GOSSIP GUY

IT’S GOLDEN D DAY!

Gossip Guy here, your one and only source into the scandalous lives of Seoul’s elite.

It’s Golden Day today and you know what that means? It’s the day we celebrate the golden couple’s anniversary. As celebration, R’s throwing a major party but that’s not what’s new! What’s new is that his best friend D was not on the guest list. Of course, it isn’t R’s fault that D’s not on the list. Granted, no one even knew D was back from boarding school until twelve hours ago. But being R’s best friend has its privileges. I’m sure R would let D in with a free pass, wouldn’t he? What are best friends for anyway.

Send me some pictures and updates during the party, I’ll be waiting. Handsome pictures, aesthetic-looking pictures, funky pictures. And scandalous ones too. You know a party’s not a party without D and this time, I meant D as in DRAMA! But of course everyone knows, D and drama goes together like peanut butter and jelly so it really doesn’t matter which D I meant. 

Happy Anniversary Y and R!

Too bad, the spotlights are on D now that he’s back, finer and sober than ever.

You know you love me.

XOXO,

Gossip Guy

***

“How are you today?”

Donghae’s eyes shifted from his blonde mother in her expensive lacy dress to his brother, slumped against the comfortable chair looking sick and thin and then to the counsellor watching Henry, patiently waiting for him to respond.

Henry shrugged and told the counsellor that he was feeling better and then again, there was awkward silence. Donghae’s mother cleared , stood up and then raised her brows expectedly to the poor counsellor.

“So are we done now? I’ve a meeting to attend to in half an hour.” Donghae’s mother huffed.

“Mum, we’re not even ten minutes in.” Donghae argued, voice laced with annoyance.

“Oh honey, I just don’t see the purpose of this. Henry’s already said that he’s fine so why do we need to keep coming here?”

The counsellor cleared , “Mrs. Lee, family intervention is especially important for adolescent with eating disorders and that -”

“But he’s fine!” Donghae’s mother argued, “He’s well and healthy now.”

Donghae pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course, his mother would know nothing about Henry’s condition.

“Mum,” Donghae said through gritted teeth, “They had to put Henry on IV drips just yesterday because he refused to drink or eat.”

This got his mother’s attention as his mother finally swirled around to look at both his sons. Her eyes travelled from Donghae and then to Henry with a tired and worried expression. were shaped onto an O and she looked like she wanted to say something or perhaps started nagging but then thought better of it when she realized that they were in the room with a stranger.

Henry had remained glued to his seat and quiet all along. His eyes had dark rings below them and Donghae knew that the poor boy must have been exhausted.

Donghae reached over and rubbed his brother’s thighs, “Are you feeling okay?”

Henry shook his head, “I’m really tired.”

Donghae glanced at the counsellor expectedly and she nodded her head. “If you’re tired then we can just continue this another day.”

Donghae thanked the counsellor and then went about to help his brother back to the nearby hospital room, tucking him on the white bed.

“Hey, get some rest okay?” Donghae whispered, pushing Henry’s golden locks away from his eyes.

Henry nodded and then swallowed thickly, “Hyung…  I’m glad you’re back.”

Donghae nodded, “I’m glad I’m back too.”

Henry looked torn between wanting to say something and at the same time wanting to go get some rest.

“Henry,” Donghae finally called softly, “You know… You can just tell her if you’re still not recovering.”

Henry bit his lips nervously, “I… I don’t want to be a burden to her.”

Donghae smiled apolitically and then patted Henry’s cheeks, “Sleep okay? I’ll be back tomorrow.”

Henry nodded and Donghae wished him goodnight before stepping out of the hospital room and back into the counselling room where his mother was still seated, figners brushing wildly against the screen of her phone.

“Mum,”

Donghae’s mother only hummed in response.

Donghae sighed, taking a seat next to her and grabbing the phone away. His mother snapped up at him, eyes burning with fire. No one took Lee HaeJin’s phone away. No one dared to.

“Mum, we’ve got to talk.” Donghae demanded.

“Right after I send in that email, sweetie. It’s important.” Donghae’s mother bargained.

Donghae squeezed his eyes shut and handed his mother her phone back and watched as his mother continued tapping her fingers against the screen at fast speed. He sighed. Lee Haejin, Donghae’s mother, was one of the world’s most successful fashion designer. She and Kim Mina, Ryeowook’s mother, had been business partners and best friends since childhood and had started designing their own dress collection together at age eighteen. Now, both the women had their own respective brands and had launched several boutique outlets across the world.

Despite how successful his mother was, she still had flaws, some of them including her bad parenting skills and her lack of empathy towards others. Donghae’s parents had divorced ever since he was a kid and since then Donghae’s mother had been… Busy. She slept around all the time and... Ended up with Henry. She couldn’t even remember who the guy was or maybe she didn’t know which one of them was responsible for the unwanted pregnancy. But news got out that she was pregnant and she found herself having to go through the pregnancy since aborting the baby would be bad for her reputation.

His mother was always indifferent when it came to Henry. Sometimes, she acted like a how a mother would and showered Henry the love he deserved. Most other times, she’d let Henry do whatever the hell he wanted. It hurt Donghae every time it was obvious that Henry was being neglected by his mother but no matter how many times Donghae brought the matter up, his mother always pretended not to understand what Donghae was talking about.

“Alright, darling, I’m done with the email.” Donghae’s mother smiled as she put her phone away, “What is it that you want to tell me?”

Donghae sighed, “Mum, we’ve to be there for Henry. He needs us to get better.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Donghae. I’ve been so busy with this new summer collection and-”

“Mum,” Donghae hissed, voice upset. “Henry almost killed himself.”

Donghae’s mother remained silent as Donghae’s body shook as he recalled what his brother had told him when he returned.

“He’s lonely and he needs us, he needs his family.”

“Well,” Donghae’s mother cleared and straightened her dress, “If you hadn’t left for boarding school, he wouldn’t have ended up this way.”

Donghae swallowed. So now, the tables had turned and it was his fault?

Annoyed and frustrated, Donghae shook his head, “What kind of a mother are you? Your son almost died and you blame it on someone else? I was oceans apart and you’re just halfway across the street away from him and yet you blame me.”

Donghae’s mother took in a deep breath and was about to retort and say something back to Donghae. But she paused as her phone started ringing. She sighed and then glanced at her son.

“We will talk about this when we get home.”

And then off she went, his Louis Vuitton heels noisily tapping against the white floors of the hospital. Donghae stared after her, shaking his head in disbelief. Hom