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Seonghwa rushes around the busy bar, desperately holding on to his sanity for a little longer so he can keep his job. His customers barked orders at him, and being the only bartender on duty, he feels like he's tipping closer and closer to the edge.
A group of five men began frequenting Seonghwa's bar lately. They looked sketchy, always scheming whenever they visited every few days a week. Seonghwa has served them enough to know not to get in their way. He brought up his concerns with his boss once, saying that he felt very unsafe in their presence (their giant, intimidating guns and hefty sums of definitely illegal substances and money gave Seonghwa the feeling that these men will most likely kill him if he made a wrong move) but he was dismissed and was told to mind his business and do his job.
Seonghwa feels that he doesn't get paid enough to ignore his safety. Maybe if he weren't working for unpaid overtime every single day and weren't the only bartender hired, he wouldn't have batted an eye and kept to himself. But, alas, he needs to be able to pay for his daily needs, so he'll make do with what he has.
Forcing a smile, Seonghwa set down a large glass of beer in front of a rugged-looking man. He grinned up at Seonghwa, shamelessly checking him out with a low and infuriating whistle. Seonghwa politely ignored the man for fear of getting in trouble with his five-man gang, and he also couldn't be bothered to start a ruckus.
Busying himself by wiping down the bar, Seonghwa watches the men from the corner of his eye. He sees a case of some sort being passed around, only catching a glimpse of its contents for a split second. A great sum of coins, Seonghwa recognized.
Who seemed to be the leader of the gang made a motion to Seonghwa. Warily, he approaches the man wearing a red cowboy hat and a cloth around his face, covering half of the man's face that only serves to make him look suspicious. The man slides the case toward him along with a bag of coins. Seonghwa exchanges a look with him and nods. Wordlessly, he takes the case and hides it somewhere under the bar, stashing away the bag of money for himself.
Seonghwa was cleaning a freshly washed shot glass when someone new caught his eye. He was startled at the presence of the unfamiliar man standing just a few feet away from the bar. He'd never seen him in this bar before. The small town Seonghwa lives in is very close-knit, and the usual customers at the bar are the same few people every day. It's rare to see someone new in this somewhat peaceful, deserted town.
The stranger, who was leaning against the wall, began approaching the bar. The man's head is down, and the black hat he sported made it difficult for Seonghwa to identify him. Seonghwa shifted his footing anxiously, but he ignored his gut feeling telling him that something was wrong and smiled at the man when he stopped before him.
"Can I help you, sir?" Seonghwa asked politely, to which he was met with silence.
He feels weirdly watched under the man's heavy gaze. Seonghwa can't help but feel nervous around him. He thinks the way the man looks at him is a little odd—staring him down as if he were something worth ogling at. Seonghwa starts to feel shy under the man's attention, completely forgetting that he is supposed to do his job and serve his customers.
"I've been watching you for a while," the man finally speaks. He lifts the brim of his hat up and away from his eyes, allowing Seonghwa to finally see his face. "You're new here, aren't you?"
The man searches Seonghwa's face with a smile—almost a tiny smirk. He toys with a piercing on his bottom lip, and Seonghwa can't help but be drawn to the way he bites it to fiddle with the metal. He has striking blue hair and an all-black getup, guns strapped securely on both sides of his hips, fingers drumming on the bar as he waits for Seonghwa's response.
"I just moved here a few months ago," Seonghwa finally says.
The stranger hums. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Hongjoong. Nice to meet you, lovely."
Oh—so it seems that the man isn't here to rob Seonghwa out of his money or to order alcohol. He came here to flirt.
"Seonghwa," he nods, "can I help you with anything?"
He tries not to be swayed by Hongjoong's easy smile and hypnotizing eyes. Seonghwa ignores the look of interest in the man's gaze. He shouldn't get involved with any more sketchy cowboys if he wants to keep his job—especially since he's already tolerating a gang in the bar. He barely spares a glance at the five men before Hongjoong steals away his attention, tapping his ring on the bar and snapping Seonghwa out of his thoughts.
"Give me something light," Hongjoong says. "The most expensive drink you can make."
Seonghwa raises a skeptical brow but turns around to do what his customer requested. This man must only be here for a good time, and if Seonghwa had to guess, he would assume that the mysterious cowboy wanted to have fun with him. Seonghwa isn't quite sure how to proceed—should he politely turn him down while he still hasn't made a move? Or should he keep indulging in the man and see where it takes him? It's been a long while since he'd taken a lover—and Hongjoong doesn't seem like a bad potential partner.
Adding the final finishing touches to the drink, Seonghwa turns around to serve his customer—only that his customer is no longer there. He frowns at the spot where Hongjoong was just in, lip curling down in a scowl and clicking his tongue irritatedly.
First this guy flirts with him, then orders one of their more costly drinks, and then bails out? The audacity! Seonghwa is going to get in trouble with his boss if he finds out he let a customer rob him of his money.
Just as he goes to settle down the drink, mumbling about 'cocky cowboys' and 'shameless mutts,' a loud bang echoes throughout the bar. Seonghwa jumps in surprise, almost spilling the drink all over himself. He silently curses and looks around for the source of the sound, ready to coerce or physically kick people out of the bar so he doesn't get his salary cut in half.
Before Seonghwa could finish scanning the crowd, a gunshot rings too close for comfort. Gasps echo in unison, some patrons standing up from their chairs in a panic and some bolting straight out of the door. Seonghwa shrieked, arms coming up to cover his head instinctually. He peeks through the gaps of his arms to find Hongjoong standing before the table of gangsters, holding a gun that's smoking and smelling of fresh gunpowder, and a man hunched over the table, blood trickling down from somewhere on his head.
