Fake, My Soul

Chapter 25: Business is Business

Namjoon was sitting at a café nervously sipping his coffee as he was staring at basically nothing. His mind deep in thought about what he had learnt recently.

He wasn't sure fully about how to carry out his plan, but he supposed that the good thing was was that Taehyung would have a fresher perspective.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," Taehyung said as he sat down at the table and popped his bag on the back of his chair.

"It's OK," Namjoon said, "It gave me time to think of, well, nothing really,"

Taehyung and him chuckled together about this.

"Oh, I ordered a hot chocolate for you," Namjoon said, "It should be on its way shortly,"

"Thank you, Hyung, so, what do we need to talk about?" Taehyung said and asked.

"Business,"

"What type?"

"OK, so, let's clear it all out first, you're the Chairman?"

"Yes,"

"So, you're my boss, essentially?"

"Yes,"

"But you don't want people to know who you are and you're pretending to be a poor student?"

"Yes,"

"Now, this question is very personal, but, Taehyung, are you going to join Mandatory Service like the rest of us will or have?"

"Mandatory, Hyung, it's Mandatory, so obviously yes,"

"I'm sorry that you're annoyed, but I only wonder because our mother said that you have a heart condition, no way will the military make you join,"

"Ah, that, the heart condition is nothing physical, well, it is physical but, argh, how to word, my heart is on the wrong side of my body,"

"Huh?"

"It's on what people deem the wrong side, it's called Dextrocardia, my heart is on the other side,"

"Oh,"

"Yeah, so I have no physical problems in doing my duty,"

"OK, so, when are you planning to go,"

"In about two or so years, I want to try and set up what needs to be set up,"

"OK,"

"You?"

"Done already,"

"OK, has Jin-Hyung gone yet?"

"He has, he finished a few months ago, and a month later, he met Jungkook,"

"By crashing into him?"

"Yep, and they call ME clumsy,"

"I mean, you are clumsier than all of us combined, to be fair,"

Namjoon sighed at that.

"Hyung, you just said that you have done military service as well, right?"

"Yes, straight out of high school, I figured that if I get it over and done with, then I'm good, Father liked my idea,"

"Soooo, you're done?"

"Yes,"

"What's it like?"

"Hard, boring at times, stressful, yet a nice routine, I had a good unit though,"

"Which branch did you join?"

"I went into communications,"

"Oh, cool, what's that like?"

"A lot of communication,"

Taehyung laughed.

"I was debating artillery as I can do math, but I figured that I'm best suited for communication; that said, once I was done I ran out of there so fast and straight into Jin Hyung's arms,"

"Awww! Cute, so, you went before Hyung did?"

"Yes, he wanted to stay around here to just help out, we had a plan,"

"Ah,"

"Anyway, what are your plans?"

"Finish this degree and then head to the military after I set things up, that's pretty much it,"

"What are you going to do with Jimin?"

"I mean, he still has his dreams, I'm going to support that, last we spoke about it, he said that he will still head into service with Jungkook as part of the companion program, which I think will be good for him,"

"Yeah, um, Tae?"

"Yeah?"

"Father wants to take everything from you, I hope you know that,"

"I do,"

"What are we going to do about that?"

"I don't fully know yet, but, we'll think of something,"

The two were quiet for a bit before Namjoon asked, "Taehyung, why didn't I see you at Grandma's funeral?"

"Because I didn't want you to see me, I was the guy with a mask on and my hair was considerably shorter, almost a military buzz at the time,"

"That was you!? Grandpa said that you were a secretary of his,"

"I theoretically was at the time, a junior associate in training,"

"Why didn't you say hi or tell us?"

"You were strangers to me, mother called me an orphan farm boy and you believed that, hell, she called me that at the funeral,"

"I didn't approve, if that's what you were thinking,"

"At the time, I thought you were,"

"All these wasted years, and for what?" Namjoon mused more to himself than asking Taehyung.

"Yeah," Taehyung said.

"How was it growing up with our grandparents?"

"It was fun, I did a lot of farming, I found and caught a chicken, I cried when we had to kill the chicken, and then I forgot about it when we ate it because I was five and I was hungry,"

Namjoon just looked at him.

"What? It's a farming community, people farm, where did you think your food comes from?"

"I honestly never thought about it,"

Taehyung just shrugged.

"One thing I wonder, though," Namjoon started.

"What?" Taehyung asked.

"Why did Grandma not let you live like a prince? We are insanely wealthy and the company, contrary to what people think, was founded and started by her, father only gave a monthly 'allowance' to save face,"

"I have no idea, but it was a good childhood,"

Namjoon just smiled at that.

Taehyung took a sip of his hot chocolate that had arrived before thinking and then saying, "Hyung, I think I have a way that we can do this,"

"I'm all ears," Namjoon said as he sat back and listened.