Two
It Started With A LieLate into the night, SM's magazine publishing department was still bustling with people, the sound of writers and editors clacking away on their keyboards and the printers working non-stop filling the room. Near the Executive Director's office, a number of the senior editors were in a heated discussion over the upcoming Fashion Week and how they should go about with the next issue of Devil. Everyone was in some form of stress, especially after learning that their boss will be away that week--a first in his whole career. Everyone was also half-excited, half-nervous to prove themselves.
Donghae was partly the reason for Siwon's first-in-a-career week-long getaway. The state of his nerves was definitely worse than the entire department combined.
He had tried talking to Siwon, but to no avail. The department was too busy preparing for the upcoming event, and Siwon was working the rest of the team overdrive as the deadlines loomed closer. In the end, they didn't even get to talk privately; in fact, Donghae hardly saw Siwon at all.
And this was how Donghae was reduced to blankly staring at KORAIL's ticketing page, a week before the trip.
"I can't believe the boss let you go on leave exactly during Fashion Week," whined Sungmin beside him, startling Donghae out of his daze. "This is, like, blatant favoritism."
"Not exactly," said Donghae. It only took my dubious consent to a fake marriage proposal. No big deal.
"Actually, I can't believe the boss himself went on leave as well. The man has always been an absolute monster this time of year." Sungmin wrinkled his nose. "I mean, if he could lock all of us in here until Fashion Week is over, he would."
Donghae nodded solemnly. They had come close last year, when the entire editorial department pulled three consecutive all-nighters to meet Devil's Special Issue release for last year's Fashion Week. (Siwon, however, had generously treated them to a day off and a spa voucher afterwards, which slightly mollified them.)
"Tell you what though," said Sungmin, peeking left and right with mindful subtlety before leaning in. "Rumour has it that Siwon-sshi is on a trip with someone."
"Really?" said Donghae, a little too forcefully. He wasn't very good at feigning calm.
"Yeah. They say it's from someone within the company." Sungmin crossed his arms and leant against the wall of Donghae's cubicle, blocking escape. He looked at Donghae dead in the eye. "Someone within his team, in fact."
Donghae felt cold sweat run down his neck.
"There's not too many of us under Siwon-sshi," Sungmin continued, not looking away. "And I can only think of one person among us who he can possibly date."
Donghae forced an innnocent grin. "C-Can it be Sooyoung-sshi?" he said, but his grin faltered at the affronted and slightly hurt expression on Sungmin's face.
The tense moment was broken by several loud claps from the end of the room. Sooyoung's heels clacked loudly against the tiles as she waved at everyone with a sheaf of papers. "Settle down, settle down please," she said. "Siwon-sshi has an announcement to make."
"If we're pulling another three-nighter this year, I'm demanding a trip to Busan," groaned Shindong.
"That will not be necessary, Shindong-sshi."
Siwon strode in, and the room immediately fell into a hush. Sooyoung bowed politely and stepped aside as Siwon took her place. Despite wearing a plain black dress shirt and a simple pair of jeans, his commanding aura made him look ten feet taller than everyone else. Donghae found it impossible to look away, even if it was stirring an uncomfortable flutter of nerves in his stomach.
"First off, thank you and congratulations on your hard work," Siwon began. "It is because of this team's collective efforts that Devil is now Korea's no. 1 entertainment magazine. And though we do suffer the occasional overtime every now and then--" Siwon raised an eyebrow at Shindong, who turned white as a sheet, "--I hope you all share my pride and fulfillment at building this company to what it is today."
Siwon caught Donghae's eye and smiled. "Knowing I have an excellent team to depend on, I can finally take some time off with my mind at ease."
A loud, ecstatic whoop broke the silence. The entire department, Siwon included, broke into laughter.
"Sorry, but I'm not rid of easily," said Siwon with a cheeky grin. "I'll still be keeping an ear out on all of you while on holiday."
"Always the worrywart," Sungmin muttered, which made Donghae giggle.
Sooyoung handed Siwon the sheaf of papers she had been holding. "Seoul Fashion Week is happening next week," Siwon continued. "As you all know, Kyuhyun will be in charge in my absence."
Everyone was on the edge of their seats, waiting for the announcement of who will be accompanying their temporary boss to the fashion event.
Siwon leafed through the papers and pulled a sheet out. "Alright, Sungmin-sshi, for purposes of getting the job done, I'm sending you with him," he sighed, looking at all the sample work in front of him.
Sungmin looked at Siwon as if he sent him to hell instead of a fashion event; he was actually trying to disappear under the table in the hopes of not getting chosen. Although he knew how important this opportunity was, he'd rather not take it in the face of working with Cho Kyuhyun, a strange rich kid who had taken a liking to him.
Siwon tried to look apologetic to Sungmin as he continued saying, "Changmin-sshi, since you also work closely with Yunho-sshi, please join them as well."
In contrast, Changmin hummed in excitement, happy to do field work with his best friend. Sungmin groaned and sank further into the table.
