Chapter Text
“Have you heard about the partnership of your company, Sehun?” My long-distance friend Ji Hera asked me on the phone. She’s currently in New York right now to study for college.
I looked at the view outside my window. It was already dark. The black color consumed the sky.
It was almost the end of the day. I usually describe things that way. Red for love and anger. Blue for peace and coolness. Black for sex and endings.
Looking away, I sighed. How I wished Hera was here.
Some people might be wondering if I’m a college student too since I have friends like her but the truth was...no. Hera was our family friend ever since I was young. Since both my parents were busy with work, she always visited me to take care of me and play with me.
She filled the gap made by the absence of my parents. There were times that I wanted to rebel about it, but Hera always made me think otherwise. Our company was the one supporting all of our needs. So it was kinda understandable.
Our company was the biggest shipping line in the country- Oh Shipping Lines. When I was young, my father used to bring me to his office. He would often teach me how his work was done.
When I told him that I want to grow up just like him, I loved how my father smiled so bright. But I was suddenly pressured for some reason.
Now I am on my third year of high school, my father announced so sudden that I would have to change school. It wasn’t because I have a problem with that, but making another adjustments would consume a lot of energy for me.
Well, I have always been an energetic son. Most of my friends knew my sexuality. When my parents figured it out, they weren’t shock I was gay. They said they always had a hint about it.
I walked and lay down on my bed while holding my phone on my ear. I sighed dramatically. “Hera... I don’t get it. Why would Dad choose the Park Corporation? I mean, there’s the Lee’s, the Kim’s but the Park’s? They’re not even the most powerful corporation in the country.”
“Well from what I heard, the owner of that corporation and your dad are friends ever since. Maybe it’s just for friendship,” she said, I heard some noise in her end.
Damon Park is the third most powerful business man in South Korea. They managed establishments like malls, schools and furnitures. They’ve been in the business world since then.
I sighed once again. I hated all the things in the business world so much— I just loved to learn how the shipments were made and how these things processed— and not all these extensions and stuff. But no one was going to take over our shipping line once my father retired. Unless I have a secret sibling who was willing to take over, I wouldn’t mind at all. “When are you going to visit? I miss you.”
She chuckled from the other line. “I miss you too, Sehun. But I still have another year here. Give my regards to your parents, okay?”
The call ended because Hera said she needed to study for an exam. Making me bored even more.
“Sehun?” I heard one of maids knocked and called.
I stood up to open the door. “Yeah?”
“Your mother has arrived. She’s asking if you’re ready for the party?”
I gulped. Yes, the celebration of the partnership of Park and Oh. I almost forgot that it was tonight. “Tell her I’ll be ready. Is she going to the party with me?”
“No, she’s with her friends right now. She said she’ll meet you there.”
I sadly nodded. For a moment, I thought I was going to have time with my mother. Then I remembered something. “I baked cookies a while ago. Can you put it in the bag that I purchased yesterday? I’m gonna give it to her.”
When I was in middle school, my mother taught me how to bake cookies. It was one of my favorite bonding moments with her. We both loved baking and how the smell of delicious cookies surrounded our kitchen. So whenever she finished a project or something, I always rewarded her with cookies. She always loved it.
I took a fast shower and got ready for the party. I was wearing a red velvet colored suit that my father sent to me yesterday. I liked it, it felt soft in my skin when I wore it.
Our family driver waited for me inside my own car— a Hennessey Venom GT. It was gift from my mother when I passed middle school. It was a bit extra, but it was from my mother. Everything about her was extra.
Holding the bag of cookies, I was quite excited to meet my mother.
When we arrived in the Park Mansion, I couldn’t seem to hide my amazement. The Parks may be not the richest corporation in the line of business but they’re not bad themselves. Their land must be hectares wide. The mansion looked like a castle. Though, our building might be twice bigger.
“Where is the party being held, hyung?” I asked our driver Jung.
“In the back garden, Sehun.”
Jung turned my car around to the mansion’s back garden. It was magnificent. It looked like something you could see in fairytales. The garden was surrounded by different kinds of beautiful flowes and plants.
When the car stopped, I went out and smelled the fresh wind. I hinted the smell of pine trees. I smiled.
The party already started and most of the people are on their tables. It wasn’t so dark but the lights were spotted on the stage. There, I saw my dad standing. He was doing his speech, talking brghtly to everyone.
I spotted my mom sitting with her friends, probably in our table. I walked slowly to her direction. It was quite hard because the lights were dimmed. I tried to concentrate on my pathway, scared to slip in front of everyone.
Then I felt someone bumped into me. The force was so strong when I felt something wet in my hand. I shrieked in shock. I turned and came face-to-face with a tall and most handsome man I met in my life.
His hair was fixed with a comma style on his forehead. His oval-shaped face looked perfectly symmetrical. His nose was just the right size. He has fair skin that looked so smooth. His black pearl eyes widened as he looked down on his white tuxedo.
“What the actual fuck?!” His voice sounded hard.
I gasped when I realized what happened. He was holding a glass of liquor and it spilled on his tuxedo when he bumped into me! Oh great!
