Mr. And Mrs. Smith, Bryce, Christopher and Kirin relocated to one of the conference rooms for the private talk. In there, despite being a grown man, Bryce was still very soft-hearted and poured everything out to his mother and brother, crying his eyes out as the old woman joined him.  

Hugging and patting his head, Mrs. Smith soothed, “I’m so sorry. I couldn’t win custody over you. At that time, I was in a bad condition and your father had the upper hand, so I could only leave with one of you. I’m so sorry you had to go through such a nightmare!” 

Kirin was watching over the reunion from afar with his arms crossed leaning up against the wall with his mask still on. Christopher then came over and stood beside Kirin. 

“Told you you’d like your gift,” he smirked. 

Christopher had taken off his mask, so when arched a brow in confusion, Kirin was also puzzled. Why was he making that face? 

“I called you through that unknown number, remember?” 

“I don’t.” 

Kirin lifted his left hand to tap the left side of his temple three times in frustration. “You know what, you’re a busy man. Of course, you’d forget such a call.” 

“Liam Queens, was it? Your-, well, my brother's pseudonym was on the list but I didn’t recognize it, but Mother said that it was someone quite significant to her. Didn’t realize you’d use that to bring Bryce here,” Christopher stated. 

“I want what's was best for him. He still has a future out there. You know, before we became friends, he always came to class all bundled up. Very unusual for such hot weather. So, I followed him home and saw everything. Your father beating the crap out of him.” 

Christopher’s eye twitched. Memories resurfaced of his father beating up his mother. 

Kirin brought up his right index finger to his lips, “Don’t tell him I saw. It’s a secret between you and I.” 

As Kirin listened to Bryce and Mrs. Smith have a heart to heart chat, he came to discover the reason why Mrs. Smith have not once returned to visit, she was traumatized by Joe. He had once pulled a knife on her, threatening he’d stab her if she left. But because he was working at such a prestigious and well-known entertainment company, all of her reports were brushed off as her being hysterical. After all, Joe was a decent actor. 

Kirin then dug into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a USB and handed it over to Christopher. Christopher looked over to the masked man. 

“Your old man thinks that there is no evidence of him abusing Bryce. But he’s wrong. I went and pulled the audio recordings from the smart devices that are voice activated. Did you know, they’re always listening, even if you didn’t say the magic words,” Kirin gave Christopher a mysterious smile. “What you plan to do with it is up to you and your mother. Tell Bryce I’m heading back to the hotel.” 

Leaving the family to their reunion, he made his way down the hall when he saw a tall man and beautiful woman with their faces exposed. The woman, Kirin recognized right away – Kristine Swells. But the man on the other hand, he has only seen on magazines, but the original Liam never once made contact with the man – Kincade Orrs. He had such striking features; chiseled jawlines, captivating cerulean silver-blue eyes that were paired with his inky black hair and his deep dimples that appeared each time he talked.  

“Did you want to come back and hang out with me instead?” Kristine asked the man as they walked right by Kirin. 

“No. If you’re bored, ask Chris,” said Kincade. 

The man’s low, magnetic made Kirin come to an abrupt stop, whipping his head around to see the two continuously walking by. His voice-! Kirin thought for a moment. No, there’s no way... right? Kirin shook his head and continued walking.  

=== 

When Kincade and Kristine arrived to where Christopher was, Christopher was just exiting the private room.  

“What’s wrong, Chris?” Kristine asked as she released her hold on Kincade’s arm and brushed herself up against Christopher. 

Releasing a long sigh, Christopher lightly rubbed his head before saying, “My younger brother is here.” 

“What? Really? Your brother from J Country is here?” Kristine looked up to the handsome man. “How did that happen?” 

“His friend brought him here. You guys should’ve passed him on your way here,” said Christopher. 

“What?! Really? Ah~, well, is he good looking?” Kristine smiled, trying to get Christopher to be jealous. 

“He had a mask on. How could I tell if he was good looking or not,” Christopher answered indifferently. Though they were both sleeping with one another, Kristine knew she did not have his heart. Thus, she was trying all that she could to change that.  

“Did the friend say much?” Kincade asked. 

“Not much, Just something along the lines of, ‘Told you’d like your gift.’ I have no idea what he’s talking about,” Christopher sighed. 

Little did he notice the subtle glint that flashed through Kincade’s eyes. For the past few days Kincade has been trying to figure out who it was that was on the other side of the line but there was no trace left behind. It was as if a ghost was on the other end of the line. His secretary was known for his diligence and work ethic so even if people tried to bury things away, he had his way of digging them back out. However, that was not the case for this occasion.  

“What’s the young man’s name?” Kincade asked. 

“Liam Queens.” 

Kincade’s eyes lightly twitched when he heard the name. Liam Queens … Interesting. 

=== 

Kirin didn’t even see Bryce until the following day when Christopher accompanied him back to their hotel. 

