The World of Contrasts Vol. 5 Chapter 6

“Fuck, this is bullshit.”

Jaemin let out a hollow laugh. Being kidnapped wasn’t a new experience for him, so it wasn’t as shocking as one might expect. The first time was by Jang Wonjung’s subordinates, and the second was from a mental hospital in Japan.

“I apologize.”

The first time, he was helpless, and the second, he escaped and threw himself into a car. If Mama hadn’t saved him, he wouldn’t be in this world now.

“Who sent you? Kwon Sangdo or the real Shin Joohee?”

“……I can’t tell you that.”

When Jaemin laughed out loud at him, Mr. Kim added another comment.

“My role is to take you to a safe place.”

“Bullshit.”

Jaemin muttered clearly and then, from the backseat, reached out and turned the steering wheel. He wanted to twist Mr. Kim’s neck, but he couldn’t since it would mean both of them going to hell together, so this was his only choice.

“Eh…!”

With a surprised voice, Mr. Kim hit the brakes hard. Jaemin opened the door of the abruptly stopped car, holding his breath. His hand, clutching his belly, trembled momentarily.

It’s okay. I’ll protect you too.

Before the car could start again, Jaemin, with his teeth clenched, rolled out onto the ground. The fall technique he learned from Seonho when he was young still worked, suggesting his body wasn’t completely useless yet.

“Mr. Jang Jaemin…!”

After stopping the car haphazardly by the roadside, Mr. Kim chased him at an incredible speed.

Damn. He’s fast. If chosen by Shin Joohee, he was indeed skilled, and if picked by Kwon Sangdo, he was at a level that those sent to Daeyoung’s villa couldn’t ignore. At this rate, he was about to be caught.

Seeing a row of parked bikes by the roadside, Jaemin ran towards them without hesitation. He punched the bike owner who was smoking and snatched the high-seated helmet. Everything happened in an instant.

“Hey…! Hey!”

By the time the owner got up with a bewildered look, the bike with Jaemin on it was already roaring away.

A sharp wind whipped through, inflating Jaemin’s black bomber jacket like a balloon. He crouched lower, pulling on the throttle, and the bright red bike flew across the asphalt like a runway. The speed on the dashboard kept climbing. No matter how fast Mr. Kim drove, he wouldn’t catch up now.

“Ha, ha…”

Jaemin heard his own breathing inside the helmet. Despite his heart beating wildly, his mind was surprisingly cool and clear. Now, he knew exactly what he truly wanted.

Jaemin’s determination to leave Korea was genuine. If he could be on the same earth as Seol Daeyoung, watching him from afar and hearing news of him, everything would have been fine. Jaemin really intended to live alone, raising the child like that.

But.

If Seol Daeyoung were to be harmed.

If Daeyoung were to die.

There was no plan in Jaemin’s envisioned future where Seol Daeyoung would die. Everything he thought of was premised on Seol Daeyoung existing in this world.

“……”

Thick tears flowed down Jaemin’s cheeks, his lips tightly clenched. His vision blurred, and he opened his eyes wide. With the increasing speed and growing engine noise, other cars passed by in blurs.

What an idiot.

Jaemin mocked himself. How could he think of separation when he couldn’t even imagine a world without Daeyoung? Jaemin felt a lump in his throat as he acknowledged the other heart beating inside him.

To shout that everything was over with Daeyoung while planning to bear and raise his child was like covering one’s eyes and claiming not to see anything when the truth was right in front of him.

Dreaming of hiding his identity and living peacefully with the child forever? Don’t talk bullshit, Jang Jaemin. You were hoping Daeyoung would come for you someday. Just like he did in Japan, appearing before your eyes like a dream, and then, with a nonchalant smile, taking everything away from you once again.

Once he removed the hands covering his eyes, the undeniable truth unfolded before him. It was a passionate, melodramatic love for one person that brought tears to his eyes.

He could no longer pretend otherwise. After everything had come to this, Jaemin, who had been denying the truth, was undeniably an idiot, even if Daeyoung mocked him.

From the moment he first met Daeyoung until now, scenes flashed through his mind like a slideshow. The moment their eyes met when Daeyoung first appeared in the classroom, smelling like an alpha, like a battlefield. The moment their gazes collided when he turned his head in a boring lecture hall filled with elitism. The moment he woke up with an empty mind, having lost all memories of the shitty world, only to find Daeyoung’s unchanged eyes looking at him.

In every moment, Daeyoung was watching him. How does he know? Because he did the same. Daeyoung’s profile, even when he turned away with a scowl, was always slightly flushed.

Jaemin had to meet Daeyoung now. He had to endure his scorn and indifference. And finally, he had to confess to him.

That he loved him. That he had loved him insanely from the moment they met until now. That without him, this world meant nothing to him. That being marked by him, carrying his child, was the best thing that ever happened in his life.

That, as Daeyoung said, he had never ended things with him.

So wait, Seol Daeyoung.

Please stay safe until I come to save you.

Jaemin’s hands gripping the handlebars were frozen by the cold winter wind. The chill penetrated to his bones, but he didn’t slow down. Dark clouds dispersed above Jaemin, who was racing forward. The smell of the sea was getting closer.

