04. BLACKMAIL
Scandalous In High Society
Jonghyun reached behind the bar to pull out a mug, keeping a steady flow of conversations with his patrons. He might be in over his head where Kim Kibum was concerned, but he knew what he was doing here. The bar was his home; had been since he was a high school kid looking for a job. Back then he couldn’t do more than polish mugs and stack chairs; now he was their main bartender. It was a small local bar, though, so he didn’t earn any big tips. He stayed because he simply liked the place and the atmosphere. It was mostly locals, people he knew and saw on a regular basis. Someone called out a greeting across the room and Jonghyun nodded in acknowledgement.
“Hey,” Minho gave him a curt nod as he pulled off his shoulder bag. “Busy night?”
“Nope.”
“Same as ever.”
Jonghyun grinned, “Just how I like it.”
Minho leaned in, and said in a low voice, “Look, I know you’re looking for extra money. I know this party that’s going on tomorrow’s night. Interested?”
“I don’t know…I don’t like working at parties.”
“It’s some fancy event. Some princess’s eleventh birthday,” Minho smirked when Jonghyun lifted a brow in confusion, “I am sure the adults need some form of entertainment, too.”
Jonghyun sighed, “Well, I have no choice. Aren’t your parents going to ask questions, kid?”
“I’m sleeping over at a friend’s house. That’s all they need to know.”
A man sauntered over to the bar and slapped down some bills. Jonghyun rolled his eyes, he knew a drunkard when he saw one.
“I want whatever you can give me for that much. And one for this young man, too,” He pointed to Minho. The kid had the nerve to grin, like he was going to actually accept.
“I can get you a cab,” Jonghyun replied brusquely. “And he’s too young to drink.”
“Then what is he doing working the bar?”
“You only have to be eighteen to serve,” Minho said, counting the bills on the counter. “And unless his house is two blocks down, you can’t get him a cab.”
“Then a bus, whatever. Just get him out.”
“Aye aye,” Minho gave him a mock salute before making his way around to bar to help the man to his feet. There was an advantage to having Minho, the walking man-pole, around. With his height he towered over everyone, even if he was a bit on the skinny side.
---
It was such a tiring affair. Kibum had been to countless parties, and he hated every single one of them. No doubt he’d have to attend countless more in his lifetime; he shuddered at the thought. It wasn’t so bad except for the feeling of being watched and judged like he was a prize to be won. He made conversations with endless girls, some barely legal, and their eager mothers. The dads all talked business – mergers, partnerships. He guessed it was the same for the mothers and their daughters. It was all business. So he handled them calmly, said all the right things without actually promising anything.
That didn’t get him out of dancing with a string of girls, all starry eyes and wearing hopeful faces. When he couldn’t take it anymore, he excused himself. He could no longer deal with it sober. Thank God his grandma kept an open bar at these events.
He waited for the crowd to thin before he made his move. On the way, he was stopped for more idly chats and had to shake more hands than was necessary. Kibum breathed a sigh of relief when the bar was in sight. Behind it was a guy with the similar disheveled hair (Kibum still didn’t know if he had meant to style it that way) falling over his face. He was working on a drink for someone, flashing a smile at every customer. He worked with ease, like he was at home amongst the “stuffy” people he so hated. Kibum smirked, How ironic. He was the one uncomfortable and he was born into this life. Jonghyun wasn’t, and yet he was perfectly laid-back, took it all in hand with a finesse Kibum could only conclude as social skill.
“How may I help you?” Another bartender asked, his deep voice was perfectly polite. He looked to be too young, but Kibum shrugged. It didn’t matter.
“Strongest thing you have and keep it coming.”
“Uh…”
“Please.”
“Trying to go into a coma?” Jonghyun eyed him with disapproval, his attention finally focused on Kibum and not scattered amongst the crowd at the bar.
“If I am lucky,” Kibum replied. “What are you doing here?”
“Working. You?”
“Hana’s birthday party. Are you always working?”
Jonghyun shrugged, “It’s a tough world.”
“You two know each other?” Minho interrupted, curious eyes darted between the two. “Hyung, I didn’t know you rubbed elbows with the rich.”
“We met through Jinki.”
“Oh,” Minho nodded. “I like Jinki-hyung.”
“The Lee family’s money is no small amount, either.” Kibum said matter-of-factly.
Jonghyun nodded, “Yeah but it’s easy to forget he’s an heir to all that cash. Around us, he’s just Jinki.”
“Some of us aren’t that lucky,” Kibum leered into his shot glass. He didn’t know what it was but it didn’t matter. He gulped it down and waited for more. At some point, he saw Jonghyun signal for Minho to stop. He remembered trying to sneak something from behind the bar before Jonghyun grabbed his wrist and dragged him outside.
---
The world was so much prettier when it was a blurry swirl of colors. All he knew was that he was outside, though he couldn’t say where he was exactly. It smelled like freshly cut grass but his family’s estate was ginormous and covered in acres of grass. Kibum stumbled a few steps before something hard slammed into his face. He groaned in pain.
“!” Jonghyun snapped somewhere above him. “No, just lie there.”
It was the ground. The ground met his face and broke his fall.
“I am going to take you home.”
“Can’t,” Kibum mumbled into the grass, “Party.”
“Yeah, well, you partied enough for tonight.”
“Hana…”
“Would appreciate it if you weren’t here to puke all over her cake.”
