filth(y) rich!

603k

he does.

only after he collects said device and grants himself the opportunity of sitting in the front seat first, v-collar seemingly soiled in a brief reflection. three, two, one is silent this round, free hand grazing along the rim of the ashtray to his left. kiel figures it’s a lot better to deal with demands this way, eye contact no longer being as necessary as it had been in the backseat through that damn rearview mirror. that, too, is silent - a plea, one that arrives just as fast as the fear on the other end of the line.

one inhale,

“park soyeon-ssi wanted me to deliver a message to you.” no english.

an exhale,

“same place, same time.” no stuttering. “or your wife won’t be the only one who hears about it.”

click.

furrowed eyebrows is a look he’s outgrown since six am alone, lethargy making it too difficult for him to be fucked any further with doing something about it. with a small sigh following suit, the corner of his lips quirks up, mouth pressed in a tight line as he spares his phone a cautious glance. concern replaces lethargy fast. “he… hung up first.”

his gaze stays straight ahead, no effort in looking at death straight in the eye being made at all.

do we still win?

fear, predictably, always sounds the same.

it’s nothing like those bullshit horror movies, high-pitched screaming (fuck, he hates watching them.  how stupid can you get? it’s all wrong, so damn wrong.  they ought to learn a thing or two from sinjin). instead, it’s the silence, that barely-audible sound of breathing; something struggling to breathe, remembering what it’s like to be alive. and then realizing that, shit, i’d really like to not die today!

you know.

predictable.

sidekick plants his skinny ass into shotgun; taeoh barely bats an eye.  better for him, anyways-- easier to reach, or strangle, whatever’s necessary.  he doesn’t think he’ll have to settle for the latter, though.  he’s almost starting to like the guy. at least he hasn’t cried.

the kid recites his lines without a hitch, and it’s all going according to plan.  more or less.  taeoh barely has a chance to reach over to change the radio station when the call ends more abruptly than he’d expected. huh. maybe sangwon’s smarter than he remembered. 

"no big deal.” his foot weighs down on the gas pedal again until the car’s screaming-- roaring.  he imagines the old man screaming instead and smiles grimly.  so maybe he’s not going to cooperate.  he hadn’t said a word during the call but taeoh had heard him loud and clear (that sweet, sweet silence).

"we’re just going to have a little detour.”

t-30 minutes until he gets on that plane.

[ sms; Taeoh ] Yes? [ sms; Taeoh ] Is it vital or are you bored? 

(...)

“what, don’t trust me?”

good man, jaehyun.  he’s always a bit uptight, like good ol’ dad, but taeoh doesn’t mind.  it’s a good thing.  different.  maybe there’s something that’s supposed to come out of this-- some good.  

then again, he’s never believed in fate. 

"lighten up, will you?  i’m just trying to have a little fun.” family business is in the works; he’s been so caught up in doing his part that he hasn’t been able to let loose for a good couple of weeks. for the greater good? yeah, fuck the greater good.  he’s still young! still dissatisfied with what he’s been given thus far, ‘cause, like, have you seen this place? seoul’s starting to get old.

"come on, hyung.  stop looking at me like that. i know i’m cute, but you’re being a little too obvious.” grin lopsided, he rests his cheek against the palm of his hand. he’s the perfect picture of innocence, all starry-eyed (and just as high), broad-grinned.  saint ‘oh.  easy on the tongue, really.

the smell of soil greets him first.

he sucks in a breath, too sharp and too sudden, head jolting against the grass.  tastes blood in his mouth, the sour aftertaste of liquor while his chest heaves.  god dammit-- taeoh remembers why he’s here.  

“i don’t have time for you to be dozing off on the job, little bro.” a foot digs into his side none-too-lightly and he curses again, peeling himself off the ground.  

“you should have gotten here sooner, hyung.  you explain the mess to dad.” minjae just laughs, eyes wandering behind him before he lets out a low whistle.  “i should take a picture of this and send it to that little girlfriend of yours.  jesus, what'd you do-- beat 'em to pulp with a baseball bat or something?” ha.

(some of the blood is going to stain his boots.  minhee is definitely going to tell on him, and he’s not in the mood to be lectured once again.)