✽ ✽ ✽

Three hours ago. Seoul Prosecutor’s Office.

Yoojin gasped in shock. She had just heard that Kwon Sangdo had located Daeyoung.

“What?”

How did he find out? She felt like her lunch sandwich was coming back up.

“How did he know that? Was he followed?”

Was he an idiot? But the response she got was absurd.

― Choi Jisun told him.

“What? Why?”

― Politicians can stab each other in the back and then join hands when it suits them.

Yoojin pressed her warm hand to her forehead. If Kwon Sangdo had located Daeyoung sooner than expected, the situation was serious. How was she supposed to fix this mess?

“Fuck… Choi Jisun… Out of everyone, he chose that omega-sucking bastard to join hands with…!”

― No time to get angry. We need to move quickly.

Yoojin cut off her raised voice, her eyes widening. Even though her location had been revealed, Daeyoung’s voice was too calm.

― They’ll probably come for me soon. There’s no reason to wait now that they know where I am.

Speaking as if it were someone else’s problem, Yoojin gritted her teeth and spat out:

“Don’t you know the plan was set for midnight? Jang Jaemin was supposed to know that too.”

― Yoojin.

“Ha, I’m going crazy…”

Was this what they meant by one person shitting and another cleaning up? Her life, which had been like a silver spoon on a smooth path, had turned into a thorny road lately. How much more success was she supposed to achieve to go through such trials? As she took off her glasses and pressed her forehead, Daeyoung’s cold voice continued in her ear.

― Is Jang Jaemin your friend?

Fuck, seriously. Yoojin slammed her desk so hard that coffee spilled. She glared at the monitor, lowering her voice.

“Mr. Jang. You could really die this time.”

Requesting police support was far from calling people from a service center. Did Seol Daeyoung know or not how much effort she had put into ensuring this operation wouldn’t fail? He sounded incredibly relaxed.

― The operation time just changed. Is there a problem?

Yoojin crushed the plastic coffee cup, grinding her teeth. Was this like changing the lunch menu?

“You haven’t been in society long, Mr. Chairman, having spent so much time in prison, have you?”

― I learned in prison that following orders is the basic principle of social life.

“……”

Yoojin felt like she wanted to put Daeyoung back in prison and make him do social life there forever, but she couldn’t. At this point, Daeyoung, holding the information on Kwon Sangdo, had the upper hand.

“Our Jang Jaemin is about to board his flight, and now the job turns to shit.”

― You don’t need to worry. Things are going very well right now.

What was he talking about with the plan all messed up? More importantly, why was his voice sounding so joyful when his life was hanging by a thread?

Yoojin got her answer immediately.

― Jaemin should know before he gets on the plane.

“…Know what?”

― That his husband might die a dog’s death at the hands of thugs.

Crazy bastard. Yoojin chewed on her lips as she asked him:

“……Was leaking your location to Kwon Sangdo part of your plan?”

― Well.

As Seol Daeyoung’s voice lazily spread with a hint of laughter, Yoojin’s face contorted. It was true, after all. Daeyoung had deliberately exposed his villa to Kwon Sangdo using Choi Jisun.

“This isn’t a game, you know!”

Veins popped on Yoojin’s trembling neck.

― Who plays games with their life on the line, Yoojin?

Yoojin could imagine his expression without even seeing it. Contrary to his words, his smug face would surely be full of a relaxed smile. He must have planned and prepared everything from the beginning.

In the end, Jang Daeyoung, no, Seol Daeyoung, was playing with Jang Jaemin like a toy. The thought that even she was just another puppet in his hands made Yoojin’s temper flare.

“If the operation time changes, requesting support becomes impossible. The police aren’t just sitting around.”

And they certainly don’t exist just to please Seol Daeyoung. When she snapped at him, Daeyoung hummed and responded without any regret.

― Nothing can be done about that. If that’s the extent of your ability, I didn’t expect much from the start.

“…Hey, you piece of bastard!”

Unable to hold back, Yoojin threw the pen she was holding and yelled. The clerk beside her glanced at her, but Yoojin’s loud voice didn’t stop.

“If you’re so eager to die, I won’t stop you, but at least you should keep your promises!”

― Don’t get too worked up.

Even if it was Seol Daeyoung, going head-to-head with Kwon Sangdo would endanger his life. The reason her biological father, despite having gone through enormous scandals, was still standing was because he had cunningly and ruthlessly eliminated everyone who could hinder his future. Several of his close associates had died under suspicious circumstances.

“If you’re going to go, at least leave the data behind.”

Yoojin exhaled roughly, and a scoff came from the other end of the phone.

― If you want to meet the timing, you’ll have to hurry.

The bastard didn’t care about her situation, said what he wanted, and ended the call. Yoojin violently opened her drawer, took out a cigarette, and left the prosecutor’s office.

With the momentum of a storm, she exited the building and found the quietest spot in the smoking area. The gloomy winter sky, as if to reflect her mood, was overcast. The person she called only answered when she had almost finished her cigarette.

“Chief, it’s Yoojin.”

It was ironic that the day would come when she’d use the connections she made through her father. But there was no reason to leave something useful unused.

“How have you been?”

When he was a police superintendent, she had slept with his omega son once and then discarded him; surely, he wouldn’t know about that?

