The Boy Next Door [1/1]
Title: The Boy Next Door [1/1]
Author: FloweryMisha
Pairing: KiWoon
Warning: BoyxBoy love. Enough said.
Summary: Kikwang was weird. His neighbour was weirder.
Author’s Note: Inspired by an old manga. I hope I’m not rusty writing KiWoon ;u; please enjoy <3 AND PLEASE, NO TRANSLATIONS ALLOWED!
“My neighbor is a serial killer.”
Kikwang waited patiently for Junhyung to widen his eyes in fear and became panic. He tried to say those words in a (failed) mysterious way, hoping for the other male to be affected and joined his terror. Sadly, it never came. Junhyung looked extremely uninterested as he casually took a deep drag of his cigarette.
“...and I’m dating a stripper.”
Kikwang pouted in protest. “Hyung, you promised you wouldn’t make fun of me-“
“I’m not.”
“B-but you just-“
“It’s the deal, remember? You told me your secret and I told you mine. Done that.”
“But that doesn’t mean-“ Kikwang stopped whining and gave Junhyung an incredulous stare. “Wait. Did you...really mean that?”
Junhyung only raised his eyebrows in respons and exhaled, causing the small room to be filled with the smoke from his cigarette. “Did you?”
Kikwang coughed slightly. “If he’s not a serial killer, then what else would he be?”
“...a...secret agent who’s working undercover and he cannot afford it to be blown.”
Kikwang thought of burning all of Junhyung’s spy movies before shaking his head. “No. No, he’s a bad person. I can feel it. You know I’m never wrong about this kind of thing, hyung.”
“...says the person who said his last boyfriend was totally devoted but in the end got cheated by the same person.”
Kikwang whined and flicked the older male’s arm in protest. “Hyung!”
“Yeah, well, you see,” Junhyung put off his cigarette on the ashtray. His expression was a mixture of bored and tired. “You were the one who wanted to live here, in this cheap, awful apartment because the rent was extremely affordable.”
“It’s close to work,” Kikwang defended himself weakly.
“Whatever. This place is almost like a run-down building and there are just you and your-serial killer neighbour on the second floor. I’m not even sure if the rooms on the first floor are occupied. Honestly, this place is scary. It seems haunted, too. The only reason I’ve been coming here is because you’re my close friend. That and oh, I get free cookies. So, if any weird thing happens-please, let me be the last to know.”
“This place is not so bad, hyung. Sure, it’s scary at first, but then I met some of the first floor’s residents and they were all very nice. There’s this lady named Dara and her brother that I stumbled upon the other day. A pretty male named Himchan dropped by last week to give me my mails-apparently mine and his got mixed up. I think he lives with his boyfriend... There’s also this cute, college guy-I think his name is Peniel or something.”
Junhyung looked bored.
“But this guy-this guy across,” Kikwang’s voice turned to a whisper dramatically. “He never goes out in daylight and only appears at night, and then he would-“
“Maybe he’s a vampire.”
Kikwang thought of burning all of Junhyung’s vampire series before shaking his head in exasperation. “He’s certainly not! And I’m not done talking.”
“...sorry,” Junhyung said with a not-sorry face.
“Forgiven. And he only appears at night, and then he would-holy shit, there he is!”
Kikwang immediately zipped his mouth as the door across his apartment creaked.
A tall, well built male with broad shoulders walked out of his room and had his back on them to work on the doorknob. There was a void of space between their rooms, but the view was crystal clear because Kikwang had forgotten to shut the curtain by the window. A moment later, the tall male was done locking his room and walked away after shouldering his backpack. Kikwang and Junhyung scooted closer to the window to peek-with Kikwang digging his nails almost too painfully into Junhyung’s arm and the latter squinted his eyes to get a good look of the said male.
“...correct me if I’m wrong, didn’t you just say that he never goes out in daylight?” Junhyung casted a glance at his wristwatch. “And it’s eleven in the morning. And oh dear God, Kikwang-ah. Are you out of your mind? That guy is a hottie.”
“Doesn’t he seem a bit off to you?”
“Kikwang-ah,” Junhyung said seriously. “Be prepared, I’m going to hit you so hard in the head.”
***
Son Dongwoon.
Kikwang secretly stole a glance to his neighbour’s mailbox as he browsed through his mails. He grimaced at the vague pain in his head-it was still hurting from the hit he didn’t manage to avoid the other day. A sigh escaped his lips as nothing interesting caught his eyes-they were just the usual monthly bills. His heart skipped a beat at the name once again and shoved all of his mails into the bag. Kikwang swept his bang aside before running for the bus.
It was not that Kikwang didn’t notice how hot Dongwoon was.
The male was indeed a hottie. He was also attractive. Hell, he was drop dead gorgeous.
Nothing was odd at first for Kikwang-everything seemed perfect. Dongwoon seemed to be a university student who had beautiful long legs and a handsome face bestowed by God. Everything about him fascinated Kikwang. He tried to let the other male knew about his poor existence (although it was a bit strange if Dongwoon didn’t know about him, they were the only residents on the second floor, afterall), but was never brave enough to greet him properly.
Dongwoon had a lot of friends coming by.
They came mostly at night.
Kikwang had always noticed because just like Junhyung had said, their apartment was like a run-down building with thin walls and visible footsteps. They never came in groups-everyone came by alone. Kikwang would peek carefully from the window to see Dongwoon opening his door with a blinding grin to greet his friends-and oh, how he wished he could switch place with whoever it was who received that godly smile.
They would come in the strangest hour at night.
At first they were just boys their age. They were attractive with a good fashion sense of style and Kikwang wondered if he would ever be able to dress boldly like that. If he did, Dongwoon might notice him... Kikwang sighed and dragged a hand down his face.
Everything went perfectly normal.
Until Kikwang witnessed a middle aged man dropped by.
The man was probably in his thirty or something. He was still dressed in his work suit and looked around the place somewhat nervously. Kikwang’s room was the only place other than Dongwoon’s that was lit up, so it was no wonder if the man shifted his gaze to his door. He immediately duck (even though he was sure he couldn’t be seen) and held his breath. Kikwang waited until he heard the sound of the a door being opened-clearly Dongwoon had noticed his companion’s arrival-and closed.
Kikwang never saw him leaving.
But maybe, maybe it was because he fell asleep after.
A few days after, another middle aged man showed up in front of Dongwoon’s apartment. This one was much older than the last time. The man looked patient and kept his eyes fixed on the door in front of him. Kikwang gulped as he peeked from his curtained window when Dongwoon opened the door and smiled kindly at his guest. The smile showed that they had been expecting each other and a minute later, the door was closed-the middle aged man had disappeared into Dongwoon’s apartment.
Are they...?
Kikwang felt his heart shattering.
Even so, he decided to sleep in the living room, near the window that night. Because he knew if he slept in the bedroom, he wouldn’t be able to hear a thing.
A sound jolted him awake from his sleep. Kikwang grunted in distaste and cuddled some more on the couch-he was planning to go back to sleep immediately. He seemed to realize his original motive to sleep in such an uncomfortable position seconds later and cracked his eyes opened. Kikwang slowly crawled to the window and fortunately he had turned the light off when he took a peek. Something in his mind told him that if the man from earlier left in such ungodly hour, then it could only mean one thing... They had done something... Kikwang shook his head and braced himself.
Just one look, and if what he thought was true, Kikwang would stop.
But it wasn’t like what he expected.
Not even close.
Kikwang saw two men in their uniforms and caps dragged a big, heavy box. He tilted his head to a side thoughtfully, wondering what was in it. His eyes then drifted to Dongwoon who was standing by the door, giving the workers a slight smile. Kikwang marveled dreamily at how adorable the smile was even in such hour before frowning to himself.
What are they...?
Kikwang was still staring at everything intensely until he couldn’t see the two workers anymore and brought a hand to his mouth. Who were those guys and why did they carry such a big box? Kikwang’s head hurt. He couldn’t think anymore. The male decided to call it a night because he was really sleepy and doing some thinking while he was sleepy was never a good thing. He was about to turn around when he realized Dongwoon was still standing by the doorway, and his eyes were directed to his-
His window.
Kikwang froze on his track. He didn’t dare to move. Did Dongwoon spot him? Did he make a noise by accident? Kikwang closed his eyes and wished that Dongwoon would just go back inside. The silence was killing him.
A while later, he heard the sound of the door being closed and breathed in relief. Kikwang didn’t waste any time to rush back into his bedroom and protected himself under the blanket.
He had never been this scared before.
***
Turned out that Junhyung really dated a stripper.
Kikwang only guffawed when Junhyung told him that he was going to bring him to meet his stripper boyfriend. Moments later, Kikwang’s jaw literally dropped and he had no strength to glue his lips into a line anymore with the view of a very pretty red haired male straddling his friend’s lap, giving Junhyung longing, hungry kisses.
It seemed like forever when the two lovebirds finally peeled themselves off of each other.
“Your friend is awfully quiet,” Hyunseung said nonchalantly as he licked his lips. He was still on Junhyung’s lap and his hands were still wrapped around the latter’s neck.
“Shall I be loud in a strip club?” Kikwang blinked innocently.
“Well,” Junhyung chuckled. “You can book a stripper, for starter.”
“...I thought you were only joking when you said you were going to bring me here. Had I known, I would’ve said no.”
“Oh come on, Kikwang-ah. We both know that you need a life.”
“I do...but in a strip club?”
“He has a huge crush on his neighbour,” Junhyung casually informed Hyunseung and the latter raised his brows in interest. “Too chicken to even say hi. To think that their lives were only a few doors apart.”
“I do not-“ Kikwang turned several shades of red and gave Junhyung a look. “I do not have a crush on him.”
“Denial is the first sign,” Hyunseung nodded firmly and gave Kikwang an encouraging smile. “Good luck.”
