Loud music was once again tearing into the businessman's ears, coming straight from his new wireless headphones, designed by TJE especially for runners. After just a few sounds, he recognized the cult hit from the 1980s, "Eye of the Tiger". When he started training, he chose a special playlist dedicated to runners on Spotify, hoping that it would make it easier for him to train.

However, as he saw the unforgettable scene of Rocky Balboa's training before his eyes, his body began to refuse to obey him. He felt a burning pain in his thighs, sweat running down his back that made his thin T-shirt literally stick to him, wet with sweat. He had the feeling that if he didn't stop right now, he would literally spit his lungs out onto the park path and fall beside them without a trace of life. So he slowed down, trying to cover with the last of his strength at least a few more meters, but feeling that he was starting to catch a colic, he simply stopped.

"Oh, fuck!" He gasped, then leaned forward, bending his legs slightly and resting his hands on his sweaty thighs.

It wasn't a good idea, though.

He didn't know how people could run. He never liked it. He always thought he was in quite good shape, but then it was enough for him to run a dozen or so meters, and in his head he almost wrote down his will, feeling that if he ran just a few more steps, his heart would not stand the effort.

Perhaps he should have limited himself to weights and a short treadmill run, but he wanted to be ambitious. He knew Jeongguk was running a lot. His little brother has always praised the sport. He said that by running he cares for his body - which could be confirmed with a glance at his athletic figure - and clears his mind. About the latter, he had some doubts.

How could anyone clear his mind when his lungs were in his throat, trying to pop out of his parted mouth?

The last few days had been very stressful for him, and after what he had seen yesterday, he needed to clear his mind and occupy his mind with something else for a while. When Mr. Kang brought him the recordings yesterday, he did not expect to find anything on them. These were materials from the entire month, long hours of recordings. He knew it would take him a long time to trace them. But when the computer scientist mentioned that Sunday night to him, his pulse sped up involuntarily. He couldn't explain it, but he knew it couldn't be a coincidence. When asking who had opened the door to the roof, he expected to hear anything but this.

'Whose code was used that night?'

'Your little brother.'

He could not erase these words from his memory, let alone the image of his brother leading a red-haired man down the TJE corridor...

All he had to do was insert a flash drive and turn on the player, and his eyes could see the image from the camera installed in the main hall of the sixty-ninth floor of The Jeon Electronics. For a moment he stared at the empty corridor, plunged in twilight. When he finally saw that a door that only the Jeons had access to suddenly opened, he held his breath. After a while, Jeongguk appeared in front of his eyes, dressed all in black. At first, he thought the boy was alone, but his brother held the door open for someone, allowing the other person to come inside.

When he saw a familiar man, he exhaled loudly, the air he had been holding up until now. He almost instinctively paused the recording and enlarged the image to get a better look, even though it was not necessary. The man's appearance was too distinctive to be mistaken for anyone else.

He leaned forward more and looked at the stranger's face, which now covered the entire screen of his laptop, as if he wanted to look him straight in the eye. The camera image was not of the highest quality, but he had no doubts as to who he was looking at. That fucking plumber.

He couldn't believe he had been so deceived. As soon as he saw this red-haired man at his brother's gym, he knew he had seen him somewhere before, but he couldn't remember how he might have known him. Perhaps he had seen him before? He couldn't remember him being one of Jeongguk's friends. His brother was not hanging out with such people. Actually, Gguk had only been friends with Jimin and Hoseok for many years.

His brother was very introverted. He did not allow other people to get close to him. He wasn't the best at establishing new relationships. Most of his friends were Lisa's friends. Lisa, however, liked to surround herself with classy people. She certainly wouldn't like this boy. He looked like the embodiment of one word - trouble.

So he had no idea where Gguk might know this boy from, or what kind of relationships they might have. It was more than clear that Jeongguk and the redhead were from two completely different worlds. The more surprising was the fact that his younger brother had brought this "plumber" to their company headquarters in the middle of the night and, in addition, led him inside through a secret passage.

Could it be that his brother helped this man steal their father's flash drive?

Confused, he pressed the button representing a small triangle again, restarting the player. After a while, he watched his brother lead the man towards the roof exit. The roof of their office building was equipped with neither sensors nor cameras. Nobody ever thought it might be necessary. Nothing happened for a long time, so he rewound impatiently until he saw the two men again in the corridor of the office building. This time, Jeongguk took the redhead to his office, but they didn't stay there long. After a few minutes, they reappeared in the main hall.

His brother must have been talking, but the cameras in the lobby were not recording audio, only video, so he couldn't tell what they were talking about. Jeongguk, however, immediately headed towards his father's study. He opened the wooden door, let the man inside, and he stood there for a long time, as if he was afraid of something. Only after a long moment did he finally step inside, slamming the door behind him.

Jin, sitting almost on the edge of his sit, stared at the closed door as if trying to hear what was going on behind it. He thought both men would leave their father's office after a few minutes, but they must have been away for ages. Finally, impatiently, he rewound until he saw his brother again. When Jeongguk left the office, he looked very amused by something. He was laughing and tossing his head back, as if the redhead had told him something very funny. The redhead was smiling as well. His mouth was decorated with the same, slightly rectangular smile that yesterday he found disarming, and now he wanted to erase from his handsome face. Now he knew it was just a game. That poor plumber must have done some things.

He watched him closely, and it took a moment to notice that the man was clutching something in his right hand. At first, Jin wasn't sure what it was. He drew his eyebrows together, waiting to see better what the redhead was holding. When he finally saw what it was, a loud snort escaped his lips.

Well, what could he expect from someone like that...

In the hand of the tattooed stranger was a bottle of Yamazaki, which he must have taken from their father's mini bar. 

He remembered his father asking him some time ago if he had picked up a bottle of Yamazaki from his office. When the flash drive disappeared, he did not associate these two facts. Now he was sure that the plumber hadn't left this office with just one of the most expensive Japanese whiskeys in their father's collection. He knew he was the one behind the theft of this pendrive. So there was only one question left...

To what extent did Jeongguk help this man, and why was he doing it?

Seokjin was so engrossed in memories of the previous evening that it was only the ring of a bicycle that brought him out of his thoughts. Frightened, he jumped back almost at the last moment. The cyclist flashed only a few centimeters from him, while he still tried to calm his breathing.

And who said that you can de-stress by running?

He raised his hand and ran his hand through his sweat-damp hair, while brushing it back. He should pull himself together and finish training. He did not even run half of the route he was going to cover, and he had already lost a lot of time and even more strength. He hoped that when he finished his run, everything would somehow settle in his head and he would know what to do, while his head was getting more and more chaotic.

Should he confront Jeongguk and ask directly who this man is? What if it's more complicated than it seems? What if this man is blackmailing his brother?

His was so confused that he thought he was going to go mad. He exhaled loudly and clenched his fists.

He won't think about it now.

He walked slowly forward, starting his run again with a gentle jog. However, he had only run a few meters when he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye that caught his attention. He stopped abruptly and turned his head to the right to examine what he had just noticed.

