The Devil of Daegu || kth ✓ ||

1. Expensive Girl.

Skin on skin.

Heaving breaths.

Sweat and sighs.

Moving. Flowing. Evolving.

At least, that's how he was supposed to feel.

"That'll be a million won." She was good at catching her breath, especially after such an uneventful performance.

The balding man sat up, preparing to throw his clothes back on as he gasped for breath. The thirty-something's ratty moustache and goatee didn't do anything to strengthen his weak jaw, and he looked especially pale after what he had just enjoyed. He didn't flinch when she threw the figure out there.

"They told me you were expensive, but man, are you worth it." He shook his head and chuckled, before pushing aside the velveteen curtains and stepping out to make his payments.

She sat down and brushed her hair out of her eyes, taking a moment to collect her thoughts.

It never got easier.

She clambered to her feet and left to get herself cleaned up. She'd have to come into work the next day anyway, and she deserved a nice, hot bath after that repulsive ordeal.

____________________

He scratched the back of his head with the muzzle of his pistol, examining the body before him with unamused eyes.

"I can't believe this happened." He crouched down and yanked the dead man onto his back. He seemed far too young to be a corpse, barely in his twenties. "Tch. This is disgusting." He shook his head in disappointment. "I missed the centre again." Taehyung sighed, checking the pistol's magazine with practised precision.

Indeed, the bullet hole was slightly to the left of the man's forehead rather than dead centre. That was supposed to be his signature: a perfect headshot. He gnawed on his bottom lip, tongue slipping out to soothe the bite soon after. In his mounting frustration, he cocked the safety and put three rounds in the man's forehead, one after the other, the silencer making sure no sound was heard but the slight squelch of the bullets embedding themselves in the man's flesh.

"You don't get paid per bullet."

Taehyung turned in the direction of the low voice from the shadows. "I know. I just feel like I've lost touch." He answered, running a long, elegant finger along the pistol's slide.

"Well, you better regain it soon. Inspector Jin wasn't transferred from Gwacheon for nothing. Rumour has it that he's tightened the security in Seoul so much, you can't even pick pockets anymore, much less work as a killer for hire. No one in Korea is a match for him."

A wide smile teased the corners of Taehyung's lips into a box.

"Ah, but he hasn't met me yet, Yoongi."

______________

"Did you have to keep chatting up that irritating female?" The pale man growled as they alighted from the train. Taehyung flashed Yoongi his trademark smile. "Come on. She was practically begging for it, I had to be a gentleman and oblige. I just hope she wasn't too loud, our seats were awfully close to the bathroom." The grin turned into a smirk as the aforementioned "irritating female" got out onto the platform as well. She quickly handed him a napkin with her number on it, winked flirtatiously and blew him a kiss as she hurried away, buffeted along in the crowd.

Taehyung waited a few seconds before wiping his fingers on the napkin and shooting a perfect three pointer into the nearest dustbin. She really had been loud.

"I see my training has paid off."

Taehyung grinned again; he knew Yoongi couldn't begrudge him his fun for too long.

"I've been practicing at the basketball court near the alleyway." He mimed shooting another three pointer.

"Let's just hope your aim doesn't get fucked up because you're too busy shooting baskets rather than bullets. Not to mention banging busty broads." Yoongi certainly had a way with words.

"Hey!" Taehyung pretended to be hurt, placing a hand over his heart.

"All I'm saying, Tae, is that we need to be even more careful here. We can't afford the slightest slip up."

Taehyung's grin faded, replaced with a quiet seriousness. "I know. I won't let you down."

"I know."

Growing up as orphans on the streets of Daegu, all Yoongi and Taehyung had was each other. Despite being only two years older than the latter, Yoongi had practically raised him. He made them a meagre living peddling drugs to the neighbourhood kids, and that was their sole source of income until the fateful day Taehyung stepped up. Taehyung was silent for a while, before regaining his grin and slipping his arm around Yoongi's slender shoulders. "Let me make it up to you. Let's head out."

Yoongi raised an eyebrow as they boarded the bus that would take them to their new apartment. "And where are we heading to?"

Taehyung whipped out his phone and licked his lips. "You'll see. I'll need to make a few calls first."

______________

"You're up next, sweetheart."

As bosses go, she really couldn't ask for better than Kim Namjoon. He was a clever businessman but a kind man; he always looked out for his employees, and the clients knew that if they hurt any of them, there would be hell to pay. Namjoon was rather close to a lot of important people.

His kind eyes rested on her tired face as she fixed her hair one last time and checked her makeup. "Are you feeling up to it? I could always ask Ji-"

"It's fine, Namjoon." She stood up and gave him a soft smile. "I'll do my set. After all," She took one last look in the mirror. "They've been expecting me."

____________

"Why," Yoongi yelled as he was dragged by his arm into the unnecessarily loud bar, "did I let you talk me into this?"

"Because you need to loosen up a little!" Taehyung yelled back as he made his way through the crowd. The place was packed; all the tables were taken, and there were even people just standing around, waiting for the performance to begin.

"Then why are you dragging me to the corner?"

Taehyung shushed him as they shrank back into the darkness, his eyes focused on the dimly lit stage. "Because, hyung, you need to observe the scene and mark your prey before moving in for the kill."

A hush descended over the audience as a deep voice filled the room through the speakers.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the performance you've all been waiting for, the main event, the jewel in the crown, the sexiest siren in Seoul, give it up for Mary Jane!"

The backdrop parted and a figure clad in glistening black leather emerged onstage.

And as Taehyung watched he couldn't help but lean forward out of the darkness, just for a second. He bit his lip, his eyes focused on one thing and one thing alone.

The hunt was afoot. And his prey was exquisite.