Chapter Text
Im Jaebum was pretty tired of life at this point, not that he had any option to run away, but complaining seemed like the next best alternative. The former street gang member had trouble finding a stable job due to his background and intimidating physique. It was just the broad shoulder and narrowed eyes, according to Jooheon, and of course, using baggy tees that made him look bigger than he was. Jaebum calls bullshit.
He was good in a gang, he knows it’s a very peculiar thing to say, given how the reputation is… but Jaebum was good at it. He was the best at fighting, scaring others without even raising his fist, he could even seduce anyone! While it can be deemed as a twisted sense of justice, Jaebum cared for innocent people too, he cared enough to protect them, and his gang wasn’t the evil monster like most of them- so really, it wasn’t that bad.
But then his parents died, who had abandoned him, and left two siblings at his doorstep. The first two years were hell, Jaebum was out of the loop, he never planned to even marry or have kids, suddenly having to take care of someone took a toll on him, and his careless lifestyle was not suitable for them. He acquired a weakness many enemies of the gang tried to take advantage of- he knew he had two options: abandon the kids or abandon the gang. Despite his nature, he couldn’t abandon his siblings, as his parents did with him. So he left, moved out of the place, left the city, and moved back to his hometown, in Gyeonggi Province.
And so, he became a single parent at the age of 23.
“Tae-oh, have you eaten yet?” he called out, the dinner had been on the table for more than a few minutes, he sighed when there was no response, getting up and making his way to his room. The kid had his eyes glued on the small screen- his fingers furiously moving. Jaebum sighed again, what would he do with this kid? He took the mobile from his hand, ignoring the glare that was thrown his way. “The food is getting cold, go eat.”
“Hyung! I was about to win $20!”
“Aish, how many times do I need to tell you? Don’t get involved with these things online, who knows what trouble they will get you in. There are way too many scams online, I don’t want you messing around, okay?” Tae-oh rolled his eyes. If his hyung knew how much he had delved into this world, he would kick his ass. But he wasn’t a pro for no reason.
“Whatever” Tae-oh started walking out of the room, Jaebum just behind him. They were lucky Jooheon knew the person who owned the apartment, it wasn’t the best, but it had two rooms and a kitchen- and having that kind of apartment was a luxury in these times. Though this was their fifth home, the others weren’t so spacey. This apartment was basically a charity, Jaebum hated accepting the favor but it couldn’t be helped, his siblings needed this.
“How did I raise you to be such a brat, huh?”
“Technically, you didn’t-”
“Don’t.” Tae-oh was fifteen now, he was good at being mature, something Jaebum was proud of but also upset about. He was so young, he shouldn’t have to shoulder the responsibilities of an adult so soon. He only received a smug look in return. “Where is Eun Tak?” Jaebum asked, he had come back only half an hour before, hurrying to prepare dinner as soon as he saw the time. Thankfully Seokjin had sent a good number of servings the day before.
“Out”
“Where?”
“I donno, not like she tells me anything”
“Am I supposed to believe you don’t know her whereabouts? I know you, Tae-oh-ssi.” He quirked his brow, emptying the rice on his plate. Eun-Tak wasn’t technically his sister, but she lost her parents too and lived with his uncle who wasn’t really the best parental figure- not that Jaebum was any better. What had been occasional visits to their house, became frequent, events like her uncle not coming home for 2-3 days, forgetting to cook food, or about her school-
Tae-oh wouldn’t let go of the idea that they could keep her. Jaebum eventually explained she wasn’t a pet (while she hummed happily as Jaebum petted her head), and they couldn’t just take any kid they wanted and raise them. Then her uncle left for good, leaving behind a half-assed note, some belongings for Eun-Tak, and a warning of eviction from the landlord.
So… he ended up with another stray. It’s a miracle they all were still alive right now.
“At Uncle Jin’s house”
“Not again. Please tell her we can’t keep disturbing the man, he is already too busy and- ah never mind. Was Jimin okay today?”
“He slept all day”
“I see. At least he wasn’t in pain” Jimin was five years old, he was a weak kid, he had a condition where his movements were slower and he was more fragile than most kids. But he fought hard to be like every other child, Jaebum hated how he couldn’t take away his little brother’s pain. But having Tae-oh and Eun Tak around was a blessing too, he took after Jaebum when it came to showing no emotions but he was good at taking care of the two, especially with the small expenses of the house all alone. He was a genius kid. And Eun-Tak helped in keeping the house clean, and keeping an eye on Jimin more because Tae-Oh was usually busy with his computer, winning contests, and competing for things Jaebum had no idea anymore. They both sucked at cooking though.
