The Predator’s Visit

Seohan opened and closed his mouth in silence. His eyes, once calm, began to shake as if an earthquake were happening inside them.

‘How can I say something like that!’

It was bad enough having to clean up after the words “Baek Seohan” threw out, but he absolutely detested the idea of completing that sentence. He clamped his mouth shut and slowly, carefully, began to release his grip on Lee Dohun’s hair.

Glancing at his hand, he saw a few strands of hair had been pulled out. He quickly shook his hand to get rid of them before Lee Dohun could see. Though, truthfully, even if he hadn’t, the man probably wouldn’t have cared.

“Toy… what comes after that?”

Seohan flinched at the sudden voice. The gaze meeting his… was strange. It shouldn’t have been possible, but there seemed to be a subtle hint of amusement in it. Those sharp eyes followed him persistently, as if they wouldn’t look away for a single second.

Regardless, Seohan’s throat felt parched. He had to think fast because Dohun’s behavior seemed to be urging him to speak up.

‘What words start with “toy”?’

Unfortunately, Seohan wasn’t given much time. As the seconds ticked by, the face looking back at him grew visibly colder. Seohan, who had been intimidated by Lee Dohun since their first meeting, reflexively opened his mouth.

“……Was it just a toy-like joke?”

A heavy silence followed. Lee Dohun stared at Seohan with unreadable eyes, and Seohan shut his mouth tight in sheer embarrassment.

‘Run.’

Just as Seohan chose his usual escape and tried to pull away, a violent force yanked him forward, nearly crashing him into Dohun. His collar had been snatched in an instant. Seohan squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the impact of being slammed onto the floor like last time, but the expected shock never came.

When he finally opened his eyes, Lee Dohun’s face was inches away. It felt different from when he was viewing things through “Baek Seohan’s” perspective; Seohan stared wide-eyed, unable to react. Then, a chilling voice pierced his ears.

“Is a kiss just a joke to you?”

Was it just his imagination, or did he feel a sense of resolve that Dohun wouldn’t let him off the hook if he said yes? The system window that popped up next poured fuel onto the fire of Seohan’s confused heart.

[Info | This was Lee Dohun’s first kiss with ‘Baek Seohan’ (ʃƪ 〉 3〈)♥(〉ε〈ʃƪ)!]

‘Oh, please.’

Why are you telling me this now! He wanted to grab his head and scream. He barely suppressed the urge to snatch the system and shake it, but on the other hand, an inexplicable sense of guilt began to rise. Even that felt unfair.

‘Why do I have to feel sorry…!’

It’s not like I wasn’t forced into this too!

He wanted to run away. He wanted to bolt right now and throw himself onto his bed. The discomfort of being soaked in alcohol had drifted to the back of his mind.

Seohan’s hand brushed against Lee Dohun’s. The hand that had been firmly gripping his collar flinched at the light contact, but Seohan, focused on gently prying the fingers loose, didn’t notice.

He didn’t even find it strange that the grip was loosening so easily. If Lee Dohun had actually intended to hold on, Seohan wouldn’t have been able to break free so simply.

The moment the hands were fully separated, Lee Dohun watched with an absurd look as Seohan slipped away like an eel. There wasn’t a hint of hesitation as Seohan slammed the basement door shut and vanished.

“……Ha.”

He wondered what the man was up to, and then he just ran.

Part of it was his own fault for letting him go, but the behavior of a man who desperately tried to escape—even though he’d inevitably be back tomorrow—was strange and peculiar.

‘Still…….’

He had achieved his goal. Dohun organized his thoughts while casually wiping his lips, which were still moist with saliva.

The moment Baek Seohan entered the basement, Dohun realized he was the “real” Baek Seohan. He didn’t refuse the touch when the man lunged as if to kiss him. In fact, he had been the one to initiate the kiss.

Initiating the kiss was a sort of spite. He knew that if he refused, the man would only use “punishment” as an excuse to toy with him further, so he figured it was better to take the lead. If it meant escaping this place safely, a kiss was a small price to pay.

