Minho sat in his office and frowned at the message appearing on his phone.
"This is...," he mumbled.
Why would someone send him a picture of a puppy?
"What does that mean?" He wondered, looking at the sender. At the same moment, the door to his office flung open, and his secretary stormed in.
"Look at this, the owner of the picture," Minho stated. Wendy paled as she saw the phone in her boss' hand. Immediately she bowed.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Choi. I sent it to the wrong person. That would never happen again." Her voice was shaking.
"Is that your dog?" Minho asked, and for a short moment, Wendy hesitated to answer. She wasn't sure she heard him correctly. Choi Minho, her boss was interested in her private life. This day should be documented in history.
"Yes," she stuttered, "I adopted him last week. I wanted to send the picture to my boyfriend. I made a mistake. I'm sorry."
To her surprise Minho didn't seem to be angry, instead he only nodded and told her she could leave. Closing the door, she wondered what happened to her boss who had snapped as she'd bought the wrong coffee. When you worked for Choi Minho, you didn't make mistakes. At least, that was what she'd believed until now.
Staring at the picture, Minho grinned. Kibum loved cute things; he would love this. Minho nodded to himself and started typing a message to the younger. Before he could finish the sentence, Wendy knocked on the door.
"Come in," Minho shouted, laying his phone down.
"Mr. Choi, this just came in for you," Wendy said, placing an A4 size envelope on his desk.
"Ok," Minho replied.
"Oh, ahm," he called as the secretary was about to leave.
"Yes, Sir?"
"Since when do you have a boyfriend?" He asked, not noticing the confusion on her face.
"Since last year," she answered.
"Oh," Minho mumbled, "and since when do you work for me?"
"Since last year, Sir."
"What a coincidence," Minho stated.
"Actually," she corrected the boss, "it's not. I'm going out with your bodyguard."
"Which one?" Minho asked curiously.
"Mr. Moon," Wendy held back the answer for a second. She still hadn't figure out whether Minho would get mad or not.
"Taeil?"
"Yes, Sir." The secretary blushed.
"Hm," Minho murmured, nodding.
"He is a good one," he added.
"He is," Wendy agreed. If it were up to her, she would end this weird conversation right now. She felt like introducing her boyfriend to her parents.
"Is there anything else I can do for you?" She questioned subtly.
"Is he treating you well?" Yeah, that was what his father would ask as well.
"Yes, he is," she answered.
"Good," Minho replied, "that's good."
"Sir, do you need anything else?"
"No, you can leave now," Minho responded, and Wendy breathed out in relief, heading to the door.
Minho leaned back in his seat, thinking of the conversation he just had. He realized he didn't know anything about his employees. Lost in his thoughts, he stared into space until his eyes wandered to the packet on his desk. The moment he opened it; a yellow sticky note fell off.
"Are you sure the person in your house is the real Kim Kibum?" That was written on the note, and Minho knitted his brow. What was this supposed to mean? Kibum wasn't Kibum? What kind of bad joke was this?
Not wasting a second, Minho opened the folder. It was the medical report of Kim Kibum. Kibum was allergic to curcuma? The younger had never mentioned that. Even if this were true, why would it matter? And who would send him this? Together with that suspicious note?
So, Kibum was allergic to curcuma. What was the deal with all the fuss? Minho could have ignored everything. He could. He should. But he didn't. It was too difficult for someone like him to trust. But it was too easy for someone like him to have the report fact-checked, and that was his curse. It was also his curse that the report was real.
--- >> << ---
"Stop," Minho demanded when they passed by a patisserie. Immediately, the car stopped, right in front of the cake shop. The driver waited, but Minho didn't move. After a while, the boss sighed.
"Let's go," he said. Nodded, the driver did as he was told. Yet, they had barely reached the next traffic light as Minho changed his mind.
"No, turn back."
At least, this time he made it to enter the shop without hesitation. Yet, after he found out the shop didn't have curcuma cake, he couldn't help but think it was fate. The universe was telling him something, and he should listen to it. He should have trusted Kibum. He had left the shop, and he was almost home. At some points, Minho wished he hadn't come back a second time and hadn't paid the shop to make those damned cupcakes.
