Jongin woke up from his uneasy slumber and sat straight on the sofa. He turned his head around to see that he fell asleep in the middle of the living room.

Jongin slowly got up and directed his vision to Kyungsoo’s closed room door.

Did that CEO come home last night? Or he didn’t?

Jongin glanced at the clock. 5.32 AM. Still quite early.

Jongin then approached Kyungsoo’s bedroom and knocked softly.

“Kyungsoo?”

There was no reply from the inside.

Jongin bit his lower lip and knocked again. “Hello? Kyungsoo?”

Still no reply.

Jongin then decided to push the door gently and found an empty room in front of him.

So Kyungsoo really didn’t come home after all…

Jongin sighed and turned around. He walked back to the sofa and sat on it. The tanned boy stared into space for a while before suddenly realized something.

His phone?

Jongin immediately reached the phone that was sitting pretty on the table and swiped it open. He found a new message from Kyungsoo, came just 23 minutes ago and tapped it open in hurry.

You are staying in the apartment today.

Jongin frowned when he read the message. His body turned cold and hot at the same time as he hastily typed back a reply.

Why?

Jongin waited for the reply. He waited, waited and waited but Kyungsoo didn’t reply his message anymore. The tanned boy huffed and finally put his phone back on the table.

Maybe Kyungsoo need some times alone.

Jongin then stayed in his position for a while.

Knock knock knock

Jongin rose his head when he heard a soft knock on the door. He waited for a minute until the knock was heard again, before he headed to the door and opened it.

Jongin was really surprised when he saw Taemin standing outside while holding a plastic bag.

Taemin on the other hand, was also looked surprised but immediately recovered and laughed. “I knew it. I knew that you must be awakened already at this hour.”

“Eh?” Jongin furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. “T-taemin? Why are you here?”

“Boss asked me to send a food delivery.” Taemin said while showing the plastic bag on his hand. “For breakfast, he said he doesn’t want you to poison yourself by try cooking on your own.”

If this was in another situation, Jongin maybe would just laugh and curse Kyungsoo. But once Taemin mentioned Kyungsoo’s name, the tanned boy went rigid and asked.

“W-where is Kyungsoo now?”

“Out to the office.” Taemin replied. “He stayed in my house last night, if you are wondering.”

“Oh…” Jongin mumbled. He looked down. Things clouded his mind.

“Err… Jongin?”

Taemin’s voice pulling Jongin back to the reality.

“Ah, yes?”

“Do you mind if I come inside?”Taemin grinned.

“Ah!” Jongin widened his eyes. “S-sure! Sure!”

The boy immediately moved and gave Taemin a space to enter the apartment, which the almond haired secretary gladly did.

“I’ll just put the food here.” Taemin said while walking toward the dining table. “So… I guess… You are getting a free day today?”

Jongin nodded weakly and followed Taemin to the dining table.

Taemin smiled softly and ushered him to sit. “You must be pretty shocked with what he told you last night, huh?”

Jongin rose his head. “You know?”

“Boss wouldn’t just come and stayed overnight on my house without telling me what had happened.” Taemin shrugged.

Jongin sighed and looked down. “I guess I touched a super sensitive topic last night.”

“Bingo,” Taemin replied. “But don’t worry. It’s just about the time that you would know, actually. I thought boss had told you about his family before but turned out he just said it last night.”

Jongin shook his head. “Was he saying the truth? Or was he just drunk?”

“It’s the truth,” Taemin calmly replied. “Boss Kyungsoo and Minho, they are not a real brother.”

“Like, step brother? W-was Kyungsoo adopted?” Jongin stammered. He almost couldn’t believe what he had just heard.

“Well, not a step brother. It’s not that bad.” Taemin shook his head. “It just, they are cousins. Not brothers.”

Jongin widened his eyes. “…Cousin?”

“Boss’ parents died in a car crash when he was just a little kid. Then Minho’s parents brought him with them, to be their son.”

“Car crash?” Jongin frowned.

