“Someone turn on the heater, please, because Youngjae looks like he’s going to freeze to death,” Kang Han stared at the scarf around his co-worker’s neck in question. He hovered a finger over his own neck and tilted his head a little. "You good?"

Youngjae darted his eyes back and forth from the wall behind Kang Han to the interesting texture of the desk behind Kang Han. "Y-Yeah…" Great. That sounded so fake. Someone like Kang Han would pick up the uncertainty trembling in that quick reply.

And Kang Han did.

"Where did you go yesterday?"

"N-nowhere…"

"Youngjae, don't you dare lie to me."

"I'm n-not??"

"You are."

"No, I-"

Like a dangerous beast waiting to pounce on its prey, Kang Han ripped the scarf off Youngjae's neck in one quick swipe. A huge gasp escaped Kang Han's mouth. His eyes bulged out of their sockets in pure disbelief. "Y-Youngjae… D-did someone force themselves on you??"

Embarrassed, Youngjae hung his head low and muttered, "No… I was drunk… A-and that person also was drunk, too…"

"Did anything happen? Are you okay?"

"Nothing happened. I don't think so."

Sighing, Kang Han pulled his best friend in for a hug, "You didn't have to come in today if you didn't go home last night. I'm glad everything's okay though. Who was the person you were with?"

"Um…"

"Hm?"

"J-Jaebum…"

There was a pause. Youngjae wanted to cry from the deadly silence that stumbled upon the office. He knew exactly what was going through his best friend’s mind, but he’d rather not confirm it. Though Kang Han wasn’t going to let things go that easily. “Im Jaebum? The idol? Your client?”

Youngjae nodded.

“Huh,” Kang Han pulled away first with an unreadable expression on his face, “so he is into men.”

“Is that all you’re concerned about?” Youngjae rolled his eyes.

“Of course not! But you two are both consenting adults. I’m not here to judge. I mean I also sleep with my clients-”

“We didn’t sleep with each other!”

“Explain your neck then! It looked as if Jaebum wanted to eat you alive. So rough…”

Youngjae was just about to have enough of his best friend’s bull when their firm’s intern suddenly barged in. With face white as if she had seen a ghost, the intern tried to remain calm and collected. Failed miserably but at least she tried. “U-um… Mister Choi…? Im-Im Jaebum-ssi is h-here…”

Different reactions from different people got the intern confused. Kang Han smirked, already thinking of some mischief, “Oh, wow, I didn’t know he could be this responsible.”

“Tell him I’m not here!” Youngjae ran behind his desk and hid under it. The intern pretended she didn’t just witness her superior running away like a scared child.

The other two people in the office pursed their lips and stared at the desk. This behavior was totally unexpected from Lawyer Choi, who's known to be young but mature, calm and dignified. Kang Han held back his obnoxious giggles because he knew he'd just upset Youngjae even more. And he didn't want to embarrass his best friend in front of the intern any further. Youngjae had already done enough to embarrass himself.

Nodding at the intern, Kang Han decided to greet their firm's V.V.I.P in place of Youngjae. Plus, Lawyer Kang wanted to see how worked up Im Jaebum was that made him drag his here willingly. When Kang Han arrived at the front desk, the idol stood up from his seat and approached him. Im Jaebum had a hat and mask on, yet somehow still looked like he bared sharp fangs at Kang Han the moment he set eyes on the face of this infamous casanova. To even think about this lecherous lawyer sleeping with someone as pure as Choi Youngjae has already boiled Jaebum's blood up into his brain. Jaebum didn't even try to hide his menace.

Kang Han noticed the look and cleared his throat. "Hello, Lawyer Choi didn't show up for work today. May I ask if I can assist you with anything, Mister Im?"

Through cat-like eyes, Jaebum scanned Kang Han up and down. Lawyer Kang had a lean build with the height every woman desired in a man, an extremely handsome face with thin lips etched naturally in a pretty smirk, a manly figure that oozed confidence. The idol rolled his eyes, "I'm here for Lawyer Choi."

“I just told you he’s not here.”

“I know he is.”

Lawyer Kang sighed but still kept a polite smile. “Well, he isn’t.”

The idol ignored the reply and stepped forward to barge into the hallway leading to the lawyers’ offices. Kang Han was stunned for a split second before realizing what the idol was doing. But it was too late. Jaebum appeared right in front of Lawyer Choi’s office. Without knocking, he invited himself in. As expected, Lawyer Choi was seated behind his desk, looking rather nervous for some reason. The lawyer heard the door creak and thought it was his co-worker, "Kang Han-" He froze, all the colors drained from his face.

