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chineseinkDefinitions of Success - 3/4
Kibum/Donghae, Kyuhyun/Sungmin, others | corporate!AU/drama | 33,495 words
PART III
He was standing before them again, at the foot of the long conference table as they stared at him with twelve matching, unreadable gazes. Kyuhyun subtly sought out Sungmin, then Ryeowook, but their expressions stayed blank even when they met his eyes. A part of him deflated, and Kyuhyun scolded himself.
This was only to be expected. He pulled himself together and waited until Jungsu spoke, voice honey smooth and even. He was a natural orator, Kyuhyun had thought more than once, comfortable with words in a way Kyuhyun had never been.
"Cho Kyuhyun, you have completed the first segment of your initiation. Congratulations."
The first segment?
Jungsu's smile held a surprising amount of warmth. Kyuhyun wondered if that was usual. Had he endeared himself so easily to the XS founder? "Kibum will tell you about the second segment of your initiation. Please." Jungsu nodded at Kibum, who proceeded to stand and address Kyuhyun.
To his surprise, all Kibum said was, "If you'll follow me into another room, Kyuhyun." He stepped around his chair and circled the table, towards Kyuhyun. Youngwoon and Sungmin also pushed back their chairs and got to their feet. They followed Kibum to the door, and Kyuhyun fell in step beside them, bemused.
The door shut silently behind them and the thick carpet muffled their steps as they strode down the hall. Kibum stopped in front of a nondescript door, swiped a card, and pushed it open. "Come on in," he told Kyuhyun, and his voice was deader than ever before -noncommittal and flat. If Jungsu had taken a liking to Kyuhyun, it appeared that Kibum had not. He held the door open as Kyuhyun, Sungmin, and Youngwoon filed in, then let it swing closed. A series of beeps signalled that it was secured.
Kyuhyun examined the room. It wasn't a conference room but perhaps a break room - there was a sink and counter running along one wall, boasting a coffee-maker and a microwave. An arrangement of couches dominated the center of the space, surrounding a low coffee table. Potted plants dotted two corners. There were no windows and, Kyuhyun made sure to note, no visible cameras.
Another room with enforced privacy, security separate from the rest of the building. Kyuhyun felt the skin at the back of his neck prickle. He hid his apprehension as Kibum and Youngwoon seated themselves on separate armchairs. Sungmin sat down on the long couch.
"Have a seat beside Sungmin," Kibum instructed him.
When Kyuhyun sat, Sungmin slid him a wary glance. He looked almost apologetic.
"The second part of your initiation requires you to prove your willingness to engage in XS at all levels, not only the levels that directly affect your business." Kyuhyun could make neither heads nor tails of that vague statement until Kibum clarified, "The second part of XS initiation requires you to engage in acts of a...sexual nature with your initiator. In this case, Sungmin."
Kyuhyun stared.
"No, not sex," Youngwoon said impatiently, clearly noticing the turn Kyuhyun's thoughts had taken. "Just make out with him." He jerked his head at Sungmin, grinning.
Sungmin's touched his hand lightly, almost hesitantly. "It's not sex," he reassured quietly, "just a little bit of kissing. And," he glanced at Kibum, who looked bored, and Youngwoon, who was leering at them, "a bit of exhibitionism. It's a demonstration of trust. And I'm sure we can all be adults about this." The last portion was directed at Youngwoon specifically, who sat back, feigning a wounded look.
Kyuhyun only faintly heard Youngwoon's retort about Kyuhyun barely being an adult. He couldn't seem to drag his eyes from Sungmin, heart lodged in his throat. They expected him to kiss Sungmin? In front of them? What kind of initiation was this, really?
"It's okay, Kyuhyun," Sungmin said softly, moving incrementally closer, his attention drawn away from Kangin. He squeezed Kyuhyun's hand. "We all went through it. It's not so bad."
He felt a little out of his depth. Kyuhyun could handle hacking and embezzlement after he was certain that XS didn't mind that it was Jongwoon's money he was moving around. Kyuhyun dealt with finances and the rationale behind business development every day. Making out with people whose smiles kick-started his heart, who made him feel like a kid again? Kyuhyun was on much shakier ground.
"Don't worry," Kibum interrupted dryly, "we won't be watching."
Youngwoon let out a bark of laughter. "Maybe you won't be," he teased.
In his peripheral vision, Kyuhyun registered Kibum getting to his feet and moving to the other end of the room. Youngwoon reluctantly followed him, leaving Sungmin and Kyuhyun relatively alone in the arrangement of couches.
"Hey, look at me." Sungmin waited until Kyuhyun's eyes darted nervously to his. He smiled gently. "It'll be fine."
And before Kyuhyun could think any further, Sungmin grasped Kyuhyun's chin and pulled him close enough to feel Sungmin's breath across his face. His brain - the brain that had gotten him so much success and recognition for his age - failed him, and shut down. Sungmin closed the distance between them.
His lips were warm and surprisingly soft. Kyuhyun's world narrowed dramatically to the feel of Sungmin's hand on him, his lips on him.
The touch firmed after a moment as Kyuhyun drew in a breath, and a kittenish lick touched his lips. His breath caught, trapped. His mouth opened instinctively, and then Sungmin's tongue was flickering inside his mouth, teasing against his own.
Long minutes passed as Sungmin kissed Kyuhyun, gentle and sensuous, nothing but their mouths engaged. Kyuhyun found himself kissing back, losing awareness of his surroundings. He forgot that there were other people in the room, forgot that this was part of his initiation. It was dangerous, he felt somewhere deep in his bones, for his mind to go so blank that he would lose his grasp of the nuances of the situation - but even that uneasy feeling was drowned by the warmth of Sungmin against him and the feel of Sungmin's tongue in his mouth.
Youngwoon coughed in the background, a drop of reality in the ocean of sensations Kyuhyun had been washed away in. Sungmin's hands settled on Kyuhyun's hips, tugging him closer until Kyuhyun mindlessly slung a leg over Sungmin's. The angle of their kiss changed, deepening.
Kyuhyun struggled to keep up, overwhelmed.
Sungmin released a soft needy sound into Kyuhyun's mouth and Kyuhyun shivered. He'd never imagined... Lee Sungmin, experienced, good-looking, fun... Kyuhyun had never imagined he'd end up here, kissing him, with Sungmin's fingers sneaking under the hem of his shirt. His nails scraped against Kyuhyun's skin and he broke away, gasping, eyes glazed and heartbeat wild.
"Sungmin," he managed, and the other man's eyes darkened.
Sungmin's hand ended down the back of his slacks, wedged tight against Kyuhyun's back and sweaty-warm against Kyuhyun's ass. Kyuhyun thrust helplessly against Sungmin's arousal, arching into the pressure that was driving him out of his mind. His belt buckle was undone, his fly open, and he couldn't get enough merely rubbing against Sungmin.
Both of them were gasping little wordless sounds, half-whimpers and choked groans, buried in each other's mouths and necks. Kyuhyun moaned as he hooked a leg around Sungmin's calf, angling for more friction, a faster rhythm.
"You, Kyuhyun, I can't," Sungmin whispered brokenly, and Kyuhyun sank his teeth into the tender skin of Sungmin's shoulder as tingles started in the pit of his belly and coursed through him in a sudden release of pleasure. His body pulsed against Sungmin's as he came, an aching release.
Sungmin came soon after, head thrown back, and they collapsed into the couch.
Heavy languor spread through Kyuhyun's limbs like honey, slow and sweet. His eyes sank closed as his breath evened, Sungmin still pressed sticky-close to his front. His mind buzzed pleasantly, blankly.
The afterglow as spoiled by the sound of footfalls. "Congratulations," Kibum's voice came, crisply, "you have completed your initiation into XS. Welcome, Cho Kyuhyun."
Something like embarrassment flashed through him and Kyuhyun opened his eyes to stare at Kibum in mortification.
Youngwoon's grinning face appeared over Kibum's shoulder. "We'll leave you to it, eh? Kibum'll let the rest of them know. See you later, Sungminnie," he called as he and Kibum disappeared out the door. His laughter lingered in the room even after they had gone.
Oh my god, Kyuhyun thought, feeling distinctly like a fourteen-year-old virgin. But he said nothing aloud, because Sungmin was pulling away, sitting up, and his expression had shuttered. He reached for the tissues on the coffee table, cleaning himself up, and offered the box to Kyuhyun without looking at him.
Kyuhyun's stomach rediscovered the rock of uncertainty. Silently, Kyuhyun followed Sungmin's example and cleaned himself up as Sungmin adjusted his clothes and ran a hand through his hair. He felt entirely closed off to anything Kyuhyun might say.
What could he say anyway? Kyuhyun stared down at the sweat cooling on his chest, the dirtied tissue in his hand.
He had thought maybe it was something more, that maybe he and Sungmin were— That maybe there had been some genuine feeling.
A stupid, immature thing to think. This was nothing but an initiation, as Sungmin was making clear now, still avoiding his gaze. Whatever bond Kyuhyun had imagined he'd had with Sungmin over the past few weeks had been purely of his own creation.
"Thanks," he said stiffly as Sungmin brought the wastebasket to the couch.
Sungmin nodded jerkily. "Congratulations." His voice was so soft Kyuhyun barely heard it. "Kyuhyun..."
Kyuhyun didn't know if he was going to say more. "Thanks," he repeated brusquely, cutting Sungmin off. He got to his feet and buckled his belt, hoping his fingers didn't tremble and betray the apprehension eating him up inside. "We'd better get back to the others."
Sungmin finally looked him in the eye and Kyuhyun hated that he couldn't understand the emotion he saw reflected back at him.
"Let's go," Sungmin agreed, breaking the gaze and stepping around Kyuhyun toward the door. A ravine of unsaid things stretched between them, widening with every breath, but Kyuhyun sharply told himself to stop dwelling on things like a child. XS was about moving up in the world, about proving himself an adult, an equal, of every other member of the group.
He had passed. That was what mattered, in the end. Nothing else. And if his heart ached, it was foolishness that he would conquer.
***
Donghae glanced at Eeteuk as the door shut behind Kyuhyun, Sungmin, Kibum, and Kangin. "I thought it was going to be Eunhyuk."
Eeteuk shrugged. "Things got changed around a bit. Eunhyuk, you're okay with that, right?"
Beside Donghae, Eunhyuk nodded distractedly, worried eyes on his best friend. "It's fine. I mean, yeah. It's fine."