"And before anyone says anything about it, I'm only sending the two of them because I know they can do the job. Don't worry, the rest of you lot have something to work on as well," Siwon said, interrupting what sounded like disagreement from a couple of editors.
"I'm expecting results when I get back, or else some of you won't be writing for the next couple of months. Alright, you're all dismissed."
The crowd of editors headed back to their cubicles to either work on some articles or finally call it a day. Donghae was about to head over to the pantry when Siwon stopped him.
"Donghae-ah, don't forget to buy the train tickets, hmm? Here, you can use my credit card," Siwon said, handing Donghae his gold credit card.
Donghae tried to stop an incoming blush. Though Siwon was speaking in hushed tones, Donghae was hyper-aware of the curious stares and judging looks of some of the senior editors who have yet to exit the room. (Donghae spotted Sungmin over Siwon's shoulder. Sungmin glared and mouthed I blame you! before sulking away.) He couldn't even bring himself to protest, not when everyone was there watching his every move. He could merely glare at his boss as he took the credit card.
Damnit, he looks adorable when he's angry, Siwon thought, as he gave a small smile to the retreating editor.
The whole week went by quickly. With the stress of preparing for Fashion Week, Donghae never got the chance to talk to Siwon about their predicament. As the week drew to a close, it dawned on Donghae that there won't be anyone to save him from spending halbae's birthday week with his boss. He had to pull himself together.
Donghae arrived early at the station, donned in a simple grey shirt, ripped jeans, and his favorite pair of Chucks. (It was the most difficult casual outfit he ever had to decide on in his life; Heechul was fuming the third night he called to ask for his opinion. "I don't care if you come , just bring yourself and Siwon here!" he had screamed.) Donghae booked a morning trip, and as expected, the station was already busy with waiting passengers.
While waiting for Siwon, Donghae opted to head to the nearest coffee shop and write some short narratives on his journal. He was so immersed in his writing that he didn't notice how much time had passed until someone tapped his shoulder. Donghae came face to face with Siwon, preppily dressed in white shorts and a checkered polo.
"S-Siwon-sshi, you're here!" Donghae gasped.
Siwon merely waved his hand and sat on the vacant seat in front of Donghae. "I knew you'd be coming early, so I decided to head straight here. You were hunched over your book over there. I don't think you noticed my messages until I tapped you on the shoulder."
Donghae tried to subtly insert his journal into his duffel bag. "S-sorry," he replied, blushing for the nth time.
Siwon chuckled, resisting the urge to ruffle Donghae's hair as he asked, "So. What's the plan?"
"Oh!" Donghae searched for the printed copy of their tickets. He glanced at his watch and realized it was almost time for their departure. "We should probably head to the platform, Siwon-sshi." he said. "Would you like to buy anything else?"
Siwon shook his head as they made their way out of the coffee shop and onto the busy platforms.
"I took the liberty of booking an entire compartment to ourselves." Donghae said, turning around to hand over Siwon's gold credit card.
"Hmm...alright. I suppose we can discuss our arrangement there,"
Donghae craned his neck over the thick throng of passengers, his eyes scanning the station for their platform. He stood on tiptoe to get a better view, but was immediately outbalanced when a rowdy group of teenagers bumped against his shoulder. Siwon caught him by his elbow.
"This is why I hate public transportation," Siwon muttered. The teenagers' laughter died down at Siwon's sharp gaze.
"It's alright, Siwon-sshi," Donghae said sheepishly, patting his irate boss by the arm. He sighed in relief when he finally spotted a sign with directions to their platform. "Come on. This way."
It was easy enough once they found their platform, entered the train and located their seats. The compartment was wide enough to fit more than two, but Donghae knew his boss didn't want the attention of people recognizing him (not that anyone would, in such a small town like Mokpo, but just to be sure.) If he could endure the three and a half hour ride from Seoul to Mokpo, then the week with Siwon should go without hitches.
Donghae sat across from Siwon, hands close-fisted on his lap. He resisted the urge to tap his feet as he tried to control the panic of being left alone with the boss. It took several minutes of silence as Siwon settled himself and his belongings for the trip before he finally noticed Donghae's stiff position.
Siwon chuckled before saying, "Well, we're fooling no one if you act like I'm about to eat you any minute, Donghae-ah."
"S-sorry, Siwon-sshi." Donghae said, as he tried to make himself as comfortable as possible.
"One more thing, you should drop the sshi."
Donghae merely nodded. He didn't trust himself to call his boss by his given name just yet.
"I can get used to just calling you Donghae-ah," said Siwon, grinning." Unless you want a pet name, jagi-ya?"
"No!" Donghae said hastily, his cheeks coloring. "Just Donghae, please. Donghae is fine."
Siwon laughed. "If you say so." While Siwon rummaged around his bag, they heard the loud blare of the train horn, signalling the start of their journey. Both were distracted as they looked out the window, the platform slowly blurring as the train picked up speed.
Donghae was startled out of his thoughts as Siwon opened the folded table and laid out several printed documents and a blank paper, where he wrote "TERMS OF AGREEMENT" in his pretty, cursive penmanship (not that Donghae would ever admit that out loud).
