of flaws and lies [5.1/?]
onkey; pg; romance, angst
--
Jinki was still digesting the realization about what's going on when he suddenly felt there's something wetting the front of his shirt. Then it came down on him that Kibum was crying soundlessly. His slender body trembled slightly as his grip on the fabric of Jinki's back tightened.
Kibum smelled like green apple; sweet and fresh like he could feel it right at the tip of his tounge and it was kind of addicting.
You're home. You're home.
...
Just don't get hurt.
The younger kept repeating those words like they were the only things he had to say in order to keep himself alive. Jinki, strangely, wasn't even surprised when he found his own hand slowly moved to stroke Kibum's soft hair as he started to whisper sweet nothings to him.
I'm fine. I'm here.
But another word was still left unsaid. The question, the confusion, the confession.
Jinki sighed slowly as he slowly pulled away. Taking Kibum's face in his hands, he stared at the beautiful watery feline eyes deeply as he moved his thumb to wipe the trail of tears on the younger's damp cheeks.
And when he finally saw that Kibum was staring back at him, in the most vulnerable way he had ever seen, with another new-born tears started to rim back in his feline eyes, Jinki could feel that the others occupants of the room were slowly missing their existence.
There were only him and that breathtaking guy in his arm.
Counting his own breath, Jinki slid both of his hand down to feel the curve of Kibum's shoulder, down to the arms that were still circling themselves on his back and finally slipped under to rest on the younger's hips.
Kibum was looking again at him, with this beautiful confused stare that Jinki finally couldn't help but to lean in slowly, focusing his gaze on the other's pink lips.
He could feel Kibum's breatch hitched a little when he was coming closer, and the grip of hand on his back was somehow loosening.
But it's too late to go back.
Cause it felt like he finally found a reason for him to live when his lips finally met Kibum's.
It was hesitant at first, just a press of lips. But then Kibum parted his mouth, inviting Jinki to suck on his bottom lips. And it turned uncontrollable after.
The need was insatiable. Catching Kibum's breathleass moan when his nails digging on the flesh under the bottom of the younger's shirt, Jinki dipped his head down to taste the skin on the side of Kibum's neck. Sucking, biting, licking, loving.
Kibum trashed his head to the side to let Jinki tantalized his skin, while his hand went up to press the older's nape to let him deepen the kiss.
Jinki pulled Kibum's waist impossibly closer to him as he moved his lips down to the younger's collarbones. Sucking until he couldn't breathe, lapping until he couldn't feel his own tongue, until he couldn't feel the skin he was supposed to taste.
And then he woke up.
Jinki opened his eyes in the middle of the darkness. Breathing heavily, he could fell sweats were running down his temple like he was just running for million miles and he still couldn't find the finish line.
Tired and hopeless.
Sighing, he pushed his body to sit up and he stroked his dampened hair. He turned to see the alarm clock on his small bedside table and it mocked him with it's bloody red numbers that showed 12:18am.
Several hours had passed after that occurence but the feeling of the other's lithe body was still fresh in his mind.
Jinki sighed in disbelief as he remembered what he was dreaming of. As good as it was -cause heck, on the reality, Kibum was practically running away ten seconds after the hug, after he looked up and finally realized he was hugging that Onew. No crying, no whispering, no looking back, no kissing-, Jinki realized he had a rather serious hard-on..
He considered that he liked -or maybe would like- kissing Kibum. And hey no matter how beautiful Kibum was, he's still a guy.
Jinki was trying too hard to rationalize things. Because a part of him realized that he was still the future of the country, wherein most of the people were still holding and believing on the orthodox way.
Would there be a way to straighten this crooked feeling of him ?
Jinki rubbed his face, thinking hard. Because speaking of crooked thing, there's still tons of it hanging on his mind.
He thought again about Chansung. That funny guy. His first friend, enemy, whatever. Jinki suddenly remembered one day when they talked about life and death. And no matter how much crime the bulky guy had committed and how clear the knowledge that everyone had signed the ready-to-die contract once they got in to Kkangpae, Chansung naively said that he just had one little wish in his fucked-up life. And it was to die in peace.
And considering he was dead right on the spot with bullet ripping through his head -or whereelse, how could one called it die in peace ?