“Alright, I will be heading out soon. Eun-Tak would probably eat at hyung’s house, I will check on Jimin and-”
“It’s fine, he isn’t up yet. I will feed him when he gets up. He’d be cranky if you wake him forcefully” Tae-oh mumbled around the food, talking nonchalantly, Jaebum smiled- a little wobbly.
“You don’t have to, Tae, I can-”
“You got fired, right?” Jaebum widened his eyes, how did he know? “You only go out late at night to meet Uncle Beakhyun, who is available just at night. And if it’s Uncle Beak, then you probably need a job. It’s not algebra.”
“Yah, who did you take after, huh?” Jaebum ruffled his hair despite the younger one struggling to get out of his reach. “Thank you, baby. I will be back soon. Eat up, and don’t stay up too late! And let me know when Eunnie comes. Lock the door, only-”
“Hain, Hain, get lost now.”
“Sheesh. Who raised you?” Jaebum laughed, gently squeezing his shoulder before leaving the premises. He had some food so he didn’t need to eat, hurrying up as he was already late, he left in a rush after making sure Jimin was fine.
~
“Hi… hyung.” He sheepishly greets, watching Beakhyun already expecting him, sitting in his chair and hands folded as he stares at Jaebum in exasperation. It was ten pm, and Chanyeol must have already (the guy who owned their apartment, he was Beakyun’s… well, he honestly has no idea), professionally, he was Beakhyun’s assistant. And the short angry man was the one who had casually adopted him to nag around after Seokjin introduced them to job hunting.
“I can’t believe you got fired. Again .”
“Ha… ha… it can’t be helped. With Eun Tak’s issues and Jimin’s condition, hospital visits are kinda… frequent. And I can’t keep sending Ina in my place- she isn’t even eighteen. So you know…”
“I am well aware. I have been trying to find some suitable jobs, but there aren’t any offline, and most of the work-from-home requires… well, a degree. Else, there were good options. I am telling you, get a basic degree, it will help you out. But do you listen? No, of course not. I mean why would you? I am just an expert in job hunting, right?”
“I know, hyung. I am at fault, I am sorry. I know I make a lot of trouble and-”
“Shut it. I didn’t call you to apologize” He grumbled, Jaebum chuckled in return, Beakhyun has- for some reason- a soft spot for him, and he ends up using that to his advantage more often than not. Unconsciously. “I have asked Sehun for a few job offers, he has accumulated some list according to your situation, it might not be the best but I think some might help.”
“Sehun?” Jaebum looked at him suspiciously.
“W-well, do you want to eat first?”
“Spill, hyung. Isn’t he the guy you wanted to fuck badly? Drooling over his-”
“Yah! Is that how you speak to your elders?” He just laughed in response, going over to the table to sit across Beakhyun. “ANYWAY, I have reviewed some options, and I think I found something you can actually benefit from a lot. But it is not something… you will like.”
“What is it?”
“Before I disclose that, the salary is 500$ per day. Actually, they can pay more but it is like, first week’s pay- demo week if you will.”
“Wh-Wh- it is something illegal!?”
“Yah! You think I will give you shit like that?”
“But why would the pay be so high? Free money is suspicious.”
“Ah, my paranoid darling” At Jaebum’s infamous glare, he continued “It’s babysitting work”
“So?”
“But for 6 grown-ups” They both stared at each other for a few seconds, Beakhyun could see Jaebum processing the information, disbelief obvious on his face.
“So you mean a servant or a slave?” He deadpanned.
“…basically” Beakhyun replied “If you don’t wanna-”
“But do I have any choice? Tae-oh managed to pay for his academics somehow without me knowing- which is obviously a good thing but it sucks. Not to mention, l still have to pay for Jimin and Eun Tak at the end of this month. Also, their medical fees are piling up for a month. Clothes, food, and repairing stuff. There is so much to pay for and if being a slave can at least help me out on this I guess I will have to say yes” He sounded frustrated, he hated being bossed around, it was not in his nature- all the work he has done, he used to lead naturally, most of the time his boss didn’t have any problem. But housework all fucking day? When he cannot even afford to take care of his own home- he has to do it for someone else? Ironic.
But the pay was good. It was really good.
“I am sorry, kid. I did-”
“Hey, don’t worry, hyung. I am just ranting, I am tired, that’s all. This is good.”
