Back at the apartment, Jaewon woke with a stiff neck and an aching back, the cheap couch doing him no favors. He blinked against the morning light and pushed himself upright, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Sunbaeee?" he called out hoarsely.
His voice echoed through the apartment and died there.
No answer.
Still half-asleep, he shuffled toward Taesan's room and nudged the door open. The bed was neatly made, sheets smooth as if no one had touched them. The desk was cleared, his bag gone.
Jaewon frowned. "Weird…"
Taesan was never the type to wake up early, let alone leave without saying anything.
He returned to the living room and grabbed his phone, scrolling lazily through notifications. Messages, ads, nothing important. Out of habit, he opened his banking app to check his balance.
The screen refreshed.
Then froze.
Error: Login attempt from an unverified device. Your account is temporarily locked.
Jaewon blinked. "What the hell?"
He tapped again. Same message.
His fingers moved faster now, irritation creeping in. He tried resetting the password. Failed. Tried again. Failed.
The same screen kept staring back at him. A cold knot formed in his stomach.
"No, no, no… come on," he muttered, jabbing at the screen like that would fix it.
He called customer service, pacing the living room while the automated voice looped endlessly. When someone finally picked up, the answer was worse than he expected.
"Suspicious activity, sir. The account is currently flagged. It may take several days to restore access."
"Several days?" Jaewon snapped. "I need that money now."
"I'm sorry. There's nothing we can do at the moment."
The line went dead.
Jaewon lowered the phone slowly, the room suddenly too quiet.
He checked Taesan's messages. Nothing. Called him. No response.The apartment felt emptier than before.
Somewhere else, far from the panic settling in Jaewon's chest, Taesan remained calm.
This was not about ruining his life. Not yet.
It was about something simpler.
Control.
About letting him taste the same helplessness, the same quiet humiliation. About standing on the sidelines of his own life with nothing to do but watch. What was taken was not just money. It was certainty. And this time, there would be no one to help him.
***
For the next few days, Taesan kept his distance. He spent his time perfecting his skills, targeting minor vulnerabilities in Jaewon's digital life—a locked account here, a delivery redirected there. Nothing catastrophic, just enough to disrupt Jaewon's carefree existence.
Jaewon, oblivious to the source of his troubles, vented his frustration to their mutual friends. "I don't get it," he complained over drinks one night. "Everything's going wrong lately. It's like the universe has it out for me."
Maya spoke up. "Maybe it's karma, Jaewon. You've pissed off enough people in your life."
Jaewon rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. Who'd have the guts to mess with me?"
From across the bar, Taesan watched, a faint smile playing on his lips. He'd blended into the background, unnoticed as always, but this time it was deliberate.
The weeks passed, and Jaewon's confidence began to crack. His charisma faltered under the strain of his misfortunes. Taesan, meanwhile, thrived in his anonymity, growing more skilled, more assured. He wasn't just learning how to manipulate code; he was learning how to manipulate the world around him.
***
One evening, as Jaewon sat alone in their apartment, he spoke to Taesan. "Sunbaee, have you noticed anything weird happening lately? Like, really weird?"
Taesan glanced up from his computer, feigning confusion. "Weird? Like what?"
Jaewon hesitated, searching Taesan's face for any hint of deceit. But Taesan's expression was calm, unreadable. "Never mind," Jaewon muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Maybe I'm just imagining things."
Taesan smiled faintly, turning back to his screen. "Yeah, maybe."
Inside, though, he knew this was only the beginning. A faint, almost unnoticeable smirk curled on Taesan's lips.
Jaewon, dismissing the unease, soon forgot the strangeness. He returned to his ordinary life, unaware of the shadow creeping over him—of the brutal corruption taking root beneath his obliviousness.
***
Few months pass.
Soon, the time came for Taesan to transition into college life.
"Sunbaeeee!" Jaewon's voice rang out.
Taesan rolled his eyes with a small smile as he arranged books and supplies for the year ahead. "Jae, I'm not leaving the country or anything. It's just college. I'll still be living here with you."