― Oh, who’s this? Our almost daughter-in-law, Prosecutor Kwon?

Fucking bastard. Yoojin plastered a rotten smile on her face, her eyes shining.

“I’ve got a big catch for your future in-laws. Would you be interested?”

✽ ✽ ✽

Two hours ago, at the airport.

Seonho washed his face at the bathroom sink. The water from the chilled pipes felt like melted ice due to the cold weather. He repeatedly splashed water on his dry face, but his muddled mind remained just as complex.

Soon, he and Jaemin would board a flight to America.

“Are you sick?”

But for the past few days, or more precisely, since he encountered Seol Daeyoung in Gangwon-do four days ago, Seonho’s mind had been in turmoil. Hiding his feelings was never Seonho’s forte, which Jaemin had always pointed out when they worked together under Jang Wonjung. He used to say, “Hyung, your emotions are too obvious on your face; you’re no good at being a thug.”

“Pretending not to be scared when you are, pretending not to want something when you do. That’s something Seonho can’t do.”

Some people are very skilled at concealing their true intentions. This was something Seonho realized after first stepping into Jaemin’s mansion in Pyeongchang-dong. Both Shin Joohee and Jang Wonjung, and even Jaemin, who grew up between them, were adept at hiding their desires.

The longer he spent with them, the more Seonho began to see the truth, even though he was once blind to it. Jaemin, who had lived by hiding his true self with malice and poison, was hard to understand completely, but after a series of events, especially since the pregnancy, Seonho felt a change in him. It seemed like Jaemin had opened up to him a bit, even starting to call him “Hyung.”

Thus, Seonho respected Jaemin’s decision to live without Daeyoung. He was ready to do his best for Jaemin’s happiness, now that he had created something precious other than Seol Daeyoung.

If only he hadn’t heard the sorrowful sobs seeping through the hotel room door.

“I made him cry, longing for the day he left.”

The moment he heard Jaemin crying, he realized. Daeyoung wasn’t lying. Jaemin hadn’t forgotten the one he parted with, and his feelings hadn’t changed from before.

But… what about Daeyoung?

Daeyoung’s attitude towards Jang Jaemin seemed cold even to an outsider. Right after the breakup, he sent divorce papers and offered money for sex, which was beyond Seonho’s understanding, so he couldn’t irresponsibly tell Jaemin to try to make things work with him again.

Jaemin said Daeyoung had completely forgotten him, but honestly, Seonho thought that was impossible. Moreover, Daeyoung’s intentions were suspicious, appearing at the moment Jaemin was about to give up and shaking him to his core.

What was he thinking?

Seonho remembered that Seol Daeyoung was also skilled at hiding his true feelings. Perhaps that was a characteristic of people like Hyungs. A kind of mechanism acquired from a lifetime of fighting against instincts that paralyze reason.

“When are you going to pay for killing Jang Jaemin’s mother?”

Paying for his sins now wasn’t something he feared. In fact, Seonho was ready to go to jail anytime. What made him hesitate was the guilt of making Jaemin’s life even harder. Affection, responsibility, or loyalty—none of these words were enough to succinctly describe his feelings for Jaemin.

He had poured everything into sports in his teens and focused on Jang Jaemin in his twenties. Fulfilling the tasks given to him was in Seonho’s nature. Like not being able to step off the mat until seeing the result, whether victory or defeat, Seonho needed some kind of closure with Jaemin.

But he couldn’t decide what was right.

[What are you doing? Hurry up, this is annoying the hell out of me]

Seonho checked the message from Jaemin on his phone. Along with the message, there was a photo of a man in fancy attire covering the lens with his palm. The moment he thought the smile looked familiar, he remembered who it was.

Song Hangyeol. Why was he here?

Seonho wasn’t one to believe in coincidence. He lived by the belief that results come from effort. So, Song Hangyeol’s sudden appearance felt strange to him.

“I think Kwon Sangdo won’t let me go easily.”

Jaemin had said that Kwon Sangdo would watch him until he located Daeyoung. He couldn’t see a connection between Song Hangyeol and Kwon Sangdo, but he had a strange feeling. No matter what, he thought he should return to Jaemin quickly.

Someone approached behind Seonho. Even though there was an empty spot beside the sink, standing right behind him was clearly meant to draw his attention. A hat pulled down low and a mask. Even with his face covered, his sharp eyes couldn’t be hidden.

“……”

He hadn’t let his guard down, checking if anyone was following him. Was he going to have a headache at the very end?

Seonho pretended to dry his hands while scanning the man in the mirror. His physique was small, but he wouldn’t underestimate him. If he got taken down here, there would be no one by Jaemin’s side. In that case, he had no choice but to strike first.

As he quickly turned around to grab the man’s collar, the man bent over. Damn, was he going to get hit? Seonho clenched his teeth, preparing for an attack, when the man’s voice came.

“You seem to have dropped this.”

Seonho’s hand, which was about to swing through the air, paused. The man suddenly came close to him and whispered in his ear.

“If I wanted to kill you, I would have snapped your neck when you were washing your face.”

