black butterfly - chapter four: corrupted youth
title black butterfly
pairing yunho/jaejoong
rating nc-17
genre au,dark,angst,drama,romance
warning prostitute!jaejoong,hinted!sexual intercourse with several other partners on jaejoong's side
summary After allowing for his best friends to drag him into a club people their age were surely not allowed to enter under normal circumstaces,17 years old Jung Yunho loses his virginity to the club's 'Black Butterfly' Hero,the most alluring vixen they had to offer.Not being able to forget about the man he gave his first time to,Yunho keeps coming back despite the beauty's constant rejection,his stubbornness dragging him into something a foolish youth like him couldn't handle.
Hero sighed and started to question his own sanity as he got more aware of what he was doing.
He actually had better things to do, really. Things which did not involve teenage boys and their hormonal problems. But he did promise those boys to have a talk with their friend and maybe helping one misguided soul to find its way back on the right track was going to land him on a spot further away from hell.
„Hero ssi.“
The called man turned his face to the right and raised his eyebrows in wonder when he only spotted the boy named Yoochun standing in front of him.
„You came.“
Hero shrugged.“I kinda promised.“
Yoochun nodded.“Follow me, please.“
Hero let out another sigh but followed Yoochun nevertheless after gesturing for the other to go ahead. The student, albeit forcing himself to look sovereign most of the time, was obviously nervous and Hero could tell by the way the other kept stealing glances at him as if wanting to make sure Hero was still behind him.
“Calm yourself, kid.” Hero said after a while of walking. “I'm not going anywhere.”
Yoochun let out a timid chuckle and ran the fingers of his left hand through his soft locks in embarrassment. “Was I that obvious?”
“You teenagers are not that hard to read.”
“I see.” Yoochun said with a small smile before he came to a halt in front of a black Mercedes and pointed at the vehicle. “I'll go and well, be in the mall. Yunho is sitting on the backseat. Just take your time.”
And with that, Yoochun took rushed steps towards the building they walked away from not long ago.
Hero's eyes narrowed as he stepped in front of the car and took a look through the front as that was his only chance of seeing anything thanks to the rest of the windows being tinted. And there he was, the boy with his impressive almond-shaped eyes.
Knowing that he had to make the first step to make this work out, Hero made his way around the car to open the left door leading him to the backseat, swiftly making his way inside before closing the door from the inside. His eyes were instantly on Yunho and he barely managed to suppress the urge to smirk when the student shied away.
“I've heard a few things from your friends.” Hero started, trying hard to not sound too harsh.”And I'm wondering whether you are aware of what you claim to feel for me.”
“I am aware.” Yunho frowned at the accusation Hero threw his way.”I am falling for you.”
Hero eyed him for a while, not saying anything. He just sat there and stared at him as if trying to figure something out and Yunho's nervousness grew with each passing second. He wasn't going to lie and pretend like he was not afraid of what Hero could possibly say to him next.
“Why?”
The question took Yunho off-guard.”P-Pardon me?”
“You said you are falling for me and I want to know why.”
“I- You are special.” Yunho gulped.
“Because I took your virginity?” Hero raised one eyebrow at him.
“That night was special.” The student said, as if that one sentence was going to explain everything Hero wanted to know.
Shaking his head, the older male let out a sigh.”You only got what you paid for, nothing more. Maybe you think you are in love with me because you've never been that intimate with anyone else before, but believe me that you'll forget about me the moment a nice girl or boy worth your time catches your attention.”
“No.” Yunho shook his head in protest to Hero's words, but the uncertainty within those dark orbs only managed to underline Hero's suspicions.
“Look, it's not the first time a customer-”
“Please don't compare me to them.”
“But you are one of them.” Hero frowned.”You are-no. You were a customer just like them and although I want all of my customers to have a good time when they are with me, I need to draw the line the moment they step out of the club.”
It stung. To have Hero tell him - confirm to him - that he was just one customer amongst many stung so much and Yunho felt the temperature of his body rising as heat of embarrassment prickled through his skin.
Hero saw all of it, the way Yunho's cheeks turned red, the way tears started to fill the boy's eyes while he pressed his bow-shaped lips into a thin line. And somehow, he cared. Not for the reasons Yunho wished for, but he cared. He was about Jessica's age and no one that young should get stuck in a crush on a person like him or get his heart too involved with a person like him.
The older male let out a shaky breath, running his fingers through his hair.”What we did was fucking. It is not half as great as what you're going to feel when you actually get to make love to someone who cares about you. Whatever you felt while being with me, it will be a thousand times better when you're with the person you love.”