Siwon gave a small, encouraging smile when he saw Donghae fidgeting. "Donghae-ah, it's an open discussion," he said. "Please feel free to tell me anything. I promise I'll take care of it, as long as you do this for me."
"Alright," said Donghae uneasily.
Siwon straightened up, business-like. "Well, first things first. In terms of length, we will be married for five years, then we can get divorced. I will pay for all the expenses and you can do anything you want, provided we will be living together during our marriage."
"Hang on. We have to pretend for five years?" Donghae said weakly.
Siwon's chest twitched at the disbelief on Donghae's face. He forced a smile. "That's stretching it, huh?"
"A little," Donghae admitted. "I mean, I'm bad enough at relationships as it is, let alone pretend ones..."
"How about two years?" said Siwon. "That should be enough time to settle things with my father."
Donghae considered the offer. "Is there anything I'm not allowed to do?"
It was the tricky question that Siwon was dreading. He twirled the pen around his fingers. "I will not risk any of our families knowing this is a fake marriage, so there will be no other relationships," he said softly. "It will be the same with me."
"For two years."
"I'm sorry, Donghae-ah." And Siwon meant it. "I'd rather not gamble on one of us getting caught having an affair. That doesn't mean you have to cut off your connections, of course, but you have to be a little more careful. You know how the paparazzis are."
After a tense pause, Donghae finally nodded. "I understand."
Siwon smiled hesitantly. "Can you go without any relationships in two years time?"
"I think so. I've gone on without one for much longer." Donghae grinned back. "Can you?"
Siwon laughed, his shoulders relaxing. "Yeah. I think you're a handful enough already."
"You brought it upon yourself, boss," said Donghae, his eyes bright and smiling.
I'm glad I did, thought Siwon. Then coughed at the embarassing thought.
"Second point," he continued quickly, "I want to publicize the marriage. My family will believe it more if I'm actually allowing myself to be off the market."
"Can we just announce that you are going to be married? I don't want my face to be released to the public, to be honest." Donghae ducked his head. "I don't want a fancy wedding, either, though my brother Heechul would probably invite half the town the moment he learns about the wedding."
"No fancy weddings. Yeah, that's feasible....."
"And after the wedding, can I continue working at SM?"
Siwon smiled wanly. "It won't be the same, Donghae-ah."
"I know." Sungmin had warned Donghae about the rumors, and he can clearly remember the suspicious and envious stares of his fellow editors whenever he was around Siwon. "But I like my job, and the team I work with, so..." he shrugged. "I don't want to leave that behind."
A wave of guilt washed over Siwon. Admittedly, he did not think through the magnitude of the effect the marriage would have on Donghae's life.
"I wouldn't want you to leave me, either," he said honestly.
(Then Siwon realized he had actually said an embarassing thought out loud. He scrunched his eyes closed. Keep it together, Choi Siwon!)
"I mean, I definitely still want you in my team. But I'm a bit worried about how your colleagues would react to the marriage."
"I'll manage," Donghae smiled sweetly. "Thanks, Siwon-sshi."
"Right." Siwon rubbed his nape. "But If you come into any sort of trouble in the office because of our arrangement, let me know, okay?"
"Actually, that's not really necessary--"
"And after the divorce, you will be greatly rewarded. On top of the settlement money, I will give you a promotion, a car and a new condominium."
Donghae's eyes grew wider. "B-But I don't need..."
"Two years is a long time to abstain from any sort of companionship." Siwon interrupted. "Let me do this for you, Donghae-ah. It's the least I can do."
Siwon hands the paper and pen to Donghae with the summary of the marriage contract.
TERMS OF AGREEMENT
-
Free to divorce after five (5)two (2) years of marriage. -
The marriage will be publicized. However, no one will mention who S. Choi will be married to, thus D. Lee's identity to the public will remain a secret. -
S. Choi and D. Lee will live together throughout the duration of their marriage. -
S. Choi and D. Lee will have no other relationships or affairs while married. -
S. Choi will shoulder the expenses for all marriage requirements and the divorce settlement -
On top of the settlement money, D. Lee will receive a job promotion, a car and a new condominium after the divorce.
Signed,
Choi Siwon
Lee Donghae
Donghae read the paper one more time, before finally signing his name beside Siwon's neat signature.
Siwon folded the paper and slid it into an envelope along with the other printed documents."I assume you didn't bring your seal, so let's do that after we get back from Mokpo." he said
Donghae's eyes widened at the mention of the seal. He didn't think Siwon was THAT serious with the terms and conditions. Then again, he wouldn't be the boss if he didn't take any form of contract seriously.
Donghae glanced at his wrist watch, and realized only an hour has passed since they left the station. As if reading his mind, Siwon said, "Since we still have time to kill, we should get our stories straight."
"Alright," said Donghae. "So how did we start...?" Donghae pointed back and forth between them. He couldn't bring himself to say the word date, yet.
