Chapter Text
"I don't want to go."
"You have to."
"Why?!"
"Because I say so."
Ten groans at his father who's standing right above his head. He had bought a new company in Beijing, and now he wanted Ten to go there and see how work was going on. He didn't see the need to go, there was already a manager there handling it well for the past 7 months. But his dad insisted on him taking it under his care.
It was probably another miserable attempt to make him stay in one place. Sighing, he gave up and slumped back more into his couch. 'Why isn't this old man dead yet' he mumbles rolling his eyes and receives a sharp slap on the back of his head. Hissing in pain he walks out and slips into his shoes. The old man keeps a hand on his shoulder and makes his face shorter.
The company was based on architecture. It had 1% of his interest just because of that. After he wasn't able to pursue his dream, this could be the closest to what he wanted. Still, staying in one office everyday, meeting similar people, it sounded caging and exhausting. He didn't want to grow old like every other cranky boss.
He doesn't like listening to his parents. They've always been against everything he's wanted. He hates complying to what they say.
It doesn't help how his mother and father both are standing in front of him, glaring at him. They've always annoyed him so much unlike his older sister because she never made mistakes, every move was just like their parents wanted. It annoyed him to some extent but after all, it wasn't her fault anyways so blaming wouldn't do any good. She was merely being herself. It wasn't her fault she was just perfect.
"Just give it a try. If you don't like it there you can report to me after 2 days about the work and stats and I'll let the manager handle it." His father said after his mom whispered something in his ear.
Ten won't let it slide so easily though, he knows their traps and lies like the back of his own hand, so like everytime he offers a pact, "You swear, you won't force me to stay there and won't offer me anything like this again till the next 2 years." He knew this was a dead end. Either way, it was his profit. "...You're as stubborn as your mother.." He cursed a bit and got elbowed in the side. Wincing he scrunched up his face in distress and sighed. "Fine. I won't." The younger brightly smiles and heads out running. He hears his father scream at him in the distance "you can't go out like this!" He doesn't bother and takes the seat in his car.
He was starting a new life today, after so long, working, like he wanted him to. 'Will you come back to me today? Now that I'm on a good path?' All these years, he had never really forgotten about him. His smile, his voice. Him as a whole. But working and going for business, the thought had been pushed at the back of his mind. Ten had occupied himself with foreign affairs, going from Seoul to Bangkok to Shanghai to NYC and so on. Everything, just to forget that one person. His fists clenched thinking about him and without realising, he crumpled the poor tissue into an unrecognisable state, the thai's anger dripping into the clenched fist.
After years of going from place to place, meeting new people and leaving them, he had tried everything. Everything and anything to keep his sanity. One state arrived when his mind pushed thoughts to find his mistakes. Pursuing new people to see if he was really unlikeable or just not worth the time.
Maybe even hoping he could get over the Chinese male.
Realisation came soon and he knew, it wasn't his fault. All he did was love him. Unconditionally. Was loving someone a crime? Was it a crime big enough to break someone completely. Not one call or text. Silence, sorrow. Years of investment in their love only returned to him as pain and misery. Made him bitchy, angry, distrustful.
Qian Kun.... where are you...
I hope you're as restless as I am.
◗ ◑
To say he's impressed is an understatement. Ten expected the building to be like one of the other starters but it was opposite. Big and lavish. The glasses were shining which covered the 11(?) floored building. Walking inside he was immediately greeted by who he guessed was the manager. She walked to him and immediately raised her hand to shake and bowed.
"Welcome Mr Leechaiya-" "Ten." He said cutting her off. She nodded and smiled again again.
"-Mr Ten. We have made all the arrangements you'll need for the first day. For the testing, I didn't tell anyone that you're arriving so you can personally go on a random round to check on our employees..oh. I'm Miso by the way." He was a little overwhelmed by the tight planning.
Everyone in the office is fast paced and efficient. Or at least looks like. They don't take a close look, since Miso insists he should go through his own method of testing his staff. He didn't want to argue with the lady, who looked far more experienced and kind of intimidating. Someone like a boss. A head that territories and commands.
She fit too well.
Every floor looked clean, being a person who hated anything dirty, ten was relieved to see the efforts even though it wasn't much. Because of being 10 floored, it was easier to access and keep tabs on.
