Night Kiss

by E. T. Malinowski

  Half an hour later, Jin-woo crawled back into bed. It was empty without Ki-tae beside him, but Ki-tae needed a full night’s rest, and they both knew resting wasn’t the first thing they did when they climbed into bed together. At least not usually. There were a few nights where they were just too exhausted to do more than cuddle and go to sleep. Jin-woo smiled. Ki-tae was such a snuggler. One wouldn’t think so, looking at him, but Ki-tae liked to wrap himself around Jin-woo, his face pressed in the curve of Jin-woo’s neck. He would give this soft little sigh right before he fell asleep.

  After grabbing his phone off the nightstand, Jin-woo swiped the lock screen and put in his code. He couldn’t go to sleep without wishing Ki-tae sweet dreams. Including a kissy face emoji, Jin-woo chuckled and then hit Send. He set his phone back down, only to snatch it up two seconds later when Ki-tae’s text tone went off. He opened the message to find only an attachment. Confused, Jin-woo downloaded the file. Once it was done, he pressed Play and then groaned as his gut clenched. Ki-tae’s mouth close-up, his bottom lip caught between his teeth. Slowly that full lip slid out, and then he swiped that teasing tongue across the top one.

  “Sleep sweet, xīn’ái,” Ki-tae purred.

  “Damn him,” Jin-woo said. “I really need to learn Mandarin. What the heck did he just call me?”

  Surprisingly Jin-woo fell right to sleep, the pillow Ki-tae always used cuddled to his chest.

  “MAKE. SOME. Noise!” Cheongul shouted. The crowd screamed, Bam Kiseu lights waving frantically in the darkened hall. He ran out onto the stage, Ki-tae and HanYin right behind him. “I can’t hear you!”

  “Scream!” Ki-tae yelled as he raised his arms high, and the crowd obeyed his command.

  Then HanYin launched into their very first single, “Kiss Me.” The crowd chanted his name as he moved back into position. They moved in sync, not missing a beat. Every movement was precise, from the hand gestures to the hip rolls.

  Watching from backstage, Jin-woo couldn’t stop himself from bouncing with the music. Though it had been a long time since he last listened to this song, Jin-woo still knew all the words. Had he been alone, he might have sung along, but he was too conscious of all the people around him.

  The musicians were just as hyped-up as Ki-tae and the others, bouncing as they played, smiling and singing. They blended right into the energetic beat of “Like You Do.” It started out fast with a trance beat, and mixed it up with just enough dubstep to keep it interesting. Cheongul’s voice carried over the music clearly, his bass rich and deep.

  That’s it, baby, bring that body over to me.

  Love the way you move, so sweet and sexy.

  Face so cute, body so fine,

  Bring it over here, baby, let me make you mine.

  I’ll make your world shake,

  All night long, I’ll give you all you can take.

  I’ll make the stars dance.

  I’ll give you all my love, given half a chance.

  HanYin’s clear tenor blended so well with the third and fourth line of the verse, and the smile was nothing short of wicked, but Ki-tae had that smirk, and he licked his lips just before he took the fifth and sixth line. Then that harmonization on the last two lines, it always killed Jin-woo when he heard it. He waved his hand in front of his face, but there was no cooling himself off. The second verse started the same as the first, the beat picking up speed until it dropped into the hard dubstep on the chorus, a perfect blending of Ki-tae’s baritone with HanYin’s tenor and alternating with Cheongul’s bass on the first word.

  Move—like you do.

  Talk—like you do.

  Dance—like you do.

  Love—like you do.

  No one has me crazy—like you do.

  Ki-tae took the lead on the third verse, and the crowd went wild. Jin-woo couldn’t blame them. His ability to slide from tenor to baritone to bass gave the song a sexy, seductive feel.

  Jin-woo smiled. They were going to dance to that song at some point and let things go from there. The crowd joined in on the last run of the chorus. Every single voice in the hall was in perfect sync. It was impressive and a little bit disturbing how they sounded almost like one voice. Then the music faded. The crowd went wild as Cheongul, HanYin, and Ki-tae stood on the extension to the main stage that put them in the middle of the crowd. They were smiling and waving.