After a few seconds, he realized that despite his exhaustion, his senses were not deceiving him. He stopped completely and put his hands on his hips, studying the silhouette of the man he saw within a few meters. There was a small café on the opposite side of the park. Quite a few people were around, but his eyes were focused only on the man with fiery red hair. The boy had his back to him, but he was sure it was him.

He moistened his lips and looked around as if to make sure his senses were not deceiving him, but when the boy was still there after a few quick blinks of his eyelids, he involuntarily moved towards him. He had no intention of approaching him and revealing his presence. If this man stole a flash drive and threatened their family, he didn't want to let him know that he knew about it. But he wanted to get a better look, as if it meant he could read his intentions.

He stopped at a good distance, but so that he could see his profile. The boy was leaning against the wall that surrounded the coffee tables. He was dressed all in black. He wore a short-sleeved T-shirt that showed off his tattooed forearms, and he wore black skinny jeans with large rips at the knees. Narrow hips decorated by several leather straps, richly decorated with studs. He wore tall, well-worn sneakers on his feet. In a surprising color - black.

Was this boy wearing only black clothes?

He watched him curiously, carefully studying his silhouette and face. The boy looked relaxed. He was leaning nonchalantly against the wall. His right leg was raised and bent at the knee, resting against a large stone next to him. The redhead raised his right hand, and only then did he notice that he was holding a lit cigarette between his fingers. The man raised the burning cigarette to his mouth and took a long drag. A puff of gray smoke obscured his face for a moment, only to dissolve into the air. As the smoke finally blurred enough to see his face again, he saw the stranger's lips curve into a broad smile.

He had to admit there was something endearing about his smile, even though he was distrustful of him and not very well-disposed. The man was certainly handsome. He saw a group of girls standing next to him, surreptitiously peeking at him, whispering something to each other and laughing, probably hoping that the boy would finally give them at least a few seconds of his attention. But he didn't look at them even once, as if they didn't exist to him at all. His eyes were fixed on the café's door most of the time, as if he was waiting for someone to be here in a moment.

When Jin realized that his smile was not accidental and the boy certainly noticed the person he was waiting for, the redhead quickly stubbed out his cigarette and pushed his slender body away from the wall he had been leaning against. Seokjin followed him with his eyes, trying to find the person the boy was looking at. He looked around uncertainly for a moment, then finally fixed his gaze on the figure of a man who must have been approaching the plumber.

The boy was slim and tall. He also wore black. It was almost as if they were stealing each other's clothes. Although the new one had a much more muscular figure. The black jeans hugged his massive thighs so tightly it felt as though they were about to tear to reveal muscular, sculpted thighs. The stranger had almost black hair that fell in soft waves across his face so that he couldn't see it from where he stood, but he thought there was something oddly familiar about him. He was tempted to come closer or move to another place so that he could see his face.

Looking at him closely, he noticed that the dark-haired man had brought two cups of coffee with him. He reached out and handed one to the tattooed man, who took it without hesitation. The redhead lifted the mug of steaming liquid to his mouth and carefully took a few sips, then said something, and after a while his mouth was decorated with the same wide smile. Even though he hadn't heard what the man said, he would be convinced he had said some kind of joke or something funny, and apparently it was, because the other man laughed out loud.

His laugh was melodic, light, charming. There was something about it that made him want to hear it again, as if it had some kind of fond memories in his mind. For a moment, Seokjin had a race of thoughts in his head, because it seemed to him that thanks to this laugh, some new thought appeared in his head that he had not yet been able to grasp.

He couldn't explain it, but that laugh...

Jesus, that laugh was strangely familiar...

Pushed by some strange force, he took a few steps towards them, so that he could finally look at the face of the brunet, which he could not see before. The dark-haired one, however, laughed again, this time his hand rose and gently hit the other man's chest. The boy, however, did not remove his hand as is usually done. His hand stayed in place, and his fingers began to gently run over the exposed collarbones of the redhead, to mark the contour of the lotus flower tattooed on his skin. The gesture was oddly intimate.

The moment Seokjin was standing where he could finally see him, another melodious laugh escaped from the boy's lips, and his head tilted back. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. He shifted his gaze to the stranger and watched him closely. However, before the boy had time to raise his tilted head well again so that he could see his face, he knew well who this man was...

Jeongguk.

As the brunet finally straightened, his lips were bent in a wide smile he had not seen in a long time. He couldn't even remember if he'd ever seen him smile like that before.

The redhead was certainly no stranger to him, and he was also sure that they hadn't met recently. Jeongguk looked so comfortable with him. His right hand was still resting on the man's chest, and before Seokjin wondered why the gesture seemed oddly intimate to him, his brother had done something he would never have expected in his life.

His hand tightened on the man's black T-shirt, for Jeongguk to pull him closer only seconds later and press their lips together, kissing him.

He couldn't believe his eyes. At first, he thought it was some kind of mistake, that maybe something had happened to him, that his body, tired from training, decided to mock him, that his brother was not kissing this man at all, and that everything was just some strange dream. The more he stared at them, the more he distrusted what he saw.

It couldn't be true.

The redhead wrapped his tattooed arm around Jeongguk and pressed his body against his, shamelessly deepening the kiss. Seokjin looked around instinctively, feeling ashamed and scared at the same time that someone might see them and recognize his brother.

He didn't know what to do. At first, he wanted to overcome the distance between them, to take the stranger's arm and drag him away from his brother. He felt as if he was watching the harm happen, and he was doing nothing to prevent it. He knew it wasn't right. He should have stopped them, but something kept him from moving. He was paralyzed.

He looked around again and noticed that the group of girls who had giggled just a moment ago, looking shyly at the tattooed man, is now looking at them in surprise, exchanging remarks among themselves. The sight of two men kissing was definitely not a common sight on the streets of Seoul. Jin shifted nervously. He wanted to do something to stop them, but before he had the courage to utter any words, the redhead gently moved away, breaking the kiss. His hand almost immediately went to the brunet's cheek, and his thumb ran over his bottom lip, as if he wanted to wipe a thin layer of saliva from it.

The two talked for a while, and finally made their way to the park's exit. Seokjin knew perhaps he shouldn't follow them, but he couldn't help himself. He had to know who this man was. But they didn't go long. After a short while, they approached a small parking lot. Jin immediately recognized the car he had seen outside his brother's gym yesterday. Almost instinctively, he pulled out his cell phone and quickly took a few photos of the car and the couple next to it.

The redhead moved towards the driver's door, but before he could open it, Jeongguk leaned against it, blocking the entrance to the car. The tattooed man laughed, but looked at the brunet with a defiant face, as if he wanted to encourage or provoke him to something. He took a step forward, reducing the distance between them to a minimum and shamelessly pressed against Gguk with his body, while resting his strong, tattooed forearms on the car's body, closing the brunet in the cage of his body, then leaned towards him and kissed him again.

