Saudade // Bae Rona × Joo Seokhoon AU 🌃✨🖤

24// Family First, Always

Year 2027
New York, USA
Bae Estate

It was a few hours since Sooyoung had left the Bae Estate. As much as she wanted to stay longer to accompany her sick best friend, she had a photoshoot to run to hence she left in a hurry and asked YoonOh to make sure not to leave the female's bedside. 

Thoughts clouded YoonOh's mind and he was left in tatters mentally. Thinking back to his tensed exchanged with Joo Seokhoon this morning. The male resolves to consult the Bae brothers as soon as possible.

After checking Rona one last time and asking one of the maids to sit guard on her bedside, YoonOh pecks his girlfriend's forehead and walks down the grand staircase of the estate towards the office of Bae Seungcheol. 

'Oh!!! YoonOh yah, I didn't even know you were here. What's up?'

Seungcheol remarks as he looks up from the piles of paperworks that filled his huge desk. As he looked down to continue his work, YoonOh sighs as he leans on one of the chairs in the office and speaks in a low voice.

'I--- I met Joo Seokhoon this morning.' 

PLOP

The sound of folders and files falling back down the table slightly startled YoonOh, Seungcheol looks up with his cold eyes and urges the male to continue. 

'We---- had a rather tensed exchange....We met coincidentally in a restaurant because Mingyu was apparently having a meeting with him

 It wasn't a fight or argument but because Mingyu insisted that Rona be the guest singer for their new art center in Seo---'

YoonOh wasn't even able to finish his words, he was cut off immediately by another voice right behind him.

'ABSOLUTELY NOT !!!' 

Turning around from his position, YoonOh slightly jumps at the appearance of Bae Wonwoo and right behind him was Kim DongYoung (Mingyu's cousin and Sooyoung's boyfriend), Oh Sehun and Nakamoto Yuta. 

Settling themselves on the velvet couches, Wonwoo glares at YoonOh and speaks as he takes the Whiskey glass and takes a shot. 

'Why did you even have to meet him out of all places and dates, and be defeated in a simple conversation....

 Also, Doyoung ah.....

you better tell your cousin to keep his mouth shut and think first before suggesting such things.'

Turning his attention back to YoonOh, Wonwoo sips on his Whiskey and continues. 

'So...what did he suggest to you ?'

Seungcheol cracks his hands and stretches his neck as he listens intently to YoonOh.

'He insisted that he and Chairman Lee would be paying you guys a visit sometime this week....and maybe he could come and consult Rona for this guesting thing.'

The Bae brothers were silent,hence to let YoonOh continue... Sehun speaks up and asks.

'And what did you say ?'

YoonOh sighs as he replies in a discouraged voice.

'That Rona isn't feeling well and he should not even bother to come.... I also said, I still had to consult her private secretary.' 

The Bae brothers could only sigh at YoonOh's answer. After all, it seems to them that his reply was rather weak and this would give the other party a reason to still continue with their plan to come and visit the female. 

Yuta was the one to interject into the conversation this time, scolding YoonOh in his typical cold voice. Nakamoto Yuta earned nods from the still silent Bae brothers.

'바보 (Babo) yah..... You should have made up an excuse like, Rona's maybe somewhere else and recuperating. That would shut down the chance for them to even meet her. You giving that excuse basically gives them first hand information that she's still here in New York.... It'll be obvious this time around if you send her away again.' 

Twirling the ice around his shot glass, Oh Sehun crosses his legs and glances at Seungcheol 

'So what are you guys going to do now?'

A thousand scenarios pop into Seungcheol's mind. He struggled to make a decision. He didn't really know what was right or wrong. Just then, he thinks back to that unfortunate event that happened 2/ 3 years ago . The exact year where all of their nightmares had began. 

FLASHBACK 

Year 2025
New York, USA
NYC General Hospital

Panicked doctors and nurses paced around the emergency ward endlessly. Blood splattered the white tiled floors of the hospital hallways and cries filled the cold and white walls of the hospital. 

Bae JooHyun could hardly contain her sobs as she looked through the glass wall that seperated them from the female who was laying there motionless.... her life in grave danger. 

Suddenly a blonde doctor walks out the emergency room and speaks to the Bae brothers whose face looked white with horror.

'Chairman Bae.... She's sustained a huge gash from the impact. I think we might have to conduct an immediate surgery for this. But----'

Seungcheol looks at the doctor with terrified eyes and raise his voice.

'But what... tell us already!!?'

'We don't know if she will be able to survive from the huge injury. Because of a past injury in the brain, this might cause problems in her thinking and this will be a rather hard road for her to take.'

Seungcheol could feel his heart drop, he didn't know how to take the news. But even before he could make a decision, his younger brother beat him to it and makes a decision for him. 

'Just do whatever you need to save her... we just want her to live and survive. We'll pay no matter how much you want. Just please !!! save our sister.' 

The doctor smiles politely and nods, wearing his mask. He bows to the Bae siblings and takes his leave.

'We'll do our best to save her. Please rest assured.'

FLASHBACK ENDS , BACK TO THE PRESENT 

Turning his attention back to all the men in his office, Bae Seungcheol stands up and walks towards a huge family portrait of him, Rona, Wonwoo, JooHyun and Junmyeon. It was taken recently and he had put it in his office as a reminder of their family motto .

"Family first, always"

Crossing his arms, the male turns back and locks eyes with his brother who sat right beside Sehun. 

'It doesn't matter... we'll continue with our plan. Tell Mrs. Kim to help Rona pack her bags, YoonOh yah.... you should leave with her to your family's estate as soon as the sun rises tomorrow.'