Chapter Text
They had met in front of their department’s secretary office. When Third arrived to file in his resignation paper, the three others were already there. He already knew them, being in the same major and all, but he’d never spoken to them before. He barely even remembered their names. Third wasn’t really good at making friends.
He noticed they all looked down, just like he did. No matter how much he tried to convince himself he didn’t care, it did feel like a failure to be dropping out during his first year of university. Not even because his grades were bad or he didn’t enjoy it, too.
“Why are you all here?”
Bone had spoken first, as the waiting was starting to be felt around the room. Third didn’t know his name yet, nor the fact that he’d become one of the most important people in his life.
“I’m resigning,” Two answered.
At the time he already had the same haircut, which always made Third laugh. He’d have his overgrown bangs until the day he’d die, probably.
“Me too,” Khai had replied.
It had been the first moment Third truly laid eyes on him for more than a few seconds. It had been the moment he’d fallen in love. It was a bit ridiculous, really. While Khai was beautiful, there wasn’t anything really making him stand out either. But Third had liked his hair, his crossed legs and the tiny smirk he had sent them as he said that, as if it was a laughing matter.
“Same,” Third had said, pulling his gaze away from Khai.
“Well the cinema major is gonna miss us,” Bone teased bitterly. “Why are you leaving? You don’t like it here?”
They all spent a few seconds exchanging looks. Now it was clear none of them wanted to initially admit it. It felt shameful.
Two sighed, daring to be the first one to speak. “I lied to my parents to come here, saying I got a scholarship. I come from a very small village and they’re farmers. I tried to make ends meet, but… even my part-time job can’t help me keep up with the university’s tuition, rent and food.”
Third had felt relieved, to know that someone was struggling like he was. But unlike him, none of it was Two’s fault. He just happened to be born into a poor family.
“I… don’t have enough money anymore either,” Bone declared. “I was convinced by a senior from high school to invest in a cafe near this university. He told me it’d be a great success and we’d make bank. I gave him all of my savings and he managed to blow it all up in a year. Now there’s no cafe, no senior and no money anymore.”
“Your parents can’t help you?” Khai wondered.
Bone shook his head, a bitter smile coming onto his lips. “I don’t speak with them anymore. But what about you?”
Khai chuckled, letting himself fall further into his chair, looking at the ceiling. “Well, I… was rich. Like, very rich. I had expensive houses, cars, clothes, and all you can imagine. I never had to think about money before. But a year ago… my parents were killed in a car accident. As I had just turned eighteen I started living with my own, and everything was okay. As okay as being an orphan can be.”
Khai’s whole being had transformed. Third was suspended at his lips, absorbed by his every word. He noticed he was shaking a bit, both his limbs and his chin. He looked so vulnerable Third wanted to hug him.
“It took a year for the police to figure out that it hadn’t been an accident, and that my parents had been murdered as mafia leaders.”
He stopped to look at their reactions, both Two and Bone wide-eyed and mouths agape while Third held his breath.
“I know, right? This sounds like the plot of a movie, but it’s my life. It turned out that the reason my parents never had me meet my family was that they didn’t want me involved in the mafia at all. My dad knew how dangerous it was and he wanted me to lead a different life. One where I could be a movie director like I had always dreamed of. But their killing exposed the whole thing to the police and they took everything. My houses, my cars… the only thing I still own are my phone, my laptop and my clothes. Some family pictures as well.”
He swallowed loudly, as if he was about to cry. Third wouldn’t blame him if he did.
“They took all the money in my bank account as well. So I was left with nothing. It was two weeks ago. I found a job as a clerk in a clothing store but it doesn’t pay enough for me to rent a room and go here. So… I have to resign.”
The room was silent. It was clear none of them knew what to say. Khai sniffed before turning to him, clearly uncomfortable and wanting to divert the attention onto someone else.
“What about you?”
Third bit his lip as their eyes met again. “Well… I was born in a very poor family. My mom used to do laundry for people but she developed severe back pain from it, making it impossible for her to work. My dad has been trying to make ends meet, he insisted in sending me to university, but… he really doesn’t have the money. Even if I worked I couldn’t sustain being here.”
They all nodded as Third swallowed his guilt. He wasn’t really lying entirely. He was born into a poor family. His mom couldn’t work anymore because of her back pain. His dad was trying to make ends meet. What he didn’t tell them, though, was that he was the reason for them being so poor and struggling.
When he was fifteen, Third had started hanging out with the wrong people. At the time though, being with them was the only thing that made him feel good. They were about ten guys who loved trouble. They partied multiple times a week, loved drugs and sex. Mostly though, they were hot seniors. All the girls wanted to be with them. But the leader of that group had settled his eyes on Third. They had fucked on the first day they met. It made Third feel good. It was the first time a guy expressed interest in him.
For the next three years, Third stayed with them. Even when they graduated the next year and Third was left with no friends for the rest of his school years. Even when the leader only wanted sex and would publicly date girls in front of him. Even when they introduced him to drugs.
