[B28] AFTER THE RAIN (1/4)

[kaisooaufest]

Prompt Code: B28
Title: after the rain
Rating: R (for violence)
Side Pairings (if any): Minho/Kibum
Warnings: moderately graphic descriptions of torture and murder, minor character death
Word Count: 30,316
Summary: The rich aren’t always as merciless as they’re known to be, and the poor aren’t as innocent as they portray themselves to the world. Jongin learns this when he meets Do Kyungsoo, son of the wealthiest man in Korea, after the Great Economic Collapse, and is driven to set things right once and for all.
A/N: I sincerely apologise for the length; writing always gets out of hand. Thank you so much to my beloved beta E, for picking up my mistakes along the way and bouncing ideas with me; without you I might not have been able to get through my writer’s block, hehe.



It's utterly revolting, how such an obscene amount of wealth can be concentrated in one family when the rest of the nation is suffering from famine and dying from starvation.

Those thoughts invade Jongin's mind repeatedly as he enters the sprawling mansion located on the top of Namsan Hill. Though his eyes dart around to take in his surroundings as he follows after his special squad's leader, his grip on his rifle remains firm. They can never be too careful, even though the mansion seems deserted enough, and the rich probably will not have been extensively trained in the art of self-defense. They have - had - bodyguards to protect them from any possible assassination or kidnapping attempts, after all.

The Great Economic Collapse in 2017 had caused widespread suffering, all because the ruling government had been overcome by their greed and made the rich even richer, while the poor lived on scraps they could scavenge from the streets - if they were lucky enough, of course. Luck is never really on the side of the poor. Their greed had backfired greatly upon them, plunging the nation into massive debts even while the politicians and the already-wealthy families desperately fill their pockets with more money than they can really utilise before fleeing the nation and going into hiding.

The frantic need to go into hiding had been triggered because of an uprising staged by the lower class citizens - people like Jongin and the rest of his acquaintances. They had gotten so sick of the deliberate, shameless oppression shown by those who are in power, and driven by the desperation to keep surviving, one brave voice had stood up amongst the rest of the lower rate citizens and had called for an uprising. It had been as ambitious as it sounded, the movement. They'd overthrow the ruling government, seize power for themselves, and rebuild the nation from scratch - the way it should be: fair, with equal opportunities given to everyone who are strong-willed enough to fight for what they want.

And under the command of Kim Youngwoon, who was always the brave and respectable person from the first time Jongin had met him, they'd succeeded. South Korea is theirs now, run by people with humble roots like everyone else with Kim Youngmin at its helm and Kim Youngwoon as the leader of their military forces, who would definitely serve its citizens without bias or preference. Everyone's receiving the same treatment they deserve for once.

Soon after The People have gone into power, they began their attempts at flushing out the wealthy bastards who'd brought their entire savings along with them into obscurity from their hiding places. The national funds had been emptied, the reserves as dry as the Saharan desert when they'd taken over, and they needed the money to run the country, no matter how small the amount. That's where the Revolutioners come in, a task force which has been driven into existence by the desire to make those filthy bastards atone for their insatiable greed and force them to cough up the money. They should live like a pauper for once, to really understand what it's like to have to worry about each meal of the day, if they could survive to see yet another sunrise.

Jongin hadn't hesitated in the least when he'd signed up to be a part of the Revolutioners, even after hearing what's expected of them: catch the wealthy bastards if they can, torture them for information on their bank accounts, then kill them once the cash has been transferred into the national funds. He thinks about his sisters, who hadn't survived the worst of the famine and the plague which had swept through the streets and claimed hundreds of thousands of innocent lives - lives that could have been saved, if the previous corrupt government hadn't ruled that every single health facility be privatised and catered exclusively to the rich, while the poor had to beg and grovel for a day's supply of medicine, or even just a single dosing. And he thinks about his parents, whom were too heartbroken from grief of losing their daughters to the cruelty of the ruling government, and passed on when their hearts failed on them. His decision hardly required him to put in much thought.

They will pay for the losses The People have had to endure.

"Be careful now," Youngwoon calls out from the front, the deep timbre of his voice echoing off the walls and the marble tiles of the floor. "You'll never know what these rich bastards have equipped their houses with."

Jongin nods, even if Youngwoon can't see him. He's heard of the horror stories of their comrades being blown into pieces in other mansions around the country, having stepped on landmines buried beneath the tiles. If we can't live in our own houses, then no one can ever take over them either, The Corrupt seem to think, and many of them have taken to implementing extreme security measures to ensure that no one could trespass on their property even when they're gone.

Inconspicuous as the Do family mansion might appear at the moment, they keep their footsteps light, being careful of any shifts in the ground beneath their feet. The entire hallway leading from the main entrance to the majestic spiral staircase on the other end of the mansion seems uneventful enough, though, which Jongin is grateful for. His eyes continue to scan their surroundings, taking in the sights of what used to be a grand palatial estate before it had fallen to ruins. There seems to be a banquet hall on the ground floor, no doubt having hosted a great number of dinner parties which Jongin had only heard about in the past, its guests swathed in clothes of luxury as they sip on expensive champagne, discussing amongst themselves the ways to expand their wealth on the expense of everyone else whom they deem not worthy enough.

And the bile rises in his throat again when Jongin thinks about the lives who have suffered out of these walls, his own included. The Corrupt have always lived in their own cocoon of blissful ignorance, none of them kind enough to extend any aid, no matter how small the amount, even when the Great Economic Collapse was gaining momentum. Heartless, vile creatures, The Corrupt are.

"Coast is clear," one of his group members says, pulling Jongin out from his loathful thoughts, and Jongin holds his rifle at the ready. They've talked about this, before they'd left base camp, and discussed about their plans for the mission. The walls have ears; they always do. It wouldn't be prudent for them to come up with a plot to flush out anyone at all who's still hiding in the belly of the Do family mansion on the spot, because it would definitely alert anyone who's listening in on their discussion and allow them ample time to make their escape.

