2.02 ARTIFICIAL LOVE: Routine

Lee Beomseok, age 22, lives in the big city.

He likes to think he's got a better grip in life now compared to his 18-year-old self but deep down he knows it's bull.

Still, he's alive and he lives alone in a shitty studio apartment. Really, it's not that bad. He finds his own little niche in a tattoo parlor hidden in the messy sprawl of the city and it's great. Granted, his work teeters on the edge of legality so it can be a mess in that aspect but Beomseok is passionate and he doesn't think he's doing anything bad, you know?

So he settles into a routine.

Hours are pretty lax so when he wakes it's already ten in the morning. He saunters into the bathroom and checks out his face. Lee Beomseok is tall, nearly 185cm, and his face is angular, with large but slanted eyes, thin lips, and pale skin. He looks like some sort of gangster, with a sleeve of tattoos on his right arm that curls upon his chest. The perpetual resting-bitch face doesn't really help.

But it's fine. He's pretty damn attractive if he must say so himself. After a nice shave and wash, he checks out his face one last time before heading out.

He gets to work on time, twenty minutes before his client is due to arrive and there's no one in but him. So Beomseok sets up shop, plays some shitty rock music to match the mood, kicks back and relaxes while he waits. The little tattoo parlor sits underground, below a popular cafe, and next to a roaring nightclub. It's easy to miss from the main road but they've enough notoriety on social media to pay the bills.

The shop is the very definition of quaint, with only two tattoo stations and a tiny reception. The walls are black, with one red at the back of the shop where different images hang in frames; from graphic designs to pictures of finished pieces on clients.

Beomseok kicks his feet up onto the reception desk and waits.

And waits.

His client is late. He tries to call the fucker but the guy's not picking up. Typical.

Still doesn't change the fact the idiot isn't even halfway done with his back tattoo and Beomseok doesn't do refunds. Rescheduling can be annoying but there's not much he can do.

Beomseok sighs, but this much is typical for his fortune, or rather, misfortune.

If there's one key survival tip that Beomseok learned over the last four years, is that he's gotta just take shit in stride. Let the crap slide off his back so he's not given reason to go insane just because misfortune's decided to make itself his mistress.

It does. Beomseok's life is filled with ridiculous highs and equally ridiculous lows. He's not a dramatic dude(at least he thinks he's not), but his life sure is.

There's no way to reason with fate, he decides.

Beomseok relaxes and pulls out his phone. He catches a news article that talks about crackdowns on places such as their little tattoo parlor but decides to ignore that too.

Instead, he's after one, and one thing only.

There's a Kakao message, and it's from his friend, Kim Dayoung.

[ omg its gonna dropppp ]

Roused, Beomseok throws his feet off the reception desk and hunches over his phone. He's vibrating with excitement as he opens up Oasis's youtube page but there's no new video.

Beomseok grimaces and sends his stupid friend a message.

[ bitch it aint even out ]

The reply is instant:

[ soon!!! > w < ]

Beomseok rolls his eyes and decides to ignore her, going back to Oasis's youtube page.

Oasis, real name Kang Siwoo, is a famous idol singer that's recently been taking the world by storm. After Beomseok's fateful night on the side of the country road and almost calling it quits on life, Oasis's debut track Oasis turned into a figurative light at the end of the tunnel.

Beomseok was instantly hooked and he's been a loyal fan ever since, following the ups and downs of the idol singer's career ever since. But how could he resist? Oasis has the looks of a CG god. He's perfect from head to toe, from those hooded, smoldering eyes to sexy pouty lips and a high nose bridge. He always has a bit of red in his hair which has now become part of Oasis's brand.

But since he has nothing but the trailer to simp on and Beomseok already streamed the shit out of that twenty second video, Beomseok decides to watch some older music videos.

Holy fuck, this man is walking sin.

Is he even real?

Beomseok decides to fuck it and connect his phone to the speakers, opening up his Oasis playlist.