Then there's Jonghyun. The fact that he wasn't welcoming him since the very beginning made Jinki think that the short guy just didn't like him and his gut. But the dagger he received from the muscular man when Kibum was hugging him, proved him something worse.
Jonghyun hated him, very. And more specially, when Kibum involved.
Jinki sighed deeply, thinking that tried to go back to sleep was not the most brilliant idea at the time, he got up from the bed and put his jacket on, hoping some fresh air would chase away the thoughts.
--
Kibum curled on his bed, shutting his eyes, pretending to be asleep as he heard the sound of the door hinge. Someone was coming in and he didn't need to turn around to see who the intruder was. Because he knew already. And he also knew what the person intended to do.
So the best way to avoid it was sleeping -or at least faking to-.
Kibum gulped and closed his eyes tighter as the footsteps came closer.
Please, just go... he thought.
"Nice try, Bum, but I know you are not asleep." Jonghyun scoffed at his effort, pulling the blanket that was covering Kibum's body "I can clearly see your pupils moving under the lids."
Kibum could even imagine Jobnhyun's annoyed face without even seeing.
And because there's no need to pretend any longer, he sighed and pushed his body up to sit cross-legged on his bed, looking up to the cross-armed Jonghyun.
He knew the other would come to confront him anytime but he just didn't see it coming this soon. He was sort of not ready yet.
"So... What's wrong with you?" the older said as he walked closer and sat on the edge of the bed, not too close to Kibum.
"Nothing's wrong." Kibum said nonchalantly, looking at the ceiling. Was that spiderman on the web ?
Jonghyun scoffed, "Yeah you're right. Nothing's wrong when Key suddenly hugged a loser like him out of the blue." he laughed sarcasticly, while Kibum tried not to flinch at his high-pitched tone.
Kibum just looked down to his bedcover.
Jonghyun finally sighed "Come on, This is not you ! What's wrong?"
"I don't know." Kibum mumbled.
"You don't know or you don't want to know?" Jonghyun raised his eyebrows.
"And why does it matter to you, Jjong?" Kibum started to lose his patience, finally looking right at the other.
"Because you don't act like you. Never since he came ! Have you ever hugged the other members when they came from work ? Hell, you didn't even do the same thing to Jiyong at that moment !"
Kibum played with the side of the blanket on his lap. He didn't know what to answer since he knew Jonghyun was saying the truth. The older knew him to o well it scared him sometimes.
"See?" Jonghyun scoffed again "You become this mute and moody, you're worrying too much. You're not as confident as you used to be. Does he bother you?"
"No, he doesn't." Kibum shook his head.
"Then why?"
"I... really don't know, Jjong." Kibum frowned "Just stop asking me these questions, this isn't even important."
"You like him." Jonghyun said after awhile, eyes bulging out "You. Like. Him. Oh God. How could I not see it earlier. You fucking like him !"
The younger already opened his mouth to say something but before he could really say anything, Jonghyun had cut him again.
"You were worried about him back then, I-I just.. Why the fuck i just could see it now.." Jonghyun shook his head "When we heard their work through the tracker, you were gasping and holding my hand tighter everytime Jiyong mentioned his name. You're worried if something might happen to him, so when you saw him came home safely, you.. you couldn't control yourself and hurriedly hug-"
"Stop it, Jjong.." Kibum frowned again.
"Why?" Jonghyun challenged him "Because you've realized what I said was true? That you like him ?"
"I-It's not like that, okay." Kibum said, thinking for a good excuse. "I was just.. This was the first time I joined to hear from Jiyong's tracker after years. I forgot how horrible it was to hear, to know directly when life-staking scene happened. It's been so long to know right at the time that your acquitance dead."
Kibum gulped "And it's Chansung, Jjong. Did you know how afraid I was finding my premonition was coming true ?"
Jonghyun got a hold of Kibum's cold hands. If Kibum was even lying, he couldn't find it on his pale face. Because he himself knew. A huge difference in between a witness -even just an ear-witness- and a mere mouth-to-mouth receiver. It was more nightmarish.
"And why did I hug that loser.." Kibum said "You saw it yourself I couldn't think at the moment then you nudged me and i turned around. All that I could see was the same fear on that face. I didn't even know why I approached him.. You saw it too, Jjong. I didn't even realize it's him until I snapped back to reality."
Jonghyun nodded.
