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Kwon Soonyoung. That was the name of the man Jihoon was sent to kill. He had never seen his boss so angry, practically chucking the blurry photo of the man at him and barking the command to just get the job done . He stared at the photo, tucked neatly under the napkin sitting on the table at the bar. From his position on the second floor of the casino, he could see Soonyoung on the first floor dealing cards to unamused blackjack players with a wide grin on his face. It appeared to be the same scene from the photo he was given, down to the goofy smile.
Jihoon took a sip of his Bellini, wondering why he was sent to kill Kwon Soonyoung in the first place. The head of the gang, Yoon Jeonghan, typically sent Jihoon on missions to assassinate people who deserved it. Creepy old guys, corrupt businessmen, other gang members guilty of baseless crimes--there was always a good reason for them to be killed in cold blood. But watching Soonyoung from afar, he couldn’t figure out what he had done to deserve a target over his head. On top of the fact that he seemed quite young--probably around Jihoon’s age--he couldn’t sense a malicious aura from him at all. He tried to guess what he could have done to piss the boss off so intensely.
Even if he didn’t think he deserved to die, though, it wasn’t like he had a choice. Jihoon led a normal life until he killed someone in self defense. He expected to be found by the police but he was instead approached by Jisoo, a member of Jeonghan’s gang and his second in command, wanting to recruit him as an assassin in exchange for his freedom, since apparently his kill was “that clean.” How typical of him, he thought, to be so good at something completely new to him that it became his livelihood in the blink of an eye. He laughed under his breath, lost in thought as he swirled the Bellini in his glass.
“Waiting for someone?” The bartender asked. Jihoon turned and saw him offering a pitying smile, with his bizarrely sharp canines protruding.
“Kind of,” Jihoon responded, fussing with the cuff links on his jacket. He was, indeed, waiting for the moment Soonyoung stepped away from his table to start the mission. It was taking longer than he anticipated.
“Well, I hope you don’t get stood up. I’ve seen it happen too much.” He began to wipe down a glass which nearly slipped from his grip, but managed to catch with absolutely no grace. He held the glass up triumphantly, flashing a boyish grin at Jihoon. “Thank god that won’t be coming out of my paycheck.”
Jihoon chuckled, looking back down at Soonyoung’s spot on the floor. It appeared like he was finally going on his break, exiting his area at the table. A casino patron chucked the contents of their drink at him, presumably out of frustration at their progress in the game, which Soonyoung masterfully dodged. He gave the dealer replacing him, a dark haired man with a blinding smile and angular features, a strong pat on the back before taking his leave.
Jihoon hopped off of his seat to take his leave as well, making sure to tuck the picture of Soonyoung safely into his coat pocket. He placed a bill far too large in front of the bartender, whose eyes widened in shock.
“For any glasses you might break in the future,” Jihoon said, before shoving his hands in his pocket and leaving the bar.
------
Jihoon was hidden around the corner of the building, mindlessly rolling a pebble under his shoe and listening to the chatter of the streets behind him. After observing him for awhile, the plan of action was secure: during Soonyoung’s break, he always left the premises unattended to smoke a cigarette. Jihoon assumed it was merely for the purpose of solitude, since smoking was allowed inside the casino. He would use that time to knock Soonyoung out and take him to a safer location, with less threat of discovery. Really, he made it too easy.
“Idiot,” Jihoon huffed, pressing his shoe into the pebble.
As if on cue, Jihoon heard the door open, and moments later the flick of a lighter. He peered around the corner, seeing Soonyoung gaze up towards the sky as he exhaled smoke. He crouched down, seeking an opening, watching Soonyoung cautiously. The moonlight shone on his features nicely, Jihoon noticed, and created a glint off of the earring that hung to the base of his neck that was almost magical. He realized where his thoughts were going when Soonyoung finally turned away, creating an opening.
Jihoon began to move in silence, approaching Soonyoung’s figure until he was close enough to masterfully swipe at his feet, causing him to trip forward and bring him to Jihoon’s level. He steadied his shoulders with one arm and and with his free hand he brought a damp towel of chloroform to his mouth. He gasped, struggling against the force but in a few moments, he stopped, limp against Jihoon’s arm. He quickly taped his mouth shut and threw a sack over his head, dragging him away.
