MIM 15

Though it wasn’t yet sunset, the forest was dark due to the dense trees. While dodging trees slowed his pace, Jae-seung ran without hesitation. The further he got from the villa, the clearer his vision became. Though he was sure to get lost in this area without roads, he couldn’t stop.

Those bastards were planning to gang r*pe me. Seeing them act as a group, they might even r*pe and kill me. Were they also planning to take photos or videos to sell to broadcasting stations? This was their plan from the start. Ji-un wasn’t amazed that I caught the rim; he just used it as an excuse to talk to me. Playing the shooting game together, drinking and sharing personal stories – it was all an act. Jae-seung stupidly followed them here of his own accord. How could they possibly like me! How could they possibly want to be friends with me!

Anger swelled within him like a snowball as he ran, and his breathing grew heavier—not from exertion, but from agitation. Jae-seung gradually slowed to a stop, pressing his back against a large tree and straining his ears. He could hear the sound of footsteps on damp leaves in the distance. Several people were chasing after him at a rapid pace. There was no hesitation in their footsteps.

The fever is subsiding. No, maybe it’s so hot that it feels cold.

Jae-seung crouched low, waiting for the footsteps to draw nearer. The veins in his calves stood out menacingly, pumped to their limit. His senses sharpened throughout his body, allowing him to detect the presence of the nearest pursuer.

I’ll kill them all, one by one.

Jae-seung glared at his target. Focusing his gaze as if aiming at a bullseye, he gradually began to make out the features of his target. Furrowed brows, a crooked nose, and lips pursed in displeasure. It was the man who had been standing nearby during the shooting game. Kwon-mun. He even remembered the name.

The sound of his heartbeat pounded in his ears. In the stillness, he could only hear the approaching man and his own breathing. Jae-seung, on all fours, measured the timing to spring forward.

“We should have just taken him down like this from the start. By dawdling unnecessarily, we gave him a chance to catch on and run away. Whether we drvg him or tie him up, r*pe is r*pe. What’s the difference?”

He heard the man muttering irritably. Drvg? The veins in Jae-seung’s hands bulged as he gripped the wet soil. His hair stood on end as realization struck.

They spiked my drink.

As a nauseating sense of déjà vu hit him, his vision turned blood red. He felt sick at the familiarity he had constantly felt since arriving at this villa. Jae-seung stopped thinking. Then he sprang forward like the wind.

It happened in an instant. The man toppled over in surprise, unable to even scream. Jae-seung straddled him and punched his jaw. After the sharp crack, he grabbed the man’s limp head and looked into his eyes. Confirming he was unconscious, Jae-seung sought his next target.

The next hunt was easier. As soon as he saw Jae-seung running barefoot, the second man collapsed on the spot. Jae-seung snatched away the gun he was holding and struck his cheek with it. Then he hit the back of the man’s head again as he tried to crawl away.

Before moving on to find his third target, Jae-seung examined the gun the second target had been holding. As expected, it was a tranquilizer gun. It fired darts filled with solution rather than ordinary metal bullets.

“You fvcking bastards.”

Jae-seung broke the gun in half and gritted his teeth. They had sweet-talked him as friends to his face while hiding guns behind their backs.

“Jae… Jae-seung.”

The most infuriating one called out to him from a distance. Jae-seung, who had already sensed his presence, looked up. Gong Ji-un was approaching with small steps as if afraid of stepping on a bomb. His sweaty face shone with panic.

“It’s a misunderstanding. Let me explain. Are you okay? Your hands…”

Jae-seung didn’t respond. He didn’t want to talk. There was no need to ask why they did it or hear their answer. It was probably for money. Either someone put them up to it, or they planned to sell r*pe videos. As Jae-seung kept his mouth firmly shut, Ji-un rambled on with excuses.

“If Si-hyeong was rude to you, I’ll apologize on his behalf! I heard he got excited because of the pheromones and he’s sorry. He said he lost control… that he didn’t mean to do it on purpose.”