"Let's just say I made the first move, but you didn't take me seriously until three months ago because you couldn't resist anymore?" Siwon waggled his eyebows playfully. Donghae blushed at that, unable to deny that there was some truth to the whole resisting thing.
"So, tell me about yourself, Donghae-ah." Siwon said, trying to get Donghae to open up to him. Although he had to admit, Donghae was adorable and easy to fluster, he didn't think people will believe them in the long run with just that.
"Umm, I've always wanted to be a writer..." Donghae started.
"I know," Siwon said gently, "but I want to know you better. Things like, what's your favorite movie?"
"Oh, I like a lot of movies."
"How about the movie you've watched several times?"
"Titanic?" Donghae grinned. "I love that film."
"Really? So you like those types of films?"
Donghae nodded. "How about you, Siwon-s-ah?" He asked shyly.
Siwon smiled as Donghae stuttered on his name. "I'm more into action, but I guess that's fine. How about sports?"
"I love soccer!" said Donghae, his eyes twinkling. "If I didn't become a writer I would've wanted to play soccer professionally."
"You should meet my brother then, he's so into it!" Siwon rolled his eyes. "He was stunned speechless when he first met Ji-sung Park."
Donghae laughed. "I also play basketball, if you're not into soccer?"
"Nice! Maybe we should play some time."
"My brothers are also into it, so maybe when we get to Mokpo, we can all play basketball?" Donghae offered. (He tried to wash away the image of Siwon all sweaty and probably shirtless. Get a hold of yourself, Lee Donghae!)
"We should." Siwon said. "So how many are you in the family?"
"Well there's Halbae, Omma, Teukkie-hyung, Kangin-hyung, Heechul-hyung and Henry-ah."
"Wow, you have a lot of siblings."
"There's only two of us, actually. Teukkie-hyung is my cousin, but he acts like a real brother. Kangin-hyung is his husband." Donghae explained.
"A large family sounds fun." Siwon said, "There's only me and Minho in our family. Occasionally, there's my obnoxious cousin Kyuhyun."
"It's not all that great," Donghae sighed. "Teukkie-hyung and Heechul-hyung tend to fight over the stupidest things. One time, when we went to the beach..."
The conversation got flowing as they traded stories from their childhood and about their families. The hours ticked by quickly, and before they knew it, the train was making an announcement:
"Ladies and gentlemen, we are now approaching Mokpo Station. Please ensure to check all your belongings before you leave the train. Thank you for choosing Korea Train Express."
Donghae took a deep breath, closed his eyes and counted to three. Home sweet home, he thought, as he prepared himself for the craziness which was the Lee family.
"I hope you're ready. I wasn't joking when I said my family was crazy." Donghae said, while attempting to straighten his shirt and fix his hair.
Siwon hummed as he did the same to himself, making sure the contract was safely tucked in a deep corner of his bag.
The station wasn't as heavily packed as Seoul, maybe because it was just a regular weekend or it was still early. Either way, both Siwon and Donghae were thankful as they didn't need to wade through the crowd.
As soon as they made their way to the exit, Donghae caught sight of a very huge banner which said, "WELCOME TO MOKPO, SIHAE!!! ♥♥♥"
Donghae blushed beet red, and quickly turned to Siwon. "S-sorry. Must be Heechul-hyung's crazy idea."
Siwon laughed melodiously as he grabbed Donghae's hand, pulling him towards the direction of the banner. Donghae couldn't do anything but allow himself to be dragged to where he knew Heechul-hyung will be, probably with his whole family.
Siwon squinted as he saw a man (or was that a tall girl?) waving the banner vigorously. He could hear Donghae muttering to himself as the person bounced towards them in his floral pants, plain shirt and cherry red hair. Upon closer inspection, Siwon confirmed that the person was actually a he, and surmised he was the Heechul-hyung Donghae kept mentioning.
"Donghae-aaaaaaah!" Heechul screamed excitedly. He threw his arms around Donghae in a tight hug (a very tight hug, judging by Donghae's pained expression).
A full minute later, Heechul let go of Donghae and turned to Siwon, his smile disappearing completely. He surveyed Siwon from head to toe before finally saying, "You must be Siwon-sshi?"
Siwon lived in the company of stern and cold-hearted CEOs, his father included, but he had never felt as intimidated as he was by Heechul's stare. "Uh, yes. Yes I am."
"I'm Heechul. Donghae's older brother." He nodded briskly. "First time in Mokpo?"
"Yes, it's my first time." Siwon answered nervously as he felt a number of other eyes on him.
"Excuse us, Siwon-sshi. It's the first time Donghae brought home a friend from Seoul, much less a boyfriend."
A beautiful lady stepped out from behind Heechul. She had Donghae's crinkly, bright-eyed smile, and Siwon immediately knew who she was.
"Welcome to Mokpo, Siwon-sshi. I am Donghae's mother, Hyangsook."
"Omma!" Donghae rushed forward to hug his mother, earning a gentle laugh from the woman.
Siwon smiled at the reunited mother and son."Hello, ma'am." he bowed deeply.
