Look," Hoseok says, pointing to a cage in the middle of the room. "That's the one our little dove's in."
The cage is already surrounded by a large group of men and Jungkook can't see inside. "What time does the auction start?" he asks Hoseok.
"Let's see…" Hoseok says, checking his Rolex. "Shit, fifteen minutes! I'll be right back, gotta go check with security and make sure the guys doing the rigging start on time." He hustles away through the door they had just come through.
"What do you think?" Yoongi says. "Planning on bidding?"
"Fuck no," Jungkook says. "Waste of fucking money. I'll pick out a whore who actually knows how to suck a dick already, thank you very much."
"Right," Yoongi mutters. "Waste of money. Still," he adds, "couldn't hurt to make the others think that you're bidding. If you don't, they might get the impression that you're, you know, not in a position to bid."
"We still own the whole fucking city, Yoongi," Jungkook growls. "One fucking mishap doesn't change that."
"Then remind them, boss," Yoongi says sharply, stepping closer to him. "Because there's been too much speculation since that fucking 'mishap' that the Yong Jegug is starting to crumble. We show any type of weakness or vulnerability, even at a fucking auction, the other leaders will take that as their cue to usurp us and we'll be fucked."
"I'll handle it," Jungkook says, lowering his voice to a deadly whisper. "Now why don't you go find that little whore, Jimin, and take the night off to get your dick wet. Go on, you have my permission for tonight."
"Boss－"
"I said I'll take care of it. Now get the fuck out of my face."
Yoongi steps back from him, his face tight with anger. "Fine," he says. "I'll get Jin down here to guard you for the rest of the night."
"You do that."
Yoongi storms off, seemingly in a random direction but Jungkook knows, by the way his head swivels around, peering into the cages, that he's looking for Jimin already.
Jungkook sighs, tilting his head to the side, cracking his neck. Exhaustion is stealing over him and he doesn't even want to be here, all he wants is to go home, knock back a couple of drinks and then go to bed.
But Yoongi's right. He has a reputation to maintain, the entirety of his empire sitting precariously on his shoulders and he will not let it crumble away into nothing. So if feigning interest in some overrated virgin will quell the speculation running rampant in the streets, he'll do it.
Jungkook strides over to the cage, where the majority of the men in the room are clustered around it, packed in a tight circle, jostling each other and Jungkook is immediately reminded of a pack of dogs fighting over a scrap of meat. Dove auctions can get messy so Jungkook makes sure he knows where his switchblade is as he approaches the group.
The men turn, recognizing him, dipping into respectful bows and stepping aside to make room for him. Although, Jungkook notes that the bows are not as low as they should be. And one man, Baek Hyeon, leader of the Kkachi gang, attempts to stare him down for a few seconds before he stands back, inclining his head and waving him forward with a mocking smile. Whispers travel around the group like hissing snakes and Jungkook picks out the words 'nothing like his father' and 'such a fucking shame' and 'too young, he's too young…'"
He ignores them as he makes his way to the front of the cage, his eyes falling on the small placard that displays the dove's name.
V.
Jungkook rolls his eyes. V for virgin. Very clever, Hobi.
Another man steps aside for him and he's standing right in front of the cage now, gazing in through the bars at the boy inside.Another man steps aside for him and he's standing right in front of the cage now, gazing in through the bars at the boy inside.
He's sitting on the swing, eyes cast downward, long legs crossed demurely at the ankles. Wearing all white like a bride, a sheer, lacy blouse covering his upper half, white satin shorts and sheer white stockings covering his lower half. Garter straps are clipped to the top of the stockings, stretched tight over his thighs, disappearing into the tiny shorts. Hoseok has obviously made an effort to highlight the boy's supposed 'purity' in order to fetch a higher price for him but Jungkook thinks he looks a bit ridiculous, like he belongs on top of a wedding cake.
The boy's still staring at the floor and Jungkook can't get a good look at his face. His wavy black hair is cut just a shade too long, his bangs falling into his eyes, strands curling at the nape of his neck in what could almost be considered a mullet. There doesn't seem to be anything particularly special about him, unless his ass turns out to be as remarkable as Hoseok claimed. But even then, so what? There were plenty of other whores with more experience and the savage bidding wars over doves had never made any sense to him. Why pay obscene amounts of money for an inexperienced virgin when you could have whores who were actually good at their jobs already?
But the other men surrounding the cage are peering inside with barely disguised greed, lust laid bare on their faces, not for the boy necessarily, but for the status he can give them. And that's what really matters in this world. Not guns or drugs or even money but status. Control. The power to have something rare and unique set in front of you and being able to take it, keep it for yourself, and not let anybody else have it.
