► 𝙿𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 - assassin!Mingi x "blind"!reader ◄
► 𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎/𝙰𝚄 - workplace au, suspense trope, psychological thriller, mild horror themes, nerve-wracking tension, generalised dark themes, close calls (you almost get caught multiple times), forced proximity, power imbalance, slow burn, blackmail, morally grey character (Mingi), politics, glorified ignorance, manipulation, humiliation, obsession, possession, plot twist ◄
► 𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐/𝚆𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 - PG-18+ so MDNI!!! This is NOT romance, Mingi is depraved, murder (semi-descriptive), slight gore (not towards you), sharp object near eyes, eventual smut, CNC, dubious consent (be warned!) sexual shame/guilt, corruption, degradation, masturbation, accidental voyeurism turned to forced voyeurism, exhibitionism, dominance, reluctance submissiveness, sadism, rough foreplay, rougher almost violent sex, creampie (DO NOT DO THIS) ◄
► 𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝 - 37.4K words (listen) ◄
► 𝚂𝚢𝚗𝚘𝚙𝚜𝚒𝚜 - A simple morning walk to clear your head for your upcoming job interview turns into a nightmare when you witness a brutal murder in broad daylight. In a panic, you pretend to be blind to escape. By sheer miracle, the man lets you go, and you thought that was that. You tried to forget what you saw, focusing on your job interview, but there was one problem - you were once again face to face with the man from the trail, and he was now your boss. ◄
► 𝙽𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜 - I'm back! I am so sorry for taking this long. So many things happened, but most of it was health related. I swear I didn't mean to take THIS long. Now, I know I could've split this into 3-4 parts but screw it. Y'all deserve it. Side note, this is just fictional and is not meant to glorify what vision impairment is like. This is also not meant to be taken seriously. Happy birthday to our Princess Minki!◄
► 𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝 - see end of the story for the list
“Your call has been forwarded to voice mail. Please try again later…”
Disappointment fills your chest as a sigh bubbles up from the depths of them. This was ridiculous, you vehemently thought as you paced around your living room, tossing your phone haphazardly on your couch, not even caring where it landed. Everything about this was ridiculous.
For weeks, you’ve been on the hunt for a job after your last one didn’t work out the way you panned it out to be. It was a lot more frustrating than you would’ve liked it to be because it was like staring out into the void - a whole lot of nothing. It wasn’t like you didn’t try either; you’ve been quite diligent at submitting resumés literally everywhere, and when that didn’t pan out, you’d directly call the company to inquire.
If they weren’t going to call you, then hell, you were going to reach out to them. No harm done. Except that was leading you absolutely nowhere either.
“Still nothing?”
You paused your pacing, immediately turning your head to the sound of your best friend’s voice. “Jesus, I forgot you were still here,” you chuckled, combing your fingers through your hair to soothe yourself. “No, unfortunately. I’m about to lose my goddamn mind, I swear.”
San clicked his tongue softly, nodding in understanding, his eyes dropping into that rare softness you only saw when he was trying to give you your well-needed space. “It’s not your fault,” he shrugged, pushing himself off your doorway to make his way towards you. “The market’s just surprisingly oversaturated. And it’s not like you’re underqualified, you literally speak four other languages.”
“I mean it’s not like I’m completely out of options,” you said. “I do have an upcoming interview with KQ Corporation, but I’m not holding my breath for it. I applied for a random position and they’re literally the biggest company in the country so I’m trying to broaden my prospects.”
San whistled, impressed. “KQ? Goddamn. That’s tough, good luck with that one. Though I think you should be fine. Our company is, what, almost on par with KQ and you still got in.”
Your face bunched up in vexation, a grimace making its way up your lips. “As you can see that didn’t really do anything for me,” you scoffed, the bitter taste of your old job suddenly making its way in your mouth. “I got hired to speak Japanese, San, and then they started talking to me in Russian. Do I look like I know how to speak Russian?”
“Lee was a piece of rubbish shit,” he jeered, waving a dismissive hand, lazily plopping down your couch to make himself comfortable as if he always belonged there and lived here instead of you. “I’m about to honestly quit too, I hate working for the guy.”
“If you want to end up jobless like me, then be my fucking guest, I suppose,” you laughed sarcastically, not intending for it to come out snappier than it did.
San’s brows both rose in surprise. “Woah, easy there, tiger. Didn’t mean to pee in your cereal bowl or whatever,” he frowned. There was a second of silence before he sighed. “Seriously, though, are you alright? I know the job-hunting is getting to you…”
The way he asked it made your stomach turn. Your throat clenched. You swallowed hard, but the lump stayed there, thick and immovable. “I’m fine,” you reassured when his eyes still didn’t leave yours.
It was more than the waiting game or the unanswered calls - it was waking up with nowhere to be, no reason to rush, no proof that you were needed anywhere at all. You told yourself it was temporary, but the longer it stretched on, the more it started to feel personal, like the world was moving forward, and you were stuck watching from behind a pane of glass.
San just stared at you. Finally, he rolled his eyes, a small smirk tugging up the corner of his lips. “It’s a nice day outside,” he began softly, his voice contrasting the mischievous look on his face. “Why don’t you take a walk? Clear that bitch out of you or something before I get pissed at you for giving me attitude.”
And just like that, that glass cracked. Quietly, like it was set down but not quite shattered. You scoffed in disbelief, not being able to stop the laughter that bubbled up your throat. Without a word, you grabbed your jacket off the back of the chair, shoving your arms through the sleeves, movements jerky and frustrated yet determined and energised.
“Are you going to be fine alone, though?” You asked, holding onto the door frame as you carefully put your shoes on, looking back to hear his response. “I won’t be gone for long.”
San let out a dramatic scoff like you had just insulted him. “Go before I chuck the nearest thing I can get my hands on at you,” he said, waving a hand dismissively. “Take your time. I don’t want to be disturbed as I raid your fridge and your wine rack.”
You rolled your eyes, but the sting behind them had dulled. You chose to hide them behind your sunglasses. Before you closed the door, you looked back at him one more time and you saw the sarcasm in his eyes melt into something warmer. San tilted his head, gaze gentler than his words. “Go,” he urged. “And bring an umbrella in case it rains.”
You shoved your hands into your jacket pockets and started aimlessly walking. The walking trail was only a couple of minutes away by foot, but being lost in your head made it feel like it was kilometres away.
At least the trail was pretty. It was lush and full of life; full of unexplored possibilities that brought you back to your childhood wanting to explore every rocky path and staircase that disappeared into the trees. All you knew was that you wanted to walk away from your responsibilities even if it’s only temporary. You were hoping that the fresh air might change something.
For now, you wanted to walk away from yourself. Whatever you were feeling was a pill you couldn’t swallow whole. So, instead, it had swallowed you whole and was now following your thoughts. For now, you kept walking. Not towards anything, just away.
You were currently on the highest part of the trail, on top of that winding staircase that nobody wanted to traverse given how many steps it demanded of anyone brave enough to try. By the time most people reached the halfway point, they were already turning back, laughing breathlessly and deciding the rest simply wasn’t worth it.
That suited you perfectly. Most people preferred the livelier parts anyway, but this place? This isolated, forgotten corner? It was easily the most beautiful part of it. You liked that no one bothered climbing all the way up, and because of that, its beauty remained untouched. No one ever came up here. That was exactly why you loved it.
It was where your phone buzzed in your pocket. Without looking, you picked up, thinking it was San, but it wasn’t. It was one of the companies that you applied for; another one that said you were on their waitlist. Suddenly, the view started to fade into the background, your mood souring entirely.
“I could put you on hold until upper management is free,” the lady on the phone uttered monotonously as if you were just another voice on their roster they had to get rid of. “Though I’m not sure how long that would be.”
“I’ll wait,” you gritted out, trying not to sound let down. You gripped the phone tighter like it was the only thing tethering you to the ground, the telltale music on the other end as you were put on hold ringing in your ear like a heartbeat you didn’t want to hear.
You knew how this was going to end. It was only one of two; either they put you on hold long enough where you knew they’re doing it on purpose and you’d have no choice but to hang up, or they’d pick up to tell you that they’ll put you on top of their waitlist. You’re just surprised your eyes haven’t gotten stuck behind your brain by how much you rolled them at this point.
But you were in a good mood today. You absentmindedly idled around, still taking in the view as you held the phone to your ear, waiting for what you already knew. Whatever, you thought. If this doesn’t work, you still have KQ. Hopefully.
You dug your free hand inside your pocket, taking out the company card you always carried. You even put a star sticker on it for good luck. You turned the card over between your fingers, the weight of it surprising you every time. Your thumb traced over the embossed letters, in awe of how luxurious even that felt across your fingertips.
KQ Corporation. Of course, you wanted in. They were the best of the best; the crème de la crème of the business world. You’d be set for life. But that was the problem, wasn’t it? You weren’t special for wanting it. You were just one in the thousands upon thousands of applicants who wanted their piece of the prestige.
You must’ve been so deep in your thoughts that you didn’t notice that you walked into the deeper part of the trail, the one where you didn’t even venture in because the brush was thicker and the trees were denser. It was mostly unkempt because barely anyone went in here. You cursed under your breath when you looked back. You were so high up that going down would take a while because it was steeper to walk down than up.
You decided to walk a little further to find a path that wasn’t as steep, but that turned out to be a huge mistake. Your shoelaces got caught on one of the exposed tree roots that you barely noticed, causing you to trip unceremoniously, dropping everything you held in your hand to catch yourself before you cracked your skull on the nearby tree trunk, using your umbrella to cushion your fall.
You stayed where you fell, palms pressed into the dirt, annoyed at your clumsiness before you started picking your stuff up from the leafy ground of the walking trail. Your phone was only a couple of steps away from you, but your wallet, it wasn’t anywhere near you. Confused, your eyes scanned the ground, and that’s when you spotted it lying on the other side of the trail, further than where it should have been.
With a small groan, you crawled to wherever it was, not caring about the dirt on your clothes. As you were about to grab the worn leather, you stilled, fingers hovering above it. There were voices - two male ones, in fact - and they were close. A little too close for your liking.
At first, you were going to ignore it, thinking that they were people who ventured a little too far on the trail just like you, but when you heard the distinct sounds of an altercation, it got your attention. Still, it was none of your business. It was an argument you did not want to involve yourself in.
It was the sharp, guttural sound of someone getting choked that had you going completely dead still. Your head automatically lifts to find the source, and there they were. Just beyond the trees was a taller, much bigger man pinning an older man against a tree, his hand wrapped tightly around the other’s throat.
Your chest wanted to cave in. You weren’t supposed to see this. From where they stood, you can tell that nobody was meant to see this at all. But that wasn’t why your gut was churning; you knew deep inside, that you were not supposed to be seen watching this unfold. You didn’t dare move, didn’t even dare breathe in fear that they’ll hear.
The older man choked out a pitiful sound, his fingers desperately clawing the other man’s fingers away from his neck as his face turned into a concerning shade of purple as he struggled for some sort of leverage. “P-Please,” you heard him wheeze weakly. “You c-can’t…”
You were horrified as you watched the taller man tilt his head slightly, not bothering to say a word. He didn’t even look strained as he held the older man hostage even though you knew it must take great strength to force someone’s head against a surface. Hell, you felt like you were straining more trying not to breathe or move.
As the pinned man garbled strings of random words that reeked of desperate mercy, you took this opportunity to stare at the taller man. He was magnetic, and not in a good way. He was broad, menacing in ways that threatened you even from where you sat. His expression was eerily blank as if he wasn’t actively choking the life out of this man.
But his eyes...you did not like them. For a split second as the older man seemed to blabber on and on, his eyes seemed to darken, like an ominous shadow enveloping the humanity in it. Or, perhaps, the complete lack of it. “I-I’ll do it, please, I’ll pay you, give you w-what you want,” the man gasped, his eyes rolling at the back of his head.
The other man scoffs softly. “I don’t need your money.”
Shivers erupted from your skin at the tone of his voice. It wasn’t that it was low, rough, and rugged - though that certainly was a huge factor. It was the first time you heard him speak after all the broken cries of the other man and you weren’t sure you wanted to hear it again. If his actions already freaked you out, hearing him talk definitely was not going to help.
“Please, put me down,” the older man croaked pitifully. “P-Put it down.”
It?
That’s when you saw the thing that set this apart from a regular fight between two men. Your eyes settled on the gun the taller man held in his free hand, your stomach dropping as he lifted it, pressing the cold metal on the struggling man’s temple. The motion was sure and final, like this wasn’t the first time he’d ever been on the other side of the trigger.
You wanted to throw up. You were done for. You had to get away from here, but how? One wrong move and you were sure you’d be next. You were about to watch someone die and there was nothing you could do about it without giving yourself away. The man’s face had gone blotchy, veins straining as he forced words out past the pressure. “Y-You,” he let out with much difficulty. “You’re going to regret t-this.”
The taller man didn’t react. He just blinked, nodding slowly. “Will I?” He asked, genuinely curious of the answer he might hear next. You wanted to whimper at his sheer indifference.
The pinned man sucked in a broken breath, desperation sharpening his voice. “You think no one’s gonna c-come looking? You’re not untouchable–”
His tirade gets interrupted, letting out a small cry when the man presses the gun more firmly against his head. Your heart just about dropped to your foot at the brash gesture while the latter just lets out a quiet exhale, his fingers visibly tightening even more on the former’s throat.
“Why would that matter to you? You’ll be long gone by then,” he murmured, the faintest hint of something dark curling at the edge of his tone.
“D-Do you not know who I am? This is—”
“I do,” the taller man interrupts him again, gentler this time. That just made it worse, in your opinion. “And that is exactly why you’re here.”
You were surprised when he suddenly let go, and clearly, the older man as well. He wasn’t thrown to the ground like a rag doll, he was just released, crumpling to the floor as he took in big gulps of the breath that was almost taken from him, dirt smearing all over his clothes as he tried to get away from his captor.
But none of that mattered. The relief was short lived as the taller man took one unhurried step forward, bracing his leg firmly on the ground as he lifted the gun in the air, the finality of it sealing all of your fates - the killer, the victim, and the witness.
Blood drained from your face, but you couldn’t move. It was so morbid, but you just couldn’t look away. The man on the ground trembled, pure and unadulterated panic taking over his entire form. “No, no, wait, p-please,” he begged. “You’re not going to get away with this, Song. People will ask, and they will find you. Don’t do this—”
The taller man stared down at him, expression unchanged save for the slight twitch on the corner of his lips. “You’re right,” he said softly, almost thoughtfully, voice barely audible. “It is highly unusual for big animals to not leave footprints in the snow.”
A soft click fills the air. It was the gun being cocked back in preparation for that one shot, but in the silence of the trail, it sounded like a bone being snapped in half. “But, the thing is,” he continued, eerily calm. “I have very, very small feet.”
Bang.
It was loud. The sound was a split second of finality, but it was deafening. Everything happened in slow motion. The man fell backwards as the bullet that pierced his forehead snuffed the life out of him, the heavy thump of his weightless, limp body falling down the damp soil startling you to the reality that you had just watched cold-blooded murder; you saw somebody die before you.
Faint smoke lazily curled up from the bullet hole on the dead man’s head, his open and unseeing eyes that reflected nothing at all staring up at you, judging you silently. But that wasn’t what made bile rise up your throat - it was the thick splatters of blood speckling your face.
You flinched, eyes closing on instinct as you felt tiny droplets mist across your face, the metallic scent of it making you nauseous. Your breath caught, mouth open as you tried to chase it before you hyperventilated. Your entire body was numb, caught between wanting to tremble like the leaves surrounding you and staying frozen, but the shock of it was preventing you.
You had to get out of here. You didn’t want to die, you didn’t want any part of this. All you wanted was to take a walk to relax, you didn’t want to die. But before you could even do anything, a shadow fell above you, enveloping your immediate surroundings ominously.
You stopped breathing then, your fingers curling in your palms, gathering dirt as they trembled. You didn’t look up - you didn’t want to. You could feel him there, staring down at you like he stared down at the man he had just killed, and every instinct in your body screamed at you to run, but you stayed exactly where you were, locked in place like prey that knew better than to twitch under a predator’s gaze.
Neither of you spoke or moved. Time twisted into something shapeless and it felt like a showdown to whoever would crack first. Maybe, your mind supplied in a panic. Maybe if I didn’t move at all he’d leave me alone–
You stopped yourself before that thought festered. No, that would not work. Not in a million years. He’d already seen you, and you know that he knows that you were there the entire time everything went down. Sweat trailed down from your temples, dripping down to the back of your hand. Your heart stopped when your fingers twitched, but that was when a thought struck you.
In a mixture of panic and sheer will to survive - and perhaps, possibly, the most idiotic thing you could ever do - you forced your hands to move. A little at first since they wouldn’t stop shaking, a little because you were scared that your nerves would cause you to topple over. You did it again until your hands dragged clumsily across the ground.
You swallowed hard, doing it over again, all without blinking nor moving your head, forcing your eyes to stare straight at nowhere in particular, your gaze slipping past everything like it couldn’t quite land as you patted blindly at the soil, movements uneven and hesitant while you tried to breathe through your panicked state.
Like you couldn’t see. Because that’s exactly what you were doing - you were pretending to be blind. Please, you internally screamed as your fingers swept all over the ground and purposefully missing your wallet by a few inches. Please let him believe it.
A scream bubbles up your throat when suddenly, the taller man crouches down. He went from standing menacingly tall above you to your eye-level, his face so close to you that you could smell the mint from his breath. You almost yelped when his hand came up to take your sunglasses off - the one you forgot you were still wearing all this time - and he was now staring directly into your eyes.
Your heart wanted to leap out your chest at the suddenness of it, but you forced yourself to look straight past him, hoping to convince him that you legitimately couldn’t see even though all you wanted to do was cry. His unexpected gesture made you fumble, causing you to accidentally run your hands on his shoe, though in hindsight, that might have helped your case.
Through your unfocused gaze, you saw his brow tilt up. Without breaking eye contact, you saw his hand move through your peripheral vision, his fingers pushing your wallet in the direction where your hands were patting randomly. The silence stretched as you grabbed your wallet, clutching it a little harder than usual, the leather bending abnormally inside your palm.
What now, though? You had the one thing you crawled for in the sweaty palm of your shaking hand, so what now? Your heart was about to leap out of your ribcage. He was still staring, testing to see what you would do next. Even in your stationary gaze, you could tell that he was observing you; trying to detect any sort of deception on your end.
And you forced your eyes to stare between his brows and keep them fully open even when you felt them dry up. Fuck, you thought as dread crept upon you, don’t blink, Y/N, don’t you fucking dare blink–
It was a gradual sensation. You felt it slowly, that thin layer of moisture leaving your eyes. Your eyelids wanted to twitch, wanting to close for that relief, but you held them open; forced them wide. Then the burn came and tears threatened to form as the air around your eyes felt like fine grains, and still, your gaze stayed fixed and empty.
Unfortunately, though, your vision didn’t blur out. Instead, it sharpened in a way that made you notice every single detail about this man. You could see every pore on his skin, the way his icy blonde hair stayed in place even after what he had done, but most importantly, those unreadable eyes.
They showed no particular expression, and to you, that just made this entire thing much, much worse. You needed to know what this man was thinking. It was the only thing that will keep you alive. You had no idea if he was laughing on the inside because of this asinine charade you were pulling, or if his murderous intent had increased since then. You did not know.
Still, there was something chilling about them. Perhaps it was the nothingness in them, or perhaps, that thin, malicious sheen that pulsed with an unspoken threat. Your lashes quivered at the thought and you screamed internally at that blunder. He saw it, you knew he did. His head tilted slightly and you froze harder, if that was even possible.
Then, through your unfocused gaze, you caught the faintest movement. It was his hand moving slowly - the one holding the gun. You stopped breathing completely, but then, you saw him put it away. That should have made you feel better, but it didn’t, because the same hand started to come up until it was within your direct line of sight.
He waved his hand in front of your face, his eyes unblinking as he tested his suspicions, but you forced your eyes to not follow his hands, keeping them dull and off-center. And as if things couldn’t get any worse, his hand started to move forward. Controlled but with certainty, his hand moved until it made contact with your face.
You allowed yourself to flinch at the sudden touch, every muscle in your body locking up so tight that it hurt. His fingers were cold and honestly, you were just bracing for impact, but that didn’t happen. Instead, his fingers lingered, slowly tracing until they stopped on your cheek. He wiped something from your cheek, the pads of his fingers dragging lightly across your skin.
Your stomach lurched. You forgot you unwillingly got sprayed with blood. His hand momentarily pulls away and you watch as he slowly licked his thumb wet before going back in and wiping more of the blood away from your face. It made your skin crawl. The same hand that did not hesitate to pull the trigger felt abnormally tender like you were something so fragile.
It was over as soon as it started. He moved to get up and as you were about to panic, you felt him reach your arm, helping you get up. Your instincts told you to scream and push him away, but you didn’t. Your legs almost failed you as you tried to grab onto your bearings, and when you rose to your full height, your knees almost buckled when you realised that you were only up to this man’s shoulders. You never stood a chance.
You saw him bend down in your peripheral vision, saw him pick up your sunglasses and umbrella before handing them to you. In a morbid twist of events, he even put your sunglasses back on your face before positioning the umbrella for you on the wet, muddy soil of the trail. You swallowed, internally thanking whichever saint was watching over you and for San for making you buy those traditionally long umbrellas.
And for making you bring the umbrella in general, because this man must’ve thought you were using the umbrella as some sort of mobility cane to guide you on your walk. “T-Thank you,” you squeaked weakly, forcing the words out, willing yourself to sound normal even though the sound came out unsteady.
The man didn’t say anything. Instead, he grabs your shoulder, spins you around, and gives you a small nudge forward. At first, you were confused, but you were rendered dizzy when you realised that he turned you to the direction where it would lead to the main part of the trail near the exit. He was basically telling you to go.
The fear locked you into place, and you swear you willed yourself to walk, but you just couldn’t. That didn’t last long because you felt another push on your shoulder, this time, with a bit more force, as if he was telling you, “Go. Leave before I change my mind and end you here.”
That broke whatever mental barrier was hindering you. You gripped the umbrella handle so hard, your knuckles ached, like it was the only thing keeping you upright. Because it basically was. You lifted it, tapping on the ground like you thought people who couldn’t see would, not entirely sure if it looked realistic, but it was enough for now. It had to be.
San walked back and forth briskly in your living room, and had been for the past twenty minutes. His hair was in disarray as he bit his nails anxiously, pausing his walk to open his mouth before closing them again. “I-I just can’t believe it,” he blurted out in disbelief. “He let you go?” He snapped his fingers loud once and you unconsciously flinched. It reminded you of how loud that single gunshot was. “Just like that? He let you go?”
“Yes, how many times do I have to tell you?” You were getting exasperated at this point, stuck between laughing at the incredulity of the situation you found yourself in and crying at how messed up everything was.
You came home in record time, busting through the front door about to pass out from the lack of breath. San was about to poke fun, but when he noticed how pale you were, trembling abnormally, with dried up streaks of blood on your face, he knew something was not right. “What am I gonna do?” You gulped. “W-What if he followed me here and I didn’t see him? What if he finds me, San? What if—”
“Alright, first off,” he interrupted before he led you to sit down on the couch. “Let’s take a moment—”
“I can’t,” you wailed, feeling tears threaten to fall from your eyes again. Everything suddenly hit you now that you were at the comfort of your own house. “I don’t know what to do, San, I just witnessed someone get shot and die.”
San holds your face in between his hands. “You’re hyperventilating. Breathe in with me,” he took a deep breath in, waiting for you to do the same. “Good, now breathe out with me…just like that, you’re doing great.”
It was easier said than done, but you managed to control your breathing by following his actions, and eventually, you felt like your airways were clear enough to get your thoughts straightened out. “I think I should go to the police,” you started, swallowing audibly before continuing. “I don’t think my conscience can take all this burden, I just can’t. I thought crap like this only happened in movies and they all made it seem so easy, but I don’t think I can hold this in.”
“Yeah, you do that, and what?” San raised a brow, pausing to sigh loudly in equal exasperation. “What are you going to tell the police? It’ll be your words against a man I’m pretty sure isn’t hanging around the trail anymore waiting to be caught like a live fish in a lake.”
You ran your hands on your hair, incredulous. “You serious? Are you telling me to just keep this to myself? Someone died, San.”
“Of course not,” he replied in disbelief. “But just think about it - do you even know which part of the trail it is? Do you know what this guy looks like? Can you even describe what this man looks like if they asked you for a composite sketch? You have no proof to bring them, Y/N.”
You opened your mouth to retort before forcing them shut. “But, I saw it,” you tried again weakly, clearly grasping for straws at this point. “I saw everything. Doesn’t that count for something?”
“It does,” he said, softer now. “To you.”
Your stomach sank. You knew he wasn’t wrong. Best case, they take a report and nothing comes of it. Worst case, they don’t believe you. Not without proof where they’ll start poking holes in a story built on fragments and adrenaline and fear. Your shoulders slumped slightly, the fight draining out of you as quickly as it had come.
San leaned back slightly, watching you with something more measured. “You did what you had to do to stay alive,” he said. “Don’t twist that into something it’s not.”
Your thoughts raced faster, trying to think of how to turn this situation where you didn’t have to carry the burdens of what you saw, but there was nothing; not when you had nothing but a memory you couldn’t even fully trust because you’d spent half of it trying not to see. “So what, I just sit here and pretend it didn’t happen? But…” you trailed off, stomach churning violently. “So in other words, I’m fucked?”
“In many words, you’re fucked,” he scoffed, not at you, but at the situation, as he lightly shook his head. He went quiet for a second before he continued, more gently this time. “All’s I’m saying, let’s not dive in impulsively yet. If this freak had the audacity to do what he did in broad daylight…”
San trailed off, glancing at you pointedly. You gulped. You knew what he was trying to say - that this man was capable and more.
There are a lot of things that are easier said than done. You tried to forget, you really did. It’s been two weeks of constant nightmares plaguing you; two weeks of dread crawling up your skin, festering your insides like a rotten disease that has no cure. Every time you closed your eyes, you’d see man’s eyes that gleamed like a blade in the dark. You just wanted it to stop.
You sighed heavily, pressing your fingers to your temples to stop the clustered migraine making its way up your head, almost tempted to dig your fingers into your eyes just to stop the ache. You had to will them away, now was not the time.
You adjusted your sunglasses to block out the midday sun, gripping the fabric of your pencil skirt a little too tightly and then alternating that with smoothing the wrinkles you made over and over again. You were nervous. Today was a big day, after all.
Because you were currently in line along with other people outside of one of the most prestigious companies in the country, waiting to be let in for an interview. You will never forget getting the call a couple of days ago, thinking that it was another dud from a random company, but when Jeong Yunho introduced himself as KQ Corporation’s secretary and told you that you could come in for an interview, your mind just blanked out.
The KQ logo sat high above the entrance, sleek and understated and you watched as it swallowed candidates one by one. Getting in the building was just step one; getting inside the lobby for the actual interview was another thing. That, alone, wracked up your anxiety.
“Sorry, but is there a way you could perhaps save my spot for me? I just need to use the restroom real quick.”
You didn’t realise that the voice was coming directly from behind you. “Huh? Oh yeah, sure, of course, take your time,” you spoke nonchalantly, not really paying attention to the person.
You didn’t think much of it. After a while, you heard annoyed murmurs and minor complaints from behind you, snide remarks about people cutting in line. You assumed it was the man from earlier coming back and you thought that was that. “It’s crazy, huh? All these people want to be in and we’re one of them.”
You didn’t reply at first, but then you realised that the casual statement was actually directed towards you. “Oh, yeah,” you chuckled when you turned around, nervously adjusting your sunglasses. “One can only dream, am I right?”
The stranger lets out a small laughter, nodding his head in agreement. You observed him for a second. He looked handsome, though intimidating in his stance with his sturdy and athletic build. However, his face was soft, his warm gummy smile complimenting his face. “For sure. If only it wasn’t so damn hot out here,” he said, fanning himself with his hand while the other jutted forward for a handshake. “Hi, I’m Choi Jongho. Should’ve introduced myself earlier.”
You took his hand and shook it well, hoping yours wasn’t clammy because he was right, it was hot outside the building. “L/N Y/N,” you smiled. “I’m just a bit nervous, that’s all. Sorry.”
“No, don’t be,” he replied, mouth tugging up with a soft smile as he adjusted his own sunglasses. “For one, you’re the nicest person I’ve encountered today. Been holding that piss for hours now and these assholes just…well. Half the people here are acting like they’ve already been hired. Thank you for that, by the way.”
He wasn’t wrong. People stood a little too straight, eyes flicking over one another in quick, calculating glances, silently sizing up competition. Some didn’t even bother to hide it. Everyone just wanted to one up another. “Don’t mention it,” you dismissed. “Good luck to us, I suppose.”
Jongho was about to open his mouth to say it back, but it never came because suddenly, the energy shifted. The people began to murmur to themselves, clamouring as their voices overlapped with one another. You were confused, but you soon realised what was happening.
Someone important was about to come; someone to impress. Security guards lined up, parting the crowd to make space. You didn’t have to wait long. You felt a presence a distance away so commanding that you didn’t have to look.
There he was. The person moved towards the building with ease like he didn’t need the path cleared - like the world would’ve parted for him anyway. His stride was unhurried and grounded, confident in a way that wasn’t forced. You could easily tell that this person was in charge with the way he didn’t even acknowledge the attention. He didn’t have to.
As he got closer, you got a clearer view of this person. Your eyes traced upwards slowly, taking him in piece by piece, until you stopped at his face. But the moment you did, you regretted it. Everything slowed and your breath caught so sharp that it physically hurt you afterward.
No, no, no, you internally screamed, doom suddenly making your ears ring, easily tuning everything out as you honed in on the one face you’ve been trying to forget for two weeks now. Your heart dropped so fast it felt like it hit the ground.
It was him. The man from the trail. There was no doubt about it. You didn’t even have to look at his entire face, his eyes alone were enough. It was those same empty eyes that contemplated your demise; the same eyes where you saw your end before he let you go that day. And right now, people were parting for him as he walked through with authority. But that wasn’t what made him different today, it wasn’t what made him even more dangerous.
It was the way he carried himself. It was so different from the rugged, aggressive man from the trail. Your stomach lurched violently. What was he doing here? You couldn’t breathe, everything in you wanted to run, but he was getting closer and closer to where you were, and you couldn’t even move away.
And as if things weren’t bad for you already, you swore, you could have sworn, that you saw his eyes flicker towards you for a split second.
But he just moved past you, not stopping, not slowing down, not even bothering to look. He walked straight past, the guards falling in line behind him as he approached the entrance. The doors opened seamlessly, like they’d been waiting for him and then he was gone. Just like that.
It was when your knees gave out. The world violently spun around you as you stumbled. Everything crashed down on you, overwhelmingly and suffocatingly so. The noise, the heat, the crowd - none of that mattered to you. All you could think of was the nightmare you’ve lived for two weeks and now that very same nightmare was haunting you while you were wide awake.
You barely registered the firm touch of hands on your waist, balancing you up. Jongho’s worried face suddenly materialises in front of you, a frown on his face as he used the folder he had on himself to fan you as his other hand held your limp arm to also stablise you. “Y/N? You’re pale,” he pointed out. “Is it the heat? I can get you water–”
“W-Who was that?” You blurted out in a panic, jutting your trembling fingers at the entrance door. “That man who just went in…who was that?”
“Hmm? Oh, that’s the CEO,” he answered as he helped you up, but all you wanted to do was throw up as his answer looped over and over in your head. That man was the CEO. He was the CEO. He’s in charge. He killed someone two weeks ago and you saw it.
Your fingers curled tightly at your sides, nails digging into your palms as panic surged, hot and suffocating. Your mind raced, trying to make sense of something that refused to make sense. Did he see you? That can’t be. There were no less than a hundred people and you were just one of them. There was no way.
Beads of sweat started to trickle down from your scalp to your jaws, but you barely felt it with how cold your entire body felt on the inside. I have to get out of here, you internally panicked, already planning your escape route. You’d have lost your damn mind if you thought you were going to spend another second in the presence of a cold-blooded killer.
But before you could even attempt to leave, the entrance opens again and out comes someone and everyone falls into a hush when he raises his hand. Even in your frightened state, you could see that this was another person of authority. It was obvious that whatever he said next wasn’t up for discussion.
“We appreciate your interest in KQ Corporation and your time in attending today’s selection process,” he began, voice polished to perfection. “I’ll cut to the chase, if you are not Choi Jongho and L/N Y/N, then you are all dismissed.”
Your heart stopped for half a second. The crowd immediately erupted around you with voices of anger and disbelief as, but all of that faded into muffled white noise. You desperately wanted the high-pitched ringing in your ears to stop, but your limbs refused to move. “If there are any further disruptions,” the man said calmly, cutting through the noise with ease, “We will be forced to escalate this situation accordingly.”
Now, he didn’t say it outright, but the implication was clear - continue fucking around to find out. People still grumbled, but one by one, they started to leave. Still, you didn’t care. All you wanted to do was throw up. You had been picked, and now, there was no way out. Not anymore.
“Hey,” Jongho’s voice came through, breaking you out of your trance. You turned to look at him, and he still had that stunned look on his face. “This was…unexpected. We should go,” he cleared his throat nervously. He says something more, but you didn’t hear any of it. You were still feeling the aftereffects of your name being called. You were genuinely terrified and trapped. “Y/N?” Jongho frowned, looking back in confusion as to why you weren’t moving.
Your feet wouldn’t move. Inside those walls was everything you'd been dreaming of to advance in your career. The problem was, so was he. The memory hit you all over again - his eyes, the gun, the terror - and you just knew you couldn’t go in there. Your breathing picked up, throat tightening. You needed something, anything, to protect yourself. But before you could stop yourself, your mouth just moved on its own and you blurted out, “I-I’m blind.”
Jongho’s eyes widened in sheer surprise. “What? Oh my,” the latter uttered in disbelief, immediately walking back towards you. “I-I didn’t know, I’m sorry, here…”
He extended his hand, and you almost reached out, but stopped yourself, forcing your gaze to unfocus, tilting your head like you were listening instead of seeing. Jongho was confused why you weren’t taking his hand, but then, he face-palmed himself. “Oh, God, I’m an idiot,” he hissed. “Uhm, is it alright if I hold onto you so I can help you get inside?”
You nodded stiffly, legs finally unlocking as he guided you forward. In no time, the both of you were following the man, who you soon learned was none other than Jeong Yunho, himself. You saw him raise a brow at how Jongho was guiding you, but when he had told him of your circumstances, he stayed silent for a moment. If he was surprised, he barely let it show.
“Are you going to be okay?” Yunho asked as he guided you by the arm to sit down in one of the rooms. Jongho is already being shown his respective position so that left you. “On behalf of the company, I sincerely apologise for any discomfort. Had I known, I personally would have made you wait here from the start.”
Yunho’s voice was soft, and he was surprisingly gentle. It was such a contrast to his cool and intimidating exterior. You had to force your head still, thankful you didn’t have to take your sunglasses off so you wouldn’t have to pretend too hard. “I-It’s alright,” you stammered, trying hard not to sound like you were one step away from fainting. “I’d like to be hired fair and square despite my…shortcomings.”
“Admirable, I like that. I’m sure he will, too,” Yunho hummed. He stood up, patting your shoulder gently once. “Well, I’ll leave you to it. He’s just finishing a phone call, but he’ll be ready to personally interview you soon. Do call if you need anything, Y/N.”
Bile started to rise from your throat, but you had to make sure. “W-Wait,” you stopped Yunho before he walked away. “I-I’m sorry, who’s the he you’re referring to?”
Yunho lets a small smirk slip out before masking it quickly. “The boss, Y/N. This is his office,” he replied, gesturing his hand to the room. “He’s been quite taken with your credentials. You are exactly what he’s looking for.”
You did not like the sound of that. What the fuck does that even mean? Unfortunately, you had plenty of time to think about it as you sat in that chair, waiting for your doom to swallow you whole and spit you out with nothing but bones left. You didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the irony.
Life was a joke like that. You knew you were going to see him again. You weren’t meant to stay in peace forever. But, goddamn, you didn’t think it would be this soon. You could’ve gotten more time, at least. Hell, you never wanted to see him at all ever again if it was up to you.
Your gaze lifted, carefully taking everything in. The office was spacious and elegant, but minimal in its decor. Dark, sleek furniture of sharp edges surrounded you, and surprisingly, it actually made sense. It was a mirror of how he was as a person, you couldn’t explain it. And then, you saw it - a metal plate fixed neatly against the desk with his name on it.
Song Mingi. Chief Executive Officer.
Your mouth dried up, eyes focusing sharply on that plate. Song Mingi. The name echoed in your head. Finally, you had a name to match to the face; a name to tie to the crime. He wasn’t just a memory anymore, he was tangible and real. He was here. And so were you.
“Comfortable?”
Hot breath ghosted over your ear. You jerked on instinct, nearly jumping out of your skin, yelping as your heart thundered violently against your ribcage. A low, amused chuckle followed. “Sorry,” a deep voice murmured, not sounding apologetic at all. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Something about that just sounded so…wrong to you. It was a good thing you didn’t turn around, because there he was, the man of your nightmares walking to sit behind his pristine desk. Goosebumps erupted all over your skin, terror washing all over you as you tried not to tremble, holding your breath as if that would save you.
Mingi. He was exactly as you remembered, yet somehow worse at the same time. He was still as broad two weeks ago, but instead of a black faded jacket, he wore a suit that emphasized his long limbs. He was still blonde, hair still slicked back, and the pale colour should’ve looked soft in this particular lighting, but not on him.
Unfortunately, it emphasized the sharpness of his features, contrasting his high cheekbones and lips that were curled slightly up the edges like he knew something you didn’t. It also highlighted those murderous eyes, except this time, they were filled with mirth and not in a good way.
He looked good. No one would be the wiser that this man had no problem taking someone's life. You were about to stand, albeit stiffly, about to offer him a bow in respect, when his low voice cut you off mid-gesture. “No need,” he spoke firmly. You froze, not knowing what to do. “I’ve been informed of your…circumstances,” he continued, that faint curl of amusement still lingering in his tone.
You swallowed. Right. You were blind. You forced out a smile, hands gripping the sides of the chair awkwardly. You were still stuck in that halfway standing position and you didn’t know what to do. You didn’t even want to move, every inch of you wanted to just get up and run.
“Sit down.”
He said it so quietly that you barely heard him. You obeyed, though, because the way he said it was not a suggestion. So there you were, sat on a cushy chair that felt more like a trap across from where he also sat, not saying a word. The problem was, neither was he. You waited, keeping your posture pin straight as you waited for him to say something. Anything.
Instead, you saw his eyes on you, taking you in unhurriedly and deliberately like he had all the time in the world. Like you did too. Subconsciously, your fingers curled into your skirt, and you saw his eyes trail down at the gesture. His lips twitched a little, eyes shining like he was enjoying this far more than he should. It made your skin crawl.
The silence was oppressive. It made the room seem smaller, the air thinner somehow. Even the faint, ambient noises you might have expected like a clock ticking, footsteps outside the room, and paperwork rustling were absent. It was as if the room itself had decided to hold its breath, waiting to see what the both of you would do next.
But Mingi’s gaze remained fixed on you as though he could sit in this silence indefinitely and emerge victorious simply by outlasting you. There was no urgency in him, no need to fill the void. If anything, he seemed to thrive in it. You shifted slightly, your discomfort evident, and his lips stretched further. He was savouring this, enjoying it far more than he had any right to.
“You don’t look like someone who can’t see.”
The words didn’t land immediately. It was comparable to lightning where you’d see it before the booming loudness hit your ears. Your breath hitched, the dread pushing bile up your throat that you forced yourself to swallow. “I-I,” you started, voice cracking embarrassingly before you cleared your throat. “I, uhm, see silhouettes, but I’m mostly unseeing. You get used to it.”
There was a pause before he let out a soft chuckle, and somehow, that was the most menacing thing you’ve ever seen him do. “Do you?” He asked, tilting his head. You nodded weakly, and this time, you couldn’t stop your hands from shaking.
“Ah, I’m just trying to lighten the mood,” he chuckled again, waving a dismissive hand like he didn’t just make this entire encounter the most uncomfortable thing ever. “I meant that as a compliment. Let’s start over again, yes? Would you mind if I touched your hand to shake it?”
“N-No, not at all,” you replied, lifting your hand, steadying your head forward, still keeping your gaze unfocused and out of centre. Mingi does not hesitate to grab it, gripping it firmly, and for a split second, the way he did it reminded you of how he held your shoulders at the trail. Shivers crawled up your spine at the memory.
“Song Mingi, Chief Executive,” he introduced, shaking your hand before letting go. “Welcome to KQ Corporation. I’m sure you’ve heard of us, hopefully only the good things, though.”
“L/N Y/N,” you smiled tightly, putting on your professional stance, pretending that all of this was normal. That wasn’t the hard part anyway, you were good at your job. Your resumé speaks for itself. “It’s my honour to be here, Mr. Song. KQ has been a lifelong dream of mine.”
A ghost of a smirk graces his lips. “Charmed,” he said. “And Mingi will be just fine. We’ll be working very close together, Y/N. I suggest you get used to it.”
You chuckled nervously, disliking the message, hating the way he said it even more. But there was nothing you could do, not as you felt the weight of his gaze dragging over every detail of you just waiting for you to fail, patiently standing by to see when he could dig his claws in.
“Right. Let’s begin,” he started, posture straightening immediately into something more professional. You didn’t know whether to laugh or cry because, after all, the killer was an established businessman. “As you are aware, KQ invests plenty on international ventures. As do I. My presence is scarce in my own company because I’m always out of the country.”
You paid attention, ignoring the deep drawl of his voice and the change in his demeanor that was throwing you off-kilter. This was dangerous. If he could switch from being a menace to this composed, articulate executive in the blink of an eye, then nothing about him was accidental.
“Now, I had been told prior by Yunho about your visual impairment,” he continued, grabbing a couple of papers from the desk drawers. Your eyes tracked his measured movements without moving your neck, which proved difficult. “And while it is unconventional,” he paused, taking something small from the stack and sliding it across the desk directly in front of you. “Sight is not necessary for what I am hiring you to do for me, specifically.”
Your gaze dropped to his desk, and you felt your head spin so fast it almost made you dizzy. It was the company card you didn’t even know you had lost until this moment. It was yours, and you knew it was because of the star sticker. It also had small, dried up specks of blood on it.
You forced your breathing to stay even, but something in your chest had already tightened, coiling too fast to control. San was right - you were thoroughly, utterly fucked. This was no coincidence. He’d had the card all this time, and he was deliberately showing you.
But, you weren’t going to give in. Not now even if fear was harder to mask when it came from recognition. Mingi leaned on his seat, his gaze sharpening into something more analytical rather than predatory. “Something wrong?” He asked, almost innocently.
You shook your head, putting on a smile that you hoped didn’t resemble a grimace. “No, Sir—”
“Mingi.”
“—I was just wondering what my job description would be,” you finished, digging your nails into your palms. “M-Mingi.”
A pause. His brows raised ever so slightly. There was a soft, almost inaudible, exhale of satisfaction from him before he went back to inspecting the stack of paperwork in his hands. “I reviewed your resumé,” he spoke, plucking said resumé from the stack. “Very impressive. Your previous company was tactless for letting you slip away.”
And there it was again. He was back at being eloquent. You watched as his eyes skimmed through your resumé, nodding imperceptively the longer he went on. You might even go as far as say that this might be the only time he was truthful with his words and actions. “If I didn’t know better,” he went on, voice lowering just enough to demand your full attention, “I’d assume they were giving you to me on a silver platter.”
Mingi didn’t miss the flicker in your expression. “Anyway,” he continued, the air shifting back into something more cutthroat. “To put this simply, I am in need of a personal translator. I do business with important people overseas and most of the time, you can imagine how challenging the language barrier could be especially if there is a lot at stake.”
He paused, letting you absorb the information. “I do not always have the liberty of hiring different people all the time for that. We’re talking massive corporate leviathans here, Y/N. Things that simply cannot be common knowledge for the masses. Are you following me so far?”
You nodded. “I need discretion,” he continued smoothly, eyes hardening aggressively. “And efficiency. I will never compromise on those two. I will expect nothing less than perfection, certainly not while the vultures await. They only feed on decaying matter, after all.”
You straightened slightly. You were beginning to see why KQ was at the top echelon of the business world and why it was difficult to get in. “Understood.”
“I don’t repeat instructions. I don’t find pleasure being with people who waste my time and breath,” he added, almost conversationally. “Nor do I tolerate delays disguised as effort.”
There it was again, that edge that wasn’t loud nor overt, but unmistakably cutting nonetheless. You nodded once. “You won’t have to.”
“Good,” he said, seemingly pleased with your answer. He taps the resumé with his pen twice. “As I said, your credentials are impressive enough for me to overlook your limited vision. I only need you to hear and speak. If your achievements are what you say they are, then it won’t be of any hindrance.”
You could feel him watching you. Not curiously, but with the kind of attention that dissected reactions down to the smallest fracture. He was sizing you up, confirming if you had what it takes. “When do I start?” You asked, voice steady by sheer force and will.
He raised a brow, clearly fascinated. The corner of his mouth tugged up slightly, though there was nothing warm about it. “Interesting,” Mingi murmured, almost thoughtful, twirling his pen with his fingers absentmindedly. “You have maintained composure so far where other people would have folded. I admire your tenacity, Y/N. Truly.”
Your throat felt dry. He was talking about business, he had to be. The double entendre was difficult to ignore, however, it didn’t feel like he was just talking about this, but this was probably paranoia on your end. “I have been told I had plenty,” you replied curtly.
Another ghost of that smirk. “Yes,” he murmured, more to himself. “I’m beginning to see that.”
He straightened before you could react, snapping back into place like nothing had happened. “Your role, should you accept the opportunity I’m willing to extend to you,” he said, now all business again. “Will be as important as mine. You are the bridge of communication, the deciding factor on whether KQ stays afloat or sinks beyond. Failure is not an option.”
You nodded, grateful for the clarity. You could do that. It was work you understood and could control. “And if I don’t?” You asked, deliberately.
His eyes held yours, glinting with something that refused to be challenged. “You can either follow the rules, break them, or answer to me.”
There were no traces of threat in that statement, but that lingering tension stayed in your chest. Your own fear was twisting his words into something they weren’t. “So,” he continued expectantly. “What say you, Y/N?”
To leave was diving into uncertainty, but to stay was entering the belly of the beast. You nodded firmly, effectively choosing the lesser of two evils. It was beginning to feel like a crossroads deal with the devil rather than a business transaction. “Now that we got all of that out of the way,” he said. “I do have one small favour to ask of you.”
“I’ll try my best to accommodate,” you said.
“Might I see the eyes of the person that’ll be with me and my business for most of the time? Plus, I reckon it’s proper etiquette to remove any sort of outdoor eyewear in front of your boss.”
You stopped breathing. Your sunglasses. It was the only thing blocking your eyes from him, the thing making it easier to pretend you weren't actually blind. You took a moment, not doing anything under his scrutiny, frozen under the weight of his unyielding expectancy. You gritted your teeth, upset that you couldn’t worm your way out of this one without being questioned.
In the end, you lowered your head not out of submission, but out of necessity, forcing your vision to blur; to dull itself into nothingness even if you’d be looking the devil in the eye once you remove the protective barrier that was keeping you somewhat safe. But the moment you looked up, your soul nearly left your body.
The fountain pen Mingi was holding was right there, the sharp, gleaming tip of it hovering only a couple of inches away from your left eye. He pointed the nib so close that if you blinked, your lashes would graze the metal - so close that you could feel it. Not just the grizzly pressure of it against your cornea if he actually pressed it, but the coldness the metal radiated.
The fear had left you petrified from where you sat. One wrong reaction - one wrong move - and it’s over. You might actually lose your eyesight for real. You swallowed your terror, willing your eyes to stay unfocused, compelling yourself to not see the pen and Mingi, himself.
And through your bleary vision, you could clearly see the way his lips fought to stay still, how he tried not to let out a smile. “You have beautiful eyes,” he remarked casually like he wasn’t about to stab your cornea. “Such shame. It would’ve been a delight to see those peepers sparkle. Have you never seen your own eyes, Y/N?”
Oh, God. The nerve of this maniac, you internally panicked, vision wavering dangerously as you fought for your body to stay rigid. “At some point, I might have. I’ve long forgotten. I tend to…forget things easily,” you replied confidently, praying that he got the message - that you wouldn’t tell a soul what you saw that dreadful day on the trail.
The corners of his mouth finally gave in, amusement dancing faintly in his eyes. “Do you?” Mingi clicked his tongue, sounding deceivingly thoughtful if it wasn’t for how predatory his face actually looked. “Because I don’t.”
His hand shifted, the pen tilting closer by a fraction. It was just enough to make your heart lurch violently against your chest. You could already imagine it, the promise of pure pain once that sharp metal nib goes through your eye, yet still, you refused to move, not daring to even take a breath in for fear of accidentally stabbing yourself in the eye, instead.
You saw him nod to himself, running his tongue painfully slow against his bottom lip as if he was impressed at your show of obstinacy. “That’s alright,” he hummed thoughtfully, voice deceptively soft. It was terrifying. If you were actually blind, you would have genuinely thought he was comforting you because he sounded so gentle.
“Though I must say,” he added. “Do forgive this ignorant man, but for someone who’s blind, I’m surprised at the clarity of your eyes. They look so clear and unclouded.”