-----
Jihoon brought a blade out of his bag and set it on the table carefully. Of his tools, he decided it was the best for today’s occasion, allowing him to stall for long enough to get some information out of Soonyoung, while still inciting fear. He did, after all, still want to figure out why Soonyoung was being sentenced to death by the boss.
He made it without detection to his typical killing location, a small abandoned warehouse in a narrow alley coincidentally close to the casino where Soonyoung worked. Not even the gang knew about this place--it was completely under his control. It was usually easy to clean up afterwards, as well, so it was no mystery Jihoon always found himself back here when he had a particularly arduous mission.
He turned around to Soonyoung, who he presumed was still unconscious. He sat unmoving in the chair where Jihoon tied him. He approached his limp figure, stopping right at arm’s distance to take in a deep breath. He always got a little nervous before he started one of his assassinations, since it wasn’t something from which he exactly derived enjoyment. It was just what he had to do to survive. He removed the sack from Soonyoung’s head and ripped the duct tape off, and life returned to Soonyoung’s face with a sharp gasp.
Jihoon froze. Between the blurry pictures and the darkness of the alley, he never got a chance to really look at Soonyoung. But now that they were face to face, in total clarity and looking right at each other, with a shock in Soonyoung’s eyes that melted into a dark gaze, he was floored.
He was gorgeous, breathtakingly so. His eyes were sharp and scrutinizing, watching Jihoon attentively. His hair was perfectly disheveled, despite the sack that had just been over it, and his lips were the sweetest shade of pink--though now a bit closer to red from the force of ripping off the tape. His dealer’s uniform shirt was slightly unbuttoned, presumably to get more comfortable during his break, and the slightest bit of his collarbone was exposed. As if taking in all of him for the first time, Jihoon’s eyes wandered down his body, and he noticed that his pants were pretty tight, his thighs filling them in...rather nicely.
The smirk that appeared on Soonyoung’s lips was devilish. Jihoon wanted to do nothing more than look away and compose himself, but he knew if he did, he’d lose all the impact of being a dangerous assassin. So he forced himself to keep a straight face, unmoving, unreadable.
“Oh, I see,” Soonyoung said, finally speaking up. “So this is how things are gonna go, huh? This is my first time being taken hostage, so I’ll try my best to cooperate. What do you want from me?”
Jihoon’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “What?”
“Come on, I know what this is about. It’s not every day you get knocked out and tied up in a creepy abandoned building. Unless I’m just that irresistible, and you’re into some kinky shit.” Soonyoung attempted to blow a strand of hair away from his eyes so he could better wiggle his eyebrows at Jihoon. “I know I’m in trouble with some shady people, though. It wouldn’t be the first time this happened."
Jihoon’s mouth hung open. The image of the beautiful casanova before him had shattered in an instant, and was replaced with a grating chatterbox. “It wouldn’t be?”
“Nah, dude. Shouldn’t you know?” Soonyoung shrugged. “I guess it happens when you’re like me and you work at such a high-profile casino. See shit I’m not supposed to see, cross people I shouldn’t cross, uh...get into fights I shouldn’t get into. You know. I’ve gotten stopped and questioned and threatened a few times before, but this is new.”
Jihoon slowly nodded. It was amazing how much Soonyoung was telling him with minimal prying. “I see.”
Soonyoung sat back in the chair comfortably, smug grin on his face. “Yeah. So, what will it be? Do you need to beat me around a little bit for being bad? Pry some meaty info out of me? I’ll be on my best behavior.”
Jihoon narrowed his eyes at Soonyoung. Why did that all sound so dirty? Still, though he admitted to crossing the mafia before, it didn’t seem like anything too threatening. Just a troublemaker looking for a cheap thrill. And though he sounded obnoxiously confident, he wasn’t like any of Jihoon’s past victims when he tried to question them. They used fear, aggression and manipulation against Jihoon’s demands.
