Chapter Text
Minho looked up at the building where he was going to work from now on.
He won't lie, it does look rather fancy — for a gentlemen’s club of course — It is a huge establishment, painted all black, with three floors of intimidating concrete — intimidating for Minho at least — and a giant neon sign that reads; ‘3Racha, gentlemen’s club’ he wonders what color it will light up when the right time comes.
He walks to the also black door, with gold details on it, he can't believe he’s doing this.
Minho takes a deep breath and knocks; Hyunjin himself opens the door.
“I’m glad you came” he offers his hand, Minho shakes it.
This is insane.
He gets a tour of the whole building — looks like the owner likes the color black — just like the outside frame the interior is colored the same, with soft lighting, however, the main stage was carefully thought; beautiful, big enough, well light up, very appealing to catch a dancer’s eye.
There are tables scattered all around, with poles in between them so the strippers can dance on them, up close to the clients.
Minho is glad he's not one of them, he is like Hyunjin said ‘entertainment’ but not the type that takes off their clothes — not that there’s anything wrong about it — it's simply not Minho’s thing.
He follows him around like a puppy, dissecting the place with his eyes until they arrive at the dressing room. He’ll be sharing one with 2 other dancers since each of them has different schedules.
He’s left alone in the room so he can change and prepare for his first dance. Is not like he has never danced in public before for fucks sake, his goal is to graduate as a dance major and have his own studio, but he has never danced in a place like this.
He won't get naked on stage, that’s the only condition he put to accept this job, that and that he will be using a mask — oh, and the fact that he doesn't want to starve to death.
He looks at his reflection in the mirror and contemplates every decision that led him here.
He misses the BBQ already, he loved working there, the owners were lovely and always treated him nicely, but they were moving out, and as much as he loved that place it wasn't doing anything for his economy and he needed the money, maybe now more than ever.
If he does well today, he’ll probably get more than one night a week or so he was told, just this night alone he’ll make the same amount of money that he made in a week at the BBQ restaurant.
He changes into a formal white shirt that has a red rose embroidered on the left side, a black pair of jeans, a black tie, and a black mask.
He looks at his reflection in the mirror again and his performer persona comes to light, he’s gonna dance here today and everything else won't matter, at least in those 3 minutes that the music plays.
There’s a knock on the door which brings him back to reality.
He can do this, he is Lee Minho, he’s ready.
He has prepared 2 choreographies, even though Hyunjin said he’ll only get 3 minutes to start off.
The main stage is waiting for him.
From this side, it looks even bigger. The lights were off, so he can see there's not that many people there yet, maybe that plays in his favor.
He walks to the center, gets into position and once the first note of ‘Venom’ starts he lets go of all of his fears and doubts and does what he knows best, he dances.
Is nothing overly sexual but it is a seductive type of choreography, sensual movements that make the small crow pretty interested, they all stop doing whatever it was they were doing before Minho appeared, all eyes on him.
When the music ends he gets a round of applause, he’s panting, takes a few seconds to admire the crowd, and bows, he goes back to the side of the stage and his first presentation comes to an end.
The electrifying feeling he gets from dancing in front of someone else other than his classmates is exhilarating. He can't wipe away the smile from his lips, his hands are shaking. Somehow he loves it.
Hyunjin congratulates him and tells him he can easily get 2 or maybe even 3 performances in a week which is good, great even.
It's funny that Felix is the one who introduced them, cause how on earth does Felix know the manager of a gentleman’s club?
He makes a mental note to ask Felix about that later.
That night he tells Felix everything, the faces, the cheers, the feeling he experienced when dancing.
He was happy.
And yes, he knows that at the end of the day, it’s nothing more than a strip club but the sentiment is the same.
He spends the rest of his week busy with his classes and creating new choreographies for his next presentation.
Wednesdays are gonna be his days, is what Hyunjin said. He will have 2 more weeks and then he’ll talk to his boss about giving Minho a special stage or something like that.
He sounds pretty excited about it, said he’s been playing the idea around in his head for weeks now, but hadn't found the perfect performer until now.
He thinks he’s just saying that because he wants to be on Minho’s good side since he’s Felix’s hyung and all that.
