ent, but Jun-park D

from fear, but from the terrifying stillness that came

ad f

at should've n

ho shouldn't

e the eye of a storm that w

Their foreheads were still pressed together, b

" Jun whispere

open his ey

suspended between history and hop

ye. No p

dis

ing down the stairwell, leaving Chi star

-

e entire city was watching

circled Krown Med

emergency session. Shareholders were panicking. And someone - no on

w exact

asn'

as M

d gone

ou hesitated

descript high-rise in Gangnam, barely fu

eren't supposed

otage. He's in too deep. I ha

tomach

the b

idn't

it hadn't

t like the

kingdom, under fire from the public, fr

t sleep.

ed across headlines

ated in Father's C

edly Involved wit

ce Behind Kro

from one of the tabloids

ilhou

ide it

had se

ad seen e

s apartment bu

Bang

jum

po

pr

rs

- stood in the hallway, eyes like r

e said. "You're

idn't

what t

e con

-

His uncle said nothing until they arrived at the private boa

cousin Hae-won, and a silence th

g-ho folde

deny eve

went dry. "

. boy seduced you, infiltrated our company, an

lood we

what t

trying to

ai

lass of water in front

ldn't know-was that Jun wasn't just

person who'd ever

e

nd each other?"

s gaze, hollo

" he

-

un was watching th

ed onto t

ploded lik

erent. Paler.

our company under false pretenses. I take responsibili

ed at th

s deny

ing

around the whiskey g

hone

ld you. Bridg

n't re

ould

soft, human part he'd tried to

ect you. And you

even mean

n Mina's feed, he couldn't help himself. Hi

uld be

ology. Another performance.

un w

ameras were on him. No one knew his face. That was the one advantage of being the invisible bi

onto the s

ushed hair. That s

onymous suspect," Chi said flatly. "And I have no reason t

d in Jun's skul

nal invo

betwee

followed was shat

vo

ia

. Whi

ead sna

w that

dark, in the quiet,

epped

Just his face - beau

oom f

ice didn

you can bur

ess started shouti

ept g

the story because it does

idn't

't b

flicker of his eyes, t

't part o

the edge of

for security. A

t Chi, eyes shi

rything. And you

t them dra

d

tood

oz

nside h

-

thing trended

wn A

AndTh

rkDhan

ent viral - thirty seconds of Chi stepp

Jun

Chi's handlers begge

te in the country was using that ro

atter that his father's em

own out the look on Jun's f

an

en bet

h

nd si

rved through Chi's

he

r. No bo

g into Seoul's backstreets at midnight

am. High-rise. Unt

ing after nearly a

district. Security at the front desk gave

. Every step is hea

r opened, he

ould

steppe

e window, shirtless, bac

dn't

't t

y knew wh

stage," Jun

door behind h

ned around. "

oss the room - two hearts tha

on't get to call me a liar

"I lied about who I w

htened. "So w

dn't a

ith w

to Chi, slo

issed

essy. D

hair, mouths crashing, years of f

he floor like

e it to the bed -

sn't

as r

n, they finally

came t

inds in delicate slats, stretch

oke f

urled against his chest, one arm drape

ybe...

r

illusion - that they weren't standing at the edge of ruin. That th

ions neve

ing softly, blinki

ze met

moment, nei

th

rry," C

breath

se he exp

use he m

th him. "I panicked. I didn't know how to

Chi. We were never supposed to protect each oth

im. "Do you sti

Do you still want y

le

knew the

" Chi said, voice low. "Us.

is hand. "It's re

tance. News anchors shouted. Stoc

room, on t

mattered

unted by fir

in spit

o his apartment aft

e. Or the family estate. Or a

e was ten - an abandoned villa in the mountains, once own

ifferent here

ls. No suits

t C

s that lived

r peeled like sunburnt skin. Dust choked the bookshelves.

mo

ia. Before she'd become just anothe

lowly, brushing d

, Chi-yah," she used to whisp

did a

recitals or why her perfume stopped lingering in the hall. He just learned h

no

man who wanted to

let h

than anything else in hi

wished he co

fter, stupider part - w

n't. N

know if what he wanted

Dhan didn

took his parents. Even when he was dragged into foster homes where no one looke

t

ted to brea

e Chi

evision, telling the world tha

suspect," Chi said, voice hollow and corporate. "I w

star

ldn't

arved in stone. So

en he

t o

in his

one else woul

's l

buzzed b

He made his choice.

dn't

iet, too sharp. And now, sitting at his workst

ved with

f the files online.

t

built their power on

nd against the des

venom thick in his vo

ice came through th

ou were getting too close. You forgot wha

etraye

napped. "You kissed him. You slep

hroat t

weak,"

lied. "You're

n she h

upposed to

himself that.

se at midnight, soaked in rain and gu

wor

e of a door clo

pull of gravity b

he was some kind of hallucination

u hated me,"

oken. "I hate

ed slowl

hate you,"

pped c

un cr

ed soft - a qu

d like a fire c

like it hurt to be apart. Chi's fingers sank in

hirt like he was trying to strip away the pain. The way Jun presse

un rasped, mouth hot

him. "I'll never

ake it to the

ke he was surviving. Chi let out a soft, broken sound - one

ed me," C

ollarbone. "You

they made each other feel - and like they never

, tangled and breathless, every l

't heirs a

ren't e

of love too long - and finally

oke f

golden ribbons, brushing over Chi's bareback, the curve of

s too

le who had broken each ot

'd met under different circumstances. If he hadn't lost his parents in fire. If

ver been part of

as his lashes fluttered open. He bli

ere," he

trand of hair from Chi's

pa

small, unsure. "W

ghtened. "Do yo

dn't a

ed for Jun's hand

" Chi whispered. "But I don't

ead. "You don't have to decide

rld had ot

zzed violently

e securi

ts had bee

l compan

ity was c

age flas

hey

creen, heart slammi

look in his eyes -

ng, isn't it?

no

g from the night before, from

where the city stretched out -

ok his

ing second, it fe

Jun said, voice rough,

head to Jun's should

osed h

ially if