Chapter Text
“So, they can just ship you out of the country like that?” Chanyeol questioned with utter annoyance.
Kyungsoo continued to slowly pack his belongings.
He had been staying with the Parks for a few weeks while child services sorted out a permanent placement for him. He turned to look at his best friend of sixteen years with big eyes that always had trouble expressing his true emotions.
“Pretty much..court orders and all, Yeol.”
“What about us,” he paused, “My family? We took care of you for a month and my parents have more than enough financial support for the two of us,” his voice became strained with desperation, “Aren’t we an option..?”
Kyungsoo turned his back as he continued to pack, silently sighing to Chanyeol’s plea.
He would love nothing more than to stay with the Parks.
Both of Chanyeol’s parents are world renowned surgeons in L.A. who take on the toughest cases in the world and yet manage to be incredibly humble people who have always welcomed him and his mother with open arms.
“I wish,” he admitted as he stopped mid-fold, “I just don’t understand why he wants me…why now?” he bit his lower lip, a habit he’s had since he was a child.
“All this time, sixteen years of being on our own with my mom working nonstop to support us and now that she's gone my long lost father steps into the picture to suddenly make a claim on me?” His voice was agitated with the reality of his situation.
“I’m so sorry, Soo, I-I wish I could do something.”
Kyungsoo smiled, “I know, Yeol. I appreciate everything you and your parents have done for my mother and I…You’ve been such an amazing friend.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Chanyeol interrupted with annoyance.
“Don’t talk like we’re never going to see each other again,” the red-headed giant pursed his full lips, “I’ll always be there if you need me. You going to Seoul won’t change that, you understand?”
“Yeah,” He let out a small reassuring smile, “Understood.”
Chanyeol nodded in agreeance as he pursed his lips once more, a question suddenly striking him.
“Hey, so who do you think your father is anyway?” He stammered, “I mean, like, what’s his deal? Did your mother ever mention him?”
For as long as Kyungsoo could remember it’s only ever been him and his mom.
Sure, he brought up the topic a few times but was always met with short curt answers and he never dared to push deeper. He could tell how much the questions of his long-lost father hurt, even through her smiley and bright facade.
“Well, no…not really anyway. To be completely honest, I don’t even know his name or what he even looks like.”
Chanyeol pursed his lips in silence.
“Yeah, I know.” Soo chuckled at its absurdity, “My mom has always been really private about that kind of stuff. Maybe he was a really bad guy or they had a messy falling out?” He shrugged, “Who knows what happened way back when; I certainly don’t.”
“Crazy...I wonder what happened.”
“Yeah?” Kyungsoo chuckled, “I’ve been wondering that for years now.” He paused, “But, I guess now I’ll finally get some answers at least, right?"
“The truth always comes to light, Kyungsoo!” Chanyeol raised a big thumbs up in assurance, “I’m a firm believer in that!”
Kyungsoo smiled, looking at his best friend’s big toothy grin and ears that were possibly a tad too big for his head, but somehow worked for him.
He’d been avoiding his feelings but the thought of being permanently separated from Chanyeol was suddenly weighing down on him.
He was going to miss him so much.
They’ve been a dynamic duo since diapers and even through their differences which blossomed with age, they’ve always managed to stay close.
Chanyeol was his security blanket, always there through thick and thin. He admired Chanyeol and his amazing qualities. Everyone loved him, amazingly talented with music, was voted best smile in last years yearbook, and is the recently elected the volleyball captain for next year.
He was incredible and ridiculously handsome and well rounded, but, Kyungsoo kept those feelings to himself.
“Hey,” Chanyeol cooed,“You ok..?”
“Yeah, just thinking and…well,” he bit his lip, “Just thinking about how much I’ll miss you, or rather…miss us. You’ve always been there for me, even when I was maybe a drag or didn’t fit in with your other friends."
He cracked a small smile as memories of their years together played through his mind, "You’ve always made time for me, making sure I eat or getting me involved at school, helping me find my voice in music. I just, I guess I want to thank you. Although my life has been kinda rocky, you’ve always managed to be there for me to pick up the pieces. I’m not sure where I would be if I didn’t have you.”
