Arc 2 : Blood and love

“Bai? What are you doing? Where are we going?”

Hao Ming pulled the painter toward his car and invited him inside. Intrigued and confused, Kaelan obeyed without protest. The hacker paused outside for a moment, thinking.

Kaelan kept his eyes on him. What had just happened was straight out of a cliché. Still, deep down, he felt happy. Hao Ming had been unusually bold earlier. But something nagged at Kaelan : had Hao Ming used him as an excuse to get out of the date? Despite having confessed his feelings, and despite the fact Hao Ming showing interest, a small voice in Kaelan’s head whispered that maybe the young man just wanted to toy with him. Was this karma?

Kaelan had never placed much importance on romantic relationships. Thanks to his looks, he had always been able to easily satisfy his basic needs with people who wanted the same thing. However, now that a love’s arrow had struck him, he couldn’t help but feel anxious.

The hacker finally got into the driver’s seat.

Kaelan noticed that the tips of Hao Ming’s ears were red. Strangely, this reassured him, and he found it kind of cute.

For a moment, an odd silence lingered.

“Bai?—”

“I would’ve preferred you hadn’t seen that.”

“The blind date?”

The hacker fell silent again.

“Do you go on those often?”

“At least once a month. My parents want to make sure that I don't spend my life surrounded only by code and algorithms. As long as I don't have a partner, I have to go on those pointless dates.”

Kaelan chuckled slightly.

“They worry about you.”

“Or maybe they’re dreaming of grandkids…”

Hao Ming turned his head and stared at the painter intensely.

“I think I can tell them that it’s no longer necessary to organize them. Today’s one had already been scheduled a long time ago so I couldn’t cancel it.”

Kaelan suddenly became shy and blushed.

“So, are you introducing me to your parents next month?” he teased.

“Why not?”

What?!

Hao Ming reached out and gently pushed a rebellious strand of hair behind Kaelan’s ear.

The artist shivered. His cheeks burned.

“Will they accept that you're dating a man?”

Hao Ming gave him a mischievous smile.

“There are very few humans who have ever caught my attention. If they see that I am serious about you, they’ll understand.”

“Very few humans”? Bai, your choice of words is… interesting…

Kaelan wanted to believe that Hao Ming was joking too, but the look in his eyes told him otherwise.

A serious relationship? Was that even possible with Bai?

Kaelan knew. Hao Ming was different from anyone he’d ever met. He didn’t care about his looks or the fame Kaelan might bring him.

For Hao Ming, this was all new, too. Unlike the painter, he had trouble with human relationships in general. He always wanted to reduce them to the bare minimum. But ever since meeting Kaelan, he couldn’t stop being curious about him. Was it because of his angelic face? He’d be lying if he said that didn’t play a role. Still, he wanted to see what he could learn from him. He had no intention of walking away or letting others stand in their way.

“And your parents?” Hao Ming asked.

“They’ve known for a long time that I don’t limit myself to one gender. As long as I find someone good, they’ll let me be with whoever I choose.”

Hao Ming continued to observe the painter for a few seconds. Kaelan struggled to maintain eye contact. Had he said something weird?

“If you’ll allow me, I’d like to try being that “someone.” Hao Ming said calmly.

Kaelan’s heart skipped a beat.

“I’m not as openly affectionate as Ash, but I know how to show I care.”

The painter was stunned. He hadn’t expected to hear such words from the stoic Hao Ming, whose ears were now redder than before. Unable to respond verbally, Kaelan leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Hao Ming’s forehead.

“Okay…”

Surprised, Hao Ming clears his throat. In response, he kissed the back of Kaelan’s hand and smiled gently at him.

They exchanged affectionate glances until the painter’s stomach growled quietly. Embarrassed, Kaelan blushed. Hao Ming laughed.

“I know a place that serves amazing seafood. Want to go?”

“Didn't you already eat?”

“I barely finished the appetizer.”

Kaelan accepted the invitation without much thought, and they hit the road.

“Do you really make computer viruses in your spare time?” Kaelan asked after a few minutes.

“You overheard our conversation?”

“A little.”

Hao Ming gave a mischievous smile before turning serious again.

“It's true.”

“What do you do with them once they’re finished?”

“I usually store them. But sometimes, I send them to competitors or people I don’t like.”

“Seriously?”

Hao Ming gave a blank smile, his eyes still on the road.

A shiver ran down Kaelan’s spine.

Note to self: Never break a hacker’s heart.

____

A few days later.

At nine p.m., on a dark pier, men were busy unloading large crates from containers and transferring them into various trucks.

Il Young had been there for about an hour, making mindless, exhausting trips back and forth.

