Chapter Text
When Kai’s father had decided that Kai would be going to school in Seoul no matter what, Kai had figured he’d nod his head and accept it just so life would be that much easier on his mother and on him. His father was a strict man with a no nonsense attitude that ran the household with an iron fist and strict words and rules Kai had been ingrained into following since he could understand what they meant. The man had been the one to decide Kai’s career path (a lawyer) and he had been the one to decide which college Kai would be studying at.
Kai had felt guilty at the brief feeling of relief and happiness at the mere thought of getting far away enough to escape the deafening silence and tension that always seemed to hang over their home when his father was around. He had figured he’d finally get that taste of freedom and have the chance to experience things he thought he should have been able to experience long ago.
That had been a year and a half ago and now at nineteen with a few months until he turned twenty, Kai was still living in the apartment his father had chosen and was paying for and the only experience he had was having a part time job and living alone.
Perhaps it had something to do with his father, perhaps it was the way he was brought up or maybe it was just something wrong with Kai himself, but for the life of him he had never been able to make friends easily. He had acquaintances and a few classmates that were kind to him in passing, but to call them friends? No, Kai was still working on that, tried his best to be kind and give off what he hoped weren’t too desperate of signs that he’d be a good if not great friend. So far, the best he’d gotten was from a coworker of his that mentioned them possibly hanging out but never really insisted on it even after Kai almost too eagerly nodded along whenever a possible outing was brought up.
Maybe, just maybe, Kai’s lack of ability to make friends or even begin to know how to socialize was what landed him in a particular type of situation.
Maybe.
The ad had been inconspicuous for the most part, dark charcoal gray in coloring with bolded white words along with a phone number and a few small and very subtle red lines stating who knows what at the bottom. There had been an attractive man grinning at Kai almost playfully on the ad and when Kai had blinked several times at the bold white words all he had truly understood was Want to meet new people?
Of course his mind had immediately screamed yes! and before he had known it, he had reached for his phone, nibbling on his lip as he dialed the number on the screen. It had taken everything in him to not hang up the phone on the first ring and even more on the second, only the thought of making new friends forced him to stay long enough to hear that the third ring cut off as the line was picked up.
“Thank you for calling us here at Sugar Rush, this is Junnie, what can I do for you tonight, darling?”
Kai immediately straightened up and his face tinted pink with embarrassment as he briefly thought of how much the man's voice sounded almost coyly through the phone.
“I-” Kai squeezed his eyes shut and shifted uncomfortably on his desk chair. “I saw your ad?”
There was a brief moment of silence on the other end and just as Kai had begun to think that even through a phone conversation he’d managed to scare off a potential friend, the man cleared his throat. “Oh, alright sweetheart, why don’t you wait on the line for me and we’ll connect you to someone as soon as possible, alright?”
Kai barely got out a noise of agreement before soft music began playing to let him know he’d been put on hold. Chewing nervously on his lip, he tried to assure himself that he could get through this, vaguely hearing a few ads being spoken over the soft music, but not really being able to concentrate on them as he attempted to give himself a pep talk.
Kai counted exactly five minutes before he heard a far deeper tone cut through the music and the ads as he was taken off hold.
“Hey there sweetheart, I hear this is your first time on the line?” Kai wasn’t given a chance to answer as the man went on. “Why don’t you tell me what I can do for you tonight, hm?”
His voice was nice in a way that Kai had never thought he’d ever think of a voice being. It was soothing and almost playful as it rumbled through the phone and into Kai’s ear. For reasons unknown, Kai's throat went a little dry at the mere sound of it.
“I- I don’t know…” What were you even supposed to talk about with someone you just met and met over the phone at that. Does he ask about their day? Their hobbies? Their age, their favorite color? “I just- the ad said I could make friends?”
The silence this time made Kai squirm even more and then he felt something like a shiver coursing through him as the man on the other line chuckled softly, a soft amused sigh following as he clicked his tongue.
“Baby, I don’t mean to alarm you, but this is a phone sex hotline.”
Kai could immediately feel the heat blazing on his face, his eyes springing wide in alarm and a squeak leaving his lips as he gasped in embarrassment.
“I- I didnt… I didn’t know-” Kai could feel his lip almost wobbling and he felt frustration beginning to crawl up his throat. Stupid. So stupid. There’s no reason to cry and yet he feels it in the sting of his eyes. “I’m sorry- Sorry I-”
“Hey,” The man’s soothing soft voice was gentle and soft in a way Kai couldn’t remember ever hearing directed toward him. “Hey, hey, hey. Hush now, you’re alright, sweetheart.” It was almost a soft croon now, sweet and warm. “Take a deep breath for me, hm? Can you do that for me, baby?”
Kai made a soft noise, panic making it sound like a soft wheeze as he nodded as if the man could see him doing it. When a soft crooning sound came through the line again, Kai really did try to get himself to breathe, inhaling deeply and releasing it when he heard another soft noise in his ear.
“There we are, hm?” The man cooed gently and it was almost like he was there, holding Kai’s hand and helping him breathe. “You’re alright, huh? Nothing wrong here, darling, just me and you, alright?”
When he said it like that, all dipped in honey and just as sweet, Kai realized how silly he must seem to him, getting into a fit for nothing but embarrassment alone. He could almost see the look of disgust that always seemed to cross his fathers face being reflected in a fuzzed out outline of an unknown face.