Han Geng didn’t have to be a genius to know that Eunhyuk was squeezing Donghae's hand under the table. Kibum had avoided Donghae's unhappy gaze throughout the meeting, since he'd first walked in the room earlier. Han Geng hadn't missed the rumors of Kibum being transferred.
Something was wrong, and Han Geng was beginning to get a glimmer of an idea as to what exactly that "something" was.
"Remember MX Factory?" he asked Heechul once they were safely within Hankyung's private car. Heechul had dismissed his driver, announcing that he'd be having dinner with Han Geng; he now sat beside Han Geng and was spinning a long-stemmed champagne flute between his fingers. He didn't look happy as Han Geng spoke, his profile drawn as he gazed out of the window with a frown.
"Eeteuk must have found out. That's probably the reason behind the transfer. To get Kibum out of the way and out of his business."
Heechul turned toward him. "How did he get Kibum to agree? Kibum wouldn't just willingly submit to Eeteuk's demands like that, if he were ruthless enough to go after MX Factory in the first place." His eyes darkened even as he spoke, and his voice was grim as he answered himself before Han Geng could say a word. "Blackmail."
Han Geng nodded and sipped at his own glass of champagne. Blackmail. It was practically a tool of the trade. Though he knew every member of XS was ambitious and cunning - had to be, in fact, to be where they were today - he hadn't expected that they would ever turn on each other. Perhaps that had been his own blindness. Korea had made him soft. In China, he wouldn't have let his guard down like this, would have suspected everyone of ulterior motives. The idea of XS had gotten under his skin. Han Geng repressed a snort. XS and its strange yet mesmerizing concept of "friendship" - he should never have bought into it.
He couldn't fault Eeteuk for doing what he did, even if Han Geng found it repulsive. It was the smartest move a business man could make, cutting his losses, exploiting his opponents' weaknesses, making his own advantages and turning in a tidy profit. Han Geng hadn't expected Eeteuk would do it to his own members, but he couldn't fault him for it. It was the most economic move, reflecting the best options laid out by a cost-benefit analysis.
"I wonder what he has on Kibum," Heechul wondered aloud, continuing to spin his glass without drinking from it. "I couldn't find anything on him last time."
Last time, when Kibum had been toying with Donghae in a strangely immature bid for his attention, Heechul had been furious and determined to destroy Kibum; he had set out private investigators who had turned up very little before Heechul had called them off, the day Donghae confessed to a stolen kiss none of them had expected.
Han Geng rubbed at his face with his free hand, tired. It was a sad day when they couldn't take a break from business, not even among friends.
But that was the issue, wasn't it? XS was not about the "friendship" the members had begun to see in it; it had never advertised itself as such. Han Geng should've known better. Even Kibum, he thought wryly, should've known better.
But they had all made mistakes, had formed connections and relationships. Things had developed outside their expectations: Han Geng had Heechul and Siwon, Yesung had Ryeowook, Kibum had Donghae...
"Donghae," he said slowly, realization dawning. "It had to involve Donghae."
His eyes met Heechul's, the latter which were suddenly ablaze. His knuckles whitened around the fragile champagne glass. "He's using Donghae as a threat to ensure Kibum does as he's told?" Heechul hissed venomously.
Han Geng knew how Heechul felt about Donghae. The protective urge was instinctive and irrational.
"Wait, Heechul. Wait." Han Geng wrapped a hand around Heechul's, the touch meant to be soothing and anchoring. "We have to think this through first."
The car rounded a corner smoothly then pulled into a stop at a red light. Heechul tossed back his champagne. "Eeteuk has gone too far," he said. "What bullshit does he think he's trying to pull? Just because he's the official leader? Kangin and I were part of this from the start too, I can't believe he would just fuck this all up for his own sake. I will - fuck, I will fucking eviscerate him, Han Geng. Kibum. Just. Kibum was stupid, moving onto Eeteuk's territory, but he's a kid. Overreaching is what they do, Jesus."
Han Geng dodged one of Heechul's expansive gestures, rescuing the empty glass from the other man's grip and sliding it back into its compartment in the panel of the car. "We'll figure it out," he said quietly, a promise underneath his tone. "Let's go eat, and we'll talk then, okay?" They could get a private room.
The car shifted into motion again and Han Geng's mind with it, gears sliding in place as he walked with Heechul into one of their favorite restaurants. A bill tucked into the host's hand guaranteed them instant service and a room of their own. This was bigger than just Kibum, Han Geng thought, as he took a seat across the table from a still obviously-irritated Heechul. Eeteuk's business sense wouldn't have let him overlook any other potential threats or weaknesses that existed before Kibum.
That meant there were other members of XS in Eeteuk's hold already.
Han Geng had respected Eeteuk as their unofficial leader. He had admired his will of steel and his drive, which together had propelled him into unparalleled success in the past five years. He had seen him as something akin to a friend, an ally in the Korean market when Han Geng had first stumbled into success here after years of experience in China. XS had welcomed him into their fold and Han Geng didn't like to bite a friendly hand.
The rules had changed, however.
It was time to figure out what was going on, who was involved, and what to do about it. Eeteuk was playing a game and Han Geng rather thought that his own move was long overdue.
***
"Kibum."
Kibum stilled at the sound of his name as Kangin approached him at the elevators. Behind them, a number of the other members chattered with Kyuhyun, heading down the hall in their direction. Kangin stepped close to the younger man and put a hand on his arm. "When are you being transferred?" he asked lowly. What he meant was, When are you leaving?
Kibum understood that, of course. Genius that he was. "Three days."
Three days, when Kyuhyun's celebratory party would be held. Fitting, Kangin thought, and nodded in approval. Eeteuk would be happy to hear that.
The other members arrived at the elevators, Eunhyuk laughing at something Kyuhyun had said. Kangin took a step back from Kibum and flashed a smile at Eeteuk. Their leader’s honey-brown hair gleamed in the low fluorescent lights, his skin pink and gold above the sharp white collar of his shirt and the black cashmere of his suit. He looked like an angel, as always, as the elevator doors slid back and they stepped inside. Kangin's arm tucked around Eeteuk's waist with practiced ease and Eeteuk leaned back into him, slightly. Kangin relished this brief touch that belonged to them before the elevator doors opened again. When it did, two levels up, they would have to step out onto ground-level and face the world as representatives of two separate interests when, in reality, they had always presented a united front.
***
Ryeowook checked his one voicemail as he arrived home after dinner with Yesung, Kyuhyun, and the others.
"It's Kibum. I'm going to need you to handle the arrangements for Kyuhyun's party. I can't go into the details but I won't be able to do it. Eeteuk's already given his approval. Let him know if any problems arise, okay? Thanks."
Beeep.
***
The thump of Sungmin's head on his desk was accompanied by the ruffle of papers stirred by the resulting gust of air. He sat back up and rubbed at his forehead tiredly. That had not gone as he'd expected.
His office was dark: he hadn't bothered to turn on the lights when he'd let himself in fifteen minutes earlier. XS had disassembled for the night after Kyuhyun and Sungmin had returned to the main conference room. Kibum had shaken Kyuhyun's hand - Sungmin's mind had shied away from remembering where that had been only minutes before - and had announced, officially, "You have passed your initiation, Cho Kyuhyun. You've moved up in the world."
Then there had been the congratulatory handshakes and celebration from everybody else. Kyuhyun had been caught up in the crowd of well-wishers and Sungmin had hung back, stomach tied in knots. He had been among the first to leave after Eeteuk had announced the conclusion of the meeting and they had been free to disperse.
Sungmin needed time alone in his office with head in his hands, wondering where things had gone wrong. Probably, he thought with a touch of self-effacing, when he had started falling for Kyuhyun. Somewhere along the line he'd let himself be caught up in that quick mind, the sly wit, the smile he'd counted a personal victory every time he managed to coax it out. The laughter that was too rare, the lanky body that looked so good in a suit, the telling uncertainty of a boy forced to grow up too fast... Kyuhyun was fascinating to Sungmin, a bundle of contradictions and intricacies he wanted to explore further.
And he might have been able to, if it hadn’t been for the initiation. Sungmin couldn't deny he'd been daydreaming about kissing Kyuhyun for a while now - it had been like a fantasy come true to have Kyuhyun gasping under him, eyes feverish. A fantasy that had shattered with Kibum's voice reminding him that, for all Kyuhyun knew, this was nothing but Sungmin's duty to XS.
In a way, wasn't it? Sungmin was tempted to bang his head against the desk again, frustrated. He had been switched into this position instead of Eunhyuk because Eeteuk could depend on him. Wanted him to woo Kyuhyun to their side, in essence. Give him a link and a reason.
Sungmin felt ill, and he wasn't sure he could rationalize himself out of this one. He could still taste Kyuhyun in his mouth. He could still remember the warmth of Kyuhyun's laughter from their arcade date.
There were lines drawn in the sand of Sungmin's life. Eeteuk had drawn one with a long, pointed stick; Sungmin had drawn the others himself. He didn't know if he could cross them after a lifetime of dancing within their bounds.
***
Donghae knew he had been driving his best friend out of his mind. That was why he wasn't surprised when Eunhyuk threw him out of his house and told him to go talk to Kibum.
"I don't care if he's not talking to you! Make him talk! You've been with him for, like, years. There has to be something you can do." Eunhyuk made exasperated gestures and slammed the door behind Donghae, leaving him to tuck his hands in his jacket pockets and sigh heavily.
The subway was surprisingly quiet for the time of day. The compartments remained packed despite rush hour being long past but conversation was at a minimum, remaining nothing more than hushed exchanges. Others sat or stood, plugged into their mp3 players or PMPs and lost to the world around them. Donghae held onto the strap dangling from the bar above his head and lurched automatically with the subway as it pulled out of the station, shifting on the balls of his feet. His chest ached.
Eunhyuk was right about one thing at least: Donghae needed to see Kibum. He wasn't as sure as Eunhyuk that he would be able to persuade Kibum to talk, but seeing him would at least assuage the sharp pain a little bit. And if Kibum was absolutely going to leave, Donghae wanted to see him as much as he could before then.
The meeting earlier that day had driven home for Donghae what he had known without saying out loud for ages: Kibum was important to him. Knowing that Kibum was leaving, and for reasons he refused to disclose, stung. The way he’d purposefully avoided Donghae's gaze throughout the entire meeting had only been salt in the wound. Watching him walk out with Kyuhyun, Sungmin, and Kangin without as much as a glance in Donghae's direction...
Donghae knew he meant something to Kibum, but he hadn't thought it would be so easy for Kibum to close himself off, cutting ties and setting up barriers. Donghae had thought he would at least struggle a little bit, out of care for Donghae.
