94. Younger Au - A life Taken (End)

"What's on your mind?" Her voice brought him out of his thinking, reminding Kang that he was, in fact, in the middle of having coffee with Jiyeh. His fiancée, the same one he was set to marry within a year. Maybe he should focus on her some more instead of trying to plan Sunny's return.

He said it without thinking, a reflex that he should try to break sooner or later. "Nothing." She stared at him for a moment. For not being related to the kid, she somehow made the exact same face he did whenever he didn't believe Kang. Maybe they were just more similar in personality than he thought, because, like the squirt, she just stared and waited for him to continue, the same expectant look, blank-faced and waiting.

Heaving out a sigh, he decided to just give in. Those two were going to be the end of him. God help him the day they decide to team up to wrangle something out of him. "Sorry. I was thinking about the kid's dog."

Her eyebrow quirked up, clearly, she wasn't expecting that answer. "Dog?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Sunny. I gave her to him to try and help him adjust." To say that Sunny helped him adjust would be an understatement. She helped him become more social with others, she was a task to stay busy with, she helped him regulate his emotions and helped with his nightmares as well. Kang even had half a mind to turn her into a service animal for him. But that would require appointments and diagnoses that would allow them to get a service dog. All of which were things that his boy would not do. "We had to leave her behind when we came to Korea. But she's just about done with quarantine, and I want to surprise the kid with her." Reuniting the two was at the top of his to-do list, it had been since their return nearly six months ago and it was finally time to start planning for it.

She nodded her head slowly, mulling over what Kang just told her. "Oh, I see...may I ask you something?"

"Yeah?" Was it something about Sunny? Did she have a problem with dogs? He hoped not, but going over that topic right then and there was as good a time as ever.

Jiyeh pursed her lips together, her eyes drifting to the corner of the room before she finally said. "Why do you call Jangsu Kid or Squirt?" The question threw him for a loop. She continued. "Squirt, I understand, but Kid? I've never heard you call him by name."

Oh.

Well, since she mentioned it, Kang realized that she had a good point. Not once had Kang called Squirt by Jangsu, but that was because he knew what the name was. A meaningless name to fill in his forms. He just hadn't expected anyone to notice that Kang never called him by Jangsu, forget actually asking why he did that. Most people would have just thought that it was Kang's nickname for the boy.

Then again, Jiyeh was not like most people.

Kang went over it in his head, trying to decide how much he should reveal. He hadn't exactly told Jiyeh about the kid's origins, nothing beyond the glazed-over truth: Kang found him in the Middle East and brought him back home. He hadn't told her about the kid's amnesia, his past as a soldier, or their attempt to find his family.

He most definitely hadn't told her about the way it affected his self-worth and certainly not about Kang purposely giving up on a lead...

At his prolonged silence, she gave him a pointed look, prompting him to finish his thought and answer the question.

Well, considering that the two of them were going to get married, and the three of them were going to be living together, he might as well tell her. "That's because Jangsu is not his name." For the time being, he would only give her a portion of the truth. He would break the truth to her over time. It was not his secret to tell and although she needed to know at least a portion of it, Kang would at least make sure she was trustworthy before blabbing off.

Though to say that she was confused would be an understatement, because why wouldn't she be confused? They had introduced the kid to her as Jangsu, but she was just told that the kid's name wasn't Jangsu. Kang would be confused if he heard the same.

He continued without prompt, giving a better explanation. "The kid has amnesia. He remembers his family name, but not his first name," Kang shrugged, and understanding began to dawn on Jiyehs face. "His papers needed a first name, so I just put Jangsu."

She looked taken aback, and again, it was understandable. Kang was bringing some very important information to light. "Oh. I see..." She looked a bit conflicted at the realization that the kid that was going to be her step-kid, didn't have a name like she thought. That was to be expected, Kang was sure with time, she would grow to accept it.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, and Kang let it happen. He didn't try to fill it because Jiyeh needed some time to process what he just told her. In the end, she was the one who broke the silence. "Does he mind being called Jangsu?"

Again, Kang shrugged. "At first, he thought it was weird. But he's used to it now." He did show some sign of discomfort when someone other than him called him Squirt, but that was probably because it was the nickname that Kang, and solely Kang used. Otherwise, he seemed to have gotten used to being called Jangsu. At any rate, it seemed like that was going to be the kid's actual name and not just a placeholder.

