“Sang-hyuk, it’s me.”
As soon as Kim Min-seok put the phone to his ear, he spoke.
—…What the hell? Why are you throwing up? Are you okay? You said it was a panic attack. What happened all of a sudden? What did that bastard do to scare you?
Choi Sang-hyuk bombarded him with questions. It was unlike him to be so shaken—he was always composed. Somehow, that made Min-seok chuckle.
“It’s nothing. I just… felt a bit off for a moment, but I’m fine now. Please don’t fight. I feel so embarrassed and guilty thinking it’s because of me.”
—This isn’t even a fight. Don’t worry about it. I’m coming home now—
“No, you don’t have to. You’re busy with work. Just finish up and come later. The landlady is here, and Jun-seo is with me, so it’s okay.”
—…Then stay put until I get home. Don’t move.
“Alright, I will. I’m hanging up now.”
—Okay.
Min-seok quickly ended the call, afraid that if he returned the phone, the two of them would start arguing again.
As if she’d been waiting outside the door, the housekeeper quietly entered, took her phone, and left.
Ha Jun-seo flipped the damp cloth over, pressing the cooler side against Min-seok’s forehead. The chill was soothing.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d be that shaken up by what I said.”
Jun-seo’s face was filled with guilt as he apologized.
“It’s not your fault, Jun-seo. …So, where is Seo Ha-yoon now?”
Min-seok asked again about Ha-yoon’s whereabouts, trying to steady himself. He was afraid that surge of panic or whatever it was would rise again. This body wasn’t his. These people weren’t his. He didn’t want to break down any further.
“Get some rest first. Your face is completely pale. Let’s talk after you’ve gotten some sleep.”
Jun-seo pulled the blanket up to Min-seok’s chest. Min-seok reached out and grabbed his hand.
“I want to know now.”
“I can’t tell you yet. Right now, I have no way to prove it to you. But once you get some sleep, I’ll tell you how you can find out where Ha-yoon is. How about that?”
“…You promise?”
“Of course. I promise.”
“Alright.”
“Now, close your eyes. Just rest. I’ll be right here.”
Jun-seo gently placed his palm over Min-seok’s eyes, urging him to shut them. His eyelids, already heavy from everything that had happened, slid closed.
Maybe vomiting everything out had expelled his turmoil along with it—his mind felt strangely empty, free of thoughts.
As he drifted off to sleep, feeling Jun-seo’s gentle pats on his chest, a fleeting thought crossed his mind.
This might be the last time he ever falls asleep in Seo Ha-yoon’s body.
***
“What do you want? You already asked to meet in person, and I sent you money not too long ago.”
Seo Ha-yoon spoke in a voice laced with irritation.
Seo Chang-seop’s cloudy eyes swept over Ha-yoon from head to toe. There was an unmistakable, insidious gleam in his gaze. Ha-yoon recoiled at the way he looked at him—his face, the stench of cigarettes clinging to him, his very presence. Every part of him was repulsive.
“You’re getting prettier every time I see you. Your boyfriend must be spoiling you rotten, huh?”
Chang-seop stepped forward with a knowing look.
“Stay the fuck back. You’re making me sick. If you so much as lay a finger on me, I swear to God, that’ll be the day you lose everything. You won’t get another cent, and it’ll be the day we both die.”
Ha-yoon bared his teeth, grinding them in rage. Chang-seop lifted both hands in mock surrender, shrugging.
“Alright, alright. No need to be so touchy. I called you today because I have something to show you.”
“Then get to the point. I don’t have time for this.”
Ha-yoon snapped, making it clear he didn’t want to spend another second around him.
Chang-seop reached into his jacket and pulled out a folded envelope. The moment Ha-yoon laid eyes on it, a sense of dread coiled in his stomach. Chang-seop gave the envelope a shake, urging him to take it.
Reluctantly, Ha-yoon snatched it out of his hands. As soon as he opened it, several large, printed photographs slipped out. He picked them up and flipped through them, his expression contorting in fury.
Crack. His teeth clenched so hard the sound escaped.
“What the fuck is this? What the hell are you trying to pull?! Why the fuck did you take these?!”
Ha-yoon roared as he viciously ripped the photographs apart.
The torn images showed Ha Jun-seo and him together—smiling on dates, leaving a hotel, kissing.
“You’ve been parading around with more than one boyfriend these days, so I figured I’d take some pictures. You know, your dear old dad was a cop back in the day. Got a knack for this kind of thing.”
Chang-seop smirked smugly.
Then, he shoved his hands in his pockets and sauntered closer, his voice lowering.
“What do you think will happen if your boyfriend sees these, huh?”
“You son of a bitch! I’ve given you every fucking cent you asked for! So why the fuck are you digging into my life like this?!”
“Because the money’s been trickling in slower and slower. You think I wouldn’t notice?”
“And what the fuck do you think I’ve been doing? Running myself ragged just to keep your greedy ass fed!”
“Oh? Is that so?” Chang-seop scoffed. Then, his smirk faded, and his tone turned deadly.
“But let me ask you something. Did you really think I wouldn’t find out? About you poking around, looking for someone to take care of me? Trying to have your dear old dad ‘dealt with’?”
Ha-yoon’s jaw clenched at the unexpected accusation.
Chang-seop, who had been grinning moments ago, suddenly twisted into something monstrous. His face contorted in fury.
