Chapter Text
Evasion is a form of survival. When you're doing something your body doesn't enjoy, your brain looks for ways to escape.
Evade, escape. That's what Taehyung does every night, in his mind, of course, because his body can't escape. Every night, as he dances on a spectacular stage just for him, slowly taking off pieces of his clothes with music playing all around him, his mind is elsewhere. Every night, Taehyung closes his eyes as he goes about his work; in his mind, he is like Barbie, for he has had a thousand different professions. He has been a doctor, a dentist, a veterinarian, a preschool teacher, a painter, a repairman, a lawyer... even a househusband with a beautiful husband. He has been everything, Taehyung has already imagined himself in any profession. He has been everything but what he is in real life.
He is a dancer in real life, that's what he tells himself. Outsiders would say he is a stripper; those who are a little less naive would say an exotic dancer, or an erotic dancer. But in the end, the truth is that he is a prostitute. He is a prostitute who works in one of the most famous clubs in the city. It's a wonderful club, it's beautiful, Taehyung has never denied it. In fact, he has always found it ironic to have to escape in his mind from such a beautiful place. It's a place where no one judges you by your sexual preferences, no one judges you by the kind of fetishes and fantasies you come here to fulfill or the clothes you wear. It's a place of neon lights, there are colors and glitter everywhere, like in the bodies of the people wearing makeup and beautiful costumes. There are men and women dancing, semi-naked, showing off their bodies as if nothing mattered. Laughter is heard everywhere, even with the loud music. There are people celebrating all around, toasting with alcohol, and meanwhile, Taehyung is tending to the injured paw of a puppy in his mind, while his body dances on display.
The club would be more beautiful if many of those who dance half-naked, showing off their bodies, were not forced to be here. As is the case with Taehyung, he is forced to be here, dancing and pretending that nothing matters, the only that matters is his exquisite body covered in glitter and slowly stripping off the pretty outfits he is forced to wear.
The club would be more beautiful if the loud laughter were genuine, if no one here had to fake the laughter. Because those are laughs that hide tears and crying. It's laughter that sounds like a cry for help.
The club would definitely seem more wonderful to Taehyung if only he never had to set foot in it. He wishes it were a place he never got to know.
But it is not. Now this club is his workplace. It all started very simple, it was even silly, now in his twenties, he considers it silly, he considers himself silly for having been so naive. He has liked to dance since he was very little, that's how his dream started, of course, he never thought he would end up dancing in a place like this. He thought he would dance in music videos of famous artists, that he would be a choreographer someday, that he would have his own performances. Now he has them, but then he has to sleep with whoever has money to pay for a good time with him. The money doesn't end up in his hands, but in the hands of the man who, when Taehyung was 15, deceived him.
Taehyung is from a small village that relies on farming. His mother had a very small land that her father left her, where they grew different vegetables. From the profit of this humble crop, she fed and clothed Taehyung and his 4 younger siblings. Taehyung's father was a sailor, he spent a lot of time at sea, he sent money every time he was paid, and with that, he and his siblings had access to a good primary education. Until his father died. And Taehyung became the man of the house at the age of 13.
Working when you are thirteen is hard. So when you are 15 and a man in fine clothes comes to your small village and tells you that he will pay for your dance studies and feed your family because he thinks you are very talented, you believe him and go with him to the big city. At first, he did keep his promises, Taehyung learned a lot for almost 2 years, his family never starved again and he believed that one day he would be able to work and support his family. Until his 17th birthday, and the man who paid for his dance studies and fed his family informed him that he had a three-year debt to repay. And the only way to pay him back was to work in his club, as a prostitute. Otherwise, he would kill his mother and his four little siblings.
And that's how Taehyung and many others ended up in this club, under deception. They take advantage of the innocence, good heart, and necessity of small-villages people, who have never set foot in the asphalt jungle that is the city, where there are predators and prey. Taehyung learned that he is the prey.
The debt becomes more and more difficult to pay, not only is it an exorbitant amount of money. But what little he earns for himself, he has to send it to his family. They don't know what kind of job Taehyung has in the city, when he talks to them, Taehyung tells them that he has gotten all kinds of small jobs, except the one he actually does. If he was heartbroken when he realized the trap he had fallen into, his mother simply wouldn't bear it.
Another thing that makes it hard to pay the debt is that the owner of the club, the same man who took him out of his village, charges him even for the air he breathes and the water he drinks, even if Taehyung stopped breathing, he would charge him. And the debt grows and grows, and Taehyung thinks he will never get out of here.
Dancing is the only way his body can pretend he is escaping, moving his hips to the rhythm of the loud music, moving his body seductively, feeling sensual, feeling himself with his hands running over his own body, that, is the only way he can feel like he owns himself.
The man, the owner of the club, who calls himself Emperor, assures Taehyung that he never lied to him, he does have a talent for dancing. Not that Taehyung didn’t know it, but to be told so by a big city sir with a lot of money and fancy clothes is flattering at first. The thing is, he has gotten so good at dancing, his figure has been shaped in such an exquisitely outlined way, with magnificent curves where he needs to have and muscular where he needs to be because he is no longer a boy, he is now a man. And his natural features have an unparalleled beauty, that, at last, in Emperor's words, Taehyung can aspire for more.
Maybe now, Taehyung will have a chance to get out of here. For he is no longer a prostitute like any other, who goes from lap to lap around the club looking for clients, no. He is now more prestigious, he even has a stage with a pole just for himself in one of the exclusive areas of the club, so arguably he is now more coveted. More importantly, he charges a lot more, and if they pay a lot more for him, his debt decreases more than it increases.
It's been a while since Taehyung no longer sees having to sleep with strangers as a bad thing. Having his ass broken or his cock used as a toy, having to comply with fetishes, however disgusting and humiliating, having to ask to have all sorts of things done to his body... He doesn't see it as a reason to feel miserable. He now sees it as an investment in his true escape. But that only started a few months ago, so still, by his reckoning, he has a good number of years ahead of him in this club.
However, he keeps his hope and enthusiasm. Especially when it comes to dancing and having sex because dancing attracts more clients and the better he performs sex the faster he gets rid of the client, gets paid, and goes for another one, thus, he will have more money. More clients, more money. More money, more chances to get out.
So here he is, in his place on stage giving it his all as he does every night, with platform pumps, a stunning sequined outfit concealing garters underneath, a sparkling thong, and other lingerie just as pretty as the outfit that conceals it. A pearl crown-style ornament in his hair. Makeup that highlights all his features because he's always been told that his face is what draws the most attention, at first, until they see him with less clothing, and then, when they see him moving, everyone wants him.
Normally, he would be escaping in his head. Last night he was imagining being an astronomer, today he was supposed to find a new star and name it. But it won't be today, maybe tomorrow or the next day, but not today, because today is Friday. And on Fridays, he comes to the club.
He is a handsome man who sits at the table right in front of Taehyung's stage, at a distance that has allowed Taehyung to see his face every Friday when he comes to the club. Sometimes, he also comes on Saturdays, but he never knows which Saturday he will come. Fridays are fixed. At first, it was a hassle for Taehyung; it is the most expensive table in this area of the club, which is the most exclusive, he has to pay a lot of money to be able to sit there and have a good view of what Taehyung does with his body. But he sits there every Friday and some Saturdays since Taehyung got this stage. He seems to reserve that table because no one touches it before he arrives, after 12 o'clock at night, he never arrives before. And he sits and watches him dance, he just does that, he watches him, all night long until the club is about to close. It doesn't matter if Taehyung is hired for a few hours, when he comes back to continue dancing, he is still there, as if he's waiting for him. That's what Taehyung wants to think.
But he does nothing more than just look at him. He doesn't consume a drink, not even water. And he doesn't pay for anyone, not even Taehyung. He pays for nothing, no service, maybe he just pays for sitting at that table. He always comes with friends, well, Taehyung assumes they are his friends, but they hardly talk to him. They do use the services, all the services. More than once Taehyung has seen one of them get up and leave him alone to go to one of the private rooms, but with prostitutes who, for lack of better terms, are cheaper than Taehyung.