For now, that’s enough, though. He’ll get to know him better and judge his character before he tries something with Felix.
*****
When Friday comes so does his first check, luckily for him, they’ll pay him weekly, which is great since they were almost two months behind with their rent.
He sends the money to their landlord and with the rest of it he plans on treating Felix to a nice dinner, he deserves it, maybe he’ll buy him some pencils as well or some paint for his designs.
Once he’s out of the bank he texts Felix to meet him outside their complex.
When he arrives Felix is already out, waiting for him with a container in his hands.
“Yong Bok-ah” he puts his arm around his shoulders “What's that?”
“I made some brownies” Felix has to be the sweetest person in the world.
They met when Felix's family moved to his neighborhood, Felix was 10 years old and didn't speak any Korean, Minho was an only child and he had always wanted a brother so when Felix arrived he saw him as one. He was thrilled when he found out he was younger than him, he was now a big brother.
So he took it upon himself to teach him Korean and seeing Felix’s happy face when he said something correctly without Minho’s help was enough, when he was able to fully communicate in Korean he was over the moon and promised Minho he’d get him a present.
A few days later he went to his house with a container.
It was full of brownies, which he baked — with his mom’s help, of course — Minho ate more brownies than he should have that day.
They basically grew up together.
Then Minho’s parents died and Felix stood by his side every day, some days he didn't utter a single word but Felix was still there, silently keeping him company.
Minho was barely seventeenth when it happened.
He remembers having dinner at Felix’s house, talking about school and what he wanted to do after graduation, his phone buzzed 3 times before he was able to answer, he remembers the beat of his heart right up in his ears, his breathing getting heavy, the tears threatening to come out, trying desperately to recall what was the last thing he said to them.
After that everything is a blur, Felix’s parents took care of everything for him, invited him to stay with them as long as he wanted.
Prepared everything for the funeral.
And life continued to go on.
Minho didn't have anyone else other than Felix, so when his parents lost their house to the bank due to a business gone wrong they returned to Australia but Felix stayed. He tried to convince him to go with them, he would never judge him for leaving, not in a million years but he refused.
He said he could never leave his hyung and Minho is not one to cry easily but that night he did.
So if he has to dance at a strip club so they both can study what they want then he would do so cause Felix deserves the best and he is talented, his designs are beautiful and so unique.
After eating one brownie right on the spot he took Felix with him to a fancy restaurant he saw down the street.
He was content.
Things were starting to get better for them.
*****
The next two weeks went by pretty fast and Hyunjin said he would try to pitch the idea to his boss today, so he’s excited.
He prepared a couple of songs just in case he had to show them to the owner, even though Hyunjin said it was almost a done deal.
He gets on the stage, wearing a white mask this time, to match his white suit, Felix helped him choose the outfit and even made him a jacket to match, silver buttons, and a cute classic spread collar.
The lights go off and a second later they’re back on, aiming at him and the music starts playing.
*******
Chan is finally back in Korea, the past month has been chaotic, he had to fly between Korea and Australia to sort some things out, Hannah will take care of the company there and he’ll take the one in Korea which is fine by him, he's been living in Korea since he was ten years old, so he’s used to it, he got a business management degree in Australia, so he was gone for 4 years, it was the perfect cover for his other businesses.
His arrival went pretty smoothly, just like he wanted. He doesn't need the press to know he’s back. Especially now that he’s planning on expanding his business to the whole country.
He took a week to rest, the flight was exhausting and he barely had any sleep while he was in Australia, on his second week in Korea he became a tourist, admiring the beauty of it.
He missed it.
On his third week there he decided it was time to put his plan in action.
He’s been looking for a way to get his product to the west side and he finally got Rowoon to agree to a meeting.
So he’s focused on convincing him to give it a try and if he agrees his product will be all over the country.
Chan gets into his club, not really interested in any girl, he’s here for business.
He takes one last look at his watch. He’s a little bit early, but that’s ok. He gets up to the second floor, where his office is, he’s starting to feel hungry, the only thing in his stomach is what he had for breakfast; a simple coffee and scrambled eggs with bacon on the side, skipping lunch was a bad idea.
