❝ the lounge

@Nam Jihyun Having arrived back at his smaller home, Jeongsu had turned off his phone, not particularly wanting to be contacted by anyone. Not Henry and not Jihyun, certainly not his family neither the press. He spent the night reflecting the events that had happened, massive guilt crowding around him and almost dragging him down, his sagging shoulders showing it without the need for words.

Sighing softly, a few days had passed and the man was okay, little contact with the other two still but making sure they were fine. What he should have been caring for was himself. Not a week later, the man was kidnapped for ransom, only to have saved himself with some assistance from Ji, the two having kept it from Henry as the older didn't think it best to have burdened him with more than he already had to deal with. Besides, the only things the model had left to show was a scar on his body here and there from where he'd fought and been hurt.

@Lau Henry (Semi-hiatus) Jihyun nodded at Jeongsu's words and was actually about to go tell Henry when he got up and left. She quickly paid for her drinks and scurried out of the lounge, just in time to see reporters start to swarm the area and see Henry drive off. She sighed and then the reporters were bombarding her with questions. She put on a businesslike expression and held a hand up to stop all of the questions. "Mr. Park has not released any statements about anyone he might be dating or not, if any of you would like to set up an interview, I am willing to set up a press conference with Mr. Park soon and you can ask him then. As for now, please refrain from asking around or trying to find the man that just drove off. Do not follow Mr. Park if he meets with anyone. Remember his request of being human. I understand that you are reporters, but I find that one of you tracked down the man that just left here, you will lose your job." And with that, she flagged down a taxi to take to her suite in the city. She hoped that that had deterred the reporters from tracking down Henry for the time being, at least until the press conference. She sighed and ran a hand through her hand and set up a reminder on her phone to call Jeongsu and Henry about the press conference when she got home.

@Nam Jihyun "I-I--" Henry stuttered put, his words suddenly caught in his throat. He couldn't believe that Jihyun got up and went to the bar like that. Sure they had this area to themselves, but there where other people there. They had obviously been talking and he would have bet money that pictures where taken. Maybe even a video or two, but it wasn't like anyone would be able to pick up the audio. "I love you, too..." Henry muttered as the other walked past him, a deep blush on his cheeks. He looked over his shoulder just in time to see Jeongsu walk past his ex and leave. That's when he stood himself to follow Jeongsu out, but when he got there the media was already starting to surround them. The last thing he wanted to so was give them even more to talk about, so Henry forced himself to go in the opposite direction, a few people following him to his car. A car that he now hated. It wasn't anything nice and it was almost ten years old. Definitely not a vehicle fitting for the lover of Park Jeongsu. Before a reporter could shove a camera into Henry's face as he shut the door he did and drove off for home.

@Nam Jihyun Leeteuk watched as the woman slipped away to the bar, frowning softly as he turned back to is drink on the table, staring at it before looking to his boyfriend quietly.
I don't want you to be upset at anyone else besides me. It's certainly not worth losing Jihyun as such a close friend to you... She was right though, I do love you Henry and you know that, you know I do... You're just making things hard and I don't know why, are you jealous? Or have I angered you due to another reason? I just can't tell anymore..." the model bowed his head, unable to look at Henry anymore who was being so cold, so unfair and so cruel to him now of all times. Covering his face with one hand, the male stood up suddenly, his eyes glimmering from tears he hid before walking over to Jihyun, murmuring for her to return to Henry as he exited, saying he had a meeting to attend to and that he was sorry.

