close to Sungyeol.

 

“What exactly is your relationship with my cousin, Sungyeol-shi? Why are you so scared of him? Are you indebted to him?” Woohyun says.

 

Sungyeol struggles to reply and seeing this, Woohyun places a hand on top of Sungyeol’s shaking ones.

 

“Come on, tell me,” Woohyun urges.

 

Sungyeol frees his hands from under Woohyun’s and shakes his head.

 

“We have no relationship. He’s simply my boss! We had a deal, he fulfilled his part of the deal and now I’m fulfilling mine! Please, don’t report me to the police or something! I’m only doing this because I really needed his help so that me and my father could restart our lives free from our debts!” Sungyeol spills out.

 

Woohyun stares in surprise as Sungyeol trembles in front of him as he starts to shed some tears and only then did he realize that he scared the poor guy out of his wits.

 

“Hey, cutie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you! I was just simply trying to find out the truth. You can tell me if Myungsoo is tormenting you, okay? I could kick his and help you,” Woohyun says.

 

“R-Really?” Sungyeol whispers, blinking his wide eyes at Woohyun.

 

“Yes, really,” Woohyun says, lazily wrapping an arm around Sungyeol’s shoulder.

 

“S-So…you’re not going to arrest me, aren’t you?” Sungyeol asks, wiping away his tears with the back of his sleeve.

 

“Of course not! I mean, I’ve never seen grandfather so happy! You’re good for grandfather and you’re also the reason why he’s getting out of the hospital tomorrow. If I take that away from him, what kind of person am I, right? Besides, it’s just about time that Myungsoo does something like this instead of stupidly wasting money going around the world and finding someone who seems like he doesn’t want to be found. But there’s just one thing that I don’t really like about this arrangement,” Woohyun says.

 

“What is it?” Sungyeol eagerly asks.

 

“It’s the fact that in everybody’s eyes, you’re my little cousin…because of that, I cannot date you,” Woohyun pouts, shooting Sungyeol a puppy look.

 

Sungyeol blushes at that and hits Woohyun’s chest playfully.

 

“That’s right, Woohyun-shi. I’m your cousin, so don’t make romantic advances towards me anymore,” Sungyeol says.

 

“I can’t make romantic advances towards you in public. But I think I could in private,” Woohyun smiles.

 

Sungyeol blushes even more and tries to say something to retort but the door of the room they’re in suddenly opens and Myungsoo walks in with Howon trailing after him as usual.

 

“What are you two doing?” Myungsoo asks.

 

Sungyeol clears his throat and removes himself away from Woohyun’s arm.

 

“I was just getting acquainted with our newfound cousin, Myungsoo-ah. It’s such a pity because you very well knew that I went on a date with him once, right? But it turns out that he’s our missing little cousin. I was such a fool to believe that someone could be so cute and perfect without being related to me!” Woohyun says, pinching Sungyeol’s chubby cheeks for effect.

 

“Well, it’s good that you only went on one date with our Sungyeol or else, he could’ve been tainted for life, considering what kind of man you are, Woohyun hyung,” Myungsoo says, forcing a smile.

 

“What do you mean?! I’m such a gentleman, Myungsoo. What are you doing here, anyway?” Woohyun says.

 

Myungsoo scoffs at Woohyun’s stupid question.

 

“This is my office. I should be the one asking you what you’re doing here,” Myungsoo says, sitting behind his desk.

 

“Oh, yeah, right. Uh, mother asked me to come here so you can show me where my office is. She insisted that I move my things in it already so that I can start work tomorrow,” Woohyun says.

 

“Wow, you’re finally going to work, hyung? Am I dreaming or are you joking?” Myungsoo says.

 

“No, I’m not joking, ! Just show me where my office is before I change my mind and run off to live in igloos and rub noses with a pretty Eskimo,” Woohyun says.

 

“Well, it was Howon who prepared the office for you, so I’ll give you the task to show him there, Howon,” Myungsoo says.

 

“Yes, director Kim. Mr. Nam, please follow me,” Howon says, bowing to Woohyun.

 

“The , Howon? Just call me Woohyun!” Woohyun says, slinging an arm around Howon’s shoulder.

