With U // YunGi

Discussing Matters

The next day - a day meant for a busy doctor to catch up with sleep - Mingi woke up early and arrived his father's office at the hospital at nine o'clock sharp. Punctuality would make a better impression for the CEO, and would give Mingi sufficient time to tell his father what to expect when meeting Jongho later on.

After much persuasion and perhaps some begging, Mingi got his father to cancel his plans for the morning. They sat across each other in his office, staring at each other. Awkwardly for Mingi, impatiently for his father.

It felt like hours before there was a knock on the door, and Ms. Yoon, the secretary, came in to announce a visitor's presence. She opened the door wider and Mingi barely recognized the Jongho who walked in.

Instead of the wire rimmed glasses, Jongho wore contact lens. Despite this, and the fact that he wasn't wearing a suit, he didn't look any less smart - an untucked dress shirt and a dark blue blazer with the sleeves rolled up gave him a friendlier demeanor.

He chose this outfit to tell Mingi's father that he was here for a talk between friends, not a business deal between rivals.

Jongho stopped at a distance and bowed. "Good morning, Mr. Song."

Normally, the hospital CEO would stand up and bow back, but he was too perplexed by this young man. So he looked to his son and mumbled, "You said I'll be meeting one of the most reputable men in South Korea. Who is this? Your friend?"

"Father!" Mingi's jaw dropped, appalled. "He's--"

Jongho smiled, spoke over him. "Ah, Mingi-hyung must've been exaggerating. Nice to meet you, I am Nebula Group's founder - Choi Yeong Cheol's - son. My name is Choi Jongho."

Mingi's father faltered, and looked at his son incredulously before scrambling up hastily and bowed back. "Mr. Choi! How impolite of me! Come, sit. Do you want some coffee, or tea?"

Jongho rejected the offer nicely. Mingi shook his head at how quickly his father changed attitudes the moment he discovered he was talking to someone high-status.

"I didn't know my son was close with Mr. Choi." The CEO chuckled and nudged Mingi under the table using his foot. "He never told me."

Mingi glared back at his father. "Actually, it's Director Choi."

"It's alright, hyung. If you and Yunho-hyung are going to be boyfriends, we should be close enough to drop the strict honorifics."

At the mention of Yunho, the CEO's face clouded over. Mingi licked his dry lips and cleared his throat. He knew he had to clarify.

"Actually, father, Jongho is not only the successor of Nebula Group, but also very close with Yunho. They live together, and Jongho takes care of him, almost like a brother. If you're wondering, that's why I'm making you meet him."

Mingi's father remained stern, but Mingi knew he caught up with the underlying message.

Jongho nodded in agreement, and leaned in closer. He added, "the reason I'm here is because I treat Yunho-hyung like family. Just like everyone else, I assume, I want my family to be happy, and it seems that your son can do that for him." He leaned back into his chair, the imposing part of his speech finished. "So, in a way, I'm here to thank you."

"What?" The CEO's hands found their way onto the armrests and clenched them. He frowned at Mingi. "I don't know what you're playing at, but if you think that this is going to make me approve of your relationship with a man, it's not working. You could've easily pleased me by agreeing to marry Subin in the first place. Their family is related to Nebula Group, too, you know?"