ANKLET - YEONGYU - Force Marriage

5 - Anklet

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Beomgyu woke up, blinking against the morning sunlight that spilled into the room. Groggy, he stretched, but his eyes quickly darted to the door. To his surprise, the lock clicked open when he tried it. He hesitated for a moment before cautiously stepping out into the hallway. As he walked, he felt something crumpled in his pocket. Frowning, he pulled it out, revealing a note written in Yeonjun’s messy handwriting:

"CLEAN NOW AND HAVE FOOD READY BY 1. IF YOU DON’T, YOU’LL GO BACK TO THE ROOM. WEAR THE DRESS. I CAN SEE YOU."

Beomgyu’s stomach churned with a familiar sense of dread. The message was clear—he was being watched, controlled. After a moment of frozen fear, he rushed to the bathroom to shower, feeling the weight of the order looming over him.

After his shower, Beomgyu dressed in the maid outfit that Yeonjun had picked out for him. He stared at himself in the mirror, the dress clinging uncomfortably to his frame. He hated how vulnerable it made him feel, but he knew better than to disobey. With a sigh, he headed downstairs to clean the house, his every step careful and deliberate.

By the time he finished cleaning, it was almost 1 p.m., and Beomgyu hurriedly prepared lunch, setting the table just as Yeonjun walked through the front door.

"Hyung, the food is ready," Beomgyu said quietly, avoiding eye contact.

Yeonjun sat at the table, inspecting the spread with a nod. "Good job," he said, though his tone was indifferent.

"Can I… can I eat too, Hyung?" Beomgyu asked nervously, wringing his hands.

Yeonjun’s eyes narrowed as a smile twisted his lips. "I think someone wants to go back to that haunted bedroom," he teased, his voice low and threatening. Beomgyu felt his heart drop. "I’m kidding, relax. Here." Yeonjun tossed a few bills onto the table. "You worked for it."

Beomgyu picked up the money, counting it carefully. "Thank you, Hyung. How much was the food?"

"Five bucks."

Beomgyu handed back five dollars. "Can I eat now, Hyung?"

"Yeah, go ahead," Yeonjun said, leaning back in his chair. "Oh, and by the way, my parents are coming over tonight. You’ll need to sleep in my room. I don’t want them asking questions."

Beomgyu stiffened. "In your room? But…"

"Do you have a problem with that?" Yeonjun’s voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that made Beomgyu back down immediately.

"No, Hyung," Beomgyu mumbled, taking his seat across from Yeonjun.

They ate in relative silence, Beomgyu’s mind racing. Why was Yeonjun being so nice all of a sudden? It felt strange, like he was being manipulated, and he couldn’t shake the unease settling in his chest.

After lunch, Yeonjun stood and headed back upstairs, now dressed in a sharp, expensive-looking suit. Beomgyu watched him descend the stairs, looking more refined than usual.

"Where are you going, Hyung?" Beomgyu asked before he could stop himself.

Yeonjun froze mid-step and shot him a glare. "Why do you keep asking questions? Just because I gave you money and let you eat doesn’t mean I’m your friend."

"I didn’t mean—" Beomgyu began, but before he could finish, Yeonjun slammed the door behind him.

Alone again, Beomgyu sighed and walked to the living room. The sound of his anklet chimed softly as he moved. Ding, ding, ding. The noise was both comforting and painful, a reminder of his mother who had given him the anklet before she passed away. Beomgyu sat on the floor and stared at it, memories flooding his mind. His mother had loved to dance, and she’d taught him how when he was little. He missed those days.

Feeling nostalgic, Beomgyu stood and began to dance, moving gracefully across the room as if his mother were still there with him. His movements were slow at first, but as he got more into it, his body remembered the steps, and he lost himself in the rhythm.

Unbeknownst to him, Yeonjun had returned, standing in the doorway, watching. Something about Beomgyu’s dancing stirred a long-forgotten memory in Yeonjun. He took out his phone, recording the moment, though he didn’t know why. The dance reminded him of someone from his past—someone important.

Breaking from his thoughts, Yeonjun cleared his throat. "Hey, anklet boy."

Beomgyu stopped mid-spin, startled. "Hyung! I didn’t hear you come in."

"You dance pretty well," Yeonjun said, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "You should try out for the cheer squad. They could use someone with your skills."

Beomgyu blinked in surprise. "The cheer squad? I’ve always wanted to, but… I’m scared."

Yeonjun raised an eyebrow. "Scared of what?"

"I don’t know… what if they laugh at me?"

Yeonjun smirked. "You’ll be fine. There’s an audition tomorrow. Come with me. If you get in, I’ll pay you thirty dollars."

Beomgyu’s eyes widened, excitement bubbling up inside him. "Really? Thank you, Hyung! That’s more than generous!"

Yeonjun held up a hand, stopping Beomgyu’s rambling. "Don’t thank me yet. If you don’t get in, you’ll only get ten dollars. Deal?"

"Deal!" Beomgyu agreed, unable to stop himself from grinning. Without thinking, he threw his arms around Yeonjun in a grateful hug.

Yeonjun stiffened but eventually patted Beomgyu’s back awkwardly. "Alright, alright, enough of that," he muttered, pulling away. "Go take your stuff upstairs to my room. Get changed into something comfortable before my parents get here."

Beomgyu nodded and hurried upstairs, quickly changing into a simple outfit. He wasn’t sure why, but his heart felt lighter after the conversation with Yeonjun. Was this what hope felt like? He wasn’t sure.

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Later that evening, Yeonjun’s parents arrived. Beomgyu set the table for them and made sure everything was perfect before joining Yeonjun in the living room.

Yeonjun’s mother smiled warmly when she saw him. "So, the wedding is still on for August 20th? Two weeks from now?"

Both Beomgyu and Yeonjun nodded, though Beomgyu felt a pang of confusion. Wedding? He didn’t remember agreeing to that.

Yeonjun’s mother continued talking as Beomgyu stayed quiet. When there was a lull in the conversation, he asked politely, "Can I get you anything? Tea or coffee?"

Yeonjun’s father shook his head. "No, thank you, Beomgyu. That was kind of you to offer."

Beomgyu blushed at the compliment, feeling oddly shy. "Of course," he murmured.

Once Yeonjun’s parents had left, Yeonjun turned to Beomgyu with a smirk. "Alright, about tomorrow. If you get into the cheer squad, you’ll have to work twice as hard to keep up. But don’t worry, I’ll pay you thirty bucks. If you don’t get in… well, ten bucks isn’t bad, right?"

Beomgyu smiled weakly. "Right… thank you, Hyung."

Yeonjun stood, stretching. "Now, let’s get to bed."

Beomgyu followed him up to the bedroom, feeling more nervous than he’d admit. As he changed into his girl pajamas, the familiar sound of his anklet jingling filled the room. Ding, ding, ding.

Yeonjun raised an eyebrow when he saw Beomgyu. "Girl pajamas? Seriously?" He shook his head. "Whatever."

Beomgyu slipped into bed, his cheeks warm with embarrassment. He was exhausted, and sleep quickly overtook him. Yeonjun, however, stayed awake, his thoughts swirling. He couldn’t stop staring at Beomgyu’s peaceful face, a strange warmth settling in his chest.

Without thinking, Yeonjun moved closer, pulling Beomgyu into his arms. As he lay there, holding him close, the sound of Beomgyu’s anklet continued to echo in the quiet room.

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