It was a weakness, Donghae admitted to himself, blindly staring down at the scratched floor of the subway car. He felt too much, cared too much. He tended to get attached (too easily, Eunhyuk had teased on more than one occasion) and found himself hurting when he had to let go, or when circumstances forced his hand. It was the price of his corporate world - there was no place for sentimentality. Economics demanded the most profitable outcome, not the nicest one or the one that left Donghae feeling good inside.
Practically speaking, Kibum probably had good reason for the transfer. Kim and Walker's U.S. branch needing his management? It made only too much sense, since he was high-ranking enough to garner respect. And though young, Kibum was obviously close enough to his father the CEO to warrant his trust. He had been speaking English as a second language since he was young. He was a genius well-equipped to oversee the Californian branch.
It still made Donghae miserable.
He swayed as the subway pulled into a stop, a small group of people streaming out while another group fought their way in. Donghae glanced up at the scrolling red text announcing the next stop. He had two more stops until he reached the one by Kibum's condo.
Donghae wasn't often melancholy, but there were times when it was hard to fight off. His heart felt heavy when he finally arrived at Kibum's condo fifteen minutes later. He stared at the familiar door, unable to lift his hand.
At last, he pulled out his cell phone and pushed the speed dial for Kibum. Part of him expected Kibum to avoid his call, but Kibum picked up on the second ring.
"Donghae?"
"Are you at home?"
"Yes."
"Can I come in?"
There was a shuffle of movement in the apartment that echoed a half-second late in Donghae's ear. He heard the locks beep and click, and then the door was pulled open. Kibum stood before him, phone to his ear.
"Hey," said Donghae with a half-hearted smile. He hung up and tucked the phone away. "I thought I'd drop by."
Kibum shuffled back wordlessly and Donghae entered. His heart buoyed slightly. At least Kibum hadn't closed the door on him. Not only had he picked up Donghae's call, he'd let him in. They sat awkwardly in the living room, Donghae on the couch and Kibum on the armchair, and both looked at each other.
Kibum looked as good as ever, achingly beautiful to Donghae, who knew him so well. He'd kissed those lips hundreds of times by now, mapped out that chest with his hands, with his mouth. He knew the places that made Kibum's breath catch, that made his eyes glaze, that made him roll Donghae over, fast and rough, and pin him to the bed.
Donghae's fingers rubbed unconsciously at his slacks. Would it help anything that he'd come here tonight? At least he got to see Kibum.
"I guess you're not going to tell me why you're leaving," he began with a nervous huff of laughter. "I mean, besides the fact that your U.S. branch needs you..." His expression sobered. "I'm not an idiot, Kibum. I know it has to be more than that." Just because Donghae was affectionate and often came off more naive than the other members of XS didn't mean he was an innocent. He had survived this long in the corporate world, hadn't he? Not only had he survived, he had made his way to the top and kept his hold there. Cutthroat business tactics weren't his first choice, but he used them when necessary. He had learned over the years to read situations well, and at times, being empathetic had given him an intangible advantage.
Donghae wasn't dumb. He knew there was something more to Kibum's transfer than Kibum was letting on, if through nothing else than Kibum's stiff and guarded body language. He was doing his best to hide something and it hurt Donghae that Kibum wouldn't trust him. His expression must have conveyed that because Kibum said his name, sounding torn.
"Donghae..."
He rose out of the armchair and sank into the couch beside Donghae. Before anything else could be said, he was pulling Donghae into his arms, enveloping him in a warm, tight embrace. Donghae closed his eyes instinctively and leaned into Kibum, inhaling deeply the familiar scent of Kibum's cologne mixed with that musky smell of him.
Kibum's hand stroked through his hair, soothing against Donghae's skull. "Donghae, Donghae," he sighed. "I'm sorry. I can't say anything."
"Why not?" Donghae's words were muffled against Kibum's shoulder. He turned his head so that his lips were free. "Why can't you trust me, Kibum?" His frustration was evident in his voice. If only Kibum would just tell him what was going on, maybe he could help. Maybe, together, they could do something. Donghae didn't want to just sit in the darkness, blind and helpless, watching Kibum walk away.
"I can't. I really can't, Donghae. You have to believe me."
Kibum's voice was gravelly, a low pain thinly disguised. Donghae ached to hear it. He turned his face up as Kibum's head tilted and their mouths met, sliding together instinctively.
Something like tears still burned in the back of Donghae's throat - tears and frustration and anger at being kept in the dark. But it was obvious Kibum wasn't happy about it either. Donghae hated it. He hated it and he hated knowing Kibum was going to leave. Somehow, it must be necessary. He pressed deeper into the kiss, pouring in all the emotion he couldn't vocalize. Kibum returned it frantically, an edge of desperation that didn't stem solely from lust in his movements and long moan.
Clothing came off haphazardly, thrown over the couch and onto the floor. They grappled at each other, skin sliding against sweat-slippery skin, as Kibum spread Donghae's legs and lowered his head. Donghae gasped and bucked, panting out a broken string of curses as Kibum licked and sucked at him. He nearly banged a foot against the coffee table as he arched and thrust, fucking Kibum's mouth with a single-mindedness that overwhelmed him. He came with a shout, and nearly wept as Kibum swallowed him down, hands running soothingly up and down Donghae's thighs.
"Kibum," he breathed when Kibum sat back on his heels, dark and compelling eyes on Donghae's face. "Kibum," Donghae said again, reaching for him and kissing him like he could keep him here forever.
Kibum took him to the bedroom and buried his face in the crook of Donghae's neck, his body spread out over the length of Donghae's. "I don't want to go," he confessed as Donghae kissed his ear, his jaw.
But you have to. Donghae didn't understand why, but he understood the pain in Kibum's expression, the reverence with which he touched Donghae.
"I love you," he said as he kissed Kibum again. He couldn't remember if he'd ever said it before, but he must have done so - he'd been in love with Kibum for so long now. He said it again as Kibum pushed into him gently, as Kibum lost control and flexed his hips in a long burn, pulling back and slamming again and again into Donghae. Again and again and again, as Donghae cried out and fisted the sheets under his hands and wanted nothing more than this night, forever.
***
He had just finished putting in the catering order when Heechul texted him and asked if he had time to grab a cup of coffee. There was something about the phrasing that caught Ryeowook's attention and made him reschedule the one meeting he had for the afternoon. "I'll be back in two hours," he told his secretary on his way out, shrugging into his suit jacket. "If I'm not, I'll be in touch. Forward only level five calls."
She nodded and Ryeowook ran down the hall to catch the elevator. Heechul had sent him the address of a café he'd never heard of, and so Ryeowook hailed a taxi to the place. He was dropped off only about five streets away, near Siwon's operating headquarters. To his surprise, Heechul was waiting for him at the entrance, ushering him immediately into the back, past the kitchen and into a small room next to the manager's office.
Inside the room, Han Geng and Siwon sat around a small square table, drinking either coffee or tea and both looking as if they'd prefer something stronger.
Heechul shut the door firmly behind him. "Siwon owns this place," he explained to a bewildered Ryeowook. "Him, not his company. Off the records, but at least we should be bug-free." He pulled out a chair for Ryeowook, who sat obediently.
"What's going on?" he asked as Heechul made him a cup of tea and set it down with a little splash. He was angry, Ryeowook noticed with a bit of alarm. He had seen Heechul angry just once before, about something business related, and he had resolved to never see it again. Heechul furious was a terrifying thing. And, from the grim looks on Siwon and Han Geng's faces, they were also far from pleased.
A folder was pushed across the table at him. "I've done a little investigating," Siwon said as Ryeowook flipped the folder open, unsure of what he'd find. "If my guesses are correct, I'd surmise that Eeteuk has a hold of Kangin, Shindong, Sungmin, and Yesung. Kibum, too, if through blackmail alone. He's looking toward Kyuhyun as a replacement, once Kibum's off to the U.S."
There had been no easing into the topic. Ryeowook stared in disbelief at the documents before him.
"What is this?"
"See for yourself," Heechul replied smartly. Han Geng snorted as Ryeowook shuffled through the papers.
"What you have there is evidence that Eeteuk has bought out a significant portion of AH Electronics and Hyeoju Inc. He has six of the nine directors of Wanbyeokhae Industries' Board of Directors in his pocket, including Yesung. He is one of the largest - anonymous - donors to Bank of Seoul."
Ryeowook took this in, sinking back into his seat. "So that's Sungmin, Shindong, Yesung, and Kangin."
Siwon nodded. "We found out a few days ago that Cho Jongyoon was in debt. Hundreds of millions in debt." He shook his head, brows drawn together. "Then someone paid them off. Bought out Jomi Enterprises, so quietly that the media didn't even get a hold of the news. The records are buried deep, the businesses themselves under pseudonyms."
"Eeteuk."
"Yes, SME. Cho Jongyoon is completely in Eeteuk's debt. That's why he sent Kyuhyun into SM Enterprises instead of any of the other companies vying for him." Han Geng smiled briefly, but with little humor. "I would know. I was interested in him, especially with his Mandarin skills. But his father rejected everyone else and had Kyuhyun start off at SME with a lowly middle-management position."
"He's been promoted."
Heechul arched a brow. "And that's when XS started expressing interest in him, isn't it?"
It was so much at once. Ryeowook didn't know how to react. "How long has this been going on?" His eyes dropped to the papers in his hands and suddenly it was a bit hard to breathe, the date glaring from the top sheet. 2003. "Since the beginning?"
"Eeteuk and Kangin," Heechul spat, "from the beginning." He leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, and Ryeowook could understand his fury. Heechul had been there since the beginning too, when XS had been formed, just as Eeteuk and Kangin had been. He and Kangin had silently accepted Eeteuk's position as founder, since the creation of the society had been his idea. To find out, all these years later, that Eeteuk had been collaborating with Kangin all along, telling Heechul nothing...
Ryeowook rather thought that he'd be angry as well.
He put the folder down, a flame unfolding in his stomach. "What can we do?" he wanted to know, setting his jaw.
Han Geng's stare was long and evaluating. "We're going to play his game. Are you with us?"
If you're not with us, you're against us. Another unspoken truth of the business worlds. There were only assets and liabilities, no such thing as neutral ground. Ryeowook wasn't offended that Han Geng felt the need to ask. Enough of their assumptions had been thrown into doubt with the realization that Eeteuk had been double-crossing at least half of XS since the beginning.