Jaewon, sprawled dramatically on the couch, let out a wistful sigh. "But, Sunbae… I won't get to see you during the day."
Taesan snorted, pausing mid-task to glance at him. "God, you're so chessy." Alright, Mr. Clingy."
Jaewon grinned mischievously. "Fine, if that's the case, I'm calling you Hyung now."
Taesan blinked, caught off guard. "What?"
"Yep. From now on, you're Hyung."
Taesan let out a resigned laugh, shaking his head. "Ah, you little manipulator. Fine, do what you want."
"Okay then, Hyungggg~" Jaewon's voice turned singsong, drawing a playful groan from Taesan.
"Ugh, that was so cringe," Taesan teased, laughing.
Jaewon pouted, crossing his arms in mock offense. "Hyung, that's mean."
Taesan ruffled his hair with a chuckle. "Alright, alright. Look at this big baby," he teased, patting Jaewon's head affectionately.
The room filled with lighthearted laughter, and the bond between them was still strong despite the happenings.
"And also... I'm sleeping with you tonight!"
"What?" Taesan stared, utterly flabbergasted.
Jaewon held his gaze, stubborn and unyielding. "Yeah, hyung. I want to sleep next to you tonight. I won't get to see you much during the day anymore, so… please."
His voice softened at the end, almost shy. Then he looked up with the most shameless pair of puppy eyes Taesan had ever seen.
Taesan let out a tired groan, already feeling his resolve slip away. "You're seriously unbelievable. Stop looking at me like that. It's not fair." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Fine. You can sleep with me."
The moment the words left his mouth, Jaewon lit up. He lunged forward without warning and threw himself at Taesan, knocking him back onto the bed with an excited laugh.
"Ahhh! What are you—" Taesan's protests were cut short as Jaewon landed inches from his face, their noses nearly touching. Taesan froze mid-sentence, his breath hitching.
He lifted his eyes and met a gaze so close, so steady, that his thoughts stalled.
For a second, Taesan forgot how to breathe.
Their faces were only inches apart. Close enough to feel the warmth of Jaewon's breath brushing faintly against his skin.
His heart stumbled in his chest.
"Hyung…" Jaewon called softly.
The teasing tone was gone. His voice was low, almost careful.
Taesan swallowed. Every tiny detail suddenly felt too sharp, too loud. The weight of Jaewon half pressed against him on the bed. The warmth seeping through their clothes. The faint scent of his shampoo lingering in the air. Even the quiet rustle of the sheets sounded exaggerated.
"W what?" Taesan stammered, hating how shaky he sounded.
Jaewon watched him for a moment, then his lips curved into a small, knowing smile.
"You're really easy to fluster, Hyung."
Heat rushed straight to Taesan's face.
"I am not," he shot back, voice rising a little too fast.
Jaewon only laughed quietly, clearly unconvinced.
The spell broke.
Taesan huffed and shoved him away with both hands. "Get off me, you brat. You're heavy."
Jaewon rolled to the side, still laughing, completely unbothered. Taesan quickly sat up, rubbing the back of his neck. His cheeks were warm, faintly pink, and he avoided eye contact.
"I'm serious," he muttered. "You're way too clingy for your own good."
"Maybe," Jaewon replied easily, stretching out against the pillows. "But you always let me. So what does that say about you, Hyung?"
Taesan clicked his tongue, trying to look annoyed, but the corners of his lips betrayed him.
"It says I have the patience of a saint," he said.
"Or," Jaewon added with a grin, "you just have a soft spot for me."
Taesan grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at his face. "Go to sleep before I actually kick you out."
Jaewon caught the pillow, laughing again, then scooted closer like nothing had happened.
"Goodnight, Hyung."
Taesan sighed, pretending to be irritated, but he still pulled the blanket over both of them.
"Goodnight, you clingy menace," he murmured.
Even in the dark, his face stayed warm for a long while.
——————— TO BE CONTINUED