Chapter 3: Negotiations (1/2)

<tt>Chapter 3: Negotiations</tt>    <tt>"Yesung Hyung. I think I might have screwed up." Kyuhyun mumbled into his phone while rubbing his hair with a handkerchief.

Kyuhyun was currently in the confines of his black audi and had the heater turned on to the maximum level.

Yesung's amused voice came through the phone,"On what level are you screwed up?"

Kyuhyun swallowed embarrassedly before answering slowly,"He..he splashed me with a glass of water."

"What?! Are you serious? Wow..this guy seems really admirable." Yesung's rich laughter evaded the atmosphere.

Kyuhyun whined in protest,"Hyung, you're supposed to be on my side!"

"Well...well Looks like Kyuhyunnie has met his match after all."

Kyuhyun sighed and cradled his cheeks," What should I do, Hyung? Umma and Noona are gonna kill me."

Yesung deadpanned," Why didnt you think of that before,huh? What did you say to him anyway?"</tt>

<tt>Kyuhyun mumbled," I offered him a cheque so that he would break the engagement."

"What?! Are you serious?" Yesung shrieked.</tt>

<tt>"And I also called him a worthless filthy gold digger." Kyuhyun mumbled in a low voice.

"YAH. CHO KYUHYUN. ARE YOU MAD?"

"But.. but he was all over the server and.. and.. I thought.. " Kyuhyun protested.

"Oh my goodness, you lil jerk. I wouldn't blame Sungmin-shi if he would have slapped you..or even punched you for that." Yesung replied incrediously.

"But hyung.."

Yesung sighed audibally," Your Umma and Sungmin's Umma had arranged this betrothal before you were born Kyuhyun-ah. The poor guy had no hand in it at all. You did not know?"

"Just get home as soon as possible,alright? Kyuhyun, are you listening to me?"

"Maybe.."

"Kyuhyun-ah..." Yesung spoke warningly into the phone.

"Alright alright.. I'll be there in a couple of minutes." Kyuhyun answered starting the ignition of the car.

~~~~~~~</tt>

<tt>"Hannah, Sungminnie is very very angry right now. I dont know what to do at all. He refuses to say a word ever since he came in and Unnie, Im really worried." Sunhee spoke anxiously into the phone twirling the telephone cord in her fingers.

"Sunhee, I'll talk to Kyuhyun-ah. Dont you worry about our babies, alright? Everything will work out just alright. Trust me, okay?" Hannah answered comfortingly.</tt>

<tt>"I think I hear Sungmin coming downstairs, I'll keep in touch with you Unnie." Sunhee replied while craning her neck to see Sungmin walking downstairs, looking much calmer than before.

"Alright, Sunhee. Kyuhyun-ah should be back home soon.Trust me, in a year from now. Our babies are going to thank us for bringing them together. I just feel it." Hannah smiled softly.</tt>

<tt>Sunhee answered softly "I hope so, Unnie. I certainly hope so.."</tt>

<tt>"Umma.." Sungmin started abruptly.

Chunhwa glanced at his wife comfortingly and patted a spot on the couch asking her to sit beside him.

"I cannot see this guy anymore Umma...I tried to be nice, Appa. I really did..." Sungmin said seriously.

"I waited for him nearly two hours, thinking he might have been caught up somewhere. I can understand that. But him, judging me? Calling me worthless and a filthy gold digger, I cannot take that. I just cannot."

Chunhwa gaped," Kyuhyun-ah said that?"</tt>

<tt>Sungmin narrowed his eyes and simply nodded.

Sunhee glanced at her husband worriedly," But Kyuhyun-ah is not usually like that Ming. He must have had some problems."

"Problems? What sort of problems gives him the right to insult before even actually knowing anything about me? " Sungmin asked incrediously.</tt>

<tt>"Sungmin-ah, Calm down dear.." Sunhee tried anxiously.

Sungmin sighed and clenched his palms together," He said that I was in for the betrothal for the money, Umma. Can you believe that? Offering me a cheque thinking Im a cheap two penny person.."

Sunhee stood up and sat down beside her son, pressing Sungmin's shoulders comfortingly," Its all a big misunderstanding, Sungmin. If you would just meet him once agai.."

" Meet him again? For what? There is no way Im gonna meet him again! Next time I wouldnt be so merciful, Umma. I might punch him in the face if he tries being sassy and egoistic with me." Sungmin answered sharply.</tt>

<tt>Chunhwa glanced at his wife's crestfallen form and sat up straight,"How about I tell you, Sungmin-ah. That the pastry studio you're saving for? I'll invest the remaining amount in for you."

Sungmin's eyes widened in surprise," Really Appa? Oh my God. You'll invest in my project?"

Chunhwa smiled softly at his son's bright face," I know you've been saving up since years for starting up your own cake studio, Sungmin-ah. I'll do it, but only on one condition.."

Sungmin answered immediately,"Which is?"

It had been Sungmin's biggest dream, of owning his own cake studio. The man was always wanted to be a patissier and had been saving now for almost two years to start his own studio. Sungmin was really passionate about being a patissier. </tt>   <tt>And Sungjin's slightly bloated tummy was the result of all the samples that his elder brother fed him.</tt>

<tt>The reason why he was working under the creepy boss, Kibum. The reason why he was slogging ever since he graduated was all for the bakery dream. Sungmin had refused help from anyone. He wanted to do it all by himself.

But he was so close to earning the complete amount, just a half a year more of salary and he would be ready to buy his own cake studio. And then things were going really slow at office as well. Commisions were a rarity due to the economy and sales.</tt>

<tt>Sungmin wanted to raise the amount all by himself. He really wanted to. But then waiting for another year? He wasnt that keen on it. And the temptation of finally seeing his dream so close was too great.

Plus he could always return his Appa's investment in a year. But as of now, his Appa's proposal sounded really good. Except for the condition. Whatever it was. But Sungmin had a tiny idea about what it could be.

