Chapter Six

“I know you just invited Mira into the house, but are you doing okay?” Haemi asked her father who continued to sit in the main room by himself, his cup of tea cold on the table in front of him. The blank expression on his face was confusing to Haemi. “I can’t tell if you’re confused or pissed off, or both maybe.” She stood by and watched to see if his face would change, but it didn’t, and his reply almost came out as a hiss.

“I’m fine,” he replied before standing, leaving the tea on the table and pushed past Haemi. The girl watched him until he disappeared upstairs before she cleaned up the tea. Jihwan slammed the door to his office and picked his phone up, dialing the number of a man he needed to have a serious talk with.

“I should have known you’d call after inviting Mira into your house,” Jihoon answered on the other end of the line. Jihwan’s agitated growl vibrated in his chest. This was more than just inviting Mira in, this was serious business.

“You failed to mention that you’d be dropping out of our plan, Han Jihoon!” he yelled through the phone, slamming his hand down on his thick cherry wood desk. No one ever turned back on a deal they made with Kim Jihwan, nobody.

Jihoon, on the other hand, sighed and attempted to calm the angry elder man down. “I honestly don’t even know what you’re talking about anymore. I thought things had gone smoothly over there, at least they should have,” he said.

“Oh they did, but it was a little information that I learned from your daughter that I’m a little peeved about. She go accepted to Emory, which need I remind you is in America, where our plan will definitely not follow through.”

“It’s true, she got accepted to Emory, but I still don’t understand how it will cause our plan self-destruction,” Jihoon replied.

“Don’t be an idiot.”

“The only one who is being an idiot is you. Mira was accepted to Emory, she didn’t lie to you. But I can tell that she failed to tell you that both her mother and I refused her entry. She’s not going to Emory, and as a matter of fact, we’ve basically forbidden her from leaving Seoul. So don’t get your in a twist because you didn’t hear the full story, Jihwan. It was merely miscommunication, or a failure of understanding on your part,” Jihoon replied. It didn’t really make Jihwan any less angry since he knew that Jihoon was just playing around with his anger. Unfortunately for Jihwan, Jihoon was experienced in the field of playing with fire, and it was hard to burn him anymore, so Jihwan kept his mouth shut.   

“Anyway, since Mira has left your home, I expect her home shortly,” and with that, the conversation was over. Jihoon hung up on Jihwan, making the already angry male even angrier. But it wasn’t of any use now as he slammed the phone back down on the receiver. He stormed out of his office, causing an alarmed reaction from both Kai and Baekhyun who just stared down the hallway to where the door had been opened.

“Well your dad’s pissed,” Baekhyun commented, his eyes looking over to Kai.

“What else is new,” he replied, looking back to the TV as he sat on the couch.

Mira had picked up some fruit from the market and was making her way home, the time was only about eleven in the morning. She had gotten a treat for her mother and father—a dragon fruit. They were very expensive fruits imported from Central America and were a treat to the whole family—Mira knew her mother would be pleased.

She opened the door, a bag full of dragon fruits that she happily greeted her mother with, who was a little shocked by her more than gleeful behavior. After all, it was just yesterday that she had forbidden Mira to attend college. But she smiled nonetheless, greeted her daughter and accepted the gift without question. Jihoon smiled, watching her daughter skip up the stairs after giving him a swift kiss on the cheek.

“What has gotten into her?” Somi asked.

“Life,” Jihoon replied with a chuckle, taking the heavy bag of fruit from his wife to take them into the kitchen. “I had a chat with Jihwan, who had suspected that we were going to drop out on the plan,” he added.

Somi rolled her eyes, “That man suspects every kind of negative action from everyone,” she replied with a chuckle. “What was his accusation now?”

“Basically that we were going to let Mira go off to Emory without second thought about the company. Jihwan isn’t stupid, but sometimes he lets his feelings get the best of him. He was so funny on the phone today yelling at me like I had done something wrong,” he said, his laugh growing to a little more than a chuckle.  Somi shook her head, by now the two of them had expected this behavior from Jihwan.

“Did you talk to Hyeri about the matter?” Somi asked.

“Absolutely not, you know how Jihwan is about me talking to her. He barely even lets you talk to her. I don’t know what that’s about. No offense, but you two are some of the strictest people I’ve ever met.” This earned a glare from the female who sat at the kitchen table with him. He chuckled nervously.

Back at the Kim household, Kai yawned. “Mira, please never come over that early again,” he laughed, causing Baekhyun to laugh as well.