"It's not about him, Jjong. It's about the fear." Kibum sighed "And moreover it's just a hug. You're musing too much, aren't you ?"
Jonghyun sneered at Kibum's remarks. But after he thought about what Kibum said, he realized maybe he was too jealous to oversee anything.
"So, it's just a hug, really?" Jonghyun raised his eyebrows.
Kibum nodded.
"Then hug me." Jonghyun said, smiling, opening up his arms.
"What?" Kibum frowned.
"Hug me? It's just a hug-"
"Jjong, you silly!" Kibum laughed before crawled closer to the older and threw his arm around Jonghyun's muscular shoulder.
Jonghyun wrapped his arms around Kibum's waist without hesitation.
"You know you could always hug me when you're afraid like earlier, right ?
"Eo," Kibum nodded, "Thanks Jjong..."
And sorry for lying.. Kibum sighed soundlessly as he could only surrender when Jonghyun tightened the embrace and he could feel the older buried his face on his neck.
But Kibum didn't pull awaysince it, truthfully, felt comfortable and so, he closed his eyes as Jonghyun whispered lullaby to his hair.
--
Jinki gulped down his third glass, wincing for a while at the strong taste but he let the fire burned his throat as it went down.
It was almost two in the morning when he arrived at Skeleton -the name of the usual club he just knew- and he didn't fucking care that the club was going to close not long after he arrived.
Eventhough he wasn't intended to do so, the barman seemed aware that he's a part of Shadow Dragon who could mess up with his club business if he wanted to, that the barman finally decided to open the club as long as Jinki wanted to lose himself.
After what he had just witnessed, from that slightly ajar door, the only thing he could think of to forget all of those sickly lovey dovey moment -the laughs, the smiles, the far more intimate hug- beside brain-washing was drinking. All he needed that moment was losing himself until he collapse and wake up with a bad hangover.
Jinki chuckled at his bad luck, he was busy thinking about 'whys' and 'hows' did Kibum hug him until he's bald, meanwhile the pretty guy he was thinking of could even easily hug another guy at the same night.
He should've known this would happen. He shouldn't even feel surprised though.
Key was Key, the one that everyone loved and spoiled. Jinki should've known it had nothing to do with some pinky hearty feeling. It might be just happening on his side.
Jinki sipped his drink a little more, blaming himself for being too confident while in fact, he's barely accepted there -thinking about that Jonghyun, yes-.
Even Jiyong's trust couldn't guarantee everything. Minho's right, being a part of Kkangpae was not easy.
Jinki hit his forehead on the bar table. And if only he didn't involve his own feeling it won't be this hard.
--
The reality bit him hard in the morning, when he was boiling beef soup for breakfast and he could vaguely hear footsteps slowly coming from the other side of the room.
Jonghyun was another case. But, heck, how did the others think about that public hug ? What had he done? Volunteering himself as a laughing stock ? Fuck. Could he just dig a big hole and jump down him and never show up again.. Stupid him. Stupid stupid stu--
"Who's the fool ?"
Amber appeared out of nowhere, making him jump a little. Shit. Did he said it out loud?
"Nothing." Kibum went on looking at his cooking, hoping she wouldn't inquire further.
"You know, maybe you should go to the doctor if you don't want your self-talking habit get worse." Amber suggested, while moving beside Kibum, getting her mug on the shelf.
"Sure," Kibum said "Maybe later, when you start wearing skirts."
"Then your habit will not heal." Amber simply said.
Kibum made a face as he said 'aww' to her, before he turned off the stove and poured the soup into the big bowl.
Amber made herself useful by helping Kibum set the table, while another members started flooding in the room. They did not usually gather together for meal time, but when they did, they used to cook their own meals, but it was mostly Kibum that was picked unanonymously as the chef because his cooking was the most edible and tasty.
"Whoa, beef soup in a cold morning. Thanks Key." Changmin smirked as he took a seat.
When finally they were gathered -not all of them, Kibum noticed, even Jinki didn't show up-, they started eating with silence, only the clink sound of their utensils could be heard.
And when one of them began a conversation, it was rather about trivial things. Like their next work or the soup.
No one touched the topic about what happened the day before -both Chansung's death and the hug-, it made Kibum could breath in relief but at the same time it took him a rare pity.
