"Wh-what would you-" Hoseok stammered in bewilderment, fists enclosing as he tried to rein in the jitters. "I didn't exactly get you there." He breathed out, eyes obliquely set on the Chairman.

"Lease out that diner to me and I'll immediately waive off the entire amount that you're supposed to pay. How's that sound?" Dongkyung quirked his brow, lips stretching in a lopsided manner.

"B-but the business isn't even mine to begin with. Moreover, how can I possibly go behind my sister's back and appropriate the only means that ensures our survival? That'd be utterly ungrateful of me. I can't do that to her, it's her years' worth of blood, sweat and tears that we're putting on line here." The toned-down scowl on Hoseok's face had made his repulsion towards the offer contrarily overt.

"Who said that you can't earn the property back? From the day that estate comes under my name, starts a countdown for you as well. I'm gonna give you... fifty days- what say? And I can't be fairer than this because again, I'm a businessman first." Dongkyung shrugged his shoulders.

"Fifty days to repay what percentage of the loan?" Hoseok, however, decided to dwell on an entirely different subject.

Dongkyung scoffed, "One point seven million, of course. Why bother asking such a no-brainer?"

"Sir, there's no way I'd become filthy rich overnight because let's be honest, my sixth sense has remained more or less defunct for over a decade now for me to win a stupidly exaggerated lottery anymore. Nor do I hail from a family of impoverished Chaebols that I'd stumble upon a buried treasure left for me by my ancestors. I understand that your intentions are purely philanthropic here, but I don't see why you think that me accruing that much money in a matter of two months- when it's been years that I've pulled in a single dime- is accomplishable? The odds are against me in every scenario." Hoseok stated matter-of-factly, sincerity manifest in his articulation.

"Just to plant the right seed in your head- fifty days, not two months. And it's completely upto you whether to accept the deal or decline it. I'm no one to force you into doing it, a businessman never does-"

"Never does that, I'm aware. It's true that the ultimate decision is mine to make, but a decision is only made when there are more than one option to choose from. And my case is devoid of one. I wouldn't have asked you for such an impractical favor if I had money in my pocket right now. Damn it- excuse my language- I wouldn't be standing here in the first place if I wasn't such a good-for-nothing brother. If only I knew what was to happen in future, I wouldn't have-" Hoseok could not revel further in his self-loathing once Dongkyung intervened.

"Mister Jung, as I had already briefed earlier, I'm short on time. I'd rather you not traveled down that lane further, for that'll only be beneficial for the both of us." He started, tone as unwavering as ever. "As for the current lack of money, let me impart a few words of wisdom. The unpredictability of future is what distinguishes it from our past and present. And tell you what, it can be either good or bad. For example, the childhood me had never banked on the idea that he would associate with gold in every aspect of his life. But look at me now, even my surname means gold. Isn't that amusing?"

"You being strapped at the moment doesn't mean that you'll continue to be the same. If anything, you can land a nice job out of the blue, from somewhere you assumed wasn't worth your attention. Or it can also get as wild as you winning a lottery for real!" Dongkyung exclaimed, the only departure that he showed from his placid tenor in a long time. "Calculate your future, but never be afraid of it. Circumstances tend to scare you more only when it becomes evident that you've submitted to them. Don't provide the unknown such leverage over you."

All the while Dongkyung rendered the unexpectedly encouraging pep-talk, Hoseok stood on his feet as firmly as a rock- with eyes blinking measuredly, mouth gaping shamelessly, and blood pulsating through his veins ever so vividly. He could literally sense the rush streaming all the way up to his head, him feeling ecstatically dizzy due to the development. Only his ears functioned normally, as words proceeded to relentlessly roll into them and soothe his agitating nerves once they got inscribed in his brain.

It was refreshing how fire raged within him, as a unique, unacquainted sort of serenity also embraced him simultaneously- all at once.

The filip behind that gradual yet contrasting change being Dongkyung's efforts- the shot in the arm that had caused him to feel alive in a blink of an eye.

No wonder why he held such an unchallenged sway over each and every one of his employees. He was thorough with his ideas, was familiar with how to draw on his enterprise and subsequently keep the drive intact in his subordinates to reach greater heights with the routine passage of time. Every misgiving pertaining to his qualification had purged itself out of Hoseok. The latter now reproved his own self for having had such notions about the impeccable man.

Hoseok shook his head fervently when he realised that he had been staring for too long. "What about the formalities, then? I have no inkling as to where she hoards her identification cards and stuff."

"That's not something to worry about." Dongkyung remarked offhandedly. "We're gonna keep it as lowkey as possible. The more we involve bank statements and social security numbers in this, the longer and unwieldier it'll prove to be for us to just wrap the whole thing up when it comes to that. It'll, thus, be better if we just kept it to ourselves. Not drag in anything related to a third party, y'know."

"An unofficial contract is what you're referring to, right?" Hoseok quizzed, eyebrows twitching in anticipation.

"You got me."

"Then I'm in." Hoseok blurted, hurry ostensible through his expression.

Dongkyung was baffled for a whole minute at the sudden announcement, the corners of lips leisurely turning into a satisfied smirk due to it. Though when it occurred to him that a facial reaction was not what had been sought by the other male, he cleared his throat, eyes glinting with an unusual trace of relish.

"Wonderful." He kept it crisp, instantly extending his arm towards Hoseok in a gesture to tangibly seal their deal.

