We all carry these things inside that no one else can see. They hold us down like anchors, they drown us out at sea.

24^th August 2015

A long shadow was casted on the ground by the dark dim lights as a boy entered a dark alley. A door was opened right at the end and he entered it without looking back. The moment he stepped into the place, he was enveloped with pitch darkness. He ed his school blazer and hand it to the person beside him. He was given another black jacket in return.

“What happened?” Kai asked as he took the can of hair spray from Xiumin. He skilfully combed his hair back as they walked into the main area of the club. The moment Xiumin pulled open the main door that led to the club, he was no longer Kim Jongin, he was Kai.

“Taegoon brought his men to the club an hour ago. We didn’t want to alarm the rest of the clubbers we treated him like normal VIP guest. But we found out that his men were taking drugs at the VIP floor. I gave them a warning but they hit one of our men.” Xiumin reported to Kai clearly. He could have easily taken all of the people he brought along with him but he did not want to cause a reckus in the club so he had no choice but to call Kai.

“He is coming here more and more often.” Kai seethed angrily. As much as he hated the presence of Taegoon and his gang in his club, he hated drugs more. It was the one thing that he would not tolerate in his club.

Furrowing his eyebrows, he thought of how to deal with Taegoon. Being the owner of the club, Checkmates, Taegoon had always enjoyed the title of “Best club in Seoul” until Kai set up – Afterlife in a uniquely designed shipping container underground that required clubbers to enter through a post box above ground. The interesting concept, design, music, drinks and good looking bartenders became a hit instantly and within a year, it clinched not only the “Best club in Seoul” but also “All time favourite nightspot in Seoul.” Since then, Taegoon would visit his club once in a while to disturb his business but Kai would just ignore his childish acts.

When Kai approached the furthest corner of the club, he saw a man handling a packet of tablets to another. Turning to Xiumin slightly, the other understood what he meant right away. He went forward, disrupted the transaction and with his quick actions, he took the guy down. Grabbing the guy with him, Kai and him then went up to the VIP level.

The moment he stepped onto the second floor, he knew he had reached his peak. Taegoon was sitting on the couch with a blonde girl on his lap but Kai could smell that in that cigarette between his fingers, it contined marijiuana.

“Wanna try some?” Taegoon scoffed at Kai who had his fists tightly clenched. He loves it when Kai shows some emotions. He has always been boring, like a walking dead. Pushing the girl away from his lap, he walked up to him and offered. “Its fresh. Newly in from America.”

Looking at the burning cigaratte, Kai’s eyes turned dark as he swept it away from him and ceased it with his foot. Taegoon looked at his cigaratte beneath his feet and back up at him, clearly unhappy that he had to decline his kind offer in such a rude way. If it was in the past, he would definitely seethe in anger and maybe try to cause more ruckus but things were not longer the same. He did not need to anymore because Kai can no longer have the right to be this cocky.

“Afterlife will not be the best club this year anymore.” Taegoon declared confidently as he took a seat. He gave the blonde girl a kiss and glanced at the man who did not give a reply. As the silent pressed on, he became uneasy.

“Aren’t you curious why so?” He asked again but when Kai gave no reply, he decided to just announce it himself. “Juno has officially become Checkmates shareholder.”

That announcement had successfully caused Kai’s expression to change and it made Taegoon feel happy. “Aren’t you scared?”

Kai thought about it, was he scared of the largest gang leader in Korea’s underworld joining forces with Taegoon? Was he scared of the man who deals with arms, guns and everything else that earns them money? Then he realize, he was not scared. He was worried. Things between Taegoon would get messier and he would become more difficult to deal with now. He had to finish Taegoon once and for all. Turning to Xiumin, he gave him a nod and Xiumin went forward, taking the 5 men that Taegoon brought along with him.

Taegoon did not bother putting up a fight this time. He sat on the leather sofa comfortably, playing with the blonde girl’s hair as he watch the fight. “Let them go unless you want to deal with Taegoon.”

The threat did not work on Kai as Xiumin continued the fight. As tables broke and glasses shattered, Taegoon’s men gradually collapsed on the floor, unable to continue the fight further. Taegoon got up angrily and charge towards Kai, throwing his fists at him. Avoiding his punch, Kai retaliated and after a few blows, he managed to seize an opportunity to grab Taegoon’s arms and had him pinned on the table before him with a gun pointed on his head.

And everyone froze.

“Take your men and leave. Do your drug business everywhere else but here.” Kai hissed.

With his head pressed on the table, Taegoon bit his lower lips. He refused to move as he knew he had no room for retaliation. He could only let Kai humiliate him in front of his men and his girl. But when Kai clicked the revolver, he widened his eyes in horror as panic engulfed him.

“Leave!!” He called out to his men and within seconds, they disappeared from the glass. When everyone had cleared, Kai lifted the gun away from Taegoon’s head and pushed him towards Xiumin.

“ the boss of Checkmates out personally.” Kai instructed as he cleaned his gun on his suit without sparing a second look at Taegoon who was glaring at him with hate-filled eyes.

“I will return this favour.” Taegoon spatted on the ground as Xiumin dragged him out but Kai simply smirked like he heard the funniest joke. When the duo left the second floor, his index finger then press the revolver and it clicked, returning the gun into the original state.

He shook his head and kept his unloaded gun in his backpocket. He never had the intention to pull out his gun but sometimes, he had no choice. Turning around, he walked towards the balcony and overlooked his club. Thankfully, the music was so loud that it covered the ruckus that just happened. People were still dancing happily on the dancefloor and some others were admiring the baby-face bartender. Luhan has never failed to form a crowd whenever he works.

Glancing at his watch, it was almost 12am and the hours between 12am and 6am have a funny habit of making people feel like they are either on top of the world or under it. Just like his party crowd, they were definitely at the top but for him, it had always been the opposite. Each night was a battle, and he was not even trying to win. He was just hoping to survive so that he could fight the next day. The persistent feeling of being unwanted, unneeded, unnoticed and uncared for is something no one can live with and he is no surprise. All he could was only bring such fresh pain on himself every night even if his touch had became black and poisonous.

But amongst that crowd and loud music, he saw Aleyah’s angel like smile and suddenly he could not wait for the day to break. Running his hands over his phone’s screen that showed her number, he smiled.

7 more hours and he could see her.

And he would be at the top of the world.

Busy with work recently. Sorry for the lack of updates.

Enjoy!