Sure, this was not a new thing. Before Chansung, there were plenty of them died while doing field works, some of them even had worse fate than Chansung.
Like Henry who was caught by the police, he was tortured before eventually got executed or Junhyung who disappeared and was discovered two weeks later, lifeless, decomposing in the piggery in a suburban village. Jiyong suspected the killer wasn't the authority but their rivals.
But still, what happened to Chansung somehow held something different for him.
"Morning, guys."
Jiyong suddenly came in still with messy hair and huge black circles under his eyes.
He looked tired. He always did, nowadays.
"Sit and eat some soup, man." Joon pulled the empty chair behind him.
Jiyong nodded and sat. While the other member was preparing his meal, Jiyong started to tell them what had been keeping him up last night.
"Mr. Chi will hold a Gala this Saturday." he started "I want one of you to attend."
"What's the Gala about?" someone asked.
"Auction." Jiyong said "He will auction off some valuables things -some were stolen, you know him- starting at a low price."
The member burst out laughing.
"How low, Jiyong ? A human head to pay ?"
Jiyong rolled his eyeballs "Low enough for our boss." he said and it was enough to shut the members up.
"But why we should we pay ? We could easily steal it." Jonghyun raised his eyebrows
"Not from him, Jonghyun." Jiyong sighed. "Unless you want our biggest drug dealer to cut the connection and you'll lose your head in the way."
Jonghyun only scoffed, while the Leader continued "Boss wants some rare things from him. Some bloody weapons for us and some collectible goods for himself. You know like the knife Jack the Ripper used back then for his serial murders in 18th century ? Believe it or not, Mr. Chi has it. It was a hot topic among all gangs."
"So there will be the other groups coming to the Gala ?" Kibum asked.
"Yes, baby." Jiyong winked at Kibum. "Many of them."
"Who's going to go then ?" Changmin asked.
Jiyong took a deep breath as he thought for a while, while the members were exchanging glances to one another.
This was different than the usual. Usually, they were sent off to steal, kidnap, deal and sell, but this time they were asked to compete in an auction.
The accuracy of thinking was important.
"How about that new kid? Don't you always think he's good enough to join us ? Let him prove it." Jonghyun said nonchalantly as he chewed his meat.
"He's smart and could easily influence others." Amber chimed in "Don't you think so, Jiyong ? Who knows he can take Mr. Chi's heart... Tho, Mr. Chi would still sell the goods away to the highest bid, not to the people he likes in particular anyway." she chuckled.
Jiyong knew Amber was telling the true points. Jinki was very smart and meticulous in work, although he had just joined but Jiyong believed he could be relied upon.
"Okay, I'll send him then." Jiyong said, while the other nodded before he continued again "But he won't be alone, Key will accompany him."
"What? No!" Jonghyun objected, as expected.
"Yes, he will." Jiyong said calmly "Key is good at analyzing things, he will help Onew a lot."
Jonghyun scoffed "Key can monitor him from here."
"I want him to come, Jonghyun. I've never really sent Key out before and this is a safe auction event. Mr. Chi has told me, although there will be another mobs, he has his own security to avoid unnecessary fight. After all, going out for one night won't hurt."
"But-"
"No but." Jiyong cut Jonghyun in a final tone before he turned to Kibum who looked confused. "How about it, sweetheart ? Beside Mr. Chi, other guests wouldn't know who you are. He has arranged that all the attendants didn't need to reveal their mobs names. It'll be too risky for all of us and themselves. It'll make things easier."
Kibum hesitated for a bit, he glanced at his bestfriend who looked really upset, but Jonghyun wasn't looking at him particularly.
Kibum finally nodded, thinking that this was Jiyong's command that he couldn't resist. "If you want me to go, then I will.."
Jonghyun turned to him with an angry glare, but Kibum was avoiding the older's burning gaze at all cost.
He almost jumped when Jonghyun tossed the spoon he was holding to the table with loud clink and got up harshly after kicking his chair back.
Changmin only chuckled at the walk-out while Amber just didn't give a damn as she licked his bowl clean.
"Well, that's not new." Jiyong said, half-amused before he looked back to Kibum "Anyway, the work is so simple. I believe you don't even have to open your eyes to do it."
Kibum could only smile a little at Jiyong's words. Yeah... if only he could tell it would be as simple as he thought.