At the low voice, Seonho’s temples bulged with veins. How long had he been watching him? What was even more chilling was that Seonho hadn’t noticed he was under surveillance. The man was at least a professional, and a very dangerous kind at that.

“Aren’t you going to take it?”

The man handed him an envelope and leisurely exited the bathroom.

“……”

Seonho stood there, clutching the envelope, swallowing hard. Even without the name on the envelope, he couldn’t mistake the handwriting he had seen for years.

Seoul Southern Detention Center, Jang Daeyoung

To Jaemin

When Daeyoung was imprisoned, Seonho was the one who brought his letters to Jaemin from the detention center. But…

Seonho bit his lip and gripped the envelope tightly. When Jaemin was kidnapped from the mental hospital in Japan, all his belongings were sent to the incinerator. Among them were many letters from Daeyoung that Jaemin had kept unopened in a drawer.

Which means, this letter was rewritten by Daeyoung.

Seonho’s eyes trembled with confusion. Even though Daeyoung had been out of prison for a while, Seonho couldn’t fathom his true intentions behind pretending to be from the detention center. The only certain thing was that Daeyoung didn’t seem ready to let Jang Jaemin go easily. Wasn’t it clear, considering he had someone following him until the very end?

“Hey…!”

Seonho, clutching the letter, ran out of the bathroom, but the man who had conveyed Daeyoung’s message was already gone. And Seonho saw the sharp-eyed man again after boarding the plane, sitting next to Song Hangyeol.

“……”

Seonho, who didn’t believe in coincidences, thought all this was like a big puzzle. And Daeyoung had just given him the last piece of the puzzle.

“Might as well have a drink and sleep it off.”

“Jaemin.”

“Drink my share too.”

After making his decision, Seonho finally managed to open his lips.

“Are you really sure you won’t regret this?”

Jaemin, who had been chuckling, frowned and faced him. Seonho overlapped the image of the child Jaemin who had stood before him long ago with the Jaemin in front of him now. The young Jang Jaemin with pale skin and striking black eyes, looking at him as if on guard.

“I’ve been thinking about this the whole way here.”

Finally, at the very end, Seonho could faintly guess what Daeyoung wanted. Perhaps he wanted Jaemin to complete his own happiness.

Of course, the outcome would be as Daeyoung wished, but Seonho thought Jaemin’s desired happiness might not be much different. And he hoped that Jaemin, who had never spoken what he truly wanted since childhood, could genuinely be happy. Only then could Seonho accept his defeat cleanly and move on to the next chapter of his life.

“You loved Seol Daeyoung so much you couldn’t even read this. No… you loved him, Jaemin.”

The instant change in Jaemin’s expression when Seonho handed over the puzzle piece from Daeyoung told him he wasn’t wrong.

“…Showing me this now just pisses me off.”

“Jaemin.”

“What do you want me to do now! It’s all over.”

Jaemin’s eyes were filled with hot tears. So Seonho could say:

“It’s not over until it’s over.”

Despite his loyal advice, what finally made Jaemin stand up abruptly was the news from the one watching Daeyoung.

“Move aside…”

The moment he learned Daeyoung’s location had been compromised and he was in danger, Jaemin gave up all he had planned and ran towards him.

“Move aside!”

While Seonho was dealing with the aftermath of Jaemin’s sudden departure, he noticed the man who had been sitting behind them following Jaemin. What is this? A tail from Kwon Sangdo? Seonho, frowning, instinctively wanted to chase him when his phone rang. The caller was Shin Joohee.

― Seonho, did Jaemin get off?

Her way of getting straight to the point hadn’t changed since before. Rather than how she knew about the situation, there was something more urgent.

“Yes. Madam, I’ll call you back…”

― No need to follow him. The person Jaemin is chasing, Chairman Jang… no, I sent him.

Seonho stopped gesturing to the flight attendant. She had changed her words quickly, but who she meant was clear from what was already said.

“……”

Feeling a sudden heat on his cheek, Seonho turned his head. Song Hangyeol was watching him, and the sharp-eyed man beside him was staring at Seonho as well.

Realizing something, Seonho slowly looked around. Like beasts in the dark thicket shining their eyes, he realized that the eyes of those seated where his gaze landed were all directed at him, sending a chill down his spine.

How many people had Seol Daeyoung planted on this plane? And they didn’t even try to avoid his gaze, as if they were giving him a warning.

“Would you please take your seat, Mr. Seonho?”

Seonho clenched his fist while looking at the purser.

“I need to get off.”

Even if Daeyoung had placed people here, he felt more at ease if he followed. But Seonho couldn’t do that.

“The plane is about to take off. Please take your seat and fasten your seat belt.”

“Listen…”

“We can’t have any disturbances, Mr. Seonho.”

The purser called him by name with a smile as if he knew him well. Seonho’s face hardened the moment he realized not only the passengers but also the crew had been bought by Seol Daeyoung.

“Hyung’s situational awareness is zero in odd places.”

The door was closed; there was no way out. Seonho had no choice but to slump back into his seat, letting out a long sigh. Maybe even Jang Jaemin should admit this time. There was no way he could know about something Jaemin hadn’t even noticed.

The plane began to slowly roll down the runway, and Jaemin was left alone without Seonho.

All according to Daeyoung’s wishes.