"Exquisite, is he not?" Nam Kang-Dae, leader of the Imugi gang and an old friend of his father's, comes to stand beside him. He scratches at his beard, gazing into the cage as if he's studying a work of art. "We should consider ourselves fortunate to be able to witness such rarity, don't you think?"
"The one who wins him will certainly be honored to handle something so…pure." It's not something he believes; it's just what they expect him to say.
Nam Kang-Dae chuckles. "Ah, so you are planning on bidding." He leans in close, whispering in Jungkook's ear. "A wise decision, my boy."
Jungkook tilts his head in the barest nod, acknowledging the hint Kang-Dae has given him. Make your presence known. Wield your power.
Or they will devour you.
He wraps a hand around one of the bars of the cage, leaning in as if he's inspecting the boy, taking a proper look. The boy is still sitting there, immobile, completely ignoring the men surrounding him as if he's unaware of their feverish observation, their crude remarks.
But, judging by the way his delicate hands are clenched tightly on the chains of the swing, he is aware. And he's afraid.
Look at me. The silent command comes unbidden to the front of his mind. Look at me.
The boy lifts his head, looks straight into Jungkook's eyes－and Jungkook feels his hand automatically tighten on the bar.
There is not a trace of fear on the boy's handsome face. Instead, there is defiance in those shapely brown eyes, fire and haughtiness, even though he's nothing but a whore trussed up in frilly white lingerie. Most whores simpered and pouted, batting their eyelashes at their potential buyers, knowing that a seductive smile and vacant eyes tended to open chequebooks, even provide gifts like jewelry and expensive clothing.
But this boy either doesn't know that or simply doesn't care. He glares at Jungkook, as if daring him to say anything, to try and touch him. Jungkook has the distinct feeling that if any of the men were to get in the cage with him, the boy would attempt to rip them to pieces.
He smirks. A tiger in dove's clothing.
And Jungkook wants him now. He wants to break this boy, smother that fire that burns so fiercely in his eyes, wants to make war upon this whore's body, use him, humiliate him, degrade him until he's nothing but a weak and trembling mess, covered in Jungkook's cum and begging, crying for him to stop. He wants to take the inner strength that this boy clearly has and snuff it out, crush it to dust in his fist. Because he is tired of the hissing whispers, the looks of doubt and uncertainty, and he's not going to allow anyone to defy him anymore. Not even with a look.Doves are a waste of fucking money if you ask me," a loud voice says and Jungkook turns to see Jwi Haechung standing at the side of the cage, staring in at the boy. Leader of the Kumiho syndicate, a pathetic excuse for a criminal enterprise, made up of nothing but drug runners and smugglers who too often got addicted to their own supply. Pockmarked and ugly with greasy hair and yellow teeth, Jwi Haechung would have ended up with a bullet to the brain a long time ago if he wasn't also fiendishly clever, always managing to slip through the cracks, picking up the scraps left to him by the bigger gangs like a hyena. And the older leaders view him with a kind of pitying sort of fondness, as if he's their court jester, someone who provides them with comic relief as long as he remembers his place.
Jungkook hates his fucking guts.
"Come now, Jwi," Kang-Dae says, "you're telling me you wouldn't want to share your bed with such a beautiful boy?"
"Fuck no," Jwi Haechung sneers. "I don't care how fucking pretty he is or how tight his ass is, no amount of so-called 'purity' can make up for the lack of experience. When it comes to fucking, I want someone who's good at handling the joystick, you know what I'm sayin'?"
The men guffaw at Jwi's crudeness, at his ignorance but Jungkook sees right through the act. He's trying to undervalue the dove so the other men won't bid on him, so Haechung can sweep in and get him for a bargain price.
"I bet he's never even sucked a dick before," Jwi goes on. He looks into the cage, leering at the boy. "Go on, don't be shy, tell us. You ever have a dick in your mouth, sweetheart?"
The boy turns to look at Haechung, considering him with a look of bored contempt. "Well, they've had me practicing on bananas the past couple of weeks," he says lightly, his voice low and raspy, "but if you're planning on bidding, maybe I should have been practicing on baby carrots instead."
There's complete silence for a full five seconds before the men start roaring with laughter, heads thrown back, gold teeth flashing.
"What a fucking mouth on him!" someone shouts. "Bet you anything he'll turn out to be a fucking wildcat in the sack!"
Jungkook doesn't laugh. But he does feel a strange shiver of pride lick up his spine. Pride mixed with an intensifying desire.
