“I think it’s time we have a family dinner – I think it’s time our sons meet.” Park Seunghee declares. It has only been two weeks since Hyojung Entertainment and Daesoo Group had decided to become business partners, Park Seunghee and Kim Yechan had really hit it off with Daesoo Group owners Cho Eunah and Kim Hyobin, and were already pretty good friends.

Once again, Seunghee and Yechan had been invited to Eunah and Hyobin’s home, and they were just hanging out as friends now, business matters on hold for the night.

“Yes, I agree,” Hyobin said. “There are going to be major players in this business partnership, and it’s better to get them acquainted sooner rather than later.”

Eunah smiled. “How about this Friday night? How does that sound?”

“Perfect! It’s settled, Friday at… 7PM?” Yechan suggested.

“Yes,” Hyobin agreed, raising his glass. “Let’s toast to not only our business, but our sons,”

All four nodded in agreement and raised their glasses to each other.

~*~

“I don’t want to go to dinner with more power-hungry people.”

Eunah sighed, trying to remain calm with her son being completely unreasonable. She watched him pace around his room, searching for something that was unknown to her. She couldn’t believe how she had given him everything, and he still decided to act in this childish manner.

“Kibum. Sit down.”

Key stopped pacing and turned his said slowly, deliberately being disrespectful. “I have told you many times not to call me that.”

“And I told you many times, Kibum, that I will call you by your name.” Eunah practically spat back. There was one way of responding to your children when they were being disrespectful to you, but there was no motherliness involved in Eunah’s speaking. She spoke to him as if he was a rival – a rival she loathed.

Key ignored her, walking into his closet, where he purposely stayed for several minutes, waiting for her to leave. Finally, it worked, his mother making her leave as she roared “Kim Kibum, you know you will be joining us whether you like it or not. You know it’s for the best,” She paused. “You know what happens when you don’t obey me.” She finishes in a silky, sweet voice that made Key’s skin crawl.

Key threw the shirt he had taken off the hanger across the room angrily. How could the woman who gave birth to you be so downright evil? How could she act like that, and think it was for the best? He mumbled under angry words under his breath and practically threw himself onto his bed, flinging his limbs around like a crazy person. He was kind of embarrassed to be throwing a tantrum like a toddler, but he just didn’t know how to control his emotions anymore. Just when he think he was getting better with his patience and self-control, his mom comes and rips it all away.

Just then, he hears three soft knocks at his door, making him know immediately that it is his father. Out of all the years Key had his own room, his father had knocked the same way.

Key sits up slightly as his father enters. “Hi Key,” His father says, coming to sit at the foot of his son’s bed. Key mumbles an “mmm” in response, crossing his arms over his chest.

Key had to say that he always had a good relationship with his father. It was just like any normal relationship between a father and son – they hung out a lot when Key was young, his father taught him how to play baseball and basketball (well, tried) and when Key became a teenager, they talked about how attractive girls were. This was also when his father found out he wasn’t all that into girls, and just shrugged it off, not even questioning it and whole-heartedly accepting his son. However, all this happy father-son relationship happened when his mother was busy at work, or out with her friends. When she was around, his father was completely different – following whatever Eunah wanted and not challenging her motives or actions whatsoever. Key always wondered if his father thought for himself when she was around, or if his brain completely shut off.

“Hey, I know you don’t want to come, but we made a huge step for the business recently, and I really would like it if you met our new partners.” His father said softly.

Key hated being disrespectful to his father, but he couldn’t help it when he knew that it wasn’t his father that wanted this, but his mother. “I don’t care about the business, or your new partners.” He said bitterly.

Hyobin sighed. “Key, I know that you have other things you wish to do with your life. But right now your mother and I need you, as we are planning some really big things for the future of our business, of our lives, and of yours as well.”

“I don’t need you to be planning for my life. I already have my own plans. I’ll come with you, but just know that one of my own plans include this being one of the last times I go on any outing for you for the business.”

