Chapter Text
It’s freezing outside, Seokjin can tell.
It’s snowing in Seoul and the city's lights are brighter at this time of the year, considering there are only three days left for Christmas. It’s not the first time Seokjin has to be standing in front of a big hotel window on the 17th floor waiting patiently ‘til his client tells him he can leave, he wishes he could run right now without saying anything but he has to be paid yet.
He lets out a sigh and closes his eyes focusing on the muffled sound of the cars in the street and the nightlife of the city. Seokjin finds comfort in simple things. Two hands grab him by the waist and turn him almost violently, he never opens his eyes cause if he does he would have to see the annoying face of the man he slept with tonight, well… the last two weeks.
“You have to go, pretty?”
The sound of a loud siren resonates in Seokjin’s ears and he wishes the sound wouldn't fade because he doesn’t really want to listen to whatever disgusting pet name this man just called him. Just a few more months and he’ll be done, that’s what his boss promised him.
Just work for me for ten years, you’ll thank me later.
He didn’t in fact. Seokjin never thanked him for this shitty work he got almost ten years ago cause this was never what he expected.
The man mutters something Seokjin can’t hear and that’s when he decides to open his eyes, the man standing in front of him looks older at the dim lights of the suite. Many colors from the city lights paint his face but don't make him look attractive. The man probably is around his forties but not older than that, he’s a little bit shorter than Seokjin and his voice is surprisingly nice but annoying at the same time.
Seokjin quickly returns to his character and with a forced smile leans over the man and places a quick and messy peck in the corner of his lips. That’s fucking disgusting, Seokjin thinks.
“I have to, it’s getting late and you have to go.”
He’s trying so hard to sound disappointed but he’s far from being that, he could cry of joy just because he’s finally leaving this man. It has been two weeks, and he’s been accompanying the man for two weeks just because he’s a French businessman who came to Seoul for a very important convention, and for some reason, it’s pretty important to have someone to fuck for two weeks too. Rich man necessities, Seokjin guesses.
“I wish I could take you with me to France, take you to fancy places, and after that fuck you on my big balcony. It has a lovely view, almost as pretty as you.”
Seokjin smirks and sighs pretending he liked what the man just said. He could be a great actor if he ever had the opportunity to become one. But he doesn’t have many opportunities for anything.
“That sounds lovely, you should come back without any compromises and take me anywhere.” Seokjin draws circles on the man’s cheekbones, he’s trying hard.
The man closes his eyes and melts onto the touch. This fucker fell for him just in two weeks. Fucking disgusting, fucking weak.
“I’ll miss you, pretty.”
“Don’t miss me too much.”
You’ll only have to say to the rich folks anything they wanna hear. It’s that easy.
It’s not.
It had never been easy. He can’t remember the number of proposals he’d received, the number of men that had asked him to run away with them. They even tried to buy him and that was the sickest thing ever. His boss would say “that’s work, kid” every time something like that happened, Seokjin didn’t want that.
“I’ll come back for you, I promise.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Anything they wanna hear.
Seokjin says goodbye and walks out of the suite. At least this client gave him a huge amount of money. He waits in front of the elevator and when it opens only one person is standing there.
A man, almost as tall as Seokjin, maybe taller than him. With broad shoulders and sun-kissed skin, he’s handsome. He wears glasses which make him look even more attractive.
Seokjin enters the elevator and pushes the button to the lobby. He tries to not pay attention to the man behind him, at the end neither of them knows the other but for some reason, Seokjin always feels a strange feeling in his chest when he sees normal people in hotels. They're not whores like him or who knows, maybe some are, but that doesn't make him feel less uneasy. He just wants to leave the building, hop in the car his boss sent for him and go home.
Seokjin’s cell phone starts ringing and that startles him out of his thoughts. When he searches for the phone in his bag he accidentally drops his scarf.
But before he can react there's a hand already brushing his right over the scarf. He looks up just to find a pair of ironically soft dragon eyes. He doesn't have any idea how else he could describe it and it should be easy but Seokjin finds out that even the silliest things are hard for him to understand.
They stare at each other for an embarrassing amount of time and Seokjin knows someone should stop staring and take the scarf to end this extremely weird situation but for some reason, his body stopped functioning.
