7:18 pm – Meeting Room B, Moon Corp., Busan
For once, the meeting room's atmosphere was calm and collected. As usual, Taeil lead the discussion regarding the newest smart building of Kang Medical Center. Thankfully, everything was in order, and they're right on schedule with the construction of the hospital. Everyone was able to deliver and report their own part of the project successfully, and everything went smoothly.
As much as their professional life is in order, it can't say the same as their personal ones. As soon as Taeil dismissed them for the day, everyone went on their own business.
Bora, surprisingly, was the first one to leave the meeting room, rushing towards the elevator in hopes neither of her two pursuers approached her. Nevertheless, she failed in her attempt.
"Hey, Bora!" Minhyung's voice can be heard through the hallway as he chased after her. "Bora, wait."
Tension rose in her shoulders as Bora hesitantly tried to meet her ex's gaze. Just like she imagined, they were expectant and full of hope. Hoping that they'd rekindle their past relationship.
"What is it, Minhyung? It's been a long day," she sounded tired. She was, both mentally and emotionally.
"I was just wondering if you wanted to grab some dinner with me," Mark invited. "We could go to that favorite place of yours?"
It almost guilted her to say it but, "Uh, I'm gonna have to pass Minhyung, I'm just—I'm tired," she said meekly. It was half true and half false. She had a dinner date with Jaehyun but she also didn't have any energy for her pursuers.
"Oh." Mark's shoulders dropped in disappointment. He was quick to recover and covered it up with an understanding smile. "That's okay. Maybe another night?"
"Sure."
The elevator dinged and the two got inside. Alone. Great, just what Bora wanted.
Just as the doors were closing, someone slipped in between them and got in the lift the last minute. Much to Bora's luck, it was none other than Mr. Jung Jaehyun himself.
The latter fixed his coat and winked over at Bora with a smirk. "Close call, amirite?" he was such a dork, Bora couldn't help but roll her eyes.
"If I knew you were coming, I would've closed the door," she teased.
"Aw baby, don't shut me out." Jaehyun flirted, taking a step closer to her.
Bora chuckled, leaning into him, but caught Mark's stare from behind Jaehyun. On instinct, she controlled herself and placed a hand on Jaehyun's chest to maintain a safe distance. She cleared her throat.
Thinking she was embarrassed like the other instances, Jaehyun brushed off the behavior. "I'm so hungry, I could eat a whole horse," he whined. "Should we skip appetizers and just go straight for the meat? Man, I hope they give me a big chunk."
Mark's ear twitched as he eyed the two closely. He didn't mean to eavesdrop, but he was stuck in the elevator with the two's flirting. If he has to withstand it, he might as well listen to their conversation.
"Eating meat at night? Seriously?" Bora cocked an eyebrow, shaking her head. "You and your eating habits."
"Hey! It isn't nice to comment on someone's eating habits. Besides, after all the disgusting protein shakes I had, I think I deserve this!" Jaehyun defended himself.
"You know, no one forced you to drink those protein shakes. I can't believe you let Yuta talk you into buying it with him." If you ask Bora, Jaehyun didn't need protein shakes. He was already ripped as he is.
She was about to tease him further when she caught Minhyung staring at them. She shut her mouth really quick. She suddenly felt guilty, of what she was doing to Minhyung. What she was doing to Jaehyun. To both of them. She was being unfair.
"Hey, he's pretty good at convincing you to buy stuff. I mean, this is the last time I'm online shopping with him but—" Jaehyun shrugged, glancing over to Bora who drifted off into space. "Bora? You with me, babe?"
"Babe?" Mark's voice rang from behind. And Jaehyun thought he was pretty good at ignoring the bastard. "Didn't think you guys were at the babe stage."
Jaehyun would roll his eyes so hard right now. Huh, maybe Bora was rubbing off on him. He was hoping it was more physical but he'll take what he can get.
"What's it to you?" Alright, he'll bite.