That's why Taehyung was bothered at first, he was a nuisance. He wasn't there to consume and he stole the best table on the best days which are the weekends when wealthy people go out to have fun and de-stress. For Taehyung, he made him lose clients.
Until he started to enjoy his gaze. Then, moreover, Taehyung started to drink in the man's beauty, and unwittingly found himself having fantasies about him. Not sexual fantasies, because in his twenties Taehyung is already tired of sex, he has probably fucked much more than what an average normal person would fuck in forty years of life. So these are not sexual fantasies. While Taehyung dances for him, because on the nights he comes over, Taehyung pretends he only dances for him, and leaves his eyes open, keeping eye contact with him. Smiling at him occasionally. That's when he really travels to different realities, living them with that man, whose name he doesn't know.
In his fantasies, he meets him in his village, they are both farmers, fall in love with each other and get married, and have a farm together where they also grow strawberries. In another, they are both preschool teachers, fall in love and get married, and adopt children. In another, Taehyung is a doctor and he is his patient, they fall in love and get married. In another, he bumps into him on the street, they fall in love at first sight, and get married. In another, Taehyung is his househusband and greets him with a kiss on the lips when he arrives exhausted from work, placing a plate of food in front of him, because they are married and happy. In all his fantasies with him, they are happily ever after.
Today, for example, he could fantasize that he is an astronomer again because he discovers stars in his eyes, right now, that he is looking at him. And it's just wonderful when he comes to the club, because Taehyung does not need his mind to escape, his fantasies with him are for enjoyment, not for necessity, and his body feels more connected to the earth, moving only for him who does not look away from his eyes. It's only sometimes, when his eyes cannot resist sliding down Taehyung's body, or when Taehyung smiles at him, that his eyes go to his lips, to his smile. But he hardly ever smiles back and always returns his gaze to his eyes, always, and they look into each other's eyes for hours. He doesn't stop looking at his eyes even if Taehyung makes the most obscene gestures with his body, he is who chooses when to look at Taehyung's body. And Taehyung doesn't need to force his mind to fantasize, in his eyes, he sees all those fantasies.
He is not interested in knowing his name or who he is, that would kill what they have, according to Taehyung. He knows it's probably one-sided, but he doesn't care. He's helped him get through Fridays, and some Saturdays, when more perverts come to the club, big-money perverts who pay to fulfill their shadiest desires with Taehyung. Because Fridays and Saturdays are the best days to make money, therefore, they are the worst days to be a prostitute, because he gets the roughest and wildest fucks, the least pious and the most painful, the hardest to erase from his body and mind.
But it doesn't matter, not since he started to enjoy having him sitting at the table in front of his stage. Because when a client from any of the other tables watching him dance calls him to sleep with him, Taehyung's mind easily escapes while he is being penetrated or is penetrating someone. He escapes to those universes where he lives happily with him and those eyes are the first thing he sees when he wakes up and the last thing he sees before he goes to sleep. To universes where he can fall in love and chooses to fall in love with him. And when he comes back from being used, he's still there, and Taehyung keeps dancing for him, not for anyone else. So those days are easier since he's on the stage in front of his table.
He is beautiful, like out of a fantasy. That's why Taehyung is surprised that he actually keeps showing up every Friday and some Saturdays; he was questioning for a while if it wasn't a figment of his imagination, as a form of survival. Because his wolfish gaze that keeps a certain sweetness and gentleness in his pupils helps him to survive. Because his predatory gaze makes him feel like the prey he is, but at the same time, it makes him feel cared for in a way he hasn't felt in a long time.
Taehyung feels that if he wasn't broken inside he could fall in love with him, maybe he's already in love with this nameless man with whom he has shared nothing but looks, but he doesn't want to admit it.
And only his face is enough to delight him. He had never stopped to look at anyone's face in this club; he prefers to be able to quickly forget them. But he couldn't help it, his eyes were drawn to the thickest lips he'd ever seen, lips that almost never open to say something, and that say little, lips that even from a distance, Taehyung knows are the softest in the world. To small, round eyes that would be cute if only he stopped fixing his wolf gaze on Taehyung. He could not help noticing his porcelain skin and small pretty nose either. He is beautiful, like a marble sculpture that he once saw in a museum. But he's real, Taehyung wants him to be real only for himself.
Nor has he ceased to revel in his figure. Just as he sometimes diverts his gaze, perhaps unintentionally, to Taehyung's semi-naked body, Taehyung can't help but let his eyes drink in his figure as well, especially when he wears fitted dress shirts that stretch impossibly as if they are about to tear off because of his incredibly broad shoulders, or pants that fit snugly around his tiny waist. He really is like those sculptures that represent desire and beauty in museums. But, just as in museums that art cannot be touched, for Taehyung, he is art that cannot be touched. No one touches him when he is in the club, he doesn't touch anyone either. Taehyung likes to think that he is untouchable. However, he would be lying if within himself he did not have the smallest wish that one day he would bend over to pick up the phone in the center of his table and press the number assigned to him to spend a few hours with him that Taehyung would make the best of his life, for both of them.
It's hard for Taehyung to want someone at this point in his life. He thinks that maybe if he were to want someone, it would be someone like him. But it can't be him because he comes to this club and Taehyung hates everyone who comes to this club, even though he doesn't consume anything, Taehyung can't allow himself to want him. No one in general, because he no longer feels love or desire, but much less could he love or want someone who comes here.
But who cares what Taehyung desires or doesn't desire, wants or doesn't want, allows himself or doesn't allow himself? Someone has already pressed his number and he must attend to his work, reminding himself that he does not own his body. He has barely taken off the top of his clothes, he never gets completely naked, he is always called before he can undress completely, it's good, but deep down, he would like to show his naked body to him sometime.
The only times he looks away from him is when he answers a client's call because he has to make eye contact with the person who has called his special phone to accept, always accept, the sex proposal. And he must get into the character invented for him, like the prostitute he is, like the tiger that everyone wants to tame in bed but no one can.
He hangs up the phone and stops dancing to retire to the private room where he will lose another piece of himself. As he steps off the stage, he sees out of the corner of his eye how he gets up too. He feels like a fool for how his heart skips a beat because for half a second he thought he would approach him. But he walks in the opposite direction, and Taehyung reminds himself that he's been dancing on that stage for five months, they've been sharing whatever it means to look into each other's eyes for so long for five months, and never did he give any indication of wanting to sleep with Taehyung.
He can't help but wonder what his problem is, if he has money to pay for that table, he should have money to pay for Taehyung. He doesn't want to think badly of him, after all, he is the man of his fantasies, the one who saves him when he is spreading his legs to strangers because he escapes with him to other universes. But he also can't help but think that maybe he is a pervy man who just likes to watch and then goes home to masturbate. Or a voyeur because he's still in the closet and afraid to come out. Or both, or many other things. That's real life after all.
Still, while he's sticking two fingers up in the ass of an old man in his sixties, Taehyung is imagining that he's an astronaut, that he traveled to the moon and he's sitting there watching the galaxy. Taehyung takes off his helmet and sits next to him, and they fall in love and get married. And they live on the moon happily ever after.
The same night, upon returning to his stage an hour later, still shaking with disgust, Taehyung gets sadder to see that he is not there, his friends are still there, but he is not. For the first time in five months, he is not there for his return, and though he doesn't want to admit it, Taehyung's heart, which he thought he no longer had, breaks a little bit. It breaks even more, and he can check that he still has heart left to his misfortune when he has barely stepped on stage and receives another call. The button lighting up on the keys of the antique phone, decorated to look vintage or whatever, tells him that it comes from his table. What hurts Taehyung is that he knows it's not him, but one of his friends. He will have to sleep with one of his friends. They've never called before, never even looked at him, but today, just today that Taehyung doesn't have him to endure the rest of this awful Friday, one of his friends calls.
