07.

Jongin watched as Eunjung descended from the steps of her apartment building and walked towards him with a light bounce in her step and a toothy smile plastered on her face. He smiled back at her but his thoughts were clouded by the decision he had spent two sleepless nights contemplating. He knew it would hurt her and he knew she would probably hate him, and that he was about to let go of his only chance at happiness in this lifetime. But he couldn’t bring himself to choose his happiness, or hers, over the lives of the 100 families his father’s company supported.

It wasn’t that he didn’t love her enough to want to be selfish, to want to elope with her. The thought of letting her go made him want to stop breathing altogether. But he had a duty to those families. Kim Metal Management wasn’t just a corporate business; sure it had talented staff working in management, but more so the company was his father’s life long commitment to providing the needy with a merciful hand. Kim Youngchul would look at the job applications and hire the least qualified applicants because he said they would have the least opportunity of gaining a job elsewhere. He hired their old village for the simple labour roles to provide them with a steady income year round, and requested that children be taken out of the fields and placed into classrooms as a condition for the job offers. Jongin’s morals wouldn’t let him destroy that.

“Oppa you look so tired!” Eunjung pouted and caressed his cheek with her soft hands. “Has work been super tiring lately?”

Placing a hand over hers and pressing her palm close against his cheek, he captured her gaze and voiced with sincerity, “Everything’s better now that you’re here.” How was he going to live without this? The last 7 months had completely changed him. He didn’t know another person could become so responsible for his happiness.

“Where are we going today, oppa?”

“I thought I’d take you to the spring fair before it closes. You mentioned you wanted to go the other day.” Eunjung’s eyes lit up like light bulbs. It made Jongin laugh. How could a person responsible for 20 little children everyday be such a child herself? Just like that, he felt the weights on his shoulders lift. By nightfall he would tell her the truth. He would break her heart, and his, and he would try not to break down with her when she does. But for now, he was going to be selfish and do his best to make this an enjoyable day for her. He would savour her smile and engrain it into his memory for the many days to follow that he would have to spend without her by his side.

“Yah Hwang Jinae! Don’t do anything stupid! I’m driving as fast as I can!” Baekhyun screamed at the car system just as he dangerously dodged a truck. He weaved through the busy lanes as strategically as he could, cursing when he was caught behind a red light.

Jinae’s wailing came through the speakers. “Baekhyuuuuun! My life is over!”

“Why is it over, Ae! Tell me what happened!” Baekhyun ran a frustrated hand through his hair and slammed his foot down right as the lights signaled green. Jinae was rarely a crybaby. She would always be using that foul mouth of hers to curse the situation or using a bat to take her anger out. When her parents forced her into law school she had been so blinded by her anger she accidentally swung the bat into Baekhyun, breaking his arm for 2 months.

The only response he got out of her was another dramatic wail. It put him over the edge. He swore he would smother the bastard who made her cry in his own faeces. Parking poorly once he reached her apartment complex, Baekhyun managed to reach the set of elevators in record time.

“Stop being a baby and open the door Jinae!” Jinae didn’t realise Baekhyun had hung up on her until she heard him pounding on her door. Still squealing like a 5 year old, she stumbled to the door to let her best friend in. As soon as she caught sight of him, she sunk her face into his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist.

Baekhyun’s whole body stiffened. His brain was spewing out thoughts faster than a bullet train. The only thing he could home in on was, ‘All I can feel are Hwang Jinae’s s.’          

Forgetting all about etiquette and manners, Jinwoo charged into his father’s office.

“Appa! Why are you doing this? You can’t possibly be selling Jinae as a pawn for your business. Tell me this was just some elaborate story to make her come home and you’re not actually completely crazy!” Jinwoo had lost all of his composure. His tie had been ripped away from his neck and his hair fell out of place, the result of his hands being run roughly through it.

“Jinwoo this is not the time or place. Let’s discuss family matters at home.” His father’s prompt reply did nothing to calm the exasperated Jinwoo.

“Family matters? Don’t make me laugh. The only matters you deal with a business matters. Since you’re treating my sister like a business deal, I don’t see a problem with discussing it here.” Jinsung stared disapprovingly at his eldest child. Jinwoo reflect so many of his own features. It was like looking in a mirror at his past self. He felt it unfortunate that his heir did not have the developed business mindset to see the value in this transaction the way he did.

“I have my reasons. Do you really think I would marry off my daughter to just anyone? There is benefit for everyone with this arrangement. I am merely speeding up their relationship.”

“They don’t have a relationship appa! I doubt Jinae even remembers what he looks like! And that Kim Jongin has been known for years to be a flippant playboy. I don’t even know if he’s able to grasp the concept of a marriage!”

