Se-yul was the first to notice that the star of the party had disappeared. No matter how much he looked around, there was no trace of that striking red. It was as if he had never been here in the first place.
‘Where did he go?’
Scanning the not-so-spacious hall in search of him, Se-yul spotted an attendant from Section 1 who seemed to be looking for the same person. The man was anxiously shifting from foot to foot, his expression uneasy. Se-yul quietly approached him.
“Is something wrong?”
“Huh?”
The attendant’s voice cracked in surprise at Se-yul’s sudden appearance. Though he quickly masked his reaction, it was too late—his unease had already been exposed.
“It’s nothing.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, it’s just… a little warm in here.”
“Hmm.”
It didn’t seem like he was going to talk so easily. Attendants were all notoriously tight-lipped. Thinking of a way around it, Se-yul conveniently intercepted a passing servant and took two champagne glasses. He handed one to the anxious attendant, who had begun glancing at him warily.
“Alcohol is the best way to relax.”
“Uh, right.”
Even as he remained on guard, the attendant accepted the glass. After hesitating for a moment, he downed it in one go. For someone trying so hard to appear calm, he was far more nervous than he let on.
Se-yul wasn’t sure how much one drink could ease his nerves, but at least the attendant’s face, which had been deathly pale moments ago, looked a little better now. Sensing that this was the right time, Se-yul casually brought up what he really wanted to ask.
“But I don’t see Vincent anywhere.”
“H-he just stepped out for some air—”
“Ah, so he went outside.”
Having gotten the answer he needed, Se-yul left the attendant behind and exited the hall. The realization that he had inadvertently admitted to Shining’s absence made the attendant clutch his throbbing head.
Once outside, Se-yul surveyed the surroundings. Somewhere in the garden, swallowed by darkness, was Vincent. Yet, no matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t find him. Even if the surroundings were dim, that vivid shade of red should have been impossible to miss. But it seemed he wasn’t here.
‘He couldn’t have gone far.’
Stepping out of the stifling hall, Se-yul finally felt like he could breathe again. He decided to take a walk around the mansion’s perimeter, following the garden to get some fresh air. As he strolled along the lit path, his eyes caught on a jacket lying abandoned on the ground.
‘Whose is this?’
Approaching cautiously, he picked up the ownerless jacket. The moment he saw the emblem of Section 1—Humanity’s Moon—stitched over the left breast, he immediately recognized it as Shining’s.
“Shining?”
Beyond this point lay a forest, pitch-black without a single source of light. What was Shining thinking, heading into a place like that? Should he go in to find him? As he hesitated, debating whether to follow, his gaze lifted—and there it was.
An open window.
‘That’s….’
The eastern side of the main building, mid-level—that was where Seo-yul’s room was located. And if that open window belonged to a room in that section, then it had to be Seo-yul’s. Could Shining have gone in through there?
“No way.”
Even if Shining was physically superior to most, scaling up to the second floor without any equipment wasn’t exactly easy. It was probably nothing. Seo-yul had likely just opened the window for some air.
Trying to push aside his unease, Se-yul turned back, intending to take the jacket and return to the hall. But for some reason, the wide-open window nagged at him. Unable to shake the feeling, he ended up heading toward the spot directly below Seo-yul’s room.
That was when he saw them—footprints.
Clearly imprinted against the wall, the spaced-out tracks led straight up to Seo-yul’s window.
‘It’s Shining.’
Clutching the discarded jacket tightly, Se-yul hurried back into the mansion. If Shining was with Seo-yul, things might escalate like last night.
Seo-yul had brushed it off as nothing, but to Se-yul, the tension between them was anything but ordinary. It was volatile—like watching a bomb that could go off at any moment.
When he reentered the hall, his eyes immediately landed on Han Jae-hoon, who was deep in conversation with one of the elders. Se-yul moved cautiously. If his father found out that those two were together, the situation could become serious.
He avoided drawing attention as best he could, making his way toward the stairs. Just as he was about to climb, however, he felt it—multiple sets of eyes drilling into his back.
He froze.
Slowly turning, he found the entire room watching him.
He should’ve climbed the damn wall like Shining.
Regret settled deep in his gut as he met Han Jae-hoon’s unblinking stare. It was already too late to turn back now.
***
“Seo-yul hyung, just one more time.”