This time there was no delicacy in their kiss that he had seen before. The kiss was wild, fucking passionate, insatiable. Seeing this, he was sure it was not the first time they had kissed like this, and the mere thought made him feel sick. Yesterday, talking to Gguk at the gym, he thought that he really knew little about his brother, now he knew that he did not know him at all.

Because this Jeongguk was a total stranger.

How long had Jeongguk lied to them all? How much time did he help this man steal from his own family? What else was he hiding from them?

He was dizzy with too much emotion, and he felt as though he was going to throw up. He felt sick, and he could not collect his thoughts. Turning on his heel, not wanting to look at them any longer, he started forward. He walked faster and faster, and finally he started to run involuntarily, as if he wanted to run away from what he had just seen. He wanted to go back in time and make sure it never happened, because he knew he would have to face it now, and he didn't know if he was ready for it.

He didn't even know how much time or where he really ran. He headed where his tired legs carried him. He only stopped when his lungs began to fail him. He leaned down, his palms on his sweaty thighs, and struggled to gasp through his parted mouth. But it felt as if each breath was literally cutting his throat like razor blades. He felt a prickling in his chest and the rush of his own blood in his ears.

It was only after a few deep breaths, which almost caused him physical pain, that the pressure in his chest eased a little. He could feel sweat trickling down his back, making his thin cotton T-shirt stuck to the hot skin. His black hair was sticking to his forehead. He wiped his sweaty hand on the fabric of the jogging pants he wore, and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He quickly dialed a number from his contact list and put the phone to his ear. He almost held his breath as he waited for the caller to finally answer.

"Hello?" A familiar voice said.

"It's me, Seokjin," he explained quickly.

"O-oh, hello, sir," the man on the other side replied. "I-Is something wrong?" He asked when Jin was silent.

Jeon moistened his lips, then exhaled from his lungs and confessed almost in one breath:

"I need your help."

"O-of course. Please, tell me what I can do for you this time."

***

Taehyung parked the SUV and switched off the engine, then headed quickly towards Kinky Heaven. He ran across the street and opened the door leading to the studio. He hummed softly under his breath as he walked down the narrow corridor. He felt fucking great, even though he didn't really sleep much that night. Taking advantage of the fact that Yoongi took Jae with him and promised to take the little one to kindergarten in the morning, he and Jeongguk hardly got any sleep. After this amazing surprise the brunet had prepared for him, they took a long bath together, sipping wine and kissing, just like they did a long time ago. It was perfect. Every minute with this man was wonderful.

"Uuu, I can see that someone has come to thank me!" A familiar voice called as soon as he had stepped through the threshold.

Kim looked at his friend, whose head was sticking out from behing the computer, and snorted loudly.

"Thank you, Yoongs," he replied, smirking at his words.

As he approached him, he stopped beside the reception desk and, leaning forward, rested his forearms on the wooden table.

"How did Jae do? Was he good?" He asked, ignoring the mysterious smile that graced his friend's face and pretending not to see his questioning gaze.

Yoongi drew his eyebrows together, then closed his laptop and pushed himself away from the counter, still closely watching his friend. He leaned against the back of the seat, settling comfortably in the chair. He stretched his legs out and laid his feet nonchalantly on the counter, crossing them together at the ankles, and folded his arms over his chest. He measured Taehyung from head to toe, gliding over his body with keen gaze, as if he expected the younger man to give up and begin to tell a story.

"You're kidding, aren't you?" He said finally. "Jae is an angel. He's always good," he explained. "You better tell me... How did Jeon do? Because he certainly wasn't good, huh? I don't want to say anything, but I could have sworn that black ears were sticking out of the bag he brought home... I'm not a specialist, but I guess it's called kinky as fuck."

Taehyung laughed out loud, then turned serious after a while, recalling the memories of last night.

Oh, yeah, it was kinky as fuck, he thought.

His life wasn't a bed of roses. Rather, he came from a poor family. His mother raised him alone, and they didn't have much. Many times, she had to deny him some toy or pleasure in order to have for him something to eat at the end of the day. Then it turned out that he would become a father much earlier than he was ready for it, and his relationship fell apart by the time Jae was six months old, and he had to give up his dreams and quit college. And when he gave up hope of ever finding someone to share his life with, he showed up.

Jeongguk was everything he would not even dare to dream of. Waking up next to him, he couldn't believe how lucky he was. And with each passing day, he lost himself more and more in him.

"Those were rabbit ears," he admitted, biting his bottom lip. "And that's all you'll get..." he added, then pushed off the counter, turned on his heel and headed towards his studio.

Hearing his words, Yoongi almost fell off the chair. He quickly took his legs off the table and choked, coughing several times, then looked at his friend with dilated pupils.

"Rabbit ears?" He repeated. "Ooooh shit, Tae, you gotta tell me something!" He groaned pleadingly.

Kim laughed out loud, filling the studio with his melodious laughter, but didn't stop.

"I see that Jimin has a bad influence on you!" he joked. "Soooo bad," he added and disappeared behind the door of his studio, before Yoongi had time to ask about something more.

***

Jeongguk raised his head slightly to look at the LED display that showed which floor he was passing. Seeing that the elevator had almost reached the sixty-ninth floor of the TJE office building, he glanced at his reflection in the mirror that covered one of the walls and adjusted the tie he had only hastily tied in his Mercedes just moments ago, peering into the rearview mirror. He wanted to look good, even though he didn't have any important meeting today. He was glad to have a quiet day today and not be forced to run from meeting to meeting. He hoped that he will be able to handle all contracts and documents efficiently enough to be able to leave the office, at least a moment earlier.

It was Friday night and both Tae and him had the weekend off, plus the tattoo artist's mom was taking Jae over today. He loved Jae, loved spending time with him and taking care of him with Tae, but he also enjoyed every moment that only the two of them could spend together. He also hoped that he might be able to persuade the tattoo artist to pose for him again. His recent work was really good, and he felt that if he tried harder he might eventually draw something that would be suitable for this competition. He still didn't really believe in his abilities and wasn't sure if he had any chance at all against so many talented artists, but Taehyung believed in him, and that had to mean something.

In addition, he was going to cook a delicious dinner for him, and then massage his tense muscles after work. He wanted to pamper him. Show him how fucking important he is to him and how much he appreciates every moment spent with him. Just the thought of him made his eyes sparkle brightly, and his lips curled into an effortless smile.

He looked curiously at his reflection. He was wearing a dark charcoal designer suit with the gold cufflinks Seokjin had once given him as a gift, and a knotted tie Lisa had bought him for his birthday, but it looked different. He looked younger than usual. Perhaps because his lips were decorated with a smile and his eyes were shining brightly. He couldn't remember seeing himself so... happy.

His dark hair was much longer than usual, falling over his forehead in soft waves. If he tried, he might have pinned them up in a little bun by now. He was convinced that Lisa would find it unprofessional and inelegant. She liked it when everything was impeccable and in order. He almost involuntarily raised his hand up and slid his fingers into his dark curls, running lightly over the almost black strands, ruffling them so that they weren't so smoothly combed, and smiled at his own reflection. He could almost hear Tae's smooth, seductive baritone whispering in his ear, how damn sexy he looked in such tousled hair.