“Yes. It’s happened when boss was still 4 I guess…” Taemin said. “I remembered when that accident occurred, the whole family was grieving. And a few weeks later, Minho’s mom brought another kid into the house. It’s boss Kyungsoo.”

“My dad's sibling...died because of the car accident."

Kyungsoo’s voice ran across Jongin’s head, reminding him of the CEO’s gloomy face back then in Bali.

“R-really?” Jongin asked in a low and shaky voice.

“Yes, and they put boss as their own son in the family’s card. So boss Kyungsoo is legally belong to their family.” Taemin explained. “…but he never feel he truly belongs there. I can understand, his relationship with Minho isn’t really good after all.”

“Does… Minho get jealous with Kyungsoo, and that’s why he hates Kyungsoo?”

Taemin stared at Jongin for a while before sighed. “Well that’s not the case. It just, their relationship isn’t good. Their bond is not as strong as what a real brother have. Especially boss and Minho had never met before when they were little. Boss Kyungsoo was a really shy kid, he only hung out with Baekhyun-ssi. That caused the most uncomfortable feeling when they suddenly have to stay under one roof. If you know what I mean.”

Jongin smiled bitterly when he heard Taemin’s last word. No, he wouldn’t understand. He had never even met any of his cousins, nor his family. His dad’s family and his mom’s family were against that marriage. No wonder he had no one he could talk to once his parents left him alone. He didn’t know anyone, and no one gives a about who’s him.

“They were just little kids,” Taemin said while sitting on one of the chair. “…and you know, little kids are not really good in expressing their selves. It’s either they just cry…”

Jongin watched as Taemin huffed.

“…or hurting each other.”

The two fell into silence for a few seconds before Taemin turned around. “Anyway, speaking of boss, he looked even worse than yesterday.”

Jongin’s attention was fully captured by Taemin’s words. “Eh?”

“You see, he’s kinda drunk when he arrived at my house last night. Luckily I don't stay with my parents anymore.”Taemin said. “The rising problems have hit him so hard.”

“…Is… is he alright?” Jongin asked with a small, almost a whisper-like voice. “…last night, I… I just popped out of nowhere and judged him… oh my God, why didn’t I think first before I act?”

Taemin broke into a small smile when he saw Jongin’s frustrated face. The boy must be worrying Kyungsoo all night long. It’s showing.

“Nah, boss is okay.” Taemin waved his hand. “It’s actually a very common thing for boss to be out in the club when he get frustrated.”

Jongin let out a helpless sigh.

“He sleeps with as many girls as he wants to get rid of his headache. That’s what he always does but last night…”

Taemin crossed his hands in front of his chest, leaning backward to the chair with a smiling face.

“…he didn’t. Well you stopped him. Stopped him from all the stupidity. Stopped him from fooling himself cause he knows no matter how fun he would spend his nights with all those worthless es in the club, in the morning everything goes back to normal.”

Taemin smiled and tilted his head to the left. “Running away, is boss’ specialty. But this time, I think you have given him a hard slap on the face that nothing’s gonna change…until he change it himself.”

Jongin frowned, looking at Taemin. He didn’t really understand Taemin’s point, nor the reason why the almond haired boy’s smiling.

“Boss is actually a warm person. Kind hearted, loyal, fun, and all.” Taemin explained again. “He just doesn’t show it. Everything’s covered up with his cold personality. It’s like he’s building a wall of protection to stop people approaching him too deep.”

Jongin stared at Taemin in silence. His brain started the flashbacks as Kyungsoo’s expressions and smiles ran back on his mind.

That surprise birthday party Kyungsoo prepared for Jongin, that happy and cheerful laugh he showed back then in Bali…

Kyungsoo wasn’t the type of person Jongin thought he was. He’s different.

Kyungsoo’s different.

Taemin smiled once again and then rose his shoulders. “Well, since you have nothing to do, what about going out with me today?”

“Where?” Jongin asked.

“Just out for fun. Quick, go take a shower!”

Jongin followed Taemin’s order without protests. He walked slowly toward his bedroom to take his changing clothes.

When the tanned boy was out of his room, he turned to glance at Kyungsoo’s room.