There was also a small part of him that was curious about how “he”—not Baek Seohan—would react. The image of the face that had flushed red and the eyes that shook uncontrollably was still vivid in his mind.

‘He seems to remember.’

That helpless appearance was not like the “Baek Seohan” he knew. But one thing was clear: he seemed to possess all the previous memories. What had been a mere guess was now confirmed.

‘This will make things a bit easier.’

He seemed like the type to feel guilt easily, so if he just shook him up a bit, he might be able to get released. The only flaw was the day he had used violence against the man, but he could apologize as many times as it took. It was a fact that this man was the key to his freedom.

In the midst of his thoughts, he kept remembering the damp hair, the sharp smell of alcohol, and the soaked clothes.

‘……What is he doing wandering around like that?’

What could a person possibly do to end up in such a state? When it was the Baek Seohan he used to know, he didn’t care at all, but now that it was “him”—the one who couldn’t hide his confusion behind those wavering eyes—it caught his attention.

He shook off the nagging thoughts. Once he was free, he’d never see that face again, so there was no need to care further.

More than that…….

“……Strange.”

Dohun remembered the way “his” gaze had subtly shifted. They had clearly been making eye contact, but at some point, his eyes had drifted slightly downward.

The way his pupils moved horizontally… it was like someone reading something. Dohun looked toward the space where “his” gaze had landed. Naturally, it was just empty air.

He had a gut feeling that this man was hiding much more than he knew.

The night, which brought nothing but deep suspicion to one person, passed. Early the next morning, Seohan was heading somewhere with a sour expression.

He had heard through Secretary Choi that Baek Jaehyun was looking for him. Seohan, who had planned to sleep in after drinking a bit last night, had to leave the house while gritting his teeth at the summons. It was the moment his resolution to never meet that man again became meaningless.

What on earth does he want, calling someone so early in the morning? He planned to firmly tell him not to call at such hours the moment they met. Now that he knew how “Baek Seohan” treated him, he just had to mimic that attitude and speak his mind.

……Or so he thought.

‘……Why is he here!’

Baek Jaehyun wasn’t sitting at the desk with the fancy nameplate; instead, he was perched on a plush sofa set up in front of it. That in itself wasn’t a problem.

The problem was the fact that Jin Yeon-oh was sitting right across from him.

While Seohan stood there in shock, unable to say a word, Baek Jaehyun continued shamelessly. Perhaps it was because of the wide smile on his face, but he looked annoyingly happy.

“Seohan. I’m truly glad to see you have such a good friend.”

Friend? Who? Him and me?

“I’ll be going now, so take your time and talk. Please look after my brother.”

“Yes, take care.”

The two shared a warm conversation. Seohan was the only one standing there awkwardly, dazed. He couldn’t move until Baek Jaehyun gave his shoulder a light pat and walked out the door.

‘Don’t leave us alone!’

For the first time, Seohan felt the impulse to grab Baek Jaehyun and keep him there.

Regardless of Seohan’s internal plea, being left alone with Jin Yeon-oh was the set course. The silence that followed was absolutely terrifying.

He’d known since the system started blathering about an inferiority complex, but his own flesh and blood had just thrown him into the predator’s mouth and left. He’d been begging him not to leave just a second ago, but now thoughts of wanting to kill him if he saw him again began to sprout.

“Aren’t you going to sit?”

A friendly voice called out. A bright smile, radiant enough to make one believe he had a halo, was plastered all over Jin Yeon-oh’s face.

In the past, he might have admired that expression internally. But now, knowing that it was all a fake act, he didn’t.

Even though his beauty—sitting there smiling in the sunlight streaming through the window—resembled a masterpiece, Seohan thought it felt incredibly artificial. He moved forward, trying his best to calm his racing heart.

“……I’m going to sit.”

He couldn’t completely hide his stiff expression. Jin Yeon-oh just stared intently at his face, which was clearly showing signs of tension.

It was a sofa he had sat on once before when he came to meet Baek Jaehyun, but because of the person sitting across from him, the discomfort was on a whole different level. His wary eyes constantly scanned Jin Yeon-oh. It was his own way of trying to figure out what the hell this guy was planning by coming here.