Joong
2 months before 21st Birthday
"...Yes? Oh...I understand. Alright...thank you for even looking into the loan request", Nine's father looked a bit down after the call. I was staying here for the week, before my semester started again. It was not something new, practically half of my growing up stage, was spent with this family. I was going out to the shop, as Nine's mother, Mom, asked me to buy some spices that she needed to cook the curry for lunch. I hesitated to move from where I stood, as I could hear the conversation that was going on, and understood that it must be something that he didn't want the family to know, as he's answering the phone outside of the gate. His face was astonished as he saw me immediately as he turned.
"Joong!", he said and rubbed his chest, "how long have you been standing there?", Dad asked and his eyes looked worried.
"Ermm, a while..I'm sorry, Dad, not that I was eavesdropping, Mom asked me to buy something, so I needed to go out. But, as I saw that you're in an intense conversation on the phone, so...I hesitated...and stucked here...", I answered carefully.
"Did you hear, err, everything?", he asked, and I nodded. Dad came closer and held my hands, "This would be between us, alright. I don't want the family to worry...Sorry, that you had to be involved, now...".
"Dad, shouldn't Nine at least know what's happening? Nine is matured Dad, he could handle some pressure and might be able to help you", I said to Dad.
"He is a good son, never ask for anything, and always listening to me. I am already feeling guilty, for cutting short his dream of working on major corporation and requested that he worked here as soon as he graduated, but I didn't have much choice, as of now. The problem had been going on for quite some time, Joong. Time had changed the business landscape, and we didn't change fast enough. I would tell him, but after all venue runs dry. As long as I could handle the problem, for now, keep it safe, alright?".
"How many banks had you gone to, Dad?", I asked, something was gnawing in my heart, but I didn't have any evidence, except intuition alone.
"Five. Usually they're quite generous, but since our sales record decreasing yearly, so they are hesitant, I understand. Ah, why do I burden you with all this, forgive me son, it's not your problem to worry about, alright? We'll pull through, I believe in that. So, just ignore everything that you heard or whatever I'd told you", he tapped my shoulder, smiled and walked into the house.
****
A month before 21st Birthday
"Why did you do that to Nine's family? His father is your friend. How could you stab him from the back liked that?", I stood with anger in front of my father.
"I'm sorry, but what are you talking about, son?", my father kept his calm, just laced his fingers together and looked at me as if I was a ten years old with a tantrum.
"Don't play innocent, father! All that private dinner and golf meets with the bank's manager; you'd made a deal with them, to deny their loan request, in exchange for something, wasn't it?", I'd already suspected something, and managed to coax his personal assistant to reveal his schedule, saying that I wanted to arrange a surprise family vacation. All the meet ups, were suspicious occurrence; because he had managers to handle something as that; more so that our company was not in dire need of any financing.
"From where did you get that notion, Joong? I met many people outside of the office, because that's where all the networking is built upon. This is for the benefit of our business, which, you...and your descendants, will inherit someday", he was taunting me, I knew.