 

Myungsoo and Sungyeol watch as the other two exit the office with Woohyun constantly talking and talking. As soon as they are alone in the office, Myungsoo turns to Sungyeol.

 

“What were you doing with Woohyun hyung? Why were you so close? Are you flirting with him? Did he do something to you? Why are you even here?” Myungsoo says, approaching Sungyeol.

 

“No, I wasn’t flirting with him and he didn’t do anything to me. He was just being friendly and whoa, you have too many questions,” Sungyeol says.

 

Myungsoo raises his brows and crosses his arms in front of him.

 

“Are you sure?” Myungsoo asks.

 

“Yes, I’m sure…Why? Were you worried for me, dear cousin?” Sungyeol teases, standing up to get in Myungsoo’s personal space.

 

Despite Sungyeol being too close for comfort, Myungsoo remains stoic.

 

“No, I wasn’t worried for you. I’m worried that if someone walked in on the two of you, a scandal will arise.”

 

“Hm, a scandal? Why would there be a scandal? It’s not like me and Woohyun-shi are related by blood, Myungsoo hyung.”

 

“He’s my cousin! He’s also your cousin in the eyes of everybody. Just stop entertaining Woohyun’s advances, okay? I can’t afford him finding out our secret!”

 

“Is it really that, Myungsoo hyung? Or were you jealous?” Sungyeol smirks.

 

Myungsoo rolls his eyes and pushes Sungyeol slightly so that he could sit on his chair behind the huge desk.

 

“Like I told you, you have a flat . You’re too scrawny to catch my interest, so dream on, you giant idiot,” Myungsoo says, rummaging through his drawers for something.

 

Sungyeol pouts and perches up on the desk, snooping around on the things that are littered across the wide expanse. His brows furrowing and raising in awe every once in a while as he discovers thing after thing on Myungsoo desk that he doesn’t even notice when Myungsoo finally looks up to him with a frown.

 

“Get off my desk before I kick you,” Myungsoo threatens.

 

“Alright, alright, jeez, why are you being so violent?” Sungyeol says, getting off the desk.

 

Myungsoo opens the folder in his hand, ignoring Sungyeol who continues to snoop around the office. When he finally gets distracted after Sungyeol knocks over one of his trophies, Myungsoo clicks his tongue and glares at the latter.

 

“What are you still doing here? Why are you even here in the first place?! Can’t you just go home, Sungyeol?” Myungsoo snaps.

 

Sungyeol sighs and walks towards Myungsoo’s desk.

 

“I don’t want to go home…there’s nothing to do there and no one to annoy. I initially came here because I was bored but then on the way here, I realized that you haven’t paid me my monthly salary yet, so yeah, I also came here for that,” Sungyeol says.

 

“That’s interesting, Lee Sungyeol who worships money didn’t initially come here for that. Also, seeking my company to avoid boredom is being a little too clingy, don’t you think, my dear little cousin?” Myungsoo says.

 

“Now, now, don’t flatter yourself. You weren’t my first choice to hang out with…Chanyeol’s just too busy in his tattoo shop. For your information, you’re the last person on my list! Stoic jerk,” Sungyeol says, quietly mumbling the last part to himself.

 

“I heard that!” Myungsoo defensively says.

 

“Whatever! You know it’s true,” Sungyeol says, sticking out his tongue at Myungsoo.

 

Did he just stick his tongue out at me? Pft, such a kid.

 

“I’m going to count to ten and if you don’t get out of my office, I’m going to call the guards ask them to drag you out,” Myungsoo threatens.

 

Sungyeol crosses his arms in front of his chest and glares at Myungsoo.

 

“You are being a jerk right now, Myungsoo-shi! I just want to—“

 

“Ten…”

 

“I just want some company! I get re—“

 

“Nine…”

 

“I’m new here in the city and—“

 

“Eight…”

 

“The only friend that I know is busy—“

 

“Seven…”

 

“If you’re going to keep me in the mansion like Rapunzel—“

 

“Six…”

 

“I demand a raise!”

 

“Five…”

 

“You don’t know how it feels like to be caged in that—“

 

“Four…”

 

“Are you even listening?! You—“

 

“Three…”

 

“STOP COUNTING DOWN!”

