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cowboygenesis · 12 days

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18+ knuckle up | astarion x reader

summary: after a drunken night and a dumb bet you're left in an emotional (and physical) chokehold by your favourite vampire companion.

pairing: astarion ancunin x afab!bard!reader tags: 18+, smut, fluff, switch dynamics, m/f, fingering, unprotected sex, resolved tension, playfighting, sex after training session. word count: 7.8k notes: this fic was SO fun to write even if im a gale girlie myself. this is my first attempt at writing ANY bg3 character, so i really hope i did okay. if not, let me know! comments help me improve my writing (and warm my heart, seriously, thanks to anyone taking the time out of their day to comment). anyways gang, no beta as ALWAYS, you know how we roll. ENJOY! masterlist.

It still made little sense to you.

You had honed your skills at the most prestigious music schools in Faerûn for years, pouring your heart into every note, every chord, only to find yourself shamelessly ridiculed for an entirely different kind of performance. And by a man you’d grown to like, no less.

"Get up, darling," Astarion’s voice drips with amusement, the self-satisfied smirk tugging at his lips with infuriating smugness. His crimson eyes watch you with a predatory glint, locking onto your vulnerable form sprawled in the dirt—a definitive result of his frustratingly agile moves.

You groan lowly, propping yourself up on bruised elbows, wincing as a dull ache pulses through your body. A stray lock of hair falls in front of your face, and you blow it away in frustration.

"I’m starting to think this isn’t educational at all." You glare at him with all the venom you can muster, eyebrows furrowed as his arms cross.

Your eyes absentmindedly scan down his body, taking note of his slightly disheveled shirt and tousled hair. He looks… good. Beautiful, even. Basking in the soft moonlight seeping through the vast greenery above, he stands there like he’s in his element.

He chuckles, seemingly unbothered by your vapid tone. "Oh, but it is, my dear. Think of it as a new, humbling experience. Valuable in its own right."

You bite back a retort as he offers you a hand, his expression making your eye twitch. You never thought you’d fall for arrogance, yet ironically it’s your own conceit that might have brewed your upcoming downfall.

After a particularly boisterous night of drinking in camp—brought on by the recent victory over a pack of gnolls—you foolishly accepted Astarion’s challenge to best him in hand-to-hand combat. Your alcohol-addled brain had been more confident than your body, and now, after a series of harsh jabs and sidesteps, you were being taught the harsh reality of “real” combat.

Defeated, you eventually obliged a quick lesson from the master himself, which he had (admittedly suspiciously) made you take after losing your bet.

At the very least, the bruising would rid you of your lingering hangover once you were done taking the thrashing. Plus, you hoped it would bring you two closer. Figuratively and physically.

He raises an eyebrow, clearly enjoying your hesitation. "Come now, my dear, don’t be so stubborn. You seemed so eager at first,"

"You told me you’d teach me to fight, not fall on my damn face," you lament, but begrudgingly accept his help, allowing him to pull you to your feet.

His grip is firm, and the coolness of his skin sends a small jolt of electricity down your spine. You had often imagined what holding his hand would feel like during the colder nights alone in your tent, and while the circumstances ended up being less than ideal, it was good enough for you. For now.

You rub at your sore arm with a frown and catch that Astarion, unmistakably, stands completely unscathed, his pale complexion almost glowing in the ambient light.

"I’m thinking…” he muses, glancing at the weathered lyre resting peacefully by the roots of a tree. His lips curl into a smirk, and you can feel the teasing jab sting your pride. “Perhaps you’re better suited to the more... delicate aspects of life,"

Your jaw clenches. While bards famously went underestimated— a fact you were reminded of frequently— it hurt more coming from someone you so badly wanted to fuck.

"Oh, I don’t know," you say with a saccharine tone, brushing the residual dirt from your pants; your favorite pair, yet you’d probably end up having to toss them out after your poor performance today. "I think a harp string could make a fine garrote in the right hands."

Astarion’s laughter rings out clearly, and your heart skips a beat unbeknownst to you. "Dully noted. Fortunately for the both of us, we’re stripped of any weaponry in our current pinnacle."

Your eyes roll, running a hand through your disheveled, sweat-slick hair and adjusting your posture to the one he had taught you: one foot forward, back straight.

"Again," you demand, squaring your shoulders. If he wanted to mock you, fine— but you wouldn’t go down without a proper fight.

Astarion’s eyes widen, but his smirk never falters. He sighs in faux exasperation but quickly matches your posture. "So eager to be tossed into the dirt again, darling."

Your face flashes with heat at his painfully languid remark, your mind going places it probably shouldn’t. You knew the pet names were simply an inherent part of his vocabulary and that he used them generously, with everyone, yet a part of you liked to imagine they were reserved for you, and you only.

“Try me again,” you reply curtly, lowering your gaze as you feel the tension sprawling through your aching body.

He shoots you an arrogant smirk, his gaze penetrating your soul with an intensity you didn’t think possible. He bares his fangs, licking over his bottom lip lazily. “Let’s see it, then.”

Astarion approaches, but this time, you’re ready. As he moves to close the distance, you anticipate the first jab, ducking low before he can catch you off-guard. You dart to the side, aiming a swift thrust toward his midsection. It’s clumsy and unpracticed, but it seems to work.

Your fist connects with his toned stomach. He topples off-balance, but only for a fleeting second. His reflexes are too sharp, too honed through his century-long life for you to overcome with your pitiful attempt.

He catches himself with a graceful pivot, turning the stumble into a curt spin that has him facing you once more.

"Fast learner, are we?" he muses, watching you closely through his fists. "I might actually have to try now."

"Don’t flatter yourself," you shoot back, heart racing. At that moment, you recognize you can’t win. Not this time, probably not the next. But you don’t want to forfeit, even if it means enduring a day or two of terrible muscle soreness.

Every sidestep, every deflected blow, brings you closer, the air between you growing heavy with static. You aren’t sure if it’s the heat of the fight or the dangerous proximity, but you can feel it—an irresistible, undeniable pull.

"Careful now," Astarion purrs as you barely miss his face with a rugged swing. He catches your wrist, holding it tight as he leans in, breath ghosting over your ear. "You wouldn’t want to harm me, would you?"

You swallow hard, your body tensing under his tight grip. The closeness is intoxicating, but you force yourself to stay focused, pushing back against the growing heat in your chest.

"Maybe I would." You don’t.

For a moment, neither of you move. The world seems to narrow, the charged atmosphere thick with tacit suspense. You can feel your pulse hammering in your throat, senses sharp, attuned to every breath he takes as they intermingle with yours.

"Darling," a dramatic pout creeps onto his lips, only to be replaced by a sly grin seconds later. You feel his grip on your wrist loosening just enough for you to slip free. It’s a calculated move, once he grants you himself. "You wound me with your words."

You take a step back, breathless. This isn’t over, not by a long shot, yet your muscles fight against that thought. They scream at you with pain, worn and stretched by what feels like hours of sparring.

“Sounds like you’re the one trying to wound me,” you taunt, shooting him a lowered gaze. “Why’d you take me out here? Trying to make your next kill less obvious?”

The vampire had insisted you two train away from the bustle of camp, even if it meant missing out on tonight’s feast. While the rest of your companions enjoyed the finest ale Baldur’s Gate could offer, you were stuck trying to prove something to your crush.

Astarion's grin widens, his eyes flashing with amusement as he takes a slow, calculated step forward. “Now, now,” he purrs, voice dripping with mock innocence. “If I wanted you dead, you wouldn’t have seen it coming— no need for childish theatrics.”

You hold his gaze, refusing to let him see the slight tremble in your legs from the strain of the sparring—or maybe it’s from something else entirely, you can’t be sure. You know he’s dangerous, that this game you’ve been playing with him has always had its sharp edges. But there’s something about that edge, about the way he dances so easily between teasing and threatening, that weakens your knees and makes you breathless every damn time.

"Then why are we here?" you challenge, taking a step back to match his forward one. Your voice is steady, but your pulse is hammering in your throat. The woods feel like a world apart from camp, the sounds of chatter distant as you sit in your isolated little bubble of the world. “It’s a little… intimate, don’t you think?”

Astarion tilts his head, studying you with a curious twinkle in his crimson eyes. “That sharp tongue again,” he says quietly, “Do you truly believe I’d go through all the trouble of bringing you out here just to end you? If I wanted your death, I’d make it enjoyable for both of us.”

Your breath catches at his words. His words drip with venom, but somewhere deep down, in the depths of his blackened heart, you swear you feel an instance of temptation.

“What’s the game then?” you ask, holding his gaze despite the anxiety twisting in your chest. “Because by the Gods, I know you love those.”

Astarion’s smirk softens, but the intensity in his eyes never falters. He steps closer again, until there’s barely any space between you, his presence intoxicating. “Maybe I just wanted to see what you’re capable of,” he murmurs, his voice low and velvety. “Maybe I wanted to see how far you’d let me push you before you push back.”

His hand hovers near yours, fingers brushing lightly against your skin, but he doesn’t make full contact.

“And maybe,” he continues, leaning in just enough that his breath grazes your cheek, “I’m curious what could happen once we both stop playing.”

Your heart is racing now, and you’re not sure if it’s the adrenaline from the sparring or the charged air between you that’s making your head spin a hundred miles an hour.

“You’ll never know,” you murmur, meeting his gaze with a boldness you don’t quite feel. “Because I’m not backing down from this.”

His grin widens at your rebellion, and with a swift, fluid motion, the man’s playful smirk turns into a vicious one. Before you can react, he spins you around, movements smooth and practiced, making you lose your balance.

Your back hits his chest, and within seconds he wraps one arm around your neck in a tight headlock— his grip is firm, but not painful. Your mind strays to his other arm, feeling it press against your waist to keep you securely against him.

“Such a feisty little thing,” he purrs into your ear, his breath warm against your sweat-slick skin.

You struggle against his hold, trying to twist free, but his grip is relentless. “Fuck you,” you manage to scowl, though the words are strained by the pressure on your throat.

Astarion chuckles softly, and you feel it reverberate through your body. “Oh, she bites back,” he teases, his voice a dark, seductive buzz. “Are you taunting me, darling?”

You try to shift your weight, to find a way out of the headlock, but his grip doesn’t waver. “You’re projecting,” you growl breathlessly.

“And you’re persistent,” he replies, “Suits you well.”

You feel a warmth spread through your belly, tickling your nerve endings and making your thighs squeeze. You thank the Gods he can’t see your flustered face right now.

And suddenly, he releases. Not fully, but his grip weakens enough to allow you a moment to slip out again, stumbling over your own feet as you face him.

“Here’s your second freebie,” he chuckles, getting into position again. “Careful, next one might come at a price.”

“Like I need a third one,”

You recalibrate, then in the spur of the moment, pounce. Your arms extend as they barrel toward him. His eyes widen, but he manages to catch them mid-air; his hands clasping into yours and pushing against you.

“Fair strategy,” he commends, and you sense it might at least be partially earnest. “Desperate, but fair.”

You strain against him, breath hitching when he periodically pushes back. Whenever he does, you feel his gaze boring into you with a crazed intensity.

Then, you try not to think about the fact your digits fit together really damn well— and fail. Take what you can get, right?

“What’s wrong, my dear?” he sneers, slender fingers tightening around your palm. He leans in, your chests threatening to collide. “Getting distracted?”

You grit your teeth, leaning in with your full body weight, but he barely budges. “You wish,” you shoot back breathlessly.

“I feel it,” he corrects in a whisper, leaning in just enough that his lips hover dangerously close to your ear. “It’s in your eyes. You’re not even thinking about our little lesson anymore, are you?”

Your breath hitches at his words, the undoubted truth in them cutting through the haze in your mind. He’s right. The bet, your lesson —somewhere along the lines, your sparring posture went lax. All that matters to you now is the palpable closeness, your hands in his, and his hot, idle breath on your neck. Your throat threatens to cast a strained groan, but you withhold.

“I—” you start to protest, but your voice falters. His chest is now pressed flush against yours, pushing you forward.

“Admit it,” he murmurs, his voice low, seductive. “And I’ll let you win.”

Your hands tremble in the small space they lock with his, the smoldering red of his gaze telling you he knows exactly what he’s doing—how his actions leave you a mess in body and soul.

“I won’t, I— I can’t,” you manage to stutter, but the words sound weak and unconvincing even to your own weary ears.

He chuckles softly, the sound reverberating through you like a slow current. “Liar,” he whispers, and you catch a glimpse of his pearly fangs in your hazed peripherals. “Not a good one, either. Another thing I should school you on.”

Your eyes roll, but the implication accelerates the growing tension within your guts. “Just how generous you are.”

His head tilts gradually, and you go pale as you catch his tongue running along the length of his bottom lip.

“No, darling,” he purrs, “I haven’t shown you generous just yet.”

And then, you catch his eyes darkening. There’s a certain mania to them when they widen, pupils blown out like a cat’s when he suddenly pushes firmly against you. Your feet stumble backward, staring into him as a wild grin plasters on his face.

You yelp when you lose balance, lips ajar and eyes closed shut as you feel your back crash into something soft, or at least, soft enough to leave you un-bruised.

When your eyes flutter open, he’s on top of you. You study his broad shoulders, the pale neck between them, and finally let your half-lidded gazes connect in a silent, tension-filled juncture.

The ambiance of dusk quiets down to a soft murmur, crickets chirping in the distance as his strong body hovers inches above you, hands placed firmly around your wrists to successfully lock you in place.

“Seems to me you’ve lost our little bet,” he purrs out, and your breath hitches as one of his legs slides between yours, slowly inching to put a distance between your knees.

All you can do is stare up at him hungrily, desperately, drinking in his weathered features and pray he’d let you run your fingers through his flaxen locks at some point in the night.

“No clever retort? That’s not the little bard I know and love,” he teases, and your hips almost buck into him at that one word. You know he doesn’t mean it, yet your teeth still clench when your body jolts in response to his familiar lilt.

“You’re playing dirty,” you finally breathe out, cringing at how strained your voice sounds as you lie under his weight.

“No one ever said this would be a clean game,” he retorts, his crimson gaze boring into you before gradually disappearing into your neck.

His lips hover over your skin, hot breath tickling the soft spot near your pulse point as you gasp quietly. You feel him hesitate, arms tensing and releasing over your own as if soaked in apprehension. You strain your muscles, eyes shutting in preparation for the inevitable, sharp bite coming onto your poor vein. Gods, was this his plan all along?

But then, you feel the grip on your wrists loosen.

Your eyes flutter open, and you quickly catch the tousled white locks in your neck as the vampire looms over you.

“Here’s your chance to run,” he hitches, and somehow he sounds just as out of breath as you do.

You lie on the blanket of moss, chest heaving and gaze tracing languidly over the treeline as you feel your body go limp. He’s giving you one last opt-out before… before something happens, be it a bloody massacre or... Or?

Your mind shrieks at you: take advantage, prove yourself on top in this stupid bet— but the little voice in your heart urges you to stay under his firm body; find out if your instincts rang true after all.

You stay. Not only that, but you let your hands slip out of his, one of them snaking down his shoulder while the other runs through his waves. They’re silky, and soft, and when you catch a whiff of rosemary in the air, your grip tightens.

“Astarion,” you whisper, voice surprisingly steady as your heart beats a constant rhythm into the space between you.

His body jerks abruptly, albeit subtly, and you feel him smirking— smiling— into the soft flesh of your neck. “So I was right, after all.”

His face withdraws from you slightly, the residual condensation of his warm breath leaving you shivering. You catch his gaze, half-lidded and scanning your expression with apt concentration.

“Feisty, spirited little thing,” he continues, inching towards you again.

Your stiff body jerks, grazing against him as your shaky hand snakes to his cheek. You cradle it gently but with urgency, and there’s a beat of silence before you finally understand what to do.

You inhale softly, catch his questioning gaze, and crash your lips onto his.

He groans softly when you meet in the middle, lowering himself with his arms. Your chest thrums with the beat of your heart, shooting waves of dopamine down your worn spine.

When you feel his nimble hand on your jaw, your lips part with a sigh. He matches your buzz with his own self-satisfied murmur, stroking your cheek with the pad of his thumb.

You smile. He’s sweet and bitter, and you whine gently into the kiss when you recognize brandy on his tongue.

This is what you’ve been waiting for all these lonesome months.

The culmination dawns on you like a powerful current, making your eyes squeeze and your hands tremble in his waves.

He seems to notice your tremor, but instead of slowing down or (Gods forbid) stopping, he dives deeper. You moan into his mouth as he wriggles a hand around your waist, holding you close to his hips and suddenly, you feel a steady pressure grinding into your crotch.

The movement is slow, precise, practiced. His hips buff into yours in a controlled rhythm, making you sense his already taut erection through the thick material of his linen pants.

“Do you get it now, darling?” he murmurs, breaking the kiss to stare lazily into your glassy eyes. “Look what you do to me.”

His hand snakes to your blouse, and before you can register what’s happening, you hear three ivory buttons pop off followed by the cool, evening breeze tickling your heated skin. You don’t need to open your eyes to know your nipples are standing taut in the chilly air, yet the image makes you redden.

“How— how unceremonious,” you croak out, moaning softly when his large hand begins palming at your right breast.

His thumb and forefinger squeeze at your erect nipple, toying with it in smooth, tactile movements and relishing the way his name sounds coming out of your kiss-swollen lips.

“Mm, forgive me,” he chuckles darkly, planting a quick, ardent kiss on your lips before lowering his face to your chest. His tongue licks a slow, tender strip up your sternum before he looks up to smile at you; it’s a genuine look of satisfaction, untouched by the plague that is his faux arrogance. “I’ll make sure to be good next time.”

’Next time?’

You look at him lazily, gaze puzzled and lips ajar to ask but he doesn’t even offer you the chance. His hand dips from your tits to the band of your pants, sliding underneath it with his finger, the coolness of his skin making you gasp.

His mouth assaults your other nipple with sucks, nibbles, and gentle bites, making you mewl under him as his hand continues to travel down the soft flesh of your thigh. He rubs it gently, lovingly, starting under your hip and slowly stroking his way toward the inner region, where you’re most sensitive.

“Divine,” he mumbles against your chest, pressing a kiss to your rib. “So divine.”

His free palm moves to your exposed belly, massaging it gently. You sigh at the slow, consistent pressure, moving your trembling hand to the back of his neck.

When your one eye pops open in curiosity, you see him snug against your body, face contorted with empathic fixation as he labors down your body. It’s intimate, yes, but also… loving. His tongue is warm against your breast, and his palms caress your skin with slow, delicate strokes; the same hands you’ve seen wield blood-soaked daggers and longbows.

He runs two digits along the stretchy fabric of your bottoms, lip caught between his teeth. He catches you staring and smirks up at you.

“Enjoying yourself?” he husks out, and you’re desperate enough to nod wordlessly.

He chuckles at your enthusiasm, hand smoothing down the waistband of your panties that peers from behind your bottoms. Not even your cutest pair, but oh well. He doesn’t even seem to notice, as his digits play with the elastic.

You’re already so exposed, but nothing can prepare you for what he does next.

With a few more kisses to your breasts, he tugs at the two waistbands, pulling down your pants and panties in one go.

The material slides off your legs and you hiss out, feeling the coolness caress your slick core. Your hands instinctively reach to cover up, but you’re stopped in your tracks by a strong grasp around your wrist.

“Oh no, no,” He looks up at you with an arched eyebrow, and somehow, despite his collected mien, you catch a soft dusting of pink across his cheekbones. “Don’t you dare deny me this view. Not after I’ve waited for so long.”

Your face heats up at the brazen comment, but that only seems to draw him closer. Your eyes flicker down to his lips, and he takes the hint immediately.

You connect in a heated kiss, and this time, Astarion is the one groaning against you. You work in tandem, like a gentle, effortless dance, heavy breaths intermingling in a sweet symphony of hums and sighs when…

You feel a touch against your heat. The contact is almost impalpable, yet your eyes flutter open in shock as the man’s fingers trace over your slit.

He withdraws from your kiss, hovering inches from your lips with a soft smile.

“S’unfair,” you slur, gazing up at him with a pleasure-drunken gaze. He exhales loudly, and you gasp. His fingers dip in, rubbing slow circles around your clit. “You— Gods—”

“Yeah? Tell me,” he taunts lowly, continuing his torturously languid movements with a devious smirk plastered on his perfect face. “What’s got you so bothered, my sweet?”

He dips down, teasing your entrance with his index. You pant softly at the prolonged stimulation, trying your damn best to stay focused on furrowing your eyebrows in mock anger.

“Got me so exposed and—” you trail tensely as his finger probes your entrance. “—And you’re still in your damn clothes.”

He hums in acknowledgment, but you doubt he’s even listening to you by how he surveys your body, bottom lip caught between his fangs. “I’m about to show you ‘generous’, like I promised.”

And then, he bottoms out. You moan, feeling two of his digits sliding into you, the slickness of your opening making it an easy feat.

You squeeze around him, and he pumps into you once, then twice for good measure. The sound of his movements is unbelievably and utterly obscene, making your stomach knot in delight.

“So wet already,” he purrs through a smirk, watching you writhe under him, “Don’t tell me our little sparring session got you this bothered.”

You roll your eyes, thighs squeezed tight around his wrist as you move your hips in tandem with his rhythm.

“Come on, talk to me,” he taunts again, pressing a gentle kiss to your cheek and letting his fingers fuck you in a steady, purposeful rhythm. “Now’s not the time to get coy.”

He switches gears, stopping his movement so he can curl his fingers inside you. He presses against the sweet spot, his thumb reaching to simultaneously rub slow circles against your swollen clit.

You cry out at the newfound pressure, the warmth in your belly twisting into a vortex of fiery delight.

“I—” you mewl against him, wrapping your fingers into the soft fabric of his shirt. “I’m gonna— c-cum—”

His movements quicken at your desperate words, digits working hard against your favorite spot.

“Cum then, my darling,” he taunts firmly, his free hand roaming under your jaw and holding it in place. “Cum for me. Let me— let me look at you, sweet thing.”

Your glassy eyes struggle to focus on his face, but once they do, he hits something white-hot inside you.

His lips crash desperately onto yours, but you struggle to kiss him back through the blinding pleasure of your climax. It thunders down your legs, up your belly, making you cry out against his mouth as everything melts away into a wonderful oblivion.

The last thing you see before your muscles go lax is red.

He rubs your clit methodically through your high, letting you ride it out peacefully as he burrows into your neck again.

When your breath steadies, you feel his fingers slowly withdraw. The emptiness that follows makes you cry out softly, helplessly watching as the man runs his palms up and down your sides.

He presses a soft, soothing kiss against your swollen lips, and you can’t help but glare when you see that he’s still fully dressed, even after your heated orgasm.

He catches your pouting and raises an eyebrow.

“Yes, darling?” he purrs, pulling away to take you all in. You’re caught speechless when his hungry gaze scans down your nude body; starting at your smitten face and ending with a lingering glimpse at your spent pussy.

“Please,” you mewl out, raking your hands down his clothed abs. “Gods— Please take these off, I can’t—”

He does.

His hands momentarily withdraw from around you, and with a swift, deft move, he tosses his shirt off.

The silken cloth comes flying into the night like a phantasmal figure, and you watch it catch onto a stray branch to your right.

Your gaze skims hungrily down his sculpted body, watching his muscles tense and release with every little movement. Yes, you’ve seen him shirtless before, yet the context of your current predicament somehow makes it feel like it’s the first time all over again.

Unbeknownst to you, his hands work at his bottoms, swiftly unbuttoning the waistband and letting it sit loose against his hips. You catch a soft, white trail against the edge of his undergarments, leading down to a straining, tented mess below.

Your hand reaches out absent-mindedly, still drunk off the high of your climax and so, so desperate to finally feel him for yourself.

“Not so fast, darling,” he scolds, gently slapping your hand away and letting it wither at your side.

“Let me touch you,” you retort desperately, but he only chuckles as his fingers begin working at his waistband.

“You lost our bet,” he explains, sliding a thumb under the elastic and letting it lower. You catch the very base of his straining erection, and that taunting alone makes you gasp. “Gives me the upper hand.”

“Says who?” you hiss under your breath, failing to give him the glare he deserves as your eyes bore into his.

He gives you a once over, gaze drawing languidly over your exposed body, and only then does the extent of your nudity finally dawn on you.

“Don’t make me laugh.”

You shift under him, shimmying within the small space he allows, and he takes your brief distraction as a moment to unravel his pants completely. They drop to the ground behind you, leaving him in his undergarments, and you bite your lip at how dangerously lax they sit around his hips.

“I think I’ve left you waiting long enough,” he mutters, and your lips go ajar.

The thumb hooked into his briefs starts sliding down his waist, lower and lower until you’re finally even in terms of undress— and you’re ever so starstruck by the sight of his bulging cock hovering over your belly. It stands thick and taut within arm’s reach and you find the fact makes your mouth water.

Then, before you can think of touching him, you feel him place either hand below your knees. He looks up at you with a sly smirk, and you gasp softly when he pushes your thighs flat against your torso, feet in the air and scandalously exposed in front of him.

“You’re playing with me,” you mutter breathlessly, hissing as you feel his length stroking against your inner thigh.

His arms compress you tighter as you feel him lowering, the underside of his cock slapping against your tummy. The gasp that leaves your throat at the sudden contact widens your eyes, and he catches your gaze with his self-satisfied one.

“Do you like that I’m playing with you?” he follows up without a beat, his hips rutting forward. The movement is gentle, yet the pressure is enough to make you whine out in desperation— it’s also the only answer you manage to choke up for him before his cock slides between your wet folds.

“A-Ah— you fucking— fucking prick,” you hiss at the vampire, and so he bears his fangs at you through a wide grin. You find that it makes your breath hitch even amidst your despair.

“Now, now,” he reprimands, words syrupy, “bold words coming from someone so vulnerable.”

His nails dig into the soft flesh of your legs as he slides back and forth, taking meticulous care so that the head of his cock butts against your clit with every dip. The stimulation feels electric, and soon enough, you feel your still-sensitive body ramp up with heated energy for a second time this night.

A minute passes, yet it feels like an eternity. The air between you is thick with tension and the soft, repetitive harmony of your strained moans and his little gasps. You watch his eyes close in concentration, and despite his otherwise relaxed facade, you can tell he’s struggling to resist you by the way his eyebrows knit in the middle.

“Fuck me,” you breathe out, one of your hands extending to claw at his withholding forearm.

When your gazes meet, he looks surprisingly spent; eyes glassed-over, mouth ajar, and the slightest hint of sweat glazing his pale forehead. You realize that his domineering act seemed to come at the expense of his stamina: a resource you had slowly replenished in your comfortable position.

“Not— not yet, darling,” he hitches out, but the words appear tender and helpless to your trained ears. “I— I want to enjoy this— enjoy you—”

Your grip on his forearm tightens, making the bucking of his hips stutter. His eyebrow raises at your touch, but before he can shoot you a witty comment, you’re pushing him forward.

It happens within seconds.

Your knees straighten, feet slamming into his abdomen. He coughs at the sudden, unexpected impact, and you take the opportunity to grab tight onto his forearms. He falls backward, and just before his spine hits the soil beneath, you use the momentum to push yourself onto him.

When his eyes flutter open, you’re straddling his waist.

He blinks in brief confusion, surveying his surroundings before the crimson gaze finally turns to you.

He surveys your face, and you let him. The moment is like a silent meditation, heavy breaths intermingling as he takes your raw beauty in; the longing in your eyes, the soft dusting of pink across your nose, and ultimately, the plush of your lips he had ravaged mere moments ago.

Next, he moves to your body. His eyes scan down your taut nipples, down your tummy, and to the softness of your thighs squeezing his midriff to the ground. When he reaches the junction between your bodies, your hips buck as if on instinct.

“My, just how courageous we are,” he purrs under you, hands reaching to rub down the outside of your thighs. “I wouldn’t be so nice about your dirty tricks if I didn’t find this view thoroughly delectable.”

You shiver at his honeyed words, yet your gaze stays determined on him. Your palms go to rest atop his, marveling at the eccentric softness of his knuckles and the polarizing edge of the nails.

“No one ever said this would be a clean game,” you grin playfully, rocking your hips back to feel his hard length against the curve of your ass. When a soft hiss escapes his lips, you feel your ego inflate. “Sound familiar?”

His eyes roll, but the grin creeping onto his lips deceives him immediately.

His head tilts at you, fangs bearing in the soft moonlight. “You’re trouble.”

The mischief of your smile spins into a warm fondness. Your cheeks warm, and your heart swells, but you don’t quite understand why. “Oh how rich that is coming from you.”

And then you’re rising on your knees, hips hovering over his throbbing erection. Your palms connect, digits intertwining with his as you lower yourself onto him.

You test the waters first, letting his tip brush over your slit with feather-like touches. You hum gently at the teasing pleasure, and so does Astarion.

When you feel your tummy tightening with anticipation, you dive in. With a light shimmy, you line your hips with his, and with more desperation than you planned, you slide down.

You both hiss as the head of his cock penetrates you, the stretch making your palm tighten against his. You bend at the knees, eyes rolling into the back of your head at the delicious sensation of being filled to the brim after such a long, lonesome time.

Finally, you let your hips slam against his. The sudden, harsh movement makes you gasp out into the tantric air as his tip pokes against your womb. The dull pain quickly shifts into a flat, resonant pleasure, and you waste no time.

Your hips begin to buck against his, building a slow, steady rhythm until you’re confidently riding your vampire lover with a self-satisfied smirk on your lips.

Each thrust makes you mewl, moan, and cry out into the night, that pleasant angle of his cock hitting that same spot his fingers did just minutes ago.

His head rolls back into the ground, and with the remnants of his energy, he issues an occasional, quick rut into you. As it’s rare, you decide to savor it. You squeeze around him with the thrusts, and soon, you feel yourself running out of breath.

“I— I could let you do this for—hells— forever,” he hisses out, and suddenly, you feel his hands unclasp from yours and snake around your waist. “Where have you been all these centuries?”

Your upper body is dragged forward, your tits colliding with his toned chest when he pulls you into a tight, possessive embrace.

You gasp at the warmth between you, and your eyebrows soon furrow when you realize the position limits your hip movement. As you’re forced into a pause from your delirious riding, his lips crash onto yours.

Your tongues share a private, slack dance, heads tilting to adjust as you both hum and groan into the fiery kiss. You attempt to rut into him, and soon enough he gets the hint.

Keeping you immobilized against his chest, his hips pound up into you. The first few smacks are scandalously loud, and you revel in the newfound angle.

You’re lost in him, completely and utterly. When he moans, you respond with a hum— when his embrace tightens around you, you kiss him harder.

The familiar, fiery heat in your tummy bubbles up again. You feel it amp up, grow, and send jolts up your spine when suddenly, you’re being pushed up. When your eyes flutter open, you catch his still closed.

His chest stays firm against yours as he positions you upright, letting you straddle his hips as you’re both left sitting in the soft patch of grass and wildflowers.

With your body regaining its mobility, you start grinding against him again. The position allows for a deliciously intimate closeness, his cock burrowing deep into you as you resume riding him.

The pressure within you grows, emerging as a knot— threatening to unravel with every other thrust. Your clit rubs against the base of his groin, amplifying the pleasure into a sensation you’ve long forgotten about.

“A-Astarion—” you mewl out between kisses, and his hot breath tickles your face when he chuckles.

“Cum for me,” he sighs out, and the assertion comes off soft and pleading as it settles into the groves of your heart.

“O-Okay— I… I—”

He tightens his hold on your waist with one hand, as the other moves to cradle your cheek. His touch is unbelievably delicate and affectionate, and out of all the stimulation he had so graciously provided you this night, it’s that soft touch that sends you over the edge.

Your lips connect in one last kiss, and you moan throatily into his mouth. Your hips still, thighs squeezing as your pussy tightens around his cock in a moment of pure bliss. The steadily rising pressure in your belly finally tips over, sending a wave of bliss down your entire being.

Still, he keeps moving. You almost want to scream against him as his hips begin pounding into you again, the soft slaps quickening as he slowly peaks with you.

Withdrawing from the kiss to lean against your neck, he cums. Hard.

Your slowly declining climax seems to slam the gas pedal as you feel him release deep into you, the warmth spreading through your body like a genial embrace, a fact that makes him groan loudly against your mouth. Your breath stills in your throat, before finally releasing into a long, guttural moan— it echoes into the night, and your vision blurs.

White-hot bliss envelops your body, and you melt into Astarion’s for solace. You feel him grip you, caress your face, kiss away your adrenaline-fueled tears, and pant softly against your lips as your pussy spasms again.

Your orgasm envelops you in slow, pulsating waves as it withdraws, and you’re soon left huffing into the vampire’s flaxen locks. You think you hear him speak, but the ringing in your ears is too potent to know for certain.

Then, as the ringing finally retires, you hear him whisper your name. It’s a soft, patient call against the burning skin of your neck, one you commit to memory as you’re finally awarded your senses back— if only partially.

The forest feels exceptionally silent as you fall into his arms. You recognize the soft chirp of crickets in the distance, perhaps a distant hoot of owls, but it all seems to blend into an indecipherable blur as exhaustion floods your system.

Your head falls into the crook of his neck, and your mind sinks into the soft, languid thumps of his heart. His hand caresses your back, and you sigh deeply.

You sit there for what feels like hours, drinking each other in. You’ve waited so long, and finally, you’re at ease— it’s a feeling you wish to cherish, and if it wasn’t for the pesky passage of time, you’d choose to stay in this damned forest for eons; with him.

You feel him shift against you. His hands withdraw from your waist, and he whispers softly against you. “Come, my love.”

You hum in disagreement, face burrowing deeper into him. Yes, rosemary and brandy— now it’s clear to you.

He exhales sharply, and you smile into his neck. He waits for a beat, before placing a soft kiss to your temple. “Wait here.”

You nod gently and finally allow him to withdraw. The separation makes you sigh, your body shivering in the newfound cold of the night, but you persevere. In the longing to hold on to the moment for a little longer, you keep your eyes closed and hope he’ll return before you open them again.

You hear him shuffle around, walking from left to right, before finally returning to face you. “Hands up,” he mutters softly, and you do as you’re told in your pleasure-drunken stupor.

You feel him drape something silken over your sweat-slick body, the soft material draping your hips before coming to a stop at your thighs. When you breathe in, you immediately realize it’s not your shirt, so you grin.

When you’re comfortably wrapped up, he leans in. Once you finally sense the familiar warmth of his chest, you lean against his shoulder and breathe in his scent.

You’re surprised he does this for you. Tenderness is not exactly something you’d connect with a man of his past, of his skill. Yet, when his hands move to rest under your knees and back, you don’t resist.

He lifts you off the ground, letting your fatigued frame rest against him. He takes it upon himself to get you back to camp, safe and sound, and only slightly perturbed.

You drink in everything you can, letting yourself be greedy for once. The steadiness of his breath, his warm chest, the crinkling of leaves under his feet— it’s an image you swear to place, no matter what difficulties might threaten to befall you in the future.

And he’s silent up until you reach the campgrounds. The chatter of dinnertime has long died down, and when you open your eyes, you spot the crackling embers of firelight flickering away among a circle of stones. The flames cast a soft, warm light onto the closed tents, and you revel in the intimacy of the moment.

“Everyone met their bedtime while we’ve been naughty sneaking out,” he murmurs with a chuckle, and you close your eyes hurriedly in hopes of feigning slumber. Still, you can’t help the smile that creeps onto your face at his brazen comment.

You reach the outskirts and finally spot his tent just below an old, sturdy oak tree. You recall the talks you had out front so many times before, back when your feelings were just sparks of something much stronger and much, much warmer.

