📌 Will you still love me?
I keep thinking about a bar owner JK who owns his father’s run down, dingy bar in a shady part of the town. JK also does some questionable odd jobs to make the ends meet and keep the bar afloat.
JM, is sort of a regular at the bar. Sometimes he comes to the bar with people, at other times, alone. The people he comes with are like JKs other major clientele, common thugs. The Kkangpe. But JM is different from common street thugs. JK can see JM is somehow above them in the way they try to flatter him or lick his boots, eager to get his approval. JM never never looks once in JKs direction then.
But then there are times when he comes alone. Once every week. He comes with a bodyguard who waits quietly on another table. JK knows there are more outside the bar. He suspects the guard inside is to take him home when he inevitably passes out after drinking too much. But alone, JM doesn’t just drink, he stares. He stares at JK throughout the night. As if he is drinking him in, not the whiskey. It should make anyone uncomfortable but JK is a bit of an oddball. He finds it thrilling. He can feel the smoldering gaze on his back when he turns away, on his eyes, cheeks and…lips. JK doesn’t admit to it but he wants JM to say something. Anything.
When he doesn’t after weeks and months of silent staring, JK decides to take the matter in his own hands. He approaches JM while he is still sober. JM notices and immediately leaves, baffling JK. He doesn’t return next week. Or the next week.
When JK sulks, YG, his coworker notices and cautions him, “He is not a common goon, JK. He is Jopog. Stay away from him. Word is he is not right in his head.”
JK nods and he knows forgetting about JM is the right thing to do. He doesn’t need to get into anymore trouble with the mafia than he already has. A job gone wrong puts JK in a perilous position with a gangboss. He loses an important package in an intercepted courier run and the gangboss now wants him to pay for his loss. But JK is broke. His bar barely breaks even. He is distracted by self-preservation for a few days.
Then one day, JM shows up again, alone, lonely. No bodyguard accompanies him on that day. He goes through his usual routine and JK tries to ignore him as much as he can. He is mad at him for not showing up. He is also mindful of YGs warning.
But mostly he is just relieved and doesn’t want to scare JM away this time. So he keeps his distance. Just watches him drink and descend into his alcoholic stupor. When it’s time to close the bar, JK has no choice but to go and wake JM because no one was with him that day.
But as he is approaching him, people from a gang he owes money to come to collect the debt. JK has no money and the time given to him to manage that money has expired. He harasses JK and JM doesnt look up even once. But then he hits him—once, twice. The third blow doesn’t land on JKs face. The hand that had delivered the previous two punches is held back by a solid grip. JM is here. Despite being intoxicated, he moves with the agility of a cheetah and in the next second he has the hand of JKs aggressor twisted behind him and a gun to his head.
He smirks like and his eyes are cruel. Like he is imagining doing horrible things to the man. JKs vision blurs and his fear mutates into horror before he is able to gather himself and stammer through begging JM, “H-Hyung-nim p-please l-let him go. He’s not worth it. I’m not worth it.” So he is infatuated with a jopog boss and is somewhat of a crook himself, he neither wants to see blood spilt in his name nor wants any trouble at his bar. “H-hyung-nim please.” He grovels. JM frowns at him before tilting his head to the side, like studying him. Then he barks out a delirious laughter as he shoves his gun harder against JKs attacker’s temple making the man shake in fright.
“The twist of fate..” JM speaks to the man in a voice so low it’s almost sinister. “You came for him, I came for you” he singsongs. “And now, he is the only one who can save you from me.”
The man whimpers in fear and pleads him to let him go. But JM ignores him as his manic eyes now scan JK.
“You want me to let him go?” He sounds angry and JK takes a second to realise that he is talking to him. For the first time ever.
“He touched you.” JM snarls and Jks blood curdles in his veins.
He doesn’t know how but in the next moment he is saying “I-I’m sorry. Please just let him go.” JK isn’t sure why he is apologising but at this point he is ready to do anything to keep JM from pulling the trigger.
“It’s not your fault.” JM grits his teeth and jostles the man in a rough chokehold. As he sputters and coughs, JM leans into his ear and whispers “Don’t touch what’s mine.” JK would’ve felt a different emotion altogether if he wasn’t so scared that the man could choke to death. He’d be dead on the floor of his bar even without a single gunshot flying. Horrified, he pleads again, “Hyung-nim, it’s not worth it. He’s trash. I’m trash. Please let him go. Please.”
JMs eyes twinkle with something that both terrified and excited JK in equal parts.
“I’ll let him go if you call me hyung. He’ll die but not today if you just call me hyung.” His speech slurs but grip on the gasping man tightens like a noose around the neck of a hanging man. The man starts sputtering and gagging and JK implores, “Hyung-nim, I-I’ll do whatever…” He hopes it’s enough to pacify JM. But JM shakes his head obstinately. “Hyung…call me hyung.” He sounds…sad?
As soon as JK realises what JM is asking for, he takes a deep breath and carefully approaches him with his hands outstretched. “Please let him go, JM…hyung,” he carefully enunciates and then waits. JM suddenly loosens his hold on JKs attacker before he wiggles out and runs for his life. JM and JK stare at each other till JK tries to take a step forward. That’s when JM pulls his phone out to call someone and walks out of the bar. He leaves JK standing in the middle of the bar—confused and hurt?
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