Kinnporsche, Volume 4, page 15
“It’s written in the book!” I showed him the page. Vegas looked up from his work to read some of it, then turned back.
“What about you? What’s your blood type?” he asked.
“O.”
“What does it say?”
“Handsome, kindhearted, and cool,” I said with a chuckle.
“Throw that away, it’s all bullshit,” Vegas said. His smile made mine fall.
“Fuck you,” I mouthed, then proceeded to read more.
“Who you really are deep inside.” Hmm… What’s in your head these days, Vegas?! I have to know!
“Vegas,” I called out to him again.
“What now?” he asked plainly, not bothering to look up from his work. He picked up documents, riffled through them, and typed on his laptop.
“One day, you are camping with your friends, and you find a very beautiful rock. You stop to admire it for a little while, and once you look up, you find that all your friends are gone. What would you do in this situation?
a. Proceed to go straight.
b. Leave the pathway to find a river.
c. Toss the stone and ask it to show you the way.
d. Cry for help.” I read the scenario from the book. “Which one would you choose?”
“Hmmm… I don’t like camping,” Vegas replied.
“It’s a what-if scenario.”
“Uhh…but I wouldn’t stop to look at a rock in the first place,” he insisted.
“Ugh! What if you did?”
“I would stand still.”
“That’s not one of the choices.”
“Fine! I’d cry for help!” he said, not looking up or paying attention to me at all.
“Do you really mean it?” I asked him, annoyed.
“Yeah. I’d cry for help.”
“Okay, okay, second question: Now you see an abandoned house. What do you do?
a. Knock at the front door.
b. Knock at the back door.
c. Go inside through the window.
d. Just wait outside.”
“Aren’t I supposed to be crying for help right now?” Vegas asked, laughing.
“Well, apparently, you found an abandoned house.”
“If I’m crying for help, how did I manage to see it?”
“I guess you were turning around when you cried for help and just saw it?” I pushed myself up from the sofa and made a spinning gesture with my hand.
Vegas raised an eyebrow at me. “What? How big is this house? How did it appear out of the blue?”
“You didn’t see it at first!” Stop being such a stubborn little shit!
“Fine, fine, I choose to wait outside the house,” Vegas said, shaking his head again.
“There. That wasn’t so hard,” I grumbled, then read the next part: “You decide to go inside the house.”
He whipped his head toward me. “What?!”
“Listen to it first! You decide to go inside and explore the living room. What do you see?
a. A big mirror.
b. A cute little wolf cub.
c. A recently deceased body.
d. A skeleton.”
“I said I would stand outside the house. How would I see any of this?” Vegas laughed in my face.
“Because you thought, ‘Aww, let’s go inside to explore.’ What if you entered the house?”
“What if? Again? But I don’t wanna go inside.”
I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Fuck it, I’m done!” I closed the book and threw it on the table.
“All right, all right… Fine, I found that teeny, little wolf cub.”
“I’m done!” I repeated. I got up from the sofa, aimlessly walking around the room.
“Come here,” Vegas said, beckoning me over with his hand.
I immediately shook my head: No. That’s enough from you, motherfucker. I made a face and dropped down onto the floor to start exercising. This was my life, an endless loop of the same old shit. I lay down on the rug and started to do sit-ups.
“Pete, are you lonely?” Vegas asked.
“I am. Are you gonna let me go?” I shot back, giving Vegas a sidelong glance. He seemed to be deep in thought.
“Nah, I wanna keep you all to myself,” he muttered, though I couldn’t really hear him clearly. “I won’t be here tomorrow.”
“Why are you telling me that?” I asked. What happened yesterday made me doubt his words.
“I have to stay the night at the casino with my father. I’ll be back the day after tomorrow.” Vegas started to pack up his laptop and documents from the bed, taking them to his office.
Hmph! Good! Without you around, I’ll be able to plan my escape! And I wouldn’t have to keep constantly watching my back…
Vegas came back with his guitar and put it on the sofa. “Pack me a bag, will you?”
