CHAPTER 01

NCT Corporation & Lee Household

NCT Corporation 
8:00 a.m.
"I want the financial statement at my table this very minute and tell Mr. Murayama that we will not pursue the project unless he shows his ing face to me!" Jung Jaehyun, clad in a fine black suit and a Rolex in his left wrist, fired as they stepped into his office, placing his black file case on top of his massive African Blackwood table. Everything around that office screamed expensive and top quality. 

His secretary was busy taking down every word into her notes and calling the head of the financial department about the needed document simultaneously. She was an expert when it comes to multi-tasking. The Jung CEO forced her. She then left the room after her boss waved her off.

"Someone is in a bad mood today." Nakamoto Yuta, the Financial Head, smirked as he handed the needed report to the CEO. "Spare Miss Kim right here. It's too early for your outburst," he said while eyeing the young secretary from head to toe with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Jaehyun immediately headed to his chair and read the report. They exceeded their target profits, but by his looks, it felt like they lost millions. "Can you explain why we need to pay this much to get the service of that imbecile Murayama? He didn't show his face for the last two weeks, and he expects me to sign his proposal and pay this much?"

Then came the Vice-president in all his handsome glory, with a fine suit that cost a month's worth of salary of a regular employee and a black reamed glass that would make any woman and man swoon. He still fell short compared to their CEO. He was not complaining, though. Jaehyun can have all the attention. "Murayama is in Hawaii as we speak. The old guy is enjoying his life after you accepted his proposal. He thinks that it's ironclad and foolproof, and you will immediately approve and sign it."

"Well, bull! Nakamoto, tell Ms. Kim to put the proposal to the paper shredder and come back here immediately. I don't want another employee to resign because of your harassment."

"Well, ouch, Mr. CEO. You speak so lowly of me."

"Truth hurts."

Yuta had no choice but to leave the office and deliver the order. 

It was their unwritten rule to meet every morning before they start their day at the office. Dubbed as the four supermen of the gaming world, the four founders of the NCT Corporation or Neo Culture Technology Corporation were a force to be reckoned with. Every project they handled turned into gold. The four were serious about their game and can beat any opponents with their unique strategies and exceptional abilities. What was more astonishing was that all of them were under 25, and they established their company when they were still in college and their teens.
It started with their love of video games and computers. Five years later, it's one of the leading companies across Asia and soon conquered the western market. What made them more powerful and appealing was that all of them were tall and good-looking and, most importantly, bachelors.

 The brain of the NCT Corporation, Jung Jaehyun, was their leader. He was the smartest and the fiercest among the four. One wrong word to him can make any man pee their pants. He was cold and rarely smiled. He solely dedicated his life to his brothers and the company. No one ever tried to cross the mighty Jung Jaehyun.

Jung Taeil was the eldest of the group and older brother of Jaehyun. The quietest one, but it can't be taken as a weakness. He was vicious and cunning if he wanted to. Unlike Jaehyun, Taeil was quite soft, especially with children, and affectionate to the one he cares about. He was the only one who made sense whenever the three guys were stressed and out of their wit. He handled the marketing department of their company.

Seo Johnny was the romantic one. He lived in the US when he was young. The only one who believed in real love and forever. Dubbed as the group's protector, he will never think twice about breaking every bone of the person who tried to hurt his brothers. He was the vice president of the NCT Corporation.
Nakamoto Yuta, he's the only Japanese member of the group. He was an exchange student and decided to stay and live in Korea when he met the three guys. The resident playboy and treated girls nothing but toys. Yuta never gets serious about relationships and loved partying. He was the member who got into trouble most of the time and didn't believe in true love and forever like Johnny.
Many girls wanted them, and men wanted to be like them, and men admired them, but these guys were holding a deep secret only the four of them knew. 
All of them were gay.
 
"We need to put a face to Mystic Man. We receive a lot of requests and emails every day asking for his face." Johnny complained. "I know it was a great idea to make him faceless back then, but gamers are asking and getting impatient already."

"I think this is an opportunity to try a new strategy." Yuta commended as he enters the office once again after telling Ms. Kim to shred the proposal of Mr. Murayama into pieces. "Kill them with suspense, and boom! Surprise them with the magnificent face of Mystic Man."

The three heads talked about the Mystic Man, one of the main characters of the first video game that they released when they were starting. They named it Against the Gods, and it was a massive hit among gamers. It was the game that catapulted their names in the gaming world. For five years, it dominated the gaming charts because of its impressive graphics and content. It was NCT Corporation's baby, and they made it more unique by leaving one character faceless, Mystic Man.

Jaehyun stared at Yuta and weighed his options inside his head, contemplating if it was the time to put a face to the character he also played. Will it compromise the mysteriousness and excitement of the game?

"We can put a face on Mystic Man, but who? We need someone extraordinary, mysterious, almost ethereal, and with a face of an angel." Jaehyun uttered while looking nowhere in particular. 

Johnny and Yuta looked at each other, amused. "Are you sure you are talking about Mystic Man or your dream guy?" Johnny teased as he laughed at Jaehyun's reaction.

Yuta, the naughty guy that he was, added, "Or maybe both. This idea is getting better. We can hit two birds with one stone. We will have Mystic Man's face and find Jaehyun's boyfriend at the same time."

"And have your funeral on the same day, too. Get out, you two." The said guy frowned and threw them out of the office. Yuta and Johnny were at the door, laughing when they heard their friend asked for the group's eldest member. Both just shrugged their shoulders. None of them knew where Jung Taeil was.

***
 

"Haechan, come on, get up, or you will be late once again." Lee Taeyong, clad in his pajamas and too large for his size shirt, was trying his best to make his youngest brother get up. They only had 30 minutes to prepare, or they were going to miss the bus. He still had a photoshoot to attend, and Taeyong would not miss the opportunity for the payment to cover their rent for three months.

Poor Haechan had no choice but to get up when Hyung snatched his warm blanket away and folded it for him. He went straight to the bathroom and bumped into a newly bathed Winwin along the way.

"Winwin, there is breakfast at the table, and I packed a sandwich for both of you and Hae, Don't forget to wear your coat. It might snow today." Taeyong said while folding Haechan's beddings.

Winwin just scoffed and eyed his brother like he just said the ridiculous thing. "You talk too much," he said and tossed the wet towel across the room. It landed on the floor, which made the neat freak eldest freakout. 

"Wha-" he looked up, but Winwin was nowhere in sight. Minutes later, the youngest hurriedly got out of the bathroom and ate his breakfast. 

Dirty dishes were left to Taeyong soon enough and piles of dirty clothes to clean. The only consolation he got was that both of his brothers finished what he prepared for them, and the sandwiches were nowhere in sight. He hurriedly cleaned everything and got out of the house to begin his day.

It was the daily life of Lee Taeyong, the eldest of the three siblings. Their dad just passed away three years ago due to an accident, and no news about their mom left Taeyong the responsibility to take care of his brothers. He dropped out of college and started working to make ends meet. Haechan was a scholar at a high school, which saved the eldest a lot of money.

Taeyong balanced a nearly non-existent modeling career (if you can call posing for a food flyer modeling), two full-time jobs, and a part-time one. He worked at a coffee shop for the rest of the day. He was also neorabang assistant at night and a delivery guy in between his works. He almost had no time for himself and did all this for his brother. He just wished that someday his knight in shining armor will save him and his family from this fiery pit of hell they were in.

Of course, it was not going to happen, and his life was not a fairytale.

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