He’s been looking through the window at everything that’s happening down there, a pretty girl dancing to a Madonna song, his product being sold, people drinking, dancing, it’s more crowded than it normally is on a Wednesday night, at least going by Hyunjin’s reports.
He briefly wonders what’s changed. But he doesn't give it much thought as his future partner finally comes in.
It went as smoothly as he wanted it to, he knew he made perfectly valid arguments to prove his product was worth it, surely there was no other answer other than yes.
And Rowoon wasn't stupid so of course he agreed.
Soon enough they were celebrating the new partnership, with a bottle of whisky, his full attention was placed there.
That is until one boy comes to the scene and it steals his attention immediately.
He’s new.
He doesn't remember him at all, he was never mentioned in his monthly statements — is not like he personally hires dancers, that’s Hyunjin’s job, he takes care of the club — but he knows all of his employees, or so he thought.
He is extremely intrigued by this boy. He moves forward in his seat.
The way he presents himself, so shy, so innocent. Dressed in all white, like an angel. Chris would love to ruin him.
He wonders what is he doing in a place like this. That is until the music starts and his demeanor changes completely, a 190-degree turn.
He stands up and gets closer to the glass, as if he’s in a trance as if he’s calling him, like a siren.
So he is the reason why the club is crowded.
Interesting.
A song that Chris recognizes as ‘Red Lights’ is playing and the moment he starts dancing the crowd goes wild and so does Bang Chan.
He dances with such elegance and grace as if he’s been dancing before he could even walk.
The way his hips move, slow circular motions, the delicate way his hands caress his body, every part of him demands Bang Chan’s attention.
Forces him to look, freezing him on the spot.
Rowoon stood up as well and Chris felt something akin to jealousy, this was his club, his dancer.
His.
“You have really nice entertainment here. I may come more often if you keep him around” Chan knows it was a light-hearted joke but it annoyed him and before he breaks up the partnership he just got he calls Hyunjin.
“Yes, sir?” he comes up to Chris.
“Please show Rowoon a good time” that will take his attention away from the dancer.
He waits until Hyunjin is back, having left his new partner at one of the private dance rooms.
“Who is he?” Chan was kinda dizzy from the three whisky shots he had but now he was full-on sober. His full attention focused on the pretty dancer.
“His stage name is Lino” the song ends and Christopher feels disappointed cause it was way too beautiful but way too short.
It's not enough.
He lets go of the railing he didn't even realize he was gripping.
“I want him to dance for me” he says, watching as the boy leaves the stage, he danced just one song, he wonders why, it’s obvious people want to see him.
*****
Lino was called behind the stage, he was supposed to dance to three songs tonight and then focus on the private shows but Hyunjin had other plans.
“A client wants a private dance” he said.
“Ok, but didn't you say that first we dance on the main stage and then we go private?”
“Yes, but this client is different” so this man must be someone powerful Lino thinks.
“Ok, will I get paid the same? As if I danced the 3 songs?” judge him all you want but he’s here for the money.
“You're probably gonna get more” he followed him to a private room he didn't even know existed, Hyunjin signaled the door with a gesture for him to get in.
“Shouldn't I change clothes or something?” if the man was important then he should have money and probably gave nice tips.
“Nah, you’re good. He’ll like the suit. But take off the mask”
Minho was hesitant to take off the mask, his face was supposed to be hidden, that was the deal and this is the third time he gets asked for a private dance, he doesn't have much time at the club so just last week he was allowed to start with private dances, it wasn't his first time but it still made him nervous, he has never taken off the mask for a private before, Hyunjin must have noticed cause he assured him he’ll be fine.
“You’re good, I promise. He won't reveal your identity to anyone, trust me. He’s like any other client”
Uh-huh, a client important enough to make them change their rules apparently.
“If you’re not comfortable I can always send him someone else ok?” Minho contemplates his options, if he says no now he’ll probably lose the private dance benefit, so he’ll be losing money, if he goes in without the mask the worst thing that could happen is that they know him somehow and his entire college will know he’s a stripper though not in the complete sense of the word, but they won't care about that.
He also knows nobody is allowed to touch him and if they do he can call off security, so he knows he’ll be fine.
