LOVER MONSTER!
25. Between Oscar and Demian.

The sky in Vegas had faded darkly, entering the night.

Oscar Brown, a 32-year-old man with sweet dimples adorning his face, was standing on a Bronze rooftop as the sun slowly sank in another corner of the earth. The lights around it then lit up, illuminating the rooftop that became the place of his fatigue relief.

Just then, while Oscar looked to the edge of the horizon with a dreamy face, Oscar did not immediately lose his guard.

Oscar-in the middle of his daydream, can still hear footsteps that appear approaching him.

"You're late" Oscar said.

"I don't remember if you gave me a time limit to see you."

"Not that" Oscar said. His voice implied that the topic being touched on by the person behind him was extremely insignificant.

"You missed the sunset view" Oscar said later.

"When did you become a man of nature?"

Oscar turned around and faced Demian - the man who had just come and immediately criticized him. Annoying guy.

"You should enjoy your time once in a while, Demian. Only then do you realize how lucky you are so far."

"Someone wants to be Shakespeare" Demian sneered.

"Currently, you underestimated my words." Oscar rolled his eyes.

Whether the topic will only fade as a joke to Demian, Oscar gives up convincing Demian of his interest in the sunset or whatever it is.

"How are you?" ask Oscar again. "You haven't seen me at all after your return from Carson. I thought you were sulking because I told you to."

"Am I a kid?"

"You're a child in the form of an adult."

"Huh, and you're a noisy bastard."

Demian chimed in on Oscar before waltzing into a mini canopy near the rooftop fence. An aluminum bench covers a glass table under the canopy. One cigarette ashtray was at the center of the table, adjacent to several bottles of scotch and a bowl of ice cubes.

Burning a cigarette, Demian turned back to Oscar, who was still resting on the fence. The glittering light from the skyscrapers, mingled with the night sky became the backdrop for the Oscars.

"I heard from Adam you called me for something urgent" Demian said. He started the topic first.

"Dull, you're too outspoken. As colleagues, we should have talked about this and that first before discussing serious matters."

"I don't have anything I want to discuss with you," Demian said until something finally, a topic popped into his mind. Come on suddenly.

"Oh, your expression says you have one or two topics you want to talk about." Oscar guessed it right.

"There's nothing special" Demian said. "Just.., you might be right. I have one or two things I want to ask you."

"Well, this is more exciting, right?" Oscar follows Demian and sits opposite Demian under the canopy. Oscar shoveled some ice cubes out of the bowl, put them in two glasses of glass, before pouring scotch into it.

"Now, we can talk all night."

"I have no intention of spending my nights talking nonsense to you," Demian said reluctantly.

Oscar-in a few occasions, always managed to make Demian want to escape from the presence of the man. Unlike Demian, who is known as the number one bastard, psychopath and monster on the streets of Vegas, Oscar Brown is a snake.

Being with him made Demian become extremely vigilant. It was as if he was being stalked by a poisonous snake. Wrong movement, he can end up pounced. Demian believes that if there is anyone more terrible than his family on this earth, it will be Oscar.

"So..., tell me, what's the thing you want to talk to me about? Putting aside your main problem, of course." Oscar ignores Demian's refusal and chooses to continue his conversation.

"Jessica Cerise" Demian opened her voice. "I remember I gave you a warning not to go near him. But somehow, your name has come out of her lips a few times lately. It's as if you're an angel who came down to earth."

"aaaah? Did Jessica mention my name in front of you? Bad, you must be so jealous." Oscar laughed lightly.

"My jealous head, I have no reason to be jealous."

"You have, really." Oscar's tone of voice is plain.

Demian frowned unhappily. 

"Ahahahaha, doesn't mean I said you have special feelings for her." Oscar corrected his point instantly. Either he's serious or he's not there.

"Jealousy need not be about love or any such cliche. I'm saying you're jealous because well, you're a possessive man. It's only natural that you don't like other people getting close to your toys."

"..."

"More if the toy is very attention-getting."

Demian took a sip of the scotch Oscar had made for him, before returning to talk.

"Don't make up your own theories" Demian said. "I just don't like you being around Jessica because I know you're more of an asshole than I am."

Oscar muttered to hear Demian's insults towards him. "Despite that," said Oscar. "Jessica looks like a very cheerful girl, huh?"

Rather than cheerful, Demian considers Jessica to be a bright person. He did not smile foolishly here and there with innocence and optimism.

Jessica was, in other words, meticulous and charming. Although sometimes he becomes very insensitive, Demian believes, Jessica is more mature and good at regulating her emotions.

Wait, Demian's thoughts like this made Demian become somewhat disgusted at himself. Did he really, just now, think about Jessica and describe her with a special point of view? Ew!