Before you could spiral, a voice from behind you cleared their throat - someone you didn’t know was there until they spoke out. That should’ve scared you, and it did because that meant they've been there all along, silently watching all of this unfold. But for now, you could consider them your saving grace because you were running out of excuses.
“Cut it out, Mingi. Not everyone who is blind has those milky eyes you’re thinking of,” a man spoke disapprovingly.
Mingi’s eyes shifted to look behind you. His eyes, God, the way they glared at whoever this mystery person was nothing short of terrorizing. They were so soulless and predatory, but that wasn’t why it shook you, because for a second, it was like looking at him two weeks ago again. It was the same look he had as he stared at that man seconds before he pulled the trigger.
“Right,” he murmured, finally lowering the pen and allowing you to breathe. He paused, taking in a breath before he returned to that professionalism you were starting to abhor. “My apologies. I have a lot to learn. Anyway, that would be my personal assistant.”
“Kim Hongjoong,” the mystery man introduces himself. You stood up, purposefully bowing in the wrong direction, to which he chuckled lightheartedly. “I appreciate that. We’ll be working very closely together. I handle Mingi’s affairs a lot.”
You smiled tightly, curious as to why Hongjoong gave a pointed look at the taller man. “Affairs as in now. You have a meeting with the finance department,” he continued, glaring heatedly. Your gaze flickered between the two men. Something was off. You’ll have to observe more next time, so for now, you tucked this information away for later.
“You’ll be hearing from him more than you will from me,” Mingi said, already shifting, already moving on like nothing had happened. Your attention snapped back to him. “He handles my schedule. Hongjoong will e-mail them to you. You can return next Monday”
Your stomach twisted. “M-Monday?”
“Yes, my dear. Monday,” he chuckled, amused, already halfway to the door. “I’m giving you a week to prepare yourself because once you start, there will be no turning back. I’ll have Yunho arrange for someone to escort you home,” he added over his shoulder.
The words settled into the room like a verdict. And before you could even process it, he was gone.
Working at KQ proved to be rewarding and challenging at the same time. Everyone either loved or feared Mingi, but for the most part, it was both. And working for him has proven to be conflicting for you. You haven’t seen him much, which you were honestly very thankful for, however, he did keep you at arms length.
Perhaps, he just wanted to keep a close eye on you because you exclusively worked inside his personal office, sitting all day on his cushy leather couch. Even Yunho found it fascinating.
Mingi was good at what he did. Painfully so, because the results were hard to deny. He didn’t waste time, didn’t tolerate incompetence, and had a way of cutting through problems so cleanly it left everyone else scrambling to keep up. You hated that you were impressed. Beneath the fear you had, he earned the power he held over everyone and you hated admitting it.
But at the same time, he made things a little smoother for you. Or at least, he sent someone to make things easier for you. Seonghwa was heaven sent, a ray of sunshine, if you will. He was the opposite of what this cutthroat industry stood for - very bubbly and energetic. He was the sweetest person, and that in itself made this place more bearable.
But you knew better. This wasn’t just a random act of kindness from your boss. This was Song Mingi, and Mingi was cunning. This was him exerting control even in unconventional senses such as adjusting his variables to make sure you stayed exactly where he wanted you to.
“Y/N, sweetie, are you alright? You still haven’t told me what you wanted,” Seonghwa’s soft and comforting voice spoke, breaking you out of your thoughts.
You almost turned to look at him, mildly startled, but you stopped yourself at the last second. “Sorry,” you apologised sheepishly. “I was just thinking. What were you saying?”
“I brought coffee and tea, I didn’t know which one you wanted so I figured I’d buy both so you could pick one to sip on while we work,” he said, already setting things down without waiting for a response, his voice bright and alive in a way that warmed you up. He was a nice man, and you felt bad for deceiving him, but no one can know you weren’t blind.
You blinked, momentarily thrown off before managing a small smile. “I prefer tea. Thank you, you didn’t have to–”
“Of course I did,” he cut in cheerfully, waving you off like it was obvious, already sitting down next to you. “Let’s start now so you can leave early. I get worried every time you go home with the sun gone. Same as usual, yeah? Just forgive my crappy Mandarin.”
This was the arrangement. Seonghwa would read, you would translate, and he would write it down. Luckily, you didn’t get much written documents, and computers were easy to worm your way out of since you managed to convince Hongjoong that voice-to-text worked well for you, and Mingi seemed to have no problem with it so long as the work got done.
It was the in-person business transactions that you were nervous about. So far, Mingi hasn’t taken you out to speak for major clientele, but he wasn’t lying when he said he worked for the big sharks. Three weeks shy in and you were already exhausted drafting and translating contracts and paperwork for him. Until today.
You were halfway through the document when the door to the office opened. Your back automatically straightened, eyes dulling themselves even further, when Mingi strolled in. You didn’t even have to look at him; you could just feel the immense power he exuded from his presence, alone, and how one glance could silence the room.
He didn’t greet either of you nor looked in your direction, just striding straight towards his desk to review some paperwork that was waiting for him to sign. You loosen up a bit. When Mingi was in the zone, he barely paid attention to his surroundings. Or is that what he wanted you to think? You didn’t care so long as he didn't acknowledge you at all. And you liked it that way.
The only thing that could be heard was the rustling of paper as Mingi flipped some documents, Seonghwa reading, and your whispers of translation. Times like these also allowed you to pay attention to his mannerisms. He didn’t have a lot, but it was the little things that truly scared you.
Like right now with his brows furrowed, eyes narrowed into slits as he furiously scribbled. It brought you dread when you realised down the line that he showed more expression to mere documents more than he ever did pulling that trigger on that man on the trail.
He had taken the liberty to take his coat off, the sleeves of his button-up shirt rolled neatly to his elbows, revealing muscled forearms that you were unable to look away from. Another thing that frustrated you to no end was that the more you observed Mingi, the harder it was to deny that he was very attractive. Had the circumstances been different, he would’ve been your type.
“How long until you’re done?” Mingi suddenly asked, voice hushed in the quietness of the office, still not bothering to look up.
“In about twenty minutes or so,” you blurted out, slightly startled, but more so annoyed at yourself for checking him out.
“Make it five. You’re coming with me.”
You could practically feel your hackles rise because, of course, nothing about this job was ever going to be simple. “Pardon?” You couldn’t help but ask.
“Did I stutter?” Mingi retorted flatly, barely audible. Your heart almost leapt out of your chest when he turned lazily to you. “I vaguely recall telling you that I don’t particularly enjoy repeating instructions,” he drawled slowly. “Those aren’t empty words, Y/N. You told me you understood.”
You had to physically stop your face from visibly souring and glaring heatedly at him, stiffly just nodding in response while mumbling a half-hearted apology. True to his words, he stood up exactly five minutes after, giving you one glance as if to say, ‘Follow me’, before leaving. All without even waiting for you.
So there you were, marching through the office like a spectacle, eyes wide open but empty, as if you’ve truly mastered the art of pretending to unsee. Mingi created quite a distance between you two and you’ve barely managed to catch up with him before he went in the elevator. “Am I allowed to ask where we’re going?” You inquired faintly in the tight area of the elevator as its doors closed.
Through your peripherals, you caught Mingi’s lips quirk into a small smirk. “You are,” he replied, pressing a floor button. “Am I required to answer them?”
Your lips curve down into a frown, brain buffering for a split second. Mingi seemed to sense your distress and let out a deep chuckle. “I’m taking you on a little trip around the company,” he said. “I reckon it’s good for you to map out a layout in your head so you could develop some sort of muscle memory to make up for your lack of sight.”
That made sense. And you hated that it did. If you were actually blind, you would’ve been all over the moon. You swallowed nervously, dread crawling up your spine bit by bit the more the elevator rose. You did not like any of this one bit. The silence was stifling. It was hard to breathe especially with him so close. Mingi was a snake; he was constricting and looking away would be a fatal mistake. You didn’t even want to blink because you know he’ll be there, slithering around the brush, waiting to coil himself around you.
You were startled back into sensibility when you heard a ‘ding’. You have arrived, and you didn’t know where. Before you could even ask, Mingi walked out and you had no choice but to move after him. At least you were behind him; it allowed you to look around freely.
But the moment you lifted your head to take in your surroundings, your heart dropped to your feet. This floor looked desolated, abandoned at best, like construction had started but never fully finished. Lights worked, but it was dim, and the walls weren’t even painted, leaving exposed wiring behind unfinished panels.
“Right this way,” Mingi said smoothly like nothing about this was unusual. “We’re heading near the HR department, for starters.”
Your face turned green with the intense need to vomit. A damn lie, it was, because in no shape or form were you near said department. You had half the mind to turn around and run back to the elevator, and the further you walked, the more you wanted to. But then, he stopped right in front of a suspicious looking door.
“This,” he said, already turning the handle to open it. “Is one of our private conference rooms. We could start here, but not to worry, everything is…everything is on the same floor.”
Panic spiked through you, but you had no choice but to swallow it down and walk through, and you didn’t know what you were expecting, but it was certainly not an empty room. No furniture, no dividers, no equipment, no nothing. Just a large, open space with bare floors and large windows that emphasized how empty it was. There were no signs of use and no signs of life; just too much space. It was somehow the most claustrophobic room you’ve ever been in. To make matters worse, you heard Mingi shut the door behind you.
“Let’s begin,” Mingi murmured, but it was loud as it reverberated around emptiness. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. “I’ll tell you where to go, you just have to listen. Fair?”
You nodded stiffly, not knowing what he was planning to do, but judging by the toothy, wolfish grin spread wide on his lips that screamed of danger, it wasn’t anything good. “Perfect,” he said. “Just give me a couple of steps forward.”
And you did, mechanically dragging your foot to make that first step, opting to stop when it felt right. “Good,” you heard him say. There was a pregnant pause in the air before he continued again. “Actually, let’s try that again. A few steps back, please.”
Your lips twitched in perplexity, not knowing where he was going with this. Somehow, retracing your steps made your feet feel heavier than moving forward. You were back where you started by the door with Mingi to your far left still leaning against that wall, still staring intently at you as if he was waiting for you next move. Kind of like how he watched you that day in the forest to see what you’d do after he shot that man.
“Turn to your right. Walk approximately ten steps forward,” he finally said. You followed. “Now turn to the left. It leads to another room.”
You took a deep breath, walking into said ‘room’ anyway. “Forward a bit, then turn left,” he instructed, and again, you followed. “That’s another conference room.”
You swallowed the urge to scream at him that there was no room; that there was absolutely nothing. You could only hum, hoping to sound enthusiastic as you felt him getting closer. “You best remember that, love,” he commented. Dread crept up your insides. He sounded a little too happy, letting that polite mask slip away for a moment to enjoy whatever this humiliation ritual was. “Anyway, there’s a door in front of you, doll.”
Gritting your teeth to reel in your annoyance, you lifted a shaky hand to play along, letting out a convincing hum of confusion and surprise when you felt nothing but air. “Ah,” he said lightly. “Maybe this is too advanced. Next time, I suppose.”
God, you just wanted to go back to translating with Seonghwa, but instead, you’ve become a clown walking forward and backwards into an empty room, kind of like a child with a vivid imagination playing maze. “Turn around,” you heard him say. “Walk until I say stop.”
He wasn’t there when you turned around. That would mean he was behind you. Your knees almost buckled because you didn’t even hear him walk at all. You did as told, each step stretching just a little too long in the silence. But as you moved, your worry increased. This was the longest you’ve walked so far and he hasn’t told you to stop yet.
You waited for him to say something, anything, because you were a couple of steps away from colliding into the wall. The next couple of steps had you sweating, breathing heavily as you tried to walk normally, pretending that you weren’t about to get a nasty bump on your forehead from purposefully smacking face forward a concrete wall - all to make him still believe you’re blind.
Several steps from impact and you could already feel your legs hesitating to move forward, your pace stuttering, but you pushed, adjusting your steps accordingly to make everything still seem believable. You waited up until the very last few steps, but when you heard nothing from Mingi, you instinctively closed your eyes as the wall got closer, bracing for impact.
“Stop.”
The word snapped through the air just as your nose hovered a breath away from the surface. You halted instantly, biting your tongue to stop the startled squeak that threatened to leave your lips, not feeling any pain at all from the adrenaline and the fear pumping into your bloodstream.
“Careful,” Mingi murmured, his voice just behind your shoulder now, lips barely touching your ear. “There’s a wall here. You’ll want to remember that.”
A soft, nervous laugh left you, controlled but imperfect. “I-I will,” you stammered.
Goosebumps erupted all over your skin when he chuckled, low and amused, directly in your ears. “Yeah?” He whispered. Shivers broke out of you at his tone, especially when you felt him smile against the shell of your ear. You nodded. “You sure?”
You felt him blow the faintest air onto your skin. “Hmm. I like it when people listen,” Mingi whispered again, voice going even heavier in a way that had your stomach churning. He paused, like he was giving you grace to take it all in. “Especially when they know they should.”
You fought the instinct to break through this newfound tension. You were very aware of how little close you were - how easy it would be to move, and how impossible it felt to actually do it. “I said I would,” you replied, though your voice came out quieter than you intended.
“I know, but saying it and proving it…” Mingi let the sentence trail off, the implication settling in the charged silence between you. Your breath hitched when you saw his hands settle on the wall on either side of your head, effectively trapping you in. “...I wonder how far that goes,” he finished. “Anyway, let’s continue.”
You sighed in relief when he pulled away, though you weren’t sure if that was better. He was back at it with his instruction, and this time, he’s double the intensity. “Try again,” he instructed, clearly amused at your mistakes. “I said move slightly, not do a full swerve. Again.”
And again. Again. And again. Again and again and again. Mingi made you turn, then walk. Stop. Back. Forward. Shift. Over and over and over again. Your steps grew heavier, your legs starting to ache, your breathing less steady no matter how hard you tried to hide it. And through it all, he watched you. Still, you had to continue with gritted teeth.
Your patience thinned as he watched you walk yourself into humiliation like it was the most entertaining thing in the world. But you moved because stopping wasn’t an option, especially not when Mingi resembled a predator observing a prey exhaust itself, just lying in wait before he struck to take advantage of your vulnerability.
Every time you turned, you caught glimpses of him. His expression remained composed, but his eyes were alert and focused, waiting to see if your blind act was about to fail as he followed every single movement you made. And he was enjoying this, you could tell. The faint curl at the corner of his mouth when you adjusted yourself mid-motion was more than enough to tell you.
“That’ll be all, Y/N. You can stop now,” Mingi said, his voice returning to that composed, professional tone as if you weren’t breathing hard in exhaustion. As if he didn’t just make you go for a loop in an empty room to strip you of your dignity.
You couldn’t even reply, couldn’t even push him away when he put his hand to your shoulder to lead you back into the elevator. Your pulse still hasn’t settled, skin still tingling where his hand was, but you weren’t going to complain now you were about to go back to normalcy.
“You did well,” he said softly as the elevator doors opened back to the floor where his office was. He stepped out, walking away as if nothing had happened. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
You watched as he walked away, frozen where he placed you in the elevator. Whatever happened back there felt like a fever dream, and you still haven’t woken up. On the outside, nothing felt out of place but on the inside, something shifted because before, you were just afraid of seeing him kill someone.
But now? You were afraid of him.
Mingi didn’t stop there. There were little instances here and there, not much to alarm you, but enough to put you on edge. It’s been a little over a month by then. The dread never left, not even the hefty paycheque you received was enough to ease that paranoia beneath your skin. You still didn’t see him often and so far, he technically hasn’t bothered you or done anything.
But when he did do something, it was when you were the most ill-prepared; like a demon waiting for you to fall asleep before infiltrating your dreams and terrorising you when you least expected it, and by the time you realised he was there, you would have already been too paralysed to stop him.
It started small, as if he was testing how far he could go before you noticed, like giving you the wrong files to translate. Or that one time he turned on his obnoxiously bright desk lamp and pointed it on your face while you worked.
“Something bothering you, love?” Mingi asked, almost innocently, as if he wasn’t currently adjusting the lamp to beam it directly in your eyes, his tongue sticking out of lips a little in concentration. “You seem a little distracted.”
You felt your eyes tick, not because you’ve been forcing them wide open and pretending that lights weren’t bothering you, but because you were annoyed at the audacity of this man and his ability to get away with anything - all because he thinks you couldn’t see him. Black spots began to dance behind your eyes, the telltale signs of a debilitating migraine beginning to creep up your temples as the ache came in throbbing waves.
“Everything’s fine,” you let out weakly.
Mingi hummed softly at that, his fingers deftly clicking the lamp to amp it up to its maximum brightness. You had to dig your nails painfully in your palms to stop yourself from blinking as your vision burned, but still, you could see the smugness in his features, all while his eyes watched you. “Carry on,” was all he said after.
And then nothing after that for days, but that was the problem, because he would do them so randomly and sporadically that when you thought you were in the clear, you really weren’t. If Mingi was feeling especially heinous, he’d sometimes move your computer files and hide them in different folders, which would be already difficult for abled people, let alone for someone who is especially visually challenged. You’d just grit your teeth and move forward, all while his sharp, menacing shadow towered over you.
“Just call me whenever you need something, alright?” Jongho kindly handed you back the laptop after finding the right files for you and one day Mingi moved them. He let out a confused hum. “Perhaps we could ask Mr. Song to fix your laptop. It’s been acting up more than usual.”
You let out a nervous laugh. Jongho raised a brow, but decided not to say anything. The two of you had gotten closer over the following weeks and he’s honestly been your saving grace in times like these. He was a sweetheart, always offering to buy you lunch or drive you home whenever he could. It was times like these where you genuinely felt bad for lying to him.
But Jongho can’t possibly help you with everything. One thing Mingi was consistent about, however, was his work ethics. Mingi let out a sharp sigh, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose while his other hand drummed against the table.
“You think this is good enough, Y/N?” He asked, tone flat and unimpressed. He was strict, very much so, to the point that there were times where you were afraid to submit your proposals to him. “No. Actually, let me rephrase that.”
He shuts the laptop off, eyes lifting to you, his back straightening against his chair. “Did you even read this before sending them to me? Or did you honestly think I just sign off every paperwork that gets sent my way without checking them for marginal errors?”
Your throat tightened. Mingi wasn’t loud when he was upset. Even when he tested your sanity with his stupid games, Mingi never compromised when it came to work. “My apologies, I’ll revise it as soon as possible,” you assured.
“I know you tried your best,” he crossed his arms. “But that’s exactly what makes it disappointing. I’ll let this slide. Go home. Yunho will finish this mess.”
Surprise crosses your features and you opened your mouth to argue, but decided against it. Not when his eyes left no room for debate. It wasn’t personal, but the brutal honesty in which he laid his expectations landed on your chest hard, and the worst part? He was usually right.
Soon, Mingi began taking you to meet important people like he said he would before he hired you. If Mingi was intimidating in the confines of his office, then he was downright terrifying around the people he did business with to the point that you had no idea how he was able to stay up top as long as he did. Hongjoong laughed when you spoke your thoughts out loud.
“It’s not just him,” he said, gently leading you inside one of the private rooms in the upscale restaurant. “You have to constantly one up everyone because they will not hesitate to bury you in this business, Y/N. Mingi just so happens to be the best at what he does.”
And you understood why. You saw how even those older than him with far more power and experience measured their words around him before saying them. Mingi just had this uncanny ability to dismantle people. Today, you sat next to Hongjoong while Mingi sat to your right, listening intently to you as you translated in real time, voice smooth and professional.
“This is preposterous,” the overseas investor from China scoffed at you, his confidence slipping the longer Mingi remained expressionless. “Tell Mr. Song here that I have a proposition.”
Indeed, he did, by giving a lower number - a number so low that even you knew that no sane businessman would take it seriously. You were visibly taken aback, pausing for a beat too long that Hongjoong had to nudge your foot with his subtly under the table. You swallowed nervously, already knowing that Mingi was going to hate this.
And he did. He nodded slowly, eyes narrowing for a split second before he neutralised his expression. He doesn’t speak yet, just pouring liquor into his shot glass. “Salud,” he cheered, lifting the glass up towards the investor who just spoke. “This one’s especially for you, fucker.”
Your head whips towards him, that smile on his face that you knew screamed danger flashing brightly as he downed his drink, followed by the merry cheers of the foreign nationals who were none wiser that they were getting cursed right in front of their faces.
It was the first time you’ve ever heard Mingi curse, and you didn’t know what to feel about it. He was always so proper and composed and that anything outside of that realm bothered you more than it should’ve because you didn’t know which one was the character he was choosing to play in front of you versus the entire world. As if things couldn’t get worse, a thin trail of liquor slipped from the corner of his mouth, trickling down his sharp jaw down to his throat.
Warmth bloomed dangerously low in your stomach, but thankfully - or, perhaps, not - that heat vanished from your body when he spoke his next words. “Tell him,” Mingi said calmly. “That I can see why people stopped explaining things around him, that I envy people who would never hear how much of an imbecile he and his ideas are. If he wants to rob KQ that badly, at least haggle like a man. I’ve seen kids do it better for candy.”
The investor blinked at you expectantly, unaware, and beside you, Hongjoong went unnaturally still, but all you could do was freeze. You wanted to reword it, to soften the blow, but you must have hesitated for far too long because Mingi turned to you, his eyes cold and expectant.
“Well?” Mingi demanded, impatience creeping into his tone. “Word for word, Y/N. I want to hear it.”
Your throat was tight, but you forced yourself to translate, trying your best to not let your voice shake. “H-He says,” you cleared your throat, discomfort crawling up your spine. “That he can see why people stopped explaining things around you. A-And that he envies people who would never hear how much of an imbecile you and your ideas are…”
The investors’ polite expression drops immediately. God, you wanted the ground to swallow you whole. The embarrassment was too much, every word tasted horribly against your tongue. “If you want to rob KQ so badly,” you spoke, or rather, squeaked. “Haggle like a man because he’s seen kids do it better for candy.”
The investors’ darkened faces stared at you in disbelief for a second before all hell broke loose. Slurs and curses were thrown all over the place, but all you could focus on were Mingi’s eyes on you and the small, satisfied smile on his face. And then it hits you. Provoking these investors wasn’t his only target.
Making you sit there and deliver those words for him amused him far more. You watched as his eyes landed on your ears, the tips of them red from the sheer secondhand embarrassment, and a faint smirk tugs on the corner of his lips.
“Well, that went terrific,” Hongjoong sarcastically let out as the three of you walked out of the restaurant, side-eyeing Mingi with intent while he helped you walk out, hands still as gentle as when he guided you in earlier.
You chose not to say anything, opting to stare blankly forward to keep up the act, periodically squeezing Hongjoong’s arm when you’d hit a bump or two. Mingi just smirks, amusement dancing in his eyes, walking as if he didn’t just botch an entire business transaction by letting his intrusive thoughts win.
“I don’t know, I’d say that went pretty well,” he shrugged, his indifference evident as he opened his car door, pausing to stare at the both of you. “Meet me back at the office. I reckon Seonghwa will have a field day after this. You tell him.”
You barely stopped yourself from raising a brow. Hongjoong stiffens under your touch, an unimpressed frown crossing his face, eyes narrowing with obvious annoyance. “Wait, why me? Do I really have to?”
“Yes. You’re my assistant, after all,” Mingi replied without missing a beat. He let out a condescending smile when Hongjoong’s eyes twitched. “Relax. He has a soft spot for you.”
Hongjoong was about to retort when Mingi gave him a look - a look that had Hongjoong pausing, glancing carefully at you as if he just remembered that they weren’t alone - before the shorter man rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” he muttered, turning to lead you away. “Anyway, I’ll drive Y/N—”
“No,” Mingi interjected. “I’ll do it. Put her in.”
Without waiting for a reply, he gets in his car. And that was how you found yourself in the passenger’s seat of your boss’ car, stiff as a board, staring at the distance not to pretend to unsee, but simply because you couldn’t bear to acknowledge how close Mingi was. “A-Are we not leaving yet?” You couldn’t help but blurt out, not being able to take the awkward silence hanging between the two of you.
“I’m waiting for you,” he murmured.
You frowned, confused. “M-Me? For what?”
“Mhhm,” he hummed. Your stomach churned at how it echoed in your ear. It was a low rumble, warm and smooth like lullabies of despair seducing you in, but you willed it away. “Your seatbelt, sweet pea. I can’t drive without you wearing it.”
Oh, this was dangerous. The way he said it was quiet enough to feel intimate, yet teasing enough to make your pulse skip. Unhurried, you shakily reached for the seatbelt, careful to maintain that blind, dead look in your eyes, but you couldn’t seem to grasp it. Mingi chuckled and the next thing you knew, he was leaning in, reaching for your seatbelt, himself.
A whimper of surprise leaves your lips before you could stop it. His face hovers inches over yours as he clicks the belt into place. He was close, too close, and you thought he was going to lean back, but no. He doesn’t move, doesn’t blink, doesn’t even seem fazed; he just stares. And you didn’t dare breathe against this intentional proximity that he put the both of you in.
You didn’t even realise that his hand was on your thigh until he gave it a small squeeze, and once again, your stomach churns, but this time, it was with an intensity that made you want to throw up. And all you could do was stare in between his eyebrows, pretending that you were seeing through him instead of at him.
“Funny how we keep finding ourselves in this situation,” he mused in a quiet whisper, his breath ghosting over your lips. “Almost as if we were meant to be here.”
Your brows twitch, not knowing what he was referring to. And then it hits you. Hard. This was the exact position and the exact closeness you had with Mingi that day in the forest. Face to face, his dark eyes dissecting you with that horrifying scrutiny before he wiped that blood that accidentally found its way onto your face. “I-I don’t know what you’re—”
“You should relax around me more,” he murmured, tucking a piece of hair obscuring your face behind your ears with so much gentleness that you wanted to scream. “You’re always so tense.”
And then, without warning, he finally leaned back into his seat. The loss of pressure was so sudden that it made your chest ache even further. He started the car, casually driving as if he didn’t just psychologically terrorise you.
But that was fine, you could handle these because they didn’t necessarily hurt you. All you had to do was ignore Mingi and go on still pretending you couldn’t see everything that he was doing. And you knew he was a psycho, but clearly, he’d been holding himself back.
Mingi drove silently, posture relaxed like nothing was wrong. Eventually, he slowed down, eventually stopping when at a red light. It was the busy intersection that was a couple of blocks away from KQ and you couldn’t wait to get the hell away from this man. But when the lights changed to green, Mingi didn’t move. “We’re here,” he said.
Your stomach dropped, taken aback by what he just said. “Here? A-At the office?”
“Mhhm. Where else?”
It was that same low, intimate hum. Your ears rang amidst the busy traffic all around, the honks of the cars behind you, and the buzzing of cars from multiple directions. “Go ahead. Your friend, Jongho, is waiting for you by the door,” he said.
His words slithered coldly up your spine. No, you thought dreadfully. He wouldn’t. But you knew better. You were in the middle of an intersection. You could see that the lights were red again, but the moment those lights turned back to green, there was a high chance that you would get hit. The thought alone made your vision double, and beside you, Mingi patiently waited, staring at you to see what you were going to do.
Panic clawed up your throat. You grabbed your walking cane and started pushing the door open, because refusing without any valid reason would completely blow your cover away. And then, divine intervention - Mingi’s phone started to ring. The sound of it made the both of you pause. From your peripheral vision, you could briefly see the name of the caller. It was Hongjoong. Mingi’s eyes were still on you, specifically on your hand that held the door handle.
He let out an exhale, as if disappointed that you couldn’t step out into moving traffic.“Close the door, love,” he murmured. “I’ll park at the other entrance. It’s dangerous here.”
You didn’t even hesitate. You slammed that door shut so hard that the entire car rattled with force. Mingi’s lips twitched with a small smile, staring at you for one more second before he finally picked up the call. He wasn’t relieved that you were safe nor was he shaken that you could’ve been hit by a car right in front of his eyes.
No, Mingi was steady and unbothered. Interested, even, like his stakes had just gone up and he just realised that the possibilities were endless for him so long as you played for him.
Mingi didn’t even wait a week to test that theory out. It was, by far, the worst he’s done not because of what he did, but because of how bold and brazen his acts were becoming. You were working with Seonghwa in your usual spot in his office, but this time, Jongho was also here. He was today’s representative from his department for the monthly report. Then, in comes Yunho, bringing with him cups and a thermos before leaving. It was fresh tea; you could see the steam in your peripheral vision as Jongho poured the boiling hot water into the cups.
You didn’t think much when Mingi walked over to where you and Seonghwa were, placing two cups at the table. This wasn’t out of the norm, Mingi had always treated you well when there were people around for show, but clearly, you’ve been giving this man more credit than he deserved.
“I ordered everyone iced tea from the café across the building,” he whispered silently, only enough for you to hear. “It’s in front of you. Drink it before the ice melts and dilutes it.”
Panic seized your chest so bad that your lungs were burning from how carefully you were trying to control every breath you took. Your body reacted instantly by freezing into place. You wanted to gawk at the audacity of this man because now he was deliberately playing with you right in the presence of other people.
You forced your eyes to dull further as you nodded stiffly while being at a loss for what to do. You knew this man was cunning, but this was insane. If you grabbed the cup properly, that would give away that you could see. If you grab it clumsily, you’d burn your hand with boiling hot tea. If you give any sort of excuses to not drink it, you were done.
You could feel his eyes on you, sharpening at every second you hesitated to grab the cup. Swallowing, your hands began to jut forward, thinking of a way to touch it without reacting somehow or at least minimise the pain you were about to feel when you burned yourself.
“Ah ah, sweetie,” Seonghwa’s gentle voice cut, intercepting you by guiding your hand away from the cup. “That’s, uh, bland. I’ll be back, I’ll get us some lemons to go with the…iced tea.”
Mingi merely raised a brow, watching as Seonghwa got up and left the room. He shrugged, not sparing you a glance before he walked back to Jongho, who was still none the wiser as he sipped on his own tea, engrossed in the paperwork Mingi gave him.
Seonghwa reappeared a minute later, quietly removing the cup of hot tea before replacing it with something actually cold. You had no idea where he got it, but you didn’t dare question it as your trembling fingers wrapped around the cold drink. Through your peripheral vision, you caught the way Seonghwa stared at Mingi.
And you were surprised at how angry he was. The look he gave Mingi was so scathing, more scalding hot than the tea you almost burned yourself with, that it sent more shivers up your spine. You had no idea that someone as gentle as Seonghwa was even capable of such look. Mingi smirked back sardonically, tilting his head mockingly before his eyes set to you.
His eyes stared you down as he sipped his own tea with no particular expression on his face. But his eyes, they looked alive; alive because every second of watching you endure him fed something inexplicably insatiable inside him.
“You don’t look like someone who can’t see.”
Your lips twitched as you forced a smile on your lips, your arms tightening around the laptop you held close to your chest. “I-I appreciate the sentiment, Mr. Jung. I’ve been told as such before…”
Mingi didn’t react, not even bothering to look away from his laptop. Though from your peripheral vision, you saw him gaze at you for a few short seconds before letting out a small smile. It was the exact same thing he told you when he interviewed you a few months ago.
Today’s work was a bit different. You were used to leaving to meet up with potential clients and even going as far as traveling outside the country - something you would’ve enjoyed had you had more freedom to move since Mingi used his private jet and he was extremely generous with you and your expenses abroad. But today, KQ would be the meet-up point.
Yesterday, Mingi’s longtime friend, Jung Wooyoung, who also happened to be an investor, owed another company a favour and wanted some connections with KQ. You were surprised since Mingi hated short notices, but judging by the lecherous smirk on his face after that phone call, you’d say he didn’t mind. In fact, he seemed to look forward to it.
You tried not to squirm at the way Wooyoung stared at you through those sharp eyes of his. It wasn’t salacious, by all means, but it was extremely intrusive, like he was trying to read you from the inside out. It was unsettling, and you didn’t know how to avoid it, especially not when his hand started to play with your hair.
“I’m just teasing,” he chuckled. He gives Mingi a meaningful look before turning his attention back at you. “I’m just wondering what’s a pretty lady like you doing in a place like this, is all.”
The snap of a laptop being deliberately shut off is what got Wooyoung to momentarily stop playing with your hair.. Across the room, Mingi had already stood up, walking towards the corner of the office where he had a mini bar set up.
"There are birds that survive storms, Jung,” he murmured, pausing to pour brandy in his glass, swirling it slowly before taking a leisurely sip. “But they rarely survive entering another bird's nest."
You frowned, not really understanding the meaning or intent of what he just said. He sounded so nonchalant - uninterested, even - but the way his eyes bore into Wooyoung through his lashes had the latter blinking before stepping away, hands up in the air with mock surrender as a disbelieving laugh left his lips.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Wooyoung chuckled. “If I didn’t know you I’d have assumed that you preferred your birds to be made out of fine china, Song.”
Mingi just hummed. Wooyoung scoffed under his breath, shaking his head. “So, uh,” he pointed at the brandy Mingi was sipping on. “Are you gonna pour me one?”
“No,” Mingi deadpanned, putting the empty glass down before walking back to his desk. “As I recall, your hands were working perfectly fine earlier. Now, these,” he paused, pointing at the box Wooyoung had brought with him when he arrived. “What are these?”
“That? Oh,” Wooyoung shrugged as he helped himself to a drink. “Premium cherries straight from Japan. Heard that Mr. Yamada was very fond of them, which he better fucking like them because these cost me a pretty penny.”
“I see,” Mingi murmured. There was a beat of silence before he spoke again. “Little doll?”
You were a bit startled at his sudden attention to you. “Y-Yes?”
“Come here.”
You hesitated, not fully sure what Mingi wanted. Ever since that tea incident, you’ve become more wary of him - more terrified since clearly, an audience was never going to stop him. However, that hesitance must’ve come off as helplessness because you saw Wooyoung’s eyes lit into recognition, immediately leaping to action to guide you by the arm towards Mingi.
“Don’t tell me you’re going to taste test them?” Wooyoung asked casually, raising a brow as Mingi opened the box, revealing the most perfect cherries you have ever seen in your life. You had to make an effort not to drool at the sight. Pretending you couldn’t see them was sad.
Even Mingi was impressed as he let out a soft hum. “Mr. Yamada doesn’t deserve a whole box.”
Wooyoung barked out a laugh as he returned back to the mini bar, leaning against it. “Yeah, I told him you despised tardiness. Even I’m getting pissed that he’s still not here.”
“Anyway,” he continued after taking a quiet sip of brandy. “Will Yunho assist you during the meeting? I didn’t see him in the lobby earlier.”
“Yunho isn’t needed. What I need is my translator,” he answered, eyes lifting up to you slowly. “And she’s right in front of me.”
The way he said it made your stomach tighten. Wooyoung paused, the surprise visible across his entire face. “Your what?” He asked, opening his mouth to say something again. “But—”
“Cherries are supposed to be off-season in Japan right now,” Mingi interrupted smoothly, taking one from the box carefully. “I’m surprised you even got your slimy hands on one box.”
Thick silence enveloped the entire room for a moment longer than what you deemed comfortable. Sometimes, you underestimated how tiring it was to feign sight - to stare at one space and pretend that the world wasn’t moving around you while you tried not to openly make eye contact with anyone because that’ll give you away instantly.
Then, Mingi’s gaze settles onto you. “Have you ever tried one of these?”
You frowned at the random question. “Cherries? Yes. The premium kind? Never.”
Mingi doesn’t respond, only humming in affirmation. Then, slowly, he lifted the cherry to his mouth. You ceased breathing then and there, barely stopping your knees from buckling under the weight of his stare. Heat crept up from your neck all the way to your ears as you watched his thick lips slowly envelope the red cherry with his saliva.
His eyes never left you as his tongue deliberately dragged against it, flicking the fruit left and right before he pulled the stem off with his teeth. It was unhurried and intentional, extremely obscene in the way he licked it with every second that passed between the two of you. Wooyoung could only watch, mouth parted, eyes comically wide in disbelief, but Mingi paid him no mind.
Instead, he leaned forward, plucking the cherry out from his lips to hold it towards your lips. “Open your mouth, love,” he murmured. “Try it.”
The initial disgust almost overpowered you, but refusing wasn’t an option. Reluctantly, you parted your lips to accept the cherry into your mouth. Across the room, Wooyoung let out the strangest little sound.
“Wait—” he squeaked, reaching his hand out instinctively, but it was too late. He grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut, biting into his fists, visibly cringing at the inappropriateness.
All you felt was the instantaneous heat that spread through your body. Sweetness automatically burst into your mouth, but underneath that was an undertone that didn’t belong in cherries - mint. The taste hit you so hard that your stomach flipped. It was the same scent you always caught on Mingi’s breath whenever he got too close, which happened more often than not.
Mingi didn’t react - at least, not in the usual way he did. The smirk that was always plastered on his face whenever he did something heinous was missing and the amusement that always danced in his eyes was absent. Instead, his eyes were dark, gaze heavy with intent as something unreadable settled over his features.
It was almost possessive in a way that made your skin crawl, and somehow, that terrified you more than anything he’s ever done. “Good girl,” he whispered quietly, so quietly that you weren’t sure if you were even meant to hear it even though you knew it was for you.
The meeting did not go well. It wasn’t because Mingi had somehow screwed it up on purpose or the client lowballing him enough to make him angry - on the contrary, the meeting went terrific. No, the meeting went horribly for you, specifically, because Mingi kicked you out.
Hongjoong was also present but he could tell something was amiss when he came in. Unfortunately, he was smart enough to go to Wooyoung, who had no problem whispering to him what just went down with you and Mingi. Hongjoong’s disgusted, but not surprised, expression was enough to make you want to disappear.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Mr. Yamada was a raging pervert the entire time. He leered at you the entire time like he was undressing you and the discomfort made it difficult to stay still.
“You’re a beautiful thing, aren’t you?” He grinned, licking his lips in a way that made your stomach churn. “Does Mingi have a thing for hiring pretty translators?”
“T-Thank you,” you forced a smile. “Uhm, about the investments—”
“It’s too bad you’re blind, but I don’t mind. Why don’t you work with me, instead? I can already tell that Mingi doesn’t spoil you properly.”
Your stomach churned further when he leaned back on his seat, eyes dragging all over you in ways that felt violating. But everybody’s eyes were on you, waiting for you to translate everything despite the way your body stiffened at every malicious stare this man gave you.
“You need better clothes, not these shabby ones,” he stated shamelessly, eyes dipping lower. “And those legs,” he paused to exhale through his nose. “Mingi’s an idiot. If you were with me, I’d dress you up nice to show off this delicate figure of yours…”
It was when his hand started to move to touch you did you actually panic. Suddenly, papers scattered all over the floor near you, making everybody pause. “Oh, geez,” Hongjoong muttered flatly, not even apologetic. “Terribly clumsy today, aren’t we, Jung?”
“Yes,” Wooyoung raised one brow as he stared at the Japanese pervert. “Yes, we are, Kim.”
Hongjoong crouched down to gather the papers, but not before shooting Mr. Yamada a look so cold that it had the older man withdrawing his hands. It was then that you released a breath you didn’t even realise you were holding in.
“Y/N.”
Your spine straightened instantly. That was Mingi. Your stomach dropped because you just realised that all throughout this, he had completely remained silent. “Y-Yes?”
“You’re dismissed.”
You paled. “M-Mingi,” you blurted out in surprise. As much as possible, you tried not to say his name in professional settings even though he allowed you to. “I didn’t do anything, I swear—”
Mingi gave you a look that made your mouth shut immediately. “I won’t say it twice.”
And that’s how you found yourself walking out of the building with your thoughts spiraling in every direction. At least it was nighttime, you told yourself, sighing as you waited for the elevator. Pretty much all the employees have left and that meant that you didn’t have to stumble around pretending you couldn’t find your way out. For once, you could simply walk normally.
But as you were about to push the door open to leave, you cursed. You left some documents behind, ones you wanted to take home to work on since the deadline was in two days. Suppressing a groan, you begrudgingly turned around to go back to Mingi’s office, already dreading how embarrassing it was going to be.
That embarrassment soon transformed into utter shock when you heard a loud bang when you got to the office floor. You stopped dead in your tracks, eyes widened at how that sound exploded across the empty hallway. No, that can’t be, you thought. But there was no denying it - you knew that sound intimately.
You ran towards the sound before your brain could catch up, stunned at how you ended up right in front of Mingi’s office. The door was slightly ajar, just enough where you could peek in without being seen. You barely stopped the gasp from your lips as you covered your mouth in horror. There, on the couch, lay Mr. Yamada with his head hung at an unnatural angle.
Standing over his body was Mingi, gun hung loosely in his hand, face speckled with blood. Your stomach lurched violently, because once again, you were looking at a murderer. Lucky for you this time, he didn’t know you were here. But you, you could see him. You could see how blank his expression was, like he didn’t just casually take another life like it was nothing.
“You out of your fucking mind or something?” Hongjoong asked with one brow raised, his voice breaking the silence that seemed to temporarily make everybody’s world stop for a second.
Mingi merely scoffed and Wooyoung barked out a laugh so hearty, it was almost contagious. “Jesus Christ, Mingi,” he snorted, walking away from the window towards the dead body, nudging the foot with his own. “Can’t believe this is how this old bastard went. Good riddance.”
You felt your knees weaken. No one looked shocked or even sick at the sight of a man getting shot and actively bleeding out against the couch. “Really, Mingi? This was supposed to be a null zone,” Hongjoong sighed, more inconvenienced than disturbed. “You couldn’t wait a few more days? Or, at the very least, get out of here?”
“For what? I’ve been meaning to off the bastard anyway,” Mingi paused to nudge Mr. Yamada’s shoulder with the gun muzzle. “He’s been on the shit list for a while, couldn’t really let the opportunity slip away.”
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with him eye fucking your translator now, would it?”
Your hand trembled violently against your mouth at the mere mention of you. Mingi plops down the couch, producing a cigarette and lighter out of nowhere. “Nuances,” he mumbled, exhaling smoke rings from his mouth up in the air. “I hate perverts, anyway. They’re very bad for society.”
The absurdity of that made you want to choke. Across the room, Wooyoung lets out another laugh. “Ah, yes. Because fuckers like you are the backbone of society,” he snorted, shamelessly opening the box of cherries to pop one in his mouth. “Anyway, why are you keeping her?”
Mingi doesn’t answer right away, inhaling another slow drag before exhaling. “I already told you why,” he replied, flicking the ash into a crystal tray. “The trail. I need to keep a close eye on her.”
Your heart stopped, coldness washing over your body. He knew. He’s always known. To be fair, if you recognised him immediately months ago, Mingi wasn’t a fool to not recognise you either, but hearing it made it ten times worse than it already was. Hongjoong immediately frowns. “Fuck’s sake, Mingi. She’s blind.”
That made Mingi pause. He turns his head, eyes darkened into something you’ve never seen before, one that made bile rise up your throat. “Is that supposed to mean anything?”
“Song Mingi,” Hongjoong hissed. “There are rules to this—”
“Kim Hongjoong. Don’t test me, I may be in a good mood, but I’m warning you,” Mingi stated. The temperature in the room dropped instantly. His voice never rose, but something about it made your skin prickle. “Rules are suggestions until I deem them otherwise.”
Heavy and uncomfortable silence followed. It was a subtle threat, one that made you understand why Mingi was to be feared in the first place. Mingi leaned back against the couch, his gaze fixed on Hongjoong, unblinking and calculated. The corners of his mouth twitched when Hongjoong sighed before looking away in exasperation.
Wooyoung tossed another cherry stem onto the table. “Christ,” he muttered. “She’s of no use to you, just let her go, you sadist.”
“Mhhm,” Mingi hummed, taking another drag from his cigarette. “Sorry,” he said. “Can’t do it.”
“Can’t?” Wooyoung echoed, eyes narrowed knowingly. “Or won’t? Does Yeosang even know?”
Mingi didn’t answer. He didn’t even look at him. Instead, he grabs a nearby cloth to wipe all the blood off of him. “Clean this up,” he ordered, standing up to adjust his sleeves. “I don’t give a fuck what Yeosang thinks. I’ll bust his head open if he has a problem with it. Anyway, I need a favour.”
“Don’t bother. He already knows and he’s not happy,” Hongjoong scoffed, gesturing towards Mr. Yamada. “What’s more important than dragging this piece of shit out here without being seen?”
“Of course he does, he’s Kang fucking Yeosang,” he snarled, tossing the bloodied cloth onto the corpse’s chest without a care in the world. “Go to the mall. You’re going shopping.”
You didn’t stay further, running to the exit as quietly and as fast as you can. By the time you reached the exit, your stomach gave out entirely, barely making it to the sidewalk before dropping to your knees and proceeding to vomit out everything you ate. Tears blurred your vision, your entire body shook, but the bile still burned your throat.
When you were done, you pulled out your phone, your trembling fingers barely able to dial the person you needed the most. “S-Sannie?” You squeaked when he picked up on the first ring, not being able to hold your tears any longer. “Can you pick me up from work?”
You didn’t know how you were going to return to work today pretending that everything was fine. You’ve thought about it over the weekend, drunk out of your mind with San convincing you to just quit at that point. He wasn’t wrong; you were working in a den full of monsters. But you knew there was no point - if Mingi found you once, he would find you again just as easily.
You were expecting to see Seonghwa or Mingi, himself, but to your surprise, there was no one, which was odd because you knew Mingi always arrived before anyone else. A part of you was relieved because you had no idea how you'd face Mingi but another part of you wanted to throw up because the office was pristine, no traces of anything heinous occurring at all.
A thought crosses your mind - would you be crazy if you tried to find some proof of Mingi's illicit affairs? You contemplated it. You couldn't pretend to be blind forever, it was getting harder because your emotions were getting difficult to contain, but you needed leverage in case he tried to do something to you - in case he decided that you weren’t worth keeping anymore.
With nothing to lose, you started rummaging through his drawers, careful not to mess anything up. The first few ones rendered nothing, until you got to the very bottom. There was only one folder in there. You frowned, picking it up and inspecting it. It was plain black with no company logo on it or any department, but it did have a label on it.
Confidential: High-Value Targets, and beneath it were the letters, K.O.S. Your brows furrowed, what the hell does that even mean? Opening it made less sense. Inside were names and dates, some of them crossed out, but before you could try to understand what this all meant, you heard voices right outside by the door.
“Hongjoong has sordid taste,” Seonghwa’s familiar voice stated. Your blood runs cold, nearly dropping the folder. “Christ, do I have to do everything around here? Promote me or something.”
As if things weren’t bad enough, you heard Mingi let out a short unimpressed sound. “Says you. Anyway, are you going home?” He asked, changing the subject.
You scrambled to put everything back into place, barely reaching the couch to sit on it as if you weren’t just snooping. “No,” Seonghwa scoffed as he pushed the doors open. “I have the gala to arrange—oh, Y/N, good morning,” he greeted warmly with a smile that always eased you.
But Mingi did not. Instead, his eyes lingered on you, assessing you more than usual, or was that your paranoia talking? Maybe not, especially when his eyes settled on his desk, then back at you. Your pulse climbed to your throat when Mingi shook his head, almost affectionately, a small smirk pulling at one corner of his mouth.
You thought he was going to say something about it, but instead, he turned to Seonghwa, relieving him of the several shopping bags hanging from his arm. “Wait, not this,” Seonghwa said, taking the smallest one before approaching you.
“Here,” he smiled, placing the bag on the couch beside you. “I stopped by that bakery we talked about one time and got reminded of you. I hope you like them, they’re just an assortment of pastries.”
Your eyes lit in surprise, touched that he even remembered such mundane information. “Seonghwa,” you said, heart squeezing in regret that you couldn’t express your thanks properly since you still had to pretend you were blind. “Thank you, really.”
Unfortunately, he had to leave after. Seonghwa had always been very kind to you, always sincere with his words and never tried to dupe you because you were ‘blind.’ The problem was, now you were alone with Mingi in the room. Nothing ever good came with being alone with Mingi.
For a moment, he simply observed you, but he, too, probably felt the weight of the silence. “You won’t be doing your usual work today,” he said.
You blinked, not expecting that at all. “What am I doing, then?”
Instead of replying, Mingi walks towards you and sets the bags down. You stiffened, the closer he got, the harder it became to control your expressions, and when his fingers gently closed around yours, your heart took a massive leap. He guided your hand forward, letting your fingertips brush against the bags. By the time he stopped, you counted no less than fifteen.
You gulped. No wonder Seonghwa looked so ready to drop them the moment he saw fit. “W-What am I touching?” You asked carefully, pretending you couldn’t see some of them - different arrays of clothes, all feminine, and all just about your perfect sizing.
“Clothes, lots of them,” he said, dropping your hand. “They’re all yours, precious.”
You stared blankly ahead. For a second, you genuinely thought he’d lost his mind. He sighed, nudging one of the bags with his foot. “There’s the annual gala tonight,” he began. “There will be a lot of future investors, clients, all that jazz. Then, the next day we have a short conference and an after party, so we’ll be staying in the hotel like last time. I already booked your room.”
“Okay?” You drawled, not quite getting what he was trying to insinuate.
His brows arched. “Okay?” He repeated, the mocking repetition making you want to slam one of the bags to his handsome face. “You’re coming with me. I kind of need you to translate.”
“No, I got that part,” you said, trying not to roll your eyes. “What I’m trying to understand is the excessive amount of clothes for one night.”
Mingi’s eyes narrowed. He wasn’t mad, rather, he looked more offended than anything which was puzzling to you. “Excessive, you say? I think I can determine that, myself.”
