* * *

It was too far to head back to the restroom.

Junhee quickly twisted the nearest doorknob, hearing it creak as it opened.

He shoved Taeryu inside and followed him in, shutting the door behind them.

It was pitch black inside, but from the faint glimpse of clutter when the door opened, it seemed like a storage room for props.

“If you wanted to be alone with me in the dark, you should’ve said so sooner.”

Junhee clamped a hand over Taeryu’s mouth, whispering a hushed “Shh,” barely breathing.

Despite that, it felt like the presence outside wasn’t fading away, increasing his anxiety.

Reaching out blindly, Junhee fumbled his way toward a corner.

His fingertips brushed against the stiff fabric of linen.

‘Is this a makeshift dressing room?’

It seemed like an ideal hiding spot.

Junhee pushed Taeryu inside first before squeezing himself in as well.

Click. Slam!

A sliver of light peeked through but quickly disappeared as the door closed.

“Hah!”

Then, a crash sounded as objects toppled over.

‘What’s going on? Are they fighting?’

Junhee’s heart raced as if it would burst out of his chest, his breaths growing uneven in fear.

“Mm, uh…”

But soon, it became clear that it wasn’t a fight. It was something entirely different.

Muffled moans and the wet sounds of kisses filled the silence.

It even sounded like the suction cups of an octopus clinging and releasing against the glass wall of an aquarium.

“Wait, hold on, babe.”

“Shut up and keep quiet.”

A loud thud followed as someone was pinned against the wall.

Junhee, now sweating and clammy, clenched his fist.

From behind him, unfamiliar hands slowly reached out.

‘What the… what are they doing…?’

The hand wrapped around Junhee’s wrist, fingers lightly tracing over the pulsing artery.

It finally dawned on him who he was trapped in this corner with.

The realization hit him like a red alarm flashing in his mind.

The hand on his wrist tightened, pulling him back effortlessly.

Junhee’s body fit snugly against a solid frame, the stranger’s fingers interlacing with his over the back of his hand.

In retaliation, Junhee pinched the back of Taeryu’s hand, but he didn’t even flinch.

‘This crazy bastard.’

To think he’d act like this even in a situation like this.

Junhee’s struggles were quickly subdued as his other hand was also captured.

He had a gut feeling that the person behind him was no different from the ones outside—maybe even worse.

Junhee’s sense of self-loathing from putting himself in this position was swiftly replaced by dread over what Taeryu might do next.

His vision obscured, Junhee’s other senses heightened, amplifying the heat pressed against his back and the vivid movements of the muscles behind him.

Most striking was the unfamiliar sensation of a large, firm body, so different from his own.

Holding Junhee’s waist tightly, Taeryu exhaled a warm breath near his ear, as if blaming him for their current predicament.

As if asking why he’d gotten them stuck in this place.

“Haa, mm…”

Outside, the sounds of heavy, ragged breathing grew louder, as if they were reaching their climax.

Meanwhile, Junhee’s desperation to escape Taeryu’s grasp only intensified.

“Babe, why are you so busy these days? It’s harder to see you than the King himself.”

“Fuck off. You really don’t know? I almost died, got my head bashed in, all because of that bastard, Ki Taeryu. I lost time and got humiliated. Just thinking about it makes me sick…”

Junhee’s eyes widened in shock.

He hadn’t realized because of the tension, but the familiar voice belonged to…

‘Kang Heesung?’

Realization dawned, making Junhee freeze in place.

Being discovered now would be catastrophic.

“Babe, what’s that smell in here?”

“What smell?”

“It smells like pheromones.”

At the man’s comment, Heesung sniffed the air.

A shiver ran down Junhee’s spine.

“Yeah, it reeks. That bastard came to the event too, didn’t he? Even his pheromones are annoying.”

Junhee’s grip tightened unconsciously, not noticing he had strengthened his hold on Taeryu’s interlocked fingers.

“Just like you said, I threw out the bait, and he took it. Are you sure you know him? Yoo Junhee?”

“Yeah. I know him.”

Heesung’s confident tone was followed by a mocking laugh.

“Fucking Ki Taeryu. Acting all high and mighty like he’s some noble when he’s just a bastard picked up from the slums. Not only did he steal his brother’s rightful place, but he’s a parasitic leech clinging to Taesan.”

Junhee could feel the tremors begin.

Not only from his own hands but from the body pressed against him as well.

He couldn’t tell if the shaking was his or someone else’s.

“Wow, what a mess. Poor Junhee, how did you end up entangled with someone like that? Then again, did I ever imagine meeting someone like my babe?”