It's the last thing the Revolutioners want, when they're suspecting that the Do family is holding the key information to all the hiding places of The Corrupt. They aren't the wealthiest and most powerful of the families in South Korea for nothing, and Kim Youngmin deduces that their influence still holds strong, even now. It's every man for themselves, that much is true, but when things turn desperate for the rest of The Corrupt, they only have the Do family to depend upon - in exchange for other favours, of course. Jongin doesn't even want to think about the nature of these favours.

"You all know your tasks," Youngwoon states, and everyone in the group nods again, automatically breaking up into smaller groups as they have agreed upon earlier. "Go. Find them, but don't open fire until we get what we want."

And Jongin bounds towards the second floor of the mansion without wasting time, knowing that his teammates are hot on his heels. The faster they get this over and done with, the faster they can rebuild South Korea and restore it to its former glory with the funds they'll be able to obtain from the Do family alone. He pauses in his footsteps when they're faced with several more corridors the moment they appear at the top flight of the stairs, where the darkness seems to stretch on and on. It seems unsafe, with how silent these hallways are.

He doesn't like the idea at all, but Jongin doesn't have a choice but to order his teammates to split up. It's risky, he knows, but they'll be able to cover more ground this way.

And, if they die, at least they wouldn't die together.

It seems that his teammates already know what Jongin's plans are before he even verbalises it, and they nod firmly at Jongin when he turns around. Jongin's glad for that; an internal discord is the last thing they need right now, when unity is still but a fragile entity in this newly-formed government. With a signal, Minho and Kibum immediately set off, each taking one hall without another word said. They've been friends for a very long time, Minho and Kibum, and Jongin's rather envious of the tacit understanding they seem to have formed between them. But this is not the time to dwell upon that.

This place almost seems too huge now that he's alone, and Jongin fights back the chill in the air that only a mansion abandoned for a protracted amount of time could possess. He stops short of wondering if their efforts are going to be fruitful at all, when no one could even confirm if there's still anyone alive and walking about within these walls. With slow, careful steps, Jongin grips his rifle at the ready and opens the doors, one by one. He could imagine its former glory, the mansion, when it basked in the warm orange glow of the lights that line the hallway, with one servant too many hurrying about trying to get their jobs done, and the grandiose parties that the household would throw in its grand hall, with the sweet smell of red wine and champagne permeating the air. Of course, Jongin hasn't seen anything of such a scale before, having lived in abject poverty all his life, apart from the brief glimpses he would get when he walks past a store selling electronics and sees these grand manors depicted on television - a mockery of what they will never be able to possess.

Jongin almost loses hope half an hour and fifteen doors later, when he's greeted by one empty room after the other, the dust having piled up so thickly on the furniture surface that it makes Jongin sneeze if he forgets that he shouldn't breathe in too deeply. His attention is wavering so much that Jongin nearly misses the lone figure standing by the window in the second to last room on that hallway, and he almost slams the door in surprise when he finally finds a living soul in the Do family mansion.

(He's certain it's not a paranormal apparition; he's never had the ability to see them, unlike his eldest sister had.)

The man - boy? - doesn't seem to have noticed Jongin and the rest of the Revolutioners roaming around the house, and appears as though he's completely fixated with the view outside his window. Jongin isn't sure what's so interesting out there though; he's seen nothing but a barren path on their way in, the uprising having left no stone unturned in its efforts to flush out every last member of South Korea's most elite of families. Then again, Jongin isn't about to let this perfect opportunity slip.

The carpeted floor in the room only serves to aid him in his efforts, and Jongin quietly walks towards the lone figure in the room, making sure to check that his rifle has been locked and loaded. Kill only if your life is in imminent danger when engaging with anyone you find, Youngwoon had told them before they'd left the base camp, and Jongin's hell-bent on sticking to Youngwoon's orders. At the very least, if Jongin had kept this person alive, he'll be able to torture the man for answers, making his death as slow and tormenting as his sisters' had been when they'd succumbed to the claws of the plague.

It's a good thing that the man seems to be completely lost in his own thoughts, because he doesn't even realise that someone else is in the room with him, in this long-abandoned mansion, until Jongin is directly behind him, his reflection crystal clear beneath the sunlight in the glass pane of the window the man is staring out of.

The only response the man is able to give is the widening of his eyes, before Jongin brings down the butt of his rifle against the back of the man's head, knocking him unconscious in an instant.

♑

Securing the parameters of the Do family mansion is an easy enough affair, when the only living soul in the building is the man which Jongin had found. The rest of the mansion has unfortunately fallen into a state of abandonment, thick layers of dust covering most of the surface. The kitchen, however, had miraculously been spared from the disuse, its cupboards and the fridge stocked up with fresh supplies of food. Jongin doesn’t doubt that the man he found has been preparing his own meals with them.

Regardless, Youngwoon makes a split-second decision to turn the mansion into their brand new base, considering its strategic location on top of a hill, and surely the wealthier families of South Korea would come crawling to the Do family mansion once they're desperate enough to keep their luxurious lives afloat. Youngwoon doesn't seem to think that they would have bothered contacting each other at all upon going into hiding, and there aren't any announcements going around that Mr. Do had gone missing, either. They'll be walking right into the Revolutioners' trap, and play right into their hands without them being any the wiser.

Surprisingly, someone among the Revolutioners - Dongyoung, Jongin thinks, a boy two years younger than he is with adorable buck teeth when he grins a little too widely - recognises the man whom Jongin had knocked unconscious and had turned him into a prisoner in his own room. It's Do Kyungsoo, second son of the Do family, and Jongin can't help but wonder why he's all alone in this abandoned mansion without his parents or his elder brother Do Seungsoo by his side.

Jongin can't say he's not curious.

♑

Naturally Jongin and his team gets assigned to guard Do Kyungsoo once they're done settling in, since Jongin had been the one who had found the man. Jongin isn't complaining, even though it might get boring at times, when there's nothing he can do apart from sitting and staring at the still-unconscious figure lying on the bed that looks more expensive than Jongin's entire home combined. Soft, too.

