#mafia monsta x

[miabebe]

I Am What I Am (I)

A man of the shadows and a woman who belonged in the skies - fate could not have brought two more different people together. But was this fate or was this a choice?

Pairing - Im Changkyun x OC

Word Count - 6.3K

Warnings - Mentions of blood, guns, kidnapping, possible violence, a make out scene or two?

Chapter summary - Na bi, who gets briefly pulled into the world of shadows, drowns further in it with every step she takes. After all, he did say 'You'll come back to me.'

Masterlist

The smell of gasoline was undeniably lingering in the air. The mud under her shoes was thick and wet, consistent with the sound of the rain echoing in the silence. The rope on her wrists was starting to burn into her skin and the heat of the car disappeared behind her as she got dragged into the darkness. It sounded like she was accompanied by three sets of footsteps. Or was it four? She couldn’t really tell. A sudden jerking motion threw her against what felt like a chair, her back hitting the wood, eliciting an involuntary groan. 

She had seen and heard enough about Seoul to tell she was going to die today – she just didn’t know how or why. All she wanted was a bottle of juice. Though pouring rains had taken over the city, she was feeling unusually dehydrated. A simple detour to the grocery store after work, somehow ended with an opaque bag over her head and her body shoved into a van, the dim streetlights being the only witness. I should’ve just gone straight home. 

Throughout the ride, to her own surprise, she sat unusually still. It was a fight or flight situation; her survival instincts should have kicked in; she should’ve done something but she simply froze. She couldn’t move, couldn’t think, couldn’t do anything to save herself. She was never really scared of the unknown or the darkness but today? Today the black was somehow stifling. Having that bag over her head finally taken off didn’t help much either - darkness was soon going to be a constant in her life anyways. 

Her eyes struggled to adjust to the very dim, barely visible surroundings of what seemed like an old abandoned warehouse, streams of light and rain making their way from scattered holes in the roof. Textbook kidnapping location, what a dramatic way to go indeed. There were people all around her; definitely more than four, perhaps around twenty? but they all stood half hidden in the shadows, visible only waist down, light particularly shining off those combat boots they all seemingly had in common.  

Her cold sweat was replaced by the cold metal of a gun pressed against her cheek, turning her head towards its wielder. His frame blocked nearly her entire visual field – he was tall and broad, looming over her, his golden tresses falling into his cold eyes. Thank god his vest didn’t have sleeves because his biceps looked like they would have ripped right through the fabric. She knew he could knock her out cold with barely a swing of his arm, so she told herself to be very careful about when and how she opened her mouth before him. But that warning to herself barely sustained for a minute.  

Suddenly, a light was flashed on her face, making her wince and look away but grabbing her face, the blonde man forced her to meet his eyes again, frowning in confusion.  

“Who are you?”  

She blinked at him rapidly, not being able to fathom if she misheard him or he had indeed just asked her the dumbest question possible. The uncomfortable series of whispers that went around like something was not right. Did they…. Did they make a mistake? Was she not the one they meant to kidnap tonight?  

Her perpetrator turned towards the darkness at the far end of the room, talking to it, his voice ever so slightly shaking. “We were outside the hospital all afternoon; we had our eyes on her for hours. I don’t know how this happened…” He turned back, his eyes void of even the slightest tinge of guilt – they blazed with anger. “I asked who the hell are you.”  

How dare he. How dare he be mad at her like it was her fault she was sitting tied up in this chair. Like she was the one who fucked up.  

He wasn’t patient enough for an answer. She wasn’t planning on giving him one anyways.  

She watched as a woman walked up with her bag, emptying its content onto the floor carelessly, eyes skimming over her discarded things. Spotting a wallet she reached for it, scouring through and then tossed a card to the blonde man who held it under the light. “Baek Na Bi” He frowned. “Emergency medicine, Seoul National University Hospital…..”  

Na bi spat the blood-tinged spit pooling in her mouth on the wet mud around her. “So you’re not blind.” She looked at him, anger bubbling in her chest. “Just devoid of human intelligence then.”  

“Shut up.” He snarled, his gaze on her hardening as did his grip on the gun. Of all the ways one could die, Na bi was sure hers was going to be the most deservedly pointless one. 

“Or what?” Her eyes flickered to his gun and back. “You’ll stalk, kidnap and threaten me? Oh wait, you’ve already done all of the above.”   

“There is a fourth option on the list.” She felt his gun right in the middle of her chest, the nose of it digging into her sternum. “Don’t push me to do it.”  

Na bi tried not to swallow the phantom lump in her throat or let the defiance in her eyes die out. Thankfully for her, a sound from the shadows turned the blonde man’s attention away - The sound of a lighter click. 

“We made a mistake.” His otherwise harsh voice had a tinge of fear yet again. “It was dark and they look so alike I- “ 

“They look nothing alike.” An unfamiliar low voice echoed across the warehouse. Na bi tried to look through the darkness, searching for its owner but all she saw was a small dancing flame.  

“We can still find her.” The blonde man stashed his gun back in its holster, his hands searching his pockets for a minute before he pulled out a photo. “They work in the same hospital, maybe they know each other.”  

Turning to her, he held it up in front of her face, shining light on it. “Who is this?”  

Na bi didn’t know what good resistance was going to do for her but at this moment she did not feel like being of any use to him at all. She continued stubbornly staring at him, making him grab her face once more, forcing it to turn towards the photo in his other hand. Na Bi squinted at what seemed like a picture captured from a security cam of a woman maybe in her mid-twenties, face half hidden under her cap but still revealing the brown eyes that matched her brown hair…... Ana. 

“Don’t know.” She pulled herself away from his grip. “I don’t know who she-.”  

“She knows.”  

The voice from the shadows sent a chill down her spine. Na Bi thought she did an excellent job of concealing her shock on seeing Ana. She was only betrayed by the very slight widening of her eyes, a momentary slip he caught from all the way across the space. Denial was going to be futile. 

“Why are you looking for her?” 

The blonde man narrowed his eyes at her. “You’re in no position to ask questions.” 

“If not for your incapability, I would not be in this position.”  

Na bi could practically hear his jaw tighten, letting her know she was mere seconds from being hurt real bad but before he could do anything, the low voice boomed across the warehouse.  

“Wonho.” 

So that was blondie’s name. And a warning too. 

Wonho immediately took a step back and Na bi realised belatedly - the man in the shadows was the leader. She felt herself stiffen at the sound of him walking ahead. More accurately, at the sound of his shoes, which she noticed were not combat boots like the rest but a pair of dress shoes that appeared in the light when he neared.  

“I’m looking for some answers Ms. Baek. I just want a conversation.”  

“What could she possibly know that’s of interest to you?”  

“To begin with, on who’s orders has she been going around looking for me.”  

Na bi raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “She’s looking for you?”  

“It appears so. But no one simply looks for me Ms. Baek.” The click of the lighter resounded in the silence, this time the tiny flame briefly illuminated what looked like a grey shirt. “I’m the one who hunts.” 

Na bi scoffed incredulously. “Not so good at it, are you? Clearly you can’t even pick the right prey.”  

He hummed; a tinge of amusement laced in it. Wonho though, stared at her like he had just mentally put a dozen bullets through her. Na bi didn’t care; aggravating him felt alleviating for some reason. Besides, she didn’t think he would actually do anything without instruction from the man in the shadows and strangely, it didn’t feel like he wanted to hurt her.  

She knew how stupid that thought was. She knew what it meant to be kidnapped in this city – it was a one-way road; no one ever came back. Even though she was not the right target, she was a liability, a risk factor roaming on the streets. As much as she hoped and prayed, there was no way they were going to let her go tonight; her fate was sealed.  

“Let her go.” 

Na bi felt herself choke on nothing, launching into a coughing fit, thrown off by his words. If she didn’t see the sheer shock in Wonho’s face, she would have thought she misheard him but the blonde man took both a hesitating and obedient step towards her and with a small pocket knife, cut the ropes binding her hands. She rubbed her wrists ignoring the sharp pain in her shoulders. 

“You’re… you’re letting me go?” 

Though she had accurately predicted the lighter click to follow, she did not expect to hear a smile in his voice. “You’ll come back to me.” 

To this hell hole? “And why would I do that?” 

He didn’t answer.  

Giving her barely a minute to gather her discarded things, Wonho pulled her up to her feet impatiently. As she was led out, she heard footsteps receding into the darkness behind her and as much as she was surprised, sceptical and relieved all at once to be walking out of here alive, when the bag made its way back over her head, a part of her was disappointed to not being able to put a face to the voice that was ringing in her ears. 

You’ll come back to me. 

“I won’t.” She muttered as she was shoved back into the van.

Na Bi looked at herself in the mirror as she stepped out of the shower. She was a mess. 

As if her job as an ER resident did not contribute enough to her ever so permanent dark circles, last night’s events further threw her into a sleepless night. Pushing her bangs up, she ran her fingers over the bruise on her forehead. She did put up quite a struggle when she was being forced into the van but in vain. She was no match for those clearly trained hands that were tying her up - The scars on her wrists were still burning. Letting her fringes carefully cover the bruise on her head, she pulled her hair into a ponytail, eyes glancing at her phone for the hundredth time this morning. There was still no response from Ana.  

Last night, when Wonho had kicked her out of the van onto the street by her house, he had given her a warning loud and clear. “If you know what’s best for you, you’ll forget tonight ever happened.” Heart racing in her chest as she entered the home she never thought she would see again, Na bi neatly ignored his words and called Ana immediately. Sure, the two of them weren’t really close and barely knew each other but how was she supposed to just stay quiet when someone was in danger? She had to warn her at least, tell her that some very sketchy people were out there looking for her, but every call she made went straight to voicemail. Not knowing what else to do, she left her a bunch of messages, explaining the situation and it had been hours but there was still no response.  

Na bi looked up at the face in the mirror, her brown eyes reminding her of Ana. She was often told that the two of them looked similar but she could never see how. Yes, they had the same brown eyes and wavy brown hair but other than that, they were nothing alike. Ana looked angelic. She had such kind, warm eyes, a beautiful smile; she was the kind that stood out in a crowd, making heads turn as she walked by. Na Bi on the other hand was as ordinary as could be. Not so pale skin, tired eyes, tired posture, average height, average looks. Nothing about her was really noticeable…..except maybe her lips. She was told more than often that she had very irresistible lips but it was usually in very drunk and desperate settings so she never really took it seriously.  

Throwing on an old t shirt and a pair of ripped jeans, Na bi dressed herself to work, eyes and mind still on her phone. From what she understood, it seemed like those men knew they could find Ana at the hospital. If Ana was lucky and Na bi was not too late, then maybe she could find Ana at work and warn her before they got to her. The man in the shadows did say all he wanted was a conversation but honesty was not exactly the defining factor of men who hid in the dark behind their guns. There was no reason to believe that Ana was not in danger from him.  

Then again, he did let her go. 

Na bi might not have seen his face or know who he was but she knew of their intentions, she had seen their hide out, she had seen enough. She was exactly the kind of loose ends that people like them made sure to clean up. They should have done away with her and ended this instead her she was, safe and alive. Either they were not smart enough to realise just how risky it was for them to let her go or they were somehow capable of some form of humane reasoning and had spared her considering picking her was their mistake. Na bi didn’t think either were possible, which meant there was something else she was missing here.  

And those words of his kept ringing in her ears. 

“You’ll come back to me.” 

“I won’t.” She stubbornly muttered again to no one in particular and stepped out of her house into the darkness before dawn.  

Two hours later, Na bi found herself standing in front of apartment number 186. 

The moment she reached the hospital, she hastened to the oncology ward, looking for Ana. To her surprise, it had been days since Ana came to work and no one had heard from her in quite a while. Something was not right. Na bi immediately got a nurse to look up Ana’s hospital records for any alternative forms of contact but suspiciously, there were none - no emergency contact, no family members mentioned, no workplace hotline, but there was an address. Quickly scribbling it on a post-it note, she dropped a message to her attending about an upset stomach and left the hospital. After a 20-minute bus ride, a short walk and a ride up the elevator, Na bi was finally standing in front of the door number on her paper, praying Ana was in there.  

She wasn’t picking calls and hadn’t been seen for days – the idea of finding her in her home was hopeful but given this was Seoul, it was not realistic. And Na bi’s gut feeling was right. No matter how many times she rang the doorbell, there was no response; no one was home. She had a feeling the trip here would be pointless but maybe it wasn’t that futile after all because just as she turned to leave, a chilly wind brushed her arm and Na bi traced its source to a small crack between the door and the frame. It was open. 

Without much thought, she pushed the door and stepped in. Na bi didn’t know what exactly she was expecting to find in here, but everything seemed….. fine? At least at first sight, till she noticed the details. 

The dishes in the sink were giving off a repulsive smell, the trash clearly hadn’t been cleared in very long. There was a bowl of cereal and milk which seemed like it was sitting on the counter for days now. The fruits in the bowl had rotten and the bread loaf on the table was way past its expiry date. To simply put it, it seemed like no one had been here in quite some time. There were no signs of struggle or injury though, no smell of blood. But there were two fading, faint lines made perhaps by suitcase wheels, leading from the door to the cupboard in the room. 

Na Bi walked in and opened the wardrobe, immediately noticing it was almost empty. Her eyes skimmed over the remaining contents, mentally noting that there were no pants, not many t shirts and no inner wear at all. She did notice a white shirt that clearly belonged to someone much bigger than Ana - a man's, perhaps a partner? Na bi didn't know Ana had a partner but then again, she didn't even know Ana that well.  

One thing was evident though. Given how things were left in the house and that clothes and even cash was missing, Na bi could tell Ana was on the run, perhaps for days now. Maybe she already knew the man in the shadows would come looking for her. Maybe she made sure to disappear before she was caught.  

As much as Na bi was curious, there was no time to speculate – the front door creaked; someone else was here. 

Following her instinct, she quickly climbed into the cupboard, closing the doors as softly as she could, covering her mouth tight to not let even the soft sound of her breathing be heard. She watched through the tiny air vents of the cupboard as two men she had never seen before walked in, armed with guns, looking around. 

“See, there’s no one here.” 

“But I swear I saw her. A brown-haired woman walked into the building-" 

“Hundreds of people live in this apartment; it was clearly someone else. Where’s your head at, are you drinking on the job?” 

“Of course, I wasn’t…It really looked like Ana….” The shorter of the two looked around, first confused then disgusted. “Every time I come in here, I forget how terrible the smell is. Why can’t we get someone to clear the trash? Those bananas especially- ” 

“Boss said nothing here was to be touched remember? Just do your job. Watch the place as you were instructed.” 

“But it’s terribly boring…” 

And the voices faded away, perhaps as they left, allowing Na Bi to loosen her tense muscles just before they began to cramp. She gave it a good ten-minute grace period to make sure they were truly gone and climbed out of the closet. Thinking fast, she quickly stripped out of the shirt she was wearing, stuffed it into her own bag and pulled one of Ana’s pink sweaters over her head. She then grabbed a cap that was lying in there and put it on, tucking her hair into it. Without wasting much time, she left the house, leaving the door the way she found it and got into the elevator. Looking at her fuzzy reflection in the silver of the walls, she adjusted her clothes and put on a mask to hide her face just before it opened at the ground floor, revealing the two men from earlier standing right there. 

They looked at her but Na bi didn't panic - she made sure they wouldn’t recognise her, there was no reason to be worried but she held her breath nevertheless as she walked past the oblivious men, still arguing about their ‘job’. Head down, she made her way out of the gates and onto the street, processing all the information and most importantly, her biggest observation – those two men, they were not wearing combat boots.  

That meant someone else was looking for Ana as well. Someone who already knew who she was and where she lived and by the look of their guns, someone who was equally dangerous. Clearly this whole deal was a lot bigger than Na bi had ever imagined and like an idiot, she had just walked herself straight into the mess. 

And also, into the rock-hard chest of a very familiar man. 

She looked up, rubbing her hurting forehead to see the man standing with his arms behind his back, a disapproving look all over his face. Wonho. And over his shoulder, Na Bi saw a black van. Fuck, don’t tell me- 

And sure enough, she was grabbed by her wrist and shoved into the van before it sped off. 

10 days later. 

“Are you sure you want another drink? You’ve had quite a few tonight.” 

Na Bi raised her head and looked at the bartender through her hooded, heavy eyes. 

“Just pour what I’m paying you for.” She slurred. 

The man shook his head disapprovingly before placing a shot glass with pretty, pink coloured drink on the counter. “You don’t have to pay; the gentleman there already did.” 

Na Bi rolled her head back lazily and looked in the direction he was pointing at. Like any other drunk woman, she was used to being approached by all kinds of men in the bar but she usually didn't care much. Though it didn’t take much to bring her inhibitions down, she was always in control of herself and a woman who knew what she wanted. The older men she refused, the younger ones she laughed at, the sleazy ones she steered clear of. But very rarely, a captivating one like him would appear and Na bi did not think she minded this one.  

She got up with her drink, a bit too tipsy to fix her shorts that were far too up her thighs and made her way to this so-called gentleman sitting on the bar stool, further down from her. She found herself a place between his manspread, her eyes running from his long, bared neck to his only partially concealed chest. His eyes though, were fixed on her mouth. She knew he wanted it but what was the rush? 

“Why this drink?” 

“Try it.” He half shouted over the music, so she raised her glass to down it, the warm liquid pleasantly burning her throat. 

“I like it.” She licked her lips, knowing his eyes were fixed there. When they flickered up to meet hers, she felt hot under his gaze. 

“I like you.” Uh oh, too cheesy. 

Na Bi was decently good at reading people which meant she saw right through him. He was incredibly handsome, with the kind of built that probably had women fawning over him all the time, but looking at his soft doe eyes, how his hands didn’t even try to touch her yet and his terrible way with words, she could tell approaching women was not something he did often. Normally Na bi wouldn't have done the following, but today, something pushed her to.  

Setting her glass down on the counter, she slowly took his hands and wrapped them around her waist before letting her own go round his neck, fingers making their way into his hair. With just millimetres between them, hot breaths mingling, she expected to feel her pulse quicken, like his did, in the veins of his neck. What she wasn’t expecting was how fast his mouth found hers, latching almost hungrily, like it waited too long. He felt like a strange ecstasy, lips, tongue, teeth, all of it, her stomach knotting like she was plummeting from a height as he pressed her up against himself harder. 

Noticing his hands starting to get more daring on her body, much to his surprise she pulled herself from him and walked away, past the dancing crowd to the edge of the club. He watched as she stopped right by the washrooms and turned to him, beckoning him with her finger. His lips breaking into a small smirk, he followed, somehow getting more urgent with each step until he reached her, pushing her back, trapping her between the wall and his mouth.  

“You’re so fucking hot, I could take you right here.”  

Na bi chuckled at his unexpected desperation, a snide response dancing at the tip of her tongue but it was lost when his mouth moved down her neck and his hands found her ass. Biting back a moan, she revelled in the feeling of his mouth on her, not caring about the many judging eyes she met over his shoulder. Until she saw them.  

Two pairs of combat boots. In the middle of the dance floor. Watching her unblinking.  

Na bi immediately stiffened and it did not go unnoticed by the man before her who pulled back, looking tensed.  

“Is something wrong?”  

“No, I uh…” Her head slightly spinning, she shook it. “I think I need water. Could you get me some?” 

Making sure she was okay once again, he left for the bar, allowing Na bi to look around, observing her surroundings that were starting to turn hazy. They seemed to be the only pair of combat boots around and maybe the alcohol was seriously affecting her judgement but she had enough. Turning on her heel, she quickly walked past the washrooms to the back door of the club, swung it open and stepped out. As expected, the two men instantly followed her but when they stepped out after her, she wasn’t there.

As the door shut, Na bi who had hidden herself behind it, grabbed a discarded metal rod and took a swing at the man closer to her, knocking him out in an instant. His partner immediately turned, his gun pointing right at her but even drunk, she was faster than him, striking him with the same rod, his gun dropping to the ground. Within a second, the tables had turned.  

Na bi had possession of the gun, as the man across her stood with his hands in the air, the slightest tinge of fear in his eyes.  

“Keys.” Na bi held out her hand. “Car keys.”  

Reaching for his back pocket, he took out a bunch of keys and handed it to her slowly.  

“Where’s the car?” She raised an eyebrow, repeating when all her gave her was silence. “Where is it?” 

“Near the entrance.”  

“Do you have a phone?” He shook his head. Sighing Na bi tossed him her phone which he caught frowning in confusion. “9963. Unlock it.”  

He complied, holding up the phone to show her. 

“Good. Does this gun have a silencer?” This time he nodded. “Then I suggest you act fast. Ambulances take time on Friday nights and this guy has 20 minutes before he bleeds out.”  

And without a warning, she aimed the gun at the leg of his partner lying unconscious on the road and took a shot, blood instantly gushing out. Stashing the gun behind her, Na bi ran towards the entrance, without even so much as looking back at what she had done. Reaching the parking lot, she let the sound of the car unlocking to lead her to a black Mercedes and got in, immediately turning on the engine, driving away from the dark of the night to where it was darkest.  

It had been a little over a week since Na bi’s little visit to Ana’s house.

That day when she was shoved into the van again, everything made sense - this was why they had let her go. They had expected her to contact Ana to warn her and so evidently, they had their eyes on her the whole time, waiting for her to make a move. Lucky for them, within 24 hours, they went from not knowing a thing about Ana’s identity right to discovering where she lived.  

Na bi had underestimated them; she knew something bigger was at play yet she allowed her emotions to cloud her judgement and now she was truly done for. She had given them what they wanted; she was of no use anymore. She accepted that finally her time had come to an end but turned out, she was wrong again. Instead of the warehouse, Na bi found herself being tossed onto the street near her house once more and the black van sped off once before Wonho gave her yet another warning.  

“Third time’s a charm Baek. I might not be so merciful if I see you again. Stay away from where you don’t belong.”  

Anyone in her place would have thanked their stars for getting not one, but two chances to live but Na bi felt an unwarranted anger. The first time they let her go, they had an agenda. They used her to their advantage which meant this time too, they were up to something. Na bi hated the how they kept playing her but the truth was, no matter how many ways she tried to analyse the situation, she had no idea what they wanted from her now. The only one who could put her mind to ease by giving an explanation was the man in the shadows and with a bitter taste in her mouth, Na bi remembered that he predicted she would go back to him.  

“You’ll come back to me.” 

Recalling the sheer confidence in his voice, Na bi promised herself to do anything but that. He was clearly playing some mind game with her and she was not going to fall for it again. 

As far as Ana was concerned, after a lot of contemplation, Na bi decided to go to the cops. After all, that was what any logical, reasonable person in her place would and should do. There was more than one group of dangerous people looking for her and it was only a matter of time before they managed to find her; only the law could help Ana now. But the next afternoon, the moment Na bi stepped into the police station closest to the hospital, she realised that yet again, she was wrong.

Sitting right there on the bench was a widely built man dressed in a black shirt and olive-green pants, tapping away his foot on the concrete floor. His combat boot clad foot. Before he looked up and caught her eye, Na bi looked away as though she didn’t notice him there at all. When a cop approached asking why she was here, thinking fast, she took out the largest bill she could find in her wallet and handed it to him, claiming she found it on the street and left immediately.  

Of course the man in the shadows had his men in the police station. Criminals always made sure to stay close to law enforcement - prevention was after all better than cure. Na bi sighed in relief, glad that she was quick enough to notice the man. Had she given her statement, she would have turned from a mere risk factor to an actual threat and the man in the shadows definitely could not be benevolent or dumb enough to let her walk away with that. As much as she hated to admit, there was nothing Na bi could do to help Ana anymore – the time had come to forget any of this ever happened.  

Except they wouldn’t let her.  

The first time she noticed was that night when she went to close the curtains of her window – standing right across her building on the street was a man leaning against the lamp post smoking his cigarette, the combat boots evident on his feet. Though she felt like her heart was in mouth, Na bi simply drew the curtains and told herself to calm down. She was tired and lived four floors above the ground floor, maybe she was just not seeing right. But the next morning when she left her building, Na bi knew she didn’t make a mistake – he was still there and he was definitely wearing combat boots. Turning up her senses to high alert, Na bi made her way to work and realised much to her horror, the men in combat boots were everywhere – on the roads she walked, in the trains she took, the bakery where she grabbed her breakfast, the library where she worked on her papers and even in her workplace, one sitting aimlessly in the visitor lounge and another with an IV line hooked up for ‘dehydration’.  

Na bi was wrong once more. It wasn’t the police station they had their eye on, it was her they were watching. More than just watching actually. She could tell her mail had been opened and checked before she got to it. The newfound buzzing sound in the background of all her calls meant her phone was being tapped. She was being monitored round the clock.  

Na bi tried her best to behave like she didn’t notice anything. She still had no idea what these men wanted from her so she knew had to make her every move carefully – she was not going to be their little scapegoat yet again. Though as days passed, it got more and more hard to pretend. Not only was the feeling of constantly being watched invasive, intrusive and extremely uncomfortable, the fact that Na bi still couldn’t fathom why the hell they were doing it was driving her up the wall. But she held it in and let her despisal for ignorance take a backseat while they continued to treat her privacy like it was nothing.  

And now, after whole week and a half, she had finally reached her limit. It had been a few very draining days at both work and in her personal life and after weeks, she had come out with some colleagues to wind down, so to see those men watching her when she was having a preferably private moment was just – 

Na Bi slammed the brakes as she reached her destination. The man at the bar. She had forgotten all about him and left without an explanation. A slight guilt rose in her chest but it quickly died down. She didn't owe him anything - he was company for just a bit, a momentary escape, an illusion before she threw herself back into her regular life. After the days she had, she badly needed a break from everything but here she was instead, in front of the large doors of the warehouse where it all began. 

You’ll come back to me.  

She stumbled out of the car, her footing trying its best after all the drinks she had tonight and walked up to the metal doors, pushing them open. Standing right in the middle of a familiar scenery was Wonho, who’s eyes narrowed at her first in suspicion, then annoyance.  

“How the hell did you find this place?”  

“Wasn’t so hard.” Na bi pointed around vaguely. “Looks like a warehouse, reeks of gasoline, mud on my shoes from that night was coal black. Considering It took 30 minutes at average speed when you brought me back home and there were barely any stops on the way means no traffic signals, means highway, means outskirts. Combine all that and there was only one abandoned car engine factory that fit the profile.”  

When the weight of her words sunk in, Wonho chuckled. “You’re smart.”  

“I know.”  

“But not smart enough.” He walked up her. “You found a way in but do you have a way out?”  

Na bi reached for the gun stashed behind her back and pulled it out, pointing it right at Wonho’s chest, history repeating itself, just a little differently. Immediately she heard the click of at least 40 guns, men and women finally stepping out from the shadows around, their weapons aimed right at her.  

“Now now, let’s not be hasty.” She threw the gun down in the mud, holding her hands up. “I just want to talk.”  

“Conversations don’t interest me.”  

“I don’t need long. Actually, I can’t take long. You see, I just left a party about 20 minutes ago without informing anyone. Now the amazing people that my friends are, the longer I’m missing, the more likely they are to try to locate me by tracking my phone, which, I should let you know, is with two of your men who are in a very unexplainable, compromising situation right now. So, before it becomes a scene and the cops get involved and this whole thing spirals out of your control and mine, I suggest you let me get my answers and let me go.”  

Wonho laughed but when his subordinate walked up and whispered something in his ear, the smile was wiped off his face, landing on Na bi’s instead. Her claim had been verified. 

“What do you want to know?”  

Na bi shook her head, instantly regretting it when her head started spinning. “Not you. I want to talk to your boss.” Wonho stiffened, making her click her tongue. She knew she didn’t have long before all those drinks in her body betrayed her. “Tick tock.” 

Sighing he moved out of the way, his voice disgruntled. “Straight down, door on the left.”  

Taking a deep breath, Na bi followed his instructions and a big white door loomed into sight. Every part of what she was doing was stupid and reckless and insane but it was too late. She had come too far for answers, she just had to go a little further. Ignoring the way everything around her was spinning, she opened the door and stepped in.     

Na Bi didn’t know what she expecting to see in here. Her best guess was something straight out of the Godfather movie. Some sort of luxuriously decorated room with a middle-aged man sitting on a velvet couch drinking whiskey on the rocks. But the sight before her was nothing like that. It was a small, simple, dimly lit room with empty white walls, just a wooden table and chair in the middle and in front of it was a young man with his back to her. He was tall and lean, putting on a black vest over his white shirt, looking at her over his shoulder, the long fringes of his hair covering most of his face. 

“You came back Ms. Baek.”  

He turned, walking up to her, finally appearing in the light and Na bi felt her lips part wordlessly.  

He was beautiful. Beautiful in a way dangerous things were. Skin pale like it had never seen the light of day starkly contrasting his jet-black hair pushed back in a way that framed his face so appropriately. His eyes were empty but also saying a hundred unknown things at once. Her gaze wandered down his sharp nose and thin, blood red lips and Na Bi felt like she finally understood what people meant when they told her lips were captivating. There was nothing more she wanted to do than feel them just once, her hand unknown to her, reaching for it. 

He took a step back, moving away but she held him by collar and pulled him back towards her, their faces inches away from each other. If Na Bi thought she felt electricity with any other man in her life, what she felt with him was feral. The attraction was inexplicable and illogical and inappropriate.  

“Sorry, I don’t know why I just really wanted to….” She let him go, stumbling back, feeling her knees starting to give away. “Who… who are you?”  

A whole minute passed before he decided to answer. “I.M”

“Hmm, you are?”  

The edges of his lips curved into a small smile. “I am Changkyun.”   

Next Chapter

[yumiyue07]

Through Fire and Blood

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13

｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★ POV: K-idol x reader

H/N = His name Y/N = Your name

Trigger warning: swearing ｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★

The warehouse echoed with an unsettling emptiness as you were roughly shoved inside. This time, it was another man—not Jun Ho—who brought you here. The familiar interrogation room chair awaited, opposite the boss's empty chair. The two men were still hanging there, the puddle of blood beneath them having grown larger. Their bodies were a gruesome reminder of what happened to those who crossed the boss. Fortunately, you didn't have to endure the sight for long before being pushed into the chair.

To your surprise, Jun Ho— whose gang name you had learned was Python—had suddenly positioned himself next to you. You had overheard one of the men addressing him by that name earlier. You looked at him, surprised since you hadn’t seen him in the hall before. He didn’t even spare you a glance, his eyes fixed on the empty chair before you.

"Boss Cobra will be here soon," one of the guards announced, breaking the heavy silence.

"Cobra it is," you thought, a realization dawning on you. That name sounded familiar. You must have overheard it while waiting in H/N's office during his meetings.

Your heart raced as you contemplated what was to come. Would H/N be able to find you? Would he confront Cobra? The fear of what awaited you under that man’s rule twisted in your stomach. You turned slightly to Jun Ho, studying him, trying to gauge whether he was an ally or just another pawn in this deadly game. But his expression remained unreadable, a mask of stoicism that left you with more questions than answers.

A moment later, a figure strode into the room, radiating an aura of power and menace. Cobra. He entered the hall, clad in an immaculate white suit, walking with the confidence of a man who believed he owned everything—and everyone—in the room. He was flanked by two men who appeared to be his bodyguards, their expressions mirroring their leader's – emotionless and deadly.

His gaze locked onto you immediately, a twisted smile spreading across his face. It wasn’t the kind of smile that offered comfort or warmth. It was the practiced charm of a predator, pretending familiarity, that made your skin crawl.

"It's so good to see you, my wildcat," he purred, his voice smooth but carrying the underlying threat of a snake ready to strike. His words oozed with false affection as if he were greeting an old lover. The tone made you want to retch, the nickname he used now feeling like a brand, a reminder of your imprisonment.

"Did you miss me?" Cobra leaned in, the faint scent of expensive cologne doing little to mask the suffocating malice that clung to him. His voice was low and almost seductive, but it dripped with manipulation. You instinctively recoiled, but his lips brushed the top of your head—a grotesque imitation of intimacy. His finger traced the curve of your cheek, lingering too long. You shuddered under his touch, every nerve in your body screaming to pull away, but you forced yourself to stay still.

A flicker of movement from Jun Ho caught your eye. His normally stoic demeanor faltered for a brief second. His jaw clenched, and his eyes darkened with something far more personal than simple professionalism. His stance grew rigid, and the tension radiating off him was palpable. It wasn’t just Cobra’s theatrics getting to him—it was Cobra touching you.

Jealousy simmered beneath the surface of Jun Ho’s calm exterior. Seeing Cobra treat you like something he owned, like a plaything, was more than he could bear. His protective instinct had become harder to suppress ever since you were brought into this nightmare. Each time Cobra got close, Jun Ho felt an almost primal need to shield you from the man’s poisonous grasp.

He wanted to intervene, to pull you away from Cobra’s suffocating presence, but he was bound by his position, and it burned him alive inside.

"So, our little game is about to end, wouldn't you say?" Cobra settled into the chair opposite you, his voice dripping with arrogance.

You looked at him, puzzled. "What game?"

His grin widened, exuding an air of superiority that made you want to slap it off his face. "Well, your fiancé's death game, of course. We lured him here on our terms. He has until midnight to show up, or you..." His voice trailed off, but the unspoken threat hung heavy in the air. "Or you’ll die." He said it so nonchalantly as if human lives meant nothing to him.

"Why are you doing this?" you choked out.

Cobra’s grin stretched even wider as he watched the shock and fear flash across your face, feeding his ego.

"You see, sweetheart," he continued, his tone almost casual, "there are rules in this world, and your little fiancé decided he didn’t want to play by them. So now, he’s learning the hard way. How stupid of him to mess with me." His eyes sparkled with cruel delight. He crossed his legs and placed his hands in his lap, his arrogance radiating from him like heat.

You swallowed hard, trying to steady your voice, but the anger bubbling up inside you refused to be silenced. "You think you can control everything with your twisted games? He’ll come for me, and when he does—"

Cobra cut you off with a laugh, a cold, hollow sound that echoed in the room. "Oh, he’ll come. I’m counting on it. But what do you think will happen when he does?" He leaned forward, his gaze locking onto yours with a predatory glint. "This is my territory. He walks in, he walks into his grave. This, my dear, is the lesson he’ll learn: what it means to lose everything he loves." Cobra’s voice turned low, each word more venomous than the last. "And if he doesn’t show? Well, you won’t be around to see his regret."

You felt your hands trembling, a mix of fear and fury flooding your senses. But you wouldn’t give Cobra the satisfaction of seeing you break. "You’re underestimating him," you said, your voice steadying despite the fear clawing at you. "You won’t win."

Cobra chuckled softly, leaning back in his chair. "We’ll see, darling. We’ll see."

"Boss, five minutes to midnight," one of the bodyguards said, breaking the tense silence.

"Please, H/N, don’t come. This is a trap," you silently pleaded, your heart racing.

"You see, I'm not going to kill you," he said, his voice dripping with false sincerity. "That would be such a waste. Instead, I give you the honor of becoming my bride." He smiled as if he were offering you the world on a silver platter. "You’ll still be the wife of the most feared boss. The only difference is, I'll be the man at your side. The only true boss, as it should be, after eliminating that filthy trash,

H/N." His eyes sparkled with twisted delight as if he had just delivered the most romantic proposal. But to you, it was pure madness.

You stared at him in disbelief, unable to fathom the depths of his delusion. Had he just listened to himself? Did he really think he could erase your love for H/N with a title and power? As if your bond with H/N was just about status or influence. Your stomach churned with revulsion as you realized how little Cobra understood about love, loyalty, or even basic human emotion. His idea of a relationship was a twisted power play, devoid of anything real.

"I’d rather die than be with you," you spat, your voice trembling with fury and defiance. "H/N is the only one for me, and it has nothing to do with his power or wealth."

At your words, Jun Ho shifted beside you. His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His reaction was almost imperceptible, but you noticed it, the way your declaration of loyalty to H/N stoked something deep inside him. Cobra, on the other hand, had no such restraint. His smile evaporated, replaced by a snarl of pure rage.

"How dare you, you bitch!" he roared, his voice a thunderclap that echoed through the hall. "I'll teach you some manners. Like it or not, you're going to be mine."

He glanced at his watch, a cruel grin stretching across his face. "Just one more minute." His voice dropped, oozing with mockery. "What a pity. Looks like your knight on the white horse won’t be here in time to save you."

But before you could process the weight of his threat, a voice cut through the tense air like a blade. Deep, dark, and filled with unbridled fury.

"That’s where you’re wrong."

Your breath caught in your throat as your head snapped up. You’d recognize that voice anywhere.

There, standing in the doorway like an avenging force, was H/N, his silhouette sharp against the faint light filtering into the room. His presence filled the space, dominating it. His eyes locked on Cobra, but there was something more in his gaze when it flicked briefly to you—a silent promise. He had come for you.

"Here I am."

To be continued...

♡

Finally, there he is! Our hero/prince/avenger...

Stay tuned for part 15!

｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡

Happy Birthday dear Chris/Bang Chan!

Thank you for being such a wonderfully talented, kind, and inspiring person. Wishing you all the love, happiness, and success you deserve. Thank you for existing! Big hug! 💕✨

Love, YumiYue ���

(⌒▽⌒)♡

Follow me on: 📸 Instagram: @yumiyue07 🎵 TikTok: @yumiyue07 📝 Wattpad: @LunaVerse_YumiYue

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fan fiction inspired by Stray Kids’ song “Freeze”. All characters and events are fictional and are not intended to represent real people or events.

All rights reserved. Please do not repost or reproduce this story without permission.

© 2024 LunaVerse - YumiYue07. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited.

Tag list ♡ @catlove83 @burningemberz

[blizzardfluffykpop]

Secrets

Summary: Your sweet boyfriend, a man who can’t get up when a cat sits on his lap and knows you like the back of his hand. Is more than just the sweetheart he is?

Fluff, Angst?, Mafia au, Secrets, Established Relationship au

Word Count: 1,968

Secret mafia boss! Hyungwon X Reader

[Mentions briefly: Minhyuk]

[A/n: @jinkoh and I couldn’t stop thinking of mafia boss! Hyungwon. And I absolutely had to write our thoughts into a fuller story. So please enjoy our brainrot~ And Kebbi, I hope this fulfills your brainrot as it did mine~ Lastly: thank you for checking over this, Kebbi! I appreciate it sm 🥺💖]

------

Like every other Wednesday since you started dating Hyungwon, you’re heading to meet him at the cafe where you had your first date. And now you both meet up there before walking around a bit before heading to one of your homes and watching movies together. You get outside the cafe entrance to see him walking out with your two coffees in his hands. He smiles as he hands you yours, “I got you your favorite~” You grin and thank him before sipping on it. He wraps his arm around your shoulder, “So, how’s my baby been?” You smile, “I’ve been okay.” He pouts, “Just okay?” You sigh, “Do you remember that debut I told you about before?” “Of course I do. What about it?” “They’ve raised my rate by another twenty, and I was going to use that extra money to buy some records. And you’d think I’d already have paid it off by now, but the interest rates have been so high.” He lets out an “Oh,” and you look over at him, and he says, “I’ve dealt with horrible lenders before. It’s hard to hear you going through the same thing.” You shrug, “I suppose it’s okay, it’s just twenty bucks. Maybe by my next bill, I’ll have it paid off!” He smiles and clicks your coffee cups together, “Heck yeah!” 

You smile, “So, how has your business been going?” He hums, “We have more money coming in now, and that’s nice.” You agree, and he leads you to a park bench, “Why do we always seem to end up at this bench?” He gives you an eye smile, “You know why.” You laugh, “It’s where we met.” He removes his arm around your shoulder to hold your hand in his. You lay your head against his shoulder, and he leans his head on top of yours. You chat quietly, taking in the early afternoon air. His phone rings, and he parts from you, “Do you mind if I take this?” You shake your head no, and he gets up from the bench and discusses in hushed whispers. 

You wait for him to return, and he has a small pout playing on his face, “I have to go…” You pout back and go, “No, it’s our only day together until our date next week on Saturday…” He nods, and you get up from your seat. And he goes, “They really need me there. But I promise I’ll make it up to you.” You cross your arms over your chest, and in a faux stern voice, you say, “You better.” He laughs and kisses your forehead. You hold up your pinky and lock them, and he presses your thumbs together. “I promise.” You kiss his nose, “I know you will. I love you.” You let go of your hold. And he pulls you into a tight hug, “I’ll see you later.” You smile as you hug him tightly back, “You will.” And with that, you part ways, much too early for your liking, but you shrug when duty calls you must attend. 

---

When you sat in your debt collector’s office the following day, pulling out the cash to pay him, he told you, “Your loan is paid in full. You don’t owe me anything this month or after.” You couldn’t believe your ears, “What?” He shrugs and goes, “Actually, I owe you some back pay.” You blink at him, trying to process it, “Huh?” And he pulls out a small yellow envelope, “Yeah, you’ve paid over a grand more than you owe.” He must be out of his mind! He just raised the rate last week! You scowl, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” He shakes his head, “I wouldn’t.” You shake your head, “No. Tell me what the catch is.” “There is none.” You glare, “Let me talk to your boss.” His eyes get big, “No one ever talks to him.” You shrug, “Well, I’m not just anyone. I want to know why you’re forgiving my loan.” 

He sighs, giving up, “Okay, but I warn you, he didn’t give me an explanation either.” You look at him, baffled, “What do you mean?” He shrugs, “He walked past me, looked at my records, and recounted them. He threw out your file and told me that your loans were forgiven. Then he gave me a thousand to give back to you.” You huff, “That doesn't make any sense.” He sighs, “You and me both.” “Can I please speak with your boss?” “I guess.” He has you follow him through the several-story building. As you approach the top floor, he says, “I’ll warn you again. He won’t tell you.” You sigh, “Well, I at least have to try.”  

He opens the door to the seventh floor, walks over to the entrance of the penthouse office, and knocks. You hear a loud voice boom, “What do you want?” Your debt collector’s voice is weak as he says, “Someone is asking you to explain why you forgave their loans.” A gruff voice says, “Come in.” Your loan shark goes in and gestures for you to follow him. The person is holding a newspaper with their legs kicked up on the desk without a care. He puts his newspaper down, and that’s when you see him. He’s wearing a long leather jacket, with leather pants and steel-tipped boots. He must have yelled at the guy to “Get out” because your collector is scampering out past you. But all you can see is that your once soft and sweet boyfriend is now your debt collector’s cruel and rash boss. 

In a blur, he’s up from his chair and standing before you, tucking your hair behind your ear, “How did you get here, dear?” You want to be angry. You want to be livid. But you're at a loss for words. How is your sweetheart a loan shark boss? He never specified his business, but this is what he does? He waits for you to gather your thoughts, and you ask, “Why didn’t you tell me?” He gives you a tight-lipped smile, “This isn’t the type of secret you tell someone you wish to keep safe.” You sigh, you find that so sweet and kind. Just like the Hyungwon you’ve always known. But he’s different? He has a commanding air around him now. And if looks could kill, your debt collector would have been dead. Yet here he is, trying to protect you from his truth to keep you safe. 

He waits for you to say something, searching your eyes for questions so he can answer them. With another minute of staring into each other’s eyes. He asks, “Would you like me to explain it over coffee?” And you ask quietly, “Will you explain everything?” He nods, “Everything you wish to know.” He looks over at his coffee pot, “Would you like to do it here or at our place?” You look around the room. It feels suffocating, “Our place.” He puts his hand out to you, and you carefully take it, wondering how this is your man. As you reach the main door, the rain starts pitter-pattering as your heart has since entering his building. 

He grabs an umbrella from a stand, and outside the door, he opens it, shielding you both from the rain. “So um, are my loans really forgiven?” He nods, “Yeah.” You ask, “And the grand?” “Backpay, you were right. You've already paid off your loan. He was making a profit off of you.” “Is that why your business has been so great?” He laughs, “No,” and nudges you as he says, “Well… Maybe a little.” You shake your head at him, “Have your ‘lenders’ forgiven other loans?” He nods, “Yeah.” 

He opens the door to the cafe and shuts his umbrella. You hear a bubbly voice go, “You two are never here on a Friday. What a pleasant surprise!” Minhyuk smiles as he goes, “Usual?” You nod with a small smile, and Hyungwon says, “Bring them over to us. I’ll pay later.” He nods, and you head to a booth in the back. “Are you sure you want to know more?” You nod, “I want you to explain everything.” Minhyuk comes over with your coffee. Hyungwon says something softly to him, and he quickly exits, changing the open sign to closed. 

“Is he a part of this operation, too?” He nods, “A different faction. He just does this job for fun. He’s really a florist. But we’re on the same sort of team.” You sigh, “Damn, even our coffee guy.” He laughs, “You don’t seem to be taking it as hard now?” You shrug, “Well, honestly, I’m not sure how to take it. My soft sweetheart is a hardened criminal.” He rubs the back of his neck, “Yeah…” You put your hand over his hand that’s resting on the table. “I have no reason to fear, right?” He shakes his head, “I’ll never put you in harm’s way.” 

