The Taste Of Ink | Taekook | ENG

40. SAY YOU LOVE ME

Seokjin stood paralyzed for a long moment. He couldn't move. He stared blankly at the slammed office door where his younger brother had disappeared moments ago. He felt the words Jeongguk shouted before he left echoing loudly off the walls of an empty office like church bells that still hovered long after they stopped moving.

"If you want, turn on that damn flash drive and watch that recording. Look what your little brother was really doing that night."

Jin raised his hand and ran it through his smoothly combed hair as if to make sure every strand was in place. He exhaled the air he had been holding back from his lungs and turned on his heel to slowly walk towards the desk. He sat down carefully in the leather chair that belonged to his brother and looked at the computer monitor, which was still lit up. He stared at the file he was about to display before Jeongguk stopped him with his confession and stared at the blinking cursor.

"He fucked me. [...] You don't believe me, then play this damn video. See what a faggot your little brother is."

He reached out and placed it carefully on the wireless mouse, wondering if he should turn on the recording.

Jeongguk tried to stop him, but was he telling the truth? After all, his brother wasn't like that. He dated women all his life. It never even occurred to him that he might be attracted to men. Besides, he had Lisa. He loved her. They were going to get married soon and create a family like him and Yerim. Or was what his brother said a lie? Perhaps it was just a smokescreen to hide what the red haired man really did. His brother had been lying to him for so long. Maybe he was lying this time too to protect this tattooed guy?

He stared at the blinking cursor, trying to somehow organize his thoughts, but the image in front of his eyes was starting to blur, and the chaos in his head seemed to only intensify with each passing moment. He moistened his lips as his nervousness rose, then took a deep breath and, without further analyzing what he should do, pressed the Play button.

He didn't even know how long, he just stared blankly at the picture of his father's office. He knew that the video contained a record of the events of the whole day and what really interested him happened in the middle of the night, so he should fast-forward it, but he couldn't bring himself to do so, as if subconsciously he felt that what he would see will change the way he viewed his little brother forever.

What will he do if he sees that Jeongguk really helped this man rob his own family? How would he tell their father about it?

He finally forced himself to rewind the video and played it again, only when he saw the office door open on the screen. The camera was placed on one of the shelves, so you could see almost the entire interior. Jeongguk opened the door and let the red haired man enter the office. The stranger stopped in the middle and looked around for a moment. Was he looking for something?

Seokjin furrowed his eyebrows together as he studied him. He was pretty sure the man was about to start searching their father's office, but nothing like that happened. The stranger turned to Jeongguk and began to speak to him. These recordings, too, had no sound, and the image was too indistinct for him to even try to read his lips, so he looked at his brother. The boy looked strangely tense, but after a short conversation with the redhead, it seemed that the tension in his body was slowly fading away, as if what the man had told him had somehow magically soothed his nerves.

Jeon slowly approached the tattooed man and only stopped one step away from him. The stranger was staring at him, only to stroke his cheek with his hand. The caress didn't last long, however, before Jin had time to realize it, the redhead leaned over and kissed Jeongguk. There was no hesitation or uncertainty in this kiss. They kissed once again as if they had done it a million times before, making Seokjin shifting restlessly in his chair, feeling like a voyeur, but he continued to watch.

After a short while, the tattooed man pressed his body against Jeongguk, forcing him to step back a few steps, and then sat him on their father's desk, simultaneously moving his lips to the slender neck of the brunet. He caressed his neck, his tattooed hands shamelessly kneading the young CEO's buttocks. When he finally pulled away from him, Seokjin could see that the man was saying something to Gguk, and for a moment he really wished he could hear his words. Perhaps it was at this moment that the stranger revealed his wicked intentions to him, and he could not hear a single word.

When the redhead stepped away from the future CEO and walked towards one of the cupboards, he almost held his breath. It was this moment. He was almost one hundred percent sure that the stranger was about to start searching their father's office. The man, however, approached the mini bar and for a moment looked at its contents, and as a result pulled out one bottle - Yamazaki.

Yeah. He could have expected it. Supposedly, it was Jeongguk who took this bottle from his father's mini bar.

Seokjin struggled to suppress a huff at the thought that he had just gained evidence of another lie his brother said.

How much more was Gguk hiding from them? Was everything he told him a lie?

The tattooed man again returned to Jeongguk, this time holding a bottle of Japanese whiskey and an ice glass. A broad smile adorned his lips.

Cheeky bastard, Jin thought, clenching his jaw tightly.

Not only did this plumber just steal one of the most expensive whiskeys from their father's bar, but now he was going to pour himself a glass as if nothing had happened and enjoy the woody aroma of the alcohol, and after a while robbed their family of millions of won. He wanted to find this man and wipe that lovely smile from his lips. Scream in his face that he knows what he is doing, that he could deceive Jeongguk, but it won't be so easy with him that he won't let him destroy their family.

He clenched his hands into fists, feeling anger slowly circulate through his veins. He was furious with the man for what he was doing to their family and with Jeongguk, for allowing himself to be manipulated so easily, for choosing someone like that over his own family.

He looked back at the monitor and saw that, to his surprise, the man hadn't poured the golden alcohol into a glass filled with ice. He put the vessel on the desk, and he put the neck of the bottle to his lips to take a few sips, then quickly pressed his lips to those of Gguk. He kissed him greedily, and his brother did not owe him for a moment. They kissed again as if they had done it a million times before. Jeongguk literally melted in his arms, returning each kiss with redoubled passion.

For a moment, Seokjin thought about today and how Jeongguk got tense when Lisa kissed him in front of his family. He looked nervous then, almost as if the touch of the girl's lips disgusted him. Almost instinctively, he began to quickly search through the memories in his head. In total, he had witnessed the tenderness of his brother and Lisa not many times.

Jeongguk was rather one of those people who preferred to keep such gestures for themselves and their beloved. What he was doing was not for show. In addition, he has always been fully professional in the company. So he did not often witness such gestures on his part. It was usually Lisa who hung herself on his shoulder, stroked his cheek or kissed his parted lips.

What Jeongguk was doing at the moment was unlike him. His gestures and actions were bold, free, his body free from tension, relaxed. Despite the lack of HD video, he could easily see the two men's tongues rubbing against each other. Also, when the man's hands grasped the T-shirt that Jeon was wearing, the boy made no protest. On the contrary, he helped him remove the black fabric.

The tattooed man stretched out his hand and grabbed one of the ice cubes, then slipped it into his mouth and began to caress Gguk's exposed chest with his lips. The brunet almost immediately closed his eyes and tilted his head back, enjoying what the stranger was doing. Seokjin shifted back in his seat, feeling less and less comfortable watching this video.

Was Jeongguk telling the truth after all?

He moved the cursor to a stop sign, but still hesitated. He wasn't sure what to do. Should he keep watching and see for himself if that plumber stole the flash drive? Or should he believe his brother's words and stop the recording before he sees something he regrets?

But Jeongguk's words couldn't be true...

Holding his breath, he continued to watch. The stranger continued to caress his brother for a long moment, but finally moved away from him and helped him get up from the desk. Seokjin again thought that they might soon start searching his father's office together, but before that thought could settle in his mind for good, the tattooed man deftly unbuttoned his brother's pants and in one smooth movement slid them off his hips along with his boxer shorts, exposing his body.

Seokjin tightened his hand on the mouse nervously and paused the video, cursing softly under his breath. He felt almost his entire body trembling.

"Oh, fuck..." he cursed under his breath, his voice trembling heavily.

Oh, fuck. Jeongguk was telling the truth...

Unknowingly, he raised his hand to his mouth and covered it, still unable to believe what he had just seen.

Jesus, was his little brother really having sex with this man in their father's office?

He moistened his lips nervously and, squeezing his eyes shut tightly, fastened the video forward. He sat there for a moment with his eyes closed, as if he were afraid to raise his eyelids. Eventually, however, he let out a loud breath from his compressed lungs and slowly opened his eyes.

He barely had time to look at the screen, but that was enough to make him see a few seconds' frame on the screen in which the stranger pushes his younger brother onto their father's desk, standing completely naked behind him. In a panic, he quickly turned off the recording. He felt sick and was about to throw up, so he jumped out of his chair, jumping away from the desk, almost as if it burned him.

"Oh, Jesus..." he choked out with difficulty.

He didn't know what to do now. His thoughts were in total chaos. It seemed to him that everything was spinning, and he still had a flash of a few seconds in front of his eyes of a naked Jeongguk lying on the mahogany top of their father's desk.

"Oh, Jesus..." he repeated, as if his trembling lips were unable to pronounce anything more.

He felt so sick that for a moment he had the impression that he was about to return all the contents of his stomach, so he put his hands on his thighs and for a long time tried to inhale the air with his nose, and after a few seconds he let it out calmly through his slightly parted lips. Only when he was sure his nausea had subsided did he straighten cautiously and gaze at the view stretching outside the window, as if he was looking for some solution, or at least a momentary relief, in it.

"Please don't do this...", it sounded in his head, and in an instant he could see his brother's dark eyes, begging him not to watch this video.

When Jeongguk spoke the words, he thought he had never seen him so fragile before, but he pushed the thought away, letting his anger and stubbornness dominate his actions. He was convinced that Jeongguk was lying to him, that his brother was trying to protect this man, even at the cost of betraying his own family, and perhaps he did not want to protect him but himself. Perhaps he was just afraid of being exposed in one of the worst possible ways.

"You don't believe me, then play the goddamn video. See what a faggot your little brother is."

Faggot. The pejorative term almost screamed in his head. After all, Jeongguk was not homosexual. He had a fiancée. He had never seen him with any man. He never even noticed that he was even looking at a man in any other way. If his little brother were gay, he would know it. It couldn't be true...

He knew that if this came to light, the press would destroy him. They lived in a homophobic country. It would be a scandal. The mere thought that this recording might fall into the wrong hands made him sick again. What if this man had seduced Gguk to blackmail him? What if he knew there were cameras in the office, and he did it on purpose?

He turned abruptly towards the desk and ran to it quickly, then dropped into the leather chair. He reached for his cell phone and quickly dialed a number from the list. While waiting for the connection, he stared at the icon of the clip he had watched a moment ago. He could still taste the bile in his mouth.