Jiyeh nodded slowly, and really, Kang had to admire how calmly she was taking in the information. If he had learned something like that, he probably would have been a bit more frazzled out about it.

For a few more minutes, they went back and forth. Kang supplemented more information and answered any of the questions she had. Within five minutes, she had the bare bones information about him. The squirt was a kid Kang found in the Middle East, one that survived a plane crash, and one that had no living relatives left, at least, not ones that they could find. They tried looking for them, but after they couldn't find them, Kang decided that he was going to adopt Squirt, and he was in the midst of getting those papers ready to submit to start the process.

"What did they call him before you met him?"

It was his turn to blink in surprise. "What?"

Jiyeh nodded as if it was something that was obvious. "You said that you met him in the middle east." She said calmly, her gaze centered solely on Kang. "What did they call him before you met him?" Kang was drawing a blank for the first time in the entire evening.

That was a good question. One he should have thought of earlier because he had no idea what the kid had been called prior to their meeting. "I actually don't know. I never bothered asking." More like, the kid had insisted that they call him whatever they wanted, and with that insistence, Kang had never bothered to dig deeper. "He told me to call him whatever I wanted when we first met, so I just did..." but that was a good question, what did they used to call him?

The squirt had to have been called by something. He used to be a squad leader for the Camp, he must have had some type of title or moniker...

"I'll ask him when I get a chance." Would he tell Jiyeh about it? Probably not, maybe when they had a more solid relationship built on trust, but not at that moment. "Oh, one more thing." And it was one of the most important things in Kang's opinion, one that Kang couldn't believe he almost forgot. "Squirt is an agreeable kid. And a good one, he rarely says no." That was one of the reasons why the kid was so lovable, because he was just helpful overall, and was always willing to learn something new.

"But I need you to respect his choice if he ever decides he doesn't want to do something." Her face twisted and Kang could imagine why. He wouldn't be surprised if Jiyeh had been raised with strict standards, standards that had her requests and wants constantly denied. On the surface, it sounded like Kang was telling Jiyeh that she was supposed to let the kid do whatever he wanted to do without argument, but there was a deeper reasoning for his request. "I'm not trying to spoil him," he said when he saw the expression on her face.

Besides the fact that Kang wasn't trying to spoil or baby him, Kang was sure that the kid wouldn't even let himself be spoiled if Kang tried. And if Kang tried, he knew that instead of being grateful for the generous treatment, the kid would feel guilty over either the time or money that Kang was investing so lovingly into him. It was better to just avoid it overall. "He was robbed of his autonomy for years and he was taught that his feelings were unimportant. Granted, because of that, he will rarely say no, but it is all the more important that we listen to him when he does." Jiyeh, he had really gotten lucky with her, because even though she looked impassive, he could tell that she was listening and taking what he said to heart. "If it bothers him enough to say no, we need to listen." There was a lot that he wasn't saying, like how the kid had a diminished sense of self-worth, and listening to him when he expressed his opinion helped establish the fact that he was important enough to take into account, but that would be for another time. "Otherwise. Just keep an eye on him. He has a bad habit of hiding when he's hurt."

That, that in particular, made her frown. Though Kang supposed he should be grateful that she was actually concerned about the kid's harmful habit. "How much of a bad habit?"

Oh, if she only knew the lengths his kid would go to hide the fact that he was in pain. She could probably figure it out with the way Kang rubbed at his face with one hand. "He had emergency surgery three months ago because his intestine ruptured and he didn't let anyone know until he collapsed on the bathroom floor while home alone. Then I was accused of child abuse and neglect because they thought I ignored his pain when he just didn't let me know."

Her jaw was all but on the floor. For a few seconds, she looked like a fish with the way she opened and closed her mouth, trying to think of something to say before stopping at the last second.

It took her a few tries before she was able to say something and her manicured nails were pinching at the bridge of her nose. "Are you sure therapy is not an option?" she said at last. Fair question, one that Kang quickly denied because Kang knew his kid, therapy was not an option, and it was not going to be one for a long time. "Is there anything else I need to know?"

Easy, just one last thing. "Don't tell him that we're getting married because of my grandfather." The kid had one hell of a guilt streak. If the kid found out that Kang was marrying Jiyeh to repay a favor to his grandfather, a debt that was formed from Kang's need to become his guardian while at the hospital, it was not going to be pretty. It was best to just keep it a secret from him.

