(BACKSTORY)

(48) JONGIN I

Having friends was something Kai hadn't exactly gotten the hang of until more recently. Generally, he's pretty much the average pre-teen boy who gets excited when his new favorite games come out, with mediocre grades and a certain sport he keeps as a hobby.

However, he's also kind of personal and chooses to keep to himself most of the time. It's not a big problem, either, because he grew up knowing that getting too close to “normal” people could possibly be dangerous to himself, his friends, or family.

His family that, on the outside, is perfectly normal and does things that normal families should do; his mother works at home, and his father teaches his son about handiness around the house, or maybe how to play baseball every now and then. His younger sister is new at ballet, of whom she was influenced by her brother, Kai, who also learned ballet at a young age despite how much he didn't want to do it. Yet, dancing grew on him overtime, and he's become extraordinarily good at it for turning double-digits just recently. His two older sisters are both out of high school, one who had just graduated and is preparing to move out to study abroad, while the other is a good three years older, working with her husband in their own restaurant not too far away from home.

There's only one thing that nobody knows that separates them from being a perfectly normal family, though, and that is the fact that Mr. Kim is a drug lord. He's rich with good, trusting guards who guard the bases and even their modern-styled house with lots of connections, and other than the fact that he's running this completely illegal drug selling system and his scary-looking expression, he's actually known to be a very nice guy with a great fatherly personality.

This man was Kai’s father and Kai found that wickedly cool.

Of course, there were a few disadvantages to having the country’s most powerful drug lord as your father, and that was the restrictions.

No going out alone without a bodyguard, no hanging out at friend’s houses, though Kai didn’t have many to begin with. What he usually did was much more entertaining than sitting in a circle of snot nosed brats groaning about ‘cooties’.

Which he knew was fake. He had two older sisters after all and didn’t get any such thing as the cootie disease. Another problem was that there were off limits areas around Kai’s house that he wasn’t allowed to venture into.

Though, everyone knew that a smart boy like Kai was bound to find his way in there somehow.

It was around noon when Kai felt like he would take a break from playing video games. Technically he was supposed to be going to ballet classes, but the bodyguard assigned to watch him was somewhere lost in their fridge, so it gave Kai the perfect chance to escape and go exploring.

Being careful not to make any noise as he went out through the back door, Kai made a beeline for one of the ‘off limits’ areas that his dad told him not to visit.

Kinda made it hard for Kai not to take a few peeks now and then when it was labeled as off limits. Like really.

Sneaking off through the grass and bushes, it was obvious to Kai that he especially wasn’t allowed to snoop around today. There were big ugly vans all parked out front of one of the main buildings, each van housing at least four of five big guys locked up with handcuffs and placed in a line. The guys were pretty ugly too. Grim faces lined with more scars than Kai could count.

And that was a lot of scars. Because Kai was a smart kid and could count up to a thousand if he wanted to.

Some of the men working under Kai’s dad were waiting around the entrance with the unknown men. They had it so any man coming out from a van was to be escorted in by a guard, with no exception except for the last van.

Only a single man was seated in the van. And instead of having normal handcuffs like the other men, he had a thick white jacket around his torso, the fluffy clothing hiding his arms as if he hadn’t had any to begin with. As he hopped off the back of the van, Kai watched in horror as the man landed right on his toes, the cracking ligaments being heard even from the faraway spot Kai was hiding in.

Kai let out a short and muffled gasp as he covered his mouth.

The man had started to shake before letting out a loud growl almost. He thrashed around in his shackles before not one, but three guards had to hold him down. They must’ve done something to sedate him, because not long after did his resistance stopped, being dragged into the building along with the other men that were bound by shackles.

They’d been gone for a good five minutes before Kai was able to breath easy. Something about that man had intrigued him. Those eyes of his seemed to hide something and it was something Kai was itching to find out one way or another. He too, went into the building and into the dangerous off limits zone.

It had taken an even longer amount of time for him to finally catch up to the men and by now, Kai was sure that his bodyguards knew he was missing. He would only have a bit more time before they’d realize that he was probably the exact place where he wasn’t supposed to be, so he had to make this quick. Darting around a couple more corners, he cut in between a small gap in the walls to hide himself from guards patrolling the area. From there, Kai had trailed behind a pair of guards before entering into the last door on the right of the hallway.

