Chapter 8 | The Second Man

Cherry blossoms. All Jeno could make out were cherry blossoms being swayed by the wind until they hit the ground as he lazily slumped at the backseat of the car. The sky was light bluish that it had ever been in the past several weeks, emitting a lively and peaceful atmosphere among the citizens of Seoul. The roads were a bit busy. Cars, buses, and other means of transportation could be heard honking, while people were dressed warmly as they went on with their businesses.

Checking out his wristwatch, Jeno huffed out a breath when he realized he was late. , he was supposed to meet his family for lunch. Timeliness when his father is involved is one of the things Jeno tries to keep in mind. If there’s anything his father doesn’t like about him, it is the fact that he never makes it on time, always showing up late. He was pretty sure he was going to get a good scolding from his old man once he stepped inside the restaurant for being so self-centered and not valuing everyone else’s time. And as much as he would love to see his dad riled up and create a ruckus, today was a different day. He was told to behave because his Uncle Youngho will be introducing someone to them.

He has always liked his Uncle Youngho. The latter would always take his side, would always give him the benefit of the doubt when Jeno is in trouble, and even when he’s at fault most of the time, Youngho would tell him that it’s all right and that he gets where Jeno’s coming from. For him, Johnny is understanding, responsible, rational; a far cry from his own father. As a compensation, Jeno didn’t want to ruin what his Uncle Youngho had in store for them for the day.

Sitting comfortably inside the car, Jeno watched as his vision passed by the people and establishments. However, he had to squint his eyes multiple times when he saw a familiar figure just outside a grocery store, dressed in a plain loose white shirt and black jogging pants. The guy was carrying a large eco bag with what Jeno assumed were full of the things the other bought.

Na Jaemin?

The car was about to speed up, so Jeno told Mr. Moon to slow down. He monitored Jaemin closely, going as far as distracting the flow of traffic just to see what the light brown-haired boy was up to.

“Sir, I’m afraid we should speed up now,” Mr. Moon said when the cars behind them started honking.

“Turn right.”

“What?”

“I said turn right,” Jeno stated firmly, to which his butler couldn't do anything but obey. As the car turned right, he saw Jaemin walking without a care in the world. It was a stalkerish kind of move, but for some reason, he was curious about the other boy. He was invested more than he should ever be. It was funny, Jeno thought, how he could watch the boy from afar and bring him a sense of contentment. It was strange.

There was a traffic light, emitting red light for the vehicles to stop and go signal for the pedestrians. Jaemin stood tall at one side. The boy was about to cross the road when an elderly woman, who was struggling in her tracks, caught his eye. Jaemin lent her his unoccupied hand and guided the grandma to the other side of the road who thanked him in return.

Jaemin flashed his smile.

And Jeno could swear, he felt his heartbeat leap for a second that he had to clutch his chest to make sure it wasn’t dysfunctioning. That was a first. He had never felt that about anyone before, not even with his ex, Huang Renjun. The light turned green, signaling for the cars to move forward as did Mr. Moon with the car he was driving. They drove past Jaemin without Mr. Moon knowing what was happening, while Jeno was stunned in his seat, feeling the beat of his heart.

That was the second time Jeno saw Jaemin smile like that...like the person whoever the boy was smiling to was giving him the world. Frankly, he didn’t know where to stand. Should he be happy that he could take a glimpse of such enchanting smile or be pissed because Jaemin never smiled at him like that? Never in his entire life would he thought he’d be able to experience this...warmth. He was too caught up in his teenage rebellion that he didn’t think it was possible to experience something like this. He wasn’t able to actually give his love life a chance to flourish. Not that he was actually thinking of Jaemin as potential lover, no. He just realized that Jaemin was actually not as bad as he thought.

He realized that Jaemin was like a shiver down his spine, settling both a frightening and an exciting feeling in the pit of his stomach. The latter was an adrenaline rush running through his veins, and Jeno wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad idea. He was sure that if Jaemin touched him, even with the faintest contact with his fingertips, he would lose all his strength. Jaemin was like Rogue.

