Hyunsik sighed as he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. 

As expected, Lee-Song issued an official statement two days later announcing that they would accept the request for a DNA test.  To boost their public image, they again lamented on the disappearance of the late CEO’s son.  Still though, despite the statement, Lee-Song had yet to make a move.  No official date had been set for the test and nothing else was said about how they would proceed next.  

He hadn’t heard from Joon yet either.  Although it’d been three days since he told Joon to quit, the latter still hadn’t shown up at his doorstep yet.  He’d felt guilt at his attitude that day but… what else could he do?  He was responsible for the well-being of his talents at KTA; he couldn’t let the weight of one sink the others.

Sighing again, Hyunsik blinked away the weariness and resumed his paperwork.  He looked up, however, as his door swung open without warning.  He wasn’t surprised to see Minah charge in like an angry bull and closing the door behind her with an irritable click.

“Yah, Mun Hyunsik,” she said, marching over to his desk and slapping her hands on his desk as she leaned forward and got in his face, “What do you think you are doing?” 

“Staring at your s,” Hyunsik sighed as he set down his pen, “If you bend any lower, I could shoot a spitball through your shirt and directly hit you in the crotch.”  He gave her a cheeky grin as she gave him a deadpan look.

Standing up straight, Minah crossed her arms across her chest and began tapping her heels.  “Listen four-eyes, you need to back off of Joonie.  I don’t know the details of what’s happened, and I don’t care.  The poor boy is stressed out enough as he is!  He doesn’t need you to make things worse!”

Hyunsik rolled his eyes and stood from his seat.  He felt a familiar irritation at her choice of name-calling; she was the only one who could get away with calling the bujangnim ‘four-eyes’.  “You’re not his mother,” he said as he opened his secret cabinet of liquor, “And you’re not my boss so I don’t have to do anything.”  Pouring himself a drink, he set the decanter back in the cabinet.  Before he could throw the liquid back though, Minah marched over and took the glass from his hands.  Giving him a glare, she downed the scotch and set the glass down with a determined clink.

Letting out a deep breath, she looked at him and said, this time with a softer tone, “I know you’re worried, but unloading your worries onto him won’t make this go away.”  Sighing, she reached forward and ran a hand through his hair.  “You’re turning all gray again,” she said softly, “I’m not interested in gray hair.”

Hyunsik could feel himself getting swept away by her again; it was a strange magic that she often cast upon him.  It rendered him useless and completely vulnerable, something he was extremely unfamiliar with.  And it seemed Minah was the only one capable of such a spell; no other women could ever pull such a thing on him.  In defeat, he sighed and leaned against the cabinet.  He let Minah take his glasses from him.  He closed his eyes and felt her fingers massage his face; he hadn’t realized how tense his muscles were until she massaged away all the knots.

“That kid,” Hyunsik said as he opened his eyes to look at her blurry face, “He’s got so much trouble coming down the pipeline that it’s either going to make or break him.”  He tried to take his glasses but she held it out of his reach.

“So help him make it through,” she murmured, stepping closer and leaning forward to let her lips brush his cheek, “It’s what you want to do, isn’t it?”

Absentmindedly, Hyunsik circled his arms around her waist and pulled her into a hug.  Putting his chin on the crown of her head, he sighed and said, “I don’t want to get involved again.  It’s… bigger than what I can handle.”

“What’s this?” Minah teased, circling her arms around Hyunsik’s chest, “Mun Hyunsik doubting his capabilities?  If I didn’t know better, I’d say the world was ending.”  Soothingly, she ran a hand up and down his back.

Hyunsik snorted; he didn’t doubt his capabilities.  He just knew his limits; this seemed out of bounds and he wasn’t afraid to admit that.  “I know my limits,” he murmured quietly into her hair.  Somehow, the smell of her hair and the warmth from her body helped sooth his frazzled nerves and made his anxiety disappear.  In its place, a sizzling heat settled in his lower abdomen.  It was something he was all too familiar with…

“Well I know you,” Minah said, pulling away a bit to look at his face, “The Mun Hyunsik I know wouldn’t throw that boy to the wolves to save his own hide.”  Reaching a hand behind his nape, she pulled him down onto her soft lips and gave him a tender kiss.