He crouches down and with an unsurprising agility climbs into the little shelter with you still in his arms. You lie slack against him, letting his arms lay you gently onto his woolen mat. You melt into the warmth almost immediately, sighing out dreamily when you feel his presence beside you.

It’s silent for a moment, and when your eyes finally flutter open, you catch him staring at you. His gaze is thoughtful but warm, lingering over your form with a certain glimmer.

“I guess it’s official, then,” you sigh out, closing your eyes again and letting a lazy smile drift over your features.

He pauses for a moment, then clears his throat. “What… what is?”

You chuckle softly at his awkward tone, shifting to the side and letting one of your eyes pop open to glance at him.

“My victory,” you state matter-of-factly before quickly shifting to your other side, facing away from him just to let a satisfied grin creep onto your face.

You don’t witness it, but his expression goes from tense, to disconcerted, to irritated in a matter of seconds. His eyes roll, and you suddenly feel a flat slap against your ass.

“Woah there, hey!” you gasp, followed by a cheeky giggle. Your head turns to face him from your comfortable position, and you catch him mirroring your grin.

“Quiet, now,” he commands softly, pivoting to lie beside you. His arm comes over your waist, pulling you into his chest. “Bet’s over, darling. I’m sorry to say, but you’ve not proven yourself capable. Shame, really.”

You blow a raspberry through your smile and shimmy closer to him, your body melting perfectly into his— a fact that has you near to falling asleep.

“Shame indeed. The look on your face was priceless when you ate dirt,” you shrug nonchalantly, “At least that’s the version I’ll be telling everyone come morning.”

He scoffs, the low rumble of it vibrating against your back, but his arm only tightens around you. You feel his face in your hair, breathing in your scent.

“If you do that, I might just have to kill you,” he mutters, but despite the intensity of the words, his voice is soft and loving against your head. His hand drifts to your belly, fingers tracing lazy circles against the soft skin there.

“You would never.”

He’s silent for a beat. Your lips open to build on your clever retort before you feel his sharp exhale on your neck.

“Sleep, darling,” he reprimands, squeezing your midriff gently.

You sigh contentedly, your lips brushing against the pillow as you settle deeper into his embrace. The tent is cocooned in warmth, but you feel the cool kiss of the evening breeze filtering in through the small opening at the entrance. Outside, the campfire crackles faintly, the last embers glowing like distant stars before fading into fine ash.

As you drift closer to sleep, wrapped in the steady rise and fall of his breathing, the world around you blurs into the peaceful haze of near-dreams.

Just as the veil of slumber begins to pull you under, you feel his lips press against your hair, a soft whisper brushing against your skin.

“As long as I'll live, I never could.”

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elexuscal · 1 year

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the longer i stay in fandom, the longer i think a huge amount of bad takes and discourse come from an... abundance of identifying with a character

to be clear, i don't think it's bad to identify with a character. far from it! i think that's part of what makes fiction so powerful.

and it's only logical people often attach to a blorbo because they're just like me, for real. a person will see some element of themselves-- their race, their gender, their sexuality, their hobbies, their family life, their specific flavour of neurodivergence-- and something just resonates. it gives them a way to explore and name this important part of themselves, a part they maybe didn't even know existed before it.

and everything is well and good until some split between them and the character shows up

because of course, no character, except an explicit self-insert written by yourself, will ever be a perfect 1:1 for your own experiences. so sooner or later-- maybe in canon, maybe in a fanwork-- your blorbo diverges from your lived experience in a huge way.

I think this is why shipping culture in particular gets so toxic. While it is by no means the only way to indulge with shipping, a significant portion is 'if i was in that character's shoes, i would choose X'. the fight becomes for your own self-identity.

but this gets expanded in other ways. a character who is revealed to be black when the majority of the fandom had just assumed they were white. or revealed to be queer, or maybe the 'wrong' flavour of queer. or fuck, even some more innocuous part of their backstory, one that's nonetheless so meaningful for SOMEONE, but now it feels like the story is saying, fuck you, we're doing something else

i don't know. i just feel acknowledging this perceived-attack-on-identity helps me understand why people react it what seems to be such outsized way to canon and fanworks alike.

at the same time, i think it's a really important thing to check in yourself.

it's nice, to see a character who you identify with. who resonates with for being like you. but it's also nice to acknowledge and appreciate the way characters are not like you at All. how great it is to get insight into this totally different lived experience. and to muse on how wonderful that recognition might be for someone who does have that background.

#i don't know this is rambly but i've been musing on this for a while #fandom #fiction #media analysis

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irishmammonagenda · 8 months

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MC's magic going wrong 😱😰

or right depending on ur outlook on life ig

warnings: swearing, mentions of death (extremely brief and only notioned towards), physical affection

You hadn´t thought much of it at first when you got back to the human realm. Everything went back to normal. Or as normal as it could be.

Your mother and father sobbed when they saw you, stating how they though´t you were lying in a ditch somewhere in the stretching countryside. You´d lied, told them you were away on a residency based apprenticeship, that you were sorry for worrying them. Your siblings showed signs of worry you never thought they were able to feel for you. Thus you were being babied for a month or so.

That´s when it started.

At first, it was more corvids at the bird feeder in your garden than usual. Then it was stray cats. Then inexplicable black and white feathers dusting your clothing and hair.

Your mother smiled picking out the ivory feather from the confines of your unbrushed hair, "Oh! Your guardian angel´s been watching over you!" she says playfully, an old wives´ tale, nothing too serious.

You tense for a moment, before laughing with her. "Well I´ll take it as a good sign." Stupid old wives being the smartest people.

At first it was easy to brush off.

Then your father started getting lucky, he hadn't been one to gamble persay, putting a few coins in on a bet for the horse racing or the football was a regular occurrence, sometimes he won,sometimes he didn't. The difference of a few silvers, a share bag of sweets basically, made no real strain on your belts. But now, he was winning left right and center. Winning amounts that shouldnt be possible based on the amount he input.

Though, after you woke up to cats and corvids staring at you unblinkingly, in your room, with a few flies and insects on the walls, and your bedsheets covered in feathers and scales of all colours and sizes, enough was enough.

You were going to give those nerds a piece of your mind.

After shooing the animals out, (making sure to pet the cats), you picked up a lipstick, and channeled your pact magic before drawing a circle with various symbols on the floor,

You stilled, "Ah, shit. I dunno how to do this, i mean half of those symbols are angry faces and squiggles...." but ever the theatre nerd, you improved.

"I, MC, call upon the power of my pacts with the Avatars of Hell! and, using their power; a portal to the Devildom shall open for me!"

And a portal did open for you. Unfortunately, not to the best place. As you travelled through the time pocket you ended up stumbling once you made it to the other side, the stumble turnt into a tumble turnt into a fall. Unluckily for you, the thing you fell on was toned flesh and chuckling heartily, you were in Diavolo's lap.

"It's great of you to drop by MC!" He says, his massive hands pulling you further into his frame.

You cover your face with your hands, now noticing the various other nobles in the council room who are staring at their Prince, attempting to mask the fact their jaws are going to hit the floor.

Atleast the Brothers weren't there, but Barbatos' half polite smile half smirk and Diavolo whispering various playful musings of, "Did you miss me that much little human, we missed you too.", and "Summoning a portal illegally into the Demon Lord's castle and onto the Demon Princes lap...tututut." almost made the brothers seem like a mercy....

...almost.

You couldn't tell if this was a win or a lose.

#obey me x reader #obey me shall we date #obey me imagines #obey me mc #obey me diavolo #obey me brothers #obey me #diavolo x reader #obey me crack #obey me fluff

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starlightxsvt · 1 year

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Sentinel's Serenade | c.sc

pairing ➳ bodyguard!Scoups x heiress!reader

genre ➳ drama, angst, romance, smut.

word count ➳ 29.5k (i'm sorry)

warnings ➳ car crash, ptsd, flashbacks of war, panic attack, murder, violence, guns, blood, death, fingering, unprotected sex, edging, female oral, arguments, coups is an a-hole but he has reasons, he was also in the military, Jun is a bad guy here(im sorry), jihoon blesses us with his special appearance.

synopsis ➳ As you start digging up an accident that has been brushed under the rug, you make an enemy who is out to get you no matter what. Amidst all the chaos you develop feelings for your bodyguard who has built walls of steel around him.

"This is your new bodyguard, Seungcheol."

Your head tilts upward, as you scan the man standing in front of you with careful eyes. He's tall and broad; exactly how you'd imagine a bodyguard to be, along with an emptiness in his eyes, so cold and robotic that would only be achievable after being through some heavy shit, you assume. Your father continues listing off his certifications and qualities but your brain doesn't capture much after hearing that he can speak sign language and is an ex navy SEAL; too busy getting distracted with his handsome features and dissecting him as much as you can just from looking.

The man isn't handsome in the typical sense, definitely not the handsome you're used to seeing in magazine covers and charity galas. No, he's ruggedly handsome, shielding himself with a tough exterior, his thick brows knotted in a frown and his full, red lips set in a grim line, blond hair brushed back neatly.

With the way he looks in that expensive suit hugging his body, he could pass as a business tycoon but his aura is completely different; alert, strict, impenetrable.

His hand reaches out for yours to meet in a handshake after your father is done introducing him. You watch his extended hand for a while, observing little scratches and cuts that seem to still be healing on his knuckles before meeting his hand. As expected, his palms are calloused but cool. His grip is firm, just like the look in his dark eyes and for some unknown reason tingles shoot down your spine.

"Choi Seungcheol, ma'am." His voice has a deep timbre to it. It'd be perfect for audiobooks, you muse idly. "He is to be with you whenever you are going outside till the foreseeable future." Your father states. There isn't much room for arguments here and you aren't too bothered having a shadow because this isn't the first time.

You had a personal bodyguard six months ago and the man sustained a serious hip injury due to...circumstances involving you. Now that you are back and ready to face the world, you know that keeping a personal bodyguard is a wise decision, even if your father may have assigned him with ulterior motives.

It's okay, the games are just beginning and you are playing for the long haul.

—

"Met your new guard on the way. Guy's a robot." Chan says as he strolls into the library with his hands in his pockets. You assume he's talking about Seungcheol, who is currently stationed outside the library room even though you told him to take a break.

A copy of Jane Eyre sits open on your lap as you look up to meet Chan's eyes. Offering him a small smile, you motion him to sit next to you. Your younger brother had been out of the country due to business for the past few weeks so it has been a while since you last saw him.

"So you are really going back to work?" He asks, a soft, concerning note to his voice as he sits down next to you on the divan. You sigh and give him an exasperated look.

"I'm more than ready. Sitting idle hasn't done me much good." You sign.

His eyes watch the movements of your hands before he murmurs, "It will be tough, you know... without your... voice. I don't want you to get into any trouble, especially after everything."

"I'll manage." You sign. You will.

It has been six long months since the accident. Six months since you lost your mother. Six months since you have last uttered a word. Six months since you have been at work.

Six months since your life has completely been turned upside down.

You have been thrown entirely off track, the reigns of your horse being snatched away by a dark force plotting far worse things. But you will uncover them. No matter how long or what it takes.

"Dad thinks you're not ready yet," Chan comments, breaking your train of thought.

You huff out an annoyed breath.

"I don't really care what he thinks you know," you sign and your brother snorts, looking at you with a fond, amused expression. "It will be hard." He says absent-mindedly. "To adjust back to everything."

You nod because you know it will be. You have already heard the board members express their dissatisfaction over you returning as the CEO. Lee publishing has been in its prime since last year and they're afraid it's gonna lose its position with a mute CEO. Funny how they forget you are the one who brought it to where it is today. Lee Publishings, your family's publishing company was handed over to you by your grandfather. He started it from scratch and it became the first successful family business before he decided to hand it over to you when you became twenty.

Your bond with your grandfather was always special, maybe because you both shared the same love for books and sense of humour. You grew up watching him read and collect books and naturally you picked up on that habit. As you grew up you watched him work closely, helping him wherever you could with the company which led him to hand it over to you.

Not your father, your brother or any of your cousins but you.

He was lucky enough to watch you take on the role and make the company flourish for all three months before he passed away peacefully one night in his sleep.

The feud began after that as your uncle, Jin Lee and your father started expressing their concerns, saying that you wouldn't be able to rule over the company well now that your grandfather wasn't here to guide you. While your uncle wanted the publishing house for himself and his useless son, Jun, your father wanted to hand the company over to Chan, believing that your brother would be a better president, and offering you the role of the vice president instead. It came to you without any surprise because your brother was always your father's favourite child.

You, however, had stood your ground and promptly refused, challenging them to try and take it from you. Thankfully, your brother was on your side, saying that it rightfully belonged to you and you were more than eligible to rule over it. Chan's disinterest may have backed off your father temporarily, you can tell, but your uncle is still desperate, now more than ever.

"You are going to move back to your place soon as well," Chan complains with a pout, breaking your train of thought. Giving him a sad smile you open your arms, inviting him for a hug which he gladly accepts. After one week of staying at the hospital and your mother's burial, you decided that you would stay at the mansion you grew up in, essentially your father's house, instead of your own apartment in the city, for the foreseeable future. This mansion held a lot of memories for you, especially with your mother. Breakfast in the garden, late night talks in the huge library and sipping on tea while watching the sunset together through the large window in the west wing.

You could never imagine a life without your mother yet here you are, living one. But it is time you slowly start going back to where you belong.

"It will be lonely here without you…and mom," Chan whispers.

You can only blink back your tears and hug him tighter.

—

Just on your fifth day back, you realise that things are not going to be anywhere near easy for you, not that you expected, but still.

The moment you get to work on Wednesday morning, there is a commotion outside the main entrance of the building which leads your driver to drop you and Seungcheol at the underground entrance. You are greeted by the bleak face of your secretary as you walk to your office, who announces that the vice president is there to see you. Once you enter your office, you indeed find vice president Jun, your dear cousin, sitting on your seat with the face of a cat who ate the canary.

Seungcheol, who is always trailing behind you like a shadow, moves— to drag him out of your seat no doubt, but you raise your hand as a gesture to tell him to stop.

"Good morning, Miss Lee. Though it doesn't look like a good morning for you," He grins, standing up and rounding the desk lazily while tilting his chin at the coffee table where the morning paper is lying. You pick it up and in bold letters on the front page, the headline greets you with: "President of Lee Publishings Accused of Employee Mistreatment."

It goes on and on about some bullshit of how you have been treating employees badly and holding their salary because you have apparently returned with a nasty temper as you can't speak anymore. You can't help but scoff, because the reality is far, far from what the paper says.

Ever since you've been back at work, all you've ever done is stay inside your office and go through all the pending documents and close deals that were hanging. Your only human contact has been your secretary Hansol and your bodyguard, both of whom have more similarities to a wall than a human. Your previously bubbly secretary has turned awkward now, probably because you have lost your voice and holding a conversation with you proves to be hard. Seungcheol, on the other hand, is like a robot who stands by your door all day and only answers your questions as briefly as possible, most of the time with a yes or no.

Your hands form fists at your sides as you glare at Jun, who stands there, pridefully evil, watching you with a satisfied grin on his face. "Things are looking rather bleak for you," He tuts in mock sympathy as he strolls towards you, hands in his pockets. As he comes to stand right next to you, his hand reaches out for your shoulder to pat you but Seungcheol grabs his wrist and twists it, making him shriek in pain.

"Fuck! Let go, you asshole!"

"You do not have permission to touch her," Seungcheol calmly states, still not letting go. You sigh and sign Seungcheol to kick him out, which he does immediately while your cousin screams in protest as you walk to your desk and sit down, rubbing your temples in frustration.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Seungcheol asks after closing the door behind him.

You watch him for a while, your mind running a mile a minute as you think of a thousand ways of payback. But then you remind yourself that you have to approach this calmly. So you force a smile and sign.

"Send my secretary in. —

A couple of days later, you are not pleasantly surprised to see your father waiting to greet you at the front of the house when you return from work.

Just as Seungcheol opens the car door for you to get out, your father marches towards you.

"What did you do, girl? I told you to stay put! Your uncle Jin is here to see you!" His tone is not friendly. In fact, you pick up heavy disappointment, which you expected. This was bound to happen after you fired your cousin Jun from his position today.

You smile calmly at him before turning to Seungcheol and signalling to him that he is relieved of his duties. He looks at you warily and you have a feeling he wants to say no but he ultimately just nods and takes his leave, driving away the car to park.

"He's waiting for you in the backyard." Your father announces. As you start walking away he yells, "You better fix what you have done today! The company won't last if you keep on making hasty decisions like these!"

Deciding to ignore him you walk to the backyard with unfaltering steps and find your uncle standing there with arms crossed, feet tapping furiously. You approach him with a smile, not a friendly one but the subtle smile of challenge as he takes furious steps towards you when he sees you coming.

"You! What have you done, _____? You fired my son from his position!" He hollers, marching to stand in front of you, fury blazing vividly in his eyes.

Silently, you hold eye contact with him.

"You think you can do as you please after you get into an accident and we'll just let you? Who do you think you are to fire my son?"

You smirk before producing your notepad from your bag and start scribbling.

"I'm the president of the company and based on our investigation your son was found guilty of spreading fake news about me mistreating my employees. The reporter who got paid to write it confessed himself."

You hold out the notepad for him to read.

"How dare you believe a lowly reporter over my son? Over your own cousin?" Your uncle is livid. "If you keep behaving like this then I'll retract all my assets shared with your father. You know I can take over the Lee Enterprises anytime if I want."

You roll your eyes. Yeah, do whatever you want.

You start writing down. "If you have nothing productive to say I suggest you leave now and have a chat with your precious son. I have had a long day."

As soon as he reads the words written on the paper he bats the notebook away from your hand, making you gasp. The look in his eyes is akin to a madman's as he takes a threatening step towards you and leans in to whisper in your ear.

"If you don't want to end up like your mother I suggest you start behaving, ______." He sneers.

Your whole body freezes up like a block of ice as your breath catches in your lungs. Your uncle's eyes are cruel, threating, filled with a layer of secrets that you're desperate to uncover as he takes a step back. The look of panic on your face brings satisfaction to him as watches you for a few moments, letting his words sink in and challenging you to do something about it before he smirks and walks out of the backyard.

Your legs, which have been shaky until now finally give up and you fall on the perfectly trimmed grass, your breaths coming out in the form of pants.

The horrible realisation sinks into you.

Your suspicions were true.

His words just confirmed that which means you need to up your game. Immediately.

You're surprised at how quickly, how easily you think of one person when you need someone to help you.

Hands shaky, you type a message to Seungcheol.

— There's something different about Seungcheol the moment he arrives at your front gate in his BMW. As you watch him get out of the car and jog towards you, you realise it's his fit; he's not wearing his typical two piece suit.

No, he's dressed in a fitted white polo and black slacks, the polo so tight that you can see the bulging outline of his chest and arms. Despite the negative thoughts brewing in your head you get distracted for a second as you ogle him unashamedly and take longer than you should to respond to his question. "Are you alright, ma'am? I wasn't expecting you to call so late."

You roll your eyes. It's only like eight in the evening. Though you can see why it was unexpected for him because he is relieved from duty as you get off work in the evening. Not replying to him, you tilt your head towards his car, indicating to him to open the passenger side door. He looks doubtful for a second before following your instructions.

"Where would you like me to take you?" Seungcheol asks once you're both inside the car and he has started the engine. You sigh and sign, "Somewhere far and quiet."

His thick brows knot into a frown as he thinks for a few seconds before simply nodding. Then, surprising you, he reaches over and pulls your seatbelt across your chest, which you just realised you forgot to put on. His being so close lets you get a really good sniff of his cologne and once again you get heavily distracted as you start wondering what he'd do if you leaned into his neck and wrapped your arms around him.

Where are these thoughts coming from?

You have no idea. This is not the first time you've had them, though.

It is like this new disease you have caught. Your mind goes haywire whenever you look at Seungcheol for a second too long. The first time it happened was right after the rumour of employee mistreatment broke out and you were leaving from work. Even though you took the back exit through the underground parking, the press mobbed you, throwing a string of questions at you while their cameras kept flashing repeatedly.

Seungcheol, of course, managed everything very efficiently and got you away safely. The way his hand squeezed your shoulder, his face hovering near yours while he asked if you were okay was a feeling that has managed to stay with you very vividly even now. You were a bit spaced out but not for the reasons he was thinking; it was just that he looked too attractive and his touch felt too comforting, even though he was merely doing his job.

You are a tiny bit ashamed to admit that he has made your heart flutter since then, with every little thing he did.

You don't get to dwell on your day dreams for too long because he's leaning back in his seat and pressing the accelerator, making you jerk softly.

A quiet thirty minutes of drive later you discover that Seungcheol has taken you to the beach right on the outskirts of the city. It isn't something you were expecting but you realise it is something you definitely need.

As he parks the car on a small cliff overlooking the entire beach, you hear the soothing sounds of the wave crashing into the shore clearly.

And it brings back vague memories of your childhood, when your mother took you to this beach because she loved the air here so much. As if in a trance, you get out of the car and stand by the cliff, letting the cool sea breeze wash over you as the salty smell in the air invades your nose. Your bodyguard stands by you silently for a while and without looking, you can tell that his eyes are on you, watching you carefully.

Sometime later, he breaks the peaceful silence, "Would like to eat something? There are a few food trucks nearby." He moves his head to motion at the food trucks parked far away, their lights blinking. Shaking your head no, you fill your lungs with the cool night air by taking one more deep breath before moving to the back of the car and leaning against the trunk. Seungcheol follows you as you pat the space next to you for him to come and stand.

He does so and you let out a heavy breath before signing. "I need you to do something for me. Something that has to remain a secret."

Seungcheol raises his brows slightly before frowning. He doesn't reply immediately and you stand upright, holding eye contact with him. "It is very important to me, Seungcheol. I need to know if I can trust you to keep it a secret from everyone," you sign.

"Okay, ma'am." He finally responds.

"Even from my father," you sign. "I know you're working for him but for this task, I will pay you separately so you will only answer to me about this, okay?"

"Okay ma'am."

"Good." You huff out a breath. "You are from a prominent security company, right? I need you to look into a man for me. Jin Lee."

"Your uncle?" He looks bewildered. "Yes. I need his whereabouts on 23rd March of this year. And I need to know who he contacted before this accident. Any call or bank transfer that seems remotely out of place, you look into it for me, okay?" He pauses for a breath before replying. "Okay, ma'am."

"Just call me ____, Seungcheol."

— On the weekend, you have lunch with Chan in the garden of the mansion, the place where you two had lunch with your mother, as he eagerly asks you about how you have been doing and assures you that he is here if you need anything. After lunch, you see him off for a meeting before aimlessly strolling through the hallways of your house by yourself.

The cleanup at your place has been completed so you are planning on moving back tomorrow and you realise it will be a while before you come back here. Through your walk, you come across a painting hanging on the large hallway towards your father's office that makes you stop to stare.

It is a picture of your mother with you and Chan, taken when you were about twelve years old. It is your favourite picture in the entire house, maybe because you have a memory attached to it or maybe because it's simply magnificent, the three of your smiles shining so brightly.

It was a gift from your grandfather to your mother on her thirty seventh birthday and she had it hung here, right in front of a large set of windows that overlooks the garden. The afternoon sun falls right on the picture, casting it in an ethereal glow and it is almost like your mom is here, cheering you on with her beautiful smile.

With a soft sigh and tears withheld, you say goodbye to the picture and walk away. You are aiming to go straight to your room but the loud voices coming from your father's office makes you stop.

You realise the door is just slightly opened and you walk over to shut it but stop in your tracks when you hear your uncle's voice.

"You better get your daughter under control or it will not be good for you!" He is shouting.

"Are you threatening me?"

"I am warning you, brother."

"Jin, please, just let her be for a while. She has lost her voice. I am sure she will not be able to perform like before. Then you and the board can fire her."

You are somewhat hurt by your father's words but once again, they do not come to you as a surprise. "Exactly! Why should I let the company go to waste because of her poor performance? You tell her to fuck off or I will remove her myself!"

"Jin, please. You already got rid of Aileen. You do not have to go any further.

Your world has come to a stop.

You forget to breath, as you simply stand there, stunned, convinced that you heard wrong.

You had to have heard wrong.

"I got rid of her and I'll get rid of you too, if you don't listen to me! Don't forget I own the shares of the family hotel just as much as you do. It will not be a challenge to turn the board of directors against you. Imagine what will happen after that? Your most lucrative business will be completely mine and your dear son will become penniless."

There is no reply from your father. Or maybe there is but you do not hear it.

There is a deafening ring in yours ears as you muffle your sobs by clutching your mouth tightly and making a beeline for your room.

You cannot believe this. You absolutely can not. It is something you could not have imagined even in your wildest nightmare. Your father knows your uncle killed your mom, yet he is staying silent. Why? Why!

Granted, your parents were never happily married and growing up you have heard that your father has mistresses. It never bothered your mother because their marriage was only a business agreement in the very first place and she had all her attention focused on you and Chan. But to think that he is letting her killer walk free is unbelievable.

After all he lived with her, his wife, the mother of his children for so many goddamn years!

By the time you have entered your room, you are full on crying, ugly and loud. Tears are blurring your vision as you flail around the room, helplessly, aimlessly, devastatedly.

And before you know it, you are throwing the thousand dollar porcelain vase by your bedside to the ground.

The piece shatters into bits and the sound oddly satisfies you, prompting you to throw another one. And for the next few minutes you throw anything you can find in your room, not caring how valuable they are, not caring that a shard of glass has ripped the skin below your left thumb, making you bleed.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck you! Fuck all of you!" You yell at the top of your lungs, not caring to keep up the facade anymore.

Once you have run out of energy, you stop to look at the mess you made, glad that the messy room and the pain from the cut on your hand makes your mind go blank for a while.

But you do not miss the small, almost inaudible creak of the door to your room. Your head whips into the direction to see none other than Seungcheol, standing right out front, his eyes wide and his lips parted in a small gasp of surprise.

You forget to breathe as you realise he might have been standing there for a while and he witnessed everything.

Everything.

He knows your secret. He knows that you are not mute. Before you know it, your feet are moving as you push open the door and yank your bodyguard into your room, not before glancing left and right down the hallway to check anyone's presence.

As soon as you lock the door, you press him against it and lean on your tiptoes, inching your face closer to him as you whisper, "Keep. This. A. Secret."

You had meant for the words to come out threatening but your tear stained eyes and cracking voice doesn't help establish that image.

Seungcheol stares at you with a gaze you are quite unable to decipher. His eyes are soft, full of wonder and you think you can almost spot admiration and something more in them and for a moment, you find yourself lost in the sea of his gaze.

"______". He calls your name softly. His hands come to your upper arms to hold you gently as he puts some distance between the two of you before ushering you towards your bed and making you sit down. "Your secret is safe with me," he confirms as he sits next to you. "But I am glad you can speak again." He murmurs, giving your shoulder a soft squeeze as he looks around the room you just trashed.

You let out half a sigh of relief, knowing that your secret is safe and you find yourself speaking before you can even think. "I got my voice back quite a while ago. Two months after the accident, actually." Seungcheol's head whips towards you, his eyes widening in surprise.

"My uncle seemed very happy when I lost my voice and he was being weirdly nice to me. I already had my suspicions that the accident was an inside job so I pretended to act mute." You whisper, eyes trained on the floor.

How right you were!

It was an inside job but it had its roots spread out much farther than you thought. Your uncle killed your mother while your father sits there in silence despite knowing that!

The thought makes you shake your head as a dry, mirthless laughter wrings out of your throat. Your head falls back as you laugh like a mad woman as Seungcheol watches you, absolutely perplexed.

He gently tries calling your name. "______—"

"My father knew!" You are yelling between laughter. "He fucking knew!"

The poor man only looks more confused.

"He knew— he… he knows my uncle killed my mom but he is staying silent! He said it himself! I heard him! Do you understand, Seungcheol, my father is turning a blind eye! He is choosing to save his fucking business over me, over his children!"

Seungcheol looks absolutely baffled upon hearing your words as he falls silent with a bleak expression. He does not have the adequate words to respond to that and he simply does not know what he can do at this point to make you feel better. However, he takes notice of the cut below your thumb and reaches for your hand, setting it down on his thigh while he takes out a handkerchief and gently ties it around the injury. "You hurt yourself," he states quietly, almost to himself before meeting your eyes. "I know what you heard was painful but you need to take care of yourself. For your mother, at least."

And the damn breaks.

You break into a full on sob as you wrap your hands around his large shoulders, molding yourself against him as you cry unceremoniously in his chest. Seungcheol's arms wrap around your body in an effortless blanket of security as he rests his chin on top of your head and strokes your head while you try to burrow yourself deeper into his chest.

It takes a while for the messy array of tears to subside and once you have calmed down a little, you take notice of his white shirt which is now completely wet where you rested your face. "I'm sorry," you croak weakly, trying to pull away but he holds you by the arms and makes you face him by tilting your chin with his finger.

"There is nothing to be sorry for, okay? Now tell me what I can do to make this a little better. Just so you know, my team is almost done digging up about your uncle. We should have a solid update tomorrow."

A small sob of gratitude and relief escapes your throat and Seungcheol immediately shushes you, his eyes helplessly searching for yours. "C-can you please ask them to look into my dad as well," you hiccup, saying the words you never imagined would come out of your mouth. "I need to know his whereabouts before the accident."

Seungcheol assures you with a nod while his hand strokes your back soothingly. Exhaling a loud, defeated sigh, you wipe your tears and mutter. "Please help me pack my bags, Seungcheol. I am moving back to my place. Tonight. I cannot stay here a second longer."

The man looks like he wants to protest but goes against it and simply nods, getting up to retrieve your bags from your closet.

After hastily packing your belongings you waste no time to march out of the house with Seungcheol trailing behind you. You leave a note on the kitchen, simply saying something came up and you had to leave early.

You are extremely grateful that you do not come across your father because one look at him and the ticking time bomb inside you would explode and you definitely cause a scene.

As the night grows deeper slowly, you isolate yourself in your room once you come back to your apartment. Despite Seungcheol's insistence, you tell him to call it a day and lock yourself up in your room, throwing yourself a pity party. It has been a while since you had such a restless night— the last one being after the accident, and it takes a long long time for sleep to come.

When your eyes finally fall shut, hues of orange and blue have already grazed the sky.

—

You do not feel like your best self in the morning but the news Seungcheol brings is enough to get you back on track.

The manila file sitting on your desk is a gold mine, it's contents spread throughout the surface as you sit in silence, hands linked together under your chin, your brain finally connecting the pieces together.

Seungcheol's friends found a shady bank transfer made by your uncle, two weeks before the accident. The tip led them to an old gang who, after applying some tactics, admitted to taking money from Jin Lee in order to commit a hit and run. After digging around some more they found papers that now lie on your table, a clear proof of your uncle's deal with the gang, which they kept as insurance. Among the documents, one particularly catches your eye.

It is the information of the driver of the truck that hit your car.

The picture is like a jolt of electricity through your system as you are immediately taken back to the scene of the crash, the moments after where you were hovering over the brink of consciousness. You remember seeing a man peeking into your wrecked car, a man with a scar on his left cheek and all this time you could not fully believe that to be real.

But it was. You did not imagine it. The picture on the document is that of the driver you saw that morning, the man with a scar on his left cheek, his eyes dark and blank, his lips twisted in a line of malice.

"_____?" Seungcheol's gentle voice guides you out of your head. "My friend had his confession recorded. Would you like to hear it?"

"Of course."

"I need to warn you…it is pretty detailed. About the accident, you know." He looks guilty, even though he has no reason to be.

You swallow a lump in your throat as your heart beat picks up. Are you really ready to revisit that morning? Relive all those feelings?

You have to.

Seungcheol pushes a voice recorder towards you on the table, pressing a button to turn it on.

"I was told that there would be only a girl and her bodyguard in the car! I swear I didn't know her mother would be there as well! I did not mean to kill the woman! After I hit the car, I went to check and…and the older woman was dead! The girl looked barely alive and I didn't think she would survive…."

There is a buzzing sound in your ears. It is deafening.

You are transported to a void where these words keep repeating and repeating, pulling you down, sucking you deeper into a pit of despair. It hurts so much you are sure death would be easier.

Your head hangs low, silent tears trailing down your cheek as you stare at your lap. Seungcheol calls your name multiple times, asking if you are okay but you cannot bring yourself to form a reply.

The pain, the guilt, the shame, the anger— everything is overwhelming. These feelings consume you whole and dry you out until you are left with an unbelievable urge to scream and holler and cry.

"______, please, can you hear me?" Seungcheol's touch on your shoulder makes you jolt. You look up to find him standing next to you, eyes glazed with concern as he peers down at you.

"I am fine," you reply after taking a shaky breath.

"Are you sure? Maybe you should call it day—"

"Seungcheol?" You interrupt him. You wipe the tears clean and sit up straight. "Can you call my lawyer? I need him here as soon as possible."

—

Bad news awaits you the next day when you return home from work.

As usual Seungcheol walks you to the door of your apartment but you realise something is up when he abruptly stops after stepping out of the elevator and turning towards the door to your place. Following his line of sight you realise he has taken notice of the slightly open front door to your house.

Your heart drops as a small gasp leaves your lips.

Someone broke into your place. And it does not take a genius to guess who Plus it also confirms that your uncle has found out you have been snooping around. A calm man like him does not make a move unless things are really dire and this proves that he is desperate to get that evidence out of your hands.

Seungcheol tenses up beside you and uses a hand to push you behind his body in a protective manner as he steps closer to the door. With the other hand he pulls out his revolver, holding it out and pointing it straight.

"S-Seungcheol—" You start panicking.

He shushes you before you can say much, eyes trained forward as he takes measured steps. Swallowing the bubble of fear, you hold his back as you follow him into your apartment.

The storeroom which is right on the left after entering is the first place Seungcheol checks, and when he finds it clear he pushes you inside haphazardly.

"Don't come out until I get you." He commands, shutting the door on your face and clicking the lock before you can even process anything. Baffled, you stand still inside the dimly lit room, carefully listening for any sounds, while a thousand different thoughts run through your head. This building is one of the most secure residential buildings in the city and breaking in here is quite literally impossible. Which means it is clear your uncle bribed someone on the inside and the realisation of how scary things are getting dawns on you, making you chew nervously on your lower lip as you start to grow restless.

Thankfully, a quick while later Seungcheol opens the door, a wary look on his face and you can immediately tell something is wrong. As soon as the door opens, you push past him and head for your bedroom, only to find the place absolutely trashed. Everything is a mess; from your bed to your closet to your dresser and it is evident that someone took their sweet time to comb through every one of your possessions and as you take in the havoc, the last of your doubts go away.

They were undoubtedly looking for the documents and the recorder.

Your hands fist at your sides as tears of anger and frustration gather at the corners of your eyes. It only amplifies when you see one of your most precious belongings lying face down on the floor— a picture of you and your mother taken on your eighteenth birthday.

Immediately you kneel and pick the frame up only to find it broken, making you heave out a helpless cry of anger. As you clutch it to your chest, your eyes scan the mess around you and a sense of doom settles in your gut. So this is what your life has come to now.

"Come. You're not staying here." Seungcheol's quiet command disrupts your thoughts.

"W-what? What do you mean? Where am I gonna go?" You scramble to stand up.

"At my place. This place isn't safe, _____." He pins you down with a serious look. "Pack your essentials and I mean absolute essentials. Your passport and any important papers."

"Wait, I—"

"Now." He commands. "I am gonna make some calls to find out who did this. Be ready in ten." He is walking out of the room while dialling a number, leaving you flabbergasted.