When the elevator made a high-pitched, slightly squeaky noise, announcing that he had reached the selected floor, he looked away from his reflection and smoothed his suit jacket one last time to make sure he looked like a successor to TJE, then with his chin raised left the elevator. But it was enough for him to enter the main hall, for their receptionist to run over to him.

"Mr. Jeon!" She called quickly, bowing to him in greeting. "It's good that you are finally here," she added, and Jeongguk's brow furrowed at her words.

The girl looked a bit nervous. He thought he was even a little ahead of time today, so her words surprised him. The last few days, he felt so happy that he walked with his head in the clouds. Maybe it made him forget about some important meeting? Instinctively, his body tensed a little.

"I thought I was ahead of schedule..." he said hesitantly, glancing at the watch hanging above the reception desk.

He actually arrived at the office later than usual today, but everyone knew he would not be here until this time. He warned about it, knowing that Yoongi would take Jae with him, and they wouldn't have to drive him to kindergarten in the morning. This allowed him and Tae to go out for coffee and breakfast together in the city. The fact was that their plan did not work much. After their shared shower took much longer than initially assumed, they didn't have much time to eat breakfast. As a result, they only went for a quick coffee, but he didn't regret a second of that amazing morning.

"Yes, sir. I know you said, you would be here at ten o'clock, but..." the girl began to explain. She looked around quickly as if to see if anyone was listening to them, then continued, her voice almost hushed to a whisper. "Your father has already asked about you several times. He said I should send you to his office as soon as you get to the office. It must be something important."

Jeongguk felt a strange tightness in his stomach, as if suddenly his body wanted to tell him something was wrong, but he swallowed the lump forming in his throat, forcing himself to choke out a short "Thank you." He nodded and walked slowly towards his father's office. With each step, his heart pounded harder and harder. At first, the silence of the beating turned to a chaotic knocking, then finally to a loud rumble that filled his ears with terrifying music. He felt sick. It seemed to him that the distance between him and his father's office was insurmountable. Each step was a challenge.

When he finally reached the heavy wooden door, he sucked in a large gulp of air into his lungs, only to be released slowly after a while through gently parted lips. He wanted to calm down, at least a little, this way. He felt his hands started to sweat, and he instinctively wiped them on his suit pants, then reached out and grabbed the doorknob while tapping the smooth wooden surface with his other hand.

Hearing his father's consent, he pressed the handle and pushed the door inward. It was enough for him to open the door, and he saw the silhouette of his father, dressed in a gray, beautifully tailored suit with delicate black stripes. His father, however, did not seem nervous as he initially feared. A smile adorned his face. As he met his dark eyes, the man nodded at him and gestured for him not to hesitate and stepped inside.

"Oh, Jeonggukie!" He called at the sight of him. "Come on, son. We are waiting for you!" He added, and Gguk frowned at the plural form of the spoken words. He pushed the door a little harder, though, and after a short while he saw Seokjin and their stepmother as well.

What is this family gathering? He asked himself mentally, but he did not dare to pronounce the words aloud.

"Keiko," he said gently and bowed to the woman, then nodded at his father. "Father," he straightened and nodded gently to his brother.

Seokjin, however, immediately looked away from him without even returning the gesture or responding to his greeting. It was unlike him, but maybe his brother was having a worse day. He wasn't going to question it. Besides, he felt too tense with this situation to be able to analyze his brother's strange behavior.

"And you won't say hello to me?" A voice suddenly asked behind his back, and before he could turn, someone grabbed his arm, and after a while, small hands gripped his face, pulling him closer, and soft cherry-lipstick lips pressed against his lips.

Jeongguk was so surprised that it took a few seconds to realize that someone was kissing his lips. He gripped the slender wrists with his hands and cautiously moved away, staring wide-eyed at the smiling face of the girl he hadn't expected to see.

Lisa.

His heart began to beat so fast it seemed as if it would just pop out of his chest. He could feel the sweet taste of her lipstick in his mouth, and it tasted bitter like never before.

"L-Lisa," he gasped, glancing stealthily at the faces of the others, as if to make sure the girl wasn't a figment of his sick mind. But as the girl was still standing in front of him with this beautiful smile on her lips, he moistened his lips nervously and shifted from foot to foot. "What are you doing here?" He asked.

The blonde laughed loudly, then put her hand on his shoulder and slid over it, marking the shape of his biceps, hidden under the graphite material of his suit.

"Oh, Jeonggukie! You talk like you're not happy to see me," she said, as if it was something ridiculous for her.

"N-no. It's just... W-when we spoke yesterday, you said you'd be back in a week... maybe two..." he explained quickly, recalling their last conversation in his mind.

When Seokjin told him that the project in Japan was a huge success, he decided to call her back. Their conversation was quite short. He explained why he hadn't picked up when she called him and congratulated her on her success, then asked if she already knew when she would be returning to Korea. He wanted to prepare. He wanted to make up his mind about everything he was about to tell her, but he hadn't expected that the next day the girl would be standing in front of him, staring at him with innocent eyes, with that beautiful, radiant smile on her pink lips.

"I wanted to surprise you!" She chirped.

"Yes. This... This is a surprise..." He nodded, unable to collect his thoughts.

"Oh, Jeonggukie! How I missed you!" She cried, then hanged herself on his shoulder again. She leaned a little tighter towards him, wanting to catch his lips again in a kiss, but Jeongguk laughed nervously and moved gently away from her, turning his face towards his father.

"Ah... What is this meeting? Did you all know Lisa is coming back?" He asked, trying to get out of this awkward situation somehow.

"Your dad and mom knew," Lisa admitted, and at these words the brunet looked at her again, involuntarily wincing. He didn't like how Lisa called Keiko his "mom," knowing full well he had never spoken to her like that and would never be able to do it. "I asked them not to tell you anything because I wanted it to be a surprise. I missed you so much, baby! I was counting down the days until my return! I have so much to tell you!"

"Yes, a lot has certainly happened during this time. I want to tell you some important things too," he admitted, smiling nervously again.

He didn't know how to behave. He was still extremely shocked that Lisa had really come back. He hadn't expected this at all. Especially after their conversation yesterday.

"Oh, and you won't believe what happened!" She exclaimed suddenly, excitedly, as if she had remembered something important. "When I was in Japan, I met one of the most popular designers. She is really great, and all Japanese women literally kill themselves to get at least one item from her collection. We talked for a while, and she was so infatuated with me that she decided to design a wedding dress for me!" She announced with a broad smile. "That's partly why I stayed longer in Japan," she added. "You know, she had to measure everything, to determine the length, cut, material... Everything! But the dress will be ready in two weeks at the latest, isn't that great?!" She asked, and Jeongguk blinked a few times, not knowing what to say. "You will love it!"

Why was Lisa acting like he hadn't told her before leaving that he wanted them to take a break?

"That's great," he gasped as his father and stepmother stared at him.