And Taehyung has sex with one of his friends, pretending to enjoy his self-forced orgasm and faking giggles. He gives him a private dance and lets him pull his hair. It's not that horrible, not at all compared to other things he's experienced. But the fact that it's his friend, one who regularly comes to the club with him, is what makes it feel like the most horrible thing he's done in the three years he's been in the trade. And Taehyung hasn't stopped crying since then, when his nightmare is over and the club closes. He doesn't stop crying especially because, on Saturday, he doesn't come to the club. Nor the following Friday, nor the following Saturday. Nor the following Fridays, nor the following Saturdays for a month.
It's funny, that Taehyung spends a month crying because a man that he has seen for around only 30 days, for five months, only a couple of hours per day, affects him in this way. His friends didn't come anymore either, only one of them, the same one who hired him that time, and he came to hire Taehyung again, but after that, he didn't come anymore either.
Taehyung doesn't find it funny, deep down, he doesn't find it funny. Although right now he is laughing at himself in front of a mirror while putting on his makeup before the club opens, with tears in his eyes. He doesn't know if it's from laughing or from the immense pain he feels. Just now, a month later, on a Friday, he has convinced himself that he won't come back anymore. Taehyung won't have anyone to dance for anymore. He won't have someone to make him think 'he's not like the others', he won't have someone to help him really believe that there is life beyond this hell of a club. He is gone and left him with nothing, without his eyes that invites Taehyung to meet other worlds. He simply left, as if Taehyung meant nothing to him. Because that's how it was, he never meant anything to him, Taehyung tells himself in his head, looking into his eyes in the mirror, and curses, because in his eyes he sees his.
The more pain he feels in his heart, the worse he dances, that's why when he had the slight promise that he would come every Friday, he danced better. Now, he has almost no passion left. He will get over it, he convinces himself, in a short time he will get over it and attract hundreds of clients again with the movement of his hips. For now, he is sad. But it has a good side because when he's sad, he tries harder to put on makeup to hide the pain. The best makeup he has worn has been when he has felt the worst because he misses his family, because he longs for a different life, because he wants to be something else.
Today, he comes out with the most beautiful makeup art he's ever had. It's really beautiful, he looks like a creature from another planet, but in the best sense, it's an extravagant makeup, very, very striking. And he's achieved it because he's very, very sad. Hopefully, since he can't dance well, as before, his makeup will attract many clients who will keep him away from the stage, because his face is what has saved him the most during this whole month that he has felt unwilling to dance.
Taehyung admires himself in the mirror, he has never looked so beautiful before. And to top it all, he fixes his hair, entangling his long locks between bright, flowered hairpins in traditional Chinese style, with those pretty tassels hanging down to where his neck ends. He really looks otherworldly, like a beautiful celestial being. But he has tears running down his cheeks. The tears are hardly visible, as the makeup is more captivating. But Taehyung takes the eyeliner pencil and traces them, draws them on his cheeks, three tears, one longer than the other, under his eyes. He'd leave them, but they look hideous and ruin the makeup. So he wipes them off, re-makes up the area, and because he wants to show his tears, instead of drawing them, he decides to put fake rhinestones on his cheeks. Like the three small ones of different colors that adorn his forehead, but the ones he puts on his cheeks are blue, shaped like drops, and Taehyung will know they are his tears, no matter how pretty they look on his cheeks.
He has just finished when there is a knock on his door. It is one of the advantages of being promoted to having a stage all to himself, they also gave him a dressing room all to himself. And that they knock before entering is another advantage, but they will never wait for him to give permission to come in or not, they always come in anyway, after all, nobody here has the right to accept or refuse anything. Especially if it is the owner of the club, as is the case now. Emperor walks into his dressing room, with a beaming smile, which widens at the sight of Taehyung.
"Woah! You look gorgeous!" Emperor exclaims, "You really wanted to show off for tonight." He walks up to Taehyung and takes his face in his hands, and Taehyung just has to let him do it. Emperor clicks his tongue, inspecting his face, "It's a pity that the clients won't see you this beautiful tonight."
"Huh?" Taehyung tilts his head in confusion.
Emperor strokes his cheek with the back of his hand. It's funny, that same hand has given Taehyung good punches when a client complains that he has said something inappropriate for a prostitute, when he has gone out of character, or when he complains because someone has hurt him. That same hand is caressing his cheek tenderly, as he says,
"But you're in luck today, sweetie. Today you and I are in luck." He pulls his hand away, drags a chair over, and sits down opposite Taehyung, "I want you to listen to me well. A very important client has paid to spend the whole night with you. This client, Taetae, is going to pay a lot of money for you, and you have to treat him very well, do you understand? I want you to make him touch the stars and stay out of the atmosphere a little bit. He could be a big boost out of here, okay?" He laughs, "If you make him happy, if you do the job the way you have to do it, I promise you that I will cut your debt in half."
Taehyung's eyes go wide, "Really?"
Emperor laughs, "Really. But you have to keep him happy, okay? You have to make him really happy and keep him very very satisfied. You're the best, the youngest, and the most beautiful one here. I know you can make him happy. When you are doing whatever dirty things he asks you to do, remember your family, remember you have to protect them, and do whatever he asks you to do."
Taehyung nods, "But the debt thing-"
"I assure you, it will be cut. But if I get a single complaint from that client, Taehyung, forget about our deal."
Taehyung nods again with more assurance.
"God, you're so fucking charming," Emperor says, leaning down to kiss Taehyung's lips. A dirty kiss with too much tongue. Pulling away, he says, "If this client doesn't like you, it'll be because he's an idiot. Maybe I will keep you forever, you would be just for me, my sex slave." He laughs like it's a joke, getting up.
Taehyung is still resisting the urge to throw up from that kiss, with tears threatening to come out again.
"You might end up liking this client, but don't forget about me, Taetae. Sometimes I still dream of your pretty ass engulfing my cock."
Inevitably, Taehyung ducks his head in shame. He has never been able to refuse.
Emperor scolds him, "Hey! Smile! Put on that cute smile of yours. That client loves your smile, so you'd better smile. Look at me and smile." He orders.
Taehyung obeys, puts on a nice smile but one that doesn't reach his eyes.
It's enough. "There it is. You are so pretty." Emperor compliments him with a nod, before considering, "Maybe you should take off those clothes and makeup." Then, he changes his mind with a mischievous grin, "No. Better wear it, you'll surprise him. He's already here, he's waiting for you out back, the only blue two-door car. Don't make him wait any longer."
"Are we leaving the club?" He asks, again in confusion.
"Ah, yes, don't worry, you'll be fine, the club is looking out for your welfare."
Taehyung doubts it.
"It's just that he's a classy guy, he thinks that sleeping with someone in a club would degrade him or something, he'll probably take you to a luxurious hotel or something. Have fun!"
With that said, he leaves.
Taehyung thinks that, if he is a real class man, he shouldn't be hiring a prostitute. But well, what does Taehyung know about class if he barely finished high school. He looks in the mirror and thinks he's too extravagant to go out, to go to a hotel, but Emperor approved. Maybe he should meet with the client so he can decide what he prefers. If it is as Emperor says, that making the customer happy will reduce his debt, then he will really be on his best behavior. Being sad today was worth something because the nice makeup and clothes he is wearing will impress him quite a bit. He will see this client as the most important job of his life because so far, it is.
He comes out of his dressing room, in heels and tight shorts; his upper half is covered with a sequin shirt that leaves little to the imagination, revealing much of his chest and collarbones.
The club is empty, they haven't opened yet and all the workers are getting ready, each in their individual or shared dressing rooms. Taehyung locks his and heads for the exit at the back of the club, a little nervous, as he wants to make a good impression. He's not looking where he's going, his mind is wandering, imagining what kind of client it will be, surely a very old and very modest man, those are the ones who have more morbidities in their heads.
