The driver floored the gas pedal like a madman, so they arrived in Incheon not long after Seo Ha-yoon had gotten out of the taxi. But the moment they got there, a problem arose.
Seo Chang-seop’s destination was smack in the middle of a red-light district. As soon as Choi Sang-hyuk’s men stepped into the area, the local gangsters immediately recognized their presence and picked a fight.
“Director.”
As soon as Choi Sang-hyuk appeared, some of the men—who had been glaring at each other like they were about to pounce—lowered their heads in acknowledgment. The gang leader managing the area slowly looked Choi Sang-hyuk up and down.
“What’s the problem?”
Choi Sang-hyuk asked in a calm, low voice. Showing any sign of nervousness in this situation would only work in the other side’s favor.
“Problem? You think it’s not a problem when outsiders come stomping around in our turf?”
A man who appeared to be the gang’s field leader stepped forward.
Choi Sang-hyuk flicked his hand backward.
Kim Sil-jang went to the car’s trunk and retrieved a thin, rectangular briefcase. At Choi Sang-hyuk’s nod, Kim Sil-jang laid the case flat and flipped it open. Inside, bundles of crisp fifty-thousand-won bills were stacked neatly.
“A junkie who caused some trouble ran off and holed up here. We’re not looking to touch your people. Consider this the territory fee.”
At a small tilt of the field leader’s chin, one of his men stepped forward and picked up the briefcase. The gangsters then moved aside, clearing a path. The negotiation ended as smoothly as it had begun.
“That inn, room ***. Director.”
One of the men they had sent ahead to Incheon pointed his finger.
Deep in a narrow alley between the flashing lights of the red-light district, a shabby inn stood with its dimly lit sign. Not much time had passed since Seo Ha-yoon arrived, but in a place like this, a few minutes were more than enough for something to go down.
Without hesitation, Choi Sang-hyuk strode toward the inn.
The old, cheap motel reeked of mildew. The thought of Seo Ha-yoon being in a place like this made Choi Sang-hyuk’s stomach churn. His strides were steady, but the subtle urgency in his steps was undeniable. His fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly as he approached the room.
“Fucking die!!!”
Before he even reached the door, a sharp voice rang through the hallway.
Seo Ha-yoon.
There was no mistaking it.
Choi Sang-hyuk ran without thinking.
The moment he reached the door, he kicked it with full force.
BANG—!!!
The old wooden door didn’t just break—it flew off its hinges.
Raising a hand to keep his men from rushing in, Choi Sang-hyuk stormed inside, his bloodshot eyes taking in the scene.
Inside the cramped, miserable room, two bodies were entangled.
Seo Ha-yoon lay beneath, his lower half exposed, while on top of him, Seo Chang-seop—completely naked—gripped his wrist tightly.
“W-What the fuck?!”
Seo Chang-seop shrieked in terror, his eyes darting around the room like a former detective instinctively searching for an escape route.
But Choi Sang-hyuk didn’t give him the chance.
With a sharp crack—! his fist smashed into Seo Chang-seop’s face, sending him flying to the side.
“Ch… Ch… Choi Sang-hyuk…?”
Seo Ha-yoon stammered, barely able to hold himself up. His trembling hand was clutching a small paring knife.
Under the dim light, the blade gleamed with fresh blood.
Blood that was dripping steadily from Seo Chang-seop’s forearm.
So he’d managed to fight back. Even in this state, he’d taken up a weapon and struck.
A strange sense of pride mixed with rage burned in Choi Sang-hyuk’s chest.
“I told you to stay the fuck home.”
Choi Sang-hyuk forced himself to speak with a feigned calm, suppressing the urge to rush over and hold Seo Ha-yoon. He was afraid of how Ha-yoon might react.
“Get up.”
His voice was low, his black eyes boring into Seo Ha-yoon’s.
Tears welled up in Ha-yoon’s reddening eyes, and at the sight of them, Choi Sang-hyuk’s chest clenched painfully.
“The… the drugs…”
Seo Ha-yoon mumbled weakly, his gaze shifting toward a corner of the room.
A used syringe lay discarded on the floor. The barrel was empty.
Seo Ha-yoon had been injected.
Choi Sang-hyuk’s vision went red.
“You fucking piece of shit.”
All sense of rational thought snapped.
He stormed over to Seo Chang-seop and drove his foot into the bastard’s gut.
Thud—! Thud—!
With every brutal kick, a sickening thump echoed through the tiny room. It should have eased his fury.
But it didn’t.
The more he saw Seo Chang-seop’s disgusting, naked body, the harder he wanted to kick him.
The more he crushed the man’s stomach beneath his heel, the hotter the rage inside him burned.
He was ready to beat him to death right there.
But then—
“Ch… Choi Sang-hyuk…”
A feeble voice stopped him cold.
Choi Sang-hyuk froze mid-kick, then turned around.
Seo Ha-yoon was sitting on the floor, frantically trying to cover his lower half with the clothes that had been thrown aside.
Tears streamed down his face, dripping onto the fabric clenched in his fists.
For a moment, Choi Sang-hyuk didn’t know what to do.
Did he realize now? That Choi Sang-hyuk knew everything?