"Mr. Kang, it's me, Seokjin," he explained as soon as he heard someone finally answer the call.

"Hello, Mr. Jeon. What can I do for you this time?" The man asked.

"Is the recording I got from you today the original?"

"Yes. This is the original. I gave you the original material to review. Do you need to make a copy of this recording?"

"No!" He quickly protested, then, realizing that he was almost yelling at him in nervousness, cleared his throat loudly. "No, you don't have to do it," he repeated, much calmer.

He felt strangely relieved to know that this was the only version of this recording. It could not get into the wrong hands. This would be the end of their family. Their brand would be finished, and their father probably wouldn't survive it.

"That's all I wanted to know," he said shortly. "Goodbye," he added, and quickly hung up.

He carefully put the phone down on the desk and looked at the computer monitor. He put his hand on the wireless mouse and hovered the cursor over the recording icon. He stared at the blinking cursor for a long moment, then finally clicked the button to open the short menu and chose the Delete button without hesitation.

Only when he was sure that the recording had been erased did he let out a loud air from his lungs and fell heavily on the back of the chair. He couldn't let anyone else see it. It didn't matter if there was evidence somewhere that the red-haired man had stolen a flash drive. He had to be sure no one else would find out about what had happened in their father's office that night.

He felt so overwhelmed by all this that he couldn't concentrate and knew he wouldn't be able to do anything productive anymore. He sighed heavily and looked at the gold Rolex that adorned his wrist. To be sure, he quickly formatted the drive and took an empty flash drive from the computer. He turned off the equipment and got up from his chair, then grabbed his cell phone and started toward the exit. He closed his brother's office door behind him and walked slowly towards the reception desk.

"I decided to leave early today. If my father comes back to the office and is looking for me, please tell him I won't be back. If something urgent happened, I'll be on my cell," he quickly explained to the receptionist. As the girl nodded that she understood, he spun on his heel and started toward the exit.

He was still struggling with his thoughts as he descended the elevator to the first floor. He was playing Jeongguk's words in his head, the recordings he had watched, and it almost felt like his head was literally exploding. Even sitting behind the wheel of his luxury car, he couldn't stop thinking about it. He turned on the radio to drown out the racing thoughts for a moment, but his hopes were in vain. Though some joyful singing from a K-pop girl band was streaming from the loudspeaker, he still thought of only one thing, and his brother's bitter words echoed in his ears.

While driving, he missed the right turn almost three times, he run a red light once, and was honked twice by nervous drivers when he did not notice that the light had already turned green. He didn't even know how he had come home in one piece. But when he finally parked in front of the house, he breathed a sigh of relief. He turned off the radio, although he had not really heard a single track, which was blaring from the loudspeakers, while he was driving, then switched off the engine. Perhaps he should have dropped off at a store on the way and bought wine or soju for him and Yerim, or at least ice cream for his daughter, since he had already come home earlier for the first time in two weeks, but he had no mind for it.

So he started down the narrow sidewalk that led through the center of the green, well-kept lawn and covered the distance to his beautiful house in just a few steps. He looked up at the surroundings. In front of the house on the lawn, there was Yoo's purple bicycle with a small wicker basket in front. He smiled gently at the sight.

He remembered well when Yoo and him had gone to buy that bike. The little one insisted that it must be purple, and they couldn't find one anywhere. Almost all the bikes for little girls they found were pink. Seokjin had been persuading her for a long time that pink was a very nice color so that she would agree, but she was not going to give up. As a result, they bought a pink bike, and then Seokjin took it to a paint shop and paid to repaint it with Yoo's choice of shade of purple. The little girl was delighted.

That's what he wanted for Jeongguk.

When his brother proposed to Lisa, he was convinced that soon he would also create such a wonderful family as he had himself. Jeongguk loved Yoo. He knew that someday his brother would also be a great father and was convinced that he and Lisa would create a beautiful and happy family. He wanted Jeongguk to experience the happiness he had in his daily life, and now he watched his brother destroy everything he had been building in the last years. He couldn't understand it. He didn't know why Gguk rejected everything that fate had given him for this man.

It was ridiculous.

Nodding in disbelief, he started toward the entrance. He opened the door and stepped inside. It was enough that he took a few steps and his daughter's cheerful squeal crept into his ears. He looked up and laughed aloud as he watched Yoo, still wearing her ballet gear, run towards him with her arms outstretched.

"Dad!" The little girl screamed, throwing herself into his arms.

As he wrapped his strong arms around her tiny body, he bowed his head almost involuntarily, pressing his face against her dark, soft hair. Yoo smelled like jasmine, and so did her mom, but he could smell the sweet scent of bubble gum as well. It was the scent of the hair shampoo he'd bought her a few days ago.

"Mom said you'd be back late today!" The girl said quickly, clenching her fingers on the lapel of his elegant jacket.

"Because that's what it was meant to be, darling, but daddy couldn't wait to hear how you did on your ballet calss today," he replied, smiling gently at her.

He reached out and stroked her dark hair, then tossed the unruly strand behind her ear.

"I learned a new figure today, and Mrs. Choi said I dance like a real ballerina!" the little girl boasted.

"Oh, daddy is so proud of you. Will you show me later what you learned today?" Yoo nodded vigorously at his request, and Jin leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"And when will uncle Gguk come to us? I promised to show him new moves," Yoo said suddenly.

At the sound of his brother's name, Seokjin shifted uneasily, and in a few seconds he remembered their quarrel. They had never had a flight like that before. Their arguments were usually meaningless banter. This time it was completely different. He didn't know if and when they could mend their relationship again.

"Uncle Gguk..." he began hesitantly, not knowing what to say. "Uncle is unlikely to come to us for some time... H-he has a lot on his mind now with preparations for the wedding and..."

He paused, not knowing what else to say. He couldn't explain it in words, but he felt that a rift had formed between him and Jeongguk that would take a long time to be destroyed.

"Can we visit Tae then?" Yoo asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Seokjin looked at her in surprise, his eyebrows furrowed together. He wasn't sure if he heard his daughter's question right.

"Tae?" He repeated to make sure his senses weren't making fun of him.

"Yes. Tae is uncle's friend. He also wanted to see me dance," the girl replied.

Hearing these words, Jin unconsciously clenched his fists, and his breathing became shallow involuntarily. He was furious that Jeongguk had allowed this man to get closer to his family. To his daughter. The anger that seemed to be slowly leaving his body began to digest his insides again, trying to get to the surface. His skin felt as though it was almost burning with the fury that was beginning to overwhelm him, but he refused to let his daughter know that he was having such bad emotions. So he pursed his lips into a narrow line, forcing a gentle smile.

"He's certainly very busy, too," he choked out with difficulty.

"Ah! Sweetheart! You are here!" Yerim cried suddenly, appearing in the corridor.

At the sound of her tender, melodious voice, Seokjin raised his head and for a moment their eyes met. A sincere smile crept across his lips at the sight of her. He loved this girl with all his heart, and he didn't know if he would ever be able to stop. It was enough for her to appear in his sight, and everything bad disappeared somewhere.

Yerim leaned her hip against the kitchen doorway and folded her hands over her chest, staring at them with an affectionate gaze. She looked phenomenal, despite wearing only a plain white blouse and dark jeans that hugged her legs like a second skin. Her dark shoulder-length hair was down, framed her beautiful, radiant face, her eyes shining brightly.

"Yoo..." she said fondly. "Let your dad undress and rest after work, huh? Then there will be time to show your dad what you learned today. Go change and wash the hands. Dinner will be ready soon," she added.

Seokjin set his baby girl down on the floor and stroked her dark hair with his hand.

"Mommy's right. Go and wash the hands. You must be hungry after a dance like this," he said gently.

The little girl nodded vigorously, then started running towards the stairs that led to the upper level of their house, where the girl's room was. Seokjin followed his daughter with his eyes until her small form vanished from his sight. Before he could turn his head again, he felt Yerim's body press against his strong back. Smiling involuntarily, he turned towards the woman and looked at his wife's face, then took her chin with his hand and gently brushed her lips with his, placing a butterfly kiss on them.

"What are you doing here? You said you'd be back late today..." the brunette asked, stroking her husband's cheek with her hand.

"I've missed you guys," he replied, smiling again. His smile, however, stopped below the eyes.

"Honey, Yoo isn't here anymore, and I know you too well..."" she said gently, still running her fingertips along the line of his jaw. She could feel the fine hairs of slowly growing beard under her fingers. "What's happening?" She asked, looking him straight in the eyes.

Seokjin sighed loudly, then ran his hand in frustration over his handsome face, only to find the warm gaze of his wife's amber eyes again. Yerim could read it like an open book. Perhaps it was because of a highly developed female intuition, or perhaps it was to blame for the fact that he was not very good at hiding his emotions. But Yerim was not only his wife, she was also, or perhaps most of all, his friend. They talked to each other about practically everything. He was never closer to anyone. Yeri knew all about him, and he loved it.

"I had an argument with Jeongguk," he finally admitted in one exhalation, then sighed in resignation.

"Don't tell me you had one of those ridiculous quarrels of yours called who's going to eat the last mochi again," the woman joked, laughing gently. She couldn't even count the number of times she had witnessed such ridiculous quarrels between the Jeon siblings.

"I wish that was it," he confessed.

Yerim took his hand and without a word led him towards the kitchen. As soon as they crossed the threshold, the pleasant smell of the food being prepared crept into his nostrils. Seokjin moistened his lips almost involuntarily. Yeri offered him a chair and motioned for him to sit on it, and he obediently slumped down on the seat while resting his elbows on the island's kitchen counter, then watched his wife. The woman approached the refrigerator.

"Hot chocolate or soju?" She asked, glancing at him over her shoulder, then without even waiting for an answer, she opened the refrigerator and pulled out a green bottle.

She turned on her heel and walked gracefully toward him, scooping up soju glasses along the way. She put them on the counter in front of her husband and poured the alcohol into both of them. Screwing the cap on the bottle, she pushed one of the glasses towards the man, then sat down on the spot in front of him, and she found the gaze of his dark eyes again.

She asked for nothing. She knew him well enough that she knew he would tell her everything in a moment. So she let his tattered thoughts finally form into syllables and syllables into words, which finally slowly began to emerge from his pursed lips.

