The Conquest (Underworld 5) SH

28: Seungcheol Is Here

The airport was a blur of faces, announcements, and hurried footsteps as Jihoon stood at the drop-off, watching Soonyoung disappear through the terminal doors. A soft sigh escaped his lips. He was going to miss Soonyoung—his laughter, his relentless affection, the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled. But Soonyoung had insisted it would only be a few days. He'd be back soon.

"Don't be too hard on yourself while I'm gone," Soonyoung had teased before disappearing into the crowd, leaving Jihoon alone, his mind wandering back to the empty apartment that awaited him.

As Jihoon drove back from the airport, the rhythmic hum of the car's engine did little to quiet his thoughts. His mind wandered back to the last few weeks with Soonyoung—the soft touches, the long conversations, the laughter. Everything felt lighter with him around. And yet, an unsettling guilt had been creeping up on him.

Seungcheol.

Jihoon had been avoiding his calls, ignoring his texts, putting off every encounter. He wasn't ready to face Seungcheol, wasn't ready to deal with the inevitable confrontation. Soonyoung had brought a kind of peace into his life that Jihoon wasn't used to, but he knew, deep down, that peace wouldn't last. Not with Seungcheol lurking in the background.

He sighed as he pulled up to his apartment building. The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the parking lot. He stepped out of the car, the weight of his unspoken thoughts heavy on his shoulders. As he made his way to his door, something immediately felt wrong. His steps faltered, eyes narrowing as he noticed the door to his apartment was slightly open.

Every instinct in Jihoon's body screamed for him to turn around, but his feet carried him forward. His hand gripped the doorknob, and with a soft creak, he pushed it open.

There, sitting on the couch like a king surveying his kingdom, was Seungcheol. His orange hair caught the dim light of the setting sun, a sharp contrast to the dark leather jacket he wore. He was as imposing as ever, his muscular frame filling the room with an oppressive energy. One leg was casually crossed over the other, but his eyes... his eyes were anything but relaxed.

They locked onto Jihoon the moment he stepped in, a slow, predatory smile tugging at Seungcheol's lips. "Took you long enough."

Jihoon's heart stuttered in his chest. He hadn't seen Seungcheol in weeks, hadn't heard that voice dripping with quiet menace. His pulse quickened, but he kept his face as impassive as possible.

"Hyung," Jihoon's voice was low, guarded. "What are you doing here?"

Seungcheol's smile didn't reach his eyes. He leaned back, stretching his arms out along the back of the couch, exuding a dangerous calm. "I could ask you the same thing. You've been... avoiding me."

Jihoon clenched his fists at his sides. Of course, Seungcheol had noticed. He noticed everything. "I've been busy."

"Busy?" Seungcheol let out a soft, mocking laugh. "That's funny. Too busy to answer my calls? Too busy to respond to my messages?" His voice darkened, the edge of a threat curling around each word. "You don't get to be too busy for me, Jihoon."

A chill ran down Jihoon's spine, but he forced himself to stand his ground. "I didn't ask you to come here."

Seungcheol's smile vanished. He stood up slowly, deliberately, like a predator about to pounce. The air between them crackled with tension as Seungcheol closed the distance, his presence overwhelming the small apartment.