But this guy was baring it all. If he had anything worth hiding, he wasn’t interested in hiding it. He watched as Soonyoung swung his head back and forth, tilted so his single long earring would smack the exposed skin near his neck repeatedly. Was this buffoon really a threat? Why did Jeonghan want him dead so urgently? Something wasn’t adding up.
Jihoon turned back to the table with his tools, picking up the blade and sliding his fingers across it. “Honestly, I don’t know what you did. But I’m not just going to let you go after some light beating. I’m going to kill you.”
“Oh,” Soonyoung said, far too calmly. A wave of silence passed in the room, and then Jihoon heard the chair scrape across the floor in dire protest. “Wait, what the fuck!? You’re going to kill me ? What did I even do! I-I take it back, you have the wrong guy!”
“There’s no use fighting it,” Jihoon responded, hearing Soonyoung continue to wrestle against the ropes he used to tie him up. “They’re only going to get tighter.”
Jihoon turned back around, carrying the small blade with him in time to see Soonyoung desperately panting after stopping his wild outburst. His eyes were frantic and pleading. “You’re really going to kill me? And you don’t even know why? I can’t even know what I did…?”
“That’s how it works,” Jihoon said, tone flat. He leaned against the table, resting the blade’s flat side on his hand and facing Soonyoung directly, waiting for him to calm down.
After a few moments, Soonyoung’s panicked expression dissolved into a smirk. He let out a small laugh. “Well, whatever. I guess if I had to go out some way, it’d be by the hands of a sexy little thing like you.”
Jihoon glared daggers at him. “Do you realize I’m holding a knife, and you’re tied to a chair right now?”
“Ah, push some buttons, did I? Was it calling you short? Or was it saying you’re sexy?”
He continued to stare at Soonyoung menacingly.
“Don’t pretend you weren’t thinking it, too. I saw the way you looked me up and down after you woke me up like you were gonna eat me alive.”
“Be quiet."
“Make me.”
Jihoon held the blade up, light glinting off of it. “Did you forget that I easily can?”
Soonyoung gulped, confident aura faltering a little. “I guess I did.”
Jihoon rubbed his temples with his free hand, mostly trying his best to hide his visceral reactions to Soonyoung’s flirting. He was seriously annoying. He just wished he would shut up. He knew he was trying to engage Jihoon in a stupid and pointless battle of wits. But it was working, and Soonyoung was winning. He felt compelled to sympathize with his boss--Soonyoung was pissing him off, to the level that he wanted to kill him. But Jeonghan had never been one for petty crimes, and Jihoon didn’t actually think he deserved to die.
Jihoon placed the blade behind him on the table and folded his arms across his chest, giving Soonyoung a pointed look. “I will admit, I won’t feel right unless I figure out why I was sent to kill you first. Has anything out of the ordinary happened in the past few days?”
“Ooh, a mafia assassin with a conscience? You’re much cuter than I thought,” Soonyoung answered back, avoiding the question. All it took was a sigh from Jihoon to get him back on track. “Sorry, sorry. Uh...honestly everything has been pretty normal. For me, at least. I’ve been in the game long enough that I can tell when suspicious guys come by, especially by my table. But it’s just been the same old geezers and alcoholics that I always see. Nothing funny outside of work, either. I just go home and crash, or hang out at the bar between my place and the casino. Typical Kwon Soonyoung business. Oh shit, I told you my name!”
“I already know your name. That’s part of tracking you down to kill you, dumbass.”
“Oh. I guess you’re right.” Soonyoung smiled earnestly, his eyes becoming crescents. “Then can you tell me your name?”
“What makes you think I’m stupid enough to do that?”
“I don’t know, maybe the fact that you’re going to kill me and it’s going to be irrelevant whether I know your name or not.” Soonyoung blinked, tilting his head to the side innocently, causing his earring to drag down his neck. “Or were you not planning on doing that, so you’re afraid of any compromising information I might have against you?'