"I don't think we've had an argument like this before," he confessed. "It feels like I don't know him at all... as if Jeongguk is a total stranger."

"Why do you say that? What happened?" She asked, her brows furrowed together.

She didn't know what Jin might have argued about with his younger brother. They may not have been very close, but they always got on well. Jeongguk was a frequent visitor to their home. She had known him almost from the very beginning of her acquaintance with Seokjin, and had never witnessed their quarrels. At least one that wasn't like the fight between two kids at the age of five. They teased each other a lot, they sniped at each other, but it always amused her, and she knew there was only brotherly love behind it.

Jin was silent again, as if wondering if he should reveal any details to Yerim from today's events. It still felt as if what had happened was just some bad dream that he would wake up from soon. He couldn't believe what had happened. He was angry and so damn disappointed that Jeongguk had lied to him so much. Plus, he couldn't help but think about what he had learned about him and what he had witnessed.

Feeling the emotions of the day intensify again, he reached out and grasped the glass in his fingers, then put it to his mouth and, tilting his head back, poured all its contents down his throat. Soju was well chilled. It chilled his throat pleasantly, leaving a delicate note of grapefruit on his tongue.

"Jeongguk is cheating on Lisa," he finally choked out.

As he confessed, he didn't look at Yerim, as if he didn't dare to. He was ashamed of what his brother was doing. He had always found the Jeons to be imitative, truthful and honest people. He couldn't understand what drove Jeongguk to commit such a crime. He knew his brother was still very young, but age could not explain that he chose this tattooed man over his family.

"I went for a run this morning. I've had a lot on my mind lately, and I thought it would help me clear my mind..." he continued to talk. "I was running in the park and... I saw him..." He broke off and shifted nervously.

He glanced surreptitiously at Yerim, then shifted his gaze to the soju bottle that stood beside him. He reached out for it and refilled his glass. Barely putting the bottle down on the counter, he lifted the glass to his lips and, pressing the edge of the glass against it, drank the entire contents at once. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand and looked at his wife. Yerim looked at him with an unreadable expression. There was something strange about her gaze. For a few seconds, he felt as if the woman knew what he was going to say, even though his thoughts had yet to be formed into the right words.

"I saw him making out in the middle of the park... with another man..." Pronouncing the word "man", he lowered his voice a little, as if he was afraid that someone might hear him, even though he was at his own house, and he knew very well that no one else is here. "And the best thing is that the day before I met this man at his gym and Gguk brazenly lied to me that he was some fucking plumber who came to fix a leaking pipe, and I, an idiot, believed him..." he added, then snorted loudly.

He was so stupid to believe Jeongguk's words.

He raised a hand and sank his long fingers into his dark curls, brushing them back. He felt cheated, which made him even more furious. He was angry with Jeongguk for lying to him so long, and with himself for being stupid enough to believe his brother's lies.

"The worst thing is, he's so fucking blind on this guy. I don't know what he told him. What did he promise him. Or maybe he is blackmailing him with something... I don't know..."

"Jin..." Yerim began gently. "Did you talk to him about this? Did you ask him about this boy?"

"Sure, I talked to him. I couldn't leave it there. Especially since Lisa came back today and Gguk put on a daring performance of how much he missed her and how much he loves her, pretending to be a wonderful fiancé. Meanwhile, while she was gone, he was fucking with this... this..." He broke off, again unable to find the right words to describe the man, then sighed aloud. "Just the thought of it makes me sick. How can he do something like this? Lisa loves him, they are going to get married soon, and he... I wonder if he has even thought about how much he is hurting his loved ones. I know he's still young, but that doesn't explain him. There are some limits, and he..."

"And what did Gguk tell you?" Yerim asked.

Seokjin looked at her. The woman did not seem surprised by this news, or maybe she was just too shocked to show some bigger emotions. Jin didn't think long about it, however. A loud huff escaped his lips as he remembered his brother's words.

"He tried to deny. Telling me that I have visual hallucinations and I haven't seen him at all. It was only when I showed him their photos that he knew he would not be able to deny the truth. I still can't believe it's true. I thought I knew my own brother, but he is a stranger to me..."

"Don't say that, honey. It's still the same Jeongguk," the brunette replied. Jin looked up sharply at her and looked her straight in the eye.

"Are you defending him?" He asked surprised. "Aren't you surprised? Surprised by what I just told you? Yerim, Gguk is engaged, he is about to get married, and it turns out that he is having an affair and, in addition, with another man... It's not normal."

Yerim sighed gently, letting the air escape through her soft, slightly parted lips. She was silent for a moment while her husband watched her closely. When she finally parted her lips tighter to speak, Seokjin preceded her by speaking first.

"You knew about that," he said, snorting in disbelief, then ran his hands over his handsome face and found her gaze again. "How long have you known about this?" He asked.

"N-not very long. Maybe three weeks..." she admitted reluctantly. She knew there was no point in adding fuel to the fire and denying anything now.

"Three weeks?!" He repeated. "You're kidding me?! How could you hide something so important from me?"

"I found out by accident, and Gguk asked me not to tell you about anything, but even if he did not... I believe that it is up to him to decide if and when to tell someone about it. I have no right to decide for him".

"He's cheating on his fiancée! He is lying to his own family and is most likely robbing them! You know he bought this man an SUV? An SUV worth millions of won. A sizable sum of money had recently disappeared from his account, and he had recently brought this guy to TJE. To our company. He brought him there in the middle of the night, showed him the secret entrance, and god knows what else. And as if that was not enough... I'm convinced that this man stole a pendrive with a project worth millions and Jeongguk is hiding it all the time," he explained with growing frustration. "How do you even know about him? Gguk told you?" He asked.

There was a hint of bitterness in his voice. He was disappointed that Yerim learned the truth about his brother faster than he did, and that she did not trust him enough to share this knowledge with him. Perhaps if he had known about their relationship earlier, he would have been able to stop his brother from doing such a mistake.

He unscrewed the soju bottle and refilled his glass. He took it in his fingers and looked at his wife, then drank the entire contents at once, pouring the soju straight down his throat.

"Actually, Yoo first told me a few things that made me think. I wasn't sure, but I suspected that there may be something more between him and Tae. We also saw him in the hospital when Gguk collapsed. And a few weeks ago I met them together by chance in the park and saw them kissing. After that, me and Gguk had quite a long conversation," she explained. Her voice was still melodic and gentle.

"How can you talk about it all with such calm, knowing that Gguk has allowed this shady type to get close to our daughter. He could hurt her or kidnap her. Who knows what such a person is capable of..." he said reproachfully.

Unable to sit still under the influence of his emotions, he slipped from the seat and clasped his hands tightly on the kitchen counter.

"Because I talked to Gguk and I know that what they have in common is much more than what you see."

Seokjin laughed bitterly, once again tucking his dark hair back.

"Please. Just don't tell me you believe his stories. It's clear this man is lying to him. People like him see us as a good source of income and that's all. I just don't understand why Jeongguk is protecting him."

"Didn't it occur to you that maybe Gguk is doing it because he really loves this boy?" She asked, looking him straight in the eyes.

"It's ridiculous. Gguk is not like him. My brother can't be like that," he protested, moving nervously.

"Like what, Jin?"

"You know what I mean."

"No. I don't know Jin. Does it bother you that Gguk might be gay?" Yerim asked.

"My little brother is not a faggot, okay?!" He replied, almost screaming. "And the end of the discussion. Gguk is normal. He'll be getting married soon with Lisa and everything will be as it should be," he added, frowning angrily. "And I won't let that tattooed bastard ruin his life! If Gguk doesn't listen to me and doesn't come to his senses, I'll take care of it myself!" He announced firmly. "It'll all be over on Monday."

Yerim looked at him, clearly surprised by his outburst and the words that rolled from his lips. Seokjin was almost screaming, even though he was not one to be easily upset. They had occasional arguments, but he had never raised his voice to her before, and he hadn't looked as upset as he did now.

"Why do you say it will all be over on Monday?" Yerim asked carefully, feeling involuntarily that she didn't want to hear the answer at all. "How should Gguk listen to you?" She continued, closing the distance between them. She felt a strange nervousness growing with each passing moment. "Jin, what did you do?" She gasped at last, staring at her husband's handsome face, now twisted in a grimace.

"I told him he had time until Monday to end this sick relationship," he replied without hesitation. His voice sounded strange. It was hard and cold, as was the look in his dark eyes. "If Gguk doesn't do it, I'll tell everything to Lisa and our father on Monday, then report to the police that this man has stolen a flash drive from TJE's building."

"Jin, can you hear yourself? It's insane..." Yerim said softly, as if she still didn't believe what her partner had just confessed. "You have no right to threaten him."

"Yes, I have!" He shouted. "Because what this little shit is doing now can destroy not only his life, but also our entire family. We may lose what our father worked for all his life. And I will not allow it!"

"I listen to you and I don't believe my own ears. You said that you don't recognize your younger brother, and at the moment I don't recognize my own husband," she suddenly confessed. Her voice was visibly trembling, as if she was tormented by many strong emotions. "Because a man who first became my best friend and then my husband would never do something like that. I love him for being a good man, a wonderful son, a loving brother, and now the most wonderful father I could ever dream of for my daughter. The man I love does not offend, intimidate or blackmail his own brother, perhaps in one of the hardest moments of his life. This is not how you protect your family, that's how you destroy it."

"You don't understand, Yeri. He has to end it," he said sternly.

"No, Jin. You don't understand," she replied, looking him straight in the eye. "For the first time in my life, I am so disappointed with your behavior. I just hope that all the cruel words I just heard are just a product of your angry lips, because if you really spoke from your heart, I don't know if I will ever be able to forgive you." She turned on her heels and started toward the exit of the kitchen. "Take dinner for yourself and feed Yoo. I've got everything ready," she said in a flat voice, not even looking at him.

"And you?" Jin choked out with difficulty.

"I'm not eating. I lost my appetite," she replied shortly, then disappeared through the kitchen door, leaving him alone.

***

Seokjin stared at the plate for a long moment, mindlessly shifting the rice and meat from one side of the plate to the other. The food was delicious, but he only swallowed a few bites. He still repeated Yeri's words in his head, and he couldn't forget the disappointment he heard in each of them. Yerim had never been disappointed in him before.