Yunho said nothing as he thought about the night they've spent together, the suppressed tears now long forgotten. While Hero's words may have made a lot of sense, Yunho couldn't imagine anything to feel better than what the two of them have shared during that special night. All the touches Hero pressed onto his skin lingered there like a shadow of passion.
The student smiled at first, loving the memories showing themselves before his inner eyes, but then he caught the look in Hero's eyes. The other was pitying him. And it hurt to have that look directed at him, as if he was some fool who was too awestruck by something others did not deem as anything special.
The smile on his lips died.
“Move on.” It was a soft demand.
His feelings for Hero obviously bothered the other male and he felt helplessly embarrassed at the thought of being someone's annoying admirer.
“Give me some time.”
That was not quite what Hero wanted to hear, but it was at least a lot better than what he has gotten out of Yunho prior to this. So he nodded.
He was about to leave and get some sleep at home before going to work, but a hand on his arm held him back before he could get out of the car.
“What...what is Jessica to you?” He didn't know why it was suddenly so important for him to know, but Yunho somehow couldn't forget about the way Hero had hugged her in a way he was never going to let Yunho hug him.
“How do you know her?” Hero asked back, his eyebrows raised in wonder.”And how come you know about her and I?”
Yunho pressed his lips into a thin line and let go of Hero before answering.”She is a classmate of mine. I saw you picking her up from school the other day.”
Something he said, and Yunho really did not know what it was, had Hero's gaze harden. The tiny bit of softness in his expression disappeared within a heartbeat and Yunho felt Hero slipping further away from him.
“It's none of your business.”
The harsh tone in which Hero answered was uncalled for, but even when the other was acting unreasonably hurtful, Yunho couldn't help but blame himself a little for asking about something that was in fact not his concern.
'I am pathetic.' Yunho thought as he watched Hero getting out of the car, leaving him behind with a sting in his heart.
• ♚ •
Yoochun let out a soft sigh before leaning back against the chair he was sitting on, his gaze fixated on Yunho as his friend was too busy staring holes into his bubble tea to actually have some of it and enjoy his drink. He really thought that this meeting was going to make things better, but that was apparently not the case.
He should've listened to Junsu.
He didn't know what exactly Hero has said to Yunho as his friend was not all too fond of the idea to talk and explain things, but whatever it was, it only managed to make Yunho mope around more.
“Yunho, what happened?”
Hope filled Yoochun's heart when his friend finally bothered looking up to stare at him.”He told me to move on.”
Yoochun pressed his lips into a thin line. Apparently, Hero did stick to their plan of making Yunho let go of him. But as Yoochun saw how empty his friend's gaze was, he was starting to wonder whether it had been a good idea to let Hero reject Yunho so blatantly as the other didn't seem to now how to pay attention to anyone's feelings as he spoke. Maybe they were finally going to set Yunho free from his crush, but at what price?
“He said I was just another customer.”
Well, ouch. Yoochun barely managed to keep himself from flinching. He should've known that Hero was going to go for the crude way in rejecting Yunho. To give Yunho the feeling of being only one amongst many may have been uncalled for, but not really unnecessary.
Yunho leaned back and let out a sigh.”I also asked him about Jessica.”
Yoochun raised his eyebrows at that.”Why?”
The taller student shrugged.”I don't know. I just wanted to know.”
“I see.” Yoochun drawled.”And what did he say?”
Yoochun kind of regretted asking the moment he saw the flash of hurt within Yunho's eyes.
“That it's none of my business.”
Yoochun inhaled sharply before regarding his friend with a sympathetic look. It was obvious that Hero had no interest in letting Yunho into his life any further and Yoochun was stuck between being glad about Hero drawing the line so clearly and being sad on his friend's behalf. It was a strange mix of emotions, really.
“And will you be able to do it?” The shorter only realized that he was speaking in riddles after Yunho sent him a questioning look.”Moving on, I mean.”
Yunho chose to look away as he answered.”I told him to give me some time for it.”
Yoochun didn't say anything, only humming in response. He had a feeling that it was going to take Yunho a lot of time to get over whatever he was feeling for Hero. Maybe, he should've never encouraged Yunho into entering that club.
• ♚ •
Hero smiled when he felt slim arms being wrapped around his torso from behind as he continued to work on pouring some coffee into a cup.”Anything you want, Princess?”
“Just some cuddling.” The soft voice rang from behind him”We barely get to see each other.”
Hero pressed his lips into a thin line and put the coffee pot onto the counter.”I'm sorry. I will make time for you soon, I promise.”
Jessica sighed.”I'm sorry as well. I didn't want to make you feel bad. I know you are working hard to pay for the life we got.”
