He Is My Sin - Hyunho

08. Party At The Beach House

"I am having a small party on Saturday evening, at my house, to thank you all for your warm welcome and excellent cooperation this first month at your company. You - and your significant others of course - are all invited." Hyunjin announced smiling at the small gathering.

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All the members of the design team and the secretariat along with his three partners have gathered in the conference room to congratulate Hyunjin and Jeongin. They had successfully submitted the preliminary drawings for the housing project, after a month of long frantic days at work. Hyunjin smiled graciously, accepting words of confirmation and admiration from everyone at the office, pointing out that he was not alone in this, Jeongin had played an equal part, too. The younger man smiled shyly, receiving his due share of praise. Seungmin watched them content, while Minho stayed on the sidelines, barely acknowledging the excitement around him. His mood has been heavy since yesterday evening.

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Returning home from work, he saw Yeji talking to a tall man in front of their apartment building. The man was leaning against a car that Minho recognized from the other day. Their demeanor was a telltale sign that there was something going on between them. Minho hurried past them but Yeji noticed him. 

"I thought you said it was over." He tried to control his frustration. He wasn't angry, just disappointed. "It is." Her curt answer didn't leave much room for anything more to be said. "I'm going to take a shower and change. Ryujin is coming over. We're going out." Minho watched her, unwilling to protest. So, she was going out with her sister and he would be left alone. 

The evening passed in solitude again. It was already past midnight. He poured another shot of whiskey, looking at the empty apartment around him. "Here's to me!" He chuckled bitterly. It was his birthday, today. But no one seemed to care. Not his wife, at least. He felt that suffocating feeling again. The one that left him frozen in place, unable to move.

He woke up on the sofa, feeling stiff. He must've fallen asleep at some point and someone had covered him with a blanket. The whiskey bottle was half empty on the coffee table and he reeked of alcohol and misery. "Well, happy birthday to me..."

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"Minho? Is everything alright?" Seungmin nudged him gently. Minho nodded tiredly, making the black haired sigh. "So, we're going?" "Sure."

Hyunjin had just invited all of them to his house the following weekend, to celebrate the completion of the first phase of the project and also his first month at the firm. The design team girls were buzzing with excitement while Tina watched them frowning. "I expect each and every one of you to be on their best behaviour." She stated sternly. "Do not forget that Mr. Hwang is a senior partner." "Oh Tina! Come on! Don't be a buzz kill!" "Yes, Tina! Don't you wanna know more about him?" "I know everything I need to know about him." She replied, uninterested. The girls ignored her, returning to their gossiping and talking about... outfits. Tina rolled her eyes and went back to her desk.

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Hyunjin lived in a house by the beach, on the outskirts of the bustling city. It was a contemporary design and yet seamlessly integrated into its surroundings. A small garden at the front served as a filter between the two storey building and the narrow country road that led there. On the opposite side the house faced the sea. Large windows allowed an unobstructed view. It had a large terrace and then some stone steps leading down to the sandy beach. The mellow weather on this late October evening and the sun slowly setting on the horizon made everything seem even more appealing .