In one swift motion, Jihoon grabbed the blade off the table and approached Soonyoung, slamming his boot onto the chair between his legs and holding the blade up dangerously close to Soonyoung’s neck. Soonyoung’s breathing hitched and he receded into his chair.
“Listen, you ingrate. I’m already pushing the boundaries of my kindness by figuring out why exactly my fucking boss wants me to wipe you off the face of the planet. What I decide to do with that information is up to me and not some blubbering idiot I met an hour ago. I am completely in control here. You are at my mercy.” Jihoon turned the knife so the flat edge was against Soonyoung’s chin, using it to lift his head up and meet his icy stare. “Got it?”
Soonyoung let out shallow breaths, looking from the handle of Jihoon’s blade to his face. After awhile, he spoke. “These might be my last words, but if this whole situation wasn’t incredibly fucked up, I would have thought that was really hot.” He let out a breathy laugh. “Actually, I kind of thought so anyway."
Jihoon sighed. “You really don’t know when to shut your mouth, do you?” He lowered his foot from the chair and began to lower the blade. He let a tense silence hang in the air and Soonyoung’s breathing return to normal before he slammed the blade right next to his foot.
Soonyoung let out a preemptive cry of terror before he realized he felt no pain. “Oh, you spared my foot.”
Jihoon looked up from his kneeling position on the floor, speaking in the same authoritative tone as before. “You are going to cooperate with me. I am going to get what I want out of you one way or another.”
“Okay, okay,” Soonyoung answered. “But I really don’t know what I did! I mean it. I can’t even think of anything weird beyond a few days ago. Last time I had a run-in with someone shady, I got my retribution. And that was months ago. Ugh!” He thrashed violently in the chair. “This sucks ass!”
“Calm down,” Jihoon said. He tried himself to think back to anything out of the ordinary about Jeonghan’s behavior. He did seem a little bit more on edge, and much snappier than usual, but he hadn’t mentioned anything that caught Jihoon’s attention. He didn’t understand how Soonyoung could have such a strong impact on his mood without even being aware of it.
“That’s easy for you to say,” Soonyoung answered. “Your life isn’t on the line for something you might not have even done!” Soonyoung began to raise his voice. “This is bullshit! God, what kind of sick karmic retribution is this? I guess I deserve it for being such a jerk my whole life. But was I really that bad? I’ve done some good too!” He wailed, on the verge of a mental breakdown. “If I knew my last good fuck before I died would have been weeks ago, I would have tried harder to get with Seungcheol!”
Jihoon’s head shot up at the mention of the name. “What did you just say?”
“Huh? Oh, I kind of sleep around, whatever.” Soonyoung blinked. “Or do you mean Seungcheol? He’s just some guy I’ve been trying to hook up with for awhile. He’s crazy hot, especially ‘cause he’s so innocent.” He chewed on his lip. “Now that you mention it, I get the vague feeling he told me to back off recently, something about being taken? I wonder who’s the lucky lady! Or fella, you never know.”
Jihoon clenched his fists in frustration. Seungcheol. Why did this name sound so familiar? He racked his brain, thinking of every possible connection, until an image of the boss flashing an out-of-place, sweet and fond smile came to his mind.
Oh shit.
Seungcheol.
The gang boss Yoon Jeonghan’s boyfriend.
Everything clicked at once. Jeonghan had mentioned a boyfriend, especially one that he was protective over and tried to keep away from his gang life as much as possible, quite a few times recently. Jihoon accidentally overheard a private phone call filled with affectionate giggles and names, and Jeonghan later threatened to kill him and his entire family if he revealed the contents of his call to anyone. If Soonyoung had been unknowingly pushing himself onto said boyfriend and Jeonghan found out, his territorial instincts must have blown off the handle.
Jihoon pushed himself off the floor, grip on the knife loosening. His boss wanted this man dead because he was jealous and worried about his boyfriend. He looked at Soonyoung, largely innocent and foolish to boot, and felt a tug in his chest. He was right--this was bullshit. Jihoon couldn’t wrap his head around the idea of doing the dirty work of his boss’ romantic relationships, especially when they involved someone who didn’t even know how he was involved.
