Kill the Lights - sidetrack 3.1

Kill the Lights by Jangryang

Proofreader/Editor: Kaima, Hwarang

Mason stared at the red paint stain between his legs on the car seat.

“Sorry, looks like I accidentally got some paint on your seat.”

Mason thought that the paint from his fingertip had stained the seat. Tim glanced between Mason’s legs.

“I’ll change the seat cover and later request a reimbursement from Tony.”

“Never mind, I’m afraid I must’ve spilt some earlier.”

Mason said, “Pardon?” and Tim checked the traffic signal before replying with a puzzled face.

“I went out to buy some condoms and after I got back I noticed what happened to you car. I was looking at it, and maybe got some of it on me too.”

“……”

“Ah, sorry. Did it get on your pants?”

At Mason’s stare, Tim, who was going to turn the car around, quickly took out some tissues and stretched his arm towards Mason’s crotch. Mason flinched and pulled back, but Tim indifferently wiped in between Mason’s legs. He threw the tissue outside the window afterwards. Mason stared at Tim, who was waiting for the signal to change. Is this the guy who poured paint on his car? Is he the stalker who sent the letter? He thought about it for a second, but no, it can’t be. Tim didn’t smell like paint. He seemed like a guy who was actually just looking around. But still, he can’t be sure…. Because of Mason staring at him, Tim felt suspicious and screamed, ‘Ah, what. I did not do it!’

“Am I crazy. Why would I do that?”

Mason slowly scanned the man, whose tone had strangely changed. This man definitely was not the stalker. Compared to the height from where the paint was poured and the graffiti written on his car, Tim’s height did not match up. He was a little taller than Haley, probably 6.2 feet? Based on the height of the graffiti, there was a greater chance that the culprit was smaller than Haley. Since the stalker did not strike him as a careful person, he probably painted on a spot, which was comfortable for him. Mason looked at Tim and quietly sighed. Then this man is….

“You. Your number has changed?”

Tim started to talk in a very sarcastic tone. Mason said, ‘…Mm right,’ and rolled his eyes. Tim glared at Mason’s unsure reply.

“Since you’ve got Raynoah now, you’re discarding all of your past men?”

“…….”

Tim wasn’t the stalker. He was just one of the people Mason thought he should’ve met any time now.

“Are you having fun with that son of a bitch these days?”

Haley’s ex. -Or one of the sex partners.

***

“Check if the razor had any germs or poison on it, right away.”

Phil, who was ghastly pale, quickly picked up the razors that had cut Noah’s finger and urgently sent it to the lab through Sophie. Noah picked up the pictures with his blood-dripping hands.

“Don’t touch them! We don’t know what had he done.”

Phil hastily held Noah’s hands, but Noah said, ‘I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the pictures, so stop being overprotective,’ and slapped his hand away.

“It was weird when she said it was from Haley….”

Noah said tossing the bouquet of roses on the floor.

“No matter how happy I am, as if I’m dreaming, I shouldn’t have done this.”

If Mason was a romantic and sweet man who sent bouquet of roses to the partner he had sex with the previous night then it’ll make sense, but that was not true. He wasn’t that kind of a person; just look at how he left to the filming set with a pasty face. He would never do that. Noah knew this and yet he opened the package without thinking. Noah gave his injured hand to Phil and looked at the pictures using the other. Mostly they were pictures of Haley. Noah threw, one after another, pictures of Haley flirting with another man on the floor. Haley, Haley, Haley. It was all pictures of Haley. Noah had been able to recognize the differences even before he knew that Mason was inside Haley’s body and now, he was amazed at how completely different those two looked.

“They have the same body. It’s really weird….”

“…. Pardon?”

Phil, who was pressing on Noah’s bleeding hand, raised his head at Noah’s murmurs. Instead of answering, Noah just kept staring at the pictures. Amongst twenty-something pictures, only the last picture was of Mason. It wasn’t just his look or the clothes he wore that were different. The habit of moving his eyebrows or eyes, the way he moved his facial muscles, the way he talked, the way he walked, his hand gestures… Everything about the way he used his body was different. Those natural and stern movements made him look so much like Mason.

“…These are pictures of Haley. Do, do you think Haley’s stalker sent them to you?”

It seemed like the bleeding had barely come to a stop and Phil, who just recovered from his panic, wiped his sweat and stared at the pictures that Noah had thrown away. Those were pictures of Haley meeting another man, kissing him, and having sex with him inside a car parked in a secluded place. It wasn’t even explicit; it was like watching a porn scene. Phil remembered Noah saying with a smile that he was in relationship only a moment ago. So he carefully asked,

“Are you okay? …This is all in the past, so don’t worry…”

Everyone in the world knew that Haley lustfully and promiscuously messed around, but still, there was no way that someone would feel okay after seeing these pictures of their lover. At first Phil thought, ‘Why is it Haley Lusk, why must it be that kind of a man…?’ But it was true that Noah’s condition had gotten a lot better. At first Phil thought Noah was going overboard to forget Mason’s death and the horrors of abduction, but if not that… -If not that, then he had really made some progress. Any person who not only saves Noah’s life, but also fills the vacuum left behind by Mason, may it be Haley or even a dog, Phil will serve them with all his loyalty.