Kang knew him, and he knew that Squirt's first thought would be that he was the reason that Kang was forced into marriage, and he would completely forget that Kang would do anything for him and his well-being.

Was it bad that Kang was hiding it? Yes, and it would probably bite him in the ass one day, but until then, it would be something that was between his parents and fiancée.

Thankfully, she nodded along with that. "Okay. I won't. But I need you to do something for me." Fine. It was only fair. He waited for her to continue. "I need you to avoid Yeongho, my brother, until we're married." It was Kang's turn to give her a confused look and with a loaded sigh, she started to explain. "He doesn't like that you have a son. If he finds out that he's not biologically yours, that you're just his guardian, and not his adoptive parent, he will try to get rid of him." Fun. Fun.

Maybe Kang should have expected that, especially since he was marrying into such a powerful family, but damn was it a disappointment to hear that someone would tear apart his family like that. "I'll hurry up and get those papers submitted." Most of them were already submitted, the only one that was taking a while, because they always did, was the one from the government agent that inspected his home and the living conditions. Once Kang got the thumbs up from the inspector, then Kang would be ready to submit that last piece of paperwork, and that would let the adoption process start.

She nodded, and with that, the conversation lulled into silence and ended.

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In the end, Kang decided fuck his plans regarding Sunny. He was going to give his kid his dog back as soon as possible because that was what he deserved. He deserved to be happy, and if Sunny was just another way for Kang to make his boy happy, then he was going to do it.

Sunny would be a very welcomed presence in the kid's life. She would make his boy happier, and with any luck, she would drastically cut down on his nightmares, and after recent events, he needed that. Especially since interviews for school were starting soon, and although he was in the last stretch of his cram school days and had been preparing for months by then, Kang was unsure how the kid would take the changes. The changes being after everything he had gone through, and the long adjustment period they had after returning to Korea, he was starting a new part of his life, one where he would have to interact with kids that were of all ages, and in mass.

Either way, that was for later, and Kang was just happy that the kid was going to have his dog back.

Sunny had a smile behind her muzzle, the muzzle a mere precaution because she was a larger dog, and because she was new to the area. She wasn't used to the area and Kang didn't want his boy to lose his dog the first day she was there because she bit someone. But she didn't seem to mind. She was healthy and beyond ecstatic to be walking down the street with him. Classic Sunny, she was just happy to be along for the ride.

They came to a stop at a crosswalk, and even when she was sitting down patiently, her tail moved back and forth like a little feather duster on the cement. "Just a bit more." Sunny barked, spooking a few of the other pedestrians. Her tongue lolled out the side of the muzzle, slipping through the metal grid. "We're almost there, and then you can see the kid." she tapped her front paws in place, a happy whine escaping her, one that Kang couldn't help but laugh at and pet her for. She was still the happy dog that they had left behind. She was still a good girl.

There was a pep to his step as he got closer to the school. Just a few blocks more and then the kid would be able to see his dog after so long. At the rate they were going, they were going to arrive just as the kid walked out of the building, which was going to be fun.

Kang's heart started to beat faster at the thought of Squirt seeing his dog, the thought of the pure joy on the kid's face, made Kang just as excited.

Everything was sorted out at home, the kennel was set up in the kid's room, the food was in its own container in the kitchen and her bowls were set out. All that was left was the reunion between a boy and his dog.

He turned the last corner. The class must have ended a few minutes early, because there was the squirt, walking with his friends, they were probably going to go to another PC café, and the kid most definitely hadn't been expecting Kang to show up. Perfect, it would be a true surprise then.

Squirt still hadn't noticed Kang, he was too busy watching Hyeokjung wave his hands around wildly as he explained something.

Sunny, on the other hand, saw him immediately. A loud whine escaped her, she started jerking and pulling at the leash out of her excitement, and when Kang didn't let her run towards Squirt like she wanted, she let out a loud bark, turning her head towards him as she all but screamed to let her go to her boy.

Well, who was he to deny a dog from seeing her boy again?

Corralling her in between his legs, he held Sunny still just long enough to unlatch her leash, fighting against the way she kept on squirming and wriggling in place. Finally, the leash came off with a quiet click of metal. "Go get him." and go get him she did.

With a loud bark, she ran forward.

