Chapter Text
"We need to talk, dear." That's where it all went downhill. Alex looked up at his parents as the tension in the room shifted. He chewed his food a bit slower as he nodded, indicating for his mother to continue. "Your birthday is coming up."
He stopped himself mid-bite, placing his fork back on the plate as he looked up at her. She was right; it was almost March 22nd. "Do I have to?" he sighed, having lost his appetite almost immediately when the realization hit him.
"Gotak, me and your mother won't stay young forever, and you're the sole heir to our family-owned agency and brand. If you don’t step up now while you're in your prime, it’ll be harder to make a name for yourself. We have tried our best to let you enjoy a normal childhood, but one day you have to carry on the family legacy with pride."
"I understand, father." He sighed when he heard that name. The Gotak family name was well known and definitely not to be taken lightly. "I’m sorry, son, but this is just how it is."
"It’s fine, dad, I understand. I just hope my friends will…”
"I doubt Ben would be like that; he may be a bit strange, but he truly cares for you, dear; he has no ill intentions, I'm sure."
He smiled at his mother's words; she was right. No matter what happened, Ben wouldn't leave his side.
"Now finish your dinner; we need to make arrangements for the party. It’s going to be a big event after all."
[Eunjang, school gate]
"HEY ALEX!!" He turned around, his eyes landing on Gerard, who ran over to him. "Hey, what’s up?" The dark-haired teen waited till Gerard had caught up to him before he continued walking beside him. "Your birthday is coming up, right?" He frowned before quickly stopping himself. "Yeah, Big Ben told you." Alex rolled his eyes when he received the obvious answer, and Ben never could contain his excitement when it came to things like this.
"So what do you want?" Gerard asked the obvious question, tilting his head a bit. "You don’t have to get me anything, dude." Alex shrugged it off; it was true that ever since he was small, almost everything was only a card swipe away from him.
"It’s your birthday, man."
"And? Trust me, there's no reason to make a big deal out of it."
"What's got you riled up?"
"Nothing, just in a bad mood."
"If you say so, yeah, you have the same birthday as that rich kid, huh?" Gerard spoke up, hoping to change the topic, unaware of how the innocent gesture would be of no help.
"What?"
"Yeah, it's this huge birthday party where the son of these two rich agency owners is making their first ever appearance after being in hiding."
"Why do you know so much about this?"
"I was hoping to get a job as one of the caterers of the event; apparently they're hiring anyone who's suitable instead of just getting a catering company, weird right?"
"Ah yeah, weird." It was his mother's choice; having not been born into wealth, she believed that giving money to anyone who was willing to put in the effort to earn it was more fitting than hiring large corporations. Sure, most people, including Alex, found it strange, but considering how many people down on their luck had found great help thanks to her, he wasn't one to complain.
"The pay is really good, and I was hoping to get the job; I saw the listing, though there were a shit ton of people, so I'm not that sure, plus at the audition too."
Alex glanced at the man, letting out a small sigh. "You’ll get the job, don't worry."
"How are you so sure?" The taller teen asked, clearly skeptical at how sure Alex seemed.
"Heh, tell you what, I’ll let you in on a little ritual me and Ben have."
"A wha-HEY-" The rest of his question was lost on him as Alex dragged him off by the arm. "Where are we going?"
"To the convenience store, come on."
"You say that like you're not dragging me..." Gerard muttered under his breath as he followed the shorter teen, noticing how Alex was still dragging him by the arm; he didn't pull away, simply letting it happen.
Alex released his arm once the cool air of the store hit them, immediately walking over to the freezer with Gerard close behind. He watched in silent amusement as Alex rummaged through the freezer before pulling out a frozen treat and closing the freezer lid. "A twin popsicle?" He asked, tilting his head, once Alex finished his search.
