Undercover [1/2]
Title: Undercover [1/2]
Pairing: HunTao, KaiSoo
Genre: Police/Undercover AU, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Length: Part One | ~ 8,900 k
Disclaimer: Unfortunately the boys do not belong to me. However the plot and story does.
Summary: Tao is a bumbling idiot who is the chief's nephew. Kyungsoo is a neurotic prodigy who graduated with high marks. The two are partnered and their first assignment is to go undercover at a prestigious high school in order to protect the politician's son, Oh Sehun.
Part One
“Morning Kyungsoo.”
“Good morning chief.”
“Are you ready for your next assignment?”
“Been up all night thinking about it.”
“Good, before I give you the run down I want you to meet your new partner.”
“New partner? But what about Luhan?”
“Your time with Luhan was more of a training period. He’s back working on a case with Minseok. Luhan and I both agree that its time for you to spread your wings and take on a rookie of your own.”
“Ah, I -”
“TAO, GET YOUR ASS IN HERE!”
There was a moment of silence.
“HUANG ZITAO! DON’T MAKE ME CALL YOU AGAIN!”
A boy with short silver hair walked into the office. He held a cup of coffee in one hand and a jelly donut in the other. The lower half of his face was covered in crumbs and smeared with jelly. Kyungsoo couldn’t help but notice how apparent Tao’s dark circles were.
“I’m here uncle,” Tao mumbled as he finished the remainder of his donut.
“CHIEF. You call me chief in the office.”
“Oh right sorry, chief.”
“And for god sakes, wipe your mouth! Are you a grade schooler?”
“I was saving them for later,” Tao used the back of his hand to wipe the crumbs from his face. He proceeded to lick the remainder jelly with his tongue.
“This is your partner, Kyung-”
“AH! I KNOW YOU!” Tao exclaimed. “YOU WERE THE REALLY SMART KID IN MY CLASS AT THE POLICE ACADEMY.”
At that moment Kyungsoo remembered everything.
Yeah and you were the really dumb one…
Ever since the alarm went off late that morning, Do Kyungsoo knew that something about today would be a little off. He was used to his normal routine of getting up at 6am, going for a morning jog, taking a 15 minute shower, eating a breakfast of toast and eggs, and then avoiding rush hour to get to work on time. However this morning was a little different. He woke up half an hour late, missed his morning run, took a 20-minute shower and burnt his toast. Luckily he arrived to work on time, but he could only dread what other mishaps would occur that day.
He stared at the taller boy in front of him. Tao was sipping his coffee like a little kid blowing on really hot soup and still managing to get his tongue burnt. Kyungsoo took in the image and groaned. Huang Zitao. He remembered this guy as unwanted memories crept up from the back of his mind. Huang Zitao, the boy who barely managed to pass his classes. The boy who was afraid of the dark. The boy who would scream every time they heard a gun shot. The boy who always cried for his mom when training got too rough.
Kyungsoo remembered looking at the kid and thinking that he should just give up. Give up being on the police force and find another profession. But after seeing how he was linked to the head chief there was no way in getting rid of him. He probably looked up to his uncle and dreamed of being a detective just like him.
“This is so cool! I’m with the smartest kid in the class! Oh man, wait till I tell all my friends!” Tao grinned like crazy as he jumped in excitement.
“Could you brief us on the assignment now?” Kyungsoo ignored as he refocused his attention.
“Yes, well, you guys are well aware of the politician Oh Dongwoo?”
“Yes.”
“He has been receiving threats in response to his recent actions in terms of the budget crisis. People have been accusing him of being a thief and stealing the nation’s money. Whether that is true or not is none of our concern at the moment. For all we know these are just malicious rumors being spread across the media.”
“To my understanding, he just stopped funding projects that had smaller significance, but perhaps that may have offended certain groups?” Kyungsoo analyzed.
“Those people should just calm down! Why can’t we all be friends?” Tao chimed.
Kyungsoo could feel his nerves twitch. “So what are you having us do? Will we be investigating those performing the attacks? Or maybe we’ll be escorting the politician? Or maybe-”
“I have a different plan in mind for the two of you. Currently Luhan and Minseok are investigating the people behind the attacks.”
“Oh.”
“I want the two of you to protect his son, Oh Sehun. He’s currently a senior in high school. We received a tip that the attackers will be focusing on the politician’s son.”
“I don’t understand, why don’t we just lock the kid up in his home?” Kyungsoo was already finding the assignment super lame. “That way we know he’s safe and we can focus our attention on bigger issues.”
“The boy is a bit of a rebel. He claims that his father’s current status should not affect his own life therefore Dongwoo specifically reached out to us to keep watch on his son. However Sehun can not know who you guys are.”
“Why is that?”
“The boy has a record of discarding his own personal bodyguards and losing track of them.”
“Great, so we are dealing with a little brat,” Kyungsoo scowled.
“More or less.”
“Why don’t we be his friends?” Tao piped. “That way we can keep a close eye on him!”
“I am not here to make friends nor be a babysitter,” Kyungsoo glared. “So I’ll just watch this kid from a distance right?”
“No. Actually the two of you will be attending the same academy,” the chief smiled. “The two of you can pass as high school students. I already have your school uniforms ready.”
+++
Kyungsoo was furious. He looked down at his class schedule and then at the school in front of him. Yondae High was a prestigious school where all wealthy families send their kids. The unique thing about the school was that they developed the western format of education in regards to allowing students to choose their own instructors and classes beforehand. They excelled in sports and academics and were reputable to have their students strive in successful careers. As a child Kyungsoo dreamed of going to a school such as this but his family was too poor to afford any form of high-class education. Therefore he studied very hard as a kid in order to obtain scholarships to help him get to where he was now.
“Do we have any classes together?” Tao peered over Kyungsoo’s shoulder as Kyungsoo could feel the other boy’s breath breathing down his neck.
“No we don’t. Have you forgotten?” Kyungsoo pushed the other boy off as he walked towards the side. “Our classes are split so that one of us is in class with Sehun. That way he can’t be suspicious of both of us being in all his classes. We have to keep an eye on him at all times.”
“Oh yeah! Right!” Tao grinned. “You’re so smart!”
“Even a 5 year old could deduce that,” Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. “Listen, just stay out of my way. Don’t speak to me at school. I don’t want people to link us. I’ll call you later so we can form a meeting place to discuss any findings.”
“Ok! Gotcha!”
“Oh and one more thing and you have to listen to me on this,” Kyungsoo pulled Tao closer as his lips were a few centimeters away from the other boy’s ear. “You must absolutely avoid any contact with Oh Sehun. Unless it’s a group project or just an exchange of words from classmate to classmate, under no circumstance can you go out of your way on your own to make any contact with him.”
“Ok, will do.”
“I’m leaving,” Kyungsoo gripped his school bag as he began to walk towards the school doors. He turned to Tao one last time. “Remember, don’t talk to Sehun.”
“I won’t!” Tao grinned. “I promise!”
“Good.”
“Kyungsoo?”
“What?”
“I’m glad you’re my partner.”
Kyungsoo forced a small smile as he kept on walking.
+++
It was second period gym for Tao as he frantically looked for his instructor. He walked across the soccer field only to hear a group of guys snickering. From the corner of his eye he could see a small frail boy being bullied by a group of 4 guys. Tao frowned as he walked closer to the group only to see the boy badly beaten. One of the bullies, who looked like the leader, held a wallet in his hand as he removed all the cash. He then turned to a trashcan 50 ft. away and aimed to shoot the wallet into the can.
“I wouldn’t shoot that if I were you.”
Tao crossed his arms as he glared at the group of boys before him.
“Who the fuck are you?” The leader smirked as he threw the empty wallet at the beaten kid.
“I’d only reveal my name if you deserve it.”
“Cocky bastard, do you want your ass kicked?”
Tao responded with a grin as he stretched both arms behind his head. “No.”
“Do you want to die?”
“Give the guy back his money and no one gets hurt, okay?”
“The only person who will get hurt is you asshole,” the leader sneered as he aimed a punch at the taller boy. Tao immediately grabbed his arm as he bent it behind the leader’s back. Tao looked at the other three boys in front of him as his grip tightened on the leader.
“Aghhh,” the leader winced in pain. “Let me go!”
“I’m giving you guys a chance to walk away from this. I can easily take you all down, but that’s for you guys to decide,” Tao smiled as he continue to tighten his grip on the leader.
“Mother fucker!” All three boys lunged at Tao as Tao easily took them all down one by one.
He knocked the last boy down as the four of them scrambled to their feet.
“Oh no, not yet,” Tao grabbed the leader’s collar. “Where’s the money you stole?”
The leader hastily emptied his pockets as he handed it to the other boy.
“Thank you and please stay out of trouble,” Tao smiled as the boys ran away. He then turned to the boy on the ground. “Hey are you ok? Here’s your money.”
“T-Thank you,” the boy bowed as he held his money against his chest.
“Who were those guys anyway?”
“T-That’s Minhyuk and his crew. They are the bullies on campus; they go around preying on those weaker than them. They are bad news but their families have money so they can go on doing whatever they want.”
“Is it just the four of them?”
“No, they have a leader.”
“Who’s their leader?”
“Oh Sehun.”
+++
“Everyone, please pair up with a lab partner. Please keep in mind that you will be having this lab partner for the rest of the semester.”
Kyungsoo looked around in slight panic. He did not know a single soul in this room. He figured he could just end up with whoever was left over and he would just take care of all the assignments himself. It didn’t bother him if his partner took his credit. He was already a high school graduate anyway.
He heard loud spurts of females giggling as his eyes turned to the corner of the room. A handsome dark skinned boy with messy white hair was surrounded by four female students all begging to be his partner. He smiled at them apologetically shaking his head as his eyes met with Kyungsoo’s. His eyes widen at contact as he shot the other boy a quick wink, apologizing to the girls once more.
“I’m sorry girls, but I promised the teacher I would show the new kid around. Makes more sense if I was his lab partner, right?”
The girls whined and protested as the boy placed a finger on his lips. “I promise I’ll make it up to you girls. We’ll definitely go karaoke next week!”
The girls agreed and cheered as the boy made his way across the classroom to the new kid.
“Hey,” the handsome boy greeted.
“Hello,” Kyungsoo responded rather apathetically.
“Have a partner?”
“No.”
“My name is Jongin. Mind if I sit here?”
“No.”
“What’s your name?”
“Kyungsoo.”
“What brings you to this school?”
“Dad’s change of job.”
“What does your dad do?”
“Owns a furniture business.”
“Oh, which one?”
“You ask a lot of questions don’t you?” Kyungsoo frowned as he stared at the taller boy.
“Sorry, I just wanted to get to know you, that’s all.”
Kyungsoo bit his lips. He was always known to be socially awkward.
“Have you guys all picked out a lab partner?” The teacher looked around the classroom. “Ok, let’s move on to the next assignment.”
“Thanks for saving me back there,” Jongin leaned over. Kyungsoo continued to look straight ahead at the blackboard as the teacher was going over some formulas. “I really appreciate it.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You did a lot,” Jongin smiled.
Kyungsoo proceeded to ignore and copy notes.
“I find you interesting.”
Kyungsoo paused as he firmly placed his pencil down on his desk. He then turned to the other boy with the most soulless expression on his face.
