Brighter Days || Taekook

Part 1

Taehyung feels cold, but that's no surprise. It's January, the coldest month in Seoul, and the clothes he is wearing are really not enough to keep him warm. He's just lucky that it's not snowing today and that the wind isn't too harsh, because nothing is more unpleasant than the stinging in his ears and the prickling feeling under his skin when it warms up again after hours outside.

He's not alone at his corner today. A woman too skinny and with too much makeup on her face is leaning against the streetlamp as well. Who is Taehyung to judge her appearance though? He's also mostly skin and bones, ribs clearly visible under his skin, and his eyes are heavily rimmed by eyeliner. She's just as him, a lost soul waiting - for a car to get into, or maybe for a better life. Taehyung has given up all hope on the latter by now, and by the looks the woman near him has done so as well. But she has smiled at him when he approached and she's no competition for him when it comes to his clients, so Taehyung allows her to stay. Besides, she's good company when he ignores the symptoms of withdrawal she shows, talking to him about such trivial things as her favourite childhood movies. Taehyung has had those as well, favourite childhood movies, but his childhood is not something that he remembers fondly, so instead of answering he just listens and hums. It's not often that he finds a prostitute that's not hostile in this part of the city. Everyone here is fending for themselves, everyone is competition. Taehyung hopes that maybe she'll stick around for a while. Maybe they could start looking out for each other. But when she shifts once, he sees the top she's wearing slip up, revealing a gang tattoo just above the left side of her hips, and Taehyung recognizes it to be from one of the biggest gangs in Seoul. Between the gang and the drugs, he knows that she won't be living much longer. He never got sucked into the gang life or the sweet relief of drugs, for him there's still hope to someday escape from this life. The woman, however, never stood a chance. (But who's he kidding? He never stood a chance either.)

A black SUV with tinted windows comes to a stop next to them. Taehyung knows who he will see inside before the window at the driver's side even rolls down. He recognizes that numberplate by now, and the tension that's been building up in his shoulders all night slowly starts to drain. Mr. Kim is a regular of his. He has a slimy grin, but he always takes Taehyung to nice hotel rooms - a luxury for a low price prostitute like him - and treats him right. The bruises he leaves are few and he takes his time for prepping. Taehyung's job is a literal pain in the ass, but he knows that with this man he'll get a nice tip if he puts enough effort into it and he'll get treated somewhat gently.

The woman is starting to make her way over to the car, but Taehyung places a hand on her shoulder - ignores her slight flinch - and smiles at her apologetically as he says, "Sorry darling, but this one likes dick, or else he would be at home with his wife and two children."

He gives her a final wave and moves over to the car. With this man there's no negotiating necessary anymore. There's no such thing as trust in this industry, Taehyung always has to have his guard up, but he knows Mr. Kim well enough to know that he'll pay. And if he's particularly nice and not in a rush, he might even let him use the shower in the hotel room after they've fucked.

"V," the man greets him, "how have you been?"

Small talk, it's something that Taehyung hates more than anything. Most of his clients do it out of nerves, but sometimes he thinks that this one genuinely cares about his week. That makes it even worse. But Taehyung bites his tongue and turns to him, smiles widely. He lets his hand rest on the older man's thigh, close to his crotch, and squeezes there lightly.

"So much better now that you're here." He keeps his voice low and sultry, because he knows this one doesn't want him to play the innocent young boy. He might be young at the age of 17, but he's anything but innocent.