Don't Kill Them

Kang Jinha froze, so did the four thugs crowding around him, albeit for a different reason altogether. 

Using the cover of the darkness, he discreetly raised his shoulder to rub his tingling and ticklish ear. Twice— twice had he discovered a voice that contained such magnetism and quality that it managed to shoot straight to his eardrums despite all the noises. 

He had never known he had the potential to become a voice-con until tonight. 

Also, was it his ears which were too sensitive or did this voice actually sound kinda similar to RYU, the bar singer just now? 

Kang Jinha slowly sipped his sparkling water, still not bothered to lift his head. He was now trapped between his newly awakened neighbor and the local thugs, yet he seemed to be the most indifferent of all. 

Although he looked like he was staring at the polished counter like it contained one of the world's greatest mysteries, in fact, all his senses were keenly attuned to the person beside him. 

He couldn't explain why, but since the man woke up, every last drop of Kang Jinha's focus had been sucked into him. He wasn't the type of person who had ample curiosity toward strangers, let alone someone he had just met tonight, hence this instinctive reaction actually puzzled him. 

Was it because of the man's nice voice or… was there another reason he was not privy to? 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the man raise his head – just barely – before propping it up with his hand as though he was too lazy to sit up straight. His entire body seemed to exude a languidness that came from the bones. Kang Jinha sensed the man's gaze idly sweeping over his face, and every cell in his body became alert in response. 

What did this person want by joining the fray? Lending him a hand? But what if his presence exacerbated the situation instead?!

As though confirming Kang Jinha's inner fears, the first thug – the one who brought him a drink – recovered his senses and snapped back, "What did you just say?!" his voice rose in anger. 

The three brothers behind him also rolled up their sleeves and spewed out one threatening sentence after another. 

"Buddy, we have no business with you. We just want to invite this beauty to a drink!" They angrily gestured at Kang Jinha. "So you'd better roll back to where you come from!

"Wait, are you two actually together?!"

In response to that rude inquiry, a low chuckle escaped the man's lips, still sounding as indolent as ever. "Together? That's right…"

As he spoke, he shifted his position. One of his legs, which had been stretched beneath the counter, was pulled out to rest behind Kang Jinha's seat, conveniently forming a line that separated him from the local thugs. It was also then that Kang Jinha realized how enviably long the man's legs were, if he could still reach over even with the empty stool between them. 

"He's with me. That's why—"

The flashing lights scattered over his face which was hidden in the shadows, highlighting the crimson gleam in his eyes and the nonchalant curve of his full lips. In the next second, however, the smile faded from his face as his voice took on a dark, gloomy edge. 

"Scram," he spat out icily, "if you don't want to die."

"You—!" The thug's face flushed red as his temper rose to the top of his head. He was about to charge ahead and grab this insolent man by his collar, when one of his buddies grabbed his arm to stop him, sounding a little flustered, "W–Wait a minute, Hyung! This person seems to be…"

Kang Jinha strained his ears to listen, but the music in the bar just happened to reach the climax, drowning the soft whisper amidst the burst of high intensity melody. Seems to be… what? He couldn't even begin to guess the answer, but he could clearly see hesitation and doubt replacing the anger on the thug's face, his previous bravado nowhere to be seen. 

Then, an unexpected development took place. 

"Hmph, count yourself lucky," the thug glowered at Kang Jinha, his expression twisting in dissatisfaction. "Don't let me catch you alone next time!" 

After saying that, he turned to leave with his three buddies in tow. 

No way… Kang Jinha had to take another sip of his drink to suppress his shock. They really left… just like that? Because of a single sentence from this man? Come to think of it, one of the thugs seemed to recognize him, so was he another thug as well or someone even worse… like the mafia? 

Damn it, had he jumped out of the frying pan into the fire?! 

The man beside him seemed to sneer and mutter something along the lines of 'You're the ones who got lucky, assholes. I just saved your asses' but Kang Jinha failed to register his words because he was too busy entertaining his wild imaginations. 

The possibility that this man could very well be a mafia sent a danger signal to his mind, compelling him to run away this very second. Any smidgen of interest he had in this bar and its golden singer dissipated quicker than a droplet of water under the glaring sun. He did not want to get involved in anything messy! 

Yup, that's it for tonight, he decided in less than two seconds. Let's return and get some good sleep lest he wakes up with dark circles under his eyes tomorrow. 

Setting down his drink, Kang Jinha was ready to take his leave, but not before expressing his thanks to the other person. No matter what, the man had helped him drive away the thugs, and he did not wish to be seen as rude. 

However, just as he rose to his feet, the world before him spun for a good few seconds, forcing him to grab onto the edge of the counter for purchase. 

Huh? Kang Jinha shook his head to dispel the dizziness. He had consumed only a glass of soju and moreover, he had quite a high alcohol tolerance, so he shouldn't have become inebriated this fast… right? Biting the inside of his cheek, Kang Jinha forced himself to remain sober. He then bowed his head to the man and expressed sincerely, "Thank you for your help, Sir. Excuse me."

Without waiting for a response, he turned around. But just as he took a few steps forward, he heard the man say behind him with that infuriatingly magnetic voice of his,

"You're going to leave now? But those people just now…" he let out a contemplating hum as he swirled the V-shaped cocktail glass in his hand, sending the crimson liquid swirling in a tantalizing manner. "They might still be watching you somewhere, waiting for you to be alone."

Kang Jinha's back tensed up, his hands clenched into fists. Was this man telling the truth? Kang Jinha couldn't tell for certain. The man's languid and careless tone made it seem like anything he said lacked credibility, yet for some inexplicable reason, Kang Jinha had a hunch that he did not lie – at least not on this matter. Besides, ambushing a weaker party to satisfy their own vanity sounded just like something those people would do. 