"Jaehyun," Bora's tone warned him but Jaehyun already glanced over at Mark, and his smug face pissed him off.
"Well, I just she's being a little unfair, with what, giving you a chance when you're nothing to her when I'm the one who's loved her for years and yet I can't even get a proper dinner from her. Worse, she lied to my face about it."
"What?"
"Minhyung, stop." Bora spoke up, pulling Jaehyun behind her. She held his hand to calm him down, since she can already sense the fuming and the screaming from him. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry I lied to you. I didn't want to hurt you by telling you that I have plans with Jaehyun."
"What, that you'd rather hangout with someone you barely know? What about me Bora? What about us?" Mark was getting worked up as he stepped closer.
The lift was already small at it is, but the conversation made it more suffocating. Bora can feel her breath shorten but the comforting grip Jaehyun had on her hand, it encouraged her.
"There is no us, okay? Minhyung, us is in the past. I've told you before, whatever we had, it's better if we leave it behind, okay? We broke up for a reason—"
"You broke up with me, Bora!" Mark snapped, tears falling down his face. "You broke my heart."
Bora felt herself get choked up with emotion as Mark met her gaze with hurt. It felt like her gut got stabbed over and over again. She can't breathe.
"I'm sorry, Minhyung," she whispered so softly you could barely hear her. "I think we should both move on from each other."
Mark scoffed at that and gave a nasty glare at Jaehyun. For the first time, his façade fell and all he could show was resentment and jealousy towards the couple.
"This changes nothing. You haven't changed at all," he said. "You're just choosing him to fuck over this time. Not me."
Bora bowed her head in shame. Minhyung was right. She may have given Jaehyun a chance but she knows how it'll end. Just like her past relationships. Just like with Minhyung. She's gonna fuck it up and everyone will leave her.
"Yeah? Maybe I do want to be fucked over, but that's none of your goddamn business, is it?" Jaehyun yelled from behind, about to finally snap. He would've punched Minhyun's fucking face if it weren't for Bora holding him back. She's weirdly strong for some reason.
Mark clicked his tongue, laughing harshly. "You asked for it, then," there was nothing but venom in his words. "One day she's gonna make you feel like shit and it's your fault that you loved her too much."
On cue, the elevator dinged as they reached the parking lot floor.
Mark was the first to leave, letting Bora and Jaehyun sit in the heavy silence. The latter soon tugged Bora out of the lift and towards his car so she can calm down there.
As soon as he shut the car door, the dam broke and she started weeping and sobbing.
"Bora? Baby, hey, what's wrong—" Jaehyun was quick to console her, reaching out to let her head lean on his shoulder. He rubbed her shoulders comfortingly, shushing and whispering sweet words into her ear.
"He's right. I'm sorry. He's right." Bora soaked his t-shirt, holding onto him for dear life.
"He's not. He's fucking trash. You're not obligated to have dinner with that asshole." Jaehyun's sure his cursing wasn't helping but he couldn't control it.
"He asked me if we could try again and I should've said no—I gave him hope—I—" Bora's voice started to become garbled that all Jaehyun could understand was sobs. It killed him that he couldn't do anything besides hug her and calm her down from the hurt.
Few minutes have passed, Bora's crying died down and turned into quiet sniffs. When she let go, Jaehyun check up on her expression.
"Sorry I ruined your shirt," she apologized.
"It's alright, I ruined—well tore yours a couple times too," he joked, hoping to lighten up the mood.
"That's gross, but thanks." It kinda worked on Bora. She hated his jokes but it always made her smile. "Um, I don't think I can make it to dinner. Sorry."
"It's fine. You don't have to apologize." Jaehyun handed her a handkerchief, brushing hair strands away from her face. "We can just chill at home? I'll cook dinner."
"That'd—Fuck, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ruin the night, Jaehyun. I was really looking forward for tonight—"
"Hey, I told you, you don't have to apologize." Jaehyun wiped some of her dried tears away. "We can reschedule another night, okay?"