Of course, he had forgotten to do something she asked him to do, but what he had done this time couldn't be compared to it. It was something completely different. Until now, he was sure that he was doing the right thing. He kept telling himself that in this way he was protecting the family and Jeongguk himself, but he didn't think for a moment about what his brother might be feeling. He assumed that Gguk was acting irrational, that he was unable to make a right decision, so he decided to make a decision for him.

"You don't like it?" A melodic, childish voice asked suddenly, breaking him out of his thoughts.

Jin looked up at his daughter sitting across from him, then glanced again at the plate with the scattered meal. He sighed loudly and put the chopsticks on the table, wiped his mouth with a napkin and smiled gently at the girl.

"I'm just tired and have no appetite," he explained. "Have you finished yet, honey?" He asked, and the little girl nodded, slightly lifting her empty plate, so he could see that she had eaten it all.

"Why didn't mommy eat with us?"

"Mommy... Mommy felt a little bad, you know, honey? Therefore, she decided to lie down and rest."

"Mom is sick?"

"No babe. It's just a bad headache. Come to daddy," he ordered, patting his thigh gently.

Yoo slipped off her stool and ran to him quickly. Seokjin propped her up gently, placing his daughter on his lap. He looked at her flushed face and brushed the dark hair out of her face, tucked an unruly strand behind her ear, then placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Mommy said you met uncle Gguk's friend. Such a boy with red hair..." he began cautiously.

He didn't want to pressure her and scare her, but he had to know if this man was going to hurt his family. If he hadn't hurt her already... He didn't trust him. Especially knowing that he had lied to him, looking him straight in the eye.

"Yes! You know Tae too?!" The little girl asked with obvious excitement. Her childish voice grew a little thinner, her eyes sparkling brightly.

"No. Daddy hasn't met him yet. So I thought maybe you could tell me something about him. Did uncle Gguk bring him often?"

"Several times. Tae took us to the zoo and the amusement park! And he recently bought me blueberry ice cream!" the little girl said vividly.

"And tell dad... If... Was this man..." He broke off, moistening his lips nervously. "Was this man saying something strange to you or doing something inappropriate with you? Perhaps he was touching you o-or..." he asked, struggling to force his words through his clenched throat.

If this man hurt his family, he would do anything to make him spend the rest of his days rotting in prison.

Yoo looked at him with wide eyes and blinked several times, not understanding his question. She looked a bit confused.

"I heard Tae cursing once or twice, but I didn't repeat it. Mom says you mustn't swear," the girl confessed. "And... and when we were at the amusement park, Tae got very upset..."

"Why was he upset, honey? He yelled at you?" He asked, relieved that the girl only mentioned swearing.

"Not on me. Some boy said that uncle Gguk is a fag and Tae got very upset and uncle had to calm him down, but mom told me it was a very bad word and that no one should be called that, so I guess it's a good thing Tae got upset, right ?" She explained quickly.

"That's true, princess," he agreed, feeling like a hypocrite, knowing that a moment ago it was he who called Gguk like that.

However, he did not want to convey such prejudices to his daughter. He wanted her to respect other people, regardless of their preferences. These were the values ​​he tried to convey to her from an early age.

"Can we visit Tae or invite him to our place? I miss him," Yoo said, looking at her father pleadingly.

"Maybe someday. Now go to your room and play alone for a while, okay? Daddy has to take care of mom, huh?"

"Alright," the little girl agreed.

"Give dad a kiss," Seokjin asked, leaning in to his daughter to give her his cheek, and the girl quickly gave him a kiss, then jumped off his lap and ran out of the kitchen.

Jin got up from his seat and scooped up the dirty dishes from the table. He threw out the remnants of the food he had left behind. He opened the door of the dishwasher and placed the plates inside. He looked around, then made sure he had cleared everything up and headed for the exit. He climbed the stairs that led to the upper level of their home and immediately walked down the narrow corridor towards their bedroom, which was down the hall to the right. There were family photos on the walls. He didn't look at them as he passed them, but he knew well that the smiling faces of his beautiful wife and daughter were staring at him. He was bloody lucky to have such a great family.

When he reached the white door leading to the bedroom, he paused briefly. He felt a strange nervousness. He was not used to arguing with his wife. They rarely argued, usually tried to clear up any disagreements right away. They were friends before they started dating, which may be why their relationship was so solid and sincere.

He stood in front of the door for a moment, his hand resting on the brass doorknob. Its cold was giving him unpleasant chills, but he couldn't bring himself to open the door. Finally, he took a deep breath and slowly forced the handle as he carefully pushed the door open. It was enough that he barely opened it, and the soothing scent of Yerim perfume crept into his nostrils, making his tense muscles relax a bit almost involuntarily.

He pushed the door harder and stepped inside. There was a pleasant dimness in the room, and Yerim stood by the window, staring at the view of their small garden overlooked by their bedroom windows. The woman must have heard the door open, but didn't even flinch. Seokjin approached her carefully and slowly, as if he feared he would scare her off like a wild animal. He wrapped his strong arms around her tiny body and, bowing his head, placed a gentle yet tender kiss on her bare shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I don't think it's me who you should apologize to," Yerim said gently, turning in her husband's arms, so she could look him in the eye.

Seokjin sighed heavily but said nothing. They were both silent for a long moment. Yerim just stared at him with obvious worry and concern. He knew she wasn't mad at him, but he still felt he owed her an explanation.

"How are you so sure that this man does not want to hurt our family?" He asked finally. "Gguk is so young. Perhaps this tattooed dude chose him because he knew he was an easy target. He's getting married soon, it's normal that he might want to go crazy, to mess around a bit... A lot of young people do that, don't they? After all, he and Lisa are such a great couple. It all makes no sense..." he said a bit chaotically, as if he was trying to convince himself to be right.

Yerim's words made him think. Until now, he had been firmly convinced that he was right and that he was doing the right thing. But the more he thought about it, the more he doubted.

"Have you noticed that your brother rarely smiles?" Yerim asked suddenly, as if she hadn't heard his words. "He sometimes smiles, of course, but his smile practically never reaches his eyes. I've known him for almost as long as I have known you, and I've only really seen him laugh a few times. Usually when he's playing with Yoo. When I met him, I quickly noticed that he was strangely tense at family gatherings. Sometimes it looks as if he is about to take an important exam, which will determine his further fate. He straightens his tie a million times, smooths his shirt, straightens cufflinks... Your father can be intimidating, it's true, but he is almost deathly afraid that he will not live up to his expectations. When you told me that your brother met a girl, and you described her in superlatives, I was happy. Gguk is like a little brother to me and I love him very much. I know he has been through a lot, and he really deserves to be with someone who will value him. However, when I met Lisa, I had very mixed feelings. Of course, Lisa is beautiful and smart. No one can say she is not, but I wasn't sure she was the right person for your brother. So I watched her closely, and the more I saw, the more I became convinced that she didn't deserve him."

Yerim paused for a moment, as if to give Jin time to analyze her words so far. She reached out with her slender hand and ran her fingers through the dark hair that hung down to her thin shoulders, falling gently against it.

"Remember when you bought me an engagement ring?" She asked, then laughed softly at the memory. "It fell from every finger. I could have gained fifty kilos, and it would probably be still too big... but still, it was one of the most beautiful and important gifts I have ever received, because I knew it was a symbol of your love and devotion."

"I was walking down the street past a jewelry store and when I saw it, I just knew I wanted you to be my wife," he confessed, recalling the day. "It would probably be harder to decide if I knew rings were in different sizes," he added, and chuckled softly.

"You know, Gguk asked me to help him choose a ring for Lisa. When I saw him, he looked nervous. He wasn't sure what ring Lisa would like. You know, she's quite... demanding. I can't even count how many jewelry stores we've visited. As a result, we ended up in one of the most expensive shops in Seoul. Eventually Gguk found something that seemed good enough and the ring was really beautiful. For my taste, at least half too expensive, but you know I don't like such expensive gifts. Jeongguk chose a tanzanite ring. When I saw it, I immediately knew why he chose such a stone - purple."

Seokjin looked at her in surprise. He knew exactly what the purple color meant to his brother, but he remembered Lisa praising the pink diamond engagement ring.

"You're probably wondering why Lisa had a pink diamond," Yerim said, as if reading his mind. "Lisa told Gguk to replace the ring he had given her. She knew there was a pink diamond in this salon, which I think is one of the most expensive models, and told him she wanted this ring. I saw it while we were there. It was almost twice as expensive, but I don't mean the price. You know why Jeongguk chose a purple-colored stone..."

Sure he knew.

When they were children their mother used to say that her love for them was endless. She claimed that mere words like "I love you" could not convey the depth of her feelings, so she coined the word "Borahae" for them. A combination of the word love and the last color of the rainbow - purple, because her love never ends. This is why violet was so important to Gguk.

Thinking about it, Seokjin felt a strange tightness in his chest. Lisa certainly didn't know the meaning of the gesture, but that didn't explain her behavior anyway.

Why didn't Jeongguk tell anyone anything?

"It's not the first time Lisa has treated him like this," Yerim continued. "I happened to see her reproach him for some stupid things, how she scolded him that he had a skewed tie or badly styled hair, and maybe someone would say that it's just trifles, but life is made of such small gestures. I never said it out loud because I didn't want to interfere with their relationship, but I always thought Gguk deserved better. Lisa can't appreciate him. Sometimes I get the feeling that apart from his name and wallet, she really doesn't care much. I think even when Gguk proposed to her, he wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing. He did it because he knew everyone expected it from him."

"I thought they were happy together..."

"I think that Gguk has not been happy with her for a long time..."

Seokjin pondered his wife's words for a long time, searching through his memories. Could it be that he had missed such things? That his brother was unhappy, and he didn't notice anything? He and Lisa seemed to be one of those perfect couples. At family gatherings, Lisa literally hung over his shoulder and repeated what a wonderful partner she had and how much she looked forward to finally becoming his wife. Jeongguk was usually withdrawn, didn't talk much, but he was always quite secretive, so he didn't take it for anything unusual or something to worry him.

"When I saw him in the park with Tae..." Yerim said again. Her voice took on a warm, slightly nostalgic color, as if she was telling a story and some kind of nice memory from the past that still evokes warm emotions. "I watched them for a long time before I even decided to reveal that I saw them. I couldn't take my eyes off them. They looked so... happy. If only you could see how Tae looks at him... As if Jeongguk were his whole world. This can't be fooled, Jin. I think he really loves him. And to be honest... I think Jeongguk feels the same about him."

