'Tit for Tat'[Part I]

It took a while, but the boy eventually moved, raising a finger again—"One minute."

Rei nodded, though his patience was already wearing thin.

Dressed in all black, the boy disappeared into the bush, blending into the shadows before reappearing moments later. He moved swiftly, undetected by the roaming bodyguards—a stroke of luck. As he crept closer to the mansion, a small torch clenched between his teeth, his eyes darted around, scanning for any signs of danger.

Only when he was directly beneath the towering structure did he finally tilt his head up—only to realize just how far up Rei actually was.

"The hell?" he muttered, eyes widening.

Rei anxiously paced back and forth on the balcony before looking down at him again.

Sigh.

Rolling his eyes, he shook his head slightly. It's okay, he mouthed, though frustration tugged at his features.

This wasn't going to work. There was no way the boy could scale a three-story building just to "rescue" him. Not to mention the swarm of bodyguards patrolling below.

Just leave, Rei mouthed again.

The boy hesitated, then shrugged, muttering to himself, "Lost my mood to steal."

Rei groaned, rubbing his face with his hands. "This is stupid," he muttered. "Why the hell can't I just let him help me?"

But then again… what help could he really offer? He was just some random thief. If he couldn't even steal properly, what were the chances he could pull off something as ridiculous as breaking Rei out?

Before Rei could dwell on it further, he glanced back down—only to find the boy had vanished.

"Huh?" Rei blinked, but before he could process it, a sharp sound pierced the silence.

Creak!

"—Holy shit."

Rei flinched as he turned around, his gaze snapping upward.

Kai stood there.

Shirtless.

Wearing only pajama pants.

Rei let out an awkward chuckle, scratching the back of his head. "Hehe—"

Kai's expression was unreadable, but his voice carried a distinct edge of amusement. "You're shameless enough to ask a thief for help?" he scoffed.

Rei stiffened, pressing his lips together.

Kai took a step closer, lazily resting his arms on the balcony railing—effectively trapping Rei between them. The heat of his bare skin radiated in the cool night air.

"You're gonna be the reason that little thief over there… gets into trouble," Kai murmured, tilting his head slightly.

Then, without breaking eye contact, he whistled.

Two bodyguards stopped in their tracks and glanced up. Kai didn't even have to say a word—he simply motioned toward the bush with a slight nod.

The bodyguards immediately moved in its direction.

Rei swallowed hard, gripping the balcony railing.

This wasn't going to end well.

Rei's heart pounded as he watched the bodyguards approach the bush. The thief was long gone—or at least, Rei hoped he was. But with the way Kai smirked, as if he already knew the outcome, an uneasy feeling crept into Rei's chest.

"Why do you look so tense?" Kai's voice was laced with amusement.

Rei forced himself to relax, but it was no use. "I-I don't," he mumbled.

Kai hummed, unconvinced. He leaned in just a little closer, his breath ghosting over Rei's ear. "Lying doesn't suit you."

Rei stiffened. His gaze flickered down toward the guards, his stomach twisting in knots. The men were already poking through the bushes, flashlights illuminating the dark corners.

Please let him be gone. Please let him be gone.

One of the guards straightened up and shook his head. "No one here, sir."

Rei let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

Kai, however, didn't look the least bit surprised. If anything, he seemed mildly entertained.

"Guess he ran off," Kai mused, though his tone carried something unreadable. "Smart kid."

Rei clenched his fists. He hated this. The way Kai looked at him, as if he knew something Rei didn't. The way everything about this house felt off, like he was missing a huge part of the story that everyone else was in on.

Kai tilted his head, studying him. "You really thought I'd let you get taken just like that, huh?"

Rei frowned, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Kai sighed, as if bored. "I could've had him caught the moment he stepped foot on my property." His fingers drummed lazily against the railing. "But I wanted to see what you'd do."

Rei swallowed. "And? What did I do?"

Kai leaned in even closer, until the distance between them was almost nonexistent. "You hesitated." His voice was quiet, but it sent shivers down Rei's spine. "Even when freedom was right in front of you."

Rei felt like he was suffocating. His mind screamed at him to push Kai away, to argue, to say something—but no words came.

"You can't escape, even if you want to. Not because you can't," Kai smirked.