Hyeokjin was the first one who noticed Sunny running towards them, his hand wrapping around Hyeokjung's arm to start pulling his little brother away from Sunny, no doubt scared of her. Maybe he should have at least gotten a bit closer, because to his friends, all it looked like was a stray dog running towards them.

His kid was the next one to notice, and it took him less than a second to recognize her.

Kang would never forget the way his kid went through the emotions. He was concerned at first, then confused, but he saw the moment it clicked for the teenager, he saw the recognition in his eyes.

Kang would never forget the way his face lit up. The confused frown that had already been present on his face, turned into a blinding smile and it was the biggest smile that he had seen on his boy yet.

He looked so happy; it made all of the hoops he had to jump through worth it. The months of waiting for Sunny to finish quarantine finally felt like they had paid off, and several times over at that.

Even with the way Squirt had kneeled and braced himself, Sunny completely and utterly ran him over. He heard the impact, and the 'Sunny!' that the kid had let out.

The sight warmed his heart. Sunny's tail was moving faster than a propeller, and even though the kid was already under her, she kept pawing at him, pushing her muzzle into his face. There were a few times when she climbed off him just to jump on him all over again. Laughter flowed from the kid's mouth, like a spout that had the handle broken off. The laughter that sounded so lighthearted and ecstatic, Kang couldn't help but smile at the sight.

The kid rolled onto his knees, spotting Kang when he looked up, and Kang wished he had the sense to take out his phone to record the thing, it would have made a great picture of the young man. He had a face split with a wide smile, his blazer was messed up, and so was his hair. For him to be so happy and expressing it , it was rare and that's what made it all the more special.

Kang was close enough for Sunny to decide that she just had to throw her body against his legs before she was bounding back to the kid, intent on doing the same thing.

Squirt just barely managed to catch her in his arms, holding her still just long enough so he could take off the muzzle, allowing her to soak his face with her slobber. "Hey-pppht- Sunny! Not in my mouth!" Squirt sputtered and laughed at the same time, trying to spit out whatever Sunny had gotten into his mouth.

Taking pity on his boy, Kang pulled on Sunny's collar until she was off the teenager, allowing him to sit up and-

There was a sheen of saliva on his face, and there was a portion of his hair at his temple that was standing up straight from the way she had been licking him.

A snort slipped out, and then a second, and it wasn't long before Kang was laughing until his stomach hurt. "She missed you buddy!" He gasped out, just barely managing to get out his handkerchief to hand it to him. Once he did, Kang decided that it was time to get her back onto the leash, they were standing next to the kid, and she had nowhere to sprint. However, that did nothing to contain her joy.

The teenager wiped off the saliva but kept the smile, "When did she come back?" Again, Sunny rushed him once Kang loosened his grip on the leash, but that time, all she did was go round and round within his arms, yipping and whining the entire time, slowly but surely wrapping the leash around herself until Kang was forced to let go of it. "Hi, Sunny. I know you're here. I missed you too." He all but cooed at the girl, letting her deliver more licks that left his hair standing up.

Kang nodded, taking the time to smile at the young men who had slowly approached the dunderhead that was Sunny and her boy. "I just picked her up from customs. I figured you would want to see her right away." Squirt nodded at that.

At last, Sunny settled down, and with her mouth hanging open, her tongue resting on the cement under her, she bared her stomach, enjoying the belly rubs that her owner was giving her.

With some encouragement, Sunny was receiving pets from four teenage boys happily, and when they stopped, she was hopping to her feet to lean against the squirt's chest, allowing the kid to wrap his arms around her. Just like she used to back on the base. "Ready to go home?"

Kang had been expecting a nod, a confirmation that he was ready to go home with Sunny and live out his life with his beloved dog by his side, just as she was meant to be.

Instead, after he jumped up to his feet, Squirt wrapped his arms around Kang and squeezed him tightly. It was a tight hug that portrayed the kid's thanks. "Thank you." His voice was firm, just as firm as the hug he was giving Kang. "Thank you." he squeezed his arms tighter, and Kang knew what he was doing.

It was well known that when it came to words, Squirt often didn't know what to say, or how to convey his emotions into words effectively.

Squirt was trying to portray the magnitude of his emotions, and just how grateful he was through his actions, like he always did.

"Ah," He dragged out, hugging his boy back just as tight, paying no mind to the slobber that the kid was covered in. The kid seemed to love hugs way more than he ever let on. "Anything for you buddy." They were family, and family helped each other out.