Ignoring the worthless words, Jae-seung fixed his eyes on Ji-un. Ji-un froze, watching Jae-seung’s movements. Despite trying to act calm, his eyes betrayed his fear. Ji-un was still terrified and extremely tense.

The kind, heartfelt words that lingered in his memory had been lies. Not just lies, but outright deception. Jae-seung looked around at the familiar scenery and stared directly into Ji-un’s eyes.

“Whose villa is this?”

“…Huh?”

“You said it was your friend’s? Which friend?”

There must be a reason why this place felt so familiar. If he had been here before, and if the owner of the villa was someone connected to him, that person would be an accomplice who provided the crime scene and the mastermind behind Ji-un. From there, he could start tracking down the missing pieces.

“This might actually be good.”

Jae-seung smiled with blood on his face. It was a clue when he had no idea where to start looking for his memories.

Ji-un, seemingly flustered by the unexpected question, started backing away.

“Just someone you don’t know.”

“I’ve been here before.”

Whether due to the drvgs or not, his patience had become incredibly short. He was ready to break teeth if Ji-un lied again. Though he didn’t voice this threat, Ji-un seemed to sense Jae-seung’s murderous intent and hesitated to speak. The sound of his sneakers nervously scuffing the soft earth could be heard.

He’s running away. Just as Jae-seung realized Ji-un was about to turn and flee, he stretched out his foot. A tingling pain spread from his forearm, gradually numbing his senses. Before he could look down, something struck his neck. Laughter echoing from a distance dully rang in his ears. Staggering, Jae-seung pulled out what had been stuck in his neck.

It was a dart.

“Hey, you bastard! Why are you so late? I almost died!”

“He got hit three times. What should we do? Didn’t they say even one hit would paralyze you? Is he going to die?”

“He can’t die! You’re no help at all, you piece of shit.”

When he closed his eyes and opened them again, his vision was inverted. Jae-seung listlessly looked up at the men, listening to their conversation. Ji-un waved his hand in front of Jae-seung’s face, trying to check his condition, but Jae-seung couldn’t move. His head was lifted by his hair, and he saw a man holding a gun.

“How about that? My shooting skills aren’t that bad, right?”

It was Byeong-woo. He was smiling more brightly than Jae-seung had ever seen.

“Wow, this bastard’s fingers are still twitching. I don’t understand. Is he not human?”

“Look, he hasn’t even gone into rut despite all the inducers we gave him. He’s definitely not like us. He really tried to kill me.”

“Would a normal person hang out with someone from Mangwol District? It must be two monsters conspiring to kill the chairman.”

“Stop watching those conspiracy videos.”

“No, listen. It was called homeschooling, but the chairman basically kept Ma Jae-seung locked up, right? While his brother went to school normally. Enough reason to want to kill him.”

They chattered as they dragged Jae-seung along. From afar, several people came running to meet them. The men lifted Jae-seung and began carrying him to the mansion.

Upon arriving at the mansion, they briefly laid Jae-seung down in the living room and waited for Ji-un to return. Ji-un soon came back with handcuffs and a gag, binding Jae-seung’s hands and covering his mouth. He even brought sturdy rope and tightly bound Jae-seung’s ankles. Once he was restrained to the point of immobility, the numbed sensation from the anesthetic seemed to wear off unnaturally quickly. His heart began to pound. It was fear.

Not the basement. Jae-seung muttered, not even knowing what he was saying. Only muffled groans escaped through the gag. Ji-un disgustingly stroked Jae-seung’s head, trying to soothe him.

“Let’s go.”

The men carried Jae-seung down to the basement. Descending the dark stairs, they came to a large underground storage room with a small adjoining room. They took Jae-seung into the room and laid him on the bed. Soon, the light from incandescent bulbs seeped in, illuminating the room.

No. No… Don’t!

The moment the entire room came into view, Jae-seung couldn’t breathe.