He had bad mouthed Jaemin before, yes, but seeing the scenario a few moments ago, not to mention the seemingly stare full of worry the light brown-haired boy gave him that one time, his perception of that boy who yelled at him and splashed water on his face on the first day of eleventh grade was changing in a fast paced manner. And Jeno wondered how it would feel like to be with Na Jaemin.

He once mindlessly entered a relationship out of boredom before, which lasted roughly about two weeks. It was with Huang Renjun, a Chinese student he met briefly at his previous school. He didn’t think it through, really. He just thought it would be beneficial for him to have a company of someone who wasn’t Park Jisung or Mr. Moon. He knew he shouldn’t have done it, because it would hurt the other party once the latter finds out that he had no romantic feeling whatsoever for him.

Huang Renjun, to say the least, was Jeno’s ideal type: Short, cute, articulate, eloquent, intelligent, wealthy, well-liked, and has a good family background. He figured, if he were to enter a relationship, Huang Renjun would probably be the best candidate to enter it with. Funny enough, the Chinese boy was head over heels for him. The latter would follow him wherever he goes, and Jeno didn’t mind at first. When the news exploded, it spread throughout the school like a wildfire that was out of control. The world was at their feet. Students were talking about how they were such a powerhouse couple, Huang Renjun being the son of two of the most well-known personalities in the field of medicine in Seoul while Lee Jeno being the sole heir of one of the biggest publishing companies in the Korean Peninsula.

It was all fun and games in the beginning, until Huang Renjun became demanding as the days went by into their relationship. In spite of his good qualities, all of those were overshadowed by the negative traits. He was a complete spoiled brat, often throwing tantrums when he didn’t get what he wanted. Moreover, he treated the people around him like . There was even one time when he told Jeno how everybody was just his pawn.

Jeno lost it when Huang Renjun lashed out at Jisung for hanging out with him too much.

They broke up right there, right then. Jeno knew himself that he wasn’t any better than Huang Renjun. He was complicated, hard-headed, short-tempered, rebellious, and impulsive. If anything, they compliment each other, like a match made in heaven. But Jeno also knew he couldn’t stay with someone who was just as destructive as he was. He didn’t want to go further inside the rabbit hole, because it was no rocket science that it would bite him in the if he stayed any longer.

Huang Renjun didn’t take it well, going as far as stalking Jeno and making a scene about how he was played and thrown away like a piece of dirt. He even got into a catfight with a fellow tenth grader then because he suspected she was the girl who seduced Jeno when in fact, she was the latter’s partner for a school project. It didn’t end well. The girl was traumatized and had to transfer schools.

Curiosity got the best of Jeno, and he had to pay the price by being hunted by Huang Renjun for all his life, probably.

“Young Master,” Mr. Moon called, looking at Jeno by the rear-view mirror, “we’re here.”

Snapping out of his trance, Jeno thanked Mr. Moon, climbing out of the car when it was opened for him. They arrived at an appointed, handsome restaurant. The interior of the place screamed elegance with royal gold and silver being its main color scheme. It was spacious and pretty much open-plan with pleated tables and vertical back chairs. Mr. Moon led him the way as he trailed behind the butler, preparing himself from his father’s incoming wrath.

“Sir,” Mr. Moon bowed his head on behalf of Jeno, bending his body for about thirty degrees, “sorry for not making it on time. We were stuck in a traffic jam.”

“Don’t even try to make excuses for Jeno, Mr. Moon,” Jung Yoonoh told the butler in irritation. He then swiftly snapped his head in Jeno’s direction. “Seriously, Jeno, when will you ever learn?”

“That’s enough, Jaehyun,” Seo Youngho intervened, “Mr. Moon, you can take your seat. You, too, Jeno. Ten is late anyway, so it’s all right.”

Jeno noticed that Jisung was already seated in between his Uncle Chanyeol and Uncle Baekhyun, so he sat across his cousin, while his butler occupied the one on his right. Giving Jisung a nod as a sign of acknowledgement, Jeno sat idly, taking out his phone and sending his cousin a message.