“I fucking raised you! Fed you! Clothed you! And this is how you repay me, you ungrateful bitch? You’re trying to have me killed?!”
He grabbed Ha-yoon by the collar, yanking him close.
The overpowering stench of cigarettes and his rancid breath made Ha-yoon gag.
“Let me go, you fucking piece of shit! I told you not to fucking touch me!”
“You wouldn’t have had to go this far if you just handed over the money like a good little kid. But no, you had to get all stubborn. You had to—”
“How long do I have to let you bleed me dry?! How much longer are you going to cling to me?! When the fuck does this end?!”
Seo Ha-yoon screamed hysterically.
Smack!
Seo Chang-seop slapped Ha-yoon across the face.
It wasn’t even that strong of a hit, yet Ha-yoon crumpled sideways, collapsing onto the ground.
The mere presence of Chang-seop in front of him—his stench, his voice—threw Ha-yoon into a full-blown panic. His entire body trembled as past trauma surged through him, paralyzing him.
Chang-seop grinned, baring his yellowed teeth.
“That’s right, you little bitch. You’ve been sucking your dear old dad’s cock since you were a kid, and now you think you can defy me? Once a bitch, always a bitch. Ain’t that right?”
He grabbed Ha-yoon by the hair, yanking it back and forth, his face twisted in sick pleasure.
The once proud, foul-mouthed Ha-yoon was utterly powerless in front of him.
He didn’t even think to fight back. Instead, he clung to Chang-seop’s pants, desperate.
“Don’t—don’t tell Choi Sang-hyuk. I’ll pay you. How much do you want?”
“You think I’ll settle for pocket change after my own son tried to have me killed?”
“Then what the fuck do you want?!”
“The apartment your boyfriend bought for you. Sell it and hand over every last cent to me.”
“Fuck you. If I do that, do you really think I’ll just let this go?”
“What? Afraid he’ll dump you if you lose the house? You’ve got another rich boyfriend, don’t you? That other brat’s from a well-off family too. Why don’t you just switch to him?”
“I can’t do that.”
Ha-yoon bit down hard on his lip. Chang-seop smirked like he expected that answer.
“Then, there’s another way. Come with me and shoot a little movie.”
“…Movie?”
“Yeah. You know, the same thing you and I used to do all the time back in the day. Just do it on camera this time. Oh, not just with me, of course. You’ll be taking a few more cocks, but what’s the big deal? Taking it up the ass a few more times won’t kill you. I’ll make enough to live off for a while, and you won’t have to deal with me anymore.”
The moment those words left his mouth, Ha-yoon started thrashing.
Pure, unfiltered despair twisted his face, the kind of hopeless struggle seen in an animal caught in an inescapable trap.
“No. No! I’d rather fucking die!”
His vision spun as his entire body burned with rage.
His eyes turned bloodshot as he suddenly sprang to his feet and lunged at Chang-seop, locking his arms around his chest.
His fingers interlocked in an iron grip, refusing to let go.
“Fine. Then let’s die together. I can’t live like this anymore, so let’s just fucking end it right here!”
With a voice dripping in murderous intent, Ha-yoon dragged Chang-seop along, step by step.
Their destination was clear—the edge of the rooftop where they had been talking.
The railing was old and dangerously low.
Realizing where they were headed, Chang-seop started thrashing violently, desperately trying to break free.
“You crazy bitch. You fucking psycho. Let go! Let go of me! If you wanna die, do it alone!”
Seo Ha-yoon was beyond reason, fueled by a burst of superhuman strength. But a drug addict’s strength was something else entirely. The two of them struggled violently, tumbling and grappling as they reached the very edge of the rooftop.
Ha-yoon was serious. He was ready to die. He clenched onto Seo Chang-seop, determined to drag him off the building with him.
Realizing his life was in danger, Chang-seop thrashed wildly in a desperate attempt to break free. Then, in the chaos, Ha-yoon lost his balance.
His body teetered dangerously over the edge of the rooftop.
“Ugh…!!!”
Chang-seop grabbed Ha-yoon’s wrist at the last second.
Ha-yoon dangled precariously, his entire weight hanging from Chang-seop’s grip.
Chang-seop’s eyes darted back and forth, calculating.
“You’ll sell the apartment and give me the money, right?” he asked, holding onto Ha-yoon’s life.
“Go fuck yourself.”
“Or would you rather film that video?”
“I’d rather fucking die.”
“In that case, I could just sell those photos to your boyfriend. Should easily get at least a hundred million won for them.”
Ha-yoon clenched his teeth.
Chang-seop smirked victoriously.
“Looks like you got attached after all. Afraid of getting caught, huh? Then let’s round it up. Five hundred million. That’ll cover your life and the photos.”
He chuckled darkly.
Ha-yoon’s face suddenly went cold.
His gaze drifted upward.
He stared at the Seoul sky—dark, empty, devoid of stars. His expression became hollow.
“I was an idiot for thinking I could ever live like a real person.”
He muttered under his breath.
Sensing something was wrong, Chang-seop instinctively tried to pull him back up, but he was a second too late.
Ha-yoon twisted his wrist, slipping free from Chang-seop’s grasp.
His body, already tipping over the edge, tilted backward in an instant.
“Ha-yoon…?!”
A panicked voice echoed.
But Ha-yoon didn’t take his eyes off the sky.
“Choi Sang-hyuk…”
He whispered softly as he plummeted.
Then, darkness consumed him.