“Sorry… I don’t- really-”
“Hush, none of that now. No more apologies, hm?” The man on the line clicked his tongue again and Kai felt the reprimand sting his chest. “Where are you now, baby? In the living room? Your bedroom?”
The soft voice was still there, soothing and soft and Kai blinked slowly as he shifted in his chair, looking around his room, nibbling at his lip. The fact that this man hadn’t hung up on him yet nor had he made fun of Kai and his stupid little scene was enough for Kai to try and make himself relax. At least enough to be able to pay attention to whatever was said through the other end of the line.
“In- on my desk, in my room?” It comes out as more of a question and even then the man on the phone just makes a small soft sound, still so nice to Kai.
“Alright, that’s fine, but why don’t you get comfortable in bed, yeah?” Kai nips at his lip harder. “Just lay back and keep trying to get your breathing back to normal, hm?”
Kai doesn’t realize he’s gotten up off his chair until he’s standing at the edge of his bed, crawling up into it and burying himself in the covers, his breathing deep and nervous as he curls into himself with the phone still pressed to his ear. “Okay- I’m… I lied down…”
“Good, that’s good!” The encouragement and the way it’s said, like the man is proud of Kai, it makes Kai’s next breath catch in his throat as his cheeks heat up once again.
Kai exhales softly and makes a soft sleepy noise and he’s pretty sure he hears a soft chuckle somewhere on the other end. It’s quiet for the next few minutes and Kai almost thinks he can fall asleep like this, but then the man is clearing his throat softly and speaking again.
“You know, sweetheart, usually the first ten minutes are free and then it’s 50 cents per minute after that, roughly around 25 dollars an hour, give or take…” Kai’s eyes immediately spring open and he’s almost back to panicking as he realizes how much time he’s possibly been on the phone already. He’s calculating how much he suddenly owes when another soft croon comes through the phone and forces him to pay attention. “But you’ve been such a good boy for me today and you haven’t seemed to be having such a fun time on the phone with me, so how about we forget this ever happened, hm?”
Kai frowns softly and then his mouth opens in a soft sound of surprise. “Oh! I- I’m truly sorry, I’m-” The man hums softly and Kai shudders. “I didn’t know… truly.”
Another hum and a soft barely there sigh. “It’s alright, like I said, huh? You haven't had the best of times with me so don’t worry about it, alright? No harm, is there?”
But even then, Kai feels a guilt in his chest that he’s taken this man’s time and possibly ruined his entire night with his oddness. “I don’t know, I- really? I just… I’ve taken so much of your time…” Kai sniffs. “A-and I do! I- I like talking with you! Your voice is nice…”
The man doesn’t say anything for a few seconds and Kai almost thinks he’s hung up already and left him talking to a void, but then the soft crooning voice is back and just as kind. “Alright, then how about…” The man pauses. “How about you make it up to me then, huh?”
Kai blinks up at his ceiling, his mind coming to a sudden stop as the words slowly process. “I- I don’t know what you mean. I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize.” The man replies instantly. “How about you call again for me, hm?”
Kai’s breath rushes out in a squeak, embarrassed and a little nervous as he curls his fingers into his blanket tightly. “I- I don’t know- I don’t…”
“Hush,” The voice rumbles and Kai’s lips stay parted around the next stuttered word that refuses to leave his mouth at the order. “Don’t worry so much about it, sweetheart, okay?” Kai stays quiet and the man sighs. “Okay?”
“Okay…” Kai swallows and squirms lightly at the pleased sound that drifts through the phone.
“Whatever you decide will be just fine.” His voice is still soft and kind and even if Kai cant think too straight of why at the moment, it makes heat course through him all the same. “Either way, think about it some and when you call back let it be on a Friday night.”
Kai makes a soft confused noise but he nods either way. “What- if I call- what do I say?”
“Just ask for Soobin, they’ll give you over to me no problem.” The man- Soobin says. Soobin.
Kai licks his lips and parts them around the name. “Soobin…”
“Mhm, perfect.” Soobin croons, making Kai shudder and curl further into his sheets. “Alright, sweetheart, you take it easy, okay? Think about what I said, but don’t stress about it, be good for me, baby, hm?”
The thought of being good is a little exhilarating, but the thought of being good for Soobin? It’s on a completely new wavelength of excitement and it makes Kai’s breath hitch as he nods. The line is silent and yet Kai can hear Soobin breathing softly through it, waiting.
“Okay.” He manages and immediately a soft pleased hum comes through.
“Good,” Kai’s fingers clench even tighter on his sheets. “Goodnight sweetheart.” Soobin croons one last time and then the line does go dead, silence filling Kai’s ears as he puts his phone down and stares blankly at the wall.
He can’t describe it, the way that… that Soobin’s voice had made him feel. It was odd, the way heat had begun coursing through him first on his face, perhaps from embarrassment but it had begun there and traveled down to his chest, making heat bubble in his tummy and making him squirm with it before it traveled further all the way down to his toes, making them curl with every pleased little noise and word Soobin muttered. Kai hadn’t ever experienced anything like it, nor had he ever been so pleased at hearing another person’s voice the way he had been with Soobin’s. It made that same heat burn in his tummy until it was making his body react in such odd ways, discomfort beginning to rise in his sleep pants.
Kai shuddered and clenched his eyes tightly in shame as a soft noise left him, thinking back to Soobin asking him to… to be good.
Kai… even if he never called back again, the sound of Soobin’s voice would forever be ingrained into his memory and it would forever ring in his ears. And he’d strive to be good, the best, if not for his fathers sake then for Soobin’s.