Shaking his head, the pale man loosened Jessica's grip on him enough to turn around in her arms so he could hug her back.”Don't be sorry. You have all rights to be upset.”
Jessica rested her chin against his chest and stared up at him.”I'm not upset. I just miss you.”
“Well, I miss you, too.” Hero said, pressing a soft peck onto her forehead.”Just so you know.”
She smiled at him, carefree and sweet. The bright energy of youth surrounded her like sunbeams and Hero suddenly had to think about the boy who was apparently Jessica's schoolmate.
The boy was her age and Hero's already managed to ruin his life by letting money rule the world one too many times. He should've taken a closer look at the boy and sense that something was off. He should've let Kangin double check the boy's ID although Yunho did look older under the dimmed lights of the club.
Doing his best in suppressing a sigh of frustration, Hero pressed his lips into a thin line and decided to shut out all thoughts which involved the latest virgin he's corrupted.
• ♚ •
The moment Hero stepped into the still empty club, he was being approached by Leeteuk as the other flashed him a small smile.”Boss is here to see you.”
Hero raised his eyebrows in wonder before giving Leeteuk a nod of recognition, soon making his way towards the room which has been prepared for him. He had worked his way to such privileges.
It didn't take long for him to notice the figure standing at the center of his room. The sound of his steps obviously caught the other man's attention as he turned around to face Hero, a small smirk starting to spread on his lips. Hero's face was void of emotions, but he did bow to greet the other.
“Good evening, Sir.”
“Good evening, sweetheart.”
Hero pressed his lips into a thin line, preventing himself from letting out a biting remark. He secretly hated all the sickeningly nicknames he was called by and had to call the customers by. But this man was his boss. He had provided Hero with a job which made it possible for him to afford the house Jessica and he were staying in and Hero was not going to ruin that for them.
The boss was not that much older than him, but age didn't matter when the person was your boss. Respect was a must.
“As you can imagine, I am not here to have a casual chat with you.” The older male drawled, soon gesturing towards the seating area in Hero's room.”Let's have a seat, shall we?”
“Of course, Sir.” Hero agreed and followed his boss towards the couches, sitting down only after the other has done so himself.
“You've caught the attention of someone I am not quite sure on which list to place.” The other man's eyes narrowed slightly.”He is interested in buying you from me and he would very well be capable of doing so. The money is not a problem, but I am not quite sure what motives he has for wanting to buy you free.”
“P-Pardon me?”
“Everyone who contacts me because of you, is obsessed with you. Obsessed to the point of being nothing more but lovesick shells of what they used to be. But this one said that he wants you because there is still some unresolved business between you to be taken care of and I don't like the sound of that.”
Hero's gaze hardened.”Unresolved business?”
“Sounds like trouble to me.” The boss leaned forward.”Now tell me, is Lee Jinki trouble?”
Hero went cold at the mention of the name he wanted to erase from his entire life and for a while, he found himself unable to speak.
“He is.” Hero finally managed to force out.”Please don't sell me to him. Not him.”
The boss' gaze was calculating, but he nodded in agreement nevertheless.”You know that I would never give you away to anyone without your permission. Usually, you'd get some time to think about it, but considering that you seem to know him very well and are absolutely not willing to give yourself to him, I will of course decline his offer.”
“Thank you.” The two words came out as a breathy whisper as Hero felt relief washing over him.
“I promised you protection and that's what you're getting. In return, I demand an explanation from you.”
He didn't want to give anyone an explanation and talk about something he was trying so hard to forget about, but he knew that he couldn't really deny the boss his right to know the truth. It had to be a constant give-and-take, or else, this wasn't going to work out any further.
“Of course.” Hero said before taking a deep breath, preparing himself for the memories he was going to recall against his will.
• ♚ •
It happened so fast that Yoochun barely had the chance to react.
One moment, he saw the way Yunho stared at Jessica as she walked past and then his friend was suddenly on his feet and on the way to the brunette with Yoochun struggling to catch up to him.
Yunho knew how to take advantage of those long legs he possessed.
“Um.” Jessica let out the moment Yunho got a hold of her upper arm and had her stopping to look at him.”Do you need anything?”
Yunho let go of her.”I wanted to ask you about something.”
The younger girl smiled.”Sure, go ahead.”
“Yunho-” Yoochun whispered, but was cut off with a dismissive wave of his friend's right hand.
“I saw a man picking you up not long ago.” Yunho started. “Who is he?”
Jessica's raised her eyebrows. “Jaejoong oppa.”
“That's his name? You call him by his real name?” Yunho blurted out and he could feel some kind of jealousy bringing bitterness onto his tongue.