Feels weird.

Oscar's words make sense. Demian knew that without her climbing the balcony of Jessica's room, her relationship with the emerald-eyed girl would never have happened.

"If your closeness starts with luck, do you think I can be as lucky as you, Demian?" The question is more like a challenge.

"Don't do anything in vain, Oscar." Demian finally opened his voice. "As you say, I'm a possessive person and don't like other people touching my property."

"Heh, so my words were not just an arbitrary theory. You shouldn't deny me, then."

Oscar felt happy to have been able to make Demian swallow his own saliva. The man needed to be cornered here and there in order to open his true heart intent.

"Just focus on your gambling" Demian said. "I don't want you to invest your time in Jessica. He already has too much busy."

"Hmmm, that bustle, Jake Allendale is one of them, right?" Demian's bolt tightens when Jake's name is mentioned.

"Aren't you afraid that Jessica will be taken by the same man?" Oscar poured oil there, hoping the fire in Demian's eyes devoured his nonsense. "You know, like Angela..."

"You seem to be having fun poisoning my mind," Demian spontaneously chuckled. He noticed Oscar's expression still lingering in hospitality.

Seriously, that man was indeed a deadly snake. He knows exactly what to say to make you lose your patience.

"Stop smiling, it's sickening." Demian rebuked him irritatedly. "You better be without that disgusting expression."

A smile only means when it contains sincerity. Unfortunately, the word sincere is not a suitable word to be juxtaposed with Oscar.

"Haaaah, you're ruining the mood. I want to talk like a friend to you. Why can't you just stick to your role and follow the flow?"

"I'm not interested in being your best friend" Demian bluntly. "If you need a friend who can survive your bullshit, you better find a real friend."

"Real friends, huh? That's an interesting idea." Oscar tapped his finger on the table.

"So, are you satisfied talking nonsense?"

Demian wanted to know what was the urgent thing that made him have to survive against the obscurity of Oscar. Did Erthian fall ill again or was there something else?

Oscar leaned his back against the back of the bench. His eyes scanned Demian's expression, teasing the fellow by stalling for answers. He wanted Demian to feel depressed, frightened.

Unfortunately, 10 seconds later passed, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, and 1 minute. Demian did not show any meaningful expression. He hung out across the table and returned Oscar's gaze with stark boredom.

"I can sleep first if you don't want to talk soon."

"Tsk," Oscar snorted in annoyance. "You should be scared."

"Don't put empty hopes on me" Demian said in a mockery. "I've never been afraid of anything to do with my family."

"That's because you're a delinquent, isn't it?" Oscar thunts.

"Don't stall the conversation, Oscar."

Haaaa~

Oscar took a long breath.

"All right, I'll say." The Oscar who had previously leaned back, moved forward. Both of his hands were clinging to the glass table. Framing her wet scotch glass. "My spies in Sorrento disappeared."

"..."

With the Oscar recognition sliding, the night wind blowing on the rooftop felt colder and sharper. Demian was immersed in displeasure. 

Sorrento, Campania is a region in the South, Italy. The place where Demian grew big and tall. In that town-Sorrento, a mansion of the Bellamy family stands high on a cliff overlooking the blue sea.

Oscar planted his spies there a few years ago. It was through the spy that Demian had until now remained safe. At least, until the spy finally disappeared.

"They're certainly suspicious" Oscar said. "They've been sending enemies to your feet for quite some time, but none of those attacks have been successful. That situation will definitely raise questions."

"..."

"Between you're a final boss who has the power of a god, or., you've been anticipating their attack."

"Selina must have been suspicious" Demian said. "After all, even though he wasn't smart enough, he had tremendous support from my father's side."

"It's a pity" Oscar said. "If this were the case, it would take me a long time to be able to infiltrate Bellamy back."

"You better hold yourself back for a while." Demian warned Oscar.

Once they manage to find a spy in Bellamy, the surveillance in that place will become even more strict than before.

If they find a new spy trying to infiltrate their residence, it does not rule out the possibility that they will use the spy as a double agent to disrupt the information that will be received Oscar.

Oscar is threatened.

"I also want to warn you about something similar, Demian." Oscar said before downing his scotch. 

"I'd be happier if you were under their radar for some time. Do something that doesn't catch your eye. You know, things kind of fall in love and hunt women. Such an act was extremely uninteresting to the eye."

"Why that shit again?"

"I'm just sharing advice" Oscar laughed. "You don't have to worry too much, Demian. Even though I don't have a spy in Sorrento, Vegas is in the palm of my hand. I know what's going on in this town better than anyone."

"Hn, I entrust the rest to you." Demian said back.

*