 

“Two…”

 

“Myungsoo-shi!!! Can you please listen?!”

 

“One…”

 

Myungsoo shakes his head as he finishes his countdown. Seeing that Sungyeol is still standing in front of him, he clicks his tongue and gets ahold of the telephone. He starts dialing the local number of the company’s security, ignoring Sungyeol’s protests.

 

“Did you just call security and told them to literally to drag me out?”

 

~ O ~

 

                  Sungyeol yelps as the two bulky security guards drop him out of the hotel’s main entrance. He shrieks at them, asking them if they know who he is and threatening them that he’s going to get them fired but he stops himself before he blurts out that he’s the youngest grandson of the president of the hotel. He doesn’t want to be on the bad side of Myungsoo and letting that supposedly family secret out in the open will complicate things for him.

 

“Aish, I would’ve left on my own! They didn’t have to drag me out!” Sungyeol fumes, dusting himself.

 

He looks back at the building and glaring up to the top floor where he knows Myungsoo’s office would be.

 

“I just wanted to hang out with someone and this is what I get?! Aish, I didn’t know you’re this heartless, Kim Myungsoo!” Sungyeol yells, holding up his fist and shaking it with every word.

 

Sungyeol straightens out his clothes and angrily walks away from the office, deciding that he would just get a cup of coffee on his own.

 

“Tch, if it’s only Kim Myungsoo that I’m going to be with, then, never mind! I’d rather be alone than with that stoic jerk! I pity his real little cousin. He would have to be with that insufferable jerk!” Sungyeol says, making his way to the café across the hotel.

 

He continues to mumble to himself as he gets in line in front of the cashier, ignoring the looks that the other people are giving him.

 

“And to think that I wanted to go to the 63 Building with him! Arrrghh, such a jerk!” Sungyeol continues, unable to control the volume of his rant.

 

He snaps out of his trance when an elderly woman shushes him with a glare. He stares wide-eyed at the woman and repeatedly bows in apology. When the attention of the customers is averted away from him, he covers his face in embarrassment and only removes them when he hears someone clearing their throat in front of him.

 

“What would you like to drink, sir?” the cashier asks with an awkward smile.

 

“Oh…uhhh, wait a minute,” Sungyeol says, eyes scanning the menu.

 

He squints his eyes at the unfamiliar names of the drinks and pouts when nothing seems to appeal to him.

 

“D-Do you have plain black coffee?” Sungyeol asks.

 

The cashier blinks at him for a few times but nods.

 

“Great! I’ll get that!” Sungyeol says.

 

“Alright, do you want any dessert, sir?” the barista asks.

 

Sungyeol lets his eyes wander towards the dessert section on the menu but he immediately shakes his head at the cashier when he sees the prices.

 

Who eats a cheesecake that expensive?!

 

“That would be all,” Sungyeol says.

 

“Alright. That would be $8.99.”

 

Sungyeol’s eyes almost bulge out of their socket but he immediately composes himself and pulls ten bucks out of his pocket. When his change is given to him, he immediately finds a table and wallows in misery as he stares at his receipt.

 

Why did I spend this much for a coffee?! It’s not even something special! It’s just a freaking cup of black coffee! I could’ve bought a lot from that! I could’ve bought a huge bowl of noodles or a huge burger! Or—

 

“Here’s your black coffee, sir. Enjoy!”

 

Sungyeol’s misery worsens when he see the miniscule cup of black coffee in front of him.

 

“This is all Kim Myungsoo’s fault! If he agreed to hang out with me, I wouldn’t have to pay for a single cent!”

 

Sungyeol whines in misery as he takes small sips from his cup of black coffee. He sniffs and before it he’s shedding a few tears because of irritation.

 

“What’s wrong with you, Kim Myungsoo…why are you such a bad guy…I just wanted some company. I did everything you asked me…your grandfather’s going home from the hospital tomorrow and that’s all because of my tender love and care…and I didn’t even get a thank you in return? Monetary appreciation would’ve done the trick…but no…instead…you repaid me with this,” Sungyeol quietly sobs.

