Tae Yun turned on his phone to contact his boss. His golden blonde hair moved gracefully in the air. He was still at the temple. His co-officers had parted to find Hwan. He was on the third stair from the top of the temple. The atmosphere was ocean-colored as the sun sank across the horizon.
His right shoulder jerked when someone bumped into it. He turned. His eyes widened in mesmerization. Five stairs below him, the ethereal boy was standing, who turned his face toward him.
It was Hwan. Tae Yun's breath hitched when he looked into his eyes. Hwan's expression was laced with boredom. He was in a black hoodie, covering his head. His deep brown eyes shone in that almost dark atmosphere.
Hwan just turned to leave but—
"S... Stop." Tae Yun called out, louder than intended.
Hwan paused but never looked at him. He just walked away, leaving Tae Yun standing there like a possessed man.
---
THE PALACE OF LUST
Chapter 2
---
"Boss has gone crazy. His main intention is to expose Seung Cheol. The leader of Black Panther," Min Soo exclaimed as he threw his arm around Sang Min's shoulder. They were walking through the streets.
Min Soo was the eldest among them. But he was a womanizer, with a charming smile and a dimple. Meanwhile, Sang Min was one year younger than Min Soo. He was rude and hot-tempered, with a short height but muscular build.
Jae Yoon was the lover boy of the group. He was obsessed with his girlfriend. Yeah. He was the family guy—with a lip piercing and plenty of tattoos. What a combination!
Tae Yun was the most handsome in the group and spoke the least, even less than Sang Min. 'Love' never existed in his life. He never found any interest in anyone.
Tae Yun pushed his hands into his pockets. "It's normal. Because no one would order to 'help the red-light areas,'" he said. His brain wandered around that boy, Hwan.
Jae Yoon raised an eyebrow. "Wow... You developed." He chuckled, while Sang Min and Min Soo continued their chaos.
---
Hwan stumbled against his door. His eyes were teary and cheeks flushed. But a pleasant smile played on his lips. He was pretty tipsy. He checked his pocket for the key. But he paused when he heard, "Hey, Hwan. Come for an hour. Mr. Choi wants a night with you."
He turned and saw a man standing five feet away from him. He let out a chuckle. "Who's this Choi?" he raised his eyebrows.
The man scoffed, "My boss. CEO of—"
Hwan didn't let him finish. "Tell him I'm tired. I can't."
The man's expression darkened. "What do you mean you can't?! He will pay you as much as you want. Just come on."
Hwan simply shook his head. "No." He turned again to open the lock but—
"Oh! Now you show us ego. Listen, keep that ego. Because you don't have rights. We will take just one second to see you, your place, whore."
Hwan paused. He looked at the man. He grinned. "My place?" he calmly asked.
The man smirked. "Scared?"
"You're standing on my land," Hwan's words cut the air like a blade. The man was still unaware of the danger. Hwan's stare pierced him to the core. The man shifted uncomfortably. "W... What?"
Within a blink, Hwan kicked the man in the chest. He fell to the ground in shock. Hwan didn't let him breathe. He launched at the man. "My place, huh?!"
The man stood with all his might and punched Hwan, whose face snapped to the side. But immediately, Hwan stabbed the key into his neck. The man screamed in pain. Hwan kicked his crotch, his stomach. The man fell to the ground. Hwan knelt beside him and grabbed his chin.
"Tell your boss, a serpent did this to you. Your boss wanted to sleep with a serpent." Then he punched his face one last time, walked to the door, unlocked it, and went in.
---
"Can we meet Hwan?" Jae Yoon politely asked. They had entered the gate of the brothels. It was like a colony—narrow alleys, red plastic tents side by side—for the lower-charged workers.
Whatever. They asked a girl who was possibly a prostitute too. The girl raised her eyebrows. "Hwan oppa will kill you if he comes to know you four came together for him. It takes hours for you four. Because he needs to do one by one—"
"No, no, we're not here for sex." Min Soo nervously chuckled.
The girl's expression became more cautious. "Then?"
Tae Yun sighed and showed her their ID cards. The girl's eyes widened. "C... Come with me."
They started to follow the girl. The place wasn't bright, despite it still being daytime. It seemed dark. Along the way, many women gave them unpleasant looks, trying to seduce them, but they stayed focused.
Soon they reached a white, minimal house—for a man. She opened the door and turned to them. "Stay here for a minute, okay," the girl politely said and went in.
After a while, the girl came out and signaled them to come in. They went inside. The furniture was all white, but not expensive. After a narrow corridor, they entered a bedroom and saw Hwan lying on his side, resting his head on his palm, supported by his elbow. His eyes were closed.
The room smelled so good. Tae Yun sniffed. He felt a sudden calmness that he had lost after entering the brothel colony.
Hwan was in a white sleeveless shirt. A calm expression ruled his face. He spoke up, "What brings you here, officers?"
The four of them swallowed. "W... We need help," Jae Yoon spoke with great uncertainty.
Hwan opened his eyes slowly and laughed. "What kind of help? Help with your boner?"
Tae Yun didn't say anything. He just stared at him. Min Soo spoke up. "Seung Cheol. We have to expose him. Please help us."
Hwan's smile faded. "How do you know I could help you?"
"Because you're aware of every air particle here," Tae Yun spoke up, the folds on his brow curving in a determined manner.
Hwan's eyes narrowed. "I need something in exchange."
"How much money?" Tae Yun asked without even thinking.
Hwan shook his head. "You have to free the people of Seungguk Dong. And give us our rights—as humans, not sex toys." He sat up slowly. "Agree?"
Tae Yun nodded. "Okay."