Watching Chenle’s father enter his apartment alone made Renjun feel a whole bunch of emotions that he didn’t know could hit him all at once. 

There was hate, seething hate that made Renjun want to banish his soul from his sight. The wave of hate that hit him was so strong that Renjun thought an outsider would pin him, Huang Renjun - a mere middle class worker, to be the antagonist in this twisted story of his.

There was pity, heavy pity that sunk to the bottom of his stomach each time he laid eyes on either Chenle or his father. His pity towards Chenle was the fact that the younger deserved parents that loved him - parents that would do anything for him in a positive way. Not the twisted, negative path that Chenle’s father forced upon the younger - nothing of that sort. However, the pity towards Chenle’s father was due to the fact that his child never really tried to set a middle ground between the two of them. His child would always run away without an attempt at bridging the gap between the two or even a simple conversation without shouting to at least preserve the relationship between the two of them. Although…Renjun didn’t really blame Chenle if the younger didn’t want to confront his father in times of distress - the adult didn’t really do anything to suggest that Chenle could rely on him.

There was also jealousy, the kind that ignited his blood and made it pound in his head whenever he saw the determination that Chenle’s father had when it came to wanting Chenle to stay in line. Jealousy over the fact that his own father never really bothered to stop him or support him. Jealousy over the fact that his own father never really showed he cared - positive or negative. Jealousy over the fact that Huang Renjun didn’t consider his biological father who gave him life as someone who he would associate himself with. 

Huang Renjun hated, pitied and experienced waves of envy all at once with the simple entrance of his boyfriend’s father. 

And he didn’t like it.

“Father,” Chenle greeted cheerily as he smiled wryly and glared at his father who simply narrowed his eyes in return and stepped closer. He hadn’t taken his shoes off and Renjun could feel the tension building between the two in front of him. He vaguely saw Sicheng hold Kun’s hand in an attempt to calm the older male down. 

“Zhong Chenle, we are going home and we are leaving now,” Mr Zhong spat out, making a move to grab Chenle’s arm but the younger simply dodged it, causing everyone in the room to gaze upon the scene unfolding in awe as they watched. Renjun simply wished that all of them would close their mouths.

“Father, I am home,” Chenle stated and smiled once more at the older man who simply stared back in disbelief. Renjun would have labelled the sight as comedic if the other man didn’t change his facial expression so quickly and actually grabbed the younger. He was about to raise his voice when someone beat him to it.

“Let go of him.”

The sentence wasn’t in Chinese.

Four words that were in fluent Korean.

And a certain tanned barista to blame for the disruption.

“Are you deaf? Has all the wax in your ears made you deaf? I said let go of him,” Donghyuck reinstated and not so subtly fought off Mark’s arms that were trying to get him to reclaim his previous spot on the couch. The standing boy did not comply and his sudden intervention surprised Renjun. He snapped…

“You should know your place,” Mr Zhong retorted but also let go of Chenle, making Renjun release a breath that he didn’t know he was holding. 

“I think I do, sir. I know that I am a simple low life to you but I’m pretty sure if Lee Taeyong hears about this, he would be very disappointed,” Donghyuck smoothly threatened as he took out his phone and began scrolling for the older’s number.

“You wouldn’t dare…” Mr Zhong mumbled, eyes narrowing at the tanned barista who simply smirked and finally called Lee Taeyong, the most successful model at Miracle, putting the call on speaker mode. Why does he have Lee Taeyong’s number??

“Hello? Donghyuck? Oh wait, do you want me to call you Haechan now?” Taeyong asked over the line and Donghyuck easily replied.

“No, it’s okay. Are you busy right now?” There was a few seconds pause before the other model was humming and talking again.

“I’m just waiting for my shoot in around three hours. What’s wrong?” The worry was evident in the tone of the model and Renjun could see Jeno put his face in his hands at Donghyuck’s reply.

“Come over to the apartment that Sicheng-hyung is renting. There’s quite a sight to see.” This is not just any sight…

“The one that the Jilin kid is renting? Everyone better be alive, Donghyuck.” Jilin kid?

“Why does it sound like you think I did something?” Because you always do something.

“You’re always doing something. If it wasn’t for Mark-ah you would probably be in jail by now.” Couldn’t agree more.

“Just come here, hyung!”
“I’m already in the car, hang on you impatient millennial.” Donghyuck simply rolled his eyes and ended the call after that statement and looked back at the millionaire in front of him.

“I suggest that we all stay civil until Lee Taeyong gets here, yeah?” Donghyuck suggested, eyes crinkling with his demonic smile and causing everyone to be struck in awe with his tactics. 

“You brat,” Mr Zhong replied and Donghyuck simply thanked him for this so-called ‘compliment’. 

“Hyuck, I don’t think that was a smart move…” Renjun heard Mark mumble to himself and couldn’t help but feel the same. Although it seemed like a good idea, it would surely have its risks. 

“Father, I think we need to rethink some things,” Kun said in Chinese and slowly began to walk in front of his younger brother. His father only turned to him in disgust.

“There is nothing to rethink, Qian. Some companies are refusing our models because they think that this child of mine is dating that waste of time over there!” Mr Zhong shouted and Renjun began to feel guilty. Are they all really rejecting the offers? Maybe it’s better if we don’t date-

“There are many things that I will tolerate but calling my boyfriend a waste of time is not one of them!” Chenle…just stop…you’re making it worse…

“Boyfriend? Boyfriend?! So you two are really dating now?!” Mr Zhong began to laugh before glaring at his son one more time. “Soon you will realise that the waste of time is just a simple waste of time!” He screamed and Renjun saw Chenle visibly flinch at the increase in volume.

“Even if he was…even if Renjun-ge was a waste of time, I wouldn’t regret it!” Chenle screamed back and Kun had to hold his younger brother down from lunging at his father and attacking him. “Even if he was a waste of time like you said, I would still want to spend time with him! I would still want to hold his hand and kiss him and hug him and sleep next to him and maybe peek at him in the show-“

“CHENLE!” Renjun screamed and threw a pillow that was previously on the couch at his boyfriend’s head, cheeks burning and earning some