"We're absolutely delighted you made it. Though I hear you've been keeping Donghae from coming home sooner, hmm?" Hyangsook raised her eyebrow, the effect rivalling Siwon's own.
Siwon froze. "I... I'm sor--"
"It's not his fault, omma!" Donghae exclaimed. "It's been a busy year. And Siwon-ah works the hardest among all of us."
"Alright, alright, I was just teasing," Hyangsook giggled, looping her arm around Donghae's. "Let's all head home first so we can get to know Siwon-sshi better."
Heechul grabbed Donghae's other arm excitedly as he whispered, "Henry brought Bada for you! We know how much you missed her."
Siwon followed the family, feeling a little bit left out, and wondered, 'Who the hell is Bada?'
A few minutes later, Siwon ended up riding shotgun on "Bada", which surprisingly turned out to be a black Porsche Cayenne. Siwon could feel Donghae vibrating in elation as he took the driver's seat and the steering wheel with reverence. Siwon thought about the car he promised, his competitive spirit stirring.
"You alright?" Siwon asked.
Donghae's eyes were wet with tears. "It's really my baby," he whispered.
Henry, his younger brother, laughed from behind them. "Kangin-hyung has been looking after Bada while you were away, so she was in good hands. Better hands, to be completely honest..."
Donghae looked at his brother through the rearview mirror and stuck out his tongue. "Is he still working on that crusty old Kia of his?"
Henry rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I'm tempted to set that thing on fire..."
The pair continued talking enthusiastically about what Donghae missed in the months he was out of Mokpo. Siwon caught snippets of the conversation, but could barely understand what was happening. He looked outside the window, and noticed how most of the stores had a unique, oddly familiar letter H in each of its logos.
"So Jjong still manages that little music shop you always check on. Then Taemin finally took over that small dance studio Hyuk-hyung worked for before." Henry said.
"Did that anchovy finally take up halbae on his suggestion to open his own dance studio?" Donghae asked, concentrated on the road.
Siwon's eyes widened as he suddenly realized where he saw that familiar H. He slowly peeked at Donghae's duffel bag which was tucked safely between them, and spotted the familiar H embroidered in gold at the side. He gasped and elbowed Donghae as Henry was busy pointing out the new shops along the road.
"You didn't tell me, you were rich." Siwon whispered.
"Hmm, come again, Siwon-ah?" Donghae asked.
"You. Didn't. Tell. Me. You. Were. Effin'. Rich." Siwon repeated.
Henry finally took notice of Siwon and replied, "Oh, Siwon-hyung, we're not rich."
"Tell me you don't own half the stores in this area." Siwon challenged.
The car was engulfed in silence as no one can deny the challenge.
"Well, that confirms it." Siwon said, pinching his nose in an attempt to alleviate an incoming headache before adding, "We'll talk about this later."
Donghae merely shrugged as he didn't see a problem with this. Anyway, he didn't want Henry to learn about their contract, either.
"My God."
Siwon looked up at the wide, stone house that towered above him. Shrubberies of geraniums and hibiscus and a litter of small fish statuettes lined the perimeter of the house, while the walls were adorned with large seashells, the larger-sized ones framing the blue-and-white-stained glass windows. The cemented road they were stalled on shot off onto a gravel path that led towards an open shed, housing three covered cars and a shabby Kia that totally looked out of place.
"It looks like a house from a K-drama!"
"Not used to seeing the countryside houses anymore, city brat?" Heechul grinned.
"I wouldn't call this a typical country house." Siwon stared at Donghae meaningfully. "I imagined a normal house from what Donghae has said about it."
"It's our ancestral home, so it looks a bit rustic from the outside," Hyangsook explained. She patted Siwon's arm. "Come. Leeteuk is looking forward to meet you."
Donghae bit back a laugh. He had never seen his boss looking that terrified in all his years of working for SM.
"Er... m-may I use the toilets, first?"
"Certainly!" Hyangsook chirped, half-dragging Siwon by the arm towards the front door. Siwon looked back at Donghae desperately, causing him to miss the colorful metal fish windchime hanging from the doorframe. The chime slapped against his forehead with a loud, melodic clang.
"Not exactly the cool guy I thought he would be," Heechul remarked.
Donghae grinned fondly. "I think it's cute."
Heechul let out a derisive snort. "Of course you would."
His mom was excited; Donghae knew, from the moment she saw Siwon at the airport. His hypothesis was proven when she introduced Siwon to Leeteuk just briefly, only to drag him off again to show him around the house, from her flower garden, to her kitchen, to her sand collection of all the beaches she has been to...
Their last stop was the mini-library, where the progression of the Lee family from past to present hung as photos on the walls. Siwon peered into the largest photo in the room. "This must be Donghae's grandfather," said Siwon, pointing at a young man in a suit.
Hyangsook nodded. "Quite the looker, wasn't he?"
"Well, he looks a bit... strict..."
Hyangsook laughed. "He can be, but he's a sweet, lovable old man most of the time, especially when Donghae's around."