Jwi's face is red with fury and he grips the bars of the cage with both hands, glaring at the boy. "I'm gonna make you fucking pay for that, you stupid fucking whore," he snarls. "I'm going to win you and then I'm gonna fuck you raw until you fucking bleed－"
"Now, now," Kang-Dae says, as if he's admonishing a toddler. "We don't threaten our beauties, Jwi. We enjoy them."
Jwi is still spitting with fury but the boy just looks away and Jungkook swears that he rolls his eyes.
Jungkook doesn't want Jwi to ruin this boy. No, he wants to do that himself. It will be a nice distraction, ravishing him, making this uppity little whore beg and squeal and scream. And, god knows, Jungkook can use a fucking distraction right now.
"Gentlemen," Hoseok calls and they all turn to see him standing by the red velvet curtain. "If you'd be so kind as to take your seats, we can begin the auction." He grins at them, showing all his teeth. "And I have a feeling that you're all ready and raring to go."
The men all chuckle jovially and then scatter to the tables, buzzing with excitement like a bunch of teenagers just before a high school basketball game. Jungkook remains in front of the cage, gazing in at the boy, his mind already spinning off into different scenarios once he's won him, each one ending with the boy begging him for mercy.
The boy stares back at him impassively, his eyes flicking over Jungkook's body, taking him in. He looks back into Jungkook's face, raising an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.
Don't worry, honey. You will be.
"Okay, hoist him up," he hears Hoseok whisper to the guys who control the rigging behind the screen.
There's a mechanical whine and then the cage jolts, ascending slowly towards the ceiling. Jungkook steps back, his eyes still trained on the boy's face and the boy watches him as he's lifted away, not once breaking eye contact.
Jungkook smirks at him and the boy tilts his head and raises his hand and for a second Jungkook thinks he's going to wave at him.
But then he fucking flips him off.
Jungkook stands there, gaping up at him until the cage ascends too high for him to see the boy and his raised middle finger. The fucking balls on this kid.
He is definitely going to win him now. Not just to break him but to teach the little whore a fucking lesson. Because it's a matter of principle now.
He makes his way over to one of the tables where Jin is already sitting, waiting for him.
"Should be interesting tonight," Jin says as Jungkook takes a seat beside him. "Hopefully not too interesting, thoughWe'll be prepared if things kick off," Jungkook says. He jerks his head at the laptop. "Get ready, I'm planning on bidding."
"Oh," Jin says, hastily pulling the laptop towards him and typing in the code to unlock it. "Right."
The velvet curtain opens to display the screen and Hoseok bounces over to Jungkook's table, snagging a chair and sitting on it backwards, resting his elbows on the back of it.
"This is gonna be good," he says, gleefully rubbing his hands together. "My balls are fucking tingling, man."
"What's your best guess?" Jungkook asks him, staring at the countdown to the start of the auction displayed on the screen. Ten…nine…eight…
"Oh, fifty grand easily," Hoseok replies. "I'm betting he'll go for just as much as the dove last year, if not more."
"Hmm." The bids were always done in American dollars, not just because the Bird Cage happened to have a small clientele of international buyers but also because it was easier to display the numbers on the screen.
Fifty grand, not bad, Jungkook thinks as the numbers count down. Might go as high as seventy but that's okay, if that's what it takes to win…
He feels a shiver of anticipation as the countdown finally gets down to zero on the screen. He just wants to have the auction over and done with so he can have the boy in one of the rooms, strip him of that ridiculous lingerie, and fuck the defiance right out of him.
There's a bell-like sound echoing around the room, signaling the start of the auction and ten grand immediately flashes on the screen and skyrockets from there, climbing to twenty grand, twenty-five, thirty, fifty, fifty-five…
"Oh shit," Hoseok says, wriggling on the chair. "Shit, I fucking knew it."
"Um, boss?" Jin says from beside Jungkook. "You want me to get in there or—"
"Just wait, Jin," Jungkook says. "Don't bid until I tell you to."
The bid climbs to sixty grand and then goes higher in small increments, sixty-one, sixty-two, sixty-three until it suddenly jumps to eighty grand.
Eighty thousand dollars. For a fucking virgin.
Jungkook grinds his teeth. It's already higher than he wanted to pay but it's not like he can't afford it. And besides, part of any auction fee he pays to the Bird Cage will just end up back in his pockets anyway so, really, it's basically just a reinvestment into the place.
"Put in a hundred grand," Jungkook says to Jin. "And let's end this fucking thing."
Jin looks a tad dubious but taps at the keyboard and then the number flashes up on the screen and there are audible gasps around the room.