As Minho saw Kibum in the garden, under the sunlight, something uneasy had grown in him. The way Kibum turned his head to him. The way the younger smiled at him as soon as their eyes meet. The warmth Minho felt as Kibum wrapped his arms around his waist. The way Kibum buried his head into his back, the way Kibum whispered those three words and the way Kibum's lips fitted his perfectly, everything could have been so easy if Kibum were just his. If they both weren't born into this world if they weren't the heir of their father's empires, could they just be happy in love? Suddenly, Minho was scared by his own mind. When did he become like this?
The gang leader knew he couldn't live in this dream. It was not for him to put his feelings first. But... whatever the result would be, whatever the truth was and whoever this person was, Minho wanted a bit more of those memories with him.
"Let's eat the cupcakes tomorrow. I need a shower right now and you should join me," Minho decided.
Like he knew it would be his last time holding Kibum, Minho tried to remember the feeling of Kibum's skin against his. The more he loved every single moment of their time together, the more he was angry that Kibum hadn't listened.
"Didn't I tell you to eat them tomorrow?" Minho shouted, slapping the rest of the cupcake out of Kibum's hand.
"Why couldn't you listen to me for once?" The boss hissed. They could have a little more time, just a little more before everything shattered.
"Minho, please, open the door," Kibum begged. Of all the things he had done in his broken life, nothing was as hard as this moment. Something was building in his chest, boiling in his veins, as if two persons were fighting in his body. One wanted to open that door, pulled the younger in his arms, and never let go. One wanted to beat the shit out of that liar. Minho was frightened, no matter who would win. Backed up from that door, he needed to get away from "Kibum", or whatever his name was.
Returned in his room, Minho immediately locked the door, like someone could come in every moment and saw him being a mess. His hands trembled in anger as he grabbed his jacket that was still on the floor, looking for the syringe he had prepared. Suddenly, he felt dumb for being worried. He felt so dumb thinking Kibum could need it... so dumb.
"Fuck," he screamed, throwing the medicament against the wall. Then, his eyes wandered to the vase on the nightstand, and he smashed it. The sound of glass breaking was so satisfying. It shut up his mind, and before he knew it, he was laying on the floor breathlessly. The room was no longer recognizable. Minho spotted the only thing that was left undestroyed. Immediately, Kibum's smiling face appeared on his mind.
"What's that?" Minho asked, staring at the weird ceramic figure the younger was holding.
"I saw this bear and I thought it looked like you, so here," Kibum beamed like a child, placing that strange thing in Minho's hand, "it's for you."
"How does this," Minho pointed at the figure and then at himself, "look like me?"
"It's grumpy and cute," Kibum replied like it was obvious, "just like you".
"I'm neither grumpy nor cute," Minho protested.
"So you don't want it?" Kibum pouted.
"Give it back, if you don't want it," the younger raised his voice, reaching for the ceramic bear.
"Hey, you gave it to me. It's mine." Minho teased, waving it in the air, knowing Kibum couldn't reach it.
"But you hate it," Kibum jumped up, "give it back."
Minho remembered the way Kibum pulled him down to reach for the childish toy. He remembered how much fun he had, teasing the younger. The memories made him put down the ceramic figure. It was grumpy and cute. He didn't want to break it.
--- >> << ---
Minho couldn't remember the last time he had slept as bad as yesterday. His phone's vibration, which woke him up, was a relief.
"Why didn't you pick up, brat?" The person on the phone screamed, and Minho felt like his head was about to explode.
"Father," Minho responded.
"Have you seen the news?" The old man asked.
"No, I was sleeping."
"Turn on your fucking TV," demanded his father, and Minho searched for the remote in the middle of the mess he had created last night.
"Oh shit, I see it," Minho replied, trying to sound as calm as he could.
"Kim Taekso, the leader of the Black Lotus, one of Korea's largest criminal syndicate, is dead. He was attacked in his cell and was immediately brought to this hospital. 30 minutes ago, the police confirmed his death." The reporter announced while standing in front of a hospital.
"Come home now. We need to talk about this." His father stated, and Minho had no other choice than do as the old man said. Nothing good had ever happened when he "came home".
--- >> << ---
Minho let his body fall on the couch as he was finally home, not his father's house but his home. He rested his arm on his head and groaned in pain when he raised it. He didn't need to look under his shirt; still, he knew his chest and his belly were covered in bruises. His father was skilled at "disciplining", as he called it, without leaving visible marks.
"We'll hand him over to the Black Lotus," his father stated.