Why did Kyungsoo ask him to stay in apartment? He’s worried about Kyungsoo. He’s worried about the company.

Jongin sighed for one last time before turning his head back to the front and walked toward the bathroom.

He just wished everything would go back to the way it used to be.

Back to those days when Kyungsoo’s iness was the only thing disturbs him.

***

“Boss, Kim Hyejin-ssi asked for a refund, and we should also pay for their loss.” Yoona said in a quiet voice.

Kyungsoo took the paper and read the letter asking for a loss responsibility and groaned.

“We should pay this much? What the !”

The paper he was holding, just in a second had flown across the room. Yoona winced and shut her eyes tight, afraid that the paper would end up hitting her face.

Kyungsoo slowly brought his hand to his hair, shaking wildly in different kind of mixture emotions.

“…b-but we should pay their loss w-within a week, b-boss. B-because of our s-sudden cancellation of b-breads for two days…”

Kyungsoo rose his stressful face from his hands and signaled Yoona to take the paper. The boss took the pen and signed the letter without much talking.

Yoona stared in silence as he studied Kyungsoo’s tired face. His usually bright and cold expressions had replaced with such a depressed and suffering expression. Watching his pitiful condition made Yoona almost tear up.

“I-, I will go now.” Yoona said softly before taking the paper Kyungsoo had signed. “E-, excuse me…”

Kyungsoo didn’t reply and immediately turned his chair away from Yoona’s vision.

Yoona bowed before leaving the office room. She walked in a fast paced toward her working desk.

The pretty girl with super short hair and dressed in a formal clothes had waited for her. She rose from her seat once she saw Yoona. “How is it? Has he signed it?”

“Yes, Hari unnie. He has. You can just transfer the money to Kim Hyejin’s account and print it on the financial report.” Yoona replied while handing the letter Kyungsoo had signed to the girl who was called Hari.

“Ah, yes.” Hari received the letter and smiled. “I will. Thank you, Yoona.”

Yoona smiled and nodded.

“Ah, have you heard?” Hari suddenly asked. “My friend who worked in the YG company said that the reason why YG rejected our offer is because of JYP company.”

Yoona widened her eyes. “J-jyp? W-why?”

“I heard that JYP’s owner, Park Jinyoung-ssi is a really food friend of Yang Hyunseuk-ssi from YG.” Hari explained. “And my friend said Jinyoung-ssi told Hyunseuk-ssi that he’s against YG’s agreement with us.”

“Ah, what is that?” Yoona sounded annoyed. “How could he do that to us?”

“I don’t know. JYP doesn’t seem to like our company-, my friend told me so.” Hari rose her shoulders.

“But I also hear that from my friend-,” Yoona said again. “It looks like JYP is one of the Starwood’s shareholders.”

“Starwoord? That milk farm?” Hari rose her chocolate honey colored eyebrows.

Yoona nodded. “Yes. Since Park Jinyoung-ssi is the biggest shareholder, they decided to stop the work with our company.”

“Ah, so irritating!” Hari stomped her left leg and the crispy sound of expensive high heels collided with the floor filled the room. “Why that JYP is doing that to us? Is it because of us rejecting the offer to work together?”

“Probably.” Yoona nodded her head. “You know that JYP is well-known with it stubbornness. They get what they want, and if they don’t they destroy what’s on their way.”

“Such a cruel company. Have boss known this?” Hari narrowed her eyes and made a disgusted expression.

“No.” Yoona shook her head and turned toward Kyungsoo’s room. “We should wait until…”

The words died down in Yoona’s throat when she saw Kyungsoo was standing on the door of his office, listening to their conversation.

Kyungsoo showed unreadable expressions before taking a step back and turned around.

“…Ah…”

Both Yoona and Hari froze on their places when they realized what had happened. Those two look at each other before Hari gasped.

“H-he heard us?”

Yoona bit her lower lip and nodded.

Hari showed a terrified expression before desperately push it aside. “B-but he should know, at last. Y-you know, he couldn’t forever b-be unaware with the fact that JYP t-tried to bring this company d-d