Taehyuk's pov:
The night air hit differently outside.
Cooler. Quieter..
Cleaner.
Nothing like the suffocating scent of blood that still clung faintly to my skin.
I rolled my sleeves down, adjusting the cuffs, making sure every crease sat perfectly. My fingers paused for a second… then brushed through my hair once more.
Unnecessary.
But I did it anyway.
The car stood under the dim lights, engine still warm. Through the tinted glass, I could make out his silhouette.
Still.
Waiting.
Good.
I opened the door.
Yujin looked up immediately.
His eyes—wide, searching—ran over me in a second. Not obvious… but I caught it. The way he checked.
For injuries..
Or something else?
"…You took long,"
he said quietly.
I slid into the seat beside him, closing the door with a soft thud..
"Business," I replied, tone flat.
A pause.
I started the car..
The city lights began to move outside the window.
But inside…
Silence.
Heavy.
Yujin shifted slightly, his fingers tightening over his sleeve.
"…Sir," he started, hesitant.
I didn't look at him.
"Hmm."
"I heard… something."
Ofcourse you did..
My jaw tightened just slightly.
"Heard what?"
"I didn't see anything," he added quickly, almost like he was correcting himself.
"Your guards didn't let me."
He knows me very well..
"But, sir..I heard"
I raised my pierced brow
While driving..
"Heard...a man's screaming and things breaking..."
I didn't answered right away.
His fingers curled more.
"…Are you… in trouble, sir?"
That question-
That made me laugh..
Trouble?
Me?
Never.
He looked at me confused..
And then my eyes shot him in the rearview mirror..
I studied him..
And those blue eyes.
I stuck..
The same eyes.
And I have seen the same worry from those eyes..
For...me
He is worrying for someone like me..
The same worry eyes that looked at me eighteen years back.
When I was Ten...
"Sir.."
I came back to reality..
And for the first time I understood
He is truly worried about me..
This brat is worrying about me..
"Iam not in trouble" I said. Finnally..
He looked up at me then, searching my face like he was trying to find something hidden between my words.
"Then… why did it sound like that?"
Persistent.
Too persistent.
I tilted my head slightly, my gaze sharpening.
"You ask too many questions."
But this time..
He didn't back down like he always..
Like he goes silent when told him too..
He asked questions..
He is Worried..
And it is for...me
"…If it concerns you, I will ask."
That—
Was new.
My eyes narrowed.
"Since when?"
He held my gaze now.
"…Since I started staying by your side."
"Be careful, Yujin."
A pause.
His breath hitched.
"Curiosity," I continued, quieter now, "gets people killed."
The words settled between us.
Heavy.
Real.
For a moment… I expected him to step back.
To retreat.
To apologize.
But instead—
"…Then don't make me curious."
My eyes flickered.
That answer…
Was not what I expected.
"…What?" I asked, almost amused.
He swallowed, but didn't look away.
"If you don't want me to ask… then don't give me reasons to."
Bold.
Reckless.
Stupid.
And yet—
My lips twitched.
Just slightly.
I leaned back again, breaking the tension.
"…You're learning," I muttered.
"From you," he replied softly.
Why iam feeling like a love sick teen by this brat's replies..
The silence stretched.
Too thick.
Too aware.
The car slowed slightly as we turned into a quieter road. The city noise faded, leaving only the low hum of the engine.
Yujin shifted beside me.
"…Sir, I just—"
I turned the wheel.
At the same time—
He moved.
The car jerked slightly over an uneven patch.
Not enough to matter.
But enough—
For him to lose balance.
His body tilted toward me.
Instinctively, I reached out, gripping his arm before he could fall.
Too close.
Way too close.
His hand landed against my shoulder.
My other hand tightened on the steering wheel.
For a second—
Neither of us moved.
His face was right there.
Closer than it had ever been.
I could feel his breath.
Warm.
Unsteady.
My gaze dropped—without permission.
To his lips.
It looks too soft..
Too pink..
And too... tempting
I can feel his gulp..
The way his sweat drops down to his neck..
Inside his shirt..
Everything about this brat is now feeling
... Tempting
My grip on his arm tightened—just slightly.
Enough for him to notice.
His breath hitched.
Good. He felt it too.
"Careful," I murmured, my voice lower now… rougher than I intended.
He didn't move away.
That was the problem.
His fingers were still on my shoulder— light, but burning through the fabric like they belonged there.
My eyes dragged back up to his face.
Too close.
Those eyes again.
Always those eyes.
Searching me like I was something worth understanding.
A mistake.
I let out a slow breath through my nose,
forcing control back into my veins.
"Sit properly."
The words came out colder this time.
Sharper.
A warning— for him…
or for myself, I wasn't sure.
He blinked, like he just snapped out of something, and quickly pulled back.
"…Sorry, sir."
The space between us returned.
But it didn't feel the same anymore.
I released his arm, my hand lingering a second longer than necessary before pulling away completely.
The car steadied.
The road stretched ahead.
Silent again.
But now...
It wasn't empty.
It was full of something unspoken.
Something that shouldn't exist.
My jaw tightened.
This is exactly why attachments are dangerous.
I kept my eyes on the road.
"…Don't lean on me like that again."
A pause.
"…I won't be responsible for what happens."
The words were meant to sound like a threat...
And maybe they were.
Just not in the way he would understand.