Backroom Deal

‘Does Jongwoo know you do that?’

Moonjo had come into step with Seokyoon as he left the hotel; Seokyoon almost leapt out of his skin. It wasn’t a good look, to be so startled, and Seokyoon tried to laugh it off.

‘Fancy running into you here,’ he said. ‘Were you out for dinner?’

‘Something like that.’

‘Uh-huh. I might think you were stalking me.’ Seokyoon laughed, to turn it into a joke, even though Moonjo made him nervous. Moonjo just smiled and, as the smile dissipated, he looked back over at Seokyoon.

‘So,’ he said, ‘does he know?’

There was no reason Moonjo should know what Seokyoon had been doing in that hotel – that he’d been screwing a dude for money. Sure, there probably weren’t many reasons for a young guy who lived in a crummy residence to be leaving a hotel in the evening. But there was no reason Moonjo’s mind should have gone there.

‘No need to look so nervous,’ Moonjo said, a bit of the smile returning to his voice. ‘I know you do what you have to.’ It wasn’t quite understanding.

‘It’s none of his business,’ Seokyoon said – meaning it was none of Moonjo’s business.

‘He likes you, though. Trusts you.’ Moonjo gave him a once-over, which made Seokyoon feel small.

‘Like I said.’

Seokyoon stopped when they got to the bus stop; he hoped Moonjo wouldn’t come on the bus with him. Shouldn’t a guy like him have a better way to spend his evening?

Moonjo stopped beside him. ‘You don’t trust him,’ he said.

‘I trust him.’ At least he trusted Jongwoo wouldn’t beat him up for it; he could imagine Jongwoo going distant, though, walling himself off. No more drinking sessions. No more telling Seokyoon his secrets. Like what he thought of Moonjo.

‘Here’s the thing,’ Moonjo said. ‘It’s inconvenient for me, if Jongwoo has you to lean on.’

Seokyoon stared numbly at the road. ‘I don’t think we’re that close.’ His mouth was dry.

‘How much do you need for bond?’

‘What?’ Seokyoon said, and he faced Moonjo then.

‘I’d like to help you out, if I can.’

This guy got stranger and stranger.

‘I don’t get it,’ Seokyoon said. ‘You’re saying you’ll pay me to leave?’

‘I’ll pay you,’ Moonjo said, ‘for services rendered. It’s up to you what you do with the money. I’m simply making a suggestion.’

They stared at each other, for a few long seconds, Seokyoon’s face stuck in disbelief, Moonjo’s a pleasant lie.

They went back to the hotel.

---

The woman on front desk gave Seokyoon a dirty look when they checked in. It was the sort of look Seokyoon could never manage to brush off entirely. He didn’t know if Moonjo noticed or cared.

If someone had looked at Jongwoo like that, Moonjo might have cared.

‘You really like him, huh?’ Seokyoon said, as they made their way up in the elevator. ‘You don’t actually think someone like me could get in your way. I mean, if you wanted to go after him …’

‘Jongwoo’s not so easily drawn,’ Moonjo said. He got out the lift first, and Seokyoon followed him down the hall. Usually it helped him relax, if he talked to a client – but that wasn’t what this was, was it?

It was blackmail. Or perhaps it was bribery. Some form of corruption, anyway; making something that should have been straightforward into a tangle.

Seokyoon shut the hotel door behind him, and said, ‘So what do you want me to do?’

Moonjo turned to look at him, an assessing look that made Seokyoon aware of his own plainness; he might manage a ‘cute’, but no handsome older man was fixating on him to the extent of wanting to scare anyone else away.

But maybe he should be glad, if Moonjo saw him as a threat. He should be happy that Moonjo thought Jongwoo liked him that much.

Seokyoon wasn’t sure about that, himself. He thought Jongwoo had just liked having someone listen to him. He’d been so suspicious to start with. Because of the other residents. Because of Seo Moonjo.

Now, Moonjo said, ‘You can use your mouth.’

‘Okay.’ It didn’t seem right, that all Moonjo wanted was someone to blow him. But Seokyoon didn’t mind. ‘Then do you want to lie down, or –’

‘We can do it here.’

‘Right.’ They were still by the entranceway. That was fine. Seokyoon didn’t mind getting on his knees. Moonjo, meanwhile, did nothing – stood there and let Seokyoon undo his belt and unzip him. It felt strange; like Seokyoon was taking part in some experiment. And Moonjo was running the show.

Moonjo’s cock was soft when Seokyoon pulled it out. That only emphasised the feeling that Moonjo was an observer in this situation; not that it mattered. It meant that Seokyoon could easily take Moonjo’s whole cock in his mouth. Run his tongue along the velvety skin. He glanced up at Moonjo, whose expression remained dispassionate. Still, with Seokyoon’s tongue and mouth on him, his cock nevertheless began to respond. Moonjo put a hand on Seokyoon’s head, not grabbing but just resting it in Seokyoon’s hair, which felt … nice. Seokyoon increased his attentions, fondling Moonjo’s balls through his briefs while he sucked him.

