"sharp diamonds"

❀

The news of Jongdae’s death sweeps across the club like an unsettling breeze. While death is not unspoken of, it’s still unwelcomed in every sense of the word. The problem was the victim.

Anyone in the club could tell Jongdae was just a businessman with a penchant for self-indulgence. He was no GD so it’s puzzling; what could anyone gain from his death? Ruled as a robbery gone wrong, his passing concludes as an unfortunate event.

Minzy, his former hostess, can only mourn as life pushes her forward. As she does, however, she comes to realise that it is only leading her deeper and deeper into the arms of her one and only client left.

Expensive gifts upon gifts, wine-induced kisses upon kisses, Minzy is now living the hostess’ dream under Jiyong’s authority. Because of this, she should be happy, but with each gift, each selfish promise, she finds herself wavering.

This is no different to what she has been doing with Jongdae and Yifan, what she has been working hard for so why does it now feel…wrong?

She wonders if it’s because of the sleeping Kai next to her and his recent behaviour as of late.

The longing stares when she’s not looking, the possessive touch that makes her heart race—the kisses, somehow teeming with so much intensity for something that only last a few seconds. Minzy would've called them chaste if they didn't leave her breathless each time.

Yet Minzy can't put a finger on what exactly changed in him and eventually, in her.

Taking a fistful of his shirt, she cuddles closer to his side. Warm. He’s so warm and it’s making something balloon in her chest until she’s just as warm and tingly all over.

Well, it doesn’t matter, she decides.

She wouldn’t have him any other way.

❀❀❀

Kai was never a dreamer, head in the clouds as he looks forward to a better day. That is luxury he can’t afford, reality existing in the weight of the gun he carries on his person.

As he watches Minzy fumble to hide new gifts overflowing her vanity, he quietens his spite knowing who those growing collection of diamonds and pearls come from.

That is her reality as much as his reality is the weapon he conceals from her. She probably never noticed how he would slide it on top of the bathroom cabinet during his showers.

So he doesn’t say anything. He has no right to.

Or at least, that’s what he swears by, dark thoughts sometimes getting the best of him at the slightest reminder of his Boss.

Minzy is good at making him forget. There is no trace of what she does with GD or at the club. When he is with her, she makes him feel like she exists purely for him.

Too bad he is too perceptive, too good with a weapon and reacting to the faintest of sounds. So the faintest of love bites can’t hide from him, even if she's trying to cover herself up nowadays.

It is unspoken but he is painfully aware.

She’s still not his.

“Hey.”

Minzy jumps and he goes back to buttoning his jeans, pretending he saw nothing.

“Oh, you’re finished,” she chirps a little too brightly.

Bounding over to him, she grabs the shirt hanging on a nearby chair and helps him put it over his head. He didn’t ask but judging from that smile on her face, he knows she wasn’t asking for permission either.

“I’m skipping breakfast,” he says regretfully. “I have to go.”

Her smile cracks a little and he’s taken back to that demeanour she had before he left for China. He still doesn’t know why she did it.

He could only speculate.

It was because of him, wasn’t it? Those bruises…are from him, aren’t they?

Deep down, he knows the answer and he could get it out of her but Kai isn’t ready. He doesn’t know what he’ll do if he hears it from .

She surprises both of them by wrapping her arms around his middle. Kai is then briefly reminded that she woke up early again, just for him.

Touched, it doesn’t take long for Kai to return her affections. Burying his face into her neck, he inhales greedily before crushing the shell of her ear, murmuring his farewells. He memorises every detail of her until he’s sure to remember it for the week to come.

“Stay safe for me. Come back to me.”

Her request is the same as before but Kai is pleasantly surprised to find it more optimistic. It draws a smile out of him, feeling confident in his response.

“I will.”

Sadly, the smile doesn’t last long as he steps into the alley leading to Limbo. As well as the sweet farewell that is disappearing fast from his lips. It’s his last grip to normalcy—to her—as he sheds his humanity for the time being.

By the time the warehouse welcomes him with its cold walls, Kai ensures he is no longer the same person he is outside of it. He is just a husk of one, only knowing how to kill and follow orders.

And bizarrely enough, he is no longer afraid of it.

The hollowness, the lack of compassion. He always feared embracing it like his Jiyong did. But somehow, little by little, something in Kai is changing. He doesn’t understand it and he should resist it but one look at that man before him, he only sinks further, accepting its perilous hold.