“I...understand,” you said slowly. “It’s still too much. There’s no less than fifteen bags, Mingi.”
“And?” He raised an annoyed brow like you were insulting him by just pointing that out.
You blinked, opening your mouth before closing it, and then trying again. “It’s one night.”
“And?”
That shut you up. That one was sharper, his tone getting more pointed and snappier. You could see his patience visibly thinning by how his eyes have darkened. “Mingi,” you sighed. “Nobody needs this much for one night.”
A humourless chuckle escaped him. Shaking his head, he leans by the nearby desk, crossing his arms. “You seem to be under the impression that everything in there is just for tonight,” he pointed out. “There’s a variety of stuff in there. Dresses, work clothes, shoes, et cetera.”
You swallowed, suddenly aware of the quiet between you two stretching thin. These weren’t just bags anymore, they were a deliberate purchase catered especially for you. That was the part that bothered you more than the quantity - that Mingi bought all of these just for you. It felt like chaotic indulgence, and underneath the uncertainty, was something inside your chest that started forming, something your traitorous heart was getting harder to ignore.
“I can’t accept these, then,” you said firmly, deciding to stand your ground.
That was not an answer he was expecting. You could tell you said the wrong words when something flashed across his face, gone so quickly you almost missed it. “Can’t?” He asked calmly, a little too calm than you liked. “What do you mean?”
You pursed your lips, thinking of what to say without aggravating him. “You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t, precious,” Mingi cocked his head with a smile. It was thin, dangerously thin. “Please elaborate, Y/N. I must insist.”
You shifted uncomfortably, not willing to tell him the truth. You didn’t want to owe him, didn’t want anything tying you closer to him than you already were. You wanted distance and an escape route; a future where Song Mingi wasn’t going to be involved, and that included reminders of him even if it was the littlest of things.
Your silence was ticking him off. Mingi’s jaw flexed, it was barely noticeable, but enough to tell that you were beginning to irritate him. “I rest my case, then. I don’t see an issue with—”
“I do,” you interrupted. “This is ridiculous, Mingi—”
“Love.”
Now that actually shuts you up. The way he said it made it sound less like a nickname and more like a warning by the slight edge in his voice. But you weren’t going to budge even if the fear was slowly washing your resolve away. “I said what I said, Mingi. I can’t take them.”
“Hmm,” he hummed. His expression remained unreadable, but his stare had something darker flickering behind his eyes now. Immediately, the atmosphere shifts. You knew this feeling - the one where you’d accidentally stepped on a landmine and were waiting for it to explode.
And maybe it did, because Mingi went from standing in front of you to his face inches away from yours. The couch dipped when he propped his knee, his entire upper body leaning over you, one hand bracing itself against the back of the couch beside your head, and you? You froze, trapped underneath him with nowhere to go.
You prayed he couldn’t hear how hard your stupid heart was thumping. He was close, far too close. His cologne immediately envelops you, and you hated it. Hated the fact that despite knowing exactly what kind of person Mingi was, your body automatically reacted to his presence. “U-Uhm,” you stammered like an idiot. “I don’t think—”
“You’re right, you don’t think,” he whispered, tone casual. “Because you seemed perfectly capable of accepting Seonghwa’s pastries earlier. You didn’t even have to think about it.”
That statement hit you so unexpectedly hard that you had to blink owlishly, mouth opening agape in disbelief. Maybe he wasn’t so casual about it, after all. For some reason, that statement carried a bit of a bite to it, a bitterness that felt entirely out of place for someone of Mingi’s personality as far as you’re concerned.
“B-But,” you stuttered, not really knowing what to say, before you cleared your throat. “That’s different,” you reasoned, gesturing to the bags. “That’s…different.”
“Is it?” Mingi asked, somehow looking more irritated even if his face was expressionless. Then, his other hand moved to your waist, his fingers deliberately settling themselves onto your skin through your clothes. “Tell me, then. I want to hear it.”
You gulped, body tensing in a way that you were positive he felt judging by the faint smile on his face. You hated the way your stomach tightened, hated how every nerve ending in your body suddenly became alive, hated even more how natural this all was to him as though he hadn’t just short-circuited your brain. It was getting difficult to breathe and you hated him for it.
It felt like hours being underneath Mingi like this. The hand at your waist didn’t move, and if anything, it felt more and more present like a constant reminder of how easily he could invade your space if he really wanted to. “Look me in the eye,” he murmured, voice low and gruff.
You lifted your head, freezing at the last second. He almost got you there. You lifted your head, deliberately staring at something else like a blind person would. Mingi was still waiting, a small smirk on his face. “Wrong direction, doll. That’s my neck,” he chuckled in amusement. “Higher.”
A wave of humiliation ripples through you when you realised that you were, indeed, staring at his neck. But, you’d be damned if you looked him in the eye, so you settled on his lips. But that soon turned into panic when his hand started to travel up your waist. “No,” he murmured. “Higher.”
The moment he said that, his hand moved slightly higher as well. It makes your breath catch, your throat locking at how tense you felt. Your eyes flicker hesitantly, lifting up to his nose this time. “Higher, baby doll,” he repeated, voice going even deeper and rougher. “Higher.”
Something in him changed. It was subtle in the way his eyes cast a dark shadow over it, his breath getting shallower as his hand glided further up. A faint exhale escapes him, and you stop the squeak that almost left you when he bit his bottom lip lightly. Your eyes didn’t move, but his hand kept going higher and higher, right below your breasts.
Panic settled in and before you could think of your mistake and the consequences of it, you looked him straight in the eye like he asked, your eyes clearly holding fright as you stared at him. Mingi’s hand stops exactly on the curve of your tit, a couple of inches below your nipple. The both of you stared at each other for a long moment; a predator studying prey.
You weren’t in the mood to pretend, not right now. Mingi stared at the way your chest heaved up and down, the way your legs instinctively squeezed together. You shuddered at his touch, stifling any damning sounds, but it was when his hard started moving again that you snapped out of the daze.
“Mingi—”, you gasped, aggressively pushing his hand away.
“What I give you is what you get,” he said, finally leaning away and putting distance between you. “And you’ll find yourself grateful for it.”
The statement hung in the air. It was neither a threat nor a promise, but somehow, that made it worse. At first, your mind reached for the most logical explanation, but maybe this was his way of controlling you in a way that made sense only to him. Your hands flexed at your sides without you noticing.
“You didn’t ask me,” you spoke.
“I didn’t think I had to,” he stated confidently, completely certain of himself. “Pick what to wear from the bags or I will. You don’t want that. The gala starts at seven.”
The gala was no less than glamorous. Everywhere you looked was filled with pretentiousness covered in glitz; polished smiles and conversations disguised as networking when in reality, it was just another ruse for some sort of power play. You hated every bit of it and you could not wait until you were back in your hotel room.
Unfortunately for you, this happened to be exactly the sort of environment where Mingi thrived in and you spent the majority of it being with him. The business itself wasn’t particularly exciting, still, you translated them all for him without complaining - all while resisting the urge to fall asleep in the middle of this bloody ballroom.
The irony wasn’t lost on you, though, because Mingi looked good tonight. Infuriatingly so. The black suit fit him perfectly, tailored to accentuate his broad shoulders and long legs, blonde hair pushed back to expose his sharp features that gleamed under the chandelier lights.
The worst part was that he looked like he belonged here. People flocked to him naturally. Sure, his status might have helped, but such was the charisma of one Song Mingi, really.
But despite the growing crowd vying for even a sliver of his attention, Mingi always found a way to pull you back. “Stay here,” he murmured, almost a warning, when you tried to wander off.
Because God knows you wanted to. You needed to get away from him. The memory of what happened in the office earlier refused to leave your mind, and now, every time he stepped too close, the way his hand brushed your lower back to guide you through the crowd, and every time he leaned in to whisper something, your body immediately remembered.
But none of these surprised you - what actually bothered you was what Mingi wasn’t doing.
Turns out that there are some things that Mingi couldn’t even stand no matter how hard he pretends. Or, perhaps, you were the only one who noticed. Being around the blind makes people reveal themselves especially when they think nobody was there to watch. But you’ve always been here, mainly because Mingi had a thing for keeping you in check.
He hated being here, that much you could tell. Despised it, even. To others, Mingi looked the same, but you knew better. The way his eyes narrowed every time someone tried to talk to him was one thing, but his smirk was hollow and carried no weight, and his responses were beginning to get shorter and shorter as the night went on.
His patience was wearing thin and that realisation was so fascinating to you. You’ve seen Mingi annoyed, amused, exploit, kill, but one thing you’ve never seen him be was be uncomfortable. The thought immediately makes you snort under your breath, and of course, Mingi notices.
His eyes narrowed, staring at you for a few seconds before he let out a long sigh, fingers slightly loosening his tie. “Do you need anything?”
The question surprised you, but the way he asked it almost created a big riff inside your chest. He wasn’t asking out of inconvenience, he looked like he actually wanted to ask you if you needed something. The thing was, the concern sounded so unnatural for him that you had a hard time conceiving an answer for him.
But you didn’t have to. Mingi was still waiting for an answer when, suddenly, his eyes darkened. The change in his body posture was subtle, but it was there. His back straightened, shoulders squared, and his chin lifted. You were stunned, you’ve never seen him like this before - not for investors, not for clients, and not for people who held twice the amount of power he did.
Someone was approaching and when that newcomer came in your line of view, you immediately understood why. This man looked like he should’ve been in a magazine cover, beautiful in a way that was not even fair. But that wasn’t what made you freeze - it was his eyes. They were cold, but not cold in a way that Mingi’s were. They weren’t sharp or predatory, they were just…cold.
This man was danger wrapped in silk to hide the rot underneath. The way he stood was restrained, his presence already squeezing your chest with unyielding tension. You understood why Mingi immediately tensed the moment he saw him.
“Yeosang,” Mingi greeted with a subtle nod. “Always glad to see you alive despite your efforts.”
You brows furrowed, the name tickling your brain to remember where it had heard it before. Yeosang returns the gesture. “Charmed,” he flatly stated. “My father isn’t happy, Mingi.”
You wanted to choke where you stood. That was it - no smile, no pleasantries, no nothing. Just straight into business. Mingi lightly scoffs, swirling his whiskey once before answering. “I would say that’s unfortunate, but it sounds to me that that’s his problem, and not my own.”
Yeosang stared at him for quite some time before cocking his head slightly. “You tainted the null zone,” he stated, expression unchanged. “Don’t mistake silence for approval. Though I must say, you’ve gotten…creative. I see you’ve also started including variables in your equation.”
The people around you blurred, and you were left stuck between two men who were clearly fighting for the upper hand even though you had no idea what they were talking about. “I aim to please,” Mingi shrugged, though you could see how tense he was. “It’s called adapting.”
Yeosang’s mouth curls into a small sneer. “Adaptable people know where the line is.”
But Mingi wasn’t having it. His eyes narrow into small slits, returning the glare with equal ferocity. “They also know when the line has moved.”
There was a pause, both men refusing to give out as they both stared at each other, communicating between their eyes. The measured silence was louder than all of the mindless chatter and ear-splitting music echoing in the ballroom and the discomfort was slowly creeping into your insides.
“What now?” Yeosang finally said, the taunting clear in his tone.
Mingi took another sip from his glass before setting it onto a passing waiter’s tray without even looking. “What else?” He jabbed in contempt. “I’ll deal with it. Like I always fucking do.”
Something flickered in Yeosang’s eyes, gone within the next second. Of course, Mingi notices. “Don’t even start,” Mingi said lowly, voice hardening. “Everything’s been done accordingly and neatly all within the given timeframe. You and I both know I’ve gone the extra mile way out of my area of responsibility every time. I have never failed. I never will. Not now, not ever.”
Yeosang scoffed. Your stomach begins to churn. Neither of them raised their voices or their fists, but this conversation felt more dangerous than any lingering violence you’ve witnessed. That statement earns the smallest reaction from Mingi. He lifts a brow, an action you knew too well - an action you knew was going to cost the nearest person he set his sights on.
“Is it not? My record says otherwise, Yeosang,” he said, voice sharpening on its edges. “I’ve been cleaning messes since the beginning. Run the reports and my every movement, I don’t care. Nothing’s off, nothing’s missing. So,” Mingi takes one step closer, enough to show that he wasn’t backing down. “Unless your dad has gone senile, then there’s nothing he can reprimand me on. He can talk to me, himself.”
For the first time, Yeosang’s expression shifts. It was subtle, but you could tell it was between disappointment and a warning. His gaze swept imperceptibly through the crowd before settling back on Mingi. There was pause before he finally sighed, his shoulders loosening visibly, eyes taking on something more human in them. “Don’t get too cocky,” he whispered.
A small smirk crosses Mingi’s face as he lets out a small huff. “You and I both know I’m not just someone. And about the…variable,” he said, eyes briefly landing on you before locking eyes with Yeosang once more. “It’s accounted for. But that’s not why you’re here. You didn’t approach me to criticise my methods.”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he sets his sights on you, quiet but clinical. “You’re Y/N,” he stated.
You blinked, not expecting to be acknowledged by this beautifully dreadful man. As you were about to open your mouth to respond, for the first time since Yeosang approached, Mingi looked genuinely irritated. His hands suddenly grips your arm. It was neither tight nor gentle, but it was enough where you knew he was making his presence and intentions known.
“She is,” he answered quickly before you even could. Mingi doesn’t look at you as he speaks, but the pressure of his fingers slightly increases, but more than that, you could feel a slight tremble to them. You would even dare go as far as say that his hold felt desperate.
Yeosang’s eyes drop to Mingi’s hand, a slow, knowing smirk ghosting across his lips. But then, his eyes bore straight onto yours and your heart leapt out of your chest, too startled to look away. You immediately dimmed your eyes, hoping he didn’t notice how alert they were, but he kept staring, even slightly tilting his head as his penetrating eyes inspected yours.
“Huh,” he huffed in amusement, his mouth twitching at its corners. He sounded genuinely interested. “I’m impressed. Such tenacity. No wonder you’ve survived for this long.”
Mingi’s jaw shifts, his hold on you tightening once more before relaxing. Yeosang notices, his smile growing wider. “Don’t,” he warned. “This doesn’t concern you.”
Yeosang merely nods, but he all managed but two steps before stopping. You held your breath in anticipation, but what you weren’t expecting was for him to look back, eyes the softest you’ve seen. It wasn’t much, but it was enough where you thought you imagined the other version of him.
He reaches out, hand resting on Mingi’s shoulder, and by how Mingi didn’t flinch, you could tell it was a welcome and familiar gesture; almost comforting and brotherly, even.
Yeosang’s eyes settle on you briefly before he looks away. “I won’t tell if you won’t, Min,” he said quietly. Mingi managed the subtlest nod. Then, Yeosang was already gone. Approaching said table was the only thing left to do at that point.
And it wasn’t a pleasant experience. These people weren’t even predators; they were vultures and bottom feeders, just hovering over the weakest link before they did what they did best. It was revolting, and unfortunately for you, Mingi’s temper wasn’t helping.
He spent the entire time digging his fingers in to make these people bled, hooking in to let the pain fester more. Safe to say that being in the middle of this political fiasco was not for you in the slightest.
“As an outsider, what are your views on intelligence?” Mingi asked lightheartedly, though anybody with common sense can tell that his eyes said otherwise. It was awkward to translate that to the few people who didn’t speak the language, but you had to do it.
“I like how you never let facts get in the way of your opinions,” he whispered under his breath while another investor was explaining his plans for his company. The secondhand embarrassment of seeing the other man’s smile slowly fade and fumble to collect what was left of his social dignity was something you never wanted to witness ever again.
It wasn’t long before they started targeting you. It was to be expected - you were the weakest out of everybody in this table, the cripple, so to speak. If they couldn’t get to Mingi, they were surely going to take their frustrations out on the easy prey to salvage what was left of their egos. At first, they were polite about it, then they became just loud enough for you to hear.
“That’s the translator? My, so the rumours were true, after all.”
“But she’s blind. KQ couldn’t find anyone else that can at least look you in the eye?”
“I wouldn’t trust someone who can’t even see the people she’s negotiating with.”
Your fingers curled around your untouched champagne flute to stop yourself from rolling your eyes. Imbeciles, you thought. You weren’t really blind, but of course, they can’t know that. You were playing the long game here and their words were nothing compared to the unknown of what would happen if Mingi found out. You didn’t even want to know. For now, you stayed silent.
But Mingi had different ideas. You and all the other patrons on the table flinched when his low chuckle pierced through the hushed conversations. “You know,” he started, gaze settling on the people who had questioned your abilities. “The funny thing about natural intellect is that it often doesn’t require sight.”
The implication was clear. No one spoke and a few nearby guests from the other table coughed awkwardly into their drinks. You were stunned into silence, your chest tightening as you watched Mingi take a sip from his glass, his posture as relaxed as ever. You wanted to believe that he meant something else - that he was doing this for his own interest - but you’d be lying to yourself.
One of the men who insulted you forced an awkward smile that looked like it was meant to be smug. “Ah, we were just curious,” he smirked. “KQ prides itself on excellence. I simply meant that eyesight is important in business.”
“So is a brain,” Mingi raised a brow, voice calm.
The dig was so pointed and deliberate that the people around were stuck in between snickering or stuttering in surprise, but the man’s face just reddened in embarrassment, perhaps in anger. “Come again?” He huffed in annoyance.
Mingi smirked behind his glass, scoffing softly. “All I’m saying,” he spoke calmly. “Is that I’ve met people who could see perfectly fine yet choose to be sightless. I’ve also met some who lost their sight along the way. I’m not sure who’s worse.”
His eyes lingered on every single face on the table long enough to make every single of them visibly uncomfortable. His words sent a shiver down your spine, so you turned to look at him, but he wasn’t looking at anybody else anymore. He was looking at you - no - he was looking through you. “Your entire existence has been led by your blindness.”
He continued, voice lowered enough not to be unheard, but enough to paralyse you because this felt personal. “And since you can’t see,” he paused as your pulse stumbled. “And the more nothing happens, the more dreadful it feels.”
A strange silence envelops the entire table. Some people gave an awkward laugh, but you barely noticed them, your focus entirely on the man beside you. This felt different. Every conversation you’ve had with Mingi felt like you were being hunted, but now? It didn’t even feel like he was mocking you for your blindness - it felt like he understood it.
Not the lie, but the fear of it and the suffocating uncertainty of not knowing whether or not he would finally do something drastic the next time you saw him. Your heart beat painfully against your ribs, and you couldn’t understand why because you should have been afraid.
So why did it feel like that the only person who seemed to perfectly understand the prison you’ve entrapped yourself in was the very same man who had built it?
You already knew that Mingi was detested being there - loathed the people around him, really - and that was fine, but even psychopaths like Song Mingi had their limits. You just weren’t expecting Mingi to act upon that unease in the most unconventional of ways. You shouldn’t be surprised anymore, yet somehow, you still were.
The water in the tub had long since gone cold but you had barely noticed. The bathroom was too quiet, especially in contrast with all of tonight’s events - the glittering chandeliers, forced smiles, conversations with hidden meanings, Song Mingi - all of it. The lavender scented bath salts that should have been calming, but they didn’t even work. Instead, you still felt sick.
You closed your eyes, but that was a mistake. Immediately, fragments of the evening flashed in your head. You sank deeper in the water to will yourself to think about anything else, but your mind refused. The last thing you remembered was running to your room after seeing Mingi and Wooyoung together in the emergency stairwell, but how did you even get there?
“Go to your room and rest, doll,” Mingi had spoken the moment he took you out of that suffocating ballroom. “You need it. We still need to attend the after party tomorrow.”
You absentmindedly played with the bubbles floating about, swirling mindless, abstract patterns with your fingertips. You remembered glancing at Mingi, reading to say your good nights, but he wasn’t even looking at you. Instead, he was staring at the ballroom doors, eyes fixed on it as if he was waiting for something to happen. You shivered at the memory.
“W-What about you?” You asked. “Are you not resting yet?”
He shook his head, gaze already down the hallway opposite the ballroom. “No. I’m going to smoke for a bit,” he flatly spoke, almost distracted. He grabs something from his coat pocket. “This is the list of people I need you to memorise for tomorrow,” he said, handing you a flash drive. “Go on. Jongho’s in the lobby to help you to your room. I’ll swing by later to get it back.”
You turned your head to the side where the flash drive lay on the pristine marble sink, still untouched, not knowing what exactly to do with it - not when you knew Mingi lied to you. You knew for a fact he didn’t smoke. So when he turned his back to walk away, you hung out but not because you were waiting for Jongho; no, you were going to see what Mingi was up to.
You should’ve just listened, because the next thing you knew, you were hidden by the staircase door, your eyes wide, mouth agape in fear and disbelief, watching Mingi’s smirk turn into a smug grin while Wooyoung grabbed him by the collar, eyes narrowed dangerously into slits, veins popping from his neck all the way to his temples in sheer anger.
“Mingi, you piece of shit,” he seethed, voice scathing as he slammed Mingi against the concrete wall. “It was you, wasn’t it? I know it was you. The fucking gala is in shambles because of you.”
At that time you didn’t know it was related. When you were tailing Mingi, there was a sudden commotion that erupted in the ballroom when you passed it, panicked voices and frantic demands for an emergency hotline. The realisation made you pale, because now you knew why he looked at that door like he was waiting - because he actually was.
“Careful with the suit, Youngie. I happen to like this one a lot,” he murmured, not even bothered in the slightest. “Mighty bold of you to assume I had something to do with it.”
The playful, teasing investor who ate cherries was nowhere to be found. His usually warm face had darkened with rage, fists tightening even further against Mingi’s expensive suit. “Cut the bullshit,” he spat. “I was literally at the other table listening in while you were mouthing off to that dead trash.What the fuck were you thinking?”
The victim flashed across your mind almost instantly and your blood ran cold, realisation settling into your bones with horrifying clarity. Mingi had killed again and the one who died was none other than the executive who he spent the entire time digging into. And as if things weren’t bad enough, you saw a shadow approaching from the other side of the hallway.
It was Jongho. He was about to open his mouth, but you hurriedly put your finger to your mouth, your teary eyes begging him to be silent and not speak while pointing at the staircase. His eyes widened, but luckily, he did exactly what you wanted and opted to stand beside you to listen in as well, though you think it was more because he was stunned into silence seeing you so panicked.
The both of you watched Wooyoung groan into his hands in sheer frustration before glaring at Mingi, looking like he was ready to throw him down the stairs. “God, Song Mingi, you just gave me a migraine and half,” he hissed, two seconds away from punching him. “Was he on the list?”
Mingi’s lips stretched at the corners. It wasn’t enough to be called a smile, but enough to show his canines. You remembered thinking how symbolic it was. “Oh. No, he wasn’t,” he replied.
Wooyoung stared, blinking twice like he had heard wrong. “I’m sorry?”
Mingi shrugged, casually straightening his tie. “I had no plans tonight, I genuinely wanted to leave this hellhole fast, so I wasn’t even going to do anything to the guy. He just pissed me off.”
Wooyoung stared more before exploding. “What?” His voice boomed through the entire staircase, loud and roaring, making you and Jongho both flinch at the intensity. “Mingi, that was blatant, you petty motherfucker—”
“I don’t get petty,” he interrupted with insulting calm. “I get even, Wooyoung.”
The amusement he had the entire time completely vanished. It was so unsettling. When Mingi looked back at Wooyoung, there was that terrifying cold that you only saw when he was in his murderous state.
“You’re lucky I’m in a good mood tonight,” he said, holding Wooyoung’s gaze without flinching. “I’d have caved your skull in with my shoe for cornering me like this.”
Jongho’s breath hitched. Mingi wasn’t joking and even Wooyoung seemed to recognise that. For the first time since confronting him, hesitation crossed his face, but Mingi wasn’t done.
“This place,” he gestures randomly with his hands. “Runs on order, chaos, and my patience. If there’s a problem, it isn’t what I did. It’s what everyone thinks they saw. And I suggest,” he pauses, head tilting, menacingly so. “You make sure they’re looking at the right thing.”
Wooyoung paused, face settling into a dangerous realisation. You watched him take a step back, face reddening bit by bit as a newfound rage seemed to overcome him. “Are you out of your fucking mind? You play god to stay on top of that mountain of shit you’re sitting on and you expect people to just forget and hope their attention diverts towards something else?”
Mingi smiled a bit, genuinely amused by the situation. “You misunderstand me,” he said, taking a step slow enough to feel deliberate. “You think I killed my way here? Because anybody can kill. You certainly have. You think the man who kills the most gets to stay on top, Jung Wooyoung?”
The question was almost conversational and it had you and Jongho both holding your breaths. Wooyoung said nothing as Mingi’s eyes stayed locked onto his. “Listen to them,” he gestured towards the direction of the ballroom. “Half the room thinks he had a heart attack, and the other half thinks otherwise. But it doesn’t matter, because by tomorrow, every single one of those stories will be more useful to me than the truth. It’s always the little ants that help me stay up.”
His face had emptied with nothing but those dead eyes that stared through people rather than at them, but it was the way his voice remained calm - that was the terrifying part. There was no ounce of guilt in them. Mingi continued, voice dropping lower. “You see, before I built my network, I don’t announce my intentions to the anthill. Before I pull the trigger, I don’t explain myself.”
“You want to know why?” Mingi asked. Wooyoung's body tensed when Mingi stepped closer, jaw tightening when the taller man’s fingers brushed against his tie to fix it. “Because they’re ants, Youngie,” he declared, gaze sharpening dangerously, fingers twisting the tie, causing Wooyoung to choke out before letting go. “And ants are far below my understanding.”
The way he said it was soft, but the words landed like a blade. Mingi sighed, eyes drifting briefly towards the ceiling. “But the world is round,” he mumbled thoughtfully with an almost child-like innocence. “I could be the ant to someone else next time. But not tonight,” his eyes hardened when they returned to Wooyoung. “Because right here, right now, they are the ants.”
You finally understood something that terrified you more than the murders themselves - Mingi thought he was above these people and genuinely cannot imagine anyone changing the story he had already decided for them. You had to get Jongho out of here before Mingi realises he had another witness.
“Jongho, please,” you begged, grabbing onto his jacket. “Take me to my room.”
Jongho didn’t hesitate or ask any questions. His hands were trembling the entire time, you could feel it, and you could only imagine what was going through his head; to know that the boss he had admired for so long was a cold and calculated murderer.
The walk back felt impossibly long, but the moment you entered your hotel room, Jongho took a deep breath to prepare himself for the barrage of questions that he had for you. “Y/N, what the hell was that? I need to know—”
“I’m not blind,” you blurted out before you could help it. “I-I lied. I can see perfectly.”
And somehow between this revelation and the conversation between Mingi and Wooyoung, this one seemed to surprise him the most. You told him everything - how you had lied from the very beginning because you had accidentally witnessed Mingi doing the same thing months prior. And, knowing how smart he was, Jongho asked why didn’t you just leave or, perhaps, not accept the job offer, so you also told him about the company card and how Mingi found you through it.
Jongho nodded as he took the information in, but you could see how his face had paled as he tried to keep his composure. “He would’ve found you regardless of where you were,” he mumbled, more to himself, in realisation. “Y/N, this is fucked. All of this is. Does anyone else know?”
You nodded, telling him San, your best friend, knew. By the time you were finished, your voice had gone hoarse, hands trembling uncontrollably. Your chest, however, did feel a little lighter. Letting all of this out felt good for once even if saying it out loud solidified the danger wrapped behind it.
But as you stared at the way Jongho just stood there, you couldn’t help but feel bad for him; your chest felt lighter simply because you now had someone to share the heaviness with.
In the end, Jongho thought it was best to keep acting normal until the dust settles. “If anything goes wrong,” he said sharply through veiled concern as he was about to leave your room. “And I mean anything, you come to me. I have a spare room in my apartment you both could crash in.”
You could have cried. Jongho took it better than you ever did and finally - God, finally - you felt like you weren’t alone. The cold embrace of the lavender scented water you were submerged in didn’t feel so biting anymore. You were so engrossed and lost in your thoughts that you didn’t notice the bathroom door opening, though.
You didn’t know what you were expecting, but not once in your wildest dreams were you expecting to see Mingi standing by the door of the bathroom. In your peripheral vision, you can see his breath hitch, frozen from where he was standing, just as startled as you were.
You racked your brain for reasons why Mingi would be in your room to begin with, but you saw him staring at the flash drive on your sink and it hit you. You forgot that he was supposed to take it.
He looked shocked. It wasn’t the subtle surprise you’d coax out of him once in a while or that morbid curiosity he always had. No, this was pure, unadulterated shock; one you’ve never seen on his face before. This wasn’t one of his calculated performances - he genuinely did not expect to see you like this, and for the first time since you’d met him, he didn’t know what to do.
He wasn’t the only one, you were so caught-off guard that you couldn’t even move and this was when reality set in. You were in a bathtub and you were wearing nothing. You could hear the slow drip of the water from the faucet, the faint hum of the air conditioner just outside this suffocating, the ringing in your ears - everything. And God, that thought was so unsettling.
You became painfully aware of your vulnerability; of your bare shoulders and legs exposed to the cool air, of the thin sheet of bubbles that covered what little of your privacy, and every instinct told you to cover yourself and to scream at Mingi to get out. But you couldn’t. Blind people didn’t react to people silently appearing in their peripheral vision. Blind people never had the need to sink lower in cloudy bathwaters to protect their dignity from someone they didn’t know was there.
So, you remained still, keeping your gaze unfocused, praying that your breathing and your wild heartbeat wouldn’t betray you. With shaking hands, you reached for the shampoo bottle, missing it a few times on purpose for the sake of normalcy. In the dim, yellow lights of the luxurious bathroom, you just hoped that your reddened cheeks and ears weren’t so visible.
Mingi still didn’t move, and even if he did, you were expecting him to walk away as quietly as he crept in, but this was Mingi you were talking about and he was anything but. You had to stifle the alarmed yelp that wanted to escape your throat when he slid inside the bathroom completely. If you were really blind, you would have been none the wiser; he was good at being unheard.
Your hands were trembling as you continued to shampoo your hair, all while he leaned his back against the wall. Your stomach dropped, was he going to stay here? You could feel your hackles rise in the silence. This was absolutely absurd, because at this point, it was just impossible to not feel each other’s presence. Mingi was right earlier - people do love to pretend to be sightless.
As if things weren’t disturbing enough, his eyes had gotten dark somehow, and through your peripherals as you dragged the washcloth over your exposed legs, you saw his breathing grow heavier, his chest rising up and down with so much difficulty that it was becoming hard for you to breathe as well. Whatever he was thinking, you did not want to know.
But it seems like you’d have no choice. You froze when you saw his hand going lower, inching towards the outline of his obviously hardened cock. You swallowed, reaching out for the faucet to turn the water just so the tension wouldn’t slice you in two, but that mistake would cost you. Mingi took this opportunity to use the noise of the running water to unbuckle his belt to lower his pants.
The sight of his exposed cock, hard and already dripping in precum, caught you off guard, causing you to accidentally lose your balance as you tried to sit back down. The mishap completely shifts the hazy bathwater around, the bubbles sloshing around at the ripples, completely exposing you in your entirety. Just like that, the atmosphere turned sinister.
Song Mingi was jerking off at the sight of you bathing. You wanted to throw up, utterly disturbed at the turn of events. You were trapped; acknowledging him would mean seeing him, and hiding yourself would also mean seeing him.
Act normal, you told yourself. But to be fair, even if you weren’t pretending to be blind, how does one react normally to this?
A shaky exhale came from Mingi, the sound of it loud to your ears over the running water. He wastes no time wrapping his hands around his cock, stroking it slowly, eyes roaming greedily at your plump tits glistening with soap as you tried to rinse yourself. Subconsciously, you bit your lip, and it doesn’t escape your attention how his hand tightened around himself.
You shivered, not being able to stop the small whimper that left your lips. Fuck, you thought helplessly, your own body betraying you as the tingles went from your spine all the way down to your nether regions. It was stomach-churning and tears threatened to fall from your eyes because you were getting utterly, disgustingly, turned on by all of this.
No, this wasn’t right. It couldn’t be. But there you were, gripping the edge of the bathtub so hard your fingers ached as Mingi’s eyes rolled back in pleasure at the slow, deliberate strokes he was giving himself at the sight of your nakedness. You weren’t supposed to feel like this, you weren’t supposed to feel stuck between a cliff where jumping down would mean giving in.
You grabbed the washcloth again, dragging it across your belly before the cloth dipped lower, spreading your legs, but stopping midway. You didn’t even realise what you were doing, and God, you were about to be sick.
But, fuck, you needed something. You swallowed, you were just cleaning yourself. Every section needed to be scrubbed, right? Nothing out of the ordinary.
You bit your lip as you finally dragged the cloth lower as you washed between your legs, spreading your thighs a little wider under the water as your fingers brushed your clit, going back and forth to make sure you were thoroughly clean. You closed your eyes, focusing on the delicious onslaught you desperately needed down there rather than the bile rising up your throat.
Mingi’s breath hitched and his pace quickened. You could see his fist going faster, his movement more urgent. He was watching every move you made, the way your fingers clenched around nothing as you rubbed the cloth there again, pretending and telling yourself that it was just routine bathing. You really shouldn’t be doing this.
His breathing turned ragged, his hand moving in quick desperate strokes, low groans barely contained, but just when you thought he was about to come, Mingi stopped. He closed his eyes, taking in slow but big gulps of air as he tried to contain himself with great difficulty if the veins popping on his neck weren’t telling.
You were confused, and thought of being confused made the bile in your throat rise even higher. This was so messed up. But you kept your expression neutral, eyes unfocused as you continued to wash yourself. And just as sudden as he came barging in your bathroom, he hurriedly tucked himself back in his pants, grabbed the flash drive on your sink, and left quietly.
When you heard the front door clicking shut, your lungs finally remembered how to work. You hurriedly turned the faucet off, drained the tub, and quickly got dressed, all in the span of not even five minutes, to sit on the bed. Every muscle protested as you slowly relaxed and you didn’t even realise how rigid you were the entire time until you felt the softness of the bed.
Your shoulders slumped in relief. Mingi was gone, and of course, you were relieved. So why did the room suddenly feel so empty? Your throat tightened, replaying the scenes over and over again like cinema credits that went on forever. You hated every second that his eyes devoured you, didn’t you?
You shook your head at that wretched thought, waiting for the correct answer in the expanse of your dark, luxurious room, but it didn’t come. Instead, another realisation crawled into your mind like poison. You didn’t want him in the bathroom, you knew that, but your body…
You barely reached the toilet before you were retching over it in painful heaves, your lungs burning terribly as nothing came out. You felt sick, not because of the thought of Mingi, because of the way your body responded on its own in his presence. The thought disgusted you, made you want to peel your skin off and flush it down the toilet.
Tears fell down from your eyes before you could help it. You told yourself that you were always going to see through this and not let Mingi get to you.
Yet there you were, hands on your face, sobbing and wondering whether or not he already had.
Sleep never found you that night. Sanity had long left you. Sentience was something of the past for you. Sensation swallowed reasons whole. Someone said your name, but you barely stirred. Sex on the beach tasted pretty bland in this afterparty, swirling it didn’t make it better either. Smiles spread across the room, and sobriety stood no chance finding you tonight.
“Easy on the cocktails,” Jongho murmured beside you, or rather, shouted above the loud music in the background. “Mingi’s going to suspect something.”
“Let him,” you deadpanned, downing more cocktails than you could ever take.
Not tonight. You needed to get drunk to forget what happened last night. And speaking of that, the morning after was the most awkward moment of your entire existence yet. Mingi knocked on your door to remind you of the party, but he looked fine, pretty much the same asshole he usually was.
In essence, you were the only one messed up while he was pretending like nothing happened and the thought made you angrier than it usually would have.
Maybe trauma had finally broken something inside you, or perhaps, living under Mingi’s constant intimidation and fear rewired your instincts into something else. Whatever it was, you absolutely hated it. Whatever. You weren’t here to party like everyone did, and the moment you got back home, you had made up your mind to talk to San about Jongho’s offer for safety and shelter.
Tonight was easy, though. It’s like all these snobbish elitists who pretended that the gala actually contributed to society wanted to let loose like they had the right to when every hypocrite in there and their mothers knew that everything was just a farce. Mingi hadn’t called for you at all. Good, you thought. It wasn’t like you wanted to see him; not after last night.
In fact, he hadn’t even looked your way once. You were positive of that even in the paradigm of how these backwards parties worked, so why did your skin feel like it wants to separate itself from your body? The way it prickled made you want to dig your fingernails in and scratch that unbearable itch until you reached bones and nerves.
He was like a ghost that lingered but never really stayed; a spectre of your inevitable downfall. He was everywhere, but nowhere at the same time. At least, not that your eyes could see. You could feel his eyes on you, but you knew for a fact that he was networking with investors as of the moment. You could feel him, not physically, but instinctually.
You downed your drink in one go. Your senses have definitely left your mind. You felt delirious - paranoid. You rubbed your forearm, willing for that itch to go away, but it didn’t help. Whatever this was felt possessive—no, obsessive. It wasn’t until you felt fingers tap your shoulder that you snapped out of the chasm you jumped into.
You blinked. It was a man, dressed to the nines and out to impress, already tipsy judging by the slight sway in his stance, an unpleasant grin plastered to his face like he deserved the attention he wanted from anyone.
“There she is,” he grinned, the horrible smell of alcohol and his pungent cologne invading your nose. “I’ve been trying to get your attention for a while now.”
You forced a polite smile, your eyes dulling by itself not to pretend you were blind, but because you were genuinely not in the mood to act around pompous pricks when you already had so much in your head.
“My apologies,” you said, not even bothering to sound sorry at all.
His eyes traveled all over your form in ways you didn’t appreciate, his tongue poking out of lips, nodding in appreciation as if you were produce he wanted to purchase. Disgusting. “My, such pretty face for someone blind,” he clicked his tongue. “All wasted for Song Mingi.”
You immediately bristled at the insinuation. It was bad enough that you had to deal with the devil that was Mingi, himself, but you also had to deal with assholes like these who reduced you to what they thought you’re worth rather than what you’ve achieved. God, they made Mingi look like a saint because at least Mingi actually respected your job title and praised you for it all the time.
Jongho frowned. “With all due respect, Sir—”
The man cut him off with a dismissive wave. “I can make you see stars tonight, if you’d like,” he offered lasciviously, reaching out to you when he saw you stiffen. “You don’t need to be shy—”
An arm snakes around your waist, firm and certain, and you freeze before your body calms down. You didn’t even have to look, and the fact that you already knew who it was as you melted against him instinctively without thinking made you sick to your stomach. Mingi held you close, possessive without squeezing your waist, staking his claim without opening his mouth.
The other man’s smile falters and it was when Mingi spoke. “I see you’ve found yourself another friend, my little dove,” he said smoothly, dipping his head lower until you felt his breath against your ear. “Are you having fun?”
You shivered at the sensation, at his cordial and polite tone despite the way his eyes said otherwise as he fixated on the other man. He was completely devoid of warmth even though his skin left yours on fire. The other man took a cautious step back. You supposed that you weren’t the only one who could feel when Mingi was looking at them.
Mingi pulls you to the side, effectively seating you next to Jongho. “It seems our little friend here needs attention,” he mused, squeezing your waist possessively as if touching you was second nature to him.
He grabs your chin, turning you to him. “Be good for me, love,” he whispered. You gritted your teeth to stop that pleasurable zing up your spine. “Watch her,” he then told Jongho.
Jongho nodded dumbly, looking at you with wide eyes when Mingi turned back to the man, alarm clear on his expression that mirrored your own. The other man cleared his throat in an attempt to recover whatever dignity he lost, if he had one to begin with anyway.
“My apologies,” he began awkwardly. “I wasn’t aware that your employee was so…sensitive.”
What a piece of shit, you thought bitterly. He didn’t get what he wanted from you so he resorted to belittling you. “She seems to have misunderstood my intentions,” he continued, chuckling.
Mingi’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I don’t think so,” he stated bluntly, not bothering to mince his words like he usually did. The man blinked, surprised at the turn of events, but Mingi’s gaze settled on him with that unnerving calm you knew too well. “Just because my translator cannot see you,” he paused, letting the words sink in. “Never meant she cannot hear you.”
You felt your gut tighten. While you appreciated his defense towards you, that didn’t really make your situation with Mingi better. He knew you were aware of everything he did, yet he chose to play games and test your sanity for months, so what did that say about him? The other man merely laughed, apparently - or choosing - to miss the point entirely.
“Well, perhaps I could make it up to her. Take her to dinner and maybe more, if you catch my drift,” he offered, that salacious grin still on his smug face. Jongho stiffens beside you, his usually kind eyes morphing into a glare so fierce that it could have rivaled Mingi’s.
Unfortunately, this man must’ve brought only half his brain because he didn’t stop there.
“Maybe I could shoot my shot with her,” he grinned, winking conspiratorily at Mingi as if this was an inside joke between them. “Plant my seed in her, you know what I mean?”
Mingi didn’t reply, yet the air around him changed so drastically, it was almost suffocating. His expression remained unreadable, but the quiet amusement in his eyes completely vanished. He nodded like he was agreeing. You swallowed. You learned enough about him to recognize that this was not a good sign. This was worse than him shouting. Much, much worse.
Then, in a whisper so soft that you were positive that you were the only one who heard it because nobody was meant to hear it, Mingi had barely let the words out of his mouth.
“What if I plant a bullet between your eyes, instead?”
Your blood froze, but the executive merely frowned. “Huh?”
“Hmm?” Mingi hummed in polite confusion, feigning innocence.
“Oh,” the man laughed nervously. “I thought you said something.”
A faint smile tugged at Mingi’s lips. “Must have been the wind,” he shrugged lazily.
But you couldn't take any of this anymore, so you excused yourself and said you were going to have fun on the other side of the venue with Jongho who immediately understands that you just wanted to get away. Mingi just raises a brow and cocks his head for you to go, but you hardly moved an inch before his hand wrapped around your wrist. He reeled you back without warning, your body colliding with his.
His other hand found the back of your neck, broad fingers spreading possessively beneath your hair. He held you there not hard enough to hurt, but firm enough to remind you that if he wanted to keep you exactly where you were, he could. His thumb stroked the nape of your neck in slow, deliberate passes.
“Stay where I can see you,” he said. There was no hint of any teasing in his voice, just firm and reminding. “I’d hate to have to come looking for you.”
Because I will.
Those were what his eyes were telling you as he let go, gesturing to the crowd to give you and Jongho permission to have fun. And you tried, you really did, but you couldn’t even move without your knees feeling strangely unsteady. Even at a distance, you still held your breath inside your lungs, unable to let it go no matter how much you tried.
Eventually, you had to tell Jongho that you needed to go to the restroom to get some space and hopefully refresh yourself, telling him ‘no’ when he offered to take you.
Snap out of it, Y/N, you told yourself in the subdued lighting of the ochre-themed restroom, splashing your face with a generous amount of cold tap water. Gripping the marbled sink with your trembling hands, you looked up at your reflection, watching droplets of water fall slowly from your exhausted face.
A shaky exhale leaves you. trying desperately to focus on anything except the lingering grip of Mingi’s fingers on the back of your neck. The bathroom ultimately felt too suffocating, plus staying wasn’t an option anyway - the last thing you needed was for Mingi to stay true to his threats. However, you barely made a step out when you felt yourself being slammed to the wall.
It was disorienting, and there was only one bastard who had the audacity to do that to you, but as you were about to give him a piece of your mind, another man’s voice spoke.
“You took forever in there,” he sneered, a dark undertone curling up his tone. “I thought I had to drag you out, myself.”
You froze, true fear crawling up your spine. You looked up, getting pale when you realised it was the same man from earlier who was hitting on you and now, he looked more drunk, more aggressive as he squeezed your arm painfully. “U-Uhm, you’re hurting me—” you tried to say.
“Mingi’s looking for you,” he interrupted, the pain shooting up further from your arm to your shoulder when he started dragging you towards the crowd without even waiting for you to say anything. “Come on, I’ll take you to him.”
You were having a difficult time keeping up with this man. The way he kept a tight grip on your arm felt different from the way Mingi had done. This one felt forceful and right, you would’ve traded anything for Mingi to be the one doing it instead because your arm genuinely hurt.
But as you stumbled, you quickly sensed that something was wrong when the music started to fade behind you, and by the time you realised that, the man had already pushed you outside.
Blood drained from your face. He had deliberately taken you out from the back where no one would come looking. “No,” you resisted, planting your feet as hard as you could on the concrete, flailing and trying to twist your arm free from his hands. “Let go of me—”
You cried out when you saw that he was trying to drag you to a lone car parked near. You clawed useless at his wrist to pry his fingers away, but this earned you a backhanded slap so hard, your head flew back.
“Shut the fuck up and get in the fucking car,” he hissed, hand shooting up, digging painfully into your jaw when you, one you couldn’t fight off because of the overwhelming nausea from him hitting you. “Or I’ll break your arm. I don’t mind fucking you with broken bones.”
Just as he was about to shove you inside his car, the back exit door slammed open so hard, it bounced off the walls in a loud echo. You slumped on the side of the car when the man’s grip loosened, wanting to just close your eyes and give in to the disorientation, but your eyes settled on the familiar figure up ahead - black suit, broad shoulders, blonde hair.
And when your eyes eventually cleared up to see who it was, you couldn’t stop the tears that fell. You’ve seen Mingi with all sorts of emotions, but not panic so raw, real, and unfiltered. His gaze swept all over you - your trembling hands, the bruise on your arms, your buckling legs.
Then, he settled on your face and the relief that washed over him was so immediate that it sent more tears down your eyes. He really was coming to get you no matter what, just like he had said.
The sight of your tears snapped Mingi out of the emotion he momentarily slipped into, burying it beneath something more infinitely dangerous.
But you couldn’t take it anymore, closing your eyes to let the darkness overcome you because you knew that whatever happened next, Mingi wasn’t going to let this man take you away.
Touch was the first thing you felt when you came to. Gentle fingers carefully gathered your hair, tucking the loose strands behind your ears. Mingi’s eyes were the first thing you saw the moment you opened your eyes, their usual sharpness dulled ever so slightly, his features softer somehow. You didn’t even move when his thumb brushed your swollen cheek.
Neither of you said anything, afraid of crashing this solemnity you rarely found with each other. This couldn’t be the same man - Mingi was highly intelligent and sarcastic, cunning in his ways and malicious in his murders. He likes winning conversations, gets irritated when challenged yet rarely explodes, and loves making people walk themselves into traps.
But most importantly, you knew he found you entertaining in every calculated torment he put you through. Yet here he was. His touch was careful enough that it almost frightened you.
Finally, he sighed softly, leaning away. “You’ll be alright,” was all he said. “Stay here. I’ll be right back to drive you home. I won’t be long, so I’d appreciate it if you stayed put.”
You didn’t even realise that you were currently in his car until he got out, closing the door softly so as to not startle you. You were going to pretend that didn’t happen. “W-Where are you going?” You blurted out, suddenly afraid to be alone. “Wait, the man from earlier—”
“Lock the door,” he cut off with maddening calm, staring at you for a second too long before he walked away, not bothering to look back. Having no choice, you did as he said. Another wave of exhaustion runs through you and before you knew it, you were once again dozing off.
Something must have startled you awake, though, with how you jerked slightly in your seat and judging by the embarrassing amount of drool pooled on your shirt, you must’ve napped for a while. And yet, there was still no sign of Mingi back in the car with you.
You frowned, looking at the direction where he’d walked away, your brows rising when you realised he walked into a dark, unmarked building. Immediately, something in your gut told you that something was wrong.
And like every bad decision you’ve made so far, you found yourself walking in, your footsteps impossibly loud despite how careful you walked. You were about to turn around when nothing came around when you heard voices ahead.
Gingerly, you pushed through nervously until you found yourself situated in a blind spot above a stairwell that overlooked an empty storage area.
Well, mostly empty except for two chairs where two men were bound and restrained. One of them had a gag on, wet with tears and wasted saliva, and the other one was pleading from his life while Mingi bunched his hair up in his fist. The blood drained from your face, not from what you were seeing - you were used to catching Mingi in the act. An unfortunate topic for another day - but because one of them looked very, very familiar to you.
The man who Mingi was facing was the very same man who had tried to take you earlier, his expensive suit tattered, one of his eyes already forming a nasty bruise.
“You said you’d let us go,” his panicked voice cracked. “I-I didn’t mean to, I swear!”
Mingi tilted his head. It was terrifying, really, how he regarded them with the same detachment he’d wear while reviewing quarterly reports. “Why do you sound like that? Did you miss puberty?” He asked nonchalantly. “I’m struggling not to put a bullet in your brain, so tread very carefully.”
Silence. Even you were holding your breath. “I can handle people trying to find me and try to kill me once in a while,” he continued, almost conversational. “People like you will keep going to either find nothing at all or even get to me if your stars are aligned properly.”
The man hissed in pain when Mingi seized him by the jaw, forcing him to meet his gaze. “But you did honestly think that I’d be caught unawares?” He hissed, anger bleeding into his voice, a rare one that you’ve never heard.
“Now, riddle me this,” he said, drawing a pained gasp from the man when his grip tightened. “Would you have been luckier to find nothing…or to find me?”
A broken whimper escapes the man when Mingi lets go. Above them, your fingers curled so tightly around the railing that they ached. Every instinct screamed at you to leave, but your body refused to listen. “I won’t do it again, I was just paid to do this, I swear, I’ll leave you alone. Hell, I’ll even leave town—”
“Oh, that’s not what you’re here for,“ Mingi rolled his eyes. “See, I’m a wise man. I don’t waste time with people like you. I pay people for that. You crossed a line that wasn’t yours to touch, let alone force. I did not like that. I did not appreciate it.”
