Captured by the Predator

“A big deal?”

“Yeah, not long after you suddenly vanished, it got super loud outside. Do you know who showed up?”

No way.

“They said Cha Gye-won arrived. I guess he was filming something nearby.”

Yi-seo closed his eyes slowly.

“If you hadn’t left, you would’ve seen him. What a waste.”

Damn it. It’s true. Cha Gye-won’s claim was right. Now, there wasn’t even a shred of room left to deny it. The person under those fragrant blankets—the protagonist of that ‘one-night mistake’—was definitely Cha Gye-won.

“Everyone was going crazy, so I went out to look, and man, he really is handsome. I almost felt like begging him for an autograph myself.”

“Cha Gye-won….”

Yi-seo muttered blankly. The chilling voice whispering that he would peel his scalp off echoed in his ears.

“Yeah, Gye-won. It was so noisy; I could hear the screaming from all the way inside here.”

Kyaaaaaaaak!

Just then, a commotion and a chorus of screams erupted from the entrance.

“Uh, yeah, it was a sound a bit like that. Actually, a bit more….”

A sense of dread washed over Yi-seo. Feeling a chill run down his spine, he couldn’t even turn around and simply gripped his cocktail glass tighter. Whether Shim Chan noticed Yi-seo’s state or not, he started making a fuss.

“Gye-won! Hey. Hey! It’s Cha Gye-won! Holy crap. No way.”

He even started pointing like he’d lost his mind. Biting his lip hard, Yi-seo mustered the courage to turn around. There stood Cha Gye-won, still wearing the same crisp suit from earlier.

Unlike Yi-seo, who had rushed out and looked completely disheveled, Gye-won looked as perfectly tailored as if he’d been carved out of stone. His head was tilted slightly, his posture straight.

“Wow, insane….”

“…….”

“Hey, Baek. By the way, do you actually know Cha Gye-won?”

“I mean, I know him, but….”

“Do you owe him money, too? Why is he glaring at you like he’s going to kill you?”

Shim Chan whispered to Yi-seo. From the moment the man entered the bar, his gaze had been fixed right here.

Without so much as a glance around, Cha Gye-won walked straight toward Baek Yi-seo. His slow steps felt like a warning, prompting Yi-seo to stand up.

“H-hello.”

As Cha Gye-won approached within arm’s reach, Yi-seo managed an awkward greeting.

“Are you the owner here?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes.”

Gye-won threw the question at Chan while his eyes remained locked on Yi-seo, completely ignoring Yi-seo’s greeting.

“I guess you don’t manage your shop very well. It’s so noisy in here.”

He blamed Shim Chan for the noise, conveniently ignoring the fact that he was the cause of it. Looking closely, a man who appeared to be Gye-won’s manager was blocking the entrance.

“Oops. Sorry. I’ll clear it up right away.”

Technically, Cha Gye-won was the one who barged in, and Chan was the owner, but Chan found his body moving instinctively. As Shim Chan headed to the entrance to handle the crowd, Yi-seo’s awkwardness doubled.

“We meet… again….”

Gye-won didn’t even respond to the pathetic greeting.

“After I went through the trouble of putting you safely in your house….”

His careless hand reached out and flicked Yi-seo’s collar.

“What’s the excuse for scurrying out like a rat?”

“…….”

“I asked, what’s the excuse?”

“At this place….”

“What about it?”

“Why are you… here….”

Yi-seo was the one caught off guard and confused, yet the one wearing a look of sheer disbelief was Cha Gye-won.

“Why?”

The place where Baek Yi-seo lived was an apartment with an open corridor. Gye-won, who had dropped him off, had sat in his car waiting for the lights in that apartment to turn on. But even after a long time, Yi-seo’s home remained dark. Just as he was about to start the engine, thinking Yi-seo had fallen asleep immediately, the front door opened and Baek Yi-seo crawled out. It was past 11 PM.

“What do you mean ‘why’? You’re the one who came scurrying out.”

He had followed out of pure absurdity at that fearless retreat. Whether he was dull or just stupid, Baek Yi-seo hadn’t even noticed the car following him at a snail’s pace. He had called Kim Gun only now to prepare for the crowd.

“I mean… why did you follow me….”

Yi-seo found it incredibly uncomfortable to look at Cha Gye-won now. Now that he was certain they had slept together, being near him felt humiliating. But Cha Gye-won, unbothered, continued.

“……I guess the one in heat wasn’t that guy from earlier, but you, CEO.”

Gye-won had wondered where he was going in such a hurry, only to find him in front of the very gay bar where he had first “picked up” Baek Yi-seo. He must be completely out of his mind.

“I-I’m not in heat….”

Yi-seo shook his head frantically at the vulgar word. How was this man’s brain wired that he could say such things so casually?

“Where did I say I picked you up?”

“H-here….”

“Then why are you here? If you’re not asking to be picked up again, what is this?”

