Beneath the Surface I Seungsung

Chapter 4

The dim light in the penthouse barely illuminated the room, but neither Jisung nor Seungmin seemed to care. Their bodies moved with a familiar urgency, but this time, something felt different. The tension between them, always present but typically cold and mechanical, seemed to simmer with an underlying intensity they hadn’t acknowledged before.

Seungmin’s breath hitched as Jisung pressed him back into the bed, their movements rough but practiced. It was the same routine, the same silent agreement they’d followed for months—this was nothing more than a physical release, a way to expel their frustration with each other. But tonight, Seungmin felt a shift in the air, something that left him feeling raw and exposed.

Jisung’s hands were firm on his waist, pulling him closer as their bodies intertwined in the familiar rhythm. But his usual smirk, the cold and calculated expression Jisung always wore, was missing. Instead, there was a strange intensity in his eyes, one that Seungmin couldn’t read. It made his heart race, his mind foggy with confusion and desire.

"Seungmin," Jisung murmured, his voice rough against Seungmin's skin as he leaned in close, lips brushing his ear. There was no taunt, no cold indifference like there usually was. Just his name, whispered with a quiet urgency that made Seungmin’s chest tighten.

Seungmin tried to shake it off, pushing the feeling down as he always did. This was just another night, nothing more. It couldn’t be more. But his body betrayed him, responding to Jisung’s touch with a desperation he couldn’t hide.

Their movements slowed, the frantic pace giving way to something heavier, something more deliberate. Jisung’s hands on him weren’t just demanding—they were lingering, tracing over his skin as if he was trying to memorize every inch of Seungmin. The change in pace left Seungmin dizzy, torn between the desire to keep things the same and the aching sense that maybe, just maybe, they had crossed a line they couldn’t come back from.

When it was over, the silence in the room was deafening.

Seungmin lay still, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. Beside him, Jisung sat up slightly, propping himself on one elbow as he looked down at Seungmin with an unreadable expression. His usual cocky smirk wasn’t there, nor the cold detachment he used to cover up anything else. There was something almost… vulnerable in the way Jisung looked at him now, and it made Seungmin’s stomach twist in ways he didn’t want to admit.

Neither of them spoke. They never did after nights like this. Words weren’t necessary—this was just a game they played, an unspoken agreement to keep things physical and nothing more.

But this time, the silence felt heavier than usual.

Seungmin’s mind raced, trying to make sense of the way Jisung was looking at him. There was no way this meant anything. It couldn’t. They were enemies, CEOs of rival companies, bound together by nothing but hatred and the occasional lapse in control.

But tonight had felt different. Jisung had felt different.

Seungmin sat up, pulling the sheets around him as if they could shield him from the confusing thoughts swirling in his mind. He didn’t meet Jisung’s gaze, afraid of what he might find there.

“I should go,” Seungmin said quietly, breaking the silence. His voice was steady, but inside, he felt anything but.

Jisung didn’t respond at first, his eyes still locked on Seungmin, watching him with that same unreadable expression. Then, slowly, he nodded, but there was something hesitant in the movement.

“You can stay,” Jisung said, his voice softer than Seungmin had ever heard it.

Seungmin froze, his heart skipping a beat at the offer. He turned to face Jisung, searching his face for the usual sarcasm, the hidden motive behind the words. But there was none. Jisung’s expression was sincere, almost… vulnerable.

Seungmin’s breath caught in his throat. This wasn’t part of the deal. This wasn’t how it worked between them. They weren’t supposed to linger, weren’t supposed to let things go beyond the physical. That was the unspoken rule. And yet, the offer hung in the air between them, impossible to ignore.

“I…” Seungmin faltered, unsure of what to say.

He should leave. He knew that. He should walk out, just like he always did, and pretend none of this meant anything. But something kept him rooted to the spot, the weight of Jisung’s words pulling at him in a way he couldn’t explain.

Jisung watched him carefully, his eyes softening just a fraction. “You don’t have to,” he added, his voice barely above a whisper.

For a long moment, Seungmin stayed silent, his mind torn between logic and the strange, undeniable pull he felt toward Jisung in this moment. He hated Jisung—he reminded himself of that, clinging to the idea. But as he looked at Jisung now, something inside him shifted.

Without a word, Seungmin lay back down beside him, his body tense but his mind made up. He wasn’t sure what had changed, or why he’d stayed. But for the first time in a long time, he didn’t feel the immediate need to run. To push Jisung away and pretend none of this ever happened.

Jisung didn’t say anything else, but the way his arm draped over Seungmin’s waist, pulling him closer in the quiet darkness, spoke volumes.

And as Seungmin closed his eyes, he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, things were starting to change between them.

Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, Seungmin didn’t know.

But for the first time, he wasn’t afraid to find out.

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