A shiver runs through Taehyung's body and it is at this moment that he bumps into someone, shoulder to shoulder in the hallway on the way to the exit, as he turns to apologize, hands grab his shoulders because he staggered dangerously and help him steady himself. Taehyung meets the eyes of a wolf puppy.
"S-sorry," Taehyung says, voice failing him and heart in his throat. It's him.
It's the first time he's seen him up close. He is dressed more elegantly than he has ever seen him, so impeccably coiffed. He looks like a fragment of his imagination. But his ears are very red, and that's something Taehyung has never seen on him before, his ears are a furious red. And a blush is appearing on his cheeks as he takes a better look at Taehyung. But suddenly puppy eyes turn into adult wolf eyes again, the eyes Taehyung has seen for about 30 days. And it no longer matters that his cheeks are flushed, he looks intimidating, even as he says,
"No, it's my fault. I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." He releases his shoulders, self-consciously. Then he doesn't know what to do with his hands, but he quickly composes himself and clasps them behind his back, giving Taehyung a polite look.
Taehyung loses himself in the way his shoulders look broader when he sees them this close, and how lines appear that indicate his shirt is stretching. Three undone buttons reveal a bit of his flushed chest. And Taehyung blushes just from the sight. He can't find words to say.
"Excuse me, but I thought I had to meet you in your dressing room."
Taehyung returns his gaze to those intimidating eyes, "Huh?"
"I was told I was supposed to meet you in your dressing room." He explains as if it answers all of Taehyung's doubts. Taehyung is just lost in that velvety voice.
He always thought he would have a deep, fearsome voice, deeper and raspier than his own. But he has the voice of an angel, soft and sweet, like a caress. Courteous no matter the words, his voice sounds kind. There should only be confusion in Taehyung's eyes.
"I..." He clears his throat, a gesture meant to hide how truly uncomfortable he is saying the following, "I paid for you... I was told to stop by your dressing room for you." He insists.
"You? You paid for me? For a night with me?" Taehyung's doubts slip from his lips with a hint of disbelief in his voice.
He smiles a little, barely a twitch of his lips for the first half-second he hears Taehyung speak, but then, he frowns, "Is that what you were told?"
Taehyung nods.
"My name is Kim Seokjin." He bows his head cordially. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Taehyung's heart races twice as fast for several reasons and he gasps for air as if he had been punched in the stomach. The first reason for his reaction is because no one had ever bowed to him before, no one ever bothered to show him manners. Nor had he ever been told before that it's a pleasure to meet him. It escapes him, he swears it escapes him when he breaks one of the most important rules of a prostitute,
"I am Kim Taehyung." He says his real name.
But he has no time to regret it, no time to feel bad about it either, because he definitely smiles at him. It's the first time he sees him smile like this, even if it's a small curve of his lips without showing his teeth and only two seconds, Taehyung appreciates it. It's the first sincere smile he has seen since he left his village.
What other reason led him to react in such a way that he even broke a club rule? That he is Kim Seokjin.
"Your name... was mentioned in yesterday's paper. One of your five restaurants lost one of its three stars."
Kim Seokjin raises an eyebrow, just a little, it seems that he controls each and every one of his expressions, "It's not a very nice thing to say when you just met someone."
Taehyung blushes twice as much, "I'm sorry it's just...you're very well-known." It's a way of saying he's really nervous. He can't believe he's Kim Seokjin, much less can he believe he's the man who paid to spend a night with him after he's been missing for a whole month, after they've been exchanging looks for five months. It's just too much. "I mean, your restaurants are well-known." He clarifies.
He's never eaten at one, they're too expensive, but there are three in this city, and he walks past the front longing to be able to eat there someday, the smells wafting out the door are incredible.
"It's okay." He says with a nod. "Hey, Taehyung. Don't get me wrong, you look very beautiful today, I've never seen you this splendid. Those gems on your cheeks, what are they?"
"My tears," Taehyung replies without thinking.
Seokjin looks away from his cheeks and looks into his eyes, "Do your tears turn into precious stones when they dry up? You shouldn't shed them in vain, then. Let it be for worthwhile things."
If he knew it was because of him, what would he say? Taehyung wonders.
"As I was saying, don't get me wrong. But, if you prefer, you can wear something more casual. The accessories in your hair are very pretty, but I'm not sure you'd want to wear them outside the club."
"Would you rather I change?"
Seokjin thinks about it, it's obvious that he thinks about it, he hesitates about if it's what he prefers. "I want you to be comfortable when you go out." He says after a few seconds of contemplation.
"Can I wear whatever I want?"
Seokjin blinks and a slight nod of his head indicates yes.
"Do you want me to bring the clothes in a bag for later?"
"Do you like those clothes?"
"Yes." Quite.
"Bring it in a bag. Bring your costumes, everything you like in a bag. Will you need help carrying them?"
"No." He shakes his head. "There are few that I like."
"I'll wait for you in the car, then. It's a blue one, the only one outside for now."
Taehyung nods. Some anticipation that he had never felt before begins to bubble up inside him and he discovers that it was not so deep down how much he wanted and desired this man. It's the best thing that's happened to him in a long time, even if he doesn't get to be as polite and kind in bed as he has been in these short minutes of little conversation, he's going to treasure this small moment. And if tonight goes wrong, the man ends up destroying the romanticized version of him, it doesn't matter, Taehyung will forget about all that like he forgets everything else and will only hold on to these minutes of conversation and the pretty blush on his cheeks, chest, and ears.
He dresses plain, he allows himself to, he said he could wear whatever he wanted after all. He is rarely given that option, and he goes out of the club very little because he doesn't have money for much. So he wears the clothes he wears the few times he goes out. A pair of black jeans and a baggy white shirt, regular, grandpa-style shoes because they remind him of his dad. Not that he wants to wear them on this occasion when he goes out to sell himself, but it's the only pair of shoes he has that aren't the heels that Emperor buys him with the money that increases his debt without Taehyung asking him to. He leaves his makeup and rhinestones on his cheeks, but removes the accessories from his hair and tousles it a bit. He puts makeup, accessories, and the outfits he likes in a bag, maybe Seokjin is going to ask him to wear them for him, he will happily wear them for him.
He goes out again, almost trotting to the exit, and finds the car, a sports car, of course it's a Lamborghini, striking in the dark parking lot, luxurious. He expected nothing less from the young owner of a little restaurant empire. After getting into the passenger seat, Seokjin takes his small bags and places them in the space for his feet, and then he stares at him.
"What?" Taehyung asks with a smile, he can't help but smile at his stare.
"Nothing." He says, looking away. Looking ahead of him and starting the car, he says, "You look different, just that."
He didn't say it like it was a bad thing. Taehyung's smile widens, "And do you like it?"
Taehyung sees Seokjin's knuckles turn white as he tightens his grip on the steering wheel at the question, driving out of the parking lot.
"It fascinates me." He says quietly, after a moment. And his fingers relax.
Taehyung feels so happy. He's been having fantasies about this man for months. That he says that, it's as if his husband is saying it. He's going to get his heart broken if he continues like this, so he forces himself to calm down.
"Taehyung," Seokjin says when he's been driving for about five minutes, "How old are you? May I know? "
"It depends."
Seokjin looks at him. "Depends?"
"How old do you want me to be? Do you want me to be much younger than you? An innocent sixteen years old?" He fixes a seductive look on him.
Seokjin looks taken by surprise for a few seconds, his neck unintentionally cranes back an inch. He composes himself easily. "You don't have to do that. Not anymore, just be yourself. Just tell me how old you are, if you want to tell me."
Taehyung's smile fades. For some reason, his words offend him, "Who says I wasn't being myself?"
Seokjin remains looking ahead, doesn't answer his question. "If you don't want to tell me your age it's fine."
Taehyung sighs and rolls his eyes, "I'm twenty."
"I am twenty-six."
"Why are you telling me your age?"
"Because you told me yours." He answers simply.
