The huge hall was filled with the guests. The people greeting the tall, handsome guy who was standing alone at the corner of the venue weren’t a few, but he just politely greeted back without any intention to interact longer to any of them. Instead, he was busy playing with his glass of wine while his eyes never left the figure who kept smiling brightly to the guests. His lips formed into a sad smile as he whispered to himself, “As always, you look beautiful in white.”

“You know it’s too late to stop the wedding, Minho,” a voice startled him.

Choi Minho, the tall boy, turned to owner of the voice, the black-haired man who was dressed stylishly, a bit more stylish than the rest of the guests.

“I don’t have any intention to stop this wedding, Kibum,” Minho said patiently.

Kim Kibum sipped his wine before eyeing his best friend, his miserable best friend, “You mean she doesn’t want to stop this wedding.”

Annoyance was clear in Kibum’s voice, but Minho chose to ignore it. He knew it wasn’t intended to him, but to the bride of this wedding. His new sister-in-law.

“I want to tell you ‘I told you so’ but I am a respectful, understanding man, so I won’t tell you that,” Kibum continued when Minho didn’t answer his previous statement.

“You know that you just practically said it to me.”

“Oh well…” Kibum sipped his wine again, staring at the groom and bride who put up an act as a lovely couple. He snorted at that, “…I told you before, right, So Hee wouldn’t give up her status just to be with you.”

Minho hated how Kibum was being annoyingly right. Annoying, but still, he was right. But he didn’t need to be reminded of it, especially today, the day his secret girlfriend—his ex-girlfriend now, he guessed, although they never really officially broke up—married his younger brother.

“She has her pride to be in our family,” Kibum said again.

“You still hate her,” Minho rolled his eyes.

Kibum put up an innocent look, “What do you mean? How can I hate my own cousin? Sure, she isn’t blood related to me, but I won’t hate her over the fact that she sided with the family even when I trusted her to be the only one who understood me in that family.”

Minho winced at Kibum’s sarcastic tone.

“She has worked hard to be in the position she is now,” Minho reasoned, though deep down he knew he felt disappointed and betrayed. “Not everyone is as brave as you are, Kibum. And she is a woman.”

“Being a woman in Kim Family indeed ,” Kibum bitterly laughed. “Our traditional, honorable family who still regard woman as a reproduction tool and pretty figures to be shown off at expensive party like this.”

Minho didn’t comment at that. At the end, all of them were the same, pitiful and trapped in the name of family’s honor.

Kibum sighed in the middle of the silence between them. “I guess your brother secures his CEO title with this wedding?” he asked Minho, his voice had gone back to the calm, normal tone.

“It’s the goal of this wedding, isn’t it?”

“Oh my,” Kibum rolled his eyes, “Knowing he will be the CEO again when he got so much complain from the employees and business partners…say Minho, should I just close my store from your mall and open it somewhere else?”

Minho laughed for the first time that day. “You know I’m the marketing director, don’t you? Of course I don’t want to lose a tenant, especially the one that brings so much profit-sharing to our company.”

“Your company needs to fix your promotion strategy!” Kibum grumbled. “Your visitors keep going down!”

“My head hurts too you know, Minhyuk keeps rejecting my idea.”

“Argh, that smart CEO of yours!”

Minho laughed again at his friend’s frustration. “I know, I know. I’ll do something, trust me.”

“I remember SHINee COEX was so much better under the Lee Family management,” Kibum blurted out, before he closed his mouth and smiled sheepishly, “No offense to your family, really.”

Minho waved his hand, gesturing it’s okay. “It’s fine. You’re right.”

“Oh, just the right time,” Kibum exclaimed when his eyes caught the old man who approached them with warm smile. Kibum frowned when he noticed a blonde, young man followed the old man closely. “Who is that? Mr. Lee’s son?”

