2.03 ARTIFICIAL LOVE: Set-up

If there's one thing that Beomseok doesn't trust, it's good luck.

He has reason. Fate's always done a hell of a good job screwing him over. His life up till now has followed a very decided pattern.

For example, when he was a kid, he once found a 10000 won bill on the ground and thought he was balling and set for life. The next day, some fucker had stolen his entire backpack.

When he was fourteen he got his first girlfriend. And though he was a silent kid in class, she was quite popular. She was adventurous and a bit too high-energy for him but he remembers her being as adorable as a kitten. So when she suggested that they 'do it', Beomseok had stupidly agreed. Except on the day they snuck out to meet behind the trees in the local park, he gets a really bad stomach ache. Sue him, he's human. But yeah, anyways, the whole playground was definitely notified of his upset stomach when the young girl was fondling his penis.

Then there was that time he got three SSR pulls from a gacha game in a row and he thought that the stars had finally aligned for him. Except it was on the same day of his then-girlfriend's birthday, and on his way to her party a damned mutt pissed on his leg. The owner even ran away as soon as this happened and yeah, not only did Beomseok fail to make the party but he inspired a whole slew of absurd gossip from that day onward.

This isn't even including his catastrophic entanglement with one Park Kyungmi, a bitch with a pretty face that pretty much ruined his entire life. To this very day, Beomseok still doesn't know how she found out about his sexuality…

What he's trying to say is that there's no way he won his way into the fansign with a single album purchase.

But he does, and Beomseok is stuck frozen in his studio apartment, squatting over the toilet and staring wide-eyed at his phone. The message is as clear as day, congratulating one Lee Beomseok for winning a ticket to an exclusive Oasis fansign.

This is the part where he should be jumping for joy and celebrating the monumental luck that has been graced upon him by the heavens above.

But karma isn't real and if it were, it'd be a bitch. Since Beomseok never did anything to deserve this. There's no way the universe would give this to him freely, and Beomseok finds himself drowning in dread like a melodramatic lil' bitch from a shitty low-budget drama.

This is clearly a set-up for some fucked up heart-wrenching tragedy! Do you really expect Lee Beomseok to believe that this is going to lead to some Happy Ending bullshit? Yeah. No. If good things happen too early, then it just bodes badly for the end.

Instead of getting ready for work like a normal human being he dials Dayoung's number and waits for her voice on the other end.

"Hmm…what's up?" Her voice is hoarse and groggy and Beomseok knows she's been clubbing till daylight.

Beomseok is merciless and gives her no chance to wake up. "Hey, noona. So I won tickets to the fansign."

He hears shuffling a bang and then some cursing, "Ouch— Shit. Really? You mean you'll finally get to join me this time? That's fantastic, Beommie!"

"Noona," he deadpans from his side while he paces the length of his flat. There's some logic still firing in his disjointed mind and Beomseok still remembers to put on some pants but he's having a hard time remembering to find a shirt that goes with it. "I'm fucked."

He can practically hear her rolling her eyes through the phone, "Going to a fansign is a special occasion. I know you think you'll get a heart attack once you meet him but it's like, totally worth it, Beommie-ah."

"That's not it," Beomseok hisses at her, impatient. "This is foreshadowing my doom, I just know it, noona."

There's a pause, "What." Dayoung's voice is cutting, she doesn't get it.

So Beomseok clicks his tongue as he makes his around the kitchen counter for the twentieth time, "Don't you get it? If something this good happens then something just as awful will happen soon after! That's the law of the universe."

"What." There's the sound of facepalming on the other side but Beomseok chooses to ignore it and keep rambling.

"I've already told you, noona, I'm fucked. My life is fucked. Remember what happened with all my exes? This is the same, the same's about to happen I just know it."

"Speak human," Dayoung groans, she's likely nursing a headache.

"Noona—" but just then Beomseok catches the time on the clock and he doesn't hesitate to cut the conversation short, "Just feel bad for me okay? I need to go."

She shouts at him before he clicks off his phone, "So are you going to the fansign or not!?"

Logically, no. But who is Lee Beomseok kidding? "Of course I am!" He shouts before hanging up.

…

Today, Beomseok's boss is in.

Kwan Jihoon usually goes by Queenie. More often than not, he comes around the shop in drag, so Beomseok calls him 'Big Sister' rather than 'Big Brother' especially because he's trying to suck up.

"Sorry, Queenie-noona," Beomseok says, breathless from running down the street and almost getting killed by traffic. "I got caught up in traffic."

Queenie glares at him from behind the receptionist desk. He taps his long, acrylic nails against the desk. The wig he sports today is bright blue and matches the sparkly winged eyeliner. "You're lucky you don't have any clients scheduled for today."

Beomseok shrinks, he's only ten minutes late, it's not that bad. But he doesn't dare bring this up with Queenie.

But Queenie just sighs and shrugs. He seems tired compared to his usual snappy demeanor, "Whatever. It's fine, as long as you're here now. It hasn't been that busy."

Beomseok nods stiffly and gets settled. He takes a moment, making sure that Queenie is truly calm and not in an explosive mood to approach again.

"Can I take a few days off?" For the fansign, Beomseok supplies internally.

Queenie looks up with a frown. "When?"

"Two weeks from now," Beomseok explains. There's usually not too big an issue if he tells his boss in advance but sometimes they're really in need of staff and Beomseok feels guilty. "I just need two days. One, if two is impossible."

But surprisingly, Queenie doesn't fight him on this. "Fine then. Just let me know the exact dates and I'll mark those off for you."

Beomseok nods but he feels a bit disconcerted. Something isn't right with his boss. He's patient and doesn't pry right away. Beomseok knows that Queenie isn't fond of nosy people, but if given the space, he might just let the gossip loose.

He does. It happens after a client comes in for some ear piercings and after she leaves the shop is quiet again.

Queenie speaks up, with a sigh, "The club next door has been inviting trouble. I don't really want to deal with the police nearby but I heard their connections aren't as stable as they used to be." He's frowning, clawed hands stroking his long wig, it's a nervous habit.

"You think they will bring us problems?" Beomseok asks. He's suddenly standing at attention and pulls up a seat to sit next to Queenie.

"I don't know," Queenie hisses, "But I'm worried nonetheless. Seven Spades Club always had really good connections with the police in the past because it's owned by some celebrity. That's the reason why this is such a good spot for us. I've no clue what will happen with all the crackdowns lately and with Seven Spades' connection gone, we could be in trouble."

Beomseok fidgets, there's a twitch in his leg, "Why the fuck can't they leave us alone? What bad have we ever done to society?" All they do is tattoo people and pierce them. That's it. There's no illegal sex ring or drug trafficking so why does the police care so much?

Queenie clicks his tongue and plays with the tip of his wig. "They are backwards fools. But what can we do about it? We are but powerless puppets. If I were you, Beomseok, I'd start looking for a plan B just in case. I doubt it will happen soon but you never know."

The words leave a sour taste in his mouth. He doesn't like it, he doesn't like it at all. But there is nothing he could say as a rebuttal either because Queenie is right.

Beomseok needs to look for other options, just in case. Probably something more honest, tamed. But tattooing is something he finds difficult to let go, it's his passion, second to his love for Oasis.

Frustrated, he rises from his seat and storms to the bathroom, eager for a smoke. When everything feels like shit, Beomseok turns to the one catch-all cure and whips out his phone.

Oasis's pretty face smiles softly at him through the screen. Beomseok sighs, feeling light and fluffy.

Except this time, the tiny flame of anxiety doesn't disappear entirely.