Of course, he did. There was no way to hide it anymore.
Would he try to leave?
Would he push him away?
Choi Sang-hyuk couldn’t let that happen.
The fear that Seo Ha-yoon might spiral into a trauma-induced breakdown clawed at the edges of his mind. He didn’t even know if it was okay to touch him right now.
“Why… why…”
Seo Ha-yoon murmured, reaching out toward him with trembling hands.
Choi Sang-hyuk sucked in a sharp breath.
The first real breath he had taken in what felt like forever.
Like he had been drowning and had finally broken through the surface.
Like salvation itself.
Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees and pulled Seo Ha-yoon into his arms, holding onto him like he would never let go.
“Why… why did you only come now? Do you know how scared I was?”
Seo Ha-yoon whispered between soft sobs.
The words slammed into Choi Sang-hyuk’s chest like a sledgehammer.
He was waiting for me.
The realization roared in his head, shaking him to the core.
“You ran away, and now…”
Choi Sang-hyuk murmured, his words contradicting the flood of emotions raging inside him.
He stroked Seo Ha-yoon’s hair and back, pressing desperate kisses against his pale neck.
If he had been just a little later—just a few minutes more—he couldn’t even begin to imagine what might have happened. The mere thought sent a shudder through him.
“Hnngh…”
Seo Ha-yoon suddenly let out a soft, nasal whimper, his body twisting in Choi Sang-hyuk’s arms.
When Choi Sang-hyuk pulled away, he saw Seo Ha-yoon’s trembling hands wrapped around his half-hardened length, his face twisted in distress.
“Uhh… I… I feel weird. It feels good… but weird. I really, really want it. I want it so bad. Something’s wrong… It’s weird… It’s weird…”
Tears streamed down Seo Ha-yoon’s face as he pleaded, his voice drenched in confusion and heat.
Choi Sang-hyuk clenched his teeth, his glare snapping to Seo Chang-seop, who lay sprawled in the corner like human garbage.
Meth alone wouldn’t have done this.
That bastard had mixed the drugs. A cocktail of filth, deliberately injected.
“Ahuh… What do I do? Please… do something…”
Seo Ha-yoon’s pupils were blown wide, his gaze hazy with lust.
His body twisted and rubbed against Choi Sang-hyuk, seeking friction, desperate for relief.
Choi Sang-hyuk had to physically restrain him, wrapping his arms tightly around him to keep him still.
With sheer force, he pulled Seo Ha-yoon’s discarded pants back up.
The moment his hands so much as brushed against his skin, Seo Ha-yoon shuddered, moaning, arching his hips uncontrollably.
He had to pin him down, forcibly dressing him while fighting against his writhing body.
“My phone… I need my phone…”
Even in his fevered state, Seo Ha-yoon managed to gesture toward the table.
Choi Sang-hyuk grabbed the phone—likely Seo Chang-seop’s—and stuffed it into his pocket.
Then, stripping off his own suit jacket, he draped it over Seo Ha-yoon’s head to shield him.
Without another second of hesitation, he lifted Seo Ha-yoon into his arms.
The drugs were too strong. They had to flush them out of his system.
But not here.
Not in this filthy, disgusting place.
Outside the room, Kim Sil-jang and the others were still waiting.
They all carefully averted their gazes from Seo Ha-yoon in Choi Sang-hyuk’s arms, fully aware of what had happened but disciplined enough not to react.
“Tie that bastard up so tight he can’t even bite his own tongue. Lock him in the warehouse.”
“Yes, Director.”
“Kim Sil-jang, take us to the nearest hotel.”
“Understood.”
***
In the car on the way to the hotel, Seo Ha-yoon, overwhelmed by the effects of the drug, couldn’t stop himself from clinging to Choi Sang-hyuk. He slipped his hand into his own pants, pleasuring himself while rubbing his head against Choi Sang-hyuk’s shoulder and even biting it.
“Mmm… ah… please… mmm….”
Seo Ha-yoon moaned continuously, tears welling up in his eyes from the unfulfilled desire that bordered on pain. His appearance was both pitiful and arousing.
“Fuck, Seo Ha-yoon.”
Unable to hold back any longer, Choi Sang-hyuk grabbed Seo Ha-yoon’s chin and kissed him roughly. The car filled with the wet, smacking sounds of their kiss.
“We’ve arrived, sir,” Kim Sil-jang announced mechanically.
Choi Sang-hyuk abruptly stopped the passionate kiss and draped his suit jacket over Seo Ha-yoon’s head. They swiftly made their way up to the hotel room.
“Mmm… ah…”
In the elevator up to the hotel room, Kim Sil-jang ensured that no one else could enter, allowing Choi Sang-hyuk and Seo Ha-yoon to be alone. This was fortunate, as anyone else present would have found it strange to see Seo Ha-yoon clinging to Choi Sang-hyuk, moaning softly. It could have even led to a report being filed.
Ding—
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened. Choi Sang-hyuk could no longer hide his urgency. He strode quickly to the room, his hurried steps echoing down the hallway. With a swift motion, he unlocked the door and stepped inside, pulling Seo Ha-yoon with him.
