It had been exactly 1 week and 6 days since Minho had been living in Seo-Jun's house, and it was Saturday. Following the new rule that allowed him to be at the mall for two hours every Saturday, he didn't miss the opportunity to escape the confines of the house for a while. However, nothing went exactly as he wanted, as he was accompanied by two enormous security guards who followed him closely. As Minho walked around the mall, everyone looked at him with a mix of fear and confusion, clearly unsettled by the sight of the black-suited bodyguards trailing behind him.
He sighed and thought to himself, putting his hand on his head in frustration, "Haa, he just had to send bodyguards to follow me." Shaking his head, he tried to assess the situation, pulling out his phone to start strolling through the mall. Yet, he couldn't shake the thought, "But seriously though, the only place he allows me to go is here." His frustration became more evident, and he felt a wave of irritation wash over him.
Then, he reflected on Seo-Jun's lifestyle, noting, "Well, at least it's something different. He is leading a very simple lifestyle... I only see him early in the mornings and late in the evenings. The rest of the time, he is busy working." This realisation made Minho feel slightly upset, stirring a mix of emotions within him. He regained his composure and insisted to himself, "IT'S NOT LIKE I WANT HIM TO BE AROUND!" But as he thought this, he couldn't help but blush slightly, indicating a deeper conflict within him. He finally concluded, "It's just... it's not like… Oh, forget it!" and felt a deeper blush creep up his cheeks as he entered a shop, clicking on the chat with Jin on his phone to distract himself from the whirlwind of feelings.
Minho sighed and smiled slightly, thinking to himself, "I am glad that at least everything in Phoenix is going well... Thanks to Jin, I have the chance to help the team with whatever I can." He was staring at the conversation on his phone, where Jin had texted him that everything was going smoothly at Phoenix's gang, reassuring him not to worry. Jin also mentioned that his dad had been missing him and shared updates about the important deals the team was planning, which Minho had specifically asked about.
Feeling a mix of longing and concern, Minho decided to call Jin for a quick chat since he missed him a little. The bodyguards were positioned just outside the shop, ensuring they could keep an eye on Minho's movements, but they were not supposed to overhear his conversations. After dialling, he heard the familiar beep and greeted Jin with a cheerful, "Hey!" Jin, caught off guard by the call, responded quickly, "Hey, Minho! What's up? Is everything alright? Did you find something?"
Glancing around the shop, Minho felt a wave of disappointment wash over him as he replied, "Still no. He let me go out for a bit, that's why I am calling." Jin's voice brightened with curiosity, "Really? Where are you now?" Minho looked at the trendy clothes hanging in the shop and said, "At the mall that's close to his house." Jin's enthusiasm surged through the phone as he suggested, "Oh! Do you want me to come and meet you there?"
Caught off guard by the idea, Minho reacted instinctively, shouting, "NO! WE WILL GET CAUGHT!" His outburst drew the attention of several shoppers, who turned to stare at him with puzzled expressions. Realising he had attracted too much attention, he quickly coughed, bowed slightly, and regained his composure. In a more controlled tone, he added, "He sent bodyguards to follow me around. You can't come!"
Jin then started giggling, a light, playful sound that echoed in Minho's ear. When Minho heard him, his expression shifted to one of a stone face as he realised Jin was just messing with him. Jin, with a playful grin, said, "I am just kidding. Don't worry, I am not coming."
Minho rolled his eyes, his tone dripping with sarcasm as he replied, "Very funny." Jin couldn't help but giggle again, the sound bubbling up as Minho continued to circle the shop, his focus now on the clothes instead of Jin. In his mind, he thought, "I have to buy some clothes. I went to Seo-Jun's house with empty hands..."
As he scanned the racks, Jin was still talking, but Minho only caught snippets of his words. "Oh, and don't worry about the team and the mission. I explained the whole plan to them, and they all think it will work." Minho felt a wave of confusion wash over him as he picked up a t-shirt from the men's section and asked, "You explained everything to them?"
Jin hesitated for a moment before replying, "Well... kind of..." This vague response only deepened Minho's confusion, leaving him wondering what exactly Jin had told them.
And then Jin started explaining what happened last week when he talked with the team about this...
Last week…
All of the team's members were gathered in the meeting room, called there by Jin, and they were all whispering about why Jin had summoned them here. Jin stepped to the front and said, "I have to tell you guys something very important regarding Seo-Jun's mission." Everyone turned their attention to him, anticipation building in the air. As he began to speak, the room fell silent. "Minho will live with Seo-Jun for the time being."
The reaction was immediate- jaws dropped, and the room was filled with shocked silence. Then, as if on cue, they all shouted, "WHAT?!" Some of them even sprang up from their seats in disbelief. Jin quickly raised his hands to calm them, shouting back, "NO, NOT LIKE THAT! I suggested it, we have a plan."
Gradually, the noise subsided, and everyone sat back down, still in shock. One of the members asked, "Plan? What plan?" As the murmurs of confusion spread, Jae, sitting next to Jin, looked suspicious and remained steady, waiting for Jin to elaborate.