I sighed hard at him ordering me around, but I had no choice. I stopped doing sit-ups, got up from the floor, and walked straight to his wardrobe.
“Which one are you taking?” I asked him, unimpressed, as I pulled out his fancy-ass designer luggage from the drawer.
“Any bag works. I need one business outfit for a meeting with the client, two casual outfits, and one pair of pajamas.”
Should I sabotage his wardrobe? I could pack only shirts with no pants… No underwear either! He’d be hoodwinked with no clothes to wear! He’d taste the feeling of utter humiliation!
But I could only fantasize about it. I picked out some shirts—I sort of knew his favorites. Nop always took Vegas’s laundry basket down to the maid, and once the clothes were dry, I was the one hanging them back up. That’s how I knew what he liked to wear. Damn it! How come no one else in his house has realized that I’m in here?!
“Just don’t fight with your dad when you’re away, okay?” I said. If he came back grumpy, I didn’t want to be his emotional punching bag.
“Can’t promise that,” Vegas said as he started strumming his guitar.
“Does your dad know I’m locked up in here?” I asked.
“Huh?! Are you crazy? If my father knew, you’d be dead,” Vegas said with a smirk.
“Then why are you keeping me alive?”
“Because I like it…”
“Psycho,” I muttered quietly. You get off on torturing people, huh? Sadistic pig.
“The only people here who know are Nop and some of my men.”
“So…what’s next?” I asked reluctantly.
Vegas paused for a moment. “What do you mean?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“What’s next for the Minor Clan and the Major Clan…? Mr. Korn isn’t a bad person, I think—”
“I don’t know when I’m gonna be taken out. We’re all hiding behind masks and smiles for now, but I’m pretty sure they’re plotting to get rid of us. It’s all thanks to you for feeding them the evidence, right?”
I was stunned. I shouldn’t have brought it up. Well, I had been completely cut off from the outside world; I had no idea what the Major Clan was planning to do. I was worried for them, but I believed the evidence I sent them was enough to bring down the culprits.
But…when I looked at Vegas’s face, my heart always fluttered for a moment. When Vegas was sane, he wasn’t so bad. He was just a troubled boy.
What he had done to me was unforgivable, though.
“Well, if that happens, I wouldn’t mind. If my clan has nothing left, if the Major Clan gets fucking serious and takes everything away from us—I wanna see how Father’s new wife copes with that. But I’m worried about Macau. I don’t know what his life would be like. I’m guessing Kinn won’t spare me. I mean, look at what I did to his precious wifey. He’s definitely holding a grudge.” Vegas sighed, staring out into nothing.
“I don’t think it’s too late, if you stop everything now,” I said. “Just stop messing with Porsche and stop embezzling from your cousins’ businesses. It’s not too late.”
“I haven’t messed with Porsche in a long time… And I’ve been laying low and letting Father take care of everything for a while.”
“Take care of? You mean having Big destroy the evidence every time?” I said. I couldn’t keep the emotion out of my voice. The Minor Clan had been traitors all along.
“Big is missing,” Vegas said. “I think someone might have got to him already.”
I frowned. If what Vegas said was true, the Major Clan must have been taking it seriously this time around.
“And…”
“Forget it, Pete!” Vegas snapped. “I’ll just let my dad decide this shit. I’m too tired to deal with it. If they want to wipe out our clan, then so be it—as long as they spare Macau! I don’t want to compete with Kinn anymore either. No matter how hard I try to be good, no one notices. I’m just waiting to see my father’s downfall. I want to know if his wife and their kid will stick around after this.”
All I could do was stand there and stay quiet.
“Vegas… If you can let it go, let it go,” I said at last. “Just stay in your lane and don’t mess with the Major Clan. Things aren’t that bad—it’s not too late to back out. Mr. Korn loves you and Macau. Regardless of the clan rivalry, you’re still his nephews. You can learn from your mistakes and better yourself. You know what you’re doing is bad, right?” It was an attempt at levity, but I wasn’t sure if it made things better or worse. Vegas just glanced at me calmly, which made me shudder. Ah, shit! I need to stop running my mouth. It’s getting me into trouble again.
