CHAPTER 8 - FOR KYUNGSOO

UNEDITED. AGAIN. I KNOW. IM MILES BEHIND ON CHECKING OVER MY WORK, BUT IN THE WORDS OF ARNIE, I'LL BE BACK. 

It’s official after that.

Jongin and Kyungsoo are hesitant of labels though, purely because Jongin still isn’t ready to come out yet. For now, it remains that only Kyungsoo, his friends, Sehun and Joohyun know that Jongin is gay. Because of this, they bob along steadily at their own pace, and Kyungsoo is actually really enjoying have a special someone.

At first, Kyungsoo felt a little unsure of himself. Of course labels on relationships aren’t necessary and have potential to do more harm than good, but Kyungsoo still worries about where he stands without a clear definition. He understands though, a lot of pressure is about to be lumped on top of Jongin and that last thing he needs is a possible media backlash to his coming out.

Even now, as he sits in Kyungsoo’s apartment in his shirt and boxers, he is worrying over work. Jongin is due on a trip to Italy tomorrow to finalise a deal for the company with a large Italian brand. It’s his first official job in a CEO position, and he’ll be away for one week. One day after he returns, the company will hold an official announcement evening to celebrate Jongin fully taking over the position of CEO, and there will be information given on the deal with the Italian company.

Jongin knows if he messes this up, it could throw the company into turmoil.

Kyungsoo wishes he could help, but as he looks over the pages upon pages of legal documents and graphs spread out on his living room floor, he decides he’d probably be more of hindrance.

Instead, he makes Jongin copious amounts of cups of tea as the younger flicks through the sheets as he lies sprawled across the rug.

It’s heading into early November so the sky is dark outside even if it’s only early evening. Jongin’s forgotten his glasses so his frown is deepening as the light in Kyungsoo’s apartment isn’t the greatest.

He already has dark bags under his eyes from a few sleepless nights troubling himself over the event and Kyungsoo is worried for him.

“Jongin.” Kyungsoo says, and Jongin looks up, blinking a little to adjust his eyes. “It’s not that I don’t want you here, but I really think you should go home and get some rest. Jetlag’s even worse when you’re tired in the first place. I don’t want you getting ill.”

Jongin sighs, rubbing the heels of his hands into his eye sockets. “I guess you’re right.” He starts to gather up the papers, and then stops suddenly. “But I won’t see you until after I come back Soo and—“

 “No arguments. You. Home. Bed. Sleep. I’ll call you when you land in Italy, pinkie swear.” Kyungsoo commands, and steers the younger towards the door, tossing him his coat. He feels momentarily bad for just throwing Jongin out like this, but the younger needs sleep and Kyungsoo needs time to accept that contact with Jongin is going to be minimal for a while. If Kyungsoo doesn’t make the first step towards removing Jongin, he’ll never leave.

Jongin shrugs his coat on, all the while giving Kyungsoo the puppy stare that is designed purely to make him feel guilty. Kyungsoo doesn’t crack, however, because he knows he’s doing it for Jongin’s own good.

Jongin steps outside the door and pouts even more miserably, and Kyungsoo leans inside and picks his stripy scarf up from the entrance. He stretches up onto his tiptoes and begins to wrap it round Jongin’s neck, with Jongin bending his knees a little to help Kyungsoo reach. Once Kyungsoo is certain Jongin is all tucked up and safe from the cold weather, he leans against the doorframe.

Jongin picks up one of Kyungsoo’s hands and toys with his fingers lightly, stalling so he doesn’t have to leave so soon. “You’ll call, right?” he asks unsurely, looking down at their entwined fingers.

“The moment your plane lands in Italy.” Kyungsoo confirms, nodding and smiling softly.

“But after that I probably won’t be able to speak to you...” Jongin adds sadly, face like a little kicked puppy.

“The trip will flash by, I promise. Now, stop playing for time, are you wrapped up warm?” Kyungsoo asks, standing up straight and looking at Jongin with a no nonsense expression.

“All warm!” Jongin pipes happily, before frowning. “Except my lips. My lips are really cold.”

Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and Jongin pouts.