Chanyeol looked serious, his cheeks flushed and body stiffening to the confession.
For as long as Chanyeol could remember, Kyungsoo was always quiet and to himself.
Ironically much similar to his mother.
The two somehow balanced each other with ease. Chanyeol was the outgoing, well rounded, ‘everyone loves him’ kinda guy. While Kyungsoo, the more artful, reserved, insightful and observant type.
Both teens saw something they admired about other. Their dynamic was simple, Kyungsoo felt at ease with Chanyeol and vice-versa.
“I..” Chanyeol licked his lips, eyes unreadable, “Kyungsoo, I’ve actually been meaning to-”
“Oh!” The sudden interjection stopped Chanyeol mid-sentence, it was his mother, Mrs. Park.
“Sorry to interrupt boys but…Kyungsoo, sweetie, the van is outside, they’re here to pick you up and take you to the airport. I’ve tried convincing them to wait until after dinner but they insist on taking you now, I don’t understand the nerve of those people!”
“It’s okay, Mrs. Park.” He chuckled, “Yeol and I were just saying our goodbyes.”
She quietly left, giving the two their space as she grabbed most of Kyungsoo's belongings.
The red-headed boy’s eyes were fixated on his best friend. His chest heavy with pressure as a confession still sat stuck in his throat.
"I'll see you later, yeah?" Kyungsoo muttered as h went to grab his backpack.
Chanyeol reached for his best friends arm, turning Kyungsoo to face him only to see tears brimming the big beautiful eyes he loved to stare into.
"This isn't goodbye...okay?"
Chanyeol hid his secret as he embraced his smaller friend in a tight hug, hearing Kyungsoo quietly sob in his chest.
Kyungsoo rarely cried, he actually rarely expressed any type of emotion that could possibly make him seem weak.
This wasn't a time for Chanyeol to be admitting suppressed feelings he's been bottling up for years...he knew that.
Right now Kyungsoo needed him and admitting something that huge might do more harm than good.
Chayeol rested his face in Kyungsoo's hair, breathing in a wave of coconut (which was Kyungsoo's staple scent for some unknown reason.)
"I'm going to miss you so much, Chanyeol."
He tried to be strong, fighting back tears and holding in it as much as he could.
"I'll see you again. I promise."
The flight was surprisingly not as bad as he initially thought.
Contrary to what he’s heard about flights being uncomfortable and crowded, he found his experience completely opposite. Kyungsoo ended up getting a window seat which was what he had really wanted since this would be his first flight ever.
Chanyeol always told him snagging a window seat was always his number one priority when his family went on vacations. He would tell Kyungsoo about the incredible views from way up high and he, of course, saw his best friends sky shots on Instagram.
The view was absolutely breathtaking, Chanyeol’s photos didn’t do it justice, he thought to himself.
Also, Kyungsoo wasn’t too sure how airplanes or the whole flying experience worked, but, he was almost sure that he’s heard about long flights being incredibly uncomfortable.
He thought this was kind of funny considering how much comfort he felt during his entire trip.
Heck, the boy was able to kick up his feet to lie down and get a proper night’s rest. In addition, the complimentary shower was also super refreshing and Kyungsoo definitely welcomed the chance to freshen up and be squeaky clean. Looking back, he definitely thought the shower on the plane was pretty bizarre.
Since when did they start adding showers on airplanes?
That was a topic he’d have to research later, he made a mental note.
As he gathered his belongings he made his way towards pickup where he was instructed a man would transport him to his new home and father. He easily spotted his name and before he could walk towards the man carrying the sign, a group of four big Korean men zoned in on the small teenager like bears to a jar of precious honey.
“Uhh,” the wide-eyed Kyungsoo nervously moaned as his bags were soon taken from his hands and being carried to the car.
“Hello, Mr. Do Kyung-soo,” The more serious looking of the bunch politely stated in heavily accented English, “We’re here to take you to your father, please, follow us.”
Kyungsoo tilted his head in question, his mouth slightly open and eyes wide with confusion. Obviously taken aback from the totally random group of men who suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere pranced to help in the task of luggage assistance.