"I could be lying to you." Taehyung considers. He feels rebellious all of a sudden, so much so, that he puts his legs up on the seat, sitting as he pleases. He knows he should be behaving better, but for a moment he stops caring.
"You're not lying," Seokjin confidently says without looking at him. "I hadn't seen you at the club before, how long have you been working there?"
"You hadn't seen me before? You mean before those five months when you just sat in front of me to watch me dance? I mean, you used to go to the club before?" There's no way his words didn't sound accusatory.
"It's impolite to answer with a question. You answered with three questions."
Taehyung bites his tongue, yet retorts, "I was never taught manners. My mother didn't have time."
"That's no excuse for not learning manners on your own."
Color rises to Taehyung's cheeks, he's about to tell him where he can stick his manners, but Seokjin interrupts him, with the answer to his question.
"I used to go to the club. Occasionally. I'd sit in a more secluded spot. Until I saw you, six months ago, on stage." He looks at him, "I'm keeping track of the days, too. It was on a day like this." He returns his eyes to the road, "Today marks exactly six months since I first saw you. The club was holding a red-themed party, there was red everywhere, no one was wearing another color in any way. You wore red too, but your eye shadow was blue, a blue like the gems on your cheeks now."
Taehyung listens to him, a little stunned.
"It was a blue that matched the blue of my shirt." Seokjin comments, no hint of emotion in his voice to give away if it means anything. And he falls silent.
A few seconds of silence pass before Taehyung answers his question, "I've been working there for three years. I used to work in a cheaper area, and I would sit from lap to lap looking for clients. It wasn't until six months ago that I was given a stage in the area where I am now."
Seokjin nods.
"Hey... Where are we going?"
"What's your favorite food?"
"Didn't you say it was impolite to answer with a question?"
Seokjin laughs, he lets out a laugh that makes Taehyung jump but makes his heart flutter in a good way. Seokjin shakes his head with a smile before it fades from his lips. "I ask because according to your answer, we will have a destination."
"Oh..." Taehyung still feels confused but considers the answer he will give, "Well, I don't know, I don't have a favorite food. These days I ate chow mein that a neighbor prepared for me, I really liked it. I think it's my favorite for now."
Seokjin nods. "We'll make a stop at one of my restaurants, whichever one is closest." He looks at the time on the car's dashboard, "It's still early, they haven't closed." At the next intersection, he takes a turn.
Taehyung finds it weird but doesn't comment on anything. He didn't dress to go to a restaurant, he wouldn't have clothes for it, but he doesn't say anything about it either. He settles into the seat, sitting better, more properly. So far, it hasn't even been twenty minutes, and Seokjin has been the weirdest client he's had.
Reaching the restaurant doesn't take them long, they made the drive in silence, but Seokjin stole glances in his direction every chance he got, without saying anything, without smiling at him, again, like in the club, just looks, intense looks, enough to make Taehyung feel naked and surrendered. It's weird, but it's not bad.
When he parks in front of the restaurant in a spot that was evidently reserved for him, Seokjin asks him,
"Do you want to come with me? Do you want to eat something now?"
Taehyung shakes his head quickly. If he walks into a place like that, everyone's eyes will be on him, in the worst sense. He'd rather stay and wait for whatever Seokjin has to do inside.
"Okay, I'll leave the car running. You can roll down the windows if you want, but turn off the air conditioning before you do. You can also play music, it's easy, the buttons say it all," He points to the dashboard, "Just be careful with the paddle shifter." He says with a small smile and gets out of the car. "I'll try not to take too long." He assures before closing the door.
Taehyung doesn't play music or roll down the windows. All he keeps thinking is that this man must be crazy to let a prostitute stay in his late-model car running. He should run away, with the car; Emperor gave him a couple of driving lessons at Taehyung's insistence, it can't be hard to remember his lessons, besides the car he learned with was a sports one like this one.
If he sold this car, Taehyung would have enough to pay to get his family out of where they are and send them to a safe place where they are not threatened. He would have enough to flee out of the city with his mother and four younger siblings. The five of them run through his mind and he is really tempted to climb into the driver's seat. But when he goes to move, that his feet move inside his shoes, he remembers his father.
His father would never judge him for being in the situation he is in, selling his body to keep his family safe and food on their table. He wouldn't judge him for being naïve and fooled by a man like Emperor. But he would judge him if Taehyung stole this car. His mother did not have time to teach him manners because she was always working, but she had time to teach him values. Just like his father, in the annual visits, his father taught him values that he would be ignoring if he steals this car.
Furthermore, he also thinks about Seokjin. It's true that this man is maybe going to bust his ass until he bleeds without caring at all, many have already done it to him. But he has trusted in Taehyung enough to leave him in his running car, alone. If Seokjin is scum, no matter how much of a whore Taehyung is, he won't be scum too. He can't take what is not his, because then, nothing would differentiate him from those who take his body for dirty cash as if they owned him. So, he stays still in his seat.
Seokjin returns after twenty minutes with three large bags of food. He puts them away in the trunk of the car to then get into the driver's seat, "Are you okay?" he asks upon seeing Taehyung's slightly absent expression.
Taehyung nods, coming back to himself. But his eyes get lost in Seokjin's worried ones and he whispers a question, "Why are you acting like you've known me all your life?"
It seemed to him that Seokjin was a man who knew how to hide his expressions, but Taehyung just now, when Seokjin widens his eyes for a second, he realizes that it's the third time tonight that he seems to lose control of his expressions. Does that mean that Taehyung makes him lose that control? Maybe he is being too delusional.
Seokjin takes a few seconds to answer. Taehyung can tell that he thinks his answers well. "I haven't known you all my life, but I've known you for six months. I must know something about you, right?"
"We've never spoken before."
"Eyes say more than words can ever say, Taehyung." He says staring into his eyes, "And our eyes have said a lot for months. Your eyes have told me many things."
Taehyung almost gasps in surprise. What is he talking about? For a moment, that bunch of fantasies he had about him flashes through his mind. Could he be talking about it? Puzzling. Aside from a perplexed feeling, which is not so puzzling at all, but feels different, his cheeks are also flushing without him being able to help it. He prays that Seokjin hasn't seen all of his fantasies, but it would seem so from the way he said that and from the way he's looking at him now. He almost gasps again, could he be a mind reader? He calls himself out for thinking stupid things. Now he feels like Seokjin is playing with him because he has made him believe his own fantasies for too long.
"Why did you disappear for a whole month?" He asks. He shouldn't be angry about it- He's a stranger! He reminds himself, screaming in his head. Why did his words sound like an accusation? Why did he sound so angry? But he feels angry. Taehyung can't help but admit that he missed him.
"I was busy, sorry."
To top it off, to further fuel his delusion, he apologizes.
"Whatever, we don't know each other. You don't have to apologize. I was just curious. And forget my question a moment ago, you don't know me at all. Until today you didn't even know my name. And I don't know you." He folds his arms, looking away. "It was stupid, I don't know why I asked that."
"At least now I know you like the chow mein," Seokjin says simply and starts the car to drive out of the parking lot.
"Tell me where we're going and what we're going to do." He shouldn't use that rude tone of voice. He doesn't even know why he's so upset with him. He's supposed to have just met him.
"To your house, give me your address, please."
Taehyung turns in his seat to look at him, “Excuse me? That is private. I can't tell you where I live, you can't go there, it's a club rule."
"Not telling your real name is also a club rule, Vante."
Taehyung could be literally fuming right now. That he used his prostitute name irritates him to an unbearable level, something in his tone also tells him that he knows, that he is sure, that Taehyung is his real name.
"It was a slip-up!" He exclaims angrily. This client was supposed to be a huge boost to his freedom, he was supposed to behave with him. But here he is, raising his voice at him. And, on top of that, he says something that for some reason he knows is going to anger him as much as it angered him that he knew his prostitute's name,
"What do you have to go to my house for? I can give you a good blowjob right here in your car if that's what you want."