The look in Soonyoung’s eyes when they met--helpless and fearful--was the last push that sent Jihoon’s walls crumbling down. There was no way he could kill the man before him. This painstakingly beautiful man, Kwon Soonyoung, the blackjack dealer with a heart of gold and a quick-witted mouth. Despite how aggravated Jihoon was with his multitude of retorts, there was a part of him that was helplessly charmed by it, as well. It seems even he could not resist getting attached to one of his targets after watching their every move.
While these thoughts whirred around in Jihoon’s head, he unknowingly inched closer to Soonyoung, positioning himself right between his legs, staring down at him. Soonyoung could only look on quietly, finally afraid of what could happen to him next. Noting the defeated look in Soonyoung’s eyes, Jihoon couldn’t help a small smile forming on his lips.
Idiot, he thought. I’m the one who’s lost.
After awhile, Soonyoung spoke up again. “Hey,” he said in a soft voice.
“Hm?” Jihoon responded, as if in a trance.
“I have a request. I’m being completely serious, I’m not trying to mess with you.” All traces of his playful grin were gone from his face, and Jihoon could tell he was being honest.
“What is it?”
“Before you kill me, do you think you could, you know...kiss me?”
Jihoon stayed still for a moment, letting his words sink in. He tightened the grip on his knife once more, and with his free hand, he held Soonyoung’s chin up. He knew there wasn’t a trace of hostility left in his own eyes. Yet when he looked at Soonyoung’s, they were wide with innocence and a glint of fear, completely unable to read Jihoon’s expression anymore, expecting the worst. He let out his own defeated laugh before he pressed their lips together in a kiss, trying to be as gentle as possible. It was warm, and he felt the trembling of Soonyoung’s lower lip against his.
And while they were locked in the kiss, Jihoon cut away the ropes tying Soonyoung to the chair, freeing him.
Jihoon pulled away, leaving only an inch between their faces. He let the knife slip out of his hand and behind the chair.
“I’m not going to kill you,” he whispered. “And my name is Jihoon."
Soonyoung’s eyes looked up and down Jihoon’s face in shock, having trouble processing the turn of events. He brought his newly freed hands up to Jihoon’s shoulders slowly, gripping them lightly in desperation. Jihoon began to smile fondly when the grip on his shoulders tightened and Soonyoung was up from the chair, spinning them around and backing Jihoon into the nearest wall.
Jihoon let out a weak gasp, looking up at Soonyoung towering over him. Soonyoung had placed one of his arms on the wall over Jihoon’s head, leaning down to maintain the short distance between them.
Jihoon wondered if he had made a mistake, when Soonyoung’s mouth turned up in that same devilish grin. “Jihoon,” he began. “Jihoon...Jihoon. I definitely won’t forget.” He leaned down further to whisper into Jihoon’s ear. “Thank you.” The hot breath on Jihoon’s neck made him shudder.
He put a firm hand on Soonyoung’s chest and pushed him away enough to look him in the eyes again. “You have to get out of here. You have to run, run from this city and preferably the country. Preferably tonight. The police won’t be able to protect you so you have to do just as I say if you want to keep living.”
“Trust me, I know.” Soonyoung ran his finger tenderly down the line of Jihoon’s jaw. “Why don’t you come with me? You’re going to be in deep shit too, right? We could run away together.”
Jihoon shook his head. “It’s too dangerous for both of us. We need to go our own ways.” He balled his fist around Soonyoung’s shirt. “Besides, I don’t know if I would be able to put up with you.”
They laughed together and Jihoon’s heart squeezed. If only it was as easy as running away with Soonyoung. He looked down at their feet.
“Go,” he said.
Soonyoung held his stance for a moment before nodding, pulling away from the wall and Jihoon. He already missed the proximity, but he knew the longer he waited, the more painful it would be. Soonyoung turned his back to him, walking away slowly as he rummaged in his pocket. He pulled something out and stopped at the door frame, Jihoon hearing the familiar flick of a lighter.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m smoking a cigarette, since you interrupted me while I was smoking my last one.” He turned to look over his shoulder with a smirk. “Remember?”