--
--
Jinki was still digesting the realization about what's going on when he suddenly felt there's something wetting the front of his shirt. Then it came down on him that Kibum was crying soundlessly. His slender body trembled slightly as his grip on the fabric of Jinki's back tightened.
Kibum smelled like green apple; sweet and fresh like he could feel it right at the tip of his tounge and it was kind of addicting.
You're home. You're home.
...
Just don't get hurt.
The younger kept repeating those words like they were the only things he had to say in order to keep himself alive. Jinki, strangely, wasn't even surprised when he found his own hand slowly moved to stroke Kibum's soft hair as he started to whisper sweet nothings to him.
I'm fine. I'm here.
But another word was still left unsaid. The question, the confusion, the confession.
Jinki sighed slowly as he slowly pulled away. Taking Kibum's face in his hands, he stared at the beautiful watery feline eyes deeply as he moved his thumb to wipe the trail of tears on the younger's damp cheeks.
And when he finally saw that Kibum was staring back at him, in the most vulnerable way he had ever seen, with another new-born tears started to rim back in his feline eyes, Jinki could feel that the others occupants of the room were slowly missing their existence.
There were only him and that breathtaking guy in his arm.
Counting his own breath, Jinki slid both of his hand down to feel the curve of Kibum's shoulder, down to the arms that were still circling themselves on his back and finally slipped under to rest on the younger's hips.
Kibum was looking again at him, with this beautiful confused stare that Jinki finally couldn't help but to lean in slowly, focusing his gaze on the other's pink lips.
He could feel Kibum's breatch hitched a little when he was coming closer, and the grip of hand on his back was somehow loosening.
But it's too late to go back.
Cause it felt like he finally found a reason for him to live when his lips finally met Kibum's.
It was hesitant at first, just a press of lips. But then Kibum parted his mouth, inviting Jinki to suck on his bottom lips. And it turned uncontrollable after.
The need was insatiable. Catching Kibum's breathleass moan when his nails digging on the flesh under the bottom of the younger's shirt, Jinki dipped his head down to taste the skin on the side of Kibum's neck. Sucking, biting, licking, loving.
Kibum trashed his head to the side to let Jinki tantalized his skin, while his hand went up to press the older's nape to let him deepen the kiss.
Jinki pulled Kibum's waist impossibly closer to him as he moved his lips down to the younger's collarbones. Sucking until he couldn't breathe, lapping until he couldn't feel his own tongue, until he couldn't feel the skin he was supposed to taste.
And then he woke up.
Jinki opened his eyes in the middle of the darkness. Breathing heavily, he could fell sweats were running down his temple like he was just running for million miles and he still couldn't find the finish line.
Tired and hopeless.
Sighing, he pushed his body to sit up and he stroked his dampened hair. He turned to see the alarm clock on his small bedside table and it mocked him with it's bloody red numbers that showed 12:18am.
Several hours had passed after that occurence but the feeling of the other's lithe body was still fresh in his mind.
Jinki sighed in disbelief as he remembered what he was dreaming of. As good as it was -cause heck, on the reality, Kibum was practically running away ten seconds after the hug, after he looked up and finally realized he was hugging that Onew. No crying, no whispering, no looking back, no kissing-, Jinki realized he had a rather serious hard-on..
He considered that he liked -or maybe would like- kissing Kibum. And hey no matter how beautiful Kibum was, he's still a guy.
Jinki was trying too hard to rationalize things. Because a part of him realized that he was still the future of the country, wherein most of the people were still holding and believing on the orthodox way.
Would there be a way to straighten this crooked feeling of him ?
Jinki rubbed his face, thinking hard. Because speaking of crooked thing, there's still tons of it hanging on his mind.
He thought again about Chansung. That funny guy. His first friend, enemy, whatever. Jinki suddenly remembered one day when they talked about life and death. And no matter how much crime the bulky guy had committed and how clear the knowledge that everyone had signed the ready-to-die contract once they got in to Kkangpae, Chansung naively said that he just had one little wish in his fucked-up life. And it was to die in peace.
And considering he was dead right on the spot with bullet ripping through his head -or whereelse, how could one called it die in peace ?