“They’re like, freezing cold.” Jongin reaffirms, pout becoming gradually more exaggerated by the minute.

Soon he looks like he’s pouting hard enough to do himself an injury, so Kyungsoo swiftly hops up and presses a warm chaste kiss to his mouth. “Better?”

“A little...” Jongin says ruefully. “Is that really all I get?”

“Yup.” Kyungsoo says, waving him off down the corridor as Jongin moans and complains. “I’m saving it for when you get back.”

Jongin’s face lights up like a Christmas tree and he tries to click his heels together like they do in the movies but fails tragically and stumbles his way down the corridor, desperately hoping the other people in Kyungsoo’s apartment block can’t hear him.

Kyungsoo snickers in his doorway as he watches Jongin’s retreating back. He watches him go all the way into the elevator, and only retreats inside when the doors close and Jongin is being whisked down to the ground floor.

It’s going to be a long old week.

***

Its four days after Jongin leaves for Italy and Kyungsoo wakes with a smile on his face. The sun is shining even if it’s cold outside, and there seems to be an odd calmness spreading across Seoul.

Kyungsoo shuffles out of bed, opens his curtains and has a nice look out over his favourite city. Everyone looks like they’re working slower today, and perhaps that is why the city seems less hustle and bustle.

The last time Kyungsoo spoke to Jongin was when he’d landed in Rome at the airport. Jongin told him about all the delights of the airport and how the weather was surprisingly warm compared to Seoul. Jongin nattered for ages about how he was missing Kyungsoo already, and all Kyungsoo had been able to do was sit on his bed and blush furiously, grateful that Jongin couldn’t see him all the way from Italy.

They’d stayed on the phone to each other for hours; Jongin had been on a train to Milan for most of the time and they were still talking as he hurried his way through the train station and tried to find his taxi. They were talking even when Jongin was back in his hotel, just about anything and everything, enjoying the sound of each other’s voices and trying to commit them to memory as much as possible. In the end though, time difference caught up with them and Jongin had to leave.

“Hm... I’ll miss you, Soo.” He said, sighing down the phone in sadness. Kyungsoo can almost hear the pout in his voice.

“I’ll miss you too Jongin. Sleep well, and take good care of yourself.”

“I will Soo, don’t worry. I love you.” The last sentence came out as almost a whisper, but Kyungsoo heard it loud and clear and a smile broke out across his face.

“I love you too, Jongin-ah. See you next week.”

The memory of the conversation brings a smile to Kyungsoo’s face as he makes himself breakfast. He doesn’t turn on the television, he doesn’t listen to the radio, he doesn’t open his door to collect the newspaper that’s been delivered for today. Kyungsoo simply sits and smiles to himself serenely, not a care in the world.

It is, as they might say, the calm before the storm.

Kyungsoo showers and dresses as normal, and his phone beeps from his bedside table.

What is abnormal though, is that Kyungsoo does not check the message immediately. He picks the phone up and carries it with him as he goes to pick up the papers from outside his apartment.

He carries them inside and tries to read the headlines as best he can from where the papers are clutched to his chest with his phone.

Kyungsoo settles himself on the sofa, and dumps the papers on the coffee table along with his phone.

As he does so, the trashy gossip magazine extra in one of the papers shoots out.

Kyungsoo freezes and his blood runs cold. He can feel the bile creeping up his throat and he swallows thickly. His eyes flicker back and forth over the headline and the pictures printed beneath it. Kyungsoo can’t breathe.

He shakily reaches for his phone, and he at last sees the message sent to him a few minutes ago.

From: Minseok

Soo, whatever you do, don’t watch the news and don’t listen to the radio (especially not the gossip channels!) Please. Not until we get there at least. Just stay put, don’t move. Just this once Soo, please trust me and DO NOT READ THE PAPERS. We’re on our way now. Love, M xx

***

Kyungsoo doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry. His head is resting on Minseok’s shoulder and the older boy is rubbing a hand soothingly down his arm. Jongdae leans against the wall nearby, the usual Cheshire cat grin on his face replaced by an expression of confusion and above all else, shock.

The magazine headline spells it out loud and clear, and it almost taunts Kyungsoo from its place on the coffee table.

