Don't Ask Don't Tell

Chapter 4: It doesn't last long

  "Unfortunately, this is where I must leave you," V said as they pulled to a stop outside of a nondescript warehouse. Suga nodded.
"I'd like to come and see you, but alas, ten tonnes of premium, uncut drugs and guns don't typically negotiate their own sale and purchase."
A beat of silence passed before Suga realized that V wasn't being serious.
At least, he hoped he wasn't.
"No, but really, I'm going to be busy all night, which sucks."
Suga pretended that didn't sound like code for "I'll be out murdering all night." Suga couldn't help but wonder what these people did all day. They didn't have regular, legal jobs. Had nowhere to be. No schedule. What was all that free time like? They didn't work and they had more money than Suga would ever have in his entire existence. And they spent more money than Suga could even if he lived to be a million. Christ, V was wearing a suit that was worth at minimum ₩3000000. That was more than Suga's entire rent for a month. What was it like to drop that kind of cash on a suit? Just one?
Suga didn't even have one that was cheap.
He barely liked handing his rent money over to his landlord, the fat manilla envelope filled with mostly singles. An endless wave of pink, blue, and green bills. His landlord must have known what was going on at this point. You didn't get a manilla envelope full of singles without thinking something was going on.
Before Suga could get any deeper into his reverie, V was opening his door for him.
"Enjoy your shift."
"I'll try."
The horde of smoking strippers by the employee entrance were glowering at him. Of course they were. Ruki looked especially creased at the sight of Suga arriving in a limo beside an impeccably, expensively dressed, attractive man. But Suga wasn't the only one to get this treatment, right?
"So. Picked up by one of Chanyeol's dogs." Ruki said, bony fingers clenching a smouldering cigarette. The cherry was glowing impossibly brightly.
"Weren't you?" Suga asked.
"No. Chanyeol doesn't do that," Reita spoke up from nearby. Reita was never too far from Ruki.
"Unless, of course, you're one of his lapdogs," Ruki said, smiling. He tossed the remains of his cigarette into the gutter and lit another.
"Enjoy being Chanyeol's prize bitch. It doesn't last long."
Suga nearly choked. Ruki looked satisfied with himself.
"I'm... I'm not-"
"Yes. You are. You're the top earner, after all. You're the prize bitch in show. The more money you earn, the better he treats you." Ruki said. Reita nodded.
"When you stop making money hand over fist, and your pretty boy good looks fade," Ruki said, pointedly poking Suga's cheek. "He'll start treating you like shit again. Just you wait and see."
With that, Ruki disappeared into the club, taking Reita with him.
Suga was still in disbelief. There was no way that what Ruki was saying was true. It had to be bullshit. The snark of the jealous.
Suga shook the thought out of his head. He didn't like thinking that way. He wasn't superior to anyone, but he had always earned more money than Ruki. And Ruki seemed like a spiteful person.
Suga pushed the door open, and he was thankful that it was pretty much the same layout, only with red lighting instead of a neon candy-rave theme. Like a real, honest whorehouse, Suga thought.
He walked into the locker room, where Jimin was bitching at light speed with Rocky while delicately lining his eyes with thick black kohl liner. Reila was preening in the bathroom mirror, spraying an offensive amount of perfume to cover up the reek of cheap sake, cocaine, and desperation. The amount of makeup she was caking on at the same time was enough to tart up the entirety of Kabuki-cho's finest. Beside her, BamBam was sneezing violently while trying to get ready. Suga walked past and felt the cloud of perfume strip the insides of his nostrils.
It was the same scene with different lighting. Suga lost himself in the monotony of it all, popping open his locker and yanking his shirt over his head. Jimin would sit him down and insist upon doing his makeup, and he would comply unwillingly. Jimin would continue to complain as he did so. Jimin was always talking shit.
It could be any other night.
Until he got called up into Chanyeol's office.