Then there's Jonghyun. The fact that he wasn't welcoming him since the very beginning made Jinki think that the short guy just didn't like him and his gut. But the dagger he received from the muscular man when Kibum was hugging him, proved him something worse.
Jonghyun hated him, very. And more specially, when Kibum involved.
Jinki sighed deeply, thinking that tried to go back to sleep was not the most brilliant idea at the time, he got up from the bed and put his jacket on, hoping some fresh air would chase away the thoughts.
--
Kibum curled on his bed, shutting his eyes, pretending to be asleep as he heard the sound of the door hinge. Someone was coming in and he didn't need to turn around to see who the intruder was. Because he knew already. And he also knew what the person intended to do.
So the best way to avoid it was sleeping -or at least faking to-.
Kibum gulped and closed his eyes tighter as the footsteps came closer.
Please, just go... he thought.
"Nice try, Bum, but I know you are not asleep." Jonghyun scoffed at his effort, pulling the blanket that was covering Kibum's body "I can clearly see your pupils moving under the lids."
Kibum could even imagine Jobnhyun's annoyed face without even seeing.
And because there's no need to pretend any longer, he sighed and pushed his body up to sit cross-legged on his bed, looking up to the cross-armed Jonghyun.
He knew the other would come to confront him anytime but he just didn't see it coming this soon. He was sort of not ready yet.
"So... What's wrong with you?" the older said as he walked closer and sat on the edge of the bed, not too close to Kibum.
"Nothing's wrong." Kibum said nonchalantly, looking at the ceiling. Was that spiderman on the web ?
Jonghyun scoffed, "Yeah you're right. Nothing's wrong when Key suddenly hugged a loser like him out of the blue." he laughed sarcasticly, while Kibum tried not to flinch at his high-pitched tone.
Kibum just looked down to his bedcover.
Jonghyun finally sighed "Come on, This is not you ! What's wrong?"
"I don't know." Kibum mumbled.
"You don't know or you don't want to know?" Jonghyun raised his eyebrows.
"And why does it matter to you, Jjong?" Kibum started to lose his patience, finally looking right at the other.
"Because you don't act like you. Never since he came ! Have you ever hugged the other members when they came from work ? Hell, you didn't even do the same thing to Jiyong at that moment !"
Kibum played with the side of the blanket on his lap. He didn't know what to answer since he knew Jonghyun was saying the truth. The older knew him to o well it scared him sometimes.
"See?" Jonghyun scoffed again "You become this mute and moody, you're worrying too much. You're not as confident as you used to be. Does he bother you?"
"No, he doesn't." Kibum shook his head.
"Then why?"
"I... really don't know, Jjong." Kibum frowned "Just stop asking me these questions, this isn't even important."
"You like him." Jonghyun said after awhile, eyes bulging out "You. Like. Him. Oh God. How could I not see it earlier. You fucking like him !"
The younger already opened his mouth to say something but before he could really say anything, Jonghyun had cut him again.
"You were worried about him back then, I-I just.. Why the fuck i just could see it now.." Jonghyun shook his head "When we heard their work through the tracker, you were gasping and holding my hand tighter everytime Jiyong mentioned his name. You're worried if something might happen to him, so when you saw him came home safely, you.. you couldn't control yourself and hurriedly hug-"
"Stop it, Jjong.." Kibum frowned again.
"Why?" Jonghyun challenged him "Because you've realized what I said was true? That you like him ?"
"I-It's not like that, okay." Kibum said, thinking for a good excuse. "I was just.. This was the first time I joined to hear from Jiyong's tracker after years. I forgot how horrible it was to hear, to know directly when life-staking scene happened. It's been so long to know right at the time that your acquitance dead."
Kibum gulped "And it's Chansung, Jjong. Did you know how afraid I was finding my premonition was coming true ?"
Jonghyun got a hold of Kibum's cold hands. If Kibum was even lying, he couldn't find it on his pale face. Because he himself knew. A huge difference in between a witness -even just an ear-witness- and a mere mouth-to-mouth receiver. It was more nightmarish.
"And why did I hug that loser.." Kibum said "You saw it yourself I couldn't think at the moment then you nudged me and i turned around. All that I could see was the same fear on that face. I didn't even know why I approached him.. You saw it too, Jjong. I didn't even realize it's him until I snapped back to reality."
Jonghyun nodded.