~~~~~~~</tt>

<tt>Hannah glared as her son quietly shut the front door and tried to escape upstairs. So much for being so arrogant and hot tempered, Kyuhyun was a childish baby at home.

Extremely protective of his family and very judgemental when it came to strangers. And Hannah exactly knew what her son must have said to Sungmin to make a generally sweet tempered man, extremely angry.</tt>

<tt>Of course she knew about Sungmin. Hannah and Sunhee had been keep tabs on their children. </tt> <tt>When Kyuhyun had turned five, her husband had been transferred to China, on a very important business matter which proved to be extremely benificial to them. So they had lived in Hong Kong for nearly 19 years and had relocated to Seoul, just a couple of months ago.</tt>

<tt>Sunhee and Hannah knew most about their children, they often exchanged letters and emails, keeping tabs on them, and of course Sungmin and Kyuhyun had no ideas about it. They did not want their children to freak out about it. But the recent happenings, Hannah did not approve of her son's uptight rude behaviour at all. </tt>  <tt>Not even a single bit.

"Cho Kyuhyun. Stay right there." Hannah commanded sharply as Kyuhyun attempted to flee upstairs.

Kyuhyun yelped and skipped out of his mother's reach as Hannah attempted to smack his head.

"What did you say to Sungmin-ah? Did you threaten him?" Hannah scolded her son.

Kyuhyun mumbled in a low voice," Maybe..?"

Hannah sighed audibally and scolded," How many times have I told you not everyone is like that? And Sungminnie is certainly does not classify under that category."

"Yesung called me a couple of minutes ago, Kyubaby. And I told Umma about what you said to Sungmin." Ahra narrowed her eyes at her little brother.</tt>

<tt>"Noona.." Kyuhyun fidgeted under the hot gaze of Hannah and Ahra.</tt>

<tt>YoungHwan swung open the kitchen door and entered the drawing room. He remarked," Kyuhyun? That deal with Mr. Kim. I forbid you from dealing with it."

Kyuhyun immediately protested,"Appa.."</tt>

<tt>Ahra answered sharply," No Kyubaby. You listen to me. Do you think someone who is a gold digger according to your pea sized brain. Would such a person wait for your stupid ass for nearly two hours? And what were you doing showing up so late anyway,huh?"

Kyuhyun's shoulders lowered and he mumbled,"I was signing documents, Noona. They were extremely important and a huge client had been giving us troubles, Appa. I had to arrange a board meeting with my staff.."</tt>

<tt>YoungHwan answered gently," Kyuhyun-ah. I can understand all of that but it's no reason for your behaviour to Sungmin-shi.What you did was extremely mean and downright rude. Is that what Umma and Appa taught you, Kyuhyun-ah?"

Kyuhyun shook his head,"I know I screwed up guys. But Appa, let me handle the deal with Mr. Kim. Please, Appa. I'll do anything."</tt>

<tt>Ahra raised an eyebrow in response," Anything?'</tt>

<tt>YoungHwan clapped his baby son's shoulders," I'll allow you to handle the deal if you apologize to Sungmin."

Kyuhyun yelped," A-apologize?"</tt>