She was not a customer if she knew his real name. She was more to Hero.
A frown of confusion found its way onto Jessica's face. “How else would I call him? That's his n-oh!”
Yunho and Yoochun both looked at her in curiosity.
“You met him as 'Hero', didn't you?” Her face lit up in comprehension. “Didn't think you guys would sneak into a club. I hope he didn't serve you any alcohol considering that you are minors.”
“Serve us alcohol?” Now it was Yoochun's turn to ask, slight confusion in his eyes.
“Yes, he is a bartender. That's how you met him, didn't you?” She looked at them questioningly, not really knowing why the two boys in front of her were so confused by everything she said.
Not that she reacted any differently to what they said.
And while Jessica was still struggling to understand Yunho and Yoochun, realization dawned on the two boys standing in front of her. Obviously, Jessica did not know what Hero really did for a living and somehow, the two boys found that it was not their place to tell her about it.
“Ah well he was the DJ that night.” Yoochun lied. “We didn't know he's usually a bartender.”
“Oh.” Jessica drawled, nodding.
“You never answered my question though.” Yunho said. “What's the relationship between you and him?”
“Actually, you never asked what our relationship was. You simply asked who he was and I answered.” Jessica tilted her head with a teasing smile which had Yunho and Yoochun chuckle despite the situation. “He is my older brother.”
“Your brother?” Yoochun uttered, his gaze resting on his friend's face momentarily as the other looked rather relieved.
“The one and only.” Jessica said, the gentle smile of adoration and pride on her lips somehow managing to make Yunho and Yoochun smile as well.
It was obvious how much Jessica loved her brother.
“I see.” The class president spoke.
Jessica's smiled widened a tad bit.“Why did you want to know though?”
Yunho shrugged. “I recognized him and simply got curious when he picked you up, that's all.”
The brunette hummed in response and let it slide as Yunho and Yoochun excused themselves to return to their table where Junsu and Changmin were waiting for them. She did give them one last curious stare before she went, but whatever she wanted to know, she did not ask.
“What did you talk to her about?” Junsu asked, his eyes on the girl who was now sitting on her own a few tables away from them.
“I asked her about what relationship she has to Hero.” Yunho said, ignoring the frown on Junsu's face when he mentioned the older male's name. “Apparently, she is his younger sister and thinks he's working as a bartender.”
Junsu's eyes widened at the revelation.
“Well, it's hard to tell your innocent little sister that you're sleeping with people for money.” Changmin shrugged. “I can see why he wouldn't tell her about what his job is.”
“Me too.” Yunho admitted, letting out a sigh.”She seems to love him a lot and she looked so proud while telling us about him.”
“I in his shoes wouldn't tell her either.” Yoochun mumbled before continuing to eat.
Junsu hummed in agreement as Yunho and Changmin nodded at his words.
• ♚ •
Hero smiled as he came home to the smell of pancakes and coffee.
“Good morning.” He said as he approached Jessica and gave her a small peck onto her forehead, causing her to smile brightly.”Why are you still here?”
“School starts a little later today because my history teacher got sick and they couldn't find a replacement in time.” Jessica explained and placed a plate full of pancakes in front of her brother after motioning for him to have a seat.
“I see.” Hero drawled before letting out a yawn.”How is school going? Still got trouble handling maths?”
Jessica shook her head before joining Hero at the table.”It's gotten much better after some studying.”
“My smart little princess.” Hero ruffled her hair with a fond smile, laughing at the way she tried to slap his hand away playfully.
“Ah, some of my schoolmates told me they met you at the club, you know?”
Hero's hand stilled at those words before he pulled back.”What?”
“Yeah, they said they saw you being the DJ at the club.” Jessica said.”Jung Yunho and Park Yoochun, have you heard of them before?”
Hero shook his head.
Jessica hummed.”Guess you can't keep track of all customers. They are quite nice, especially Yunho. He's the class president and does his job well. He's always treated me nicely and defended me when necessary.”
Hero's gaze hardened at the last part. “Just how often was it necessary for him to step in, if I may ask?”
The young girl sighed. Right, she shouldn't have mentioned about that.
“Not as often as you think and believe me, no one has done anything to me since that time or else you would've known about it by now.”
A leisure nod was given as an answer as Hero regarded her with care. He really hoped that his sister was not lying to him about this once again. But he trusted her. Not only because she claimed to be alright but also because she did look like she was more than fine.
'Class president, huh?' Hero took a bite from his pancakes.
No matter how much he thought of Yunho and his friends as semi-grown up children, he had to admit that them covering for him regarding his job did make them look a tad bit more mature and responsible in his eyes. Those kids may not be so bad after all.