"Yep, me and Ben split these before any major game; if it splits perfectly, that's good luck, but if it splits unevenly, that's bad luck," Alex explained as they walked over to pay. Alex stepped back, nudging Gerard forward when they got to the register. "You’re paying for it, though," he grinned, ignoring the way Gerard grumbled about how he was just being scammed for a free popsicle.
He turned his attention to his phone, quickly messaging his mother, who replied rather quickly. "Here's your popsicle." He typed a quick ‘thank you’ to his mother before putting his phone away. "Nice, come on, let's go seal your fate."
"If you wanted a popsicle, you could've asked a man."
"Shut up and open the damn thing."
Gerard rolled his eyes as he opened the frozen treat, disposing of the packaging in a nearby trashcan before taking a deep breath. ‘Playing along couldn't hurt, right?’ Taking the two sticks in hand, he pulled them apart.
"Oh, It's even." He stared at the treat for a few seconds before handing one over to Alex, who was grinning smugly. "What's with the smile, huh? This still doesn't mean that it worked” He was interrupted when his phone buzzed in his pocket.
He looked skeptical as he checked his device. "What the… holy fuck?"
"What is it?" Alex asked innocently, still harboring the smug grin.
"I got the job..."
"Told you, lucky popsicles."
"Lucky popsicles…" He was at a loss for words, but a smile made its way onto his face.
Alex's grin widened at the excitement on the green-haired male's face. Sure, he pulled a random tradition out of his asshole and begged his mother to let Gerard have the job; sure, this will come back to bite him in the ass. But the unrivaled joy on his friend's face made it worth it.
[Alex’s apartment]
"What’s up, dude?" Alex had the phone pressed to his ear using his shoulder as he continued to slice up the apple he was going to have as a snack. He was taking a break from going over decorations with his mother when Gerard called him.
"Ah, I was wondering if you were busy."
"I’m free right now; why?"
"I was thinking about buying a new suit for the party; the one I have is pretty old, and this is going to be a huge deal."
"It’s just a fancy birthday party, man." He sighed, readjusting the hold on his phone as he quietly munched on an apple slice.
"Technically, it's THE fancy birthday party. The amount of news outlets talking about it is insane."
"Yeah, yeah, I still don't think it's that important." He rolled his eyes as he walked over to his couch. "Doesn’t matter; anyway, I was wondering if you could come help pick one out."
"Why not ask someone like Gray?"
"Well, you already know about the job, so I thought why not?"
"Gray was busy, wasn't he?"
"Yeah"
He sighed, chewing slower as he thought about it. "Sure, I know a good place. Come over in a few minutes and we can head there; I doubt you know this area."
"Thanks a lot, man."
[Timeskip]
"Uh Gogo? This place looks kind of expensive.” Gerard spoke up in an unsure tone, placing a hand on the shorter person's shoulder. Alex mildly cursed at himself for having forgotten that Gerard probably couldn't get a suit from the same shop where he had gotten his made. The shops owned by his parents were all fairly luxurious. "It's a fancy ass party, right? You can't just walk in wearing a cheap suit," he reasoned.
"You have a point."
"Don't worry too much about the price, man; my uncle owns this place; I can just cash in a favor." He didn’t even have an uncle; what was he on about? The shit he was pulling out of his ass for Gerard's sake...
Gerard still looked skeptical but followed along. If Alex had noticed the way the workers glanced at them, then Gerard could only assume he was ignoring it. "Go check over there; just grab whatever you like." Alex nudged him over towards a few mannequins. "I’ll look over there." Alex was out of sight before he could protest, sighing in defeat as he started to browse for something that caught his eye.
Slipping away from Gerard, he made his way to the counter, recognizing the receptionist as the same one that took his measurements when he was getting his suit tailored.
"Oh, hello sir, if you're here for your suit, it won’t be ready until..."
"No, no, no, I'm actually here to get a suit for my friend over there." He pointed in the direction of Gerard, who was busy talking to a shop attendant. "Anyway, I’m going to be buying the suit for him, but he kind of can’t know I'm paying..."