The captive's face had gone ghostly pale. His shoulders shook against the restraints, and he strained forward as if getting physically closer might somehow make Mingi believe him. “Look, I’m sorry. Sometimes, you can’t help but follow the scent of sweet fruit and resist not taking a bite,” he laughed nervously. “You understand that, don’t you?”
Mingi’s composure fractures a bit. He turned away slightly, dragging a hand slowly down the lower half of his face as though physically restraining himself from acting on the rage threatening to spill over. The man gestures towards the other captive. “He could tell you who paid us—”
“I don’t care who paid you,” Mingi snapped, words clipped by an anger he was making no effort to hide anymore. His eyes had gone frighteningly cold, but beneath them burned something raw and visceral. You had to bite down your horror when Mingi produced a knife out of nowhere and stabbed the man’s hand, pinning it on the armrest. “Those details don't matter much to me.”
The man’s bone-chilling howl drowned out your panicked, laboured breaths. You had almost forgotten how truly sadistic Mingi was; how little he cared for human life. “I didn’t mean,” the man choked out desperately as if his blood would stop flowing. “I-I swear, I didn’t know—”
“You knew enough,” was all Mingi said, quietly wiping his hand with a cloth before haphazardly tossing it away. Mingi regarded for a long moment before walking to the other man, still gagged but now with more tears and terror in his eyes.
“And you,” he scoffed, crouching until they were eye level. “I’ve been meaning to get to you for a while. You’ve made my boss into a fool chasing a pest like you. Imagine my luck when I found out you and this bastard here were connected.”
Mingi chuckled, slinging an arm around the gagged man while he stared at the other. “I’ll give you two options. See, my boss needs proof that I did my job. You understand that, don’t you?” He smirked, echoing the other man’s words from earlier.
“It’s simple. I need fingers and a tongue,” he pointed to the bloody knife. “You decide if you want your fingers to go or his,” he clapped the gagged man’s back. “Or vice versa. I’ll let you live. If not, then I suppose I must kill you.”
His shoulders caved inward as pleas poured from him in broken sobs, begging until his voice cracked into something almost unrecognizable. And Mingi listened, or rather, allowed the noise to happen.
Finally, the man caved and with shaking fingers, he reached for the knife before a strangled cry ripped from his throat as he pulled the blade free. You recoiled instantly, one hand flying to your mouth, stomach lurching so violently you thought you were about to throw up.
You watched Mingi smile. “Go on,” he murmured almost encouragingly, as though coaching someone, not caring that the man shook in pain. “You’re doing great. Don’t lose your nerve now. If you do it fast enough the pain will be over before you even knew it started. ”
You couldn't breathe. You couldn't think. You wanted to run. You wanted to scream. The captive drew one ragged breath, lifted the knife with an unsteady hand and just as he was about to land a hit, the heavy door on the opposite side of the room swung open. The man's hand froze midair and even Mingi turned. Your heart stopped. Someone else was here.
Seonghwa’s steps faltered, his eyes sweeping across the room like he walked into a scene he never expected. For one fleeting second, relief crashed over you so hard, your knees almost gave out. Seonghwa, who was gentle with his smiles, always remembered your pastries, and always cared for you, could stop Mingi. Unfortunately, the hostage took this distraction to move.
“Don’t move,” he threatened, fear thick in his voice despite the way he grabbed his other companion to wrap his arm around him, knife dangerously close to his neck. “I swear to God I’ll slice his neck. You won’t find out who paid us to kill you, Mingi, if you touch me.”
You needed to warn Seonghwa. You didn’t need Mingi targeting him next for being here. But before you could think further, a gunshot rang out. You jolted at the sound, and for one second, you couldn’t understand what was happening, that is, until you looked closely.
The captive remained standing, eyes wide and knife still raised, the gagged man he’d been using as a shield collapsed at his feet. He was dead, a bullet tearing clear through his heart.
Seonghwa stood with one arm extended, a pistol resting comfortably in his hand, smoke still drifting from the barrel. “Not much of an upper hand now, are you?”
He tilted his head rhetorically as if mildly inconvenienced. It all happened in a split second - the man barely had time to open his mouth before Seonghwa shot again, clean between the eyes, sharp and precise.
He let out a sigh, not even bothering to look at the corpses, before shooting a glance at Mingi. “I distinctly remember telling you not to play with your food,” he clicked his tongue, casually putting the gun down a nearby table. “Did Yeosang actually ask for proof? Which one was on the list?”
Mingi snorted, pointing at the man who was shot first. “No, not really,” he admitted, amused at the questions. “I’m a man of my word, though. I meant it when I said they’d live. Why?”
Seonghwa didn’t reply. Instead, he stood to retrieve the knife, turning it over between his fingers. “I’m bored,” he shrugged, voice pleasant. Though his eyes showed otherwise, a glint so sinister the knife couldn’t compete.
You had to shut your eyes when Seonghwa grabbed one of the corpses’ hands and went to work, putting your hands over your ears to drown out his cheerful whistling and the unpleasant sound of squelching blood and metal crushing bones.
This wasn’t Seonghwa - the man hacking away body parts methodically like he did this everyday was not your friend. The illusion shattered so violently that it hurt you more than Mingi had ever done because at least Mingi never pretended; he had shown you exactly who he was from the beginning.The tears came before you realised it, the grief far worse than fear. It was absurd to mourn someone who was still here, but perhaps, the friend you knew never existed to begin with.
Mingi watched him for another second before speaking. “No remorse for the guy?”
Seonghwa didn’t even bother looking up. “I wouldn’t pee on him even if he were on fire.”
Mingi raised his brows, more in fascination rather than blatant surprise, an amused whistle escaping through his teeth. “You’re evil,” he grinned, shaking his head.
Seonghwa let out a laugh, a real one that made his eyes crinkle. “That may be so, but I’m not as cruel as you,” he retorted lightheartedly, lifting a finger to signal men to drag the corpses away before continuing. “The translator shtick was creative, I’ll give you that, but not slipping once in your mother tongue after months of working together?”
He chuckled, shaking his head in vague admiration. “Incredible discipline. Shouldn’t have expected less from the Song Mingi, himself,” he tilted his head thoughtfully, something knowing glinting in his eyes. “It’s either discipline…or obsession.”
Your blood froze. No, you desperately thought. Your heart already knew what Seonghwa meant, but your mind refused to accept it, and it still hit when Mingi spoke. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he shrugged innocently, replying in flawless Japanese. “I did need a translator. My Mandarin is pretty shitty, if I may say so myself.”
Seonghwa scoffed, rolling his eyes, fully offended at what he had just heard. “Don’t bullshit me, Mingi,” he replied in perfect, natural Mandarin. “You may not be fluent, but you’re decent enough. God, it’s been years and the way your mind functions still baffles me sometimes.”
Something inside you cracked open. Mingi never needed you. Everything crashed into you with suffocating force. He watched your panic over carefully chosen words all because he wanted to. He stared at Seonghwa for the longest moment before letting out a laugh, shooting his hands up in faux innocence as if he was caught stealing from a cookie jar. “You got me,” he mocked. “You said it yourself. My food, my rules. I get to play with it whenever I damn well please.”
Seonghwa’s amusement vanished. It was gradual, just enough for something infinitely more dangerous to settle on his face. “Careful, Mingi,” he started, inhumanly flat. “That food you’re referring to is Y/N,” he paused. He spoke your name with so much gentleness. “And I happen to like her very, very much. You’re not the only one with eyes, Mingi, so I’d watch your back if I were you. I’ve seen you play with her for way too long and I won’t stand by it anymore.”
The ease drained from Mingi’s posture first, the lazy tilt of his head disappearing, his eyes shifting into something far more terrifying than you’ve seen it. For the first time since you’d met him, Mingi looked genuinely angry. “Park Seonghwa,” he began, taking a measured step forward. “There are some things I tolerate, and some things that I won’t. You can borrow my car and you can raid my liquor cabinet. You can even take tens and thousands from my bank account.”
He paused to take more steps. “And I wouldn’t care,” he continued. They stood so close that their faces were mere inches away. “You can take anything you want, but you better not steal from me,” he seethed quietly. “Do not stand before me and tell me you’re entertaining thoughts you have no intentions of surviving. Because I won’t let you. Don’t take my goodwill for granted.”
Seonghwa rolled his eyes, pushing Mingi away. “Don’t piss me off. You already burned through every ounce of my goodwill when you shot Yamada in my fucking office on my favourite couch?” Seonghwa snapped, voice rising higher, unable to reel in his annoyance. “Do you have any idea how difficult it was to keep the Kangs happy after that stunt, you disastrous son of a bitch?”
“Anyway,” Seonghwa sighed before his voice softened, and for a second, you couldn’t help but still see that friend you’ve come to like, especially knowing that he felt a little differently for you. But only for a second. “She’s been through enough tonight. Leave her alone. She looked so peaceful sleeping in your car when I passed by it earlier.”
Mingi shook his head, almost fondly. “No, she’s not.”
Your lungs seized inside your ribs. You subconsciously took a step back, hoping that he was speaking in tongues and doesn’t actually believe you were gone. Seonghwa frowned, his eyes following Mingi as he began to walk towards the exit. “You don’t know her like I do, Hwa,” he chuckled, reaching for the door. “By now, she’s probably long gone. You’ll be lucky if you even see a lick of her shadow at work this week because she’ll never step foot in KQ ever again.”
Something about the way he said it made your body scream. “But she’ll keep thinking about me. Fear has a funny way of making you remember someone. So yeah, she’ll run,” he said, smile deepening, eyes glimmering into something more pleased and exciting. “And I’ll let her.”
The terror had seeped so deeply into your bones by now that your body hollowed itself out. The entire time you’ve been trying to navigate around Mingi, you had been dancing exactly the way he wanted you to. You thought you were running - Mingi knew how you’d react as if you running was something he already accounted for. Your choices were never yours to begin with.
“Whatever, you sick bastard,” Seonghwa’s dry dismissal cut through the silence. “Go play cat and mouse somewhere and get the hell out of my company. I’ll admit, you did a great job, but you bossing me around was getting on my nerves. Plus, I can’t take Hongjoong’s complaints anymore. You’ve been running my assistant to the ground, you opportunist,” he sighed. “Yeosang will put out a statement to avoid conflict or I’ll ask Wooyoung to take over the list for you.”
His company? And what list? This wasn’t the first time you’ve heard of it. The words landed harder than the gunshots had and it suddenly explained every conversation where Seonghwa would pop up out of nowhere. It explained why Hongjoong acted the way he did, why Mingi himself never really challenged Seonghwa, and why Yunho bowed a little lower. It had always been Seonghwa who was holding the leash - Mingi was just the convenient front, but for what?
Mingi shrugged, the statement not even bothering him, twisting the door handle to leave the premises. But before he could take a step, Seonghwa’s voice stopped him. “Mingi?” He spoke quietly, eyes softening significantly. “Don’t hurt her. Please.”
Mingi looked over his shoulder, pausing for just a fraction before he smirked. “We’ll see.”
Jongho made true to his promise. You haphazardly packed the bare minimum before San did the same at his place, all in the same night. Jongho’s apartment was modest and his generosity earned him a thousand thanks along with the tightest hug from you. “So, what now?” San asked that night after everything had settled, holding your hand tight in his. “What’s going to happen?”
Truthfully, you haven’t gotten that far yet, and admittedly, none of you thought this through. However, you did know one thing. “I’m going to the police,” you finally said. And you meant it this time. Out of all the crimes you’ve unwillingly witnessed, there was something about this last one that genuinely scared you. It wasn’t a burden you were willing to carry alone anymore.
Jongho and San looked at you, both concerned and uncertain. "They might not believe me," you continued, your voice barely above a whisper. “But I have to try. I-I can’t do this alone anymore. I just,” you paused, throat tight. “I need a record. That someone at some point reported it…”
They understood what you meant. If something ever happened to you, at least someone would hopefully connect the dots. For now, all of you agreed it was best to lay low for a while until the dust settles. But once it does, you really were going to go to the police station. It didn’t matter anymore because you were done protecting monsters; done going insane to remain sane.
It had been almost five months since then of you just sitting duck. Jongho decided that him working at KQ would cause the least suspicion and San absolutely forbid you from going out. You weren’t going to complain. You’ve found a routine designed to numb your brain and for the most part, you operated with the intent of forgetting, just walking around in a daze.
The image of Mingi just wouldn’t go away. You’d often wake up in a cold sweat after dreaming about him, having spent the last few weeks pushing him out of your mind with no success. You didn’t bet on lasting this long hidden away, however, there was a small part of you that ached at the thought that, maybe, he wouldn’t even bother with you anymore. It was confusing and revolting at the same time; the maximum reason why you couldn’t sit still in Jongho’s apartment.
There was only so much of this that you could take. Needless to say, San wasn’t pleased when you told him that you’ve made up your mind and was finally going to make a move. “Y/N, I don’t know, I have a terrible feeling about this,” he spoke nervously over the phone. “Can’t you at least wait until the end of the week to decide?”
“I can’t, Sannie,” you murmured, turning the doorknob to enter your apartment. “I can’t live with uncertainty anymore. I already spoke with a detective earlier before I left. I just need to grab a couple of things from my place and then we can all go to the police station tomorrow.”
The moment you hung up the phone and entered your apartment, you wanted to crash. Oh, how you missed your place and the normalcy it provided. It wouldn’t hurt to stay for a little while you planned your next move, but first, you were going to change your clothes. You’ve been wearing the same ones for months and you felt bad for borrowing Jongho’s a lot. You headed up to your bedroom, not bothering to close the door, and started to take your shirt off.
But you froze when you heard the door close behind you. Slowly - painfully slowly - you turned around. Mingi stood leaning against the door, hands tucked into the pockets of his pants. He looked…different. Gone was the suit, replaced by a leather jacket that looked lethal on him. And his hair was black now, messy and unstyled. Somehow, the darker hair made him look younger.
It also made him look even more dangerous. Or was it that unfathomable look in his eyes as he watched you that bordered between predatory and repressed anger? You had no idea; all you knew was that the sight of him made something inside you stir treacherously, but that didn’t last long because the fear had caught on. You’d escaped, you were finally safe, so how was he here?
“Mingi,” you whispered, the fear in your voice unmistakable, eyes darting around in search for the nearest weapon you could use to protect yourself, but finding nothing. “Why are you here?”
He didn’t reply, eyes still fixed on you. His eyes always unsettled you, but this one felt different. There wasn’t that sadistic amusement you’ve gotten used to nor that smug satisfaction that was always lingered. His stare was just pure ice with absolutely nothing in them. “Because I was looking for you,” he said, pushing himself away from the door.
You frowned, clearly not satisfied with this answer. He noticed and cocked his head in question. “Why? Were you expecting more?” Mingi asked, stepping closer to you. “Did you want me to tell you how irritated I was that you hid from me for so long?”
You maintained eye contact, raising your chin in defiance, trying not to falter when he stopped in front of you so close that his chest was brushing against your breasts. “You knew where I was,” you said, gritting your teeth when the tiniest quirk of his lips confirmed it. “There’s nothing for you here, Mingi, please just leave. I’m happy being with Jongho—”
“Enough,” his voice cut through like a blade. He quickly darted his hand out to your cheeks, gripping them painfully. “I must say, though, this is very nice,” he began with a dark chuckle, turning your face once as if he was inspecting a product. “Seeing you actually seeing me, if you get what I mean. I have to get used to it, but I am enjoying it so far. I mean it.”
Your blood turned to ice when the meaning struck instantly. All those months of looking through him and forcing your eyes out of focus. And now, your eyes were fully locked onto his. "So that's what your eyes look like when you’re not pretending to be blind," he whispered almost tenderly. "It’s so honest. It also means I can finally watch them tell me exactly how afraid you are."
The way he said it was far more unsettling than his presence. His voice had no teasing tilt anymore, none of that false gentleness that unnerved you and each word sounded flat. “So you've always known,” you couldn’t help but say as realisation hits you at the same time - that the polished, professional man in front of you had been hiding behind plausible deniability. And now that the jig was up, there was no reason for Mingi to maintain that mask. “Since when?”
“Right from when I saw you watch me shoot that man on the trail,” Mingi snorted derisively. Your breath hitched. Hearing him say it out loud like this right in front of your face brought in a new type of terror. “Wouldn’t be good with what I did if I couldn't tell, would I? It was funny,” he chuckled. “And so dumb at the same time that I couldn’t even be mad even if I wanted to.”
You glared at his blatant disregard of why you even had to resort to such methods in the first place, raising your hands to pry his fingers away, but that only resorted to him narrowing his eyes in warning, gripping your cheek harder. “Why did you let me go if it was so dumb, then?” You bit back. “You could have killed me on the spot and no one would’ve known except the trees.”
“I wanted to fuck with you, was that so wrong? You can’t play games and not expect someone to not want to play with you. Or did you just not want me as your playmate?” He replied nonchalantly. “I’m not that bad. That’s why I made Seonghwa hire Choi Jongho. I saw he was being nice to you and I figured you needed someone who wasn’t part of this fiasco so you wouldn’t lose your mind. I don’t particularly enjoy playing with my food when they’re bland.”
Hot, searing rage courses through you, bone-deep in its intensity. He played you like a damn instrument and your melody invigorated him. You slapped his hand away from your cheek with adrenaline-fueled anger, even going as far as slapping his cheek once his hand let go. You hit him and you made sure it hurt. “You son of a bitch,” you seethed. “I saw everything, including Yamada and the warehouse with Seonghwa. I’m going to tell on you, Mingi, I swear I will. ”
You didn’t care anymore. Mingi let out a small laugh of disbelief, grazing his now bleeding lip with his tongue. “I knew you saw everything. Your reactions were never really subtle,” he said, speaking so casually that it made your stomach churn. “And that’s fine. You can go to the police. I’ll even drive you there. I reckon they’ll actually believe you. The only question is…”
You whimpered when he grabbed your arm and bent it behind your back painfully before slamming you up against the nearest wall. The room suddenly felt small, Mingi was too close; too warm for comfort. “...if they would do something about it,” he continued, getting closer, his breath tickling your ear, voice lowering just enough for your senses to cloud. “Think about it, Y/N.”
You swallowed, the sickening understanding finally dawning on you; he was right, the police would believe you. They just wouldn’t move because they were KQ’s lapdogs. You gasped when Mingi nibbled on your ear. “Yahtzee. That’s my girl,” he whispered, voice rough. “See? You can be smart if you want to be. A smarter choice would be to listen to everything I say from now on.”
You didn’t understand what he meant until you felt his hips grind against your behind, the feeling of his hardness palpable especially in this position. “Go to hell, Song Mingi,” you growled, not hesitating to tilt your head, the back of your skull catching him square on the face. “You can fucking shove it. You think this is a game to me? You murdered people. You terrorised me every single day, almost got me hit by a car, and almost burned me, you psychopathic pervert.”
Mingi grunted, grip on you relaxing as he clutched his face in pain. You took that opportunity to break free, kicking him again just to make sure he wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon. It worked, even setting him a few steps back. “You’re retaliating,” he pointed out flatly. The only sign that he was getting angrier was the cruel glint in his eyes as he watched you and the violent rise and fall of his chest. “That’s fine. I love the initiative. I just love punishing it more.”
You screamed both in pain and surprise when he lunged, grabbing you by the hair to force you to look at him. “Here’s what’s going to happen, sweet pea,” he whispered, nothing short of sinister, sliding his other hand to your throat and starting to squeeze. “I’m going to have you. Do you know what that means?” He paused to chuckle grimly. “I’m going to fuck you. Hard.”
Your eyes go wide and you start to wriggle out of his hold, but Mingi’s hand just tightens. Tears collect in your eyes in fear, but there was something else too, something you refused to admit. That realization made your stomach turn because you were supposed to hate this, yet you were here. You had gotten so used to Mingi chasing you that it started to feel wrong if you weren’t on edge. You had started to associate Mingi with adrenaline and needed him for excitement.
But still, this was wrong. You weren’t going down for this. Not for him and not for whatever twisted hold he had managed to build around you. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long, long time. I knew from the moment I saw you on that trail that you were something special, but I had to wait. Now,” his husky voice purred with a hint of barely concealed warning. “You’re going to give it to me. I don’t enjoy hurting you, but I will if you don’t listen.”
You were absolutely not going to accept whatever he planned for you without a fight. With all the strength you could muster, you punched him square in the jaw. His eyes widened for a fraction as he groaned in pain and you pushed him away, chest heaving violently. You didn’t hesitate to hit him again, but he managed to grab your arm before you could, lifting his own hand to backhand your cheek, causing you to stagger at the sheer force of it, your face already pulsing in pain.
“Not bad, love,” he laughed, massaging the jaw you hit. “I would like to not do that again, so how about this? You apologise to me and say you’ll be a good girl and you won’t do it again. Make it sound good and maybe, just maybe, I’ll find it in my heart to forgive you and go easy on you.”
You spit on his face after that statement. Mingi closed his eyes to contain himself, clicking his tongue in disappointment as he wiped your spit off with the same hand he used to backhand you. When he opened his eyes again, you knew you were done for. His body was fully locked in, jaw locked stiff, rage simmering behind his eyes beneath deceitful calm - the type of calm that meant he’d already decided to hurt you. He just didn’t know where to start.
You made a run for the door, but unfortunately, Mingi was faster. He slammed the door shut before you could even get near. “I let you run off for too long now,” he hissed, yanking you away from the door. “You’re mine, Y/N. I’m going to have fun making this lesson memorable for you.”
You refused to stay still, kicking and scratching at him with all your might. “I don’t belong to you, Mingi,” you seethed. “You don’t own me, and you can’t just force me into it!”
He stared at you, eyes hollow and vacant in the most terrifying way, every trace of mercy deliberately carved out and discarded. “Your life was over the second I laid my eyes on you. And let me tell you something, I rarely want because I already know the outcome. But let me ask you this,” he said softly, holding your face deceptively gentle. “Who are you trying to convince?”
He barely let a second pass before he tightly held your head, keeping you still as he crashed his lips against yours. There was no tenderness in his actions; just viciousness and brutality. You whimpered in resistance, biting his lower lip until you tasted blood. He groaned at the pain, pushing you away to slam your head by the door. That caught you off guard, but if he was going to hurt you, then you’d repay him in kind.
That head slam did stun you for a moment. You couldn’t stop him when he threw you on the bed, immediately straddling your legs, holding your arms above your head. His eyes clouded, pupils blown over from pure desire, cursing under his breath. You gasped when he ripped your shirt clean off you with one hand, yanking your bra aside to squeeze your tit harshly. “Fuck,” he said through gritted teeth. “Fuck, you look so good like this beneath me.”
You hissed in pain and started to struggle even though desire ran rampant through your veins, hot and searing, but Mingi wasn’t budging. He bent down, closing his mouth around your nipple, his tongue tracing around your sensitive bud. You groaned in response, arching against him as you were torn between your body trying to decide whether it wanted him gone or worse, inside you. When he pulled back just an inch, his smirk was knowing, pure of nothing but sin.
“Don’t do this, Mingi, please,” you all but begged, squirming weakly against the restraints of his hands, but for naught. He responded with a quiet huff. He slid his jacket off, revealing broad shoulders clad in a tight, black tank top that left nothing to your imagination. You jerked your head away when he tried to kiss your jaw, but you just felt him smile against your skin.
“Ah, ah. No begging yet, sweetheart. Not unless I tell you to,” he murmured, licking all over your neck all the way down to your shoulders and started to suck and bite. Mingi was indulging himself, ravishing you and relishing in your pain. You hissed, slightly relieved that your body wasn’t betraying you. That is, until you felt his hand starting to travel down.
“M-Mingi,” you whimpered when he immediately put a finger in you, not even waiting until you were ready, eyes glinting at the sound. He was gentle with his strokes, hitting you in spots you didn’t even know were possible. It elicited humiliating cries from you and you just wanted to die then and there. "You’re making a b-big mistake,” you panted helplessly against his ministrations. “I-If I don't show up, people are going to look for me. You're a damn fool."
Mingi’s eyes narrowed. You gasped loudly when he pushed another finger in, keeping the pressure until he was knuckles deep. “Let them look,” he replied flatly, not caring in the slightest, pushing in and out of you. You closed your eyes tightly, your whimpers turning into screams when he pushed a third finger roughly. He made a sound at the back of his throat. “You’re beautiful when you scream like this,” he growled.
It hurt badly, but that pain started to ebb slightly when he started circling his thumb against your clit. It was agony on top of another. You writhed against him to try and reduce the overwhelming sensations attacking you, but it didn’t work. You moaned helplessly when his fingers sped up, his thumbs pressing down on you, until you were screaming for dear life. “Give it to me, give it to me, give it to me,” he whispered over and over again, voice getting huskier with desire.
And you did. Mingi had to hold your trembling body tight to ease you back slowly. Tears streamed down from your face - both from pain and intense pleasure - and he didn’t hesitate to lick them off. Your head lolled back, your body exhausted from just that one ordeal. “I’m going to kill you after this, I swear,” you whispered when he pulled his fingers out and got up from the bed to leave you alone for a bit.
You heard Mingi chuckle almost fondly over the sound of something you refused to acknowledge - the sound of something metallic clinking followed by a zipping sound and fabric rustling. “You do that, love. I’d like to see you try,” he replied simply as he got naked, exposing hard muscles that lead to his cock. Even through the haze, your eyes couldn’t help but widen.
Your heart was beating crazily with fear and you had half the mind to scramble up, scooting away from him as far away as possible. Mingi stalked towards you, utterly predatory, grabbing and dragging you by the legs until your ass hit his muscular thighs. He tried to pull your pants off, but you weren’t having it. You kicked at him, successfully hitting him once or twice, but Mingi was heavier and much stronger. Eventually, he was able to get rid of your pants along with your underwear, leaving you completely bare and exposed for him.
You were panicking. If you let him touch you, your resolve would weaken and you knew it. Mingi knew it too. He wedged himself between your legs to pin your wrists above your head, nudging himself against your entrance before he finally thrusted in hard.
“Mingi,” you cried out loudly, half in pleasure, mostly in pain. You felt full, the fullest you’ve ever been, and the suddenness of his thrust made your insides sting and black spots to dance behind your eyes temporarily.
Mingi wasn’t faring any better. He inhaled controlled breaths, lips pursed together in great effort not to lose himself to the sensation of your tight cunt. He grunted low, the veins on his neck pulsating with great need. When he leaned back slightly to look at you, you moaned in surprise. Just there by the surface was a look of barely-contained lust and sadism, his eyes hazing out with pure desire. You clenched around him and it was enough to drive him totally wild.
“You’re mine, Y/N, you hear me? I’ll make sure of it. Gonna fuck you so hard and have you screaming for me every night from now on,” Mingi growled, voice guttural and dripping with arousal, leaning down to kiss you, but you turned your head away. “Am I going to have to break you?” He asked softly, clearly not looking forward to the idea, but not completely opposed to it either. “I’m already inside you, baby. Not much you can do but give in, really.”
You squared your jaw in defiance. “Drop dead, Mingi,” you spat venomously.
You cried out sharply when he started thrusting into you, rough and fast just like he intended to. You couldn’t even moan out properly - he was using you as if you were a sex toy only made for his pleasure. “If you’re not going to listen to me, I hope my dick sends my message well,” he laughed sadistically at your cries and resistance. “Now, do you understand?”
He kissed you, tongue demanding to be let in as he rocked his hips to ease his cock into you over and over again, not stopping until you felt his balls slap against your ass repeatedly. He let go of your wrists to wrap around you and held on tight, thoroughly claiming every inch of your body he could touch as his. Your pride wouldn’t let you off, so you still fought him as much as you could, struggling under his restraints while you tried to distract yourself from the feeling of his cock impaling you over and over again.
But Mingi wasn’t having it. He slows down his thrusts, giving you time to get yourself together, but not before he grabs your arm, pressing and squeezing hard at a particular spot that hurts so much that you let out an actual scream of pure pain. “Ow, ow, M-Mingi, you’re hurting me,” you whined, involuntarily squeezing his cock in because the pain mixed with his cock hitting your spot over and over again did something to you. “Stop it, stop—”
“Then stop resisting and give in to me,” he said, letting go of your arm, rubbing the bruised skin tenderly for a moment. “I meant it when I said I’ll make you scream. I just didn’t specify how. And I can do it again and again until I’m satisfied. Do you want that, little love?”
You glared at him, angry tears falling from your eyes. You took a deep breath in, trying to regain some of your dignity and strength. If he wanted a clear answer from you, then he was going to wait a while. Mingi smiled nastily, pulling back out only to thrust back in viciously, pleased when you let out a guttural moan. “I told you you were mine and I meant it,” he simply said.
It wasn’t that you didn’t believe it. You absolutely did, God, you really did. Your heart was aware and your body was more than willing, but your mind refused to acknowledge it. You scowled at him, expression full of loathing and hatred. You sure as hell weren’t going to tell him that. But somehow, the glint in his eyes told you he already knew as he increased his speed in fucking you. “Go fuck yourself,” you sneered. “You are never going to have all of me, I swear to you.”
“Is that so?” He raised a brow, amused. He angled his hips in a certain way and it hit a spot in you so good that you couldn’t help but keen. He did this over and over again that once you got over the initial discomfort, Mingi’s body started to feel disturbingly comfortable against yours. “Fuck, baby,” he growled, pleased with your reactions. “I swear your pussy was made for me.”
You shook your head in denial, but that just prompted him to increase his speed just a little. You started to feel heat rising within you and at this point, it was getting difficult to deny just how good this was getting, but you weren’t giving up just yet. You moaned in dissatisfaction, struggling just a bit as a futile act of defiance. Mingi clicked his tongue in annoyance, and in retaliation, lifted your legs up to your chest so he could go even deeper and you swear you saw stars.
“Did you like that?” He growled, sliding his hand down to your ass so he could pull you against him even harder. His other hand went behind your head to pull your hair, dragging your head upright. “Look at me,” he demanded. “Tell me you like it while I fuck you hard, baby.”
You whined in response, your brain not entirely cooperating with your body anymore. “Yes,” you replied without thinking, arching your back against him. You regretted it the moment it came out of your mouth, but there was nothing you could do to take it back anymore.
Mingi shuddered. “God, you little whore. You’re so fucking beautiful, and so dirty just for me.” he moaned, utterly wrecked, before his eyes snapped back into that dark, sadistic gleam you knew him for. “But only for me, yeah?” He whispered, the threat clear in his voice. “You don’t get to be a whore outside the bedroom. Only for my eyes and no one else’s. Say it.”
You echoed his moan. Nobody had ever spoken to you like this before and your body was burning in shame, but it didn’t compare the burn of being called a whore and actually liking it. You had never felt so desired in all your life and you didn’t know how to feel. “I-I don’t know, Mingi,” you squeaked in admittance, letting out another moan when you felt him fuck into you again.
That moan turned into a whimper when he squeezed your ass cheek painfully. “You’re a terrible liar, you know that?” He scoffed. “Look at yourself, pretending you don’t want this. Pretending you never enjoyed all the times I supposedly ‘tormented’ you. Your pussy is telling me otherwise, little one. You always enjoyed me being in charge.”
“Are you for fucking r-real? Congratulations, M-Mingi. You’ve managed to condition someone to fear you and mistook my survival for desire for y-you” You forced out, trying to sound angry, trying to reel in your moans, looking him dead in the eye. “You know what I actually enjoyed? Everyone’s presence except yours. Even Seonghwa’s as fake as it might’ve been. He’s—”
His hand shot out so fast you barely caught it before it wrapped itself around your throat. “Do not mention his name. And let’s get this straight, you survived because I allowed you to,” he hissed in legitimate anger, eyes reddening at the sheer intensity of it. “Now shut the hell up,” he said, grip tightening enough to hurt you. “And let me fuck you.”
Mingi slid his cock out of you before ramming it back in with more force. It knocked the air out of your lungs, but Mingi’s feral state didn’t really care. His strong fingers gripped your hips as she pulled you forward to time it with his powerful thrusts. He stared down at you, eyes hazed and mouth parted open that betrayed how good it made him feel. “Ready to give up and tell me how good my cock is making you feel yet, baby?” He groaned.
The roughness in his voice combined with the possessiveness in his eyes sent shivers all over your body and you felt your toes start to curl in pleasure. “Never. I’d rather eat glass,” you gritted out, though the moans and whimpers that fell from your mouth after said otherwise. His jaw tightened for a second before a malicious grin spread across his lips.
“M-Mingi, please, ow,” you sobbed when he put a hand on your stomach, increasing the pressure as he pressed down hard, and you felt his cock kiss your cervix as he thrust the deepest he could go. The force of it hurt and before you could even process it, his other hand slid down to your clit and slowly, he started to rub in circles. You were delirious with all these overwhelming sensations, and your loud moans proved it, but goddamn, it felt good.
It scared you. You shouldn’t feel this way. In all the months you’ve been with Mingi, you’d never felt more alive. It was easy for you to leave from the start. He was brutal and rough, but the way he looked at you and obsessed over you was something you couldn’t ignore. And that was the problem. Your body suddenly tensed with fear because you were getting attached. Mingi felt the tension and paused. “Relax, love,” he murmured. “I don’t want it to hurt. Not too much, at least.”
He was never going to stop, and you knew how much this could hurt if you continued to tense up. So as much as you hated it, you tried to relax, gasping and feeling your cunt clench around him as he worked your clit, echoing his moans when he picked up the pace. “So fucking good, baby,” Mingi groaned harshly, the movement of his hips becoming erratic, breathing getting heavier.
He started to bite all over your shoulder, nuzzling your neck to pepper it with little kisses, his hand traveling from your tummy to your tits, alternating between squeezing and pinching your nipples. And when his lips found yours to set another brutal onslaught, eventually you found yourself kissing him back, no less brutal than him. It was all tongue and teeth gnashing against one another. “Mmm,” you moaned helplessly in his mouth, focusing on your pleasure this time.
To your surprise, Mingi slows down. Instead of the fast and shallow pounding, it became longer and deeper. You whined in response, not being able to believe that this could feel even better. His eyes were smouldering as he looked at you, pulling back and sinking into you over and over again with surprisingly gentle motions. “Wrap your arms around me,” he ordered.
You couldn’t speak, but it didn’t matter. Your wanton moans told him everything he needed to know. “You love this,” he grunted, pausing in between to suck and bite your neck. You moaned out a quiet response, pulling his hair a bit in affirmation. “Fuck,” he growled, shuddering at the sensation. “Tell me again,” he demanded, eyes burning into yours.
You felt a wave of shameful pleasure ripple through you at the thought of actually having to repeat yourself but louder, especially while looking to those eyes that you feared so much these past few months. Your lips stayed shut, too embarrassed and prideful to say what he wanted to hear. He huffed impatiently, coaxing a response from you. “M-Mingi, please,” you whined.
But Mingi knew you. He leaned down, nuzzling your neck to position yourselves into an intimate embrace so you wouldn’t look him in the eye and you knew that you just ran out of excuses. “You drive me fucking insane, I swear,” he confessed through grunts. “Tell me what you want, baby doll, I’ll give it to you. Just as I’ve given you everything so far. I’ll put you on top so you can ride my cock and tell me, do you want that?”
You let out a breathy ‘no’ in response and he smiled against your ear. “You love it when I’m top of you, hmm?” He asked, voice getting huskier. You had to hold on to his shoulder to stop yourself from feeling faint. “You love it when I hold you down like this? When you feel dominated?”
“Fuck,” you whimpered, not being able to take it anymore. He growled, pleased with your response, sinking his teeth into your throat before he leaned back again, groaning when he saw how far gone you were, and it was all for him. “I do, Mingi, I do, Please.”
He grasped your chin roughly, making sure your entire attention is all on him, all traces of pleasure gone to be replaced with the familiar sadism and brutality for a second as he spoke. “If you ever look at someone the way you’re looking at me right now, I’m going to destroy you,” he asserted, the threat coated with nothing but the truth and the determination to carry it out if you ever even think of crossing him. “I promise you that, Y/N. I’ll do something I can’t take back.”
His thrusts became downright rough once more as he filled you over and over again, his intent clear with the goal of making you come. It should have hurt, but you didn’t care about the pain anymore. Your fingers curled, scratching his skin in desperation, and somehow with that threat, you lost it. You opened your mouth to let out an animalistic sound you didn’t even recognise as your own, body bucking against Mingi’s as waves of pleasure finally crashed over you.
“Yes, just like that, squeeze my cock. God, baby, you’re gonna make me fucking come,” he cursed under his breath as he tried to chase his own high. His hips jerked, pressing his forehead to yours and let out a primal growl that sent a thrill through you. A harsh moan of your name escapes his lips as you feel his cock pulse, warmth filling your insides to the brim.
You were exhausted, laying next to Mingi as his cum started to drip out of you, but you didn’t care. All you wanted to do was sleep all week. The regret was already building, but you were too tired to even entertain it. You were about to fall unconscious when you felt him stir beside you. “Come here real quick,” he muttered before his hand shot out, gripping your jaw hard to force your face towards his. “Open your mouth.”
Your pulse hammered as you fought the urge to pull away, but you do as he says anyway, eyes widening in surprise and panic when he stuck his fingers in. “Here’s what’s going to happen,” he began calmly, pausing to watch every flicker of emotion cross your face. “You’re going to freshen up so you could take a quick nap, pack some of your clothes, and then go downstairs. I’m going home and you’re coming with me. You understand that so far, little one?”
Your eyes widened, hesitating, but he sticks his fingers a bit deeper in your throat and you choke on them. “I said, do you understand me?” Mingi reiterated. You finally gave him a reluctant nod, tears in your eyes. “Good,” he said, taking his fingers out. “Get rest. I’ll wake you up after.”
He released you as though nothing had happened, getting up to put his clothes back on. The second he turned, you lunged. The lamp left your hand before you could think, crashing against the wall as he sidestepped it with irritating ease. “You have got to stop trying to kill me, Y/N. You’re giving me a massive hard-on,” he clicked his tongue.
You grabbed another random item, but all he did was grab your wrist, exhaling tiredly rather than in anger. “Stop it. I will fuck you again, I mean it,” he said. “And when I do, I will be forced to drag your pretty ass with me because you’re not going to be able to walk after. You and I both know I’m very, very well-versed in dragging dead weight.”
The certainty in his voice chilled you far more than the threat itself. His words lodged something deep in your chest, though. He moved at ease like nothing between you happened when in reality, everything happened. “You’re shameless, you know?” You scoffed, breathing ragged to contain yourself. “I understand you want to assert control over me, but there are better ways. I don’t believe that you were actually going to kill me, so do you even like me, Mingi?”
His eyes never left you and that only made the anger in your chest fester. Mingi didn't say anything for a while and he looked like he was actually genuinely thinking of what to say in response to your loaded question. “You wouldn’t be alive if I didn’t,” he finally said. “And I was going to. I tried many times. Failed multiple times. Backed out twice as much.”
You were taken aback, blinking in disbelief. But the way Mingi stared at you dead in the eye with seriousness on his face told you that he wasn’t lying. You bit your lip, swallowing down emotions you didn’t dare name out loud. “No. Do you even honestly care for my well-being?” You said instead, ignoring his second answer. “Or do you just want to possess me just because you can?”
Mingi regarded you for a long moment. There wasn't a flicker of guilt in his face, just that same maddening composure. “What’s the difference?” He asked, the question landing with no emotion as though the distinction had never once occurred to him.
Something in you just fell apart then and there and for the first time since meeting him, you didn’t have any retort sitting at the tip of your tongue. Your shoulders slumped with exhaustion more than defeat. “You scare me,” you swallowed the lump in your throat, eyes burning with tears you knew he could see. “You genuinely scare me, Song Mingi.”
His mouth parted in surprise, brows raising a bit as if he expected you to say anything but that. When he did speak, his voice was softer and quieter than you’ve ever heard it. “On the contrary,” he began breathlessly. “You scare me.”
You frowned. There was no manipulation in his voice. His gaze wandered slowly across your face until he met your eyes without blinking. “This,” he said softly. “The way you’re looking at me right now. I was wondering whether there was anything underneath the fear and disdain.”
The words were quiet, even your heartbeat was more deafening. His tongue pressed against his cheek. “I’m scared,” he repeated calmly. “Of the day you stop looking at me like this.”
You huffed in defiance, folding your arms over your seatbelt, refusing to acknowledge Mingi as he drove. It wasn’t like you were the only one not speaking anyway, the moment he basically shoved you and your haphazardly packed luggage in his car, he hadn't spoken a word. “Where are you taking me, you brute?” You asked harshly, not being able to take the silence anymore.
A small smile takes over Mingi’s sharp face and you have to stop the urge to curse out loud. The light hit his handsome features just right, his darkened hair falling over his forehead slightly as he effortlessly manoeuvered the wheel. “Home, I told you,” he said. “Have I not made myself clear enough? I won’t do anything to you, little peach, so don’t worry.”
“That’s not gonna be good enough,” you replied in anger. “And I was home. You know, the one you broke into - which I still don’t know how long you’ve been in there before you ambushed me, by the way - and the one you took me from without permission. I want to go back.”
“Well, this is the best you’re going to get,” he retorted, something flashing in his eyes quickly before it disappeared. “You’re in no position to make demands here. You’re mine. I’m the one who gets to decide what happens to you from here then on so I suggest you get used to it. Or you can spend the rest of your life being chased by me. You pick. I don’t mind either option.”
There was a fleeting second where you imagined both scenarios, and both of them made you tremble either way. You sneered at him in an attempt to look as though you weren’t flustered. “I really, really hope you rot in hell, Mingi,” you glared at him venomously. “Truly.”
He laughed. Really laughed. The kind that made his body vibrate, eyes crinkle almost shut, and all of his teeth bared that reflected his genuine joy. “And here I was thinking that you’d be a little more cooperative after waking up from that power nap,” he chuckled. “Regardless, I can always use more methods of coercion if you can’t be civil with me.”
“Civil?” You echoed in disbelief, a look of disgust on your face. “Look at me!”
He spared a short sideways glance towards you, smirking at the sight of the hickeys and bruises that littered your skin, savouring the wince you let out when he purposefully hit a road bump just now. “Nothing that won’t heal in a matter of days,” he brushed off nonchalantly, killing the car engine. “Though that could be arranged right now if you’re interested.”
You weren’t going to give him the reaction so you stayed silent until he rounded up in the nicer part of the city, clearly away from your tax bracket, and killed the engine in front of the fanciest building in the area. “Get cosy,” he muttered the moment you both entered his place and closed the door, taking his jacket off and tossing it somewhere before setting his wallet and keys on the marble kitchen island. “I have a quick phone call to make. I’ll be right back.”
It was only until he left that you allowed yourself to breathe. You let your eyes drift around the apartment. It was beautiful, that much was undeniable. You weren’t surprised; Mingi had money and he sure acted like it. Yet somehow, it felt empty. Not because it didn’t have Mingi’s personal effects, but because it lacked life. There was something about this apartment that felt so hollow to you, like it was more of a showroom rather than something that’s supposed to be lived in.
You don’t know what compelled you to explore. Maybe it was curiosity, maybe it was boredom, but either way, you weren’t going to sit still and wait for Mingi to come back. Truth be told, it just screamed Mingi all over even though there wasn’t much. The apartment had a modern touch to it, little knick-knacks here and there organised neatly, a small table with a crystal decanter full of whiskey, and just about everything that you knew Mingi had meticulously curated himself.
Something that looked out of place, however, was a glass cabinet situated in the corner. It was clean, too clean, not one speck of dust and you can easily tell that this was the only sign of life in this place and that Mingi took very good care of it. You took a closer look and frowned. You were expecting a wine collection, or perhaps luxury items like watches and whatnot, but not these.
Awards, medals, and trophies. Not a lot, but still a significant amount. One in particular was a medal encased in a fancy box, another sat in an acrylic display with nothing else. None of them were engraved, nothing to signify what they were for, not even photographs of Mingi receiving them or dates, but all of them did have a small insignia, but you didn’t recognise what it was.
What you did recognise, though, was the folder that was in the middle of the dining table when you turned around. You bit your lip, glancing down the hallway where Mingi disappeared to. You really shouldn’t, every instinct screamed at you to leave it alone, but you picked it up anyway. The moment you do, that familiar adrenaline rushes back to you. This was the same folder you found in Mingi’s office back then, the one where you almost got caught looking at.
Confidential: High-Value Targets, K.O.S. You swallowed, it was the exact same, only this time, you noticed the same unfamiliar insignia when you opened it. You didn’t get the opportunity to do so back then, but something in you had this need to see what it contained as if your life depended entirely on it. And maybe it did, you were about to find out.
The first page contained a photo of a man. There were categories alongside that split into categories like basic information, aliases and financial records, but that wasn’t what caught your attention. “Charges?” You murmured in confusion, eyes widening when you read further. “What the hell? Mass weapon distribution ring?” You breathed out, a knot forming in your chest.
You haphazardly turned the pages, not caring if they get wrinkled or not, quickly skimming through everything, unable to stop the trembling of your hands. There were more people, charges more alarming than the last - extortion, cybersecurity threat, political anarchy, and money laundering to name a few - but then it just got worse. The worst ones you saw were drugs and human trafficking, organised crime, and homicide. But all of them had the same thing.
TARGET STATUS: NEUTRALISED
You put your hands to your mouth when you flip to the next page, trying not to puke. It was the man from the trail, the one whose dead eyes still haunted your nightmares sometimes. Witness intimidation and international warrants, it said. Mr. Yamada was there as well. The same lecherous smile, same expensive suit, but this time he had political corruption and sexual exploitation labeled to him. Both of them had the same status - neutralised.
Your vision blurred, knees threatening to buckle as you barely held onto the edge of the table for support. Out of all the things you did and saw, you knew deep inside that this was the thing you should’ve never crossed. None of these made sense at all, and worst of all, why was Mingi in possession of something this detrimental? Your breathing became increasingly uneven, hands trembling so violently that several pages slipped through your fingers at once.
You instinctively bent down to retrieve them, but before you could reach it, another set of fingers grabbed them first. You paled, gaze slowly climbing upwards to meet Mingi’s eyes. His eyes were unreadable, but you were positive he wasn’t mad. “I-I can explain,” you blurted out anxiously.
He stared at you for a few seconds, finally letting out a sigh before putting his phone back against his ear. “Change of plans, Joong. Stay where you are,” he spoke tiredly, pausing to pinch his nose bridge with his fingers, eyes closed. “The little birdie found the worm all by herself.”
Mingi ended the call. He glanced down at the papers you dropped and one of them in particular had him tense for a second before he calmly placed everything back at the table. His eyes went back to you, waiting for you to say something. “What,” you cleared your throat when your voice cracked. “W-What are these, Mingi?”
His stare was uncomfortable, not because it was loaded since his eyes held no contempt, no accusations, and no anger, but because it felt like he was trying to read you just so he could reply accordingly - something he never really did with you. “You tell me,” Mingi spoke softly, almost thoughtful. “You have talent in snooping and you’re smart. You’ll figure it out.”
You swallowed. God, this felt like a test of some sorts. “You’re blackmailing these people,” you blurted out, saying the first thing that popped in your head. “A-And when they don’t give you what you want from them then you…neutralise them.”
Silence. For the first time since you’ve met him, Mingi was actually speechless. Ridiculously so. His mouth was slightly agape, eyes blinking at you multiple times as if he was trying to convince himself he heard wrong. And then, he laughed out loud, the utter disbelief audible from the sound. “You really are something, Y/N,” he chuckled fondly. “Out of all the scenarios you could give, honestly. Well, I suppose that is one way to insult me.”
He walked towards the glass cabinet, pulling out a hidden compartment you didn’t even realise was there. Inside sat more paperwork, multiple passports, some handguns that made you freeze, but he set those aside to grab a small wallet. He picked it up, pursing his lips as if deciding if this was the right thing to do, before holding it out towards you. “Open it,” he urged.
You barely obeyed him. The wallet itself was minimal and elegant, but there was something about it that was heavy. Not because of its weight, but because of what you saw when you unfolded it. “No, t-this can’t be,” you whispered, hands trembling, greatly so. There was an ID, Mingi’s younger face staring at you, eyes less empty but still chilling nonetheless, and there was no mistaking the government seal embossed into the corner along with his information.
Name: Song MingiAge: 30Position: Senior Special Operations AgentLevel: BlackActing Overseer: Park SeonghwaGeneral Supervisor: Kang YeosangOperational Status: ActiveAuthorised to Kill On Sight
A pounding noise filled the apartment and it took you a second to realise that you were hearing your own heartbeat. You dropped the wallet, unable to control the intensity in which your body shook. You shot your eyes at him and his expressionless eyes stared back. “Y-You’re not a serial killer,” you blubbered out in disbelief. “You’re not just some cold-blooded killer who just kills whenever he wants or something?”
Mingi scoffed before he picked the wallet up. “If we’re being technical, I am. Make no mistake,” he explained as he put it back in the compartment, closing it. “But for the most part, no. The government wants these people out. I just so happen to be the best at what I do.”
God, you wanted to slap yourself to wake up from this nightmare. This completely rewrites everything you’ve ever known and believed. You’ve spent the last few months convincing yourself you were trapped beside a serial killer, but was the truth marginally better? You were so out of it that you didn’t hear Mingi sigh before he held your elbows, leading you to the couch and sitting you down. “You kill people for a living,” you stated bluntly.
