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Porsché was once again eating alone. He always did when he ate lunch at university. In fact, aside from the bodyguards assigned to him, Porsché found himself left alone by everyone most days.
Kim’s reputation made sure of that.
It used to bother Porsché a lot more, but once he got to know his assigned guards better he was able to see them more as companions and friends. Sure they had a job to do, but Lop and Bank were kind and easy to talk to and Porsché had to admit that Kim caring so much about him made him feel warm and fuzzy.
After all of the upheaval within the family and the rise of Kinn to the Head position, Kim had accepted the role of Enforcer with little fuss. Porsché had been surprised that his boyfriend had done so willingly, but Kim had simply explained that it was his father he had not wanted to work for - he was willing to give Kinn a chance.
As a consequence Kim had become hypervigilant about Porsché’s safety, and he was barely allowed to go anywhere alone. It was the only thing that Porsche approved of when it came to Kim.
“Um, excuse me. You are Porsché right?” The tentative question shocked Porsché out of his thoughts and he turned to face a student he had never met before. His eyes darted between Porsché, Lop, Bank and their general surroundings rapidly as he fiddled with the hem of his shirt. He was a first year like Porsché himself and looked to be around his age too.
“I am, who are you?” Porsché asked cautiously, sending Lop a bewildered look.
“My name is Rain.” Rain bowed sharply before jerking back up and looking at Porsché with wild eyes. “I heard you have a dangerous and powerful boyfriend!”
Before Porsché could even form a response to that, Bank had Rain backed up against the closest wall by the scruff of his neck. Porsché jumped to his feet. “Let him go! He’s not a threat, let’s just hear him out.” Bank wordlessly did so, letting Rain drop gracelessly to his feet.
“Do you actually want something or did you come over here to tell me campus gossip?” Porsché asked, not unkindly.
“I think this man just confirmed the rumours.” Rain said ruefully.
“Maybe I am the dangerous and powerful one?”
Rain shook his head vigorously, his hair flopping in his face. “I don’t think so. They say that anyone who touches you or even thinks about touching you will wind up dead. It sounds more like someone is trying to keep you safe. So I think you are important to someone dangerous - obviously your mystery grumpy and rich boyfriend. People have seen him picking you up.”
“Ok… So none of this tells me what you want.” Porsché said. He wanted to get to the point - talk of him being important to Kim put his guards on edge and he really did not want an innocent student hurt over their overprotectiveness.
“I need your help! One of my friends… Something happened to him and his boyfriend is about to make a stupid deal in order to get revenge. You are nice, everyone says so despite your boyfriend, and I thought you would be able to get him to help without trapping my friend in an awful deal.”
“You think my boyfriend would offer a more favourable deal than the people this friend of yours is currently working with?” Porsché asked incredulously. “I don’t think you understand what you are asking for, it would be better if you didn’t get involved in such deals.”
“No, I understand perfectly well. This situation is bad Porsché.” Rain looked so pleading that Porsché found himself giving in with a sigh.
“Fine. Tell me what is going on, don’t leave anything out.” If it was some stupid and petty drama then Porsché simply would not get involved.
Kim was waiting (casually, very casually, he had definitely not been pacing) when the elevator dinged, signaling Ché’s arrival at their shared penthouse apartment. One of his men had already informed Kim that Ché had left university early and was coming straight home, which was quite unusual for his studious boyfriend. Kim hoped that Ché was simply tired and needed a break.
When Ché stepped out of the elevator though, Kim could spot the lines of distress on his face easily and could not stop from rushing over. “Is everything alright angel?” Ché just shook his head mutely, tears welling in his eyes. Fuck. Kim hated to see Ché cry.
“I need your help Kim.” Ché said with a sniffle.
“Whatever you need, I will do. I’ll take care of everything angel, just don’t be sad.” Kim said instantly.
The couple moved over to their couch, where they sat close together. “What happened? What do you need my help with?” A million scenarios were running through Kim’s mind, varying from the most simple university troubles to much more serious threats to Ché’s safety or wellbeing.
“I need… I need you to help track down at least seven people and torture them to death.”
“Ok, do you have names?”
“Kim!” Ché was shocked out of his sadness enough to lightly swat Kim’s chest. Kim just cocked his head, unsure what he did wrong. “Shouldn’t you ask more questions?”
“I asked if you had their names. If you don’t then it will just take me longer and I will need whatever information you have.” Kim said. He felt that was reasonable enough.
“Aren’t you going to ask why though?” Porsché asked.
“I was going to ask… Eventually.” Kim said. “But if you are asking this of me then I assume something happened to someone you know - you would never ask for such a thing on your own behalf. Given that Kinn is not on a warpath I doubt Porsche is involved, so I am guessing it involves someone from your university.”
Porsché blushed at Kim’s summary. “You are not wrong. It is a little bit complicated though, and I was worried that you would not care about it because you don’t know these people.”