---------
comments are gold
pairing yunho/jaejoong
rating nc-17
genre au,dark,angst,drama,romance
warning prostitute!jaejoong,hinted!sexual intercourse with several other partners on jaejoong's side
summary After allowing for his best friends to drag him into a club people their age were surely not allowed to enter under normal circumstaces,17 years old Jung Yunho loses his virginity to the club's 'Black Butterfly' Hero,the most alluring vixen they had to offer.Not being able to forget about the man he gave his first time to,Yunho keeps coming back despite the beauty's constant rejection,his stubbornness dragging him into something a foolish youth like him couldn't handle.
Hero sighed and started to question his own sanity as he got more aware of what he was doing.
He actually had better things to do, really. Things which did not involve teenage boys and their hormonal problems. But he did promise those boys to have a talk with their friend and maybe helping one misguided soul to find its way back on the right track was going to land him on a spot further away from hell.
„Hero ssi.“
The called man turned his face to the right and raised his eyebrows in wonder when he only spotted the boy named Yoochun standing in front of him.
„You came.“
Hero shrugged.“I kinda promised.“
Yoochun nodded.“Follow me, please.“
Hero let out another sigh but followed Yoochun nevertheless after gesturing for the other to go ahead. The student, albeit forcing himself to look sovereign most of the time, was obviously nervous and Hero could tell by the way the other kept stealing glances at him as if wanting to make sure Hero was still behind him.
“Calm yourself, kid.” Hero said after a while of walking. “I'm not going anywhere.”
Yoochun let out a timid chuckle and ran the fingers of his left hand through his soft locks in embarrassment. “Was I that obvious?”
“You teenagers are not that hard to read.”
“I see.” Yoochun said with a small smile before he came to a halt in front of a black Mercedes and pointed at the vehicle. “I'll go and well, be in the mall. Yunho is sitting on the backseat. Just take your time.”
And with that, Yoochun took rushed steps towards the building they walked away from not long ago.
Hero's eyes narrowed as he stepped in front of the car and took a look through the front as that was his only chance of seeing anything thanks to the rest of the windows being tinted. And there he was, the boy with his impressive almond-shaped eyes.
Knowing that he had to make the first step to make this work out, Hero made his way around the car to open the left door leading him to the backseat, swiftly making his way inside before closing the door from the inside. His eyes were instantly on Yunho and he barely managed to suppress the urge to smirk when the student shied away.
“I've heard a few things from your friends.” Hero started, trying hard to not sound too harsh.”And I'm wondering whether you are aware of what you claim to feel for me.”
“I am aware.” Yunho frowned at the accusation Hero threw his way.”I am falling for you.”
Hero eyed him for a while, not saying anything. He just sat there and stared at him as if trying to figure something out and Yunho's nervousness grew with each passing second. He wasn't going to lie and pretend like he was not afraid of what Hero could possibly say to him next.
“Why?”
The question took Yunho off-guard.”P-Pardon me?”
“You said you are falling for me and I want to know why.”
“I- You are special.” Yunho gulped.
“Because I took your virginity?” Hero raised one eyebrow at him.
“That night was special.” The student said, as if that one sentence was going to explain everything Hero wanted to know.
Shaking his head, the older male let out a sigh.”You only got what you paid for, nothing more. Maybe you think you are in love with me because you've never been that intimate with anyone else before, but believe me that you'll forget about me the moment a nice girl or boy worth your time catches your attention.”
“No.” Yunho shook his head in protest to Hero's words, but the uncertainty within those dark orbs only managed to underline Hero's suspicions.
“Look, it's not the first time a customer-”
“Please don't compare me to them.”
“But you are one of them.” Hero frowned.”You are-no. You were a customer just like them and although I want all of my customers to have a good time when they are with me, I need to draw the line the moment they step out of the club.”
It stung. To have Hero tell him - confirm to him - that he was just one customer amongst many stung so much and Yunho felt the temperature of his body rising as heat of embarrassment prickled through his skin.
Hero saw all of it, the way Yunho's cheeks turned red, the way tears started to fill the boy's eyes while he pressed his bow-shaped lips into a thin line. And somehow, he cared. Not for the reasons Yunho wished for, but he cared. He was about Jessica's age and no one that young should get stuck in a crush on a person like him or get his heart too involved with a person like him.
The older male let out a shaky breath, running his fingers through his hair.”What we did was fucking. It is not half as great as what you're going to feel when you actually get to make love to someone who cares about you. Whatever you felt while being with me, it will be a thousand times better when you're with the person you love.”