@Lee Chaerin (Semi-Hiatus) Jihyun softened at Jeongsu's words and relaxed into her seat, thinking about it. She finally nodded. "Alright," she said softly, digging out a couple of painkillers when she saw the model had a headache. "Here," she murmured, handing them to him. She glanced up at Henry when he said that he just was mad at her for her choice of one job. "You don't know what I went through," she said, her voice bordering on cold. "You don't know who I was. Trust me, this is an improvement." She drank the rest of her drink in one go, taking a deep breath and thinking she wanted something stronger. When she heard the rest of what her ex said, Jihyun looked at him in disbelief. "Henry, that isn't fair... Stop.. Don't say that to him because you know he loves you..." she said softly, a change from her almost cold tone from a few moments earlier. "Look... if I'm making things strained on your relationship..." she looked down. "I'll be right back," she said instead, standing up and going to the bar to sit down. She ordered two shots of vodka and downed the two quickly before staring blankly at the bar for a few minutes, hopefully letting Henry and Jeongsu to talk by themselves. She didn't want to, but she knew that she could change to just a business relationship with the model if that was what was best for the couple and her...

@Nam Jihyun "Not just. Just one." He said flatly, starting to wonder why his ex was being so touchy with his boyfriend. Henry hadn't realized it yet, but he was acting how he was because of jealousy. The green moster flared deep inside of him when Jihyun seemed to be whispering quite a bit to Jeongsu. He of course didn't hear, but if he could then he couldn't get too upset. After all when he first started working for his now boyfriend he bought him a lot of new clothes and a few other things. However Jeongsu's words where not whispered and to keep himself from staying anything stupid he downed the rest of his drink. He was going to need another. If this kept up then he would have to take a cab home. He looked at Jeongsu and said, "And I had something to tell you tonight, too. Then of course you might already know seeing as how much of a creep you where about tracking my number down when I was still a delivery man. What else have you dug up about me? maybe my psychiatry reports from all the testing and evaluations they put me through after my parents murder? Trust me. They're nothing special." If modern science didn't know what was wrong with Henry then he highly doubted that the all powerful Park Jeongsu did.

@Nam Jihyun "No... No Ji, I don't want to you leave yet. I don't trust anyone else to take care of you like the way I can. You don't have to go at all, please, you have your own room as well if you no longer wish to use mine... I don't want you out of my life because of all of this and I certainly don't want you both fighting over something like this and ruining a relationship." Jeongsu sighed as he held his head again, throbbing in his hands as he held back a groan and really wished the entire meeting would go in another way, a better way, anything but how it was at the time. Looking over to Henry, the model frowned lightly, feeling like he was trying to be pushed out as he felt more grateful to have at least Jihyun try to make the other see his own side.

@Lau Henry (Hiatus) Jihyun reached over to rest her hand on the model's arm when he rubbed his head but froze, remembering that Henry was there. She immediately sat back and withdrew her hand to place it in her lap. She bit her lip and looked down, trying her hardest not to roll her eyes at Henry's words. "Well, I'm sorry I forgot," she practically snapped at her ex. "Why are you mad at me for my choice of jobs?" she asked, her voice so soft that it was barely audible. She took a deep breath to calm herself and sighed softly. "Anyways.." she started, shifting and accidentally kicking over her bag. She righted it before the contents could spill out and faced the two men. "I guess I shouldn't get between you two..." She then leaned towards Jeongsu and said in a lowered voice so only he could hear, "I'll go by your mansion after this and get any stuff I have there..." There was no sense in saying it out loud and causing another small argument between the two of them. She didn't know if Henry knew about Jihyun staying at the mansion or not, but in case he didn't, she didn't want to bring it up.

Henry looked at his ex as she explained how he didn't get her number and he did his best not to scoff. He didn't succeed. "I guess you don't remember that conversion that we had in the back of the club you don't work out any more." He said flatly and took out his phone, opening up his contact and sent Jihyun a text that simply said, "See?" His eyes flashed over to Jeongsu, but he remained silent. There wasn't anything else that he had left to say on the matter any way.

@Nam Jihyun Jeognsu sighed as he rested his head in his hand a little, rubbing his now slowly throbbing head, his PA making his heart warm as she tried to defend him but still, she couldn't hide the hurt that well from her boss. They'd grown close over their time together, closer than he'd thought he'd become with her but he didn't mind, he liked it and he more than cared for her. He proved it with the things he gave her, a home, a haven and the necklace she seemed to treasure so much and keep close to her heart. Jihyun was as special to him as Henry, two people he was more than honoured to have met in his lifetime on the lonely blue planet they lived on.
"Ji... It's alright, Henry is going to naturally be mad at me, now amount of reasoning can help it."