“Ah,” the burley and staggering six foot something man cooed as he noticed the confusion. “We work for your father, no need to worry.” He smiled as he bowed politely apologetic to the confusion which Kyungsoo deemed to be pretty genuine. “We’re here to-”
“Speak in Korean if it is easier for you,” Kyungsoo interrupted in fluent Korean, “I’m fluent in Korean, Sir.”
The man sighed in relief, “Thank you, my English is the best out of all of the other guys and we heard you’re American so we thought you wouldn’t know any Korean at all!” He smiled a big smile once again in relief.
Kyungsoo smirked in agreeance, “So, you’re taking me to my father? Why isn’t he here himself?” He thought it was a good idea to ask. He’s seen the movie ‘Taken’ and knew for damn sure he wasn’t just going to get in a blacked out car with a bunch of strangers, who, by the way, were super jacked.
What do they feed these guys in Korea? Kyungsoo felt as if a dozen Chanyeol’s were just running all around him.
Damn my small frame, he thought to himself.
“Correct, Mr. Do Kyung-soo. Your father is a very busy man, he is taking care of a lot of business at the moment but he wanted to inform you that he will be seeing you at home later on tonight.”
The teen nodded, he thought maybe his dad was some big shot CEO executive or something. Hell, he’s seen enough dramas with Chanyeol to know that rich Koreans have driver’s, assistances', and all the bougie bells and whistles.
“Alright, let’s get going then.” He said with slight hesitation following the man to the blacked out Mercedes Benz.
“Wait, this car right here?” Kyungsoo halted in his steps in a spring of doubt.
The man laughed, probably confused by the teen’s confusion and blank expressions, “Yes sir, this is your car.” He smiled once more, “Hop on in.”
Out of habit, he bit his lip once more, walking up towards the vehicle as one of the men open up the door for him allowing Kyungsoo to slide into the car with ease. He wasn’t sure what was going on or why he was receiving this type waited on service which only leads to him asking himself an even bigger question…
Who exactly was his father? Was he some rich Korean CEO big shot? Or was he something more sinister? Could he possibly be some type of mob boss who pushes big-time drugs into Korea?
The more he thought about the mafia thing the more it made sense to him. Maybe that’s why his mother had to flee to the States, maybe her life was on the line and his father sent her away whilst pregnant to secure her safety from rival gangs.
He gasped at his own theories suddenly lost in his own thoughts that could have very well come out of a Korean drama itself.
He breathed out, calming his mind as the car began moving towards his new home and the father he has never known.
“Woah, Woah…you took a shower on the airplane???” Chanyeol said dramatically over face time as Kyungsoo plopped himself on his big comfy bed for the night.
“Yeah, that’s normal, right? I got to lie down and sleep too; I thought you said flying was bad?”
Chanyeol sarcastically stuck out his neck, “Uh, yeah, when you’re flying economy which I thought you’d be in.”
“Economy?” Kyungsoo asked totally unaware of the class system.
“Yeah, Soo!” He laughed at how cute and oblivious his best friend was, “You have economy, the worst one, premium economy, the good one, business, the comfortable one, and then you have 1st class.”
Kyungsoo waited for the details but instead heard silence, “Yeah? Which means..?”
Chanyeol scoffed, “Kyungsooya! It’s obviously the best one!”
He looked down in embarrassment, “Okay Mr. Aviation I’ve never been on a plane before let alone be allowed into 1st class considering how poor my mother and I am…were.” He corrected himself, he’s had a hard time getting used to using past tense rather than present tense.
“So what’s the deal then, have you met your long lost father then?? Get to the juicy part already Soo.” He impatiently asked as he took a swig of water.
“Well, I thought I was but I’m being held in this apartment for now because it’s already midnight and, well, something about clearance or bad timing or something.”
Chanyeol scrunched up his face in a mixture of annoyance and confusion, “What does that even mean? Your dad isn’t some type of drug lord is he?”
“You think that too?!” Kyungsoo asked in wonderment “I haven’t even told you about the bodyguards yet.”
“Bodyguards??” he quickly interjected.