And also, once he actually met Haley Lusk, that guy was pretty likeable. He wasn’t flirty, and his personality was manly and clean. He was aware that Haley was a slutty guy who had dirtily rubbed himself on Noah, but when actually having a conversation with him, Phil couldn’t resist feeling refreshed. He thought that, after he came back alive Haley had changed a lot… but still, when he saw these pictures he had to reconsider. Phil considered about Noah’s feeling and wondered how he should cover up the pictures, but Noah interrupted his thoughts.

“Ah. I don’t care about those pictures. The one I’m interested in is this.”

Noah held a picture with his fingertips and waved. Phil looked at the picture with puzzlement. That picture also had Haley, with crutches and a slightly tired face. He was getting into a car owned by the same man with whom he had secretly met and had sex with in the former pictures.

“And this is what I should take care of.”

Noah looked at the back of the picture.

‘He is having an affair. Break up with him. You can’t handle him.’

It seemed like the words were written in red paint, the same color of a previous picture that had red paint poured over Haley’s car. He’s having an affair? Leaving Noah? Phil stared at the picture and blinked and looked at Noah, who was actually smiling as if he heard a funny joke. Noah flicked the picture back to look at Haley getting into the car and murmured, ‘He’s gotten careless.’ Well, he did tire him out last night. He probably would get into not only his ex-lover’s car that he didn’t even know about, but also the stalker’s car. Still it was a relief that it was not as dangerous, because he didn’t get in the car without unknowing that it was the stalker’s.

“That man having an affair…”

Noah, who mumbled and threw the picture on the floor, lightly said, ‘We’ve laughed and rested for a bit. We should quickly get back to work now.’ Because of his not only cool but insane reaction, Phil stuttered ‘Uh, Huh? Yes,’ and picked up the pictures on the floor and cleaned up the blood on the floor. Noah sat down on his seat and remembered the sentence behind the picture and chuckled. Mason having an affair, with a man, while feeling it so much that he was coming until his lower part was drenched wet, he was a straight man who naturally resisted that kind of pleasure. But still he had said, ‘I like it’ instead of ‘dislike or awful’. Because he had said it indifferently, very much like Mason, Noah felt more desperate. He was already blindly obsessed thinking that if Mason was alive he didn’t need anything, but what is he going to do if this feeling got bigger? Noah realized with surprise that his feelings had gotten deeper already and languidly leaned on the chair holding the documents.

“Um, there’s something inside the bouquet of flowers…”

Phil, who was cleaning the floor, removed a hand-sized black machine from amongst the roses and showed it to him.

“…It looks like a receiver.”

A listening device, which doesn’t show where it was planted, equipped with a receiver. -Noah stared at that thing with his languid eyes and smiled bending his eyes.

“Since we got it, should we listen?”

He said as if he was expecting to hear something interesting this time and rested his chin on his clasped hands…

***

‘Are you having fun with that son of a bitch these days? At Tim’s question, Mason thought about it a little and said.

“…. Yeah, it’s good.”

Tim frowned at Mason’s answer and chuckled, ‘Hah,’ like he was speechless. He parked the car on the side of the street and turned around to Mason. Mason looked at him with an indifferent expression.

“Do you like money so much? You are doing well these days, huh?”

‘That son of a bitch is fully sponsoring you, isn’t he?’ Tim asked a little excited, and Mason answered, ‘Yeah, I like that part too.’ Tim probably didn’t expect Haley to admit it so easily and looked at him like he was a bit sick of him.

“Why? You told me to ask him for a car.”

Mason asked with the boldest face possible. Tim scanned Mason, from top to bottom, and said.

“I heard you changed a lot, but you haven’t changed at all.”

He took out a cigarette and lit it and deeply inhaled it. He opened the car widow and exhaled the smoke. Mason thought about the cigarette he had quit for Haley’s sake and smacked his lips. Tim probably felt his stare and handed him a cigarette, but Mason said, ‘No thanks, I quit,’ and refused unconvincingly. Tim looked at him with what the heck face and sneered, ‘Haley Lusk quits smoking? Why don’t you tell me you quit drugs too?’

“Mm. I don’t do drugs too.”

When Mason said indifferently, Tim looked at him like he couldn’t believe him. Mason rolled down the widow and let the smoke escape and indifferently averted his eyes.

“Hah, you, seriously! Do you know how fake your acting really is? It is giving me goose bumps. When you pretended not to know me a while ago, your eyes didn’t even shake.”

Because I didn’t. Mason hid his sigh and replied with a little annoyance.

“We don’t even know each other that well.”

Thinking about Haley’s personality, it was obvious what kind of relationship he would have had with his man. Either Haley clung onto him and relied on him or just simply used him as a sex partner. Seeing Tim’s reaction, those two were probably somewhere in the middle.