That's when the other man gives him a dimpled smile and offers him the scarf. Seokjin’s body responds. How convenient.
He thanks the man almost in a whisper and bows his head a little.
“You should wear it before you go out. It's freezing outside.”
The man's voice is somehow endearing. A bit too soft for a man like him and a bit too hoarse for a face like that.
Seokjin is endeared.
“Thank you, I think I should.”
The man gives Seokjin another smile, and this time his eyes disappear into crescents and Seokjin’s heart clenches in his chest. What the heck is happening to him?
“What’s your name?” the man asks.
Seokjin doubts for a second. He won’t see this man anymore, there’s nothing wrong with telling him his name.
“Seokjin.”
“Pretty name.” the man smiles again. He should stop smiling so prettily.
But then, Seokjin bows once again and just in time, the elevator opens delivering him to the lobby. Once he goes out he hears the man saying something from where he stands.
“My name is Namjoon, nice to meet you.”
Seokjin turns to look but then, just like that, the elevator doors close.
—————————
Namjoon hates hotels.
Not exactly the place but the feeling of being there. He loves his job and everything that implies but when he has to travel, sometimes he wishes he could have a house everywhere he goes so he doesn’t feel lonely or anxious. This time is one of those times he longes for his home.
He’s been working as a journalist since he was twenty, and now he’s thirty-two and never gets used to the feeling of staying in a hotel room for days, sometimes weeks. The first time he had to go out of Seoul he was nervous, he plead to his boss not to send him and sent another journalist who worked with him. He knew he was being immature and acting like a kid but he really didn’t want to go. In the end, he did.
It’s always the same, his chest starts to feel heavy, and his hands become clammy and cold. He always needs to run because if he stays much longer in that closed place he will explode and that wouldn’t be a nice situation. Not when he’s alone all the time.
To his luck, one of the other journalists who’s working with him calls to have something to drink. Namjoon doesn’t have to think twice, he needs to go out, and just in a matter of seconds, he’s out of his room and waiting for the elevator.
Once he’s there, he scrolls the screen of his cell phone and waits patiently to arrive in the lobby. He’s glad he only has to stay one more day at the hotel and then get back to Ilsan. It’s not that far from Seoul but it takes time to get there and staying at a hotel makes his work easier, he doesn’t need to wake up so early to take the train which makes him feel very grateful.
When he arrives at the lobby, he bows to the few people who are waiting for the elevator, he gets out and starts walking right to the entrance. Waits some seconds until a cab stops in front of him and he hops in.
At least he won’t be spending all night in the hotel.
The night is cold and for just a moment he regrets getting out of his warm and comfy hotel room, where he could be reading something or just organizing his notes and interviews.
Maybe he should have stayed in the hotel.
His friends notice him immediately and make signs to gain his attention. He walks to the table where three men (probably the same as Namjoon age) are eating and drinking. They look happy and calm.
Namjoon wishes he could feel at ease as well.
The guy who called Namjoon greets him with a pat on his back and smiles wildly at him. He has a beautiful smile and he seems like he always carries sunshine on his face.
“Thought you wouldn’t come, you told me you were tired.”
Namjoon smirks and takes the glass of soju one of his workmates gave to him. He drinks in one shot and hisses at the burning feeling in his throat.
“I can’t spend one more night in that room. I’m this close to going nuts, Hoseok.”
His friend, Hoseok, laughs brilliantly and offers him another shot. He knows Namjoon very well and if that wasn’t the case, he wouldn’t call him to go out.
They have known each other forever. They’ve been friends since they were kids and they grew up together. Studied at the same preparatory, high school, and college; they were always together. Namjoon isn’t sure if he had been able to be where he is if it wasn’t for Hoseok.
He always has his back.
“I have to say, honestly, I don’t know how you manage to keep this job if you find it so difficult staying in a hotel or anywhere isn’t your home.”
Hoseok speaks softly, never throwing rough words or saying something he knows might hurt someone. He’s a soft speaker but at the same time, he knows when he has to be tough. Namjoon finds it curious how someone like Hoseok has this job. Hoseok is a detective from the police department of Seoul, one of the best if he’d asked. He had worked with Namjoon many times before which it’s unusual because not all journalist has the guts to work directly with detectives when writing a story. But now, Hoseok is working on a case and he needs someone like Namjoon to work with him. He’s not like usual journalists who work with common stories about life or things like that. Yeah, sure, he writes about life, politics, and social situations but he writes about the darkest side of that.