“I’m the most boring person you will ever meet.”
+++
“Hmmm, Huang Zitao,” Tao’s Literature teacher stared at the transfer forms as she adjusted her reading glasses. “Strange to have a transfer student at this time, but whatever. You’ll just have to work extra hard to catch up on the readings.”
“I’ll do my best,” Tao smiled uneasily. He hated reading.
“For the mean time you can go sit in front of Sehun. Sehun, raise your hand.”
Tao looked towards the back of the classroom as his eyes met with a tall boy with copper brown hair. The boy raised his hand, as his face was pretty blank and expressionless. Tao walked over as he took his seat remembering Kyunsoo’s firm warnings of not getting too close, his partner’s words echoing repeatedly in the back of his mind. Well, this was as close as he can ever get. Great.
Tao felt sweat begin to form on the back of his neck as he can feel a pair of eyes piercing into the back of his skull. He tried to keep himself calm by repeating to himself that he was just a new transfer student. A new student. No one knew him. No one has any reason to approach him. No reason to talk to him. No reason to-
“Heard you’re quite the ass kicker.”
Tao heard a voice from behind. He ignored it.
“Hey, I’m speaking to you.”
Tao continued to remain silent. He then felt a kick to his chair.
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tao retorted.
“Is there a problem Zitao?” The teacher frowned as she pulled her glasses down.
“My stomach hurts Mrs. Shim, Zitao was asking me if I was alright. Can he take me to the nurse’s office?” Sehun massaged his stomach as he fake grimaced in pain.
Mrs. Shim pursed her lips. If it weren’t for the fact that he was the son of a well-known politician she would have denied him in a heartbeat.
“Very well.”
“Thank you,” Sehun smiled angelically. He then turned to Tao. “Help me up.”
Tao reluctantly helped the other boy up as they made their way out the classroom door. All Tao can hear in his head was Kyungsoo’s voice repeating over and over; you must absolutely avoid any contact with Oh Sehun. Avoid any contact with Oh Sehun. Contact with Oh Sehun. Oh Sehun.
“Walk with me Zitao,” Sehun cheerfully let go as he skipped down the empty hallway.
“Tao, I prefer you call me Tao.”
“Alright, Tao,” Sehun turned to the other boy as they walked out into the school courtyard.
Tao took in the lovely courtyard as he cautiously followed Sehun from behind. He could tell that a couple thousand dollars has been put into making this courtyard as extravagant as it was. There were rows of trees lined up matched with color coordinated rose bushes. A huge pond filled with koi fish occupied the center as marble statues of assorted forest animals decorated the outskirts. A face of a lion was carved into a wall as a generous stream of water flowed from its mouth.
Tao took out his phone as he began to take photos of the courtyard.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Sehun stared at the other boy.
“It’s pretty so I’m taking photos!” Tao exclaimed as he continued to snap photos. “Wow! So pretty!”
“What?” Sehun looked around the courtyard. It was so generic to him.
“Hey, can you take a photo of me next to that lion head?” Tao pushed his phone into Sehun’s hands as he quickly made a pose. “Make sure I look good!”
Sehun reluctantly took the photo as he handed the phone back to Tao. “Hey, I didn’t come here to do a photo shoot of you.”
Tao was so lost in the dreamy courtyard that he completely forgot that he was with Oh Sehun. The boy he was supposed to watch out for. The boy he was supposed to protect. The boy he was supposed to avoid contact with at all costs.
“Ok, well I’m done taking photos, shall we go back to class?”
“No, I brought you out here because I wanted to talk to you.”
“I’m just a new transfer student. I don’t know what you could want from me.”
“I saw you.”
“Saw me what?”
“I saw you kick Minhyuk’s ass along with the other three idiots.”
“Yeah, well they deserved it!” Tao frowned at the thought of the bullies. “They were picking on this small dude and stealing his money-”
“I thought it was pretty cool.”
“What?”
“You’re going to be my new friend.”
“Excuse me?”
“From this day on, you are my new right hand man.”
+++
Kyungsoo stared at the empty seat at the other side of the classroom. He was already 10 minutes into his last class, which covered history. He found it strange that Oh Sehun showed up for the prior classes that they shared but chose to skip out on this one. Kyungsoo did his best to observe the politician’s son from afar. The tall boy was often silent and kept things to himself. He would often let out snide remarks in response to lesson plans but it was rather harmless. Kyungsoo took note of the people who interacted with him and kept his eyes open for any suspicious characters.
Where could he be? Was in trouble? Was he in danger?
Kyungsoo assumed for the worst only for a familiar face to catch his attention through the window.
Tao. What is Tao doing outside?
Kyungsoo’s eyes widened.
And why is Oh Sehun with him?
Kyungsoo felt his nerves twitch as he had the urge to run out and leave the room. But he knew he couldn’t do that. If he ran out and confronted Tao it would all be over for the two of them. No one could know that they were acquaintances or that would just arise suspicion. All Kyungsoo could think was the earful that he would give Tao later that day. After all the warnings he had given him.
I told him not to speak to Sehun. I specifically told him not to confront or associate. God fucking damn it, why him? Why was I paired with him?
Kyungsoo watched the clock tick, as the minutes could not go by fast enough.
+++
“I SPECIFICALLY TOLD YOU NOT TO SPEAK WITH HIM!” Kyungsoo grabbed Tao’s collar the second they reached headquarters.
“What are you talking about?”
“OH SEHUN! I SAW YOU! Jesus Christ,” Kyungsoo let the other boy go. “I saw you guys in the courtyard. I was wondering why he didn’t show up for his last class.”
“Oh my god! Kyungsoo! Sehun is so cool! Did you know that his father owned a horse ranch in the valley? He said I could go riding with him some time! They also own an apple orchard! His grandma is really good at making apple pies and apple custards! He also has VIP access to certain movie theaters and theme parks! I can’t wait to go!” Tao squealed excitedly as his eyes sparkled in delight.
It took every muscle in his body to keep his jaw from dropping. Kyungsoo stared at the boy with utter disbelief. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“I’m not! I would invite you, but he doesn’t really know you so that would be really awkward-”
“Do you think this is a game? We are on a fucking assignment and this is not a joke. I am your partner, I am also your superior and you disobeyed my orders which was pretty fucking simple, DO NOT SPEAK WITH THE TARGET.”
“I’m sorry Kyungsoo, please don’t be jealous, I’m sure we can-”
Kyungsoo could not believe the words coming out of the other boy’s mouth. “JEALOUS? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?”
The boy stormed out of the room as he headed towards the chief’s office, only to interrupt a meeting. Both Luhan and Minseok looked up at the boy in surprise.
“I apologize for interrupting, but I have something extremely important to discuss,” Kyungsoo apologized as he tried to take control of his anger.
“You look like you’re about to explode,” Luhan smiled.
“You’re lucky what we’re discussing isn’t too important,” the chief took a sip from his coffee mug. “How was the first day of school?”
“You have to assign me another partner. I can’t be paired with Huang Zitao. He has been nothing but a hindrance. He’s unreliable, does not take direction well and is completely oblivious to the situation. I would have more luck being paired with a dog. So please, please either assign me to a different case or get me a new partner.”
“What exactly happened?” the chief asked.
“I specifically told him not to get into contact with Oh Sehun. Before I knew it they are best friends and have plans of going horseback riding and apple pies. This isn’t a fucking game. I told him that we shouldn’t get too close because that would heighten our chances of blowing our cover. I can’t have a partner who doesn’t listen to me. Sehun is going to find out who we are and we will be nothing more than discarded bodyguards.”
“Can I put in my two cents?” Minseok gave a small wave as he peered into Kyungsoo’s face.
“Please,” Kyungsoo begged, hoping for any reassurance.
“I actually trained Tao for a bit while Luhan was off training you,” Minseok smiled. “I agree with you, he is a scaredy cat, he’s dumb, and he cries a lot, no offense chief-”
“Non taken.”
“-he’s oblivious, childlike, and does not have much common sense. HOWEVER. You’d be surprised at what he is actually capable of doing. There were moments where he followed his instincts and surprised me. In fact, he actually saved my life once.”
“That’s nice that he saved your life and all, but how can I risk my assignment with someone who carries so many flaws?”
Minseok shook his finger. “You just have to embrace those flaws.”
“I agree with Minnie,” Luhan nodded. “Kyungsoo, you’re smart, really smart. In fact I think you are probably even smarter than I am.”
“No, I’m not-”
“Yes, you are,” Luhan’s eyes shined. “You’re a child prodigy who graduated from the police academy at age 16. There’s a reason why you have been given this assignment. There is a reason you are partnered with Tao. Use this situation to your advantage. Use EVERY situation to your advantage. Tao is best friends with Sehun? Use that. Have Tao watch him closely as you watch from afar. Be the inner and the outer.”
“Tao is a lot smarter than you think. Don’t be too disappointed,” Minseok gave Kyungsoo a light pat on the back.
Kyungsoo let out a huge sigh.
“Okay. Fine. I will work with him.”
Kyungsoo only prayed for the best.
+++
“Are you still mad at me?” Tao smiled rather apologetically as he peered into Kyungsoo’s face.
“No, I’m not.”
“Whew, I’m glad,” Tao patted Kyungsoo on the back. “For a second I thought you really hated me.”
I do really hate you.
“I just wish you would communicate with me more and not run off and do things on your own.”
“Sorry, things just happen so fast and you told me I can’t make any contact with you on campus-”
“I know. I know.”
It has been two weeks since both Kyungsoo and Tao have been attending Yondae high school. Things seemed to be pretty generic and standard, as the two boys would do their normal routine of attending school. The only difference was that Tao and Sehun progressively grew closer as Kyungsoo’s annoyance for his current lab partner escalated.
“Hey, can you help me with this question?” Jongin moved his seat closer to the smaller boy.
“The answer is 2.”
“Yeah, but can you explain to me how you got that answer?”
Kyungsoo let out a small sigh. “It’s a complicated process.”
“We are ahead of the class right now. I have time.”
Yeah, that’s because I’m doing all the work and all these assignments are too easy for me.
“Fine.”
Kyungsoo explained his process in detail as his pen moved from one sheet to the next jotting down different formulas. Just as he reached the end of his explanation he looked up at the other boy who happened to be staring straight at his face.
“…and that is how we get 2. Did you get all that?”
“Wha-? Hmm?”
Kyungsoo frowned. “Were you even paying attention?”
“Sorry, I was too busy staring at you.”
“If there’s something on my face you could have interrupted me.”
“Sorry, you just have a very nice face.”
“Thanks, I guess,” Kyungsoo began to feel uncomfortable. He never knew how to take a compliment.
“Hey, you should come out with me tomorrow night. There’s a wild party and it could be fun-”
“I don’t do parties.”
“Come on, I think it’d be fun-”
“My parents are very strict. They won’t let me.”
“Why don’t you try sneaking out? Or maybe you can say you’re sleeping over at a friends?”
“I don’t have friends.”
“We could be friends.”
“I want to go. I really do. But my dad will kill me.”
“Oh. That’s lame.”
“Yup, lame.” Kyungsoo pulled out his physics book as he proceeded to read ahead on to the next chapter.
+++
“Sehun invited me to a party tomorrow night. I hear it’s going to be wild!” Tao exclaimed as he took a bite of his noodles.
