He would have laughed if he was in another situation. It was the third time Jaejoon was back in his father's house.
"Sir Jaejoon." The butler opened the double doors leading to the foyer wide enough to let Jaejoon in.
"Is my father here?" Jaejoong asked as he climbed the staircase.
"He is in his study with your Mother, sir." The butler answered. The tone of his voice said he wanted to ask something, but Jaejoon was in no mood to entertain it.
"I will announce your arrival-"
"No need." Jaejoon walked past his father's study and went straight to his room, getting his suitcase out of his closet. He was dripping wet from the rain, but he couldn't be bothered to stop."Sir, let me-"
Jaejoon held up a hand and the butler stopped. A few minutes passed by, Jaejoon was picking out the things he brought with him when he first came and placed them carefully in the suitcase, while the butler gradually retreated from his room.
It was time to leave.
—-
A loud knock echoed inside the study. Jaejoon's father didn't even have the time to ask who it was before the door was shoved wide open by his youngest son.
"Abeoji. Is it true that Jaejoon Hyung is leaving?" Taemin looked at his father pleadingly.
"It seems like it." The elder Han nodded.
"But why?" Taemin walked to where his father's massive oak work table was, messy with scattered paperwork, picking up a card from the table. "We didn't even get to send these out."
It was an invite for a big society ball hosted by the Han. They were supposed to have a celebration, a venue to announce the formal entry of Han Jaejoon to the Han family. His adoption papers were finalized the week before, after all. There was nothing to stop him from announcing his presence to the world.
"Abeoji." Taemin turned to where his father was, currently facing the huge french doors leading to a wide balcony, looking out into the night, deep in thought. "Are you sending him away? Isn't he our brother? He has nowhere else to go. He only has us."
"Taemin-ah. Do you love your brother?"
"Ne. He's my brother after all. What kind of question is that, abeoji?"
The old man just nodded, a small smile lifting the corners of his mouth.
"Is this about a girl? I heard they were fighting over a girl." Taemin made a face and snorted. "She better be pretty. And worth it! Or else..."
"It's not that simple, Taemin-ah.""What do you mean? If it's love, then it's love. Rich or not, don't we experience it the same way? No rich or poor when it comes to it. It shouldn't be hard."
The wide-eyed, innocent reasoning of his son was enough to make the old man laugh, his voice booming and reverberating throughout the walls of the house, a bewildered look crossing his son's face. His youngest son, with all his short years living in the world, might be right. Maybe it was that simple. They can use reasons like the society's rules, business decisions and the impact a union of two powerful families can have, but for once, can't they overlook that fact and just simply admit that sons and daughters can fall in love and give their hearts to a person they want to?