Kikwang somehow wanted to strangle Junhyung for no reason. His face went blank as the two males in front of him went back to gaze each other in a lovey dovey way and Kikwang wondered why he hadn’t gagged. The male sank even lower in his seat, sighing in resignation. “I’ll just let you finish what you have to do and then go home.”
An upbeat music blasted throughout the lounge and Kikwang found himself pulling out his hair in frustration. He just wanted to go home, no matter how small and awful his apartment was. At least it was more peaceful.
“Kikwang-ah,” Junhyung suddenly said. “One o’clock.”
The said male looked utterly confused but then he noticed Hyunseung’s gaze and he understood. Junhyung was talking about someone. “Mine or yours?”
“Yours.”
“What is he doing?”
“He’s staring at you.”
“Jintaek,” Hyunseung said quietly. “A regular.”
“Well...maybe he’s staring at you, Hyunseung-shii? I mean, you’re the stripper-you’re the main prize-you’re the-dammit, hyung, what am I supposed to say? Stop glaring at me!”
“No offense, babe,” Junhyung said sweetly to Hyunseung but glowered to Kikwang.
“None taken,” Hyunseung giggled. “As far as I know... Jintaek’s not really messing around with the strippers...he just comes to watch. Who knows? Maybe he’s really into you.” The pretty male was about to say something more when a certain person came into his sight and he grimaced in a split second. “I’ll be right back...”
He detached himself off of Junhyung’s lap and walked rather lazily to a fat, shorter man. Kikwang didn’t like the way the man dressed. He wore expensive suits but the color of the tie was an eyesore instead of eyecatching. It was maroon pink and Kikwang thought it didn’t suit the fat man. The man grabbed Hyunseung’s arm almost forcefully and dragged him away somewhere. They disappeared under the dimness of the room and the sea of people.
Junhyung didn’t look happy. “Dammit.”
“Who’s the guy?”
“His pimp. Called him Papa Hong or something.”
“Oh.”
They spent at least another half an hour just staring blankly at the dancing strippers. All of a sudden, Junhyung’s expression faltered and Kikwang felt himself becoming tensed. Whenever Junhyung put on the face, it was never really something good. Kikwang peered over his shoulder to find out what happened and his eyes was caught with a tall, handsome male. He wasn’t as handsome as Dongwoon though, Kikwang absently thought, but he was okay.
“Hi.”
“...uh...hi?”
“I’m Jintaek.”
Kikwang’s eyes widened in surprise.
***
For someone he had met through such place, Jintaek was a pretty nice guy.
At least Kikwang had someone else to hang out with aside from Junhyung and he started to get out of the apartment more often. Their chats were merely upon topics such as hobbies and likes and dislikes. They had only met twice and both were for short times, because whenever Jintaek got a phone call, it was time for him to leave.
Kikwang felt nothing toward the male, though.
For the last few days, Junhyung hadn’t contacted Kikwang at all and he thought it was because he might be busy with something. When the older of the two did give him a call, it was a request to play soccer on a bright Sunday morning.
Kikwang strained his ankle at the same day.
Junhyung’s plan of bringing Kikwang safely to his room on the second floor dissipated instantly when his phone rang. Kikwang overheard Hyunseung’s cry at the end of the line-something about he, too, was being careless and hurt himself-and a minute later, Junhyung had sped away with his car, leaving Kikwang stumbling on the stairs. He had never felt so betrayed.
Kikwang sighed and wiggled his unhurt feet. He could crawl to his room, as long as none of his neighbours caught him doing so because it would be just awkward... Or perhaps it was even better if someone did. At least they would help him back... Kikwang tried to stand up only to fall on his butt again. He whimpered in pain. It was useless, he needed a help.
He heard footsteps approaching and looked up in relief. His relief soon turned to horror when he saw Dongwoon was the one who was approaching. The tall male was clad in a checkered shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a dark jeans matched with his black colored sneakers. Kikwang almost found him endearing but then the sight of the male in the previous nights brought back his fear.
Dongwoon didn’t budge.
Kikwang shut his eyes closed, hoping for Dongwoon to just walk past him and ignore his condition. A while later, he slowly opened his eyes to see that Dongwoon was still standing on the very same spot.
“You...you can just pretend not seeing me here,” Kikwang said shakily.
“I could,” Dongwoon spoke and his deep voice sent a funny sensation throughout Kikwang’s body. “But you’re in the way.”
Kikwang mentally berated himself as he glanced over his shoulder. There was at least enough space for Dongwoon to just walk over him. “Um-“
“You’re hurt,” Dongwoon said pointedly and Kikwang could see a frown grew in his handsome face. “It’s pretty bad. You can’t walk.”
“It-it will get better. I just need to rest.”
“...on the staircase?”
Kikwang felt blood rushing to his cheeks. “...um...yeah?”
Dongwoon shouldered his backpack nonchalantly and bent down to level himself with Kikwang. The male was clearly going to help him because his face showed that ‘are you kidding me’ expression. His hands were soon slapped away by a terrified Kikwang. Dongwoon blinked in confusion.
“Don’t touch me!” Kikwang didn’t mean it that way but it came out harsher than it should. “I... I mean, we don’t know each other that much...”
Dongwoon’s frown deepened and Kikwang lowered his gaze to his strained ankle. It was bruised and awful. Kikwang would kill to have an ice pack pressed against it right then so the pain would go away. He thought of killing Junhyung for neglecting him for Hyunseung-but that was what boyfriends do... Kikwang exhaled softly. He was a bit startled when Dongwoon knelt down before him with a serious expression.
“My name is Son Dongwoon.”
Kikwang blinked. “What...?”
“Everyone calls me Dongwoon. I’m turning twenty two this year. I’m taking psychology in the university because I thought the major was cool. And after three years of studying, I think I’m gonna take another major after I graduate, something like criminology. I like spicy foods. I don’t mind receiving chocolates on the Valentine’s day. I’m a Gemini. I love Wolverine. I like to sing whenever I take a shower...and sometimes playing piano at random clubs.”
Kikwang gawked at how many words Dongwoon had uttered.
“And I’m your neighbour,” Dongwoon finished and this time he really reached for Kikwang. The latter squeaked when he felt Dongwoon invading his personal space and completely crushing his wall of defense by hugging him. “Now you know a few facts about me. I hope that’s enough.”
“W-wait-“
“I’m gonna lift you up in three, be prepared, alright? One. Three.”
Kikwang’s heartbeat quickened as he didn’t even manage to scream. Within seconds, he was in Dongwoon’s strong arms and inhaled his godly white musk scent. “D-don’t drop me!”
“I won’t,” Dongwoon almost snorted as he proceeded to carry Kikwang to the second floor, eyes drifting between the ground beneath them and to Kikwang’s ankle. The taller male did his best to be gentle and made sure that Kikwang’s feet wouldn’t hit the wall as they walked.
“I’m sorry,” Kikwang whispered in guilt. “I’m heavy.”
“You’re surprisingly light. I don’t mind.”
Kikwang found himself gaping at the last sentence because he didn’t know if it was supposed to be a positive or negative reply. Was it supposed to be ‘I don’t mind carrying you again’ or ‘I don’t mind because you’re hurt at the moment’? He snapped back from his trance when Dongwoon stopped moving and gazed down at him.
“Keys?”
“Oh.”
Kikwang quickly fumbled for his keys with a hand and unlocked the door. Dongwoon kicked the door open and stepped inside the humble abode. He swiftly brought Kikwang to his bedroom and put the latter on the bed as gentle as he could. Kikwang whimpered softly in response. His ankle was starting to throb really bad.
Dongwoon walked out of the room and Kikwang almost called him out-he hadn’t even thanked him yet. He thought the male had left, but when Dongwoon showed up again by the doorway, Kikwang knew he was wrong. The tall male brought a clean cloth and a pack of ice as he sat by the bed. Kikwang could only stare at him when Dongwoon slowly pressed the ice on his strained ankle.
And he thought he was a serial killer.
Kikwang curled his fingers into a loose fit and brought them to his mouth. He felt embarassed and somewhat guilty at the affection Dongwoon showed him. Dongwoon was nice. Something in Kikwang told him that the younger male was even nicer than Jintaek.
“It’s not that bad,” Dongwoon said after minutes of silence. “It’ll heal in a few days.”
“Y-yeah,” Kikwang stuttered. “Thank you.”
Dongwoon smiled and Kikwang almost got a heart attack. “Do you have your phone?”
Kikwang looked confused but handed him his phone anyway.
Dongwoon typed something in it before giving it back to the older male. “Now you have my number. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me... Kikwang-hyung.” He stood up and ran a hand on Kikwang’s hair. “Get well soon.”
Strange.
Kikwang didn’t feel scared anymore.
***
Then the texting began.
It was funny to think that they were only a phonecall away-or even few steps away from each other, but all they did was text.
Kikwang noticed Dongwoon’s friends were still changing day by day. They varied. It could be a young woman on Monday and an old lady on Thursday. It got Kikwang to be curious, but not in a negative way-at least not anymore. Dongwoon did say he was studying psychology. Maybe he was studying people. Maybe they were his informal clients. Afterall, Dongwoon was still a university student and he had no legal license yet. Maybe those people were interviewed for his final task.
He saw a cute male around his height with chubby cheeks dropped by that night. The male was probably a close acquintance because Dongwoon gave him a slight hug before dragging him in to the apartment. Kikwang felt a bit jealous at the sight as he closed his curtain. He turned the television on, hoping for something interesting to distract his thought from the earlier hug he witnessed. Dongwoon had never hugged his guests before.
Kikwang jolted out of his reverie when he heard faint laugh roaring outside. He threw a glance at the clock and quickly went back to his peeking spot.
It was almost ten at night. Kikwang saw Dongwoon and his friend chatted merrily before the latter waved his hand and walked away. His lips slowly curved into a smile at the caring smile plastered on Dongwoon’s face. His friend did come home this time...so the other days, it must be just because he had never seen them leaving.
Of course, he scolded himself. You and your irrational thoughts, Kikwang.