@Lau Henry (Hiatus) Jihyun nodded at Jeongsu's words, remembering when Henry had told her that he was working for Park Jeongsu. It wasn't long after that when she became his 3rd PA. She bit her lip when she heard Henry's words and felt guilty. They were practically about to have a lover's spat/small argument and it was because of her. "But you and I haven't talked since we met again at the club, Henry," she said softly. "And you didn't get my new number then, I don't think. So you would've gone to the club and I wouldn't have been there. So how were you going to reach me?" She kept her voice quiet as to not sound condescending but it was true. She also noticed Jeongsu's small smile and felt her resolve crack even more. But she stayed strong and her hand went up to her necklaces, a habit she had picked up on doing whenever she was nervous or uneasy or she wanted to distract herself slightly.

@Nam Jihyun "Well you obviously didn't think about what I wanted." Henry muttered to himself as he stared at the table cloth, playing with the handle of his fork. The blonde continued to do this as he listened to Jeongsu speak. It wasn't like there was anything that he was able to add. He felt the man's eyes on him and he glanced up, not fully realizing that he was shooting lasers at his boyfriend with his gaze. It really should have been his place to tell Jihyun about the two of them. Hell! He didn't even know that she was working for him! If he did then he would have reached out to his ex girlfriend and told her.

@Nam Jihyun "Nae, I did know Henry. But... I just wanted it like this forgive me..." the model sighed softly, turning to Jihyun before he quietly answered her question, sensing how upset she was with everything.
"We met at a filming set. He was delivering some things we needed when I spotted him. I used connections to get his number and the next thing, he was my third PA." Jeongsu smiled a little, remembering how much harder it had been than he'd just made it all sound. Turning his head to his lover, he knew he wouldn't be pleased with him but hey, it was something he was going to have to had deal with in the beginning and he knew it.

@Lau Henry (Hiatus) Jihyun looked down when Henry said he wanted out of the gang. But the fact was... She didn't think she wanted to if she could. "Henry.... One, I can't leave. Two, it's a lifestyle I can't give up. And three, it's like a family... A better one than what I had..." Her hand reached up to touch her dragon necklace she now wore all of the time. Her ring was in her bag, carefully put in a way she won't hurt herself if she scraped against it while rummaging though her bag. "Like I said earlier, I can't leave what I was born and raised into... And he is helping. He's being flexible and he helps if I'm ever injured which hasn't been in a long while." She grew silent as Jeongsu came back with the drinks and she took her sip to collect her thoughts. "He knew," she answers to Henry's question. "I told him we had a past," she said softly, placing her drink on the table. She might look and act okay with then two dating, but she kind of wasn't. Having your crush and ex together as a couple was just... Discerning. But she was okay hiding the truth for now. She might go home and cry later, but right now she was doing a pretty good job of a half faked, half real smile and good attitude, "So how did you two meet...?" She asked gently and softly, looking at both of them.

@Park Jeongsu "Oh..." He sounded a bit disappointed and he down cast his eyes to the table again. She was now working for one of the most influential men in the world. If she where in any trouble with this gang, then surely Jeongsu would find a way to get her out of it. He found the courage to look back up at Jihyun and half pleased. "Thank you. But Jihyun. I really wnt to see you out of that mess. I know that I don't know anything about it because I've never had to deal with anything like that, but please. Let Jeongsu help you with this." A moment later Jeongsu was back and Henry went quiet gain, fidgeting with his hands under the table. He looked at his boyfriend and asked, "Did you know that we knew each other? If you did then why did you have me come tonight? I would have rather told Jihyun about my love life in a different way. Something more private." He would have been lying if he said that he wasn't also hurt by recent events, but he was more embarrassed than anything.

