“I admit, I brought this one on myself. It’s actually why I’m down here.” I looked over at Minhyuk and found him watching the television far too intently. “Minhyuk? I was wondering if you had any ideas for waitresses. Sejin cancelled the ones we had and everywhere is booked out.”
“Are you sure I can’t go to Shanghai?” Dante growled in my ear.
“That’s a dick move!” Jun explained, his mouth falling open as he stared at me in disbelief. “Why the hell would he do that?”
“Because that’s a ‘harmless trick’ which won’t result in me getting physically hurt if I was to tell my father—”
“Why won’t you tell Lee Woojin? That’s bullshit.”
I fixed Jun a flat look. “You got kidnapped, I got pushed down some stairs, and Kyun had a knife to his throat—to list but a few things Sejin did. And what did Woojin do? He sent him to run the company in China. What is the point in telling him?”
“Then what are you going to do?” Jun asked, wrinkling his nose. “Because I will go with Dante to China and—”
“No one is going to China. I’d rather we all stayed on opposite sides of the Yellow Sea, thank you,” I said, calmly. “What I want to do is prove to my brother at every available opportunity that not only am I not going anywhere, I’m a better person, and I’m better at what he does. Including planning this stupid party.”
“I’ll help,” Jun said, enthusiastically.
I gave him an appreciative smile but shook my head. “Thank you, but I was hoping Minhyuk could help. He’s already been a big part of planning this party.”
“You should let Jun help you,” Minhyuk muttered before walking towards the door.
“Minhyuk?” I called, trying to wriggle out of Dante’s lap, but he held me firmly in place. As the door closed, I turned my attention to the man whose lap I was sat on and glowered at him.
“He’ll be there tomorrow, don’t worry.”
“What makes you so sure?” I asked.
Dante shrugged. “He’s not sleeping at the dorm anymore.”
Jun looked from the door to us, his head slowly leaning to the side. “Have I missed something?”
“Yep,” Dante told him. “And it’s none of your business.”
When Jun looked at me, I shook my head. “Fine,” he muttered, sending the film back a few scenes.
“He’ll be there tomorrow,” Dante muttered into my ear. “I’ll make sure of it.” He turned to Jun. “How about you work on that mixtape you owe me?”
“How about you work on that mixtape you owe me?” Jun repeated in a mocking tone. “Don’t you need to go to China?”
I wasn’t sure how he did it, but Minhyuk appeared in the middle of the afternoon. Not only did he come to my office, he came with a basket of rosy, red apples. I looked up as he placed them on the desk in front of me. “What are these for?”
Minhyuk stood in front of me, his hands clasped together. “I’m sorry.”
“For?”
“Not being honest with you,” he told me, his cheeks going pink. “For coming so quickly. For not being as good as—”
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” I said, cutting him off so abruptly, he looked up at me with his eyes wide. “I am not comparing you to any of the others, and you sure as hell better hadn’t be either.”
“But—”
“Nuh-uh,” I said, waggling my index finger back and forth. “I don’t care how much the others brag—and let’s be honest, that has come from Dante who skipped the modesty line when they were giving out traits.”
Minhyuk cracked a smile, but it quickly fell from his lips. “I wanted it to be special.”
“Wasn’t it special for you?”
“Yes, but—”
“Then who said it wasn’t special for me, because I sure as hell didn’t.” I folded my arms and stared pointedly at him.
“It was special?” he asked, uncertainly.
“Minhyuk, it was my first time with you. Of course, it was special,” I said, softly, meaning it. “I’ll accept your apology for not being honest with me because, if you’d have said this in the car on the way home, we could have spared ourselves some uncomfortable days.”
Shifting uncomfortably on the spot, Minhyuk glanced at the window before looking back at me. “It wasn’t great sex.”
“What I got was great. I orgasmed and I didn’t fake it. It was just over a little sooner than I’d have liked,” I admitted. “But you make it sound like it was a one-time deal. We got the awkward bit out of the way and now we get to have fun having lots of sex and getting to know what each other likes.”
