[Dong Bang Shin Ki] A Man Who Wasn't There [5/?]
Chapter 5
Men occassionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry on as if nothing had happened.
- Winston Churchill
"Jung Yunho-sshi, I presume," a silky, but definitely male, voice murmured by Yunho's left ear. The slim arm that threaded itself around Yunho's seemed overly intimate yet surprisingly aloof. Yunho had only a split second to realize that the room on the other side of the door was not an office of any sort, but rather a dimly lit lounge spotted with booths and tables, that the man next to him was not Kim Jaejoong but someone who was of similar height and build, before he was led around several huge potted plants and separators to a private booth masked in soothing sepia lights. "I trust the usual would be more than satisfactory."
The booth seats were of dark maroon leather and a layer of velvety black material covered the table. Hanging overhead, soft amber seeped through the glass lamps, illuminating the booth only barely. Yunho slipped into one side of the booth at the nudging from his unknown companion, smoothly covering up his confusion and surprise with well practiced ease. The investigator didn't like showing weakness, even if the situation had him completely uneasy and unprepared.
Yunho examined his surrounding, taking in possible escape routes and the other people in the room swiftly. The room was fairly large, but not large enough to feel hollow or cold. The walls were lined with booths while tables dotted the center of the room, almost like a restaurant. In fact, now that Yunho took a closer look, the place really was like a restaurant rather than a host club. The lights were dim and soothing and the area hummed with soft conversation and laughter, very unlike the image of boisterous chaos painted by the few women he knew who went to host clubs. The waiters wore proper uniforms and carried their trays of wine and food with practiced grace. If one didn't know ahead of time that this was a host club, it would be easy enough to mistaken the place as some five star restaurant. As it was, Yunho could barely make out the other patrons, mostly older men, sitting and conversing quietly with younger men in stylish suit jackets and slacks.
Yunho noted three doors; aside from the plain door he entered from earlier, there was another door on the opposite side of the room, also brown and nondescript, and a third door where wait staffs were passing through, presumably to the kitchen and wine storage. The detective also noted that the booth he was sitting in was one of the more private ones situated in a corner and near the second door. Large potted plants obscured the booth somewhat, disallowing any random passerby to see the booth's occupants while still letting the occupants themselves to examine the people outside.
The shadow that was his companion effortlessly slid into the seat opposite Yunho, moving slowly into the faint light and catching the investigator's attention. For a split second Yunho was tempted to blurt out a very rude comment, such as, "Are you a man or a woman?" But since he wasn't his tactless partner, the detective was saved from making what could possibly be an incredibly awful mistake.
The man sitting opposite him was, if possible, even more stunning than Kim Jaejoong. Silky black hair trailed down to frame a heart-shaped face, flawless white skin almost glowing under the amber light, and a figure encased in a black suit jacket over white button down shirt made of silk, and supple black leather pants. The man's eyes were smaller than those of Kim Jaejoong, but his lips were fuller and almost cupid-bow shaped. Yunho raised an eyebrow as the other man also examined him back, a smirk lighting the corner of those perfect lips as long legs silently crossing under the table.
Despite the other man's attractiveness, Yunho was only left cold with disappointment.
"Who are you, and why have you brought me here," Yunho immediately began, adopting a similar pose as the other man, crossing his legs and arms and leaning back into the plush setting as if he wasn't in a completely unfamiliar place and speaking to a man he had never met before, while trying to chase down another man who might be the perpetrator to a gruesome murder case. The detective was very glad that he was still wearing his suit, which despite the late hour was still pristine and fresh.
"Please, no need to be hasty," the man replied smoothly. His smile was breathtaking - if Yunho had the intention of being awed. "I am Lee Junki, Owner and Number One of Club Shion." He gave a small bow while sitting, and Yunho was once again reminded of his irritation at the constant show of respect, which the other man clearly did not feel. "I heard you've been looking for someone here," he continued, eyeing the bigger man speculatively. "What gave you the idea that the one you're looking for is in my shop?"
Yunho fixed a pleasantly blank expression onto his face; it wouldn't do to offend the Owner of the entire establishment, especially if the man could offer precious information to the investigation. "I am looking for a man named Kim Jaejoong." Yunho slipped out his badge again, sliding it across the table toward the slim man so to be rid of any doubt as to who he was and why he was there. "We believe he might be linked to a recent serial murder case that happened not too far from here. I'd like to see him, if possible, as I saw him enter through your door a mere two or three minutes before I came in myself." Yunho gave Lee Junki a pointed stare. "Unless you let random people enter and leave your establishment through a back door all the time, of course."