Kyungsoo placed his chopsticks down.
You have got to be kidding me.
“Where is the party at?”
“It’s at some warehouse in downtown.”
“That sounds really sketchy.”
“Apparently that’s where all the rich kids go to blow off steam. Doesn’t matter if its sketch. All that matters is that you have money.”
“As if you have money,” Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow.
“I have Sehun! So I’m covered!” Tao grinned.
Kyungsoo let out a sigh. All he knew at this point was that if Sehun was going, he had to go as well.
“I’m going, but I’ll be watching you guys from afar.”
“Ok! Don’t worry! If anyone tries to hurt Sehun, I’ll be right next to him.”
“What a hero,” Kyungsoo replied sarcastically.
“Right?” Tao smiled as he made a peace sign with his right hand. “I’m a hero.”
+++
“You’re wearing that?” Tao’s eyes scanned Kyungsoo from head to toe as he shook his head in disbelief. “Please tell me those are your pajamas.”
Kyungsoo looked down at his outfit. All he wore were a pair of black slacks and a black t-shirt. He then looked at Tao who was wearing designer jeans, a graphic tee, backwards cap, and accessorized with silver jewelry.
“What’s wrong with the way I’m dressed?”
“EVERYTHING!” Tao proceeded to look through his closet. “I can’t believe you traveled from your place to mine in that get up! You look like a waiter serving at a funeral.”
“I don’t care how I look.”
“You don’t care, but I care! Society cares!” Tao looked through his closet as he pulled a designer collar shirt. “Here, put this on. Oh and you should tuck in the shirt and wear this belt.”
Kyungsoo put on the shirt. It hung a bit too big on him, but he definitely looked as if he would fit in a young hip crowd.
“Wow, the magical wonders of fashion,” Tao nodded approvingly. “You actually look like you can score a date tonight, hahaha!”
Kyungsoo ignored Tao’s snide comment. “When and where are you meeting Sehun?”
“I’m going to his place at 10pm, hang out and then we’ll probably get to the party around 11pm.”
“Ok, I’ll get to the party around that time too. I’ll be at a distance, so don’t talk to me. If anything happens, just text me.”
God this is so stupid…
Kyungsoo got to the warehouse party at exactly 11pm. He noticed a long line at the entrance and debated whether or not he should stand in line. He then noticed Sehun and Tao from a distance. They passed by all the people in line as they got to the front. Kyungsoo noticed Sehun say a few words as the bouncer immediately let the two boys through the door.
“God damn it,” Kyungsoo groaned. If Sehun was inside, he’d have to go in as well. He just dreaded the long wait to get into the party. Kyungsoo began to make his way towards the end of the line only to hear a familiar voice from behind.
“Well, if it isn’t the most boring person in the world.”
Kyungsoo recognized the white hair and handsome face.
Shit…
“I thought you couldn’t come out tonight, but I guess that doesn’t matter. I’m just glad to see you here!”
“I uh thought a lot about what you said and you’re right, I should be able to go out and have some fun. Got in a fight with my father, but I had to rebel at some point in my life, right?” Kyungsoo lied as he shuffled his feet on the ground.
Jongin burst out a laugh. “That’s right.”
Kyungsoo looked at the taller boy in front of him. He had his hair slicked back and wore a designer shirt and a pair of ripped jeans. Kyungsoo was a bit taken back at how good the other boy looked out of his school uniform.
“You look nice tonight,” Jongin complimented.
“Thanks.”
“Did you come alone or are you with anyone?” Jongin asked.
“I came alone.”
Jongin’s smile turned into a wide grin. “You should stick with me tonight, I’ll show you a good time.”
Kyungsoo forced a smile on his face as he only wished to be an old man and go to bed at his bedtime. He usually went to bed by 10:30pm. So much for ruining his sleeping pattern.
“Super stoked,” Kyungsoo began to walk towards the line. “Guess we got to wait in line.”
Jongin laughed and shook his finger. “We don’t need to do that.”
The taller boy grabbed the other boy’s hand as they walked towards the front of the line. Jongin greeted the bouncer with a smile as he gently pushed Kyungsoo in front of him.
“Hey Johnny, this guy is with me!” Jongin firmly placed his hands on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. The smaller boy could feel the warmth underneath Jongin’s tight grip.
“Alrighty, don’t get into too much trouble tonight,” Johnny unhooked the rope that sealed the door as he allowed the two boys to pass.
“Trouble?” Kyungsoo frowned as he looked up to the other boy.
“He’s just messin.”
“Oh! Right!”
+++
“Here, drink this,” Sehun handed a glass filled with ice and brown liquid. Tao took the cup and observed what was inside.
“What is it?”
“Rum and coke.”
“But Sehun, that’s,” Tao’s eyes shifted from side to side as he let out a firm whisper. “Alcohol!”
“Yup, so drink up, it’ll make you feel good,” Sehun laughed as he made a drink for himself. The two boys were in a private room in the back that was specifically reserved for the politician’s son.
Tao hesitated slightly as he took a whiff of the drink. The smell of alcohol burned his nostrils as his face scrunched in distaste. He then decided to take a small sip.
“This taste awful.”
“Do you want me to make you a sweet one?”
Tao nodded in response.
“You’re such a girl,” Sehun laughed as he grabbed a different bottle.
“No I’m not!” Tao was offended. “I am the most manly of all men!”
“Yeah right,” Sehun rolled his eyes. “I can’t believe you cried during the little mermaid. Actually, I can’t believe I agreed to sit down and watch the little mermaid with you.”
“Hey, first of all, you don’t know what its like to be stuck under the sea and not experience life on land. Also, the little mermaid is a classic!”
“Oh god, please don’t-”
“I want to be where the people are, I want to see, want to see them dancing-” Tao began to sing.
“Please stop, your singing is awful,” Sehun handed the other boy a newly made drink. “Here, I hope you like this one better.”
Tao took a sip of the new drink. He was surprised that the drink tasted like candy, he couldn’t even taste the alcohol at all. “This is so good!”
“I know,” Sehun stuck out his tongue. “Did you know the true ending of the Little Mermaid?”
“Yeah, didn’t she turn into foam or something?” Tao took another sip. He could feel his cheeks getting red.
“Apparently Hans Christen Anderson wrote the Little Mermaid as a love letter to the person he loved.”
“Well, that’s a pretty sad love letter if it ends with her dying.”
“It is sad. He was in an unrequited love with a man. He ended up writing that story and sending the manuscript to him.”
“I wish I can go back in time and make that man love him back!” Tao exclaimed as he finished the rest of his drink. “That way everyone can be happy!”
Sehun laughed. “You’re right!”
“Sehun…”
“What?”
“I think I’m drunk.”
At that moment a group of guys entered the room. Sehun looked up and greeted with a slight frown.
“Oh, its you guys.”
“Getting drunk without us? That’s so rude Sehun,” Minhyuk grabbed a bottle of whiskey as he began to unscrew the cap. “We used to do everything together until this asshole showed up.”
Tao recognized Minhyuk and the three other guys. He remembered Sehun describing each of the boys and where they all came from. Minhyuk was the biggest one. He was apparently the son of a politician that worked alongside Sehun’s father therefore the two boys would often have frequent play dates when they were young. Jin was an athlete with a strong build. His family invested in real estate. Brian was an exchanged student from America who decided to spend his last two years of high school studying in Korea. His family worked in the oil industry. Lastly was Sang, who was the smallest of the lot. His family owned a diamond factory that produced diamond centric jewelry.
“It’s not my fault you guys are kind of lame,” Sehun shrugged as he poured himself another drink.
Minhyuk knocked the bottle out of Sehun’s hands. The expensive vodka spilled on to the floor as Sehun watched the carpet soak up the liquid. He then looked up at the other boy with a sharp glare.
“That was my favorite vodka.”
“I don’t care.”
“I’m this close to knocking you out right now,” Sehun clenched his fists.
“I want you to hit me,” Minhyuk smiled. The other two boys smirked in response.
Tao tried his best to be sober, but he had difficulty doing so. All he knew was that he had to text Kyungsoo. He had to let him know that something dangerous was about to happen and that he may need help.
Group of guys. Sehun. Help.
“Sehun, it’s ok, we’ll just get another drink! And you guys, why don’t you guys leave?” Tao tried to keep peace as he juggled with his phone.
“You, shut the fuck up and stay out of this,” Minhyuk snapped. “You don’t know how much I want to kick both your asses right now. You know, I heard some things from my father.”
“What things?” Sehun could feel his knuckles turn white.
“That apparently your father has been stealing money by cutting funding for certain organizations but he’s using the whole budget crisis thing as a cover up. Face it, in a couple of days your father is going down. In other words, you don’t have power anymore.”
Tao looked from Minhyuk and Sehun. He noticed Sehun’s expressionless face as he was clearly taking in the other boy’s words. Sehun gave a small smile.
“Minhyuk,” Sehun slowly stood up as he balled his fists. “I’ve always adored you. Ever since I was a little kid.”
Minhyuk felt Sehun’s fist against his right cheek as he flew back. He felt his cheek sting as he landed backwards into Jin’s arms. Sehun immediately turned to Tao as he grabbed the other boy’s hand.
“Come on Panda, let’s go on an adventure!” Sehun laughed as the two boys ran out of the room.
“GET THEM!” Minhyuk shouted as the remaining boys ran out to chase the fleeing two.
+++
Kyungsoo hated parties.
The amount of people was suffocating. The strobe lights were distracting. The smell of cigarettes and alcohol made him want to gag. The music was loud and obnoxious that it gave him a huge headache. There was nothing more that he wanted then being back home in his bed.
“Do you want a drink?” Jongin gestured to the bar.
“I don’t drink.”
“Do you want to dance?”
“I don’t dance.”
Jongin laughed. “Ok then, what do you want to do?”
“I want to sit.”
“You got it,” Jongin scanned the room as he found a familiar face. “We can go sit over there!”
Kyungsoo turned to see a group of squabbling girls. He recognized them from his Physics class. He frowned at the sight of them.
“It’s ok, I’ll just stand here.”
“I’ll stand with you.”
Kyungsoo wanted to laugh. There was no way in getting rid of this guy. The boy was like a parasite. He then felt his pocket vibrate.
Group of guys. Sehun. Help.
His eyes shifted around the warehouse. The place was huge and the dance floor was crowded with people. However he did notice a couple private rooms towards the back.
“Hey, let’s go dance,” Kyungsoo tugged on Jongin’s sleeve. He figured he would bring the other boy on to the dance floor and lose him.
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Jongin grinned as he grabbed Kyungsoo’s hand. The taller boy led him on to the dance floor.
“Let’s go further in!” Kyungsoo shouted as Jongin continued to lead the way.
The two arrived at the center of the crowd and Jongin began to move to the beat of the music only for Kyungsoo to tug his sleeve once more.
“I have to pee. I’ll be right back I promise.”
“Wait, do you want me to go with you?” Jongin asked.
“No, I’ll be fine. You dance. I’ll find you.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
Kyungsoo made his way out the dance floor only to catch a glimpse of Sehun and Tao running out of a room. After a few seconds four upset looking guys exited the same room chasing after the two.
