With U // YunGi

Seeking Help

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The ages of all ATEEZ members are increased by three years to fit their jobs and the story line. Age differences stay the same.

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The customers in the café all turned their heads to San's table, where his best friend Mingi was shouting incoherent words into the air with frustration. San immediately bowed his head with a polite smile to the adjacent tables, apologizing for the noise. They murmured under their breath and looked away with a huff.

"Yah, Mingi! Be quiet, will you?" San whispered angrily, glancing at the waitress who was heading their way. "Let's get out of here before we get kicked out!"

Mingi still had his face in his hands when San dragged him out the door, leaving two untouched cups of coffee and three 5000-won bills laid out generously on the table.

Once outside, San let loose his death-grip on Mingi's forearm, practically throwing him towards the wall by the side of a quiet street. It was late February, one of the coldest times of the year. San shivered inside his parka. At least it wasn't snowing. The quicker he got this done with, the quicker he can get back to somewhere warm, ideally with a cup of hot chocolate.

"Get yourself together. You called me out in the middle of lunch wailing and whining, but you never even told me the problem. What's wrong?"

Mingi gave one last groan before slumping against the wall and letting his arms drop. His hair was disheveled, his nose red from the chilly wind. Over his doctor's coat, he sported the navy overcoat that San had gifted him last Christmas. As he relayed to San the events that happened ten minutes ago, the scene replayed in his mind.

He had just finished his morning appointments in the hospital and was heading to lunch when his father summoned him to the office by blasting it through the PA system.

Trying to hide his embarrassment, Mingi walked as fast as he could while hiding his face behind a clipboard he stole from a fellow doctor. The first thing he did when he barged into the hospital chairman-and-CEO's office was to demand the reason behind announcing his name in front of the public when the more obvious method was to use a phone.

He stopped short at his accusation when he finally noticed the presence of a family of three, all strangers, and his mother sitting on the posh armchairs in front of his father's desk.

A sense of trepidation filled him as he met eyes with his dad. "Have a seat, son." That sent a shiver down Mingi's spine. For all the times he called him 'son', bad news always followed.

Mingi eased himself into the only empty seat left, which was next to his mother's. The youngest woman, presumably the daughter, sat directly across him and smiled when Mingi sat. She looked familiar to Mingi, but he couldn't put a name to her face. The parents acknowledged him with a nod. He loosened the collar of his dress shirt nervously, impatient for some kind of explanation.

"Mingi, do you remember Subin?" His mother took his hand in hers, trying to soothe his nerves. "She's the daughter of your father's closest business partner, who works in a major pharmaceutical company. Most of the medicine in your hospital is supplied by them."

Mingi's fears came true. He gulped and forced a smile, the gears in his mind turning for a way out of this situation. "H- hello. Nice to meet you."

"Hello, Mingi. I'm glad to finally get the chance to see you in real life." Subin tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

Mingi's father cleared his throat and sat straighter in his seat. "I don't want to waste your time, Mingi, so I will get to the point." Mingi's mother turned to him abruptly, but Mingi couldn't see her expression. "We have agreed that you and Subin shall marry this year, ideally sometime during autumn."