Something felt off.

The light-hearted laughter and the familiar tone, as if they were close friends with Junhee…

Yet there was an unmistakable layer of disdain underneath it all.

“Shut up. And don’t you dare even think about betraying me, Baek Seunggyo.”

Baek… Seunggyo? Baek Seunggyo…

It felt like he’d been struck over the head with a heavy blow, leaving him numb.

Soon, the mere mention of that name became a blade, tearing Junhee apart from the inside.

The excruciating pain crushed his heart, as if it were shattering into pieces over and over again.

‘No… That can’t be… It can’t be…’

A cruel curse, hidden deep within Junhee’s memories, surfaced, growing stronger as it fed on his agony.

‘Are you Junhee? You look cute.’

‘It’s true, isn’t it? It’s because of you that Dad got divorced. But if you work hard here with your brother and earn money, Dad might forgive you and start to like you again.’

He thought the remnants of those memories had weathered away, but they were still there, intact.

‘Die, just die already… Please, die… I’ll kill myself…’

The vulnerable, soft core that had been buried under a hard shell was now being forced out into the open.

As he was pulled back into the nightmare of that time when everything fell apart—

A strong hand gripped Junhee tightly.

Fingers interlaced through every crack, holding together his fragile body, hugging him even tighter.

Junhee crumbled like a collapsed wall.

He lost consciousness, his last shred of strength giving way.

---

A fever raged through him.

His entire body was drenched in sticky sweat, which then cooled repeatedly.

At some point, the darkness seemed to lighten slightly, only to grow dim again.

He felt like he was floating before something soft touched his back.

When he finally regained his senses, he was alone.

‘…Where is this?’

The ceiling, shrouded in darkness, seemed unusually high.

His throat was dry, parched as if it were burning.

As he parted his chapped lips and rolled his eyes—

“Want some water?”

A soft click accompanied the stand light turning on.

There was a chair by the bedside, and Ki Taeryu was sitting there.

Junhee tried to respond with a ‘yes,’ but only ragged breaths came out instead.

Even without a proper answer, Ki Taeryu poured some water into a glass and handed it over.

Junhee leaned against the headboard and moistened his throat before finally managing to speak.

“…What time is it?”

“Twelve-thirty.”

Startled, Junhee turned his head toward the window.

“Not noon, night.”

With a low voice, Ki Taeryu gently guided Junhee’s face back.

Warmth brushed against his pale cheek, then pushed him back down onto the bed.

“Sleep more.”

The light that had illuminated the room vanished soon after.

Junhee stared at the dark ceiling from beneath the blanket, but sleep no longer came.

“You need to close your eyes to sleep.”

“…I have them closed.”

“I can see them.”

Even if he could deceive a ghost, there was no tricking Ki Taeryu.

Instead of closing his eyes again, Junhee asked a question.

“…Why aren’t you asking?”

Even though it was odd enough that he had collapsed, surely Ki Taeryu was curious about his connection to ‘Baek Seunggyo.’

Yet, he hadn’t asked a single thing.

Knowing how relentless Ki Taeryu could be when he was curious, Junhee didn’t think it was out of consideration.

“If I ask, will you answer properly?”

Junhee fell silent, feeling as if he’d been struck. He hesitated for a moment before finally speaking up.

“…I’ve burdened you again. I’m sorry.”

“This isn’t the first time. Why are you acting like it’s a big deal?”

His tone was still as insufferable as ever, but upon reflection, Junhee realized it made sense.

He had lost consciousness in front of Ki Taeryu several times already, especially since the incident at the event.

Most of the time, it wasn’t his fault, but he knew Ki Taeryu wasn’t the type to consider such nuances.

“…It seems that Baek… He sent photos to you.”

“Looks like it.”

Just saying Baek Seunggyo’s name wasn’t easy. It felt like pressing cold metal against his tongue, numbing his throat.

Despite Junhee’s words, Ki Taeryu’s reaction remained calm.

“You already knew?”

“I checked the timestamp, angle, and distance of the photos, then reviewed the surrounding CCTV. I figured it was someone from Kang Heesung’s side, but I didn’t expect them to be connected to Assistant Yoo Junhee. It seems he’s been following you since the event.”

“…The event?”

“Yeah, the party.”

Junhee never imagined Baek Seunggyo would be there.

If they had met, Junhee would’ve noticed. Perhaps Baek had shown up after Junhee had lost consciousness.

His fingers trembled as he gripped the sheets tightly.

“We lived together briefly.”

* * *