Suga was wondering what on earth could possibly mean he had to sit up here, in this dingy office, alone. Christ, Chanyeol spent enough money to furnish the entire Taj Mahal in finery, but he couldn't be bothered to dust his fucking office? This place was the definition of seedy and disgusting. Dust hung thickly in the air, like a fine mist of dander. The decor was very garbaged 70's chic. Suga wished he was wearing a shirt. Thankfully, they grabbed him before he could change fully.
The door opened. Bogum walked in. Suga should have known. Chanyeol never did his own bidding, he always had one of his underlings do it for him.
Suga wasn't sure what he'd done, but he knew it couldn't be good.
Bogum smiled at him, in a way he thought was supposed to look reassuring but almost certainly was the exact opposite.
"Hello. Nice to meet you." Bogum said. "You must be Suga."
"Yes. That's me." Suga said.
"So, how long have you been working for us, do you think?"
"I can't be certain."
"It's been a year and a half."
"So it has."
Suga watched Bogum go from sitting at the desk in front of him to standing by the window, peering out the blinds.
"Did you know you're our top earner?"
"I did, yes."
"And do you know how long you've had that title?"
"I don't."
"Six months."
Suga really wasn't sure where Bogum was going with this. He didn't think he really wanted to know. This whole thing just seemed off. If he had fucked up badly enough to draw the attention of Bogum, then he was either about to be murdered at worst or fired at best. Neither option was really all that great. If he died, then his family would be completely broke. If he was fired, then he'd have to lie, and then his family would be completely broke. Both were bad. He just wanted Bogum to get this over with. Maybe this just seemed off because Bogum just seemed kind of off. He always made the rest of the locker room uncomfortable. Suga recalled an incidence where Jimin and Rocky drew straws to see who had to go and talk to Bogum after a customer had trashed one of the booths and lost his shit. Suga still wasn't entirely sure what had happened there, but since both Jimin and Rocky were there when it happened, one of them had to talk.
Jimin came back looking significantly creeped out. Suga hadn't overly liked Bogum ever since then. If the king of shit talking didn't want to talk shit about him, then something was obviously up.
Bogum walked around the office as he spoke, not bothering to look at Suga. He was glad. Suga didn't enjoy making eye contact with most people, but especially not Bogum. He was fucking weird. And weird in a bad way.
"Forgive me for seeming impolite, but what exactly is the point?"
"The point," Bogum said, stopping right behind Suga, a little too close for comfort. "Is that I've been watching you for a long time."
Suga tried to pretend he wasn't violently creeped out by that, but his eyes nearly popped out of his head at that. The way Bogum's hand proceeded to slide over Suga's bare shoulder made him even more uncomfortable.
"Everyone else thought I was strange because, for as long as you've been here, I've only wanted you."
At least he was a loyal perv? Suga felt more uncomfortable with every word that came out of Bogum's mouth. He really wished that Bogum wasn't touching him.
Suga had heard about treatment like this towards other people, but he didn't think he'd be in this position.
"I come here every night just to see you, you know."
Suga really wished he didn't know. He was biting his tongue to distract from the situation at hand, and at that, the metallic, irony tang of blood filled his mouth.
Suga was hyper-aware of everything. Bogum was just too close for him not to be. Suga tried to shove him away, but it worked about as well as one could expect a bony teenager to push off a man who outweighed him by at least 60 pounds.
Right about now, Suga was seriously wishing he had the means to saw his own arm off.
Bogum's lips were nearly touching Suga's when an armada of well-dressed mafiosos burst through the door unceremoniously.
"We have a situation downstairs."
"Oh, for fuck's sakes." Bogum cursed, turning to look at the group. "What nonsensical bullshit do I have to deal with now?"
"I'm serious. It's serious."
"Everything is serious," Bogum said, rolling his eyes.
"Chanyeol sent us to get you."
"Really?"
"Yes. He said it was important, but he didn't give any details."
"Well, isn't that helpful." Bogum sighed. The group collectively shrugged.
"Don't shoot the messenger. He's waiting for you, he's in the booth right next to the bar."
"Fine. But this," Bogum said, turning to look at Suga. "Isn't over yet. I'll see you later."
The door shut with a slam.