They were lead to the topmost floor where a mosiac glass door gave in to their destination. The office was, really, well organized. He couldn't really find anything he could complain about. His desk was a palette shaped wooden materialed with glass covering top. Small patches were right where the paint and mixing space is with an adjustable foot rest. The walls were seperated in 3 parts. One was a plain cross check with grey and white colours, the other a pale yellow with dark green designs and the last a white wall with black circles. Right at the corner the sunlight hit perfectly, reflecting in the office with the glass pane giving a wide view of the city.
Almost like a movie.
The floor under him wasn't basic white, worm like body of paints across the floor, black dark blue and grey swirles. " The interior designing team did a nice job I think. We didn't tell them a lot about your topic either, they probably think it's Mr Leechaiyapornkul, I mean your father, sir." Ten just nodded and walked around. The vibe his office gave was so energetic and passionate. He loved the place. But not enough to stay. "You have 3 percent of my interest now."
◗ ◐
"Hey..."
Kun scrunched his nose and turned to Baekhyun. "What is it.. gege." He says in an annoyed tone and an unimpressed face because of how he was being pinched continuously at which the older clutched his heart and mumbled, "I thought we had something special." The younger shakes his head not being able to resist a smile and pokes the other's head with the pen in his hand making him rub his head over dramatically.
One rumour.
All it took was one rumour to rise in the midst of the calm department and baekhyun would be running around the office like a beagle gossiping about it (apparently he even made money by selling what he liked to call 'tea'.)
He looks at the other who wouldn't stop staring at him with those excited eyes. He knows he has no choice but to listen. "Go ahead." The older smiles brightly and pats his head as a thank you. ('Dog language' Taeyeon says) "So.. remember the office we planned?" He continues after receiving a nod, "it's for a new boss. Apparently there's someone who's taking over this company, aaand our specially designed office will be where he's gonna work." He finishes with a cheeky smile and Kun rolls his eyes at him.
He can sense Baekyun's plans of impressing the boss so he can slack off in his work. "Don't be so excited, if he's anything like the manager then my precious gege, you're so dead." Baekhyun visibly slumps in his chair and pouts folding his hand. He doesn't mind him, grown habitual to the older and continues working as he throws another sheet and takes out a new one. If only he hadn't spilled the coffee on the tab he wouldn't be here drawing on a paper with pencils. The joints of his fingers start to pain slightly, the area of elbows to wrist almost giving in.
He sighs and straightens his back and hits his hand in a fist two three times before arching it a little. Relaxing, he starts taking off his coat and moving his head around once or twice. "Calm down baby we don't need a strip show here." A voice coos teasingly, he ignores baekhyun's comment (which he makes throughout the day, unfortunately, being the one right beside his desk) and ruffles his hair a little.
Nothing seems to rest his head and he speaks his thoughts out loud "I'm gonna go to the bathroom, nothing is crossing my mind today." He says and frowns, a pout threatening on his face, he really isn't the one to act cute or immature he swears. Kun just likes pouting and speaking softly...and maybe he likes acting cute sometimes but it's not often! (He swears). The pink haired man in front of him gives him another gentle pat on his head, Slightly leaning from his chair. "You should try to take a break, besides, your deadline is next to next month and most of your projects are already done.... Give it a rest, I'm sure you'll be alright." He receives a cheerful smile from the older and his lips slip into a silly smile.
Despite being his junior at work, baekhyun is still his senior in life and a good friend. Possibly one of Kun's only friends, he calms his nerves down a lot of times surprisingly with good advice despite the random nonsense he blabbers all the time. He's really thankful for the older sometimes.
Kun is himself a perfectionist which makes him stress things over more than they should; he doesn't accept average. It's either scoring 10 or 0 and scoring 0 has never been an option. Every little consequence that could lead to errors scare him making him put each step on the ground calculated. A headache threatens to rise and he puts his pencil down, flipping his papers over.
He needs some air for sure.
He takes his short leave and heads to the bathroom, almost sinking into the stall. There aren't any dark circles visible since he had a great sleep last night and the rest are perfectly covered by his makeup. He's one of the very few male workers who like to put on make-up. Even a lot of female workers don't bother with it because of how hectic their schedule can be. Still, it always fascinated him and soon it became a habit. Besides he doesn't shine like a lone peacock because a few more employees do make-up as a part of morning routine like waking up wearing a suit and everything.