He scratched the back of his head as he explained, ignoring how she looked at him like he was insane. "I need you to act like the suit is a free gift from my uncle; here’s my card." He dug into his pocket before handing the card over to the woman, making sure Gerard was occupied, and seeing how he wasn't in sight, he assumed he was changing or something.
"Can you do it?"
He looked at her hopefully, and lucky for him, she had agreed. "Thank you so much." He sighed in relief, sneaking a glance at her name tag. He’d be sure to tell his mother to give her a raise after this. Thanking her once more, he went over to where Gerard was talking to one of the workers that was helping him with the suit and, of course, the usual bombardment of compliments to secure a sale.
His eyes scanned Gerard up and down, a small smile on his face. "You like it?" He asked, catching the green-haired male's attention. "Yeah, it fits really well," he answered, looking over at Alex and wanting to know what he thought. "You look really good; should we get that one?" He asked with a tilt of his head.
"Ah, wait, I didn’t check the price yet."
"Doesn't matter; could we get that one?" He asked the shop attendant politely. She nodded, gesturing Gerard back to the fitting room despite the tall teenager's protests.
They returned after a few minutes, Gerard carrying his bag as he walked over to the register with Alex. "We’re getting this one." Alex snatched the bag from Gerard, placing it on the counter before he could say a word.
"Wait, how much is it?" Gerard asked nervously, shuffling his feet. He still hadn't an idea how Alex planned for them to pay for it. There was no way his uncle would just give up such an expensive item, even for a nephew, right?
"Well, the original price of this item is..." Gerard stumbled back a bit, not having even registered the words properly due to his shock. "Could you repeat that?" He swore his ears were ringing when he heard her repeat the amount. "I can’t-"
"We’ll take it."
"What?!?"
"Course, sir, the purchase is settled by the owner, I believe." She smiled, nodding as she handed the bag to him. "Yeah, my uncle has it covered." Alex gave her a grateful look before turning to hand it to Gerard, who looked bewildered. "Gogo, are you sure? It’s a lot of money. Won’t your uncle be mad...?"
"Nah, besides, this ain't even the most expensive thing here; I’ll just call it an early birthday gift." He shrugged, unaffected by the purchase. "But if it's a birthday gift for you, then I shouldn't."
"Dude, it's fine." He rolled his eyes, shoving Gerard to the exit and reaching out to get his card back without the man noticing.
Gerard walked out of the shop, hugging the bag to his chest. Alex followed, looking unaffected by the whole ordeal.
"Hey Gogo?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks a lot, man.”
And with that, the two boys parted ways. Both of their minds wandered to the party.
[Kang Residence]
The house was eerily silent. He felt his way up the stairs,careful not to disturb the sleeping house. He skipped a step, maybe two, as he made his way down the familiar path to his room. He stopped in his tracks, his grip tightening on the railing, when the house suddenly came back to life.
He squinted his eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness with a small sigh. He leant back against the wall, one hand on the railing, as he looked at the top of the staircase at the man he called father. He was caught.
"Out late with your friend Jammy again?" His father bellowed from the top of the stairs, staring down at him in his usual demeaning manner. "His name is Jimmy." He sighed, continuing his walk up the stairs, this time without the fear of slipping.
"Right right, Timmy." Jack rolled his eyes, not bothering to correct his father again. "Late night paperwork?" Jack inquired, hoping to get his father's attention away from Jimmy.
"Actually, I was waiting to talk to you, son."
"Talk to me? What is it, father?"
"I’m sure you heard the news of the upcoming event."
"The one on March 22?"
"Precisely, not only is it a major event, they'll also be offering a partnership to the possible business candidates that are attending. I expect you to be there.
"What?" He stared at his father suspiciously, he knew there was a motive behind his decision. From a young age Jack Kang had learnt one thing about the man that stood before him. It was that Jack was never his son any way other than biologically, no he was a mere tool to aid his business, his empire. In other words, he was just a pawn. Jack Kang knew that very well.