He works in a small independent publishing house who dedicates to publishing the stories no one dares to tell, real stories about how life is not just fairy tales or SciFi movies. That’s why Hoseok loves working with Namjoon.
“The thing is, Hobah,” Namjoon plays with his chopsticks and then takes a piece of meat. “I’m not always working outside. My problem is when we have to do fucking investigations and act like fucking detectives.”
“I think that’s the fun part.”
Namjoon lifts his gaze to look at the guy who spoke. He’s probably the younger one on their team. A newbie, that’s what the others called him but Namjoon knows he’s a good dongsaeng, and also good at his job.
“Jungkookie, do you like playing detectives?”
On the other side of the table, there’s Taehyung, Namjoon’s little brother. Even if he’s not a journalist nor a detective like Hoseok, he works with them as a photographer. He was the official photographer of a newspaper back in Daegu, but when Namjoon left the town his brother wanted to follow him, and he couldn’t say no. Now, they work together, and it’s a lot better for Taehyung.
“We’re not playing detectives, hyung.” the younger gets sensitive very quickly when it comes to his job. Of course, he just started working some months ago with Namjoon as an assistant. He’s in his honeymoon phase with his job.
“But it seems like you perceive it that way, am I wrong?”
“Taehyung, just stop bothering Jungkook.” Hoseok says trying to hide a laugh but fails and lets out a little squeak.
“What I meant was that even if we don’t like it,” Jungkook speaks again. “we’re kinda like detectives. Just like Hobi hyung. And to me, that’s the fun part.”
“Yeah, I get what you mean boy, I also like that.” Namjoon takes another shot and Taehyung looks at him in disbelief.
“I hate this team.”
“No, you only hate that Namjoon is too fond of Jungkook and you’re not his only dongsaeng anymore.” This time Hoseok laughs with his whole body when Taehyung stays silent and rolls his eyes.
“Anyways, you contacted the man?” Namjoon asks directly to Hoseok. “He told us he was gonna be here.”
“Ah! Yes!” Hoseok searches for his notebook in his bag. “I called before coming here, Jungkook said it would be convenient if we contacted him in the nighttime.”
“Taking into account what he does for a living,” Jungkook explains. “I thought we would have more opportunities to reach him at this time of the day.”
“You right, working hours.” Namjoon says.
“He told me he is leaving Seoul today.” Hoseok speaks while taking a sip of his lemonade soda. “He is picking up one of his workers at the hotel we’re staying at, he said ‘ one of my precious jewels’. Of course, he’s talking about him.”
“Did he offer you his services?” Taehyung speaks and Jungkook looks at him, almost surprised. “I mean, that’s what we are trying to do, right?”
“Yes,” Hoseok answers “he did offer me services but he said it couldn’t be who we need it”
Namjoon hums and processes the information. Sometimes he feels like they’re getting nowhere and that makes him feel impatience. They’d been spending two weeks in this place, trying to reach the man who finally answer the fucking phone the same damn day he is leaving the city. They’re the luckiest.
When Hoseok called him to talk about a new case he was working on, Namjoon didn’t expect it to be something like this. He expected some defiant situation like they usually manage but this was something different. There was nothing extraordinary but Hoseok had found some interesting stuff about this. There was this man, not much older than them, who worked as a companion and was pretty famous in the underworld of rich people.
They called him “The Jewel”.
To rich people, Hoseok is the only detective and member of the police department who’s trustworthy to take cases that involve high and public figures. Hoseok works in silence and always finds justice, even if that harms the rich people. He does his work.
He has received many cases where people want to find this man, accusing him of being a swindler but Hoseok never finds anything, and the people who accuse him always abandon the case in the middle of everything. Maybe because they know it’s futile to go after him.
Namjoon was interested in this cause he didn’t believe this was about a swindler, because none of those people had lost anything from their belongings. But he was curious cause the men who reported him always said: “he made me fall in love with him, and that’s his strategy” . It just didn’t make sense but it also didn’t make sense the number of men who reported him. “Strategy”? For what?