Super Enterprises Heir Kim Jongin Engaged To CEO’s Daughter.

The pictures with it show Jongin looking handsome in black slacks and a black button down. He’s holding the hand of a beautiful girl in a tight white dress. They’re laughing and smiling together. They’ve been photographed leaving a club in Milan, a big sparkly ring on her finger. There was a company announcement made saying the pair were engaged a few hours after the pictures surfaced.

There are various pictures of the happy couple together, of them dancing together in the club, leaving together and of course the pièce de résistance: a large photo of the girl practically in Jongin’s lap in the back of a taxi, their lips pressed together in a kiss.

Minseok sighs and picks up the article. “Her name’s Moon Jihae. Her father owns a hotel chain, but the company’s dabbled in similar things to Super Enterprises. Stock exchanges, money, blah blah.” Minseok’s eyes flit down the page.

“The happy couple are said to have met some time ago, and have been dating in secret for a year. Jihae is a beautiful girl and no doubt she and Jongin will have a very happy life together. She could just be the key to success for Jongin when he takes over his father’s company next week.” Minseok reads, scoffing.

Kyungsoo remains silent. Jongin... Jongin was gay wasn’t he? He’d admitted that when he and Kyungsoo were in the cafe all that time ago. He’d seemed genuine. He’d confessed to Kyungsoo at the rooftop dinner, taken him out on dates, kissed him, held him close, told him he loved him. Could that really all be... No. Kyungsoo couldn’t wrap his head around it. His mind goes into auto drive and his pulse is racing. Maybe Jongin really doesn’t care about him at all. Maybe it was all some kind of act, a joke, just something to keep him entertained for a while.

Though Jongin never seemed like the type to do that. To play with people.

Maybe he was just a brilliant actor.

Maybe Jongin and his fiancée are sitting in Milan somewhere, sipping coffee and laughing over the fact that Kyungsoo’s going to find out he’s been strung along all this time.

Kyungsoo starts to cry. It’s all so sudden and it almost feels like a nightmare, that he’ll wake up in a minute. It’s all happening too fast.

Minseok holds him close and whispers quiet words of comfort, and all Jongdae can do is stand by and watch, a mix of emotions playing out across his face.

“Should we call him?” Jongdae asks suddenly.

“I don’t think... I can’t...” Kyungsoo says, burying his face into Minseok’s sweater, worrying that he’s going to get it all dirty and snotty.

Jongdae looks at his best friend sobbing and makes the decision. He picks up Kyungsoo’s phone and dials. The phone rings and rings and rings, but no one picks up. Jongdae can’t care to leave a voicemail message. He’s not going to waste his breath.

***

“Jongdae just texted me. He tried ringing Jongin on Kyungsoo’s phone, but he didn’t pick up. Kyungsoo’s a mess, judging by the sounds of it.” Luhan says as he wanders into his bedroom.

Sehun is in bed still, a look of shock across his features as he flicks through the pictures in the magazine. “Did it go to voicemail?” He asks, looking up.

“It did, so at least he hasn’t disabled that as well. I don’t think Jongdae left a message though. He was not a happy bunny.”

Sehun clucks his tongue and thinks for a minute. “Pass me the phone.” He says, and Luhan picks it up hesitantly.

“Sehun are you sure I don’t—“

“I count Kyungsoo as my friend now. I like him a lot, he’s a good guy. If he’s had his heart broken, I’m expecting to have a few choice words with the guy who did it. Even if that guy happens to be my best friend.” Sehun says, a look of determination in his eyes.

Luhan hands the phone over, and Sehun dials. Again, the phone rings but no one answers, only the mechanic voice of the voicemail box responds.

Sehun in a deep breath. “Kim Jongin. I’ve been your best friend for a very long time, but I’d never ever expect you to do something like this. I have no idea what’s going on, but I sure as hell hope you have a decent explanation for it. You either need to ring me back now or get your on a plane back to Korea and sort something out. Remember who’s more important in your life. Bye.”

The phone beeps as Sehun finishes recording his message. He ends the call and looks at Luhan blankly.

“I think I need a hug.” He says, and Luhan is more than willing to oblige.