Gye-won muttered.

Even though he hadn’t done anything wrong, Yi-seo felt like he had to make an excuse to the man who was practically grinding his teeth. Cha Gye-won reached out and began buttoning Yi-seo’s shirt all the way to the top.

“This is just a place run by a Hyung I know.”

The relaxed hands that were buttoning the shirt suddenly turned aggressive and grabbed Yi-seo by the scruff of his neck.

“Gack. Cough, cough.”

“You’re an only child. Where is this ‘Hyung’ coming from?”

“I mean, a close Hyung….”

“’Hyung’ my ass.”

Baek Yi-seo had a habit of dragging out the ends of words with resonant sounds. Because of that, “Hyung” sounded like “Hyuuung,” and Gye-won found it incredibly irritating. The unpleasantness that had been simmering in the car now peaked.

“Come out.”

Cha Gye-won dragged Yi-seo out of the bar by his collar. Shim Chan saw this and tried to intervene, but he didn’t stand a chance.

*******************************************

The home he was dragged to was like a penthouse. It was a spacious duplex, but because it only had the bare essentials in terms of furniture, it looked even larger and more desolate. The artwork hanging here and there made it feel more like an empty gallery than a home.

‘The hotel from three years ago was nothing compared to this….’

The rumors about his powerful background were clearly true.

“Aren’t you going in?”

“Ah!”

Cha Gye-won gave a shove to Yi-seo’s back as he hesitated at the foyer.

“Take off your shoes.”

“Uh….”

“Do I have to take them off for you?”

“No! Uh, Gye-won-ssi.”

At the urgent call, Gye-won, who looked like he was actually about to bend down and pull the shoes off, looked back. Yi-seo was still hovering awkwardly near the entrance.

“My house is closer.”

It was about a thirty-minute walk from the bar to his own home. Yet, Gye-won had insisted on bringing him here.

“And?”

“I think it would be better if I went to my own house.”

At the sound of Yi-seo’s calm voice, Gye-won’s brow furrowed in displeasure. Baek Yi-seo didn’t look it, but he was surprisingly stubborn.

“Ha? And let you scurry off to who knows where?”

The words “Isn’t it my business where I go?” reached the tip of Yi-seo’s tongue, but he swallowed them down. The only thing he had gained in this industry was the ability to read the room.

“I-I won’t scurry off!”

“Sleep here. Don’t annoy me any further.”

Cha Gye-won reached under Yi-seo’s armpits and lifted him up effortlessly. Yi-seo was thin, but he had a fairly solid build and wasn’t short at 176cm. Yet, he was lifted as easily as a toy. Yi-seo’s feet flailed in the air.

“U-uh. Please put me down.”

“No.”

“I’ll walk myself!”

“I said no.”

Gye-won, who was walking, suddenly stopped and let out a chuckle. His gaze was fixed on Yi-seo’s shoeless feet.

“Is this your taste, CEO?”

“W-what is?”

“Cat socks.”

“Aaaaaah!”

Following Gye-won’s gaze, Yi-seo looked down and immediately covered his face with his palms. Because he had been in a rush this morning, he had grabbed the first pair he saw—which happened to have cat faces on them.

“They suit you. You kind of look like one.”

Because Gye-won was holding him up, Yi-seo’s neck was right in front of his eyes—and it was bright red. Gye-won pressed his nose against the blushing skin.

“Eek! W-what are you doing!”

Yi-seo struggled, horrified.

“It’s going to bruise.”

A faint handprint remained where Gye-won had grabbed him in the parking lot. It would surely turn into a bruise by tomorrow.

“T-that’s because of you, Gye-won-ssi….”

“I know.”

Every time Cha Gye-won spoke, his warm breath hit Yi-seo’s skin. Yi-seo flinched and pulled his neck the other way.

“……Stay still before I drop you.”

Gye-won’s floor was entirely marble. If he were dropped like this, his head would surely crack open.

“I-I’d prefer if you didn’t drop me….”

He didn’t have much insurance; he didn’t want to get hurt. And judging by Gye-won’s behavior, it seemed like he wouldn’t care if Yi-seo’s head cracked—he’d just leave him there.

“Then be quiet.”

Gye-won spoke commandingly.

“……Yes.”

Yi-seo obediently relaxed his body. The way he went limp made him feel like a large stuffed animal, so Gye-won rubbed his face against him. At the cool sensation against his neck, Yi-seo flinched, revealing the slight peach fuzz on his skin.

“……This is my first time seeing a thirty-year-old with peach fuzz.”

A sweet scent wafted from him as he shifted awkwardly. Gye-won felt his irritation subsiding.

“Uh…… how long do I have to stay like this……?”

Yi-seo’s eyes darted around. Hanging in the air while offering up the back of his neck was incredibly uncomfortable.

“f*cking hell, you’re pushy.”