“Enough Jinwoo. There is nothing you can say that will change my mind. This does not involve you. Just make sure your projects at the company are on schedule.”

“How could you be so cruel?”  Jinwoo’s harsh words didn’t even make his father flinch. He stared at the old man in front of him feeling foreign. His father had never been the affectionate type to begin with, but with every successful advance the business made, the more like stone he became. Still, Jinwoo never expected the old man to torture them with the cliché of arranged marriages. This life of wealth was a curse to him. What would be his father’s next move? To separate him and Chohee?

“You’re right. I can’t stop you. I never could and I probably will never be able to. But that doesn’t mean I will cooperate with this marriage in any way. The minute that bastard does anything that even remotely upsets Jinae I’m going to come after him with an axe.” Jinwoo his heels and fumed out of the office, not forgetting to slam the door with ample force before he left.

“…It’s a wonderful world~”

Sehun clapped loudly. “That was awesome, Kyungsoo!” Kyungsoo gave him a thumbs up from the stage. Sehun looked back down at his tablet, ready to direct some more of his staff around. It was a Sunday, but because Kyungsoo’s schedule only allowed him free time today to rehearse for his performance at the ball, Sehun had no choice but to gather up the crew and set up the Hwang’s ballroom.

One of the technicians approach Kyungsoo with some cables to discuss his guitar. Giving him the information he needed, Kyungsoo waited patiently for the team to reconnect the set for another run through. He watched as Sehun sent people scurrying left and right. Sehun had that authoritative air about him that made people anxious. Despite the many years Kyungsoo had known him, he could only count the number of times he had made Sehun laugh using one hand. Sehun was the most hardheaded member of their group. If it weren’t for meeting Minyoung all those years ago, Kyungsoo and the rest would have honestly believed Oh Sehun didn’t know how to laugh.

“Are you ready, Kyungsoo? One more run through and we’ll call it a wrap,” Sehun called out from his position on the main floor. Kyungsoo nodded and gave the strings a good strum before picking to the chords of his song. Kyungsoo was a strong vocalist but an even better guitarist. Executing his medley with passion and effortlessness, he managed to send everybody in the room into a trance. Suddenly, the bustling of movement quieted leaving the sounds of Kyungsoo’s fingers on the strings to echo through the large hall. He sang through a smile, satisfied that he was able to have that affect on people.

Leaving the team to neaten the venue, Sehun and Kyungsoo drove to a nearby café to replenish their appetites. Kyungsoo tugged at his beanie and pushed his sunglasses further up the bridge of his nose.

“Remember when we could go out without having you look like you were running from a loan shark?” Sehun poked fun at his famous friend and watched him frown in annoyance.

“I didn’t ask for the crazy fangirls. I just want to make my music in peace,” Kyungsoo replied glumly.

“Now, now. Those crazy fangirls are the ones paying your rent. I wouldn’t let that statement leak.”

“Aigoo! I know, I know. How about you? How does running a department feel? Don’t turn into a workaholic now and start working Saturdays too.” Kyungsoo smirked and sipped on his coffee. “Oh that’s right, you went to the florist yesterday to get flowers for work.”

“Very funny.” Sehun swiftly snatched the last cinnamon roll from the plate and pretended not to see the crestfallen expression on the Kyungsoo's face. “Work is fine. If you’re worried about someone being overworked, you should talk to Jongin.” It seemed that out of the four of them only Kyungsoo had a remotely exciting job. The rest worked in management and stayed trapped behind a desk for 60 hours a week.

“We mocked our work obsessed fathers our entire teenagehood, but you guys managed to turn into them before we even hit 30.” Sehun frowned. He didn’t think he was like his father in the slightest. He realised Kyungsoo was fidgeting with his coffee.

“What is it? Did you want to talk about something? Did you create another scandal or something?” His attention made Kyungsoo more hesitant.

“I ran into Kang the other day.” Kyungsoo paused and shifted his gaze out the window. “He said he’d been in contact with Jimin. I didn’t know whether or not I should tell you, but I know – we all know – that you’re not over Minyoung. I thought Jimin might know about her whereabouts since they were best friends. I have Kang’s number for you if you want it. It just didn’t feel right to not at least let you know.”

“Kyungsoo, stop.” Sehun’s harsh warning was laced with what Kyungsoo perceived to be fear. “I’m not about to go hunt down a girl who toyed with me then left me after emptying my family's bank account.”

“Sehun! Does that even sound like she would do. There has to be a reason she left. I don’t think any one of us actually believes that she’s that kind of person.” Kyungsoo had thought the pair was perfect for each other, and he still did.

“Sometimes people change. And sometimes, they just never really were what we thought they were.”

“Still, I think you should at least talk to Jimin about it. There’s no harm in that right?”

“Let it rest Kyungsoo, I don’t want to talk about it.”