***

Somewhere in Milan, Italy.

Jongin is finally free after a gruelling day of meetings.

Jihae meets him to go for a coffee, and they sit talking until he notices his phone is flashing, telling him he has two missed call and voicemail message.

The first missed call is from Kyungsoo. Jongin freezes as he checks the second. Sehun.

He flicks his phone onto loudspeaker, and plays Sehun’s message.

“Kim Jongin. I’ve been your best friend for a very long time, but I’d never ever expect you to do something like this. I have no idea what’s going on, but I sure as hell hope you have a decent explanation for it. You either need to ring me back now or get your on a plane back to Korea and sort something out. Remember who’s more important in your life. Bye.”

Jongin nearly spits his coffee out. His chest is constricting and his mind is whirring.

Jihae looks horrified. “Is that— Does that mean—“

“Y-yes.” Oh crap. Surely the pictures won’t have—won’t they? They can’t have done, they weren’t supposed to be released until way after Jongin was home.  

The most important meeting of the entire trip is tonight. If Jongin ditches, all manner of trouble could start up.

Jongin and Jihae share a look over the table. “Wait here.” Jihae says suddenly, standing up and running off, phone in hand.

Jongin sits in stunned silence. Jihae comes tottering back mere minutes later, her pink summer dress swooshing and her white heels clicking against the tiles. Jongin briefly wonders how she is managing to run in those shoes until she is collapsing back in her seat and smacking something on the table.

“I’ll wear a short dress or something.”

Jongin looks at it briefly, and a smile splits across his face. “Moon Jihae, you absolute beauty.” He grabs it and stands up, pressing a sloppy kiss to Jihae’s forehead and sprinting off.

Jihae smiles fondly and goes back to her coffee. “My pleasure.”

***

Kyungsoo is lucky to have such wonderful friends.

They rally around him that afternoon and try their best to keep him smiling. Kyungsoo dares to say it does work sometimes and he is grateful, so so grateful, even if he can only manage a slight smile to tell them so.

Jongin doesn’t call Sehun back, and Kyungsoo knows this because Luhan has been throwing the younger boy questioning glances all day and Sehun subtly shakes his head every time. They had arrived around lunchtime, with Sehun looking almost as shaken up as Kyungsoo. He never expected that Jongin would do that; Sehun thought he knew Jongin well enough.

No matter how hard his friends try though, Kyungsoo still can’t rest his mind. Thoughts, mental images of Jongin and that girl swirl around his brain and echoes of taunting laughter bounce across his skull.

Everything he tries fails to block it out, and when his friends start leaving at the end of the day it gets harder for Kyungsoo to be distracted and his imagination runs wild.

In the end, Kyungsoo stands up. He’s had enough. “Jongdae, come on.” He says, grabbing his coat and Jongdae’s arm.

Jongdae looks confused, but Minseok signals for him to just go with it, so Jongdae follows loyally.

“We’re going out, and I swear to God I’m going to forget everything.” Kyungsoo says.

***

The pounding bass in the club is already giving Jongdae a headache. Kyungsoo disappeared off into the crowd a while ago, and Jongdae lost sight of him, giving him slight reason to panic.

He figures that if he doesn’t move and stays on his seat at the bar, Kyungsoo would have to pass him to get to the exit, so there’s no way he can leave with some unsuitable without Jongdae knowing.

Jongdae is stone cold sober but Kyungsoo is far from it. He’s probably ingested enough vodka to knock out a small elephant, never mind the concoction of other alcoholic drinks he’s poured down his throat.

Jongdae sighs. Next time Kyungsoo comes back to the bar, he’s not having another drink for his liver’s sake at least.

Jongdae’s phone buzzes and he pulls it out of his pocket and unlocks it in one smooth motion.

From: Oh Sehun

Jongin’s back. He just called me. Don’t know where he is exactly, but he just landed at Incheon so I guess he’ll be right in the city pretty soon. He knows we’re all mad at him thanks to Lu. Oops.

Jongdae smiles a little. If Luhan’s managed to give him a piece of his mind, Jongin should definitely be terrified. However, it still means Jongin is back in South Korea, and Jongdae has a feeling Kyungsoo might not be ready to face up to him yet. Jongdae doesn’t blame him.