His voice was breathless, desperate. He pressed his lips to my cheek, then the bridge of my nose, before whispering again. Trembling, I parted my lips and gave him what he wanted—the name I had given him.
“Vin-ah,” I murmured.
A shuddering breath left him as he cradled my face, his lips finding mine. At some point, he had stripped off his clothes, leaving no space between us as his heated body pressed against mine. My skin burned as if seared by fire.
His hand slid over my thigh, grazing the raw, reddened skin where a wound had yet to fully heal. My shoulders flinched, and he pulled back slightly, murmuring reassurances as he soothed me. His careful fingers traced over the tender flesh, gentle and unhurried.
“Just breathe.”
“Hngh…”
“I haven’t even done anything yet, so don’t be scared.”
His voice was gentle, coaxing, but my body, rigid with tension, refused to relax. There was no reason to be afraid, and yet I couldn’t seem to loosen up. Sensing this, he pressed a kiss to my trembling shoulder and deliberately released a wave of soothing pheromones.
As my body slowly unwound, he leaned in closer. With a quiet word of praise, he kissed my forehead. My blurred vision, distorted by unshed tears, was filled with nothing but him.
“I like you, Seo-yul hyung.”
The confession was followed by kisses, each one pressing onto the sweat-dampened skin of my body. Our exchanged breaths were unbearably hot, making it feel as if the entire room had been engulfed in crimson flames.
My lips parted slightly, but I couldn’t bring myself to say what was on my mind. This was as far as we could go. Even this much was a selfish indulgence, and I didn’t want to cross a line that would only leave behind regrets.
“Call my name.”
“Vin-ah…”
“Yes, Seo-yul hyung.”
“I… feel so—hngh.”
“It’s okay. Everything’s going to be okay.”
Wrapped in the embrace of someone who had grown so much taller, my mind was beginning to slip. The unfamiliar sensations left me breathless, my eyelids fluttering slowly. I had no strength left to even move a single finger.
Just as I thought I could finally catch my breath, he suddenly grasped my limp arm and pulled me onto his lap. Our eyes met at the newly elevated angle, and he smiled—a stunningly beautiful smile—before pressing a kiss to the bridge of my nose and whispering,
“Just one more time.”
“What do you—ah!”
Before I could finish, another wave of sensation overwhelmed me. His lips brushed my jawline before seeking another kiss. Our mouths met, his warm tongue exploring desperately. It was clumsy but heartbreakingly earnest—like he was fighting to cling to me, to sink even deeper into my presence.
For a brief moment, amidst the heavy floral scent filling the room, I caught a faint hint of chocolate. But it disappeared almost instantly, swallowed by the thick pheromones saturating the air.
“Hngh.”
His arms tightened around me as he trembled, his body shuddering against mine. Even as exhaustion settled in, he didn’t let go. Instead, he nuzzled into my small shoulder, planting soft kisses along my skin, one after another.
“Are you okay?”
“No.”
His candid answer made him break into quiet laughter. When I tried to sit up, he furrowed his brows. That was when I realized—I was still on top of him. Panicked, I scrambled to move away, but by then, it was too late. His eyes had already gone dark with renewed hunger.
“Seo-yul hyung.”
“Enough. Stop.”
“Just stay still. I’ll take care of everything.”
In the blink of an eye, I found myself back on the bed, my resistance effortlessly subdued. He caught my struggling hands and brought them to his lips, kissing each of my fingers one by one.
Watching those red lips graze my fingertips, lightly nibbling before letting go, made my head spin. Every little thing about him was a devastatingly intense stimulus to me.
“I’ve always wanted this,” he murmured. “I’ve always wanted to be this close to you, Seo-yul hyung.”
“Ugh…”
“And now, I finally am.”
His teeth sank into my ring finger before releasing it, leaving behind a perfect, circular imprint. It looked just like a ring.
Eight years ago, on the day we parted, Vin had left a similar mark on me. It had faded quickly, but now…
“Come with me to Section 1,” he whispered, his breath ragged. “Haah… marry me there.”
“Hngh…”
“Seo-yul hyung, let’s go back to Section 1 toge—”
Creak.
The door swung open without warning.
Vin immediately froze, his whispered words dying on his lips as he pulled away from me. His gaze shifted to the doorway, his expression turning ice cold. My hazy mind cleared in an instant, and I instinctively followed his line of sight.
“Seo-yul.”
Standing there was Han Jae-hoon.
