Chapter 7
Seoul, South Korea
~Kim Taeyung~
"I need to stop and get Mimi a sweet or she'll kill me." I smiled thinking of my little sister. She was always the only reason I ever really smiled.
This little coffee place on TikTok opened up around the corner from school, it's trendy right now and she loves that stuff.
I went straight to the counter when I got there and ordered a hot chocolate and 5 macaroons, this should appease the mini goddess in my parents' home.
I felt someone staring at me and when I looked over, I saw her sitting with her back to me, eating with a friend.
Before I knew it, I was walking over there this magnetic pull giving me no conscious choice. What is she doing here?
I'm used to girls fawning over me, pretending to be weak or share my interests. But not her. She had a venomous bite.
But, like everyone else, even I have a limit, and when she yelled at me, I snapped.
I didn't mean too.
But…
This was my fucking city. Everything inside of it belonged to me, including her.
She'll learn that soon enough.
I wanted to take her phone and text myself from it so I could have her number, but she rejected me.
I can't believe she rejected me. No one rejects me, ever. Before I could say anything, she stood up violently and stomped away, like a hurricane busting out the glass doors. It was remarkable.
Her friend looked at me doe eyed, "I'm sorry Kim Taeyung, I'll… Um… Bye…" She rose quickly and followed her friend out the door.
My uncle walked up beside me and asked in Korean "Were you just rejected?"
I shot him a sharp look, "Fuck off."
"Damn, I think I got brain freeze trying to figure out how she could be so cold to the great Kim Taeyung!" he mocked me.
"I hate you. Don't you have something better to do or somewhere else to be?" I groaned.
"Nope. Just here with my favorite nephew." He teased.
"You're only nephew." I reminded him.
"Exactly, you're the only option." He laughed, "Here's the sweets for little Mimi, let's go, I better get you back to your parents before you sister rips my throat out."
I laughed at his words. He wasn't wrong.
My fierce baby sister wasn't one to mess with. A baby prodigy. She was sharp as knives and tough as nails. She was a prickly pear. She didn't look vicious, but her prick hurt, and it stayed under the skin for a long time.
She was the only light in my life.
Pulling up to my parent's house, I felt the dread settle in the pit of my stomach. They always found a way to ruin a good mood.
My mother was going to push blind dates with useless rich girls, and my father was going to grill me on the failed trip to New York.
"I'll drop you at the front door and meet you inside after I park."
"Avoiding the conflict I presume, fine, see you then." I told my uncle before getting out of the car.
The minute I reached the steps, the butler opened the door and bowed "Young Master Kim, glad you have returned, your father is expecting you in his office."
I nodded and walked straight to my father's office on the second floor.
I knocked, "Deul eooseyo" (Come in) My father responded in Korean.
"Abeoji." I greeted him with the expected bow.
"Sit, Taeyung and explain yourself" My father had a mask of calm but under his tone, I could hear the boiling rage.
"They weren't the real deal, so I didn't sign them." I answered flatly.
"You went there to sign them, I don't care about your fucking opinion, why the fuck can't you just do what you're told?" He yelled slamming his fist down on the table.
I was used to this behavior; he didn't smack me anymore because the last time he put his hands on me he found a gun under his chin in an instant.
The memory pushed into my mind: My face was next to his and I stared down into his eyes, mine filled with hate "Touch me again and I'll spend the rest of my life behind bars for painting the ceiling with your fucking brains." I had told him. He hasn't since.
But the gun didn't stop him from yelling.
"I am not signing some useless designer, just because you said so. You're an amateur when it comes to this world, and you won't blow my operation because you're impatient. This is my project, my money funding it. My branch of the empire. Your demands mean nothing if they go against what direction I plan to take with MY company." I snapped back at him.
"Your company? Don't make me laugh. Everything you own is mine." My father fired back.
"That's the best joke I've heard all day next to your parenting that is." I bit back.
I could see the rage building in him. I must have struck a nerve with the old bastard.
"You are such an insolent child, a massive disappointment." He yelled at me.
"You raised me. Oh wait, no you didn't. I raised myself because you were too busy fucking your secretary." I was yelling now, reminding him I know his little secret.
"Get out!" He yelled back.
"Fine by me!" I yelled back! I slammed the door hard behind me and storming down the stairs.
Mimi was waiting in the living room sitting like a patient princess.
"Annyeo gongju." (Hey princess)
"Oppa!" (Big brother) My little sister came running over, bending down to one knee I hold my arms open waiting for her tiny little body to slam into me.
And as expected it did. Colliding with me with such force she knocked me on to my ass. She fit perfectly in my arms.
"I didn't bring you anything back because I was in and out, but I did stop and grab you a sweet cake because I missed my sweet baby sister."
"You left and didn't even say goodbye! You think a cake can make it better?" She asked me with a sour pout.
"Yes, I do." I gave her my devilish smile.
She punched me in my chest.
I pretend to be wounded, like she broke my ribs. "Oh, ow, you're so strong, I think you broke my ribs, I need a doctor."
"Shut up and give me the cake already." Mimi demanded.
"Ask in English and I will."
In the cutest, saddest tone she tried her best. "Giff my ceke pease."
I chuckled and told her "It's in the kitchen.Where's Eomeoni?"
"At a dinner thing with her cranky woman club."
I practically choked.
"Cool, then listen, the new semester starts soon, I have to go back to my house to prepare. Can you tell Eomeoni I stopped bye, and that I love her." I pleaded.
"Fine, but I want to go to a theme park soon. And you have to take me." She was one hell of a negotiator.
"Deal." I sat up and shook her hand.
"Deaa." She nodded. Trying out her English. Which is still terrible, but sounded cute, at least.
I stood up gave her a kiss on the forehead and told her to enjoy it. My uncle walked into the living room in just the right time.
"Well, it looks like the conversation went well." He joked.
"As well as anything you cook."
"Ouch, your words are harsh." He shrugged and walked toward me. "You look ready to leave."
"I have school stuff."
"Cool" he walked past me and toward the garage door.
When I got back to my apartment, I noticed the fridge was stocked. Mrs. Yeong is a fantastic housekeeper; my little sister sure knows how to pick them.
Maybe that's what I'll tell my mother when she asks me about getting married, when her youngest finds me a wife. Which if Mimi had her way, would never happen, it would buy me time.
'It's your last year in college; you need to quit goofing off and meet a nice girl so you can get married. You know Grandfather is traditional and you'll need to marry if you're going to take over the company one day.' She was always relentless about it.
I found my thoughts drift back to the girl I met today.
She had me intrigued, her interest in gaming, was it real? She didn't look like a gamer at all. She looked like someone who spent a lot of time in coffee shops or maybe a salon.
Not in an internet café.
She was really pretty though. I can't lie.
What was her name?