I want to go home, Jeno typed on his phone. Today’s supposed to be a rest day.

Jisung laughed, to which he earned an odd look from his Papa Baekhyun. He then waved off at his father, sending Jeno a message back. Same here. I’m actually supposed to go out with someone today.

Juicy. Is it someone I know?

You know him pretty well. I mean, you went bat crazy at him on our first day, Jisung said.

Wide-eyed, Jeno looked at his cousin before typing, You’re going out with Na Jaemin?!

Chill, LMFAAAO. Nobody’s stealing your man. I’m going out with your seatmate, Zhong Chenle, later after this.

Shut the up, Park Jisung. I’m pretty sure you left Zhong no choice but to spend his time with you. I pity him.

Says the guy who almost made him cry.

“Oh, there he is.”

The cousins exchange was cut short when a man standing about a hundred and seventy centimeters entered the restaurant. The rooms were separated with glass walls so people in private rooms could see whoever entered the premises. Contradictory to what everyone in the table was wearing, the short man was clad in casual clothes, as if he were to go out with his friends to the mall, or go to the grocery store to pick out fresh fruits and vegetables, or maybe attend a class in university. Either way, for Jeno, it was a little different but not so much as to be considered a bad thing.

Reluctantly, the pretty man walked up to their table, worry evident on his face. Jeno noticed that the man was clutching way too much on his tote bag that was hanging on his shoulder, a forced smile plastered on his face. The man probably thought he was underdressed.

“Hey,” Seo Youngho greeted as he stood up, his smile never leaving his lips. He then pulled the chair beside him “Come, sit down”

“Thank you,” the man muttered under his breath, avoiding everyone’s gaze with reddened cheeks. He slightly bowed his head. “Hello, I’m Ten. It’s nice to finally meet all of you.”

“You’ve met my parents in Chicago, so I want you to meet my family here in Korea,” Youngho started, “this is my best friend and my co-founder of our company, Jung Jaehyun. This is his brother and his brother’s husband, Byun Baekhyun and Park Chanyeol. That’s their son Park Jisung. This is Mr. Moon, the butler of Jaehyun’s son. And that is Jeno, Jaehyun’s only son.”

“Hey, Youngho, so this is what you’ve been hiding from us for six months?” Byun Baekhyun cheekily remarked. “After years of being single, you finally managed to snatch such a beaut. I’m impressed. I still remember when you and Jaehyun were young.”

“Hyung, please, don’t embarrass me.”

The elders on the table went on with their conversation, something Jeno had no intention of participating in but still chose to listen. He found out that Uncle Ten was actually Thai, and that made sense since the man looked foreign, not like a Western one. The latter’s facial features were kind of different compared to that of a common Korean man, but the accent would probably make anyone think Uncle Ten was Korean. The man sounded like a native. It turned out that the Thai had lived in Seoul before and went to a Korean international high school.

Jeno also found out that his Youngho met Ten when the two went on a seminar in Chicago. Youngho was staying at his parents’ hometown when he was dragged by his mother, who was into Asian traditional dance, to the forum. Coincidentally, Ten received an invitation to be one of the speakers since he had been teaching traditional dance for so long in Thailand.

Completely mesmerized by the beauty of Ten held, Youngho wasted no time and struck a conversation with the man. Ten was to stay there for a week, and so they made the most of the latter’s stay in the US by going out as friends for the rest of the week. Youngho was afraid at first, but he had never been sure in his entire life more than anything when Ten said goodbye. So, he did what he had to do. He insisted on staying in contact with Ten a month before visiting Bangkok to make the man his. They were in a long distance relationship for quite some time, and now, that was about to end since Ten was staying in Korea for good.

“By the way,” Youngho started as he checked his wristwatch, “we need to get going. Ten and I will check out the apartment he’s moving into. You guys eat as much as you want, it’s on me.”

Jeno said his farewell to the two, waving his hand with a tight-lipped smile.