Jihoon’s expression melted into a smile. “Fair enough.”
Soonyoung kicked open the door to the warehouse, turning to face Jihoon one last time. The moonlight from the clear night shone behind him as he bowed.
“Goodbye, Jihoon. For now.”
The door closed with a thud and Jihoon was left by himself in silence.
For now, he thought.
-----
“Hello, sir, welco--”
The waitress gave him wide eyes, presumably from the shock of such a small person entering a bar with such confidence, but Jihoon didn’t even react. He was used to it by now, and people commenting on his size seemed almost natural. He gave her a warm smile as he approached the bar, settling himself into a seat by the window. He caught a glimpse of an ashtray in front of him. He gave a glance around the rest of the bar for any no smoking signs, then proceeded to pull out his pack of cigarettes, bringing one to his mouth and lighting it.
He stared out the window of the small bar, surprised to find a peaceful place in the middle of such a bustling city. It had been a few years since he had left the gang, ran as far away from the city as possible and relocated halfway across the country. He happened to settle in another major metropolitan area, but it didn’t bother him. He figured it was what was familiar to him anyway.
Nobody ever came looking for him or tried to contact him. He often wondered if Jeonghan realized his mistake when Jihoon suddenly disappeared. He spent around a year or so in fear, barely able to leave the company of Wonwoo, an old friend who was kind enough to let him in for as long as he needed. It took some getting used to, and he had a lot of nightmares, but eventually he was able to adapt to a normal life again.
Thoughts of Soonyoung still came to him from time to time, now less often than before. He always wondered how he was doing, if he managed to make it out alive, and if he managed to stay safe. Anywhere down the line someone could have come for him, just because of a mafioso’s desire to get the job done. He took a drag of the cigarette, trying to imagine what his life would be like now. With his eccentric personality, he really could have been thriving at anything.
The voice of the bartender interrupted his thoughts. For some reason, Jihoon found it to be a little familiar, and a little grating.
“How ya doing, sir? Anything I can get for you tonight?"
“Hmm...how about a Moscow Mule,” Jihoon responded, exhaling the smoke, not even bothering to look towards the bartender.
“Really? For such a little guy like you? Are you sure you can handle it?”
Jihoon smiled, laughing under his breath at his concern. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Whatever you say,” he said.
A few minutes passed as the man prepared the drink in silence, Jihoon continuing to look out the window lost in thought, before he spoke up again.
“How long have you been smoking for?"
“About five years,” Jihoon answered, looking at the cigarette between his fingers now. “I know it’s a bad habit, but an old acquaintance got me into it. He was pretty impressionable.”
“Oh? That’s funny, I actually stopped smoking myself around five years ago.” The bartender was working near Jihoon now, turned away from him, putting the finishing touches on his drink. Jihoon caught a glimpse of an earring, dangling to the base of his neck, and his whole body froze.
“Old habits die hard, huh? Here’s your drink, s...ir.” The mug all but fell from his hands onto the bar as he turned around to hand Jihoon the drink. Their eyes were locked onto each other, both unable to move, Jihoon’s cigarette burning away uselessly in his hand.
“Soonyoung,” Jihoon breathed out.
Soonyoung’s eyes lit up, an eager smile overtaking his face, before it was wiped and replaced with that too-familiar, unforgettable smirk. He placed a firm hand on the bar, leaning closer to Jihoon.
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my sexy and dangerous guardian angel. Did you really come this far, just to find me?”
Maintaining his gentle smile and eye contact with Soonyoung, Jihoon took his cigarette and slammed the burning end between Soonyoung’s fingers, barely missing.
“I see you haven’t changed at all, Soonyoung.”
“I see you haven’t changed, either. You know that could have seriously hurt me, right? Thanks for burning a hole into my bar, though. I’ll make sure to put it on the tab.”
Jihoon groaned. His eyes met with Soonyoung’s, still glued on his face, not being able to contain his genuine smile any longer.
“I guess goodbye for now wasn’t too off base, huh,” he said, returning his wide smile.