Was this really all Moonjo wanted? You’d think, if Moonjo was planning to pay Seokyoon enough to move out, he’d want to get his money’s worth. Seokyoon shouldn’t have minded if this was all, but he’d thought a guy like Moonjo might have different tastes.

As Seokyoon worked at his cock, Moonjo did seem to get more excited. He clasped his fingers in Seokyoon’s hair, thrusting shallowly in his mouth instead of just accepting his ministrations.

Then, quite suddenly, he yanked Seokyoon’s head back, and slapped him hard across the face. It was so unexpected that Seokyoon couldn’t even react. His cheek stung, and his eyes began to water, but it was shock rather than pain.

‘You seem like you’re enjoying yourself too much,’ Moonjo commented.

Seokyoon lifted his hand to his cheek. It was strange, but he almost felt relieved. ‘Do you want me to act like I’m being forced?’

‘No,’ Moonjo said, ‘you don’t need to act.’ He crouched down and smacked Seokyoon across the face again, so that Seokyoon’s head swung to the side; Seokyoon didn’t dare to look at him straight on again.

‘Why should I pay you to leave,’ Moonjo said, ‘when I could just kill you?’

For a moment, a premonition of despair rose up in Seokyoon’s chest; then he forced a laugh. ‘You don’t have to go that far.’

Moonjo took Seokyoon’s jaw in his hands; he forced Seokyoon to look at him.

Then he headbutted Seokyoon, grabbing him by the collar and driving his head into Seokyoon’s nose. There was a red-hot swell of pain; Seokyoon felt for sure his nose was broken. And when Moonjo let go of him, he fell back against the floor. He could feel warm blood running from his nose.

Seokyoon backed up against the wall, but in the narrow entranceway, it wasn’t like there was far he could go.

‘That’s better,’ Moonjo said, straightening.

He really was crazy, like Jongwoo had told Seokyoon. He was crazy, and Seokyoon should get away.

But could he really leave Jongwoo like that?

His eyes flicked down to Moonjo’s cock, standing florid and tall.

‘Do you want me to do it like this?’ Seokyoon said. He sat up higher – went to wipe his upper lip with his hand, but then hesitated.

‘You get it,’ Moonjo said. He grabbed Seokyoon’s wrist and held it back against the wall. Then he was aiming his cock at Seokyoon’s mouth, so that Seokyoon had no choice but to open up and receive it.

This time, Moonjo didn’t hold back. He let Seokyoon’s hand fall and he grabbed his head instead, bringing Seokyoon forward as he shoved his cock to the back of Seokyoon’s throat. Seokyoon didn’t resist, just tried not to gag. The taste of Moonjo’s precum was mixed with the taste of Seokyoon’s own blood; Seokyoon endured it. Perhaps this was closer to what he’d been expecting. The violence. Moonjo wasn’t paying him because Seokyoon was halfway cute; he was paying him for the opportunity to make him suffer. Seokyoon understood that, then. Just as he understood that Moonjo hadn’t been roleplaying when he’d questioned whether he shouldn’t just kill him.

So Seokyoon put himself through it. Even when it got hard to breath because his nose was so clogged up and Moonjo’s cock kept hitting his throat; Seokyoon just had to hold on and hope that Moonjo came quickly.

‘You’re very compliant,’ Moonjo said, his voice somewhere on the edge of Seokyoon’s awareness. ‘What do you think Jongwoo would say, if he saw you like this?’

It was probably just as well that Moonjo wasn’t giving him the opportunity to answer.

‘Or I wonder,’ Moonjo said, ‘whether he might not be availed upon to join in.’ And then he slammed his cock in to the hilt, and he held Seokyoon’s head in place as he spilled inside him, lining the back of Seokyoon’s throat. Seokyoon thought he would pass out – he was seeing stars, before Moonjo pulled out, leaving him coughing and gasping all together.

Moonjo let him collapse. Seokyoon could hardly breathe, but Moonjo only stood calmly and tidied himself. Then he crouched down, and Seokyoon flinched back – not so far that Moonjo couldn’t grab his face. Moonjo turned it to examine him.

‘You should get some ice on that,’ Moonjo said. He stood back up and pulled his phone out. ‘I’ll transfer you the money,’ he said. ‘Don’t come back tonight.’

It took a moment for Seokyoon’s brain to get register the words. Then he pulled out his own phone so they could work out the payment. It didn’t feel like a deal that was worth it anymore. Except perhaps for the alternative.

‘Ah – and give me your phone for a minute,’ Moonjo added. Numbly, Seokyoon handed it over. Seokyoon knew what he was doing – he was blocking Jongwoo’s number. Just to emphasis the terms he was setting down.

Then Moonjo gave Seokyoon his phone back, and he left him alone on the hotel room floor.

---

In a moment, Seokyoon would stand up. He’d wash his face and head out for a pack of ibuprofen and some ice, and he’d pull himself together. In a moment. He’d decide what to do in a moment. Whether to leave Jongwoo’s number blocked, take Moonjo’s money and get the hell out of this situation.

Or if he should take Moonjo’s money and get Jongwoo out too.

But he didn’t have to make that decision just yet. For now, he sat with his head back against the hotel room wall, and he tried to keep breathing.