“If I die, become a monk for me, will you? Sounds like you’re approaching nirvana,” Vegas said, cracking a faint smile. Phew! I almost had a heart attack!
“Um…so you like the guitar?” I awkwardly changed the subject, fearing for my life. Enough of this serious talk. Don’t want Vegas to turn into a monster.
“Yup.”
“Why guitar? You don’t like the drums or bass?” Great, now I sounded like a nosy grandma invested in his hobbies. What a nice way to change the topic without looking suspicious. Smooth, Pete. Very smooth.
“It’s cool, I guess? A senior classmate told me that playing the guitar makes it easier to flirt with girls. But I like boys, so I used it to flirt with the boy I like.”
“Oh? Did it work?” Ugh! I wanted to slap my fucking mouth! I didn’t know what else to talk about, and I sure as hell didn’t want an awkward silence! We’d just been discussing a serious topic. Argh! Now I’m panicking!
“Not sure… After the most recent attempt, he just threw a pillow at me,” he said, smiling. “Not sure if it was from embarrassment or hatred.”
I froze. That sounded familiar. I hoped it wasn’t what I thought he was implying.
“Hatred, I guess…?” I mumbled, quickly shifting my focus to packing his luggage.
Vegas strummed his guitar. He gazed at me and started bellowing out a song; meanwhile, I was trying to concentrate on packing the handful of outfits he needed. I repeatedly folded and unfolded them. Once I folded them all, I unfolded them again. Ah, fuck. Well, it was awkward that he kept staring at me like that—anyone would agree with me.
“I keep the memory of us forever etched in my heart,
Those bright blue skies and beautiful smiles.
Love filled our lives with joy;
When you smiled, it brightened the whole world.
I’m thankful for every happy day I shared with you…”16
I kept my head low so I wouldn’t have to look him in the eye. He was still staring at me, and it was freaking me out.
“…So, do you think I succeeded?” Vegas asked.
“Which boxers do you prefer? These or these?” I held up underwear in two different prints, but he just smiled and ignored my question completely.
“Guess it’s this one, then?” I continued. “All right. Done. I’m gonna head to the bathroom now…”
I put his luggage in front of the wardrobe and paced back and forth a little before walking straight into the bathroom. As soon as the door was shut, I leaned against the wall and grabbed the left side of my chest.
“Fuck! He’s going to give me a heart attack!” I cursed, glancing occasionally at the bathroom door.
The fuck was he saying? What was this “most recent attempt” bullshit? I wasn’t stupid—I just didn’t want to accept the truth! It couldn’t be true, right?! But what he’d described earlier was literally me! Argh! What do I do? Was he for real or just fucking with me? Ah, shit!
I spent a long time in the bathroom calming myself down, chewing my nails down to nubs. Aaahh! He’s giving me a fucking stroke!
Eventually, I cracked the door open—and sighed in relief when I saw Vegas had left for his office. He was talking to a few of his men with a serious expression. I half walked, half ran over to the bed and sat down. Since I had no idea what to do next, the book beside me became my first option. I wouldn’t be able to focus properly, but it was better than nothing.
***
In the afternoon, Vegas ordered Nop to bring me a sandwich. It wasn’t my favorite, but I couldn’t do much about that. When night came, Vegas joined me for dinner, just like last time, but unlike lunchtime, we had Southern food. I stuck to the same old rice and curry. But after only a few bites, I put my spoon down.
“Why’d you eat so little?” Vegas asked.
“I don’t know. Feels like I’m full…” I gulped some water down, staring blankly at the plate. Why did I feel so full lately? It weirdly felt like when I went to the temple to make merit… Hey! Is someone out there making merit for me?!
“Weird, you always wolf your food down like a beggar. If you get hungry later tonight, tell me.”
I nodded without caring much. Fuck, this whole situation was so gross. Vegas, dude, you have to change your mind. A guy like me? A guy who looks like me? Seriously? Disgusting.
