Chapter 011

✥ On a sunny afternoon after students were dismissed from school, those with extracurricular activities such as sports and club meetings stayed behind. One of them was Youngsaeng who was part of the CSC, Community Service Crew, group.  After two hours of discussing their next project, everyone were dismissed. Youngsaeng was one of the last few to have stepped out from the classroom and as he stood by the door he observed what was in front of him.

Lying flat out on a bench with a book over his face, and bag as his pillow, was Kim Kyujong. Youngsaeng could tell the revealing black hair belonged to Kyujong by the direction of the messy hair. Knowing Kyujong would wait for him, Youngsaeng let out a soft relief sound before heading over. As he stopped beside Kyujong, he noticed the book that was used to cover Kyujong’s sleeping face. It was Kyujong’s diary, one with a black leather cover. Without thinking much of it, Youngsaeng grabbed onto the book and held it up so he could see what was on the opened pages.

He frowned upon knowing what it was. A necklace with a gold chain and a drawing of a globe pendant linked to it. On what used to be clear space was something written in a black pen. “The world for everyone is so big, but everyone lives in their own world. One day I will like to give my world away to the one I love. To show that I have found my love in the world for everyone.”

Youngsaeng scoffed, “How tacky,” he commented, “it would have been better if you wrote that person’s name down,” he added before turning his focus to wake up Kyujong. “Kyujong, wake up, I’m done,” Youngsaeng kicked the bench in order to shake Kyujong from his sleep. In a matter of seconds, Kyujong opened one eye once the brightness of the late afternoon sun attacked his vision.

“You’re done already?” Kyujong asked while sitting up, Youngsaeng sighed and spoke his mind right after.

“Instead of wasting time and just sleeping around to wait for me, why don’t you do something production? Like join a club or at least join mine. We can use some more muscles, you know?” Youngsaeng said, but Kyujong showed no interest.

“No. I see you all the time. It’s only good for my health if I take a two hour break from seeing you,” Kyujong commented, still half-asleep.

Youngsaeng scoffed a smile, “Why don’t you just go home altogether? No one asked for you to stay and wait for me,”

“If I don’t then you’ll nag me,”

“Psh, when have I ever nagged you?”

Kyujong looked up to meet Youngsaeng’s gaze, “Wasn’t it just this morning? You asked what kind of friend I was when I wouldn’t eat breakfast with you,”

Youngsaeng became flustered, knowing he got caught and it was no use trying to lie or make up an excuse, “I-I, that’s only because I, I,”

Kyujong stood up from the bench until his height surpassed Youngsaeng’s, “Forget that, but can I ask?”

“A-about what?”

“Why do you have my diary?” Kyujong’s question brought the realization back to Youngsaeng. He had forgotten that he had been clutching onto Kyujong’s personal diary as if it belonged to him.

“Here,” Youngsaeng said immediately, holding the book out and toward Kyujong, “you had it over your face so I thought I’d make sure it was really you,”

“Really?” Kyujong asked before grabbing the diary and opening to the latest page, “Even if you did, it’s not like you were mentioned in here,” Kyujong meant to whisper but Youngsaeng heard it sound and clear.

Thus he heaved a scoff before speaking, “Whatever,”

Kyujong saw how Youngsaeng’s lips was pursed and his brows were pulled in inward, “Are you sulking right now?”

“Ah! If I’m sulking then you must be crying!” Youngsaeng turned his back and walked out from the scene, causing Kyujong by surprise.

“Youngsaeng! Wait for me!” He called to the lad as he tried to place his diary into his bag and properly check that he had everything.

Youngsaeng opened his eyes and noticed he was seeing the ceiling. Realizing where he was, he sat up at a fast speed and scan Kyujong’s office. Youngsaeng was now lying where Kyujong had from before. Wondering where Kyujong went off to, Youngsaeng continued to think quietly until he heard a voice.

“Hm, I got it. Tomorrow at ten right?”

Youngsaeng’s eyes widen when he recognized it as Kyujong’s. The lad was coming out from the bathroom and was on the phone. With no real reason, Youngsaeng ducked down and hid behind the couch.

“I know, don’t worry,” Kyujong said on the phone.

Youngsaeng tried to eavesdrop and learn what was being discussed on the phone. He could only guess it was about business as Kyujong sounded serious. Then he heard Kyujong hang up and footsteps grew closer and closer toward him. Youngsaeng knew Kyujong was coming over to check on him, thus quickly fall back into place and pretend he hadn’t woken yet. With his eyes shut, he felt Kyujong’s presence over him. He heard the lad sighed then clicked his tongue before taking another step out of the office. Once the door were shut Youngsaeng sat up immediately, just to see Kyujong standing at the door. The man had one hand on the doorknob and the other in his pants pocket.

“I guess you were awake,”

Youngsaeng froze before letting out an embarrassed chuckle, “Sorry…. How long did I slept for?”

“Doesn’t matter. You should wash up and head down to the cafeteria. You shouldn’t starve yourself,” Kyujong said before really excusing himself from the room. Not knowing what Kyujong meant, Youngsaeng could only groan after having been caught.

The real embarrassment took place in the elevator when he happened to meet Sungyeol on the way down. “I did what?!”