As they were both packing their clothes to leave that evening, it was Christopher who offered to drop them off at the airport 

“So, what are plans now? Kirin asked Christopher as he placed clothes into his suitcase. 

“Mother wants us to start the paperwork right away. Either that old man signs the custody rights in alignment to Bryce’s wishes over to us or we can take it to court. Especially since we have evidence,” Christopher answered. 

Kirin’s eyes widened in surprise, “Blackmail?” 

“It’s what he deserves. And not only that but Mother also wants compensation. You couldn’t have imagined how horrified she was after hearing the recordings.” 

“Hm, I can only imagine,” Kirin muttered under his breath. “So, when are you guys coming back to J country then? I can only hold that bastard off for so long until you guys arrive. Besides, I can see that his tolerance is lowering by the second the more he sees my face,” Kirin let out an amused laugh. 

“In four days at the earliest. We still have some errands to do here. Plus, Mother wants to come with, as well as Father,” Christopher replied. 

Giving Christopher a side glance, Kirin took in the man’s presence and appearance. Truly handsome. Dark brown hair with sea green eyes; a tall stature with his button-down shirt that hugged his defined muscles. But then Kirin thought of the man he saw yesterday, Kincade Orrs. That man too, was handsome. Thinking about Kincade, the deep dimples he had and the striking cerulean silver-blue eyes made Kirin shudder. It reminded him of someone he had yet to forget, someone he missed dearly. His first and last love, he supposed. A somber expression appeared on Kirin’s face as his motion slowed.  

Though he knew that it was not possible to see him again and that Jin was just part of a world he was passing through, he still missed that man’s touch, his lips on his skin, his sweet whispers and cheeky smile. A slight laugh escaped his mouth. Noticing his own actions, Kirin then realized that someone else was also watching him. Clearing his throat, continued moving his hands. 

The entire time, Bryce said nothing to Kirin, and Kirin wasn’t going to say anything either. Of course, Bryce wasn’t going to talk to him. Kirin lured him out there without his knowledge. When they arrived at the airport, Kirin watched as Bryce and Christopher had their final brotherly hug. 

After that, Kirin and Bryce got their plane tickets, checked trough security and arrived at their gate without saying a word to one another. It wasn’t until they boarded their plane and were seated that Bryce began to silently break down. Kirin was speechless with his hands up in midair, slightly hovering over Bryce’s crouched body. It was a good thing Kirin booked them first-class and that Bryce was seated at the window. Kirin was still trying to figure out how he would cheer the young man up until he heard Bryce mumble, “Thank you.” 

Kirin’s movements came to a halt. 

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” Bryce mumbled endlessly.  

Kirin was not sure what he was thanking him for but Kirin just released a soft smile and gently patted his back to comfort him. Under Kirin’s care, it was not long until Bryce dozed off. Kirin smiled softly and adjusted Bryce’s head onto his shoulder and closed his eyes. Little did Kirin know that there was a pair of eyes, analyzing him from behind while his attention was focused on Bryce.  

=== 

When their plane finally landed, the sun was already in the sky, and it was Sunday morning. It wasn’t until Kirin was grabbing his luggage that he noticed the large and tall stature that stood beside him. Glancing over, Kirin lightly sucked in his breath. Isn’t that-! Kincade Orrs? How come I didn’t see him earlier? Kirin silently and calmly noted as he slightly bowed his head as recognition of the man’s presence. 

“Oh, Mr. Orrs. You were on our flight as well?” Bryce chimed in as he peeked his head around Kirin’s body. 

“By chance, yes.” 

Kirin glanced over to Bryce. “You know him?” 

“Who doesn’t know him? He’s Lux Entertainment’s CEO, and my brother’s friend/business partner here in J country,” Bryce informed. "I met him yesterday."

Kirin just eyed the man with an unreadable expression before ushering Bryce off the plane so they could get traffic moving. Despite already being six feet tall, Kirin was able to note that Kincade was at least 3 inches taller if not four. 

As soon as they entered the terminal, S-01's notification rang in Kirin’s head.  

[A side mission has been issued: Get a job.] 

Blank lines appeared on Kirin’s face: (=_=) 

Kirin figured that he wasn’t that poor that he needed a job since he was getting monthly allowances from OG Liam’s parents. Was it perhaps due to the fact that he swiped money from their accounts? Oh well, it’s not like he needed to accomplish them... but if he did, he could get more points... 

“Enjoy the rest of your day, Mr. Orrs,” said Bryce as Kincade walked by them. The man slightly smiled before taking off. 

As they arrived in a taxi to return to Bryce’s house, Kirin sparked up the conversation. 

“Hey, I’m sorry I lied, about the whole thing. I just wanted you to be safe,” said Kirin. 

“I know. And for that, thanks,” Bryce looked over, giving Kirin a reassuring smile. 