When Do Kyungsoo finally wakes, the sun is already setting on the horizon, Jongin's stomach rumbling a little from hunger. They'd been preoccupied with securing the parameters all day, and had forgotten about grabbing a bite at all, though it's nothing Jongin isn't already used to. He's gone days without a proper meal and had survived; they all have. It's part and parcel of their lives when the Great Economic Collapse was gaining momentum, and only those strong-willed and physically resilient enough are left standing here today.

As it turns out, Jongin realises that the widening of Do Kyungsoo's eyes before Jongin had knocked him out isn't a gesture of surprise at all, when Kyungsoo finally awakes. Kyungsoo's eyes seem to be naturally wide, with too much white on display, almost as though he's staring right at Jongin, right through him. It makes Jongin feel a little uncomfortable, so he hugs the rifle a little closer to his chest. A subtle warning for Kyungsoo to not do anything drastic or else.

What impresses Jongin, though, is how Kyungsoo doesn't even seem perturbed by the fact that his hands and feet are bound tightly together, or that a stranger is currently seated in his room, watching over him keenly. He doesn't even demonstrate a shred of anxiety, merely blinking owlishly at Jongin before cracking a cold smile at him.

"Is this what The People - did I get your label correctly? - have resorted to these days? Using adolescents as their tools to fight?" Kyungsoo asks, tone frigid and unfeeling, but the smile - or smirk, Jongin should say - is still plastered on his face. Kyungsoo doesn't even struggle against his binds, only sits in his position calmly, as if engaging a friend in casual conversation and not of a hostage's plead with his captor.

Something in Kyungsoo's expressions, haughty and demeaning, irks Jongin greatly. Or perhaps it's the way he'd called Jongin an adolescent, when Kyungsoo himself looks no more than fifteen, but- "I'm twenty two. I'm hardly a kid anymore," Jongin says before his brain even catches up to his mouth, and his cheeks flame up when Kyungsoo laughs at his words. Great, what an amazing way to show Kyungsoo that he's intimidating. Not.

"You certainly are in terms of your mentality," Kyungsoo replies, still smirking at Jongin as though he's the one who has Jongin cornered. He tries not to squirm under Kyungsoo's intense gaze. "Pathetic."

"Funny you should have such a big mouth when you're under captive," Jongin snipes, shifting his rifle in his lap to appear a little more threatening. He can't have Kyungsoo stepping all over his head like this. "I can always kill you if you piss me off."

At that, Kyungsoo raises an amused brow at him. "But you won't," he says, and Jongin flinches at Kyungsoo's words, feeling as though he'd just been read like an open book. "You can't. Not when I'm the only person you Revolutioners can find, when everyone else has gone into hiding. So try again, kid, but you're not going to get what you want."

Kyungsoo's smirk is much too smug. The air around them is much too humid and stifling. Jongin doesn't respond to Kyungsoo's words, merely standing up and marching right for the door, shutting it behind him before he loses his cool completely and shoot Do Kyungsoo right in the head.

Fuck, Jongin really does hate these haughty Corrupts who think they own the whole world just because they have the funds to do so.

♑

"Are you ever going to say something?" Kyungsoo asks one fine day, while Jongin's seated in the only armchair in Kyungsoo's room and watching over the prisoner with a scowl on his face. Being around with Kyungsoo is literally his least favourite activity of the day, and the thought of having to take over the shift from either Minho or Kibum sends Jongin into a terrible mood.

It's not as though Kyungsoo had actually belittled him much verbally - or at all, really; Kyungsoo can be so quiet that Jongin would sometimes forget that he's even there - over the past couple of days since he'd captured Kyungsoo, but the way Kyungsoo sits there on his bed, staring either idly at the ceiling or directly at Jongin with a smug smile on his face is more than enough to infuriate him.

He can't fathom how Kyungsoo can remain so calm or unfazed, when he's been deprived of food; they’re only feeding Kyungsoo once a day, and giving him water only on demand. Youngwoon had thought of the idea to torture Kyungsoo and break him completely so that they'd be able to uncover the hiding place of the other Corrupts from Kyungsoo, and to give him a taste of their own medicine, wanting Kyungsoo to experience how it's like to starve like the rest of The People have had to go days without knowing if they'll ever be able to eat again. It's not something that sits well with Jongin at first, because he's not someone who could easily stomach the sight of someone being tortured, but he soon learns to not care at all.

It's frightening, how detached he can be when he puts his mind to it.

Then again, Kyungsoo is one tough cookie to break, and he still seems to be well put-together even though it's coming on day four since he'd probably last had a shower or had properly groomed himself. The idea of not taking a bath makes Jongin squirm, considering that it's the height of summer, the weather so humid that he's sweating buckets despite the air conditioning in the mansion, and he's seen the way the sweat beads on Kyungsoo's forehead before rolling down his cheeks. His clothes must be drenched at some point - not that Jongin could tell, considering Kyungsoo's choice of colour. He doesn't think Kyungsoo owns anything that isn't black in colour.

Jongin narrows his eyes at Kyungsoo when he remembers that Kyungsoo’s waiting for an answer. "Getting bored, are we?"

"No," Kyungsoo answers simply, and Jongin finds his nerves grated again. "Just curious. You seem like you intend to burn a hole through the wall."

"I'd incinerate you if I could," Jongin snaps.

"And you won't, you can’t, because you need me to stay alive. I've heard what your leader had told you." Kyungsoo points out, smug smile back on his face once again. "Now why exactly do you need me?"

"And why exactly are you alone in this mansion? Where are your parents? Seungsoo?" Jongin ignores Kyungsoo and throws forth his own set of questions. If Kyungsoo plays this game right, then Jongin might just indulge the man with a favour. An answer. Some companionship in the form of verbal human interaction. His choice.

The way Kyungsoo shrugs is nonchalant, but there's a hint of sadness that crosses his features, and then it's gone. "They abandoned me. I was never good enough to be a son of the Do family, anyway." He says, derisive, and despite his initial dislike towards Kyungsoo, Jongin's gut twists unpleasantly.