“Did he tell you why we can’t meet him?” Jungkook asks with a frown.
“He said he’s finishing his services this week with a big client and he’s having a break after that.”
Namjoon sighs and taps his fingers on the table. “Did he tell you at what time?”
“What time what?” Hoseok asks.
“What time was ‘ The Jewel’ leaving?”
“He said it.” Jungkook answers before Hoseok. “He said at midnight.”
Namjoon takes a look at his wrist to check the time on his watch. 11:27 pm. Almost midnight.
“He wouldn’t tell us anything more,” Hoseok is the one who speaks again. “didn’t want to take a risk.”
“You think we can find him if we wait at the lobby until midnight?” Taehyung asks and Hoseok reconsiders the option.
“That could work,” Jungkook says. “We don’t know him, but we have some hints we can catch.”
“I guess we’re leaving for the hotel again.”
As they planned, Taehyung sits comfortably on a sofa in the waiting area of the lobby, Jungkook stays near the entrance hall with Hoseok and Namjoon goes directly to the elevator.
It’s already midnight but they haven’t seen anything weird yet. No one has gone down the elevator except an old lady with her suitcase ready to leave the hotel. That’s why Namjoon decided to take the trip on the elevator to make sure the person they were looking for hadn’t gone yet.
When Namjoon enters the elevator, the 17th floor is shining in blue light meaning someone called the elevator up.
He wishes he could go to his room and sleep, he’s tired and knows that tomorrow he would have to wake up early to leave and go back to Ilsan without anything concrete to write about, and that makes him kinda frustrated.
When the elevator reaches the floor, the doors open wide and Namjoon finds a man staring at him. He’s tall and his face seems straight out of a magazine. Maybe a model, Namjoon thinks.
The man enters the elevator. Namjoon feels something in his chest, the same thing he feels when he knows something important is going to happen. The man presses the button to the lobby, and Namjoon suddenly feels that his hunch may be right. Maybe this person is The Jewel . It’s the perfect timing.
Namjoon’s phone vibrates and he sees a text from Jungkook that says:
“There’s a car waiting by the entrance, it could be for him.”
And probably it is.
At the same time, the man’s phone rings, and when he searches for it, his scarf drops, and without thinking twice Namjoon crouches to give it to him. Namjoon can see him closer and God, he wishes he hadn’t seen him so close.
The man is beautiful and maybe the word is short for what he is but indeed, he’s overwhelming.
The man thanks him in a whisper and Namjoon only smiles back. He thinks that’s the prettiest voice he ever heard and now he starts doubting if this is the man they’re looking for. He’s praying that he’s not.
He wishes he was not.
“You should wear it before you go out. It’s freezing outside.” Namjoon says.
“Thank you, I think I should.” the man answers.
Namjoon smiles at him and musters the courage to speak again.
“What’s your name?” He finally asks.
The man seems doubtful but just a few seconds later he answers.
“Seokjin.”
He has a name, that’s a good start.
“Pretty name.” Namjoon answers honestly and the man suddenly turns shy.
The elevator doors open and the man gets ready to leave without saying anything else. But it’s Namjoon who speaks.
“My name is Namjoon, nice to meet you.”
And just like that, the elevator doors close.
—————————
Several months had passed and Namjoon couldn't stop thinking about the man he met at the elevator that night. He told Hoseok that maybe he was the man they were looking for and they’d been searching for him since then. Jungkook and Taehyung are working together trying to get clues or photos but it’s been useless.
He’s nowhere to be found.
Namjoon visited many brothels in Seoul with Hoseok but no one said anything, they were getting desperate.
Namjoon tries to keep searching for something that guides him to the man. That gorgeous man that he can’t stop thinking about.
Snapping him out of thought, his phone rings and the tactile screen shines with the name “Taehyungie” . He picks up the phone.
“Hey.”
“Hyung, I think we found him.”
With those words said he stands up from his desk chair and makes his way out of his office.
“Where? Are you there with Jungkook?” Namjoon’s standing in front of the elevator ready to take a bus and go where his brother is.
“Yes, we are close to the brothel where we think he works.” Silence for a second. “It’s a fancy place, it’s a casino, they called it ‘The Jewelry’ ... Quite ingenious, right?”
