Part 18
Felix violently shoved the heavy storage room door open and burst inside, his chest heaving, his breath ragged from the sprint. He swallowed hard, pressing a hand against his ribs to try and calm his frantic heartbeat
Everyone in the room stared at him in shock at the sudden intrusion
Felix raised his head and was equally jolted into horror by the scene. Si Hun was sprawled on the grimy concrete floor, his face already covered in dark, fresh bruises, his upper lip split and bleeding. Another man was kneeling right beside him, his movements deliberate as he fumbled with Si Hun's trousers, preparing to assault him
"What the hell are you doing here, you useless idiot?" the man unzipping Si Hun's pants, snarled, his eyes blazing with interruption
Si Hun's eyes fluttered several times, tears of pain mixing with the grime on his bruised face. He was clearly on the verge of being brutally assaulted. He looked up at Felix with a raw, desperate, pleading terror
"You... what kind of sick, twisted thing is this?!" Felix shouted, his voice cracking with shock and pure rage, his breathing ragged as he stared at the ongoing attempt
"Hey, who the hell do you think you're talking to?" another man started, stepping threateningly toward Felix
"Stop" Hyunjin's cold, absolute voice suddenly cut through the tension
He was sitting on a chair positioned slightly higher up, like a king upon a makeshift throne, seemingly enjoying the spectacle of Si Hun's suffering
The memory hit Felix with the force of a physical blow Jae-bum's account of Hyunjin passively watching Sang-woo's assault and how he had done nothing while some prisoners raped Felix in the washroom. The sheer contemptuous cruelty of Hyunjin's inaction fueled Felix's rage
"Why do you do this?! You enjoy this, you sick, disgusting psycho!" Felix shouted, moving slightly forward, stopping a short distance away, positioning himself squarely in front of Hyunjin
"Your voice is much too loud. It's hurting my ears" Hyunjin drawled dramatically, bringing a perfectly manicured hand up to his ear in mock pain
Felix ignored him. He moved straight past the men and dropped to his knees beside the injured Si Hun "Are you okay, Si Hun?" he asked with urgent concern
Si Hun only managed a weak, painful nod, his face and trembling body telling a much worse story
"Can you stand? Let's get you out of here" Felix insisted, gently trying to help him sit up
That man moved instantly to stop Felix but Hyunjin silenced him with a single, sharp glance from his seat. Hyunjin slowly stood up from the chair and walked toward the kneeling pair
"Who said you had permission to take him from here?" Hyunjin's voice was low, yet dangerously resonant
Felix froze mid-movement. He took a deep, steadying breath, forced himself back onto his feet and turned to face Hyunjin directly
"Are you even remotely human?" Felix spat out, the anger vibrating in his chest
"Watch your tone" one of the men growled loudly, stepping forward
"If I let him leave, what do I get in return, hmm?" Hyunjin countered, ignoring his man, a chilling smirk playing on his lips as he shoved his hands into his pockets
Felix fell silent, his fists clenching tightly. He understood the transaction being offered and the realization made his blood run cold
Hyunjin closed the remaining distance, leaning in slightly until their faces were inches apart. He lowered his voice to a sharp whisper in Felix's ear "What's wrong? Planning to kill yourself again?" He then smirked, pulling back just enough to look Felix directly in the eye
"Please go... Felix, don't worry about me. I'll be... okay" Si Hun managed to choke out from the floor, trying to save Felix
"Ah, shiballl! Stop hurting the prisoners!" Felix looked at Hyunjin, his eyes blazing
"No, no it's not hurting. We're simply playing a game" Hyunjin corrected immediately, his tone saccharine "Do I need to remind you again?"
"Boss, since he's already here, maybe we should have some fun with him too, what do you think?" One of them suggested loudly, his eyes sweeping over Felix
Felix's eyes widened in raw shock and fear, his entire body going rigid as he snapped his gaze back to Hyunjin
"Not a bad idea" Hyunjin said with a smirk, deliberately considering the proposal "What do you think, Felix?"
"He has nothing... to do with this! Please let him go... whatever you want... just do it to me," Si Hun cried out weakly from the floor
"Look, Felix. Another reckless fool risking his life for you. Yet you are so selfish and only ever think of your own misery" Hyunjin said, directing the accusation at Felix with cutting contempt
Felix moved towards Si Hun again, trying to forcefully lift him "Don't talk nonsense, Si Hun. We are leaving here together"
Hyunjin's reaction was instant and brutal. He grabbed Felix's collar with a lightning-fast movement and yanked him back up, pulling him face-to-face so their noses almost touched. He leaned in, his gaze terrifying "Don't act like a hero when you can't do anything" Hyunjin hissed, then slowly whispered in his ear again "This isn't your first time so why are you making it so difficult ?"
Felix's eyes flashed with a potent mix of shock, absolute horror and incandescent rage. His entire body trembled violently. He gathered every ounce of his remaining strength, wrenched his arm free and lashed out, punching Hyunjin full force in the jaw.
The room erupted into shocked silence.
Every man watched in stunned disbelief. One of them immediately stepped forward, his face contorted
"How dare you—" he began to move, but Hyunjin instantly raised a hand like an iron barrier, stopping him cold
"Let's go" Hyunjin commanded, his voice unnervingly calm despite the impact
All the men looked at Hyunjin in profound shock. This was completely out of character; he never let a slight, especially a physical one, pass unpunished
"But... Boss" one of the men started, confused
A single, lethal look from Hyunjin silenced him completely. Hyunjin then looked back at Felix, rubbing his jaw lightly
"Remember this I am leaving now but that doesn't mean the matter is closed" With that final, cold pronouncement, Hyunjin turned and walked out of the room, followed immediately by his silent, stunned men
Felix swallowed hard, ignoring the pain in his own hand, and immediately dropped to Si Hun's side
"Come on, let's go" Felix said urgently.