“Yeah, Yeol! You should have seen them! They are huge guys just like you! They literally tower over me, I thought they were going to beat me up or something!” He said with a mixture of laughter and seriousness.
“Man, what have you gotten yourself into, Kyungsoo.” He shook his head as he stared at his screen examining his best friends animated face wishing he was there to protect him.
“You should just come back home.” He muttered.
Kyungsoo sighed, lifting up his MacBook as he made his way to the restroom to wash up.
“I wish you were here with me Ye-”
“Wait, wait a second go back!” Chanyeol interrupted with excitement.
“What? Where??” Kyungsoo turned his head examining his room.
“Over there!” He pointed to the long modern windows.
Kyungsoo obliged as he walked over to the windows showing the entire skyline of Seoul. The city was alive with splashes of vibrant colors, animated billboard signs, and people seemingly enjoying the lively nightlife.
“Cool view, huh?” Kyungsoo said as he looked on with Chanyeol.
“Soo, you said you were staying in an apartment this is like a penthouse.” He said in astonishment.
“Well the guy, or rather, Mr. Kim, told me that my dad rented out this place for me to stay tonight...he wanted for us to meet in the morning considering how late I got in.”
Chanyeol pursed his lips, “Hm, you'd think he'd want to see you right away sixteen years apart seems like a long time already...and who’s Mr. Kim?”
Kyungsoo grumpily smirked knowing very well what Chanyeol was doing. He was always like this, super protective and wary of anything or anybody who got too close to the wide-eyed and innocent Kyungsoo.
“One question at a time detective Park,” he teased which Chanyeol silently replied with a sarcastic eye roll.
“Mr. Kim is my father’s assistant, apparently his right-hand guy. And this place is usually used for guests my dad invites to Seoul…or so I was told.”
“That’s funny,” Chanyeol dryly interjected, “Your dad can house random guests but not give you and your mother a single ounce of help while your mother worked night and day in order to send you to private school.” He scoffed with disbelief and annoyance.
Kyungsoo lifted his laptop letting his face get closer to the camera, “Hey,” he cooed, “everything’s going to be fine, yeoly. I-I wish you were here with me; everything here seems so different and I just wish I had you here to lean on.”
He decided to change the topic, he didn’t like seeing Chanyeol upset. Kyungsoo’s favorite Chanyeol is when he’s laughing, cracking jokes, and smiling a smile that could brighten up a rainy day.
“I wish I was there with you, something about all of this doesn’t feel right. I can feel it in my bones.” He held up both of his hands twisting his wrists comedically which earned him a big grin and a hearty laugh from his smaller friend.
The two went on talking for a few more hours, going back and forth about conspiracy theories revolving Kyungsoo’s mysterious father. It was almost as if distance and time difference was nothing but that.
No matter the obstacles, Chanyeol would be there for him just like he’d always been since they were little kids.
Even with the two halfway across the world from each other, it was as if nothing could ever change the bond shared between them.
Kyungsoo looked at the time which read 2:14 A.M.
He had gotten off the phone with Chanyeol an hour or so ago. He licked his lips, mouth super dry and his tummy practically screaming at him for food.
“I need to eat,” he grumbled as he slowly jumped out of bed, shuffling his green slippers onto his feet. He made his way down the long winding hallway until it opened up to the living room and kitchen area.
He darted towards the fridge only to open up its doors to reveal a nearly empty fridge. Kyungsoo was still a minor so alcohol was surely out of the question and he wasn’t really up for eating questionable kimchi; god knows how long that’s been there.
“Dammit,” he smacked his mouth, “What am I going to do…f-fUCK!!” He jumped at the sight of Mr. Kim sitting up on the couch looking dead straight at him.
“Mr. Kim! Yo-You can’t just scare someone like that!” He heaved as he tried calming his wits from the uncalled for jump scare.
“Are you hungry?” Mr. Kim asked totally disregarding Kyungsoo’s comment.
Kyungsoo tilted his head but quickly realized that food was definitely more important than his feelings at this moment.
“Uhh, yeah.” He began walking towards the couch, “I checked the fridge but it’s pretty empty.”