Ryeowook nodded. "Yes," he said, making a verbal commitment. Those bound as tightly as any written contract among XS members, since they were discouraged from recording their dealings on paper. He was in, and Siwon, Han Geng, and Heechul would hold him responsible.
It occurred to him that Yesung was under Eeteuk's thumb. Yesung had been hiding this from him for what had to be years. His chest tightened as something bitter rose up in the back of Ryeowook's throat. No, it hadn't just been Eeteuk that had been lying to them all this time. Ryeowook was determined to see this through the end and enter his own demands for the explanations that the others were seeking. And a personal explanation from one Kim Jongwoon...
"What do you need me to do?" he asked.
"Sleep with Yesung."
Han Geng's smooth, slightly accented voice was at odds with his flippant words. Ryeowook blinked. "Um."
Heechul laughed into his teacup. He set it back down on the table with a faint clink. "Yes, we know you've been sleeping with him for ages," he said, a hint of mockery in his voice. His eyes were not unkind though. "What Geng really means is that we need you to see if he's willing to take a chance to change, how would you put it... alter his alliances." A gleam entered his eyes. "We'll count on your persuasive skills, Ryeowookie."
A hint of a smile flirted across Han Geng's mouth as he watched Heechul explain things for him. He sat back and slid his gaze back to Ryeowook, smile fading but expression remaining open. "Any questions? I don't want you to feel like we're coercing you or anything. Our motives will be transparent. We're not going to be another Eeteuk."
He sounded so sincere. Ryeowook looked at that face, one he'd known for years and had trusted without question. He had trusted Eeteuk too, and Yesung. How had he ended up here, at a café he hadn't known Siwon owned, being told things he had never once imagined he'd hear?
"Why hasn't Eeteuk tried to buy out any of you? If he's seeking to expand his reach, having a hold any of the three of you would be an incredible boon."
"We wondered the same thing," said Siwon. "We're not sure but we think Han Geng is off limits because of his numerous Chinese businesses and connections. Like," a glance at Han Geng, who smirked, "his Triad ties. I, well, we have over half the city's biggest churches behind us. I don't believe Eeteuk wants to risk the backlash of an unhappy religious faction. They can hold grudges."
"How hypocritical," Heechul sniffed as Siwon shrugged sheepishly. He added, for Ryeowook's benefit, "And I'm untouchable because Eeteuk knows better than to fuck with my business. He learned that when were kids." He didn't elaborate any further but the shark-like smile on his face said enough. Ryeowook nodded.
"And because I'm working under Heechul-hyung..."
"You were left alone as well, as a precaution." Siwon steepled his hands before him, dark eyes boring into Ryeowook from across the table. It was easy to see why he was so successful - he was the epitome of a suave business executive, well-dressed and too calm for preference - a frontman every corporation would want. If Ryeowook didn't already know they were on the same side, he had a feeling the hand squeezing his chest would be clutching even tighter. "It's taken us a while to accumulate all these documents, but we don't have much time left. We want to confront Eeteuk at Kyuhyun's party."
Fleetingly, Ryeowook mourned the perfect party he had been planning up until half an hour ago. Kibum's message had been on the edge of last minute, but Ryeowook had picked up the reins quickly, working off his experience from Kibum’s celebration. The party would have boasted sultry music, the best champagne money could buy, savory foods, and a quiet, comfortable atmosphere that would put all thirteen members at ease. A dying fantasy... He sighed and bid it a silent farewell.
"What about Donghae and Eunhyuk?" he asked. "Shouldn't we let them know what's going on as well?"
"I'll handle Eunhyuk," Siwon said. "Heechul will speak to Donghae."
Of course, Ryeowook should have expected that; he only had one person to be responsible for: Kim Jongwoon. As Ryeowook headed back to his office, suddenly much colder than when he'd first left earlier in the afternoon, he wondered what he would say to the man he had kissed and made love to only last night. The one who had evidently been hiding his involvement with Eeteuk's underhanded dealings for years. He wondered what Yesung would say to him.
What sweet lies you tell, hyung, he thought darkly to himself. Convenient omissions of truth.
Ryeowook set his shoulders as he entered the front doors of his building. He would put aside his wondering in favor of doing what needed to be done. Confrontation or not, he still had a party to put on tomorrow.
***
There were probably more romantic ways to go about it, but Sungmin didn't think theirs was a stereotypical romance. It didn't bear any of the trappings of the Epic Love Story - star-crossed lovers, poetry in the night, feelings of love that overwhelmed all else. No, all Sungmin and Kyuhyun had was a cold and unfeeling corporate world, filial and business obligations that bound them tight, and the bitter aftertaste of an encounter soured by the demands of initiation.
So he brought no roses or chocolates. There would be no tears. They were in the parking garage of SM Enterprise's main office complex rather than on a beach or in a park. The air was dead around them, scented strongly of asphalt and paint, rather than blowing their hair dramatically around their faces.
Kyuhyun did not look impressed when he found Sungmin lounging against his car. Sungmin hoped the words would make up for it, but he had no poetry, no love song to play on a guitar. All he had was the jumble of emotions that had tied themselves into unhappy knots inside him over the weeks.
"Sungmin," Kyuhyun acknowledged him in a flat voice. "Can I help you?"
Kyuhyun drove a black Audi R8, top of the line. Sungmin had been surprised - it was a little flashier than he'd expected of Kyuhyun, but then again, he was an eighteen-year-old boy. They liked their cars fast and shiny. Sungmin could see his reflection clearly in the polished sides of the convertible; had, in fact, been nervously rearranging his hair earlier from his reflection. He wondered if it bothered Kyuhyun that he was leaning against it. Of course, the displeasure on his face could easily be due to seeing Sungmin at all.
"Kyuhyun," Sungmin said, pushing himself off the car. He crossed his arms, hoping Kyuhyun didn't recognize it for the nervous gesture that it was. "I just...wanted to see you."
Great start, he berated himself. Obviously, you wanted to see him, since you're leaning against his car. Even an idiot could figure that one out.
Kyuhyun did not seem impressed by Sungmin's lead-in, either.
"I wanted to apologize for yesterday," he blurted out.
Sungmin caught his breath. He wasn't sure he'd meant to say that. He wouldn't take it back though, because he was sorry.
Kyuhyun looked surprised, keys jangling in one hand as he shifted his stance, adjusting the black laptop bag slung across one shoulder. "What do you mean?" he asked guardedly.
He had already come this far, he might as well go all the way. There was always the chance that Eeteuk would be accepting of their relationship - if they ended up with a relationship at all, and that depended entirely on Kyuhyun. After all, if Kyuhyun was emotionally tied to Sungmin, he would be more likely to accept the obligations—
No, fuck, this was exactly the train of thought that made Sungmin feel nauseated. He couldn't do that to Kyuhyun. He didn't want to make it about convenience or debts owed to Eeteuk. He didn't want to force Kyuhyun into that ugly mess of family ties and secret betrayals and lies told to friends every time he saw them. Sungmin could barely bring himself to look Kibum in the eye anymore recently, much less Donghae. At least Kibum knew and could judge Sungmin for what he was and what he'd done. Donghae...Donghae had no fucking clue that people he cared for, people he laughed with and considered his few friends in the corporate world, were working behind his back for their own purposes.
"Are you okay?" Kyuhyun was at Sungmin's side, a hand on his shoulder. "You look ill."
Sungmin got a hold of himself and swallowed hard, pressing a hand to his face. A shudder ran through him involuntarily. "I'm okay. I'm fine." He would be, after he broke away from this. He took an unsteady breath and exhaled, meeting Kyuhyun's eyes.
"I'm sorry about yesterday," he repeated. "I don't want you to think that - that it meant nothing. It wasn't just because of the initiation. I like you, Kyuhyun." The last part was rushed out, before Sungmin could think of a better way to phrase things or a way to get dramatic wind and soulful music. He had already resolved that this wasn't going to be a clichéd romantic confession; he had to make peace with that.
The words hung in the air between them and Sungmin reminded himself not to act so stupid about this. It wasn't the first time he'd liked someone, nor the first time he'd confessed. He was twenty-one fucking years old and upper management for AH Electronics. He'd made men twice his age flinch at his cutting words, broken them when he'd broken their deals wide open. He'd fucked women draped in diamonds, made them moan his name on silk sheets and in dirty karaoke bars. Lee Sungmin was on top of his game - and still as nervous as the first time, waiting for Kyuhyun's reaction.
Maybe this was what it was like when it meant something. Like his first confession, when his entire world hinged on whether Park Heejung would say yes or no.
Sungmin waited.
"Do you mean it?" Kyuhyun asked. There was something off about his voice but Sungmin couldn't place it. It sounded tight...nervous?
"Yes," he said, "I do, Kyuhyun. I had a lot of fun with you these past few weeks. I think you're fascinating. And smart. And incredibly good looking." He was rambling now like a complete idiot, but he forged ahead, hoping against hope that it would work out. "I like you. I want to get to know you better. I. I'd like to kiss you, and not just because it’s part of the initiation."
Sungmin didn't get a chance this time to fret over Kyuhyun's response. The hand Kyuhyun had rested on his shoulder turned him and drew him closer. Kyuhyun's mouth was on his before Sungmin could let out more than a little surprised, "oh".
His heart was thundering like this was his first kiss too, and Sungmin knew that was just beyond ridiculous. But he couldn't explain the tenderness that overwhelmed him, making him nibble gently on Kyuhyun's lower lip. He drew back slowly as they both opened their eyes again. Kyuhyun's lashes were lush and dark.
"Can we talk?" Sungmin whispered. "Somewhere else? There... There are things I need to tell you."
He had to let Kyuhyun know the full truth if he wanted this relationship - relationship! his mind shouted, elated - to go anywhere.
Kyuhyun unlocked the car and Sungmin reluctantly stepped back, rounding the front of the Audi to open the passenger door. Kyuhyun slid into the leather seat and twisted around, placing his laptop bag in the backseat. Sungmin had just clicked his seat belt closed when Kyuhyun turned to face him again.
Sungmin stole another kiss, unable to help himself. He felt a little giddy as Kyuhyun smiled reflexively.
"Where to?"
"Anywhere," said Sungmin. As long as it wasn't an SME parking garage. There were cameras here and Sungmin rather suspected that Eeteuk would have access to the tapes if he felt the need to review them.
As the car pulled smoothly out of the garage and onto the busy streets of Seoul, Sungmin felt like he was shedding a weight he had carried for too long. With Kyuhyun by his side and the radio on a jazz station at a low murmur, he could believe he was leaving the past behind him, at last, in the shadows of the SM Enterprises building.
