Chapter 8: Being hurt

***

The two distinctive knocks at the door alerted me straightaway who the person on the other side was. As we had used to each other way of working, he entered after the second knock without I'd to call him in. 

None other than my dutiful right-hand man, Park Yoochun, bowing once his eyes met mine. My brows gauged, anticipating the report that he will delivering to me for the day.

"Boss, the two traitors are currently being detained in the abandoned basement at the east wing of our building. What's your next order?" 

"Two? I thought there are more rats that still digging up a hole in my territory."

"Yes, Siwon and others are currently taking care of that. I'm sure the two traitors would not last longer in keeping their mouth shut. I'm sure they will spit the rest of the name that involved."

"Have you prepare and bring the thing that I asked you to?"

"Yes, here it is." Yoochun extended the medium size of black-velvet box to me, as expected from my best man. I took the box and opened it without much word. A thin line of satisfaction smile broke across my face once I had my hand on the glistening, cold-metal blades before my eyes. It was my favourite set of knives which had been specially designed with different shapes and sizes, enough to serve for its purpose of torturing and ending someone's life in many ways I favoured. I took out one of the blades, inspecting its serrated edge with the tip of my finger.

"Yoochun..." I called. My hands still busy playing with the sharp, metal object.

"Yes, boss?"

"Did you forget to report something more important to me today?"

"I don't think there's anything else at the moment, beside the traitor's issue."

"Kim Jaejoong… what is he up to today? You see, nothing is good when that boy is so quiet these days."

"Oh, as what I have been reported this morning by Kyuhyun who has been watching over him, Kim Jaejoong is still busy searching for the place for his course training."

"He still pursue in finding the company to hire him?"

"Yes, it seemed he’s still not giving up."

"Then, have you blocked all of his attempts discreetly?"

"Yes, I did so far. All the companies that he went to had received a notice from me beforehand and they had already rejected Kim Jaejoong's application as a trainee."

"Good. Ask Kyuhyun to keep a close eye on what Jaejoong is doing. That boy will not giving up so soon. He is just always oblivious toward his surroundings, which is not good." 

I put back the blades in the box set. I couldn't help, but feel bothered a little by the thing related Jaejoong that had just reached my ears. It wasn't like I wanted to tie him down with me all the time; even I'd intended to if it was possible. But that pure and innocent lover of mine just didn't know how the real world out there worked. Most of the companies he applied belonged to those highly regarded businessmen, conglomerates, and politicians. Those men would be held in esteem or well-regarded on the eyes of public, but not to me. Only I knew their begging face when they were in desperate, asking me a favour and having committed unrighteous acts behind their clean business as people used to think of. And that was something I greatly wanted my boo to not getting involved with. 

If I was in the negative side of life, then let him remain in the positive side as he already been, because he would let and bring everything getting better in my life - no point messing up our perfect balance. But to disclose these things to him wasn't easy as it sounds, just like keeping him safe from my enemy's clutches secretly. Would he understand the kind of life I've been lived in? Would he able to accept the kind of person I actually was?

As it was just at the right time, the door of my office was opened harshly, making me looked up and met the furious face that I'd grown fond of to see lately; a new expression I'd successfully poked out from this quiet and used to be aloof Kim Jaejoong. Well, it was not that furious to me as it looked more... adorable actually.

I smirked. "What a surprise to see you visit me at the office, considering you won't step a foot here unless you were in a desperation or I've to drag you myself."

"You..." 

Jaejoong's face was reddening, obviously look fumed over something. I didn't need to deduce the cause of it. 

"Yes, baby?"

He bit his bottom lips, seemed trying to suppress his current emotional turmoil as he glanced at Yoochun. I got the hint and waved my hand, signalling Yoochun to leave the room.

Once the door closed, leaving just both of us in the quiet room, Jaejoong turned facing me back. His eyes stared at me intensely. Well, I knew how to break that look…

"What is it sweetheart? Don't look at me with those eyes. You know you look kind of y right now." I smiled and leaned my back on the armchair, one leg crossed up another as I enjoyed returning the gaze of the person before me.

Expecting him to fume over my composedness, but he had suddenly turned quiet and just staring down at his two feet. He knew how I would always hate and get agitated by receiving his complete silent treatment.

"Boo..."

He slowly looked up at me back with an irresistible sulky look. There was also a look of hesitancy in his eyes.

"Come here."

***

[Jaejoong POV]

"Come here."

The voice was soft and yet commanding, making it was impossible for me to ignore. The feeling of regret slowly make its way crept inside of me as I'd made such erratic move, following my sudden raise of rage to come here upon found out that all my attempts to find a company for my training course failed due to this man’s deed. All the confusion that I've been facing for the past two weeks was finally answered. I'd just know the real reason behind the failure of my employment when one of those interviewers blurted out Yunho's name, thoughtlessly. He had unthinkingly asked me why I didn't just working with this man before me; the most influential man that was said to have an unexplainable authority and conquer most of the part in this main city.

That had enough to make me feel downgraded and incapable to show my own potency in doing the basic things in my life, including to create the path for my own career.

"Boo, come closer." 

I jerked at the sudden calm and demanded voice of Yunho again, that broke me from my train of thoughts. I felt nervous as I walked closer to him, even I'd known well he had the power of making the people around him shivering slightly by just a mere thought of his presence in the same room. But it was different on my part, I never thought of to be drawn out by him inexplicably at the point I couldn't comprehend myself anymore when it comes about this man. 

It was just like what happened three weeks ago when for the first time, I saw this fearless and untouched Jung Yunho laid on the hospital bed for the first time after he got shot. It gave me a great impact that I had never feel in my whole life; my  whole limb felt weak as I was stricken with dread. Just the thought of losing him scared me, so much.