"Jeongguk can't..." Jin began hesitantly. "He can't be gay."

"Why do you say that? You have never been prejudiced... Homosexuality is..."

"You don't understand..." he protested. "They'll destroy him, and I can't let that happen... I'm his big brother, I should protect him."

"Honey..." Yerim said, smiling faintly at him.

"I promised to protect him," he confessed, looking her straight in the eye, and seeing that the woman didn't quite understand his words, he moistened his lips and slowly began to tell her a story he hadn't told anyone before. "The day this accident happened..." he began, his voice uncertain.

He turned his back to her as he said it, and this time it was he who stared at the beautiful garden outside the window. He didn't dare to look at her. He had never told this story to anyone before. Even though he couldn't erase those memories from his mind, he did not like to think back to them. Sometimes it felt as if it had all happened yesterday and not more than ten years ago.

"That day, our mother came to me and asked me if I would go with them. She said she believed Gguk had real talent and could win this competition. And I..." He broke off, somehow trying to contain his emotions and arrange the memories and thoughts into a coherent whole. Yerim did not pressure, she did not rush him. As the silence seemed to fill the room almost to the limit, Jin finally started talking. "Me and Jeongguk have always been different. He used to go with a notebook and crayons from an early age. He painted in every free moment. And when he was not sketching in his notebook, he would sit in our mother's studio and watch her create her paintings. I've never been good at it. I couldn't even draw a simple thing. I've always had a more scientific, analytical mind. Perhaps that is why I have always been closer to my father. I loved when he was showing me some new projects or telling me about his new ideas. My dream was to work at TJE one day and be able to implement my ideas. Most of the time, I didn't care that I had no common interests with our mother. She was a fantastic woman and supported me whether I had a talent for drawing or not. I couldn't say the same about our father. He didn't quite approve of Gguk's interests. Not that he didn't want to support him... I think it was more of fear and concern. He started from scratch. He had nothing and had to fight for everything. He knew very well that being an artist was a rather low-profit job that would not provide financial security for your family. This is why he wanted Jeongguk to get a good education and get into something other than drawing. That day, our parents had an argument. Father was against this departure. He argued that it was a waste of time, because it could only give Gguk the illusion that perhaps he should develop in this direction. Our mother decided to support him and make his dreams come true. When she asked me if I wanted to go with them... I don't know ... I guess I was jealous that she supported him so much and believed in him so much that she had an argument with our father because of it. I was jealous that Jeongguk and our mother had a bond that I will never have with her..."

There was silence in the room again. Seokjin stared straight ahead for a long time, staring at the swaying leaves of the trees in the wind. Gray, rainy clouds had begun to roll in the so far almost cloudless sky, and he was convinced that soon the first drops would begin to fall from the sky, as if nature read his emotions flawlessly.

"I wanted to stop her. I wanted her to choose me over Jeongguk. I told her not to go there, but she told me that the most important part of parenting is supporting your children. It was Gguk's dream, and she wanted to help him make it come true... I was furious that..." He moistened his lips, not knowing how to describe the feelings that had tormented him ten years ago. "I was angry that she chose Gguk, so I told her that he was totally untalented even though it was a lie. And then... I shouted that I hope he will go there and never come back..."

"Jin..." Yerim whispered, placing her hand on his shoulder.

Seokjin looked at her gentle hand squeezing his shoulder, then slowly looked up to find her gaze.

"It was my last conversation with our mother... She never came back, and Gguk..."

The businessman raised his hand to his mouth, covering it so that no sobs would accidentally escape from his lips. He felt his throat tighten so tightly that he thought he was about to suffocate. For a moment, he visibly struggled to contain the emotions that were trying to get to the surface. He couldn't even remember the last time he cried. Now, however, tears involuntarily gathered in his eyes, glazing his gaze.

"When the police came to us and said that our mother died on the spot, and Gguk is fighting for his life in the hospital... I had the impression that... It was all my fault and that maybe if I hadn't said these words..."

"Honey, you were a child then. What you said then... People say a lot of things in anger, but that doesn't mean they really think so."

"When we waited in the hospital for Gguk's surgery to end, I made a promise that if he only got out of it, I would be the best brother he could have. I promised to protect him and not let anyone hurt him. I couldn't protect him then, but now..."

"Is that why you said Jeongguk can't be gay?" Yerim asked carefully, slowly beginning to understand her husband's intentions. Seokjin stared at her face for a moment, then nodded gently.

"They'll destroy him," he choked out. "Press... Our competition... Lisa..."

Yerim looked at him for a long time in complete silence. The only sound that filled their bedrooms was the soft sound of rain falling against the window. She knew that admitting homosexuality in a country like South Korea was very risky. Especially since Jeongguk was to become the future CEO of a huge company. But she also knew that the decision was not theirs.

"Jeongguk is a smart boy. He is certainly aware of the risks, but we cannot decide for him."

"He has attacks all the time, Yeri. He has been struggling with them for ten years, and he said nothing to me... He said nothing to anyone. He was hospitalized recently because he couldn't breathe... What if... He's so young. He doesn't know how much he is risking."

"I think Jeongguk realizes this all too well. What if they really love each other? When they were together... I've never heard Gguk laugh so real, so freely before. This boy makes your brother happy," she admitted, smiling gently at the memory of the picture she had seen some time ago in the park. "I don't know if you know, but... Taehyung has a son," she suddenly confessed, and Seokjin looked at her in surprise. He saw the red-haired had a car seat in the car and at first assumed that the man had a baby, but in the light of new events, he was convinced that this was also a lie. "Jae is four. As far as I know, he has been raising him by himself since he was a few months old. The boy's mother had left them. If you only saw them together: Tae, Gguk and Jae. They look like family. Taehyung is not the devil you are looking for, Jin."

"So how am I supposed to protect him?" He asked, not knowing what he should do now.

He wanted Jeongguk to be happy. It didn't matter to him whether his brother would have a relationship with a man or a woman, but he knew it would matter to others. Gguk may have tried to hide the truth, but how long would he have been able to do so, being the CEO of a multimillion-won company. Sooner or later, someone would find out about it. Additionally, Taehyung's style was quite controversial, which would surely start to arouse even more unnecessary confusion and interest. Plus, he didn't even want to think how Lisa and his father would take it all.

"Forcing him to break this relationship, you won't protect him. At most, you will hurt two people and, in addition, you will lose his trust. It is impossible to protect those we love from all the evil of this world. It is impossible. But that doesn't mean you're a bad brother," she explained gently.

She reached out her hand and grasped the larger one while leading Seokjin to the bed. They both sat down on the soft sheets. The black-haired man looked up and looked at his wife's face. The delicate features of Yerim seemed even more delicate in the dim light of the room. It was raining outside, the sky was covered with navy blue, which made the room much darker. However, it did not bother them. In the twilight, the senses became more acute, and the whispered words seemed to reach deeper, more accurately memorized.

"Do you remember when Yoo learned to ride a bicycle you bought her?" She asked after a moment of silence. The man nodded. "You were running around all the time, being careful not to let her fall over. One day, however, she fell off the bicycle and hurt her knee..."

He remembered that day well. Yoo said she wanted to try the ride alone because she was convinced she could do it. At her urging, Seokjin let go of the bike and let her ride alone. At first, she was doing great, but after a short time, the girl slipped on the sand and fell off the bicycle, and as a result she cut her knee.

"What did you do then?" Yerim asked, even though they both knew the answer well.

"I took her home and took care of the cut on her knee. She forced me to put on a purple patch, because she said that only one would fit her bicycle," he replied, smiling gently at the memory. He wasn't sure why Yerim had reminded him of the story right now.

"You should do the same with Gguk," Yeri said, answering his unspoken question. "The fact that we love someone and want to protect them does not mean that we are able to protect that person from all the evil in this world. You are not able to protect Jeongguk against everything that may happen to him. What you can do is to be there to help him get up when he falls. You can stand by him, support him, and if necessary, help him heal his wounds. Jeongguk is no longer a child, and he is certainly not stupid. He knows what consequences this relationship can have. You can't prevent all of this, but when it does happen... you can stand by his side. Prove to him that he is not alone in all this. This is the best proof of love.

Hearing her words, Seokjin jerked his head up sharply and looked her straight in the eye. His breathing quickened, his heart beating hard in his chest.

Yerim was right.

He slipped his hand into his pocket and took out his cell phone, then quickly checked the time. After a while, he looked at his wife again, simultaneously getting up from the bed he had been sitting on so far.

"Yeri..." he began hesitantly, and the woman smiled gently at him.

"Go to him," she replied. "I'll take care of Yoo."

Seokjin nodded and, turning on his heel, hurried out of the bedroom. As he ran down the stairs, he dialed Jeongguk's number and held the cell phone to his ear. He opened the door and ran outside. It was raining quite heavily, but without worrying about it, he moved quickly towards his car. He slid quickly into the black-upholstered driver's seat and turned the phone on speakerphone. As he started the engine and slowly pulled out of the driveway, the monotonous signal from his cell phone still crept into his ears. He was not at all surprised that Jeongguk did not want to answer the phone from him.

After what he had told him in the office, he would have been surprised if it were otherwise.

He accused him of robbing his own family, calling him a liar and a thief. He called him names, tried to intimidate and blackmail him, and to make matters worse, he let him think he was disgusted by the mere thought that his brother might be with another man.

He hung up in frustration, then redialed. He turned on the wipers to clean the windshield and depressed the accelerator. He didn't want to go too fast, given that road conditions weren't the best, but he had to find him before something he could no longer reverse happened.

"Gguk... Come on..." he groaned, tapping his fingers nervously on the steering wheel. But when the monotonous beep was replaced by a soft beep, announcing that the answering machine had picked up, he sighed loudly. "Gguk, it's me, Jin. Please... I know you probably don't want to talk to me, but... Please... Call me back as soon as you hear this message. It is very important..."