Bora's shoulder relaxed as she leaned into his hand. "Okay." she smiled at him.
"I'll drive you home."
"Thank you."
/
"I need to talk to you two."
Both Taeil and Iseul paused on their movements when Johnny's voice rang behind them. They turned to see a serious expression on the tall man's face. When he saw he got their attention, Johnny turned around and lead them out of the conference room and into his own office. Sharing a look, the two best friends followed him.
"What's this about?" Taeil questioned as he walked into the office.
Iseul tailed after, closing the door behind her. "Johnny, if it's about—"
"I want files, documents, and everything regarding my father—his release turned over to me." Johnny demanded, crossing his arms dominantly. "From now on, I'll handle everything."
"Are you sure?" Iseul asked worriedly. When she met Johnny's inquiring gaze, she continued. "I mean, I know you're not ready—"
"I'm not but—" Johnny took in a deep breath. "Someone told me I need to stop bitching and solve my fucking problems."
Taeil snorted at that, earning a glare from his best friend. "It was Yuta, okay?" he defended himself. He turned to Johnny. "As long as you're not forcing yourself to do this, it's fine. But, you two—"
"We'll talk," Johnny cut him off, locking eyes with Iseul. "I promise."
"Okay, so can I go home?" Taeil was dying for a bubble bath.
Johnny cocked an eyebrow at him. "No. I made reservations for you and Kun at The Menu. I had the entire place rented out and had their best chef come in so you better be there," he told him.
"What?"
"I promised you lunch."
"It's seven pm."
"Late lunch, and that's not the point."
"But—"
"Taeil, go eat your goddamn lunch with your boyfriend," Iseul snapped, sending a dagger over to her best friend. "You're dilly dallying because you're dreading to go. I know Johnny emailed you the reservation this morning."
"I—" Taeil had no excuse nor escape this time. Both couples are eyeing him with raised eyebrows. "Jeez, since when did you two... Never mind."
With that, Taeil exited the office before the two start murdering him or something. Not that he thinks they're capable of doing that, but Johnny's pretty big and Iseul has some kind of edge about her.
Once alone, Iseul faced Johnny. "Can I ask what urged you to do this?" she observed her boyfriend's features.
While Johnny sat on his desk, Iseul made herself comfortable between his legs. She cupped his face. "You know if you're not ready, I understand," she assured him.
"If I'm not ready now, when will I ever be?" he replied, holding onto her hand. "You know, I may have shared a trait with Taeil-hyung. I'm dilly dallying because I'm dreading about it. It's a conversation I don't want to have but have to do."
"It's just... I know how your dad hurt you." Iseul recalled the memories when Johnny relapsed after his mother's death. How he was at his rock-bottom and she didn't know how to get him back.
"I know." Johnny's voice broke, his eyes starting to gloss from tears. "But I won't let him hurt us again, Iseul. I won't turn like him."
"Of course, you won't." Iseul trapped him in a hug. "You're so much better than him. You're gonna be a better dad than he'll ever be."
"Thanks, but I—" Johnny paused for a second. He held Iseul's upper arms to pull her away and stare into her eyes. "What do you mean 'better dad'? Are you—"
Iseul's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Hm?" she blinked.
"Oh—I just thought—" Johnny gazed down at her stomach then back at her. "You know, we never really used—"
"What?" Iseul eyes widen in realization. "No, I'm not." She denied immediately. "I mean, yeah we do it raw but no. No. I had my period last week."
"Oh, okay. Okay."
"Just... Baby steps, okay? Let's figure this out first." Iseul gestured in between them with a soft smile.
Johnny smiled back, thinking how lucky he is to have her. He can't believe he has the woman he wanted to spent his life with.
"Of course." He planted a soft kiss on her lips. "Now, how about dinner?"
/
7:39 pm – The Menu, Busan, South Korea
Taeil checked his watch for the nth time as he waited for Kun at their reserved table. Well, reserved restaurant, in fact. Johnny really went all out and rented the whole fucking place to them. If he acts this way for his cousin, he can't imagine how that man will plan his wedding. They're gonna have a Groomzilla in their hands.