✽ ✽ ✽

30 minutes ago. Seongbuk-dong.

Joohee stood in front of a large painting for a long time. She was at an art exhibition for networking, but one painting had caught her eye. The brush strokes depicting the sea waves were so detailed and precise that she couldn’t take her eyes off it. She wanted to buy it since it was the artist’s last work, but it was already sold, leaving her disappointed.

“Madam.”

Her secretary approached, speaking to her cautiously. Was it time for the next appointment already?

After Jang Wonjung’s death, Joohee paradoxically felt as if she had lost her purpose in life. Recently, she had been trying to fill the void by immersing herself in work, but even that wasn’t particularly enjoyable.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

Instead of guiding her, the secretary handed her the phone.

“There’s a call from Mr. Jang Daeyoung.”

“……”

Joohee furrowed her brow. She couldn’t think of a reason why Daeyoung would call her.

Her emptiness included her son’s affairs. Killing Chairman Jang wasn’t just for her revenge after suffering under his violence all her life. It was also a necessary step for the new beginning of both Daeyoung, her biological child, and Jaemin, whom she raised as her own.

Perhaps it was the manifestation of maternal love she thought she didn’t have.

So when she heard Daeyoung had divorced Jaemin, she felt not just emptiness but a slight shock. Doctors had labeled her with the weak term “post-traumatic stress disorder,” but in reality, Joohee felt closer to burnout.

“What’s the matter?”

― Mother.

Hearing Daeyoung call her ‘mother’ made her swallow involuntarily. Joohee inhaled silently. The room, which had been making her drowsy due to excessive heating, felt as if its temperature had suddenly changed.

“Is something wrong with Jaemin?”

Daeyoung only called her ‘mother’ when it involved Jaemin. And her guess was right this time as well.

― I called because I thought something might happen.

“……Just tell me what you want.”

― Now listen carefully to what I’m going to say.

Joohee stood there, listening to Daeyoung’s words that flowed into her ear. Daeyoung succinctly and clearly explained the recent events involving him and Jaemin, and what he was about to do.

Their breakup. Kwon Sangdo’s approach and the contract killing. And how Jaemin and Daeyoung intended to use this situation to their advantage.

It was a story that might have shaken an ordinary person, but Joohee’s mind worked coldly. The shock and questions she felt when she learned of their divorce were finally resolved. In the end, Daeyoung had no intention of letting Jaemin go.

“If I do as you say, will Jaemin be safe?”

― Ha ha.

Instead of an answer, a brief chuckle came through, making Joohee frown.

“What are you doing?”

― I’m sorry. It’s just funny that you’re worried about Jaemin’s safety.

It wasn’t unreasonable for Daeyoung to mock her. She had never been a good parent to Jaemin. But she had never wished him harm.

“Then why did you call me? If you need a puppet to follow your orders, it doesn’t have to be me.”

Hiding her true feelings, she spoke sharply, and Daeyoung responded with a nonchalant voice.

― Because my child should have at least one competent grandparent.

Joohee’s smooth, wrinkle-free lips trembled. Daeyoung’s following whisper was significant.

― Can’t say they’re all dead, can we?

“Jaemin is… pregnant?”

― It’s a girl.

Joohee covered her mouth with her hand. The situation she had never imagined unfolded in her mind, making her stomach churn in an absurd way. Joohee was taken aback, realizing that this feeling she was experiencing after so long was excitement.

“Alright. I’ll do as you say.”

― Yes. By next summer, you’ll be holding your granddaughter.

Joohee, carefully concealing her emotions, managed to end the call and then ordered her secretary.

“Tell them I want to buy that painting.”

“But it’s already been sold to someone else…”

“No matter the cost, I’ll buy it.”

She couldn’t take her eyes off the painting because it reminded her of Jaemin. When she went to see Jaemin in America, the only time he smiled was when he was surfing.

“Seonho, did Jaemin get off?”

While calling Seonho, Joohee once again turned to look at the painting she had chosen. For Jaemin and the child to be born, no amount spent on a gift would be too much. But first, ensuring Jaemin’s safety was urgent.

The moment he saw it, he thought, “This is the place.” The villa, where you could see the sea from all three sides with windows open, was said to be where an artist had ended his life.

Daeyoung leaned against the balcony, facing the sea breeze, watching the storm-tossed sea. Although he was ignorant of art, he thought that such a view could indeed ignite the soul of an artist.

But he was not an artist, and the only work he acknowledged was the human being named Jang Jaemin. The only one in his life who was beautiful, desirable, and capable of stirring human emotions was that one person.

Daeyoung imagined bringing Jang Jaemin here. He envisioned sharing kisses while watching the changing seascape each season. The image of a child sitting on his shoulders raising their hands and laughing brought him satisfaction.

His plan was now in its final stages. Jang Jaemin had not boarded the plane and had run out of the airport. According to Song Hangyeol, his face had turned pale, indicating he was in a state of panic.

Because he was afraid Daeyoung would die.

Daeyoung’s lips, chapped by the wind, silently curved into a smile. He slowly rubbed his face with the hand that was propping up his chin. Even if Jaemin wasn’t there, the heat on his dry cheeks was inevitable.

