Chapter Text
In the Chaebol world Min YoonJae was a fool.
Min YoonJae, chairman of Min Inc, was a well respected man amongst his peers. He was business savvy and ready to charge forward towards any obstacle. Aside of being able to handle his business diligently he was a noble man willing to help those in need when he could. The country respected him for all he and his family did.
However, if you were to ask anyone in his circle they’d say Min YoonJae was a fool. Everyone knows that in order to survive in the ruthless world of money you need to be willing to do anything. It’s not just for the money, it’s for the family name, for the legacy. They couldn’t understand why the Min patriarch wouldn’t follow their steps. Min YoonJae never looked to take the easy route out of anything. He never tried to do business with shady companies nor did he try to marry his sons off for security.
So when rumors start making their rounds through their friends and associates that there might be financial instability they all silently agree to keep their mouth shut. Deep down they knew or at least hoped the old Min YoonJae would come back and set them on the right path again. Ever since YoonTak took over as CEO the company moved to shaky grounds. It’s not like the youngest Min could replace him.
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Min YoonGi, the youngest heir to Min Inc. was never interested in business. He wanted to study music, so his ever supportive father let him. That’s the type of man his father is.
Much to his mother’s dismay, Yoongi was going to study music production. But in the chaebol world everything is about keeping status and Yoongi’s mother wasn’t going to be the talk of the town for having her son study something as frivolous as music. A deal was made; Yoongi would be allowed to study music if he did so abroad, and only if he minored in Business.
The moment Yoongi had his diploma in hand his trip for New York was settled. He never argued against his mother’s demands because deep down he knew there was no use in that. He would let her talk herself up about sending her son to study abroad and he would take a break from her nagging. Win win.
And in no time five years fly by.
Looking back at his time in the states, he recognizes he’s never been happier. And as he boards his plane back to Korea, he is nothing but hopeful. He has two goals upon arriving at his parents’ home. First is to let his parents know he is in a relationship and the person that he’s in a relationship with is a man and second he will not be working for Min.
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Dinner goes without a single disturbance from his brother or a complaint from his mother. Afterwards, when they're all in the living room and his brother has announced that he’s leaving for the night, he decides he needs to speak up.
“Actually, I have an announcement to make and I would appreciate it if you stay a little longer.” His brother pauses where he was about to leave his spot on the sofa and his parents turn to face him, concern showing on their face. Once he’s certain he has their undivided attention he continues. “First I would like to apologize for not being as open with you as I should have been, and hope you accept what I’m about to tell you as it is my decision and one that I didn’t take lightly.” His mother reaches out for his father’s hand, always so dramatic he thinks. “I am in a relationship, I have been for the past 3 years.” Maybe there’s the hint of a smile on his mother’s lips and he can’t wait to see it fade. “His name is Lee Jaehyun and I will not be taking any position in the company, father.”
There are very few things Yoongi regrets. But there’s nothing he regrets more than this.
“I hope you’re happy,Yoongi! Look what you have done to your father! You selfish little thing!” He’s never agreed with his mother but this one thing is true.
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His father’s doctor is making his way to them and with a smile on his face lets them know Min YoonJae has stabilized but that he would be kept overnight for tests and observation. Yoongi drives his mother back to the Min estate in complete and utter silence. There’s nothing he can say, every word that comes out of his mouth angers his mother. She can be many things but never a bad wife, she will fight for her husband against anyone including her own sons. Her priority will always be her husband.
Once they’ve arrived and his mother has calmed down plenty, he asks, “Mother I need you to tell me what just happened?”
“What just happened? What just happened is that you caused your father a heart attack because you can’t be an exemplary son. You never bothered to call and ask how anyone of us was doing! If you had you would have known your father is weak of heart!”
That’s only partially true. He’s been in touch with his father, but he would never mention his sickness to him. He would never make him worry.
“I’m sorry mom... I really didn’t know...” he replies but she won’t even look at him. It breaks his heart to be in this position. To be the reason his father is in the hospital.
“Of course you wouldn’t... your father was waiting for you to return home so he could finally rest. There’s so much stress on his shoulders... but what would you know?” She spits out as she walks away.
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Last night had ended in chaos. Yoongi barely got a blink of sleep. He was still in the clothes he wore to dinner, all his stuff was still packed. He didn’t even get to call Jae in New York. He still had yet to call Jimin, his best friend, to let him know he was in town. He’ll have to do that later because he will only allow his focus to be on his father right now.
He goes down for breakfast, and as he expected his mother was already having a cup of tea and skimming through a newspaper. She stops, “great we’ve made the news.”
There was nothing worse for Mrs. Min than seeing the family name headline newspapers.
“Don’t worry mom... everything will turn out fine.” He says to her as he walks out. It isn’t something said to comfort her but a promise, he’s made his mind up. He would do anything for his father. He was always there for him, always supportive even when it wasn’t in his or the family’s best interest.
