Bound by Shadows .jc

CHAPTER 11

Beneath the Morning Calm

The next morning began like any other for Jeonghan, golden sunlight spilling through his curtains and gently nudging him awake. He stretched with a lazy yawn, feeling oddly at peace despite the unease lingering from last night. After quickly freshening up, he decided to take a walk to Mingyu's café, anticipating the warm chatter of his friends.

As Jeonghan strolled down the quiet streets, the smell of freshly brewed coffee drifted on the breeze, leading him to the café just as it opened. Sunlight poured through the glass windows, casting a gentle glow across the tables and counters. The bell above the door jingled as he stepped in, greeted instantly by Seokmin's bright wave.

"Jeonghan hyung!" Seokmin called, grinning as he patted the empty seat beside him. Joshua, readying for his morning class, sat nearby, while Minghao sipped tea, flipping through a magazine in his usual quiet way.

"Morning, Hannie," Joshua greeted with a warm smile as Jeonghan settled in. "Did you sleep well?"

"Better than I expected," Jeonghan replied, accepting the cup of coffee Mingyu slid over with a nod of thanks.

The morning continued in comfortable rhythm, laughter and teasing flowing easily. Seokmin leaned on Joshua's shoulder, recounting their breakfast with an exaggerated dreamy sigh, while Seungkwan sipped his iced coffee and rolled his eyes, muttering, "Love—what a disaster."

Minghao's amused glance flickered across the table as Woozi entered, his usual gruff greeting drawing smiles from the others. They exchanged easy barbs—Seungkwan's dramatic declarations of independence, Mingyu's feigned exasperation at his friends' antics—all while the café's gentle hum provided a comforting backdrop.

Soon, Joshua stood to leave for class, ruffling Seokmin's hair as he waved goodbye. The morning felt timeless, filled with the familiar warmth and laughter that had become a staple in Jeonghan's life. Yet, as he walked with Minghao toward his flower shop afterward, a strange, lingering unease tugged at the edges of his mind—a feeling that, beneath this calm, something far less innocent waited just beyond their reach

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Seungcheol's day had started in the worst possible way. The morning, which should have carried the serene memory of the previous night—Jeonghan's face, his soft expressions as he sat by the grave—was instead ruined by a shipment problem that made his blood boil. He had barely slept, but when he did, it had been to the image of Jeonghan, surrounded by flowers, peaceful and perfect. Seungcheol had studied every detail of that photo before finally falling asleep, the need to know more about him gnawing at his mind. He had already decided he would visit him after the shipment.

But now, here he was, in the dim light of his office, his mood as black as the storm clouds outside. His fingers drummed on the desk as he listened to the frantic footsteps outside. His men were running around the headquarters like headless chickens, trying to fix the issue. Seungcheol sat still, his jaw clenched so tightly that a vein pulsed at his temple. His cold, dark eyes followed every movement, every stuttered word as his underlings failed to present a solution.

The silence from him was far more terrifying than any shout or outburst. Every minute that passed without a solution was a minute closer to a reckoning. He didn't need to raise his voice; the weight of his quiet fury was enough to suffocate the men in the room. They scrambled, fingers trembling over keyboards, phones to their ears as they tried to salvage the situation. No one dared to meet his eyes, not even Hoshi, who was quietly assessing the mess from a distance, standing near the door with Jun and Wonwoo. Even they, as calm and collected as they usually were, kept a cautious distance from their leader.

Dino, the youngest of the group, was buried under a mountain of work, barely keeping up with the demands that had piled on him. His hands shook as he typed furiously on his laptop, eyes darting between screens, searching for any shred of information that could help fix the disaster. He hadn't even had a chance to find Jeonghan's details—something Seungcheol would've wanted right away—because he was too busy trying to clean up this mess. He knew better than anyone how dangerous it was to keep Seungcheol waiting.

Seungcheol's voice, when it finally came, was low, quiet, and ice-cold. "Fix this, or I'll make sure you wish you were dead before the day's over."

The room went even quieter, if that was possible. His words were soft, barely above a whisper, but the weight of them sent a shiver down every spine. It was as though the air itself had dropped several degrees. Dino felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead, hands moving even faster across his keyboard as if his life depended on it—because in a way, it did.

Seungcheol sat back in his chair, eyes fixed on the chaos unfolding around him. He didn't speak again for what felt like hours, though he would occasionally murmur curses under his breath, words so sharp they cut through the tension like a knife.

"Useless," he whispered once, his eyes flicking over to the screen where the shipment details were still in disarray.

Dino's heart pounded louder each time Seungcheol uttered those quiet curses. Every time their leader's gaze swept over them, it was as though he was already measuring their graves.

The hours dragged by in agonizing silence, punctuated only by the occasional sharp intake of breath or the sound of a phone ringing. The atmosphere was suffocating, a pressure that threatened to break every man in the room. The ticking of the clock seemed louder than ever, each second mocking their inability to get the situation under control.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Dino managed to find a solution. His voice was shaky when he spoke, "We've fixed the issue, Seungcheol-hyung. The shipment will proceed as planned."

The relief was palpable, though no one dared to show it too openly. Seungcheol slowly stood from his chair, his movements measured, precise. He didn't say a word at first, just stared at the screen that displayed the now-stabilized shipment schedule.

His silence stretched out, heavy and oppressive, before he finally turned to Dino. "Good," he said, his voice still cold but less lethal than before. "Now find the details of that man from last night. I want everything by the time I get back."

Dino nodded quickly, eyes wide, grateful he had managed to fix at least one problem before it got worse.

Seungcheol grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair, slinging it over his broad shoulders with a grace that belied the danger simmering just beneath the surface. His mind was already shifting back to Jeonghan. After all this mess, he needed something—someone—to distract him, to satisfy the burning curiosity that had rooted itself in his chest the moment he laid eyes on that man.

"Take care of everything else while I'm gone," he ordered without looking back, his tone final. And with that, he strode out of the office, his cold presence leaving a lingering chill behind as the door closed softly behind him.

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