Lee Junki gave the other man another thoughtful look. "Jung Yunho-sshi, what gave you the idea that I would tell you about this Kim Jaejoong-sshi? That is, if he is even one of my staffs or customers." He waved a hand in the air, gesturing toward the entire lounge area. "Look at the other patrons, Jung Yunho-sshi." Yunho narrowed his eyes before following the path of the waving hand to a booth across the room. At first he couldn't make out much aside from two figures sitting close together, apparently snuggling. It took a few minutes for Yunho to recognize the well-known face of the CEO of one of Seoul's biggest corporations.
Yunho's eyes widened almost imperceptibly before he turned back to Lee Junki, carefully keeping his face neutral.
"As you can see, we have some very important people as members of Club Shion," Lee Junki continued. "Club Shion protects its patrons, and unfortunately not even the police can break our policy of confidentiality."
Yunho felt his lips press harshly together into a thin line.
"But," Lee Junki suddenly said, looking far too smug for Yunho's liking. "If it's for Jung Yunho-sshi, our very special guest..." He gave a very pointed nod toward the second door just as it opened and a familiar figure slipped through.
Jung Yunho stared. It was hard not to when the very person he spent the entire day looking for was standing only a few feet away and completely unaware of Yunho's presence. Even in the dim light he seemed to glow in his completely white outfit consisting of a tight v-neck shirt and suit jacket. Yunho watched in silence as a waiter slipped up to Jaejoong, handing him a glass of either liquor or water and the other man drank it all in one gulp, throat moving as he swallowed.
"Who has you so interested, Jung Yunho-sshi?" Lee Junki asked, eyeing the detective slyly. Yunho didn't even blink, afraid that if he closed his eyes even for a second the beautiful host would disappear right in front of him. The Owner of the club hummed a little. "You have good taste, Detective-ssi. That would be our Number Two, Youngwoong." He gave another sly look. "He is very, very popular."
Yunho's eyes narrowed. From his vantage, even with the low lighting, he could see the sweat that rolled down the other man's neck. His shirt was somewhat wrinkled and the white jacket was crooked, as if he had tossed it on in a hurry and didn't bother to straighten it back up. Yunho felt something inside him stir unpleasantly. Just what had the other man been doing?
Lee Junki, seeing that getting the attention of the detective back was near impossible, gave a small shrug before raising an arm into the air. Immediately, the muscular man who led Yunho down the hall earlier, Kangin, appeared by their booth. Yunho wasn't able to catch the short and low exchange; on a good day he might've concentrated enough to be able to read lips, but as it was, he was completely and utterly distracted by the figure of Jaejoong, who was still standing near the door, apparently resting after whatever he did earlier.
"Well then, I trust this business is more or less over," Lee Junki suddenly murmured, slowly standing up. Yunho's head snapped back around, confusion swirled in his eyes for only a second before control and calm slid back again. However, before he had a chance to respond, the man was already out of the booth and making his way across the room toward another table. Yunho was about to give chase, but a far too familiar slim figure slipped into space that Lee Junki had just vacated, and the detective felt his legs completely gave out under him, depositing him back onto the maroon leather.
"Hi, thanks for asking for me," the smooth voice murmured sweetly, completely unlike the biting anger from not even twenty four hours ago. "I'm Youngwoong, and-" The voice stopped. "You!"
Yunho watched as several emotions flitted across Jaejoong's eyes within the span of a second - shock, panic, realization, and then ultimately calm, masking everything else. The detective felt his eyes narrow just slightly, noting down each of those emotions and shelving them for later examination.
"Kim Jaejoong-sshi," Yunho began, giving a polite nod even as confusion and something far more unpleasant roiled dangerously close to the surface. Now closer with better lighting, he was able to see the flushed face, and the film of sweat that still marred the flawless skin. The beautiful host was doing something just a few moment ago, and Yunho gritted his teeth against the numerous scenarios his brain was flinging at him. Somehow, the idea of someone else touching Jaejoong was unbearable.
Yunho wondered why he used someone else, as if only he himself was allowed to touch the other man.
"What are you doing here," Jaejoong hissed furiously.
"The same could be asked of you," the detective returned, answering with a question of his own. "As Youngwoong, no less. Perhaps there is something you're not telling me?" Yunho was surprised at how sharp his voice sounded. He wondered why in front of the slimmer man before him, his calm mask was being slowly stripped away.