  “Are you having fun?” HanYin asked with a bright smile. “Do you like the old tunes?”

  “Ah, you know you do!” Ki-tae laughed as the crowd screamed.

  “We dusted off these tracks just for spring,” Cheongul said.

  “That’s right,” HanYin said. “Dano starts tomorrow. Everyone excited?”

  “Of course you are!” Ki-tae said. “We plan to celebrate, starting tonight!”

  “You know who we are, but we’re going to introduce ourselves anyway,” Cheongul said as he stepped forward. “I’m Cheongul. I’m the leader of Bam Kiseu. How you doing, Seoul?”

  “It’s your boy, HanYin!” HanYin said as he bounced up and down. “We’ve missed you, Korea!”

  “And here’s the baby of the group!” Cheongul said, wrapping an arm around Ki-tae’s shoulders from behind.

  “I’m Ki-tae. Did you miss us?” Ki-tae said with a smile. The crowd screamed so loud Jin-woo could feel it. “It’s only been three months since our last concert, but that was at the end of our world tour. Tonight, Korea, this is just for you! Spring is about to be sprung! Get up! Stand up and throw your hands in the air!”

  “Ki-tae, HanYin, what say we turn up the ‘Heat’?” Cheongul said just as the heavy beat started.

  Ki-tae took the front position. He looked out over the crowd, his head tilted down slightly and the right corner of his mouth kicked up.

  There’s just something about you,

  The way your hips sway,

  The long lines of your legs,

  A glance over your shoulder,

  You lick your lips as you walk away.

  If anyone was made for sin, it’s you, baby.

  The temptation is too much to resist.

  I’m not trying too hard because you’re it.

  If it were possible, the screaming got louder. The choreography suited the sensuality of the words. Jin-woo figured they could thank Gojira and other factors for that. Ah, the joys of being a Vampire with enhanced reflexes and the oddly intoxicating aura of “otherness.” He loved the way they so easily switched positions onstage, their movements tight. They were just starting, and the energy was already so high. This, the ability to keep the crowd hyped from beginning to end, was what made Bam Kiseu so popular.

  HanYin’s voice rose above the roar of the crowd, sensual and sweet.

  How can someone look as sweet as you?

  And be so wicked inside,

  Such a deceiving little package,

  With little devil horns to hide.

  They think you can do no harm.

  They’ve never spent a night with you, baby,

  Burning in your arms.

  But what a way to go, I must admit.

  I’d spend forever, pressed against you,

  And think nothing of it.

  “God, his voice is so damn hot,” Jong-in groaned, pressing his head against the wall.

  “Just his voice?” Jin-woo teased, his eyes fixated on Ki-tae’s ass as he rolled his hips to the music. How anyone could have thought this song was about the weather, Jin-woo didn’t know. He grabbed Jong-in’s arm and pulled him away from the wall. “Here it comes.”

  They grinned like idiots as they listened to the buildup, dancing along. The music moved faster and faster until it just stopped, and then that beat slammed into the audience. The beat was heavy on the kick drum, a throbbing, pulsing sound that drove the beat forward into the chorus.

  You’re a fire in my blood,

  Burning beneath the skin.

  You’re a fire in my body,

  Give me your… heat.

  “Can they get any
hotter?” Jin-woo asked with laugh. Being able to see the concert from backstage was cool, but a part of him wanted to be out in the crowd, wanted to see Ki-tae head-on while he sang. Now HanYin’s comment about pulling people in through the cameras made more sense. When you were in the crowd, you could imagine they were looking right at you, even if they weren’t. Backstage he only got a side view, and while it was still a fantastic view, as far as he was concerned, Jin-woo preferred to see Ki-tae’s eyes.

  He glanced over when Jong-in elbowed him in the side. Jong-in gestured toward the stage, and Jin-woo looked over just in time to catch Ki-tae’s eyes as he began the third verse.

  I love the way you moan for me,

  The way you cry out in delight.

  I love the way you claw at me,

  As if you really want to fight.

  You’re a feisty little demon in an angel’s guise,

  And only I will ever know it’s all lies.