Kikwang yawned and put his hands on his hips as he straightened up. He should sleep because he had to work early the next morning.
The moment he turned the lights off, Dongwoon sent him a text.
Goodnight, hyung.
***
“Sorry to make you wait.”
Kikwang watched Junhyung took the vacant seat across him unblinkingly. The older male’s eye was bruised. “What happened, hyung?”
“...I forced Hyunseung to quit.”
“That’s wonderful. What really happened?”
Junhyung tsk-ed as he rested his cheek on his fist. “I was out of control. That pimp of his touched him right in front of my eye and I just snapped.”
“So you got into a fight because of that?”
“Yeah. I broke that Hong’s nose,” Junhyung looked smug and pointed his own eye with his finger. “He only managed to punch me once. And then the securities came and I got kicked outside... Before I knew it, I brought Hyunseung to my apartment and he couldn’t stop trembling. Told me that he owed that ass Hong everything and that he wouldn’t stop until Hyunseung is back in his hands again.”
Kikwang groaned and bit his nail worriedly. “Hyung...this is what you get for dating a stripper.”
“You don’t get it, do you?” Junhyung’s eyes darkened. “Hyunseung is my life.”
Kikwang didn’t say anything else after. He understood what Junhyung was feeling. They had been friends for quite a long time and it was the first time Kikwang had ever seen Junhyung so serious about someone before. It wasn’t wrong to fall in love with Hyunseung. Maybe it was Hyunseung’s job that was wrong. He cleared his throat before speaking. “So what are you going to do now?”
Junhyung looked away for a moment before fisting his hand. “I’m gonna run away.”
The older male’s face was filled with determination. Kikwang could feel his heart shrinking as he managed a small, “Where?”
“Somewhere far from here.”
***
“Penny for your thoughts?”
Kikwang was pulled out of his thoughts at the familiar sound. He turned around to find a pair of warm, hazel orbs gazing right through him. “Oh. H-hi,” Kikwang stuttered nervously.
“Hi,” Dongwoon smiled and Kikwang felt like crying because his smile was sincere. “Grocery shopping?”
Kikwang’s eyes dropped to the empty basket in his hand. “Yeah...you?”
“Just passing by on my way home and saw you in here so I decided to greet you.”
Kikwang gave Dongwoon a fond smile. He wandered around the aisles some more and Dongwoon followed closely behind him. The pretty male went for some things a few times but hesitated every time he was about to reach them and Dongwoon couldn’t help but noticing this.
“Bad break up?”
Kikwang turned to him with eyes wide. “Wh-what?”
Dongwoon shrugged casually. “You take some things and then you put them back in their original places. Either you really don’t know what you want or it’s because you usually buy those things for someone else. I’m guessing the second one.” When Kikwang stayed still on his track with a confused look on his face, Dongwoon flashed him an impish grin. “I study people, remember?”
“Oh,” Kikwang finally breathed after Dongwoon decided to grasp his chin to make sure he was alright. He tried to fight the blush that was coming from the small attention. “I...well, my friend is leaving.”
“Your friend?”
“Yeah. He’s my close friend ever since in high school...”
“Where is he going?”
“Somewhere...far away,” Kikwang said hesitantly. He didn’t know why he couldn’t keep it a secret from Dongwoon. Maybe talking about it would make him feel better.
Dongwoon pursed his lips. “Why?”
“...to save his boyfriend.”
“From...?”
“...his pimp,” Kikwang said in a low voice as they moved to another aisle. There were less people there and even though Kikwang had nothing to pick up from the place, he stayed on the said aisle. “He’s dating a stripper...”
Dongwoon had a knowing look descended upon his face. “And his pimp touches your friend’s boyfriend and your friend is pissed off and they got into a fight and now they’re running from him.”
Kikwang gaped. “Wow. How did you...?”
“I’ve seen a lot of these things,” Dongwoon grimaced. “There are worse, though. Do you happen to know the name of the pimp?”
“Uh, no...”, Kikwang frowned as he tried to remember. He recalled Junhyung saying it... “Papa Hong or something? I think that’s what Hyunseung-hyung called him... But why?”
“I have a friend who has a large connection,” Dongwoon said absently as he fiddled with his phone. “He’s not exactly a police, but he can try to talk some sense into him. Who knows, that Papa Hong you’re talking about might be able to let your friends go.”
“That would be great but...”, Kikwang stared at him in disbelief. “Wait, you don’t even know my friends.”
“Does it matter?” Dongwoon stared back at him deeply. “They’re your friends, and that makes them my friends, too.”
***
In the end, Junhyung still left with Hyunseung just to be safe.
Kikwang thought he would be lonely but no, he had Dongwoon.
They started to spend more time together.
Sometimes, Dongwoon would knock on his door to drag him for an early jog. Other times, he would just knock to annoy Kikwang on Sunday and Kikwang would open the door with a pillow ready to be thrown to Dongwoon’s face (although later they would have breakfast together, looking quite happy).
But it was always Dongwoon who came by to Kikwang’s place.
Kikwang was never brave enough to come to Dongwoon’s.
A few nights after that, Kikwang saw the workers again. He was just done with his business as he stepped out of the toilet and yawned when he heard a soft thud outside. Kikwang became alarmed and carefully tiptoed to his window. Like usual, Dongwoon was there by the doorway, waving and smiling at the two workers in their uniform who nodded respectively at him. Kikwang caught a glimpse of something in his hand and squinted his eyes to get a good look.
A tie.
Dongwoon was holding a tie.
There was nothing wrong with the tie in his hand. The only thing that bothered Kikwang was the color of the tie. It was maroon pink and he thought the color was awful and it didn’t fit Dongwoon.
Kikwang rubbed his eyes sleepily and decided to just go to sleep.
***
A few weeks later, Kikwang got an anonymous letter.
He recognized the neat handwriting immediately and sighed in relief. Even though the name of the sender wasn’t written, but Kikwang knew that it was his friend’s. The letter informed him that they were safe and sound and that Kikwang didn’t need to worry. At the end of the page, Junhyung scribbled a phone number and he quickly saved it to his phonebook.
Kikwang trashed the letter after.
He had been spending a lot of times with Dongwoon that he forgot that Jintaek was even exist when he stumbled upon him that day. It was Jintaek who called out his name and Kikwang blinked, trying to remember who he was.
“Kikwang-shii. Do you still remember me?”
“Ah, yes...,” Kikwang replied hesitantly. “Jintaek...shii.”
“I was about to give you a call weeks ago, but I got distracted... A lot of things had happened and I needed to take over... And now my dad is missing so...”
“Your...dad?”
“Yeah. I’m sure you’ve seen him in the club?”
Kikwang blanched for a brief moment before getting a hold of himself. “The club?”
Jintaek chuckled cheekily. “Oh my God, you don’t know, do you? I’m Hong Jintaek, the son of the owner. So anyway, yeah, my dad’s missing... He does this a lot, though. He would come back home after a few weeks or so and innocently tell us that he went away for a vacation. To think that he didn’t even care that we were in riot. I’m guessing this is one of those days...”
Kikwang swallowed thickly. He had no idea that Jintaek was the pimp’s son. But didn’t Hyunseung said that he was a regular? And could it be that his father went missing to chase Junhyung and Hyunseung?
“I thought you’re just a regular-“
“Yeah, that’s just to cover it up,” Jintaek continued to laugh. “I like to blend with ordinary people. It’s my dad’s idea, though. You do know that the club has the greatest strippers ever, right? I don’t want to praise myself but...thanks to me. I have this talent to spot people. And you, Kikwang-shii. I don’t doubt you to be talented. You will rocket to the top.”
Kikwang froze. “Excuse me?”
“Strip for me,” Jintaek held out his namecard to Kikwang and gave him a sickening smile. “You got the looks, you got the body, and you need the money. Call me when you’re interested. Now that Hyunseung is gone, it will be easy to make you crawl over to the top.”
Jintaek sent him a look before leaving.
“Oh, and it’s better to not disappoint me. I can be very scary when I don’t get what I want.”
***
If Kikwang was first afraid for Dongwoon, this was much more.
He was terrified.
It was people like Jintaek that he had been trying to avoid all his life. But he had never expected Jintaek to be a bad person. The male was good looking with normal behavior (for someone he met through a strip club). He was also a smooth talker.
What had I gotten myself into?
Kikwang couldn’t think. He also couldn’t stop shaking. He didn’t want to be alone so bad that he ended up knocking on Dongwoon’s door.
A few seconds later, the door was opened. Dongwoon seemed genuinely confused at Kikwang’s appearance as he stared at the older male. “Hyung?”
Kikwang felt his breath hitched at the sight of the younger male and burst out crying. Dongwoon’s eyes widened in shock at the tears. He quickly ushered Kikwang inside and pulled him into a warm, calming embrace. It worked like a magic because Kikwang immediately relaxed in his arms and his sobbing subsided. When Kikwang was calm enough, Dongwoon tried breaking the silence.
“Who hurt you?”
It was a keen question and Kikwang felt himself shivering from the coldness of the tone. He bit his lip and looked up reluctantly. There was something in Dongwoon’s hazel irises that Kikwang couldn’t quite grasp what it was. “No one...”
“What scares you, hyung?”
Kikwang didn’t feel like he would be able to explain coherently, so he just pulled out the namecard Jintaek gave him and handed it to Dongwoon. The male received it with a questioning stare.
“Hong Jintaek,” Dongwoon read it casually. His expression morphed into a great of dislike and it scared Kikwang more. “Let me guess. He wants you to strip for him.”
Kikwang didn’t want to say ‘how did you’ to Dongwoon anymore. The younger male was definitely an expert in reading people. Instead of opening his mouth to answer, he just nodded.
“And he threatens you.”
Another nod.
“I don’t want to be alone,” Kikwang whispered as he leaned on Dongwoon’s shoulder. “Can I...can I please stay over tonight?”
