"Really?" Well. Great. "Good, I was worried we'd only be doing nice business."
"Drugs, human trafficking, random acts of violence to get others to pay up. It's kinda messy lately. I just try to avoid Cheon, you know?" It was all they could do. Lazily, he checked his phone, hoping his sister had texted him back but he knew she was kind of avoiding him since everything. Which was sad. He just wanted to warn her too. "We'll sort this out, Jun-ah."
A bold promise but Ten didn't quite believe it. He leaned into Minjun and cuddled up to him, occasionally feeding him some chicken nuggets. Romantic.
"It didn't use to be that bad. If I can get control, I can clean things up." At least he planned on it, because he didn't feel like being a pimp. That wasn't ever what he'd have wanted. That was why his father stepped back from the business so early on. Minjun kept his arm around Ten, eating with him and gently tapping his foot against Gyungho's, so he would feel his affection too.
And then they finally got to the hotel and Minjun turned to look at Ten. "I want to talk to Gyungho alone for a bit, you think you'll be fine going ahead up to the hotel? We'll just smoke a cigarette or so. Then I'll fill you in."
"Okay but you're quitting after this. I hate when you smoke so... give it up. It's gross." Minjun claimed to only do it socially but he smelled of smoke more often and not. And surely he could make this sacrifice for him. Given everything. Kissing Minjun for a while, he broke away and bowed politely to his ride, heading off into the hotel.
Gyungho leaned against the car, already lighting up and watching Minjun curiously. "You okay, boss man?"
"He wants me to quit smoking." Honestly, that was the least of his issues right now, but it was an easier one to focus on. He looked toward the hotel, where Yejoon was struggling with getting their luggage up the stairs to the entrance. Heh. All right, that was funny.
Whatever. Minjun resisted the urge to ask for a cigarette from Gyungho, just turning his head to look at him instead. "You should talk to him, yeah? He's gonna start feeling like you don't like him."
"You're happy and it's great, you know, I'm super happy for you. And you know me, I always fuck up. I fuck up whatever I touch. And I fuck up for my friends all the time. I want to -- to just not ruin this. So tell him I like him and I'll just avoid saying too much." Then he wasn't going to get pissed off at him or whatever. Gyungho knew his role, he was the fun friend, not the boyfriend's favourite. "He's cute though. You got lucky."
Gyungho grinned and ruffled Minjun's hair. "I always knew you'd find someone shorter. Good job! And a hot thai boy. Maaaan. That's what Cheon claims is his fav so you're gonna make one hell of a statement on him."
"Plenty of people are shorter than me." Minjun pouted halfheartedly and then just shook his head. "Ten's not just my boyfriend, he's my partner. I want you two to talk. He's not gonna hate you... He's met me at my worst and we still started dating, so."
With a shrug, he turned to look at Gyungho. "You're looking out for Yejoon. Looking out for me, meaning you're looking out for this whole city. You are the reason I came back, Gyungho-ah. Nala."
Minjun smiled a little. "Don't beat yourself up. Give it a week and Cheon might do it for you."
"I'm not Nala. Your Nala is up there by now, being all hot and sexy." Gyungho gestured up at the hotel, kind of amused by how the lion king thing had just stopped making any sense. "If anything, this is a weird au where Simba was motivated to come back by ... Pumba." Somehow. Some way. He wasn't sure how. "Cheon is gonna work it out, sooner or later, we have a really tight deadline to set this in motion. As soon as he knows you're back, I need to leave the Dark Dragons."
Cause he would know it was Gyungho. Of course he would. Everyone knew Gyungho had been Minjun's bestie. Everyone would know who still had his number.
"It's not so bad, I mean. It's just me in danger. I don't hang with Yejoon in front of Cheon much and all my family left the gang so... worst comes to worse, not too bad. Just our asses on the line." As always.
"Not too bad," Minjun agreed, because... Well, this was what he'd expected. "I'll text you a shopping list. Ten is right about making a statement, so he can help me pick a wardrobe, but I need you for the other stuff. Weapons. Bulletproof vests. I'd like to not get taken out by a cheap sniper, at least."