"It's not about him, Jjong. It's about the fear." Kibum sighed "And moreover it's just a hug. You're musing too much, aren't you ?"
Jonghyun sneered at Kibum's remarks. But after he thought about what Kibum said, he realized maybe he was too jealous to oversee anything.
"So, it's just a hug, really?" Jonghyun raised his eyebrows.
Kibum nodded.
"Then hug me." Jonghyun said, smiling, opening up his arms.
"What?" Kibum frowned.
"Hug me? It's just a hug-"
"Jjong, you silly!" Kibum laughed before crawled closer to the older and threw his arm around Jonghyun's muscular shoulder.
Jonghyun wrapped his arms around Kibum's waist without hesitation.
"You know you could always hug me when you're afraid like earlier, right ?
"Eo," Kibum nodded, "Thanks Jjong..."
And sorry for lying.. Kibum sighed soundlessly as he could only surrender when Jonghyun tightened the embrace and he could feel the older buried his face on his neck.
But Kibum didn't pull awaysince it, truthfully, felt comfortable and so, he closed his eyes as Jonghyun whispered lullaby to his hair.
--
Jinki gulped down his third glass, wincing for a while at the strong taste but he let the fire burned his throat as it went down.
It was almost two in the morning when he arrived at Skeleton -the name of the usual club he just knew- and he didn't fucking care that the club was going to close not long after he arrived.
Eventhough he wasn't intended to do so, the barman seemed aware that he's a part of Shadow Dragon who could mess up with his club business if he wanted to, that the barman finally decided to open the club as long as Jinki wanted to lose himself.
After what he had just witnessed, from that slightly ajar door, the only thing he could think of to forget all of those sickly lovey dovey moment -the laughs, the smiles, the far more intimate hug- beside brain-washing was drinking. All he needed that moment was losing himself until he collapse and wake up with a bad hangover.
Jinki chuckled at his bad luck, he was busy thinking about 'whys' and 'hows' did Kibum hug him until he's bald, meanwhile the pretty guy he was thinking of could even easily hug another guy at the same night.
He should've known this would happen. He shouldn't even feel surprised though.
Key was Key, the one that everyone loved and spoiled. Jinki should've known it had nothing to do with some pinky hearty feeling. It might be just happening on his side.
Jinki sipped his drink a little more, blaming himself for being too confident while in fact, he's barely accepted there -thinking about that Jonghyun, yes-.
Even Jiyong's trust couldn't guarantee everything. Minho's right, being a part of Kkangpae was not easy.
Jinki hit his forehead on the bar table. And if only he didn't involve his own feeling it won't be this hard.
--
The reality bit him hard in the morning, when he was boiling beef soup for breakfast and he could vaguely hear footsteps slowly coming from the other side of the room.
Jonghyun was another case. But, heck, how did the others think about that public hug ? What had he done? Volunteering himself as a laughing stock ? Fuck. Could he just dig a big hole and jump down him and never show up again.. Stupid him. Stupid stupid stu--
"Who's the fool ?"
Amber appeared out of nowhere, making him jump a little. Shit. Did he said it out loud?
"Nothing." Kibum went on looking at his cooking, hoping she wouldn't inquire further.
"You know, maybe you should go to the doctor if you don't want your self-talking habit get worse." Amber suggested, while moving beside Kibum, getting her mug on the shelf.
"Sure," Kibum said "Maybe later, when you start wearing skirts."
"Then your habit will not heal." Amber simply said.
Kibum made a face as he said 'aww' to her, before he turned off the stove and poured the soup into the big bowl.
Amber made herself useful by helping Kibum set the table, while another members started flooding in the room. They did not usually gather together for meal time, but when they did, they used to cook their own meals, but it was mostly Kibum that was picked unanonymously as the chef because his cooking was the most edible and tasty.
"Whoa, beef soup in a cold morning. Thanks Key." Changmin smirked as he took a seat.
When finally they were gathered -not all of them, Kibum noticed, even Jinki didn't show up-, they started eating with silence, only the clink sound of their utensils could be heard.
And when one of them began a conversation, it was rather about trivial things. Like their next work or the soup.
No one touched the topic about what happened the day before -both Chansung's death and the hug-, it made Kibum could breath in relief but at the same time it took him a rare pity.