Sungyeol wore a blank expression as he repeat himself, “Your stomach kept growling and you fell asleep with your head against President’s face,”

Youngsaeng thought he could die from embarrassment, “You mean I…? I did that?”

“Yeah,” Sungyeol raised his voice, to make sure Youngsaeng was fully aware of what he had done, “when I went to the office you had your head leaning against his face, your hair was all over his head and you drooled right over the couch where he was breathing from,”

Youngsaeng covered the sides of his face with his two hands, “No matter….He kept staring at me with a scrowl when he told me to wash up,”

Sungyeol who was still entertained by the thought of the sight wore a smile, “That’s what I’m saying, he took out all of his anger on me because of you. That’s why you should compensate and do anything I ask of your later on,”

Youngsaeng could only nod and tried to hide.

Kyujong was standing across from the mother of the child who had fallen allergic the other day. As the boy ran around the playroom with other children, Kyujong was pleased to see the peaceful smile on the lady’s face. “Thanks to you, Taegoon is happy and well,” she said looking him in the eyes.

A small smile crawled onto Kyujong’s face before he replied, “I only did what I was supposed to do, it was the hospital that saved your son,”

“But it was you who acted so quickly and drove us there,” she said, her voice slow yet comforty, she even looked like a different woman from the other day, “at that time I was so shocked I couldn’t think of what I should do for him. I don’t know what would have been best for him. I didn’t know the pain he was going through, I only thought of what I should do. But in the end I couldn’t do anything for him and it was you, you did what you could for him. You saved him, President,”

Kyujong couldn’t think of anything to say and instead looked for the kid. He was glad the child, Taegoon, was doing fine.

“Big brother..., it hurts….”

“Kyuwoon, I’m sorry,” Kyujong thought to himself before heaving a heavy sigh. Then slowly he excused himself from the woman’s presence and was about to walk away until she called out for him. As he stopped and turned in his tracks to see her approach, he noticed she was holding onto something in her hands.

“I wanted to thank you with this,”

She passed him a business card and smiled, “I’m sure you have everything already but my husband own a golf court and spa in Jeju. It looks like you’re always working, you should take some time off later too. After this incident, I realized how important and hard it is to find time to spend with family and loved ones before it’s too late. Take some time off when you can and spend it with those you value,”

Kyujong couldn’t uttered a word when he knew she was right. She had given him a wake up call. For the first time ever, Kyujong realized how lucky it was. If Youngsaeng hadn’t survive to be in a coma, he could have died. And if the accident really did killed Youngsaeng, Kyujong wouldn’t have been given this opportunity to see him again.

“Sungyeol, help me find Youngsaeng,” Kyujong said through the phone call as he hurried down the vip halls.

“Youngsaeng? He should be in the cafeteria, but why are you looking for him when you have a meeting in half an hour?”

“Half an hour is all I need to tell him how sorry I am,”

“Sorry?” Sungyeol asked, “Why? Did you do something wrong?” Sungyeol couldn’t get his answer when Kyujong suddenly hung up on him. Standing in the middle of the tourist crowd Sungyeol sighed, “What the heck…? Anyway,” Sungyeol put his phone away and gestured toward a large painting in a particular room which appeared to be a reading room, “As everyone can see this room was put together because about a year ago a child who loved to read was spending some time here with her parents. But her parents prevented her from going out, so President Kyujong put it together just for her,”

Chattering in awe and amazement rose from the crowd of at least 30, “I thought he was rude when he asked for an apology from our leader, but I guess he’s not that mean,” one of the tourist said.

Sungyeol held out both hands and captured their attention again, “Now that you know, don’t you all think our president is pretty cool?”

“YES!” The people chanted all at once.

“Me too,” Sungyeol admit with a wide smile, “then over here,” he continued.

Kyujong was panting and had already used up ten minutes of his time going from his office and back down stairs. As he head toward the kitchen and dining wing, he had hoped to find Youngsaeng. But the lad was nowhere in sight even with the dining room/cafeteria being somewhat full for dinner. Kyujong sighed and paced the floor as he continued to search.

Sweat formed on his forehead but he didn’t stop looking from table to table. However, no seaters at the tables were Youngsaeng. “Just where are you?” Kyujong whispered to himself.

“Kyujong?” Kyujong turned to the side and saw Youngsaeng standing a few feet away, with a blank expression on his face, “What are you doing? Did you lose something?”

“Where were you?” Kyujong asked, raising his voice a little too loud.

Cluelessly Youngsaeng pointed toward the bathroom diagonal from behind him, “I was in the washroom, why?” Kyujong choose not to answer as he knew he was running out of time. If he goes into the meeting, he knew he would have to be away from Youngsaeng for another two to three hours. Hence he did not answer and instead walked toward Youngsaeng at a quick pace. Not knowing what was going to happen, Youngsaeng stood his ground and eyes widening at every step Kyujong took toward him. Before he knew it, Kyujong’s lips had already touched his.

Witnesses gasped and diners dropped their utensils.

Sungyeol tapped his watch and sighed, “There’s ten minutes left, I hope he already got done dealing with Youngsaeng and is on his way to the meeting,”

Youngsaeng felt Kyujong’s hands wrapped around him from behind and how Kyujong continued to pressed their lips together. But like the guests, he was just as shocked.

“I’m sorry Youngsaeng,” Kyujong thought, “but I still love you and I’m going to make you mine,”

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