He was worth that much. "I've got money. My father gave me access to some. I am here with his blessing, feel free to spread that when you get a chance. People will love that."
It was all about family, succession. Politics. As always. "Yejoon can find us somewhere to rent. I need somewhere to live and also somewhere to meet people and it needs to look the part. We can go into debt now, make an impression. Worry about it later."
Seemed like the way to go. Minjun leaned his head against Gyungho's shoulder, glancing at him from the side. "By the way... You got really hot. You must be getting mad laid."
"I already got that stuff on order. I knew you'd need it. I got one for you and your bae, bullet proof vests I mean. We'll work on the apartment but by the end of next week, we gotta go big and make a statement. I'll start spreading the news around the gang and then I'll leave by Friday." If all went well. And he hoped it did, he was pretty confident. He was a good cheater, he could play anyone.
He could even play a guy like Cheon.
At Minjun's statement, Gyungho just nodded. Oh yeah, he knew. He was very aware of how hot he was now. "I started going to the gym about a year ago to try and work out some of my shit and it's helped." No longer did he eat to feel better. Now he just ran until he was too tired to feel like shit. "I gotta tell, man, I think I've fucked everyone our age in Korea at this point."
"Just be careful, yeah? I need you alive." Minjun wanted that to be clear, in case it wasn't already, so he repeated the core message. "I need you."
Without Gyungho, he wouldn't be here. He definitely couldn't do this without him. Minjun knew that he could do this, he had been trained and mentored for it by his uncle, reluctant as that might have been, until the day he had a chance at another heir. He knew the business and he had the mind for it, he was a good shot, he was a fast talker, but he couldn't do it alone. He wouldn't want to do it alone.
And he laughed, patting Gyungho's arm. "I'm very proud." He believed him too. "So... How's the family?"
"Of course I'll be fine. It's me." He liked to think he was lucky in some ways, the ways that balanced out what a mess everything else was. He supposed it was a trade off, he avoided karma but everyone he wanted to love him didn't. He just hoped that never happened with Minjun, he couldn't imagine a world where Minjun hated him.
At the question, Gyungho got awkward and loosened his tie a little. "Erm. Tae wishes I was dead, Ae ignores me a lot and dad is dead. One of them killed him, not sure who. It's a whole... thing."
He didn't even know what to say. "It's cool though. They're happy. I think. Ae has a nice boyfriend, she told me that last time annnnd Tae has friends so it's all good."
"Listen, your brother's just an angry... He's still gotta be a teenager, right? You know what that was like. He doesn't mean it. Not really. It's complicated, right?" One of them killed their dad? Minjun sighed, pushing away from the car so he could turn and face Gyungho instead. Damn tall guy.
"I'm glad your father is dead. Whoever killed him. It's his fault. All of it. Tae and Ae not being close to you. Them having names that rhyme. All his fault."
"I always liked that, actually. Pretty sure it was eomma." Gyungho smiled a little, his heart aching at the mention of his beloved eomma. It had been rough to lose her, he still wasn't over it. "I wish I had a name that rhymed but that kinda sums it up, yeah? I don't belong in their lives. I don't fit. And that's cool. I keep an eye out, I warn them and I care but I don't get close. It's better for them."
He didn't want to make anything worse. He smiled at Minjun and put his hands on his best friend's shoulders. "I can see you're worrying. It's written across your face. Stop it, okay? No need to worry. Focus on your hot bae and the take over. We can discuss my shit when we're living large, yeah?"
"Yeah." Minjun frowned, not exactly wanting to hide his worry. He wanted it to be as obvious as his reasons for worry where. "You know I can tell when you've cried. And you're not alone anymore. I'm back. Not just to kick Cheon's ass."
Minjun took a deep breath, leaning their foreheads together. "I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"
"I stubbed my toe, you know how sensitive I am. Now get lost."
Gyungho shoved Minjun towards the door and sighed, getting into the car again and picking up the little Snoopy plane. He missed Minjun so much all these years, it was so good to see him again.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
"Drugs, human trafficking, random acts of violence to get others to pay up. It's kinda messy lately. I just try to avoid Cheon, you know?" It was all they could do. Lazily, he checked his phone, hoping his sister had texted him back but he knew she was kind of avoiding him since everything. Which was sad. He just wanted to warn her too. "We'll sort this out, Jun-ah."