Siwon continued looking at the other pictures, then paused at a small, framed photo sitting atop a low shelf. Donghae felt a lump in his throat as Siwon picked up the frame to look at it more closely.
It was an old photo of Donghae as a young child, pictured with his first lumpy sandcastle. And behind him, sweaty and sporting a pained grin as he shielded his son from the sun, was Donghae's father.
"He passed away just before Donghae moved to work in Seoul," Hyangsook smiled sadly. "It's a shame. He was looking forward to the day Donghae would finally introduce someone, too."
Siwon glanced at Donghae with a solemn expression. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said.
"Thank you, my dear." Hyangsook gently took the frame from Siwon's hands to replace it on the shelf. She clapped her hands suddenly. "So! Would you like to see Donghae's baby pictures?"
"Oooookay," Donghae intervened smoothly, and made a grab for Siwon's hand. "Didn't you say you needed to go to the toilet, Siwon-ah?"
"Actually, I want to see--" Siwon paused at the threatening glint in Donghae's eye. "--see the toilet. Yes, of course."
"Oh dear. I have been keeping you, haven't I?" Hyangsook glanced at the wall clock. "You boys should take some time to rest. Dinner should be ready soon."
"Thanks, Omma." Donghae pecked his mother on her cheek. He pulled Siwon out of the room, only to be tugged back by his boss.
"Siwon-ah?" asked Donghae, confused.
"Uh, I just want to say thanks. For having me, you know, on such short notice." Siwon looked up at Donghae. "I'm really glad to be here."
Hyangsook giggled knowingly at the awed look on her son's face. "So are we, Siwon-ah." she said fondly. "So are we."
Siwon frowned at the selfish, deceptive, manipulative, two-faced lying bastard staring back at him from the bathroom mirror.
"This is stupid," he whispered. "Yep, this is stupid. And wrong. Christ, what was I thinking!"
Siwon braced himself against the sink, his head pounding as the kind faces of Donghae's wonderful family swam around his head. He winced as he remembered his short, spur-of-the-moment speech at the library. He meant ever single word of it--he is happy to be here--but he couldn't fault Donghae for the look of disbelief in his face.
He then remembered Donghae's old photo with his father. The guilt immediately gnawed at his gut again.
Siwon clasped his hands together. "Lee-sshi," he whispered. "I know I'm marrying your son for all the wrong reasons, and you would probably haunt me for the rest of my life because of that, if you could. I am so, so sorry. But I promise to take good care of him, and to make him happy, because..."
Siwon breathed deeply. Because happiness is what a good man like Lee Donghae deserves, right?
Siwon jumped at the chirrup of his ringtone. Muttering darkly, he pulled out his phone from his pocket, and groaned when he saw his brother's photo on the display.
"Minho," Siwon greeted, making no effort to hide his irritation.
"Someone sounds happy," Minho giggled from the other line. "Sorry, did I interrupt something?"
"No! And yes. I'm in the toilet."
"Geez, hyung! Details!" Minho made a disgusted sound. "I so didn't need to hear that right before dinner."
"You did call suddenly."
"I called because Dad wanted me to check up on you." Minho clucked his tongue. "He thinks... he thinks you've lost your mind."
"He's the one who's pushing this marriage thing!" Siwon hissed.
There was a short pause, Minho asked, "Hyung, you are serious about Donghae-sshi, aren't you?"
Siwon's voice turned steely. "What made you ask that?"
"I just want to know that you're absolutely sure about this. You tend to rush headlong into these decisions, sometimes..."
Siwon sighed at Minho's concerned tone. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't serious about it, brother."
"Huh. Guess so. Maybe we just need to get used to you in a long-term relationship." Siwon heard someone holler over the line. "Ooh, dinner's ready. Dad's just about sick of me talking about nothing else but football."
"Now he knows how I feel whenever we talk about work over dinner," Siwon muttered.
"He misses your for it." Minho paused again. "Hyung? Try to make it work this time, yeah?"
Siwon smiled wryly. "Yeah. I'll do my best."
"That toilet break took a long time," Donghae greeted Siwon casually.
"My brother called," said Siwon. He jumped onto the bed facedown and let out a muffled groan.
"Sorry," Donghae said. "My family can be quite... overwhelming. And tiring."
"Mmh. Heechul's my favorite." Siwon peeked an eye out from his nest of arms. “You didn’t tell me your father passed away. Not even during your job interview.”
“I didn’t want to talk about it then,” Donghae said guardedly. “I’m sure you understand why…”
“There are a lot of things you seem to not want to talk about, Donghae-ah.” Siwon pushed himself off the bed. “And that’s not helping me. Us. But I won’t push.”
Donghae watched Siwon as he pulled out his luggage and unpacked his clothes into the cleared space in his wardrobe cabinet. He could sense Siwon was a bit angry at him about the situation he found himself in, but then again, he didn't give Donghae any time to properly explain. So really, it wasn't Donghae's fault.
“Siwon-ah?”