~*~

“I’m really excited for you to guys to meet, Jonghyun-ah.” Seunghee said from her place in the passenger’s seat. “I haven’t really met him myself, but he seems to be…. Pleasant.” She finished somewhat awkwardly, remembering the times she had seen Hyobin and Eunah’s son stalk up the stairs and slam his bedroom door. Even though he seemed to have quite an attitude, she was sincerely excited for her son to meet him, hoping that he just turned out to be one of those people with a wild, expressive personality.

“I know he’s your age, and he seems to quite the fashionista.” Yechan chipped in.

Jonghyun periodically give a small “mmm” to let them know he was listening, but he failed to be interested. He really didn’t care about anything to do with his parents’ company, and his parents knew that, but continued to act like they didn’t. They knew what he wanted to do with his life, but continued to inform him about the latest plans and affairs.

Jonghyun didn’t understand why they did this, when he was ultimately supposed to become Hyojung Entertainment’s prodigy. He was supposed to become the biggest singer-songwriter in Korea, and was not supposed to stop at their country’s borders, but go beyond and become a household name in all of the world. Jonghyun admitted he had the voice of an angel, but his heart just wasn’t in it. He heard and read about these singers that breathed their art, their passion for music bringing them to their knees when the preformed. No matter how hard he tried, he just didn’t feel it. His heart was somewhere else, tied to a different art form.

Jonghyun was stuck in his thoughts when they pulled in front of the restaurant, his father stopping the car and getting out as he passed the keys to the valet. “Come on, Jonghyun-ah.” Seunghee called to her son when he was not following suit and remained in the backseat of the car. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, and gets out of the car. Pausing to check his reflection out in the window, he straightens the collar of his suit jacket and runs a hand through his loosely-styled brown locks, and heads inside.

~*~

Key stays completely silent, as he did the entire car ride to the restaurant. He stares at some unknown point on the wall in their private dining room as his father tries to persuade him to look at the menu.

Just then, the waiter opens the sliding door and behind him three figures follow him. First, a gorgeous woman in very expensive designer dress, her handbag matching her heels and even ties in with the small bracelet and necklace she wears. Key is actually somewhat taken a back, because unlike his mother, this woman does not have the arrogant aura that you usually find among women with as much social status as her. Her smile was bright and sincere when she caught sight of Key’s parents. Following her was a man who had exerted enough arrogance to pick up for what his wife lacked. He literally just looked like an if you asked Key, and he had to restrain from snorting. Typical. His suit fit him very well, and Key thought at least he knew how to dress. Finally, a smaller figure appears behind the man, in a very nice pair of jeans and a dark gray button-up shirt, pulled together by simple but exquisite-looking black suit jacket. Key gave mentally gave the man pointers for his clothing ensemble – Key liked men who could pull off the jeans and suit jacket look. His eyes then traveled to the man’s face, and he immediately couldn’t control himself from inhaling practically all the air in the room.

Now that his father was out of the way, he had a straight line of sight to Key and shared equal amounts of surprise, which was written all over his face as he could not hide his shock. They stare at each other for several moments as their parents greet each other like old friends, neither one ever blinking or breaking their gazes.

Finally, it’s Key who snaps out of it first, Jonghyun following shortly behind as he tries to nonchalantly make his way to his designated chair that just happens to be directly across from Key.

Jonghyun was going to try to play this cool, no matter how shocked he currently was. However, the blonde decides to stand up dramatically and Jonghyun immediately knows that this evening will not be the most peaceful.

“You.”

Both sets of parents look to Key confusingly, then share concerned looks with each other. Jonghyun says nothing, so Key repeats.

“You.”

This time, Jonghyun rolls his eyes. “Yes, me.”

“You’re… you’re their son?” Key questions, exercising quite the self-control as he does not raise his voice.

Seunghee is the one that speaks up out of the currently too shocked and confused parents. “… You guys know each other?”

Jonghyun decides that he will let the blonde take the lead on this one, wanting to watch the blonde squirm. Key hasn’t taken his eyes off of Jonghyun, and literally looks like he’s going to either scream or cry. It honestly made Jonghyun want to laugh, because he knew that the blonde was utterly shocked that Jonghyun was who he was. He had warned the blonde that he wasn’t who he thought he was.