Because he always laughed whenever he confirmed that Jang Jaemin loved him.

When he first showed up at Jaemin’s house with a bouquet of flowers. Even when he got beaten until his face was scratched by the sharp thorns of roses, he couldn’t stop smiling. It was because he knew Jaemin wanted to save him, and watching Jaemin deny that fact and struggle not to let it show made Daeyoung’s smile uncontainable.

It must have been painful for Jaemin. Seeing him in pain might have made him look like a psychopath, but what can you do, Jaemin?

And if it was Jang Jaemin, he should naturally love even this side of him.

Some kinds of deprivation lead one’s life in unintended directions. For Jang Jaemin, who thought he had never been loved, he couldn’t detach himself from someone who loved him like a maniac.

So, we are fated.

“……”

Daeyoung tossed his phone aside, smiling again. Until he turned it off, the phone kept showing Jaemin’s name. This was the first time Jaemin had contacted him directly since their breakup. So, it was because he was worried Daeyoung might die. Because he was concerned about him.

In high school, after dealing with those kids who tried to rape Song Hangyeol, he expected to be expelled for school violence. Honestly, he didn’t care about being expelled, but he thought it would be a pity not to observe Jaemin every day in the same class.

Did Jaemin sense his sincerity? Jang Jaemin had worked behind the scenes to prevent him from being expelled. If Daeyoung hadn’t beaten one of the ringleaders, he might never have known.

Jang Jaemin has style.

There’s an order in his chaos and his own rules. He doesn’t show kindness, probably wouldn’t even think of it as kindness, and he shields others while thoroughly hiding his own feelings. Even in this situation where Kwon Sangdo was targeting him, Jaemin tried to handle everything alone, hiding everything from Daeyoung.

How could I not fall for someone like that?

Jang Jaemin thought Daeyoung’s feelings had changed after witnessing him being beaten by the thugs Jang Wonjung sent. Given Jaemin’s personality with sky-high pride but rock-bottom self-esteem, it was natural.

But did Jaemin know that was the moment Daeyoung decided to dedicate his entire life to him?

No one had ever broken Jang Jaemin, who never lost his color in the cruel, ashen world around him.

Fuck.

Daeyoung felt his heart pounding strongly. In fact, there were more than a few who fell for Jang Jaemin. Even back in high school, those idiots who didn’t know he was an omega would shiver on the outside but secretly make advances. Daeyoung had already dealt with several of them.

Daeyoung was Jaemin’s lover and his fan. And Jaemin would never understand that. The process of a stalker turning into a fan, a fan into a lover, and a lover into a spouse might seem terrifying from the outside, but within their world, it was nothing but fervent and beautiful.

Like waves seen from the edge of a cliff.

Splash.

Along with the sound of waves, an unpleasant alpha pheromone came with the sea breeze. It seemed like the people sent by Kwon Sangdo were getting close.

Daeyoung slowly stretched his neck, warming up his body. The villa he bought to have uninterrupted sex with Jaemin was like a fortress that would be safe even in an air raid. But to see Jaemin cry once, maybe a slight injury would be good.

“……”

Shin Joohee reported that Jaemin had gotten into the car he sent. Imagining Jaemin worrying about him safely made Daeyoung feel a sweet temptation for dramatic scenarios. But it wouldn’t be good to burden a pregnant Jaemin too much. Daeyoung tried to shake off the temptation.

Bang!

With a loud noise and the sound of a door being knocked off from below, Daeyoung’s lips slowly curled upward. Was it starting now?

Violence was not something he disliked. Or rather, to be honest, he enjoyed it very much. Since childhood, there had been no simpler or more rational means than this to resolve issues.

The higher the alpha index, the duller the sense of danger became. Because the threshold for feeling fear was so low, many met absurd deaths in extreme sports.

People called it the weakness of alphas, but that didn’t apply to Daeyoung. The more dangerous the situation, the more his blood boiled, like he was attending a festival.

And now, this was self-defense, not murder, right?

Daeyoung jumped from the second floor, running down in one go. Once this was over, he could go to Jaemin, who was waiting for him eagerly. To buy a fresh bouquet of roses that smelled like his pheromones, he’d better hurry. Daeyoung’s eyes were filled with delight as he ran towards the shattered door.

✽ ✽ ✽

The line of cars wasn’t moving. Yoojin, who was driving, immediately radioed the car in front.

“What are you doing, not moving?”

― The road is blocked.

“What?”

― There was a landslide this morning, and trees have fallen.

I’m going crazy, really.

Yoojin spat out curses as she roughly opened the car door and got out. It was at the entrance to the hill where Daeyoung’s villa was located. She could see with her own eyes that the only road was blocked by mud and rocks that had slid down from the mountain.

“Then why hasn’t it been cleared yet?”

“They plan to deal with it after the holiday.”

“What?”

“It’s not usually a high-traffic area.”

Although it was frustrating, she felt slightly relieved thinking that the blockage would delay not just her but also anyone else trying to get in. It meant that the hitmen Kwon Sangdo sent would have to climb up to Daeyoung’s villa at the top of the mountain on foot. Did they buy some time, at least?