A while later you sit on the passenger's seat next to Seungcheol as he pulls the car out of your underground parking and onto the busy street, eyes focused on the road in silence. The only sound surrounding you is the sound of the bustling city and it isn't enough to ease the thick tension in the car. Seungcheol's jaw is clenched and his lips are pressed into a thin line as you observe him while he stares straight ahead. "What do we do after going to your place? I can't just hide forever." You break the silence with your words, your eyes trained out the window. It looks like it's going to rain.

"You'll stay in my place until the threat is removed. I'll soon receive the CCTV footage and from there on we can track down who ordered to invade your home." He declares.

"It was my uncle." You say without much thought.

Seungcheol turns to look at you for a beat before focusing on the road again. "You sound sure." He murmurs.

"Who else would it be then? He is after the evidence." You reply. Seungcheol remains silent for a beat before agreeing with a hum. Another silence follows after that. You take occasional, shy glances at him while he drives and when the car stops at a red light in an intersection, you call for him, making him turn his head to look at you. "Seungcheol?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you. For today."

He stares at you quietly, not blinking. "I just did my job."

"No, you are doing a lot more. You are helping me out in so many ways and I can only keep myself together thanks to you."

He only stares more at you. His gaze is intense and his eyes are hypnotic; if you stare too long it unnerves you, dissects you open. "You will be fine, _____." He replies after a long pause. "With or without me."

His words trigger you.

With or without me?

You want to yell that he has to stick around however long you want him to but his cold demeanour makes your thoughts appear silly, even to yourself. You are clearly looking for something more, much more than he wants to give you. You know he would probably burn the world for you, not because he loves you but because he is a loyal person and probably because he pities you.

Just a little bit. And you accept that. — Seungcheol's place is a canvas of grey and black and white. It is minimalistic and clean, a one bedroom apartment on the tenth floor in a quieter part of the city. As he walks you through his humble abode, he gives directions on where everything is and finally opens the door to his bedroom, leading you in before announcing. "You take the bed. I'll sleep on the sofa."

You do not protest because you know he would never listen. Instead, you almost ask him to share the bed with you but prevent going with it because you cannot trust yourself to remain professional while he sleeps so close to you with that tempting body of his.

"I'll leave you to rest. I'm going for a grocery run. Do not open the door for anyone but me. If there is any problem, call me." He uses his no nonsense tone and you fight the urge to roll your eyes.

"Okay, okay." You watch him leave before shutting the bedroom door and sitting down on the floor, letting out a deep breath, one you've been unconsciously holding for a while.

As you watch the orange sky from the large window of Seungcheol's bedroom, the events of the last forty eight hours wash over you. You can't help but admire yourself at how calm you are. You woke up feeling numb today and you've been functioning on autopilot the whole day. Seeing your place ransacked did evoke some emotion within you but then again, deep down you were expecting something like this to happen once you had the evidence.

You're running on pure adrenaline and you know you cannot stop until you have put your dear uncle behind bars.

And maybe, even your father.

He's an accomplice, no? He knows very well who killed his wife yet he decides to keep quiet, which makes him more vile to you. You find more hatred towards your father brimming within you, than towards your uncle. Yes, you expected him to play unfair but your own father knowing the culprit of your mother's death and simply burying it under the rug? That, you absolutely cannot tolerate.

A number of different scenarios run through your head on how you can bring them down. Despite having this irresistible urge to just run to the police with the recorder, you remember your lawyer's words.

It won't be enough.

A few documents and a tape of confession are not enough to bring a man like Jin down. He has very strong connections with law enforcement and an even stronger set of lawyers. You need a solid witness. You need to catch him red handed. You need to create a scandal he can't recover from. You need to gather more proof. Proof so irrefutable, that his entire empire comes crashing down.

And good for you, your uncle has already started setting up his doom. Trashing your place was his first mistake, the first piece of the domino. Now, it is a matter of time until everything collapses. You pray he will keep on making more mistakes.

In fact, you know he will. He will do anything to get his hands on the evidence and you will stack all his actions against him at court. And when the time comes for the nail to hit the head…

You're going to be the bait. —

Somewhere in the middle of the night, you wake up from your sleep. Falling asleep came to you easily after eating the dinner Seungcheol cooked and then curling up in his bed where the sheets smelled subtly like him. It led you to have the best sleep you had in a while but now that you are awake, there is an itch in your throat, making it dry.

So, quietly, you get up from bed and walk to the kitchen, a small light in the hallway guiding you to find a glass and pour yourself some water.

As you sit on one of the breakfast stools and gulp it down, you watch Seungcheol sleeping on the sofa. The blanket that was probably on top of him once has fallen on the floor, the small space clearly not sufficient for his large frame as almost half of his body hangs out of the sofa. You almost feel bad for him and wonder how he can sleep in such a tiny space but it is pointless to feel guilty. He would never take the bed, no matter how much you offered.

As you take the last few sips of your water, you catch the moonlight draping over half of his face, casting it in an ethereal glow. It's stunning how beautiful he is. His usual stoic face is now relaxed, his full brows not knotted in a frown, his long eyelashes resting against his cheek, his plump full lips parted just a tiny bit.

Unashamedly, for the nth time, you find yourself wondering how it'd be like to kiss him. You can't remember the last time a man made you feel like this, if ever. Your relationship with him should be strictly professional yet as you spend more time with him your mind keeps on entering forbidden territories. Which is sad because you know he feels nowhere near that for you. Maybe he even has a girlfriend, or a wife— though you see no ring in his finger. Maybe a divorced wife with whom he parted ways begrudgingly, someone who still haunts his dreams.

As you conjure up various scenarios of his relationship status, Seungcheol stirs in his sleep before a quiet groan escapes his lips.

You crane your head to take a better look at him, to see if he's awake but you soon realise he isn't as another pained groan leaves his lips, his large body shuffling in the congested space.

Is he having a nightmare?

You immediately get up and dash towards him, turning a light on the way and kneeling right beside the sofa. There's a light sheen of sweat coating his face and his eyebrows are marred in a frown as his eyes remain squeezed shut, his body writhing desperately "Seungcheol? Seungcheol!" You yell, grabbing his shoulders and trying your best to shake him out of whatever that's haunting him.

"No! No! Please, no!" The pain and helplessness in his voice halts your breath as you continue to shake him awake while his hands come to grab your arms in a tight hold, almost like an anchor. His grip only grows stronger as he yells in protest and you try your very best to wake him up once more. "Seungcheol! Please! Wake up! It's a nightmare!"

A set of blown out pupils look at you the next moment, and in a moment of silence a small shaky breath leaving his lips before they part slightly in shock. Then, before you know it, you are falling on your ass as Seungcheol shoves you away and scrambles to the farthest corner of the sofa.

Even though your ass hurts, you know it was an unintended reaction. You whisper in a voice so soft as if you're talking to a wounded animal, "Seungcheol, it's okay. You're safe. You were having a nightmare."

The man sits still, hugging his knees as he still tries to catch his breath, a horrified look on his face. Not being able to bear it anymore, you immediately move to him and even though he flinches and tries to move away at first, he gives in when you wrap your arms around his shoulders.

Soon he's burying his face on your neck as his large body curls around you, his hands gripping your night shirt tightly as if he's trying to mould himself into you. You feel his harsh pants on your shoulder so you try your best to soothe him, rubbing his back in repeated motions while whispering words of solace.

"It's alright, Seungcheol. I'm here. I have got you. It was just a bad dream."

You don't know how long you hold him like that but it seems to be a while, which feels too soon to you because Seungcheol pulls away from your arms before scooting away, putting a little distance between the two of you. He doesn't meet your eyes as he sighs, annoyed and dejected, while rubbing his temples. "Are you okay? Would you like some water?" You offer. He shakes his head, looking down, his usual stoic mask settling back onto his face.

"Why are you up?" He asks, his tone somewhat snappy. You frown. "I got out of bed to get a glass of water. You were having a nightmare, Seungcheol. Are you sure—"

"It's fine. It happens."

You are stunned at his lack of care. Is this a daily occurrence? Does he wake up every night, alone and screaming from his nightmares? Why is he allowing this to happen? Does he have someone to talk to? You want to ask all these questions but then decide against it due to the situation. Instead, you shuffle a little closer to him and start fixing his messy hair with a soft touch.

Seungcheol completely freezes at first and you expect him to bat your hand away but he doesn't. So you bite your lip to hide your smile as you finish fixing his hair before wiping the sweat off his brow.

But you don't get to go far with that because Seungcheol grabs your wrist in a gentle hold, stopping you. His eyes scan over the length of your arms before he meets your eye. "Are you okay? I hurt you, didn't I?"

You simply shake your head and offer him a small smile which doesn't seem to convince him. His brows frown once again as you see him start overthinking so you put a stop to them. "I'm fine, Seungcheol, really. If you should be worried about anything, it is yourself. You're not on duty right now, you know. You can relax. I'm not a priority now." His eyes bore into yours and for a moment you see something foreign in his eyes. Something akin to vulnerability, longing, maybe even desperation.

"Go back to sleep, ____." His voice is gruff. "You've had a long day."

You want to protest but decided not to as huff out a breath and cast one more longing glance at him, hoping that maybe he would change his mind, before retreating to your room.

— It's ten o'clock when you wake up.

Your first thought is that you are late for work, which makes you sit right up, ready to bolt out of bed but the next moment you realise it's a Saturday. And you are not at home. You are at Seungcheol's place.

So you take your sweet time leaving the bed and freshening up, shuffling through Seungcheol's products in the bathroom. You also sneak in a sniff of his aftershave and cologne, smiling at yourself at your perverseness.

When you step out of your room, you find Seungcheol sitting on one of the breakfast stools, going through some documents with rapt attention. You stand by your door frame for a while, admiring his built frame from behind, his large back muscles and shoulders stretched beneath a white tee but you don't get to stare at him too long because his head turns around and catches you in the act.

"Good morning, _____." He greets.

You clear your throat, shuffling to the kitchen counter and pour yourself a glass of water, pretending as if he didn't just catch you eye fucking him. "Good morning, Seungcheol." Your voice is soft.

"Would you like to have breakfast now? I can make you some toast and omelette." He kindly offers. "There's also cereal if you want."

"I think I'll go with the cereal," You murmur, taking a seat opposite to him. You haven't had much of an appetite for the past few days which isn't really a surprise considering the situation. Seungcheol goes back to scanning the documents in front of him while you sit in silence, sipping your water. You wonder wether you should bring up last night, maybe ask him if he's okay now but you have a suspicion it won't be received well by him. As you chew on your lip and debate the idea, Seungcheol looks up to meet your eyes, his face ever so serious.

"You have to take a break from work for a few days." He announces.

"What? Why?"

Probably for the first time, you see him hesitate which stresses you out. "What's wrong, Seungcheol? Tell me."

"You have received a few death threats, _____. I found them in your mail. For the time being, you need to lay low, appearing in public puts you at risk. In fact, we're leaving for a safe house today."

"Wait- what?" Your brain is trying hard to catch up. "Safe house? What are you talking about? I'm not safe here?"

"They know your address, _____. It won't take them long to get mine. I need to get you to an untraceable place."

You don't know what to feel or even how to react. You're at a loss as you try to figure out your next move. "What do those threats say exactly? Can I see them?"

Seungcheol's face hardens. "No. They're not pretty to look at." His voice brings shivers down your spine as a wave of nausea hits you. You had no idea your uncle could stoop so low. But then again, he's a murderer so you shouldn't have underestimated him.

Seungcheol must have seen your face pale because he calls your name firmly, grounding your attention to him. "You are safe with me, _____. You just have to trust me, okay?" You find comfort in his eyes so you find yourself nodding immediately which satisfies him. "Get ready. We'll leave in two hours."

"Where are we going?"

"Don't worry about that."

"Does my father know?"

"About the death threats? Yes. He didn't seem too concerned about it though. Said it might be a prank."

Somehow, you're not surprised.

"But not about moving you to a safe location," Seungcheol adds. "No one needs to know about that. It's safer that way."

"Even my brother?"

"Yes. I suggest you call him and tell him you'll be out of reach for a while."

You deflate at that. Chan is going to be worried. And how on earth are you going to explain everything to him when all of this eventually unveils?

Seungcheol gets up, gathering all the papers and just as he turns to leave, he stops. "Oh, and ____? Don't come near me when I'm having a nightmare next time."

What?

"But Seungcheol—"

"For your own safety, _____. Don't. This is not a request." He doesn't wait for your reply but marches away as you silently watch his retreating form, lips pursed in annoyance.

The little appetite you had for breakfast is ruined as you go back to your room, cursing his stubbornness. As you pick up your phone to check for any important messages, a text from your dear father greets you. Your bodyguard told me you received death threats. Maybe it is better for you to stay at home and not work. For your own good, you should seriously consider giving your position to someone else. His flagrant attitude makes your blood boil as you fist your hands around your phone in a death grip before tossing it onto the bed in a fit of rage.

This day has not started off well.

— Two hours later you are well on your way to the safe house with a bag packed containing your absolute necessities. Your bodyguard has confiscated your real phone and gave you a burner instead just to be cautious.

Seungcheol, as always, drives the car in silence, the features of his face set to a grim expression. The air is thick with tension and you debate putting the radio on but even doing that feels too awkward.

"How long is the drive?" You finally ask, desperate to lessen this weird tension.

"We're taking a train from the station."

"Wait, what?"

"It is quite far. Driving there is going to take way too long." He calmly replies, eyes focused on the road. Sighing, you lean back and rest your head against the headrest. You let your eyes wander outside the window, watching the people, the view passing by while your mind runs rampant with all kinds of thoughts; anxious, restless.

A while later, you take notice of something in the rearview mirror and finally voice out the concern that has been bugging you for a while. "Seungcheol?" There's a touch of panic in your voice.

"Yes?"

"See that black Mercedes? It has been following us for a while…I think." You stare eagerly at Seungcheol waiting for his reply, waiting to be told that you are wrong but instead, a small, amused smile graces his lips.

"So you noticed, huh?"

It feels like your heart is going to drop out of your ass.

"What do we do?" You whisper, sitting up straight and craning your head back to take a proper look at the car. Sure enough, the SUV is right behind you, not even trying to be discreet anymore.

Fuck this crap, seriously.

"Trust me, I have got a plan. You just need to do as I tell you, okay?" He assures, his voice composed unlike yours.

"O-okay."

He turns to face you for a beat, giving you a reassuring look before continuing to drive in silence for a couple more minutes while the Mercedes stays on your tail. "Hold tight. I'm going to speed up. There's a parking lot about a mile from here. We're going to stop there."

"WHAT!"

You don't get your reply because the next second, the car is zooming forward as Seungcheol steps on the accelerator. You are gripping the dashboard and your seatbelt with your dear life as Seungcheol speeds through the lane like a madman, swerving every now and then. The Mercedes chasing you has a hard time keeping up with Seungcheol's viciously smooth driving because in a moment's time you are in the parking lot where Seungcheol parks the car in the corner farthest from the entry.

"Listen to me very carefully, ____." Seungcheol says as he turns the engine off and removes his seatbelt. "Crawl to the back and lay low, okay? No matter what happens, what you see, you do not make a move until I come get you, do you hear me?"

Your throat feels like sandpaper as you whisper. "Y-yes. Yes I do."

"Good." He squeezes your hand. "Now crawl into the back."

You do as you are told, moving into the backseat and crouching down as Seungcheol exits the car before locking it. You peek through the tinted window, watching with bated breath as the black SUV pulls up and two bald headed men exit the vehicle which parks right by the entry. They walk to Seungcheol, their stances predatory as they talk about something you cannot hear.

Next thing you know, one of the men is throwing an uppercut towards Seungcheol which fails to land because your bodyguard steps back, avoiding it easily.

Then, a full on fight ensues as the two men attack Seungcheol unsparingly. Seungcheol does not fail to keep up as he easily avoids them and counterattacks. Very soon, he is landing a kick on one of the men that throws him down to the ground with a harsh blow before grabbing the other guy and holding him in a chokehold. Soon, his body slumps to the ground.

Is he dead?

The other guy, meanwhile, recovers and charges for Seungcheol and you notice a bit too late that he has a knife because he manages to land a slash on Seungcheol's chest, making him stumble back. "Seungcheol!" Your hand unconsciously reaches for the door handle, tugging it to get out and help him. Alas, you can't do that. Fortunately, though, Seungcheol seems to not require any help as in the very next moment Seungcheol attacks the man, snatches the knife from him and bashes his head against the trunk of a car once, twice, thrice, making him fall into the ground, unconscious.

The breath you were holding finally escapes your lungs. Seungcheol dashes to the car the next moment, opening the back door and dragging you out by the arm before you can even say something.

"Come on. We don't have time."

"Wait, where are we going?"

"There's a five minute shortcut to the station from here," he says, leading you by holding your hand as his legs pick up speed. "We have to run because they are expecting us to move by car. Come on!"

And so, you let him guide the way, his hand holding yours tightly, as you take the underground exit of the lot. You run for your life, your legs going sore but you manage to keep going just because of the adrenaline. Soon enough, the station comes into view and Seungcheol picks up speed as the whistle of the train echoes through the air, informing its departure.

"Oh crap, we're not gonna make it!" You yell. "We will. Just keep running," Seungcheol hollers back as you both run parallel to the train that is slowly picking up speed. Suddenly Seungcheol lets go of your hand which throws you into a moment of panic but you keep running as you start to guess his plan.

You watch as he bolts for the entrance of the last carriage and in the blink of an eye, jumps inside.

"Holy shit." You curse. The next moment, he turns around and leans out the door, holding out one of his hands for you to grab onto while the other grips the handle by the door. "Come on! Grab my hand!"

Your legs are so tired they feel shaky, ready to collapse any moment. Still, you run with all your might, holding out your hand, reaching for his.

"Just a little bit! You can do it!" He encourages as the rhythm of the wheels intensifies, letting you know you do not have much time.

Oh shit.

Grunting in frustration, you put all the bridling remnants of your energy and dart forward which seems to be just enough, as your hand touches Seungcheol's. The next moment he grabs onto your hand and in the blink of an eye he is tugging your full weight and pulling you inside the carriage.

Upon entering, you collapse on the floor, panting loudly as Seungcheol lets go of your hand and cranes his neck out the door as if looking for something. Even though you are wheezing for air, you follow his line of sight and see two men running after the train as if they were chasing you. By now the train is moving at full speed, crossing the end of the platform, making them slow down and watch helplessly. "Who…are…they?" You choke between breaths.

"Your uncle's men." Seungcheol replies nonchalantly as he shuts the door and kneels next to you.

"How long have they been following us?"

"After we got to the station."

"Why didn't you say anything!"

"I didn't want to scare you." He replies, his hand wrapping around your shoulder. "Don't talk, just breathe. You did well."

You don't know if it is the intensity of the situation or the adrenaline crash or his words that make you slump in his arms, your body resting against his as you catch your breath. The feeling of his warmth against your body is something you are extremely grateful for at the moment.

"Please tell me you have tickets." You pant, resting your head against his shoulder.

"Of course. First class." _____ Five hours later, you are at your destination.

It is a cabin in a small town full of greenery and old architecture. It is very picturesque, located in between a vast area of mountains, somewhere you'd come to spend the summer with your family maybe. Even though your situation is the farthest thing from a vacation, it doesn't stop you from admiring the beauty before your eyes.

"The place is very beautiful, Seungcheol." You admire the surroundings as well as the cabin.

It's somewhat isolated from the town, shrouded by the forest, as the nearest market from here is about ten minutes drive.

"Thank you, my grandfather made it. He left it for me." He provides as he carries your small bag from the car he borrowed from a friend here and unlocks the door with a key.

"We should do something about your cut." You mention worriedly, crossing the threshold as you see him slightly wince while moving. The bleeding seems to have stopped after he put some pressure in the wound but it still needs to be cleaned.

Hearing your words, he looks down to see the wound before shrugging, "It's fine. The bleeding has stopped."

You expected him to say something like that so you take matters in your own hands. "Is there a first aid kit here?" You ask as you pad to the bathroom, looking around carefully and sure enough, inside the cabinets under the sink, there's a first aid box. Seungcheol murmurs grumbles of protest as you come back to the living area and ask for him to sit on the spot next to you on the couch. Thankfully he listens to you. As he unbuttons his shirt, you disinfect your hands while trying your best not to peek at the delicious row of abs that comes into display. As his wound comes into view you cannot help but wince at the sight, which doesn't go unnoticed by your bodyguard. His hand immediately reaches to take the cotton swab from your hand, murmuring. "I can do it myself."

You tsk in disapproval, sending him your best scolding glare before resting one of your hands on his shoulder for support and gently swiping on the wound with the swab dipped in antiseptic with your dominant hand. Seungcheol sits still all through it while you hold your breath, channelling all your focus on the task at hand.

It is scary; being this close to him and for some reason the act of cleaning up a cut is turned into something way too intimate by your brain. So, you don't dare to look in his eyes, afraid of what you'll see in them but terrified of what they will make you feel; something you can not resist or put a lid on, like the urge to cup his cheeks and kiss those irresistible lips.

You must be swiping at his wound with your face mere inches away from touching his chest for way too long because one of Seungcheol's hands comes to grab your wrist, stopping your movements. "I think that's enough," His voice holds the aloofness that you are used to which makes you sigh.

"Does it hurt? Do you want a painkiller?" You still find yourself asking.

Seungcheol frowns. "No, ____. I'm fine. It's just a cut, I won't die."

"Still—"

"Maybe you should focus on yourself. You have had a long day—"

"Why do you always do this!" It takes a few moments for you to realise you are yelling. You stand on your feet, hands fisted at your sides as the first aid kit falls on the floor from your lap, spilling its contents all over.

"What do you mean?" He asks and you absolutely loathe how his voice never changes, laced with that touch of monotony and indifference.

"Ugh, Seungcheol! Why do you always push me away! I want to help you! I'm just trying to take care of you!" This, however, seems to evoke an emotion from him because he is immediately on his feet, glaring at you, his large body towering over you.

"It is not your job to take care of me! If anyone here is going to take care of someone, it will be me making sure you are alive, is that clear?"

"I'm just trying to help you yet you keep pushing me away—"

"I do not need your help!" His voice is a roar of thunder, making you gasp as you take a step back. You've never seen him like this nor did you imagine someone so unbothered and composed had a side like this. "Who are you, huh? Why do you keep stepping over the line? Did I ask for your fucking help? I'm the last person you should be worried about, Ms Lee, you understand that?"

By now, angry tears have gathered in your eyes. Not wanting to cry in front of him you bite your lips and push past him as you run towards your room. "Fuck you, Choi Seungcheol!" —

You spend a long time in your room, crying and cursing him out before eventually falling asleep out of exhaustion.

When you are awake from your slumber, the clock reads 2 in the morning. Disoriented and irritated and hungry, the first thing you do after emptying your bladder is go hunt for something to eat. Even though you intended to avoid Seungcheol, it is impossible not to come across him as he sleeps on the couch in the living room, this one thankfully big enough for him to comfortably lie.

There's a small lamp in the corner of the room and the light from there is falling on one side of his face, highlighting his cheekbones.

You stand still for a moment to make sure that he's actually asleep, before tiptoeing to the kitchen. Pouring yourself a glass of water and you think of something easy to make that will not wake up the moody bastard in the next room.

However, you don't get too far with that thought because a moment later, you hear an all familiar groan float through the quiet air of the night. It is Seungcheol. And he's having a nightmare. Once again. It's like deja vu.

All his commands of not helping him fly out the window as you run to the living room. Before you can reach there, however, you hear a crash and upon entering you see Seungcheol, wide awake and sitting on the floor on his hands and knees, his entire frame shaking violently as he keeps uttering something under his breath, still stuck in his nightmare.

Your heart drops when you see the glass showpiece on the centre table shattered on the floor, along with the pillows and blanket that were previously on the couch. "Seungcheol!" You yell as you rush to him, carefully avoiding the broken shards of glass and sitting on your knees next to him as you try to get him out of his head and focus on you. His blown out pupils meet yours as his hands shake and his breath comes out in struggling pants.

He's having a panic attack.

"Seungcheol!" you call for him, trying your best to keep your voice stable which proves to be hard as your heart breaks for the man, hating seeing him in this state.

"Look at me. Listen to my voice. Breathe. Breathe with me. Look at me. Breathe, just breathe, you're going to be fine."

And so for the next few minutes, you try your best to calm the agitated man down, holding his body next to yours as you run your hands along his back, up and down, up and down.

You realise he's back to normal when the shuddering stops and his body remains immoblie next to you, as if he has fallen asleep. You know otherwise because when you pull back to take a look at his face, you find his eyes open, that familiar, empty and aloof gaze replacing the panicked ones. His lips are set to a thin line and you feel his whole body stiffen next to yours and just like you know he is back to normal.

This time, you do not ask him if he's okay or if he wants anything. Instead you get up from the floor quietly and go to the kitchen where you quickly make him a warm cup of tea.

When you return, he's still on the floor, sitting with his back against the sofa, hands resting on his knees as his head hangs low. Silently, you walk over and sit next to him before extending the steaming mug towards him.

You hold your breath, waiting for him to reject it and start spewing mean words at you but you are to be amazed.

Surprising you, he does none of those things but accepts the mug and takes a small sip. A tiny smile of victory graces your lips as you settle your gaze forward to the empty wall and sit in silence next to him.

As the steam gradually disappears from the mug and his dejected posture becomes tense and uptight, you know he's about to tell you off. Your guess turns out to be correct because just a moment later, he sets his mug down on the floor and turns to face you. His voice is stoic when he speaks, "I clearly told you not to—"

"Do you want to talk about it?" You interrupt him with a soft voice. He appears stunned as his mouth opens to say something but closes back to a tight line.

"I used to have nightmares as well, after the accident." You whisper, leaning back to the sofa, your unfocused gaze settled on the walls of the cabin as your mind disappears in the depths of the memories of those gruesome nights.

"I'd wake up screaming and crying. Every damn time I'd see the crash so vividly and the moments before it, my mom's desperate eyes at mine, her fading words, telling me to hold on, telling me that she loves me..." You lose your voice with a choke as tears blind your vision. A hand comes to rest on your shoulder gently and gives you a reassuring squeeze. It takes a few moments for your brain to process that it's Seungcheol and you are pleasantly surprised.

Your eyes search for him, and his face is solemn, his eyes showing just a reflection of kindness and sympathy. With a sad smile, you wipe the tears threatening to fall from your eyes. "It was horrible at the beginning when I couldn't speak. I'd wake up distressed and not finding my voice would make it even worse. For the first two months, Chan stayed with me every night. He'd try his best to calm me down but every night I'd be just as scared to go to bed."

"Eventually, the nightmares didn't come as often. Especially after I realised I could speak again and I was remembering bits and pieces of the accident and my suspicion was growing. I haven't had any nightmares for a while now but I remember how they made me feel. How awfully...real they felt." You sigh, shuddering at the thought.

A few moments of silence pass by as Seungcheol's hand drops from your shoulder. You don't expect him to spill his heart out but you are grateful that he didn't push you away and listened to you and comforted you. It is more than you ever thought you could get from him. Having this simple, somewhat bitter moment of intimacy is enough to soothe your love starved heart. However, you realise it's a night full of surprises when Seungcheol starts speaking. "I was in the military, as you know. I joined when I was eighteen. I lost my parents the year before so it was just me and my grandfather." His voice is quiet as he fixes his eyes out the window, looking at the dark night sky.

You follow his gaze and make a quick observation that there are no stars tonight, just an empty, dark sky, before setting your gaze on Seungcheol's face.

"My grandfather served in the military during the early years of his life and I wanted to follow his footsteps. The first few years were tough but good. I enjoyed them as they kept me busy and focused. During my fifth year in the military, my grandfather passed away peacefully in his sleep. I was on break at that time so I was there with him in his last moments. However, it still broke me. Sending him off was one of the hardest things I had ever done."

He pauses, making you hold your breath and anticipate his next words. His expression is unreadable, his sharp gaze focused outside when he continues. "I returned to the military a different man. My life as a soldier became everything to me. I worked ten times harder than anyone else as the military turned into my entire life. I jumped through the ranks very quickly and went on various missions as a SEAL. All of them were dangerous but successful as I led my teams out safely each time. Until Sudan."

There is another heavy pause as you feel the air thicken with tension. You know the worst part is about to begin and as you observe his gaze become more and more unfocused, you can't help but dread whatever is coming next. "It was a humanitarian mission. Me and my team were tasked to rescue some families from a group of local terrorists. They were held inside a camp in the middle of the desert. The infiltration was successful. But, just as we were escaping, the terrorists found out and came at us with double manpower. They had a couple of high powered explosives which we were unprepared for because they were not supposed to have such weapons."

"As my team and I were exchanging fire against them, a bomb went off right next to me. It is the last thing I remember before waking up in a hospital bed a week later."

"The explosion fucked up left leg. I needed three surgeries and months of rehabilitation. But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part is that it cost three of my teammates their lives."

Oh Seungcheol. Tears are beading down your eyes as you let his words soak into you.

"It happened almost six years ago but it still haunts me. How I fucked up. How I killed them." "Seungcheol, no!" You scold, your voice not as powerful as you'd like it to be as it breaks mid way. "You did not kill them, you hear me? It was an accident. A horrible one but it was not your fault in any way. They died honourably and think of all the others you saved, all the times you led your team out of harm successfully. Think about all the lives you have saved, all the people you have helped." Your grip is strong on his forearms as you turn him to face you fully. His eyes meet you; bleak and hopeless and the urge to wipe away all his pain soars within you. It's a shame you can't do that so you do the next best thing you can think of.

You pull him in a tight hug. You wrap yourself around him, resting your chin over his shoulder as you close your eyes and hold him tight, the act a bit hard due his huge build. For several long moments he doesn't hug you back until you finally feel his warm hands creep on your back as he rests his face against your neck, cocooning your body with his.

You swallow a sob and blink furiously to drive away the tears, your hands stroking his hair in gentle motions. "It's alright, Cheol. You are going to be just fine. It is all going to be okay."

His response is to hold you tighter and you welcome his vulnerability, his pain and agony with open arms, breathing it in as if it is your own. Long moments are spent as you two remain in each other's embrace until you finally sit back to take a look at him.

"Maybe you should talk to a therapist?"

"I did," he sighs, running a hand through his soft locks. "After the accident, I saw one for almost a year. I was prescribed so many medicines and I almost got addicted to them even though they weren't doing much to help. So I decided to quit altogether and moved here, in his cabin. I stayed here for about six months, trying to pull myself together before an old friend of mine called, asking if I wanted to join his private security company. I agreed because I couldn't live in solitude any longer without killing myself and now, I'm here." You nod, watching him intently as you two sit with mere inches of space between each other's faces. In the back of your mind, you realize that this is the most intimate you have been with Seungcheol and probably you will ever get to be so you can't help but speak the next words. "You are so beautiful, Seungcheol. Inside and out. You are such an amazing person.I only wish you would know that." Your words can barely be heard because you speak so softly but it contains emotions from the deepest, rawest part of your heart. Sitting with him on the floor, in the middle of the night at a cabin in the woods, talking about your deepest traumas and secrets is something you never thought you would experience but now you realise, it is a treasure, a moment of profoundness that you will carry close to your heart for the rest of your life.

Seungcheol's eyes widen for a fraction upon hearing your words before he shifts, trying to pull away from you but your strong grip on his hands stops him. Once again, you find yourself confessing. "Ever since you've come to my life, I feel hopeful, even though we are going through so much trouble. I want to live again and I feel happy and hopeful when I look at you. And I can never thank you enough for that."

Seungcheol's Adams apple bobs as he swallows and the expression on his face is so vivid you realize you have left him speechless. A small, shy smile sets on your lips as you squeeze his hands softly, your thumb stroking over his bruised knuckles. While your mind swoons over how tender this moment is and how beautiful he looks and how soft his lips appear, he inches his face closer to you before pressing his lips against yours.

At first, you believe it's a dream.

It is bound to be, no?

Blinking multiple times, you make sure that it in fact is not a dream but it seems to take too long because Seungcheol is pulling away from you, the apology right there at the tip of his tongue. However, you do not let him speak the words he doesn't mean. Instead, you do what you have only done in your late night fantasies, you cup his cheeks and pull his face down to yours, meeting his lips in a fierce kiss. You do not even think of holding back, pouring every bit of passion and need and admiration for him into it.

Thankfully, he reciprocates, cupping your neck and jaw, tilting your face for better access.

And it's wonderland. It is everything you imagined and more, everything you want and need, everything that can heal you.

In the rosy haze of desire and desperation, your hungry hands travel down to the hem of his white t-shirt, tugging on it in a futile attempt to get it off. The action gets the attention of Seungcheol as he dettaches his lips from yours, taking a look at your face.

"_____—" he makes a weak attempt to stop you but his words die on his tongue as you hastily stand up, dragging him with him. Pressing a soft finger on his lips, you shush him as you bring your face closer to him and whisper in his ear. "Don't push me away Seungcheol, please. I need you. And you need me too."

There is a battle in his gaze as he stares at your longing visage for a moment with a clenched jaw before muttering a curse underneath his breath. The next moment, you are being carried to your bedroom and in the blink of an eye, you are standing in front of your bed with his frame towering over you.

"You wanted this?" He teases but his eyes are lit with a fire that is inextinguishable as he takes off his shirt and even in the dimly lit room, you do not miss the carved perfection of his body, littered with scars here and there. In vain hope, you pray that your face isn't visible as you ogle him but you know it is because his unrelenting stare breaks your skin into goosebumps.

As you are stuck in a trance of lust, he takes a step closer to you before his breath grazes your ear. "Lift your hands, angel."

The next moment, he pulls your nightshirt off your body, leaving you only in your sleeping shorts. He wastes no time, attacking them right next as they come off with a tug and you fall into your bed. You have no time to overthink or feel shy because Seungcheol cages your body underneath his as he crawls to you, a dark look of hunger on his face.

"You are a fucking temptress, you know that?" He grunts, a calloused thumb reaching out to stroke your cheek. You lean into his touch, eyes falling closed at the contact as a soft sigh escapes your lips but the next moment Seungcheol is grabbing the back of your neck and pulling you in for a heated kiss.

It's all teeth and tongue as he devours your mouth, two tongues entangled in a fierce rhythm of tango before finally letting you gasp for air. "Crawl up," his voice is that of a quiet command which you follow instantly, letting him sit comfortably on his knees as he spreads your legs wide.

The very next moment a squeak leaves your mouth as Seungcheol pushes his index finger inside you, your wetness granting easy access. He makes a noise, something akin to an animalistic groan as his digit easily slips inside.

"Fuck, you're so wet for me," he murmurs as he inserts another finger and then another before curling them inside you.

"Seungcheol!" You yell, grabbing the sheets as your hips lift off the mattress due to the electrifying jolt of pleasure. Your reaction makes him grunt as he fastens his face and you feel your legs tremble, making you think that you are going to come already.

Your core tightens around his fingers as more wetness leaks from you, only amplified when he brushes his thumb against your clit. Another gasp and a shudder of your body makes Seungcheol smirk as he whispers, "Gonna come, angel?"

You nod your head aggressively, your hips chasing his fingers in their own rhythm and just as the tingles of your release soars in your body, Seungcheol removes his fingers.

"No!" Your protest is immediate but the man only gives you a cruel smile as he makes a show of licking his fingers clean. The act itself is extremely hot and you cannot help but release another groan of frustration.

