Crook | K.th

Crook 17: Lonely Child

"I want you to understand one thing. If you don't take anything else from me in this lifetime I want you to take this away—" with a strong hand on his shoulder and a deep stare into his eyes, the older Kim fixes his lips to speak.

"It's for your own good."

"W-what's for my own good?"

The man starts off with a tiny smirk, which soon transforms into a giant smile. It then becomes a loud, boisterous laughter that rumbles the sidewalk beneath Taehyung's feet.

"The boy doesn't know!" He points, looking back at the driver who was equally just as confused as Taehyung but for the sake of his job, plastered a fake smile.

"He doesn't fucking have any idea!" He wheezes, face turning red and all. For the first time in a short while, Taehyung was scared of his father. The laughter wasn't fun and whimsical. It was sick and psychotic. Like one of those serial killers from a slasher film. Taehyung felt uneasy.

"Well you'll know soon." His laughter dies just as easily as it sparks. He cleared his throat, throwing the cigarette down and pressing it with his shiny snakeskin dress shoe. Taehyung grimaces.

"Hurry up with the gift damn bags. Am I paying you to piss around?" He fusses at the driver, storming past him in an angry rage. Leaving Taehyung just as lost as the day he was born, on one busy block in Daegu.

Flashback over.

"I gotta three of a kind baby. Can't be beat." Hoseok said with a challenging eyebrow raise. Taehyung concentrated on his hand, tongue sitting on his bottom lip as he tried to plot his next move. It there was one asshole he had trouble beating at poker, it was Hoseok Jung.

Currently, he held a good hand. Wasn't a three of a kind but he had a King which could easily ruin Hoseok's day. This was a battle of morality and competition. Taehyung didn't want to do this to his friend but fuck if he didn't want the glory of saying that he finally beat him at a heated game of poker.

"C'mon Kim I can't wait all day. Either take this ass kicking or hit me with something good."

And that was it. The bastard could trash talk himself into the grave. He knew how to get under Taehyung's skin.

"A king." Taehyung reveals his hand. The sweet victory that overcame him once he seen Hoseok's smug smirk turn into a defeated slump made him warm inside. The man chuckled as he threw his cards on the table, racking up the cash they had bet (as if he truly needed it) before beginning to count.

"Well this is just blasphemous." Hoseok shook his head in disbelief.

"Hmmm, a criminal calling blasphemy. Never thought I'd see the day."

"Yeah well I never thought I'd see the day where you actually beat me at something." Hoseok rolled his eyes. He stood up from his chair and stretched out his arms and back before walking over to the mini fridge. Currently, they were in a den located not too far away from Taehyung's father's warehouse. They had played some pool and just finished a game of poker before it was time to work.

"It's hereeeee." Taehyung teased sickeningly, stuffing the measly 200 dollars into his back pocket as he stood himself.

"How'd things go the other night with Liyah?" Hoseok asked. Taehyung sighed, reaching for his own beer as he thought about the other night at the diner.