As soon as Youngho and Ten were out of sight, Jeno’s expression took a turn. If it was passive earlier, right now, there was just frown and nothing else. He was trying to be friendly in order to make Youngho’s boyfriend comfortable. Although it didn’t look like he was trying hard enough, he thought, at least he was able to stop himself from berating his father in front of Ten.

“So,” Jaehyun spoke, leaning his back on the chair as he looked at Jeno and Jisung, but the question was evidently more directed to the former as the gaze lingered on him, “how’s school been going?”

However, Jeno remained silent.

“It’s been great, Uncle,” Jisung intervened. “Jeno-hyung and I are doing well, really. Our current school is nothing compared to our previous one, but it’s more refreshing there. The facilities and equipment are good enough, the teachers are great and understanding, and the students are less snobbish. Jeno-hyung didn’t like it at first, but he’s come around.”

“Really?” Jaehyun smiled. “I’m glad you’re both doing well, especially you, Jeno-ya.”

Jeno-ya. It had been so long since his father used such endearment that it almost felt foreign. How long has it been, three years? Four? Regardless, Jeno didn’t know what to actually feel. His other father was the only one who’d call him that, and now that it came out from his dad’s mouth, it brought a little bit of an ache in his heart.

“You guys don’t have to worry,” Jaehyun said, “I will be donating money to your school, as you guys probably know by now. I will become one of the major sponsors there, so if you have any trouble, just ask the school director to do you a favor, alright?”

“No.”

“What?”

“I said, no.” Jeno snapped his head in his father’s direction. “Don’t do that. I don’t need your influence. If I get into any trouble, it’s all on me.”

“Jen—”

“And I will move out of the apartment you bought for me. I have saved up money. I can survive on my own. At the end of the day, isn’t this what you want?” Jeno clenched his jaw as his father, his cousin, and his uncles gawked at him. “Kicking me out of our own house, transferring me to another school—do you think it’s hasn’t rung a bell to me yet?”

“Jeno, you know it’s not like th—”

“The hell it isn’t!” Jeno shouted, fuming. He had risen from his seat just to contain himself. By now, everyone’s eyes inside the restaurant were on them. “You want to get rid of me because I remind you of the failed marriage you—”

One of the things Jeno has always known about his father is that Jung Yoonoh is always composed and collected, always relaxed no matter whatever is happening. The man always seems to have everything under his palm, under his control, or at least that’s what his father always shows to him. But as he uttered those words, he could see through his dad’s facade the vulnerability, fragility that caught Jeno off guard he had to look away.

Their table was silent for several seconds, and so was the entire restaurant. Jaehyun’s gaze was on the table as if searching for something, looking at it as he released a breath he hadn’t noticed he’d been holding. He grasped the martini glass in his right hand, drinking its content in one gulp, his tongue welcoming the taste of bitterness like it had never done before. His fingers were visibly shaking, while his fingertips pressed rather hard over the fabric of the table.

“Jeno,” Byun Baekhyun intervened, “you shouldn’t talk to your dad like that, and don’t be making such rushed decisions.”

“Sorry, Uncle, but I have decided, and it’s final,” Jeno said with remorse, but it was overlooked as he kept his head down. “Dad, you no longer have to act like you worry about me. I will try to sustain for myself with my saved up money until I reach the legal age and find a job. You can have the apartment back. I don’t need it.”

With that being the final straw, Jeno stormed out of the room.

The entire room was wrapped in silence. If someone were to drop anything, even the lightest object there was, it would probably be heard in the entire room. Everyone was looking at anything but Jaehyun.

“I have failed as a husband… Now, I failed as a father,” Yoonoh uttered after a long pause, chuckling to himself humorlessly, “didn’t I?”

“Jaehyun-ah, you’re an ama—”

“He was always the better one at handling Jeno...” Yoonoh started, shutting Baekhyun up in his seat. “He always knew what to do every single time Jeno would throw a tantrum. He knew what outfit Jeno would like on a particular day. He knew just exactly what Jeno would like to eat without even asking. He knew all the things about Jeno, from the simplest things like, how would Jeno like his eggs cooked to the most complex things like, would Jeno like it if he were to donate Jeno’s favorite shirt to the less fortunate?”

