Kai takes a deep breath and presses the ornate, gold-plated doorbell sitting next to the enormous glass-plated door.

 

    Within a minute, a maid has answered the door.

 

    “Master Kai,” she says, curtsying deeply. “Your family is waiting for you in the dining room. Would you like me to you?”

 

    “That’s alright,” Kai responds. “I remember where the dining room is.”

 

    “It’s been a while since you’ve been home,” the maid smiles. “How are the dorms?”

 

    Kai shrugs. “Good, I suppose.”

 

    “That’s nice to hear. Well, have a nice dinner.” The maid bows once more, and then exits the foyer.

 

    The Kim mansion is as colossal and lavish as Kai remembers. In fact, it looks like his house has somehow managed to become more gaudy. Kai wrinkles his nose as he looks through the wall-to-wall glass windows of his house. Peacocks? His stepmother is obviously enjoying his father’s fortune. Kai narrows his eyes, shaking his head.

 

    After another deep breath, Kai makes his way through the winding hallways until he reaches a towering white Venetian door. He can hear the faint murmur of conversation through the walls.

 

    It’s just one dinner, Kai tells himself firmly. You can make it through. Then you can go home and relax.

 

    He opens the door. Sitting at the long, dark table in the center of the room is Kai’s father, his stepmother (she must be frequenting Dr. Yoon’s plastic surgery clinic, because she is almost unrecognizable), and...

 

    “What are you doing here?” Kai growls at Joonmyeon.

 

Joonmyeon merely smirks in response.

 

    “Ah, you’re here.” Kai’s stepmother says in a saccharine-sweet voice. She flashes him an overly friendly smile, which Kai does not return. “Sit down. Try the veal oscar. It’s delicious.”

 

    “Father, would you like some more of the Cornish hen?” Joonmyeon asks in a smooth voice. “I requested the chef to prepare this dish in honor of your wedding anniversary.”

 

    “Ah, Joonmyeon. You’re the best.” Kai’s father grins at Joonmyeon, causing Kai’s stomach to lurch unpleasantly. However, Kai hurriedly stifles the unpleasant emotions rising up his throat.

 

    “I just want to get this over with,” he grumbles, sitting down at the table. A maid places a clean plate in front of him.

 

    “You inconsiderate boy,” Kai’s father growls, his demeanor changing entirely as he looks at Kai. “It’s your stepmother and I’s wedding anniversary. Why don’t you try being nice for a change? You should be more like your brother.”

 

    Joonmyeon throws Kai a condescending snicker. “Yes, brother,” Joonmyeon tells Kai. “Respect our beloved parents.”

 

“Go to hell,” Kai hisses.

 

“Joonmyeon, why don’t you talk about the success you had at the company the other day?” Kai’s father says loudly. “The board loved your proposal. You clearly did your research on potential drilling sites.”

 

Joonmyeon dips his head. “Thank you, Father. I appreciate it.”

 

“I’m so happy Joonmyeon is helping you at work, Kang Dae,” Kai’s stepmother says demurely. “Maybe he can even work at Korea National Oil Company one day.”

 

    “Work there?” Kai’s father laughs. “Soo Jin, Joonmyeon’s going to follow in my footsteps and be the CEO!”

 

    “That’s for the Board of Directors to decide,” Kai cuts in, his tone curt. His father and stepmother turn to him in disdain.

 

    “The Board of Directors is going to appoint Joonmyeon as CEO after me,” Kai’s father sniffs. “He has obviously done a much better job working than you have. Maybe if you’re nice, Joonmyeon will allow you to have a position in the company.”

 

    Kai feels like he is going to throw up. Thanks for the support, Father, he scoffs. How can Kang Dae be so supportive of Joonmyeon, but treat Kai like a piece of trash? What did Kai ever do wrong? His entire life, Kai has done nothing but listen to his Father’s instructions.

 

And then, right after Kai’s stepmother’s funeral- the one he sincerely loved- Kai’s father reveals that Kai has a half-brother. Apparently, Kang Dae wasn’t too faithful to Kai’s mother. That is why he fathered another child while he was still married to Kai’s mother: an annoying brat named Kim Joonmyeon.

 

Kai’s father officially married Joonmyeon’s mother, and she ended up moving into Kai’s house with her son.

 

And from that day forth, Joonmyeon was the golden child of the Kim household.

 

And from that day forth, Kai and Joonmyeon began to despise each other with a burning passion. Forget brothers; the two were sworn rivals who strived to beat each other in everything they did.

 

Kai knows what is at stake if he loses to Joonmyeon: his inheritance, his position as CEO of his father's company, everything.