The tone of Donghae’s voice made Siwon look up.
“I’m sorry if you felt like I was hiding things from you.” Donghae stared at his knees. “To be honest, I’ve never told anyone outside Mokpo about my family.”
“Eh, why not?” Siwon blinked. “They’re wonderful!”
“It’s being rich that makes me uncomfortable. All the money, all that privilege, it’s all because of my father’s hard work. Not mine.” Donghae smiled sadly. “I feel like I haven’t done anything to deserve it, yet.”
“Hey.” Donghae startled when he felt a hand gently ruffle his hair. “I know what you mean.”
Siwon sat on the bed and rested back on his palms with a loud sigh. “I’m not angry at you. Well, may be a little. But I’m mostly pissed off at myself. I’ve been so focused on winning the company from my father that I’ve forgotten to look at the bigger picture." He closed his eyes. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble, Donghae-ah.”
The confession took Donghae by surprise. "Siwon-ah..." Donghae began, but a loud knock interrupted him.
"Hae, dinner's ready." Teuk said from behind the closed door.
"Okay, hyung. We'll be right there!" Donghae shouted back.
Siwon jumped off the bed. “Yeah. I’ve still got a few clothes to put away…”
Donghae waited for Siwon to finish unpacking, before finally standing and asking him gently, "You ready, Siwon-ah?"
Siwon ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”
As Donghae and Siwon entered the dining area, they were greeted by the complete family. Halbae was sitting at the head of the table, talking seriously with Teuk on his right. The rest of the members were helping Hyangsook serve dinner or were avidly chatting with the rest of the family.
Donghae tugged Siwon towards the empty space to halbae's left. He let out an excited noise as he spotted a lean, cap-wearing stranger Siwon didn't know yet. He launched himself towads the man, clapping him soundly and repeatedly at the back.
"Myeolchi~ I missed youuuuu!"
"Fishieee~ I missed you too! But can you please stop hitting me now?" "Myeolchi" replied. He glanced curiously at the man beside Donghae. "So, who's this?"
Donghae blushed before answering, "Oh, right. Um, this is my boyfriend, Choi Siwon. Siwon-ah, I want you to meet my best friend, Lee Hyukjae."
There was a strange, tense moment of silence as both individuals sized each other up, before Siwon finally said, "Nice to meet you, Hyukjae-sshi."
"Nice to meet you too, Siwon-sshi, but please call me Eunhyuk." Eunhyuk replied.
"Or you can call him monkey or anchovy." Donghae added, giggling to himself.
"Yah!" Eunhyuk cried. Donghae shrieked as Eunhyuk caught him in a stranglehold.
"Kids..." Kangin warned as he saw Donghae and Eunhyuk's friendly banter.
"Hehe, sorry." Donghae said sheepishly.
"Settle down, everyone," Halbae commanded.
Hyangsook squeezed Siwon's shoulder as she sat beside him. The family quieted down as halbae said grace.
Dinner was delicious. Hyangsook and Henry had gone all out, preparing different sorts of seafood, kimchi and rice. At first the atmosphere was light, the conversations mainly focused on how everyone went about their day. Siwon let the voices wash over him, happy to sit back as a spectator. Dinner with his family was usually solemn, with only his father talking about new business ventures, a topic that never fails to put a damper on dinner.
Siwon was jerked back to reality by Donghae whispering, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Just a little overwhelmed," Siwon whispered back.
"Sorry. Halbae's birthday is just around the corner, so everyone is here," Donghae explained.
"Hey, no need to apologize." Siwon said.
Donghae grinned before placing some pyeonyuk into Siwon's plate. "Try it. Omma's specialty and the best in Mokpo."
Siwon smiled back before dipping the meat into the sauce and opening his mouth to try the delicacy.
"What are you lovebirds smiling and whispering about?" Heechul interrupted.
"N-nothing," Donghae replied, eyeing Siwon's reaction to the food.
Siwon hummed in agreement, murmuring, "It tastes really good."
Donghae smiled brightly before continuing to eat. He continued to place small portions onto Siwon's plate. Siwon shook his head everytime, but he still ended up eating whatever Donghae tipped into his plate.
"Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick." Heechul said, a few minutes later.
"Is everything okay, Heechul-hyung?" Eunhyuk asks.
"I'm about to rub my eyes with alcohol. Tell your friend to stop being lovey-dovey with his boyfriend." Heechul replied.
Eunhyuk turned to Donghae and frowned at what he saw. He elbowed Donghae hard. "Yah! What are you guys doing?"
Donghae rubbed his sides and pouted at Eunhyuk. "What the hell was that for?"
"Save your cheesy, lovey-dovey moments for when you guys are alone." Eunhyuk snorted at Donghae.
Donghae frowned. "Why are you getting angry?" he asked.
Siwon raised one of his eyebrows as he heard the two bestfriends arguing. He couldn't stop but wonder if there were other reasons why the conversation was something he should be concerned about.
"Siwon-sshi, are you enjoying so far?" Teuk suddenly asked Siwon.
