HOUSE OF CARDS || VKOOK

Chapter 35: If you're confused between option A & B go for option C

The sound of the knuckles hitting against the wooden door resonates in the silent air coming along with a faint 'come in' right after.

Taehyung twisted the door knob and the door opened, welcoming him to step inside his father's personal chamber. "How are you, father?" He greeted the old man after closing the door behind him.

Mr. Kim raised his gaze from the book that he was reading while sitting on the sofa placed right under the average-sized window covered with thin curtains. "Son, come here. Sit beside me." The man urges while patting his slightly wrinkle-covered hands over the spot beside him.

Taehyung nodded as his lips formed into a straight line. He saunters towards his father and set beside the man, having a reasonable distance between them. "You wished to see me?" He asked.

"Yes, I did." Mr. Kim conceded, his gaze falling on the book again. His bony and manly fingers swiped a page to the side elegantly to read the other part.

"I heard you went on a business trip but if I reckon there wasn't any in the first place?" The old man stated in a calm tone, eyes roaming over the digitally typed words printed over the thin off-white paper.

His one leg was resting over the other one's roof of the thigh, and the book was placed on his lap. A speck is seated over the bridge of his nose as his eyes roam over the words.

Taehyung visibly gulped after hearing it, his fingers started to battle with one another as he stares at them. Forearms were placed over his thighs while his body was slightly bent downward.

"It was— It was a private trip." He reasoned, eyes still peering at the floor since he does not want to or does not have the courage to look up at his father. The anxious feeling that was kept daring to swell up inside his body triggered when he heard a long sigh coming from his father.

"You know you are a bad liar?" He remarked and closed the book. Head tilting to the side to peer at his son who still didn't dare to connect his gaze with the old man. "And I know a little bit of French too for your kind information." The man then added, emphasizing the word 'French'.

Taehyung widened his eyes in horror and his hand instantly flew to his neck and covered the spot his dad was peering at with the pad of his palm.

"I— father—"

"Did you mistake M with K?" The man asked with a slight frown, demonstrating if it was a spelling mistake because he doesn't think the initials JK really embodies his son-in-law, it should be JM.

Mr. Kim sighed and stood up from his seat when he didn't get an answer from his son. He saunters towards the shelf of books to place the one he was reading in its previous place.

"I'm not one to assume, son. But your silence tells me it's frankly someone else with the actual initials." He discerned while shoving the book through the narrow space between the other heaps of books

Taehyung shifted on his spot, the tip of his teeth digging on the pink skin of his bottom lip. His knees bounced up and down due to anxiety. Now, what should he reply to that?

"Father, actually. . ." Taehyung trailed off, fingers fiddling with one another as he peers at the floor, vision blurry not from tears but because he was zoning out and his pupils were dilating too much.

"Is my son getting into an affair?" The man asked jokingly while he strolls across the room and then made his way towards his desk. He sits over the leather chair and took a small bottle of ink and a pen before trailing a brownish vintage paper towards himself. He dipped the pen into the ink and started to write something over it.

Yes, it was the 21s century, 'modern' and 'updated' that's what we call us but to Mr. Kim, he still likes to live back in the days, he still likes to listen to songs on the radio, he still likes to use his flip phone and landline. That's just how he uncovers his inner peace.