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A stack of paper is thrown at him, the individual pieces scattering, some flying down to the floor, and some making their way to hit him softly before fluttering down.
"Why is my son so stupid?!" His father's voice rings through his ears, making him wince.
"Mr. Eun—" U-il stepped forward, his hand reaching out before Mr. Eun slapped it away.
"Get away!" U-il stepped back, watching as Mr. Eun picked up a pencil, throwing it at Hwan-gi's direction, baring his teeth in rage. "How could you do this to me?!" He grabbed another rstack of paper, throwing at his son. "Why?!"
The doors to the room creaked open, but the sound was drowned out by the hurricane of pure rage.
Hwan-gi could only stand still as his father threw everything he could grab at him.
He turned his attention away from his employees as they trickled into the room, hands over their mouths and expressions showing nothing but surprise.
"I had to end up with you!" His father marche dover, grabbing onto Hwan-gi's jacket, twisting his fists in the fabric as he pulled the boy forward. "A son that can't even talk properly!"
Hwan-gi felt his stone faced facade crack just a bit — just a bit — as his father pushed him away, Hwan-gi stumblibg before falling ass first onto the floor, papers strewned all around.
"Mr. Eun, please, let's calm down—" U-il reached for him again, but the former CEO only batted his hands away once more, not taking his eyes off his son.
"All you do is sit up here, doing absolutely nothing!" He stepped forward, grabbing a pencil holder from the desks in the middle for the room and chucking it straight at his soon, ignoring the yells from the employees. "You're a waste!"
Hwan-gi kept his head down, looking at the floor, counting the individual specks of dust in an attempt to keep the tears that threatened to spill locked inside.
Though, he couldn't stop the wavering of his breath, and the trembling of his lips. The hood had only covered his eyes, and he was not confident that his father wouldn't touch him again if he did pull the hood down.
"Why cant you be like him?!—" A hand is landed on his head and yanks to tilt his head up, his father pointing at U-il, who stands, arms reaching out for Mr. Eun, but is frozen as his father forwards everyone's attention to him. "—Out of everything you could have been, you had to be a coward!"
Hwan-gi feels his chest tighten and his lungs burn. He looks up at U-il, and all his friend can do is look back down at him, a sad expression on his face.
He feels the tears start to surface, but he can't pull the hood down.
"A coward!" His fathers voice rings out through the room. "I should have never let you take over the company,"
And with those last words, Mr. Eun stills, letting out a breath and fixing his suit. He walks over Hwan-gi, over the papers, past the employees who can't hold back their own swell of emotions, mouths agape — some with tears in their eyes.
The doors open with a shrill creak before closing with a resound thump.
Hwan-gi wants nothing more than to die at the very moment. For the floor to open up and swallow him whole; to wake up and have everything be a fever dream.
But no.
He flexes his hand, now facing the floor once more, and feels as the papers beneath it move, the sound of it as it crinkles.
He hears footsteps coming towards him, and he feels his frame shake.
"Hwan-gi?" He can't look up, but he knows U-il is trying to comfort him. Trying to reassure him everything is fine, that he's the CEO, not his father, but all Hwan-gi can do is stare down at the mess he indirectly made.
"Boss?" Ah, yes. They were here. They had watched his father yell at him, throw things at him, throw him to the floor— they were there for all of that.
He clenches his fists, teeth biting down on his bottom lip, feeling shame rise up in him more as he notices his lips won't stop trembling.
"Hwan-gi, please, take my hand," He would in most situations, but right now, he feels frozen. He doesn't know if he can, or even wants to move.
He's startled for a moment when Ro-un kneels down, peaking her head into his field of vision.
"Boss? Are you..." She trails off, guilt washing over her as she watches how his body shakes, how his hood is barely on his head, just a few hairs from slipping off his head completely.
She feels a new low as she notices the sheen thats over his eyes.
And just as the silence gets too suffocating, he speaks.
"I-I'm sorry," His voice trembles, wavering on each syllable. He feels his throat burning, and he wonders for a moment if he's going to be sick.
"Hwan-gi..."
"Boss! You don't need to be sorry, we—" She cuts herself off. He watches as Ro-un disappears from sight. He jumps when he feels a hand on his head, letting the hand guide his head up, watching with uncertainty as Ro-un takes back her hand, everyone now in his view.
"We're sorry for making you do something you're uncomfortable with," He watches as each and every single one of his Silent Monster employees bow their heads, regret and guilt adorned upon their faces.
He feels his lips tremble again.
He shakily reaches his hand out, feeling tears build up in his eyes once more, when another hand swiftly grabs it, caressing it gently.
He looks up and sees U-il. He has the same sad expression.
He feels his throat tighten, and he can't think of anything else to say except—
"I'm sorry,"
—And he watches as U-il's expression turns sour.
He feels him tug on his hand once before pulling him up.
Hwan-gi stumbles on his feet for a moment, but before he can regain his footing, a pair of arms engulf him and brings him into U-il's chest.
"I'm sorry for not helping you sooner,"
And Hwan-gi can't help but feel his throat burn once more, and before he knows it, U-il is pulling back, his face contorting into shock.
"Hwan-gi? Please, please don't cry," Oh? He's crying? He hadn't even noticed.
He steps back from U-il, a hand reaching up to his face— and yep, there's tears alright.
He feels his lungs tighten, his breath shakes, his legs feel wobbly, he scolds himself as he feels gravity win—
But he's caught, and in Ro-Un's arms no less.
"Boss!" She lowers him down, letting him sit back on the floor, and everyone circles around him.
He shuts his mouth as he feels a few tears streak down his face.
He hears Yu-hui coo, her hand reaching out to wipe away the tears, and he has to fight every single nerve in his body to not swat her away and pull his hood up.
No, he let's her wipe away his tears instead.
He feels as she sits next to him, placing an arms around his shoulders and letting his head lean on her shoulders. He feels as his hands are taken and held by U-il. He feels as someone ruffles his hair.
He let's go.
He let's the tears pour. His lips tremble. He let's his worry and anxiety out as he cries.
He cries harder as he feels multiple pair of arms wrap around him.