You nod, and after a pause, “So, are you really a mafia boss?” He laughs, “In my faction, yeah, but there is someone above me. He’s a good guy, though.” You hum and ask, “I was wondering… Is it common for you to profit from people’s loans?” He grimaces, “Yeah… But I usually catch the loans when their time is up.” You tilt your head, “Why didn't you catch mine?” He drinks a sip of his coffee before brushing a hand through his hair, “I’ve been more focused on being with you than checking on the little details.” 

You shake your head, smiling at him, “So, did you evaluate everyone’s?” He wrinkles his nose, “Not yet.” You sigh, “Won…” He pouts, “It’s partially on you.” You cross your arms over your chest, “But it’s because of me that you remembered a part of your job.” He sighs, “You have me there.” You ask, “Shouldn’t you be doing monthly checks?” He nods, “It’s actually bi-weekly checks because of how many we have, so it’s easier to spread them out across the month.” “And what day did you usually do these?” He averts his eyes, “Wednesdays.” You shake your head at him and tease, “Ditching your duties to be with little ole me, huh?” He laughs, “Exactly, I’d much rather be with you than in that stuffy room.” You nod, “Me too.” He smiles and flips his hand over to hold your hand in his. 

You sigh, “I didn’t expect to see you today…” He laughs, “Same here. I didn’t want you to find out like this.” You squeeze his hand after sipping your coffee, “It’s okay. It’s better than finding out when your guns are blazing.” He laughs, “Yeah, I guess so.” You fiddle with his fingers, and he asks, “Are you still okay with dating me?” You squeeze his hands, “Yeah. You’re different from what I expected, but I’m content with that.” He brings his lips to the top of your hand, “I’m glad I love you.” You smile, flip your hands, and kiss his hand, “I love you too.” 

You sip on your coffee for a while. Just taking it all in before a question pops into your head, “So when will I get to meet the rest of your crew?” He sighs, “I knew you were gonna ask that.” You wait, and he goes, “Whenever you wish, my dear.” You smile, “Okay~” He looks over at the clock in the building, “Technically, it’s quitting time now. Would you like to make up for yesterday?” You smile, “I thought you’d never ask.” 

You leave after paying and waving goodbye to Minhyuk, who yells to Hyungwon, “You better flip the sign over!” Hyungwon laughs and does as asked before heading to your place to finish your belated date.

[jeonstellate]

love is · · · — mini-series masterlist

[gif’s full credit belongs solely to its owner]

in a world where [first name] can only safely love one other person besides themselves, a simple favor changes everything.

✇༄ yoo kihyun x afab!reader (ft. platonic!monsta x, lee hoseok, & seventeen x afab!reader)

✇༄ mafia!au, fiancé!au, hidden pregnancy!au, secret baby!au, arranged marriage!au — predominantly angst

✇༄ paragraph format

✇༄ if you’re one of those people who hate anything that still considers hoseok as a monsta, you need to exit out of this right now. especially those who think that monsta x and hoseok can’t be friends anywhere (in real life and in fiction) just because, don’t waste your time here.

first. love is: a gamble

✇༄ main ┊ fiancé!yoo kihyun x afab!reader

✇༄ synopsis ┊ you’ve already gambled your life for selfish reasons twice, but your third gamble might be the most selfish of all.

supplement i. love is: a danger

✇༄ main ┊ platonic!chae hyungwon x afab!reader

✇༄ synopsis ┊ chae hyungwon played a key role in mx’s reaction to your last gamble, despite not knowing what exactly he signed up for.

supplement ii. love is: a secret

✇༄ main ┊ platonic!lee hoseok x afab!reader

✇༄ synopsis ┊ you took extreme measures to not be found — just to be defeated by coincidence in the end.

last. love is: a favor

✇༄ main ┊ ex-fiancé!yoo kihyun x afab!reader

✇༄ synopsis ┊ yoo kihyun loathed every fiber of your being; but perhaps, just like everything else, even his own feelings weren’t as they seem.

supplement iii. love is: a journey

✇༄ main ┊ fiancé!yoo kihyun x afab!reader

✇༄ synopsis ┊ you’ve recognized the universe’s lack of favor towards you, but you’ve yet to realize that it would still conspire for you. somehow.

supplement iv. love is: a compass

✇༄ main ┊ fiancé!yoo kihyun x afab!reader

✇༄ synopsis ┊ you’ve witnessed firsthand how one’s love can manifest into multiple — sometimes contrasting — things, yet you still didn’t expect kihyun’s love to be just like yours.

extra. love is · · · outtakes & trivias

[imagine-korea]

Jooheon - Fate

MonstaX Mafia!AU: Their wife running away again

Genre: fluffy angst or angsty fluff, you be the judge

Word count: 1633

You and Jooheon met when you were still teenagers in the same school. He was part of the bad boys of your year and you were the perfect and kind a student.

One day when the teacher asked for a tutor for Jooheon as some kind of second chance, you were the only one that volentered. Not to the surprise of your teacher or classmates, but definitely to his. He had always been enthralled by you but he didn't know you were just as intrigued by him.

Though your classmates hadn't been surprised by you offering to help him, they were shocked when you two started dating. It was the typical good girl bad boy romance.

It went as far as a long distance relationship when you went to college and he started to work. And after college getting an apartment together to finally getting engaged.

Sadly fate didn't take it further than that.

"When we're you planning on telling me Jooheon!?" you yelled, luggage in hand, standing in front of your now ex-fiancé.

"Tell you what?" you could see clearly that he was trying to keep his voice calm. To think clearly and not let your raised voice get to his head. This only made you more angry.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that our WEDDING is being paid with f*cking BLOOD MONEY! I can't believe you jooheon!"

His face wasn't as steady anymore, he was clearly frustrated, pained. Yet he still did his best to keep his voice steady and low. "Just baby, drop the bag, we can talk about this."

You didn't drop your bag. You only tightened your grip. Your eyes slowly drifted from fury to regret and sadness. "I don't think we can." was the last thing you said before making your way to your car.

He wanted to stop you. More than anything in the world, he wanted to come after you. But maybe the best thing he could do for you was let you leave. Maybe in another life, maybe one day, he could let himself be happy with you. But he couldn't make you accept what he did, who he was. He couldn't make you love him.

To stop himself from going after you he decided to drown his sorrows instead. Sitting on the living room floor in the apartment you once shared. But no amount of alcohol could wipe the memories off every inch of the place. Even a years after it still reminded him of you. He didn't understand why he couldn't just relieve himself from his misery. He hadn't moved on, he couldn't get himself to move out. Sometimes, like today, "see you later, baby" still quietly rolled off his lips before closing the door on the empty apartment.

"Finally, I've been waiting for 10 minutes" Chankyun muttered when Jooheon got to his car. "Sorry, hadn't noticed that much time had passed." he muttered back. Chankyun rolled his eyes and drove off.

"We can't be late for this. I know it's a party but Shinee will be there and Shownu wants us to get along with them. We can't afford a fued with another gang. Especially of that status." Chankyun usually wasn't the one to lecture in the group but the rest had given him the clear assignment of keeping an eye on Jooheon. They couldn't afford a slip right now and Jooheon had been slipping one too many times lately.

But when they walked in, Chankyun immediately saw 'getting along' wasn't going to be an easy task.

There you stood in the middle of the room talking to none other than Shinee's Minho. Jooheon was just as enamoured by you as the first time he saw you. It didn't matter what Chankyun said, he wasn't listening.

He had to have you back. Or in the least talk to you. His feet seemed to be moving toward you out of his control. That was until he witnessed Minho's lips placed on your forehead. He was boiling inside, but on the outside he was stoic. More stoic than his group members had seen him in a while. Shownu debated going to stop him after hearing from Chankyun what was going on. In the end he decided to see how this was going to play out. Maybe it could be good closure and they could get back to work.

When Minho left your side his place was quick occupied by Jooheon. For a split second you seemed surprised. If Jooheon wasn't taking in every curve of your face, he would have missed it.

"Jooheon." you nodded in his direction.

"You don't seem that surprised to see me." his smile, or smirk even, reminded you of your first meeting as well.

"I figured this would be your scene." you looked around at the men in suits, many with beautiful women on their arms, ignoring the loud music as if it was part of another party.

"Maybe you wanted to see me." he said cockily. You looked at him with raised eyebrow, yet your look soffened when you took in his features. Yes, his smirk said he was confident but his eyes told you another story. You knew those eyes, not from your first meeting, but your last. Those were the eyes of a broken man, a man with regrets, man you wanted to console. You restrained yourself, looking at your feet rather than his eyes.

He had noticed you averting your gaze and knew exactly why. You knew him through and through, even now, but he could read you just as well.

"Do you regret how things ended between us?" he blurted out,though he looked like he knew exactly what he asked. It took you a moment to answer, as if you still needed to build the courage to form the firm "No." that finally left your lips.

"Just grant me a dance then. Prove it, that you have no regrets, no feelings. We can take it fast or slow. Just dance with me tonight and we'll let fate decide." he stretched out his hand to you and you hesitated.

"One dance and you'll let me go after that?" When he promised with a simple nod you took his hand and he led you to where few people were actually dancing. Lucky for you, a slower song was playing. It was almost sensual. Jooheon had agonizing timing.

He wrapped your hands around his neck, almost like he was teaching you how to dance. In that you could actually use the lesson. You had forgotten everything but him in that moment. You fought the urge to pinch your eyes closed and physically shake the thought from your head. You swore to yourself you wouldn't fall for his charm again.

But when his hands met your hips, your body seemed to disagree. From the spot where he touched you, shivers ran up your sides and down your legs. You had the unholy thoughts of good times once spent from entering your mind. How could he still have that effect on you.

"You seem deep in thought, baby." before he knew it, the word had slipped and seeing by your reaction, it had been a mistake.

Your hands shot from his neck back to your sides, taking a step back. His face for the first time that night showed what he was truly feeling. Worry.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." he tried to explain himself, but you interrupted him. "Just, let me go." tears brimmed your eyes and you ran off. He couldn't let you go, not like this, not again.

"What do you think you're doing?" an angry Minho was now blocking him from going after you.

"Look, I'm not looking for any trouble. I just need to talk to Y/N. We know each other." he tried to explain himself without causing trouble with who he assumed was your current boyfriend.

"I know who you are." oh shit "you broke her heart, I'm not going to let you do it again."

No matter how much Shownu wanted MonstaX and Shinee to become allies, they stood behind Jooheon as soon as they noticed trouble. "neither will I" Jooheon answered Minho, pushing passed him. Minho meanwhile being stopped by Shownu.

"Let this play out. You knew what you were getting into when you brought her here."

Lucky for Jooheon, you hadn't gone far. You were instead walking in circles around the fountain nearby, staring at your reflection in the water until his joined it. You faced him, not knowing what you wanted to tell him, even when your heart was screaming it.

"I can't let you go." he whispered "if I let you go again, I might not survive it."

You didn't have to say it for him to know you felt the same way.

Why?

Because as soon as he said it your lips connected with his in a hungry kiss. A kiss that told him how deprived you had felt in those few years apart. And he responded with just as much feeling.

When you broke apart it took a moment of staring into eachother's eyes for the both of you to catch your breaths and get back to reality. Jooheon pinched his eyes closed, creating a pained expression.

"What about your boyfriend?" he asked, honestly wanting you to be happy and worried of the trouble the kiss could bring you. Especially in these circles.

"I never really started dating again after you." you cheepishly admitted.

"Then Minho..."

"is my brother." you finished, not all that surprised by his assumption. But the truth shocked him more.

"I thought you wanted nothing to do with... My kind of people." he didn't want to say it. Like he was ashamed of it.

"I was born into it, I tried to escape it but instead ran straight back into it with you. I've realized now it's not something I can escape." you gave him another deep kiss "and now I don't think I want to anymore."

♥ Thanks for reading!  ♥

Wife running away again mafia!AU: Part1, Hyungwon

masterlist

[iibonniee]

Sweetest Devil Chapter One

Pairing: MafiaBoss!Minhyuk x Fem!Reader

Genre: Mafia AU

Rating: M

Chapter Warnings: threatening, mentions of violence

Word Count: 4.9k

Masterlist | Tags: @scuzmunkie

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows through the partially closed bedroom curtains and creating a serene and contemplative atmosphere. A cool breeze whispered through the city’s narrow streets, carrying with it the faint scent of smoke and anticipation that managed to make its way between the barely shut window and into the spacious bedroom. In this darkness, the clandestine world of organized crime thrived, hidden beneath the surface of law and order.

Closely intertwined with the planned economy, there existed a vast underground economy comprising a spectrum of semi-legal and simply illegal activities involving state enterprises and households.

At the heart of this underworld stood Lee Minhyuk, a man shrouded in mystery and power. His iron grip stretched far and wide, his influence penetrating every facet of the city’s affairs. His reach knew no bounds, from the black market to the political arena. With caution in the enforcement of the criminal code slackening and the severity of punishment meted out softening, members of the nomenclature became, in association with organized crime, more and more involved in the underground economy, tapping a source of extra income and wealth. Misuse of privileges and power for personal enrichment, bribery, corruption, and economic criminality became commonplace among the ruling elite. 

Everything was always easy for Minhyuk. Everything was handed to him on a golden plate, feeding well into the world of privilege from a young age due to the stature and status of his father. His father, a prominent businessman, was the owner of a massive corporation, which served as a successful front for his actual operations within the mafia. The front of a well-known and highly respected company shadowed the illegal activities under its name.

Minhyuk grew up in a castle of denials. The days revolved around high-society engagements, elite schooling, and a future tied to a flourishing corporate legacy. Still, the flashes of raw power, the late-night secretive meetings, and the silenced whispers hinted at the reality hidden beneath their opulent lifestyle.

As Minhyuk matured and began to grasp the dual aspects of his father’s world, a sense of ambition and thirst for power started growing within him. However, it was not simply a handed-down legacy he desired but a footprint he yearned to create, his own legacy built on the foundation of power, fear, and respect.

And fear he created.

It was all too easy for Minhyuk. Everything was all planned and calculated the moment his father spoke to him while he was on his deathbed. Each plan was written in fine ink, ready to be put into play when given the proper chance. 

His manipulation of the power dynamics within the city was masterful, and instilling fear within his enemies became an integral part of his strategy. With the resources of the massive corporation at his disposal and a network of loyal individuals bred in the dog-eat-dog ethos of the mafia, he devised viably sinister ways of marking his territory. Word soon spread about the consequences of crossing paths with the young corporation leader, chilling tales that were sure to make even the most seasoned criminals think twice.

He mastered the art of psychological warfare by using calculated and detailed plans. He would watch and study his enemies, understanding their habits, weaknesses, and fears. He was the proverbial hunter, lurking in the shadows, observing his prey before making a move.

His preferred methodology was not necessarily immediate physical harm. Instead, he found joy in the slow dance of fear, letting his enemies sleep with the constant dread of an impending strike. He would leave his signature marks on their daily lives in places they wouldn’t expect, indicating that he was close, watching, and waiting. This induced paranoia turned their lives into a continuous nightmare, always fearful of when and where Minhyuk would strike next.

However, he was confident when the right time came to take action. It was a combination of cruelty and precision. Strikes would occur when they were least expected, ensuring the maximum psychological impact. He chose methods that would not just physically impair but that were designed to break the spirit.

His rule was a chess game, with every piece moving according to his plan and every opponent dancing to his tune. The dominion of fear was his kingdom, and he commanded it with awe-inspiring ease. He would only accept a deal if he knew everything about the company involved—its ins and outs, strengths and weaknesses. His knowledge of the workings of other companies was extensive. Beyond their financial statements and market position, he found a way to learn their most guarded secrets and their most critical vulnerabilities. 

He could easily take a company out if he cut off its lifelines, manipulated its networks, and turned its strengths into weaknesses. He could orchestrate the downfall of any entity he set in his sights. Whether it was a hostile takeover in the boardroom or a quietly executed maneuver in the market, he could crumble an empire with just a word or a pen stroke.

So he was ready when the call came from his rival, Taehyung. Taehyung might have been the head of a formidable empire. Still, Minhyuk saw only z chessboard, with his pieces primed for the checkmate. To Taehyung, it was a call for negotiation. Still, to Minhyuk, who had long since been studying Taehyung’s empire inside and out, it was an open invitation to initiate his detailed plan of destruction.

The phrase “making a deal with the devil” has a chilling resonance in the world that Minhyuk commanded. His peers were all too aware that entering a pact with him was a dangerous game. Minhyuk’s endgame was never in doubt: total dominance and the scent of fear lingering in the air. Whether it was in gleaming corporate boardrooms or murky underworld meetings, the name Minhyuk spelled a silent, impending doom.

He fostered relationships only to exploit them; he formed alliances only to break them when the odds turned in his favor. His uncanny talent to predict market trends, control financial ebbs, and anticipate his competitor’s moves underlined the fear he commanded. His rival firms understood the cost of crossing paths with him, for his punishments were legendary, as severe as they were swift, inducing a sense of living peril in those who dared to defy him.

No one dared to retaliate, for the rising tide of fear was overwhelming. This was Minhyuk’s world, his rules, and his game. When the word ‘deal’ was mentioned in association with Minhyuk, it signified not negotiation but surrender, not partnership but submission. Such was his reputation that even the audacious and resilient were wary, for they knew that those who danced with the devil eventually got burned. Every deal was a masterstroke in his favor, and each chess move brought him closer to absolute domination, upholding his reign of fear and power.

After all, everyone knew that their company was practically his once they made a deal with Minhyuk. 

The transfer of power was subtle yet absolute. Their independent operations would gradually be infused with Minhyuk’s influence until his dominion became inevitable. They were, in effect, handing over the keys of their empire to him, subdued by his power dynamics and shaken by his ruthless strategies.

Over the span of a year, Minhyuk’s influence began to grow at a pace few could match. As each month passed, so did the transfer of yet another company under his rule. Companies, once rivals, turned to allies, then gradually turned into chess pieces in his grand game of corporate warfare.

What started as fear turned into an uncontested rule of Minhyuk over most of the business empire in the city. And to those who thought they could weather the storm without repercussions, time soon revealed that none could evade the expanding shadow of Minhyuk’s influence. His strategic and relentless pursuit of dominance rendered him an irresistible force, and he rose quickly with an authority that was impossible to deny or defy. The trail left in his wake was one marked with the remnants of fallen empires and thriving ones that now bore his brand.

Accepting a deal with Minhyuk was a surrender to his rule and a testament to his strategy of control, a silent acknowledgment of the reality that had come to be: the reign of Minhyuk.

That was why when Minhyuk got the call from Taehyung, someone he had been studying for far too long, slowly watching in the darkness how his company slowly crumbled around him, he was far too thrilled to deny the chance at taking what should be his.

He remembered it as a meeting where Taehyung, once a fiery competitor, begged for help. His rival’s empire was teetering on the brink, collapsing under its own weight, and Taehyung was desperate to save it. He didn’t realize that by inviting Minhyuk in, he was unwittingly accelerating his own downfall.

At this meeting, he met Y/N, a sharp-witted, stern-faced individual who avoided hiding her disdain for him. From the first moment, Y/N’s eyes made it clear she was unimpressed and semi-aware of his reputation. But Minhyuk was enticed. For the first time in a long time, someone dared to challenge him and dared to look him in the eye without flinching. Y/N sparked a thrill within him that he hadn’t felt in a long time—an exciting prospect of a chase. 

His fascination with Y/N, however, didn’t distract him. For him, this meeting was a clear indicator of the scope of his victory. It reinforced his belief in an inevitable future where Taehyung’s company wasn’t just allied with him but firmly within his grasp, yet another chess piece in his grand scheme.

He had plans for her. He knew all too well the type of relationship Taehyung had with her. He was there to break that, too.

The moment the large oak doors shut behind him was when Minhyuk’s dark eyes met Taehyungs for the first time. Minhyuk didn’t try to hide the wicked grin slowly inching his face. Taehyung had signed off on the rights to what he and his family had built when he called Minhyuk.

Minhyuk waited a second longer, letting the silence permeate the room, emphasizing his superiority, before he finally leaned back, steeping his fingers in front of him.

“Here’s what I propose,” he began, his tone taking on a deadly serious edge. “Your company has potential, but it is sinking fast. I can provide the necessary resources to keep it afloat. In return, 70% of the profits go into my corporation. You can keep the remaining 20%.”

Taehyung whitened at the figures, but before he could voice his protests, Minhyuk cut him off, his voice icy calm. “I understand it might sound extreme, but let’s be honest. 20% of something is better than 100% of nothing. Besides, it’s your only viable option unless you want to witness the final collapse of your empire.”

The room fell silent again, the hidden threat hanging heavy in the air. Minhyuk continued, “One last thing, Taehyung. You attempt to cross me even once; you try to stab me in the back, and you will soon grasp the reality of regret. This is not an alliance of equals. You came to me. Remember that.”

Faced with the stark reality of his situation, Taehyung nodded his understanding. The look in his eyes had shifted from desperation to resignation; the reality of his impending loss was settling in. His empire was on the brink of becoming another pawn in Minhyuk’s game. The reign of Minhyuk had crept closer, consuming his world.

“Do we have a deal, Taehyung?”

“Well, under the circumstances, it appears I have little choice but to say yes-” he started, trying to inject some confidence into his voice with a snide remark on the tip of his tongue. Taehyung swallowed uncertainly, his bravado fading fast under Minhyuk’s unwavering gaze.

But Minhyuk quickly cut him off, his icy stare boring holes into Taehyung. “This is not the time for your wit, Taehyung. Do we have a deal or not?” His tone was chillingly calm, a stark contrast to the underlying threat his words carried. “Or else I will just walk away and watch you fall with your terrible company. After all, it will make more room for me to grow.”

Humbled, Taehyung took a deep breath and sullenly responded. “Yes, we have a deal.”

The reins of his once-thriving empire were being handed over to his rival, Minhyuk, and the price this alliance would cost was not lost on him. His snarkiness was a luxury he could no longer afford. As the reality of his situation sank in, Taehyung could feel the walls of his world crumbling under the reign of Minhyuk.

But Minhyuk was never stupid. Minhyuk knew the second he walked out of the doors, Taehyung would stab him in the back when given the right time. It didn’t take long for it to happen. Taehyung had thought he was smart with his actions, believing that Minhyuk was unaware of the underhand dealings he was scheming. Taehyung underestimated Minhyuk once again.

Minhyuk’s network was vast and wide, and whispers of Taehyung’s treachery reached him quickly. Hidden sources and embedded spies in strategic positions were all orchestrated to monitor Taehyung’s every move. Such subterfuge was pitiful, child’s play to Minhyuk. Minhyuk was aware of every whispered agreement in shadowy corners, veiled threat, and secret alliance Taehyung attempted to forge.

Unbeknownst to Taehyung, his betrayal was not a surprise but an awaited step in Minhyuk’s grand design. As he continued weaving the illusion of getting away with his actions, Minhyuk watched. But just as Taehyung had a knife aimed at his back, Minhyuk was ready with an entire artillery. With each passing day, as Taehyung sunk deeper into his deception, Minhyuk meticulously laid out his countermeasures. The impending downfall of Taehyung’s empire was merely a matter of time.

The dawn broke through the horizon as the sun began its daily ascent, slowly but determinedly painting the sky with orange, red, and pink hues. The chilly morning breeze danced through the open windows, carrying the sweet, tantalizing scent of blooming flowers from the courtyard. In these quiet, tranquil moments of dawn, the world seemed still, almost at peace.

Minhyuk, already busy since the sun started to rise, took a moment to appreciate the scenic transition from moonlight to sunrise before his concentration was interrupted. Three harsh knocks on his room door echoed in the still morning air, an important sound not lost on him. He knew what those three harsh knocks meant.

Instinctively, he put down his work, knowing that the rhythm of those knocks signaled urgent matters. Changkyun entered, holding a tablet tightly in his hands. His face was tense, lips pressed into a thin line, and eyes filled with a seriousness that immediately erased any notions of tranquility Minhyuk enjoyed a moment ago.

“You need to see this,” Changkyun said gravely, nudging the tablet in front of Minhyuk.

Even before Changkyun uttered another word, Minhyuk could see that it was something serious. His heart pounding in his ears, he took the tablet into his hands and pressed play.

The video started playing—silently, in black and white. It was grainy and shaky but unmistakably Taehyung. He was darting his eyes left and right as though checking for any watchers, and then he slipped into a building with a man Minhyuk recognized as one of his own associates.

“There’s audio, too.” Changkyun hinted, and Minhyuk turned the volume up. The incriminating conversation left no room for misunderstandings or assumptions. Taehyung was plotting against him and trying to sway his loyal personnel.

Bitter fury surged through his veins as he processed the video. The tranquil morning was tainted now, replaced with the harsh reality of the day. Minhyuk looked up at Changkyun, anger in his eyes but determination etched into his features, “It’s time I paid Taehyung a visit.”

Minhyuk’s entrance was as authoritative as his presence. The oak doors echoed a resounding bang as he thrust them open, their magnificence untamed, mirroring his determination. The Study, bathed in a subdued morning light, seemed engulfed in an uncanny silence, a sharp contrast to the storm that was about to unleash.

The absence of Taehyung’s secretary was evident, a small element that didn’t escape Minhyuk’s notice. A smirk played at the edges of his lips. This was confirmation, confirmation that his visit was indeed causing a ripple.

His eyes, blazing with fury, slowly took in the details of the room, eventually resting on Taehyung. Seated at his sprawling desk, Taehyung looked up - the interruption unexpected.

Taehyung’s initial surprise flickered into recognition as he met Minhyuk’s dark gaze. The foreboding look - burning, intense, burdened with accusation - made Taehyung stiffen subtly.

The tension, thick and tangible, enveloped the room. Added to the deafening silence that filled the air, the atmosphere felt palpable and ominous. It was clear - peace wouldn’t be a guest here for long.

“You know, when I make a second visit, it usually leads to the other party with a bullet in their head and the full fall of their company,” Minhyuk began, slowly walking towards Taehyung’s desk. “You can explain yourself to me right now, and I may find it within myself to forgive you, or I can watch you make up some sort of shitty lie to try to excuse this.”

A tablet crashed onto the desk, causing the silence to scatter for a fleeting moment as Minhyuk sat across from him. The playback immediately shows Taehyung in a confidential conversation with one of Minhyuk’s employees. The voices were hushed, but the audio was crystal clear.

The sharp intake of breath from Taehyung gave away his surprise at being confronted with undeniable proof of his deceit. Minhyuk looked at him, his gaze piercing and full of scorn.

“Play your game, Taehyung, and let’s see how far these lies carry you,” he said, his tone loaded with pure contempt. The threat, while implicit, was clear. This was not an idle visit. It was a reckoning. “If you think I wasn’t aware the second you tried going behind my back, you’re wrong. If you think I was stupid not to notice that I was only getting 65%, I can assure you, you’re wrong.”

Taehyung couldn’t help but let out a chuckle, a sound all the more sinister given the tense atmosphere. He met Minhyuk’s gaze squarely, not a sliver of fear in his eyes. “You always were a smart one, Minhyuk,” he mused, his voice steady as he leaned back in his chair.

“But here’s where you’re mistaken,” Taehyung continued, his grin striking a sharp contrast with his chilling words. “I never once thought you pointless. On the contrary, I counted on it.” His gaze held Minhyuk’s, his tone calm as he played with the edge of a silver pen. “Make no mistake, Minhyuk. I didn’t steal from you out of desperation. I did it because I knew I could.”

His defiant laughter echoed through the room, the sound as chilling as his cold, calculated gaze. His words held an audacious certainty, a cocky defiance that suggested he was not scared of his reveal. “So let’s continue this little game of ours, Minhyuk. After all, the grand finale is always the most thrilling part.”

Minhyuk’s expression turned cold, a silent warning to Taehyung. “Do consider this,” he began, every word laced with an ice-cold venom. “That grand finale of yours might not be as thrilling as you think if all you have left is a scorched empire.”

He leaned forward, giving Taehyung a piercing look that could cut through the hardest of stones. “Your bravado seems to have blinded you to the truth of your situation. Would I let something like that be brushed under a rug? My involvement in your company was the best thing that happened to it. And your games? They gave me the perfect reason to back away.”

Minhyuk straightened in his chair, his eyes never leaving Taehyung’s as he slowly smirked, playing his cards perfectly well. “I have enough information to expose every shady detail of your operations to the public. I could watch your empire crumble from up close or from afar. And you know I’m capable of both.”

The room fell ominously silent. The grin on Taehyung’s face vanished as he began to comprehend the gravity of his situation. His playful demeanor began to fade, replaced with a desperate realization. As the meaning of Minhyuk’s words settled, the audacious, fearless man was reduced to silence. A silence that spoke volumes.

“So I’m going to be generous just this once because I find it awfully amusing that you think you can get your way. I’ll continue to help your shitty company, but in return, I now get 95% of your earnings, and your secretary is mine.”

Minhyuk’s words seemed to echo in the room, reverberating off the sleek marble floors and the imposing bookshelves lined with countless achievements of Taehyung’s ill-gained empire. The silence followed was heavy, hanging in the air with a tangible presence, like the calm before a storm.

The sudden shift in the atmosphere was startling. Gone was the cocky playfulness that had so far characterized Taehyung’s demeanor. Instead, what followed was a quiet realization, dread seeping into his eyes that had once held defiant certainty. His proud posture slumped, his gaze dropping to the floor, unable to bear the weight of Minhyuk’s piercing gaze.

Minhyuk went to sit in the high-back leather chair, an arm casually draped over the armrest, his expression calm but his eyes displaying an evident victory. Not a word was uttered, but the message was clear. His proposition was not up for negotiation.

“Consider it as a small price to pay for the grand finale,” Minhyuk added after what felt like an eternity, breaking the silence. His gaze flickered to the grand chandelier hanging above, its crystal droplets reflecting the dim lighting of the room, then back to Taehyung. “Or, if you prefer, enjoying your last day in this office. I can picture-”

“Wait,” Taehyung’s voice hit the air sharply, like an arrow slicing through the tense atmosphere. The casual mention of Y/N had him now on high alert. His demeanor shifted, desperation tinging his voice. “Y/N has nothing to do with this!”

Minhyuk laughed, his low laughter echoing tauntingly in the room. “Oh, but she does,” he said, the glint in his eyes accentuating the chandelier’s dim light. “She’s your right hand, isn’t she? Someone, it seems you go to a lot. Losing her would hurt.”

Taehyung clenched his fists, his earlier cockiness replaced by a determined fierceness. “You can take my earnings, Minhyuk. Take 99% if you want, but keep Y/N out of this!”

But Minhyuk only shook his head, his entire demeanor radiating finality as he looked Taehyung directly in the eye. “Ninety-five percent of your earnings, and Y/N works for me. That’s not up for negotiation, Taehyung.” His words rang out, the final note of a song that signaled the beginning of the end for Taehyung’s reign. The end of his dialogue leaves the room held high in oppressive silence. “Either way, she’ll be working with me. It’s completely up to you where you find yourself in this spot.”

Taehyung sat there, forcibly trying to swallow back his anger as he processed Minhyuk’s final words. His defiance slowly gave way to a cold resignation. He knew he had no cards left to play. Minhyuk had trapped him in a corner, and all paths led to the same outcome.

With a defeated sigh, he managed a nod, the action almost imperceptible. “Fine,” he murmured, the word tasting bitter on his tongue. “Y/N... Y/N works for you.” His voice felt hoarse, threatening to crack. He could barely meet Minhyuk’s gaze as he admitted his defeat. “You win.”

Minhyuk’s face broke into a cruel smirk, a gleam of satisfaction twinkling in his eyes.

“Great!” he chimed, clapping his hands together. “I’m glad we could come to an agreement.” He leaned back in his chair, gazing at Taehyung with unwavering confidence. “Call her in, tell her it’s important. Then, fire her.” His voice was icy as he instructed Taehyung, devoid of any empathy or regret. “If you say anything about our little deal... I’ll fucking kill you.”

This was a game, and Minhyuk was savoring his victory.

Minhyuk’s words rang in the silence that hung heavily for a moment. Minhyuk was precisely where he needed to be. He could read Taehyung’s face so easily.

Straightening his suit, Minhyuk strode confidently out of the office, his neat footsteps echoing softly against the marble floor. He slipped out into the cool embrace of the outdoors, the early evening air crisp and fresh. Retrieving his phone from his pocket, nimble digits typed in a number he knew by heart—a contact he rarely called but one that held significant importance to his plans.

“Everything’s in place,” his voice was assured, filled with the finality their agreement held, as he indulged in a brief conversation. His eyes flicked towards the grand building he had just exited, his lips twisting into a satisfied smirk. This brief respite, secretive in nature, only served to fuel his sense of anticipation. “Make sure you are always a step ahead. I can’t have you slacking on me.”

The call ended briskly, leaving only the faint hum of the city around him. His thumb scanned over the illuminated screen before submerging his device back into the safety of his pocket. The gears had been set in motion—all there was left was to savor the unraveling of his carefully woven plan.

Upon re-entering the building, Minhyuk noticed a fresh presence. Y/N, Taehyung’s secretary, had finally arrived at the office. Taehyung, upon her arrival, had promptly pulled her into his office, closing the door behind them.

With a dismissive shrug, Minhyuk moved to Y/N’s vacated desk, lowering himself into her seat. He glanced around briefly before his gaze landed on her personal phone, left unattended on the polished wooden surface. An unbidden smirk curled on his lips as he reached for it—snooping wasn’t usually his style, but the situation demanded a bit of dirty play from him. As he began to skim through her files and messages, his smirk only grew wider as he read her incoming messages.

Upon the distinct sound of the office door creaking open and resonating shut with an echoing thud, Minhyuk lifted his gaze. His eyes locked onto Y/N, who had just entered the room, her face etched with surprise upon detecting an unexpected presence. A slow, treacherous smirk crept its way onto Minhyuk’s face as he reclined leisurely in Y/N’s usually occupied seat, the creak of the leather chair blending seamlessly with the palpable tension.

Minhyuk gave a low chuckle, his eyes glinting with amusement as he tapped onto her phone. “Your phone has been going off like crazy. Your friend Joohyun wants to know where you went, and Kihyun... he wanted to know where you went too.” He narrated with a teasing grin, his voice carrying a deceptively smooth charm.

Her retort was instantaneous, the sharpness of her delivery slicing through the tension like an icy dagger. “Fuck you,” she spat out, enunciating each word with a venom that only heightened his amusement. Her face was hardened, and her teeth gritted together in a mix of defiance and infuriation.

As she marched over with hurried steps, Minhyuk met her with a smirk. She reached for her phone and kept it in his possession, but much to her surprise, he had other plans. His grip latched onto her wrist, a vice-like hold preventing her from pulling away. His eyes didn’t waver from her surprised expression.

“I think you should be nice to your new boss, Y/N. After all, I could be leaving you to fend for yourself. Business is an ugly thing.” He advised smoothly. His tone was cold, laced with a chilling sincerity.

The more she tugged, the tighter his grasp grew in response. It was a silent but potent display of his seriousness.

“You’re hurting me…” she murmured, her voice reduced to a mere whisper. 

“And you hurt me when you don’t respect me.” he countered, his gaze boring into hers.

Releasing her abruptly, he watched the quick flicker of her eyes. He could see her check for any residue of his harsh grip - any bruise he might have left - with a mixture of fear and relief on her face when she found none.

“I’ll see you Monday at 8,” he spoke nonchalantly, shifting his focus back onto her. “Do not be late.”

Minhyuk’s face transformed into a triumphant smirk as he watched her storm off, her swift strides punctuated with righteous anger. He continued to watch as she disappeared into the elevator, the soft ding of its arrival doing nothing to dissipate the stiff silence left in her wake. The swiftly closing doors served as a temporary barrier, obstructing their shared visual tête-à-tête. Yet the intensity of her piercing glare was etched vividly in his mind.

Once he was left alone in the gently humming silence of the now-empty office, he withdrew his phone from his pocket. His fingers danced swiftly over the keys, composing a succinct message to an anonymous recipient. ‘You better keep an eye on her,’ he typed, his smirk never leaving his lips as he dispatched the message into the digital ether. Minhyuk was content with the knowledge that his plan was smoothly unfolding, step by step, inevitably.

[bangchanshehe]

The Trespasser pt. 26

You were on top of the world with the new title of leader of your family’s clan. You were the strongest clan in all of the orient and you were proud. But your family feels that there are threats still lurking around making you a target. When they introduce you to a potential man for a business and marriage merger will it help your clan or make matters worse?

Wonho x Reader, Shownu x Reader, Jooheon x Reader

The next morning you woke up feeling groggy and tired. The entire night you kept thinking about Hoseok wondering, did he get home okay? He’s not hurt right? Why was he so drunk? Why did he have to come here of all places? Did he really mean what he said last night? And although your mind kept telling you that it was just a drunken mishap, your heart wanted to fully believe that he had come for you. It made your mind wonder if he was doing as horribly as you had been. If he was feeling like an emotional zombie, focusing only on work, and just getting through the next day like you had been doing.  But once again your brain had reared its ugly head and told you that he hadn’t, that it was just a mistake and that he only said those things because he was so drunk.

You let out a loud yawn and stretched in bed feeling your sheets glide across your skin before you reached over to find your phone on your nightstand. You clicked the lock button once to see what time it was only to find that you had close to a dozen notifications from your mother alone. You quickly unlocked your phone and rummaged through the messages and missed calls.

4 New Messages, 6 Missed calls…

Mom: You had better give me a damn good explanation as to why I heard that you and Hoseok decided to end things

Mom:  Your father is beyond pissed!!!

Mom: If you want to ever come over here again you better pick up the phone!

Mom: Fine!

You let out a loud sigh and pinched the bridge of your nose. In the mix of everything that had been going on you had tried so hard to maintain appearances so that you could explain to your parents what had happened on your own terms, and not when wounds were still so fresh.

You got up and immediately went to the bathroom to freshen up before you subjected yourself to the emotional warfare that was your mother on the phone. and while you sat on the toilet you stared down at the pad that remained completely clean after your night’s rest. You gently ripped the pad away and wadded it up in toilet tissue before you threw it away.

“it’s finally done” you whispered softly to yourself as you stared at it in the trash can. There was a particularly enslaving feeling that overwhelmed you as you looked down into the bin. Many people may not know that you were once pregnant, but you would always know and every time that you had a period you would feel a small tinge of guilt.

You finished things in the bathroom and then took a seat on the side of your bed and stared at your phone for a moment, before picking it up and calling the last person who you wanted to discuss your marriage with.

“You have some nerve calling me this late in the day missy!” Your mom almost immediately answered.

“Hello to you to mom, oh I’m fine by the way, thanks for asking!” you said back.

“What the hell happened to you? Did someone piss in your cheerios today?” she asked back, “Why the hell am I hearing that you and Hoseok decided to end things?” she paused for half a second before she continued, not allowing you to answer the question. “Get your ass over here! You have some explaining to do!” she barked out before she hung up the phone.

You sat there in complete silence like a statue for a few seconds before you unfroze. You heard the chime of a new text message alert, and you looked down at your phone to see what it was.

Mom: Don’t you dare think about disappearing! If you don’t come today, then there will be some restructuring of this family!

Your eyes widened for a moment as you processed what your mother had sent to. You knew that she was going to be disappointed that you had ended the contract with Hoseok, but you didn’t think that it was going to become so serious! You got up from your bed and quickly put on some clothes before you headed off to your parents’ home.

As you parked your car you looked up to your family home and let out a quick deep breath. Today was going to fucking suck! As you got out of your car and started your walk to the front door you looked up to see your mother standing in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest and a look of disapproval on her face. As soon as she was sure that you had seen her, she walked away from the door into the house leaving you by yourself outside. You completed the few steps with a scoff and a final sigh before you shut and locked the door behind you.

When you entered the house, you followed the smell of cigars and coffee to the living room where your father was smoking and reading the news paper and your mother was sitting, sipping on her coffee like a prima donna. Sensing your presence, your father looked up from his paper and quickly took hold of his cigar.

“There’s my little puppy! What are you doing here darling!” he exclaimed, obviously unaware of what was going on.

You cut your glance over to your mother before you smiled softly at him and took a seat in a chair across from her. If things weren’t already terrible now you would have to cut the news to him too, which you’re assuming that your mother was going to allow you to do as a form of punishment. “Mom called me over!” you finally answered.

“Good! It’s been a while since I’d seen you last kiddo!” he said with a chuckle.

You stared at him for a moment, taking in his happy image. You knew that his mood was going to do a whole 180 after he was finally in the loop, and your ass was going to be on the line. You looked down at your feet for a second and took a deep breath before you aired it all out.

“Dad there’s something that i-“…. You started softly but before you had time to say anything else you were interrupted.

“Hey! I didn’t know you were here! Want any coffee?” Hoseok chimed out in a positive tone as he entered the room with a coffee pot to fill your father and mothers’ cups.

You looked up at him in complete confusion and immediately began to feel yourself tighten up and close off. You looked over to your mother who was looking over at him sweetly with her cup stretch outward for a refill, and you immediately were filled with a silent rage. You were already going through enough of a tough time as is and the last person who you expected to exploit your emotions right now was your mother. But if she was going to do this to you and play around with threats then you were going to go straight to the source and make sure that she couldn’t do it again.

“Dad, there’s something that I need to talk to you about and I would prefer it if we could do that in private.” You said to him with a serious tone hoping that he could feel your sense of urgency.

Your father pursed his eyebrows together but then as soon as he had, he released them and gave you a soft smile back in return with a slight nod. As soon as he began folding his paper you stood up from your chair, ready to follow him to his study. But just as quickly as you stood up your mother had already began making her move.

“Darling none of that right now, you just got here!” Your mother trying to complain.

“If she has something that she needs to discuss with me then let her do it. She’s a busy girl!” Your father chimed in, standing from his seat.

The two of you were about to turn to leave the room when you suddenly felt a hand grabbing your wrist, restricting any further movement forward. You looked down at the hand that held onto you and followed it back to Hoseok, who had a particular look of urgency in his eyes.

“Actually, if you don’t mind… can I have a word with you first?” he asked softly.

You gave him a blank stare for a moment before you nodded your head. You looked over to your father who had already sat back down in his chair and waved his hand at you to go on. You looked back at Hoseok and pulled your hand away from his grasp, and he let go reluctantly.

You guided Hoseok to your father’s office where you knew that your conversation would remain private from any lurking eyes and ears. You locked the door behind the two of you as he entered behind you, and you gestured to the chairs that your father had arranged for meetings. You took a seat and the two of you sat in silence for a while and stared at each other’s faces.

Hoseok looked as good as ever and possibly even better, which pissed you off. Some days you could just manage to get out of bed, and yet here he was looking handsome after a night binge drinking while you were sober and feeling like a freight train had hit you.

“Why didn’t you unblock me?” Hoseok asked first thing.

You looked up to him surprised that he had remembered that much of last night. “To be honest I didn’t think that you would even remember showing up last night.”

Hoseok gave you a soft smile, but you could tell that there was nothing but a slight sting of pain behind it. “That’s fair. But if you know me at all you know that I’m a man of my word.” He said with a cheesier grin, “And… I know that you’re a woman of your word, so unblock me” he challenged.

You gave him an emotionless stare for a second before you pulled out your phone and unblocked his contact in your settings. You locked your phone and sat it down in your lap and looked up at him with a look of tiredness. “Are we done now?” you asked.

“Well….” He started to say but before he could get anything else out, he cleared his throat and looked around the room for a moment. You watched him in anticipation, which only seemed to make him more nervous. “I wanted to tell you a few things. And I know that right here, right now, is probably not the place where you want to hear them, but it’s the only way that I could get to you.”

“Well now you’re unblocked, so can we please do this another time?!” you pleaded with him

“No!” he said quickly, causing you to look up at him in shock. “I need to get this off of my chest before you go out there and tell your father that we’re done!” he said without being able to look you in the eyes.

Hoseok stood up from his chair and walked over to your father’s desk, letting his back face you. “I don’t want you to think that I don’t trust you anymore.” He said just louder than a sigh, “and I don’t want you to think that I don’t like you because of the pregnancy.” Hoseok finally turned around to face you from the desk and you could see that there was a single tear ready to spill out of his eye. “And I understand why…” he said with a broken voice.

You clenched your teeth and your fist into a tight ball as you worried about spilling tears of your own. You could see how this had affected Hoseok and it hurt to know that what you had done had caused him pain, but there was also a sense of relief that he had felt that pain. That you weren’t alone in your own thoughts and feelings. You closed your eyes and a shudder racked through your chest as you tried your best to keep yourself together.

Hoseok quickly cleared the office with a few steps and sat down on his feet in front of you holding your fists to his face as he cried. Slowly, you relaxed your hands and held his face, wiping away his stray tears with your thumbs.

“what’s done is done” you said in a soft whisper.

Hoseok gathered his breath, and he looked up at you. “I know, and I’m sorry that I tried to make the decision about my own wants… I only though of my own happiness before I even considered that this was something that could hurt you.”

You ran a hand over his hair and placed it back to his cheek trying your best to comfort him. “I know, and I’m sorry that I hid it from you.” You admitted “I should have been honest with you, but I was scared and nervous.”

