Boy By The Sea • taekook

Twenty Six

Yoongi looks distant, detached.

He's sitting by his desk, glasses in hand, eyes glazed over. Jeongguk averts his gaze, not having the heart to look into his eyes.

Outside on the street, a thin layer of snow has built up overnight, covering up all the grimes of the street. It all feels so familiar, yet different, in a jarring, nerve wrecking way.

There's an open folder by Yoongi's desk, but the content is untouched.

The silence is stifling. Jeongguk waits, for Yoongi to speak first. And when he finally does, Jeongguk feels a chill within him as he has never felt before.

"So it's over?"

Jeongguk clenches his jaw and answers while keeping his gaze outside the window, "hyung, it's not like that."

"Feels that way though. You are giving me everything, no more partnership."

"Well, I'll still see you, this doesn't change anything."

"Does it? Will I still see you?" Yoongi's voice is flat, impassive.

"You know we are still the same. You are like a brother to me, I'll never forget that."

"But you just don't want me as a partner anymore, is that it?" Yoongi retorts.

Jeongguk forces himself to turn around to face him, "it's not you, I'm done. I can't do this anymore."

"This? The company that we have dreamt about since we were teenagers? This thing that we poured our life into? You are done?" There's a hint of frustration in Yoongi's voice now.

Jeongguk sighs and walks towards him, "It's nothing personal. I just feel that - my intentions have changed, it's different now."

"Different how? And of all the moments you could've done this, you had to pick now. Right when we are about to make a big move."

Yoongi is referring to the plan for the lobbyists - the confidentially bill is enroute to the senate, and they are ready to unleash all the incriminating intel they have on two of the senators with the swing votes. Infidelity, corruptions, details of past scandals, enough to make both of them cave and beg for mercy.

But also enough to destroy careers and lives.

Jeongguk blinks hard to rid of the sense of dread, and continues, "I'm sorry, but I think it's probably the right time for this. I'm..."

He stutters, but Yoongi's dark eyes bore onto him, so Jeongguk gulps and pushes the words out, brows furrowed, "I started all this to help manage my family's assets, to help them out. And when more clients started signing on, I didn't mind it. More to help, more responsibilities, I'm fine with that. But I know you agree, somewhere along the way, things changed. Even if we are not greedy, other people are." Jeongguk pauses and shakes his head, "no, that's a lie. I'm greedy too, just for different things. Too proud to admit that I started trying to preserve what we had at all cost, even when I no longer agreed with each move."

Yoongi shoots him an icy glare, "I hate it when you're being all righteous - if we don't protect our company, then who will. And what we do is always justified, part of the game."

"Well, justified to us. But life altering to others, immoral. All along, I kept telling myself that it was the right thing to do, safeguarding people's investments, helping out friends and family that are clients. But at what point did it become just collective greed, to not take a loss, to hang on at all cost." Jeongguk winces.

Yoongi's eyes are filled with exasperation, "Guk, you know what I think. That's pretty damn naive. What we do is no different than that of all the other firms. I'd say we are much more conservative already, more transparent -"