“I’ll do it” he leaves the mask in Hyunjin’s hands. He takes a deep breath and gets in the room. The man is already seated at the center of it, he looks… expensive, a dark aura surrounding him.
Long coat almost touching the floor, legs spread wide, tempting, it was impressive the attention he demanded just by sitting there like he owns the place.
Yup, this man was powerful, Minho could see that.
But he is Lee Minho and if he could bet on anything to save his life it’ll be his dancing, cause he knows he is that good.
“Hi, I’m Lino”
“Hi, Lino. I’m Bang Chan” he gave him a smirk, taking a sip of the glass of whisky he had on his left hand.
He has a pretty voice Lino admitted and he was pretty attractive.
“Do you have any song you want me to dance to?”
“You can choose” Ok, if this man has money then he’ll make an extra effort and maybe get him to pay for one more song, besides he’s really good-looking.
So he goes for something safe, one he knows everyone loves.
Chris recognizes the song, it's called “Taste”, he likes it.
It started slowly, doing slick movements with his hands, going up and down in the air, bodyrolls smoothly done, sharp turns and twists, there’s so much going on that Chris doesn't know where to look at, the hands, the footwork everything about him was captivating, his movements were stunning and Chan is no expert but the man is talented.
He goes down on one knee, and in a smooth movement, he sits down on the floor, lifts his pelvis, and does what finally locks down Chris’s coffin, his descent into insanity.
Bang Chan was mesmerized by the way the boy moved, the way he was so in sync with the music, how each movement was sharp and clean, and the way he controlled his body was simply fascinating.
He gives one more turn and drops down on his knees in front of Chris.
The song ends.
It's too much for Chan, he has never felt this way with someone he barely interacted with, something about this boy is pulling him in, like a magnet.
Something at the back of his mind tells him he shouldn't touch, he knows he can't touch, still, his right hand comes up to grab his chin.
He looks at him, carefully taking in every detail of such a pretty face, big boba eyes, long eyelashes, sharp pointy nose and heart-shaped lips, jawline sharp enough to cut glass.
“Your eyes are stunning, your dance is stunning” he’s gasping for air in front of him, yet he is nothing but gorgeous.
He’s a bottom for sure, Chan can see that, he can feel it, seeing him like that in front of him, big boba eyes looking up at him, almost begging to be fucked, to be ruined, to be protected.
Does love at first sight exist? Cause now he believes it does.
“You know you can't touch right?” he says but he wasn't putting any distance between them.
“I can pay” Something in his expression changes. He could see how his eyebrows came together slowly to put a scowl on his pretty face.
“What’s wrong with you?” he says and basically rips his chin from Bang Chan’s grip and stands up, Chris is shocked by his reaction, he honestly thought he would be happy knowing he’d pay him more for the dance and as an apology for the touch.
“I’m not a whore” he stands up and goes for the door handle.
Oh
“Wait, no, that’s not what I meant!” he stands up too and tries to get to him but he was already out of the room and Chan was a little bit dizzy.
Hyunjin was outside texting when Lino came out muttering some insult, that’s a first.
Chan comes after but only watches him leave.
“What did you do?” Hyunjin asks him.
“What?”
“He called you and I quote ‘asshole’”
“It was a misunderstanding” he drinks the rest of the glass in one sip, just to steady himself, cause that was the first thing in months that made him feel something.
“Uh-huh… so what do you think? He’s good, right? He’s been getting attention and is making people come more often”
“He’s… really talented” That’s the least Chan could say about him, that was art.
He’s like poetry in motion.
“Yes, so I’ve been thinking we could make him like the main event you know? And we can charge extra for his private dances”
A possessive side Chan didn't know laid within him took charge, he didn't wanna share, this is his dancer and will be only his from now on.
“No” Chan has other plans for him and it didn't involve him dancing for filthy strangers who could touch him at any time, it doesn't sit right with him.
The way this man has affected him is surprising to Chris, he needs more, he needs to have him all for himself, and sharing him is not an option. It feels like he’s been hypnotized and somehow he’s ok with that.
“Why not?” Hyunjin wasn't expecting that response, he was a hundred percent sure Chan would say yes. Minho has it all, he’s talented, pretty, easy to sell to the public, so he’s kind of disappointed.
