The next morning, Felix walked into the snake lab again, his footsteps echoing slightly against the tiled floor.
Most of the tanks were now cleaned up and sparkling, fresh water bowls glinting under the fluorescent lights, with new labels being carefully handwritten and attached to the ones that had survived. Hyungjin was crouched in the far corner, his slim figure almost blending into the shadows, kneeling beside a small plastic crate, feeding a young python with an absurdly steady hand. The snake wrapped lazily around his wrist, flicking its tongue against his skin like a tiny taste test.
"Hey," Felix called casually, leaning against the doorframe with his usual crooked grin.
Hyungjin looked up, blinking as though he hadn't heard anyone approach. "Oh. You came back?"
Felix shrugged like it was no big deal. "Wanted to ask..where did you get these snakes from?"
Hyungjin stood, wiping his hands on a towel tucked in his waistband. "There's this guy… Jae-soo, I think. Someone I was referred to after I was done with my training."
Felix's eyes narrowed slightly. "Kim Jae-soo?"
"Yeah. He's cheap. And fast. Why?"
Felix smirked faintly, though there was a sharpness behind it. "No reason." He tapped his temple once, as if filing that name away, and turned for the door. "I got some business to attend to. I'll see you later."
Felix stood outside a worn-down building that had seen better decades. The signboard was cracked, barely hanging onto one hinge, creaking each time the wind nudged it. Inside, crates were stacked chaotically, giving off a strong scent of old wood, lizard feed, and faint ammonia.
Kim Jae-soo was sipping coffee like it was the best moment of his day, but his eyes twitched when Felix stepped through the doorway. He rose to his feet quickly, hands half-lifted in caution.
"Mr. Felix," he said nervously, voice cracking just slightly. "Didn't know you'd… visit personally."
Felix didn't respond immediately. He simply walked up to the desk, slow and deliberate, and pressed his palm flat on its surface, leaning in with that quiet predator energy that made grown men sweat.
"You sold garbage snakes to my Hyungjin."
Jae-soo swallowed. "Your Hyungjin? Oh oh N-no, they were basic breeds, starter sets. Most clients "
Felix leaned closer, voice dropping into a silk-smooth threat. "He's not most clients."
The room seemed to shrink with the silence.
"If you ever send him trash again," Felix continued softly, each word deliberate, "I'll make sure you lose every buyer you've ever had. And after that? I'll come for the licenses you pretend to have… and then your life." His fingers tapped on the table, slow and menacing, then he tilted his head slightly. "Are we clear?"
Jae-soo's hands trembled as he nodded. "Y-yes sir. He can come to reimburse. I'll refund half the money and… and give him the best breed I have. Far above the original price. And… I'll return what I took."
Felix smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Good. Because from now on, you give Hyungjin your best snakes. Rare ones. Healthy. Colorful. Or you're done."
"I… Yes, sir. Absolutely, sir."
"Perfect." Felix patted his cheek twice, then walked out like nothing had happened.
Later that evening, Hyungjin called Felix, telling him to meet up. When Felix arrived, he came from behind and casually slapped Hyungjin's butt.
"Stop doing that," Hyungjin barked, jumping forward.
"Hold it in, Hyungjin. Hold it in," he muttered inwardly, clenching his fists and releasing them, breathing deep to calm himself. He was still processing that internal mantra when Felix slapped his butt again harder and squeezed this time.
"You're tiny," Felix murmured with a wicked grin, "but with a big butt."
Hyungjin froze, his eyes narrowing but his cheeks flushing. He smiled faintly, eyes cast downward, visibly annoyed yet oddly embarrassed.
They talked, the conversation effortlessly flowing.
"You name them?" Felix asked.
"Only the special ones," Hyungjin said, reaching into a drawer and pulling out a tiny plastic house painted bright blue with glitter along its edge. "This is for Lili."
"You made her a house?" Felix blinked.
"Yeah. Felt like she needed one."
Felix turned it over carefully. "Where's mine?"
Hyungjin rolled his eyes. "Come on. What's yours is yours. What's your child's is yours too. You should be past all that now."
Felix chuckled darkly. "Wow. Deep." He carefully placed Lili inside, watching her swing her tail happily.
In Hyungjin's room, he produced a tray of blown sugar balls, delicate shapes made by blowing through straws like glass-blowing candy.
"I made one for you," he said.
Felix smirked. "This is all I'm worth?"
Hyungjin shrugged and handed him the tray, which was filled with
"They're tragic, they all look far Ns have short legs." Felix said, grinning like the devil himself. "Blow one now. Right now. I want something longer and prettier."
Hyungjin sighed dramatically but grabbed a fresh sugar mix, warmed it with careful hands, and brought a straw to his lips. He bent over his work, blowing gently, his cheeks puffing as the molten sugar expanded. His focus was laser-sharp, a small bead of sweat running down his temple.
Felix, of course, couldn't resist. He leaned in suddenly, pinched Hyungjin's nose mid-blow, and whispered in his ear, "Don't mess up, sweetheart."
"Mmgh….!" Hyungjin jerked back, nearly choking, almost dropping the piece. His eyes watered instantly. "You trying to kill me?!" he shouted, swatting at Felix's chest. "You almost suffocated me for candy!"
Felix was laughing uncontrollably, clutching his stomach. "Oh, come on, you were cute for a second. A little choking never killed anybody."
"You're insane," Hyungjin muttered, turning his back on him to work again.
The second attempt came out better smooth, round, elegant, shaped perfectly like Lili, the python.
Felix took it carefully, holding it like a rare artifact. "Acceptable," he declared, popping it into his mouth slowly, eyes locked with Hyungjin's. He bit down deliberately, chewing with exaggerated slowness, smirking. "Mmm… sweet. You made this for me with love, huh?"
Hyungjin rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath, cheeks slightly pink. "I hope you choke on it."
Felix grinned wider. "I'm into choking. Careful with your wishes."
Hyungjin froze for half a second, glanced over his shoulder, then threw the kitchen towel at his face. "Pervert!"
Felix just laughed.
Later, Felix was at his desk, typing up a report, when his phone buzzed. Hyungjin's name flashed on the screen.
He answered lazily. "Yeah?"
"Yo," Hyungjin said, his voice casual but slightly hesitant, "do you think Plato's theory of forms connects to Korean political structures today? Or is that more of a Western lens?"
Felix blinked. "What?"
"And Confucianism probably shaped a lot of hierarchical systems, but in the modern context, is it more about government policy or inherited values?" Hyungjin continued seriously.
Felix sat there in silence for a few beats. "Why the hell are you asking me this?"
"I'm trying to understand the influence of Eastern and Western ideologies on…"
"Hyungjin."
"Yeah?"
"You study something else."
"Right, but it's okay to be broad and diverse," Hyungjin said, sounding cheerful.
Felix leaned back, rubbed his forehead, then said calmly, "Alright… since we're getting closer… wanna talk more about anal sex?"
There was dead silence.
"...I'm hanging up," Hyungjin muttered, his voice flat, then the call ended.
Felix tossed the phone down, grinning like a wolf.
Seconds later, the phone rang again.
He answered. "Yeah?"
"Wanna go on a date," Hyungjin blurted, the words rushed like he was pulling off a band-aid. His teeth clenched in embarrassment as he waited for a res
ponse.
Felix paused, letting the silence stretch intentionally before answering with a low chuckle. "Sure. Just tell me when… and I'll be there."