“just tell dad that the lees weren’t--aren’t willing to negotiate.” flick of a lighter; hiss of the flame.  it’s enough to illuminate the tired lines on his face, even for a split second. 

“we don’t need them anyways.”

we don’t need anyone.

[ sms; Taeoh ] I’m the only girl you need to see. [ sms; Taeoh ] Be timely or I’ll find some other cute boy to help me.

It was nice to have Taeoh around. Truthfully, she didn’t mind his antics too much; she loved the attention he gave her. If there was anything Jungah really was a sucker for, it was to be admired and complimented. Even if she knew he wasn’t like that to everyone, he still treated her well enough and he was harmless. He was vaguely aware of her background, last she knew, so them keeping civil was a good way to disregard all the unpleasantness that she normally would have encountered.

There was that little thing about him saying he’d marry her that did rub her the wrong way, but she assumed it was all in good fun.

(She hoped.)

She spotted him as she was walking out with the extra bolts of fabric, nodding her head to acknowledge that yes, she had seen him, but she wasn’t going to call out to him in return. She especially wasn’t going to after he gave her some unwanted affection right on her cheek, at which she winced. “Hey, hey. You can’t kiss girls on the cheek if you’re trying to pick some up. Not around here, anyway.” He wasn’t too late at all, but Jungah decided to play it up anyway. “Unless you’re trying to pick me up, in which case I would have hoped you’d be sooner.” Pouting, she let him take the bolts and walked beside him, leading him toward the building that her department was in. “Girls don’t like to be kept waiting.” And she was, in particular, not exactly the kind of person to leave waiting.

“Mhm, catching up… well, my birthday passed and you weren’t there.” Among other things. “After this semester I have one more left then I’m all done.” And even if she said it with a smile on her face, she wasn’t exactly excited about it. “Oh, and I got engaged.” She took a few steps in silence as they walked up to the door, her ID card flashed against the sensor and she laughed, pushing the door open with her hip once it beeped. “Kidding about that last part.”

“if i wasn’t planning to, i would’ve kissed you full on the mouth.” the grin on his face broadens before he lets out a snicker, lightly bumping his arm against hers.  “aw, man-- you’re gonna pull that on me? don’t tell me i disappointed you or i’ll be devastated.  i’ll make it up to you, noona. promise.” so she doesn’t make his pulse race or his pants tight, but it doesn’t mean he isn’t willing to put up with her demands. jungah’s still someone he thinks fondly of. highly of.

and the look on her face whenever he brings up the whole marriage bullshit? priceless.

(he should probably feel bad about that.)

so when she brings up one of his taboo words, engagement, he almost misses the rest of the sentence.  “jesus. i almost believed it, too.” not really.  “then again, i would’ve known by now if you did.” there’s a pointed glance at her hands, but the expression on his face is still warm, still open.  he’s glad to see her, glad to be back in touch, glad that she lets him do whatever the fuck he wants around her.  “you haven’t changed a bit.  got a little cuter, maybe.  man, global warming is real, isn’t it? i’ve never seen you do that thing- the pout. whatever that was.” accompanying the comment is a fleeting tug at her cheek before he sidles away in case she decides to retaliate. 

Psychotic

100% fully fledged pedigree nutcase. The impulses you get are tainted and need to be controlled. Professional help is what you need!

tagged by: @pullstrings @spected thank u love u

( sms: joon hyung ) if it was anyone else i’d think u were flirting with me( sms: joon hyung  ) u sound cranky, old man. take ur meds yet??( sms: joon hyung ) ( heart )( sms: joon hyung ) i’m sending u my location.  need someone to help me clean up. 🔫 i’m lazy zz( sms: joon hyung ) dad doesn’t need to know.

(...)

“...huh.” he hadn’t thought about clothes. “i guess i wouldn’t really wanna go in my underwear.”

he knows that look--  people always think there has to be meaning behind everything. kid with the smile, you gotta have a sad story, a fucked up childhood... something, right? yeah, fuck that- he’s all about living in the shallow end. accepting everything at face value. you trust someone or you don’t.  jieun might not be his ride-or-die, but he knows a good confidant when he sees one.

he’s still a kid, but he’s not stupid.

