Present Day – At the Club
Rico sat in a luxurious club, swirling a glass of whiskey in his hand. At a nearby table, Jeff—now in casual clothes as ordered by Bast—pretended to sip a cocktail while keeping a close eye on Rico, carefully listening in on his conversation.
"I really need a vacation, Harry," Rico muttered, his tone exhausted. "What do you think about the beach? I’m so frustrated these days."
Harry chuckled. "I’d love to, but I’m swamped with work. And what about your ex?"
Rico’s expression turned cold. "I don’t want to talk about him. He’s crazy—and way too possessive over that Japanese kid."
Harry laughed. "Are you really trying to seduce the Japanese boy now?"
Rico took another sip of whiskey, his eyes glinting with a mix of bitterness and sadness. "You’ll see. I’ll make Bast feel exactly what I felt—when he cut out of his life without warning. I’ll show him how much it hurts when soone you love walks away like you ant nothing."
Jeff frowned slightly, sensing the depth of Rico’s grudge, but said nothing, silently observing.
---
Flashback – 6 Years Ago
Rico stood frozen in disbelief, his heart pounding. "You’re married?" he asked, voice trembling. "You were with ... all that ti, and you were married? How could you do this to ? How cheap can you be, Bast?"
Bast grabbed Rico’s arm gently. "Rico, please listen. I wanted to tell you sooner, but I was scared I’d lose you. It’s not a real marriage—it’s fake. I only did it to help a friend."
Rico’s eyes were filled with tears, but Bast continued. "Jennifer isn’t my wife. She’s my friend—like a sister. She was in trouble and needed soone to marry her for legal reasons. The child isn’t mine either."
Just then, Jennifer entered the room and gave Rico a gentle smile. "I’m not really Bast’s wife," she said. "He helped when I had no one else. The child is mine—Bast is just being supportive. Please don’t misunderstand."
Rico looked between them, heart aching with confusion and pain, unsure whether to believe or walk away.
Rico shook his head, trying to push the past out of his mind. As he took another sip of whiskey, Harry suddenly leaned closer and whispered, "Rico, look at that chocolate boy over there. How cute. He’s been sneaking glances at you for a while now—I think he might be interested."
Rico followed Harry’s gaze and spotted Jeff sitting at a nearby table. Dressed in a crisp white shirt and styled with soft, boyish hair, Jeff looked surprisingly innocent. Rico tilted his head, analyzing him. "He does look cute..." he murmured, then stood and casually made his way over to Jeff.
Jeff tried to stay composed, surprised as Rico took the seat beside him. "Are you alone here?" Rico asked smoothly.
Jeff hesitated before replying, "Yeah... my friend was supposed to join , but he got caught up with work."
Harry, watching from afar, smirked and murmured, "Rico’s found a new toy."
Rico nodded at a nearby waiter. "Two whiskeys." The waiter nodded and left.
"I’m Rico," he said, offering a charming smile.
Jeff rembered Bast’s words clearly—"Keep an eye on Rico. I want to know everything he does." He smiled softly and replied, "I’m Jun."
They shook hands just as the waiter arrived with their drinks. "It’s on ," Rico said, raising his glass. Jeff followed suit, and they clinked glasses.
"You’re really cute," Rico said, eyes trailing over Jeff’s face. "I’ve never seen such an innocent look on soone before." He reached out, gently tracing his fingers along Jeff’s cheek.
Jeff stiffened slightly, discomfort rising. "Excuse , I need to use the restroom," he said quickly, standing up.
"I’ll wait right here," Rico replied with a grin, watching him leave.
Bast sat in his private club, lost in thought, a glass of whiskey in hand. Ethan arrived and called out cheerfully, "Oh, my dear friend Bast!" He dropped onto the couch beside him.
Bast poured a drink for Ethan without a word.
"You look exhausted," Ethan comnted, taking the glass.
"You don’t care," Bast replied flatly. "Why don’t you ever visit at the office?"
Ethan sipped his drink and shrugged. "My dad is coming ho next week. I’ve got to wrap up all the company work before he finds out anything’s pending—or he’ll blow up."
Bast let out a humorless chuckle. "Oh..."
Ethan leaned in. "So what’s got you looking like hell?"
Bast sighed and looked away. "Kai t Rico... and had lunch with him."
Ethan nearly choked on his drink. "What?! How? When?"
"Elina told ," Bast replied, clenching his jaw. "That night, when soone saved Kai—it was Rico. Kai wanted to thank him... so he had lunch with him."
Ethan slamd his drink down. "Damn, my gut was right."
Bast slumped back into the couch, eyes clouded. "I keep rembering the day I caught Rico cheating on ..."
Six Years Ago
Bast had just returned from an overseas business trip. Excited to see Rico again, he’d even bought flowers. He quietly entered Rico’s house, wanting to surprise him. But as he opened the door to the bedroom, the flowers slipped from his hands.
There, on the bed, was Rico—wrapped around another man.
Rico had tried to explain, his voice desperate. "I... I didn’t an for this to happen. You’re always working. You only care about your company, your family... and that kid. You never make ti for ."
Tears welled in Rico’s eyes. "Do you know how I feel when people talk about you like you’re so perfect family man? They say ’Mr. Sebastian has a beautiful wife and child’—but what about , Bast? Where do I fit into your life? No one even knows about us."
Bast didn’t respond. He just stared in silence, heart shattered. Finally, he whispered, "Let’s break up, Rico."
Rico’s eyes widened. "No! Bast, don’t do this!"
But Bast turned and walked away. Rico chased him, but Bast didn’t stop. He got in his car, his vision blurred with tears.
When he reached ho, he locked himself in his room, opened a bottle of wine, and drank in silence. The pain was unbearable.
A small voice broke through the quiet.
"Are you crying?"
It was Kai—young and innocent. Bast quickly wiped his tears, but Kai saw right through him. The boy walked over and gently placed his hand on Bast’s chest.
"My mom always said when her heart hurts, she cries," Kai whispered. "Then I do this," he added, rubbing Bast’s chest in slow circles. "She always smiled after. Are you hurting in your heart?"
Bast nodded weakly. "Yes... it hurts."
Kai kept rubbing his chest and said softly, "Then don’t cry. Be strong. Like . I never cry when I get hurt."
Bast wrapped his arms around the boy, embracing the warmth he didn’t know he needed. In that mont, he knew—he never wanted to let go of Kai again.
Back in the Present
"What are you thinking about?" Ethan asked.
Bast blinked, pulled from his mories. "Just... so bittersweet monts."
Ethan stood and grabbed his keys. "Co on. It’s late, and you’re drunk. Let drive you ho."
Jeff stood in the restroom, gripping the edges of the sink as cold water splashed onto his face. Stay calm... don’t panic, he told himself. His heart was racing—not just from Rico’s bold behavior but from the pressure of the mission Bast had given him.
He looked up into the mirror, trying to regain his composure.
Suddenly, he felt a presence behind him. Before he could react, Rico wrapped an arm around his waist from behind.
"Are you drunk, Jun?" Rico’s voice was low, almost teasing. His breath grazed Jeff’s ear, making him flinch.
"I can give you a ride," Rico murmured, leaning in. Then, without warning, he pressed a soft kiss to Jeff’s neck.
Jeff froze. His body stiffened, his thoughts scrambled. He didn’t know what to do—how to respond. This wasn’t just part of the job anymore. Rico wasn’t playing around.
His eyes t his own reflection in the mirror, wide and conflicted.
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