"I know you got this Kookie! All the best!", Jin wishes Jungkook good luck for his job interview.
"I don't know hyung. I hope I do"
"You are literally the best software developer in the country. They would be foolish to not hire you"
"I am not the best, hyung", Jungkook chuckles, shaking his head as he shifts the phone to the other ear before he pulls up his car in the parking lot of a huge building.
"Well, you are the topper of the best technical university in Korea", Jin adds, his face all smiles and pride for his baby cousin.
"That does not make me the best hyung"
"I don't know about that. Do well in the interview! You will get the job. Okay?", Jin's voice as reassuring as ever.
"Yes, yes. I still don't know what I will tell them when they ask me why I left the biggest conglomerate in South Korea. People dream to work at Kim Con and I just left. I clearly can't tell them that I left because I fell for the CEO and it became a mess", Jungkook sighs in disbelief. Where has life brought him?
"You are right. They are going to think you did something wrong and got kicked out because no one in their right mind would leave Kim Con. but I am sure you will figure something out Kookie. You always have. I am gonna say what I said before. They will be foolish if they let go of a talent like you. All the best, okay?"
"I know hyung, thankyou!", Jungkook disconnects the call and steps out of his car. He takes a deep breath and steps into the elevator that will take him directly to the top floor of Solar Inc. to meet it's CEO.
......
"He is looking for a job?", Namjoon enters Jin's office in the hospital.
Jin instantly puts his phone away and rushes to give Namjoon a tight bear hug, "Hey, when did you return?"
"Just now. Thought I should see you before I go home", Namjoon smiles before pecking Jin's pout.
"How is everything in Ilsan?"
"All good, my mother says hi to you", he chuckles.
"Okay, I am taking the day off. We will go back to your apartment, I will cook something for you and we will spend the whole day together. Sounds good?", Jin smiles, his face lights up.
"Sounds perfect!", the younger smiles back endearingly.
"I will just request Moonbyul to take up my shift for today", Jin adds.
As soon as the couple steps out of the hospital building, Namjoon's phone rings.
"Hello?", Namjoon signals Jin to wait for him inside the car.
"Hey, how are you?", speaks a girl from the other side of the line.
"I..I am fine. Are you okay? Why did you call? Are you in trouble?", Namjoon steps away from the car to make sure Jin does not end up hearing this conversation.
"Who says I have to be in trouble to call you? You have helped me so much. You are like a brother to me. I thought I could call you anyday", says the girl. Namjoon can already imagine a pout on her face, he chuckles, "Ofcourse you can call me anytime you want, Gahyeon! Tell me, how are you?"
"I am fine. Been able to keep away from police for about one month now. You must be proud", she laughs, "By the way, I called to tell you that I am visiting Seoul next week. I thought you might like to meet me".
"Meet you?", Namjoon chuckles, "Why don't you just say that you need a place to stay in Seoul and I seem like the best person for that? I promise, I won't mind. But why wouldn't you stay with that boyfriend of yours? He lives in Seoul right?"
"Yeah, but he lives with his family. So..you might be right. I do need help", her nervous laugh audible over the call.
"Hmm..you are welcome to stay with me but I don't want my boyfriend to know you exist. You will have to keep a low
profile. I hope you understand how important that is", Namjoon's voice is serious and authoritative.
"I do, Oppa. I will see you next week then?"
"Yes. Take care."
"Joon, how long?", Jin yells from inside the car.
"Yes, coming hyung!"
.......
"Since I don't have a lot of time, we will keep it short. You are the topper of Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. Impressive!", Solar reads his resumé.
"Thank you ma'am", Jungkook smiles politely.
"You worked in 5 projects at Kim Consolidated over the period of the few months. Great! So why did you leave?", she looks up from her laptop screen to face Jungkook.
"I..it..it was personal", he somehow manages to speak.
"Personal? I am sorry. I need to understand why someone would leave Kim Con. specially when it fits so well with your profile?"
Jungkook gulps hard, nervousness takes over his brain, "I..Well, it was a girlfriend that I had there. She worked with me in the IT department of KC. There was a breakup which led to an environment too toxic for me to work. I had to leave the company to stay away from my ex", he lies.
"Ah..I see", Solar responds, "I hope you know that this reason isn't mature enough to leave a company like that. This makes you sound like a heartbroken teenager", she adds with mockery in her voice.