“Woooo! Jong! Why aren’t you on that dance floor man!” Kyungsoo hollers, appearing magically from the crowd looking sweaty and untidy. “Get me another drink.” He slurs.

“No. I’m pretty sure you’ve had enough Soo.” Jongdae says worriedly, grabbing Kyungsoo’s wrist before he can chug another shot down.

“I haven’t!” Kyungsoo says. “I can still remember that Jongin is an absolute doofus and he’s the reason I’m getting drunk because I NEVER EVER want to see his face EVER!” Kyungsoo says adamantly.

Jongdae rolls his eyes, and does not mention that Jongin has flown back to Korea.

He pushes Kyungsoo back into the crowd and this time tracks his movements like a hawk. The first sign of any trouble and Jongdae is going to be in that crowd and taking him home.

The night draws on and Jongdae spends most of it texting Minseok, glancing up from his phone every now and then to check Kyungsoo is OK. Most of the time he is just dancing (or should that be grinding) against various men and women, but it is mostly harmless fun and no one involved seems to have any seedy intentions; everyone is laughing and smiling and having fun.

That is until just as the hour is creeping past 11, and Jongdae looks up from his phone to check on Kyungsoo, only to do a double take.

Kyungsoo is smiling up at a man. A man Jongdae recognises. He isn’t particularly tall, but he looks it compared to Kyungsoo’s tiny form. He has vibrantly dyed red hair and he wears blue contact lenses that are piercing even from a distance.

Jongdae slides off his bar stool and slips his phone into his pocket. He doesn’t like this one bit. He shuffles closer, trying to confirm if it is who he thinks it is.

Of course. Kwon Jiyong.

He’s notorious for his somewhat shady lifestyle. Drugs, gangs, crime, you name it, Jiyong’s done it. His father is very rich and spoilt him as a child by sending him to private education and making sure he had all of the luxuries he wanted in life. He never made him work for anything, and Jiyong soon took advantage of that and went off the rails, spending his money on alcohol and drugs and fast cars and women.

Kyungsoo had match made for Jiyong’s father a few years back. Kyungsoo had never admitted anything, but Jongdae and most of Kyungsoo’s friends had suspicions that Jiyong had had his eye on Kyungsoo at the time, and they may even have dated, albeit briefly. Jongdae uses the term ‘dated’ loosely of course, as this was very much Jiyong’s idea of dating, which mainly involved treating partners like dirt and Kyungsoo being one of around 6 at any given time.

In short, Kwon Jiyong was bad news, and Kyungsoo had all but written him out of his life. All contact was cut off, they never saw each other again after Jiyong’s father’s match was found and that was that. Kyungsoo seemed to deem the ‘dating’ as similar to one of the stupid flings he had in college. Sober Kyungsoo would not go near Kwon Jiyong.

Drunken Kyungsoo, however, is a different matter. Kyungsoo can recognise Jiyong of course, and he smiles broadly and leans in to hug the man. The smug smirk on Jiyong’s face is almost sinister as he realises that Kyungsoo is not his usual self.

Jongdae’s stomach flips. Jiyong is the type to take advantage of people in the worst ways.

Jiyong’s gang of cronies are in the club too, dotted around in various intervals. None of them have taken notice of Jongdae yet and that’s how he’d like it to stay.

Kyungsoo and Jiyong are dancing together now, with Kyungsoo’s back pressed to Jiyong’s chest. Unlike before, this is not innocent fun, and Jiyong’s hands are creeping insidiously up and down Kyungsoo’s front and he’s whispering something in Kyungsoo’s ear, making him giggle and flush.

When Jiyong turns Kyungsoo round to face him and crashes their lips together, Jongdae makes a decision. He pulls his phone out of his pocket, grits his teeth and dials.

He doesn’t give the person on the other end time to speak before he says “You are the last person I want to speak to right now, but I don’t have much choice. I’d rather you than him. Get yourself down to Black Pearl night club as soon as you can. For Kyungsoo. Prove what he means to you. I’ll see you soon.”

quiet reminder that author-nim only does happily ever afters... 

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