"Why are you avoiding me?" Jaebum shut the door and locked it, knowing that nosy Kang Han was right behind him. Slowly heading towards the desk, Jaebum removed his mask and cap. They just saw each other about two hours ago, but one could tell who washed up a lot nicer than the other. When he reached his destination, the idol stopped. He stared at the lawyer, leaning over slightly as he placed both palms on the smooth surface of the desk. His bangs swept just above his sharp eyes, introducing a soft yet enchanting look on the idol's beautifully structured face. "I asked why are you avoiding me."

Swallowing the lump stuck in his throat, Youngjae averted his eyes away, "I wa-wasn't."

"You are."

"W-well," Youngjae sighed heavily, "I'm not the one who's being lied to-"

"I did not lie-"

"Yes, you did. And-"

"You chose not to believe me-"

"Oh, yeah? Why should I-"

"Because it's the truth-"

"You took advantage of me-"

"That's not-"

"Yes, it was-"

"No, it wasn't-"

"Yes-"

"Nothing happened I sw-"

"What do you want-"

"!" Jaebum slammed his hands on the desk. "Stop ing cutting me off and listen!"

Youngjae immediealy pursed his lips obediently.

Seeing that the lawyer finally shut up, Jaebum continued, "Okay. I admit that I wasn't drunk. But nothing happened between us. I wasn't in my right mind and attacked you. That's all. After maybe a few minutes, I realized what I was doing and stopped."

"..."

Jaebum looked up at Youngjae, eyes soft and pleading. "Please, believe me."

"Why are you here?" Youngjae asked instead.

"To give an explanation."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

"Then if there isn't anything else, please leave." Youngjae got up and walked to the door. He unlocked it and held it open for his client.

Hesitating, Jaebum glanced at the empty desk. He had hoped to see a file open or just something to give him an excuse to stay longer. But when he turned his attention back towards Youngjae. The younger clearly wanted some peace and quiet. Without another word, Jaebum headed out. However, Kang Han acted a lot faster than those two muddleheads. Whether he shipped them or not, he knew right away that whatever was going on between his best friend and that idol wasn’t simple. Kang Han lightly pushed Jaebum back inside and closed the door. Lawyer Kang cleared his throat dramatically, “Youngjae, didn’t you need to finalize Im Jaebumm-ssi’s case? Remember, the sooner the better.”

“Wha-” Youngjae opened his mouth to protest.

Kang Han quickly shouted, “FINISH. IT.”

Lawyer Choi rolled his eyes and sighed. Walking back to his desk, Youngjae reminded himself to beat Kang Han later. The lawyer took his seat and reached into one of the cabinets. He pulled out the idol’s file. “Come and have a seat, Im Jaebum-ssi.”

Jaebum sat with a blank expression. Even with a resting face, Im Jaebum, as everyone described, was a perfect man. People wondered how good his parents must have looked in order to produce such grace. Although a cold and distant kind of beauty, people couldn't help but be captivated whenever their eyes lay on the veteran idol. There’s a reason why Im Jaebum is still so important to the entertainment world. Not only did his music gain massive followings after each release, but his appearance could break hearts and warm hearts at the same time. It’s insanely impressive how successful the Im Jaebum is. But of course, there’s always an apple that falls too far from the tree.

“From what you reported to me last time, I’ve gathered enough to make a winning case. We can charge the person who drugged you and attempted to harm you. We can also charge the news outlet that released false statements and slander. I’ll send this to the court and will let you know when they respond. Are there any concerns you would like to address, Im Jaebum-ssi?” Lawyer Choi wrapped up the whole meeting in a single swipe.

“Can you not talk to me like that?” Jaebum blurted uncontrollably.

“Excuse me?” Youngjae raised his eyebrow as if he didn’t quite catch what just came out of his client’s mouth.

“So professional… So boring…” Jaebum mumbled under his breath.

Youngjae heard it and rolled his eyes, “Because this situation is very much professional, Im Jaebum-ssi.”

“I thought we’re close enough to not be on that level,” the idol shrugged casually.

So they’re back to doing this again. Just when Youngjae thought he could catch a ing break. He should have known how thick-skinned Im Jaebum was. How can a person who looks like God’s favorite be this y? And what sort of bad luck does Youngjae have that they have got to cross paths with each other. “I remembered exactly what I said when I left your house this morning. I’m not taking a single word back.” The lawyer glared at how laid-back the idol was acting.