“Jesus Christ,” Kyungsoo mumbled. The situation looked a little messier than he thought. He ran after the boys as he ended up at the exit door towards the back.
“Hey kid, once you leave you’ll have to stand in line again,” a security guard warned.
“Did you see six guys run out here?” Kyungsoo asked.
“I told those boys the same thing-”
Kyungsoo ran out the exit only to find himself in a deserted parking lot. He tried to scour clues in which direction the boys may have gone off to, but he was able to hear some voices from a distance.
“Hey kid, do you have any cash on you?”
Kyungsoo ignored the voice as he decided to walk towards where he thought Tao and Sehun may have run off to.
“Hey, we’re talking to you.”
We’re?
Kyungsoo frowned. He turned around only to see four guys circle him, all smoking cigarettes in their mouths.
“I don’t,” Kyungsoo replied as his eyes scanned the parking lot. “Sorry, I’m busy and you’re in my way.”
“Hey boss, don’t you think he’s kind of cute?”
“Yeah, he kind of looks like a girl.”
“Maybe he feels like one too.”
Kyungsoo felt a heavy weight on his shoulder. If it were just two guys he could easily take them down and escape, but he was currently outnumbered. He had to think of a quick escape route fast. He had a couple options. One he could go old fashion and scream for help, but screaming was not his style. Two he could attempt to run away but he was not too confident with his running capabilities. Third he could bust out his police badge and arrest the boys for harassment. But that would only be a last resort. He didn’t want to blow his cover in such a public place.
“Don’t touch him.”
The wide-eyed boy looked up only to see a familiar face from the distance. At that moment he felt a huge sigh of relief.
Jongin…
“Who the fuck are you?” the leader sneered as his grip tightened on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “You can’t tell me what to do.”
Jongin’s eyes widened at that sight of the grip as a trigger switched within him. In t next split second he ripped the leader’s grip from Kyungsoo’s shoulder followed by a punch to the face. Blood appeared on the edge of the leader’s lips as his tongue rolled over the metallic taste.
“You’re going to pay for that.”
Kyungsoo took this opportunity to take the leader down. He grabbed the bigger man as he swung him across his shoulder. He then proceeded to hit him from behind the neck.
Jongin proceeded to take down the other 3 guys as they were nothing. Kyungsoo watched Jongin perform his finishing blow as the tanned boy smiled at the smaller one.
“Are you alright?” Jongin asked as he panted heavily.
“I’m fine.”
“Let’s get out of here.”
“Alright.”
Jongin placed his right arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulder as he led the other boy around the warehouse towards the entrance. He had so many questions burning in his mind but he felt it would be safer to be in a public area.
Kyungsoo looked up at the taller boy as he noticed a cut on his cheek. He felt bad for ditching the boy earlier but at the same time he was extremely relieved that he came when he needed him.
“You’re bleeding.”
“This is nothing.”
“We should disinfect it.”
“Mere scratch, it’ll go away,” Jongin smiled as he ruffled Kyungsoo’s hair. “How the hell did you end up with those guys?”
“I thought the exit door was a bathroom door,” Kyungsoo lied.
“Wasn’t there a bouncer-”
“I practically ran. I had to pee.”
“Hahaha,” Jongin laughed. “Well, if you got to go, you got to go I guess.”
“How did you know I was outside?” Kyungsoo asked.
“Well, I kind of watched you go out the wrong door. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”
Kyungsoo was not used to this. He never had anyone be so concern about him. It was always the other way around. He was used to being the responsible one always watching out for others.
“Why do you care so much?” Kyungsoo frowned slightly.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we haven’t known each other for a month and yet you-”
“I like you.”
“What?”
“I like you.” Jongin smiled as he scratched the back of his head. “A lot.”
Kyungsoo was lost for words. He didn’t know what to say. In fact this was probably the first verbal confession he had ever received in his life. Sure he used to receive a number of love letters in his locker during middle school and high school but he never bothered to read nor respond to any of them. He always found relationships to be a waste of time where that time could be used for studying and being productive.
“Sorry, I don’t know what to say or do during these kinds of situations,” Kyungsoo apologized as he felt his cheeks turn pink.
“It’s ok. I didn’t expect you to say anything, but I figure we could be friends,” Jongin grinned as he lightly punched Kyungsoo’s arm.
“Yeah sure, we could be friends,” Kyungsoo gave a small smile back. Wow, smiling. It felt so foreign to him. “But first we should disinfect your cut.”
“My place is nearby.”
“Oh okay.”
+++
Two chests violently heaved up and down. The night sky was pitch black as there was not a star in sight. Two boys lied flat on their backs in an empty park. Badly beaten, they both took their time to regain their breaths.
“Se-Sehun…” Tao breathed heavily as he turned to the other boy. “Are you okay?”
Sehun took a few more breaths before responding.
“I’m fine. I’m pissed, but I’m fine.”
Tao began to retrace his steps play by play as he remembered the two running out of the warehouse party. Before they knew it they were ambushed by another group of guys who happened to be friends with Minhyuk. The two were badly outnumbered. Tao did his best to fend them off, but it was difficult to do by himself.
“You should have run off when I told you to,” Tao frowned at the sight of Sehun’s injuries. He noticed dried blood on Sehun’s lips and bruises all over his arms.
“And leave you? Fuck that.”
“They were more interested in you than me, if they just focused-”
“I would have never left you, so drop it,” Sehun snapped. “I’m going to kill them! Kill everyone fucking one of them! They’ll be sorry. One by one, I’ll make them so miserable they won’t know what to do.”
“Let’s get out of here,” Tao pushed himself up as he got on his feet. He gave his hand to Sehun, helping up the other boy. “Maybe we can catch a cab-”
“My place is nearby.”
Sehun leaned on Tao’s shoulder as he gripped the other boy firmly. Tao did his best to keep Sehun up and balanced.
“Lead the way.”
The two finally arrived at a prestigious looking apartment complex. The building appeared to be 11 stories high and you needed a number of passcodes and keys to get inside. Sehun pushed the elevator for the 11th floor.
“Wow, fancy,” Tao took in the interior of the elevator. It was constructed with carved glass.
“The building is relatively new. I guess they were going for something modern,” Sehun shrugged as the elevator door opened. “Ah, it’s 1106.”
Sehun struggled with his keys as he finally opened the door. He tossed his keys on the counter as he flopped himself on the couch. Tao couldn’t believe what he saw. Before him was a vast window that showed the cityscape from below. He could see the bright traffic lights of cars on the highway mixed with active city lights of random buildings. The nightlife was animated. It was rather breathtaking.
“You go home to this every night?” Tao ran to the window. “It’s so beautiful.”
“It gets old pretty quick,” Sehun shrugged as he kicked off his shoes. “O-Ow, my back…”
“Oh, let me look at it,” Tao walked over as he sat on the edge of the couch. “Mind if I lift up your shirt?”
“Not at all,” Sehun slowly removed his shirt as his whole body ached in pain.
Tao couldn’t help but take in the other boy’s body. Sehun was rather thin, but his body was rather beautiful and nicely sculpted. Tao gently brushed his finger down the other boy’s back as Sehun let out a small laugh.
“Hey! That tickles.”
“Whoops, sorry,” Tao noticed a huge bruise on Sehun’s lower back. “Damn, they got you pretty good down here, but it doesn’t look too serious.”
“Thank god.” Sehun leaned back as he rested comfortably against Tao’s chest. “I’m so tired.”
Tao couldn’t help but feel his heart skip a beat. He felt the other boy’s body heat through his shirt.
“You should go to sleep,” Tao attempted to look for the door that lead to Sehun’s room only to see a couple options. “Which ones your room? I can-”
“I want to sleep here, like this,” Sehun grabbed Tao’s arms as he wrapped them around his shoulder.
“O-Okay!” Tao felt his heart beat a little faster. Sehun was already drifting to dreamland but Tao was wide awake. He couldn’t help but look down at the other boy’s sleeping face.
Sehun was really handsome. His features were perfect. His eyebrows, his eyes, his nose, his lips… Tao recalled being a bit envious that he would be protecting someone who was so good looking, but the more he spent time with Sehun the more he began to fall in love-
Tao’s eyes widened. Love. He never really thought about love, but that four-letter word happened to appear in his mind. He shook his head. It was ridiculous. Impossible. Sehun is technically a client and he’s on a job. In the end Tao isn’t a high school student, he is just an undercover cop.
“How long are you going to stare at me like that?” Sehun looked straight into Tao’s eyes. Tao jumped in surprise.
“Oh my god, you scared me! I thought you were asleep!” Tao exclaimed.
“How can anyone be asleep with someone staring at them so intensely?” Sehun stuck out his tongue.
“Sorry, I was just thinking a lot…”
“What were you thinking about?”
Tao paused as he pursed his lips. Thoughts of Sehun ran through his mind. “I shouldn’t say.”
“Come on, just tell me!”
“It’s just a joke ok? So don’t take it too seriously!”
“Ok, ok, just come out with it. This curiosity is driving me crazy-”
“Ok fine!”
Tao took a moment to collect himself. Sehun looked up at him with eager eyes.
“I just thought about how much I wanted to kiss you,” Tao blurted as he felt his cheeks turn red.
Sehun looked up at the other boy, slightly stunned. However his shocked expression turned into a small smile.
“Then kiss me, stupid.”
Before Tao could respond, Sehun reached over and pulled the other boy down as their lips touched. Sehun smiled as he deepened the kiss, lingering for more.
The two parted as they shyly smiled at each other.
“C-Can we do a bit more?” Tao flushed, as he couldn’t fully look Sehun in the eyes.
Sehun let out a small laugh.
“Yes.” Sehun got up as he positioned himself in front of Tao. He then took the other boy in his arms as he leaned in for another kiss. His fingers removed Tao’s cap as he began to run his fingers through the other boy’s silver hair.
“T-Tao…” Sehun breathed heavily. “Open your mouth a little…”
“O-Okay…” Tao did as he was told and felt the other boy’s tongue slip through.
It felt good.
Sehun proceeded to rub his knee against the other boy’s thighs only to feel a light surprise. “Oh? What do we have here?”
“Stop,” Tao covered his face. “I’m so embarrassed.”
“But I like it!”
“No he’s right, please do stop.” Sehun heard a different familiar voice coming from behind.
“Oh shit!” Sehun turned and smiled at the other boy by the entrance. “I totally forgot you lived here.”
“If you were having someone over, have the decency to text me or do it in your own room,” Jongin rolled his eyes.
“Ah, sorry, I guess I just got caught up in the moment,” Sehun stuck out his tongue. He couldn’t help but notice a figure behind him. “Who’s the friend?”
“Kyungsoo, this is my roommate Sehun, Sehun this is Kyungsoo. He goes to the same school as us,” Jongin introduced.
“Nice to meet you Kyungsoo, this is my classmate Tao, he also goes to the same school as us,” Sehun gestured to the boy behind him.
At the sound of Kyungsoo’s name Tao shyly crept up behind Sehun’s shoulder only for his panda eyes to meet with a pair of owl ones.
Kyungsoo could not believe what he had just witness. At that moment he didn’t even want to comprehend what had just happened. All he knew was that he was tired and wanted to go to bed.
“Hello, it’s nice to meet you both. Where’s your first aid kit?”