Hyunsik let out a small chuckle as Minah gave him a smile.  He could see her face clearly at this proximity and could tell that she believed her words with everything she had.  “Yeah,” he said, “Maybe.”  Sighing, he straightened up and released her.  “Now get out of here; you’re disturbing me,” he said, as he walked around her and slapped her bottom, “And don’t call your boss four-eyes again; I can have you fired in a second.”

Minah scoffed and rolled her eyes.  “As if you’d have the balls,” she said as she click-clacked her way to the door.

“And don’t say balls to your boss either,” Hyunsik said as he sat down in his chair, “And give me my glasses, woman.”  To his surprise, Minah paused at the door briefly before kicking off her shoes and walking over to him in her bare feet.  “Hey,” he said as she circled around the table and rolled his chair away from the table, “This isn’t your house-”

“You talk too much,” she whispered as she climbed on top of him in his chair and began loosening his tie.

Hyunsik felt heat sizzle in his groin as he naturally placed his hands on her thighs to keep her from falling off.  “Yoo Minah,” he said in his boss voice, “First you come in here unannounced, and then you steal my drink.  Now you’re trying to seduce your boss in his office…”  He was cut off as she placed a steamy kiss on his lips.  “I’d say these are grounds for dismissal,” he continued hoarsely as she shrugged out of her top.

“So fire me,” she said breathlessly as Hyunsik buried his face in her bosom.

Sighing at his helplessness against her spell, Hyunsik gave in to his inner lust.  Though he would never admit it, he had a special relationship with this woman named Yoo Minah.  And though most of the time the relationship was physical, it was the occasional emotional connection that kept him thirsting for more.

As he was swept away by this woman, Hyunsik felt his heart settle.  Things would work out.  He was Mun Hyunsik after all.

Seungho stretched as he clambered out of the classroom.  Thankful for a peaceful class, he rubbed his eyes as he waited for his ride to arrive.

“Yah!” someone called from behind him.

Turning, he blinked in surprise as Byunghee jogged towards him, his face barely lit by the streetlight.

“Oh, Byunghee-yah,” Seungho said as the latter stopped in front of him, “What are you doing here?”

“I just finished a night class too,” Byunghee said, shifting his bag on his shoulder, “What’s this about with Lee Joon?  I saw the news the other day… what the hell?”

“Oh,” Seungho sighed, “It’s… complicated.”

Byunghee raised an eyebrow.  “When has anything been simple for you two?” he asked, shaking his head, “You get skinnier every time I see you.”  He paused for a second before sighing.  “Seungho-yah,” he said slowly, “I know… how you feel about Lee Joon.  I don’t really know him myself but if he’s got you this head-over-heels for him, he’s probably a great guy.”

Seungho waited for him to continue.  Having been friends for years, he knew where Byunghee was going with this.  “But?” he asked.

“But maybe… it’s time you cooled off a little and took a step back,” Byunghee said awkwardly, “He’s… He’s got a lot of skeletons in his closet.  I don’t want you getting involved-”

“Like how you didn’t get involved when we went to that crack house last time?” Seungho interrupted, raising his eyebrows, “I remember you laughing as you were beating those guys up.”

“Yah,” Byunghee said, crossing his arms, “I didn’t get involved because I wanted to.  It was because your stupid was ready get itself kicked.  Was I supposed to stand by and watch it get handed to you on a silver platter?”

“I’m fine,” Seungho said, ignoring the jab, “I can take care of myself.  I know what I’m getting into.”  He looked past Byunghee as he saw the headlights of the black van.  “Stop worrying,” he said.

“Yahsh…” Byunghee muttered as the van stopped beside them, “Who says I’m worried?  Tch…”  Shaking his head, he turned and began to walk off.  “Oh yeah,” he said, turning, “My door is open.  You know, in case you need somewhere to live and all.  Just… no in my apartment.”  Nodding, he turned and continued walking towards the bus stop down the road.

Seungho blinked in surprise.  That was what Byunghee had wanted to say?  Seungho chuckled as he climbed into the van and slid the door shut.  He wasn’t sure how much Byunghee knew about the whole fiasco; Seungho hadn’t shared much and the media didn’t have much to go on either.  But… how did Byunghee guess that they might need a place to stay?  Did he know that KTA would kick them out? 

Leaning back in his seat, Seungho closed his eyes and sighed.  Byunghee was smart; he probably figured out himself that things didn’t bode well for them.  He even offered them a temporary place to stay.  The thought of it seemed to sooth Seungho’s anxieties.  At least he didn’t have to worry about sleeping on the streets.