And Third had come to love drugs. At first he did them just because he was told to, then because it was fun. Now he needed them. It was the only thing he needed in his life, even though he didn’t hang out with that group anymore.
He needed them so bad he stole money from his parents and drained their already feeble bank account as his part-time job couldn’t sustain his habits. The day his parents had found him overdosed on his bed was the last day they’d spoken to him. They had finally understood what was going on.
Third had tried to take less drugs, he had even tried stopping them completely and using all the money from his part-time job for his tuition and rent. But he had failed. So now, he was standing in the waiting room in front of his department’s secretary office to give up forever on his dream of becoming a movie writer.
The office’s door finally opened and a student got out of it. Bone got up, paper in hand and ready to do it. Before entering the room though, he turned around and looked at them.
“Do you guys want to go get drinks after this?”
They entered the bar near their now old campus early, and left it when it closed. Third hadn’t expected to spend the better part of his night with guys he had just met, but it ended up life-changing.
As it was a Friday night, the place was packed. Faint music was playing in the background as they sat down at what seemed like the only available table left. Once their drinks arrived, Third let the alcohol burn his throat as it went down to his stomach. He noticed Khai seemed stressed.
“Have you guys found jobs already? I’m probably gonna go full-time at the clothing store but I don’t think it’s gonna be enough. Do you have recommendations of good paying jobs?” he asked.
Bone chuckled as he shook his head. “I think I’m gonna go back to the first cafe I worked at before I invested in that other one. But I don’t know if it’s gonna be enough either.”
Third sighed. “I don’t even have a job idea. I’ll do anything that pays.”
“My part-time job at a grocery store won’t make me full time. I think I’ll have to find another job on the side...” Two explained, and it seemed he had something more to say, but he didn’t.
Khai let his head fall in between his arms. “I’m so screwed, guys. I still have a little money from my own savings but most of it was taken by the cops as it was dirty money. I’ve started selling my designer items, but… I’m gonna need a job soon.”
“If I see something interesting, I’ll tell you okay?” Bone offered.
Khai nodded, looking grateful. He took another sip of his drink.
They thankfully stopped talking about upsetting things and moved on to lighter things, like their experience at university. It seemed like hours had passed in an instant, drinks emptied one after the others as they recounted their whole lives to the others. Third didn’t say as much as them, keeping most of it to himself. He had always been more of a listener anyway.
By the end of the night, he felt like he knew those three men more than he had ever known anyone else. He now knew that Bone had abusive parents which he never wanted to see again, that Two hadn’t told his family he’d dropped out because his parents wouldn’t be able to take it, and that Khai didn’t dare searching for his family to ask them about his parents, even though he so desperately wanted to.
“We’re closing now, sorry,” the bartender said as they got up and paid.
The night was a bit chilly when they got out into an empty street. They stood there in front of the bar they’d never come to again since they wouldn’t be in this neighborhood without university anymore. Third saw Two bite his lip for the hundredth time of the night, as if he wanted to say something.
“Guys...” he whispered, before looking up at them. “By the way, what are your names? I’m Two.”
They all chuckled, realizing that the people that now knew them best in the world were still anonymous.
“I’m Bone.”
“Khai.”
Third stared at him. Khai. His name was Khai. “I’m Third.”
Two smiled, seemingly more relaxed. “Okay. So… I might have a job idea for all of us.”
It had seemed insane at first that Third had refused. “Just think about it,” Two had said. So he had. And a week later he’d called him to say he was in.
Two’s friend was named P’Un. He was a year older than them and an orphan since birth who’d had to provide for himself for a long time. He did all sorts of things… steal, burn, beat up, sell, drive, hide… for money. All of that was illegal of course, but it paid well. A lot better than any of their current jobs could.
They met him at another bar on the very same night Third accepted to be part of it. Two sat close next to Un, making Third smirk. He always knew these kinds of things very well. Friend my ass. Bone and Khai had come with them, also desperate to make some good money.
“People who pay for my services very often ask for a team, which I couldn’t provide until now. So it’s great that you guys are in.”
“How dangerous is it?” Third queried.
Un shrugged. “Not much. I’ve never gotten caught. You just gotta be fast and well-prepared. And hide your face too, we wouldn’t want to get involved in a gang war.”
“So we’re not gonna be a gang?” Bone joked.
Un chuckled as he shook his head. “A gang doesn’t do things for others, it does things for itself, to become stronger. But if you really want, we can call each other a gang.”
“What should our name be?” Bone replied, looking around the table.
They all fell silent as they thought about it. “The anonymous gang?” Un offered.
“The lover gang,” Two jokingly said, making them smile.
“The savage gang.”
They all stopped to look at Khai who had just said that. He had a very casual look on his face, like he’d just whispered in his sleep. But he seemed to realize the weight of his words with their eyes all on him.
“Aw, it’s that bad?”
They shook their head. Un smiled. “No. I think the savage gang is a pretty good name. But it’ll only be for us, though.”
Khai nodded with a grin, one of those that made Third fall for him even harder as they all clunked their drinks together.