Fortnight

Chapter - 17

As promised, Theo meets Josh in his office early in the morning. The office is spacious yet cozy, filled with sleek furniture and a large window overlooking the bustling city. Josh greets Theo warmly, his usual composed demeanor slightly tinged with concern.

"Morning, Theo," Josh says, gesturing for him to take a seat. "Thanks for coming in on such short notice."

"Of course, hyung," Theo replies, sitting down and placing his briefcase on the table. "You mentioned there's been a decline in finances?"

Josh nods, handing over a thick file filled with financial statements. "Yes, we've noticed a significant drop recently, and it's been worrying. I need your insight on this."

Theo opens the file and starts going through the statements meticulously. Josh watches as Theo's eyes scan each page with keen focus, occasionally making notes on a pad beside him.

After a few minutes, Theo's brow furrows. "Hyung, some of these figures seem off," he says, pointing to a specific section. "Look here and here—these expenses are much higher than they should be, given our recent activities."

Josh leans in, examining the points Theo highlighted. "You're right. How did we miss this?"

Theo cross-checks the figures with other documents, his expression growing more serious. "It looks like the finances might be mismanaged, or worse, misused. Who's responsible for managing these accounts?"

Josh sighs and rubs his temples. "Woobinwoo from the finance department handles these. He's been with us for years, so this is unexpected."

"We should call him in later and ask him about these discrepancies," Theo suggests, his tone firm. "I have a doubt that the finances are being used inappropriately. We need to get to the bottom of this."

Josh nods, his face set in determination. "I'll arrange a meeting with him this afternoon,"

Theo closes the file and leans back in his chair. "Keep me updated, Josh. I'll be leaving before lunchtime," he replies, a hint of concern in his voice.

Just as Theo is about to stand, his phone pings with a new message. He instinctively reaches for it and, upon seeing it's from Jaehyun, an instant smile spreads across his face. Josh, still standing nearby, notices the change in Theo's expression and raises an eyebrow. Theo is smiling more than usual, a fact not lost on Josh.

"You seem happier these days," Josh remarks casually, glancing up from his work.

Theo barely registers the comment, his focus on his phone as he chuckles at a picture Jaehyun sent him.

"Yeah," he responds with a distracted smile.

Josh watches him closely. "Who are you talking to?" he asks.

"Jaehyun just sent me a picture of Tae. The kid decorated the entire wall with his fingerprints. Poor Jaehyun's going to have a hard time cleaning that up," Theo says with another chuckle, typing a reply.

Josh frowns. "Jaehyun? You mean your boss?" "Yep," Theo replies, still texting.

Josh feels a pang of concern and shifts in his seat, sitting directly in front of Theo. "You guys are friends now?"

Theo pauses for a moment, then looks up, slightly confused. "He's more than a friend to me," he says without much thought.

Josh's expression turns serious, his eyes narrowing. "What do you think you're doing, Theo?"

The accusatory tone catches Theo off guard. He puts his phone down and finally gives Josh his full attention. "What do you mean?"

Josh leans forward, his gaze stern. "Do you even know what you're doing? Why are you doing this to yourself?"