PART IV
Kibum/Donghae, Kyuhyun/Sungmin, others | corporate!AU/drama | 33,495 words
PART III
He was standing before them again, at the foot of the long conference table as they stared at him with twelve matching, unreadable gazes. Kyuhyun subtly sought out Sungmin, then Ryeowook, but their expressions stayed blank even when they met his eyes. A part of him deflated, and Kyuhyun scolded himself.
This was only to be expected. He pulled himself together and waited until Jungsu spoke, voice honey smooth and even. He was a natural orator, Kyuhyun had thought more than once, comfortable with words in a way Kyuhyun had never been.
"Cho Kyuhyun, you have completed the first segment of your initiation. Congratulations."
The first segment?
Jungsu's smile held a surprising amount of warmth. Kyuhyun wondered if that was usual. Had he endeared himself so easily to the XS founder? "Kibum will tell you about the second segment of your initiation. Please." Jungsu nodded at Kibum, who proceeded to stand and address Kyuhyun.
To his surprise, all Kibum said was, "If you'll follow me into another room, Kyuhyun." He stepped around his chair and circled the table, towards Kyuhyun. Youngwoon and Sungmin also pushed back their chairs and got to their feet. They followed Kibum to the door, and Kyuhyun fell in step beside them, bemused.
The door shut silently behind them and the thick carpet muffled their steps as they strode down the hall. Kibum stopped in front of a nondescript door, swiped a card, and pushed it open. "Come on in," he told Kyuhyun, and his voice was deader than ever before -noncommittal and flat. If Jungsu had taken a liking to Kyuhyun, it appeared that Kibum had not. He held the door open as Kyuhyun, Sungmin, and Youngwoon filed in, then let it swing closed. A series of beeps signalled that it was secured.
Kyuhyun examined the room. It wasn't a conference room but perhaps a break room - there was a sink and counter running along one wall, boasting a coffee-maker and a microwave. An arrangement of couches dominated the center of the space, surrounding a low coffee table. Potted plants dotted two corners. There were no windows and, Kyuhyun made sure to note, no visible cameras.
Another room with enforced privacy, security separate from the rest of the building. Kyuhyun felt the skin at the back of his neck prickle. He hid his apprehension as Kibum and Youngwoon seated themselves on separate armchairs. Sungmin sat down on the long couch.
"Have a seat beside Sungmin," Kibum instructed him.
When Kyuhyun sat, Sungmin slid him a wary glance. He looked almost apologetic.
"The second part of your initiation requires you to prove your willingness to engage in XS at all levels, not only the levels that directly affect your business." Kyuhyun could make neither heads nor tails of that vague statement until Kibum clarified, "The second part of XS initiation requires you to engage in acts of a...sexual nature with your initiator. In this case, Sungmin."
Kyuhyun stared.
"No, not sex," Youngwoon said impatiently, clearly noticing the turn Kyuhyun's thoughts had taken. "Just make out with him." He jerked his head at Sungmin, grinning.
Sungmin's touched his hand lightly, almost hesitantly. "It's not sex," he reassured quietly, "just a little bit of kissing. And," he glanced at Kibum, who looked bored, and Youngwoon, who was leering at them, "a bit of exhibitionism. It's a demonstration of trust. And I'm sure we can all be adults about this." The last portion was directed at Youngwoon specifically, who sat back, feigning a wounded look.
Kyuhyun only faintly heard Youngwoon's retort about Kyuhyun barely being an adult. He couldn't seem to drag his eyes from Sungmin, heart lodged in his throat. They expected him to kiss Sungmin? In front of them? What kind of initiation was this, really?
"It's okay, Kyuhyun," Sungmin said softly, moving incrementally closer, his attention drawn away from Kangin. He squeezed Kyuhyun's hand. "We all went through it. It's not so bad."
He felt a little out of his depth. Kyuhyun could handle hacking and embezzlement after he was certain that XS didn't mind that it was Jongwoon's money he was moving around. Kyuhyun dealt with finances and the rationale behind business development every day. Making out with people whose smiles kick-started his heart, who made him feel like a kid again? Kyuhyun was on much shakier ground.
"Don't worry," Kibum interrupted dryly, "we won't be watching."
Youngwoon let out a bark of laughter. "Maybe you won't be," he teased.
In his peripheral vision, Kyuhyun registered Kibum getting to his feet and moving to the other end of the room. Youngwoon reluctantly followed him, leaving Sungmin and Kyuhyun relatively alone in the arrangement of couches.
"Hey, look at me." Sungmin waited until Kyuhyun's eyes darted nervously to his. He smiled gently. "It'll be fine."
And before Kyuhyun could think any further, Sungmin grasped Kyuhyun's chin and pulled him close enough to feel Sungmin's breath across his face. His brain - the brain that had gotten him so much success and recognition for his age - failed him, and shut down. Sungmin closed the distance between them.
His lips were warm and surprisingly soft. Kyuhyun's world narrowed dramatically to the feel of Sungmin's hand on him, his lips on him.
The touch firmed after a moment as Kyuhyun drew in a breath, and a kittenish lick touched his lips. His breath caught, trapped. His mouth opened instinctively, and then Sungmin's tongue was flickering inside his mouth, teasing against his own.
Long minutes passed as Sungmin kissed Kyuhyun, gentle and sensuous, nothing but their mouths engaged. Kyuhyun found himself kissing back, losing awareness of his surroundings. He forgot that there were other people in the room, forgot that this was part of his initiation. It was dangerous, he felt somewhere deep in his bones, for his mind to go so blank that he would lose his grasp of the nuances of the situation - but even that uneasy feeling was drowned by the warmth of Sungmin against him and the feel of Sungmin's tongue in his mouth.
Youngwoon coughed in the background, a drop of reality in the ocean of sensations Kyuhyun had been washed away in. Sungmin's hands settled on Kyuhyun's hips, tugging him closer until Kyuhyun mindlessly slung a leg over Sungmin's. The angle of their kiss changed, deepening.
Kyuhyun struggled to keep up, overwhelmed.
Sungmin released a soft needy sound into Kyuhyun's mouth and Kyuhyun shivered. He'd never imagined... Lee Sungmin, experienced, good-looking, fun... Kyuhyun had never imagined he'd end up here, kissing him, with Sungmin's fingers sneaking under the hem of his shirt. His nails scraped against Kyuhyun's skin and he broke away, gasping, eyes glazed and heartbeat wild.
"Sungmin," he managed, and the other man's eyes darkened.
Sungmin's hand ended down the back of his slacks, wedged tight against Kyuhyun's back and sweaty-warm against Kyuhyun's ass. Kyuhyun thrust helplessly against Sungmin's arousal, arching into the pressure that was driving him out of his mind. His belt buckle was undone, his fly open, and he couldn't get enough merely rubbing against Sungmin.
Both of them were gasping little wordless sounds, half-whimpers and choked groans, buried in each other's mouths and necks. Kyuhyun moaned as he hooked a leg around Sungmin's calf, angling for more friction, a faster rhythm.
"You, Kyuhyun, I can't," Sungmin whispered brokenly, and Kyuhyun sank his teeth into the tender skin of Sungmin's shoulder as tingles started in the pit of his belly and coursed through him in a sudden release of pleasure. His body pulsed against Sungmin's as he came, an aching release.
Sungmin came soon after, head thrown back, and they collapsed into the couch.
Heavy languor spread through Kyuhyun's limbs like honey, slow and sweet. His eyes sank closed as his breath evened, Sungmin still pressed sticky-close to his front. His mind buzzed pleasantly, blankly.
The afterglow as spoiled by the sound of footfalls. "Congratulations," Kibum's voice came, crisply, "you have completed your initiation into XS. Welcome, Cho Kyuhyun."
Something like embarrassment flashed through him and Kyuhyun opened his eyes to stare at Kibum in mortification.
Youngwoon's grinning face appeared over Kibum's shoulder. "We'll leave you to it, eh? Kibum'll let the rest of them know. See you later, Sungminnie," he called as he and Kibum disappeared out the door. His laughter lingered in the room even after they had gone.
Oh my god, Kyuhyun thought, feeling distinctly like a fourteen-year-old virgin. But he said nothing aloud, because Sungmin was pulling away, sitting up, and his expression had shuttered. He reached for the tissues on the coffee table, cleaning himself up, and offered the box to Kyuhyun without looking at him.
Kyuhyun's stomach rediscovered the rock of uncertainty. Silently, Kyuhyun followed Sungmin's example and cleaned himself up as Sungmin adjusted his clothes and ran a hand through his hair. He felt entirely closed off to anything Kyuhyun might say.
What could he say anyway? Kyuhyun stared down at the sweat cooling on his chest, the dirtied tissue in his hand.
He had thought maybe it was something more, that maybe he and Sungmin were— That maybe there had been some genuine feeling.
A stupid, immature thing to think. This was nothing but an initiation, as Sungmin was making clear now, still avoiding his gaze. Whatever bond Kyuhyun had imagined he'd had with Sungmin over the past few weeks had been purely of his own creation.
"Thanks," he said stiffly as Sungmin brought the wastebasket to the couch.
Sungmin nodded jerkily. "Congratulations." His voice was so soft Kyuhyun barely heard it. "Kyuhyun..."
Kyuhyun didn't know if he was going to say more. "Thanks," he repeated brusquely, cutting Sungmin off. He got to his feet and buckled his belt, hoping his fingers didn't tremble and betray the apprehension eating him up inside. "We'd better get back to the others."
Sungmin finally looked him in the eye and Kyuhyun hated that he couldn't understand the emotion he saw reflected back at him.
"Let's go," Sungmin agreed, breaking the gaze and stepping around Kyuhyun toward the door. A ravine of unsaid things stretched between them, widening with every breath, but Kyuhyun sharply told himself to stop dwelling on things like a child. XS was about moving up in the world, about proving himself an adult, an equal, of every other member of the group.
He had passed. That was what mattered, in the end. Nothing else. And if his heart ached, it was foolishness that he would conquer.
Donghae glanced at Eeteuk as the door shut behind Kyuhyun, Sungmin, Kibum, and Kangin. "I thought it was going to be Eunhyuk."
Eeteuk shrugged. "Things got changed around a bit. Eunhyuk, you're okay with that, right?"
Beside Donghae, Eunhyuk nodded distractedly, worried eyes on his best friend. "It's fine. I mean, yeah. It's fine."
