#Taejin - High Profile Boyfriend

Chapter 4: Luncheon

The waiter brought Taehyung and Seokjin to the far back of the restaurant, to the reserved table. They were the last ones who arrived. All the Kim and the Min family members arrived a while ago and already cordially chatted with each other.

Seeing the table situated right beside the big glass windows made Seokjin's heart slump even more. The reporters with long threatening telephoto lenses out there could easily capture everything in here. He glanced at Taehyung beside him and forced a small smile. He couldn't go back now. It was already happening. It was already too late.

"Oh, Tae, Seokjin, you're finally here!" Mr. Kim Ji-hwan stood up with open arms and welcomed them with a bright smile. Kim Namjoon also stood up in confusion seeing his little brother brought a plus one to this luncheon. Who was that stranger?! Another Taehyung's fling? Why would he bring a stranger to this family-only gathering?!

"Mr. Min, this is my youngest son—-Taehyung, and his boyfriend, Kim Seokjin." Mr. Kim Ji-hwan introduced both of them.

Mr. Min and his wife warmly welcomed the boys who were a bit startled when being introduced as "boyfriends". Meanwhile, Namjoon was startled even more. Taehyung's boyfriend? Since when? How could his father know this but he didn't?

The boys were about to take a seat, when Namjoon intentionally pulled Seokjin to sit right beside him while they were still shaking hands. But Taehyung wouldn't have it. He pushed Seokjin gently to the side, then slightly hugged his big brother. "Hyung, how are you?" He patted him, smiled, and quickly occupied the chair right next to him.

Namjoon rolled his eyes. "Never better, Tae."

"Noona!" Taehyung waved and smiled widely at his soon-to-be sister who sat beside Namjoon. Dr. Min Hye-rin smiled cheerfully at him. She secretly pointed at Seokjin, then playfully gave Taehyung a thump up. Taehyung grinned. He liked Hye-rin so much and can't wait to have her as a part of the family.

He then continued and bowed politely at Hye-rin's big brother, Dr. Min Yoongi, across the table.

.

The chatter continued. Mostly discussed the wedding party. Whether Hye-rin wanted an indoor or outdoor venue, would it be a night or an afternoon party? How about the gown and the tux? And which wedding organizer would she use?

As the three women in the group moved their seats closer to talk about more details, and Mr. Kim started to talk business with Mr. Min, Namjoon finally had a chance to talk to... 'Taehyung's boyfriend'.

"So, Seokjin shi, what do you do?"

"Hyung!" Taehyung shot him a warning glare which Namjoon ignored.

Seokjin smiled softly. "I'm a model."

"Oh!" Namjoon replied shortly, showing no interest. Of course, that kind of job wouldn't impress Kim Namjoon, the Vice President of a giant company as big as Kim Pharmaceutical. "You still look so young. Do you go to college?"

"Hyung!" Taehyung warned him with a sharper tone. His feelings of wanting to protect Seokjin arose. He was worried Seokjin would feel uncomfortable revealing any information about himself. But Jin reached out to Taehyung's hand under the table and squeezed it lightly to calm him down. He could handle this.

"Yes. I just graduated last year."

That was new information for Taehyung, too. He knew next to nothing about Seokjin.

"Oh." Namjoon sipped his double-shot espresso. "What major?"

"Biomedical science."

Whoa!! Namjoon was taken aback. And Taehyung—-didn't wanna be judged as if he knew nothing about his [newfound] 'boyfriend'—-tried hard to hide his surprise. Biomedical science??! Wow! His pretty 'boyfriend' had a pretty brain! Just wait until his mother hears about it! He smiled at Seokjin and squeezed Jin's hand on his thigh.

"Interesting!" Namjoon finally admitted. "Why do you do modeling, though?" But he had not done interrogating.

"Well, it was easy money. I was scouted by a modeling agent on the street in my second year of college. She offered me to join her agency and did some gigs. The job was fun and the pay was good, so I was in."

"You're not interested in working in the biomedical field?"

"I actually work as a research scientist at Seoul Medical Research Institute. I'm still at an entry-level, though. That's why I still do the modeling job on my day off."

"Well, well, well. You keep surprising me, Kim Seokjin." Namjoon leaned back in his seat and seemed to be more relaxed and friendly. "How about your parents? What do they do?"

"Enough with the interrogation already, Namjoona!" Min Yoongi chuckled from across the table. He shook his head in disbelief.

Seokjin smiled patiently. "It's okay." He said. "My mom is an epidemiologist, she works mostly in the lab to study disease outbreaks, such as the Covid-19 pandemic. And my father is a public servant."

A public servant, huh? Min Yoongi rolled his eyes and held back his small smile. As the Hospital Director of the elite Min Medical Hospital Seoul, Min Yoongi had personally come across the Minister of Health and his wife on several formal occasions.

Technically, Seokjin was not wrong. A minister was also a public servant. It was just a very humble way to say that his father was actually the South Korean Minister of Health and Welfare.

Yoongi shook his head again and kept everything to himself. Someday, when Namjoon already learned the truth, Yoongi would want to laugh at his face and mock him about it. It must be fun! He grinned. Kim Seokjin was something, alright. Yoongi liked him already.

.

There was a light squeeze on Seokjin's hand under the table. Taehyung then leaned closer and whispered something into his ear, "You're amazing!" He smiled sweetly.

Seokjin looked at him. That sweet smile. Those sparkly eyes. This warm hand that held his...

Jin smiled softly and squeezed back Taehyung's hand....

Could he hold him longer.....?

Could he just.......

....

He then glanced outside the window, to the reporters—-the vultures [!!] out there who were ready to prey on every private secret of the people inside this restaurant, including himself.

Namjoon might be oblivious about who he really was, but the media knew.

And he might not have to wait for hours to see his face spread across the internet with provocative titles about "what was the Minister's son's connection with the second [openly gay] son of Kim Pharma's owner? And why did he also attend this private Kim and Min family-only luncheon if he wouldn't soon be part of the Kim family too?" And the conclusion would arise. "Then the Minister's son was also gay."

....

Unfortunately, in their country, having a gay son was still considered a disgrace by society, especially for a high-ranking government official like Minister Kim Seung Won.

........

The storm... The storm was coming...

*****