[ Kidnap ] Seungmin x skz ff~~

ch 38

Seungmin sat back at his desk, his hands resting on the keyboard, yet his mind was far from the work in front of him. Damien’s words lingered in his thoughts, a melody he couldn’t silence. There was something so sincere, almost tender, in the way Damien had spoken, in the way he looked at him as if Seungmin’s happiness truly mattered. It was an expression Seungmin hadn’t seen from anyone in so long, and he found himself wanting to trust it… to trust Damien.

But as his gaze drifted downward, his hands tightened, his fingers curling until his knuckles turned white. He tried to focus on his breathing, but flashes of his past broke through, uninvited and relentless.

The memories came back in jagged pieces—dark, damp rooms where he had once been kept, his wrists aching from rough ropes, his voice gone raw from calling for help no one would give. The twisted grins of his captors, their mocking voices ringing in his ears as they treated him like nothing more than a punching bag, each hit carving fear and pain into his mind. He could feel the bruises again, the way his body had trembled from exhaustion, from terror, from the silent, desperate hope that one day it would end.

“Why should I trust him?” Seungmin whispered, the words barely leaving his lips. His chest tightened, the memories clawing at him. “What if… what if it’s all a lie, just like before?”

He shivered, his body instinctively recoiling as he remembered the broken promises, the hollow reassurances he had clung to during those dark days. He had once believed in kindness, in love, only to find himself abandoned, left to suffer in silence.

But Damien’s face flashed in his mind, the warmth in his eyes, the gentle way he had spoken… something about him felt different, like he truly meant those words. Seungmin’s heart wavered, caught between fear and a fragile spark of hope.

“Maybe…” he murmured, trying to shake off the haunting images. “Maybe he really cares.” The words sounded small, almost too delicate to be real, but they gave him the slightest sense of comfort, enough to keep him grounded.

He closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath, steadying himself. The past may have scarred him, but he wasn’t there anymore. And Damien… he didn’t seem like those people, the ones who had taken him, who had broken him. Damien had shown nothing but patience, sincerity, and, somehow, even a sense of gentleness. And despite the lingering ache in his chest, Seungmin found himself wanting to believe in it.

After a moment, he shook his head, clearing his thoughts. He couldn’t let the past hold him hostage forever. Slowly, he brought his attention back to his work, his heart a little lighter. Though doubt still lingered, excitement stirred within him at the thought of meeting Damien again, a hopeful spark that made the day feel just a little brighter.