⇋

“Sehun, Sowon is your child?” Kai repeats, gaze hard, and Sehun suddenly feels sick.

Before he can think of what to reply, however, Sowon is tugging on his pants in curiosity.

Sehun takes one look at the child, and in a breath. “Yes, this is my son, Oh Sowon,” he faces Kai, a resolved expression on his face. “Sowon, so this is the uncle who gave you the lollipop in the candy store that day?”

“Yeah!” the child exclaims merrily. “And I finally asked his name so I can thank him properly! His name is Uncle Kai!”

“That’s good,” Sehun replies, smiling at the boy. “You should always thank people who give you things. Because we are polite people, right, Sowon?”

“Of course, daddy!”

“Wait a minute,” Kai cuts in, eyes wild and voice strained. “Sehun, you have a son?”

“Yes.” Sehun lifts his head up to look back at Kai, forcing his expression to remain nonchalant.

“But―A son―You got married?”

“No. I’m a single father.”

“A single father―But then who―” Kai keeps stuttering for words, like he can’t believe what he’s hearing.

“I don’t think that’s any of your business, Kai.”

The other man grimaces, then jerks. “Wait… Sowon told me he was four, which means you had him back five years ago? Five years ago, when we were―”

“Did you think I wouldn’t date anyone after you?” Sehun asks, voice sharp and cutting. “I met someone new after you left me. And that’s how Sowon was born.”

Kai flinches back like he’s just been slapped. “I―”

“It’s true, isn’t it?” Sehun says, praying for his voice not to shake. “You left without a single word of goodbye. I had to find out from your friends that you had went abroad to study.”

“Sehun…”

“I didn’t know anything at all…” Sehun continues, voice cracking. He has to gulp in air rapidly to stop the sobs he can feel threatening to burst out from his throat. “I―”

“Daddy?”

Sehun gasps at the tiny palm tugging at his shaking hand by his side. When he looks down, Sowon is staring up at him with big, worried eyes.

“Daddy, are you okay?”

Exhaling slowly, he tries to calm himself down lest he worries the child. “I’m okay, Sowon. It’s just, I told you, right? It’s not good to take candy from a stranger. So don’t do it again.”

“Even if it’s Uncle Kai?” the boy asks innocently. “Is Uncle Kai a stranger?”

“Yes, he is,” Sehun tells him despite the deep pain in his chest he feels at the words. “I would appreciate it if you don’t give random candies to my son again,” he turns back to the blonde man, eyes grim.

“I didn’t know he was your son, I thought he was just a cute kid who liked candy…” the older man trails off. “Your… son…” he breathes, face stricken.

“My son,” Sehun affirms, nodding to let his bangs fall into his eyes and cover the tears he can feel about to fall out. “Now if you’ll excuse me, we have somewhere we need to be. Let’s go, Sowon.”

“Daddy―” Sowon stammers, surprised when Sehun tightens their linked hands together and tugs him away. “Ah, bye, Uncle Kai! Thank you again for the candy!”

Sowon is hastily waving goodbye as they turn around a corner, disappearing from view.

Sehun doesn’t look back to see Kai’s reaction, who is watching them go with a somber gaze in his eyes.

⇋

It's awkward, getting home. Sehun has to make up an excuse of him getting sick and dust flying into his eyes to explain the silent tears that ended up dripping down his cheeks.

“Daddy, are you really okay…?”

“Sorry, Sowon. Let me go take some medicine so I’ll feel better in no time, okay? Don’t worry, I’m fine.” He gives his son a pat on the head, smile reassuring, before rushing to the bathroom.

It takes him longer than he’d like for the tears to dry and his throat to stop clogging.

The pain in his chest probably won’t go away anytime soon though.

After washing his face and wincing at how swollen his eyes are, Sehun makes his way out and suggests to Sowon to watch a movie together next.

Sowon, as expected, ends up being too engrossed in the animated film, and Sehun is glad, for the child won’t notice Sehun hugging him just a little tighter, a little more desperate, today.

⇋

The next day when he arrives at work, he is surprised to see it bar of any reporters nor paparazzis.

Then again, the entire building is lined up with bulky men in black suits, guarding the entrance intimidatingly. There is also a black limousine parked right at the front, and Sehun is wondering if they are entertaining an important guest today.

There shouldn’t be, if he remembers correctly, and he’s the one who handles most of the President’s schedules and appointments.

When he steps into the top floor, he is surprised to find the door to Jongin’s office ajar, the room empty. Before he can inquire someone what’s going on, Minseok is already hurrying towards him.

“Sehun!”

“Minseok-hyung,” Sehun greets, blinking at the disarrayed appearance of the other. “Is anything wrong? President Kim hasn’t arrived yet… but he didn’t tell me, his secretary, anything about taking leave…”

“He’s here, but he’s stuck in the conference room,” the older man answers, gazing at him warily. “And now that you’re here, that’s where you’ll be going, too.”

“Huh?”

“You’ve been summoned to the conference room.”

“By the President?”

“No…” Minseok grimaces. “You saw that huge limo parked out at the entrance, right? CEO Kim is here…”

“CEO Kim, as in… Jongin?”

“No, Jongin is the president who manages this company and oversees most of the businesses. The owner, the CEO, is his father. Kim Youngmin.”

“His father…” Sehun echoes before startling. Oh no… Jongin’s father as in Kai’s father as in the same man Sehun had met once before, who had distinctly looked down on him and disapproved of his association with Kai?

“He came this morning, with his fifty or so looming men, and surrounded the entire entrance, scaring all the reporters away. Which is a good thing, I guess, but then he came up here and demanded President Jongin to follow him for a ‘private talk’. They haven’t been out since.”

“Oh…”

“And he told me to tell you to come to the conference room too once you’ve arrived.”

Sehun widens his eyes. “Me? Why? I’m just a secretary…”

Minseok looks hesitant to say, “Well, my guess is it’s because of, you know, your relationship with President Jongin…”

“Oh…” Sehun winces, remembering.

“So yeah, you better hurry. CEO Kim didn’t look too happy when I saw him earlier…”

“Right, okay. Thanks for the message, hyung.” Sehun gives a nod before heading to the elevator, dread filling him the whole way.

He hadn’t thought about it, but even though them dating is the best way to solve it, this is still a scandal.

And from what Sehun can recall, the elder Kim seemed to despise homoual relationships, hoping for a girl to be with his son.

He arrives on the eighth floor, whose entire space is occupied with an enormous conference room to host meetings and presentations. His apprehension is proven right when, just outside the door, he can already hear shoutings muffled from inside.

“―the meaning of this, Jongin? I had to fly back early because of this!” an unfamiliar voice is saying, whom Sehun can only guess to be Jongin’s father. “This is no way the ‘best decision to have be