This, he thinks, is probably the differentiating factor between The Corrupts and The People. Even though they're poor in wealth, The People are still rich in their relationship with their family members. His family had been his pillar of support before their untimely deaths, which is why Jongin had been extremely affected by it, even till now. But here Kyungsoo is, telling Jongin that he's been abandoned by his own family without the slightest quiver in his voice. Jongin can't imagine how it must be like, living under the same roof with someone who's related to him by blood but practically act like they're complete strangers around each other.

"Abandoned? Why?" Jongin finds himself asking, the curiosity taking charge.

"Like I've said-" Kyungsoo's smiling in a self-deprecating manner now, and it makes him seem so painfully young for once. Perhaps he really is young; Jongin doesn't know. Kyungsoo probably isn't the type to dish out facts about himself at the ready, as far as Jongin is concerned. He seems closed off. "-I was never a good enough son for the family. They’re more than glad to get rid of me the first chance they got. The uprising merely aided in their intentions.”

“I don’t get it.” Jongin says, honesty shining through his words, and Kyungsoo chuckles dryly again.

“I don’t expect people like you to understand.” Kyungsoo tells him, but the speed at which he manages to rein in his emotions is shocking. “I answered your question. Now’s your turn to answer mine.”

Jongin swallows hard, wondering if he’s allowed to divulge their plans before he can even ascertain Kyungsoo’s inclination to give them a helping hand. But a promise is a promise, and Jongin figures that if he wants to get Do Kyungsoo to talk soon and make his life easier, then he'd better honour his word. "We need you to help us find the rest of The Corrupts. They've emptied the national funds, and we don't have enough to rebuild the country. None of us have that sort of money."

Kyungsoo raises an interested brow at Jongin. "And what makes you think that I'll volunteer that sort of information? Or if I have any idea where the rest are hiding?"

The spark of irritation makes its presence known, and Jongin stands up from his seat, stance hostile with his rifle aimed at Kyungsoo. "Do you really think you have a choice to withhold information from us? You’re no more than a hostage."

Kyungsoo smirks. "Of course I’m more than a hostage. I'll keep my mouth shut, and you'll shoot me one day out of annoyance, which I know you're extremely tempted to do so right now, if you could, and you’ll never discover what you’re trying to find. The choice is yours to make, really."

Jongin storms out of the room at once without bothering to deign Kyungsoo with a response, hands shaking furiously by his side as he tries not to pull the trigger out of blind rage and do something he’d regret in the next five minutes.

Kibum only takes one look at Jongin's expressions, when Jongin finds him later, to quickly agree to start his shift much earlier than scheduled without any objections, knowing that there has been another argument between Jongin and Kyungsoo. It's been happening much too often these days, after all.

♑

The greatest surprise comes later that week, when Kyungsoo suddenly tells him, "I'm sorry, you know. For being such an asshole."

For a moment, Jongin thinks he's hearing things. To him, Do Kyungsoo - and by default, the rest of The Corrupts - is the sort of person who wouldn't abandon their pride and stoop down to Jongin's level to speak to him, much less apologise for something they've said or done to someone like Jongin. The rich would kick out at the poor when they get in their way, calling them such disgusting, degrading names that should never see the light of day.

But that's the harsh reality of life; if you aren't of a good social standing, then you don't deserve to be respected. The Corrupt made sure to ingrain that in the minds of The People, and The People could do nothing but accept it as it is. Some of them depended on The Corrupt to eke out a living, no matter how meagre their income. As long as they could put some food on the table during the Great Economic Collapse, The People had been more than willing to strip themselves of their pride. Anything they could do to survive, really. They didn’t exactly have a choice.

That was until Kim Youngwoon had become the voice of reason for The People, telling them and convincing them that there wasn't a need for The People to live in oppression any longer, when their numbers far exceeds that of The Corrupt. They could take charge of the nation; some of them were lucky enough to be schooled to a decent extent before the gross imbalance in the distribution of wealth had happened, and they could very well run the country if given the chance. It had been the basis of the Uprising, one which they'd successfully planned and staged right under The Corrupts’ noses.

Then again, The Corrupt have always lived in their own bubble of ignorance, thinking that The People wouldn't even think of biting the hand that fed them and kept them alive. But The Corrupts have been proved extremely wrong, and it had spelt their eventual downfall.

Fuelled by his extreme dislike for the way Do Kyungsoo had looked down upon him, coupled by the fact that he's a part of The Corrupts, Jongin decides to ignore him, pretending that he hadn't heard Kyungsoo at all. It's surprisingly easy to do so, and it’s something which Jongin has had a lot of practice with these days, when Kyungsoo would ramble about something extremely random and Jongin would automatically tune his voice out. It's the only way Jongin can think of, to keep himself from accidentally killing Do Kyungsoo when the other man starts running his mouth off. At this point of time, Jongin really can't be fucked if they lose the only person who can provide them with the information on the other Corrupts. It doesn't seem like Kyungsoo's inclined to divulge that sort of information, anyway. He won't be of much use, an expendable pawn as far as Jongin is concerned.

"You don't honestly think I'm trying to sweet talk you into letting me go, are you?" Kyungsoo scoffs again when Jongin remained silent and had decidedly refused to look in Kyungsoo's direction.

Actually, Jongin hadn't considered that at all until Kyungsoo had mentioned it, but he scowls at Kyungsoo regardless. "I'm not stupid enough to do that. Don't even try."

"I see how it is," Kyungsoo smirks. Jongin wishes he would stop trying to pretend that he's more superior than Jongin is. Their time is over. It's now the era for The People to run the country as it should, and individuals like Kyungsoo and the rest of the social hierarchy his family had been a part of no longer exists. "You are generalising all of us as one and the same, just because I was a part of the so-called Corrupts. And here I thought you, of all people, should understand a sincere apology when you hear one."

"Am I wrong to think in such a manner?" Jongin asks mockingly, trying not to let his anger show. It would merely serve as ammunition for Kyungsoo's ridicule. He's gotten himself in such a situation far too many times to count in the past week or so, and Jongin's frankly growing quite sick of it. It's too bad Youngwoon forbids them from physically tormenting Kyungsoo in order to get the information they needed, something about requiring Kyungsoo to be in mint condition when they take him to the mass media as a bargaining chip, to lure the head of the Do family out of hiding. Youngwoon doesn't seem to believe in Jongin when Jongin tries to tell him that Kyungsoo isn't the favoured son, that Seungsoo is and he’s nowhere to be found, along with his parents.