Hoseok tilted his head further into your palm and shut his eyes. “Please…. Please don’t let this ruin everything that we had.” He prayed silently in your hand as you looked down on him.

“Hoseok…” you started and let out a small sob of your own. “I don’t know that it can go back to how it was after this.” You admitted “what happened is still so raw for me.”

“I know, I know.” He repeated and nodded his head “I’m sorry!” he sat up on his knees and reached out for your face to place soft kisses on your cheeks, nose, chin, forehead and eventually your lips. “I just want to be there to help pick up the pieces.” He said looking into your eyes.

You considered it… all of it. The happy moments, the moments of concern, the nights spent together and apart. The tears and the anger. And how the two of you had left each other so easily.

“I want that too…” you admitted “but I’m scared that this will always be there to haunt us.”

Hoseok pulled you down from the chair into his lap and he held you close to his chest. “I will never ever use this to harm you, start arguments, or belittle your character.” He said strongly “y/n, what I want the most is to be able to call you a partner again. And I know that right now you just need some time and space to heal, but I want to continue the contract…with you.”

You pulled back from him after your breathing and tears had settled and you looked up at him, holding onto his broad shoulders. “Are you sure?” you asked him.

He scoffed and gently tucked loose strands of your hair away from your face. “I never wanted to end it in the first place.” He said with a sad chuckle, causing you to look at him confused. “You were the one who had said that we should end things.” He smiled.

You looked down at his chest while you recalled what you had said … “Since we have come to such an outstanding disagreement then I think it’s best that we end our contract here. There’s no point of continuing if we can’t agree on such important principles or trust each other from here on out.”

“You had immediately pulled out the contract and signed it as completed, so what could I do?!” he stated. “You had already made up your mind, before I could even try to work things out.”

You nodded your head, taking ownership of how rash you had come to the decision without letting him discuss his own feelings or pain and how the pregnancy would have altered the relationship between the two of you. You had been the sole provider of your pain instead of talking things out.

“I’m sorry.” you said clearing your throat and wiping away any tear stains on your face. “I don’t really want to end things either, and things have been though lately without you there.” You admitted to him. “But I think before we jump headfirst in again, we should maybe take things slow, while we get everything figured out.”

Hoseok smiled at you and pulled you in once again, embracing you in a full body hug. You were shocked for a single moment before you allowed yourself to find comfort in his embrace again. You smiled to yourself and let out a deep breath, letting the dust settle over the animosity between the two of you.

“I’m okay with slow” Hoseok whispered to you, as he held you close.

[onlymingyus]

Beautiful Liar

pairing; kim mingyu x f!reader

genre; smut (minor dni), toxic, angst, dark content, fluff

summary; Kim Mingyu's life has always been complicated, but you just add another layer. At least he is a beautiful liar.

dark content/content warnings; mafia au, murder, guns (used/sold/bought), cops, gun dealer!mingyu, mafia boss!jun (shut up), second in command/drug dealer!minghao, lawyer!wonwoo, blood, fighting/beating, drugs mentioned, smoking (cigarettes), alcohol, alludes to alcoholism, depression/anxiety, toxic relationships, commitment issues -- best friends sister to lover, bosses sister to lover, jun's sister!reader, soonyoung, dino (chan), vernon as side characters, names eunseok and haneul used (have no connection to riize and kiof), crying, food and drink as always, mentions being sick, doctor!reader, medical terminology and medical procedure/wound described -- as always i'm certain i have missed something. if there is anything glaring send me an ask.

smut warnings; dom!mingyu, mean dom!mingyu, brat!reader, unprotected sex, rough sex, pulling out, creampie, cum on skin, cum play, cumming untouched, cumming in pants, fingering, oral (f receiving), handjob, edging/orgasm denial, degradation, pet names/degrading names, praise, impact play, pussy slapping, biting, crying from pleasure, dacryphilia, aftercare. as stated above, i am sure there is something i am forgetting. send an ask if it is glaring.   

w/c; 25.6k and some change (2.8k extra words for patreon bonus) 

beautiful liar - monsta x

a/n; thank you to my @junkissed for proofreading for me once again, i love you forever. i hope you all enjoy this one. i missed my boy so much and i wanted to expand a bit on gyu from shut up. give him a bit of life. its not the end of some of these characters, but we will see where they pop up in the future.

before continuing remember reblogs are incredibly important and please read how to support me here

“Put that box over there.” Wiping the sweat from the back of his neck, Mingyu sighs out his words gesturing with his free hand as Lee Chan and Kwon Soonyoung lift the large box full of guns from the back of the trailer and onto a table in front of him. It was hotter than usual today and Mingyu didn’t want to be at the bar on his Saturday, but yet here he was, ever diligent.

“What did you buy me?” 

Taking a breath to the sound of his boss, Mingyu puts on a good face before glancing towards Wen Junhui and letting the corner of his lips pull up, at least on one side. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Jun, it was more that he was tired. Jun had gotten breaks over the past few months after a run in with Park Bonhwa, but Mingyu hadn’t. Things hadn’t gotten much better on the back end, they had just gotten quieter. 

Pointing at the box in front of him before picking up a pry bar, Mingyu grunts as he loosens the nails and takes off the top for Jun to see. 

“This one is Glocks and revolvers.” Gesturing with the pry bar towards where Chan and Soonyoung were pulling the other box from the truck, Mingyu tilts his head. “Should be rifles, mostly AKs. Just like you asked for, boss.” 

Jun knew what he had asked Mingyu to acquire for him, he just liked to see a job well done and Mingyu rarely disappointed, especially as of late. Slapping the larger man’s shoulder, Jun reaches in with his free hand to take out one of the revolvers, a Smith & Wesson, to test the balance in his hand. “It’s good work, Gyu. These should hold us over for a few weeks.” 

Putting the gun back into the box, Jun reaches up to scratch at his eyebrow as he glances towards Xu Minghao, his second in command, with a sigh on his lips. “Listen, speaking of. I’m going out of town for a few weeks. Gonna take Kitten on a little vacation.” 

Making a bit of a face at the pet name, Mingyu lifts his brows as Minghao rolls his eyes and speaks up, leaning against the table beside him. “Couldn’t call her anything else? She has a name.” 

Shooting his best friend a look, Jun scoffs and tilts his head. “Not any name that matters; I’ll call her what I want. The point stands, we are going out of town. Hao, you are in charge and Mingyu...” 

Hearing his name, Mingyu straightens his back and meets Jun’s eyes, uncertain what is about to be said, but his anxiety seems to know before it’s even out of his mouth. 

“You’ll take on second. Don’t let my bar burn down.” 

As if he didn’t have enough of his plate already. Seeing the look in Jun’s eye, Mingyu puts on a good face and nods. “Got it.” 

Mingyu was a complicated man. There were some who knew him as a cheerful person, most of those people got to know him when he was drunk. There were those who knew him as threatening, those were the people who got to know him on a bad day, and then there were people who had known him for most of his life—those people could tell when he was bluffing. 

Following behind Mingyu after he had checked the last box and sent the others home for the day, Minghao watched his friend closely before finally speaking up, knowing they were alone, at least enough that he didn’t have to worry about being heard. “I won’t make you do anything you don’t already do while Jun’s out of town, Gyu.”

Leaning his head back in annoyance, Mingyu stops in his tracks at the sound of Minghao’s voice. He should have known he wasn’t alone and if it had been anyone else, he probably would have. Xu Minghao, however, was quiet, and that’s what had made Jun interested in him in the first place. 

Turning to face the man, Mingyu puts on the same face he had given Jun before shrugging. Even if Minghao gave him more to do, that wouldn’t be the end of the world; it wasn’t like he had a life outside of this bar anyway. Mingyu had known what he was getting into all those years ago when he took that first wad of cash from Jun. 

“I don’t care. You could send me to the moon to buy you a 1911 Colt and I’d make it fuckin’ happen.” Minghao could hear the stress in Mingyu’s voice and it caused the corners of his lips to turn down as he took a step closer to his friend. If anyone needed a vacation from here, maybe it was him, but he knew those were few and far between—Jun got what he wanted when he wanted it, but that was owner privilege. 

Reaching up to rub at his neck, Minghao glances back towards Jun’s office, hearing him talking low on the phone. He knew Jun’s schedule and what he could get away with and in theory, what Mingyu could get away with, at least for the time being. “Take tonight off. Jun doesn’t leave until tomorrow night. I’ll need your big ass here then, but I can’t have you tired and moping around the door like this tonight.” 

Scoffing, Mingyu shakes his head and tosses the towel he had been using in the warehouse into the laundry room as he starts to walk away from Minghao as he speaks up a bit louder to make sure he’s heard. “We don’t get nights off, Hao. I’m fine. I don’t trust anyone else at the doors. Anyone could walk in.”

Mingyu had already thrown out five people and the night had barely started. Minghao already felt like ripping his hair out as he heard another disgruntled patron trying to drunkenly state their case to the large man as he hauled them back towards the door. While Minghao didn’t disagree with most of the people that Mingyu had thrown out, some of it was for petty shit that on most nights they would look in the other direction of—like this one. 

“Man! What the fuck? I said I was sorry. My hand slip—slipped.” The man hiccuped through his explanation, but clearly Mingyu wasn’t hearing any of it as he pushed the door open and started to toss the man out towards the ground. 

Sighing, Minghao grabbed Mingyu’s arm, feeling the larger man push back against him, fire in his eyes, before he realized who had a hold of him. “What? Are you gonna punch me? Throw him out and meet me in the back. We need to talk.” 

The sound of the man’s body hitting the concrete makes Minghao shake his head as he hears those waiting in line let out a reaction. Some of them are amused and others seem shocked or horrified. Throwing up his hands, Mingyu meets some of their eyes before slamming the door and rolling his neck as he follows Minghao back towards the warehouse, feeling his blood boiling. 

“Can we make this quick? I really don’t trust Soonyoung on the door alone. He lets any chick through the door if she flashes her tits…” 

Shooting Mingyu a look, Minghao scoffs at the man’s words before running his hand over his face out of stress and impatience. “You used to too, Mingyu. Cut him some fuckin’ slack… matter of fact, cut everyone some slack tonight.” Minghao’s words are strained as he meets his friend’s eyes, seeing the same look he’s seen for weeks. 

Shaking his head, Mingyu lifts his hand to run it through his hair before turning away from Minghao to take a deep breath. He could feel himself getting angry at his friend and he didn’t want to let his anger get the best of him. He wasn’t like this all the time… just when he was stressed or tired and lately that was all he knew. 

“What—you know what, Hao? We spend all fucking night catering to these drunk assholes who grope the girls or pick fights with us and you expect me to just cut them some slack?” There was a layer of resentment in Mingyu’s voice as he finally turned back to face Minghao and meet his eyes. 

Throwing up his hands, Minghao groans, feeling his own frustration coming to a boiling point. He had tried to get Mingyu to take a night off but the big oaf had been too stubborn; now they were all paying for it. 

“I’m just saying that you need to chill the fuck out. It’s either that or you can go the fuck home. You understand me?” Watching Mingyu’s jaw clench, Minghao clenches his own and takes a step closer to the man he has known for the better part of a decade. “Go out there and enjoy this job—at least pretend to. Find a girl and get your dick wet—something! But stop walking around like you are going to knock everyone’s head off.” 

Mingyu wanted to. He really did. He had been spending more and more time in the gym with a punching bag in front of him, to the point that his knuckles would swell and bleed. Right now, he wanted to put someone’s head through a wall, but even thinking about it made his skin crawl. Minghao was right; he even knew this wasn’t like himself. He felt like he was drowning. 

Taking a shaky breath, Mingyu takes a step back from Minghao and runs his hand over his lips before looking around the room. “I just… I’m not sleeping. I’ll call it for the night, alright?” Mingyu didn’t look for sympathy and he didn’t want to look weak because he wasn’t. So even now, as he felt Minghao get closer to him, he wanted to bolt out of the room as bile rose in his throat. 

“Like I said—get your ass out of here. I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

The sound of his phone going off made Mingyu feel like his head was going to explode. He had done what he said he was going to do after leaving work. He had gone home and gone to bed. It hadn’t been his fault that his sleeping partner had been a fresh bottle of Jack and that bottle now lay empty next to him. 

Smacking at the nightstand with a large hand, Mingyu swipes the phone from it and puts it to his ear with a groan as he answers it. “What?” His voice is deep, full of sleep, as Mingyu rests his forearm over his eyes, trying to block out the sun that dares to peek around his black out curtains. 

Jun smirks against his thumbnail as he hears the sound of Mingyu’s voice. He knew Mingyu had gone home early the night before and he had assumed that the man would be all bright eyed and ready to get on with his day; instead, he sounded like he had just crawled into bed. 

“Morning sweetheart. Did I wake you?” 

Whining to the sound of Jun’s voice, Mingyu turns to his side, laying the phone on the pillow next to him for a moment before putting it back against his ear and forcing his eyes open. If it were anyone else, he could tell them to shove their phone up their ass and not call them back, but no, it had to be Wen Junhui. 

“It was a long night. Do you need me? I can be there in like—” Mingyu starts to count up how long it would take him to shower off the stink of whisky and to get dressed when Jun smiles into his words and saves him the trouble. “I do need you, Gyu. I always do, but I’m already on the way to the airport. Much to my surprise, I need you for other things.” 

Furrowing his brows, Mingyu sits up with a pained groan, feeling the blood rush from his head and eyes. He knew Jun was picking on him, but what could he possibly need help with if he and his lady were already going out of town? Blinking a few times, Mingyu slides off the bed and rubs at his neck with his free hand as he trudges towards his kitchen. 

“What things? Guns?” Mingyu sounds confused and tired as Jun listens to the sound of him rummaging around his apartment. Turning to look at Haneul, his fiancée as he runs his fingers along her cheek, Jun sighs and shakes his head. “No, that’d be easier. I got a call earlier from my sister. She’s landing in a couple hours.” 

Taking a large gulp of water, Mingyu pauses midswallow, only to get choked at the thought of Jun having a sister. Did he know that? Had he met Jun’s sister? What did this have to do with him? Coughing, Mingyu shakes his head and takes a breath, barely hearing Jun sigh in annoyance until he catches his breath and wipes at his lips, his voice a bit strained. “Sister? Landing? Like a flight? Where?” 

“You are learning new words, Mingyu?” Feeling Haneul smack at his hand and telling him to be nice, Jun sighs and purses his lips before rolling his eyes and explaining. “Yes, my sister, Y/N. Her flight lands at Incheon at 4:45 pm. I want you to pick her up and take her to the family penthouse.” Pinching his brows, Jun shakes his head and lets out a breath. “She didn’t tell me until this morning she was even coming or else I would have... it doesn’t matter. Just keep her entertained until I get back.” 

His mouth felt dry as Mingyu nodded along with Jun’s words, as if they were a language that he understood. First he learned that Jun had a sister and now he was learning that he had to pick you up and keep you entertained. How did one entertain their boss’ sister? 

“Wha—sure…okay. What does Y/N like? Should I just take her to the lounge—-” 

“Fuck no. Don’t you fucking dare take her to the bar. She’s a respectable woman, Kim Mingyu. Keep her away from anything that is remotely underground, understand?” Waiting to hear Mingyu agree with him, Jun nods along with his ‘yes’ before continuing. “Also, keep it in your fucking pants.” 

Opening and closing his mouth a few times, Mingyu tries to speak and come up with what to say in response to that, but the line goes dead, with Jun hanging up on him. Lowering his phone to the counter, Mingyu looks at the time and shakes his head. 2:15 pm… he had a little time to make sure he didn’t look like garbage.

“I don’t even know what Kim Mingyu looks like, Minghao.” You pout into your words as you roll your carry-on next to you towards baggage claim, your phone resting between your ear and shoulder. 

Minghao smiles at the sound of your voice as he shakes his head and sits down behind Jun’s desk at the lounge to turn on the laptop in front of him. “Look for a big idiot with nice hair. I’m sure he will have a sign with your name on it, honey.” 

Wrinkling your nose, you lift your eyes towards where most of the drivers and families were waiting, managing to see one man who stood out amongst the rest. He was tall, muscular, and gorgeous. Biting your lip, you try to see who’s name he’s holding, but the writing is messy, making it almost impossible to read unless you get closer. 

“Wow, is he really, um–” You try to think of how to ask Minghao about Mingyu when you sigh and bite the bullet, laughing. “Hot?” Lifting his brows, Minghao hears how you laugh and it makes him curious and a bit worried. He had already been told to tell Mingyu to behave, but did he need to tell you the same thing? “He’s... decent looking for an oaf, Y/N.” 

Nodding, you smile at the tall man as he glances down at his sign and back up at you, tilting his head like a puppy. “Then I found him. Talk to you soon, Minghao.” You hear Minghao try to speak, but you are quicker to end the call. Getting close enough to read your name in the chicken scratch on the piece of paper in the man’s hands. You laugh softly and look up at him with a sigh. “You must be, Mingyu.” 

Fuck. Fuck! That’s the only word that is repeating in Mingyu’s mind as he looks at you. He had to be decent. He has to respect you, but fuck! You are so beautiful. Swallowing hard, Mingyu nods before lowering the paper in his hand and nodding. “Miss Wen… I’ll get your bag. Jun told me to take care of you and get you to your family’s penthouse.” 

You watch as Mingyu turns his head away from you, quickly making your lips pull up in a curious smile. Following him towards the luggage carousel, you can’t help the way your eyes move along his body and land on his biceps as he pulls your suitcase from the track before turning back towards you and reaching out for your carry-on. 

“So... you are a driver for my brother?” 

Your words cause Mingyu’s brows to furrow, his breath getting caught in his throat as he walks with you towards the parking garage, being careful of traffic. Glancing towards you, he offers you a smile before tilting his head as if trying to think of the right thing to say before letting out a breath and finally speaking. “Uh, sometimes. I do a lot of things for your brother.” 

Reaching the G Wagon with him, you purse your lips, surprised not to see something different even as Mingyu loads your luggage into the back and moves around to open his passenger's side door for you. Seeing the look on your face, he lifts his brows slightly and presses his lips together, glancing at his car and back at you. 

“Is... is this not okay? Do you want to sit in the back? Do you not like my car?” Scratching the back of his head, Mingyu watches your lips pull up into a smile as he rambles. “Jun just told me to pick you up, so honestly, I don’t know much about what you do and don’t like... Miss Wen.” 

Finally laughing, you slide past Mingyu and climb into the car, glancing up at him as he rests his hand on the door, giving you a curious look. Letting out a breath, you lean your head back into the leather headrest and reach for the seatbelt as Mingyu keeps his eyes on you, even as they move along your face and down your body before he quickly moves them back up, realizing what he is doing when you finally speak to him. “I don’t like being called Miss Wen. Just call me Y/N, please.”

Swallowing hard, Mingyu then rubs his lips together out of nerves before lowering his head with a laugh. He just didn’t want to piss Jun off and while trying not to do that, he was being weird around you. Patting the top of the door frame, Mingyu nods before taking a step back to close your door. “You got it, Y/N.” 

Glancing around the large living room, Mingyu glances towards you as you drop your bag onto the couch before moving towards the floor to ceiling windows. He knew he really didn’t have to do much more for you. Yes, Jun had told him to keep you entertained, but he had done the first part. He had gotten you from the airport to the penthouse. The bar was going to open soon. 

Biting at his lip, Mingyu takes his phone from his jacket pocket and checks his messages when you glance back to look at him in the hallway, your luggage on either side of him. You could see his brows furrowed even from across the room. He had seemed so tense the entire drive from the airport and you could barely get him to open up to you. He was like a puzzle that you were dying to solve. 

“Talking to your girlfriend?” 

Your words pull Mingyu out of his haze as he reads Minghao’s text and back into the present with you. Lifting his brow, Mingyu scoffs but quickly clears his throat before shaking his head and sending a quick text back to Minghao. "No, I don’t have one. I was just letting Minghao know I had you here. Seeing if he wanted me at the loun—at work.” 

You watch as Mingyu quickly changes his wording and clears his throat once again. Stepping closer to the middle of the room, you can see the way he swallows hard and you know it’s because he’s trying to hide something from you. Smirking, you nod and gesture towards your bags before pointing towards another hallway. Mingyu’s eyes follow your hand before finding your eyes once again when you speak, some teasing in your voice. "Well, before you leave me for my brother’s shady bar, can you put my stuff in my room?” 

Mingyu feels his stomach in his throat as you mention the bar and start to walk towards the bedrooms. Groaning, he closes his eyes, feeling his phone go off in his hand, finding himself unwilling to look at it right away as he listens to your high heels click against the floor. 

So you knew about the lounge. Jun had told him you were a respectable woman. Mingyu had done his own research. Respectable was putting it simply. You were a doctor and where Jun might have lined his family’s pockets in his own way, you were like a beacon of joy for them, with your face in scientific journals and standing in front of hospitals with sick children. The lounge was so far away from who you were. 

Looking around the master bedroom, you nod before glancing back towards the door when Mingyu moves into the doorframe, only to stop and clear his throat as if asking for permission. He was not only breathtakingly handsome, but one of the most adorable men you had ever seen. You knew he worked for your brother in some capacity and in his less than desirable business adventure, but you couldn’t imagine it right now. Mingyu did not seem like the type of man to work for your brother. Then again, at one point in your life, you said the same about Minghao. 

“You can come into the room, Mingyu. What did my brother say to you to make you so afraid of me?” You smile, a small laugh in your words, as you take a step backwards to sit on the end of the bed as Mingyu puffs up his cheeks. 

Pushing your suitcases into the room, Mingyu looks down at you on the bed and he feels the image being burned into his brain as he tries not to imagine you lying back on it as he—sighing—shakes his head and lifts his hand to run his fingers through his hair. “He told me to take care of you. Entertain you while he was gone, but he also told me to behave... in not so many words.” 

Biting at your lip, you laugh once again, lifting your leg to cross it over the other, feeling Mingyu’s eyes drop to your legs before he has to force himself to look away, pulling out his phone once again to check his messages. “Behave, huh? And what does that mean? Are you bad, usually?” 

Feeling heat rising in his neck, Mingyu swallows hard, not only at the text messages from Minghao but also at your words. What were you trying to do? You were obviously testing him. You were teasing him. He should run for the hills and a cold shower. 

Laughing, Mingyu focuses on his phone, sending one last text to Minghao, pressing send harder than necessary as you watch him closely. “Who are you texting, Mingyu? Still talking to Minghao? I might start to get jealous. I thought you were supposed to entertain me.” 

Glancing at you over his phone, Mingyu sees the smirk on your lips. You were causing some intense feelings for him. He was afraid of you for so many reasons already. You were bad for his job and his friendships. You were a brat and he could tell you were having fun, seeming to know that he wasn’t going anywhere. 

Minghao: Don’t need you tonight. Jun wants you to get some shit and guard Y/N 

Mingyu: You gotta be kidding me.

Minghao: I don’t need to remind you, but I will, because she’s like my sister too 

Minghao: Keep your dick in your pants 

Mingyu: I’m not an animal

Minghao: Yes, you are. Don’t let anything happen to her 

Minghao: Understand me? 

Mingyu: I understand! 

Giving you a strained smile as he shoves his phone into his pocket, Mingyu takes a step back from you and lifts his shoulders with a deep breath. “Which room is mine?” 

You had already known that Mingyu was going to be assigned to be security for you until your brother got back, even if you had told Jun and Minghao that you didn’t need a babysitter. At the time when you said it, you hadn’t known who Mingyu was or how much fun it might be. Now you are happy to have company. 

Smiling, you slide off the bed and up to your feet, glancing around your room with a teasing smile as Mingyu lets out a breath, afraid of what you are implying. Stepping past him, you glance up at him, letting your fingers trail over his hand before moving to the door. “Follow me.” 

Mingyu’s skin felt like it was on fire where your fingers had brushed over his. He was being stupid with just a small touch, but god, you were driving him crazy. You knew exactly what you were doing; it was going to take everything in him to keep some professionalism about him during this. He was already counting down the days, hours, and minutes until Jun would be back and this job would be over. 

Following behind you, Mingyu lets his eyes move down your back and over your ass before he glances off to the side when you make a quick right turn into the room right beside yours and nod. Glancing over your shoulder at Mingyu, you lift your hands to do a quick eye to hand measurement of his height before doing the same for the bed and making an unsure sound. “You might fit, big boy.” 

Unable to stop the scoff before it starts to leave his mouth, Mingyu walks past you into the room and looks at the bed. It wasn’t a small bed, and he wasn’t that big. Meeting your eyes, Mingyu watches you smirk at him before you glance around the rest of the room and pout your lips at him. “You didn’t bring anything with you? Maybe I could take a ride with you and stretch my legs while you pack a bag.” 

You knew he didn’t have anything else with him. Clearly, he hadn’t been planning on staying, but you seemed to have known he was going to be sticking around before he did. Sighing, Mingyu scratches at his eyebrow before gesturing towards the door and giving you a strained smile. You could tell you were wearing him down. You wanted to crack him. Get to the real Kim Mingyu, not this professional mask he was wearing for the sake of your brother. 

Mingyu hadn’t expected you to follow him up into his apartment, so when you did, he could feel the heat rising in his neck and face. His apartment was nothing compared to the penthouse you were staying in or the penthouse that Jun owned. All Mingyu had was a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment in a decent part of town and he kept it pretty clean. Thank god. 

“Uh, I’ll be quick. Just—” You watch as Mingyu hurries past you into his living room to swipe a gun from his coffee table, a few bullets hitting the floor as he curses under his breath, leaning down to pick them up. “Make yourself at home, I guess.” Glancing over his shoulder at you, Mingyu pushes the bullets into the magazine in his hand before pushing the magazine into the pistol and hearing it click. 

Your brows were raised and you were watching him curiously. He hadn’t planned for you to be in his space. He had been cleaning one of his guns the night before, well before the bottle of jack, but normally people weren’t inside his apartment. Especially people who looked like you and were decent, normal people. 

Following Mingyu with your eyes, you watch as he leaves the door crack, probably to listen to in the other room as he grabs a bag and starts to fill it with various things. You weren’t surprised that he had a gun and it didn’t bother you; in fact, it made him even sexier somehow. You felt a bit safer around him knowing that he was armed, especially if he was supposed to be taking care of you. 

Looking over the books on his shelves, you tilt your head and smile at the titles. They weren’t what you would expect someone like Kim Mingyu to have. As that thought crosses your mind, you think to yourself that it isn’t fair of you to think that. You didn’t know him well enough to judge his reading habits or intelligence. You just hadn’t expected to see The Count of Monte Cristo sitting on his shelf with the binding broken as if it had been read several times. 

Pulling the book out, you hold it delicately in your hands as you flip through, reading over the words—some you remember, others that you hadn’t forgotten, having not read it in so long. What makes you smile are the notes in the margins in the same chicken scratch that you had seen your name written in at the airport. 

Grabbing a few things from his bathroom, Mingyu zips up his bag and checks his pistol before sliding it into the holster under his jacket. You were quiet in the other room and that was making him nervous. He had tried to be quick while packing, but he had no idea what to bring, so he went simple and only took what he needed. 

Turning the corner into his living room, Mingyu stops in his tracks, seeing you standing in front of his bookshelf with one of his books in your hands. You were gorgeous in the evening light pouring in from the decently large windows he had been blessed with, and you had the prettiest smile on your lips as you ran your fingers over the margins of the book. He could already tell what book you were looking at before even getting closer. It was his favorite, but that was probably easy to see, which is probably why you picked it up. It was obviously the most well loved book on the entire shelf. 

“All human wisdom is contained in these two words–Wait and hope.” You read the quote from the book that Mingyu had re-written at the top of the page before glancing up at him as he watches you carefully. Closing the book, you slide it back into his place and take a breath before offering him a smile. “Are you a tortured soul, Kim Mingyu?” 

Laughing into a scoff, Mingyu adjusts his bag on his shoulder and shakes his head. “I just enjoy the idea of revenge being fulfilled, I think.” Mingyu watches you nod and take a few steps closer to him, the air feeling thicker as he tries to take a breath only to get a deep breath of your perfume. 

“And it has nothing to do with the love story attached to it? That isn’t why you’ve read that book so many times that the pages are falling out.” Mingyu’s eyes fall to your lips as you speak and he has to force himself to look back up to your eyes before pulling his gaze away from you and towards the window with the golden light. 

“It’s just a story.” You think to yourself as you hear the words come out of Mingyu’s mouth—what a beautiful liar he is.

Leaning back in the chair, Mingyu glances around the penthouse as you open the fridge and sigh. He wasn’t sure what you had expected to be in there. From what he understood, you hadn’t given Jun much of a heads up about this visit so it wasn’t like he could have things stocked and ready to go for you. Obviously, there wasn’t going to be a fridge full of food just waiting for you to use. 

“What is your favorite food, Mingyu?” Closing the fridge, you turn back towards the living room to lean against the kitchen island to face Mingyu. He looked surprised by the question, but you already had your phone out and were ordering groceries while waiting for him to answer you. 

“Whatever you like.” 

Smirking at his answer, you glance up from your phone and tilt your head before stepping around the island and into the living room to sit on the couch closest to the chair that Mingyu had chosen. The moment you had gotten back to the penthouse, you had opted to change. Your flight had been long; you were ready to get out of your clothes and into something more comfortable, so now you were in leggings and a tight tank top that Mingyu was having a hard time not staring at. 

“Oh? You like all the foods I like now? Have we reached that point in our relationship, darling?” Teasing him, you smile when Mingyu rolls his eyes and runs his hand over his mouth, opting to lean forward and look down at his knees to keep himself in check. You could almost see the stress rolling off of him; he needed a massage, maybe a vacation, but he for sure needed a good fuck before he suffered a heart attack. “I’m just picking on you, Mingyu.” 

He knew what you were doing and he wasn’t an idiot. You weren’t some angel like your brother and Minghao thought you were. Shaking his head, Mingyu glances up to meet your eyes before leaning back in the chair and laying his head back against the back of it. “Anything with meat. I’m not a fucking rabbit. If you need me to go get food, I can. Just give me a list.” 

Lifting your phone, you show him the groceries you had ordered and then swipe over to the delivery app to show him where you had chosen to get dinner from. “Work for you? We’ve already been out enough today. I’d rather we both stay in for the rest of the evening.” 

Mingyu couldn’t argue with you on that. Nodding to the choices, he stands to take off his jacket, drawing your attention to not only his arms under his t-shirt but also the gun holster on his side. Feeling your eyes on him, Mingyu takes a breath and shakes his head as he takes the pistol from the holster and turns it to the side to show you his thumb resting against the safety. “It’s on. I know how to use it, or else your brother wouldn’t have asked me to be here.” 

While you were curious about how and why Mingyu was so comfortable with the gun, you just nodded and leaned back on the couch, crossing your legs as he moved to put his gun down on the dining room table so he could unhook his holster and take it off. 

“I wasn’t going to ask if you knew how to use it, Mingyu. I mean, clearly, you do. Dressed like that.” Meeting your eyes briefly, Mingyu smirks as you glance away quickly and back to your phone as he lays the leather holster down on the table next to his pistol. Maybe it was that he had been with you for so many hours and that he was still feeling hungover, but what could it actually hurt to give you a taste of your own medicine. “Yeah, dressed like what, sweetheart?” 

You close your eyes, feeling yourself clench the moment Mingyu calls you sweetheart and his voice drops an octave. He was fighting dirty now and your body was a traitor. Shifting your legs, you tighten your thighs and clear your throat as you tilt your head, letting out a scoff. If he wanted to play, you could play. 

“Like that, you know, like a bad boy.” Giving Mingyu a once over, nice and slow, you finally meet his eyes and find that was a mistake as he lifts a brow and grins at you. Taking a deep breath, you think you turn your head away slowly, coolly, calmly, and collected—but Mingyu sees you panic and look away, making his ego grow. 

“What if I am a bad boy? Is that what you asked me before? If I was bad? If I misbehaved?” 

When had his voice gotten so low and sexy? When did Mingyu get so close? You could feel his hands on either side of you on the back of the couch as he leaned over you, standing behind the couch, but you didn’t dare look up. Instead, you focus on your phone even as you tap your foot against the floor, trying to hide how you are pushing your thighs together. Shrugging, you sigh, but it comes out shakier than intended, especially when you speak up. “I—well, I did ask that, but I was teasing you.” 

Grinning, Mingyu leans down to speak next to your ear, his eyes on your lap as he does. “And I’m teasing back. Can’t handle the heat? Stay out of the kitchen, baby.” Blowing a kiss next to your cheek, he laughs before standing back at his full height and stretching, pulling his arms behind him as he walks around the couch and towards the hallway. “I’m gonna take a shower; let me know when dinner is here.” 

You could feel sweat running between your breasts and your neck at how hot Mingyu had literally made you. Swallowing, you run your tongue over your lips and lean your head back against the couch, hearing the door to his bedroom shut, giving you a moment to finally catch your breath. God, you were in trouble. It had been fun at first, but now you wanted him. You wanted him badly. 

The rest of the night had gone fine. Even sleeping in a bed that wasn’t his—that was fine, but what wasn’t fine was waking up and walking into the kitchen to see you barely wearing anything. You were standing in front of the fridge, one hand on the door, the other pulling the carton of juice out, as you ran your toes along the back of your exposed calf. Mingyu couldn’t help but let his eyes run along your bare legs up to where your tiny shorts barely covered your ass. 

“I—aren’t you cold? I mean standing in front of the fridge like that.” 

Mingyu wasn’t much better than you were. He hadn’t opted to put on a shirt, so when you looked over at him, ready to give him some smart comments back, you almost lost grip of the juice in your hand. Choking on your words, you close the fridge and turn towards the kitchen island, reaching up to pull down two glasses, sneaking glances towards the man as you pour juice in both. “I—no. No… I’m not cold. It’s the summer, Mingyu. Clearly, I mean, you’re running around half naked.” 

Looking down at his torso, Mingyu shrugs, moving closer to the other side of the island, reaching out for one of the glasses of orange juice as you slide it to him. You had a point, but in his opinion, it was one thing for him to be shirtless and it was another for you to have your ass hanging out and your tits—god, your tits—just on display through that thin little tanktop. 

Swallowing his juice hard, Mingyu looks away from you, trying hard to think with his brain and not his cock, even as he feels it threatening to get hard just looking at you. Keep your dick in your pants. That’s what he had been told twice by Jun and Minghao, and yet you had been looking at him like he was a fucking three course dinner from the moment he had picked you up at the airport. How was he supposed to keep it civil with you when you were acting like you wanted to fuck him as badly as he wanted to fuck you—and he barely knew you. Did that even matter at this point? It had never mattered before with any other girl. 

You were doing your best not to ogle Mingyu, but it was easier said than done. With your glass against your lips, your eyes walked the line from his face to the top of his pajama pants, where they hung low on his lips. You could trace the line of his v-cut and you could imagine doing it with your fingers or your lips, it was only when he cleared his throat, sat his glass down and moved around the island towards you that you were startled enough to stop staring. 

“What are you doing?” Shifting out of Mingyu’s way, you watch as he opens the fridge and mutters to himself, ignoring your question as he pulls out a few things and sits them on the counter. Giving you a smile, he furrows his brows and opens a few of the lower cabinets until he finds the pots and pans he wants. “Making breakfast, sweetheart. What’s it look like? Didn’t look like you were gonna do it. I figure bigwig doctors don’t have to cook for themselves anyway.” 

Rolling your eyes, you shift slightly, letting Mingyu pull the drawer open next to you as you feel his body pressed against yours. His skin was hot to the touch, and while his words frustrated you, having him so close made you struggle not to grab him. 

Taking a spatula from the drawer, Mingyu winks at you and pushes the drawer shut, stepping back to hear you let out a slow breath. He could tell you were irritated with him. He liked it. You were a brat and he was enjoying pushing your buttons. It didn’t matter if you were this smart as fuck doctor who could probably run laps around him when it came to most things, he could still teach you a few lessons. 

“What? What’s that look for? Am I wrong? You don’t have a personal chef?” Cracking a few eggs into a bowl in front of him, Mingyu watches you cross your arms over your stomach as you scoff. You weren’t able to say anything, which told him he wasn’t that far off. “Or you do. Is that a doctor thing or a Wen thing?” 

“You are so fucking annoying... I hope you cook as well as you run your mouth.” There was some fire to your tone of voice and it was going straight to Mingyu’s cock again. Smirking to himself as he pours the eggs into the pan, he adjusts the heat and meets your eyes only for a second before taking a few slices of bacon from the package and adding them to another pan. 

“Afraid I’ll try to put something in your mouth you won’t like?” Mingyu’s words make your cheeks heat up. Scoffing, you try to think of the right thing to say, but nothing comes to mind quickly enough so he fills the empty space with his irritatingly handsome laugh. “Come on, you know that was funny. I have to tease you a little bit. You’ve been keeping me on my toes, sweetheart.” 

Pushing your tongue against your cheek, you meet Mingyu’s eyes as he puts the bacon next to the eggs and puts the pan back on the stove, only to rest his hand on the counter next to your hip. “Keep lookin’ at me like that and you’ll make me think you want me to do more than tease.” 

“Yeah? And what happened to behaving?” You smirk, looking down at Mingyu’s hand, then back up at his eyes as he takes a step closer to you. Both of you knew this was a bad idea, but as you bite at your pretty bottom lip, letting it get caught between your teeth as you smile at him, Mingyu’s resolve breaks. Stepping in front of you, he puts his other hand on the other side of you to keep you pinned to the island as you take a deep, shaky breath. “I think I’m done trying to behave. How ‘bout you, sweetheart?” 

Mingyu had put the ball in your court. He wasn’t touching you yet. If you wanted to get away from him, you could. He would listen to you if you told him to get away, but those words never left your mouth. Instead, you whine his name, reaching up to grab him by his neck and pulling him down to your lips. Mingyu groans into the kiss, feeling your nails scratch at the back of his neck and into his hairline. It had been a while since a kiss had made him feel like this. He usually avoided kissing his hookups, but occasionally they would whine about it enough that he’d give in and they were nothing like this. They were nothing like you. 

Sliding his hands from the counter to your hips, Mingyu nips at your lips as his fingers dig into your flesh through your clothes and he lifts you up and onto the counter. Stepping between your legs, he smiles against your lips before licking the seam of your lips, asking for permission until you give it to him, parting your lips. His tongue glides along yours and he groans to the taste of your mouth as his hands pull you forward and into his hips, letting you feel his cock hard between your legs. 

Furrowing your brows, you lean your head back to take a breath, hoping your mind might clear—that you might come to your senses—but Mingyu’s lips move to your jaw and then your neck. He only makes you want him more. You weren’t like this usually. No man could make you throw yourself at them, but there was something about Kim Mingyu. Maybe it was being away from home and having no one around to tell you to be perfect. You felt like you could go on desire instead of common sense. 

“Oh my god, Mingyu...” You sound so desperate that it makes Mingyu groan against your throat, his hands finding the counter under you once again. He feels his cock twitch in his pajama pants at the breathy moans leaving your mouth and every single lie that he will have to tell Jun and Minghao feels worth it. 

“Fuck, you sound so pretty. Just like an angel.” Taking a step back, Mingyu runs his fingers along the sides of your legs, feeling chill bumps spread along your skin until he meets your shorts. Tilting his head, he licks his lips and meets your eyes, looking for you to give him permission as he pushes his fingers into the top of your shorts. Nodding, you lift your hips and press your lips together when Mingyu tugs your shorts down to your thighs with a groan. “Baby, you’re trying to kill me. You knew what you were wearing when you came into this kitchen. You were asking for me to fuck you, huh?” 

Shaking your head, you still smile as Mingyu lifts your legs and drops your shorts onto the kitchen floor at his feet. You shiver at the feeling of his nails lightly scratching along the slides of your legs as he steps back between your legs, his eyes falling to his prize. “‘Course you were. It’s okay; you can tell me, angel. Have you been this wet the entire time?” 

Lifting his hand to his lips, Mingyu runs his tongue along the pad of his thumb as you watch. Keeping his eyes on you, he uses his thumb to spread your wet folds, searching for your clit. When you arch your back, pushing your hips toward his hand, Mingyu smirks and draws a circle around the small bundle of nerves. 

“Please, please, oh my god.” Your voice goes straight to Mingyu’s cock. He feels himself start to leak against his pants as he turns his hand, brushing his knuckles against your folds when you lift your hips, trying to get more from him. 

“Please what? You know... you haven’t been very nice to me, Y/N.” Mingyu meets your eyes, and as he pouts his lips, his words almost sound sad. Scoffing, you glance down at his hand only to have his free hand grab your chin, bringing your eyes back to his face. “Eyes on me. You have teased me since you got here. You might be pretty as an angel, but you are a brat. I need to teach you a lesson, baby.” 

Whining, you lean your head back, a pout on your lips this time as Mingyu’s fingers move from your pussy to your leg. “No, no… I’m sorry. Touch me. I can be good.” Mingyu’s lips pull up in a smirk as he tilts his head, listening to your begging. He could get used to the sound of that, but it wasn’t good enough. All he had done was threaten, and he had to follow through. 

“Are you scared?” Strong hands grip your hips as Mingyu slides you to the end of the counter. You meet his eyes and try to think about how to answer him. Swallowing hard, you nod, and Mingyu nods, lifting one hand up to cup your cheek. Taking a step back, he leans in and kisses you so sweetly that your head spins, only for you to gasp into a surprised moan when his other hand comes down in a sharp slap over your wet folds. “Want me to stop?” 

Breathing hard against his lips, you close your eyes tightly to the strange feeling of pain and pleasure as Mingyu’s fingers run through your folds once again. Pushing his index finger into your tight hole, he keeps his eyes on you, waiting for your answer, but you only shake your head. “Words, angel, or I will stop.” 

Wrapping your fingers around his wrist, you push Mingyu’s finger into you further and he groans on your lips, meeting your eyes. Leaning in a few inches to press your lips to his, you speak between kisses, keeping your eyes on his. “Don’t stop. Teach me a lesson, Mingyu.”

A deep groan comes from Mingyu’s throat, almost a growl as he leans his forehead against yours, hearing those words come out of your mouth. You were where this untarnished, this perfect white rose… and he was going to ruin you. 

“Oh, I’ll teach you something you’ll never forget, baby. You're dripping down my finger, just like a little whore.” Gasping not only at Mingyu’s words but also at the feeling of a second finger pushing into you beside the first, you grab at his wrist again. Mingyu grins, an almost cruel laugh on his lips, as he rubs his fingers back slowly towards his palm, feeling your soft walls on his fingertips. “I thought you were supposed to be respectable. That’s what your brother told me.” 

Trying to lift your lips, you whine Mingyu’s name when his free hand pushes your hips back down on the kitchen counter. Tsking at your behavior, he leans his head back and meets your eyes as he lifts his brows and slides his fingers out almost all the way. “I’m talking, angel. Stop being so fucking impatient. You told me to teach you a lesson, so listen to me.” 

Fingers plunge back into you, causing you to choke on a moan. Mingyu relishes the sounds coming from your mouth as much as he enjoys the feeling of your pussy sucking his fingers back in with every thrust. 

“Please… please. I’m good. I’m listening.” Your words are almost incoherent babbling and Mingyu can’t help but smirk. Were you that drunk off of him already? He had barely started. All you had gotten from him was a kiss and his fingers fucking you, and you were struggling to remember how to speak. 

“So fucking pretty and making such a mess.” Your cheeks burn in embarrassment because you know that Mingyu isn’t lying. You can hear how wet you are as his fingers fuck into you at such a brutal pace that you are seeing stars. 

Unable to keep yourself up anymore, you slide your hands back, only to gasp in surprise when  you hear the sound of glass hitting the floor and shattering. Mingyu laughs, his eyes on you, as you try to look for what fell. “Who the fuck cares? I don’t even want breakfast anymore. I got mine right here.” 

Running your hand over your face, you struggle to catch your breath as you lay back on the counter, feeling Mingyu’s fingers slide from you, leaving you right on the edge of your orgasm. If you were any more coherent, you would have yelled at him for not finishing, but you didn’t have time to come to your senses or to be angry. The feeling of Mingyu’s tongue taking the place of his fingers has your stomach in knots. Trying to push your thighs together, you find it impossible as a strong hand holds one leg up, and Mingyu’s face grinds into your pussy. 

There were few things that Mingyu loved more than getting his dick wet, but eating pussy was one of them. The feeling of a woman’s thighs around his head, having to take deep breaths between groaning against her soft plush folds—that was better. Mingyu could feel himself getting close to his own climax. He knew he could ask you to let him fuck you, that you’d probably agree, but this was it. This was what he had wanted the moment he walked into the kitchen and saw your ass peeking from under those little shorts. 

Digging his nails into your skin, Mingyu nudges his nose against your clit as he sucks at your pussy, enjoying not only your taste but the smell and feeling of you against his mouth and skin. Yes, this was one of his favorite things to do, but with you? This was fucking heaven. You were heaven. He had been calling you an angel because of how you were moaning his name, but tasting your cum on his tongue and feeling you grind against his face? You had to be his one gift from God. 

