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“Hey buddy, where the hell do you think you’re going?”
Jeongin ignores the call behind him and keeps his eyes focused on the damp pavement ahead. His hand tightens around the random bottle of alcohol in his grip--he doesn’t care what it is, only that it’s strong--as the bell above the convenience store door echoes through the empty streets. The voice is getting louder, closer, and Jeongin can feel anger bubbling in his chest.
A beefy hand catches him on the shoulder, twisting him around to face the sweaty store owner, “You have to pay for that, jackass.”
Jeongin looks down to where the man is pointing and catches his reflection in the glass of the bottle. His eyes are glowing a familiar orange.
“Are you slow or something? Either pay for the alcohol or get outta here!”
The same anger is now burning its way up Jeongin’s throat. He tries to swallow it down, not quite in the mood to get into it with the old man, but the other doesn’t seem to know what’s good for him. Jeongin’s final resolve snaps when the man grabs the neck of the bottle with one hand and pushes Jeongin roughly with the other, successfully snatching the alcohol away from him.
It’s not a pleasant feeling, the way his skin succumbs to the flames, revealing only bone and ash, but the look on the man’s face makes up for it tenfold.
The poor store owner drops the bottle, shattering the glass into a million pieces and wasting Jeongin’s only sure way of finding peace of mind. He sneers at the man before taking slow steps towards his trembling frame, his boots hitting the ground with heavy thuds that resemble the steady pounding of his heart.
“What the fuck are you?” The man says, his disgust thick in the air.
Instead of a proper response, Jeongin raises one flame engulfed hand and grabs the greasy man by the collar of his sweat stained shirt. He flinches away from the heat now so close to his skin, but Jeongin’s hold is firm. The material of his shirt is burning away, turning black in color and singeing the man’s flesh, making him gasp in pain.
“Let go of me, man! Fuck, t-take anything you want. Do you want m-money? Booze?”
Jeongin smiles something wicked, pleased with how quickly the other has broken under pressure. His goal is for it to never come to this, but he can’t say a thrill doesn’t zip down his spine when he sees that delicious fear in someone's eyes.
Without loosening his grip, Jeongin drags the man back towards the storefront, all the while ignoring his yelps and shrieks.
“Let him go.”
A calm voice cuts through the night, barely loud enough to challenge the volume of the store owner, but Jeongin hears it crystal clear, like it’s coming from inside his own head. His eyes flash and settle on a frame clouded in shadow, leisurely prowling down the sidewalk towards them. Being interrupted is irritating. Jeongin twists his fingers into the man’s shirt even more and the heat of his flames burn hotter.
“Don’t be stubborn. Let the man go, Jeongin.”
Upon hearing his name, he falters just enough and the man pulls himself free from Jeongin’s grip. Jeongin watches with fiery eyes as the store owner trips on his own feet before flinging the door to his shop open and locking it behind him.
Something that could be mistaken for a snarl rips out of Jeongin’s throat, and when he turns around to confront the stranger who ruined his free ticket to all-you-can-drink liquor, he stops in his tracks to find two sharp horns catching the light of the lamp posts.
Fuck.
The demon’s eyes are familiar, but only because Jeongin has looked in the mirror and seen the same wear and tear left behind by a life neverending. His skin is blemish free and pale, the only hint of distress rests under his dark eyes. An umbrella is in his hand, and Jeongin wonders if he brought it with him so he could still enjoy a nightly stroll, even if it rained.
“You can lose the flames. They don’t do much to scare me.” The demon declares with a slight frown.
Jeongin knows when he’s met his match. Despite the power rush he feels when picking on humans, he might as well be at the bottom of the food chain when among other demons. Hesitantly, he shakes off the remaining embers on his skin--the fire had already begun to die down the moment he saw the other’s horns--but he raises his chin defiantly, if only to hope his posturing makes him seem stronger than he actually is.
“Let me take you for a drink.”
“You really think that’s a good idea?” His words leave his mouth before he can bite his tongue, but the other demon simply shrugs and turns the other way.
“We’ll find out, I guess.”
They settle on two stools along the bar in one of the only clubs still open this late. Jeongin had simply followed the elder--he wasn’t entirely sure of the demon’s age, but he was certainly of a higher rank--like a lost puppy, tail between his legs. He orders an old fashioned after the other flags down a smiley bartender and snorts when he hears his drink of choice.
“A pina colada? How fancy of you.”
Jeongin is ignored as they wait for the bartender to return with their drinks. The vibrant man behind the counter slides the pina colada towards the demon with a saccharine smile and a sweet ‘For you, Mr. Bang’ .
The slightest flush covers the elder’s cheeks, “Thank you, Felix.”
Jeongin waits until they’re alone again, “Mr. Bang? What is that? A pseudonym?”
“You can call me Dr. Bang, or nothing at all.”
“Geez, alright.” He pauses, “How do you know my name?”
Dr. Bang takes a sip of his fruity drink and turns to face Jeongin for the first time since they’ve arrived at the bar, “I know a lot of things, Yang Jeongin.”
A pang of frustration pulls in his stomach and he throws back a large gulp of his own drink, “Okay then. Tell me why we’re here. Why did you stop me tonight? Aren’t all demons supposed to be nefarious?”
The elder demon slams his glass down on the bar, making everyone in the smoky room jump, “I suppose, if you wish to live up to the stereotype. But I like to think we’ve come a long way since the dark ages.”
“That doesn’t answer my first question.”
He’s being a bit too bold in his words with the other, but Jeongin’s patience is running thin.
“I want you to come work for me. There are better things to do than petty theft and delivering second degree burns to those you deem less than.”
Jeongin scoffs, but he can’t necessarily argue. “And why would I do that, Dr. Bang ? What makes you think I should trust you?”
This amuses the demon, “You have absolutely no reason to trust me, but my offer still stands.”
Trust is a feeble thing among demons. Inherently, they’re creatures of deception, taught from a young age to never rely on those you don’t have complete control over. Jeongin has spent most of his existence running from his kind and he doesn’t have much to show for it. Perhaps it’s time for a change.
“When do I start?”
Dr. Bang's smile is oddly contagious.