"Well, I am barely 3 years into my post-teen adulthood years. So this could be a reason, I suppose", Jungkook smiles again, letting Solar know he wasn't just about to let her intimidate him.
"You are funny, Mr. Jeon. Well, I wouldn't generally consider an excuse such as yours but something about this interview should already tell you that you are hired", her formal smiles plastered on her face.
"I am?", shock clearly visible on his face.
"Yes, you are. The fact that you were invited for an interview with the CEO herself should tell you that. No?"
"Oh. I..I see"
"I would be foolish to let a talent like you go", she continues and Jungkook smiles thinking about what Jin told him earlier today.
"But why did you decide to interview me yourself?, he inquires.
"Well, I had to meet the man Mr. Kim told me about"
"Mr..Mr. Kim?"
"Yes, Mr. Kim Taehyung sent me a letter of recommendation for you. He let me know how you were personally working with him on a project and how well you performed. I had to see how much of what he told me was true", she explains.
"Oh..I had no idea", Jungkook says with a smile plastered on his face while his head spins in frustation. Why wouldn't Taehyung just leave him alone? Why does he have to make it more difficult for him to move on?
"When will you be able to join?"
"I am more than happy to join tomorrow"
"See you tomorrow then", she smiles again. Letting him know the interview was over.
Jungkook storms out of her office into the corridor and whips his phone out wanting to call Taehyung. He stops. He thinks again. He calls Yeonjun instead. "Did you send a letter of recommendation from your boss's behalf?"
"Um.yes? He asked me to. He wrote it himself", Yeonjun replied, "Why? what is the matter?"
"How did he know which company I would apply to?", he snaps, brisk walking in the corridors of Solar Inc.
"Well, there are three big companies in Seoul where a software engineer like you would want to work. Kim Consolidated,Min Corp and Solar Inc. So it does not take a genius to figure out where you would apply for a job, Mr. Jeon", Yeonjun replies, his voice calm but firm.
Jungkook takes a deep breath trying to calm himself, "Can you do me a favour Yeonjun?"
"Yes?"
"Tell your boss to stop getting involved in my life for good", anger clearly audible in his voice.
There was a silence from the other side of the line.
"Choi Yeonjun! I am talking to you!", Jungkook snaps.
"Mr. Jeon, do you realise you should be grateful for that letter he sent Miss. Solar?"
"Oh really?", he scoffs.
"Or do you believe any firm in Seoul would have hired you after you left Kim Consolidated without wanting to know why you did so? Mr. Kim's letter of recommendation for you was nothing but the truth. You did work with him on a project during your resignation notice. You did well and that's what he told her. He just wants you to get a job wherever you want without your personal past with him coming in your way. I would be grateful if I were you", Yeonjun explains making Jungkook go silent for a second before he responds again, "I thought you were his secretary, not his lawyer".
"I am just trying to put things into perspective here, Mr. Jeon. Clearing up doubts around him and for him is also my job. Have yourself a good day!", Yeonjun disconnects the call leaving Jungkook lost.
"Oh wow!! I should be grateful I guess", he mumbles walking towards the elevator when he bumps into someone, "Oh my God, I am so sorry, it's my fau-", he stops when he realises who the man he bumped into is, "You?"
"Oh. My. God. Jeon Jungkook! Is that really you?", the man greets him with a huge smile on his face.
"What are you doing here?"
"Well, this is where I work. I should ask you this question. What brings you here?"
"Job interview"
"Oh, wow. Did you get it then", asks the man with excitement.
"Yes. I join tomorrow", Jungkook's face is poker straight. He wants to smile to not look rude but he can't help it.
"That's awesome!"
"Yeah", Jungkook feigns a smile.
"Are you not excited? Because I am. This is so incredible. Look at us. Friends in college, then boyfriends, then exes and now colleagues. Maybe, friends again in the future?", Yugyeom's smile getting bigger by the second.
"Haha, yes, hopefully", Jungkook smiles again, "See you tomorrow, I gotta go now".
"Sure, see you. Also, don't worry. I am not trying to hit on you. I am dating someone. I am just really happy to see you after so long"
"That's good to know Yug! I am happy for you. See you later?". Yugyeom bends forward to give Jungkook a quick hug and Jungkook walks into the elevator nearby and as soon as he does, he closes the door, no one inside the elevator but him. He repeatedly stomps his feet as loud as he can and grabs his hair before hissing in frustation, "FUCK! FUCK! FUCK MY LIFE! MY MOTHERFUCKING EXES JUST WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE!"