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"Just wait out here for a bit while I go talk to Jiyeh, yeah?" The kid nodded, and Kang knew that his boy had no problem with waiting outside. Not with the way they were out in the courtyard, and not with the way Sunny was out there with him. The kid may have been full of fur, and slobber, but he was a happy kid that was full of fur and slobber, which was all that Kang could have asked for.

Seeing that the two of them were going to be walking laps, though that was sure to be running with Sunny there, around the courtyard, Kang made his way inside, holding the door open for an elderly man and his granddaughter on the way in.

He just needed to go talk to Jiyeh, there was a dinner that his family was going to have, and his parents wanted her to come along to get to know her, so he just had to tell her about that and then they would be on their way home.

Could he have told her over text? Yeah probably. But Kang wanted to see her, he would only be able to see her so many times before he left for deployment again, or at the very least before the two of them got too busy to see each other.

As his father would have said, he was smitten, and Kang would not try to hide it.

The S.W. building was as busy as always, with the employees milling and going about their day. She would probably be busy as well, so it was for the best that he made the trip quick. Thankfully, the receptionist recognized him, and it wasn't long before Kang was out of the public areas and was walking towards her office.

His drill sergeant would have screamed at Kang for his lack of situational awareness. "Oh." Kang turned his head at the same time as the voice, noticing the man exiting the nearby doorway just as he started speaking. The man, who was about Kang's height, wore a sharp suit that was complete with slicked-back hair, an expensive looking watch, and glasses, stepped further out of the room, a female bodyguard following him soon after, folders in her hands. "just the man I want to see."

It only took Kang a second to decide that he didn't like the man.

He had known of him for less than two seconds, he didn't even know who he was and Kang already decided that there was something about him that he didn't like. Something that had his gut instinct chipping in that the man was not to be trusted.

"Do I know you?" Kang couldn't keep the hard, defensive tone out of his voice and the longer he spoke to the man, the less he wanted to put down his guard.

The smile on his face was shallow, the action not meeting his eyes. "I would hope so, considering that you're my future brother-in-law."

Shit.

The one person that Jiyeh told him to avoid, and he managed to meet him less than a week later.

Kang tried to take the hard edge out of his voice. Play nice, he told himself. He had to, especially with what Jiyeh told him. The smile on his face felt forced, and he knew that Yeongho noticed. "Yeongho, right? It's nice to finally meet you. Jiyeh told me about you." he tagged on a slight bow of his head at the end, though that did nothing to cover up his stiff and defensive body language. Though he was sure that Yeongho knew that Jiyeh had nothing good to say about him.

Yeongho smirked. "And I've heard about you. Hamchan Kang. A Major in the military, special forces." Maybe his tone would have fooled someone else, but Kang could hear the sarcasm that was heavily layered under the false interest. "I've heard a lot about you and Ijin." The smirk almost turned into a grin when he saw Kang's confusion.

Ijin? The last time Kang checked, he didn't know anyone named Ijin.

"Oh. Right. You don't know." His tone had quickly become condescending. "Don't you think I would find out the name of my future nephew?" Kang raised an eyebrow. His nephew? Does he mean the kid?

"His name is Jangsu. Not Ijin."

There was a sinking feeling in his stomach, and all of a sudden, Kang felt like a rabbit that got caught in a snare. The smile was still present, but it had taken an edge that seemed mischievous, not quite like a child, but instead, like a man who got caught doing something illegal. "I'm afraid not. Just because you couldn't find out his name, doesn't mean I couldn't." He held his hand out, and his bodyguard dutifully handed him the folder she was holding, and he flipped it open. "Yu Ijin. Fifteen years old, he turns sixteen in December. He has a grandfather and younger sister; he was declared dead seven years ago with his parents." The longer he spoke, the more Kang's heart sank, the more his face paled. "In fact, I just finished talking to his grandfather and sister. You might have seen them on the way out." he said while motioning to where Kang came from.

His mind flashed back to the pair he had held the door open to. The elderly man and the young girl.

He was talking about the squirt. There was no doubt about it because as much as Kang hated it, Yeongho was talking about his boy.

Yeongho should have known nothing about the kid, nothing about what Kang had found out about him. But he did. He knew that the kid had a grandfather and a younger sister, and now he was right there, dangling the information over his head as if he was some pet to be fed.

He needed to get straight to the point. "What do you want?" Yeongho was saying all of that for a reason, one that Kang didn't know yet.