“My place isn’t that comfortable, but you’re welcome to stay,” Dongwoon brushed a few strands of hair from Kikwang’s forehead. His voice was so soothing that Kikwang felt his fear had completely vanished. “I’m making chocolate by the way before you came, would you like some?”
“If that’s okay...?” Kikwang replied shyly.
Dongwoon pulled away from the hug and poked the pretty male’s nose fondly.
A moment later, Kikwang was seated on the couch. He slowly sipped the hot chocolate and warmth flooded his chest in an instant. It eased him, but it wasn’t the drink. It was the fact that Dongwoon was there that he felt ease. His eyes wandered from his cup to places around the room-their room was almost the same size, small with wallpapers peeled off everywhere.
“This tastes nice,” Kikwang murmured as he took another sip.
“My favorite brand,” Dongwoon grinned. “If you want I can give some to you.”
Kikwang gave Dongwoon his beautiful eyesmile and continued to look around. His eyes dropped on few carton boxes near the television. The same box those workers had been carrying. He downed the warm liquid and felt his heart racing.
He wanted to know.
“What’s...in...those boxes?”
“Donation,” Dongwoon answered without looking up from his phone.
“Donation...?”
“I kinda run this non government organization with my friends. I consult people freely and in return, I only ask for something to be donated from my clients. Sometimes they give books. Sometimes they give clothes. Sometimes, but it’s rare though, money. We would give them to those who needed. Mostly orphanages.”
Kikwang put down his cup on the table.
“All of us are still university students so it’s kinda hard for us to work in the daylight between classes. My friends would pick up these stuffs in midnight. And it’s a lot cheaper that way. We don’t exactly earn much.”
“But...,” Kikwang’s lips slowly curved into a fond smile. “That’s really noble of you.”
“You really think so?” Dongwoon smiled back. He looked thoughtful for a second before talking again. “I would love it if you join.”
“I would love to, but...you say you consult people...what can I possibly give for free? I don’t have anything useful...”
“You don’t have to do anything.”
“I don’t want to strip,” Kikwang whined playfully.
Dongwoon broke into a grin before turning into a serious expression. “All you have to do is stay with me. That alone is enough.”
Kikwang looked hopeful. “Really? It’s enough?”
“Yeah-wait, you don’t mind?”
“No,” Kikwang said hastily and turned crimson he moment he said it. “I-I mean, if...if that’s what you want...” He trailed off before shaking his head. “No, it’s what I want. I... I want to stay with you, Dongwoon-ah.”
Dongwoon smiled and Kikwang wondered if he would be able to survive to receive that blinding smile everyday. The male leaned forward to hug him. Kikwang instinctively closed his eyes and let Dongwoon intertwined their fingers tightly. They did nothing than that, but it was enough. Kikwang felt safe.
“Hyung?”
“Hm...?”
“Can I borrow your phone?”
“Sure... But...why?”
“You trust me, don’t you, hyung?”
“Dongwoon-ah?”
“Please, you trust me, right?”
“Y-yeah... I do. I trust you.”
Dongwoon looked relieved. He put his hands on Kikwang’s shoulders. “So please, trust me and let me do this. I will text Jintaek-shii from your phone to invite him here. I will try to talk some sense into him...and hopefully he will not bother you again.”
Kikwang went pale. “B-but, what if it doesn’t work?”
Dongwoon’s eyes were gleaming.
“It will, hyung. You just have to believe me.”
***
The door was slightly ajar when Kikwang overheard Jintaek’s voice.
He couldn’t move his body, but he was pretty much awake. Everything seemed to be floating around him. Then Kikwang heard Dongwoon’s voice. They seemed to be engrossed in a heated argument. Funny thing was that they didn’t seem to be alone.
Moments later, something cracked sickeningly and everything went dead silent.
Then he saw the men in the uniforms. One of them took off their cap and he could tell that it was Himchan, one of his neighbours on the first floor. Kikwang batted his eyelashes weakly and then he saw Dara’s brother coming into sight.
It was maybe just his imagination-his head sure felt hazy after he took the water Dongwoon gave him when the latter was telling him to rest-but then he saw Jintaek, bleeding. The male was lifelessly tossed into the big box-the same carton box that was put near the television-and he heard the rest of them talking. They were talking casually like nothing happened. They even laughed between the words.
They laughed.
Kikwang’s whole body went numb. Strangely, he didn’t feel scared at all. Because he trusted Dongwoon. He trusted the younger male so much.
“How is he?”
Kikwang heard an unfamiliar voice stalked toward the bedroom and he quickly shut his eyes, pretending to be asleep.
“He’s not your concern,” Dongwoon said somewhat possessively. “Peniel, I’ll meet you in the usual place. Split up, guys.”
Everyone murmured in agreement. The sound indicated that the others had left the room.
Kikwang waited. The creaking sound from the door sent a notification to Kikwang that someone had entered the room. He wanted to open his eyes but right then, he wasn’t sure of what he would do. Kikwang felt a pair of strong arms pulled him into a warm embrace and he gave himself up immediately to the touch.
“Thank you for trusting me, hyung.”
It was the last thing the pretty male remembered.
***
Kikwang woke up in his apartment, safe and unharmed.
The sun was already high and he wondered how long had he been asleep. Kikwang tried to feel his body and groaned. It was still a bit numb from last night. After a few attempts, Kikwang was finally able to pull himself into a sitting position and looked around frantically. Everything seemed to be untouched. The place looked normal...
The pretty male winced when he dangled his feet onto the cold ceramic tiles. A lot of thoughts swam through his mind, but there was only a name that made him gasped.
Dongwoon.
When Kikwang had finally gathered all of his strength, he ran to Dongwoon’s apartment.
“Dongwoon-ah!”
No one answered.
He knocked, knocked and knocked but still, no one answered. Soft knocks turned into impatient hand slams. Kikwang opened the door only to find that it was unlocked-and he realized everything was gone the moment he stepped into the small room. There were no furnitures. There was nothing. The place was dim and empty.
Kikwang quickly ran down to the first floor panickly, to the other occupied rooms.
“Dara-shii!”
“Peniel?”
“Bang Himchan! Please!”
Kikwang gave up after the umpteenth times and looked around in confusion. It was like no one had lived there before. The rooms were empty with no furnitures. They were a bit dusty, too. Heck, the place looked like it was deserted for a couple of years.
Where is everyone?
Kikwang decided to leave the place without looking back. He grabbed only the important things quickly with trembling hands and went to the nearest police station. The officers seemed to stare at him like he was some kind of loony but then they told him to wait in the lounge. Kikwang finally grabbed a hold of himself in the room full of people passing by and he started to relax.
They said a Detective Seungho would see him in a moment. Kikwang wasn’t sure what to say anymore. Maybe...maybe he would tell the detective that Son Dongwoon went missing and he needed to file a report?
Kikwang sighed in confusion and his eyes shifted to the posters on the wall. They weren’t just ordinary posters, they were-they were the list of missing persons. Kikwang slowly rose to his feet and trailed his fingers on the pictures. His eyes widened as realization dawned upon him.
They matched the ones he saw in front of Dongwoon’s door.
“Lee Kikwang?”
Kikwang almost jumped from the sudden voice and clenched his chest. He spun around quickly.
The detective was roughly a few years older than him, but his face already showed almost visible wrinkles and tiredness. Other than that, he was a handsome one. Not as handsome as Dongwoon though, Kikwang mentally added. “I’m Seungho. I was told you were about to say something very important?”
“These people...”, Kikwang whispered as he trailed his fingers on those posters again. “Are they missing?”
“Yeah,” Seungho nodded as he leaned his back against the wall with his arms crossed on his chest. “Do you know them?”
Kikwang gulped and gave the detective a visible head shake. “No. Have you found...any of them?”
“There’s this rumor,” Seungho took a step forward to get closer to Kikwang. “That a lot of people wanted these people dead. And then they just kind of submit the request to an organization and then, poof. These guys disappear. Just like that.”
“Organization?”
“Some say this organization is funded by the Yang Corporation...but we have no proof.”
Kikwang pressed his lips into a thin line nervously. Yang Corporation was definitely one of the biggest in Korea.
Seungho seemed to realize that he had talked too much and gave Kikwang a stern look. “I’m sorry. Now, I am in the middle of an investigation and I have no time to answer your unimportant questions. What do you have for me?”
“I...”, Kikwang trailed off. Clearly he couldn’t say a thing. “I saw a ghost.”
Seungho stayed expressionless. “Are you messing with me?”
“No, sir,” Kikwang quickly said. “I’m sorry. I must have been out of my mind. I’m going to leave now.”
***
Kikwang managed to find a nice apartment this time.
It was a bit expensive and a bit far from his work, but he would manage by splitting the fare with Junhyung and Hyunseung.
A few days after Dongwoon’s disappearance, Kikwang gave Junhyung a call to inform that there was no threat anymore. Junhyung refused at first, of course, but then Kikwang begged him to come back and they gave into the request. Junhyung found a new job and Hyunseung was able to find a decent job. From what the red haired male found out, the club where he used to strip was bankrupt. Apparently the owner didn’t want to take care of the place anymore. But if only they knew the truth.
Kikwang knew the truth.
Junhyung had never asked what happened with the boy next door and he was grateful for that.
It was at the end of the week when Kikwang decided to do some grocery shopping. It had been a few weeks since Junhyung and Hyunseung started living together with him. He wasn’t alone, but Kikwang honestly felt lonely. He wanted to see Dongwoon. It was probably based on that wish that he stepped into the same grocery store where he met the younger male.
Kikwang absentmindedly stared at a few brands of instant chocolate when a deep voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Bad break up?”
Kikwang froze on his track. He tried to move, but his feet were transfixed to the ground. Kikwang felt his heartbeat accelerated in a full speed as he managed to turn to source of the voice. His eyes were soon filled with tears as he tried his best to stifle a sob at the sight of the person he wanted to see the most.
“No,” Kikwang whispered as he leaned forward to press his lips against Dongwoon’s. “No, I’ve just missed you.”