Blood is thicker than water, they won't let Do Kyungsoo be held captive if they could do something about it, Youngwoon says, thinking that The Corrupt are playing by that principle too. How wrong he is.

"You are. You don't even know me, and you're so quick to judge me based on the things the other people in the society have done to you," Kyungsoo retorts, and Jongin actually glowers at him.

"Neither do you, and yet you've been so quick to judge me as a child. Well guess what? We've managed to survive this long despite everything, that even the youngest of The People is possibly more mature than your kind would ever be," he says, and for the umpteenth time since finding Do Kyungsoo standing before the floor-to-ceiling window in this very room, Jongin's so terribly tempted to leave the man here to die from hunger and thirst and rot by himself, hands and feet still bound together, a permanent dent left on the surface of his mattress from the sheer amount of time Kyungsoo has spent being in the same position. It's probably by some miracle that the skin of Kyungsoo's wrists haven't been chafed raw by now, from where the material of the rope is biting into his flesh. He's a lot more resilient than Jongin had pegged him to be, and frankly, Jongin's actually a little impressed. Just a little.

Instead of answering to his accusations, though, Jongin finds himself taken aback when Kyungsoo says, "I'm a third dan in Taekwondo, and can probably knock you out with a simple blow to the back of your neck, like you had done to me on the very first day."

Jongin is very confused. "Why are you telling me this? You could have-"

"-had the element of surprise and knocked you out cold should you ever decide to release me from these binds. Yes, I am well-aware, but that isn't my intention," Kyungsoo informs him, and for once, Jongin can actually hear the sincerity in his words. Perhaps Kyungsoo really is trying to make amends, after all. "I really am sorry for being such a pain in the ass, but this is just how I was brought up. You should understand. I'm really trying."

For some reason, Jongin wants to buy Kyungsoo's words. He narrows his eyes, regardless, not wanting to be seen as an easy prey. "How do I know if you're telling the truth?"

Kyungsoo actually smiles at him - not the cold, calculated, condescending ones Kyungsoo had overdosed Jongin with in the beginning, but a genuine one instead. This, Jongin can tell. "Cut these restraints loose, and take a leap of faith, I guess?"

♑

It turns out Jongin could trust in Kyungsoo after all. The other man had calmly walked off towards the bathroom adjoined to his bedroom suite the moment Jongin had cut his binds loose, proceeding to groom himself and take a much needed bath. It must've been close to a week since Kyungsoo had been allowed to do anything else apart from answering to the calls of nature, after all.

Jongin keeps watch outside the door throughout, rifle in hand in case Kyungsoo decides to be funny and attack him the moment he steps out of the bathroom in a bid to escape. Kyungsoo would be stupid to do so, though, considering the number of Revolutioners walking about in this very mansion. Every single exit, hidden or otherwise, have already been secured, some chained up and the others with a guard stationed at the location, barring anyone from entering or exiting without express permission from Youngwoon. Do Kyungsoo does not stand a chance at escaping without being grievously hurt in the process.

Jongin is pleasantly surprised that Kyungsoo doesn't even attempt to sneak out through the bathroom window, however; Jongin knows he would, if he were in Kyungsoo's shoes. It's basic instinct to want to survive and to flee from captivity. The tap is switched off half an hour later, and the minty smell of Kyungsoo's body wash wafts in the air when he steps out of the bathroom, steam from the hot water following after him. Jongin tries not to stare at Kyungsoo, who had decided to walk out with a measly towel wrapped around his waist as he dries his hair with another, the rest of his skin left uncovered and glistening from the remnants of the water from his bath. For someone with such a small frame, Kyungsoo has a surprisingly good physique, lean and toned muscles on full display as he rummages through his wardrobe for something clean to put on. Jongin supposes it's to be expected of someone who does Taekwondo.

“So,” Kyungsoo's crisp voice fills the air moments later and jolts Jongin back to reality. He tries not to flush under Kyungsoo's scrutiny, all while hoping that he hadn't been caught staring too blatantly. Thankfully, Kyungsoo takes the conversation in a completely different direction, seating himself in front of his laptop. He makes a satisfied noise when he realises that the Internet connection is still fully functional. “What do you need to know? Apart from the location of my family members, of course, because I really have no clue. I can, however, try to get you the location of anyone else you can think of.”

Damn. Discovering the location of the rest of the Do family would be akin to hitting the metaphorical jackpot, considering the amount of wealth they've accumulated through the years. Then again, Jongin doesn't really expect for Kyungsoo to betray his own flesh and blood from the get-go, no matter how estranged he is from his family.

“Why are you willing to do this for us?” Jongin asks instead. “There must be someone who'd been your friend at some point in time. Do you have no qualms in betraying them?”

Kyungsoo's expression turns dark at Jongin's question, almost like the rain clouds which are about to unleash a thunderstorm upon them. The glimpse of the warm smile Kyungsoo had flashed at him earlier is gone without a trace.

“The concept of friendship doesn't exist in our world, if you must know. No one would even think twice before selling out their acquaintances to reap the personal benefits that follow,” he tells Jongin, and Jongin shudders from the cruelty of his words. It sounds like such a dark world, the one which The Corrupts have been living in. Jongin can't possibly imagine what it's like, when he has to watch his back all the time for fear of being stabbed in the rear without him being any the wiser. It must be exhausting, to be suspicious of everyone and anyone who approaches him, always second guessing if they have any ulterior motives up their sleeves. “I'm only offering my help because you cut off those pesky restraints. Now do you want it, or not?”

Deciding that it would be futile and incredibly stupid of him to keep arguing with Kyungsoo, Jongin sighs and puts his rifle aside - a sign of good faith in Kyungsoo. “Fine. Whose locations can you offer us?”

Kyungsoo waves him over as he types rapidly across the keyboard, and pulls up a map with multiple blinking dots on its surface when Jongin's close enough to peer at the screen. “The better question would be: whose location do you want?”