"Yes, their son seems to be around your age. I expected great things from you, Jack, but you seem to be too busy frolicking around and throwing your future away with that Johny kid."
Jack clenched his hands into fists as he looked away. The topic of Jimmy was always a sensitive one in the household.
"That all will end here. I want you to get on good terms with that new spoiled brat that's going to enter the scene, and I want you to take your role as the heir to the business seriously."
"I already have plans for that night."
"That doesn't concern me; you will cancel them. You are a future businessman, and you will act like it." Jack opened his mouth to speak but was not given the opportunity as his father pushed past him and went into his room.
Jack sighed, turning off the light before retiring to his room. He made sure the door was locked before undressing down to his boxers and slipping into bed. Checking his recent texts and responding to Jimmy before he snuggled into bed and drifted off.
[Hyeongshin]
"Hey Grape, remember we have to pick up your suit tomorrow."
"Huh? Oh yeah, alright, thanks, Forrest." Sam sat up on the couch where he had been lying down, looking over at his elder brother.
"Are you sure you don’t want to come? Auntie said she didn’t mind.” Grape asked with a small tilt of his head, watching his brother shake his head, "No." "Come on, Forrest, why not?" He frowned, nudging the school head.
"It's your aunt, not mine." Forrest shrugged. Grape groaned, rolling his eyes; he hated whenever Forrest used the ‘your family, not mine’ card. Sure, he did the same, but it didn't make it less annoying. Sometimes he couldn't decide if having Forrest as a stepbrother was a curse or a blessing.
"She’s only inviting me along because she wants me to chat it up with that new rich kid."
"You mean the son of the hosts."
"Yeah, something about kids my age and securing good connections for her."
"Couldn't you just not go?"
"She was the one that took care of me when my parents abandoned me; there's no way I can do that." Grape sighed, remembering how his aunt would drag him along to meetings and such.
He didn't receive much attention or affection since his aunt was busy, but his needs were always met. Once she realized that the unintentional neglect was affecting him, she got him adopted into a family that could provide him with that. That's how he ended up with Forrest as his stepbrother. His aunt always kept in contact and checked up on him; she may not have been the best mother, but she did better than what his biological mother hadn't even bothered to do.
"Hey?? Grape?" He snapped out of it when Forrest nudged him, looking down at him, concerned. "Sorry, something came to mind," he explained. Forrest didn't say anything, simply nodding.
"1000 for each hour."
"What?"
"You’re paying me for my time."
"Man, that's foul."
"I know you're not talking."
Grape grinned, punching Forrest lightly on the arm. "Fine, Deal"
[Eunjang, Class 5]
"Jeez, does everyone just gather here now?" Teddy raised an eyebrow, looking over at the small crowd that gathered around Gray and Eugene’s desks. "Well, Gray doesn't really leave his desk, so," Ben shrugged, wearing his usual grin.
"What took you so long? You said you were just going to take a quick piss?" He shot Rowan a mild glare before he sat down in an empty chair. "I got distracted and heard Phillip bragging about some rich kid party he’s going to on the 22nd."
Alex tensed up at the revelation. ‘Phillip Kim was going to the party?’
"Oh hey, that's Gogo’s birthday," Ben mumbled, making him wince. "Damn, Gogo, how do you feel about sharing a birthday with a rich snob?" Rowan snickered.
"You probably do as well."
"Seriously though, what's the hype about this party? Almost everyone is talking about it."
"Most likely because the son hasn't made a public appearance before this, they're also going to be on the lookout for their first business partnership in a long while considering their agency doesn't often collaborate with other organizations." Gray spoke up, looking up from his notes.
"It's just another birthday for another bastard born with a silver spoon up his ass."
"He’d probably get along with Phillip."
"Oh yeah,fuckers like that would definitely stick together."
