Chapter 012

✥ Kyujong regretted his action immediately. The kiss with Youngsaeng in the open. It was a reckless move because for the last hour he has been hearing about it nonstop from his business partners. “I know the hotel is yours but if you don’t think about your guests before you act then what will happen when the majority leaves because the owner did such a shameless thing?” A man in the circle asked.  Kyujong sighed. Words spread fast for an event that just happened in a duration of a few second and just a few minutes earlier.

“Mr. Park is right President Kim, if words spread around that the hotel owner here is....interested in men then no one would want to be associated with this hotel. And I hope you won’t blame us if we pulled out our shares…. It’s all for business President Kim,”

“Mr. Park and Mr. Seo is right President Kim, people will be talking about the bad things more than they would the good things, you should have been careful,”

“Mr. Park, Mr. Seo, and Mr. Kwon is right President Kim,” another man started. At the table of twenty, Kyujong couldn’t believe he had to hear 19 men gang up on him. Once everyone had had their turn, Kyujong spoke his turn.

“Yes, Mr. Park, Mr. Seo, Mr. Kwon, Mr. Kim, Mr. Lee, Mr. Yang, Mr. Seok, Mr. Choi, Mr. Park Jigoon, Mr. Park Yonggul, Mr. Jeon, Mr. Seo Jin, Mr. Lee Taewoon, Mr. Choi, Mrs. Lee, Mr. Kim, Mrs. Jung, Mr. Kim, and Mr. Yi you’re all correct. I’m regretting my action and is repenting. Now can we discuss business and not personal affairs?” Kyujong asked, eyeing his partners one at a time as he made his round calling out their titles.

“But President Kim, your personal affair affects your business and your business affects us,” one of the lad spoke up again.

Kyujong sighed, “Then, what should I do for everyone in here to move on from this?”

“How about investing in us a bit, President Kim?” A Mr. Lee asked.

Kyujong sighed, “Then, who should I start with?”

Youngsaeng traced his lips with his fingers before slamming his face against the bathroom stall, “Ah what was he thinking…,” he groaned, “how can he just leave me like this and run away to a meeting…,”

The kiss seemed to have last forever, but soon after Kyujong released Youngsaeng and ignored the growing circle around them. Still taken by surprised, Youngsaeng’s eyes remained big and stunned. “Let’s talk after the meeting,” Kyujong said as he broke his way out from the crowd after.

“Wasn’t that the president?” Youngsaeng heard some teenage girls asked.

“Did they really just kissed? They’re both men though,” others said.

“Is this customer service or what?”

Youngsaeng couldn’t lift his head and hid them in his hands, “Ah what the!” Moments after he stomped his feet a few time to shake the embarrassment out of him. But it didn’t work. “Where should I hide my face now…? This is embarrassing,” he whined to himself.

Sungyeol was walking toward the front desk when he noticed the ladies giggling at the desk. Curious to see what was going on, he walked over and noticed they had their phones out for the whole world to see. “Hey, why are your phones out?” He asked with a stern tone. The three women quickly hid their phones behind their backs and hang their heads.

“W-we’re sorry,” they apologized in scrambles.

“What were you all giggling about? Hand it here,” Sungyeol demanded. Slowly, the woman in the center hand her phone over hoping he would let it slide. But Sungyeol ripped her phone from her hand and took a look at it, “What is this? You were watching a drama at work—oh? Why does one of the actors in here look like Presi—oh dear!” Sungyeol gasped when he saw how the other pulled the other man in for a kiss, “My world, what has dramas these days come down to?” He questioned no one in particular.

“Drama? That’s no drama,” a male employee said calmly as he was typing things into the computer and helping a customer, “didn’t you hear Team Leader Lee? President Kyujong made the move on the guest he brought in,”

“What?!” Sungyeol asked a little too loud.

Once Kyujong was out of the meeting room some four hours later, he pulled at his tie and his phone. He sighed when he saw the 32 text messages all from Lee Sungyeol ‘the assistant’. Kyujong knew then that Sungyeol must have found out about their kiss and must have been shocked from it. Afterall Sungyeol knew nothing of Kyujong’s feelings for Youngsaeng. Right when he thought things couldn’t get worse, a call was coming in from Hyungjun. After a few rings, Kyujong decided to take the call. “What do you want?” He answered.

On the other line he heard a taken aback chuckle by Hyungjun, “Why are you answering my call with that tone? Anyway, I want to reserve a room there for a few days due to businesses, and I also want to check on Youngsaeng,”

“It’s full here, a tourist group came in and took over the remaining opened rooms,”

“I don't believe that, you run a hotel not a for rent apartment complex. As we speak I’m sure guests are checking in and out,”

Kyujong was very well aware of it but he wanted to deny the truths, “If you want a room then contact the front desk,”

“Sure but before that, I need to speak with you about something,”

Kyujong looked around his surrounding and waited til his business partners had all left the hallway, “Speak,”

“He asked me not to tell you, but,” Hyungjun began.

The moment Kyujong walked into his office, he noticed Sungyeol standing in front of his desk, arms crossed with an upset expression. Kyujong knew why Sungyeol was there and what he was going to talk about, thus he quickly turned the table, “Yes, I made a move on Youngsaeng and I’ve always liked him in that manner. But what about you?”

“Me?” Sungyeol asked in the most offended tone.

“Yeah, I heard you’ve been sending Junghwa flowers,” Kyujong dropped the message, which made Sungyeol blinked a few time.

“W-where did you hear that…?”