@Nam Jihyun Jeongsu was at least glad to see the other two talking somewhat in his minor absence, his eyes glancing between the two before he turned and brought back their drinks. Setting them down, he himself only had a water, rubbing his head a little and sipping at it to try and rid himself of the headache that threatened to swell and get worse with the meeting in hand.
"Ji, Henry, I get this is awkward for you both, whether you admit it or not. I don't expect us to leave this lounge tonight with completely settled minds, that's impossible. What I'd like is however for us all is to at some point see eye to eye, to understand each other and live at least relatively normally." the man murmured, leaning forward a little and rubbing his temples.

@Lau Henry (Hiatus) "No!" Jihyun said, shaking her head. "It's not awkward," she told him and then processed what else he had said. He was glad that she was doing better for herself. He thought that she had quit her other job in the gang as well? "Henry... I only quit my waitressing job at the nightclub..." She explained softly, looking down, subtly saying that she was still in the gang. "And I know he will... He's already come through for me a lot.. Getting me this job, helping me when I got in trouble.. I owe him a lot.." She looked over to the bar where the model was then back to Henry. "I'm happy for you two," the woman murmured, successful in hiding her hurt.

@Nam Jihyun Henry's heart sank in his chest as he watched Jihyun's reaction. He knew that it wasn't, but he felt little bad. He stayed silent for a few moments after Jeongsu left, playing with his fingers in his lap as his eyes watched. Finally he maned up and looked to Jihyun. "I don't know what to say. Though I'm happy to see that you're doing better for yourself. Jeongsu will keep you safe and so will I. If you'd like I can leave. If this is too awkward for you, that is."

"I'll get us the drinks, you two probably have a few things to say to one another and you don't want my ears listening in or interfering in any single way possible. I'll be back." Jeongsu murmured, having caught his PA fiddling with the necklace he'd given her, still happy she'd kept it and taken such a liking to it in the first place. The model stood quietly, heading over to the bar as the place was staying relatively quiet, good, it was something all three of them would need if they were to make it out of this meeting generally unscathed. The oldest turned a little, watching Henry and Jihyun sit opposite each other, a pang hitting his body a little as he felt somewhat troubled, he could see they used to be a great couple, but he had to believe that his lover was his now and no one could rival him.

@Lau Henry (Hiatus) Jihyun blinked, confused by Jeongsu's actions with Henry. A voice started whispering in her mind but she pushed it away. What was going on? She grew even more confused and her heart tightened when she heard that Henry had become more than an ex-employee. They couldn't be... dating, could they? Her mind said that they were, but her heart was pleading that it wasn't true. When she heard Henry say that they were dating, her breath caught in . "C-Congrats.." she forced out, plastering a smile on her face, trying to make it seem as if she was unaffected by this news except to be happy. Her ex and her crush/boss. Oh the irony with that... "Um.. I actually started working for him when you were still his employee.." she said, her hand coming up to fiddle with her two necklaces. She had put on her blue gem necklace that Jeongsu had gotten for her because she had been coming to see him, plus her dragon necklace that she always wore now. But she was having a hard time keeping up the 'okay' façade. "Do you guys want something to drink? I- I can get us the drinks..."

@Nam Jihyun "I'm here because when I spoke with Jeongsu earlier he said that he made reservations for us. He didn't mention that someone would be joining us. Not that I mind-- Especially seeing as how you are our plus one tonight." Some movement caught Henry's attention out of the corner of his right eye and he turned his head in that direction, seeing that it was Jeongsu coming his way. He should have expected the kiss to the forehead, but because it was done in front of Jihyun it brought a soft blush to his cheeks. The question of the two of them getting back together hadn't been brought up that long ago and it obviously didn't happen. Not because Henry didn't want to be in a relationship when they spoke about it, but because of what Jihyun was doing with her life at the time. How she had meet Jeongsu was beyond him. He sat next to his boyfriend with his ex on the other side and looked between the two as the eldest in their small group spoke, afraid to see Jihyun's reaction, but then again wanting to know what it was going to be. When Jeongsu stopped talking he looked at Jihyun and said, "We're dating. It's been almost a month, but this is the first time we've been in public s such, so the media is going to have a field day with this." Henry felt awkward in the half silence that fell between them for a moment, so he decided to break it with question. "So you're working for Jeongsu now? Are you treating my old job well?"