“Fine, I will find something more comforting so-”
“Aish, you concentrate on your company. From what I heard, you are ignoring your duties. Chanyeol-hyung will quit being your assistant if you don’t stop piling all your work on him”
“Ugh, that bastard. He told you?”
“He complained. You should thank Kris-hyung for the presence of your hardworking assistant. He convinced him to not give up” Jaebum narrowed his eyes, it is still his scariest feat. Beakhyun gulped.
“Yeah whatever” he huffed “I was starting on the paperwork anyway”
“Good. Forward me the address and contact info, I will head there tomorrow morning.”
“Sure honey, all the best!”
“Shut up”
~
Jimin suddenly had a high fever in the morning, and Jaebum couldn’t even make a call for an appointment. Both of the kids offered to stay and take care of him but Jaebum couldn’t let them, they already did too much, he just wanted them to enjoy their school life like normal kids. Everyone at the school assumed he was their dad, there were all kinds of rumors but Tae-oh never really talked about it. He wanted to deal with that too but alas.
After making sure Jimin’s fever had gone down, around the afternoon, he finally picked up his cell to call the company, ignoring other messages and missed calls- he honestly had no time.
“Hello?”
“Ah yes, hello. I am Im Jaebum, I am calling in regard to the job-”
“Ohhh! I didn’t think it would be this soon but awesome! I am Kang Sora, nice to make your acquaintance. Ah, crap- talk about bad timing. Are you interested in the job or you’re just calling for more information?” Ah fuck. He just wanted information.
“… I am interested”
“Awesome! Can you come to the office for the interview? Actually, even though the address is of the house, right now I am a bit busy. But if you could come here, we might have a done deal.” She seemed too desperate, it’s usually a first sign to run but he really needed the money.
“Y-Yeah sure. I wouldn’t mind-”
“Your voice is pretty” Jaebum shuttered at such a blatant compliment, forgetting what he was about to say. “Are you alright?” she asked in concern.
“Ee-Yeah, I am fine. Don’t worry.”
“Okay, then I am sending you the address. If you can reach here before 10 pm, just say to the receptionist that you were called for young master’s care. See you then!”
“O…okay?” Without further wait, the message arrived. Jaebum groaned in misery, it was in Seoul… obviously, and it was a one-hour ride. Fuck his life.
“Hey, you came!” She seemed genuinely surprised as she gave him a bright smile. Jaebum returned it with his own schooled one.
“Yes”
She took him to a posh-looking office, it was all made from glasses, and she ordered some drinks and snacks for them. She seemed a very busy woman, as a lot of employees interrupted them mid-walk for queries and solutions. He almost felt guilty for taking up her time- this place seemed way out of his league, and in regards to the high pay, he knew it was rich people tending jobs, if he messed up it might really fuck him up.
“So, tell me about yourself,” she said, an assured smile on her face as she beckoned for him to sit on the chair in front of her.
“I am Im Jaebum, 25 years old. I have three siblings, two brothers, and a sister. My parents aren’t with us and I am kinda in need of a job. I can cook well and know the way around the house” He did hand her his resume but there wasn’t any information on ‘cooking’ in it. For obvious reasons.
“Ah… I was curious as to why a male would want a job like this if he couldn’t cook or clean well but I see you know the schedule. I don’t mean to offend. Usually, few women ask for this job but you made it easier for me” Jaebum didn’t take any offense. He honestly never cared about people saying anything about him. At once, he used to but not anymore, it’s a waste of time.
“Easy?”
“Well, a woman living with six young boys or men… is a tricky situation we want to avoid. But you are the best solution for this. I am very grateful. If you want, we can increase your salary too” She was really nice, he honestly expected rich people to be stuck up but she seems cool. Jaebum couldn’t help but dance internally as he nodded in reluctance.
“I pulled up some of your previous records and information, I know it’s alarming but as you can imagine, we take privacy and security very seriously as you will be dealing with very important people. We got your info through legal methods, just to be clear.” He wants to be offended but it’s not like he cares particularly, as long as his gang history isn’t exposed- he doesn’t mind. “Your education isn’t the best, and I saw some gaps and inconsistencies in your work but I think you will make a great addition- just don’t tell them about any of your weaknesses. You can now head to the main house, don’t worry I will be assisting you and fill you in.”
Ah, she already had him investigated- in a span of a few hours. So, that wasn’t creepy at all.
“Sure”
They reached a quiet place, away from the crowded area. It was a story bungalow, with a huge garden, two cars, and three bikes parked in front, the house was one story but it was built like a mansion. So they were filthy rich, Jaebum thought, great.