End.
Author: FloweryMisha
Pairing: KiWoon
Warning: BoyxBoy love. Enough said.
Summary: Kikwang was weird. His neighbour was weirder.
Author’s Note: Inspired by an old manga. I hope I’m not rusty writing KiWoon ;u; please enjoy <3 AND PLEASE, NO TRANSLATIONS ALLOWED!
“My neighbor is a serial killer.”
Kikwang waited patiently for Junhyung to widen his eyes in fear and became panic. He tried to say those words in a (failed) mysterious way, hoping for the other male to be affected and joined his terror. Sadly, it never came. Junhyung looked extremely uninterested as he casually took a deep drag of his cigarette.
“...and I’m dating a stripper.”
Kikwang pouted in protest. “Hyung, you promised you wouldn’t make fun of me-“
“I’m not.”
“B-but you just-“
“It’s the deal, remember? You told me your secret and I told you mine. Done that.”
“But that doesn’t mean-“ Kikwang stopped whining and gave Junhyung an incredulous stare. “Wait. Did you...really mean that?”
Junhyung only raised his eyebrows in respons and exhaled, causing the small room to be filled with the smoke from his cigarette. “Did you?”
Kikwang coughed slightly. “If he’s not a serial killer, then what else would he be?”
“...a...secret agent who’s working undercover and he cannot afford it to be blown.”
Kikwang thought of burning all of Junhyung’s spy movies before shaking his head. “No. No, he’s a bad person. I can feel it. You know I’m never wrong about this kind of thing, hyung.”
“...says the person who said his last boyfriend was totally devoted but in the end got cheated by the same person.”
Kikwang whined and flicked the older male’s arm in protest. “Hyung!”
“Yeah, well, you see,” Junhyung put off his cigarette on the ashtray. His expression was a mixture of bored and tired. “You were the one who wanted to live here, in this cheap, awful apartment because the rent was extremely affordable.”
“It’s close to work,” Kikwang defended himself weakly.
“Whatever. This place is almost like a run-down building and there are just you and your-serial killer neighbour on the second floor. I’m not even sure if the rooms on the first floor are occupied. Honestly, this place is scary. It seems haunted, too. The only reason I’ve been coming here is because you’re my close friend. That and oh, I get free cookies. So, if any weird thing happens-please, let me be the last to know.”
“This place is not so bad, hyung. Sure, it’s scary at first, but then I met some of the first floor’s residents and they were all very nice. There’s this lady named Dara and her brother that I stumbled upon the other day. A pretty male named Himchan dropped by last week to give me my mails-apparently mine and his got mixed up. I think he lives with his boyfriend... There’s also this cute, college guy-I think his name is Peniel or something.”
Junhyung looked bored.
“But this guy-this guy across,” Kikwang’s voice turned to a whisper dramatically. “He never goes out in daylight and only appears at night, and then he would-“
“Maybe he’s a vampire.”
Kikwang thought of burning all of Junhyung’s vampire series before shaking his head in exasperation. “He’s certainly not! And I’m not done talking.”
“...sorry,” Junhyung said with a not-sorry face.
“Forgiven. And he only appears at night, and then he would-holy shit, there he is!”
Kikwang immediately zipped his mouth as the door across his apartment creaked.
A tall, well built male with broad shoulders walked out of his room and had his back on them to work on the doorknob. There was a void of space between their rooms, but the view was crystal clear because Kikwang had forgotten to shut the curtain by the window. A moment later, the tall male was done locking his room and walked away after shouldering his backpack. Kikwang and Junhyung scooted closer to the window to peek-with Kikwang digging his nails almost too painfully into Junhyung’s arm and the latter squinted his eyes to get a good look of the said male.
“...correct me if I’m wrong, didn’t you just say that he never goes out in daylight?” Junhyung casted a glance at his wristwatch. “And it’s eleven in the morning. And oh dear God, Kikwang-ah. Are you out of your mind? That guy is a hottie.”
“Doesn’t he seem a bit off to you?”
“Kikwang-ah,” Junhyung said seriously. “Be prepared, I’m going to hit you so hard in the head.”
***
Son Dongwoon.
Kikwang secretly stole a glance to his neighbour’s mailbox as he browsed through his mails. He grimaced at the vague pain in his head-it was still hurting from the hit he didn’t manage to avoid the other day. A sigh escaped his lips as nothing interesting caught his eyes-they were just the usual monthly bills. His heart skipped a beat at the name once again and shoved all of his mails into the bag. Kikwang swept his bang aside before running for the bus.
It was not that Kikwang didn’t notice how hot Dongwoon was.
The male was indeed a hottie. He was also attractive. Hell, he was drop dead gorgeous.
Nothing was odd at first for Kikwang-everything seemed perfect. Dongwoon seemed to be a university student who had beautiful long legs and a handsome face bestowed by God. Everything about him fascinated Kikwang. He tried to let the other male knew about his poor existence (although it was a bit strange if Dongwoon didn’t know about him, they were the only residents on the second floor, afterall), but was never brave enough to greet him properly.
Dongwoon had a lot of friends coming by.
They came mostly at night.
Kikwang had always noticed because just like Junhyung had said, their apartment was like a run-down building with thin walls and visible footsteps. They never came in groups-everyone came by alone. Kikwang would peek carefully from the window to see Dongwoon opening his door with a blinding grin to greet his friends-and oh, how he wished he could switch place with whoever it was who received that godly smile.
They would come in the strangest hour at night.
At first they were just boys their age. They were attractive with a good fashion sense of style and Kikwang wondered if he would ever be able to dress boldly like that. If he did, Dongwoon might notice him... Kikwang sighed and dragged a hand down his face.
Everything went perfectly normal.
Until Kikwang witnessed a middle aged man dropped by.
The man was probably in his thirty or something. He was still dressed in his work suit and looked around the place somewhat nervously. Kikwang’s room was the only place other than Dongwoon’s that was lit up, so it was no wonder if the man shifted his gaze to his door. He immediately duck (even though he was sure he couldn’t be seen) and held his breath. Kikwang waited until he heard the sound of the a door being opened-clearly Dongwoon had noticed his companion’s arrival-and closed.
Kikwang never saw him leaving.
But maybe, maybe it was because he fell asleep after.
A few days after, another middle aged man showed up in front of Dongwoon’s apartment. This one was much older than the last time. The man looked patient and kept his eyes fixed on the door in front of him. Kikwang gulped as he peeked from his curtained window when Dongwoon opened the door and smiled kindly at his guest. The smile showed that they had been expecting each other and a minute later, the door was closed-the middle aged man had disappeared into Dongwoon’s apartment.
Are they...?
Kikwang felt his heart shattering.
Even so, he decided to sleep in the living room, near the window that night. Because he knew if he slept in the bedroom, he wouldn’t be able to hear a thing.
A sound jolted him awake from his sleep. Kikwang grunted in distaste and cuddled some more on the couch-he was planning to go back to sleep immediately. He seemed to realize his original motive to sleep in such an uncomfortable position seconds later and cracked his eyes opened. Kikwang slowly crawled to the window and fortunately he had turned the light off when he took a peek. Something in his mind told him that if the man from earlier left in such ungodly hour, then it could only mean one thing... They had done something... Kikwang shook his head and braced himself.
Just one look, and if what he thought was true, Kikwang would stop.
But it wasn’t like what he expected.
Not even close.
Kikwang saw two men in their uniforms and caps dragged a big, heavy box. He tilted his head to a side thoughtfully, wondering what was in it. His eyes then drifted to Dongwoon who was standing by the door, giving the workers a slight smile. Kikwang marveled dreamily at how adorable the smile was even in such hour before frowning to himself.
What are they...?
Kikwang was still staring at everything intensely until he couldn’t see the two workers anymore and brought a hand to his mouth. Who were those guys and why did they carry such a big box? Kikwang’s head hurt. He couldn’t think anymore. The male decided to call it a night because he was really sleepy and doing some thinking while he was sleepy was never a good thing. He was about to turn around when he realized Dongwoon was still standing by the doorway, and his eyes were directed to his-
His window.
Kikwang froze on his track. He didn’t dare to move. Did Dongwoon spot him? Did he make a noise by accident? Kikwang closed his eyes and wished that Dongwoon would just go back inside. The silence was killing him.
A while later, he heard the sound of the door being closed and breathed in relief. Kikwang didn’t waste any time to rush back into his bedroom and protected himself under the blanket.
He had never been this scared before.
***
Turned out that Junhyung really dated a stripper.
Kikwang only guffawed when Junhyung told him that he was going to bring him to meet his stripper boyfriend. Moments later, Kikwang’s jaw literally dropped and he had no strength to glue his lips into a line anymore with the view of a very pretty red haired male straddling his friend’s lap, giving Junhyung longing, hungry kisses.
It seemed like forever when the two lovebirds finally peeled themselves off of each other.
“Your friend is awfully quiet,” Hyunseung said nonchalantly as he licked his lips. He was still on Junhyung’s lap and his hands were still wrapped around the latter’s neck.
“Shall I be loud in a strip club?” Kikwang blinked innocently.
“Well,” Junhyung chuckled. “You can book a stripper, for starter.”
“...I thought you were only joking when you said you were going to bring me here. Had I known, I would’ve said no.”
“Oh come on, Kikwang-ah. We both know that you need a life.”
“I do...but in a strip club?”
“He has a huge crush on his neighbour,” Junhyung casually informed Hyunseung and the latter raised his brows in interest. “Too chicken to even say hi. To think that their lives were only a few doors apart.”
“I do not-“ Kikwang turned several shades of red and gave Junhyung a look. “I do not have a crush on him.”
“Denial is the first sign,” Hyunseung nodded firmly and gave Kikwang an encouraging smile. “Good luck.”
Kikwang somehow wanted to strangle Junhyung for no reason. His face went blank as the two males in front of him went back to gaze each other in a lovey dovey way and Kikwang wondered why he hadn’t gagged. The male sank even lower in his seat, sighing in resignation. “I’ll just let you finish what you have to do and then go home.”