"Seungcheol! Please let me—"

"You are gonna lie back and let me eat your pussy now, hmm? After I'm satisfied, I will let you come." He announces, lips hovering over your thighs, the touch of his warm breath giving your goosebumps. The low gravel of his voice paired with the way he keeps looking at you from between your thighs makes you swallow thickly before lying your head back into the pillow, a shuddering breath leaving your lips.

"Good girl."

Good girl.

Your core clenches deliciously. However, you do not get to soak in the warmth of his praise because the next moment he flicks your clit with his tongue and your scream pierces the night air. Your body writhes while he holds your thighs open in a strong grip, incoherent gasps and curses of pleasure falling from your lips. Seungcheol is like a man starved, as he eats you out mercilessly, his tongue going deep inside your most intimate parts. You can't remain still, tears of pleasure stinging your eyes as your body shakes and pleas fall from your lips.

"Oh f-fuck! Seungcheol! Please!"

You yourself do not know what you are begging for. It's the sweetest torture, one you want to end but also continue forever.

Your release has wet your inner thighs and paired with Seungcheol's saliva they drip down to your asshole but Seungcheol doesn't stop. He brings his attention to your hard, swollen clit now which he flicks repeatedly with his tongue.

"Fuck! I can't! Please let me come!" You are convinced your voice can be heard from miles away. "You wanna come?" He grunts between breaths, voice muffled.

"Yes, yes! Please!"

"Then come. Come for me, my angel." The command has your toes curling as he gives a harsh suck to your clit and in an instant, you go off like a firework. The heated coil in your belly snaps as your body twitches, sending you headfirst into an orgasm so good, so deep, tears drip down your eyes. All through it, Seungcheol keeps sucking your pussy, almost making you numb before stopping with a final, sloppy kiss on your clit and sitting back.

Even in the darkness, you see his lips shine with your release.

"You are an aphrodisiac, angel." His words caress your skin as he leans forward and presses soft, tantalising kisses on your jaw and down your throat.

"Please, fuck me now," your voice is a cry of plea as you chase his lips for a kiss. He entertains you, tangling your mouths in an embrace of passion as you taste yourself on his tongue. One of his hands moves down amidst the kiss and your foggy brain registers that he's taking off his sweatpants.

With a soft groan he takes off his lips from yours and frees himself from your entangled limbs, standing up to kick his boxers and sweatpants down his legs.

And oh dear lord is he a view. You admire him in his nakedness in the half lit room, drinking every inch of him. You can't stray your eyes from his cock, hard and leaking as you gulp and send a prayer to the sky, marvelling at his size.

Seungcheol crawls back into the bed, his movements akin to the grace of a panther, his eyes lit with ferocity and huger as he pins both your wrists over your head with one hand.

"I'm going to fuck you so good you will be ruined for any other man." He promises, giving you a delicious shiver on your spine. You want to scream that you don't need any other man, you never will but the thought dies in your mind when you feel his tip prodding at your core. He slides in easily, almost embarrassingly easy as your sopping cunt welcomes him with wide open arms. A guttural groan escapes from his throat as he buries his head in the crook of your neck, spewing curses. The sound makes you clench around him which makes him curse again.

"You are so fucking tight, fuck!"

You can only respond in an incoherent hum as he starts moving inside you, making you throw your head back and let out a loud moan. He raises his head to look at you and your eyes contact and in a second, everything becomes more intense. The look in his eyes is ever captivating and ruthless while he pistons in and out of you tirelessly, hitting that sensitive spot inside you perfectly each time.

"You're going to be the death of me." He whispers, almost as if he's talking to himself. His mouth works on your jaw, moving down to your throat and sucking harshly on the soft flesh, making you shudder in pleasure. "Seungcheol!" You cry. "Harder! Please!"

"Any harder and I'll come right now."

"Do it! Come inside me!" All other thoughts and worries have left your mind and beg him for more, already cock drunk.

"Fuck, you sure?"

"I'm on pills, Cheol. I'm sure," you pant, clutching onto his back as he increases his pace, leaning back to sit on his knees as his hands move to your waist, holding you in a bruising grip.

"Gonna fill you up then, angel. Make this pussy bleed my come." He promises with a snark, his eyes trained on your face as he delivers one particular thrust that has you arching off the bed and seeing stars.

Then there is a brush of touch on your hard clit and a quiet command of coming which has fireworks exploding all throughout your body. You cry out, from pleasure and pain so addictive that white spots dance in your vision, hands twisting the fabric of the bedsheet so hard it would be no surprise if they tore. The next moment you feel Seungcheol release inside you and the feeling of his warm cum coating your insides gives your body another round of shivers as you completely blank out. You are transported to a hazy place where you feel like you are floating through the air as you lose all sense of connection from this world.

It takes a while for you to recover and once you do, you realise Seungcheol has slumped over next to you as his breathing gradually returns to normal. You turn your head slightly to look at him and just as your eyes meet, he makes a move to get up. Your hand immediately latches onto his arm. "Don't go." You croak.

"I need to clean you up." His voice is quiet.

"Later." You whisper, begging with your eyes. "Just lay with me for a while." He remains still for a moment, probably battling with himself before lying back next to you. He stretches one of his arms and you quickly use it as a pillow, shuffling closer to his body and resting your palm on his chest. Seungcheol tenses next to you but you don't let it get to you as your hand gently strokes an old scar right beneath his chest. Just as you are almost falling asleep, you feel his hand wrap around your waist, holding you softly and a smile graces your lips.

I love you, Choi Seungcheol.

— The next morning, Seungcheol starts avoiding you like you are the plague. As soon as you step out of your bedroom, Seungcheol, who was sitting in the living area quite literally bolts outside with his laptop and everything, throwing a curt good morning to you and not even sparing a glance.

You are hurt, to say the least. While a silly part of you expected that maybe you would wake up with him in the same bed and have breakfast together before some more lovemaking, the realistic part of you did not expect him to act like this.

Like nothing happened.

Or worse, acting like what happened was a mistake.

Does he really think that last night was a mistake?

It hurts to even think that he might believe that so you push that thought away with all your might. Instead, you focus on making yourself a nice breakfast before soaking in the tub for a while as you try to focus all your attention on plotting your uncles demise.

Once you are nice and clean after the soak, you find Seungcheol in the kitchen, drinking something from his mug as he talks over the phone with someone. You wait for him to finish, using the spare time to admire how good he looks— slightly messy hair, an old grey t-shirt and grey sweatpants. Once again, your mind travels to how good he railed you last night but before it can travel too far, you shake yourself back to the present.

"I need to talk to you." You announce as soon as he sets his phone down. Seungcheol's head snaps up to your voice and a grim expression settles on his face before he murmurs.

"There's nothing to talk about. Last night was an accident. We were both vulnerable and it just... happened." It's like someone ripped your beating heart off of your chest or dumped you into a bucket of ice or better yet, did that together. Yet it still wouldn't hurt as much as his words pierce through you right now, leaving you utterly speechless as you just blink repeatedly, trying to make sure you heard that right. "It was not an accident, Seungcheol. You know it." Your voice is deathly quiet and you can feel yourself on the precipice of snapping.

"The hell it wasn't, _____." He snaps. "I am your fucking bodyguard and you are my client. I am not getting paid to take advantage of you!"

"Take advantage of me?" You seethe as an overwhelming urge to punch something, like his face, overcomes you. You have to take a deep breath in to form the next words. "I am not some helpless, pathetic girl that you can take advantage of. Whatever happened last night was real and with our consent. The man last night was the real you, the one you keep hiding, not this!" Seungcheol clenches his jaw, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "Either way, it should not have happened. We, you and me—" he points between the two of you. "It does not work. It won't."

"Seungcheol— "

"That's enough _______."

"No, tell me. Enlighten me, please," Your voice drips with sarcasm as you take a step towards him, crossing your hands in front of your chest. "Why do we not work? What delightful, eye opening information has been revealed upon you which led you to this wise conclusion?" The twitch in his jaw clearly tells you that he does not appreciate your sarcasm but you've had enough of his stubbornness, especially when it is clear that he wants you as well.

"So far, I'll I've heard is that I can't have you not, I don't want you. Quit playing games with yourself Seungcheol!"

"I am a fucking loose grenade!" His scream is abrupt, making you jolt. The veins in his neck pop out as he steps back, his frantic eyes glaring at you. "I cannot keep you safe! Not from myself. I am a man whose past haunts him. I can't fucking sleep at night without getting nightmares and smashing things! I cannot pass a day without the guilt of my past following me! I am headed towards hell and I cannot drag you down with me. I am not the man for you, _____, try to understand!"

"I think that's for me to decide, no?" You take another step towards him, trying to calm him down.

"No!" He yells, stepping back. "Enough! Just— enough. This conversation is over. I'm going out and when I return, we will pretend that none of this ever happened."

"You fucking asshole!" You normally do not curse. Out loud at least. Your mother had a strict rule of no bad language and you and your brother followed that rule to a t. No matter what you have encountered so far in your life, nothing gave you the urge to curse half as much as you want to right now.

"That's right. I am an asshole." He states calmly, sparing you a blank look before turning and heading for the main door.

"You fucking son of a bitch! I did not want to talk about this in the first place! When I said I need to talk with you, I meant about my uncle, you idiot!"

He stops in his tracks before slowly turning his head to look at you. "What about him?" His calmness makes you absolutely livid and even though you try your hardest to form words, the only thing your tongue seems to want to utter are curse words.

"It doesn't concern you anymore, asswipe." Seungcheol's lips form a thin line as he watches you quietly for a few moments.

"Do not do anything stupid,_____." He has the nerve to order you before marching out of the house, slamming the door loudly behind him.

"Go to hell, dickhead!" —

The rest of the day is uneventful as you two mind your own business, avidly avoiding each other. After Seungcheol leaves and blesses you with solitude you pace around the house angrily before going for a walk in the forest behind the cabin.

It is not dense or uncomfortable as a walking trek has been premade and you take a long walk which helps you clear your head just a bit. It takes your mind off of your stubborn bodyguard and back onto your uncle as you think of ways to trap him in a position he cannot easily get out of, as early as possible. With the plan you have in mind, it proves to be a bit hard, because you are staying in the middle of nowhere and your uncle has no clue where you are.

You walk home an hour later with a less obscure mind and send Chan a text through the burner phone, letting him know that you are alive and well.

Your brother video calls you soon after and you almost forget that you are supposed to be mute at the joy of seeing your brother. It kills you that you have to lie to him but you bite your teeth and do it, telling him that work got too overwhelming and you are taking some days off and promise him of your quick return. You know your brother is not stupid and he has started doubting you but he is kind enough not to push you for more, which you are grateful for.

Seungcheol returns home a little after noon with more supplies. You act like he does not exist as you finish your lunch and retire to your room where you spend the rest of the day, lying in your bed and staring at the ceiling, thinking about everything and nothing. As the skies bleed to dark, dinner time rolls around and you two eat separately. Once again, Seungcheol makes no attempt to talk to you or acknowledge you just like you are doing but it still infuriates you, which you try to control by doing copious amounts of yoga in your room, before finally falling asleep quite late.

However, disaster strikes with the arrival of dawn, as the first rays of sun kiss the sky.

You are snapped out of sleep as you open your eyes and find Seungcheol hovering over you, shaking you awake.

"Wake up, _____! Your uncle is here. He found us!"

Immediately you bolt upright, half thinking that all this is a vivid dream. As your panicked eyes meet his, your shaky hands clutching his biceps and you whisper. "W-what? How? I- I don't understand."

"I don't know either." Seungcheol grunts, craning his neck to look out the window. "There are two jeeps heading towards us. You need to get out."

As if on cue, you hear the loud roar of the engines as they come to a stop right in front of the cabin. Seungcheol helps your shaky form out of bed and ushers you down the stairs.

"Take the back exit. Hide in the forest until I come for you. If I don't, call Jihoon for help. His number is here. And take this." he explains, handing his burner phone and a gun to you but your brain is stuck in a loop, not processing that there is a fucking gun in your hand.

"What do you mean if I don't? You are coming with me—"

"No. I will hold them off while you escape. Go, now." He orders, pushing you towards the back door of the kitchen.

"_____! I know you're in there! Come out while I am being nice and maybe we can come to an agreement! You do not want to end up like your mother, do you now?" Your body freezes as you hear your uncle yell from the front door. The anger evoked from his words makes you want to stay and confront him but Seungcheol keeps pushing you, telling you to run.

And so, sparing one last longing look at Seungcheol, you tuck your weapon in your waist and run. You have not gotten even fifty feet away from the cabin when the first round of shots echo through the air. Your blood freezes as you come to a halt, turning your head around to look at the cabin as gunshots echo through the air.

You have to swallow a lump in your throat as tears gather in your eyes, the temptation to go back increasing. But you know going back is not a good idea because it will put Seungcheol's life at risk, more than it already is. So you keep moving deeper into the forest, the treks familiar because you have been here before and you make your way through very easily. When you come across a small cliff shrouded by thick bushes you decide to hide there, waiting to see if your uncle's men come around here. Confirming your guess, they do, after a while as they jog through, looking around for you. However, they fail to estimate your hiding place and continue deeper into the forest down the trek and just then, an idea forms in your head.

You have to go back.

The universe is on your side because you realise after some peeking around and shuffling through trees that there is another road that you can use to go back to the cabin. This one is definitely unused and riskier but you are determined to make this work. So, with a deep breath you jog through the narrow, muddy lane and soon enough, you find your way back.

The cabin is now quiet, eerily so.

The back door remains open, granting you access and you carefully step one foot in, holding your breath.

It is a mess; bullet holes scattered around, a few bodies slumped on the ground, specks of blood all over the floor. The scene is bone chilling and you have to take several deep breaths to calm down. You can hear noises coming from somewhere in the house, grunts and yells, as if people are fighting, which is what is undoubtedly happening. No matter how severe your urge is to follow the sound and make sure Seungcheol is okay, you decide against it, putting faith in his capabilities instead and sending a prayer out to heaven. Careful not to step on any blood, you make your way through the mess and gingerly climb up the stairs, pausing to make sure no one is around. The coast is clear, thankfully, as no one is upstairs and you head straight for the little storeroom next to the bedroom, where you kept the very little belongings you brought with you.

You took special care to hide your prized possession, the evidence file. It stays secure inside a special compartment Seungcheol showed you that is situated under the wooden floor. Quickly removing the carpet, you open the hatch and look inside to make sure the files are there.

And they are, thankfully. Picking them up, you hold them to your chest and close the hatch, putting everything in its place while holding your breath through all of it. In the next second, the voice you dreaded echoes through the air.

"I believe I am going to need that, _____."

You whip your head back to see your dear uncle standing at the door frame, lips twisted in a diabolic smirk like he got you just where he wanted to. "I knew you would lead me to the evidence, niece. I just had to wait. And I knew you would contact your dear little brother no matter what so I put a little tracker on his phone and it led me here. Easy, no?" He shakes his head, laughing cockily at his plan.

Your blood runs cold as your fingers grip the envelope tightly.

"Over my dead body." You hiss.

"Oh yeah, and my men told me you could speak?" He taunts, shaking his head some more. "Can you imagine my surprise when I heard that? Tell me, were you faking it all along? To what, get some pity points?"

"You will rot in jail, asshole. I will personally see to it." You seethe, clutching the folder tighter against your chest. Your uncle's face loses its amusement as he stares at you for a while, cold and unblinking before reaching back and pulling out a gun. Your heart skips a beat as he points it right at you.

"The file, ______. I am not here to play games."

"Never." There is an immediate deafening noise of gunfire, making you squeeze your eyes shut and for a horrible moment, you think he has shot you. Opening your eyes, you see there's a hole in the roof where he has aimed his gun before pointing it back at you.

"Don't make me kill you like your mother. I need you alive for all the other plans I have."

"She was your sister in law!" You cry.

"She was a thorn in my way!" He seethes. "A conniving bitch trying to take the company from me and my son! Always challenging me! Always speaking against me!"

"It was never yours to begin with, you ugly old man! She knew you would steal it from us!"

"I dare you to speak one more word and the next bullet will be in your hand and the one after that will be in your leg. I won't do the mercy of killing you, _____. I will put you through hell on earth before I grant you the freedom of death." He sneers, eyes fueled with hatred. You swallow, your breath coming out in heavy pants as you decide on what to do next.

Finally, with a defeated sigh you raise your arms in surrender and take a small, tiny step towards him, trying to appear as meek and harmless as possible. "You could have not killed her. You could have sent her away if she was a problem." You whisper, voice cracking. "Huh," he scoffs. "As if that bitch would listen. The only way was to get rid of her. For good. I knew she would be in the car with you that day and I planned to kill two birds with one stone but alas, that didn't happen" He shrugs, pouting. "It's alright, though. I know how to use it in my favour. I have so many plans for you. You're gonna come with me and sign off—"

"Drop the gun, Jin."

Seungcheol!

It is Seungcheol, pointing his Glock at the back of Jin's head as he appears behind him all of a sudden. You are flooded with gratitude so big tears come to your eyes and hope flares in your chest seeing him alive, hurt and dishevelled but alive. However, your hope is quick to die down when Jin speaks the next words.

"You sure you wanna do that, son?" Your uncle remains unaffected as he slightly turns his head, his words directed to Seungcheol. "You pull the trigger and by the time it has hit me I can pull the trigger as well and her brains will be splattered all over these walls. You don't want that, do you? Besides, I know as a matter of fact your boss here wants me alive. She has grand plans for me, is that not right, _____?"

His eyes pan back to you, the evilest of smiles on his face as you grit your teeth, trying to keep yourself from doing anything rash.

You underestimated your uncle for sure.

"Drop the gun, son. I won't say it again." He orders, taking a menacing step towards you. "You drop it and nobody gets hurt. I need this bitch alive for everything I have planned." Seungcheol's eyes meet yours and the helplessness and frustration is visible in them. You watch with bated breath as he slowly points the gun away from Jin's head and sets it down on the ground, raising his hands in surrender. A satisfied smile sets on your uncle's face and he lets his guard down for a moment, a fraction of a second, which Seungcheol takes advantage of. In the blink of an eye, Seungcheol jumps on him, grabbing his legs and dragging him down onto the floor. His grip on the gun falters, letting it fall on the floor and as he makes a move to reach for it, Seungcheol kicks it to the farthest corner of the room.

A scuffle between them ensues and Seungcheol tries to overpower Jin and pin him down onto the floor. However, your uncle, the master of playing dirty, manages to pull a switchblade from his pocket and slashes Seungcheol on the arm, making him fall off of him. "I'm gonna fucking gut you, you son of a bitch!" He yells, charging for Seungcheol as he pins him down, aiming the blade towards his throat but Seungcheol stops him with a practised move. An intense battle of power ensues but you've had enough as you reach for the gun Seungcheol gave you, tucked at your waistband.

Pointing it straight at Jin's head, you yell. "Drop the knife, Jin! I really don't want to kill you!"

"You don't have the balls to shoot me, bitch!" He yells back, not even glancing at you, busy subduing Seungcheol as he stabs him in the shoulder. That motherfucker!

He underestimated you greatly.

Furious, you pull the trigger and the bullet lands right where you aimed it, Jin's knee. With a howl of pain, he falls off of Seungcheol who quickly gets back up and wraps an arm around his throat in a chokehold.

"You filthy little bitch! You fucking —"

Seungcheol tightens the grip on his neck and after struggling for a few moments, Jin passes out, making you sigh in relief as you step back and lean against the wall. "You shot him." Seungcheol's voice is laced with bewilderment as he watches you with a look of surprise and admiration. "Self defence," you shrug, closing your eyes and inhaling a deep breath. "Tie him up. I'll call the police."

— Fifteen minutes later the cops arrive with blaring sirens followed by an ambulance.

As soon as the ambulance comes to a stop, you are dragging Seungcheol towards it, yelling at the staff to get a look at his shoulder, around which you have wrapped a cloth to lessen the bleeding. As a responder attends to Seungcheol's injury, two policemen rush into the house when you tell them that the culprit is tied up inside.

You stand out front with your arms crossed, the morning sun now high in the sky, the warm rays caressing your face as you watch your uncle being dragged out of the house and into one of the police cars. He is yelling and cursing his complaints, his eyes filled with hatred as they come in contact with yours.

Your body goes rigid, the revelation coming upon you that he is done for and he knows it. You know he is definitely going to deny everything but he has another surprise coming his way.

An officer comes to you, talking about the next procedures and asking basic questions but you cannot quite register his words as your body finally gets off the high of adrenaline and realisation hits you like a bulldozer, it's over.

It is over. You got him.

I got him, Mom. I will make him pay.

Seungcheol, who sits at the back of the ambulance while a nurse gives his shoulder a temporary fix, listens to the officer carefully, answering his questions in your place before thanking him as he takes his leave.

"Are you okay?" Seungcheol's uninjured hand comes up to gently touch your arm, making you jump as you are snapped out of your reverie.

"Would you like me to look at you, ma'am? The responder offers as she takes off her gloves. "You look pale." You shake your head, swallowing as you wrap your arms around yourself. Seungcheol gives your hand a tug, making you sit next to him. "Please take a look at her." He says to the nurse, who nods while he shrugs off the blanket sitting on his shoulder and wraps it around yours with his free hand.

"Breathe, _____." He speaks softly, his hand holding yours. You nod, focusing on your breath for the next few minutes as the nurse does a quick check up on you. There are a lot of unshed tears within you and a lot of emotions you need to let out but you just cannot bring yourself to do that right now. There is this numb feeling all over you accompanied by an overwhelmingness.

And you know very well the war isn't over just yet. You have to make sure your uncle ends up behind bars. Even though you have some control over your emotions right now, you remember that you have to explain every hideous detail to Chan and you know will break down then. You know you will break down again when you visit your mother's grave but you know this time, you will feel less guilty of being the only one surviving, less in agony because you have avenged her.

"I have called my lawyer. He's preparing all the documents. We should head home now." You speak, eyes staring at the sun shining over the hills and the lush greenery.

This place is magical. You want to come here again, someday.

"Okay," Seungcheol agrees as his hand comes to rest over yours and he gives you a reassuring squeeze. Your eyes pan back to his face, littered with cuts before settling on his shoulder. You open your mouth to scold him for getting hurt when he sighs. "What were you thinking, _____? I told you not to come back to the cabin. Your uncle had you just where he wanted. You could have been seriously hu—

"I had a plan, Seungcheol."

"What plan?" He looks annoyed. A soft smile graces your lips as your hand travels to the front pocket of your shirt. You pick the pen sitting there and hand it to Seungcheol with a mischievous smile. Frowning, he examines the item carefully until it dawns on him as his eyes widen. "This has a camera!"

"Yep! It can record audio and video very clearly. I had it on me for a while and as I was hiding in the forest I suddenly realised that I couldn't get better proof against my uncle than right then. So I went back to be the bait."

"Still, you don't realise how risky—"

"Trust me, I do. But I had no option. Besides, my gut told me that my uncle really didn't want to kill me unless he had to because after everything that happened, I was more valuable to him alive than dead." Seungcheol stares at you, all a loss for words before shaking his head in disbelief.

"Wanna know something more fun?"

"What?" He is wary. "The documents I hid? They are not the real ones!" You cannot hold back a laugh as Seungcheol looks as you, more perplexed than before.

"I mean, come on! I'm not that stupid! I wouldn't carry them with me knowing my uncle is looking for them! I hid the original files in Chan's safe after I had him promise me not to touch them."

"Wow…" Seungcheol shakes his head in utter disbelief as he tries to wrap his head around everything. "Still, if I hadn't come for you on time…"

"I knew you would, Seungcheol. I believed that deep in my heart." You whisper, fingers lacing with his as your eyes meet. Seungcheol swallows and looks away, blinking. With a soft sigh, you stand up. "Are you sure you can travel this long in the car? Should I call in a helicopter for you?" Seungcheol rolls his eyes, standing up as well. "It's a fucking graze, _____. I have had way worse and I survived. I will be fine. I already feel fine." Your eyes narrow at him and you want to reprimand him but you cannot find it in your heart to do so. With a sigh, you usher him towards the car. "Let's go then. I'll drive."

— The next 48 hours pass by in the blink of an eye as you go through the most hectic time of your life.

The first thing you do upon entering the city is sit down with your lawyer for a detailed discussion on the next steps you are going to take and hand the video recording to him. After that you ask Chan to come over to your place where you explain everything to him from a to z. It proves to be one of the worst moments of your life as you watch your brother's face pale with every word you utter and by the time you finish explaining everything he goes as still as a statue before abruptly taking his leave.

The next day you are asked to give a statement to the police along with Seungcheol which takes quite a while as you explain everything in detail. During that time the news breaks about your uncle getting arrested and charged for both murder and attempted murder leading to a flock of reporters chasing you down wherever you go.

The stocks of the company are also affected as a side effect of the scandal and you have to spend a good amount of time in the office as you try to reassure everyone and get everything under control with your business partners.

On the third day after Jin's arrest, the police officially read out all the charges against him and announce the dates of the trials which sends the press into a second round of frenzy as they try to get your opinion on it, mobbing you whenever you step outside.

Your father is also taken in for questioning where he, thankfully, admits to his crimes and then he is also arrested with the charge of withholding information. He claims that his brother was blackmailing him so he had to keep the murder a secret. Whatever his reason was, you do not care anymore.

You refrain from engaging with the press as much as possible, other than the press conference arranged by your company that you had to attend but you do not make any comments about your uncle or father, just announcing that they will be punished accordingly and you and your brother will do your utmost best to protect the company.

Amid all of this, Seungcheol refuses to leave your side, even with his injured shoulder.

The wound was not deep but he was advised not to move the shoulder too much, an instruction he didn't pay any heed to when he was protecting you from the fleet of reporters. Taking it a step further than that, he called his friend over from the agency, the man called Jihoon, to be your second bodyguard because he believed that he was not functioning at his best.

Overall, it turns out to be a crazy, sleep deprived but exciting few days as you see all the pieces of the puzzle fall into its rightful place.

What is not exciting, however, is the straining relationship between you and your brother. After your confession to everything, he grows quieter and avoids talking with you unless it's absolutely necessary, which you understand and respect. He is processing the murder of his mother and his family members' participation in it and you also understand he feels betrayed because you kept so much information from him.

Still, it hurts.

This is why it is a surprise when you see him walk through the double doors to your office on a weekday morning as you were going through the legal statements of the company. "Chan!" You gasp, rising from your chair, eyes wide open in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

He gives a half hearted shrug before sitting down on the couch by the floor to ceiling windows, his gaze focused on the skyline. "I had some things to tell you." Okay... You chew on your lip as you walk over to him and take a seat in front of him. You watch your brother stare off into the distance out the window before he finally heaves a long sigh and looks at you. The sadness and exhaustion are clear in his eyes and it breaks your heart. This whole media circus has not been easy for him either, especially because he knew nothing of what was going on and the press attacked him like a bunch of piranhas.

"The week has been crazy for you." He states, matter of factly.

You give him a small, sad smile. "Same goes for you."

"Yes. I am feeling a lot of emotions together however..." he stops for a second before boring his gaze at your eyes. "I cannot help but feel betrayed."

"Oh Chan—"

"No, it's okay." He holds up his hand, stopping you. "I know that was not your intention and it is not your fault. It is none of our fault. I feel betrayed by this... family, this situation. I feel so angry that all of this happened right under my nose and I—" he huffs, dragging a hand through his hair as his voice fades. "I knew nothing about it."

"It is not your fault."

"It kind of is." He grunts. "I...I should have been more careful, more aware—"

"You couldn't have prevented it, Chan. It would only get you hurt in the process."

"Exactly! It would and that's how it should be. We're a team, you and I. So I should be equally responsible but only you got hurt in this process. You have been carrying all this burden with you since the accident. Not to mention the crazy stunt at the cabin. Are you insane, _____? I saw the video and he had a gun for fucks sake!"

"So did I!" You admonish. "Besides, he wasn't going to shoot me."

"You couldn't be sure!"

You drag out a sigh in surrender as you admire your brother for a silent moment as he suddenly reminds you of Seungcheol. "Whatever it was, it's in the past and I am safe now. However, I am sorry. For lying to you, for keeping you in the dark."

"Yes, I am actually quite mad at you for acting mute in front of me." He narrows his gaze at your face.

"Well at least you learned sign language because of it!"

He snorts and you chuckle, a more comfortable silence falling between the two of you as you stare at each other for a while with melancholic smile on your faces. After a while, he announces, "I am going away for a while."

"What? Where?" You gasp.

"I don't know where, actually. Somewhere with a beach and lots of sunshine maybe. Away from…here." He smiles faintly. "I just...I need to be away for a while and process everything and simply be in my own company. I just need some time, sis." Tears shine in your eyes. "I understand." You whisper. You really do but it still pains you because you feel responsible for breaking his heart.

"Take all the time you need. I'll handle the business while you are gone."

"Good. I know you will manage it well, maybe even better than me," he gives you a smile, a real one that reflects the shine in his eyes and you mirror it back. He stands up, buttoning his suit jacket. "Oh, by the way, what is going on between you and your hunk of a bodyguard?"

"Hm? What do you mean?" You feign innocence, avoiding his gaze, surprised at his observation. "Oh please." He gives you an it-is-very-obvious look. "The chemistry between you two has been explosive from day one. You always have that dreamy look in your eyes when you look at him."

"I do not!" You gasp. "Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night." He shakes his head in mirth. You huff out a dejected breath of surrender. "It doesn't matter anyway. He doesn't want me."

"Should I beat him up?" He asks casually, making you snort.

"You would lose, you know." You roll your eyes. That makes him laugh before he takes a step towards you. "I would deprive you of a hug but since you are already heartbroken, come here."

You immediately get up and wrap your arms around your brother in a tight hug. You sniff, holding back tears as he pats you in the back, and you whisper. "I will miss you. Text me every now and then."

"Will do," he promises with a smile, pulling back and squeezing your shoulder. As he starts walking, he yells over his shoulder, "Do not think of getting married to that hunk while I'm not here though!"

"Yes, sir!" Rolling your eyes, you yell back and watch him walk out the double doors before plopping back on the couch, an eerie feeling of emptiness settling in your chest.

It takes a while for you to realise that tears are streaming down your face. Upon realisation, you simply hang your head low, letting them flow and stare at the floor, vision blurry as you play back the events of the last 6 months in your head.

A soft knock at the door makes you snap your head up, breaking your trance as you quickly swipe your fingers below your eyes, head turning to see who enters.

It's Seungcheol, composed in poise and grace as he steps inside before coming to a stand beside you. Silently, he asks for permission to sit, something you have told him multiple times not to do and when you give him a nod he takes a seat opposite to you. "You have been crying," he states quietly as he regards you with a knotted brow. You sigh and blink a couple of times before asking. "I'm fine now. What's the update? Any problems?"

He shakes his head. "Things are under good so far. You still need to give a formal statement at the fundraisers event next week, so you have to prepare for that."

"Hmm," you nod. "What brings you here, then? Are you feeling okay? I told you to take a day..." Your voice fades as you watch him produce a white rectangular envelope from his pocket and push it towards you on the table.

You have a sinking feeling in your chest that it is a resignation letter.

"I am submitting my letter of resignation." He says, as calmly as ever, his eyes straight on yours. Your mouth opens but fails to deliver the words as you tilt your head to the side, processing this action.

You have no problem with him resigning. In fact, you had planned to fire him after this hellish week ends so that you two could have a discussion about where your relationship stands, without all these professional restrictions limiting you. However, knowing Seungcheol, you have a sinking suspicion that he isn't quitting so that he can address his feelings for you but so that he can escape.

Still, you decide to feign ignorance.

"Good. I was planning on firing you anyway. Not that you were bad at your job, you were the best but you need to rest, Seungcheol. And I have Jihoon now so I'll be fine." You nod as you pretend to go through his letter but inside, your hearts thuds so loudly you are afraid it will burst.

"As of today, I am relieving you of your duties, Choi Seungcheol." You offer him a shaky smile. Seungcheol nods, his face as impassive as ever and you just cannot tell if he is heartbroken or relieved. His body language tells you that he is ready to get up and leave but you do not let that happen so easily.

"Now we can finally talk about our relationship." You speak, trying to keep your voice as stable as possible. Seungcheol visibly tenses as his face loses some of its colour and immediately you know this is not going to end well.

But you are adamant on seeing this through.

"There is nothing to talk about." His voice is quiet, almost inaudible as he sits there looking like a petulant child lying to his parents. You have to take a deep breath to compose yourself.

"You can do many things, Seungcheol but you cannot lie to me." You keep your voice as gentle as you can.

Your ex bodyguard seems to agree as he lets out a dejected sigh and stares at the floor very attentively. You watch him with intent for a few long moments, giving him time but ultimately when he remains as stubborn and unmoving as a mule, you break the silence.

"I will lay all my cards on the table, Seungcheol, since you can't seem to do that. I have feelings for you, Seungcheol. Feelings that are very, very deep and real and I'm willing to act on them. Do what is necessary to make this work— make us work."

He is quick to disagree. "Those feelings that you talk about, they are not love, ____. It is temporary. The last few weeks have been intense and it's just your body's natural reaction —"

"Do you love me, Choi Seungcheol?" You interrupt him, looking him straight in the eye. The man looks like he swallowed a sock and you would feel bad for him, maybe even laugh at his reaction if the situation was not so dire.

"It does not matter." He looks away. You have the urge to hurl something at his head; the lamp next to you seems very tempting, but you fight it by clenching your fists a few times, trying to put yourself in his shoes.

"Seungcheol, I heard you that day in the cabin. I hear you now and I completely understand your fears. But I am here and we will work through them. It will take time but I'm ready, no matter how long it takes. I just want you, Seungcheol, and it kills me because I know you want me too yet you keep punishing yourself."

By now you have learned to read the man well and what might be easily overlooked by others comes into your notice; like how he clenches his fists and how his Adams apple bobs as he heavily swallows. The look in his eyes is that of a pure battle, one that he is fighting against himself and it's hard to watch. You are about to stand up and hold his hand when he suddenly moves onto his feet, his posture rigid as he glares down at you.

"I do not want you. What happened at the cabin was a mere moment of weakness. And you don't want me either, ______. You will soon realize it."

This gaslighting asshole!

"So you are going to lie to yourself till the very end?" You hiss, standing up and stepping closer to him, meeting his eyes with an equal glare. "If anyone is lying to themselves here, it is you." He spits. "Our relationship was supposed to be professional from the start. I am a bodyguard and you are merely one of my protectees. Let us end it that way." He takes a step back while you watch him with a flabbergasted expression at his audacity. He uses your moment of weakness to say. "It was nice working with you. Hopefully, you won't need me again. Goodbye, Ms. Lee." The next moment he is pushing past you as his footsteps echo on the cold marble floor, the sound similar to that of your heart as it cracks.

"If you walk away now, I will never forgive you, Seungcheol!" You yell, voice cracking as tears gather in your eyes, your gaze focused outside the window, your back facing him. No reaction comes from behind you except for the footsteps which come to a halt.

"Do you really want to end it like this?" Your whisper is followed by silence but through the eerie quietness in the room, you know the words reach him well.

His reply comes a few seconds later, in the form of footsteps that echo farther and farther away from you followed by the sound of the door opening and then closing and then utter silence. —

The fundraiser's event is going in full swing, bustling with people when you arrive. Draped in a red silk dress and diamond jewellery you look like a million bucks but in reality you feel nothing like that and you have no desire to be here whatsoever. But you know it is necessary to make an appearance as the host because it is extremely important to show up after the scandal to assure everyone that things are going well. Except they are not. While your professional life has slowly started getting back to its normal place your personal life has plummeted because all that you have done in the past week is mope around and curse your ex bodyguard and bitch about him to your current one, Jihoon.