His expression turned gloomy as he recalled the local thugs and their repulsive gazes roaming all over his body. 

Should he just set the trap and finish them once and for all…? 

"Don't kill them."

That sentence was spoken in a light tone, yet the effect it had on Kang Jinha was akin to a lightning bolt striking his head. "Wha—" he whipped his head around, his blue eyes wide in disbelief and incredulity. How did the man figure out his plans??

Kang Jinha narrowed his eyes to study the man's appearance for the first time, but unfortunately, he just happened to sit on the spot where the dancing beams of light couldn't reach, shrouding his tall figure entirely in the darkness. 

All Kang Jinha could make out was the black satin glove wrapped snugly around the large hand holding the cocktail glass, making it appear ridiculously small in comparison, and a faint scarlet gleam in his eyes… wait a minute, red eyes??? 

Kang Jinha squeezed his eyes shut before opening them again, but the flash of eerie scarlet was no longer there. Oh no, was he drunk enough to hallucinate…?

"You look like you desperately want to know how I can see through you…" he teased, and Kang Jinha's cheeks flamed hot, though he couldn't tell whether it was due to the irresistibly mesmerizing voice or the embarrassment of having his inner thoughts laid bare in the open. And here he thought that his poker face game was quite strong! 

"Simple, darling," the man drawled out in mirth, a faint chuckle rumbling out of his throat. "Your murderous aura was so heavy that it woke me up. I wonder how foolish those people are to miss it altogether. That being said, don't kill them," he repeated once more, sending a surge of annoyance to Kang Jinha's heart. 

Was this person actually siding with those thugs? Kang Jinha wouldn't have harbored any evil intentions had they not provoked him first! But apparently, the man wasn't done yet because he finished the second half of his sentence after a minute pause, seemingly amused at what he saw on Kang Jinha's face,

"They're too filthy for a pretty little thing like you."

P–Pretty… what? 

Kang Jinha stood still, a little dumbfounded. Over the years, he had heard people praising how handsome he was or how beautiful his eyes were, but they were all the neighborhood Ahjummas and Ahjussis who had watched him grow up! Apart from them, no one had ever been so bold as to throw out such praise right in front of his face… with such a teasing tone to boot! 

It couldn't be… was this man flirting with him right now? 

As soon as this notion flashed in his mind, Kang Jinha instinctively frowned. No, it's not possible. This man couldn't be trying to flirt with him. 

Kang Jinha could tell that, despite the underlying tease and mirth in the man's tone, the gaze that landed on him was utterly cold and… apathetic. It was like the man was sizing up a block of wood or an inorganic object rather than a human being. Kang Jinha was incredibly sensitive to people's gazes on him, so he couldn't have mistaken this.

His neighbor did not care at all about the life and death of those thugs. 

He also couldn't care less about why a normal citizen could exude a 'murderous aura', even planning to murder those who had slighted him in cold blood. Who knows why he threw out those words? Perhaps he simply did not wish to see any bloodshed tonight. Or maybe his real identity was the bar owner. If that's the case, then everything could be explained. As the boss, it went without saying that he wouldn't want any accident to happen which could affect his business. 

Either way, it wouldn't be good for Kang Jinha to remain in his presence any longer. 

"You can be rest assured," he said icily. "I'm here to forget all my troubles for a while, not to commit a murder."

After saying that, Kang Jinha turned around and left without giving the man another chance to tease him. He did not head toward the exit, however. He did not want to be caught in any trouble in case those thugs were really waiting to ambush him. He wasn't confident he could win against them in his current condition. 

Yes, that's right, Kang Jinha suspected that something was wrong with him right now. 

Why else would his entire body heat up and his heart pound so frantically like it was going to leap out of his chest? Why else did he feel the visceral urge to hear the man talk more, preferably in a closer proximity? It was simply… too outrageous! What a dangerous thought he shouldn't be having toward a stranger he had only known for one night! 

With a determined stride, Kang Jinha joined the dance floor once more and decided to throw himself fully into the music. Out of sight, out of mind! He reckoned he would be able to sober up a bit if he were to sweat it out like he had done earlier. 

Some people recognized Kang Jinha and began to cheer for him, whistling and hooting. Yet for some inexplicable reason, none of them dared to approach him up close. The blue-eyed young man seemed to exude a unique aura that kept people at arm's length, like a beautiful, exotic yet dangerous animal that could only be admired from afar.

That was, until a tall figure parted the crowd and headed straight for Kang Jinha.

Heads turned, eyes going wide, and the surrounding clamor seemed to fade away somehow. Even without turning around, Kang Jinha could feel a powerful presence closing in on him. 

And he knew— from the tingling sensation racing down his spine and the dizzying heat clouding his senses— he knew right away it was him. It could only be him. 

Kang Jinha hated the way his body betrayed him as it reflexively tensed up in a mix of nervousness and apprehension when the man came near, the way his nerves were painfully attuned to the solid warmth behind him, the way a flare of heat pulsated through his veins at their proximity— not enough to touch, yet still maddeningly close that he could feel the faintest brush of warm air against his ear. 

Then, a subtle yet intoxicating scent drifted over, seemingly a blend of musk, spice, and danger mixed into one, reminiscent of a century-aged fine wine that could knock you off your feet with a single whiff. It smelled mature and at the same time, sultry. 

It made his mouth go dry. 

What exactly was going on with him? Kang Jinha pondered dizzily. How could this stranger, whose name and appearance he did not know, affect him this much? Had he been bewitched by dark magic? 

As if his deepest secret fantasy had suddenly come to life, that low, languid voice echoed beside his ear right the next second, yet the words it uttered sent a chill down Kang Jinha's spine,

"Forgot to tell you – I overheard those guys bribing the bartender to put something into your drink."