“And very obvious, too.”
—————————
He hated it. Seokjin hated when Jimin didn’t let him have his drinks before he had an appointment with his clients. That little brat.
“Hyung, you can’t be drunk while you’re working.”
“Fuck I can’t,” Seokjin was already sensitive, Jimin wasn’t the reason but he was the one near him. “How do you think I bear fucking with five men almost every night? Obviously not sober.”
“Yes, I know, but Yoongi hyung already scolds me for letting you drink before every appointment you have.”
“Just suck his dick and he’ll be all fine.”
Seokjin knows he’s being a bitch about it, but he’s outraged and he can’t control himself right now. He just wants a drink.
Jimin rolls his eyes and searches for Seokjin’s favorite liquor, he pours the liquid into a glass and hands it to Seokjin. The older gives him a small smile and the blonde man behind the bar just shakes his head.
“Sorry for being an asshole, I’m not really in a mood”
Jimin offers him a sweet smile and nods. “That’s okay, hyung. I thought you wouldn’t be here tonight.”
Seokjin tastes de liquor and lets it burn down his throat. “I shouldn’t, it’s my day off. But Yoongi called and told me I had an important client. He didn’t say who but well, money is money.”
Yoongi, the man who ran the brothel where the both of them work, he’s not the owner but the secondhand. Yoongi and Seokjin met at the same time they started working with this man, both young and dumb with the only desire to get out of his family and their unfortunate destiny. Seokjin is older than Yoongi and he had always taken care of him since then, they’re almost like blood brothers who love each other unconditionally.
Yoongi hates his work but is attached to it just like Seokjin, with the little difference that Seokjin has been promised to leave soon.
It’s another story for Yoongi.
In a matter of seconds, Yoongi leaves his office and goes directly to the bar where Seokjin and Jimin have a quiet conversation. Seokjin sees how Jimin’s eyes open wide and shine as he stares somewhere behind him, he follows his gaze and finds the small but big figure of Yoongi.
“Hey, Yoongi-yah.”
“Hyung,” Yoongi nods and then offers a smile to Jimin who blushes and smiles back. “I’m glad you came, thought you would ignore me.”
Seokjin huffs and drinks from his glass again. “I still have the intention to leave, don’t tempt me.”
“Hyung, before you say anything,” Jimin says to Yoongi. “he forced me to give him the drink. He even took the icebreaker and threaten me.”
Yoongi laughs and Seokjin suddenly makes a noise like he’s about to puke.
“It’s alright, the client you’re seeing isn’t here for what you usually do.”
Seokjin stares at him with a frown.
“Holy shit, Yoongi.” Seokjin says annoyed. “Another man who just wants to jerk off in front of me?”
Jimin’s eyes open comically wide but Yoongi only sighs and rubs his temple.
“I already apologize about that time, hyung.”
Seokjin huffs in disbelief and gets a little bit more annoyed than he was before. After that incident years ago, Yoongi promised him that he would be more careful with the clients he booked for Seokjin. That’s when his position changed to something higher, a position where he could choose what clients he wanted to work with, in some way, that was a relief for him but that didn’t make him any happier.
He was looking for liberty but a what cost?
He still remembers the first time he had to do this, how Yoongi had to hear the whole thing because “that’s how you learn”, or at least that was what his boss said to them.
He remembered how Yoongi's eyes were blank and lifeless after what happened, he was crying but Seokjin thinks he wasn’t aware of that. He was paler than he is and his hands were shaking the whole time, he was sure he wanted to do something but he couldn’t.
Seokjin was eighteen, Yoongi seventeen.
When the incident happened, Yoongi felt like the worst person in the world and apologize to his hyung several times, Seokjin wasn’t mad with him but he couldn’t find the strength to tell him so. They didn’t talk for days until Seokjin couldn’t handle it anymore.
Since then, Yoongi always takes care of Seokjin, as if he was his hyung and not otherwise.
“Sorry for mentioning that,” Seokjin apologizes and places his hands above Yoongi’s. “I’m so tired and I really don’t wanna be here, Yoongi.”
“I know and I’m sorry, but this client isn’t like that man. He said he just wants someone to talk to.”