"I'm already standing close to you." I mumbled as I stood near him.

"Sit here." He said again in an ordering manner as he gestured me to sit on his laps.

I stared at him with a deep petulant feeling, nonetheless obeyed the order reluctantly - it wasn't like I have the will to fight as I knew well the result of it. This jerk always found his way to win. He liked to do things at his own pace and I couldn't deny that I was getting use to this life style of having my life wrapped around his fingers. But sometimes I still didn't understand his way of thinking, just like now. He shouldn’t have intervened in such trivial matter which I believed it could be settled easily if he didn't come between as an influence. And I won't be feeling this mortified, which had making me to slink off in shame in front of those people just now.

"So, I assume you have something to discuss with me?" Yunho asked casually.

"Yes. B-but... not in this kind of position."

"What, you have a problem with sitting on my laps?"

"Yunnie, s-someone might enter the room and see us-"

"No one will dare to enter. Yoochun is guarding the door."

I looked down, hand fiddling with the top button of Yunho's shirt; it was out of habit in trying to hide my nervousness. And before I could compose myself, Yunho's cold fingers held my chin up and his lips captured mine, caught me off guard. 

I gasped after regained my sense and pushed him away after he succeeded stealing a moment of kissing me hard on the lips, leaving me breathless.

"W-what...are you doing?" I asked after certain back my breath.

"What? I thought I got the right hint from you, seeing how you were so interested to my shirt. Isn't it indicating you wanted me to make a move on you?"

"W-what... No!" My eyes widened and I could felt my face flushed at the statement, only then I realized my stupid gesture just now had giving him a very wrong thought.

"Oh, it's not? What a disappointed… I thought that was the reason you come here with looking at me seductively just now." Yunho said. The corner of his lips curled up in a smile that had enough to display something mischievous in his mind.

This jerk! He knew it all, and he was playing with me!

I tried to get off from his laps, but he seemed knew my intention as his hand immediately tightened and locked me firmly to sit still. He suddenly brought his palm on my forehead, as if checking my temperature.

"How long have you been wandering on the street with this thin of cloth?" Yunho sudden question made me looked at him confusedly.

"How do you know I have been wa-" I shut my mouth, as there was no use to ask such a question. This man knew it all! 

"Are you spied on me, again?" I changed the question.

"Please put on some more cloth. You seem have catch a cold." He ignored my question.

"I'm fine..."

"No, you are not. You always not aware when you are getting sick."

I huffed, hated how he could always changed the topic easily. "Yunnie, I...I actually come here to ask you something." I asked in a voice laden with angry at his act of pretending ignorance. 

"Oh, okay. I'm listening..." He said, putting on a focus face as he stared at me now.

Wetting my lips, I continued "Why did you intervene in my matter again? You promise me that you won't get into my business if it related to my school, isn't it?" I said it out finally. 

We had discussed about this before when I voiced out to him about my school requirement that needed me to complete  4 months training before I could graduate. And he did promised he will not using any of his influence or connection to get my work ease and done. He promised to let me finish my things on my own. But it didn't seem like it was promised when I found out the real thing today, when that old man who interviewed me this morning had accidentally spit out the ridiculous question - that was out of the norm to me.

"Boo, just let's forget what I've promised you before. I found it isn't affective actually. Just let me arrange a good workplace for you or I will ask someone to prepare a letter of you completing that 4 months of training if you wanted to. All will be settled without you need to wandering around, tiring yourself with seeking a job." 

"No!" I sprang up from the comfortableness on his laps. "A promise is a promise, you can't retreat back your words." My voice raising an octave higher than normal before I aware of it.

Yunho stared at me with the usual unreadable glint in his eyes. "Boo, you know when I said no, it means no. So, why don't you just listen to me?" He said in a cold, controlled voice. 

"Why? Why should I do as you said?"

"Don't ask me why. I have a reason for doing this."

"But I need to know the reason first." I argued.

"I told you, don't ask me why. It's something you shouldn't know and better to not getting yourself involve with it." 

His simple and dubious answer just amplified my anger and curiosity again. I felt like I was being controlled and treated like a fool who knows nothing here.

"Then that is not enough to stop me. I just want to plan my own future without your interruption."

"Your future is being with me forever, Kim Jaejoong. There is no use to think about it again. I told you I will let you achieve everything you wanted with minimal effort, so why do you still need to struggle yourself so much? When everyone is hoping for an easy life, you are keep being hard on yourself."

I stared at Yunho in silence. This man really... he made me speechless! His thoughtless statement had just sent me some guts to rebel, just to show him how wrong he was.

"Have you heard about taking someone or something for granted, Yunnie? It seems you still not understand me enough and know what I hated the most." With that said, I stomped out of his office with rage boiled inside of me. I really didn't understand this man sometime. What was in his mind actually?

I entered the elevator once I saw its metal door opened. It was a mindless step and action as I just pressed the button of the elevator randomly -  didn't think where it would take me. Once the ding sound alarmed my arrival, I walked out to where I assumed would lead me out of this huge office tower. But just then, I felt something was not right...

There was more than tens pair of eyes stared at me - I'd stepped into a wrong floor. It was a busy department which filled with women and men employees in their office attire. I felt somewhat out of place suddenly, as I only in my usual dark and torn jeans with a simple white shirt. All of them had stopped what they were doing and slowly, the silence atmosphere broke into whisperings and I overheard a few employees muttering 'special visitor' or something.  It triggered something to me and I looked down at the tag which written 'privilege' that was clipped on my shirt. It was given to me by one of Yunho's men; Kyuhyun who always out of nowhere approached me every time I was here, giving me this stupid pass before I enter this building. Now, I remembered that he had alway