“It’s been a really long while, Dauntless-san. I hope you’re satisified with the lodging at my mansion.”

Sungmin smiled at the man sitting on the elevated platform. “I’m definitely satisfied. Thank you for inviting me to this new gorgeous mansion of yours, Shou-san. And happy birthday, I brought a gift on behalf of Revenge-sama and Asphalt-sama.” 

“The gift can wait, Dauntless-san. I was looking forward to catching up with you, but what’s this new pet that I heard you speaking about to my underlings?”

“Kyu,” Sungmin called out, using the old nickname to protect Kyuhyun’s identity. He had no idea what the officer was doing here and he had definitely no idea why he was protecting him. All he knew was that he needed to get all of them out of this situation safely. “Greet Shou-san,” Sungmin ordered when Kyuhyun reached his side.

“Good evening, Shou-sama. Happy birthday.” Kyuhyun greeted in an almost unwilling tone. The officer wasn’t as cooperative as Sungmin hoped he would be.

“Hmm… He doesn’t look much.” Shou scrutinized Kyuhyun. “Is he that good in bed for you to bring him to Japan?”

Sungmin chuckled. “Actually, I have yet to find out, Shou-san. I didn’t bring him from Korea; I met him here.”

“Oh?”

“We had a bet at the airport and he lost a night to me.” Sungmin grabbed Kyuhyun’s waist roughly, pulling the indignant officer towards him. “I thought he would be a good companion for me at your party.”

“He sure is an interesting one… with that unwilling look on his face,” Shou mused.

“That’s what makes him more attractive, isn’t it?” Sungmin closed in for a kiss, but Kyuhyun turned his head away. Letting out a smirk, Sungmin grabbed and turned Kyuhyun’s face roughly, forcing him in place as he kissed the lips he had not touched for ten years. He had long forgotten how Kyuhyun’s average-looking lips, which the aesthetics never served justice to the touch, felt against his own lips. He tilted the officer’s chin with his hand, slowly coaxing Kyuhyun into responding as he tugged lightly on the ends of Kyuhyun’s hair with his free hand, but Kyuhyun refused to budge. Even so, Sungmin felt the longing coursing through his body as his lips moulded perfectly against Kyuhyun’s.

When he finally let go, Kyuhyun immediately turned his head away again. Taking in a deep breath to calm his wildly beating heart, Sungmin drew a smug expression back onto his face. “A naughty pet just makes one want to tame it.”

Shou laughed at the display. “That I have to agree, Dauntless-san! If I say I want to be the one to tame him, will you give him to me as a birthday present?”

Sungmin’s heart thumped at the question. He met Shou’s eyes with a forced smile, tightening his hold around Kyuhyun. “Sorry, Shou-san. I’m a little possessive over my own properties. Besides, you do have a birthday present from us.”

“Well… Why don’t we ask the pet instead?” Shou’s eyes shone with mischief. “Kyu-san, who do you want out of the two of us for tonight?”

Kyuhyun looked at Shou boldly; his expression still one of hostility and indignance. “None. But Dauntless is the one I lost a night to.”

Shou laughed, clearly entertained by Kyuhyun’s answer. “Very well. Let’s have a competition with him as the prize then, Dauntless-san.”

Sungmin narrowed his eyes. “Competition on what?”

Before Shou could answer, Kyuhyun cut in. “Why should I be the prize? Whatever competition between you two remains between you two. I didn’t just give up a random night. I lost a night to Dauntless.”

“Hmmm… shall we have a competition between me and you then, Kyu-san? Have you tried shuriken throwing before?”

~---~

Sungmin couldn’t comprehend what Kyuhyun was thinking as they stood by the side, watching Shou’s underlings test out the dartboard. He could have easily gotten them out of the situation if he was the one playing against Shou. The police academy taught guns, not throwing weapons, but Sungmin had trained for it in the four years before he entered TriSatan. He didn’t have the definite confidence to win against the yakuza leader, but he was sure he would at least stand a chance unlike Kyuhyun; he had managed to win two years ago after all.

That was why Sungmin didn’t understand Kyuhyun’s persistence in doing this on his own. If he had just kept quiet, Shou would have went ahead with a competition against Sungmin, instead of now, Kyuhyun, whom Sungmin didn’t even know had touched shuriken stars before.

“All prepared, Shou-sama,” Sukei, who had picked up Sungmin from the airport, reported.

“Good,” Shou turned to the two of them, “One night if you lose to me, Kyu-san.”

“Shou-san—”

“I will take him tomorrow night, Dauntless-san. Don’t worry, he’s all yours for tonight.” Shou looked towards Kyuhyun. “Let’s keep the competition simple, shall we?”

“How?” Kyuhyun replied with an expressionless face.

“Since it’s your first time doing this, I will take a handicap. According to the distance away from the center of the board, points from 0 to 10 will be awarded for each throw. You get five throws, and I will just do…” Shou narrowed his eyes at the dartboard. “Two.”

The rules Shou announced gained a surprised response from those in the crowd who had never seen the leader’s skills. Kyuhyun seemed unfazed by the decision, and Sungmin couldn’t tell if that was truly how the officer felt. The professional Officer Cho was good at keeping up a mask when on his job, even better than Sungmin himself, and that was one of the reasons why Sungmin fell for Kyuhyun. Kyuhyun was good at keeping his emotions in check, except for when it came to Sungmin – and Sungmin felt exclusive knowing that he was the only one Kyuhyun would show all his vulnerability to.

“You go first then, Shou-san,” Kyuhyun said, essentially agreeing to the rules.

“Very well.”

It didn’t take Sungmin to see where the star landed on the board to know the points Shou had earned. He could tell by the flick of the wrist and the knowledge of Shou’s skills that it hit the bullseye. The crowd erupted into cheers and the leader took no time to throw the second star.

“I’m getting old,” Shou commented in amusement as he glanced at the point of the star embedded on the line of the innermost circle. “Let’s count that as a nine.” Nevertheless, the guests cheered for the leader.

“Kyu-san, it’s your turn,” Shou gestured, moving over to switch places with Kyuhyun.

Kyuhyun walked confidently to position, taking a star from the tray Sukei was carrying. He perused the weapon, flipping it front and back before throwing it lightly upwards in the air to estimate the weight. Concentrating on the dartboard close to six metres away, the officer took three seconds before throwing the weapon.

Sungmin frowned as soon as the star left Kyuhyun’s hand. It was obvious that the officer had no experience in throwing weapons, because at the angle he had thrown the star, the point wouldn’t even hit the board. As expected, Kyuhyun’s first star knocked against the board at an awkward angle, bouncing off to the ground. A few snickers left the guests.

It took Kyuhyun much longer to throw the second star, and Sungmin could see the subtle twists of the officer’s wrist as the officer calculated the angles. It was even a pleasant surprise to Sungmin when the star left in an appropriate spin, hitting sharply against one of the outer circles of the board.

“Three. For a beginner, you learn really fast, Kyu-san,” Shou praised with a smile.

The third star went similar to the second, earning Kyuhyun anot