Part Two
Pairing: HunTao, KaiSoo
Genre: Police/Undercover AU, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Length: Part One | ~ 8,900 k
Disclaimer: Unfortunately the boys do not belong to me. However the plot and story does.
Summary: Tao is a bumbling idiot who is the chief's nephew. Kyungsoo is a neurotic prodigy who graduated with high marks. The two are partnered and their first assignment is to go undercover at a prestigious high school in order to protect the politician's son, Oh Sehun.
Part One
“Morning Kyungsoo.”
“Good morning chief.”
“Are you ready for your next assignment?”
“Been up all night thinking about it.”
“Good, before I give you the run down I want you to meet your new partner.”
“New partner? But what about Luhan?”
“Your time with Luhan was more of a training period. He’s back working on a case with Minseok. Luhan and I both agree that its time for you to spread your wings and take on a rookie of your own.”
“Ah, I -”
“TAO, GET YOUR ASS IN HERE!”
There was a moment of silence.
“HUANG ZITAO! DON’T MAKE ME CALL YOU AGAIN!”
A boy with short silver hair walked into the office. He held a cup of coffee in one hand and a jelly donut in the other. The lower half of his face was covered in crumbs and smeared with jelly. Kyungsoo couldn’t help but notice how apparent Tao’s dark circles were.
“I’m here uncle,” Tao mumbled as he finished the remainder of his donut.
“CHIEF. You call me chief in the office.”
“Oh right sorry, chief.”
“And for god sakes, wipe your mouth! Are you a grade schooler?”
“I was saving them for later,” Tao used the back of his hand to wipe the crumbs from his face. He proceeded to lick the remainder jelly with his tongue.
“This is your partner, Kyung-”
“AH! I KNOW YOU!” Tao exclaimed. “YOU WERE THE REALLY SMART KID IN MY CLASS AT THE POLICE ACADEMY.”
At that moment Kyungsoo remembered everything.
Yeah and you were the really dumb one…
Ever since the alarm went off late that morning, Do Kyungsoo knew that something about today would be a little off. He was used to his normal routine of getting up at 6am, going for a morning jog, taking a 15 minute shower, eating a breakfast of toast and eggs, and then avoiding rush hour to get to work on time. However this morning was a little different. He woke up half an hour late, missed his morning run, took a 20-minute shower and burnt his toast. Luckily he arrived to work on time, but he could only dread what other mishaps would occur that day.
He stared at the taller boy in front of him. Tao was sipping his coffee like a little kid blowing on really hot soup and still managing to get his tongue burnt. Kyungsoo took in the image and groaned. Huang Zitao. He remembered this guy as unwanted memories crept up from the back of his mind. Huang Zitao, the boy who barely managed to pass his classes. The boy who was afraid of the dark. The boy who would scream every time they heard a gun shot. The boy who always cried for his mom when training got too rough.
Kyungsoo remembered looking at the kid and thinking that he should just give up. Give up being on the police force and find another profession. But after seeing how he was linked to the head chief there was no way in getting rid of him. He probably looked up to his uncle and dreamed of being a detective just like him.
“This is so cool! I’m with the smartest kid in the class! Oh man, wait till I tell all my friends!” Tao grinned like crazy as he jumped in excitement.
“Could you brief us on the assignment now?” Kyungsoo ignored as he refocused his attention.
“Yes, well, you guys are well aware of the politician Oh Dongwoo?”
“Yes.”
“He has been receiving threats in response to his recent actions in terms of the budget crisis. People have been accusing him of being a thief and stealing the nation’s money. Whether that is true or not is none of our concern at the moment. For all we know these are just malicious rumors being spread across the media.”
“To my understanding, he just stopped funding projects that had smaller significance, but perhaps that may have offended certain groups?” Kyungsoo analyzed.
“Those people should just calm down! Why can’t we all be friends?” Tao chimed.
Kyungsoo could feel his nerves twitch. “So what are you having us do? Will we be investigating those performing the attacks? Or maybe we’ll be escorting the politician? Or maybe-”
“I have a different plan in mind for the two of you. Currently Luhan and Minseok are investigating the people behind the attacks.”
“Oh.”
“I want the two of you to protect his son, Oh Sehun. He’s currently a senior in high school. We received a tip that the attackers will be focusing on the politician’s son.”
“I don’t understand, why don’t we just lock the kid up in his home?” Kyungsoo was already finding the assignment super lame. “That way we know he’s safe and we can focus our attention on bigger issues.”
“The boy is a bit of a rebel. He claims that his father’s current status should not affect his own life therefore Dongwoo specifically reached out to us to keep watch on his son. However Sehun can not know who you guys are.”
“Why is that?”
“The boy has a record of discarding his own personal bodyguards and losing track of them.”
“Great, so we are dealing with a little brat,” Kyungsoo scowled.
“More or less.”
“Why don’t we be his friends?” Tao piped. “That way we can keep a close eye on him!”
“I am not here to make friends nor be a babysitter,” Kyungsoo glared. “So I’ll just watch this kid from a distance right?”
“No. Actually the two of you will be attending the same academy,” the chief smiled. “The two of you can pass as high school students. I already have your school uniforms ready.”
+++
Kyungsoo was furious. He looked down at his class schedule and then at the school in front of him. Yondae High was a prestigious school where all wealthy families send their kids. The unique thing about the school was that they developed the western format of education in regards to allowing students to choose their own instructors and classes beforehand. They excelled in sports and academics and were reputable to have their students strive in successful careers. As a child Kyungsoo dreamed of going to a school such as this but his family was too poor to afford any form of high-class education. Therefore he studied very hard as a kid in order to obtain scholarships to help him get to where he was now.
“Do we have any classes together?” Tao peered over Kyungsoo’s shoulder as Kyungsoo could feel the other boy’s breath breathing down his neck.
“No we don’t. Have you forgotten?” Kyungsoo pushed the other boy off as he walked towards the side. “Our classes are split so that one of us is in class with Sehun. That way he can’t be suspicious of both of us being in all his classes. We have to keep an eye on him at all times.”
“Oh yeah! Right!” Tao grinned. “You’re so smart!”
“Even a 5 year old could deduce that,” Kyungsoo rolled his eyes. “Listen, just stay out of my way. Don’t speak to me at school. I don’t want people to link us. I’ll call you later so we can form a meeting place to discuss any findings.”
“Ok! Gotcha!”
“Oh and one more thing and you have to listen to me on this,” Kyungsoo pulled Tao closer as his lips were a few centimeters away from the other boy’s ear. “You must absolutely avoid any contact with Oh Sehun. Unless it’s a group project or just an exchange of words from classmate to classmate, under no circumstance can you go out of your way on your own to make any contact with him.”
“Ok, will do.”
“I’m leaving,” Kyungsoo gripped his school bag as he began to walk towards the school doors. He turned to Tao one last time. “Remember, don’t talk to Sehun.”
“I won’t!” Tao grinned. “I promise!”
“Good.”
“Kyungsoo?”
“What?”
“I’m glad you’re my partner.”
Kyungsoo forced a small smile as he kept on walking.
+++
It was second period gym for Tao as he frantically looked for his instructor. He walked across the soccer field only to hear a group of guys snickering. From the corner of his eye he could see a small frail boy being bullied by a group of 4 guys. Tao frowned as he walked closer to the group only to see the boy badly beaten. One of the bullies, who looked like the leader, held a wallet in his hand as he removed all the cash. He then turned to a trashcan 50 ft. away and aimed to shoot the wallet into the can.
“I wouldn’t shoot that if I were you.”
Tao crossed his arms as he glared at the group of boys before him.
“Who the fuck are you?” The leader smirked as he threw the empty wallet at the beaten kid.
“I’d only reveal my name if you deserve it.”
“Cocky bastard, do you want your ass kicked?”
Tao responded with a grin as he stretched both arms behind his head. “No.”
“Do you want to die?”
“Give the guy back his money and no one gets hurt, okay?”
“The only person who will get hurt is you asshole,” the leader sneered as he aimed a punch at the taller boy. Tao immediately grabbed his arm as he bent it behind the leader’s back. Tao looked at the other three boys in front of him as his grip tightened on the leader.
“Aghhh,” the leader winced in pain. “Let me go!”
“I’m giving you guys a chance to walk away from this. I can easily take you all down, but that’s for you guys to decide,” Tao smiled as he continue to tighten his grip on the leader.
“Mother fucker!” All three boys lunged at Tao as Tao easily took them all down one by one.
He knocked the last boy down as the four of them scrambled to their feet.
“Oh no, not yet,” Tao grabbed the leader’s collar. “Where’s the money you stole?”
The leader hastily emptied his pockets as he handed it to the other boy.
“Thank you and please stay out of trouble,” Tao smiled as the boys ran away. He then turned to the boy on the ground. “Hey are you ok? Here’s your money.”
“T-Thank you,” the boy bowed as he held his money against his chest.
“Who were those guys anyway?”
“T-That’s Minhyuk and his crew. They are the bullies on campus; they go around preying on those weaker than them. They are bad news but their families have money so they can go on doing whatever they want.”
“Is it just the four of them?”
“No, they have a leader.”
“Who’s their leader?”
“Oh Sehun.”
+++
“Everyone, please pair up with a lab partner. Please keep in mind that you will be having this lab partner for the rest of the semester.”
Kyungsoo looked around in slight panic. He did not know a single soul in this room. He figured he could just end up with whoever was left over and he would just take care of all the assignments himself. It didn’t bother him if his partner took his credit. He was already a high school graduate anyway.
He heard loud spurts of females giggling as his eyes turned to the corner of the room. A handsome dark skinned boy with messy white hair was surrounded by four female students all begging to be his partner. He smiled at them apologetically shaking his head as his eyes met with Kyungsoo’s. His eyes widen at contact as he shot the other boy a quick wink, apologizing to the girls once more.
“I’m sorry girls, but I promised the teacher I would show the new kid around. Makes more sense if I was his lab partner, right?”
The girls whined and protested as the boy placed a finger on his lips. “I promise I’ll make it up to you girls. We’ll definitely go karaoke next week!”
The girls agreed and cheered as the boy made his way across the classroom to the new kid.
“Hey,” the handsome boy greeted.
“Hello,” Kyungsoo responded rather apathetically.
“Have a partner?”
“No.”
“My name is Jongin. Mind if I sit here?”
“No.”
“What’s your name?”
“Kyungsoo.”
“What brings you to this school?”
“Dad’s change of job.”
“What does your dad do?”
“Owns a furniture business.”
“Oh, which one?”
“You ask a lot of questions don’t you?” Kyungsoo frowned as he stared at the taller boy.
“Sorry, I just wanted to get to know you, that’s all.”
Kyungsoo bit his lips. He was always known to be socially awkward.
“Have you guys all picked out a lab partner?” The teacher looked around the classroom. “Ok, let’s move on to the next assignment.”
“Thanks for saving me back there,” Jongin leaned over. Kyungsoo continued to look straight ahead at the blackboard as the teacher was going over some formulas. “I really appreciate it.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“You did a lot,” Jongin smiled.
Kyungsoo proceeded to ignore and copy notes.
“I find you interesting.”
Kyungsoo paused as he firmly placed his pencil down on his desk. He then turned to the other boy with the most soulless expression on his face.
“I’m the most boring person you will ever meet.”