  Jin-woo gasped at the heat in that one short glance. At that moment he felt as if Ki-tae were singing just for him, even if he wasn’t standing in front of him. His heart swelled. He really did love him.

  “It’s written all over your face, you know,” Jong-in said as he put his arm around Jin-woo’s shoulders. “How much you love him.”

  “I’m that obvious, huh?”

  “To those who know you? Yeah, you are,” Jong-in said. Suddenly he tensed beside Jin-woo, digging his fingers into his shoulder. “Crazy bitch alert.”

  “What?”

  “Jin-woo!” Mei’s voice carried over the music, acting like nails on a chalkboard to Jin-woo’s ears. Seriously? What in the world was she doing here?

  He turned with a sigh, and she immediately grabbed his arm. He shoved at her hands, but she was like a lamprey.

  “Mei-ssi, what are you doing here?” Jin-woo said tightly, still trying to break her grip on his arm. “I thought you didn’t like Bam Kiseu.”

  “I’m here with my uncle,” she said, her smile bright. “I didn’t know you’d be backstage.”

  “Your uncle?” Jin-woo said.

  “Byun Seung-gi-nim is my uncle,” she said. “He invited me so I could see what it’s like. It’s busy.”

  “Please let go of me,” Jin-woo said, still trying to pull his arm free, but she wasn’t letting go. It was as if she didn’t hear him, but he knew better.

  Just as he was about to say something, his arm was pulled free. He looked to see Ki-tae holding his wrist and dragging him toward the dressing room area. “I need your help,” Ki-tae growled, and his eyes flashed silver. Oh, his Vampire was not happy.

  “Thank God.” Jin-woo chuckled in relief. He hadn’t wanted to start something at the concert, but she had gone too far.

  Looking back, he saw Mei staring at them, her eyes narrowed. He felt it like a stab to the chest, only she wasn’t looking at him. She was glaring at Ki-tae.

  The minute they were inside the dressing room, Ki-tae pressed Jin-woo up against the wall and claimed his mouth. The kiss was hot and savage and just what Jin-woo needed. He felt as if Ki-tae was restaking his claim on him.

  When they pulled apart, they were both breathing heavily. Then Ki-tae stepped away and stripped off his costume. Jin-woo moved as Cheongul and HanYin came through the door. They ignored him as they, too, began to undress.

  “Who was she?” Ki-tae asked as he pulled a brilliant blue vest on over his bare chest.

  “A classmate,” Jin-woo said and bit his lip. He wasn’t sure he should tell Ki-tae Mei might be his stalker. If he did it would, at the very least, piss Ki-tae off and he needed to focus on the concert. Besides, there was no concrete proof it was her. “She’s been acting weird every time I’ve seen her.”

  “She needs to keep her hands off you.” Ki-tae dropped the leather pants and stepped out of them.

  “Believe me, her hands are not the ones I want on me,” Jin-woo said as he adjusted himself.

  “Enough! I don’t need the assault on my nose.” Cheongul laughed. “Save it for after the concert. Then you can fuck each other all night long!”

  “Because that’s an image I wanted in my head,” HanYin said as he pulled on a pair of red pants to go with the mesh shirt he was wearing. On more than one occasion, Jin-woo and Min-su had commented on the possibility of a tattoo below HanYin’s waistline. Now he knew. A dragon weaved its way from his left hip along his lower back to curve around his right hip, dipping low.

  “The lot of you are way too visual,” Jin-woo grumbled. “Stop picturing us naked and get back onstage!”

  “You’re as pushy as Seung-gi hyung!” Ki-tae laughed, catching him up and giving him a hard kiss, slapping his ass in the process. Jin-woo yelped, jumping away and rubbing his cheek. He followed them out the door and back toward the stage. Their jog had them quickly outpacing him. Once he finally reached the entrance to the stage, he found Jong-in by himself.

  “Please tell me she left,” he said as he approached.

  “Stomped off muttering something under her breath,” Jong-in said. “The more I see of her, the more she’s starting to creep me out.”

  “You’re not the only one.” Jin-woo gave a shudder. “Even if I were into women, I wouldn’t want her.”