However, if he didn’t say he was surprised as well, then Jonghyun would be lying. But, knowing that the blonde was a spoiled rich brat, he wasn’t entirely shocked that he appeared in front of him.

Key doesn’t speak for a while, trying to formulate how he would say that they knew each other. However, all that came out of his mouth was “Unfortunately, yes, we have met.”

Both of their parents awkwardly shift in their seats, both men clearing their throats. “Why is this unfortunate, Kibum?” Eunah asks, trying to sound as if she is a concerned mother.

Key doesn’t respond, rather, he grabs his messenger back off the floor. “I’ll be leaving. Enjoy your dinner.” He bows to Jonghyun’s parents, showing his apologies, but does not wait for response as he exits, his mother shouting at him to come back.

Now that Key was gone, all eyes were on Jonghyun as he gave a nervous smile. He knew that the barrage of questions were coming, so he awkwardly stood and bowed to the blonde’s parents, then to his own. “I’ll take my leave then as well, so that you guys can enjoy your dinner. Nice to meet you, uhm, Mr. and Mrs.” With this, Jonghyun exits the private dining room as well, leaving him and the blonde’s parents completely confused.

Hyobin is the one that breaks the silence that lasted more than any of them hoped. “Well, I’m not sure what just happened, but it seems that our sons have already met before. And I’m afraid it seems that they aren’t each other’s favorite people, either.”

The others blink, unsure of what to say.

~*~

Key waits outside by the entrance of the restaurant, somehow knowing that the small brunette would be shortly along. The automatic doors swing open, and Jonghyun exists, passing right by Key.

“Yah, you’re the son of the CEOs of Hyojung Entertainment?”

Jonghyun turns around with that dumb smirk that Key has decided he hates. “I told you that you weren’t sure of who I was.”

Key goes to say something, but once again Jonghyun has got him at loss for words. Key was really starting to hate the smaller man, as no one could one-up Key when it came to verbal confrontations. Jonghyun actually waits for the other to say something, but when he doesn’t, he chuckles. “What, the sarcastic diva has nothing to say? Is this a first? I feel like it is, even though I barely know you.”

“You don’t know me at all.” Key snaps, a bitter edge in his voice.

Jonghyun sighs, feeling as if this is getting old. Every time they see each other, it’s a repeat of the same conversation.

"Well I now know that you are the son of the most powerful business owners in Korea."

They both stand in silence, gazing out into the busy city street in front of them. Neither of them say anything, but neither of them make the move to leave either. Jonghyun finally breaks the silence after what seemed like an eternity. Surprisingly, Key was thankful he did.

“So I guess our parents are business partners now.” Jonghyun begins unsure of where he is going with this. “I’m sure you don’t like this arrangement either, but I’m guessing they are going to be forcing us to meeting with each other now. You’re definitely not my most favorite person in the world, but,” He stops, glancing at the blonde. “I think for our own sake, we should try to play along with them and at least act like we are civil with each other.”

Key doesn’t say anything at first, just nods. “Fine. Whatever. I really don’t like you. You remind me of an evil munchkin, especially with your devilish smirk.” Key wasn’t intending to be funny, but when Jonghyun laughs, the corners of his mouth twitch at the beginning of a smile, but quickly hides it by screaming a bratty “Yah!” that makes Jonghyun stop.

“Yeah, okay. Sure. I really don’t like people like you. So, at least were on the same page,” Jonghyun declares. “Kibum.”

Key immediately turns to face Jonghyun. “No.” When Jonghyun raises his eyebrow in confusion, Key lowers his eyes and turns back to face the busy city street. “Don’t call me that. Call me Key.”

“Key?”

“Don’t ask. Just don’t call me Kibum or I’ll find out where you live and shave your head in your sleep.”

For the first time Jonghyun doesn’t want to push him, and he thinks it’s because Key seems to lose his y diva appearance and Jonghyun sees a flicker of a man who just may not be who he thinks he is.

“Alright,” Jonghyun says simply, and Key is actually shocked that the brunette doesn’t make some snarky comment.

“Key.”