+++
“Hmmm, Huang Zitao,” Tao’s Literature teacher stared at the transfer forms as she adjusted her reading glasses. “Strange to have a transfer student at this time, but whatever. You’ll just have to work extra hard to catch up on the readings.”
“I’ll do my best,” Tao smiled uneasily. He hated reading.
“For the mean time you can go sit in front of Sehun. Sehun, raise your hand.”
Tao looked towards the back of the classroom as his eyes met with a tall boy with copper brown hair. The boy raised his hand, as his face was pretty blank and expressionless. Tao walked over as he took his seat remembering Kyunsoo’s firm warnings of not getting too close, his partner’s words echoing repeatedly in the back of his mind. Well, this was as close as he can ever get. Great.
Tao felt sweat begin to form on the back of his neck as he can feel a pair of eyes piercing into the back of his skull. He tried to keep himself calm by repeating to himself that he was just a new transfer student. A new student. No one knew him. No one has any reason to approach him. No reason to talk to him. No reason to-
“Heard you’re quite the ass kicker.”
Tao heard a voice from behind. He ignored it.
“Hey, I’m speaking to you.”
Tao continued to remain silent. He then felt a kick to his chair.
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Tao retorted.
“Is there a problem Zitao?” The teacher frowned as she pulled her glasses down.
“My stomach hurts Mrs. Shim, Zitao was asking me if I was alright. Can he take me to the nurse’s office?” Sehun massaged his stomach as he fake grimaced in pain.
Mrs. Shim pursed her lips. If it weren’t for the fact that he was the son of a well-known politician she would have denied him in a heartbeat.
“Very well.”
“Thank you,” Sehun smiled angelically. He then turned to Tao. “Help me up.”
Tao reluctantly helped the other boy up as they made their way out the classroom door. All Tao can hear in his head was Kyungsoo’s voice repeating over and over; you must absolutely avoid any contact with Oh Sehun. Avoid any contact with Oh Sehun. Contact with Oh Sehun. Oh Sehun.
“Walk with me Zitao,” Sehun cheerfully let go as he skipped down the empty hallway.
“Tao, I prefer you call me Tao.”
“Alright, Tao,” Sehun turned to the other boy as they walked out into the school courtyard.
Tao took in the lovely courtyard as he cautiously followed Sehun from behind. He could tell that a couple thousand dollars has been put into making this courtyard as extravagant as it was. There were rows of trees lined up matched with color coordinated rose bushes. A huge pond filled with koi fish occupied the center as marble statues of assorted forest animals decorated the outskirts. A face of a lion was carved into a wall as a generous stream of water flowed from its mouth.
Tao took out his phone as he began to take photos of the courtyard.
“Hey, what are you doing?” Sehun stared at the other boy.
“It’s pretty so I’m taking photos!” Tao exclaimed as he continued to snap photos. “Wow! So pretty!”
“What?” Sehun looked around the courtyard. It was so generic to him.
“Hey, can you take a photo of me next to that lion head?” Tao pushed his phone into Sehun’s hands as he quickly made a pose. “Make sure I look good!”
Sehun reluctantly took the photo as he handed the phone back to Tao. “Hey, I didn’t come here to do a photo shoot of you.”
Tao was so lost in the dreamy courtyard that he completely forgot that he was with Oh Sehun. The boy he was supposed to watch out for. The boy he was supposed to protect. The boy he was supposed to avoid contact with at all costs.
“Ok, well I’m done taking photos, shall we go back to class?”
“No, I brought you out here because I wanted to talk to you.”
“I’m just a new transfer student. I don’t know what you could want from me.”
“I saw you.”
“Saw me what?”
“I saw you kick Minhyuk’s ass along with the other three idiots.”
“Yeah, well they deserved it!” Tao frowned at the thought of the bullies. “They were picking on this small dude and stealing his money-”
“I thought it was pretty cool.”
“What?”
“You’re going to be my new friend.”
“Excuse me?”
“From this day on, you are my new right hand man.”
+++
Kyungsoo stared at the empty seat at the other side of the classroom. He was already 10 minutes into his last class, which covered history. He found it strange that Oh Sehun showed up for the prior classes that they shared but chose to skip out on this one. Kyungsoo did his best to observe the politician’s son from afar. The tall boy was often silent and kept things to himself. He would often let out snide remarks in response to lesson plans but it was rather harmless. Kyungsoo took note of the people who interacted with him and kept his eyes open for any suspicious characters.
Where could he be? Was in trouble? Was he in danger?
Kyungsoo assumed for the worst only for a familiar face to catch his attention through the window.
Tao. What is Tao doing outside?
Kyungsoo’s eyes widened.
And why is Oh Sehun with him?
Kyungsoo felt his nerves twitch as he had the urge to run out and leave the room. But he knew he couldn’t do that. If he ran out and confronted Tao it would all be over for the two of them. No one could know that they were acquaintances or that would just arise suspicion. All Kyungsoo could think was the earful that he would give Tao later that day. After all the warnings he had given him.
I told him not to speak to Sehun. I specifically told him not to confront or associate. God fucking damn it, why him? Why was I paired with him?
Kyungsoo watched the clock tick, as the minutes could not go by fast enough.
+++
“I SPECIFICALLY TOLD YOU NOT TO SPEAK WITH HIM!” Kyungsoo grabbed Tao’s collar the second they reached headquarters.
“What are you talking about?”
“OH SEHUN! I SAW YOU! Jesus Christ,” Kyungsoo let the other boy go. “I saw you guys in the courtyard. I was wondering why he didn’t show up for his last class.”
“Oh my god! Kyungsoo! Sehun is so cool! Did you know that his father owned a horse ranch in the valley? He said I could go riding with him some time! They also own an apple orchard! His grandma is really good at making apple pies and apple custards! He also has VIP access to certain movie theaters and theme parks! I can’t wait to go!” Tao squealed excitedly as his eyes sparkled in delight.
It took every muscle in his body to keep his jaw from dropping. Kyungsoo stared at the boy with utter disbelief. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“I’m not! I would invite you, but he doesn’t really know you so that would be really awkward-”
“Do you think this is a game? We are on a fucking assignment and this is not a joke. I am your partner, I am also your superior and you disobeyed my orders which was pretty fucking simple, DO NOT SPEAK WITH THE TARGET.”
“I’m sorry Kyungsoo, please don’t be jealous, I’m sure we can-”
Kyungsoo could not believe the words coming out of the other boy’s mouth. “JEALOUS? ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?”
The boy stormed out of the room as he headed towards the chief’s office, only to interrupt a meeting. Both Luhan and Minseok looked up at the boy in surprise.
“I apologize for interrupting, but I have something extremely important to discuss,” Kyungsoo apologized as he tried to take control of his anger.
“You look like you’re about to explode,” Luhan smiled.
“You’re lucky what we’re discussing isn’t too important,” the chief took a sip from his coffee mug. “How was the first day of school?”
“You have to assign me another partner. I can’t be paired with Huang Zitao. He has been nothing but a hindrance. He’s unreliable, does not take direction well and is completely oblivious to the situation. I would have more luck being paired with a dog. So please, please either assign me to a different case or get me a new partner.”
“What exactly happened?” the chief asked.
“I specifically told him not to get into contact with Oh Sehun. Before I knew it they are best friends and have plans of going horseback riding and apple pies. This isn’t a fucking game. I told him that we shouldn’t get too close because that would heighten our chances of blowing our cover. I can’t have a partner who doesn’t listen to me. Sehun is going to find out who we are and we will be nothing more than discarded bodyguards.”
“Can I put in my two cents?” Minseok gave a small wave as he peered into Kyungsoo’s face.
“Please,” Kyungsoo begged, hoping for any reassurance.
“I actually trained Tao for a bit while Luhan was off training you,” Minseok smiled. “I agree with you, he is a scaredy cat, he’s dumb, and he cries a lot, no offense chief-”
“Non taken.”
“-he’s oblivious, childlike, and does not have much common sense. HOWEVER. You’d be surprised at what he is actually capable of doing. There were moments where he followed his instincts and surprised me. In fact, he actually saved my life once.”
“That’s nice that he saved your life and all, but how can I risk my assignment with someone who carries so many flaws?”
Minseok shook his finger. “You just have to embrace those flaws.”
“I agree with Minnie,” Luhan nodded. “Kyungsoo, you’re smart, really smart. In fact I think you are probably even smarter than I am.”
“No, I’m not-”
“Yes, you are,” Luhan’s eyes shined. “You’re a child prodigy who graduated from the police academy at age 16. There’s a reason why you have been given this assignment. There is a reason you are partnered with Tao. Use this situation to your advantage. Use EVERY situation to your advantage. Tao is best friends with Sehun? Use that. Have Tao watch him closely as you watch from afar. Be the inner and the outer.”
“Tao is a lot smarter than you think. Don’t be too disappointed,” Minseok gave Kyungsoo a light pat on the back.
Kyungsoo let out a huge sigh.
“Okay. Fine. I will work with him.”
Kyungsoo only prayed for the best.
+++
“Are you still mad at me?” Tao smiled rather apologetically as he peered into Kyungsoo’s face.
“No, I’m not.”
“Whew, I’m glad,” Tao patted Kyungsoo on the back. “For a second I thought you really hated me.”
I do really hate you.
“I just wish you would communicate with me more and not run off and do things on your own.”
“Sorry, things just happen so fast and you told me I can’t make any contact with you on campus-”
“I know. I know.”
It has been two weeks since both Kyungsoo and Tao have been attending Yondae high school. Things seemed to be pretty generic and standard, as the two boys would do their normal routine of attending school. The only difference was that Tao and Sehun progressively grew closer as Kyungsoo’s annoyance for his current lab partner escalated.
“Hey, can you help me with this question?” Jongin moved his seat closer to the smaller boy.
“The answer is 2.”
“Yeah, but can you explain to me how you got that answer?”
Kyungsoo let out a small sigh. “It’s a complicated process.”
“We are ahead of the class right now. I have time.”
Yeah, that’s because I’m doing all the work and all these assignments are too easy for me.
“Fine.”
Kyungsoo explained his process in detail as his pen moved from one sheet to the next jotting down different formulas. Just as he reached the end of his explanation he looked up at the other boy who happened to be staring straight at his face.
“…and that is how we get 2. Did you get all that?”
“Wha-? Hmm?”
Kyungsoo frowned. “Were you even paying attention?”
“Sorry, I was too busy staring at you.”
“If there’s something on my face you could have interrupted me.”
“Sorry, you just have a very nice face.”
“Thanks, I guess,” Kyungsoo began to feel uncomfortable. He never knew how to take a compliment.
“Hey, you should come out with me tomorrow night. There’s a wild party and it could be fun-”
“I don’t do parties.”
“Come on, I think it’d be fun-”
“My parents are very strict. They won’t let me.”
“Why don’t you try sneaking out? Or maybe you can say you’re sleeping over at a friends?”
“I don’t have friends.”
“We could be friends.”
“I want to go. I really do. But my dad will kill me.”
“Oh. That’s lame.”
“Yup, lame.” Kyungsoo pulled out his physics book as he proceeded to read ahead on to the next chapter.
+++
“Sehun invited me to a party tomorrow night. I hear it’s going to be wild!” Tao exclaimed as he took a bite of his noodles.