He saw a figure sitting in a chair and recognized the thick white jacket from before. Though not moving, Kai just watched from afar as the man continued to sit and do nothing.

This was Kai’s time for some fun.

“So why are you here?”

The man’s head snapped up at the noise, but wasn’t able to turn around and look at Kai for his arms and legs were bound to the chair he was seated in. “Who’s there?”

“I asked you a question.” Kai sighed, plopping himself onto the ground. “Why are you here?”

Again did the man demand for him to reveal who he was. Kai was less than pleased and repeated his question, making it clear in his voice that he wanted answers.

“Isn’t it obvious?” The man scoffed. “Drugs.”

Kai could only huff out a sigh as he heard the same answer as always. His dad owned the drug business and it was only natural that anyone coming around this parts was somehow related towards that topic. It was the most broadest, general topic anyone could say.

“Were you… Buying them?” Kai guessed, taking a stab in the dark because this guy obviously didn’t want to talk.

“Do I look that privileged to you or something?”

Rolling his eyes, Kai knew that wasn’t the case either. He only came around because the man was kind of creepy and different from the rest of the guys that came in that day.

“What did you do to make you come here?” Kai asked, a bit less interested in what the man had to say now.

Kai was pretty well versed in sarcasm, but that didn’t mean he liked it when other people used it towards him.

“Me and my guys grouped together to attack the main guy for more drugs.” The man said bitterly. “Didn’t end well. Have no idea where they are now.”

“So… You’re their leader?” Kai pressed on, earning another scoff from the man.

“For a kid, you’re pretty irritating.”

At this, Kai only snickers. “Aren't we supposed to be annoying?” He says, putting his hands on his hips. He scrapes his feet lightly on the concrete floor covered in dust and small rubble. “ ‘Nyway, you didn't answer my question. You’s a big guy or what?”

“Kid, I'll tell you who the big guy is-” The man starts, head drooping as if defeated all together. “That drug lord is the big guy. He's got the best security in the damn country. They're strong as hell- He's strong as hell. You just can't beat him. And get this: he doesn't even do drugs!”

Everything he says makes Kai snort a little. “Best security, huh…” He mutters, thinking back to the guard rummaging through the fridge. “I guess so. If you knew you'd end up like this, why'd you try?”

The man shakes his head, as if suddenly sad. “It's none’ya business, boy. Why you diggin’ your nose in other people's business ‘nyway, huh?”

Kai grins a toothy smile, despite the fact that the other can't see him whatsoever. “I'm just curious. Tell me, won't you? I have to leave soon.”

Seconds of silence pass by slower than the clouds rolling by earlier that day. Something inside of Kai knows that this man's secret is something important, too, because he's still hesitant with speaking his mind to a mere kid. So he taps his foot impatiently, but somehow succeeds in not being too obnoxious.

“My baby girl got into some trouble…” The man sighs. “Them guys won't leave her alone unless I get them the drugs from the head guy here. They're special, I guess, but it's all just… difficult.”

Kai hums, rocking back and forth on his feet now. He doesn't exactly understand the situation, but he also knows that this guy isn't lying.

“I'd do anything to save her,” he mumbles, head drooped sadly and jacket falling at his shoulders. Kai gets a feeling that he should return back home now, though, so he makes his way back to where he entered from.

Before he leaves, he turns and says, “You should tell your story to the ‘main guy’. He's pretty understanding, you know. I think you mean good mostly, even if you do some bad things.”

The man scoffs and laughs a little. “And trust a weird kid like you?” He says. “...Maybe.”

With that, Kai is back running to his house through the back door, somehow proud of his accomplishments that day. But there's a new lesson that he's learned that day as well that makes him go up to his dad the moment he sees him to give him a big, big hug. And of course, his dad is confused because Kai almost never acts this way unless he's gotten a present recently, or his dad returns from business trips to various parts of the country.

But most of all, he's learned that what his dad does for him is out of love and protection, and like that man would do anything for his daughter, Kai knows that his dad would do anything for him as well.