“I doubt she’ll be coming over any time soon, we both know how your parents feel about her,” Baekhyun replied.

“Honestly, I was surprised that my dad even bothered to let her in, much less tell me that she was here, and even more that he made everyone tea and sat around to chat. After all the years of hatred towards the Han family that he’s tried to force into me, I was a little shocked,” Kai said, “Do you have any speculations on the matter?”

Baekhyun thought for a moment, going through all the possible scenarios he could think of. “You know, the only conclusion that I can come up with is that your dad is weird, but we both know that,” he laughed.

“True that,” Kai replied, a smile growing on his face, too.

“Ahh, I’m so glad it’s a day off,” Baekhyun said, kicking his feet up on the table. “I’m surprised my mom hasn’t called me yet, since I was supposed to go home last night and I’ve had plenty of time to get home this morning.”

“I think my mom called your mom earlier and said that if the weather keeps up like it did last night you’d be staying here, so I think it’s all good.”

“Your mom, always thinking ahead,” Baekhyun commented, awkwardly looking down at his hands as the conversation died. They both knew what was on each other’s mind. None other than Mira, of course, was the star of both of their thoughts—for different reasons.

Kai, of course, couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened this morning. He was just playing around and got the initial reaction he was looking for, but what he really didn’t expect was for her to actually follow through with it. He knew she wasn’t stupid, so the only explanation he had left for himself was that she was extremely bold—through her life she always had been as far as Kai was concerned.

However, for Baekhyun, the only thoughts he had about Mira were her smarts—how she so easily tricked Kai’s father who seemed to be on top of everything all the time. Did Mira know Kai’s father inside and out from either eavesdropping on conversations between him and her dad or had she been keeping tabs on him as long as she had been in training? He didn’t really know firstly because he didn’t know how long Mira had been in training, and secondly because he didn’t really even know Mira at all. In fact, he had barely just learned of her existence yesterday, but Baekhyun was always one for thinking.

In fact, so much thinking he was happening, he was wondering what was going on in Haemi’s mind—the one who had so expertly defended Mira’s story without even having a clue really what Mira had said to her father. Haemi wasn’t too shabby herself when it came to smarts and trickery. The two of them were cunning and intelligent as hell.  It almost blew Baekhyun’s mind to know how easily they worked together, like they could read each other’s minds.

All the while that Baekhyun was thinking about how they thought, the room continued in silence. But now Kai was inspecting Baekhyun’s face which was contorting into all kinds of weird things as he skimmed over thought after thought. Kai couldn’t help the smile that rose to his face as he laughed.

Downstairs Jihwan plopped down in a chair next to his wife who looked at him with inquiring eyes. “The plan is going according to plan,” he said.

“Is that so? I had no doubt that it would. Do you remember who made this plan? It was me and Somi, and you know how we are. It’s no surprise that you’d get so worked up about nothing,” she replied with a soft chuckle.

“It’s kind of hard to teach someone who isn’t there,” Jihwan replied.

“Of course, of course!” Hyeri replied, standing to massage the strong shoulders of her husband. “You should just trust in me and Somi that everything will be okay. We can be very persuasive, you know,” she whispered into his ear.

“Persuasive about what?” Kai asked as he and Baekhyun entered the room, looking for breakfast to be ready. After all, it was already almost noon. “Looks like we’re on our own for breakfast, Baekhyun,” Kai said with a shrug.

“I wasn’t born yesterday, Jongin. You didn’t come down here for breakfast, you came down here for answers,” Hyeri replied to her son.

As if on cue, Kai’s stomach growled which was followed by Baekhyun’s. He looked down at his own, settling his hand on top of it before looking at Baekhyun. “Ahh, you’re funny, mom. But we’re actually pretty hungry, so I guess we’ll go out and get something if that’s cool with you.”

“Oh no need for that, I’ll make you guys breakfast,” Haemi said, coming into the main room with a smile on her face and—although she was shorter than the two males—wrapped her arms around their necks to bring them back towards the kitchen.  Hyeri’s jaw clenched as she made eye contact with her eldest daughter.

Haemi’s eyes smiled as if to say, I’m just as conniving as you are.

“Thanks, Haemi! That’s really cool of you!” Baekhyun said, trying to play along, but his acting skills needed a little help. Regardless, Baekhyun had eaten Haemi’s cooking, and it was a definite that she had learned from her father.

“How would you like to get a taste of the company today, Baekhyun?” Jihwan asked as he came in to sit down at the table with the two boys. Kai sighed dramatically. It was going to be one of those days. He always dreaded the day he had to go hang out in the office with his father. Kai didn’t have much interest in the company, and even though he knew he would have to take it over, he literally made no attempt to learn anything.