You weren’t sure how many times Mingyu had made you cum on his tongue. You had never felt anyone use their mouth like him and by the time that you had your fingers in his hair pulling him from your thighs, you were sobbing and your legs were shaking. Meeting your eyes, Mingyu licks his lips before glancing back down at his prize with a groan. You were beautiful. From the top of your head to your toes, your pussy—wet and swollen from his mouth was to die for. 

“I need—I wanna help you. God, you are trying to kill me.” You watch Mingyu run his fingers through his hair, a sheepish grin on his face as he stands up between your legs. You were out of breath, you looked exhausted and pliant. Mingyu shakes his head as he wipes his mouth, feeling your fingers tugging at his hand, only for him to wrap his fingers around your wrist and keep your hand still. 

“I’m good. You did help me.” Shaking your head, you move to your elbows and whine, reaching for Mingyu’s pajama pants, when you realize he’s not hard anymore. Furrowing your brows, you meet his eyes once again to see his brows lift as he licks his lips. “I came, baby. ‘Sides... told you I had to teach you a lesson. It was a lesson in what happens when you tease me.” 

Mingyu watches a pout form on your lips. You were devestantly cute and it was bad for not only his job but his health. Jun and Minghao were going to kick his ass or they might just kill him. Shaking his head, Mingyu leans down to press his lips to yours as you whine his name and slide your fingers along his sides, feeling a thin layer of sweat under your hands. 

“I know I need a fuckin’ shower now... and you need to eat. I’ll clean up the glass. Don’t step on the other side.” 

He was like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Watching Mingyu move away from you, you furrow your brows as he picks up a dish towel and leans down to clean up orange juice and broken glass. Just moments ago, he was calling you a little whore, and now he was worried about you getting hurt and needing to eat. Biting at your lip, you swallow hard and slide off the counter to pick up your shorts and put them back on as you listen to Mingyu pick up the pieces of your cup. 

“Should we—I don’t know, should we talk about what just happened?” Your voice makes Mingyu want to laugh as he puts pieces of glass into the dish towel and tries to avoid cutting his fingers. You seemed confused or maybe even like you regretted it. Shaking his head, Mingyu lets out a breath and moves to the trash with his towel, dropping it all in before meeting your eyes. “Do you wanna pretend it didn’t—” 

“Oh my god! No… I liked it. I just—Jun and Hao. Should we talk about—” Lifting his hands, Mingyu laughs, making you stop before you spiral. Moving back around the counter, you watch him take in a deep breath and it draws your eyes to his chest once again. God, he really was the most beautiful man you had ever seen and you had just had his face between your legs. Your mind was spinning. 

“It’s between us. I won’t tell them if you don’t. I’d actually prefer to keep my cock attached to my body.” Smirking, Mingyu tilts his head, reaching up to grab your chin, making you meet his eyes instead of looking at his chest. “You seem to be interested in it too, so... deal?” 

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He was so lewd. He went from being almost sweet to making you feel like you were dirty. Nodding, you feel Mingyu’s thumb run over your bottom lip as he hums happily. “That’s a good girl. I’m gonna shower, eat what I made, even if it’s cold.” 

Dropping his hand, Mingyu lets his fingers trail over your hip as he walks towards the hall, leaving you alone in the kitchen with your head spinning and your thighs aching. 

You had hoped that Mingyu would act differently after the morning’s extracurricular activities, but as soon as he got out of the shower and you were back in the living room with him, you found him with his phone in his hand. You were starting to hate his phone. He sat with you on the couch and didn’t care when you tried to lean in close to him, but he didn’t attempt to make any more moves on you. 

It was like night and day. 

Sighing at his phone, Mingyu shifts against you as you watch tv. Glancing at his wrist, he rolls his eyes and slides letting you unceremoniously fall against the cushions. Pushing yourself back up, your eyes follow him as he moves to pick up his leather jacket and pulls it on before glancing at you with an unsure look in his eyes. Words on the tip of his tongue before he finally bites the bullet, “I have to go into work. It’s gonna be busy, I can’t let Minghao cover that shit alone.” 

Sitting up, you glance around the room before meeting his eyes once more as he waits for you to give him permission, though he knows he doesn’t need it. Yes, he was supposed to keep you safe and “entertained”, but what all could happen to you in a cushy penthouse. “So… be a good girl, and I’ll be back in the morning.” 

Your mouth falls open and you are on your feet before Mingyu takes the first step. You weren’t going to be a good girl, it seemed. Sighing, Mingyu runs his fingers through his hair. He had a good idea what you were about to ask, but hearing the words come out of your mouth didn’t make them easier to hear or to decline. “Can I come?” 

Shaking his head no, he moves past you, feeling your hand grab his wrist as you stomp your feet and whine his name. He had been told explicitly not to bring you to the lounge. Of course, he had already broken some rules with you, which made it harder to look you in the eye. 

“Your brother told me to absolutely not bring you to the lounge. Y/N, baby, please. Just stay here and be good. Place isn’t for women like you anyway.” Mingyu’s words make you scoff. Women like you. What did he think you were? Some saint? Trying to jerk Mingyu’s arm back towards you, you aren’t surprised when he is able to pull free with little effort. 

Mingyu hated saying no to you, especially with how you were looking at him. He could tell you were upset with him, but he’d rather you be a little irritated than have you being felt up by some low life at the bar. Reaching up to grab your chin between his fingers, Mingyu presses his lips to yours, feeling you pout into the kiss for just a moment until you relax. You couldn’t stay mad at him. It wasn’t like he could just put his life on hold for you, though you desperately wanted him to. 

“Mm, I’ll make it up to you tomorrow. We’re closed… I’ll treat you so good.” You could feel your knees go weak at the smooth tone of Mingyu’s voice as his fingers traced your jaw. He was playing you like a fiddle and you just nodded like the pathetic girl you are before kissing him once more at the door. 

Watching the door shut, you whine and throw your head back dramatically before picking up your phone and laying on the couch. You knew Mingyu was probably right, but that didn’t make it any easier to feel like Rapunzel stuck in a glass tower. 

Y/N: [picture attached]

Mingyu sighs out a breath of smoke as he uses the palm of his hand to pull his G-Wagon into his usual parking spot. It was already getting late in the afternoon so getting to the lounge this late was like getting to class after the bell. 

Taking one last pull from his cigarette, Mingyu tosses it to the pavement before pushing it into the concrete with his boot as he takes his cell phone from his pocket to check his messages from you. He knew he had a few. You were tempting him to come back to the penthouse and as much as he wanted to bring you along, or get back and throw you on a bed, he had a job to do. 

Mingyu: That doesn’t look like a good girl. Just a pretty slut with great tits. 

Mingyu smirks to himself as you send a string of dramatic responses before he slides his phone back into his jacket and makes his way towards the building. You’d be fine. You were safe and away from the shit that your brother had hoped to keep secret from you. It wasn’t Mingyu’s fault you knew about it, but he could at least do what he was told and not bring you in right under Minghao’s nose. 

“Hey man, I thought I was gonna have to do this shit by myself again.” Taking a deep breath, Mingyu shakes his head at Soonyoung’s words as he slips by the smaller man at the door. There were already a few people lined up waiting to get in. He had been in Soonyoung’s place before, and while he could handle it by himself now, he remembered the stress of being newer and being left to the dogs. 

“Nah… I’m here. Sorry about last night. Had something else the boss wanted me to do.” Mingyu grabs one of the glasses from the bar and pours himself a shot of whiskey as Soonyoung nods along with his words before droning on about the night before. He liked Soonyoung, but he could already feel a headache behind his eyes as Chan turned up the volume at his booth, the bass causing his ears to ring. 

“So, I’m just sayin’... there are some real pricks comin’ every single fuckin’ night.” Leaning his head back, Mingyu winces at the burn of the alcohol before nodding, not even meeting Soonyoung’s eyes. “I get it. Don’t fucking worry about it. If they show up, I’ll take care of ‘em.” 

Soonyoung’s shoulders relax at Mingyu’s words. He was happy to have him back. He could do his job and Vernon was decent help, but there wasn’t anyone like Mingyu. It was different when you had a 6’2” wall next to you who wasn’t afraid to put someone in their place. “Cool, cool, alright, man. Thanks.” 

For the first couple of hours, Mingyu felt like he could fall asleep at the door. It was mundane and he was beginning to wonder if this was actually a Saturday night or not, but by hour three, he was eating his words. After four bar fights and a debate on whether one man needed an ambulance or not later, Mingyu was taking a much needed smoke break. 

Scrolling through texts from you, he found himself smirking at how needy you were being. It wasn’t just that you wanted him to come home and fuck you—it was that you were bored and spoiled. All he had done was play around with you a bit, fuck you on his tongue and fingers and you were already a spoiled little princess. 

Mingyu: Baby… I’ll be back in a few hours. Don’t you remember what I said? Trying to make me regret it? 

Mingyu: Want me to take it back?

Pouting at your phone, you push your head back into your pillows as you kick your legs from under your blankets. You couldn’t believe he was actually going to stay out all night. You couldn’t believe that Minghao would keep him out that late, knowing that you were here, but you also knew you were being unreasonable. You knew that Mingyu had a life before you got here, and he’d have one once you flew back home. 

Y/N: No… Just miss you. It’s lonely in this big, ‘ol apartment. How’s work?

With his cigarette between his lips, Mingyu scoffs softly, almost feeling a bit soft at your response. You were so sweet, it was frustrating. You made him feel a bit crazy. Mingyu knew you weren’t his for long. You shouldn’t be his at all… he had made promises, but you had landed in his lap and he wasn’t going to let it go to waste. 

Mingyu furrows his brows at the sounds of footsteps behind him as he looks down at his half written response to you on his phone. It could be anyone; he was behind the building, but not many people came out unless they were doing exactly what he was doing or they were looking for someone. Someone looking for him? Soonyoung? Minghao? 

Turning his head and starting to speak, Mingyu feels the breath get knocked from his lungs as the cigarette falls from his lips to the ground along with his phone. Concrete bites at the heels of his hands as Mingyu hits the ground, the sharp feeling of a boot hitting his side knocking any chance of a full breath from his lungs. 

“Get up, motherfucker.” 

Mingyu groans, tasting copper in his mouth, his head lifting just in time for him to react and use the strength he has to catch the foot aimed at his head. Twisting hard, Mingyu rolls his body over, pulling the man down until he is under him, bringing his elbow down across the man’s cheek with a loud crack. 

Neither notices the doors to the building opening until the light spreads over the ground, letting Mingyu see who had attacked him. Lee Eunseok, one of the men he had thrown out earlier in the night for starting a fight, and more importantly, one of Park Bonhwa’s faithful followers. 

“Gyu! He’s down, it’s done!” 

Minghao’s voice rings in Mingyu’s ears as he lands another punch to the side of Eunseok’s face, feeling muscle and bone give under his knuckles. He only stops when Soonyoung, Minghao, and Vernon pull him off, leaving the other man to catch his breath and bleed on the ground. 

Tugging his arms away from his friends, Mingyu’s voice comes out as more of a growl as he feels his lungs and stomach twist in pain. “Get the fuck off me!” Hands move from him, but they stay close, keeping him from going back to Eunseok as he rolls on to his side, laughter escaping his cracked, bleeding lips between words. “Such a little bitch, Kim.” Sliding his hand towards Mingyu’s phone, he looks at the screen at your name before holding it up to show it to Mingyu and the others with a look on his face that makes Mingyu feel sick to his stomach. “Your girlfriend? Should I call her and say hi?” 

Minghao moves forward before Mingyu can, grabbing the phone from Eunseok reading your name and turning off the screen. His eyes meet Mingyu’s and it tells him everything he needs to know. Not only had Eunseok struck a nerve, but there was plenty to talk about later. 

“Get this son of a bitch off the property.” Mingyu’s eyes never leave Minghao's, even as Soonyoung and Vernon move to lift Eunseok from the ground and drag him towards the parking lot. Offering him his phone, Minghao gives Mingyu a once over shaking his head as the larger man takes it and spits blood onto the ground to clear it from his mouth. 

“I don’t wanna talk about—” 

“I don’t give a fuck what you want to talk about. What did I tell you?” Sucking in a breath as he lifts his hand, running it through his hair, Minghao curses under his breath, pointing towards the doors for Mingyu to move. In theory, Mingyu knew he could tell him to shove it up his ass. He could walk away, but he also knew that would be the end of his life. Jun wouldn’t let him just walk away. So Mingyu put his head down like a child in trouble and walked towards the building as Minghao followed in tow. 

The sound of the office door closing only makes Mingyu’s head throb more. He felt like he could finally catch his breath, though he knew he had bruised ribs. He could still taste the blood in his mouth and all he wanted to do was go after Eunseok and finish what the man had started. It wasn’t in Mingyu’s nature—at least as of late—to just “let it go”. 

Sitting down against the desk, Minghao runs his fingers through his hair, giving Mingyu a good once over. He had seen him be careless the last few weeks, but directly going against orders—even that was bold for him. He knew that you were attractive and could be a tease, that didn’t excuse Mingyu from thinking with his dick instead of his head. 

“If Jun finds out—”

“Why does he have to?” Rolling his neck from side to side, Mingyu lets out breath before lowering himself into a chair in front of Minghao. To him, this was simple. He knew that Minghao was Jun’s best friend, but he was also supposed to be his best friend. Where was his protection? Where was his bit of grace when he fucked up? He never got that. He just got sent to a corner or told to clean up someone's shit. 

Scoffing, Minghao rests his hands on the desk under him, studying Mingyu. “You think it’s just that easy? That I can lie to Jun about something to do with his sister?” Minghao shakes his head and looks towards a painting on the wall as Mingyu shifts in the seat, feeling anxious, ready to get up and leave. 

“Not like I’m knockin—” Before the rest of the words are out of his mouth, Minghao’s eyes are back on Mingyu and his mouth shuts as he rethinks his words again. “It’s just fun. It’s fun for her. I wouldn’t do anything to fuck it up. I’m not stupid.” 

That was up for debate as far as Minghao was concerned, especially with what had almost come out of Mingyu’s mouth. Just the idea of him getting you pregnant was enough to give Minghao a migraine and for him to watch Mingyu out of his sight. Lifting his hand, Minghao rubs at his eyes with a groan of annoyance as he shakes his head. His words are strained, and he regrets them as soon as they are spoken. “Just keep it to yourselves. I don’t want to see it and I don’t want to know about it. Jun will break your fuckin’ neck, Gyu.” 

Lifting two fingers to his forehead, Mingyu gives Minghao a sarcastic salute as he sighs and pushes out of the chair. “Got it, boss. I’m cuttin’ outta here early. I think getting the shit kicked out of me gives me a pass, don’t you?” 

There was something eating at Minghao about how Mingyu was acting, but he couldn’t blame him for wanting to leave a couple of hours early to get some rest after what had happened. Taking a deep breath, he nods before saying Mingyu’s name, watching the large man turn back towards him with a clenched jaw. “Text me when you get home. Just wanna make sure you're feelin’ okay. You were spittin’ up a lotta blood before.” 

Waving Minghao off, Mingyu mutters under his breath as he pushes the door open and his eyes move right for the exit. Minghao would be waiting a bit for that text. 

Mingyu wasn’t thinking clearly; he was just seeing red as he drove towards where he suspected Eunseok to be. Throwing his car into park, Mingyu winces as he looks at the back of the blacked out Cadillac. He knew he was in the way as Eunseok put the Cadillac in reverse and cursed under his breath while watching Mingyu get out of his vehicle and walk towards his door. 

“Get the fuck out.” Point his finger towards the window; Mingyu doesn’t need to see Eunseok’s face to know he can hear him. When he doesn’t open the door immediately, the red Mingyu had been seeing goes to black as he jerks the door open and reaches for the man. He grabs  Eunseok’s shirt under his hands and Mingyu grits his teeth, seething as he tries to pull him from the car. Falling back, he feels searing pain in his right arm. 

The sound of the gunshot doesn’t even register as much as Eunseok’s panicked breath and the way he fumbles the gun. Taking a step back, Mingyu looks down at his arm, the blood running along the brown leather and he acts before he thinks. His fingers wrap around the grip of his gun and before Eunseok can get off a second shot, Mingyu pulls the trigger, watching the man fall back across the center console. 

The ringing in Mingyu’s ears dulls to a low hum as the world seems to slow down. Calming down, his breath slowing, the pain in his arm becomes all the more apparent. Hissing under his breath, Mingyu rolls his shoulder before looking back into the Cadillac at Eunseok’s limp body. He was half expecting the man to move and to groan in pain, but nothing happened. 

Taking a step forward, Mingyu furrows his brows as he looks at the blood splattered across the dashboard. His eyes fall to Eunseok and the blood seeps from the wound on his chest. Wiping his hand across his lips, Mingyu groans, stopping himself from reaching for the door to steady himself. He hadn’t meant to kill him. It was self defense—instinct, but that didn’t stop the bile in his stomach from churning. 

“Fuck…” Glancing around the parking lot, Mingyu rakes his fingers through his hair, trying to keep himself calm, though his heart was beating hard, causing blood to seep even quicker from the gunshot in his bicep. There wasn’t a lot of time to stand and ponder, so acting on instinct once again, Mingyu reached for Eunseok’s jacket and took out his wallet. Pulling the cash from it, he pockets it and uses his shirt to wipe his prints from the leather before laying it on the man’s lap. 

It wasn’t perfect. If he had more time, he’d get rid of the car and Eunseok’s body completely, but the sun was going to rise soon, and Mingyu was bleeding too much. There was already a chance his blood was somewhere and if the cops looked too closely— no, he wouldn’t let himself think about that. 

Slamming the door shut, Mingyu wipes down the door handle and stumbles backwards, feeling the loose concrete under his feet as he takes one last look around. There had been many times when he had fucked up, but this time really took the cake. Mingyu slides behind the wheel of his car and winces in pain as he shifts it into reverse, the wheels spinning the gravel as he speeds off towards your penthouse. 

Minghao: Has Mingyu gotten in yet?

Y/N: No, he said he’d be back in the morning. 

Staring at your phone, you felt a sense of dread in your stomach. Why would Minghao be asking you about Mingyu? And why would he be asking if he was back yet? Something felt wrong. 

Pressing down on Mingyu’s name, you put your phone to your ear, listening to the sound of it ringing as you bite on your lips. If he were at the bar, he might not answer you. He had stopped answering your texts, but you had assumed he was busy. But then there was that text from Minghao. Wasn’t he also working? 

No answer. You start to pace, your lips starting to feel raw as you hit Mingyu’s name again and listen to the three rings and then Mingyu’s voice tells you he can’t come to the phone. “What the fuck, Mingyu?” 

Leaning against the door to the penthouse, Mingyu groans, feeling his phone go off in his pocket. He didn’t know if it was Minghao, Jun, you, or worse... but he just had one thing on his mind, getting inside. You drop your phone on the couch as you hear the sound of the door opening, rushing towards it. Stopping to lift your hands to your mouth in shock as Mingyu moves through the door and leans back against it to take a deep breath. 

Your eyes follow the blood as it drips from his jacket onto the white tile, keeping you frozen in place for only a moment until you rush forward and push at his jacket, trying to get it off. “Let me see it.” Shaking his head, Mingyu knocks his head back against the door at your panicked voice. In that moment, he forgets who you are, besides the girl he’s been flirting with. All he can think is that you are being dramatic, but your fingers on his face pulling his attention to you brings him back to reality. “Take off the fucking jacket, Mingyu. I need to see what happened. Is it a gunshot? I need to see if it went through or if I need to get the bullet out.” 

Mingyu’s brows furrow as he shrugs his shoulders, letting you remove his jacket and tossing it to the floor. You’re a doctor. That realization comes back to him as you tug his t-shirt sleeve up and carefully inspect his arm. “Gunshot.” One word. That's all Mingyu can manage, but it’s enough for you. Meeting his eyes, you nod and take his left hand, leading him through the living room and finally to the couch. 

“Sit down. I need to get a few things.” Pointing at the couch, you wait for Mingyu to sit, but when he doesn’t right away, you sigh and push at his chest to guide him down. “Y/N… I can deal with it myself. You don’t gotta—” 

As if you know what Mingyu is going to say, you give him a sharp look, leaning to press your lips against his, silencing him. Leaning back just enough to look him in the eye, you furrow your brows and let out a slow breath. “Stay here and stop fucking complaining.” 

Leaning his head back on the back of the couch, Mingyu takes a deep breath, feeling the throb in his arm. Without his jacket on, the pain was even more intense and it felt like you were taking your time. In reality, you were going through your bag as quickly as possible to find what medical supplies you had the forethought to pack. The gunshot on Mingyu’s arm wasn’t life threatening, it wasn’t even something you hadn’t dealt with before, but it was more that it was him. 

Your slippers hit the floor as you quickly make your way back to Mingyu, finding him already getting antsy. You knew he could be reckless but now he was being willfully ignorant. Mingyu clinched his teeth as he pushed the skin on his bicep together as if he were making anything about his situation better—as if without any tools he could mend it. 

“What the fuck are you doing, Mingyu?! Get your dirty hands off. I swear to God, are you just being stu—” You stop mid sentence when you meet Mingyu’s eyes, seeing what you swear are tears on the rims of his eyes. You knew he was in pain; he had to be. It was one thing to be shot, the bullet to go straight through, but whoever had shot him had almost missed him and the bullet had cut through muscle and flesh, leaving a good two to three inch gash, dripping blood angrily down his arm. 

Sitting beside him, your eyes follow Mingyu’s shaky hand as it drops to his lap, blood covering his fingers. “I’m not tryin’ to be stupid. Just… it fucking hurts, Y/N.” Your stomach twists at his words, but you keep your head pulling a pair of gloves on and moving closer to get to work. 

You didn’t have everything you would have in a normal hospital setting. There was no anesthetic. You didn’t have anything to make your needle less painful as you worked it through Mingyu’s skin, and yet he didn’t complain. The most you heard from him were sharp breaths and the occasional grunt, but when you put in the final stitch and meet his eyes, Mingyu gives you an exhausted nod. 

“It’s not the best work I’ve ever done. If you had gotten here sooner and didn’t fuck with it, I might have been able to save you from some of the scarring, but—” Mingyu’s eyes follow you as you take off your soiled gloves and put them into a bag, along with a few other things, and your voice falls off into a soft breath. He didn’t care about the scar. He had plenty; another one wasn’t going to change anything. 

“Thank you. I’m sorry if I scared you.” Mingyu’s words cause you to scoff. Moving to your feet, you carefully discard the items you used before making your way to the sink to scrub your hands. He had no idea how much he had scared you and how much it frightened you that you felt anything about it. “Comes with the job. I mean, not all the time. Shit happened tonight. I didn’t mean—” 

Lifting your hands, you look up at Mingyu and shake your head, watching his mouth close, his explanation go unfinished. “I’m not sure I want the specifics. I’m just glad you aren’t any more hurt than this. When I saw the blood—” Letting out a breath, you turn off the sink and lean over the counter, looking down at the white quartz countertop under your fingers. “I know you are used to getting hurt, but it scared the shit out of me, Mingyu.” 

The bile that Mingyu felt after seeing what he had done to Eunseok churns in his stomach once again as you speak. His eyes move over your pretty face as you look at the countertop, as if it will ground you. This was why he didn’t get too close to people. If he got hurt or killed, no one would care. No one should care. Why would you care? But if you got hurt, the idea of it—thinking about you hurting like he was tonight—made Mingyu want to scream.

“Well, I’m fine, baby. You patched me up, and if you think I look bad, should’a seen the other guy.” It was a bad attempt at de-escalating the situation and Mingyu knew it. He regretted the words as soon as they came out of his mouth. Shaking his head, Mingyu looks down at his blood stained fingers as you take a sharp breath, seeming to realize the magnitude of the situation. Mingyu had been shot. Someone had to have been firing that gun. What had happened to the one holding it? 

“What about the other guy, Mingyu?” Moving around the kitchen island, you wait for Mingyu to answer you, but instead he stands up and winces at the way the muscle in his arm pulls. Shaking his head, he avoids your eyes, looking towards the hallway, before bringing his hand up to his lips to start to wipe them, only to smell the copper and stop. “Don’t worry about it. I’m going to take a shower and get some sleep. Thanks again, Doc.” 

Leaning his head back into the stream of water, Mingyu sighs, feeling the stress of the day weighing on him. He had thought that things were getting better. You had been a great distraction for a bit, but today was a painful reminder that his life wasn’t going to change. The pain radiating down into his fingertips was enough of a sign that this was all he was going to get. 

There was a reason that Mingyu was the way he was. He didn’t speak to his family. He didn’t keep women around for more than a night. The friends he had were all in the same line of business as he was and he wasn’t sure if things came to push or shove or if some of them would take a bullet for him. Mingyu was good at keeping people at a distance and it was for a good reason. 

You had been in his life for less than a week; barely anything had happened between the two of you, and already Mingyu was stressed over you getting hurt. He didn’t want to hurt you or be the cause of it. That had been the main reason he had gone after Eunseok the way he had. If Eunseok hadn’t seen your name, maybe Mingyu would have come back to the penthouse and called it a night. Maybe he could have let everything go, but seeing that smirk on the man’s lips and thinking of a dozen things that could happen to you had sent him over the edge. 

Leaning his forehead against the shower wall, Mingyu runs his tongue over his lips, collecting the water from them as he curses himself mentally. What would you think he told you about why he had killed a person tonight? What would you think if you really understood that he had killed someone? You’d be terrified of him, and rightfully so, but that was Mingyu’s life. That was this life that Jun was trying to keep you from. 

Hitting his head lightly against the tile as he groans, having made up his mind, Mingyu stands at his full height and reaches over to turn off the shower with more force than necessary. Things had been fun while they lasted but if he was going to keep you safe—safe from him—he needed to distance himself from you. Jun would be back in another week and you would be out of his hair. He just needed to do the bare minimum and keep you out of trouble. You weren’t important to him. 

Even thinking the lie made Mingyu feel sick to his stomach as he swiped his hand across the mirror, wiping the condensation from it. His eyes move to his arm and your careful work. While he was in pain, Mingyu knew it could be much worse. He had been in worse situations before, with hack-job doctors patching him up, leaving him with infections. Being careful not to touch the stitches, Mingyu furrows his brows as he runs his fingers along his bicep and sighs your name under his breath as if it will make his plan any easier. 

A towel around his waist, Mingyu pushes the door to his bathroom open, still going over what he’s going to say to you once he’s dressed, only to stop in his tracks when he sees you sitting on his bed. Every thought of pushing you away almost instantaneously slips from his mind when you give him a sad smile, lifting your shoulders as your eyes move over his body finally landing on his arm. 

“I wanna wrap your arm. You need to keep it clean and dry.” Looking down at the gauze in your hand, you try not to focus on how Mingyu’s body makes you feel, because in that moment, it’s not why you are there. You had come to his room to help him and to tell him something important; it wasn’t your fault that he was wet and almost naked. Clearing your throat, you nod, still looking at your hands and listening to the sound of Mingyu’s feet on the wood floor as you speak. “And I wanted to apologize for what I asked earlier. It’s not my place to question your job. I know you are doing your best. Mingyu—” 

Fingers slide along your jaw and the heel of Mingyu’s hand lifts, tilting your head up towards him as he stands next to the bed in front of you. You can see the sadness in his eyes and it makes you want to question him, but instead you just whine his name one more time, breaking his resolve completely. There was no staying away from you, no doing the bare minimum—that was the stupidest idea Mingyu had ever thought of. The only thing that mattered was the feeling of your soft lips against his as he leaned over you. 

Your fingers flex in the air before you reach for something in front of you, one hand finding Mingyu’s waist and the other his forearm. The feeling of his damp skin under your hands grounds you and reminds you why you were there in the first place, giving you the strength to pull back from the kiss even as Mingyu chases your lips. “Wait, no, I want it. Please, Mingyu… I want this. I just—let me wrap your arm first. Okay, baby?” 

Baby. Hearing that name on your lips causes Mingyu to shudder, his mouth falling open as he nods silently. You tug gently on his arm, bringing him towards the bed, feeling shy under his intense gaze. Your touch is gentle as you work the gauze around Mingyu’s bicep a few times, covering the wound completely. Mingyu smirks to himself, watching how your brows crease in the middle when you concentrate, being careful to place the medical tape in the right places before finally meeting his eyes. 

“Am I allowed to kiss you now? Can I move?” You make an unsure sound at Mingyu’s question even as he takes the roll of tape from your hands and puts it on the nightstand beside you. “I—yes, but you have to be careful, and... take these first.” Dodging another kiss, you listen to Mingyu groan in frustration as you swipe two pills from the nightstand and offer them to him along with a glass of water. 

“What are they?” Furrowing his brows as he looks at the pills in your palm, Mingyu extends his own hand for you to drop them into before popping them into your mouth without hearing the explanation first. “Vicodin… I don’t have a lot with me, but I keep a few things... just in case.” 

Taking a gulp of the water, Mingyu nods along with your words, feeling grateful. He knew he would have had his own way of coping with pain, but your way seemed safer in hindsight. Letting you take the glass of water back, Mingyu tilts his head, waiting for you to stop him once again, but a small smile on your lips causes one to pull on his own. Using his left hand, Mingyu wraps it around your waist and tugs you down in bed, relishing in the sound of your surprised breath as he leans over your body and smiles against your lips. 

“Be careful… don’t pop your stitches.” Lightly running your fingers along Mingyu’s right arm, you stay away from the end of the gauze as Mingyu moves his lips to your jaw, speaking between kisses. “‘M fine. I don’t need that arm for this. Just need your clothes off.” 

Your mind felt clouded from the moment that Mingyu’s lips were on your skin. You couldn’t think of anything other than him. You were enjoying the warmth of his breath on your neck, the way his nails scratched at your skin as he pulled your clothes from your body, and how big he felt against your thigh under his towel. 

Tracing his side, you arch your back as Mingyu’s lips brush over your nipple, his teeth catching the bud between them with a groan. Your fingers push into the top of the towel wrapped around Mingyu’s waist and a soft chuckle against your breast tells you everything that you need to know. Glancing down at where the towel had once been, Mingyu shakes his head and tosses it to the ground, letting you feel his leaking cock against your skin. 

“If you wanted my cock out all you had to do was tell me, sweetheart.” Your eyes fall to where you feel Mingyu rut against your leg and your lips fall open in a soft moan at the sight. He was perfect. Everything about him. From his face, to his body, to his cock… he was everything you wanted in a lover. “Oh my god, Mingyu. Let me ride you.” 

That hadn’t been what Mingyu had expected. Smirking, he presses a soft kiss on your chest as he meets your eyes and tilts his head. “Yeah, that’s what you want? You don’t want me to fuck you into the mattress?” Whining, you lean your head back, trying to escape his eyes, only for Mingyu to reach up with his left hand to tilt your head back towards him before he works his kisses along your stomach, downwards. “Asked you a question, pretty girl.” 

Lifting your hips, you whimper, feeling Mingyu’s breath fanning across your folds as he moves your legs apart so he can rest between them. Putting one leg over his left shoulder, the other bent up and resting to the side, he keeps his eyes on you as he runs his index finger through your wet folds, waiting patiently for you to speak. 

“Yes… I mean—fuck, Mingyu. Can’t I ride you tonight? You can have me anyway you want later. Rest your arm. Let me sit on it.” The more you speak, the more embarrassed you get, and your voice gets meeker and meeker. You watch as Mingyu’s smirk spreads into a grin and he leans to press a kiss on your inner thigh before nipping lightly at the soft skin. 

“Mmkay, angel. You can sit on my dick, but first I gotta make sure you even can.” Before you can speak, question him about what you already know he’s going to do. Mingyu runs his tongue in a long stripe from your dripping hole to your clit with a groan. Choking back a moan, you grab at the comforter under you, getting flashbacks at how hard he had made you cum at breakfast with his tongue. 

“Please, please, please...” Mingyu wasn’t sure what you were begging for, but he wanted to give it to you. He didn’t want to make you wait for an orgasm tonight because, in his mind, that only prolonged his and he was already leaking obscenely as he rocked his hips against the bed under him. The sound of you moaning his name alone was enough to make him feel like he was going to cum, but this time he was determined to feel your pussy around his cock. 

Working two fingers into you, Mingyu pulls back from your soaked folds to watch your mouth fall open with a silent gasp at the intrusion. You were so tight that even two fingers were stretching you out. He was bigger than two of his fingers, and you were making his mind spin with how you were fucking yourself on them, begging for more. 

“Yeah? More? Fuck, you are such a pretty little slut. Taking my fingers so good in this tight cunt. What if I—” Pushing a third in beside the first two, Mingyu groans, resting his forehead against your thigh when your moan raises an octave, your walls closing around his fingers like a vice. “That’s my girl… Want you to cum for me. You want my cock? You better cum for me.” 

Throwing your head back against the pillows, you scream Mingyu’s name as your orgasm rips through you like a tidal wave. Even if Mingyu hadn’t told you to cum for him the moment his fingers had filled you the way they had, you were a goner. He seemed to know what made you tick and exactly what to do to make you fall apart, and he did it so well. 

Chuckling under his breath, Mingyu brushes his lips along your jaw before pressing a kiss to your lips and nodding to the feeling of your cum soaking his fingers. After a few more thrusts of his fingers, he carefully slides them away from you and groans to the feeling of your body trying to suck them back in. “You are so fucking greedy, angel. What are you doing to me?” 

Shaking your head, you whine out Mingyu’s name, trying to answer his question, but you don't know the answer. You weren’t necessarily trying to do anything to him, you just wanted him more than anyone you had ever wanted in your entire life. Groaning on your lips, Mingyu trails his wet fingers along your hip to your side, pushing you down on the bed until you push at his chest, making him laugh. You were persistent. 

“I know, baby. I promised. It’s yours.” Licking his lips, Mingyu turns to roll from laying on top of you to resting beside you, adjusting a pillow behind his head. When you meet his eyes, you can’t help but roll your eyes at how cocky he looks. You watch as he licks his fingers clean of your cum and smiles around them, lifting his brows as he waits for you to get moving. 

“You are insufferable.” Mingyu laughs at your words, his eyes moving along your body as you move to your knees and slide one leg over his thighs so you can sit over them. Even he had to admit that it was a beautiful fucking view. He could feel his cock jerk and leak from just the sight of you; he couldn’t imagine what he was going to do once he was inside of you. “Yeah? Maybe, but you are the one who’s gonna be sitting on my cock.” 

Mingyu’s fingers slide along your thighs as he smirks up at you. He looked too good to be true, lying somewhat impatiently under you. It was almost unfair how perfect he could look even with the gauze wrapped around his arm, a bit of crimson seeping through from movement. Grabbing his right hand, you pin it to the bed gently as you shake your head and wrap your other hand around the shaft of his cock, stroking him slowly. “Keep this arm down.” 

Groaning, Mingyu lifts his hips towards your hand and flexes the fingers of his right hand, tightening them into a fist as he grips at your thigh with his left. He both loved and hated this. He loved your hands on him, but he wanted to be inside of you so badly that he wanted to put you back on your back. He wanted to have you on his cock and screaming his name, but instead you had him whining yours. 

“Fu—fuck. Don’t tease. I haven’t… I didn’t tease you tonight. Said you wanted to ride me, so ride it.” Mingyu’s strained words have your eyebrows lifting in surprise. Pre-cum was running along your fingers with each stroke of your hand and you were beginning to wonder if you kept doing this for too long if he’d cum. From the sounds leaving his lips, you were almost certain he would. 

Moving to your knees, you press your hand to the center of Mingyu’s chest as you use the other to keep his cock exactly where you want him. Your eyes never leave his face as you slowly take him inch by inch until you are sitting flush against his hips, your mouth falling open in a soft moan. 

Mingyu tried to keep his hands down and do what you had told him to do, but the moment he was inside of you—feeling you around him for the first time—he felt like his brain was going to explode. Hands grab at your waist as Mingyu groans, trying to sit up and move you over him, desperate to get some relief. 

“Why can’t you do what I told you? Be good, Gyu.” Your words were driving him insane. You had to know what you were doing. Your soft fingers trail over Mingyu’s arm, putting his hand back on the bed next to him as your other hand slides up his chest, forcing him back down on the bed. 

Rolling your hips down over Mingyu, you have to close your eyes and take a breath, feeling just how much his cock is stretching you. You knew he was big. There was no way you hadn’t noticed, but seeing it and feeling it was different. There was so much about Mingyu that you were getting used to and you were becoming addicted to the feeling. 

“I just—fuck, Y/N. Feel so fuckin’ good. Ride me, baby. Bounce on my cock, huh? You are squeezing the hell out of me.” You knew you were doing it even before Mingyu told you. No matter how much you tried to relax, it was hard to do as you felt him rutting his hips up towards yours. 

Bracing yourself with one hand on Mingyu’s chest and the other holding his left hand, you nod and fall back to your knees, lifting yourself up before sitting back down. The feeling is overwhelming in all the best ways. You can feel how deep Mingyu is inside of you. You can feel the pressure building in your lower abdomen and rising even towards your chest as tears coat your eyes. 

Mingyu furrows his brows, his eyes fixed on your face, as you get into a rhythm moving over his cock. Each time your ass meets his thighs, he thrusts his hips up hard, listening to you cry out in pleasure. 

“Please, it feels so good, Mingyu. I need to cum.” The words are almost spoken on a sob as you start to slow down, getting tired. Mingyu can tell you are frustrated not only by getting tired but also by your desire. Using his left arm, he wraps it around your waist and flips you on your back, reaching between the two of you to push his cock back into you in one fluid motion. 

Surprised, you reach for Mingyu’s right arm, only for him to pin your hand to the bed with his right hand and thrust into you hard and deep. “I’m fine… just need you to cum on my cock. That’d make me feel better. Wouldn’t it make you feel better, angel?” 

Nodding, tears running from your eyes towards your temples, you whine Mingyu’s name as his thrusts become urgent, almost desperate, pushing you over the edge. Lips find your throat, a deep groan of pleasure leaves Mingyu’s throat as he slips from you and you feel warm, sticky cum spill from him on to your stomach. 

Running your fingers through Mingyu’s hair, you lick your lips while trying to catch your breath, feeling him do the same in the crook of your neck. It takes a few minutes before he finally sits back and his eyes move along the length of your body, finally resting on your stomach, where his cum paints your body. 

Shaking his head, Mingyu doesn’t even try to hide his smirk as he pushes his index finger through the cum, spreading it over your skin and enjoying seeing it on you. “That feels gross.” Chuckling under his breath at your complaint, Mingyu lifts his brows, dragging his finger up towards your breast, stopping short and moving his eyes to yours. “But you look so fucking sexy covered in my cum, sweetheart. Almost hate to wash it off of you.” 

Lowering your eyes to where his fingers rest on your ribs, you let out a faux annoyed sound that makes Mingyu laugh once again, his lips meeting yours as you smile, speaking between gentle kisses. “Then I guess you’ll just have to fuck me more often, Kim Mingyu…” 

With a gentle nip at your bottom lip, Mingyu pulls back to look down at you once more before finally moving to stand at the side of the bed and reaching for his discarded towel. You suck in your stomach at the feeling of his fingers pushing against it, cleaning his cum from your body so delicately as he purses his lips. “Maybe I will.” 

Despite pain being what wakes him up first, Mingyu finds himself staring at you as you lay facing him in the low light of the bedroom. It didn’t matter if he felt like shit; if his arm felt like it weighed a hundred pounds, he still managed to turn on his side and lift his left arm so that he could carefully touch you. 

In Mingyu’s opinion, you were the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his entire life. You made him jealous of the sun as it slowly creeped along your exposed skin. He couldn’t help but give in to his temptation, gently following the light with his fingers as he walked them along your skin. You made him wish for more; you made him wish for this… Things that seemed so far from what he knew. Life with you seemed like it could be so simple and more importantly, it seemed so warm. Mingyu had never felt so warm. 

All of those feelings are ripped away from him by the sound of his cell phone vibrating on the nightstand. It wouldn’t be his mom or his dad. It wouldn’t be his sister or an aunt calling to ask if he was having a good day; there were only a few people it could be and as he turned over to pick it up, the searing pain in his arm and blood staining the sheets from where it had leaked through the gauze reminded Mingyu even more that his life wasn’t simple and warm. He was cold and impossible. This with you was an impossible, stupid, childish dream, and Mingyu needed to wake up. 

Giving one more lingering look at you lying peacefully in bed, Mingyu grabs his phone from the nightstand, a pair of pants from a chair, and moves into the living room. “Yeah?” 

That wasn’t how Minghao expected or wanted Mingyu to answer his call, but it didn’t surprise him. Nothing did anymore. At least he was alive, even if he did sound worse for wear. “So you do know how to pick up the phone. What the fuck were you thinking?” 

Sitting down on the couch, Mingyu glances over at his arm, his brows knitted together at not only Minghao’s nagging, but also the feeling of the gauze sticking to his stitches. Pulling at the tape, he sighs and balances the phone on his left shoulder as he unwraps his arm, realizing he had forgotten to call Minghao the night before. “I just got busy—” 

“Fuck you. I know exactly what you were doing.” At first, Mingyu wonders if Minghao knows about you and him, but when Minghao continues, it’s even worse. “Lucky for you, the dumb ass cops in that district actually believe it’s a mugging gone wrong. At least you aren’t a complete fuckin’ idiot.” 

Wadding the gauze up in his hand, Mingyu leans his head back and lets out a longer sigh. Minghao was worse than a parent when things happened that weren’t ideal. No, killing Eunseok wasn’t ideal, but it had happened and now, in Mingyu’s mind, at least the cops weren’t looking for him. At least they didn’t think it was linked to the lounge. "Well, thanks; it means a lot coming from you. Sorry I inconvenienced you, Hao.” 

Minghao had heard of Mingyu’s pity parties and been there for his mental breakdowns, but this one was the worst. Lifting his hand to the bridge of his nose, Minghao shakes his head and sighs. The call suddenly becomes quiet, causing Mingyu to shift on the couch anxiously. As much as he put on a brave face and stood up to Minghao, he still didn’t want him to be that disappointed in him; he didn’t want to cause major problems. 

“It—look…I’m sorry. I know that doesn’t fix it. I can’t really fucking fix it. It happened so fucking fast.” Mingyu knew he was rambling, but the self loathing that he always felt was bubbling to the surface. He felt the disappointment even through the phone. “He shot me and I reacted—” 

“He shot you? What the fuck? Are you okay? I fuckin’ told you to call me Mingyu!” Hearing the sound of Minghao moving around, grabbing keys, and god knows what else, Mingyu sits up, his voice strained as he tries to calm his friend down. “I’m fine! A bad graze, but... it’s fine. I should have called. You don’t have to come here. I can come to you if you want.” 

Stopping in the doorway of his apartment, Minghao narrows his eyes and grips the doorframe tightly as he sighs and takes a step backwards. “You need to get one of Jun’s guys to look at it. You can’t just hold it together with shitty tape like you tried to do with your leg—” 

“I’m not! Y/N…” Minghao has to listen even closer to hear Mingyu when he speaks softer, his volume dropping almost to a whisper, as if he’s afraid you might hear him. “Y/N, she stitched it up.” 

Minghao isn’t sure if that is better or worse. The fact that a doctor—a real hands to god doctor—had taken care of him but that same doctor was you. You had seen some of the worst parts of what he and Jun tried to keep from you. Mingyu was reckless and stupid. “She’s supposed to be kept away from this shit, Mingyu. Remember that? Or is that something you forgot, like keeping your dick in your pants?” 

Leaning forward, Mingyu rests his head in his hand. The words should have made him mad, but after waking up and having his own coming to Jesus moment, he knew that Minghao was right. “I know. I fucked up. She’s too good for this, she’s way too good to be messed up with a piece of shit like me.” 

There was truth to Mingyu’s words, but there was also a lot of self loathing mixed in that made Minghao even more pissed off and concerned about him. It wasn’t that he wanted Mingyu with you, but he also didn’t think that he was the biggest piece of shit that you had ever had the misfortune to lock lips with. There were worse choices, even if this choice was a walking headache at the moment. 

“She is good. She’s too good for all of us, Jun included, but that doesn’t mean—” Mingyu listens to Minghao sigh loudly, cutting himself off. “Nevermind, lay low. I don’t want you in or around the bar for a while.” 

The last thing that Mingyu wanted to do was avoid the bar. He wanted to keep his mind busy and not dwell on what had happened, but even as he starts to argue, Minghao is quick to shut him down. “I’m not asking! Jun left me in charge, so you’ll do as I say. If the cops come snoopin’ around, I don’t need your big dumb ass here.” 

Of course, Minghao would pull the ‘I’m in charge’ card now. Mingyu knew he was right, it would be stupid to go to the last place that he and Eunseok were seen together, but it wasn’t like him to hide. Groaning under his breath, Mingyu nods before sitting up and letting out a deep breath. “Fine. Whatever you want.” 

Minghao hated benching Mingyu; he needed him at the bar in reality, but he had done this to himself and now he had to clean up the mess. “Glad you understand. I’ll call you later.” 