The Menu was gorgeous, kudos to Jeongyeon for a well design and ambience restaurant, again. It had 1920s art deco inspired interior, with big chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and a jazz band playing for them.
Heck, Johnny even remembered both Taeil and Kun enjoyed classical music. He was sure the tall boy would call him a Mozart nerd for all the times he gushed about his pieces.
Kun showed up 5-minutes late, running towards their table. "Fuck, I'm sorry," he panted. "I'm sorry. Just—Hendery showed up at work to pick me up and told me we have dinner at a fancy restaurant and I—I didn't have a suit so he had to—well, he insisted to buy one for me but—"
Taeil was just so fucking happy to see Kun again that all the rambling and sweat running down his cheek was nothing to him. He stood up from his chair and gave his lover a chaste kiss on the lips, pulling him into a tight hug.
"I missed you," he whispered. "So much."
Still recovering from his tardiness, Kun was taken aback from the affection but soon returned the hug.
"Me too," he replied.
"Let's eat?" Taeil pulled away and offered the chair to Kun like a gentleman.
"Wow, this place is so beautiful," Kun gawked at the interior. "Do you own this place?"
"No, Bora's friend does. Moon Corp. constructed it though so renting the whole place wasn't a problem." Taeil flexed. "Order anything you want, the chef's on stand-by."
"What, really? I—" Kun's eyes widened as he was handed the menu. "This is too much, I—" he leaned towards Taeil playfully. "You know McDonalds type of guy."
"Well, they have burgers too if you want."
"Taeil, I—"
"C'mon, please just let me spoil my boyfriend? You deserve this after what you've been through." Taeil pleaded.
"Fine. I guess after that shit of a traffic..." Kun chuckled at that and finally relented. He took a pause, painful flashbacks from back at home replayed in his head. He laughed to himself. Taeil couldn't possibly know. If he did, he would've kicked me out.
When he met his lover's gaze, there was something in them that he couldn't quite put his finger in.
Right?
"Let's order, Mr. Qian?"
Mr. Qian. Something Kun hasn't heard anyone call him for years. It was weird hearing it from his boyfriend, but he knew he was just pulling his leg.
"What do you have to offer, Mr. Moon?" Huh, also weird to say that since that's also Moon Hajoon.
Kun mirrored his boyfriend's smile, and for a while he really thought Moon Taeil really resembled his father. His father that did a background check on him after finding out he was dating his son.
Taking a deep breath, Kun reached out to hold Taeil's hand tightly. He really did miss him. He admits, he was being cold to Taeil these past few months but that was because of the guilt eating him for lying to his boyfriend.
For now, they were addressing it. The dry spell that went on between them for the last couple of months. And the two of them are now pretending it didn't happen because, well, why did it happen in the first place?
"Taeil." Kun realized it was his fault. He did this to them. "I'm sorry."
Taeil looked up from the menu. "For what?" he asked.
"For lying to you. I'm sorry. I should've told you the truth."
"What truth?"
Kun looked at Taeil and was scared how oddly calm the latter was. Or rather, he looked like he expected this...
Taeil laced his fingers together, leaning his chin on the back of his hand. "What truth are you talking about, Kun?" he asked again.
Kun furrowed his eyebrows. He couldn't read Taeil's expression. Happy? Relieved? But why? Because Kun finally broke down and admitted his lies? And that he was finally ready to reveal the truth to him?
"You can tell me anything, Kun." Taeil's voice didn't give away any emotion either. "I'll accept you, no matter what."
Author's Note:
HAPPY NEW YEAR HKJDGHAKGJA
oH MY god I'm sorry for not updating for almost half a year.......... Things got busy and stuff so yeah.
Anyways, here's chapter 28!! Hope you guys like it. Thanks for reading ~ And have a nice day/night!!