And he gets the reaction he wanted, Seokjin's knuckles turn white on the steering wheel. Taehyung gets his victory, but he wants to push harder, and he knows how to do it, he adds, almost stumbling over his own words,
"Why are you coming to me now? Is it because your friend told you how good my mouth is at giving blowjobs? Or did he tell you how good I move with a cock in my ass?"
Seokjin stops the car in its tracks, in the middle of the street, and turns to look at him. A look that warns Taehyung that he should shut his mouth. But that's one of Taehyung's defects, he never knows when to shut his mouth,
"Are you jealous of your friend? Is that it? That he was able to fuck me before you because you didn't have the balls to dial my number for five damned months, huh?"
"I paid your debt."
The words feel like ice water thrown over his face all of a sudden. "W-what?"
"I paid your debt. You don't have to go back to the club anymore, I paid for every day you were going to work there for the next five years, I paid for every client Emperor won't have for five years. I'm just going to drive you home, but if you don't want a ride, let me pay for a cab to take you there, but you have to tell me how much you're going to need."
"I don't believe you." Taehyung whispers. "Emperor said you hired me for the whole night. Do you understand you can't play with that? Emperor has my family in his sights, if I don't come to work tomorrow, he's going to hurt them. And he'll come looking for me because he knows where I live and he will beat the shit out of me. Do you understand that? Or are you one of those sadists who want to see me beaten and miserable, getting pleasure from that?"
Seokjin sighs, he starts the car again only to park on the side of the road and turns the car off. With fingers massaging his own forehead, he says,
"I understand that you don't trust what I'm telling you. Go home and call Emperor. I not only paid your debt. I had to buy you out for the five years you would work for him. I'm still a client for all he knows."
"You bought me for five years?"
Seokjin looks at him, "I'm not holding you here, am I? The door locks are open. You can leave whenever you want, but I'd like to know if you get home safely, that's all. Emperor probably told you I hired you for one night to mess with you, to play with you one last time because that's how he thinks, so you'd think you should have sex with me or whatever and come back to work tomorrow. But it's not like that. Call him."
"How can I be sure Emperor is going to leave my family alone if I don't come back tomorrow?"
"I'm his client, and I bought you. You don't have any more business with him, but with me. I am the one you respond to now, not him. But I don't know where your family is, and I'm not going to forcibly keep you working for me either. You're free to do with your life what you want now, but don't go back to the club, that's all I ask."
"But he... he said I should make you happy today... or else..."
"Hey, I understand your concern. But believe me, nothing will happen to your family. Emperor thinks that I will keep you, that you will be my slave for five years, I don't know. But I will be happy if you are free, if you do what your heart truly wants, that will make me happy, and if I am happy, Emperor will be happy."
Taehyung looks into his eyes and believes his every word. He would like not to believe him, but he does, he believes him wholeheartedly.
"Why did you do that? Why did you buy me? Do you really want nothing of me?"
For a second, in his eyes is written an I want everything of you. But Seokjin blinks and looks away, "I want you to be happy." He answers honestly, it's just as honest as his gaze wanting everything of him.
"This isn't a trap, is it?"
"Emperor and I have known each other for a long time, Taehyung. I am very important to him and he is very important to me. There are no traps." He says and flexes his fingers on the steering wheel. "Go home and think things through. And call him, tell him I told you to ask him for the truth, but don't tell him I'll let you be free, that's none of his business."
Taehyung nods, "I will trust you." He says taking a deep breath. "I live in the east center of the city, near Chinatown. All my neighbors are Chinese." He comments casually.
Seokjin starts the car, now he has a destination. "That pretty crown headband you wore today..."
"I got it from a neighbor, yes..." Taehyung answers the unasked question. Maybe it's stupid that he's trusting him, but he's always been innocent and optimistic. Hope, no matter how much beatings and abuse he has suffered, does not leave his body. And it doesn't matter if he crashes in the end, Seokjin is giving him hope. The only thing he doesn't want is for his family to suffer the consequences, so he will try to be careful.
Taehyung indicates the address by pointing his finger until they're near his residence, he won't let him see exactly where he lives, but makes him stop nearby. He takes his phone from his pocket, a very old and beaten one, and calls Emperor to check Seokjin's story in front of him.
Emperor tells him everything with a laugh, finding it funny that he sold Taehyung for five years to, as Seokjin said, a very important person to him. He assures him that he will still miss him, but when he starts spending the huge amount of money Seokjin paid for him, he will get over it, he also assures him. He makes Taehyung promise that he will make Seokjin happy, reminds him that he is his new owner, and, therefore, he owes him as much obedience as he owed Emperor. He also says that, if he does not make Seokjin happy, the threat against his family still stands. That's all, and he bids him farewell by blowing a loud kiss.
"He says that if I don't make you happy, my family is still in danger," Taehyung tells him as he hangs up.
"I already told you what will make me happy."
"I don't even know if you're telling the truth. I'd rather go back to the club, you know? At least there I was certain that if I kept giving Emperor money, my family would be fine. They would get feed with the money I sent them."
"Were you certain? Were you really?"
Taehyung hesitates, "Well... no. But... I don't know, at least I was sending them money while I watched Emperor, I don't know, watched that he wouldn't send thugs to my mother's house. Now I don't even have a job. And I only know how to dance on a pole."
"You need money?"
Taehyung nods, contemplative. He doesn't have a penny and he still has to pay the rent.
"I can give you some, so you can start over, it wouldn't be a proble-"
"I don't want your money." Taehyung states with determination. "I want to earn the money with my effort. Besides, I can't ask anything from you anymore, you paid a lot of money for me, and I don't even understand why you did it."
Seokjin looks into his eyes, then looks away towards the residence buildings. "Do you want a job?"
"Well... yes. But-"
"I need a night shift receptionist at one of my restaurants. Don't see it as paying off debt, see it as a job offer, you can leave whenever you want. I'm supervising that restaurant at night, so you can keep an eye on me, right? If I call Emperor telling him you make me sad, you can just cut my head off with a butter knife, you know I wouldn't put up a fight, you know I wouldn't hurt you." He looks at him, with a sweetness that shouldn't be in his eyes when he looks at Taehyung.
And Taehyung hates that he knows Seokjin wouldn't hurt him, he doesn't even know it because of the sweetness in his eyes, but because he just knows it. "I don't know anything about being a receptionist in an upscale restaurant."
"It's easy, I'm sure you'll learn fast. It's just assigning tables to customers and answering calls to make reservations. I'll help you when you need it. You'll make a good salary."
An he would be able to move his family here, to the city. It sounds too good to be true. Inevitably, he remembers that time it all sounded too good to be true and he fell into that trap, into those words Emperor trapped him with. He wonders why he's falling for the same thing again, just because he's a different man doesn't mean it's not a similar deception. Still, he accepts, nodding. Because he's Seokjin and he's known him for six months.
"I'll see you there on Monday, okay? At the restaurant we just visited. I'll get you a uniform. You should be there from five in the afternoon."
"Okay... I know the address." Taehyung says quietly and motions to get out of the car, he opens the door.
But Seokjin calls him, "Taehyung!"
Taehyung turns a bit puzzled because Seokjin raised his voice a little.
Now Seokjin seems to hesitate. One of his hands clenches into a fist, twice, before he extends it palm up.
Instinctively, Taehyung places his hand over his, feeling it a little rough from cuts and burns on his fingers typical of a chef working in a hurry, but the rest of his hand is soft as all his skin seems and warm as his voice is. It's the hand of someone who is naturally kind. And to add a tingle to the beautiful sensation of having his hand on his, Seokjin deposits a soft kiss on the back of his hand, closing his eyes and tilting his head, as if wanting to treasure how it feels to kiss his hand. But Taehyung barely feels his lips, it was a tiny kiss. Still, the contact is enough for him to blush from chest to forehead and for him to almost stop breathing.