Han Geng didn’t have to be a genius to know that Eunhyuk was squeezing Donghae's hand under the table. Kibum had avoided Donghae's unhappy gaze throughout the meeting, since he'd first walked in the room earlier. Han Geng hadn't missed the rumors of Kibum being transferred.
Something was wrong, and Han Geng was beginning to get a glimmer of an idea as to what exactly that "something" was.
"Remember MX Factory?" he asked Heechul once they were safely within Hankyung's private car. Heechul had dismissed his driver, announcing that he'd be having dinner with Han Geng; he now sat beside Han Geng and was spinning a long-stemmed champagne flute between his fingers. He didn't look happy as Han Geng spoke, his profile drawn as he gazed out of the window with a frown.
"Eeteuk must have found out. That's probably the reason behind the transfer. To get Kibum out of the way and out of his business."
Heechul turned toward him. "How did he get Kibum to agree? Kibum wouldn't just willingly submit to Eeteuk's demands like that, if he were ruthless enough to go after MX Factory in the first place." His eyes darkened even as he spoke, and his voice was grim as he answered himself before Han Geng could say a word. "Blackmail."
Han Geng nodded and sipped at his own glass of champagne. Blackmail. It was practically a tool of the trade. Though he knew every member of XS was ambitious and cunning - had to be, in fact, to be where they were today - he hadn't expected that they would ever turn on each other. Perhaps that had been his own blindness. Korea had made him soft. In China, he wouldn't have let his guard down like this, would have suspected everyone of ulterior motives. The idea of XS had gotten under his skin. Han Geng repressed a snort. XS and its strange yet mesmerizing concept of "friendship" - he should never have bought into it.
He couldn't fault Eeteuk for doing what he did, even if Han Geng found it repulsive. It was the smartest move a business man could make, cutting his losses, exploiting his opponents' weaknesses, making his own advantages and turning in a tidy profit. Han Geng hadn't expected Eeteuk would do it to his own members, but he couldn't fault him for it. It was the most economic move, reflecting the best options laid out by a cost-benefit analysis.
"I wonder what he has on Kibum," Heechul wondered aloud, continuing to spin his glass without drinking from it. "I couldn't find anything on him last time."
Last time, when Kibum had been toying with Donghae in a strangely immature bid for his attention, Heechul had been furious and determined to destroy Kibum; he had set out private investigators who had turned up very little before Heechul had called them off, the day Donghae confessed to a stolen kiss none of them had expected.
Han Geng rubbed at his face with his free hand, tired. It was a sad day when they couldn't take a break from business, not even among friends.
But that was the issue, wasn't it? XS was not about the "friendship" the members had begun to see in it; it had never advertised itself as such. Han Geng should've known better. Even Kibum, he thought wryly, should've known better.
But they had all made mistakes, had formed connections and relationships. Things had developed outside their expectations: Han Geng had Heechul and Siwon, Yesung had Ryeowook, Kibum had Donghae...
"Donghae," he said slowly, realization dawning. "It had to involve Donghae."
His eyes met Heechul's, the latter which were suddenly ablaze. His knuckles whitened around the fragile champagne glass. "He's using Donghae as a threat to ensure Kibum does as he's told?" Heechul hissed venomously.
Han Geng knew how Heechul felt about Donghae. The protective urge was instinctive and irrational.
"Wait, Heechul. Wait." Han Geng wrapped a hand around Heechul's, the touch meant to be soothing and anchoring. "We have to think this through first."
The car rounded a corner smoothly then pulled into a stop at a red light. Heechul tossed back his champagne. "Eeteuk has gone too far," he said. "What bullshit does he think he's trying to pull? Just because he's the official leader? Kangin and I were part of this from the start too, I can't believe he would just fuck this all up for his own sake. I will - fuck, I will fucking eviscerate him, Han Geng. Kibum. Just. Kibum was stupid, moving onto Eeteuk's territory, but he's a kid. Overreaching is what they do, Jesus."
Han Geng dodged one of Heechul's expansive gestures, rescuing the empty glass from the other man's grip and sliding it back into its compartment in the panel of the car. "We'll figure it out," he said quietly, a promise underneath his tone. "Let's go eat, and we'll talk then, okay?" They could get a private room.
The car shifted into motion again and Han Geng's mind with it, gears sliding in place as he walked with Heechul into one of their favorite restaurants. A bill tucked into the host's hand guaranteed them instant service and a room of their own. This was bigger than just Kibum, Han Geng thought, as he took a seat across the table from a still obviously-irritated Heechul. Eeteuk's business sense wouldn't have let him overlook any other potential threats or weaknesses that existed before Kibum.
That meant there were other members of XS in Eeteuk's hold already.
Han Geng had respected Eeteuk as their unofficial leader. He had admired his will of steel and his drive, which together had propelled him into unparalleled success in the past five years. He had seen him as something akin to a friend, an ally in the Korean market when Han Geng had first stumbled into success here after years of experience in China. XS had welcomed him into their fold and Han Geng didn't like to bite a friendly hand.
The rules had changed, however.
It was time to figure out what was going on, who was involved, and what to do about it. Eeteuk was playing a game and Han Geng rather thought that his own move was long overdue.
"Kibum."
Kibum stilled at the sound of his name as Kangin approached him at the elevators. Behind them, a number of the other members chattered with Kyuhyun, heading down the hall in their direction. Kangin stepped close to the younger man and put a hand on his arm. "When are you being transferred?" he asked lowly. What he meant was, When are you leaving?
Kibum understood that, of course. Genius that he was. "Three days."
Three days, when Kyuhyun's celebratory party would be held. Fitting, Kangin thought, and nodded in approval. Eeteuk would be happy to hear that.
The other members arrived at the elevators, Eunhyuk laughing at something Kyuhyun had said. Kangin took a step back from Kibum and flashed a smile at Eeteuk. Their leader’s honey-brown hair gleamed in the low fluorescent lights, his skin pink and gold above the sharp white collar of his shirt and the black cashmere of his suit. He looked like an angel, as always, as the elevator doors slid back and they stepped inside. Kangin's arm tucked around Eeteuk's waist with practiced ease and Eeteuk leaned back into him, slightly. Kangin relished this brief touch that belonged to them before the elevator doors opened again. When it did, two levels up, they would have to step out onto ground-level and face the world as representatives of two separate interests when, in reality, they had always presented a united front.
Ryeowook checked his one voicemail as he arrived home after dinner with Yesung, Kyuhyun, and the others.
"It's Kibum. I'm going to need you to handle the arrangements for Kyuhyun's party. I can't go into the details but I won't be able to do it. Eeteuk's already given his approval. Let him know if any problems arise, okay? Thanks."
Beeep.
The thump of Sungmin's head on his desk was accompanied by the ruffle of papers stirred by the resulting gust of air. He sat back up and rubbed at his forehead tiredly. That had not gone as he'd expected.
His office was dark: he hadn't bothered to turn on the lights when he'd let himself in fifteen minutes earlier. XS had disassembled for the night after Kyuhyun and Sungmin had returned to the main conference room. Kibum had shaken Kyuhyun's hand - Sungmin's mind had shied away from remembering where that had been only minutes before - and had announced, officially, "You have passed your initiation, Cho Kyuhyun. You've moved up in the world."
Then there had been the congratulatory handshakes and celebration from everybody else. Kyuhyun had been caught up in the crowd of well-wishers and Sungmin had hung back, stomach tied in knots. He had been among the first to leave after Eeteuk had announced the conclusion of the meeting and they had been free to disperse.
Sungmin needed time alone in his office with head in his hands, wondering where things had gone wrong. Probably, he thought with a touch of self-effacing, when he had started falling for Kyuhyun. Somewhere along the line he'd let himself be caught up in that quick mind, the sly wit, the smile he'd counted a personal victory every time he managed to coax it out. The laughter that was too rare, the lanky body that looked so good in a suit, the telling uncertainty of a boy forced to grow up too fast... Kyuhyun was fascinating to Sungmin, a bundle of contradictions and intricacies he wanted to explore further.
And he might have been able to, if it hadn’t been for the initiation. Sungmin couldn't deny he'd been daydreaming about kissing Kyuhyun for a while now - it had been like a fantasy come true to have Kyuhyun gasping under him, eyes feverish. A fantasy that had shattered with Kibum's voice reminding him that, for all Kyuhyun knew, this was nothing but Sungmin's duty to XS.
In a way, wasn't it? Sungmin was tempted to bang his head against the desk again, frustrated. He had been switched into this position instead of Eunhyuk because Eeteuk could depend on him. Wanted him to woo Kyuhyun to their side, in essence. Give him a link and a reason.
Sungmin felt ill, and he wasn't sure he could rationalize himself out of this one. He could still taste Kyuhyun in his mouth. He could still remember the warmth of Kyuhyun's laughter from their arcade date.
There were lines drawn in the sand of Sungmin's life. Eeteuk had drawn one with a long, pointed stick; Sungmin had drawn the others himself. He didn't know if he could cross them after a lifetime of dancing within their bounds.
Donghae knew he had been driving his best friend out of his mind. That was why he wasn't surprised when Eunhyuk threw him out of his house and told him to go talk to Kibum.
"I don't care if he's not talking to you! Make him talk! You've been with him for, like, years. There has to be something you can do." Eunhyuk made exasperated gestures and slammed the door behind Donghae, leaving him to tuck his hands in his jacket pockets and sigh heavily.
The subway was surprisingly quiet for the time of day. The compartments remained packed despite rush hour being long past but conversation was at a minimum, remaining nothing more than hushed exchanges. Others sat or stood, plugged into their mp3 players or PMPs and lost to the world around them. Donghae held onto the strap dangling from the bar above his head and lurched automatically with the subway as it pulled out of the station, shifting on the balls of his feet. His chest ached.
Eunhyuk was right about one thing at least: Donghae needed to see Kibum. He wasn't as sure as Eunhyuk that he would be able to persuade Kibum to talk, but seeing him would at least assuage the sharp pain a little bit. And if Kibum was absolutely going to leave, Donghae wanted to see him as much as he could before then.
The meeting earlier that day had driven home for Donghae what he had known without saying out loud for ages: Kibum was important to him. Knowing that Kibum was leaving, and for reasons he refused to disclose, stung. The way he’d purposefully avoided Donghae's gaze throughout the entire meeting had only been salt in the wound. Watching him walk out with Kyuhyun, Sungmin, and Kangin without as much as a glance in Donghae's direction...
Donghae knew he meant something to Kibum, but he hadn't thought it would be so easy for Kibum to close himself off, cutting ties and setting up barriers. Donghae had thought he would at least struggle a little bit, out of care for Donghae.
