PV Ch.19 Part 1

#19. Severing a Toxic Bond

‘He really doesn’t believe I’m Jeong Hotae.’ 

‘We spent a considerable amount of time together. I might have been fooled at first, but I knew the moment we slept together.’

Bomin met Seok Changmu’s gaze, refusing to back down. 

‘What… What did you do to him?! How are you wearing his skin?’

Seok Changmu claimed to love Bomin, but he had killed him. There was no way he would have treated Jeong Hotae with respect. 

‘Curious?’

Seok Changmu grinned, his hand reaching up to caress Bomin’s cheek. 

‘Stop playing games and tell me.’

Bomin slapped his hand away. He had put all his strength into it, but Seok Changmu seemed unfazed, his focus on the feeling of Bomin’s skin against his. 

His eyes gleamed.

‘You still love him, don’t you? Even though he abandoned you like a useless dog.’

Seok Changmu, still wearing Jeong Hotae’s face, switched to formal language. It was the same creepy tone he had used before.

It was different from Shi Yu-hyeon’s politeness, a subtle mockery that sent shivers down Bomin’s spine.

‘I kept him alive because he was useful… but now that you’ve seen through my disguise, I don’t see the point.’ 

Seok Changmu shrugged theatrically. 

‘Where is he?’ 

Bomin grabbed him by the collar, his knuckles white. He wasn’t strong enough to lift Seok Changmu off the ground, but his grip was tight.

But Seok Changmu remained calm. He held the upper hand in this situation.

‘You’re the only one who can save him. The Association President has abandoned him. It was quite an appealing deal.’

‘The Association President?’

‘It wouldn’t be fun if I told you everything. I’m giving you a chance to save Jeong Hotae, Bomin-ssi.’

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a photograph. It was a picture of Jeong Hotae, battered and bruised, chained to a wall. 

‘What proof do I have that this is real?’

Bomin couldn’t deny it any longer. The defeated look in Jeong Hotae’s eyes… it was the same look he had seen countless times before he left. 

‘You already believe it’s real, don’t you? Why even ask?’

Seok Changmu pulled Bomin’s hand away from his collar, placing the photo into his palm. 

‘Leave the dorms in three days. I’ll let you know how.’ 

His eyes darkened as he watched Bomin staring at the photo. 

‘I’ll see you soon.’ 

He leaned in, pressing a kiss against Bomin’s cheek. There was no need to antagonize him. Bomin would be his soon enough.

* * *

“Bomin-ssi, I’ve missed you so much.”

“Take me to Jeong Hotae first.”

Seok Changmu spread his arms wide, but Bomin brushed past him. 

“I expected as much, but it still hurts.” 

He pressed a hand against his chest dramatically, his face contorted in mock pain.

“Come on, let’s go see him together. I’m curious to see your expression when you see him in this state.” 

Bomin ignored his outstretched hand, heading deeper into the building. Seok Changmu, as promised, had arranged for him to be taken to where Jeong Hotae was being held. It was a five-story building located in a bustling district. 

It was less than an hour’s drive from the Association. He wasn’t sure if Non-K had multiple bases, or if this was just a temporary location.

All that mattered was that Jeong Hotae might be here.

“It might look ordinary, but I’ve invested a lot of money in this place. You know the saying, ‘It’s always darkest under the lamppost?’ It holds true in this world too.”

Seok Changmu grabbed Bomin’s arm, pulling him back.

“Jeong Hotae is in the basement. It’s a soundproof room.”

The stairway leading down to the basement was shrouded in darkness. Bomin, unable to see, reluctantly allowed Seok Changmu to guide him.

They reached a door at the end of the steep staircase. It looked like the entrance to a storage room.

Beep, beep, beep, beep.

Bomin watched intently as Seok Changmu entered a four-digit code on the keypad. He couldn’t see the numbers, but he had a few guesses.

A red light scanned Seok Changmu’s eyes, and then he pressed his thumb against a sensor. The door unlocked. 

“Come in, Bomin-ssi.” 

The door opened to reveal a long hallway lined with similar doors. 

“Aah, aah…!”

“Please… Kill… me…”

Muffled screams echoed from behind the closed doors. The voices were hoarse, as if their vocal cords had been shredded.

“Sorry about the noise.” 

Seok Changmu chuckled, unfazed. Bomin followed him, memorizing the locations of the doors he could hear the screams coming from.

He also heard the sounds of flesh slapping against flesh. They were probably the Guides who hadn’t been rescued from the Non-K base.

“Jeong Hotae is… special. You understand why, don’t you?”

They reached a door at the end of the hallway. This door had multiple layers of security.

“I should have aired this place out. It smells awful.”

Seok Changmu’s words were light, but Bomin was too focused on the sight before him to respond.

He knew Jeong Hotae wasn’t in good shape from the photograph, but seeing him in person… it was worse than he had imagined. His body was covered in scars, both old and new.

There were burn marks too, some infected and festering. The smell was overpowering. 

Unlike Seok Changmu, whose hair was neatly styled, Jeong Hotae’s hair was long and unkempt, obscuring his face. 