"Take a seat, Henry." Jeongsu murmured calmly, standing and kissing his lover's forehead before he led him to his own chair and sat back in his own. Looking between the two, he could see the initial shock shared, well what else was he expecting. Sitting up, he cleared his throat and spoke between the two.
"Ji, you know Henry was one of my PAs, he's not anymore, but he's... he's become much more than an ex-employee now." the model began slowly, seeing that he was going to have to be the one to keep heads straight during this meeting in particular.

@Lau Henry Jihyun looked up to see Jeongsu and said goodbye to her friend on the phone and hung up. "Hey, oppa," she said, smiling. "No, I wasn't waiting that long. A lot of stares followed me here, but it was okay. She tilted her head when she saw him look at her watch and wondered who he was waiting for. After all, she had thought it would be just them.

She got her answer when a familiar voice called her name. Her eyes widened as she saw Henry approach. "Henry?" she asked, confused and shocked. "Jeongsu texted me to meet him here.. W-what are you doing here?" she asked him in return before remembering that he was one of Jeongsu's personal assistants. Unless that had changed, and if it had, why was he here?

@Park Jeongsu When Henry came to a stop light that he knew he'd be at for a while he sent Jeong-su a text to let him know that he was on his way. He hadn't told his boyfriend about who his cousin was or that he was now working for him. Then again working for Zhou Mi had only happened this morning. He finally made it to the lounge and parked, buttoning up his own blazer after closing his door and straightening his cuffs. He walked through the front door and gave his name so that the host could walk him to where Jeong-su was. However when he got there he was surprised to see Jihyun there and it showed. "J-Jihyun? What are you doing here? How--?"

@Nam Jihyun Jeongsu arrived outside the lounge about twenty minutes after his PA did, walking in quickly with his long legs taking him in as he swapped his blazer for a comfortable cardigan, sitting down as he found the woman waiting for him. Smiling he called over a waiter, ordering a bottle of wine for the meeting to take place.
"Annyeong Ji. I hope you weren't waiting too long. I had to get the lounge booked out tonight because the fans were following me." the model sighed before shaking it off, checking his watch and phone as if waiting for someone else.

Walking out of her apartment, Jihyun had made sure her puppy, Chaeri, was okay before going out. She had gotten a text from Jeongsu to meet at the lounge so she quickly walked there. It was different, seeing him outside of work and his mansion like this. But she didn't mind. She owed him a lot anyway. Getting a phone call, she walked into the lounge, noticing that she got a lot of stares because people recognized her as Park Jeongsu's personal assistant. Shaking her head and ignoring the stares, she answered the phone as she sat down in the VIP area. She talked with her friend on the phone as she waited for Jeongsu to arrive.

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@Choi Gina (Posted~)

@Park Jeongsu Feeling the slight brush of their arms touching made Gina softly hiss inwards. If he were to touch her again, Gina might have to take him right then and there; all the patience and control she had earlier was fading away with every moment spent with him. "A nice kink indeed." she replied, unlocking her door and revealing her home to him. "I know this is against the point of the mask, but may I at least know your name?" She asked. It wasn't like Gina truly cared, but just wanted to know what she would be tonight.
[Next post in my suite?]

@Choi Gina Jeongsu listened to the woman quietly, following her out and thanking the driver whilst he caught up to her, his warm and toned arm brushing against the woman's as he stood beside her. The way she her lips didn't go unnoticed either, all of it was caught by the man and he couldn't help but smirk inwardly, the stranger clearly having her eyes set on him from the very beginning made him feel craved.
"Mm, it's a nice little kink, isn't it?" he murmured, following Gina up to her home.