A young boy sat on the bench, with his face to the sky.

His right leg was placed on the bench he was sitting on, while the left, was on the floor.

From the uniform he was putting on, you can already tell that he’s a student.

His white shirt, neatly tucked into those black trousers of his, made him look well-kept and neat.

His black hair was cut round, leaving the middle with hair enough to cover one part of his face.

The green mesmerizing eyes of the boy, made him look so out of the world as he gazed up at the sun.

He was like a model posing for either a photographer or an artist.

The pose and all that made him look so breathtaking and innocent.

He looked, to any passing, like someone who has no cares in the world.

But that was far from the truth. Kon was lost in thoughts.

Currently, he was calculating how to get the required amount before the end of that day, and he was yet not successful in that.

The three jobs he shuffled through weren’t enough to pay the debts. And he needed to add more.

But the problem was his schoolwork.

There was no way a person like him can get through school without studying. And he doesn’t want to be a dropout.

One thing Kon cherished was his education. He doesn’t joke with it.

“Hi!” Lin, his friend since childhood, smiled when he saw Kon sitting on the bench, waiting for him.

Lin was a slender kid with brown, messy hair that doesn’t seem to obey his order. And that caused him to always have his hand on his face, removing the stray hair that threatened to block his sight.

Dressed in the same uniform as Kon, Lin seemed different.

Not only because of how worn his shirt was, but how indecent he was.

He was the opposite of Kon who was every mother’s wish, for a son.

Lin, on the other hand, was the one parents warn their children of. No one wants to associate with him.

“You took your time, didn’t you?” Kon stood from the bench and slung his backpack on his shoulders.

“Mrs Clay asked me to get some things for her. I would have been back earlier had it not been for her.”

Lin grinned in a way he thought was cute. But of truth, it was damn creepy. Anyone can see that. However, Kon was too much of a darling to tell him about that.

“And here comes your everyday excuses. Will there be a day when you won’t have excuse after excuse?” Kon darkly frowned at him.

Lin might have been his only friend for years now, but there were days that he gets this urge to bash Lin’s head into the sink.

“I’m sorry, okay? I know I shouldn’t have an excuse, but trust me when I say it wasn’t my fault.” Lin said in a not-so-apologetic way.

“It’s not always your fault.” Kon gave him a once-over, for the first time since he arrived.

“What’s with your clothes? Don’t tell me you had a run-in with the tigers?” Kon raised a brow at him.

“No.” Lin nervously scratched his hair as he thought about his earliest clash with the tigers.

The tigers are the notorious blood gang of the school. Those boys were the merciless bullies the school ever had. And with the backing of the leopard mafia gang in the city, no one ever dared to question their actions.

“Don’t lie to me, Lin.” Kon narrowed his eyes at his friend. “Tell me, what did they do this time?”

“Nothing much.” Lin shrugged as if it were no big deal.

“No big deal? And you are looking this way?

I know you are rough and all that, but never to this extent.”

“It’s no big deal. Chill a bit, will you?” Lin pouted.

“Only when you tell me what happened between you and the Tigers.”

Kon clenched his hands into fists as he tried to restrain his anger.

He hasn’t been a well-behaved boy, who doesn’t want to clash with others. But—

“It’s nothing.” Lin nervously laughed, “Let’s go home. It’s already getting late. Don’t you have work tonight?”

“I have.” Kon decided not to pursue the matter.

It seemed his friend was eager to drop it. So, he did what he asked. He dropped the matter.

“Yeah, I just need to head home, to get ready.”

But Kon didn’t feel like going home. It was the same thing every time. There was no change in it at all.

“You can come over to mine, then. Mother isn’t around, so you are free to stay there for the night,” Lin grinned.

“Really?” Kon’s face brightened at his friend’s words.

He seemed as if he were at the top of his world right now.

“Why will I lie?”

Lin, who already knew that his friend hates going home, was eager to offer him a place.

Even if it was for the night. It makes a difference. At least, it will minimize the amount of time Kon will spend with his mother.

“Let’s go then.”

Kon smiled, having already forgotten about the Tigers. And that made Lin exhale in relief.

He doesn’t want his friend to be in any trouble of any sort.

Kon prided himself on his clean record, and Lin was not eager to cause a stain on the white robe.

“Did he return?”

“No. But she brought several others. Had to hit one when he drunkenly entered my room thinking he was going to get a free lay.”

Kon clenched his hands into fists as he thought back to the night before.

Tired from the overtime he worked at the bar, he was ready to crash and get some sleep. But that stupid mother f*cker had to interrupt his rest.

So, he showed him a good time. With his fists, of course.

His mother got angry with him, but he didn’t feel it.

At least the fool learned his lessons.

“Kon? Can you please help me with this?” Tay called out from the storage.

Even this far from the club, you can still hear the sounds of the music.

