Complications
Without a TraceWOW IT'S BEEN FOREVER IM SO SORRY
recently my family went through a tough time where I couldn't really focus on anything where it got to the point of loosing sleep and getting behind in school. But I'm caught up with my homework, finally, and I'm back!
Well that was a month ago, but then I just got really bad writers block I'm sorry
ill try my hardest to update as much as I can!:D
"No, stupid, you're going the wrong way!" Ricky called out.
"Nuh uh!" Niel whined back. "You're the dumb one, idiot, you're looking at my screen! You're the bottom!"
He pointed out. Indeed, Ricky realized his mistake and cursed under his breath, moving the controller in sync with the car on the TV screen. "No fair! No one told me! Let's start over."
Before he could do anything, CAP had him in a headlock. "That's cheating and unfair to your opponent who's been playing right, so how is that fair to him? Ask Chanhee what the rules are, it's his house."
"But hyung!" Ricky shut his eyes. "It's Byunghun hyung's game! Ask him the rules!"
All eyes him while Niel gave up and paused the game.
L. Joe stared at the ceiling in thought. What did he do to deserve this? He just wanted to solve one problem at a time, but this wasn't going to work at all. He already had the problem with Saejin, but now this? What was the world coming to?
"What's wrong?" Chunji nudged him from the side.
"It's nothing." L.joe sat upright at the others. When no one else moved, he sighed. They were his friends, he might as well tell them. "It's my father."
Changjo scrunched up his face. "What'd he do this time?"
----
Opening the big doors to his father's office, L.joe entered the room and shut the doors again so it was only them two. And the security cameras up above watching their every move, making L.joe feel uncomfortable. "You wanted to talk to me, father?"
Mr. Lee nodded and motioned for his son to take a seat in one of the chairs in front of his big desk, pausing from the work he was doing on the computer.
L.joe followed directions and did as told, tapping on the arm rest from the awkwardness in the room. To him, it was sad. This was his father. From what he saw in movies, he was supposed to be kind and loving, not the cold hearted man before him.
"As you know, the chairman's banquet is coming up, like every other year." He told his son, who nodded halfheartedly. And like every other banquet, it was boring. "It's to be held in two weeks, and I want you to dress your best."
"Yes, father." L.joe said. Of course, all the daughters of the politicians and high money makers were going to be there too. But his father just didn't understand that he didn't want to be coupled up with anyone. Especially now with Saejin...
"I want you to make a speech."
With his heart skipping a beat, L.joe widened his eyes and looked at his father, hoping he misheard. "Wh-what?"
Mr. Lee clicked his tongue and looked out the side window. "You're going off to college soon. Everyone knows that by now. But you rarely show any interest and barely converse with anyone when we go anywhere. Don't you think that's odd?" He paused. "So, you need to make a speech for me, since I'm closing the deal with the production company next year. You need to show others that I'm for real, that I raised my son right."
L.joe gulped, gripping the chair in frustration. His father knew he didn't like speaking in front of crowds. When he was the valedictorian of his middle school, he got nervous with the speech and Chunji ended up reading it for him. Then again, was his father even there at that time?
"You're taking over the business, so it's only right that you begin to get comfortable with large crowds anyway." He continued. "You'll understand when you have a son how important this is to make your skills public."
His son didn't say a word, he didn't have anything to say anyway. He could do paperwork and handle international affairs like his dad, sure, but when it came to this, couldn't he just pay someone to speak for him?
"Like I said, two weeks, you better prepare it well." Mr. Lee turned back to his computer and started typing.
Confused, L.joe looked around and got up and headed to the door. He grit his teeth. This had to be a joke. What kind of a father...
"Oh, and Byunghun," his father remembered. L.joe turned, hoping that a miracle would occur and he didn't have to do it. Or maybe some encouragement? His hopes were high when Mr. Lee grinned, "don't embarrass me."
"Yes, father." L.joe scowled on the inside.