"I have nothing to say to you," Jaejoong snapped back, automatically bringing his arms up across his chest, as if to ward off the dark look in the bigger man's eyes.
Yunho's self-control was slipping; each second spent with the other man in such close proximity was another second of what felt like torture. He could feel sweat starting to bead behind his neck. The booth they were sitting at suddenly seemed far too small, far too intimate behind the curtain of broad leaves. He wanted to just grab the man and shake the answers out of him, wanted to demand to know everything; instead he clenched his hands, leaving them firmly within his vicinity. Yunho kept his eyes on Jaejoong, even as the smaller man purposefully avoided his gaze. "I seemed to remember something different when I asked about your job."
"Yes, well, if you bothered to check, you'd find that I didn't do any lying what-so-ever," Jaejoong replied sharply, impetuously. "That's my day job."
"As opposed to your night job, as a host in a gay club."
Jaejoong's head snapped back around, eyes blazing as they met Yunho's. "If I remembered correctly, you never asked about my "night job", Jung Yunho-sshi!"
"I wasn't aware I had to spell every single little word out to you!" Yunho exploded, hair shadowing his face almost ominously. "Look, we are talking about a murder here, one that involved the victim being chopped up into several meaty little pieces. I'm sure they've showed you what they could piece together of what was left over. Hell, you were the one who found the bloody mess in the first place! You could, at any time, become the next victim to this madman on the loose, and all we want is information that could either help us protect you or find this lunatic!" The detective was practically growling by this point, eyes boring a hole through the man opposite him. The idea that Kim Jaejoong somehow still didn't realize his own danger, the thought that the man didn't care about the murder to even cooperate with the police to find the murderer, completely destroyed the normally calm and composed cop's self control. "I want that sick bastard behind the goddamned bars because he is a complete fucking psycho, so please do not fuck with me right now."
Jaejoong look shocked for a moment before he hugged his form protectively, a faint look of stubborn shame slipping across his face.
"You didn't have to stalk me down like this," the host mumbled, disgruntled, but Yunho could detect the faint contrition in the words.
Yunho sighed, suddenly tired. "I don't believe you left me with much choice on the matter."
Kim Jaejoong just glared down at the tablecloth.
"So, let's try this again," the detective began after a few minutes of silence from both sides. He sat back into the plush leather booth, suddenly feeling edgy with the question he was about to ask. Clearing his throat, he finally asked, "What were you doing just now?"
Jaejoong looked up and raised an eyebrow, looking confused. "Pardon?"
Yunho cleared his throat again. "Just now, before coming here through those doors. What's on the other side?" He gave a short, jerky nod at the plain doors near their booth. At that moment a couple from another booth stood up and started heading in that direction, the younger men talking quietly but animatedly, one hand on the older man's arm indicating comfortable intimacy. The doors opened easily on well-oiled hinges and they disappeared into the shadows beyond. The dark pit in Yunho's chest rumbled dangerously, his mind conjuring up images of Jaejoong heading through those doors the same way, hanging onto the arm of some older gentleman. Yunho jerked his eyes back to the man in question, reigning in a sound that sounded too much like a growl.
Jaejoong looked confused at first, but as he followed the path of the couple as the door closed behind them, his eyes suddenly widened with realization.
"No!" he blurted out, snapping his eyes back to Yunho. "It's not like that, there's nothing shifty on the other side!"
The knot in Yunho's chest loosened just a bit.
"There are only private rooms in the back."
The knot turned into a chokehold and suddenly Yunho couldn't breath. Something that felt oddly like fury was about to explode like a volcano. Jaejoong must have noticed the sudden change, because he was quick to follow up with a longer and more correct explanation.
"They're all karaoke rooms in the back," he said hastily. "It's for the customers who wanted to do something other than eating or having a quiet conversation in the front. Actually there's a small bar with a dance floor too, for the few younger patrons we get here. Basically a place for the type who wants to party." He looked disgruntled. "We don't sell sex here."
Yunho was silent.
"We don't!" he continued when he saw the unconvinced look in the other man's eyes. "Look, what we sell here is companionship," he continued cattily. "We talk to them, listen to their problems, cheer them up and make them feel like they're having fun. What we're selling is happiness and love, a place where they can be free to do what they want to do. The hosts almost never have sex with their customers, although it is the host's personal choice." Jaejoong looked away. "If we give in and have sex, then we loose the appeal in the customer's eyes and become objects that could be used and tossed away easily. Then they won't spend money on us any more. It's in our own best interest to never give in." He looked up again, eyes defiant and steady. "We know what we're doing; we are not fools."
