It's a damn good story, but sadly an unsatisfying BL. First, insofar as red flags are concerned, Mah is actually pretty low on the list, but he's hella well-written. He's feral and arrogant and cocky and most of all, consistent in his inconsistency. He is a red flag who knows full well he's a red flag. That's his charm, but his character is very well-written because it is shown in a very subdued manner. He just do what he likes without the usual posturing / "mwahaha I'm dangerous kitten" that so often appears in red flag BL. Mah is all Show, not Tell. In contrast, Hitoshi isalso very well-written. He's not just a typical blushing uwu helpless Stockholm Syndrome uke, but neither is he the badass unyielding uke that sometimes like to be paired with red flag semes in more hardened BLs. Hitoshi is...ordinary, really. He freaks out, he pisses his pants, he has a pathetic dream as much as he is dogged and persistent. The relationship between Mah and Hitoshi is so entertaining (red flag understanding) precisely because both of them are LOUD and JAGGED.

The ex, uh, Nakamura? I think? He's a delightful antagonist. Disgustingly slimy, while also seductively charming. A character that I definitely loves to hate, for sure.

But again, this works better as a dark story about the underworld with bits of gayness instead of a dark BL about the underworld. The story focuses too much on how much Hitoshi and Mah contrasts each other instead of how they complement each other. The moments that usually appears to be romantic in BL instead ends up reinforcing that gap. So even by the end, I feel a bit unsatisfied by the state of Hitoshi and Mah's relationship. Especially since the extra chapter instead focuses on Mah and Nakamura.

But again, that is only a minor gripe. On its own, this is already a brilliant story.