  Min-su pounced on Jong-in before he could respond, jumping onto his back and hanging there. “Oh my God, this is so amazing!”

  Jin-woo laughed. “It’s so different from being out in front.”

  “I was just in the sound booth. Cho-ree seonbae is running the board. He asked me to send you over, Jong-in-a,” she said after hopping off his back.

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you. Go! You’re going to be amazed by their setup.” She laughed as she pushed him toward the side passage.

  “You’re just in time,” Jin-woo said as another song started.

  Min-su’s eyes got wide as the first chords of “Can’t Beat Me” flowed over the crowd and Cheongul practically growled the first verse. It didn’t happen often, as Ki-tae was the main rapper of the group, but Cheongul had his own flow. Ki-tae and HanYin joined him on the chorus, but he took each verse just the way it was originally produced. The cool thing was the song really worked that way. It still had a pop beat but had just enough heavy guitar to give it an edgier feel. Then Cheongul screamed that bridge, and it was a punch to the ears. The smooth vocals of the chorus soothed the way for the final verse.

  “I forgot he could rap,” Min-su said with a chuckle.

  “Ki-tae said he was ecstatic when he heard your rap,” Jin-woo said, nudging her. “I believe he said Cheongul-a’s exact words were ‘My girl can drop a beat! And she raps too.’”

  “Seriously? He liked it?” she asked.

  “I think ‘like’ is not strong enough a word. ‘Loved,’ yes, ‘loved’ is much better,” Jin-woo teased.

  “Oh, hush, this is ‘Master.’” Min-su scooted forward until she had a clear view of the stage. She bounced along just as he and Jong-in had with the earlier songs.

  Faster than time, they say speed can kill,

  Terrifying anger, this definitely will.

  Enraged like a lion but far more deadly,

  He’s half man and half beast.

  The master is ready,

  And you will never be free.

  “It took me a while to really figure out what this song was about,” Min-su said, glancing back at Jin-woo.

  “Well, it’s definitely not the circus,” Jin-woo said with a grin, trying to keep the mood light. He could see the serious expression on her face.

  “It’s about his temper,” she said quietly. He almost didn’t hear her. “It’s about how his anger can burst out of control and hurt the people he cares about. The first two verses and the chorus are about how he feels controlled by it, by his inability to manage it. He feels as if he’s in a cage, someone else pulling his strings. In the end, that last verse? It’s about finally getting a handle on the rage, mastering it.”

  But what is this?

  Have the tables
been turned?

  Did you find the strength within you?

  You have broken your chains.

  Now you stand before me, blood in your eyes.

  Is it the end, my friend?

  Half man and half beast,

  You stare at me as if you want to feast.

  Finally you realize… the master isn’t me.

  “I wonder what makes him feel that way,” Jin-woo said. “Most of the time, Cheongul-ya seems so in control.”

  “He feels he has to be. He can’t let himself get upset because he hasn’t gotten control of his anger yet. He hasn’t figured out how to keep it from hurting the people around him,” she said.

  “It sounds like someone else I know,” Jin-woo said softly. “And now it makes more sense to me.”

  “I… we’re not….”

  “You are, Min-su-ya. In a way, you two are alike.” Jin-woo hugged her from behind. “And the thing of it is this. You’re a good couple because you know what it’s like to have something inside you that you feel you can’t control. And you’re damned adorable together.”

  She laughed. “We are cute.”

  “When this is over, tell him,” Jin-woo said. “Reach out to him and let him help you deal with what happened to you.”

  “How do you know I haven’t?”

  “Because I know you well enough to know you keep these things to yourself because you refuse to be pitied. Ki-tae says Cheongul-a has had the most exposure to individuals with the same concerns. He might be able to help you get a handle on this or find someone you can learn from.”

  “Look at you, being all responsible and sensible and sweet and shit,” she grumbled. “Shut up and watch the concert.”

  Jin-woo laughed. He knew it might take her some time, but Min-su would talk to Cheongul about what happened. Min-su was perfect for him. She would stand up to him verbally and physically. She was a strong woman with a good heart. If anyone could help Cheongul, it was Min-su. They could be each other’s strength. They needed each other.