He didn't want to look at them, so he sneaked a glance at Seokjin as if he wanted to find support in him, even though his brother was unaware of his current relationship with Lisa. As he looked at him, he saw that his brother was already staring at him. There was nothing soothing in his dark eyes, however. Jin looked at him as if his eyes were scolding him for some wrongdoing. He looked angry with him. Seeing his older brother's chastening, hostile glare made him feel even worse.

"Oh, yes, son, that's really great news. Especially since I also have wonderful news for you!" His father interrupted suddenly.

Jeongguk looked at the man. His face was still decorated with the broad smile he had on his lips when Gguk entered the office, but that only made him uneasy. He couldn't explain it, but he could almost feel fear slowly creep under his skin.

"We've known this with Keiko for a while, but we wanted to wait for Lisa to come back, and since we're here together and Lisa mentioned the dress as well, it's probably the best time to tell you about it," Jiseok began. "Two weeks ago, a friend of mine who has access to the Grand Hyatt hotel in Seoul contacted me and imagine that it turned out that one of the couples who were supposed to have their wedding at their place had just resigned. I know that Lisa dreamed that you would organize your wedding there, but you have to book the dates with them for a few years ahead, so it's a great happiness and an amazing opportunity at the same time. In addition, it turned out that this couple was supposed to get married this year, and since their date has become vacant..."

Jiseok fell silent, and Jeongguk had the impression that he was about to suffocate. The walls of the office seemed to shrink around him. He heard the sound of his own blood in his ears and he wanted to cover them with his hands so as not to hear his father's next words, but those inexorably rolled from his lips, curved into a delicate arch.

"I've booked this date for you," the man confessed.

Jiseok said something else, but Gguk was unable to register his words. His breathing became shallow involuntarily, and it seemed to him that each subsequent breath would be his last. After a moment he felt Lisa cling to his shoulder again, her hand stroking his cheek, and he made himself curl his lips into a forced smile and nodded, unable to speak. When the girl placed another sweet kiss on his lips, he had the impression that his legs would fail him in a moment, and he would fall into a black abyss.

"Gguk, son," his father said again, taking a few steps towards him. Jeongguk looked him straight in the eyes, and the man smiled gently at him, then did something he did not expect at all. Jiseok wrapped his arms tightly around him and pulled his body against his chest, hugging him tightly. "Son, I'm so proud of you," he confessed in a confident voice, and Gguk had the impression that he would soon fall apart into a million pieces and never pick up again.

He had dreamed for so many years to finally hear these words from his lips...

But when he finally heard them...

He wanted to disappear.

He felt terrible because he knew that he did not deserve his admiration and respect at all. He had failed him in every way he could. He cheated on his fiancée, lied to his family and loved ones. He represented everything the Jeons despised.

After a while, his father stepped away from him and looked him straight in the eye. There was real pride in his dark irises, and Jeongguk couldn't bear the thought that perhaps he was seeing something like that in his eyes for the first and last time.

He knew that if he told him the truth about himself, his father would never look at him that way again.

He felt an invisible hand tighten around his throat like a vise, making it difficult for him to breathe. He wanted to say something, but was unable to utter a single word. He knew he had let everyone down. He has failed his family, he has failed Lisa, and he has failed Tae.

Jiseok took a step back, then slipped his hand into his suit jacket pocket and took out a small black box, then looked at his son with a gentle smile. He took the box in his hands, pulling it towards Jeongguk, and found his dark eyes again.

"I have a special gift for you," he confessed. "It's something your mother wanted to give you when you turned eighteen, but she never had the chance to do so. I didn't give it to you earlier, because I thought that since she is not with us, it is better to wait for a special moment. For a moment like this," saying this, he lifted the lid of the box, letting Jeongguk see what was inside.

Inside the box, on a small, soft pillow, were two rings. One look was enough for the brunet to know exactly what he is looking at - wedding rings.

"I remade these rings to fit you and Lisa. I also allowed myself to engrave a special inscription for you. I know your mother would be very happy to see you exchange these rings on your wedding day, so I hope you will accept this gift from me and those will be your wedding rings."Jiseok held out his hands further, handing the box to his son.

Jeongguk took it from him with trembling hands. He couldn't take his eyes off the shiny surface of the jewelry in his hands. The wedding rings were really beautiful. Perhaps, in Lisa's opinion, they were even a bit too modest, but if he were to judge them, they looked perfect. Instinctively, he reached out and took the slightly smaller one, intended for his future wife, and turned it carefully in his fingers.

Forever Yours.

It was what his father engraved inside each of them - a promise of eternal love, respect and devotion. A promise of everything he has destroyed and shattered in recent weeks.

Jeongguk had the impression that the platinum ring was burning his skin, and its weight was literally unbearable. So he put it back in its place and quickly closed the lid, as if it would make him forget what his family wanted him to do, but the thought was still sitting on the back of his head. He knew he could say as much as he wanted, that he didn't care, but his family was everything to him. How was he going to turn away from them now?

"Do you like them, son?" Jiseok asked, and Jeongguk nodded, unable to utter a single word.

His father smiled in satisfaction, then reached out and stroked his arm.

"I'm very glad," the man replied. "Why don't we sit down for a while and have a cup of coffee together? I'm going to ask the receptionist to bring us a coffee. I'm sure Lisa has a lot to tell us."

***

Jeongguk opened the toilet door and immediately breathed a sigh of relief to see that the room was empty. He hurried in and immediately approached the marble sink. He rested his hands on the cold table and tried to breathe deeply for a moment, lowering his head between his shoulders. He felt pain in his chest all the time and his breathing was restless. He felt that if he didn't control the memories and thoughts circulating in his head soon, he would get another attack. He couldn't do that here. Not in the office where everyone could see him.

He didn't want anyone to see his weakness.

So he took the first opportunity to finally leave his father's office. When his father and his stepmother suggested a joint dinner, he liked about an urgent report, although he knew that he would not be able to do anything today. He was too nervous and broken to focus on it.

He stood still for a long time, his fingers gripping the marble. He was unable to move. He felt as if his legs would not obey him when he did. He could hear the rush of his own blood in his ears that seemed to increase with each passing minute. He was repeating his father's words in his mind.

"Son, I'm so proud of you..."

Pride. The word made all the contents of his stomach literally flow into his throat. He had the impression that he was going to throw up. He slipped his hand uncertainly into his suit jacket pocket and wrapped his fingers around a velvet box that seemed to weigh a ton, then slowly removed it. He lifted the lid and looked at the two wedding rings lying on the soft pillow. He took out the smaller one, which was soon to belong to the chosen one of his life, and turned it over in his fingers.

He didn't know what to do. How was he supposed to choose? How was he to decide what was right? He didn't want to be with Lisa. He was sure he didn't love her. Taehyung was the best thing that had happened to him in his entire life. He didn't want to lose him. But how was he going to make a decision that would destroy his entire family?

He knew he had to choose. There was no turning back.

And even though reason seemed to suggest the right solution, his heart pounded stronger each time the image of Tae appeared before his eyes.

He lifted the ring to his eyes and ran his finger along the engraved words.