“Ché… You care about this. That is enough for me.”
It was as simple as that for Kim. He already had men working on the establishment of a legitimate animal rescue organisation as a Christmas present, because his Ché got so sad whenever he saw strays on the street. Anything that mattered to Ché automatically mattered to Kim, and he said as much to Ché.
“So tell me the story angel. I will take care of everything.”
Kim waited in the shadows for the best moment to make his entrance. Pakin played at being a top dog, so of course he chose a cliche abandoned warehouse to finalise a deal. The man is a fool. Kim thought uncharitably. Anger bubbled under his skin as he recalled the harrowing story Porsché had told him earlier in the day.
“So will you accept my conditions?” Pakin asked, his voice dripping with false sympathy. Kim stepped into the dimly lit room (no Ché, he was not making a dramatic entrance), deliberately letting his footsteps echo and drawing the attention of everyone gathered.
The two guards Pakin had with him drew their guns only to put them down just as quickly when they noticed just who it was that had arrived. Pakin whirled around with a snarl that dropped instantly on seeing Kim’s face. The young man - Prapai Kim assumed - looked alarmed and confused at Kim’s arrival.
“What is this?” Kim asked casually.
“Khun Kim, I am simply taking care of some business.” Pakin bowed deeply as he explained.
“I thought that we made it clear. Your responsibility is to run your little races and collect bets, not coerce desperate people into slave contracts.” Pakin’s eyes widened as he realised just how much Kim already knew.
“I thought he could make a good asset for the main family.” Pakin said tentatively. It was a clever enough ploy, betting on Kim not caring what happened to one person he did not even know. It was unfortunate that it would not work this time.
“Is that also your reason for keeping this Gun around on your payroll? Do you think that we have need of a rapist and his cronies?” Prapai looked at Pakin with wild eyes. “Is that why you cleared up all evidence of Gun’s crimes too? So that he could also be an asset?”
Prapai snarled and launched himself at Pakin. “You helped cover it up? You slimy bastard!” Pakin’s men went to intervene but Kim made them stand down with just a hand wave and watched impassively as Prapai landed a few solid punches.
“That is enough Prapai.” One of Kim’s own men stepped forward and pulled Prapai away from Pakin. “Take him away.” Kim jerked his head at Pakin and two guards obeyed immediately, hauling up the blabbering man and dragging him out of the room.
“Let me introduce myself: my name is Kim Theerapanyakun. I am Pakin’s boss.” Prapai obviously recognised his family’s name and stood up a little straighter before bowing politely. “I know what you asked Pakin for and given he is no longer in the same position - “ Kim gestured at the door Pakin was just taken out through “I will carry out your request in his stead.”
Prapai’s jaw clenched visibly. “So you know about…”
“I know what happened to your boyfriend, yes. I promise you that anyone involved in it will be found and adequately punished.”
“How did you find out?” Prapai asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.
Kim hesitated. He hated talking about Porsché to anyone, but given the situation he felt he owed this man some answers. “Someone called Rain approached my boyfriend.”
Prapai groaned loudly. “That idiot, it wasn’t his story to tell. Sky would be humiliated if he knew.”
“It seems like he did the right thing because it saved you from making a bad deal with the wrong person.”
“I felt like I had no other choice.” Prapai’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “After I interrupted the last… attempt… Gun ran off and went underground. I don’t have the connections to find him and I needed him to suffer for what he did. They all need to pay.” Kim could appreciate the reasoning. He was in a unique position to act on threats to Porsché swiftly and ruthlessly; most people had to rely on the law if they wanted justice.
Sometimes justice was not enough.
“My Sky… He has nightmares almost every night. I have to watch as he relives everything over and over again and I can do absolutely nothing to help. I am rich, my family is rich, but it still isn’t enough.” Prapai blinked rapidly to try and keep the tears from falling.
“Then know this. They will all suffer unimaginable torment, I swear that to you. From now until they die they will suffer.” Kim promised.
“And what do you want in return?” Prapai asked.
“Originally it was going to be absolutely nothing. But now with Pakin indisposed I might need someone to run the races, otherwise they might be dissolved altogether.”
“I work at my father’s business.” Prapai said with a frown.
“I know. This is not a demand, simply an offer. I will leave you with a contact number. Think on it and call that number when you have made a decision. I will do what I have promised either way, I just think that you are the type of person I could have working for me.”
Kim shrugged. The idea had just come to him but it made sense. The races were not worth the trouble if there was no one reliable to run them. Either way though, Kim would keep his promise to both Prapai and Porsché. He turned to leave, letting one of his men give Prapai a burner phone.
“Wait, Khun Kim.” Kim stopped in his tracks and looked at Prapai, his eyebrow raised. “I just want to thank you.”
Kim huffed a laugh before turning around. “You should be thanking Rain and Porsché.” With that he turned around and left, confident that he would be getting a call from Prapai soon.