By this time, everyone was invested in his story.

“At some point, I thought, ‘It’s probably because they spend too much time together, while I’m almost never home because of work.’ I was okay with it. It only meant he was really raising Jeno well, while I provide for our food, shelter, and clothing for our little family.”

“Jaehyun...”

“When... When we divorced because I found out he had slept with someone else and had been having an affair with that same person, I was devastated. My whole world crashed. I was always so sure of myself, but that time, I didn’t know if I’d actually be able to stand up. He never had cheating tendencies, no sign of ever eloping with any other man. Hell, he was even scared of talking to anyone aside from our friends. So, it was really a blow in the face when I found out about the affair. I was so angry, I was so ing angry. I fought for him. Dad would always tell me that he wasn’t the best for me, that I would regret everything in the end. I didn’t know he’d be right all along.” Yoonoh poured champagne on his glass before taking it in one go yet again. “But more than anything, I didn’t know how could he have done that to our family, to me, to Jeno. I wanted to talk to him, to ask him why, but every time I tried, the urge to make things right was overshadowed by my anger. Jeno got angry at him, too. Jeno never fully understood what was happening but had at least an idea. Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore, so I dragged Jeno away with me and left him.

“Jeno and I lived together for months without him. We moved out of our house, and I hired security to make sure he wouldn’t be able to get near our son. That time, I became a single dad, both managing the company while being a full-time father. I tried what he used to do. I thought the reason why he always knew what to do when it comes to Jeno was because they always spent time together, but I was wrong, because no matter how much time I spent with our son, I never understood Jeno like he did. The time I spent with our son was always never enough. So, I gave up. I sent him to Shanghai with you, Baekhyun-hyung, because he started rebelling, and I wasn’t in the right state to discipline him, because I knew that I was bound to do something stupid if I hadn’t pushed him away from me. I was hurting, and I didn’t want Jeno to see that.

“I thought that would better things. It only made everything worse. Jeno was right—he reminded me of him. Maybe he reminded me of him because they’ve adapted each other’s style, mannerism, and all the other things. I wanted Jeno to be more like me to ease what I’ve been feeling for the past years. However, as time flies, he actually starts becoming like me, and I’m no longer sure if I want that.”

“Jaehyun,” Baekhyun said, “I’m sure Jeno’s just being impulsive. You know how he is, he acts without thinking when he’s mad.”

“What exactly there is to be mad about, Hyung?” Yoonoh asked, his eyes glistening from the tears that were threatening to fall. “I thought we were on the same page. Mr. Moon told me that Jeno actually thought of moving out first before I did, it’s just I acted first for him. I thought time and space were exactly what he needed. I thought he was suffocating from our set up. I mean, he had so much freedom when we were still complete and when he lived with you in Shanghai. I thought I was being too strict and controlling, so I gave him… I gave him...”

“I’m sorry, Vice President Jung.” Mr. Moon bowed his head, unable to look his employer in the eyes. “I-I didn’t know this would end like this. I misread everything. Jeno didn’t show any sign of resistance.”

“It’s fine, Mr. Moon,” Yoonoh responded, his voice cracking. “Even I, his father, couldn’t understand what was going through his mind. It wasn’t your fault. Don’t blame yourself. You just did everything I told you to do. You’ve sacrificed a lot for him. You even had to leave your family, your husband and your children, for years just to be able to take care of Jeno. I can’t even imagine raising a child of someone else while neglecting my own. Although you get to spend time with them since your arrival here from Shanghai, I know it’s still not enough. If anything, I’m thankful for you. Jeno is a man of his words, that I know of. So for now, you can go back to your family. Don’t worry, though, you will still get your monthly salary. I want you to make up for the lost time with your family. Don’t be like me. The apartment is also yours. Sell it, if you want. Look at it as a way of me thanking you for all your hard work. I’ll contact you once I need you again...”

