𝓕𝓪𝓿 | 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐡𝐲𝐮𝐜𝐤

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟕

It was the dead of night, and the apartment was shrouded in darkness. The only sound was the gentle hum of the city outside, filtering through the slightly open window. Haechan had been sleeping peacefully beside Mark, his breaths even and calm, until something stirred him awake—a faint, almost imperceptible noise coming from the living room.

Haechan's eyes fluttered open, his heart skipping a beat as the sound registered in his drowsy mind. At first, he thought he might have imagined it, but then he heard it again—a soft creak, the kind of sound only someone trying to be quiet would make.

He turned to Mark, shaking him gently. "Mark, wake up," he whispered, his voice tinged with urgency.

Mark blinked, his instincts kicking in as he registered the worry in Haechan's voice. "What is it?"

"I hear something in the living room," Haechan replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "Someone's in the apartment."

Mark's expression hardened instantly, the drowsiness vanishing from his eyes as he slipped into a state of alertness. Without a word, he reached under Haechan's bed and pulled out a gun, the metal glinting faintly in the dim light.

Haechan's eyes widened in shock. "You brought a gun into my place?"

Mark kept his voice low, his eyes scanning the room as he moved toward the door. "I'm always strapped, Haechan. You never know when something like this might happen."

Haechan's heart raced, a mix of fear and frustration bubbling up inside him. "Mark, this is—"

"Shhh," Mark cut him off, placing a finger to his lips. "If someone's in here, they're gonna come back here eventually. Stay quiet and stay close to me."

Haechan nodded, swallowing hard as he followed Mark's instructions. His mind was racing, trying to process the situation. He had known Mark's world was dangerous, that there were risks involved with being close to him, but this—having someone break into his home in the middle of the night—was something he hadn't been prepared for.

Mark moved silently toward the bedroom door, his gun at the ready. He opened the door just a crack, peering into the dark hallway. The apartment was eerily quiet now, as if the intruder had sensed they were awake and was waiting for the right moment to strike.

Haechan stood behind Mark, his body tense with anxiety. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his breath coming in shallow, quiet gasps. This wasn't how he had imagined his night would go, and the fear that something terrible could happen gnawed at him.

Mark glanced back at Haechan, his expression reassuring despite the danger. "Stay behind me," he whispered. "I'll handle this."

Haechan nodded again, his hands trembling slightly as he clung to Mark's calm demeanor. He knew Mark was capable, that he had dealt with situations like this before, but that didn't stop the fear from creeping in. What if something went wrong? What if the intruder was armed too?

Mark slowly pushed the door open, stepping into the hallway with silent precision. Haechan followed close behind, his eyes darting around nervously. The living room was just a few steps away, and the tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.

As they approached the corner that led into the living room, Mark paused, listening carefully for any sound. For a moment, there was nothing but the quiet hum of the refrigerator and the distant sounds of the city outside.

Then, they heard it—a faint rustling sound, like someone searching through their belongings.

Mark's grip tightened on his gun, and he motioned for Haechan to stay put. Haechan obeyed, pressing himself against the wall as Mark moved forward, his footsteps barely making a sound.