Jin took a deep breath and explained, "To get close to Seo-Jun, of course. He and Minho don't have any kind of affair going on or anything. Minho was simply using the sex with him to get the opportunity to spy on him. And he kind of succeeded, but he eventually got caught. So, we made up a plan, and it is working for now. He is currently living there, undercover as a maid, and spying on him as we speak. And don't worry, we got it all covered. He will immediately report to us if he finds anything."
As Jin finished, the room erupted into a flurry of whispered conversations, the team processing the unexpected turn of events.
Jae raised an eyebrow, not fully trusting this plan. The atmosphere shifted, thick with skepticism. He then said in a low, cold voice that made the whole room go silent, "And you are sure he will now report to you if he finds something?" His gaze was icy, locking onto Jin's with an intensity that could cut through the tension.
Jin felt his temper flare at Jae's doubt. He leaned forward, his voice firm and unwavering, "I am 100% sure." The two maintained their eye contact, a silent battle of wills, neither willing to back down. Jae's expression remained stoic, but there was a flicker of something—perhaps doubt or defiance. Finally, Jae broke the silence, saying, "Fine. Let's see what he can find."
With that, he buttoned his suit with deliberate precision, a signal of his resolve, and stood up. He turned around and walked out of the room, leaving Jin seething and the rest of the team buzzing with whispers, their eyes darting between the two men.
And just like Jin told all of that to Minho while adding slightly, "And… I might have told your father about all of this." Minho was still in shock at the team's reaction, but knowing that his father was aware of what he was doing made him drop the t-shirt he was holding and shout in disbelief, "YOU DID WHAT?!"
Jin, trying to keep his composure, quickly reassured him, "Relax! I didn't tell him about the sex part. Just that you are there undercover as a maid, and you are spying on him." Minho's expression shifted from shock to a stone-cold facade, his mind racing with thoughts. "A maid? Really?" he mused, feeling a wave of relief wash over him that his father didn't know the full extent of the situation.
Jin pressed on, "He wasn't very into the plan, especially when I was the one telling him about it... but after a lot of talking, I managed to convince him and assure him that you would be totally okay doing this. And you better be okay, or he will kill me, and then I will go and kill you!" Minho, still distracted by the clothes, replied, "I am okay. Relax." as he tried on a t-shirt in front of the mirror, his mind was elsewhere. Sensing Minho's distraction, Jin added, "Just... text him from time to time to let him know you're fine. He is worried about you."
Minho paused for a moment, the weight of Jin's words settling in. He knew his father cared, even if it sometimes felt suffocating. "I will text him. I have to go now." he finally said, determination creeping into his voice. With that, he hung up the call and opened his phone, typing a quick message to his father, assuring him that everything was going well.
He then smiled slightly and picked a few of the clothes he had been eyeing for a while, saying, "These shall do the work." With a sense of satisfaction, he made his way to the checkout. As he handed the clothes to the checkout lady, his gaze fell upon a small calendar sitting just next to her. It was April 1st, so the calendar was open to the month of April, but one specific date caught Minho's attention and stirred a wave of irritation within him: April 4th. "It's this bastard's birthday soon… Ha, why do I even care about this?" he thought, shaking his head in disbelief as he prepared to pay for his selections.
When he finally turned to face the lady, he smiled and said, "I will pay with a credit card." This moment was significant for Minho, as he had spent the last few days in conversation with Seo-Jun, lamenting about his lack of possessions—no clothes, no money. And after a relentless barrage of complaints, Seo-Jun had grown frustrated and handed Minho a black credit card that he could use if Seo-Jun ever gave him the chance to go out. Until now, Minho had never taken that leap. Instead, he had endured the frustration of having his maids buy clothes for him—reconciling with the fact that they were either comically oversized or uncomfortably small. Yet, here he was now, finally taking a step toward independence, even if it meant relying on Seo-Jun's generosity.
Minho stepped out of the shop, a smirk plastered on his face as he juggled a few bags filled with pricey clothes. He had deliberately chosen to stroll into a Louis Vuitton store, taking full advantage of Seo-Jun's generosity, knowing that the expensive items would definitely raise an eyebrow.
As he walked in circles around the mall again, his eyes glued to his phone, his mind couldn't shake off the thought of Seo-Jun's upcoming birthday. "It's really soon... Am I... required to get him something or—" His train of thought was abruptly interrupted by the ringtone of his phone, cutting through the noise of the bustling mall.
Seeing the contact name "Bastard" flash on the screen made him roll his eyes, but he couldn't help but feel a mix of annoyance and amusement. "Speaking of the devil." he muttered under his breath before answering the call.
"Hello?" he said, trying to keep his tone casual. On the other end, Seo-Jun's voice came through, firm and direct. "I will be home early today. You better be home when I come back. I am bored, so think of something to do while walking home. Or I can just fuck you the whole night, I don't mind doing that instead. It's up to you."
Minho blinked in surprise as Seo-Jun hung up without waiting for a reply. He stood there for a moment, processing the abruptness of their "conversation" that felt more like a threat. "What the fuck just happened?" he exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief. A confusion went through his mind as he contemplated how to possibly entertain Seo-Jun when he got home.