“Vice President...”

“Go, Taeil.” Yoonoh forcefully smiled at the butler who stood up and bowed in return before exiting the room. Mr. Moon knew it was his cue to take his leave now, and let the family sort things out on their own.

For once, Jung Yoonoh couldn’t do anything but to pour everything out—the tears, the pain, and the agony all at once. He thought he was getting better, that his relationship with his son was getting better. He was wrong. It was all wishful thinking. A sob escaped his lips, his voice and lips shaking as the tears streamed down his face endlessly like a waterfall. He could care less about having an emotional breakdown in front of the people who had always seen him as the tough and strong person that people obviously thought he was.

It seems like everything he does is wrong for Jeno. He couldn’t understand. He’s tried so hard, but it seemed like everything was put in vain. The walls he’d built for years, they were all crumbling down. He was gasping for air, hiccuping from crying too much. His eyes had become bloodshot, and Baekhyun had to move seats just so he could reach his brother and calm him down.

Despite being the taller and muscular one, Yoonoh couldn’t help but feel so small as soon as his brother reached for his head, patting it softly like when they were young before putting it on the crook of the older’s neck. “Hey, it’s alright. I’m sure Jeno will come back once he realizes everything, okay?”

“What if- what if he never goes back to me?” Yoonoh asked in between hiccups. “I can’t lose him, too. It’d kill me.”

“You won’t lose him, I promise you that, okay?” Baekhyun reassured him, running his hand through his younger brother’s smooth light brown hair. “Let’s give him time, alright?”

“But I’ve given him that, and it didn’t end well...”

“Yeah, but he probably didn’t feel free with Mr. Moon always tailing him around,” Baekhyun replied. “If he wants to prove something to you, let him. And besides, weren’t you like him before?”

Jaehyun laughed in spite of his tear stained cheeks. “Yeah.”

“Remember when Dad was so against...him?” Baekhyun looked at Jaehyun’s face to see the latter’s reaction. When Yoonoh didn’t budge, he said, “You and Dad got into a huge fight because you felt like he was always controlling you, so you left home back in high school, but you still went back, anyway. I’m sure Jeno would do the same. It already came out of your mouth, he’s becoming so much like you. Doesn’t that mean you should know he’s going to be stubborn and impulsive?”

“That’s different. He persuaded me to come back home,” Yoonoh reasoned out. “Jeno has no love interest or anything to convince him to come back to me. It’s simply because he hates me to the bones.”

“We don’t know that,” Baekhyun replied. “Besides, when you ran away, you learned to stand on your own feet. You became so driven to be successful when Dad threatened you to take away all the inheritance and the company. Even when you came back, you managed to build a company of your own with Youngho from scratch. Dad was so pissed, yet he was proud. You proved him wrong when he said you couldn’t make it on your own. Now, Dad has no choice but to give me, an illegitimate child, the family company.”

“Don’t say that.”

“But it’s the truth.”

“No, Hyung. Jeno’s an illegitimate child as well, but I love him just as much as I would love him if he were my biological child. I’m sure Dad feels the same.”

Baekhyun just laughed. “I’m not so sure about that.”

A moment of silence passed.

“Hyung,” Yoonoh started, “could you please look out for Jeno?”

“Don’t worry, we will,” Baekhyun responded, making eye contact with his son who was still seated beside his husband. “Right, Jisung?”

“Yes!” Jisung exclaimed. “I will monitor Jeno-hyung, Uncle.”

“We’ll make sure to give you updates,” Park Chanyeol said, breaking his silence. “It’s a good thing you don’t feel like intervening with Jeno’s decision right now since he’s pretty much upset. It’ll worsen everything. I feel like he really felt suffocated even when you had him moved somewhere else because the place was, in a sense, still under your premises.”

“Thank you, guys,” Yoonoh said as he smiled wholeheartedly as Baekhyun hugged him. He wasn’t happy that his son was trying to run away, but he was thankful that he still had an extended family who would be there for him.