Yunho said nothing as he thought about the night they've spent together, the suppressed tears now long forgotten. While Hero's words may have made a lot of sense, Yunho couldn't imagine anything to feel better than what the two of them have shared during that special night. All the touches Hero pressed onto his skin lingered there like a shadow of passion.
The student smiled at first, loving the memories showing themselves before his inner eyes, but then he caught the look in Hero's eyes. The other was pitying him. And it hurt to have that look directed at him, as if he was some fool who was too awestruck by something others did not deem as anything special.
The smile on his lips died.
“Move on.” It was a soft demand.
His feelings for Hero obviously bothered the other male and he felt helplessly embarrassed at the thought of being someone's annoying admirer.
“Give me some time.”
That was not quite what Hero wanted to hear, but it was at least a lot better than what he has gotten out of Yunho prior to this. So he nodded.
He was about to leave and get some sleep at home before going to work, but a hand on his arm held him back before he could get out of the car.
“What...what is Jessica to you?” He didn't know why it was suddenly so important for him to know, but Yunho somehow couldn't forget about the way Hero had hugged her in a way he was never going to let Yunho hug him.
“How do you know her?” Hero asked back, his eyebrows raised in wonder.”And how come you know about her and I?”
Yunho pressed his lips into a thin line and let go of Hero before answering.”She is a classmate of mine. I saw you picking her up from school the other day.”
Something he said, and Yunho really did not know what it was, had Hero's gaze harden. The tiny bit of softness in his expression disappeared within a heartbeat and Yunho felt Hero slipping further away from him.
“It's none of your business.”
The harsh tone in which Hero answered was uncalled for, but even when the other was acting unreasonably hurtful, Yunho couldn't help but blame himself a little for asking about something that was in fact not his concern.
'I am pathetic.' Yunho thought as he watched Hero getting out of the car, leaving him behind with a sting in his heart.
• ♚ •
Yoochun let out a soft sigh before leaning back against the chair he was sitting on, his gaze fixated on Yunho as his friend was too busy staring holes into his bubble tea to actually have some of it and enjoy his drink. He really thought that this meeting was going to make things better, but that was apparently not the case.
He should've listened to Junsu.
He didn't know what exactly Hero has said to Yunho as his friend was not all too fond of the idea to talk and explain things, but whatever it was, it only managed to make Yunho mope around more.
“Yunho, what happened?”
Hope filled Yoochun's heart when his friend finally bothered looking up to stare at him.”He told me to move on.”
Yoochun pressed his lips into a thin line. Apparently, Hero did stick to their plan of making Yunho let go of him. But as Yoochun saw how empty his friend's gaze was, he was starting to wonder whether it had been a good idea to let Hero reject Yunho so blatantly as the other didn't seem to now how to pay attention to anyone's feelings as he spoke. Maybe they were finally going to set Yunho free from his crush, but at what price?
“He said I was just another customer.”
Well, ouch. Yoochun barely managed to keep himself from flinching. He should've known that Hero was going to go for the crude way in rejecting Yunho. To give Yunho the feeling of being only one amongst many may have been uncalled for, but not really unnecessary.
Yunho leaned back and let out a sigh.”I also asked him about Jessica.”
Yoochun raised his eyebrows at that.”Why?”
The taller student shrugged.”I don't know. I just wanted to know.”
“I see.” Yoochun drawled.”And what did he say?”
Yoochun kind of regretted asking the moment he saw the flash of hurt within Yunho's eyes.
“That it's none of my business.”
Yoochun inhaled sharply before regarding his friend with a sympathetic look. It was obvious that Hero had no interest in letting Yunho into his life any further and Yoochun was stuck between being glad about Hero drawing the line so clearly and being sad on his friend's behalf. It was a strange mix of emotions, really.
“And will you be able to do it?” The shorter only realized that he was speaking in riddles after Yunho sent him a questioning look.”Moving on, I mean.”
Yunho chose to look away as he answered.”I told him to give me some time for it.”
Yoochun didn't say anything, only humming in response. He had a feeling that it was going to take Yunho a lot of time to get over whatever he was feeling for Hero. Maybe, he should've never encouraged Yunho into entering that club.
• ♚ •
Hero smiled when he felt slim arms being wrapped around his torso from behind as he continued to work on pouring some coffee into a cup.”Anything you want, Princess?”
“Just some cuddling.” The soft voice rang from behind him”We barely get to see each other.”
Hero pressed his lips into a thin line and put the coffee pot onto the counter.”I'm sorry. I will make time for you soon, I promise.”
Jessica sighed.”I'm sorry as well. I didn't want to make you feel bad. I know you are working hard to pay for the life we got.”