 

Kai looks over at Joonmyeon. He is wearing a disgustingly smug look on his face. I win again, Joonmyeon’s eyes scream with pleasure.

 

Kai’s insides burn with indignation.

 

    Then an idea pops into his head. Fine. If Joonmyeon wants to play dirty, I’ll play dirty.

 

    “Father? Mother?” Kai says. “Guess who I saw yesterday?”

 

    “Who?” Soo Jin says uninterestedly.

 

    Kai looks directly at Joonmyeon. “Lee Yoojin.”

 

    The smile is wiped clean from Joonmyeon’s face.

 

    “Oh, Yoojin!” Soo Jin trills. “I haven’t thought about her in years!”

 

    “Yoojin?” Kang Dae scratches his head, looking confused at his wife’s enthusiastic response. “Wasn’t she the old maid’s daughter?”

 

    “Yes,” Soo Jin nods. “Her mother had been working for me since Joonmyeon was a baby. She quit while Joonmyeon was in high school, and Yoojin moved. Yoojin was Joonmyeon’s classmate, remember?”

 

    Kai grins at Joonmyeon, who is fuming. “Yeah. Yoojin and I are in the same club at school, actually.”

 

“Oh, Yoojin.” Soo Jin shakes her head. “She always used to talk to Joonmyeon. She was a nice girl, but she didn’t know her place, really.”

 

Joonmyeon is gripping his fork so hard his knuckles are turning white.

 

“The poor thing thought she was ‘friends’ with Joonmyeon.” Soo Jin clucks her tongue. “At least she was good at scrubbing the countertops. I always made Yoojin clean the kitchen and bathrooms-,”

 

Joonmyeon stands up so abruptly that his chair tips backwards and crashes to the floor. Kang Dae and Soo Jin look at him in alarm. Kai, however, leans back in his chair, a superior expression on his face.

 

“I just forgot,” Joonmyeon says, his voice shaking. “I have to go conclude my marketing plan for my presentation on Friday. I apologize for leaving your anniversary dinner midway.”

 

“It’s alright,” Kang Dae says slowly, noting the dark expression on Joonmyeon’s face. “Go work.”

 

“Honey, you didn’t even try the eclairs!” Soo Jin calls after her son.

 

He pays no heed to his mother, however, as he slams the door shut with a bang!

 

“ you, Kai,” Joonmyeon mutters once he is out of earshot of Kang Dae. “That brought her up on purpose-,”

 

“Lee Yoojin’s still a touchy subject for you, huh?” an amused voice asks behind him.

 

Joonmyeon whirls around. Kai is leaning up against the doorsill, appraising Joonmyeon with laughing eyes.

 

“You bastard,” Joonmyeon snarls. “Why the hell did you bring her up?”

 

“Why do you care so much about her?” Kai asks innocuously. “Weren’t you the one who constantly harassed her throughout high school, even though you were supposed to be her friend?”

 

“I was never Yoojin’s friend,” Joonmyeon says in a low voice. “She was my maid. She worked for me.”

 

“Please, your childhood photo albums are filled with pictures of you and Yoojin,” Kai scoffs. “When you moved here, I remember you two always running around the house, going on your little exploring adventures or whatever. You and Yoojin were inseparable... until you got to high school.”

 

“Shut up, Kai.” Joonmyeon says, clenching his teeth.

 

“I don’t know,” Kai shrugs. “Yoojin’s pretty hot now. Maybe I should ask her out-,”

 

In an instant, Joonmyeon has grabbed Kai by the collar and slammed him against a pillar.

 

“Don’t you ing dare,” he growls. His eyes are blazing with fury. “Stay away from her. I don’t know what you’re trying to pull by joining her club, but just know: I will take you down. So don’t even try to manipulate me using her, because it’s not going to work.”

 

The two glare at each for an entire minute, both of them refusing to back down.

 

Finally, Kai murmurs, “Funny. I never suggested that I would use Yoojin to manipulate you.”

 

Joonmyeon’s eyes widen. He quickly lets go of Kai.

 

Bingo, Kai smirks. I've found Kim Joonmyeon's weakness.

 

---

A/N: Wow, I feel like this chapter is full of so much drama and information xD Basically, to sum it all up:

- Joonmyeon is Kai's half-brother (same father, different mom)

- Kai's dad (Kang Dae) cheated on Kai's birth mother with Joonmyeon's mom (Soo Jin). That's why Joonmyeon and Kai are the same age.

- Kai's parents blatantly favor Joonmyeon

- Something going on with Yoojin and Joonmyeon?? Hmm....

COMMENT YOUR THEORIES HEHE I WANNA KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THINK! And thanks for reading, bbyz :)