Deep End | Hyunlix

16

Felix quickly left the café, his mind still buzzing from his encounter with Hyunjin. He got into his car, the business card Hyunjin had given him still tucked in his pocket, feeling oddly heavy. As he drove, his thoughts kept wandering back to the man with the blue eyes. Hyunjin... that's a nice name, Felix mused. He's so attractive, but there's something about him that feels... familiar. I just can't put my finger on it. He thought about the way Hyunjin had made him feel confused, intrigued, and somehow drawn to him. I probably won't see him again, Felix tried to reassure himself. Plus, it's not the time to get distracted.

He arrived at the compound and slipped inside, his mind still preoccupied with Hyunjin. He was almost relieved to have a distraction from his thoughts when he walked into the room to find I.N at his desk, typing away. Felix pushed the thoughts of the man aside for now. He needed answers from I.N, and he wasn't about to let himself get too caught up in this unexpected encounter.

"Hey, I.N, did you find anything off that picture I sent you?" Felix asked as he settled into a chair beside the younger.

I.N turned towards him, his gaze sharp. "Actually, yes. But before I show you, what's going on?" he asked, concern written across his face.

Felix sighed, not sure how to explain the swirl of confusion in his head. "I don't know yet, which is why I asked you to look into him. So, what did you find?"

I.N studied Felix for a long moment, as if trying to figure out if there was more to the story. After a moment, he sighed and turned back to his computer, pulling up the photo that Felix had sent. He ran a facial recognition search and after a few clicks, the information appeared on the screen.

"I found him," I.N said, his voice serious. "Meet Hwang Hyunjin. He's well-known in the art world, actually. Owns one of the largest art collections in Korea. There's not much on how he rose to prominence, but he's also an artist himself."

Felix's eyes widened as I.N brought up images of Hyunjin's artwork. The paintings, mainly in black and white, had a striking use of red, and they were stunning. Felix couldn't help but get lost in the beauty of the pieces, his mind momentarily distracted from everything else.

"Other than being an art collector, it looks like he also helps with various organizations around the world. But there's something odd," I.N continued. "There's barely any background on him before a few years ago. That's strange."

Felix nodded, his eyes still locked on the artwork. He felt a strange sense of connection to it, though he couldn't explain why. He snapped out of it when he realized I.N had closed the images. Felix turned to face the younger, who was looking at him intently, waiting for him to respond.

Felix quickly looked away, embarrassed at how absorbed he had gotten in the art. What the hell is wrong with me? he thought, feeling a heat rise to his cheeks.

"Thank you for looking into this for me," Felix said, his voice a little strained.

"So, who is he really?" I.N asked, his tone skeptical.

Felix swallowed, not sure how to answer. How do I even explain this? he thought. "He's just someone I ran into at the café," he said, shrugging as if it wasn't a big deal.

I.N raised an eyebrow. "The café?"

Felix froze, realizing how that sounded. "Umm, yeah, the one by the warehouse."

"The warehouse?" I.N practically yelled. "Why would you go back there? What if they still had people watching? You could've been taken again."

Felix rubbed his forehead, trying to suppress the anxiety creeping up on him. "I'm fine," he assured. "I wasn't even going to the warehouse. I just like that café."

I.N wasn't convinced. "How do you know he isn't part of the clan? That he hasn't been watching you?"

Felix paused, the thought having crossed his mind already. He didn't want to admit that to I.N, though. He didn't want to worry his team any more than they already did. "Look, I just asked you to look into him, that's all. There's nothing more to it. You're all overreacting."

"Overreacting?" I.N almost yelled, his face flushed with emotion. Felix was startled, never having seen the younger so upset. "Do you have any idea how worried we all are every time you leave? You could've died! Of course, we're going to overreact. You...you're our family."

Felix stared wide-eyed at I.N, stunned by the outburst. He hadn't realized how much this had been affecting the others, especially the younger. He had thought they were just being protective, but hearing it like this made him realize how much they cared and how much he had been taking it for granted.

"I-I'm sorry," Felix said, his voice coming out strained. "I didn't mean to make you worry."

They sat in silence for a few moments, both of them processing what had just been said. I.N, now embarrassed by his outburst, wiped the tears from his face without even realizing they were there. Felix felt a pang of guilt but didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell," I.N muttered, his voice soft.

Felix smiled gently, his heart lightening. "It's okay. I understand where you're coming from. I'm sorry I was inconsiderate of your feelings through all of this."

I.N shook his head. "You don't have to apologize, hyung. We just worry about you, that's all. You've always taken care of us. We just want to take care of you too."

Felix nodded, his chest tightening. "I appreciate that. Thank you."

"So, who is he really?" I.N asked again, his curiosity piqued.

Felix sighed, realizing he wasn't going to get away with avoiding the questions. "He's really just someone I met at the café. There's really nothing more. I-I just found him attractive," he mumbled the last part, his cheeks burning from embarrassment.

I.N's eyes widened. "Happy?"

Felix groaned and buried his face in his hands. "We're no longer talking about this! This never happened."

I.N chuckled. "Fine, fine. I won't push. But really, I'm here if you want to talk, hyung."

Felix nodded, smiling back at the younger, grateful for his understanding. "Thanks, I.N."

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