That night was singles’ night, and the bar was packed with customers. All the workers were occupied, and there was no room for them to have their rest.

“What’s it?” Kon came into focus. He was dressed in the blue shirt all workers wear, and his black trousers seemed a bit rumpled.

This was caused by the constant tugging and touching of the people in the bar as they danced.

“I need to take this out.” Tay pointed to the larger-than-life carton, at the top of the shelves.

“Is there anything you are doing with it?” Kon frowned at her.

“There are cups in there. We need to restock them, for the customers.” She explained with a cute pout on her face.

“Okay.” Kon stretched his hands to get the carton from the shelves.

Tay smiled cutely as she watched him. She tucked her hair behind her ears as she cutely blinked at him.

“Thank you, Kon. You are a darling!” The way her eyes sparkled, made it seem like thousand of stars were crushed in them.

Tay has had a crush on Kon for months.

Actually, it began on the day he started working in the bar.

It was love at first sight.

She fell for the handsome, cute boy that was unaware of his charms.

“You are welcome.” Kon who was ignorant of the feelings of the female smiled at her.

He was happy to help out.

Having done the task, he turned to leave the store.

“Where are you going to?”

“I have tables to serve. The VIP is packed.”

“Really?” Her eyes widened at Kon’s words. She was dramatic enough to pretend like she didn’t know how packed the bar was.

“Yeah.” He nodded, “it’s packed.”

“The owner will make tons of Money from this. I wonder who gave him the idea to have a singles’ night. It’s lit.”

“I know, right?” Kon smiled at her. “Well, if you don’t mind, I will take my leave now. I have orders to attend to.”

“Okay.” Tay smiled at him, but she was unable to hide the disappointment in her eyes.

Kon nodded at her words before he left.

He was eager to work more than his normal shift, for more cash, as he was down on cash.

After paying the monthly instalments, he has no money on him for feeding, that was the reason for his eagerness to make extra cool cash.

Tay sighed as she watched him leave.

“When will he ever notice my feelings?”

And she knew the answer to that question. It wasn’t all difficult for her to know that.

The answer is, never.

Kon has his eyes set on paying off the debts his family owns. He wasn’t yet ready for a relationship with anyone.

Sighing, she took the cups she wanted and left the carton on the table.

The blasting music from the speaker was what welcomed her to the party.

Kay grimaced a bit at the onslaught of the music in her ears.

“Can I have one?” Kon had to shout, for her to hear him.

Presently, she was in the corridor that led to the bar, where she stays.

“You can.” She gave him one of the cups.

“Thank you.” Smiling at her, Kon made his way back to the party, and the loud blaring music seemed to deafen everybody.

Tay watched him leave, before she walked to the store room, to get a replacement for the cup Kon took.

Kon weaved his way through the sweating bodies of the supposed singles of the night.

One of the dancers tried to feel him up and ended up getting a punch from Kon.

The man staggered a bit before he fell to the floor with a thumping sound that wasn’t heard because of the loud music.

The others that were dancing around him, didn’t notice him at all. They kept on dancing while shamelessly grinding their bodies on each other.

Kon made to rush the fallen man, but one thing stopped him from doing so. It was as if he were drenched with cold water, from above.

He stopped when he remembered his need to keep this job.

The job might not be paying well, but it was enough for him to cover the installation fee and schoolbooks.

He stood straight and replaced the angry expression on his face with a smile as he resumed his duty.

“Thank your stars.”

He told the man before he walked away with his jaw clenched.

The man was just lucky they met in his workplace.

Had it been another place, Kon would have shown him how his fists were.

The drunk man gaped at him as he strode to the VIP room. He had his jaw clenched, and his fist balled in anger.

Wiping the drool on his mouth, he stood up, vowing to show that stupid boy that he messed with the wrong guy.

He will let it slide, for now.

The moment Kon left the general ground, the sound of the music reduced.

“Hi, Kon.” One of the bouncers, who stood guard outside the VIP room, smiled at Kon when he saw him.

Unlike the workers in the bar, Nat was dressed in all-black attire.

The black clothes he wore gave him bad boy vibes, coupled with the tattoo on his flesh and an ear piercing. His muscles were more visible because of how tight the polo, he was wearing, was.

His dark dreadlocks completed his looks. And that was his gate pass for getting a job there.

“Hi, Nat.” Kon smiled brightly, having momentarily forgotten what happened a few minutes ago.

“Checking on the rich guys?” He arched a brow at Kon. His expression was playful.

“Yeah,” Kon sighed. “I was assigned the VIP for tonight.”

Kon has a love-hate relationship with the VIP section.

As for tipping, they tip more than the other customer. However, the way those rich guys grope a person’s arse makes him green in anger.

“Be careful.” Nat glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to them before he whispered. “I heard the devil and his men are here, tonight.”