Forever Yours.

How could he give this wedding ring to Lisa if he never belonged to her?

When the invisible fist began to grab his throat again, he parted his lips, trying to get the necessary oxygen. He quickly put the wedding ring away, closed the box and tossed it in his pocket, trying to calm his breathing. His head was spinning, and it seemed to him that if he was not holding on to something, he would fall to the ground.

The attack came so fast he didn't even have time to realize it, and his trembling hands were desperately pulling back the tie that was binding his neck. Fearing that he would fall to the ground, he moved almost blindly, and after a while he ran to one of the cabins. He put his hands on the wall to keep his balance and tried to calm his breathing. Almost instinctively, he took out his phone and started dialing Tae's number, but stopped himself at the last moment. He didn't want to scare him, and he knew he couldn't keep the truth from him. Taehyung was the only one he couldn't and didn't want to lie to.

He was his truth, his remedy, his salvation.

He felt that only his velvety voice could bring him back.

He went into the folder where he kept a few recordings Tae had left for him when he didn't answer his phone while at a business meeting, and found the one he almost knew by heart. He pressed the play button, then put the phone to his ear. He rested his forehead against the cold tiles that covered one side of the cabin and closed his eyes, struggling to breathe as the soothing sound of the baritone he loved crept into his ears.

"It's me. Taehyung. It's probably stupid to introduce yourself like this, since you have my number on your mobile, and you know it's me, right? I have a cigarette break and... I just wanted to hear your voice... I know you have a hard day at work today. You left the house before I even woke up, so I just wanted to tell you I miss you already. I can't wait to fall asleep again holding you in my arms. And... Okay. T-that's it. Bye."

After that, the call cut off, but Jeongguk clearly heard the hesitation in Tae's voice. He knew the tattoo artist wanted to say something else before deciding to hang up. He loved listening to this recording. He knew every second by heart. He was able to recreate in his mind the way Taehyung pronounced each syllable. In his mind, he saw his beautiful smile as the man laughed softly at the beginning of the call. He could imagine the way his lips and tongue moved as he spoke each word. He wouldn't even count the number of times he had imagined that the tattoo artist hadn't ended up with these words, that he had finally summoned up the courage to say what he really wanted to confess at the time.

He involuntarily recalled the moment from a few days ago, when they had been in bed together on the anniversary of his mother's death. Taehyung wrapped his strong arms around him and looked at him as if he had the whole world in his arms, then said something he will probably never forget:

"It's all because of you... and for you..."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I think you know, Gguk. I want to be the first and last man to get close to you in this way. I want to be able to admire your beautiful smile every day, listen to your laughter and admire how you draw. I want to make love to you, swim between your thighs, and then fuck you hard till you scream with delight. I want to hold you in my arms and protect you from the world that will try to hurt or destroy you."

He knew exactly what Tae wanted to confess to him at the time, even though he did not use these most common words. He could see it in his eyes, and he wanted so much to hear it, but he knew that then everything would become more real, more tangible. That night he wanted to tell him that he felt the same way towards him, that at times his feelings overwhelmed him, because they are so strong that he thought his heart wouldn't stand it and that one day it would simply break into small pieces. His feelings for this man were like a powerful element that he could not contain.

He squeezed his eyes shut and listened once more to Tae's message, which he had played for perhaps the fifth or sixth time. The tattooist's voice was soothing, smooth, and so wonderfully deep. He could listen to him for hours. Thanks to him, the pressure in his chest slowly eased, and it was easier for him to breathe.

"I just wanted to hear your voice... I know you're having a tough day at work. You left the house before I even woke up, so I just wanted to tell you I miss you already. I can't wait to fall asleep again holding you in my arms. And..."

Jeongguk finally paused the recording and imagined the low voice of the tattoo artist pronouncing the three magic words he so longed to hear from those beautiful, perfectly cut lips...

I love you.

He stood in the cabin for a few more minutes in complete silence, still clenching his fingers around the phone and resting his forehead on the cold tiles, thanking in his mind that no one had entered the toilet. He didn't want anyone to see him in such a mess. He didn't even know how much time had passed when he finally felt he could move again. He slipped the phone carefully into his trouser pocket and listened for a moment to the sounds coming from behind the cabin door to make sure he was still alone. Only when he was sure no one was around, he pushed the door and cautiously left the cabin. He walked rather shakily, as if he still didn't trust his own body. It had betrayed him so many times that he didn't want to risk it happening again this time.

He walked over to the sink again and turned on the faucet. He slipped his still slightly trembling hands under the stream of cold water, leaning forward at the same time, then splashed his face with water. He didn't even care as the drops were dripping down his neck, soaking the collar of his elegant white shirt. He avoided looking at his reflection. He couldn't look himself in the face. He was just a hideous liar who couldn't even bear the weight of his own lies.

He wiped his hands quickly on a paper towel and tossed it in the trash, then left the bathroom without even tweaking the tie that was still hanging loosely around his neck. He had the impression that if he tied it up more, he would suffocate. His breathing was still irregular and jerky, as if his lungs refused to cooperate with him. He hurried down the hall, trying to cover the distance that separated him from his office as quickly as possible. He wanted to close the door behind him and hide there for the rest of the day, then finally get out of here and return to Tae's apartment, which had become his home since Lisa had left.

To the man who became his home.

When he finally made it past the main hall and into his office unnoticed, he carefully opened the door, slipped quickly in, and closed it behind him. Only when he was sure that the door had closed did he rest his head against the wooden surface and, closing his eyes, exhaled loudly from his compressed lungs.

"You have to end this immediately, Gguk!" A voice suddenly said behind him.

Jeongguk's heart began involuntarily bumping against his ribs in a violent, chaotic dance. He turned back and saw Seokjin standing in the back of his office. He hadn't expected anyone to be here. The man looked great. His dark, perfectly tailored suit emphasized the strengths of his figure. Dark, almost black hair, combed back smoothly, sparkled delicately. His handsome face remained impassive, though, his full lips now tightly drawn together, his gaze stern. Jin was looking at him with the same expression he greeted him with this morning at his father's office. But there was something in his gaze he had never seen before - Anger? Disappointment?

Jeongguk furrowed his eyebrows together, not understanding his brother's words, but obviously Jin was convinced he knew what he was talking about, as he had no intention of explaining anything. He was silent, still not taking his eyes off him, letting real chaos break through his younger brother's head.

"W-what?" The younger man finally choked out, still not sure what Seokjin meant.

"You have to finish whatever it is. This sick relationship with this... plumber... or whoever this man really is."

Gguk felt his insides rise again to his throat. All the previous nervousness began to rise in his stomach again, slowly paralyzing his body, grabbing his throat in an iron grip.

Seokjin knew.

"W-what?" He repeated, struggling to force the words down his clenched throat. From the nerves, his hands began to sweat. He wanted to wipe his palms on his elegant pants, but he couldn't move even a millimeter. "I don't know what you're talking about," he lied, although he could see in his brother's eyes that the elder was convinced of the truth of his words.