-----
"You're kidding me." Niel scoffed. "Does he even know about your little problem?"
Ricky added. "Can't you record yourself beforehand and then play it as a video or something? You're going to be on the big screen anyway, so why does it matter?"
L.joe hung his head "Thanks for that. And no, I can't. I asked him that already and he just laughed at me."
The rest of the boys kept their anger in. His dad was always stepping on him, and he couldn't do anything about it, even if he wanted to. But they didn't push it, because he couldn't afford to be cut off, literally. He was going to have a family and if he was cut off, he couldn't support them like he could with the money he would get.
Coughing, L.joe stood up, all eyes on him. "I think I've had enough games for today. I'm heading out."
"Are you sure?" Chunji asked in concern. "I can walk you out if you-"
"I'm fine. Really. I need to do my homework anyway." He put on his jacket. "See you guys at school tomorrow."
"But, your game..." Ricky held up the controller.
But he was declined too. "You guys can keep playing. I'll just get it another time." He looked at the guys. "Seriously, I can take care of myself, I can do this."
The boys looked at each other with blank expressions.
"Ok, seriously, I'm leaving now." He waved and left his cousin's room and made his way out and to his car, where he immediately left to go home.
But instead, he found himself sitting on a swing in the park. Back and forth, relaxing his mind as he watched the cars pass by, people running in front if him. No one was paying attention to him now. He was just another person in the crowd, like it should be.
How could his father do this? Did he not think about him at all?
His phone started buzzing in his pocket and he took it out to find he had a message from Saejin.
'Are you free right now?'
L.joe put his face in his hands and groaned, then responded.
'Yes'
'Did you want to get coffee?'
Well, he wasn't really in a coffee mood right now.
'How about you come to the park instead? I'll wait for you.'
'Okay, I'll be right there.'
He put his phone back in his pocket and kept on swinging, closing his eyes. Sometimes, he just wished he hadn't been born into this high strung family that expected so much of him and beyond, that he could live a normal life.
But then he would push that idea out of his head because he wouldn't have met his friends, which he wouldn't give up for the world.
Twenty minutes later, the swing next to him was in pace with his.
"So, why'd you choose the park?" Saejin asked.
L.joe shrugged in response. "I don't know, I guess it's just relaxing being outside." And it was. If he could shut out the city sounds, there were no voices but the one in his head, which he could easily shut off. He looked over at Saejin who kept swinging. "Thanks for coming, by the way."
Saejin smiled shyly in return. "No problem." She paused, looking at his expression, which was... downturn? "Is everything okay?"
Being honest, L.joe shook his head once, happy that she could tell. But then again, he guessed it wasn't that hard. Anyone on the street could tell he was having a tough day.
"Did you maybe wanna talk about it?"
Silent again, he nodded once, then told her everything he told the guys, about how his dad didn't think once about his feelings, that he never did anyway.
Saejin listened intently to the whole thing. He was kind of relieved when he saw she didn't gasp and immediately call out his dad, but she didn't have pity on him either. Instead, she thought of something else.
"Would it help if you practiced in front of a small crowd?"
"What?!" He looked at her like she was crazy.
"No, I mean people you know, like the guys, Johye, and me." She cleared it up. "Would that help at all?"
"What do you mean?"
Saejin pouted her bottom lip slightly. "Well, you have no problem talking to us at lunch so I figured... if it doesn't help at all, we could think of something else?"
L.joe thought about that. "But how would that help me if I end up speaking to a crowd that I don't know?"
That was a complication. "What if we were in the crowd and you focused on us the whole time?"
He nodded. "I mean, we could try it?"
"You sure?" Saejin asked. After he confirmed, she replied. "My mom's hosting this trivia night on Friday, so you could be the announcer there. We could practice then, if you wanted."
L.joe blinked and nodded. "Yeah, okay. Let's give it a shot."
Saejin patted him on the back, wondering how to ask her mom if she could bring 6 rowdy boys.
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