“Long time no see,” the greeting comes with a grin. “I hear nothing but more and more praises for you, Kai.”

Jiyong looks slick in his suit as he sits behind his desk. He was talking to Suho, who just finished reporting the success of a mission his men had been working on. It improved Jiyong’s mood enough to address Suho’s bodyguard out of sheer glee. Much like how a friend would catch up with a buddy.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Keep it up and another promotion just might head your way, right, Junmyeon-ah?”

Jiyong returns his attention back to Suho, leaving Kai to fade in the background again—but the latter isn’t done.

He can’t look away, staring into those voids that were supposed to be Jiyong’s eyes. An unknown simmer is bristling inside of him and he’s barely containing it under a mask of indifference. He doesn’t know where it is coming from but he is astonished.

When did he become so bold, staring at death in the face?

As if feeling the burn of his eyes, Jiyong catches his stare. The tiny hairs on Kai's neck rise on instinct but he isn’t deterred. Not yet. And it seems Jiyong isn’t either as he glances back, amused.

“—and why not invite our precious rookie too?” adds Jiyong, all the sudden. “You’ll come too, won’t you, Kai?”

He has no idea what they’re talking about but something possesses Kai to agree.

“Great!” Oblivious, Jiyong looks absolutely pleased. “The more, the merrier.”

When the office door closes behind them, Suho looks extremely disturbed.

“What was that?” his superior asks.

Kai hesitates. Did Suho see through him?

“What was what, hyungnim?”

“That,” His hyungnim signals towards Jiyong’s office. “What I reported in there was really late that I thought I was going to die, but the result made him so happy he didn’t even care. Next thing you know, he’s inviting you. Just like that.”

As Suho pushes a hand through his hair, Kai relaxes.

“I guess that really put him in a good mood,” Suho mutters as he starts walking. “I just wish he didn’t mix business up with pleasure so often.”

Too busy remembering his own experience of what happened back there, Kai doesn't hear but nods.  

Apparently being invited to hang out with the higher-ups are always topics of gossip because when Chanyeol heard, he demanded confirmation over lunch the next day. Seriously, word goes around fast.

As Kai slides into his seat opposite to the giant, he returns the acknowledging nod the owner gives him before raising a brow at the guy. Chanyeol doesn't speak immediately, not before slamming a glass of water first.

“So, the rookie becomes the favourite,” Chanyeol starts accusingly. “How does it feel? To be a part of their exclusive club, leaving your only bud behind?”

Kai rolls his eyes at his theatrics.

“Just who do you keep hearing these things from?”

“Mark. You know, the brat under Park-hyungmin? He heard his superiors talking about it this morning.” Chanyeol leans closer. “But don’t you change the subject and tell me what the hell it is with you and your luck! Or are you really trying to climb the ranks? I thought you didn’t care!”

“I don’t,” Kai confirms with a slight edge. “Things just happened.”

As if he knew he touched a nerve, Chanyeol stops. Or maybe he caught onto Kai's tone, who didn't mean to almost snap. Because of this Kai lets it go, moving the conversation on with a grumble. He doesn’t need the others to know what he actually thought of their Boss.

Especially now.

Physical conflicts have now broken out in certain areas, disrupting neighbourhoods with violent confrontations. Suho even sent him there a couple of times, causing Kai to finally prove his repute.

So despite whatever good news Jiyong got today, things aren't really looking up that it’s baffling to think he had time to celebrate anything.

What could possibly be more important than their current situation? Because no matter how strong Jiyong’s influence is, this didn’t sound good for any of them.

"—this Saturday, right. So do know where you’re going this time?"

The sound of Chanyeol's voice snaps him back to the conversation. Kai shakes his head.

"No, but I'm meeting Suho-hyungnim beforehand so it doesn’t matter. I’ll just pretend it’s work."

“Yeah, work,” Chanyeol parrots with a sulk. “But you get to eat and drink luxuriously. You know how the boss is. He knows how to spend it.”

Kai doesn’t reply to that, their usual bowls of ramen arriving. As Chanyeol rants on about how lucky he is, Kai makes his first sip, disagreeing with every point.

Chanyeol is totally oblivious to how much Kai dreads it. Kai doesn’t care about the luxurious , not when he is surrounded by men who’ll just make him feel out of place. Before it was because he wanted to live a quiet life without their attention, but now, it’s different.

Tightening his grip, Kai doesn’t realise the tremble of his chopsticks.

Discontent. For some reason, he no longer feels content with staying low. Not when he has found something withi