"Don't lie, Gguk!" Jin drawled, raising his hand up, then pointed his finger at him. "Just... Just stop these lies," he added, wincing as if the words disgusted him. "I know everything," he said sharply, then, without waiting for his reaction, continued to explain, "I learned something yesterday that I never expected. I needed to clear my mind, think about something else for a moment... so taking advantage of being able to come to the office later today, I went to training. Thought I should run. Since you always praise running, I thought maybe it would help me too. I was running in the park when suddenly I saw something I wish I'd never seen..." Jin paused and frowned as if he felt pain in his temple. After a while, however, he found his gaze again. "My little brother making out in the middle of the park with a man..." Seokjin almost spat out every word with obvious disgust. His voice was raised enough that Jeongguk instinctively looked around as if to make sure no one else was hearing them.

He took a few steps towards his older brother, his hands raised as if to grab his arm, but he held back as if afraid that if he tried to touch him, Jin would push him away. This was what he feared the most ― rejection. So he stopped a few steps away from him and lowered his hands again. His hands, however, almost involuntarily clenched into fists, and his nails began to cut into his skin almost painfully. He moistened his lips that now were dry and choppy with nerves. Nervous laughter escaped his trembling lips as he once again gathered the courage to meet his brother's eyes.

"Y-you must have been wrong..." he denied, cursing himself for how uncertainly his voice sounded. "I-I'm s-sure..."

"Stop lying, Gguk!" Jin snapped. "I've seen you!" So saying, he took a small bundle from his jacket pocket and tossed it on the desk next to them.

Jeongguk instinctively looked at the mahogany table-top, which was now littered with several photos. But it only took a glance for him to know that the photos were of him and Tae kissing in front of a black SUV. He looked at his brother with horrified eyes.

It was no longer possible for him to deny anything.

It was over.

"What the hell are you doing, Gguk?" Seokjin asked, clearly emphasizing each word as if he wanted it to sound harsher, scolding. "Are you bored of your perfect life? Is your life too good? Is your fiancée too pretty, too smart and too loving? You've been good all your life, so now you wanted to go crazy before getting married? Have you decided to experiment before putting a wedding ring on your finger? This is what you want?" He attacked, spitting out the words so fast that Jeongguk couldn't even answer, each word cutting with precision like a knife. "Or you want to destroy your relationship and our family for a moment of fun?"

"I-it's not like that..." the younger one began.

His voice trembled, and he hated himself for how pathetic it sounded, but he didn't know how to defend himself. What to say so that his brother understands what he has really been going through the last ten years? What he was going through now.

"And how is it, Gguk? You're making out with this... this..." The elder paused as if he didn't have the right words to call Tae somehow, but Jeongguk saw a grimace on his beautiful face. "You kiss him almost in the center of the city, among people. What if someone recognized you? What if some journalist took these photos of you? Do you want to destroy our family, our company? Do you want our family to be pointed at and ridiculed by such a scandal? You want that? And what's all this for? To have fun? To get a little adrenaline before the wedding?" Jin continued, his voice still rising. "I watched you kiss your fiancée a moment ago. I listened to you arrange your wedding date and watched you take those damn wedding rings from our father that he had kept for you for so many years, and you want to ruin it all for a moment..." He paused and let a loud, frustrated sigh escape his lips. Strong hands instinctively found their way to the jet black hair, running their fingers over it. "How can you do something like this? Our mother must have rolled over in her grave at what you have become. Jeons don't lie, don't cheat, or rob their own family! You bring disgrace to our family!"

Jeongguk wanted to say something to somehow defend himself from this attack, but the mere memory of their mother and the words that rolled off his brother's lips made him unable to utter a single word.

Seokjin was right.

He represented everything he always despised. He was so entangled in his own lies that he didn't know what to do anymore, and now they spit right in his face.

"Tell me one thing... Did you know he was going to steal that flash drive?" Jin asked suddenly.

His voice was a little calmer, but there was a clear disappointment in it. Like his dark eyes that still measured his little Brother with a cool gaze.

"W-what? What are you talking about?" Gguk finally choked out, clearly surprised by his question.

"I saw the recordings from the cameras. I know you brought this man into your office using a secret passage. I saw you walk into our father's office together. It's clear that he stole the flash drive," he explained in a confident voice.

Jeongguk laughed involuntarily, staring at his brother in disbelief. He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"Tae didn't steal anything," he protested quickly.

He was surprised at how confident his voice sounded, considering that he had the feeling that the whole room was spinning, and his legs felt like cotton wool. However, he had no doubts as to the truthfulness of his words. When Seokjin told him about the flash drive missing, he never thought for a moment that Taehyung might be behind his disappearance. Even though they were together in their father's office, and the tattoo artist was taking the tie out of the drawer that allegedly contained the disc, he knew he had nothing to do with it.

He trusted him like no one else.

"Gguk, stop protecting him!" Jin scolded him quickly. "Did you know about that? Is that why you brought him here? So he could steal it? Are you helping him? Or maybe he is blackmailing you with something?"

"Jin, do you even hear what you are saying?" Jeongguk asked. "It's ridiculous. Taehyung was here because I invited him. He hasn't broken in here, and certainly hasn't stolen anything."

Seokjin laughed out loud at his words, as if what he had just said was some kind of funny joke, then he looked at him again.

"It's surprising what you're saying, because I could have sworn that leaving our father's office, your Taehyung had a bottle of Yamazaki in his hand, which by some strange coincidence had disappeared from father's mini bar..."

"I took that Yamazaki and father knows it because I told him myself," he explained coldly. "Tae doesn't care about my money."

The elder snorted again, shaking his head, then took a piece of paper from his suit jacket pocket and unfolded it. His gestures were slow, a bit theatrical, as if he wanted to have an even better effect. He studied for a while what was printed on the white sheet of paper, then looked back at his brother.

"If he does not care so much about your money, how do you explain to me that you recently paid nearly sixty-seven million won for the newest Hyundai Genesis GV80 model? Somehow I haven't seen you swap your Mercedes for another car, and by some strange coincidence... Your plumber has exactly this car."

"You check my statements?" Jeongguk asked incredulously.

"How do you explain that, hm?" Seokjin continued, disregarding his brother's words.

He knew that what he commissioned to the computer scientist was illegal and highly morally questionable, but it was about the safety of their family. He had to check this man out and keep their family safe from him. Jeongguk might be staring at him and trusting his smiles, but he knew that this tattooed boy had hidden intentions towards them.

"How do you explain the fact that a week ago, someone cashed a check for ten million won in your name?"

Jeongguk looked at him surprised. At first, he didn't know what kind of check his brother was talking about, but after a while he realized who had such a check - Minho.

Shit.

"It's not what you think. I was the one who wanted to buy him this car. He needs it..." he replied finally, choosing his words carefully so as not to aggravate the already difficult situation.

"Of course it was you... Can't you see he's using you? That he manipulates you to get what he wants? People like them always want to use people like us. You're young, naive, and goddamn rich. You think you are having a good time, but you are really helping him destroy our family. But I won't let it happen," Jin said, looking him straight in the eye, then turned on his heel and walked over to the desk, then grabbed the telephone.