Kyungsoo placed his chopsticks down.
You have got to be kidding me.
“Where is the party at?”
“It’s at some warehouse in downtown.”
“That sounds really sketchy.”
“Apparently that’s where all the rich kids go to blow off steam. Doesn’t matter if its sketch. All that matters is that you have money.”
“As if you have money,” Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow.
“I have Sehun! So I’m covered!” Tao grinned.
Kyungsoo let out a sigh. All he knew at this point was that if Sehun was going, he had to go as well.
“I’m going, but I’ll be watching you guys from afar.”
“Ok! Don’t worry! If anyone tries to hurt Sehun, I’ll be right next to him.”
“What a hero,” Kyungsoo replied sarcastically.
“Right?” Tao smiled as he made a peace sign with his right hand. “I’m a hero.”
+++
“You’re wearing that?” Tao’s eyes scanned Kyungsoo from head to toe as he shook his head in disbelief. “Please tell me those are your pajamas.”
Kyungsoo looked down at his outfit. All he wore were a pair of black slacks and a black t-shirt. He then looked at Tao who was wearing designer jeans, a graphic tee, backwards cap, and accessorized with silver jewelry.
“What’s wrong with the way I’m dressed?”
“EVERYTHING!” Tao proceeded to look through his closet. “I can’t believe you traveled from your place to mine in that get up! You look like a waiter serving at a funeral.”
“I don’t care how I look.”
“You don’t care, but I care! Society cares!” Tao looked through his closet as he pulled a designer collar shirt. “Here, put this on. Oh and you should tuck in the shirt and wear this belt.”
Kyungsoo put on the shirt. It hung a bit too big on him, but he definitely looked as if he would fit in a young hip crowd.
“Wow, the magical wonders of fashion,” Tao nodded approvingly. “You actually look like you can score a date tonight, hahaha!”
Kyungsoo ignored Tao’s snide comment. “When and where are you meeting Sehun?”
“I’m going to his place at 10pm, hang out and then we’ll probably get to the party around 11pm.”
“Ok, I’ll get to the party around that time too. I’ll be at a distance, so don’t talk to me. If anything happens, just text me.”
God this is so stupid…
Kyungsoo got to the warehouse party at exactly 11pm. He noticed a long line at the entrance and debated whether or not he should stand in line. He then noticed Sehun and Tao from a distance. They passed by all the people in line as they got to the front. Kyungsoo noticed Sehun say a few words as the bouncer immediately let the two boys through the door.
“God damn it,” Kyungsoo groaned. If Sehun was inside, he’d have to go in as well. He just dreaded the long wait to get into the party. Kyungsoo began to make his way towards the end of the line only to hear a familiar voice from behind.
“Well, if it isn’t the most boring person in the world.”
Kyungsoo recognized the white hair and handsome face.
Shit…
“I thought you couldn’t come out tonight, but I guess that doesn’t matter. I’m just glad to see you here!”
“I uh thought a lot about what you said and you’re right, I should be able to go out and have some fun. Got in a fight with my father, but I had to rebel at some point in my life, right?” Kyungsoo lied as he shuffled his feet on the ground.
Jongin burst out a laugh. “That’s right.”
Kyungsoo looked at the taller boy in front of him. He had his hair slicked back and wore a designer shirt and a pair of ripped jeans. Kyungsoo was a bit taken back at how good the other boy looked out of his school uniform.
“You look nice tonight,” Jongin complimented.
“Thanks.”
“Did you come alone or are you with anyone?” Jongin asked.
“I came alone.”
Jongin’s smile turned into a wide grin. “You should stick with me tonight, I’ll show you a good time.”
Kyungsoo forced a smile on his face as he only wished to be an old man and go to bed at his bedtime. He usually went to bed by 10:30pm. So much for ruining his sleeping pattern.
“Super stoked,” Kyungsoo began to walk towards the line. “Guess we got to wait in line.”
Jongin laughed and shook his finger. “We don’t need to do that.”
The taller boy grabbed the other boy’s hand as they walked towards the front of the line. Jongin greeted the bouncer with a smile as he gently pushed Kyungsoo in front of him.
“Hey Johnny, this guy is with me!” Jongin firmly placed his hands on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. The smaller boy could feel the warmth underneath Jongin’s tight grip.
“Alrighty, don’t get into too much trouble tonight,” Johnny unhooked the rope that sealed the door as he allowed the two boys to pass.
“Trouble?” Kyungsoo frowned as he looked up to the other boy.
“He’s just messin.”
“Oh! Right!”
+++
“Here, drink this,” Sehun handed a glass filled with ice and brown liquid. Tao took the cup and observed what was inside.
“What is it?”
“Rum and coke.”
“But Sehun, that’s,” Tao’s eyes shifted from side to side as he let out a firm whisper. “Alcohol!”
“Yup, so drink up, it’ll make you feel good,” Sehun laughed as he made a drink for himself. The two boys were in a private room in the back that was specifically reserved for the politician’s son.
Tao hesitated slightly as he took a whiff of the drink. The smell of alcohol burned his nostrils as his face scrunched in distaste. He then decided to take a small sip.
“This taste awful.”
“Do you want me to make you a sweet one?”
Tao nodded in response.
“You’re such a girl,” Sehun laughed as he grabbed a different bottle.
“No I’m not!” Tao was offended. “I am the most manly of all men!”
“Yeah right,” Sehun rolled his eyes. “I can’t believe you cried during the little mermaid. Actually, I can’t believe I agreed to sit down and watch the little mermaid with you.”
“Hey, first of all, you don’t know what its like to be stuck under the sea and not experience life on land. Also, the little mermaid is a classic!”
“Oh god, please don’t-”
“I want to be where the people are, I want to see, want to see them dancing-” Tao began to sing.
“Please stop, your singing is awful,” Sehun handed the other boy a newly made drink. “Here, I hope you like this one better.”
Tao took a sip of the new drink. He was surprised that the drink tasted like candy, he couldn’t even taste the alcohol at all. “This is so good!”
“I know,” Sehun stuck out his tongue. “Did you know the true ending of the Little Mermaid?”
“Yeah, didn’t she turn into foam or something?” Tao took another sip. He could feel his cheeks getting red.
“Apparently Hans Christen Anderson wrote the Little Mermaid as a love letter to the person he loved.”
“Well, that’s a pretty sad love letter if it ends with her dying.”
“It is sad. He was in an unrequited love with a man. He ended up writing that story and sending the manuscript to him.”
“I wish I can go back in time and make that man love him back!” Tao exclaimed as he finished the rest of his drink. “That way everyone can be happy!”
Sehun laughed. “You’re right!”
“Sehun…”
“What?”
“I think I’m drunk.”
At that moment a group of guys entered the room. Sehun looked up and greeted with a slight frown.
“Oh, its you guys.”
“Getting drunk without us? That’s so rude Sehun,” Minhyuk grabbed a bottle of whiskey as he began to unscrew the cap. “We used to do everything together until this asshole showed up.”
Tao recognized Minhyuk and the three other guys. He remembered Sehun describing each of the boys and where they all came from. Minhyuk was the biggest one. He was apparently the son of a politician that worked alongside Sehun’s father therefore the two boys would often have frequent play dates when they were young. Jin was an athlete with a strong build. His family invested in real estate. Brian was an exchanged student from America who decided to spend his last two years of high school studying in Korea. His family worked in the oil industry. Lastly was Sang, who was the smallest of the lot. His family owned a diamond factory that produced diamond centric jewelry.
“It’s not my fault you guys are kind of lame,” Sehun shrugged as he poured himself another drink.
Minhyuk knocked the bottle out of Sehun’s hands. The expensive vodka spilled on to the floor as Sehun watched the carpet soak up the liquid. He then looked up at the other boy with a sharp glare.
“That was my favorite vodka.”
“I don’t care.”
“I’m this close to knocking you out right now,” Sehun clenched his fists.
“I want you to hit me,” Minhyuk smiled. The other two boys smirked in response.
Tao tried his best to be sober, but he had difficulty doing so. All he knew was that he had to text Kyungsoo. He had to let him know that something dangerous was about to happen and that he may need help.
Group of guys. Sehun. Help.
“Sehun, it’s ok, we’ll just get another drink! And you guys, why don’t you guys leave?” Tao tried to keep peace as he juggled with his phone.
“You, shut the fuck up and stay out of this,” Minhyuk snapped. “You don’t know how much I want to kick both your asses right now. You know, I heard some things from my father.”
“What things?” Sehun could feel his knuckles turn white.
“That apparently your father has been stealing money by cutting funding for certain organizations but he’s using the whole budget crisis thing as a cover up. Face it, in a couple of days your father is going down. In other words, you don’t have power anymore.”
Tao looked from Minhyuk and Sehun. He noticed Sehun’s expressionless face as he was clearly taking in the other boy’s words. Sehun gave a small smile.
“Minhyuk,” Sehun slowly stood up as he balled his fists. “I’ve always adored you. Ever since I was a little kid.”
Minhyuk felt Sehun’s fist against his right cheek as he flew back. He felt his cheek sting as he landed backwards into Jin’s arms. Sehun immediately turned to Tao as he grabbed the other boy’s hand.
“Come on Panda, let’s go on an adventure!” Sehun laughed as the two boys ran out of the room.
“GET THEM!” Minhyuk shouted as the remaining boys ran out to chase the fleeing two.
+++
Kyungsoo hated parties.
The amount of people was suffocating. The strobe lights were distracting. The smell of cigarettes and alcohol made him want to gag. The music was loud and obnoxious that it gave him a huge headache. There was nothing more that he wanted then being back home in his bed.
“Do you want a drink?” Jongin gestured to the bar.
“I don’t drink.”
“Do you want to dance?”
“I don’t dance.”
Jongin laughed. “Ok then, what do you want to do?”
“I want to sit.”
“You got it,” Jongin scanned the room as he found a familiar face. “We can go sit over there!”
Kyungsoo turned to see a group of squabbling girls. He recognized them from his Physics class. He frowned at the sight of them.
“It’s ok, I’ll just stand here.”
“I’ll stand with you.”
Kyungsoo wanted to laugh. There was no way in getting rid of this guy. The boy was like a parasite. He then felt his pocket vibrate.
Group of guys. Sehun. Help.
His eyes shifted around the warehouse. The place was huge and the dance floor was crowded with people. However he did notice a couple private rooms towards the back.
“Hey, let’s go dance,” Kyungsoo tugged on Jongin’s sleeve. He figured he would bring the other boy on to the dance floor and lose him.
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Jongin grinned as he grabbed Kyungsoo’s hand. The taller boy led him on to the dance floor.
“Let’s go further in!” Kyungsoo shouted as Jongin continued to lead the way.
The two arrived at the center of the crowd and Jongin began to move to the beat of the music only for Kyungsoo to tug his sleeve once more.
“I have to pee. I’ll be right back I promise.”
“Wait, do you want me to go with you?” Jongin asked.
“No, I’ll be fine. You dance. I’ll find you.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
Kyungsoo made his way out the dance floor only to catch a glimpse of Sehun and Tao running out of a room. After a few seconds four upset looking guys exited the same room chasing after the two.
“Jesus Christ,” Kyungsoo mumbled. The situation looked a little messier than he thought. He ran after the boys as he ended up at the exit door towards the back.