The best way you can describe Jihoon is a grumpy cat. He talks very little but whenever he does, he's always huffing and complaining. But you see his softer side peek through from the little acts he does for you like making sure you eat your meals properly, checking up on you after your crying session and preparing all your documents and briefing you every morning. His tsundere antics and his silent company have probably been the only driving force that has kept you sane after Seungcheol dumped you.

The event is taking place in a banquet hall in the city centre and once inside, Jihoon guides you to a private resting room where you get ready for the opening speech. "I don't think I will stay till dinner. It is okay I leave after the speech, no?" You ask Jihoon as you finish revising the script. "Maybe mingle with people a little bit. Behave like a human instead of a broken hearted ghost" he offers, his tone dry as usual. You sigh and shake your head at his reply as you smooth your dress and step forward, waiting for the emcee to call you on stage.

Once on stage, you stand behind the podium, the tireless flashes from the cameras giving you a headache and you have to try your very best to plaster a smile on your face as you greet the guests and start your speech. Jihoon stands a few feet away from you on the stage, his eyes scanning the crowd carefully as he receives constant updates in his Bluetooth. However, not even two minutes into your speech, a man causes commotion as he tries to get on the stage, yelling some nonsense about how you are a fraud and a money launderer. You are baffled as you watch the security planted at the perimeter of the stage get a hold of him and drag him out while whispers and murmurs echo among the guests.

"He looks drunk," Jihoon says as he steps close to you to make sure you are alright. "Ignore him. He shouldn't have been allowed inside. I will have a talk with—" He pauses midway in his sentence as his eyes focus on something behind you, on the other side of the stage, his pupils widening. You can barely process the change in his expression before he tugs you away and shields you with his body as you two roll off the stage.

The next moment, an explosion echoes through the air. There is a ringing in your ears as Jihoon covers you, the echoes of the blast intensifying the headache you already had. You feel disoriented as Jihoon helps you to stand up and ushers you towards the resting room backstage while you hear screams echoing from the guests, their heavy footsteps scattering all over. "Wha- what is going on?" You cry, confused as Jihoon shoves you inside the room. "It is your cousin, Jun." What!

"Lock the door. His men have blocked the exits. I need to clear them before I come get you. Do not open this door, is that clear?" He orders you and before you can form a reply, he is gone. Confused, scared and exhausted, you fall onto the ground, head in your hands as you fail to wrap your head around the situation. Of course, you knew your cousin was sour after his father's arrest but you never thought he would go this far. What is he thinking? What does he want?

You hear commotion spread outside, things crashing and even a few gunshots. As you step closer to the door to get a better listen there is a loud bang, as if someone is trying to break in.

Absolutely terrified, you step back, frantic eyes looking around the small space for a weapon.

If you knew the night would end up like this you would have brought a fucking gun with you.

Speaking of guns, a gunshot echoes through the air, making you duck your head as you scream. Another gunshot rings through the air and you realise whoever is on the other side is trying to come inside.

You can only pray it is not your fucking cousin, who is a maniac, apparently.

A broad, mean looking thug bursts through the door just as it opens and when his eyes land on you, he points his gun at your head. "Do not think of doing anything smart, woman. If you don't want me to blow your face off, you do as I fucking tell you to." Swallowing, you nod, holding your hands up in surrender.

So this is how it goes down, huh.

The man produces a handcuff from his pocket and tosses it towards you. "Put it on your hands! Now!" With shaky hands, you pick it up and just as you are about to fasten it around one of your wrists, there is a gunshot. You are sure you have been shot as you shut your eyes tight but start to think otherwise when seconds pass and you still feel your heartbeat.

Peeking open one eye you see the thug slumped over on the floor, a clean bullet hole on the back of his head. And in the doorframe, stands Seungcheol, a gun in his hand.

Choi Seungcheol.

Wait, what? How?

Your brain is struggling to catch up as you blink again and again to make sure of his presence. Indeed, he stands there, dressed in a black suit and tie, specks of red on his white shirt as he pants heavily.

What on god's green earth—

"Come on, you need to get out!" He yells, stepping inside the room, reaching for your hand and dragging you outside with him. You cannot get a word out as you let him lead you, absolutely thunderstruck because of his sudden presence.

What the fuck is he doing here? How did he even know what was going on?

You are so baffled that you cannot speak these thoughts out, simply following him as he carefully guides you towards the exit, his gun drawn in alertness. Just as the backyard of the venue comes into view and Seungcheol is about to usher you outside, you hear a voice yelling from the other side of the hall.

It is your cousin's voice. "Let me go you fucking assholes! I am gonna blow that bitch myself! I am gonna tear her up into fucking pieces! How dare she take what is mine! That's slut! I am gonna…"

Seungcheol almost pushes you to move as you get stuck in a trance of his mean words. "It is okay, Jihoon has him. Come on."

As if you are functioning on autopilot, you let him guide you outside into the open field and underneath a small sitting area where fresh air finally hits you, letting you breathe in a lungful. Seungcheol informs the other security about the update over his comms as you watch him in silence. When he is done, his eyes finally meet yours and in an instant everything that had gone down in the last month flashes through your head, giving you goosebumps.

There is a moment of silence as you watch him with a blank expression while he looks around uncomfortably. Finally, he decides to break the silence with a chuckle. "I leave you for a few days and this is what happens?"

His tone is full of amusement. The nerve of this man. You, however, find none of this amusing. It gets your blood boiling as you hear him say the words, your brain finally registering everything and you simply cannot hold yourself back anymore. The next thing you do is strike a clean, sharp slap on his cheek which catches him off guard as he stumbles a few steps back. His eyes widen in shock, his hand moving to cup the cheek which is turning bright red, like your palm.

You poured your heart and soul and all your pent up emotions into that slap so you pray it stings like a bitch.

Your hand does for sure.

"I deserved that-" Seungcheol starts to speak, holding up his hands but the moment he opens his mouth you are on him again as you grab him by the collars, triggered, "How dare you come here, you scum!" You hiss, tugging at the fabric of his collars while a bewildered Seungcheol tries to gently pry you off of him. "How dare you have the audacity to show up after everything you said?"

"_____, you are gonna hurt yourself—"

"You quit! You made it clear that you had no interest in me, Seungcheol! So what gives you the right to come here and save me, huh?" You are seething, emotions so strong you feel like choking and if you were a cartoon character, visible steam would be coming out of your ears.

"_____, please—"

"Who gave you the right to be a hero, huh? What made you come here? Tell me! Talk, you asshole!" You yell, shaking him, tugging on his collars repeatedly as a wild rage takes over you.

You are going to murder him.

"Because I am in love with you!" He yells back, making your grip falter for a second which he uses to quickly free himself, taking a few steps back as you stare wide eyed at him, panting.

When you finally get enough air in your lungs and process his words, really process them, your wry laugh echoes through the cold night air like mockery. "Fuck you, Seungcheol. I have had enough of your bullshit." You spit, pushed to your limits.

God, give me patience.

"I know," he whispers, taking a step closer while you take one back. "I understand what I have done and I do not expect you to forgive me at all. I just need you to know that I fucking love you and I am so fucking sorry. I know I am late but I am here to stay—"

"No you are not," You snap. "Get the hell away from me before I take a gun and fucking shoot you."

"If that's what will make you happy..." Seungcheol calmly reaches for his gun as you watch him, alarmed. He takes it off of the holster and holds it out towards you. "Shoot me as many times as you want. I deserve it.

This fucking man—

"Guys, can we do this weird foreplay somewhere else," Jihoon yells from behind you as you spin to see him jogging towards you two. "You need to get out of here, _____. He's saying that there are still explosives in this compound."

"What!" You shriek but before you can get another word out, Seungcheol is grabbing your hand and dragging you with him as he starts sprinting. "Keep me updated," he addresses Jihoon who nods, talking into the comm to get a car at the rear entrance for you.

"Let go, you asshole!" You hiss, trying to pry his fingers off your wrist which proves to be a challenge while running full speed in high heels. "God damn it, Seungcheol, I will fall!" And you almost do so, as you misstep and stumble but the man is quick to catch you and before you can even think, he is throwing you over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Put me down, you pig!"

"As soon as we get to the car, angel."

Which is quick, thankfully, because the next moment he is putting you down and holding the passenger side door open for you and despite wanting to resist him, you know the wise idea is to leave right now. As soon as you are inside the car, he shuts the door before running to the other side and before you can even put your seatbelt on, the car is moving.

"Jihoon will be fine, right?" You ask half mindedly as you turn your head back to look at the venue which gets smaller every passing second. "He will be fine," Seungcheol grunts. "The police have been informed as well as the bomb disposal team." "What about my cousin?" Seungcheol remains quiet for a moment, only staring ahead on the road. "Him? He's alive, unfortunately."

"What do you mean?" You ask warily.

"I shot him. The bullet hit his abdomen. He won't die, don't worry. That depraved asshole doesn't deserve that mercy." You sigh, rubbing your temples as you lean back into your seat. "What the hell was he thinking?"

"He wanted to hurt you, humiliate you, _____. He had plans to hurt you horribly." Seungcheol huffs out a breath, shaking his head and clenching his jaw. "He has gone insane." That is all he provides, making you fall silent for a moment. "When will this stop." You whisper to yourself. "I never considered him to be a threat."

"I should have. You locked up his father and made sure he could never take over the company. He was a huge threat that I failed to notice." He murmurs.

"Don't start, Seungcheol," you snap at him, irritated. "I'm still tempted to shoot you. Your duty was over the moment you handed in the resignation letter and walked out of my life."

"My biggest mistake." He whispers to himself but you hear it.

Tired, frustrated, scared and angry, you decide not to engage in this conversation further as you look out the window and wonder what is coming next. Another media storm for sure. More interrogations, more meetings with your lawyer. At the same time, however, the edge that you have been feeling for the last week is gone. The fact that your cousin never came up to you or tried to retaliate his father's arrest in any way made you wonder but it never occurred to you that he could turn violent, insane.

Jun was after all a puppet, who only did things after his father made the way for him his whole life.

Today was a different case, it looks like. Anyhow, it is somewhat of a win for you because you miraculously got out unscathed and the threat has been neutralised. However, you are sure many have been injured and your reputation has taken a severe hit today. The upcoming months will be very hard, harder than before…

The next coherent thought that comes upon you is that you fell asleep. You open your eyes realising that the car has stopped and the time on the dashboard says about thirty minutes have passed. Blinking, you shift in your seat and find Seungcheol, sitting next to you, watching you with a look that is foreign on his face, something close to adoration. Clearing your throat, you remove your seatbelt and sit up straight.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Not long enough. We just got here." He announces as he moves to open his door. "Come on, let's go inside."

Once you are out of the car, you realise Seungcheol has taken you to a five star hotel and seeing the confusion on your face, he explains. "It's safer here. Can't take any more risks tonight."

He casually slips his hand into yours, making you frown and drags you towards the hotel. Your tired body cannot put up much of a fight so you follow him begrudgingly and you are quickly escorted to the penthouse suite thanks to his prior booking.

Upon entering the suite you walk straight to the master bedroom where the king sized bed calls for your tired self as you sit down and take off your heels, throwing them away on the carpet over the floor with a soft thud, exhaling a loud sigh. Seungcheol follows you and remains quiet as you sit in silence at the edge of the bed, too wired, too disoriented to do anything. Normally, after everything that happened with your uncle your decision making skills have significantly sharpened but having Seungcheol near you, his stupid confession ringing in your head is fucking with your brain. And as if that goddamn man can read your mind, he kneels in front of you on the floor, one of his hands softly touching your knees as he utters. "You need to rest, ______. I will handle everything else. It is all under control now, trust me."

"Why do you do this?" You croak, pushed to the limits of exhaustion, your eyes trained somewhere in an unfocused gaze as you fidget with your hands. "Why do you push me away and then come back running at a time like this?"

He is silent for a long time while you fight to keep your tears at bay.

You will not cry in front of him.

"I am sorry." He only whispers, his fingers softly stroking your knee as his head lowers and his gaze falls down on the floor. "I was foolish and...scared. That night after we slept together you…you said out loud you loved me and I panicked. I was— I am a danger to you. But being away from you for a week was a pain unlike anything else. I went back to that cabin and I slept in your bed and the sheets had the faintest of your smell. Weirdly, your scent and everything you left behind soothed me and I didn't have any nightmares in the past week. But every morning I woke up and there was a sinking feeling in my stomach that only grew each day until I couldn't bear it. I realised that you really were an angel who saved me, brought lightness back into my life, and gave me a new purpose, a new dream. I realised what an idiot I was and I came to the city on Wednesday night. Believe me when I tell you that my intention was to just stay away and make sure you are okay. I knew what I had done and I was in no way worthy of showing up in front of you but I had to intervene tonight, _____. Your life was in danger."

The air conditioner in your room suddenly feels chillier as goosebumps prickle your skin, making you shiver. Seungcheol takes notice of it and stands up quickly to take off his jacket before draping it over your shoulders. He stands in front of you in silence, fingers hovering over your now covered shoulders while you stare at his shoes, your head going blank but also running a mile a minute. The frustration and overwhelmingness bleed together until you can't tell one emotion separate from another.

All of a sudden, Seungcheol's thumbs caress your cheeks while the rest of his fingers softly cup your jaw and it is only then that you realise you have been silently crying. He oh so gently wipes your cheek dry while uttering, "Please don't cry. I know I hurt you. I promise I will leave as soon as I make sure you are going to be okay." Instantly, a part inside your brain is flooded with panic as it screams no. You don't want him to leave when you remember how hard the past week was on you and how many times a day you would revisit that night in the cabin, the moment you two shared and how it proved to be the anchor for you throughout everything that happened after.

You were— are mad at him but you still want him near, crazy is it not?

You keep thinking of how safe you felt the moment Seungcheol found you in tonight's chaos, how just his presence made you fall asleep so easily when for the last week you could not fall asleep without the fear of nightmares.

Yes, they have returned. But you don't see the accident anymore, you see your uncle chasing you around the cabin while you call for Seungcheol but he doesn't come, no matter how much you beg.

And after tonight, you wonder what more nightmares await you. So when you utter the one, very powerful word, you tell yourself that you are doing this for yourself, to be selfish and not for him, which is not a lie entirely.

"No."

Your left hand reaches to grab the fabric of his shirt and you fist it tightly in your hand. "Don't leave." You don't dare to look at him, scared you will break once you do and instead focus your gaze on the patterns of the carpet while holding onto his shirt. The next moment Seungcheol is sitting next to you and in the moment after he gently wraps his arms around you, your head falling perfectly against his shoulder while your arms snake around his waist after a moment's hesitation.

His warm touch soothes your back as his other hand cups the back of your head, softly stroking it with his thumb. A small whimper comes from your mouth as quiet sobs escape from you and you hide your face and weep, trying to stifle the sounds.

"I am so sorry, _____. I am sorry for everything." Seungcheol whispers, voice thick with emotion. "I will make everything better, I promise. I will stay as long as you need me and then… " There is a moment of heavy pause. "When you don't, I will follow you around like a lost puppy for the rest of my life." Thinking about the rest of your life and not having Seungcheol in it makes you sob harder and if you had energy you would scream at him and tell him to just shut up. Instead, you cry, cry your heart out, promising yourself that from tomorrow you won't.

Tomorrow another battle begins.

As the night grows deeper, Seungcheol holds you tighter and your sobs gradually fade and before you know it you fall asleep on his shoulder. Seungcheol stays still for a while longer to make sure you don't wake up before gently picking up your sleeping form and setting you down on the bed, fixing the pillow underneath your head and covering you with a blanket. Despite his desire to crawl into bed and sleep next to you, he resists it and instead takes the loveseat in front of the window, where he sits and watches your peacefully sleeping form, before falling asleep himself with a heart full of gratitude.

— You watch the steam from the mug evaporate into the air before taking a small sip. The tea is slightly bitter and hot, just as you need it.

After waking up and taking a quick shower, here you sit, by the window of your penthouse suite, sipping tea, treating yourself to a quiet peaceful moment before your hectic day, which you are frankly not prepared for, begins.

You woke up to an empty suite, with no sign of Seungcheol and it almost made you wonder if last night was an entire elaborate dream. But then you found his tie lying on the loveseat which acted as a reassurance of his presence, weirdly bringing solace to you.

After waking up, you realised your phone's battery is dead, which became another source of peace for you, because you know otherwise, it would have been blowing up with calls and you wouldn't have gotten the good night's sleep that you got.

There's a sudden sound of the door opening that alerts you, making you crane your neck to see the visitor. Seungcheol walks in, dressed completely differently from last night, looking delicious in a light blue polo and white pants. On his hands are two shopping bags and behind him is a hotel staff member who pushes in a huge breakfast trolley. "Good morning, _____." Seungcheol meets your eye as he sets down the shopping bags on the edge of the bed and thanks the staff as he takes his leave. You watch Seungcheol take off the lids covering the food while speaking, "Breakfast is here. I have asked for a bit of everything you like. And I have got new clothes and some necessities for you. They are in the bag," He points to the general direction as he starts stacking pancakes on a plate for you. You are quite surprised and flattered and you cannot come up with anything else to say but, "Thank you."

For some weird reason, you feel shy and awkward around him as if you are a newborn fawn. Maybe it is because none of you are addressing the elephant in the room; last night's conversation and instead acting like you have known each other for years. "It's my pleasure," he smiles at you, a genuine smile that shows his dimples and makes your heart gallop like a horse. Handing you the plate, he takes a comfortable seat in the chair in front of you and watches you dig in, a look you can only describe as fondness sitting on his face. Feeling shy, you cover your mouth as you chew. "Stop looking at me."

"You look a bit tired. Did you not sleep well?" He asks suddenly. "I had a good sleep, thank you." You inform, surprised how he noticed. You have been feeling a little sick after you woke up despite having a very good night's rest. A headache has been creeping up on your temples but you are trying hard to ignore it because this is not the time to get sick.

You have a long day ahead of you.

Making you jerk, Seungcheol places his palm on your forehead out of the blue as he checks your temperature and an unpleasant look settles on his face. "You are getting a fever." "No, I'm not." You direct your focus on cutting your pancakes, using too much pressure. Ignoring you, the man dials a number on his phone and asks for some cold medicine to be brought to the hotel room to whoever is on the other side. "I just told you, I am fine." You frown, annoyed. He hangs up and stares at you as if you are speaking a different language. "You are not. You need to take the medicine and get some rest."

"Now is not the time for me to sleep! Do not play doctor!" You snap, setting the plate down with a loud bang as you clutch the fork and knife tightly in your hand. Seungcheol does not react to your outburst but simply changes position as he comes to sit next to you.

"Your cousin is in custody. I talked with your lawyer this morning, he is preparing everything well. There is no way he is getting off. Jihoon and his men already testified to the police so you do not have to meet with them unless you want to add something. If you do, I will arrange a phone call with the station. The legal department is working on a statement and it will be released today in a press conference. The CFO will read it out." He informs, casually.

"You are sick, _____. And it's okay .You went through a lot. It is okay if you take a break today. No one is asking you to go out there and face the demons. You need to rest. Your body is asking for it."

His voice softens as one of his hands comes to rest on your thigh gently. The assurance in his voice paired with the tenderness in his eyes makes you swallow a lump in your throat and blink back tears. "Still..."

"Finish your breakfast." He says as he reaches for the plate while taking the fork and knife out of your hand and cutting it into bite sized pieces. "And you should probably call your brother today, by the way. The news of last night's events will reach him sooner or later and I think it would be best if he heard it from you."

You nod, feeling sad. Chan just left for a vacation one week ago. When he hears about this, he will definitely catch the next flight home.

"If you do not want to call him, I can do it for you." Seungcheol offers as he finishes his task and hands the plate and cutlery back to you.

"No, I will do it." You murmur and silently go back to eating. Seungcheol watches you in silence for the rest of the meal and after you are done, the staff returns to clean up and drops your medicines. You take them and then sit in your bed idly, watching the city skyline through your window, trying not to overthink anything. You can hear Seungcheol talk over the phone in the other room before he steps back into the master bedroom to check up on you.

"If you feel too sick, let me know. I will take you to the hospital."

You softly nod and turn your head to look at him. He appears worried, his eyes glazed with concern, his brows forming a knot as if he's trying to read you. After a moment, you silently motion him to come sit by you on the bed which he diligently follows.

His hands reach out to hold yours, his thumb gently stroking your skin as he gazes into your eyes, leaning closer to you, his eyes searching for something in yours. His bangs fall forward, cupping his temples and you itch to brush them away. "Tell me what you are thinking." He whispers.

"You have pretty hair." You reply honestly and he chuckles, shaking his head before his face becomes serious. "I missed you." His voice is low, almost inaudible as his gaze falls down to your linked hands, as if he is ashamed to meet your eyes when saying that. "I missed you too." You reply honestly, once again. Seungcheol seems surprised to hear that and you cannot help but roll your eyes.

"Oh please, Choi Seungcheol. Don't act like you had no idea." Your head rests against the headboard as you make yourself comfortable and scowl at him. "You knew very well how much effect you had on me and you knew damn well how much I loved you."

"Loved me?"

"Okay, love you—"

"Wait, no— you...love me? Really? You didn't say it that night in the heat of the moment?" You only realise then how you just casually spat it out, again, and immediately, heat blooms on your face. You avoid his gaze, snatching your hands from his grip while he looks absolutely stunned.

"Whatever." You mutter, scooting down on the bed, reaching to grab the sheets and hide yourself in them but Seungcheol stops you as he cages you between his arms, his face hovering dangerously close to yours, his perfume and aftershave blending into an addictive scent that makes your brain hazy with need.

Control yourself, woman! "Answer me. You love me?" "Ugh, you heard me the first time," you groan, trying to twist away from him but he stops you by cupping your chin and making you face him.

"Wanna know something?" He whispers, inching his face closer.

"What?" You are breathless.

"I love you too, ____." He replies, his lips ghosting over yours. You anticipate a kiss but he doesn't, instead tucks your hair behind your ear as he whispers in your ear. "I am so deeply, madly in love with you it is embarrassing."

The words are music to your ears and your insides swoon as you close your eyes and relish them, pressing your lips tight to prevent yourself from breaking into a maniacal grin. Seungcheol shifts his weight back and rests himself on his one palm as his other hand softly cups your face. "And I am sorry, once again, for what I did to you."

"Good but I am still mad." You try your best to appear stern.

"I know." His expression is solemn. "I plan on making it up to you until my dying breath."

When did he become so romantic?

"You may start by cuddling me," you whisper, almost shy, carefully watching his reaction. He immediately proceeds to get under the sheets with you and carefully engulfs you into his large arms, your face resting against his solid chest as his hand strokes your hair soothingly. Your arms move to snake around his waist as you feel yourself relax, his arms feeling like the safest, most comfortable place in the entire universe and you never, ever want to leave.

"I love you, Seungcheol." Your voice is muffled against his chest.

"I love you more, angel. So much more."

1 month later

The view around the cabin is just as pretty as you remember it. The setting sun of dusk casts it in a beautiful glow which you stop and stand to admire.

Beside you, Seungcheol finishes parking the jeep and unloads the overnight bags from the trunk.

"What are you looking at?" He asks when he comes to stand next to you, fishing for keys from his pocket in one hand.

"It's very beautiful." You murmur, eyes glancing over the view before settling down on the man next to you. He is dressed in a grey t-shirt, his blond hair looking as gorgeous as ever, if not more in the golden hour and you know, he is undoubtedly the epitome of beauty.

Seungcheol meets your stare with equal sincerity as he reaches to hold your hand, whispering. "Yes, it is." You know he is talking about you.

A light, gleeful laugh escapes your lips as you playfully push him with your shoulder. He grins and drags you with him inside the cabin.

It is hard to believe that this place was a crime scene about a month ago. Seungcheol did some thorough renovations and now the place looks more beautiful, cozier than ever.

As much as your heart wishes to stay in this little piece of green heaven forever, this is a small weekend getaway that Seungcheol organised and initiated by picking you up early from work today. You did not complain because the past few weeks were tough.

Getting your company back together after the fundraiser's incident and making sure you are still in the market is taking a lot of well thought plans and manpower and instructions. You have help, of course, from Chan who immediately rushed home from his vacation when he heard about Jun's attack on you. Seungcheol also has been helping you a lot, though you officially denied him the position of your bodyguard.

He then started working as a security consultant at his friend's company and has been assisting you however he could throughout the past month. He also started therapy again and so far his progress is remarkable. He is a lot less self sabotaging and he has not had a nightmare ever since you got back together, much like you. Not to mention he has been working extra hard to make it up to you, always catering to your every little need and never asking for anything in return or initiating anything, even though you have noticed multiple times how his eyes trail you around hungrily.

So far, you have only rewarded him with kisses because it was too much fun to watch him silently suffer. However, you plan to change that this weekend.

"Let's watch the sunset together," you propose as Seungcheol drops your bags in the bedroom. He agrees and you two walk back outside to the patio, hands linked where you stand and gaze at the setting sun. Seungcheol's arms wrap around you protectively from behind and his chin comes to rest on your shoulder.

"We need to get groceries." He murmurs absentmindedly as he presses a soft kiss on your neck that makes you sigh in pleasure. You hum, offering that you could just order takeout. As the sun dips beneath the horizon, Seungcheol takes occasional peeks at your face, admiring the mesmerised look in your eyes. His heart beats loudly, wild in love as he imagines the rest of his life with you and how it would be to watch you watch the sunset.

Delightful. Like the delightful secret he is hiding. A huge secret that has been burning holes in his pocket for a month. After the night of the attack, the next morning when he went to shop for your clothes at the mall, a ring caught his eye in a jewellery store and he purchased it right there, intent on putting it on your finger someday.

He has been carrying it ever since, waiting for the perfect moment to get down on one knee. Maybe this weekend will carry that moment, maybe not.

Either way, it is fine. He is not in a rush. He knows he will get down on one knee when he deems himself worthy enough of you. Though, logically it might never happen because no one is worthy of a person as beautiful, as amazing as you. But he will work very hard to be worthy of you, now and every day that he has on this planet. Seungcheol smiles to himself, agreeing that he's a very lucky bastard. "Cheol?" You call him by his nickname, breaking his train of thought. "Hm?" "I love you." You whisper. His next words are the sweetest serenade. "I love you more, angel."

A/N: If you have made it this far, congratulations and a huge thank you for taking the time to read this mammoth of a fic! I genuinely put my blood, sweat and tears into this and believe me when I tell you that my wrists hurt like hell. Still, I am glad I could share this with the world and I'm very proud of myself for successfully putting the conjectural idea from my head to the paper. It took a lot of time to come up with the idea, finalize it and stitch the pieces together so please leave a review and reblog! Your thoughts and comments really make my day. Wishing you a happy October! As a side note, I am swearing off of writing fics over 20k words. When I tell you that this app whopped my ass while posting this! My god! I was seriously considering breaking it into two parts. If you are reading this now that means I have hopefully posted it without trouble. Anyway, toodles!

#seventeen smut #scoups smut #seungcheol smut #seventeen imagines #seventeen fluff #seventeen angst #choi seungcheol #scoups imagines #seventeen #seventeen x reader #svt imagines #svt scenarios

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pascalrps · 3 months

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*:･ﾟ✧ — plot idea dumpppp !!

childhood sweethearts (on the rocks)

a plot where muse a and muse b have been friends since childhood — here and there, they would have a one night stand, but never really allowed themselves to progress into anything more than just friends. now, as adults who are figuring out the dating scene isn’t as easy as their parents made it seem, muse a and muse b are seeing each other more and more frequently. eventually, muse a starts seeing someone new, and has less and less time for muse b. i’m talking jealousy, tension!!! muse b realizing maybe they’ve had feelings for muse a the whole time, muse a having to make tough decisions — either continue dating this new person or hurt muse b!!! i liiiiive for drama pls

childhood sweethearts (with a twist)

okay but a plot where close childhood friends reunite — except muse a was in love with muse b growing up, and muse b became muse a’s best friend’s high school sweetheart. muse a concealed their feelings for muse b all throughout their friendship, in high school & college, although both muses definitely had feelings & felt sparks for one another long before muse b started dating muse a’s best friend. despite the connection they’d felt, neither wanted to jeopardize any of the friendships between the three, and ultimately, muse b ended up married to muse a’s bff… except now, years later, muse a and muse b reunite at muse a’s best friend’s funeral. imagine the hurt of losing a loved one but having the comfort of yet another loved one?? blurred lines, tension, second-guesses…….

let me take care of you (southern charm)

okay so i’ve been kicking around a ranch hand plot where muse a is looking for help around the ranch they’ve just inherited due to a death in the family, and seeing as they’re just one person with lots of land, and virtually no knowledge on how to take care of it, it’s impossible to go it all on their own… enter muse b. muse b, a man who not only knows how to work the land but can take care of the ranch with ease, finds it impossible to not take care of muse a, while he's at it. just give me texan sunsets and lovers with low static music crooning in the background from some vinyl record please & ty

friends with benefits (with feelings)

a friends with benefits plot where muse a is dead-set, hellbent on not having a relationship and not getting too intimately involved with muse b; muse b has been in love with muse a for years, and muse a knows this, but still can’t bring themselves to get emotionally attached. i need tensionnnn and like, a lil toxicity ykwim??? for the angst omg

will you come find me (after the party?)

so hear me out — a plot where muse a and muse b met at a friend of a friend’s party & instantly hit it off. muse a is immediately infatuated with muse b — they laugh, talk, drink; they even make an incredible beer pong team. at some point during the night, muse a decides to put the moves on muse b. however, after leaving to get them some drinks, muse a comes back to find muse b kissing someone else… and to make it worse? it’s their boyfriend/girlfriend. tbh this plot could have the potential of a shakespearean comedy if we did it right akdjgh ok i'm talking messssssssyyyy

you feel like home (but i’ve got a different address)

okay so i need a tense plot where muse a and muse b are soulmates, beyond the shadow of a doubt — but muse a is married to a nightmare of a spouse. little by little, they spend more time together one on one, but it’s getting increasingly harder for muse b to see muse a with their spouse, especially knowing how that spouse treats muse a. idk this is a rough plot/work in progress plot but i feel like it has potential to go somewhere!!!

as always — send me over a private message if you're interested in writing up any of these bad boys !!

#wanted plots #wanted plot #plot bunny #mature rp #urban rp #plot ideas #roleplay plots #rp plots #discord 1x1 #1x1 roleplay #indie 1x1 #javirps

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dollyyun · 3 months

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𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥'𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬' 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐲 | 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟔.𝟑

SYNOPSIS: Just when you think that everything has fallen back into place as it was before, a twist of fate leads you to be thrown into a shocking revelation, one that results in the breach of trust once more, and this time, the damage is completely irreversible. Being broken beyond repair, you agreed to embark on a new journey for the sake of your sanity, burying the bittersweet yet painful memories in the wreckage of your mind. But perhaps there is another twist from fate that you won't be expecting in the midst of your new blissful journey.

PAIRING: non!idols enha hyung line x fem!reader

GENRE: 18+ (mdni), college au, semi-adulthood, reverse harem, dark themes.

WORD COUNT: 23.5k

WARNINGS: mild smuts, explicit themes, profanities, heavy angst, violence, blood, manipulation, corruption, toxicity, mentions of sex tapes, lots of crying, slut-shaming, cyber bullying, depression, mentions of suicide, mentions of death.

PLAYLIST: supernatural - Ariana Grande, breathin - Ariana Grande, Close To You - Gracie Abrams, I Hate It Here - Taylor Swift, Lose You To Love Me - Selena Gomez, Softcore - The Neighbourhood, 3 Strikes - Terror Jr, You Broke Me First - Tate McRae, Beautiful Mistakes - Maroon 5 ft. Megan Thee Stallion, Lovesick Girls - BLACKPINK

PREV (PART 6.2) | NEXT (PART 7.1) ✘ SERIES MASTERLIST ✘

-smut warnings under cut-

smut warnings: unprotected sex (no!), mention of double penetration, fingering, mention of blowjob, implied threesomes,

The faint sound of water running and the coldness from the air conditioner kissing your foot rouses you from the deep slumber, sending shivers through your body as it aches tremendously with every single movement you make, and just like that, the event that transpired before you lost consciousness instantly replays itself in your mind.

You force your heavy eyelids to pry open, only to squint at the luminance casting a gentle glow that allows you to see the unfamiliar suite you have been sleeping in. The bedding beneath your nude body doesn’t feel as drenched as you recall, to which your cheeks warm with the shade of faint pink at the uncountable times you’ve squirted, but it does seem that they’ve moved you to a different suite for you to sleep comfortably.

Even if their thoughtful consideration does make your heart flutter, it doesn’t expunge your disappointment at having awakened without any of them in bed with you. Determined to search for them, you move your aching limb slowly as you lift the fleecy duvet from your body, only for you to gasp softly upon seeing fresh hickeys across the expanse of your chest.

You barely manage to wrap this sight around your head when the door suddenly swings open, eliciting a squeal from you as you quickly shield your nudity with the duvet, your widened eyes staring at Jake, whose charming countenance has amusement written all over.

“Don’t act all shy on me now, sweetheart.” Jake muses, a simper smile spreading across his face as he strides towards you. Your eyes roam around him with the butterflies in their wake, admiring how gorgeous he looks in a man bun again while donning a simple tank top that displays his prominent muscles. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before. Besides, you weren’t this shy last night.”

“It’s different.” You retort, still clinging to the duvet as you slowly force your body to rise, but you cave in to your exhaustion once more as you fall back on the mattress, while the sight of you pouting and giving him your doe eyes greatly amuses him. “I’m sore, Jaeyun, and it’s all of your faults.”

“I know. That’s why I’m here.” Jake says with a mirthful chuckle, bending down to slide his arms underneath your body after you hesitantly expose your nudity to him before he carries you with ease and brings you to the bathroom, where the door has been left open ever since.

“Where are the others?” Just as you ask him, your eyes trail over to a shirtless Jay, who has been filling the massive bathtub. Your eyes manage to feast upon his glory as he faces you before noticing the look in your eyes that brings a smirk to his lips.

“Slept well, baby?” You nod your head meekly, shying away as Jay’s eyes feel invasive in the way they roam around your nudity, with Jake stopping in front of him. Goosebumps arise on your skin as Jay caresses your calf. “Damn, baby. You look good with our marks on your body.” He says huskily, leaning down to press a sensual kiss on your leg.

“She does, doesn’t she?” Jake looks down at you with a suggestive smirk, sending your heart to leap as you recognise the familiar desire glinting in his eyes. “You don’t mind us joining you in the bathtub, sweetheart?”

“No.” Even if you did mind, it isn’t like you have a choice, considering his tone indicates no room for objections as he carefully settles you in the water-filled bathtub. As your body fully dips, the perfect temperature of the water draws out a pleasurable sigh from you as the warmness seems to alleviate the soreness in every part of your body.

“Just no funny business. I can’t handle another round.” You tell them and look away as they get rid of their shorts, your cheeks flushing pink. You attempt to scoot further just as they dip themselves into the bathtub, but Jay grabs a hold of your legs and pulls you to him while the abrupt movement causes the water to ripple violently as it splashes.

“Yeah, you can, because you’re just that perfect for us.” Jay coos as you feel his hands spreading your legs wide and positioning them over his thighs, while your breath hitches at the thick sensation of Jake’s girth pressing against your lower back as he settles behind you, his hands seizing your hips to press himself into you.

“I thought we were just going to take a bath.” You gasp at the intrusion of Jay’s fingers wiggling their way into your sopping cunt while Jake’s fingers stimulate your clit, arousing the bundle of nerves to go aflame.