It was a weakness, Donghae admitted to himself, blindly staring down at the scratched floor of the subway car. He felt too much, cared too much. He tended to get attached (too easily, Eunhyuk had teased on more than one occasion) and found himself hurting when he had to let go, or when circumstances forced his hand. It was the price of his corporate world - there was no place for sentimentality. Economics demanded the most profitable outcome, not the nicest one or the one that left Donghae feeling good inside.
Practically speaking, Kibum probably had good reason for the transfer. Kim and Walker's U.S. branch needing his management? It made only too much sense, since he was high-ranking enough to garner respect. And though young, Kibum was obviously close enough to his father the CEO to warrant his trust. He had been speaking English as a second language since he was young. He was a genius well-equipped to oversee the Californian branch.
It still made Donghae miserable.
He swayed as the subway pulled into a stop, a small group of people streaming out while another group fought their way in. Donghae glanced up at the scrolling red text announcing the next stop. He had two more stops until he reached the one by Kibum's condo.
Donghae wasn't often melancholy, but there were times when it was hard to fight off. His heart felt heavy when he finally arrived at Kibum's condo fifteen minutes later. He stared at the familiar door, unable to lift his hand.
At last, he pulled out his cell phone and pushed the speed dial for Kibum. Part of him expected Kibum to avoid his call, but Kibum picked up on the second ring.
"Donghae?"
"Are you at home?"
"Yes."
"Can I come in?"
There was a shuffle of movement in the apartment that echoed a half-second late in Donghae's ear. He heard the locks beep and click, and then the door was pulled open. Kibum stood before him, phone to his ear.
"Hey," said Donghae with a half-hearted smile. He hung up and tucked the phone away. "I thought I'd drop by."
Kibum shuffled back wordlessly and Donghae entered. His heart buoyed slightly. At least Kibum hadn't closed the door on him. Not only had he picked up Donghae's call, he'd let him in. They sat awkwardly in the living room, Donghae on the couch and Kibum on the armchair, and both looked at each other.
Kibum looked as good as ever, achingly beautiful to Donghae, who knew him so well. He'd kissed those lips hundreds of times by now, mapped out that chest with his hands, with his mouth. He knew the places that made Kibum's breath catch, that made his eyes glaze, that made him roll Donghae over, fast and rough, and pin him to the bed.
Donghae's fingers rubbed unconsciously at his slacks. Would it help anything that he'd come here tonight? At least he got to see Kibum.
"I guess you're not going to tell me why you're leaving," he began with a nervous huff of laughter. "I mean, besides the fact that your U.S. branch needs you..." His expression sobered. "I'm not an idiot, Kibum. I know it has to be more than that." Just because Donghae was affectionate and often came off more naive than the other members of XS didn't mean he was an innocent. He had survived this long in the corporate world, hadn't he? Not only had he survived, he had made his way to the top and kept his hold there. Cutthroat business tactics weren't his first choice, but he used them when necessary. He had learned over the years to read situations well, and at times, being empathetic had given him an intangible advantage.
Donghae wasn't dumb. He knew there was something more to Kibum's transfer than Kibum was letting on, if through nothing else than Kibum's stiff and guarded body language. He was doing his best to hide something and it hurt Donghae that Kibum wouldn't trust him. His expression must have conveyed that because Kibum said his name, sounding torn.
"Donghae..."
He rose out of the armchair and sank into the couch beside Donghae. Before anything else could be said, he was pulling Donghae into his arms, enveloping him in a warm, tight embrace. Donghae closed his eyes instinctively and leaned into Kibum, inhaling deeply the familiar scent of Kibum's cologne mixed with that musky smell of him.
Kibum's hand stroked through his hair, soothing against Donghae's skull. "Donghae, Donghae," he sighed. "I'm sorry. I can't say anything."
"Why not?" Donghae's words were muffled against Kibum's shoulder. He turned his head so that his lips were free. "Why can't you trust me, Kibum?" His frustration was evident in his voice. If only Kibum would just tell him what was going on, maybe he could help. Maybe, together, they could do something. Donghae didn't want to just sit in the darkness, blind and helpless, watching Kibum walk away.
"I can't. I really can't, Donghae. You have to believe me."
Kibum's voice was gravelly, a low pain thinly disguised. Donghae ached to hear it. He turned his face up as Kibum's head tilted and their mouths met, sliding together instinctively.
Something like tears still burned in the back of Donghae's throat - tears and frustration and anger at being kept in the dark. But it was obvious Kibum wasn't happy about it either. Donghae hated it. He hated it and he hated knowing Kibum was going to leave. Somehow, it must be necessary. He pressed deeper into the kiss, pouring in all the emotion he couldn't vocalize. Kibum returned it frantically, an edge of desperation that didn't stem solely from lust in his movements and long moan.
Clothing came off haphazardly, thrown over the couch and onto the floor. They grappled at each other, skin sliding against sweat-slippery skin, as Kibum spread Donghae's legs and lowered his head. Donghae gasped and bucked, panting out a broken string of curses as Kibum licked and sucked at him. He nearly banged a foot against the coffee table as he arched and thrust, fucking Kibum's mouth with a single-mindedness that overwhelmed him. He came with a shout, and nearly wept as Kibum swallowed him down, hands running soothingly up and down Donghae's thighs.
"Kibum," he breathed when Kibum sat back on his heels, dark and compelling eyes on Donghae's face. "Kibum," Donghae said again, reaching for him and kissing him like he could keep him here forever.
Kibum took him to the bedroom and buried his face in the crook of Donghae's neck, his body spread out over the length of Donghae's. "I don't want to go," he confessed as Donghae kissed his ear, his jaw.
But you have to. Donghae didn't understand why, but he understood the pain in Kibum's expression, the reverence with which he touched Donghae.
"I love you," he said as he kissed Kibum again. He couldn't remember if he'd ever said it before, but he must have done so - he'd been in love with Kibum for so long now. He said it again as Kibum pushed into him gently, as Kibum lost control and flexed his hips in a long burn, pulling back and slamming again and again into Donghae. Again and again and again, as Donghae cried out and fisted the sheets under his hands and wanted nothing more than this night, forever.
He had just finished putting in the catering order when Heechul texted him and asked if he had time to grab a cup of coffee. There was something about the phrasing that caught Ryeowook's attention and made him reschedule the one meeting he had for the afternoon. "I'll be back in two hours," he told his secretary on his way out, shrugging into his suit jacket. "If I'm not, I'll be in touch. Forward only level five calls."
She nodded and Ryeowook ran down the hall to catch the elevator. Heechul had sent him the address of a café he'd never heard of, and so Ryeowook hailed a taxi to the place. He was dropped off only about five streets away, near Siwon's operating headquarters. To his surprise, Heechul was waiting for him at the entrance, ushering him immediately into the back, past the kitchen and into a small room next to the manager's office.
Inside the room, Han Geng and Siwon sat around a small square table, drinking either coffee or tea and both looking as if they'd prefer something stronger.
Heechul shut the door firmly behind him. "Siwon owns this place," he explained to a bewildered Ryeowook. "Him, not his company. Off the records, but at least we should be bug-free." He pulled out a chair for Ryeowook, who sat obediently.
"What's going on?" he asked as Heechul made him a cup of tea and set it down with a little splash. He was angry, Ryeowook noticed with a bit of alarm. He had seen Heechul angry just once before, about something business related, and he had resolved to never see it again. Heechul furious was a terrifying thing. And, from the grim looks on Siwon and Han Geng's faces, they were also far from pleased.
A folder was pushed across the table at him. "I've done a little investigating," Siwon said as Ryeowook flipped the folder open, unsure of what he'd find. "If my guesses are correct, I'd surmise that Eeteuk has a hold of Kangin, Shindong, Sungmin, and Yesung. Kibum, too, if through blackmail alone. He's looking toward Kyuhyun as a replacement, once Kibum's off to the U.S."
There had been no easing into the topic. Ryeowook stared in disbelief at the documents before him.
"What is this?"
"See for yourself," Heechul replied smartly. Han Geng snorted as Ryeowook shuffled through the papers.
"What you have there is evidence that Eeteuk has bought out a significant portion of AH Electronics and Hyeoju Inc. He has six of the nine directors of Wanbyeokhae Industries' Board of Directors in his pocket, including Yesung. He is one of the largest - anonymous - donors to Bank of Seoul."
Ryeowook took this in, sinking back into his seat. "So that's Sungmin, Shindong, Yesung, and Kangin."
Siwon nodded. "We found out a few days ago that Cho Jongyoon was in debt. Hundreds of millions in debt." He shook his head, brows drawn together. "Then someone paid them off. Bought out Jomi Enterprises, so quietly that the media didn't even get a hold of the news. The records are buried deep, the businesses themselves under pseudonyms."
"Eeteuk."
"Yes, SME. Cho Jongyoon is completely in Eeteuk's debt. That's why he sent Kyuhyun into SM Enterprises instead of any of the other companies vying for him." Han Geng smiled briefly, but with little humor. "I would know. I was interested in him, especially with his Mandarin skills. But his father rejected everyone else and had Kyuhyun start off at SME with a lowly middle-management position."
"He's been promoted."
Heechul arched a brow. "And that's when XS started expressing interest in him, isn't it?"
It was so much at once. Ryeowook didn't know how to react. "How long has this been going on?" His eyes dropped to the papers in his hands and suddenly it was a bit hard to breathe, the date glaring from the top sheet. 2003. "Since the beginning?"
"Eeteuk and Kangin," Heechul spat, "from the beginning." He leaned back in his seat, arms crossed, and Ryeowook could understand his fury. Heechul had been there since the beginning too, when XS had been formed, just as Eeteuk and Kangin had been. He and Kangin had silently accepted Eeteuk's position as founder, since the creation of the society had been his idea. To find out, all these years later, that Eeteuk had been collaborating with Kangin all along, telling Heechul nothing...
Ryeowook rather thought that he'd be angry as well.
He put the folder down, a flame unfolding in his stomach. "What can we do?" he wanted to know, setting his jaw.
Han Geng's stare was long and evaluating. "We're going to play his game. Are you with us?"
If you're not with us, you're against us. Another unspoken truth of the business worlds. There were only assets and liabilities, no such thing as neutral ground. Ryeowook wasn't offended that Han Geng felt the need to ask. Enough of their assumptions had been thrown into doubt with the realization that Eeteuk had been double-crossing at least half of XS since the beginning.