If his shitty client wasn't going to show, then Beomseok's going to spend his sweet time unwinding and partying. Without judgmental eyes on him, he's free to let loose, shedding the cool gangster-like exterior and dance around like a total fanboy.

He may or may not have even remembered several dance routines but he executes them with as much grace as a penguin dancing on stilts.

That doesn't stop him, Beomseok goes all out and even adds his out-of-tune, shaky vocals to the mix.

He tries to imagine himself as Oasis's backup dancer or something and before long, Beomseok is drowning in the fantasy.

Probably a little too much, because he doesn't even notice it when the bells chime with the door opening and footsteps creep downward.

"Hey…"

Beomseok freezes in place with Oasis's heavenly voice still blaring behind him, the beat making his muscles twitch.

But he doesn't dare move. Not when there's someone else occupying the space with him now.

Though Beomseok is the taller one of the two, it doesn't make the man any less intimidating. He's dressed in leather, despite the heat outside, face full of piercings and tattoos curling up to the edge of his jaw.

"…"

"…"

Beomseok straightens, his face perfectly blank despite the chaos that's unfolding in his mind. He's going insane but manages to spit out, "Oh. You're late."

His client is staring and takes a long pause before responding. Oasis's sweet voice is still echoing in the background. "Yeah, sorry about that. Got caught up with some things at home. My daughter got sick so I had to wait until my wife got home."

"Right," Beomseok deadpans and wonders if it'll be even more awkward if he changes the playlist so he doesn't and just stands there.

"Do you think you can still finish up the colors today?"

Beomseok is professional with his response and welcomes his client to get comfortable on the chair. "Sure, if you're willing to stay around late."

"That's fine," the man says as he strips, lying face down into the chair to give Beomseok access to his back.

Silence falls between them as Beomseok disinfects the man's back and readies his needles. Oasis's songs still play but it's too late now, he's decided to just eat up the shame and roll with it.

But Beomseok doesn't expect the man to suddenly speak up when he's about to put the needle down on skin.

"I didn't know you danced."

Beomseok almost spits.

It's good that he doesn't because he'd have to disinfect the man's back all over again.

"Uh, thanks," he says awkwardly.

"You're not that bad. Don't tell me you used to be an idol trainee, you have the visuals for it."

"…No." Beomseok kind of wants to die on the inside but maintains his nonchalance on the outside. He can't even tell if the man is insulting him or complimenting him.

"Hm, I guess you can't really when you're already so covered from head to toe. In my opinion, our country should really stop stigmatizing tattoos so much. It's mostly just aesthetics, right? People who have them aren't automatically gangsters."

"…Yeah." Beomseok doesn't remember this guy being so chatty. Maybe it's the sound of Oasis's sweet voice that made him feel more at ease. "I need you to stay still now. I'm gonna start."

Thankfully, his client listens, falling silent as Beomseok begins to work.

When he's finally done it's already dark outside.

He finds a place for some jajangmyeon and gets comfortable. There's no one else but him in the dingy little restaurant so it feels safe. Safe enough to finally check if Oasis dropped his new title track.

Beomseok nearly chokes and dies on noodles when he sees the new video on Oasis's Youtube.

He's blond this time, with a flick of red just above his right ear. A chain hangs off his delectable lips and Beomseok kind of wants to melt in his seat right there and then.

But he's still kind of in public so he contains his excitement(to some degree of success) and clicks on the video.

[ Waiting for Destiny - Oasis ]

The video begins with a close-up of Oasis's eyes. He's wearing contacts and there's an effect that makes it look like there's a ring of fire in his pupils. They glow vermilion.

[ Waiting for you, destiny ]

[ Don't test my patience, silly ]

[ In one life, there's only so much time ]

If Beomseok dies right there and then, he'd be happy and satisfied with his life.

It's a pity he doesn't because his life is about to get a lot more hectic.