An upbeat music blasted throughout the lounge and Kikwang found himself pulling out his hair in frustration. He just wanted to go home, no matter how small and awful his apartment was. At least it was more peaceful.
“Kikwang-ah,” Junhyung suddenly said. “One o’clock.”
The said male looked utterly confused but then he noticed Hyunseung’s gaze and he understood. Junhyung was talking about someone. “Mine or yours?”
“Yours.”
“What is he doing?”
“He’s staring at you.”
“Jintaek,” Hyunseung said quietly. “A regular.”
“Well...maybe he’s staring at you, Hyunseung-shii? I mean, you’re the stripper-you’re the main prize-you’re the-dammit, hyung, what am I supposed to say? Stop glaring at me!”
“No offense, babe,” Junhyung said sweetly to Hyunseung but glowered to Kikwang.
“None taken,” Hyunseung giggled. “As far as I know... Jintaek’s not really messing around with the strippers...he just comes to watch. Who knows? Maybe he’s really into you.” The pretty male was about to say something more when a certain person came into his sight and he grimaced in a split second. “I’ll be right back...”
He detached himself off of Junhyung’s lap and walked rather lazily to a fat, shorter man. Kikwang didn’t like the way the man dressed. He wore expensive suits but the color of the tie was an eyesore instead of eyecatching. It was maroon pink and Kikwang thought it didn’t suit the fat man. The man grabbed Hyunseung’s arm almost forcefully and dragged him away somewhere. They disappeared under the dimness of the room and the sea of people.
Junhyung didn’t look happy. “Dammit.”
“Who’s the guy?”
“His pimp. Called him Papa Hong or something.”
“Oh.”
They spent at least another half an hour just staring blankly at the dancing strippers. All of a sudden, Junhyung’s expression faltered and Kikwang felt himself becoming tensed. Whenever Junhyung put on the face, it was never really something good. Kikwang peered over his shoulder to find out what happened and his eyes was caught with a tall, handsome male. He wasn’t as handsome as Dongwoon though, Kikwang absently thought, but he was okay.
“Hi.”
“...uh...hi?”
“I’m Jintaek.”
Kikwang’s eyes widened in surprise.
***
For someone he had met through such place, Jintaek was a pretty nice guy.
At least Kikwang had someone else to hang out with aside from Junhyung and he started to get out of the apartment more often. Their chats were merely upon topics such as hobbies and likes and dislikes. They had only met twice and both were for short times, because whenever Jintaek got a phone call, it was time for him to leave.
Kikwang felt nothing toward the male, though.
For the last few days, Junhyung hadn’t contacted Kikwang at all and he thought it was because he might be busy with something. When the older of the two did give him a call, it was a request to play soccer on a bright Sunday morning.
Kikwang strained his ankle at the same day.
Junhyung’s plan of bringing Kikwang safely to his room on the second floor dissipated instantly when his phone rang. Kikwang overheard Hyunseung’s cry at the end of the line-something about he, too, was being careless and hurt himself-and a minute later, Junhyung had sped away with his car, leaving Kikwang stumbling on the stairs. He had never felt so betrayed.
Kikwang sighed and wiggled his unhurt feet. He could crawl to his room, as long as none of his neighbours caught him doing so because it would be just awkward... Or perhaps it was even better if someone did. At least they would help him back... Kikwang tried to stand up only to fall on his butt again. He whimpered in pain. It was useless, he needed a help.
He heard footsteps approaching and looked up in relief. His relief soon turned to horror when he saw Dongwoon was the one who was approaching. The tall male was clad in a checkered shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and a dark jeans matched with his black colored sneakers. Kikwang almost found him endearing but then the sight of the male in the previous nights brought back his fear.
Dongwoon didn’t budge.
Kikwang shut his eyes closed, hoping for Dongwoon to just walk past him and ignore his condition. A while later, he slowly opened his eyes to see that Dongwoon was still standing on the very same spot.
“You...you can just pretend not seeing me here,” Kikwang said shakily.
“I could,” Dongwoon spoke and his deep voice sent a funny sensation throughout Kikwang’s body. “But you’re in the way.”
Kikwang mentally berated himself as he glanced over his shoulder. There was at least enough space for Dongwoon to just walk over him. “Um-“
“You’re hurt,” Dongwoon said pointedly and Kikwang could see a frown grew in his handsome face. “It’s pretty bad. You can’t walk.”
“It-it will get better. I just need to rest.”
“...on the staircase?”
Kikwang felt blood rushing to his cheeks. “...um...yeah?”
Dongwoon shouldered his backpack nonchalantly and bent down to level himself with Kikwang. The male was clearly going to help him because his face showed that ‘are you kidding me’ expression. His hands were soon slapped away by a terrified Kikwang. Dongwoon blinked in confusion.
“Don’t touch me!” Kikwang didn’t mean it that way but it came out harsher than it should. “I... I mean, we don’t know each other that much...”
Dongwoon’s frown deepened and Kikwang lowered his gaze to his strained ankle. It was bruised and awful. Kikwang would kill to have an ice pack pressed against it right then so the pain would go away. He thought of killing Junhyung for neglecting him for Hyunseung-but that was what boyfriends do... Kikwang exhaled softly. He was a bit startled when Dongwoon knelt down before him with a serious expression.
“My name is Son Dongwoon.”
Kikwang blinked. “What...?”
“Everyone calls me Dongwoon. I’m turning twenty two this year. I’m taking psychology in the university because I thought the major was cool. And after three years of studying, I think I’m gonna take another major after I graduate, something like criminology. I like spicy foods. I don’t mind receiving chocolates on the Valentine’s day. I’m a Gemini. I love Wolverine. I like to sing whenever I take a shower...and sometimes playing piano at random clubs.”
Kikwang gawked at how many words Dongwoon had uttered.
“And I’m your neighbour,” Dongwoon finished and this time he really reached for Kikwang. The latter squeaked when he felt Dongwoon invading his personal space and completely crushing his wall of defense by hugging him. “Now you know a few facts about me. I hope that’s enough.”
“W-wait-“
“I’m gonna lift you up in three, be prepared, alright? One. Three.”
Kikwang’s heartbeat quickened as he didn’t even manage to scream. Within seconds, he was in Dongwoon’s strong arms and inhaled his godly white musk scent. “D-don’t drop me!”
“I won’t,” Dongwoon almost snorted as he proceeded to carry Kikwang to the second floor, eyes drifting between the ground beneath them and to Kikwang’s ankle. The taller male did his best to be gentle and made sure that Kikwang’s feet wouldn’t hit the wall as they walked.
“I’m sorry,” Kikwang whispered in guilt. “I’m heavy.”
“You’re surprisingly light. I don’t mind.”
Kikwang found himself gaping at the last sentence because he didn’t know if it was supposed to be a positive or negative reply. Was it supposed to be ‘I don’t mind carrying you again’ or ‘I don’t mind because you’re hurt at the moment’? He snapped back from his trance when Dongwoon stopped moving and gazed down at him.
“Keys?”
“Oh.”
Kikwang quickly fumbled for his keys with a hand and unlocked the door. Dongwoon kicked the door open and stepped inside the humble abode. He swiftly brought Kikwang to his bedroom and put the latter on the bed as gentle as he could. Kikwang whimpered softly in response. His ankle was starting to throb really bad.
Dongwoon walked out of the room and Kikwang almost called him out-he hadn’t even thanked him yet. He thought the male had left, but when Dongwoon showed up again by the doorway, Kikwang knew he was wrong. The tall male brought a clean cloth and a pack of ice as he sat by the bed. Kikwang could only stare at him when Dongwoon slowly pressed the ice on his strained ankle.
And he thought he was a serial killer.
Kikwang curled his fingers into a loose fit and brought them to his mouth. He felt embarassed and somewhat guilty at the affection Dongwoon showed him. Dongwoon was nice. Something in Kikwang told him that the younger male was even nicer than Jintaek.
“It’s not that bad,” Dongwoon said after minutes of silence. “It’ll heal in a few days.”
“Y-yeah,” Kikwang stuttered. “Thank you.”
Dongwoon smiled and Kikwang almost got a heart attack. “Do you have your phone?”
Kikwang looked confused but handed him his phone anyway.
Dongwoon typed something in it before giving it back to the older male. “Now you have my number. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me... Kikwang-hyung.” He stood up and ran a hand on Kikwang’s hair. “Get well soon.”
Strange.
Kikwang didn’t feel scared anymore.
***
Then the texting began.
It was funny to think that they were only a phonecall away-or even few steps away from each other, but all they did was text.
Kikwang noticed Dongwoon’s friends were still changing day by day. They varied. It could be a young woman on Monday and an old lady on Thursday. It got Kikwang to be curious, but not in a negative way-at least not anymore. Dongwoon did say he was studying psychology. Maybe he was studying people. Maybe they were his informal clients. Afterall, Dongwoon was still a university student and he had no legal license yet. Maybe those people were interviewed for his final task.
He saw a cute male around his height with chubby cheeks dropped by that night. The male was probably a close acquintance because Dongwoon gave him a slight hug before dragging him in to the apartment. Kikwang felt a bit jealous at the sight as he closed his curtain. He turned the television on, hoping for something interesting to distract his thought from the earlier hug he witnessed. Dongwoon had never hugged his guests before.
Kikwang jolted out of his reverie when he heard faint laugh roaring outside. He threw a glance at the clock and quickly went back to his peeking spot.
It was almost ten at night. Kikwang saw Dongwoon and his friend chatted merrily before the latter waved his hand and walked away. His lips slowly curved into a smile at the caring smile plastered on Dongwoon’s face. His friend did come home this time...so the other days, it must be just because he had never seen them leaving.
Of course, he scolded himself. You and your irrational thoughts, Kikwang.
Kikwang yawned and put his hands on his hips as he straightened up. He should sleep because he had to work early the next morning.