Minhyuk rubbed at the back of his neck. “You make that sound a lot more romantic than Dante did.”
I could imagine exactly how Dante made that sound.
“You need to go to one of the universities,” Minhyuk said, suddenly, finally sitting down in one of the chairs on the other side of my desk.
“I don’t think they offer those kinds of courses at any university.” This time it was my turn to shift uncomfortably. My egotistical head was apparently competing with Dante’s because it had never crossed my mind to ask Minhyuk how he thought I was.
“No,” Minhyuk said, hurriedly. “I mean your wait staff problem. Students always need money but most places want someone long term and the students don’t always want to commit because of their studies. A one-time gig would be tempting for a lot of students.”
I stared at Minhyuk. “Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider your career as an idol?”
“What’s more, if you have them wandering around in skeleton suits, you would have everyone served by the walking dead.”
Sliding my iPad over to him, I grinned. “You’re in charge of finding costumes. I’m going to get Inhye to start contacting the universities with me.”
My Minhyuk was a genius.
Unfortunately, him staying in the office with me all afternoon was impossible. Not just because I thought that would look too suspicious, but because I also had other meetings scheduled.
I’d finished listening to Cupcake’s next comeback selection, narrowing it down to three for them to make the final decision, when I got three messages almost simultaneously.
Messages from Dante, and Minhyuk. I opened them up in the order they had come in.
Dante: Did you and Minhyuk fuck and make up? I think I’ve found out what his kink is because he’s been looking at costumes all day. I kinda want to see you in one of them myself…
Holly: I’m fairly certain he’s not looking at the kind of costumes you’re interested in, but we did make up. Whatever you said, thank you.”
Dante: I told him you need to fuck and make up.
I smiled, shaking my head. He’d said more than that—I’d put money on it… if it wasn’t illegal.
Holly: Thank you… And it’s a maybe on the costume xxx
Dante: Already bought!
I was almost certain that the Minhyuk hadn’t been looking at the same site when I opened Minhyuk’s message. There was a picture of a really cute skeleton costume. There was one for women and one for men, and both were sexy, but modest enough for an industry party: skintight, but not revealing.
Minhyuk: There is a supplier in Gimpo with twenty of each IN STOCK!! I called them; they’re going to hold them. But the catch is they can’t deliver. You’re going to need to pick them up, today. I’d go, but I said I’d shoot some hoops with the other Minhyuks.
Minhyuk seemed to be a popular name amongst idols, although a lot used a stage name, unlike my Minhyuk. They’d been talking about doing a special stage at one of the end of year shows and I was dying to see that. I think there was enough of them in their ‘squad’ to create their own idol group.
Holly: Don’t worry, I got this. Have fun xxx
Minhyuk followed it up with the address and a nonstop stream of heart emojis. The location was a warehouse in Gimpo, not far from the airport.
As my computer powered down, I gathered up my
things, sliding what I needed into my purse. While I could have found someone at Atlantis to go, it was last minute, and I didn’t want to disturb anyone’s plans.
Plus, I could call in at the soup and stew restaurant I’d eaten at with Kyun and his father, and pick up some food for everyone on the way home.
Just because I didn’t want to ask anyone at Atlantis didn’t mean I couldn’t ask one of H3RO to come with me. I hadn’t seen much of Tae or Nate recently—maybe one or both would be free?
I walked to the door, pulling my phone out of my purse. As I started typing a message to our group chat, I pulled open the door.
And walked straight into a body.
My My
As arms wrapped around my shoulders to steady me, I found Kyun’s dark eyes staring down at me from under a baseball cap. “Are you busy?”
Closing my app, I slid it back into my bag. “Can we multitask? I need to get to Gimpo within the hour.”
Kyun’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. “Why?”
