L.Joe's POV
The constant nagging and cussing from his father, did the sky-high confidence of L.Joe's to inch by inch sink. Despite the bad-boy outside of his, whenever his father was around, that image faded. It was because of the never ending respect he felt towards his father. In his eyes, the man had succeeded in life with not only his career, but many other obstacles. He had started his clinic in USA and now were the owner of the most successful man in the entire Busan. He was L.Joe's rolemodel in many ways.
As minutes passed of his father's scolding about his so-so grades, his constant use of the card that belonged to his father, the crappy clothing style and ditching of Hyuna. That man knows everything, he thought and looked down at the ground.
“Jeosonghamnida, abeoji. I did wrong” L.Joe said with sincere remorse in his voice, but didn't leave the gray side-walk with his eyes, afraid that if he did, it would trigger his father to continue.
“I don't understand what I did to raise you up to be like this... but it makes my decision even clearer. I'm sending you off to USA to study at a much more stricter, privileged school”.
L.Joe's eyes widened in both shock and fear at the sudden statement of his father's and he looked up to face the old man with rounded eyeglasses, and wrinkled pale face. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. There was no way that he was leaving South Korea – the less was he going to leave Ricky.
“A-abeoji” L.Joe stuttered and grabbed his father's both hands. “I promise to do better in school. I-I-I'll get tutors, I'll study harder. But please, a-abeoji, don't send me off to another country!”.
The desperate, slightly painful voice of his seemed to have startled his father, as he took one step back and widened his eyes in shock. But it wasn't the voice of his son that made him act – it was the fact that he had talked back to him. But that was not why he had come to see his son, it was another thing that he had heard that he needed to confirm.
“Enough with the excuses” He said with a firm voice, making L.Joe look back down at the ground. He sighed, as it wasn't the first time he had heard those empty promises of his bewildered son.
“Son... I have heard some other very disturbing things... Byunghun-ah” He began and inhaled a deep amount of air to continue on. “Are you dating a... boy?”.
As if the news of L.Joe going to another country wasn't enough, had his father come over the secret love he had for Ricky. He stared with widened eyes at his father and gaped. It couldn't be, he thought. He had chosen places for him and Ricky far away from the hospital where his father worked at – and places that he knew his father had people he knew worked.
But he wasn't going to let his father know about it, he couldn't. If he knew his father right, he would be very disappointed in him and kick him out of his home and never let him return. And he probably would do something nasty to Ricky. And at that moment, he cared more about Ricky than himself.
“M-m-mwo?!” He exclaimed with a high pitched voice. “Boy?! Yah, abeoji, micheoseo?! Do I look gay to you?!”.
L.Joe hoped that the drama classes he attended would pay off now. And by the startled look of his father, it did.
“Keurae... then why is it that you are always seen together with this... Yoo Changhyun- guy?” His father questioned, slightly awkward asking his son questions that even in his head, was ridiculous.
L.Joe faked a heavy sigh and glared at his father. “He is my friend, abeoji. FRIEND. He is new and so I was assigned to help him and show him around. And abeoji... why would I like boys when I have lots of girl friends?”.
His father cleared his throat and waved his hand, motioning for L.Joe not to continue. L.Joe sighed in relief, happy that he had been convincing enough to fool his father.
“Arasso. Let's... forget we ever talked about that nonsense, neh? My son liking boys... nonsense”. It was obvious that the man was feeling guilty for asking L.Joe, which made his heart to twirl inside his chest. He hated not being honest with his father, but he had no choice.
After another minutes, did they leave in peace. His father had made up a stupid joke about something, and laughed at his own stupidity. L.Joe laughed along, pretending like everything was okay – even though it wasn't.
A silver painted car with dark shaded windows drove up to the side-walk to pick L.Joe's father up and drive him back to the hospital. As the man sat himself down in the seat, he rolled down the window and gave L.Joe a serious look.
“I don't want to be disappointed in you, my son. But your grades are worrying me since they hasn't improved the slightest during all this time. After the one week break, Byunghun-ah, you are going to USA.”.
L.Joe felt his heart freeze inside of his chest, how could he have forgotten about that? He nodded slowly and bowed before his father. The car slowly rolled out on the street and then it was gone. A twitching pain rushed through his body and made him fall on his knees. With tears threatening to leave his eyes, did he tighten his both hands into two fists.
How... was he going to tell Ricky?