The dull, graying strands seemed even darker in the dimly lit room.

“Such a heartwarming reunion. Why don’t you wake him up?” 

Seok Changmu picked up a weapon from the wall—a hammer, several times larger than a regular one, its head stained with dried blood.

“What are you doing…!?”

“Ugh…”

Before Bomin could stop him, Seok Changmu swung the hammer, striking Jeong Hotae’s chest. The impact left a deep dent in his flesh. 

“…Stop.”

“Would you like to try, Bomin-ssi? You must resent him, deep down. Don’t you? You were angry with me even when you thought I was him.”

Seok Changmu seemed to be enjoying this, his eyes gleaming as he offered Bomin the bloodstained hammer. Then he paused, seemingly realizing something. 

“This hammer’s probably too heavy for you. How about this? It’s custom-made, so the blade won’t dull even if it’s covered in blood.” 

He placed the hammer back on the wall, retrieving a small knife. The silver blade was almost completely obscured by dried blood. 

Bomin didn’t need to ask whose blood it was. 

Seok Changmu offered him the knife. When Bomin didn’t take it, he approached Jeong Hotae, the knife glinting in his hand. 

“…Oops.” 

He swung the knife carelessly, the tip slicing into the back of Bomin’s hand. Bomin winced, his eyes closing involuntarily. 

It was a different kind of pain compared to being fucked. It felt hot, the sensation spreading throughout his body. 

“Hng…”

“…Bomin?”

Jeong Hotae’s eyes fluttered open. His gray eyes widened as they met Bomin’s. 

“Such a touching display of love. If only… it was directed towards me.” 

Blood spurted from Bomin’s hand. The light in Seok Changmu’s eyes vanished, his gaze fixated on Bomin and Jeong Hotae as they exchanged a look. 

“Ah, hng…”

“Seok Changmu…!”

Seok Changmu’s hand shot out, grabbing Bomin’s hair. Bomin cried out as he was pulled away from Jeong Hotae. 

Jeong Hotae thrashed against his restraints, but the chains held firm. 

“Which should I show you first? Me taking you in front of him? Or… should I snap his neck in front of you?” 

“Hng…”

Seok Changmu’s arm tightened around Bomin’s neck, the pressure almost unbearable. 

He whispered in Bomin’s ear, his gaze lingering on Jeong Hotae, who was struggling furiously.

“Choose one, Bomin-ssi. Or… we can do both.” 

“C-Calm down…”

Bomin, his hand trembling, reached up to caress Seok Changmu’s cheek. The pain from his wounded hand was excruciating, but he had expected this. 

Seok Changmu froze at his touch. This was the first time Bomin had initiated contact, knowing who he really was. 

Even before entering the novel, Bomin had avoided him like the plague.

“You know neither Jeong Hotae nor I can do anything right now…”

Seok Changmu’s grip loosened, and Bomin slowly turned to face him, his gaze holding his. He gently caressed his cheek. 

“My hand… My head hurts…”

“…Does it hurt a lot?”

Bomin nodded, his vision blurring. He leaned against Seok Changmu, feigning weakness. Seok Changmu’s hand trembled as he stroked his hair.

“I have a potion. I’ll apply it for you.”

“Later…” 

Bomin stopped him as he reached into his pocket. He stood on his tiptoes, pressing his lips against Seok Changmu’s.

He savored Seok Changmu’s surprised gasp, deepening the kiss. The clanking of chains echoed through the room as they kissed. 

“Bomin-ah…” 

Bomin ignored Jeong Hotae’s voice, focusing on Seok Changmu. 

Their tongues tangled, their breaths mingling.

Seok Changmu, who had initially been watching Bomin with half-lidded eyes, lost himself in the kiss. 

The simple act of kissing Bomin was enough to make him hard. He shuddered as Bomin’s tongue traced the outline of his mouth. 

His senses were hyper-focused on Bomin, every little detail amplified.

The sounds of their lips smacking together echoed through the room, punctuated by the clanking of chains. 

“Mhm…”

Seok Changmu’s hand moved to Bomin’s ass, kneading the flesh through the fabric of his pants. Bomin, instead of pulling away, pressed closer. 

Their groins brushed against each other, the bulge in Seok Changmu’s pants evident. 

Click.

“Haa, haa…”

As Seok Changmu’s hand slipped into his pants, Bomin pressed something cold and hard against his jaw.

“…Do you really think you can kill me with that?”

“Yes.”

Bomin pressed the gun harder. Seok Changmu was surprised by the coldness of the metal against his heated skin. 

He knew Bomin didn’t love him, but he couldn’t help but feel a flicker of hope. The ache in his chest intensified. 

“Release Jeong Hotae. Unless you want a hole in your head.”

He wanted to kill Seok Changmu right now, but he couldn’t. He didn’t know how to release Jeong Hotae. 

If those were ordinary chains, Jeong Hotae wouldn’t be so helpless. He had even seen Bomin being threatened, and yet he hadn’t moved. He would never have stood by and watched if he could have done something.