“There are six people living here, all of them heirs to great companies. You must have seen Boys over Flowers, right? They can be the F6 version of the F4- in simple terms.” She whipped out a photo “This is Master Mark, the eldest and most calm person, I am sure you won’t face any problem with him. He is from the Tuan family. He is the type of person who is quiet but can be dangerous if you poke them too much” Jaebum watched her with wide eyes “Oh don’t worry.” She says, and wow, his worries just vanished. “Then there is Master Park Jinyoung, he is what you need to look out for. He is good but his straightforwardness and sarcasm can be lethal, and I think you might not get along with him but that’s the usual case. Then there is Master Youngjae, who is an angel. He is a pure sunshine that will help you rather than piss you off but he is still our master so you can’t let him work. Then we have Master Jackson, oh boy”
“What?”
“Now are coming to the people who will most likely ruin your life. Usually, it takes forever for anyone to calm them down, they are very energetic, extra, annoying, and downright rude. Not dangerous but very irritating. Master Jackson is a ball of energy but the least of your concerns from the trio”
“There is more?” she laughed, sympathy apparent on her face. Jaebum feels like he has walked into a deliberate trap. All the signs were there but he kept on ignoring them.
“Of course. Master Bambam and Master Yugyeom…. I wish you the best of best for them. They will explain any rules they have or to-do or don’t-do list they might possess”
“This isn’t going to be easy, huh?”
“Never said it was” Jaebum sighed again. He got out of the car and went inside the house with the lady.
“Hey, kids!”
“Nooonaaa!” It was a merge of four voices. They seemed very excited at her arrival, two of them came running while the other two remained slightly calm.
“How have you been?” They all murmured good and fine “Good! Because we have a guest today.” She pulled Jaebum in front of them who was trying to fade into the background, he forgot how much he hated people. All the eyes zeroed on him instantly, their cheerfulness and childishness disappearing almost immediately, in its place was a peculiar seriousness that was inspecting him.
“Hello” He cleared his throat “I am Im Jaebum” he introduced himself stiffly, nervous in front of the intense gazes, for god sake, he had fought street wars- they were nothing in comparison! Why was he so nervous?
“He will be the new caretaker here. Please be nice to him and behave. We don’t want him running away like the previous one” Jaebum shot a confused look to Sora. He kind of assumed it was hard to keep the ‘sitters’ with the way she was talking, but he wasn’t aware of how frequently. She just smiled guiltily in return.
Great.
“Oh, she was totally annoying. Yugyeommie hated her so we made her leave” The guy with strawberry blond hair spoke. He was… ah, shit, he forgot the name.
“Me too!” This one was a brunet, shorter than everyone, his face was really handsome, he seemed like the guy who was friends with everybody.
“She was not very good” Sora sighed.
“Okay… but see, a change of scenery! He is a nice guy, so please don’t trouble him?” she almost seemed like she was begging them. It was a little funny. He ignored the red blaring alarm as she seemed to act like his job was in the pits of hell on earth.
“We can try” the strawberry guy replied, “I am BamBam” Oh. Master Bambam. He seemed too young to be CEO of anything. He kinda looked familiar though.
“Kim Yugyeom” He was the tallest among them, his hair was jet black with barely there navy-blue shading at some strands in the front. He seemed normal enough, but Jaebum could recognize the twinkle of mischief in his eyes.
“Wang Jackson!” A brunet with heavenly biceps, a deep voice, and a face that could rival Adonis. Were these people models or something?
“Choi Youngjae. Nice to meet you.” Right, the good guy among the troublemakers. His hair was chestnut brown, with adorable bangs, and a modest body. Jaebum could almost guess he was built. Wait. Why the fuck was he describing them like he was the main heroine and introducing his love interests?
(Because darling, you are.)
“Now that introduction is over, let’s show you around” All four of them went back to whatever they were doing as Sora dragged him through the place.
“There are four rooms, a bathroom, and a small place for snacks on the ground floor. The rooms belong to Master Jackson, Master Youngjae, Master BamBam, and Master Yugyoem. The above floor consists of a huge store room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and three rooms. The two of which belong to Master Mark and Master Jinyoung, and the last is a guest room. The kitchen is always stocked and if you need anything you can message me and I will arrange it. There is actually a manager for all of this, but due to some issues, I am dealing with this.”