He hung up, then looked around quickly and turned right, then pressed the gas again. Fortunately, the housing complex where Gguk's penthouse was located was not far from his home, and at this time the streets of Seoul were not heavily congested. As he spotted the skyscrapers on the horizon, belonging to one of the largest housing estates with expensive apartments, he pressed the gas even harder, taking the last stretches of the road as fast as possible. He quickly rode up to the guard, who, recognizing him, immediately let him into the guest parking lot.

The rest of the way was like a dream for him. He ran towards the lift, and driving up to the top floor, he almost cursed Gguk for choosing such a tall building. He almost stumbled over his own feet as he ran out of the elevator, and when he finally stood outside his brother's apartment, he was gasping for breath. He glanced quickly at his reflection in the window, and instinctively ran a hand through his wet hair. His white shirt, wet from the rain, stuck to his broad shoulders and strong chest, and he must have looked like seven misfortunes, but it didn't matter now. He was already reaching out to knock on the door again, when suddenly he heard loud laughter from Lisa, and after a few seconds the door opened.

He looked up and saw Lisa. The girl had impeccable makeup, blonde hair tied in a high ponytail, body dressed in the dress he had seen her in this morning in the office, and in her right hand she was holding a glass of red liquid. It was wine, he guessed. She looked relaxed, the smile was still on her lips.

"Is Gguk here?" He asked quickly. "I need to talk to him..." he added.

"No. He's not back from the office yet," she replied. "If you like, you can come in and wait for him, but I don't know when he'll be back. Rose is at my place. I'm telling her about my time in Japan," she explained, pointing to the living room.

"N-no. Then I will not disturb you..." he answered quickly. "As soon as Gguk gets back, please tell him to call me. It is very important."

"Something happened at the company?" She asked.

"Yes. This is a very important matter... business. Let him call me. As soon as possible."

"Okay, I'll tell him," she smiled at him as she spoke. "I'll tell him as soon as he gets back," she repeated, forcing a smile.

She knew well that Jeongguk would not come back...

She figured it out when their bodyguard told her today that he had only seen Jeongguk two or three times since she left. She did not know where her fiancée slept during that time, but she was sure that he would also spend this night away from home.

There was only one question left.

Who did her fiancé sleep with while she was in Japan?

***

Initially a little rain, intensified almost in the blink of an eye. The Seoul sky was completely blanketed with hostile clouds, hiding the previously blue sky under a layer of deep gray down. The wind swayed the treetops, and the trees hummed restlessly, like the sound of rapidly falling drops. Jeongguk didn't even know how long he had been sitting in his black Mercedes, his head resting on the steering wheel, his hands clasped on the black upholstery. He'd probably parked in front of the house an hour or two ago, but he couldn't bring himself to get out of the car. He didn't know what to do now. He continued to analyze the events of today, repeating his brother's words over and over. He felt as if he was going to go mad. He wanted to scream.

Suddenly, the sound of the telephone broke him out of his reverie. He raised his head slowly and carefully pulled the phone out of his trouser pocket. When he saw his brother's name on the screen, he hesitated briefly whether or not to answer, but in the end he merely put his cell phone on the dashboard and just stared at the vibrating device.

Faggot, it sounded in his head.

His brother's voice was so clearly audible that it made him feel as if Seokjin was sitting right next to him, staring at him with the same scolding gaze he had given him in his office some time ago, his lips curved in disgust.

He never suspected Jin of being homophobic, but he also knew that it was different when your brother's friend dates guys and different when your little brother turns out to be gay. Especially when he is engaged to a woman. He knew cheating wasn't good. He was ashamed of it, and he knew he had done wrong to get involved with someone without ending his relationship with Lisa beforehand, but now it was too late to turn back time and fix it.

On top of that, he still had the threats of his brother in his head. Releasing his romance or his sexual orientation to his father and Lisa terrified him. He wasn't ready to tell them about it. He never thought Seokjin would do something like this. But seeing his determined look, he knew that his brother was not lying. He was going to do this, and he knew he would not hesitate. What frightened him the most, however, was that Jin was threatening Tae. He didn't want to involve him in his problems, much less, he didn't want the man who had given him so much to lose everything, risking it for him. Even if Taehyung had nothing to do with the theft of the flash drive, the summoned police would easily establish that Kim was doing tattooing illegally. Tae did not have the required medical education. What he did was not treated as art, but as a crime. He could have serious problems because of it. As a result, it could even lead to the withdrawal of his parental rights.

The mere thought of the possible consequences made him sick. His hands gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles almost turned white, and he tried to calm his chaotic breathing. He was afraid that due to the multitude of negative thoughts, he would have another attack. He almost felt as anxiety crawls under his skin, trying to get out. When his phone finally fell silent, he breathed a sigh of relief. He hoped he could calm down enough to finally get out of the car. He only drew a few jerky breaths into his lungs, however, as his cell phone began to vibrate again.

He looked at his dark chocolate irises at the display. He stared at his brother's name until the letters blurred in front of his eyes into a black stain that seemed to scream at him, shouting all the worst epithets into his face. Unable to bear it, he raised his trembling hands and covered his ears with them while tucking his head between his shoulders.

"S-Stop..." he choked out with difficulty. "Stop..." he repeated, pressing his hands so hard his ears almost hurt. He felt a burning sensation under his eyelids and a pain in his chest increasing.

He could barely hear the soft beep that indicated his brother had left a message on his answering machine. He knew very well that he would not listen to it anyway. After a moment, there was silence again, filled only by the sound of his chaotic breathing and the sound of rain hitting the expensive car body. He listened to the monotonous clatter until he was able to move. He carefully removed his hands from his ears and moistened his slightly chapped lips, then looked around.

Due to an argument with his brother, he left the office much earlier than planned. Perhaps he should have gone to the apartment and prepared dinner for Tae, just as he had planned yesterday, knowing they would have the evening all to themselves, and instead he was stuck in a Mercedes parked a short distance from the tattoo artist's apartment, fighting for almost every breath. He felt so fucking pathetic once again. He didn't deserve Tae.

Taehyung gave him so much, and he couldn't even protect him from his own brother. A relationship with him, instead of giving him the best, could only cause him disappointment and pain, and all he could think about now was the tattoo artist's soft lips, sliding over those of his...

He grabbed his phone and put it in his pocket, then opened the car door and went outside without thinking. It was raining so hard now that despite the short distance between his car and the block where the tattoo artist lived, when he got to the building, he was completely soaked.

His jet black hair twisted, sticking to his forehead and cheeks. The elegant white shirt, unbuttoned now with a few top buttons, clung to the rapidly rising and falling chest almost like a second skin. Like the black suit jacket that was still resting on his shoulders. He could feel the water splashing in his boots, and the elegant trousers hugged his thighs tightly against his athletic legs, which tightened with each successive distance, but he didn't care. He ran up the stairs as fast as he could, catching quick puffs of air between his parted lips to help at least a little, his clenching lungs. He had the feeling that if he didn't see him soon, he would suffocate or simply crumble to dust.

When he finally ran up to the fourth floor, he pushed hard against the apartment door, almost falling inside. It was enough, however, for him to cross the threshold, and his eyes saw the phenomenal silhouette of the man he so longed to see. He slammed the door shut quickly and covered the distance in a few springy steps. Taehyung, hearing the front door slam, turned his face towards him, but before he could somehow react, Jeongguk took his face in his hands and pressed their lips together in a firm kiss.

He kissed him fervently, somewhat chaotically, letting all the emotions of today vent out into his hot lips, the agile dance of his tongue, in the strong grasp of the arms that quickly entwined the silhouette of the tattooed man, pressing their bodies together as if he wanted them to melt into one. Taehyung did not owe him. He passionately indulged in every caress, eagerly sticking out his pierced tongue to taste him the way you should taste wine - long and greedily, as if he wanted to see how long his amazing taste would remain on his palate.

Almost instinctively, he too reached out his arms, groping in the dark of his oven mitts and closing the businessman's body in his bare, tattooed arms. Jeongguk was soaking wet, he could feel the rain pouring down on his black T-shirt, but he didn't mind, the moment was too perfect and fleeting to be spoiled by something so trivial. He pressed his body tighter against his, reducing the distance between them to a minimum. It seemed to him that the brunet's body was shaking, but he was not sure if it was under the influence of the emotions tormenting him, the excitement that slowly inflamed them both, or the cold caused by the fact that the young CEO returned home completely soaked.

Only when he couldn't breathe anymore did he pull away from him gently, reluctantly breaking the kiss. He measured him carefully with his eyes. Jeongguk was breathing hard. His chest rose and fell in chaotic breathing. His almost black hair curled into soft waves under the influence of the wet, and the rain ran down them, occasionally forming drops that slowly rolled over his beautiful face, soft lips and sharp jawline. He almost looked like that night they kissed for the first time, only his hair was much longer. He knew, however, that there was one major difference, and even though it could not be seen with the naked eye, he could feel it in every cell of his body.

The man he had kissed then was almost a stranger to him, and the one who stood in front of him now, staring at him with his dark chocolate irises, belonged to him.

"If I had known you'd be back sooner, I'd have rushed with dinner," Kim said finally, curving his lips into a beautiful smile. "I just started getting everything ready..." he added, pointing to a chopping board with half-cut pepper.

Jeongguk said nothing, just stood in the kitchen, a dozen centimeters away from him, and still did not take his intense gaze away from him. His breathing was oddly irregular, reminiscent of the way the boy had breathed some time ago before he had his attack in the kitchen. Taehyung turned off the burner, set the pan aside, and turned to face him again. He pinched his eyebrows together and looked at him closely, trying to read his gaze.

"Gguk, are you okay?" He asked, fearing Jeon would have one of his attacks.

The brunet was silent for a moment longer, and waiting for his answer, Kim instinctively held his breath. His whole body tightened. Even though the boy hadn't said anything yet, he knew something was wrong.

"Lisa is back," Gguk finally confessed, and Taehyung felt as if he had been hit in the head.

He moistened his lips and shifted from foot to foot. His right hand rose involuntarily, then slipped into his fiery red hair. He slid over them, trying to somehow digest the unexpected news. He knew that day would come, but yesterday, Lisa told Jeongguk that she would probably be back in two weeks.

"Does... Does that mean you're going back to your apartment tonight?" He asked, a strange tightness in his chest at the mere thought of Jeongguk getting out of here now.

He thought he was prepared for what was soon to come, but now he felt he was not at all ready for it.