Quickly, I look around for someone to help but everyone was transfixed to the stage. “I-I’m sorry!”
“Shit!” The man roared like a lion. His eyes looked dangerous, like he was ready to strike whoever went against him. He gripped his tuxedo with his hands and groaned.
I gulped as I felt my hand shiver. “I think you should...”
“Oh great, and I thought this day couldn’t get any worse,” I heard him whisper in a hoarse voice.
My heart started to beat nervously. I held the bag of cookies tight with both my hands. “I’m really sorry...”
Slowly, I saw how his face changed from being annoyed to soft. “It’s okay. It’s kind of my fault. I was pissed off because I thought Kyungsoo was here and...”
Something inside me shook. He looked so attractive even with the dim light around us. His annoyed face changing to this soft expression. His lips looked pink and pouty. And he has deep dimples... I felt something inside me shook again when I realized that.
I wasn’t thinking straight so I said, “If... If you want, you could have this.” And held out the bag of cookies to this attractive man.
He stared at the bag suspiciously. “What is it?”
I cleared my throat, trying my best to stop staring at him. “It’s a bag of cookies. I made it. Don’t worry, it’s edible.”
The side of his lips went upward and my heart beat a lot faster. “Cookies? Is it chocolate?”
“Yes,” I squeaked.
The man’s smile went bigger, showing a full set of white teeth. My heart fluttered a lot more.
He reached out to take the bag from me. When a part of our skin touched, I felt electrified. “Thank you for this. Are you sure it’s okay?”
I squeaked an ‘okay’ again.
When he smiled again, I saw his eyes sparkled brightly the stars in the night sky would be offended. “Thank you. I’m sorry again about this. Are you hurt or something?”
I shook my head, not trusting my voice.
He sighed in relief. “Thank goodness. I’m really sorry. I need to go and change. Thank you for the cookies again.”
I came to my mother’s table empty-handed, still having that hangover from that encounter. She looked at me with a big smile and hugged me. “My baby! I miss you so much, Sehun.”
Smiling back, I hugged her back from the side. “I miss you too, Mom. Are you staying longer this year?”
She gave me a sad smile as our hug broke. “Sorry, baby. I have to go to Singapore next month. I have a proposal to present. Did you bring me some cookies?”
I bit my lip. “Sorry Mom, I kinda gave it to someone else. I did some sort of accident.”
“Oh? Is my baby okay?”
Nodding and gave her an assuring smile. “Yes. I’m okay. But the man I bumped into got dirt in his tux, so I gave him the cookies...”
“Aw, my baby is so sweet!”
I blushed when she said that quite loud. Usually, I don’t go embarrassed whenever my mother calls me ‘baby’ but right now after meeting the man of my dreams, I didn’t know what to feel exactly.
The party went on and on. When the Park family was asked to go onstage, I was surprised to see the attractive man earlier between the tall beautiful girl and Mr. Damon Park. I turned to my mother and whispered, “Mom, who is that tall guy?”
She lightened up as she saw who I was pointing to. “Ah! It’s Chanyeol. It’s the son of your Aunt Vicky. The girl beside him is his sister Yoora.”
I felt myself shaking when we were asked to go onstage too. My mother stood up like a queen, while she smiled at everyone. Everyone clapped their hands for her. She gestured me to stand up too.
I slowly stood and we walked to the stage. I saw how Chanyeol looked at me, probably shocked too. I watched-starstruck, as how both our fathers shook hands and laughed to each other.
“To the partnership of the family Park and Oh!”
Everyone raised their wine glasses for the toast. I took a deep breath and saw Chanyeol grinning at me. My heart skipped a beat. I must be going crazy.
I swallowed hard as I reminisced what happened that night. It was still embarrassing to think about it. The next time I saw Chanyeol, I wouldn’t know what to say. Or I might not have the courage to face him again.
And now this morning, walking into my father’s study room, a part of me knew why he asked for me. Hera warned me about the possibilty about it.
When I entered the room, I saw my father talking with someone on the phone. He quickly excused himself when he saw me.
“You know what this is about right, Sehun.”
I nodded and stood still in front of him. “Yes Dad.”
He sighed as he saw my poker-face. “I know this is another adjustment for you. But I promised Damon that I’ll enroll you there. And besides, this might be a big change for you, right?”
I smiled at my father’s optimism. “I’ll try my best, Dad.”
He smiled, probably happy at how obedient I was. “I’m sure you’ll have a lot of friends there. And Park University is just small drive from here. You won’t be having too much hassle.”
Park University was one of the most prestigious schools in Gangnam. Vicky Park- Chanyeol’s mother and my mother’s close friend was the director of that institute. Since the partnership of Park and Oh was established, it was only obvious and right for me to be enrolled there.
“Dad, no need to sell this on me. I would gladly study there for you.”
“You’re the best, Sehun,” he praised me and I grinned nervously. I thought about Park Chanyeol and how strongly attracted I was to him. And the possibility that I might see him in that school.
I gulped. I don’t know about that, Dad.