The corners of his mouth lifted barely into half a smile. “Yes,” he replied, one brow raised in amusement, arms crossed as he looked down at you. “To put it simply, there are people that the government wants gone. The ones that really need to go. These are people that justice will never touch, Y/N. People that range from guilty to national security threats and they’re like ghosts; elusive because they’re aware that people are after them.”
Your mouth dropped. You thought that only happened in fiction. When you didn’t respond, he continued. “When the option of justice disappears, people like me become the option,” he shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “They give me a list,” he pointed at the paperwork on the table. “I make sure that they wish they were never born. Plain and simple.”
It was insane. Your eyes were being opened to a whole new world out there and that world was literally just sitting right beneath your nose all this time and you barely had any idea. You could barely look at Mingi right now without wanting to break down because how were you supposed to just take this all in? “A-Are there more of you?” You couldn’t help but ask.
Mingi hummed. He tilted his head at you, analysing you. He wasn’t expecting you to ask that, hell, you bet he was expecting you to act erratically. “A handful,” he admitted. “This is as discreet as it gets, there isn’t really a job market for this. The elimination process is…grueling, and obviously, not a lot of people want to do it. You’ve met about half of the entire operation already.”
He smirked when your eyes widened. “Wooyoung and Hongjoong. Different specialties, but same job description, nonetheless,” he explained. A shiver ran up your spine. It made sense, everything made sense - Hongjoong’s attitude towards Mingi and Wooyoung’s nonchalance with Yamada and his reaction at the stairwell that same night. “And you’ve met Yeosang at the gala.”
Your brows knitted. “Good-looking guy, birthmark here,” he pointed at his left temple. And that’s when it hit. That unsettling man who talked to Mingi, how could you forget? You nodded slowly. “He’s the Big Boss’ son. He actually trained me,” he huffed, a small flicker of respect reflecting his features. “Only one of two who are above me by rank. Besides his father, obviously.”
Somehow, that made plenty of sense. You remembered the way Mingi unconsciously straightened when Yeosang approached, the absolute lack of his usual bravado, and the effortless authority Yeosang seemed to carry that felt much heavier than Mingi’s. “And Seonghwa?” You asked. “Yunho? Where do they both fit here?”
Mingi laughed, shaking his head. “Yunho’s innocent, just a regular worker. We still need to keep a legitimate front to keep the operation behind wraps. Seonghwa, on the other hand, he’s a bit…” he trailed off, trying to find the right word. “...different. He used to do what I do.”
The amusement faded from his face before he continued. “He’s been doing this since he was eighteen and he’d already done more than enough. He was tired, but retirement doesn’t really exist in this line of work. Truth was, Big Boss didn’t want to let him go. It would be foolish to let go of the man who perfected this system after all. So, he offered him a compromise.”
It wasn’t that difficult to believe. You watched Seonghwa hold the knife that night. Turns out, the most dangerous man was the one you trusted the most. “The compromise,” you murmured, swallowing heavily. “Was it KQ?”
“Smart girl,” Mingi smirked. “See, for this to work, we needed discretion. We can’t just eliminate them out of the blue and for no reason. People would ask questions, and that’s the last thing we wanted. Unfortunately, these bastards aren't dumb, so it’s extremely difficult to isolate them and make their deaths believable. However, all of them do have one thing in common.”
Your mouth had gone dry, but you found yourself leaning slightly forward to anticipate the answer anyway. “Greed,” Mingi said. “Money and investing makes it easy to lure them out. All we have to do is make it look like a transaction gone awry. Seonghwa gets the life he wants and we get access to the people we need. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
“So, in essence, KQ is a real company that runs on legitimate business that also happens to be an intelligence network where Seonghwa still runs things behind the scenes without being in the actual field. Did I get that right?” You asked. When Mingi nodded, you laughed in disbelief. “No wonder you didn’t care if I went to the police or not. I would’ve looked like a massive idiot.”
Silence settled over the apartment. You didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what to feel because everything just makes perfect sense. In your eyes, he was still a psychopath. The only distinction was that he was the government’s psychopath. “Everything you did was legal,” you sighed in defeat. “Why didn’t you say so? Why let me believe otherwise?”
Mingi raised a brow, amusement curling his lips. “You didn’t ask,” he shrugged.
Admittedly, you didn’t think your question through and it was a stupid one in hindsight. Also, you were never going to get a straight answer from Mingi anyway, at least, nothing that pleased you, but seeing how nonchalant he was still shot anger through you. “Are you being for real?”
Mingi crossed his arms, a deadpanned look in his eyes. “Says you. You were the one playing blind like it was going to work in the first place,” he pointed out, dry and flat. He turns around - which was a good thing so he couldn't see how red you were from rage and shame. You watched him grab only one paper from the folder before he walked back, this time, sitting across you.
Without a word, he slides the paper from across the table. You stared at him for a second before your fingers pulled it towards you. You expected to see another random face in there, but when you saw a blank piece of paper with only your face in it, you almost dropped it, heart falling down to your foot.
“Relax, sweet pea, it’s not what you think it is,” he immediately said the moment he saw your panicked face. “The system can’t eliminate you simply because you were never a criminal to begin with, much less witness one happen right before your very eyes.”
“But that’s the problem, isn’t it? You saw it,” Mingi stated plainly. He pointed at the paper in your hands. “That makes you a witness to an ongoing operation and a walking liability to something that was never meant for the public eye. I’m not going to lie to you, you caused quite the divide with the team back then for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
That caught your attention. “I don’t understand,” you frowned. “You said it yourself. Wrong place, wrong time. I didn’t mean any harm, I could have kept my mouth shut.”
Mingi smirked, shaking his head cynically. “People die because of what could have and should have. Don’t make me laugh here,” he scoffed. “At the end of the day, I am nothing but an agent no matter how high my rank is and I still had to answer to someone. That meant I had to tell Seonghwa. And Seonghwa had to tell Yeosang. And we do have protocols for this.”
“Yeosang was angry, obviously. He wanted to enact protocol immediately, hence that paper in your hand,” he continued. You swallowed audibly at that. “I happen to fancy you a little too much to let that happen, so I hired you. Having you work for me ensured that you didn’t blab to the wrong people. Plus, it wasn’t like you weren’t dying to work for me, anyway. No pun intended.”
“God, Mingi, you are such a massive asshole, I swear to God,” you scoffed. The way he talked about it rubbed you off the wrong way, though admittedly, you could see where he was coming from. “So, what? Am I supposed to thank you? My life is in shambles now, no thanks to you.”
“Yes, actually, you should,” he raised a brow, unimpressed. “Because lucky for you, Seonghwa took a genuine liking to you so it wasn’t difficult for me to disobey protocol and keep you and convince Yeosang to not tell his father about you, because trust me, you would not like that.”
You stayed silent, not really wanting to know what he meant by that. “Paper’s blank, love. I didn’t go through with it. I had no reason to and I still don’t. Even if they threatened me, I still won’t. You were innocent and I was aware of that. I’m not the animal you think I am, Y/N, and I don’t gain anything from killing civilians.”
Your fingers curled around the paper until it crumpled slightly. It wasn't compassion nor was it mercy. To Mingi, your life had been spared for the same reason someone chose not to swat a fly that landed on them. It wasn’t because it deserved to live, but because it simply wasn't worth the inconvenience. You didn’t know what to feel about that.
You got up, marching towards the dining table to hastily grab the folder before smacking it across the coffee table in front of Mingi, fuming with the repressed anger that had been building for months. “There were a hundred different ways this could’ve been handled. My entire career is a fucking lie,” you seethed. “There was no need for me to be dragged to KQ like some sort of luggage for something I didn’t even mean to see.”
Mingi regarded you for a long moment, his expression unreadable. “I understand you’re angry, love, but I don’t regret what I did,” he said, gaze settling on you, unwavering. “Big Boss and the other directors aren’t exactly known for being kind, Y/N. If they find out, you would’ve been a goner. Personally, you know I find absolutely no problem in hurting you. However…”
“...that had been with my own hands,” he continued. “I didn’t want them to hurt you. That’s an entirely different beast, and you would never be the same afterwards. You don’t have to like it. But the fact of the matter is that you were there that day. And unfortunately, we have protocol for it. Protocols that are written in blood, both by the bad and the innocent, and they are the reason why order exists on things that aren’t supposed to happen, do you understand that?”
You turned around, ready to walk away, when he grabbed your arm to spin you around, his eyes ablaze. “Don’t you dare turn your back on me,” he hissed. “I need you to understand that I did what I did to stop them from taking you from me, Y/N. I didn’t want your blood on my hands.”
You didn’t want to believe him. Mingi had spent way too long being angry over him making a fool out of you and you weren’t about to let him do it again. And even then, it wasn’t specifically because he cared for you. “I would rather hurt you once if it means protecting you forever,” he sighed heavily, letting your arm go. “Not one ‘thank you’ from that pretty mouth of yours.”
That last thread of patience snapped. “Protection isn’t impressive when you’re the reason I needed protection in the first place,” you spat venomously, trying to pry his hand off of you. And there was still something that bothered you more than anything else. “And what about me?” You asked, afraid of the answer, but had to ask anyway. “Where exactly do I fit in in all of this?”
He knew you were at the warehouse that night and he knows that you know that he never needed a translator. Something completely shifted in Mingi’s eyes. That detached indifference dissolved into something more unnerving. His pupils seemed darker somehow, fixed entirely on you with an intensity that bordered on reverence and possession all at once. It wasn’t lust or desire, not entirely, but it was something much worse that made you freeze.
Fixation and obsession. His hand rose, knuckles brushing your cheek, fingers disappearing behind your neck to cradle it. “Nothing,” he whispered, fingers spreading possessively across your neck, a faint smile tugging at his lips when you squirmed. “But everything at the same time. You and my profession are two separate things. You are my greatest professional failure, love.”
He tilted your face upward, forcing your eyes back to his. “At least that’s how it all started,” he spoke, his expression flattening. “You were my responsibility for the longest time. And I absolutely detested you for being on that trail because no matter what you did, everything would have come back to me. Who do you think they’d kill after they finished you?”
That sent shivers up your spine. “Keeping you long enough to kill you, myself, if I see you fuck up was my only reprieve,” he chuckled. “But the longer I watched you, the more I found myself just keeping you for the shits and giggles. You are the most fascinating thing I’ve ever come across and I don’t ever want to let that go. The thought of it, alone, is enough to make me very angry.”
His eyes held yours with unnerving certainty, hand tightening around the back of your neck. “You represented the ruin of my art. You saw what I did that day, and yet, you’re still here. Alive…something you’re not supposed to be. So, yeah, I’m keeping you. Whether you like it or not. After that trail, you became mine. Trying to escape won’t do you good, I guarantee you.”
You were horrified. Mingi was completely obsessed with you, and he was never going to let you go. He was never going to apologise for playing with you and it wasn’t because he wasn’t capable of remorse, but because in his eyes, remorse is reserved for mistakes. This was no mistake to him; it was a calculated risk. He had absolute control the entire time and that realisation was more unsettling. You had no idea how you got here from where this all started.
“You are absolutely insane. You can’t just objectify me like this just because you want to, you prick,” you snapped, wrenching your head away from his grasp, taking a few steps backwards. “I’m human, Mingi, I have aspirations and things I wanna do and achieve. I want to be loved—”
“And I will give you those,” Mingi bargained. “Isn’t this as close to love as you’re going to get? You’ll have everything you want and more. I’ll give you everything and I can even learn to love you the way you like it. Being mine won’t be too different from the life you had before—”
“Oh, give me a fucking break,” you cried out, thoroughly done with him. “I don’t need you. I don’t want to be with you, don’t you get it? I already have people who love me who won’t hurt me or force me into situations I don’t want to be in. I don’t need your fucked up version of love when I already have friends who genuinely care for me waiting for me to come home to them.”
Silence. For the longest time, all you could hear was your own heartbeat. Mingi stared at you, eyes searching yours with an intensity that made your stomach churn. His eyes hollowed out, fixed on nothing and everything at once, before his lips twitched into something cynical. And then, he started laughing. At first, it sounded normal, but when the deranged vacancy in his laughter started to fill the entire apartment, that’s when it truly hit you - Mingi was a madman.
“I don’t know about that, love,” he said, tone almost insulting in its indifference despite the loud, bellowing laugh he let out earlier. “None of these so-called ‘friends’ of yours have called you within the last few hours you’ve been with me starting from when we fucked on your bed earlier. You might want to rethink that statement of yours before I make you. ”
You froze. Every word chipped away at the illusion you hadn't even realized you'd been clinging to, because he was right, and the way he started stalking towards you slows means he knew it, too. “W-What did you do to them?” You stammered, terrified out of your wits as you stepped back, only to be stopped when your feet hit the couch. “What did you do?”
“Relax,” he chuckled, wrapping his arm all over your waist to pull you close. “They’re safe. Hongjoong is there as we speak and by now, he’s probably briefed them. Choi Jongho will be put into a witness protection programme. Since Yeosang and I go way back, he did me a favour and put him there. We just had to tweak it a little since the board cannot know he’s related to your case. He will not get hurt, and he will be put in a safer place, that I can guarantee.”
“But can I just go to that same programme?”
Mingi shook his head. “What makes his case doable is simply because he overheard something he wasn’t supposed to. I knew he was with you that night when me and Wooyoung were arguing by the staircase. Yes, you were both nosy, but still very much innocent and are civilians.”
You let out a breath you didn’t realise you were holding, the guilt riding on your back lifting at the fact that at least, Jongho was going to be alright. It’s been eating at you that you dragged him into this. “How do I know that you’re not lying?” You asked, suspicious.
He raised a brow, amusement dancing in his eyes. “You have my word,” he said. “Which probably doesn’t mean much. Hongjoong will call in a little to update me and you can ask him, yourself, then. I knew you were quite fond of my temporary assistant as he was of you.”
Relief hit you so suddenly your knees nearly gave out. For the first time in months, you weren’t thinking about surviving. “So this is it then,” you murmured, putting distance between you two. “You have no reason to keep me here. You’ve let me live alone on my own for months when I was working with you and you can just watch me from afar. Nothing changes so I’m leaving.”
Mingi didn't answer for a while. Then, the corners of his mouth lifted into the smallest smile. Without waiting for him to say something, you started to walk away. You meant it, you were going home. You refuse to play into Mingi’s cards no more, refuse to let him fiddle with you—
“I only mentioned one friend, sweetheart. I reckon you have two you were looking out for.”
The coldest bucket of water could’ve been poured on you on the spot but it wouldn’t beat the glacial fear that ran from your spine all the way to your toes. San. You had to mechanically turn yourself around, your frigid body locking in on itself as you forced yourself to look at him. There was pity in his eyes, but the mocking and contempt in them was difficult to ignore.
“He’s a tricky case, you know?” Mingi chuckled. “He’s a witness by association. He never witnessed anything and was never in the wrong place at the wrong time. The only misfortune he has is being that one sponge who absorbs every information without meaning to. Out of you three, he’s the most extreme liability. You and Jongho both work in KQ. We don’t know anything about Choi San except that he’s connected to you. Do you know what that means, love?”
Tears prickled behind your eyes. You thought you knew fear when you tried to outsmart Mingi on that trail, when you’ve witnessed multiple murders, or when you’ve been this close to being caught many times, but apparently, this was it. “It means,” Mingi whispered, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “He’s in limbo. Can’t be in the programme because he didn’t do enough but he also can’t be left alone because Big Boss is very particular about civilians knowing sensitive info.”
“No,” you breathed out, having to steady yourself to the nearest table. Genuine emotion cracked through your composure, and terror flooded every inch of you so violently it burned because this was San. “You,” you let out, voice shaking, lifting an equally trembling finger to point derisively at Mingi. “You stay the fuck away from him, you hear me?”
He was the person who never left; the one person who packed his life into two suitcases because you asked. "You ruined my life," you cried out, voice loud enough to carry to the next generation. "You dragged me into this. You manipulated me and lied to me for months for your sick satisfaction, and now you're telling me my best friend has to pay for your mistakes?"
He smiled. It was small, but somehow, it looked more dangerous than all of the smirks he’s ever shown you. He had the upper hand and he reveled in it. But he didn’t bother replying; didn’t really need to. The way you unraveled in front of him was more than enough. “What do you want, Mingi?” You asked through gritted teeth. “Just…tell me what you want.”
The question came out more defeated than you’d like. You were tired of this back and forth and knowing him, there was already an answer waiting at the tip of his tongue just itching to be said. Mingi studied your face for several seconds before answering. “Surrender yourself to me.”
You felt sick. “I’ll make sure Big Boss doesn’t even get a whiff of Choi San’s scent,” he continued. “I’ll assume personal responsibility for him and make sure he gets to be in the same programme as your other friend. He will matter simply because he matters to me. And because he matters to me,” he tilted his head, smirking. “Nobody touches him. As long as you’re with me, that is.”
Your eyes widened at the insinuation. He was basically asking you to sell his soul to him in exchange for San’s safety and he was bargaining it like it was some sort of contractual paperwork. “You’re blackmailing me,” you stated flatly. “You’re a monster, Mingi.”
He shrugged carelessly as though none of this mattered to him. “Call it what you will,” he said. "I call it the only arrangement where everyone you love walks away breathing."
Your knees finally gave out and you collapsed onto the edge of the sofa, your back sliding against it comically slow, squeezing your eyes shut. Every instinct screamed at you to fight, but you were just so exhausted. There was no point because this wasn’t survival anymore. Your consent had long been gone. “Fine,” was all you said even though you shattered on the inside.
Mingi exhaled, but not because he was pleased. It was because he was getting impatient, because to him, your answer should’ve been immediate. He wasn’t entirely pleased because he was already expecting it even though it took you a while. “Good,” he uttered, stepping closer, and for a second he thought he was going to corner you physically just because he could.
But then, he went straight, bending to grab the folder you haphazardly smacked against the table in anger earlier before squatting down eye level with you. “Sign it,” he muttered, jutting said folder towards you. “You’re my little spitfire and that’s what I like about you, but I don’t trust you. I need a guarantee you won’t run. This was what you were bound to do eventually anyway.”
You scowled bitterly at him. As if this piece of paper could stop you from simply running away anyway. You were about to reach and grab the folder, but you paused at the last second. His last statement. That went over your head for a second there. “Hold on,” you frowned. “What the hell do you mean? I’m pretty sure the government has nothing to do with your obsession with me.”
He let out a breathy chuckle that would’ve otherwise been innocent in any other situation. “No, not entirely. It’s just purely for assurance because I realised something rather inconvenient,” he said, thumb brushing lazily over the edge of the folder. “You are going to leave me eventually,” he paused to look you dead in the eye. “So I gave you something you couldn’t walk away from.”
You stared at him, confused. When Mingi saw that you were genuinely clueless, his brows raised, stunned in silence for a few seconds. “You’ve always been very bright, love,” he began, gently brushing your hair away from your face. You fought the urge to shirk away from the infantalising gesture. “But every now and then, you do disappoint me. ”
A chill crawled up your spine. Something tells you that whatever this was will change everything. You just didn’t know or understand how. “Remember this?” He lifted the folder up with a smirk. Your heartbeat pounded painfully against your ribs, not knowing where he was going with this. His fingers tapped once against the folder. “This was just files to you. Now, we have a problem.”
He opened it again, flipping each of the pages you’ve already seen yourself earlier, and he kept flipping until he got to the very last page of the entire dossier, raising it for you to see. A red classification stamp stretched across the whole page, but that wasn’t the part that made your stomach drop to your foot.
GOVERNMENT INTELLIGENCELEVEL BLACK FILESUNAUTHORISED ACCESS STRICTLY PROHIBITEDMUST REPORT IF UNCLEARED
“I…I-I don’t understand,” you blurted out, taking the folder in your hands to read it over and over again, because deep inside, you wanted to deny the facts that were slowly forming into a whole picture in your head.
Mingi watched your face carefully. “Before today, you were merely a civilian who accidentally witnessed an operation,” he began, that sinister look in his eyes darkening the more he spoke. “And that’s fine. You can’t be punished for something you didn’t do wittingly. But now…”
He leaned, his lips a couple of inches away from your ears. “You’ve knowingly accessed confidential government dossiers, operational identities, assets, agent procedures, and most damning of them all, the criminal’s identities. These are things that must remain in secrecy within. You could have had at least some semblance to your old life.”
You wanted to throw up, the realisation settling into your stomach with sickening clarity and heaviness. He leaned away, a satisfied grin plastered on his face. “I really do have to keep you now, love,” he chuckled. “I really, really do.”
Your eyes burned with the sudden onslaught of tears, but you refused to let them fall. You hated that he could read your fear so effortlessly. You wanted to move, to put distance between you, but your legs felt useless beneath you. “That's not fair,” you tried to reason. “I didn't know I couldn't look. It’s my damn fault you dragged me here.”
“Unfortunately, ignorance of the law excuses no one,” he shrugged nonchalantly.
“It's your word against mine,” you shot back. “Nobody’s going to know I looked at it.”
Mingi smirked, turning and tilting his head to look up and when you followed his line of sight, you were met with the sight of a small camera in the corner of the room. Of course, you thought bitterly. The walls seemed to close in on you. You clutched your chest, willing for that claustrophobic pain to go away. All you wanted was to have your old life back, and somehow, even that option had been taken away from you.
Amidst all of that, something inside you snapped. Mingi was a very meticulous person. Obsessively so. Even looking around his apartment right now, it was easy to tell how neat and orderly he was, and somehow, a folder that important had been left out carelessly. “You did this on purpose,” you blurted out, breathing turning ragged.
Mingi’s brows lifted, eyes snapping at you with renewed interest. He didn’t answer, and somehow, that was ironically all the answer you needed. You stood up, something hot and violent surging through you. “You left that folder out on purpose,” you seethed, jabbing your finger to his chest to emphasise every word. “You fucking psychopath, I’m going to—”
Mingi held both your hands to restrain you, mouth stretching into a smile so delighted that it bordered on erratic. “I did,” he admitted, eyes shining not with fear that he’d been found out, but with unbridled excitement. “But I didn’t tell you to look, did I? It was there, yes, but you…”
He laughed quietly at first, but your ashen face fell when it got louder. There was something horribly wrong with it. “Oh, baby doll,” he broke off, laughing under his breath. “You can’t blame me for everything. I distinctly remember telling you to make yourself at home, I didn’t force you to look through the folder. But you want to know what I did know?”
His expression changed, not entirely because the ecstatic smile remained, but his eyes had gone colder. “I knew you’d snoop,” he said without any ounce of shame or apology. “I know you. And I know you wanted answers, so I gave you the opportunity to find them. You should be thanking me, honestly, and it’s not my fault you have no self-control.”
Your lips parted, breathing becoming uneven. That would explain why he wasn’t surprised or angry when he saw you looking through the files - he was waiting for the moment that you did. The room spun, nausea threatening to send you into a massive black out. The moment you opened that folder, you had already lost. “You manipulated me,” you said, voice cracking midway.
“No,” he corrected as though he’d rehearsed this conversation long before you’d ever walked into his apartment. “I guided you. You made the choice. I just simply knew which one you’d make.”
Fury-fueled adrenaline coursed through you and broke free from his grasp, shoving both hands against his chest. The impact made him take a step backward. “You son of a bitch,” you screamed. “You planned this, you fucking knew I’ve been trying to disassociate myself from all of this. How can you do this to me?”
You shoved him again, harder this time. Your palms stung and your throat burned, but you barely felt any of it. Mingi barely moved, and somehow, that just made you angrier. “You sick, manipulative bastard,” you cried, tears falling from your eyes but you didn’t care anymore. “You couldn’t just let me go, could you?”
Your hands trembled as you struck him over and over again, each blow fueled by months of fear, humiliation, anger, and helplessness finally finding somewhere to go. For once, you weren’t scared of what your anger might do. You were too furious to care. And throughout this, Mingi may have looked unbothered, but his eyes, they held a reverent satisfaction as though this - your rage, hatred, and defiance - was exactly what he’d been waiting to see.
When your fists fell limp against his chest, his arms came around you. The embrace was unbearably gentle compared to everything he’d done to you. “Relax,” he murmured, hand moving through your hair so soothing that it almost felt insulting. “It can’t be that bad to belong to me. I’ll take care of you. I’ll give you everything you need and protect you from now on.”
Mingi leaned back, thumb brushing beneath your eye to wipe away your tears. You stared at him, devastated by how easily he could turn captivity into something that sounded like security. “You don't get to call this protection,” you muttered bitterly. “I didn’t choose whatever the fuck this is.”
Something unreadable passed through his eyes. “Not everything good in your life has to begin with a choice,” he said. His words made your stomach twist. He released you to take a pen, put it in your hand along with the open folder. “Sign it, love. Don’t make this any harder for us both.”
You stared at the blank line for several seconds, wanting to fight him off, but you were exhausted. There was no point in escaping when the cage had no door. It took less than a second to sign your name, each stroke feeling like shackles tightening around your neck. When you finished, Mingi took one look at the signed paper before giving you a light kiss on your forehead.
“You should get some rest. I reckon this took a lot out of you,” he spoke, leading your tired body to sit back on the couch, even going as far as to put a pillow behind your back. “I’ll order us food in a bit and then I’ll instruct people to get the rest of your stuff from your apartment. I want you completely moved in and settled within the week.”
You looked away, not bothering to reply because you knew better. And so did he. As he was in the process of getting your luggage you completely forgot about, his phone rang. It was Hongjoong. “Go ahead,” Mingi coaxed. “You might want to hear what he has to say. You wanted to ensure your friends’ safety, yes?”
And with that thought in mind, you immediately answered. Hongjoong’s brows raised slightly, mouth parting in mild surprise when he saw your displeased face on the video. “Well, uh, this is a pleasant surprise,” he chuckled nervously. “I’m glad to see you, Y/N, I really am, but I need to speak to Mingi. Is he there, by any chance?”
“Cut the bullshit, Hongjoong. I know everything,” you deadpanned. In the corner of your eye, you saw Mingi smirk at your straightforwardness. “Put San and Jongho on the phone before I do something drastic, please. I need to see that they’re okay.”
And they were. In fact, they seemed to be doing a little too well. You couldn’t help but feel relief as you talked to San, who was no less than shocked at the turn of events while Jongho and Hongjoong were eating and laughing in the background like they’ve been longtime buddies. It was difficult to stay mad at Hongjoong seeing as he did at least try his best to remedy the lies he’s built up and gave your friends the safest place they could go after all of this.
“I’m sorry, Y/N, I really am,” Hongjoong apologised with a sigh, running his fingers through his hair in defeat. “You didn’t deserve any of this. None of you did. After I settle things here, I’m going to try my best to see what I can do for you, alright? I’ll try to talk to Seonghwa about it.”
You scoffed bitterly. “What else is there left to do? I’m stuck here with Mingi after he made me sign that goddamn paper. And while I appreciate your apology, I’m here to ask about San’s situation. Best case scenario, I want him to be at least with Jongho, but if not, I just want to make sure he’ll be put in the safest place, at least.”
Hongjoong didn’t speak for a moment, blinking multiple times at you as if he was making sure he was hearing you correctly. His brows furrowed as genuine confusion flickered on his face.
“What do you mean?” He asked, a clear hesitation coating his voice. In the background, you saw Mingi pause at what he was doing. “And what do you mean Mingi made you sign something?”
The way he asked that last part made you narrow your eyes, your mind numbing out as your blood ran cold. You told him everything - from Mingi telling you that everybody was actually government agents, your role and why Mingi had to make you his translator, the dossier, the witness protection programme , all the way to San’s state of limbo. Hongjoong stared at you, and for a second, his composure faltered. It wasn’t the usual controlled concern you were used to seeing on him. “Mingi told you San was in limbo?” He asked, genuine shock on his face.
You nodded and his eyes widened, muttering a quiet curse under his breath that made your stomach swoop. “Y/N, I need you to listen to me carefully,” he said slowly, dragging a hand down his face in frustration. “He was in limbo, that much was true. But that’s why I’m here - to work it out. Mingi sent me here to clear San. As of now, he’s in the same programme as Jongho.”
You snapped your head towards Mingi. He paused from dragging your luggage in to stare back at you. He was smiling. It wasn’t that smug, triumphant smile he always wore. It was just a tiny, knowing curve. Horror spread through you as you realised something - that Mingi technically never lied. He did tell you San was in limbo and that he’d keep him safe. He just never said when and how. You had just assumed he’d do it after, not that he’s already done it beforehand.
Your eyes burned. At this point, you didn’t know if you were the dumb one for falling for his manipulation over and over again or if he’s that good. You turned back to Hongjoong in panic. “He used San against me,” you blurted out. You told him about you looking through the criminal target files and Mingi pretty much blackmailing you into signing it using the cameras.
This was actually what made Hongjoong reel back in horror. “Did you sign it?” He asked, sheer panic clouding his features. You were rendered speechless, not knowing what to say, but you nodded anyway. “Song Mingi, you made her sign a binding contract? You son of a bitch. I’m going to shoot you myself when I’m done here, I swear to God—”
“It’s not my fault that she keeps falling for it, Joong,” Mingi spoke nonchalantly, not even bothering to pause this time as he hauled your luggage into a random room, a gleam in his eyes. “And you make it sound so bad. I already said I’ll take good care of her and you know I meant it.”
As if things weren’t bad enough already, Hongjoong dropped another bombshell, looking so helpless you almost felt bad for him. “And about those cameras,” he winced, clearly wanting to be anywhere but be the bearer of bad news. “They’re broken. I called to tell Mingi that I had the replacement units. I was about to drop by after I was done here.”
You closed your eyes, a long sigh heaving out from your lungs. It really was the gift that keeps on giving. “Word of advice, Y/N?” Hongjoong quietly spoke. “A leopard can’t change its spots. Even if you manage to beat him and make him leave, he’ll be back with a stick next time. Beat him with a stick he’ll be back with a gun and if you beat him with a gun you better make sure he’s dead because Mingi won’t stop. May we never go to hell, but always be on our way. Good luck.”
You sank back into the couch, staring at nothing. Mingi didn’t need to blackmail you anything - he simply needed to make you believe he would. You had done the rest yourself. You had let your emotions get the best of you and Mingi used this to his advantage. The realisation hollowed you out because how could you be so stupid?
Your eyes stung, but you didn’t cry. You couldn’t. There wasn’t much left in you anymore because you let Mingi lock the door you willingly went into. You crossed your arms petulantly, glaring daggers at Mingi because at this point, there was nothing else left to do. It was over.
Mingi, unfortunately, seemed extremely delighted, looking too entirely pleased with himself. “For what it’s worth, you took it very well, love. You looked very convincing when you signed.”
Your glare intensified, rolling your eyes and sinking further into the couch, not willing to even talk to him anymore. You let your eyes do the talking - that if it wasn’t for him, you wouldn’t even be in this situation. You set your eyes on the folder that had your signature, hoping that it would burn to ashes. with how hard you were glaring at it.
“What?” He asked innocently, a glimmer of mischief behind those eyes. “You never asked.”
You didn’t know how it came to be, but one second, you were sitting at home watching a movie, and the next you were straddled on Christian’s lap, his eyelashes fluttering against your skin as he left soft kisses along your neck.
“Ian…” you breathed out as you felt his hands trace the curve of your waist. “T-the movie…”
“Darling,” he drawled out before moving his head to meet your half-lidded gaze. “What did I tell you?”
“D-daddy… The movie—” you cut yourself off when you felt his hands slip under your shirt and cup your bra, a sharp gasp hitching your voice.
“Don’t worry, darling,” you heard another voice behind you. “Mommy’s got it.”
You didn’t have to look back to know that Seonghwa had entered the living room. The voices from the movie disappeared, and seconds later, Seonghwa arrived by your side. He sat down next to Christian and placed a light hand on your thigh. Seonghwa rubbed your thigh, his fingers getting closer and closer to your crotch with every stroke, making you whimper uncontrollably.
“You should say “thank you, mommy,” after I do something for you,” he purred, his fingers tickling your ear as he brushed your hair back.
“Th-thank you, mommy,” you whispered.
You continued to whine and whimper as you felt Christian’s hands wrap around you, his fingers nimbly unhooking your bra. Seonghwa helped him pull your shirt off, the man under your seat pulling your bra off shortly thereafter. Christian moved down to take your breast into his mouth, his teeth gently coming down on your tit while his hand firmly kneaded your other breast. Seonghwa, meanwhile, proceeded to leave sloppy kisses on the other side of your neck, his fingers rubbing your clothed crotch meticulously.
“M-mommy, d-daddy— I want more,” you begged helplessly as you felt a pool of your arousal slowly soak your panties.
“What do you want daddy to do, darling?” Christian rumbled.
“Fuck me,” you whispered. “Fill me up.”
“And what should mommy do?”
You turned your head and looked at Seonghwa with teary eyes, the thoughts in your head melting with each passing second. Wordlessly, Seonghwa pressed his soft, thick lips against yours, his tongue immediately slipping into your mouth. His tongue sought yours out and tangled with it, his hand unbuttoning your jeans and pushing past your panties.
“Our darling is so needy,” Christian chuckled when he saw Seonghwa pull his fingers out, a trail of your arousal connecting his fingers as he spread them. “Come here, daddy and mommy’ll make you feel better.”
Seonghwa pulled you off Christian’s lap and had you straddle him, your lips still locked in a frenzied tango. Christian stripped completely and laid down on the couch, his hands grabbing your waist and pulling you away from Seonghwa, allowing the other man to also strip. Christian started pushing the waistband of your pants down while Seonghwa finished the job, leaving you completely naked on top of Christian. He turned you around so that your back was pressed against his chest, leaving you up to face the other beautiful man, a soft smile gracing his lips as he eyed you up and down.
“Darling, you look so beautiful all desperate and wanting your mommy and daddy,” Seonghwa murmured.
As Christian rubbed his cock against your soaking cunt, Seonghwa watched and stroked his cock, his lower lip tucked in between his teeth as he imagined all the ways he could wreck you. It was when Christian suddenly shoved his cock into your tight hole did you actually cry, tears slipping out of your eyes as your brain completely wiped clean.
“Does daddy feel that good, baby?” Seonghwa asked as he wiped your tears.
You could only respond with a weak nod. Christian thrust powerfully underneath you, his low grunts making you lose more of your sanity. Seonghwa climbed on top of you and only made your mental state worse when he rubbed his own throbbing cock against your clit, his chest pressing down lightly and rubbing against yours as he rolled his hips into you. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head when Seonghwa kissed you passionately once more, and when Christian’s cock rubbed within you just right and hit your cervix, you came, your legs shaking uncontrollably as your arousal squirted out of you.
“Fuck, darling, don’t clench so hard,” Christian bit out. “You’re gonna make me cum.”
“Cum, daddy— Fill me up,” you cried as you reached behind you and ran your fingers through his hair. You held onto his roots and intentionally clenched again while saying, “Stuff me full with your cum.”
Seonghwa moved off you, allowing Christian to slam his hips up into yours, his hot cock spurting long ropes of cum inside you. When Christian pulled out, Seonghwa immediately gathered his cum and stuffed it back inside you while saying, “Good girl, but now you need to take my load.”
Turning you over, you were shoved into Christian’s arms as Seonghwa brought your ass up and quickly shoved his own cock into you. You moaned loudly and collapsed on Christian as your arms gave out, the handsome man beneath you holding you close. Your nipples rubbed against Christian’s chest as Seonghwa’s his gyrated against yours, his burning hot cock making you feel like your insides were going to catch on fire.
“Darling,” Christian whispered in your ear, his tongue leaving a lazy trail from your neck to your ear. “Daddy wants you to suck his dick. Will you do it?”
“A-anything for daddy,” you whispered.
Christian sat up, his back pressing against the arm rest, his cock in hand as he held it before your face. You left the tiniest kiss on the tip before taking his full length into your mouth, immediately gagging as you did so. You quickly took him out of your mouth and gasped for air, your trail of spit still connecting the tip of his cock to your tongue.
You weren’t the only one gasping— when you gagged, you also clenched the walls of your pussy, sending Seonghwa to heaven and hell in an instant. He held your ass tightly and dug his fingers into your soft skin as he proceeded to fill you up, a loud groan leaving his body and echoing in the static living room as his cum mixed with Christian’s.
“Come back, baby,” Christian murmured as he tapped your cheek with his cock. “I still want you to suck me off.”
Nodding, you took Christian into your mouth again, your hands digging into the sofa cushion as you barely held yourself up. Suddenly, one of your hands left the couch, nearly making you buckle. You had to take Christian out of your mouth again to look to the side and see Seonghwa take your hand and forcibly wrap your hand around his twitching cock.
“Who told you to stop?” Seonghwa asked as he guided your hand.
Before you could apologize, Christian ran his fingers through your hair and gripped the back of your head, bringing you down to his cock, forcing you to suck. Christian moved your head as Seonghwa moved your hand, the two men using you like a toy to pleasure themselves.
“You’re doing such a good job for us, baby,” Christian complimented you in a low voice. “Just like that.”
“You’re making us feel so good, darling,” Seonghwa piled on. “You’re such a good girl.”
The praises from both men were turning you on, your pussy quivering with each loving sentence. The tension in your stomach built, and you desperately wanted to release, so you brought your fingers to your clit and traced rapid circles, making the multitasking all the more harder for yourself. You gagged several times on Christian’s size, and you gripped Seonghwa’s cock rather than stroked it as you focused more on yourself, sending the two men into fits of pleasure. Christian shoved your head down as he came hard into your mouth, his cum hitting the back of your throat and making you gag even more before you swallowed. Seonghwa, meanwhile, stroked himself just a bit faster to release his own load on your face and back.
You, however, had yet to cum again. Your frustration was evident, apparently, as Christian and Seonghwa both took note of how desperately you were rubbing your sensitive bud while wiping Seonghwa’s cum from your face and sucking it off your fingers.
“Do you want more, darling?” Christian asked you as Seonghwa subtly moved your hand away from your clit.
“Yes, daddy. Yes, please,” you pathetically begged, the knot in your stomach only getting tighter.
“Okay, daddy’ll make you feel better.”
Christian sank down on the couch again and turned you around so that your pussy was over his face. You were clenching hard to keep his and Seonghwa’s cum inside you, but the second his lips met your folds, you had to let go of the load.
“C’mere,” Seonghwa instructed you as he took a seat on the couch. “Suck.”
Seonghwa’s hand collected your hair and held it back as you began to suck the man off, a shuddering sigh leaving his lungs as you started light and just took him in and out of your mouth. When Christian’s tongue pushed further into your cunt than you expected, your entire body twitched, and you took the entirety of Seonghwa’s length into your mouth.
“What a naughty girl,” he murmured as he brushed your hair out of your face. “Enjoying Ian eating our cum from your pussy, are you? How dirty.”
“M-mommy,” you took him out of your mouth to whine. “Don’t call me naughty or dirty…”
“You want me to call you a good girl?”
You nodded immediately. Seonghwa held your cheeks and forced your mouth open while uttering, “Swallow everything, and I’ll call you a good girl.”
Eager for his praise, you took Seonghwa back into your mouth and sucked earnestly, your hand stroking his cock at the same time. Your blow job got sloppier as you felt Christian’s tongue flick and toy with your clit, his tongue moving rapidly. Seonghwa’s cock muffled your moan as you came all over Christian’s face, his mouth decorated with your arousal fluid and the mixed cum of both the men fucking you.
The vibrations of your throat as you moaned became too much for Seonghwa. His grasp on your hair tightened, and he pushed you down slightly as he came, his cum coating your tongue. His cock still in your mouth, you looked up at him and swallowed loudly to show that you did as he asked.
“Such a good girl,” Seonghwa cooed as he pet your hair. “Right?”
“Yes, our good girl,” Christian agreed as he sat up. His hand found your neck, and he wrapped his fingers around and squeezed lightly as he whispered, “Our precious darling.”
WARNINGS: supernatural, possession, unhealthy/obsessive behavior, extreme fixation, psychological, unsettling imagery, emotional manipulation, no graphic violence but heavy disturbing themes.
──────READ AT YOUR OWN RISK ──────
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ℝ𝔼𝔽𝕃𝔼ℂ𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ
Chapter 2
You woke at 3:17 a.m. — the numbers glowing faint and pale on the face of the clock beside the bed. The room was still wrapped in that deep, quiet hush that only falls in the hours before dawn, when the world outside seems to hold its breath. The rain had slowed to a soft, distant murmur, tapping lightly against the glass like fingertips asking to be let in. Beside you, the bed was empty.
For a moment you lay still, half caught between sleep and waking, your mind drifting slowly back into focus. You reached out automatically, your hand brushing cool, smooth sheets where San should have been. Your heart gave a small, confused lurch before you told yourself not to worry he was restless sometimes, especially after days spent out in the cold, or when something sat heavy on his mind. Often he would get up to fetch water, or stand by the window for a while, or sit quietly in the armchair until he felt steady enough to sleep again. You told yourself it was nothing more than that.
You sat up slowly, pulling the soft duvet around your shoulders, and turned your head toward the bedroom door. It stood ajar, just a few inches, and a faint, shifting silver light spilled through the gap, painting pale ripples across the floorboards. It did not look like the warm golden glow of the bedside lamp, or the cool white of the overhead light. It looked like moonlight on water, bright and alive and moving, even though the moon was hidden behind thick clouds.
You slipped out of bed, your bare feet touching the cool wood, and padded quietly toward the door. You did not know why you moved so softly, why you found yourself holding your breath. Some quiet instinct deep inside you warned you that something was different that the air in the room felt heavier, tighter, as if the walls themselves were listening.
You pushed the door open just far enough to see inside.
San was standing before the mirror.
He was barefoot, dressed only in the thin cotton shirt he slept in, his dark hair falling loose and messy over his forehead and eyes. He stood perfectly straight, his shoulders squared, his hands clenched tight at his sides until the knuckles shone white. He was not moving. He was not blinking. He simply stood there, staring into the dark glass as if he had been carved from stone and set there long before you ever knew him.
The silver patterns along the mirror’s frame were glowing. They burned with a steady, bright silver light that pulsed slowly, like a heartbeat once, twice, three times casting shifting shadows across San’s face that made him look less like himself and more like something ancient and powerful. The light washed over his features, turning his familiar warmth into something sharp and strange, carving deep hollows beneath his eyes and along his jawline that you had never seen there before.
He was not looking at his own reflection. You could see that clearly even from the doorway. His gaze was fixed far deeper than the surface, as if he were staring through the glass into something vast and endless that lived on the other side. His lips moved, forming words too quiet for you to hear, his voice low and breathless and full of something that sounded like awe, and something that sounded like fear.
“San?” you whispered, pushing the door open a little further.
The sound of your voice seemed to snap him out of a trance. He turned so fast it made you jump his body twisting, his head snapping toward you, his movements sharp and jerky, nothing like the smooth, easy grace you were used to. For a heartbeat you did not recognise him. His eyes were dark, so dark that the warm brown was almost entirely swallowed by the pupils, leaving only a thin ring of gold around the edges. They were wide and burning, filled with a terrifying intensity that made your breath catch in your throat.
Then he crossed the room in two long strides, and his arms were around you, pulling you tight against his chest so quickly and with such force that it knocked the breath from your lungs. He buried his face in the crook of your neck, his arms locked around your waist, his hands clutching at your back as if he were afraid you might dissolve into thin air if he let go for even a second. His heart was hammering against your own, fast and wild and out of rhythm, beating like a trapped bird against his ribs.
“It’s perfect,” he murmured, his voice thick and trembling, vibrating through his chest and into yours. “You’re perfect. More perfect than I ever knew.”
“San,” you said, your voice soft and unsteady as you lifted your hands to rest them on his shoulders. “You’re scaring me. What are you doing standing in the dark like this? What did you see in there?”
He did not pull back. He did not look at you. He just held you tighter, his fingers digging gently into your sides, pressing kiss after kiss to your neck, your jaw, your forehead desperate, hungry kisses that felt less like affection and more like he was trying to memorise every inch of you, to brand your shape into his mind so he would never forget it.
“It showed me the truth,” he said quietly, his forehead resting heavy against yours. His breath was warm and fast against your skin, smelling faintly of rain and something else something old and metallic, like copper or old coins. “Nothing bad. Just… what everyone else is too blind to see. How beautiful you are. How completely you belong to me.”
“Belong to you?” you repeated gently, reaching up to brush hair back from his face. “San, I’ve always been yours. You know that.”
He pulled back just enough to look into your eyes, his hands coming up to cup your face, his palms warm and firm against your skin. His gaze was intense, burning into you like he was seeing you for the very first time, like he was learning every line and curve and freckle all over again. There was something raw and feverish in his expression a desperate, consuming hunger that made your chest ache in a way you did not understand.
“You are,” he said, his voice low and intense, every word heavy with conviction. “But now I know it. Truly know it. I see it. And no one will ever make me see anything else.”
He kissed you then deep, slow, and overwhelming, his lips moving against yours with a fervour that left you dizzy and breathless. He kissed you like he was drinking you in, like he was trying to pull you inside himself so that nothing could ever separate you. When he finally pulled away, his eyes were still dark and bright, but there was a softness there too, a terrible, tender devotion that made your heart twist.
“Come back to bed,” he said, his voice gentle again, almost back to the San you knew. “It’s cold out here. I want to hold you.”
You let him lead you back to bed, let him pull the duvet up over both of you, let him wrap his arms around you and tuck your head beneath his chin. He held you closer than he ever had before tight enough that you could feel every beat of his heart, every rise and fall of his chest, every tremor that ran through him. He did not sleep. You could tell by the way his fingers moved slowly, constantly, over your skin tracing the line of your jaw, the curve of your shoulder, the shape of your hand as if he were checking you were still there, still real, still his.
When you woke again a few hours later, the room was filled with pale morning light, and San was sitting up beside you, watching you sleep. He was leaning forward slightly, his elbows resting on his knees, his chin propped in one hand, his eyes fixed on your face with that same quiet, burning intensity. He looked tired there were dark circles beneath his eyes, and his hair was messy and unkempt but he did not look unhappy. He looked like a man who had found something he had spent his whole life searching for.
“Good morning,” you said softly, sitting up and rubbing your eyes.
He smiled, and for a moment everything felt normal again that familiar warm, soft smile that reached his eyes and made them crinkle at the corners, the smile that had made you fall in love with him in the first place. He leaned forward and kissed your forehead, slow and lingering.
“Good morning, my love,” he said. “You look beautiful.”
Over breakfast, things felt different. Not wrong, exactly just shifted, like the world had tilted a fraction on its axis and nothing sat quite where it used to. San sat across from you at the small wooden table, but he did not eat his toast. He did not look at his phone, or speak about his plans for the day, or hum that quiet little tune he always hummed while he drank his tea. He just watched you — his eyes following every movement you made, every lift of your hand, every sip of tea, every small smile that touched your lips.
He reached across the table and took your hand in his, his fingers lacing tight through yours. He did not let go even when you reached for your mug, even when you stood up to take your plate to the sink. He walked with you, still holding on, his grip firm and steady.
“San,” you said gently, turning to face him as you stood by the sink. “You’re holding on so tight. I’m not going anywhere.”
He did not smile this time. He just looked at you, his gaze serious and dark and unwavering.
“I know,” he said quietly. “But I need to make sure. I need to be sure no one takes you away.”
“Who would take me away?” you asked, frowning a little as you reached up to brush a strand of hair from his face. “San, what is this about? Is it something the mirror showed you?”
His expression shifted, softening into something tender and sad. He lifted your hand and pressed a kiss to your knuckles, his lips lingering against your skin.
“Nothing that matters,” he said. “Just that… the world is full of blind people. And they don’t know how to look at something perfect without trying to ruin it.”
He would not say more. No matter how gently you asked, no matter how you tried to coax him into explaining, he would only kiss you and tell you not to worry, that he would take care of everything, that all you needed to do was trust him.
Later that morning, you walked past the bedroom and glanced inside. The mirror stood there, tall and dark and silent, its silver patterns glowing faintly even in the bright daylight. You stepped closer, curious, and looked into its surface.
You saw only yourself soft, familiar, unchanged. Your hair fell the way it always did, your skin looked smooth and healthy, your eyes clear and bright. There was nothing strange, nothing terrifying, nothing wrong. You were just you.
But as you stood there, something shifted deep within the glass. A ripple ran across the surface, as if a stone had been dropped into still water, and for a split second you saw something else a flash of red, of torn skin and bared bone, of something terrible and bleeding standing where you were. Then it was gone, and you were just you again, and the mirror was just a mirror.
You stepped back quickly, your heart racing, and told yourself it was nothing more than a trick of the light, a shadow playing tricks on your tired eyes. You told yourself not to be silly. You told yourself the mirror was just an old, beautiful thing, and that San was just tired, and that everything was fine.
But you did not step close to it again.
That afternoon, San came up behind you while you were folding laundry, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his chin on your shoulder. He smelled like soap and rain and that faint, metallic scent you had noticed earlier.
“I love you,” he said, his voice low and serious, as if he were making a vow he intended to keep for all eternity. “More than anything. More than life itself. You know that, don’t you?”
“I know,” you said, turning in his arms to kiss his cheek. “I love you too, San. More than anything.”
He held you for a long time after that, his face buried in your neck, his arms so tight around you it was almost hard to breathe. He did not speak again. He just held you, as if he were terrified that if he let go, you would vanish, or turn into something else, or be torn away from him by forces he could not see.
And all the while, in the bedroom across the hall, the mirror glowed.