His heart started to beat faster against his chest as that same smile seemed to get even bigger. He had a smile that reminded him of the saying, like a cat that got the canary. Yeongho shrugged, pretending to mull over the question for a few seconds before he finally said. "They say if you love someone, let them go," No. "He would be happier with his family instead of being a bastard child in our family."

"No." Kang said it without thinking, but that was because he didn't have to think about it. "No. He's staying with me." Letting go of his boy was out of the question, it was something he hadn't considered for months, not since he decided to hang up the phone with the principal. The squirt was all but his son.

At that, Yeongho let out a sigh and shook his head as if he was disappointed. "I'm afraid there isn't much of a choice in the matter," he said with a smile, but for the first time, his voice dropped an octave as his smile fell away. "Did you really think I would let a bastard join our family? Just like that?" he took a step closer, "Do you really think you'll stand a chance in court?" There was less than a foot separating them, and neither of them went to widen the gap. Or at least, Kang couldn't.

He was frozen in place. His eyes locked solely on Yeongho as the breath stalled in his chest.

"If you know what's good for him, or his innocent grandfather and sister." The façade was completely gone, and there was an underlying threatening tone in his voice, "you'll give up custody of him. I found his family and got rid of him in three weeks," He paused, tilting his head to the side as the sound of clicking high heels came echoing from down the hall. "Imagine what I could do now that I know that his grandfather is just an old man working as a security guard. There's nothing remarkable about his family. Don't you think it will be easy to destroy the life they have? The boy's life?" Jiyeh rounded the corner, Kang could see her just over Yeongho's shoulder, and he saw the way her lips tightened into a thin line when she saw them together.

"It's your choice." He said, at last, finally turning around to walk away, ignoring his sister entirely as he left, his bodyguard in tow. Jiyeh quickened her pace, "Oh, and you should go check up on Ijin," Yeongho called over his shoulder, his phone in his hand as he half turned towards them. "I'm sure he has a few questions for you in the courtyard."

Shit.

Kang took off, leaving his fiancée behind as he ran towards the courtyard, back to his boy, back to the kid that he couldn't bear the thought of losing and-

He burst through the doors, spotting his boy, the elderly man, and the young girl.

They locked eyes, and his boy was slipping away from the old man and girl, Sunny right on his heels. "Kang." He said urgently, his eyes wide as he walked around Kang until Kang was between him and the pair. "Kang. He's telling me that he's my grandfather."

If you know what's good for him, or his innocent grandfather and sister. You'll give up custody of him. I found his family and got rid of him in three weeks. Imagine what I could do now that I know that his grandfather is just an old man working as a security guard.

The pair came up to them. The elderly man, the squirts- Ijin . Ijin's grandfather had tears in his eyes, and the girl, his kid's sister, was almost just as teary.

It was them.

It was really them because after he had stared at the parents' pictures for so long, Kang knew that it was them. The girl was the spitting image of the kid's mother, and Kang could see some of the father in the old man's face. The girl and his kid even looked similar.

It was them. Whether he liked it or not, he was looking at the family that Kang had given up on finding for his own selfish reasons. "Mr. Kang," Tears were flowing down his face freely. "Oh-I can't-you-Thank you," The elderly man landed on at last, his hands clasping Kang's in his own, bowing forward until his forehead was pressed against Kang's hands. "Thank you so much for taking care of Ijin." His boy stepped closer to Kang at that, hiding behind him even more. "Thank you. Thank you, thank you." Kang wanted to push his hands away, to say that there was a mistake and that his kid was not Ijin, that he was Jangsu but.

There's nothing remarkable about his family. Don't you think it will be easy to destroy the life they have? The boy's life

What would Yeongho do if Kang tried to keep his boy with him?

Yeongho had the power to follow through with his threat. He had the power to destroy the kid's sisters and grandfather's lives with a few words.

Kang knew empty threats, and he knew that Yeongho had the power to do it and he had the power to do it in ways that Jiyeh couldn't stop.

"I..." Kang took in a deep, fortifying breath. What should have been a fortifying breath at least. He turned to his boy, the same one that had Sunny pressed up against his leg, her head under his hand as her presence soothed him, the same boy who had gone to him for comfort.

His tongue was like lead, his voice refused to come out on command, his voice box failing him until he finally said.

"We need to have a talk."