As the van pulled up to the dormitories, Seungho wasn’t surprised to see still a handful of reporters camped out at the gates.  They jumped to their feet as soon as they saw a vehicle approach but quickly dispersed with disappointment when they realized it wasn’t Lee Joon.  Scooting out of the van, he made his way to the front door and walked through to the stairs.  As he approached, however, he spotted Joon coming down the stairs with a worried face.

“Oh, Seungho-hyung,” Joon said, his face lighting up a bit as they met in the stairwell, “You’re back already…”

“Yeah,” Seungho said, surprised to see him, “Where are you going?  There’s still a bunch of reporters out front.”

Joon sighed in disappointment as he sat on the lowest stairs.  “I was going to go see Hyunsik-hyung,” he said softly as Seungho knelt across from him, “I’m… I’m going to quit.”

Although he had expecting it, Seungho couldn’t help but feel surprised.  “You’ve… made up your mind?” he asked softly, sitting on the floor.  When Joon nodded, he asked, “You were going to go by yourself?  Were you going to quit all on your own?” 

Joon looked at him guiltily before he murmured, “I didn’t want to ask you to quit with me.  You’ve tried so hard to balance this with school.  Wouldn’t quitting now be a waste of effort?”

Seungho reached out and took one of his hands.  “It’s true that I’ve tried hard to do both,” he said softly, “But did you forget why I even came here in the first place?”  He had thought about this too but the answer was clear and simple.  

“I’m sorry,” Joon murmured, looking at their entwined hands, “I’m nothing but trouble.”

Seungho squeezed his hand.  “Maybe, but you’re nothing I can’t handle,” he said softly.  Leaning forward, he placed a quick brush of lips on Joon before pulling back and giving him a smile.  “Wait for me,” he said, “I’ll go drop of my bags and come back.  We’ll go together.”  When Joon nodded, he raced up the stairs and into their dorm.  

He knew Byunghee was right; Joon had a lot of skeletons in his closet.  And, after everything that’s happened, he couldn’t blame Byunghee for worrying about his best friend.  But there was no way Seungho could help his friend understand what it was like to part from someone he could no longer be without.  He would rather face the skeletons head on with Joon by his side than to be chased by the shadows of loneliness.  

Joon took a deep breath as he knocked on Hyunsik’s door.  He and Seungho had somehow managed to sneak out of the dorm again undetected and made their way into the offices with the help of security.  The media watchdogs had no idea of their escape and were still quietly camped outside of the dorm front gates.

“Come in,” Hyunsik called from inside.

Pushing the door open slightly, Joon poked his head inside and nodded.  He gave Hyunsik a sheepish laugh when the latter looked up with tired but surprised eyes.

“You…” Hyunsik said as he waved the both of them in, “Yah…”  He sighed and scratched his head as he frowned.  “If you got caught,” he said, holding onto his neck, “I just… I just can’t…”  He let out a loud breath as he cringed.

“I-I wanted to tell you in person,” Joon said, nervous that Hyunsik would fly into another fit of rage, “So… but they didn’t find out…”  He glanced at Seungho nervously, who looked back at him with support.

Hyunsik sighed heavily and gestured to the sofa.  “I swear,” he muttered under his breath, “If you ever have kids, I hope they turn out like you so you can get a taste of your own medicine.”  Sitting down, he looked at Joon and asked, “So?  You have an answer?”

Joon nodded before taking another deep breath.  Trying to calm his racing heart, he clenched his hands together into fists and looked Hyunsik in the eye.  “I… I’m quitting the agency,” Joon said, his voice steadier than he thought it would be, “I think that’s in the best interest for everyone before this gets any worse…”

Hyunsik stayed silent as he continued his gaze.  After what felt like hours, he nodded and sighed.  “You too, I assume?” he asked, looking at Seungho.

“Yes,” Seungho replied, “It’s best for me if I can focus on school…”

Nodding, Hyunsik sighed.  “I wish it didn’t have to be this way,” he said softly, “But it is in the best interest… at least for the agency.  As the bujangnim, I sincerely thank you for your decision.  I know it wasn’t easy.” 

Joon nodded, feeling a strange mix of relief and sadness.  Relieved that he would no longer bring trouble to the agency that had sheltered him… sadness for leaving the one place he had truly considered home.  He would miss the people the most; Minah, his stylist and sometimes psychologist; the other talents he had come to share a bond with; and most of all Hyunsik… the man he considered a brother.  

