1.2 | Anemoia

14|fourteen

For two hours, JaeHwan roamed on the deck of Oasis, a cruise ship owned by WR travels and currently rented out by the host of the party… Who was it again? 

Others were inside that three tier deck of soft yellow lights and blue danube waltz. But JaeHwan stood outside, on the extended balcony of sorts. An unclassified smoking area or a couple’s hidden make out spot; that was a little away, in the shadows of back entrances to kitchens. 

Fairy lights on the top deck looked like rippling stars in the waters below. A million thoughts raced JaeHwan's mind; if K-talk was acquired then they lost their chance at Opinionated. A hollow sense of loss, defeat, failure shrouded his mind. Kang HyoSeop, the captain of quad scullers from high school, stood inside the hall, but as the president of Svene Wool Mills. On his arm was a young girl, probably from NJ or OT Network, JaeHwan didn’t remember the introductions. But those kids, they used to be dumbfucks in highschool. And now they wouldn’t raise his hand to acknowledge JaeHwan. 

When did everything change? 

"Sir, would you like a glass?" A waiter tapped JaeHwan's shoulder. His hands held a tray with twelve champagne flutes, their surfaces lined with golden and white bubbles. That colour always looked good on Shin. What kind of drink did he like? 

"No thanks." JaeHwan turned away. 

"Alright, young master." 

To them, everyone in a tux was a young master. 

Along the bannister, a tall, wiry man with slicked black hair argued with a security personnel. “I’m not coming in!”

“Your father has requested of me to drag you in by any means, young master, please cooperate with me,” the burly guard said. Although he was considerably shorter than the strangely familiar young master, he was able to drag the spidery frame with ease. 

“Let go!” The young master in question wrapped one hand around the steel bannister. “Yah! Don’t you pity me? My father would throw me to the wolves inside!” 

“That is none of my concern master. Your father has ordered me to haul you back.” What happened next managed to bring a smile on JaeHwan’s face. The guard snaked his arms around the lanky man’s waist and pulled him away from the bannister like a plush doll without stuffing. The young master groaned, giving up and dropping his hands and feet down like dead weights in his last attempt at rebellion. 

But he seemed familiar. JaeHwan had seen those gaunt cheekbones and miserable face, those arthropodic eyes… “Kim JaeHwan?” The young master looked up. The guard stilled for a moment. 

JaeHwan frowned. 

“Min Suho! I’m Min Suho, remember? SeokWoo’s partner!” 

JaeHwan’s instincts kicked in. “Hey,” he walked over to them, “what’s up? All good?” 

“Excuse me, young masters, but this guy needs to be somewhere real quick—” 

“Yeah, how about you fuck off real quick?” JaeHwan chuckled, stepping in between Suho’s outstretched legs to glare down on the burly man. He craned his neck away, eyes going wide like saucers before letting go of Suho’s waist. The wiry man plopped down to the ground. 

“I’ll be inside in a few minutes.” Suho put his hand on his chest, heaving up and down from the little assault. Had being holed up in a laboratory all day done that to him? “Until then, please go.” 

“Young master—” 

“Just go.” 

Reluctantly, the guard agreed and Suho huffed loudly before slumping on the metal frame. “Sorry you had to see that.” The part of the deck they stood upon was fairly empty, save for the breeze to fill in the empty spaces between conversations. “My old man’s throwing a fuss these days.”