Days turned into weeks, and Euihyun and Taejoo fell into a strange, strained routine. Their safe house became both a sanctuary and a prison. Outside, the world moved on, but for them, time seemed to stand still as they prepared for the inevitable confrontation with Blue Rider.
But despite their best efforts, Blue Rider's attacks grew bolder. Each new breach pushed their defenses to the brink, leaving Taejoo and Euihyun scrambling to regain control. There were nights when Euihyun barely slept, his mind racing with possible solutions, only to come up empty. Blue Rider was relentless, always lurking, always watching.
And yet, there was something strange about the way Taejoo handled the attacks. Though he appeared calm under pressure, occasionally Euihyun would catch a flicker of something else—something almost playful—in Taejoo's eyes. It was as if Taejoo wasn't fully showing his hand, keeping part of himself hidden.
But Euihyun didn't question it, not yet. They had bigger problems to deal with.
One evening, after hours of running simulations and countermeasures, Euihyun slumped back in his chair, rubbing his tired eyes. "We're barely keeping up with him," he muttered.
Taejoo leaned against the desk, his arms crossed casually. "We're keeping him busy, at least."
"That's not good enough," Euihyun replied, frustration seeping into his voice. "He's toying with us. It's only a matter of time before he breaks through."
Taejoo raised an eyebrow, a small smirk playing at his lips. "You worried?"
"Of course I'm worried," Euihyun snapped. "He's getting closer every day."
Taejoo's smirk widened just a fraction. "Good."
Euihyun frowned, taken aback by the response. "What do you mean, 'good'?"
Taejoo pushed off the desk, walking toward the monitors with an easy confidence. "He's getting closer because we're drawing him in."
Euihyun blinked, staring at Taejoo as if seeing him for the first time. "Wait, what?"
Taejoo glanced over his shoulder, his golden eyes gleaming with mischief. "You don't win by running away, Euihyun. You win by making your enemy think he's winning."
Euihyun sat up straighter, his confusion deepening. "So... you want him to break through?"
Taejoo chuckled softly, his fingers dancing over the keyboard as he brought up a series of encrypted files. "Not quite. I want him to think he's in control. That's when he'll slip up."
Euihyun watched him, a sinking feeling settling in his stomach. "How long have you been planning this?"
Taejoo shot him a grin, but didn't answer directly. "Let's just say... I like keeping things interesting."
Before Euihyun could respond, a loud ping echoed through the room. Both of them turned to the screen as a new message appeared—another taunt from Blue Rider.
Blue Rider: You're running out of time, Taejoo. Soon, there won't be anywhere left to hide.
Taejoo's smile didn't falter, but his eyes hardened as he read the message. "He's starting to feel confident."
"Isn't that... bad?" Euihyun asked warily.
"It's exactly what we want," Taejoo said, his voice calm and measured. "We're almost ready."
"Ready for what?"
Taejoo met Euihyun's gaze, his expression softening just slightly. "For him to walk into the trap."