― The customer’s phone is off; please leave a message after the beep…

She called Daeyoung to grasp the situation, but his phone was off. Yoojin, who had thrown away her leather gloves, pressed her forehead with her bare hands, deep wrinkles forming between her eyebrows.

“We need to move quickly, Chief. We might end up discovering multiple bodies.”

Even worse would be if they only found bodies and the case was closed as a gang fight. If the evidence Seol Daeyoung held was buried with him forever, Yoojin might spend her life kicking herself for missing an opportunity she had almost seized.

Jang Jaemin, who had called her 30 minutes ago, seemed to have grasped the situation too. However, Yoojin didn’t answer his call. In this situation, there was nothing Jaemin could do to help, and if he tried to do something, things might get even more complicated.

For Yoojin, Jaemin helping was him staying quiet and ensuring his survival until the matter was resolved. If something happened to Seol Daeyoung, Jang Jaemin was the only witness who could prove Kwon Sangdo’s murder contract.

Conversely, Yoojin also wanted to avoid a situation where Jang Jaemin got hurt and Daeyoung went berserk. Although Seol Daeyoung thought of himself as very rational, when it came to matters involving Jang Jaemin, he was known to lose his head and act recklessly.

“I’ve contacted the fire department, but all their personnel are tied up elsewhere, so it’ll take time to get here…”

There was no time to get angry about the mess of local government. Yoojin glared, veins popping on her neck.

“Instead of saying it can’t be done, find a way to make it happen!”

The face of the chief, who was like an older brother to her, turned bright red, but Yoojin was beyond caring. Just as she was about to shout, using the commissioner’s name, the loud sound of a motorcycle engine drowned out her voice.

“……What’s that?”

A bright red motorcycle forcefully made its way through the narrow path next to the lined-up police cars like sausages. As the motorcycle didn’t slow down, Yoojin and the chief jumped back in surprise.

“Hey! Is that guy crazy…!”

The chief shouted with a red face, but the motorcycle’s noise swallowed his voice. In front of the large tree blocking the road, the front wheel of the powerful bike lifted up. Watching the bike vanish like the wind after jumping over the obstacle, Yoojin gasped for air. Even though the rider was wearing a helmet, she had a gut feeling who it was.

There was only one person who would show such reckless bravery in this situation.

“Jang Jaemin!”

Yoojin’s shrill scream echoed through the air.

Smoke filled the air around the villa where the door had been blown off. Someone had set a fire just before entering, but the sprinklers inside the villa had prevented the fire from spreading. Even without the fire, the interior was a mess.

The high-end furniture Daeyoung had carefully prepared for Jaemin was riddled with bullet holes, and the soft rug on the floor was soaked with blood.

“……Ha…”

Daeyoung’s eyes, hidden behind a cabinet, gleamed with a sharp light. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger, and the head of the man charging at him burst open. Bullets also found their marks in the chest of another attacking from behind the window and another pushing through the sofa.

Bang!

After finishing off with a confirming shot, Daeyoung cracked his stiff neck to one side. Since his release from prison, he had been collecting firearms, waiting for Jang Jaemin, because he never wanted to see Jaemin in danger again. He had intended to give Jaemin a gun to shoot anyone who dared touch even a hair on his head.

But before he could see Jang Jaemin with a gun, looking sexy, he found himself in a survival game where he was the target. Yet, Daeyoung felt his blood running hot.

Kwon Sangdo had sent over twenty men. Since he had killed that many, there must be even more waiting or joining in.

Did they really think he was some sort of one-man army? The absurd idea of sending a platoon to deal with one person was laughable, but as the situation got rougher, his mind became incredibly calm. He was determined to kill all who had come for him today.

Twisting his lips, Daeyoung grabbed a rolling grenade and threw it back towards the bar. The whiskeys he had bought to set the mood with Jaemin exploded with a bang.

Fuck.

It was infuriating to see things he had prepared for his beloved destroyed, but thinking about the greatest gift he could give because of this, it was bearable.

“Ugh…!”

The man charging at Daeyoung had his neck snapped and fell limply to the floor.

Daeyoung planned to give Jaemin the gift of seeing his own biological father, who had tried to kill him, meet a grim end. The recorded conversation between Jaemin and Kwon Sangdo that Yoojin had shared had driven Daeyoung mad. What infuriated him wasn’t that Kwon Sangdo had ordered Jaemin’s murder.

“He was an unwanted child.”

Bastard.

Who does he think he is, speaking so carelessly?

Daeyoung ran towards the one shooting at him from the entrance and plunged a knife into his throat.

“Ugh…!”

How many times must Jaemin be rejected by his parents? Not content with trying to kidnap and eliminate Jaemin from the mental hospital, Kwon Sangdo had the audacity to say he would kill his own son to his face.

Of course, Jaemin had never shown that he was hurt by being abandoned by his parents. Perhaps if it were the opposite, he might have. Jang Jaemin was someone who would hate being consumed by self-pity more than death itself. But unfortunately, his inner self wasn’t as sharp as his exterior, and Daeyoung couldn’t forgive anyone who hurt his spouse with a heart he realized was softer than expected. Hurting him and then healing those wounds was all his responsibility.

Crash.