The moment he turned the lights off, Dongwoon sent him a text.
Goodnight, hyung.
***
“Sorry to make you wait.”
Kikwang watched Junhyung took the vacant seat across him unblinkingly. The older male’s eye was bruised. “What happened, hyung?”
“...I forced Hyunseung to quit.”
“That’s wonderful. What really happened?”
Junhyung tsk-ed as he rested his cheek on his fist. “I was out of control. That pimp of his touched him right in front of my eye and I just snapped.”
“So you got into a fight because of that?”
“Yeah. I broke that Hong’s nose,” Junhyung looked smug and pointed his own eye with his finger. “He only managed to punch me once. And then the securities came and I got kicked outside... Before I knew it, I brought Hyunseung to my apartment and he couldn’t stop trembling. Told me that he owed that ass Hong everything and that he wouldn’t stop until Hyunseung is back in his hands again.”
Kikwang groaned and bit his nail worriedly. “Hyung...this is what you get for dating a stripper.”
“You don’t get it, do you?” Junhyung’s eyes darkened. “Hyunseung is my life.”
Kikwang didn’t say anything else after. He understood what Junhyung was feeling. They had been friends for quite a long time and it was the first time Kikwang had ever seen Junhyung so serious about someone before. It wasn’t wrong to fall in love with Hyunseung. Maybe it was Hyunseung’s job that was wrong. He cleared his throat before speaking. “So what are you going to do now?”
Junhyung looked away for a moment before fisting his hand. “I’m gonna run away.”
The older male’s face was filled with determination. Kikwang could feel his heart shrinking as he managed a small, “Where?”
“Somewhere far from here.”
***
“Penny for your thoughts?”
Kikwang was pulled out of his thoughts at the familiar sound. He turned around to find a pair of warm, hazel orbs gazing right through him. “Oh. H-hi,” Kikwang stuttered nervously.
“Hi,” Dongwoon smiled and Kikwang felt like crying because his smile was sincere. “Grocery shopping?”
Kikwang’s eyes dropped to the empty basket in his hand. “Yeah...you?”
“Just passing by on my way home and saw you in here so I decided to greet you.”
Kikwang gave Dongwoon a fond smile. He wandered around the aisles some more and Dongwoon followed closely behind him. The pretty male went for some things a few times but hesitated every time he was about to reach them and Dongwoon couldn’t help but noticing this.
“Bad break up?”
Kikwang turned to him with eyes wide. “Wh-what?”
Dongwoon shrugged casually. “You take some things and then you put them back in their original places. Either you really don’t know what you want or it’s because you usually buy those things for someone else. I’m guessing the second one.” When Kikwang stayed still on his track with a confused look on his face, Dongwoon flashed him an impish grin. “I study people, remember?”
“Oh,” Kikwang finally breathed after Dongwoon decided to grasp his chin to make sure he was alright. He tried to fight the blush that was coming from the small attention. “I...well, my friend is leaving.”
“Your friend?”
“Yeah. He’s my close friend ever since in high school...”
“Where is he going?”
“Somewhere...far away,” Kikwang said hesitantly. He didn’t know why he couldn’t keep it a secret from Dongwoon. Maybe talking about it would make him feel better.
Dongwoon pursed his lips. “Why?”
“...to save his boyfriend.”
“From...?”
“...his pimp,” Kikwang said in a low voice as they moved to another aisle. There were less people there and even though Kikwang had nothing to pick up from the place, he stayed on the said aisle. “He’s dating a stripper...”
Dongwoon had a knowing look descended upon his face. “And his pimp touches your friend’s boyfriend and your friend is pissed off and they got into a fight and now they’re running from him.”
Kikwang gaped. “Wow. How did you...?”
“I’ve seen a lot of these things,” Dongwoon grimaced. “There are worse, though. Do you happen to know the name of the pimp?”
“Uh, no...”, Kikwang frowned as he tried to remember. He recalled Junhyung saying it... “Papa Hong or something? I think that’s what Hyunseung-hyung called him... But why?”
“I have a friend who has a large connection,” Dongwoon said absently as he fiddled with his phone. “He’s not exactly a police, but he can try to talk some sense into him. Who knows, that Papa Hong you’re talking about might be able to let your friends go.”
“That would be great but...”, Kikwang stared at him in disbelief. “Wait, you don’t even know my friends.”
“Does it matter?” Dongwoon stared back at him deeply. “They’re your friends, and that makes them my friends, too.”
***
In the end, Junhyung still left with Hyunseung just to be safe.
Kikwang thought he would be lonely but no, he had Dongwoon.
They started to spend more time together.
Sometimes, Dongwoon would knock on his door to drag him for an early jog. Other times, he would just knock to annoy Kikwang on Sunday and Kikwang would open the door with a pillow ready to be thrown to Dongwoon’s face (although later they would have breakfast together, looking quite happy).
But it was always Dongwoon who came by to Kikwang’s place.
Kikwang was never brave enough to come to Dongwoon’s.
A few nights after that, Kikwang saw the workers again. He was just done with his business as he stepped out of the toilet and yawned when he heard a soft thud outside. Kikwang became alarmed and carefully tiptoed to his window. Like usual, Dongwoon was there by the doorway, waving and smiling at the two workers in their uniform who nodded respectively at him. Kikwang caught a glimpse of something in his hand and squinted his eyes to get a good look.
A tie.
Dongwoon was holding a tie.
There was nothing wrong with the tie in his hand. The only thing that bothered Kikwang was the color of the tie. It was maroon pink and he thought the color was awful and it didn’t fit Dongwoon.
Kikwang rubbed his eyes sleepily and decided to just go to sleep.
***
A few weeks later, Kikwang got an anonymous letter.
He recognized the neat handwriting immediately and sighed in relief. Even though the name of the sender wasn’t written, but Kikwang knew that it was his friend’s. The letter informed him that they were safe and sound and that Kikwang didn’t need to worry. At the end of the page, Junhyung scribbled a phone number and he quickly saved it to his phonebook.
Kikwang trashed the letter after.
He had been spending a lot of times with Dongwoon that he forgot that Jintaek was even exist when he stumbled upon him that day. It was Jintaek who called out his name and Kikwang blinked, trying to remember who he was.
“Kikwang-shii. Do you still remember me?”
“Ah, yes...,” Kikwang replied hesitantly. “Jintaek...shii.”
“I was about to give you a call weeks ago, but I got distracted... A lot of things had happened and I needed to take over... And now my dad is missing so...”
“Your...dad?”
“Yeah. I’m sure you’ve seen him in the club?”
Kikwang blanched for a brief moment before getting a hold of himself. “The club?”
Jintaek chuckled cheekily. “Oh my God, you don’t know, do you? I’m Hong Jintaek, the son of the owner. So anyway, yeah, my dad’s missing... He does this a lot, though. He would come back home after a few weeks or so and innocently tell us that he went away for a vacation. To think that he didn’t even care that we were in riot. I’m guessing this is one of those days...”
Kikwang swallowed thickly. He had no idea that Jintaek was the pimp’s son. But didn’t Hyunseung said that he was a regular? And could it be that his father went missing to chase Junhyung and Hyunseung?
“I thought you’re just a regular-“
“Yeah, that’s just to cover it up,” Jintaek continued to laugh. “I like to blend with ordinary people. It’s my dad’s idea, though. You do know that the club has the greatest strippers ever, right? I don’t want to praise myself but...thanks to me. I have this talent to spot people. And you, Kikwang-shii. I don’t doubt you to be talented. You will rocket to the top.”
Kikwang froze. “Excuse me?”
“Strip for me,” Jintaek held out his namecard to Kikwang and gave him a sickening smile. “You got the looks, you got the body, and you need the money. Call me when you’re interested. Now that Hyunseung is gone, it will be easy to make you crawl over to the top.”
Jintaek sent him a look before leaving.
“Oh, and it’s better to not disappoint me. I can be very scary when I don’t get what I want.”
***
If Kikwang was first afraid for Dongwoon, this was much more.
He was terrified.
It was people like Jintaek that he had been trying to avoid all his life. But he had never expected Jintaek to be a bad person. The male was good looking with normal behavior (for someone he met through a strip club). He was also a smooth talker.
What had I gotten myself into?
Kikwang couldn’t think. He also couldn’t stop shaking. He didn’t want to be alone so bad that he ended up knocking on Dongwoon’s door.
A few seconds later, the door was opened. Dongwoon seemed genuinely confused at Kikwang’s appearance as he stared at the older male. “Hyung?”
Kikwang felt his breath hitched at the sight of the younger male and burst out crying. Dongwoon’s eyes widened in shock at the tears. He quickly ushered Kikwang inside and pulled him into a warm, calming embrace. It worked like a magic because Kikwang immediately relaxed in his arms and his sobbing subsided. When Kikwang was calm enough, Dongwoon tried breaking the silence.
“Who hurt you?”
It was a keen question and Kikwang felt himself shivering from the coldness of the tone. He bit his lip and looked up reluctantly. There was something in Dongwoon’s hazel irises that Kikwang couldn’t quite grasp what it was. “No one...”
“What scares you, hyung?”
Kikwang didn’t feel like he would be able to explain coherently, so he just pulled out the namecard Jintaek gave him and handed it to Dongwoon. The male received it with a questioning stare.
“Hong Jintaek,” Dongwoon read it casually. His expression morphed into a great of dislike and it scared Kikwang more. “Let me guess. He wants you to strip for him.”
Kikwang didn’t want to say ‘how did you’ to Dongwoon anymore. The younger male was definitely an expert in reading people. Instead of opening his mouth to answer, he just nodded.
“And he threatens you.”
Another nod.
“I don’t want to be alone,” Kikwang whispered as he leaned on Dongwoon’s shoulder. “Can I...can I please stay over tonight?”
