ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎

"Are we not going to talk about it?" Soonyoung asked, a lot more relaxed and laid back than Jihoon wanted him to be. Why wasn't his whole face red and why wasn't his heart beating thrice as fast like Jihoon's?

Jihoon felt wronged. This was unfair. When Soonyoung had kissed him before, he was the only one who even remembered the kiss and now that he had kissed Soonyoung, by mistake anyways, Soonyoung was way too laid back.

Like nothing had happened at all.

Jihoon shook his head, rolling his eyes. "No, we're not." He crossed his arms, facing the opposite way as Soonyoung looked at him. "Okay darling, take your time."

Jihoon sighed, annoyed that even the nicknames that left Soonyoung's mouth found a way to pierce into his heart. He hated it. The undesired effect Soonyoung had on him.

He did want to talk about it. A lot. So much that his heart ached in protest against his own decision. His decision to keep his mouth shut, to not own up to his feelings. That forbidden affection for Kwon Soonyoung.

No, it couldn't be anything feasible. It was just pity or compassion at best. There was no way he was actually feeling anything that wasn't hate, understanding, irritation or toleration.

"Baby." That stupid nickname again that made his stupid heart flutter. Why the hell was Soonyoung calling him baby now? Why was Soonyoung crawling his way into his heart?

And not in the way he wanted.

Jihoon didn't bother to reply. He couldn't reply anyways, not when he was sure he would stutter if he did. "Bab-"

"Do not call me that." Jihoon turned around with a sharp turn, doing his best to maintain the serious look on his face. Soonyoung took in Jihoon's beauty, a smile forming on his face before he chortled making Jihoon sigh and look away.

"Why? Do you prefer darling?" Soonyoung wondered, the view of their house getting closer and closer as the car dashed down the road. Jihoon shook his head, "I prefer none. Just call me Jihoon." He requested even though he knew Soonyoung wouldn't listen.

The car slowed down, stopping in front of their house. Soonyoung's mansion and Jihoon's temporary home.

Seungcheol got down from his car, going over to Soonyoung's to help him open his car door while Jun helped Jihoon open his. They both came down at the same time but Jihoon didn't spare any extra second, walking with a fast pace into the house.

Soonyoung controlled himself, stifling his laughter as he looked around. "You're all dismissed... Have a good night." He smiled at them, his body and soul now drenched in fulfillment and satisfaction.

Jihoon had kissed him, Jihoon had actually kissed him. And even if he did run away and refuse to talk about it after, he had actually kissed Soonyoung, by himself, out of his own volition.

He was getting somewhere. They were getting somewhere. It was progress and that was all Soonyoung cared about. His staff however, rushed back into their cars, taken aback by Soonyoung's unnaturally friendly farewell to them. They didn't know what was wrong and they didn't care to know either.

Kwon Soonyoung being so happy was strange to them. Not a usual sight.

As Soonyoung wanted to walk into the house and tease Jihoon a little more, a phone appeared in front of him. Right, he had given Seungcheol his phone a while ago.

"A call for you, Sir." Seungcheol informed Soonyoung who only realize he was actually being called when Seungcheol said it. He took the phone, swiping the green button.

It was Wonwoo. Good, he hadn't heard from him in a while which wasn't normal. Hopefully, he had some sort of good news, one that would make his day even happier.

He out the phone to his ear as Wonwoo's voice rang out, "Soonyoung-ah." He called and Soonyoung's eyes widened. Wonwoo only called him by his name if the information concerned their family and if it was too serious to be formal.

"Noona is coming back to Korea tomorrow." The words left Wonwoo's lips in a whisper, careful to not let the cat out of the bag just yet. Soonyoung chuckled, "Now isn't the time for prank calls, Wonwoo."

He wanted to believe it was a prank, a joke even but the suffocating silence that followed was one that told him Wonwoo wasn't joking.

His sister was actually coming back.

What was even stranger than this unbelievable news he'd just received was the fact that he didn't know if he was happy or sad about it.

He was conflicted, to say the least. The last thing he needed was more pressure on him and he hoped, he prayed, he wished that his sister would be chill, relaxed and understanding.

He already had way too much on his mind.

He did not need more.

•••••••••••••

Hyunmin walked into the storage room, looking around. Wondering what Jihoon had seen that made him take off with that troublesome husband of his.