“As hyung…” Hyunsik continued, to the surprise of Joon and Seungho.  Hyunsik reached inside and pulled out a small piece of notepad paper.  “I’ve reserved for you an apartment a few blocks down the road.  It’s still in this higher end part of town so security at the front gates will be similar to the dorms.  Rent won’t be cheap but fortunately, the owner is a dear friend of mine in the corporate world.  I was able to obtain it for half of what it otherwise would be,” Hyunsik said giving them a smile, “Even if you move out of the dorms, you won’t have to worry about vermin like Jang Hyunwoo.  That was the whole point of moving to the dorms, right?”

Joon’s eyes widened as he opened the folded sheet of paper.  Inside, neatly written, was the address for the new apartment.  He had never expected this; he had been fretting about finding another apartment to live in.  He had no idea that Hyunsik would take care of it for him.  

“This…” Joon whispered, looking up at Hyunsik, “I… I don’t know what to say…”  

“Don’t say anything yet,” Hyunsik said as he pulled out another envelope from his pocket and handed it over to Joon, “Now that you’ve officially quit the company, you won’t have any income for a while.  I put some money aside for you.  This is a cheque… cash it when you get a chance.”

Joon’s jaw dropped as he stared at the envelope in his hands with shock.  “I… I can’t take this, hyung,” he said, “You already found us an apartment-”

“I don’t like sappy stuff,” Hyunsik said, waving him off, “So don’t offer it back and forth.  Consider it your severance pay.”  Again, he reached inside his pocket and pulled out a business card.  “This,” he said, handing it over to Joon again, “Is the contact information of one of the best attorneys in Seoul.  He’s also a childhood friend of mine and I’ve informed him of your situation.  Regardless of the result of the test, you should have a good attorney on your side just in case.”

Joon read over the card, mute with shock.  He looked up at Hyunsik and waited.

“What?” Hyunsik asked, “Who do you think I am?  Santa Clause?  I’m done.  Nothing else to give you.”  He leaned back in his chair and looked back at Joon with his typical smirk.  “I just hope that, in return, you can help me babysit my kids or something one day when you’re Mr. CEO,” he said.

Joon’s eyes widened even further as he heard Seungho cough with surprise.  “You…” Joon whispered, holding on to the card tightly with his fingers, “You have kids, hyung?”

“No,” Hyunsik said, rolling his eyes behind his square glasses, “And I haven’t decided if I can endure having little beasts if they’re anything like you.” 

“Hyung, this…” Joon said as he looked at the three items in his lap, “Thank you so much for this… I…”

“Joon-ah,” Hyunsik said, “And Seungho-yah… You need to prepare yourselves for the consequences.  Of course I hope that everything works out and that you resume your place as heir but… the corporate world can be dirtier than the underground.”  Sighing, he said, “Just… be on your toes.”

 “We will,” Seungho replied, “Thank you again… I don’t think either of us expected this.”

Hyunsik scoffed as he smirked at Seungho.  “You were seriously mad at me,” he said, giving Seungho the evil eye, “You’re scarier when you’re quiet you know that?”  He shuddered dramatically and got to his feet.  “Well… Lee Joon-shi and Yang Seungho-shi… it was nice doing business with you.”

Getting to his feet, Joon blinked away the stinging in his eyes and nodded.  “Thank you for taking care of us up until now hyung…” he said, “Please… stay in touch with us somehow.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hyunsik said, taking their hands and leading them to the door, “I’ll get in touch again once my blood pressure goes down.  Until then, don’t show your face around here you hear me?”

“Mm,” Joon said.  With one last bow, he closed the door behind them as they stood out in the hall.

“I didn’t expect any of that,” Seungho admitted as they made their way down the hall, “I regret feeling disappointed a little bit.”

“I didn’t either,” Joon murmured as he looked at the three things in his hands, “But… I’m so glad he’s our hyung.”

“Yeah well he’s something of a miracle man,” Seungho said with a smile, “He’s Mun Hyunsik after all.”

Joon smiled and nodded.  Hyunsik was indeed Mun Hyunsik after all.

Author's notes:

Hyunsik to the rescue!  Again!  Haha you were all disappointed in him in the last chapter right?  Well he isn't Mun Hyunsik for nothing!  Stay tuned for more now that the boys are officially out of KTA!