Baekhyun looked to Kai for approval, but Kai’s expression was less than blank. It was like looking at a brick wall. “Sure,” Baekhyun replied tentatively. Kai set his elbow on the table in a rough fashion and his chin followed, landing in the palm of his hand as he exhaled exasperatedly.

“You’re going to have to get over going to the office, Jongin. It will be your office someday.”

“I don’t see why I can’t just be a normal teenager and do normal teenage things like go out with my friends and flirt with girls and be, I don’t know, normal,” Kai said.

Kai’s mother had dropped the plates she pulled out from the cabinet. It seemed as though that family had a habit of dropping things when they were surprised. “You cannot go out and be normal and flirt with girls because girls are the root of all evil! The reason we haven’t let you date is because if any girl was to find out that you’re the successor of this company, they would only date you for the money, and they’d break your heart and be the heartless little—”

“The point is your mother is over protective and thinks her son only deserves the best women,” Haemi butted in, bumping hips with her mom in a joking manner, but no one really found it funny. Haemi returned to her business and continued with breakfast while the others all sat in silence, especially Baekhyun. This had to be hands down the most awkward stay he has ever had in the Kim household.

“Poor Baekhyun,” Kai said, patting the elder male on the head, “having to be around when my parents decide to bring up a bunch of family drama. So annoying,” he added with a smile, but Baekhyun was very unamused.

Breakfast was served and before any time seemed to pass, the two boys and two girls were in the office with Jihwan and his assistant, Jung Hyunjoo.

“Usually when I come here, I sit around and play games at the extra desk, but I think we’ll be going on a tour today,” Kai said, silently apologizing to Baekhyun before someone opened the door. It wasn’t someone who usually came through that door and everyone’s eyes widened at the sight.

“Look Hyunjoo. I really don’t know why you keep signing for the wrong address. We don’t want Kim Family Industries’ mail, and I’m getting really sick of delivering it!” Kai had to grab onto Baekhyun’s arm to stabilize him, as he was now looking at a very professionally dressed Han Mira.

“I just can’t avoid you, can I,” Kai commented quietly before looking over to his father who was just as shocked that she would barge in unannounced.

“There’s a package for you downstairs in my car, please send someone to help me get it,” she said and disappeared through the door, not giving a second glance to everyone who was in the room, especially not Kai or Baekhyun who stood in the very back, almost invisible.

“You can let go of me at any time,” Baekhyun commented.

“You two, downstairs,” Jihwan commented, motioning for Kai and Baekhyun to retrieve the package.  As the two of them walked behind Mira, she smirked. The footsteps were too familiar, surprisingly enough, but she ignored them until they got outside.

The sky was cloudy and dark, looking as though it was getting ready to rain as Mira popped the trunk. Baekhyun immediately made his way over there, which is what Kai was expecting exactly as Mira stopped next to her car. Kai looked for Baekhyun and when he was sure that Baekhyun was adequately distracted, he turned back to Mira who wanted to squeal when Kai pushed her up against the car.

“What the hell, this box is empty!” Baekhyun called.

Kai gave Mira an inquiring look, his body really too close for comfort, almost touching hers. “I’m just doing my job,” she said, “my father sent me to deliver the mail and a fake package to see who was here. It turns out he was right, you would be here today, but why he sent me is not really any of my business. He said it’s all a part of the plan,” she added.

Kai wasn’t buying it, but he didn’t really have a choice. “My father is getting pretty sick of your father’s games, Mira.”

Mira scoffed. “You know less than I thought you did. They’re in this plan together. I shouldn’t know it, but I’m not dumb.”

Kai didn’t really have a reply until he took the back of her neck and pulled her forward. Mira froze her heart pumping quickly as his chest lay against hers. She could feel his sweet breath on her neck, his smirk against her ear. “You’re going to figure out what it is since you seem to be a lot more conniving than I thought you were,” he said, his hand sliding down her back and to the back pocket of her dress pants where he snatched a white envelope out with his name written in script on it, the word private written under it in parenthesis. “And I’ll take this,” he said, holding it in front of her face between his index and middle finger.  His free hand took her head softly and pulled her against his chest and it wasn’t long before her slender arms wrapped around him. He smirked, shading his eyes with his hair and leaned down to her ear again. “Be safe, and give your father my regards.”

Kai and Baekhyun disappeared through the doors of the building, leaving Mira almost gasping for breath, having it been so easily taken away by Kai.