Mr. Kim huffed in agreement, “Yeah, it usually is.” The man leaned over to the coffee table picking up his wallet, “Here, take this card.” He handed Kyungsoo the highly coveted ‘black card’, a card incredibly exclusive and only wielded by Korea’s most affluent.
“Oh, uh,” Kyungsoo nervously backed away, “I-I can’t take your money, Mr. Kim. You don’t have to do that for me.”
“But I’m not?” he interjected as he got himself up from the couch making his way towards the bashful teen. “Here, take a look at the card.”
Kyungsoo looked Mr. Kim in the eyes and then back to the man’s extended hand, eyeing the card.
He nervously took it after Mr. Kim began impatiently waving it around.
It was surprisingly heavy for a credit card, “American Express…” he whispered as he examined the unusual card.
His breath hitched, “This card…it’s-”
“Yeah, kiddo.” Mr. Park chuckled, “It’s your card, not mine.”
Kyungsoo nervously bit his lip, he didn’t know what this card meant but just from the aesthetic and obscure weight he felt it deep down that it meant something.
He ran his fingers over his engraved name, “Do Kyungsoo…” he whispered in disbelief.
The truth is, Kyungsoo had never had a debit card before let alone a credit card. Chanyeol had one ever since the sixth grade. They would often get after-school snacks as they walked to Chanyeol’s home after a long school day. Kyungsoo jerked a half smile at the memory of their simple yet pleasant past.
“So, there is actually a little grocery store inside of the hotel.” Mr. Kim stated cutting off Kyungsoo’s little trip down memory lane.
“It’s on the first floor, go straight down the main hall and then take a left, should be right there.” The man made his way back on the couch, kicking up his feet onto the coffee table as he turned on the television.
“I’ll be awake so you can leave the door unlocked. They should have some good stuff down there. Get whatever you want, your card should be activated and good to use by now.” He yawned giving Kyungsoo a thumbs up and a small tired smile to match. Maybe these guys weren’t so bad after all, he thought.
Making his way to the little grocery store was as easy as Mr. Kim said it was. They had a pretty big selection, the prices were a bit…much, he thought to himself, but, considering how nice this hotel was it wasn’t too incredibly shocking after thinking it over.
“Will that be all for you?” the attendant asked with a genuine smile, which Kyungsoo politely nodded.
He decided on some instant ramen, a bag of shrimp chips, and a box of almond Pepero. The instant ramen took a few minutes to make, luckily there was a comfy eating area provided within the grocery store. He figured he’d take advantage of the free amenities and eat here.
“Tick tock, tick tock.” Kyungsoo impatiently teased as he waited for his instant ramen to cook. He picked up his Pepero box, opening up the seal in hopes to satisfy his late night sweet tooth. He took a bite, letting out a small moan. Chocolate covered almonds were a big favorite that he and his mother shared. He examined the box as he chewed, looking over the blonde headed idol who was promoting the delicious candy.
“Wow, not too bad,” he said to himself. The guy was pretty good looking, his eyes were interesting and had this strong look to them even though he was smiling and bright. Kyungsoo could definitely see why the guy was a model, girls probably went nuts over the guy.
He took another bite of the Pepero, another moan unexpectedly escaping his plump lips.
“It’s good, huh?”
Kyungsoo jumped at the sudden voice, spilling his chocolate almond Pepero onto the floor.
“Dammit!” Kyungsoo huffed in English, “That’s the second time someone scar…scares me to-….uhh, today.”
Kyungsoo was at a loss for words after locking eyes with a guy who could very well be a model for Pepero himself.
He was tall for starters, definitely Chanyeol’s height no doubt about it. Jet black hair that was effortlessly slicked back. His face probably 99.9% symmetrical. Full pink lips, dark eyes, perfect tanned skin, and a smile quite possibly comparable to Park Chanyeol’s.
The stranger grinned visibly taken aback by Kyungsoo’s outburst in English.
“I’m Sorry,” the stranger managed to speak in accented English, “I did not mean to scare yo-”
“Speak in Korean if it is easier for you,” Kyungsoo interrupted, “I speak fluent Korean.”
The guy licked his lips before letting out a small sigh of relief.
