Business Partners | A Novel ❖

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'When will they be getting here?' Seonghwa asked as he sat in what happened to be the exact same booth that he'd been sitting in two nights ago.

Indeed, the club and bar had become a respectable meeting place during the day, and as Mr. Kang and himself sat in the booth and waited for their other party to arrive, Seonghwa couldn't help but stare at the spot directly opposite him - the same place he'd been sitting when he had pulled that guy into his lap and had his tongue rammed so far down his throat...

'Right now,' he replied, immediately getting up and moving to stand beside the table, leaving Seonghwa to scramble after him.

However when he looked up, his blood ran cold.

'Good morning, Mr Kim. It has been a while.' His boss walked straight up to a well dressed man and shook his hand, perhaps lingering just a moment too long...

And then Mr Kim's eyes met his...

~~~

Hongjoong's eyes had widened just a little upon recognition, but as Seonghwa sat and listened to his boss and Hongjoong talking figures over tea, Seonghwa had never felt more uncomfortable.

How was Hongjoong so calm?!

Right where he was sitting, was where they had been, hands on each other's bodies, lips connected, moans drowning their ears and hips rolling like the waves of the ocean...

Right where he was sitting, had been where they had decided to go to the bathroom... If what had happened just there hadn't happened, then they wouldn't have ended up doing what they'd done...

'Seonghwa.'

The stern voice of his boss rang through the air, pulling him from his thoughts. He turned his head to see Mr. Kang staring at him. He'd expected his eyes to be angry, and they were, but there was something else in them too...

'I apologise for my colleague. He is still quite jet-lagged from the flight from Korea and is still learning. How about we leave the meeting here for now?'

Seonghwa thought he saw the tiniest bit of a smirk cross Hongjoong's face, but it was gone as fast as it appeared.

'It was lovely meeting you officially, Park Seonghwa,' he said, extending his hand.

And Seonghwa gulped. 'Yes, likewise, Mr. Kim...'

~~~

Since the company building was a lot further away than the building they were staying in, ten minutes later, Mr. Kang pushed Seonghwa into his hotel room, not even bothering to turn his lights on.

Seonghwa felt sick.

'Mr. Park, that was very unprofessional behaviour back there. You have one chance to explain.'

Seonghwa watched as his boss threw down his suit jacket and turned to stare at him - waiting.

'I- I don't know... It won't happen ag-'

'I usually don't give second chances, but since I already know the answer, I'm going to give you one more opportunity to confess and tell me what caused that behaviour back there.'

Seonghwa's eyes widened. He knew? How?! 'I, uh, I...'

'Do not stutter when you talk to me. You have three seconds to get your words in order. One...'

'Two...'

'I know that person!' Seonghwa's words fell out faster than he'd expected.

Mr. Kang nodded, clearly still waiting.

'Well, I don't know him... I just... I...'

His boss moved forward, making Seonghwa step back into the door submissively.

'No stuttering, remember? You just what?'

Seonghwa gulped as he saw Kang step forward again in the dark. 'I just met him the other night, after the function.'

He prayed that that would be enough.

It wasn't.

'You are usually quite reserved, aren't you.' It wasn't even a question.

'I-'

Seonghwa gasped as his boss closed the distance between them and grabbed a hold of his tie. Pulling it down abruptly, he swiftly undid two buttons of his shirt and left Seonghwa exposed... More namely, all of the bruises decorating his neck.

Mr. Kang's cunning eyes rested upon the hickies, and he dragged one finger over them. 'You've been doing naughty things with dangerous people.'

Seonghwa's heart was beating so fast that he was sure his boss could hear it. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

'Usually I wouldn't care what filthy acts you got up to in your spare time.' He licked his lips, still staring at the bruises. He even pushed Seonghwa's collar to the side with the back of his index and middle finger to expose more of the tainted skin. 'But darling, you mustn't sleep with the enemy.'

Seonghwa choked. 'T-the, enemy?'

Mr. Kang lifted his hand and put his fingers under his chin, tilting his head up a little. 'Yes, Seonghwa. Mr. Kim can be quite... ruthless, in getting what he wants. He wants to sign with our company.' He turned Seonghwa's head to the side, staring at the side of his face as Seonghwa strained to see him from out of the corner of his eye.

'I- I didn't k...'

'Yes, you didn't know. But you do now.' He turned his head to the other side. 'In future, should you feel the need to... engage... in impure, sinful acts, I suggest you select a more appropriate participant, and a less unhygienic location. Understood?'

Seonghwa gulped. 'M-mhm...'

'Words! Seonghwa,' he snapped. 'Use words when you speak to me.'

Seonghwa shivered. 'Y, yes.'

'Yes what?'

'Yes Sir.'

His boss nodded, and seemingly satisfied, he let go of Seonghwa's chin and stood back. 'Good. I will be in my room if you need me.'

And with that, he picked up his jacket and pulled the door open, forcing Seonghwa to move. Two moments later, he disappeared, leaving him in the dark.

Seonghwa hadn't exactly understood what had just happened, and he knew that the way he'd just been treated was supposed to make him angry.

But instead, it had kind of done the opposite...

He glanced down and bit his lip. He wouldn't have believed it without seeing it himself.

His pants were suddenly, extremely tight...

~~~