"Jesus," Hoseok breathes. "This kid's a fucking godsend."
Jungkook blows out a breath, waiting impatiently for the automatic timer on the laptop screen to finish counting down from five. There was only a window of five seconds allowed between bids so once that number reached zero, the auction was over.
But just as the countdown reaches two, it resets because now someone has bid two hundred grand.
Jungkook stiffens in his chair, glaring at the screen. Which one of these fuckers dared to outbid him?
"Five hundred," he tells Jin and Jin quickly enters the bid. Surely, no one in here would bid higher than that, the auction had already gone off the rails, the bids were out of control…
Five hundred grand flashes on the screen, quickly replaced by eight hundred.
Jungkook feels his jaw clench. Who else could be placing bids like that? Nam Kang-Dae? He had certainly seemed enamoured by the boy, eager to collect him like he was a priceless Ming vase. It couldn't be Jwi Haechung, that fucking rat, he didn't have that kind of money…did he?
The timer on the laptop screen counts down from five. Four…three…
Jungkook wavers, wondering if the kid is worth such an insane amount. He looks up at the cage where he sits inside, swinging on the swing, seemingly oblivious to the chaos he has ignited.
He has to have him. He has to. There's no way he can let him go now.
"One million," he snaps at Jin.
Jin's hands hesitate over the keyboard. "Boss, are you－"
"Do it."
The number flashes on the screen and beside him, Hoseok is practically vibrating with excitement.
"Holy fuck," he whispers. "Holy fuck."
Jungkook ignores him, holding his breath as the timer counts down.
Three…two…one…High above the floor, Taehyung sits in the cage, lazily allowing himself to swing back and forth, his eyes closed, trying to calm his racing heartbeat, trying to block out the whispers far below, trying not to think about what's going to happen to him after the auction is over.
Breathe…just breathe…
The garter straps dig uncomfortably into his thighs and the stupid lace thong he's wearing is giving him a wedgie. Hoseok had clapped his hands and said he looked gorgeous once Taehyung had finally managed to strap himself into the outfit provided for him and presented himself to the Bird Cage's eccentric owner.
"You're gonna knock 'em dead tonight, kid," Hoseok had said, squeezing his hands and beaming at him. "I guaran-fucking-tee it."
Taehyung didn't know about that. Isn't sure why he would appeal to a bunch of criminals except for the whole virginity thing. God, they had all been so disgusting, leering in at him through the bars, openly discussing his face, his legs, his ass, as if he couldn't hear what they were saying, as if he were some sort of doll.
His skin crawls at the thought of one of them touching him, even the young, handsome one wearing the black suit who had stared at Taehyung as if he fucking owned him already. That fucker. If Taehyung hadn't been in this stupid fucking cage, he would have punched him in the face. But he had had to settle for flipping him off instead.
Fuck you, you son of a bitch.
Taehyung tries to remind himself of the money he'll be making, the reason why he's here in the first place. Hoseok had promised him ten percent of his auction price, whatever it ends up being. A few thousand, it sounded like, judging by what Hoseok had claimed that 'doves' had gone for in the past.
Taehyung thinks the whole idea is moronic, that anyone who pays thousands of dollars for the opportunity to fuck a virgin is clinically insane and should be checked into a mental hospital. Either that, or they have way too much fucking money to burn.
"It's what they like, sweetie," Jimin had told him. "They get off on it. The majority of them are sick fucks but…some of them aren't so bad. Maybe you'll get lucky like I did."
Lucky. Ha. Yeah, that's why he's sitting in a cage ready to auction off his virginity to the highest bidder. Because he's lucky.
God, how did I end up here?
He thinks back over the last few years of his life, wondering what it was that had set him on the path to end up in a place like this. Was it the thing that had happened when he was fifteen that had shoved him in this inevitable direction, the thing that had devastated him, when his mother had－
But no, he won't think about that. He's not going to think about her in a place like this.
Fifteen years old, his entire world upended, on his own in Seoul, dropping out of school to work at the little coffee shop where she had worked just so he could support himself, put food in his mouth.
But working for minimum wage was not enough to put a roof over his head, the overdue rent notices piling up while she had been…in that place and once she had gone and left him, Taehyung had returned to their apartment to find an eviction notice on the door and their meager belongings piled outside in a couple of small cardboard boxes.
He threw away most of it, keeping a few changes of clothes and a single photograph. He didn't have any room for anything else, no place to put it.
Lee Gwang-Jin, the owner of the coffee shop, had provided him with a small cot in the back room. "You know I would take you in if I could, Taehyung," he had said. "If I had the space…"