Part 3 will be posted tomorrow as I have no time 🫶🏻
WARNINGS: dark supernatural themes, possession, psychological horror, manipulation, angst, implied danger, unsettling vibes, no graphic violence but heavy themes.
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ℝ𝔼𝔽𝕃𝔼ℂ𝕋𝕀𝕆ℕ
Chapter 1
The rain had been falling all day, a steady, soft drumming against glass and tile that blurred the edges of the world into shades of grey and silver. It was the kind of weather that made the city feel smaller, quieter, like the sky had pulled a heavy blanket over everything to keep it safe and warm inside. Inside your flat, the lights were turned low, casting pools of amber glow over the sofa and the rug, over the books stacked on the shelf and the mugs left out on the coffee table. You were curled up beneath a knitted blanket, one hand wrapped around a steaming mug of chamomile tea, the other resting on the open book in your lap.
You and San had been together for one year and seven months. It was a length of time that felt both short and endless short in the sense that you could still remember the nervous thrill of your first date, the way his ears had turned pink when you laughed at his joke, the tentative brush of his fingers against yours as you walked home; endless in the way he had woven himself into every part of your days, every quiet habit and small joy, until you could scarcely remember what life had been like before he was there.
San was not a loud man. He did not shout grand declarations or make sweeping, dramatic gestures. He loved you in the quiet, steady way that water wears down stone gentle, constant, impossible to stop. He woke up ten minutes before you every morning so he could make your tea exactly how you liked it, with just the right amount of honey and a slice of lemon floating on top. He left sticky notes with little hearts and soft words on the bathroom mirror when he had to leave early for practice. He held your hand whenever you walked anywhere, his grip firm but never tight, his thumb brushing slow, rhythmic circles over your knuckles like he was checking you were still there, still real, still his.
You knew every part of him. You knew how his nose crinkled when he laughed, how his voice dropped an octave when he was sleepy, how he hummed old ballads under his breath while he washed dishes. You knew he was afraid of letting you down, that he sometimes worried he wasn’t enough, that he loved you with a quiet, burning intensity that showed in the way he looked at you like you were something precious, something rare, something he never wanted to break.
That afternoon, he had texted you just after three o’clock. His message had been sent with a little smiley face beside it, bright and familiar against the screen: “Got caught in the rain, wandered into that weird little antique shop on the high street. Found something I think you’ll love. Be home soon, don’t miss me too much x”
You had smiled at the screen, setting your phone down on the cushion beside you. You had been curious about that shop for months it sat tucked between a bakery and a charity shop, its windows dusty and dim, filled with strange, shadowed shapes that you could never quite make out from the pavement. You had never gone inside, always telling yourself you would go another day. But San had always been braver about those kinds of things than you were curious, unafraid of the old or the strange.
By four o’clock, the rain had grown heavier, turning from a gentle patter into a steady downpour that ran in thick sheets down the windowpanes. You stood up and walked to the window, pressing your forehead against the cool glass and watching the street below. People hurried past with umbrellas tilted low, splashing through puddles that glinted like dark mirrors beneath the streetlights. The world felt soft and far away, separated from you by glass and warmth.
Then you saw him.
He was walking up the road, his coat pulled up around his neck, his dark hair plastered to his forehead with rain. In his arms he carried something tall and heavy, wrapped in thick brown paper that was already darkening at the edges with damp. He walked slowly, carefully, holding the parcel close to his chest like it was something fragile, something he was afraid to let the rain touch. Even from this distance, you could see the way his eyes were fixed on the parcel, his expression soft and focused, like he was carrying something more than just an object.
You pulled the door open before he could reach it, stepping out into the small entryway to meet him. The air smelled of wet stone and rain and something sweet the faint, familiar scent of his cologne, always warm and woodsy, like pine and amber.
“Hi,” you said, smiling as he stepped inside, shaking rain from his coat. “You’re soaked.”
He grinned, his teeth white against his flushed cheeks, his eyes crinkling at the corners in that way you loved so much. “Worth it. Wait until you see what I found.”
He set the parcel down carefully on the dining table, his movements slow and reverent, as if he were handling something made of glass. He brushed rain from his hair, his fingers trembling slightly with cold and excitement, before he reached for the edge of the brown paper.
“ The shopkeeper didn’t know much about it,” he said as he began to peel the paper away, his voice low and eager. “Said it had been in the back room for as long as he could remember. That it was old very old. He said it had been brought over from somewhere far away, but he didn’t know where. He said it… well, he said it had a way of making you feel things you couldn’t explain.”
The paper fell away, and you found yourself staring.
It was a mirror tall, standing nearly as high as the ceiling, its frame carved from thick, heavy black wood that seemed to drink in the light of the room. The wood was smooth and dark, polished until it shone faintly, and along every edge, curling around the corners and sweeping down the sides, were intricate swirling patterns inlaid with silver. The patterns seemed to move as you watched them, twisting and turning in the lamplight like smoke caught in a draft, like water flowing over smooth stones. The glass itself was not bright or clear like a normal mirror it was deep and dark, like looking down into still water at midnight, like standing before a window into somewhere else entirely.
“It’s beautiful,” you said, stepping closer, your voice soft with awe. You reached out and ran a finger lightly along the edge of the frame. The wood was cool and smooth beneath your touch, and the silver patterns seemed to hum faintly, as if waking up at the contact. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
San stood beside you, his shoulder brushing yours, his gaze fixed on the mirror with an intensity that made something prickle at the back of your neck. He did not look at you. He did not look away. He just stared into the dark glass, his eyes wide and bright, his lips slightly parted, like he was seeing something that filled him with wonder.
“It called to me,” he said quietly, his voice sounding different deeper, slower, like he was speaking from somewhere far away. “I walked past it, and I just… knew I had to bring it home. I don’t know how to explain it. It felt like something I had been waiting for my whole life, even though I never knew it existed.”
He turned to you then, and his expression softened, the strange distant look fading back into the warm, familiar affection you knew so well. He reached out and brushed a strand of damp hair from your face, his fingers gentle and warm against your skin.
“I want to hang it in our bedroom,” he said. “Right across from the bed. So we can see it first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Is that okay?”
“Of course it is,” you told him, leaning into his touch. “It’s perfect. Just like you.”
He kissed you then, slow and sweet, the taste of rain and him clinging to his lips, his arms wrapping around your waist to pull you close. For a moment, with the rain falling outside and the warm light filling the room and the strange beautiful mirror standing beside you, everything felt exactly as it should right, safe, yours. You had no way of knowing that the moment you spoke those words, something in the mirror shifted. You had no way of knowing that the silver patterns had glowed brighter, that the dark glass had drunk in your words and your warmth and your love, that something ancient and hungry had woken up and found exactly what it was looking for.
That evening, you helped him carry the mirror into the bedroom. It was heavier than it looked, the wood dense and solid, and the glass felt cold even through the cloth you held it with. You hung it on the wall across from the bed, just as he had asked, and stood back to admire it. In the soft glow of the bedside lamp, the silver patterns seemed to pulse faintly, like a slow, steady heartbeat, casting shifting ripples of light across the floor and the bedspread.
San stood before it for a long time, watching his own reflection or what you assumed was his own reflection. You could see him clearly, his dark hair falling over his forehead, his expression calm and thoughtful. But he did not look at himself. He was looking past his own reflection, his gaze fixed on something deeper, something further inside the glass.
“San?” you asked softly, stepping up beside him. “Are you alright?”
He turned to you, and for a heartbeat his eyes seemed darker than usual, the pupils wide and black, swallowing the warm brown you knew so well. Then he smiled, and it was gone just your San, soft and warm and loving.
“I’m perfect,” he said, pulling you into his arms and pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “Everything is perfect.”
That night, you fell asleep curled against his chest, his arms wrapped tight around you, his breath warm and steady against your neck. Outside, the rain continued to fall, washing the city clean. Inside, the mirror stood watch across the room, its silver patterns glowing faintly in the dark, feeding on the quiet love that filled the space between you.
You slept soundly, warm and safe and happy. You did not wake up when San slipped out of bed an hour later. You did not see him standing before the mirror in the dark, barefoot in his sleep shirt, his hands pressed flat against the cold glass. You did not hear the soft, whispering voice that drifted from the mirror, low and sweet and terrible, telling him things no one should ever hear. You did not see the way his eyes widened, the way his breath caught in his throat, the way he fell to his knees before the glass like a man kneeling before a god.
And you did not know that from that moment on, nothing would ever be the same again.
SUMMARY: A university reunion, insufferable former classmates, and the perfect chance to teach them a lesson. Pretending that San—your best friend of six years, the tall, reserved, mysterious guy half the campus tried and failed to hook up with—is your boyfriend seemed like a foolproof plan. What you didn't know was that he had been waiting six years for an excuse just like this to stop pretending… and finally claim what he always considered his.
The ringtone sounds once. Twice. On the third ring, the line finally connects, accompanied by the distant hum of mechanical keyboards, muffled voices through headsets, and the crinkle of a bag of potato chips.
"What?" San answers in his usual dry tone, skipping any greetings or pleasantries.
"I need a favor," you say quickly, getting straight to the point.
"Pass."
Click.
He hangs up right in your face. You let out an irritated huff, staring at your phone's lit screen before immediately dialing his number again. This time, he answers on the very first ring.
"Was 'pass' not clear enough for you?" he asks, though there's a hint of amusement in his voice.
"San, I'm serious," you insist, pacing in circles around your living room. "I just got a message in the university group chat. They're hosting a reunion this weekend. Three days at a countryside hotel with a bar, a beach, and parties. Just like old times."
"What a drag. Just block the group and move on."
"I can't just ignore it," you say, pressing the phone tighter against your ear. "Do you remember that group of harpies from the Business School? The wealthy, snobbish ones who thought they ran the campus? The ones who looked down on me and then tried to play nice just to get closer to you?"
San goes silent for a second. You hear the creak of his desk chair swivel.
"Mean and stuck-up. Yeah, I remember."
"Well, every single one of them is going. And they're going with their 'perfect' lives, their cover-model husbands, and their executive jobs. I am not going there alone just to have them look at me like I'm beneath them again. I want you to come with me."
"As what? A bodyguard?"
"As my boyfriend," you blurt out with zero hesitation.
Absolute silence falls over the other end of the line. You catch a faint sigh and the rustle of San adjusting himself in his chair.
"You've completely lost your mind."
"Please!" you beg, shifting tactics to a sweeter tone. "It's only three days. Everyone knows both of us, but nobody knows what happened between us over these past six years. If I show up holding your hand, they'll lose their minds. You're... well, you know how people see you."
"Incredibly attractive and out of their league?" he teases, and you can practically see his smug smirk right through the phone.
"I was going to say an insufferable geek who spends all day at internet cafés, but to them, you're still the track team guy everyone wanted to sleep with. Please, San. Dinner on me for a whole month. I'll buy you whichever game expansion you want. Anything you ask."
You hear San let out a low, raspy laugh. There was a time when you never could have imagined asking a favor like this from the tall, reserved guy everyone gossiped about. You had met years ago by pure chance: his friend's girlfriend was your friend, and during group hangouts, while his crowd talked about comics, video games, Marvel, and anime, you were the only girl who actually chimed in, debating on equal footing. San's "untouchable athlete" facade had completely crumbled the first time you spent three straight hours at an internet café eating junk food and playing online games. Since then, your friendship had become unbreakable. You had seen the absolute worst of each other—the messiest breakups, the nastiest hangovers, everything.
"Three days," San finally says, weighing his options. "Free dinners for a month. And the new DLC as soon as it drops."
"Deal! I swear I'll adore you for the rest of my life!"
"Save the enthusiasm," he grumbles, though you can tell a smile is slipping through. "But let me make one thing crystal clear: if we're doing this circus, we're doing it right. I'm not playing some mediocre boyfriend. So brace yourself, because you won't be leaving my side all weekend."
"Believe me, San... I'm more than ready."
On Friday afternoon, the parking lot of the countryside hotel's bar is already half full. You step out of San's car feeling a knot of nerves in your stomach, but you square your shoulders and check yourself in the rearview mirror one last time.
The past six years have treated you incredibly well. You're no longer the simple, low-maintenance girl from college; you've grown into a confident, stunning woman. For this weekend, you've brought out your best artillery: a bodycon knit dress that hugs your curves to perfection, soft yet professional makeup that accentuates your eyes, and your hair styled in gentle waves cascading over your shoulders.
San walks around the car carrying your bag in one hand and his in the other. When he stops in front of you, his gaze locks onto you for a second longer than usual. He looks effortless and sharp: dark trousers, a short-sleeved button-down left casually unbuttoned at the collar to reveal his collarbones, and his messy black hair styled in that naturally undone way that always drives everyone crazy.
"What?" you ask, adjusting the strap of your dress. "Is it too much?"
San swallows subtly, regaining his composure instantly as his signature half-smirk tugs at his lips.
"You look... dangerous," he murmurs, stepping closer to you. "You're going to make more than a few people regret ever looking past you back in college."
He gets so close you can catch his cologne: cedarwood, citrus, and the warm scent of his skin. He slides his free hand around your waist, pulling you firmly against his side—a touch so commanding it sends shivers down your arms. His grip is possessive, warm, and ridiculously natural.
"From this moment on, you're mine," he whispers against your ear, his warm breath brushing your earlobe. "Ready for the show?"
"Born ready," you reply, lacing your fingers through his.
Together, you walk toward the entrance of the hotel bar, where the noise of the group is already echoing. The moment you cross the threshold, the chatter dies down dramatically. Conversations cut off mid-sentence.
Multiple heads turn simultaneously. The Business School girls—led by the same snobbish ringleader as always, now draped in designer brands and showing off a massive engagement ring—freeze in their tracks. Your former classmates stare with wide eyes as you walk in: the "average" girl from university has just rolled up looking like a complete goddess, and she didn't come alone. She's holding hands with Choi San, the guy half the campus spent four years trying—and failing—to sleep with.
"Well, well! Look who just arrived..." the group's ringleader says, standing up with a forced smile. Her eyes scan the two of you up and down, landing with pure venom on your intertwined hands. "I didn't know you two were still in touch. Let alone... like this."
"A lot has happened in six years," San cuts in before you can even open your mouth.
His tone is relaxed, yet it carries that effortless aura of superiority only he can pull off. He drapes an arm over your shoulders, pulling you flush against his chest, and plants a firm, audible kiss on your temple right in front of everyone. The gesture is so intimate and public that a jolt of electricity shoots straight down your spine.
"We've become pretty inseparable," he adds, looking down at you with a playful, dangerous glint in his eyes.
An hour later, the evening is in full swing. The bar tables have been pushed together, and bottles of alcohol are piling up in the center. The group's harpies haven't wasted any time trying to pry, strategically seating themselves close to the two of you.
"Are you two seriously dating?" one of them asks, resting her elbows on the table and giving San a fake little smile. "It's just that we never could have imagined you together. You have nothing in common. San was always so... active, so into his circle... and you were more reserved."
"Appearances can be deceiving," San replies without missing a beat, taking a sip of his drink while his other hand rests lazily on your thigh under the table. His fingers give soft, deliberate squeezes against your bare skin, making it hard to keep your breathing steady. "Besides, she has plenty of sides that only I have the privilege of seeing."
A couple of girls in the group—and even one who came with her partner—let out quiet, suppressed sighs. The way San looks at you, eyes half-lidded with his undivided attention fixed entirely on you, has half the bar holding their breath.
"Alright, less talking, more playing!" another one interrupts, pulling out a large glass for a drinking game with forfeits. "Whoever loses the round drinks double!"
The game moves fast. Laughter gets louder, and the room heats up. During one of the rounds, you make a silly mistake answering a quick-fire question, and the glass—filled with a strong mix of liquor—ends up right in front of you.
"Your turn!" the girls chant with obvious glee, eager to watch you choke down the bitter drink.
You reach out to grab the glass, but before your fingers can even brush it, San's hand cuts in front of yours. He scoops up the glass with infuriating ease.
"Hey, San, rules are rules," the ringleader protests, furrowing her brow. "She lost."
San leans back in his chair, holding the glass in midair. He looks at you sideways, flashing that arrogant smirk that always manages to completely undo you.
"My girlfriend isn't drinking that garbage if she doesn't feel like it," he says in a low, cocky voice, keeping his eyes locked on the harpies.
Without blinking, he brings the glass to his lips and downs the whole thing in one long, clean gulp. The Adam's apple in his throat bobs as he swallows, the sharp line of his jaw muscles flexing, his shirt straining over his chest with every breath. When he finishes, he sets the empty glass back on the table with a dull thud and licks his lower lip, wiping away a stray drop.
The silence at the table is absolute. The Business School girls are practically drooling; the looks of envy and desire directed at San are so blatant it's almost funny. A few of their partners stare down at the floor, looking ridiculously outshined.
San leans in close to you, completely ignoring everyone else around you. He cups the back of your neck, pulling you toward him until your foreheads are almost touching.
"You okay?" he murmurs just for you, his voice suddenly turning warm and impossibly soft—a million miles away from the cocky tone he used a second ago.
"Yeah..." you reply in a breathy whisper, your heart hammering a mile a minute. "Thanks, San."
"Don't thank me," he whispers, brushing his lips against the corner of yours in a touch that makes you shiver. "I told you I was taking this seriously."
The way he holds you, the proximity of his warm body, and the way he pretends—or maybe doesn't pretend so much—to adore every single inch of you in front of everyone is starting to blur the line between a simple favor and reality in a dangerously intoxicating way. And the night has only just begun.
The game carries on for a few more minutes, but exhaustion and alcohol start taking their toll on you. Your cheeks are burning, your eyelids feel heavy, and a silly giggle escapes your lips with foolish ease every time San squeezes your thigh under the table. You rarely drink, and the cocktail of wine and shots has left you in that floating, disinhibited state where everything feels like a warm dream.
San, who knows you better than anyone else in this world, catches on immediately. He remembers crystal clear how back in college you used to fall asleep over your textbooks in the library at three in the morning; he remembers how, under the pretext of "getting coffee," he would walk clear across campus just to wake you up gently, pack up your notes, and walk you back to your dorm to make sure you got there safely. He never said a word. He never admitted that those "coincidences" were completely calculated because he couldn't stand the thought of anyone else taking care of you. For convenience, so as not to ruin the friendship that meant more to him than anything else, he settled for being your safe haven while watching you drift in and out of other people's lives.
"We're heading out," San suddenly announces, cutting through the table's chatter. He slides a hand around your back and helps you stand up with absolute tenderness.
"Come on, San!" a guy from the group protests. "It's so early! The night's still young."
"She's tired," he cuts in firmly, leaving no room for argument.
The main harpie of the group lets out a melodramatic huff, looking down her nose at you as she rests her chin on her hand.
"Goodness, aren't we delicate..." she says with rehearsed venom. "It's really not that big of a deal. San, if she wants to go to sleep like a grandma, let her go. You can stay here with us, right? Like old times."
San stops right behind you. He wraps one arm around your waist, pulling your back flush against his chest, and looks down at the girl from his six-foot-plus height with a coldness that freezes the room.
"Pass," San replies with an icy smile. "The whole point of coming here was to spend time with my girlfriend. If I wanted to deal with your nonsense, I would've stayed home."
A muffled murmur ripples through the table. The girl turns bright red with embarrassment, her mouth hanging open without a word to say, while San, without wasting another second, turns you gently and leads you toward the bar exit.
On the way to the elevator, your drunkenness becomes an adorable spectacle. San is practically carrying you, his arm locked firmly around your waist so you don't veer off even a millimeter. The contrast in temperature between his warm body and the cool hallway air makes you snuggle right into his side.
"San..." you murmur with a silly smile plastered on your lips, staring down at the large, veiny hand resting on your hip.
"What is it, drunkie?"
"I like your hands," you blurt out with zero filter, running your fingertips over his knuckles.
San stifles a laugh and turns his head the other way, trying to hide the smile slipping through, but you can feel his pulse accelerating under your skin.
"You're talking nonsense."
"No, I'm not," you protest, coming to a halt just as the elevator doors slide open. You turn toward him, resting both hands on his chest to look him straight in the eye inside the small, mirror-lined space. "It's just... I don't know if I haven't looked at you properly in a while, or if you're actually ridiculously handsome."
San goes completely still. His breath hitches in his throat for a second. His dark eyes lock onto yours, burning with a dangerous intensity under the elevator's fluorescent light.
"You're gonna make me start believing it," he murmurs, his voice suddenly raspy, tightening his grip on your waist to guide you into the cab before the doors close.
You reach the room. And what a room it is. San hadn't skimped on expenses: he had booked the finest suite in the countryside hotel, a massive space with exposed wooden beams, dim lighting, and a King-size bed in the center that looked like a sea of white sheets and down pillows.
The moment you step inside, you collapse face-first onto the bed with a groan of pure bliss.
"My god, this is heaven..." you mumble into the pillow.
San drops the bags on the floor and walks over to the bed. Leaning over you, he grabs your hands and pulls with a firm yet careful tug until you're back on your feet.
"Not a chance. Go wash your face and get out of those street clothes. You're not getting into bed like that."
With that uninhibited courage courtesy of the alcohol, you start unbuttoning your dress right then and there in front of him, letting it drop to the floor without giving it a second thought. San's eyes widen, his face instantly going rigid, and he whips his head away at lightning speed, swallowing hard.
"Whoa, whoa... hold on," he says, taking you gently by the shoulders to turn you toward the bathroom door. "You do that in there. Here."
He tosses your bag into your arms and nudges you gently into the bathroom, shutting the door behind you. You lean against the sink, laughing to yourself as you wipe off your makeup and change into your sleepwear.
Of course, you had come to this weekend to win. For sleepwear, you had packed a black satin lace set: a tiny camisole with razor-thin straps and a plunging neckline that barely held your breasts, paired with tap shorts so tight and lightweight they exposed practically your entire thighs.
When you open the bathroom door and step out, San's back is turned as he finishes organizing his things.
"San..."
He turns to answer, but the words die in his throat. His gaze lands on you and freezes. The path his eyes take—slow, heavy, hungry—travels up from your bare feet, up your exposed thighs, pauses at the curve of your hips, and locks onto the delicate fabric framing your chest. His Adam's apple bobs convulsively.
"Didn't you have... anything with more fabric?" he manages to choke out, his voice thick.
"I was warm," you answer with teasing innocence, walking over to the bed with ease and climbing in. You sit on top of the blankets, crossing your legs tailor-style.
San runs a hand over the back of his neck, letting out a frustrated sigh. He tries to maintain control, but the sight of the woman he's been in love with for half his life, dressed like that in his bed, is completely destroying his sanity.
He decides to change as well. Grabbing the hem of his shirt, he pulls it over his head in one swift motion. You can't help but catch your breath: his torso is flawlessly sculpted, with defined abs and warm, tan skin that practically begs to be touched. Then, without overthinking it, he unbuttons his jeans and slides them down along with his socks, leaving him in nothing but a pair of snug, dark boxers that leave absolutely nothing to the imagination.
You stare at him shamelessly, unable to tear your eyes away from the line of his waist or the prominent bulge outlined beneath the fabric.
San catches you looking. The corner of his mouth tilts up into a slow, feline smirk, dripping with dangerous confidence.
"Like what you see?" he asks in a low whisper.
"Are you not putting anything else on?" you counter, trying to sound composed even though your throat has gone bone dry.
"I always sleep like this," he replies.
He plants his knees on the mattress. San doesn't walk toward you; he crawls across the bed, slow and fluid, exactly like a predator cornering its prey. The mattress dips beneath his weight as he closes in, eventually hovering right over you, trapping you between his powerful arms planted on either side of your thighs.
The heat radiating from his bare body instantly envelops you. He smells like his body wash, warm skin, and that cologne that has haunted you for years.
"So, my dear girlfriend..." he murmurs, leaning in until his lips brush against your jawline, dragging a choked gasp out of you. "Tell me. How did I do at the bar tonight? Was I a good boyfriend?"
"San..." you soft-groan, your hands instinctively going straight to his bare shoulders, mesmerized by the feel of his firm skin.
"Tell me," he insists, trailing his mouth down to your neck to plant a slow, wet kiss that sends shivers over every inch of your body. "Did you like how I defended you from that harpie? Or how I drank your shots?"
"You were... incredible," you admit, arching your neck slightly to grant him better access.
San lets out a low growl against your skin. The "helpful best friend" persona completely shatters right then and there. San's hand leaves the mattress and slides slowly up your bare thigh, caressing the soft skin with a pressure that makes you shudder. His thumb slips beneath the hem of your satin tap shorts, brushing the inner side of your leg, dangerously close to your center.
"I've spent six years playing the nice guy," he whispers against your lips, his hot breath mingling with yours. "Six years watching other idiots touch you without realizing how lucky they were. If you ask me to pretend to be your boyfriend for three days... don't expect me to sit on my hands when we're alone."
Before you can even process his words, San closes the distance and captures your mouth in a ravenous, desperate kiss, fueled by the accumulated hunger of years of silence. His lips press firmly into yours, demanding you open up, and when your mouth parts, his tongue slips inside with absolute dominance.
You groan into his mouth. Your hands tangle into his black hair, pulling him closer. San settles completely between your legs, letting you feel the full weight of his body against yours and the unmistakable hardness of his erection pressing directly into your pelvis through the thin fabric of his underwear.
His hand slides up your side, molding to your waist before gliding up to your chest. His fingers hook into the fabric of your top, pulling it down to release one of your breasts into the cool room air.
San breaks the kiss just to look at what he's revealed. His dark eyes shine with an almost feral devotion.
"You're gorgeous..." he murmurs, his voice wrecked.
He dips his head and takes your erect nipple directly into his mouth, sucking and licking at a hot, steady rhythm that pulls a sharp, loud groan from your throat, echoing through the room. A wave of scorching heat rushes straight down into your lower belly. While he devours your chest, his other hand moves resolutely under your shorts, pushing the delicate lace of your underwear aside.
His fingers come into direct contact with your drenched vulva.
"San... ah!" You arch wildly off the mattress.
"Look at you... you're soaking wet for me," he smirks cockily against your skin, sliding two fingers inside you in one fluid motion while his thumb begins massaging your clitoris in fast, precise circles.
The pleasure hits you like a freight train. The contrast between the San who used to walk you home from the library and this dominant man driving you out of your mind in bed leaves you completely shattered.
"San, please..." you beg, not even sure what you're asking for, trapped in the storm of sensations.
"Tell me what you want," he demands, quickening the pace of his fingers inside you, drawing out a wet, rhythmic sound that drives you crazy. "Tell me if you want this as badly as I do. Say it."
"Yes! San, yes!" you groan, clutching at his sculpted biceps as your body begins to tremble, right on the edge of collapsing.
San doesn't stop. He increases the pressure of his thumb and the thrust of his fingers until the first orgasm of the night hits you full force, causing your inner walls to clench wildly around him while you sob out his name in sheer pleasure.
San stays hovering above you, watching every second of your climax with a triumphant, adoring smile, kissing your slick lips as your tremors gradually fade.
He settles beside you, wrapping an arm over your shoulders to pull you flush against his bare chest. You rest your head against his torso, feeling his heart pounding wildly beneath his warm skin.
"This is just the beginning of our three days," he murmurs against your ear, his deep voice resonating in the dim room. "Go to sleep now. Tomorrow, when you're completely sober... I'm going to fuck you the way you deserve."
That laced promise sets your skin on fire, but exhaustion and the relief of being in his arms finally pull you into a deep sleep.
The morning sun filters softly through the suite's curtains. You wake up slowly on your side, feeling the bed impossibly warm.
Before you can even open your eyes completely, you feel a large hand tracing slow lines across your bare waist. San is already awake. You realize he has pressed himself against your back during the night; his firm chest is fully molded to you, and his warm breath brushes against the nape of your neck.
As he senses you moving, San pulls even closer. His hips press against your rear, and through the thin satin fabric of your shorts, you feel the unmistakable, hard morning ridge of his erection pressing into your side.
"San... what...?" you murmur, your voice raspy with sleep.
"Just saying good morning to you... like a good boyfriend," he replies in a lazy whisper, trailing a row of soft kisses along your neck that make you shiver.
His hand leaves your waist and begins to slide slowly up your bare thigh, slipping leisurely under the hem of your pajama shorts. The pads of his fingers set the skin of your inner thigh on fire.
"San, that's not fair... you said when I was sober," you protest with a silly smile, even though your treacherous body is already adjusting itself against his.
"And you are sober," he smirks against your skin, softly nipping your earlobe. "But don't worry... I'll contain myself. For now."
He gives your hip one last squeeze, plants a deep kiss on your lips to fully wake you up, and gets out of bed without a shred of modesty, strolling in his boxers toward the bathroom. You stare at him intently from under the covers, taking in the view of his broad back and toned legs.
"Don't look at me like that unless you want me to keep my promise before breakfast," he warns from the doorway, winking at you before closing the door.
By midday, the entire university group has gathered in a recreational area nestled in the middle of the woods, right beside a crystal-clear river. The summer sun is beating down hard, so everyone is dressed in lightweight clothes.
You've opted for a fresh yet effortlessly flattering look: frayed denim shorts that accentuate your legs and a thin, tight white tank top that highlights your figure. San is wearing athletic shorts and an oversized t-shirt—which he doesn't hesitate to strip off as soon as he starts lighting the barbecue with the other guys, leaving his torso completely bare and capturing—once again—the gaze of every woman present.
"That shirt looks way too good on you," San whispers to you when he walks over to the table to grab a drink. He leans in close, adjusting one of your thin straps with obvious possessiveness. "I hate the way a few of those idiots are ogling you."
"They're just looking, nothing more," you tease, thoroughly enjoying seeing him like this.
"Well, they better look fast, because you're mine," he decrees, planting a swift kiss on your lips that leaves two of your former classmates completely speechless.
Shortly after, the main harpie decides to organize typical camp games to "build team spirit."
"We're doing a flag relay race in pairs!" she announces with a fake smile. "But to make it more fun and avoid favoritism... we're switching up the usual couples!"
Obviously, the setup is entirely calculated. By "coincidence," she assigns herself as San's partner, while pairing you up with a guy from the group who barely spoke to you in college, but who now can't seem to stop smiling at you.
During the game's rules explanation, the harpie wastes no time: she approaches San, touching his arm under the pretext of stretching, and giggles something into his ear. San, however, doesn't even flinch. He strips her hand off him with a cold, swift maneuver, taking a step back to put distance between them.
"Don't touch me," San says, his voice loud enough for several people to hear clearly. "My girlfriend is standing right over there watching me, and she's the only one I feel like having anywhere near me."
The girl goes completely pale, while you have to bite your lip to keep from letting out a triumphant laugh.
The race begins. The dirt terrain full of loose roots near the river is treacherous. You run as fast as you can to reach the flag, but you step on a loose rock, lose your footing, and crash down hard onto the ground.
"Ouch!" you wince. You aren't seriously injured, but the scrape on your knee and the impact leave you temporarily dazed on the dirt.
The harpie lets out a malicious little chuckle at the sight of your fall. Your game partner quickly kneels beside you, looking concerned.
"Hey! Are you okay? Let me see," the guy says, putting his hands on your shoulders as he tries to help you up.
Before he can touch you any further, a tall shadow looms over both of you. San has sprinted clear across the field at an absurd speed, abandoning the game entirely. Without flat-out shoving the guy, he cuts right in between you two, interposing his solid frame to push him aside with dominant authority.
"I've got her," San cuts in, flashing the guy a look so icy he instantly retreats two steps back.
San kneels right beside you. His hands, previously firm, now hold you with extreme gentleness.
"Where does it hurt? Look at me. Did you break anything?" he asks, inspecting your knee, his breathing slightly ragged from the sprint.
"It's just a little scrape," you say, touching his arm to calm him down. "I'm fine, really."
San lets out an annoyed sigh, but not at you—at the situation. He hooks one arm behind your knees and the other around your back, sweeping you off your feet and into his arms in one smooth motion while the entire group watches in absolute shock.
"We're out of the game," San announces loudly, locking eyes with the harpie still standing in the distance. "I'm taking care of this."
He carries you over to a shaded area near the wooden huts where the public restrooms for the recreational site are located. He sets you down on a wooden picnic table and returns two minutes later with a first-aid kit he grabbed from the main station.
He cleans the scrape on your knee with extreme care, blowing softly on your skin so it won't sting.
"You're being so dramatic," you smile, staring down at the back of his neck while he works with total concentration.
"I'm your boyfriend. It's my job," he replies, looking up. His dark eyes shine with that same fierce intensity. "Besides, you look way too good today, and it puts me in an insanely bad mood when other guys stare at you."
Once your knee is taken care of, you prepare to head back to the group, but you stop just before stepping out of the hut area. The barbecue is still going strong in the distance, music blares loudly, and nobody is paying any attention to the two of you.
"San... come to the bathroom with me, please," you ask, gesturing toward the wooden hut. "It's a little dark in there and I don't want to go in alone."
"I wasn't going to let you go alone anyway," he nods.
You step inside the hut. It's a rustic yet clean restroom with wooden walls and a heavy door that San immediately locks from the inside with an iron latch. The moment the metal clicks into place, the dim light wraps around you and the sound of the party outside grows muffled.
You turn around to thank him, but San instantly pins you against the wooden door. His bare, warm torso presses flush against your thin tank top; his hands go straight to your hips, gripping you firmly.
"You're barely drinking anything today," he murmurs against your ear, his hot breath making you shiver as his mouth begins planting hungry kisses down your neck. "I want you completely sober tonight."
"San... we're in a public bathroom..." you groan, though your hands instinctively trail up to the nape of his neck, pulling him closer.
"I don't care," he growls.
He slides a hand down your front, slipping his fingers relentlessly past the tight waistband of your denim shorts. His hand finds the fabric of your underwear and works its way to your center, which is already warm and eager from the sheer proximity of his body.
"San... ah!" You choke back a groan against his shoulder as his thumb begins rubbing your clitoris over the slick fabric.
"Tell me if you haven't been thinking about last night all day," he whispers, speeding up the movement of his fingers, making you gasp against his skin while you feel the full hardness of his erection pressing perfectly into your lower belly through his athletic shorts. "Tell me you don't want me to take you back to the suite right now and finish what I started."
"Yes... God, San, yes..." you say in a breathy whisper, arching into his hand in the tight space.
He lets out a low, victorious laugh against your lips, giving you a wet kiss, biting your lower lip while his hand skillfully massages you between your legs, pushing you right to the edge in seconds before suddenly stopping, leaving you gasping for air and begging for more.
San pulls his hand out of your shorts, licks his lips, and stares at you with dark eyes full of pure lust.
"Hold out for a couple more hours," he murmurs, possessively adjusting your shirt. "Because when we get back to the hotel, I'm not letting you out of that bed all night."
You head back to the barbecue area trying to play it as cool as possible, but it's practically a mission impossible for you. Your legs feel heavy, your heart is pounding in your throat, and a warm dampness between your thighs reminds you, with every step you take, exactly what San's fingers just did to you in that public bathroom. Every now and then, you can't help but cross or lightly press your legs together under your denim shorts to try to quell the electric current running through your lower abdomen.
San is acutely aware of your every single move. He walks beside you with effortless composure, but the spark of satisfaction in his dark eyes proves he knows exactly the state he left you in.
By mid-afternoon, the guys start an impromptu soccer match on the grass field. You sit down on a towel to watch him. San has taken his shirt off entirely; his muscular, tanned torso glistens lightly under the sun with a sheen of sweat from the exertion. Watching him run, jump, and score goals with such athletic grace brings back memories of how untouchable he always seemed in college... and how insane it is to know that, in reality, this man has been craving to be yours for six long years.
During a break in the match, San walks straight toward you. He kneels in front of you, his breathing slightly elevated and his chest rising and falling. He grabs the water bottle beside you, takes a long gulp, and before you can react, he leans in and plants a swift, firm kiss on your lips, leaving the cool taste of water and the heat of his skin lingering on your mouth.
"Having fun, baby?" he whispers with a playful smirk against your lips, affectionately ruffling your hair before winking at you and standing up to head back to the field.
Beside you, two of your former female classmates let out an exaggerated sigh.
"My god..." one of them says, staring at you with wide eyes. "How long have you two been together? San is... absurdly hot. He was handsome in college, but now he looks like he walked off a magazine cover."
"It's been a while," you answer with a mysterious, satisfied smile, crossing your arms.
A few yards away, at a secluded table, the ringleader harpie watches you two with crossed arms and a clenched jaw, practically fumes coming out of her eyes as she sees San treat you like a absolute queen while ignoring the rest of the world. The sensation of triumph and empowerment is simply delicious.
As night falls, the atmosphere around the river shifts into something deeply intimate and relaxed. The rich scent of burning firewood fills the air, string lights glow softly between the trees, and low music lingers in the background.
Everyone is gathered in a loose circle: some lounging on camping chairs, others sprawling on blankets on the grass with their partners, nursing the last of their beers.
"I can't believe we used to do this every other weekend in college and stay up until six in the morning," one of the guys laughs, leaning his head back, already pretty tipsy. "I've had three beers tonight and I feel like I'm about to pass out."
A few couples cuddle under blankets, others drift off into a half-doze, and the chatter gradually slows down. You are sitting on the ground, nestled snugly right between San's legs. He wraps his arms around you from behind—huge and protective across your stomach—pulling your back flush against his chest, which is only lightly covered by an unzipped thin jacket. The radiant warmth of his body and the solid security of his hold make you let out a sigh of pure bliss.
San leans forward, pressing his lips to the curve of your ear.
"Should we get out of here?" he whispers, his voice dropping into a low, grave register meant strictly for your ears. His hot breath sends a fresh wave of goosebumps down your arms. "I think we've met our social quota for the day."
You tilt your head slightly to look back at him.
"Yeah... let me get out of here," you smile softly.
You bid the group a quiet goodbye, using your scrape from earlier as a convenient excuse for calling it an early night. San helps you to your feet, laces his fingers tightly through yours, and together you walk back to the hotel under a starry sky—wrapped in a comfortable silence that hums with thick, undeniable anticipation.
As soon as you enter the hotel suite, you kick off your shoes and head straight for the bathroom.
"I'm hitting the shower first," you say, looking back at him from the doorway of the rustic bathroom. "I need to get the smell of barbecue smoke and the sweat from the whole day off me."
"Take your time," San replies with a lazy smile, settling onto the edge of the King-size bed as he watches you closely.
You step into the bathroom and turn on the glass cabin shower, adjusting the temperature until the water runs steaming hot, filling the room with thick, comforting vapor. You strip completely, dropping your clothes into the basket, and step under the spray. Closing your eyes, you let the hot water cascade over your head and back, relaxing every tense muscle in your body.
Barely five minutes have passed when you hear the soft click of the glass sliding door as it opens.
Startled, you open your eyes and turn around.
San is standing right in the doorway of the shower. Completely naked.
Your eyes trace over his body without a single filter or drop of shame: the breadth of his shoulders, his defined chest where condensation drops are already forming, the carved line of his abs, and lower down, his fully erect, hard shaft pointing upward—a sight so prominent it leaves your mouth completely dry.
"I said you could take a shower... not that you had to do it alone," San murmurs, his voice thick and raspy as he takes a step inside the cabin.
The hot water instantly drenches his black hair, sending strands falling over his dark eyes. San closes the distance between you until his bare chest brushes against your sensitive nipples, hardened by the heat of the spray. He gently corners you against the wet tiled wall, placing his hands on either side of your head.
"San..." you groan in a breathy whisper, feeling the contrast between the lukewarm wall behind you and the scorching heat of his body in front.
"Look at you..." he whispers, cupping your cheek to brush the wet hair away from your neck. "I've been waiting for this moment all day. Don't ask me to wait another second."
He captures your mouth in a ravenous, deep, slick kiss. The sound of running water drowns out your muffled gasps. His tongue entangles with yours with a desperation that makes you lose your balance; you grab onto his wet biceps to hold yourself steady.
San slides a hand down your wet back, molding it to the curve of your buttock to pull you flush against him. You feel the scorching hardness of his erection pressing into your stomach, dragging a choked groan from your throat right into his lips.
"San, please... I want you inside me," you beg without hesitation, completely uninhibited by the intimacy of the moment and years of built-up desire.
San smirks against your lips—a look filled with pure adoration and wild lust. He grabs you by the thighs and hoists you up against the shower wall in one smooth motion. Instinctively, you wrap your legs tightly around his waist, clinging to his neck.
"Look at me," he demands, his voice firm yet impossibly soft as he guides his wet shaft to the entrance of your soaked center. "I want you to see who is taking you."
San thrusts his hips forward with a slow, fluid, deliberate push.
"Ahhh...!" A sharp groan escapes your throat as your body yields to accommodate him. The feeling of stretch and fullness is so overwhelming that tears of pure pleasure spring to your eyes. You are impossibly tight around him, but your own slickness combined with the hot water makes every inch slide in seamlessly.
San pauses for a beat once he's buried deep inside you, all the way to the hilt. He lets out a low, primal growl against your neck, burying his face into your skin as his shoulders tremble from the sheer effort of holding back.
"My god... you're so tight..." he groans into your ear, squeezing his eyes shut. "It's perfect... you're perfect."
He begins to move his hips. Slowly at first, taking long, deep strokes, savoring the feeling of your inner walls gripping him tightly. The sound of the shower mixes with the wet, rhythmic slap of your bodies meeting. Every deep thrust hits a precise spot inside you, making you arch your back and dig your nails into his wet shoulders.
"San! Faster... please!" you beg, losing your mind completely.
San doesn't need to be asked twice. He grips your hips firmly, his fingers leaving marks on your skin, and ramps up the pace with a wild, relentless drive. His thrusts turn fast and hard, bottoming out against you with every single stroke. The sensation of having him fill you so completely beneath the stream of hot water is an overwhelming rush driving you straight off the edge.
"That's it... groan for me," San murmurs, kissing your shoulders, your neck, your mouth. "Tell me who you belong to. Say it."
"Yours... I'm yours, San! I've always been yours!" you cry out desperately, tightening your legs even harder around his waist.
Those words act as his final trigger. San lets out a muffled growl and accelerates his thrusts to a frantic pace. His thumb finds your swollen clitoris under the pouring water, massaging it in fast, intense circles while he drives into you with near-desperate devotion.
The dual stimulation is too much. Your walls contract wildly around his shaft in a shattering orgasm that leaves you thrashing in his arms, crying his name against his mouth.
Feeling your inner pulsing squeeze him tightly strips away any last shred of San's control. With three final, deep, powerful thrusts, he lets out a muffled roar against your shoulder and buries himself completely inside you, filling you with waves of heat as a full-body shudder wracks his frame.
You remain like that for long minutes, holding each other under the warm water that continues to fall over you, catching your breath with your chests pressed together and your hearts hammering in unison.
San doesn't let go of you. He eases you down slowly until your feet touch the shower floor, but keeps his arms locked around you, planting tender kisses on your forehead and wet cheeks.
"I've dreamed about this for years," San murmurs, looking down at you with absolute devotion. "And it was a thousand times better than anything I ever imagined."
You laugh softly, resting your forehead against his wet chest, feeling the heavy weight of years of secrets and pretend friendship dissolve completely under the warm water.
San helps you dry off between brief laughs and looks that burn. There is no clumsy hesitation; there is a controlled urgency. With a fluid movement, he wraps you in the towel for just a second before pulling it away, sweeping you into his arms and causing a small squeal to escape you as you cross the bedroom.
He tosses you onto the massive King-size bed. Your bare body lands against the white duvet, and San stands before you, looking down with a dark shadow in his eyes—a blend of absolute possessiveness and unfiltered lust.
"Did you think we were done after the shower?" he murmurs with a dangerous smirk.
Before you can answer, San grabs your ankles and pulls you forward in one smooth motion, dragging your body across the mattress until your hips rest right at the edge of the bed and your legs hang off. He steps between your thighs, spreading them wide without asking.
"Now that I finally have you... I'm not stopping all night," he declares, his voice deep and resolute.
Kneeling down on the floor, he grips your thighs firmly to hold you in place and buries his face directly against you.
"San!" you gasp, throwing your head back against the sheets.
His tongue is relentless, taking long, firm, desperate strokes that drink in your warmth and slickness. He slides two fingers inside you while using his lips to pull at you with a wet, rhythmic intensity that echoes in the room. He gives you no breathing room, massaging and lapping until an electric wave builds in your lower belly. Within minutes, he brings you to a staggering climax right against his mouth, making you tremble and gasp his name as he swallows every drop before slowly rising.
San wipes his wet chin with the back of his hand, smirking down at you unraveling at the edge of the bed. But before he can make another move, you react.
You slide off the bed and drop to your knees on the rug, right in front of him.
San looks down, momentarily caught off guard, raising an eyebrow as if asking what you intend to do. You don't say a word. You wrap your hand around him—hard, pulsing, and warm—and run the tip of your tongue along his length, taking in his taste.
San throws his head back, letting out a guttural growl from deep in his chest.
"Fuck..." he groans, clenching his jaw tightly.
You take him into your mouth, wrapping your lips around him, establishing a steady rhythm. San weaves his fingers through your damp hair, gathering it into an impromptu ponytail to maintain full control. He sets the pace, thrusting his hips forward and taking over completely.
He pushes deep, demanding every bit of your submission. Saliva traces down your chin, but you don't pull back; you look up at him through heavy, glass-like eyes, entirely enthralled by his dominance.
Seeing you like this—completely open, uninhibited, and looking at him as if he were your entire world—strips away the last of San's restraint. He wants to mark you everywhere, but he doesn't want it to end so soon. He wants to take his time with you.
He kneels down to your level, cupping your face firmly with one large hand, forcing you to look straight into his dark eyes.
"Tell me how you want it," he demands, his breath coming hard.
"Hard..." you manage to whisper.
"Are you giving me green light to take you however I want?" he asks, his tone turning into a delicious threat.
"Take me," you whisper without a second's hesitation.
San takes you by the back of your neck and pulls you up to your feet. Standing face-to-face, his hand glides to your chin, using his fingers to part your lips. Looking deep into your eyes, he leans in and seals your mouth in a wild, deep, wet kiss, consuming you completely.
When he breaks away, his eyes are entirely dark.
"Tell me if it ever becomes too much," he warns quietly.
What San doesn't know is that you've been craving this dynamic for years. Discovering that beneath his calm, athletic persona lies a fiercely dominant, possessive partner in bed drives you completely wild. You want to be entirely his.
San turns you around abruptly and presses you forward, placing you on all fours right at the edge of the bed.
Without giving you time to process the position, San grips your hair from behind and pulls up firmly, forcing you to arch your back and tilt your hips upward toward him.
SLAP!
San's open palm brings a sudden, sharp sting across your right hip, the crack echoing through the room and leaving a searing heat on your skin.
"Ah!" you cry out softly.
SLAP!
He strikes the other side with equal force, leaving a warm flush across your skin.
Releasing your hair, he grips your hips firmly with both hands, positioning himself at your entrance, and drives in with one swift, deep, uncompromising push.
"GOD, SAN!" you shout into the duvet.
He takes you from behind without mercy. His thrusts are fast and deep, causing the bed to shift beneath the impact of his weight against yours. The wet sound of skin meeting skin and your joint breathing fills the quiet room.
San shifts his weight slightly, leaning over you to maintain the relentless pace. He glides a thumb along your skin, adding a steady, rhythmic pressure at your lower center while continuing his deep, driving thrusts without slowing down.
The dual sensation—filling you so completely while stimulating you with expert precision—causes your mind to short-circuit. You lose the strength in your arms, dropping your chest and face fully against the mattress, completely surrendered to the intense pleasure.
San hooks one leg onto the bed, planting his knee for better leverage and an even deeper angle. From this position, he drives relentlessly, hitting your deepest spots with every single stroke. Words become impossible; only breathless gasps and unarticulated sounds escape onto the sheets.
With effortless control, San grips your waist, flips you over, and lays you on your back against the mattress. He lifts your legs by the ankles, holding them high in the air to continue taking you deeply. Then, he presses your knees firmly against your chest, folding your body to achieve an incredible depth.
"Look at you..." San growls, savoring how completely unraveled you are beneath him. "You're totally out of your mind for me."
He grabs your arms and pulls you up, sitting upright on the bed and bringing you over his lap to ride him.
"Now take control," he commands, holding your hips.
You begin to move on top of him. San leans in close, kissing you deeply, biting your lower lip just enough to draw out a soft gasp, and trails his mouth down to leave dark, mark-worthy kisses across your collarbone and chest. His hands knead your hips and waist possessively, treating your body as his absolute property.
When he feels your legs begin to tremble from the exertion, San eases you back down against the mattress. Lifting your hips slightly off the bed, he drives into you with relentless focus, pacing himself with fierce determination while his free hand grips your thigh tightly.
You reach up for his mouth, completely intoxicated by the mix of intensity and pleasure.
San pauses for a brief second. He slides out of you and inserts two fingers deep into your warmth, targeting your sweet spot with fast, assertive strokes.
"Climax for me again," he demands into your ear, his voice raspy and commanding. "Let go completely. Look me in the eyes and come for me."
"San, I am! I'm coming!" you cry out in an overwhelming release.
Your inner walls contract fiercely around his fingers, flooding him with heat. San smirks arrogantly, and without giving you a moment to recover, he delivers a firm slap directly over your sensitive center.
"We're not finished," he says softly.
He guides those same slick fingers right to your lips.
"Taste yourself," he orders.
You obey instantly, wrapping your lips around his fingers, cleaning away the slick evidence of your climax. San, seeing your absolute surrender, loses control entirely. Pulling his fingers free, he gives your cheek a firm, deliberate slap that turns your head to the side.