After being distracted, a little song playing in his head; when he feels his mind is clear enough to give him a few hours to sit, he twists the door and steps out.
As soon as he made his way out from the door, Taeyeon pulled him by hand "Kun, go back to your desk, right now. The new boss... he's right there, I'm telling everyone to go back, if you meet someone on the way tell them too." She rushes away as soon as she comes and Kun is confused and a little dazed. He doesn't fight the words and just goes back to his desk, midway, he gets called by baekhyun and he turns around to the older man who's making weird poses, without seeing where he's actually going. He understands the sign of looking in front.... after he collides with someone. The man curses turning around, "What to fucking he-"
Ten.
He turns around to face none other than the Qian Kun. The man he looked for like frantic 3 years, the man on his mind since the past 7 years, the man he used to love. Qian Kun, the person he hates the most. Bitter taste rises up Ten's throat as the other is startled with his mouth slightly agape. The Thai has grown so much over the years, his face is sharper, he looks older obviously. The skinny physique still has its highlight but his shoulders are broader. The cute boyish charm has its hints but not he's more of a man. Someone grown up; experienced. His slicked back hair make him look more mature. Ten stares as intensely as the other. Kun looks really different. The round face with baby fat is almost gone. A much sharper jawline still, his cheeks look a little puffy and soft, he almost wanted to reach out and pinch them and a skinnier body. The grey-blue hair suits him so well, as if the hairstyle was just made for him, round glasses settling on his cute nose compliment the look.
There are small hints of eyeshadow and lip tint on his face. He has also grown a little taller, an inch or so he thinks, it doesn't really look more than a few centimeters. The grey suit looks incredible on him. Other workers are staring at them with the corner of their eyes as the two males stare at each other.
If Ten was anymore pathetic, he might've just fallen in love with the older one all over again.
But he won't.
He looks sharply at the older and puts his hand on the desk slightly leaning to it. "Why are you not here...working. Mr." A little stuttery tone escapes his lips explaining he went to the bathroom. Sure his break wasn't exactly right now but people did take breaks. Before he could think of anything more the slightly shorter male started talking again. "It's not your break time and you've been there for 15 minutes, I don't think that's allowed. Whatever. Name." He says with a sharp tone and Kun blinks at him.
"Huh?" The older squeaks out in a high pitch tone.
Ten clicks his tongue and looks at the manager nodding at her. "Follow me." He says with a glare at the older and walks towards the lift feeling the whole floor stare at him. Sound of heels clicking on the floor lets him know that miso and kun are right behind him, hurrying on their steps. He gets in and punches the floor as the other male and Lady get in. There's a respectful distance between all of them, both in the lift and when they walk into Ten's office.
"Name" Ten repeats as soon as they are in the office, picking up a mug of coffee. "You- ....Qian Kun, sir." The taller one says biting onto his lip in nervousness, a habit the Thai knows since old. "Mr Qian Kun... You're fired." For a second,dead silence falls into the room and Kun looks at him in disbelief. "Are you-" "Pack your things, you're fired." There's not the slightest hint of hesitation in his voice and it worries the older. Almost hopes that it's a bad joke he's being played on. Miso, a little surprised and anxious too tries to stand up for Kun, "sir, he's one of the best employees and we were about to give him a promotion- '' Ten raises a hand stopping her from giving whatever explanation she would give in the employee's favour.
The scene was still; if someone else would see it would probably be weird, the blue haired man looking down, shoulders dropped, the manager standing between them looking disturbed and hesitant while the orange-blonde haired boss looking at the other male harshly, his eyes fixed on him while his hand moved just enough to set the cup down and back to his lips again.
"Okay then. You can stay.."
Kun's head shoots up to look at him with big eyes, shocked and hopeful. Miso looks surprised as well, her mouth slightly gaping unlike how stiff she was earlier, shoulders down and blinking in wonder as if she can't believe the person in front of him is real.
