Black blazer, dark grey button up, a red tie, and black pants, with black leather shoes. All from a high-end name brand, popular in Seoul among the elite.  His brown hair neatly combed, bangs slicked back, with a serious expression, chiseled jaw line, and his eyes with their gorgeous blue and yellow irises.  The outer part of the iris was blue, and the inner was yellow. His appearance was handsome, and he was often mistaken for a model or celebrity.  The words commonly used to describe Choi Dae-Hyun were cruel, cold, and calculating. He was a man known for having logos with no sense of pathos.  The logical and rational mind would always win over his emotions.  In fact, many suspected Choi Dae-Hyun did not even have emotions.  The only man to have ever been shown any mercy by Choi Dae-Hyun now stood before him without showing an ounce of fear and without trembling. 

               Choi Dae-Hyun’s eyes wandered the café, sizing it up.  His eyes had almost a glint of curiosity.  He looked at the style and found it very soothing to the eyes.  There was classical music playing over the speakers, however, not too loud to interfere if customers were holding conversation.  There were earthy tones of tan, brown, and mahogany.  Rows of various pastries lined the display, as well as samples to show what the mini entrée and side of the day was.  The air in the café was fresh and clean, with a slight scent of pine and fir.  Then a voice that could only be described as passive, but stern, could be heard.

               “You always did love nature, especially the forest.”

               Choi Dae-Hyun’s baritone voice was always dominating and everything he said had a purpose.  He did not care for small talk and was always to the point.  Wherever and whenever he spoke, crowds would go silent, as if to truly signify he was the boss who was the commander of a large group of men.  He continued his previous statement.

“When you had time to yourself you would go to the forests to hike, camp, hunt, and fish.  Only taking the essentials, you have always enjoyed the solitude of nature.”

               Soo-Ho closed his eyes and took a deep breath then let it out slowly.

               “I still go to the forest when I need time to reorganize my thoughts,” he said unflinching.

               Dae-Hyun smirked, then let out a laugh.  His smirk transformed into a genuine smile as he laughed.  His face betraying his outward nature, becoming warm and genial. He moved forward and embraced Soo-Ho as if one would embrace a long-lost lover.  However, Soo-Ho did not hug Dae-Hyun back.  Instead, Soo-Ho squirmed, and place a hand on Dae-Hyun’s chest to push him away.

               It was clear that Dae-Hyun did not like this gesture, so he grabbed the wrist of the hand that was trying to push him away.  His expression being one of displeasure with a hint of anger.  If a “normal” person had seen this expression, they would have been petrified. 

               “Ouch!” Soo-Ho exclaimed in his head.

               “Release me.” Soo-Ho demanded.

               Seeing the look of pain on Soo-Ho’s face, Dae-Hyun released him from the embrace and took a couple steps back.  Dae-Hyun unbuttoned his black blazer, then sat in the nearest chair, crossed his legs, and folded his arms.  Before he could say anything, Soo-Ho spoke up with a quiet but commanding tone.

               “Leave.”

               “No.”

               Dae-Hyun smirked and thought to himself, “Why should I leave? I deserve to know why he suddenly left.”

               “Leave” Hee-So said again.

“I refuse to leave until I have an answer that satisfies me, Null.  Or should I be calling you Hee-So, now?”

               “Leave.” Hee-So was louder this time.

               Dae-Hyun’s patience was beginning to wear thin.  He stood up and walked over to Hee-So, his tall figure temporarily blocking some light.  Hee-So braced himself for some form of punishment, but before either man could start something, a still-sleepy voice rang out.

               “Papa…” Jeong-Jin rubbed his eyes, a cute sight, “I’m hungry.”

               Jeong-Jin looked at his papa, then at the man next to him.  He looked confused, put a finger his lips then inquired, “Papa, who is that ajusshi[1]?

               “What?! I’m not that old. I’m only four years older than your papa –I’m 34!” Dae-Hyun had been surprised by being called ajusshi.

               Dae-Hyun’s reaction made Hee-So chuckle.  The air in the café had gone from stiff to relaxed in an instant.

               “Jin-ah[2], this ajusshi is someone papa used to know.”

               Hee-so made it a point to emphasize the word ajusshi.  Dae-Hyun was not amused and knew Hee-so did it intentionally.  Normally, Dae-Hyun’s response would be loud and violent, however, Dae-Hyun never showed his anger in front of children or women.  This stemmed from abuse he received from his father growing up and seeing how it affected himself and his mother.  He wasn’t a monster like his father and was determined to never become one.  Dae-Hyun relaxed his expression slightly before replying and squatted down to be closer to eye level with the boy.

               “What’s your name?”

               Without blinking the boy replied, “My name is Jeong-Jin.  I’m four.”