Jung Yunho felt all the tension leave his body in a sudden rush, the dark knot untied and washed away by the relief that flowed through his limbs. He swallowed thickly, feeling his throat clenching with dryness and he grimaced. He needed something to drink, but he stayed reticent, unwilling to break the unspoken truce that was silently declared.
Yunho didn't notice the other man watching him from beneath long eyelashes, and was startled when Jaejoong suddenly raised an arm into the air. A moment later Yunho saw a man in the waiter's uniform making his way toward their booth. Jaejoong's arm wasn't raised high, and the leaves of the potted plants blocked most of the view into the booth, yet the man was steadily making his way toward them, a thick pad of paper and pen already in his ready hands.
"Gentlemen?" he asked as he stopped right next to the table, using a hand to absently push up his black-rimmed glasses. Yunho was only a little surprised that the waiter was also beautiful, although in a more geeky way.
"A bottle of Pinot Noir," Jaejoong said, looking up briefly at the waiter before turning his challenging gaze to Yunho. "On me."
The detective's eyes narrowed. The waiter was about to bow and make his way out, but Yunho quickly raised his own hand, making the man stop. "No, make that a Champagne." He leveled his eyes at Jaejoong coolly. "And I'd be happy to pay."
When the waiter finally left, Jaejoong was the first to look away. The silence this time was stifling, and Yunho was suddenly glad when the blonde waiter appeared again, bringing with him a chilled bottle of the bubbly wine and two wine glasses. He placed all three items on the table, and then promptly turned and left.
Yunho was surprised at the lack of courtesy, but he was even more surprised when Jaejoong suddenly reached out, opening the bottle and pouring the sparkling liquid into each of the glass with well-practiced movement.
"It's my job," the host said almost smugly, somehow knowing that the detective was confused, and was glad to actually one-up the man. "I pour drinks, I talk, I listen, and I entertain. My job is to be whatever my customer wanted me to be, and the goal is for the customer to leave feeling better than when he entered, so that next time he will choose me to entertain him again." Jaejoong looked up at Yunho, slowly putting the still mostly full bottle of champagne to the side. He curled long, elegant fingers around the stem of the wine glass and brought it to his lips, taking a small sip.
Yunho eyed the other man briefly before also reaching for his glass. "Well then, it appears I'm your customer of the night. And I even paid for a bottle of expensive wine. I guess I should be making good use of your job description."
Jaejoong felt his lips quirk just a little bit. "What kind of entertainment do you want? I sing, I dance, but I don't do silly jokes to make you laugh. Take your pick."
"You sing?" Yunho was surprised; somehow he didn't expect the other man to be a singer.
The host hummed his answer, but Yunho could tell he was just a little upset over Yunho's disbelieving reaction.
The detective cleared his throat and took a drink from his glass, feeling guilty as if he just insulted someone who didn't deserve the insult at all. The wistful look behind the man's eyes when he confirmed that he could sing made something inside Yunho shift uncomfortably. "I know someone who used to sing," he added a little choppily, not very sure what to say.
"Used to? Did he quit?"
"Yeah. Just before he became popular."
Jaejoong looked dismayed, as if it was his dream that was being shattered. "Why?"
Yunho shrugged. "I don't know. He never said."
The host glared. "You never asked him? He was about to become a well-recognized singer. He was all set up and ready to become a star, and then he just up and quit. Didn't you find that strange? Was he your friend?" Jaejoong looked away, angry. "If he was, then you were an awful friend."
The detective looked down into his drink. Why didn't he ask? Yunho was suddenly confused as well - why was it that he never wondered why Junsu changed his contract and stopped singing, even though at the time he was finally beginning to garner huge media attention as a new singer with a unique and beautiful voice? It has been three years since then, and never once did the thought cross the detective's mind.
Yunho grimaced, feeling the headache that was throbbing in the background for the past few hours begin to pound right behind his eyes.