Sure, this was not a new thing. Before Chansung, there were plenty of them died while doing field works, some of them even had worse fate than Chansung.
Like Henry who was caught by the police, he was tortured before eventually got executed or Junhyung who disappeared and was discovered two weeks later, lifeless, decomposing in the piggery in a suburban village. Jiyong suspected the killer wasn't the authority but their rivals.
But still, what happened to Chansung somehow held something different for him.
"Morning, guys."
Jiyong suddenly came in still with messy hair and huge black circles under his eyes.
He looked tired. He always did, nowadays.
"Sit and eat some soup, man." Joon pulled the empty chair behind him.
Jiyong nodded and sat. While the other member was preparing his meal, Jiyong started to tell them what had been keeping him up last night.
"Mr. Chi will hold a Gala this Saturday." he started "I want one of you to attend."
"What's the Gala about?" someone asked.
"Auction." Jiyong said "He will auction off some valuables things -some were stolen, you know him- starting at a low price."
The member burst out laughing.
"How low, Jiyong ? A human head to pay ?"
Jiyong rolled his eyeballs "Low enough for our boss." he said and it was enough to shut the members up.
"But why we should we pay ? We could easily steal it." Jonghyun raised his eyebrows
"Not from him, Jonghyun." Jiyong sighed. "Unless you want our biggest drug dealer to cut the connection and you'll lose your head in the way."
Jonghyun only scoffed, while the Leader continued "Boss wants some rare things from him. Some bloody weapons for us and some collectible goods for himself. You know like the knife Jack the Ripper used back then for his serial murders in 18th century ? Believe it or not, Mr. Chi has it. It was a hot topic among all gangs."
"So there will be the other groups coming to the Gala ?" Kibum asked.
"Yes, baby." Jiyong winked at Kibum. "Many of them."
"Who's going to go then ?" Changmin asked.
Jiyong took a deep breath as he thought for a while, while the members were exchanging glances to one another.
This was different than the usual. Usually, they were sent off to steal, kidnap, deal and sell, but this time they were asked to compete in an auction.
The accuracy of thinking was important.
"How about that new kid? Don't you always think he's good enough to join us ? Let him prove it." Jonghyun said nonchalantly as he chewed his meat.
"He's smart and could easily influence others." Amber chimed in "Don't you think so, Jiyong ? Who knows he can take Mr. Chi's heart... Tho, Mr. Chi would still sell the goods away to the highest bid, not to the people he likes in particular anyway." she chuckled.
Jiyong knew Amber was telling the true points. Jinki was very smart and meticulous in work, although he had just joined but Jiyong believed he could be relied upon.
"Okay, I'll send him then." Jiyong said, while the other nodded before he continued again "But he won't be alone, Key will accompany him."
"What? No!" Jonghyun objected, as expected.
"Yes, he will." Jiyong said calmly "Key is good at analyzing things, he will help Onew a lot."
Jonghyun scoffed "Key can monitor him from here."
"I want him to come, Jonghyun. I've never really sent Key out before and this is a safe auction event. Mr. Chi has told me, although there will be another mobs, he has his own security to avoid unnecessary fight. After all, going out for one night won't hurt."
"But-"
"No but." Jiyong cut Jonghyun in a final tone before he turned to Kibum who looked confused. "How about it, sweetheart ? Beside Mr. Chi, other guests wouldn't know who you are. He has arranged that all the attendants didn't need to reveal their mobs names. It'll be too risky for all of us and themselves. It'll make things easier."
Kibum hesitated for a bit, he glanced at his bestfriend who looked really upset, but Jonghyun wasn't looking at him particularly.
Kibum finally nodded, thinking that this was Jiyong's command that he couldn't resist. "If you want me to go, then I will.."
Jonghyun turned to him with an angry glare, but Kibum was avoiding the older's burning gaze at all cost.
He almost jumped when Jonghyun tossed the spoon he was holding to the table with loud clink and got up harshly after kicking his chair back.
Changmin only chuckled at the walk-out while Amber just didn't give a damn as she licked his bowl clean.
"Well, that's not new." Jiyong said, half-amused before he looked back to Kibum "Anyway, the work is so simple. I believe you don't even have to open your eyes to do it."
Kibum could only smile a little at Jiyong's words. Yeah... if only he could tell it would be as simple as he thought.
--