--

“I don't really go out like this,” Kai shamefully admits to both Tao and Sehun. He's recently made these friends- friends who he can truly get along with due to unfortunate events- but the problem was that Kai didn't really know what to do that would impress or amuse them. For the longest time, Kai had thought that playing video games indoors was all a kid could ask for. So when Sehun mentioned walking into town to grab a burger at the local restaurant, Kai wasn't really sure how to respond.

His dad is fine with it, but it's unsurprising because he trusts boys like Sehun and Tao. Because, in a way, they are similar to Kai; they're all extraordinarily smart and witty for their ages, as well as disconnected from others their age and daring.

Kai looks at his two friends and watches them as they absentmindedly begin to do their own thing. Sehun had been spinning a knife in his hand for awhile now, the silverware going round and round atop the side of his pointer finger. His distraction towards the utensil seemed nothing out of the ordinary to most people, since kids tended to be intrigued by anything they could get their hands on. Sehun on the other hand, was not an ordinary kid. Kai could see the glint in his eye that watched the way the knife twirled around and the more he did it, the more Kai could tell that Sehun probably just wanted to pocket it for himself.

Looking over to Tao, the latter had been looking out the window for almost the entirety of their meal. It was as if he was trying to imprint the view of the sky into his brain as the sun began to fall. There was a faraway look in his eye and Kai had noticed, though Tao hadn’t been one to bring it up to them. He’d been doing it recently as if the more the three of them hung out together the more he’d be phasing in and out of the conversations. He was still a good friend to have nonetheless and Kai was grateful that he had someone else to control Sehun when he was getting out of hand.

Like this moment, for instance.

Sehun sighed, slumping down into his chair as he deftly pocketed the knife. “Wanna leave?”

Tao’s head snapped back to look at Sehun before he nodded his head. He began to stand when his eyes widened, movements pausing.

“Wait… Who’s paying for the food?”

All three boys stop and look at one another before looking towards the cashier simultaneously. Luckily the worker was too busy ringing up another order to notice them, giving Kai enough time to force Sehun’s head to stop looking.

“I don’t have money though.” Sehun sighed, looking at Kai who shrugged.

“Usually my dad’s henchmen pay.”

Tao bit back a groan before taking another glance at the cashier. He seemed to notice that they were in a bind and tapped the shoulder on one of his coworkers, the two of them beginning to whisper too quietly for Tao to hear.

Sehun leans in and gently pats his palm against the table to grab their attention. “Should we just… Leave?” He whispers.

“Are you kidding me?” Kai scoffs, “The exit is on the other side of the room. We won’t make it in time.”

“I bet you I can.” Sehun shoots back, though looking away in case Kai decided to smack him.

Tension between those two were growing and the woman that had served them was unknowingly returned to the table. She stood right behind the two with a small cellphone in her palm, presumably to call the cops if they couldn’t pay.

“Is there anything I can help you with today, boys?”

There was a hint of malice in the woman’s voice and both Sehun and Kai shut up immediately after realizing they were going to get caught.

“Can we have dessert please?” Tao said quickly, earning the attention of his friends and the server. “Three… Cakes, please.”

“O-Oh…” It took her awhile to process what he said before she’d bolted off to put in the order for their food. She looked embarrassed to have assumed they had no money, though that was the truth.

“What the hell Tao?” Sehun groaned, “I’m not hungry anymore.”

“I couldn’t think of anything else, okay?” Tao grumbled.

The three boys waited anxiously in silence for their order. None of them really had the appetite to eat and this only bought them some time before their apparent doom. The server had returned ten minutes later and placed their plates down with her best smile, scurrying off before she could be embarrassed again by her ‘mistake’.

Kai was first to begin eating his cake while the other two slowly followed behind. He needed something to do in order to calm down before he raised his voice and the jig was up. All three boys ate like turtles though. Sehun was genuinely full after eating his entire meal and stealing fries from the other two boys, so eating the sugary treat was torture for him. It coated the back of his throat and made him gag, making him take generous sips of water to wash it all down.

Tao took a more smart approach and smashed up the cake into a mushy paste, using his spoon to slowly bring the filling up to his mouth where he’d let it squish around between his teeth before spitting it back into his napkin. The tactic was good at first, but after halfway into his plan Kai could already see the cake beginning to spill out the sides.

He knew Tao liked cake the most out of all three of them and felt bad even though he was the one that got them into this.

Another half hour passed before the server r