Something crashed through the already broken window, filling the room with thick smoke, making his eyes burn red. Daeyoung held his breath and ran outside. It was evident that Kwon Sangdo was putting everything into killing him, knowing otherwise his own life would hang by a thread.

The reason he hadn’t raided Kwon Sangdo’s home to cut his throat was simple; he deserved a different kind of death than Jang Wonjung.

Unlike Jang Wonjung, who lived without regard for others’ opinions, Kwon Sangdo, who pursued others’ respect and worldly honor, deserved a social death. That was Daeyoung’s gift to his beloved spouse.

Bang!

His vision blurred as he felt a sting in his arm. Dropping the gun, he gasped for air, hiding behind a tree near the cliff. A minor wound from a bullet was fine; to claim self-defense, this much was necessary.

“Ha… haa…”

The problem was that he was now unarmed.

The cold sea breeze passed over his forehead, cooling the sweat as he stood on the layered cliffs.

To retrieve the firearms he had hidden around the house, he’d have to go back in, but with toxic gas now spread inside, that was impossible. His gas mask was also inside the house.

Daeyoung let out a short breath and stood up. No matter how much he thought, there was no other answer. Those who realized he was unarmed were already rushing towards him. He was no stranger to brawls, having experienced gang beatings growing up as the son of a poor omega.

“Here!”

Five opponents discovered him, and the hand-to-hand combat began. As they fought for their lives, their faces turned bloody one by one, falling down. When the number went from five to four, then to three…

Bang!

A bullet hit Daeyoung’s thigh, making his knee buckle. But losing one leg wasn’t much of a problem. Daeyoung thought so as he put pressure on his bleeding leg. So far, nothing had ever gone against what he believed.

“Die, you fucking bastard!”

As he was about to twist the neck of one charging at him, the sound of a motorcycle engine, like a hallucination, grew closer, and something flew through the air.

“Ugh…!”

The man attacking Daeyoung was suddenly on the ground. Then, someone jumped off the motorcycle and kicked the man’s head so hard that he convulsed, foaming at the mouth. The expensive motorcycle idled on the ground before tumbling off the cliff.

“……”

Daeyoung forgot about attacking the remaining men, stopping in his tracks. No way. His heart reacted before his head; it was only natural. But Jang Jaemin shouldn’t be here right now.

“Go to hell, bastard!”

The moment he saw Jang Jaemin throw off his helmet and punch another man, Daeyoung’s thick eyebrows furrowed. Was he hallucinating due to the gas? But Jaemin’s appearance, cursing while fighting, was too vivid to be an illusion.

“Seol Daeyoung!”

One of the men attacking him took a direct hit to the solar plexus from Jaemin’s fist and staggered. Jaemin stomped down, making the man scream and roll on the ground. He grabbed the fallen man’s gun to attack another, then picked up a knife from the ground and stabbed a vital spot with no wasted movements.

…It’s really you.

There was no denying it; it was Jang Jaemin. The Jaemin who had once reassured him by beating up thugs larger than mountains when he was being followed. The only difference from then was that his once expressionless and cold beautiful face was now exploding with emotion while wielding the knife.

“Ha ha…”

Daeyoung’s face, covered in dirt and sweat, flushed with heat, and a sigh-like laugh escaped his dry lips. Without needing any help, Jaemin had taken down three thugs with flair and was now rushing towards him, gritting his teeth.

“Seol Daeyoung…! Daeyoung!”

Seeing Jaemin shout his name until his throat was hoarse, Daeyoung gasped for breath. There was no time to scold Jaemin for what a pregnant person was doing here or how he managed to escape from the car. Jaemin had collapsed onto him.

“Ha… haa…”

Jaemin, drenched in sweat, came closer, panting. Daeyoung tried to speak as he held Jaemin’s face, but Jaemin was faster.

“I’m sorry.”

“……”

Even in this breathless situation, Jaemin spoke with urgency, as if there was no other time.

“I’m sorry, Daeyoung. I… I messed everything up.”

Tears welled up in Jaemin’s eyes, wetting Daeyoung’s hands as they held his cheeks. Overwhelmed by emotion, Daeyoung had to swallow hard. His Adam’s apple bobbed roughly.

“Are you okay?”

Jaemin’s eyes trembled as he checked on him. In them, Daeyoung read Jaemin’s emotions bursting forth.

“……”

The time of patience had finally ended, and the moment Daeyoung had been waiting for arrived. The moment Jang Jaemin, having gloriously lost his internal battle, came running to him. The moment he revealed everything he had desperately hidden. The moment he confessed a love that had grown stronger because he couldn’t acknowledge it or wanted to deny it.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Daeyoung, feeling his heart pounding with excitement, barely managed to start speaking.

“…I almost died.”

He said it jokingly, as he always did with Jaemin. But Jaemin couldn’t easily accept it.

“Ha… fuck…”

Seeing the blood on Daeyoung’s body, Jaemin’s face turned pale. Daeyoung thought that look wasn’t too bad to see.

“It’s all because of me… sob… because I handled things so stupidly, you… ha…”

Daeyoung stared intently at Jaemin, who was sobbing and biting his lips. Daeyoung decided to acknowledge that he was beyond saving. Seeing how hard it was to suppress his grin even in this situation, he was certainly cunning when it came to Jang Jaemin.