Bound by Shadows .jc

CHAPTER 20

No title........  sorry <3

----------------------------------------------------------------

As dawn's first light crept over the horizon, Seungcheol stood by the window, the faint hues of morning casting a pale glow across his face. He hadn't slept, his mind circling the same relentless questions and fractured conclusions. When his phone buzzed, he brought it to his ear without hesitation.

A low, detached voice greeted him, chillingly calm. "I'm returning tomorrow. Do you have anything to say?"

Seungcheol's answer was as unyielding as his expression. "No. Just see to the deal."

There was a pause, and then the voice, now edged with menace, continued, "And the boy? Keeping him away from me?"

Seungcheol's reply was immediate, cold. "It's personal."

A low, irritated chuckle echoed from the other end. "Nothing involving Viktor is personal, Seungcheol. Remember that."

He responded with curt finality, "We'll talk tomorrow." Without another word, he hung up, his face hardening as he stared into the rising sun, lost in thought.

Pulling himself back to the present, he prepared to leave but felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to check on Jeonghan. The thought needled him, unsettling yet impossible to ignore. Quietly, he made his way down the hallway to Jeonghan's room and unlocked the door, slipping inside.

The room was dim, softened by morning shadows, and in the stillness, Seungcheol's eyes landed on Jeonghan. Curled against the wall, his breathing soft and even, Jeonghan seemed so vulnerable, so out of place in this world of harsh edges. The faint trace of dried tears on his cheeks stirred an uneasy ache within Seungcheol, one he couldn't quite place.

Kneeling beside him, Seungcheol's gaze lingered, his emotions a raw mixture of guilt, confusion, and something darker he struggled to suppress. He reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair from Jeonghan's face. The touch was instinctive yet restrained, like something he both longed for and despised.

For a moment, Seungcheol let himself absorb the quiet, the calm he hadn't known in years. Then, with deliberate care, he lifted Jeonghan and carried him to the bed, tucking him in as if it would somehow erase the fear he'd inflicted.

He stepped back, his eyes tracing the tear-streaked paths and faint bruising beneath Jeonghan's eyes. Each mark felt like an accusation, chipping away at his ironclad composure. The unfamiliar ache in his chest grew, pulling at the walls he'd so carefully built around himself.

Unable to bear the closeness any longer, he left the room quickly, his footsteps echoing in the silence as he locked the door behind him. Pressing a hand to his chest, he tried to steady the growing turmoil within. The weight of his emotions was unsettling, exposing cracks in his cold demeanor that he couldn't easily mend.

He walked away, conflicted and unmoored, silently questioning how he had let himself care. How he'd allowed someone like Jeonghan to unsettle his world.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Hoshi's POV 

I sat at the dining table, keeping my eyes on the entrance as the others began to file in, the quiet creak of chairs and faint clink of silverware filling the stillness of the room. Wonwoo was beside me, glued to his phone, examining Jeonghan's texting style with his usual laser focus. Every word, every emoji, analyzed, ready to make our cover foolproof. 

And then S.Coups entered. He looked... distant, almost as if he were somewhere else entirely, though that's how he's been these days. His gaze drifted across the room with barely a glance at any of us.