“Costumes for the Halloween party for the staff. Minhyuk found the perfect outfits but I need to get them tonight before they close.” When he nodded, I leaned past him and looked to Inhye. “I’m done for the day. I’m grabbing some things on my way home, but I’ll be back in tomorrow. Make sure you go home early, too.”
Inhye waved goodbye as Kyun and I went to the elevator. “I thought you had a costume,” Kyun said, remaining suspicious.
“They’re for the staff.” We got into the elevator and I watched as Kyun leaned against the wall. He was wearing a thick duffel coat, open to show a sliver of the black sweater he was wearing underneath. “Is everything OK?”
Kyun ran a hand through his hair. He’d dyed it back to dark brown as his roots had started to show. “It can wait until we’re in the car,” he muttered, looking away.
Nodding, I waited for the elevator to reach the parking lot level and we walked out, quickly scanning the parked vehicles, I tilted my head. “How did you get here?”
“I walked.”
Kyun was a grown-ass man and if he wanted to walk, there was no rule that he couldn’t. It was just unusual for any of H3RO to do that these days, especially at this time of the evening.
“I needed some air. I got so far and thought I was being followed. I didn’t want to lead fans back to the house so I kept walking until I got here.”
“We can keep an eye out as we leave,” I said as we got in the car. I backed out of the space and navigated out of the parking lot. It was a cold day, but dry. As we made it onto the street, there were a couple of international fans lingering, but with Kyun doubled over, no one gave me a second look.
“I think you’re safe,” I told Kyun as we drove away.
Kyun sat up, relaxing back into this seat, but stayed silent.
Instead, I turned on the radio, smiling as H3RO’s song came on. It didn’t matter if they were in the middle of promotions or they had wrapped them up—I would always get a thrill when I heard them on the radio.
If Jun or Nate had been in the car, they would have started singing along. On a better day, maybe Kyun would have too, but he continued to stare out of the window, his head turned so I that couldn’t see his face.
I sat back and waited. Kyun had come to me. He was going to tell me what was bothering him… eventually.
‘Eventually’ was when we passed into Gimpo’s industrial area. I’d noticed a black car behind me, and had resorted to pretending I was in a spy movie, pretending it was following me and Kyun because of the secrets Kyun had…
I needed to get out more.
“I loaned my father some money,” Kyun said, suddenly.
At the same time as turning my inner James Bond mode off, I turned the radio down.
“More money,” he added.
“Did he say what it was for?” I asked, lightly.
Beside me, Kyun nodded. “He was being evicted and needed money for a new place.”
I sucked in a deep breath before replying. “Kyun, he’s your father and it’s your money.”
“He asked for more this afternoon.”
“Your destination is on the right.”
Momentarily distracted by the GPS, I slowed, looking for the warehouse. Pulling in, I parked up and finally turned to Kyun. “What does he need it for?”
Kyun shrugged. “Furniture. But it feels more like he wants be back in my life for my bank balance.”
“You know you don’t have to lend him money, right?”
“I know,” Kyun muttered, looking forlorn.
But your father is back in your life and you don’t want to lose him again…
“Maybe he’s just fallen into a run of bad luck,” I offered, trying to be optimistic when in reality, I felt guilty. I’d been the one encouraging him and his father to reconnect.
The look of disbelief Kyun gave me told me he didn’t buy that either.
“OK,” I said, killing the engine. “Let me ask you this: what do you want to do?”
“Can you run a background check on him?” he asked, looking at me with hopeful eyes.
I had considered hiring a Private Investigator previously but had stopped myself from doing it. Now that Kyun was asking, I was all for doing that. I nodded. “I will. But what are you expecting to find?”
Kyun raised a shoulder, looking away. “I don’t know,” he admitted with a sigh. “It’s just, it was a lot of money. I was too young when I lived with him to really understand his life other than seeing a lot of alcohol bottles in the apartment. He wasn’t hiding the drinking then, but I don’t think he’s doing it now. Not when he’s driving the taxi. But I feel like he’s hiding…” he turned back to me and shrugged again. “Something. And if he’s not, why does he need fifteen million won for?”
