Part 16
The air grew significantly colder, carrying the unmistakable damp chill of approaching winter in Korea. A few sparse, slow, gentle raindrops began to fall, softly speckling the asphalt of the yard as Felix and Jae-bum walked out
"It seems to be starting a light rain! Should we head back inside?" Jae-bum asked, looking up at the gray sky, his anxiety subtly focused on Felix
"I want to stay out here. I love this kind of rain" Felix said, a soft, wistful smile touching his lips as he gazed upward "Oh! If you want to, you should definitely go. I'll come in a little later" he added, turning his gaze back to Jae-bum
"No, no, I also... like the rain... a little bit" Jae-bum stammered awkwardly, his eyes flickering
Felix's smile tightened slightly. He closed his eyes and tilted his face up, deliberately letting the cool, soft drops speckle his skin, savoring the feeling of being outside the walls
"Sorry, but I... think I should actually go inside now" Jae-bum said after a tense silence
Felix opened his eyes and saw a hint of genuine discomfort almost restlessness, in Jae-bum's expression. He sensed that even the gentle rain felt confining to him
"Then I'll come with you now" Felix offered immediately
"No, you stay here and enjoy the stillness. But don't stay out for too long, or you'll end up sick" Jae-bum said, his voice warm with worry, and he patted Felix's damp hair gently
Felix smiled, a genuine, grateful light in his eyes. Jae-bum quickly walked away, heading for the main building entrance.
A moment later, from a short distance, Felix spotted Hyunjin. He was standing with his back to Felix, his large frame rigid, hands deep in his pockets, his face tilted upward toward the light rain, seemingly lost in thought.
Felix clenched his hands tightly at his sides, the desire to acknowledge the debt battling fiercely with his intense fear and hatred. Hesitantly, he took a couple of slow, uncertain steps forward, intending to offer a strained thanks for Jae-bum's release
At that precise moment, Hyunjin abruptly turned around. Felix instantly froze in place, his heart pounding violently against his ribs. For a long, silent moment, they simply stared at each other across the deserted yard, the fine rain slowly dampening their clothes and hair
Then, Hyunjin started walking closer, his stride long and purposeful. Fear spiked in Felix but he remained rooted, ready to force out the difficult words of gratitude. However, Hyunjin walked directly past him, his gaze fixed straight ahead as if Felix was invisible or completely irrelevant. He gave absolutely zero indication of recognition or acknowledgment
Felix was left standing alone, stunned into bewildered silence by the sudden, sharp dismissal. He turned slowly, watching Hyunjin's disappear into the entrance to the building
"Cold-blooded, dismissive bastard" Felix muttered, the resentment in his voice sharp and bitter, replacing the earlier fear and hope of resolution
He then looked around the yard, which was now almost entirely deserted as all the other inmates sought shelter from the chill. Feeling the lingering dampness and the sting of Hyunjin's deliberate rejection, he too began walking back toward the building
Felix walked back into the main building, the cool, damp air clinging to his clothes. He reached his cell, still deeply confused and unsettled by Hyunjin's calculated, cutting dismissal
He walked over to his cot and sat down, a tired sigh escaping his lips. He was so preoccupied that he barely registered the dampness soaking into his clothes
Jae-bum, who had been sitting calmly on his own bed, immediately noticed Felix "Hey, Felix! You'll catch a fever!" Jae-bum said, his voice rising in immediate concern
He quickly stood up, grabbing a small, slightly rough towel from his bag. He walked over to Felix, who was still distracted and staring blankly ahead
"Come here, you idiot" Jae-bum muttered gently, standing behind Felix.
He took the towel and began vigorously but carefully rubbing the dampness out of Felix's hair, treating him like a fragile child
Felix leaned into the familiar, comforting action, letting Jae-bum's large, warm hands work. The physical contact was a welcome, solid reality after the strange, illusory encounter with Hyunjin
"Hyung?" Felix began, his voice sounding small "When can we start our exercises again?"
Jae-bum paused his rubbing and placed his hands firmly on Felix's shoulders, making him look up "Of course we can't do that. Not yet"
"But I feel okay, Hyung" Felix protested weakly
Jae-bum shook his head, his expression firm but tender "You are still far too weak and your body needs complete rest to recover. We should wait until you're fully healthy... okay?"
