“Hanbin, you’ve grown so much since I last saw you!”

Standing in a crowd of wealthy people wearing a suit in an obnoxious shade of red, holding a glass of a tragically non alcoholic beverage, Hanbin had never hated his brother so much. Not that the party was his doing; just Hanbin’s presence at it. Chanwoo had finally managed to guilt trip him into attending one of their parents’ large, formal dinner parties and Hanbin hated himself for giving in. To his credit, it had been a year since he’d last graced them with his presence. Then again, it had also been a year since he’d been invited to do so. Last time he’d probably been a better representative of the Kim family, as he hadn’t dropped out of university yet at that point.

Well, last time he’d also gotten very drunk and punched a business partner’s son, so it wasn’t all sunshine. Perhaps that had something to do with his recent lack of invitations. Whatever, the bastard had basically walked into his fist; it was hardly Hanbin’s fault the dude had no spacial awareness.

Hanbin had never enjoyed these occasions, but this was probably the foulest mood he’d ever attended one in. And yet he couldn’t switch off the charm or else his parents might take a hint and switch off his allowance.

“Have I? Perhaps you’ve just shrunk!” Cue fake scandalised laughter and a swift return to ignoring him. Hanbin turned and caught his grinning half brother holding up four fingers. And right he was; by Hanbin’s calculations it was indeed the fourth time he’d given that response that evening. He scowled at Chanwoo before turning back to the bar, considering bribing the bartender to give him something with more of an edge. It wasn’t that they weren’t serving alcohol - they were, just not to him. A few moments later he spotted Chanwoo attempting to quietly exit and instantly sent him an accusatory text.

Hanbin: Brutus

Chanwoo: chill dude, i'm gonna go get something to cheer you up

Hanbin: good in luck

Going to the restroom he wasted half an hour scrolling through Twitter and playing pool on his phone - which he’d become regrettably rather addicted to - before he finally decided he’d been gone noticeably long and reluctantly went back inside to where everybody avoided his gaze uncomfortably as though he’d killed somebody and gotten away with it. So melodramatic, all he’d done was given a prick what he deserved. He should be rewarded, not shunned. Oh well, it wasn't as though he wanted people falling all over him anyways.

Though he hadn’t punched anyone this time yet, he could tell everyone was on edge around him - even the people closer to his age. (Like him, offspring of his father’s business partners and investors. Unlike him, following in their father’s footsteps and only too pleased to be there, making contacts. All Hanbin was making was enemies, and he certainly wasn’t pleased to be there.) He didn’t blame them, honestly - perhaps they thought they were next. And besides, he could only imagine his expression was verging on murderous at that moment at having to be there instead of somewhere else.

It was the 21st of December. Jiwon’s birthday.

A fact he’d very inconveniently forgotten when he’d begrudgingly agreed to attend this event three weeks ago. A fact which wasn’t making his current predicament any more enjoyable. He couldn’t even steal anyone’s wine glass when they weren’t looking because he’d promised Jiwon he’d come to see him. That is, when he was done shaking hands and taking business cards and eating disgusting posh food which didn’t sit well with his stomach - now too used to instant ramen and Subway to stomach… whatever he’d just taken from a waiter. Any food you couldn’t name definitely wasn’t worthy of going into your mouth, he decided, surreptitiously leaving it on the table and walking away as casually as possible.

Stupid Jiwon, he thought to himself, I can’t even get drunk because I have to drive to yours in… he checked his watch and his mood instantly worsened: two whole goddamn hours.

He just wanted to be with him right now. He wanted to leave this stupid place right now and drive to Jiwon’s, give him the present he’d been working on for months, watch cartoons and eat cake. That sounded so perfect. But instead he was here in this cesspit of capitalism and its well-groomed, money-grabbing, morally ambiguous, plastic surgery enhanced offspring, pretending not to hate every single one of them and their-

“I saw what you j