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“Well for starters we’re nothing from going bankrupt, half of the staff has been let go, a couple of the vacation houses have been sold, multiple deals father relied on to pull us out of this mess fell through and he’s had these men hounding him for the company. Mean while you were having the time of your life, wasting money we don’t have while you throw dirt on the family name.” That’s the answer he gets from his brother when he confronts him about the family situation.
Yoongi is so close from grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. He composes himself, his father raised him better. “What have you been doing YoonTak? The same as me I suppose, just that you’ve been doing it here.” Yoongi doesn’t wait for a response and walks away.
He waits for his father to wake up. He wants to apologize for disappointing him. He should never have dropped the news so abruptly but he was already feeling the adrenaline from yelling at his brother. He also wants to know what he wants him to do at this moment. Regardless of how YoonTak or his mother might feel. He’s going to try his best to make his father comfortable.
The moment his father awakes, the lawyers have arrived with the same question he has for his father. He doesn’t want to force Yoongi, but this is his family’s legacy, this is what his wife relies on. So he asks Yoongi to help lead the company along side YoonTak for now, until he gets better. Until he’s able to run the company on his own. Yoongi accepts. The lawyers bow as they exit the room after setting up a meeting at Min Inc. to get Yoongi caught up. That gives Yoongi about 30 minutes with his father before his mom gets notified that her husband is awake and rushes to the hospital.
“Father...I am sorry I caused this...” he begins incapable of making eye contact.
“No no no, you do what you have to do Yoongi, I don’t care about that.” He says and Yoongi knows he’s talking about his relationship though he’s having trouble calling it what it is. “It was a shock of course but overall...I guess I thought you would come back and focus on the family business I didn’t think you...” and they both know what he’s trying to say. His father didn’t think he was serious about music.
“It was never my intention to disappoint you father. Please...”
“No Yoongi, you don’t have to apologize, I wanted to support you but in doing so I gave you false hope. But you understand we need you right now?”
“Yes father, I will make you proud, I promise?”
“You already have son, I wish we were in a position where you were free to do as you wished.”
Yoongi stays a bit longer with his father showing him pictures he hadn’t sent him from his stay in New York. Soon enough his mother arrives and that is his cue to leave. He has an important meeting to prepare for.
*************
“Did you see the news article I sent you?” Namjoon asks entering his cousin’s office.
“I did, I’m not sure why you think that would interest me.” Seokjin replies from his desk where he’s going over paperwork.
“I just thought you’d be interested. Min has a reputation...”
“Don’t they all?” Seokjin cuts him off.
“No.” He answers dryly. “Min has a clean reputation. When his company had to let go of a third of their staff earlier this year he made sure they all had a job lined up beforehand. Anyone whose ever worked with him has nothing but praises for him. To top it all off he does everything by the book, it’s unbelievable.”
“I see, but I don’t know what you want me to do with that information.” Truth is he does know and Namjoon knows he knows. That’s just always how it is with Seokjin. If you want something you need to be direct about it.
“They’re on the brink of bankruptcy, this family dates centuries back. They’ve always been about helping the working class. Wouldn’t it be beneficial if both companies worked together? We’ve been looking for a distributor and I think this might be them.”
“Joon, this would be beneficial to them. We are capable of paying overpriced distributors. If they’re going bankrupt, it must be for a reason, no? We will make do with what we have until we find an equal.”
KimBerry has been around a couple of generations. Every family in Korea has consumed a Kim product at least once in their lives. They started as a small family owned and operated business, and grew enough to become a major competitor in the produce industry. Like his father and his father’s father, and so on, Seokjin is focused on running an honest company.
Seokjin prides himself that his family has succeeded the right way without having to buy into fraudulent methods. He continues to do so by only doing business with companies that have the same ethics.
So he looks into Min Inc. He feels for the man, sometimes it’s hard to afford a company without under-the-table deals to help. At the same time he questions how generational wealth disapears? So he digs more and finds that while the Min CEOs before YoonJae are respectable, their future CEO is not. Min YoonTak is looking to grow quickly within the company and it’s costing the company.
Seokjin is not surprised. He’s met YoonTak once before. He’ll never forget that meeting. The news of Seokjin’s bisexuality was making its rounds through the media and as expected there was judgement. He didn’t expect cruelty. Min YoonTak humiliated him at a charity event a couple years ago. Got him escorted out of the event for harassing him “now that everyone knows he thinks it’s okay to go after anyone.” Min Yoontak made that statement loud enough for everyone to hear. He made a fool out of him. Maybe this is how he makes him pay for that day and everything that came after.
He picks up his phone and dials his secretary. “Please schedule a meeting with Min Inc. We are interested in a national distribution deal. Oh, and please advice Namjoon and Hoseok about the meeting, I want them to come with.”
After all success is the best revenge.