"Yes, definitely." Siwon replied. "You have a huge family and everyone seems to be close. So thank you for having me."
"Well Siwon-sshi, how exactly did you meet my grandson?" Halbae joined in.
Siwon gulped. It was the first time halbae decided to talk to him. He felt Donghae shift in his seat as he answered, "I don't know if you've heard, but I'm actually Donghae's boss in the office."
Everyone turned their heads towards the couple, their interest fully caught by halbae and Siwon's conversation. Heechul smiled knowingly, having interrogated Donghae as soon as he was told Siwon was coming to Mokpo. Meanwhile, Kangin casted a sympathetic smile at Siwon; he remembered experiencing the same thing when he asked for permission to marry Jeongsu. Halbae was especially frightening when it came to making sure his family was being taken care of.
"...I see. For how long?" Halbae continued.
"About two years." Siwon replied warily.
"A boss-employee relationship, hmm," Halbae chewed on a piece of meat. "You didn't bully Donghae into this, I hope?"
. Siwon thought, sweating buckets. It's the first night and I'm already screwed.
"Halbae!" Donghae interrupted, standing from his seat.
"Shush, Hae. I just want to know your boyfriend better." Halbae said.
"Siwon-ah is very hardworking and passionate! He's not very vocal about it, but his actions show that he's concerned about our well-being! It was only when I got to know him better that I realized how well we're taken care of." Donghae defended.
The entire table was stunned. Siwon blushed at Donghae's outburst.
Halbae set down his chopsticks. "Hae-ah, you know halbae only wants the best for you, right?"
"I know. But you've got to let me choose for myself, halbae." Donghae smiled wistfully. "It's time for me to grow up, too."
"Children nowadays." Halbae sighed melodramatically. "Come here and give halbae a hug. I've missed you so much, Hae."
Donghae skipped over to the head of the table and engulfed halbae in a huge hug. "I've missed you too, halbae!"
"Alright, Siwon-sshi and Donghae must be tired from their trip. Let's give them some time to rest." Hyangsook said.
All the occupants stood up, pecking halbae, Hyangsook and Donghae on the cheek, then clapping Siwon at the back or the arm. Eunhyuk only gave him a quick, polite bow, though his eyes were sharp and unfriendly.
Siwon spotted Hyangsook piling the used plates. "Let me help with the dishes, at least," said Siwon.
"Don't worry about it, dear. That's why I have these fine gentlemen to help me." She thumbed at the unhappy pair of Kangin and Eunhyuk over her shoulder. "You can help me next time." Hyangsook smiled.
"Thank you. Dinner was very delicious." Siwon replied as he made his way to Donghae's side, who was still whispering with his halbae.
"Well, we're going to turn ourselves in, halbae. Good night. I'll see you tomorrow." Donghae said.
Halbae raised his eyebrows at Siwon expectantly.
Siwon swallowed. "I just want to say, I know I may not be the perfect person for your grandson, but I promise I'll take care of him." Siwon said, bowing deeply to halbae. "Good night, Sir."
Donghae stifled a yawn as he and Siwon entered their shared room. After closing the door, he grabbed extra pillows and a comforter to sleep on from his cabinet. He was tired and sleepy, having woken up early to catch the morning train. He decided to set up his sleeping area while waiting for Siwon to finish using the bathroom.
"What are you doing?" Siwon asked. He was dressed in a pair of black pajamas, his face dotted with moisturizer as he went about his nightly skin care routine.
"Uh, fixing my bed?" Donghae grabbed his own pair of PJs--a rather embarassing Mickey Mouse printed ones--and entered the bathroom to change, as well.
"Why is it on the floor?" Siwon asked again, sitting on the edge of the bed while waiting for Donghae to finish.
"Well, because you're sleeping on the bed." Donghae answered through the closed door.
"No way." Siwon argued, "Today has been too tiring. I don't want you to sleep on the floor."
Donghae came out of the bathroom and plopped into his makeshift bed. "Don't worry about it, Siwon-ah. It's just as nice and comfy. You can take the bed."
"Er, we could share...?" Siwon offered.
Donghae laughed, "If you feel that guilty, let's trade places tomorrow, but please use the bed for today."
"...Alright," Siwon finally agreed, though he looked unconvinced. "But I'm sleeping on the floor tomorrow, okay?"
No way in hell is Choi Siwon sleeping on the floor, Donghae thought as Siwon finally slid under the comforter.
Donghae closed the lights and snuggled deeper into his own comforter. Silence immediately engulfed the room.
"Donghae-ah?" Siwon's voice rumbled through Donghae's haze of sleep.
"Yes?"
"Thanks for defending me to your halbae earlier. Even though everything he said was practically true," said Siwon softly.
"I wasn't lying about it, boss. You work us to hell and back, but we know how much you care for us." Donghae said.
Siwon seemed to think it over. "I now understand why Yunho fights so hard year after year to keep you in Features."
Donghae chuckled. "Good night, Siwon-ah."
"Good night, Donghae-ah. Sweet dreams."
Comments