But Chan has made up his mind, he will be his and he won't dance for money to anyone else, he’ll make sure of that.
“He won't dance here anymore”
“With all due respect boss, if it was a misunderstanding I'm sure he’ll apologize for the insult, but you know he needs the money and he’s new, he doesn't know who you are” Hyunjin was trying to save his job, Chan appreciates that.
“Calm down Hyunjin, I’m not firing him. I want everything you know about him.” this is insane, Chris has never been so interested in someone, let alone a stripper.
Hyunjin gives him everything he has on the dancer, his name, studies, and interests.
He goes back to his apartment, takes a cold shower, puts on a pair of sweatpants and starts reading the dancer’s file, a black cup of coffee in his hand.
Lee Minho reads atop of the page.
Turns out he’s an only child, his parents passed away a few years ago in a car accident, a drunk bastard skipped a stop sign, he only got 2.5 years in prison, and is now free.
Chris will take care of that.
He’s fascinated by the boy, he's been dancing since he was a kid, of course, the fact that his family died affected him, he barely finished high school since he had to get a job, sometimes two to pay his bills.
*****
“I’m sorry, what?!” After yesterday's fiasco, Minho hoped today was going to be different.
Yesterday he was told he could leave early, he got paid his fair share though, but something was still bothering him about that man, he kind of thought he was different, his behavior and mannerisms didn't scream pervert and yet he offered money for sex.
But then again he was at the club, so he couldn't be that good anyway.
And now, less than 24 hours later of dancing for him, he gets told he won't dance there anymore?
Can he really be that important?
“You're joking, right? There's no way I’m getting fired. I didn’t do anything wrong” this is unbelievable.
“You're not getting fired Minho”
“Then why can't I dance?”
“Do you have an idea of who was the man you danced for last night?”
“A customer?” he obviously didn't and he doesn't care.
“He’s the owner. Christopher Bang Chan” shit.
“Shit” he flopped down on the chair, defeated. Of course he was, he can never have a break.
There it goes his tuition for art school.
“What happened last night?” Hyunjin didn't really need to know that, but he was curious.
“Well, I finished the song and he got kind of handsy”
“But you didn't call security”
“He just grabbed my chin, the problem was that he opened his mouth” he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.
“What did he say?”
“That he could pay to touch me as if I’m some kind of whore or something”
“That doesn't sound like him at all, he's not the type to pay for sex, even less to someone that works at his establishment” that got him no reaction at all so he continued.
“Listen, he has an offer that I think you should at least consider” that got him an eyebrow lift.
“Go on”
“He doesn’t want you to dance here anymore, at least not for the general public or any private dance, he would like to have you dance for him and him only. You’ll still receive your regular payment plus the private dance fee” he moved his head to the side, like cats do when they’re listening to you but don’t care at all for what you’re saying.
“So what's the catch?” squinting eyes looking up at him, Hyunjin just shrugged.
“There's no catch”
“There has to be a catch. Why would the owner of the club want me to dance for him and pay me as if I’m working a whole shift? Is he a pervert? Is he trying to touch me again?”
“No. Look, it's ok if you say no. He wanted me to give you the offer, he just really liked your dance, you’ll be like his personal dancer”
“I think he liked something else” he murmured.
Hyunjin ignored the comment.
“So what do you wanna do?”
“What happens if I say no?” the offer was tempting, dancing for just one person and earning the same as working your ass off the whole night wasn't exactly bad.
“Then you’ll stop dancing here” the bitch face came back full force this time, Hyunjin could see that, taking his dance away from him was a sin. Felix has told him how much Minho loves dancing, anyone can see that.
He scoffed.
“So either I say yes or I’m fired”
“No, you’ll still get paid” he squinted his eyes, again.
“For doing what? Mopping the floors?”
“Minho-”
“Or is it because he just liked my appearance? Cause if he didn't like my dance he’s fucking blind” he was getting irritated just by that thought. Who does he think he is? He’s the owner yes but so what? That doesn't give him the right to tell him who he can dance for.
Chan who was outside the door listening to the exchange, couldn’t hide his smile at Lino thinking he didn't like the dance.