You smile softly, feeling warmth on your hip and walking along your side. In your head, you picture Mingyu’s fingers causing that warm feeling. You can see him lying beside you, his eyes moving along your body as you slowly wake up, but when you open your eyes, you only see a bit of blood on the white sheet where he had been. Your smile is quickly replaced by a look of concern as you sit up and look around the room for him, only to see a pair of pants you had seen yesterday missing from a chair. 

Running your hands along your arms, you realize how cold the room suddenly feels without him. One more look at the splotches of blood tells you his gauze needs to be changed out and his stitches checked, but maybe he was taking care of something. Looking for your cell phone, you grab it from the nightstand and furrow your brows at a missed call from Jun. It had been a few days since he had checked in, and you find yourself missing him. The trip had originally been to see him and catch up, but the timing had been off. 

Glancing down the hall, you hear Mingyu’s voice low and a bit tense as he talks to someone on the phone. Wanting to give him time and privacy, you turn towards your bedroom and put your phone on the nightstand, hitting Jun’s name and putting it on speaker phone so you can talk to him and get dressed at the same time. 

“Sleeping in late on your impromptu vacation?” At first, Jun’s voice makes you smile until you hear the strain in it. There was a layer of anxiety that you could pick up on even in another country or through a phone call. “A little bit... what’s wrong?” 

Jun wanted to be in the pool with his fiancée. He wanted to be enjoying the island and getting drunk, but instead this afternoon he was trying not to rip his hair out. “Just wanting to check on my sister. Is that a crime? I miss you.” 

While you could believe most of what Jun was telling you, the way his voice sounded kept you on edge as you pursed your lips and pulled a pair of jeans up your legs. “I miss you too. How’s your vacation? How’s Haneul?” 

Jun watches the sun move across the water as Haneul moves through it with a smile on her face, unaware of the situation, just as he likes it. Meeting her eyes for a moment, Jun winks at his pretty fiancée before leaning back in his chair with a sigh. “She’s perfect. The island is nice. You should have just met us here; there’d be less idiotic temptation.” 

Rolling your eyes, you scoff at hearing what you think is the main reason why Jun sounds like he does. Obviously, he had heard something about you and Mingyu. Your scoff doesn’t go unnoticed by your brother, who lifts his brows and lets out his own scoff before starting to scold you. “I told you to be good while I was gone. You insisted on this trip even though you knew I wasn’t going to be there. I knew leaving you with that whore was a mistake.” 

Hearing Jun call Mingyu a whore makes you stop what you are doing as you laugh at how ridiculous it sounds. Tugging your shirt down your torso, you shake your head before looking up at the ceiling and starting to tell him as much when Jun speaks first. “I know it sounds funny, Y/N, but I’m not kidding, okay? He goes through women faster than anyone I’ve ever seen. He’s not good for you. He’s dangerous.” 

Jun telling you that anyone was dangerous also seemed like a joke, but you had spent the night before putting stitches into Mingyu’s arm, so you knew there was a layer of truth to it. Swallowing hard, you look back down at your hands, shaking your head once more. “Jun—I… come on. He’s so sweet—” 

“So he can get in your pants, Y/N! Use that smart brain of yours. Have your fun, but know that he’s not serious and he really is dangerous. I’m not joking about that.” You try to come up with the right words to tell Jun that you don’t care, that you aren’t afraid of Mingyu, and that he can change. But feeling eyes on you from the doorway, you turn to meet Mingyu’s gaze. The look in his eyes is disappointed but resigned and it breaks your heart. 

“I gotta go.” Jun tries to argue with you, telling you that he needs to know that you understand, but you are quick to end the call, watching Mingyu shake his head and turn from your room, moving towards his own. “Mingyu! He’s–where are you going? Don’t worry about what Jun says. It doesn’t matter to me.”

Mingyu knew you’d say something like that. You were a good person, a sweet girl, but your brother was right. Grabbing a shirt, Mingyu pulls it over his head and runs his fingers through his hair as he hears you move into the room behind him. “You should listen to him. He’s my boss for a reason. I’m trouble, just like he said.” 

Reaching out for him, you get your hand around his waist only to feel his shirt slip from your fingers as Mingyu scoffs and sidesteps out of your grasp. “Y/N, grow up. If last night, seeing that shit didn’t prove it to you, you must be fuckin’ stupid.” 

Turning to face you, Mingyu isn’t surprised to see a shocked look on your face at hearing him call you stupid. His words bite at your confidence, but mostly at your heart. You can see the look in Mingyu’s eyes—how he is trying to push you away by hurting you—and it only makes your heart hurt worse. 

“Stop it. Why—no, I’m not stupid. I know who you are. Don’t do this, Gyu.” You sound so desperate and almost like you are in love with him that Mingyu’s chest feels like it’s going to implode. He wants to give into you, pull you into his arms and tell you how sorry he is for calling you stupid, but that isn’t how to fix this. He had to keep you safe, and safe is as far away from him as possible. 

“Do what? Tell a little girl the truth. Wake the fuck up, sweetheart. Use those brains you claim to have. I got fuckin’ shot yesterday. You think that’s a one time thing?” Watching tears coat your eyes, Mingyu takes a step towards you, even as you take one backward. “You think you are special? Like you are the only girl I’ve fucked? Nah, another notch in my belt.” 

Mingyu’s words are like a gut punch and as much as you know he is trying to hurt you, he is succeeding. Once he has walked you out into the hallway, Mingyu gives you one last look. The pain of seeing tears running down your cheeks is unbearable, but he keeps himself stone faced as you follow him into the living room, watching him pull on his damaged leather jacket, wincing in pain. “Where are you going? Do you think it’s a good idea to go out?” 

Speaking between sniffing back tears, you aren’t even sure Mingyu hears you as he shoves his gun into the holster on his side until he gives you a passing glance. Shrugging, he grabs his keys, shoves them into his pocket and lets out a deep sigh. “Who gives a fuck?” 

Sitting at the bar of the Dovetail Casino, Mingyu taps the glass in front of him to signal to the pretty bartender to fill it back up. He was on his fourth drink and had no intention of slowing down. Beside him, Jeon Wonwoo watches as Mingyu’s phone goes off for the umpteenth time. Someone was trying to get into him desperately and clearly Mingyu had no intention of picking it up as he once again reached over to decline the call. 

“Don’t wanna talk to Y/N?” Scoffing at hearing your name on the lawyer’s lips, Mingyu rolls his eyes and smiles at the bartender as she fills his glass up with whiskey once more. “You shouldn’t read other people’s phones. Don’t they teach that in lawyer school?” 

While Wonwoo didn’t know who you exactly were, it didn’t really matter; you clearly mattered to Mingyu, and the two of you were having a fight of some sort. He had been a lawyer long enough to recognize that, though anyone with eyes could probably tell that Mingyu was getting drunk for a reason. “Girlfriend?” 

Shooting Wonwoo a dirty look, Mingyu tips his glass back, ice meeting his lips, slowing down how quickly the alcohol can pour into his mouth, but only by a slight margin. The sound of the glass hitting the wooden bar makes Wonwoo hiss, knowing he was either on the right track or he had hit a nerve. 

“She’s not my girlfriend. She’s just some stupid girl with some idea of me that she’s made up in her head. She thinks she’ll get some white picket fence with me.” Gesturing towards himself, Mingyu scoffs and Wonwoo gives his friend a once over sigh, knowing what he is trying to say as Mingyu continues. “She’s an idiot to be so fucking smart and beautiful…” 

Wonwoo brings his own glass to his lips, nursing it much slower than Mingyu was. Mingyu was already getting drunk, while Wonwoo was barely filling a buzz. Wonwoo could see what was happening even if Mingyu didn’t want to. Just from the brief description of you that he had gotten, he knew that Mingyu was full of shit. You might not “be his girlfriend,” but that didn’t stop Mingyu from being into you. 

“Why is it bothering you so much? This is the girl you’ve been watching.” Watching Mingyu nod and look at his now empty glass, Wonwoo sighs as Mingyu lifts his hand, asking for a fifth drink. “Just have Minghao take over. It’s that easy, right? Then you don’t have to be with her all the fucking time.” 

It could be that easy, but hearing Wonwoo say it made Mingyu want to throw up. Maybe it was all the whiskey on an empty stomach, but Mingyu didn’t want anyone else watching over you. He didn’t care if Minghao was like family to you; he had been asked to do this and he wasn’t going to just give up.

“What—no. Just admit I’m a failure. Do I look like a fuckin’ failure to you?” Hearing Wonwoo sigh, Mingyu looks back down at his empty glass, the ice melting, wishing the bartender would be a bit quicker about filling it up. “She leaves next week.” His words are quieter than they had been the entire time the two had been sitting at the bar. 

He wouldn’t admit it to anyone else, but he hated the idea of you getting on that plane. He hated that you were sitting at home pissed off at him and worse, he had made you sad. Yes, he had done it on purpose, but he had his reasons. If you were mad at him, if you distanced yourself from him, it would be easier to watch you leave him. 

Nodding, Wonwoo furrows his brows, seeing the pain on Mingyu’s face as the bartender tells Mingyu he’s reached his limit and she won't give him another for a while. It was for the best, he could tell Mingyu didn’t need anything else to drink; he was staring at the empty glass like it was a life preserver, even though the alcohol that had been in it was only helping him to sink further. Wonwoo understood the feeling better than Mingyu probably realized. 

“My advice, whether you want it or not, get your shit together. Don’t lose her because of your pride and because you think you know best.” Furrowing his brows, Mingyu glances over at Wonwoo, trying to figure out how he’d know so much about what he was thinking about, but the look on his friend’s face, the pain written in his eyes make him stop and just listen. “Trust me, I understand something about losing someone who means so much to you. Wishing you could go back and change who you were… Don’t fuck it up like me.” 

Mingyu wants to ask what happened, who Wonwoo had lost, but he watches as Wonwoo tips his drink back, draining it before putting it back down on the bar with a sigh. He had never seen Wonwoo look so sad and stuck in the past before and he wasn’t sure he ever wanted to again. 

Digging the spoon out of the ice cream once again, you bring it to your lips as you sniff back your tears, your eyes not really focusing on what is on the television in front of you. After Mingyu had left, you had resorted to a bottle of wine and a pint of ice cream while sitting on your bed and trying to become one with it. 

You had been through plenty of breakups in the past, but Mingyu’s words hurt you worse than any other man’s ever had. You knew he had been trying to hurt you and you also knew he was full of shit. He didn’t really mean it, even if he was trying so hard to convince himself that he did. For some reason, he wanted you to hate him and the longer you sat in bed, the ice cream in your lap disappeared. You felt like it was a possibility. 

But as much as you wanted to give into that feeling, just hate him, you could still feel how good it felt to be in his arms. To feel his lips and fingers on your skin as he made you feel comfortable and safe. So instead of hate, you just felt depressed. You were beginning to wonder if you should look at available flights to leave early. 

Standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall, Mingyu watches you pout into your glass of wine before you follow the sip with a bite of ice cream. You were adorable as you paid more attention to what was on your phone, sniffing back your emotions, than you did to whatever you had playing on the television.  

He knew he should just make a right into his room and leave you alone, but all Mingyu can hear are Wonwoo’s words echoing in his mind. ‘Don’t fuck it up like me.’ You drove him crazy. No other woman had made Mingyu feel like this. He knows he could keep lying to you, keep making you cry and watch you get on that plane in a week, but just the thought of it makes Mingyu’s stomach churn. 

Taking one step after another, Mingyu moves into your bedroom, drawing your eyes up from your phone to him. You can’t help the surprised look on your face as he reaches for the remote, turns the television off and tosses the remote into the chair without a second glance. “Mingyu…” Your voice is soft, confused, and full of hurt. The sound of it breaks Mingyu’s heart and his resolve as he takes the ice cream out of your lap and puts it on the nightstand with your wine before sliding his hand along the side of your face and pressing his lips against yours. 

The kiss isn’t rushed and it is so different from every other kiss that you and Mingyu have shared up to that moment. Mingyu’s tongue glides along yours as you moan softly into the deep kiss, your fingers grabbing at his jacket, tears already running down your cheeks as your emotions get the better of you. Leaning back, Mingyu brushes his thumbs over your cheeks, then presses kisses on each one before standing up to his full height and taking his clothes off piece by piece before repeating the process with you. 

You feel your head spin once his lips are back on yours and your back is on the mattress. Mingyu’s body pressed against yours. He groaned into your mouth, feeling your hand slide along his hip towards his cock before leaning back to wrap his hand around yours, bringing your fingers to his lips. 

“Just let me...” The sentence seems unfinished, but you nod, feeling Mingyu’s fingers slide along your forearm as his lips find your jaw and work to your neck, leaving you breathless. He had kissed you before. You had felt his lips almost all over your body, but this was different. He was almost worshiping your body this time and he wasn’t in a rush. 

It was as if Mingyu was seeing you—really seeing you for the first time. He was taking the time to touch every mole or scar on your body and then kiss it before meeting your eyes when you sighed out his name. If Mingyu hadn’t been addicted to you before this, now there was no way he could deny it. 

“Fuck, you are so beautiful. Sound so pretty for me. Wanna… just—” Mingyu was talking to you—or more so, he was talking at you as he worked his kisses along your leg and towards your inner thigh. When his lips meet your wet, soft folds, you lift your hips off the bed and Mingyu groans quietly, gently pushing you back down. Any other time he would have pinned you to the bed and devoured you but this time his touch was gentle; you were floating from it and the feeling of his tongue circling your clit. 

It doesn’t take long before your thighs are closed around Mingyu’s head, his groans muffled as his hands grip your hips, holding you close to him until you fall apart on his tongue. When your legs start to tremble, you let out a sob of Mingyu’s name, your fingers running through his hair as you push your hips into the bed, asking for mercy. Smiling against your now swollen folds, Mingyu presses one more kiss on your pussy before pushing himself up on the bed with his left arm to watch you try to catch your breath, coming down from your orgasm. 

“Taste so good, baby. I could do that all damn night.” Shaking your head, you reach for Mingyu, whining as he laughs and moves up in bed between your legs. His lips once again find your neck and you try to continue to come down from your orgasm, but when Mingyu nips at your skin, you moan his name, making him smile. “Love hearing my name on your lips so fuckin’ much. Wanna hear it all the time. Can I?” 

At first, you aren’t sure if he’s asking for you to say his name again or something else, but his fingers brushing through your sensitive folds before he does the same with the head of his cock makes you understand. He hadn’t asked any other time; why this time? Did it even matter why? It seemed to matter to your heart as your chest tightened when you nodded and whispered out your pleas for him to get inside of you. 

Carefully pushing the head of his cock into you, Mingyu closes his eyes and groans to the feeling of your warmth pulling him in. He feels the urge to just bury himself into you in one hard thrust, but instead he prolongs it. Meeting your eyes, he watches your mouth fall open in a moan as slowly, inch by inch, he pushes into your walls, letting them hug him tight. “Holy shit. That’s my girl. Holding me like you don’t wanna let me go, huh?” 

You didn’t. You never wanted him to leave you, both in bed and in your life. You loved the way he was looking at you. You loved the way he was kissing you and the way he was making love to you. Every other time he had fucked you, this was making love. Even if he probably wouldn’t admit it, you knew the difference and you knew that he did too. 

Mingyu’s forearms rest under your arms, his hands on either of your shoulders as he presses his forehead to yours. Each one of his thrusts is deep, powerful, but slow, as if he wants hours of you in this bed. Nudging his nose against yours, Mingyu smiles, hearing your choked moans as he pushes one of his knees into the mattress, changing the angle of his thrusts so that his cock perfectly rubs against that spot with each movement. “All I want is one more. Just love making you feel good, angel. Love hearing you sing for me, feeling you all over my cock.” 

There was dirty talk and then there was Kim Mingyu’s dirty talk. He could be almost lewd at times, but this was completely different. He had made your skin feel like it was on fire—calling you a whore or a slut, but this—loving everything about you, wanting to hear you sing for him, making you feel good? This was pushing you over the edge, possibly even more than the feeling of his cock brushing against your g-spot over and over again. 

Scratching at Mingyu’s sides, you tighten your legs around his hips, feeling the pressure that had been building in your abdomen give way. Your orgasm rips through you and Mingyu can barely move with how tightly your walls close around him. Gasping into a groan, he tries to get a full breath and keep himself from losing control. 

Trying to pull from you to keep himself from cumming inside of you, Mingyu meets your eyes, sees the pout on your lips and feels your legs hold him tighter. You didn’t want him to pull out. He never came inside of girls. That was another one of his rules, a way to keep himself from catching feelings or any trouble, but with one more deep thrust, Mingyu breaks that rule. 

Groaning your name against your lips, Mingyu is the one who feels like he’s losing his mind with how good it feels to be inside you and to feel your warm, soft walls around him as his cums. He loved seeing his cum on you, but this was special. It’s like you were made for him and made to take everything he gave you. 

Running your fingers through Mingyu’s hair, you close your eyes, letting him rest his cheek against your shoulder. Both of you slowly come down from your euphoric highs. A smile pulls at your lips when you feel your lips press against your throat and Mingyu’s hands slide from under you so he can carefully pull from you and look down at you. 

“Was—is that okay? What happened?” You could see the concern written in Mingyu’s eyes. Lifting your hand, you brush your thumb over his cheek and feel your chest once again tighten as he rests his face in your palm, waiting for you to answer him. “Of course it was. I wanted it. I wouldn’t have let you if I wasn’t on birth control and sure, Mingyu.” 

Taking a deep breath of relief, Mingyu nods before turning his head to press a kiss to your palm. You watch as he slides from the bed and rubs his lips together, glancing around the room before landing on the door to the bathroom. Smiling, you let your eyes follow him as he moves into the ensuite before you hear him turn on the tap in the shower. 

Coming back into the bedroom, Mingyu rubs the side of his neck with his right arm as he offers you his left hand. Though you take his hand, sitting up, ready to go with him, you can’t help the way your eyes migrate from his face to the angry stitches on his right arm. Furrowing your brows as you stand, you mutter his name and carefully touch the hot skin around the wound before meeting Mingyu’s eyes. 

“I’ll clean it and wrap it after the shower, okay? You have to take better care of this. It’ll get infected, babe.” Letting go of Mingyu’s hand, you don’t see the way his brows furrow and how his breath gets caught in his throat when you call him babe. His eyes follow you into the bathroom as you open a bag on the counter, digging through different pill bottles until you find the one you want and say his name once again. 

“I have some antibiotics. They should help… if I can talk to someone here in Seoul, I can get you an actual script.” Looking around for Mingyu in the bathroom, that’s when you realize he’s still standing in the bedroom looking at you, almost dazed. Lifting your hand out for him is what brings him back to you and gets his feet moving. 

Sliding his fingers along yours, Mingyu swallows hard and looks at the pills in your hand when you offer him two, ready to tell him to take them after the shower, only to watch him dry swallow them. Scoffing, you shake your head and sigh, knowing you were falling hard for him, as Mingyu simply smiles at you and guides you towards the shower with him. 

A week later, you found yourself settling into a routine with Mingyu. It was a confusing existence, but you were happy even if Jun wasn’t. He had cut his own vacation short to see you before you were planning to head back to China, and finding you and Mingyu playing house didn’t sit well with him. It took a lot of convincing and reminding him that you weren’t a child for your brother to let you “make your own mistakes” and let you see this through. 

It wasn’t like you could just look at him or Minghao and give them an easy explanation of what was happening. You weren’t even sure. There were no labels for what you and Mingyu had. You wanted to say that you were with him, but were you? 

The sex was mind blowing. Mingyu was the best lover you had ever had in your entire life, but more than that, you would fall asleep in his arms every night and wake up to a kiss from him every morning. That bliss would quickly end if you brought up the question of who the two of you were and where he wanted this to go. Mingyu was a great liar and he was good at changing the subject.

You were just happy that the two of you had been happy. The tension in the penthouse had been low and there had been an air of “ignorance is bliss”—at least there was until the night before your flight. 

“Baby, does pasta aglio e olio sound good for dinner?” Mingyu’s voice carries through the penthouse from the kitchen as he purses his lips at what ingredients he has on hand. Hearing your muffled answer from down the hall, he smiles, shaking his head before heading towards you. “What did you say? You good with—” 

The words get caught in Mingyu’s throat, seeing your suitcase on your bed and your clothes in piles on the bed as you work to pack for the next day. He knew it was coming, but seeing it firsthand was like a stab to his gut. 

Glancing up, a sad but thoughtful look on your face, you look over Mingyu’s expression when he stops mid sentence. You had heard his question, but you were trying to get through a task that felt impossible. Packing meant you were actually leaving and it was breaking your heart, but Mingyu hadn’t asked you to stay. 

Staying would take work, but if he really wanted you to... if he asked you to do it, you had decided in your mind that you’d figure out how to do it. That was why you had asked him so many times what he wanted from the relationship, what he wanted from you, but every time he avoided it—that told you he wanted you to go home. 

“Dinner sounds good, Gyu. Are you okay?” Mingyu could hear the changes in your voice. You didn’t sound like the happy, carefree girl that he had just made love to the night before. The sound of your voice makes his chest feel tight and reminds him that he promised to drive you to the airport. How was he going to do that? How was he going to stand at that gate and watch you walk away? 

Mingyu’s mind quickly puts up defenses, doing what it has always done best—it builds walls. Hurt and pain are on the horizon, so a wall goes up and he’s reminded that this is for the best. He’s bad for you. You have an entire life back in China. You have a clinic and patients who rely on you. He’s selfish and pathetic. He’s dangerous. You stitched him up and watched him shatter. He’s going to get you killed or make you miserable. 

Shaking his head, Mingyu quickly follows it by scoffing and putting on a fake smirk. “Uh yeah, yeah. I’m good. Uh…” Gesturing towards your bags, Mingyu reaches up with his other hand to run his fingers through his hair, something you’ve realized he does when he’s stressed. “When’s your flight again?” He knew what time the flight was. He had looked at the booking hundreds of times but you were looking at him to say something and this was the only thing he knew to say. 

Stepping towards Mingyu, you watch as he takes a step backwards and it makes your heart rise towards your throat. You knew what he was doing. You have already done this. That tension was back and Mingyu was pushing you away again. He was afraid, but so were you. “It’s at 1, but you know that. Mingyu, talk to me.” 

Taking a sharp breath when you take a step towards him, Mingyu feels the door frame behind him as he looks away from you and laughs. The laugh is hollow and fake. You know that it’s supposed to be painful and it is. It hits right at your heart and makes you feel almost sick as you watch him turn from you and head into the hall, his words carrying back to you. “Just needed the time, Y/N. Finish packing so we don’t have to fuckin’ rush in the morning.” 

There it was. Mingyu was purposely trying to be cold and mean again. You had drunk your weight in wine last time; this time you followed him. He didn’t go back to the kitchen; instead, Mingyu turned into his bedroom. Staring at his back, you try to keep the tears at bay, but taking a deep breath, you quickly lose that fight when the first words leave your mouth, anger and sadness coming out in waves. 

“No! You don’t get to do this again, Mingyu! Why are you closing me out? Just…” Mingyu closes his eyes, hearing the sobs between your words. “Please? Why can’t you ask me to stay? Huh?” 

Tears threaten Mingyu’s eyes at that. He wanted to so badly but that wasn’t fair to you. His brain was repeating it all on loop for him. 

You’re selfish and pathetic. You’re dangerous. You’re going to get her killed or make her miserable. You’re selfish and pathetic. You’re dangerous. You’re going to get her killed or make her miserable. You’re selfish and pathetic. You’re dangerous. You’re going to get her killed or make her miserable…

The words in his mind are so loud that even as you move close to him and push at his back, inching him forward, Mingyu stands still. Your choked sobs are what bring him somewhat back to the present, only for his heart to shatter one more time. “Mingyu! Why can’t you ask me if I love you? Tell me that you love me!” 

It takes everything in Mingyu not to turn around, wrap you in his arms and apologize. He isn’t even sure if he wants to apologize for not doing what you’ve asked or for making you feel the way you do. He just doesn’t want you to feel like this anymore, but if you are in this much pain, maybe he can make you hate him. “I don’t love anyone, Y/N.”

Hearing Mingyu speak, you let out one more painful sob and punched at Mingyu’s back, your words weak. “I hate you so much. God, I—why did you make me love you?” Turning to face you and hearing what he wanted, Mingyu closes his fists tightly so he doesn’t reach out to grab on to you. The look on your face shatters him further, but he tries to cover it, even if his eyes give it away. You see the despair written in them, though his mouth stays shut firmly, his jaw is set tightly. 

Smacking your hands at his chest weakly, you try to hold on to your anger as you meet Mingyu’s eyes. Shaking your head, you finally lift your hand and start to bring your palm across his cheek when Mingyu finally moves, his fingers wrapping around your wrist gently to finally stop you. “Why can’t you just let me go? Go be happy... Be safe.”

You see the tears in Mingyu’s eyes as he speaks, his voice cracking. Rubbing his thumb in a circle on the inner side of your wrist, Mingyu watches you start to speak, but he shakes his head and sighs. You can hear how tired and desperate he is in his voice as he finally begs you, but not in the way you want. “Just... let me be alone? Let me lie and be miserable on my own. I can’t fuck up your life.” 

Shaking your head as you look up at Mingyu, you see him searching your eyes for understanding. You pull your hand free from his and grab the collar of his shirt, pulling him down so your lips can brush over his. Hissing into the light kiss, Mingyu whines your name while trying to keep his hands to himself as he tastes your tears on your lips. 

“I can’t let you do that, Mingyu. I love you.” Trying to make him understand, you kiss at the corner of Mingyu’s lips and once again on the fullness of his bottom lip as you whine into your words, fresh tears on your cheeks. “Please, I love you so much. Stop lying and tell me that you love me, baby. Ask me to stay.” 

Groaning in mental pain and at how tight his chest feels from hearing your words, Mingyu finally breaks. Hands grip at your waist before he lifts you and walks the few steps to the bed, laying you on your back so he can rest over you. The kiss before had been hesitant and guarded, but now Mingyu was almost bruising your lips as if he were willing you to hear how he was feeling through his passion. 

You lift your hand and run your fingers through Mingyu’s hair before walking them along his face to his cheek, feeling his skin damp under your touch. Whispering between kisses, you finally feel a sense of security in being back in Mingyu’s arms as he clings to you as if he’s never going to let you go. “I love you, Mingyu.” 

Mingyu’s sigh against your lips almost sounds like a half sob and a laugh. Resting his forehead against yours, he groans softly and keeps his eyes closed, taking in the moment before finally leaning back to look down at you as your fingers wipe away the tears from his cheek. “I love you so fucking much, baby. I hate myself for how much I love you.” 

Watching you shake your head, Mingyu can see you are going to argue, but he furrows his brows and kisses your lips gently before continuing. “I’m so fucking scared that I’ll lose you. I’m afraid that ‘cause I love you, that’s gonna get you hurt or worse, baby. I—I’d fuckin’ lose it.” 

There had been brief moments of honesty in your short relationship with Mingyu, but this was complete honesty and clarity. It made you think back to what had happened a week ago with the man who had lost his life and you wondered what had been said or done to make Mingyu do what he did… Your mind goes back to Mingyu’s bookshelf and when you had asked him, “Are you a tortured soul, Kim Mingyu?”  

Kim Mingyu was a complicated man, but you were beginning to understand him. 

“Gyu, baby… I’ll be okay. You can’t live your life thinking that disaster is waiting for you around every corner. Just... maybe live it with me? Be happy with me?” 

Taking a deep breath, Mingyu lets the gravity of your words settle on him before he brushes his lips over yours and then presses another kiss on your jaw before nodding. He had only committed to a few things in his life and none of them had ever been this terrifying, but you were worth it. 

Running your fingers through the back of Mingyu’s hair at the nape of his neck, you smile, feeling him nod in agreement. Taking a deep breath, you rest your head back against the bed and let out the breath, finally meeting Mingyu’s eyes once again as his fingers brush along the side of your neck. Smiling, Mingyu’s eyes move along your face before he finally settles back on your eyes.

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[lomilomigo]

Kpop Dating Game - Mafia Story

Who will you marry? Your bodyguard? Your best friends brother? Or maybe someone from outside the gang? Uncover the mystery of who killed your father and fall in love along the way.

[miabebe]

I Am What I Am (II)

A man of the shadows and a woman who belonged in the skies - fate could not have brought two more different people together. But was this fate or was this a choice?

Pairing - Im Changkyun x OC, OC x Surprise Seventeen member hehe

Word Count - 7.7K

Warnings - Nothing too explicit but mentions of blood, guns, knives, violence, (t.w) references to suicide, murder, making out again cause why not

Chapter summary - As secrets of the dark begin to come to light, Na bi has to fight the desires clouding her mind. More so that ever when red starts to stain the black.

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“I need to sit.”

Na bi peered into the darkness and her eyes fell on a couch at the far end of the room. Changkyun simply watched, buttoning his sleeves as she pushed with all her might, bringing it to the centre and plopping down on it. Her legs sure thanked her, but the fire in the pits of her stomach had reignited as she looked at him from a considerably lower and painstaking angle, standing before the table.  

“Why are you here Ms. Baek?”  

Na bi pursed her lips in thought. Honestly, she forgot. The sight of him had blown every ounce of reasoning out of her head. Sure, driving the car down an empty freeway at 140 kmh had adrenaline coursing through every inch of her body and yeah, maybe her ‘interaction’ earlier with that gentleman in the club had gotten her to some kind of high but she didn’t think she would ever find it this hard to get it together. There was nothing she could really process except him and the slender yet sculpted build of his body. He didn’t look very menacing but he didn’t seem like he was gentle either. Na bi wondered if he was the kind who liked it slow and teasing or hard and fast, not that she would have a problem with either-  

Crossing her legs to keep it all in, she leaned back into the softness of the couch, mentally and physically pushing herself to the maximum possible distance away from this man.

“Who are you?”  

“You already asked me that.” The corners of his lips curled into a smile. “And I already answered.”  

“And I heard you.” She tilted her head in question. “But I’ve never heard of you before.”  

“Not many have.” He tucked his hands into his pockets. “I am a myth Ms. Baek. The knowledge of my existence is a privilege.” 

Na bi let her eyes scan him down then up. Recalling the way he stayed concealed in the shadows the first time she met him, she scoffed. “Privilege or liability?” 

When he didn’t clarify, she clicked her tongue, shaking her head dramatically. “So you are hiding.” She sighed. “That's sad; you were a lot more interesting when you didn’t admit to being a coward.”  

Changkyun smiled, unaffected. “I don’t expect or need you to understand Ms. Baek. Ignorance is a luxury people like you can afford.” 

Maybe if Na bi was less drunk, she would have been sensible enough to be offended by that but she simply pouted. “Enlighten me then.” 

“What you call cowardice is gameplay Ms. Baek.” He leaned against the desk behind him. “My identity is irrelevant, so I choose anonymity. I let my work speak for itself.” 

“So who gets, as you call it, the privilege of knowing who you are?”    

“The few who have business with me, my men” He cocked his head, looking at her. “And you.”  

Na bi felt a strange combination of fear, exhilaration and curiosity grip her all at once.  

“No one else?”  

Changkyun shook his head.  

She took a minute to take it all in. She should have been more afraid. She really should.

“Sounds a little unfortunate if you ask me.” He raised an eyebrow as she leaned towards him, half whispering. “Having all this power and no one afraid of it.”

“I don’t seek fear because I don’t thrive on it Ms. Baek.” He mirrored her, leaning too. “Imagine what I could have done to you if fear was what I wanted.”

Na bi felt a single bead of sweat roll down her neck.

“Then what do you want from me? Why are your men stalking me?” When Changkyun looked at her expressionlessly, she rolled her eyes. “Don’t deny it. They haven’t been subtle and I’m not blind.”

“No, you’re not.” She could practically hear the amusement in his voice, like he had observed the way her eyes were all over him.

He walked around his desk, pulled open the drawer, taking out a familiar picture and threw it onto the wooden surface of the table. Na bi got up, walking closer to it, picking the photo of Ana in her hands, the same one Wonho had shown her that night.

“That’s from the cctv of my headquarters a few days ago. Your friend Ana, turned up at a location that no one other than me and my men know of, asking for me, by my name."

Na bi frowned. “How did she know where to find you?”

“Your skipping sequence Ms. Baek” Changkyun walked past her, sitting down on her chair. “How did she even know of my existence in the first place? The range of my business acquaintances does not extend to people like her.”

“How do you suppose she knew?”

He hummed. “Assumption is judgement’s biggest enemy Ms. Baek. I was hoping to have a conversation with her to let her explain herself, but that was the last time anyone had seen or heard from her.” Na bi didn’t even realise when he got hold of the lighter he began playing with. “And incidentally, while looking for her-”

“-your men kidnapped me.”

He nodded. “It was a mistake and it is my fault you got roped in this mess and so, it’s only fair that until all this gets over, I look out for you.” Changkyun watched her face scrunched in confusion. “Ms. Baek, there are a lot of dark and dangerous things hidden in the shadows of Seoul. My identity holds a higher value than you can imagine. Should anyone get the idea that you might have even the slightest clue as to who I am, they would hunt you down for answers.”

“So, all these days, your men were…” Na bi blinked at a loss of words. “Protecting me?"

He gave a small nod.  

Na bi stared at him. Of all the reasons she had imagined for his men stalking her, this was nowhere on the list. 

“You’re telling me that rather than eliminating someone who might be a threat to your identity which you apparently so carefully safeguard, you chose to employ your men to work round the clock to protect her? All because she was a mistake?” Na bi stared at him incredulously before letting out a surprising short laugh. “Oh, you absolute asshole.” 

For the first time, Changkyun’s expression betrayed his thoughts – it was a mixture of annoyance, confusion and amusement all in one.

“Either you habitually don’t think twice before you talk,” His voice was suddenly a lot deeper. “Or you’re not afraid of much when you’re drunk Ms. Baek.” 

“Please,” She scoffed. “I’m not afraid of much when I’m sober either. There is not much to fear if you’re not afraid of death, and I see death every day.”

Na bi walked up to him, her shadow falling on his darkening expression.

“You’re not protecting me and this is not just about Ana. Someone like her cannot possibly be a threat to you.”

The image of those armed men in Ana’s house flashed in Na bi’s head. The only reason another group of dangerous people were after Ana had to be for Changkyun.

“Someone else is looking for you. Someone who is a part of those dark and dangerous things you claim are in the shadows of Seoul. Evidently, they are aware that Ana has you all figured it out and they knowing getting to her means getting to you, but you....You don’t know who they are, do you?”  

She walked around the chair, her fingers tracing it.  

“Ana was your only link to them but she’s missing. You knew, whoever they are, if they learn of me, they will come after me instead. That’s why I’m alive, that’s why I’m being monitored. I’m bait, aren’t I?”  

She leaned down, meeting him eye to eye. 

“Or did I misjudge the depth of your character?” 

Now that she was much closer to him, her eyes once again began wandering across his face and she wondered why she was not more annoyed or aggravated at the realisation of how she was being recklessly played around by him. Changkyun on the other hand was silent for a whole minute, looking right back into her eyes before his lips curled into a smile.  

“I think I misjudged the level of your intelligence Ms. Baek.”  

Na bi pulled herself back feeling victorious but he got up, on his feet, eliminating the little distance she put between them. “But you are transparent and lack depth so you think everyone is as one dimensional as you are.” This time she felt her fists ball in anger. “Had you not given in to your saviour complex and unnecessarily curious nature, you wouldn’t have become the potential target that you are now. It’s not me but you who brought you to where you are,” He took the picture from her, freeing her hands. “But just because there were other reasons to keep my eye on you, doesn’t mean I wasn’t looking out for you.”  

Na bi knew those were empty words from him but she couldn’t help but feel a weight drop in her stomach. It didn’t help that he was standing so close, and it helped even less when Na bi took a step closer to him, doing the top button of his vest that he had missed.  

“Prove it then.” She smoothened the fabric on his chest nonchalantly before looking up at him. “Take me home.”  

“Wonho will drop you- “  

“Not him. You.”  

He sighed. “Ms. Baek. If you haven’t figured out already, I don’t come out in the open.” 

“You said you wanted to protect me, didn’t you?” She licked her drying lips. “So, it’s you or no one.”

Changkyun’s eyes flickered down there, just for a second before he met her eyes again. “I’m inviting trouble keeping you around, aren’t I?” 

Na bi smiled as she walked out, knowing he would follow.

The ride to her house was pretty silent.  

In that half an hour, Na bi understood Changkyun wasn’t much of a talker. If she had nothing to say, neither did he. Conveniently enough though, he would at least answer her questions when she had any and she had very few questions.  

Okay, she only had one question.  

“Are you getting married?”  

Changkyun momentarily took his eyes off the road to throw her a glance, clearly not expecting that of all things. Well, he for starters, he was all suited up - not a crease in sight, not a hair out of place, smelling like a very distracting combination of whiskey and roses but the watch on his hand, it looked old, like a choice of sentiment rather than style.   

“You look very marry-able right now.”  

“Why Ms. Baek,” His voice was laced with amusement. “Would you like to?”  

“Hell no.” Na bi scoffed, looking out of the window at all the buildings whizzing by. Sure, she was attracted to him, hormones and alcohol clearly amplifying it all but that was about it. “You and I can’t possibly be meant to be.”  

Changkyun hummed. In thought? In agreement? She had no idea. But that was the only conversation they had the whole way home. She wanted to ask more; of course, she wanted to. Curiosity was Na bi’s fatal flaw but either this really expensive BMW’s smooth navigation was lulling her to sleep or Seoul’s air was laced with some sort of sedative tonight – whatever it was, she was progressively losing grip over herself, so uncharacteristically, she shut up.  

When the car came to a stop in front of her building, Na bi rolled her head over to look at Changkyun – he was already looking at her. She definitely wanted to say something, either a thank you or goodnight, but whatever it was, under his gaze, yet again, she forgot. Not a word was exchanged, neither was any emotion - there was no sadness over a goodbye, no longing to see each him again. But in the silence of the night and the small space that held them at an arm’s distance from each other, there was one thing that was definitely there – a meaningless craving. A desire so electrifying that she could practically taste it in the air and feel it in the way every cell in her body was fighting the idea of just pulling him closer. Na bi wondered if he felt that too; she couldn’t tell.   

When Changkyun made the slightest movement towards her Na bi immediately felt her breath get stuck in her throat and her heart race in her chest. At first, he simply unbuckled her seat belt and she had begun to get disappointed but then she felt him lean closer. Though this was exactly what she wanted, though he was what her body was so desperately seeking, Na bi felt her eyes close reflexively, her hands gripping whatever it could on the seat.  

“The lights are on.”  

Frowning, her eyes flew open to see Changkyun still a considerable distance from her, his eyes fixed on something else entirely, far behind her. Following his line of vision, she realised he was staring at the windows of her house, the only one with lights on at 3am.  

“Yeah well,” She hoped to god he didn’t notice her reaction earlier. “I don’t live in the dark.”  

“Did you leave them on before you left?”  

She shrugged unable to remember. Changkyun’s expression darkened as he unbuckled his own seatbelt and stepped out of his car, making her hurriedly mirror his actions.  

“Wait,” Na bi pointlessly lowered her voice. “You think they found me?”   

He continued staring at the window for a moment before he quickly made his way into her building and up the stairs. Swearing under her breath and barely able to balance herself, Na bi followed, stupidly trying to keep up with a man who seemed to move at the speed of light. By the time they climbed four floors and had reached her house, she was a panting mess but he was still perfect, not a crease, not a hair out of place.  

“9963.” She blurted, giving him the password to her door, only belatedly realising what she had done. Before she could fully comprehend the consequences of her actions, he opened her door and stepped in. Standing by the frame, Na bi watched, still out of breath and in awe as he moved around so cautiously and so quietly, like he was made of a gas or something. It took a good five minutes of looking around before the tightness in his shoulders finally relaxed and he turned to her.  

“Looks like you’re safe.” 

“And of course you sound disappointed.” Na bi mumbled under her breath.  

The trap they were using her to set up still hadn’t led them to their prey. If only he had managed to get his hands on someone tonight, if only he got the answers he was looking for, a lot of her problems could have been solved. Kicking off her shoes, she walked in, sinking into the couch. Changkyun’s eyes followed her across the room.  

“Are you going to leave now?”  

Na bi looked up at the man, pushing her urges down yet again for the nth time now. Earlier today, when he called her transparent, he was right. There was nothing hidden in the way she looked at him – the desire in her eyes was as clear as day.

But his gaze was as dark as the night. He seemed so layered and unreadable and as much as she wanted to unravel all that he kept hidden away in the shadows, she didn’t think she should. Some things were meant to hold on to, and some weren’t and as Na bi herself had claimed earlier, this wasn’t meant to be. She had to let him go.  

. 

. 

. 

“Stay.”  

“Dr. Baek, are you listening to me?”  

Instantly snapping out of her trip down the memory lane, Na bi looked up at her attending and the entire team looking at her, waiting. Realising that she had in fact, not been listening, her eyes quickly flickered between the patient’s vitals on the screen and the paper in her hand. Swallowing on nothing, she took a shot in the dark, praying to whatever gods were out there that she had analysed the situation right.  

“Yeah, yeah, I shall uh… do a head CT and set him up for an LP?”  

That eyebrow of her attending raised in question, lowered a little. “And get his fever under control.” 

Na bi quickly nodded, taking notes and sighing inwardly with relief as the team continued the morning rounds. Close. She had been letting her mind wander a bit too much. Not only was the horrible hangover headache making it hard to stay grounded to reality, her thoughts too were all over the place, mostly trying recollect the events of last night which she had navigated drunk off her face. Now was neither the time nor the place for it but clearly, self-control was not one of Na bi’s virtues. It was only when the patient next to her violently retched and threw up onto the floor that she finally got it together and put her thoughts behind her.  

An hour and three separate crises-es later, Na bi found herself catching a short break as she walked down the corridor from the pantry, looking out of the window at the greying sky. Seoul was uncharacteristically gloomy today. Peeling the orange in her hand, she popped a piece in her mouth, eyes scouring through the crowd of people scattered around, looking at their feet in particular. No combat shoes.  

When Na bi woke up that morning, the sun was already way up in the sky, giving her just enough time to quickly change into a fresh pair of clothes, grab her bag and run out of her house. It was only when she had finished gobbling her breakfast and finally had some substantial energy in her that she noticed the absence of Changkyun’s men - There was no one in combat boots.  

She didn’t know how to feel about that. It was evident from last night that Changkyun’s enemy, whoever that was, hadn’t identified her yet so she was in no immediate danger but she didn’t still understand the sudden disappearance of her apparent protection squad. The voice of reason in her head told her that she was merely a pawn in whatever game Changkyun was playing and this was probably just another one of his moves. Her gut feeling though, begged to differ – it said something had to have gone wrong.  

It was when both voices that were battling it out in her head that she felt a tap on her shoulder and the orange peel in her hand was replaced by a small bottle.  

“Drink up.”  

Na bi turned to see Seokmin, her closest friend at work handing her the hangover tonic he frequently used.  

“Hell no, that’s bitter as fuck.”  

“Get it together Baek.” He crossed his arms. “This is a hospital; you’re a doctor and you look like shit.”  

“Thanks.” She murmured, cracking the seal open, trying not to taste the horrible liquid as she drank it.   

“What happened last night?”  

Na bi drank slower to avoid answering. He did kindly invite her out last night and so she did owe him some sort of explanation but what even was she supposed to say? I shot a man in the leg, stole his car, met up with a mafia leader, insisted he drive me home and then we…. It sounded absolutely insane even in her head, who would even believe her?  

First off, mafia supposedly didn’t even exist in Seoul. After the famous Crime WipeOut operation back in 2011, the streets were declared ‘crime free’ – the cops had been advertising their success with that phrase for years now. But everyone knew that was not true. Working in the emergency room, Na bi especially knew that was not true. Every other day, people would walk in with all sorts of injuries, claiming they “fell down the stairs” or “got hit by a car” when their wounds clearly told another story. No one would dare question them though, not when they could feel the outline of a weapon in their pockets.  

And now Na bi’s encounter last night had confirmed facts. Mafia very much did exist in Seoul and somehow suddenly, thanks to one man, she found herself deep, right in the middle of it all. It would be unfair to Seokmin to drag him into it too.  

“I wish I remembered it all.” That was as honest as she could get with him - there was indeed a big gap in her memory of last night's events that she just couldn't recollect no matter how hard she tried.

“I need my blue pajamas.” Na bi put down the seat of the toilet and sat on it, crossing her legs, feeling much better having thrown up. She was definitely talking to Changkyun about something before she felt her stomach turn and ran to bathroom - she tried hard to remember what exactly that conversation was about again but it was pointless, she had no idea. The earlier suited man who now somehow only had his white shirt on, appeared by the door, holding out a navy-blue set of pajamas but she shook her head. “Not these ones.” 

“Nearly everything in there is blue.” 

“I like blue.” 

“This is blue.” 

“But this is not the blue I like.” 

Changkyun didn't reply but his silence was loud.  

