FATAL TROUBLE (REVERSE HAREM)

Part 48

The air in the sleek conference room was heavy with awkwardness. The polished mahogany table reflected the strained faces of four fathers sitting at one end, their suits sharp and their expressions stern. At the other end sat Heeseung, Sunghoon, Jake, and Jay, slouched in their chairs, their disinterest painfully obvious.

The fathers exchanged glances, silently agreeing to dive straight into the purpose of the meeting. Jay's dad cleared his throat and leaned forward. "This meeting isn't just for us, boys. It's about setting a path for your futures, ensuring—"

"Blah, blah, blah," Jake muttered under his breath, earning a sharp glare from his dad.

"Jake," his father warned, "don't start with your attitude. This is important."

"Important to you," Jake shot back, folding his arms and staring at the table.

Sunghoon rolled his eyes dramatically. "Can we skip the lecture? We've heard it all before. You want us to follow your plan because it looks good for you. Not because it's what we want."

"You don't even know what you want," Heeseung's dad countered, his tone clipped. "That's the problem. You need guidance, and we're here to provide it."

Heeseung laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "Right. Because you're always there for us."

Jay's dad sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This isn't about the past, Heeseung. It's about moving forward—"

"It's about control," Jay interrupted sharply, his voice louder than he intended. "You want us to fit into your little mold of 'perfect sons.' Newsflash: We're not interested."

The room grew even tenser as the fathers exchanged frustrated glances. "That's enough," Sunghoon's dad said firmly. "You're acting like children—"

"Because you treat us like children," Sunghoon snapped, standing up abruptly. "I'm done with this."

Without waiting for a response, he pushed back his chair, the screech of wood against the floor echoing in the room. Heeseung, Jake, and Jay exchanged a look before following suit, their annoyance palpable.

"Sit down," Heeseung's dad barked, rising from his seat. "We're not done here."

"We are," Heeseung replied coldly, already heading for the door.

Jake shrugged as he walked past his father. "You can have your meeting without us. Seems like that's what you're best at anyway."

"Get back here!" Sunghoon's dad commanded, but his words fell on deaf ears. The boys stormed out, their footsteps echoing down the corridor.

The fathers exchanged helpless looks, their frustration mounting. The girls glanced at the men briefly before rushing after the boys.

"We'll talk to them," the first girl said quickly, her voice firm but respectful.

Another girl offered a small, apologetic smile. "It's better if we handle this. Just... give them some space."

The fathers hesitated, clearly reluctant to hand over control of the situation, but she pointed look left no room for argument. "Trust us," she said.

As the girls disappeared down the corridor, Sunghoon's dad let out an exasperated sigh. "Those boys have no idea how lucky they are."

Jay's dad nodded. "But maybe those girls do."

"The boys have no respect," Sunghoon's dad said, shaking his head.

Jake's dad leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "Maybe if they spent less time brooding and more time listening, we wouldn't have to drag them into meetings like this."