Seonghwa watches, wide-eyed, as Hongjoong steps closer to the table, raising his gun to point at another occupant's forehead. The outlaw has his back to Seonghwa, and he's glad he won't have to witness one of the gangsters actively bleed out on his table.
"I won't ask you again. Where is your leader?"
One of the men occupying the table raised his hands in surrender, arms trembling with pure fear in his eyes. "I told you; I don't know—I swear!"
Hongjoong makes a disappointed noise, head tilting threateningly. "That's not the answer I'm looking for."
Seonghwa shut his eyes tightly right before another bang rings out into the bar. He doesn't have to look to know that the gangster dropped dead just like his friend, even bleeding from the same place he was shot. Hongjoong hummed low, his footsteps loud and almost booming as he slowly rounded the table. The remaining men in the gang began to panic, desperately bargaining with the outlaw and cowering under his presence.
Legs slightly shaking with fear, Seonghwa held himself up with his arms on the bar. He can't bring himself to run and hide; his feet are rooted to the ground, and his body is unmoving. The drink in his hand clatters on the bar awfully loud, alerting Hongjoong. The outlaw stopped in his tracks when he saw Seonghwa, and he did a double-take before seemingly changing his plans, now approaching Seonghwa instead of the mortified men.
Stood frozen, Seonghwa could only watch as Hongjoong stalked confidently toward him, blinding him with a shining smile as if he didn't just murder two men in cold blood. The outlaw gently took the drink Seonghwa had made, throwing his head back and downing it in one go. He pulls out a ridiculous amount of money and slides it on the bar toward Seonghwa. The bartender can only do so much as stare at the outlaw befuddledly.
"Sorry you had to see that, sweetheart," Hongjoong says, voice hushed so Seonghwa would be the only one to hear.
To his credit, the man does seem to mean it. Seonghwa sees a glimpse of shame and sympathy in Hongjoong's eyes. Strangely, it seems to do the trick. Seonghwa nods slowly, not trusting his voice to talk yet. He feels like if he utters a single word, he would crumble and fall to his knees on the cold, hard ground.
"Now, if you show me where you hid the case, I'll be out of your hair no sooner than later," Hongjoong smiles, wide and boyish. Hongjoong is looking at Seonghwa as if he isn't holding a loaded gun in one hand, as if he isn't a dangerous, murderous outlaw, as if there aren't two dead men lying on Seonghwa's table.
When Seonghwa pulls out the case filled with who-knows-what, Hongjoong flashes him a close-mouthed grin. He opens the case and peers inside, humming in satisfaction. He shuts the thing with a snap, making Seonghwa flinch.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
Hongjoong takes his hat in his hand and holds it to his chest, bowing at Seonghwa in a gentlemanly manner. "It's unfortunate we had to meet like this. Under better circumstances, I would have asked to take you out for dinner. You truly are a lovely one."
Seonghwa stares into Hongjoong's eyes, finding not a single trace of a lie. He is being genuine—and oddly enough, it's enough to convince him that Hongjoong isn't a threat. To him, at least.
"You can make it up to me by cleaning up your mess," Seonghwa says slowly, eyeing the remaining gangsters trying to sneak away while Hongjoong is distracted. "Maybe then I'll consider your offer."
Joy lights up Hongjoong's face, eyes crinkling and his grin widening even more. "Of course! Just a second, darling."
Seonghwa watches Hongjoong beat the escaping men into an ugly pulp. True to his word, the outlaw drags the dead men out into the back exit of the bar, the other men gagged and tied to each other. He watches amused as Hongjoong obediently cleans the blood from the table, occasionally looking up at Seonghwa as if asking for approval. Seonghwa can't help but think that Hongjoong is cute—the way he seems eager to please Seonghwa just to land himself a date with him makes his heart beat faster and butterflies swirl in his chest.
He thinks that he might actually give Hongjoong a chance. The guy may be a little crazy and bloodthirsty, but Seonghwa can see the good in him. He knows he will only bring himself more trouble if he decides to pursue Hongjoong, but, well, it can't be too bad, right?
"I didn't expect you to actually clean up my bar for me," Seonghwa huffs. Admittedly, he's intrigued and incredibly interested in Hongjoong.
"It's the least I can do. You saved me a lot of trouble with those guys," Hongjoong points a thumb over his shoulder to where he's hiding the men he held captive. "It's only fair I return the favor."
Someone hollers from outside the bar. Seonghwa sees a flash of disappointment in Hongjoong's eyes before it quickly disappears, a smile coming back to light up Hongjoong's face. "My apologies, darling, but I have some business to take care of, first and foremost."
Seonghwa watches the outlaw walk out through the back exit, turning back just before stepping out to call out to Seonghwa one last time. "I'll come back with a promise to that dinner! Wait for me, beautiful!"
A commotion starts up as soon as Hongjoong walks out. Seonghwa hears yelling before it gets muffled by sounds of horse hooves thumping on the ground. He can make out a foreign voice just before they disappear, assuming the unknown person is leaving along with Hongjoong.
"You took so long! You better have that guy's location down to the bone, captain."
"Relax, Yunho. We'll find him. I just had to meet that gorgeous bartender before I left. You understand, don't you?"
"You almost jeopardized the mission!"
"Remind me which one of us is in charge again?"
Seonghwa sighs as the voices disappear from his earshot. He looks around the bar, feeling exhausted. He's definitely going to lose his job by the end of the day.