"What? We can't do that. They'll kill him." Minho protested. Kibum's, the real Kibum's, uncle had taken over the gang, and Kibum was the last threat to him. Once the son of the former leader was dead, that shit of an uncle wouldn't need to worry anymore.
"That wouldn't be our problem. I don't want another war with the south." The old man narrowed his eyes, being unhappy with his son talking back to him.
"But he is my husband." Before Minho could speak again, he was already knocked down.
"Did you really think this marriage was about you? That brat was supposed to help to build an alliance. Yesterday his purpose was to be your husband and today his purpose is to die." The former gang leader screamed while kicking his son, who was already on the floor.
Minho clenched his teeth as his father's words flashed through his mind. If Kibum, or however that human was called, must die, then it would be because Minho wanted him to. No one else got to decide that, not even his father.
He wasn't sure what he really felt about the fake Kibum, but he needed to figure it out, and to do that, "Kibum" needed to be alive. One thing was for sure, if the younger fell into his father's hands, he wouldn't survive. Minho realized there was only one place where Kibum could be safe. No one, not even his closest bodyguards, knew about it, his own safe house. It was built for the case he needed to go into hiding, and chances were that he might run away from his own family. He had never doubted that he would need it one day, but he hadn't expected he would need it for someone other than himself. He must get the younger out of this house as quiet as possible. No one should get wind of it. At moment like this, he only trusted one person, someone he trusted the most – even more than Onew.
"I'll get the chloroform," Namjoon stated as soon as Minho told him his plan.
"Is that necessary?" Minho asked.
"Would he come with us without a fight?"
"Probably," Minho replied in hesitation. What did he know about that person for sure? Nothing.
"Probably isn't enough."
"Ok, go get it," Minho sighed. Namjoon left immediately and came back with a brown glass bottle.
"I prepared a car that wouldn't attract attention. We shouldn't use your sport car." The guard informed his boss.
"Well done," Minho said, and Namjoon nodded.
"I'll go get him," the guard replied, heading upstairs. Minho didn't move for a few second until he called after the bodyguard.
"Wait, I'll do that," he said, reaching out for the chloroform.
--- >> << ---
As Minho arrived at his safe house the next day, he hesitated for a short moment before going in. After he hadn't brought Kibum to his father, the former leader sent his men to pick up the younger at Minho's house. At that time, Minho had already hidden fake Kibum. He told his old man Kibum ran away, and his father seemed to buy it. Still, that didn't keep Minho from being blamed for "losing" Kibum. There was no need to tell how angry his father was. The bruises he'd left yesterday were nothing compared to the new ones. Minho was aware, if he didn't find Kibum, the real Kibum, his old man might kill him. All this for someone who had lied to him countless times? Why should he take all this for the younger? Minho doubted.
But...
What if...
What if that person, whose name he didn't even know, was worth it?
Whether it was for the younger or for himself, the only way for them both to get out of this mess alive was to find the real Kim Kibum and hand him over to the Black Lotus. It was between fake Kibum and real Kibum, and Minho knew exactly who to choose.
Minho used to say the only language he knew was violence, and no one would doubt that. Still, it wasn't easy for him to raise his hands against the younger. Despite everything, feelings didn't come and go as he liked. 48 hours ago, this person meant the world to him, and that wouldn't change so fast.
His hands were shaking each time he pushed the younger into the bathtub, and it wasn't because of the cold water. He wasn't the one under water, but why was it impossible for him to breathe?
"What did you say?" He asked full of hope, as the younger finally spoke. Minho felt how "Kibum" leaned against his chest, resting his chin on Minho's shoulder. As their skin touched, Minho couldn't help but close his eyes. That feeling, he had missed so much.
"I'm sorry," the younger whispered, and his heart ached. Minho tightened his embrace, pulling "Kibum" closer. He needed to feel that human's heartbeats, or he might go crazy.
"Why did you apologize?" Minho replied, knowing "Kibum" couldn't hear him.
Wasn't he the one who should beg for forgiveness? Yes, all this, he did it to keep "Kibum" safe. But why did it feel like he was the one hurting "Kibum" the most? Just then, he remembered his promise to protect the younger. It took him a moment to realize he was going to protect this person and it didn't matter who this person really was.
I know this chapter was confusing. But I hope you still understand everything. I'm curious what you think about Minho the jerk now?