“Hey kid, once you leave you’ll have to stand in line again,” a security guard warned.
“Did you see six guys run out here?” Kyungsoo asked.
“I told those boys the same thing-”
Kyungsoo ran out the exit only to find himself in a deserted parking lot. He tried to scour clues in which direction the boys may have gone off to, but he was able to hear some voices from a distance.
“Hey kid, do you have any cash on you?”
Kyungsoo ignored the voice as he decided to walk towards where he thought Tao and Sehun may have run off to.
“Hey, we’re talking to you.”
We’re?
Kyungsoo frowned. He turned around only to see four guys circle him, all smoking cigarettes in their mouths.
“I don’t,” Kyungsoo replied as his eyes scanned the parking lot. “Sorry, I’m busy and you’re in my way.”
“Hey boss, don’t you think he’s kind of cute?”
“Yeah, he kind of looks like a girl.”
“Maybe he feels like one too.”
Kyungsoo felt a heavy weight on his shoulder. If it were just two guys he could easily take them down and escape, but he was currently outnumbered. He had to think of a quick escape route fast. He had a couple options. One he could go old fashion and scream for help, but screaming was not his style. Two he could attempt to run away but he was not too confident with his running capabilities. Third he could bust out his police badge and arrest the boys for harassment. But that would only be a last resort. He didn’t want to blow his cover in such a public place.
“Don’t touch him.”
The wide-eyed boy looked up only to see a familiar face from the distance. At that moment he felt a huge sigh of relief.
Jongin…
“Who the fuck are you?” the leader sneered as his grip tightened on Kyungsoo’s shoulder. “You can’t tell me what to do.”
Jongin’s eyes widened at that sight of the grip as a trigger switched within him. In t next split second he ripped the leader’s grip from Kyungsoo’s shoulder followed by a punch to the face. Blood appeared on the edge of the leader’s lips as his tongue rolled over the metallic taste.
“You’re going to pay for that.”
Kyungsoo took this opportunity to take the leader down. He grabbed the bigger man as he swung him across his shoulder. He then proceeded to hit him from behind the neck.
Jongin proceeded to take down the other 3 guys as they were nothing. Kyungsoo watched Jongin perform his finishing blow as the tanned boy smiled at the smaller one.
“Are you alright?” Jongin asked as he panted heavily.
“I’m fine.”
“Let’s get out of here.”
“Alright.”
Jongin placed his right arm around Kyungsoo’s shoulder as he led the other boy around the warehouse towards the entrance. He had so many questions burning in his mind but he felt it would be safer to be in a public area.
Kyungsoo looked up at the taller boy as he noticed a cut on his cheek. He felt bad for ditching the boy earlier but at the same time he was extremely relieved that he came when he needed him.
“You’re bleeding.”
“This is nothing.”
“We should disinfect it.”
“Mere scratch, it’ll go away,” Jongin smiled as he ruffled Kyungsoo’s hair. “How the hell did you end up with those guys?”
“I thought the exit door was a bathroom door,” Kyungsoo lied.
“Wasn’t there a bouncer-”
“I practically ran. I had to pee.”
“Hahaha,” Jongin laughed. “Well, if you got to go, you got to go I guess.”
“How did you know I was outside?” Kyungsoo asked.
“Well, I kind of watched you go out the wrong door. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”
Kyungsoo was not used to this. He never had anyone be so concern about him. It was always the other way around. He was used to being the responsible one always watching out for others.
“Why do you care so much?” Kyungsoo frowned slightly.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we haven’t known each other for a month and yet you-”
“I like you.”
“What?”
“I like you.” Jongin smiled as he scratched the back of his head. “A lot.”
Kyungsoo was lost for words. He didn’t know what to say. In fact this was probably the first verbal confession he had ever received in his life. Sure he used to receive a number of love letters in his locker during middle school and high school but he never bothered to read nor respond to any of them. He always found relationships to be a waste of time where that time could be used for studying and being productive.
“Sorry, I don’t know what to say or do during these kinds of situations,” Kyungsoo apologized as he felt his cheeks turn pink.
“It’s ok. I didn’t expect you to say anything, but I figure we could be friends,” Jongin grinned as he lightly punched Kyungsoo’s arm.
“Yeah sure, we could be friends,” Kyungsoo gave a small smile back. Wow, smiling. It felt so foreign to him. “But first we should disinfect your cut.”
“My place is nearby.”
“Oh okay.”
+++
Two chests violently heaved up and down. The night sky was pitch black as there was not a star in sight. Two boys lied flat on their backs in an empty park. Badly beaten, they both took their time to regain their breaths.
“Se-Sehun…” Tao breathed heavily as he turned to the other boy. “Are you okay?”
Sehun took a few more breaths before responding.
“I’m fine. I’m pissed, but I’m fine.”
Tao began to retrace his steps play by play as he remembered the two running out of the warehouse party. Before they knew it they were ambushed by another group of guys who happened to be friends with Minhyuk. The two were badly outnumbered. Tao did his best to fend them off, but it was difficult to do by himself.
“You should have run off when I told you to,” Tao frowned at the sight of Sehun’s injuries. He noticed dried blood on Sehun’s lips and bruises all over his arms.
“And leave you? Fuck that.”
“They were more interested in you than me, if they just focused-”
“I would have never left you, so drop it,” Sehun snapped. “I’m going to kill them! Kill everyone fucking one of them! They’ll be sorry. One by one, I’ll make them so miserable they won’t know what to do.”
“Let’s get out of here,” Tao pushed himself up as he got on his feet. He gave his hand to Sehun, helping up the other boy. “Maybe we can catch a cab-”
“My place is nearby.”
Sehun leaned on Tao’s shoulder as he gripped the other boy firmly. Tao did his best to keep Sehun up and balanced.
“Lead the way.”
The two finally arrived at a prestigious looking apartment complex. The building appeared to be 11 stories high and you needed a number of passcodes and keys to get inside. Sehun pushed the elevator for the 11th floor.
“Wow, fancy,” Tao took in the interior of the elevator. It was constructed with carved glass.
“The building is relatively new. I guess they were going for something modern,” Sehun shrugged as the elevator door opened. “Ah, it’s 1106.”
Sehun struggled with his keys as he finally opened the door. He tossed his keys on the counter as he flopped himself on the couch. Tao couldn’t believe what he saw. Before him was a vast window that showed the cityscape from below. He could see the bright traffic lights of cars on the highway mixed with active city lights of random buildings. The nightlife was animated. It was rather breathtaking.
“You go home to this every night?” Tao ran to the window. “It’s so beautiful.”
“It gets old pretty quick,” Sehun shrugged as he kicked off his shoes. “O-Ow, my back…”
“Oh, let me look at it,” Tao walked over as he sat on the edge of the couch. “Mind if I lift up your shirt?”
“Not at all,” Sehun slowly removed his shirt as his whole body ached in pain.
Tao couldn’t help but take in the other boy’s body. Sehun was rather thin, but his body was rather beautiful and nicely sculpted. Tao gently brushed his finger down the other boy’s back as Sehun let out a small laugh.
“Hey! That tickles.”
“Whoops, sorry,” Tao noticed a huge bruise on Sehun’s lower back. “Damn, they got you pretty good down here, but it doesn’t look too serious.”
“Thank god.” Sehun leaned back as he rested comfortably against Tao’s chest. “I’m so tired.”
Tao couldn’t help but feel his heart skip a beat. He felt the other boy’s body heat through his shirt.
“You should go to sleep,” Tao attempted to look for the door that lead to Sehun’s room only to see a couple options. “Which ones your room? I can-”
“I want to sleep here, like this,” Sehun grabbed Tao’s arms as he wrapped them around his shoulder.
“O-Okay!” Tao felt his heart beat a little faster. Sehun was already drifting to dreamland but Tao was wide awake. He couldn’t help but look down at the other boy’s sleeping face.
Sehun was really handsome. His features were perfect. His eyebrows, his eyes, his nose, his lips… Tao recalled being a bit envious that he would be protecting someone who was so good looking, but the more he spent time with Sehun the more he began to fall in love-
Tao’s eyes widened. Love. He never really thought about love, but that four-letter word happened to appear in his mind. He shook his head. It was ridiculous. Impossible. Sehun is technically a client and he’s on a job. In the end Tao isn’t a high school student, he is just an undercover cop.
“How long are you going to stare at me like that?” Sehun looked straight into Tao’s eyes. Tao jumped in surprise.
“Oh my god, you scared me! I thought you were asleep!” Tao exclaimed.
“How can anyone be asleep with someone staring at them so intensely?” Sehun stuck out his tongue.
“Sorry, I was just thinking a lot…”
“What were you thinking about?”
Tao paused as he pursed his lips. Thoughts of Sehun ran through his mind. “I shouldn’t say.”
“Come on, just tell me!”
“It’s just a joke ok? So don’t take it too seriously!”
“Ok, ok, just come out with it. This curiosity is driving me crazy-”
“Ok fine!”
Tao took a moment to collect himself. Sehun looked up at him with eager eyes.
“I just thought about how much I wanted to kiss you,” Tao blurted as he felt his cheeks turn red.
Sehun looked up at the other boy, slightly stunned. However his shocked expression turned into a small smile.
“Then kiss me, stupid.”
Before Tao could respond, Sehun reached over and pulled the other boy down as their lips touched. Sehun smiled as he deepened the kiss, lingering for more.
The two parted as they shyly smiled at each other.
“C-Can we do a bit more?” Tao flushed, as he couldn’t fully look Sehun in the eyes.
Sehun let out a small laugh.
“Yes.” Sehun got up as he positioned himself in front of Tao. He then took the other boy in his arms as he leaned in for another kiss. His fingers removed Tao’s cap as he began to run his fingers through the other boy’s silver hair.
“T-Tao…” Sehun breathed heavily. “Open your mouth a little…”
“O-Okay…” Tao did as he was told and felt the other boy’s tongue slip through.
It felt good.
Sehun proceeded to rub his knee against the other boy’s thighs only to feel a light surprise. “Oh? What do we have here?”
“Stop,” Tao covered his face. “I’m so embarrassed.”
“But I like it!”
“No he’s right, please do stop.” Sehun heard a different familiar voice coming from behind.
“Oh shit!” Sehun turned and smiled at the other boy by the entrance. “I totally forgot you lived here.”
“If you were having someone over, have the decency to text me or do it in your own room,” Jongin rolled his eyes.
“Ah, sorry, I guess I just got caught up in the moment,” Sehun stuck out his tongue. He couldn’t help but notice a figure behind him. “Who’s the friend?”
“Kyungsoo, this is my roommate Sehun, Sehun this is Kyungsoo. He goes to the same school as us,” Jongin introduced.
“Nice to meet you Kyungsoo, this is my classmate Tao, he also goes to the same school as us,” Sehun gestured to the boy behind him.
At the sound of Kyungsoo’s name Tao shyly crept up behind Sehun’s shoulder only for his panda eyes to meet with a pair of owl ones.
Kyungsoo could not believe what he had just witness. At that moment he didn’t even want to comprehend what had just happened. All he knew was that he was tired and wanted to go to bed.
“Hello, it’s nice to meet you both. Where’s your first aid kit?”
Part Two