That night, Vegas held me from behind while we slept. My eyes stayed wide open almost the whole night; I couldn’t fall asleep, but I had to pretend I had. I had to admit, though, that his warmth helped me get through another night under the cold air conditioning.
He held me close to his chest the whole night. We were under the same blanket, his arms and legs intertwining with my body as he softly snored.
Damn it, I had no idea what I’d done to make Vegas interested in me. I was nothing like Porsche at all! That guy was cool, handsome, and his skin was as perfect as a prince’s. Meanwhile, I looked like a bog creature. Well, I could admit I had a handsome face, but my overall appearance was mediocre! I was pretty muscular and scary-looking—I couldn’t believe it!
Vegas, what’s your type, exactly? What’s your kind of guy? How would Porsche react if he knew about this? Is he gonna cry? Fuck!
I must’ve fallen asleep at some point. The moment I next became conscious, I felt someone nuzzling at my cheek. I tried to brush them off because it was annoying. When I cracked my eyes open, I jumped back in shock.
Vegas pressed his nose against my cheek and gave me a big kiss. “I gotta go now. I’ll be back soon. Behave yourself while I’m away, all right?”
I was still confused and sleepy, so Vegas’s sudden affection caught me by surprise. After he finished saying goodbye, he grabbed his luggage and left the room.
I sat up on the bed and sighed. I was going to go insane before I ever got the chance to escape this place, huh?
I showered and did some morning exercises, which was all the routine I had. When I ran out of things to do, I sprawled myself out on the couch.
My brain couldn’t stop mulling over Vegas and my great escape plan. I hung my head back off the armrest, looking at the bedroom upside down; maybe the different angle would be more entertaining. Maybe it would give me a new perspective.
“Nop… Please, you have to let me goooo.” I dragged out my voice, still lying in the same position. “Let me go, come onnn.” Though I knew it was useless, I still wanted to beg to him over and over, just in case I was lucky enough to manifest my freedom. Who knows? I’m feeling the power of merit lately.
“The fuck are you lying down like that for?” Nop replied, arranging my food on the table. “Aren’t you gonna come eat?”
“Nop… What do I dooo?” I whined until Nop looked at me in pity.
“You won’t die. Don’t worry,” he said.
“Really?”
“But he won’t let you go, that’s for sure. What did you do to him?” he asked, and I frowned. “I’ll say this,” he added, “keep doing what you’re doing, and he might thaw out and unchain you one day. But that doesn’t mean he’ll let you run away. You get what I mean?”
I lifted my head up, looked at Nop, then rolled over on my belly to fiddle with the books on the nearby table.
“What do you mean?”
“You haven’t realized?” Nop said. “That he’s…?”
I raised my hand to cut him off because I knew with all my heart what he was implying. Ughhhh! I’m so stressed out! I didn’t want him to feel that way for me. It gave me the creeps!
I picked up a book and skimmed through it. I glanced at the personality-analysis book I read yesterday and remembered something: AB blood types hated illogical people.
I opened the book. “What kind of person do you think he’d hate?” I asked Nop.
“Why? What are you gonna do?”
“Just asking. Spill it.”
“The type of guy Mr. Kinn is, I think? He says he hates him pretty often.”
The type of guy Mr. Kinn was…? A perfect one. He was the most logical of the three brothers, if a little self-centered and silly sometimes. Maybe it was from being dominated by Porsche. But even so, he was a calm and stately sort of man. It wouldn’t surprise me if Vegas hated that kind of guy. But Mr. Kinn was his rival! What did I have to do to become a guy like that?
All right, next question! “How do I annoy or bore him enough so he’ll let me go?” I revealed to Nop the plan I had been trying to put in place. All this time, I’d been trying to spoil Vegas’s mood, to wear him out, to make him bored. How had it turned out like this? Maybe what I’d been doing wasn’t effective. Maybe I needed a new plan.
“Oh, heh, well…it’s too late for that, Pete.”
“No. I don’t think it’s too late. What type of guy do you think would bore him?”