Felix pouted slightly but nodded, accepting the decree "Okay"
Jae-bum smiled and gave Felix's shoulders a squeeze, then resumed drying his hair, the gesture a clear, silent promise of protection and care
The next day, Felix went to the small library to return the books he had used to distract himself and retrieve a few more
While shelving a book and reaching for another from a slightly empty section, he paused. He spotted Hyunjin sitting at one of the secluded tables, utterly absorbed in a book, his hand lightly resting near the pages
Felix watched him for a long, quiet moment. In this setting, Hyunjin was a completely different person calm, contemplative, almost scholarly. His long black hair fell softly near his face, obscuring his sharp features. He was strikingly unlike the devil Felix knew out there. Felix couldn't tear his eyes away, fascinated by the profound contradiction. Furthermore, he was now noticing Hyunjin's chiseled, unnervingly handsome features, details his previous fear and resentment had completely obscured
He suddenly gave his head a violent shake, snapping out of the dangerous thought spiral. He grabbed his book and with hesitant, almost compelled steps, he sat down at the opposite side of Hyunjin's table
Hyunjin had zero reaction. He did not flinch, did not look up and continued reading as if Felix were a mere piece of furniture
"You are so... different now .... compared to that merciless devil outside" Felix said, the observation heavy with confused resentment
Hyunjin remained silent, turning a page and continuing to read
"Uh... thank you for what you d—" Felix started to say did for Jae-bum but quickly caught himself, remembering the sharp warning "For your assistance"
Hyunjin turned another page with slow, deliberate movement, acting as if he hadn't heard a single word
"Is it true that you've been locked up here for three years but you're actually innocent?" Felix pressed, patiently waiting for a response
Hyunjin let out a quiet sigh of annoyance, finally lowering the book slightly and looking directly at Felix "Aren't you capable of stopping your incessant talking?"
Felix immediately looked down at the table, chastened
"Yes, I'm innocent of the murder charge" Hyunjin said, his voice flat and normal, a mundane tone that felt entirely out of place
"So why are you here, then?" Felix asked, looking back up, his curiosity overriding his fear
"My father is a very powerful, influential businessman across all of Korea. When a crucial contract needed signing, he had a prior engagement so I and a few of his most trusted men went in his stead. It turned out to be nothing more than an elaborate assassination attempt targeting my father. A massive brawl erupted and one of our security personnel fatally wounded someone. I chose to take the blame for the murder myself" Hyunjin explained, the shocking narrative delivered with absolute calm
"But why would you make that kind of sacrifice?" Felix asked, genuinely stunned by the magnitude of the lie
"Because I wanted to escape the hell outside" Hyunjin stated simply
Felix remained shocked "What ... does that even mean?"
"Even if we hadn't been involved in a killing, we had committed countless other illegal acts on my father's orders. I was constantly following commands, never allowed to question or speak for myself. That was the life I was groomed for and I was utterly exhausted by it. I detested it. So I saw an opportunity to finally disappear" Hyunjin revealed, his voice carrying a genuine note of weariness
"So... if you were running from one hell, why did you turn the prisoners' lives here into an even worse hell?! Why does every single person in this place listen to your command?" Felix challenged, pointing to the inherent contradiction
Hyunjin suddenly let out a slow, chilling, devilish smile, the gentle facade instantly cracking, the cruel, predatory Hyunjin re-emerging. Felix immediately felt his blood run cold
"Didn't I tell you before, Felix? I love playing games.... I grew tired of the outside world and I find a certain amusement in controlling the environment around me. So, I am simply playing a complex, satisfying game with you all. And do you honestly believe a person like me with my family's wealth, would ever be truly stuck in a place like this?" Hyunjin said, his voice dripping with triumphant scorn
Felix swallowed hard, realizing Hyunjin was precisely the cold-blooded devil he feared, merely operating under a self-imposed disguise. He clenched his hands tightly on top of his book, his nails digging into his palms
"Why are you trembling now, huh?" Hyunjin taunted, pushing his black hair dramatically back from his forehead. "Hah~ But honestly, you are all utterly exhausting"
Then Hyunjin abruptly stood up and leaned in close "You are my exclusive prey now Felix. So you must endure it. Perhaps it will end one day but then again, perhaps it will never end. Who knows?" he whispered sharply near Felix's ear, the threat heavy with proprietary malice
He then pulled abruptly away and Felix instantly sucked in a desperate, rattling breath, suddenly realizing he had been holding his breath from sheer terror
"And why in the hell did I even bother thanking you for that utter nothingness!?" Felix muttered to himself, running a frustrated hand through his hair as he watched Hyunjin walk away