Holy shit.

♑

The more Jongin learns about The Corrupts, the sicker he feels about their extremely twisted world. The map which Kyungsoo had shown him on the computer, Jongin realises, is merely the beginning of their journey into the unfathomable complexities of their world which The People have never known before.

Apparently, in a bid to keep track of everyone deemed wealthy enough to be a part of the upper echelon of society, the previous government had taken it upon themselves to implant a chip which acts as a tracking device beneath the skin of every single person. The tracking device, in turn, is linked to a Global Positioning System which ultimately pings back to the government’s secret database, giving its accessor the exact location of the person of interest. It's not so much a safety feature to prevent The Corrupts from being kidnapped and murdered without the knowledge of others, but to ensure that they do not step out of line or go against the Government’s rule.

What's fucked up about this system, though, is the fact that access can be bought with a healthy sum of money, allowing some members of The Corrupt to gain an upper hand against their rivals. Kyungsoo's features had twisted into one of disgust when he recounted a previous experience; he'd eavesdropped on his father’s conversation with one of his business partners, where they'd discussed about killing off one of their fiercest rivals who refused to budge from a Government contract they were eyeing. His father was one of those who'd purchased the access code to the system from the Government the moment it was up for bidding, and used it for his heinous deeds. And, Jongin learns, the system is fully capable of allowing anyone with access to it to disable the tracking features of each chip. They could cover up their tracks and hide the body in a secluded area in the nation, and no one could ever find it.

Unfortunately for them, Mr. Do had also ensured that the chip was removed from his body and destroyed before he had gone into hiding, along with the ones embedded beneath his wife’s and Seungsoo’s skins. Kyungsoo had been incredibly pissed to find out about it, when he'd tried to track them down using the system in the past and came back with nothing.

Youngwoon had been extremely elated to find out about the system when Jongin had brought Kyungsoo over to the main study to explain its function to the man, something which Kyungsoo had been more than willing to do. Sometimes, Jongin would find himself wondering what exactly have The Corrupts done to Kyungsoo for him to give up their locations without second thought, but he's not in the position to ask for explanations, either. At the end of the day, the arrangement between them remains the same - Kyungsoo's their hostage, and Jongin's the guard who's been assigned to watch over him, to ensure Kyungsoo doesn't do anything drastic to compromise the Revolutioners’ aim at flushing out every single wealthy bastard who’s still in South Korea.

Kyungsoo seems like a brilliant man, when he talks animatedly about something he’s passionate about. There’s a glint in his eyes that lights up his usually gloomy features, one that makes Jongin stop and take a better look at Do Kyungsoo. In another lifetime where social castes do not exist, this would probably be the sort of face Jongin would find himself being attracted to.

Jongin has no doubt that the rest of The Corrupts are smart, too, but it’s a huge pity that they’ve used their intelligence and their advantage of being schooled to deprive the poorer folk of even the most basic of necessities in life. It’s the main driving force behind Jongin’s - and by default, The People’s - hatred for The Corrupts, and anyone who’s related to or supports them.

That, Jongin thinks, is why they can never be friends.

♑

“Have you ever had the opportunity to study?” Kyungsoo asks Jongin one day, while he's still busy staring at the screen of his laptop searching for God-knows-what, and Jongin's spacing out on the armchair. It's a bad habit, Jongin knows, but Kyungsoo hasn't given him any sort of trouble since the day Jongin had stopped restraining him, and Jongin thinks that he could probably trust in Kyungsoo to remain this way in the long run.

Thinking Kyungsoo was trying to belittle him, Jongin fixes Kyungsoo with a scowl and says, “Not everyone is as fortunate as you are. I was born into an era where the social divide already exists, and my parents weren't rich enough to put me through school. I was pulled out after the fifth grade.”

It's true, though. Jongin would give anything to get himself educated, because he's seen what knowledge could do to the world and one’s life. Even though he understands that going through school isn't a prerequisite for a successful life, Jongin still believes that he could go further with a good education. But it's probably too late; Jongin's much too old to attend school by now, and he's lost all desires to be properly educated. All he craves for is a stable life where he doesn't have to live through the days starving; he’ll take everything else as it comes.

“Do you want to, then? Learn, I mean,” Kyungsoo says again, this time looking up at Jongin meaningfully. “I can teach you. I have nothing better to do, anyway.”

For a moment, something within Jongin bristles at the offer, because it feels as though Kyungsoo’s belittling Jongin with his words again. “What do you mean, because you have nothing better to do?” He asks, sounding harsher than intended. “I don't exist for the sake of entertaining you.” It's quite a juvenile thought, but Jongin feels smug when Kyungsoo flinches at his accusation.

And then the guilt settles in when remorse appears on Kyungsoo's features. “I don't mean it that way- Damn it, I'm trying to be nice, okay? Just. Just give me some time.”

Kyungsoo sounds so exhausted for the first time since Jongin had met him, and he bites on his bottom lip to stop himself from saying anything more. They're walking on eggshells, really, when neither of them knows what exactly would grate the other’s nerves. But they've both been brought up in such contrasting environments that it's difficult for them to determine what's offensive and what's not in the eyes of the other party.

It drains Jongin mentally to have to put in a constant, conscious effort to be careful with his words, and he wishes they could just talk freely like Jongin does with Kibum and Minho.

In the end, Jongin sighs. “Sorry. I get worked up too easily sometimes. Why are you willing to do this, though?”

“To atone for my family’s sins. For anything and everything they've done, because I'm sure some of it have caused you a great amount of grievances along the way,” Kyungsoo flashes him a weak smile, and Jongin realises his outburst has been forgiven. He doesn't know what to say about it, having expected Kyungsoo to go on a tirade about how Jongin's a petty commoner who doesn't know of his place in society, and Jongin's left somewhat confused.

Then again, Jongin thinks he should start seeing Kyungsoo in a different light. Everything Kyungsoo has said and done defies the image of The Corrupts which Jongin has in mind, and frankly, apart from Kyungsoo's sharp tongue and occasionally cold demeanour, Jongin can't find anything unlikeable about the man.