"You love when I take you like this, don't you? You love being completely mine."
He drives back inside you in one powerful stroke, taking you with a frantic, intense rhythm as he nears his own limit.
San knows he's about to come, but he wants to see it all.
He pulls out of you with a slick sound, settles on his knees over your chest, hovering right over your face, hard, flushed, and pulsing.
"Open up. Tongue out," he commands, his voice thoroughly wrecked with exertion and pleasure.
You open wide, extending your tongue. San grips his shaft and strokes himself at a wild pace directly above your face. His tip grazes your damp tongue with every pass, letting you feel the intense heat of his impending release.
"Fuck... fuck, I'm coming..." San growls.
With a final, sharp shudder, San spills completely over your face and mouth. The warm white streams hit your tongue, your lips, and your chin, coating your skin in his heat.
He continues stroking out every last drop, breathing heavily, watching as his spent release covers your face while you swallow it down, looking up at him with utter devotion.
San collapses onto his side beside you, thoroughly exhausted, covered in sweat, his chest heaving at a hundred miles an hour. He slides an arm under your neck and pulls you flush against his side, unbothered by the mess or the sweat. He plants a gentle, tender kiss on your temple—a stark, loving contrast to the intensity of moments ago.
"You're incredible..." San whispers, closing his eyes and holding you tight against him. "And completely mine."
On Sunday morning, the golden light pours directly through the suite's large windows. You wake up slowly, your body registering the exquisite lingering effects of the previous night: a slight stiffness in your thighs, the skin on your buttocks still deliciously sensitive to the touch of the sheets, and that constant, aching sense of fulfillment deep at your center.
As you shift, you feel San's heavy, protective arm locked around your waist. He's already awake, resting on his elbow, watching you with an intensity that has absolutely nothing to do with playing the "fake boyfriend." There are no cocky smirks or teasing looks; his dark eyes hold only open, raw, defenseless devotion.
"Good morning," San murmurs, tracing his thumb over your lower lip, which still bears the faint, sensitive mark of his bites from the night before.
"Good morning..." you smile softly, stretching lazily against the warmth of his body.
San leans in and plants a slow, deep, lingering kiss on your mouth, savoring you without any rush. When he pulls back, his gaze turns a little more serious, more reflective.
"The weekend is coming to an end," he says, his hand gliding down your bare back. "In a few hours we'll have to pack our bags, check out of the hotel, head to the beach for one last group gathering, and drive back to the city. Back to the group, the phone calls... back to normal life."
You fall quiet for a second, feeling a sudden pang of uncertainty tighten in your chest. The fake dating game had achieved its goal beyond anyone's wild expectations: you'd left the university harpies choking on their own jealousy and shared three unforgettable days. But the line between the lie and reality hadn't just blurred—it had been completely blown to pieces.
"San..." you begin to say, but he cuts you off before panic can even cross your mind.
"Don't you dare think for a single second that this was just for the favor," he decrees, hovering over you and locking his eyes onto yours. "I haven't faked a single thing I've said or done to you this entire weekend. If I touched you like that, if I fucked you like that... it's because I've been losing my mind over you for years."
Your heart does a violent flip in your chest.
"Years?" you repeat in a breathy whisper.
"Since that damn day at the cybercafé," he admits with an honest, almost timid smile—something impossibly rare for someone like San. "I was terrified of saying anything and ruining our friendship, terrified you'd reject me or that I'd lose the only real thing I had. But when you called me for this fake boyfriend favor... I couldn't say no. I wasn't going to let the chance of having you pass me by."
You stare up at him, drinking in every single word, feeling the absolute last wall between the two of you crumble into dust. Sitting up in bed, you wrap your arms tightly around his neck, resting your forehead against his.
"You're an idiot, Choi San," you murmur, your eyes brimming with emotional warmth. "We could have saved so much time if you'd just told me sooner."
San lets out a clear, ringing laugh and pulls you into a breath-stealing hug, showering your entire face with warm, eager kisses until you're laughing right along with him.
By noon, the hotel lobby is buzzing with former classmates collecting their bags and saying their goodbyes before heading to their cars for the drive home.
You walk down the stairs hand-in-hand with San. You're wearing a simple beach dress, but the radiant confidence you emanate—along with the discreet mark peeking out from the curve of your neck—says everything that needs to be said. San walks by your side with his duffel bag slung over his shoulder, fingers tightly laced with yours, marking his territory one last time.
The ringleader harpie and her entourage are standing near the reception desk. Seeing you approach, they try to conjure one last condescending smirk, but San's indifferent glance and the way he pulls you flush against his side to plant a kiss on your temple before handing over the keys makes it crystal clear: their opinions mean absolutely nothing. You've won on every single front.
You step out of the hotel with your bags. San walks beside you, holding your hand with those tightly intertwined fingers and that relaxed yet utterly ruthless aura of a man who knows he's won the ultimate prize.
Reaching the parking lot, San heads toward his car: a striking, immaculate black SUV with dark tinted windows that immediately catches the eye of several people in the group. The Business School girls watch the scene unfold as San pops the trunk to store your bags.
He opens the passenger door for you. Before you can climb in, San catches you by the waist, pulling you close and leaning over you.
"Tell me something..." he murmurs, his eyes roving over your face. "Are you wearing a swimsuit or a bikini under that dress? Because if you're showing too much skin, I'm going to end up picking a fight with half the group at the beach."
"I'm wearing a bikini," you smile flirtatiously, wrapping an arm around his neck. "But I'm entirely yours, so you've got nothing to worry about."
San can't stop a cocky, thoroughly satisfied smirk from breaking across his face. He gives you a quick, firm kiss on the lips and walks around to the driver's side.
Driving in a convoy with the rest of the group's cars, you set course for a nearby cove. Upon arrival, the midday sun is shining in all its glory, and the sound of the crashing waves blends with the festive atmosphere of the weekend's farewell. You roll out a double towel on the sand beneath the shade of an umbrella.
You stand up to slip off your beach dress. As the fabric glides down to your feet, revealing your body in a two-piece bikini, you hear San let out a low, appreciative whistle from the towel.
Looking over at him, you see his dark eyes scanning your skin with undisguised pride. The bright sunlight renders the marks of the previous night fully visible: faint hickeys along the curve of your neck, your collarbone, and your chest, alongside the soft, rosy shadows left by San's fingers on your inner thighs.
"What?" you ask innocently, adjusting a strap.
San springs to his feet, that look of pure triumph etched across his features. He drapes a heavy arm over your shoulders, pulling you against his bare, warm torso.
"Nothing..." he smirks against your ear. "Just that I'm going to have to drag you into the water before I end up throwing you into the back seat and taking you right here in front of everyone."
You head into the ocean together amidst playful laughter. The crystal-clear water reaches your chest, and the rest of the group scatters a few yards away, splashing, swimming, and tossing a beach ball around.
You let San take the lead. He lifts you up into his arms in the water; you wrap your legs tightly around his waist, floating effortlessly as you splash each other like you don't have a care in the world. San, however, is cunning. While chatting casually with the others and acting completely distracted, he slowly shifts his position, taking deliberate steps toward a deeper, more secluded section of the cove—subtly distancing the two of you from the group.
Suddenly, once the distance is safe enough, San drops the playful demeanor. He presses you flush against his chest and traps your mouth in a wild, deep, ravenous kiss, sliding his tongue inside with a fierce hunger that takes your breath away.
You break away for a split second, eyes wide as you glance around.
"San!" you whisper-warn him. "Are you crazy? They're going to see us."
"Relax... nobody's watching us," he says with dangerous composure.
Glancing over his shoulder, you realize he has put plenty of distance between you and the rest of the crowd. To anyone watching from the shoreline, you simply look like a couple holding each other affectionately in the water.
"You're unbelievable... you had this all planned out," you murmur, shaking your head.
"Always," he grins.
Beneath the surface, San's hand slips down your back, navigating the warm water until it reaches your center. With practiced skill, he pushes the fabric of your bikini bottom aside and slides two fingers directly into your drenched center.
"Ah!" A gasp escapes your throat. You cling tightly to his shoulders, digging your nails into his skin.
"Shhh... relax," he murmurs in your ear, keeping a solid stance on the sandy sea floor. He faces the beach, keeping an eye on everything around you while your back remains turned to the shore. "Nobody is looking."
He begins moving his fingers inside you. It's a exquisite form of torture: slow, agonizing, taking absolute delight in the sudden tension of your body and the heat radiating off you.
"I love how tight you are for me... I swear I'm addicted to you," he whispers into your ear in that low, raspy tone that completely undoes you.
You bite his shoulder desperately, stifling your groans against his sun-warmed skin so as not to attract attention.
Suddenly, San withdraws his fingers. With a swift maneuver under the water, he loosens the drawstring of his trunks just enough to free his hard, throbbing length. He repositions your hips on his and, with one accurate, unyielding push, buries himself completely inside you.
Both of you let out a muffled, simultaneous gasp.
San places his hands back on your hips and begins moving you on top of him. The thrusts are short, slow, and meticulously controlled, keeping you pinned close so that above the surface, nothing looks out of the ordinary.
"You are completely out of your mind..." you manage to gasp out against his neck.
"Don't pretend you're not loving it," he smirks, squeezing your buttocks under the water. "You're gripping me so tight like you never want to let me go."
San frees one hand underwater, slipping a strap of your bikini top down and freeing one of your breasts below the surface. He pinches your erect nipple firmly between his fingers, causing you to arch your back. The lingering sensitivity from last night makes the sensation overwhelmingly intense.
"You have no idea how badly I want to take you properly," San growls against your neck, slightly increasing the tempo of his subterranean thrusts. "Holding back like this is killing me."
"It's your own fault... for starting this in the middle of the ocean," you accuse him in a breathy whisper, clenching your inner walls tightly around him.
That sudden clench is his absolute breaking point. The thrill of the public setting, the risk of being caught, and your searing warmth strip away San's remaining restraint.
"You're taking all of it... like a good girl," he decrees into your ear.
San delivers three final, agonizingly deep, controlled thrusts before a full-body shudder wracks his frame. You feel the waves of heat spill deep inside you as he holds you tight against his chest, his breath coming in ragged, heavy gasps over your collarbone.
You remain wrapped in each other's arms for a couple of minutes, letting your racing pulses settle. San carefully readjusts your bikini, fixes his trunks beneath the water, and plants a sweet kiss on your forehead before slowly guiding you both back toward the shore.
Back on the towel, you lie beneath the umbrella to rest. The cool sea breeze dries your skin, and the accumulated exhaustion leaves you both in a state of absolute, contented peace.
After a while, San rolls over onto his stomach against the cloth.
"Hey... put some lotion on my back, please," he asks, turning his head to look at you with lazy, adoring eyes.
You grab the bottle of sunscreen and straddle his thighs. You begin spreading the lotion with slow, deliberate strokes and firm massages across his broad shoulders, his sculpted back, and his arms, savoring every single second of touching his skin.
A few yards away, the ringleader harpie and her friends observe you both with a bitter mixture of fury and defeat. Seeing you there, sitting comfortably on the back of the most sought-after guy from college, sharing an effortless intimacy and receiving his unabashed looks of pure devotion is the final blow to their pride. The victory is absolute.
As evening approaches, the entire group gathers at the beachside bar for a final round of drinks before heading back to the reality of work and daily routines. The conversation is easygoing, filled with promises not to wait another six years to see each other. San keeps his hand tightly laced in yours the entire time, seamlessly part of the group, yet making it abundantly clear to everyone exactly who you belong to.
Night has completely fallen by the time you say your final goodbyes to everyone in the parking lot. You both climb into San's black SUV. The atmosphere inside the cabin is warm and intimate, illuminated only by the soft glow of the dashboard lights and low music playing in the background.
San starts the engine and merges onto the highway heading back toward the city. You lean back into the passenger seat, exhausted but with an indelible smile resting on your face, watching the nighttime landscape blur past the window.
After half an hour on the road, you notice San taking an exit that doesn't look familiar at all. Sitting up slightly, you peer out through the glass.
"Hey... this isn't the way to my apartment," you say, glancing over at him sideways.
San keeps his eyes locked onto the highway. Keeping one hand firmly on the steering wheel, his other reaches across the center console to find yours, lacing his fingers through yours with a steady, reassuring grip. The corner of his mouth tilts up into that cocky, possessive smirk you know by heart now.
"I know," he replies, his voice low and calm. "You're staying at my place tonight. And while we're at it, the rest of the week, too."
You stare at him, feeling an overwhelming warmth flood your entire chest. Smiling softly, you sink back into the seat and squeeze his hand tightly as the black car glides straight forward into your new future together.
The Spire of Forgotten Threads does not appear on any map. It shifts between worlds, visible only when the moon bleeds thin and the stars align wrong a tower of black glass and silver silk, rising endlessly above a sea of swirling mist, spinning slowly in the void. No one knows who built it. Some say it grew from a single drop of blood spilled at the beginning of time. Others say it is the loom itself, given shape, breathing, waiting. That is where Hongjoong lives.
He was not born a weaver. He was a prince who traded his kingdom for the power to rewrite the past to undo a tragedy that had burned everything he loved to ash. The price was steep: first his hands, then his heart, then his name. Now he is the Spire’s living master. He wears robes stitched with constellations that burn and fade in time with his moods, silver rings on every finger each one etched with a rune that binds him to the loom and eyes that hold the cold weight of a thousand dead timelines. He does not age. He does not sleep. He only weaves.
Every thread in his loom is a life. A choice. A death. He can pull a soul from the flow of time, twist its path, snip its future clean away but every fate he changes costs him a memory, a piece of himself, until soon there will be nothing left but the loom and the dark. He has forgotten the faces of his parents. He has forgotten the sound of rain. He has almost forgotten what it feels like to be warm. Only the threads matter. Only the work.
You arrive at his door running from a death you cannot escape. A prophecy hung over your family for generations one carved into stone, spoken in whispers, inevitable: you will die before the season turns, betrayed by the one you love most. You have watched it unfold in your dreams, night after night cold steel, crimson petals, a face you cannot quite make out. You climb the endless, spiralling stairs of the Spire, your breath coming in ragged gasps, your blood your only coin the only thing the Fates and their weaver still value. You find him standing before a loom as tall as the sky, threads of gold and shadow and bone glowing between his slender fingers, weaving, weaving, never stopping. He does not turn when you enter. He already knew you were coming. He wove your arrival three years ago.
“You want to live,” he says, his voice like silk sliding over broken glass quiet, precise, terrifyingly calm. “Everyone does. But no one ever asks what they must pay. Power is never given freely. It is always taken and always bought.”
“I have nothing left to give,” you tell him, your voice trembling. “They have already taken everything else.”
He turns then, and his smile is sharp and terrible beautiful, but edged with frost, with centuries of loneliness. “Then you will stay. You will be my hands when mine bleed. You will be my eyes when the threads blind me. You will sort the tangled skeins and mend the broken patterns when the backlash tears them apart. You will live but your life will belong to me. Every breath, every heartbeat, every moment you think is yours… it is mine. And if you ever try to leave, if you ever try to unravel the bargain… I will unravel you. Thread by thread, existence by existence, until not even a ghost remains. Until no one remembers you ever existed at all.”
You agree. What choice do you have? Death waits outside. Here, at least, there is time.
At first it is only work. Days blur into weeks, measured not by the sun for there is no sun here but by the shifting colours of the threads. You sit beside him, sorting strands of pale gold for lives of joy, deep crimson for lives of passion, cold black for lives ending in grief. You watch him shape worlds saving children from burning villages with a gentle tug of silver thread, cursing cruel kings with a sharp twist of iron, ending wars with a single, precise snip of his shears. He is quiet, intense, terrifyingly brilliant his mind seeing patterns where you see only chaos, predicting outcomes before they have even begun to form. He rarely speaks unless it is to give an instruction. He never touches you not until the night a thread snaps.
It happens during a weaving of immense power a correction to a timeline that threatens to tear the world apart. The backlash strikes like lightning, shattering the air, throwing you backward toward the void the endless, starless drop that waits beyond the Spire’s edge. You would have fallen, dissolved into nothingness but Hongjoong moves faster than thought. His hand closes around your wrist, his grip firm and burning, and he pulls you back against him, safe, against his chest. For a heartbeat you are pressed close you can smell him: ozone and old parchment and wild, starlight. You feel the beat of his heart slow, steady, impossibly strong beneath the stitched silk of his robes. And in that moment, you see it beneath the power, beneath the curse, beneath the terrifying perfection of him the loneliness. The fear that he is already too far gone, that the magic has eaten him alive and soon there will be nothing left.
He does not let go immediately. His fingers brush the back of your hand, feather-light, as if he is afraid you will break or as if he is afraid he will break you.
“You are the only bright thread in all of creation,” he whispers, and his voice shakes just barely, a tremor in the silence that no one else would ever notice. “I did not weave you. You are the one thing I cannot control. And it terrifies me.”
The danger comes not from outside but from the loom itself. The Fates do not like being cheated. They send shadows that slip through the cracks in the tower, things that look like people you once loved your mother, your dearest friend whispering that Hongjoong is destroying you, that he has trapped you here for his own selfishness, that he is feeding on your light to keep his own darkness at bay. And they are not entirely wrong. He has trapped you. He does keep you close when he should let you go. But when the darkness comes for you not as whispers, but as teeth and claws, as cold that seeps into your bones he stands between you and it. His weaving needles transform in his hands, lengthening into daggers of starlight, burning with a cold, white fire that leaves the shadows screaming. He fights with a ferocity that shatters the very walls of the Spire because for the first time in an eternity, he has something worth fighting for.
“I would burn the world to keep you safe,” he snarls, blood silver and glowing on his cheek where a shadow’s claw grazed him. “Let them come. Let them try to take you. I will unravel the heavens themselves before I let them touch a single hair on your head.”
But the truth is far worse than either of you imagined. It happens on a quiet night or what passes for night in the Spire when you are searching for a lost thread behind the loom. Your fingers brush something cold, hidden beneath the floorboards a single strand, glowing with a light that hurts your eyes, pulsing in time with your own heartbeat. You pull it free, and the images flood your mind visions, memories, futures that never were. And you see it all.
He did not save you out of kindness. He wove you into his fate to fix his own. The prophecy was never about your family it was about him. The magic is eating him alive. It will consume his soul completely within the year, turning him into something no longer human a thing of thread and void, cold and eternal. You are the only thing that can stop it. The only thing that can anchor him. You are his lifeline. His cure. And his curse. He knew it the moment you were born. He waited your whole life for you to come to him.
When you confront him, the thread still glowing in your trembling hand, he does not deny it. He does not lie. He drops to his knees before you the Weaver of Fates, the most powerful being in all the realms bowed low, his head bowed, his hands loose at his sides, offering you no resistance. For the first time, you see him truly not powerful, not immortal, but terrified. Broken. Human, beneath all the silk and starlight.
“I am sorry,” he says, and tears fall like liquid starlight bright, cold, burning where they hit the floor. “I stole your freedom. I lied. I used you. But I did not know I would fall in love with you. I did not know you would become the only thing I cannot bear to unravel. I tried to fight it to weave it out of existence but the threads… they would not obey. Not even mine.”
He reaches into his robes and pulls out a pair of shears small, sharp, made of moonlight and shadow. He lays them at your feet.
“I offer you the choice I never had,” he says, his voice hollow, raw. “Cut the thread cut my fate free. Break the bond. I become mortal again I will forget you, and you will forget me. You will go back to your life, and I will die… finally, properly, as I should have died centuries ago. Or —” He looks up, and his eyes are bright with fear and longing and something ancient and fierce. “Or stay. Stay, and let me weave our lives together forever bound, cursed, immortal. We will rewrite the stars. We will outrun the Fates. We will face the darkness together. And we will never, ever be parted… even if it means neither of us is ever truly free.”
The loom waits. The threads glow, shifting colours gold, shadow, bone. The silence stretches, endless, waiting. Hongjoong stays on his knees before you, trembling the Weaver of Fates, who bends time to his will waiting for you to decide his ending.
“In all the timelines I have seen,” he whispers, so quiet you almost miss it, “in every possible world… I am always yours.”
⚠️ EXTREME CONTENT WARNING: Dead Dove — Do Not Eat. dom!hwa • captivity & obsession • violence & gore • dead bodies • murder • power imbalance • dubious consent • explicit sexual content • breath play • biting • overstimulation • emotional manipulation • romanticised dark themes • squirting • piv • hair pulling • eating out • fingering • scratching
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Feathers stained crimson
The Grand Aurora Opera House had been condemned for twenty years. Iron gates rusted shut, stained‑glass windows fogged like cataracts, ivy choking its stone throat until it looked less like a building and more like a thing that had died and been left to rot. Locals crossed the street when they passed it. They told stories: that on full moon nights you could hear violins playing broken melodies, see a shadow in the highest window, and that anyone foolish enough to slip through the cracked stage door would never be seen again.
You’d come only for the photos. A journalist friend had mentioned the lost opening night a production of Swan Lake that had never premiered, whose lead dancer had vanished without a trace hours before the curtain rose. You’d found yellowed playbills tucked in library archives: PARK SEONGHWA — PRINCE OF THE STAGE — THE BLACK SWAN. And beside his name, crossed out in faded ink: UNDERSTUDY — THE WHITE SWAN.
You stepped through the broken door, camera slung over your shoulder, torch cutting through dust‑thick air. The velvet curtains were tattered, hanging like rotting flesh. The seats were draped in sheets. It smelled of old dust, mildew, and something sharp and metallic you couldn’t place.
Then the curtains parted on their own.
And there he was.
Park Seonghwa stood centre stage, exactly as he had been in the photographs. Pale as marble, sharp‑boned, dressed in a costume of tattered black swan feathers that shifted like smoke around his shoulders. His pointe shoes were dyed dark with old, crusted stains. The black kohl around his eyes had run, as though he’d been weeping for decades. When he moved, there was no sound no footfall, no breath only a terrible, fluid grace that made your skin crawl.
“Welcome,” he said, bowing low, feathers drifting down like ash. “I apologise for the dust. It has been so very long since we had a proper audience.”
Your heart hammered against your ribs. “They said opening night never happened. That you were the only one left here when they locked the doors.”
He straightened slowly. The smile that touched his lips was polite, soft and utterly devoid of warmth. Only the quiet, satisfied weight of twenty years of secrets kept buried in the floorboards.
“They never knew the half of it,” he murmured, gliding a step closer without making a sound. “I was never meant to share this stage. Not with understudies, not with critics, not with anyone who might take what was mine. So I silenced every last one who tried to take it from me. The cast, the crew… anyone who dared to say I wasn’t enough.”
He gestured to the shadowed tiers rising high behind you. “Look closely. Every seat is filled. They never leave.”
You lifted your torch.
Your breath died in your throat.
Row after row, every seat was occupied. Some were fresh, bloated and pale. Some were skeletal, clothes rotting away to reveal bone. Every single one of them stared unblinkingly at the stage. You recognised names from old obituaries, from cases gone cold, from people who’d simply vanished after wandering too close to the gates on nights like this. Every single one had come curious, or bold, or looking for a story and every single one had died right where they sat, so they could never look away.
“I lured them in,” Seonghwa said, soft as a confession, cold as the stone walls around you. “Whispers through the cracks. Notes left on doorsteps. The sound of music drifting out after dark. They all came running, just like you did. And when they did… I made sure they’d never leave their seats.”
Somewhere above, a broken organ started up, playing the same mournful refrain over and over, never reaching its end. He moved closer still, his stained pointe shoes tapping once, twice against the rotting wood a rhythm he’d kept perfect for twenty years.
“You came looking for beauty,” he purred, curling cold fingers around your wrist. “Looking for something to capture. And now you’ll get to watch me dance forever. Just like them.”
The stage door clicked shut behind you. The lock turned with a sound like a final breath. The dead audience leaned forward as one, silent and waiting. Seonghwa’s smile widened sharp, unhinged, perfectly pleased.
“Shall we take your seat?”
He did not kill you.
That was the first thing that made your blood run cold. He dragged you not to the seats, but backstage to the dressing room that had once been his. Mirrors framed in cracked gold, a vanity still dusted with old powder, a wardrobe standing open. And inside, hanging pristine amid the decay: The White Swan costume. Ivory silk, soft feathers, a crown of pearls, pointe shoes wrapped in satin.
“Put it on,” he said, laying it out on the velvet chaise.
You backed away, shaking your head. “No. Please let me go. I won’t tell anyone I was here.”
He tilted his head. For a moment you saw the monster beneath the grace something hungry, ancient, and terrible. But he did not step closer. He did not strike.
“I will not hurt you,” he said, and his voice was so soft it hurt to hear. “I never hurt the ones who belong here. Only the ones who try to take this place from me. Only the ones who break the silence.”
And then he showed you.
A man burst through the stage door a trespasser, drunk and loud, shouting about ghosts and dares. Seonghwa turned. In a movement too fast for your eyes to track, he was there. He drove a shard of splintered wood through the man’s throat, pinning him to the wall, and watched without flinching as blood soaked the stone floor. He dragged the body into the wings, and when he returned, he wiped the blood from his hand on a velvet cloth like it was nothing more than dust.
“I protect what is mine,” he said, locking eyes with you. “And you… you are different. You looked at me and you did not scream. You looked at the stage and you saw what I made. You are her. The White Swan that was stolen from me twenty years ago. You are the only one who will ever be worthy of standing beside me.”
Slowly, trembling, you put on the dress.
It fit as though it had been made for you.
Days bled into weeks. There was no sun here, only the dim, perpetual glow of moonlight through high windows. Seonghwa never laid a hand on you in anger. He brought you food that had somehow stayed fresh, kept you warm, never let you out of his sight. But he watched you always. From the wings, from the balcony, from the shadows of the room. He would sit for hours simply staring at you, as though memorising every line of your face, terrified you might vanish if he blinked.
When you tried to run, he caught you easily but he did not hurt you. He simply held you, his grip firm but gentle, and whispered against your hair:
“Don’t you understand? There is nowhere else for you. Out there they would only ruin you. Here you are perfect. Here you are mine.”
When other intruders came thrill‑seekers, vandals, thieves Seonghwa was gone in an instant. You would hear screams, wet tearing sounds, the sickening crunch of bone, and then silence. He would return stained with blood, feathers matted, and he would wash his hands before touching you, as though you were something too pure to be soiled by what he did.
He taught you to dance.
At first you stumbled, clumsy and afraid. But he was patient. He corrected your posture with cold, careful hands. He hummed the music until you knew it by heart. And slowly, you began to feel it the pull of the stage, the rhythm that had been beating in these walls for two decades. You began to understand why he had killed to keep it.
One night, after you’d danced until your feet bled, he knelt and untied your pointe shoes. He kissed the bruises on your ankles, reverent and desperate.
“I have been alone for so long,” he whispered against your skin. “I thought I would have only the dead for company forever. But you… you are alive. You are warm. And I will burn the whole world down before I let anyone take you from this stage.”
It was not love not at first. It was captivity, fear, and a terrible, magnetic pull you could not break. But as months passed, something shifted. He stopped locking the door to your room. He let you wander the corridors alone. He told you stories of his childhood, of the way the world had chewed him up and spat him out, of the night he had taken his knife and made sure no one would ever laugh at him again.
You saw the boy beneath the monster. You saw the loneliness that had curdled into cruelty. You saw the fear that had turned to obsession.
And one night, when he came back from disposing of another intruder, shaking and splattered with gore, you did not flinch. You stepped forward and wiped the blood from his cheek with your thumb.
“I know what you are,” you said softly. “And I am still here.”
He broke then.
He fell to his knees, burying his face in your lap, and wept silent, heaving sobs that shook his whole body. For the first time in twenty years, someone had looked at all the blood and all the bones and all the madness… and had not run.
He rose slowly, his dark eyes burning with something far more terrifying than hunger devotion.
“Then stay,” he breathed, pulling you close until you could feel his cold, still heartbeat against yours. “Be my White Swan. Be the only living thing in this whole cursed place that belongs to me. And I will give you everything. Every dance, every song, every eternity.”
He kissed you then not with the violence you had feared, but with a desperate, aching tenderness, as though he was afraid you might dissolve into smoke if he held you too tight. His hands roamed over you, reverent and claiming, tracing every line of the dress he had dressed you in, every curve he had watched from afar for so long. He worshipped you, slow and deliberate, whispering how beautiful you were, how you were the only thing that had ever made this dark, dead place feel alive.
You gasped, pulling away from the kiss just a little, his forehead resting on yours, your lips swollen and glistening with him. You looked into his eyes, noticing the hunger burning brightly through them, igniting something within him.
Without hesitation, without a word he gripped your hips, guiding you to the rail that lined the mirrors behind, “i will ravish you tonight, i will teach you that you are mine, mine to ruin, to piece together, mine to worship” you gasped the words settling heavy inside you, a wave of arousal pooling deep in your gut. This should have been wrong, falling in love with a murderer, a sadistic madman. These thoughts silence as he gripped your body, bending you forward. “Grab the rail” he purred into your ear.
The sound reverbrating down your spine as he traced his fingers delicately along your spine, watching as he left a beautiful trail of scratches, earning a hiss of pleasure to leave your lips. “Beautiful” he murmured before caressing your hips, squeezing gently. He was teasing, his touches bringing you closer, arousal pooling between your legs. You moved your thighs together, in search of friction to ease the ache.
He tutted behind you, his fingers moving featherlight up your thigh, close enough to your aching core but not enough, you pushed back forcing yourself into his touch. Without hesitation Seonghwa took his hand away, his grip now in your hair tugging harshly. “Not yet baby” he purred. You whined, an almost pathetic sound, you was desperate for him.
He knew this, he had planned this, pushing and pulling your strings, moulding you to his liking. He would make you beg, he wanted to hear how much you needed him, how he was the only one that could make you fall apart, and the only one that could mould you back together again.
You let out a stuttered sob, the need unbearable, shaking and desperate you mumbled. “S-seonghwa..P-please..”
With a tilt of his head he looked took his finger wiping the tears falling from your eyes, “Look at you, unravelling for me, beg me properly… and maybe ill reward you for your best behaviour” he purred, his teeth grazing your pulse, sending a burning wave of pleasure to coarse thorough you.
“S-seonghwa…please…please fuck me…I- I need you” the words spilled from your lips, sweet and honeyed, Seonghwa drank it in, the sound of your begging making his cock throb with desire. He stood back, admiring the way you writhed, body shaking in anticipation.
He let his fingers curl, ripping a hole in your tights, forcing your core to the coldness of the air around you both. You gasped, his fingers trailing along your wetness, gathering on his slender fingers. You looked into the mirror, the sight forcing a choked moan out of you, another wave of tears streaming from your face. You choked back a breath as you watch his hand stroking his hot and aching member, his face contort in pleasure as he got closer to your heat.
With a sharp, earth shattering thrust he slid inside you, cock nestled deeply. You almost screamed, the cord snapping within you, tears falling uncontrollably now, he smirked into the mirror watching your gaze focusing, watching the scene unfold in front of you.
“Good girl~” he purred, his hips gliding ruthlessly against you, curling so deeply into you. Your knuckles white as you gripped the rail. You whined as you felt his hand wrapping around your throat. His hips snapping against you with pure lust.
Seonghwa let out a low moan, his hand squeezing around your throat watching your eyes flutter. “Beautiful” he purred, hips stuttering against you, unable to control the tidal wave of pleasure uncoiling within him. He gasped as your core clenched around him.
Leaning in he bit into your shoulder, teeth sharp against your skin. A searing heat bursting as your pussy clenched around him, cumming hard. You whined as you came, his name hot and heavy.
He wasnt done, he would make you quiver, thrusting harder and faster, chasing his own release he gripped tighter onto your throat, your eyes fluttering again, unable to breath unless he let you. With a sharp and brutal thrust he spilled inside you, painting your walls as he gasped out a low moan.
Without a second you gasped his hands twisting your body, his broad shoulders spreading your legs as your back hit the coolness of the rail. “F-fuck youre insatiable” he murmured, breath hot against your core. With a long lick his tongue delved into your folds.
Seonghwa moaned, a deep, low moan vibrating through you, your body shivering as he continued collecting the mixture of you both on his tongue. “So fucking sweet” he purred against you. Tongue working in circles against your sensitive bud. Without warning he lifted his hand, his slender fingers sliding into you, curling deeply into you. The overstimulation tightening the coil within you. You let out strangled moans, your hand letting go of the rail as it threaded into his hair, tugging hard as he sucked your clit. His fingers curling deeper into you.
Without a deep curl of his fingers and his teeth grazing gently over your swollen bud, you crashed, the deep coil of arousal snapping, you core tigthening around his fingers and tongue, you squirted, the flow dripping onto his chin, coating his face with a gorgeous sheen, fingers drenched in your essence, he drank your arousal, pulling away breathlessly as he smirked, his eyes looking up at you before rising and crashing his lips to yours.
The dead audience sat silent in the dark. The organ played on. But tonight, the music sounded less like a funeral march and more like a song for two.
And somewhere in the shadows, the curtain was already rising for Act Two.
⚠️ FULL CONTENT WARNING: Kidnapping, chloroform, non‑consensual dressing & grooming, public captivity, psychological control, implied body horror, unhealthy power dynamics, heavy obsession, eventual explicit themes | MDNI — all content is purely fictional
The alley was always quiet after your night shift. You’d walked it dozens of times, keys clutched in your hand, never thinking twice. But tonight the shadows seemed to lean in. Footsteps matched your pace, soft and deliberate. Before you could quicken your step, an arm wrapped tight around your chest, and a thick, sweet‑smelling cloth pressed hard over your mouth and nose.
You kicked, you clawed, you tried to scream but the air turned thick and heavy. Your limbs went loose, your vision blurring into streaks of streetlamp gold. The last thing you saw was Jung Wooyoung’s face inches from yours: eyes burning bright, lips curved in that wide, too perfect smile, whispering soft and low: “Don’t fight it, little doll. You’ll look so much prettier asleep.”
Then nothing.
You woke to a dull, throbbing ache behind your eyes and the strange, heavy weight of clothes that were not yours. You tried to lift your hands, but they moved sluggishly, as if something invisible tugged at your wrists; your feet were shod in polished, narrow shoes that forced your posture straight, your body swathed in layers of cream silk and black lace stitched through with silver thread that caught the light like spider‑silk. Your hair had been pinned back tight with tiny carved wooden ornaments shaped like curled fingers, and your skin smelled of jasmine oil and old beeswax the scent of a workshop filled with things he had made.
A sudden swell of music hit you: low, haunting strings that echoed through a space so vast it made your ears ring. Bright, searing spotlights slammed down around you, blinding you, and when your vision cleared, your breath died in your throat.
You were on a stage. Velvet curtains rose high above you, and beyond the pool of light, stretching back into darkness, sat thousands of people. Every eye was fixed on you. No one cheered. No one whispered. They sat perfectly still, faces pale and unreadable, as if they too were carved from wood.
Then you felt him.
He stepped up directly behind you, close enough that you could feel the heat radiating off his chest, his breath fanning slow and cold against your ear. In his hands he held long, thin strands of gleaming silk invisible to everyone else, but you could feel their phantom weight anchored to your shoulders, your elbows, your throat, your hips. He plucked one gently, and your head tilted upward of its own accord.
“Listen to me very carefully,” he murmured, his voice smooth, melodic, and terrifyingly calm. “Talk like a puppet. Soft, even, no cracks. Speak only what I give you to say. Move only when I pull. And you will be rewarded. Disobey… and we will find out exactly how much you can be remade until you learn.”
He stepped out to stand beside you, bowing low to the silent crowd, his smile wide and sharp and triumphant. When he turned back to you, his eyes held nothing but hungry possession. He plucked a second thread, and your lips parted without your will.
“Welcome,” your voice came out high, clear, perfectly measured, nothing like your own. “To the Master’s theatre.”
The crowd clapped then slow, rhythmic, thunderous, rolling like distant storm waves. Wooyoung’s fingers brushed your jaw as he leaned close again, so only you could hear:
“Good girl. Now turn. Slow. Let them see every inch of you.”
He guided you through every movement: the tilt of your chin, the sweep of your arm, the slow, graceful turn that made your silk skirts flare like a flower. Every time you faltered, every time your own fear tried to twist your expression, he would murmur a correction or give the faintest tug, and you would snap back into place. When you spoke the lines he had planted in your mind lines about beauty, about perfection, about belonging to the one who holds the strings the crowd reacted as if you were a miracle.
Halfway through, you stumbled. Your breath hitched, and for a moment you almost cried out his name in panic. Wooyoung’s hand landed light on your back, steadying you, his voice barely a whisper against your temple:
“Not yet, doll. Be good. I’m right here.”
You forced yourself to finish. When the final note faded and the lights dipped, he took your hand not roughly, but with the absolute certainty of ownership and led you offstage, down corridors lined with shelves filled with glass‑eyed figures, all frozen in poses he had chosen. After the show, he led you away from the noise, down winding corridors lined with shelves of carved wooden figures eyes glassy, smiles painted on, frozen forever in poses he’d chosen. He took you to a room draped in velvet, lit only by candlelight, and locked the door behind him.
He laid out a tray: sweet fruit, warm tea, a soft velvet blanket, a small carved wooden pendant shaped like a heart.
“This is what you earn,” he said, stepping close, his fingers tracing your jawline. “When you perform perfectly, you get comfort. You get pretty things. You get me. If you break… you get nothing but silence and cold wood.”
He fed you pieces of fruit himself, watching your mouth like he was memorising every movement. He brushed your hair back, his touch lingering, warm and sharp all at once. You flinched, and his hand stilled for a heartbeat, he looked almost hurt, before that bright, dangerous smile slid back into place.
“Don’t be afraid,” he murmured. “I only want to make you perfect.”
Night after night you stood on that stage. Night after night he pulled your strings, guided your words, made you dance and recite and smile for the crowd. And every time you obeyed, he gave you little gifts: ribbons, chocolates, sketches he’d drawn of you, perfectly still and beautiful.
But something began to change.
He started watching you not like a creator watching his creation but like a man watching something he couldn’t live without. He’d linger in the doorway of your room, just staring. He’d sit with you after shows and tell you about his work, his life, things he’d never told anyone else. When you stumbled on stage one night, he didn’t punish you. He just caught your arm, whispered “It’s alright”, and guided you through the rest.
You felt it too a twisted, terrible thing blooming in your chest. Fear was still there, cold and sharp, but underneath it was something else: curiosity, a strange kind of safety when he was near, a flutter in your stomach when he looked at you. You wanted to speak, to tell him, to ask him what he was doing but you were too scared. Too scared he’d break you if you said the wrong thing. Too scared you were already halfway to being his puppet for real.
One night after a show, he sat beside you on the edge of the bed, his voice softer than you’d ever heard it.
“I don’t want to control you anymore,” he admitted, quiet and raw. “I want you to choose me. Even if you shouldn’t. Even if it’s wrong.”
He reached out, his fingers trembling just a little, and brushed a tear from your cheek.
“I think… I think I’ve fallen for you. And I don’t know how to stop.”
You looked up at him … really looked at him and saw the madness was still there, but tangled up with something real, something hungry and human.
“Wooyoung,” you whispered, your voice shaking.
He flinched, like he’d forgotten you had your own voice.
“Say it again,” he breathed.
“Wooyoung.”
He leaned in slowly, giving you time to pull away, to run, to scream but you didn’t. He kissed you, gentle at first, then deeper, desperate, like he was trying to pour every twisted, hidden part of himself into you. His hands were no longer pulling strings they were holding you, touching you, memorising you. He undressed you slowly, reverently, whispering how beautiful you were, how you were the only thing that ever felt real.
There was still power there, still danger, still the ghost of all he’d done but now there was longing too. He worshipped every inch of you, his touch burning and soft all at once, checking in with every breath, letting you set the pace even when his own desire raged out of control. It was messy and wrong and utterly consuming and somewhere in the dark, you let yourself fall too.
You looked up at him…really looked at him, and saw the madness was still there, sharp and bright, but tangled up with something real, something hungry and human, something that ached as bad as you did.
“Wooyoung,” you whispered, your voice shaking.
He flinched, like he’d forgotten you had your own voice, like hearing you say his name like that was something he’d only dared to dream of. His fingers curled tight in the silk at your waist, knuckles white, fighting the urge to take you all at once.
“Say it again,” he breathed, leaning closer, forehead pressing to yours, breath hot and shaky against your skin. “Louder. Let me hear you say who you belong to, not just on my stage, not just when I pull the strings… but right now. For real.”
“Wooyoung.”
He leaned in slow, giving you every chance to pull away and when you didn’t, when you leaned right into him, he groaned low in his throat and crashed his lips to yours. It wasn’t gentle anymore, it was claiming. He kissed you like he’d starved for it, teeth grazing your lip until you gasped, his tongue sweeping in to taste every part of you, hands fisting in your hair to tilt your head exactly how he wanted it.
“You have no idea,” he growled against your mouth, “how long I’ve waited to stop pretending this is just a performance.”
His hands were everywhere at once, rough and reverent, tracing every curve like he was carving you into his memory. He undid the laces of your corset slow, watching your chest heave as the silk fell away, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses down your throat, over your collarbone, nipping soft then hard until you whined and arched into him. When you tried to touch him back, he caught your wrists in one hand, pinning them above your head with effortless strength, his other hand gliding down your stomach to grip your hip hard enough to leave marks.
“Not yet, doll,” he purred, eyes dark and burning. “You move only when I let you. Remember?”
He dragged his thumb slow over your skin, making you shiver so hard your teeth chattered he loved it, loved watching you fall apart for him, loved that every gasp, every shiver, every broken little sound was yours and yours alone, but still his to command.
He trailed kisses lower, over your ribs, your hips, sucking bruises into your soft skin that would stay for days, his mark, his claim. When you tangled your hands in his hair and tugged, he bit down light, making you cry out, then soothed the sting with his tongue, laughing dark and low when you squirmed.
“Greedy little thing,” he murmured, pulling back just enough to look at you, hair wild, lips swollen, skin flushed and marked exactly how he liked it. “Beg for it. Properly. Like you know who owns every inch of you.”
You stammered out his name, half-plea half-prayer, and his smile went sharp and devastatingly sweet.
“Good girl.”
He moved over you then, slow and deliberate, letting you feel every inch of him pressed against you – solid, warm, unyielding. He pushed into you inch by agonising inch, watching your face twist, whispering dark praise against your skin: “So perfect. Made just for me. Look at you – taking every last bit of me like you were always meant to.” He set a brutal, steady pace, one hand still holding your wrists pinned, the other gripping your jaw to make you look right at him, forcing you to see the hunger and the adoration warring in his eyes. Every time you tried to look away, he tilted your chin back, thrusting deeper until you gasped his name loud enough to echo off the velvet walls.
“Eyes on me,” he commanded, voice rough with want. “Don’t you dare look anywhere else. I want to see every second of you coming undone for me.”
He knew exactly how you moved, exactly what made you gasp and shake and cling to him he had been creating you, contorting your every move to his will, bending you to his shape, forcing your body to unravel before him slowly, stripping you of every single fibre of control you once felt.
You let out a strangled moan as he pulled the strings tight, you body tiightening with the snap of the strings your body moving, forced onto the floor, knees hitting the floor with a thud as he towered over you his frame encompassing you, his hands gripping you, brushing himself against you. Giving you a taste, a sample of what he was going to give you.
You gasped loudly as you felt his large calloused hand pressing into your face, forcing your cheek to hit the ground, the contrast of the coolness of the floor and the raging fire that he had created burning through you. You moaned, the sound muffled between his hand and the floor, vibrating through your body, he smirked as he hiked the fabric of your skirt up over your hips, your core now visible, glistening in the glow of the room, you looked back eyes raking over his form as he slid his slacks down his member springing free from the restraints, he let out a low moan as he stroked his cock, leaking with precum as he smeared it over your fluttering core. Pressing his cock into your glistening pussy inch by inch. “Such a good toy, a puppet made just for me” he growled out, jaw tight, eyes darkening with the lust.
The last of his restraint snapped as he bottomed out, his hips snug against your ass, hips moving fluidly against you, waves of pleasure flowing through your body as he pushed deeper inside, only to pull back, snapping his hips faster as he pulled you closer to the edge.
You closed your eyes, reveling in the brutal waves of pleasure he let spread through you. He noticed, jaw tightening as he brought his hand off your face, gripping the strands of your hair tugging harshly as he moved you, forcing your neck to bend upwards, you back arching with a searing ache.
“Eyes on me,” he commanded, voice rough with want. “Don’t you dare look anywhere else. I want to see every second of you coming undone for me.” Your eyes fell to the reflection in the mirror that was set perfectly angled in the room, the sight of him taking you like this forcing you to clench around his throbbing cock, the searing pain of his hand tightening in your hair, the pain leaving as his hand released, wrapping the large slender fingers around your throat as he kept you in place. Pistoning his thrusts into you almost animalistically, his hips stuttering as he felt the warm wet muscle of your core clenching around him tightly.
With a low groan he stuttered hips jolting deeply into you spilling his seed into you, the mixture of your release and his pouring out of you, spreading between your bodies.
When you finally fell apart, crying out his name over and over, he followed you right over the edge, burying his face in your neck, biting down soft against your pulse as he shook through his own release, holding you so tight it felt like he’d never let go.
Afterwards he didn’t pull away. He curled around you, brushing your hair back with gentle fingers, kissing every bruise he’d left, every inch of skin he’d claimed – that wild, dangerous edge still there, but wrapped around something soft and aching.
Afterwards he didn’t pull away. He curled around you, brushing your hair back with gentle fingers, kissing every bruise he’d left, every inch of skin he’d claimed that wild, dangerous edge still there, but wrapped around something soft and aching. You let your eyes fall shut, dizzy and warm.
Then you felt it.
The faint, familiar tug at your wrists not rough, not urgent, but impossible to resist.
You tried to shift, to pull back and look at him, but your body didn’t answer. Your head stayed tilted exactly where he’d placed it; your fingers curled limp against his chest, unable to close around the silk of his shirt. Panic flared sharp and hot in your throat, but your lips wouldn’t part to speak.
Wooyoung ran his thumb slow over your bottom lip, and that wide, too‑perfect smile spread across his face the same one he’d worn in the alley, the one that never quite reached his eyes.
“Oh, my sweet doll,” he purred, soft as the strings that hummed in the dark. “Did you really believe I’d ever let you have your own way?”
He sat back, pulling you easily with him, and you saw them then the thin, gleaming silver threads strung from your wrists, your elbows, your throat, your hips, trailing out into the shadows to where his fingers curled around their ends. He’d never cut them. He’d only hidden them where you couldn’t see.
“I told you I’d make you perfect,” he murmured, plucking one thread so your back arched of its own accord. “And perfect things don’t get to choose. They don’t get to have voices, or minds, or hearts that beat for anyone but their maker.”
He leaned in, pressing a kiss to your forehead, cold as polished wood. “I didn’t fall in love with you,I fell in love with what I could make of you. And now you’re finished.”
He stood, and you rose with him, moving only when he moved, your body light and weightless, no will of your own left to hold it down. He led you to the far wall, where a new shelf had been set up, empty, save for a velvet stand shaped exactly to your height, fitted with tiny carved clamps for your wrists and ankles.
Rows of glass‑eyed figures watched you go, their painted smiles identical to the one he wore now.
He settled you into place, adjusting your limbs with slow, careful hands until you stood just so: head high, lips parted, that soft, perfect look he’d taught you fixed forever in your eyes. He wound the silver threads around the carved wooden fingers of the stand, tying them tight, then stepped back to admire his work, head tilted like he was studying his finest masterpiece.
The last thing you felt was his thumb brushing your pulse, still, for a moment, warm, before he reached out and plucked the thread strung through your throat.
Your breath caught.
And then it stopped.
He bowed low to you, as if you were still on that stage, as if you could still see him, still hear him.
“Sleep well, my beautiful puppet,” he whispered. “The show will go on forever, and you will never, ever leave me.”
He turned away, blowing out the candles one by one, until the room fell dark. Somewhere in the quiet, you thought you heard the faint, soft hum of strings being tuned and the click of the lock, sealing you in with all the rest.
Pairing: Choi San x Reader
Genre: Action • Intense Romance • smut
⚠️ 🔞 Explicit content implied/teased | Violence, blood, themes of injury | Consensual intimate moments | MDNI — all content is purely fictional
Warnings: choking, knife play, unprotected sex, biting, posessive, size kink, hard dom San, mirror sex
bruises and kisses
The basement smelled of sweat, iron, and stale beer. Lights swung low over the ring, casting long shadows across scarred skin and worn canvas. Choi San stood in the corner, wrapping his hands tight, his jaw set hard, eyes dark and focused. He was the most feared fighter in these underground rings fast, brutal, relentless. But you were the only one who saw what lay beneath all that muscle and fury.
You’d come to watch a friend fight, but you’d stayed because of him.
When the bell rang, San moved like thunder. He took hits that would have dropped anyone else, shook them off, and struck back with terrifying precision. You winced every time a fist connected, but you couldn’t look away. When the final blow landed and the crowd roared, San didn’t celebrate. He ducked through the ropes and headed straight for the shadows straight for you.
Blood trickled from his lip. His knuckles were split open. He was breathing hard, chest heaving, but his gaze softened the second it landed on you.
“You came,” he said, voice rough and breathless.
“I told you I would.” You stepped forward, dabbing gently at the cut on his cheek with your sleeve. “You’re insane. You take too many hits.”
He caught your wrist, his grip firm but careful. “Only because I know you’re watching. Makes me fight harder.”