I fought to keep my eyes from bulging out of my head. Another five million?
For furniture?
If Ha Jeonggu wasn’t hiding something, he was about to embark on a lavish lifestyle funded entirely by his son’s hard work.
“I’m going to run in and grab these outfits, and then we can go straight back home—”
“No,” Kyun said, sharply. “I don’t want Tae to know. I know he didn’t want me to see him.”
“OK. We’ll head back to the office.” Only when Kyun nodded, I got out of the car and hurried over to the warehouse, narrowly avoiding being hit by a car as I hurried over the uneven parking lot.
Thanks to Minhyuk calling ahead, they had pulled all the costumes together. I checked one of them, loved Minhyuk’s find, and bought the full stock. Thankfully, the box wasn’t heavy as I carried it back out to the car.
I opened the back door and slid the box onto the seat. It was only when I went to close the door that I realized Kyun wasn’t in the car.
Odd.
“Kyun?” I called, looking around.
It was a straight line between my Range Rover and the warehouse I’d been on, so he clearly hadn’t decided to come in and join me.
I hurried to the gate, stepping out onto the quiet street. There were a few vehicles heading past in both directions, but the sidewalks were empty. The street was lined with warehouse after warehouse, so I couldn’t see where he would have gone.
Returning to the car, I pulled out my phone and called him.
No answer.
“Kyun?” I yelled.
The wind seemed to whip Kyun’s names from my lips, making it disappear into the air—like Kyun had.
People didn’t just disappear into thin air.
And then I heard it.
A muffled cry of pain.
There was something about the sound which had my stomach churning. I tore across the uneven ground to the side of the warehouse.
Three men were crowded around something, a fourth watching.
Even though I knew exactly what I was looking at, for some reason, my brain seemed to freeze. The something the three men were crowded around was Kyun. He was on the ground, curled up in the fetal position.
I screamed.
It was a highly illogical reaction, but the four men looked at me before the one who had stood back called off his men. As I ran over to Kyun, they ran off to the car that was waiting behind—the same car that had nearly run me over as I had gone into the warehouse.
“Kyun!” I cried, dropping to my knees.
Kyun looked up, his face covered in blood. Fighting to keep the tears from eyes, I tried to assess how badly hurt he was.
“I’m fine,” he groaned, gasping at his side. He waved my hands away, trying to pick himself up off the ground.
He had gotten himself into a crouch before his arms suddenly shot out, grabbed mine, and flung us both to the side, just as the car went peeling past us, spraying us with gravel and groundwater.
I lay there, stunned, staring at the sky.
“Holly! Are you alright?” Kyun asked, pushing my hair out of my face.
Very quickly, pain rushed to my elbow and my knees, but whatever my injuries were, they were surface damage. Kyun had been clutching at his side.
Rolling to my knees, I got up, helping Kyun up. He could get to his feet, but was struggling to stand completely upright as he clutched at his side. “What the hell happened, Kyun? Who were those men?”
I didn’t get an answer. Kyun wobbled in my arms and it was all I could do to help him back to the car. Charging around to the driver’s side, I jumped in and programmed the nearest hospital into the GPS, peeling out of the warehouse parking lot quicker than the other car had.
“Holly, you need to slow down,” Kyun winced.
“I need to get you to a hospital,” I snapped back at him.
It was taking everything I had in me not to burst into tears, so even though I knew my anger was being wrongly aimed at him, I couldn’t do much to stop it.
“Can you do that without crashing on the way?”
Glancing down at my speed, I took my foot off the accelerator a little. Kyun was right. I was going to crash at this speed if I wasn’t careful.
Although the nearest hospital was a short distance away, the roads were still busy from the traffic and it took longer than I wanted to pull up into an emergency bay. I ignored Kyun who was telling me he was fine. Maybe it wasn’t that serious, but he was clutching at his side and I wasn’t about to take any chances.
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