“We are, but you look so fucking good, angel.” Jay murmurs as he leans down to capture your nipple with his ravenous mouth, eliciting a moan from you at the sensitivity and causing you to arch your back with your lidded eyes swirling with a haze of lust.

“Feels good, love?” Jake asks lowly, his husky voice only seems to amplify your raging arousal in your core, while his gentle ministration on your clit is a skillful precision that has your eyes rolling to the back, working in an addictive tandem with Jay’s fingers into your cunt.

“So good.” You moan out softly, your head going dizzy at how gentle they are with you as they take their time in pleasuring you, causing you to grip Jake’s thigh next to you while your other hand goes winding in Jay’s slightly dampened hair as he continues to give equal attention to your nipples and kiss around your mounts.

“M-More, please.” Just as you plead, Jake seizes your jaw to turn your head sideways and captures your lips in a passionate kiss that has your toes curling, while Jay traces his tongue across your skin and finds its way to dominate his licks and kisses on your neck.

Jake greedily swallows your moan and holds down your twitching body as soon as you feel Jay’s fingers curling and hitting the familiar g-spot. “That’s your spot, yeah?” Jay rasps against your moist skin, his fingers relentlessly thrusting into you while you struggle to rock your hips, wanting to feel him deeply.

“Come on, sweet angel.” Jake is just as relentless as Jay, his fingers rubbing your clit with a sense of urgency while the overall stimulation hurls you at the precipice of your impending climax.

Switching roles, Jay turns your head to smash his lips into yours, silencing your moans and kissing you sloppily, while Jake reaches up to roll and pinch your perky nipple with his fingers. The water around you ripples violently as it splashes onto the tiles from their hands with their biceps muscles flexing.

With one precise yet hard thrust from Jay’s fingers alongside Jake pinching your clit, you break the kiss as you lean your head back on to Jake’s broad shoulder with a loud moan leaving your lips, feeling your pulsating cunt release the familiar fluid as you squirt.

“Damn, baby, you squirt so easily. I fucking love that.” Jay groans, pumping his fingers into your gushing cunt while his lips ghost your panting lips. “Think you can handle our cocks like last night?”

“No, please, no.” You whimper, shaking your head languidly in protest, but you can’t deny the persisting arousal in your core as Jake rubs your sensitive clit again.

“Yes, sweetheart. You can handle us.” Jake nips at the shell of your earlobe, his voice lacing with unmistakable affection. “Because that’s how perfect you are for us.”

As soon as you feel the swollen head of Jay’s cock gliding across your slits, there is no doubt that you will be in here with them for an hour or so.

Embarrassment floods across your cheeks while you avoid having to make eye contact with the bustling professional crew members in your vicinity as you slowly make your way to the top, recalling Jay’s words earlier to meet them there, but your sore legs impede you from walking as normally as you can. Thankfully, these crew members seem to disregard you, as they are immersive in their jobs.

“Princess.” Sunghoon’s deep voice next to your ear startles you, nearly sending you to tumble forward if it weren’t for his hands steadying your body. Butterflies swarm around at the sensation of his lips kissing your bare shoulder as you are adorned in your previous short sundress. “Is my pretty princess having a hard time walking?”

“Sunghoon.” You murmur, your rosy cheeks feel warmer, and you feel conscious of your eyes looking at the two of you being blatantly intimate out in the open with his arms caging your waist and his lips peppering kisses on your exposed skin. “Not here, please.”

Obliging, Sunghoon takes you by surprise as he manoeuvres you in a bridal style, prompting you to latch your arms around his neck instinctively and flushing red at the eyes of the crew members on you as Sunghoon, with the most nonchalant demeanour, proceeds to make his way towards the flight of stairs with you in his arms.

“Where are the other guests? Or is it just us?” You inquire after the realisation of your prior observation and even notice that the other three yachts are not anywhere in sight as soon as you reach the top, where Jay, Heeseung, and Jake are lounging on the couches.

“They’ve gone back to the marina while you were still asleep earlier. So it’s only us, princess.” Sunghoon says, casting you a smirk as he heads over to his best friends. “Don’t worry about your friends. They were more than fine when I told them about you staying here a little longer with us.”

Reaching them, diffidence washes over you at their full attention, causing you to look away from them with your rosy cheeks warming as you remain shy away from them, and it is even flabbergasting when Sunghoon decides to settle you down on Heeseung’s lap.

Before you can even move, Heeseung’s arms cage around your waist, preventing you from any form of escape. Your heart pounds harder against your chest as Heeseung plants a sensual kiss on your exposed nape, while his bulge beneath your buttocks feels prominent with each passing moment. Your eyes follow Sunghoon’s figure as he walks over to Jake and settles across from him, just next to the couch that you are on.

“Pretty girl.” Heeseung lulls captivate your attention on him, his lips ghosting your skin across your shoulder while you remain transfixed, your eyes meeting Jay’s from across you, whose lips curve into a smirk as he is completely laid-back on the couch, watching you with a burning cigarette stick in between his fingers.

“Seungie.” You whisper, your pulse drumming in your ear as you feel his fingers tracing circles on your inner thigh, dangerously close to your core, and his lips planting a wet kiss on your shoulder.

Heeseung hums against your shoulder, sending vibrations through you. “Hungry, my beloved? We have plenty of food to feed you.” With one arm remaining locked around your waist, he uses the other to reach out for a fork and stab it into a grilled sausage before giving it to you. “Eat as much as you want, pretty.”

“What about you?” You direct your question to all of them, feeling self-conscious of their eyes staring at you before you try your utmost to ignore them and proceed to indulge your grumbling hunger.

“We’ve eaten while you were busy getting ready.” Jay says after puffing out the grey as it wafts in the air. “If you want more, we can ask the kitchen crew to cook some more.”

“It’s fine. I don’t want to be greedy.” You reassure him with a small smile, your eyes darting down on the table at the nearly full platters of a variety of food that have your mouth salivating. After the energy that was lost last night, this is very much needed for you.

The next few minutes or so, the four of them engage in a collective conversation about something that you don’t bother to be curious about, especially since you are too preoccupied stuffing yourself with the delectable food, and almost half of the platters are now empty.

Throughout the whole time, Heeseung occasionally gives you affectionate kisses on your shoulder in the middle of their occurring conversation with his fingers caressing your inner thigh, which feels oddly comforting. Eventually, you lax and allow yourself to lean back into him, earning yourself a kiss on the cheek from him.

For a moment, you silently bask in this newfound sense of tranquilly of being surrounded by these four dangerous men with distinctive dark allures, unfurling a discreet yet soft smile on your lips and feeling the love you have for them in your beating yet fluttery heart.

But then, a certain recollection shatters the tranquilly, bringing a frown to your lips. Though you no longer feel resentful towards them, a part of you nudges you to exercise prudence, wanting to know if they still keep them.

“Can I ask you something?” You speak up, your tone drawing their attention to you as they desist from their conversation. You bite down your lip unintentionally, causing their eyes to darken at the sight, but they abstain themselves upon seeing your face conveying a certain sombre.

“What’s wrong, princess?” Sunghoon decides to put an end to your resounding silence, prompting you to look up to see the encouragement on their faces as well as Heeseung’s comforting caress on your thigh.

“Tell us.” Heeseung’s breath tickles you as he whispers in your ear. “What is bothering our sweet angel? Hmm?”

“It’s about the pictures and videos you took of me at the church.” You blurt out before you can even stop yourself to reevaluate your decision. Your eyes remain fixated on the table, uncertain of what expressions they display in their demeanour, but you can feel Heeseung’s arms around you tighten. “Please, I want you to delete them─”

“They’ve been deleted.” Heeseung interjects, his mellow voice a soothing balm to your frayed nerves, and yet you can discern something so guileful that belies his benign disposition, but Heeseung allays your qualm as he presses a deep, affectionate kiss on your cheek. “You don’t have to worry about them anymore, pretty girl.”

“Yeah, they’ve already been deleted since you left the palace that night.” Jake adds, wanting to ease your perturbing state of mind upon seeing your expression, before he quickly shoots knowing glares at Jay and Sunghoon. “Isn’t that right, guys?”

“Oh, totally.” Jay places his empty glass on the table, his emphatic eyes meeting yours that convey such assurance amidst the palpable adoration he always has for you. “We didn’t want you to be mad at us any longer, so we did what you wanted.”

“Sunghoon?” Heeseung clears his throat, drawing all of your attention to the silent male who seems to be brooding. Your eyes follow the taut movement of his chiselled jaw clenching while his eyes remain fixated on the breathtaking horizon.

“Dude.” Jake calls for his best friend in a low murmur as he raises his eyebrow at the latter, and you notice that there seems to be unspoken conversation exchanging between them by the look in their eyes.

Sunghoon draws in a sharp inhalation before turning to the side to direct his attention to you, but seeing your expectant eyes that hold such innocence causes his tainted heart to clench while his jaw tightens for another measure.

Still, Sunghoon musters the most sincere smile he can, hoping that he’s not grimacing in the slightest to give away suspicion. “Yes, princess. You can rest assured that they’ve been deleted. Now you don’t have to worry about your pretty head, yeah?”

“Thank you.” You breathe out the remnants of tension, giving them a soft smile that oddly gives them a sense of guilt while their demeanour remains neutral. You turn your head to press a soft kiss at the corner of Heeseung’s lips, to which he smirks lightly at your rare display of affection in front of the guys.

“So did you manage to find your phone that went, apparently, mysteriously missing last night?” Jake shifts the air of conversation to another topic, his question directed at Sunghoon as the latter downs his glass of tequila.

“Yeah, I did. It was placed back where it was originally.” Sunghoon fishes out his phone from his pocket, scoffing in disbelief as he recalls. “It was more than obvious that it went missing on purpose. Whoever took it must’ve thought that I wouldn’t notice or something. Fucking stupid.”

“Probably it was Kang, who obviously had his other rebellion to fuck things further.” Jay’s eyes go ablaze with an unmistakable anger, sending shivers down your spine. But confusion swirls in your head, because the only Kangs on campus you know are you and Kang Taehyun.

“Right. Speaking of, pretty love?” Jake’s tone shifts into a familiar affection as he calls out to you, causing your heart to swell as you meet his adoring eyes. “Thanks to Sunoo and Riki’s assistance, we’ve finally discovered the identity of your anonymous texter.”

“We were right about putting him as our first suspect after the remark he made.” Sunghoon’s tone is dripping with venom, causing you to feel the instinctive need to recoil, but as if sensing your disquietude, Heeseung presses his lips on the back of your shoulder with a familiar reverence. “There is no doubt that he was one of the responsible ones behind the incident.”

“Who is he?” You ask, your heart thrumming in anticipation with dread crawling on your skin. Somehow, you fear hearing their answer.

They exchange meaningful glances before Jay decides to reveal, “Kang Taehyun.”

It is as though needles are piercing into your bleeding heart while you remain frigid, your eyes widening in the slight fractions. You refuse to believe that the guy who had been nothing but amiable to you based on your past encounter with him is your anonymous texter, but the sombre casting shadows across their countenance counter otherwise.

“But why?” You begin to voice out your muddling thoughts, a frown tugging at your lips. “Why would he want to squander his time to pull off something like that? And what are his motives? I thought he was nice.”

“Yes, we’ve been wondering the same, but unfortunately, he didn’t attend the party last night, so we found another alternative.” Sunghoon says before looking at Jay with a smirk that denotes purpose, which strikes a curiosity in you. “Bring him up here.”

“Him? Who?” You ask with your eyes, following Jay until he descends the stairs, your eagerness eliciting endearing chuckles from them. You huff lightly, your eyes narrowing at them. “It isn’t funny. I genuinely want to find out why Taehyun did what he did and if he really was the one behind the incident.”

“We do too, but we couldn’t get him, so we got his best friend instead.” Jake wears a mirthful grin, yet his eyes gleam with depravity that sends an unpleasant shiver through you. But wait, his best friend?

On cue, the sound of steps ascending to the rooftop shifts your attention towards the source, and alas, Jay returns with a certain someone that has your heart nearly falling to the pit of your stomach while your eyes widen in bewilderment.

Surely, he can’t be Taehyun’s accomplice, even if they are best friends. Just like Taehyun, he has been nothing but nice and kind towards you, with an air of amiability that often radiates from him.

As you examine the state he is in, a grimace etches on your face, feeling bad for him. He looks like he has been through hell ─ there is a cut on his bottom lip, a faint bruise at the corner of his right eye, and his lidded eyes keep fluttering, almost as though he is half asleep. You shudder at the thought of their violence, and you have an inkling that they decided to show mercy on him instead.

Without any ounce of mercy, Jay forces him down to his knees before standing behind him, and that is when you finally notice the metal baseball bat that Jay has been clutching from the moment they arrived.

“Sorry for the damage on your face.” Jake does not sound the slightest remorseful, cruelty shines through his smirk as his dark eyes penetrate into him. “But you do realise that it is natural for us to assume that you’re Taehyun’s accomplice.”

“No hard feelings, Choi.” Sunghoon says, leaning back leisurely as he brings his half-filled glass of Bourbon to his smirking lips. “I’m sure you’ll understand why we’re doing this. Besides, things have always been similarly done this way.”

“Let’s get straight to the point.” Heeseung’s flinty voice cuts through the crisp air, nearly causing you to cower, but you can barely move when his arms tighten around your waist like steel. “What are Kang Taehyun’s motives, Choi Beomgyu?"

Beomgyu spits the blood out of his mouth, breathing raggedly while his eyes flicker at you, but you look away from him, unable to see the state he is in, even if he is Taehyun’s accomplice. “I fucking told you that I didn’t know anything.”

“You’re lying.” Jake tuts, his head tilting to one side while his smirk widens. “Choose your next words carefully, or your own house leader will show you no mercy.”

“Come on, Choi. We don’t have all day.” Sunghoon heaves a sigh as he rises from the couch to make his way to you, only to caress your cheek lovingly. “Don’t keep us waiting. We still have the remaining time to spend on our girl.”

“Your girl?” Beomgyu nearly growls out, earning inquisitive eyebrow raises from the four leaders.

Sunghoon taunts him with a smirk on his lips before seizing your chin to force you to look at Beomgyu in the eyes. Your breath hitches at the predatory glint in his eyes fleetingly before something entirely different, almost like a facade, casts over his features.

“Yes. Our girl.” Sunghoon finds great delight in flaunting you to Beomgyu. “Your best friend should’ve known better than to fuck around with our sweet angel, and now you will be the one to face the consequence instead since your best friend didn’t show up.”

“It was almost as if he knew that we were already onto him.” Jay swings the baseball bat mindlessly, and yet you can see how he seems to be handling it in a professional way. “So what’s it going to be, Choi? Are you going to tell us the truth, or do I have to beat the truth out of you?”

“I’m telling you guys the truth! I don’t know what his motives are or why he did it!” Beomgyu finally snaps, veins protruding in his neck, while there is a genuine plea of desperation in his conveyance to prove his innocence. “I didn’t even know that he had been texting Y/N through anonymity! It isn’t my fault for not having the slightest clue that he had been a freak!”

“Are you guys buying any of this?” Sunghoon inquires, looking at his best friends. “No? I’m the only one, then?”

“Yeah, I don’t believe him either. Well, there goes your chance, Choi.” Jay smirks as he raises his metal baseball bat with the intention of swinging it to his back, but you can’t stand for such violence, even if they are in the wrong.

And so, against your better judgement, you stop Jay. “Don’t!” Your preventative exclamation earns you disbelieving stares from the four of them, whereas Beomgyu looks at you as though you are his guardian angel, but you ignore his gaze. “Just please, don’t hurt him.”

“Oh, but we do, pretty.” Heeseung whispers darkly in your ear, his arms tightening around you with each passing second. “I know you don’t like seeing violence, so either you’re going to look away or I’ll close your eyes for you.”

“There is no need for violence because I believe him.” You assert yourself strongly, despite your unwavering resolve. As you return your gaze to Beomgyu, you can see the stark sincerity in the way his eyes glisten. “He’s telling the truth. He doesn’t know anything about Taehyun’s doing.”

Heeseung refrains from displaying his frustration towards you. “Beloved─”

“You trust me, right?” You turn your head to meet Heeseung’s steely eyes, and he softens at the firm resolution hardening in your eyes. “Then trust me on this. Beomgyu is innocent. Besides, when we get back, you guys can confront Taehyun instead. He’s the bad guy, not Beomgyu.”

“Thank you, Y/N.” Beomgyu speaks to you softly, but Heeseung only seems to get angrier in the way his hold on you feels dangerously possessive. Beomgyu offers you a faint smile, but you quickly look away from him, uncertain why your turmoil persists even after your declaration of his innocence. “You were always the nicer one.”

Jay clenches his jaw, as does his clutch on the baseball bat. “That’s it. We’ll throw him out into the ocean and feed him to the sharks.”

“Jay!” You exclaim in disbelief, but Jay simply ignores you as he looks at his best friends for expectant agreement.

“Heeseung, I thought you were my close friend.” Beomgyu begins to speak up, his tone is filled with bitterness, while his glaring eyes glisten with betrayal that you know too well. “Out of all people, you should’ve been the one to believe in my innocence. You know that I would never do anything to betray you.”

Heeseung tightens his jaw, feeling a foreign emotion hitting him in the gut. Although Beomgyu is not exactly his best friend, Heeseung regards the male as his only close friend whom he trusts other than the three of his best friends. Heeseung has always felt a profound sense of camaraderie since the day when Beomgyu was a new student enrolled in the second semester and the latter needed help in understanding one of the modules, which he was more than glad to provide him.

A tinge of guilt in his chest ─ that’s what has been churning unpleasantly in him, and fuck, he has never felt such sentiment. Heeseung heaves a sigh, caving into the sentiment, which throws the others off guard with his change of heart. “Like what Y/N said. Beomgyu’s innocent. We can confront Taehyun once we head back.”

Knowing that neither of them can do anything to persuade Heeseung whenever he has made up his mind, they acquiesce, but that doesn’t mean that they completely trust Beomgyu. No, they’re doing this because of you. Their faith and devotion to you are parallel to the newfound trust they have in you.

“Get one of the crew members to attend to him.” Heeseung orders, to which Jay grabs Beomgyu’s arm to assist him in getting back on his feet while Jake makes his way towards them.

“Consider yourself lucky that Y/N is able to see through you, or else you would’ve met your demise along with your best friend.” Jake speaks venomously to Beomgyu, who has his head lowered as both Jake and Jay assist him, leaving you alone with Sunghoon and Heeseung.

Just like that, the sizzling tension dissipates, replaced by something that feels rather titillating, especially in the way Heeseung begins to trail wet kisses across your shoulder while Sunghoon cradles the back of your head to tilt it up for him to kiss you squarely on the lips.

With Heeseung’s fingers tracing dangerously close to your core, your stomach feels taut in anticipation, causing you to mewl into the messy yet heated kiss against Sunghoon’s lips.

“We can’t, not here.” You gasp as soon as Sunghoon pulls away from your lips, feeling Heeseung’s fingers slithering underneath your underwear to rub your clit tantalisingly. “Someone might come up and see us.”

“Then we’ll be giving them a show as we reenact last night’s event.” Sunghoon smirks down at you, seeing as you struggle to refrain moans from escaping as you arch in Heeseung’s magic touch. “I know you love the idea of someone else watching you get fucked by us. Nasty girl, aren’t you?”

“N-No!” You cover your mouth with your palm after an accidental moan manages to escape you at the sensation of the padding of his fingers rubbing your clit with skilful precision, but Sunghoon grabs your wrist to prevent you from covering the sweet sound, rendering you helpless between these two men.

“Pretty girl is so fucking wet.” Heeseung scoffs out a smirk, his fingers moving at an unrelenting pace, before he abruptly comes to a stop, eliciting a whine from you. He seizes your jaw, turns your head for access, and captures your lips in a searing kiss.

“You’re going to take our cocks again, pretty girl.” Heeseung rasps against your lips, smirking as you whine softly into the kiss. “Damn right, we’re going to fuck you right here and now.”

“Scream all you want. We’re not done with you until you satisfy us.” Sunghoon stands in front of you as he slowly unzips his pants, smirking down at you. “Now be a good girl and open that sweet mouth of yours, princess.”

The once-bleak atmosphere that permeated every part of the palace has been enlivened by your arrival three days ago upon your agreement to return to the palace that you have missed roaming around uninhibitedly, but it seems that it has missed you too, because your mere yet jaunty presence often brings life to this magnificent yet lonely palace.

Eventually, the five of you have returned to a familiar normalcy, falling into the normal routine of either of them barging into your room to wake you up and taking turns to sleep with you despite having their own rooms to seek slumber, amongst other routines of which involved getting immensely physical, but other than that, everything else is normal.

Though your best friends remain sceptical of the leaders, they seem to be slowly accepting that the leaders have now become a major part of your life. The guys, on the other hand, are not exactly fond of your best friends either, but they refuse to restrain you even when their possessiveness adamantly desires to keep you all to themselves. Well, what matters most to them is that, as long as there are no guys in your vicinity unnecessarily,.

They can’t imagine how many pairs of eyes they would need to gauge out for daring to look your way, especially when you are dolled up all gorgeously in a simple purple crop top and a white pleated skirt that reaches way above your thighs, displaying your legs they find extremely alluring while you are busily applying mascara in the vanity mirror.

Apparently, there is a massive funfair that is organised by your own university, and it is not only open to its students but to the public as well. Initially, you had no plans on going and would like to spend the night with the guys, but upon the relentless persuasion from your best friend through calls and texts, you eventually acquiesced.

“So? What do you think?” You ask chirpily, redirecting your focus on them as you do a little twirl, allowing your skirt to flare while the sight of you in your own little world amuses them. You look over at each of them for their responses.

Heeseung is standing by the doorway, leaning sideways against the frame with his arms folded across his chest. Jay, who has been a pleasant help in choosing your outfit, is seated by the window sill with a cigarette stick rolled between his fingers. Sunghoon and Jake are lounging on your bed, their hands mindlessly playing with your plushies in their lap.

Warmth weaves across your cheeks as their eyes are filled with unmistakable adoration yet arousing lust. Right, it feels odd to you that they seem more than comfortable being openly and blatantly intimate with you in front of each other, despite the occasional passing jealousy that doesn’t go unnoticed by you. Nevertheless, you can’t deny the fact that you love having their undivided attention.

“Our girl looks beautiful, just as she always does.” Jake shoots you a boyish grin, putting aside your plushie to clasp his hands together and lean his head on the back of his palm.

“Jake’s right. I’m glad I chose the outfit for you.” Jay says, his dark eyes raking all over you while a smirk plays on his lips. “But you’d look even better without them, baby.”

“You’ve read my mind.” Sunghoon exchanges chuckles and smirks with Jay, causing you to roll your eyes at them before tying a mini side braid on your hair to enhance your overall look. “Roll your eyes again, and I’ll give them something else to roll from, princess.” You huff lightly in response.

“Pretty girl, are you sure you want to go?” Heeseung inquires for another time, and his worry is evident in the mellowness in his voice. “We won’t be coming to the fair, you know?”

“What? Why?” You jut your lips into a pout and look over to him. “But I dressed up prettily for you.”

“You are always pretty, my beloved.” Heeseung ambles towards you, his lips unfurling a small smile before it falters. “But we have some unfinished business to settle with Taehyun.”

“Apparently, he went back to his hometown, but Jungwon told us that he’s back. So it’ll make our job easier since we know where his apartment is.” Sunghoon informs, his eyes softening at your crestfallen countenance. “You’ll be okay, princess.”

“Yeah, and if there is spare time left after we finish with our business, we’ll come to the fun fair and be sure to find you.” Jake reassures you with his boyish grin again, sending flutters to your heart.

“Okay.” You reciprocate with a soft smile before it turns sheepish, your eyes fleetingly dart at the four familiar yet distinct masks laid out on your vanity table. “Now, can we please take a picture before I go?”

You have been meaning to snap an individual picture with them and post them on Instagram story as it has been more than awhile since you last posted something. Plus, you are not ashamed to admit that you have developed something that is borderline obsession or perhaps even kink whenever you fantasise about them wearing their mask as they send you into a state of ecstasy.

“Princess, must we do this?” Sunghoon groans, obviously reluctant but nevertheless, he complies with your wish, making his way towards the vanity table to grab his designated mask. He looks at it for a good minute before casting you a suggestive smirk. “You know, we should definitely try fucking with our masks on.” He drawls attractively, moving closer to you with a seductive purpose while butterflies swarm in your tummy.

But you refuse to ruin your makeup and clothes, and so you shoot him a scowl before pushing him in the chest gently away from you. “Not a chance.”

It isn’t long before Heeseung, who insists on going first, adorns the white mask as he sits on the chair before pulling you down on his lap, eliciting a startled squeal from you as you instinctively hook your arm around his neck, enjoying the closeness a little more than you intended. His arm slithers its way around your waist while he faces the vanity mirror, watching as you proceed to snap a picture of the two of you with a dimpled smile.

Giggling as something so delightful bubbles in your chest, you slowly get off his lap before looking away from your phone to meet their eyes as you adorn a sweet smile on your glossed lips. “My next mask man, please.”

The luminescences deriving from the resplendent fairground lightings, which encompass the stupendous funfair, illumine towards the starless empyrean above the multitude of people that are bustling across the various forms of entertainment while their ebulliences in the glow of their demeanour enliven the atmosphere, including yours.

Your eyes sparkle with merriment while your laughter is accompanied by squeals as soon as your bumper car collides into Wonyoung and Yunjin’s, causing your body to jolt forward due to the impact, whereas the other girls are too preoccupied to either chase or elude from each other in your background. Music reverberates throughout the bumper section, intensifying the adrenaline rush in your body as you attempt to make a drift.

It isn’t long before you and your friends avidly rove across the throng of people in a harmonious hilarity with not a single scowl in sight. You recognise some faces from the same university you are at, and whenever you pass by, you offer them a small friendly smile, but in return, they reciprocate with a distinct yet patent odium in the way they stare at you, which genuinely confuses you.

Nevertheless, you refuse to allow anything or anyone to ruin this night of jollity, or maybe even your mind, which has been in a state of disquietude ever since you stepped foot into this festivity, but throughout the remainder of your time here, your golden demeanour doesn’t betray your inner turmoil.

A part of you fears the possibility that the guys’ impersonators might orchestrate another of their attacks on you at any moment of time, but you find it absurd that they would dare to bestow terror in the eyes of the public.

A nudge to your shoulder from your best friend pulls you out of your perturbation, prompting you to look at Wonyoung as she grabs your hand to eagerly advance forward as it is now your turn to ride the famous astroglide slide.

The other girls have apparently gone their separate ways, some headed for the restroom while others decided to take a snack break, leaving you with Wonyoung to entertain yourselves, but all of you have collectively agreed to meet at the ferris wheel later.

Exchanging nods with Cheshire smiles plastered on your faces, both you and Wonyoung finally cascade down the bumpy slides while the mats below you provide smooth friction for easy gliding. Just like that, whatever causes your state of mind to worry is incessantly dispelled by the adrenaline that rushes through you once more. Shrill laughter and squeals emanate from the two of you as the speed increases, causing the chilly wind to smack you in the face.

Eventually, you reach the bottom, nearly tumbling forward if you hadn’t controlled your stability. Wonyoung’s delightful giggles mingle with yours, even after the two of you have departed from the astroglide.

“I would ride the slide again if the queue wasn’t long.” You tell her as soon as the two of you have simmered down from the adrenaline. Your eyes follow the queue of people with a pout on your lips.

“Well, we could try other rides! We haven’t tried the pirate ship yet!” Wonyoung voices out her suggestions, her bubbly tone bringing a smile to your lips.

“It’s fine. I’m feeling a little beat.” You politely decline as the fluctuation of your vitality beckons you to find some place to rest and dehydrate yourself. “Besides, we agreed to meet the others at the Ferris wheel.”

Not too long later, you stumble upon Karina and Yunjin, who apparently went on the slingshot ride before heading to buy some water, to which Yunjin generously offers you a bottle. The four of you decide to settle at the wooden bench adjacent to the photo booth sections, where there are long lines of people queueing.

Mentally disassociating yourself from your best friends, your eyes trail across the couples entering and exiting the photobooths, and you swear something painful tugs at the strings of your heart. Although they have yet to ask you to become their girlfriend despite their obvious adoration and affection for you, you yearn to do normal fun couple stuff like the others.

You still feel a tad sullen that they probably won’t be coming to the funfair due to their pursuit of hunting down your anonymous texter, who turned out to be the one you didn’t expect most, since neither of them has yet to reply to your texts a few hours ago. Odd.

“We should get going.” Yunjin announces as she checks her phone, a frown slowly tugging at her pink lips. “Chaewon just texted me that they’re on their way to find us? And they have something urgent to tell us.”

The four of you stand in the middle of the bustling crowd, exchanging confused yet curious glances. Before any of you can speak up, a bunch of guys whom you vaguely recognise from your university in the senior batch brazenly push their way into your group, earning eyebrow raises from you and your friends.

“There she is! Our favourite Catholic girl! The new star!” The four of them break into a collective intimidation of howls, drawing attention from the other guys in your vicinity, whom you also recognise as your fellow Crescents, and encouraging them to join in the derision that is obviously directed to you, as evident in the vice of lechery they gaze at you with.

“More like a Catholic slut!” The one in a snapback cap sneers at you, causing you to flinch at his hostile degradation. “Yeah, you are one, aren’t you? Dirty, naughty angel, that’s what you are.”

“Don’t insult her, or else she’ll get turned on.” His friend smacks him in the shoulder playfully, chortling with the others around you as though his remark is extremely hilarious.

This time, you feel as though something hard smacks you in the face as you stagger back while your heart is pumping harder with each passing second. Your skin is crawling with dread due to the predatory yet derogatory eyes that latch on your figure, while your ears are burning at the sound of their piercing laughter.

Please don’t tell me what I think it is…..

“Excuse me?” Wonyoung is spurred into taking action by her instinct to protect you, stepping forward with an air of icy intimidation. “I don’t know who you think you are, but if you cherish your sacks enough, you better get down on your knees and apologise to my best friend.”

“Why should we apologise when we only stated the truth?” The one in blond highlights retorts, his lips curling into a condescending sneer.

“What truth?” Yunjin’s figure is imposing as she glowers at the guys, her eyes going ablaze with the same simmering anger as Wonyoung and Karina’s.

“Oh, come on! Don’t tell us that you girls haven’t watched your best friend’s amazing performance? No?” His tone drips with mockery that feels as though acid is thrown at you. “We’re lucky enough to be able to stream those videos online for free.”

“Hey, Y/N? Do you think that if I fuck you good, will you call me your God too?” The shortest member of the group asks with a gleeful grin. “Awww, come on, pretty girl. You love cocks, don’t you?”

“You fucking asshole!” Karina nearly lunges forward, her sharp, acrylic nails extending to claw him, but Wonyoung and Yunjin immediately hold her back from each side. “Release me! Let me at him!”

Amidst the rapid rise of chaos, you remain deadly silent, unable to hear anything other than the sound of your loud, pumping heart in your ear while your figure goes transfixed. It feels like the jeering crowd is closing on you, suffocating you as your breathing gets progressively uneven while your chest painfully tightens, and you want nothing more than to hide yourself from the world.

“What do you say, Y/N? Wanna get baptised again?” They continue to taunt you despite your best friends’ oozing ire dominating your vicinity. “I’m sure your pussy has room for more after getting fucked loose by the leaders.”

“Flash us those tits, slut!” You hear the crowd in your vicinity, mainly the ones from your university, begin to throw crude remarks at you, shooting like bullets with wanton howls and indecorous whistles.

It is as if something inside you snaps, and before you know it, you pivot on your heels and dash forward, pushing your way through the crowd haphazardly without any regard of their glare at your discourtesy while your best friends promptly chase after you right after they shoot withering glares at the crowd.

“Y/N! Wait up!” Karina’s voice fades into oblivion as you can only focus on the sound of your ragged breathing and your thrumming pulse in your ear, and maybe the sound of your heart that is slowly shattering into pieces too.

A part of you adamantly refuses to believe that the ones you hold dearly in your heart would pull such deplorable stunts. Maybe those four guys that taunted you back there were bluffing. Maybe they purposefully decided to humiliate you in public for reasons beyond your comprehension.

No, Heeseung, Jay, Jake, and Sunghoon would never─

“Y/N! We’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Winter, Chaewon, and the other girls immediately obstruct your path. The look on their faces only seems to intensify your inner turmoil, while there is a suspension in the air. “Oh, thank God all of you are here.” Their comment is also directed at your best friends from behind you.

“What’s going on?” You ask, and your voice surprisingly manages to come out strong while your tenacity for maintaining equanimity is teetering.

“It’s not good, Y/N.” Winter is carefully treading with her words, her eyes flashing with prudence. “Even if you had consented for those pictures and videos to be posted online─”

“Oh my god.” Karina’s loud gasp interjects the suspension that only seems to transition into a foreboding tension, drawing your attention to her and seeing the horrifying contortion on her countenance as she looks down at her phone screen.

“Wait, Y/N, you shouldn’t─” Just before Chaewon can stop you, you move towards Karina and snatch the phone from her hand.

As soon as your eyes latch onto the phone screen with such obscenity being displayed starkly, your surroundings fade into insignificance while time seems to be holding still, and only the sound of your heart shattering into pieces is all you can hear.

“Y/N!” You hear muffled shouts from your friends as soon as your buckling legs have finally given up on you, causing you to fall to the asphalt ground on your knees while Karina's phone slips from your weak grasp.

“I need you to breathe, Y/N!” Wonyoung cups your cheeks as she kneels down in front of you, but your blurry eyes deprive you of focus while only the constricting pain in your chest is palpable, causing you to feel unbearably suffocated.

“I want─” Your hyperventilation affects your ability to articulate your feelings. You clutch onto Wonyoung’s shirt as you finally manage to breathe out, meeting her concerned eyes with shaky pupils. “I want to go back, please.” You whisper brokenly.

As you recall seeing the awfully familiar username, you were gravely mistaken for thinking that they wouldn’t, because they did. You thought that they wouldn’t ever hurt you in a way that sent you into physical affliction, but it turns out there was another way for them to hurt you after all.

In the quiet confines of your room ─ your old, homey room, which has now become a sanctuary ─ the soft glow of the moonlight filtering through your window casts a dim illumination on you amidst the darkness as you lie in bed with the fleecy duvet enveloping your dejected figure.

Countless crumpled tissues are scattered across your bed, which you used to clear and wipe your mucus after bawling your eyes out, and the worst part is that you don’t know how many times you have broken down for the past two days ever since the appalling revelation that still renders you revolted.

“Y/N, please, open the door. We’re worried about you.” You hear Yunjin’s voice pleading out to you as she knocks on your door, which you have locked as you refuse to see any of them, only wanting to wallow in despair in your sanctuary, where no one can hurt you nor hidden cameras can film you.

You merely ignore your best friend, your hollow eyes staring into oblivion, while your mind begins to drift to the late victim who went through the same betrayal as you. Jinae. You recall when anonymous, or rather, Taehyun, divulged to you the details of her death and before that.

Similar to what Jinae had gone through, the four of them posted explicit pictures and clips of you when you were at the church on their Instagram stories, and they even inserted their captions on their stories, such as ‘our good obedient whore ‘worshipping cocks like the hungry Catholic slut she is’.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, they uploaded individual sex tapes, which they apparently had cameras hidden in their rooms, on their Devil’s Knights social media accounts across Twitter as well as their official website, allowing users from across the campus and beyond to have access to free porn.