Seokjin frowns and somehow, he knows Jimin is too. “I don’t know if you have noticed, Yoongi, but I’m a whore, not a therapist.”
“He’s not looking for advice, it’s something like dirty talking and that stuff.”
“That’s a new one.” Jimin laughs and continues polishing the glasses from the bar.
“Listen Yoongi,” Seokjin starts. “I’m good at fucking not talking.”
Yoongi starts feeling uneasy with Seokjin's brattiness, he wants to punch him.
“He already paid, just go talk to him.”
Seokjin rolls his eyes and stands from the bar stool leaving Yoongi and Jimin behind, he walks up to the stairs where his room is. The second floor is the VIP area, beside him are two more “jewels” as his boss called them. The first one is Seonhi, a girl the same age as Seokjin, they were friends and their rooms are next to each other, just in case she needs something (like being saved from a client). The other one is Minjae, a boy. Probably the same age as Jimin, he’s young, too young for this life. His room is right in from of Seokjin, he heard a scream one time, a scream that he couldn’t believe could come from a boy like him, so sweet and kind.
He wished he hadn’t heard it because he couldn’t do anything for him, he couldn’t leave his client and to this day, he feels guilty for not helping him.
He was just a boy when that happen, even younger than Seokjin when he came here.
When Seokjin unlocks the door of his room, Seonhi comes out the door and leans on the frame, arms crossed above his chest.
“What are you doing here?” Seonhi spits out.
Seokjin snorts and a smirk forms on his lips. “Good to see you too, darling.”
“Thought it was your day off.”
“It is, but seems like I have an emergency client.” Seokjin answers with a bit of sarcasm in his voice, a little annoyed by the situation. Seonhi offers him a sad smile.
“I saw him,” She whispers as if someone else could hear them talk. “It’s a tall man, very handsome, by the way.” She gives him a knowing smirk.
“Should be careful not to fall in love, then.” Seokjin jokes and gives her a reassuring pat on the head. At least he now knows the man is handsome.
As Seokjin enters the room he can immediately smell the expensive perfume that covers the room, a masculine and exotic scent. An expensive scent.
A man is standing in front of the big window that faces the city, he has his hands tucked in his pockets and hasn’t noticed the presence of Seokjin. He gets rid of his coat and places it on the chair by his dresser table. Today, he only wears a white silky shirt with buttons that seem to shine in the limelight of the room. A pair of black slacks and his recently buy dress shoes.
He looks expensive too, very fancy for a whore , he thinks.
Seokjin clears his throat to call the attention of the man who immediately turns with an endearing expression. He looks very surprised, almost scared.
“I- I’m sorry, didn’t hear you coming.” The man’s voice is very deep, but at the same time is soft, almost velvety. Seokjin finds it interesting.
“It’s okay,” Seokjin smiles faintly at him. “I like being quiet and mysterious.”
Seokjin walks to the table near the minibar and the window, he makes a sign to the man to come sit with him and he only nods in response. Now that he’s closer, Seokjin can see his hair is something near blonde or brown, probably chestnut. He looks very good in fact. His skin seems sunkissed and his eyes are definitely one of the most imponent eyes Seokjin has ever seen. Seonhi was right, the man is very handsome.
And somehow, he remembers seeing him before.
But Seokjin feels something is off, the man seems nervous and won't look him in the eyes, as if he was here against his will or maybe it was the first time he does this. He doesn’t look like someone who would go to brothels or involve himself on this side of life.
“So, tell me,” Seokjin pours liquor into a glass and hands it to the man. He rests his chin on his hand and looks at the chestnut curiously. “what brings you here, sweetheart? Doesn’t seem like this is a place you’re familiar with. Am I right?”
The brown-headed man sips from his glass and hisses at the strong flavor of the drink. Maybe he doesn’t drink either, or maybe he does.
“I have my reasons.”
Seokjin lifts his eyebrows and the man offers him a small smile and drinks again.
“I heard you came here just to talk.” Seokjin leans back and crosses his arms, never leaving the man’s eyes. “But I think you need to know, I don’t do therapy, honey.”
The man smiles and a pair of dimples show. Fuck, that’s cute.
“I’m not here for therapy.”