He quickly draped one of Si Hun's arms over his shoulder and helped him slowly and painfully to his feet
"I shouldn't have told you where this place is, I'm so sorry" Felix said, consumed by guilt
"If you hadn't, maybe... something even worse could have happened. He said if... I didn't find this place by 5 PM... he would punish me in the worst... way. So I had to ask you....It's not your fault"
Felix said nothing more, his face etched with grim determination and slowly helped the badly injured Si Hun back toward the infirmary for urgent treatment
When Felix finally returned to the room, the scent of fear and the rough texture of the confrontation still clinging to him, Jae-bum instantly stood up, his face etched with anxiety
"Where have you been all this time, Lix? You said you were just going to the restroom and after so long, I was genuinely scared something had happened to you. I went looking for you but I couldn't find you anywhere! I was so worried" Jae-bum said, his voice tight with concern as he gently placed his large, warm hands on Felix's shoulders
"No, there's no need to worry, Hyung. Everything is fine" Felix reassured him, forcing a slight smile, though the raw, lingering fear from the confrontation still flickered in his eyes "When I went to the restroom, Si Hun was there and his face was badly injured. I had to take him upstairs to the infirmary for treatment and stayed with him for a bit to make sure he was okay"
"Then you did a really good thing" Jae-bum said, his worry easing into a proud smile as he gave Felix's shoulders a comforting squeeze
"Hyung?" Felix said, looking up at him with pleading intensity "Let's start training in martial arts again tomorrow morning. I'm feeling much better now and you know it's been too long since we practiced" He spoke urgently, the need for self-defense suddenly feeling vital
"Alright, we'll start again tomorrow morning" Jae-bum agreed easily
Felix nodded, a fleeting sense of security returning and walked over to his bed. He lay down but was immediately lost in a dark, churning sea of thoughts. The image of Hyunjin's predatory face and his casual control over life and death replayed constantly. He kept thinking, Any act of defiance he commits against Hyunjin is completely useless. The devastating realization was that if he wanted to genuinely protect Jae-bum, Si Hun or anyone else, the price would always be the same... he would have to offer his body to Hyunjin's demands
~No, I hate that~ he thought, violently shaking his head on the pillow in a silent, desperate denial. He pulled the thin blanket higher, his body tense with suppressed rage and fear, trying desperately to force himself into sleep and escape the terrifying reality.
Hyunjin was sitting alone in his sparsely furnished room, the air thick with the acrid scent of tobacco. He was methodically smoking a cigarette, his gaze fixed on the wall but his mind was replaying the astonishing moment Felix had dared to punch him. His entire body shuddered with suppressed, dangerous anger. The casual violation of his authority was unbearable
"Boss, we simply cannot let that humiliation stand" his roommate said "We should teach that brat a good, unforgettable lesson for daring to raise a hand against you"
Hyunjin didn't speak a word. He merely took a long, cold drag from his cigarette, his eyes remaining fixed, utterly devoid of warmth
"In the morning, when he and that damn Jae-bum go to Section B to that secluded room they always head to, we'll finally corner them" the man continued, confidentially offering his plan
Hyunjin was jolted out of his fury. He pulled the cigarette away from his lips, his eyes snapping toward his lieutenant. "What do you mean? Which room are you talking about?"
"I've seen them twice now, Both times right after work, they slip away. They go to that small, empty room on the left side of Section B, They usually stay for about twenty minutes" the man explained, pleased with his observation
Hyunjin's eyes darkened instantly, transforming into dangerous slits of possessive rage. He thrust the cigarette back into his mouth harshly, almost biting the filter. The question echoed like a gunshot in his head
~What in the hell are those two doing alone together in a secluded room?~
The next morning arrived with the usual harsh routines of the prison. The air in the hallways was cold and sterile as all the inmates were organized and marched toward their designated sections for the day's cleaning duties
Felix and Jae-bum stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the line, exchanging quiet glances of shared anticipation for their planned training session
As they reached the junction where the lines broke off for Section B, a guard standing near the checkpoint spoke up, his voice cutting clearly through the low murmur of the crowd
"Prisoner 0034, step out and come here," he commanded
Jae-bum, looked over at Felix, his brow furrowed slightly in disappointment. He placed a large, reassuring hand on Felix's shoulder
"You go ahead and get started. I'll catch up with you later" Jae-bum said quietly, then stepped back out of the line to approach the guard
Felix nodded with an understanding smile and proceeded forward with the rest of the stream of prisoners
Felix hurried back to the secluded spot they used for training, tossing the cleaning supplies with a loud clatter onto the dusty floor. He had already stripped off his uniform shirt, wearing only a sweat-slicked, threadbare undershirt that allowed him maximum range of motion
"Hyung, where are you?" Felix called out, his voice echoing slightly as he practiced a few lightning-fast fighting moves—a flurry of desperate preparation
Sudden, heavy and dangerously close footsteps sounded, and Felix snapped his head around, his heart slamming against his ribs
"Hyung, finally you—" His smile crumbled, and the rest of the sentence shattered, lodging like ice in his throat. The air in the room seemed to thicken instantly, suffocating him
"It seems you were expecting someone else?" Hyunjin said, his voice a predatory growl, dangerously soft
Felix was terrified. "You... what are you doing here?"