“Okay, ma’am”
“That is all. I trust that you can tour the above floor yourself, I have an urgent work to get to. Ah, one more thing, if all six of them are present, please have a discussion regarding their rules and likings, and keep a journal to log those things. Some stuff like allergies and compulsory rules might be good for you if you happen to have a bad memory. Hmm, for now, I suppose this is enough.” Jaebum simply nodded, he really had nothing to add, he was just speechless, and a little, well- he had yet to process the whole thing.
“And… I know it’s just a job, and of course, you will do it accordingly because you need a job, but I would like to request to please take care of them with a good heart. Not that they are any saints but, they are important people to us, they do work hard regardless of being born into generational wealth- it is worries of their parents how they do not care for themselves. I am not asking you to devote yourself but, I would still ask for your sincerity. Even if things get tough. It’s a selfish and weird request coming from someone you barely know- but you seem like a good person, and they need that.” She seemed genuine enough, Jaebum mused, he wasn’t exactly thrilled about this job, but he was a diligent worker, he never slacked off. And he was more than willing to take a challenge.
“It is weird, but I intend to work honestly. I will try my best.”
“Thank you.”
~
He might have been ready to take on the challenge but now he has no clue on the next step. How do you take care of six adults? You’d think they know basic human functions, right? What was he supposed to do, honestly? Cook and clean like a maid? If that was all the requirement, he doubts they’d be facing so many problems keeping a worker. So the core of the issue seems to be different. Ah well, he wants to stick around for at least a month, the salary would be enough to take care of a lot of pending bills.
It was already past seven-thirty and he was still here. At first, he roamed around, observing his surroundings, trying to gauge the type of people they were, a home can tell you many things. Though first thing he learned was… they were very untidy. But he counters it must be due to their hectic schedule- if they don’t even have time to eat properly, cleaning after themselves would be the last thing on their mind.
Since nobody even came to him or instructed anything, and Sora asked him to start right away (even though it was late, she wanted to know their opinions as soon as possible about him. Which is unfair, because give a guy some time?), he took it upon himself to clean up the place. The masters were in a room, loud voices and background noise from TV coming through the door, their bedrooms weren’t in the worst shape (the reason being they don’t spend much time in there), but the hall was a complete mess. It took him an hour to make the place shine, it finally seemed like a rich kid’s house, though it wasn’t as dirty as he expected.
He stood awkwardly in the middle of the hall room, what now? Should he call her up and ask? But it’d be stupid and bothersome given the masters were home. Sigh.
Luckily, that moment the master Jaebum labeled as the good guy came, and he was surprised to see the newbie had started work immediately. Jaebum offered a friendly smile (or what he assumed to be one) though his cluelessness was pretty obvious to the master.
“Is there anything you want me to do?” Youngjae didn’t reply, his eyes roaming over the place, Jaebum sighed internally, “What do you do for dinner?”
“If it’s a day off… some takeouts, else we just head to sleep.”
“Takeouts?” Jaebum questioned, “Don’t you have cooks?”
“We don’t like the taste. Well, not all of us at once.”
“Ah.” That’s very unhealthy, no wonder Sora was so worried about them. They skip dinner, mostly because they are so tired they don’t even have the energy to eat (How would they, if this is their diet?), and if they do eat- it’s junk? God forbid. To be honest, Jaebum was never a nutrition freak, but looking after three kids instilled the habit. “How about I make some ramen? If you don’t like it, you can just order something.”
“It’s fine, it will be a waste of good food.” Youngjae shrugged off, whipping out his phone to order some pizza as they discussed. “You can go home now, there isn’t anything to do” It was polite but dismissive. Jaebum was a bit annoyed but for some reason, he understood, that there was something behind this indifference.
“I can distribute it to a nearby shelter. It’s no big deal. I have volunteered there before so I can definitely make use of the food. Or, I can make small servings?”
“Why would you go through all that effort when we are allowing you to take it easy?” Youngjae asked in confusion, it would seem offensive if not for the genuinely puzzled expression on the young man’s face. Jaebum chuckled but quickly schooled himself.
“I have no idea about what’s going on here, all I know is this is my job, which I need right now. And I do my work with diligence. Even if it’s being a maid. And I promised Sor- Ms. Kang that I would do my best.” Honestly, Jaebum doesn’t have much patience, this was bullshit, who convince their boss that they need to work better? But he will suck it up- he desperately needs this shit. Youngjae watched him with apprehension, it’s apparent that they don’t trust anyone easily- well, given that they are successful in this cutthroat environment… it is understandable. But Jaebum is not here to be the therapist, fyi.
“What’s your age?” Huh?
