CHAPTER 6

Telling Winwin

The four men left for dinner that night to celebrate the success that was Lee Taeyong. The guys could tell that Jaehyun was satisfied and happy, although his face did not show it at all. But no one complained, dinner was on him, and they planned to drink a lot of wine.

 
"When will Mystic Man show his face again?" Yuta asked while swirling his wine in his glass.
 

Jaehyun drank from his glass and felt the tingling taste of the red liquid down his throat. Expensive wines give a satisfying taste—it was addicting, just like Lee Taeyong.
 

"Jae?" 
 

Johnny chuckled and carved his equally expensive steak with his knife. "In a trance once again, he's been that way since he met Mystic Man," he said before putting the piece of meat in his mouth. He let out a pleased moan with the taste. It was too ual that Yuta cringed.
 

"And here you are making love with your steak. Go get a room, you ."
 

"He will change his preference soon." Jaehyun finally answered, teasing Johnny.
 

The tallest turned red and looked down at his steak as if saying goodbye because he will have a tastier meal soon, pun intended. 
 

"Yeah, Johnny, my man. You suddenly went straight?"
 

Johnny fought the urge to throw his steak knife at Yuta. He swore for a man who was a math genius, Yuta was just plain stupid at other things. The Japanese can solve anything that involves numbers but having a hard time understanding a simple thought. But who could blame him? The culprit was Jaehyun for using words that are too confusing for a certain man named Yuta.
 

Taeil then asked, "You finally found a boyfriend?" Johnny thanked the heavens for Taeil's brain. How he wished he would share some with their other friend. 
 

"Maybe it's the other way around." Jaehyun didn't give Johnny a chance to voiced out his answer. "Someone finally found him."
Johnny just looked at the brothers like a fish out of water, not used to be the center of the teasing. It was always Yuta and his retarded ways.
 

"You all sound like gossip girl." Yuta blurted out, earning a balled tissue from Taeil.
 

Ignoring the expression of Johnny and Yuta's comment, Jaehyun asked his vice president another question. It was so unlikely for the guy to fire a lot of words and to think he's not even drunk.
 

"Are you going to call Ten?" 
 

"Whoa, first name basis? I didn't know you call your business partners by their first name now."
 

"Jealous," Jaehyun smirked. 
 

Johnny chose not to answer. It was his private life, and he wanted to keep it that way.
 

"Who are you?" Taeil suddenly blurted, clearly startled by Jaehyun's sudden change of attitude. "Since when did you start getting interested in other people's lives? Bring him back."
 

"W-wait… who is Ten?" Yuta was lost.
 

For once, Johnny thanked the heaven that, at least, Yuta assumed that Ten was a name and not a number.
 

"You're getting rusty, Yuta. Our guy here just got himself a boyfriend." Is the wine spiked? Jaehyun was unusually talkative.
 

They spent the rest of the night with teasing and jokes as they drink their hearts out after dinner. The other guys were liking this new side of their usually cold friend. It was almost morning when they decided to go their separate ways and drove their way home. Taeil went with his brother because even though they live in a different apartment, it's in the same building.
 

They still have work tomorrow, and one of them was particularly excited, although an impending headache is waiting for all of them in the morning with all the alcohol they consumed. 
 

***
 

Taeyong told Ten that he was the one to break the news to his younger brother Winwin. 
 

Taeyong also told Ten that he had to stay calm whatever reaction Winwin will give them. 
 

Taeyong also told Ten not to utter a single word. 
 

Well, Ten was terrible at following orders. 
 

His self-proclaimed manager and brother were in a heated exchange of unkind words, and Taeyong was about to lose his sanity with the way they were acting. It didn't help that Haechan was already crying in the corner.
 

Winwin was furious, and Ten was equally mad, borderline violent. Good thing that their small apartment was on the rooftop. The square-shaped apartment was on a building's rooftop in Seoul's Mapo District. It was not the friendliest neighborhood, but it was close to Winwin and Haechan's school. The apartment was a square type with a small kitchen, a small bathroom, and a small living area where the three brothers sleep. Nobody heard them up there.
 

"Of course, I am the last to know!" Winwin spat at Ten.
 

Ten glared at him, ready to give Winwin a taste of his palm if Taeyong wasn't there to stop him.
 

"Will you agree if Taeyong told you? You never agree to whatever he does, even if you know that he's only doing it for the two of you!"
 

"I told him to stop displaying his face everywhere!"
 

"His face will be used as a game character, not a cheap flyer for whatever cheap establishment. Why can't you get it? Are you dumb?"

Ten said in disgust, purposely annoying Winwin even more. "Don't worry. This time you won't be ashamed of him."
 

"I am not ashamed of him!"
 

Ten crossed his arms and gave Winwin a judging look. "Sure."
 

"Will you please stop it, you two? Win, it's my fault, and I cannot do anything about it anymore." Taeyong said in an almost whispered tone. His energy is draining fast will what is happening. 
 

Winwin faced him. "You can do what you want, but I will not let Haechan work in that company or anywhere else."
 

Haechan stood and stood between his brothers, eyes red. He looked at Winwin with determination. "I want to do this, and I will do what I want!"
 

"No!"
 

"I won't listen to you!"
 

"Of course, you only listen to him." he pointed at Taeyong.
 

At this moment, Winwin was not mad anymore. He was furious. Taeyong had pulled Haechan beside him before things can get worse. 
 