“Haley. Hey.”

He called him like that was enough.

“The fact that you got on my car, doesn’t that mean something? Why are you playing so hard to get? Are you saying that you really got on my car because you were annoyed at those reporters and their cameras?”

Instead of answering him, Mason showed an indifferent face. Tim couldn’t believe Mason’s reaction and said, ‘Bullshit!’

“Raycarlton gives you a lot of money and treats you nicely, but sex with him was probably shitty. Do you think I don’t know your lower body’s business? Spit it you honestly, if we go to my house and bang, it’ll be good for both of us. Why are you acting like this? Did I ask you to break up with Raycarlton?”

Even before Mason could answer, Tim asked again.

“You followed me because his dick was small, isn’t it?”

‘Huh? You missed my big thing, right?’ Tim stroked on top of his crotch and Mason glanced at his penis that was etched on top of his pants.

“That loser gets kidnapped. Your greedy anus must have twitched, asking for more, but he probably got worn out. No, did you guys even do it?”

‘That thing, maybe he has erectile dysfunctional?’ Tim smiled with a proud face. He was probably confident in his sexual prowess and continued.

“Good for both of us. You know, I’m not asking for you do date me? Just like how it used to be, let’s just solve our lower body parts’ businesses. You are probably dying because it feels empty these days. Aren’t I right?”

Mason looked at Tim’s face that was smiling with his teeth showing and looked at his penis that was sticking out and assessed it. Mason knew very well what kind of talk could hurt him as a man and make it easy for him to chase him away.

“There was a misunderstanding.”

Mason noticeably stared at Tim’s penis and said, “I really just wanted to borrow your car…. Sorry, but Noah’s dick is much better.”

“…. What?”

“Longer, thicker, and really hard…. Ah, honestly it’s not even a joke.”

Mason looked at Tim’s and thought of Noah’s big and scary looking penis as he said, ‘Hm.., about this big?’ Mason showed the estimated size with his hand, and Tim wrinkled his face.

“Don’t lie. That son of a bitch is that big?”

“Mm.”

Instead of arguing that he is right, Mason pretended to taste it with his mouth. At his expression, Tim’s mouth gaped open.

“When he puts it in, my inside gets really tight. Like it’s gonna rip. Because it’s so big, even if he doesn’t move, I go crazy completely. Hah.”

Mason stopped his sentence as if saliva got collected in his mouth. With some truths, he simply added what Haley would say and trembled to show his excitement.

“In the end, I couldn’t come anymore, so I begged him to stop in tears. -Well, honestly, you weren’t like that.”

Mason pretended to be an airhead. Tim’s face got red. Mason showed a doleful expression and said after a sigh.

“Sorry, rather than his money or support, I’m seeing Noah because I like his dick. You know what kind of a person I am.”

‘Didn’t you see an article about how I clung onto him in order to borrow his dick?’ Mason purposely emphasized on the word ‘dick.’

“But if I do it with you right now, I think my bottom is gonna feel too empty.”

“Fuck you. Hey!”

“Ah, why are you shouting?”

Mason acted annoyed and looked around. It seemed like there was no paparazzi following them. After clarifying his relationship with Tim, he’ll never talk to him again. ‘All men are the same.’ Mason gave a final shot to get rid of all his feelings.

“Are you really not gonna give me a ride? It’s really hard to catch a cab in this kind of a place….”

“You, really!” Tim lifted his hand like he was going to hit Mason, and at that moment, Mason’s phone rang in his pocket.

-Noah Raycarlton

What an impeccable timing? Mason thought about it for a second, before answering the phone, at the same time warily keeping an eye on Tim.

“Ah, Noah?”

“I’m heading there now, what’s wrong?” Before Mason could say that, Noah bet him to it.

[Don’t ride in a cab. I’ll send you a car. Ride back on that. -Where is your current location exactly?]

“…Pardon? Here. An intersection going to West Hollywood…”

‘But how did you know I was going to hire a cab?’ Mason blinked and heard his voice say on the other end, ‘…Pardon? Here. An intersection going to West Hollywood…’ with a small delay and opened his mouth.

[Sorry. I wasn’t planning to eavesdrop, but someone gave it to me as a gift.]

[I listened only as a consideration to their thoughtful gift….] Noah’s voice was mixed with laughter.

“Uh, that… perhaps…”

Mason rolled his eyes with a shocked face, and Tim, who was smoking, glanced at him.

“Why?”

He could clearly hear his voice ‘Uh. That. Perhaps,’ and ‘Why?’ Tim’s annoyed voice through the phone. Mason gasped and dug through Tim’s car. He didn’t have to look long for it. When he opened the air conditioner fan with a bit of strength, a black listening device dropped out.

“What is that?”

Tim dropped his cigarette in surprise and asked. A second later, a slightly clearer voice asked, ‘What is that?’ through the phone. Seemed like Mason had found out the bug, Noah thought. Mason heard him laugh at the other end.

[The talk about my dick, I hope you can tell me in detail when we meet… Is that possible?]