Straightening his shirt, Minho steeled himself and knocked on the heavy study door. His mind reeled with confusion, not knowing what to expect after being summoned right after their escapade. But Jae Hyun was full of surprises. He just had to step in and find out.
"Come in." said the voice from inside. Minho took a deep anxious breath and a frisson of nervous energy passed through him as he got in. Jae Hyun was already buried busy, poring over numerous files. He didn't look up as Minho entered, not acknowledging him at all at first.
Here we go again. Classic Jae Hyun. Minho thought.
Finally, Jae Hyun closed the file and fixed a gaze at Minho. "Sit." He said, gesturing at the chairs opposite him.
Minho did as he was told–noticing how Jae Hyun's eyes raked over his neck where he'd visibly marked, with a tinge that he couldn't tell whether was remorse or satisfaction. With this unreadable man, it was impossible to tell.
"I need you to go with Lee to Busan. He'll oversee a new establishment, and since you're here, you're going to have to acquaint yourself with the basics." Jae Hyun said.
Great. He's sending me to another death trap. Minho thought, swallowing thickly, not having it in him to ask or oppose anything. Much as he was one to yammer, something willed him to just shut up and listen. He wasn't going to do anything that would make him a pushover like the last time.
"You'll be assigned to some tasks. Find Lee for your travel details and instructions."
Minho felt breath leave his lungs in a whoosh, and his head spun with confusion. Of course, he should have expected that, given Jae Hyun's pissy attitude. He was now being exiled, and Minho couldn't help thinking it was meant to distance him from whatever had occurred earlier.
"Y–you want me to go to where?" Minho found himself asking, hating how shaky he sounded. On top of that confusion, Jae Hyun had to top it up with more unsettling news. Minho didn't fancy being hunted, let alone the fact that he wasn't equipped for such jobs. Jae Hyun didn't give much consideration when sending him out. "For how long?"
"As long as it will take for the operation to fully establish." Jae Hyun said flatly, clasping his fingers together. "Lee will fill you in on the details unless you have any other questions." He quirked his eyebrow at a baffled Minho.
As expected, Minho had a ton of questions racing in his mind. What was Jae Hyun thinking back there? Was this another way of punishing him? Or himself? What did it mean and why was he so unbothered by it?
However, one look at Jae Hyun and Minho knew better than to ask any of that. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "No, no questions," Minho replied, swallowing heavily.
Jae Hyun nodded curtly. "Then you can leave." He said, his focus already back on the files.
As much as Minho was downplaying his shock, he wasn't hiding the bewilderment quite right. He rose stiffly, finding his way out of the study and into the hallway. As the study door slid shut, Minho slumped, steadying himself against the wall as anger overtook him. This was thanks, after all, that was it? Once again, he wasn't going to talk about it?
Why would he do this to me? Minho thought. His fists clenched until his knuckles turned pale. Busan. Fine, if that's what Jae Hyun wanted, then so be it. Maybe some distance between them was what they both needed to cool down the tension between them.
Sighing, Minho stalked through the hallway, not wanting to focus on whatever he felt at that moment. No matter what happened behind closed doors, he was still a made man, and no one was going to make him feel any less of that–not even Jae Hyun. He would do whatever was asked of him and prove himself more than a mere puppy.
The alternative didn't bear thinking about, returning from Busan to deal with the repercussions of defying a vile, cruel man who held the fate of his dad, and now his on his hands. Minho had been through enough to give up now.
On reaching the doorway of the compound's main room, Lee was already there. He raised one skeptical eyebrow as Minho went inside.
"Well, well, if it isn't Mr. Park's new favorite." He teased, taking notice of the marks on Minho's neck before Minho hid them with his palm. "About time he finally picked one out of the clutter, eh?"
Part of Minho felt like this was bait to get him to talk—something that was just a crude sense of humor to Lee. It didn't matter how much Lee was willing him to talk or how much he was enraging him with half-witted comments, to react would be to admit that something was going on between him and Jae Hyun, and he wasn't going to do it.
"What are you talking about, Lee?" Minho muffled tightly. "Tell me, what's that about me accompanying you to Busan?"
Lee snorted, looking very entertained as he yanked out an envelope from a stack of paperwork. "Lie to yourself all you want, just know it's never business as usual with Mr. Park. Maybe someday you'll even convince yourself with that lie." Lee tossed the envelope to Minho, who caught it against his chest. "There's all you need to know about your new gig."
Minho was annoyed and was already turning away to take his leave. He was too drained at this point to explain anything to Lee and the other lackeys who didn't escape his notice, eavesdropping by the door. How these people were taking delight in his situation wasn't something to be gleeful about.
Striding out of the room, Minho could feel a dozen sets of eyes boring behind him the whole way. What he didn't have was the time or pleasure to do was fill them in with the niceties they were dying to know.
His skin burned as memories of Jae Hyun's fingers resurfaced, something that instead only warred him with more shame and anger as he quickly went back to his room.
For his own good, Minho would do whatever Jae Hyun instructed him to, and maybe once he was far enough from this damned mansion, he would finally grapple with what the hell happened that made the barbaric, unapproachable man do whatever he did to him.
Their drive wasn't due for another eight hours. Minho scuffled with a duffel bag, along with a few of his belongings, throwing the majority all over the floor. Having no better thing to do, it was his best option to kill time.
Before long, he was heaving with frustration, but that was just until his racing thoughts slowed and the only thing that resounded in his mind was the sound of things cluttering all over.
He was so completely focused that he didn't even register the sound of footsteps approaching, until a voice cut through the fracas.