“Okay,” Jongin exhales in the end, figuring that he needs to get rid of his prejudice towards Kyungsoo in order for them to communicate without trying to kill each other in the process. It will take weeks before Youngwoon orders the Revolutioners to flush out The Corrupts whose locations have been provided by Kyungsoo, considering the fact that they have to come up with a perfect plan which would enable them to nab The Corrupts without alerting the rest in advance, and Jongin will be stuck with Kyungsoo until they're deployed once again. He might as well make the most of it.

“Okay,” Jongin reiterates, when he catches Kyungsoo staring at him curiously, “I'll do it.”

That was the first time a wide, sincere smile had ever bloomed on Kyungsoo's features, and Jongin finds himself a little taken with that heart-shaped smile of his.

♑

Kyungsoo is an extremely patient man, Jongin realises several days into their teacher-student arrangement. Having been out of school for an extremely long period of time, Jongin's brain seems to have rusted from the disuse, and it's difficult for him to catch up with the things Kyungsoo's trying to teach him. Kyungsoo never loses his temper, though, not even once, instead calmly pointing out Jongin's mistakes and explaining over and over again until Jongin manages to catch a particular concept he's trying to learn for the day.

And when Jongin does understand their topic for the day, the heart-shaped smile graces Kyungsoo’s features all over again. It’s a little exhilarating and somewhat unsettling, how Jongin likes seeing the smile on Kyungsoo’s face, because he’s never met a Corrupt who tolerates commonfolk like him. Every single memory of Jongin’s interactions with The Corrupts have been terrible, and he's been screamed at, kicked, and slapped for something trivial so frequently that Jongin is no longer fazed by such ill treatment. He does, however, worry if his words will spark the ire within Kyungsoo, because he's simply that different from the rest of his kind Jongin has had the misfortune of meeting.

One recurrent thought nags at him, though, and it's during one of his more frustrating lessons on the history of the Korean monarchy that Jongin finally brings himself to ask, “Why do you hate your parents and the rest of The Corrupts this much, that you're willing to give us their locations even when it might mean their death?”

There's a long pause and a stunned look on Kyungsoo's part, mouth slightly agape in an effort to think of something to say, and Jongin is once again reminded of the fact that Kyungsoo's merely a year older than he is - a detail which he'd discovered when Kyungsoo had accidentally let his age slip a couple of days ago. In the end, however, Kyungsoo sighs in response, and puts his pen down on the table. “I don't hate them. It's much too strong a word,” he says, smile wry. “I dislike them, because they controlled my every action, every desire, and intended to force me to live my life the way they wanted me to. The concept of autonomy doesn't exist in the world of the rich.”

Jongin chews on his bottom lip out of habit. “That sounds… sad,” he says, and Jongin can't deny that he sympathises with Kyungsoo; he doesn't know what he’ll do, if he has to live his life the way Kyungsoo had. It seems dull, even for Jongin who never really had the opportunity to have fun, when he's busy trying to keep himself alive instead. “Does that mean you can't have hobbies, either?”

Kyungsoo presses his lips into a thin line, and shakes his head. “Hobbies are a waste of time, I've been told. This is our life as a Corrupt, so to say. Your desires are secondary, if it isn't in line with your family’s ideals.” Another sigh, and Kyungsoo seems so tired, the frown lines appearing on his forehead. He seems torn between his love for his parents and his dislike for their controlling tendencies, and for once, Jongin thinks that maybe Youngwoon is right. Blood is thicker than water; a child can never truly hate the people who have birthed them. “This is why my own parents, my family members, and my friends-” Kyungsoo says the last word with such contempt that it makes Jongin flinch. He still can't imagine a life without friends, when they're one of the few reasons why Jongin could survive after his family’s demise. “-deserted me without hesitation, because I was too stubborn to listen to them, and chased after my own desires, anyway.”

“But you're actually good at Business and Economics, aren't you?” Jongin gestures at the neatly-lined books on the shelves behind Kyungsoo's desk, and Kyungsoo turns a little to take a look at them. “I've read an article or two on you, on the Internet.”

Kyungsoo had been kind enough to teach Jongin about the World Wide Web, showing him the wonders of having any sort of information he needs at his fingertips, something which Jongin and many of The People do not have the luxury of possessing. Computers were extremely pricey due to the monopoly of its production by The Corrupts, as was the Internet. It was meant to blind The People of the truths in the world, causing the regression of the nation as a whole. The corrupted Government was smart; they knew that The People would stage an uprising the moment they found out what the Government was trying to do, and learned of the things in life which The People of South Korea were being deprived of, and had tried to hide it from The People for as long as they could. They know now, though, and they'd be damned if they allowed any of The Corrupt to get close enough to the ruling positions of the nation ever again.

And Jongin had been extremely surprised to find articles on Kyungsoo circulating on the Web, all singing praises for his brilliance in coming up with new strategies to maximise the nation’s wealth. Each article came with a photo of Kyungsoo accepting an award for his contributions to the nation, but the man was never happy in any of them. The light in his eyes were dead, a large contrast from the Do Kyungsoo who's seated across him right now.

Kyungsoo's smile is wry yet again. He seems ashamed, even. “I guess I can't say I didn't expect for you to do that. You should be hating me. I was involved - both directly and indirectly - in the policies which have made your lives miserable in the last couple of years.”

Despite the revelation, Jongin finds that he can't get angry at Kyungsoo. He's heard of the rumours - rumours that the children of The Corrupt were given a task at school, to come up with a framework or a proposal that could enable the government to capitalise on the nation’s wealth and to compete with richer nations like the United States and other European nations on the global level. The one who manages to create the best possible policy would automatically be credited and promoted to a higher education level, and it’s one of the reasons why the Do family has such an important standing in the country. Seungsoo himself has a brilliant mind, thereby setting the two sons of the Do family apart from the rest.

“You didn't have a choice, did you?” Jongin asks in a quiet, calm voice, and Kyungsoo looks up at him in surprise. Jongin smiles at him in reassurance. “You had to do it, or your family would bear the brunt of your insubordination.”