“fuck yeah i would.  this is why you’re my favorite jieun.” his only jieun. whatever.  the curve of his lips grows twofold, broad and evidently pleased with her answer.  life doesn’t follow rules, so he doesn’t waste any more time worrying about the end scene.  she swivels on her stool; he follows suit, reaching out afterwards to place his hands on the seat of hers.  

"when i die, i’m gonna go down in history. with a bang.” he’ll make sure to clean up the city first, though. bang.

end of discussion. 

(...)

“’s a serious question, jaehyun.” he feigns offense, arms lowering above his head as he remains on the floor.  subtle red rings his eyes, but he’s not tired. he’s fucking hot, actually, burning from the inside out. side effects. a small loss for a paramount gain- it got him through three rounds of business meetings, and he’d even managed to laugh at old man sanghyun’s jokes. 

thank god for good highs.

the question’s thrown out carelessly. he’s probably said worse-- no, he’s definitely said worse, so there’s no use in keeping it pretty.  if he gave a shit about what others thought of him, he’d waste a lot more time than he liked.  efficiency over empathy. always.

sniffing, sore knuckles graze his nose before falling limply onto his chest.  from here, the light coming in from the window explodes.  it’s seeping into his skin, into his veins, into his bones. taeoh, the fallen angel.  ha.  kind of has a ring to it, actually.  “man, you disappoint me. you sure you don’t wanna reconsider?”

“school.  before they dragged my ass back here, i mean.  i had a friend, pre-med, stuck up prick. the bad kind, not like me, by the way. but he was pretty funny.” he sniffs again, wriggling his feet.  feels nice to settle down like this.  fallen angel taking a break from his daytime job, oil, 2017.  

"he said a lot of bullshit, but one time he told me somethin’ that stuck with me.  we’ve got three natural rewards: sex, drugs, food.  natural, my ass.  anyways, he said something about how it manipulates us.  cuts us up. makes us do shit we didn’t think we’d do.” taeoh has no idea where he’s going with this, but he doesn’t really care.

"a bunch of lab rats have a lot in similarity with you and i.  fuckin’ funny, don’t you think?”

animals.

[ sms; Taeoh ] That’s still a 1% chance of failure. Are you sure you want to make a bet with me? [ sms; Taeoh ] That’s a good answer, you always know the right things to say, Taeoh [ sms; Taeoh ] It makes me think you want something. [ sms; Taeoh ] I think in a school of all women you’re bound to see someone. I think some of them are good looking, anyway. I don’t surround myself with things I don’t approve of, you know that. [ sms; Taeoh ] I’m on the main campus, Arts & Design Building A. I need to move some stuff over to another building but I’ll let you in first. We can head out after that.

( sms : 정아 누나 ❤️ ) that was just to seem humble ㅎㅎ ( sms : 정아 누나 ❤️️ ) was that a compliment?? i’m keeping proof of this ( sms : 정아 누나 ❤️ ) noona please ( sms : 정아 누나 ❤️ ) the only girl i’ve seen in the last 24 hours is my sister have some sympathy ( sms : 정아 누나 ❤️️ ) only the best for her majesty ㅋㅋ i have faith in ur taste in people

his friends ask: why yoon jungah? he loves jungah like he loves his sister, but that doesn’t stop him from telling everyone and their mother that he’s going to marry her. it’s not an unpleasant thought (even if he’d sooner shoot himself in the head than settle down) and it keeps madam kim off his back. aside from that, she’s pretty.  and smart.  and guys are intimidated by her, so why not yoon jungah?    

most importantly, taeoh has enough respect for her to put on a clean shirt.  

the school is a fuckin’ eyesore and the last place he’d be caught at but he takes his time, cigarette affixed to his lips, the sun at his back. he’s tossing the remains onto the ground when her figure comes into view.  “noona!” sauntering over, he leans in to press a dispassionate kiss to her cheek.  she probably won’t appreciate the sentiment but he’s in a good mood today, even more so when he takes note of his surroundings.  there’s a girl at a nearby table who looks like a solid ten; he makes a mental note to ask jungah for her name later.  that can wait.  “would’ve gotten here sooner, but traffic was shit and kangjoon hyung drives like a seventy-year-old woman.” i’m sorry sounds cheap; he goes for the bolts of fabric instead, tucking them beneath his arm with his other hand lightly resting at her back to usher them outside. 

“about time we catch up, don’t you think?”