"...Mr Qian, you're my assistant from now on." He says and turns around going to sit on his chair. Just before he can think, manager steps and objects, stopping him from sitting. "Sir, he's a good employee but.. not qualified to be your as-" "Save it. I've made my decision. Don't make me repeat." Kun watches their interaction, stiff, one hand pinching the other. "Qian. Its either getting fired or being my assistant. What do you prefer?" If the blue haired could, he'd really just started quiet but this was his job on the line. No way could h risk it, "...Assistant?" He says hesitantly biting his lower lip for a second before releasing it. "Perfect.Go clean your desk and move into your new office." Ten sharply says making the older shiver and nod in a hurry. He almost runs out with a fuming manager.
As soon as the door closes, he throws his head back in his chair and moans in despair. The entire time, his heart was beating fast, looking at Kun after so long, he still couldn't get over him. Stopping his eyes from tracing the male was hard. Every flutter of eye was heart fluttering. The soft voice he had been searching for every where, the pretty face he was looking for, it was all in front of him now. Safe and sound.
Just like he wanted the male to be; before he destroyes the man.
But now that he looked at who stop Infront of him, that boy, that same boy he loved throughout his high school, could he really do anything? Every single flutter of his eyelash meant so much to Ten, it made him go crazy. He was so weak for Qian Kun whether he liked it on not.
Every year was burdensome. Every year that he spent finding Qian Kun. He remembers every second of the day when he was hopelessly going through the world with a name of the Chinese man on his lips. The Thai wouldn't call himself a crier but he sobbed like hell for a few months, maybe years, every night he wasn't able to find him. Searching for no one but the boy with adorable dimples and a beautiful eye mole who spoke like no one else did, sang randomly when he felt stressed or worked out and who would uplift Ten's mood by hugging him close to his chest on the couch... ironically enough. Yet, nowhere to be found. As if erased from existence itself.
He wanted to claw his face. Rip Kun apart just to see what thoughts were trapped inside him, more specifically, thoughts that made him leave Ten. Instant anger took over him just thinking about it and his hands gripped the closest thing, he threw the mini plant from on the table over to the wall, the glass pot breaking and water spattering around, going up the walls even reaching the ceiling and rest of it on the ground.
He was heavily breathing, standing in his office in that chaos. Almost falling back limp he catches his breath and rubbed his chest that was tightening.
A mop of blue hair peeks out from the door and then Kun makes his way into his office with a box of a few files sticking out. He doesn't say anything and points to the table distant from his own and watches him settle on his new desk. Ten stops himself from throwing a fit and harshly clicks on the pen till it breaks in his hand.
◗ ◔
To say Kun is having a hard time is an understatement.
The past weeks have been hellish, he can say least. Ten doesn't cut him off any slack. Frankly enough, Kun's qualification isn't fit for becoming an assistant and he's never received any training about it either. He doesn't know how to do accounting for him fast, deal with delaying or excusing out of meetings or scold the staff. It doesn't help that every time he makes a mistake, the Thai screams his lungs out at him. The older man tells himself not to cry. He's 25 for God's sake, he shouldn't start crying like a high schooler everytime he gets scolded.
It almost felt like Ten would find excuses to shout at him. Dropped the file from hand. Which world are you in? Added more sugar to the coffee than needed. Are you blind? Didn't listen to him. Now you're deaf? Every action had a sharp remark. Sometimes he'd get scolded for being worse than a high school kid. And he felt like he was. This wasn't his line of work, nowhere near what he had applied for.
Sometimes the manager helped him, since she was obviously more knowledged than Kun, a simple designer. Miso had already trainee her nephew for the spot of assistant yet kun had taken that away so she was a little bitter about it in the start but also sympathized seeing her suffer therefore ended up helping him. How he wished he had taken an off that day... and preferably avoided Ten everyday till he retired.
Or until he gets a transfer.
It wasn't possible of course being in the same office, but there was nothing wrong with creating peaceful images in his mind of being back at his desk besides Baekhyun. Speaking of baekhyun, he missed the older. His little chats and occasional irritating antics, there had not been one day he was free to go meet him. When it was workdays, Ten wouldn't let him breathe with how much work he gave him. It made him annoyed, the shorter glared at him while he does work than actually do his work on his own. Its not like Kun could question the Thai openly, he had to follow the orders.