Jongin has heard of the rumours, that the Old Government had been executing children and their parents in silence, if they ever refused what they were being told to do. He would see the Enforcers in the middle of the night sometimes, making their way to the slums in order to discard large, black bags that could only contain a body. Jongin doesn't know for sure; he'd been terribly nauseated by the mere thought of finding a dead person in these bags, and would never go anywhere near them. The telltale stench of decomposing flesh that wafts in the air several days later, though, is more than enough proof to confirm Jongin's suspicions. He wonders why The Corrupts have never said a thing about it, or protested against the Old Government’s cruelty. He’ll probably never find out now.

There's a mixture of emotions on Kyungsoo's features, though resignation wins over in the end. “You've heard, haven't you. Of what they're capable of doing. The choice wasn't mine to make.”

Jongin only nods. He could understand Kyungsoo's circumstances, when he tries to put himself in Kyungsoo's shoes. If he had to choose between his parents and the greater good, Jongin would do the same, too. There's only so much one can do, when they have their hands figuratively tied behind their backs.

“What is it, then?” Jongin speaks up again moments later, his pen still scratching against paper as he works out the next chapter, finding himself a little more capable of thinking clearly, now that most of the questions in his mind have been answered. Jongin smiles when Kyungsoo stares at him questioningly again. “Your hobby. What is that you loved so much that you were willing to go against your parents’ orders?”

There's a look of hesitation which flashes across Kyungsoo's features at the question, and for the first time, Kyungsoo actually seems unsure of himself. It's a large contrast from the usually confident Kyungsoo Jongin has come to know, replaced by a boy who's craving for recognition from someone else.

“I don't know if I should-” Kyungsoo starts, then sighs again. “Let me show you.”

For a moment, Jongin thought that Kyungsoo would show him a chess set, or non-academic books, or even the electrical toy cars Jongin had seen the rich kids play with in the past, before The People were completely banned from mingling with The Corrupts. But no, the surprise Kyungsoo springs on him is greater than that, when the older man clears his throat and sings.

His voice is velvety, rich, and above all, mesmerising when Kyungsoo sings, each word enunciated clearly as he belts out one of the classical ballads which even Jongin has heard of before, something from the popular singer Cho Kyuhyun. In fact, Jongin’s so immersed in Kyungsoo’s voice that he finds himself closing his eyes and leaning into his seat, letting Kyungsoo’s sweet song fill the air between them.

Jongin's momentarily disorientated when the singing voice stops, jolting him back to reality, and he almost flails at the shattered peace until he finds Kyungsoo staring sheepishly back at him from across the desk, Kyungsoo's cheeks stained a rare pink from embarrassment.

“I'm terrible. Sorry you had to hear that,” Kyungsoo tells him, and Jongin wants to reach across the table to throttle him silly. Clearly Kyungsoo doesn't know how beautiful his voice is, or perhaps his parents and family members have all downplayed his vocals so much that Kyungsoo had lost all forms of self-confidence when it comes to singing.

So Jongin takes it upon himself to reassure Kyungsoo, and succeed he must. He almost can't bear the thought of not hearing Kyungsoo sing ever again. “Are you out of your mind? This is the type of voice that would earn you thousands of fans!” He yells incredulously, regretting the fact that he didn't have a device to record Kyungsoo's voice. Jongin would replay the recording and sing praises upon Kyungsoo's vocals until Kyungsoo embraced it naturally, if he had to.

“You're just saying that to make me feel better, aren't you?” Kyungsoo smiles weakly, drawing idle circles on the table with the tip of his finger.

Jongin has to physically restrain himself from tearing his hair out in frustration. “No. I'm not the sort of person to butter someone else just to make them feel better. I'd tell nothing but the truth, and the truth remains that your voice would be able to capture the hearts of many. I know I’d be your fan, if you ever released an album,” Jongin says again, and this time, there's a hopeful sparkle in Kyungsoo's eyes when he dares to look up once again.

But the spark disappears almost immediately when Kyungsoo seems to recall something from his past. “Singers are whores, my parents said. People pay them to entertain the masses, and their private lives are put on display, whether they like it or not. They become public property from the moment they choose to be an entertainer,” he mumbles.

Jongin flinches, because there's no way it's true. Entertainers were the best gift The People could ever wish for, when the times were dire and dreary. At least in Jongin's eyes, the entertainers inspire the hope that things will turn for the better in the future, as long as they didn't give up. An icon, a beacon of hope and unity. Singers themselves tell true and real stories about their own countless struggles and challenges. After all, the path of being an entertainer isn't always filled with rainbows and sunshine. Yet they're still able to overcome such adversities in their quest of becoming a publicly recognised figure.

And he tells all this to Kyungsoo, who offers him yet another weak smile. “A son of my status should never willingly subject myself to such a distasteful profession,” says Kyungsoo, but to Jongin, it sounds a lot like a mere repetition of what his parents have told him in the past, with no real conviction on his part.

“But you're trying to dissociate yourself from what your family stood for, aren't you?” Jongin prompts just then, knowing that he might be able to persuade Kyungsoo to change his mind after all. Kyungsoo had told him, on more than one occasion, that he didn't agree with the things his parents have done to the nation and The People, but he'd been too powerless to do anything about it. He'd also mentioned to Jongin that he would atone for his parents’ wrongdoings if he could, and Jongin had thought that Kyungsoo sounded the most sincere back then.

Kyungsoo stares at Jongin curiously, and nods with caution. “Yes, but I don't see what's the correlation-”

“By sticking to your parents’ wishes and not singing because they told you not to, aren't you living the life your parents have always tried to shape you into?” Jongin asks. There's a look of understanding that flashes across Kyungsoo's features, and Jongin just knows that he's won this argument. He tries not to let his glee show, though. Not yet. “I promise you, none of us view the entertainers in such a negative light, so don't worry and sing your heart out. It would be a shame if you kept that talent to yourself.”

Another long pause ensues as Kyungsoo tries to digest Jongin's words, but when he finally comes to see Jongin's point, a bright smile blooms on his features yet again. “Okay. You have my word.”

And Jongin finds himself falling just a little more.

Part 2