When Seokjin lets go of his hand, he seems to remember something, so he gets out of the car with Taehyung's bags and opens the trunk to take out the food. He walks to Taehyung again and helps him out of the car by extending a hand that Taehyung takes again as in a dazzle. Seokjin then hands him the bags,
"There are different dishes in there, chow mein among those. I wouldn't dare say it's better than the one your neighbor makes, but it's pretty good."
Taehyung takes the bags with shaking hands, he doesn't even have a voice to refuse the food. He simply nods with his heart beating very fast. He turns around, carrying the bags. He doesn't even turn around to see if Seokjin's car is leaving. He rushes into his house and as soon as he leaves the bags on a table, he covers the hand that Seokjin kissed with the other, trying to rub off the burning sensation from that little spot that received his kiss. But the feeling won't go away, no matter how much he rubs it. And he hates to be enjoying it.
He feels like he's playing with fire. And whenever you play with fire, you end up getting burned.
Saturday and Sunday go by very fast, but it was an eternal wait for Taehyung. He rationed the food to last him at least a week, but he also shared some on Saturday afternoon with the friendly old neighbor who always gives him food. They both agreed it was the most delicious chow mein they have ever eaten. For Taehyung, it was the most delicious food he has ever eaten in his life.
On Monday at five o'clock in the afternoon, he walks into Seokjin's restaurant. There are few diners, it's not crowded, it must be because of the time. No one pays attention to Taehyung when he walks towards the reception, where there is no one to greet him. Instead, the one who seems to be a waiter approaches him. He is a young man about his age, he is clearly his age, shorter in stature than him and smaller in build, he has lavender dyed hair and thicker lips than Seokjin's, now, those are the thickest lips Taehyung has ever seen.
"Good afternoon, sir. Do you have a reservation for a table?"
Taehyung shakes his head. He is amazed, in this new life he'll apparently have, he'll be treated with a cordiality he's never received before.
"It's no problem. We have free tables. Are you going to eat alone or are you waiting for someone else?"
"I-" Taehyung says sheepishly, "I'm here for the receptionist position."
The young man smiles, "Ah! You must be Taehyung. I'm Park Jimin, nice to meet you. I'm the head waiter, we'll be co-workers! Seokjinnie has told me a lot about you." He says with a smile that makes Taehyung blush.
"Come this way." He says walking into the back of the fancy restaurant. Taehyung follows him. "Seokjin had to leave for a moment, he wanted to be here when you arrived, but an inconvenience came up. Ever since one of his restaurants lost a star, everything has been in chaos. But he left your uniform."
Jimin, from moment one, is a helping hand. He shows him around, introduces him to all the staff. While doing all this, he explains how he will do his job. Taehyung's main function will be to welcome customers. In Jimin's words, which according to him are Seokjin's words, he will be the face of the restaurant. And Taehyung wonders why Seokjin would want or allow an apparently 'former' prostitute to be the face of one of his prestigious restaurants. And he says apparently because he still doesn't believe that this way, for real, he has come out of that hole of the club.
Taehyung thought that when Seokjin meant to give him a job, it would be a dishwasher or a sweeper. Not such an important one. When he said receptionist, assigning tables, and answering calls, he didn't really pay attention to him. He was busy thinking that, in his fantasies, he had never worked in a restaurant before.
He will definitely have a better working environment. All the staff are friendly and smile politely at him. And Taehyung feels happy. There was a lot of competition at the club, no one really smiled at anyone and everyone had the goal of making more money than others to get out of there. So it's a nice contrast. Among the people whose eyes sparkled when they met him and offered beautiful sincere smiles were the head chef, Yoongi. The bartender at the bar, Hoseok. And the youngest of the team, a waiter named Jungkook.
"He's Seokjin's protégé." Jimin whispers in Taehyung's ear when they meet the young waiter, and Jungkook throws an apron at Jimin.
Taehyung goes to his work spot as soon as everything is explained to him. He is nervous at first, but Jimin assures him that Mondays are easy. And so it is, Jimin helps him take calls and book reservations for the first half-hour, supervising the way he greets diners. When he's satisfied with his work, Jimin occupies himself completely to doing his own.
The hours go by very fast, Taehyung thinks he is in a dream because he immediately loves his job. There are tough clients, but nothing like what he's had to deal with in the past. He serves them all with a smile and cordial words. It's the first day, but he feels he was born for this. He always thought he was born for anything other than being a prostitute, quite the opposite of what Emperor told him, according to him Taehyung was a whore since he learned how to move his hips. He was finally able to prove that he was good for much more.
Seokjin arrives late at night, he is very happy to see Taehyung at the reception, he gives him the biggest smile Taehyung has ever seen on him, the biggest smile Taehyung has ever seen on anyone.
"Ah, look at you! Such a professional!" He exclaims.
Taehyung can't help but feel flattered, proud of himself for once in his life, he smiles as big as him.
"You look beautiful today..." Seokjin says softly and his eyes as much as his smile soften little by little.
Taehyung's smile also softens as his eyes lost in his. He feels his cheekbones warm.
They stare at each other until Jimin arrives and drags Seokjin by an arm away from the reception, “Enough, you promised it wouldn't be a distraction. You're needed in the kitchen."
Even though Jimin has said it loud enough just for Seokjin to hear, Taehyung heard it. He said it wouldn't be a distraction? Did he mean Taehyung wouldn't be a distraction? He doesn't quite understand what he meant. A customer comes in and doesn't give him time to ask more questions to himself, he attends to the customers. It's nice to have to offer food instead of his own body.
In the remainder of the working shift, only Seokjin's compliment occupies his mind when he is not serving a customer, it is inevitable. Someone like him, who looks so unfairly perfect, saying that he looks beautiful today. He got it why he said it on Friday, it was because Taehyung really looked beautiful, he had a lot of makeup and nice clothes. Today he is only wearing the restaurant uniform, a badge with his name and the words receptionist on top, really made for him, and he isn't wearing makeup, not a touch. Today he didn't want to wear makeup, but tomorrow he will wear it because he wants to hear a compliment from him again and is afraid he won't be able to impress him if he looks the same as today.
The restaurant closes at 12 am, but everyone leaves at 2 am. Taehyung is fine with it because the club closes at 4 am, and he had to be psychologically preparing himself all day to receive all kinds of mistreatment and for strangers to use his body, waxing and treating his bruised or injured skin, and putting Vaseline on his ass. Now, he can sleep in the afternoons, call his family, and spend hours talking maybe, now he can do whatever he wants in the afternoons. So he's not bothered about going home at 2 am.
Everyone is getting ready to leave, Taehyung helps the cleaning crew, even though he is exhausted, just a little bit because they are so kind to him. When he is carrying some dishes to the kitchen, he sees Seokjin talking to another tall young man, they are both laughing, the other man has very cute dimples. When Seokjin sees Taehyung, he almost throws himself at him to take the dishes from him,
"Hey... that's not your job. It's okay, just go home. There is transport for the workers, you'll miss the one that goes to your area."
"Oh, I... I just wanted to help out a little."
"No, it's okay. Really." He assures him, "Come here for a moment, there's someone I want you to meet."
Seokjin passes the dishes to a young woman who walks past him from the cleaning crew. She hastens to explain,
"I told Taehyung that it wasn't his job, that-"
"It's okay, Mei, he's a little stubborn."
She nods and takes the dishes away, smiling at Taehyung, who wonders how Seokjin knows he's stubborn and why on earth he wants him to meet someone.
"He's Namjoon." Seokjin says as they approach the dimpled young man, "He's a partner in another one of my restaurants, he takes care of its management."
Namjoon greets him with bright eyes and a smile, "It's nice to meet you, Taehyung."
Taehyung didn't even tell him his name, but he ignores this fact. "Likewise, it's a pleasure, Namjoon."
He smiles again, "Don't delay yourself anymore, go home."
Taehyung nods. He had thought he was going to have to wait for a bus at the stop, as he did at the club. He greatly appreciates that there is transport. He bows a little in goodbye and heads to the back, where the other workers are leaving.