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Their coming home hadn't been as peaceful as Kang had hoped, as he had wanted.

"I don't want to go with them." Sq-Ijin said as soon as the front door closed, his voice tight with an emotion he hadn't heard from his boy before. "I want to stay here with you."

I know you do.

There was so much that Kang wanted to say, he wanted to say that he knew that his boy didn't want to go with his family. He knew that, Ijin had been very vocal in his body language about how much he did not want to go with his biological family.

But any attempt to return the feelings, to let Ijin know that Kang also didn't want him to go, went up in smoke as soon as he remembered Yeongho's words, and his veiled threats to not only help Ijin's grandfather regain custody of him but to also ruin the grandfathers and sisters lives, along with his kids.

He didn't want his boy to go. He didn't want Ijin to leave.

But with what Jiyeh told him, he knew that Yeongho would carry through with his threats, and he knew that Yeongho had more than enough power to ruin his boy's life and his biological family's lives.

The future for his boy that kang had fought so hard for, would go up in flames if that happened.

Kang set his hands on the kid's shoulder. His mouth felt dry, full of ash, and his heart was pounding against his chest, he was positive the kid would be able to feel his heartbeat in his hands. "I want you to go with them." The words were like vinegar on the tongue, acidic, acrid, and painful to say. "I don't want you to be by yourself while I'm deployed. It would be better if you went with your family. It's where you belong." Every single word that he let out broke his heart. He hated saying it, he hated telling the boy, the same one he had started to see as his own, that he didn't belong in his home.

He hated seeing the way it affected the squirt, Ijin. He wasn't Squirt, his name was Ijin. Yu Ijin.

And he wasn't his boy.

Not anymore.

Yet Kang couldn't change his thinking just like that. With his sentence, he stiffened up, tension filled his body, and a pinched expression appeared on his face. He looked hurt, hurt that Kang wanted him to go with his biological family.

Then he looked completely and utterly betrayed. His eyes filled with pain, and sorrow, his upper lip curled in. It was an expression that Kang had never seen before. It was an expression that portrayed agony, betrayal, and lastly, heartache.

Seeing his boy like that broke his heart, and Kang had to blink away the forming tears. He wanted nothing more but to take it back, Kang wanted nothing more than to pull him into a hug, to comfort his boy, the boy he had grown to love like his own. But he couldn't.

"You...want me to go with them...?" Ijin said slowly, his words mumbled, an unbelieving tone in his voice.

It pained him to speak. "I want you to go with them." There was a sharp inhale, so minute, it was nearly indiscernible. But it was so sharp, so full of emotion it was akin to a child that took a deep inhale before letting out their first wail.

He stepped out of Kang's reach, slipping out from under his hands. It felt like a chasm had formed between them.

Kang would have liked to say that it was like a switch was flipped. That the emotion was wiped from his face, and within a second, he was looking at the apathetic young man he had met so long ago in the medical bay.

Instead, it was like watching a rusty and jammed shutter roll into place. His face crumbled for a split second before he schooled his face into a nearly emotionless expression. But just for a second, a mere second, Kang saw the way his lip turned white from how hard he was biting it, how his eyes were just short of watery.

And then he was in control of his expression again, his face nearly becoming emotionless.

Just like that, all of the progress they had made, the trust they had built, was gone, destroyed. "Yes sir." His voice was monotonous, and his eyes that had been creased with pain were half-lidded and empty. But even though Ijin did not meet his eyes, Kang could still see the pain in his eyes, he could see the effect his words were having. "Can I take Sunny with me?" his throat felt thick.

He was shutting down. He was shutting down because of Kang. "Yes. Of course you can." He nearly choked out, willing his voice to be steady. "You know that." His boy said nothing, he didn't portray anything, and it was all the more heartbreaking.

"Understood." He took a step back, and he was slipping away from Kang, slipping away like a memory damaged by time, leaving Kang alone in the hallway.

Tears started slipping down his face when he heard the door latch shut. The breath he took was raw, shallow, and painful, and the exhalation did nothing to soothe the stabbing pain in his chest, the awful, ugly pain in his gut that made him nauseous. It made him want to curl up into a ball and hide until the pain went away.

The wall was the only thing that kept him steady as he opened the front door, and just as it closed behind him, he all but collapsed onto the front step.

An ugly, strangled sob wrenched its way out of his throat.

I'm sorry.

Lol