“Uh, I am 25”
“Alright. The kitchen is upstairs, there is no door on there so you can find it easily” Youngjae said “Everything has a label so it won’t be a problem. If you need help, you can call me… I will be down here.” Jaebum nodded, watching the man turn around and take a seat on the sofa. The sudden acceptance disoriented the sitter who was expecting a little more rebuttal. Oh well, thank god for small blessings?
Fortunately, their kitchen was amazingly organized, and searching for ingredients was quite easy. If anything he learned from his experience with his siblings, it was to make healthy shit taste fantastic. If they were thinking this would be junky ramen, they had another thing coming, Jaebum laughed evilly. He was almost positive they’d enjoy eating- toddlers were the pickiest, if Jaebum can make them happy- there shouldn’t be a problem. And if it was, well- there is not much he can do right now. He took out all the available vegetables: capsicum, lettuce, onions, carrots, tomato, etc, and chopped them up to add them to the ramen. They had many varieties of ramen, Jaebum grabbed the noodles made out of oats- time for some nutrition. It was a simple recipe, lightly fry all the vegetables, add the seasoning, the noodles, and the appropriate amount of water. Of course, it wasn’t authentically made, but it was delicious enough.
“Do you need help?” Jeabum jumped away from the counter, releasing his breath when he saw Youngjae leaning on the wall.
“Fu- Crap. You scared me. Uh no, it’s kind of done. Just need a few minutes to cook and that’s that.”
“Well… it smells good at least” Jaebum tried not to smile. Then the good master- Youngjae, moved to take out four bowls from the cabinet without another word, setting them on a huge tray (do rich people have gigantic trays lying around?).
“Thank you” He murmured, taking off the lid to check if the noodles cooked properly. Damn, he is good at this. “Oh, it’s done. We just need to let it simmer in its own heat. Do you all prefer to drink something with ramen?”
“Well, sake? But it’s work day tomorrow so it’s best to skip” Youngjae almost snickered, he seemed to be pretending, this uninterested behavior. Jaebum unconsciously tsked at the choice, god they were unhealthy as fuck. How do they manage to keep their body hot like this? Ah shit, wrong lane of thought.
“I was thinking more of a… fruit juice or something.” Youngjae gives him a look of disbelief, Jaebum can relate. “Okay, okay, just ramen then” For now. Did he turn into a mother too soon? It’s all those kids’ fault.
Jaebum dozed off, it was a long day, he had been drained mentally for a while now- it was much more tiring than the physical drain. Fuck, how is it past nine already? He needs to call Tae-oh. Wait, why is there a blanket covering him? Did… did Youngjae do this? That was an unexpectedly nice thing to do. When he finally looked around to check, the four of them were discussing something. Jaebum sat up straight instantly, what the hell?
“Ah, you’re awake. Well rested?” Youngjae smiled, it was a smile but it was progress! Jaebum nodded, surprised to realize that he actually was well rested, even if it was just an hour's sleep.
“Is something the matter?” his normally pitched voice had deepened due to napping, he cleared his throat, “Why are you all…”
“Oh! Well, we wanted to personally talk to you after eating your ramen!” That was… that was Master Jackson, the overly enthusiastic and friendly one. “To be honest, I didn’t think you’d last even two days, but it was really delicious.”
“Right, right, we almost scolded Youngjae-hyung for letting you make something when it was gonna be wasted but- let’s just say it was a pleasant surprise to be wrong in this case! You’re officially hired!”
“Bammie, that’s not your sole decision to make” The tallest one reprimanded, “Though I agree, we are willing to give you a chance, it is in the end dependent on hyungs to make the final decision”
Jaebum was a bit out of loop, he did just wake up but from what he gathered, they liked the ramen. That was another win. Cool. It was wondering though, were they gonna ignore him completely and just fire him? Since they didn’t even come to guide him or order him after Sora left. Except for Youngjae who must have come out for another reason. Ah well. It doesn’t matter. Jaebum gave them a genuine smile, as long as they ate healthy.
(The smile seemed to have disarmed the cold hearts of the masters, who couldn’t react to the sudden onslaught of prettiness.)
“I am glad. You all should eat home-cooked food instead of junk, I mean of course it is okay to eat once in a while, but skipping food on top of eating unhealthily can have some dire effects, its bett-” Jaebum stopped mid-sentence, mentally slapping himself, did he need to lecture them? No, not really. “-sorry, force of habit. Ah, s-so anything else?”