“Well, I just noticed you moaning and I had to see why or what was the cause of it.”
Kyungsoo could feel sweat forming on his hands at the probably unintentional sexual comment. He instinctively looked down out of embarrassment, cursing himself mentally at how much of a goof he is.
“Oh, let me.” The tall stranger noticed Kyungsoo looking down, mistaking his embarrassment for Kyungsoo looking down at his fallen Pepero box.
“There you go,” he examined the box before handing it over to the very nervous Kyungsoo, “Chocolate almond, huh? Pretty good, my personal favorite as well.”
Kyungsoo awkwardly smiled hoping deep down inside that it didn’t look forced and or uncomfortable. The alarm for the ramen went off breaking the tension. Kyungsoo shifted his feet, turning his back to the suspected model man to attend to his late night dinner.
The strangers squinted his eyes, zooming in on the small kids back pocket.
The guy's eyes narrowed in on the black card which spurred many questions as he examined the small kid more thoroughly.
Kyungsoo made his way to the table with his ramen in hand, getting himself comfortable and ready to chow down his meal for the night.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked.
Kyungsoo didn’t want to be rude but another part of himself didn’t want this super good looking guy watching him eat. He bit his lower lip in nervousness, looking up at the tall stranger with his wide unreadable eyes.
“I’ll take that as a ‘sure, why not.’” he grinned as he pulled up a chair.
Chanyeol used to give Kyungsoo so much grief about this kind of blank emotionless stare he does when he’s nervous, uncomfortable, or just bored.
He doesn’t see it, but apparently, it gives off this, ‘I’m going to murder you in your sleep’ kind of look?
That, or he’s also been told it could be mistaken for, ‘fuck off or else I’m going to kill you’.
Now, he wasn’t too sure how his face looked in the moment, but, something deep down within himself told him his face looked like either one of the two expressions Chanyeol used to tease him about.
“Good ramen?” the tall raven haired guy asked as he reached over to open Kyungsoo’s shrimp chips.
“Make sure you eat it with the ramen,” he grinned as he opened the snacks for the boy with the death stare that somehow intrigued the stranger even more.
“So, you speak English pretty well, are you a foreigner?” He asked as Kyungsoo finished a bite of his instant ramen.
“Yes,” he nodded, “I’m from the states, but both of my parents are Korean.” He muttered as he grabbed some of his chips.
“Wow, you speak Korean pretty well. With a Seoul accent and everything.” He leaned forward, his eyes locked on the small mystery that was Kyungsoo.
“Thanks,” Soo curtly said as he took another bite of his ramen.
“You don’t talk much, do you?” the stranger interjected. Kyungsoo replied with silence that was reciprocated with a dry laugh from the guy.
“How old are you?” he asked as he rested his head on his hands.
“I’m sixteen…” Kyungsoo slowly locked eyes with the other, “What about you?”
Something about the small teen’s eyes was so captivating to the stranger. He couldn’t pinpoint the exact thing that had him pulled in, but he was definitely interested in the wide-eyed boy.
“Same here. Sixteen years old.” He grinned noticing Kyungsoo’s slight surprised expression.
“When’s your birthday then?” he asked.
Kyungsoo bit his lower lip, “January, January 12th. What about you?”
“Well, well that’s pretty coincidental.” The teen smiled, “I’m January too, January 14th.”
Kyungsoo nodded, “You don’t look sixteen.” He dryly said, his tone unintentionally making his comment sound like an insult.
The stranger burst out in a small laugh, unsure on how to take the reply from the teen with the furrowed brows and big emotionless eyes.
“Are you saying I look old then?” he said through his laugh.
Kyungsoo wasn’t aware of his tone but meant no harm of course.
“Well, you just look more mature I guess.” He took another bite of ramen, “Maybe it’s the outfit.” He said through his light chewing.
The model-like stranger was wearing fitted clothes that looked as if he could have just stepped off of a runway. It was Saturday night, so maybe he had just come back from a night out, he thought. It was pretty late after all. Kyungsoo quickly squinted after that thought, his questioning totally painted onto his face. That would be impossible, he thought, the guy is sixteen shouldn’t he be at home with his parents?
