2. Blood in the Cup

ch X.

After Wooyoung felt that the kiss had gone on long enough, he suddenly pulled away from San. His heart was still racing, and his lips tingled slightly from the heat of the moment, but he didn't want to escalate the situation further. He quickly snatched the underwear from San's hand and tried to walk down the hallway as if nothing had happened.

As he hurried forward, he tried to compose himself and regain his cool. His thoughts were still jumbled, a mixture of confusion and desire swirled inside him, but he made an effort not to show any of it.

A few steps later, he saw a young woman ahead of him. He flinched instantly and quickly hid the underwear behind his back, as if that could erase the awkwardness of the situation. He tried to pass by the girl as inconspicuously as possible, but she wasn't about to let him disappear so easily.

"Oh! Well... hi," the girl said, surprising Wooyoung for a moment. "Do you happen to know where San is?" she finally asked, turning back to look at Wooyoung.

Wooyoung froze for a moment before slowly turning around. As he tried to gather his thoughts to respond, he caught a glimpse of San out of the corner of his eye, slowly approaching them down the hallway. As San's figure became clearer, a shiver ran through Wooyoung; not just from the embarrassment, but from the memory of the previous moments still stirring within him.

"Hello, sis, what brings you to my humble abode?" San asked casually as he reached them, stepping directly behind Wooyoung and wrapping an arm around his waist.

Wooyoung's body tensed at the touch, still not completely over the earlier situation, and San's proximity only heightened the confusion raging within him. The woman standing in front of them smiled at her brother's playful behavior, but Wooyoung knew that for him, the situation was far from lighthearted.

"Just stopped by to see you. I thought you were resting," the woman said cheerfully, giving her brother and Wooyoung an appraising look. "But it seems your time is being spent differently than I thought."

Wooyoung tried to escape the situation, but San's strong arm wouldn't let him. His face flushed once again as he glanced between the woman and San, hoping to somehow divert attention from the increasingly awkward moment.

Haneul smiled as she watched her brother and Wooyoung, then suddenly made an announcement. "Well, actually, I came to tell you that there's a family dinner at eight tonight. Naturally, Wooyoung will be joining us, right?"

Wooyoung's eyes widened at the statement, freezing on the spot. The meaning of her words slowly sunk in, and his mind began racing.

"Family dinner? San's family?!" He shuddered at the thought, a chill running down his spine.

"If San is an assassin..." he started to think slowly, "I can only imagine what the rest of his family does... Could they all be dangerous?" His thoughts painted darker and darker pictures in his head, and his heart beat faster with each one.

As he tried to compose himself to give Haneul an answer, San pulled him closer, flashing a smile as if nothing unusual had happened. "Don't worry, Wooyoung, everything will be fine. They'll see you as part of the family."

This comment only terrified Wooyoung further. "Their family?!" he thought in desperation as different scenarios ran through his mind. Maybe they were all assassins, or something even worse?

"So, what do you say, Wooyoung? Will you join us for dinner?" Haneul asked cheerfully, seemingly unaware of Wooyoung's growing panic.

Wooyoung tried to muster a response, but every word stuck in his throat. He only gave a faint nod, not trusting his voice, hoping to somehow avoid the worst.

After Wooyoung gave a barely audible nod about the dinner, he quickly pulled away from San and hurried toward his room. The thought of the family dinner continued to weigh heavily on his mind, filling his heart with anxiety. "I don't even want to know what kind of people I'll be meeting..." he muttered to himself as he shut the door behind him and collapsed onto the bed. Fatigue quickly took hold, and he tried to fall asleep as fast as possible to avoid thinking about the dinner any longer.

Meanwhile, San and Haneul remained in the living room, silently watching as Wooyoung disappeared down the hallway.

"I see someone's special to you," Haneul remarked playfully as she sat on the couch and crossed her legs.

San threw a small smile at his sister. "Wooyoung is special, but he doesn't fully understand just how much yet." His voice held warmth and hidden playfulness. "He's different from the others."

"It's interesting that you want to bring him into the family," Haneul said, her tone becoming more serious. "But you do know this won't be easy for him, right? Not everyone will accept him..."

San simply nodded, his eyes filled with determination. "I know, but I'll protect him. I won't let anything happen to him."

Haneul watched her brother in silence for a while, then finally smiled. "I see you're serious about this. I hope it turns out well... unlike the others..." Haneul said in a more serious tone.

"I think Wooyoung will be liked by the family... he's got that spark and a fiery personality. In fact, I think our father might even like him," San replied, equally serious.

After chatting for a while longer, Haneul eventually said her goodbyes and left. San then headed back to his room to rest.

Around noon, San quietly entered Wooyoung's room. The boy was still sound asleep, his face peaceful, as if the morning's worries had faded in his dreams. San smiled and stepped closer to the bed, gently shaking Wooyoung's shoulder.

"Time to wake up, sleepyhead," he said softly, his voice filled with tenderness.

Wooyoung slowly opened his eyes, still half-asleep. "What is it?" he mumbled groggily, trying to piece his thoughts together.

San chuckled. "It's noon, and it's time for you to get up. We've got a lot to do today."

Wooyoung groaned, pulling the blanket over his head as if he wanted to escape back into his dream world. "I just want to sleep more..." he muttered, but San wouldn't let him hide.

"Come on, Wooyoung, we have to get ready for dinner," San said, this time more firmly, as he pulled the blanket off him. "And who knows what else the day has in store for us."