The Chaebol Game

Chapter 52

Ki bum tapped his pen on the file infront of him,how long had he been awake? He raised his head to look at the clock and it showed 12 in the morning.He stretched and decided that he really needed to sleep and that's when his phone rang.It was Jimin and Ki bum felt the need to check the time again just to make sure it was too late.He rubbed his eyes tiredly before picking it up,"Jimin ah"
"Hyung"
"Did anything happen? Why are you calling so late?",Ki bum asked,his tiredness got knocked out of him right away and Jimin stuttered out,"You told me I could ask you any help and I need help"
"You are scaring me,what's going on?",Ki bum asked as he walked out to his balcony"
"It's nothing important,silly actually"
"You know you can tell me anything,you know that right?",Ki bum encouraged him and Jimin finally complied,"My mom wants to see Namsan tower"
Ki bum hummed a response.
"I wanted to..I wanted to pick her up from home and show her around Seoul..um,But I can't drive ..cause of ..cause of my condition"
"Do you want me to ask one of the drivers?",Ki bum asked and Jimin quickly disagreed,"No,it's more like..I said I'll bring a friend.Can..can you like ..come with us?"
There was silence and Jimin thought he shouldn't have asked but then Ki bum replied,"Why would you think I'd say no? Ofcourse,I'll come"
Jimin's joy was evident in his voice and he smiled widely,"I..I'll tell mom.She will be happy"
"Yeah,you can let me know when you want to go", Ki bum was smiling as he replied and Jimin exchanged a few more words before he cut the call and Ki bum stood there gazing out to the dark.His brain would tell him not to say yes,it'd make him more hurt, more tragedy to his already broken heart.Jimin had others he could ask help from.Taehyung,Jin, Yoongi ,even Namjoon would comply on his wishes,yet here he is, the fool accepting his heartbreak graciously.
...

"Who were you talking to this late?", Taehyung asked as he saw Jimin leaning against the window side and Jimin shrugged.Taehyung went and bend down to hook his head on Jimin's shoulders and wrapped his arms around him.Jimin sighed,he didn't want to lie to Taehyung but there was no other choice,"Mom,She was asking me to go home this weekend"
"No,we planned to go out.I already asked Dad to let me go", Taehyung whined and Jimin pulled him back to bed,"I'll be here the whole next week,we can do anything you want"
"Anything?", Taehyung asked and Jimin nodded.
"Actually I was thinking we could do something today", Taehyung said ,sliding his arm up Jimin's thighs and Jimin swatted his hand away.Taehyung pulled Jimin more closer and rested his head on Jimin's shoulder.
"Next week",Jimin said as he ran a hand through Taehyung's wild locks and Taehyung drew away to face Jimin again,"Why not today?"
"Jin hyung did tell me you were being too cheesy these days"
There it is..the thought Taehyung was trying to bury all this time,here it was lying out in the open.The mention of Jin's name had triggered his closed off mind.Taehyung was scared to voice out his thoughts,what if it was wrong?It can't be,Jimin loves him.There's nothing fake about it,right?But what was the money for?Jin can't be paying Jimin to act,right?
"Tae", Jimin brought him back to the present and Taehyung cupped Jimin's face into his hands,"Do you have something to tell me?"
Jimin's smile faded away slowly and his eyes refused to look away from Taehyung's.
"It's not that I doubt anything but do tell me anything you want.You know am here,right?", Taehyung said,rubbing his thumb on Jimin's face lightly and Jimin took a breath in slowly and words sat on the tip of his tongue and drowned away.

'I am dying'
'Save me'
'I love you'

"Jimin", Taehyung called out since the silence was killing him.Jimin smiled shaking his head, obviously fake but that's all he could do for now.He leaned into Taehyung's chest and listened to Taehyung's heartbeat,calming every worries he has,he will be fine.Taehyung didn't ask anything further,he leant back onto the bed,pulling Jimin to lay on his chest.
"I love you",He said and Jimin raised his head to press a soft kiss on Taehyung's lips to answer him back.Taehyung's worries were buried back into the deep sides again.

-

Kim Ilwoo was at his last task of the day and when he was about to finish it off,the assistant announced someone's arrival.Il woo had no choice but to meet them since they have come in person.He straightened up in his chair and nodded at his assistant.He wasn't expecting Hoseok to walk in.After the first few seconds of confusion and Hoseok bowing at him,he finally spoke,"Hoseok"
Hoseok smiled and bit his lips as he took few steps ahead.
"What brought you here,Son?",Il woo asked as he gestured,inviting Hoseok to sit.Hoseok was visibly nervous,he fidgeted on his shirt and let out a heavy breath.
"You can tell me anything", The old man encouraged him and Hoseok closed his eyes,he had come upto here and had took a seat.Now he should speak.He had never had a proper conversation with Il woo at all.

"I am not your son's boyfriend,Sir", Hoseok started and he stared at his hands under the desk as he spoke,"I am a con artist from Hawaii.I ran away from Hanguk when I was a teen and lived life like this.I'm sorry,Sir"
Hoseok raised his head to meet Il woo's eyes and the latter had no reaction at all.No surprise and no contempt.Yet Hoseok continued,"I am leaving,Sir.It was wrong of me to do it and I realize that now.I apologize",Hoseok stood up and bowed.

"Sit down,Hoseok",Il woo calmly stated and Hoseok hesitated.He sat back  down with  confusion and Il woo said,"I know, Hoseok"
Hoseok was surprised and stared.
"I have always known and don't worry,I wouldn't blame you.That was expected of my son"
Hoseok was going to bleed his lips,he was biting on it as the tension grew.
"Yet..yet you didn't do anything?...Sir"
"I wanted to see how this  would play out and am surprised the way it turned  out to be",Il woo stood up from his seat and paced around the room to come and stand behind his chair.
"Were...were you expecting something else,Sir?"
"I was but what happened is far from what I had expected but Tell me why you are leaving,Hoseok.Did my son ask you to?"
Hoseok didn't say anything for a while and he decided in what to say,"No,There was no binding contract.I am doing it myself.Infact, he doesn't know"
"And may I ask why?"
Hoseok really doesn't have an answer to it and he came up with nothing.He looked up at the Il woo and sighed,"Sir,I didn't come here to state my reason but I wanted to tell you something else before I leave"
The warmth in Il woo's eyes encouraged him.

"I like your son,I honestly do..But I have a withered past that noone would want to associate with... including myself.And I can't even stay here to venture upon those feelings cause someone like me shouldn't be here.And...Also,You are a very good father,better than mine", Hoseok let out a bitter laugh,"Your sons may not realize it now,Sir but they would soon"
Il woo didn't know why Hoseok would say something like that out of the blue.Hoseok answered the question himself.

"When I first came,I spend most of my time in mansion with Ajhumma and she told me about the family.Although at first, I just wanted to know the family so that I can act better then it changed.I cared,Sir.When Namjoon told me about how he had his life tough,Ajhumma told me about yours.From Namjoon's mother's demise  and how you struggled to stay by Taehyung as he went through surgeries,how you had to move Jin hyung away cause of internal conflicts in the family and tried to protect him and the company.All of that..Sir,I look at your family from the outside and do you know what I see?"
Il woo said nothing but Hoseok continued,"There are no villains in your story,Sir yet Everyone is hurt.Everyone needed someone but none of you wanted to be that someone for the other.I hope you could see that..they could see that and yes,you are a good father.My father would have thrown me in the next drain,you see.Please Sir.You all deserve happiness"

A/n:Happieee weekend
So yeah... that happened...
I understand your worries but Don't worry..hehe...