He was afraid that he might lose him.

The brunet said nothing, only took a step forward to minimize the distance between them again. He gripped Kim's black T-shirt sharply and, clenching his hands around it, pulled him towards him. He rested his forehead on the tattoo artist's, letting his hot breath hit the man's lips.

"I want and need nothing more than to stay here with you," he whispered into his lips. "I need you ... more than ever before. Only you..." he added, then let his lips slide gently over those of the tattoo artists, examining their texture. He stuck his tongue out and ran it over Taehyung's bottom lip, and the man instinctively parted his lips more, urging him to stick his tongue in. Jeongguk accepted the invitation without hesitating, and they kissed again for a moment. "I need you, Tae," Gguk repeated, pronouncing the words between kisses that became more and more passionate. "I want your lips on my... your hands on my body... I want to feel your eyes on me... Your taste... Hear your voice... I want to feel how hard you are... How good you feel when you are inside me."

Taehyung moved slightly away, just enough to meet his eyes. He blinked quickly a few times, then parted his lips as if to say something, but once again he was speechless, for no words he knew could express what this man made him feel. He never thought he could feel something like that for someone. It was so strong that there were no words to express the depth of his feelings. So he grabbed his face in his hands, and this time it was he who pressed their lips together in a tender kiss.

Kissing him greedily, almost involuntarily, he ran his hands along his strong back, finally closing his fingers on his athletic buttocks, simultaneously pressing the man's crotch tightly against his. When Jeon inadvertently groaned directly into his lips, he lifted him up, helping him jump onto his hips, and the brunet wrapped his legs around him tightly. Continuing to kiss, Taehyung strode towards the bedroom, and Jeongguk began to shed layers of clothes. He pulled off his soaked suit jacket and threw it on the floor, then began to nervously unbutton the buttons of his white shirt, revealing his naked chest. When Kim was entering the bedroom, the dark-haired man pulled up his black T-shirt to get rid of his clothes as soon as possible. There was something nervous about his gestures, as if he couldn't wait to finally feel his naked body moving sensually over his warm body.

The tattoo artist approached the bed and tossed him on it, tearing a soft gasp of surprise from his lips. But when he sought his gaze, the man's eyes blazed with living fire. Taehyung gave him a sexy smile, and grabbed the elastic of the sweatpants that framed his hips and, without the slightest embarrassment, slipped them off his tanned legs. Jeongguk was lying on the bed, leaning on his shoulders, watching him greedily. He was not surprised, however, that the tattoo artist hadn't even bothered to put on underwear under his black sweatpants. He had long noticed that Kim valued freedom. When he was home, he loved to go barefoot, wearing only soft sweatpants. Jeon never complained about it, on the contrary - he loved it.

As Kim tossed his pants aside, facing him so wonderfully beautiful and completely naked, he bit his bottom lip and eyed him carefully as he traced the man's swarthy, tattooed skin. He loved to admire him. There was nothing to compare to it.

Taehyung approached him and grasped his right ankle before taking off his elegant shoes and socks. He did the same with his other leg, and when he was barefoot, he climbed deeper into the bed and grabbed the black leather belt of his pants. He yanked it, forcing Jeongguk to lift his hips a little and undo his belt without asking, doing the same with the zipper of his elegant pants.

"Raise your hips," he demanded, and the young CEO obediently did as requested.

Kim easily slid the elegant pants off his narrow hips along with the boxer shorts, pulling them off his athletic ass, then sliding them down the sculpted thighs, slowly revealing Jeon's body. He took off his pants all the way and tossed them behind him, not even looking at where he had thrown them. Curving his lips in a sexy smile, he settled between the man's legs, shamelessly parting his thighs so that he had good access to this desired place.

He could feel his eyes on him and knew well that the boy certainly knew what he was going to do now. He loved dominating him, but he loved watching the boy squirm in delight as he let him touch the sky again and again.

With a quick, firm movement of his hand, he grasped the businessman's cock in his hand and tightened the tattooed fingers at the base, he leaned forward himself and, sticking his tongue out of his mouth, ran its tip over the leaking head. He liked that, even though he barely touched him, Jeongguk was already wet. He loved the taste of it on his tongue and how sensitive he was to his caresses. He remembered well how embarrassed the young CEO had been when they had one of their first close-ups, and his underwear was all covered with pre-cum before Taehyung had even had enough time to take care of him. Now, however, there was not even a hint of embarrassment on Gguk's face, on the contrary, it made him feel wanted and damn sexy. The brunet was still leaning on his strong forearms, looking with fascination at his pierced tongue, dancing nimbly around his cock's head dripping with juices. As the tattoo artist's sinful lips finally parted to let the already hard cock slide deeper, a loud sigh escaped from Jeon's mouth. The hands quickly found the tattoo artist's head, then slid into his hair, eagerly tugging at the fiery red strands, while the hips almost involuntarily lifted to meet those wonderful lips. Lips that gave him so much pleasure that he almost lost his mind.

Still without taking his eyes off the tattoo artist who was pleasuring him with his mouth, Jeongguk stretched out his right hand, struggling to reach the nightstand where they were storing the intimate gel. He felt it with his fingers and pulled out a small box, then handed it to Kim, who smirked at him, continuing to suck on him for a moment. The tattoo artist uncapped the gel and poured a substantial amount onto his palm, then tossed the box aside and slid his hand between the young CEO's ass cheeks. He warmed the gel in his fingers and carefully smeared it in a circle around his entrance. After a while, he sucked his cock harder into his mouth, pushing his penis as deeply as he could, and as Jeongguk involuntarily arched his back, throwing his head back with a loud curse on his lips, he stuck his long, tattooed fingers firmly into him.

"Ah!" Jeon groaned, instinctively clenching his hands on the white sheets.

Hearing this groan of pleasure, Teahyung smiled involuntarily, only sucking his cock harder into his mouth, only to after a moment of such sensual torture gently pull away, staring at him with onyx irises that seemed to burn.

"I love seeing you like this..." he confessed in a low, sensual voice.

Jeon parted his lips slightly, but before he could reply, his words took on the sound of another erotic groan that rolled from his sinful mouth the moment the tattoo artist took his cock into his mouth again, swallowing him in one impressive movement.

Teahyung always knew how to touch him so that the young CEO would literally fall into a million pieces in his hands. Every time he felt that the man's muscles tighten around his long fingers, he sucked the head of his cock harder, teasing it with his piercing. He penetrated him with his nimble fingers, crossing them together, asking him to relax and open up for him. When he felt that the boy was so relaxed and stretched that he could enter him without hurting him, he deliberately curled his fingers, hitting this wonderful bundle of nerves.

"Oh, fuck!" Jeon swore, arching his back again, and Taehyung pushed his lips away from him, letting the CEO's cock just slide out of his mouth.

"Are you ready?" He asked, even though he didn't need an answer.

"Hell yes, I am," the brunet replied, then pushed him away from him, simultaneously changing their places and climbed on him, straddling him. He grabbed his swollen cock in his hand and quickly spread the pre-cum along its length, then guided it to his entrance and looked him straight in the eye. His jet black hair was still very wavy, wet from the rain. The chocolate irises shone with a million stars. The chest rose and fell in jerky breathing. "I want you to look at me," he confessed confidently.

Taehyung nodded that he understood, and Jeon climbed tighter on him, resting his left hand on the tattooist's bare chest and, staring straight into his eyes, began slowly lowering along his length, sliding his hard cock inside himself. Kim had the impression that Jeongguk was trying to torture him. The boy lowered himself mercilessly slowly, letting his cock fill him more and more inch by inch. The tattoo artist clenched his hands tightly on the white sheet, trying his best to contain the impulse to push his hips forward, entering into him hard and fast. When Gguk finally fell all the way down on his thighs, letting Kim's cock slide into him balls deep, they both cursed loudly with pleasure.

For a moment, the CEO's movements were gentle, careful. He was only slowly rolling his hips, getting used to the feeling of stretching, but after a while of such treatments he knew that he needed much more. Pushed by desire, he tensed his thighs, pushing himself up, then lowering down again along the length of the tattoo artist.

"Ah, fuck, Gguk," the tattoo artist groaned. His hands were almost involuntarily on the CEO's narrow hips to help him accelerate his movements.

After a few chaotic movements, the brunet found his rhythm. He moved sensually, rising and falling like ocean waves, letting their bodies melt into one. The tattoo artist did not take his eyes off him for a moment, absorbing the beauty of the man who had sex with him sensually. They were so close their chests were almost touching each other, but that wasn't enough. Jeongguk wrapped his hands around his neck, pressing their hot bodies even tighter, and pressed his lips against him. They kissed greedily, tasting each other as if the world would end tomorrow. Even when they broke the kiss, their lips were only centimeters apart, the hot breaths mingled into one and hit against the saliva-wet lips, leaving them with an unforgettable taste.

"Oh, Tae..." Gguk whispered, right on his lips, and Taehyung, feeling the brunet's warm breath hit his lips, ran his tongue over them, as if he wanted to drink from his mouth the taste of his own name, pronounced with such tenderness.

"Gguk..." he whispered in the same way, staring directly at those beautiful doe eyes, shining like never before.

"Say it," Jeongguk gasped suddenly, not taking his eyes off him even though he felt the approaching orgasm slowly building up in his lower abdomen.

Taehyung blinked a few times in surprise at his words, but did not stop moving within him even for a moment. He pushed his hips out rhythmically to meet his smooth movements, but something new appeared in his eyes. He knew exactly what Jeongguk was asking of him.

"G-Gguk..."

"You wanted to say that before, didn't you?" Jeon asked, even though it didn't sound like a question. "Say that you love me."

The tattoo artist raised his hand and traced the line of his jaw with his fingertips, staring directly into his eyes. He looked at him as if he had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. His fingertips moved slowly over his smooth skin, adoringly. In his eyes, Jeongguk was like the most beautiful work of art, and the fact that the man exposed himself to him in the most intimate way made his body shiver.

"If I do... Everything will change," he replied, looking for a few seconds on his soft lips, then returning his gaze to the dark chocolate colored irises.

He didn't know why Jeongguk was asking him to do this now. Perhaps he was pushed to do so by something that happened in the office today. Or maybe Lisa's return had caused demons to burst into his head again, but he also knew that he didn't know the words to express the depth of his feelings. So he leaned forward and grasped his quivering lips with his, thus trying to show him what he meant to him.

