Blaze

Introductions

It was half past twelve in the afternoon. Shadows of the jail cell bars leaned over Tao as he slept on his bed. A leg had been carefully tucked underneath his raised one with his knee upped toward the ceiling. An arm was shielding his eyes from the midday's bright sunlight, but through his ears he could hear the echoes of his other jail mates making their rackets. Dreams would swift in and out of his mind before he would become conscious again and groan.

Spring had finally decided to penetrate Seoul's prison and the days had become brighter. Deep within his head he could hear the wings of butterflies resonating through the air before he might have the urge to throw rocks at them. Tao didn't know why. He just grew up that way.

His sentence was a max of 12 years for repeated harassment of the elderly, stealing from the handicapped, getting into gang fights, and beating a crippled until he almost died. Tao had his reasons, but surely the police wouldn't sympathize with him. That crippled had tried stabbing him and Tao had just acted in defense. And well...he had no reason to support his faults with the other cases nailed against him. He had anger problems, but he wasn't up to changing his ways. Not anymore.

A cling of metal turning against metal forced his cell door opened he listened to those footsteps. This person was wearing black boots, heavy boots of plastic and leather forged together. Tao detected a policeman. One with keys and a way out.

"I know you're awake, Huang Zitao," that low voiced echoed around his poor three walled prison.

"Mmm?"

"The government is here to see you."

Ok, that was enough for Tao. He'd heard tantalizing stories of the government coming to beat criminals up for their offenses and he sure as heck didn't want any business with them.

"Me?!" Tao sat up immediately with broad eyes, his face now stripped of pretension. "But I didn't do anything, I swear!"

"Come along." Was all the officer helped.

His face silently scorned the officer when he held his wrists out to be handcuffed before being led down the corridor. After some turns here and there Tao was led into a private meeting room where he would meet this Official. And when he got there, he was shoved into the room without a word.

Tao found himself staring at the back of a handsome young man with gleaming black hair that had been well cut and grown. He was wearing a very formal outfit and Tao discovered admiration in the deep blue shirt he was wearing. As if sensing his presence, the figure turned and Tao stared at the man as handsome as his back. This Official had very fine features and quite the smile. It was the smile of an actor, Tao supposed. Someone rich enough to be onscreen.

"Hello," the Official stood up and held his hand out, which Tao stared at. The Official laughed a little awkwardly when he realized Tao was in handcuffs and pulled his hand back, "Have a seat first."

Obediently making his way to the other side of the table he sat down and bitterly stared at this handsome man. What the heck was someone as good looking as he doing there? Tao felt resentment...probably because of the gap in their appearances that set them apart in society. Unfair.

"I'm Lee Donghae," the Official introduced.

"And what else?" Tao asked uninterested. "I want to go back to sleep. So if you may..."

"Ah...yes," Donghae nodded, "how should I address you?"

"Tao is fine."

"Then Tao," Donghae began, "do you want to get out of here?"

Tao loudly snorted, "Get out of here?! Are you insulting me? Anybody here would want to get out of here!"

This slick smile climbed across this Official's face and Tao felt his burning strength die down. What was with him?