bloodied crown - hyungwonho

6: An Offer

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Hyungwon had thought he knew what he had signed up for when he entered the shitty-looking building, but he hadn't been prepared enough. The walls inside had clearly yellowed over time, the rug on the floor was crusty and most of the lights were out, but he had decided to not judge a book by the cover. Mr. Son had just settled in Seoul, at least that's what he was aware of, and probably didn't have time to fix up his base.

He was by no means a clean freak, but he liked to have his surroundings at least kept up.

"I don't like it here," Changkyun muttered from beside him. The leader just let out a low hum to not verbally agree with the younger, walking forward in the direction they were being led to. "Just calm down," he replied eventually, stopping when the guard in front of them stopped.

The built man moved out of the way, allowing them to enter a room. Hyungwon walked in first, his second in command on his tail, and gave a polite smile to the older leader seated on a couch. 

"Good evening, sir." he greeted to catch the man's attention. Ilsang turned to them, face lighting up at the sight. It took all of Hyungwon's willpower to not chuckle at the forced expression. "Mr. Chae. I see you're not a minute late." The man spoke, standing up and quickly walking over. They shook hands swiftly before the other's attention moved to Changkyun.

"And this is your..?" He asked, sounding maybe a tad displeased. Maybe he didn't like that Hyungwon hadn't come all by himself. The younger grinned slightly, glancing at Changkyun. "I.M. He's my second in command." he signed for the sharp-featured man to come forward and he moved immediately, offering a hand for a shake. "It's nice to meet you."

Ilsang nodded a little, a friendly smile on his old features. "Come, sit." he then offered, signing toward the black couches with his hand. Hyungwon, once again, moved first and sat down opposite the other leader. It was surprisingly comfortable considering the rest of the room wasn't quite up to par.

The leader let his eyes scan around a little but there honestly wasn't much to observe. The space they were in must have been a break room of some kind. There wasn't a desk or a computer in sight which ruled out it being Son Ilsang's office. And the walls were still yellow and the air was just as musty as it had been outside.

This can't be his real office.

He moved his gaze back to the older leader, scanning him from head to toe. He was wearing a dark grey suit. It wasn't anything special but the man had clearly dressed up for the occasion. The ruby necklace he had previously spotted wasn't anywhere to be seen, but Hyungwon could only assume it was hidden under the layers of clothes.

"Your allyship request came as a pleasant surprise." Mr. Son finally spoke up, placing his hands on his knees. Hyungwon first answered with a simple, polite smile whilst mirroring the other's movement. "Well, I'm glad it wasn't a shock." he shrugged softly. "But like I said during our call, Oblivion would be a great addition."

"Is there a certain reason you're looking for new allies?" Ilsang questioned, quirking an eyebrow. Hyungwon narrowed his eyes for a moment, observing the man's reaction. It was a forced reaction, not a natural one of genuine surprise or curiosity.

He's acting.

Hyungwon let out a small chuckle, leaning back into the couch's backrest before heaving out a sigh. "Someone's after me. My power. I need everyone who I can get within the reach of hand. Of course, it'll be beneficial for both parties. I'm not that selfish." he let the words fall out calmly, still keeping a keen eye on his potential enemy. "And I can be honest with you, yeah? Since my other allies have apparently just vanished..." he continued before trailing off. A glint of, what he read as excitement or proudness, flashed in the old brown eyes at the mention of people vanishing.