"Taehyung!" Seokjin says, again like Friday night.
Taehyung turns around with a questioning look.
As on that occasion, Seokjin looks hesitant, walking towards him. Anticipation runs through Taehyung's body, he wants Seokjin to kiss the back of his hand again. He wants it like he hasn't wanted something so simple in a long time.
"I have to say... everyone here treats me like a friend, not like a boss. I'm just a friend who signs their checks. You can treat me like that too, okay?"
Taehyung nods, holding back the urge to extend his hand.
"You're legally on a probationary period, you have to be, but we'll arrange your contract on Friday. The days get gradually busier, so before I forget and because I feel it's important for you to know, just come to my office as soon as they close on Friday and wait for me there, okay?"
Taehyung nods again.
"Okay." Seokjin holds out a bag of food to him. "You forgot your food ration, all the workers take some home." He says with the smallest smile. "Good night."
He almost pouts, but nods for the third time, taking the bag, "Thank you... good night..."
On the bus that has his street among its routes, he discovers that Jimin, Jungkook, and Hoseok travel the same route. He sits next to them and learns all the gossip of all the workers of Seokjin's restaurants and their neighbors along the way. They are funny, Taehyung discovers that the three of them live together, a block away from him. He also finds out that Namjoon and Chef Yoongi got into a relationship with each other recently, the three friends comment on it with excitement and happiness for them.
After telling him all this kind of gossip, Jimin assures him that they are now friends, as with no one else do they gossip in such a way.
When he gets home, as he goes through the food box Seokjin gave him and discovers a bear-shaped cake that looks freshly baked, Taehyung feels that his new life has just begun, and he's happy to have new friends too.
His second day at work is noticeably busier than the first, but just as fun, and he doesn't have any problems at all. Seokjin arrives a little later than the previous day, and all he manages to say to Taehyung is,
"Wow, you look beautiful today..."
As a greeting, causing butterflies in his stomach. That's all he says to him because someone immediately requires his attention and Taehyung doesn't see him until the end of the shift when Seokjin hands him his bag of food and sends him home. That's all.
Wednesday is the same as the day before. The only change is that Seokjin arrives earlier and stares at him for a little over a minute before finally saying,
"You look so beautiful today." As a greeting and himself retiring to work.
Even if it's the same thing, all three days in a row, Taehyung wants to keep hearing it from him.
On Thursday, he doesn't say it. He just whispers it. And he sees him a second time because he had a conflict with two customers' reservations, they accidentally got mixed up. But Seokjin solved it quickly and didn't blame him, in fact, he assured him that it's a common mistake of the machine, he just has to check the reservations twice. Taehyung had almost expected a slap, it's what his former boss would have given him if he had messed up with a customer. But Seokjin just smiled at him.
On Friday, he doesn't even whisper it, he just lip-forms the word 'Beautiful' at the sight of him and it's as if Taehyung hears it.
The moment a sign outside the restaurant lights up announcing that it is closed, Taehyung leaves his work spot and heads to Seokjin's office. He enters without hesitation and without knocking, he is just fulfilling Seokjin's request.
He takes an hour and a half to show up, meanwhile, Taehyung was distracted by every little decorative ornament in his huge, elegant office. But when Seokjin walks through the door, Taehyung pretends not to have touched anything.
"God, I'm sorry I kept you waiting so long. I had to say goodbye to every last worker and some wanted to discuss certain things with me."
"Did you get any complaints about me?"
Seokjin frowns, sitting on the other side of the desk. He shakes his head and his frown relaxes, "Of course not, you do a splendid job. And everyone likes you, I never doubted that. I also knew you'd do a good job."
Seokjin pulls out a few sheets of paper, reading the contents between the lines, "The restaurant works every day. You will work six days a week, Saturday will be your day off. Sundays will be your only afternoon shift, you will start working at 12 pm and leave at 6 pm. On Sundays, the restaurant closes at 5 pm. The contract will be for a year, in which you will have a choice of two months and ten days of vacation that you will decide how to distribute, but to request your vacation you must announce it fifteen days in advance." He extends the contract to him, "Read it carefully. I have all night."
Taehyung does not understand contracts or legal terms, he has never seen a contract in his life. He signed one for Emperor, but he never read well what it said, if he had read that the debt would increase every time he blinked, maybe he would have tried to negotiate. This time, although he doesn't understand much, he reads it carefully, if he doesn't like something he will understand it. He can feel Seokjin's gaze on him, but he doesn't let it distract him.
After a while, Seokjin says, his voice has a kinder tone than usual, "You don't have to sign it today, if there is something you don't understand we can bring a lawyer and they will tell you."
"No... it's okay." Taehyung assures but keeps reading. Not that there is much to read, but he reads it several times. When finished he lifts his face to meet Seokjin's eyes.
"Will you work here?" he asks.
In the end, Taehyung did understand the contract, it's good, it's fair, the pay is more than he imagined. It's a job that will add value to his person, not take away from him. But there are two things he doesn't understand. The first is why he is trusting this man who said that Emperor, the man who ruined his life, was someone important to him; and he is a man who Emperor also said was someone important. A man that he had only seen at the club before, so why is he trusting him?
He does ask the second thing he doesn't understand.
"Doesn't it bother you that a former prostitute is the face of your restaurant? Any diner who comes here and has been to the club before might recognize me. They could have fucked me before, you know that? What do you think will be their opinion about your restaurant?"
Seokjin swallows and leans back in his seat, "Your job doesn't define you, Taehyung. There are people who work out of passion, maybe their work does define them. But when you work out of necessity, your work is an accessory, not something that defines you. You are Taehyung, not a former prostitute, that's all. If someone comes here and recognizes you from the club, I don't care, as long as they don't bother you about it, I don't care. What they might think? I don't care either. It's my restaurant and I decide who works here."
"Why do you want me to be the face of your restaurant? Someone like me. Jimin used those words, he said that's what you said."
Seokjin leans forward again, leaning his elbows on the desk and clasping his hands together on it. "I've been saying it all week. I'll say it more clearly, not only you do look beautiful today, you are beautiful. You are very beautiful. My customers will be happy that your face is what greets them here, your face is beautiful."
"Even when I don't wear makeup?"
"Even more so when you don't wear makeup." Seokjin smiles a little. "But when you wear makeup because you want to wear it and not because you have to, it's a different beauty, it's not better, it's just different, unique because you stand out the way you want to stand out."
Taehyung takes a deep breath, "Okay..." He nods and looks away from him to sign the contract, without saying anything else.
"Welcome to the team," Seokjin says quietly, the ghost of a smile on his lips.
They look into each other's eyes for a long time. How is it possible that they can look so much into each other's eyes without getting tired? They did it every Friday, and some Saturdays, for five months, and they keep doing it.
After that long time, Seokjin looks away, "All the transports left, may I take you home?"
"It is no bother?"
"Not at all."
So he ends up in Seokjin's car again. He drops him off at the same place he left him a week ago.
"Thanks for the ride..." Taehyung whispers, secretly wishing he would extend his hand again. He thought the desire for him to kiss the back of his hand again would go away, but it never did, not one bit.
"It's nothing..." Seokjin says quietly as well.
When Taehyung nods and moves to open the door, Seokjin says a little louder,
"Taehyung..."
Taehyung looks at him again.
"I apologize for last week, I shouldn't have kissed your hand, it was inappropriate of me."
Taehyung opens his eyes wide, "I... Uh-" He blushes. "Don't apologize... I've been waiting for you to do it again actually..."
Now it's Seokjin who opens his eyes wide, half a split second, "Really?" He asks, a bit incredulous.
Taehyung smiles and extends his hand.
Without hesitation, Seokjin takes it and deposits not one, but five short, tender kisses on the back of his hand. "One for every day I didn't."
Taehyung must be grinning like a fool, butterflies still in his stomach. "Good night, Seokjin..."
"Good night."
Taehyung goes to sleep with a permanent tingle in his stomach. And in his heart.