“What? Didn’t you say you wanted to make sure I’m safe?” 

“And safety includes a specific blue pajama?” 

Na bi slid off the toilet and walked past him to her wardrobe, pouting. “I feel safe in those blue pajamas.” 

She scoured through her clothes while he stood behind her, not too close but perhaps close enough to catch her if she stumbled. 

“These.” She held up an old, faded pair of sky-blue pajamas. “These belong to my sister but this is me.” She pointed at the print of small white butterflies on the fabric then to herself. “Baek Na bi. White butterfly.” 

And then without a warning to herself or him, Na bi pulled her shirt over her head, stripping out of her clothes. At that point, Changkyun who’s eyes were focused on her all this while, looked away, making her suddenly very conscious of her actions. Actions she didn’t seem to put much thought into; which wasn’t very unlike her but something felt different today - it was almost like she was made of two minds. Unfortunately, the second one was hell bent on being honest and irrational.

“I think…” She pulled up her pants, adjusting the elastic, looking him up then down. “I think I’m really attracted to you.” 

He turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow, looking amused. “I think you should sleep Ms. Baek.” 

Something did a somersault in Na bi’s chest. “With you?” 

.

.

“Would you like to?” He leaned against her dresser, crossing his arms.  

.

.

.

She mimicked him, leaning back against her wardrobe.  “Very much.” 

.

.

.

When those words left her mouth, Na bi had no idea what she expected the consequences to be. She had no idea what exactly transpired between them after that either.

As far she remembered, they were on opposite ends of the room and she was looking into his unreadable eyes for just one clue about what he wanted. Then, suddenly, somehow, they were standing right across each other, inches apart in a loud silence where she could only hear her heart race in her chest. She didn't know if Changkyun felt even an ounce of what she was feeling, or if he too wanted her as much as she craved him and there was only one way to find out.  

Lord knows where Na bi got the courage, or why she gave into the stupidity but impulsively, she got on her tiptoes, hands grabbing his shirt to pull him closer and let her lips softly brush his, which to her surprise, parted. Na bi saw a hundred different things flash in his eyes, but none of them seemed like a no, so she kissed him again, more certain this time, closing the gap till there was nothing between them. His hands grabbed her waist as she stumbled, setting off something hot in her chest. 

And just like that they walked back entwined, lips not leaving each other till the back of his knees hit her bed, prompting her to push him onto it, finally giving them the space to breathe. Changkyun looked up at her with his hooded eyes, his hands sinking into the comforter behind him. There was something undeniably hot about him just sitting on her bed like that, doing nothing but watching her. He was letting her make the moves. 

And so she did, standing between his thighs, taking his face into her hands, leaning forward to kiss him once again. She didn’t know if his arm wrapped around her, pulling her into his lap, or if she climbed on the bed, straddling him, but here they were, just mouths moving, tongues roaming and hearts beating real fast. Na bi felt herself getting lost in that pleasure, her hips naturally finding a rhythm against him but his arm around her held her in place. He lifted her and with a swift motion, her back hit the bed and he was hovering above her, exploring her face with his eyes. She pushed the strand of his hair which escaped its place, before she noticed the small healed wound on his eyebrows, her fingers tracing them. 

“What happened here?” 

One breath.

Then two.  

“Hit the corner of the table when I was running away.” 

“Running away from what?” 

“The people who killed my family.” 

Na bi blinked – she did not expect that candor. Or his lack of hesitation.  

She stroked it softly, “Does it still hurt?” 

What a pointless question. The wound looked old, like it had been years since he got it. Na bi realised with a pang in her chest that he must’ve been young when this happened. It must hurt like hell. 

She propped herself on her elbows and reached up, planting a small kiss on it, obviously a very apt medical solution. “Better?” 

For the first time, he let out a soft laugh, a genuine one.  

Na bi kissed it again and again and again, slowly making her way down his face, finding his lips with hers once more. Yet again, time was lost on her. She just felt an undeniable, craving need for him, to feel him, to own him. This is what it must feel like to burn from within. 

She let herself sink into the softness of her comforter, freeing her hands to unbutton his shirt when his arm under her tightened pushing her up her bed, neither action hindering their mouths on each other. Na bi had her fair share of experience with men but nothing ever felt like this and they weren't even doing much. The attraction she felt towards him was like never before, it didn't even allow her to think rationally. She knew they should stop - she was drunk and he was a stranger, a dangerous one at that, but she couldn't bring herself to. And just as she wondered if he too could not stop himself, she felt him pull back. 

“Na bi….” His voice was so soft? “You should sleep.” 

“Don’t want to….” She muttered, pulling him closer, but he didn’t give in. 

“Sleep.” 

He rolled off her as she groaned, pulling herself together, curling up into a comfortable position. He was right - even though she wanted him, her body needed sleep. And to stop this madness. She tucked her palm under her head and watched him by the frame of her bedroom door, buttoning his shirt, looking back at her.

She had expected him to be gone before she knew it. 

“Aren’t you going to go?”   

“I’ll leave when you sleep.” 

The stomach somersaults were back.  

“Will I ever see you again?” 

He didn’t answer her question.   

“Don’t go around doing something stupid.”  

She chuckled, pulling her sheets closer, feeling her eyes flutter shut under the warmth of the covers. “You don’t mean that." She yawned. "Because if I don’t then your enemies won’t find me. And if they don’t find me, you won’t find them.”  

“Ms. Baek,” Na bi looked at him one last time as sleep finally took her in. “Please don’t do anything stupid.”  

Trying to ignore Changkyun’s last words still ringing in her mind, Na bi pulled herself back to reality, continuing the conservation. “I should’ve let you know before I left Min-ah, sorry.”

“Yeah, you should’ve.” Seokmin leaned against the window. “I worry about safety. It can get crazy out there.”

Na bi nodded. He had no idea.  

She had no idea about a lot of things either.

She had no idea what Changkyn’s actions last night meant. Or his words. Was he attracted to her? If he was then why did he stop? And if he wasn’t, didn’t that mean he was using her, just like she suspected he was? And if he was using her then why did he ask her not to do anything crazy? How was she of any use to him if she wasn’t an efficient trap? Or was she wrong? Was she not a bait? And he truly mean what he said about looking out for her? But if he did mean that then where were all his men today??  

Na bi felt like she could crush the bottle she was holding with her bare hands. All these questions were just turning into a never-ending loop that she was stuck right in the middle of with no answers and no escape. She needed to get her mind off all this.  

“Crazy workload today?” She pointed at all the case files in her friend's hand, desperate for a change of topic. He shook his head, looking down at the corridor as a patient was wheeled out, white sheet covering their face. When a hand slipped from under the covers from the inertia, Na bi noticed the cut across the wrist.  

“There was nothing I could do.” Seokmin sighed. “He bled out.”  

“Cut that deep?”  

“Two cuts. One on each wrist.”  

Na bi felt the bile rise in her throat.  

“Let me guess, family doesn’t suspect any foul play?”  

“The usual.”  

Seokmin handed the files to the intern who meekly walked up to him before she took them and rushed off.

Everyone in the ER knew of these cases, Na bi had seen a couple of them up close before – cases determined as self-inflicted injury, completely ignoring the fact that it was not one but two clean cuts on both wrists. Anyone with a pair of eyes and a brain could tell that was clearly not self inflicted but somehow, these cases would never reach the point of investigation. The family didn't dare push them and medical staff did not have the authority to – they just went on to become yet another record on paper.  

The mere thought of such cruelty made Na bi's stomach turn. She wondered how anyone believed that evil did not exist in Seoul when she saw evidence of it in every corner, at every given moment - even the very next one.  

Ambulance sirens.  

Both her and Seokmin immediately looked at each other, ears perking at the sound of not one, not two but sirens of seven ambulances getting increasingly loud. 

True to her training, Na bi immediately flung the bottle in her hand into a nearby trashcan and rushed to the entrance with Seokmin right behind her, pulling her hair into a higher and tighter ponytail. The rest of the doctors and nurses had already assembled, prepping to take on the load of cases that was about to walk in. But given that 'smooth-sailing' was just not a part of the emergency department's vocabulary, the head nurse ran up to her, a worried look on her face. “Dr. Baek, Dr. Yoo isn’t here.”  

Fuck, she forgot - the attending had left right after morning rounds for a conference in Busan which meant-  

“Jaehyun is in charge.” Seokmin concluded, voicing her thoughts as the three of them turned and looked across the corridor.

Jaehyun's face was as white as the wall behind him, hands shaking. Shit. Sure he was two years her senior which theoretically meant he was the most experienced person here to lead the room but Na bi knew he didn't have the stomach for what was coming; especially when the hospital doors opened and all she saw was blood. Blood, blood, blood, everywhere. 

“Who’s in charge?” A paramedic looked around urgently while Na bi continued looking at a frozen Jaehyun. “Who’s in charge???” 

There was no time for incompetence. Not right now. 

“I’m taking over.” She whispered to Seokmin before she stepped up. “Me, Dr. Baek. What happened?” 

“Traffic accident.” He panted. “That’s what they said on the call but I don’t think so. Seems more like a…..” 

Na bi looked around the room, her vision tunneling on the details. There were almost 40 men, most of them were severely injured, but it was definitely not a traffic accident. They had massive gashes, wounds that looked like they were cut by something sharp, like a knife. The bruises on their eyes and mouth, those were obviously landed from a fist and the way some of their ribs and arms seemed broken, this was definitely a - 

“Gang fight.” They said at the same time.  

“They’re criminals.” Seokmin whispered, his voice laced with hesitancy.  

Na bi took a deep breath and slipped on her gloves. “And we’re doctors.”

Na bi closed the door of the storage room behind her, finally getting away from it all. 

It had been 3 hours. 3 intensive hours but to be honest, it wasn’t as bad as she expected; she had seen far worse days. While there was copious amounts of blood, the wounds weren’t so deep or severe that a few stitches and dressing couldn’t handle. About five of them had to be sent for emergency surgery and were now being monitored in the intensive care. Those who had fractures were scanned and appropriately bandaged and those who had rushed here accompanying their companions were detained in a separate room till the cops arrived.  

Na bi had no choice but to ask Seokmin to call for law enforcement. Given how they were taking their own sweet time to come, maybe she was mistaken about the gravity of the situation but she had assumed that she couldn’t just brush 40 people injured by violence under the rug – it was necessary to get the police involved. Regardless of the fact that every single one of those brought in was wearing combat boots. 

Cracking the joints of her neck, she gripped the metal bars of the shelf before her and briefly shut her eyes.

The faces of those who were brought in today flashed before her– she didn’t recognise any of them. None of those who used to follow her were there, neither was Wonho and neither was Changkyun. Na bi didn’t know why it was necessary for her to find out but the moment she noticed the combat boots, her first instinct was to look for Changkyun. It wasn’t like she deeply cared for him or anything; it was more because of curiosity. Of course, it was plain old curiosity, what else could it be-  

Her eyes flew open at the subtle sound of the carboard boxes - Someone was in the room.  

Pretending not to notice, yet extremely cautiously, she looked around for the spare supplies she came for and true to her intuition, just as she tried to reach for the gauzes at the back of the shelf, she felt a presence press against her back and something sharp and cold pricking her neck. 

“Where is he?” 

Na bi wouldn’t have screamed, she recognised that voice but she felt a hand cover her mouth anyway. She tried to struggle free from it but the tip of the knife against her skin inched deeper. 

“Where is he?” Wonho whispered harshly again. 

She pried his hand from her mouth, whispering back loudly. “How am I supposed to say anything with your hand on my mouth?” 

Na bi felt a sting and the blood trickle down her neck. She had encountered this man so many times but this was the first time he was hurting her. Frankly, it sort of annoyed her, making her snap in retaliation. “How would I know where Changkyun is?” 

Wonho’s grip on her softened and she took the opportunity to set herself free and face him. He looked tensed. 

“How do you know his name?” 

Na bi held a piece of gauze against the burning cut on her throat. Fuck.

“.....he told me.” 

“He told you?” Wonho looked at her in absolute disbelief but eventually shook it off like he had other more important things to deal with. He pointed his knife at her. “I don't care why he decided to disclose it to someone like you, but don’t you ever dare take his name. Not before me, not before anyone, do you understand?”

Na bi nodded slowly. She had forgotten the dangerous weight his name carried. Was that how comfortable she had gotten with all this?

“And I’m asking you for the last time. Where is I.M?” 

Ignoring how silly the name 'I.M' sounded, Na bi sighed. “I swear, I have no idea; I was drunk remember?” 

“He dropped you home.” 

“He was wearing a suit.”  

“What?”  

“Are we not playing state-the-obvious?”  

Wonho’s confused face turned into exasperation. “He didn’t return after that; you were the last one who saw him!” 

Na bi scoffed. “What, you think I tied him up and put him in my basement?” 

“Of course not. I already checked your house-“ 

“Wait, what-“ 

“I don’t think you are really understanding the gravity of the situation Ms. Baek.” Wonho moved closer to her, urgently. “He is a very important man and things can go very wrong without him around.” 

Why was everyone around her suddenly going missing? 

“I swear to god, I have no idea. Last night we….. I mean, I fell asleep and he left, I don’t know where he went after that or what might have happened-“  

“Na bi!” Both her and Wonho jumped apart, turning at the sound of Seokmin knocking the door. “The cops are here.” 

Wonho placed a finger on his mouth warning her, as though Na bi didn’t know she had to keep quiet. Fishing something out of his pocket, he handed it to her as he took a step back into the darkness of the room – her phone. Recalling what she had done with it last night, she wanted to ask Wonho if the person she shot was okay but when she looked up, he had already melted into the shadows he came from. 

Adjusting her scrubs, still looking over her shoulder, she walked over and opened the door to see Seokmin waiting for her and next to him, in uniform, was her next problem for today who also happened to be a very, very familiar face. 

“Na bi, this is Officer Kim Mingyu.”  

Seokmin introduced her to a man who didn’t really need an introduction because if she hadn't left him without an explanation last night, she would have been introduced to him anyways.

He seemed to have recognised her too, his eyes widening, expression changing from confusion to surprise.  

“Officer Kim, this is Dr. Baek, she was the one in charge today.” 

“Dr. Baek Na bi.” Mingyu pieced together her name, shaking her hand with a slightly cocky smile dancing on his face. “Fate works in funny ways.” 

As Seokmin frowned looking back and forth between the two of them, Na bi turned to him. “Min-ah, help me go check if everything is okay in the wards, please?” When he didn’t move, still suspiciously staring them down, she emphasised on the please once more, with a look of promise in her eyes to tell him the details later and he finally left, leaving them alone. When Na bi turned her attention back to Mingyu, he still hadn’t let her hand go and his eyes were on her lips, making her cheeks flush red.  

“I’m so sorry about last night-” Na bi began when he extended his other hand towards her, making her reflexively take a step back. “Woah.”  

He immediately looked apologetic, pointing at her neck. "You're bleeding."

"Oh, that's nothing." She pressed the gauze onto her wound again, pulling her hand out of his grip. "Again about last night, I'm sorry. It was rude of me, I should have said something before I left like that….” 

“The way you ran out, I was worried if everything was okay with you.” And he genuinely looked concerned. Sweet. 

“Everything was fine, I just had something personal to take care of.” 

He nodded slowly pursing his lips, and two tiny dimples appeared on his cheeks, making Na bi smile.

“I’m glad I found you again.” He put his hands his pockets, his shoulders scrunching up. “Now I just need to meet you one more time to confirm my theory.”  

“Your theory?” 

Mingyu nodded. “I believe a first meeting happens by chance. The second one may be a coincidence, but a third time?” He looked around before whispering. “That’s fate.”  

Na bi chuckled. “I don’t believe in fate officer.”  

“Give it a chance doctor. Third time’s a charm.”  

“And why do you think we will run into each other once again?”  

“Because I would like to take you out for dinner tomorrow.”  

Na bi crossed her arms, trying hard not to smile. “Setting up a third meeting? Well that’s cheating.”  

“I don’t just leave things to fate Dr. Baek.” He leaned in so close, Na bi could smell that familiar scent of him, the same one he had on in the bar, the memory of his mouth on hers coming back. “I work for what I want.” 

It would be a lie to say Na bi was not impressed. Usually, these kind of words didn't have much effect on her, she would have just laughed it off. But the first time she met him, she had judged him to be a lot more amateur and inexperienced and now clearly, he knew what he was doing and he was doing well. So, when he put his hand out looking pointedly at her phone, she gave it to him and watched as he gave himself a call and saved her contact on his phone with the emoticon of a butterfly.  

She laughed. “My 8th grade boyfriend used to save my name like that.”  

“I like butterflies.” He looked at her with captivated eyes. “I think they’re really beautiful.”   

Their wings might be but what about the ugly creature they hide under all that colour? 

Na bi took back her phone, saving his number with an emoji of her own – a dog.  

Mingyu pouted, dimples popping up again and she laughed, pointing at him, “There you go! I knew you were the golden retriever kind- “ 

“Na bi!” She startled, turning towards the sound as Seokmin ran up to her, bending over and coughing to catch his breath before he finally found his voice. “They’re…they’re all gone.” 

“What?” Na bi and Mingyu blurted together, shocked. 

“The ones in the ward, ICU, the ones detained, all, every single one of them is missing.” 

Na bi immediately ran towards the wards, both men following her. There were dozens of officers everywhere, talking to the staff, taking notes, walkie talkies going off but the beds – they were empty. All of them.  

They checked everywhere, they checked everything but there were no traces of Changkyun’s men.  

It was like they were never there. 

Na bi opened the door of her house, kicking off her shoes, tired to the bone.  

After hours of questioning by the cops, Na bi began to understand the meticulousness with which Changkyun’s men worked.  

While the hospital had called the police immediately after the ambulances arrived, it turned out they received no such call – Changkyun’s men had somehow intercepted it. It was only hours later when Seokmin called again to check on the delay that the cops received the information, arriving within 20 minutes with a full task force but their culprits had already cleared the scene by then. They didn’t even leave any clues behind – all their belongings had disappeared with them; the security cam footage was wiped clean, any and all records made for medical reasons were shredded – they had even taken their medical waste away. No one stopped them through all this – no one dared to.  

Na bi threw her bag on the couch, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. But just as she hurriedly chugged it, there was an unexpected knock on her door, prompting her to glance at the clock – it was 11pm. Who would come by now?  

Had Changkyun’s enemies finally found her?

Na bi felt a chill run down her spine. As though she bad timing was the highlight of her fate, just today of all days, none of Changkyun’s men were around. She was all alone, there really was no one to help.

When another knock followed, she immediately grabbed her phone and texted Seokmin, asking him to come over immediately, then scoured through the kitchen drawers and grabbed a knife. Heart thumping in her chest, she slowly made her way to the door, first looking through the peephole to see just how many people were threatening to break down her door but there was only one. Just one man in a spotless white shirt, standing with his head down and palms on the door and without even looking at his face, Na bi knew who it was. 

Sighing in relief, she threw the knife onto the dining table and quickly opened the door, as he lazily lifted his head giving her a small, familiar smile. 

“Changkyun?”  

He seemed like he was struggling to stand straight. Was he drunk?  

“You’ve been gone for hours. Do you always work this late…..”  

As his eyes trailed down her face, his smile vanished, hand slowly reaching for her neck, his finger smearing with blood as he ran it across a painful spot – the wound from Wonho’s knife seemed to have opened up again. 

“You’re bleeding.” He rubbed the blood between his fingers, looking at it. “What happened?” 

Was he slurring? 

"Wonho came to the hospital and-"

Before she could finish, his heavy eyes fluttered shut and he stumbled forward but Na bi quickly caught him, just as his knees gave away. She could feel something warm and sticky on his back making her look over his shoulder at her hand, a sight that nearly made her heart stop. Blood.  

For the first time ever, her hands shook as they were drenched in blood, his blood and as though he finally gave up, Changkyun went limp in her arms. 

Next chapter

[yumiyue07]

Through Fire and Blood

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19

｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★ POV: K-idol x reader

H/N = His name Y/N = Your name

M/N1 = Member 1’s name (choose any member of your bias’ group) M/N2 = Member 2’s name (choose any member of your bias’ group

Trigger warning: none ｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★,｡･:*:･ﾟ’☆｡･:*:･ﾟ’★

The doctor waiting for you, known to everyone as "Saint," was more than just a skilled physician—he was a lifeline to those like H/N who walked the thin line between survival and destruction. He had earned his moniker through his near-miraculous ability to patch up wounds that couldn't see the inside of a hospital, not just because of legal complications but because they lived in the shadows. Saint had always been there when H/N or his men needed saving, his expertise a vital part of their survival.

"Quickly, over here," he urged, his voice steady and commanding. Tall and broad-shouldered, with sharp, chiseled features, Saint didn’t exactly fit the stereotype of a back-alley doctor. He had once joked with H/N about becoming a model, and with his intense eyes and striking face, he easily could’ve been. H/N, half-serious, had asked him once, "Ever think of giving this all up and living the good life? Maybe on the cover of a magazine instead of covered in blood?"

"Nah, I'd rather save lives than smile for a camera. Somebody’s gotta keep you alive," Saint had replied dryly, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. The two had a unique bond, built on trust and a shared understanding of the risks they both took in their respective roles.

M/N1 and M/N2 helped H/N inside, where Saint had already set up his impromptu operating area. The room was well-lit and organized, equipped with everything needed to handle emergencies like this. The doctor’s calm demeanor was a stark contrast to the chaos you had just escaped.

"Lay him here," he instructed, pointing to a makeshift bed. Saint worked quickly, his hands moving with an efficiency that spoke of years spent saving lives on the fringes of society. The bright overhead light cast harsh shadows across the room, highlighting the gravity of H/N’s condition. Your grip on H/N's hand tightened as you kept the pressure on his wound, feeling the warmth of his blood seep through the cloth.

"You don’t need to be here for this," Saint said quietly as he prepared his tools. "But I can see there’s no point in arguing with you."

You hesitated, not wanting to leave H/N's side as you had promised. Saint looked at you, his expression softening slightly. "All right, but if you throw up, I'll kick you out on the spot."

You managed a weak smile despite the tension. "I’m not going anywhere. I got this."

Saint gave a slight nod, his attention already back on H/N. "Good. Then keep talking to him. Keep him grounded."

You leaned closer to H/N, brushing his damp hair away from his forehead. His breathing was shallow, and his skin was clammy beneath your fingers. "I’m right here," you whispered softly. "You’re not alone."

H/N’s lips twitched into a faint smile. "I’m glad… because I don’t think Saint’s much of a talker," he rasped, his voice weak but laced with a hint of his usual humor.

Saint snorted softly, not looking up from his work. "You’re right about that," he muttered, carefully cleaning the wound. "But if you want to keep making jokes, that’s a good sign."

"Guess you’re stuck with me again," H/N added weakly.

Saint shook his head, his expression serious but gentle. "Stay with us, H/N. You’re going to be fine," he replied, focusing on the wound.

A knot of fear loosened slightly in your chest at Saint’s words. Despite the gravity of the situation, there was hope. You leaned in closer, your voice trembling with a mix of relief and emotion. "You hear that? You’re going to be just fine. We’re going to get through this."

H/N’s eyes fluttered open, meeting yours with a mixture of exhaustion and affection. "As long as you’re with me, I’ll always be fine," he murmured, his grip on your hand tightening for a brief moment.

Saint glanced up briefly, his expression softening for the first time since you'd arrived. "He’s tougher than he looks. Just don’t let go of him," he said quietly.

You nodded, your heart swelling with both fear and love. "Never," you whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to H/N’s forehead as Saint continued his work, determined to save the man you couldn’t imagine living without.

You held H/N’s hand, squeezing it tightly as Saint worked. His movements were swift and precise, each gesture a testament to his years of experience patching up those who lived dangerous lives. Every second felt like an eternity to you, but Saint's calm confidence offered a thread of reassurance. He cleaned the wound carefully, stitching it up with a practiced hand, his voice steady as he spoke.

"Just keep holding his hand," Saint said, his tone measured and controlled, designed to keep you focused and hopeful. "He’s a tough one, Y/N. This isn’t the first time I’ve patched him up, and I guess it won’t be the last."

"Will he be okay?" you asked, your voice barely above a whisper, laced with worry.

Saint looked up from his work, his eyes meeting yours with a reassuring gaze. "He’ll be fine," he said, his voice calm. "The puncture missed any major organs. He’ll need rest and time to recover, but he’ll be back to his old self soon enough. Let him stay here tonight, and if he’s stable enough by tomorrow, I’ll clear him to go home. I’ll continue his treatment there."

He paused for a moment, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Y/N, you can stay with him tonight, of course. Otherwise, he’ll probably rip my head off the second he wakes up."

A soft smile broke through your tension, a light in the midst of your exhaustion. "Thank you, Saint. I don’t know what we’d do without you."

Saint nodded, his expression shifting back to its usual seriousness. "Just doing my job. But make sure he rests—he’s been through hell, even if he won’t admit it."

Relief flooded through you as you leaned down to press a gentle kiss on H/N’s forehead. "You hear that?" you whispered, your lips brushing his skin. "You’re going to be okay." You knew the anesthesia had already pulled him into unconsciousness, but the words were for you, too—an affirmation.

Saint finished wrapping the last bandage with practiced care, stepping back to wipe his hands on a towel. "Keep a close watch on him, and if anything feels off, you let me know immediately."

You nodded, your eyes filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Saint. We owe you."

"Now, let me quickly take care of your wound," he said, his voice filled with concern.

You had already forgotten about the wound Cobra had inflicted on your face with the knife. He assessed the injury carefully, his movements gentle and precise. After finishing, he said, "There won't be a scar. You don't need to worry about it. I'll give you an ointment to help the healing process. It's the same one you can use for H/N's wounds."

"Thanks again, Saint," you replied.

He gave you a rare, softened smile, his usual stoicism giving way for just a moment. "Take care of each other," he said gently, before turning to leave you alone with H/N.

Saint had left to update M/N1 and M/N2 about H/N’s condition, and it wasn’t long before they quietly entered the room. The tension from earlier had eased, but their expressions still held traces of concern.

"We’re so relieved that H/N is going to be alright," M/N1 said, his hand resting on your shoulder with a comforting grip.

M/N2 smiled warmly, his voice filled with sincerity. "And we’re really glad to have you back safe with us. It wasn’t the same, or should I say he wasn’t the same without you."

You smiled, feeling a wave of warmth at their words. "I’m happy to be back too. There were moments I didn’t think I’d ever see you all again." Your voice cracked slightly as you continued, "But thanks to all of you, I’m here, safe and sound."

M/N1’s expression grew serious as he bowed his head slightly, followed by M/N2. "We’re sorry you had to go through that. This won’t happen ever again."

"No need to apologize," you replied, your eyes welling up with emotion. "The important thing is that we all made it out, especially H/N." You glanced down at him, his still form reminding you how close the danger had come.

M/N2 nodded, his voice light with reassurance. "He’ll be his old self in no time. You’ll see."

M/N1 cleared his throat, drawing your attention back. "Y/N, we need to leave and handle the aftermath. Police, syndicate issues... you know the drill. But don’t worry. Saint’s got you covered, and we’ll send reinforcements soon. Is there anything you need before we go?"

You shook your head gently, your gaze soft as it rested on H/N. "Thank you, but all I need is right here beside me." Your fingers lightly brushed through his hair, the steady rise and fall of his chest calming you. "Please, go take care of everything. I’ll stay here with H/N. If anything happens, I’ll reach out to Saint."

M/N2 gave you a nod. "Alright. We’re leaving now. See you later."

With a final glance at H/N and a silent agreement between them, M/N1 and M/N2 quietly slipped out, leaving you to watch over the man who meant everything to you.

After M/N1 and M/N2 left, you settled in next to H/N, refusing to let your guard down even though the immediate danger had passed. His breathing had steadied, the deep flush of color gradually returning to his cheeks. With each gentle rise and fall of his chest, you felt a glimmer of hope grow stronger within you.

You absently stroked his hair, your fingers tracing through the strands as if reassuring yourself that he was really there, alive. The rhythm of his heartbeat, though faint, was like a steady anchor keeping you grounded.

Saint came in periodically to check on H/N, moving with the quiet efficiency you had come to expect from him. After one such check, he lingered for a moment longer than usual. "He’s a tough one," Saint said softly, his eyes briefly meeting yours. "But he’ll need you by his side, especially for the next few days."

You nodded, your voice filled with quiet determination. "I’ll be with him. Every step of the way."

Saint gave you a reassuring nod before slipping out once more, leaving you alone with H/N.

The night stretched on, but you didn’t feel the exhaustion that had earlier threatened to overwhelm you. Being here with him, despite everything, brought you a strange sense of peace.

With your hand in his, you sat by his side, watching over him. Even after everything you had endured, as long as you had him, you knew you could face whatever challenges lay ahead.

To be continued...

♡

It's my birthday today ヽ(*⌒▽⌒*)ﾉ ♡ To celebrate, I’m sharing a brand new chapter of my story! 📖✨ Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! 💖🎂

Please like, share, and follow! ♡＼(￣▽￣)／♡

Stay tuned for part 21!

Love, YumiYue 🌙

(⌒▽⌒)♡

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Tag list ♡ @catlove83 @burningemberz

[monstaxmafiaau]

Thank you to everyone who got me to 5000 likes!

This pretty cool, not going to lie! Thanks everyone! I’m rereading old posts and figuring out what needs to be edited or rewritten lately.

[jeonstellate]

love is: a compass

you’ve witnessed firsthand how one’s love can manifest into multiple — sometimes contrasting — things, yet you still didn’t expect kihyun’s love to be just like yours.

✇༄ yoo kihyun x afab!reader

✇༄ mafia!au, arranged marriage!au — angst, fluff(?)

✇༄ paragraph format — 4.5K words

masterlist | love is · · · masterlist

[gif’s full credit belongs solely to its owner]

✇༄ thank you so much for all the support you’ve given for love is ♡ i’ve read every single feedback and they all mean so much, this part wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for all of those. i appreciate every single one of you, fr ♡

chapter sixteen: the storm of the night before

You had never slept alone in your room ever since you gave birth. Partly because you weren’t well off enough to give Kian her own room just yet, but mostly because it puts you at ease hearing your daughter breathe as she slept.

Even when you two started living in the MX house, you still shared a room — although that was a product of another reason. Yes, the mansion has more than enough rooms to choose from, but Kian was still getting used to all the changes that happened — something in her old routine had to be kept the same. And it wasn’t like you support the idea of leaving your four-year old alone at night, either — especially in a location that might be swarmed by enemies as you slept. Of course, you knew she had to learn to become independent in that sense soon, but you were in no rush to have her grow up as soon as possible.

Thus, in the night before your wedding, when your cousin Seungcheol took Kian for the night to make the preparations the following morning easier, you felt uneasy sleeping by yourself.

Kian was picked up by her SVT uncles a few hours after lunch. As such, you didn’t even have the toddler to tire you out enough. You didn’t have work, either, since your vacation leave had already started. You had already cleaned and rearranged anything that you could, but you were still unfortunately wide awake. Watching anything to pass time was proven to be futile as well, since all the presented recommendations catered to your daughter and consequently just made you miss her even more.

You were told to sleep early, to prevent bags under your eyes. Unfortunately, even if you were trying your best to do exactly that, the silence in your room was deafening — suffocating you, too, almost. Even when you tried to put on some white noise to drown it out, sleep still couldn’t claim you.

Sadly, you couldn’t just grab a drink to help you knockout, either. After all, as much as sleeping early was important, waking up without a hangover was even more preferable.

"Ryuki?" You never imagined that you would’ve to resort to this. Your relationship with Ryuki had gotten even colder in the past weeks, right after your outing with I.M and Player. You weren’t sure why so — and you felt like you were in no position to ask, so you just let it be.

Unfortunately for him, he was the closest thing you had in your daughter’s absence.

"Can I help you?" Ryuki soon cracked his door open, just creating a small enough gap to peek at whoever dared to knock.

You hesitated for a moment as a bit of your sanity came back. Still, you couldn’t stop words from escaping your lips. "I miss Kian."

There was silence first, then— "And? Do you want to make another one?"

Had you been drinking anything, you would’ve surely spat it out. You knew providing an heir was in the contract between MX and SVT, but you hadn’t really talked to Ryuki long enough to ask if Kian already counted. And even if you now had the time to talk, you weren’t really in the mood to venture in that topic.

You snapped your mouth close, after involuntarily opening it due to shock. You immediately turned to leave, "I should’ve just went to Hyungwon."

Yet, before you could take another step, a hand encircled your wrist. "What did you really come here for?"

"I already told you . . . I miss my daughter."

"Our daughter," Ryuki corrected as he let go of your wrist. You then heard him let out a deep breath before he spoke up again, "Just go to sleep, we’ll see her tomorrow."

"I can’t—" You stopped suddenly, as if you thought better about your next words. "I’ve tried and I’m not so sure I can sleep without her."

Something shifted in the air suddenly, although you were unsure why it did. All you did know was it couldn’t be for of a good reason — especially since the temperature felt like it dropped a few degrees.

"It’s not easy sleeping alone when you’ve been so used to having someone next to you, isn’t it?" It wasn’t a question — nor was it still about your present dilemma. It was, for its complications, a long overdue topic — one that bloomed long before Kian was even born.

You sighed, this is going to be a long night.

Slowly, without another word, you turned back towards his direction and sat down in front of his door. Your back was pressed on the oak, your legs crossed and tucked under you. You looked up to meet his questioning eyes, your expression neutral.

"I’m sorry, Yoo Kihyun." You forced yourself to not break the eye contact as you finally referred to him by his civilian name. You needed him to see your sincerity and feel it resonate as much as possible, even if your apologies would only turn out to be futile later. "There are a lot of things I’m sorry for, but there is nothing I regret."

You heard him let out a dry chuckle. "Do you really hate me that much? Did— did I make your life that miserable? To the point that you don’t even feel an ounce of regret for leaving me?"

You hardened the expression you wore. "Don’t put words into my mouth. I never—"

"—But that’s what you meant, isn’t it?" Kihyun cut you off before you could even finish. "You even came up with a scheme—"

"—That’s not—"

"—To leave, involving the leaders of SVT and Hyungwon! How is it that you had no problem telling them the truth, but you didn’t tell me? I was—"

"—I couldn’t—"

Albeit you both initially tried to control your volume, your voices just kept on raising an octave with each argument — as both of you tried to be heard over the other. Thankfully, the whole floor wing was designated for Kihyun, so no one else was around to hear your screaming match.

Unspoken as it was, you were both glad that your daughter wasn’t round to overhear. Whether it was a blessing that Kian was over at Seungcheol’s in the first place was debatable, though. After all, was it really a good idea to address the elephant in the room the night before the wedding — when talking it out wouldn’t guarantee resolution?

By how everything was going, it wouldn’t be too surprising if addressing the past only created a greater divide between you and Kihyun.

It was a miracle one of you eventually managed to collect your mind and calm down. However, for what it was worth, it wasn’t at all surprising that it was you who did.

"Can you just listen to me?" You dropped your voice back down after you realized how ridiculous you two were being by trying to out-scream each other. "Just for a second, just listen. Please."

Your plead seemed to have shocked him, if you were going by the indication given by his suddenly wide eyes. However, just before you could conclude that he finally gave in, he spoke once more. "No.

"No," Kihyun’s voice held an unyielding finality in them, "because the last time I listened to you, you took Kian away from me."

chapter seventeen: the calmness after the storm

Despite Kihyun’s blatant refusal to hear you explain yourself, you still ended up doing so, anyway. Although, admittedly, that feat wasn’t achievable without a compromise.

You recognized you had left him with years worth of hatred and a multitude of unanswered questions, so you didn’t do anything that might potentially invalidate his feelings. Instead, you chose to let him have the microphone until he ran out of things to say — or until he ran out of energy to continue.

Then, once the hoarseness made it impossible to say anything else, you did your best to answer all his questions in order.

You never hated him. No matter how hateful and cruel your actions to him were, you had nothing but love for him.

You were in no way, shape, nor form miserable during your life together. In fact, you were extremely thankful that he went out of his way to separate and protect you from the dark side of MX. Not to mention he allowed you to continue living your civilian life as it was, without restrictions.

He was the main source of your happiness, the sole owner of your heart. At least back then.

Still, despite all of those, you didn’t feel an ounce of regret for ruining what you had then. Because, as you told him before you left, as much as you loved him, you just didn’t love him enough — enough to jeopardize Kian’s chance at a normal and safe life, that was.

"I can protect her. Both of you." Kihyun had long lost his energy to stand, so he had been sitting on the floor early into your spiel. You couldn’t see him clearly since it was quite dark in his room, but you could tell he was leaning against the wall — seating close to his bedroom door and to you, but facing the opposite way. "You didn’t have to leave."

You knew he was going to say that. You also knew he meant it with all his heart. You trust him to do nothing less, which admittedly part of the reason why you strengthened your resolve to leave. You liked how unrestricted you were, with just a tracker locating where you were. With the existence of a child, however, you knew you were bound to lose that freedom and instead be under constant surveillance — especially after what happened to Hayeon. Despite being well aware of his good intentions, you also knew you would end up hating him because of it.

You didn’t want to hate him. And you most certainly didn’t want him to face a situation where he would’ve had to choose between you and Kian or MX — nor, even worse, you or Kian.

"I couldn’t think of any other way that would give our child a chance at a normal life and also eliminate the possibility of you having to choose, so I made the call," you explained further. As brave as you were earlier, you no longer found the strength to look at him as you revealed everything. "I could never bear the thought of hating you; but I figured I could probably live with knowing you hated me, so I— I made you hate me. I made sure you blamed me for every reason why our relationship went down to flames."

"If you wanted to leave, you could’ve just said so," you heard him say. "You didn’t have to do all of that."

"Without the dramatics, would have you really let me go?" You challenged. "Without offering to fix whatever it was that made me want to leave? Without assigning people to trail me and keep me safe? Without checking in on me whenever you thought of me?" You paused to hear his response, but the silence only stretched the more you waited. Albeit he didn’t say anything, the loud silence that followed your prompt was enough. "I didn’t think so, either."

Everything you did back then was necessary. Most of them broke your own heart, but you had to soldier on — especially since your mission’s success guaranteed your removal from Kihyun’s radar. Without such thing monitoring you behind your back, you weren’t burdened with the possibility of him ever finding out. That way, you felt more at ease about raising Kian away from him.

SVT was involved because you needed someone who had similar capabilities as MX. You needed someone who could help you cover your tracks — not just from MX, but also from anyone who might use you against either MX or SVT. You didn’t plan on involving anyone from MX in your escape, partly because it was too risky to do so, but mostly because you didn’t want any of them to break his trust. After all, as much as you didn’t agree that MX’s business was safe enough for Kian’s wellbeing, you value the brotherhood that formed because of it — and, thus, would rather not be the cause of a rift.

Silence followed after you finished answering his questions and follow-ups. However, just before Kihyun could comprehend that you were actually done and not merely taking a pause, you uttered something under your breath. "I needed you to hate me, so you can forget about me; so you can move on.

"I had hoped that you’d find someone else, in my absence. Someone more deserving of your affection. Someone who would love you without reservations, like I did. But, alas." A timid smile suddenly graced your features. Rather than happiness, though, it was an act paired with a tint of sadness in your eyes. You turned towards him, "I’m sorry fate has bound us, Yoo Kihyun."

chapter eighteen: the quietness after the storm

The Yoo Kihyun you knew as his significant other was different from the Yoo Kihyun you had to come back to. He was colder. Meaner. Harder to read.

Not that you were counting his personality change against him. After all, you — of all people — knew what prompted him to be more closed off. Plus, it wasn’t like you two were still comfortable enough with each other to treat one another the same way as before.

Sure, between snide remarks and verbal quarrels, you two were still courteous to one another. Sometimes, the actions were from conscious decisions. Most of the time, though, they were out of instinct — a habit even the passage of time couldn’t erase.

Truthfully, you never really cared if his courtesy was consciously or unconsciously made — just like he does whenever you do the same.

However, for his newest display of courtesy, you somehow found yourself wondering which root it was from. "W— what?"

"Come to bed," Kihyun, without any specifications to guide him, took your reply differently. "Don’t make me repeat it again."

"Why—?"

"Don’t read too much into it," he dismissed your inquiry before you could even finish. "I just need to make sure you don’t run."

You didn’t buy his excuse. Unfortunately, even if you tired yourself hoarse from giving Kihyun his long-overdue closure, you still didn’t think you could sleep alone. Which, ultimately, left you with no other choice.

When morning came, the distance you put before you closed your eyes appeared to have melted with the moon.

Kihyun’s arm, which was nowhere near you when you slept, somehow found its way to wrap around you. Sometime between the transition from night to day, you had somehow gravitated toward him — if he didn’t unconsciously pull you closer in his sleep, that was.

Perhaps it was part of the whole ‘preventing you from running’ ruse. Or perhaps it was just another one of your unerased habit from long ago. Either way, whatever the case might be, his sleeping figure was unarguably the very first thing you saw when you fluttered your eyes open.

There were a number of years when you thought waking up next to him was the only way to properly start your day. When you agreed to be his betrothed for your second gamble, you ultimately decided that continuing to put your life at risk by staying by his side was worth it if it meant you got to start your days with him; if it meant you always had him to give you strength for any awaiting obstacles. You used to believe, albeit quite naively, that everything would be alright, as long as you had him.

And, really, it was . . . until it wasn’t.

You flinched away and attempted to create more distance, immediately realizing that Kihyun probably wouldn’t appreciate your proximity once he regained consciousness. However, much to your surprise, his arm instantly tugged you back — almost on instinct. Perhaps, you could easily blame the sleepiness in your system, but you could swear his hold on you tightened.

You had somewhat mastered escaping a hold, without waking up the person that was holding onto you, thanks to both Kihyun and Kian over the years. However, it wasn’t always effective — especially if the latter was in a sensitive state of sleep.

Considering how Kihyun reacted when you flinched, you could only assume he was partially aware of his surroundings. Thus, if you move one more time, you would definitely wake him up. And as much as you didn’t want to disturb his sleep, you needed him to let you get ready.

After all, neither of you could be late for your own wedding.

Rather than having him wake up abruptly, you chose to ease him into it — just like you used to do back then. "Kihyun," you called softly with your voice hoarse with sleep.

You took a moment to admire him when your first tactic didn’t seem to work, no matter how much you called him. With his eyes closed and sleep cradling him, there was nothing intimidating about him. He was just Kihyun, the man you used to wake up next to, the man you gambled your life for. And, somehow, seeing him in this state reminded you of what it was — and what it could’ve been.

Unconsciously, your hand found its way to his face. Fortunately, before it can make any contact with his cheek, you were able to freeze it mid-air.

Waking Kihyun up by touching his face was a second resort tactic by the old you, the you that loved him with everything that you were. Not the you that left him alone. And certainly not the you that lied and took his child away.

After what you did, you were well-aware that you no longer deserve a lot of things. But, as it seemed, the universe was conspiring to prove you otherwise.

The instant Kihyun’s eyelids fluttered, you retracted your arm back to you. You had half a mind to turn away so he wouldn’t catch you staring, but you already made eye contact with him before you could even shift.

You didn’t know what you expected to happen then, all you knew was you never would’ve guessed the very first thing he uttered after waking up.

"Can you learn to love me again?"

chapter nineteen: the rainbow of the morning after

Your wedding was a small, private affair. That was, if you consider having the entirety of MX and SVT in attendance a short guest list — not to mention the core members of their respective allies.

Considering that your wedding wasn’t really a civilian affair, there were only a handful of civilians present. Even then, all guests — except your daughter — were aware of the true nature of the event. In some form or another, everyone present had ties — personal or otherwise — with a mafia gang.

Although it was undoubtedly your wedding with Kihyun, at its core, it was a mere way for MX and SVT to seal off their alliance. Given that you were only an unofficial member of SVT, you weren’t really consulted with any wedding matters. As such, Kihyun was probably the only one they let privy to its details — and considering how well you two got along, it was no surprise that no information was ever passed on to you.

Really, the only reason you knew the wedding was still happening was due to the days Nari and Hayeon dragged you to get fitted for your wedding attire — once to get your measurements taken and the other to make any necessary adjustments. Absurd as it was, Nari and Hayeon were required by their significant others — Minhyuk and Changkyun, respectively — to not let you see your attire, so even that was still out of your reach.

You absolutely had no idea why you were forbidden to see the only preview you had for your big day. Thankfully, with all the deadlines and other obligations you had, you didn’t really had the time to dwell on it.

When the scheduled day finally arrived, you then immediately understood why MX went through such lengths to keep you from seeing your outfit beforehand.

Your attire was the exact replica of your sketch from five years ago, down to the smallest detail. Albeit you weren’t a fashion designer by any means, you tried your best to sketch your dream wedding attire using your skills as a professional architect. During the eight months of your first engagement, you were also able to sketch Kihyun’s outfit as well, with details added according to his own suggestions and preferences. Furthermore, albeit it wasn’t finalized and mostly just a cloud of brainstormed ideas on paper, you were also able to get started on sketching how you imagined the venue to look like. Of course, just like you did for his suit, you also incorporated Kihyun’s opinions into them. After all, it was supposed to be your wedding.