“Speaking past that matter then, I need to start looking for an actual job. Did you want to look for one with me too?” Kirin abruptly announced. 

To be honest, Bryce has never thought much about getting a job, since he knew his father would be against so. However, when current Liam gave him the idea of being a commission artist, he liked the idea because he loved drawing. But then he remembered. 

“I don’t think there will be any point of me finding a job now.” 

“Why’s that,” Kirin asked. 

“Mom wants me to move back with them to K country after settling the child custody papers.” 

Kirin thought for a moment. “I suppose that is an option. You are old enough to choose which parent you want to be with, especially since your mother does want you back. But what about school?” 

Bryce’s face radiated happiness and but then switched to sadness, “I’m still thinking about that. If I transfer over to K country, I won’t get to hang out with you anymore.” 

Kirin patted Bryce’s shoulder, “Do what you have to do. Even if you choose to go overseas, that won’t stop us from meeting up in the future. We’re best buds after all.” 

=== 

When they finally arrived back at Bryce’s house, Joe was already waiting at the door steps with his arms crossed over his chest. 

“Good morning, Mr. Smith,” Kirin smiled brightly.  

“I see you’ll be crashing at our place again tonight?” 

“Of course!” Kirin proudly made his way up the steps and into the house. “Come on, Bryce.” 

Bryce looked over to the man he once called father. In three days’ time, he will no longer be bound to this man. Knowing that, Bryce felt his chest fill up an unspeakable amount of courage as he held his head high, walking right by Joe and into the house.  

As they lounged around all morning, Kirin was doing some research online for a job. There were a variety of jobs looking for a part-time worker, a lot of retail work. With a pen stuck in between his upper lips and underneath his nose, he continued scrolling through the web, but there was nothing interesting that caught his eye. 

But then he remembered. Wasn’t modeling the job OG Liam wanted? Kirin thought for a minute. Modeling wasn’t really his thing, but he did consider that he was quite the looker. Turning around to look at Bryce, who was working on an assignment, Kirin asked, “Am I good-looking?” 

Bryce’s fingers on the keyboard stopped tapping. Bryce looked over and examined the current Liam’s face seriously. But man, if Bryce wasn’t straight, he would fallen head over heels for the current Liam. 

“Godly,” was all Bryce said with a smirk. “Why?” 

“I was wondering if it’d be possible to find a job as a model,” Kirin stated.  

“Why be a model of all things?” 

“Thought I might as well put these good looks to use,” Kirin shrugged his shoulders. 

“Well, my dad is an agent. But I don’t think it would be a good idea to try and go through him,” Bryce stated honestly. 

“I think so too. Hmm, I’ll probably either have to wander the streets until another agent picks me out, or I can just go to the company and ask for an application. Which do you think is the better option?” 

“Hm, you can try walking the streets later today. If no one comes up to you by the end of today, you might as well submit an application tomorrow,” Bryce suggested. 

“That’s doable.” 

=== 

It wasn’t until around 1 in the afternoon that they both decided to head downtown to the one of the busiest, and the capital city of J country, Soul City. For this mini event, Kirin allowed Bryce to dress him. He had a dark washed blue jean button up shirt that was worn opened with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Underneath was white t-shirt that was half tucked into his black slim jeans that highlighted his long legs with simple white sneakers. Even then, one could still see the contours of Kirin’s muscles from underneath his white shirt. With his platinum hair slightly tied back into his signature sexy lazy look, it completed the overall appearance. Gawd! By now Bryce was questioning his sexuality, covering his invisible nose bleed as he gave Kirin a thumbs up.  

And with that, Kirin and Bryce began their little display of model scouting. Everywhere they went, all eyes were drawn onto Kirin. His tall stature, beautiful and handsome face, his very presence emitted all sorts of male hormones that made all the ladies drool.  

As they were walking downtown, they failed to notice a man who was watching them from inside a fancy restaurant while out on a blind date arranged by his grandparents from the moment he returned.  

The beautiful woman who sat at the table was able to read the mood clearly; he was not interested in her. Taking a sip of the champagne he ordered for her, she glanced back to the man. From the first time they meet, she had fallen head over heels for him, however, she knew he was not into her.  

“Miss Wells, I hope you enjoy the rest of your lunch,” Kincade smiled kindly as he stood up and went over to the front desk to pay for their meals, and then he was gone in a heartbeat. 

As Bryce and Kirin settled into a well-known café, they drew many eyes. They even noticed girls taking out their phones to snap a pic, and this was what they needed – an audience to draw attention through social media.  

Ordering their drinks and entrees, they went and found a place to sit by the window. Digging into their meal, Kirin was oblivious to the figure that was moving closer and closer to them from outside because his back was facing the window. Suddenly, knock, knock, knock. Hearing the knocks on the window, Kirin turned around with his cheeks bulging with food as he chewed. When he looked up, his chewing stopped as he stared at the man who stood on the outside, looking at him with an amused smile on his face.