#rickap

“Dad I’m going to talk to a few acquaintances over there. See you later ok?” Minsoo says.

Yongguk nods. With that, Minsoo’s gone.

Byunghun says his parting words too before making his way towards a group of new faces. He always likes to make friends with these people and listen to their stories because it’s the new money that often have a lot more stories to tell.

***

The shattering of the glasses on the marble floor is loud enough to turn a few heads towards him. “I’m sorry,” Byunghun says to the terrified waiter he just bumped into, about to help pick up the pieces before halting as he realizes that he cannot touch the pieces with his hands. He can’t risk getting an injury. If he cancels a show people who don’t know him will think he’s acting up because he’s an heir. Well. Guess this is what the handkerchief in the front pocket is for.

He stands dumbfounded when the waiter cleans up the mess on his own. The group of new money start whispering among themselves, probably about his haughtiness. Great. He just wants to be their friends.

Suddenly a man from the group steps forward, taking out his own handkerchief from his front pocket and starts picking up the pieces.

“Thank you. I was not trying to be stuck up. I just can’t risk getting cuts on my fingers,” Byunghun says when the man stands up and nods to the waiter who has just thanked him for his help.

“I understand. You have a show tomorrow,” the man says.

What?

“I know because I just checked your website yesterday for upcoming tour dates. I’m a big fan. Hello,” the man says with a shy smile.

Byunghun is glad this man knows who he is instead of thinking of him only as the son of media mogul Lee Chanhee. He’s surprised and a little embarrassed, “Well it’s great to meet you Mr…,” Byunghun says and extends his hand.

“Choi Jonghyun from Ironware, nice to meet you.”

***

Choi Jonghyun and Yoo Changhyun founded Ironware from their college dorm room. Now, only a year after they graduated and started putting their whole effort into the company, Ironware is providing security software for the biggest firms on the planet.

“We don’t code that much anymore ‘cause we have people working for us now so we can focus on the business side of things. So anyway, a typical day is me going to the office, talk to people, have a grilled cheese for lunch…”

“What’s a grilled cheese?”

“You’ve never had grilled cheese?” Jonghyun asks incredulously.

Byunghun shakes his head with a small smile. All his food is made by either the family cook or expensive restaurants. Cheap white bread and cheddar, which Jonghyun is describing, are out of the question.

As they talk, Byunghun becomes aware that there are many other things he has never done, things such as backpacking around Europe in summer, doing odd jobs along the way for food and shelter, and riding half a day on a bus to get home when school’s on breaks, which Jonghyun recounted with enthusiasm.

Byunghun makes his own money instead of living on his trust fund like the typical heir. It has been a slow endurance run to stardom because Byunghun likes to do it with his own talent and hard work, only getting help to get his first show by using a connection his dad has.

Now he’s critically acclaimed and one of the highest grossing artists of his dad’s label. But he knows that he’s only able to get where he is now, millionaire and superstar, thanks to his dad’s wealth. While his friends from college were slaving in teaching jobs and small shows at bars and unknown venues to support themselves, he’s in his high quality studio, with a piano that cost at least twenty years of those friends’ earnings, worrying about nothing but perfection.

Still, sometimes such as right now, he feels a tinge of envy towards less privileged people for these experiences he never had.

“So last week Changhyun and I got the invitations from the receptionist of our building and it looks so fancy made of this thick paper and I thought, wow did they send it to the wrong people? But there’s our names printed on them so we were a bit more reassured,” Jonghyun says excitedly. Byunghun smiles. Jonghyun seems so intrigued by the whole fancy gathering business, which he is experiencing for the first time, that Byunghun is thoroughly amused.

“I’ve been talking too much,” Jonghyun says with a sheepish smile, “It’s my first time at an event like this so if there’s any awkwardness, please forgive me.”

Only then does Byunghun realize he hasn’t really said much, but only been sitting there listening and staring at the young CEO. No you’re plenty charming, Byunghun thinks. Jonghyun definitely didn’t talk too much at all because there are so many more things Byunghun wants to learn about him.

“You’ve definitely been talking too much,” he says, trying to look stern, “but I am willing to accept grilled cheese as an apology. I haven’t had dinner yet and don’t think I can survive on the tiny tapas they’ve been handing out.”

Jonghyun brightens with each of his words and Byunghun does a little dance in his mind. Hey, maybe, just maybe, he won’t have to die married to Bang Minsoo.

“There’s this diner right around the corner near where I work. I always eat there. They have the best grilled cheese,” Jonghyun says as they both stand up from the armchair they’ve been sitting in, “I just need to drop a quick word to Changhyun. Have to tell him to watch his own behavior. He may get drunk and try to kiss everyone and that’s not good for company image. And then off we go.”

***

Finding Changhyun proves more difficult than they both thought, it seems.

“I swear. I just saw him here talking to the supermarket dude,” Jonghyun says, frowning, when they reach the corridor where the bathrooms are located.

But they’re about to leave for another corner of the foyer when suddenly they see a young man walking out of the bathroom, flushed, smoothing down his suit.

“There you are,” Jonghyun exclaims.

“Hi,” Changhyun says, a little shaky and breathless. The door of the bathroom opens once more and out walks Bang Minsoo, equally flushed and disheveled. Jonghyun’s gaze drifts from one of them to the other. “Classy,” he coughs.

Byunghun and Minsoo stare at each other. “Don’t tell my dad,” Minsoo pleads with his eyes. Byunghun nods with understanding.

***

“Wow that was definitely not good for company image,” Jonghyun remarks after they have parted with the two people and Jonghyun has finished giving a slightly drunk and very friendly Changhyun a mini lecture on publicity.

“Oh. Don’t worry about it,” Byunghun chuckles, “besides, my dad can make anything go away.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Remember when they found rats in the Bang’s food processing plant?”

Jonghyun shakes his head.

“Exactly,” Byunghun beams. Jonghyun gasps. Moments like these are when Byunghun is really proud of his dad. Trying to marry his son off to his friend’s son and fretting over a handkerchief aside, the man’s freaking cool, in a shady villainy kind of way.

Smile blooming on his face, Byunghun takes Jonghyun’s hand and pulls him towards his car, which the valet has retrieved and put ready for them at the front of the hotel, “Let’s go.”