 

He wipes his tears with the sleeve of his sweater but more tears fall. He sips more of his coffee but he pouts at how salty it became.

 

“But what did I expect from you? You said that I would never be your real cousin and I should stop trying to act like one. This is what I get from internalizing my job too much…” Sungyeol hiccups and miserably stares at his lap.

 

Again, Sungyeol wipes away the tears on his cheek. He jumps when he feels his phone vibrate in his pocket. Without thinking or looking at the caller ID, he answers the call.

 

“Hello?” Sungyeol says.

 

“Meet me at the company entrance now,” Myungsoo says on the other side of the line.

 

Sungyeol frowns upon hearing the command from the very person that made him cry like an idiot just moments ago.

 

“And what, so you can ask those guys to drag me out again? No, thank you,” Sungyeol says.

 

“Sungyeol, just go here now.”

 

“I don’t want to!”

 

“I’m commanding you, Sungyeol.”

 

“I said no!”

 

Sungyeol hangs up. His phone rings again and when he sees that it’s just Myungsoo, he turns it off. A few moments pass by and Sungyeol is close to finishing his cup of coffee when a hand lands on his shoulder. Sungyeol looks up in surprise and sees Kim Myungsoo glaring at him.

 

“What do you want?” Sungyeol sighs.

 

“Come with me,” Myungsoo says.

 

“I already told you that I don’t want to, didn’t I?!” Sungyeol says, shrugging off Myungsoo’s hand.

 

“Sungyeol-ah, if you don’t want to get humiliated for the second time this day just come with me,” Myungsoo says, smiling sickeningly sweet.

 

Sungyeol rolls his eyes and scoffs.

 

“What? Are you going to drag me out? If you do that I’m going to scream and make a scene and I’m going to make you look like an abusive boyfriend. I already prepared a dramatic dialogue,” Sungyeol smirks.

 

“If you don’t come with me, I’m going to lessen your salary,” Myungsoo says.

 

“Tch, go do it, then. I don’t care,” Sungyeol says.

 

Getting frustrated, Myungsoo grabs Sungyeol by the wrist and wordlessly drags him towards the exit.

 

“Ahhh, Myungsoo! Let me go! I don’t want to come with you! Please, you’re hurting me! Let me go! Please! Ah, it hurts!! Heeeeeelp!!!”

 

Myungsoo rolls his eyes at Sungyeol’s act. He looks around them and sees the people staring at Sungyeol uninterestingly. Nobody even blinks an eye as the two of them gets out of the establishment. Myungsoo opens the backseat of his car and pushes Sungyeol in before he gets in as well. Sungyeol refuses to look at Myungsoo as he crosses his arms in front of his chest and looks out the window.

 

“Stop sulking, Sungyeol.”

 

Sungyeol ignores Myungsoo and continues to sulk until he feels Myungsoo turning his face to him. He doesn’t expect Myungsoo’s face to be that close and the only thing that he could do is to gasp and flush pink.

 

“Wh-what are you doing?” Sungyeol stutters out.

 

“I said…stop sulking. Hey…were you crying?” Myungsoo says, noticing Sungyeol’s puffy eyes.

 

“How could I not sulk? You were being a jerk to me! You asked those guys to literally drag me out like I’m some kind of a terrorist when in fact I just wanted some company! You don’t know how lonely I was! You don’t know how many people were staring at me! I was humiliated! And no, I wasn’t crying! Why would I cry just because of an insufferable stoic jerk like you?! I hate you! I hate you!” Sungyeol rants, a few tears falling from his eyes towards the end of his rant.

 

“Well, someone is being sensitive today!” Myungsoo snickers, still not realizing the seriousness of Sungyeol’s words.

 

“Well, someone’s still being insensitive! I really hate you!” Sungyeol sobs as he hits Myungsoo’s chest.

 

Myungsoo’s gaze softens at the sight of tears on Sungyeol’s face. He sighs and looks away from the sobbing man. Getting worried, Howon quickly glances at them from the rearview mirror.

 

“I didn’t know you’d be so offended…” Myungsoo muses.

 

Sungyeol sniffs beside him but says nothing.

 

“I was just poking fun at you, Sungyeol-ah,” Myungsoo continues and still gets no response from the other.