A muscle pulses in your jaw, hating yourself for not being prudent enough to see this coming when you should have known better and realised it sooner when Heeseung first knew of your intrusion into his office ─ because he had implemented a hidden camera somewhere inside.

Your eyes begin to sting. No, you are the one who is now going through the same betrayal as the girl whose only sin was loving the four leaders, which led her to her death by their very hands. Now you are left wondering if they do have plans to kill you next.

The incessant buzzing from the nightstand draws your attention to your phone, to which your stomach churns again while your heart goes into palpitation as you hesitantly reach out for your phone and grab it with a trembling hand before forcing your reluctant body to rise from the bed.

Your mind is beseeching you to put your phone away for the sake of your sanity, or whatever is left, which is teetering dangerously at the precipice, but against your better judgement, you decide to indulge your niggling curiosity.

Just as you expected, your phone is bombarded with notifications from Instagram, Twitter, and even messages. It has been this way ever since the funfair night. Your DMs are always flooded with different users, many of whom you recognise from your fellow Crescents, sending you either revolting insults or crude messages that feel vulgarly invasive.

The perpetual cyber harassment has been causing such mental distress on you that even in your staggering sleep, you can hear their voices in your head haunting you with their dehumanising words, even as you are reading them now. Each word embeds in your disoriented mind, and somehow, each of them manages to stab you in the gut with the knife twisting deeper and deeper. But what stands out amongst them are the recurrent messages that most seem to share a correlative sentiment.

‘Kill yourself, you greedy slut.’

Alas, rivulets begin to descend on you, your body racking with the onslaught of devastation. A loud sob comes from your throat as you throw your phone elsewhere, unable to read the remaining messages any longer that only seem to carve the wound deeper in your bleeding heart.

And the worst of it all? Neither of the four of them has ever bothered to reach out to you after what they have done. Not even a single call.

The betrayal and heartbreak are palpable as they manifest in the uneven rise and fall on your heaving chest, while the volume of your cries seems to have reached outside, as evident in the hurried knocks on your door from your best friends as they call for you, but you are too consumed by the pain ─ pain that feels profound and unlike any other.

“Y/N! Please! Let us in!” The desperate plea of Wonyoung’s voice only makes you bawl your eyes out as you clutch your pounding head with your hands, tears dripping and dampening the bedding for another time.

You don’t even know how to show your face to the world, especially to your parents, if news has already reached them. There is no doubt that those intimate videos and your stark display of vulnerability have reached the public from beyond the university, spreading like wildfire.

The damage they did is beyond repair ─ it’s completely irreversible. It is crystal clear to you that they had intended to destroy you from the inside out since the moment they began to approach you, but you were blissfully ignorant as you allowed yourself to fall deeper for their dark allures, desperate for even the scraps of their affection.

The worst of it all is that you were more than ready to spend a lifetime with them, even if people were against you. You even bare your heart and soul to them, for them to take and consume you, even if it means that you might lose yourself in the process.

You sob harder, clutching your aching heart with your fingers fisting the material of your top. You hate them for not reaching out to you despite the damage they have done. You hate those cruel users who have ruined your mental state.

Most of all, you hate yourself while a part of you vehemently agrees to the dehumanising insults that have been engraved in you. Perhaps they were right ─ you are nothing but a greedy slut who has no dignity left and is utterly worthless unless you spread your legs for more.

Maybe you should kill yourself.

Before you know it, you barge into the bathroom, your teary eyes blazing with resentment as they search for anything solid enough to break the mirror. You are stuck in a stupor ─ your mind is in a tempestuous streak of their words tormenting you, and your heart is bleeding from the unabating heartbreak, but you are conscious enough to desire for your misery to end.

“Y/N! Don’t do anything stupid!” Wonyoung’s voice can still be heard from the outside, but her words don’t deter you, not when you finally find the solution to break the mirror with a ceramic cup that you often use to gargle your mouth after brushing your teeth.

With a strangled cry, the ceramic cup hurls towards the mirror before it shatters completely from the impact while the sound reaches the ears of your best friends, causing more panic for them.

“Hurry!” Karina says, watching with impatient eyes as Yunjin fumbles with the keys to your door before the latter finally unlocks it and pushes the door open, wasting no time to follow the source of your cries that lead them to the bathroom.

The three of them gasp in horror at the sight of you on your knees as you grip a shard of glass from the pieces of the broken mirror that lay scattered across the toilet tiles while blood begins to seep out of your palm due to the pressure you apply.

You can barely feel the pain in your bleeding palm, let alone the arrival of your best friends, as you are set to end your misery with a single slit, and so you raise the sharp-edged glass to your neck, your eyes completely hollow.

“Y/N!” With full force, Yunjin grabs you by the arm just before the glass can even touch your skin. Having been pulled out of your stupor, you begin to thrash and struggle in their grasp, screaming and wailing in incoherency while Wonyoung tries her utmost to get the mirror away from your bleeding hand, holding back a sob of her own. They all do.

“Let go of me! You don’t understand anything!” You sob out, finally relenting as your body feels the exertion from everything. With your loosened grasp, Wonyoung snatches the blood-stained glass away from your hand and tosses it aside. “You don’t even know how I feel! All of them were right! I should just kill myself─”

“Stop it! You’re not going to kill yourself!” Wonyoung snaps, her teary eyes match yours as they trickle down her cheeks. “You think that killing yourself will solve your problems?!”

You remain unmoving, falling weak against Yunjin as she supports you from behind with Karina. You sob out, fluttering your eyes closed. “At least it’ll free me from my misery.”

“What about us? We’re your best friends, Y/N.” The tone in Karina’s voice makes your heart clench, because you have never heard her so heartbroken except when she broke up with her ex three years ago. “What about your parents? If you can’t think of us, then think of them.”

“They don’t care. Why would they, after knowing how their Catholic daughter turned out to be a huge disappointment and a greedy slut?” Your sobs begin to quieten while your body slowly starts to feel the throbbing pain in your seeping, wounded palm.

“Please, Y/N, we can’t lose you.” Yunjin cries softly behind you, joining the other two as they collectively break into tears, wanting you to share your pain with them so it’ll burden you less. “Your life is precious, Y/N. You still have a lot more to explore. You promised that you would travel abroad with me one day.”

“Your life is precious to me, beloved.” Heeseung’s words serve as a haunting playback in your mind, eliciting more forlorn sobs from you while the tears on your cheeks are unrelenting.

“I’m tired, but I’m scared to go to sleep.” You sound languid, sleep is beckoning you as your eyelids feel heavier. “Because they’ll haunt me again…” Alas, you have fallen into the realm of sleep. The three exchange glances with an unspoken understanding.

Within the same night when they nearly lost you, Wonyoung and Karina are wrapped in cold silence, the latter driving them to their destination, whereas Yunjin is overseeing you back at the dorm, taking such prudence as they don’t want to risk anything.

It isn’t long before they are being greeted at the familiar sight of the grand palace, the golden gate slowly opening for their further pursuit, but frankly, out of the two of them, Wonyoung’s ire is overpowering, even in the way she storms over to the familiar seven faces in the opened garage while Karina quickly trails behind her.

Jungwon, who has shared an intimate history with her, immediately hinders her from aggravating the sombre situation further as he blocks her way, his lips adorning a nervous yet crooked smile. “Hey, babe─”

But Wonyoung, having been possessed by the feminine rage, easily pushes Jungwon aside, her icy glaring eyes set on the four figures whose demeanours are infuriatingly cryptic, before storming towards them with the intention to give a good punch or two.

“Wonyoung, wait─” Just as Karina is about to stop her, she watches in complete shock when the latter delivers a punch to Sunghoon’s cheek, while the male doesn’t seem to be affected despite his head being turned sideways from the impact.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve just done?!” Wonyoung is about to lunge for Jake next, but Riki and Sunoo immediately restrain her by the arms. “Preying on my best friend for the sake of your twisted tradition is one thing, but to post your sickening sex tapes that you filmed without her consent at all?!” She is stark raving mad, thrashing and struggling valiantly in their captivity. “Haven’t you had enough after destroying Jinae the same way you do now to Y/N?!”

“Calm down.” Sunoo’s remark earns him a withering glare from the raging woman.

“Don’t tell me to calm down when my best friend almost tried to kill herself because of the constant cyberbullying, and whose fault was that?” Wonyoung’s tone is dripping with venom, and her eyes are maintaining icy contact with the four leaders. “Yours! I fucking knew that the moment all of you suddenly approached Y/N, you had ulterior motives!”

Although their demeanour remains cryptic, Karina can see it in the way they flinch lightly when Wonyoung mentions you, and for a fleeting moment, equal worry flares in their irises.

“I don’t know what your endgame is or if you’re planning to haunt her even till the end, just like you did to Jinae, but thanks a lot.” Karina speaks up, her tone mirrors Wonyoung’s with a tinge of sarcasm. “You guys got what you wanted, and that is to break Y/N, right? Then congratufuckinglations! You guys are officially the fucking worse.”

“Y/N wouldn’t come out to eat for days.” Wonyoung says so spitefully before finally breaking herself free from Riki and Sunoo’s grasp. “Whatever your next moves are, we’re not going to let you go near Y/N. You’ll have to kill me to get to her.”

“That’s fine with us.” Jay shrugs his shoulders; the nonchalance on his display doesn’t betray the feelings that lie beneath the facade. “You ladies have always loved to underestimate us, so maybe it’s time we show you no mercy, yeah?”

“Jay, don’t.” Jungwon steps forward, feeling a natural protective instinct to shield Wonyoung from Jay’s path of destruction. “Just tell them the truth.”

“What truth is there even to tell us?” Wonyoung eyes Jungwon with exasperation, while the latter looks at her with softened eyes. “We’ve already seen enough─ Y/N have seen and known enough to realise that your amazing leaders uploaded those unconsented pictures and videos by their own hands!”

“Yeah, we’ve known enough.” Karina grabs Wonyoung by the hand, her eyes glaring at each of them for another time. “We’re here only to tell you to stay away from Y/N. She doesn’t need any of you to break her even more.”

With that, Karina and Wonyoung depart from the garage as they make their way back to the car, while Jungwon stares at them from afar before heaving a sigh as he turns to look at the four leaders. “You should’ve told them the truth.”

“What difference would it make?” Jake scoffs, his jaw tightening. “You’ve already seen the look in their eyes. Besides, no one ever believes us, just like three years ago.”

“Well, we believe you.” Riki offers them some form of support, and a rare smile plays on his lips. “You have us.”

“Seven against the world?” Sunghoon chuckles as he shakes his head while rubbing his sore cheek. “We’re so fucked.”

“Heeseung?” Sunoo, who has been observant enough to notice Heeseung’s eerie silence, “What do you want to do now?”

Despite the nonchalantness of his demeanour, storms are raging silently in Heeseung’s dark eyes. “Do what we do best at; continue the hunt.”

Never have you ever felt utterly defeated to wake up to the next sunrise, as it only means another day of misery, and you were right, because your phone is once again bombarded with notifications from those who wish to see you in unending agony.

At first, you wallow in utter despair, still refusing to get out of your room and to eat something despite being coaxed by your best friends, but soon, it is coupled with fury that courses through your vein, spurring you into taking action, which has your best friends beseeching you to reevaluate your resolution.

Hence, you are presently in the car with them, waiting for the familiar, opulent gates to open for you. The temperature in the car doesn’t bother you in the slightest, despite the coldness increasing tenfold due to the torrential rain pouring down outside. You sit in silence while the suspension hangs in the air.

“Maybe we should head back. We’v been waiting for quite some time.” Karina breaks the ice; hesitancy flows in her tone. “Plus, I don’t think they’re at the palace.”

Before any of you can say anything, your eyes capture blinding lights in the rearview mirror while the sound of motorcycles revving stridently startles the girls except you, because the moment their vehicles are nearing from behind, you take your girls by surprise when you exit from the car in haste, ignoring their calling.

Not even a minute passes by when you have become wholly drenched from head to toe, but your resolution remains unwavering as you storm with purpose towards the four bikers, whose body languages you are unable to construe while the dark visors completely obscure their countenance, but you can feel their gazes burning straight into you.

Your mind is in a perpetual tumult with a cacophony of thoughts and emotions, each vying for dominance, that overwhelms you. Your eyes are blurring with each blink, uncertain whether it’s the effect of the unrelenting downpour that wets your lashes or the tears that are accumulating in your waterline.

They dismount their bikes just as you close the distance, and you follow the path of your ire to the first person near you — the one who is wearing a necklace with your purity ring resting on his chest.

“Y/N─” Heeseung is cut off by the impact of the shove of your hands into his chest, but he swiftly regains stability.

“Is this really your endgame?! To humiliate me and expose my vulnerability to everyone?!” Like a thunderstorm, you erupt into a torrent of outbursts, pushing Heeseung in the chest again, but he is unaffected by your strength as he remains rooted to the ground. “Because of what you all did, I couldn’t sleep at night without their words haunting me! I couldn’t even look at my phone without receiving another message telling me to kill myself. Why? Because I’m a greedy fucking slut for the four of you!”

The other three attempt to step forward to stop you, but Heeseung subtly makes a hand gesture at them, prompting them to stay where they are and allowing you to continue as you throw weak punches to his solid chest while uncontrollable sobs leave your lips.

“That day, I told you to delete them, and you lied to me! You all lied to me!” You nearly go hysterical as you don’t relent from hitting him. “I even told you in the first place! But you refused, all because I broke your rule! You shouldn’t have even thought of filming and snapping pictures of me back at the church just because you were pissed off at me!” You cry out in defeat, your body heaving with sobs. “You should’ve just killed me instead.”

“Don’t fucking say that!” Sunghoon nearly growls out, catching you off guard when he steps forward to hold you by the shoulders. His voice sounds deeper due to the helmet. “We know we fucked up, but you shouldn’t even think that we would do anything to hurt you like that!”

Seething with anger, you shove his hands away from your shoulders as you push him. “But you did! You did hurt me in the most agonising way, which I never would have thought you would do to me! Just like you did to Jinae!”

You clench your fist with your injured hand, applying pressure to the wound that is slowly reopening. “Like a fool I was, I chose to ignore the fact that all of you weren’t sincere with me when you first approached me. I chose to ignore the fact that you were only preying on me as part of your tradition and allowed you to fuck me up all over.” A palpable heartbreak punctuates your declaration as you continue to cry out. “And like a fool I was, I bared my soul to you and gave you my heart, only for you to break me when I'd fallen hopelessly in love with you.”

“You’re in love with us?” You can hear Jake’s muffled voice, but you ignore him and remain focused on pouring out your pent-up emotions.

“For you, I was willing to do anything you asked me to, and I’d give up everything if it meant to be close to you and stay by your side, but your intentions are now clear to me that I meant nothing to you because I was only meant to satisfy you as your slut and for you to break me apart if I ever crossed you!” With your clenched fist, you deliver one last hit to Heeseung, now torn apart from the inside as you break into hysterical sobs. “How could you do this to me?! I did nothing but love you and want to be loved by you.”

“Y/N, stop.” Heeseung grabs you firmly by the wrist, holding you closer to his chest and looking down at your bandaged hand. “You’re injured. You’ll reopen your wound if you don’t stop.”

“Don’t touch me!” You quickly yank your hand away from him, his touch feels familiarly scorching on your skin. “Don’t hold me like that! Don’t─” A sharp sob leaves your lips, your eyes glistening with unmistakable heartbreak that punches them in the gut. “Don’t act like you care when you don’t give a damn about me! Not after what you did! And for that, I hate you!”

“You don’t mean that.” Jay’s voice cuts through the air stridently, followed by a rumble of thunder in the dreary skies.

“I do. I hate you.” You say spitefully, glaring at them with a teary gaze as you latch your arms around your now-shivering form. “Consider this the last time you’ll ever see my face, and consider my love for you dead, not that you cared in the first place.”

“Don’t leave─ Fuck, baby─” Jay sounds torn, almost as if he is the one hurting instead of you. “We’ll make things right, just don’t leave us.”

“Y/N!” You hear Wonyoung calling out for you from behind, but your attention remains fixed on them.

For a moment, the desperation emanating from him as well as the other three stirs something in the sensible part of you. Even if you can’t see the clear contortion of their countenances, you can feel their gaze burning into you with a passion for longing. But what they did is beyond justifiable ─ their stark betrayal is unforgivable, no matter the love that still beats for them in your bleeding heart right now.

“You can’t make things right. The damage is irreversible, and for that, I won’t forgive you.” Your voice trembles, slowly getting overwhelmed by the tumult of emotions whirling in you. “Congratulations, though. You’ve succeeded in your twisted tradition of preying on an innocent girl once again.”

By the time you have delivered the last of your words that pierce into their hearts, Wonyoung appears next to you, holding an umbrella that shelters you from downpour any longer, her comforting arm around your shoulder before you finally turn around and head back into the car, leaving the four of them under the pouring rain with your words embedded in their minds.

They did not upload those pictures and videos. Apparently, they have been hacked and even tried to log into their social media accounts, but it seems that their credentials have been unauthorizedly changed by their foes, who clearly possess the abilities and competencies in the cyber field.

But it doesn’t mean that they are free of guilt, especially when they acknowledge that they lied to you about having them deleted, and they had every intention to do so until Sunghoon’s phone went missing on that yacht party, after which they concluded that it must’ve been one of those fuckers who managed to transfer those pictures and videos of you into their possession.

Still, they know well enough that they are partially responsible for this. Your words are a haunting playback in their minds since you left them in the cold yesterday, causing their inner turmoil to increase tenfold while a foreign emotion sends an unpleasant sensation through them. Guilt.

For as long as they can remember, they don’t feel guilt, and they have never either. Even after the passing of their first prey, Jinae, they didn’t feel the slightest remorse and instead felt resentment towards those who didn’t believe in them and the truth only they held in their grasp.

Guilt is not something that they feel naturally on instinct, but then you came. You managed to ignite something in them despite the unyielding darkness, and now they have been hit with immense guilt while their corrupted mind is in a dangerous tumult.

Thus, they have collectively agreed to put a permanent end to this prolonged hunt and eradicate their foes, who were responsible for orchestrating the destruction that has already been wide-spread beyond their radar.

Hence, Sunoo and Riki, who are quite literally the cyberpunks, have been working tirelessly for them and leaving no stone unturned as they demolish every firewall and destroy data after data, including deleting those uploads. Jungwon, whose specialty is obviously not in the hacking field, can only offer his presence as his two best friends’ moral support while he hangs around in the background with either snacks or drinks in his hands.

“Are you guys sure that they’re in there?” Jake inquires to Sunoo and Riki as he has them on speaker mode, allowing his best friends to hear their conversation as well. Presently, they remain seated in Jay’s Maserati that is pulled over by the curb, awaiting their next move on Jake’s command.

“Are you doubting our skills now? After everything we’ve done for you?” Jake simply rolls his eyes at Sunoo’s melodramatic antics before he briefly casts a glance at the window to examine the establishment for another time. “Anyway, hacking into their security system was a piece of cake.”

“They’re in there, but better be quick.” Riki interjects, his voice sounding gravelly deep. “It looks like they’re about to leave soon. Oh, an advice; enter from the backdoor instead.”

Once the call ends, the four leaders waste no time exiting the car, recalling Riki’s advice as they make their way around the establishment, where the backdoor is. Each of them wields different weapons yet bears the same amount of lethality ─ brass knuckles, metal baseball bats, and a melee knife. Tonight, their foes won’t be able to leave unscathed.

Just as they nearly arrive, the backdoor swings open, followed by chatter and laughter before they are greeted by the sight of familiar faces who turn out to be their foes. But the thing is, neither of their foes look entirely surprised. Taehyun, Soobin, and Hyunjin.

“So, you’ve finally caught me, huh?” Taehyun taunts them with a pleasant smile, his hands sliding inside his pockets. “I must say, I felt satisfied for outsmarting you, which was why you couldn’t find me anywhere. As our leaders who should be better than us, you’ve disappointed me.”

Jay steps forward, a smirk playing on his lips while his menacing aura is infused with the foreboding atmosphere. “As your house leader, I have a gift for you, and that is meeting your demise tonight.”

“But before we get down to business, we want to know why.” Sunghoon demands, struggling to maintain his composure and gripping the brass knuckle adorning his fingers. “You guys took the knight’s oath on the day you were accepted into the fraternity. You knew what would happen if you went against the rules, and we don't take betrayal lightly.”

“Oath means nothing to us for as long as you reign supreme in our fraternity.” No one is as staggered as Heeseung upon hearing a familiar voice approaching from behind Taehyun, his eyes trailing to his once-close friend, whose demeanour is uncharacteristically callous.

“I fucking knew it.” Jake grits his teeth, seething with anger as his eyes harden. “Fuck. I knew you were on it, but our girl’s good heart chose to believe that you weren’t─”

“Your girl?” He intervenes, releasing a cold, derisive chuckle as he leisurely advances forward while keeping a safe distance between them. “It’s quite bold of you when you know that you’ve already lost your girl after what you’ve done.”

“You mean, after what you and your little rebellion did!” Jake retaliates, clutching his brass knuckle. “We didn’t do shit! You had your loyal dogs do your dirty work!”

“But that doesn’t change the fact that you guys took those pictures and videos at the holy church. I only contributed to implementing those hidden cameras in your rooms and the places you guys fucked her.”

“You? So you were the true mastermind instead of Taehyun, isn’t that, right?” Heeseung’s tone sounds lethally soft, his lips unfurling a smirk while his eyes remain in unwavering eye contact with him. “Choi Beomgyu.”

Beomgyu breaks into a cold smile, his eyes holding an unmistakable hatred for him. “I would’ve applauded you for solving the pieces, but you solved them too late. Just like how it’s too late for you to reverse everything with Y/N. Oh, and by the way, I’ve got to give credits to y’all for giving free porn content.”

The tension in the foreboding air is thickening with each passing second as they await each other’s next move. Beomgyu continues to smile, taunting Heeseung with each step forward while his eyes gleam with wicked delight. “But I would’ve fucked her better than you did.”

The trigger in Heeseung’s head is pulled, spurring him into retaliation, deftly aiming his melee knife towards Beomgyu, possessing such an almost-inhuman agility that even takes his best friends by surprise before they manoeuvre towards their foes expeditiously. Alas, violence is set ablaze under the starry night, the once-comradeship amongst them has effaced, but they share the same resolve ─ no one shall leave unscathed.

The four leaders move with harmonious precision in countering attacks from their opponents, wielding their weapons and putting them to good use as they manage to spill their blood, but their opponents are filled with equal ferocity as well, refusing to relent.

“I trusted you.” Heeseung tightens his jaw, breathing harshly while he clutches the melee knife handle that stains with Beomgyu’s blood as he manages to cut him in the arm with one swift slice. “I thought you were my close friend. All those years we’ve spent, and it took just one girl for you to pull a dick move?”

Beomgyu spits the blood out of his mouth as he slowly rises from the ground, his eyes flaring with such intense hatred that Heeseung swears the latter looks awfully similar to a certain dead- person in this light. “I’ve never regarded you as my friend, not after you’ve killed my sister!”

Heeseung feels his stomach starting to churn unpleasantly as he slowly puts the pieces together in his mind, filled with a cacophony of thoughts and theories, his hand lowering the knife. “Your sister?”

Beomgyu scoffs in disbelief, wiping the blood that trails down from his nostril. “Oh, come on, now. You can’t be that stupid and slow to realise it by now. I’ve already given you the clue.”

For the first time, Heeseung feels staggered, his eyes widening in disbelief as he scrutinises Beomgyu’s features. It is no wonder why he looks familiar from when Beomgyu first approached him after his late enrollment in the university, especially in the way he smiles.

“No, you can’t be….” Heeseung's transfixed figure captures Jake’s attention, spurring the latter to quickly knock Taehyun out cold as he lands on the hard ground with a loud thud while Jay and Sunghoon exchange meaningful nods before they render their opponents wholly unconscious, uncaring whether they’re breathing or not.

“What the fuck is going on, and why is he not dead yet?” Sunghoon asks annoyedly, stepping forward with his bloodied knuckles preparing to strike, but Heeseung holds him back, earning Heeseung a bewildered look from Sunghoon. “Heeseung, what the fuck?”

Beomgyu chuckles, drawing their attention to him. “Oh, you wouldn’t want to kill me, especially when I’ve waited long enough to reveal who I really am.”

“All I know and care about is that you are going to be a dead man tonight.” Jay nearly growls out as he swings the baseball bat expertly. “I'm going to enjoy crushing your bones.”

“Wait, I want to hear what he has to say before we end him.” Jake tells Jay before shifting his attention to Beomgyu, sighing impatiently. “Well? Who are you, then, oh mysterious one?”

Something dark cast a shadow over Beomgyu’s countenance, his eyes blazing with a patent ire, triggered by Jake’s mere derision. “Everything is a joke to you guys, right? Just like how you enjoyed killing my sister, her death was a joke to you.”

Jay shoots him a scornful glare, his patience running thin. “Who the fuck is your sister?”

“Jinae.” The name leaving from Heeseung’s lips hits the three of them like whiplash, and when they look at him, his eyes are burning through Beomgyu’s glaring ones. “His sister. Choi Jinae.”

“Ah, crazy pants.” Sunghoon smirks, not a single trace of sympathy on his face, despite feeling a tinge of surprise at the revelation. “Your sister was a real pain in the ass, by the way. Thank fuck, she’s dead.”

“Take that back, you fucker!” Seeing absolute red, Beomgyu charges towards Sunghoon with malice coursing through his vein, but like a bolt of lightning, Jake embodies a shield and promptly seizes Beomgyu by the collar shirt before bringing down his brass-knuckled fist into the side of his face, the impact sending him plummeting to the ground with blood spluttering from his mouth and nostril.

“What difference would it make if I took back my words?” Sunghoon asks with a sardonic smile, revelling in the brutality displayed by his best friend as the latter delivers another punch to Beomgyu’s face. “Because it definitely won’t bring back your sister from the dead.”

Seeing how evidently weakened and languid Beomgyu is with his head flinging forward, the corner of Jake’s lips curves into a smirk as he scoffs out a chuckle before grabbing Beomgyu by the hair and pulling it to the back roughly to force him to look at them despite struggling to keep his eyes open. “Quick question: why did you choose to reveal that you’re her brother now?”

“It’s all part of the plan. The plan that you’ve ruined.” Beomgyu’s voice sounds hoarse, and his breathing is ragged. “I had intended to reveal myself after delivering your precious Y/N’s pretty head in a box. Oh, what a shame that you’ve all rescued her that night before I could have a taste of her─”

Filled by an immense rage coursing through his veins, Jay swings the bat and aims it at Beomgyu’s stomach, resulting in the latter coughing out more blood with his body hunched over, but with Jake’s tight grip on his hair, he is being forced to look back up.

“Keep Y/N out of this!” Jay roars out, intending to swing again, but Heeseung stops him as the latter desires to get the truth and answers from Beomgyu.

“We’re giving you two options. The first option is that you tell us the truth and basically everything we want, and the second option is, well,” A smirk touches Heeseung’s lips, his imposing figure towering over Beomgyu’s, bending down slightly only to cut his cheek in a swift slice with his knife, eliciting a pained growl from the latter. “You know what will happen. But we might reconsider letting you live if you choose to comply with us.”

“Don’t be dumb and choose your option wisely, Choi.” Sunghoon crosses his arms over his chest, mirroring Heeseung’s devilish smirk as he stands next to him. “Let’s start off with Y/N. Why did you target her? And for what purpose did you have with your diabolic plan, which you’ve failed at?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I had to find each of your weaknesses, and Y/N turned out to be your ultimate weakness, even if she meant to be your prey just as my sister once was.” Beomgyu says spitefully, blood spitting from his mouth while seething anger glares in his eyes. “Oh, but Y/N has everything to do with this. Unlike my poor sister, Y/N has had the privilege to earn your affection without having to try hard to gain your attention, which I didn’t understand because why were you treating Y/N better than you treated my sister?”

“Let’s just say, Y/N is not crazy pants like Jinae.” Sunghoon says, still taunting Beomgyu with his smirk, before the latter continues.

“Then I realised that you guys are disgustingly obsessed with Y/N, which also explains why you didn’t kill her off like you did to my sister. So I decided to take matters into my own hands and executed the plan to kill Y/N, since after all, she’s your sweet angel.” Beomgyu sneers at him, like a dog baring its canine teeth. “If I can’t kill you, then I’ll kill the girl you seem to care about most.”

“Disgustingly obsessed, you say? Maybe we are, but I’d say that the description fits your sister perfectly just the same.” Jake lets out a sardonic chuckle as he tightens his grip on Beomgyu’s hair to yank his head to the back and lean down with a menacing glare while his lips curl into a disdainful sneer. “I hated your sister. Bitch was always there wherever I went, and she couldn’t get the fucking hint that I wasn’t into her.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Beomgyu asks roughly, his voice completely hoarse after coughing out blood another time. “Before you guys killed her, she sent me a message, telling me about how all of you were obsessed with her but then tossed her aside after you were done fucking around with her, and because of what you did, my sister was devastated. She did nothing but only wanted to be loved. You sick, heartless fucks.”

“So I was right. Your sister was indeed batshit crazy, which is why we call her crazy pants.” Sunghoon scoffs out a chuckle. “I really gotta commend your freak of a sister, though. She managed to fool everyone, including you, into thinking that she died because we killed her.”

“That’s because you guys did!” Beomgyu growls out in sheer anger, regaining a moment of vitality. “The evidence was there! Your handprints were the evidence!”

“It seems that you don’t know the truth about what really happened three years ago and who your sister really was.” Heeseung says, his voice sounds gravelly deep, which matches the shadow cast on his countenance. “We didn’t kill her. She killed herself.”

The fury in Beomgyu’s eyes slowly diminishes, confusion blends in with the fire. “You’re lying. She wouldn’t do that to herself, and she most definitely wouldn’t kill herself on our birthday.”

“Our birthday?” Jay raises his eyebrow inquisitively.

Beomgyu clenches his jaw. “We’re fraternal twins.”

“Believe what you want, but the truth is, your psychotic sister was a cunning bitch who had a diabolical plan that obviously involved her planned death, and her plan succeeded when everyone believed that we were the ones who killed her, considering that she was found dead in the palace.” Sunghoon divulges, his tone indicating the gravity of the recollection, to which Beomgyu begins to feel conflicted.

“We don’t have anything concrete to prove our innocence, but we do have a certain group of people who can attest to our innocence since we were with them on the day Jinae decided to kill herself.” Heeseung unfurls a cynical smirk at the corner of his lips.

“Even if you didn’t kill her, what you did is still a contributing factor, which made sense why she killed herself.” Beomgyu says with conviction, his tone dripping with venom. “Because you fuckers uploaded those sex tapes you recorded of her.”

“If she hadn’t pissed us off in the first place, then we wouldn’t have done what we did.” Jay shrugs his shoulders, appearing nonchalant. “Besides, it was her idea in the first place to be recorded, and she even consented herself.”

“Oh, she pissed us off, alright.” Jake chuckles lightly, without any mirth. “She was obsessed with me, mostly, and she couldn’t get the fucking clue that I wasn’t into her, but I thought to myself, why not fuck around with her and let my best friends have their fun with her as well?”

“You really are a bunch of sick fucks!” Beomgyu attempts to lunge forward while remaining on his knees, but tumbles forward instead. Unbeknownst to them, tears begin to fill his waterline. “My sister told me about how much she loved all of you. She often called me to tell me about her day with you all excitedly before you decided to toss her aside.” Beomgyu clenches his fist. “All she ever wanted was to be loved by you.”

“Yes, she indeed pissed us off by beating the shit out of any girl who got close to us and threatening to kill us, even held Jake at a knife point, forcing us to love her the same.” Heeseung bends down to tilt Beomgyu’s chin up with the edge of his knife, penetrating his eyes into the latter’s. “Love can never be forced upon you, but unfortunately, your sister couldn’t understand that.”

“You could’ve tried to learn to love her.” Beomgyu spits out, his body trembling with tumultuous emotions that threaten to consume him. “What does Y/N have that my sister didn’t? What made you love Y/N when you couldn’t love Jinae?”

“It’s simple, really, because Choi Jinae was not and never will be Y/N Kang.” Heeseung answers neutrally, but his eyes flicker with palpable sadness and yearning for you before they are eclipsed by the familiar callousness. “Great news. We’ll be sparing your life.”

“Wait, we won’t?” Jay blurts out in disbelief. “But he betrayed─”

“I know what he did.” Heeseung cuts him off calmly, trailing his eyes back to Beomgyu. “Instead, I want you to confess the entire truth to Y/N without leaving out any details. Tell her that you were the mastermind all along. If you fail to comply, you and your little rebellion will be facing a sequence of agonising pain that leads you to your death.”

“Even if I did confess the truth to her, it wouldn’t change the fact that guys did record those contents without her consent, which is why she’s hating you right now, am I right?” Beomgyu adorns a lopsided grin, displaying his glee despite the patent wrath emanating from them. “At least my plan B of ruining your relationship with her worked. She’s far from your reach now─”

Having had enough, Heeseung socks Beomgyu in the face with his knee, rendering him unconscious as his limp body falls to the ground with a thud.

“Did you record everything?” Heeseung turns to look at Sunghoon, who fishes out his phone from his pocket with the screen displaying the ongoing voice recording before he presses the stop button. “Good. Send it to Riki.”

“What about them?” Jake asks, his eyes scanning the mess with four unconscious bodies scattered around and definitely not unscathed. “After what they did to our girl, I still feel that they deserve to die.”

“Leave them to rot or whatever, I don’t care.” Heeseung mutters under his breath, running his fingers through his tousled locks. All the while, he has been battling an internal battle that wages between his mind and heart. One yearns to return to you, while the other refuses, as it knows you need space.

“Agreed.” Jay heaves a sigh, his hand sliding into his pocket to retrieve the e-cigarette before inhaling the flavour aerosol and puffing it out, watching the grey wafts in the air. “Tonight has been a long one.”

Days passed by like a blur since your confrontation, but the weight on your shoulders remains a burden that, coupled with the unabating turmoil in you, deprives you of the much-needed solace you have been seeking.

You genuinely thought that after your confrontation, you would feel a little lighter and perhaps the cyberbullying that centred around you would wane, but you were gravely mistaken when your phone would sporadically buzz with incessant notifications that mostly contained demeaning words.

As a result, your mental health is deteriorating with each passing minute, as it also affects your appetite. Even when one of your best friends tries to feed you, you can’t help but puke up after two spoons. Sleep is no different either, as whenever you try to close your eyes, all you can see are those words with different malign voices speaking to you as though to haunt you.

Heck, you don’t even feel safe in your once-sanctuary that used to be filled with comfort and security, because in every space in your room, you feel as though someone ought to get you, completely paranoid. Of course, you are. Some of those words included them desiring to eradicate you, simply because you have earned a newfound reputation as the Catholic worthless slut of Crestview Meadows.

Your best friends have offered consolation and advice, including to deactivate or delete your socials permanently, but you don’t have the heart to do that, especially when those socials contain memories. Although you rarely post your own pictures, you often capture precious moments with your friends, family, and even yourself and post those moments on social media. You wish to look back at those moments if there is ever a time you miss them, giving you nostalgia. After all, you are a sentimental person.

“Y/N! Are you done packing the last of your boxes?" You hear Karina calling for you from the living room, pulling you out of your thoughts once more. “We actually should get going if we don't want to get stuck in a traffic jam at peak hours.”