Seokjin looks at him in silence, as if he was trying to decipher the man’s intentions.
“I need to talk to you about something else.” The man leans back too but he crosses his legs instead, not only his eyes are imponent, he is too. “I need to know something about you.”
“Are you some kind of procurer who’s looking for whores or something like that?” Seokjin huffs sarcastically.
“Why don’t you tell me your name, mh?”
“Tell me yours instead, I can’t tell you mine.”
“Privacy politics? Didn’t know this place was that strict.”
For some reason that makes Seokjin angry, who the fuck he thinks he is? Fucking rich prick. He’s just like everyone who came here, he didn’t know why he was expecting something different.
“Just because this is a brothel doesn’t mean we don’t have rules. Every place like this has it, in case you didn’t know.” Seokjin leans over now and grabs a glass to serve himself a drink. He can’t continue this sober, he needs alcohol in his system.
“That’s why it was so hard to find you, none of you uses their real names.”
Seokjin frowns at that. Who’s this man?
“Find me?” he asks.
The man follows Seokjin’s actions and leans over too, he drinks all the liquor left in his glass and offers Seokjin a knowing smile. He doesn’t look like the man before, the one with lost eyes or endearing expressions. He looks tough and now Seokjin feels quite uncomfortable.
“I already find you before, but at that moment I didn’t know it was you who I was looking for.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Seokjin says trying to keep his voice steady.
“You’re Seokjin, right?”
And suddenly he remembers where he had seen that face before. He can’t believe this is happening.
“Y-you’re the man from the elevator, right?” Seokjin doesn’t move and probably he isn’t breathing either.
“I really wished it wasn’t you.” The chestnut whispers and his voice sounds a bit disappointed.
“Who are you and why you were looking for me? Are you a policeman?” Seokjin doesn’t want to panic but he doesn’t know what to do either.
The man huffs and smirks. “They wished they would be me. But no, I am not a policeman.”
Namjoon. Seokjin remembers his name, he still remembers the dimpled smile he offered him before the elevator doors closed. He still remembers that moment, he remembers having wished at that time not to be who he was. He had wished to be a normal person who can invite someone he just met at the elevator for dinner.
That time, he’d wished he could fall in love.
“Who are you?” Seokjin now sits a bit tense, his hands into fits over the table.
“You already know my name, Seokjin-ssi.”
“I don’t mean your name, Namjoon-ssi. I mean who are you ?”
Namjoon stands up from his seat and walks again to the window. He crosses his hands behind his back and stares at the city again.
“I’ve been told, you swindled men, and make them fall in love with you, Seokjin-ssi.”
Seokjin huffs in disbelief. “Are you here for that shit? You want me to make you fall in love with me and that crap? You are that desperate?”
Namjoon turns again to him, the moonlight and the lights from the city make him look even more handsome. His hair somehow glows and his skin shines, he looks pretty under the limelight of the room.
“I’m just interested in what kind of life you’re living.” Namjoon smiles and walks right to where Seokjin is sitting. “To me, it doesn’t makes sense you go everywhere courting man just to leave them later. It has to be something else.”
“It’s not.” Seokjin answers quickly. “It’s just my job.”
“Why did you choose this job?” Namjoon's voice sounds truly concerned.
“I think that’s a very personal question, Namjoon-ssi.”
Namjoon laughs and nods. He’s very attractive and shit, that soft smile is doing things to Seokjin.
“Look,” The man starts speaking again. “I’m not here to arrest you or something like that. I’m a journalist, I write.”
Seokjin hums. “And you’re having a hard time? That’s why you came here to me? To fuck me or whatever kinky shit you want to do?”
“I’m not here for that. I want to write about you.”
Seokjin can believe his ears, this is the craziest shit that has ever happened to him.
“Yeah, right. Look, Namjoon-ssi,” Seokjin stands and confronts the man in front of him. He’s a bit taller than him, shit, he’s so fine. “I don’t have time for this, this was my day off, okay? You’re a kinky bitch and I get it, I am too. Sometimes. You want me to fuck you? Okay, but please stop this stupid joke right now.”
“Men in higher positions have reported you to the authorities.” Namjoon’s voice sounds serious and not to be messed with. “I’ve been working on your case with a detective for a long time, but we don’t want to take you to jail. You haven’t done anything wrong in our opinion”.