“So, I noticed you have a black card.” the stranger interrupted as he leaned back; crossing his arms with ease. “What family are you from?”
Kyungsoo looked away, unsure of how to reply. However, he figured if the guy knew what this black card meant, maybe it could help him piece together questions about what kind of man his father would be.
“What does it mean?” he asked, “The card, I mean.” Kyungsoo asked emotionlessly as he took a drink of water.
“What?” He raised his brows in confusion, “You don’t know what that card means? Shouldn’t yo-….Why do you have it?” He asked.
Kyungsoo didn’t want to reveal too much, what if his dad really was some type of drug lord or something. He also wanted to know what this unusual card meant, he tried thinking quickly on his feet about how to tip-toe around this.
‘Well, my father’s assistant gave it to me to buy something since I was hungry.” He gauged the vibe before carefully continuing, “I don’t really use credit cards myself since I’m just a kid and all.” He said innocently, hoping that would be a good cover.
Kyungsoo could tell the stranger was thinking, he just couldn’t gauge his expression and if it was good or bad.
“Well, that card is held by Korea’s most affluent citizens.” He paused, reading Kyungsoo’s somewhat calm expression, “You know,” he stammered, “ Pretty important people of incredible means?”
Kyungsoo noted that, but he already knew his father had to be someone of wealth if he was staying in a penthouse for the night.
“Oh, well that’s-”
“I have one too, see?” The tall stranger interrupted as he suddenly had the same black card between his long fingers, “Our parents are part of the same club.” He smiled as he began to dig deeper, “What do your parents do, exactly?”
Kyungsoo was unsure of what to say, of course, he could lie about it, what would be the harm of that? It’s not like he was going to ever see this guy again. But then again, what if he would? Kyungsoo’s mind was filled with questions and the silence between the two was growing longer and longer.
“I can tell you what my dad does,” he eagerly interjected trying to lighten up the mood, “My dad runs this hotel as well as other five star hotels and resorts all over South Korea, China, and Japan.”
Kyungsoo hid his amazement. How the hell did he end up in a conversation with the prince of this Hotel?
“Wait, so this place isn’t an apartment complex?” Kyungsoo asked innocently.
The stranger pursed his lips in confusion, “What do you mean? This is a five-star hotel, not an apartment complex…Although,” he paused leaning in as if he were about to tell a secret, “My father has some big talks coming up about starting luxury apartments here in Seoul.”
“Well, what about the penthouse?” Kyungsoo blurted.
The stranger cocked an eyebrow in interest, “How do yo-”
“Mr. Kyungsoo.” a deep familiar voice rang through the ongoing conversation.
Kyungsoo met eyes with Mr. Kim’s, “Oh, hey Mr. Kim…What are you doing here?” Kyungsoo asked politely.
“I just wanted to see if you found the place okay, it’s been awhile since you’ve been away.” He said as another set of eyes locked onto Mr. Kim’s.
The stranger’s eyes squinted, he looked back at Kyungsoo with suspicion and confusion unsure of what was going on.
“Ah, Mr. Jongin, I see you’ve gotten yourself acquainted with Mr. Kyungsoo.”
Jongin’s jaw tensed as curiosity filled his mind as he visibly wore confusion onto his chiseled face.
“We should get back up to the suite, Kyungsoo. You’re going to have a long day tomorrow.”
Kyungsoo nodded as he went to throw his trash away. He passed by the handsome guy who he now knew as Jongin thanks to the help of Mr. Kim.
He bowed, “Thanks for keeping me entertained while I ate, Jongin.” He kept a straight face as he began trailing behind Mr. Kim.
“Hey!” Jongin turned with a final question hot on his lips, “What’s your full name, Kyungsoo?” He smiled, “I’m Kim Jongin.”
Kyungsoo cracked a small half grin, perhaps he would see more of this Kim Jongin in the future?
“Do…Do Kyung-soo.” He bowed one final time, ‘Goodnight, Jongin.”
He turned before he could read the unusual expression splashed across Jongin’s face. His name left more questions than answers, and Jongin couldn’t help but wonder where this innocent Korean American kid fit within this big bad world of privilege.