Arrange Devotion | SS

Chapter 37. Tainted Memories

I like you.

I like you-

"Sir," Seokmin's reverie is abruptly shattered by John’s voice, pulling him back to the present.

He blinks slowly, focusing on John who stands by the door, his presence a stark contrast to the intimate chaos of Seokmin's mind.

"Come in," Seokmin commands, his voice a mix of authority and softness, a reflection of his inner turmoil. He leans back in his chair, attempting to ease the tension that had settled in his shoulders.

For days now, a rare sense of relaxation had enveloped him, a byproduct of a recent revelation—Joshua's confession.

Seokmin had been floating on a cloud of disbelief and elation, unable to fully grasp the magnitude of Joshua's affection.

Joshua likes him.

A monster like Seokmin, someone who thrives in darkness, who harbors a tumultuous storm beneath a seemingly calm exterior.

And yet, Joshua, in his innocence and bravery, has chosen to embrace that storm, unaware of the full extent of the chaos he is entwining himself with.

Seokmin’s heart pounds with a blend of dark anticipation and forbidden pleasure at the thought of Joshua, the one person who dares to tame him.

Seokmin’s fingers twitch, an instinctive response to the flood of emotions crashing through him. He steeples them in front of his face, eyes narrowing as he lets John’s presence fade into the background.

The weight of Joshua’s confession hangs heavy in the air, a beautiful, dangerous gift that only Seokmin has been given.

It doesn’t feel real. How could someone like Joshua—soft, radiant Joshua—choose to care for him?

Seokmin, the man whose hands were stained with the metaphorical blood of countless sins, whose mind was a labyrinth of control and obsession, could never be what Joshua deserved.

Yet Joshua, unknowingly, had tethered himself to a force far darker than he could ever comprehend.

Seokmin’s lips curl into a slow, dangerous smile. Joshua has no idea what kind of beast he's awakened—what kind of monster he’s fallen for.

And as much as Seokmin should resist the pull, the temptation to claim and possess Joshua entirely consumes him.

"Joshua likes me…" he murmurs, more to himself than to anyone else, the words tasting sweet and sinful on his tongue.

He knows this isn't love in its purest form. It’s something darker, something unholy, something Joshua wouldn't recognize until it was too late.

But Seokmin… Seokmin would let him walk into the shadows willingly. After all, only Seokmin could protect Joshua from the darkness, even if he was the darkness itself.

He looks up at John, who remains still, sensing the shift in the air. "What is it?" Seokmin says, his voice calm, yet threaded with an undercurrent of something cold, something dangerous.

"Another one," John’s voice was low, cautious, as he placed the white envelope on the table.

Seokmin’s face darkened instantly, his eyes narrowing to slits. His hand, resting by his side, curled into a tight fist, the muscles in his arm tensing visibly.

One letter could be dismissed. A prank, a coincidence. But this? A second one? It gnawed at his insides like a disease. What the hell is this?

Seokmin’s mind raced, a whirlwind of disbelief and fury. There’s no way. No one could be pulling this off. It was physically impossible—it should be impossible.