“My place isn’t that comfortable, but you’re welcome to stay,” Dongwoon brushed a few strands of hair from Kikwang’s forehead. His voice was so soothing that Kikwang felt his fear had completely vanished. “I’m making chocolate by the way before you came, would you like some?”
“If that’s okay...?” Kikwang replied shyly.
Dongwoon pulled away from the hug and poked the pretty male’s nose fondly.
A moment later, Kikwang was seated on the couch. He slowly sipped the hot chocolate and warmth flooded his chest in an instant. It eased him, but it wasn’t the drink. It was the fact that Dongwoon was there that he felt ease. His eyes wandered from his cup to places around the room-their room was almost the same size, small with wallpapers peeled off everywhere.
“This tastes nice,” Kikwang murmured as he took another sip.
“My favorite brand,” Dongwoon grinned. “If you want I can give some to you.”
Kikwang gave Dongwoon his beautiful eyesmile and continued to look around. His eyes dropped on few carton boxes near the television. The same box those workers had been carrying. He downed the warm liquid and felt his heart racing.
He wanted to know.
“What’s...in...those boxes?”
“Donation,” Dongwoon answered without looking up from his phone.
“Donation...?”
“I kinda run this non government organization with my friends. I consult people freely and in return, I only ask for something to be donated from my clients. Sometimes they give books. Sometimes they give clothes. Sometimes, but it’s rare though, money. We would give them to those who needed. Mostly orphanages.”
Kikwang put down his cup on the table.
“All of us are still university students so it’s kinda hard for us to work in the daylight between classes. My friends would pick up these stuffs in midnight. And it’s a lot cheaper that way. We don’t exactly earn much.”
“But...,” Kikwang’s lips slowly curved into a fond smile. “That’s really noble of you.”
“You really think so?” Dongwoon smiled back. He looked thoughtful for a second before talking again. “I would love it if you join.”
“I would love to, but...you say you consult people...what can I possibly give for free? I don’t have anything useful...”
“You don’t have to do anything.”
“I don’t want to strip,” Kikwang whined playfully.
Dongwoon broke into a grin before turning into a serious expression. “All you have to do is stay with me. That alone is enough.”
Kikwang looked hopeful. “Really? It’s enough?”
“Yeah-wait, you don’t mind?”
“No,” Kikwang said hastily and turned crimson he moment he said it. “I-I mean, if...if that’s what you want...” He trailed off before shaking his head. “No, it’s what I want. I... I want to stay with you, Dongwoon-ah.”
Dongwoon smiled and Kikwang wondered if he would be able to survive to receive that blinding smile everyday. The male leaned forward to hug him. Kikwang instinctively closed his eyes and let Dongwoon intertwined their fingers tightly. They did nothing than that, but it was enough. Kikwang felt safe.
“Hyung?”
“Hm...?”
“Can I borrow your phone?”
“Sure... But...why?”
“You trust me, don’t you, hyung?”
“Dongwoon-ah?”
“Please, you trust me, right?”
“Y-yeah... I do. I trust you.”
Dongwoon looked relieved. He put his hands on Kikwang’s shoulders. “So please, trust me and let me do this. I will text Jintaek-shii from your phone to invite him here. I will try to talk some sense into him...and hopefully he will not bother you again.”
Kikwang went pale. “B-but, what if it doesn’t work?”
Dongwoon’s eyes were gleaming.
“It will, hyung. You just have to believe me.”
***
The door was slightly ajar when Kikwang overheard Jintaek’s voice.
He couldn’t move his body, but he was pretty much awake. Everything seemed to be floating around him. Then Kikwang heard Dongwoon’s voice. They seemed to be engrossed in a heated argument. Funny thing was that they didn’t seem to be alone.
Moments later, something cracked sickeningly and everything went dead silent.
Then he saw the men in the uniforms. One of them took off their cap and he could tell that it was Himchan, one of his neighbours on the first floor. Kikwang batted his eyelashes weakly and then he saw Dara’s brother coming into sight.
It was maybe just his imagination-his head sure felt hazy after he took the water Dongwoon gave him when the latter was telling him to rest-but then he saw Jintaek, bleeding. The male was lifelessly tossed into the big box-the same carton box that was put near the television-and he heard the rest of them talking. They were talking casually like nothing happened. They even laughed between the words.
They laughed.
Kikwang’s whole body went numb. Strangely, he didn’t feel scared at all. Because he trusted Dongwoon. He trusted the younger male so much.
“How is he?”
Kikwang heard an unfamiliar voice stalked toward the bedroom and he quickly shut his eyes, pretending to be asleep.
“He’s not your concern,” Dongwoon said somewhat possessively. “Peniel, I’ll meet you in the usual place. Split up, guys.”
Everyone murmured in agreement. The sound indicated that the others had left the room.
Kikwang waited. The creaking sound from the door sent a notification to Kikwang that someone had entered the room. He wanted to open his eyes but right then, he wasn’t sure of what he would do. Kikwang felt a pair of strong arms pulled him into a warm embrace and he gave himself up immediately to the touch.
“Thank you for trusting me, hyung.”
It was the last thing the pretty male remembered.
***
Kikwang woke up in his apartment, safe and unharmed.
The sun was already high and he wondered how long had he been asleep. Kikwang tried to feel his body and groaned. It was still a bit numb from last night. After a few attempts, Kikwang was finally able to pull himself into a sitting position and looked around frantically. Everything seemed to be untouched. The place looked normal...
The pretty male winced when he dangled his feet onto the cold ceramic tiles. A lot of thoughts swam through his mind, but there was only a name that made him gasped.
Dongwoon.
When Kikwang had finally gathered all of his strength, he ran to Dongwoon’s apartment.
“Dongwoon-ah!”
No one answered.
He knocked, knocked and knocked but still, no one answered. Soft knocks turned into impatient hand slams. Kikwang opened the door only to find that it was unlocked-and he realized everything was gone the moment he stepped into the small room. There were no furnitures. There was nothing. The place was dim and empty.
Kikwang quickly ran down to the first floor panickly, to the other occupied rooms.
“Dara-shii!”
“Peniel?”
“Bang Himchan! Please!”
Kikwang gave up after the umpteenth times and looked around in confusion. It was like no one had lived there before. The rooms were empty with no furnitures. They were a bit dusty, too. Heck, the place looked like it was deserted for a couple of years.
Where is everyone?
Kikwang decided to leave the place without looking back. He grabbed only the important things quickly with trembling hands and went to the nearest police station. The officers seemed to stare at him like he was some kind of loony but then they told him to wait in the lounge. Kikwang finally grabbed a hold of himself in the room full of people passing by and he started to relax.
They said a Detective Seungho would see him in a moment. Kikwang wasn’t sure what to say anymore. Maybe...maybe he would tell the detective that Son Dongwoon went missing and he needed to file a report?
Kikwang sighed in confusion and his eyes shifted to the posters on the wall. They weren’t just ordinary posters, they were-they were the list of missing persons. Kikwang slowly rose to his feet and trailed his fingers on the pictures. His eyes widened as realization dawned upon him.
They matched the ones he saw in front of Dongwoon’s door.
“Lee Kikwang?”
Kikwang almost jumped from the sudden voice and clenched his chest. He spun around quickly.
The detective was roughly a few years older than him, but his face already showed almost visible wrinkles and tiredness. Other than that, he was a handsome one. Not as handsome as Dongwoon though, Kikwang mentally added. “I’m Seungho. I was told you were about to say something very important?”
“These people...”, Kikwang whispered as he trailed his fingers on those posters again. “Are they missing?”
“Yeah,” Seungho nodded as he leaned his back against the wall with his arms crossed on his chest. “Do you know them?”
Kikwang gulped and gave the detective a visible head shake. “No. Have you found...any of them?”
“There’s this rumor,” Seungho took a step forward to get closer to Kikwang. “That a lot of people wanted these people dead. And then they just kind of submit the request to an organization and then, poof. These guys disappear. Just like that.”
“Organization?”
“Some say this organization is funded by the Yang Corporation...but we have no proof.”
Kikwang pressed his lips into a thin line nervously. Yang Corporation was definitely one of the biggest in Korea.
Seungho seemed to realize that he had talked too much and gave Kikwang a stern look. “I’m sorry. Now, I am in the middle of an investigation and I have no time to answer your unimportant questions. What do you have for me?”
“I...”, Kikwang trailed off. Clearly he couldn’t say a thing. “I saw a ghost.”
Seungho stayed expressionless. “Are you messing with me?”
“No, sir,” Kikwang quickly said. “I’m sorry. I must have been out of my mind. I’m going to leave now.”
***
Kikwang managed to find a nice apartment this time.
It was a bit expensive and a bit far from his work, but he would manage by splitting the fare with Junhyung and Hyunseung.
A few days after Dongwoon’s disappearance, Kikwang gave Junhyung a call to inform that there was no threat anymore. Junhyung refused at first, of course, but then Kikwang begged him to come back and they gave into the request. Junhyung found a new job and Hyunseung was able to find a decent job. From what the red haired male found out, the club where he used to strip was bankrupt. Apparently the owner didn’t want to take care of the place anymore. But if only they knew the truth.
Kikwang knew the truth.
Junhyung had never asked what happened with the boy next door and he was grateful for that.
It was at the end of the week when Kikwang decided to do some grocery shopping. It had been a few weeks since Junhyung and Hyunseung started living together with him. He wasn’t alone, but Kikwang honestly felt lonely. He wanted to see Dongwoon. It was probably based on that wish that he stepped into the same grocery store where he met the younger male.
Kikwang absentmindedly stared at a few brands of instant chocolate when a deep voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Bad break up?”
Kikwang froze on his track. He tried to move, but his feet were transfixed to the ground. Kikwang felt his heartbeat accelerated in a full speed as he managed to turn to source of the voice. His eyes were soon filled with tears as he tried his best to stifle a sob at the sight of the person he wanted to see the most.
“No,” Kikwang whispered as he leaned forward to press his lips against Dongwoon’s. “No, I’ve just missed you.”
End.