Minho shrugged. “Maybe? He never brought his son before.” Minho knew Mr. Lee had a son, but he never met him before. While other family tried their children to mingle with other rich families for the sake of connection and business, Mr. Lee never introduced his son to anyone. He never brought him to the parties or meetings. Even Minho, the son whom the family tried to hide and get rid of, was sometimes brought to some parties to make some connections as soon as he was back to Seoul after finishing his school in Japan. That was why the Lees was a bit off for Minho. Minho only knew his son went to the college in Japan. He wondered if he had just come back to Seoul after all these years.

“Why is he being so mysterious about his son anyway?” Kibum asked under his breath before smiling brightly to Mr. Lee who had stopped in front of them.

“Mr. Lee, thank you for coming,” Minho immediately greeted him with respect.

“Mr. Lee,” Kibum greeted as well.

“Ah, you’re…Minho, aren’t you?” Mr. Lee asked to Minho as he shook his hand. “Choi’s first son?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“And Kibum, nice to see you here,” Mr. Lee shook Kibum’s hand this time.

“Likewise, Sir,” Kibum smiled sweetly. Minho wondered if Kibum pretended to be nice as usual, but as far as he knew, Mr. Lee was one of a few businessmen Kibum sincerely respected. Both Kibum and Minho rarely saw him, though, because the old man rarely attended any parties and their business were on different industries. Choi Family focused on property while Kibum was a player in fashion industry. Mr. Lee never touched property industry anymore after leaving his CEO position at SHINee Inc. Now he just focused on food and beverages industry.

Minho and Kibum exchanged glances as they watched the young man stood awkwardly beside Mr. Lee. Kibum took an initiative to ask, “May I know who this fine man beside you is, Mr. Lee?”

“Right, I should have introduced him earlier,” Mr. Lee said. “This is Lee Jinki. Jinki-ah, this is Choi Minho and Kim Kibum, from Choi and Kim Family.”

The blonde man’s eyes turned into crescent shape as he smiled, “Nice to meet you, Minho-ssi, Kibum-ssi.”

Minho took Jinki’s hand which the latter held out. Strong grip, full of confidence, Minho noted. And when Jinki shook Kibum’s hand, he watched his friend’s bright eyes. He sent Kibum a knowing smile, which the latter ignored.

“Please take care of him, Minho,” Mr. Lee patted Minho’s shoulder lightly. “He’s a new tenant of yours. His store will be opened soon.”

“Is he? May I know which one? We have a few stores scheduled to be opened next week.”

“Bluish Pastry & Café. It will be opened next Friday. He always wants to open his own bakery,” Mr. Lee said with a hint of pride in his voice.

Jinki could only smiled shyly as he said, “It will be a pleasure if both of you can drop by later.”

“Of course we will,” Kibum excitedly answered him, while Minho tried not to roll his eyes. You’re so smittened, Kibum, he thought.

“Ah, that’s Mr. Son,” Mr. Lee exclaimed. “I guess I’ll have to greet him.”

“I hope you enjoy the party, Sir,” Minho bowed as Mr. Lee bid them goodbye and patted both Minho’s and Kibum’s shoulder the last time, while Jinki nodded at them, sending another sweet smile which Minho’s sure melted Kibum again.

“His voice is so damn good!” Kibum turned to Minho excitedly as soon as the Lees were far enough. “And his hand is so damn soft!”

Minho didn’t pay attention to his friend’s dreamy blabbers about Lee Jinki. Instead, he chugged his last bit of wine as his eyes traveled to the Lees who were chatting with Son Family. Noticing how Mr. Lee kept patting Jinki’s shoulder or back in pride and assurance, Minho smiled bitterly.

He guessed, it was possible to have a loving father and warm family, after all.

I'm sorry for the long wait and short chapter.

This is just a brief background of their ty families and relationships. And no Taemin yet.

Trust me, no dramatic meeting or anything in this story.

It was supposed to be a light and fluffy story, I don't know why this end up like this LOL

And unlike my previous story that only focused on 2min, I will explore Onkey story as well.

So this will be a bit slower, longer and more detailed. Please bear with me!

Thank you for my subbies and please drop me some comments!

XOXO