               Dae-Hyun immediately noticed the central heterochromia in Jeong-Jin’s eyes.  His eyes widened as he had a sudden revelation.  This boy before him was his son.  After taking a moment to absorb the new information, he slowly stood up, so as not to startle the boy.  He sat back down in the seat he was in previously, took out a cigarette, before putting it back in its box.  He put the box of cigarettes down on the table.

               “I have to quit,” he said while pushing them away.

               Jeong-Jin looked at Dae-Hyun inquisitively.

               “Why? Papa sometimes smokes.”

               Dae-Hyun looked at Hee-So with furrowed brows.

               “You smoke around our son?” he inquired while putting emphasis on the word “our” and slightly raising his voice.

               “No. It is a rare event and always outside.  It’s only when I’m really stressed about something,” Hee-So quickly replied.

               Hee-So turned to his son and squatted. He took Jeong-Jin’s hands in his and said,

               “Jin-ah, can you go up to papa’s office so papa can talk with his old friend?”

               “But I want to stay down here with you,” the boy replied with a hint of sadness.

               “If you do this for Papa, papa will buy you ice cream on the way home,” Hee-So said in a gentle coaxing manner.

               Jeong-Jin reluctantly agreed and nodded his head.  He grabbed his things from the table next to the bean-bag chair and went to the office.  After seeing the door close both men resumed stared at each other in silence for a few minutes.   Dae-Hyun broke the silence.

               “Is this why you left The Choi Group?”

               There was no shred or anger in Dae-Hyun’s voice.  Surprisingly, there was a hint of concern.

               “Yes.”

               Dae-Hyun covered his eyes for a moment then re-crossed his arms.

               “When were you going to tell me?”

               Before Hee-So could reply, Dae-Hyun stood up.  His voice was raised, but not loud enough to be heard in the office.

“You didn’t even tell me you were pregnant!  We could have had a discussion with my father. I would have taken responsibility and supported you.” There was definite pain in Dae-Hyun’s voice.

               “Your father sent a mercenary after me to have me killed!”

               Dae-Hyun’s eyes widened.

“No.  That’s not possible.  Father would have never had an asset killed, especially his top assassin. Even more so if the child is mine!”

“When your father found out, he asked me who the father of my child was, and I said I didn’t know.”

               Hee-So sat down at the table across from Dae-Hyun and continued his reply.

“You and I both know, the things I’ve had to do to carry out my assassinations, and how unsavory some acts are.  I’ve even had to do dirty and lewd acts with both men and women.  Your father would never have accepted a tainted man such as I.  In fact, he would have said the unborn child was the result of my acts while on duty.”

Hee-So clenched his fists and looked away from Dae-Hyun, who reached out and gently clasped Hee-So’s hands in his.  Dae-Hyun then raised both of Hee-So’s hands to his lips and kissed them.  His expression and demeanor changed.  Instead of a boss and his subordinate, they were like two lovers, and Dae-Hyun looked at Hee-So as if he were gazing at his most precious treasure in the word.  An expression that only Hee-So had ever seen.  Their lips and bodies had intertwined in bed countless times. Breathless gasps and moans, all part of steamy nights, neither had wanted to end.

Hee-So began to recall the past.  When did they shift from two people who practically hated each other to lovers?  They were always arguing and almost never saw eye to eye at first. His thoughts were cut short as suddenly felt Dae-Hyun’s lips, his tongue penetrating as his soothing pheromones surrounded Hee-So in a warm embrace.   

Ah… so soothing, Hee-So thought to himself.  As the refreshing scent of grass after the rain enveloped him.  He responded by releasing his own pheromones.

“Mmm… the scent of wisteria flowers,” Dae-Hyun softly mumbled.

“Ah!” Hee-So felt the familiar heat rising within him, he pulled away from the intoxicating man before him, before continuing.

“We can’t do this here. Jeong-Jin is upstairs, and anyone passing by can see in.”

               Dae-Hyun looked down at Hee-So’s face.  It was flushed red and the desire for more was clearly on his face.  Dae-Hyun picked up Hee-So and carried him into the back room, closing the door with his foot behind him.  He placed Hee-So on the employee nap bed, while continuing his onslaught of passionate kisses.  He began to remove both his clothes and Hee-So’s.  Suddenly he pulled his lips away and stared into Hee-So’s eyes.

“HeeSo-ah, if you don’t want this, hit me. Otherwise, be prepared.  I won’t be able to hold myself back.”

               Ah, he called me by my name, Hee-so was touched. He thought for another minute, and realized he too, did not want to stop. Hee-So whispered in Dae-Hyun’s ear, “Don’t hold back, Hyun-ah.”