He led you back to the small room he used to rest, closing and locking the door behind him. The noise of the crowd faded to a dull murmur. He pulled off his gloves, then his shirt, revealing the bruises already blooming across his ribs and shoulders. You traced one gently, and he shivered, leaning into your touch like it was the only thing that could soothe him.
“I hate seeing you hurt,” you whispered.
He lifted your chin, his dark eyes burning into yours. “But you’re the only thing that heals me.”
He kissed you then hungry, desperate, tasting of iron and salt and something entirely him. It wasn’t gentle; it was heavy with all the things he couldn’t say inside that ring, all the tension he’d held back all night. His hands were everywhere at once: gripping your waist, tangling in your hair, pulling you flush against him so you could feel every hard line of him.
You tangled your fingers through his damp hair, pulling him closer, and he groaned low in his throat, backing you slowly against the wall. His lips moved down your jaw, your neck, his touch searing and sure, every movement deliberate, every breath yours.
“Tell me you want this,” he murmured against your skin, his voice thick with need. “Tell me I’m yours.”
“Always,” you breathed, arching into him. “Only you.”
He lifted you easily, setting you down on the edge of the bench, stepping between your legs, his hands roaming slow and sure. The gloves were off now and so was every part of him that he kept hidden from the world. Here, there was no crowd, no rules, no fight. Only him. Only you.
You gasped his hands that held so much weight behind them, usually used to cause pain, was feathlight against your skin, you felt the shiver run down you spine as he caressed your body, adding pressure to the soft flesh of your hips, pulling you impossibly closer. You felt the calloused hands bruisong into your skin as he forced you to lay on the bench, his frame towering over you, the dog tag he always wore dangling from his neck infront of you. Tempting your will, you grabbed the metal, pulling him closer closing the distance, tongues fighting for dominance as he pulled away, his eyes dark with desire as he gripped your throat, his touch burning like fire against you. Enoug pressure to cause your eyes to flutter, your core clenching under the skirt you wore. You came with no panties, knowing the pent up adrenaline of the fight would be enough for it to end this way. You gasped as he rose, kicking the loose fabric of his sweatpants onto the floor, boxers gone with a thud. He stood over you again, his cock aching, throbbing against his stomach as he drank in the sight of you, the soft fabric of your skirt hiked up to your hips, your glistening pussy on show for him.
He let out a low moan as he trailed kisses along your neck, brusing the delcate skin, his teeth biting and claiming you. You let out whines at the feeling, his cock pulsing against your core, you moved your hips against him in search of friction, the need burning between you both. You gasped as he took his cock in his hand lining up and sinking into you deeply, the size and girth splitting you delciously, you gripped onto him your nails digging into the golden skin, your touch bruising and grounding for him. He tried to restrain himself, he really tried but the look in your eyes made him growl, the restraint snapping as he lifted your body, forcing you onto all fours as he gripped your throat again sheething himself into your dripping core again, the mirror in front of you giving you a delcious view of the scene before you, his hand wrapping around your throat again, touch motlen. You moaned loudly. "s-san…please" the words forming into a whine.
He let the sound echo through the room, reverberating through the walls, surrounding him, he moved against you thrusting hard into your core, arousal pooling out of you and dripping down his thighs. "keep your fucking eyes on me princess" he growled, the grip on your throat almost punishing, you let out a strangled whine as his other hand reached for something.
lifting the item he let the glow of the metal shine in the mirror, you whined loudly, the sight of the knife making you clench around him hard. A low growl leaving his body as he kept the pace, hips gliding against you gorgously, you could see the sliver of sweat adorning his body, dripping down each toned muscle. You felt the sting at this moment, eyes fluttering as he dragged the metal against your spine, the blade touching your skin, a light as a feather, before pressing the blade against your skin harder. The sight of the blood trickling down your skin as he pumped inside you was driving him insane, he needed to stake his claim in the most divine way he knew. Gliding the blade across your spine he etched his name into your skin. The sounds leaving your lips were like music in his ears. His grip still tight around your throat, not once allowing your gaze to fall from the sight before you.
"mine, all fucking mine" he growled, lifting the blade to your throat as he moved his hand, the deadly grip on you hip with his other hand almost bruising. He moaned into your ear as he watched your body react, your eyes fluttering with unfiltered raw passion as you pussy clench around him, milking his throbbing cock. He felt the coil forming, the familiar wave of both your orgasms approaching rapidly. You let out a scream as you came, the blade still pushed against your throat, his hands still gripped tightly into your skin, painting your insides white as he pumped you full. His cum leaking out of you, squelching between you both.
He couldnt fight the monster inside him, the ones he was told to fight against, but he could satisfy it in one way, and he would never give up any chance to bend you to his will. To make you scream his name, to show everyone who you belong to.
Warnings: fingering, choking, spanking,unprotected sex, eating out,fingers in mouth, size kink, pet names(puppy)
All hands no talk
you gasped as his fingers curled into your aching pussy, you let out a whine of his name spill from your lips. "y-yunho.." the sound sweet and dripping from your lips like honey. You watched as he spun your body around, giving you access to watch the scene play out before you. "watch me little one~" the low rasp of his voice causing you to clench around his slender, long fingers. You let your head fall, watching the way his fingers pumped into you with precison, drawing out the ache that burned deep within you.
You let out a whine as his hands left your aching core, lifting his fingers to his lips as he sucked the glistening arousal from his deft fingers, his eyes never leaving yours. You gasped, watching as he trailed his hand down his body, stroking the length of his cock, throbbing between his hand as he lined up with your core, stretching your tight muscles as he pushed himself in inch by inch, the burn flowing through you causing you to whimper hands flying to grip onto his shoulders as he bottomed out. The length of his cock reaching deeply inside you as he thrusted into you, his cock bulging against your cervix as he laid his hand across your stomach feeling the way he abused your hole. Taking his desire to ruin you beyond new heights, he set a pace his hips bucking wildly against you as his own high came tumbling through him.
He let out low moans, the sounds of skin slapping against each other being the only thing swirling around you both, the festival outside a mere muffled memory, he fucked into you harshly. His hands taking their claim brusing you delicate flesh as he pumped himself inside you. "cum with me puppy~" he moaned out as his orgasm flushed through him. spilling inside you, painting your aching core. You clenched hard around him as he came, tighening around him and milking his throbbing cock.
You gasped as he pulled out slowly, legs shaking, body trembling as he grips your body lifting your legs onto his shoulders, moving slowly upwards standing tall against the wall, his shoulder alone keeping your legs parted enough for him. "hold on baby" he said. His breath hot against your overstimulated core. His tongue circling around your fluttering pussy, the mixture of both your arousals painting his tongue as he eat you out like a man starved. Tongue laying flat against your clit as your hands found purchase, interwined in his hair, tugging harshly at the strands, hips moving wildly against him as he brought you closer to the edge again, the wave thrashing through you as you squirted, the liquid pouring from you coating his face, dripping down his chin onto the floor below. You moaned loudly, his name falling repeatedly from your lips.
A pleased hum vibrated against you as he drank in every single drop of you. Unable to stop, he knew he was going to get into so much trouble for this but the hunger to make you his was stronger than any force hed imagined. He would be damned to let you go now.
Genre: Pirate AU • Fantasy • Enemies to Lovers • Sacrifice & Redemption
⚠️ Themes of magical punishment, grief, injury, and emotional hardship | MDNI — all content is purely fictional
Warnings: eating out, unprotected sex
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𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔰𝔬𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔩𝔬𝔰𝔱 𝔦𝔱𝔰 𝔱𝔲𝔫𝔢
The sea knew your name. It had sung it since you were small, taught you that your voice was a weapon, your beauty a trap, and that men who sailed above the waves were nothing but prey to be dragged down and devoured. Your father, the ancient ruler of the deep reefs, had made it clear: Captains like Kim Hongjoong are the worst of all. Arrogant, greedy, untouchable. Lure him. Break him. Bring his ship to the rocks.
You watched his vessel cut through the water like a dark blade: The Horizon’s Edge. Black sails stitched with silver stars, cannons gleaming, and at the helm stood Hongjoong. He wore a long coat of deep crimson, gold rings glinting on every finger, a scar slicing through one eyebrow that only made him look sharper, wilder. He did not look like a man who could be charmed. He looked like a man who commanded the tides themselves.
But you were a siren. And you had never failed.
You rose from the waves, skin glowing pale as pearl, your tail shimmering in hues of sapphire and emerald, and you began to sing.
It was the song your kind had used for centuries sweet, haunting, weaving through the wind and seeping into the bones of anyone who heard it. The crew froze. Hands slipped from ropes. Eyes glazed over, drawn toward the water like moths to a flame. Even the ocean seemed to slow, listening.
But Hongjoong did not drop his wheel.
He gripped it tighter, his knuckles white, and stared straight at you through the spray. His eyes were dark, fierce, and burning with something that was not fear. He did not turn away. He steered the ship directly toward you.
When the bow dipped close enough, he leaned over the rail and called out, his voice cutting through your melody like a knife:
“Beautiful song, siren but I do not die so easily.”
He tossed down a length of heavy sailcloth, and when you reached for it, he pulled you up himself strong arms hauling you over the gunwale, dripping wet and snarling, ready to sink your teeth into him. But he only wrapped the cloth around your shoulders and stepped back, watching you with curiosity rather than fear.
“I know what you are,” he said calmly. “I know what you do. But I will not be your victim.”
You stayed aboard as his prisoner or so you told yourself. You planned to wait, to charm him slowly, to learn his weaknesses, then lead his ship onto the jagged teeth of the Devil’s Teeth reef at high tide.
But Hongjoong refused to be the monster you expected.
He did not lock you in the hold. He gave you a cabin of your own. He brought you sweet fruit and fresh water, and when you spoke of the deep trenches and the glowing caves where you lived, he listened truly listened asking questions, drawing maps of places you described, saying, “I have always wanted to see those waters.”
He stood beside you on deck at night, pointing out constellations, telling you stories of stolen treasure and narrow escapes, and slowly, the sharp, hungry edge of your song began to soften. You found yourself singing only for him now low, quiet melodies that held no malice, only the things you could not say aloud. You had meant to break his heart. Instead, he was slowly mending yours.
One evening, when the sea was calm and the sky blushed pink, you leaned against the rail and admitted it quietly “I was sent to destroy you.”
Hongjoong did not flinch. He only turned to you, his gaze gentle but intense.
“I know. But you did not.”
Your throat tightened. “Because I could not.”
He reached out, brushing a strand of damp hair from your face, his touch warm and careful.
“Then you have already chosen, little siren.”
You felt it, the power he held, pulling off his ring that adorned his middle finger, a garnet stone adorned the middle, taking your hand gently and sliding it onto your finger. The ocean around you breathing shakily, waves crashing a little more powerful. You watched at the stone glistened under the moonlight. A glow casting around your both as you winced, a pain coursing through you as you looked down. He smiled as he watched, the power from the ring working. You body changing, your tail melting away, you didnt know this was possible, always told it was a thing of myths and legends. You gasped as you looked down at your legs.
He smiled as you looked at yourself, his hand reaching to touch you, his eyes searching for any hesitation. You gasped as his touch ignited a warmth throughout you, used to the cold waves of the ocean flowing through your veins, you looked into his eyes, the deep browns swirling around and mesmerising you, a power you knew was wrong, you was supposed to command him, to draw him into your own world, to force his hand. You smiled, the bright smile causing him to gasp, completely enraptured by you… his hand finding its place against your cheek.
Leaning into his touch you let yourself go, letting the warmth spread across you slowly. Each touch featherlight as he leant in, connecting your lips, pouring his devotion into each movement. You smiled into the kiss, as he did. Pulling away slowly, breathless. You looked at him, drinking him in, you fingers curling into his billowing shirt, pulling the fabric, a silent plea. He answered immediately taking the thin fabric and peeling it from his skin. Throwing the cotton across the room, your eyes following the sharp lines that adorned his skin, the scars covering his body from the many battles he had fought. You gasped as he walked closer, his hands gripping your own body, forcing your body against the cool rail, a stark contrast of the fire burning within him, pouring into you, your coolness fighting, restraint being tested as he attached his lips to your throat.
You let out a moan of his name as his teeth grazes along your pulse throbbing in your throat. You felt his hands gripping your body, digging his nails into your flesh as he trailed his lips down your body. Leaving his mark against your skin. A silent claim. You gasped back the whines threatening to spill from your mouth as he knelt between your legs, pulling your legs to lay on his shoulder, opening your core to him. The wind whipping around you both as the ocean matched the storm awakening inside you, Hongjoong pulling and pushing your restraint to his will, your power slipping through your pores as he sunk his lips and teeth into your plush thigh, marking your body with his power, seeping his strength and fire into your body. You felt your grip tightening against the rail knuckles white from the grip as he dove in between your legs, taking his time to lick and suck your clit.
You moved your hand, knocking the captain hat from his head and laughing as it hit the ground, your fingers intertwining into his hair, tugging harshly as he drove his tongue into your core, your hips stuttering, matching the thrusts of his tongue curling into you. The moans from him vibrating through you, the ocean waves crashing around you both as the ship moved, forcing your bodies to move, falling against him.
You both fell to the floor, hongjoong gripping your body and pulling you close, the hardness of his cock straining against his slacks, you moved with ease, fingers curling around the pants tugging harshly pulling the fabric off, throwing the restraints across the deck. You crawled over him, settling your knees over his thighs. His cock straining, throbbing with the movements. His eyes drinking your body in as he smirked, gripping your hips as he forced your to sink down. Leaving no hesitation to flood your body. His cock sheething inside your warm core inch by inch. Moans leaving both your lips, the feeling igniting a passion inside you didnt know was ever there. He gripped the back of your neck, pouring his devotion into your mouth as he bucked his hips, slow and precise movements, drinking in the way you whined into his mouth.
You moved against him, lifting your body up slowly, hands against his sculpted chest as you rode him, your hips curling as you took the pleasure you craved from him. His thrusts meeting your movements. You felt the wave flooding your system, his cock throbbing inside you deeply as you clenched around him.
You both moaned loudly, his name falling from your lips as you both came, your core clenching around him milking his cock as he spilled inside you. You both pulled away breathless, bodies moulded together.
You took him in, he smiled, a bright warm smile. You dont know when it happened but you fell for him completely hopelessly, irrevocably. You began to dream not of the deep, but of standing beside him, of seeing the world above the waves, of being his equal. He reached for your hand, sliding the garnet ring from your finger, the power surging back into the ring and your body moving, your beautifully scaled tail adorning your body again as you leant against the ship. A sigh leaving your body as you felt your body relaxing.
You lay tangled together, breathless, and knew you had fallen for him completely, hopelessly, irrevocably. You began to dream not of the deep, but of standing beside him, of seeing the world above the waves, of being his equal. He reached for your hand, sliding the ring back onto his own finger the magic fading, your tail returning, beautiful and iridescent, as you leant against the rail with a soft sigh.
You didn’t know how, but your father was watching.
The storm hit without warning. Black clouds swallowed the sun, waves rose like mountains, and the ocean roared with a voice that shook the very timbers of the ship. From the churning deep rose your father towering, terrible, his eyes burning with cold fury.
“You have betrayed us,” he bellowed, the sound echoing through every drop of water. “You have given your heart to the enemy. And so you will pay.”
You cried out, begging for mercy, but he would not listen. He reached down, and with a snap of his will, he took what was yours by right. The change Hongjoong had gifted you by choice he tore it from you by force. Magic seared through you, hot and blinding, as your tail was stripped away entirely. He silenced your song, severed every bond you held to the sea, and left you with nothing but trembling, bleeding human legs.
“Walk on land,” he snarled. “Be weak. Be mortal. And never return to the waters again.”
You collapsed to the deck, gasping, weeping, broken and terrified.
Hongjoong drew his sword instantly, stepping between you and the raging sea, shouting orders to hold fast. He did not care that you had lost your power. He did not care that you were human now. The moment your father vanished back into the deep, he was on his knees beside you, wrapping you in his coat, holding you up when your legs gave way.
“I’ve got you,” he promised, his voice rough with anger and fear. “I will not let anything else hurt you.”
The first weeks were agony. You could not walk without stumbling. You ached for the water. You woke screaming for your tail, for your song, for the life you had lost. But Hongjoong never left your side.
He taught you to balance on legs that felt alien. He fitted you with sturdy boots and a coat stitched with silver stars just like his, and gave you a sharp dagger with a hilt carved in the shape of a wave. He showed you how to climb rigging, how to read the stars, how to fight not with magic, but with skill and courage.
“You are not less now,” he told you one night, wiping salt spray from your cheeks.
“You are simply different. And I will be here for every step you take.”
Slowly, you began to heal. You learned to stand tall on deck, to shout orders, to stand watch through storms. The crew accepted you not as a siren, but as one of them sharp, fierce, loyal. You fought beside Hongjoong when rival ships attacked, your blade flashing as brightly as your tail once had.
And your love grew deeper still. It was no longer the dangerous pull of a song it was choice. It was trust. It was knowing that even if you had nothing left but him, you would still choose him every time.
One night, anchored in a quiet cove under a sky full of stars, Hongjoong took your hand and pressed a kiss to every faint scar on your legs proof of what you had given up for him, and what he had given you in return.
“I was meant to be your doom,” he whispered. “Instead, I became your home.”
You wrapped your arms around his neck, and for the first time since you were punished, you sang not a siren’s call, but a soft, human melody, only for him.
“I gave up the sea,” you said, “but I gained something far greater. I gained you. And I gained a family.”
He pulled you close, and somewhere far beneath the waves, the ocean seemed to sigh not in anger, but in acceptance. You were no longer a siren of the deep. You were a pirate. And you were his.
⚠️ Dark themes, demonic violence, hellfire imagery | MDNI
Warnings: eating out, choking, dom, unprotected sex
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The flame that bows to you
You had only stepped out for late‑night snacks. You did not expect to round a corner and find the street tearing itself apart.
Flames erupted from asphalt. Shadows twisted into claws. And in the middle of it all stood him Seonghwa his skin peeling away to reveal a skull wreathed in white‑hot hellfire, a chain of burning iron coiled in his hand. He was Ghost Rider: the Spirit of Vengeance, bound to punish the wicked, consumed by endless, agonising fire.
A demon lunged for you. The Rider turned, eyes blazing, and fixed you with the Penance Stare the gaze that burns every sinner from the inside out.
But nothing happened.
The hellfire flickered. The roar of flames dimmed to a low hum. The Rider hesitated, as if the very fire in his bones did not know how to burn you. You stood frozen, unharmed, and somewhere beneath the blaze, Seonghwa’s quiet voice rang in his own mind: She’s not a sinner. She’s… calm.
When the smoke cleared, it was Seonghwa standing there again shirt torn, skin streaked with soot, eyes dark and exhausted. He stared at you like you were something impossible.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said, sharp and breathless. “Run. Before it comes back.”
But you didn’t run.
In the days that followed, he found you again and again.
He would spend days, weeks conceding to your every command, something he didn't know he could do. His heart aching for your touch, the curse forbidding it. Still this did not stop you both, threatening the very existence of the curse he grew closer, his touches lingering, testing.
Until he snapped, your doe-eyed eyes shining brightly at him as he towered of you, his broad shoulders and frame covering you entirely, you should have run, you should have got away. but you stayed, the ache in youre own soul forcing its way through your being, pouring out of you like gasoline on the floor, waiting for a match. You felt his warmth surrounding you, echoing a sense of familarity, dare you even say comfort.
you gasped as he took his slender fingers and tilted your chin upwards to meet his gaze, his eyes boring into your soul, a silent plea as he grew closer the kiss barely there. a touch igniting the bones within you. You shivered and gripped his jacket, pulling him closer sealing your lips together as you kissed. It was messy, tongues battling for dominance as you both moved in a rythym built for you both only.
His hands finding purchase against your soft skin as he shed the clothes from your body, his gaze falling to drink you in. You didnt shy way, only a slight tinge of blush creeping upon your cheeks as he knelt before you, lifting your leg onto his shoulder. His face mere inches from your core. You felt his breath ghosting across your pussy, the sheen of arousal making the man below you groan, before leaning in and devouring you, his tongue moulding against your clit with presicion as he worked you closer, his right hand gripping into your hip keeping you pinned where you stood, his left hand tracing the soft flesh of your thigh, creeping closer towards your core. You felt a needy whine creeping up your throat as he drove his fingers into you, not once neglecting your clit with his tongue, the multitube of stimulation causing you to moan loudly, hands gripping onto his hair, tugging hard as his name spewed from your lips. Over and over again as you released, your core dripping onto his tongue as he smirked.
"god, what a mess youve made little one~" he groaned, gripping your body and spinning you to face the wall. his hand wrapping around your throat as he stroked his cock, slipping inside you deeply, the stretch of his cock making you whine. Hips moving to their own accord, chasing the high that tumbled over you like a tidal wave, you gasped breathlessly, his name falling from your lips as he thrusted into you animalitcally, unable to contain the need to ruin you. His hand squeezing as he spilled his seed into you deeply, you both looked at each other, pulling eachother into another sloppy kiss. A small laugh leaving your body as you parted and gasped as he carried your body to the bed, cleaning your body with a cloth before laying you down.
you would spend days after this, learning each other, falling into the same routine, a pattern that became something you couldnt let go.
Every time the fire threatened to take over, every time the pain grew too much to bear, being near you soothed it. The hellfire quieted. The Spirit of Vengeance receded. You were the only anchor his tortured soul had left.
He asked you to stay close reluctantly, angrily, terrified of what being near him would cost you.
“You don’t understand what I am,” he snapped one night, pacing the small safehouse he’d found. “If I lose control, I could kill you. Hell hunts me — and now they’ll hunt you too.”
“Then let me help you fight them,” you said, steady as you ever were. “I’m not leaving you to burn alone.”
He tried pushing you away more than once. He turned cold, cruel, told you you meant nothing, that you were just a convenience. But you stayed. You saw past the fear to the man who had already lost so much.
Then they came Hell’s bounty hunters, tearing through the walls, howling for the Rider’s head. Seonghwa stepped between you and them, his body already beginning to blaze. This time it was not rage that drove the change, but pure, unyielding resolve to keep you safe.
Fire swallowed his form. The skeletal face formed, the chains screamed, the ground shook. He was terrifying, magnificent, every inch the Spirit of Vengeance and yet, when he turned to look at you, the flames burned softer, less wild.
You stepped forward while the demons circled.
“Seonghwa?” you called.
He paused. The hellfire roared, but it did not turn on you.
You reached out your hand and pressed your palm right against the burning side of his arm.
The hunters froze. Even the demons recoiled.
The fire did not burn you. It wrapped around your hand like warm light, answering your touch like it belonged there. The Rider’s head tilted, and for a moment, the fire swirled into the shape of his face and you saw gratitude there. Trust.
He turned back to the attackers, chains lashing out, hellfire searing through them but he kept one burning hand close to you, never letting you out of reach.
When it was over, the flames faded slowly, gently this time. Seonghwa stood before you, breathing hard, his skin unmarked where you had touched him. He looked at your hand, then up at you, his eyes glassy with disbelief and something softer.
“It didn’t hurt you,” he whispered.
“Never,” you said.
He took your hand, lacing his fingers through yours and for the first time since he was cursed, he felt entirely, perfectly at peace.
⚠️ FULL CONTENT WARNING: DEAD DOVE: DO NOT EAT. There’s a lot of Graphic violence & gore, Psychological manipulation, Self‑harm & facial mutilation, Body horror, Obsessive & unhealthy dynamics, Severe trauma, Mind games, Blood & injury detail All content is purely fictional ⤵︎
The news footage played on every screen in the country: “THE JOKER SMILE KILLER — Choi San, 26, found guilty of the brutal murder of both parents, before mutilating his own face beyond recognition.”
The image burned into everyone’s mind was him being led away in chains, head bowed, a jagged, raw incision running from the corner of his mouth all the way up to his ears on both sides a joker smile he had carved into himself with a shard of broken glass from the very room his parents died in.
He had done it in a fevered, shattered moment of clarity. The thing that had taken over his hands, the voice that had screamed kill them, had faded and San, the boy who loved his mother’s cooking and his father’s quiet stories, had woken up to the blood on his hands and the horror of what he had become. He had screamed until his throat bled, and then he had taken the glass and dragged it through his own flesh, punishing the mouth that had stayed silent, punishing the face that had hidden the monster inside.
The scars healed thick, rope‑like and pale, pulling his lips permanently into a rictus grin that looked like a scream frozen in time. Any attempt to speak tore the tissue open anew; blood would well up instantly, choking off sound before it could even form. He had not uttered a single word since that night.
But there were two of him.
San was the core gentle, terrified, broken beyond repair, drowning in guilt and shame, convinced he deserved every bit of pain inflicted on him.
The Shadow was the alter born from the trauma cold, sharp, cunning, and violently protective. It believed the world was a cage built to destroy San. It believed every doctor, every guard, every person who looked at him with pity or fear wanted to hurt him. It saw San’s softness as a weakness to be weaponized.
When you were assigned to his case at the high‑security psychiatric facility, your colleagues told you to give up before you started. “He’s a monster,” they said. “Whatever you see isn’t real.”
But you saw the way he flinched when a door slammed. You saw how his hands twisted in his lap when you spoke softly. You saw the tears that leaked from his eyes when he thought you weren’t looking, even as that terrible, fixed smile never wavered.
You sat with him for weeks in total silence. You brought him his favourite tea sweet, just as his medical notes mentioned he used to like. You never touched him without warning. You never recoiled when the scars wept. Slowly, so slowly you almost missed it, the tension in his shoulders eased. He began to look you in the eye. He started to nod when you asked if he was okay.
San was starting to trust you.
The Shadow watched from the dark corner of his mind, calculating every move. It saw the way San’s heart lightened when you entered the room. It saw hope blooming and hope was dangerous. So it decided: Use her. Make her love you. She will get you out. And once you are free, you leave her. No one gets close enough to hurt San ever again.
These words repeating around his head as he took his time, spending the little time he could treating you as if you was something precious, a treasure, he took you into the room, his hand intertwined with yours. His touch warm and spreading like wildfire beneath you igniting a need you didnt know was flickering. He guided you to the wall pushing your frame against the wall with force before attaching his lips to yours.
the kiss was claiming, a silent promise of trust, of protection, of love. He brushed his tongue across your bottom lip, silently preening for entrance as you gasped he took his moment, exploring your mouth with urgency, his growing need brushing against you as he kept you pinned against the wall. He moaned into you mouth, his hands gliding down your body as he learnt the way your body craved him. Feeling the lust pouring from your pores, drinking it up. Licking and biting into your neck as you whimpered for him, body submitting into his grasp. He had you where he wanted you and nothing would stop him.
You moaned as you felt his large calloused hands cup your clothed core, a slight pressure added as he growled. His eyes dark with lust as he watched you, felt the way your legs began to tremble beneath his touch. He hooked his fingers into your waistband, ripping the thin material away from your skin, the loose fabric thrown across the room. His hands removing every inch of fabric from you, the barrier he needed so badly to break through. You let out a squeal as the cool air hit your skin, goosebumps glistening against your skin.
He took a second, admiring the view before him, drinking you in before grabbing a box. A simple black box adorned with a deep crimson ribbon one he had been gifted, he took the lid off and reached inside. You eyes glazed of, need pouring from your irises as he took out the rope. The same deep crimson colour as he unravelled the material, walking closer to you. His broad frame towering over you as he cracked the rope with each step. He didnt speak. He didnt need to.
You felt your entire body shiver, the arousal coating your core, you felt yourself dripping down your legs as he got closer. You saw it, the way his eyes glistened, almost a smirk present in his eyes. He let himself admire his work so far, marks adorning your skin, a show of his power. He took your arms, crossing them infront of you, silently asking you for your trust. A small nod was all he needed before he tied the rope, tugging hard on the rope before creating intricate knots across your body, he had spent days during your time together dreaming of performing such diabolical things to you, a need to assurt his deepest desires on someone, the pure submission in your eyes was something he never thought would arouse him so much, you was feeding his monster. his deepest parts of him.
You moaned loudly as your body moved his hands gripping into your skin as he hooked your body to the wall, no escape from his clutches now, the rope binding your body, his touch sending a fire across your body as he lifted your legs bending them to his will.
He moved you as if your body was a ragdoll, a toy he could mould to his liking. He shed his clothes, his skin glistening with sweat as he stroked himself, lining his cock against your core. You felt yourself clenching instictivly, his girth and length almost torturous as he sheethed himself deep inside you. He let out a breath, a please sigh as he moved against you, his cock thrusting into you at a pace that caused you to whimper, whines leaving your lips. You felt your own mind clearing, the sounds of your bodies slapping against each was the only thing to be heard.
You let out a almost pornographic moan as his hand found your stomach, pressing slightly. The pressure as his warm calloused hand touched your skin, his pace never faltering. A silent plea. You gasped and moaned as you felt his cock brushing deep inside. You felt the familiar ache, your orgasm mere minutes away as he sped up his rhythm, his hips bucking against you animalistically as his hands found the rope around your throat, pressing hard against the material and your skin. You let your mind go. All sense of control leaving your body as you bucked widly against him, chasing the high. The feeling of his cock throbbing as you let out a whine of his name.
He released, his hot cum spilling inside you deeply, you clenched around his cock. milking him through it, your arousals painting each others thighs. You both slowed down. Breaths mixing together as you came down.
He took his time to care for you after, relaxing your aching bones, treating your body with the upmost care, he smiled through his eyes. You smiled back.
It took control. It leaned into your kindness. It let you see flashes of vulnerability that made your heart ache. It played the part perfectly the wounded boy who just needed someone to stay. And you fell for it. You fell hard, crossing every professional line, breaking every rule, because you truly believed you were saving him.
One night, you slipped him a set of keys you’d copied. You led him through empty corridors, past sleeping guards, out into the cold dark of the night. You thought you were running away together. You thought you were starting over.
When you reached the treeline, safe and hidden, you turned to him, breathless and smiling through tears.
“We made it,” you whispered. “We’re free.”
He stopped. He looked at you and for the first time, you saw only emptiness in his eyes. No gratitude. No warmth. No recognition. Just cold, sharp detachment.
He turned without a sound and walked away into the trees. He didn’t look back once.
You stood there until the sun rose, alone and shattered.
Days blurred into weeks. You were suspended, investigated, interrogated but you didn’t care. All you felt was a burning, ragged betrayal. You had given him everything, risked everything, and he had discarded you like trash.
If he wouldn’t come to you, you would make him see you.
You walked into the headquarters of the national news outlet that had first branded him a monster. You walked past the reception, past the cameras, straight into the main newsroom. You didn’t scream. You didn’t shout. You produced a package you had prepared graphic, visceral, mirroring the wounds on his face, written in blood and ink, a message that screamed I AM STILL HERE. YOU CANNOT FORGET ME.
You told them to broadcast it. To show him.
Security dragged you away screaming. You fought them, wild and unhinged, until sedatives finally took you down. They sectioned you immediately. Labelled you delusional, dangerous, obsessed. Locked you away in the very same system you had once worked for.
San saw it live on a small television in the safe house he had hidden in.
For a heartbeat, San surged forward. He collapsed to the floor, sobbing silently, blood trickling down his chin as he tried to scream your name. He knew exactly what you had done. He knew you had broken yourself apart just to reach him. He tried to turn himself in, tried to go back but the panic, the fear, the memory of being caged triggered the switch.
The Shadow slammed back into control, but something was wrong. It felt a twisting, burning ache in its chest that it couldn’t name. It didn’t understand love, or grief, or regret. It only knew that seeing you dragged away like that made it want to burn the whole world down.
“She did this for him,” it reasoned. “She is still a threat. Or… maybe she is the only one who understands.”
It didn’t know what the feeling was. It only knew: I have to get her out.
It took three days of planning. It disabled the perimeter alarms, slipped past sleeping guards, picked the locks until its fingers bled. It burst into your secure room and the lights snapped instantly to a harsh, flashing red.
The door slammed shut behind him.
It was a trap.
San spun around, eyes wild, and saw the staff and guards waiting behind reinforced glass. He looked at you, strapped to the observation chair, and something snapped.
“YOU LIED!” he tried to roar, but the effort tore his scars wide open. Blood poured down his jaw, soaking his collar. “YOU SET ME UP! YOU WERE JUST LIKE THEM — TRYING TO LOCK ME AWAY AGAIN!”
He screamed until he choked on it, clawing at his own face in his rage, tearing the wounds open deeper.
Then he saw you.
You were standing by the far wall, calm and composed, no restraints, no fear. You tilted your head, your voice soft and steady.
“San? Are you okay? You look hurt.”
Confusion warred with fury in his fractured mind. You were free. You were concerned. Nothing had happened.
The Shadow shattered. His mind fractured further, weaving a hallucination so convincing he could taste it. He saw you not as the woman he had abandoned, not as the prisoner, but as an enemy mocking him, playing a game he could not win.
He lunged across the room, blinded by the illusion. He snatched the heavy metal pen from the pocket of the figure standing before him and drove it hard, straight into your chest.
The moment the tip sank home, the spell broke.
The figure by the wall vanished.
You were on the floor beneath him. Eyes wide, shocked, blood bubbling from your lips. You were not an illusion. You were real. And he had just killed you.
He dropped to his knees instantly, pressing his hands over the wound, trying to stem the flood, sobbing silently, blood pouring from his own ruined mouth and mixing with yours. He tried to speak, tried to beg, but all that came out was a gurgle of blood and broken air.
“No… no no no… what did I do… please… wake up… please…”
The Shadow was gone. Shattered by the horror of what had just happened. Only San remained the broken, terrified boy who had never wanted any of this. He held you tighter than he had ever held anything, rocking back and forth, tears cutting tracks through the blood on his face.
You lifted a shaking hand and touched his scarred cheek one last time.
“I… forgive you…” you mouthed.
Then your hand fell.
The guards burst in, weapons raised, shouting for him to stand down. But San didn’t move. He curled his body over yours, shielding you from view, his ruined face pressed into your hair. He made no sound. He had nothing left to say.
He had killed his parents. He had mutilated himself. He had used the only person who ever cared about him. And now, he had destroyed the only thing that could have saved him.
Outside, the sirens wailed. Inside, there was only silence and the echo of a smile carved in blood
Genre: Historical Fantasy, Time Slip, Soulmates, Destiny
Warning: Themes of injury, battle, emotional distress, blood
MDNI
Summary: an old history book about a General sends you back to the Joseon era, where you marry him and save his life … that was until it all ends.
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A love that lasts centuries
You were curled up late at night, turning the final pages of an old, worn history book about the Joseon dynasty. It told of General Choi San brave, formidable, a man who served his country with everything he had, but whose story always ended too soon. The deeper you read, the brighter the pages glowed, until golden light spilled out and wrapped around you. Before you could gasp, the world tilted, and you were pulled straight into the words.
When your eyes opened, you were sitting on a wooden floor, dressed in a soft, blushing pink hanbok, surrounded by people you knew were your family but this was centuries ago.
A sharp knock rapped at the door.
Your father rose and opened it. Standing there was him…General Choi San. Broad-shouldered in gleaming dark armour etched with silver dragons, sword at his hip, face serious and commanding, every bit the legendary figure you’d just read about.
“The King has ordered alliances between loyal houses,” he said, his voice deep and steady. “I am to take a wife from this household.”
Your father looked between his daughters, then bowed his head. “I offer my eldest.”
You knew this part. You knew how the story went. So you bowed your head and accepted it, your heart trembling but your resolve set you would follow the path, and change the ending.
The wedding was quiet but grand. San was polite, respectful, but distant treating you as duty, not choice. But as the days passed, you saw past the armour. You saw how he carried the weight of the kingdom on his shoulders, how he came home exhausted, how he never let anyone see his wounds.
Until the betrayal.
General Park once San’s mentor, now twisted by envy and greed had been secretly feeding enemy forces information for months. He waited for San to return alone from a border patrol, then burst into your quarters with six armed men at his back, sword drawn and eyes burning with malice.
“All bow before the true protector of this land!” Park roared, his blade glinting in the lantern light. “San is weak! softened by a pretty bride! The throne is mine, and I will start by taking what he holds most dear!”
He lunged straight for you.
San moved faster than thought, stepping between you and the blade with a sharp, fierce shout. The sword drove deep into his side, tearing through his armour and flesh. He staggered, hand clamped hard over the wound, blood spilling fast between his fingers, but he didn’t fall. He drew his own sword and fought back fierce, unyielding until his men arrived and Park was dragged away screaming curses.
As soon as the room was clear, San’s strength gave out. He sank to his knees, and you caught him as he fell, your pink hanbok soaking through with warm, dark blood.
“San — look at me, please look at me!” you sobbed, easing him down onto the floor, pressing your hands tight to the wound to slow the bleeding.
He grit his teeth, sweat beading on his forehead, but his gaze stayed fixed only on you. “It is… only a scratch. Do not fear.”
“It is not a scratch!” you cried, tearing strips from the hem of your inner skirt to bind it. “You could have died! Why did you jump in front like that?”
He reached up, his hand trembling, to brush hair from your face. “Because nothing… nothing is worth losing you. Not this land, not this title, not my life. Never you.”
You ran to gather clean water, healing herbs, and linen cloths, your hands shaking but your mind racing with everything you knew from your time how to clean it, how to stop infection, how to tie it firm but gentle. You knelt beside him again, wiping the blood from his skin with soft, careful strokes.
“This will sting,” you whispered, dipping a cloth in boiled water.
“I have endured worse,” he breathed, watching you with an intensity that made your chest ache. “But your hands… they are softer than any I have known. Even like this.”
You cleaned the wound slowly, whispering soothing words when he flinched, your fingers light and steady. “I am not going to let you go. Not today. Not ever.”
“Promise me?” he asked, his voice cracking.
“I promise.” You bound the wound tight, pressing a soft kiss to his forehead when you finished. “Rest now. I am right here.”
Day after day you sat by him, feeding him broth, cooling his fever, changing his bandages, never leaving his side. And slowly impossibly he recovered. When he was strong enough to hold you, he pulled you into his arms and wept. “You saved me. Not just my life but my heart.”
The war turned, the traitor was punished, and peace settled over the land. San no longer came home as a general alone he came home as your husband, fully and truly yours. Years passed, and one bright spring morning, you held a tiny, beautiful baby girl in your arms, wrapped in soft cloth the colour of cherry blossoms. San knelt beside you, his hand resting gently on her head, tears glistening in his eyes.
“She has your eyes,” he whispered, kissing your forehead. “And she is proof that no time, no distance, no fate could ever keep us apart.”
You smiled, looking down at your daughter, then up at the man you’d crossed centuries to save and for a moment everything felt perfect, forever yours.
Then the light faded.
Everything went black.
When your eyes opened, you were back in your own room, the old history book lying open on your lap, the page showing General Choi San’s portrait. You sat up gasping, patting your chest, your arms, half‑expecting to feel the soft silk of your pink hanbok but you were in your own clothes, in your own time.
You cried for days. You reached for him in your sleep, whispered his name when you woke, stared at the book until your eyes burned. You knew it was impossible. You knew you could never go back. But your heart refused to forget.
Weeks passed. You tried to carry on, but nothing felt quite right. One afternoon you walked to your usual coffee shop, ordered your matcha latte, and stepped out into the busy street.
You weren’t looking where you were going and bumped straight into someone’s solid chest.
“I’m so sorry —” you started, then froze.
You looked up.
It was him.
Same warm dark eyes, same soft mouth, same broad shoulders just in a hoodie and jeans instead of armour. He looked exactly how you remembered… or even more handsome, bright and alive in the sunlight.
He stared at you too, like he recognised something he’d been searching for his whole life.
“Oh — I’m sorry,” he said, his voice the same deep, familiar tone that had once whispered vows to you by candlelight. He still hadn’t looked away.
You swallowed hard, your heart hammering so loud you were sure he could hear it. You gave a small, wobbly smile.
“It’s okay… have a lovely day.”
You turned to walk away but his hand caught your wrist, gentle but sure.
“Wait — please.”
You stopped in your tracks, turning back slowly. He smiled bright, warm, that same smile that had once lit up a palace in another lifetime.
“I know this sounds crazy,” he said softly, “but… do I know you from somewhere? Because I feel like we’ve met….. idk maybe …. I think I also owe you another matcha?”
Your eyes filled with happy tears, and you smiled back the first real smile you’d had since you woke up.
⚠️ 🔞 Explicit content | Unprotected sex | choking | Size kink | Pet names | consensual | Biting | After care
MDNI
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Safe in your hands
You’d been sharing the space for ages easy, comfortable, so used to being around each other that you barely thought twice before stepping into his room. You’d gone to grab his hoodie you’d left there, assuming he’d locked the bathroom door like he always did.
You turned the handle and pushed it open.
Steam billowed out instantly, warm and thick. And there he was tall, broad, water glistening over his shoulders, head tilted back under the spray. He spun around fast, eyes wide, and you yelped, slamming both hands over your face and stumbling back a step.
“OH MY GOD — I AM SO SORRY! I thought you locked it!” you stammered, voice cracking, face burning so hot you could feel it all the way to your ears. “I didn’t mean to — I’ll go, I’m so sorry —”
“Wait, wait — stop!” His voice was deep, flustered but gentle, no anger at all. “It’s okay! I was in a rush, I forgot to lock it. That’s my fault, not yours. Please don’t run off.”
You stayed frozen, hands still clamped over your eyes. “I’m so embarrassed…”
You heard him laugh softly that familiar, warm rumble that always settled your nerves. “I’ve got a towel now, promise. You can look if you want… or not. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
You lowered your fingers just a little, peeking through, and saw him leaning against the wall, towel wrapped securely around his waist, hair dark and dripping, cheeks just as pink as yours. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, but his eyes stayed soft on you.
“To be honest…” he started, then paused, taking a slow breath like he was working up courage he’d been hiding for ages. “I’ve been wanting to say something for a really long time. I just… I never knew how. I was scared I’d mess us up.”
Your heart gave a hard, hopeful thud. “Say… what?”
He stepped a tiny bit closer, careful not to crowd you.
“That I don’t just see you as a friend. Not anymore. Not for a long time.” His voice was quiet, earnest, no rush, no pressure. “Every little thing you do… it matters to me. More than I know how to say properly. I guess… this silly accident just pushed me to finally admit it.”
You stared at him, and all the quiet moments suddenly made perfect sense. “I… I feel the same. I have for ages. I was just too scared to say anything too.”
His whole face lit up that bright, crinkly smile that made him look like sunshine itself. He reached out, brushing a damp strand of hair from your forehead with his thumb, his touch warm and trembling just a little.
“Can I kiss you?” he asked softly, waiting until you nodded before leaning down.
The first kiss was shaky, clumsy, desperate like you’d both been holding it in for so long you couldn’t get close enough fast enough. His hands came up to cup your face, huge and gentle, dwarfing your jaw, and you fisted your hands in his damp hair, pulling him closer.
“Baby…” he breathed against your lips, the pet name slipping out soft and shaky. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted this.”
He was so much bigger than you his shoulders twice your width, his hands spanning your whole waist, his chin resting easily on the top of your head when he pulled you against him. He walked you slow back toward the bed, never letting go, never breaking the kiss for long, checking in every step with quiet little questions “Is this okay? You want this too?” and only moving forward when you said yes.
Every touch was deliberate, reverent, and entirely yours. He made sure you wanted every part of it, every shift, every quiet whisper of “beautiful girl” against your skin. When he finally moved slow and deep, his arms wrapped tight around you like he was scared you’d slip away, you tangled your legs with his and held on just as tight. It was raw and unguarded, no barriers left, just two people who’d waited too long to be this close.
Afterwards he curled himself around you, his big body shielding you completely, pressing soft kisses to your shoulder and your hair.
“Yunho…” you murmured, turning in his hold.
He looked down at you, eyes soft and bright. “Yeah, baby?”
“Stay?”
He smiled, warm and sure, and pulled you closer.
“Always.”
You dreamt of this, the way his body would feel against yours, you took this oppourtunity and grasped it with both hands, unafraid to let go, you moulded into the touches, his hands tracing against your skin so softly you barely felt it, goosebumps raising against your skin.
He let his gaze fall over your still clothed body, his hands lifting the hoodie that you had on as he deepened the kiss, his lips soft against yours. You gasped as his toungue traced lightly against your bottom lip.
Taking this as an invitation he slipped his tongue into your mouth, exploring and claiming your breath, your soul as you melted every worry, every nerve alight with his movements. A small whimper left your body as he shed the clothes from your body, his big hands roaming across your body, leaving you no room to feel even a slight tinge of nervousness.
He drank you in the way you looked was ethereal to him, he could only admit that he had imagined this far to many times in the quiet hours of the night, when you slept soundly in your own bed. unaware, unphased. Hed be damned if he was to even waste this time.
He smirked as he parted away, breathless and sunk into the crevice of your neck his teeth grazing along your pulse point, a shar shiver coursing through your spine as he gently caressed your inner thigh, his hand trailing up towards your core.
Your core clenched, feeling so aroused, the coolness of the room and the heat of his touch doing nothing to sedate the ache between your legs. You gasped as you felt his fingers caress your folds the slick that spread causing him to let out a breathy moan, his fingers working against your clit with precision. He really took his time, working you towards the high you craved. Your body moving against his as his finger slid into you without a warning the whine that left you caused your face to flush a deep crimson, a breathless laugh leaving his mouth.
"oh look at you, so needy, so wet for me little one~" he whispered into you ear, the low rumble of his voice driving you closer. He found a rythym, the thrusting and curling of his long fingers bring you towards the high. You hurtled towards it you body moving against his fingers. A silent cry for more.
He tutted, a small noise you barely registered as your mind become blank, his name wanting to fall from your lips. "Oh little one, you havent even taken my cock yet and look at you, wanting to cum so badly~" he laughed, a smirk plastered on his face as he moved, his tall frame between your legs as he spread them apart, his hands keeping you from squeezing them shut.
With a slow and deep thrust he slid his cock into you, a deep moan leaving his lips as he gripped your hips with such a force it punctured a whine to leave your lips, his name dripping like molten gold from your lips.
"y-yunho" you moaned out, the sound causing his cock to throb inside you as he set a pace, his slow and deep thrusts hitting the spot that caused you to see stars. Your hips moving at their own accord as his nails dug into your skin, one hand coming up to caressed your body as he wrapped his hand around your throat, the slight pressure bringing you close as your body reacted, clenching around him hard.
You moaned his name, your core clenching around him as he picked up the pace, chasing his own release, his hand wrapped perfectly around your throat as he pumped into you releasing inside you, youre own orgasm approaching at the same time, like a tsunami. You clenched hard and released at the same time. The sounds of your breathless moans and whimpers being heard throughout the apartment.
you gasped as you felt yunho lifting your body, eyes heavy with exhaustion as he set you on the counter, his hands caressing your body gently, a warm cloth over your body as he cleaned you throughly, throwing the cloth into the launfy hamper and turning slowly, his eyes wandering to you, keeping an eye on you as he run a bath for you both.
Checking the tempreture before lifting your body into the water, smiling as he witness your body relax.
You smiled, the warmth settling in your bones along with your heart. You made the jump and landed softly, with the only person you could ever dream of. You moved settling into his chest as you both relaxed letting the water soak away everything.
You and Jongho had agreed to keep it quiet at first.
It wasn’t that you were ashamed far from it. But Jongho was still so shy, still getting used to letting people see how soft he really was behind that strong, quiet exterior. You’d wanted to keep this sweet, precious thing just for the two of you for a little while longer: the quiet dates, the gentle touches, the way he’d lean down and whisper how much he adored you when no one else was looking. No one had guessed. Not the members, not your friends, not a single soul.
Until the lock screen.
You were sitting in the practice room waiting for them to finish, phone resting face‑up on your lap while you watched Jongho sing. Wooyoung bounded over, curious as ever, and reached for your phone when you weren’t looking.
“Hey, what’s your lock screen?!”
He stopped mid‑sentence. Then he gasped. Loud enough to make everyone turn.
It was a candid shot you’d taken only last week: Jongho laughing, eyes crinkling shut, head tilted back, your hand resting lightly on his arm. The most open, happy anyone had ever seen him.
“Is that — is that Jongho?!” Wooyoung practically yelled, holding the phone up like he’d found treasure.
The whole room went quiet. Jongho froze mid‑note, his face turning bright red all the way up to the tips of his ears. Seonghwa leaned over to look, Yunho grinned so wide his eyes crinkled, and Hongjoong just shook his head, smiling like he’d known all along.
You felt your own face burn hot. You reached for your phone, but Wooyoung was already bouncing over to Jongho, shoving the screen in his face.
“You two are dating?! And you didn’t tell us?!”
Jongho looked at you, wide‑eyed and flustered, then ran a hand through his hair and let out a nervous laugh. He walked over slowly, sat down right beside you, and laced his fingers through yours where everyone could see.
“We… we wanted to keep it private for a bit,” he mumbled, squeezing your hand tight. “But yeah. We’re together.” He glanced at you, voice softening so only you could really hear: “And I’m glad they know now. I don’t want to hide how happy you make me.”
The room erupted in cheers. Wooyoung whooped, Mingi clapped Jongho on the back, and San gave you both a warm, knowing smile.
Later, when things had calmed down and you were walking home together, Jongho pulled you gently against his side.
“Sorry your lock screen got us caught,” he said, but he was smiling.
You shook your head and leaned into him. “I’m not sorry. I’d show everyone how much I love you every single chance I get.”
He stopped walking, turned to you, and kissed your forehead gently.
“Good,” he said quietly. “Because I’m never letting go now.”