All your wedding-related sketches were inside a single sketchbook, one you purposely didn’t mix with any other artwork. If you remembered correctly, it also served as a journal to you back then; it also housing a specific portion of your thoughts — starting from the night Kihyun proposed and ending with the day you completed your third gamble. You were fairly certain you were able to take it with you when you left your shared apartment, but misplaced it sometime before you left the country, so you weren’t entirely sure how SVT and/or MX could’ve extracted ideas from it.

One thing was for sure, though: that sketchbook was definitely used during the planning of the wedding.

"Are you ready?" Seungcheol was the one set to walk you down the aisle. According to him, since SVT was the one who extended the olive branch to MX, his party had to be the one walking down to symbolize that. However, in Jihoon’s account of events, you were the one chosen to walk down the aisle simply because Seungcheol lost to Hyunwoo in rock paper scissors.

As such, you were unable to watch Kian walk down as the designated flower girl. Thankfully, Nari and Hayeon — as well as Soonyoung and Mingyu — were more than ecstatic to record that moment for you.

"Ready." As if merely waiting for your confirmation, the double doors opened from the inside — to reveal the path you must walk on with Seungcheol.

Truth be told, you had been contemplating what you were supposed to feel on your wedding day since the people contracted to fix you up started doing their job. Somehow, you managed to convince yourself that you’d be indifferent — after all, your upcoming marriage was contractual. Yes, the person at the end of the aisle was the same as the one in your dreams, but the circumstances were no longer as they were back then.

There was no longer love involved, unlike when you used to dream of the day.

However, when you finally saw how venue was decorated — how the one in charge for the decorations incorporated your ideas from five years ago, despite your lack of direct involvement — you realized otherwise.

After all this time, there was still love — even if it was no longer how it used to be.

"He still loves you, you know," you heard your cousin whisper as you two continued your slow walk down the aisle.

"Wha— what?" You answered in surprise, slightly convinced that he could read your thoughts.

"Kihyun still loves you," Seungcheol repeated. "He never said it out loud, at least not when SVT’s around, but I can tell."

You inevitably made eye contact with Kihyun at the end of the aisle, precisely at the moment you suddenly felt overwhelmed. Although your cousin didn’t say it directly, based on how you noticed him glancing around the venue at the corner of your eye, you connected that he was most likely referring to the wedding itself — somehow implying that Kihyun played a greater role in the preparation than you initially thought. More specifically, it seemed like Seungcheol was implying that Kihyun took charge of the decorations — which hereby also imply that he was the one who deliberately incorporated your ideas into the wedding.

Despite the coldness of your relationship — or lack there of — ever since you crossed paths once more, Kihyun still cared enough about you to make your dream wedding from five years ago a reality. He had no reason to do that, especially since the wedding was merely for an alliance’s sake and he clearly loathed you for the decisions you had made in the past, but he still thought of you as he planned out everything.

Sure, it would be valid to argue that it was merely another display of consideration from his part — or even as a manifestation of an unerased habit from long ago. However, somehow, you knew it was more than just a habit. It was a conscious decision: an act deliberately made — not out of respect, but out of something else entirely.

"Yeah," you replied slowly as memories upon memories of his unerased mannerisms came flashing back. You began to wonder just how frequent his conscious kindness towards you actually showed itself, but you were just too oblivious to take notice of its true nature. "I can tell, too."

You sent a smile on Kihyun’s way, as a silent assurance since you could sense that he was getting worried about your probably-glossed eyes. "You two are the same."

Fortunately for Seungcheol, you had finally reached the end before you could even think about questioning his observation. "What were you guys talking about?" Unfortunately for your cousin, though, it also meant that Kihyun heard his last remark.

"Sea will tell you later, I’m sure." He replied dismissively and cryptically all at once. "For now . . . take care of my cousin for me."

Seungcheol passed your hand to Kihyun, completing his role as the person who extended the olive branch.

With the distance between the two of you now being a mere two steps, you were able to see into his eyes. And, somehow, even if you had looked him right in the eye before, you were barely noticing what his gaze held whenever he looked at you.

Past whatever emotions he was currently feeling, buried beneath time and the clouds, was love. Albeit it wasn’t as it was, with all the scars it picked up along the way, it still exist — more prominent now than it probably would’ve been, especially with the disappearance of the mist obscuring it from view.

You weren’t quite sure how his love survived underneath all hatred and loathing you implanted within its roots, but it did. Somehow.

And maybe, just maybe, you’d let yourself gamble once more.

Can you learn to love me again?

"I can’t love you again," you whispered, only intending for him to hear, "because I never stopped in the first place."

[starlightxsvt]

Beautiful Liar | part of the Treacherous Tales Series

pairing ➳ dk x fem!reader

genre ➳ mafia au, dark romance? angst, smut.

wc ➳ 16.8k

synopsis ➳ you have old scores to settle and he's a pretty pawn in your game. but one must remember obsession leads to destruction.

warnings ➳ violence, mentions of mafia, murder, kidnapping & suicide, stalking, breaking and entering, manipulation, gambling, mention of rape, protected sex, teasing, male oral.

playlist ➳ beautiful liar- monsta x, vigilante shit- taylor swift, part goddess part gangster- madalen duke, horns-bryce fox, don't blame me- taylor swift, no body no crime- taylor swift, the hills- the weekend.

"I need him."

Your words dissipate into the cool air inside the car as your gaze remains focused out your window, trained on one certain man.

"What do you need me to do?" Changkyun immediately asks with violence underlying in his tone. You click your tongue in disapproval, not letting your eyes stray from your pretty prey. "You won't be doing anything this time. He is mine."

The man sitting in the driver's seat next to you only grunts in reply.

Through the passenger side window, you keep observing him, as the man smiles and talks to some students before taking his leave, walking inside another building as he disappears from your sight, making you sigh.

"Okay. You actually do need to do something."

"What?"

"Get me his schedule."

-

Theatre and drama were never your thing. Yet, here you sit, in Professor Lee's class as he talks about the history of theatre.

While the lecture itself is boring and definitely not worth the trouble you went through to sneak into his class as you are not a student, the man himself is pleasing to listen to and look at.

There is something boyish and innocent about him and as you watch him give the lecture, his voice so sweet and soothing that it is almost impossible to believe that he is related to the Lee family.

The two-hour lecture is surprisingly quick to pass by as you sit at the very back of the classroom, watching him carefully. With the clock striking 2 pm, the lecture finishes and students clear out of the classroom, leaving you behind who sits immobile in her place.

That manages to capture Professor Lee's attention. He takes off his reading glasses and tilts his head to look at you, blinking as if he's trying to remember you from somewhere.

With an amused smile playing on your lips, you stand up from your seat and strut to the podium slowly.

"Good afternoon, Professor." You greet, holding out a hand. He takes a look at your face and then your hand before softly shaking it. "Good afternoon. I don't think you are a student of mine."

Up close, the man looks dashing. Perfect sharp features; prominent cheekbones and a sharp nose, soft plump lips on his slightly tanned skin. Covered up to the neck with a white turtleneck underneath a black cashmere suit, he looks far from what he truly is.

So innocent, so deceitful.

You grin. "You are absolutely correct, Professor Lee. I am not."

He looks amused as well, raising a brow with the expectation that you are going to explain yourself.

"I am just a fan, you could say."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. I came across your presentation at the Royal Opera House this July. I have been a fan ever since."

"Well...I am pleased to hear that. I hope I have managed to inspire you in some way."

"Oh, you have. Plenty." You can't refrain from a grin.

"I am glad then." He pauses for a beat as he takes a look at his watch. "You'll have to excuse me now. I have a meeting soon."

"Of course. I just wanted to say hi. Have a nice day." You take a step back.

The man nods, giving you a small smile as he starts walking out of the classroom, his shoes clicking on the floor. He looks gorgeous even from behind, the afternoon sun streaming from the windows in the hallway casting around him in an angelic glow.

Just as he is about to fully exit the classroom, he stops and turns his head. "I didn't get your name, though. Where are you from?"

You can't help but smile diabolically. "From the wrong side of the tracks, professor."

-

Professor Lee has a pretty house, made up of a rustic brick structure and well furnished black tiles for the roof, a perfect blend of modern and old. The wooden fence around the perimeter of the house is not hard for you to cross as you make your way through his yard, careful not to step anywhere that would leave a trace.

The perfect time to break into his place is now, midday, as he is currently busy teaching a class. Changkyun is keeping an eye on him, camped outside the university, ready to inform you if his position changes as you take your time combing through his house.

The front of his house has a CCTV camera, which is precisely why you broke in through the back. Carefully crossing the yard, you tiptoe along the side of the house and turn right where there is a window. Making sure that you are in a blind spot, you pry the window open after a small struggle and gingerly make your way in like a sneaky cat.

His house is beautiful, exactly fitting his image. The floors are made of dark wood as well as most of the furniture; a dark yet soothing vibe emanating from his abode. The window you used to get in leaves you in a small hallway and after looking around a little, you get a general sense of direction.

Straight from the hallway, there is his bedroom which is where you head first. You are somewhat disappointed when you find it so sterile. The room, composed of a queen sized bed, a dresser and a closet is pristine. Everything is neat, not a hair out of place as if no one lives here. There is no decoration, no trace of personalization like a picture or a painting which you find odd because you expected something that would indicate his ties to his dear family.

Not letting the disappointment get to you, you walk out of the bedroom, heading for the closed door on the left; twisting the knob, you open the door to find his study and a smile spreads on your lips.

It's a fairly large room, the walls on both sides surrounded by large mahogany shelves containing books about art, literature and others. You carefully step in, heading straight for the large desk in the middle.

To your utter disappointment, it doesn't contain any schedule or indication about the life of crime that he comes from. There is not a single sign that would tell anyone that he is the younger brother of the notorious ruler of District 1.

Instead, aside from his computer on the desk, there are only a few books related to theatre on one side and a few lecture sheets on the other. It is so unexpected that you are stunned to silence, standing in the middle of the room, almost starting to think that you came to the wrong house.

Changkyun's sudden voice from the bluetooth disrupts your thoughts. "___, he is leaving early. He just got in his car. I'm following him. You have about 15 minutes to get out of there."

"Fine," you mutter.

There is still enough time. But by the looks of this, you could have all the time in the world and still not find anything that would tell you he's one of the heirs to District 1.

Grunting you lean down and start checking the drawers only to find nothing; no secret meeting location, nothing that you can use to blackmail him or anything that will lead you to the main culprit, his brother.

Sighing, you stand up straight and look around the room. Maybe he is being extra cautious and doesn't keep any evidence here. Maybe he has a secret hideout for his life of crime.

The idea, however, doesn't make sense because you have been stalking him and the only place he frequents is the university.

It's odd.

It almost feels like he doesn't have any connection with District 1.

No, no. That doesn't make any sense.

"___, you have 10 minutes!"

"I know, I know!" You snap, annoyed.

Walking over to the bookshelves you gently drag your fingers over the spine of each book, hoping maybe one of them would be the key to opening a secret room behind the shelves.

Nothing like that happens.

Accepting your defeat, you come out of the house but not before placing a bug underneath the table in his study with the hopes of getting some information by spying on him. Crossing the fence, you take special care to make sure you didn't leave behind any trace of entry before finally exiting the perimeter of the house.

Once safely out of the range of his house, you stand on the opposite side of the road and watch Professor Lee pull up a few minutes later. Changkyun's car follows him half a minute later as he drives straight to where you are standing, before coming to a stop in front of you.

You tug open the door and get in on the passenger side.

"Why the long face? Find nothing?"

"Shut up."

-

A change of plans is the only way.

Your second plan is to court him which isn't really a problem given the man is as pretty as a doll and toying with him would be absolute fun. With the decision set, you begin phase two of your operation, stalking him.

Well, you were stalking him before too but now, you start to follow every single footsteps of him, quite literally.

You follow him everywhere, discreetly, of course, getting to know his schedule as precisely as possible before striking.

His routine is rather bland, he wakes up, goes to work, then goes to the gym and then comes back home. It is something you find odd, once again. No matter from which angle you consider, the equation does not add up. Still, you try to make the best of whatever little ammunition you have at hand and pretend to bump into him randomly.

Like, one sunny afternoon you pretend to wait for someone in the parking lot of his university right when he is to leave for the day. Surprisingly, he's the first one to approach you, as he gently grabs your attention. "Hey. We uh, met the other day."

"Oh, hello, Professor Lee. Glad you remembered. One of your biggest fans."

"Have you enrolled here?"

"Ah, I wish. I'm here to...meet a friend's daughter."

"I see. What's her department?"

You blink, not expecting that question but recover quickly. "You ask too many questions professor. Let me ask you one instead. Can I have your number?"

You see the tips of his ears go red.

So adorable.

He blinks, taken aback as he searches for the right words. "Well, uh, why?"

"Why? You're hot and intelligent. I want to go out with you."

"Well, I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why?"

"Just because." He replies, almost unsure, looking at you as if you are a bizarre creature.

You take a step towards him, an amused smile on your face from his reaction. Leaning close to him, you slowly fix the lapels of his jacket. Perplexed, he looks at the motion of your hands before moving his gaze to your face.

"Please, professor? One date is all I ask." You give him puppy eyes.

There is a sharp inhale as his pupils widen just a little bit while you gaze into his eyes, unblinking. The proximity is intense, you can smell his perfume, feel his breath on your skin and from the way he keeps looking at you, there is an urge to kiss him building within you.

Just when you are sure you can sneak in a kiss, he breaks the moment by taking a step back, out of your reach. Clearing his throat, he says. "I can't. I have a girlfriend."

Liar.

Not waiting for your reply, he opens the door to his car and gets in. As his engine fires up with a hum, you walk near the vehicle and lean in to look at him through the half open window. "Don't lie professor. You don't have a girlfriend."

He looks at you silently for a moment, his hands resting on the steering wheel. "This is why I won't go out with you."

You are confused.

"You seem to know too much about me and I don't like that."

With that, he pulls out of the parking lot, leaving behind a trail of smoke and your baffled self.

It's fine.

You know you are on the right track. He is definitely attracted to you so it is not over yet. In fact, it is only the beginning.

This is going to be so much fun.

-

For the next week, you make it your mission to pop up in front of Seokmin while he is out and about. You first pretend to run into him at his favourite coffee shop, acting delighted when he notices you. He seems wary upon seeing you and since it was only the first day of your mission, you let him off easy, saying that this is fate telling that you two are meant to be.

The next time you pretend to run into him again at the car park of the university, once again announcing that you are waiting for your friend's daughter. He keeps the conversation short, simply by nodding and getting into his car rather hurriedly. You, however, don't forget to throw him a compliment, looking as innocent and genuine as possible; like an innocent young girl who has been rejected by her desired man and now longs for him from afar.

That seems to work a bit.

The lesser you speak and the more innocent your attitude becomes, the longer your encounters last. Seokmin would start initiating the conversation and then ask formal questions as if to keep the conversation going or maybe, to test you and see what your true intentions are.

Either way, you don't fall for that.

Instead, you act detached, like a damsel who failed to capture the eye of the man she loves.

Finally, one morning, when you are walking out of the coffee shop, he stops you on your way by extending his hand to touch your elbow softly. You have to hide your smile before turning around.

"You know, I never got to see the girl." He says.

"Which girl?"

"Your friend's daughter. The one you come to the university for."

Ah.

"Oh, you didn't?" You blink innocently. He looks at you for a beat, before giving you a knowing smile. "You know, I think we both know that that's a lie."

You avert your gaze, acting like you did not hear him.

"As much as you seem to be enjoying this, I need you to stop following me around." He says, voice soft but firm and you know it's a command.

It's a shame you don't take commands well.

Tilting your neck to a side, you pop a muscle before giving out a loud exhale, composing yourself. "Have a nice day, Mr Professor."

You walk away.

-

You were getting tired of playing around. The man may be attracted to you but you are coming to a realization that it will not be enough for him to give him. He is cautious and given who he really is, he will never let a woman like you get close to him, no matter how much he may like you.

"I told you, we should have just kidnapped him. His brother would show up immediately." Changkyun complains out loud. The two of you have been sitting in your study for the past hour, trying to come up with a plan.

"You know I don't work like that. It's too easy. And too risky."

You have a bad habit. You always end up getting emotionally involved in every case you encounter. This one should not be an exception. In fact, this is the best place to get emotional because his brother hurt you by hurting your family. It is only fair you do the same to him now. And along the way, you get to tease a pretty man like Professor Lee. It is a win-win situation for you, almost.

In your world, betrayal is the sweetest revenge. If you can betray Professor Lee after earning his trust, that will be the sweetest revenge.

"I don't give up so easily, you know," you whisper, planning your next move.

-

"No teacher needs that much muscles, professor!" Your voice echoes through the empty gym at night.

Dokyeom whips his head around, dropping the dumbbell that was in his hand, eyes wide at your sudden voice. "You! How did you get in here!" You don't appreciate his accusatory tone.

"I come to this gym as well." You shrug, strolling towards him with your hands behind your back before plopping down next to him on a bench. He gives you an exasperated look. "Really?"

"Mhmm." You smile.

"Liar. What do you want? I told you to stay away from me."

You shrug. " Mhmm, can't do that professor. I miss you."

His lips thin, a sign that he is clearly not amused by your antics but it's a shame. You find all of this way too amusing.

You find him amusing.

"I know you are after something else. I am not stupid, ___." He turns to face you properly, his eyes carefully watching you.

A soft smirk plays on your lips. Of course, he is not stupid. Heir to the Lee family, he is the farthest thing from stupid.

"Did you have someone look into me, professor?" You ask nonchalantly.

"Look into you? What is that supposed to mean?" He asks, leaning closer to you.

You're treading in dangerous territory. You cannot give yourself in so quickly.

"I mean a smart, famous man like you has a lovesick stalker. I'm sure you had a detective or someone take a look into me, no?"

More like an intelligence member of the mafia. Maybe even his dear brother.

"So you are admitting that you are a stalker?"

"Oh, not just any, though. A lovesick stalker." You blink innocently at him.

He remains silent making you wonder if he is buying your words.

"Since you are asking me what I want, I assume you asked around and couldn't find anything, then?" You tilt your head, tone playful as you continue the conversation. You are not going to leave today until you are successful.

After a moment, he admits. "Yes. You run on the wrong side of the tracks, that is all I could find."

You chuckle. "There is nothing else to find, professor. I'm just a bad girl infatuated with you and your words and your passion for art."

"You? I am not buying that."

"Me? What is that supposed to mean?" You feel a little offended. "Can a girl not be a gangster and love theatre? Not every one of us gets to chase our dreams, you know."

You see his eyes soften as he remains silent, pondering your words. You watch him, carefully leaning closer to him before dragging a manicured finger over his bicep flirtily.

"What do you want?" His voice comes out breathy this time, those deep pools of chocolate in his eyes boring into you and oh god, do you love your name on his lips.

It would be even better to hear him say that in bed.

"A date with you, professor." You whisper, inching your face closer to him, your lips a mere few inches away from his and you don't miss the way his gaze drops to them before coming back up to your eyes.

"And if I say no?" He swallows. You pout, snaking a hand over his chest, feeling the strong muscles beneath your palm, pleased that he lets you touch him. "Why would you say no, professor? I am really good in bed, you know."

He watches you quietly once again and you hate how you cannot tell what is going on inside his head. Is he falling for your words or is he simply piecing things together and trying to uncover you? There is a slight flush on his cheeks but you don't know if it's because of you or his workout.

His hand comes to grab your wrist, breaking your train of thought as he takes your hand off his chest and places it on your lap.

"Tell me something you have never told anyone before."

"What?" You are perplexed.

"Tell me something, anything, a secret, a wish, that you have never told anyone before. Then, I will go on a date with you." He replies.

Wait, what?

You blink, absolutely baffled at his words as he sits in silence, looking at you expectantly. His gaze is sombre and sincere, like he really wants to know you and for the first time in forever, your heart skips a beat, making you feel out of place and vulnerable. Quickly, you break eye contact with him and stare at your boots as you think of a reply.

"Don't think of making up a lie. I can tell, you know." He adds.

A soft sigh escapes your lips as you internally roll your eyes at him. "I...I have this urge to leave everything behind and just go to an island. Or a place near the sea and spend the rest of my life there, where nobody knows me, where my past doesn't haunt me."

A long silence follows after your words and you cannot make yourself look at him, afraid of what you will find in his eyes, afraid of how they would make you feel and at the same time hating that these thoughts are bothering you.

"I am free this weekend." He murmurs standing up. You look up, surprised, excited. He puts on his hoodie, acting like he did not just agree to a date with you. As he starts walking out of the gym, completely ignoring your presence, you yell. "I'll text you!"

He turns around to look at you as if to ask how you have his number but simply gives you an exasperated look which you reply with a cheeky smile.

"I'm only free after noon." He declares, continuing on his path.

"No problem, professor." You grin.

-

You agree on an evening library date which is not really an ideal date for you but because of the facade you are holding up, you agree. The library is situated near his campus, an old architectural piece, with dimmed yellow lights and gold details and large windows, radiating a little bit of a gothic energy. He chose the library because of your (fake)interest in theatre, saying that the library would be the best place to discuss these things and you agreed because other than that, it is also not crowded and you can have his full attention.

Dokyeom hand picks a few books on the topic with pure enthusiasm as you follow him around, nodding to whatever he is saying. For the most part, you observe him, watching him with rapt attention, the details of his face, the change of his expressions as he talks, the movement of his hands—

And you have to admit, he has very pretty hands; long and bony, perfect to suck on.

Shaking your head at the ridiculous thought, you follow him to a private study room.

He pulls a chair and helps you sit down, making you smile at his manners. Once he is sat, he turns to you and asks. "Okay, then. What would you like to talk about today? Let's start with plays. What is your favourite play?"

"I don't know, what is yours?" You ask, blinking innocently at him as you rest your chin on your palm. He frowns. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"My favourite play is whatever your favourite play is." You reply sweetly, making him throw an exasperated look at you.

"Is this how you are going to be?"

"Deeply infatuated with you? Yes, professor."

Shaking his head, he opens a book, murmuring something under his breath but you see the soft hint of a smile playing on his lips, making you smile as well.

This should be easy.

Your date goes smoothly, with him discussing his favourite plays, playwrights and whatnot and you nodding along and watching him, throwing in some pointless questions here and there to appear interested. All the while in the back of your mind, you keep planning your next move. Seokmin isn't a stupid man and you know deep down, he sees through your pretence but seeing how he is still entertaining you means that you have captured his interest. And you have to use this to your benefit.

Fate seems to be on your side as on the way back home, Dokyeom suddenly asks if you are free for dinner.

You have to work very hard to mask the huge grin of satisfaction on your face when you say yes. Your response pleases him, visible from his reaction as he excitedly turns the car around and selects a restaurant.

Dokyeom goes all out for dinner, as you are guided to a private dining room upon entering the restaurant. You have to say that his effort impresses you. And of course, it solidifies your belief that he is falling for you. Smiling, you strut behind him.

He pulls out your chair for you, helping you sit down before ordering some appetizers and wine for you to get started.

"I'm a bit surprised you agreed to come." He speaks after a small pause.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. I- I just had a thought that you were not serious about me. It almost felt like you lost a bet. I had the impression that you were just playing with me and wasting my time the last few weeks but I'm surprised you pulled through."

You only give him a smile in reply.

"You know, I believe you are one of two things. A weirdo who wants to bed a professor just for fun or, someone with a hidden intention, playing the long game."

"Aren't you smart, professor?" You grin condescendingly, resting your cheek on your palm.

"I know you are bad news, yet..." He pauses for a beat, sighing at himself. "Yet for the past week, I could not stop thinking about you. I'm in deep trouble, no?"

"You are," You smile. "In the sweetest trouble, I promise you."

He scoffs, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "Let's order the main course, shall we?"

The dinner begins with casual small talk as he tells you about his work and you listen, asking casual questions here and there. When you are taking your second serving of the alfredo pasta, he asks. "Tell me about yourself. Why do you do what you do?"

"Come again?" Your movements halt as you look at him.

"Your... profession." He seems to not find his words. "Killing people, threatening them, weapon business, fraud... whatever you do."

"Hm, I do a little bit of all of that but," you set your utensils down, looking up. "Interesting question, professor."

"Is it like a family business?"

Your eyes fly to his, looking for a sign in them of whether he knows your background or not. For a moment you tense up and hold your breath but his face remains the same, looking at you curiously as he sips his wine.

"No, not really." You reply before finishing your glass of wine. "Parents died early. They knew a few people who were in this business and I got involved."

"What business is it exactly?"

"Aren't you curious, professor?"

He shrugs, looking at you in silence, waiting for you to continue. You sigh, dropping your cutlery down and leaning back into the chair.

"My father was in the weapons business. After he passed away things were messy for a bit and I realized dealing with weapons was not my strong forte. Now I'm in the loaning business and I also do contract killing."

Dokyeom's eyes widen significantly and you can't help but laugh at his reaction. He is acting like he hasn't heard something like this before, living in the world that he lives in.

He looks around before lowering his voice and asking. "So you are like a thug that lends people money with high interest?"

"Yep."

"And you beat them up if they fail to return the money on time?''

"Precisely," you grin.

"And what was that about contract killing? What are you? A hitman?"

"You can say that. But I have clients of various ranges. I kill for politicians, for local gangs and even for civilians."

"For civilians?" He hisses.

"Yes, professor." You take a sip of your wine, swirling the bitter liquid around in your mouth. "Three months ago, the news of a young girl getting raped by a senator's son broke out. I'm sure you have heard of that. The girl was only seventeen and the guy came to her birthday party without any invitation, caused a ruckus and raped her that night because she refused to drink with him. The mother of that girl ran around tirelessly for help while she recovered at the hospital. Everyone she went to, told her to drop the charges for her own good. For one, it would take months, even years to complete the investigation and during that time they'd only get harassed, and two, they could never win the case."

"One day, the mother came to see me. I don't know how she found me and I didn't ask. She offered me her entire life savings and begged me for justice for her daughter. I didn't accept her money but I promised her I would avenge her daughter."

"Then...the death of that senator's son, you were behind it?" Seokmin whispers.

"Yes. I castrated him and then slit that bastard's throat."

"And the incident of the senator that came on the news, were you behind that as well?"

"Yes. He was equally at fault. He let his son go astray and then covered up his crimes. He did not deserve to speak another word so I cut his tongue. Fun, no?'

He doesn't reply to you but falls into a deep state of thought as you continue your dinner.

"Did I scare you, professor?" You ask, seeing him so silent.

He blinks a few times, coming out of his reverie. "No."

"Hm, doesn't sound like that."

Once more, you are met with silence as he watches you from the opposite side of the table, the look in his eyes serious, almost as if he is scrutinizing you. You start to grow uncomfortable under his stare, slightly worried that he might piece two and two together and see through you.

Surprising you, he says, "Looks like I misjudged you, ___. I shouldn't have. I apologize."

"What?"

"Not all actions can be boxed into black and white. What you did may be illegal but it was necessary and right. It won't undo everything that the girl went through, but it still makes the whole thing a bit fair."

For probably the first time in your life, you find yourself speechless. You open your mouth to reply but you realize that you are incapable of forming a reply to what he said. So, you just sit in silence, mirroring him.

"I don't know your past and I don't know what your struggles are but you are a good person, ___.''

Your throat has dried up by now as a weird sensation starts settling in your heart. It is uncomfortable and your appetite is ruined.

The man can probably sense your discomfort because he lets out a soft chuckle and leans back into his seat. "I just thought you should know that. I was not trying to woo you or anything."

You swallow a lump in your throat and force a smile. "Let's order dessert, shall we?''

Soon after that, you finish dinner and Dokyeom offers to give you a ride home and you accept it but only after a little internal debate.

Your own attitude baffles you. Why are you hesitating to let him drop you home? Is it because you have started feeling weird things under his company and now you want to avoid them?

No, that's outrageous. You are just tired from a long day of playing pretend.

The drive to your house is silent as you actively avoid having any conversation with him by facing the window and closing your eyes, your arms crossed as you pretend to go to sleep.

A good amount of driving later, you reach your house and tap in the code number for the main gate to open.

"She's a beauty, isn't she?'' You ask upon noticing his reaction; wide eye and mouth slightly open as he drives into your compound, coming to a stop in front of the steps that lead to your main entrance.

The house resembles a haunted mansion in many ways. It is at least a hundred years old, huge but empty, creepers growing around the black tiles, surrounded by dead trees and an abandoned garden. This is where you used to live with your family a long time ago and after your father's death, you left, letting that house collect dust. It is only recently that you started living here after you formed your plan to take the Lee family down.

"She is." He agrees with a nod before undoing his seatbelt. Before you can do that and open your door, he rounds the car and holds the door open for you.

The chilly night air hits your skin as you step out of the car. Dokyeom's gaze travels past you, marvelling at your home.

"Would you like to come in?" You surprise yourself by asking. He immediately nods with a sheepish grin. "I would love to see the interior."

"Well, it is a mess and full of dust but come along," You lead the way as he follows you closely. Holding the door open, you let him step in.

The door opens to a large space in front of a staircase leading upstairs. This area used to be for sitting, and now it is barren of anything. There is a large floor to ceiling window by the staircase, pouring the moonlight inside the space which is dimly lit by an antique chandelier.

"I see you didn't renovate." Dokyeon comments as he walks around, eyes scanning the space in wonder.

"Moved in recently."

"Hm, I like the style. If you end up renovating, I'd say don't change it too much." He advises. Humming, you start climbing the stairs. "My bedroom and the dining are upstairs. Wanna take a look?''

"Sure," he enthusiastically trails behind you as you come upstairs and show him the dining first and then the second bedroom before leading him to your bedroom.

"And here is my room," you hold open the door for him as he walks past you, the same look of wonder constant on his face.

"Wow," he walks straight to the open balcony, the night breeze flowing in strong, making the curtains dance. You slowly follow him, "I know right."

"I almost want to live here. Do you want to trade places with me?'' There's a boyish charm in his eyes and a genuine hint of glee in his voice as he looks at you with a smile.

"No thanks." You cannot help a small smile yourself.

A silence settles, a comfortable one in fact as you watch the view by his side in the cool night air.

"I had a good time today," he confesses, voice soft. You try hard not to acknowledge the funny feeling that spreads inside you upon hearing his words. Softly, you say. "Me too."

Your gaze moves to him and you find him looking at you, the look in his eyes is something you are unfamiliar with. Something that threatens to make your heart skip a beat, and make you forget what you are set out to do.

While you are lost in your thoughts, Dokyeom seems to have moved closer to you. His gaze has deepened and his face is suddenly mere inches away from you, taking you by surprise.

"Can I kiss you?" He whispers.

Fuck it. Part of your mission is to get him to bed, no? You will have to do it sooner or later.

You press your lips to his and fireworks go inside your head. It feels right, his lips moving against yours as you grab his jacket to pull him closer. By the time you two separate, you are breathless, your mind hazy. Dokyeom keeps looking at you like you are the most magnificent thing on this planet, his hand softly caressing your cheeks as your fingertips dance on his neck.

"Should I stay the night?"

There is a cheer of satisfaction within you. You let out a soft hum of acknowledgement which immediately brings his hands to your shoulders.

His lips are the epitome of temptation, your hooded gaze trained on it, stuck in a trance of pure desire. His fingers brush over your back in tantalising touches as he drops your coat from your shoulders, his eyes never straying from yours. Your hands move in a rhythm as you unbutton his blazer and reach for the hem of his turtleneck, helping him to get rid of it with a tug while simultaneously moving back inside your room and towards your bed, discarding the clothes messily on the floor.

His body is like an ancient Greek sculpture, lean and toned and you don't hide the hunger in your gaze. In silence, you push him towards the bed as he drops down to the mattress while you peel off your top along with your bra and then reach for the pants. Once you are left only in your panties, you strut towards him, a small smile on your lips because of the way he keeps looking at you, full of desire and burning passion.

Your hands move seductively as you take off his pants along with his boxers, making sure your nails scrape his thigh. With the fabrics gone, you see his cock for the first time, and my god is he blessed.

"What do you think? Will it please you?" He asks, making you smirk.

"Lie back professor," you order, standing up as he moves back into the bed, half lying against the headboard. You climb on the bed on all fours, positioning yourself on top of him. Leaning down, your lips tease him as your noses brush together softly. You whisper. "Let me give you a time you will never forget."

Something flashes in his eyes for a brief moment which you don't get to observe because his lips crash into yours, ensuing a fierce kiss. You moan into the kiss as his hands come to cup your neck and jaw, his lips pressed against yours relentlessly.

When you realise he is about to press you down into the bed, you break the kiss and inhale deeply. "Mhmm, no, professor. Let me take care of you first." You throw a wink at him and move down, your lips softly dragging against his skin, down his abdomen before reaching his half hard cock.

You take him in your hands, rubbing the base of his dick at a slow pace and watch his face raptly for reactions. As he grows hard against your hand, you lean down and take him into your mouth with one big swallow that makes Dokyem grunt out loud.

"Fuck!"

You smile as you continue your ministrations, moving your mouth up and down against his length while his body grows tense beneath you. Your tongue laps around his entire length, tasting him, teasing him as his breaths become shorter and shorter.

"Fuck, I'm gonna come soon."

His words work as a motivation for you as you increase your pace, swiping your tongue over his leaking tip before he finally explodes inside your mouth with a throaty groan.

You swallow every drop of him, a few trailing down the corner of your lips and you make a show of licking it with unwavering eye contact. Dokyeom lies flat on his back, panting harshly, hooded eyes watching you in an intense stare.

"Good, professor?" You grin, licking your index finger.

Exhaling loudly, he tugs you by your arm. "Come here!" Pinning you underneath his body, he kisses you, his tongue prodding into your mouth, tasting himself. You don't hold yourself back either, kissing him with equal passion until you forget where you end and he begins.

His lips meet your neck, kissing and sucking softly before trailing down to play with your sensitive nipples. As your whines grow in pitch and you grow restless, trying to break free from his grip and take over, he sits over your thighs, spreading his legs on both sides and resting on his knees.

"Do you have a condom?" He asks.

"Multiple," you reply, reaching for the bedside drawer.

As he puts the rubber on, you take the moment to appreciate his figure, his beautiful face, his bed-messy hair, his toned chest and abdomen and of course, his monster of a cock.

"You are one fine man, professor." You find yourself saying. You hate how you genuinely mean it.

"You are not too bad yourself." He flashes a grin before aligning himself with your pussy. As you take a deep inhale, he pushes in, making your body rise as you grip the sheets tightly in reply to the intrusion.

"Fuck, you're so tight."

Your response is to squeeze him tighter as you wrap your legs around his ass, pushing his body closer to yours. Delirious with pleasure, you start chasing his hips right away in a desperate rhythm of your own.

"Harder," you tempt, slinging your arms around his neck to pull him close. His breath fans your face, the slight perspiration on his temples clearly visible in this distance. In the yellowish hue of the room, his skin glows, giving him the appearance of a god, his messy hair tying everything together.

Dokyeom takes you up for the challenge as he increases his pace, making your head fall back as you let out a deep moan from the pits of your belly. He hits the perfect spot every time, driving you wild, bringing you deliciously close to the edge.

"Fuck, I need to come," you pant, hands reaching between your legs to touch your clit. Dokyeom, however, stops you by grabbing your both wrists and pinning them on top of your head, a cocky smirk on your face as he leans into your ear and whispers. "Say please first."

"Never," you immediately reply.

"Then you don't get to come."

"You asshole!" You hiss, trying to writhe free from his grasp but every time you move, his dick goes deeper inside you, amplifying the pleasure that makes you shudder.

"Come on sweetheart. You know you want to come."

"Ugh, no," you grunt, squeezing your eyes shut in a futile attempt to tone done your need for release."

"It's just one tiny word," the devil keeps whispering in your ear, continuing his ruthless thrusts as you teeter on the verge of begging.

"Fuck! Okay, okay!" You yell. "Please!"

"Hm, that didn't sound nice." The bastard complains, making you furious.

"I swear to god—" He interrupts you with a fierce kiss, pushing his tongue so deep inside your mouth that you forget to breathe. Letting go of your hands, his fingers move down, trailing along your skin before reaching between your legs and flicking your clit. That action is enough as you come, fireworks going off inside your body as you twist to a side, your toes curling in pleasure. Dokyeom's body shudders on top of yours as he comes, continuing to kiss your mouth, your chin and your jaw.

Soon, a silence settles in the air as his body rests on top of yours. You don't find it in you to push him off so you let him be, comfortable in his warmth and embrace as you close your eyes, soon to be overtaken by sleep.

-

Days bleed into weeks that turn into a month as you start dating Seokmin. He grows fonder of you each passing day, the look in his eyes and his actions mirroring what he holds for you in his heart. He starts accepting your obsessive tendencies along with your profession, which pleases you immensely. You have your enemy where you want and things seem to be going your way.

Except one thing.

After you started dating Dokyeom, you have stayed over at his place only a few times. Of course, you made use of those times, snooping through his house in hopes of finding something that would lead you to his brother or at the very least, tell you of his ties to the mafia family of District 1. You never found a single thing. When you asked him about his family, he replied that he is an only child whose parents passed away because of a car crash.

A lie, of course.

Your plan is in motion but at the same time, you feel stuck. You have Dokyeom in the palm of your hand, you just need to get to his brother for everything to come together. You had dramatic plans for a reunion but at this stage, that looks quite impossible.

Maybe you should have just kidnapped him.

-

One weekend he invites you to his house for dinner as a celebration of him securing a contract with one of the biggest publishers in the country for his next book.

You put on your nicest dress and your fanciest heels for the occasion, your lips painted red as you strut to his front door with a bouquet of flowers.

Dokyeom opens the door looking a little more gorgeous than other days; his black hair brushed back sleekly, and wearing a cream coloured Ralph Lauren sweater with black pants. Tying the look together is his steel framed glasses which he looks fantastic with and which you adore seeing him wearing.

Whenever he wears those glasses you two end up having the most mind blowing sex.

Dokyeom remains rooted in his spot as he watches you, his eyes moving over your full frame with a look of appreciation and desire. You flash a grin, "Good evening, professor."

He blinks before smiling, "Good evening, ___. You look absolutely stunning."

"Thought I should dress up to celebrate you." You shrug. "May I come in?" You smile teasingly and he lets you in with a flustered laugh.

"Dinner is cooking in the oven. I will set the table up," he supplies as he helps you to take off your coat once you are inside. "Would you like some wine?''

"Sure," You follow him to the kitchen which has a soft aroma of the chicken roast, making your stomach rumble slightly. One of the many delights of dating Dokyeom has been his exceptional culinary skills. You watch as he pours wine into two glasses before offering you one, "The chicken will be done in ten minutes. Make yourself at home."

"Thanks," you receive the glass from him and stroll around the house, looking at his decoration, in the back of your mind thinking if any one of these plain items hides the key to his other identity. A phone call echos in the kitchen and you realize Dokyeom is getting a call. He accepts it with an apology directed at you before going to the porch to speak.

In the meantime, you sneak into his study. It is not even sneaking in, to be honest, because he has given you full access to every inch of his house and in fact, encouraged you to visit his study and take a look at his little library. You found it odd at first because his transparency shows that he has nothing to hide and as days pass by and you come up with no leads, a sinking feeling has started appearing in your belly. Not to mention that the bug you put underneath his desk has picked up nothing of importance, no conversation or phone call about District 1 or his mafia family.

Maybe you have made a huge mistake. Maybe he is some random innocent guy who just looks like the youngest son of Lee family and has fallen to your prey.

Still, you step inside his study with the hope of finding something new. Like every other time, your fingers comb through the shelves of his library before moving towards his desk, shuffling through the papers carefully to not disturb the arrangement. You also peek beneath the desk to make sure the recorder is still there and active before going through his drawers. It has become a routine check at this point, your fingers moving through his stuff in experienced movements as you hold your breath in anticipation of finding a lead.

It goes futile, of course.

With a defeated sigh you stand up to find Dokyeom standing at the entrance of his study with a completely foreign look on his face.

Shit.

A gasp of surprise and terror leaves your mouth as your eyes meet his and for several moments, a gut-wrenching feeling wreaks havoc within you. You hate how you feel, guilty like a criminal or even worse, a person breaking the trust they were given and getting caught red handed by the person who trusted them the most.

"What are you doing?'' His tone is flat and cold, something you are hearing for the first time. It takes a second for your brain to start functioning properly. "Just looking around, professor. You know I get snoopy sometimes." You tilt your head to the side, giving him a coy smile.

Dokyeom gives no reaction. He takes a few, slow steps towards you, his footsteps matching the beat of your heart as he comes to a stand in front of the table.

Then, his hand reaches below, searching for something beneath the table before coming back up with the bug in his hand.

Ah, fuck.

"What is this?" He asks.

"A bug? Who would do that to you, professor?" You ask innocently.

He keeps staring at you, the look of disappointment growing permanent on his face as you realize you are caught for good.

Fuck it, you had to reveal yourself one way or the other anyway.

With a loud exhale, you ask, "When did you find out?"

"Last week," he replies, tone clipped. "I was baffled when I found it. Nobody visited my place in the last few weeks except you. Stupidly, I told myself it cannot be you so someone must have broken in. I looked through the CCTV footage but I found nothing there was well." He blows out a long breath, shaking his head dejectedly, "I still prayed it wouldn't be you but the reality says otherwise, ___."

Hmm, it does.

"It was me," you announce, plopping down on his chair behind the desk while he watches you unamusedly. "And you are right. Someone did break in. That was me as well." You flash him an evil grin.

Whatever colour that was left on his face drains out as he keeps staring at you, unblinking, for a long period. You return his stare with one of your own, except you are curious to see his next reaction. There is also a feeling of dread somewhere within you but you decide to ignore it.

Dokyeom's palms come to rest on the table as he hangs his head low, remaining motionless. Finally, when he looks up, the look in his eyes has completely changed and his jaw is tight, giving you the first glimpse into the mafia heir that he really is.

You watch as he reaches for the scissors in the stationary holder sitting on his desk, and rounds the table before coming to stand right next to you, holding the tip of the scissors right against your neck as he leans down and hisses. "Should I slit your throat right here or should I hear you out?"

You must admit that you find this look on him very attractive.

You cannot help the grin, "Finally, you are acting like the youngest heir of District 1, professor. I like it."

His eyes widen slightly as the scissors move just a bit away from your skin. "What do you want?"

"To tell you that, I have to tell you a long story." Your smile drips with venom as you stand up and walk over to the sitting area. "Sit down. It's a long story." You say, motioning towards the sofa in front of you. He isn't enthusiastic but he follows your direction, sitting down in front of you, the scissors still in his hand.

You lean back into the cushions throwing one leg over the other as you look him in the eye.

"Once upon a time, six years ago actually, there was a man who used to deal weapons. His general clients were not high profile but one day he got orders from the mafia family of District 1. They had some issues with their regular supplier so they chose that man for a quick supply."

"The man had two daughters. One who was 18 at that time and another who was 16. Their mother passed away a couple of years ago and their father was always busy with either work or gambling so the sisters only had each other. The older sister took very good care of the younger one, making sure she was happy and protected all the time."

"Then one night, the mafia barged through the door, surrounding their house with armed men. The eldest and the youngest son of the Lee family also came. They dragged the father and the older daughter outside on the porch where they killed him with a clean shot in the head. Then they grabbed the older daughter and dragged her into their car, making her disappear forever."

"Meanwhile, the younger daughter watched all this from far away as the father's right hand man told her to remain hidden to save herself. After some digging around, it was found out that District 1 went to war with the Russians and they lost that war while also losing the head of the family, the father of the two brothers, Lee Jihoon and..." you pause before looking him dead in the eye and whispering, "Lee Seokmin."

Thick silence stretches in the air.

Dokyeom keeps looking at you, his fingers intertwined under his chin. "So, all this was a grand plan of yours to what, fool me? Betray me after making a joke out of me?" He asks. making you chuckle.

"You were only the beginning of my plan. I wanted to mess with you, of course, but I thought I would find out about your brother's whereabouts through dating you. I initially had a fun plan that I would show up uninvited in one of his business deals and ruin it, damage his reputation for good. However, that plan failed because I found no information about him or your family from you. You really hide that part of you well, no Professor?"

He remains silent.

"Now that my initial plan has failed, I think I will have to kidnap you, hm? Ask your brother for ransom. He would have no choice but to show up then."

Your words make Dokyeom scoff as he shakes his head, the corners of his lips turned up as if you have said the funniest thing ever. You don't like his reaction.

"You want to see my brother? I will arrange that."

"What?" You must have heard wrong. "What game are you playing now?"

"I'm not playing any game."

"Then why?" You narrow your eyes on him, your hand reaching to your back pocket to pull out the switchblade if necessary.

He looks at you for a long moment before letting out a breath. "I am impressed, that's all. I have to acknowledge your talent, no? Also, you deserve to know the truth." He looks you in the eye. "The real truth. Not some bullshit your father's right hand man made up."