A man dressed in a red suit was seen walking through a dark corridor. The only light was the one that was up ahead, but it only illuminated the corridors.

Aside from that, there was no light.

The man in the red suit majestically walked on. It was as if he knew where he was going. And not only that, but it seemed he knew it like the back of his palm.

His dark hair was slicked to the side with an expensive gel. And the sweet scent of it was a sharp contrast to the Stony man who applied it.

His face was pulled In a frown.

And he seemed pissed off for a certain reason. At the sight of the corridor ahead, he hastened his steps.

The door at the end of the corridor opened at the same time he made to touch the handle.

He stood back as the door was opened.

“You are here?” The man at the other end spoke up. It was as if he were on the verge of running away from there.

The fear in his eyes, and the way he constantly glanced back, alerted the man in the red suit.

“Is the boss in there?” He asked his subordinate, who bowed as he nodded to him.

“He’s waiting for you,” the man shivered.

“Has the problem been resolved?” The man in red inquired.

“I don’t know about that, sir. It must be the reason the boss asked of you.” The man who got out of the room bowed once more before he glanced into the room he was backing.

The sweat on his face couldn't be mistaken at all.

His fears were evident in his expressions and the way he was quivering. He was like a lamb that had a run-in with a Lion and lived to tell the tale of it.

“You can leave.”

“Sir?”

“I will take care of the boss.”

“Thank you, sir!” Without waiting for his boss to say anything more, the man hastily left the room.

Scorpion took a deep, steady breath before he entered the room, and gently closed the door behind him.

Just like the corridor he walked through, the room was shrouded in darkness, save for the red candles that cast glows around the room.

The only two windows in the room were unlocked.

Scorpion took more steps into the room as his eyes roamed around the room.

‘The playroom’

As it was tagged by the gang, was a place where all the activities take place.

And by activities, it was another name for ‘torture’

On the wall were stacks of torture tools, ranging from chains to whips. There was no type of torture device that you won’t see in the room.

On the right side of the room is the activity area. It’s the place where the torture takes place.

The paddles, electric chair and the bed of torture. A bed that was draped in the colour of blood.

At the centre of the room, with his back to the door, stood the devil himself.

Dressed in an almost identical suit to that of the scorpion, the devil seemed like a person who was ready for a party.

But that thought will undoubtedly be thrown out of the window when the Devil’s expression becomes illuminated.

The devil’s green eyes were dark in anger, and he had his hands clenched into fists.

He was barely restraining himself from showing his anger.

“Sir, you called for me?”

The scorpion as he was known as was a fearless man. However, he seemed as docile as a dove in the presence of the Devil.

The devil wasn’t a person to be trifled with. He was exactly like the name he earned. He’s the devil himself.

“Sir?” Scorpion called out when he got no reply from the devil.

“How’s the situation?”

The Devil asked in a voice that was too calm, it caused the scorpion to shiver a bit.

“Things have abated a bit.” Scorpion had to bite the inside of his mouth.

Nothing has abated at all. He was only trying to make sure he doesn’t stir the anger of the devil, against him.

“Better.” The devil finally turned to face his second in command. “What’s this sound I’m hearing?”

“Which sound, My Lord?” The scorpion frowned a bit.

“The sound of protests!” He removed the gun from the waistband of his trousers and pointed it at the scorpion. “Do you think I’m a damn child?”

The scorpion fell to the floor in fear.

“I’m sorry, My Lord!” He closed his eyes as he pleaded for mercy, from his deranged boss.

The devil smirked as he watched his second in command. He loved the scent of fear. It makes him want to bask in it.

“You thought you can lie to me?” The Devil smirked. “You should have thought more about it before lying.” The devil raised the gun.

And unexpectedly, he shot Scorpion in his right leg.

Scorpion tightly clenched his teeth as he tried not to show his pain.

“A simple task was given to you, Scorpion. But you couldn’t do that?” The devil shot him in the same leg.

The scorpion grimaced, but he didn’t make any sound. He only held his injured leg while he tried to kneel with the other one.

“I apologize for my misstep. I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Oh, you know that?” The devil scoffed.

“I’m sorry, My Lord.” The scorpion bowed, despite his pain.

“You are sorry? Is that what you are going to ******* say all day long!?”

He shot the leg once more. And this time, it was on the same spot he shot the first one on.

Scorpion pinched his leg as he tried to override the pain.

He clenched his hands into fists. “I’m —”

“Get your bloody self out of here!” The Devil wanted to shoot him once more.

But luckily for Scorpion, there were only three bullets in the gun.

“We leave in three hours. Get your shit sorted out before then.”

The devil turned his back to Scorpion, obviously dismissing him.

“Thank you, My Lord.” Scorpion slowly rose from the floor and bowed to the Devil before he leapt out of the room.