Ryeowook nodded. "Yes," he said, making a verbal commitment. Those bound as tightly as any written contract among XS members, since they were discouraged from recording their dealings on paper. He was in, and Siwon, Han Geng, and Heechul would hold him responsible.
It occurred to him that Yesung was under Eeteuk's thumb. Yesung had been hiding this from him for what had to be years. His chest tightened as something bitter rose up in the back of Ryeowook's throat. No, it hadn't just been Eeteuk that had been lying to them all this time. Ryeowook was determined to see this through the end and enter his own demands for the explanations that the others were seeking. And a personal explanation from one Kim Jongwoon...
"What do you need me to do?" he asked.
"Sleep with Yesung."
Han Geng's smooth, slightly accented voice was at odds with his flippant words. Ryeowook blinked. "Um."
Heechul laughed into his teacup. He set it back down on the table with a faint clink. "Yes, we know you've been sleeping with him for ages," he said, a hint of mockery in his voice. His eyes were not unkind though. "What Geng really means is that we need you to see if he's willing to take a chance to change, how would you put it... alter his alliances." A gleam entered his eyes. "We'll count on your persuasive skills, Ryeowookie."
A hint of a smile flirted across Han Geng's mouth as he watched Heechul explain things for him. He sat back and slid his gaze back to Ryeowook, smile fading but expression remaining open. "Any questions? I don't want you to feel like we're coercing you or anything. Our motives will be transparent. We're not going to be another Eeteuk."
He sounded so sincere. Ryeowook looked at that face, one he'd known for years and had trusted without question. He had trusted Eeteuk too, and Yesung. How had he ended up here, at a café he hadn't known Siwon owned, being told things he had never once imagined he'd hear?
"Why hasn't Eeteuk tried to buy out any of you? If he's seeking to expand his reach, having a hold any of the three of you would be an incredible boon."
"We wondered the same thing," said Siwon. "We're not sure but we think Han Geng is off limits because of his numerous Chinese businesses and connections. Like," a glance at Han Geng, who smirked, "his Triad ties. I, well, we have over half the city's biggest churches behind us. I don't believe Eeteuk wants to risk the backlash of an unhappy religious faction. They can hold grudges."
"How hypocritical," Heechul sniffed as Siwon shrugged sheepishly. He added, for Ryeowook's benefit, "And I'm untouchable because Eeteuk knows better than to fuck with my business. He learned that when were kids." He didn't elaborate any further but the shark-like smile on his face said enough. Ryeowook nodded.
"And because I'm working under Heechul-hyung..."
"You were left alone as well, as a precaution." Siwon steepled his hands before him, dark eyes boring into Ryeowook from across the table. It was easy to see why he was so successful - he was the epitome of a suave business executive, well-dressed and too calm for preference - a frontman every corporation would want. If Ryeowook didn't already know they were on the same side, he had a feeling the hand squeezing his chest would be clutching even tighter. "It's taken us a while to accumulate all these documents, but we don't have much time left. We want to confront Eeteuk at Kyuhyun's party."
Fleetingly, Ryeowook mourned the perfect party he had been planning up until half an hour ago. Kibum's message had been on the edge of last minute, but Ryeowook had picked up the reins quickly, working off his experience from Kibum’s celebration. The party would have boasted sultry music, the best champagne money could buy, savory foods, and a quiet, comfortable atmosphere that would put all thirteen members at ease. A dying fantasy... He sighed and bid it a silent farewell.
"What about Donghae and Eunhyuk?" he asked. "Shouldn't we let them know what's going on as well?"
"I'll handle Eunhyuk," Siwon said. "Heechul will speak to Donghae."
Of course, Ryeowook should have expected that; he only had one person to be responsible for: Kim Jongwoon. As Ryeowook headed back to his office, suddenly much colder than when he'd first left earlier in the afternoon, he wondered what he would say to the man he had kissed and made love to only last night. The one who had evidently been hiding his involvement with Eeteuk's underhanded dealings for years. He wondered what Yesung would say to him.
What sweet lies you tell, hyung, he thought darkly to himself. Convenient omissions of truth.
Ryeowook set his shoulders as he entered the front doors of his building. He would put aside his wondering in favor of doing what needed to be done. Confrontation or not, he still had a party to put on tomorrow.
There were probably more romantic ways to go about it, but Sungmin didn't think theirs was a stereotypical romance. It didn't bear any of the trappings of the Epic Love Story - star-crossed lovers, poetry in the night, feelings of love that overwhelmed all else. No, all Sungmin and Kyuhyun had was a cold and unfeeling corporate world, filial and business obligations that bound them tight, and the bitter aftertaste of an encounter soured by the demands of initiation.
So he brought no roses or chocolates. There would be no tears. They were in the parking garage of SM Enterprise's main office complex rather than on a beach or in a park. The air was dead around them, scented strongly of asphalt and paint, rather than blowing their hair dramatically around their faces.
Kyuhyun did not look impressed when he found Sungmin lounging against his car. Sungmin hoped the words would make up for it, but he had no poetry, no love song to play on a guitar. All he had was the jumble of emotions that had tied themselves into unhappy knots inside him over the weeks.
"Sungmin," Kyuhyun acknowledged him in a flat voice. "Can I help you?"
Kyuhyun drove a black Audi R8, top of the line. Sungmin had been surprised - it was a little flashier than he'd expected of Kyuhyun, but then again, he was an eighteen-year-old boy. They liked their cars fast and shiny. Sungmin could see his reflection clearly in the polished sides of the convertible; had, in fact, been nervously rearranging his hair earlier from his reflection. He wondered if it bothered Kyuhyun that he was leaning against it. Of course, the displeasure on his face could easily be due to seeing Sungmin at all.
"Kyuhyun," Sungmin said, pushing himself off the car. He crossed his arms, hoping Kyuhyun didn't recognize it for the nervous gesture that it was. "I just...wanted to see you."
Great start, he berated himself. Obviously, you wanted to see him, since you're leaning against his car. Even an idiot could figure that one out.
Kyuhyun did not seem impressed by Sungmin's lead-in, either.
"I wanted to apologize for yesterday," he blurted out.
Sungmin caught his breath. He wasn't sure he'd meant to say that. He wouldn't take it back though, because he was sorry.
Kyuhyun looked surprised, keys jangling in one hand as he shifted his stance, adjusting the black laptop bag slung across one shoulder. "What do you mean?" he asked guardedly.
He had already come this far, he might as well go all the way. There was always the chance that Eeteuk would be accepting of their relationship - if they ended up with a relationship at all, and that depended entirely on Kyuhyun. After all, if Kyuhyun was emotionally tied to Sungmin, he would be more likely to accept the obligations—
No, fuck, this was exactly the train of thought that made Sungmin feel nauseated. He couldn't do that to Kyuhyun. He didn't want to make it about convenience or debts owed to Eeteuk. He didn't want to force Kyuhyun into that ugly mess of family ties and secret betrayals and lies told to friends every time he saw them. Sungmin could barely bring himself to look Kibum in the eye anymore recently, much less Donghae. At least Kibum knew and could judge Sungmin for what he was and what he'd done. Donghae...Donghae had no fucking clue that people he cared for, people he laughed with and considered his few friends in the corporate world, were working behind his back for their own purposes.
"Are you okay?" Kyuhyun was at Sungmin's side, a hand on his shoulder. "You look ill."
Sungmin got a hold of himself and swallowed hard, pressing a hand to his face. A shudder ran through him involuntarily. "I'm okay. I'm fine." He would be, after he broke away from this. He took an unsteady breath and exhaled, meeting Kyuhyun's eyes.
"I'm sorry about yesterday," he repeated. "I don't want you to think that - that it meant nothing. It wasn't just because of the initiation. I like you, Kyuhyun." The last part was rushed out, before Sungmin could think of a better way to phrase things or a way to get dramatic wind and soulful music. He had already resolved that this wasn't going to be a clichéd romantic confession; he had to make peace with that.
The words hung in the air between them and Sungmin reminded himself not to act so stupid about this. It wasn't the first time he'd liked someone, nor the first time he'd confessed. He was twenty-one fucking years old and upper management for AH Electronics. He'd made men twice his age flinch at his cutting words, broken them when he'd broken their deals wide open. He'd fucked women draped in diamonds, made them moan his name on silk sheets and in dirty karaoke bars. Lee Sungmin was on top of his game - and still as nervous as the first time, waiting for Kyuhyun's reaction.
Maybe this was what it was like when it meant something. Like his first confession, when his entire world hinged on whether Park Heejung would say yes or no.
Sungmin waited.
"Do you mean it?" Kyuhyun asked. There was something off about his voice but Sungmin couldn't place it. It sounded tight...nervous?
"Yes," he said, "I do, Kyuhyun. I had a lot of fun with you these past few weeks. I think you're fascinating. And smart. And incredibly good looking." He was rambling now like a complete idiot, but he forged ahead, hoping against hope that it would work out. "I like you. I want to get to know you better. I. I'd like to kiss you, and not just because it’s part of the initiation."
Sungmin didn't get a chance this time to fret over Kyuhyun's response. The hand Kyuhyun had rested on his shoulder turned him and drew him closer. Kyuhyun's mouth was on his before Sungmin could let out more than a little surprised, "oh".
His heart was thundering like this was his first kiss too, and Sungmin knew that was just beyond ridiculous. But he couldn't explain the tenderness that overwhelmed him, making him nibble gently on Kyuhyun's lower lip. He drew back slowly as they both opened their eyes again. Kyuhyun's lashes were lush and dark.
"Can we talk?" Sungmin whispered. "Somewhere else? There... There are things I need to tell you."
He had to let Kyuhyun know the full truth if he wanted this relationship - relationship! his mind shouted, elated - to go anywhere.
Kyuhyun unlocked the car and Sungmin reluctantly stepped back, rounding the front of the Audi to open the passenger door. Kyuhyun slid into the leather seat and twisted around, placing his laptop bag in the backseat. Sungmin had just clicked his seat belt closed when Kyuhyun turned to face him again.
Sungmin stole another kiss, unable to help himself. He felt a little giddy as Kyuhyun smiled reflexively.
"Where to?"
"Anywhere," said Sungmin. As long as it wasn't an SME parking garage. There were cameras here and Sungmin rather suspected that Eeteuk would have access to the tapes if he felt the need to review them.
As the car pulled smoothly out of the garage and onto the busy streets of Seoul, Sungmin felt like he was shedding a weight he had carried for too long. With Kyuhyun by his side and the radio on a jazz station at a low murmur, he could believe he was leaving the past behind him, at last, in the shadows of the SM Enterprises building.
PART IV
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