He opened the door.
“Quite the opposite, actually. I’ll take it from here” he told Hyunjin who left them alone.
The audacity of this man, Minho was surprised seeing him there but he won’t let it show.
He was wearing a long blue coat this time, blonde hair slicked back, a few loose strands falling over his forehead, he didn’t notice last night but there was a small scar on his forehead, right above his left eyebrow, but it doesn’t take any attention away from the fact that this man is handsome. Minho doesn't like the fact that he finds him attractive though dancing for him couldn't be that bad.
“So?” he sat down on Hyunjin’s seat.
“So you’ve been listening?” he lifted his eyebrow.
“Well, I’m really interested”
“Then why didn't you come tell me yourself? If you’re really that interested you should be the one telling me this instead of eavesdropping on private conversations” arms still crossed.
“I figured you wouldn't have listened to the offer if it came directly from me”
“Cause you know me so well” he rolled his eyes, he’s a fucking brat.
“Not what I meant, why are you defensive?”
“Cause a) I don’t know you and b) you’re trying to get dance away from me”
“No, I’m not. I just want you to dance for me”
“Yeah and if I don’t dance for you then I don’t dance at all”
“I thought you would like it, not having to dance for any other men”
“Well, you don't know me” he’s like a feral cat, so apprehensive and wary, Chris would love to tame him.
“Enlight me then” he leaned back on his seat.
“Why should I?” that made him laugh, Bang Chan likes a good challenge.
Let's try a different approach.
“Is this because of yesterday's incident? Because I didn't mean to offend you and I wasn't trying to pay you for sex or anything like that. I meant to say that I would pay more for breaking my own rule”
“Is that how you apologize?” not once letting his guard down, he’s pretty interesting.
Chris smirked.
“I’m sorry” he’s not one to be afraid of admitting his mistakes. Even if the ‘mistake’ was actually a misunderstanding, but if it gets Minho to open up a little, then he can live with that.
And that caught him off guard, Chan could see just for a brief second his facade shattering. Poker face leaving his place just for a little bit.
Good, they're making progress.
Chan just looked at him for a moment, he really is beautiful, even when he’s angry he’s cute.
“Will you think about the offer?” He gave him his most innocent smile.
Minho eyed him for a whole minute.
“I won't touch you again. I promise” Chan reassured him.
“I’ll think about it”
“Good” he stood up and walked towards him, offering him his right hand, Minho thought he wanted to shake hands so he lifted his and while he grabbed it, it wasn't for a handshake, he brought it close to his mouth and briefly kissed it.
“I look forward to your response” Minho was left there, with his heart skipping a beat and a blush so deep he could feel the heat in his ears and neck.
******
“So what will you do?” Felix asked him. He was sitting on Minho’s bed, finishing some drawings, Minho just finished telling him the whole story.
He and Felix are a team, so there are no secrets between them.
“I don't know, don't you think it's weird?”
“I think he just likes you” he dropped the orange color he had on his hand and changed it to a black one.
“Hyunjin told you that?”
“He said he has never seen him so infatuated by someone and if you think about it, is the offer even that bad? I mean if you say no, you’ll still get paid but you won't do what you love, if you accept you’ll get the money and you’ll be able to dance”
“Or I could quit and go to another strip club”
“Except they don't pay as much and they're not so strict about the touching thing”
“Yeah, I know” he flopped down beside him, careful not to land on his drawings.
Felix removed a strand of hair from Minho’s forehead.
“Why don't you see it as practice?”
“Go on” Minho was intrigued.
“Well, you still have to make your video for art school right?”
“Right?”
“You can see it as a practice, you can prepare choreographies and see which one he likes the most, which one gets a reaction, and so on and pick the best steps for your video”
“And I can still get the money for the tuition. I like the way you think Lix” he lifted himself on his elbows “You're also trying to help Hyunjin right?”
“Well, he did ask me for help. But what you want and with what you feel comfortable is more important”
“I’ll do it. Maybe I can earn some more for both our tuition fees”
He gets his phone out of his pocket and calls Hyunjin, one, two, three rings.
He answers.
“Hello?”
“Tell your boss I say yes”