The Conquest (Underworld 5) SH

37: Seungcheol, Shut Up

The next morning, Soonyoung woke up to the soft light streaming through the curtains of the guest room in the Midnight mansion. He blinked groggily, taking in his surroundings, and for a brief, fleeting moment, the peace of the morning almost made him forget the chaos of the night before.

But then, the weight of reality crashed down on him—hard.

He sat up slowly, the dull ache in his head a sharp reminder of the violence Yuta had inflicted on him. His fingers gently brushed the bandage Jihoon had placed there, and the simple touch made his heart twist painfully. Jihoon had saved him, had brought him here, had stayed by his side, tending to his wounds. The look in Jihoon's eyes last night had been so raw, so vulnerable, like an echo of the love they had once shared.

But it didn't change the past.

Soonyoung sighed heavily, running a hand through his disheveled hair as he stared at the faint morning light dancing on the floor. Yuta's angry, twisted face flashed in his mind, along with the endless arguments, the cruelty, and the violence that had poisoned their relationship. But even worse, was the memory of Jihoon—walking away, abandoning him when Soonyoung needed him the most. That wound still festered deep within him, a scar he wasn't sure would ever fade.

He could still remember the way Jihoon had looked at him last night, as if he wanted nothing more than to hold him close again. The tenderness in Jihoon's touch when he bandaged his wounds, the quiet care in his actions—those were all things Soonyoung had longed for. But none of it erased the ache that lingered in his chest. Jihoon had left him once. What was to stop him from doing it again?

He stood from the bed, his movements slow and deliberate as he walked over to the window, staring out at the sprawling grounds of the Midnight mansion. The past haunted him, heavy and unresolved. As much as he wished he could fall back into Jihoon's arms, he knew the risk. The wound Jihoon had left in his heart had never healed, and he couldn't let himself be shattered again.

The silence of the room only made his decision feel heavier, more final.

"You twisted love into something ugly," Soonyoung murmured to himself, the words escaping him like a confession. "Now I'm untwisting it, piece by piece."

Jihoon's voice, soft and laced with that signature edge, interrupted the stillness behind him. "You'll never untangle yourself from me, Soonyoung."

Soonyoung stiffened, not realizing Jihoon had entered the room. He turned slowly, meeting Jihoon's steady gaze. Jihoon was leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed, watching him with those familiar eyes that had always been able to see through him. "I left a mark too deep," Jihoon added quietly, his words sinking into the space between them.

Soonyoung clenched his fists at his sides, his chest tightening with the truth in Jihoon's words. Jihoon *had* left a mark. One that no amount of time could erase. But that didn't mean they could go back.

"It doesn't matter," Soonyoung said, his voice firm but tinged with sadness. "Whatever mark you left, I'm trying to heal from it. You left me, Jihoon. You tore me apart, and now you expect me to pretend like it never happened?"

Jihoon straightened, his gaze softening, but the resolve in his eyes remained. "I didn't expect that," he said quietly, taking a step forward. "I just... I couldn't stay away from you. I never could, and last night—"

"Last night," Soonyoung interrupted, his voice cracking slightly, "was a mistake." He shook his head, turning back to the window as if to shield himself from Jihoon's gaze. "It doesn't change what happened. It doesn't fix what's broken between us."

There was a heavy silence between them, one that carried all the weight of their unresolved history. Soonyoung could feel Jihoon's presence behind him, the familiar warmth he had once known so intimately, but he forced himself to stay firm. He couldn't go back. Not again.