Despite everything, the biggest problem was every time the Thai came close to him, every time he looked at him, when their hands brushed or their shoulders rubbed together, it made Kun's heartbeat fast. When his eyes would fall on Ten, his pink lips pursed together and his beautiful eyes crinkled from squinting or anger. Even his angry face made him look like the most handsome man the world had and every would see. Then came the pain. A pang in his heart making it hard for him to breathe, think, do anything.
There was still guilt in his chest. He remembers how he just ran away after saying he wanted to separate. He remembers Ten crying, he looked terrible, not look wise, terribly broken but still beautiful, his face red and his eyes shiny from the wetness. Kun just didn't run away from ten, he ran away from everything good in his life, from his calm and his anchor. Everything felt empty, everyday felt lonely. He just wanted to run back to the Thai boy, melt into his hug, look into his pretty eyes and tell him he loves him again.
But he couldn't.
Not even when Ten was looking at him with the anger dripping out of his eyes. "How many fucking times do I have to tell you to cancel the damned meeting. Get the fuck out if my face!" He screams and Kun shivers, lump rising in his throat. "You're absolutely useless! Are you even in your right state of mind?! Ever?! How did you get a job here?!" And it hurt so much. Not only the fact that it was someone he loved- loves, screaming at him but the exact same words as someone else. Months. It's been months. Everyday, the Thai just keeps increasing his workload, shouting at him and insulting him.
He knows what isn't even behind the tension behind them. He's not scolding office worker Kun who's his boss's assistant. He's shouting at the 18 year old Kun who ran away from him. Who never gave a when how what of his whereabouts and disappeared from the face of earth. Or maybe not earth, but at least from ten's eyes. He went away where the younger would never be able to reach him, where he wouldn't even suspect him of being. Beijing, the home town of kun's father.
Kun's father that left when he was 3.
Kun's father who came back when he was 19 just to tell him everything he's done has been wrong. To tell him he's useless. Pathetic.
He closed his eyes shut as the half drunk man was shouting at him. "It's your fault! She's so sick right now boy, and it's all because of you! All because you couldn't take that damned offer before. Was that boy really more important than my wife?!" Kun's hands grabbed onto the cloth of his pants and pulled on them. He wanted to say that ten meant the world to him, that when neither of them had been there, the Thai was. All the time, without any demands or conditions. "Did you really do anything at all? You make me want to bury myself alive!" His sharp voice hurt the young adult's ear. "Couldn't you-"
"You weren't even there! You weren't there for us for 15 years! You were never there when I needed a father. When I needed a parent. The teachers would tell me to invite my dad... I was my own father, my own mother. She had to work all day and I had to work and study! Because you couldn't bother enough to stick aro-" Before his sentence finished a hand collided with his cheek and it was strong, making him tumble down from the half sitting position. As soon as he clutched his hand in pain a bigger one cupped his cheeks and made him look up. "We're counting on you... if she can get better.. you're the last hope. Please. I used to work in HongKong. Just for you. For your mother, i sent money every month to assure you were okay. I wanted you to go to school.. To become someone better, someone we can lean on when we're older. Is that so much?! We can't even ask for our only son to think about us for a moment?!"* He said and started crying. It left all the burden on the young Chinese.
He wanted to ask a lot of things.
'Why did I never receive any of the money you sent. Why did you not come back even once. Was it that hard that after you come back the first time in 16 years, you reek of alcohol.'
He loved his parents too much to question and demand answers harshly. Felt bad for them, after all they've lived a life of discomfort without any chance of education or business. He loved them so much that he decided losing his happiness is okay for their comfort.
So he made his decision that day, not for himself, not for Ten's parents, not for ten. For his own parents. Because he loved them so much.
So much that he never bothered asking Ten for his thoughts and decided for the both of them. Decided they'll be okay without so much as confronting him, seeing if they could make it through without going through the ugly scene. Decided that walking away- running away that day was the last choice he had and the last encounter they'll ever have.
A tear slipped at the memory. He was miserable.
* migrant working is a huge practice in poor Asian countries. People live in miserable conditions that force them to leave their family and work in cities. they generally send money and visit occasionally in festivals but that's it. this practice is common in countries like China, India, Phillipenes and neighbouring weak countries. Parents of such children are generally uneducated or low qualified or live in underdeveloped areas.
Is this re uploaded? Yes. I accidentally uploaded the wrong ver of the chapter and just realized after days 😭.