(It was adorable, they thought, he was a stranger yet he seemed to be so concerned about their well-being. Nobody usually cared, at least not between employees and bosses. It was peculiar indeed. They communicated on the same wavelength, we will keep this man. He was tall, beautiful, and kind despite what his intimidating physique depicted on first impression. He shall be theirs .)
“For now, I think we are good. We can discuss this officially tomorrow when Jinyoung hyung and Mark hyung arrive. Will you be going home now?” What a polite kid.
“Yeah, I need to go home, my family must be waiting so-”
“Hyung, how will you go home?” Yugyeom asked, wait, hyung? Were they addressing him with respect? Another surprise. How young were they?
“What do you mean?”
“I mean it’s already nearing ten and according to the news, trains and buses are stopped due to heavy rain. The house is soundproofed and manages temperature according to the environment that must be why you didn’t realize.”
“Fuck, fuck, they must be worried, I didn’t even- ah, I should have at least called-”
“Hey relax,” Jackson interrupted “You can stay here for tonight. Even if the rain stopped, it will probably be after midnight, and there’d be no transportation... unless you want to hail a cab but I doubt there’d be many available at the time. We have two spare rooms anyway, so I think you should stay” Jaebum calmed down as Jackson spoke, his voice was rich and deep, and it was soothing to hear him, especially when his tone was firm but gentle. Panicking made him vulnerable, he looked at the shorter man with wide eyes, they were more generous and well-mannered than he expected.
(Jaebum looked pretty like that.)
“Go to the room in the middle, grey door” Jaebum was taken aback at the command, only because it came from Youngjae, even though he seemed nice and composed, this entailed his hidden tendency to dominate, or he could be reading too much. But he was rarely wrong.
“Oh well… I will just inform my family about this. I apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for letting me stay.” He bowed in gratitude and left, going inside the room Youngjae pointed to.
“You seem comfortable with him.” Jackson notices, Youngjae is a ball of sunshine- or well, used to be. It had taken a lot for him to suppress that personality, but with Jaebum, it seemed to want to come out. Not only that, he was unconsciously commanding the man too. Youngjae never used that tone aside from work, he didn’t want to. Afraid he’d turn something like them.
“He is nice” Youngjae replied, shyly averting his eyes. Bambam made a teasing sound, smirking at the man, nice was an understatement. “I liked his food”
“Just food?” Yugyeom snickered. “Let’s all admit he is a pretty pretty man. He looked handsome at first, but with our history, I didn’t pay any attention- because why bother anymore? But then he just transitioned into a pretty mess and I am all for it.”
“Nobody is denying that, Yugyeommie” Bambam retorted, “His fate was sealed when he smiled like that.”
“Looks like the mischief duo has locked on to the target” Jackson chuckled, elbowing Youngjae teasingly. “We should convince both of them to let him stay. Jinyoung might not be too ready to accept.”
“As far as I know, he is hyung’s type so…” Youngjae smiled, “We don’t have much to worry about”
“Ehh sly little brat!” Jackson laughed out loudly, “I can’t wait to know him”
“I feel a little bad” When Jackson gave him a look of confusion, he continued “He doesn’t know what he has gotten himself into”
~
He called Tae-oh and informed him about his stay, to his surprise his brother had already tucked both the kids to sleep. Ah… such a responsible little brother, he fondly thought. Tae-oh didn’t ask for much detail, except for the suspicion in his tone when he told him he would have to stay the night. Who lets a stranger sleep at their house? Jaebum manages to dodge most of his query, not that successfully though.
His body felt so heavy as soon as he sat on the softest bed in the world, it had been a tiring day, hell- it had been a tiring life. Working day and night, trying to pay the bills, taking care of his siblings, of their medical conditions… he knows it has taken a toll, knows he should look after himself before he runs ragged, unable to do a thing. He shook his head, there was no use thinking like that, he needed to have a good sleep for another day’s battle. Finally, exhausted, he removed his pants and stayed in his boxers- because of the rain, the house temperature was a bit hotter than he was used to- he assumed the people of the house might be sensitive to cold. Youngjae lent him a loose t-shirt or else he’d just fuck it all and sleep naked. He dropped on the bed, moaning in pleasure as his back met the soft mattress, tiredness leaking away, he closes his eyes in contentment.
But it wasn’t long-lasting since the loud voices outside didn’t let him have uninterrupted sleep. Wasn’t the house sound-proofed? It was 12:18 am, blaring in red, if he is supposed to be up early, he could not afford the insomnia. Jaebum sighed in irritation, getting up, almost thinking of marching to the loudmouths- he wrapped the soft blanket around his waist and opened the door.
