Be My Pride

Chapter 9: Emperors Also Make Mistakes

'"Have you never thought that this system ruling our world is destructive? Money and status mean everything. But what about the poor people who make our food, build our houses and care for our elderly? Their jobs are much more valuable than those of the very people who call themselves prideful. We might not have the money and status that allows those egoistic people to crush us beneath their feet, but that still makes us no less important."'

He could not possibly let go of the words the younger had said that evening the day before. Words spoken with such confidence, with determination greater than anyone's ego could ever be. It is something that got him speechless, unable to either deny or agree.

And it also got him confused. Confused about how come someone is capable of saying something like that. Wondering about it, he fails to understand. Not only does he fail to understand what Jeongguk's words mean, something else he just cannot understand is that there are people with such thoughts as Jeongguk.

To put it shortly, this big-shot lying about his identity has never thought there was anything quite wrong with their world's system. Everywhere he looked left and right people were always satisfied and happy, had money and luxury items that they had definitely not a single need for. So to have been met with those words...

He likes to say it is fucking with his mind.

Yet, he finds it quite inspiring as well for a reason he cannot quite tell. And due to it, he has troubles with letting it go.

'"There is only one thing that can keep people like myself afloat in this world. However, there are only a few who can actually use it to their advantage and wield it like a weapon."'

Burying his face in his hands, he sighs in exasperation. "Which is?" He asks subconsciously to Jeongguk's voice that speaks to him in his mind.

'"It is love."'

This part of their hours long conversation keeps repeating itself over and over again and the young man seated at his neatly organised desk is tricked into asking the exact same question each and every time.

Almost as if the answer received is not what he was asking for.

He himself however, is more than clueless about why it even keeps repeating. What is it about those words that keeps getting to him, and why can he not let it go?

The young man sits back in his stool letting out a frustrated sigh, why can't I just work in peace? Get out of my head! In the end he decides it impossible to finish his work like this. Paperwork that must be done with precision and caution cannot be entrusted to a chaotic mind, thus the black haired shuts closed the file and sits back once again, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose in attempt to shut out Jeongguk's repeating speech. Shut up, shut up, shut up!

He definitely never expected a single visit to Busan's most famous courtesan would lead to a situation such as this one. At that time the black haired man was bored and drowning in all the responsibilities that suddenly had been thrown onto his lap. He just needed a distraction. And, well, he heard about that famous Min San through hearsay. All the stories got him curious enough to go take a look for himself.

But, how a meeting out of curiosity turned out to gain him a lover, he really has got no clue, okay!?

To be very honest, this black haired young man has never known the meaning of love. His so-called love for the boy he knows as Min San is more similar to curiosity, interest and obsession. And let us not leave out pleasure. Min San is a boy so very different from other courtesans he has met, and the black haired young man likes to say this boy is his. His and no one else's. Thus his suggestion the boy quits his job and comes living with him.