He kissed him very tenderly, rubbing his tongue against his in an erotic dance. He wanted Gguk to taste his hunger in this kiss, and the passion and desire that overwhelmed him, but most of all, to feel how damn important he was to him.

"No words can express what you mean to me," he whispered against his lips. Their lips were almost touching. As he spoke the words, his lips gently brushed against those of the young CEO, but neither of them was even about to pull away. "You are everything to me, Gguk. These three words will never be enough..." That said, he placed his hand on his chest, exactly where his heart was. "Can you feel it?" He asked.

Jeongguk looked at his hand, feeling the strong beating of the man's heart under his fingertips. He swallowed hard, then looked up to find the intense gaze of the onyx irises.

"Do you feel how strong it beats when you are next to me?"

Without waiting for a reply from the young CEO, he pressed their lips together again, simultaneously pushing his hips up, plunging into him balls deep.

"Oh!" The brunet moaned, feeling the silver apadravya brush against his tender point.

Instinctively, he threw his head back and his dark, still damp hair fell over his handsome face, sticking to his forehead. After a moment, however, he looked again at the man moving beneath him, as if he couldn't take his eyes off him. He wanted to see him, to remember every moment. He wanted to absorb his beauty, imprint in his memory how he felt thanks to him. He wanted to remember his intense, masculine scent, feel his taste on his palate, when his tongue hit against it, when he finally spoke his name at climax.

He deliberately made a lazy circle with his hips, stimulating his prostate, rubbing hard against the apadravya adorning the glans of the tattoo artist's cock. Another loud gasp escaped his lips with pleasure, and his abdominal muscles squeezed to the limit. His chiseled thighs began to tremble, and the velvety walls of his anus tightened around the pulsating manhood inside him.

"I'm close now," he said quickly, his hands tightly clasped on the tattoo artist's bare back, pressing their hot bodies tighter against each other, and as he dropped down, he slammed Kim's hard cock again into himself.

His fingers pressed firmly into the tense muscles of his back, covered in a fiery phoenix tattoo. He was pretty sure they would leave red streaks or brown bruises on his swarthy skin, but he couldn't help but feel his velvety walls tighten eagerly on the tattooist's cock throbbing inside him. His hot breath hit against the parted lips of the redhead, and his mouth could only pronounce one word, repeating it like a mantra.

Taehyung. Taehyung. Taehyung.

As the tattoo artist tightened his hands strongly on his ass, helping him to fall down on his throbbing cock once more, Jeongguk groaned loudly and came, once again pronouncing his beloved's name. His orgasm was long and intense. His naked, wet with sweat and saliva body trembled in the tattooed arms, and his heart pounded in his chest, matching the heartbeat of the man sitting between his strong thighs.

Taehyung moved inside him for a short while, pushing his hips hard, only to reach inside his lover after a few smooth movements, filling him with hot cum. His orgasm was as intense as the one that had pierced the young CEO's sculpted body a moment ago, arching his back into a sexy arc in final ecstasy.

They sat naked in bed long after the euphoria of their orgasm began to leave their joined bodies. Jeongguk was still wrapping his thighs around Taehyung's hips, leaning on his strong, tattooed arms, and the tattoo artist held his naked body, resting his hands on his narrow hips. Their foreheads pressed together, their breaths mingled into one.

Neither of them dared to break this silence, filled only by troubled breaths and strong beats of hearts. They didn't need to say anything. All they needed now was their mutual love, which, even inexpressible, would not let them forget.

***

That night, Jeongguk fell asleep quickly, exhausted by today's emotions and intense physical exertion. Taehyung only wiped him with a wet towel, letting the young CEO simply cuddle up to the fragrant sheets and let Morpheus's strong arms carry him straight to the land of dreams.

But he himself could not sleep. He was lying on the bed, in the sheets that smelled of their hot bodies, and he couldn't fall asleep. He was staring at the sleeping Jeongguk all the time, feeling anxiety rising in him.

He couldn't explain it, but he felt an almost irrational fear that if he only allowed his eyelids to cover the onyx irises even for a moment, Jeongguk will disappear.

Perhaps it was the news of Lisa's return that had upset him so much, or perhaps that note of desperation in Jeongguk's voice, asking him to confess his love. He couldn't stop thinking about it.

Even though they didn't name it. There was no doubt about what they really had in common - he loved Jeongguk.

And he knew his feelings didn't change, whether he admitted it out loud or not. And the awareness and fear that he might lose him almost paralyzed him.

He didn't know what awaited them now. How will Lisa react when Jeongguk tells her about breaking off the engagement? What will his family do? Will Jeongguk dare to defy them and fight for what he wants?

There were more unknown than he could hold in his head. So he writhed restlessly in the white sheets, finally trying to stop thinking and be able to close his eyes for a moment.

It was almost morning when he finally, in frustration, threw back the thin sheets he had been sleeping under and carefully slipped out of bed. Pulling on the sweatpants that he found on the floor next to the bed, he looked again at the sleeping brunet.

Jeongguk looked so calm. His dark hair, still very curled, was spread delicately on the pillow around his beautiful face. Soft lips slightly parted, just enough for the exhaled air to leave his lungs.

He didn't know why, but for a brief moment he had such a terrible feeling that he was seeing him like that for the last time. But he shook his head slightly, trying to clear the unpleasant thought from his mind.

He took a pack of cigarettes from the nightstand and, sticking one between his lips, walked towards the living room, where there was an exit to the balcony. As soon as he was outside, he pulled out a lighter and, setting it on fire quickly, slipped the cigarette into the golden flame. He took a long drag, then closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall behind him.

The rain finally subsided, but the air still smelled of it. The damp immediately seemed to stick to the bare skin, chilling it unpleasantly. His body trembled slightly, though he wasn't sure if it was the morning air or the anxiety that crawled under his skin.

He couldn't explain it, but he didn't know how to get rid of that unpleasant feeling either. It was as if black clouds were rolling over their heads, waiting for a moment of inattention. He knew there would be a real storm soon. He could smell it in the air.

He smoked with his eyes closed most of the time, trying to calm down his chaotic thoughts. He was glad his mom took Jae for the weekend. This allowed them to talk calmly and decide what to do next. He knew that the young CEO was going to have a tough conversation with his fiancée and did not want to put additional pressure on him.

When he felt the heat almost burn his fingers, he opened his eyes quickly and raised the cigarette to his mouth. He took a long drag, injecting the poison into his lungs one last time, then smothered the rest of the cigarette on the ashtray on the window. He held the smoke in his lungs for as long as he could, as if to check if he was still alive, then parted his lips and let the gray smoke slowly slide over his still slightly swollen from kissing lips.

He ran a hand through his fiery red hair and rested his hands on the railing, looking around. It was probably four or five in the morning. The streets were empty, bathed in yesterday's rain that kept turning them into mirrors. Heavy gray clouds rolled in the sky. Taehyung looked up and stared at one of them for a brief moment. Looking up at such a clouded sky, he had the impression that perhaps he would never see the sun again.

He exhaled loudly from his lungs and pushed himself off the railing, twisting on his heel to finally re-enter the apartment. He closed the balcony door, leaving it only slightly ajar enough to let some fresh air in, then headed for the bedroom. He dreamed of nothing else now but to slip under the thin fabric of the sheet that now wrapped around the body of the man who was his whole world, and to just snuggle into his body, conforming to him so that they formed a whole that no one will not be able to separate.

He walked towards the living room exit and, crossing the threshold, noticed Jeongguk's elegant white shirt, which, along with his black suit jacket, landed on the floor in the living room as the brunet was hurriedly taking off his clothes the previous evening. He smiled at the memory and snorted gently, then bent down to pick up the scattered clothes from the panels. He grasped a white shirt in his right hand and tossed it over his bare shoulder, then reached out for his jacket and lifted it.

As he straightened again, the sound of a soft click crept in his ears, as if something had hit the wood panels. Pulling his eyebrows together, he looked around carefully, but was unable to locate what might have made that sound. He was about to move forward when his eyes caught a small object now a few paces away from him.

It was a small black box that must have fallen out of Jeongguk's suit jacket pocket. Seeing it, he felt a strange unease, and a sudden wave of nausea rocked his body. He didn't even want to think about what such packaging was usually used for. For several long moments he stood still, almost paralyzed, staring at the object lying on the ground, as if waiting for it to attack him.

After a long time, he finally moistened his lips and took a hesitant step forward, then bent down and carefully picked up the black box from the ground. When he looked at it closely, the entire contents of his stomach almost fell into his throat. He watched it silently, feeling that the little box weighed a ton in his trembling hand.

For a moment, he wanted to slip it back into Jeongguk's suit jacket pocket and pretend he didn't know it existed, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. He couldn't explain it, but before he lifted the lid, he was sure what he would find inside.

He could feel it.

He reached out a trembling hand and held his breath. In his head, he repeated words like a mantra that sounded almost like a prayer.

I am begging you. I am begging you. No. Please.

He squeezed his eyes shut as if afraid that what he was about to see would break his heart, then held his breath and carefully lifted the lid of the box. He didn't even know how long he stood there on the doorstep of the living room, eyes closed, a velvet box in his hands that seemed to weigh a ton and almost praying that his worst fears would not come true. But at last he dared and slowly opened his eyes, shifting his gaze to the now open box in his hands.

As he had expected, there was something on a small velvet pillow that tore his heart into a million pieces in an instant - wedding rings.

***

Ayashee:

Yey! I haven't been here for so long! How I missed you!

This is the longest chapter of "The Taste Of Ink" so far, and I think it has a really powerful dose of emotion, so I'm very curious to hear what you think.

We learned a little more about Seokjin and the intentions behind his behavior.

What do you think about him now? Is hiding your true self a way to protect Jeongguk? Or maybe Yerim is right, and we are not able to fully protect those we love from any danger or harm?

Will Jin be able to stop his brother from making a mistake that he may regret for the rest of his life?

What will Jeonggkuk do?

How will he handle the pressure and everything that is happening in his life right now? Do you think he has enough strength and courage to fight for himself and his relationship with Tae?

What will Tae do after he finds wedding rings in Gguk's suit jacket?

xoxo