BAM!

“Be careful!” yelled a man angrily supervising the operation.

Some workers had dropped a crate. Part of its contents spilled out.

At first glance, it was nothing unusual, just clothes and toys. But something caught Il Young’s eye : a golden glint sticking out of a toy and tightly wrapped packages that didn’t match the rest.

After urging the workers to put everything back, the angry man rushed over to greet a group that had just arrived with a broad smile.

Suddenly, Il Young grabbed a discarded cap and planted it on his head.

It was Baek Dong Soo and several of his henchmen. Was the cargo his?!

Sneaking away now was the smartest choice. Forget the money. But as he looked for an escape route, the image of the “Crystal Joy”, Ashlay had shown him, came back to mind. He made the connection quickly. He stopped and turned back toward the unopened containers.

Driven by his sense of justice, Il Young made up his mind. If he could get proof that Baek Dong Soo’s gang was bringing this drug into the country, it could seriously help law enforcement.

After loading one last crate into a truck, Il Young quietly slipped toward an untouched container. Using his phone’s flashlight, he opened a random box and started digging. He found a large bag full of smiley-faced pills, then gold bars in another crate. He broke into a cold sweat. Then he took several pictures.

Hearing footsteps nearby, he quickly exited the container. Unfortunately, just around the corner, he was stopped by a man in black.

“What are you doing here, kid?”

“I… Uh… really needed to pee.” Il Young said, pretending to be embarrassed.

Suspicious, the man looked at him up and down, then let him pass. But upon noticing the container door was ajar, he changed his mind.

“Hey! Come back here!”

Il Young took off, running through the maze of containers. Many intersections were quickly blocked by men in black.

Seeing his options narrow, he tried sending the photos to the number Ashlay had given him.

No signal.

 “Not now…” Il Young muttered, annoyed to see he was also almost out of battery.

With a little hope, Il Young sent the photos anyway.

“[Sending failed]”

“He’s over there!” yelled one of the gangsters.

Il Young gritted his teeth. He put his phone away and began fighting off his pursuers. Though each opponent fell like flies, it felt never-ending.

Just before escaping the container maze, he tried again to send the photos. He barely had time to hit “Send” when his phone died.

Footsteps closed in dangerously. He had no choice but to keep fighting.

It was almost endless. One fell, another rose. With blood on his hands and his breathing becoming more and more erratic, Il Young didn’t want to get caught. He threw his phone far away, so the gang wouldn’t get their hands on it, then charged at them.

He found himself trapped.

BANG!

A gunshot froze the scene.

“What kind of rat do we have here?” Baek Dong Soo declared as he approached.

At that moment, Il Young knew there was no escape. With a gun pointed at him, he had no choice but to surrender. He was violently restrained and forced to kneel before Baek Dong Soo.

“We found him snooping around the containers.” one man explained.

“I think he’s a cop.” said another.

The mob boss looked at the captive for a moment, then used his rifle barrel to knock off his cap.

He grinned wickedly.

“Oh? And what do we have here? Isn’t this our dear Flash?”

He tilted Il Young’s chin up with the gun.

“I'm disappointed. I thought we could get along. Is this how you thank us? By teaming up with the police?”

Furious, Il Young tried to break free. In vain.

Baek Dong Soo stood up straight.

“Search him.”

A few minutes later, one of the men reported:

“No bugs or trackers on him, sir.”

“Not even a phone? I don’t buy it.”

Il Young kept glaring at the mob boss, who came closer and grabbed his face.

“I feel we're going to have a long “discussion” together.”

Baek Dong Soo looked like a demon eager to torment a soul.

As Il Young was dragged into a nearby building, Baek Dong Soo took a phone call:

“Hello, boss.”

The voice on the other end was chilling.

“We had a few setbacks, but don't worry. The cargo will be shipped soon.  Assure Baek Dong Soo.

“[…]”

“Our partners are satisfied, but they’re growing impatient waiting for your arrival. Some are threatening not to attend the next meeting.”

A cold laugh came through the receiver.

“[…]”

“I'll pass the message along, sir.”

After the call ended, Baek Dong Soo smiled and licked his lips with satisfaction. He headed toward the building where Il Young had been taken, humming a tune.

____

The next morning at around nine a.m., while having coffee with Ashlay, Gwenval received a call from his aunt. Il Young hadn’t shown up to work, and his parents said they hadn’t seen him come home the night before. He wasn’t answering his phone. Worried, the musician tried calling him, too. Nothing.

A sense of urgency washed over him, and he frowned.

“Ashlay, we need to find Il Young. Fast.”