“In a minute!” You reply to her, surprising yourself with the volume of your voice since you barely make any sound unless your best friends ask you questions or attempt to strike up a conversation while you remain holed up in your room.

You look down at your bandaged hand, curling and uncurling your fingers to test out the tolerance of your pain now before you bend down to grab the brown box by the handles with ease. As you look around your room, which is now bare of any ornaments and familiar embellishments that used to offer you a minuscule sense of comfort, you feel the strings in your heart tugging painfully.

It is indeed a bittersweet feeling to permanently leave your room that is filled with memories, be they the bad or the good ones, and you don’t take any of them for granted, knowing that each memory, in some way, has moulded you into the person you are now who is never ready to face the outside world just yet.

It turns out that all seniors residing in the dormitory have to comply with the mandatory clearing and moving out of their allotted dorms by tomorrow, since, after all, all of you seniors are the graduating batch, and your graduation will commence in just a few days.

All of the other seniors, including your best friends, are evidently excited for graduation day to arrive after gruelling years of academic torment, and some have already planned a celebratory party, but you feel entirely numb despite knowing that you survived and did exceptionally well throughout your years here. Mainly, you are not ready to receive your degree once you enter the stage with judgmental eyes on you.

“Y/N, what is taking you so long─” Karina enters your room and stops mid-sentence upon seeing a tear trickling down your cheek. “Are you okay?” She asks gently.

“I’m just going to miss this room.” You tell her in a splintered whisper before sighing softly. “I know, I’m being dramatic about this.”

“No, babe, your feelings are completely valid.” Karina places her hand on your shoulder to give it a comforting squeeze. She offers you a gentle smile, her eyes mirroring the reminiscing sentiment in yours. “I’m gonna miss my room too. I’m going to miss our dorm. We really did make a lot of great memories, well, minus the bad ones, of course.”

You take another glance around before drawing in a sharp breath, your firm eyes meeting hers as you give her a head nod. “Let’s go. The longer I’m here, the more I have the urge to burst into tears. I’m tired of crying.”

“And I’m tired of carrying the boxes down into my car.” Karina shoots you a playful scowl as you find yourself lifting a small smile. “You’re lucky that you’re my passenger princess.”

Princess.

It’s a mere endearment that is common everywhere, especially in books and televisions, but it is enough to send you a wave of emotions, and it is an endearment you wish to hear again from him. You swallow down the emotional lump in your throat thickly that is threatening to implode.

“Wonyoung and Yunjin?” You inquire to Karina, now standing outside of the apartment door while the latter is busily adjusting to covering your head with the hoodie that you are adorned in, as you requested her assistance since you refuse for anyone to catch a glimpse of your face.

“Their chauffeur arrived earlier. Don’t be too sad. You’ll be seeing them again soon, you know that, right?” Karina gives you a knowing look as you proceed to advance forward in the direction of the elevator.

You reciprocate with a small smile that doesn’t reach your eyes, recalling your conversation with, particularly, Yunjin two days ago. “I know.”

Sleep didn’t beckon you throughout the two-hour journey, or perhaps it did, but you were too preoccupied by the incessant unpleasant churn in your tummy. Your nerves have been in an unabating jitter ever since Karina drove through your hometown, even as you now arrive outside of the place you grew up in.

Your breath hitches as you spot your father descending the porch steps, ambling in the direction of where Karina pulled over directly in front of your humble abode. His face shows no signs of exhaustion or tensity, but still, the wariness in you remains niggling in the back of your mind.

You haven’t been contacting your father or even replying to his messages ever since the day you bumped into him after confronting your mother about her infidelity and moral compass. It isn’t that you hate him, no, you have always been known as Daddy’s girl since you were an infant, but rather that you don’t know how to face him without bearing the guilt on behalf of your mother.

As for your mother, neither of you bothered to reach out and make some sort of amendment or even forgiveness.You are sensible enough to realise that you should not have said those words that hurt your mother, but you were too caught up in your retaliation, wanting to hurt her just as she hurt you after condemning you.

“Come on, I’ll help you out with your father.” Karina pulls you out of your thoughts with a shake on the shoulder before the two of you exit the car.

Mustering courage, you turn to face your approaching father with a half-crooked smile, your eyes searching for his. “Hi, Dad.” You greet him softly, feeling the gravitational pull towards him just as he invitingly opens his arms before you crash into him. Your arms latch around him as you seek the familiar comfort in your father’s warm embrace.

“My one and only baby girl is finally back.” Your father attempts to lighten the sombre mood with his mirth, his chuckles sounding rich in your ears while you remain in his embrace, not wanting to pull away or else tears will burst out.

“I’ve missed you so much, Dad.” You mumble, your throat hurting from the inhibiting emotions. “I’m sorry for not calling or texting you.”

A soft smile unfurls on his lips before he plants a kiss on your crown. “It’s okay. I’ve missed you too, sweetheart.” He pulls away from the hug with his hands on your shoulders and examines you, noticing your disheartened spirit even when your demeanour is neutral. “Come. Let’s not make your friend wait anymore. Karina, right? I remember you.”

“It’s good to see you again, Mister Kang.” Karina, who has been watching the endearing moment between you and your father silently, greets him with the same pleasantry as they exchange for more short, polite talks before the three of you proceed to carry out the boxes from the trunk and bring the boxes inside.

It isn’t long until Karina finally departs from your home, leaving you to deal with your quandary, as not moments ago, you stumbled upon your mother in the kitchen, but of course you fled from her before she could even say anything. You have no idea whether or not your father knows about your mother’s infidelity, but if he does, then he is doing a great job at putting up a front.

Deciding to distract yourself, you open one of the boxes, only to be met with familiar plushies, which Jake and Sunghoon won for you at the palace’s arcade. Your heart aches as you slowly reach out for one, tears filling your waterline before you can even control your emotions, and alas, you break, hugging the plushie close to your chest while the memories torment you in an agonising playback in your mind.

Despite the resentment burning in your heart, you can’t deny the palpable longing for them, throwing you into a whirlpool of conflicting emotions that threaten to drown you. You choke back a sob as soon as you hear someone knocking on your ajar door.

“Y/N, honey? Are you okay?” Your mother’s voice causes you to halt your emotional breakdown as you quickly wipe away your tears when the door slowly pushes open. You remain seated by the edge of the bed, looking away from her and becoming mute. “Honey, talk to me─”

“I don’t want to talk to you, let alone look at your face. So please, get out of my room.” You cut her off weakly, your voice a silent plea. “I’m tired, and I can’t deal with arguing with you again.”

“Your mother means well, Y/N.” This time, your father manages to draw your attention to him as he ambles towards you and stands next to your mother. The look on his face tells you everything you need to know that your father already knows about your mother. “Do forgive your mother.”

“And you have?” You blurt out disbelief. “I don’t understand. How are you okay with this after knowing what she did?” You can see it in your mother’s eyes; the way you convey your resentment hurts her.

“Because I allowed her to meet them.” He tells you calmly, the stark honesty in his eyes only seems to stagger you further, to which he sees and releases a soft sigh before settling down next to you. “I know it’s hard for you to understand why, but they loved your mother the same way I do. I couldn’t refuse them when they reached out to me and asked me for my permission to meet her, because after all, they had been my good friends since university.”

“But they’re not good people.” You retort vehemently. “If you knew what they did and how they treated their sons─”

“I know, honey, but I couldn’t forget their good deeds, no matter how much they’ve changed since they entered fatherhood. One of them even helped me secure my employment in law enforcement.” Your father sighs. “No matter what, forgiveness and letting go are easier than holding such resentment.”

His words hit you so hard that you can even feel them deep in your heart because of how fitting they are to your current predicament. Forgiveness is one thing, but letting go of them? And just like that, you return to the reeling of your torrential emotions as you look down, not bothered in the slightest, even when your mother sits next to you.

Your parents exchange worried glances upon noticing your deadly silence before your mother musters the courage to speak, hesitantly placing her hand on your back. “I know what I did is still morally wrong, and I’m so sorry for condemning you─”

A forlorn sob leaves your lips, startling them with your sudden outburst as tears cascade down your cheeks. You slowly lift your head to look at your mother through the tears, wanting her comfort despite feeling resentment towards her.

“Baby girl, what’s wrong?” Your father’s gentleness, which reminds you of Heeseung, only seems to hurl you to the edge as sobs rack through your body.

Your mother can’t stand to see the sight of you bawling out tears, especially when she recognises the agony of heartbreak written across your features. “Oh, honey, come here.” Following her motherly instinct, she pulls you into her embrace, which you can’t refuse, not when you have dearly missed being comforted by your mother.

“I loved them, Mom.” You manage to utter in between sobs as you cling desperately onto her, her arms enveloping your trembling body. “I really did, but after what they’ve done─ I can't forgive them.”

Instead of prying and demanding an elaboration from you, your parents choose to offer you more comfort, with your father now enveloping you and your mother nestling closely with each other. They allow you to release the uncontrollable, prolonging waterworks, and their presence provides you with some form of moral support.

You have lost track of time since the moment you decided to break down in front of your parents, but maybe long enough for the rays of the sunset now filtering through your window. Your sobs have finally quietened as you bask in the oddly comforting silence, remaining in their embrace.

Sniffling, you lift your head to look at them with swollen eyes and streaks of tears staining your cheeks. “Mom, Dad, there is something I have to tell you, and it is something that requires your blessing, which I hope you’ll allow me.” And so, you begin to reveal what you and Yunjin have discussed to your parents as they listen with an open mind.

You can feel judgmental eyes latching onto your figure, unnerving you as most of the seniors occupying the seats across the wide-stretch field are highly responsible for tearing you down through the cyberharassment, which thankfully has dwindled, but there are still a few bad apples that are relentless.

Still, you can’t allow any of them to prevent you from feeling the same triumphant joy of successfully surviving four years of university as you now receive your degree on stage alongside a special reward for making it onto the director’s list due to your outstanding performance. Plus, your moral support is here ─ your parents, Wonyoung, Karina, Yunjin, the other girls, and just the few ones whose loyalty lies with you and still sticks by your side till the end.

The air is teeming with jubilation, with your peers around you rejoicing with their loved ones as the graduation ceremony is officially over. You can’t help the chuckle leaving your lips as your friends’ enthusiasm is infectious. You're now huddling with them in a group hug. You even join in with your friends and peers to throw your graduation hat in the air at the same time.

“Girls! Look at the camera here!” Your father waves to the bunch of you for attention, with your mother standing next to him, both adorning proud smiles on their faces. Erupting into fits of giggles as you all huddle, you begin to pose for the camera before your father snaps a picture of you and your friends.

“I’m so going to miss you.” Winter engulfs you in a tight hug before you eventually engage in a hugging session with the rest of your friends, all teary-eyed as you exchange words of farewell and well wishes.

Yet, in the midst of it all, your eyes sweep across the seniors in your line of sight, searching for specific individuals. You saw them earlier, and God did they look sinfully handsome even in their graduation gowns while their hair was styled impeccably, which accentuated their features.

Of course, you immediately looked away from them and used your father’s figure to shield yourself from them despite his genuine confusion at your behaviour, and thankfully, they seemed to be too occupied with the other knights to even notice you.

Your heart begins to ache, recalling their faces in your mind as you know that this will be the last time you’ll ever see them, before getting pulled away from your pensive thoughts as your father calls for you, wanting you to pose for the camera with the small bouquet of flowers and your degree in your grasp.

Minutes have stretched into hours, and instead of heading back home with your parents, you find yourself in the passenger seat while Karina drives you to the unknown destination with Wonyoung and Yunjin settled in the backseat, uncertain of where they decide to bring you, but nevertheless, the duration of the ride doesn’t last for an hour.

“Why are they not coming with us?” You inquire to Wonyoung with a frown before casting a look over your shoulder at Karina and Yunjin as they remain in the car before the two of you proceed to enter the café establishment.

“Because they’ve already heard the truth, just as I have.” Wonyoung shoots you a small smile upon seeing the confusion in your eyes. “There are two people who wanted to meet you.”

Just as Wonyoung says, you have reached the table with two vaguely familiar faces. The two of them greet you with smiles of recognition, and like a switch in your brain, you finally recognise them. Julie and Belle, who were close friends of Jinae back then.

“It’s been a long time, Y/N. You look beautiful since the last time we saw you.” Belle offers you a dashing smile as soon as you and Wonyoung take your seats across from them.

Your cheeks flush pink. “You remember me?”

“Of course. Besides, your face is hard to forget.” Julie tells you, mirroring Belle’s smile, but a peculiar emotion flickers in her gaze before her smile falters. “The real reason we wanted to meet you is to give you some form of clarity, because we’ve heard of what happened to you.”

Your eyes go crestfallen while a sad chuckle leaves your lips. “You probably saw those videos, and for that, I’m sorry, just as I’m sorry for the loss of your friend. Jinae.”

“Don’t apologise. You’re a victim just as Jinae once was.” Julie says firmly. “But to tell you the truth, Jinae wasn’t exactly innocent either.”

“What do you mean?” You frown at this, and soon anger simmers within you as you feel compelled to defend the Jinae. “She very much was, especially after getting those sex tapes of her uploaded on social media. So I know how she felt, and what’s worse is the fact that they killed her after humiliating her.”

“That’s the thing, Y/N, they didn’t kill her.” Belle says quietly, her eyes turning crestfallen. “Yes, the leaders did upload those sex tapes back then, but they didn’t kill her. She committed suicide.”

“Wait, what?” Your eyes widen in sheer disbelief before they dart at Wonyoung, who, in return, nods her head sullenly. You redirect your attention to Julie and Belle, confusion swirling in your eyes. “I don’t understand. I thought they killed her. Someone also told me that there was evidence that they were the ones responsible for her death.”

“We have no reason to lie, Y/N. I don’t know who told you about the evidence, but the same evidence was part of Jinae’s twisted plan.” Julie heaves a sigh as she runs her fingers through her hair. “Listen, Jinae was really a good friend to us, but she got progressively worse after the whole obsession with the leaders. She would go batshit crazy whenever any girl approached the leaders, because that's how obsessive she was. We tried stopping her from assaulting those poor girls, but she adamantly refused. She wanted the leaders all to herself.”

“Maybe I’m being a heartless bitch, but I’m glad Jinae isn’t here to witness you being intimately close to the leaders, who know what would’ve happened to you, knowing Jinae’s nature.” Belle shudders at the thought. Her kind eyes meet yours, seeing apparent bafflement in your contortion, to which she offers you a small smile. “I know it’s hard to believe, especially when what you’ve gone through is similar to Jinae in some way, having your vulnerability uploaded on social platforms for the world to see, and because of that, Jinae committed suicide.”

“Jinae told us all of her plans, including her planned death, which was in retaliation against the leaders. Hence, she managed to make everyone believe that the leaders killed her.” Julie adds, and a small, wistful smile appears on her lips. “We tried stopping her, but she didn’t want to live any longer due to the humiliation, not before seeking revenge against the leaders for what they did.”

“We even reached out to the leaders themselves on the day Jinae committed, despite the fact that we felt resentment towards them. We wanted to warn them about Jinae’s plans, and if there were even some humanity left in them, we hoped that they would work with us in stopping Jinae, but it was too late by then.” Belle continues to divulge, reminiscing about the past, which only daunts her further, as evident in the shadow cast over her delicate features. “Hence, me, Julie, and our other two best friends were the concrete evidence that can attest to the leaders’ innocence.”

“Did you two ever inform the law enforcement officers about the truth?” Wonyoung decides to ask as she sees how stunned you are, her hand reaching out to rub your back soothingly.

“Oh, yes, we did, but we didn’t have concrete evidence on our hands because Jinae only verbally told us about her plan, so it was futile.” Julie rubs her face, visible lines of exhaustion are evident. “Besides, they found the leaders’ handprints all over the knives, of which Jinae was the one to use them on herself.”

“Despite how diabolical she was, she crafted her plans well. I guess her revenge worked, seeing that everyone believed that the leaders were her murderers.” Belle pauses herself, her eyes carefully studying the expression on your face. “It’s a lot to take in, I know. But I hope that you won’t pursue the path Jinae did. You should firmly trust that there are better days ahead, and all of this will pass soon.”

“Thank you.” You can only utter your gratitude while soaking their words into your brain, unable to articulate your feelings that are influenced by the tumultuous emotions within you.

Julie and Belle decide to dispel the gloomy atmosphere with another topic, to which Wonyoung goes with the flow, whereas your mind drifts off elsewhere as you try your utmost to keep up with the conversation.

Sure, a part of you feels relieved to hear that the leaders didn’t kill her, but that doesn’t mean they were entirely innocent and change the fact that your vulnerability has been exposed to the world, which was the same tactic that they pulled with Jinae.

And so, with a heavy heart and a resolute mind, you expunge any lingering hesitation as you await the day for your departure to arrive.

A familiar normalcy returns to your humble abode, or perhaps just a semblance of it since you still feel awkward around your mother despite the fact that you have forgiven her for the sake of your sanity. Other than that, your father has been spending more time with you as he was granted annual leaves for the past few days, but even you know that the reason behind this is because you’ll be leaving tomorrow.

Just last night, you had a talk with your parents and cried in their arms, apologising profusely to them for the firm decision you made, but as saddened as they were, your parents understood and wanted you to be happy, even if you decided to seek happiness elsewhere beyond their reach.

“Y/N, honey!” You can hear your mother calling for you from the living room, her voice manages to reach your room, where you left the door wide open.

“I’m still packing, Mom!” You tell her exasperatedly, expecting that she is going to nag at you again for packing your clothes and other necessities into your luggage the day before.

Placing your hands at your hips, you look around at the mess you have made, your lips pursing. Clothes, shoes, and other necessities are strewn across the floor while your luggage is positioned in the middle of the room, having been opened with only two medium zip-lock bags, which you stuffed your clothes inside so your luggage will have more space for you to put other things.

Honestly, you don’t have to pack a lot of things, especially clothes, since, according to Yunjin, you’ll be going shopping with her for famous designer clothes by using her card. You were appalled by this, because no matter how immensely wealthy she is, you hate for her to spend her money on you. Of course, Yunjin simply dismissed your refusal and adamantly wanted to shower you with her wealth.

“Hey, kiddo.” You shift your attention to your father, who is standing by the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and leaning against the frame. His eyes are dancing with amusement, yet there is a glinting curiosity. “Your mother called for you.”

“Tell her I’ll be quick.” You wave your father off, bending down to pick up your sweaters with the intention of stuffing them into a zip-lock bag.

“I doubt that you’ll be able to pack that quickly, baby girl.” Your father muses, his eyes following you, as you prance around with your hands full. “Besides, you have visitors.”

You halt your steps, slowly turning around to look at him with genuine confusion. “Who? Are they people I recognise?”

“I don’t know, but those boys look around your age.” Your father informs you, causing you to go frigid at the possibility of them being the ones that you don’t wish to see. “The blond one got along well with your mother, though. But honey, is there something you’re not telling me?”

“I don’t have a boyfriend, Dad, nor am I interested.” You huff, ambling towards him. “But I think I know who they are.”

With your father trailing behind you as you descend the stairs, you are greeted by the sight of three familiar faces in the living room with your mother, conversing amiably politely with her, and they even managed to make her laugh. But pure confusion is on your face.

“Y/N!” Sunoo beams with a smile as soon as you enter the living room, prompting Riki and Jungwon to shift their attention to you.

“Y/N, you didn’t tell me about these friends of yours before.” Your mother says, smiling lightly and completely oblivious to the way you tense up. “They’re here for you.”

“Your lovely mother is correct.” Sunoo tells you, a knowing glint in his eyes as he examines you while the smile on his lips persists. “How have you been doing?”

“Just peachy.” You clip with a tight smile while your icy glare burns into them. “Let’s talk outside. Mom, Dad, I’ll be back.”

You don’t wait for any of their responses as you walk briskly past them, reaching the main door and pushing it open. You hear their footsteps approaching from behind you as you guide them to the front porch.

“You know, your house is actually pretty cool. It feels homeier than mine.” Sunoo, as always the chatty one out of the trio, invites himself to take a seat on the creamed wooden swinging bench, whereas Riki takes a seat on the porch step and Jungwon is next to you. “You look a lot like your mother, but your father is quite intimidating.”

“Just cut to the chase. What do you want?” You lean your lower back against the balustrades in a self-defensive stance with your arms folded below your chest, while the scowl on your face shows a distinct hostility towards them being closely associated with the leaders. “Are you here to torment me with your goading just like the others? At least you have the audacity to do it in my face.”

“Woah, relax. Don’t get your pants twisted.” Sunoo puts his hands up in a mocking surrender, earning a head shake from Riki at his usual antics. “I thought we were friends, darling. So why the hostility towards us?”

“What Sunoo meant to say instead is that there is something important you should know.” Jungwon intervenes as he casts a brief glare at his best friend before looking at you, his eyes hold such solemnity that it compels you to listen. “They didn’t upload those pictures and videos.”

A scoff leaves your lips before you can stop it. “Do you really expect me to believe that? When they themselves uploaded those contents to their own social accounts?”

“Yes, because it wasn’t their fault. Their accounts were hacked.” Jungwon bites back, his feline-like eyes glaring intimidatingly into your icy ones. “They’ve been framed and backstabbed by their trusted knights. They would never have hurt you in any way.”

“He’s right, Y/N.” Any traces of whimsicality are erased from Sunoo’s countenance; his tone sounds as sombre as Jungwon’s. “Hell, I don’t know anything about love, or maybe they’re just obsessed with you, but I know for a fact that you mean a lot to them.”

You unfold your arms and allow them to fall to the sides, your fist clenching as you try your utmost to control the tumultuous emotions that have roused from the bay while tears prickle in your glaring eyes. “I don’t believe you. Even if they weren’t the ones who uploaded them, it doesn’t change the fact that they lied to me when I already told them that I wanted those to be deleted in the first place. So whatever you have to say to me, I’m not listening anymore.”

You pivot on your heels and brush coldly past Jungwon with the intention to head inside your house, but Riki’s tall, imposing figure startles you as he blocks your way, his callous eyes penetrating into yours while he takes intimidating steps towards you, causing you to back away from him.

Before you can make your next move, Riki halts his steps to retrieve his phone from his pocket and swipes on the screen busily with a monotonous countenance before looking back at you. “Listen.” He commands lowly, giving you his phone, which you hesitantly grab from him.

You swallow harshly, feeling defeated as you make your way to the bench, while Sunoo pats on the empty seat next to him delightfully, causing you to roll your eyes at him. As soon as you are seated, you look at Riki’s phone with a curious frown before pressing on the play button and listening to whatever has been recorded.

Let’s just say it takes you longer than intended to listen to the entire recording, especially when you need some interval for their words to absorb into your pounding head before continuing to listen with the strings in your heart tugging in such a way.

But the revelation that shocks you the most as it sends you a jarring sensation is the true mastermind for the mayhem since the night you were captured by the ones you never would have expected.

Another slash on your wounded heart while tears prickle in your eyes, hearing his voice that is filled with such profound hatred. Pushing his betrayal aside, you begin to put the right pieces together as soon as the recording ends, prompting you to return the phone to Riki.

“I can’t believe that Beomgyu would do this.” You speak up after a couple beats of silence, blinking away the tears in your eyes and releasing a shaky breath.

“We couldn’t believe it either after we discovered that he also turned out to be your anonymous texter, but he used another of Taehyun’s devices, which was why we initially thought that Taehyun was the one instead of Beomgyu.” Sunoo says, and a scornful scowl etches on his face.

As you recall the past interaction you had with anonymous, who is Beomgyu, it finally makes sense why he seemingly appeared as the good guy with the pure intention of wanting to lead you astray from the leaders when, in actuality, it was all part of his plan to influence and poison you with ill-thoughts so you would develop such mistrust towards them while he was waiting for the perfect time to strike.

What’s even more revolting is the fact that he and his rebellion had hidden cameras implemented perfectly in their rooms and other parts of the palace, which was why he had the upper hand because he was always watching your every move.

But then, as another thought comes to your mind, your eyes turn crestfallen. “Why didn’t they come and reveal the truth to me instead?” You ask while the tremor in your voice is a palpable pain.

“Because they knew that you needed space, even if the distance was killing them.” Jungwon answers sombrely, standing from across you as he leans back against the balustrade. “Besides, if they had come to you instead, would you have even listened to what they had to say?”

You look away from Jungwon’s knowing gaze, only to meet Riki’s sharp ones. “After what happened to you, your feelings are valid, and I agree that they shouldn’t have lied to you.” Riki, once again, takes you by surprise as he finally speaks more than one word to you. His eyes soften just slightly upon seeing the heartache shine in yours. “But please don’t hate them any longer.”

You look down at your curled fists on your lap, silence engulfing you while your mind is once again in a tumult with a cacophony of thoughts, and your beating heart has a palpable yearning despite the wounds it bears. But you have long since made up your mind.

Mustering courage, you return your gaze to their attentive ones. “Tonight’s my last night in Seoul.” As soon as those words leave your mouth, the three of them look equally bewildered, their eyes widening at the slightest fraction.

“What do you mean?” Sunoo scoffs out in disbelief. “Listen, I know that they’ve hurt you, but you don’t have to─”

“It’s not just about them, Sunoo.” You cut him off sternly, distracting yourself from the palpable heartache in your chest as you try your utmost to be strong-willed. “Being back with my parents is great, and I love them, but I can’t stay here any longer. I need a new change of scenery and to find new happiness somewhere else that doesn’t require me to depend on anyone. I want this. This is for me.”

“Y/N…” Jungwon sighs, but you intervene, your now-teary eyes conveying a silent plea that has his eyes softened.

“I’m begging you. Please don’t tell them.” You look at each of them while they exchange wary glances. “I know I don’t mean anything to you, but please don’t ruin this for me by telling them.”

“Just tell us one thing.” Sunoo’s stern eyes capture yours in unwavering contact. “Are you moving far from here? Or will you be anywhere in Sokor?”

“Yes and no.” You answer steadily. “I won’t tell you where exactly I’m going, but it is where I’ve always dreamed of travelling to.”

“Alright. We won’t tell them. You have my word.” Riki reassures you, giving you a small smile before his eyes trail to his best friends, hardening with resolve. “We won’t tell them, right?”

“Yes, yes. Don’t need to look at us like that.” Sunoo rolls his eyes at him, whereas Jungwon gives a reluctant nod. “By the way, before we go, we have a surprise gift for you.”

“And since you’re leaving, call it our farewell gift.” Jungwon casts you a grin, causing you to feel wary as you see a gleam of devilry in his eyes.

Soon enough, the three of them guide you to Jungwon’s car as you trail behind them like a clueless duck, wondering what sort of gift, or maybe a prank, since they are also known for being pranksters.

“Wait here.” Riki murmurs to you just as you stop behind the car.

You watch with curious eyes as the three of them head over to the right side of the car before Sunoo opens the door wide, only for Jungwon and Riki to work in tandem as they reach out for something, or rather, someone.

Your stomach begins to churn unpleasantly while your heart rate is going rapid at the sight of a familiar face as he is being held captive by Jungwon and Riki at each side. Your eyes widen at how his once-charming face is ruined by the ugly bruises and even scars. His eyes, which once held such warmth and kindness, are now filled with malevolence as he struggles in their hold, despite how evidently weak he is.

“I’ll fucking punch you if you don’t stop struggling.” Jungwon coldly snarls at him, his demeanour is so callous that it sends you shivers.

“On your knees.” Riki uses his foot to push the back of his knee, resulting in the latter falling to his knees from the impact, while Jungwon moves over to your side in case he decides to attack you unexpectedly. “Now apologise to her.” Riki says in a low rumble.

“You guys really are just a bunch of loyal dogs to your leaders, aren’t you?” He retaliates with a nasty snarl, his glaring eyes burning into theirs, and yet he doesn’t seem to be able to meet yours. “You follow your leaders blindly, even if they tell you to kill yourself.”

“And here I thought I yap too much.” Sunoo groans loudly, closing in the gap as he stands next to him, now being surrounded by the four of you. Sunoo’s fox-like eyes are glaring icily into his, with no traces of mirth on his face. “Look at her and fucking apologise. You owe her that much.”

“That’s okay if he doesn’t want to apologise. I don’t expect much from someone like him anyway.” Your voice draws his attention, and as his eyes finally meet yours, a muscle pulses in your jaw as you see no remorse in his eyes. “But I just want to know one thing. Do you feel satisfied now that you’ve ruined my reputation and my dignity, Choi Beomgyu?”

You feel your skin crawling with dread as you notice the way his eyes darken with a palpable desire, completely enamoured by you, while a sickening smile of delight smears across his bruised lips.

“You’re still beautiful as ever, Y/N.” Beomgyu says softly, his deceptive tone only intensifies the unpleasantness churning in your tummy. But then something so dark and sinister cast a shadow across his face. “But you would’ve looked even more beautiful bathed in your own blood.”

“Why this bastard─” You prevent Jungwon from delivering any punches to Beomgyu as you raise your hand, while your eyes hold no sympathy for the latter.

“You know, I would’ve felt sympathetic for your loss if it weren’t for the fact that you’re just as detrimental as your sister.” You say coldly, and you can see it in his blazing eyes that your remark provokes him. ”Even if you had apologised to me, I wouldn’t forgive you. You aren’t worthy of my forgiveness.”

Beomgyu scoffs, his lips curving into a devilish smirk, and it is as though he is wearing an entirely different mask as he leers at you. “I don’t need forgiveness, especially from someone like you.” His tone drips with venom, conveying his contempt for you. “You’re nothing but a worthless Catholic slut who spreads her legs for anyone who gives you the slightest bit of affection. It’s really pathetic how desperate you are─”

The three of them never see this coming, because one moment you are staring down at Beomgyu with an air of eerie calmness, and the next, you land a hard punch to his face, sending his head flung to the side from the impact while the rest go flinching.

You remain composed despite your knuckles aching. “You might want to say that to your dead sister too. But the only difference between me and her is that I didn’t get batshit crazy if they didn’t give me attention.” A smirk touches your lips while your eyes glint with an unfamiliar cruelty. “So, who really is the desperate one now?”

“You fucking bitch!” Like a rabid dog, Beomgyu lets out a loud snarl, nearly lunging for you if it weren’t for Sunoo and Riki holding him down from each side. “Just wait, Y/N Kang! I’ll finish where I left off, and I will succeed in killing you!”

“Not on our watch, you won’t.” Jungwon smirks before landing a punch to Beomgyu’s face, and this time, knocking him out cold as he falls to the ground with a thud.

“Don’t worry. He won’t be able to touch you, let alone find you.” Riki reassures you after seeing a flicker of concern in your eyes. The small smile on his lips alleviates your perturbation as he pats your shoulder. “Wherever you go, we wish you the best in your future endeavours.”

“Thank you, Riki.” You take him by surprise when you give him a friendly side hug, to which he briefly reciprocates before you shift your attention to a pouty Sunoo and Jungwon.

“So, this really is a goodbye, huh?” Sunoo says, his tone sounding foreignly sincere, as does his softened gaze. “It was nice knowing you, Y/N.”

“It won’t hurt for you to come back to Seoul for next year’s Devil’s Night hosted by us since we’re going to be the official leaders soon.” Jungwon smirks, his dimple becoming prominent on his cheek.

“No thanks. This year’s Devil Night was already traumatising enough.” You politely decline, earning you whines from them, even Riki. “Guys, I’m sure by then you’re going to forget about me, just as they’re going to.” You say shakily, swallowing a painful lump in your throat at the thought.

“Are you kidding? No way. You’re unforgettable, darling.” Sunoo sends you a flirtatious wink with a boyish grin on his lips, causing you to roll your eyes at him. “But seriously, Y/N, I don’t think they would ever forget about you.”

You don’t respond, uncertain of what to say. After giving each of them friendly hugs, including Riki, who bashfully claims that your hug feels comforting as he looks away from your eyes, you watch as they enter the car with an unconscious Beomgyu in the trunk before they speed off from your neighbourhood street.

The day you have been waiting for has finally dawned, and a new adventure awaits you in just a few hours. The entirety of Incheon International Airport is bustling with both citizens and foreigners as soon as you arrive alongside Yunjin, your parents, Wonyoung, Karina, and a few of your inner circle. Despite how early it is for them, they wish to send you and Yunjin off and bid their last farewells.

Families and friends in your vicinity are bidding heartfelt farewell to their loved ones, including yours. Although no tears are shed this time, an air of melancholy that accompanies the bittersweet feeling is palpable as it brings heartaches, or perhaps the wisdom behind this is not only because you are leaving your family and friends, but because you will be leaving the four men who have ever made you feel special and loved in this lifetime, even if it’s the intoxicating kind of love.

Once again, your heart and mind are in dissonance, causing you to feel a weight on your shoulders as your steps begin to slow down before you look over your shoulder to see your parents and friends waving at both you and Yunjin with big smiles on their faces, but you can’t seem to lift a smile of your own.

Naturally, your eyes begin to sweep across the bustling crowd for specific individuals, to which your rationality is berating you for hopelessly searching for the ones who turned your life upside down and led you astray from the path you had already created for yourself at the start of university, the ones who have changed you, and as a result, you have willingly allowed a transformative change in you for the worst.

But you can’t deny the fact that they added colour to your life, and in a way, the change in you is a blessing as well. Perhaps it was the consequences of allowing them to influence you with their intoxicating ways, but you feel as though there are two contrasting sides to you: light and darkness. The light is a beacon to guide you to the right path and inspire you to act virtuously, while the darkness is an abyss where ignorance, depravity, and other qualities that often tempt you to become the worst version of yourself lie. It is a perfect balance.

“Y/N?” Yunjin’s voice draws your attention as you force yourself to tear your gaze off the surroundings while disappointment seeps through you before you silently berate yourself for it, because after all, they had no idea that you would be leaving for good.

“Are you okay? Do you have second thoughts about this?” Yunjin asks gently, her kind eyes balming your frayed nerves, but it can’t be said the same for the tremendous ache in your heart that still bears the wound caused by them, yet it yearns for them.

Your eyes harden with resolution as you shake your head, clutching the telescopic handle before you pull your luggage to advance forward, now falling in the same steps as her. “No, I don’t. I was just looking at my parents and our friends for the last time.” You answer in a neutral tone, reassuring Yunjin with a small smile.

What are you doing? And more importantly, why are you even thinking of them to the point where it almost has you in a moment of reconsideration? You wanted this, and you were adamant about it. You didn’t want to be in this environment any longer, knowing that they could easily reach out to you again.

So for the sake of your sanity, you gladly embark on a new journey as you and Yunjin now enter the departure hall to get to the right terminal, anticipating what future awaits you in your new life at the place you have dreamed of living ever since.

As you finally settle in your allotted seat, which is next to the window, your eyes follow the movements of the raindrops cascading down in droplets on the window. You lean your back comfortably in your seat while the commotion from the other passengers alighting and settling in their seats fades out in the background as you mentally dissociate yourself from reality for some inner peace.

But soon enough, the semblance of tranquillity immediately shatters when their faces appear in your mind once more, and this time, your eyes spring up with uninhibited tears before they trickle down your cheeks as you grieve in complete silence.

Perhaps it’s a positive grievance that you are no longer tethered to them and have no reason to look back now. You are finally free ─ free from heartbreak, free from your past, free from them.

Tears continue their descent on you as you bury the bittersweet painful memories in the depths of your mind, or at best, erase them from your memory after you have the mental capacity to do so.

As the plane finally takes off, you bid a silent goodbye to them. A wistful smile touches your lips faintly as you shed the last of your tears in silence.

Goodbye. All of you were the most wonderful experiences I’ve ever had in this lifetime.

However, little do you know that fate has something twisted in store for you once more.

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