Jonghyun heard the sound of suppressed laughter, that sounded like the water babbling in a brook. This man was no ordinary goth, but instead seemed to be a kindred spirit. From this moment onwards, something told him that their whole relationship would change. It was possible that instead of just a chauffeur, he had got a potential partner in crime. Judging by the reaction, it wouldn’t take too much of effort to bring him to the dark side.

“So, I realize that you might be wondering what I just did”

“No, it was fairly obvious”

“Nothing happened, anyway”

Stopping his bike, Jinki struggled to control the smile on his face and failed. Knowing that his twinkling eyes matched those of Masked face, he couldn’t hide his true feelings any longer.

“I hate to admit it, but that was cool”

“This is nothing, there’s so much more to it”

As Jonghyun reached out and touched the hand of the man beside him, he felt a sudden feeling of warmth fill his body. He felt as though he had been taken over by a ray of sunshine. What was the meaning of this? This sensation was like nothing he had ever experienced in his life. Compelled by an unseen force, Jonghyun’s hands moved to his mask and unconsciously began to undo it.

“It’s time I introduce myself. I’m Jonghyun”

Before he could stop himself, Jinki let out a soft gasp as Jonghyun began to reveal his porcelain skin bit by bit. All this while, all that Jinki had seen was his hair and bright brown eyes. Jonghyun had a cute, sharp nose that made Jinki want to touch the tip. His lips were Jinki’s undoing, as he had always been fascinated by those with a thicker lower lip than his own.

“Don’t stare at me like that. I feel as though you could poke holes in me with those eyes. You haven’t told me your name yet, Goth boy”

“It’s Jinki”

Jinki. That was a strong sounding name, which matched his stature and his broad shoulders and muscled arms. If all went as per his plan, the two of them would be spending a lot of time together, which would surely help them bond. For now, to truly show Jinki of the potential of their two minds combined, there was somewhere they needed to go. A place which would give Jinki the education of his lifetime.

Feeling his breath get caught in his chest as Jonghyun took his hand, Jinki stopped trying to force himself to look for any logic and agreed to follow him where he wanted. Walking hand in hand, they stopped outside an ancient-looking house. Sure that he had seen this place somewhere, Jinki felt reassured as they entered inside. The tube lights were all neon colours, which lent the room an eerie appearance. Along one side of the wall were several safes, both combination and those that could be unlocked with a key.

“Don’t be afraid. I set up this place”

“I’m not. Why did you bring me here?”

“To teach you”

Instead of feeling revulsion, Jinki felt thrilled. Was this why the universe had chosen Jonghyun for him? A bank employee and a thief? Could there have been a worse combination? Though unexpected, it seemed to work. For a split second, Jinki wondered if this was Jonghyun’s secret life.

Skilled in the art of manipulation, Jonghyun wondered why Jinki had succumbed to him so easily. Could it be because of the warm feelings? He was behaving extremely uncharacteristically. He had given his real name and had even showed his face. The only question that kept repeating in his mind was if Jinki was really worth all this risk. He had come too far to be able to turn back, and so Jonghyun smiled to himself as he leaned against a safe.

“Go on, try to open one of them”

Flabbergasted, Jinki decided to try his luck, since he was already there. Safecracking wasn’t something he was used to, but he was determined to try. Placing his ear to the side of a forest green safe, Jinki began turning the dial like in the movies he had watched, waiting to hear a click sound. When nothing happened, even after about fifteen minutes of him trying, he looked back at Jonghyun, bewildered.

Unable to control the laughter that bubbled from his lips, Jonghyun was doubled up, struggling to control himself.

“I don’t think this is your skill”

“You’re right”

Walking towards Jonghyun in mock sadness, Jinki made a swift motion with his hand, that went unnoticed. This would show him how he should be treated. Smiling slightly to himself, Jinki turned back to the wall of safes, so that his snickering wouldn’t be seen.

There was something overly suspicious about the way Jinki kept smirking at him, and instantly alarmed, he finally noticed that he was missing something. Searching his pockets frantically, he knew who the obvious culprit was.

“Where’s my phone, Jinki?”

“Is this what you’re looking for?”

Smirking, Jinki waved the phone that he had just taken. It was a piece of cake for someone who was so well versed in the art of picking pockets. The shock and surprise on his new partner’s face was more than a fitting repayment for him.

“How the hell did you do that?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

“Please”

“Ever since I got my pocket picked as a kid, it fascinated me, and I’ve practised hard enough that I’m now quite skilled at it”

This was certainly something that could be used to both their benefits and was a handy skill to have. Jinki was certainly proving to be like nothing he had ever imagined. For some reason, he started to feel heady sensations, that he really enjoyed. Unable to help himself, he took Jinki’s hand and squeezed it.

“I know we’ll be good together”

Although Jinki knew what Jonghyun meant, he couldn’t help the lurch in his heart. They’d certainly be good together, he was really sure about that. The sad part was that he knew that Jonghyun didn’t feel the same as him. In any case, he wasn’t from the same town, and his town wasn’t cursed at all. However, he knew that he hadn’t mistaken all glances Jonghyun had stolen. He had noticed all the changes in Jonghyun’s expressions, ever since he had removed his mask. There was a lot that he could do, but there was one thing he wanted to begin with.

“I’ll leave first, and I’ll see you here tomorrow, Jonghyun”

As he passed by, Jinki s his arm around Jonghyun’s waist and lightly kissed his cheek, before walking away.