Kai spent most of his days at the brothel, barely seeing the light of day. He had lived, breathed and eaten the brothel since he was thirteen, when he was first taken there, after being found in the streets, peddling for scraps, a flower writhing away from poverty and despair. He thought he was being saved after he entered the tall crimson house, which was so warm and comforting, with the clean sheets and hot food, until he learnt what it cost to have this warmth, but he accepted it, because of his brother.

Kai hadn’t always been Kai, he had been given that name as a joke, because it was much simpler to pronounce and there had been some anti-Korean sentiment at the time lingering after the influx of Koreans during the annexation so the brothel owner that it was best for him to pretend he was Chinese, which was a lot easier because he spoke the language fluently, a Chinese that happened to look very Korean. They chose the name Kai for him because it meant open, which they found hilarious, within the context of ion. As more Koreans came to the 80 Days, and the anti-Korean sentiments died off, Jongin still kept his new name. Jongin liked it because was simple and uncomplicated, unlike his past life.

The day after his encounter with the starved-looking man, Kai had noticed that November was almost ending and he would have to meet with his brother soon. After breakfast, he had a quick meeting with the brothel owner discussing how much pay he would be receiving at the end of the month and what was going to the theme for tonight. 80 Days, an allusion to the Jules Verne novel, was a typical brothel, but it usually held a performance that was dedicated to a certain place in the world and a certain time period, usually one that Kai usually had never known had existed, and make a performance out of it, of which Kai was usually the star attraction.

Once he was finished speaking with the brothel owner, he went to check with Hyuna who would be his first client of the day. 80 Days was the more organized of brothels, thanks to the brothel owner’s personality, and Hyuna worked as receptionist, handling each e’s clientele. She was only a couple of years older than Kai but had begun working at 80 Days much longer than he, so long that her seniority had gotten her this desk job, same as his own had in getting his starring roles in all of 80 Days’ main performances. Hyuna and Kai were good friends, and sometimes spent nights with another, when they were bored or feeling antsy, but there was little romantic tension between them. Hyuna always told him, post-coital, that she was saving that for marriage.

“Hey honey,” Hyuna said, looking pert and happy with her flushed cheeks and permed auburn hair. Kai noticed that she had used some kohl underneath her eyes and looked to be experimenting with a new powder. He also noticed that she had more foundation under her eyes than usual.

“You look great,” He said, lifting up his eyebrows, “Rough night?”

Hyuna laughed and covered , “You got to stop talking so familiarly with me, Jongin-ah,” She said in curt Korean, “I’m your noona after all.”

Kai rolled his eyes and smiled warmly at her, “Sorry, I’ve been a Shanghailander for so long, I can’t understand a word you’re saying.”

“You’re full of it, Kai,” She said, grinning as she looked through her notebooks to look at Kai’s schedule and groaned, “Ugh, those rich boys are coming to see you. Joonmyeon and Kyungsoo?” Hyuna shook her head and showed him the notebook, “They are so obnoxious. Some kids really have no manners.”

“Oh, the Koreans right?” Kai looked at their names written in Hyuna’s scrawl disdainfully, “I never expected Koreans to climb up that high, in terms of class.”

“Yeah, well manners surely didn’t follow them,” Hyuna took the book away from him and said resignedly, “At least they tip well, right?”

“That’s all that matters, isn’t it?” Kai grinned at Hyuna and she nodded in agreement as Kai turned around to leave 80 Days, “Where are you going? Is it that time of month already?”

Kai shook his head, placing his hands into his trousers, “Not yet, I have to go get something though, see you.”

Hyuna noticed that he was going out there in the cold, dressed only in a shirt and pants, “Yah, put a coat on, you’ll catch pneumonia.”

“I’ll be fine,” Kai shook his head and left 80 Days, walking down the streets with his shoulders slouched and his hair covering his eyes as he walked down the street away from 80 Days. He heard some whispers as he turned down Nanjing Road and down a few blocks to catch the tram further uptown. Most people knew who he was, and what did, but it hardly mattered to Kai. He had a reason for why he was doing all of this, and it didn’t include making a good reputation for himself.

When he walked inside the first streetcar, every seat was packed except for one with a man dressed in a fine suit and bowler hat, clutching at the newspaper, looking at it intently. Kai sat beside him and crossed his arms, conserving his heat. After a while, he felt like someone was staring at him and looked up to see the starved-looking man, grinning like a maniac in his fine suit.

“Yah!” He almost yelped, slamming his mouth shut as everyone in the streetcar stared at him. “Are you following me or something?”

“Au contaire, my dear Jongin,” The starved-looking man said, still grinning, “It is you who is following me. That desperate to deflower me now aren’t we?”

A blush ran hot up Kai’s neck as he hissed, “My name is Kai, and what is your problem?” The starved-looking man shrugged his shoulder and pointed at the headline, “The economy. Lousy isn’t it?”

“You keep following me around like some…freak,” Kai said, his voice shaking, “You’re crazy!” The starved-looking man frowned, “Now that’s not a nice thing to say to a man you just met. Apologize.”

Kai shook his head and looked away from the starved-looking man. Why were the weird ones always rich? He stood up to leave the streetcar and walk all the way to where he was going at the next stop and stomped off. This guy was not to be trusted.

“Jongin,” The starved-looking man frowned at him, “Where you going?”

“I’m leaving,” He mumbled as the tram stopped and he leapt off the streetcar as the starved-looking man yelled, “But we were just getting to know each other!”

Kai shook his head and walked quickly down the street. It took him several blocks and felt like his fingers were about to fall off from frostbite but he made it just in time. He stood in front of the wire fence that separated him and the school and waited. A bell rang in the distance and a crowd of boys ran out of the school. He stood and a smile crept up his face as he saw him, dressed in a uniform two years too old and had long, floppy hair that shielded his eyes and skin the colour of milk rain or shine.

He clutched at the wire as he watched him talk and laugh with schoolmates that had nicer clothes and better haircuts, about homework, teachers and parties. No one was bullying him, and Kai was grateful for that, as he watched the boy walk down the pristine pathway and waved goodbye to his friends. Kai slowly turned around and walked away from the wire fence, feeling his heart drop into his gut as his little brother passed him by, headed for home.

He looked up to see a tall girl, standing next to a sleek Ford. She looked beautiful in a simple black uniform and a red bow tied in her redder curls, hugging her heart-shaped face and hooded eyes as she watched Kai. Kai swallowed, worrying that she thought he was a ert with his shabby clothes and staring at little kids so he started to quicken his pace and left the school back towards the tram to get back to the brothel.

“Fond of the little ones now aren’t we, Jongin?” Like a specter, the starved-looking man popped out of nowhere and Kai kicked him as a reflex and ran off down the street like a madman, trying to get away from an even madder man, catching the tram in the opposite direction of his brother. He sat in the streetcar, huffing and puffing until he caught his breath.

Why were the rich ones always weird?