“Why isn’t anyone asleep yet?” he groggily asked them, too tired to say it properly, the sleepiness was evident in his eyes.
“We are creatures of the night” Jackson joked, directing a bright smile towards him- Jaebum wasn’t in the right head space to return that. The others nodded in unison. Well, that’s not healthy. He massaged his forehead with his fingers, already feeling the incoming headache, his body had been pushed to so many limits, some things like sleep and food were the only factors keeping him alive.
“Can you keep it down a bit?” He must have sounded annoyed, but can you blame him? “Please?” he added, remembering they were some sort of ‘masters’ he cannot piss off casually. His temper needs to be toned down. “I guess the room is too near-” He pointed the door with his other hand, the blanket falling down at his feet. He felt the four stares pinning on him, or at his exposed legs to be precise. Oh shit, he forgot that he only wore his underwear and the blanket he took in precaution was pooling on the floor.
“Uh, it was a bit too hot for me” He tried to clarify when the silence dragged on for too long. Youngjae snapped out but the three gazes were stuck on his legs. Jaebum was worried if they were bothered due to his appearance, were they some sort of prude or what?
“You can go upstairs, there is also a room available in the middle, light blue door. The noises won’t disturb you there.” Youngjae supplied, his tone seemed slightly different than before, but not alarming enough that Jaebum had to analyze it on the spot. Jaebum gave a grateful smile to the young man, he was truly beyond function by now.
“Thank you so much, Youngjae-ssi” Uh, should he call him Master? Isn’t that weird though, in this age?
“Just Youngjae is fine”
“B-bu-”
“I insist.” Jaebum slumped in defeat as others snickered at their interaction. Whatever, this was the next day’s Jaebum’s problem.
“Fine.”
(Jackson was surprised to see Youngjae putting his guard down for their new caretaker, it was a good thing though- but that means some digging up to make sure the guy doesn’t screw them over, not when they had already started liking him.)
“How do they even function like that?! Don't they have to get up and go to work early in the morning? Obviously, if you don’t get a healthy amount of sleep, your body won’t heal- it’s common sense. Agh, I am so…. Sleepy…. Ah…” He kept mumbling, feeling himself sway due to his sleepiness. He managed to climb the stairs without tripping himself, kudos to that. But his victory was short-lived as he collided with a body, fortunately, his fall was saved by a hand grabbing at his waist. An unknown man helped him up only to pin him to the wall behind him.
“Who are you?” Jaebum was suddenly met with a wall, his hands painfully folded over his back, he groaned at the sudden pain. What the hell now? In his reflex action, Jaebum grabbed the hand holding him and pushed hard, the other man seemed surprised at his opposition, so he took the opportunity and flipped him on the floor- the man was heavier than he looked- pinning both of his hands as he settled over the man’s waist.
“That was rude” Jaebum starts, his temper rising through the roof- can’t a man fucking sleep in peace now!? Then he registered some plausible options, firstly, an intruder… the more logical seemed to be… No. No. This cannot be.
Master Park Jinyoung.
Fuck no.
His face clouded with fear as soon as he realized the weight of the situation (technically, the weight would equal how much he weighs given that he was straddling a-definitely-probably rich master of the house), he made an attempt to jump away from the man but he was kept in place by two strong hands on his hips. Which was a feat in itself. Oh no, that’s actually scarier.
“S-Sorry” He shutters, god, all he wanted was a few hours of peace, but no, instead he would get fired. He continued, swallowing his pride, “I didn’t- I didn’t know anyone else came- I really didn’t- Ah ” A squeak was startled out of him as Jinyoung flipped them over, reversing their position, he was smirking at him. Jaebum gulped, getting a clear picture of the man.
He was gorgeous. His eyes practically screamed danger, Jaebum was basically raised on the streets, and he had seen monsters nobody could know and slept at night without a worry- but even he knew, this man was not just lethal with words. Jaebum felt a light touch tickling his uncovered thighs, he unconsciously tried to move his pinned hands to slap off the touch only to receive a tightening of the grip in a warning.
“You should be careful, sweetheart”
Great, he gets to be a drop-dead gorgeous asshole and has such a good voice? This is truly unfair.
“I think I’d like it better if you unhand me” Jaebum snapped, his mind knew he most probably fucked up and needed to be escorted to a bed before his mouth loosened even more and his temper takes control of him. And this guy was not making it easy.
“Feisty, I like that” This fucking asshole.