A Helping Hand | MYG & KTH

22 ~ Undeserving

"So how long are you going to wait before deciding to intervene? Damn it, Jaekyung, you didn't even last a fucking hour!" Taeju snaps once we've exited the school building. I glare darkly at him as I halt in my tracks, effectively bringing himself to a standstill as well.

"Don't you dare fucking scold me like I'm a fucking child. I am not above replacing you, Jung Taeju. You weren't there. You didn't hear what was said, the way it was said. He deserved to have his fucking ass beat and more. I will not be scolded like I don't know what the hell I'm doing. I will not be scolded as though you are above me. I may be younger than you but I am in charge of you." I snarl darkly, heartbeat still racing in my chest from everything.

"Damn it, Jaekyung, I will fucking scold you! You nearly sent the damn kid to the fucking hospital! You can't afford that shit, Jaekyung! You said it yourself! This is your last fucking chance! Your last chance and you're already skating on thin ice! And you don't fucking skate, Jae! You can't be doing this shit without someone there to back your ass up!" Taeju barks angrily, and I hardly even have the chance to think before my hand is up and flying across his face, not at all here to deal with this kind of shit or behavior.

"You are my fucking underling goddamn it. You weren't there. You didn't hear him. You will not scold your boss. You will not scold me with the background that I fucking have. I don't put up with that shit and you know it." I pant, anger and emotions running wild throughout my entire body. I know my entire being is shaking, still not over what had been so carelessly thrown in my face.

"What the hell did he say to make you decide he deserved to damn near die?" Taeju breathes out, running a hand over his face frustratedly. I don't even recognize the tears that are rolling down my cheeks at this point, still out of breath from suffering through what I had in the first half hour of being on this fucking premises.

"He called me a poor kid. That poor kids like me never grow up from the poor past that we deserved. Said I fucking deserved the past I have. And I don't. I do not deserve the past I have. I did not deserve to grow up poor. Said I was fucking beneath him, that us poor kids are below the rich kids, even if I've managed to make something of myself these days and that I'll be treated accordingly. I will not go back to that. I will not go there. I will not be forced to relive those days. If I get exiled for beating him within inches of his fucking life for what he said, it's the least he fucking deserves." I say, knowing fully well what I'm throwing in his face at this point.

It's not even seconds later when I'm being tugged into a tight hug, his arms wrapping around me tightly yet holding me ever so carefully as though I were something fragile. He doesn't say anything for a moment, just holding me, as if he knew I were on the brink of collapsing into a million tiny shattered pieces.

"I'm so sorry. I should've known better. I'm so sorry, Jaekyung." Taeju mumbles, his words shaky as though he were trying to keep himself pulled together as well. I reluctantly pull myself out of his grasp, not surprised to see a lack of tears from himself, something that's usually rather common for myself.

"I am not a liar, Taeju. Don't start trying to make me into one. I will drop you if I have to. Don't make me do that." I scold lightly. He purses his lips at this, giving a curt bow in return. I suck in a deep breath at this before turning on my heel, deciding to head off to the office to spend the rest of my day working the way I otherwise would have been. I know Daewoo will scold me the moment I set foot inside the office, but I also know I'll drown it out, knowing it won't mean shit to me.

I don't really know how I manage to get my car started, or how I manage to pull out of the parking lot, how I operate my car well enough to soon arrive at the building I'd decided upon spending the rest of my day at. I know I'm not at all present enough mentally for it, but I'd rather die in an accident than allow someone else to drive me around, than allow myself to be spotted in public with someone I shouldn't be.

I don't have the chance to even make it past Daewoo's office when I walk through the building to head towards one of the writing rooms they have here, the man standing half out of his office seemingly waiting for my arrival. He's cross, emotions apparent on his face, and he doesn't bother saying a word as he motions for me to come inside his office with a finger before heading inside himself. I just roll my eyes at the matter, begrudgingly dragging myself into his office like he'd wanted.

"I wasn't even off the phone with you for an hour, Jaekyung. One fucking hour. You weren't even in attendance for an hour and you've already gotten yourself into trouble. What part of this is your last chance did you miss?" Daewoo grinds out, clearly angry as hell. The Valium I'd taken in the car has long since kicked in though, mixing horribly with the memories that had been so rudely dug up, and the ugly combination is enough to have me eerily calm.

"I will not allow some snobby, arrogant, rich little bitch to get away with throwing my past in my face and telling me so firmly that I deserved a poor person's past. I will not allow myself to be bullied and I will not allow someone to act and treat me like he's better than me solely because he comes from a family with money. If you have a problem with that, then you have a problem with employing me. If you have a problem with employing me, then you should remove me from Elemental and find someone to replace the role I play for all of the other bands this company employs." I counter calmly, expression blank as I look back at the man seething across the desk from me.

"It would too damn costly for us to replace you and you know it. You need to get your fucking act together and quit acting like a sensitive little preteen. You are far too old for this shit, Jaekyung." Daewoo snaps, glaring heavy at me. I merely lift an eyebrow languidly, grateful for the amount of Valium I'd taken to be able to withstand this bullshit I'm currently dealing with.

"It seems we're at a crossroads then. We've played this game far too many times, Daewoo. We both know it'll only damage me, we've seen the damage it does for me to allow them to walk all over me. I think we both prefer I not act like a goddamn dog so that none of us have to face the consequences of that option. It leaves us only with the option of allowing me to continue to stand up for myself, or for you to fire me so that neither of us have to continue playing this game. We both know this is going to go nowhere, so pick your poison. Fire me, or get over this issue. You know the only way this ends is to fire me or send me to online schooling which you've already expressed isn't an option. You figure it out." I point out, not really caring which option it is at this point.

Daewoo heaves a heavy sigh, running his hands over his face roughly for a moment before looking over at me, clearly still frustrated by this predicament. It stays silent for a moment, Daewoo seeming to try and collect his thoughts.

"He really did that this morning?" He breathes out, eyebrow quirked. I simply nod, expression not changing. He huffs at this, shifting in his seat before he's looking away for a moment.

"Start writing up a record, and start keeping a record. The only way your image doesn't get completely destroyed by this continuing is to start giving the public information about the reasoning behind it. We don't have to reveal your past in detail, just brief enough for them to get the picture, and with all of the explanations from what you've been faced with at each school, that should be more than enough to get them off your back for a while." Daewoo mutters, nodding to himself near the end. I narrow my gaze at this, not entirely liking the sound of his plan.

"I'm not a complainer, Daewoo. Don't make me into one." I warn, feeling as though that's all his idea will make me look like. He immediately frowns at this, shaking his head.

"We won't go into detail about it for the time being, we only give details if it comes down to it. But you having an actual list of everything that's happened will help to back it up if we have to. I'll let you review the press release before it's posted to make sure you're comfortable with it. We have to start addressing this though, Jaekyung. It's been going on for too long and happened too many times, that we're going to be lucky as it is if we're not too late in addressing it to keep it from backfiring on you." Daewoo explains, appearing confident in his idea for the time being.

I purse my lips at this, knowing he's not wrong that we may be too late in addressing the matter, that we need to start addressing shit before my image completely tanks beyond repair, even if I couldn't care less about it.

"Fine. Send it over to me when it's ready for review. I have work to do in the meantime."