"Are you feeling alright?" Jaejoong asked, a hint of concern in his voice as he noticed the other man's state. Normally if a customer acted strangely he would just chalk it up to the alcohol, but the bottle of champagne nearby on the table was still mostly full since he was not particularly generous when pouring out the two glasses earlier. In fact neither men really touched their drink, both having only taken a single sip, and that small mouthful of alcohol should certainly not cause any headaches or pain. Jaejoong watched in faint alarm as the detective's face suddenly turned pale. "You don't look too well."
Yunho shook his head, rubbing at his temple slowly. While he could never get used to the abrupt pain, this wasn't the first time he had such a migraine. "I'm fine."
"No you're not," Jaejoong immediately shot back. He looked at the stylish silver watch wrapped delicately around his right wrist. "It's getting pretty late, and I imagine you wouldn't be too used to this kind of late hour with your kind of job. You should go home."
"Not without you."
Jaejoong's eyebrow shot up in surprise and confusion. "What?"
"I'm not leaving without you," repeated the other man, still rubbing at his temple. Yunho looked up pointedly, giving the slighter man a stubborn and determined look. "I haven't gotten all my answers yet, so don't think this conversation is over. Plus, I'm certainly not letting you go home alone, not after what you found the other day. The chances of the psycho milling around at late hours is high, and the last thing I need is my only witness becoming the next victim. If I'm leaving, then you're leaving with me. I'll take you home."
Jaejoong glared. "My shift isn't over yet."
Yunho glanced as his own watch. "It's almost three. When do you normally get off? You found the body last time at around half past four, so I imagine it would be soon."
The host bit his lips. He couldn't lie, not this time when the detective was right there in front of him, not when the man was determined to escort him home. "Three," he grounded out reluctantly.
Yunho's eyes narrowed. "Then the time gap...?" he asked, referring to Jaejoong having found the body more than an hour later.
Jaejoong was silent for a moment. "I had to go to the convenience store," he finally admitted. "To get some medicine."
Possession: house keys, name cards, wallet, cellphone, fever medicine.
Yunho blinked slowly, remembering the short list of items that was found on Jaejoong's person when he was brought in for questioning. Deciding not to question, just yet, whom the medicine was for, the detective nodded in acquiesce. "Then get your stuff, we're leaving."
Jaejoong eyed the bigger man for a moment before giving a jerky nod. Yunho watched as the host slipped out of the booth in one smooth motion and made his way toward the man who first led Yunho to the main room, Kangin. They exchanged a few words, Kangin nodding after a short while, before Jaejoong moved through the door that apparently led both to the hosts' dressing room as well as the kitchen and winery. For a split second, anxiety gripped Yunho and he wondered at the chances of the other man slipping away while the detective trustingly waited at the booth, but before he could stand up and run after Jaejoong, Kangin moved in and blocked his path.
"Jung Yunho-sshi, we here at Club Shion would like to thank you for coming today. As a first timer gift, the champagne is on the house," he said, gesturing at the still mostly full bottle. "Youngwoong will be with you shortly, so please relax and enjoy your wine as you wait."
Yunho slowly settled back into the seat and gave a short nod. Kangin bowed, again at the waist, before leaving. The detective was mildly unnerved; somehow it felt like the man knew exactly what Yunho was going to do and it made the investigator a little uncomfortable at being so closely watched, and so easily predicted. To give himself something to do, and to take his mind off of either Kim Jaejoong or Kim Junsu, the cop took a large mouthful of champagne, letting the taste flow smoothly down his tongue. It might've turned out to be free, but there was no reason to let it go to waste.
Just when he thought he couldn't wait any longer for the host to come back, Kim Jaejoong appeared at the door, wrapped up completely in the familiar dark and non-descript trench coat. Now that Yunho knew Jaejoong's night job, the presence of the coat was obvious, especially if the man normally walked home after work ended at three in the morning. The detective left the barely touched wine and walked toward the other man, unconsciously reached out a hand and placed it at the small of Jaejoong's back almost intimately, and was immensely pleased, although Yunho didn't bother to think about why he was pleased, when the smaller man allowed the touch.
Yunho was so wrapped up with the satisfaction of how smoothly it was all going, that he completely missed the stunned look sent his way by the waiter who served them earlier. He certainly didn't hear the shocked "Why is Youngwoong leaving with him?!" nor the deeper voice belonging to Kangin who replied, "I have no clue, Leeteuk, but it's the Owner's orders to let them go."
Jung Yunho, special homicide investigator of Seoul Police Homicide Department, was long out of hearing range when Leeteuk, the waiter, asked in confusion, "Isn't this the first time Uknow-sshi and Youngwong met?"