Short Stories-Kai Ships Only! Volume 3

Yeonkai- Budding Obsession

"Hey. We're probably gonna close early. No one is gonna come in during the shitstorm out there."

Kai looked up from deep cleaning behind the bar refrigerator. It was still raining like hell outside. The cafe had been empty for an hour besides a delivery man stopping in to use their bathroom. His tip cup only had a few coins in it. If it wasn't for the free food Taehyun was gracious enough to give him earlier, he would've starved today. Still, like always, there was nothing he could do so he didn't complain. "Sure thing. Let me finish up and I'll leave."

"Take your time. Sorry again."

"It's not your fault."

The corner of Taehyun's lips slightly turned upwards when he walked away. Kai was too sweet for his own good. He sat in his little office chair and just watched him clean in the monitor displaying the security camera. Truthfully, he could've kept the cafe open all day and it wouldn't have made a dent in his financials. The real reason he had to close was because he was expecting a visitor. One he didn't want Kai to be around.

Grease and sanitizer residue caked Kai's arms up to his elbows. His black apron was no longer completely black. Speckles of bleach ruined it. "Gross." A forgotten piece of something touched his hand when he moved the fridge back into place. It could've been anything. Staring at the squishy gray blob in the trash, he assumed it was an old strawberry. Despite how questionable he smelled, he stood there satisfied from the work he did. A health inspector would've been proud. The bar practically sparkled. Since his work was done, Kai ran to the bathroom to scrub his arms.

Taehyun looked up from his paperwork to see Yeonjun Choi walking through the door. Two bodyguards waited outside. "Fuck..." The false door in the safe was opened. Out came the deposit. A small price to pay to keep his cafe afloat. He double checked the lobby security camera to confirm Kai was still in the bathroom. When he saw he was, he ran out. "Got it for ya. Would that be all?"

Yeonjun smirked when he was handed the bag. He subtlety noticed Taehyun's little signs of anxiety like his fingers drumming against the counter. That wasn't normal for him. "That's all. What's the rush? Can't stop by to talk to a friend?"

"I'm just surprised your lapdog isn't picking it up. He back in he doghouse?" Taehyun couldn't stop glancing around the corner, worried he was going to hear the bathroom door open.

"He's fine. Just leading a problem off of a trail." Yeonjun snapped his fingers. One of the bodyguards came in and took the deposit money from him. Taehyun was still looking off to the side. Yeonjun smirked again. "Hiding something from me?"

"I'm trying to keep our operation safe. You're compromising it."

"Awe, don't be silly Taehyun. I should get to meet all the people in your life. After all, the last one turned out to be a problem. You know how that ended."

Taehyun didn't have to be reminded twice of the last outsider he thought he could trust. He had to kill him or it was his head in the river. "This one isn't a problem. Broke college student who needed a job. That's it."

"Proud of you for your generosity."

"Thanks. Is that all? The rain has killed my business so I'd like to close before it hails tonight."

"Sure. That's all." Yeonjun walked away. Just as he put his hand on the door, he saw who Taehyun had been hiding for the past five minutes in the window's reflection. He was motionless. That blonde was something else. He was taller than himself. He guessed maybe six foot or more. His jawline was sharp yet his cheeks were full. His blush pink lips looked as soft as the innocent expression in his eyes. He looked untouchable. Completely not his type but that made him infinitely more appealing. Bad boys were a thing of the past. They were all bark and no bite. This angel? He wanted to bite.

Kai wondered why the guy at the door was just standing there. All he saw was the back of his head. He knew he didn't lock it. He thought maybe Taehyun did. Curiously, he went to the back to find his boss. "Hey. Sorry to bother you. Do you know why there's a guy just standing in our lobby?"

"He's still there?"

"I guess. Should I ask him to leave?"

"NO!"

Kai wasn't expecting that reaction at all. "Okay. Um. I'll leave around the back then?"

"That works. Sorry. I'll see you tomorrow alright?"

"See ya." Kai regretted only bringing a trenchcoat to work. He didn't look at the forecast this morning which was a mistake. Now, he had nothing to cover his head on the walk back to his apartment. Since there was nothing he could do about it, he decided to embrace the rain. His bangs were soaked in less than a second. It wasn't raining as harshly as before but he could still hardly see through the mist. All that mattered to him was keeping his phone protected. Luckily, the inner pocket of his coat seemed to be doing the trick.

"I see why you've kept him from me." Yeonjun turned around and walked back to the counter. "He must be a good employee if you're worried about losing him that badly."

"You can fuck whoever you want. Don't fuck my business though."

"You mean the business that I'm funding?"

"You mean the business that's keeping one of your stashes in the basement? Don't get me started on what else is down there."

Yeonjun put his hands in his pockets, making sure to keep the edges of his jacket behind his arms so his gun was visible. "Does it feel good to fuck that high horse? Maybe one day, you'll want to get off of it when you remember you were one of us."

Taehyun wasn't intimidated by the gun. He had one of his own in the safe by the register. "I'm well aware."

Amused, Yeonjun hid his gun again. "I think I'll be stopping by more often. I'm actually surprised Beomgyu hasn't mentioned him. Or do you hide that beauty from him as well?"

"I've been successful until you came along."

"And I trust he has no idea about the basement or our little agreement?"

"Not one."

"You did good. I really hope he likes men."

"Seriously? You're one of the richest people in a city of millions. Go after someone else! Do you understand how long it took me to find a competent employee?!"

"Like you said. This is a city of millions. I'm sure there's another one."

Taehyun dropped his aggressive demeanor. Nicely, he asked "please? I'll hire someone else. I just need a decent replacement before you ruin his life."

"At least he'll have a good story to tell."

Yeonjun never directly promised anything. Taehyun assumed that was the closest he was going to get to a "yes". After he officially closed his cafe, he slumped back into his office to look for decent candidates.

Yeonjun played on his phone in the backseat of his driver's car. At a stoplight, he looked out the window to see the blonde standing on the sidewalk corner. He looked better up close. The bump in the middle of his nose made him unique. There was a couple moles on his neck that he was dying to kiss. Though this stranger wasn't his type, he found the blonde becoming the new standard of it. "Gorgeous..." He tapped on the back of the driver's seat to get his bodyguard's attention. "Hey. I think I'll walk a bit. Let me out." His driver's protests went ignored when he stepped out of the car.

Kai watched the misty light change color to allow him to cross. His bangs were bothering the shit out of him. They acted as a mop that dripped more water into his eyes than the rain was already doing. He couldn't wait to get back to his dorm. Two more blocks and he was there.

Yeonjun stopped under a tree to watch the blonde enter an old brick building. His obsession started. He knew where this guy lived and where he worked without speaking a word to him. All that was missing was his name.