A bold promise but Ten didn't quite believe it. He leaned into Minjun and cuddled up to him, occasionally feeding him some chicken nuggets. Romantic.
no subject
And then they finally got to the hotel and Minjun turned to look at Ten. "I want to talk to Gyungho alone for a bit, you think you'll be fine going ahead up to the hotel? We'll just smoke a cigarette or so. Then I'll fill you in."
no subject
Gyungho leaned against the car, already lighting up and watching Minjun curiously. "You okay, boss man?"
no subject
Whatever. Minjun resisted the urge to ask for a cigarette from Gyungho, just turning his head to look at him instead. "You should talk to him, yeah? He's gonna start feeling like you don't like him."
no subject
Gyungho grinned and ruffled Minjun's hair. "I always knew you'd find someone shorter. Good job! And a hot thai boy. Maaaan. That's what Cheon claims is his fav so you're gonna make one hell of a statement on him."
no subject
With a shrug, he turned to look at Gyungho. "You're looking out for Yejoon. Looking out for me, meaning you're looking out for this whole city. You are the reason I came back, Gyungho-ah. Nala."
Minjun smiled a little. "Don't beat yourself up. Give it a week and Cheon might do it for you."
no subject
Cause he would know it was Gyungho. Of course he would. Everyone knew Gyungho had been Minjun's bestie. Everyone would know who still had his number.
"It's not so bad, I mean. It's just me in danger. I don't hang with Yejoon in front of Cheon much and all my family left the gang so... worst comes to worse, not too bad. Just our asses on the line." As always.
no subject
He was worth that much. "I've got money. My father gave me access to some. I am here with his blessing, feel free to spread that when you get a chance. People will love that."
It was all about family, succession. Politics. As always. "Yejoon can find us somewhere to rent. I need somewhere to live and also somewhere to meet people and it needs to look the part. We can go into debt now, make an impression. Worry about it later."
Seemed like the way to go. Minjun leaned his head against Gyungho's shoulder, glancing at him from the side. "By the way... You got really hot. You must be getting mad laid."
no subject
He could even play a guy like Cheon.
At Minjun's statement, Gyungho just nodded. Oh yeah, he knew. He was very aware of how hot he was now. "I started going to the gym about a year ago to try and work out some of my shit and it's helped." No longer did he eat to feel better. Now he just ran until he was too tired to feel like shit. "I gotta tell, man, I think I've fucked everyone our age in Korea at this point."
no subject
Without Gyungho, he wouldn't be here. He definitely couldn't do this without him. Minjun knew that he could do this, he had been trained and mentored for it by his uncle, reluctant as that might have been, until the day he had a chance at another heir. He knew the business and he had the mind for it, he was a good shot, he was a fast talker, but he couldn't do it alone. He wouldn't want to do it alone.
And he laughed, patting Gyungho's arm. "I'm very proud." He believed him too. "So... How's the family?"
no subject
At the question, Gyungho got awkward and loosened his tie a little. "Erm. Tae wishes I was dead, Ae ignores me a lot and dad is dead. One of them killed him, not sure who. It's a whole... thing."
He didn't even know what to say. "It's cool though. They're happy. I think. Ae has a nice boyfriend, she told me that last time annnnd Tae has friends so it's all good."
no subject
"I'm glad your father is dead. Whoever killed him. It's his fault. All of it. Tae and Ae not being close to you. Them having names that rhyme. All his fault."
no subject
He didn't want to make anything worse. He smiled at Minjun and put his hands on his best friend's shoulders. "I can see you're worrying. It's written across your face. Stop it, okay? No need to worry. Focus on your hot bae and the take over. We can discuss my shit when we're living large, yeah?"
no subject
Minjun took a deep breath, leaning their foreheads together. "I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"
no subject
Gyungho shoved Minjun towards the door and sighed, getting into the car again and picking up the little Snoopy plane. He missed Minjun so much all these years, it was so good to see him again.