“Hyungjun. Why are you sending Junghwa flowers?”

Sungyeol wore an angry face this time, “Because I felt bad for her,”

“Felt bad for her?” Kyujong asked, uncertain what Sungyeol was getting at.

“Yes!” Sungyeol raised his voice just to lower it again, “She was loyal toward Youngsaeng, her husband, for a whole year when he was in the coma. She didn’t give up on him and removed him from life support. She doesn’t even become flustered when making contact with another man because she is loyal to Youngsaeng, yet he couldn’t remember her at all,”

“What are you saying?” Kyujong snuck the question in.

“I’m saying I felt bad for her. Knowing all of that, I couldn’t just stand and watch how you stole her husband from her side just because he can’t remember her. I sent her flowers in your place because I know you wouldn’t have considered her feelings. Youngsaeng asked me what kind of president you were, I told him you were lazy but a good boss. What I really should have said was that you were always the inconsiderate president of a hotel who does everything to satisfy yourself,”

“Sungyeol, you—”

“Hear me out Kyujong,” Sungyeol stated to make sure the ground was his, “I didn’t work for you because I knew you were inconsiderate. I worked for you because as inconsiderate and careless as you are, you were still my role model and a senior I followed around in University. And I still see you as my role model and a good friend. So please, don’t question and pretend you didn’t know of me sending her flowers. Actually you couldn’t hold it and went on to kiss her husband out in the open so you have no right to stop me or question me what I do,” Sungyeol said sound and clear before walking toward Kyujong and passing him, leaving the room completely.

Left speechless, Kyujong could only heave a disbelief sigh, “Was I that inconsiderate?” He whispered to himself.

Of course I was. I told Youngsaeng not to act recklessly and openly about our teenage days but here I am, making the moves on him in the same platform I told him not to. Kyujong was pondering in his own thoughts and soon was drown in them. I should apologize and said I didn’t mean to. It was a mistake. Youngsaeng probably still has feelings for his wife deep inside of him. I’m being careless. I was being reckless.

When morning returned, Kyujong was still fast asleep at his desk. Meanwhile, Youngsaeng had woken up and found himself sitting on the toilet still. He heard noises from outside and grew startled.

“Bathroom maintenance,” a voice said. When Youngsaeng choose not to reply, he heard the sound of a mop being thrown into water and squeezed. Then the sound of cleaning begin. Youngsaeng held his breath and tried not to make his presence known. He kicked his feet onto the seats when he saw that the cleaner, a woman, was mopping in between the stalls. He thought that if she recognized him, he’d probably be embarrassed to death. Rumors such as ‘the man President Kim kissed slept in the bathroom last night’ may affect Kyujong’s reputation. Right when the lady came and stood in front of his stall, ready to push in, another voice came in.

“Cleaning lady,”

Youngsaeng froze, thinking he recognized the voice.

“May I use the bathroom for a moment? It’s an emergency,”

“Oh, there should be another restroom on the second floor—”

“No cleaning lady, please let me take care of my business real quick, here, take this and get yourself a drink or something to eat. I’ll be done in about twenty minutes, I promise,” the voice said.

“Then,” Youngsaeng wished the lady would take whatever was offered and just leave so it would be less embarrassing for him to come out, “I’m only giving you twenty minutes. Don’t make a mess and be sure to be gone after then,”

“Yes cleaning lady, thank you,”

Moments after the footsteps of the lady departed, Youngsaeng heard the footsteps that had belonged to a man standing outside of his stall. “Is this what he meant by taking care of you? How could that idiot let you sleep in the bathroom?” The voice asked. Right then Youngsaeng knew who it was.

“Hyungjun?” Youngsaeng asked.

“Come out, I’m sure she’s gone,” the lad said.

After getting Youngsaeng cleaned up and a change of clothes, Hyungjun had bought Youngsaeng breakfast down in the dining room. After starving the whole night, Youngsaeng stuffed himself with the dishes before him, meanwhile Hyungjun tried to keep his area clean and professional. “What is this? He’s not looking after your sleeping space and he’s also starving you?” Hyungjun asked with a raised eyebrow.

Youngsaeng threw his utensils down and sighed heavily, “Not only that, I have to pay for my meals since they’re not free, but I don’t have any money on me,”

Hyungjun smiled at Youngsaeng’s healthy complaint, “You have a joint account with Junghwa. If you need any money I’ll have her send you some and have her reopened your debit and credit card accounts,” he said.

Upon realization Youngsaeng dropped the sigh and topic of money, “How is she doing…?”

“Junghwa?” Hyungjun asked, earning a hum from the shorter man. “She’s still going to school and teaching regularly. Don’t worry, she had always had a strong character, remember?”

“Yeah,” Youngsaeng answered with a low tone, without thinking much of it.

Hyungjun let out a chuckle, “What do you mean ‘yeah’, of course you can’t remember,” Youngsaeng looked up to meet Hyungjun’s eyes, “Don’t worry, she’s doing fine,” he assured Youngsaeng once more.

“That’s a relief,” Youngsaeng mumbled.

“Ah, I heard you didn’t get a room because of the tourist group,” Hyungjun started, capturing both of Youngsaeng’s eyes once more, “I checked you in for a room beside mine. Luckily the two previous customers checked out yesterday and today so I was able to get you a room. Here,” Hyungjun reached into his pocket and pulled out a small gold tag, “this is the card used to open your room. I’ll show you to it later,”

Youngsaeng nodded, “Thank you, Hyungjun,”

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