"That doesn't seem fair." All eyes turned to Gray, who had spoken up amidst the banter.
"Categorizing someone when you haven't met them or don’t even know them is a bit unfair, isn’t it?" His words were softly spoken but served their purpose well since they seemed to make them reconsider their words in silent shame. Alex, who had been sitting quietly in tense silence, seemed to relax a bit.
"Gray’s right, you guys shouldn't jump to conclusions. But on the topic of birthdays..." Ben turned in his chair to stare at Alex with a wide smile, the big Ben one that lit up whatever room he was in. "Are you excited, Gogo?"
"For what?"
"Your birthday party, dumbass, how do you forget it every year?"
"Dunno, maybe being around you is giving me brain damage."
"Gogo, that's mean," Ben muttered with a small pout. "The parties are at the pool hall, right?" Rowan asked, tilting his head. "Yep, everyone can be there, right?"
There were small nods of confirmation from everyone other than the birthday boy himself. "Gogo?" Ben looked at the boy, who fidgeted nervously. "I have something with my parents on my birthday; I can do it the day after..." He explained nervously.
"That's alright, Gogo; you rarely see your parents, so I get why it's important." He smiled, patting his best friend on the back. "Thanks, man." He smiled softly, appreciating how understanding Ben always was. "It's all good. So pool hall on the 23rd?"
"Mhm" Another round of synchronized nods followed as they all settled on the idea. Though Alex wondered if everything would still be the same after his friends found out. The school bell rang, disrupting their gathering. The group slowly moved off to their separate classrooms.
[Timeskip]
"Hey Gogo wait up" Big Ben called out to his best friend walking over to the male before walking beside him. "Need something?" Alex asked as they walked together at a steady pace. "Nah just wanted to walk together, here" Ben reached into his bag before handing Alex a banana milk. "Oh, thanks." Alex smiled, talking about the drink and opening it. He was mildly suspicious but too grateful to care at the moment.
"You’ve been acting strange the past few days Gogo, is something wrong?" Ben asked after a while, looking over at Alex worriedly. Alex froze before he continued walking. He had forgotten that Ben could always read him like a book. "I'm just stressed about the thing with my parents." He waved the question off dismissively. His answer wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the full truth either.
Ben frowned, staring over at his childhood friend. He could tell that it wasn't the full truth, but he didn't push further when he noticed Alex's discomfort. Instead he settled on placing an arm around the short male bringing him closer in a comforting embrace. He had a gentle smile as he felt Alex slowly lean into him, letting his eyes close briefly.
"Do you remember when we were kids and we used to play hide and seek in the convenience stores?"
"Mhm"
"Or when we begged your mom to let you take the same soccer classes as me until she said yes?"
"Yeah"
"When was the last time our biggest problem was whenever our parents grounded us from seeing each other?"
Ben nodded, quietly listening. "I wish we could go back to that, '' Alex sighed, staring over at the familiar roads. "Me too, Gogo."
[Yeoinaru]
"Donald?" He glanced up from his paperwork when he heard Kingsley's voice, putting the papers down briefly as he gave the tall male a small nod. "I wanted to ask if you were going to the event tomorrow," Kingsley asked as he walked over to stand in front of Donald's desk.
"Is there a reason for me to attend?" He asked, looking back at the papers. Despite running a business, he was never one for public events or social gatherings, and Kingsley knew that very well. "I’m sure you already know who’s hosting the event; there's also been word that they're looking for a potential business partner, which is rather rare for their company since they normally work with a select set of business partners and aren’t as open to other collaborations."
This had caught Donald's interest. His face remained stoic, but the slight shift of his gaze back to Kingsley made it apparent. at least to the keen eye. "Alright then"
Kingsley nodded before excusing himself. Donald continued his work, thinking his decision over. An opportunity such as that would be of great benefit to him. He could put aside his hatred for public gatherings if it meant he’d get the deal. A subtle smirk made its way onto his features as he continued with his work.