 

Myungsoo wrings his fingers together and warily glances at Sungyeol. He knows that he could stop Sungyeol’s tears by simply apologizing but he’s a prideful man and he doesn’t want to admit his mistake, so instead, he asks Howon to drive them to the 63 Building. He ignores the confused look that Sungyeol gives him.

 

~ O ~

 

                  Sungyeol is still quiet as Myungsoo buys them a ticket for the sky world and it continues until they make it in the elevator. Since it’s not peak season, it seems like it’s only the two of them who’s visiting the old building. Myungsoo knows that he could’ve brought Sungyeol somewhere more modern like the N Seoul tower but he knows that this is the building that the latter is familiar with. He mentioned wanting to go to this building one of these days to Myungsoo and it could be a good way to apologize to actually bring Sungyeol here.

 

Myungsoo turns his attention to Sungyeol who is no longer looking at his feet. Instead, the other is looking outside through the glass walls of the elevator as it takes them to the highest floor. Sungyeol’s mouth is wide open in awe as he stares outside and the sparkle in his eyes is back.

 

“Enjoying yourself already?” Myungsoo cockily says.

 

“Yes, this is amazing!” Sungyeol blurts out, but clears his throat awkwardly when he realizes that he’s supposed to be mad at Myungsoo.

 

“I’ll go get us some snack. Go to the observing area,” Myungsoo says when they finally make it to the top floor where the sky world is located.

 

Sungyeol doesn’t say anything in reply and quickly moves towards one of the telescopes. He wows in awe as he look through the telescope. He could see everything from up here! There are so many beautiful buildings and the people below look like ants and everything just looks so small.

 

“I’m like the king of the world,” Sungyeol says to himself.

 

“Here you go, kind of the world.”

 

Sungyeol jumps upon hearing Myungsoo’s voice behind him. He looks behind and finds Myungsoo holding out a bag of chicken pops to him. He wordlessly takes it and goes back to looking at the city from above through the glass.

 

“Seoul’s so beautiful, right?” Myungsoo says.

 

Sungyeol nods in agreement as he chews on a chicken pop.

 

“You can literally see everything from up here. Look over there to your right and you can see Woollim Hotel,” Myungsoo says, pointing.

 

Sungyeol squints his eyes and when Myungsoo notices he brings Sungyeol’s head towards the telescope and asks him to look through it.

 

“There, can you see it?” Myungsoo asks.

 

“Oh my! I can see it really clearly! I think that if I zoom it more, I could look through your office!” Sungyeol says.

 

“Yes, you could probably see my office. It would be clearer if it’s night because the lights would be on,” Myungsoo says.

 

“You think so?” Sungyeol gasps, looking back at Myungsoo like a kid.

 

“Uh huh. You should try it one time. Go here while I’m in the office and look through the telescope,” Myungsoo suggests.

 

Sungyeol’s eyes light up at that and he looks through the telescope again.

 

“I could call you and then, make you wave. That would be really fun,” Sungyeol excitedly says.

 

Myungsoo nods to himself and looks at Sungyeol moving around the telescope and pointing at random buildings. He finds himself chuckling at the latters child-like behavior and feels relief wash over him.

 

He prefers this cheerful Sungyeol better than the sobbing Sungyeol he saw in the car. Sungyeol looks back at Myungsoo with a blinding smile.

 

“Myungsoo-shi, I’m really thankful that you brought me here. It’s so nice to be up here,” Sungyeol says.

 

“You should be thankful,” Myungsoo replies.

 

“Really, thank you for helping me fulfill one of my dreams even if I was a nuisance to you!”

 

You’re not a nuisance, Sungyeol-ah. I’m sorry for being a stoic jerk and treating you like a nuisance and making you cry. I’m really sorry.

 

Author’s Notes: Another update for my lovely readers! This chapter is kind of messy I think. The storyline isn’t really progressing that fast but if you squint really hard you could see Sungyeol developing a little crush on Myungsoo…or Myungsoo developing some kind of affection towards Sungyeol? Hehe, anyway, I’m forever grateful for your lovely comments!! Thanks for reading! See you next time!