The slight change in expression was enough for one to see how upset Jaebum became just from those two sentences. He regained his composure right after. Sitting straight up with clasped hands settling on top of the desk, Jaebum dared to crack a smile, “I already said I’m sorry. I don’t know what else you want? Me to take you out for lunch?” Jaebum also dared to dart his eyes towards Youngjae’s neck.

“You really are shameless,” Youngjae scoffed and shook his head. “I don’t want anything. We are done here. The next time we meet will be at the court where I will be defending your case. May you see your way out, Im Jaebum-ssi.”

“Fine,” Jaebum got up and really did see his way out, looking completely unbothered and confident.

Youngjae stared at Jaebum’s back in disapproval. Someone this arrogant actually exists. Good thing they’re having a professional relationship, or at least Youngjae tried to draw boundaries, and not get too deeply involved in something else with each other. That would have been a huge problem with no solution. Would have been a huge mistake. The young lawyer closed his eyes as he leaned back against his chair. The thought of just going home flashed through his mind in those seconds he had his eyes closed.

But the thought of a certain someone visited, too.

Eyes flew open, Youngjae shook his head wildly. “No, no, no, not that self-centered piece of…” Youngjae groaned and rubbed his face with his hands furiously, “Stop! He’s not even the Jaebum you should be worried about!”

What was going on? Maybe last night still hadn’t completely faded from Youngjae’s mind yet even though he did not remember what had happened. His head hurts from just thinking about Im Jaebum. What a troublemaker that man was… Youngjae couldn’t believe he was now so bothered by this person who did nothing but be disrespectful and mean to him. “If this is some kind of twisted masochism… I. Do. Not. Want. It.”

Realizing what he just said, Youngjae hit his forehead with the heel of his hand, “What?! I said stop already! Nothing can happen. I don’t want to associate myself with the likes of that man. He’s not an option. Never.”

<||><||><||><||><||>

One thing Jaebum learned from being in this brutal industry for too long was how good he was at faking. No matter what sort of situation he got himself into, he always managed to weed his way out in a cool manner. Maybe that was the reason why not many artists wanted to collab with him. They must have felt how hard it was to work with someone who had his walls up at least fifty feet above his head. Im Jaebum either stays to himself or only talks to his manager. He really does not interact unless it is extremely important. An Ice Prince back then, an Ice Prince now. Nothing changed regarding his true nature.

Always so cool. So relaxed. So nonchalant.

But…

In that room with Youngjae…

Making jokes…

Acting cocky and shameless...

Every second of it felt like never-ending pain to Jaebum.

It was a shock that Youngjae didn’t hear how fast Jaebum’s heart was beating.

It was a miracle that Jaebum was still alive.

A ing miracle.

The moment Jaebum exited the building, he clutched his throbbing heart. He gasped for the tiniest gulp of air, because suddenly, his will to breathe vanished like smoke. The way his heart ached and thrived reminded Jaebum how good it used to feel. And he missed the feeling so much that it was unbearable. He was killing himself over it.

“,” Jaebum’s voice trembled with each breath, “I want to ing risk it all for you.”

<||><||><||><||><||>

Lawyer Choi started packing up after a long day. Although tired, he remained professional throughout the day. Thank goodness most of his clients didn’t require meet-ups today. The whole day mainly consisted of Youngjae filling out paperworks and faxing cases to the city court. Now, he just wanted the comfort of his own bed. Smiling at the thought of a nice cup of warm coffee and reading on his bed, Youngjae hastily put on his coat and scarf.

Before Youngjae could step outside of his office, someone rudely pushed the door open. The abrupt action almost smacked the lawyer straight in the face. Rarely does Choi Youngjae get annoyed, but today already wasn’t his day. This added to his suppressed anger. He inhaled sharply and opened his eyes, ready to fight whoever tugged on his last nerve. “WHO-”

“Don’t raise your voice at me, you good-for-nothing!”

This voice…

Youngjae froze. This can’t be…

“You can’t even pick me up at the airport, and now, you have the audacity to give me this attitude? Who do you think you are? You’re not even one-third as successful as I am, and you’re already acting arrogant? I didn’t raise you to be this way, Choi Youngjae! You are such a scum! This is why you’re still single! I am truly disappointed.”

The young master only let out an exclaim full of fear, “M-Mother?!”