He leaned in, his breath warm against Rei's ear. "You should stop, Rei," he murmured, voice dangerously low. "You have no idea… you're missing a huge part of the plot." His smirk deepened.

Straightening, Kai locked eyes with Rei. "You're not here because of what you saw," he said, his tone unreadable. "You're here… because god is with me."

With that, he turned and walked inside, leaving Rei frozen in place.

Rei stared blankly at the balcony floor, his mind a storm of emotions. Was he confused? Or just angry? Furious that he was trapped? His head tilted slightly as his brows furrowed deeper.

"What are you talking about?" he whispered to himself.

__________________________________________________________________________________

[The Next Day: 6:30 AM]

The coffee shop stirred with the quiet murmur of early risers, the air rich with the scent of roasted beans. Then, the atmosphere shifted.

Kai entered, flanked by his bodyguards—hulking figures draped in black. The moment they stepped inside, a weight settled over the room. One of the guards pulled out a chair, motioning for Kai to sit. With effortless grace, he did, crossing his legs as he tilted his head slightly, waiting.

A moment later, a young waiter approached, setting down a glass of Iced Americano. "Anything else, sir?" he asked, his voice steady, though his hands were just a little too stiff.

Kai didn't answer. Instead, he whistled—a sharp, casual sound that barely cut through the silence. The next second, two bodyguards, each towering over the trembling waiter, grabbed him by both arms.

"What the—? Hey! What the hell!?" he shouted, thrashing in their grip. His protests were useless. The guards dragged him outside, the crisp morning air stinging his skin as they shoved him into the back of a black van.

The doors slammed shut.

Breathless, he pounded against the metal. "Let me out, you psychos!"

Then, he heard the front door click open. He looked up just as Kai slid inside, smooth and unbothered, dressed in an all-beige suit—far too casual for a man who had just ordered an abduction.

The waiter swallowed hard. Who the hell was this guy?

But deep inside, he already knew.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Slam!

The heavy door shut with a resounding echo, sealing the waiter inside an empty garage in the middle of nowhere. Before he could react, a bodyguard shoved him forward, sending him stumbling onto the cold, hard floor. He groaned, rubbing his sore back as he lifted his head, eyes locking onto Kai.

"What the hell do you want?" he shouted, his voice laced with both fear and defiance.

Kai smirked, unfazed. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" His voice dripped with amusement.

The waiter stiffened.

"You're really smart," Kai continued, his signature eerie smile stretching across his face. "Smart enough to plot a robbery. Just dumb enough to leave this behind."

He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, unfolding it with deliberate slowness.

"You wrote down every. single. thing. Everything you needed to know about my house so you could steal from me." His voice was playful, but there was an unmistakable edge beneath it.

The waiter's face paled.

Yes.

He was the same man Rei had approached the night before—only to change his mind at the last moment.

Kai tossed the paper to the ground, watching as the young man's worry deepened.

"I-It's true, I w-wanted to st-st-steal! But I didn't!" the waiter stammered.

"Of course you didn't." Kai's amusement faded. He stepped closer. "Listen, kid, I'm not going to kill you."

Yu-han flinched.

Kai gestured, and a bodyguard handed him a stack of files. With a flick of his wrist, Kai threw them onto the ground beside the waiter. "Instead, I want you to look into something for me."

Yu-han hesitated, his back still aching from the rough treatment. He cautiously reached for the file, flipping it open. His eyes skimmed the contents.

"This… This is about an accident that happened downtown three years ago."

"Exactly." Kai's tone darkened. "That file only contains what I know about the case. I need you to find me more."

Yu-han swallowed hard. At that moment, his own life meant everything.

Kai's eyes narrowed. "Your name?"

"Y-Yu-han," he stammered. "My name's Yu-han."

Kai nodded. "I'm sending one of my guards with you." His gaze flickered to a young but lean, muscular bodyguard standing nearby. "He'll keep an eye on you."

Kai turned back to Yu-han, his stare piercing. "Don't disappoint me."

Yu-han nodded so hard he nearly gave himself whiplash. Relief washed over him—he was still alive. But as he glanced down at the files scattered before him, a new question burned in his mind.

What's so special about this case?