It Was Me

Chapter 10

"Jeongguk, your birthday is in a week. You'll be turning 22. What do you want to do?"

His uncle asks him as he sat in his uncle's office, reading some magazines. He peels his attention away from the material, as he thought to himself.

It is his birthday in 7 days, how do people usually celebrate their birthdays?

He only celebrated his birthday in their room when they were in the institute, Jimin just sang him birthday songs and would walk around the vicinity for some fresh air.

"What do you usually do on birthdays, uncle?"

"Well, we could get you a cake and some balloons and of course, presents!"

His uncle claps, while walking around the office tidying his things as he got ready to leave and call it a day.

"A cake? Those big ones that I see in TV?"

Jeongguk's eyes twinkled in excitement. He never lived like a normal boy, he stopped experiencing fun birthdays when he was 7. He stopped living as a normal boy at that age.

"Oh, you want a big cake? You like Iron Man, right? You always used to bring your Iron Man toy when you and your parents came over here at my house"

His uncle sighs, as they both went down memory lane.

"Do you remember?"

Jeongguk looks at his uncle and thinks hard but memories barely made it into his mind as he could only remember fragments of his childhood.

"No, not really"

"Well, tell you what, why don't we order an Iron Man cake for your birthday?"

"Wouldn't I look ridiculous?"

"Nonsense, who cares? We're going to celebrate your birthday in our house, anyway"

Jeongguk grins, the kid trapped inside him for years finally poking his head out.

"Now, why don't we get something to eat"

He nods and follows his uncle. He looks down at his paper airplane necklace, playing it with his fingers. He was thankful to have such a good uncle, he thought he was alone but now its not too bad.

**

"This is so good, uncle!"

Jeongguk murmurs as food filled his mouth, delicious food filled his mouth. His uncle chuckles in response, waving to the server for more servings.

"Slow down, boy. Is it really that good?"

He nods in delight. The place was filled with people, families, colleagues and couples were eating their dinner having a good time while they ate the food heartily.

Jeongguk never thought that he would actually experience something like this again, he lost hope when the years of his admission in the institute extended.

"Uncle, why did you suddenly come and got me out of the institute? -I mean, why now? Why not before?"

His uncle halts the spoon he was about to put in his mouth, as he brought it back down to his plate.

"Well, I realized that-"

"Mr. Jeon?"

A voice calls from behind Jeongguk, the Jeons look at the person.

"Oh! Please just Abeonim. Come sit here"

"Oh no, I don't want to dis-"

"Oh, shush. I insist"

The man wore a suit but his tie was loosened around his neck and the first two buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned, left to show some of his pale chest. What caught Jeongguk's attention was the ID hanging around the person's neck, he is a prosecutor.

The new person sits across him and their eyes met. They shook hands and bowed courtiously at the each other, smiling politely.

"Jeongguk, this is Taehyung. This one's the best prosecutor in Seoul"

Taehyung snorts, shaking his hands in denial.

"Eat up, boys"

**

"Oh, Abeonim. If you wouldn't mind, I would like to interview you about something.."

"Oh, sure. When and where?"

"I don't mind when but I do know that you are very busy so I think we'll conduct it in your office, if you don't mind of course"

His uncle shakes his head as he took a shot of the soju they were trying to finish. The two males were a bit tipsy while Jeongguk was already slouched over the table, snoring.

"If you can come by this week, every 4pm and beyond, I'm available. Just don't come by Thursday, it's my nephew's birthday"

Jeon Chan Hae laughs and points at the knocked out figure across Taehyung, the aged man obviously more than tipsy. Taehyung smirks triumphantly.

His plan worked.

"Aish, look at the time. Still got a company to run tomorrow. Oh, Jeonggu-"

The boy across Taehyung suddenly lifts his head and looked at him cross-eyed. His stance barely steady as his body slightly swayed. Jeongguk scoots his chair closer to Taehyung, making the latter hold back his laugh.

"You!"

"Me?"

Taehyung points at himself, totally swooning over the raven haired boy beside him, still looking at him cross-eyed.

"Where have you been? Y-You kissed me and then you j-just left.."

Jeon Chan Hae watches the scene in front of him, and coughs awkwardly before grinning at Taehyung.

"Um.."

"Alright, I see you two already know each other. I'll leave him to you, son"

Taehyung lifts his eyebrow, totally confused as the boy leant closer to him. Before Jeongguk's uncle left, he pats the two boys heads then winks at Taehyung. Now, Taehyung has to escort this boy, he doesn't even know. He sighs and looks at Jeongguk who was lifting his head once again.

**

Jimin kicked stones off the street as he waited for Jeongguk, the boy mentioned that he was going to visit his uncle earlier. He was standing by the street which Jeongguk usually takes to get home but the raven haired boy was nowhere to be found and it was getting late. Jimin looks at the road leading to the street of his uncle's house. He walked towards it, deciding to explore the area, his feet led him to a restaurant.

And the moment he saw that raven, coconut head inside, he knew that it was Jeongguk. He walked closer to the restaurant's windows to confirm his suspicions and he was right, it is Jeongguk.

He was with someone else, whose back was facing Jimin's view, hindering him from recognizing the unknown person.

Jeongguk's posture was barely straight, his head kept swaying back and forth together with his body, he is cross-eyed for goodness sake! Jeongguk is drunk!

Jimin sees the raven haired boy scoot closer to the unknown individual like he was saying something to the man. Jimin thought his eyes were playing trick on him when Jeongguk started suddenly leaning towards the unknown man's face.

His blood boiled, his eye twitched and his fists balled up on his sides, if Jeon Jeongguk does what he thinks he's about to do, he will actually stab Jeon Jeongguk for real.

Jeongguk's body suddenly collapsed, Jimin almost screamed but thankfully the man catches Jeongguk before he could hit the floor. Jimin clutched his chest as he only watched the scene from outside the restaurant.

But what made Jimin want to barge in the restaurant, was when he saw the unknown man's face. He was sure that it is him. He could not be wrong! He is definitely not mistaken!

It was his childhood friend, Kim Taehyung.