Shaking his head, the pale man loosened Jessica's grip on him enough to turn around in her arms so he could hug her back.”Don't be sorry. You have all rights to be upset.”
Jessica rested her chin against his chest and stared up at him.”I'm not upset. I just miss you.”
“Well, I miss you, too.” Hero said, pressing a soft peck onto her forehead.”Just so you know.”
She smiled at him, carefree and sweet. The bright energy of youth surrounded her like sunbeams and Hero suddenly had to think about the boy who was apparently Jessica's schoolmate.
The boy was her age and Hero's already managed to ruin his life by letting money rule the world one too many times. He should've taken a closer look at the boy and sense that something was off. He should've let Kangin double check the boy's ID although Yunho did look older under the dimmed lights of the club.
Doing his best in suppressing a sigh of frustration, Hero pressed his lips into a thin line and decided to shut out all thoughts which involved the latest virgin he's corrupted.
• ♚ •
The moment Hero stepped into the still empty club, he was being approached by Leeteuk as the other flashed him a small smile.”Boss is here to see you.”
Hero raised his eyebrows in wonder before giving Leeteuk a nod of recognition, soon making his way towards the room which has been prepared for him. He had worked his way to such privileges.
It didn't take long for him to notice the figure standing at the center of his room. The sound of his steps obviously caught the other man's attention as he turned around to face Hero, a small smirk starting to spread on his lips. Hero's face was void of emotions, but he did bow to greet the other.
“Good evening, Sir.”
“Good evening, sweetheart.”
Hero pressed his lips into a thin line, preventing himself from letting out a biting remark. He secretly hated all the sickeningly nicknames he was called by and had to call the customers by. But this man was his boss. He had provided Hero with a job which made it possible for him to afford the house Jessica and he were staying in and Hero was not going to ruin that for them.
The boss was not that much older than him, but age didn't matter when the person was your boss. Respect was a must.
“As you can imagine, I am not here to have a casual chat with you.” The older male drawled, soon gesturing towards the seating area in Hero's room.”Let's have a seat, shall we?”
“Of course, Sir.” Hero agreed and followed his boss towards the couches, sitting down only after the other has done so himself.
“You've caught the attention of someone I am not quite sure on which list to place.” The other man's eyes narrowed slightly.”He is interested in buying you from me and he would very well be capable of doing so. The money is not a problem, but I am not quite sure what motives he has for wanting to buy you free.”
“P-Pardon me?”
“Everyone who contacts me because of you, is obsessed with you. Obsessed to the point of being nothing more but lovesick shells of what they used to be. But this one said that he wants you because there is still some unresolved business between you to be taken care of and I don't like the sound of that.”
Hero's gaze hardened.”Unresolved business?”
“Sounds like trouble to me.” The boss leaned forward.”Now tell me, is Lee Jinki trouble?”
Hero went cold at the mention of the name he wanted to erase from his entire life and for a while, he found himself unable to speak.
“He is.” Hero finally managed to force out.”Please don't sell me to him. Not him.”
The boss' gaze was calculating, but he nodded in agreement nevertheless.”You know that I would never give you away to anyone without your permission. Usually, you'd get some time to think about it, but considering that you seem to know him very well and are absolutely not willing to give yourself to him, I will of course decline his offer.”
“Thank you.” The two words came out as a breathy whisper as Hero felt relief washing over him.
“I promised you protection and that's what you're getting. In return, I demand an explanation from you.”
He didn't want to give anyone an explanation and talk about something he was trying so hard to forget about, but he knew that he couldn't really deny the boss his right to know the truth. It had to be a constant give-and-take, or else, this wasn't going to work out any further.
“Of course.” Hero said before taking a deep breath, preparing himself for the memories he was going to recall against his will.
• ♚ •
It happened so fast that Yoochun barely had the chance to react.
One moment, he saw the way Yunho stared at Jessica as she walked past and then his friend was suddenly on his feet and on the way to the brunette with Yoochun struggling to catch up to him.
Yunho knew how to take advantage of those long legs he possessed.
“Um.” Jessica let out the moment Yunho got a hold of her upper arm and had her stopping to look at him.”Do you need anything?”
Yunho let go of her.”I wanted to ask you about something.”
The younger girl smiled.”Sure, go ahead.”
“Yunho-” Yoochun whispered, but was cut off with a dismissive wave of his friend's right hand.
“I saw a man picking you up not long ago.” Yunho started. “Who is he?”
Jessica's raised her eyebrows. “Jaejoong oppa.”
“That's his name? You call him by his real name?” Yunho blurted out and he could feel some kind of jealousy bringing bitterness onto his tongue.