He felt like a douche for missing her birthday. But the headache settled in at that moment and all guilty feelings were forgotten. Kibum felt himself being lifted by a pair of arms. The person didn’t feel soft but he snuggled closer for warmth anyways. Something smelled good – like soap and cologne. Who knew the combination was so appealing?
----
Kibum bolted up, stared around the room in bewilderment, and all but screamed. He was in his bed. The sunlight streamed in through his windows, intense and bright. It was definitely not dawn, he cursed mentally to himself. Why was he in bed past noon? Then it came rushing back the moment he tried to get up from bed. The room spun and tilted, and Kibum fell back onto his bed.
“Here.”
He did scream when Jonghyun a glass of water and some aspirins into his hand. “What are you doing here?”
“Someone had to take care of you.”
“How did you even get in?”
“I found your keys in your pocket.”
“My…”
Jonghyun rubbed his neck and rolled his head around in a circular pattern, “Man. Those couches are not as comfortable as they are pretty.”
“What happened?” Kibum touched his head gingerly.
“You don’t remember going into comatose?” Jonghyun sighed when he didn’t get a reply. “Of course not. Just take those, you’ll be okay.”
“Thanks,” was all Kibum could muster.
“Care you tell me why?”
“No.”
Jonghyun glared at him, frustration clearly displayed on his face. “No? No you don’t have an explanation for why I left my job early just to get you home? You owe me the rest of the night’s pay and cab fee. So talk.”
“How much?”
“One reason.”
“Pardon me?” Kibum asked, flabbergasted.
“Give me one reason why you’d rather drink yourself into a stupor than brave the rest of the night.”
“You know those movies where they show human trafficking? All bodies displayed for selection?” Kibum held his arms above his head as if to demonstrate a point, wrists crossed like they were bounded by some invisible chain.
“Yes?”
“Well. Those parties are ten times worse. It’s basically the same principle. And I am the most sought after merchandise.”
Jonghyun whistled, “And to think, I envied you and your money.”
---
Kibum walked barefoot into his kitchen, refreshed after a long and hot shower. The hangover wasn’t so bad now that he had gotten a bit more rest. He couldn’t remember the last time he got this drunk. An apology was in order; Hana was going to murder him if he didn’t explain it to her. But how could he say he got drunk and passed out at her party to his little cousin? He found a note attached to his refrigerator:
‘Class. Your grandma didn’t stop by. I wasn’t late today since I spent the night – keke. Bye, Jonghyun.’
Why the note made him smile, Kibum couldn’t say. So instead of taking it off, he left it attached to the door of his fridge. It looked nice there; it added warmth to his stainless steel door. For the first time, his pristine kitchen looked stark and cold.
His doorbell went off, loud and urgent, pushing all decoration critiques aside. Kibum rushed to open the door before his eardrums bust open. Hana glared at him fully before stepping inside.
“Where were you?” She demanded. “Grandma made us wait for you to cut the cake, which meant the party was dragged on longer than it had to be.”
Like him, Hana never liked parties. “I’m sorry,” was all Kibum could say.
“I curtsied!”
He cringed, “Please, not so loud.”
“Why?”
“You are too young to know.”
“What? That you passed out and…whatever his name…had to carry you to a cab? I saw it when I went to look for you.”
“You saw that?”
“Yeah, don’t worry, though. I was alone.”
“Are you here to blackmail me?” Kibum asked miserably.
“No, well…I didn’t think of that. But now I am,” She gave him her best smile. “I need a favor.”
He was too afraid to ask.
“I want to go to a public school,” She beamed and jumped onto his couch. “Look, it has everything that my school has now, and it’s less expensive. Plus, it’s a good life experience.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Yes, so I need you to sell it to grandma.”
Kibum groaned, “No. No way. She’s not going to buy it.”
“Aren’t you a business man?” Hana challenged. “You can’t outwit an old woman?”
“Hana!”
“Please, oppa,” She clasped her hands together and pouted at him. “PLEASE.”
“I’m back!” Jonghyun called out from the foyer. Before Kibum could react, Hana was already up and went to meet Jonghyun on his way in. “Hello birthday girl.”
“Hi,” She turned her mega-watt smile on him. “Say, you went to public schools, right?”
“Yeah.”
“And you like it?”
Jonghyun looked at Kibum, puzzled. Slowly he nodded, “Yeah. It was great.”
“Good. And you’re Kibum’s-oppa…employee, right?”
“Yes,” He said again, unsure where this conversation was going.
“Great! So you’ll help him put together a presentation for grandma. Thanks a lot, really.”
Kibum buried his face in his hands. He had to sit down.
“I…what?” Jonghyun sputtered, still confused. “Wait. What?”
“Grandma is coming by next week,” Hana announced to no one in particular. “Just so you know. Now you owe me another favor.”
Kibum whimpered.
Jonghyun crossed his arms, “It’s not nice to count favors.”
“You’re right,” She nodded graciously. “But I imagine it’s better than leaving in the middle of a birthday party.”
Kibum whimpered again, much to Jonghyun’s dismay and shock. He could only stare at Hana with his mouth open.
“So you’ll both try your best, right?”
“Why me? I didn’t ditch your party!” Jonghyun protested.
Hana narrowed her eyes at him, “Yes, you did.”
“Well, I wasn’t invited as a guest so it doesn’t count.”
“Grandma doesn’t know she wrote a check for the hours you weren't even working,” She looked straight at him. “Yet.”
Checkmate.
Promise you'll read and comment, okay? Okay.
Comments