Pretty Boy // a Taekook story

Chapter 1

A few miles away, at the edge of the city, in a shabby hotel room an alarm clock went off, announcing that it was time to get ready for work. A young man lay stretched out on the bed, hiding his head underneath a pillow. His chest was bare, so were his legs. Over the time, he had become accustomed to the surroundings and, feeling at ease, he had taken the habit to fall asleep only in his shorts.

As the alarm kept ringing, he woke up slowly. Most people would start the day by putting the alarm clock to rest, but this young man, he made his pillow fly instead, then set up straight and started stretching his arms and legs. Next, he yawned and ran his long fingers through his beautiful curly hair that fell slightly into his eyes. Even though he had dyed his hair recently, it looked astonishingly healthy and smooth. He yawned once more then got out of bed; the alarm was still ringing louder and louder.

He went to the tiny bathroom, washed quickly his face and body with cold water (there was no hot water in these tubes) and a piece of soap and got dressed. Today he would wear exactly the same outfit he wore most evenings: a pair of thigh fitting leather pants that would accentuate his bum (he was really proud of his bum), a transparent shirt and as a highlight, he would wear his red beret and leo printed coat. A few earrings, rings and bracelets would look good on him too. But he would also need some kind of purse or bag he could hang around his waist or wear upon his shoulder.

As he was searching for a bag, he shot a furtive glance upon the pin board, where he had hung the rare pictures he possessed of himself and his family. In the lot were also more recent photos that portrayed him and his work buddies. On most pictures he was seen smiling, but nothing compared to the smile he wore on his face when he was with his family. His family... A topic he preferred to avoid, especially before work. And also after work. Better not think about them at all.

He finally found a small bag that he could use underneath his bed. Only then did he kill off the alarm.

***

At the same time another young man with a totally different lifestyle drove around the city in a brand-new Maserati, drawing the attention of every pedestrian. And just like Phil had been suspecting, he got lost in the dark.

Jeon was new in this big city, only staying for business and making more money he could add to his stack. He had driven around for some time now without a clear destination in mind. But it was getting really late and for the first time, he thought that maybe Phil had been right, which was impossible. But Phil being right was also a clear sign for him that it was getting late and that he should turn around, drive back to the hotel and get some goodnight sleep.

Even though the car was most certainly equipped with a navigation system, Jeon was not used to work this kind of technology, given that his driver was driving him around most of the time. He decided to do it the good old way; he would simply ask for directions.

Unfortunately, the neighborhood he was currently passing looked kind of uninviting for a person used to his type of standard. It was a lively area, many people were passing the streets, and there were a ton of nightclubs and dancing bars. The street was illuminated by the neon signs that glowed in red, pink and purple.

Indeed, it should be no problem to find someone here to ask for directions, Jeon thought a little less enthusiastic though.

***

Meanwhile, the young boy was all dressed up. With his leo printed coat slung over his shoulders, he made his way down the stairs of the hotel. Even though the building still wore a hotel sign, it was mainly used as a flat by him and his coworkers.

"Na' wait a minute. You don't seem to understand. I am only doin' ma job", a deep voice resonated from the entrance hall. "At the end o' the month, I collect EVERYBODY's rent!", the voice said even louder this time.

The young man bent over the stair-rail, from where he could observe the scene without being caught eavesdropping. In the entrance hall stood Johnny, the owner of the hotel. He was arguing with Pam, one of the other workers. "Now give me the money or get out o' here!", he insisted adding a layer of violence to his tone.

"Shit", the young man muttered under his breath. He then turned around, carefully not to make the old wooden slats squeak underneath his feet as he stole himself back to his room. Here he entered the bathroom where he lifted the lid of the flush and took out a purple plastic box. Inside he found a few hundred dollars, which he immediately put safely inside his purse. Then he moved towards the window that showed the main street. With a trained gesture, he opened it and climbed out into the night, avoiding Johnny and paying his rent.

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Stay healthy and have a great night/day !

"Don't be trapped in someone else's dream" , Kim Taehyung