He thought Jihoon would be able to handle it, whatever he saw, he was the next in line of succession anyways... but maybe Hyunmin had overestimated his son.

Maybe Jihoon wasn't as strong or put together as he thought.

He walked through the aisles, his eyes trying to spot anything out of place and with the help of his glasses, he saw a piece of paper almost hidden under one of the shelves.

He picked it up, reading each line carefully and slowly and as he read the first few lines, he knew exactly what Jihoon had found out.

Jihoon now knew about his evil deeds.

Hyunmin laughed, saying to himself, "So this is why he ran away?" He dropped the paper along with one of the other documents, now full on cackling.

If this small piece of information was making Jihoon run away in fear... then there was no way he was prepared to take over his father and there was no way Hyunmin was going to hand over his legacy to a scaredy cat.

Did he need to have a backup plan now?

It couldn't be Seokmin. He knew it couldn't.

So that meant Chan. Chan? He was passionate, defiant and brave. Maybe Hyunmin had been preparing the wrong son all these years. Maybe his best bet wasn't Jihoon.

Maybe it was Chan.

•••••••••••••

Jeonghan turned off the computer, pushing the swivel chair backwards as he rested his legs on the desk. He had successfully threatened and instilled the needed fear into Kwon Eunbi.

Now all he needed to do was wait for her to return to Korea, and then use her to trap Soonyoung. Destroy him in his own game.

Jeonghan knew the truth. Soonyoung was extremely protective of his family which was why the only thing Jeonghan could attack that would weaken Soonyoung's defenses enough, was his family.

And with Seungcheol on his side now, everything was perfect. He had snakes and rats right in the center with Soonyoung.

Jeonghan cooked his head back, a chuckle rolling off his lips. He wanted Soonyoung to pay for his father's wrongs so bad, he had started to get impatient but he knew he had to be calm. It was the only way to secure his win.

As he thought to himself, a smirk formed on his lips. Choi Seungcheol was actually on his side. He almost couldn't believe it.

"So who's it going to be?" Jeonghan asked for the last time, the door wide open, ready for Seungcheol to leave if he made the wrong choice.

Seungcheol gulped down the huge lump in his throat. His mouth drying from his indecisiveness. His eyes flickered back and forth from Jeonghan to the floor then back to Jeonghan again.

"I love you Jeonghan, can't you please just listen to me?" He reached out for Jeonghan's hands but the man simply placed his hands behind his back, not acknowledging Seungcheol's words.

He couldn't care less about Seungcheol's advice or his worry or concern. Neither could he care about his confession of love.

What he wanted, no, what he needed was Seungcheol on his side. "You know I need you on my team Seungcheol, you know all the bullshit I've gone through, suffered, because of the Kwon family, you know Seungcheol."

He brought his hands out, holding unto Seungcheol's, his heart skipping a beat and Jeonghan not failing to notice.

"Please just help me this once. I know it's hard, I know it's going to be hard but please for my sake, for out sake, our future, please choose me baby." Jeonghan begged, his choice of words as intentional as everything else about him.

100% calculated with an innocent, deceptive face to match.

Seungcheol swallowed, letting a breath out as he nodded, moving closer to Jeonghan. "Okay, I choose you Jeonghan, I choose you."

Jeonghan broke into a smile, pulling Seungcheol in for a gentle kiss that turned rough immediately with their tongues and hands exploring each other and their backs hitting against the walls of Jeonghan's home.

Whimpers turned into full moans and with the closing of the front door, the two stepped backwards, passionately falling unto the couch, continuing their soft and rough kiss.

As their hands rummaged their hair and their necks, their mouths stripped away at last, heavy breathing following their actions. "I love you, Yoon Jeonghan." There was a certain sincerity in Seungcheol's eyes which Jeonghan could spot easily.

Jeonghan smiled, pecking Seungcheol before responding, "I love you too, Choi Seungcheol." He said with a fabricated genuineness as he celebrated his success.

He had won Seungcheol over and he was quite proud of himself. It was easy, as always, as usual. With Seungcheol acquired and Mingyu and Seungkwan planted, Jeonghan was ready to move to the next phase.

Lee Jihoon.

ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎

Ⓒ︎𝙾𝙷𝚆𝙰𝚈𝙾𝙷𝚆𝙰𝚈𝙾𝙷
𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝙳 - 11•01•2025
𝙴𝙽𝙳𝙴𝙳 - 𝙽•𝙰