Namjoon sighs and closes his eyes for a second, he rubs his temple. Seokjin lifts his hand without thinking and when he finally notices, he’s grabbing Namjoon’s wrist to stop him. Namjoon opens his eyes slowly and stares at Seokjin with curiosity.
“What do you mean I’m being investigated?”
Namjoon doesn’t react to the feeling of Seokjin’s hand holding his wrist, he waits patiently until he lets it go and apologizes in a quiet voice.
“A friend of mine is a detective and he was quite concerned about you,” Namjoon speaks softly and slowly as if he’s trying to make sure Seokjin is understanding what he’s trying to tell him. “He knows I’m very interested in this kind of situation and that’s why he reach for me. I’m not helping him, instead, he’s helping me.”
The brown-headed man sounds convincing, Seokjin knows when someone’s trying to trick him or lying right to his face. Namjoon doesn’t seem to be one of those people. He speaks frankly, and with seriousness, you can tell he’s taking things in a very professional way, his voice never wavers nor sounds pitcher. He has a pretty neutral voice and Seokjin wishes he can ignore the slight shine in his eyes.
He seems passionate.
“And when your friend finds out you know where and who I am?” Seokjin keeps his neutral voice. “Then what? You will protect me or it won’t matter then?”
“Both of us,” Namjoon gets closer this time. “we want to help you.”
Maybe it’s the way he stands in front of Seokjin or maybe it’s the way he looks so confident about being here. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s been looking for him all this time, or maybe it’s just the impact he left in Seokjin the first time they met that makes him want to believe Namjoon. Every word he says, Seokjin wants to be true.
Maybe he’s been living lying for too long, and for the first time, he needs something to be true.
He’s scared about everything, he’s been living with fear all of these years but he had managed to keep it to himself and show a strong image. But the truth is other and Seokjin’s fucking scared about what would happen if he decides to believe in the tall, dimple smile man that’s in front of him.
“Why do you think I need your help?”
“‘Cause I know things,” Namjoon answers in a lower voice. “I know you want to get out of here, but you can’t.”
“I can.” Seokjin affirms without believing in his own words.
“Do you? Tell me, Seokjin-ssi,” He’s too close right now, Seokjin can feel his breath close to his nose. “Do you really can get out of here whenever you want?”
This time Seokjin isn’t sure about what he should say.
He should tell him the truth? That the man he works with, had promised him multiple times to let him go but always puts excuses to prevent that to happen? That the man he works with, probably, could kill him if he ever chooses to leave without having a deal? Of course, he can’t tell him the truth.
Namjoon seems like an honest person and Seokjin is sure about that, he can tell his intentions are good but he can’t afford this. He can’t afford to have someone defending him from his boss and all the shit he’s going through.
He can’t have that privilege.
He looks at Namjoon questioning himself for a second, he wishes he could have another life or maybe turn back the time and don’t make this fuck up decision. He wishes he had met Namjoon in another way, in another place.
“I’ll let you help,” Seokjin answers at the end. “I’ll let you write about me.”
“Well, that would mean seeing each other often.” Namjoon smiles, briefly, but smiles. “I’ll book you twice a week, that’s okay with you?” The man asks with interest. Seokjin nods in response.
“Leave the weekend for my real job, that’s when I have more clients.”
“I’ll come Mondays and Wednesdays, okay?”
Seokjins watches as Namjoon takes a small notebook out of his pocket and scribbles something, he puts back the notebook in his pocket and gives a soft smile to Seokjin. He should stop smiling at him like that.
“I’ll tell your boss I’m gonna be a constant in here.”
Seokjin huffs. “He’s not my boss, he wishes he was.” Namjoon looks at him with confusion. “He just handles everything in here, he’s my friend.”
“Okay, I’ll tell your friend I’ll be a constant client. ” He says the last word as if he was telling something ironic or sarcastic. As if he didn’t mean to say it.
“You’re gonna be such an interesting client, Namjoon-ssi.”
“I won’t. I won’t be your client,” Silence for a moment. “I’ll be your storyteller.”
And just like that, Seokjin has someone to talk to every Monday and Wednesday of the week.