| Poison | 🔞 |

Chapter 7

For a few days after Hongjoong uncovered the dark secret Seonghwa hid from him, he struggled with himself greatly. He kept trying to put his thoughts in order, whether what he was doing was right or wrong. Morally, he knew it was sick and twisted, but no one else saw Seonghwa in the same light that he did.

Seonghwa put Hongjoong on a pedestal, high out of reach from anything and everyone else, and Seonghwa wouldn't let anything change that, no matter what it took. Never having experienced something like this before, it was very confusing for the red-haired male. The more he tore himself between the means of right and wrong, the more he could feel himself on the brink of snapping.

One day, Seonghwa had requested for Hongjoong to follow this guy by the name of San Choi, the eldest son of a rival crime family. Seonghwa wanted to know the man's patterns throughout the day since San Choi was known for keeping a rather regular daily schedule, and of course, Hongjoong did just as he was instructed.

Hongjoong decided to begin his stake-out at a local cafe beside a large skyscraper. The building had belonged to San Choi's father, it was a large transport corporation located in June. San Choi was supposed to be leaving after a meeting was held with his father.

Sitting at a white metal table shaded with a black umbrella outside the cafe, Hongjoong pretended to read a magazine as he waited for San Choi.

About 30 minutes has passed, and he caught sight of a dark-haired male that fit the exact description that Hongjoong was given. 

There he is... It's time to figure out where this guy is headed next. Hongjoong thought to himself, closing the magazine as he stood up slowly.

San Choi looked up and down the street for a moment, then proceeded to walk his way down the sidewalk, heading away from Hongjoong. Hongjoong let him get some distance away before he began following behind him, he tried to be as careful as he could so he wouldn't blow his cover.

After walking about 5 blocks or so, Hongjoong noticed the dark-haired male suddenly dip inside an alleyway. Hongjoong frowned slightly, picking up his pace a bit so he could catch up. He couldn't lose sight of this man, he still didn't know anything about his daily schedule other than the meeting.

Hongjoong turned down the alleyway but didn't see a thing as he continued to walk, looking all over the place to see if he could figure out where he'd disappeared to. As he began to turn another corner, he was suddenly knocked to the ground hard after something metal connected with his head. It almost knocked him out cold, groaning as his vision faded in and out of darkness on the ground. Hongjoong felt a gentle stream of warm liquid run down the side of his head. He could make out an outline of a male standing over him, but he couldn't quite see who it was.

"Who the hell are you and why have you been following me?" A low voice demanded.

"I..." Hongjoong tried to say something but he was so disoriented.

Hongjoong was then suddenly lifted up by his collar roughly, then slammed against the wall so hard it took his breath away. He cried out in pain as he winced, coughing as he tried to get his breath back.

"I will not ask you again. Who the hell sent you? Who are you?" The man growled as he had Hongjoong pinned against the brick of the building.

Once Hongjoong's vision came back, he recognized that it was San Choi. His heart dropped to his feet after realizing he was caught.

"I-I'm nobody..." Hongjoong muttered, swallowing dryly. "I won't tell you anything.

This response didn't settle well with the dark-haired male. San reared his arm back before connecting a balled fist against the red-haired male's cheek, hitting him so hard that he collapsed to the ground onto his hands and knees.