"Don't you fucking tell me what is the truth and what is the lie, you murderer!" You seethe, clenching your fists.

You should just gut him right here.

Once again, he just smiles. "I will text you when he is available for the meeting. However, it will be one on one. If you bring someone else, he will not show up."

"I could still kidnap you."

"You are welcome to try but I guarantee you, that plan is going to fail. You are a smart woman. I'm giving you a good option. Just take it." He stands up.

"Well if you think that I alone am not a threat to your brother then you are mistaken. I can make his blood spill if I want to," You stand up and take a menacing step towards him. "If you find your dear brother dead after the meeting, don't blame me, hm?''

You don't wait for a reply as you turn on your heel and march out of the room. On your way out you find the dinner served on the table, the chicken cut nicely into pieces along with vegetables. Picking up a fork, you stab a few pieces of chicken, shove them into your mouth and then take a sip of the wine.

As always, his food tastes great.

With your coat slung over your shoulder, you pull open the door and yell behind you, "Thanks for the dinner, professor!"

You slam the door loudly behind you.

-

Lee Jihoon agrees to have a meeting with you one day later. Initially, you wanted Changkyun to drive you there but Dokyeom sent a text saying that he would pick you up because outside vehicles are not allowed entry into Jihoon's compound. Reluctantly, you agreed and after an absolute silent drive later, you reach the mansion of the mafia family of District 1.

The compound is stunning and heavily guarded, with checkposts and watch towers set at certain distances as well as multiple security screenings that you have to pass through. Once Dokyeom passes the final gate, the gorgeous mansion comes into view. Just upon entry, there is a large compound surrounding a giant water fountain in the middle of neatly trimmed rows of trees. Dokyeom stops the car at a small parking space near the front yard where the meeting will take place.

As the car comes to a stop you notice a small table and garden chairs set up underneath a large umbrella that is surrounded by multiple guards— the place of your meeting. With a deep breath, you step out of the car, along with Dokyeom who comes out of the driver's side door. Surprising you, he leans against the car with his arms crossed and starts looking around.

"You are not coming?''

"No."

You are perplexed but don't ask any further questions, busy with the task ahead of you. Tilting your head side to side, you pop your neck before marching towards the garden. Spotting you, one of the guards speaks into his comm. Throwing a mock smile at him, you drag a chair out and sit down, waiting for him to arrive. Out of curiosity, you turn your head behind to see Dokyeom in the same spot, staring off into the distance.

Weird.

A maid comes to serve two cups of tea before hurrying away and soon after, the man arrives.

Dressed in full black, Lee Jihoon steps out of the mansion and walks towards you, closely followed by two bodyguards, his body language is relaxed as he pulls out the chair in front of you and sits down. Taking off his shades, he looks at you, his eye contact calm yet unwavering along with something very powerful and dark brimming underneath as you come face to face with the man behind all your misery.

"Good morning, ___. My brother informed me about our interesting past." He speaks, his tone light, his facial expression laced with amusement as if he is catching up with an old friend.

"Then you know why I am here." You cut to the chase, trying to keep your tone as even as possible. Just hearing his voice irks you to your core.

"Remind me again." He hums, wiping his shades with a piece of cloth.

This motherfucking bastard.

"You killed my father! You kidnapped my sister! What—" You inhale deeply. "What did you do to her!" You hiss, unable to keep your voice from raising as your hands form fists, violent rage bubbling within you. There is a knife hidden underneath your bra and you consider pulling it out and stabbing him.

You can be quick but it wouldn't cause enough damage.

Besides, you need to know if your sister is alive.

"I see you are furious and I understand that feeling." Jihoon begins, throwing one leg on top of another as he links his hands together, leaning back to sit comfortably.

You hate how nonchalant he is about all this.

"Since I'm in a good mood today and my younger brother has asked for a favour after a very long time, I'll answer your questions. Let's begin with your father's death, shall we? My family had a deal with your father. He was to provide us with weapons and artilleries for a year because our usual supplier got murdered earlier that year and we chose him as a temporary replacement. In November of that year, a war broke out between us and the Russians. We went to war with those weapons. Guess what happened?"

You remain silent, staring at him in rage.

"The weapons stopped working. The guns would either jam or misfire. Hundreds of my men died and we lost that war. Your father sold us weapons that were crap. They were a batch of second grade weapons that he had lying around." Jihoon pauses for a second before resting his arms on the table and leaning closer to you. "You know why he did that?''

"Because he had gambled away the initial deposit we gave him. That led to an argument with his manufacturer who said the deal would be on hold. He could neither get the weapons nor cancel the deal with us so like a fucking coward, he sold us those shitty weapons."

"You are lying." You hiss.

"I was hoping you would say that. You see, I don't care whether you believe me or not, ___. You asked for the truth and here it is."

Bullshit.

Lee Jihoon is the master of manipulation, there is no way he is being honest right now.

"Then where is my sister? What did you do with her?"

His eyes darken at your words.

"She is alive. That is all you need to know." His tone is clipped.

You are immediately on your feet, the chair scraping backwards by your sudden motion. "Where is she, you fucking son of a bitch!" You bang your fists on the table, ready to jump on him. His bodyguard starts to come to you but Jihoon raises his hand as a signal for him to stand back.

"Sit down, ___." He remains unbothered. "Wherever she is, she is safe and well."

"Like I believe a word that comes out of your mouth! If she is really alive why won't you tell me!" You scream.

"Because your sister told me not to."

The ground slips away from your feet as your heart starts galloping. "What— what you talking about, you fucking liar!"

Jihoon gets up and walks towards you, fixes the chair back in its place and forces you to sit down by grabbing your shoulders.

"Look, ___. I am doing you the favour of explaining everything which I never do for anyone else. You can either act civil and stop calling me names or I have you escorted out right now." He threatens in your ear, his body leaning against the garden table. Your hands form tight fists in your lap as it takes everything within you to hold yourself back from punching him.

He says, "A word of advice for you, don't believe everything you see. Your sister has her demons that she had been hiding for a long time. She had them when we took her and she still has them. When she overcomes all of them, she will come find you."

You are stunned to silence.

"I- I don't believe you. You are making all this up." Your brain is scrambling, trying to fit the pieces together that you seem to have missed.

"Alright then. I'll contact your sister and tell her to write you a letter, maybe even attach some pictures. How about that?"

You remain silent.

Jihoon sighs and sits back down on the chair, before reaching for his phone inside his jacket. Swiping through the device, he finds what he is looking for before turning the screen towards you.

A gasp escapes you as your hands come to cover your mouth. It is a picture of your sister. You recognize her immediately despite the change in her features throughout the years. She sits by a window, a very subtle smile on her lips as she looks at the camera.

You could look at that picture forever but Jihoon takes the phone away, putting it inside his pocket as you blink away the tears from your eyes.

"You are all murderers. You ruined our lives." You whisper, your head hanging low as you stare at the green grass below your feet suddenly overcome with a feeling of helplessness.

Has she really been alive all this time? Has she been well?

"We never said we weren't. Our world abides by some rules and your father was well aware of those rules. His greed got the best of him and in a perfect world, his family wouldn't have suffered for his crime but in our world, that is the rule."

Tears brim in your eyes as you are overwhelmed with distraught.

"Thousands of people in district one had to die for your father's greed. It is only fair that he died. We didn't even make it painful and that is something our men were not blessed with." His tone becomes dark by the end.

"If you still don't believe me, I will mail you some of the investigation reports on that case. But this is as far as I'll entertain you, ___ and this is the last time I wish to see you in my premises unless I call you." Jihoon stands up, putting his hands in his pockets as you keep glaring holes into the ground.

"One final piece of advice, if you aren't serious about my brother, leave him." His words make you look up at him. "Me and Seokmin don't talk to each other anymore but for you, he contacted me after years, leaving behind his pride. He seems to have serious feelings about you. If you don't feel that way about him, leave. You got what you wanted."

Did you? Did you really get what you wanted?

"Goodbye." He puts on his shades and strides out of the garden, his bodyguards trailing after him as you are left alone with your thoughts and the tea which has now gone cold.

You get back into Dokyeom's car in silence. The man does not ask any questions or acknowledge you, mutely starting the car almost as if you are not even here.

You sit still, stuck in a trance as Jihoon's words replay in your mind over and over again. Now, you truly do not know what is the truth and what is the lie as you spiral into a dark pit of hopelessness. Could it truly be that Changkyun and his father lied to you? But why would they do that? Why would Jihoon lie to you either? He has no reason to. He is not afraid of anyone and he has no benefit from lying to you.

Your mind starts to numb from the continuous onslaught of thoughts. When you finally take a break from them and focus on your surroundings, you realize the car has come to a stop. It is parked on a small cliff that overlooks a mountain range far away. Seokmin looks at you expectantly, almost as if he is waiting for you to step out of the car. Without much thought, you do that and he follows you as you both silently tread towards a small bridge nearby. Resting against it, you take in the view for a few minutes, the man next to you doing the same.

"I heard you don't speak to your brother anymore." You decide to speak. It caught you off guard when Jihoon first mentioned it but you have been too preoccupied with other worries to address it. It is making sense to you now as to why you could not find anything at his house.

After a moment, his soft voice floats through the silence. "I used to be really close with my brother. I looked up to him ever since I was a child. In a world as grim as ours, he was a source of hope and a shelter for me." He breathes, his eyes focused ahead, clouded with memories. "It was a given that he was going to be the next don since he was the oldest but he always told me that I'd be a better leader, that I should be prepared to take over if anything were to happen to him. Sometimes, it felt as if he trusted me more than he trusted himself and I didn't want to let him down."

Seokmin comes to a pause as his gaze shifts from staring straight ahead to coming lower and lower, finally stopping at his shoes. With his head hanging low and a dejected posture, he whispers. "Everything changed after that war. Our father died along with so many of our men. The bloodshed was too much for me. I tried to suck it in by telling myself that I will overcome this. I will get used to it but the thing was, I didn't want to. I didn't want to get used to the violence, to the bloodshed, to that life and finally, after killing your father and taking away your sister, I gave up."

There is a heavy pause in the air. Your breath is trapped in your lungs as you watch him, waiting eagerly for his next words, urging him to continue while failing to find your voice.

"That night, I told hyung I was going to leave. I was going to denounce everything. My title, my inheritance, everything. My final gesture of loyalty and love for him was to aid him in killing the man that caused all the mess but my brother...He was...livid. He punched me, yelled at me and finally begged me not to leave. When I still said no he looked at me for a long moment." His breath shudders as he pauses shortly.

"I remember it so vividly. His face went completely blank as he ordered his men to escort me out, not even saying goodbye or looking back. That night I left and I never saw him again until...today. To the members of District 1, it was like the Lee family expanding their territory by having me step into the world of art under a new name. You also thought the same but now, you know the truth."

His eyes finally move as he shifts his position, leaning against the edge of the rail to look at you.

"Our world isn't fair, ___ and you cannot judge our actions based on the laws of the normal world. I do not like bloodshed or violence but I've realised that sometimes it is necessary to keep the balance. Killing your father was such a moment and—" he pauses, his brows furrowing as he looks at you desperately, almost like he's in pain as he searches for the right words.

"I do not regret it. I regret a lot of things but do not regret his death. I'm sorry that you lost your father and I'm sorry that you had a tough life. More than anything else, I'm sorry that you harboured all these negative feelings inside you only to realise that the truth was something else entirely. I'm sorry it had to be like this, ___."

You swallow, blinking to hold back tears. His eyes shine, mirroring yours as you both stare at each other in silence. You want to scream, yell at the top of your lungs that he is lying but you know that if you open your mouth, only sobs will come out. So you opt for watching Seokmin in silence as a gust of cool breeze flows by, messing your hair while you pray that it takes away your despair along with it.

"I'm going to leave you alone now. I'm sure you need some time to process everything. I just wanted to say my part." He whispers, slowly taking steps away. He pauses for a beat on his way to see if you say anything but you keep staring at the sky as if hypnotised. As his footsteps get farther away and the car's engine roars to life, your tears fall, cascading down your cheeks in endless streams.

-

Sleep doesn't come easily to you that night. With the rise of the sun, you get some shut eye before waking up and lying in your bed for hours, sinking deep into the hollow in your chest that feels like it's devouring you whole. Beside you, your phone rings multiple times with Changkyun's calls but you ignore them, not prepared to face him, not prepared to confront your best friend that he has been lying to you. When the growls of your stomach finally grow too loud for you to tolerate, you get up to eat something.

Inside your large house, you float around like a ghost, the emptiness and coldness of the structure mirroring how you feel on the inside. Your brain is too broken to think yet thoughts overflow, numbing you.

As you eat some cereal you finally decide to check your phone and you see Changkyun's message.

I dropped by your house this morning. You didn't open and you are not picking up.

Come to the seaport when you see this. We need to talk.

Your first reaction is to put your phone face down, ignoring the text. But as time ticks by and you see the afternoon sun going lower and lower in the sky, you change your mind. You need to talk to him. You deserve to know the truth from his mouth. Besides, the sooner you get this over with the better.

Maybe it's finally time to retire to a city by the beach, you think to yourself as you drive to the seaport.

-

The wind is high and the sun is about to disappear beneath the horizon when you reach the port. Parking your car, you walk along the edge of the platform, letting the cold her blow into your face as you watch the ships nearby get loaded with containers. As you stop to watch the sunset, you soon hear footsteps behind you and years of familiarity let you know it's Changkyun.

Sure enough, a few seconds later he comes to stand next to you.

"I have been trying to reach you all morning."

"Hm."

Your response probably comes unexpected to him as he shifts his position, turning to look at you, eyes intensely boring into you.

A gust of a particularly strong wind flows, disrupting your hair, covering your face with a few strands, almost as if shielding you from his scrutiny.

"Well?" He prods. You remain silent, staring ahead, racking your brain for the right words to start this conversation.

"___, what did that murderer say?" He asks again, his pitch rising.

"Not what I expected to hear." You give in with a sigh, turning your head to look at him in the eye. Changkyun's eyes widen just a fraction, a look of alarm settling on his face.

"I think we were not completely innocent, either." There's a coldness in your voice but he misses it, hissing. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

You tell him how the meeting with Jihoon went before posing the million dollar question. "Is that really the truth, Changkyun?"

With every word leaving your lips, you see his expression change, going from disbelief to betrayal to anger and then, to guilt.

A silence falls as you wait and watch him, holding your breath as his head hangs low, his hair covering his face as he stares at the ground. The remnants of your hope fade away with every passing second.

"Tell me the truth, Kyun! Did my father really gamble away the money?" Your voice is a desperate plea.

"So what if he did!" He scowls at you.

Your whole body freezes as your fears get confirmed. It takes a good moment for you to speak. "Why did you and your father lie to me? You said he was completely innocent, that he did nothing wrong yet got murdered by Ji—"

"For revenge! I lied so that we could take revenge!"

"Revenge for what!" You cry, frustrated. "You and I know very well what the rules are in this world. You would not spare me either if I did to you what my father did!"

"They took your sister, ___. God knows what they did—"

"She's alive." You whisper.

Changkyun's eyes widen, his mouth opening to say something yet failing to do so. He brushes a frustrated hand through his hair, exhaling loudly as he processes the information.

"What is the plan now?" He asks, his voice muted, looking at the ground.

"What do you mean what's the plan!" You cry. "Did you not hear me? There is no plan, Kyun. This is as far as I can go!"

"You do not mean that, ___!" His voice booms, eyes wide with rage. "They killed your father, ruined his empire, ruined every one of our fucking lives! They have your sister locked away for fucks sake!"

You say the words you never thought you would. "My father did not have an empire. What he had was a gambling addiction and a business built on a house of cards." Your voice grows meek, eyes shining with tears of pain and exhaustion. "As for my sister," you take in a deep breath. "Jihoon said he would make her write me a letter. He said she has reasons for hiding but she is safe. I have decided to trust his words for now."

"You—" Changkyun looks at you, baffled. "You are a fucking coward, ___! What about the work we put on all these years? What about us? What about my father? Who's going to avenge him!"

You sigh, rubbing your forehead. Blinking back tears, you try to compose yourself by taking in a deep breath. "I had a harsh wake up call that made me realize that all these years you were lying to me and using me to quench your bloodthirst. Who's going to avenge your father? Maybe you, if you are crazy but not me. His addiction led him astray and he committed suicide. What is there to avenge?"

"___! He ended up like that because the Lees killed your father and ruined our business!" He's like a madman as he steps closer to you, yelling. You yell back, "Just stop it, Changkyun! What do you want me to do, huh? March into Jihoon's house and start firing? Do you know the levels of security that place has? Whatever men we have, he has ten times more and I do not want my team to walk into a suicide mission without any cause. And most importantly, I will not jeopardise the safety of my sister! Jihoon knows her whereabouts and I need him if I want to see my sister again!"

"You... you—" Changkyun has turned red with fury as his words fail him.

You do not like how this conversation is going and your exhaustion makes you take a step back.

"We were carrying their sins with us but I have realised, we don't need to. Our parents...they made their decisions and paid the price for it. Let it end with them, please. I don't want to drag this any more. I am tired, Kyun." You whisper, praying the words to reach him.

Years of hunting and planning the destruction of one man has left you tired to your bones along with a general disdain for the world you have been living in. You were alone all along, chasing a ghost.

It is time to stop.

"No. You are not tired. You are a coward. A brainwashed coward." Changkyun sneers, venom dripping from his eyes.

"If that's what you would like to believe, then so be it." You conclude, not finding the energy to argue with him anymore. Your indifference irks him as he scowls at you, his hands clenched into fists.

You announce. "I am going to retire. You can take over from here on but I suggest you look into doing something new. Our business—"

"Don't you fucking dare give me advice!" His voice booms as he charges towards you. In the blink of an eye, he grabs you by the collars, livid. "Don't utter a single fucking word, you traitor! You fucking liar! You got some dick and decided to switch sides huh!" He seethes, gripping your collars tight and violently shaking you. The headache you already had intensifies but that isn't the thing that's hurting you.

His words hurt. Despite his lies, you considered him your best friend for the past six years. And maybe it's the attachment or the nostalgia of all these years that prevents you from fighting back.

You are done.

You have done enough fighting for a lifetime.

Mean words roll off Changkyun's tongue as he pushes you to the ground in a fit of rage, throwing his legs over your torso as he wraps his arms around your neck.

The next moment there is a click of a gun and you manage to peek over Changkyun's shoulder to find Seokmin standing behind him, pointing a revolver at the back of his head.

Your breath catches in your throat.

What the hell is he doing here?

Changkyun's grip on your throat loosens when he feels the presence behind him as he attempts to turn around. However, Seokmin presses the nozzle of the gun harder into his head, hissing. "Let her go. Now."

"Changkyun, please. Stop." You whisper, finally finding your voice. You do not like the look in Seokmin's eyes, something you've never seen before, something lethal and untamed and paired with the gun in his hand, you do not trust what he might do.

"Speak of the devil." Changkyun scoffs, looking at you, still holding a steady grip on your neck. "The boyfriend is here to save the day."

"Let. Her. Go." Seokmin repeats.

Changkyun looks torn, fury blazing in his eyes while also being aware of the gun being pointed at his head. With a frustrated grunt, he loosens his grip on your throat and you use that fraction of a second to tackle him by grabbing his arms and pinning him to the ground as you come on top. "Stop it, Kyun." Your plea is a whisper that is met with eyes full of wrath.

The next second Seokmin abruptly tugs you behind by your arm as he takes a step forward, becoming a barrier between you and Changkyun. The gun is still in his hand, pointing towards your friend.

"Seokmin put the gun down. It's fine." You try to step forward and pry the weapon out of his hand but he doesn't let you, holding you behind protectively with an arm outstretched.

"You may trust him, but I don't," Seokmin replies, eyes fiercely trained on Changkyun who has sat up. His eyes are equally furious with an underlying hint of challenge, as if he's daring Seokmin to shoot.

And he just might.

"For fucks sake, both of you! Enough!" You holler, clutching onto Seokmin to drag him further away from Changkyun who slowly stands up and brushes the dust off of him before looking at you with a deathly stare. Seokmin's grip on your arm tightens, the gun still in his hand but not pointed at him now.

You can almost physically feel the air thicken with tension.

"Don't try to contact me, ___. If I see your face ever again, there will be a bullet hole between your eyes." Changkyun grits out, sparing one last look of scorn at you before marching away.

With the kaleidoscope of colours of the dusk sky, you watch your best friend of years walk away, experiencing heartbreak and a weird relief at the same time.

Silence settles with the sun dipping below the horizon. Seokmin let's go of you, putting some distance between your bodies. Your eyes meet his as you exchange a silent look full of turbulent emotions.

Emotions you can't quite name yet feel overwhelmed with.

"How did you find me?" Your soft inquiry breaks the silence. He removes his gaze from you and looks at the ground. "Went to your place this afternoon. As I was pulling up I saw your car leave and I just...followed you."

"Why?"

"I... don't know. My gut told me I should." He replies calmly.

You sigh as another beat of silence fills the air. The sky is now fully dark, spread wide with different shades of purple. The wind has gotten significantly colder and you feel like if you stay out too long, it will settle into your bones.

Like the echoing coldness in your heart.

"You should not have interrupted. I was dealing with him."

Seokmin frowns. "Dealing with him? By lying still and letting him choke you?"

"Like I said—"

"Forget that,'' Seokmin interrupts you with a huff. "I went to your place because I had to tell you something." You look at him inquisitively as he fishes out something from the breast pocket of his trench coat.

Extending his hand towards yours, he pushes something into your palm.

A ticket.

"What is this?" You find yourself asking.

"Remember how you said you wanted to go to a place by the sea." He begins, his voice soft like his gaze. "Well, this is it. Now that everything is over, you can go and live by the beach. This cruise leaves tomorrow afternoon. It'll take a few days to reach Barcelona."

You look at the little piece of paper in your hand, letting his words wash over you.

"Think of this as an apology for everything. For what me and my family put you through." He adds when you don't reply.

"I see." Your voice is almost inaudible.

Seokmin says nothing for a few moments, as if waiting for you to speak but when you don't, he continues. "I am going as well. To Barcelona, I mean."

You move his gaze to him and blink inquisitively.

"I felt like taking a break after everything. I haven't been on a vacation for a very long time. I, too, wanted to see the ocean. When I got tickets, I thought I'd get one for you. We don't have to go together or see each other if you decide to go, that is..." He trails off.

You gaze at him for a while, memorising his features. Swallowing a sudden lump in your throat, you force a smile and give him a shaky nod.

"Well, then. I'll get going." He takes a few steps back, rubbing his palms together.

"Bye."

"If you don't come tomorrow, this is goodbye, no?" He asks as he continues to take small steps away from you, still facing you.

"I guess so." You reply. He stops and takes a long look at you before saying. "It was really nice knowing you, ___. Despite our history, despite the short time, I don't regret meeting you and... loving you." The last two words fade into a whisper, making you doubt if he even said them.

You don't get a chance to reply. You don't even get a chance to wholly process his words before he gives a wave, a small smile on his face before jogging away.

You stay rooted to your spot.

I don't regret meeting you and loving you.

-

The sun is shining stronger than any other afternoon when you step out of the taxi with nothing but a small bag pack on your shoulders. Receiving the boarding pass, you walk into the deck which is now empty because the ship is set to leave in just five minutes.

It is not fully empty, however, because one person stands, looking anxious, his eyes skirting around wildly.

When his eyes land on you, a smile of relief seems to appear on his face, triggering the corners of your lips to rise slightly as well. In silence, you walk to him.

"You came." His voice sounds glad but also as if he is trying to school his excitement.

"Did not want to waste a free ticket." You shrug, looking away.

Seokmin nods. "Right. Well, you are just on time."

"I know." There's a pause for a second as he looks like he wants to say something. A staff gives out the final boarding call which makes you continue your way into the cruise, followed by Seokmin.

Once you are boarded, you walk towards the front of the vessel, glad that it is not too crowded. The whistle of the cruise booming in the air signals the start of its journey as the sunlight and the warm breeze kiss your face.

"I'm glad you decided to come," Seokmin says, making you turn around to look at him. In the soft glow of the sun and the wind playing with his hair, he looks breathtaking.

After a moment, you whisper. "Me too."

Giving you a nod and a friendly smile, he walks away with his suitcase into the upper deck and out of sight while you stand and watch him go, the sun warming your skin.

-

1 month later

The evening air has a slight chill, not uncomfortable but just pleasant. You walk barefoot on the sand, hands crossed over your chest as your feet carry you down the edge of the ocean with practised ease. Around you, people enjoy the beach after a hectic day, children playing around laughing, parents taking videos, friends flying kites, couples walking hand in hand. The sound of the waves crashing to the shore along with the remnants of orange hues in the sky sets up a wonderful atmosphere, which, after almost a month, you have become used to but certainly not bored of.

You have never felt so much at peace.

This getaway was truly what you needed as you learned to spend time by yourself, alone with your thoughts, isolated from the world yet watching it pass by. It has been a palliative experience so far. You came to terms with your life, your past, your actions and your feelings for a certain individual.

Just one day into your getaway, a letter was brought to your room by a hotel staff and upon opening it, you realised Jihoon kept his promise.

It was a handwritten letter from your sister, along with a picture of her, sitting next to a large painting that she created. She looks different, not how you remember her, a different glow on her face that you did not remember because she was almost always melancholic.

You now feel a little guilty because you never asked her why.

Dear ____.

It has been a long while, no? I am sorry for being out of touch. It is unforgivable, I know but I finally found the courage to write to you after you came to visit Jihoon. When we were first separated something was chasing me that made me want to run away from everything. I put off connecting to you for your own good when I heard you were living with Changkyun and his father and just like that, years had passed. I occasionally looked into your whereabouts and I knew you were doing fine but I never found it in me to get rid of the guilt and just write to you.

I tried hard not to show it but life was not so kind to me before the last six years and getting taken away from our dad was probably the best thing for me.

It is a story for another day and there are still demons that I need to defeat. After that I will come to see you and ask for forgiveness. Until then, live well and rest easy knowing that I have been doing better for the past few years.

Your sister.

Reading the letter was bittersweet, the first emotion invoked within you was hurt and longing as you shed a few tears seeing your sister's picture, mused about the old days and wondered what she went through all by herself.

Initially, you had thought of writing back a reply but you decided against it because the words you wish to utter can not be confined within a paper. Instead, you sent out a prayer to the universe, hoping you would get to meet her sometime soon.

From a distance, someone calls out your name, calling your attention back to the present and you turn instinctively to find Seokmin jogging towards you through the sand, two cones of ice creams in his hands. A smile appears on your lips as you take a few steps towards him, reaching your arms out. Wrapping him in a soft hug, you plant a sweet kiss on his lips before taking an ice cream from his hand and reaching for the other as well.

"Both of these are for me right?"

The poor man looks conflicted. "Well, uhm, no but if you want you can have them."

You snort a burst of laughter. "You can have it, Min. Maybe save a bite for me."

Hand in hand, you two walk a little closer to the shore and sit down, letting the flow of the waves occasionally touch your feet.

Your relationship with Seokmin developed surprisingly but quickly after coming to Barcelona. Initially, you did not expect anything, too overridden with the guilt of your tricks and the history of your families to make any attempt to talk to him. Two weeks went by as you did not see each other, except for occasionally bumping into each other at the beach or the hotel lobby because as fate would have it, you two shared the same hotel. It was hard and uncomfortable, pretending not to see him when you ran into him and it would make you wonder if he felt the same.

It all changed one night when you were returning to the hotel after dinner and some drinks. Tipsy and wobbly, you focused extra hard to not bump into anyone as you made your way into the lobby of the hotel.

And there you bumped into him, quite literally.

"Hey there, easy," The man's hands hold your shoulders to stop you from falling on your ass. You look up and find Seokmin. Thinking that you are seeing things, you blink two more times before coming to terms with the fact that it was indeed Seokmin in front of you.

"Someone had a lot to drink," He says as you try to regain your balance. "Can you go to your room by yourself? Should I come with you?"

With a huff, you push him away, trying to appear independent as you take wobbly steps. Seokmin decides to escort you, as he follows closely behind all the way, one hand outstretched, ready to catch you in case you fall.

When you reach your room, Seokmin assists you in unlocking the door. Once the job is done successfully, you pause in the entryway to look back at him. He stands there, somewhat awkward and you consider whether to shut the door on his face or ask him to come in. Neither of them sounds like a good idea but still, you kick the door to open it a little wider and murmur as you walk in, "Come in, if you want."

You don't look behind as you head for the small fridge to retrieve a water bottle and chug it down. Seokmin steps in, a bit hesitant, closing the door behind him. You take a seat on the edge of your bed as Seokmin gingerly sits down on the couch placed in front.

A small moment of silence passes by as you two observe each other. He is dressed in running gear and judging from the pristine condition of his hair, you assume that he was on his way for a late night jog.

"We keep bumping into each other," Seokmin tries to break the silence. You nod, "Must be fate." You are not quite sure if you said those words genuinely or sarcastically. Seokmin does not reply, probably thinking that you are being sarcastic.

You find yourself asking, "How have you been?"

"Good."

"How long do you plan to stay here?"

"A couple more weeks maybe."

"Are you having fun?''

"Yes."

"Am I making you uncomfortable?"

He takes a moment before replying, "Not really. I'm more worried if I am making you uncomfortable."

"Hm," you hum and with that, the conversation dies down. You have a lot to say on your mind but your mind is not in its top condition right now as you have had a few drinks, which makes it a bit harder to arrange your thoughts and address them accordingly.

"I should get going, I suppose," Seokmin says, rubbing his palms on his thighs.

"Wait," the words slip out of your mouth in urgency and you are not even sure why you are telling him so.

The man blinks at you.

"I—" You don't know what you wish to say. "I guess I just wanted to say...I'm sorry."

Seokmin appears a little surprised hearing you say that as he sits up straighter. You huff out a long breath, looking down at the empty water bottle in your hand. "What I'm trying to say is that...I am sorry that I played with your feelings. I- I am sorry for using you. You are a nice person, professor."

You calling him by his old title makes him smile as he says. "I just realized I missed you calling me by that name."

"Professor?"

"Yes, ___?"

A small smile appears on your face as well as you bite your lip to stifle it.

"___?" Seokmin's soft voice makes you look at him. He looks unsure but also hopeful. "Hypothetically, if I told you that I still miss you and that I still long for you, what would you say?"

"Your breath stalls as you watch him, wide eyed. There is a sudden lump in your throat that makes it impossible for you to speak. You are scared you might start crying if you do so. Still, you breathe, "Hypothetically, I would say that I feel the same too.''

"And would it be a lie this time, my beautiful liar?"

You swallow as you watch him take slow steps towards you. When he stands right in front of you, his hands gently cup your cheeks, carefully tilting your head upwards so that you can meet his eyes. They shine with emotions unsaid, just like yours and the look on his face makes your heart soar, makes you forget everything, makes you want to be selfish.

"No," you whisper.

You get to see the slightest tilt of his lips to a smile as he leans down and presses his lips to yours, softly at first before you eagerly chase his lips and he reciprocates, moving the hair away from your face and holding your neck with one hand and stroking your cheek with the other.

The kiss is full of passion but also slow and sweet, an addictive combination that tells you that you are done for. With another kiss on your forehead, Seokmin lets go, stepping away from you.

"Will I see you tomorrow morning or will you declare this as a drunk mistake and start hiding from me?" He asks cheekily.

You can't help a smile. "I will expect you to pick me up at 9 am sharp. We will have breakfast together."

You will take it slow this time.

"Whatever you wish," He flashes his beautiful smile, heading for the door. As he is about to close it behind him, he turns his head around. "Goodnight, ___. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Seokmin."

-

Fast forward a couple of weeks later, you two moved out of the hotel and instead rented a small villa near the coast for an indefinite amount of time. You have no plans of going back home but you know that Seokmin's nature of work will require him to leave sometimes which you are fine with.

"So, I got an invitation to a seminar in London." Seokmins words jolt you out of the thoughts running in your head. "I don't think they are going to accept a no." He adds sadly.

"You don't have to say no." You reply. "Just go and attend it. Share your expertise with the world."

"Mhmm," he hums, looking at you in a contemplating gaze. "Would you consider coming with me?"

You blink. "Well..."

"It's a one-day seminar. We can stay a couple of days more and look around the city. It would be fun, I think."

You consider his words. It would be fun, actually.

You have no reason to hold yourself back from having new experiences now. You have punished yourself enough.

"It's a good idea." You reply with a soft smile that makes your boyfriend grin as he puts his arm around your shoulder, gently pulling your body closer to him. You let your head fall on his shoulder as you watch the sky grow dark.

No more lies now, it's just peace.

Your story that began with lies painted in red will end in red too, but this time the red will paint love.

A/N: Thanks for reading it till the end! I would like to apologize for the delay as this was supposed to be posted two weeks earlier but yk, life happened. The other two stories of this series are in the making but the next story will not be out before May. Also, I am planning on making a standalone for Jihoon's story which will not exactly be a part of this series but it's in the same timeline. It will be posted after all the stories of this series are completed. Anyways, stay safe and toodles!

Also, please leave a comment and reblog! It really motivates me to create more!

© startlightxsvt 2024 | All Rights Reserved. Do not copy, repost, translate, adapt, or repurpose any of my works.

[ox-imagines]

TDB as K-pop Idols

Part 2: Kaito, Luca, Towa, Lyca, Jiro, Leo, Tohma

Pt. 1

Disclaimer: These are my opinions! I know 18 groups well enough to be able to do something like this with them and matched the TDB characters with who I believed best suited them from those groups based on personality, vibes and, at least to a point, looks!

Kaito - Mark (NCT)

Boyfailures <333 Kaito would so do the "MC, this is for you!" *throws basketball* *completely misses.* Also, the way Mark just turns into a mess on fancalls with girls he thinks are pretty? Yeah. Silly, friendly, and easily flustered.

Luca - Lay (EXO)

Honest, loyal, hard-working, trusting, and sometimes a bit oblivious to social cues, Luca and Lay both make valuable additions to any atmosphere. They're both kind-spirited, but courageous and unafraid to take initiative.

Towa - Minhyuk (Monsta X)

Both Towa and Minhyuk are brilliant sunshines, but with an attitude. They're not exactly aware of personal space and boundaries, and aren't always in tune with how those around them feel about them or what they're doing. Free-spirited with two volumes: very quiet or very loud.

Lyca - Doyum (Just B)

Usually reserved but unafraid, these two are both willing to be friendly even if they come off as serious or cold. Do not tell them that they're silly little guys because they will deny it and stop being silly

Jiro - Yoongi (BTS)

I know they seem scary but they're not I promise! They often seem cold and indifferent, maybe a bit unaware of their surroundings, but they're very intelligent and observant. Once you've earned their loyalty, they will do what they can to protect you.

Leo - Hoshi (Seventeen)

Smug little evil geniuses. Period. You've never been the mafia, but that doesn't mean they won't convince everyone to vote you out first every single time. And of course not to mention the cute looks and playful attitude that garnered them big followings to back them up. Good luck trying to go against them, it won't be easy.

Tohma - Kihyun (Monsta X)

If you hear me in the distance barking at them no you don't These two. Smart, witty, self-assured, extra-fine absolute fucking husband material I'm not apologizing it's true. They are the planners of the friend group, and the ones who make sure everything always gets cleaned, and the ones who make sure everyone is doing well and if they're not they're the first to know why. Sure, they're cunning and savvy and will work hard for their goals, but they're also kindhearted and loyal.

[yourfatherlucifer]

Comatose (Jongho) pt. 1

Mafia!Choi Jongho x fem!Reader

>> Being the lover of mafia member Choi Jongho had it perks and downfalls, you were allowed to stay in a lavish mansion with 8 beautiful men, including your man, who stayed by your side when he wasn’t on the job. However, when one day you are on a date with said lover, a member of Ateez’s rival gang shoot’s you...what will happen next?<<

(This one shot includes violence, so warning and angst, and fluff. It’s a roller coaster, it’s a mafia one shot, there’s more I just don’t know what other warnings I should add)

(Monsta X make an appearance) 

(Monsta X used to be Ateez alliance but are now enemies) 

Yes, living in large mansions, fancy cars, having many butlers and maids, big chandeliers, grand staircases, red bottoms heels, fancy dresses and more was amazing, but nothing could top having Choi Jongho as your lover. 

Sure, he was busy a lot, but he still made time for you, always, no matter how late or early it was. He’d surprise you with gifts, despite you protesting, saying how much you don’t need it, you just need him. You only need him. 

He’d shrug it off, showing his cute ol’ gummy smile. You’d roll your eyes in response. Then it would repeat. 

-

Sneaking a glance at your sleeping brown-haired boyfriend, you smiled, remembering how you got to this point, how he saved you.

....

You had grown in a test facility, sold by parents for $100,000. You had grown along side other kids, but many had died due to the harsh environment and tests. Few had survived. Scars had littered your body, you had given up fighting the scientists, the workers, everyone and given in. You didn’t even know what they were testing. 

That was until one day, the alarms went off, the whole facility went red, gunfire rang throughout the entire building. You were in the middle of being subjected to another test. 

The door had been kicked open. The doctor who had been working on you pulled out a pistol and aimed it toward the door, “You can-” He was shot in the chest. 

As you stared at the door, a young man about your age with a automatic rifle stared at the dead body on the floor with his chest heaving, His face was covered with pure anger. His mouth opened to say something then he saw her, you. 

“Hey..” He walked over, “Are you okay?” He stepped over the bloody corpse, pulling out a knife, “You’ll be alright now.” As each strapped snapped off, he sat the girl up, careful of the new wounds the dead doctor had given her. 

At the entrance of the facility, a group of men with weapons had lined up tons of the tons of doctors in white coats, all tied up. 

A man with strike features, named Kim Hongjoong, leader of Ateez, the biggest Mafia; circled the disgusting mafia, “So, you betrayed us. You used the facility and items my father provided you to test on children and teenagers, even young adults?” He tsked. 

He placed the barrel of his gun to the lead doctors forehead, “Tell me exactly why I shouldn’t blow your brains out.” 

Just then, the youngest of Ateez comes out with the girl he discovered, who is just barely alive, she can barely keep her head up, her feet are dragging behind her. “Boss, Hongjoong, look at this, look at her, she’s barely alive, she looks like she’s been here for years.”

At those words Hongjoong snapped his head over to his youngest members voice. His eyebrows narrowed at the sight, “Oh you’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” He laughed, then looked at the doctor. 

“Looks like I don’t need a reason to not shoot you.” 

BAM

“Kill them all and free the kids and innocents.”

---

You were grateful for him for that day. He and his team had saved you.

(SWITCHING POV)

Sneaking one last glance at him, I swung my scarred-bare legs over the fancy mattress and sheets, careful not wake to wake him. He had such a busy week.

Dealing with drug deals, traveling to different sectors to different mafia bosses to make different deals that I have no idea what entailed. I didn’t want to know.

Making my to his jointed bathroom, I flicked on the light, rubbing my face to clear out the sleep. It was days like this that I wish I could sleep in. I just couldn’t fall asleep, I had fall into a routine since I was brought to that facility many years ago, I had yet to break the habit of waking up from the schedule.

After freshening up in the bathroom and changing into a fresh pair of clothes, I made my way downstairs to the big kitchen, where I could smell the maids and butlers already preparing breakfast. They never did mind me striking up conversation with them while they prepared for all nine people.

My favorite maid, Denice, had her back turned towards me, facing the stainless steel oven, "Hello Dee," I glanced at all of the other servants in the room, "smell's nice in here, guys. The boys will love it."

The older woman gave me a nod and grin, "Thank you dear, we love to please. You look lovely, what are you all dolled up for, is it for the young Mr Choi?"

A blush had spread across my face, "Maybe.."

I wasn't exactly dressed up to impress.

-

It was already around 12pm and Jongho had still not waken, but everyone else had, no one wanted to wake him. Only I was willing.

I sighed, staring at the clock, knowing how much he'd swat at me to go away or pull me in under the cover to join him.

I eyed the little pirate ship model on the piano as I made my way to the stairs. These boys and their pirate ships. They even owned a few real models, docked at their own private beach. It was a little weird for the biggest mafia to obsessed with pirate culture, but it was whatever.

I laughed just to then smile, it was kind of cute though, the times they'd act like pirates, have their little spar matches with fake swords. They'd run all over countertops and tables, earning scoldings from Seonghwa. Who'd say, "You're getting everything dirty!" It's hilarious.

Living with these eight men is amazing, it was a change, an amazing change from living in the facility practically my whole life.

I shook Jongho awake, “Hey, Haribo, come on, it’s noon, you missed breakfast.”

Jongho groaned in response, grabbing my wrists. I knew this would happen. I was yanked into his arms.

“But I don’t want to get up, why don’t we just stay in bed, I have the next couple of days off anyway.” He had muttered into my hair.

I pried his head away from mine, “No, Jongho, how about we just go out? Like for a date? We haven’t gone out together in a bit.”

I stared into his brown doe eyes, searching for any reaction, but all he did was sigh in content.

He always did this on his days off, he’d fight with me on getting up. It was ridiculous, the other men thought of it as a nuisance so they didn’t even bother and left it to me to get him up. It was weird to begin with for a mafia member to have a day off, but whatever.

He continued to lay there. “Fine, don’t get up, I’ll go out by myself.” I stood up and was about to leave the room.

I could hear his pout, “but..”

With my hand on the door handle, “Last chance, Haribo.”

With a thump he rolled off the bed in a pile of blankets. “Okay, okay, you win, we’ll go somewhere.”

Finally, it takes forever to get this man out of bed.

“I’ll be downstairs, please do not wear anything that shouts you’re in the biggest mafia around here.” I stared down at him, he was still on the floor.

When I reached the grand living room, I was met with the other 7 members, "Hey boys, he's up." I swiped a hand down my face and sat down in an open spot on the sofa, next to Wooyoung. I really shouldn't have, but I didn't have another option.

Wooyoung looked at me, had a smirk on his face and was ready to say something, "Woo, I swear to god, I will kick you in the balls, you know I am with Jongho."

He sunk into his spot while the other men laughed at his pathetic state.

I didn’t have time for this. Is Jongho even getting ready or did he go back to sleep?

I was about to just ask Hongjoong if I could have a ride somewhere when Jongho finally made his into the grand living room, “Oh, glad you could finally join us, Haribo.” I rolled my eyes, annoyed with him.

I could be nicer to him after all he’s done for me, but this habit of his has become too much, I love him I really do. He’s so sweet to everyone around us, well, unless it’s his rivals or people he doesn’t trust. However he is super shy.

I saw him glance at his fellow members, giving them a nod before heading over to me, “We can go now.”

Jongho was just so handsome and perfect in my eyes, despite the whole mafia thing, but I loved him nevertheless.

I took his hand in mine, “Then let’s go, love.”

-

We had taken one of less conspicuous vehicles, but he had at least one bodyguard vehicle following us, never too safe.

“How about this little cafe, Haribo?” I had pointed to a cute and small outdoor coffee shop, it had beautiful flowers in pots surrounding the outside of it.

It didn’t look busy at all, which was sad as it presented itself cutely and definitely deserved more business.

Jongho pulled into a spot along side the cafe, “Alright, I guess this our first date in a while.”

-

We were enjoying our meal and coffee when all of the sudden a black suv sped in front of the cafe. Three men jumped out, I saw Jongho’s bodyguard pull out his gun but it was too late, he was gunned down.

Bystanders were screaming and running, cars were speeding by to get away from the gunshots.

I grabbed Jongho’s arm but he shoved me behind him, I was scared to death for him, but I knew he always packed and wore a bulletproof vest.

“Y/N I need you to run and call the rest of Ateez! Tell them Monsta X is here.” He shouted over the returning gunfire between him and the other men.

I didn’t want to move but I nodded, grabbed my phone, texted Ateez ‘SOS @ Berry Cafe.’ and then took off.

I looked back at my lover but when I did, I was shot in my back, multiple times.

Of all the pain I’ve gone through..this had to be the worst.

“Y/N!”

I could hear my lovers shouts for me but my world is getting dark as I laid on the concrete, slowly bleeding out.

-

Ateez raced into the gunfire battle between Jongho and three members of Monsta X.

As they all piled out they could see how tired and mournful their youngest was.

Then they glanced over and saw his lover laying face down on the concrete in a pool of her own blood.

“Jongho, get out of here! Take her to the hospital!” Hongjoong shouted over the shots.

He nodded, running over to his mess of a lover, “Y/N! Please still be alive..” he pressed a finger to her throat. She still had a pulse but it was hardly there.

As he lifted her up into his arms, he raced back to his vehicle and placed her gently in the backseat.

-

“HELP! My girlfriend has been shot!” Jongho carried Y/N who was unconscious into the busy and loud hospital.

Multiple nurses ran over, one with a gurney, “Place her here, sir, we need to take her back!

His clothes were covered in her blood, usually he didn’t care for it, but when it was hers.. he was in despair.

When they carted her into the back, he collapsed to his knees, he was worn out from trying to protect her and failing to do so.

‘how could I be so stupid?’ He thought to himself.

To be continued…