......
Namjoon lays on top of Jin in his bedroom gently placing soft kisses all over the older's face. "Looks like you really missed my handsome face. Didn't you?", Jin giggles playfully.
"I did", whispers the younger before placing another soft kiss on Jin's plump lips, his hand all over Jin's naked chest. "God! I missed you so much hyung", he kisses the older's chest making him let out a breathy moan. "I missed...", Jin is interupted when his phone rings.
"Hyung, not now, please", Namjoon says visibly irrittated at the interuption.
"Just a minute, it's Kookie", he accepts the call right away, "Hey, how did your interview go?"
"I got the job, hyung"
"Hey, congrats! That's great news!"
"Yeah", Jungkook's voice has no hint of excitement whatsoever.
"All good?"
"Not really"
"What happened Jungkook?", Jin diverts all his attention to his cousin as Namjoon lays beside him waiting for the phone call to get over.
"It's just that.."
"What? You can talk to me about anything. You know that right? Are you not feeling okay? Do you want me to come over?"
"Jesus Christ! Hyung?!", Namjoon hisses in shock but is shushed away by Jin.
"Was that Joon hyung?", Jungkook could clearly tell it was Namjoon hissing in the background.
"Yes, he came back from Ilsan today"
"Oh, I am sorry. You should spend some time with him. I will talk later", Jungkook sounds embarrassed having called him at a bad time.
"No, it's okay. Tell me. What happened?", Jin insists and finds Namjoon facepalming himself in response. "Wait", Jin hisses to his impatient boyfriend.
"I don't know. My exes won't leave me alone. I don't know I just want to run away to Busan"
"Exes? Plural?"
"Yes, Taehyung hyung wrote a letter of recommendation for me to my new boss so that our past does not affect my career I guess. I mean that's what his secretary told me. Also, I just found out Yugyoem works in this office. I will be working in the same department as him from tomorrow. Now, what do I do?"
"You just work there and make friends and find some amazing to date who isn't Taehyung or Yugyeom. That's what you do, you idiot", Jin rolls his eyes at his naive cousin.
"Fine. I am probably over thinking everything. I will do that. I will just work. And make friends. And date", he repeats Jin.
"Date someone who ISN'T Taehyung or Yugyeom. You forgot to repeat the most important part", Jin laughs.
"Okay. I don't want to disturb you anymore. Bye", Jungkook disconnects.
Jin shakes his head and smiles at his phone before looking at his boyfriend who is busy texting away on his phone. "Who are you texting?", he asks.
"Oh, no one. Just a friend from Ilsan", the younger smiles making Jin swoon over his dimples for the gazillionth time.
"A friend from Ilsan? You aren't cheating on me with a hottie from Ilsan. Are you?", Jin raises an eyebrow making Namjoon laugh out loud. "Well, I would if I found someone hotter than you in Ilsan but too bad because as far as I am concerned there is no one as hot as Kim Seokjin", he smiles, letting his dimples do the rest of the convincing.
"Well, I give you that. You really have the most handsome boyfriend in the whole world", Jin smiles proudly doing what he does best, soak himself in self-praise.
"Yeah, right", Namjoon cannot help but laugh at his adorable boyfriend, "Now, let's switch our phones off hyung. So, that I could do what I have been dying to do for so many days", he whispers seductively in Jin's ear before taking away both of their phones and switching them off.
"Do what? Sleep?", the older smiles.
"Yes. With you", Namjoon reaches down to shower his boyfriend with more kisses before he could do what he has been dying to do for so many days.
.......
Jimin types away on his laptop impatiently. Something. Just about anything would do. Anything that could help him get Yoongi out of the custody. Maybe a loophole in the papers which declared him the heir to Min Corp. Maybe a proof to establish that he has never been close to his father and hence, he could not know anything about him. Maybe something to prove that Youngjae has done nothing for his son but abuse him all his life. Something to prove that Yoongi is a victim, not an accomplice. Jimin sips on his coffee. It's 11 pm. He is tired but he has no plans to stop. He decides he won't rest until he gets Yoongi out of that rat hole of the goverment custody. His doorbell rings. Who could it be at this hour, he thinks. He walks out of his room and into the hall and opens the door to find Hoseok standing at his door. "Mr. Jung? What are you doing here at this hour?", he questions him, confused.
"I think we both know what I am doing here, Jimin", Hoseok smiles.
To be continued...