"Do you remember what happened when I tried to work?" Winwin said to Haechan in a dangerously low voice. 
 

Taeyong bit his lower lip. Guilt was slowly creeping inside him. "Win, what happened that time has nothing to do wi-" 
 

"I lost my scholarship because of that."
 

"So, you're doing the same with me? You don't want me to get a scholarship? I need this job so I can go to the university I want! Hyung didn't want me to do this, but I insisted!"
 

"He will do to you what he did to me. He will pull you out because he will get jealous that you are doing well while he's struggling!"
 

"He stopped you because your boss is a freak!"
 

"That freak gave me a job to help me get a scholarship!"
 

While the two continued to banter, it's Ten's turn to hold the arm of a shaken Taeyong for support. His hands started to tremble, and his lips quivered while he tried all his might to fight his tears because of what he heard from Winwin.
 

Until that time, Winwin was still holding a grudge against his brother. He still thought that Taeyong was just jealous of his job. That's why he forced his brother to quit it back then. He did it for two reasons, and his boss was planning to do something terrible to Winwin.

Taeyong accidentally heard them talking about it when the younger forgot his lunch and the older decided to bring it to him. The boss and Taeyong had a heated argument, resulting in Winwin getting fired and not meeting the required internship points for his scholarship. It was the start of the brothers' unending disagreements and Winwin's rebellion. 
 

Taeyong and Winwin were very close back then, but because of what happened, the brothers grew apart. Taeyong apologized countless times, but they fell on deaf ears. Winwin's daily discussions were filled with hurtful words and insults, while the older exchanged apologies. Taeyong accepted them all, and he tried to understand his brother. It happened last year, and Taeyong still hoped that

Winwin's anger would pass soon, but it didn't happen. Until now, the guilt was eating Taeyong alive. He could've addressed the situation in a better way. He worked extra hard to provide for his brothers and pushed his limits so that Winwin can continue his high school even without the scholarship.
 

It cost Taeyong's future. Taeyong had no choice but to drop out of college because, unlike his two brothers, he was not very bright, so he preferred to work rather than continue his studies. He told himself that he didn't have a bright future ahead of him anyway because no company would hire someone who barely passed his academics. He dedicated his time to his brothers.
 

The second reason was the exact reason why Taeyong didn't want Haechan to enter NCT. But of course, Winwin was too blinded by his anger to comprehend. 
 

He gave Ten a sad smile and slowly removed his arm. "I… I think I'll go for a walk. Please tell them that dinners at the table."
It took the two remaining brothers a few more minutes before they noticed that Taeyong was gone, and Ten was looking at them disappointedly. 
 

"I always thought that you are smart," Ten said but more to Winwin than Haechan, "When will you forgive your brother for saving you from that freak?
 

"Do you still think he hasn't suffered enough?"
 

The brothers didn't answer.
 

"Gosh, I hope Taeyong will find someone kind enough to take him away from you and willing to give the love that he deserves soon."

Ten sighed, "Dinners at the table." He then left the brothers, still recovering from their agreement.
 

None of them admitted that Ten's wish awakened the fear both of them shared.

***
 

Taeyong did not come home that night. He chose to spend the night at the nearby park and gave his brothers some space to make up.

Winwin always had a soft spot for Haechan anyway, so it won't be hard for him to give in to their youngest.
 

In the morning, he went back home when the two were still asleep and cooked them breakfast and their snacks. He then left and went to the cafe to tell Doyoung that he wouldn't be coming to work for a while until his contract with NCT expired. He already talked about it to Ten, and the latter was more than willing to let him go.
 

Taeyong went to NCT and then ushered to the CEO's office.
 

Jaehyun noticed his gloomy aura but decided not to say anything about it. He walked him to a room that looked like a studio. There were spotlights and a black backdraft on the wall. Taeyong noticed a table with what looked like art materials and a Mac computer at the side. The left side of the room was a full-length glass window where natural light passes. It had drape curtains on both sides that slide together to meet in the middle to darken the room.
 

There s a stool in front of the table where Jaehyun guided him to his seat. He told Taeyong to straighten his back and sit properly. The CEO then lifted his chin and angled his face gently to the right making their face close to each other. Their eyes met, and Taeyong remembered what Jaehyun said yesterday that made him blush. He tried to look away, and his actions made Jaehyun chuckle. 
 

For the first time, Taeyong heard the CEO's soft laugh and had the honor to see his dimples. He didn't realize that he was staring at him for too long.
 

"Is there something in my face?"
 

"Ah… I…"
 

"Am I making you uncomfortable?"
 

"Yes, I mean, no! No. I'm okay."
 

"You have nice eyes."
 

"Th-thanks."
 

Jaehyun laughed once again, showing his deep dimples, and they almost made Taeyong touch them. Their faces were still close, and the latter could smell his new boss's fresh breath. He suddenly became conscious of his breath was still fresh enough. Taeyong tried to stop staring at his boss' dimples and made the mistake of looking at Jaehyun's eyes, and suddenly, he couldn't feel the ground, and the surrounding disappeared. An unexplained force was inviting him to lean closer slowly, and Taeyong feared that he might give in to the invitation. They were in that compromising position when someone entered the room.
 

"Holy cow!"
 

aejae22

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Sorry, I didnt update yesterday because I had to edit the final draft of my thesis.

This ahjumma is graduting soon.

Can you please answer the polls I will post?

Thanks.