"What do you mean by that?" Jeongguk asked, panic rising.

"What I mean? I'll call the police and let them know that this man tricked into our office building and stole a pendrive with a project worth millions," he replied as if it were the most obvious thing and started punching the number on the keypad while holding the receiver to his ear.

Jeongguk quickly ran towards him, covering the distance between them in a few steps, and pressed the button to terminate the connection. Seokjin looked up to meet his eyes. The younger one moistened his lips and shifted from foot to foot, then ran his hand over his dark curls, which soon fell disobediently over his dark eyes.

"Don't do this. He really has nothing to do with it," he whispered.

Jin looked at him for a moment, but then he slowly lowered his hand to put the receiver back on the cradle.

"Maybe then, since you're so sure he didn't steal that flash drive, we'll watch the father's office footage from that night together?" He asked, and Jeongguk looked at him with open fear in his eyes.

Seeing his fear, Seokjin smiled victoriously. He was convinced Jeongguk was lying to him to protect the man.

"Ooooh! You didn't know there are cameras in our father's office?" He asked, even though he knew the answer well.

Nobody but him and his father knew about these cameras. They were fitted just in case a long time ago, when his brother didn't even work for the company. Nobody has ever checked these tapes. As well as those from the cameras that were in the corridor. There has never been a need for this before. Nobody ever dared rob their company. The office building was well secured. Getting inside unnoticed was almost a miracle. However, no one suspected that one of the Jeons would let the enemy in.

Seokjin laughed softly at his brother's expression, realizing this was no joke, then slowly walked around the desk and sat down in the leather chair. He could feel Jeongguk's eyes on him. His dark pupils were still dilated, the boy visibly paled, knowing that his next lie was about to come out. The older brother put his hand into his suit jacket pocket and took a small object out of it, then lifted it up so that the brunet could see what it was.

"This flash drive has a recording from our father's office from the night you brought this thief here... I haven't watched it yet, but it might be high time to do it," he explained. "Do you want to tell me something before I watch it, or will you continue to protect him?"

Jeongguk was silent, but his eyes were fixed on the black pen drive in his brother's hand. He looked like he was about to pass out or vomit. He was bloody pale, his breathing was oddly irregular, and for a moment Seokjin thought maybe he should let it go, but he couldn't pull back now. Not when he was so close to knowing the truth. The redhead might have deceived his younger brother, but he would not deceive him. He knew such people. People who were just waiting for an opportunity to rob them or extort their money in another way. And those who did it, pretending to care, were the worst of them all.

While Gguk was still silent, he reached out his hand and slid the USB into the port. He put his hand on the wireless mouse and glanced surreptitiously at his brother. It seemed to him that the boy was practically not breathing. He clicked the "My Computer" button and was about to click a drive to open its contents when Jeongguk called his name. His voice was strangely altered, trembling, uncertain, almost pleading.

"Please don't do this..."

"Gguk, he is messing with your head. See what you are doing now? You are protecting the criminal who robbed your own family," Seokjin replied in a much softer voice. "It has to stop. You must end your relationship with this man before it's too late. If you don't, I'll do it," he added firmly.

"You don't understand... I..."

"I understand everything perfectly, Gguk," Jin interrupted him. His voice was harder, more relentless again. "You have time till Monday."

"Time for what?" The younger choked out.

"If you don't end this sick relationship... I'll tell Lisa and our father about everything. And then I'll call the police and tell them everything I know about this man. I will not let you destroy our family and father's business," he threatened, looking him straight in the eye.

"I won't do it, Jin," he protested. "You don't know him. You don't know anything about him, and you don't know me either... You think you know everything, but you don't know anything. The only person who's been using me for a long time is Lisa. She spends my money right and left. Since you checked my statements, you must have seen a Tiffany jewelry set on the list or a dress from the new Versace collection for almost half a million. You think I'm the one changing into women's clothes after hours? Tae is different from all of them. He is the only one who sees what is hidden behind the mask of a young businessman. He sees what's under that damn suit. He's not looking through me or at me, as you do. He looks deeper. He sees what is invisible to you and, perhaps, what you will never see. He is the only one who sees the real me." Now he almost screamed, feeling regret and despair clench his throat, almost gasping him out of breath.

Seokjin got up from his chair and took a few steps towards him. He looked very upset at his words, but there was anger and contempt in his eyes.

"Do you even hear yourself, Gguk? Are you really going to pick some tattooed dude you've barely met over your family?! Over your father, who worked his entire life for you to have all the best? Over your fiancée, the woman who has given you over three years of her life and is faithfully by your side, loves and supports you? You're going to destroy it all for this... this..."

"Go ahead," Jeon encouraged. "Finish what you wanted to say..." he added, then laughed bitterly. "For that faggot?" He asked sadly. "That's what you wanted to say, right? Yes, of course. If it were a woman, you wouldn't be so furious. It pains you that someone would see your little brother making out in the park with another man because it's gross, right? Because it's not normal. Because the future CEO of such a great company as The Jeon Electronics can't be a faggot."

"It's ridiculous. You're not like that, Gguk. He is messing with your head," Jin replied.

"You know what? If you want, turn on that goddamn flash drive and watch that recording. Look what your little brother was really doing that night. Or maybe you'd rather me tell you because I don't know if you will be able to endure such a terrible sight. Do you want to know what Tae was actually doing there?" He asked, almost screaming. "No, he didn't steal that goddamn USB stick. He made love to me," he confessed. "Maybe not. It's a bad word. He wasn't making love to me. He fucked me. He fucked me on our father's desk, exactly the way I like it. Hard and fast. You don't believe me, then play that goddamn video. See what a faggot your little brother is."

"Gguk!" Seokjin scolded him, as if suddenly realizing that their voices were raised enough for someone to hear the conversation.

Jeongguk only laughed sadly, then lifted his hand and tucked it into his dark curls, tucking them back. He looked his brother in the eye, feeling his dark irises, the color of hot chocolate, cloud with tears.

"Oh yeah, the only thing you're worried about right now is that someone would hear how disgusting I am..." He snorted, then turned on his heel and quickly left the office, slamming the door behind him.

***

Ayashee:

Hey, hey, or rather "kalispera", because I am adding this chapter in slightly different circumstances than usual. I'm just starting my vacation in Greece, but I couldn't leave you guys without a new chapter for such a long time.

Hope you liked the chapter.

We come to most important events, and probably by the end of this book, there will be a real roller coaster, so fasten your seat belts.

What do you think is going to happen now?

I enjoy reading all your comments and am very curious to know what you think and what your theories are.

In addition, I would like to let you know that due to my trip, the next chapter will certainly not appear until September. I won't write during the vacation, so it's hard for me to say exactly when I can finish the next chapter. I will try to upload it in as soon as possible.

To sweeten such a long wait, I have a little surprise for you.

https://youtu.be/tc_d3WhzsTQ

Filakia ❤️