✧

Vision smeared by a sustained darkness, Hoseok nevertheless carried on to try his luck as he unloaded the constituents of his wallet and dredged through them. Numerous business cards collided against the surface of his palms, but not one that he could put to use and thereby avail the services that usually accompanied them.

His history was not one to prop him onto the pedestal, after all. Records of him asking for money only to have a hole burned in his pocket whenever the time to repay would come around, had already been publicised at a scale that could lead anyone to alter the dimensions of their facial structure and thus escape the crushing insults. Yet here he was, continuing to square up to the embarrassment called life with a newfound courage on a day-to-day basis.

A frustrated groan was released by him, owing to the fact that literally none of whom he considered his friends- ever since the age of discretion had dawned upon him- would conform to lending him a helping hand anymore. A certain limit tags along with everything, no progress is observed when that particular threshold is crossed. Something analogous to this discouraging reality check had marked its presence in Hoseok's life as well, and whether he would grow fond of it or despise it from the bottom of his heart, did not matter any longer.

"Whatever happened to a friend in need is a friend indeed..." He droned, another resigned sigh being generated by him in the process.

However, regardless of the man viewing himself as a desperate human consistently on the verge of being a feast to the insatiable bog of hardships in front of him, he was not truly alone in this world. Rather than focusing his spotlight on the good side, he specifically paid heed to what inconvenienced him- his field of vision consequently being restricted around that murk only.

If only he eased a little and allowed his mind to veer about, and let it settle on its own, he would spot the flickering firefly tail camouflaged amidst the dense bushes that had been blocking his path all along.

In a more realistic phrasing, the card with Aurum Entertainment etched upon it.

Hoseok's gaze intensified when it suddenly fell upon it- the persisting conundrum automatically getting swept aside as an outcome. With the piecemeal registration in his head, of the golden alphabets that stood vibrantly against the grainy white texture of the card, the motor in his brain began to sputter and whir too. Two phone numbers lined sequentially at the top right corner fetched his regard, leaving him pondering as to what to do with the absurd thought that was surfacing in his head.

He carefully examined the coarse paper, flipping it upside down in hope of chancing upon an alternative that could keep at bay the likelihood of him contacting the agency at such a late hour. Preoccupied with the same dilemma, he absentmindedly dawdled out of his bedroom- destination yet not resolved upon. Midway, he steered himself towards the disorganized kitchen island that had managed to retain the imprints of Injae's slapdash mopping in an attempt to wipe it clean.

Hoseok could not care less though, he was absolutely consumed by that thing in his grip.

That was when his tenacity did profit him in the end, once a third set of ten digits wound up flashing before his eyes. Reviving the memory belonging to that precise information did not turn out to be as fatiguing as he had anticipated it to be, though. From the back of his mind sprang up an image of a feminine face, lit up with an oh-so-endearing grin. He need not require another couple of minutes to recall who it was, her name already melting out of his mouth.

"Mirae..." He murmured, heartbeat spiking up once he had succeeded at remembering. "She will help me."

And before he could even allow yet another round of hesitation to confine his body under its chains, he had punched her number into his phone, waiting patiently for the other end of the line to respond now.

"Hello?" Mirae rasped, stirring Hoseok into speculating whether he had disturbed her sleep.

"Uh, hi, Mirae. It's me, Jung Hoseok. The man from earlier today." The male's terse statements were sufficient for engendering curiosity within the other party.

"Huh? I didn't look forward to hearing from you so soon." She mumbled, eyes widening once she grasped her own words. "It's always a pleasure though. Tell me, what reminded you of me at this hour?"

"I was... y'know, inquisitive about the offer that you had presented to me. About visiting the agency that you work at, anytime I deemed fit? Ring a bell?"

"It did, go on."

"How crazy would I sound right now if I said that I wanted a job there? Life's been tough on me for more than two years now, can't hurt more to gamble one last time, no? What do you reckon?" Hoseok's diffidence was a lot starker than its standard variant.

"Sure, drop by tomorrow then. It's a new agency anyway, and they're still experimenting with people... just to inform. I mean, who knows? You might just be the one to suit their needs."

"Your words are very assuring, thank you," Hoseok's voice mellowed. "Meet you tomorrow, then? Good night, Mirae."

"Good night, Hoseok." Mirae smiled, hanging up right after.

Had life always been so uncomplicated?

✧

a/n

even tho i got no replies on the previous chapter's q/a, i'll still proceed with the series nonetheless hehehehe (I'M SHAMELESS AS HECK💀)
qotd: which book (printed/wp) are you reading these days?
aotd: for a long time i was dependent on the wide collection of actually good fanfics available here on wp, but from the mid of this year, i couldn't refrain from switching to actual novels. so here we are💁🏻‍♀️ i'm reading 'where the crawdads sing' these days. it just has the perfect balance of flowery language and concise descriptions, which I LIVE FOR NO CAP. it's hella scientific and heart touching at the same time, no wonder why it's a bestseller haha. i'm planning to watch its movie once i'm done with the book.

anyway, do leave your feedback on TPC as well. is it paced well? is it getting boring? well, we're just 5 chapters into it so that shouldn't be an opinion rn but whatever you think of it, do tell me! i'd love to hear from y'all. don't forget to vote tho, it's the kind of implicit support that really warms my heart🥰