Deep End | Hyunlix

43

The back alley was quiet, save for the soft rustle of trash bags caught by the wind and the occasional distant noise from the busy streets. Felix could feel his pulse quicken as he stepped further into the shadows. The moment he had been dreading had finally arrived. They were alone now, the city's underworld closing in around them, the night taking on a darker, more oppressive feel. Hyunjin was here, standing before him, and Felix was more uncertain than ever about what was coming next.

Hyunjin stood tall, his gaze unwavering as he crossed his arms over his chest. His usual cool and composed demeanor was on full display, but Felix could see the tightness in his jaw, the subtle shift in his posture that betrayed the crackling tension between them.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Hyunjin's voice cut through the air, sharp and laced with an edge Felix hadn't expected. He stepped forward, his eyes scanning Felix's face, as though trying to see through him.

Felix's breath hitched, but he didn't flinch. He'd come too far to back down now. His gaze locked onto Hyunjin's, and with a slow breath, he finally let the words spill out.

"I could ask you the same thing," Felix's voice was steady, his anger just below the surface, but it didn't stop him from stepping closer to Hyunjin. "Sitting with a top commander in the Snake Eye Clan? What the hell are you involved in, Hyunjin?"

Hyunjin's eyes flickered, something flashing in them before he quickly masked it. Felix saw it, a quick vulnerability, a brief hesitation, but it was gone in an instant, replaced by that all-too-familiar indifference.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Hyunjin replied, his voice low, as if dismissing Felix's words. "You don't know a damn thing about me or what I'm doing."

Felix took a step closer, his chest nearly brushing Hyunjin's. He could feel the tension thickening between them, the air charged with a mix of anger and confusion.

"I know enough," Felix shot back, his voice quiet but firm. "I know you're involved with people like Changbin, people who deal in death and destruction. I don't know why you're here with them, but I can't stand watching you pretend you're just some innocent bystander in this world."

Hyunjin's expression darkened at the words, the smirk from earlier vanishing entirely. Felix had hit a nerve. Good.

"You think you know everything about me?" Hyunjin said, his voice sharper now. "You think you understand this world? This life? You don't know the first thing about it." His eyes were cold now, but Felix could see something else, a flicker of something buried deep.

Felix couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration. "Then why don't you tell me?" Felix challenged, his voice softening just enough to betray the vulnerability beneath the anger. "Why don't you tell me the truth, Hyunjin?"

Hyunjin's gaze shifted away for a moment, his expression unreadable. But then, to Felix's surprise, his features softened for a brief second, as if the weight of something had fallen onto his shoulders. Felix was caught off guard. What the hell was going on with him?

"I never meant for you to get involved in this," Hyunjin said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. There was a hint of regret there, something Felix wasn't prepared to hear. "I never meant for you to become part of this mess."

Felix's breath caught, and for a split second, he saw a glimpse of the man beneath the cold exterior. There was more to Hyunjin than Felix had ever realized. But just as quickly as it appeared, that vulnerability disappeared, replaced by the same guarded mask.

"You didn't want me involved?" Felix's voice cracked, his frustration turning into something deeper. "You think I had a choice, Hyunjin? You pulled me into this the moment I started caring. You think I don't see it? You've been playing me the whole time."

Hyunjin's jaw tightened, and he looked away again, the emotion flickering in his eyes like a dying flame. Felix felt a pang in his chest. There it was again, the vulnerability, something he wasn't supposed to see. But it was there, hidden beneath layers of silence and avoidance.

Felix couldn't stop himself. He had to ask the question, even though he wasn't sure if he could handle the answer.

"Who are you, Hyunjin?" The words hung between them like a dare. A challenge. He had to know. He had to understand who Hyunjin really was. Was he just another pawn in this dangerous game, or was there something more to him?

Hyunjin stood silent for a long moment, the weight of Felix's question pressing down on them both. Felix watched him, trying to catch any hint of a reaction, but Hyunjin's mask never slipped.

"I'm someone you don't want to know," Hyunjin replied, his voice low and final. "I'm not the man you think I am. And you wouldn't be able to handle the truth."

Felix's heart sank. What does that mean?

But before Felix could push further, Hyunjin took a step back, his gaze never leaving Felix's. The cool night air seemed to chill as the silence stretched between them.

Felix could feel his chest tightening, the familiar feeling of helplessness creeping in. But this time, he wasn't backing down. He couldn't. Not when everything he had suspected about Hyunjin had come rushing to the surface. Not when everything had changed.

Hyunjin's eyes softened slightly, and Felix caught a glimpse of something in them, something unspoken, something that made Felix's chest tighten even more. But it wasn't enough. Not when Felix didn't have the answers.

"I never wanted to fall for you," Hyunjin said quietly, his voice barely audible, the words so soft Felix almost didn't catch them. "You were always meant to be a pawn, someone I could use. That's all you were supposed to be."

Felix froze, his breath catching in his throat. The words hit harder than anything else Hyunjin had said. He had been nothing more than a tool? A pawn? That's all I was to him?

But then, just as quickly, Hyunjin's expression shifted, the vulnerability replaced by something guarded, something distant. His gaze dropped to the ground for a moment before he met Felix's eyes again.

"But the days I spent watching over you," Hyunjin continued, his voice barely above a whisper, "and that night we shared... You've embedded yourself in me. I don't know how it happened, but you've... you've changed everything."

Felix's heart pounded in his chest, the words reverberating in his mind. He never meant to fall for me? It didn't make sense. None of it did. But Hyunjin had just admitted it, whether he meant to or not.

Felix opened his mouth to speak, but the words got caught in his throat. He didn't know what to say, how to respond. Hyunjin had confessed to something he hadn't even known himself. And now, Felix was left standing in the dark, trying to piece together a puzzle he wasn't sure he was ready to solve.

"I don't know what this is," Hyunjin whispered, his gaze softening, and for the first time, Felix saw the weight of something real behind those eyes. "But I know that I can't let you go now."

Felix's chest tightened. He had come here to find answers, but now he was more confused than ever. Hyunjin wasn't just the man he thought he knew. There was more to him so much more. And Felix didn't know if he was ready to face it.

But one thing was clear: no matter what, they were both in this together now

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1254 words