She was not a customer if she knew his real name. She was more to Hero.
A frown of confusion found its way onto Jessica's face. “How else would I call him? That's his n-oh!”
Yunho and Yoochun both looked at her in curiosity.
“You met him as 'Hero', didn't you?” Her face lit up in comprehension. “Didn't think you guys would sneak into a club. I hope he didn't serve you any alcohol considering that you are minors.”
“Serve us alcohol?” Now it was Yoochun's turn to ask, slight confusion in his eyes.
“Yes, he is a bartender. That's how you met him, didn't you?” She looked at them questioningly, not really knowing why the two boys in front of her were so confused by everything she said.
Not that she reacted any differently to what they said.
And while Jessica was still struggling to understand Yunho and Yoochun, realization dawned on the two boys standing in front of her. Obviously, Jessica did not know what Hero really did for a living and somehow, the two boys found that it was not their place to tell her about it.
“Ah well he was the DJ that night.” Yoochun lied. “We didn't know he's usually a bartender.”
“Oh.” Jessica drawled, nodding.
“You never answered my question though.” Yunho said. “What's the relationship between you and him?”
“Actually, you never asked what our relationship was. You simply asked who he was and I answered.” Jessica tilted her head with a teasing smile which had Yunho and Yoochun chuckle despite the situation. “He is my older brother.”
“Your brother?” Yoochun uttered, his gaze resting on his friend's face momentarily as the other looked rather relieved.
“The one and only.” Jessica said, the gentle smile of adoration and pride on her lips somehow managing to make Yunho and Yoochun smile as well.
It was obvious how much Jessica loved her brother.
“I see.” The class president spoke.
Jessica's smiled widened a tad bit.“Why did you want to know though?”
Yunho shrugged. “I recognized him and simply got curious when he picked you up, that's all.”
The brunette hummed in response and let it slide as Yunho and Yoochun excused themselves to return to their table where Junsu and Changmin were waiting for them. She did give them one last curious stare before she went, but whatever she wanted to know, she did not ask.
“What did you talk to her about?” Junsu asked, his eyes on the girl who was now sitting on her own a few tables away from them.
“I asked her about what relationship she has to Hero.” Yunho said, ignoring the frown on Junsu's face when he mentioned the older male's name. “Apparently, she is his younger sister and thinks he's working as a bartender.”
Junsu's eyes widened at the revelation.
“Well, it's hard to tell your innocent little sister that you're sleeping with people for money.” Changmin shrugged. “I can see why he wouldn't tell her about what his job is.”
“Me too.” Yunho admitted, letting out a sigh.”She seems to love him a lot and she looked so proud while telling us about him.”
“I in his shoes wouldn't tell her either.” Yoochun mumbled before continuing to eat.
Junsu hummed in agreement as Yunho and Changmin nodded at his words.
• ♚ •
Hero smiled as he came home to the smell of pancakes and coffee.
“Good morning.” He said as he approached Jessica and gave her a small peck onto her forehead, causing her to smile brightly.”Why are you still here?”
“School starts a little later today because my history teacher got sick and they couldn't find a replacement in time.” Jessica explained and placed a plate full of pancakes in front of her brother after motioning for him to have a seat.
“I see.” Hero drawled before letting out a yawn.”How is school going? Still got trouble handling maths?”
Jessica shook her head before joining Hero at the table.”It's gotten much better after some studying.”
“My smart little princess.” Hero ruffled her hair with a fond smile, laughing at the way she tried to slap his hand away playfully.
“Ah, some of my schoolmates told me they met you at the club, you know?”
Hero's hand stilled at those words before he pulled back.”What?”
“Yeah, they said they saw you being the DJ at the club.” Jessica said.”Jung Yunho and Park Yoochun, have you heard of them before?”
Hero shook his head.
Jessica hummed.”Guess you can't keep track of all customers. They are quite nice, especially Yunho. He's the class president and does his job well. He's always treated me nicely and defended me when necessary.”
Hero's gaze hardened at the last part. “Just how often was it necessary for him to step in, if I may ask?”
The young girl sighed. Right, she shouldn't have mentioned about that.
“Not as often as you think and believe me, no one has done anything to me since that time or else you would've known about it by now.”
A leisure nod was given as an answer as Hero regarded her with care. He really hoped that his sister was not lying to him about this once again. But he trusted her. Not only because she claimed to be alright but also because she did look like she was more than fine.
'Class president, huh?' Hero took a bite from his pancakes.
No matter how much he thought of Yunho and his friends as semi-grown up children, he had to admit that them covering for him regarding his job did make them look a tad bit more mature and responsible in his eyes. Those kids may not be so bad after all.
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